#i've been procrastinating cross-posting to here lol

[aceghosts]

WIP Wednesday

Hey Everybody! I was tagged by @carlosoliveiraa, @captmactavish, @alexxmason, @cassietrn, @cloudofbutterflies92, @nightbloodbix, and others I'm probably missing, lol.

Tagging (Opt In/Out): @bbrocklesnar, @marivenah, @amalkavian, @clicheantagonist, @socially-awkward-skeleton, @voidika, @confidentandgood, @theelderhazelnut, @direwombat, @captastra, @strangefable, @katsigian, @inafieldofdaisies, @simplegenius042, and anyone else who wants to do this!

Since I'm procrastinating about posting Rooney and Yorinobu's first real conversation due to a bad case of perfectionism, I've been working on some prompts/taking some screenshots. This first snippet is from early on in CP2077 after Rooney and Yorinobu cross paths again. And despite being an ex, Rooney is worried for him:

“I am fine,” He dismisses with a wave of his hand, “Any update on the Relic?” “Yorinobu, you look like shit. Seriously, when did you last sleep?” He adores many things about Rooney, but once they focus on something, it is nearly impossible to draw their attention away. They won’t let go until they get an answer, and Yorinobu is not in the mood to deal with this. “I do not pay you to worry about my health. I pay you to find the Relic. I will ask again:-“ “I’m not asking because you pay me,” Rooney sounds frustrated, digging their heels in, “I’m asking because I care, and apparently, you do need someone to worry about your health. Doesn't look like Hanako or anyone else at Arasaka is doing it.”

The second prompt is definitely keeping with the trend of Rooney and Yorinobu being relentless flirts with each other. While I've kept this snippet relatively PG, this prompt is gonna be nsfw. I'll probably do another taglist for anyone who wants to be tagged in stuff like that; I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Anyway, here is the second snippet (Please ignore the placeholder name; It's not important, lol):

“Is that what I am? A distraction?” He asks playfully, pressing a kiss to the corner of their jaw, “You should teach me a lesson for being so distracting.” Damnit, it almost works on them. Everyone knew that under all the tough exterior, Rooney was a softie for the people they love, especially Yorinobu. “Yori, you know I didn’t mean it like that; I really need to focus right now.” They really want to get up to whatever trouble he’s cooked up in his head, but duty calls. “Understood,” He acquiesces with no hard feelings, “Please promise that you’ll make time for us tomorrow night. We need to go to the [Name]’s party.”

Also, I am continuing to mess around in photomode. I'm not feeling great about any of my shots, but I thought I would share two that I kind of liked of Rooney:

I'm also not feeling great about my Rooney/Yorinobu shots either, but I did figure out how to get into the Arasaka Estate and took some Rooney/Yorinobu shots there, lol:

[ccrites]

about me

Hi, i'm CC (she/they), i'm twenty-[wilhelm scream] and i've decided to create this side-blog to post my writing, bc my Google docs is getting cluttered, and I want to make a step in feeling less self-conscious about my work. We'll see how long I last.

I've been writing since i was like 6, and have gotten into a bad habit of never finishing stuff unless I forced myself to post it somewhere, so I'm hoping this blog will help me go through with it. some stuff will be edited, some not, some ideas, some plots, some horny pwp, some dark stuff, whatever, I just want to get my stuff out there.

currently writing about: call of duty (i know, shocker)

MASTERLIST

MDNI. 18+ only, if you don't have your age in bio you will be blocked

You can find my old fics on AO3 here and any new stuff from this blog cross-posted on AO3 here or on my Tumblr writing tag here (if the link does not work, it's tagged under "cc writes").

(more info under the cut!)

this is a sideblog, so follows and asks from me don’t come from here. If you find my main, I don't care no you didn't.

i am not a native English speaker. If you ever think something sounds wrong please tell me

i am both a full time student and have an adulting job at 80% for my master's. if i ever disappear for a few days do not worry, if I post a lot out of a sudden, i might have a deadline coming up and that's me procrastinating (pls yell at me to go back to work)

might be presumptuous of me to assume my stuff would ever get plugged into AI but if it does I will haunt you and move all the stuff in your house one inch so you always stub your toes Update: privated my AO3 for this reason because I'm paranoid.

if you leave a nice comment I might just combust, I bookmark all of the AO3 emails relating to comments!! I love you!!!

