#i'm really proud of how i tuned this one it took way too long but it was WORTH IT

[steakout-05]

i have created yet another pitch bending tuning test using Sweet ANN, this time being much more fleshed out than the last one!! then i sloppily threw it together with an instrumental and then equalised it in Audacity. get al bowlly'd nerd

also here's the un-equalised Vocaloid track for those who want to hear it

[azurevi]

everyone loves you (at least i do)

pairing: leona x gn!reader (reader = prefect)

note: inspired by first love and the song by matt maltese under the same name. 2.6k; not too proud with how it came out but it’s just a lil something to get the idea out of my head :P

The first time Leona caught someone asking you out in the botanical garden, he was irritated to say the least.

The garden had always been the first choice for those who wanted to confront their crushes, what with the cozy temperature and flamboyant plants making for an idyllic atmosphere, not to mention the lack of wandering students.

Except for Leona, that was.

As time went by, he learned to tune out the pathetic confessions and over-the-top declarations of love. So long as they weren’t doing it right next to his napping spot, he had no interest in others’ dating lives. 

His disinterest went down the drain when he picked up your presence one day, automatically rousing him from his sleep. It was undeniable that he enjoyed your occasional visits and that you were good company, but that was all. 

Still, he waited for you to spot him under the tree, but you never came. Instead, you stopped a few feet away. and that’s when he picked up another foreign scent.

“I’ve been feeling this for a long time,” the faceless student started, his voice shaking near the end of the sentence. “But I really like you. Would you like to go out with me?”

Leona’s tail smacked loudly on the grass, but it went unnoticed. His eyes were wide open now, face as still as a statue as he processed his words. Someone was asking you out when he’s just steps away. It’s weird how it planted a bitter taste in his mouth, but perhaps he was just infuriated that he got woken up by something so… trivial. He should just go back to dreamland.

Instead, he listened closely for your answer.

“Um, thank you,” You sounded conflicted. “But I'm afraid I can't do that, sorry.”

“Ah…” The student was audibly disappointed. “I see. Sorry for bothering you.”

“It’s-” you opened your mouth to reassure him, but he was already scurrying away, head low like a child who just got berated by his parents. The corner of Leona’s lips quirked up, amused by your candid rejection.

Moments later, he heard you leave as well. It bugged him that you didn’t think to find him, but he’s too caught up with relief to care.

Relief. How strange that he would feel comforted by that. Shaking his head, he lowered himself onto the grass and dozed off again.

To his surprise and dismay, it didn’t end there. A week later, the same thing happened: another underclassman invited you to the garden with a box of chocolate in hand. Your position worked in Leona's favor— if he just shifted a little, he could observe the whole interaction through the broad leaves. It took an embarrassing amount of effort to stifle his curiosity and the urge to take a peek.

The moment the blonde second-year opened his month, Leona knew that he was a lost cause.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about how we would be a good match. You’re always the center of attention, and I’m handsome and popular, together we can be the hottest couple of the school. So what do you say? Go on a date with me?”

The boy spoke with such confidence, hand flipping his bangs and torso leaning against a thin tree trunk, that Leona almost scoffed. Though he could not see your reaction, from the way you tilted your head and crossed your arms, he could tell that you were not having any of it.

“If it’s being in the spotlight you want, perhaps you’ll have more luck dating someone more special. Like Vil. He’s a celebrity, after all.” You said in a calm voice, as if you weren’t basically suggesting that he walk straight into embarrassment. There’s no way Vil would even look at him, let alone listen to his arrogant and loveless proposal.

“Huh. You do have a point there. Good advice. Thanks a lot,” he patted your shoulder before strolling off like he hadn’t just tried to score a date with you. 

The moment he’s out of sight, you let out an exasperated sigh and turned around. Leona settled into a more comfortable position as you neared, hiding himself behind the lush bushes.

“Leona?” You called, shoving the blades of leaves out of your face as you wandered further in. “Oh, here you are. Wake up, sleepyhead.”

You shook his shoulder, and he pretended to be stirred awake, grunting in annoyance. “What do you want?”

From where you were looking down at him, the glass ceiling casted an almost angelic halo of light around your head. “Wanna grab lunch with me? I heard they added something new to the menu.”

He watched your eager expression before rolling to his side. “I don’t want to go.”

“Oh,” it’s impossible to not notice the drop in your voice. “Okay then.”

As you turned on your heels, he cleared his throat, “We can eat here if you get me one of the new stuff. It’s got meat in it, right?”

That made your mood change as swiftly as lightning. “Loads, actually. I’ll be right back!”

His eyes followed as you dashed away with lightness in your steps, a fond chuckle rumbling in his chest. 

After you returned, you talked some more about the shenanigans your classmates had been getting into and some gossip that had been circulating around the campus. Never once did you bring up the minor hiccups involving the two students, so he didn’t ask. A sense of security had settled in his head now that he’d seen you turn someone down twice, but it would turn out to be short-lived.

If he hadn’t been aware of your popularity among your peers, he certainly did now. It’s only been a month and he already needed two hands to count all the times he’d been roused from peace by someone asking you out. Some were as insincere and playful as the second pursuer, but most were serious, and creative about it too. He'd seen you being presented with balloons, flowers, handmade plushies, all kinds of crafts, heirlooms– there were too many to list. Not to mention the more poetic ones among the followers, who managed to turn their affections for you into something straight out of a fairytale. If he had had a single romantic bone in his body, he might've wept at one of the verses too.

On the surface, he had no idea that you were so popular, but a deeper look gave him all the explanations he needed. You'd stumbled into this world with nary an ounce of magic in you, crashing the entrance ceremony with a cat that breathed fire, and within months of settling down, you managed to stand against not one, not two, but three overblot dorm leaders. There was a courage that burned like a fire inside you.

But that's not all. You were kind and loyal and friendly and genuine, always ready to give a helping hand to whoever was in need. You somehow got on his good side, for sevens' sake. That alone said a lot about you.

It only made sense that all the things he liked you for were adored by others as well, but that knowledge was threatening. There might come a day when you're finally wooed by one of the admirers, or when you eventually set eyes on someone else. There might come a day when you say yes to their confessions and spend so much time with them that you forget all about him…

But then again, he couldn't imagine being on the receiving end as you apologetically turned him down. His pride couldn't take that. Plus it would just make things awkward between you.

How utterly preposterous. As if a prince like him would care if a human or two stopped bothering him.

"I think I have an idea as to what this is about." You said to the boy in front of you.

His ears twitched in your direction. Okay, so maybe he did care. His back was turned to the scene from where he was sitting behind the bench, but he was close enough to catch every word.

"I thought so. People are actually starting to guess who you'll end up with, including me."

Leona knew the owner of that voice. Not personally, but he was usually seen sticking to your side. From the scattered pieces of information you'd told him in passing, that guy was your study partner for alchemy classes and had been one of your best buddies alongside Jack and the other first years. There were times when he spotted the two of you walking down the corridor, matching smiles stuck on your faces.

Was this it? Perhaps the reason you'd rejected all those people was because you wanted to be with someone close, someone whom you knew. This guy– whatever his name was– would be a good choice in this case.

He refused to acknowledge the fear snaking down his spine.

"I wish you would still let me ask though," he said. You didn't outright refuse. Leona's heart sank.

"I've come to fall in love with you in the time we've spent together. I was really worried that confessing would jeopardize our friendship, but I can't keep my feelings from you anymore, or else I will probably go crazy in my head," Fabrics shuffled, it sounded like a velvet box was clicked open, and a tiny gasp escaped your throat. "This isn't much, but… would you like to grab dinner with me?"

Silence. Those pregnant moments weighed heavily on Leona. For once, he couldn't tell whether the deafening heartbeats were his or your friend's.

"This is-" you inhaled deeply. "This is too expensive, I can't take it-"

"It's yours to have. I figured only something like this can encompass how much I love you, so…" he trailed off before forcing a pathetic laugh through his nose. "You can't take it, or you don't want to take it?"

"I'm sorry, Hans. You're a really good friend, but I don't feel that way about you." 

"Oh. That's… that's alright," he cleared his throat, then laughed again. "Man, I kind of expected this, but it still hurts pretty bad. Will you at least keep it?"

"But-"

"I know, but I really do want you to have it. Plus, I got one for myself too! They could be matching friendship bracelets."

You smiled ruefully. "Alright, I'll accept it. They do look cute when put together."

"I know right?" There was a beat before he talked again, this time in a more hesitant tone. "Can I ask you a question?"

You hummed. 

"Is there a reason why you never go out with anyone? Like, are you just not interested in guys or dating in general…" Before you could answer, he clicked his tongue. "Okay, that's not really what I was hoping to ask. Is there someone that you like?"

“Yea, something like that.” The certainty in your voice made Leona’s chest lurch. So that’s it? Someone had already won your heart? Possibilities dashed across his mind: could it be one of the aforementioned friends? The sociable Cater or the cheery Kalim? Or was it Vil, who somehow made his way into your conversation that one time? Or– his tail swished at the thought– was it…

Smack! It disobediently hit the back of the bench, the creak seizing the moment. Your chatting voices were abruptly cut off and replaced by a deafening silence.

“What was that?” Hans said. Footstep approached, his scent moving closer. 

“What was what?” You stopped him in his tracks somehow. “It's probably just the wind.”

“I guess so,” he scratched the back of his head, “Alright then. We should head back for classes.”

“You should go first, I have something to do around here.”

Damn it.

The air seemed to freeze as soon as Hans was gone, as if one tiny movement would break the stillness. Leona listened as the soles of your shoes cracked the grass. There was an intention to conceal your movement, but you would be naive to think that you could sneak up on him.

As expected, you jumped in front of the spot where he’d been sprawled out on, the victorious grin dissolving into confusion when you saw only the dent he'd left on the ground.

“Boo.”

You jumped a great height in the air at the ambush, shooting him a harmless glare as he scoffed at your response.

“Hey there, eavesdropper.”

“Eavesdropper? You were the one who wandered into my territory. Really should've chosen somewhere with more privacy.”

“I thought you denied being the keeper of this garden.”

"That's not the same thing. I'm not taking care of this place, it's too much work,” his gaze trailed down to the bracelets encircled around your wrist, then back to your face again. Perhaps he could find out who the thief of your heart was if he stared persistently enough. 

“What is it?” You waved your hand in front of his face, ruining his plan. 

“There’s something you said back there,” he crossed his arms in front of his chest, noting the way your back stiffened. “Something about you liking someone…”

“You misheard.” 

His ears twitched. “Try again?”

Thud. Thud. Thud. Leona had never found you hard to read until now, watching you muster a look that said ��I’m not gonna tell you’ despite your heart beating out of your ribcage. There was an answer in there somewhere, and he wanted to get it, wanted to know if it was him. He wanted to know if you wanted to take things further as much as he did.

As if the timing couldn't be better, the bell rang, easing the tension on your countenance. You took the window of opportunity and took a step back, “Oops, time to go. We’ll uh, continue this conversation later? Or start a new one, probably.”

With the quickness of a kitten on the loose, you turned and tried to make a run for it, only to stagger back when he clasped his hand around your adorned wrist. The pad of his thumb grazed over your pulse, passing under his touch in a hastening stream. Finally he caught something– a glimmer of anticipation lighting up your face, vanishing as quickly as it'd come, but there was no mistaking it. Had you always looked at him with such expectant eyes? 

