#i should come to you for advice because titling fics is actually the bane of my existence

[hwanghyunjinenthusiast]

This is the first time I hit the tag limit I think.

ミღ the cake in the back — c. seungcheol x reader

description. cheol is a regular at your bakery, and it's all because his son loves the banana bread you make—at least that's what he tells himself. it also doesn't hurt that you're cute. and polite. and totally someone he'd like to fuck.

genre. smut, fluff tags. rich dilf cheol, bakery owner reader, or4l (f receiving), car s3x, kitchen s3x, pet names (angel), cr3ampi3, aprons ... hehe w/c. 3.8k+ a/n. IGNORE THE TITLE OKAY I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY. look i know it's corny and i literally am writing this on a whim but happy father's day

"soobin's not with you today?" your voice is cheery and gentle when you greet your regular.

mr. choi smiles and shakes his head. "shocking, i know," he laughs in that deep and velvety tone that has you bouncing up and down on the balls of your feet out of pure giddiness.

"a pleasant surprise," you reply, putting on some gloves as mr. choi approaches the counter. it's near closing, and it's around that time of day where people usually don't come in as much, so you've been alone and just cleaning up the space yourself. "what can i get you, mr. choi?"

the handsome man chuckles, flicking his wrist as he pushes some hair back, the reflective surface of his wrist watch (that you definitely don't want to know the price of because it might just make you pass out) glinting under your bakery's warm lights. "thought i told you to stop calling me that. seungcheol is much better considering ..." he searches for the words for a moment. "... we see each other so regularly," he concludes.

"i've got to maintain some level of professionalism, don't you agree, mr. choi?" you tease. "the regular, i'm assuming? two banana breads?"

"you already know it."

grinning, you nod and pull up a box. "how's soobin? i haven't seen him or you in a while. i'm starting to miss my favorite customer."

"i'm sure soobin would be flattered to hear that. he's doing well, i couldn't bring him today since he's got a swimming class this evening," seungcheol explains, pulling out his wallet that's donned in some brand name that looks so expensive you don't even know how to pronounce it. you move down the counter grab some of the bread which is on your far left, and he walks down on the other side to match you, keeping up the conversation.

"ah yes. he seems to be around that age to start learning. better now than never, honestly. my younger brother didn't learn until he was older and it did not seem easy," you say with a giggle, bringing out the tongs to grab two small loaves.

seungcheol nods in agreement. "that, and i'm planning on taking the two of us on a vacation spot in a few months ... not sure where yet, but soobin's been wanting to go to a beach location for ages," he tells you, and your heart swells.

the image of soobin and seungcheol, goofing around on a beach send a warm feeling through your body. it's also maybe an added plus that there's a flicker in your mind of what seungcheol would look like in nothing but swim trunks, skin shining from the water under the beaming sun, dark hair splayed across his forehead.

you wonder what he's hiding beneath that plain, beige t-shirt of his. his arms are somewhat exposed, and from just the little bit of muscle that peeks out and flexes when he moves around, you think you can safely assume he's got much more going on in the places where your eyes can't reach.

realizing he's still right in front of you, you blink down hard as an attempt to pull yourself back into reality, eyes flickering up at the handsome man in front of you.

"s-sounds fun," you say honestly, packing the bread and handing it to him over the counter. in this moment, seungcheol catches sight of the apron you've got on. it's light pink and hugs your figure so nicely, he can't help but comment on it.

"new apron, huh?"

shyly, you look down and nod. you hadn't expected him to notice. "uh, yeah. my employees got it for me as a birthday gift, actually."

seungcheol furrows his brows as he hands you his card so you can charge him. "it's cute. was your birthday, um, recent?"

you nod casually, tapping at your machine for a second before handing back his card, trying to ignore the way his comment first comment has your stomach flipping and flopping around. "yeah, it was a few days ago."

"i'm sorry, i didn't know," he says sincerely, causing you to frown.

"hey, don't worry about it. it's not something i expect my customers to know and—"

"let me treat you to something," seungcheol says abruptly, cutting you off mid-sentence. he realizes after that it's a bit rude, but something about the way you brush him off as just a customer makes him feel the need to prove you wrong.

"i—i'm sorry?" you ask, and for a moment seungcheol almost mistakes your confusion for apprehension, but then he drinks in the way you look up at him curiously, lips slightly parted, and he relaxes.

"you're closing soon, right? let me ... treat you to something," he repeats. "a coffee or something, if you don't mind."

"oh, i can't possibly impose like that, especially when you've got to pick up soobin and—"

"i wouldn't be offering if you were imposing. he's getting picked up by my friend anyways—his son and soobin are going to have a play date and stuff and—" he's rambling, seungcheol knows that, but he can't seem to care. "basically what i'm saying is you don't have to worry about that. seriously. wait—not that i'm forcing you. you can totally say no, i just ..." he sighs, "don't want you to say no because you think you'll be imposing. 'cause you won't be."

when you smile brightly up at him, eyes glittering and laugh cheery, a wave of relief washes over seungcheol. "i—thank you for the reassurance. i'd love to get coffee, but i do have around twenty more minutes before closing and i still have some stuff i need to clean up and i'm not sure if you—"

"i'll wait." he pauses, then adds, "and help."

you're a bit apprehensive at first—a customer helping you out with closing? but you're quick to learn that once cheol has his mind set on something, it isn't the easiest to pull him away from it—and right now cheol is determined to treat you, as he put it.

the next forty-five minutes is spent with you directing seungcheol around your bakery. he's a surprisingly fast learner and before you know it, all the pastries are loaded in the back, the dishes are cleaned, your floors are swept, and suddenly you find yourself outside of your shop with the doors locked, standing next to seungcheol who watches with you a clouded expression.

"thank you so much for the help," you say bashfully. "you're already taking me—" is it too soon to say he's taking you out? oh well, what's done is done. "—taking me out. isn't this a little too much?" you joke, wiggling your brows.

seungcheol chuckles and shakes his head, pulling his eyes out of his pocket and twirling around the chain around his fingers. fuck, he has really nice fingers—

seungcheol's voice interrupts your thoughts "do you have a car or—"

"i usually take the bus home," you explain, rocking back and forth on your feet. cheol frowns, but doesn't say anything. maybe he can fix that, but that's an thought for another time as he points at his suv, all black from top to bottom, with tinted windows and full black wheels.

there's a silence that envelopes the two of you when you slip into the passenger seat, placing your work bag on the floor. seungcheol is already in the driver's seat, key stuck in but not turning on the engine just yet.

you glance between the sight of your bakery out the window, and back at seungcheol who already has his gaze on you.

"you're going to have to be transparent with me for a second," seungcheol says seriously, locking eyes with you as you shift your body to face him. "and i want to make sure we're on the same page about ..." about whatever is going to go down.

you bite down on your lip, and even though cheol knows you're doing it absentmindedly, he can't help but feel his pants grow tighter at the way it puffs up when your teeth release it.

"i ... i think you know we're on the same page," you reply shyly, shifting a little in your seat to try and make up for the silence.

"you want this?" cheol clarifies, one eyebrow cocked up.

a feeling of pride swelters in his chest when you reply without hesitation, "i do." and then a bit more quietly, you add, "i, uh, have for a while."

now cheol usually likes to tread lightly; he doesn't want to mess around and is great at keeping his dick in his pants but there's just something about the way you look at him so cutely.

you look at him like you know all the nasty things he wants to do to you, and you bat your eyelashes like you don't care—like you'd let him. like you'd take every damn thing he gives you without a single word of complaint, and it's driving him crazy.

again, cheol is great at keeping his foot on the brake, but then you swipe your tongue over your bottom lip and suddenly he's slamming his feet on the accelerator.

wrapping one hand around your neck, he pulls you to smash his lips onto yours. it's a gentle kiss—tentative, as if you're both testing the waters. pressing against each other as your faces tilt, your hands find purchase in his hair when cheol laps at your bottom lip. that's where it all takes off.

the kiss turns from innocent and sweet to sloppy and fast within a matter of moments and suddenly you're grappling at his arms, his hands are searching for your tits, gripping at the flesh and before you know it, you're being thrown to the back.

seungcheol nearly slams your back down onto the seats, your loose shirt riding up your stomach in the process to reveal the lower half of your bra. "fuck," he mutters, low and under his breath in that raspy sort of way that has your clothes feeling too hot and your cunt too empty.

"seungcheol," you moan, unbuttoning your work pants and shoving them off your legs, along with your panties in one go, leaving your wet cunt open and bare. he doesn't take a moment to shuffle back and bring his face down to be level with your core, eyes looking up at you with some kind of mischievous glint that has your stomach churning.

with a bit of hesitance, he places a soft kiss over your clit, watching you carefully to see how you react. when you whine and arch your back against the leather seats, he figures that that reaction is good enough, and this time lets his tongue out, swiping it against the throbbing bad.

"sweet," he murmurs, lips moving down against your folds. the movement and vibrations send sparks through your core and up your spine, and you shudder at the feeling as one hand flies down to grip at his dark hair. "so fuckin' sweet," he repeats before diving his tongue back, swiping it up and down between your folds.