I will always try to answer asks, but like, I have to get them first lol

things i don’t write: I am pretty vanilla but depending on the mood I might venture into dark-er stuff. but if anyone asks for piss stuff I will not judge and gently redirect them away from my ask box

greatly inspired by @391780, @soapskneebrace, @ceilidho, @charliemwrites, @ohbo-ohno, @peachesofteal, and so many others talented writers around here i am forgetting right now. I am a big fan and read almost all their stuff, and it has gotten some of my own brain worms wiggling around in here. let's just hope I don't embarrass myself

[clementines-writing-corner]

i'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

Hello friends!

As I said in my last post, I’m back!! Many apologies for disappearing into thin air after the last full length post in January, things just got crazy with the Spring semester. I was taking my big Writing Seminar class for my History Major, and researching and writing my big final paper (which was required to be 22-25 pages long and which I turned in at 49 pages long of course). I simply did not have the time, space, or mental capacity to devote the level of effort required for developing my original story and for the upkeep of this blog. 

And even after the semester ended, I got sidetracked by starting an internship for my major as well as starting a new part time job over the summer and the pet project of creating a website for my Aunt’s small business. Unfortunately, writing for personal enjoyment fell to the wayside for me for over half a year. But now, with a new semester kicking off, I’m back! ᕱ__ᕱ

Some of you may be thinking, but Clementine! It’s the start of a new semester, aren’t you going to still be too busy with college for this blog? Well…yes, I will be busy with college (and all the stuff I have to do to prep for my graduation in December)! But also no, I won’t be too busy for this blog. There are a multitude of reasons for this. For example, the fact that I’ve been cracking down on my procrastination habits over the past year and have been seeing some improvement, or the fact that I am only taking four classes this semester. But the main reason I will for sure have the time to devote to this blog and my personal creative writing again is thus: it’s become an assignment for one of my classes again! 

(Hello again, Professor M! You’ll be sick of me and my rambles by the end of the semester I promise. ᕱ__<)

I won’t bore y’all with the details but basically I’ll be picking up right where I left off with this blog, except this time I’m going to: 

#1 -  Try to be more active on this account that just my weekly posts for class. (I finally downloaded tumblr onto my phone so I should be able to partake in some doom scrolling on here as well as instagram lol.)

And #2 - For my posts that are for class, I’m going to try to have a little more focus that I did previously. As I’ve discussed here before, worldbuilding is extremely important to me, but it is also one of the parts I dread the most about developing my original story. So, I’m using my class assignment as an excuse to force myself to do at least a little something with world building and/or the development of my original story’s magic system every week.

But, as many of you know, the best laid plans often go awry, so strap in folks. It’s gonna get interesting. (But that’s the fun part after all! ᕱ__ᕱ) Hopefully, I’ll see y’all soon!

Dot your j’s and cross your t’s!

~Clementine J. Quincey 🪷

Also PS. I have a writing playlist that I've made (which I will share at some point) and the song that inspired it was this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AUn3kNda0k

It's so beautiful and awesome and epic that I just had to share! That's all. ᕱ__ᕱ

[cosmereplay]

get to know your fellow fanfic writers better ༊ ✧.*

Tagged by @chaos-monkeyy (1000 years ago 😅)

1. when did you post your first ever fanfic?

I started posting in Feb 2021!

2. first character you wrote for:

I think the first chapter of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy was from Shallan's POV.

3. main character(s) you’re currently writing for:

Not much has changed: Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin take up a great deal of space in my head and in my fic, including my current WIP Plausible Deniability (Explicit), for which I'm currently procrastinating the last chapter as I do this, lol

4. character(s) you haven’t written about before but plan on writing about soon:

I don't think I've published any Elhokar! I do have a Moash/Elhokar I started in 2021 that I would like to figure out and get out there.

5. fandom(s) you’re currently writing for:

Stormlight Archive, my beloved. My obsession for the last three years!

6. platonic pairing(s) you currently write for:

I did an RP with @wanderingchanneler with Kaladin & Szeth reluctant road trip travellers to friends, and xe's been working on editing and posting it. It's updating weekly - Convergence (Teen)

7. romantic pairing(s) you currently write for:

Mostly Shakadolin, but otherwise it's fairly eclectic. Actually now that I think of it, I write a lot of sexual stuff, and I write a lot about love, but I don't write a ton of explicitly romantic stuff. Except maybe Shakadolin 😂

8. your top 3 tags on AO3 (if you post your works on AO3):

If it's only Additional tags, then it's Oral sex, RoW spoilers, and then a four-way tie of Fluff, post-canon, canon compliant, and PWP. If it includes character tags you'll never guess: Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin, in that order.

9. your current platform where you post your works

AO3, baybee!