"...Your bracelet came off," he undid the clasp with a discreet tuck and dangled the string of jewelry in the air. 

"When did it even-" you squinted at him suspiciously before snatching it back. "Thank you. I should really go now."

"Just one more thing. How do you like to be asked out?" He smirked as your eyes widened, clearly taken aback. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

You pocketed the bracelet, drawing a breath before speaking again, pushing the words out with slow deliberation. "Well. It really depends on who's asking. I'm fine with flowers, but I’m not against surprises. Why do you ask?" 

There was a pause, a break in how natural your previous sentences had been. You'd asked the last question in the sort of tone that betrayed what the fake nonchalance might have him believe. Paired with the warm tint on the tips of your ears, Leona felt his heart tighten at the growing confirmations.

“Curious, that's all."

After you finally waved goodbye, he waited until you’d left completely to pull out his phone, the gears in his head turning in high speed. A plan was already taking root in his head:

The next time you came into the botanical garden, he would be the one asking you out.

[palepinkgoat]

I was asked by someone in the @shamelessdvdcommentary community to share things "behind the scenes" one of my fics. I just think it's the coolest thing so I decided to participate! I hope you enjoy it. <3

Which Fanfic is your DVD commentary about?

Restoration. It's my most "popular" fic by far!

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc)

Restoration is a multi chapter fic written in (big gasp!) 2016. It's 14 chapters and took me four months to write. For me that's very fast! But back in that day I was cranking fics out faster. The story is 112,794 words.

What was the initial inspiration for your story?

Well, our air conditioner needed a tune up and we called Bowman HVAC (a real company here, as well as the name I gave the HVAC company in Restoration) and a redheaded technician showed up. The wheels started turning immediately. At the time a lot of houses were being knocked down in the neighborhood (gentrification sucks) so there was a lot of construction happening. I'm sure that helped too.

If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character?

I wrote it from Ian's POV. I had only written in his POV one other time. I fell even more in love with him in the process, and exclusively wrote him for years afterward. I can connect to Ian as a bipolar person, and his bipolar features heavily in the story. It seemed like a great opportunity to explore that.

What was your favourite scene to write?

I loved writing the scene with them in the bar bathroom in chapter 3. The first time they kissed . The whole scene felt very alive to me when I wrote it. I also really loved all the scenes with Ian and Sully - they were very fun to write.

How did you come up with the title?

I heard from a neighbor that there were different ways houses could be built, and if you leave any part of the house intact (the neighbor's front porch was left and they built out from that) you can categorize it as a restoration. I liked that. I also really liked the image of rebuilding things metaphorically.

Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice?

I'm not sure if this counts but I worked really hard on the construction elements and making them metaphorical to the chapters at the same time!

Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this?

I don't really remember but I know that a lot of it just flew out of me. I don't remember struggling with any of it, surprisingly!

Favourite line in the story?

I'll pick the end of chapter 4, which includes a scene a lot of readers like. It's the "teaching" scene, wink wink. The last line is "He leans forward and meets Ian's mouth, opening wide and tasting him, them, this."

Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story?

I initially thought it would be a lot shorter, but I realized it needed breathing room and a longer timeline. I'm glad I followed that instinct.

If you are writing a particular trope or genre, was it your first time writing this?

I don't think it fits securely in a trope? I'm always a little confused about those.

What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterisation, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc)

I'm proud of the bipolar elements to this story, and some of the dialogue. I feel like the dialogue in this was the easiest I've ever written. It was just really nice to write.

Are there any deleted scenes that didn’t make it to the final story?

In the era when I was writing it Amanda was very much in the picture on the show, and I thought her personality would really fit to be one of Ian's "helpers." But I never really got into any scenes with featuring both Lip and Amanda being with Ian at the same time.

Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line?

A lot of Ian's med stories and his notebook he keeps for processing episodes and health in general were mine, as well as most of the scenes with the doctor. The office is modeled after that doctor's office and everything. Honestly that doctor and the office were pretty terrible in real life, but I made her better than my doctor was. Now I have a fantastic doctor!

Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add?

I actually did not re-read it for YEARS and re-read it in its entirety for perhaps the first time ever a year or so ago. It probably sounds really vain but I was surprised how cohesive it was and how much I liked it. I'm really proud of it and so glad people like it as much as they do. I don't think I'd change anything really.

Would you ever write a sequel to this story?

I have been asked, but I don't think I could do it! Like I literally think I couldn't write it in the same tone now that it's been so long.

Are there any ‘easter eggs’ in your story - e.g. references to other stories you’ve written, a trope you often use etc?

As far as easter eggs from story to story, I didn't add any of those things to Restoration. I did however reference the Restoration building and street in my recent fic Paragraphs! Another thing to know about me is most of the names I chose for original characters are real names of people I know. For example the developer of the property, Kowalski, is named after one of my besties. Do these people even know I write fanfic? Not really. So it's just for my own amusement. :)

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity?

I'm amazed at its staying power. I can't believe people are still recommending it and re-reading it. It makes me feel so loved.

Were you nervous or excited to post this story?

Back in that day I didn't feel very nervous. After I wrote this story I felt more nervous because people loved the fic so much and I felt like it was a lot to live up to!

Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote?

I did not! Solo act, baby. I have used a beta on Paragraphs and The Ink is a Witness to This though and I think it helps tremendously. Fun fact: it makes me more nervous to share with one person than it does to share with the world which is funny to me.

Ask your followers to pick a snippet (no more than 500 words) and share your thoughts about it.

"Ian nods. Fuck it. He slides off his bed and settles on the floor between Mickey’s legs. “You want to feel it again?” Ha! This is a big reader favorite in this story (and referenced above) and even made into art. I didn't even mean to make it hot. I thought it was just a little scene, no big deal. The response was fun. The gist is Mickey is saying he doesn't know how to give an, uh, below the belt job and Ian kind of "teaches" him by talking him through what he's doing. Thanks to @wehangout for giving me this moment to work with!

Anything else you’d like the readers to know about the story?

I cherish every single reader and all the comments and kudos over the years. Writing this fic completely changed my life. I'm serious. So anyone who likes it or talks about it feeds in to that beautiful change and I'm just so, so grateful. I loved writing it.

[smicksstuff]

heyyy if you’re still writing for alejandro garnacho could you do a smau with just a couple cute posts between him and the reader? preferably sabrina carpenter as the fc pls, thank youu❤️

forever and always

alejandro garnacho x y/n I/n

face claim: sabrina carpenter

the story in which two childhood bestfriends realise that what they dreamed of all along was staring them right in the face.

yn.jpg

liked by garnacho7, taylorswift, lucialoi, yourbff and 62,515 others

yn.jpg stay tuned 17.03.23

view comments

garnacho7 so proud of you amiga 👏🏼

username new music !!! I'm so EXCITEDDDDD

username cancelling plans on 17.03! IM BUSY!

username after her messy breakup this has got to be good!

yourbff that's my babygirl! can't wait to let everyone hear this masterpiece

garnacho7 impatiently waiting for the day I can scream these songs out loud

yn.jpg geez guys, y'all really are the best hype squad !

username where can i get a friendship like this

-

garnacho7

liked by yn.jpg, rasmus.hoejlund, marcusrashford10 and 156,727 others

garnacho7 THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE !!!

view comments

garnacho7 hope you loved the surprise album party

yn.jpg best surprise ever 🤩

yn.jpg you are the best

yn.jpg what did i do to deserve this

yourbff you did it my love @/yn.jpg

username omg this friendship is so cute

username I don't know if I'm crying about the fact that this album hit me like a brick or the fact that ale and yn are the cutest besties on the planet

username this so real

-

new tweet by yn

-

yn.jpg

liked by facupellistri, yourbff, lucialoi, masonmount and 283,727 others

yn.jpg pov: summer with you 🛥️

view comments

yourbff ☀️⛱️ 🌊

garnachofans UMM BESTIE....anything you would like to tell us ???

username please tell me it is who i think it is

username the way a certain someone is so quiet

username cmon starboy we are impatiently waiting

username put us out of misery and tell us already !!!!

-

new tweet by garnacho7

-

garnacho7

liked by yn.jpg, marcusrashford10, antony00,

872,728 others

garnacho7 i’d like to hang out with you for the rest of my life ❤️

view comments

yn.jpg sounds like the best plan ever ❤️

manchesterunited 🥹🤍

username this has got to be the best day of my life!

antony00 love you both

username bros got tswift game

username he knows how to speak to her soul

username pls the way i would crumble to dust

username all i want to know is how long he took to find the caption

facupellistri too many late night drives

username OMG not his bestfriend exposing him

yn.jpg i thought i was your bestfriend @/garnacho7

garnacho7 you are my love

facupellistri im going to let this slide once

-

yn.jpg

liked by taylorswift, garnacho7, lucialoi, marcusrashford10 and 826, 627 others

yn.jpg one boy. thousands of feelings ❤️‍🔥

view comments

garnacho7 te quiero mi amor ❤️

lucialoi about time you admit it bestie

yn.jpg about damn time

username this is so wholesome

username the way it changed from "amiga" to "my love"

username i want this type of love

manchesterunited 😭❤️

username qn: how do you know that you are the favourite child? answer: when your boyfriend's workplace comments your posts

username manchester's favourite wag

-

yn.jpg

liked by garnacho7, taylorswift, yourbff, landonorris and 792, 728 others

yn.jpg im a wag now 💙🤍

view comments

garnacho7 my favourite ❤️

yourbff you went to a football game without me 😤😤😤

yn.jpg ill bring you next time

yourbff you better

facupellistri come watch spain next time 🇪🇸

yn.jpg will add that to my list of games

facupellistri let me know and ill see you there

garnacho7 excuse me.. you only watch argentina games

facupellistri 😤😡

username she really is living the life

username this is my dream life

username football, concerts and taylor swift

-

31 December

garnacho7 & yn.jpg

liked by yn.jpg, facupellistri, antony00, marcusrashford10 and 1,283,729 others

garnacho7 my forever midnight kiss ✨💋

view comments

yn.jpg always my love ❤️

username omg they are so cute!! i love them so much

facupellistri happy new vear love birds

manchesterunited ❤️❤️❤️

username when will this be meeeee

username my new years wish to find love like this

username power couple

perriedwards happy new year my kiddos! more dates in the new year

username omg i want more pics of ale, yn and axel

-

2 Years Later .......

yn.jpg & garnacho7

liked by taylorswift, traviskelce, perrieedwards, marcusrashford10 and 1, 972, 497 others

yn.jpg short story: he kneeled, showed the ring and made me his wife-to-be

view comments

garnacho7 te amo mi corazon ❤️

taylorswift CONGRATULATIONS !! Im so happy for the both of you!! 🥂🍾

manchesterunited Congratulations to you both !!

masonmount Congratulations you too !! Im so glad the pictures turned out so good !! 🤍📸

yn.jpg these are lovely pictures masey!! i cant thank you enough for capturing it

garnacho7 thanks mate!! and thank you for all your help too !! Amazing Photography

username OMG not mason sneaking around to take pictures for them !!

facupellistri can i just say that we may athletes but we arent equipped with enough skills to camouflage in the bushes

facupellistri also CONGRATULATIONS mi amigos

yourbff congratulations to my favourite couple in the world 💘💍💐

-

credits: all pictures are found from pinterest and instagram

a/n: sorry for the long wait!! thank you for reading this far!! If you have any one-shot scenarios send them to me!! I would love to try and recreate them for you ◡̈

[magical-wishies]

To love or not to love, that is the questio-

Ok whoops wrong reference. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I made a MV of the song "Darling Dance" by Kairiki Bear featuring my favourite little tricksters for the occasion!

