#i'm now at 8k

[lit-in-thy-heart]

if i ever give an estimated word count for a fic that i haven’t finished yet, please add at least 5k to that estimation for a more accurate result.

[duckprintspress]

Urgent: Help Us Not Get Screwed

Anyone who follows us has seen us screaming from the hill-tops about our current crowdfunding campaign for Aether Beyond the Binary (17 aetherpunk stories! Outside the gender binary main characters!). We've only got 50 hours left...and we just got screwed.

Our Anthology Kickstarter is being scammed.

About two hours ago, with us still roughly $1,500 from our goal, we got a junk pledge for almost $2,000. This pushed us into being marked as "funded" but there is zero chance it's a real pledge, it's from a shell account marked as being in Turkey. This kind of money doesn't just fall like a miracle into the laps of small business like ours.

The timing on this attack is devastating. The final 48 hours of a campaign are absolutely critical, especially for one as close to meeting our goal as we are. We were very likely to hit our target, but doing so was going to require appeals to y'all that started with "hey, we're so close, please help spread the word." Further, the campaign has hundreds of followers who will get a notification at the 48 hour mark, and many who might have backed to help get us to the finish line will now think "oh, they're there, they don't need me," and not back. Meanwhile, one of two things will happen with the spam pledge: either it will get removed by Kickstarter, which could take hours or a day+, totally nuking us during this crucial window, or it won't get removed until the payment bounces post-campaign, at which point we won't actually have enough money to do fulfillment.

Either way, we are fucked.

Please, please don't let these dipshits ruin the love and passion that 30+ people have poured into this project for over a year.

Our campaign IS NOT FUNDED, and it won't be without help. I'm begging, help spread the word about how we're getting screwed, and help spread the word about Aether Beyond the Binary (visit the link for so much info!) so that we can get enough real pledges to fund this project we've poured our hearts and souls into.

SUPPORT THE QUEER ANTHOLOGY KICKSTARTER FOR AETHER BEYOND THE BINARY (with your pledges or with signal boosts!)

[cavesalamander]

Hey that one post you made in 2013 is almost at 10k notes

OH TRUST ME I AM WELL AWARE LMAO

My phone has been blowing up for this past week I swear kejfkebfbjdjdkfj

Way back 10 years ago when I said I'd do it, I was still in college and it had jumped to the 5 or 7k or so it was back then, I actually got started working on the damn thing because it looked like it was going to happen.

Then the notes dried up and I was like oh phew, I'm good, I'm fine, I won't have to.

BUT THEN.

This goddamn renaissance of notes has been orchestrated by @composeregg because I've just started playing Mass Effect for them and some other friends and of course my beloved Mako is right there, and I tell them about it.

And hey, what do you know, it turns out I actually do still have that canvas board I started painting it on?? It somehow survived college and like 5 moves.

So like, I guess if yall can do it, at least I won't have to start from scratch?

[pampelushka]

Dirty Dancing Hangster AU part 4/?

PART 1 HERE, PART 2 HERE, PART 3 HERE

If anyone wants to get tagged in this, just says so in the comments. It would be my greatest honor.

Jake doesn’t want to go to the dance class that week. By now, he had a few days to stew in his thoughts. And he’s tired. So tired. The kind of tiredness brought upon the soul by a never ending loop of guilt, self doubt and questioning. By letting your soul run loose in the vast open space of possibilities only to tame it back and tighten the leash. 

His soul is tired, but his body fails him when he goes to sleep. His mind is tired but his body is alive and wanting. He’s tired to the bones but he doesn’t know how to rest. 

He’s an old friend with this feeling, lived with it for so long now, that he knows it doesn’t just go away. It never does. It never will. Unless he does something about it. Unless he sets it free, untying the leash, breaking the chains. Unless he comes out. 

And the logical part of his brain knows that things would be alright. He’s got his people now. They wouldn’t care as long as he’s happy. Javy proved that to him a long time ago. They’re all proving that to him all day everyday in many ways. But he's got so much trauma and bad habits calcified in his bones that coming out doesn't really feel like an option at all. 

And it’s this state of mind he finds himself in, while walking towards the dance studio. He really, really doesn’t want to go. But he’s unable to do anything about it. First, there’s the neverending mocking he would get from his friends. They’ve all been hyping each other up for the class all morning. Starting by Reuben and Mickey mock-dancing to their breakfast table with hips swaying exaggeratedly. The mood was set and it was extreme. There was no way he was getting out of this. 

Second reason, he wants to ignore, but can’t deny is there, is the pull towards Bradley. He doesn’t understand it. He barely knows the guy, but still, there it is. As clear as the sun, shining on all of his hidden bruises. If the battle in his mind is between moping in his room all alone or swallowing his pride and seeing Bradley dance again, well then… He’s weak as fuck and reaching for the white flag. 

