#i'll come back to it later since this was just a rough draft anyway

[nomiyakazehaya]

actor au, was talking about it with some peeps in a discord server and got to talking about how megs would totally do a complete 180 personality flip between being "in-character" and "out-of-character". absolutely the perfect candidate for gap moe. goes from looking murderous, terrifying and dangerous to the most sweetest, friendliest and gentle person with the clapper cue. gives people mad whiplash with the utter contrast.

i'm like barely coherent because i'm running on no hours of sleep for nearly two days straight so sorry if i'm rambling and not making much sense lmao

[tlbodine]

Stuck? Try junebugging.

I don't know who needs to hear this, but we're 5 days into nanowrimo so maybe this will be helpful.

Do you want the safety and surety of knowing what happens next in your story but can't stick to an outline? Does knowing in advance what will happen suck the joy out of discovery writing? Do you try to wing it through plots but get tangled in plot holes or have a story that runs out of steam because you can't figure out what went wrong? Are you at your most creative when you have a little bit of guidance? Do you tend to under-write? Do you get ideas in your head for random scenes and snippets that drop from the sky without context?

If any of these apply to you, junebugging a draft might be for you!

What Is Junebugging?

Since you're on Tumblr, you might already be familiar with the concept of junebugging as it relates to cleaning. If not -- I think the idea was first introduced to me by @jumpingjacktrash.

The basic idea is that you tackle cleaning by way of controlled chaos. You pick a specific area you want to focus on, like your kitchen sink, and then wander off to deal with other things as they occur to you, but always returning back to that area. You end up cleaning a little bit at a time in an order that may not make sense to an outsider but which keeps you from getting overwhelmed and discouraged.

How Does Junebugging Work in Writing?

OK, so that's great, but how does this work with writing? Well. In my case, the general idea is to jump between writing linearly, outlining, and writing out of order. It usually looks something like:

Start free-writing a scene, feeling my way through it and enjoying the discovery process.

Thinking, ok, now I have this scene, did anything need to happen to lead up to it? Do I need to go back and add some foreshadowing? Does this scene set anything up that needs to be paid off? And then jump forward/back to make those adjustments.

I'll usually have a bunch of disconnected ideas of ideas that have popped into my head, so I'll write those down in a list somewhere and then try to figure out what goes in between them and what order it goes in.

I'll write what I call "micro-scenes" which is where I'll just sketch out a few essential elements of what's going on without worrying too much about details, description, etc. -- just he did this, she said that, the setting was this, real bare-bones script. Then I can come back through and flesh out each of those microscenes into an actual scene later.

Got a story that has a complex structure? No problem. Write through each storyline one at a time and then chop them up and weave them together afterward. Write all the B plot scenes first then come back through to do A plot and C plot. Move the pieces around like legos. No one ever has to know.

This method works for me because I can't "decide" story elements in advance. I have never been able to just sit down and "figure out" what happens in a story beyond a couple steps ahead -- I have to discovery-write my way forward. But at the same time, that gets really daunting. So I zoom forward with micro-scenes, roughing out the beats in the most bare-bones way possible, then when I run out of clear vision for what happens next I backtrack, flesh out those scenes, build in connective tissue, etc. and by then I will probably find more inspiration to jump forward.

It's basically folding drafting, outlining, and revising all together into a single phase of writing, which is chaotic and goes against everything people teach you, but if it works? then it fuckin works.

Anyway, sorry for the jumbled-up post, I'm dashing this off quickly while I heat up a pizza and I'm about to dive back into my WIP -- but I hope this was a little helpful. If nothing else, take this as my blanket permission that it's 100% OK to jump around, write out of order, write messy, outline sometimes, pants sometimes, and do whatever else it takes just to get through the story. You've got this. Good luck.

[seangelfish]

Meet and Greet

Jun Sazanami x Reader ♡ Tags: Fluff, established relationship, romance, no mention of pronouns ♡ Word count: 864 ♡ Synopsis: An idol like yourself shouldn't be spotted at events like this. That's just too risky! But you're here anyway to not only experience what it's like from the fan's point of view, but also to surprise your boyfriend, Jun Sazanami from Eve. ♡ A/N: Had this in the drafts for a while and it is finally finished! I miss my Jun Sazanami phase~ I still love him and he will forever be my dream boyfriend.

Your hair was tied back with a black cap covering your head. Over your eyes laid a pair of dark shades and a mask to cover your mouth. This was the perfect disguise for you to go see your boyfriend at his meet and greet. After all, you were an idol at the same agency he was in, so you had to be careful about being recognised by his fans.

However, what you really came dressed in was not the disguise you should've gone for, but a casual outfit instead. Sure, you still covered your head with a cap, but your whole face was exposed which could lead to trouble.

You thought otherwise though because despite being a popular idol at Cos Pro, you were still going to attend a meet and greet for Eve, a unit that attracts all eyes. So, you didn't need to worry about being recognised as everyone's attention would be only on them. You doubted anyone would look your way if the Hiyori Tomoe and Jun Sazanami were in the same room as them.

You entered the line, awaiting your turn to meet Eve. For some reason, the idea of being here as a fan when you were an idol was absolutely nerve-racking. Maybe you should've gone in disguise? It was too late now as the line started moving forward, yet thankfully enough, as you expected, no one batted an eye at you.

And despite feeling so nervous, you felt a sensation of excitement brew in you. You were going to see your boyfriend from a different perspective! This is so exciting! you thought to yourself happily. I can't wait to see him!

You hummed a little tune to yourself as you watched fans squeal in delight as they readied themselves to shake their favourite idols' hands.

The venue was crowded with girls which wasn't a surprise to you since Eve catered towards that demographic, but a part of you couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous when Jun would dish out his attention to them. At the same time, you were proud of him. He looked so happy and fulfilled to be given such love for his hard work. It was his dream to become an idol, so seeing him smile so brightly like this only made your heart flutter.

"Thank you for supporting me and Eve," he said politely, shaking a fan's hand firmly. "I appreciate it so much."

"O-Of course!" they would bashfully reply, a slight blush appearing on their cheeks. "I will always be your fan!"

You sighed contently at this. You were nearing the front of the line now, so you readied yourself as you stepped in front of the dark blue-haired boy.

Before you could greet him though, his eyes widened at your figure in front of him.

"(Y/N), w-what are you doing here?" he hissed worriedly. "You're not even wearing a mask! Did anyone recognise you? I hope you didn't get harassed... I'll call security later to escort you out, but you shouldn't..."

Despite the shock in his eyes, you could see how they lit up when he saw you.

"Don't worry, Jun," you whispered back. "No one recognised me!"

He sighed but smiled. "Alright, let's get this over with. Take my hands."

You placed your hands in his. As expected, they were calloused and rough, but at the same time, soft. Your boyfriend shook your hands gently, but his grip was tight as if he didn't want to let you go.

"Thank you for coming here to visit me!" he exclaimed. "I appreciate your support so much!"

His usual lines. He really was taking this seriously so that no one would spot you.

You grinned, then said, "Jun, I'm so proud of you. Do you know exactly why I'm here? I'm here to tell you that you've been doing such a good job getting to this point. You've worked so hard and it's admirable. I hope that you keep at it, that life continues to treat you well."

He looked at you dazed, but his eyes glistened. He wasn't sure if it was the lights that had him squinting like this, but your words did take an emotional toll on him.

"And remember that you're loved," you continued.

At that point, he knew that it was you – the reason why his eyes started to water. Your words touched his heart, and hearing them from you made it all worthwhile that he was here, existing, as an idol.

"T-Thank you..." he stammered out. "I really am happy that you're here, (Y/N)–"

"20 seconds left!" reminded one of employees.

"My time's nearly up, Jun," you stated. "Have a good rest of your day. I love you."

You whispered the last part, but only for Jun to hear. Thankfully, he caught it amid chatter.