I'd rather you go straight to Youtube to watch it because Tumblr always finds a way to cut the quality, lol.

Eng subtitles are available too!

Here it is! Hope you enjoy my pride and joy. Basically like a hopeful child but in video format. Reblogs are specially appreciated because Youtube sucks at promoting new channels!

This also acts as a behind-the-scenes post, so let's get straight into that, shall we?

MV Project 1 "Darling Dance"

Illustration time: 37 hours

Editing time: Approx. 30-35 hours

Total: 70 hours

*Cough* Holy freakin' moly does making an MV take so long. Before you roll off your bed, I'll say that part of the reason making the art took so long was because I have trouble drawing Marx consistently.

Here's some unused assets! Look at them, they're all salty over not making the cut.

In all seriousness though, a lot of times I don't really see a lot of editors/ MV makers getting appreciation for their efforts. And now that I've personally experienced making an MV for the first time, it's also increased my admiration to the people who dedicate their time to this! All the kudos to them.

Now, I'll go scene by scene then comment along the way! Spoilers ahead!

Verse 1

Pretty good for what it is. In the first image, you see that heart behind Magolor? I discovered the motion of it on complete accident lol. Capcut is hard to figure out..

I also really like the color palette of 2nd image. That art of Marx was the last one I did during production (aka I drew it this morning), and just look at him. He's such a bastard he's the best.

Pre Chorus 1

Mmmm yeah it sure is the pre chorus! I put a bar behind the text in the middle because I didn't want people to stare into their soulless eyes for too long. That probably worked!

1st Chorus

When I first added in the expression change, I fangirled over it a little on the first rewatch. Like, come on! They suddenly look mischievous, and the color change on the background! I know I drew it but still!

For the rest, I experimented a little with all the "Nah"s! I think it ended up well. Most of the lyric editing in this MV is completely original, so I had a couple of things to try out!

Verse 2

This song is horrifically outdated because it says Twitter instead of X!! (/sarcasm)

This scene is my second favourite. I'm really proud of the details on the tabs and the editing at the beginning! Wish I could put more images but the app only allows ten. Bummer.

Pre Chorus 2

I think it's cute, and I used it as my pfp on YouTube! That's about it though.. image limit is killing me I can't put anything here :(

Chorus 2

...Not gonna spoil it! I like how I drew them, but there ain't anything notable. Unless you look at the last image I put right before the bridge. :)

Bridge

This is where my editing comes in freakin' clutch. Ooooooh it's so satisfying to look at. Chef's kiss. Also those Marxs (Marxes?) are really cute.

The second part of the bridge is nice as well! I tried to make the lyrics snap to the rhythm. Glad I added that tv effect in the bg too!

Chorus 3

This scene is my favourite! Wanna know why?

This sequence right here. I think I will etch it into my brain forever... I love me some snappy editing. Like a lot. Like a lot a lot!

The second part of the chorus is like the original song's MV! I loved the hearts popping in and out whoever thought of that is a genius. Putting it into the MV was a good decision!

And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoy the MV as much as I enjoyed making it. And, stay tuned for next time! I have a feeling a certain jester is getting his own solo MV...

Feel free to leave your thoughts either in the Youtube comments section or here. See you around!

[lucy90712]

Gavi watching his s/o perfoming at her concert and him being so happy and proud of her.

WC: 2.2k Tonight is the night my dream finally comes true. I have always liked to sing and I've wondered if I could ever make it as a singer but for a long time that felt impossible. As it turns out it it's not impossible as I just released my first album and now I'm going to perform my first ever concert. 

A few years ago my dream still felt impossible but then I met Pablo. We started off as friends after a mutual friend introduced us but we were both attracted to each other so things quickly progressed into us dating. A few months after we met we made things official and once we did we were pretty much inseparable. One day I was over at his place waiting for him to get home from training as he wanted us to spend as much time together as possible as he had a busy time coming up. While I was waiting I was making the both of us lunch and like I always do I was singing as I work but I was so in my own world that I didn't hear the door open and Pablo come in. As soon as he heard me singing and we talked about it a bit Pablo insisted that I at least try and make it as a singer. 

Pablo did everything he could to support me as I started proper voice lessons and begin to write and record songs. I used some of the money I had saved to pay for all of that but Pablo also helped me out which I tried to tell him not to do but he insisted on helping me out. When things felt impossible and like a waste of time Pablo encouraged me by saying that he used to feel that way when he was younger but now he's achieved his dream because he kept working hard. He really wanted us both to be living our dreams and be that power couple who have both worked so hard to achieve their dreams all while supporting each other every step of the way. It was his positivity and belief in me that kept me going even when things were hard. 

After a lot of hard work behind the scenes I released my first song which a few people listened to but it wasn't a success at all. That didn't deter me though I kept going and trying to find my style which eventually I did and that was rewarded by the song somehow blowing up on tiktok which brought more attention to all of my other music. Once more people started to listen to my music I made sure that I kept them interested by putting out more music as quickly as I could. Eventually things became more stable and I had created a proper fan base which was doing nothing but growing. Once it got to this point Pablo used my song in his Instagram story and a few weeks later we went public with our relationship which helped me a lot too. He offered his help from the beginning but I wanted to make it on my own as that's the only way I'd feel like my success was my own. 

Since then I've been working hard every day and I even quit my job as I was starting to make money from my music and Pablo said he would help support me if I needed it. Last month I released my first full album and now I'm preparing for my first concert right where it all started in Barcelona. After this I have a small tour around Spain but I just had to start here in Barcelona so that Pablo and the rest of my friends could attend. 

I have been at the venue for a few hours already because I had to be here to do sound check as well as many other things but the main reason I got here so early is because I'm so nervous. I barely slept last night because I was so worried that no one would turn up even though I know exactly how many tickets have been sold. Also running through my mind was the thought that everyone might hate my voice as I know I'll sound different in real life even though I don't use auto tune. We had sound check first which took my mind off things for a bit but then I was back to sitting around until rehearsals which allowed me to go back to thinking about everything that could go wrong. After rehearsals I had a few hours until the start of the show which was supposed to be for me to get ready but I started it by sitting and having a panic attack. 

"Are you ok my love?" Pablo asked as he poked his head round the door 

"Yeah I'm fine what are you doing here so early" I said 

"I wanted to come and see you because I knew you'd be nervous and I can tell that you are not having a good time so its a good thing I'm here" he said 

"Now tell me what's going through your mind" he said 

"I just don't want everyone to hate me I mean what if I'm not as good as they thought I was" I said 

"If anyone thinks that then they're crazy because I know nothing about singing but you have always sounded like an angel to me even when you're not trying so everyone will love you don't stress yourself over that" he said 

"I'm definitely not that good but thank you" I laughed 

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready?" He asked 

"Yeah I am" I replied 

"Then what are you waiting for you I know I love watching you get ready" he smiled 

He wasn't lying so I grabbed all of my makeup stuff and started to get myself ready while Pablo sat behind me watching in the mirror as his arms clung around my waist. While I was concentrating he just kept talking which was actually really helpful as it kept me distracted and made me laugh every now and then. Once my makeup was done it was time for hair and Pablo being the good boyfriend he is helped me section my hair and hold strands out the way while I did the style I had planned. He then helped me into my outfit while I put my earpieces in as there was only a few minutes until I was supposed to go on. 

Once I was ready Pablo grabbed my hand and we walked backstage together. That's when I started to hear the crowd and things suddenly felt so much more real than they did earlier. All of those people are here for me which is such a crazy concept and slightly overwhelming to think about. Pablo must've been able to tell that I was getting nervous again as he spun me round to face him and placed his hands on my waist. He held me close to him and had me look directly into his eyes which made it feel like we were the only two people there which really calmed my anxiety. 

"You've got this cariño just go out there and give it your all I will be right there the whole time so just look at me if you feel anxious" he said 

"Thank you amor" I whispered back 

With that he let go of me and gave me one last kiss before running off to make it to his seat. I jumped up and down a bit and to hype myself up before finally walking out onto the stage. The noise was almost deafening as people in the crowd screamed and cheered for me. I couldn't help but smile knowing that there was this much excitement just to hear me sing I mean I'm not anything special I'm not like Taylor Swift but I sure felt like it walking out into that stage. To help settle myself I spoke to the crowd a bit and I looked for Pablo who was sat with some of the boys right in my eye line. 

When I finally started my set I begun to feel a whole lot more confident and I really got into it. I was completely in my own world feeling myself as I sung all of my songs and did all of the dances I had worked on with a choreographer. Every now and then I looked over to Pablo who was singing along every time I looked over without a care in the world which gave me even more confidence to do the same. All of the boys looked like they were having a good time but when I caught Pablo's eyes and saw him give me the biggest smile I could feel his proud he was. For a second I wondered if that's how he felt when I did the same for him whilst he was playing but I couldn't think about it for too long as the show had to go on. 

"I have one last song for you all I'm sure you can guess which one it is but before I start I want to thank a special someone who's actually here watching me today" I said 

"Pablo thank you for believing in me every step of the way if you hadn't of convinced me to give singing a try there is no way I'd be stood here today I owe all of this to you so thank you for helping me achieve my dream" I continued 

As I performed my last song I kept my eyes on Pablo who had tears in his eyes which were obvious even from a distance. This song was one of the first ones I ever wrote and it has always been his favourite of mine so it was only right to dedicate it to him and sing it as if we were the only people mind the room. The whole night had been magical but this moment made me feel like I was dreaming I could faintly hear the crowd in the background as I rounded up this amazing experience by sending a kiss to Pablo who sent one right back. Before leaving the stage I thanked everyone for coming and thanked the small team I had helping me as they deserve some of the recognition too. 

Once I got off stage and back to my dressing room all of the adrenaline left my body and suddenly I was exhausted but also all of the emotions caught up with me and nothing could wipe the smile off my face. The fact that I'd just done my first concert finally sunk in and I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in myself this is such a big occasion and could mark the start of a whole new life for me especially as I leave tomorrow for my next show in Madrid. After a few minutes of alone time there was a knock on my dressing room door so I went to open it thinking it might be my manager coming to check on me but instead I was greeted by Pablo and everyone else who came holding bouquets of flowers. There was so many flowers that once they were handed to me I couldn't see anything so I had to put them all down in the small sofa in the room. I thanked all the guys for coming and for the flowers and they all congratulated me on my performance before they all left so that I could be with Pablo. It only took a matter of seconds before Pablo smashed his lips onto mine. 