The excited thrum of the studio only plays on his fragile nerves. He glances at the door too many times, not really knowing if he’s checking for Bradley or for an escape route. Probably both. 

Finally the door opens and it’s held for Kira to walk through first, and then there’s Bradley, gym bag slung over his shoulder, dressed in the familiar black pants and a matching black tank top, striding with confidence behind his partner. Jake stares at his back as he walks past, so entranced and lost in his own mind, that the door shutting loudly behind him makes him almost jump. 

They go through their routine from last week, refreshing the steps they’ve learned. It’s not so bad and Jake is fairly surprised he can keep up. As always, there’s a spark of excitement and joy in Bradley’s eyes. Every word and every move are done with such ease and confidence. He’s handing out smiles like he’s the sun and they’re his flowers. 

He decidedly never looks at Jake. Not even once.

Jake doesn’t blame him.

They’re half-way through the lesson when Bradley claps his hands to get their attention. ‘From what I see, I believe you are ready for the next step,’ he grins. ‘And that is, obviously, dancing with a partner.’

‘This is a chance for you to put what you’ve learned so far to good use. Dancing solo is easy. Dancing with a partner… well, that depends,’ Kira says and everyone laughs. ‘You won’t get far with only the steps we’ve taught you and yet, you can go - almost - pro with just those steps. It all depends on the compatibility of you and your partner. The way you learn to understand each other and your partner’s cues. It will make a huge difference in your performance and your overall experience,’ she says and to prove her point she throws Bradley a glance and without any more warning, she quickly hops a few steps his way, takes off and suddenly, she’s spinning, held high in his arms. 

Under her weight Bradley’s body is a statue, carved into marble. His stance is firm, the muscles on his back and arms all flexed and straining as he handles Kira above his head. It’s incredibly hot. Jake swallows. 

The room erupts in cheers and applause as Bradley puts her down, smiling joyously. ‘This is not something I would recommend to beginners,’ he says, discreetly poking Kira in her ribs, which earns him a laugh from the whole room.

‘Anyway, enough of showing off,’ he grins and then shifts his eyes to scan the whole room, very obviously counting something under his breath. He skips Jake’s eyes, just counts him in by his torso. 

‘Surprisingly,’ he starts slowly, ‘we have more men than women in this class. Which is rare, but it won’t stop us, right?’ he smiles a big flashy smile, that Jake somehow knows is very very fake. Even though none of the others seem to pick up on that. Maybe it’s because Jake knows the falseness in the smile is meant solely for him even without Bradley so much as looking his way. 

And Jake’s not stupid. He can see where this is going and it makes the hairs on his nape stand up. 

‘So without further ado,’ Bradley shouts over the already starting music, ‘grab a partner, man, woman, anyone, and let’s dance!’ 

There’s a beat of stillness before everyone starts to move frantically. It’s like high school all over again, awkward and loud. No one’s surprised by Nat and Bob immediately wrapping their arms around each other, falling in the rhythm. Reuben, to the enjoyment of everyone around him, makes a great show of curtseying Mickey, who then bats his lashes at him exaggeratedly, while accepting his hand and then they’re off, swaying their hips together, cooing at each other like an old couple, having the time of their lives. Everyone laughs wholeheartedly. 

Jake panics, feeling like an anxious teenager all over again. He can’t help it but searches around for Bradley and his heart nearly stops when he finds him heading directly his way. He’s moving past the dancing couples gracefully and his eyes dart to Jake’s for the first time that day. But they don’t linger. Instead, he suddenly stops, a few steps too early, right in front of Javy and with an outstretched hand and a raised eyebrow asks him to join him for the dance. 

Javy laughs brightly but takes Bradley’s hand without any hesitation, pressing closely to the man in front of him. Bradley lets him lead, putting his other hand on Javy’s shoulder as they slowly start their turn around the studio. 

There’s nothing more to it, just two men dancing. Two strong bodies, on a count of one and five, swaying their hips to the beat.

Bradley still doesn’t look at him.

In the end, Jake ends up dancing awkwardly with the pretty blonde lieutenant Bradley danced with the other night. She’s blushing just the same as she was with Bradley, babbling about something, trying to shoot her shot. 

She doesn’t know she picked the wrong target. 

 *****

‘Yo, Hangman, you coming?’ Reuben kicks him under the table. 

It’s the next day, they’re all sitting at the dining hall, finishing lunch while debating over their afternoon plans.

‘Uh,’ Jake blinks himself out of the trance he must have been in for the last few minutes. ‘Sorry…?’ he asks confusedly - his new normal apparently. 

Javy frowns at him questioningly. ‘The lake, man,’ he says pointedly, his eyebrows raising even further. 

‘Ah, yeah, sure,’ Jake nods without really thinking about it, still lost in the chaos of his mind. 