"I love you too," he whispered back.

"Next!"

You unlinked your hands from Jun's, then stepped away from the table to chat with Hiyori. Jun continued his job greeting the next fans in line, but from the corner of his eye, he kept looking at you, hoping that you, his lover, would have a good day too.

Intro page | Ensemble Stars masterlist | Rules

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Cooking Up Love, Chapter 4

Pairing: Chef!Matt Murdock x F!Journalist!Reader

Rating: T (for now, might change, probably not)

Story Summary: Here

Warnings/Tags: Hallmark levels of fluffy, cheesy goodness (and speed that their relationship develops, lol), no use of Y/N, Matt is not a vigilante, more tags to come as the story develops

Word Count: ~1600

A/N: Here's chapter 4! If you'd like to be added to the tag list for this story, please let me know!

(Divider made by the insanely talented @theradioactivespidergwen!)

Tag List: @yarrystyleeza @hailey-murdock @mattkinsella @bellaxgiornata @danzer8705 @chezagnes @shouldbestudying41

Early the next afternoon, Ellison called you into his office.

You walked in. "What's up?"

Ellison leaned back in his chair. "I need to talk to you about your article."

Your brow furrowed. You had stayed up half the night working on it (while eating some of what was quite honestly the best tiramisu you had ever had) and had sent a rough draft to Ellison that morning after reading it over. "What about it?"

"Quite frankly, it sucks."

You blinked at him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"It reads like you literally just transcribed the interview. There's no emotion to it."

"So, what, do you want it in another format, or…" You were hoping Ellison wasn't going to tell you to just forget about it or that he was reassigning the piece back to Kelsie, who was still out sick with food poisoning.

Ellison shook his head. "We need to switch gears. Instead of an interview, I want a full human-interest story." Ellison sat back up. "I want our readers to get to know Chef Murdock as both a chef and as a person. You got a bit of that in your interview, but I want more. Spend as much time with him as possible and do what you do best -- get him to open up to you. Find out what his interests are outside of cooking, how he develops his recipes, where his inspiration comes from. Give me personal details and anecdotes."

You nodded. Your second attempt at an interview had gone a lot smoother than your first -- you had found Chef Murdock had relaxed more the longer the two of you had talked, so you were pretty sure he wouldn't mind sitting down for a more in-depth interview. "Okay."

"Alright, that's it. Get a rough draft of your new article to me by next Wednesday -- that should be enough time to edit before we go to print the following Monday."

"Got it."

Ellison eyed you. "Don't make me regret that raise I agreed to."

You shook your head. "Don't worry, I won't."

You went back to your desk and eyed the clock. You had already been planning on stopping by Daredevil on your way home from work in order to drop Chef Murdock's dish back off to him and was just going to leave it with Karen at the host stand, but since you needed to talk with Chef Murdock anyway... 

You pulled out your phone and sent him a text. Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could come by the restaurant to talk with you for a minute before you open?

A few seconds later, your phone chimed. It's not a bother, and sure.

Okay, I'll be by in about 20 minutes.

Sounds good.

You grabbed your bag and Chef Murdock's dish and popped by Ellison's office again. "I'm leaving a bit early so I can go by Daredevil to talk to Chef Murdock."

Ellison nodded. "Okay, see you Monday."

You hurried towards Daredevil, sending Chef Murdock a text as you approached.

A minute later a man with shaggy blonde hair and a friendly face unlocked the door. "Hi, you must be the journalist from the Bulletin, right?"

You nodded and introduced yourself as you stepped inside.

The blond man smiled and stuck his hand out for you to shake. "Matt's signing for a delivery, but he'll be out in just a second. I'm Foggy Nelson, his business partner."

You took his offered hand. "Oh, yes, Chef Nelson. It's nice to meet you too."

Chef Nelson grinned. "So, I heard you were on the receiving end of Matt's apology tiramisu."

You huffed out a laugh. "Oh, uh, yeah, I guess he told you about that. Does he always apologize with tiramisu?"

"Only when he knows he really screwed up." Chef Nelson glanced towards the kitchen before looking back at you. "By the way, thanks for giving him another chance at an interview. Matt can be prickly but he's really a good guy underneath."

You smiled, thinking about how warm and open Chef Murdock had been the previous afternoon compared to your first meeting. "I'm beginning to see that."

"Sorry about that," Chef Murdock's voice said as he came out of the kitchen towards you.

You turned towards him. Today he was wearing a white t-shirt and black pants with his usual red glasses. It's unfair how damn hot he is , you thought to yourself.

You swallowed. "Hi, Chef Murdock."

"Hi," he replied pleasantly. "So what brings you by? Did you have some more questions for me?"

You nodded. "Yes, but I also came by to return your container to you and thank you again for the tiramisu."

Chef Murdock took the empty container with a grin. "I guess that means it wasn't poisoned, then?"

You huffed out a laugh even as your face heated. "I'm sorry about that."

Chef Murdock chuckled. "It's okay."

You shook your head. "In all honesty though I think that that was probably the best thing I've ever eaten. I'll definitely be placing some to-go orders for tiramisu after work."

Chef Murdock smiled. "It's not on the menu yet because I'm still perfecting it, but until then if you let me know in advance I'll be happy to make some for you."

"Matt makes his own ladyfingers from scratch," Chef Nelson chimed in. "That's the secret."

"Well, one of them." Chef Murdock grinned at you. "There's a few other secrets to my tiramisu that not even Foggy knows."

Chef Nelson chuckled. "And with that, I'm going to go get started on the dishes I do know the secrets to." 

He gave you a brief nod. "It was very nice meeting you."

"Same to you," you replied.

You waited until Chef Nelson had disappeared into the kitchen before turning back to Chef Murdock. "So about my article… I turned a draft of it into my editor this morning and he said it wasn't personal enough, so he wants me to expand it into a full human-interest story instead of just an interview."

Chef Murdock's brow furrowed. "Oh? What does that consist of?"

"Uh, well… usually with my human-interest pieces I spend time with the person I'm writing about, getting to know them over the course of several days, but since I don't want to take up too much of your time I'd probably just have some more interview questions for you, and if it would be possible I'd like to watch you work in the kitchen for a bit? It doesn't actually have to be during open hours or anything like that, and I'll even sign an NDA if you want me to promising that I won't reveal any of your recipes to anyone."

Chef Murdock pursed his lips as he thought. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, that's okay."

You huffed out a breath. "Thank you so much. I'm free all weekend, so you can just text or call me and let me know whenever is convenient for you."

"Actually, how about we start tomorrow? Meet me here at, say, 8 AM?"

You nodded. "Okay, yeah, that sounds good."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Thanks again for the tiramisu. It really was fantastic."

Chef Murdock smiled. "You're welcome."

"Okay. Bye."

You turned and walked back into the lobby so Karen could let you out, actually looking forward to seeing Chef Murdock the next morning.

Matt waited until you left then returned to the kitchen, where Foggy was slicing up cucumbers for the dinner salads.

Foggy paused in his prepping. "So… she seems nice."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, she is."

"Pretty, too."

Matt shook his head with a grin. "I wouldn't know."

Foggy chuckled. "Mmhmm. Sure you wouldn't, Matty. That's why you were totally flirting with her just now."

Matt's brow furrowed. "I wasn't flirting."

"I know your tells, Matty -- you like a girl, you cook for her." Foggy dropped his voice into an imitation of Matt's. "'Oh, I can totally make you tiramisu even though it's not on the menu, no problem'."

Matt shook his head. "She's writing an article about me -- of course I'm going to be nice and offer to make tiramisu for her again. Which reminds me, the editor at the Bulletin wants her to expand her interview into a human-interest story." 

"Oh hey, that's awesome, man. A full human-interest piece will be great publicity for the restaurant."

Matt nodded. "We're going to meet up tomorrow morning to discuss it."

"Couldn't wait to see her again, huh?"