10. snippet of the wip you’re currently working on:

Here's Teen-rated excerpt from my draft chapter of Plausible Deniability:

“What do you mean, you don’t feel the same way anymore?” Laran demanded. “We. . . did things together! Didn’t you like it?” “No, no, it’s not that,” Veil said. Storms, how could she describe what had happened to her desire? “I just don’t feel like doing those things anymore. I still want to do other stuff. . . ” Laran crossed her arms, lit from the side by Salas’ violet light. “What, like kissing? Over the clothes stuff? It’s not like you ever wanted to be out with me in public. What’s left?” Veil shrugged. “Okay, we could play Towers at the barracks. Have dinner at your stew–” “Oh, so you can ogle the Highmarshal while I dodge Lyn’s questions about the nature of our relationship? Yeah. Sounds great,” Laran fumed, turning abruptly to look out over the mountains. Veil could tell where this was going. “We could do whatever you want. What do you want to do?” she asked, trying not to sound like she was begging. The tall Windrunner was silent for a while, then let out a long sigh. “I don’t think I want anything else. You know, Veil, some relationships shine like spheres, and others flash like lightning.” She turned to look at Veil. “It was bright while it lasted, but I can hear the thunder now. Goodbye, Veil.”  Without another word, Laran stepped up onto the balcony railing and pushed off, flying at speed into the darkness. “Everstorms!” Veil cursed into the night. She hoped it wouldn’t go this poorly with Ral when she saw her tomorrow.

Tagging @felagund-fiollaigean, @rydiaasuka, @if-one-of-us-falls, @illustraterg, @cosmererambles, @meadowlarkx and anyone else I can't remember at the moment, pretend I tagged you if you'd like to do this!

[artswaps]

Man I rlly miss being on tumblr sometimes. Like in a capacity where I'm actively engaging with other fans and creators.

I'm still here a lot but 99% of my activity is just lurking and binge-liking posts. Sorry to all the artists whose content I've liked and not reblogged. I've become the greatest malefactor of my own pet peeve lol.

(Ironic cos I think one of the biggest contributing factors to my dwindling online presence was lack of reach+engagement on my art. Combined with the frustration of never being able to consistently create or follow through on the projects I wanted to make, which made it so that even if it was my Best Work Ever, it never would've crossed peoples' radars. Such is the social media artists' curse yada yada.)

Anyway. Maybe I'll start trying to post stuff again. I decided to spontaneously hyperfixate on rottmnt recently as a means of procrastinating on assessments, so I really like Turtles now :)

I also have some Owl House wips i wanna share. I think my problem is I don't like posting things when they're still unfinished. And then because of lack of feedback, I never find motivation to finish, so they don't get seen at all.

But there was an Owl House animatic I was pouring my heart and soul into for a while that I'd feel comfortable posting bits of. And some original work.

Idk. I'm a full-time student now and also I've been busy with con prep for my first time tabling last month (a harrowing but ultimately successful experience; I'm rlly proud of myself!!), and looking at starting to booth at local markets etc.

But it'd be nice to ease back into this more self-indulgent side of art again. If I have time.

[hergrandplan]

6, 14, and 22 for the writing ask, please!

Hi anon! Thank you for sending these <3

6. Share one of your weaknesses.

Only one of them? (kidding of course)

I think one my biggest weaknesses is that I am very very wordy, to the point where it gets tedious, because I really want to bring a certain image across and I always feel that if I don't use enough words, people won't get it, but I inevitably end up using too many words and lose the power of the section anyways.

14. What's worst writing advice you've ever come across?

I usually see some merit in every piece of writing advice, but one that I really did not like was when someone told me to not use questions in my prose. Screw that, you can pry question marks out of my dead hands. Who doesn't love a good question to really focus on the doubt you're narrator is having? or idk i just like questions. really did not like when they told me to not use questions. this wasn't some academic article either, this was fiction.

22. Choose a passage from one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style.

(this is a very fun idea! Since my first Young Royals fic was posted a mere 4 months ago, I've decided to take a passage from a fic from another fandom that I wrote way back in 2019, a Percabeth one-shot in which Percy, during Son of Neptune, somehow finds himself at the Chase-residence. He still doesn't have his memory, but he remembers the one name that has echoed in his mind since he woke up. And it's the owner of that name who opens the door. You can read the original here, if you want. Don't ask me why I made it snow in San Fransisco.)

A thin layer of white coated the sidewalk in the suburban neighborhood that Percy had found himself in again. It wasn’t snow – it was, after all, San Francisco – but the hail storm that had passed a mere 15 minutes ago had left its marks on the street.