-

The day is picture perfect, sunny and hot. Most of the residents decided on the same afternoon activity; the lake beach is overflowing with towels, people and laughter. 

The Daggers unceremoniously claim their spot under the blazing sun by dumping their bags and blankets on the grass. A volleyball is secured on a crumpled towel, so it doesn’t roll away, and then they’re off, running to the cold water like children on their first day of summer break. 

Mid step, Javy looks over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Jake, who’s spreading a blanket neatly on the ground. He just shakes his head in response and plops down, perching on his elbows so he can watch the havoc his teammates create in the water. 

Subconsciously, he scans the beach for a familiar shade of honey brown, but comes up short. Although, after yesterday, he could live without seeing Bradley for a while. Or at least he likes to think so. 

But of course, as if the only goal of the whole universe was to piss him off, or maybe burn him down with embarrassment, he's not even five minutes into his sunny catnap when a familiar baritone wakes up all of his senses. It’s Bradley with Kira and other people he recognizes as part of the hotel staff crew, striding across the beach, all of them apparently very ready to enjoy an afternoon off in the same way as everyone. 

Jake curses under his breath. Why, just why does the universe hate him so much? The logical part of his brain, though, resigns to the fact that the resort is small enough for him to never stop bumping into Bradley, until the ‘team building’ is over, at least. He’s pulled out of his sulk by Javy joining him on the blanket, splashing water all over Jake’s parched body, which earns him an annoyed hiss. 

They sit in a companionable silence, watching the rest of the gang chicken fighting each other. 

‘Dogfights, chicken fights, this lot never has enough,’ Javy laughs as Nat falls off of Bob’s shoulders into the water, while Reuben, with Mickey still clinging to his shoulders, jumps in celebration. Jake snorts at that and lets the silence return.  

‘Talk to me, Jake,’ Javy says suddenly. His tone is unexpectedly soft, face alert. It catches Jake by surprise. He looks at him from behind his sunglasses to see a seriously concerned look being thrown his way. They both frown, Javy in concern, Jake in confusion. 

‘What’s the matter, man?’ he asks Jake, his eyes growing only more worried at Jake’s persisting silence. ‘This is not the Jake Seresin I know. Since we’ve come here, you’ve been… Different.’ 

The worry in his face is making Jake’s heart heavy. He’ll never be able to express how much he appreciates Javy’s friendship. The fact that he picked up on his mood may be unfortunate, but it’s still something Jake will keep and cherish, hiding it securely in his heart. 

Before he can answer, Javy continues: ‘It is still about the mission? Because man, if it is, I don’t blame ya, that shit was…’ 

‘It’s not about the mission,’ Jake says, interrupting Javy’s well meant psycho analysis.

‘Then what is it?’ he asks again patiently and with a flick of his finger he slides Jake's sunglasses down his nose, so he can look him in the eyes. Jake looks at him, caught in the warm feeling of having a friend who truly cares. 

He ponders his answer for a few seconds, but the fabricated lie is stolen directly from his lips, when he involuntarily catches a sight of brown curls. Bradley’s just getting out of the lake, hair wet, water dripping down the planes of his tanned body, swimming shorts clinging to his thighs,...

And Jake couldn’t answer Javy’s question more clearly.

Next to him, Javy follows his line of sight and snorts. Jake can feel heat rising in his cheeks. Alarmed, he’s about to stammer some retort but nothing comes to his mind fast enough. He briefly contemplates jumping into the lake and never coming up, but Javy looks at him so fondly, his eyes beyond amused. 

‘And here I am, worrying about you…,’ he chuckles brightly, shaking his head.

Jake huffs and puts his sunglasses petulantly back over his eyes, the heat in his cheeks only getting stronger. But Javy’s reaction is so genuine, that he can’t pretend to be annoyed for long. 

There’s a beat of silence before Javy's expression shifts to something akin to horror and he looks at Jake wide eyed. ‘Shit, did I steal your chances yesterday?’

Jake can't help it and lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head. He folds his elbows and falls down on his back to sprawl lazily in the sun. He puts his sunglasses down and covers his eyes with his arm, enjoying the feeling of infectious ease radiating from Javy. 

‘He wouldn't dance with me anyway,‘ Jake says, peeking from under his arm, throwing Javy a look that says don't ask. 

And surprisingly, Javy doesn't.

Instead they fall back into the same comfortable silence - well, as much silence as a beach full of people can offer, anyway. Until Javy breaks it by punching Jake in his arm to get his attention. Jake peeks again, one eye half open, squinting into the sun. ‘What?’ 

‘Dude,’ Javy leans in conspiratorially, ‘You really need to get laid,’ he whispers with a shit eating grin. 

