#it'd just take me like 8 years or so. worth it.

[flufflecat]

working on a project

[penkura]

knowing [7/8]

Summary: Sanji knew you were the one the moment he met you.

Pairing: Sanji x Reader

Warnings: None really. Normal One Piece stuff I guess.

Note: The end is near!! Wano my beloved, I love Sanji in Wano sm. Another shorter one, compared to six and eight, but we're in the home stretch!! Next chapter is the finale and I hope it will be worth it!

Taglist:

@jzkeisuke | @arcanumlaw

[Ch. 1] ● [Ch. 2] ● [Ch. 3] ● [Ch. 4] ● [Ch. 5] ● [Ch. 6]

Your arrival in Wano started with all of you separated from Luffy, navigating your way through a forested area, hoping to find a town. Sanji kept a hold of your hand the whole time, refusing to let you wander off or get left behind somehow. Of course you weren't like Zoro with your sense of direction, Sanji just wanted to be sure you didn't get separated from the group (mostly from him).

Once you did find Luffy, Kin'emon got you all up to speed on what they had been doing. You were to help recruit more Samurai and ninja for the raid on Onigashima in about two weeks. You'd have to take on a role in the city to keep a low profile, while passing out the cards with the insignia that Kin'emon had put together. He provided disguises with his technique, Nami's being a lot more showy than she liked so she had to adjust it, but you were quick to try and reject whatever he tried to dress you in.

"No no, I think I'm fine with what I'm wearing. I'm a kunoichi already."

"While yes you are, it would be better if you could take on another role for the time being!"

"Then she'll stay with me!" Sanji nodded, putting his arms around your shoulders, Franky and Usopp both still confused since you hadn't had the chance to tell them yet, "We could pretend we're married and running a stall together!"

"Hey Sanji," Usopp was a bit concerned, but did take note of how you didn't push Sanji off or anything, "Maybe she wants to go help Nami or we could see if she can help Franky get the mansion plans. There's no need for you guys to pretend you're a couple!"

"We won't be pretending we're a couple! Just that we're married! We're already together so it doesn't matter!"

"...wait what?"

Realizing what he said, Sanji blushed a bit before hiding his face in your shoulder, making you pat him on his head. You found it funny how he seemed to become so shy about it, maybe because you two hadn't gotten to actually sit and tell Usopp and Franky.

"Poor, poor boyfriend. I don't mind pretending we're married and helping Sanji."

"B…boyfriend?!"

"Yes, Sanji and I are dating."

Franky and Usopp both shouted at you, asking when that happened and being surprised when you said it'd been about two years. Telling you it was 'super' you were together, Franky started crying while Usopp couldn't believe how you kept such a secret for so long, asking who else knew.

"Everyone. You guys were the last two we had to tell."

"Whaaaat??"

+!+

After everything had been settled and you allowed Kin'emon to give you a disguise that let you blend in like a regular Wano housewife, you helped Sanji and Usopp figure out what kind of food stall Sanji would run. The lone soba stand caught your attention, and you noticed Sanji was watching them carefully, which caused you to say his name and get him out of his thoughts. He'd been watching closely after a young girl and her mother had gone up and gotten bowls themselves.

"Hey, do me a favor. Go get in line and get a bowl of that soba."

"Uh, ok, babe, I can do that."

You stood in line for a while, Sanji and Usopp off to the side talking while you waited, until the stand owners stopped taking orders just before you got up to the front. When you went back over to them, you latched back onto Sanji's arm and apologized that you couldn't get a bowl but he gave you a smile.

"Nah, don't worry. I got the information I needed, thank you."

Confused, you still smiled back and nodded, the three of you returning to where you'd be staying during your time in Wano. You'd all had dinner, thanks to Sanji of course, before turning in for the night, and you absolutely refused to go with anyone but Sanji. Might as well really play the part of husband and wife, was your excuse when Nami said you should go with her, Shinobu, and Carrot. She rolled her eyes at you and just said not to go making any babies or anything, causing you to turn bright, bright red and threaten to revoke her honorary kunoichi status while she laughed at you.

"You could've gone with the girls, it would've been fine."

You shook your head, wrapping your arms around Sanji while he did the same to you, pulling you even closer to himself.

"I'd much rather stay with you~"

His turned bright red, no matter how many times you share a bed, it still made Sanji so nervous. He still didn’t believe that you were real, that you loved him and wanted him, he’d never had anyone return his feelings and affections before you. Maybe it was crazy, to think so much about marrying you already, when you were technically his first and only girlfriend, but it seemed like you had the same thoughts, especially after the whole fiasco with his family and the Big Mom pirates.

He didn’t want to ever put you through emotional distress like that again.

“Hey, uh—”

Sanji tried to say something, but instead, he heard you snoring already, very lightly. It made him breathe in relief, with a smile on his face. You really helped him out that day with getting his soba stand ready, you must’ve been so wiped out.

“Sleep well, mon amour.”

I’ll ask you another day.

+!+

With the raid on Onigashima just days away, you and Sanji had found less time to spend with each other during waking hours. You’ve all moved elsewhere to prepare for the raid, Kin’emon and the other Samurai helping you where they could as they prepared too. Shinobu and Raizo had taken a liking to you since you were a kunoichi yourself, both being surprised but impressed to hear you were from an offshoot of Wano, asking how the village was doing and making plans to go there once Wano’s borders were opened.

Two nights before the raid, Sanji finally worked out some time for the two of you to spend and relax, he made a dinner for just the two of you, that Luffy tried multiple times to sneak a bite from until Nami pulled him away and gave him the dinner Sanji made for all of them. The last time Nami had to drag him away made you laugh, while Sanji just rolled his eyes.

“Bottomless pit, that’s what he is.”

“We’ve known that for two years now.”

You giggled, leaning into Sanji’s arm with your head on his shoulder, causing him to kiss the top of your head before you sighed happily.

“I’m glad to have this time with you…everything’s going to be insane day after tomorrow.”

“Yeah…but it’ll be okay. We’ll free this place and then be on our way again.”

“I know, it’s just…getting there is going to be a lot.”

Sanji knew you were probably worried about him, honestly about everyone, but he was the only one you were expressing those worries to. He wanted you to be relaxed and to know that everything would be perfectly fine. Robin had talked to him about how you were seeming more worried as time went on, as the raid got closer, and he got an idea of how to maybe calm you down, but it might also make you even more worried, he wasn’t sure of what to do.

Do I ask her now…? Is this a weird time to propose?

Before he even had a chance to say anything, the two of you were being called by Usopp for something about the raid, making you sigh with a slightly sad smile on your face before looking at Sanji.

“Duty calls. But,” you stopped and kissed him before getting up to go see what was going on, both of you smiling after, “This was lovely, Sanji, you’re the best boyfriend ever.”

“Stop, I’m just taking care of my beautiful girlfriend…we’ll do this again, okay?”

“Of course. I love you, Sanji~”

“I love you too, my dear.”

Later. I’ll ask her later, once everything is settled here.

+!+

"No I…I didn't do anything!"

"You're the only one who could have!"

The geishas threw things at Sanji to get him out of the room, it barely phased him as he did so, wondering what on earth just happened. He had no idea! He'd been running off from Queen and the other Animal Pirates to get his thoughts in order over the oddities he'd noticed about himself recently, so lost in thought he didn't have any clue what caused this one geisha to go flying.

Though, his greatest fear now was that he had caused her to become hurt. Maybe it really was the only thing that made sense. Was he losing himself to that Germa science raid suit?

"Let me see that Germa science, Judge's son!"

Queen kept up his attempts to rile Sanji in order to see the raid suit technology, which Sanji kept denying. This time he was still so lost in thought, wondering what you, over anyone else, would have thought seeing what just happened.

Or worse…what if I hurt [Y/N] next time?

If he hurt you because of those genetic abilities, Sanji would never forgive himself. He'd never forgive his father or Germa for anything anyway, but should their science cause him to harm the most important person in his life, all that blame would fall on his own shoulders. He'd only meant to test the raid suit, not become dependent upon it or let it awaken the monstrous abilities his brothers had from the start. He never thought that would be possible after Reiju explained why he was so different from the rest of them.

Tell me, Luffy….which would you prefer? The regular flesh-and-blood me who turns into a helpless wreck when facing a woman, or a cruel emotionless warrior of science who can kill without discrimination if you give the order? Which of these would be more useful to you, as king of the pirates?

Despite his thoughts wondering if Luffy would somehow be better served by Germa's science, Sanji's thoughts also drifted to you as he retrieved the raid suit from his pocket. Which version would you prefer? Someone willing to kill anyone without qualms if so directed, or would you still prefer the emotional mess of a man that doted on you and had your respect for sticking to his principles of not fighting a woman?

"I've made up my mind."

"Ooh," Queen's excitement over seeing the raid suit was quite obvious, "is that your raid suit?!"

"I have to assume that this thing caused the science already in my body to awaken and activate somehow," Sanji dropped the raid suit to the ground, lifting his foot while Queen watched him stomp on the canister, "Well, I can't do anything about that! But I can say no more! I won't become a Germa soldier!"

"Aww what a waste!! I wanted to see you transform!"

Pulling out a baby transponder snail, calling Zoro and letting him argue with him briefly about his reasoning for slipping it into his band, Sanji hated making such a request of Zoro of all people.

"We're gonna win this but…after the finisher if I'm not…in my right mind, I need you to kill me."

"All right, fine! I'll kill you after this is over, whatever that means!"

"And I…need you to tell [Y/N]--"

"I'm not saying anything sappy!"

There was no time to argue or fight, so Sanji just nodded. He figured it'd be a long shot anyway.

"At least I'll have something to look forward to after this. So don't die until then!"

"Thanks."

"Hey," they were short on time, but Zoro decided he'd say one more thing, "I'll tell her."