Matt shook his head. "She wants to watch me cook, so I'm going to have her accompany me to the farmer's market then give her a small cooking demo here afterwards before we start prepping for tomorrow night's service."

"Ah okay, cool."

Matt turned his head towards the receiving door. "Josie's here with the wine order."

Foggy set his knife down as the doorbell rang. "I got it."

"Make sure she's got the Frangelico I added to this week's order, will ya?"

"Sure thing."

Matt sighed to himself as Foggy left to go receive their order. The truth was that he actually was looking forward to spending more time with you. You were kind, and funny, and endearing, and according to Foggy, 'pretty', which admittedly made Matt curious as to what you looked like. 

He shook his head. He needed to keep things strictly professional between the two of you. The last time he was interested in a journalist it almost cost him his career and he wasn't going to make that mistake again, no matter how much he was beginning to trust you.

[chiconisroc]

Chapter 35 is up peeps for 'Was Not The Hero' : ) (A Philip Wittebane/belos fanfic)

Update Nov 8th- Updated chapter is up! Thank you @conejo-sama for editing the chapter : ) And with this chapter, we reached the 500 page mark!

Yeah, can't believe the story has hit 500 pages, that's crazy. I definitely want to thank you all for the support~

So, I got some bad news :c. I won't be updating this story till probably December. During November, I will be working on rough drafts for two books I want to write. Taking the challenge in the nanowrimo challenge by writing 50 k words of a work, well... i'll be doing 100k since I'm working on two projects, hahaha

Anyways, chapter 35 is a bit slow, so I apologize for that. Just a small build up for future events and some build up for the other characters. Let me know what you peeps think. While I'm gone, peeps can still message me or ask me questions. I will do my best to come back to this story later.

Thank yoyu @asherisawkward and @oxblooddraws for beta reading. The edited version will be up later : )

Summary of the Was Not The Hero for new peeps:

He lost…

Many years of planning and sacrifices for nothing.

He has failed to eliminate the dangers that his fellow humans may face in the future…

Now he’s back home after living centuries in a wicked world full of monsters, yet he has not realized he was the monster of Boiling Isles all along.

[kitkatmonsterfox]

I had this small ninjago au idea that I had for a while now, idk if I'll ever draw it or not, but the au is called Fsm overlord brother au were follow by the name the overlord is the fsm brother. This was based on the scraped idea that ov was the other half of fsm that tommy had, but instead of him being the oni half, why not make it a family problem, because there's alwas family drama in the fsm bloodline..

Read the rough draft of the idea

So the idea goes like this, before Fsm runs away from the first realm, he spots something on the oni side, a baby. He was confused at first but later learned, just like him. This baby was also born in the conflict of the oni & dragon powers,so not wanting the same fate that he was about to experience, he took him. years passed, and the boy grew up bigger than the fsm, sometimes being mistaken as a younger brother to the overlord they had a strong brotherly bond going on mishap, sometimes getting into trouble, promising to never leave eachother side. But as time passed and both got older, they grew more disten, the fsm focuses more on keeping balanced and peace in the realms while the overlord think the only solution to peace it to conquer but the fsm Opposed the idea Believing everyone has the right of there freedom but he just Scoft and walked away. The fsm worried that his oni side is starting to take over but ignoring it anyway. Later that night, the fsm since something was wrong and went to check it out, he soon saw that his brother was Causing mast destruction and chaos, putting people under a curse to obey him the fsm confronted him about it but the overlord pushed him away, believing that he will bring true peace but in darkness. Fsm Realizing that his oni side had fully taken over, he had no choice but to stop him , so a battle ensued. Both never seem tired out each other, but fsm needs to find a way to stop him once and for all, but he needs to think fast because the overlord used his power to create an instructable army he tried to fight them off but he was starting to grow tired, so he had to make the biggest decision, but at that moment the overlord was about to hit his finally on him blow until the fsm stabed him in the chest, both shocked by this, the overlord pulled him self out the Sword to regain what had happened. the fsm took the opportunity to use the power he had left and split the island in two. ov being on the dark island and fsm being on ninjago. Thire was finally peaceful, but they felt an intense guilt for what he had done. many years passed, and the fsm had kids of his own telling Cautionary tales of the overlord, But not mentioning that the overlord is their uncle. Fear on how they would fell or them follow in his path, after his death the fsm was looking for his brother in the departed realm, hoping that he'll change him or that he regret the Actions he had made and come back. But the more he looked, he had a horrific realization that his soul was still in ninjago waiting for his next attack to cover the world in darkness

This is just the rough draft of the brother Au, I'll update it if i ever come back to it, with designs of the overlord human form. Let me know what you think of it and what should I do to improve on it or have any suggestions?

[flamedraco]

Day 7 of Making a Minecraft Diaries AU

My brain is wanting to be difficult today. Not sure if it's a small motivation dip or just the ADHD but I'm pretty much having to force words to function on the doc right now so I might pop back over to outlines for a bit instead of writing the chapters.

Haven't really touched my outlines since saying I was going to start working on chapter one and chapter one is sitting at around 3,700 words at the moment. I'm pecking at it line by line but I'm thinking it's the first chapter curse. I call them the hardest chapters to write for a reason. I know YWNTMBAH's first chapter went through a lot of changes before it was posted and this feels like a similar situation. I might just need to hit refresh on my brain or something. I'll attempt to do outlines and if my brain is still kicking up a hissy fit I might just attempt something else for a while.

Welcome to me having to bargain with my brain to do anything because I know I want to write and I want to write Diaries AU stuff I just need to figure out does my brain just want this specific scene in the first chapter over with, does it want to go back to outlines, or do you want to go do the evil bastard version of the AU?

Anyways, I told you guys I'd probably give you a snippet of chapter one and even let you guys vote on what you wanted, so have at it! Bearing in mind that this is the first rough draft of the chapter and that this could be subject to change later.

Y'all wanted the bi bird so here's the start of Wilbur's POV in chapter 1!

And The World Began to Change, For Better or For Worse: Chapter 1, Scene 3

Wilbur…knew that his name was Wilbur.

He knew that the sky above was blue, and that the white in the sky were clouds. He knew that the trees around him were green. And that their trunks were brown.

As he sat up, he knew he had wings and a tail. He knew that his legs resembled that of the little songbirds that fluttered from tree to tree, singing their beautiful songs and making him want to join and sing with them.

Wilbur knew that his name was Wilbur.

But when he tries to recall where he is…nothing comes to him. And when he tries to remember more about who he is, about what he is, he draws blanks.

He knows that the birds fluttering through the trees are a mix of canaries and robins, he thinks he spots a blue jay somewhere.

He looks at his wings and he knows that he is a magpie. Marked by the distinctive blue mixed with black and white feathers.

He presses his talons into the sash across his chest, tracing it, knowing that it's meant to hold a quiver on his back between his wings. He knows he's supposed to have arrows in that quiver, a bow in his inventory to notch arrows into.

But he has nothing.

His talons trace the belt along his waist and he finds a sheath for a sword, and yet no sword to draw.

Wilbur's nose wrinkles as he stands, spreading out his wings and stretching them. He flaps them a few times, making sure that they are uninjured. He runs his talons through the plumage around his neck, fixing the feathers so that they were neater.

He tries to take a step, his tail swishing in irritation as he feels unbalanced. He shakes his head and keeps trying. Lifting his leg up and then putting it down again, repeating the motion a few times until it felt more natural. Until the grass under his talons felt comforting rather than unfamiliar.

He started to walk. Eventually using his wings to flutter around the clearing and hop. Testing his mobility.

He should…he knows he should be able to fly. Like the birds in the trees.

Wilbur knows…enough.

He knows he has fangs in his mouth and that he's capable of eating raw meat without concern for his health. He knows he can eat berries just as well, he just needs to be cautious for ones that would make him sick.