Like he doesn’t know that. Jake just rolls his eyes, ready to hide behind his arm again, but Javy looks around the beach intently, calculating expression on his face. Jake knows him too well to stay calm about it. 

‘Javy, no,’ he says. Javy raises an eyebrow but keeps scanning the beach. Jake’s afraid he knows exactly who he's looking for. ‘Whatever it is you're thinking… Just, no!’

‘Please,’ he adds helplessly.

But Javy’s already up, snatching the volleyball and spinning it in his hands. He walks towards the rest of the Daggers and says something that earns him a few whoops. There’s a pause, then Javy explains some more and then they all start to flail their hands and spin around, obviously searching for someone. They look like a Renaissance painting brought to life, all drama and no chill. Javy at the front of the group with the volleyball in hands like a bearer of offerings. 

As on cue, Bradley stands up from his towel. He leans down and offers a hand to a man sitting next to him, hoisting him up. They stand still for a moment, chatting, unaware that they make the perfect target for them. Javy couldn’t have planned it better. The universe, apparently, loves Javy, Jake thinks sourly.  

Javy has enough gumption to act all surprised as Nat elbows him in ribs, finger pointing at the two of them standing close. They wave them over easily, Javy explains again, pointing with the ball at the rest of the Daggers, then at Jake, still lying on his blanket. He looks away quickly, trying hard not to be caught staring. When he looks back, it’s to the sound of the squad cheering and a sight of Javy clapping Bradley on his shoulder. He then jogs towards Jake, an insufferable grin painted on his face. 

‘You’re welcome,’ he winks, as he offers Jake a hand to lift him up to his feet. 

‘I hate you,’ is all Jake can say before he’s dragged towards the volleyball court.  

They play four on four and to Jake’s endless relief, the teams are chosen by chance, which ends up playing in his favour and leaves him in one team with Bob, Reuben and Bradley’s friend, who introduces himself as Ryan, and who’s quickly recognized by Bob as the medic of the hotel. They play against Javy, Nat, Mickey and Bradley. 

Javy makes a face at Jake, silently offering to trade places, but Jake flips him off easily, happy to be exactly where he is. It’s definitely not thanks to the view the opposite team has to offer. 

The game is, after all, exactly what Jake needed. It’s fun, it’s competitive, it’s physically exhausting. It shuts his brain, leaving no place for his mind to spoil the fun. He quickly makes friends with Ryan and the two of them form the meanest line of attack the beach has ever seen. 

He can feel his normal self finding its way back to him. His confidence slowly filling back in the gaps that the internal turmoil left in him. 

The feeling is exhilarating. Almost dangerous. It’s a comeback. 

It’s the Jake Seresin he knows. 

Javy shoots him a knowing grin. 

They win all three sets, Jake’s excess pent up energy earning them more than a few scores. Cheers and applause erupts from the spectators they pulled in during the game as they high five mid jump to celebrate the win.

‘Hell of a job,’ Ryan says joyfully as he claps his shoulder.

‘Same, man,’ Jake leans in for a half hug, riding the wave of comradeship the hard earned victory creates.

There’s no lingering unease in him when he goes to shake hands with the opposing team. He smacks Javy’s shoulder, which earns him a fake-glare, but Jake can clearly see the relief badly hidden under it. And Javy can’t hold his act for too long either, his face lighting up with mischief, making no effort to hide the joy of having his wingman back to his senses. Which gets him an even harder smack, followed by a heartfelt hug, because Jake both hates him and loves him at the same time. 

He chest bumps with Nat and lets Mickey tousle his hair before he’s finally chest to chest with Bradley. 

Jake offers him a hand and a grimace worth more than a thousand words, to which Bradley just rolls his eyes. They shake hands, leaning into a one-armed hug that would start fires in Jake if he wasn’t so damn pleased with himself. And so damn parched from the sun that the only thing guaranteed to get any reaction from his body is the sight of the cool water of the lake. 

The last thing he hears before water fills his ears is Bradley laughing with everyone, throwing ‘Just wait until it’s baseball time,’ over his shoulder as they part ways. 

*****

The night is warm just as the day has been.

Jake can see the stars from where he’s standing, his elbows propped on a fence, face tilted to see the sky. There’s soft music playing behind him, coming from the half open windows of the dining hall. There’s a board game night on today’s agenda.

They all came, sat at little tables, played a few games, had fun. But Jake’s mind wasn’t in it. After a week of self sabotage and having to fight with his own body and mind every waking moment, he wanted silence. 

So he slipped out, unnoticed, into the quiet of the warm summer night. 

He wandered around the hotel aimlessly until he found himself at a little terrace behind it. It was a secluded space, lit by the lights shining through the windows of the dining hall, hidden by trees and bushes. Just what he needed.

He promised himself a few minutes of peace and quiet before going back. Just a few breaths of the newfound calmness. 