"ah-h-h, seungcheol—fuck," you whimper when he presses the wet muscle flat against your drooling hole, continue to circle around and tease you. fervently, cheol—to put it bluntly—makes out with your cunt. digging his face in between your legs, his nose brushes against your clit when he adjusts his neck to lap and suck against unexplored areas, leaving you mewling into your arm as you try and sit still for him.

there isn't much room in the back, and to be frank, your limbs are in an uncomfy position, and you can only imagine the strain cheol is feeling, bent over and legs in an awkward position when he holds your hips and pulls you closer so he can smother himself in your pussy. he doesn't seem to mind though, lifting his head every few moments to grin up at you with hazy eyes, glossy lips, and a drenched chin, off-handedly commenting something dirty about how nice you taste, how he could live between your legs, how you're driving him fucking insane.

it's the meticulous flicks of his tongue, the deep and guttural words that escape his honeyed lips, and the girth of his fingers when he finally plunges them into your warm cunt that bring you to your edge. it only takes a few rubs and curls against your aching walls before your shaking, crying out his name as you thrust upwards, holding his face down so you can grind against him.

and he whispers the words, "cum angel," so sweetly—a complete contrast to the way his tongue is scooping up all your arousal—and so you cum like you never have before.

fuck my life, you think to yourself as the waves of your orgasm finally hit you. cheol rides you through the high, and he does it good. so good, you're left breathless when he pulls away from your cunt with a dopey smile and feather light kisses all up your thigh and stomach, and then finally your lips.

"my place?" he asks, stroking your cheek gingerly as you blink up at him. and when you nod hazily, he pats you lightly, helping you back to the passenger seat before helping you slip on your panties and pants back on. this time, when cheol gets back into the driver's seat, he places one hand on the steering wheel, the other secure over your still quivering thigh. "relax angel," he murmurs, and you can't help but burn at the gentle words. this can't be the same man who ate you out like you were damn piece of cake just moments earlier.

the drive is quiet, but not uncomfortable. if anything, you're fucking enthralled. when he stops at a red light, cheol looks over at you and when your eyes meet you can't help but giggle together until you're cheeky, grinning mess by the time you pull up to his house.

parking in the lavish drive way, cheol tells you to hold on for a second, getting out of the car and making his way to your side, to open the door for you.

"i didn't know that this what you meant by coffee," you giggle, stumbling out next to him and letting him wrap an arm around your waist to help you up the steps to his house. it's a beautiful estate, really, but you aren't too focused on admiring the luxury right now—you're much more interested in what's to come between you and cheol.

and you're about to find out soon enough because as soon as he opens the door, lets you in, and closes it behind you, cheol's hands are all over you. with your eyes closed as you two engage in a hot mess of tongue and teeth and lips, your rocking back and forth in his arms, his legs leading to you to some place you're not really aware of until you feel something hard and cool press against your lower back.

"wear the apron," cheol tells you firmly when he pulls away, pressing you against his cold stone counter. you knit your eyebrows together in confusion, but let your bag that's still on your shoulder drop onto the counter, taking out your apron without hesitation.

it's now that you realize you're in his kitchen. if you weren't in such a ... intimate setting, you would have admired the design, the appliances—all of it. perhaps you'd even wonder what it's like to bake in here, cooking up soobin's favorite banana bread with cheol by your side and—you save those thoughts for another time.

"w-why?" you murmur in response to cheol's request, as you pull the apron out, pulling the pink strap over your head, tying it behind your back as the ache between your legs begins to creep up on you again. cheol's big hands find purchase on your hips again, holding down you down with a firm grip as he turns you around and pushes your back down.

"'cause," he grunts out, and you nearly moan when you hear the sound of his belt unbuckling and fabric rustling as he shoves his pants and boxers down. it hardly takes a second before his hands are at the hem of your own pants, yanking them down and giving you a moment so you can step out of them.

you wiggle your ass around for a second, turning to look back at cheol with pleading eyes and ask him to just fuck you already, but then he locks a hand under your jaw, cupping the underside of your face and pulling it up so your back arches into his touch. you can feel the angry, hard head of his cock prodding against the plush of your ass and the feeling of him brush against you has you whining.

"patience, angel," he coos, pressing his face next to the shell of your ear and placing a soft kiss on the crown of your head before easing his way through your folds. you can't even see him but you just know he's big—fat length rubbing up and down your folds as he coats himself in your arousal as you whisper incoherent pleas for more.

"cheolie ..." the nickname slips from your lips with out as much as a brainless thought but it has cheol's head rewiring.

"fuck, say that again," he demands, snaking the hand that's not holding your face down your back until it's gripping the cute little bow of your apron.

you hum as you feel him tugging at the fabric, jerking your body backwards and pushing your cunt harder against him, the fat tip brushing against your sensitive clit. "cheolie!" you mewl again, and you're really not expecting the way he jams his cock into you in one go. not that you're complaining of course.

'cause how could you complain when he's stretching you out so nicely? when his cock is so long it's already hitting kissing your cervix and hitting spots inside of you that you didn't even think were possible to reach? when he's so deep that his balls are pressed against your burning core and his pelvis is flush against your ass?

"you feel so good," cheol moans, and you squeeze around him even tighter when you hear the low, gruff words escape his lips. "this pussy was made for me, huh?" he breathes out with a chuckle, as he pulls out halfway before pulling the strings of the apron so your core meets him halfway, slamming his cock back into you.

"oh god," you moan loudly, eyes rolling to the back of your head as you try and swivel your hips against his for some added stimulation.

"gonna think abt this every time you wear this, won't you?" cheol grunts, twisting his fingers around the bow in the back so he hold onto it tighter.

the thought runs through your fucked out mind for a moment; you're gonna have to walk into work tomorrow, and if you're wearing the apron, you'll have to sit through the day knowing that you had cheol's cock buried inside of you under this same fabric—if you aren't wearing it, you'll have to come up with an excuse for your lovely employees as to why you're not wearing their precious gift.

which option you're going to go with, though, is swept from your mind when cheol sticks a finger into your mouth and presses down on your tongue as he fucks into you harder.

what a moment, you think. getting railed on the counter of a man who you always thought was out of reach. your insides feel like jelly as his fat cock runs against your walls, veins and curves pressing and dragging through you as heat envelopes you.

and as his thrusts increase in force, you start to realize that cheol is nothing if he is not relentless. just when you think you've whimpered his name so much you think you might lose your voice, he's ramming into you harder, punching the air right out of your lungs as broken moans and squeaks that have him losing his damn mind.

"what a fuckin' angel, creaming me cock so well," he praises, yanking you back and forth at an unforgiving pace to match his calculated thrusts. you feel like you're being thrown around in the best way possible, body throttling every time his hips crash against your ass and cause you to lurch forward and arch your back even more.

and as he goes on, the rub of his cock against you, the press of his balls against your clit, his hand in your mouth and pressing against your jaw—it's all so much and so fast and so good until you're shaking and thrashing in his hold.

"mmf—cheolie, wan' cum," you choke out when you feel his cock twitch inside of you.

"yeah? my pretty angel's gon' cum on my cock?"

"yeah-huh," you answer dazedly, body jerking back and forth as his hips snap more haphazardly now, but still hitting that one sweet spot that has your vision going bleary. "can i cum, cheolie?"

and you ask him so fucking sweetly, he can't hold it in anymore, dazedly grunting out something along the lines of, "yeah, angel, cum f'me," before he spills his hot seed inside of you. the sensation of his cum painting your walls white is the final thing you need before joining cheol with your own orgasm, clenching around him so tightly that it has him gripping down on your hips in a way that you know you'll have bruises tomorrow. not that you mind.

how could you, when you just had the most mind blowing orgasm of your life with the hottest guy you've ever met. as you twitch against him, cheol finally pulls himself out and you whimper lowly at the feeling of being empty even though you know you'd probably pass out if you had his dick in you any longer.

gently, cheol strokes your back and caresses the taught muscles, untying the apron that quite literally had you in a chokehold, letting it fall from your figure. "'m sorry," he murmurs into your neck, placing a soft kiss on your shoulder, "was i too rough?"

"n-no," you say, face burning when you realize just how croaky and fucked your voice has become. cheol only laughs at you as you dig your face into your hands as you mumble bashfully, "it was ... great." you're slightly embarrassed, yes, but when you catch the look of endearment on cheol's face, you start to think twice.

as you both attempt to even out your breaths, cheol looks down at you panting against the counter, cum spilling out of your fluttering folds. vaguely, he wonders what you'll look like in a bikini in the bahamas. huh, he thinks, maybe he'll have to ask soobin if it's okay to bring an extra certain someone with them on their vacation this summer.

a/n. how i managed to get this out in one day i don't know. the cheol effect i guess. anyways, hope u enjoyed!

tags. @xcynthiaaa @synthetickitsune @leejihoonownsmyheart @dahliatopia @gyuswhore @hoeforcheol @5xiang @hajimelvr @miriamxsworld @blinkjunhui @lixiel0ver @josefines-things @mimisxs @kawennote09 @bbyjjunie @rubyreduji @marzmeltdown @todorokiskitten (strikethrough could not be tagged)

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi!

I'm here for a pretty stupid thing actually but I've always found it annoying to do: summaries for fics. I never know how much is too little, how much is too much, or if what I'm putting is going to make people think “wow this sounds interesting” or “wow what a shit, keep scrolling”

Do you think it is better to make a summary as such, or include some lines from the story? Idk, any advice would be appreciated

Thanks for taking your time to read!