"Appreciate it."

+!+

"Oh my gosh, Sanji, what happened?!"

You had finished helping Usopp and Nami get Otama somewhere safe, and returned back into the castle to search for anyone else that needed help or to find the rest of your comrades. After finding most everyone, though you had no idea where Zoro was really and knew Luffy was on the roof, you ended up finding a room with some geishas who were tending to Sanji's injuries. You were instantly on your knees beside him asking the geisha girl next to him what happened.

"He…he fought and defeated Master Queen!! He protected me after we accused him of attacking me!"

You might have to ask him about that last bit later, but you were so relieved to hear Sanji was all right, he was just injured but was being treated by the geishas.

Of course you protected her, you sweet man..

Leaning over, you gently kissed his forehead which surprised the geisha girl, Osome, you'd later learn.

"You're so amazing. I love you, Sanji."

"O-Oh, are you two…?"

You smiled at Osome with a nod. "Yes! He's the love of my life! Thank you for taking care of him!"

"I-It's the least I could do after he saved Chuji!"

The little mouse squeaked and made you smile softly. Osome explained everything to you, while you stayed by Sanji for the moment, brushing his hair back out of his face and holding his hand. After you heard the whole story, knowing Sanji wasn't at fault for Osome being hurt and that he'd beaten Queen, you stood up when you heard some shouting about the fire.

"Can you stay with him for me? I'm going to go help some others!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Thank you!"

You ran out of the room, promising yourself and Sanji that you two would get some time alone again soon, and you'd tell him how proud you were of him.

Soon, I swear.

[g-xix]

SIDEMEN RANKING: Which of the Sidemen would make the best boyfriend?

ik this was a tag challenge for Beta Squad last year but I thought I'd do this for the Sidemen... Gonna tag @w2soneshots @xxkatxgracexx @chemreacti0n, @anaaye7 and @inevesgf to do this next w their own opinions... but really anyone who sees this can, if you want :)

-----------

7. Tobi -Just such hard red flag vibes i cannot LIE -Sure he's a pretty face n hot n all that... -But the boys always say he's really secretive + ppl never know where he is half the time... Instantly a bit red flaggy -And then also i feel like he'd be one of those hypocritical bf's that want a woman who's completely virginal and saintly, regardless of whether he has been his entire life. 🤐

6. Harry -I said it'd be realistic and im not gna pander to the w2s girlies this time when i dont think it's true to reality 👿 -Because Harry is very much a spontaneous personality -And as a couple, or being in a relationship - it's very much sorta based in working around being partners, atl when it gets more serious -But I feel like Harry's one of them personas that gets motivation to do things very sporadically, and that just means he struggles matching to other people and working around a schedule that agrees with someone else's -And in those unmotivated phases he gets, I fear he would be so negative nancy-ish, like, wouldn't be inspiring anything within you, very demotivating to yourself... Not really a fun person to do things with or be around. Let alone date

5. Ethan -Tbf i have to respect it bc he's had a long term partner now and he's fully living w Faith n has little baby Olive, too... Very respectable, realistic, reliable. -...But. -We've all seen the Growing Paynes podcast clip where him and Faith argue about the fact that Ethan's not gna propose until Faith agrees to take his second name and drop her family surname. -So we know that he wouldn't be able to compromise. -And from SDMN sunday's, we already know he's quite stubborn. -Although, that being said - there's definitely a lot of good that comes with Ethan, iven if he doesn't carry all of the forwards thinking views -Like, he's a very familiy oriented man - which i generally don't like - but the clip that jumps out to me is seeing him tear up on the pod saying about how he gets upset and he doesn't like seeing Faith and Olive getting shittalked by fans. -The genuineness and honesty and raw emotion of that one actually got me respecting Ethan quite a bit. -Also j because he's very in touch with mental health and physical health bc of his fitness journey, I do feel like he would be a very reliable and motivating partner which is quite good from him. Bosh.

4. JJ and Vik, tied for this spot. -They both have equal number of "yeah that's quite good"s and "oh that's not-!"s -Like, one thing that contrasts these two are emotional intellect. -Because JJ I feel like is highly in touch with his emotional side - like, he's had therapy and ik his current gf is a therapist - he definitely understands emotions and would be really uplifting and helpful in times whereby emotionally you're not doing the best and need someone to be a listener or just generally be there for you. -Vik on the other hand...? I feel like Vik has the mindset of a corporate business, in the fact that emotions are really hard for him to register and deal with appropriately sometimes. -Like, i mentioned this on the Crying HC's, Vik is deffo sorta made uncomfortable or rendered a little bit shocked and helpless when confronted with big displays of emotions bc he just doesn't know how to respond n deal with them. -One issue with both of them I can pick up asw, is the fact that they'd be always travelling and busy with their work: JJ with Prime, Misfits and music tours - Vik with business and music, too... Definitely makes the relationship a bit hard when during 8 days of the week, these guys are everywhere but home with you -BUT! It is very worth mentioning that these guys have both had long term relationships which don't just appear out of nowhere. -Vik is so respectful of his wife which I have sm respect for - their wedding was beautiful + even in the SDMN roast when a joke was made about her that felt a bit disrespectful, Vik didn't laugh at it - he fully kept a straight face out of respect for her which I lowkey highkey respect, because it takes balls not to follow the crowd n laugh at that sorta thing when everyone else is -And I mean, JJ also has been dating his gf for like, 7 maybe 8 years??? I don't remember what he said in his vid... But again, clearly shows a lot of commitment to the relationship which I respect! -Only con exclusive to JJ which I can think of, is that he's kinda misogynistic which would 100% reflect in a relationship which is annoying... Liiiiike, all his try not to laughs and content atm just feels very misogyny fuelled and has rly put me off of his JJ Olatunji channel, unfortunately. -But I think overall - JJ and Vik are both relatively equal in terms of who would be better/worse to date

2. Joshuaaaa! -I reckon Josh isn't the most entertaining or handsome or funny or cool or young or funny or young of the lot -... -But I reckon he'd be a great boyfriend -I mean - reoccurring theme - but he's been in a relationship with Freya for 13+ flipping years, if you've voluntarily kept someone with you for that long, something about you has gotta be good. -And he's definitely one of the more/most chill of the boys like, I feel a lot of the other boys are more sorta guarded or sensitive about their partner... But Josh is 100% Freya's hypeman, and the same for Freya to Josh -Like, Josh as a partner would be the most easy life ever - bro always has everything planned and under control CONSTANTLY, never a day of stress with him -Just yes.

Simon miniMINTER -(idk why formatting has switched up on me at the last minute) -But honestly this guy is so much more mature than the rest of the Sidemen it's both lowking shocking and so satisfying to watch -And again, for the final time: Has had a partner for nearly/maybe even 8 years - he deffo just gets it. -Understands compromise, and even in the vlogs with Talia - you can just tell he's become so much less stubborn and accommodating in his life as he's grown and gotten married and wisened up -Speaking of Talia: He's genuinely her biggest supporter. I rmbr watching her music vid Bored, and she was getting loads of hate for it at the time - but Simon was supporting thru n thru on insta, youtube, her lives.... I love that sm for him, he's so gf-oriented, which we love to see. -And also omds he's aging like fiiiiiine wine -Bc the beard and hair atm? Omds pictures from SoccerAid had me lowkey sweating over this GUYYY -And ik that he keeps his relationship off camera quite a bit - but i feel like that is once again a show of maturity from just knowing (having done YouTube for so long) that he wants to keep work and life separate -Which also shows a lot of healthy mindset n thinking which is why I think that yah, Simon is just like, top tier bf material -Scores 100% in looks, likeability and everything else possible

[howdoesagrapewrites]

𝘼𝙏𝙎𝙑 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧

Cw: no witty title, it's just headcanons about their weather preferences.

MILES MORALES is a totally a spring/autumn kind of guy, maybe slightly inclined towards fall, he likes the cafes and overall aesthetic, drawing on rainy days typa stuff. And he likes the cold weather outfits better, he doesn't get that cold, but his mom definitely tells him to wear more layers of clothing because it's cold and he'll get sick.

Heat resistance: 6/10

Cold resistance: 7/10

GWEN STACY is a summer girl, surprisingly. However, her heat tolerance is very bad, so it's common to her to have a killer headache after a beach day, she says it's worth it, she also sunburns really easily and has to apply sunscreen in copious amounts. She doesn't dislike the cold, but I think her favorite part of winter is the snow, she loves snowball fights (snowball wars, to her) and hot cocoa, she doesn't like spring as much since she became spider-woman, she doesn't have terrible allergies, but she has some, and it gets hard to breathe under the mask.

Heat resistance: 4/10

Cold resistance: 7/10

PETER B. PARKER is also an autumn enjoyer, he loves Halloween, loves the occasional rain, and it loves that the color palette reminds him of Mary Jane, he's cheesy like that. He likes winter too, mostly Christmas (I headcanon him as partly jewish, but he celebrates Christmas, you cannot tell me this man doesn't leave cookies for Santa), summer is not his favorite part of the year, but he learned to love it for his wife.

Heat resistance: 5/10

Cold resistance: 9/10

HOBIE BROWN has no preferences, I mean, he has them, but they're constantly changing. He likes winter/fall clothes better, but it doesn't matter, because this motherfucker has the best heat tolerance ever, he doesn't even break a sweat, it's 40°c outside and he's wearing a leather coat and combat boots while Gwen is becoming a puddle on the floor. He likes to eat ice cream, no matter the season, he also bites ice lollies/popsicles. 💔

Heat resistance: 10/10

Cold resistance: 8/10

PAVITR PRABHAKAR loves spring, he doesn't like that valentine's day is in winter, he thinks it should be in spring!! It's much nicer!! He also likes the festivals that occur that time of the year. He has mild allergies but not enough to make him dislike this beautiful time of the year. He likes the rest of seasons equally, but spring takes the grand prize by a long shot. He doesn't have particularly bad cold resistance, but he likes wearing a lot of knitted items.