‘I can see my hiding spot’s been taken,’ an annoyingly familiar voice breaks the warm dark silence around him. He turns to see Bradley slowly approaching, timing his last steps cautiously as if to give Jake an opportunity to ban him from coming any closer. 

Surprisingly, he’s in shorts, no dress pants in sight, and - unsurprisingly - another Hawaiian shirt. Hands tucked in back pockets casually, so at ease, so confident. 

It makes Jake’s stomach summersault. 

And that… should make him want to leave. As it usually does. But he’s so tired of running away from these feelings. So fed up with himself. So, maybe, he thinks to himself, maybe he can try and live with them for a while. Maybe, he can try and replace the voice of his father, loud and demanding in his head, with Javy’s soft words of encouragement and easy fondness. 

Maybe, only maybe, he thinks, he deserves it, after all. 

So, he doesn’t leave. 

‘Hiding spot?’ he asks instead, feet firmly planted on the ground, not moving. Not running away. 

Bradley just hums, leaning on the fence next to Jake. 

‘Why do you need a hiding spot?’ Jake prods, feeling bold.

Bradley sighs dramatically, tilting his head back like a little child, exposing his throat to Jake’s widened eyes. ‘Well unfortunately,’ he starts, searching for his answer in the stars, ‘once in a while, a guest decides they’re entitled to something they’re really not.’ There’s a pregnant pause before he reluctantly adds: ‘from… their dance instructor.’

‘You’ve got to be kidding me…’ Jake huffs incredulously, outraged.

Though, sincerely, he’s not really surprised. Bradley’s so damn hot and some people are so damn stupid…  

‘I wish.’ Bradley shrugs, eyes not leaving the night sky. ‘I've learned to deal with it,’ he says in a tone that’s very clearly indicating he doesn’t want to elaborate anymore. 

Jake studies him for a moment, eyes tracking the frown on his face. There must be more to it but he doesn’t want to dig. So he turns around, leaning on the fence with his back. The dining hall comes to a view and his eyes skim over the bundle of people there.

‘So,’ he says with a smirk, hoping to turn it all into a joke, to wipe the scowl from Bradley’s face ‘Who was that tonight?’

Bradley snorts, but mimics his posture, amused smile tugging at his lips. ‘Over there,’ he leans a bit closer so he can point to the right corner of the hall; on the fence, their fingers touch. ‘Dark hair, red lipstick, silver dress.’

When Jake spots the woman, he can’t help but make a face which earns him a bright laugh, ‘Yeah…’

The quiet settles over them, disturbed only by the music seeping softly through the windows, laughter, chatter and a sporadic applaus disturbing the melody once in a while. After a moment, Bradley turns back, facing the darkness of the evening, leaning on the fence again. 

‘I’m sorry for yesterday,’ he says finally, unprompted. It’s soft and sincere. And though he doesn’t turn to face Jake, his eyes dart to check his reaction. 

‘Don’t be,’ Jake grimaces, choosing to hide a little behind his signature smirk. It’s easier that way. Especially standing here next to this gorgeous guy with deep brown eyes, a body of God and curls so soft, his hand twitches with the need to touch. It’s easier to put on an act and try to look unaffected. He’s just found his ground back again, he’s not yet ready to let his soul spill out for Bradley to see. ‘It’s been a while since someone beat me at my pettiness,’ he smirks but there’s no bite to it.

‘I wasn’t being petty,’ Bradley turns half way, one elbow propped on the fence, pinning Jake on the spot effectively with his gaze. 

‘Yeah,’ Jake’s eyebrows raise. He may be aiming for indifference but fails completely. ‘What were you then?’ 

‘Teaching you a lesson,’ says Bradley without missing a beat.

Jake freezes. ‘A lesson?’ An angry spark is born deep down in his guts. That’s no way to talk to Jake Seresin. His jaw sets a bit harder when he asks: ‘Care to explain?’ 

Though it’s not really a question. It’s a dare. A demand. 

Bradley watches him with an expression torn between amused and determined. 

‘I wanted to show you,’ he starts, soft but resolute, ‘that not everything you do makes a statement to the world. That sometimes, things mean nothing until you state otherwise.’ 

‘You have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Jake breathes out, anger dissolved, lost in the depths of Bradley’s eyes, faintly aware that there’s more to the conversation than what’s allowed to be said out loud.  

‘Maybe,’ Bradley agrees, his tone still so painfully soft it makes Jake weak in his knees. ‘And maybe I do.’

And there’s so much offered in those words. Many truths and confessions, wrapped neatly in a simple sentence, said in a hushed voice meant only for Jake to hear. 

And Jake… Jake just stares. Hand wrapped tightly around the fence, knuckles white, clinging to it like a lifeline. He’s grounding himself to the world he knows as it’s spinning through a change he can’t quite understand yet. 