This time, Percy hadn’t meant to come here. He had just been out for a walk. He hadn’t even realized he’d crossed the camp border until it was far, far behind him. But here he was, standing in front of the bright green door. Maybe it was the mystery of it all, the not knowing, the wanting to know that compelled him to ring the doorbell. Again.

But like the previous time and the time before that and all other times he’d stood in front of this house, he was met with silence.

Send me writing asks while I procrastinate lol

[umbry-fic]

Broken Sticks

Summary: The sharing of snacks between two friends, and how it changes throughout the years.

Fandom: Rotaeno Characters: Hoppe, Ilot Relationships: Hoppe & Ilot Rating: G Word Count: 3228 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 16/07/2022

Notes: This probably won't be canon compliant in the future since I wrote it after only chapter 1 was released.

~~~

“I’m sooooo hungry,” Ilot whined, her head falling onto the mountain of homework that had built up over a week of procrastination. Sending it toppling, sheets of white scattering into the air to flutter down, like the snowflakes that never fell on Aquaria. There was no winter to speak of on this planet - it was only ever hot, hot, hot, as it was right now, the afternoon sunlight slicing through the window, unimpeded by the pitifully thin curtains that had been provided by the apartment. The rays were torture on her fins, making them droop as sweat gathered on her forehead from the heat.

That was it. She couldn’t concentrate any further, not with her stomach rumbling every two minutes. This was her limit! If she kept on like this, the room would surely start spinning around her, and she would die young in this sweltering apartment, surrounded by the results of her failures. Baked like a fish in an oven.

“That’s your own fault for skipping lunch,” Hoppe chided gently, paying her dramatics no mind. She expertly grabbed Ilot’s fleeing homework out of the air without even lifting her gaze from the book in her hand, placing them back on the table in a tidy pile, surrounded by stationery that had been left all over the place.

In contrast to her own side of the table, Hoppe’s was squeaky-clean. Her homework was all done, paper covered from top to bottom in her neat handwriting - compact letters, with straight lines drawn in a steady hand.

“But I had to watch my favourite idol’s performance! It’s not my fault that I didn’t have time to get lunch!” she protested, turning her head to pout at Hoppe, her cheek pressed against the table. “You understand, don’t you?”

“Of course.” Hoppe smiled, setting the book down to pat her on the head with one hand as she pulled something out of her pocket with the other. “Here you go.”

She gazed eagerly at the object her best friend had just procured - a rectangular box, emblazoned with the Pocky logo in large white letters. Her favourite snack, the thought of the thin, crunchy, savoury sticks with the sweet cream coating the top enough for her to start salivating.

“My saviour! Hoppe, how do you always know -”

The box was snatched from her view before she could even reach out a hand to grasp it, Hoppe wagging a finger in her face as she put on the sternest expression she could. “We’re best friends, remember? But I bought this for myself just now, so we’re sharing! Understood?”

“Okay, okay!” She waved her hands in surrender, not wanting to step on Hoppe’s toes and risk the box of Pocky being snatched away forever. If that were to happen, she would actually die. Both from heartbreak, and an empty stomach.

Mostly from an empty stomach.

Holding herself back from leaping for the box like a ravenous wolf, she closed her eyes, fingers impatiently tapping out a rhythm against her arm as she barely stopped the drool from escaping her mouth. Against the dark backdrop of her eyelids, the tear of cardboard and the rustling of foil were torture, like feathers repeatedly tickling her sensitive fins.

“Now then. Every time you take one, I’ll take one. And we’ll continue until we’ve finished the whole pack. Deal?”

“Yes, yes!” she cried, eyes snapping open to stare with sparkling eyes at the now torn open foil packet, laying on the table with Pocky sticks spilling out. So lovely and wonderful, a gift to answer any of her woes.

She’d do anything, anything to start eating!

Hoppe let out a little laugh, smiling in amusement as she shook her head. “Then go ahead.”

No other cue was needed. Within seconds, both of them had pounced onto the packet, Hoppe dropping her mature air altogether when it came to food, acting her age for once.

The next few minutes passed in bliss, stick after stick snatched from the packet as her homework went forgotten. Some nibbled on, others gobbled down instantly as she shared a conversation with Hoppe, one that could barely be understood at times, with how muffled her voice was. A meandering conversation about anything and everything, like a river with no end in sight.

They talked about schoolwork, about their schoolmates and the class gathering that would soon occur, and how boring it was guaranteed to be.

And how hot it had been lately, not a single drop of rain to be seen, the sun constantly showing its face and losing any hint of shyness it possessed before. Leaving the flowers they had grown in the shared garden located at the bottom of the apartment to wither, leaves curling in on themselves as the plants desperately pleaded for the blessing of the heavens. Waiting every day for her and Hoppe to descend upon them like angels, carrying with them the great relief of water.

Throughout it all, they couldn’t help but giggle whenever their hands collided, laughing at the sight of the other with crumbs littering their cheeks. A special warmth spread up her arm from where their free hands sat between them, their pinkies wrapped around each other, sweetness flooding her tongue as gratitude welled from deep within her heart.

Hoppe always indulged her, never complaining about the copious amounts of whining she could get up to sometimes. Always sticking by her side, offering to help her in any way she could, and willing to go along with whatever crazy shenanigans she’d thought up.

And she was the only one who ever got to see this side of Hoppe - the one who could tease playfully, who could laugh freely with her face lit up in joy, who would smile at her gently as they made cherished memories.

“Thank you so much for sharing with me, Hoppe. I know you had to be hungry too…” She trailed off as her gaze fell on the packet once more, noting the single stick poking out, at risk of rolling off the desk.

It was her turn.

“Nuh-uh!” Hoppe’s voice rang out, lightning fast, as Ilot recoiled, rubbing her forehead where Hoppe had just flicked it. “I said equal share, so no stealing!”

“Al - alright…” she mumbled, bowing her head, fins drooping in shame, feeling like a toddler that had just been reprimanded.

“I just need to split this perfectly in half,” Hoppe muttered, placing the single Pocky stick in her palm and focussing intensely on it as if it was the key to the secrets of the universe. Her hand itching towards a ruler, her penchant for everything she did to be logical and perfect showing itself.

“That’s gonna take forever! Can’t you just -”

Snap.

The both of them froze, staring down in horror at Hoppe’s now-clenched fist, fingers shakingly uncurling to reveal the final Pocky stick. Or the remaining pieces of it, having snapped in two with no hopes of being put back together.

“I’m sorry…” Ilot muttered. This was all her fault. She knew Hoppe startled easily, and yet… “I’ll take the smaller piece.”

It was the least she could do.

“No, it’s all right.” Hoppe recovered quickly, the shock washed out of her face as if it’d never been there. “Here.”

She placed the longer bit into Ilot’s slack hands, popping the pitiful quarter into her own mouth without a moment’s hesitation.

“Thank you…” Ilot whispered, staring down at the snack.

It was just like Hoppe to do this.

Her best friend only smiled, nodding reassuringly, not a hint of anger or disappointment in her eyes. “Anything for you.”

She hadn’t known, back when she was a child calling out to the quiet girl sitting alone in the dark corner of a classroom, that she would be forging a bond that could last a lifetime, strong as steel and unbending under any pressure. She didn’t know what she’d done to earn herself such an incredible friend, one that she couldn’t imagine ever losing. But what she did know was that she would never let go, and that she would cradle every moment they spent together close to her chest.

Hoping to see Hoppe’s kind smile for the rest of her life, here on Aquaria.