Heat resistance: 7/10

Cold resistance: 7/10

MIGUEL O'HARA is a winter person. I think he really enjoyed summers when he had Gabriela, because she was on vacation and they did cool summer activities together. But now that time of the year brings him sadness, and he never loved the summer to start with, he doesn't like to sweat.

Heat resistance: 5/10

Cold resistance: 8/10

JESSICA DREW likes spring, she likes cold strawberry lemonade, maybe a beer after fixing her bike, he likes to get flowers for herself and be gifted flowers. She also strikes me as a morning person, so she loves those healthy breakfasts with fruits and granola. She likes having the summer vibe without the heat. She's another hot cocoa lover, but she wants to perfect the best recipe, and tries every winter, and she's a sucker for maple syrup, and can't wait to spend winters with his child.

Heat resistance: 8/10

Cold resistance: 7/10

MARGO KESS likes winter too, but it'd be most appropriate to say it's late autumn she likes staying indoors, but being able to go for a walk or simply step out of the house without a blizzard, she likes the freedom it provides, it doesn't force you indoors, it just makes it easier. She's adores the cottagecore spring though, but it's mostly the aesthetic, but it does feel nice to have some warmth hitting your skin after winter.

Heat resistance: 5/10

Cold resistance: 6/10

PETER PARKER aka Spider-Noir doesn't have much of a preference, his world doesn't have colors, so he can't fully appreciate spring, winter feels the most natural to him, but he'll pick summer because he likes seeing his Mary Jane in summer dresses. He has average tolerance for any climate, so he's quite indifferent.

Heat resistance: 6/10

Cold resistance: 6/10

PENI PARKER likes summer! She likes going to the pool, eating ice cream, going to convenience stores to buy icy treats, loves summer fruits, summer really cheers her up, spring is a close second though. She still likes winter, mostly the festivities.

Heat resistance: 9/10

Cold resistance: 8/10

GAYATRI SINGH likes spring, this is due Pavitr's influence, she always liked spring, but seeing him so hyped really pulls her heart strings, she also likes celebrating Sikh new year with her father, she has good childhood memories. She does hate something, and that's SWEAT, she hates it, she can stand sweaty hands, but she'd distract the other person and wipe her hands in desperation, and I'm sure she's the type of person who'd leave the bed because Pavitr was sweaty, or who'd take a cold shower in the middle of the night because of this. So summer is not for her, early spring is her favorite time. She also enjoys autumn a lot.

Heat resistance: 4/10

Cold resistance: 6/10

GANKE LEE is a winter lover through and through, he likes the snow, has mixed feelings about Seollal, but loves it most of the time, and his favorite part is staying inside drinking a hot beverage. He loves winter but has poor tolerance to the cold, like Gwen and summer, so he's freezing most of the time, but it's okay (he'll steal all the sweaters Miles doesn't use).

Heat resistance: 5/10

Cold resistance: 3/10

MILES G. MORALES was one of those kids whose nose constantly bled during the summer, he also fainted a couple times, he's embarrassed by it, so he always has a fan near him, and eats a lot of ice cream and cold drinks to lower his body temperature. He can't bring himself to hate summer though, it's his mother favorite time of the year, and he's a mama's boy. His favorite time of the year is also fall, because the weather isn't that extreme and he still gets to enjoy the cold.

Heat resistance: 2/10

Cold resistance: 9/10

RIO MORALES loves summer with her whole heart, she's the mom that makes caldo when it's hot like hell outside, she loves going to the farmer's market to buy fresh fruit, and she loves having a girl's night with her friends during the summer. She loathes the cold, not because she can't resist it, but because she is paranoid about her and her family getting sick. She used to give Miles those weird ass concoctions that claimed to solve every illness, she still threatens to give it to him when he's leaving home without a jacket. She trusts vic vaporub with her life.

Heat resistance: 10/10

Cold resistance: 7/10

JEFFERSON DAVIS is fucking cold blooded, when it's hot outside he acts like a lizard bathing in the rays of sunlight. Obviously his favorite season is summer. He wears so many layers under his police uniform he needs a bigger size during the winter. Jefferson loves Brooklyn and could never leave, but it's SO COLD, he has asked Rio more than once, "honey, do you ever feel like going back to Puerto Rico?" And she's like "Jeff what the hell???".

Heat resistance: 10/10

Cold resistance: 1/10

MARY JANE WATSON loves new year's eve and Christmas, winter really brings back beautiful memories of her youth with Peter, but MJ is a summer gal at heart. She has a (strictly monogamous) hot girl summer every year, she likes feeling sexy and desired by her husband and doesn't want to take the spark for granted. She loves taking Mayday to the beach with her, and buys her the cutest toddler bathing suits, they regularly buy matching ones, MJ wearing a bikini and May on a frilly onesie. Unlike the other snowbunnies in this post, she doesn't sunburn easily, just gets a lot more freckles. She still doesn't leave the sun screen behind, ever.

Heat resistance: 8/10

Cold resistance: 8/10

[kairiscorner]

MAGANDANG ARAW POOOI nainlove po ako sa mga xfilipino!reader nyo!!! can it be Pavitr's next? thank you po have a great day!!!!!!!!

MAGANDANG MAGANDANG MAGANDANG MAGANDANG MAGANDANG ARAW POOOOOO (shit asa radyo beh LMAO) OOOO THIS IS SO CUTE! ngl, i think pav would be the favorite one of filo parents out of all the four :'>> BUT OK, HERE'S WHAT I GOT !!

pav x filipino reader

this boy, oh this boy........ yeah i'm pretty sure your parents would love him the minute they met him. he's so respectful and upbeat, HE GETS ALONE WELL WITH ALL YOUR RELATIVES MGEE, all your cousins want him and his hair, LIKE HE'S PROBABLY THE TYPE TO USE THE SHAMPOO SACHETS AND IT'D COME OUT STUNNING !!!

i think he'd get along really well with your younger cousins and your ates or female cousins, like idk, i just have a feeling he'd get along with them better than anyone else. OH AND HE'D BE THE FAVORITE OF YOUR LOLAS MAN, HE'S A LOLA'S BOY, YOU CANNOT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME.

oh and at karaoke? BEHHHH HE SLAYING OUT THERE, HE CAN SING MORISETTE AND REGINE FROM THE BOTTOM OF HIS HEART, he sings from the heart kaya ang ganda ng boses niya <333

+ he looks at you when he sings a filo love song

++ HE WINKS AT YOU WHEN HE GETS TO THE INTERLUDE

+++ HE WALKS OVER TO YOU AND HE ASKS TO DANCE WITH YOU AS HE SINGS !!!!!!!!!

when "awitin mo at isasayaw ko" comes on, HE TAKES YOU BY THE HAND AND STARTS GROOVING WITH YOUUU kahit sabihin mo di ka magaling sumayaw, wala siyang PAKE, SASAYAWIN KA NIYA KAHIT DI KA MARUNONG UY !!

he'd sing along, or hum if he doesn't know the lyrics, AND HE'D DIP YOU MID DANCE AND CHUCKLE WHEN YOU YELP AS HE DOES THAT BECAUSE HE JUST DOES IT OUT OF NOWHERE TO SURPRISE YOU

also he's the type to wake up super early and be super extra in telling your parents he's here to take you to school :>> like...... "hello po, tito, tita! nandito po ba ang aking tanging iniibig? sapagkat nandito ako upang ihatid siya sa kulunga-- ESTE..... sa school po :>"

man, he's always prepared for any emergency when he takes you out to school or back home, or anywhere, really. he's always got extra money to use when you wanna get an after school snack or maybe buy some school supplies for you in case you need something right away at para di ka na maabala ykyk

and he always has a go-bag, i'm pretty sure he was that kid at school na laging may dalang go-bag kahit tapos na mga fire and earthquake drills, and he'd ALWAYS be ready with stuff you need, he doesn't judge. your favorite snacks, bottled water, pamaypay, pads, power bank, all kinds of chargers, and ofc 25/8 pagmamahal sayo YIEEEEE

when you two walk home, he's always insisting to hold your hand the whole time. his excuse is sa sobrang ganda mo kasi, baka mawala ka sa kanya :< may magsteal sayo raw :> HE LOVES HOLDING YOUR HAND AND IS SO FREAKING GIDDY WHEN YOU HOLD HIM, especially when you rub the pad of your thumb on the back of his hand AHFEIJBVIRFVBRFBVRNORFOB deds na siya

he also never fails to do the "mano po" when he meets your parents, SIYA MISMO LALAPIT SA KANILA KAHIT HE JUST NEEDS TO BE AT THE GATE OF YOUR HOUSE, HE WILL PERSONALLY COME UP TO YOUR PARENTS AND GREET THEM AND GIVE THEM A MANO PO

he so freaking sweet omg,,, so sweet that if you two separated classes any school year after you two became a thing, HE IS THE TYPE TO COME TO YOUR CLASSROOM HABANG WALA PANG TEACHER TAS IHAHARANA KA NIYA <333

"mahal ko, i can't last a day without seeing you! please, huwag mo kong kalimutaaaaaaan!"

he's addicted to calling you mahal, because not only are your standards so high for a guy na SIYA LANG ANG TANGING STANDARD <333 but bc you truly are his mahal <333

"grabe, ang mahal namang mahalin ka......." (looks back at all the stuff he does for you) "......pero ang worth it talaga ng gastos ko if it means akin ka lang, mahal <333"

a/n: IN SHORT, PAV IS THE STANDARD, HE IS THE STANDARD <3333

[hermitknut]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Tag Game

@birdylion tagged me :D

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

56.