He doesn’t even remember how to breathe properly anymore. His mind’s quiet at last, shut down. 

The stillness drags for too long. 

But Bradley is still there, watching him closely, eyes soft with understanding. He must come to some kind of a conclusion, because he smiles at Jake, something small and private, meaningful. And without so much as breaking their eye contact, he takes Jake’s hand softly - the one clutching at the fence tightly - in his. And Jake lets him.

He wraps their hands together in the air. And Jake lets him. 

He places Jake’s other hand on his shoulder, stepping close. And Jake lets him. 

He lets him wrap his right hand around his waist.

He lets himself be pulled even closer.

‘Let me show you,’ Bradley whispers, never tearing his eyes off Jake’s. There’s a beat of silent stillness before the wind carries the music from the hall to his ears, and then Bradley takes the first step. 

[dataframe]

though the flame be put out, the wick remains ~ chapter one; 4k words

The next time [Shen Yuan] wakes, it is not under his control. Oh, yes, his arms push him up from where he was sprawled out on the bed, but the feeling is numb and distant, like he’s grasping at the blankets through layers of cotton balls trying to suffocate him. His chest deliberately rises and falls, but he hardly tastes the air. Further below, his feet land on the floor and move without any effort on his part. It almost hurts, tugging against the chains of his new body while he kneels down and reaches beneath the bed for—Xuan Su? At once, a shrill ringing pierces the air and he can’t even cover his ears. [ The System has been activated! Bound role: Cang Qiong Mountain Sect's Honored Sword of Qiong Ding Peak's present Sect Leader, "Xuan Su." Master: Peak Lord Yue Qingyuan. Starting B-Points: 100. ]

[ps-cactus]

Shades of Silver Lining - Ch. 4 - posted ✅

Ch.3 <- | -> Ch.5 , the first post aka story teaser + tags

word count: 4135 ✨ [ AO3 ] ✨ [ Wattpad ]

photos by @acslytherpuff girl you are amazing 💕

Thank you @accio-bagel for beta reading and encouragement 😭💖 love you 3000

a/n: Welcome to the other side ✨ Unreliable narrator✨ ! author's opinion ≠ narrator's pls I mean it

Summary: It's the only chapter there will be from an Antagonist aka Officer Roland Foster POV. He he doesn't trust people. Especially he doesn't trust a girl recklessly wielding the wild and destructive magic. And he despises the Gaunts, including that Gaunt boy, who thinks he's being clever with his defiance masquerading as wit. And he can't stand that stubborn and incompetent Ruth Singer.

a/n2: oh, and the next chapter will be Ominis POV. Boy has to go home to try to settle some things.

・・・

The officer’s eyes darted restlessly over the lines, ensuring the enchanted quill hadn't missed any details.

" … Why didn’t you contact the Aurors yesterday, Miss Salters?"

"People were already being threatened around here not so long ago. Contacting Aurors didn’t help. But Sebastian did. … " 

“... … you would entrust your safety to a schoolkid?”

"Yes, I would." 

"And how has that worked out for you, Miss Salters?"

The faintest smirk played in the corner of his lips. Sallow must enjoy regaling his peers with tales of his supposed importance here. Officer Foster didn’t mind. Though an unconventional addition to the office, his trainee was bound to be exceptionally helpful in so many ways.

・・・

This morning, right after Salters stepped out of his private office, was supposed to be the best chance to probe the youngest Gaunt for answers while they were still untouched and unrefined. The brief private conversation—not an interrogation, of course, that would have required too many formalities—had been fruitless, a combination of polished deflections, vague acknowledgements, and no actionable leads. 

The Gaunt boy’s posture, his deliberate pauses, even his final “Officer” and a curt nod as he left—all was too calculated. That kind of control didn’t come naturally; it was learned and practised.

・・・

Roland Foster slid his hand into his jacket pocket, brushing against the medallion he always kept with him. The faded portraits within would forever remind him of the danger posed by magic that strayed too far from the ordinary. Norms existed for a reason—everything beyond them would lead only to ruin.

・・・

“Tell me, you’re sure she remained in the castle the entire night?”

“Yes, sir.” Rexley’s patience in calmly repeating answers to Foster’s questions, as often as the latter required, was one of his finer traits. “She returned early and stayed there until Dinah Hecat escorted her here.”

・・・

“The Gaunts, yet again,” Rexley remarked grimly, gripping the letter. 

“You’re telling me.”

“Officer,” Rexley said, looking thoughtfully at the letter. “I’ve heard you want to investigate everyone who was in Hogsmeade last night. But with Bell’s absence still unresolved, I’d suggest it’s only fair to include Aurors in that ‘everyone.’”

“That’s exactly what’s going to happen, Rexley. But maybe you are implying something specific?”