"You were so amazing out there" he said giving me a kiss in between each word 

"Thank you it felt amazing I've never felt such a rush in my life" I said 

"I knew you'd have the best time" he smiled 

"Also you didn't have to say all that about me this is your success all I did was steer you in the right direction" he said 

"I know but you've supported me whenever I wanted to give up and you posting with my songs has helped me a lot I really do owe you a lot because I wouldn't be here without you" I said 

"Thats sweet of you to say but I think you were destined for this life I'm glad I get to be a part of it and see you live your dream" he said 

"You're going to make me cry" I laughed 

"Don't cry my love just be happy you achieved a big thing today you should be smiling and so proud of yourself" he said 

We stayed at the venue for a bit longer before Pablo drove me back to his place so we could spend the night together. Along the way he got me to order whatever food I wanted for dinner was I hadn't eaten since lunch and was starving. We spent the night watching movies together on the sofa eating a lot of food all of which Pablo shouldn't have but he told me it was fine as it was a special day which only made the smile on my face bigger if that was even possible. 

[virgo-dream]

heard u need some headcanons!! much love bc this time of year is ROUGH 🫂

Hob got really into the queer liberation movement and has gone on to be the resident bisexual professor that all the students know is a safe person to go to and helps out with the LGBT clubs on campus.

He gets really excited to share this with Dream, who is a little confused about why it's so important (having missed much of the fight) but immediately takes interest because omg Hob is into more than ladies??

Hob hosts the club at the New Inn and Dream shows up and all the students just Know by the way those two look at each other and spend the night trying to get them to admit it to each other.

Look. LOOK. I'M. I'm very NORMAL ABOUT THIS. Did you know the bi flag was unveiled in December 5th of 1988? Did you know HOB DIDN'T MEET DREAM IN JULY 7TH OF 1989 ANYWAY HAVE A FIC

Dream doesn't get it at first. He never really did get it, but only attributed it to the need humanity had for labels, for packing things into boxes and saying this goes here and that goes there. Sometimes, it led to this goes to heaven and you go to hell. It seemed to be a very common one, too. He was beyond that; his name said it all, Dream was endless. Not he nor she, not man nor creature, he was all there was to be and the nothingness beyond it. Gender and sexuality need not apply.

Still, it meant so much to Hob, that he'd have dreams about it. Nightmares too, for nights on end, and even if Dream begged Hob to allow him to take them away, Hob always declined, always braved through them. "If you take them, I'll forget how much it all means. I'll forget why I'm still fighting."

They sat at the New Inn one afternoon, while Hob graded papers and Dream had a cup of chamomile tea, but his eyes couldn't help but focus on a shiny pin on Hob's jumper shaped like a flag, the shades of pink, purple and blue a spot of proud colour in Hob's otherwise earthy colour palette.

"It's the bisexual pride flag."

"Hm?" Dream's eyes dart up to meet Hob's, tilting his head slightly. He wasn't sure if he should feel bad for being caught, because he wasn't sure what he was looking at in the first place.

"The pin. I wear it for my students, but also for myself. The kids feel safer I guess, knowing they have at least one of their own in the faculty. Can't say it doesn't make me feel good too."

Hob has a particular tone to his voice that makes Dream's heart sing in tune to its melody. It's a fuller sense of self, maybe more than Dream ever had in regards to his own identity. "...one of their own?"

"Oh, I– Sorry, those are pretty recent." Hob straightened himself up (ha) on the chair, his lecturing posture taking over. Dream liked when he did that. He liked to hear Hob speak of things he had deep knowledge of and passion for. "This one was created in 1988 by a queer activist called Michael Page. Had the pleasure of being there when it was first unveiled, but clearly it took a long time until I was able to wear something like this out in public and not be decked by some bloody homophobe."

It was starting to sink in.

"...I'm afraid I was not present for these developments." Dream saw the look on Hob's face, like he was ready to apologise. He raised a had to stop him, waving his concern away. "As far as I can remember, queer was not a form of self identification, but only a way to shun out those outside the established norm."

"Ah, yes. We reclaimed it, though. Or are reclaiming it. The 80s were crazy. All of them were, for me." Hob smiled at Dream, at their shared secret and at their years of now reestablished friendship.

"I think you're lonely."

Could it have been....? Could he have meant...?

"What does it mean for you, then?" Dream asks in a way he hopes sounds inconspicuous, pointing at the pin. He was hesitant to ask, afraid to be getting it all wrong.

"For me? It means I love whoever I love. Man, woman, either or neither."

The pride coming from Hob's words filled Dream with hope, something he had not felt in a long, long time. The look in his face then shifted onto something else, something he didn't quite understand. "...what about you? That is, if you're okay with talking about that. I don't want to overstep. Last thing I want is for you to walk out–"

"I won't, Hob." Dream knew Hob had reason for feeling that way. "I don't believe the terminology you have could define my experience. I have laid with mortals and gods alike, and have wore many faces and names. It is beyond human comprehension."

Hob seems takes a moment to think about what he'd just heard. Dream feels like he might have thrown too much at his human friend. "...I think I get it. But, and tell me to bugger off I'm wrong, do you prefer to be a particular way? To be with a particular sort of being?"

Dream. Didn't have an answer.

He never thought of what he preferred. He'd never felt in need of any sort of outside validation, but. That was a lie. He needed it. He just never cared to look for it.

Hob's smile was what broke him out of the spell of his own self doubt. "It's okay if you don't have an answer, you know. It takes people a loooong time to get it, it took me nearly 600 years, you know? Ah! You know what? I've got an idea–" He reached inside his brown messenger bag, pulling out a colourful piece of paper, handing it over to Dream. A pamphlet for a meeting. "We're having a meeting for the uni's LGBT clubs here at the Inn. I want this to be a safe space for the kids, and to get them to connect with other folks in the community, share their experiences. It's tomorrow, and I'd love it if you could make it. I'm sure they would too."

Dream took the pamphlet in hands, looking at the bright colours and bold fonts, taking in every bit of information Hob was giving him and trying to fill in the gaps of the questions he wouldn't dare ask. After a moment, he looked up at Hob, allowing himself a small smile. "I shall be in attendance, then."

[forh3r]

001. hc + was there any romantic history with either of the three musketeers, vander, silco and or benzo? if so, talk about how that came to be before her connection with connel.

002. hc + would she approve of vi's relationship with caitlyn?

003. hc + is she 'dead' in the au!perfect zaun/piltover ?

001. i do think there was something, especially with vander & silco. felicia was seeing them a lot, and i do believe she loved them in some capacity - something along the lines of not platonic not romantic but a secret third thing ( so devoted the lines blur ) and you know she wasn't in a relationship with anyone for a long time, so i can see her having history with either one of them or both. at the same time i think their connections were very different - a reflection of their personalities in a way.

vander was very soft to her, actually listening and caring, ever a gentleman - easy to love, truly and i feel like had felicia not gotten pregnant, eventually would have married him. i know some people believe vi is actually his, but to be honest i think he just loved vi & pow as if they were his ( just the same as mylo and claggor whom it seems had no previous relation before ), and loved felicia enough to keep his promise to her in a way that wouldn't further hurt anyone ( he only loses his temper after her death after all ... even though i think she wouldn't be proud of that ) hence why he was more present in her daughters lives too and carried on her memory through her favourite song.

silco is ... eh. i'm against the "felicia cheated" allegations but to be honest i feel like if it had to happen at all, he'd be the culprit ( 💀 ). i feel like the love felicia had for him was very tumultuous, based a lot on a shared vision and manner to earn it. they have a lot of symbolisms in a strange way - their color scheme in the bar scene is the same, her necklace is made in the same fashion as his bracelet, she was adamant that the plan was carried on for her, he wrote pages about how felicia was inspiring him, he wasn't around much but she was using his stuff to write down her daughters heights, she said that she wouldn't fight anymore but was somewhere close when he threw the molotov. in a weird way it seems they died the same night too. felicia haunts him in a way that clearly doesn't happen with vander - he gets to raise the daughter that looks, acts and talks the most like felicia, but in his case her memory becomes something to hide away and keep secret. i wish we knew why exactly benzo called him an animal, what kind of fucked up thing he did ( among the rest ... ) but i know felicia would be so so angry at silco for what he did to powder.

benzo was the big brother felicia never had honestly. as much as she complained about his shop she was still there being angry, and knowing he was being arrested and she was fighting for that too ... well. he was very dear to her as well, and i believe she took great care of all the books she collected from him throughout the years until her death - probably used them to teach powder stuff until she could.

( connol was truly a saint i fear. felicia really never cheated on him, at least physically, but i do believe the guys had a better understanding of different parts of her in a way he never could. he still loved her enough to get involved in risky stuff though, and that meant a lot to her )

002. felicia is so very clearly a "follow your heart" kind of girl, very in tune with her feelings despite how messy they can become. she knows very well it would hypocrite of her to dictate on who her daughters have to love ... but it would take some time to warm up to the idea. it's not a question of vi dating girls but more of ... very important topside girl? really? which is very judgemental of her but also sort of warranted all things considered? so yeah it takes a minute but she would probably end up being okay.

( this was not in the question but, on the other side she would be absolutely approving of jinx and ekko's relationship )

003. she's alive!! in this au connol shielded her, so while she did get hurt, the others eventually found her and brought her to safety ( by others i mean sevika and benzo, the boys were too busy not thinking with their brains as she would say ). she wears prosthetics legs but at least she's alive ... at the same time she lost vi, which was a great hit for felicia for obvious reasons. she doesn't work in the mines anymore and is also devoting her time to knowledge of engineering ( which is what saved her bond with powder and kept her from getting worse mentally than she already is, honestly ). she's very proud of powder and has tons of scrapbooks with pictures taken at the various fairs / competitions.

[thetruearchmagos]

Writer Positivity Tag

Thank you kindly for the Tag, @sleepyowlwrites , I decided to take it up!

What motivates you to write?

Well, part of it's the history of it all. It feels nice to think of how many thousands of people across time have been somehow involved in the business of the written word, and I feel that what I do is in some way an homage to that long legacy. One that carries a personal, and so unique, touch.

A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not, maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them):

Uhh... haven't actually had the time to write much beyond fanfic these past few days! Here's one odd blurb I've thought over recently though:

The view from L'Orchidee was panoramic. From twenty five storeys up, it cast its gaze across the bay, whose surface glimmered in the last light of a setting sun. Those who passed through its doors would find nothing less than the best Cagnan could offer, serenaded that night by a full string ensemble striking up a tune. As it was, the only thing Captain Castex could hear was the sound of chewing. "Ahh, yes..." Colonel Francois Moreau, sitting opposite him, rose from his steak with a satisfied sigh, dabbing his mouth with a by now quite stained cloth. Of course, the gaze and shark's smile he cast at the Captain shot down any humour Castex might've been tempted to find in the display. "And you, Capitaine? I hope it is the company that is not to your taste, Chef LaCroix's talents are simply beyond reproach!" Castex's soup was long cold, half finished and currently untouched. A single scrap of bread circled on its surface, which Castex thought of as a kindred spirit. "Both are much appreciated, sir. I only wonder why it is me who you've chosen to share both with. Colonel, again I must---" "Enjoy myself, I hope you were about to say. And why shouldn't you? Tell me, how many months has it been since you last took leave, hmm? Six, Castex recalled, but did not say.