2. what’s your total AO3 word count?

440,219

3. what fandoms do you write for?

There've been quite a few over the years. Currently Goblin Emperor (slightly on the back burner while I unkink my writer's block) and Hands of the Emperor (just started dabbling, nothing posted yet). Before that Merlin, Green Rider, Realm of the Elderlings, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter predominantly, with little dips into Discworld, Sherlock, Sweep, Supernatural, Percy Jackson, Lady Trent, Life on Mars, Old Kingdom, Life on Mars, and MASH. I have some Narnia stuff kicking about in my drafts somewhere, and while I've never posted it I've been writing Animorphs fanfic for years.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Stairs Beneath the Heart: Goblin Emperor, a series of vignettes that runs parallel to the canon that I posted through the start of the pandemic and really enjoyed. It was the first time in ages I'd had a regular posting schedule, and the first time ever I'd had that much fandom attention on something I was writing - everyone was so lovely <3.

Take These Tower Stones: Goblin Emperor, the sequel to the above, a much more coherent and consistent story which everyone was again really supportive of <3

What Friends Are For: Discworld; Angua gives Vetinari the shovel talk. There's a big disparity in the stats between the previous two fics and the rest, so these last three were a surprise to me! I'm glad people liked them though :)

Fire in the Night: Merlin, somewhat angsty nightmare/comfort oneshot. Again, surprised to see this one so near the top, but pleasantly so.

The Michen Emperor: Goblin Emperor again, currently the bane of my existence because I can't seem to finish it (I will eventually, just need to unstick my brain). Really appreciate all the love people have shown it. Basically, what if canon but with smol!Maia.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably either Take These Towers Stones, or Red Sky (which is a tiny little snippet of fluff).

8. do you get hate on fics?

I've had a few shitty comments, and mostly I've just deleted them. I've never had any extended hate campaigns or anything, just people who mistakenly thought their dislike was worth expressing.

9. do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Occasionally; usually though not always queer, normally pretty tame. I read smut usually without worrying about the warnings, but I'm a bit too shy to comment on it, and I think that extends to my writing, haha. Maybe I'll get the hang of it some day :)

10. do you write crossovers?

Nah, for some reason they don't work for me at all - almost a squick, I don't read them either. The closest I got was considering a fic where the characters from Green Rider had diplomatic contact with the characters from the Chronicles of Ixia series, but I never ended up getting there.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so - I should probably put in my Ao3 that people are welcome to if they like, I keep forgetting. I'd be honoured if anyone wanted to.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope; I'm very picky and not good at compromise, though it's something I'd like to work on one day. It'd have to be very low stakes and with someone very patient!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Lines of Silver and Gold (Realm of the Elderlings) is probably my oldest fic that is both posted and unfinished, and I have no current plans to work on it. I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to come back to it, but that book series was my thesis topic and unfortunately I rather burnt myself out on it, so it might be a long while.

The Queen Rider series was originally going to have two more fics, but those have been scrapped; fortunately it resolves quite nicely as is. Maybe I will put up a little misc fic with what I do have of the rest some day.

And on a more positive note, my Animorphs fic - it was originaly going to be a full written-through story spanning a considerable post-canon period, but unfortunately I lost the original in a harddrive failure and while I rewrote some of it I rather lost my enthusiasm for it. However, I have been reconsidering lately and might post what exists as a series of loosely connected vignettes; we'll see.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue is what I find easy and what I've received the most compliments on; I think this is because a lot of my fic is drafted "out loud" before I get anywhere near setting it to page, so the first iteration is often predominantly speech. I'm also often told I'm good at mimicking the tone of the canon, if I'm writing for a book fandom.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Research (I'll do it if it's something that will otherwise potentially hurt people, but other than that I have neither the effort nor the inclination), and making things messy - that is, I tend to tidy things up a lot and I'm not good at letting my characters get things wrong/communicate badly/etc. Good for fix-its, less good for creating challenges in the story.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I am depressingly monolingual so I don't do it in my fics; as to what everyone else does I think they should have fun and do whatever they like, I suppose. Not enough knowledge to have more of an opinion than that.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter was my gateway fandom.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Ohhhh tough one. I'm immensely proud of the Keystone series (The Stairs Beneath the Heart and Take These Tower Stones), so they're solid candidates, but I also really like The Shadow of the Mountains (Lady Trent) and Miracles (Realm of the Elderlings), the latter of which contains possibly my favourite line of prose I've written.

I'm tagging @the-tao-of-fandom, @pipuhattar, @alittlefellowinawideworld, @nonasuch, and anyone else who'd like to answer!

[werepuppy-steve]

20 questions for writers

tagged by @devondespresso !!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

38! i've been trying to upload more tumblr ficlets, so hopefully it'll be double that by the end of the year!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

69,777

3. What fandoms do you write for?

stranger things, currently! but i've also written for naruto, bnha, and a few others

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

starry eyed love

the magic that we'll feel is worth the lifetime

capital p

constant, pleasure

misty taste of moonshine

(not that im not grateful but these have been my top 5 for the past two years, can we give some love to my other fics please 😭)

5. Do you respond to comments?

yes! it takes me a little bit, but i will respond!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i dont think i have one? happy endings only in this house <3 but if i have to choose, strawberry wine probably has the most bittersweet ending

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

probably all of them lmao. like i said, happy endings only here.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

thankfully no!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i've only seriously started writing it last year, but yes! mainly pwp ft transmasc steve, but i hope i can get the courage/motivation to write longer stories that contain smut but aren't smut focused.

10. Do you write crossovers?

not currently

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don't think so? i hope people would let me know if someone did

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! i think it was on my previous ao3, but i can't remember which language it was translated in. portuguese, i think?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no but i think it'd be fun!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

currently it's steddie, but if you ask me to go back to my roots, it's sasunaru

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

all of them 😭 but i don't want to say that i'll never finish them. i might rework them into something different if the inspiration strikes me.

16. What are your writing strengths?

uuuuuhhhhhhhh. warm fuzzies? is that a correct answer?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

the part where you actually write the story

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

english is my only language, so it'd be a little difficult

19. First fandom you wrote for?

naruto

20. Favorite fic you've written?

when i think of favorite, i automatically think of magic, but my second favorite is probably she put her love down soft and sweet, just bc it's my first big proper smut fic and i worked really hard on it. but really all my fics are my favorite bc i put so much love and time into them <3

idk how many people you're supposed to tag for this ajfhajfjjs

@flowercrowngods @corrodedbisexual @steves-strapcollection @steddie-island @steviewashere

@thefreakandthehair @steddieas-shegoes @hotluncheddie @sidekick-hero @cuoredimuschio

[rcmclachlan]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @microcomets. Thanks, friendo!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

71 currently. I've orphaned a bunch, though.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

526,242

3. What fandoms do you write for?

These days I write for whichever fandom strikes my fancy—it might be a new one, or it might be one that I fall back into every so often. My most recent fics have been a mix of new (Beyond Evil, Good Omens, Loki) and old (Cardcaptor Sakura).

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Long Live The King (DBZ, bulma/vegeta)

Stopgap (Good Omens, crowley/aziraphale)

100 Zeni (DBZ, trunks/goten, bulma/vegeta)

Named (Supernatural, dean/castiel)

Solve for X (MCU, tony/loki)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I've gotten better at this! I now make sure to reply to every comment on my newer works (sometimes it's a bit overwhelming, but I think the effort is worth it).

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Oneiori. Like, Cas gets a happy-ish ending, but it's not going to last. Womp womp.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

These days, I try to end all my fics on a happy note! The happiest that comes to mind is Heritage Site.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I think I've gotten hate maybe twice since I started posting to AO3 in 2010? That's statistically negligible, which is kind of amazing!

9. Do you write smut?

Not often. I don't mind writing it, but it really needs to serve a purpose to the story for me to make the effort.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written?

Nah, not really my thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, but I've had a fic's summary stolen! That was a trip.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I'm floored people like my work enough to put that kind of time and effort into translating it!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope. I tried, but it ultimately didn't work out (mostly due to writer's block and scheduling issues).

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

This is like asking me which of my children I love more. It'd take me a month to answer this question and I'd need someone at CERN to check my work.

I will say Kakashi/Iruka is my most enduring fave; I started reading them in 2005 and fall back into them every 3 or so years. I'm currently in a kakairu cycle (as if y'all couldn't tell).

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Speaking of Kakashi/Iruka.... Hadopelagia. It was just far too big in scope for me to even think about finishing. I think I frightened myself out of it! For the best, though. I re-read it the other night and it's a MESS. This is why betas are so important, kids.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've gotten a lot of comments about how I use metaphor effectively, as well as comedy. I don't think I'm particularly funny compared to other writers, but it always fills me with joy when someone mentions my dumb sense of humor.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Definitely smut. There's nothing worse than trying to keep track of where everyone's legs are.

Me: "I used the word 'cock' fourteen times in this paragraph......... well, maybe no one will notice."

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics?

I've done it! Named had a whole scene written in Spanish (I tried my hand at it and then had a native speaker edit it). I think when done well, it adds something really meaningful to a story.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The first fanfic I ever wrote was before I even knew what fanfiction was. It was an Animorphs self-insert fic and I wrote it on a legal pad at my grandparents' house in like 1997. The first fandom I officially posted fic for was Fruits Basket in 2003, followed by QAF in 2004.

20. Favorite fic you have written?

Probably A Twist of the Knife. I had an absolute blast writing Nie Huaisang, and I'm really proud of the story as a whole (which is rare for me).