“Merely that Singer’s squad appears rather prejudiced against the local criminals,” Rexley said, leaning slightly over the desk, eagerness sparkling in his hazel eyes. “After all, Bell is among her team. Naturally, we’ll include our people, too, so they can’t object,” he added, straightening again. 

“How about we start with you then, Rex?” Foster said with a grin, looking up from the second letter he was hurriedly writing. “Set the standard for the rest.”

“Not an issue, sir,” Rexley replied, mirroring the grin. “You know exactly what my wand’s results will be. Just make sure the others don’t get overly anxious.”

・・・

P.S greatly inspired by:

[heardsomedickwasbeinmeantoyou]

love is stored in eddie diaz's kitchen

[broodwoof]

solar'nan subspace excerpt

someday y'all with get the full fic... probably

To give in… not sinking to hide, to bury his guilt, but for the pleasure of submersion…

He felt strange. Obedient. Detached. Yet wholly in his flesh.

[ljubimaya]

Hi

[lockandkeyblade]

Something I think is really important to learn as a writer is how to kill your darlings. And I know this is mostly used as a reference to getting rid of scenes and side plots that do not contribute any value to a story but listen, listen.

Sometimes killing your darlings is being 2000 words into writing a chapter and allowing yourself to open a new document and write from a completely different beginning. Sometimes it's opening a blank document and writing that part from the perspective of a completely different character.

Sometimes killing your darling means sitting back because you have in your head the idea that things must go this way, even though it feels like you're pulling teeth to get even one additional sentence out, and you've gotta go-- no. It's okay. I can start again.

Kill your darlings. Let yourself play until the words flow again.

[sublux]

busy week.... therapy, rheum appointment, scheduled more labs, scheduled an endocrinology appointment, renewed my health insurance, PCP appointment tomorrow 😔 help

[the-valiant-valkyrie]

okay well. one thing that i absolutely adore abt ieytd3 specifically is their dedication to The Bit. The Bit, in this instance, being the telekinesis.

i first heard of ieytd pretty much the year it came out- although i wavered in and out of the community until a few months before the sequel was announced. within that time, there was this trend in what few ieytd fics were published that they would reject the telekinesis mechanic entirely. they would pretend it didn't exist. they brushed it off as a mandatory game mechanic for a VR title, but obviously it doesn't actually matter in canon. it's unnecessary.

but seeing schell games literally go "nuh uh". and take what's a pretty significant step in a unique direction from their source material. and say "actually, not only is telekinesis canon, but we are going to make it's existence critical to the plot of our entire third installation" was so much fun. i respect them so much for that.

a lot of times i find the best sort of games are those that take their silliness seriously. they don't feel ashamed of doing their own thing- breaking the mold a little bit, if it means developing a deeper sense of identity. they took this mandatory mechanic- essentially the only obstacle between them and an untarnished james bond-esque experience- and said "we can roll with this". and just did.

i love a game that's not ashamed to be what it is.

[peetasallhehasleft]

Fanfic writers question...

[leupagus]

Title: Sailing By Writer: leupagus Fandom: Broadchurch Wordcount: 7,695 Rating: T Summary: Six months pass without a word from anyone in Broadchurch. Not that he's bothering to stay in touch himself; he's busy.

~

His only constant is Thursday afternoons, when he skives off early and picks Daisy up from school. They see a film or walk in the park or, when she gets insistent, go to the local where she drinks a lemonade and decimates him at darts. "Did you practice at all while you were in that horrible place?" she asks, landing a beauty of a triple-17. She'll need thirty two to double-out on the next visit; he suspects she stretched out this one to give him another chance.

"Oh aye, made loads of friends down the pub for a friendly match," he says, instead of admitting that it hadn't been that horrible. He takes his stance and just manages an outer bull. "In between my weekly quilting circle and pottery class." He gets a proper bullseye on the second try, but muffs it completely trying for the double-19. "Fuck me running," he mutters, and gathers his darts while his own daughter gasps theatrically, her hand over her mouth.

"Language," she says, and he bides his time until she's up at the line before he pokes her in the side with the flight of a dart. She shrieks and almost takes his eye out, and it's a good afternoon. A good day — maybe on its way to being a good life, again.

[mariyekos]

One day I want to write an AU where Dante and Vergil were actually born a few hundred/thousand years pre-story, which is something Dante tries to hide while Vergil doesn't. I have 2 main ideas for it- DMC1/3 Fusion AU and DMC4 AU. These got long, so I'm putting them under the cut!