Wilbur knows that he is strong. That his wings can carry him off the ground, that his tail can act like a third hand and could pop an arm out of a socket. He knows he should have good balance, could stand on one leg for hours, could fly straight in strong winds and keep flying in rain.

But he does not know what he is.

Or where he comes from.

Nor how he got here.

Wilbur knows…that he is frustrated by this. Walking over to a small pond of water to look at his reflection. He sees a blue right eye and a teal left eye staring back at him. Freckles that dot across his cheeks and nose.

He is not a…bird. Not entirely. But he is bird-like.

He is not quite one thing or the other.

But he knows that his name is Wilbur.

"Who am I?" He asks the reflection, confused.

The reflection just shows his confusion back at him.

Wilbur slams his tail into the water, making it ripple as he turns around and explores his surroundings.

[scary-senpai]

Would love to hear more about you & me & a high balcony!

Gahh! Thank you so much for the ask. (Original link is here, if anyone wants to join or reblog.)

So, “you & me & a high balcony” is one of the fics I drafted when I was teaching myself to write again. So it's awkward and striving (mostly in the right direction), and still pretty rough--I started writing it in 2020, I haven't really touched it since 2021, and I have learned a whole lot since then. At the same time, it is a fic that is near to my heart and I'm grateful for the opportunity to talk about it! <3

“you & me & a high balcony” is about Genos taking Garou home for the first time--why? tbd! I wrote probably about 100k words of various interconnected fics without fully committing to the unifying concept or plot and I will never, ever do that again. Probably.

Anyway, Genos takes Garou home and neglects to fully inform Saitama. You are getting my draft in its fully unedited glory.

Saitama’s cactus is on the balcony and it is a very, very painful experience for him. In keeping with running canon gags, Saitama is absolutely powerless against this ickle, stationary cactus and he finds himself in an ongoing fight with it, almost immediately. He also gets totally entangled in Genos' camping gear, but put a pin in that, we'll come back to it.

What follows is a series of interspersed scenes between Genos and Garou inside the apartment, Saitama making strange noises outside, Genos fabricating excuses and lying (poorly), and Genos occasionally stepping out on the balcony pretending to be Genos (because, again, Saitama is wrapped up like a sad sandwich in an unpitched camping tent.) In retrospect, it's very clear how much I miss writing for stage, because it feels a bit like an homage to Noises Off (but, you know, prose).

In the spirit of adventure, I am sending an unedited screenshot. With comments boxes! I haven't re-read it in years because I'm too nervous, but you can!

“CW” doesn’t necessarily stand for content warning but I guess it certainly could? CW is an abbreviation of my name so it’s how I highlight “shit I need to go back and figure out.” Being older and wiser, most of my drafts are now just bullet points for me to come back to later, when I have a coherent, unifying thought for the story/fic/series. It has saved me a lot of screaming and tears.

Anyway, Saitama keeps moving the cactus into the apartment. Garou keeps moving it back. Genos has no idea what the fuck is happening, but it’s the least of his problems. Eventually it leads to Saitama and Garou having a heart-to-heart (and agreeing not to tell Genos they met) and, idk, man, I love writing Genos x Garou a lot, but (Platonic) Garou + Saitama scenes are my absolute favorite. I just give them my ideal relationship, which is All of the Hijinks and None of the Sex with someone who finishes your sentences, but all the sentences are puns.

I started drafting the story in 2020, and anything I wrote in 2020 chronicles my descent into madness— inadvertently & indirectly. Suffice to say, quarantine was hitting me very hard and a lot of my behavior was centered around making myself laugh. My serotonin starved brain had a tendency to overload scenes with jokes. Even if they didn’t fit, even if they threw off the pacing. But stories and scenes need to have cohesive plots and it’s silly, to the point of being out of character. Sometimes that's part of the process, though. There's always a lot of love in the first draft of a story, I think, because it's a leap of faith.

I had written a litany of things that embarrassed me about this draft, I deleted it. So I'll share one of the things that I am proud of coming up with--I don't play a lot of video games. I needed a fighting game for King and Saitama to play during a stint of dialogue (the outcome of which involves King lending Saitama Hatoful Boyfriend so that Genos can practice dating (and also he does not trust Saitama with any of his beloved Doki Doki sims). So I thought of the one game I played a lot as a kid (Super Smash Bros) and combined it with something I do know really well (literature) and came up, um, this:

The Body Electric is near to my heart because it was a major part of my writing journey. It was also a major part of my writing journey where I learned a lot, mostly by making mistakes. Granted, it remains largely unpublished so I failed in gracefully private but it is really important to me to finish it one day.

Thank you so much for the ask!

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

I feel like mine is more of a gut feeling. I'll feel if something is going too slow or fast. But I do try to figure out what exactly is the issue of the scene, and then how I can fix that. I kinda have a system, I guess.

I'll walk through several examples of revising my WIP The Secret Portal to demonstrate what I mean that will hopefully help. Not all of them may be applicable, but hopefully it helps.

#1- the main problem at the start of a scene is resolved too quickly

Usually I'll reread and find out it's too fast or the sudden jump was awkward. For example, one of my chapters starts with my character Lexi looking for her friend Ash. Then she gets a sign of Ash before the end of that page.

On reread, I realized this happened too early in the chapter. Someone gave me the advice to have Lexi look around for a bit before she found Ash. This allowed me to extend one of my weakest chapters into something I'm now proud of. I had Lexi look around for a bit and used her observational nature to find one sign of Ash, then a second one. I even got to explore her more anxious and emotional side along with it.

#2- "filler" is wasting time

I have a scene I like to call "The Grilled Cheese Sandwich Debate," but whenever I look at it, I realize it goes on for far too long and the pacing just halts in place. As much as I love the chaos of the scene, and the character building it does, I realize that it has to be shorter.

While I have yet to edit it down, I have figured out that the issue is that too many characters are involved in it. The issue is I wanted it to be a whole-group conversation, but it just comes across as awkward to include everyone, since I saw no reason not to include all the side characters in the conversation. However, it doesn't work for the story. So now I'm coming up with reasons for some characters who didn't add much to not be there.

#3- a scene goes on without meaning

I had a scene where Lexi was learning her teleportation for the first time, but it just meandered on and ended lamely. I went back to it and figured out what Lexi's motivation was and certain issues she may have with it. Giving the character a motivation for even one-off scenes is crucial to not just controlling the pacing of the scene, but helping establish their character overall.

#4- balancing a subplot

I have multiple subplots that are all important for later. The way TSP is set up is in a multi-POV format, with some flashbacks. While this may not be how your book is set up, subplots need to be evenly distributed, so maybe this will help.

I had one flashback that followed a rough patch between Lexi and Ash that was extremely important for later in the series. I realized Lexi's middle chapters of the subplot dragged on and added nothing. Scrapping them and replacing chapters with an Ash POV solved everything. I have no idea why I didn't do this sooner.

I also realized a couple subplots weren't placed correctly in terms of the chapters. Finding out where the transitions worked and spreading them out worked wonders, so now certain plotlines weren't crammed together.

#5- chapter length

Chapters can be short. Chapters can be long. If you feel like a chapter is going on for too long, cut it down. If you feel like a chapter is pretty long but there's no reasonable place to cut down, let it be long.

It's a balancing act. I have one chapter that's about half a page and another chapter that was once two long chapters shoved together because they felt like they needed to be together.

#6- character arcs

When writing the second book in the series, I realized at the rate Noelle's arc is going, I'm not going to get her to where I needed her by the end of the book. In the previous draft, I felt like it was too quick anyway, but I thought with a more focused trajectory I'd be able to do it.

But I don't think I'm going to get her to that point by the end of the book. So I considered pushing the arc to the third part, and I think it may actually work better.