Tagging: @sonatine, @lemonistas, @stitchyblogs, @dadvans, @ataraxetta, @nandalorian, and anyone else who wants to get in on the action. :-D

[moreespressoformydepresso]

sometimes i think about like. what if. the tributes escape, they're running around, trying to get things together. and somehow they get caught. how, we don't know, but imagine a peacekeeper comes across them and has a choice to make. obviously peacekeepers can't have families, but they weren't born without them. this one peacekeeper, maybe wovey reminds him of his little sister. or hy reminds him of his first love, the one he never got to act on. or he's some fresh young recruit who feels like in another life, the likes of sheaf or otto or whoever could have been a friend.

and he lets them go.

even other capitol citizens. some socialite might be more privy to give facet and velvereen more leeway, after all, they're one of the 'good' districts, aren't they? or a shopkeeper lets mizzen or treech get away with stolen goods because they remind him of his kids. or hell, imagine one of them manages to find work, and the supervisor should have half a mind to report it, but teslee knows what she's doing and she's doing it better than the other suckers, it'd be stupid to report her, even if she *is* an escaped tribute. lots of little things build up over time. a story where 24 kids don't escape on their own, it takes a whole village to help them.

That’s beautiful I love it. I had ideas of like- the mentors maybe letting them go if they spot them or even actively helping them escape in some cases, but just random citizens? That’s honestly even better. Because to me, a big part of why so many Capitol citizens were okay with the games is because they had enough distance to it to not care. It’s a once a year thing they can ignore if they want, and they do. Just some district scum, right? So who cares? And when they’re in a literal cage it reinforces that distance. They’re not “like us”, so it’s okay. No need to spend time and emotional energy thinking about it. Especially after what they did to you during the war ten years ago!

But when you’ve spend years fighting with the belief that you’re protecting your people, and you used the image of scared dying Capitol children to fuel you, I imagine it hits so hard to look at a terrified child staring down the barrel you’ve got pointed at them. Maybe the peacekeeper had a realization that they are the monster they’ve been fighting. And in the split second that they realize convincing themself it’s not true isn’t gonna change anything, they let the tribute go.

Teslee and Circ are 100% better employees than anyone in that city. No rationalizing necessary it’s just basic business. And they don’t even ask for much, so it’s win win! Also they’re nice kids, it would suck to see them suffer or even die and if they go into the games only one can get out. So eh, might as well give them some basic necessities.

I think it would probably start with Velvereen and Facet. They are “the good ones” so if anyone’s gonna be let go it’s them. Maybe it gets filmed or something and it’s broadcast in an attempt to get Capitol citizens to look out for the tributes and tip off the peacekeepers. And that video makes the citizens go “oh well, at least it’s the good ones and not one of those backwards savages”. Except once you accept the notion that some of these kids are fine, that slowly starts to trickle over into your perception of the others. If the ones from 1 are fine, the ones from 2 are too right? Because those get lumped together a lot since they’re more well fed. And the boy from 2 is pretty similar to the ones from 11 and 12 so maybe those districts aren’t too bad either. And if the girl from 11 isn’t so bad, well she’s like the tributes from 8 and the boy from 4. And the girl from 12 is a performer like the boy from 7 (actor/performer Treech supremacy). Soon enough the network is complete and we’ve got all the tributes being noted as kind of okay, maybe. So when a clearly starved child steals food, well the shopkeeper didn’t really need that lost income. They can miss it, so it’s not worth the energy to even report. And it slowly escalates from there until we have a district-sympathizer Capitol.

[pens-swords-stuff]

Tag Game: This or That Writer's Edition

Dusting off a very old tag game that has been in my drafts for like 3 years now! At this point I don't remember who tagged me, but to whoever it was, thank you all the same!

*note to whoever wants to play: you don't have to write explanations if you don't want to. I just like to do it because I am incapable of being concise and just leaving things be.

1. historical or futuristic

A few years ago, I stumbled upon and discovered my love for historical fiction — historical romance, specifically — and I have been absolutely obsessed with it since.

On the other hand, I'm not a fan of futuristic settings and I've never had much interest in it. It's just not a genre that I'm personally into.

2. the opening or closing chapter

There's something poetic about endings. In my opinion, I think that they're the most meaningful, symbolic and important chapter in the book because it's often where you really get the true meaning and message of the story.

3. light+fluffy or dark+gritty

Mm, I'm personally not a fan of this particular choice because I'm not particularly into either option. I don't believe that something dark has to be gritty, or that gritty has to be dark, and I also think that realism is often conflated with being "gritty and dark" when that is not always the case. (And of course, I see a lot of people look down upon stories that aren't "gritty dark realism" and that is a pet peeve that I have). I also don't have much patience for things that are light and fluffy because I find them to be a bit over the top and too much for the most part.

If I had to choose it would be dark and gritty, but I prefer a happy medium and a balance.

4. animal companion or found family

I love found family and the complicated relationships that form between people who are brought together by circumstance. I have also never had a pet, so while I can appreciate animal companions, I can't really relate to it.

5. horror or romance

If it doesn't have romance, I'm not that interested in it. I absolutely adore romance, and nearly everything that I do will include it. (I guess Project Vestige is an exception though, I recently considered axing the romance subplot).

I'm too much of a baby for horror, anywho.

6. hard or soft magic system

Rather than lay out the lore or have a solid system, I'm more interested in magic that can't be explained and will always remain somewhat of a mystery. We don't know where it comes from, or why, and that mystery, wonder, intrigue and open-endedness is what I like in my magic systems.

7. standalone or series

I have always adored series growing up, and waiting for the next book. I think my greatest writing ambition is to write a long series because it was what I grew up reading.

I have recently also been falling in love with a standalone story though! I think I'd love to write a series of standalone stories someday, even if it sounds like an oxymoron.

8. one project at a time or always juggling 2+

I don't come up with story ideas, they just descend upon me from the heavens at random times. The longer I take a break from writing, the more they begin bombarding me because my creativity just begins to overflow. Recently, I've been more intentional about exploring all of those different ideas and writing at least a little bit down so I don't lose them. Which naturally, results in many many projects that I may or may not get to someday.

It's a blessing to have so many ideas and stories, I think!

9. one award winner or one bestseller

I don't think my writing is the kind to win awards, and that's okay. It'd be cool, but I would love it if my stories become famous bestsellers someday because that means that they've reached a lot of people.

10. fantasy or sci-fi

Full disclosure, not a huge fan of either. Fantasy is a bit overwhelming for me, though I love the idea of it and would someday love to make a proper crack at it if I have something worth working with. Sci-fi is just something I'm not interested in at all.

11. character or setting description

I'm very much a character-driven writer! Characters are the most important think in my writing. And descriptions has always been one of my weaknesses.

12. first or final draft

boy, I'd love to finish a first draft someday,,,

13. love triangle in everything or no romantic arcs

I love romance, and if something has romance in it my interest will increase a tenfold!! I also like love triangles, whether it be the basic, canned version that people like to hate on, or the ones that become realized into polyamory. I love platonic relationships too, but there's room for both in my world.

14. constant sandstorm or rainstorm

The sandstorm in Breath of the Wild scared the crap out of me and I couldn't get out of it for like a solid 10 minutes so I'm gunna go with a rainstorm for this one. I love rain.

Tagging: @magic-is-something-we-create @writingforfunsies @void-botanist @scorpiolight-madd @thatgayacademic @summer1977 @calicojackofficial @axl-ul @gilgameshians @wordsforarmor @that-gay-jedi @toribookworm22 @serotoninshift @ashen-crest @abalonetea @write-on-world @faithfire @mockingbirdshymn @ryns-ramblings @bardicbeetle @writtenwolves @writingpotato07

If you see this and want to do it too, please do! Feel free to say that I tagged you, I’d love to see.

If you want to be tagged by me for tag games, click here!

[anonymous-badger-238]

30 questions

I'm just gonna answer a few questions again. Found this from @nuklearis-sutotok at here.

Ok so here we go

1: What song makes you feel better?

Superhero by Guiano

2: What is your go-to comfort show?

Abbott Elementary probably. It's really funny.

3: Reading or writing? Why?

Huh that's hard I like both

4: What's your favorite feeling?

That feeling when you come home from a long day of school and swim practice, and after you shower you can just flop down on your bed and relax

5: How do you like to take care of yourself?

Idk I like brushing my hair and doing skincare and stuff, but in a "mental" kind of way it'd definitely be making covers and music videos.

6: What’s your favorite candle scent?

That pear one I bought for 20 dollars at a World Market because there was a huge Black Friday sale

7: Who do you feel most like yourself around?

My IRL friend group, and also these people in this one Discord server (there are like 4 of you who know what I'm talking about)

8: What's a fabric/texture that’s nostalgic for you?

Sequins. Reminds me of when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade and there was this whole trend where all the girls would show up in "flip shirts".

9: Best childhood moment?

Wow there are so many but it's hard to choose just 1. Probably when I rode Splash Mountain at Disney World for the first time. I was eight and me and my dad had to wait two hours but it was soooo worth it.

10: When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? (or just felt really good afterwards)

This one time I was crying over something so my sister showed me funny pictures of politicians and then I laughed so hard I cried again.

11: Do you have a comfort item? Tell us about it!

This one infinity cube that I fidget with whenever I'm bored or doing homework.

12: What calms you down?

Just closing my eyes and resting on my bed on a Saturday morning and just not thinking about anything in particular. Of course there are those four months of the year where my relaxation will be interrupted by the sounds of the college football games on TV...

13: Bath or shower to relax?

My house doesn't even have a bathtub so I'm gonna have to go with showers. Particularly cold showers.

14: What's something upcoming that you’re excited for?

I'll be going on vacation soon.

15: Comfort food?

Fettuccine Alfredo with Costco's rotisserie chicken.

16: What's something you want to create soon?

I have a ridiculous amount of music videos I have to create. But I'm looking forward to doing the Alvarez/Mental Chainsaw one.

17: How do you feel best loved?

I don't know honestly.

18: What age in life do you think you’ll feel most yourself at?