It'll be a while before I get to work on it, bit passes the bar of 'existing' I suppose.

Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them, and what are they like?

Well, Gustav of course, and Higgs too. Fiercely skilled, passionately for each other [eventually], these two have been with my writing for a loooooong damn time.

What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

Worldbuilding, which is awkward considering one of the questions down below! I've been one to imagine my 'Setting' as having a story, a history, of its own, one made up of the stories of the billions of people who've made their lives in it, writ large and gathered in the long arc of history. When I make writing from it, I pick one thread, and a few more, and just sorta bring them to light.

What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Uhh--- Descriptions? Of environments, features, more tangible stuff usually? I mean, I do it a lot, and I suppose more than much else.

What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

People, and just existing while knowing they exist too! I feel like I'm a lonely person, but it's indescribably nice to know that someone else, somewhere I couldn't imagine, is typing out words the same as me, if differently. And sometimes, they even talk with you about things you like, and that's the real ticket.

A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

World Anvil, despite my neglect of it recently, really is a wonderful application for my Worldbuilding stuff! I should get back into it...

A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law, etc)

AAAAAA---

Okay, really, really hard to pick just one. I really like what I've been doing with my histories, of course. I feel like a lot of them, in fiction at least, are... maddeningly easy to understand? Weird, sprawling, gangly systems of cause and effect charting the evolution of institutions, cultures, and technology across a timeline of about 2.5 centuries is apparently one of my callings, and I intend on hearing it out to the end.

[There's also a certain piece of Worldbuilding I love, and which causes me utter unbridled terror everytime I consider sharing it with people out of a stupid fear that it'll make them hate me. Again, hopefully just stupid.]

Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters:

I love every one of you!!!!!!

@lividdreamz @athenswrites @hessdalen-globe @dogmomwrites @theprissythumbelina @caxycreations @marinesocks @thatndginger @moonscribbler

[P.S., consider that my Tagging of you lot for this too!]

[novelmonger]

Let's see... how about Jyn Erso and 2, 3, 6, 12, and 15??

-Rain

(Sorry it took me a while to respond to this. I took this as an excuse to watch Rogue One again before I replied, so it would be fresh in my mind ^^')

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

I love that moment when they're in Jedha, and there's suddenly an attack by rebels that they get caught up in, and Jyn runs out of cover to save a little girl who's crying in the street. Up to that point, Jyn has mostly been presented as a hardened, cynical person who's just looking out for herself, but this is one of the first indications we get that she's more selfless than she tries to act.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

I don't know if this exactly counts, but while I like Jyn's character arc, I have to admit that it's a bit rushed. I get it, they've only got two hours to tell the story, and I do think it makes sense for her to change her tune about helping the Rebellion because of reuniting with her father. But the change is a bit abrupt for a medium where we don't get access to her personal thoughts and feelings.

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

We both have brown hair. Uh...wow, I don't think we have much in common at all. Well, I hate to admit it, but my natural inclination is a lot like Jyn at the beginning of the movie, when asked how she can stand to see the Imperial flag flying across the galaxy. "It's not a problem if you don't look up." I'm not proud of it, but I can absolutely relate to that perspective.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Ummmm...I don't know that I have any? So I'm just going to say something that I kept thinking about during the movie instead: If they ever get around to making a Mistborn movie, Felicity Jones would be way too old (she is somehow already 40 years old aldkfjs;dlkfjdslj what is life), but I think she would have made a great Vin. The look is right, and I think she'd do a great job at portraying the combination of hardened street urchin and vulnerable girl who just wants to belong and feel safe. Alas! I know it will never happen.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Uhhh...is there any ship that makes even the slightest amount of sense besides Jyn/Cassian? The only other possibilities that are coming to mind are total crack ones like...K2SO XD

Incidentally, while I like Jyn and Cassian as a couple well enough, one of the things I really appreciate about Rogue One is that it doesn't have them kiss or talk about the hinted romantic feelings at all. Unlike many action movies that move the romance way too fast - especially when the writers know all too well that these characters are going to die in the end and thus don't have much time - Rogue One treats these characters and their growing attraction realistically. These characters are way too busy saving the galaxy to waste time on pursuing each other romantically. Also, they seem like the kind of people who would take a long time before they really let their walls down enough for that anyway, even with someone they've clearly made a connection with and trust to watch each other's back.

Restraint in a movie is always something I will appreciate.

Character Ask Game

[amywritesthings]

Hello! I love your writing style and I would love to know the whole process of how. Like how do you outline and do everything that comes with writing a chapter/story? The whole process basically, if it ain't too much trouble.

AHHH HELLO! It isn't trouble at all, sorry it took me a bit to get back to this. I really appreciate your kind words about my writing style. It's definitely the thing I'm most proud about as a skill, since I am also a writer in my day job!

My process is a little chaotic? I guess.

edit: this got long i'll put it under a read more, actually (w/a screenshot of my actual completed outline for a one shot!)

For new stories or new chapters, a scene that's usually mid-story will come to me out of nowhere, and I will build the story around that. I almost always exclusively write my work in bulletpoints before fleshing it out to actual (very short) paragraphs. I don't usually know the ending to fics that are beyond one shots. I tend to mold it as I understand my own characters and how they development way beyond my original concept, because I don't like pigeon-holing myself into one singular outcome.

Once I have the entire (or most of) the idea outlined, that's when I'll start going in between the bulletpoints and 'rough writing', which is literally just me pushing out anything I want. It doesn't have to make sense. It doesn't even have to sound good. My strength comes with editing after I see the structure written out before me, so my goal is to just get a general chapter/one shot done before I fine tune.

For long fics, I do this chapter by chapter. Sometimes I'll even jump to a chapter 3-5 ch from now and just blurt out a 600-word excerpt that comes to mind. Storytelling doesn't need to be linear, it just needs to be passionate and well-loved.

Then comes the real doozy, which is editing. That's when my real writing happens. I tend to be dialogue-heavy, so once I'm done my first round of edits... I read the entire thing out loud. I deepen my voice (ha) for all my guys I write. I even mumble my smut lines because if Din Djarin's dirty-talkin', I won't let that poor man sound like a moron in the sheets.

Then I format on AO3, copying & pasting to wordcounter.net as I make my last-minute edits so AO3 can't eat my stuff (bc that has happened before and oh it is pain) and post!

For funsies, I went back through my doc and found my entire holiday Nanami x Reader one shot outline for ya!

You can see that I kind of talk to myself through outlines (I'm my own best friend, yes I literally do this in all of my drafts of stories and they can get v unhinged) and I will also add dialogue that comes to mind while I'm outlining that I want to keep for the end story.

If you have any other questions, I don't mind chatting or if you wanna keep sending q's that is fine, too!

[aniron48]

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

(besides TICKETYS)

IT'S TICKETYS!!!

Now that we've settled that, thank you for the ask, friend, and I suppose I can pick my second favorite piece of writing for this one. 😁

I think it might actually be this paragraph**, from for the age of the earth, and after:

Before tonight, Bond had always thought of creation as a furious thing, had imagined Earth formed in fire and catastrophe, in ice and violence. There’s some of that here, too, he thinks, a searing need coursing just below the surface like a river of molten rock. But the history of the Earth is so vast that it’s written in geologic time, in eons and eras, epochs and ages; in a call and response of oceans and mountains, faultlines and tectonic plates. In movements imperceptible but ceaseless, toward, and toward, and toward.

I'm proud of this fic in general, and this paragraph in particular, because I took a risk with it: I wrote a short fic that, in terms of plot, is essentially just 800 words worth of two people having sex with each other for the first time, but is also about the passage of time, how the geology of the earth shapes us***, how love comes before us and lingers long after, and about the concept of the sublime, especially the idea of beauty that takes our breath away, even as it has the power to destroy us. Ambitious? Yes! A really weird combination of things to want to write about? Almost certainly. But I don't know that anything I've ever written has ever come this easily, or this quickly, which is usually a sign for me that I needed to do it.

**this will probably only be my favorite until I can find a way to work "está fuera de sí y con sed de venganza" into one of my fics. Stay tuned.

***I would be remiss not to give an extra thank you to @foxsoulcourt -- Cory's gorgeous photos of Yosemite were the very first seed for this fic, too!

Thank you for this, @dude-watchin-with-the-brontes! It's hard to talk about being proud of things but we should all do it more, I think. 💜

[moni-logues]

2022 End of the Year Recap

rules : post the top 5 works you’re most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular), your top 4 current WIPs that you’re excited to release in the new year, your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year, your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year, and your number 1 favorite line you’ve written this year!

So, @amethystwritesbts tagged me in this on the old blog, but I thought this would make for a fun little transitional post, too, so I'm doing it here! I have had my [old] blog for almost exactly 53 weeks and have posted 58 fics! 🤪🤪🤪 lots to pick from lol

Top 5 works I'm most proud of

(These will all, in time, make their way here, too, but for now they are ofc readable @monimonimoon)

Marriage or Arsenic: my very first post! I'm proud of myself for starting! Proud of myself for writing and putting it out there!

Sweet Treats: I just like it!! I think it's fun! I love cute tattoo artist boyfriend Jimin!

Even Though: super spontaneous fic; decided about 11pm I wanted to write it and it was finished before 2:30am! But I'm really pleased with how it came out and it's nice to know I can produce shit if I really focus lmao

Thirteen Rounds: wrote it in one evening and then was really unhappy the following day and couldn't work out why I didn't l like it so I took my dog for a walk and figured it out. It then needed a really big, significant re-write and I did it! And then it did some serious fucking numbers lmao

A Fine Line: for obvious reasons lol. My first series! Wasn't sure I could do it! Wasn't sure anyone would like it! But I did! and they do!!

Top 4 current WIPs

The Comeback: here, have a banner! This is going to be the first fic I post here! (obviously not including AFL reposts). I hope you are looking forward to some festive angst!

Kintsugi: the long-fabled Yoongi friends-to-lovers (actually strangers-to-friends-to-lovers!). She's coming and, goddammit, I've made this bitch angsty, too. Have another banner!

Promessus: a Hobi fake dating fic that is going to require a lot of research and may not be viable if the results of that research aren't what I want! But I'm really excited about it!!!

SUPER TOP SECRET FIC: coming soon! Yoongi! A genre I've not written before! Stay tuned!!!

Three biggest improvements in my writing

I think I'm more aware of my (over-)use of adverbs now so I'm better at catching them while writing and in editing.

Writing long stuff! Actual plot! When I first started, I couldn't believe people were writing like, 5, 10, 15k fics and now I not only have one-shots that long but also a whole series! And more to come!

Deciding to only write in past tense. I kept sort of switching between past and present which meant that, even within one fic, I kept fucking up and writing in the wrong one. Sticking to one means I'm not making that mistake (as much! 😬) anymore.

Two resolutions for next year

This one is sort of already in plrogress but planning. Kintsugi is already outlined! I'm going to try to stick to the plan!

Read more -- both fics and books. I have read much less this year than I'd have liked so I really want to use this festive period to reset and start the new year with more intention and waste less of my time on my fucking phone, watching shit I don't care about on netflix etc. and actually make time for everything, which includes reading.