For Ash, I have her on this downward spiral, but when I had her already sinking by the end of Part One, I realized her arc was also a little too fast. I extended a scene where Ash was sulking and made her stop sulking. I have another scene where she has an intense 200+ word debate with herself before making a bad decision (this also relates back to #1- the chapter just jumped to what it wanted to do with no regard for Ash's character) in order to further highlight her sinking later. I need to establish more of how Ash usually acts in order to juxtapose it later.

TLDR

If a chapter feels like it jumps to an event too quickly, try to focus more on the character struggling, debating, etc for them to feel more active in the story, rather than the story happening to them.

If you feel like "filler" is important enough to keep (i.e., develops/established the characters), but goes on for too long, figure out exactly why it's too long, and focus on that to make the scene more efficient.

If you need a scene to happen but it goes on without meaning, find your character's motivation to keep going or obstacles they should face in order to give it meaning.

Sometimes subplots are unnecessary and add nothing. Scrap it. If it's important, find out why it's not working. Does it need a new POV? Is there just too many/are there not enough scenes covering it? Is the placing of each scene awkward?

Chapter length does not have to be uniform. Figure out how long each needs to be individually.

How quick does your character change? Are they going too fast? Do you need to postpone a change or show more of who they are first?

My System

Gut instinct will tell me if something is going too fast/slow.

Step back and take a bird's eye view of the scene/plot/arc/book/etc.

Identify the problem.

Figure out how to fix the problem.

Hope this was helpful!

real question. how do other writers manage story pacing. is it intuitive or do you have a system

[kingsofeverything]

nanowrimo 2021

ramble below the cut:

this is my first year signing up to do nanowrimo on the official site, which was the hardest thing for me because i kept forgetting to input my words there and had to go back and edit. but i had a very successful nano21 with a total of 113297 words and an avg of 3776 words/day! i had a lot of fun checking in with everyone else who participated from the 1d library discord, and it was nice to have the encouragement! compared to my first year doing nano, this was honestly a breeze even though i wound up writing more than double what i did that first time. (sometimes i like to look at my word count tag chronologically and read through the first month of posts because i started keeping track when i did nano that first time and it's nice to see how far i've come but also funny to see me losing it lol)

i've always been a fast writer, but i think that first nano is what sort of kicked me into being this way. i approached it with the attitude of hitting that daily word count goal no matter what and not looking back, and that's worked well for me since then. fix it on the second draft, etc etc. i really do try to treat my first draft as a rough draft, which means that sometimes i use the same phrase twice in one paragraph lol or use the word just a million times or my god everyone shrugs so often lol but i have to just (just!) not care. i can fix it later.

so now i'm over 100k into this new girl au and whoa does it need fixing later. i still have no real idea how long the final fic will be, but i'm guessing at least 200k which is kind of hilarious to me because that's stupid long and also this fic is 100% being written because i love that show and i wanted it in larry form. there's nothing groundbreaking going on here lol there's so much of it that's straight from the show that i'm def including a disclaimer in the author's notes (not that it's necessary because it's fanfic but i'll do it anyway). i don't really have a point, so if you've read this far, i'm sorry? but i'm super excited about this fic, and really glad i decided to do nano this year because now i have 100k towards what will be my longest fic and i'm having a fucking blast writing it.

[djmarinizelablog]

Is it just me or you haven't been writing smut lately? Even with all the new good smut from other writers, it's never enough!

Ah, I try to write an assortment of fics so I can play with the different tropes and genres---smut is pretty much just a side thought whenever I work on the plot. But thank you for reaching out, nevertheless! If you have a specific scene in mind, you can always send me a prompt and I'll work on it!

I personally don't want to be branded as a "smut writer." I just want to be a good writer in general, and I'm still working on that. :)

Anyway, I've been working on multiple drafts right now, but since you asked, here's an excerpt from an upcoming fic of mine (hint: spicy/smut/nsfw):

They barely make it to the parking lot where Hange finally shoves him into the backseat of his car after a kiss so intense he can barely breathe. It immediately turns him on. Something is telling him it’s going to be one of those nights. She clambers in and Levi pulls her towards him so they can make out again, this time while laying down, their kisses rough and fueled with desire. Even though it’s dark out and there are no people in view, save for the figures overlooking from the balcony, Levi be damned if one of those is his coworker. But from the way Hange is playing with his tongue in her mouth, he can’t be bothered to look.

He loosens up his tie, and she unravels it for him, going for his shirt afterwards, desperate to see him naked. Levi attempts to sit up, but Hange is doing all the work and she doesn’t seem bothered by it at all. Their hearts are both racing at this point. The fact that Hange’s controlling the rhythm of their movements together really makes him melt. He’s hard as fuck, but doesn’t want to cum so fast, lest it all be over. So he shifts his focus to her body while he unbuttons Hange’s shirt, but his hands tremble like crazy only for Hange to help him out.

“Too tense?” she laughs, unfastening the last button with one hand.

“Shut up, it’s been a while.” He spreads her shirt wide open and bites into her collarbones.

She hums. “I like that.”

He takes time exploring her body with his mouth, his fingers slipping inside the front of her pants and rubbing the fabric within. As soon as he knows they’re both ready, he fishes out his wallet and takes out a condom so he can put it on him. When Hange pulls down her own pants, she swings her leg over his thigh and rides him on the backseat of his car. He can feel himself inside her, and Hange’s eyes are delirious at this point. She starts grinding herself against him, and Levi immediately quivers.

“Fuck, Hange.” He’s gripping the sling of the safety belt from sheer pressure.

“Relax—”

“Shit, shit, shit.”

He slides down the seat for a bit, his pants pooling around his ankles. Hange pushes him down even more with her hand, her eyes seductive and alluring while she bites her lip. There’s really something hot about the way she does it. Maybe something about that dark lipstick of Hange’s makes him want to explode right then and there. His mind is probably having a short-circuit at this point.

After Hange changes the pace of their movements, he presses his shoe harder against the back of the passenger seat. It will probably leave a print. He tries to take a mental note of cleaning it up later, but he finally comes in a few seconds and Hange yells out her orgasm, the pleasure rushing through every fiber of their body. It’s a calming rush settling deep in their bones.

Once she removes herself on top of him, he remembers how to breathe. He grabs the box of tissues in the center console to wipe himself down. Hange then sits beside him in the backseat, both of them still panting from exhaustion.

“You good?” He’s staring at the windshield, his mind still overwhelmed with sensation.

“Yeah, I think so.” Hange straightens herself up and proceeds to pull her pants up. They stay in silence for a while, their hearts heaving from the quick sex. He wants to hold her hand, or even ask for her number so they can stay in touch, but before he can do that, Levi hears people coming out of the club. He cranes his neck and to his dismay, he can see his coworkers about to head to the parking lot, right where they are. Some of them have also brought in some people from the club, and they don’t need to ask questions to know what’s bound to happen. To spare herself of the trouble, Hange immediately gets out of the car and winks at him. “That’s the signal to run. Thanks for the time, Mister Banker.”

[tsipasce]

Same Difference Ch.17

A/N: Here is your reward for enduring last week lmao. This one is a bit long, but cutting it up just didn't seem as gratifying so I hope you guys enjoy.

Also, thank you so much for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks on AO3 and FFN-- you guys are too kind :'). I'll try posting more regularly on Tumblr too if ppl wanna read it here. Let me know what y'all think~

There was darkness, then flickers of lights and the occasional overwhelming flow of noises before it ebbed to silence and darkness yet again. First, she felt she was on a hard surface like concrete, then cold metal, then something cushion-like… a bed? Her thoughts were incoherent, presenting more as disjointed words and feelings. Anger, regret, hurt, with a sprinkle of sadness on top. Her body was heavy, every limb feeling as though the blood had been replaced with lead. Her head lolled and she heard someone suddenly shift at her side, the bed dipping under the pressure of said someone leaning on it and over her but was too out of it to open her eyes. Acquiescing, she fell back into unconsciousness.