Probably when I'm 30 or something.

19: Have you ever written or received a love letter?

LOL nope

20: Tell us about a memory you hold close to your heart.

The Splash Mountain one definitely but also that one time me and my family were going river tubing and then it started pouring so I vlogged it.

21: Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?

Coffee probably. My usual is a strawberry creme frappe from Starbucks. (Plus a donut.)

22: Name of your favorite playlist?

The Blaze-List. For reference, that is the one I created a really long time ago and I still update it to include my current favorite songs. No wonder.

23: Have you ever received flowers?

I don't remember.

24: Who is your best friend?

This one person I met in fourth grade, lost touch with, and then got back in touch with again

25: If your soul was a color, what would it be?

Honestly, I'm still trying to figure that out.

26: If you could live anywhere with anyone you want, where would it be and who would you bring?

I'd like to live in downtown Seattle with my sister. DC would be great too.

27: Do you like to garden? Have you ever grown something?

I just don't seem to have a green thumb LOL.

28: What are you proudest of?

This one paper I spent a really long time working on. Or my cover of Amanojaku which I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

29: Are you a kind person?

I don't know. I try to be kind to people whenever I can, though.

30: What do your hobbies look like?

Reading especially about WWII/Cold War history and nuclear chemistry, writing short stories, singing, making music videos, playing Pokemon, etc. etc. etc.

Anyways I guess I should ping someone but whatever

[autobot-ratchet]

Lost Light 7-9

Lost Light 7

oh good, so someone did tell Rung about the functionist universe version of himself. “Yeah man you grew a hundred feet tall and punched the moon, it was wild”

jfdks Rodimus just gleefully swinging Skip's corpse around like a ragdoll

Drift's got an interesting perspective on Megatron's absence. I wonder if that's how he personally felt about his presence, I'm sure he must've felt a million different things about being commanded by him again

oofjhd Cyclonus, you gotta speak up, all the way up, he keeps trying and losing his nerve...

Velocity, please don't call it the F.U. LmAO

poor Minimus is going through it too, he's got a moment to finally realize and reflect upon the fact that he actually does like Megatron, despite everything

“You're an inspiration,” she says... she's already got the idea in her head.........

“Discuss this? Since when have we discussed anything?” oof ouch ougfhjdk he's right though... on the other hand he's doing the exact same shit Cyclonus was, he is absolutely trying to push Cyclonus away to protect him without telling him why, Tailgate is just as fuckin bad at communicating as Cyclonus and it hurts

uuuUUUGH I FORGOT HE TRIES TO GIVE CYCLONUS'S INNERMOST ENERGON BACK... he's really trying to break it off completely, he really wants Cyclonus away from him so he doesn't rip him apart in his sleep........

absolutely love this fucking conversation between Magnus and Rodimus, just going over the full spectrum of ways to feel about Megatron, and they're all correct. And Roddy is a lot more observant than anyone gave him credit for, he knows Magnus, knows what he needs to get back up on his feet, so to speak lmAO god what a good bit of dialogue

oh, Cyclonus, honey........ and Whirl, being a good friend for him aaaaudgfhsjghjdfk

gOD fudgfhfghdjk the fact that Tailgate has the vial of Cyclonus's innermost energon in his hand while he's in the radiation chamber fuck my LIFE

damn Fangry was really gonna put Tailgate in the ground for another six million years, fuck you dude

this was another thing that tested my faith in the comic lmfAO I don't think I ever thought this was the last we'd see of Tailgate necessarily, but I was scared that was the end of Cygate lmAO I was scared that by the time Tailgate became relevant again, Cyclonus would have started moving on and would stay away from Tailgate out of respect for his feelings/fear of reopening that old wound and never find out he was stuck underground

Lost Light 8

“Tell me your name. I want to worship you like a god,” is still such a wild fuckin thing to say to someone you just met

“The Mederi Center?!” the HUH??? I REMEMBER THAT NAME THAT'S THE NAME OF THE PLACE

love this girls day out to the shady-ass marketplace

honestly I love how much crime Anode does she's so valid lmAO

oof man poor Nautica is going through it, and she's making poor Velocity go through it too

I talked about it a little bit before but god Anode explaining why she's a she now is still so good, it's a good way to explain her process without having to get into nitty-gritty gender discourse lmAO and like. Good, she shouldn't have to get into it, if you get it you get it and if you don't that's fine just use the she pronouns for her, that's all it takes

Lost Light 9

man... Nautica just misses her man, she saw a chance to get him back and she took it, she figured it'd all be worth dealing with all this skeeviness

oh oof ouch, low blow Nautica, don't do Velocity like that

fghdsjk Anode really just said “Hey I've got something for you, it's mY FIST BITCH HIYAH” and she fuckin hurt herself doing it god I love her lmAO

LOVE this conversation between Nautica and Velocity, love them being forced to lay all their cards out on the table like this, love that Nautica going through with this is a dealbreaker for Velocity

“This is where you stand aside.” “This is where you make me.” TELL EEEEMMMMMMMM granted she gets immediately disarmed but sTILL I RESPECT THE ENERGY

oof yeah this was another moment that tested my faith. In fact, it tested me the hardest, this almost made me drop the comic lmAO I just couldn't deal with Nautica surgically removing her feelings for Skids, it felt like it cheapened the impact of his death, and at the time, I couldn't imagine it having any relevance to any future arcs or plot points. I was fully under the impression that this was only about further solidifying the bond between Nautica and Velocity and I didn't like that the effect Skids's death had on Nautica was completely eliminated in order to do that. Of course now I know that this moment is a surprise tool that helps us later, but at the time, I actively disliked this issue and that was the first time the comic had ever made me feel that way, so that plus all the naysayers on my dash and in the tags got me dangerously close to deciding they were right. So glad I didn't lmAO I'm very glad I stuck with it and I can now read this issue without feeling awful

speaking of surprise tools that will help us later, what's good Epistemus lmAO

[violet-phoenix-nebula]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

65

2. What is your total AO3 word count?

325,309

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Actively: primarily Supernatural

Past: MCU, Harry Potter, Twilight, Divergent, Hunger Games, House M.D.,

4. Top 5 fics by kudos:

1. Disillusioned

Twilight, Bella/Carlisle, incomplete & on indefinite hiatus

2. Common Courtesy

Captain America, Steve/Bucky

3. Love Isn't All That It Seems (I've Been Sleepwalking)

Supernatural, [ship omitted out of respect for others]

4. The More That You Say, The Less I Know

Supernatural, Castiel/Dean

5. Plants Awoke and They Slowly Grow (Beneath the Skin)

Supernatural, Castiel/Dean Winchester

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I try to respond to all of them, though sometimes I miss an email and it takes me forever.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Going with only completed works, I'd say it'd be one of these two:

Knives In My Heart - Divergent, Eric/Tris, MCD

They're Burning All The Witches (Even If You Aren't One) - Captain America/MCU, Steve/Bucky, rape/non-con

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh god, honestly most of my works have happy endings, and a few with more open/ambiguous endings, so really there's no way to pick one.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

People seem more courteous now, but I used to all the time. I tend to add some kind of snarky iteration of "don't like, don't read" on most of my controversial ones now, but my ships have definitely gotten me hate.

9. Do you write smut?

Yes, though I just call it porn. I'm in spitting distance of 30. I call it what it is. And I'd say I'm pretty good at it, overall.

10. Do you write cross-overs?

Not full on, no. I've had a crossover moment or hint before, but full crossover fics, no. I'd like to experiment with it someday, but not right now.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I'm 99% sure I have at least once, I know I've gotten at least one comment asking to. I never followed up on it though. Maybe I should.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Kind of? Though it was more a meshing of ideas and getting so much input from the other person that I credited them as a co-author, not them literally typing part of the fic.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Stucky (Steve/Bucky, Captain America/MCU) is my absolute OTP, forever and always. I have a few ships I love, but they're my #1. They're also one of, if not the only ship that's not problematic in any way, shape or form.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Sadly, most of them. I started posting chapters as soon as I wrote them and then my hyperfixation for the pairing/fandom passed, and I lost all motivation. If I ever did a multi chapter WIP again, I'd probably get most or all of it written before I started posting it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Definitely explicit material, porn, smut, whatever you want to call it. I've improved in the last few years for sure, and I know there's better than me out there, but I do pretty well.

I think I write well overall. There are some people who write and they have fantastic ideas but it just doesn't flow, and that's not a problem I've ever had.

I'm fantastic at one shots. I can write something short and sweet and tie it right up. Most of my work is under 10k.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I cannot write anything long worth a damn. My only longer works are unfinished, I completely lose steam. I currently have an AU in mind that I desperately want to write, but my history with abandoning multi chapter fics is scaring me away from starting it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I only speak English, so I don't. I used to try, until I was told that google translate sucks, so then I swapped to putting the English in italics.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oh god, I have to go to FFN for this. Though before I actually joined any fanfic sites I sat down and wrote an alternate ending for the Twilight short story about Bree Tanner in a notebook, that was before I knew fanfic even existed. As far as posted works, it appears to be Hunger Games and Harry Potter.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Definitely All I Feel As I Get Closer To You, absolutely no contest. It's a Supernatural fic, Dean/Castiel set in season 10, at 9.2k words.

@aaronthe8thdemon is the only one I know for a fact writes fic regularly that I can think of off the top of my head, but I'll informally tag anyone who wants to participate.