Hugss🥰

Hey Nonny!! *HUGS*

Ah, the bane of all writers... the blasted summary to describe your story in as little words as possible to get people interested. The LITERAL very last thing you have to do on a story. Always a fun time.

And it's daunting and can feel very overwhelming, because, just like in advertising (my professional background), you have a TINY window to grasp people's attention and make them WANT to click on your fic to read. As an avid reader of fanfic, I do have my own preferences on what I look for... but as a professional, I think I can offer some wisdom in this part here, for a change. PLEASE KNOW that this is different for EVERYONE! These are just some things I picked up in my 20 years in advertising, and applying it to – what is essentially – a "classifieds" board for stories.

Attention-Grabbing Title – Not PERTINENT, but the average reader is more likely to continue reading what you have to offer if your headline is interesting. Even one word ones can grab attention. Something whimsical or metaphorical to your story is always a winner.

Short and Concise Description / Call to Action – One to two sentences is an average attention span before someone gets bored and moves on to the next post. You need to entice someone into reading MORE of your summary in those first two sentences, if you have a long summary. Start your summary with the subject of the story. ie. "John has a problem: he's well hung." That example right there will entice someone to read your summary further.

Grammar Check your Summary – BECAUSE the summary is a representation of what's to come in your story, make sure you get that summary spell-checked or beta'd with your beta. It's a small thing, but it can help bring people in, and especially if you're trying to appeal to a language that you're unfamiliar with. Your beta can even help you refine the summary so it's more attention-grabbing.

Rate Your Story – "Not Rated" stories have a lesser chance of being read than something rated. Doesn't matter what it is, just put a rating there. At least, if people are doing a ratings filter, then you will show up in a search result.

If You're Writing a WiP, State the status of your story at the end of your summary. Many people such as myself don't want to start a WiP without the certainty that it will be done. Stating something like "Story is finished, new chapter every Friday" is a GREAT way to get engagement on your story, AND generate excitement and buzz for it from the day-oners. THEY are your advertisers. A LOT of people like the suspense of a week-to-week model... it's why syndicated television is still alive! A lot of our Fandom authors do their stories this way, working on chapters weeks in advance while posting chapters "approved". It gives YOU time to write and proof, while also having a Live / Active WiP Story that will keep people coming back.

So yeah, those are some tips from an advertising standpoint.

As a reader, though, my PERSONAL interest in a fic is based solely on these 4 things:

The Ship Tags – use "/" (slash for Slash-fiction) for romantic and sexual relationships, and "&" for platonic/friendships or non-sexual relationships. I, for a fact, DO filter stories by the ship tags FIRST, so I'm sure other people do too. Make sure that you use them.

The Story Tags – Ao3 has spoiled us with these!... List relevant tags, tropes, Universes, and genres that pertain to your story... these are what help get your story found in the search algorithm. Don't write "tumblr-style tags" (ie. "this story took way too long") into this field. It is a big turn off for many people (myself included), AND it fucks with the Ao3 search results. Use author notes or descriptions to write your Tumblr-style musings! The tags should ONLY contain content within your story that may appeal to people OR help trigger/content warn against stuff. Yes, I understand that many authors poo-poo on "spoilers in tags", but in all the years I have been reccing fics, I have NEVER ONCE been told that people don't like how meticulous I tag everything I rec. A LOT of people will use those tags to filter OUT stuff that they personally can't read or don't like. Apart from the summary, the Tags are VERY important, AND it can help you come up with a more interesting and short summary that doesn't need to be descriptive. Use the suggested tags that Ao3 offers when you start typing – these are tags, I believe, that have been used frequently on the site.

The Summary – I KNOW it is legit the worst thing to have to come up with, but your story has a higher chance of being read if you stick to writing a concise summary as I've pointed out above. Some people also may choose to use an interesting blurb from their stories as a preview, which some DON'T like, but it's honestly better than nothing. I know for a fact that I have skipped over stories that don't have SOMETHING in the summary box NOR any tags. I know this isn't what you want to hear, Lovely, but put something here, even if it's just "A literal fuck-tonne of porn without plot" (I give authors permission to steal that pun, LOL).

WiP or Not – This is one of those "gamble" things. As I mentioned above, some authors do a week-to-week advanced model for their story chapters, while others "post each chapter when done". The latter tends to wind up with stories in limbo. PERSONALLY, I don't read WiP's for the simple fact that I get confused REALLY easily on plot lines when I do – I like reading one whole story in one go. But PLEASE don't take this as the golden end-all/be-all. This is a personal preference, since I read a LOT of fics and I have very little time these days to do it. Some people love WiPs. A good way to indicate that you have a story plotted out, but is NOT a week-to-week model? Add the Chapter count, rather than leaving it as "?". People are more likely to follow your WiP WITH a chapter count, since it gives the illusion that you have a rough draft written out and you know how long it will be.

So yeah! I hope this helped you out a bit, Nonny. Sorry it's so long, but I thought with how long I've been reading fics and with how picky I am with fics, these tips would be helpful for you. Again, at the end of the day, it's ALWAYS up to personal preferences of the readers. And don't take it personally if you can't "get an audience" right away. Just be yourself, write because you LOVE writing, and you will have a fruitful and enjoyable time publishing your story!

If any experienced authors in the fandom want to add their two cents from a WRITER'S perspective, please do! <3

[thethirdamell]

I’ve seen a lot of people posting a few writing memes about fic titles so I just wanted to break down where all of mine have come from and what they mean in Accursed Ones because I’m bored. Probably nothing you don’t already know in here