~~~

Sighing, Ilot let her backpack drop onto the floor, rising to her tiptoes to stretch. Her feet hurt from walking the long distance from school to this new apartment she’d just moved into, an entire kilometre further away than her previous place of residence, now six feet under the rising ocean.

With the constant patter of the rain against her window to keep her company, she began to rapidly unload the contents of her bag, excitement burning in her heart. The Q&A session hosted by Orlan would be starting soon, and it was bound to be awesome! Tuning in with headphones on to block out the sound of rain and forget the existence of school sounded incredibly relaxing, and was how she planned to end the day. She could hardly wait. But she had to finish setting up first!

Laptop, textbooks, homework…

She paused, thoughts screeching to a halt as she pulled out a familiar box from the deep depths of her backpack. Small, with the same old words printed on it, the packaging blazing pink in colour instead of the usual red.

She must have bought this from the vending machine she’d passed on the way back home, though she could barely remember doing so, mind far too tired from the deluge of lessons she had endured today.

Force of habit, for there was no one here to share it with anymore.

And just like that, the flame of excitement in her heart was snuffed out in an instant. Leaving her empty, the cold of the endless rain seeping into her and weighing her down.

Collapsing into her chair, she blinked away the tears that had sprung up in the corners of her eyes and silently pried the box open, booting up her computer with her other hand. Snacking on Pocky while listening to the livestream didn’t sound so bad.

But not even the bright voice of her favourite idol and the colour exploding from every inch of the video was enough to distract her from the letter icon on the corner of her screen, the lack of notifications seeming to mock her.

The messaging app sat dormant, as it had for the past month, ever since she had said her goodbyes to Hoppe at the Spaceport, waving weakly as she tried to put on a brave face. Only letting herself shatter once her childhood friend had disappeared into the ship, for it wouldn’t be fair to make Hoppe feel guilty.