[solitaire-sol]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Big thanks to @mycupofrum and @lovelymasks for tagging me!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

29, though all but one are 500-word microfics so it's not that impressive.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

17,377... which is pretty on-par, given the above.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

At the moment, I'm only actively writing and posting Harry Potter fics, though I've written more widely in the past, for many and varied fandoms. Most of it went unpublished, though.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

All but one are oneshot microfics, and all are Prongfoot, of course. None of them have done big numbers, but I cherish every little heart!

this universe of you and me (we'll make ourselves inevitable) [45]

10. Diamond [41]

21. Deprive [25]

22. Lineage [22]

10. Hope [22]

5. Do you respond to comments?

Every comment! I might take a while, depending on how things are going for me, but I don't get a lot so the ones I have are extra-precious. As a commenter, I love it when the author responds so I know I'm not annoying them with my comment, so that's a factor, too.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Um... I guess the second bonus epilogue to 05. North? Since it leads into the canon path for Sirius, which is, as we know, not his best possible timeline.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I'm going to go with 16. Cultivate, because it's just kid!Prongsfoot and strongly-implied mutual crushes and nothing bad happens to them after this, okay?? we can pretend, dammit

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, though that's probably due to audience size + wordcount, so not much room to offend or people to be offended. Silver linings!

9. Do you write smut?

Yes! But none that I've published. It's good enough for me, but I don't know if anyone else would like it, and then: Self doubt! Preemptive cringe! And I don't post it.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Not in a "characters from Thing A meet characters from Thing B" way, but I've done some yet-to-be-published microfics that take HP characters (mostly James and Sirius, obviously) and put them in other settings, like Madoka Magica or Pacific Rim. So... Yes, I guess?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge! Honestly, I think I'd be kind of flattered that anyone would consider my writing worth stealing.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge! Although, like the above, it'd be very flattering if it ever happened.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not unless prose-style roleplaying counts as fanfiction! I'd be interested in trying it, but I have no idea how it would go.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

James/Sirius, Sirius/James, Prongsfoot, Bambibelle, by any other name, they're my overall favorite ship with 99.9% certainty.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

... Anything that's more than a oneshot, yes. It's so much easier to imagine the perfect fic and watch it play out like a mind-movie rather than hauling it out of my brainpan like a deep-sea fisherman wrestling a trophy marlin onto dry land, all typed and edited and posted despite second/third/more thoughts.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like descriptions and scene-setting and lore/worldbuilding, and I've been told that I'm pretty decent at this, so I'd say those? The fact that I've written a lot of microfics without any dialogue whatsoever probably says a lot.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue! Especially in HP, because the intricacies of British English and years of seeing British/Commonwealth opinions on Americans failing to write British characters (in fanfiction, specifically) has me too anxious to try. I have so many modern Prongsfoot ideas that I can't bring myself to attempt due to this, leaving them to rot like fallen leaves in the orchard of my imagination. More generally, I'm terrible at longfics or anything that requires extended effort because the number of spoons I have is variable but usually rounds up to "too few." Then I feel bad because I haven't been writing, etc etc, which is why I've only published microfics.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I don't have any problem with it if it fits; I got really into Poe in middle school and he loves throwing in random non-English quotes without translating it, so I can't begrudge anyone who does it now. I only speak/write in English so that's the language my fics are in.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Pokemon. It was based on my first-ever playthrough of Pokemon Blue, but with the "Red" MC replaced by a pseudo-self-insert who spent most of the fic disguised as a boy/her own deceased twin brother whose soul was somehow inside of her for... some reason. (Note: I don't have a twin brother.) I wouldn't learn what fanfiction was for at least a few more years, but I'm pretty sure that was my first.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

I once did a novelization of an obscure JRPG that rewrote huge chunks of the game, improved characterization, closed plot holes and fixed the terrible English translation, as well as expanding the world and lore. It had an actual physical folder dedicated to all my notes and I had plans for an even bigger sequel. Sadly, I only posted the first chapter before my computer died and I lost everything on it (back up your work, kids!), and I subsequently lost most of my notes in a move. I'm not sure if this is a subconscious contributor to why I've only written short-form things since then, but I have fond if wistful feelings about it anyway-- Like my fanfic lost Lenore.

[greatideas-badwriter]

Worth The Risk: Chapter 8

"What did you do to that girl?" Itachi hissed at his younger brother as he helped him upstairs and into his room so he could rest. "She looked like she was waiting to be hit! Tell me you haven't been-" "I haven't laid a hand on her."

Sasuke was angry enough at himself for intimidating that poor woman to the point that she all but cowered before him in the kitchen just then; he didn't need Itachi to join in.

"Then why did she act like that?"

The younger sibling sighed, standing with a hand on his forehead to rub his temples with a furrowed brow and a frown, "I haven't touched her, but I haven't been…treating her all that well…either…."

There was a long pause before the recovering man asked, "What's going through your head right now?"

'Itachi's the only one I can tell about this. Anyone else might try to use it against me.'

So, Sasuke told his older brother everything. He explained how confused Sakura made him feel and how his perception of her had changed after last night. He even admitted his regrets: "You saw how scared she is of me. I don't know how to make it…better, y'know?"

"You understand little about forming true bonds with someone."

The younger brother nodded but said nothing. He didn't want to say anything because the topic of how Itachi knew about such things might arise. You see, he was twenty-eight, six years older than Sasuke, and had married his high school sweetheart, Izumi, at twenty. The woman was no longer among the living, and the fact would likely forever be a sore topic for both Uchiha brothers.

'Don't dwell on that right now. It'll only get you worked up.'

"I don't want to form any bonds with Sakura, and you know why. That's the problem. How do I do this without letting it get to that?"

Itachi frowned but understood. After pondering, he sighed, "You want to figure out why she's different, right?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Then maybe you should try being her friend. Plenty of people try hooking up and return to being just friends."

The younger brother crossed his arms, leaning against the dresser with a glare, "I don't have female friends."

"There's a first time for everything. Just get to know her a little better."

After receiving a little more advice from Itachi, Sasuke left so he could rest, wandering back downstairs to work on his school assignments in the kitchen while Sakura cooked. It'd become normal for them to be in the same room because it made her feel safer, and the Uchiha man didn't mind anyway. Even if she still feared him, she did so the others to a more substantial degree.

Upon noticing his arrival, the woman clicked off the video on her phone she'd been watching while cooking, pointedly refusing to look his way. Sasuke sat there, his laptop open and an assignment pulled up to work on, but he couldn't stop glancing at Sakura every few seconds.

'I bet her parents taught her to cook while growing up.' Everything the woman prepared for the Akatsuki house was delicious, never bland or improperly cooked.

He watched as she placed a lid over the pot of whatever she was preparing and froze. It was evident she had nothing left to do but let it simmer but didn't know what to do since his gaze was on her.

So, Sasuke averted his eyes to the laptop screen but decided to take Itachi's advice and try actually talking to the woman, "How's your hand?"

"It's fine," she paused before asking, "Would you like a drink?"

The man looked up to see her gazing into the fridge with a pout. Smirking, he said, "Only if you'll have one with me."

Though hesitant, Sakura opened two beers, sitting beside him and handing one over. He lifted a brow at the poorly masked disgust on her face but said nothing, 'Why drink it if you don't like it? Fucking weirdo.'

"I'm sorry about earlier, with your brother. I couldn't tell what you wanted, so I panicked."

"Don't do that anymore." Sasuke cringed. The words left his mouth before he could stop them.

'I wanted to carefully approach that topic, but I just came out and said it.'

"What?"

Sighing, he glared at his laptop screen, not really seeing it, "You don't have to get my permission to talk if someone else is speaking to you and stop cowering like I'll hit you or something. People are getting the wrong idea."

"Oh," she said softly, "I thought you wanted me to-" "You thought I wanted you to stop mouthing off like you used to? Don't be dumb. Why do you think I hired you? It's more fun when you fight back."

'Damn, I sure am on a roll with saying things too bluntly. She's probably confused as hell. …Fuck it.'

Sakura looked as baffled as he expected when he finally looked at her face. She frowned, pretty green eyes narrowed suspiciously, "I didn't come here to have fun. I came here so I wouldn't have to sleep on the streets, and so I'd have a steady source of income."

'That is so like her.'

Sasuke smirked, tilting his head and feeling a little less tense since she responded honestly because she hadn't in more than two weeks, "This isn't the type of job where you have to keep work and play separate, y'know." The pink-haired woman blushed prettily, sending a wave of satisfaction through him.

She struggled to respond, so he added, "Just don't mouth off to anyone but me, or it'll be bad. Got it?"

Her confusion was still intense, but she cautiously nodded, "If you're just saying all this because of last night, you don't have to. That's not why I helped Itachi."

"I know, Sakura," his smirk fell as did the light-hearted aura, "Listen well because I won't fucking repeat it."

His eyes narrowed on her before he groaned and averted them to the computer again. Being honest with people about his feelings was very out of character, so he found it difficult, but he had to at least try, "I didn't realize it until last night, but I've obviously been putting you on edge all this time. I'm trying to give you a damn apology, okay?"

Sakura took her time coming up with a response, "I accept, but, um…if you're saying this because you're hoping I'll, uh…."

"It's not like I'm gonna fucking force myself on you, so relax. What kinda guy do you take me for?" He met her eye again, glancing at the kitchen doorway to ensure no one was eavesdropping, "Just…. Talk more and cry less, and I'll be less of a dick. Deal?"

To his surprise, a small but cute grin met her lips, and she nodded, getting up from the table to stir whatever was cooking on the stove, "Deal."

'This is….unexpected.'

Sakura was currently in the kitchen with Tobi, making all kinds of Christmas treats. Her brow twitched in annoyance as the man spoke about who-knows-what without end. The event at the house this evening is a holiday party, something the woman never expected to encounter around such serious and stoic people.

Sasuke was out working, or so he said, and Itachi was sitting at the dining table reading a book with a blanket over his shoulders as he continued to recover from his bullet wound. "Tobi, can I ask you something?"

She'd had it. Her patience had run thin, and she was millimeters away from losing her cool.

The bubbly man-child faced her, a comically frilly apron over his clothing, "What is it, Sakura? Do you need help with the cider?"