1. Awakening  - Name of the game + Anders literally waking up + metaphorically waking up and understanding his obligation to help 2. Nothing For It - Mean to imply that Anders had no alternative but to help and be helped by Amell in turn 3. Conscription  - What it says on the tin 4. Joining  - What it says on the tin 5. It Comes From Beneath  - Name of the quest 6. Last of the Legion  - Name of the quest 7. Memories of the Stone  - Name of the quest 8. A Night of Revelry - Meant to be ironic considering what happens 9. Freedom for Anders  - Name of the quest 10. Freedom for Anders Part Two - Name of the quest 11. The Righteous Path  - Name of the quest 12. In Retreat, Panic  - A play on the Grey Warden motto. (Also my favorite chapter in the story.) 13. All Soul's Day - Name of the annum 14. The Dark Theurge  - Name of the demon 15. Paramour  - Name of the achievement for a romance 16. Ground Rules - Ground rules for a relationship 17. Lost in Dreams  - Name of a similar quest 18. Far Afield - Name of the quest 19. Far Afield Part Two - Name of the quest 20. Uprising  - Name of the quest 21. The Resolutionist and The Aequitarian - Amell and Wynne’s respective fraternities  22. Serpents High, Angels Low - Both the rules of the team’s card game and an over-arching theme of the fic where things that are presumed to be good/evil are often the reverse.  23. Malleus Maleficarum  - The name of a treatise on witchcraft elevating sorcery to heresy and a song Malleus Maleficarum by Ordo Funebris 24. Shadows of the Blackmarsh  - Name of the quest 25. The Blackmarsh Undying  - Name of the quest 26. Pride Goes Before Destruction - A reference to the Pride demon and Amell’s pride in thinking he can handle it 27. And a Haughty Spirit Before a Fall - A reference to Justice and Anders falling for Amell 28. The Apple And The Tree - A quote about Amell being like his father 29. Lullabies - A Song - Lullabies by Yuna 30. Fools Gold - Meant to reference both Quentin and Anders’ happiness. Also a song Fools Gold Fitz and the Tantrums.  31. Eyes of the Beholder - A play off “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” meant to reference the difference between Amell and Anders’ perspectives on losing his eyes.  32. Blame it on the Night - Meant to indicate what happened isn’t Anders’ fault. Also a song - Blame it on the Night by Calvin Harris  33. White Lies, Red Eyes - A reference to both the colors of the Amell family and Amell’s personality 34. Spirits and Demons - What it says on the tin 35. Love is Blind - An overarching theme in the story. 36. Satinalia - Name of the annum 37. Brothers and Sisters - A reference to Wardens and Anders still having family without Amell.  38. Score One for Our Heroes - Meant to be ironic. Also a quote from Anders. 39. Out of Control - The current state of things and also a reference to A Leader on Losing Control by Corb Lund which is a Leonie song.  40. Justice for Naught - Meant to imply that sometimes there is no justice but you have to keep trying anyway 41. Here's to Us Blighters - What Oghren says when night is darkest 42. Bold and Brazen and Beautiful - Amell’s description of Anders 43. Monsters and Men - Self explanatory for Justice/Anders.  44. The Best Intentions - Oft Go Awry is Unspoken  45. Blessed Are the Peacekeepers - A quote from the Chant of Light 46. Champions of the Just - The rest of the quote. Meant to be ironic.  47. The Black City - A reference to both Kirkwall and the actual Black City 48. Rip Up Your Roots - A quote from Cor and what Anders does to cope, but the follow up, “You ain’t gonna have a tree.” is equally important.  49. A Good Man - A quote from Lirene about Anders 50. First Day - The name of the annum 51. As The Crow Flies - Foreshadowing Anders learning shapeshifting 52. Wintersend - Name of the annum 53. Chasing the Sun - Name of a song. Chasing the Sun by the Wanted.  54. Doubts and Revelations - What it says on the tin 55. Birds of a Feather - Flock together. Both a joke about shapeshifting and Kanders.  56. Snap - What it says on the tin 57. Ray of Sunshine - Joke on Bethany’s name 58. Oopsy Daisy - Joke on Merrill’s name 59. Pretty Reckless - Meant to reference both Anders and Hawke’s behavior.  60. Let's Try This Again - What it says on the tin 61. A Preoccupation with Spirits - A joke about Justice and alcohol 62. Meetings - What it says on the tin 63. Acquainted - Basically just Meetings Part 2 64. Bloodline Part One -  What it says on the tin 65. Bloodline Part Two -  What it says on the tin 66. Trail of Love - Name of the quest but also references Anders’ many past and future loves. Amell, Karl, Isabela, Hawke.  67. Rude Awakening - A call back to the first chapter meant to show how much Anders has changed. Anders takes on the role of Amell here and Hawke takes on the role of Anders with respects to Blood Magic.  68. Safe Harbors - A joke about sex with Isabela 69. The Best Laid Plans - Oft Go Awry is implicit.  70. Oft Go Awry -  What it says on the tin 71. All New, Faded For Him - This was an anagram like the quest in DAI but I can’t remember what it is an anagram for. RIP 72. A Year Ago Today -  What it says on the tin 73. Friends in Low Places - Name of the quest  74. No Turning Back -  What it says on the tin 75. Senior Warden Anders -  What it says on the tin 76. Bodies So Maimed - Quote from the Chant of Light about darkspawn 77. Down in the Dark with the Dead - A quote from Eli 78. Up in the Light with the Life - The opposite of the above quote 79. A Day for Silence - Name of the annum 80. My Failing and My Falling Part One - A line from Anders’ story for Nika and a reference to Hawke’s failure to protect his sister.  81. My Failing and My Falling Part Two - Same as above 82. Pain and Bane - Name of the poem Merrill sings. Also an overarching theme of the story 83. Luck of the Dog - Reference to the Dog Lords but also ironic considering Anders is not lucky.  84. Bird's Eye View - Both a reference to Anders’ transformation magic and his perspective on the Circles and how Bethany doesn’t share them 85. Act of Mercy - Name of the quest 86. The Revolutionists - Name of Decimus’s fraternity 87. Burn After Reading - what it says on the tin 88. Not in Hand, Not in Play - A quote from the chapter but also Fenris’ perspective on love and a theme of the story. It is or it isn’t.  89. Enemies Among Us - Name of the quest 90. Save Me - What it says on the tin 91. Benedictions - A Canticle in the Chant of Light that makes Hawke think of Anders 92. What Will The Neighbors Think? - A mini-theme throughout the story regarding Anders (in)ability to be openly in a relationship, be it with Amell, Justice, Hawke, etc.  93. Have Your Pie and Eat it Too - What Anders keeps trying and failing to do 94. Dead Set on Ending Badly - Foreshadowing  95. Where We Stand - Where Hawke and Anders’ relationship stands 96. Hearts of Gold or Near Enough - Meant to apply to all of the main characters 97. Ghilan’him Banal’vhen - The Path that Leads Astray. Foreshadowing. 98. Abstention and Absolution - Meant to be Ironic 99. Until the Last Dog is Hung - What it says on the tin 100. Free To Good Home - References the mages, Dog Lords, and also Anders 101. It Gets Easier - Narrator Voice: It did not get easier. 102. Luxury of Leaning - A reference to Hawke not having the option to pursue men as the scion of a noble house but doing it anyway because fuck you mom. 103. Dissent - Name of the quest 104. Into Madness - Play on words. Descend into Madness / Dissent into Madness 105. Fester - What it says on the tin 106. The First Sacrifice - Name of the quest 107. Once Removed - Play on words. A reference to Amell/Hawke’s Eyes and Quentin being Hawke’s cousin once removed.  108. Not Again - Haha get wrekt  109. All That Remains - Name of the quest 110. The Way Forward - A reference to Fenris’ quote about the stairs being out. Meant to symbolize that there are no other options for Anders, Hawke, and the narrative as a whole. Also, ironically, meant to show that Hawke does not actually move forward.  111. Lyrium and Lies - Foreshadowing 112. Ser Cumference and the Terrible Tower - A children’s tale vibe meant to show the dichotomy of man.  113. The Calm Before - Foreshadowing for the name of the next chapter.  114. The Storm - What was foreshadowed.  115. Long Time No See - A reference to both not seeing Amell for a long time and Amell not being able to see for a long time.  116. To Catch a Thief - Name of the quest 117. To Save a Sinner - Similar naming methodology of the previous chapter meant to show Isabela is more than just a thief.  118. On Deaf Ears - Both Hawke being deaf and Hawke not agreeing with Anders. 119. Hey Sparkles - Meant to give a “It’s gonna be okay dude” vibe.  120. Give Me A Sign - Sign language reference but also a plea for Hawke and Anders’ relationship to get better. 121. We Should Talk - About both Hawke and Amell, but Amell is the only one Anders talks to in this chapter.  122. The Weight of Years - Shit’s heavy 123. How Have You Been? - Asking the dangerous questions again 124. Spin a Story - Varric’s terrible advice to Anders but also Amell’s approach to interacting with Anders after they’ve been apart for so long. 125. Give and Take Part One - Commentary on Anders relationship with both Amell and Hawke.  126. Give and Take Part Two - See above  127. What You Make It - What love is according to Fenris 128. Letters from the Vigil - What it says on the tin 129. Consent is Key - A quote from the chapter and commentary on responsible use of blood magic.  130. What Have You Done Now? - A song. What Have you Done Now by Within Temptation 131. But This is All I Ever Was - A song lyric. Ditmas by Mumford & Sons 132. Wasted Time - Also a song lyric from Ditmas but like accidentally. 

[hopesilverheart]

Title: I loved your colours (before I loved you) Artist: @calliartss​ Rating: Explicit (Chapter 10 only) Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Clary Fray, Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood Word Count: ~95k Summary: Magnus Bane is a journalist who's always dreamed of modelling for Lightwood Fashions. When the CEO Alec Lightwood starts looking for new models for their spring collection, he jumps on the occasion.

In the meantime, Alec Lightwood is struggling with the idea of finally announcing his role as co-designer. When Magnus Bane strolls into his life, Alec is torn between keeping his secret or throwing all caution to the wind.

This fic was created for the Malec Discord Mini Bang 2020.

Chapter 5: Can’t get you out of my head

If Magnus had thought working for Fade Media was exhausting, it was nothing compared to what he had to deal with now that he worked for the Lightwoods. He was happier, of course, which made all the difference, but he still had to work long hours to accommodate both his trial run on the Media side and his duties on the Fashion side. He had no idea how Isabelle did it, but he admired her more and more by the second.

Especially since she always looked fabulous, never complained about how hard she had to work, and managed to make it to his office before him every single day. She was usually alone though, so he had no idea what to make of the new presence in his work space.

“Isabelle, you brought a friend,” he raised his eyebrows in Clary’s direction before greeting the redhead. “You could have told me; I would have bought her some coffee and breakfast as well. Now I feel like a terrible person for not taking her needs into account. Tell me, how do you feel about coffee with just milk?”

“Not great,” Clary admitted, chuckling at Magnus’ put-upon frown. “But I promise you, I’m fine. I can steal some of Isabelle’s undoubtedly sweet nonsense and take a bite of her food if I feel like it. This is very kind of you, though. Do you do it every day?”

“Ah, yes,” Magnus smiled sheepishly, thinking of the reason why he was getting Isabelle that ridiculously expensive drink every day. “Well, what can I say? I’m just a good friend like that. Can you believe she doesn’t even pay me back by taking me out for drinks or anything along those lines? Makes me wonder why I befriended her in the first place, really.”

“Well, that’s Isabelle for you,” Clary grinned. “So selfish it’s a wonder she has any friends at all. I only spend time with her because Alec gets all huffy if I complain about her too much, and she only spends time with me because she’s desperate for a piece of all this.”

“Arrogance doesn’t suit you, Fray,” Isabelle rolled her eyes, although there was a small smile twitching at the corner of her lips. God, the two of them were adorable. “Besides, we all know the real reason why we spend time together is because everyone else in the building refuses to talk to us when we’re in a mood. You have quite the temper, Fray, and I-”

“Oh yes, we know how you get,” Clary snickered, dodging Isabelle’s elbow when the brunette tried to nudge her in the side. “Anyways, we’re not here on a social call. Or, we are, but not just to say hello or enjoy the food or whatever else it is you two do in this fancy office. How did you convince Maryse to give you such a good spot, Magnus?”

“The perks of being Head Editor,” Magnus shrugged, wondering if the guilt of saying those words would ever go away. Maybe when he would be officially given the position – maybe, hopefully. “I wasn’t about to work out there with Isabelle and her little team of gossipers, especially since I know they have conversations about me every time I turn away. And if you’re not here for my company, is there anything I can do to help?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Clary beamed at him. It should have been completely innocent, but something about it set Magnus on edge and made him wonder if he should have backed out of the building as soon as he had noticed those two together in his office.