Not a single message had arrived since then, the promise they had made, sealed with a shake of their pinkies, constantly echoing in her ears. Cracks beginning to snake through her once steadfast belief that they would be able to remain the best of friends throughout anything, even separation. No matter how many times she had told herself that she was overreacting, that it had only been a short time and that Hoppe must be busy, she couldn’t stop doubt from festering in her heart. Couldn’t help but see the shards of that promise, already lying broken at her feet.

Even then, it was still a better alternative than the thought that lurked at the back of her mind, that she desperately suppressed every time it reared its ugly head.

That something terrible had happened to Hoppe, with no one there to help her.

And the sweetness on her tongue was no longer the same as it had been before, when Hoppe was here to hold her hand as they curled up together to watch the stream. It was no longer a warm feeling that spread throughout her entire body and put her utterly at ease, comfortable enough to close her eyes and slip into sleep knowing Hoppe would be here to watch over her, but rather a bitterness that only widened the hole in her heart. Mixing with salt from the tears that slipped down her face, her trembling fingers crumpling the foil package.

She couldn’t even stomach the second stick, choosing to abandon the entire endeavour and dump the packet into the trash before crawling into bed, stream forgotten.

It wasn’t meant for her, after all.

It was meant for another, far away and out of reach.

Where are you, Hoppe? Have you found someone else to call your best friend? If you have, I wouldn’t blame you… I’m certain there are so many more people out there who would be a more fitting friend for you than me. Someone smarter and more mature, just like you. Unlike me, just a whiny brat…

I hope that, wherever you are, you’re as happy as can be.

But… I miss you…

~~~

“What’s all of that?” Bolt asked, pointing at the contents of the bucket situated on the dashboard, right next to the adorable slime plushy with a grumpy expression that she’d picked up on the planet they had just departed. His scruffy brown hair was even more fluffy than usual from the shower he had just taken, curls bouncing against his forehead as he leaned closer to get a better look at the bucket, filled to the brim with brown sticks.

“Oh, nothing special. Just Pocky,” Ilot replied nonchalantly without even turning to face him, waving away his question as she propped her feet on the dashboard, staring out the windshield at the scenery outside. At this speed, the cosmos was nothing more than a blur of black, stars flying by as tiny specks that vanished from view within seconds. The ship was configured on auto-pilot, leaving her free to lounge around as it did all the work in avoiding the debris that littered the galaxy, ensuring that they would never be in danger of colliding with a meteor.

If that situation ever did occur, she didn’t think she had the skill to navigate them out of danger, even if she’d improved greatly since leaving Aquaria on this ill-planned trip. Maybe Bolt would be able to help… and perform this “barrel roll” trick he kept mentioning.

“Can I have some?”

“No!” She slapped his hand away, scowling as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying her very best to radiate the same intimidating aura Hoppe did whenever she stopped her from stealing the cookie batter.

Maybe she just looked stupid, but it was the effort that counted!

“But why not? You’ve been filling it up for the entirety of today, and you haven’t taken a single stick back to eat!”

“No means no! It’s… Well, it’s a bit hard to explain, actually,” she said sheepishly, scratching the side of her head as she averted her gaze. To anyone else, her actions would surely look foolish. For to them, Pocky sticks were nothing more than meaningless snacks that held no significance.

Bolt most likely wouldn’t understand.

All that they meant to her, and to the girl she was doing all of this for.

“Then -”

“My ship, my rules! Remember?”

Bolt finally backed off at that, as she’d known he would. He may be a stubborn kid, but he respected airships more than anything. Whenever he was on one, he considered the captain’s word as gospel.

And somehow along the way, she had truly become the captain of this run-down ship. She had left the safe boundaries of Aquaria and travelled far in this galaxy within its metal body, faced sights she had never expected to experience in her lifetime, and learned how to guide its wheel and treat it well. Experiencing the thrill of adventure and the adrenaline of danger, burning within her heart.

She glanced at the bucket, transferring another thin Pocky stick - coated in white cream and cookie chunks - from the currently open pack in her lap to it. Before grabbing another one to munch on thoughtfully, once more staring out into space.

In the direction of the unknown, which she would march towards without any hesitation, as Hoppe had done for her so many times before. Embracing the fear she felt and using it to propel her forward, towards where she would find her childhood friend, and know the joy of embracing her once more.

“I hope you’re ready to pay me back for all of this, Hoppe…”

~~~

“Guess what!”