Favourite line I wrote this year

Remember how I said I've posted 58 fics? Yeah, I'm not going through those to pick out the best lmao. But one that I can think of off the top of my head is:

you knew you had somehow got things figured out but now, in the nauseating throes of the consequences of your own actions, it eluded you.

I'm not tagging anyone because idk who's been tagged already and I'm copping out lmao but everyone should do this, so consider yourself tagged if you are reading this!!!

[s4kasaki]

hi i love ur blog 🥺 may i request a jun fic whereby the reader made a personal playlist to remind them of him and jun finds out about it and how he would react? thank u in advance 🤍

this is so cute omgawd? Jun is so underrated, I am the new junP's safe place~! •́ ‿ ,•̀

♡ — musical feeling dilemma.

‣ tws/cws: none

‣ reader: gender neutral - they/them

‣ author's note: I'm proud of this one tbh, you can tell I worked on it hARD

you’ve been friends with Jun for a while now, hanging out with him was your peak ideal of an interesting time nowadays, after a long day of work. Playing video games together was a thing you enjoyed taking part in every free time/weekend, winning against him and seeing his priceless expression afterward, and the way he congrats you on beating him (for once) is an unforgettable memory you two can look back on. “ha! I'm surprised, you’ve gotten better since the first time we played together” though, you’d be fabricating if you said you didn’t miss him when he was either pulled away by Hiyori or had important businesses he had to attend alongside Eden all of a sudden.

It was 10 in the evening, you were already clocked out for the day by lucky chance: it felt like a miracle, a too good to be true one. And even despite your numerous insistence that you'll be fine walking back home by your lonesome, jun always assists you by calling a ride for you or simply walking with you to enjoy the last minutes together.

“I could've walked by myself you know, it's not like I'm an idol like you.” You reminded him, and your shoulders rising to the laughter that snuck into your throat.

“Hah, you made a point, doncha think?” he chuckled, shaking his head, “but, if people were to see you with me in public. Hiyori's probably gonna be a baby about it.” he began gritting his teeth already in the thought of it. “So I rather not even give him an opening for it, not to mention we have to go abroad again soon.”

Your eyes narrow, giving him your everyday million-dollar smile full of uncertainty, another trip? “Another important trip to attend? So suddenly? Guess that's an idol's life for you.” Releasing a burst of fake laughter to cleanse the silence shared between the two of you which Jun took part in “Yea' it's a hell-load stressful.” He chuckled softly, his reflections asking him if that was a topic to keep the conversation going with.

Then an idea came to mind, music: surely that could clear the atmosphere surrounding the two of you. “Hey, can I use your phone? to listen to some tunes, hah... Mine is out of juice.” his hands made their way to the back of his neck in embarrassment, his music taste was really ... Good, but isn't that what to anticipate from somebody so cool like himself? “I have AirPods, we can share them.” You nod and "Okay", handing over your phone and getting one of his AirPods in return. Sure, It would be fine! He wouldn't notice your playlist that was directly filled with songs that matched how you glimpsed him, it didn't have his name as the title or even had him as the cover of the playlist. It was just a single heart. And to your dismay, he ended up selecting everyone out of all the playlists you'd organized. “aha! We have extremely similar taste in music, I see you know your stuff.”

Confused about his statement, you turn to look at him anyway, with the million-dollar smile you pull with him all the time while listening to the song play, the music vibrating in your ear; clearly, that's when it hits you properly. it's his playlist, the state of panic was quick to creep on you, what if he found it weird? It only takes one button to look at the description of the playlist that had his name written on it. He was staring quite hard at your phone screen, so it added up to the suspicion he had noticed it... and he did, you'd be lying if you weren't embarrassed to the bitter core when he asked; “Hey? What's up with this playlist, it has my name on it, is it dedicated to me or something? Were you planning on me to listen to it?” he grinned.

“No, I was just— I thought making a playlist that reminded me of you was something all friends did... to be sympathetic” What an absurd answer to come up with but by luck, which must've been in your favor because your house was right up the street and there wasn't much need to say a word anymore besides the sound of silence and crickets “T—This is my stop, Jun!” you say, reluctantly pointing to the building next to your left still flustered, yet he still seemed unphased.

“Oh— alright. I'll see you soon— I guess? I'll call you while I'm aboard so maybe sooner than you'd expect~♪” he lets out a laugh, and honestly, there wouldn't be anything more to him than you offering him to stay for the night before he leaves, and not just to make a tease of you for what he saw — and he says, with the way he constantly does with everything and with that exact smug grin, “And, the Spotify thing. it's sweet in a sense... Itttttt's so you won't miss me rightttt? I think I so.”

As you look to the ground, his final words of the day being so unbelievable to believe in this type of situation, it makes you flush to a pink shade in an instant

“I think I'd like to spend the rest of the time that I have today with you, before I leave tomorrow☆ let's go, we have video games to play~!”

[gustingirl]

serendipity pt2 | ? x reader

"The universe has moved for us, without missing a single thing"

- in which you meet a lovely boy who soon will change your life -

part 1: [x]

part 2: [x]

part 3: [soon]

disclaimer: this is long as fuck, around 5k words so good luck!

warnings: i'm labelling it as smut just in case; mentions of alcohol

As much as you tried to stop it, you couldn’t stop shaking your legs. Introductions always made you nervous, and even slightly uncomfortable too. You were not one to like talking with many people at once, especially hated having everybody’s eyes on you as thousand questions were shot towards your way. But this time, this introduction was not the cause of your shaky legs and constant hand movements. You just couldn’t stay calm as you were pretty aware of the two brown eyes nailed on your figure. Every once in a while you would turn around, and every single time was the same as the previous one. Josh’s full concentration was solely on you, on every move you made and every word that came out of your mouth. Even when you weren’t the one talking, he was still only staring at you.

But don’t get me wrong, it was the good kind of nervousness that you were feeling. It was the kind of nervousness you go through when you catch a cute boy staring at you at the coffee shop or the library. The kind of nervousness you feel when you’re choosing the right outfit for a date. Josh was staring hard and his face was almost expressionless, to your surprise, yet you didn’t feel uncomfortable. In fact, you felt undressed, almost naked. As if he could easily see through you. At first you had no idea how to feel, but soon you felt comfortable, like he was telling you he understood you without having to say a word.

“Wait, how did you two meet though?” Jake’s sudden question brought you out of your thoughts. Sam elbowed you with a smile and you took the gesture as indicator to answer

“Through Dylan, a friend in common. We both went to his party”

“Yeah! Though we became friends later that night when we started talking” Sam’s enthusiasm was making every word he said louder than the previous one. You loved it; you were as happy to see him again as he seemed to be.

Your best friend then proceeded to share in pure detail every word you two exchanged that one night, including the lighter incident. Though you loved making others laugh, it was Josh’s small but strong laughter that shook you off the most. It was deeper than you expected, and, mixed with his strong staring contest, it made you feel somehow weird inside. Until this moment and even many moments later, you couldn’t define with words how Josh was making you feel.

“But actually Y/N knew us before! She’s a huge fan of ours” Sam shared with pure pride in his tone.

“Really? How so?” It was the first time Josh had spoken since everybody sat down to meet the youngest Kiszka’s best friend. Though it shouldn’t have, his voice sort of surprised you. You concentrated hard so that your voice wouldn’t come out as shaky as you thought it would be.

“I….sell you” you replied with a smile, expecting everybody to be confused. The several ‘huh?’s made you continue right away “I work at a music store. We sell instruments mostly but also a lot of vinyl records. I had to make a playlist with songs from all the albums we sell and I added I think it was Safari Song and Highway Tune, now also Heat Above with the last album released. That’s when I became a fan as well”

You couldn’t figure out why, but Josh’s proud smile sent a soft shiver down your spine. You had the idea there was more than pride in there but for the sake of your mental health, you decided to ignore it and ignore him as much as you could. After all, you had Sam basically stuck next to you and you were worried he would catch you thinking too much about his brother.

You spent the whole night being basically the centre of attention. You fit so well with the whole group, as if you had a bit of each one of their personalities in you. Your friends helped by shooting snarky comments at you, and your witty replies would make everybody laugh loud. With time, everybody relaxed that nervousness the concert gave them thanks to your easy-going personality. The happiest of them all was your best friend, your brother from another mother. Sam had the biggest smile as he watched you talk, even encouraged you to share all the anecdotes you had previously exchanged with him. He was so proud of having you as his best friend, and you couldn’t be any happier by his side. He felt the same way, and soon you’d learn about it.

“Join us on the tour!” he basically yelled out of nowhere.

You two had moved aside after chatting so much with everybody. The conversation had sort of died quite a while earlier so Sam took advantage to have some private chat with you. He wanted to know everything about the concert from your point of view. You two chattered for what seemed an hour before he suddenly exclaimed what he had been thinking from the moment he saw you walking into that room.

“What!?” was the only thing you could say. Your brain could barely process what he was saying. “You gotta be kidding me”

“Not at all! Y/N, seriously. Having you around is fucking therapy. I need that therapy. I need you here. Besides, there aren’t many shows, just a bunch” you wanted to complain but his cute smile was too sweet for you to think about rejecting the idea “Hey! You graduated already and if your job is an obstacle I’m sure you can help somehow here. We don’t have much young staff, you know, young brains think more creatively”

You adored each one of the excuses Sam had to have you around. Those excuses were probably what drove you to blindly say yes with no much thinking. You didn’t mind about the job, you did love the idea of working with them. Sam even allowed your friends to join too, while also promising jobs for them too. All the juggle Sam was doing for you to say yes made your heart melt. You just couldn’t say no to him.

And thank fucking God you didn’t say no. You were having the time of your life. In the five or six months that you’d been touring with them, you lived every single adventure you could. Your friends got along so well with his band and soon you four were best friends with the other four. Obviously, you had made so many other friends around. Kenzi was like a sister by now, she took care of you and helped you with your job every once in a while. You were given the weirdest task ever, but you loved it: you had to lurk around the internet in the most discreet way to see what was the general online audience’s reaction to the band. You loved it, anyways. It was fun and all you had to do was write reports to their manager. You even started collaborating with their social media content, as you were quite aware of what the fans wanted. The fans, though. They loved you. You were scared of what their reaction could be, but you later realized how wrong you were. They welcomed you warmly and would always talk to you during concerts.

You soon became one more of the family. Even Karen had basically adopted you by now. Everybody around you was as sweet as Sam. And as you grew closer with everybody, you also did with Josh. You were surprised to find out how shy he actually was. It took him quite a time to actually talk to you alone. You didn’t know whether you weren’t approachable or he just didn’t know what to say. But it took almost a month for him to actually sit down with you one day and have lunch together. You were glad he did. You had spent all that month thinking if he hated you or something. His family and friends had told you several times that he wasn’t as social as people expected. But you still kept overthinking each glance, each expression and each second he spent near you.

Thankfully, by now you two were just as close as you were with Sam. It actually surprised you just how similar you and Josh were. Without realizing, he had become your true best friend. He just was someone you could easily talk to. He always had the best advice in hand and, if it wasn’t advice what you needed, Josh always had the way to make you laugh hard. He was so interesting, like a human Russian doll. The more you would pull out, the more you would discover inside. As much as you tried, you couldn’t calm down the fire he would always turn on inside you. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it truly burnt and other times it just lived there without bothering you. But it was there, alive and burning for him.