After all, he had heard of the infamous rivalry between those ladies, not to mention the sexual tension in the room was off the charts. He hadn’t seen the two of them together yet, but he was starting to understand why there was a betting pool in the first place. He was also starting to understand why people didn’t want to deal with the two of them at the same time; the wicked grins on their faces told Magnus he was in for a world of trouble if he didn’t bow to their whims.

“Look, we’re not blind,” Isabelle started softly. “We know you have a little crush on my brother, even if it’s only physical right now. We also know my brother has a little crush on you, and I have it under good authority that it’s already a little more than just physical on his end of things. That authority being me, of course.”

“And see, that wouldn’t be a problem at all,” Clary continued, sighing heavily as though it pained her to say this. “If not for the fact that both of you are apparently determined to ignore the sparks that fly whenever you’re in the same room. Alec hasn’t dated in a while, not that I should be telling you this, and he’s not going to make the first move because you’re technically his employee. Which means the only way anything is going to happen is if you ask him out.”

“Oh my god,” Magnus groaned. “You’re here to talk to me about my love life? Because I assure you, I already get enough matchmaking advice from my friends; I don’t need it from my colleagues as well. Besides, I’m not sure I’m completely comfortable with asking my boss out either.”

“Right,” Isabelle snorted. “Try again. We may have only known each other for two weeks, Magnus, but I know the last thing you lack is bravery and boldness. If you like my brother, just ask him out; I promise he won’t say no. In fact, he’ll probably jump on the opportunity and then proceed to squeal in Clary’s general direction for a few hours until he calms down enough to speak.”

“Such kind words for Alec,” Clary shook her head, a look of genuine annoyance entering her eyes. “What Isabelle means to say is that Alec would be delighted to go out with you. He might be a bit nervous, or a bit cold at times because that’s his default setting, but he’s a good guy and I think you should give him a chance. I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Because as his sister and his best friend, you two are definitely going to give me the most unbiased advice,” Magnus chuckled, although he would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about exploring the obvious attraction he and Alec shared. “Look, I’ll think about it, alright? But I’m not going to ask a man out just because two people he loves tried to push me into it. If the perfect moment arises, I’ll ask him out and see if things work out, but if not… Well, let’s just say I don’t like being pestered about my romantic life too much.”

“Of course,” Clary nodded. “But just remember what I said about Alec and his love of everything romantic; put him in front of a good rom-com, and you’ll already be halfway to having him worship you forever.”

“A good rom-com?” Magnus laughed softly. “That sounds like a bit of a contradiction, but I’ll see what I can find. If we go on a date, of course. Now please, I have a lot of work to do before I go into the studio with Raphael for a few practise shoots this afternoon, so if you could…”

“Right!” Isabelle exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly and winking at Magnus before sauntering out of the office. “Hurry up, Fray, wouldn’t want you to miss out on your meeting that’s due to start in… Oh, just about now.”

“Lightwood, you absolute-” Her voice trailed off as the redhead rushed out of Magnus’ office, distress written all over her face.

And then Magnus was all alone. He breathed in deeply, taking in the silence and the peace and the wonderful view from his office all at once. Once upon a time, he had hated times like these, times when the world stopped and all he had left were his thoughts. He had hated how lost they made him feel, like he wasn’t and would never be in control of his life. Now though, with his new job and a bright future ahead of him, he found himself alone and smiled.

He smiled because Isabelle Lightwood was a wonderful woman, and he smiled because for once in his life, he actually liked his job. He smiled because he was starting to feel more at home here than he ever had before, and he smiled because apparently, Alexander Lightwood had a crush on him.

It wasn’t like the revelation was complete news to him, since Alec spent more time looking at him than anyone else on the fashion crew, but it was still nice to get confirmation. Not that it meant he would actually ask the man out, since that would be all sorts of inappropriate.

For one, Alec was his boss. He was the CEO of the company, and he probably wouldn’t want to deal with the backlash he would get for dating one of his employees. Secondly, Magnus was actively lying to him. Well, he was lying to just about everyone, but that also included Alec and he had never been one to hide things from his partners. Thirdly, no matter how pretty the man was and how kind he could be on the surface, he was a businessman who dressed like he had no idea what to do with himself. It couldn’t work.

And even if it could, even if things miraculously worked out and Alec accepted Magnus’ invitation and dated him and fell for him, Magnus just wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with the inevitable heartbreak that would come from a relationship between him and Alexander Lightwood. He had had enough of that for a lifetime, thank you very much.

Shaking his head to get rid of any and all Alexander related thoughts, Magnus turned back towards his desk and started sorting through the piles of paperwork he had to hand in by the end of the week. The modelling sessions that weekend had really cut back on his free time, and he was running a lot later than he would have liked.

The thing about starting a new job was that he didn’t actually know anyone who could help him with his workload. Sure, he had Isabelle, but he already felt bad enough about making her lie to her family and friends; the last thing he wanted to do was add to her worries by telling her he was having a hard time dealing with all the work the previous Head Editor had left behind.

For someone who was usually great at making friends, Magnus had to admit he hadn’t done a great job at getting to know his media colleagues. He had been so busy with the fashion side of things that he had forgotten these were going to be his people for the foreseeable future if things went well. This was his team and he needed to get it together if he wanted everything to work out on this side of the company.

Mind made up, he gathered a particularly difficult stack of papers and headed out of his office, glancing around the main work room and completely bypassing Isabelle’s desk and questioning gaze. He knew she had an article to work on, so she definitely wouldn’t be his helper for the day. However, there was one employee he had seen around, and he knew he was close to Isabelle so there was a good chance he would be willing to help Magnus out just because of their mutual friend.

Not letting himself think about it for too long, Magnus took a deep breath and walked straight to the back of the huge work room, stopping in front of a nerdy but kind looking man. Simon Lewis was a good writer as far as Magnus could tell, and since he trusted Isabelle’s judgement, probably also a good man.  

“Um, Mister Bane,” the brunet fumbled with his laptop, putting it down on his desk and straightening up in his seat, uncrossing his legs and running a hand through his hair in a futile attempt to tame it. “Did you need something, sir?” 

“Simon, right?” Magnus waited for the man to nod before smiling and extending a hand for him to shake. Simon looked stunned for a few seconds, but he quickly shook himself out of his daze and gripped Magnus’ hand firmly, his nervous gulp not escaping Magnus’ notice. “I seem to have found myself in a bit of a tight spot. I had no idea how much paperwork and leftover articles I would have to take over from my predecessor, and since I also have to work with the fashion team every other day, I’m struggling to keep up with everything. I was wondering if you would be willing to take care of the smaller things, the papers that don’t need my immediate attention and such. I would of course mention all of this on your monthly report and make sure you were paid appropriately for this extra workload.”

For a moment, Simon just gaped at Magnus as though he hadn’t understood a word of what the older man had said. Not that Magnus could blame him, since they had never talked to each other before and Magnus was now thrusting a huge task on him like it was nothing much.

“Of course, sir!” The brunet exclaimed after a few more seconds of silence, taking the pile of papers from Magnus and placing them on his desk carefully, scribbling a hasty ‘important’ note on top of a post-it before towards Magnus with a smile. “Thank you for trusting me with this, Mister Bane.”

“Just call me Magnus,” he waved the man’s thanks away, not wanting the people on his team to hate him the same way he had hated Lorenzo. The best way to do that was by making sure they knew everyone here was equal, no matter what their position was. “I know I haven’t had the time to talk to all of you yet, but I’m really hoping I’ll be able to make the best of this job and prove that I can be a reliable boss you can trust with your problems.”

“Oh,” Simon said inelegantly, looking a little bit impressed by Magnus’ speech – he didn’t preen, but it was a near thing. “Thank you, si- Magnus. And you know, if you ever need any help getting to know these people, I’m your man! I’ve been here for a few years now, and I’m close to the Lightwoods which gives me a few privileges other people don’t have.”

“Ah yes, I noticed you were friends with Isabelle,” Magnus nodded in the woman’s direction, raising his eyebrows when he noticed she was already staring at them, her brows knitted together confusedly. “Have you known her for long?”

“I’m dating her brother,” Simon chuckled, his gaze turning fond at the mention of his boyfriend. “Jace and I just moved in together but we’ve been dating for a little over a year and a half, so I know the family quite well. Isabelle and I aren’t best friends or anything, but we get along well enough, and she’s always willing to help me out when I’m stuck on something.”

“She’s a very kind woman,” Magnus hummed in agreement, thinking about the favour she had granted him even before they really knew each other. “I’m glad you have people here you can trust. The atmosphere is a lot nicer than ones I’ve had to deal with in the past, and I hope I can maintain it for as long as I work here.”

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” Simon snorted, coughing in embarrassment when Magnus sent him an unimpressed look. He hadn’t even talked to anyone yet, so how could they possibly know whether or not he would be good for the team. “I mean, everyone’s happy to have someone young in charge of the team, and on top of that you’re a model, so… Yeah, I haven’t heard any complaints so far. But if you want to check it out for yourself, you could always come to our weekly bar night. We usually go out every Friday, and you’re more than welcome to join. I’m sure Izzy was going to invite you anyways.”