An indefinite amount of time passed while she was in the darkness before her senses began to return fully. She heard typing, now able to feel a presence nearby. She wanted to open her eyes, but the task seemed too daunting still, simply listening would have to be enough for now.

“I can stand watch for now, if you’d like.” One voice offered, softly.

“What I’d like is to be left alone.” The other replied curtly.

“I see. We’re going to leave in the next few hours, I’ll get everyone ready.”

“You do that.”

Well this guy sounds like a treat… Nanami thought, her sarcasm unsurprisingly returning before the rest of her senses and memories. There were footsteps and then a soft thud, like a door being carefully shut. A couple moments passed before she heard what sounded like a laptop being closed, then footsteps coming towards her, and then silence. She desperately wanted to wake up, but her body refused to cooperate, causing her eyes to flutter behind her eyelids as she struggled in vain to move. She could sense the presence hadn’t left and she felt anxious as to what might happen next before hearing a sigh. She felt a sheet being pulled up to cover her arms, where goosebumps had been forming from the draft in wherever she was.

“I’ll deal with you when I get back.” The voice said with a hint of annoyance, though it was betrayed by its gentle tone. Hearing footsteps growing fainter, a door opened and closed once more. The words themselves were threatening but the way they were spoken, she felt oddly comforted. Falling back into the darkness, she decided to cultivate her energy and try her luck at waking up again later.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Emerging from the darkness again, the pain began immediately. Her head throbbed and she reflexively tried to groan but found her mouth and throat painfully full. Instantly recognizing the feeling, panic set in, the only other thing she could perceive being the desperate need for it to stop. She grabbed the tube, disassembling and reassembling it outside her body. The large obstruction dropped unceremoniously to the floor and she coughed, glad to be rid of it.

“Don’t be so rough with the equipment.”

She rolled her head to the direction of the voice, a bright light hitting her eyes as she struggled to open them for the first time since… Damn. It all came rushing back to her at once, the voice no longer a mystery. Her vision focused and she found herself looking at Overhaul as he sat at her bedside. His mask was on as he stared at her blankly. She stared back for a beat, not knowing how to begin speaking about what brought them to this point. Deciding she should be fully awake and rested for that conversation, she mentally tabled it, opting for their usual banter instead.

“It’s still intact isn’t it?” She cleared her throat, massaging it as she continued, “How long was I out?”

“Three days.”

“THREE DAYS?” Her eyes shot wide, another coughing fit beginning as she raised her voice after not speaking for days.

“Yes, that’s what I said.” He grimaced, moving back a bit at her sudden outburst, “Cough in the other direction.”

“No surprise that your bedside manner could use some work.” She sighed as she adjusted to raise herself up, wincing as her sore muscles tried their best to comply. He promptly rose, putting a pillow behind her as she sat up, his expression blank yet attentive, “Thanks.”

He nodded as he took his seat again and the silence continued, painfully. It felt like their first meeting all over again, neither knowing how to broach the awkward topic. Looking back, Nanami was angry at how insufferably rude he could be but couldn’t ignore her own part in this. A pang of guilt sat heavily in her chest when she remembered how easily she let her emotions get the best of her; she hadn’t told someone off like that in ages. In her mind, it in no way absolved him, but to say it was all his fault would be a lie. In that moment of rage, she… What did I do anyway? She glanced down, now more confused than anything, her brows furrowing before looking at him.

“Let’s chat.”

He readjusted in his chair, leaning back as he crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest, “Let’s.”

His body language oozed condescension as though she was about to be scolded like a child and she hated it, “Why’d you attack me. Again.”

His eyes narrowed, displeased with how she was beginning their talk,” That was going to be my question to you. I thought we had a deal.”

“What are you talking about? We did—we do—I did not attack you.” she defended. Nanami knew they were both wrong for getting so worked up, but she wouldn’t stoop that low over an argument. “I was wrong, we both were for getting so heated, but I wouldn’t just start throwing hands like that. So again, why did you attack me? I thought… I thought we got passed all that.”

His brow furrowed at the implication, his jaw clenching uncomfortably at the hurt in her voice, “We are. We’re far passed all of that.” He intoned with a level of sincerity that seemed foreign to him. Having spent the past three days chastising himself for putting her in this position, wishing the exchange could be taken back, it was difficult to sound detached. He’d been angry, but harming her had been something he’d put out of his mind some time ago, “I didn’t attack you either…”

They both shared a moment of sincere confusion. Overhaul hadn’t come out unscathed either, having to heal his own head injury as well as a cracked vertebra from the impact once he came to. “Then what the hell happened?” Nanami asked, speaking the question they were both wrestling with. She looked around the room for her bag at the same time Overhaul reached for his laptop.

“We should run tests.” They said in unison. He handed her her notebook from the bag and a pen as they began noting exactly what happened leading up to the explosion.  As she recalled the events, there were a number of theories that came to mind, as well as ideas on how to safely perform reenactments of what transpired, but she also remembered the argument beforehand. He was somehow even more quiet than usual, and she could tell his gears were turning that morning, but the hostility seemed so out of the blue. Putting down her pen, he glanced up at her, noticing the sound of her writing had stopped and she was staring down thoughtfully.

“Did you think of something?”

“…Yeah. I did. Why’d you pick a fight with me that day?”

He looked back down at his keyboard and continued typing, “I don’t know what you mean. That little tiff was a joint effort.”

“No, no, no. It may have ended up that way, but you blew up at me after an entire week of solid teamwork. I expect the snide comments and the general air of grumpiness, but that was different… What happened?” He made the mistake of making eye contact with her. She didn’t look angry, just hurt.

Taken aback, all he could manage was “… I don’t know.” He wasn’t sure how to respond to that “emotion” nor did he have any plans to discuss feelings. If he was being honest, he wasn’t even sure why he did it himself. Perhaps it was self-sabotage and he was pushing her away, but to accept that would mean acknowledging they had gotten close; that he had, at some point, made the subconscious decision to stop viewing her as a pawn or even just a colleague, and to indulge the need for far more than their formal arrangement. He wasn’t ready to come to terms with the possible loss of his objectivity when it came to whatever went on between them, but he knew he’d have to confront the undercurrents of their relationship at some point. Right now, they had discovered a possible breakthrough in their research and there was no room for delay. With a ghost of a plan in mind for how to move forward with Nanami, he decided it would be more logical to smooth things over in the immediate moment with Dr. Watanabe; separating the two identities giving him the illusion of control. He continued” But I do know it won’t happen again. That was…unprofessional. How is your head?”

She bit her lip and exhaled, seeing the switch flick in his eyes knowing the wall had been put back up. “It’s... it’s fine. Just a little—no, really sore.” She confirmed with herself, rubbing her hand over the source of the pain to find stiches. Why wouldn’t he just overhaul this? “So, you decided to fix this the old-fashioned way, huh? The stitchwork is impeccable, but why go through the trouble? You could have just—”

“I didn’t want to touch you.”

“… Ouch.” She winced, glancing away as the abrupt response hurt a bit more than she expected.

Realizing it hadn’t been received how he planned, he clarified,” I meant I…didn’t want to use it on you. I was under the impression we had somehow attacked each other and assumed you might not find the prospect of me handling you in that way all that appealing.”

“…Oh. Well, thank you... I don’t mind if you touch me now” he rose a brow at this, “—I mean like to heal or—Oh you know what I mean.” She rolled her eyes before crossing her arms and continuing, “Just… just do it, please.”  The last word tacked on with a mumble.

Letting out an amused breath, he rose, motioning her to turn so her back faced him as he removed his gloves. She quickly brushed her hair to the side, missing a few strands. She tensed as he was much closer than she was prepared for, feeling the warmth of his hands against the nape of her neck as he gently gathered the stray hairs and handed them to her to gather in front. Smoothing down the part, he leisurely ran his hands through her hair, losing himself for a second before noticing the tops of her ears had reddened and her breath had quickened at his ministrations. Refocusing, he disassembled the stitches before immediately healing the wound knowing even a millisecond of delay would prove very painful. “Done.”

Cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders, she felt normal again and ready to get out of bed as her muscles had been unused for the better part of three days. Checking the time on her phone on the nightstand she saw it was only 6 am, “So, you wanna go for a run?”

“That’s not funny.”

“Fine, fine. But on a serious note, I think we should head to the lab. I know the deal was 2 weeks bu—”

“You don’t have to bargain. Get cleaned up, I’ll start preparations for testing tomorrow.”

She turned to him, brows raised in surprise, “Well okay then. I’ll see you back at the house.”

“See you there.” He said before exiting her room, shutting the door softly.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After a thorough scrubbing and stretching, she felt ready to get back to her remaining paperwork, putting on her favorite chunky turtleneck and sweatpants effectively pulling off the lazy-but-still-fashionable look. Brewing herself a cup of tea and pulling out her workbag, she thought it best to not dwell on all the Feels ™ that had continuously threatened to surface, which was undoubtedly exacerbated by their current living situation.

She was woman enough to admit she stared just a little too long, smiled just a bit too enthusiastically, and was way too excited by even the smallest bits of physical contact with him… But it’s just a crush. She lied to herself as though he hadn’t been the most intellectually stimulating person she’d had the pleasure of talking to. As though she’d ever felt silence more comfortable than their time in the lab or simply sharing meals together. As though— Girl if you don’t concentrate... She chastised herself before attempting to neatly compartmentalize her feelings, refusing to acknowledge just how much more difficult keeping them in check had become. It’s just because you’re all up under each other, it’ll pass.

Refocusing on the task at hand, she opened her laptop and pulled out a well-worn file folder, her gaze turning somber as her fingers traced the bend of it; evidence of the many nights she’d revisited it only to close it when the answers didn’t come. In the past month she’d taken on a patient who seemingly had nowhere to go. Many of her colleagues had turned him away, seemingly too jaded to go through the trouble of dealing with such a case. Nanami herself was puzzled when she reviewed his file, but she knew there was no other option; she had to at least try.

Kenta was a very jovial, large person with a personality to match. Built much like a strongman with tusks not unlike a walrus, he was hard to miss. Before he became her patient, she’d see him making small talk with the other patients, encouraging them though he himself was on the way to chemotherapy, his weight dwindling by the day. The previous doctors told him that he had osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. It was seemingly exacerbated by his quirk that gave him dense bones; they were perfect for diving, but apparently came at this very high price. The treatment had shown mild success, but her predecessors had decided his condition was becoming too advanced and an amputation was in order. After that visit, he attempted to keep his jovial nature, but his physical appearance continued to deteriorate, the medication and tests taking their toll. Full-hardy laughs were interrupted by coughing fits, round cheeks flexed into a habitual smile were replaced with gaunt hollows. Nanami couldn’t help but feel was cruel to be given such great power and still be unable to solve this problem.

She agonized, sincerely perplexed as to why someone as healthy and active as Kenta could have developed such an aggressive and rare form of cancer so quickly. It didn’t helped that after the first doctor’s diagnosis, the subsequent three doctors took little to no efforts to confirm said diagnosis, so she remained thoroughly unconvinced. She was a prodigy in her own right, but that alone couldn’t negate seniority. To go against the other doctors, she would need substantial proof of her theory—and also a theory to begin with.

Nanami was stirred from her thoughts by the sound of the silo being activated, as Overhaul stepped out. It had been hours since she had last gotten up as day turned into late night, too engrossed in her task. She glanced up for a moment, giving an absent-minded “hey” before returning to her work. It was unlike her to brush him off so quickly, and he assumed there were still hard feelings from earlier. Approaching her, he was about to speak before he caught a glimpse of her screen and notes, the file folder and its contents now haphazardly splayed on the coffee table, a few with drops of moisture on them.

“Didn’t I tell you no drinking in the living roo—” he stopped short, hearing a small sniffle escape her, before she attempted to cover it up by clearing her throat.

“Sorry, yeah, no drinking in the living room.” She laughed emptily, gathering the papers that were stained.

Seeing people cry was usually... uninspiring to him, to say the least; he couldn’t understand it, the need for such dramatic displays as an adult. But he found himself making exceptions more and more; she wasn’t one to throw herself on the floor in a tantrum—at least not seriously. Her tears were stifled, indignant, and his curiosity—yes, we’ll call it “curiosity”— got the better of him.

“What are you doing? Crying?”

“No!... Maybe.” She stubbornly corrected, further averting her gaze, hoping to use her hair as a curtain to obscure her face. Pausing for a beat, his attention turned to what he presumed was the source. He read over it as she attempted to fix her face. His brow furrowed, and Nanami turned back to see what he was doing. “Why do you care?”

“Osteosarcoma seems like an odd diagnosis for someone with his age and history.” He noted, choosing not to answer her question.

“That’s what I said!” she instinctually replied before remembering herself, “I mean quit snooping, this is patient-doctor information. It’s illegal to share.”

“Yet you brought it outside your office, to a yakuza base.” He deadpanned, pointing out the hypocrisy, taking a seat next to her on the couch. She pursed her lips, continuing to mull over theories, assuming he’d get bored and leave her be. “If not osteosarcoma, what do you think it could be?”

Knowing discretion was one of his strong suits, she decided to humor him. “I’m not sure. The tumor grew extremely fast and they began chemo almost immediately, so I didn’t get the benefit of a fresh diagnosis. He’d been perfectly healthy otherwise and his line of work kept him pretty active.”

“What’s his occupation?”

“He’s a commercial diver, it’s pretty fitting since his quirk gives him a lot of walrus-like qualities.”

“Sounds hazardous.”

“You’re one to talk. He’s practically made for it so drowning or being crushed under the pressure is near-impossible for him.”

“I was referring to all of the equipment. The fact that he’s kept all of his limbs up to this point is impressive.”

Slowly turning to him, a tired look on her face, she replied “… Your compliments are so very strange.”

Shrugging he continued, “It’s not that odd. The number of divers and sailors I’ve seen at port with mutilated legs is not small.”

Nanami was mid eye-roll when an epiphany struck her. Her eyes went wide, and she began frantically rummaging through the paperwork. "Shit-- wait, online!" grabbing her laptop, she began typing in a frenzy as Overhaul watched calmly. Finding Kenta's online records in the hospital database, she read a file from a month before his diagnosis stating he had been in a diving accident that severely fractured his leg where his tumor now was. She let out a shaky breath of excitement, "MO. It's fucking Myositis Ossificans! This explains why the 'tumor' grew so quickly. It's because it wasn't even really a tumor, just his body's response to a traumatic injury-- This is amazing!" 

He felt the corner of his mouth tug upward, as she practically wiggled in genuine excitement. “That diagnosis sounds much more appropriate.”

Facing him on the couch, she reflexively grabbed him by his shoulders, lost in excitement, before realizing what she was doing. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to just grab you like that,” she hurriedly removed her hands before he waved it off. “It’s just... I’ve been poring over this since I got this case but hadn’t thought to make that connection since he never mentioned the injury.” Thinking back for a moment, it dawned on her, “... how did you know to ask?”

 “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you.”

Smiling, he rose, walking to the kitchen, “Would you like a cup?”

Very aware he was evading her question, she rolled her eyes smiling in kind “Sure. Of what?” She wrote down her final notes before putting away the files, tucking them and her laptop away as she waited for an answer.

Bringing over two cups of sake and the bottle, he sat next her with his own before sliding over her cup. She gave him a look and he sighed, “Consider it your reward for your work today. But don’t get used to it, my living room consumption rule still stands.”

She raised her hands in surrender, chuckling before taking a sip. “Oh! Let’s play a game.”