You really wanted to turn that fire off. Not by forgetting about him because it was way harder than you expected. But by tasting him, by getting to be with him. All sorts of fantasies flew around inside your head each second passed. Nevertheless, this fire did calm down a lot when Sam decided, one drunk night, to truly share everything he’s been swallowing for many years. He did not leave one detail, ranting about everything that he could. You were a bit in shock as you watched your best friend complaining about everything and exposing every single true color of everybody around him. There were some things that you had already noticed in others, but it truly surprised you when Sam went off on Josh and how he didn’t like the friendship you had with his brother. You gulped while listening to Sam constantly remarking on Josh’s lack of consistency, how he didn’t know how to truly appreciate things and how he sometimes seemed to only care about himself and his passion. He feared he would play with your heart and, such thing then ending up ruining your friendship with Sam, that he so much cherished. You could understand where he was coming from and his reasons made a lot of sense to you. Because of that, you decided to be a good friend and respect his concerns by not pushing the topic much. After all, everything he had said was really ringing inside your head.

Little did you know, you weren’t the only one warned about this new friendship. About a month ago, the boys had invited your friends to have some drinks. As usual, you four got drunk and created your own little dance floor in the middle of the bar while the four artists watched you. Sam’s attention grew bigger as he heard Josh suddenly compliment you. He couldn’t hold it much longer and decided to speak up.

“Stay away from her, Josh” he said, trying his best to hide the silent anger growing inside of him “She’s a good girl, she got her heart broken before, she doesn’t need it again”

“Are you serious, Sam? What the hell do you mean by that?” It was now Josh’s turn to try not to sound angry. However, he couldn’t really hide it the way his young brother could. Sam noticed the tone change and pulled out a cheating smile

“Jake and Danny are dating so I can only say this to you but I mean it. She means a lot to me and I would hate to lose this beautiful friendship”

Sam’s words resonated loudly inside Josh’s head. Like you, his own fire slowly turned off and he nodded in response. For a while, both of you, unaware of the other, worked on looking away and forgetting about that burning feeling inside whenever your eyes would find each other.

But, where the fire was, ashes remain. And like the Phoenix, these ashes slowly turned back to be the big fire that could burn any city down within seconds.

It all started after one of their latest concerts. You had chosen to wear a yellow skirt with a blazer and a tight white shirt below, decorating your neck with a tie. Sam had always told you about wearing that outfit before and it was now the time. You felt sexy and unstoppable, but all your confidence went down the second you met those two eyes. They found you almost as soon as you walked in the waiting room, right after the concert ended. It was like they called you, because you instantly fell into them. You kept your big smile as you approached Sam to congratulate him, feeling your back burning as you knew Josh was still staring. All eyes were on you suddenly, but only Josh’s intense staring was making your legs weaker with each second. But the closer Sam was to you, the more the fire would start dying down.

For your luck, Sam was not as alerted to you as always. You felt the freedom to steal glances from Josh. Like two kids planning on escaping, you felt nervous just staring at him. His little smiles towards you would suddenly make all sorts of butterflies fly around your stomach, giving you soft goosebumps around your body. As the night went by, you basically chatted with everybody except for Josh.

He waited for the best moments, and he found it when he caught you standing near the room’s entrance with a glass in hand and eyes watching over everybody. He took a deep breath before approaching.

“Why that look on your face?” Josh softly spoke to not scare you. You smiled at him when he stood close, completely forgetting how soft he could speak. It made you sad, the realization that in the last months you two barely spoke.

“I’m just….” you giggled sadly before continuing “my social battery is dying down. I’m starting to feel a bit suffocated inside here” you replied, taking a look at him. He was nodding in response, not once making you feel ashamed.

“Yeah, I know that feeling. Wanna go out?” He showed you a sincere smile as he pointed at the door. With a smirk, you nodded and slowly left the room with him.

You felt like a criminal as you walked down the hall with him. It was dumb, as Sam only told you about Josh’s flaws. It was your choice to stay away but now it was too hard to do it.

“Wanna smoke outside?” he suddenly spoke, shaking you off your thoughts

“No, not really. Is there anywhere inside the building we can go to?”

Josh nodded and took your hand while guiding you around. The mere touch sent fireworks inside of you. It was something so small yet it had so much power on you. The room he chose basically contained all sorts of accessories necessary for the band’s functioning. All those big black boxes that carried the instruments, all the cameras and microphones. It was a big room, with tables and couches, and it was comfortable and far away from the waiting room.

You two sat down on one of the couches and, despite the length of it, for some reason you decided to sit down close to each other. He cornered you, only giving you a small spot in between his body and the couch’s arm rest. You didn’t mind, as the alcohol you had consumed was by now calming down any sort of thought.

He brought drinks and you two spent a good time of the night just catching up on all that time you barely spoke. You had to admit you were feeling both sad and happy to be with him alone again. It was quite evident why you were happy, but the sadness was there. Just looking at him brought back all the memories of endless nights just drinking at hotels, sharing moments together, having the times of your lives. But now, he almost felt like a stranger. But a stranger you trusted so badly, a stranger so known that you felt like he was transparent to you, as you were to him. You could slowly feel that connection grow back.

As the connection started appearing again, so did the burning fire inside of you. As you drank and drank, slowly the space between you began disappearing. By the time he suggested the game, your knees were touching and his hands would occasionally brush your skin, leaving burning marks behind.

“Wanna play a game?” he suggested after you complained about being bored. When you looked at him, you noticed the fancy smirk he was wearing. There was more to that question and you were intrigued to find out what he was thinking

“Sure. What’s the game about?” you asked while sitting properly on the couch

“Okay it goes like this” he imitated you before continuing "We ask the other a question that can only be answered with the pure truth”

“And if I don’t wanna tell the truth?” you asked, knowing he was expecting you to.

“You lose a piece of clothing” Josh said after a small pause as he played with the hem of your blazer. His tone was more than mischievous and the smirk he was wearing was enough evidence of it. However, you were eager to play the game and show him you weren’t afraid of telling the truth.

After both of you were sitting comfortably while facing each other, the game started. To make it fun, both of you decided to start easily. You asked him if he had ever fallen for a fan right at a concert, and he admitted that he had several times. On the other hand, he asked you whether you had had naughty thoughts about a stranger you’d met. The following questions were “innocent”, though this word was not really fitting. You just started with questions you knew weren’t as personal.

Later, such questions showed up. If there was one topic you had never had the chance of truly talking about with Josh was sex. You knew he was open to talk about whatever and sex was not exactly taboo with him. However, due to your friendship and the sudden break you two took, such a topic was a bit awkward. Some things you rather preferred keeping as a secret. You were the first one to lose a piece of clothing.

“My turn” Josh had said while taking a sip of probably his 10th drink of the night. You were surprised by the amazing alcohol tolerance he had as he seemed as sober as any other day. “Tell me what happened that night of May with Sam at the terrace”

You had no idea how, but Josh knew more than you imagined. Nothing truly happened that night. You and Sam had just shared a really weird conversation, with hypothetical situations that suggested you two as a couple. However, both of you were quite ashamed of the interaction and kept it a secret from everybody (except for your friends, they obviously knew). You stared back at Josh with a smile and, without breaking eye contact, you slowly took off your blazer. He just laughed at you, apparently his plan had worked.

You waited a few rounds before hitting back at him.

“Have you ever fantasized about being with a friend?” you had no idea why he didn’t want to answer that. He could easily talk about a friend you didn’t know. You hadn’t even asked for names. But anyways, you had Josh taking off his white hoodie. The little blush that suddenly appeared on his cheeks made you blush too. You were concerned about how fast you could catch all his little details. You noticed you were staring too hard as he raised his eyebrow at you with a small smile. You pretended to not notice and continued playing.

Fortunately, Josh was someone so easy to talk to that you barely lost, really. Some questions made you lose something, but you also knew how to attack Josh, so you were never in true disadvantage.

“What’s your weirdest kink?” and your tie was gone. He complained, but you defended yourself by saying that it was a piece of your clothing after all.

“Did you ever get a boner on stage?” and his shirt was gone. He was more at loss than you; only his pants and boxers remained.

“Have you ever had a fantasy with any of us four?”

That question went straight into your heart and suddenly your face was burning red. You cursed at yourself for your lame reaction; you basically admitted it with your face. Josh was biting his lip so hard to prevent from smiling that you could even tell blood was coming off. There was a moment of silence as you thought of your answer. By now you had understood how the game was going: with every question came one answer and one only. If you said yes, you already knew what his next question was going to be. But Josh could tell when you were lying as you were not good at it with him. So, upon not finding any other solution, you swallowed before releasing a soft “shameful” yes. Josh’s eyes lit up like crazy and he was so close to just jumping around. You bit your lip too, hoping he would let it go.

“Fuck, for real? With who?” he inquired quite fast

“¡No! One question, now it’s my turn”

There was one question you had under your sleeve, your hidden ace that you knew was going to make him lose. There was something you had been noticing throughout these months that you would not talk with each other. You didn’t know when to bring it up, until now. The tension was there. Josh knew the answer to the previous question you smartly pushed back. But the tension was there from the second you two sat down. The space between you two was almost gone. With only one movement, you were right in front of his face and, in a second, you could steal the sweet kiss you had been needing from the second you first saw him. With one word said, the two could be devouring each other’s souls within seconds. You decided to do it; cut the tension by making it worse. You knew how bad it was, but you were not thinking straight at all.

“Are you ever going to do something with me?” The sudden question baffled Josh in a second. He sat straight, looking more like a criminal who had just been caught. You knew the feeling you were going to have upon seeing this reaction and you just couldn’t help it. You smiled before continuing “You know, you always stare at my breasts whenever I’m wearing cleavage or you stare at my ass whenever I walk by. I’m not as blind as you think, baby”

It was the way he was biting his lip that made you feel something between your legs. It was truly the very first time he made you feel this way. The fire was always inside, but never down there. Now it was burning much hotter than ever, and his fucking reaction was not helping at all. You weren’t sure why, but you could feel Josh was being cocky, like he liked being caught. You watched him nod slowly as he sat looking forward.

“Take them off” he randomly commanded, as he stared at you. Suddenly that cockiness was gone, and the fire started taking over your entire body. But even in such moments, you couldn’t let him win. There was always a constant fight for confidence with him. You were sure of yourself and you hated feeling defeated. He wanted so badly to dominate you. It was written all over his face. And you were not gonna let him win.

You knew what “them” meant by now; he could only take his pants off. So, with the decision of fucking him up a bit, you kneeled on the couch and lowered your head towards his crotch. You probably let your hand slip around a bit more than you should have, feeling his skin and thighs before reaching the zipper. You couldn’t forget the eye contact. Without breaking it, and with a little playful smile, you unzipped it slowly. Josh’s eyes were shifting emotions. All sense of dominance was gone, and he was now fighting to not break down. You moved around, now kneeling on the floor in between his legs. Never once moving your eyes off him, you drew your head near his crotch again as you slowly took off his pants. You smirked once you were gone, happy to know your whole plan had worked. Josh was then realizing that he had messed with the wrong person.

But you should have expected a backfire. This was Josh after all; you knew the lack of filters he had. As you also knew the question that was coming. But now, the atmosphere was different. Way different from before the last question.