“Whoa!” Ilot jumped, leaning away from the box currently being waved before her face, heart leaping into her throat as she whipped her head around to stare at the person who had suddenly appeared behind her. “Hoppe! Don’t scare me like that!”

Hoppe chuckled, a sound she’d missed so terribly much. Like honey, sliding sweetly into her ears and down to her heart. After so long without it, she couldn’t get enough of it. “I see it’s still as easy to sneak up on you. And you aren’t even listening to your beloved streamer this time.”

“I wasn’t expecting you. I was just enjoying the sunset.” She pouted, pointing at the breathtaking view before them both, visible from the top of the cliff she was currently sitting on, grass tickling her thighs.

“It is incredible,” Hoppe replied, settling down next to her and taking the time to straighten out Ilot’s beret, ensuring the cat ears pointed towards the sky. The sun hung low over the rolling hills below them, painting the sky in broad scarlet and pink strokes, its final rays catching against Hoppe’s hair and making it shine. “It’s not something we could ever experience on Aquaria. It’s all just high-rises and ocean there. But…”

“You still miss it?” She let her head fall onto Hoppe’s shoulder, her hand reaching for hers to intertwine their fingers together. “I do too. But we can go back whenever we want to. Together.”

“Yeah. Together.”

Here they were, having fallen right back into how they used to be. Almost like their year apart had been no time at all, for the bond between them could never be broken. She should never have lost faith, but she would just have to make up for her mistake now, in the present, with Hoppe here by her side.

“Come on, let’s start eating,” Hoppe prompted, raising the box.

In no time at all, the box had been emptied, leaving only one Pocky stick.

The two of them smiled at each other, Hoppe snapping it in two and offering the longer piece to Ilot, as was tradition.

“One day, I’ll make you take the longer one,” she promised. She knew she would be fighting an uphill battle, but it wasn’t fair that she always got to take it.

“One day.” A grin played at the corner of Hoppe’s mouth, as if that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.

And so they spent the rest of the sunset huddled together by the cliffside, simply soaking in the other’s presence in silence, for there was nothing more that needed to be said. Overwhelming sweetness lingering on her tongue and happiness warming her heart, Hoppe’s shoulder steady beneath her head and her hand soft under her own.

Two childhood friends, reunited after trials and tribulations, finally able to simply share snacks as they’d done since they were children.

She could want nothing more.

[huxianposts]

Hi! Sorry for an outta the blue ask at (hopefully not for you) buttz o'clock, but I was wondering if you have an AO3 account or anything else for any fics you've made and posted, and if you have recs for a pegoryu, shioann, yutaba and okujima nerd. I loved seeing those snippets of your WiPs and got curious if you had anything posted somewhere. I hope you've been enjoying yourself and staying safe during these times, and I want you to know that your a great writer from what I've seen!

Hey, no problem, it’s not outta the blue at all, I’m the one sorry for taking a while! I’ve been stressing about attending grad school, so that’s been taking up my focus and I haven’t read a lot of new fics ;-; I HAVE been writing on the DL, but they’re no where near finished since I have the terrible habit of writing snippets here and there for like, 25 wips lmao. There are some that are close to being complete, but the editing and formatting takes a while and I’m procrastinator extraordinaire. 

I do have an ao3 and I’m a bit shy about sharing it, but if you look up Huxian, that’s me. I just have two pegoryu fics up atm, but I am hoping of posting more fics soon!

I don’t have many fic recs since I haven’t read a ton of p5 fics, but here are some that’s caught my attention/remembered fondly:

Pegoryu; I have a lot of pegoryu fic recs but I’ll limit them alkdjfal again, as you can tell from this blog, I have an intense fondness for them:

Lost and Found by nuuneyraegon, rated T-- it’s the most recent one I’ve managed to read, since Rae is my bud, and it’s a really introspective and sweet fic. Very intimate and vulnerable, and it makes me feel emo in both sad and good ways! It gets heavy though when the boys talk about their own backstories, so if you like a good dose of angst, this is the place for you :’)

monochrome by kareofbears, rated T-- I’ve read this months ago but like, the character study and the analogies are so good, I’m still floored and rolling around about it. There’s this underlying quietness to this fic that feels like the dawn breaking the horizon, and it’s just really beautiful.

if it’s all for you then it’s worth it by hellodenihere, rated G-- i’m a shill for Ryuji and am also forever freaking livid about his broken leg. This fic is a balm to that rage, and really showcases the team’s care and love towards Ryuji, like thank you bless, I want to bequeath Deni with flowers

as essential as sunlight by canticle, rated T-- The impact of reading this still astounds me. The writing, the tenderness, and like the connection written in this fic is so heartaching and good, like take my wallet, please. I don’t have too much to say about this since I’ve read this a while ago, but the sheer emotion I feel just seeing the title speaks for itself.