Magnus tilted his head to the side, considering the offer. It wasn’t that he was opposed to nights out with his colleagues, but he had never… His heart clenched as he realised this was the first time anyone had actually bothered to ask him about a work event. Back at Fade Media, his co-workers had quickly caught onto the fact that Lorenzo only ever showed up when Magnus wasn’t there, so he hadn’t been invited to a bar night in what felt like years.

Hell, it probably had been years.

“I’ll definitely be there,” he smiled softly at Simon, feeling like he had handed the other man the moon when he grinned back happily. “Although I tend to work late, so there’s no guarantee that I’ll make it there on time.”

“Totally fine,” Simon assured him. “Now, I have tons of paperwork to go through, and I’m almost certain your piles are worse, so you should probably get back to it. Wouldn’t want to lose our amazing boss after less than a month just because he was too busy chatting with the team. It was nice meeting you, Magnus!”

“And you too, Simon,” Magnus nodded, backing away from the man’s desk and biting his lip to stop from beaming like a loon as he walked back to his office.

And if he stopped by Isabelle’s cubicle to high-five her over his small victory before getting back to work, it wasn’t like anyone was going to judge him. This was his team, and he would make sure it remained the best damned team in the country for as long as he lived.

  Magnus couldn’t remember the last time he had been this happy to stay at work late.

When he worked under Lorenzo, late nights often meant articles he would never manage to finish on time and projects he couldn’t have cared less about. Now that he was his own boss, however, late nights meant take out in his office as he poured over the tips Raphael had given him about modelling.

He was almost halfway done with the leftover media paperwork, Simon had introduced him to two other members of his team, and he could still see Isabelle’s shadow from where she was bent over her desk, typing away like the genius writer she was. Overall, his evening couldn’t have been going any better.

When his phone rang, Catarina’s caller ID glaring up at him, he couldn’t help but grin, glad to hear from his friend. They hadn’t been able to talk properly ever since he had signed up for two jobs at once, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t miss her voice.

“Cat!” He exclaimed into his phone, putting his friend on speaker as he high-lighted one of Raphael’s notes on the proper preparation for a photo shoot. “How are you doing, my wonderful friend?”

“Well, work is a pain and I haven’t seen my best friend in what feels like forever, but I suppose I could be doing a lot worse,” his best friend answered. In the past, Magnus would have felt guilty for his lack of free time, but he knew Catarina was mostly kidding. She was just as – if not more – happy as him about his new job, and she understood being Head Editor meant a heavier workload for him. “You could at least call me once in a while, you know? We used to call every day back when you worked for the lizard.”

“I didn’t have to keep up with two different teams at once when I still worked for Lorenzo,” Magnus pointed out, frowning at one of Raphael’s points and circling it, adding a bunch of question marks to indicate his utter confusion over the advice. “But I’m glad you called. I’m still at the office, so I could use the virtual company. Although I’m actually not the only one to stay here late, so I could technically spend some time with Isabelle if I didn’t think I’d be distracting her.”

“Found a workaholic after your own heart?” Catarina chuckled. “How is the lovely Isabelle, by the way? I know you told me she was the one helping you out with that insane plan, so I’m assuming your friendship is going well.”

“She’s quite the woman,” Magnus hummed, looking over at the brunette and smiling fondly at her look of complete concentration.

“And she has quite the brother,” Catarina added, sounding far too innocent for Magnus’ tastes.

“Yes she- Wait a second,” Magnus frowned, narrowing his eyes in Isabelle’s direction and sighing when she didn’t even look up. “Have the two of you been talking? Cat, have you been stalking my new friends to keep up with my unfortunate love life?”

“Ha! So you admit there’s a love life to talk about!” His best friend crowed. “I knew it. That man is far too hot for his own good, just your type, and Raphael tells me he’s an amazing person.”

“The day when Raphael describes someone as an amazing person is the day I quit this perfect job,” Magnus snorted. “Although I won’t deny that Isabelle’s brother is… something. We haven’t talked much, since we both have plenty of responsibilities to deal with outside of the spring collection, but he seems nice enough.”

“Magnus,” Catarina said sternly. Magnus involuntarily sobered up, sitting up straighter and immediately cursing himself for his natural reactions to his best friend’s ‘mom’ voice. “I know you’re scared of dating again, and I’m assuming that Alec’s status in the company isn’t helping soothe your nerves, but you can’t let your past with Camille get in the way of your future.”

“Look, I barely even know the man,” Magnus sighed, rubbing his hand over his face tiredly. The late hour was starting to catch up with him, and he had had more than enough talk of his love life for the month. “Yes, he’s attractive, and I’m sure he’s also a good person, funny and kind and perfect, but I’m just not sure it’s worth the risk. He’s the CEO to the company I’m actively lying to about my history, I feel like that’s not conducive to a trusting relationship.”

“You could always tell him the truth,” Catarina deadpanned, but Magnus disregarded that idea immediately. He wasn’t about to screw things up so early on in his new career. “Or you could just ask him out on a date, see how things go, and then decide whether or not you want to take things further or not.”

It wasn’t a terrible idea – Catarina’s ideas never were – but for the first time in a long time, Magnus was in a good place. He had a good job, and he was making new friends, and he was happy with what he had achieved over the past month. If he dated Alexander and messed things up because of a relationship again, he wasn’t sure he would be able to recover from it.

On the other hand, it really didn’t have to mean anything. They could go on a date, see if they were compatible or not, and Magnus could always back out if he realised the relationship wasn’t worth the risk of losing his entire life. He could always tell Alexander he had had a nice time but would rather remain colleagues – friends at best.

It was an option, and one that Magnus should have really considered earlier. One date didn’t mean he would get married to the man.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally told his friend. “And the next time I see him, I’ll consider asking him out. This isn’t a promise that I’ll do it, though, just that I won’t dismiss the notion outright. Maybe… Maybe it’s time I moved on properly.”

“Maybe it is,” Catarina said softly, as though she hadn’t been trying to get Magnus to date for the past two years. “This could be good for you, Magnus, so don’t screw it up. Raphael told me Isabelle had stopped by to push you in the right direction today, and I think you should take her advice.”

“God, you’re all ganging up on me now!” Magnus cried out, although he couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed at his friends. He liked that all of the people he cared about got along, liked that Raphael and Isabelle already knew each other and enjoyed each other’s company, liked that Catarina approved of his choices.

“I just want you to be happy, Magnus,” his best friend murmured. “Keep that in mind before you lose your chance with Alec.”

She hung up on him before he could say anything else, and Magnus spent the next few minutes cursing his phone and his friends and Alexander Lightwood. He wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for the man – although he also wouldn’t have his job as a model, so he supposed there were pros and cons to the CEO’s continued existence.

Just as he managed to push Catarina’s words to the back of his mind again, the elevator door dinged open, bringing a frown to Magnus’ face. As far as he knew, Isabelle and he were the only ones remaining on the floor, and the brunette had told him that she generally only left around eleven, so there was no reason for her to be leaving quite yet.

Indeed, when he glanced over at her cubicle, she was still in her seat, staring at her computer intently. And then he looked further than that and his heart skipped a beat.

He wasn’t sure whether to thank or curse the world for the sight in front of him, but he knew he definitely wasn’t ready to deal with it.

Because of course, Alexander looked just as good at ten at night as he did in the middle of the day. He was still wearing his work suit, and he was grinning at his sister like she was the goddamned sun, and Magnus was not fit for an assault of that magnitude so late at night.

His first instinct was to duck and take cover underneath his desk but, before he could put his plan in action, Isabelle was waving in his direction, making all of Alexander’s attention shift to him instead of her. God, he hated her so much. His friends were going to pay for their meddling, and they wouldn’t know what was hitting them once he got around to enacting his revenge.

Then Alexander turned towards him, and he forgot all about revenge. The man really was beautiful, handsome in a conventional way that Magnus had always appreciated. His eyes were stunning, shining even in the office’s dim lighting, and his soft smile was almost too much for Magnus to handle.

He had told Catarina he would think about what she had told him and would take some time before he made a decision about Alec, but he had always been a weak man. And Alexander Lightwood was everything Magnus had dreamed of having, wrapped in one beautiful package. No matter how afraid he was to screw things up and ruin his life, he hadn’t been this intrigued by someone in a very long time, and he wasn’t willing to miss out on this possibly once in a lifetime opportunity because of his ridiculous hold-ups.

By the time Alexander reached his office after having talked to Isabelle for a few minutes, Magnus’ mind was made up. If Alec was as interested as his sister and Clary seemed to think he was, Magnus would take him on a date.

“Alexander,” he purred as the man walked into the room, blushing brightly at Magnus’ tone. The editor grinned roguishly at his flustered visitor; never let it be said that Magnus Bane didn’t know how to flirt. “What a pleasure to see you here so late. Did you need something?”

They both knew he didn’t. Chances were Alexander had come here to talk to his sister and had decided to spend some time with Magnus once he had realised the editor was still around. Still, it never hurt to be polite.

“No,” the taller man shook his head, his gaze never leaving Magnus’. “I stopped by to ask Izzy if she needed a ride, but she’s apparently got it all figured out. Do you always stay here this late?”