His brows furrowed as he continued to face forward still enjoying his drink,” Do I seem like a man who plays games?”

“Well, judging by the shogi board, I’d say yes.”

“… Just set the board.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit before starting the odd conversation, chatting and playing until they were on their fourth cup. Nanami was admittedly tipsy by this point and decided to ask something that had been on her mind for a while now with the aid of her liquid courage. If ever there was an opportunity, it was now, “Hey, why didn’t you ever become a doctor?” The question caught him off guard as he stopped drinking and peered off into the distance thoughtfully. His lips parting for a moment to speak before closing again to consider his answer.

“It would be difficult to treat people you can’t touch.”

“Hm… sounds like a copout. I wear gloves on the job at least 80% of the time and a lot of the non-surgical work that requires touching could easily be done by a nurse. So, what’s the real reason?”

“Well, you’re awfully bold tonight.”

“Eh, it’s your fault anyway,” she reminded him, toying with the sake glass. “So, are you gonna tell me or not?”

He considered her for a second before answering, “Win this game and I’ll tell you.”

“Easy.” She shot back before considering another outcome, “and what if I lose?”

He smiled easily, her stomach flipping as a glint of mischief was evident in his eyes, “Just try your best to win.”

Nanami was determined, or at least she convinced herself she was, not wanting to confront her curiosity at what he would do if she lost … or what he would do to me… Ok, let me put down this sake before I get a life sentence to horny jail. Recomposing herself a bit, she observed the board, stifling a smirk when she saw her path to victory. It was a moderately long game, but the outcome was in her favor as she took his king. Raising the piece betwixt her fingers, she smirked, “Now spill the beans.”

He stared into the proverbial abyss, slightly peeved at the loss, priding himself as a more-than proficient player before tonight. “Give me a moment.” He said casually raising a finger as he cleared his throat. Taking a measured sip from his cup before locking eyes with her, “I have a duty.” Nanami shot him an unsatisfactory look before he clarified, continuing, “Pops took me in when I had nothing to offer. This,” he began as he leered at his hands, recalling the destruction they regularly wrought, “is what I was meant to become in order to repay him. Bringing the yakuza back to their former glory and carrying on his legacy are my primary objectives. My time is limited since he’s not as young as he used to be. The years of schooling it would take to reap the benefits he deserves would prove much too long. Indulging in a dream like that is not in my nature, even if I did have the time. That is why.”

Her smile dulled as she processed his response. She wasn’t self-righteous enough to impose her own ideals on him, but it seemed like such a waste. His leading questions tonight were just one of many examples of his expertise. Even without the formal schooling he had a level of mastery that could easily earn him a degree, and coupled with his research skills, he could do a world of good. But instead here he was, content with just the opportunity to pay his debts. For someone so arrogant, he thought surprisingly little of his own nature.  Maybe someday someone could convince him he didn’t have to carry around this weight all the time. Still very tipsy, she responded,” Well, if it’s a dream of yours to begin with, your nature can’t be all that bad now can it?” At this he knitted his brows, trying to accept the possibility. Seeing his hesitation, she continued, “You can do both, you know. Give yourself some more credit, bird brain.” She slurred the last insult, finishing her sake off with a gulp, not wanting to sound too soft. Feeling the consequences of her actions, she swayed sleepily in her seat before closing her eyes.

The next thing she knew, she felt herself being nudged awake, “Come on, get up. You need to get into bed.”

“But it’s sooo comfy here. Why are you being such a buzzkill, Kai?” she whined as he grasped her forearms, encouraging her to rise from her seat.

Stopping in his tracks, he asked a bit taken aback, “Where did you hear that name?”

“Your Poppy Pops told me” She almost sang, a grin plastered on her face.

“…Do not ever use the phrase ‘Poppy Pops’ again. Also, if couches were meant for sleeping, beds wouldn’t exist.” He responded irritated, though he handled her like porcelain, still remembering how unpleasant the last three days had been. Guiding Nanami to her room, he finally got her to lay down after tuning out a slew of other ridiculous nickname proposals, the drowsiness setting in as soon as her head hit the pillow. Knowing it would be too much work convincing a now drunk Nanami to get under the covers, he begrudgingly put a spare blanket over her. Before leaving, he looked back at her sleepy form. As much as they could grate each other’s nerves, no one had ever thought to encourage him or challenge his own thinking besides his father. He had never been a warm or sentimental person, having to try thrice as hard to grasp emotions that came so naturally to others, but she had planted a seed of doubt. Having always been so confident in his own lacking, he found a part of himself excited to be proven wrong for the first time. Before closing the door softly, he spoke “Thank you, Nanami.”

[writing-gifts]

Hey Giftie, I found you through your Datura fic on AO3 and really admire you as a writer. Reading what you put out there is such a joy but it made me wonder how you manage to write something with multiple chapters. Can you maybe tell a little about your process and how you keep yourself motivated or what you do when it feels like you've written yourself into a corner? If this is a lot to ask I'll understand! Anyways, thank you for putting your writing out here, you're awesome <3

thanks! ^^ ik my stuff can get a bit niche at times so i'm just glad there are ppl that aren't just me can still enjoy them

i'm gonna try to be helpful and not ramble too much...

i know writing multi chapter stuff can be hard (i have fics that i started that are just sitting incomplete and i have no idea if i'm going back to them 😅) but i found these things helped me finish datura

this is the most important imo when it comes to motivation, make sure you're writing something you want to actually write! for a multi chapter fics it's crucial that it's not just something you're doing cause you think people will like it

ik having readers who like your stuff is good motivation too but there have been times where that wasn't available or straight up wasn't enough to get me to continue with making something

for datura i made some sort of outline, rough drafted parts of future chapters and wrote down things i knew that i wanted to happen, even if i wasn't sure where i wanted them to go

the longer the fic is the more necessary i see this

(if it's a fic thats not too long and you think you are okay with just drafting all the chapters before posting then a super quick outline or just jumping straight to it is what i'd do)

the more fleshed out and organized an outline is the less problems there are while writing since it's easier to notice these issues before that part of the story is posted

but i don't expect everyone to do a full outline or want to! the one i made for datura was messy and wasn't complete when i started posting. i added to it inbetween updates and some spots were still pretty vague, however what i had still helped me. 85% of the time i already knew where i was going and it was just a matter of how to get there, instead of me not knowing where i was heading at all

i don't write completely linear (i think for a lot of ppl it's like this)

sometimes i just wanna write a specific part of a story so i just jump there and get it done, i can come back to whatever part im avoiding later worldbuilding 💀 (i usually go back to that stuff last cause my excitement to show off my favorite parts helps me finish)

skipping around is also my favorite thing to do when i get stuck!

(and if i'm still having trouble figuring out how to proceed after that, sometimes writing a different story, bouncing ideas off other people, or just not writing for a little while helps me)

btw i like to write my rough drafts without focusing heavily on grammar and sentence structure, and then while i do my 500+ read overs of one chapter i fix all that lol

i don't just write on my laptop 📱

getting in front of a computer and staying there can be hard for me so i found using my phone is much easier

i can use it while i'm laying in bed, anywhere in the house, walking, outside, etc. and it's how i get most of my writing done at this point

set a schedule/goals

a schedule only 100% works if someone is super disciplined (and honestly i don't care for them) but i still try to set goals

they can be strict or loose based on what you prefer at any given time

for example: i'll try to update every week or every two weeks

or

i'm gonna try to finish a draft of this chapter before the week ends

or

i'm just gonna try to write something this week

since it's a hobby there weren't really any consequences if i didn't make the goal i set for myself but it did help me get moving! so yea i didn't finish "on time" but i still made progress 👌

i hope this helps some and that i made sense! if anything's confusing i can try to explain better!

and just gonna throw this out there, i think it's good to try to finish what you start but writing should mostly be fun, you can go at your own pace and if you don't finish a fic it's really not the end of the world 👍