In the DMC1 AU, it'd be sort of like a combination of the anime, DMC3, and what you see in DMC1. Dante'd look like he's in his late 20s for this one. He and Lady would meet because they've both been hired for the same job, then encounter each other on some odd jobs before they end up working together on a big one. Maybe Arkham killed Kalina Ann when Lady was a teenager, but didn't manage to enact the rest of his plans right away so Lady's been chasing him for a decade, hunting demons in hopes of finding a lead. Dante meanwhile just likes the human world, so he goes from place to place hunting demons until it gets too suspicious he's not aging and he has to leave. This AU'd have branching paths at the big job they take take together: the Temen-ni-gru or Mallet Island. In both cases Dante and Vergil haven't spoken for a while. Vergil's gone silent for years or even a decade or two in the past, but he'll have a bad feeling about this particular silence (for good reason).

The main difference between the two would be who Arkham allies with. In both cases, Lady isn't aware of how old Dante is, or just *who* he is until partway through. She knows he's part demon, but with the way he acts she assumes he's actually in his late twenties and the kid of a demon that was probably fairly powerful, but unknown. But the truth would come out partway through, which...would maybe change things, maybe not. It would be a shock regardless.

Back to the branches though, in Mallet you could go with the plot where Arkham is trying to revive Mundus, so Dante intervenes. This one would have a Nelo Angelo bit (making Dante feel terrible because he'd just allowed Mundus to do whatever he wanted with Vergil for who knows how long, all because he hadn't bofhered to check up on his unusually silent brother). I might have a sort of B-plot involving Lady, Arkham, and Trish to accompany the Dante, Mundus, and Vergil angle.

With the Temen-ni-gru, it would be your classic Arkham+Vergil relationship, but with a much older Vergil he wouldn't be tricked by Arkham this time. Arkham would think he has Vergil in the palm of his hand until he clearly doesn't and Vergil deals a fatal blow as soon as Arkham pulls off his betrayal. I think Lady would be pissed Vergil stole her kill, but ultimately have to back down for the Dante vs Vergil fight because with that many extra years under their belts, she'd be no match. Seeing them would be an interesting contrast though, because Vergil so clearly clings to the past (he'd be in a more Renaissance style than Dante) while Dante's all about the present and human world. This one...I think would be harder to resolve than the other one, because I'm not sure how Dante would convince someone so set in his ways (again, hundreds of years old at a minimum) to change, but it could be fun to play with.

As for the DMC4 AU, this one would be a case where Nero is still a teenager, and Dante's really surprised because oh boy, who in the *world* managed to convince Vergil to sleep with them when he'd been so uptight for centuries? And Dante's excited to have a family member and can't help but mess with them.

I think in this one it might also be fun if Fortuna was aware that Sparda had children because then you'd have a case where people potentially worship said children, whether or not they realize it's Dante. Maybe Vergil ruled Fortuna for a little while after Sparda left and that meant people knew he existed. Dante hadn't been aware he'd apparently come back, but Nero's proof enough so he's really going to have to have a talk with Vergil the next time he returns from his travels. I'm not set on whether the people of Fortuna would know that Sparda had twins, or if they'd just know about Vergil and thus be in denial that Dante could possibly be the son of Sparda because he's *so* different. In either case eventually people (or at least Nero and Kyrie) would have to reconcile Dante with the figure they'd been worshipping and that would be hard (and for Dante, hilarious). I think in this one I might make Lady part of a bloodline that has fought alongside Sparda since he split the Human and Demon worlds, sort of like the Castlevania series with Alucard and the Belmonts, while Trish would be someone Dante recruited a few decades to centuries ago (importantly, she's younger than him).

In this one I think part of the driving force would be that Dante wants humanity to be able to protect itself/prove its worth, or for Nero to protect them/prove his worth, because if they/Nero don't then Dante's worried Vergil might instead deem humanity a scourge and do something bad.

The plot of DMC4 revolves around humans using demons to fuel their own power, and in this case I think Dante will have found out about what Fortuna was doing too late to erase what they've done, so it's a case where humans need to prove that there are more good humans than bad humans so Vergil doesn't slam down the hammer. Dante can encourage them in the right direction, but he can't carry them the whole way. If he does then Vergil will deem his interference proof of humanity's weakness and do...Dante isn't totally sure what, but he doesn't like how Vergil's been the past few decades and he's increasingly been feeling like Vergil might decide he's had enough of the human world and side with the members of the demon world Dante *knows* have been slipping through the border to speak to Vergil. And while Dante doesn't think he'd *lose* to Vergil, the battle would lead to immense destruction and would weaken them enough that Dante's fairly sure Mundus or some other demon would take advantage of the chance to invade the human world while they're in no state to defend it.

...Anyway! That's two/three ideas for first that I will...maybe get to, one day, once I finish the million other fic ideas I have. I just really like the concept of "totally goofy guy is actually super old" or "frustratingly unserious guy is actually one of the guys you grew up worshipping, somehow." I think there's a lot of room for fun there.

[idontwantrobyntodie]

i think i finished the-girl-who-was-born-of-a-fish???