Yutaba, I haven’t read many, but I’ll probably start hunting again after I post some works, but there’s one that I first found that sold me on the ship lol:

Futaba and Yusuke Make a Doujinshi by OpheliaDusk, rated T-- I tend to avoid chapter fics due to time constraints/patience issues, but this one was. Really good, and funny, and it felt like something that would happen in-game as a mini subplot lmao. It felt like it’s own little world, and I got sucked in. The characterization is really lovely, and the pacing feels good. This was def a feel-good read for me.

Okujima I don’t have a ton of fics I’ve found that focus JUST on them, or is written in a way I’d like, but again, I’ll go hunting soon lol:

Fleeting Starlight by MarsFlameSniper, rated G-- it’s a p5d fic, and like, the dreaminess of that game really shows in this fic. It’s written with this happy feel, but with an underlying angst that honestly surprised me because the pining felt so real. I really love Makoto being shown as soft and awkward, and this fic really delivered in how she watches Haru dance

Standing on her Own by LyriaBlackFrost, rated G-- I love Haru very dearly, and while this fic is short, it feels like a prayer for her. The game did her spectacularly dirty, and this fic really showcases her quiet strength and endurance through gardening and team support.

Annshiho, man, they are def one of the big otps and I have not hunted enough solo fics for them ;-; granted, like Okujima, there’s not a lot of solo fics for them hhh:

star-crossed ain’t the right word for it by obstinateRixatrix, rated G-- this one is a picture-embedded fic of Ann and Shiho texting one another. It’s really cute, Shiho is sassing Ann left and right, and it just honestly feels like a part of the game itself, a sneak-peek into Takamaki Ann’s life with her best friend, hhhhhh

harbor by obstinateRixatrix, rated G-- this one. Killed me. So good. It takes Ann’s canon care and devotion to Shiho and paints the step by step on how she got to that point. You see Shiho’s side and her actions in befriending Ann, and showing us WHY Ann falls for her. Ann’s fiery optimism and Shiho’s steady care is a staple of this fic, and every time I read this, I fall in love with their dynamic all over again.

Sorry for the long post, I just want to cover all bases fkdsjfalksf but thank you so much for your sweet words, like, it means a lot to me that you like what I’ve shown! Thank youuuu!!

[insomnia-and-caffeine]

Hello again, Tumblr!! Procrastination has once again pushed me to my one-in-a-while life dump.

Everything is kind of chaotic atm. Between working 20-25 hours a week and getting through the end of year 12, it kind of just feels like a constant grind towards the end. In a few months, everything will be totally different. All of these people that I've grown to love at school, work, and a number of social environments are going to disappear from my life almost entirely - and that scares me. All of the people that I routinely check in with, have little inside jokes with, and actually care a lot about - but don't have a close enough relationship with to stay in contact will just become strangers again.

i just don't seem to have enough free time to invest in hobbies or interests like this anymore, which is a little sad.

I love people; class-specific friends, sweet regular customers at work, childhood friends whose existences periodically crosse yours again. on the note of work tho - those sweet regulars are few, I've had far more experiences of people yelling and throwing stuff at me :/// the passive (and active lol) aggression faced by fast food workers really is something. tbh I just feel sorry for the people who feel angry enough at life to verbally abuse teenagers/young adults just doing their jobs; matching the energy helps no one.

no coherence here, i'm sorry.

i'm closer to a relationship now than I've ever been before. that doesn't mean a ton, considering I've never even reached the 'talking phase' before. but staying up late into the night just discussing the world with another person - idk, it hits different. on the one hand, I feel secure, confident and happy knowing that someone is drawn to me. on the other, I'm sacred. scared that I won't be interesting enough, wise enough, brave enough... it's all prompting some self observation.

what else has been weighing on my mind... travel? i really want to take a year off, to live, and work, and see the world - I can't express how much I would LOVE to see Europe. but at the same time, I'm worried that if I step away from formal education, I might never return to it.

i've been sleeping better then ever (overworking myself and being subsequently exhausted all the time would probably helo there haha) - so I feel like I should change my name here.

oooh this account: The Post got over 250 notes - so after I publish this I'm gonna take it down.

i think that'll do for now. if you actually read this, thank you for caring and investing. i don't actually expect anyone to, I just enjoy jotting down the goings-on in my life every so often - it'll be nice to look back on as a kind of time capsual.

heaps of love to everyone <33