“My turn, mama” he spoke in quite a deep voice. It had its effect on you, and you could tell he knew what he was doing “With which one of us did you fantasize about?”

You really could tell Josh anything. And you have had before. You had told him the little crush you had on Jake for a few days after he treated you better than anybody has had before. He knew how attractive you found Danny. He even knew you would kiss Sam if the moment would call for it. But not about him. This was just something you couldn’t tell him. Not only because you couldn’t openly admit it, but because you were not going to let him hear that answer. You knew you were at loss right there but, like before, you were not going to let him win it completely. There was always one last card to play and, by now, you were not caring at all.

You stood slowly, the eye contact being obviously your prime element. This was your way of asserting dominance, and somehow Josh was someone very easy to look at. With this in mind, you once again stood in between his legs. The one who was laying back on the couch as he stared deeply at you was now sitting straight, face near your body but eyes nailed on yours. And just like that, you unzipped your skirt and let it fall to the floor. It was probably the only moment where Josh broke eye contact to have a good look at the sight in front of him. It caught him off guard, but you really weren’t wearing anything but a pair of panties under your skirt. Just the thought of you wandering around with no protection under such a short skirt drove him insane. You could feel him slowly losing it, and it aroused you more than you could think. By now both of you were totally gone. Josh grabbed you by the side of your thighs and looked up at you with hunger in his eyes.

“Fuck the game” he muttered and, after you smirked in agreement, he brought your body towards his lips.

The feeling of his wet kisses all over your stomach, thighs and crotch made you release little moans that were as quiet as possible. Josh didn’t lose time and soon you were sitting on his lap, fingers hooked on his curls as your lips met each other. You couldn’t express the feelings fighting inside of you. Part of it was freedom; that fire that was burning so hard was now peaceful, totally painless and was now replaced by pure hunger. You both released moans after moans as your hands roamed each other’s bodies. You two were needing it so badly, you had been craving it for months. So many needs were bottled up and needed to come out.

His hands found your ass, your waist, your thighs, your breasts. Everything he could land hands on were touched with desire. Your hands found his chest, his arms, his neck, his face. You needed him so badly, you just couldn’t believe how you spent months away from this, from him. As his lips reached your neck, he shifted you both so that now you were lying on the couch. He was on top of you, located right in between your legs. The thin cloth separating your crotches was being too annoying by now. But you could barely tell; he was basically devouring you slowly.

“I’m gonna fuck you so good, baby” he whispered into your neck. You two were struggling to keep it quiet as many people were still working around.

“You better be a man of words then” you shoot back, closing your eyes as you were feeling every kiss this man was leaving on your skin. He suddenly stopped to have a good look at you.

“No, honey, I’m a man of actions” you bit your lip as he moved strains of hair from your face. You could now read each expression correctly; he truly was about to fuck the shit out of you. It was written all over his eyes, his mouth, everything. You couldn’t wait any longer, and you pulled him by the neck towards you.

As much as you wanted him inside you, you couldn’t rush it. You were needing everything; every kiss, every touch, every hot breath into your neck, every squeeze, every beautiful moan he released every once in a while. You were happy enough with the way he was pressing himself into you. You could feel him so close, though you were needing him closer. Like your bodies were literally attached to the other, but you needed more. You craved so much more of him, more than he could ever give you that night.

But it was too good to be true. You had never jumped so quickly before as right then, when a girl suddenly opened the door and released a small but loud scream before closing the door once again. You sat back fast, and in a second Josh sat right in front of you, covering you as much as he could.

It took you a while to realize, though, that this was not just any other girl. You had seen her before, but you actually knew about her. You cursed at your luck as you comprehended, then, that it was Lara who opened the door. She was probably one of the few staff members you didn’t talk to. Though it was Lara who barely reached out to you. Sam had told you before who she was, but more specifically, who she was to Josh. She was the real reason Sam didn’t want Josh around you. Because apparently, Lara and Josh had a thing going on about 3 months before you arrived. Nobody quite understood whether they dated or not, but the thing happened and Josh dropped Lara basically from one day to the other. Nothing was ever talked about, but everybody (including Sam) believed she was still into him. Which kind of explained why she could feel some sort of resentment towards you. Though you considered it slightly childish, you let it pass.

But now she was standing right there, with no expression on her face as Josh’s almost naked body covered yours.

“What is it?” Josh spoke as he got tired of the weird silence. It surprised you how serious he looked.

“M-my camera. I need the camera” Lara replied, probably taken back by his sudden rude tone.

“Then take it”

You two followed Lara with your eyes as she awkwardly ran towards the bag of cameras and, as awkwardly, walked away. Before she could reach the door, Josh spoke again.

“Lara” He waited until the girl looked back at him. You were constantly staring in between the two of them, unsure of what was going on inside Josh’s head “You didn’t see anything, got it?”

You couldn’t even comprehend how Lara was feeling. You didn’t really like her, you had to admit. But the way Josh was talking to her, even you felt intimidated and he was not even talking to you. His whole regular personality disappeared, and now he looked much more serious than he ever had been. But all this madness went away the second Lara nodded and quickly disappeared off the room.

“Fuck, are you ok?” Josh asked, with a completely different tone all of a sudden. You nodded with a smile to calm him down. He stroked your legs, as an apology for the sudden interruption.

You stayed there for a while, just staring at each other. Though no words were spoken, all of both of your thoughts were so loud you could basically hear them. Something had just happened, and there was no turning back.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

well i did warn this was going to be long lmao thank u for reading!!

[annalis-e--shadowofpanem]

ofcarnvge​:

Unarmed

Go go’s thoughts turned to  Agnes Lemieux, the name and the scent were wedded forever. And trailing behind it came Saga Skarsgard. Her face went blank a moment as she recalled the inside of her prison, and the strange mental limbo which had accompanied her time there. Once again, she pressed the thought away from herself.

“I’d be lying to tell you that I don’t feel…” She searched for the word but it was complicated. “Anger? Hatred? Toward both Agnes and Saga. I have been manipulated in my life, this much is obvious. But their abilities and what they did with them? It was akin to how Bill used to operate.”

Her expression took on more reflection, she bit her bottom lip. “That being said…I’ve also seen what their capabilities can do when they are turned to a positive purpose. I’m not sure what Leslie did. But when I stood at that spot on  Tsushima Island, something changed in me, and it was not a manipulation, not an illusion.” Again she struggled to find language to describe what was essentially impossible to say. “It was as if…My whole life I had been in a dark room, and someone just, opened a door. They didn’t push me through it, they just allowed me to see it was there.”

Go go nodded. “I have my feelings about Agnes, Saga. But Leslie? She might have an ability and a will to use it, that could undo a lot of damage. She might even prove a keystone against your other hypnotists. For the sake of that I hope the ire doesn’t fall on her.”

The dance of the small blade in Amy’s fingers brought a look of rapt fascination to the former bodyguard’s face. O-ren used to keep a kunai inside the folds of her formal kimonos, a lifetime ago. Listening to Amy recount her training, that fascination deepened, but again - it was all in the art of the thing. 

The smile finally broke on her face, and some of the years fell away from her, brows raised with a look of impressed surprise.

“Damn, an honest to god ninja, no less.” She laughed. “That’s an education to be proud of. I can see why you and Pan would have butted heads, too much skill in one room for a start.”

The idea of holding her once familiar weapon again was different in Amy’s presence. It was nostalgic, not brutal.

“You know, in a way I do miss it? I don’t miss the constant threat, the endless functions and late nights and dealing with stinking drunk Yakuza. But the hammer? I miss practicing with it, on a good day, I really felt like the eye of a hurricane. Perfectly in tune, totally still…”

She shrugged, feeling a little vulnerable at the creak of sentimentality that had crept through. 

“I’d like to hold one again, even if just to train with it, I’d take you up on that offer.” She looked out of the window, England was looming, and even more beyond it.

“How long do you think till we land?”

Ninja. The word still touched Amy in a way that made her laugh. “There’s so much attached to the name now that it makes me cringe to even hear it. But accepted it. The tactics Scarlet Ink used were in homage to the ninja of old, but they were no longer around to christen my work as an extension of their own. But this compliment, and others, feel just as good. I just hope I've earned I."  

Amy studied her hands as the knife passed between her fingers. It was a miracle of dermatology that kept them as smooth as they were....but she wouldn't hesitate to ruin them for a smither's hammer. “Lux Hall is getting bigger every day," she mused. "If it hasn't made room for a smithy yet, I'll commission one. If my name still carries any weight, I'm sure your hammer will be the first of many requests. But, alas, the first." She winked.

Amy stowed the knife and looked out the window. "Most of the journey is behind us. We'll be over land soon, and after that, it'll only be about two hours. I imagine Floss is already on the move, getting everything she needs for her solution--"

Amy's phone buzzed with a message: ....about that.... txt me at this number. --amber. Her brow furrowed. "And the plot continues to thicken," she muttered. She began to type away a response but managed to divide her attention for Go Go.

"I will ask a favor of you, however," she said. "Leslie's spent the better part of a year trying to set herself apart from Agnes and Saga. If she is successful in any measure of that goal...it would ease a lot of her pain to know it. I imagine hearing it from you would mean quite a deal. It may even lead her to use that gift of hers for more good. I imagine it would do wonders for therapy. Anything other than simply sticking needles in her neck daily."

Amy hit send. "Just a thought."

---

Amy: Not even tapping phone calls anymore. youre just flat-out listening.

Amber scoffed into her straw as she drank the last of her soda. She tossed the can, opened another, and wrote back.

Amber: its not all that hard.

Amy: Can I help you??

Amber: Floss's solution involves a synthesizer. She's cast a net for one in the area around her.

Amy: Yes. and?

Amber: Someone in Texas cast the same net. I was gonna let it go, I figured it was maybe one of you, but...its bothering me.

She'd never admit that these strangers across the sea were the only "friends" she had. Eventually, the data on her screen boiled over into action.  

Amber noticed that Amy's response was slightly delayed. No audio from her phone tap either.

Amy: There was an inquiry into air traffic that may have involved the Eboncry just before we took off. If I give you the plane's old transponder ID, can you see if there's any correlation?

Amber: No need. Already got it. one sec.

Amber turned to her left, pulled up the data, and ran a brief cross-reference. After seeing the result, Amber sat her can down.

Amber: Two terminal users in different locations, one searching for the synthesizers and another who ran the search for the Eboncry's last known. They've been in constant contact with one another.

Amy:...so we are being tracked. But only by two people?

Amber: Yea. Both PCs are personal terminals. One of them is a laptop.

Again, there was a pause in Amy's reply.

Amy: What would it cost me to convince you to keep a quiet eye on this and report back?

Amber: I'm already on it. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll think of something.

Amber moved across the table to the screen on her right where she performed a series of commands for a remote hack. It was simple... but doing it with enough grace to not be detected took a degree of patience.

Patience that Amber had in droves. Half an hour of commands later and she found herself smiling at two remote access feeds, complete with device data, MAC addresses, and more. She had them dead to rights.

"Hello Mallory," she cackled. "Hi, Milo."  She reached for her can again and took a sip. "Hope you don't mind me sitting here."