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Magnus shrugged, gesturing at the papers scattered over his desk, as well as the schedule he had pinned on his wall. The blasted thing was packed, and he tended not to look at it unless it was absolutely necessary. “I may have overestimated myself when I signed up for the modelling position just as I started my contract as Head Editor. Clarissa’s team doesn’t mess around with their work, and my little writers also need plenty of attention.”

“And yet Izzy tells me you’ve been handling everything perfectly so far,” Alec said, raising his eyebrows as though he was daring Magnus to contradict him. “It’s never easy to juggle between two jobs.”

“Have experience with that, do you?” Magnus snorted. It was no secret that Alexander had taken over his father’s company before he had even finished college, so Magnus highly doubted he had ever had to do two things at once. He wasn’t one to make assumptions, but with a family as rich as his, Magnus couldn’t picture Alexander working shifts at a coffee shop or supermarket.

“More than you might think,” Alec shrugged, his lips quirking up amusedly, almost as though Magnus was missing a piece of a bigger puzzle. “Anyways, I wouldn’t want to bother you if you have a lot to do, so maybe I should…”

“You’re not bothering me at all,” Magnus cut him off before the man could get carried away. “I’m never one to turn down such pleasant company, especially since I may just rip up Raphael’s notes if I have to look them over for one more minute. I love him, I really do, but he tends to make things a lot more complicated than they have to be.”

“It’s one of the things that makes him so interesting to work with, though,” Alec grinned, the smile lighting up his face in a way that made Magnus want to do something stupid, like kiss him or ask him- Oh. Right.

“Not that I don’t love talking about Raphael,” Magnus said as confidently as he could, leaning back in his chair and staring at Alec through hooded eyes. “But I actually wanted to ask you something when you so kindly showed up here looking as handsome as ever.”

“You did?” Alec murmured. He looked so hopeful, and Magnus immediately knew that Isabelle hadn’t been lying about her brother’s feelings. He wanted to be asked out, and Magnus was all too willing to give him exactly that.

“Certain sources that shall remain unnamed have told me that you’re quite the secret rom-com lover,” Magnus said, smiling teasingly at Alec as the man turned an even darker shade of red. “And it so happens that I also like cheesy movies, especially when I have the right company to enjoy them with.”

“Are you…” Alec started hoarsely, clearing his throat before trying again. “Are you asking me out? On a date?”

“Yes, Alexander,” Magnus chuckled fondly, his heart beating even faster as he realised that Alec Lightwood was adorable on top of everything else. “If you’d like that, I would love to go on a date with you. Maybe dinner and a movie at my place? I’m no chef, but I can make a few decent dishes when I have the right motivation.”

“I- Yeah,” Alec said softly. “Yeah, I would really like that. Although I should warn you right now that I haven’t been on a date in a pretty long time, so I’m probably going to screw this up in a thousand different ways before we even make it to your house.”

“I haven’t been on a date in quite a while either,” Magnus reassured him, feeling more than a little flattered when Alec’s eyes widened disbelievingly. “Would Saturday work for you? I promised Simon and Isabelle I would go to the Media team’s weekly bar night on Friday, so…”

“Saturday sounds perfect,” Alec smiled.

Behind the man, Isabelle was dancing victoriously at her desk, sending Magnus a flurry of thumbs up and excited signs before sobering up, glancing innocently at Alec when he turned to look at her suspiciously.

“Sorry about her,” he said sheepishly as he stared back at Magnus. “She can get a little intense when it comes to my love life, and I know you two are friends, so she probably mentioned me a few times…”

“And I didn’t mind at all,” Magnus smiled. “Besides, I’m glad to know that your sister approves. It’ll make things easier down the line, if I ever have to meet your family.”

The words slipped out before he could stop them, but he couldn’t find it in himself to regret them when Alexander smiled dopily at him, nodding as though he agreed with Magnus. Clearly, they were both as bad as the other.

“Right, so, Saturday?” Magnus repeated after a few moments of silence. It wasn’t that the silence was uncomfortable, but he needed to finish up his work for the night and head out before he fell asleep on his desk. As much as he would have loved to talk to Alexander some more, that would have to wait until their date – their date!

“Saturday,” Alec nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”

With one last blush and a quick wave, Alexander was stepping out of the office, playfully ruffling his sister’s hair, and heading for the elevator, looking over his shoulder one last time before disappearing behind the metal doors.

As soon as he was gone, Isabelle let out an unearthly shriek, rushing into Magnus’ office excitedly and congratulating him for working up the courage to ask out her brother. Magnus let her talk for as long as she needed, too busy thinking about Alexander and all the things they could do during their date to mind her endless chatter.

Catarina had been right; Alexander was definitely worth the risk.

[mfackenthal]

The MFackenthal Show with Birthday Girl @lilyofchoices

banner by @whenyourheartskipsabeat

~~~~~

Megs: Hello hello hello! Today is a very very very special day and I am so excited to announce my next guest.  Please give an extra special welcome to our birthday girl, Lily!

The crowd stands up and cheers as Lily comes from off stage, waves to the crowd and gives Megs a big hug!  When Lily sits down, the audience get quiet. 

Megs:  Wow!  Look at how you command this crowd, Lily.  This group loves you!  I cannot believe you have only been here since March.  

Lily: I know!  It feels like it has been so much longer. 

Megs:  So, how did you come up with your tumblr handle? 

Lily: I hate coming up with names and titles. They are the bane of my existence. Just ask any of my friends on tumblr I’m constantly asking them for help or whining at them. Thank the gods I have help. So my tumblr handle is super boring and unoriginal. It is my name (well one of my middle names) and I’m “of the choices fandom” so...of choices. Yeah, you can groan. It’s bad. I know.

Megs:  Are you really telling me, MFackenthal, that your handle is unoriginal?  

Lily: laughs 

Megs: Anyways, tell me, what brought you to the fandom? 

Lily: Well, I live for crazy and this site definitely delivers on that. Joking, kinda. In all honesty, I created that tumblr on a whim after I went looking for more fanfic to read.  I found @perriewinklenerdie @hopelessromantic1352 and @ahumanmishap and loved their writing.  Their writing inspired me to just go for it!   I created this blog just to post shit and geek out with myself about the newest chapter releases and share whatever fics I discovered. I never in a million years expected to find so many friends and awesome people.

Megs:  But find so many friends you did!  

Lily:  Yes, I did!  They’re all amazing. Well … takes calming breath I’ve had my fair share of disagreements in this fandom and while the haters are hard to deal with and they can get exhausting, they are far, FAR outnumbered by those in this fandom that are here to have fun and be crazy and silly and don’t care if your opinions differ from their own. I live for those types of beautiful people that make this fandom amazing! Plus have you seen the level of talent from the writers and artists in this fandom? I’m constantly in awe of them all.

Megs:  The talent amazes me every day!  Speaking of talent - what’s your favorite work that you have created? 

Lily: Damn girl. You are asking all the tough questions. Why ya gotta do that to me? 

Megs:  laughs and shrugs her shoulders  It’s kinda my job, girl! 

Lily:  smirks  I guess I'd have to say that I love the first chapter of my Merida fic. I wrote it as a distraction, a break if you will, from my real life writing which is dry and boring. We had all just made our way through the Open Heart chapter where Ethan tells mc that Naveen is dying and then Pb won’t let us even hug Ethan. I desperately wanted that so I decided to write it. I’m going on chapter 32 of that fic now. I need help. Oh, but my favorite as far as fandom reactions goes was definitely the chapter where that dirty rat stabs Merida. Y'all lost your minds and it was hilarious.

The audience gasps.  “Oh yeah, I remember that chapter.”  “Landry is the worst.” Members of the audience whisper. 

Megs: I remember that chapter.  I feared you’d go the way of @laniquelovewrites and kill Merida! 

Lily: winks

Megs: shakes her head Do you have any advice for other writers or artists?  Especially those from within the fandom? 

Lily: Well, talking to all you not-yet-writers out there - take the ducking leap lovelies! Do it! Don’t worry about language, grammar, flow, tempo, timing, editing, just write it. I rarely edit mine beyond a cursory review. And ya know what? This fandom loves whatever you give us. And I’m at the front of that line waiting to read it. Seriously! Tag me in anything you write! 

Also, don’t be concerned about likes and reblogs. My first fic only got like 15 likes when I first released it. It’s hard not to get caught up in wanting likes and reblogs and comments. Hell, I live for them. And ya want to think that a lack of those means no one likes it, but trust me, there are plenty of people enjoying your work that don’t like, comment, or reblog. Try not to focus on the likes but on your fic and know that there are those out there enjoying the hell out of it!

And I’m always willing to review anything and everything. If you want someone to look it over first, I am here for you.  But I warn you now, I will encourage you to share it with everyone.

By the end of this little speech, the entire audience is up and clapping.  Standing ovation. 

Megs:  Look at that crowd, Lily.  It’s obvious that you speak the truth.  

Lily:  Whispers to Megs: Don’t worry - I can get them all to sit down. Ask me about the choices books. 

Megs:  So Lily, have you read all of the choices books? 

Lily:  I feel like I’m going to have to duck behind this couch as soon as I say what I’m about to say. No, I’ve not played them all. I’ve played most. I tried to play The Freshman, Big Sky Country, Sunkissed, and America’s Most Eligible but I couldn’t. I have replayed countless books. Thomas, Ethan, Sonia, the entire Perfect Match crew, the entire Nightbound crew, and Jake - I’ve played all of their options.

Now Megs, I have only admitted this once and after this we will never speak of it again hangs head in shame I am a sucker for one particularly hated Choices book. Want to take a guess? I've, no joke, replayed this more times than I should admit. No one will follow me after this. I...I, love Home for the Holidays. 

Lily gets up and ducks behind couch while many in the crowd sit down.  

Lily:  This is now my home. I will live back here so no one can see me in my shame. 

Megs:  walks around the couch to sit with Lily loudly saying: Well, as I enjoyed that book a lot and very much miss Nick, if you live back here then I will have to live back here with you … but this is kinda a crappy place to continue this interview so I’m gonna move back to front of the couch, okay?

Megs walks back around the couch and sits down.  

Well, you did get people to sit down, Lily.  Gives her audience the stink eyes.  Where were we?  Oh yes, which book is your favorite? 

Lily: stands up behind the couch Well, I’m going to stay behind the couch at this point because I'm not going to say Open Heart and I know I'm going to hear about it. Hero is my favorite book. It was the first I played and I absolutely loved it! The art! The characters! The story! It had it all! If Pb doesn't give me Hero 2 in 2020 I’m not sure what I’ll do now that they’ve teased me. But I’ve also learned that they like to tease me.  Lily jumps over the couch in a superhero type move and lands sitting down next to Megs.

Megs: Nice moves!  So who is your favorite OTP? 

Lily: I will always say Detective Jason Shaw and my mc Ashtyn Stark to this question. I loved the book RoD until the end when our option of which side to help disappeared and we had to help MPC. I was so excited to see a book that allowed you to pick which side to help, Police/Brotherhood, MPC, or both. You should know by now that I love the villains and all I wanted was for my mc to side with Shaw. 

Bryce and Harper are another OTP for me. I found a few others out there that ship this but @tallulahshh is a godsend when it comes to this ship. Her fics on these two are so amazing! For reals, you should all check them out. She will convince you that this is the ship to be on. 

Megs: Gasps!  I should kick you off this couch for loving a Bryce ship over an Ethan ship.  YOU WRITE FOR ETHAN!  

Lily:  What can I say?  The heart wants who it wants. 

Megs: Yeah, yeah.  What do you do when you’re not producing work for the fandom?  What else do you do for fun? 

Lily: I teach Latin and Formal Logic and I also write (journalism and academic pieces).   My fanfics are my break from my dry writings. I know y'all are dying to read about how Latin could revitalize the modern American educational system. I love to cook, read, hike, and spend time with my family. I live in the city now but I'm a country girl at heart. Give me open fields to run through, dense forests to explore, water to kayak on and I'm a happy one.

Megs:  That sounds wonderful.  Lily, one last question - do you have any questions for me? 

Lily: Ah, you should not give me this power. What non-LI would you make a LI if you could and why? I must know, please tell me!

Megs:  Oh, that’s easy - Bastien!  The drama is already built in because of his part in the Tariq plot and damn @stopforamoment, @bobasheebaby, and @lolablackwrites have made that man irresistible. 

A second and more strange one is actually Emerald Phan from High School Story: A Class Act Chapter 2.  She’s technically an adult when I’m (MC) technically a high schooler … but I would date this gal.  She’s gorgeous!

Before you leave, Lily, I need to ask one last thing of you.  Please close your eyes. 

Lily closes her eyes

@msjpuddleduck, @anxious-arliah, @meindraws, @keepcreative, @brightpinkpeppercorn, @tallulahshh, @twin-skltns all come on stage, pushing a large cart with a beautiful cake that says “Happy Birthday Lily!”  They all start singing Happy Birthday.  The entire audience joins in. 

As soon as people start singing, Lily opens her eyes and smiles really big.  

Lily: Oh my gosh, you guys, I love it!  

Megs:  Happy Birthday, Lily!  We’re all sooooo glad that you’re here.  Blow out your candles, beautiful!

Lily: Takes a deep breath and blows out the candles in one puff. 

The audience cheers!

Megs:  It’s cake for everyone!  

Those on stages start cutting and plating the cake.  Others start handing a slice to everyone in the audience. 

Megs:  And that’s today’s show everyone!  Thanks for coming!  Join me next time when @hopelessromantic1532 will be the guest star.  Have a GREAT week and please, join me in wishing @lilyofchoices a wonderful birthday! 

~~~~~

I’m guessing @lilyofchoices will get this when she wakes up - but it should be officially her birthday right now!

And now for the tags.  If you want to be added to the tag list for these or removed, please let me know!

@hopefulmoonobject @queen-among-writers, @hopelessromantic1352, @lilyofchoices, @msjpuddleduck, @theroyalweisme, @lady-kato

[officialmaleclibrary]

This month we’re showcasing an author in the fandom who has written popular works such as i just want your kiss, boy and you take me somewhere i have never been. Charley can be found on ao3 as ohprongs and on tumblr as lightwoodlesbians, and I’d like to thank her once again for agreeing to be our first author showcase of OML! 

1. When did you start writing fics? Tell us a little of your journey as a fic writer. 

I started writing fic in 2010, which seems like so long ago. I found out about fanfiction as a thing because I’d just finished Mockingjay and I was like, “well, that can’t be it.” So I did some googling and stumbled across Fanfiction.net. Initially, I wrote fic for The Hunger Games, but then in the summer of 2011, I read Harry Potter for the first time and that was when I really started writing fics properly. The James/Lily & Marauder-era fandom was my thing, but occasionally I wrote fic for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and I even wrote a Merlin fic once. Eventually I stopped being so active in fandom and gradually stopped writing fic. Then my housemates, who had read the TMI books, wanted to watch this new show called Shadowhunters that was coming out, and I watched it with them. It was either the best/worst decision of my life because I got sucked back into Tumblr and fandom and fanfic (only this time it was on AO3), and here we are!

2. What fic of yours are you most proud of and why?

and there’s something about the city today, like all the colours conspire to overwhelm the grey, I think. Getting past the ridiculously long title, it was a fic I actually planned (usually I just write and see what happens), and everything seemed to come together with it. It was very easy to write, and it was fun to do, as well. It’s also a monster fic, pushing 20k words, but it didn’t feel like that when I was writing it. Of course, the response to it always makes a difference, and I’m so happy a lot of people liked it as much as I did.

3. Who is your favorite character to write and why? Which character do you find the most challenging to write?

I don’t know if I have a favourite character to write. I quite often write from Alec’s POV, and because I quite often write meet cutes, a lot of the time I get to just wax poetic about how beautiful Magnus Bane is, so that’s always fun. I feel like all of the characters have their own challenges when writing, because you don’t want to make them stereotypical or two-dimensional.

4. What is the hardest part about being a fic author? The easiest?

The hardest part is sitting down at a computer/phone with a blank document in front of you, screaming internally about how you should be writing and just...not being able to write. I don’t think that’s special to fic authors - it happens to everyone! But I definitely have too many ideas and not enough motivation to write. Another thing for me personally is the pressure of having a WIP - I know what it’s like as a reader to wait for updates, but as a writer I just have too much other stuff to do. The easiest thing is without a doubt reading people’s comments on your fics. It makes me smile so much and it’s such a good feeling.

5. What inspires you? Where do you find your muse?

Talking to other people is a great way to spark ideas. I usually get my prompts from Tumblr, which is why I write so many AUs, but I also get inspired to write (my version of) missing scenes from canon. Inspiration can come from anywhere, though, and sometimes it strikes at the weirdest moments.

6. How do you power through writer’s block?

Short answer: I don’t. I sit and type some things in a document and then close without saving. Writer’s block is horrible, especially when you have so many things you want to write. If I have a fic that needs writing I just keep starting it over again from different angles until I find something I’m happy with - I have a whole folder of half-finished fics that are probably never going to see the light of day.

7. Do you have a favorite fic from another author?

Binding Spell by Lemur710 is one of my all time favourites. It’s a missing scene from 1x06 after Magnus and Alec have drinks together ft. the Parabatri. It’s so in character and so sweet and good and I love it so much.

8. What’s something you’re looking forward to in the upcoming season of Shadowhunters?

Garrobane rising! Also domestic Magnus/Alec, obviously. Or battle couple!Malec.

9. Can you give us a sneak peek to what you’re writing next? Or at least any hints to what’s to come?

Currently I’m working on a theatre AU for Shadowhunters AU Mondays Performer Week, and I’ve also got a fic set after 1x11 with Magnus and Izzy on the go. The next chapter of ‘like the stars chase the sun’ is about half way done, too. I have a few Tumblr prompts to get through after that!

10. Do you have advice for anyone who might be interested in writing fan fiction?

Just write! Honestly, the best way to get better at writing is to practice it. Also, read lots of stuff. That way you get to see different styles of writing and you learn what works and what doesn’t. Fandom is a good place to start writing (at least, in my experience, and AO3 seems to be much friendlier than FF.net). Remember you’re writing for yourself and you’re sharing it with other people, so you can write whatever you want to!

11. What trope will you never tire from reading and/or writing?

I’m a sucker for fake dating with absolutely heaps of mutual pining. I know whoever the pairing is will get together in the end but I’m still on the edge of my seat like, “Are they gonna fall in love???” The answer is always yes and it’s glorious.