"I, um, well…." She feigned being bashful, surprising even herself with her acting, "I'm ashamed to ask, but there's no one else I can count on. Is it okay?"

The black-haired man's eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly. Of all the people in this house, he was the only one she felt she could successfully manipulate.

"I'm embarrassed, but can you run to the store and buy me some," she lowered her voice to a whisper, even putting a hand up to her mouth as though trying to block Itachi from overhearing, "lady products?"

A blush met Tobi's cheeks, and he sputtered, "C-Can't you go get them? I don't wanna."

Sakura pouted, "I would, but Sasuke said I have to stay with Itachi, and he's not able to leave the house in his condition. I'm really sorry, but can you please do me this favor? I'll owe you!"

Tobi groaned childishly, taking off his apron and stomping out of the kitchen, "If anyone makes fun of me, I'm blaming you!"

"Thank you! This means a lot to me!" She called softly after him, grinning with a sigh once he was out of earshot.

"I thought he'd never leave. I was beginning to develop a headache," Itachi mused, giving the girl the slightest hint of a smile when she looked at him in shock.

'I totally forgot he was in here! He won't tell Sasuke about this, will he?' Sakura paused, taking back her words, 'No, I don't care if he does. Sasuke said he wanted me to stop being so submissive. I'll yell at him if he says something to me about it.'

Turning back to the stove, she hummed to herself while stirring the cider again. Truth be told, the woman loves the holiday season. The lights, music, and cheerful aura made her feel warm and nostalgic for her childhood years spent celebrating with her grandparents.

Sakura wanted to make cookies, cider, and gingerbread houses but thought even asking to do such a thing by herself would be frowned upon here, so she hadn't. When Sasuke led her into the kitchen and told her her duties this morning, she couldn't hide her elation. The man seemed to find it funny, making some off-handed comments about how she really was a woman, after all.

"Will you be visiting your family for the holiday next weekend?" Itachi asked, not looking up from his book.

"Actually, no. I…."

He looked up when she struggled to formulate a believable lie.

She panicked, spitting out the first thing that came to mind, "I don't have anyone to go back to."

It wasn't a complete falsehood. Her parents knew what her ex had put her through. They found out soon after she moved in with the man and came running home weeks later with a black eye.

'They didn't do a thing about it. No, they told me I shouldn't have angered him like I had. That it was my fault.'

A few more times over the years, the woman had tried asking them for help, even so much as loaning her the money to get a restraining order, but nothing came of it. They were the last people she saw in Konoha before leaving. It'd been her final attempt to make them see reason, and it failed. She vowed after that that she was an orphan because no real parent could watch their only child suffer for four years without lifting a finger.

'I know why they said and did all those things, but that doesn't excuse it. If they needed my help, I would've done everything possible, no matter the cost.'

Her family is as poor as poor comes and always has been. When she was two or three, her father invested almost all of his life savings, including his retirement fund, into a company that a financial advisor recommended. You can probably guess how that ended up.

So, when her ex-boyfriend came along, hailing from an abundantly wealthy family, they urged her to accept his invitation to live together right out of high school. It'd be cheaper on them because they'd no longer have to cover living expenses for her, and the man paid their mortgage every month as a sign of respect.

'Yeah, that's what he called it, but really, he was bribing them to keep their mouths shut if and when I came home for help. It worked, too.'

"Sakura? Are you alright? I'm sorry if my question made you uncomfortable. I won't bring it up again."

She snapped out of her daze, waving a dismissive hand and facing the stove again so he couldn't see how pale her face had gotten, "No, it's my fault for spacing out. You did nothing wrong."

"Holidays are painful for me, too. There's no need to deny it when we're the only ones here," he said with a sad expression.

'He's a completely different person from his brother. I wonder why that is.'

"You can, um, tell me about it if you want, but you definitely don't have to if you're not comfortable."

"Come, sit."

Sakura poured them each a small cup of the freshly made apple cider and sat across from him at the table.

He looked into the mug with a faraway stare as he began speaking, "I was married before. I'm not sure if you knew that."

The woman's eyes widened, "I had no idea!"

"Yes. Her name was Izumi. We met in middle school and became best friends. We confessed to each other on the day we graduated high school, dated for a few years, and married when we were twenty."

"That's really sweet," Sakura commented, but she didn't say anything else because Itachi had used the word "was", meaning Izumi was no longer his wife or had passed away, both being complex discussion topics. 'I'm not sure why he's sharing this with me, but it makes me a little happy that at least one person in this house is opening up.'

"As you've probably guessed, my wife died. We were both twenty-two at the time." 'I knew it,' Sakura thought sadly. She bravely reached across the table to rest a comforting hand atop his. He gave her a grateful smile, continuing with his story, "On Christmas Eve that year, we were on the wrong side of town, and I left her in the car while I ran a quick errand."

'I don't like where this is going.'

"It was less than five minutes, but a shooting occurred in my absence, and my wife was hit with a stray bullet."

Tearing up, the woman shook her head, averting her eyes to their hands because he probably didn't want to be stared at when sharing something so gut-wrenching, "I am so sorry."

The room fell into silence for a moment before Itachi took a deep breath and tried to lighten the mood, "Well, that's my reason for having a love-hate relationship with the holidays. I thought maybe if I shared it, you'd feel more comfortable sharing yours."

Sakura was surprised by his honesty but released his hands and tilted her head, suddenly having the urge to flee, "I'm grateful to you for being so open, but I…. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it yet. I'm sorry."

The man smiled, surprising her, "Don't apologize. It's my fault for trying to guilt-trip you into it. Sometimes I can be too nosy."

So, the woman returned to preparing the holiday treats, and soon, festive serving trays were loaded with expertly iced cookies and pastries. Apple cider, both spiked and un-spiked, was heated up and ready to be enjoyed. The house was spotless, thanks to its new housekeeper.

After setting down the final try on the coffee table in the den, Sakura jumped in surprise when Konan addressed her in an elegant, black party dress.

'She looks incredible. I wonder if I'll ever have a body like that,' she tried not to ogle at the blue-haired woman's curves but found it challenging.

"Very important guests will soon begin arriving. I've prepared an outfit for you to wear. Go upstairs and change into it. Do your hair and makeup as well. Join me as soon as you're finished, and do nothing to misrepresent this household. Do you understand?"

Sakura was too afraid to argue, so she quickly nodded and went upstairs into the bathroom, where a garment bag hung from the back of the door. Locking it, she unzipped the bag, only to pale when she lay eyes on a cute red dress.

'I'm relieved! I half-expected her to force me into a revealing outfit. Then everyone would see my scars, and I'd be humiliated!'

The dress came to the mid-thigh, flaring out at the hips into elegant waves of fabric. Its shade was darker, complimenting the pastel of her hair and the paleness of her skin attractively. It was rather low cut in the front, coming down into a "v" between her breasts, but she didn't mind that as much as she would've if it was backless. A pair of velvety red pumps were also in the bag.

After putting on the holiday-inspired outfit, Sakura put her hair in loose curls and donned makeup that suited the occasion and the rest of her appearance. All in all, she actually felt kind of pretty.

'I haven't worn makeup since the night Sasuke, and I almost hooked up because I don't own any.' She pursed her lips in the mirror, making sure the matte-red lipstick wasn't smudged or on her teeth, 'It was nice of Konan to let me borrow all of this. I'll have to thank her later.'

No matter how down a woman gets, sometimes taking time to dress up and take care of oneself can be a real mood booster. It sure lifted Sakura's spirits after becoming sad because of Itachi's wife's story.

After spritzing a dash of perfume onto her wrists and neck, the woman took a calming, deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom, only to come face to face with Sasuke, "Oh!"

They both took a step back in surprise. The man's eyes roamed over her appearance, his jaw flexed and tense, but he didn't say a word.

'Why do I feel shy all of a sudden?'

"Sorry, I'm done in here. Go ahead."

She stepped around the man so he could use the restroom, but he stopped her with a hand on her wrist. Turning to look at him, her pulse skyrocketed.

Sasuke searched her face with a strange, serious expression, going as far as slightly leaning down so their eye lines would be the same height, "Don't leave my sight tonight, no matter what. I mean it."

Swallowing her nerves, Sakura blushed and looked at his burgundy dress shirt because it made breathing easier than if she met his gaze, "Konan told me to find her as soon as I'm dressed. Should I wait for you instead?"

The man paused before making a negative sound deep in his chest, "No, go ahead. I'll find you in a bit. Don't go off with anyone alone."

Sakura nodded, looking into his eyes again. They shared a silent communication that the people visiting were dangerous. He needed her to listen to everything he said tonight, and she needed him to be someone she could trust not to let anything bad happen. Then the pair parted, him releasing her wrist.

The woman placed her cold palms on her heated cheeks, a soft, high-pitched groan leaving her lips as she tried to shake off the warmth in her body, 'He's never looked at me like that before. Is it because he's worried I'll get hurt tonight? I should stop freaking out about the look in his eye and focus on where I'm going.'

Closing her eyes at the top of the staircase, Sakura said a silent prayer, 'If there's a god out there listening, please let tonight go smoothly.'

[claudiajcregg]

S5 Pregnancy AU - I’d love to hear about!

Welp, this is embarrassing – mostly because this has been sitting in my inbox for almost two weeks, and I kept saying “I need to write something up!” and then… I didn't. (Or rather, I did, then I forgot to post it.) Sorry for the wait, Lil! Thank you for asking <3 (I'll divide this up because I keep writing about the process and how it came to be, instead of any actual, interesting facts.)

I have talked about this one in the past though I don't have a tag for it. The gist is what it says… (Early) S5 but CJ is pregnant. I had this idea over a year ago when I hit mid/late S4 in my rewatch. I thought it'd be interesting to explore some of her disappointment at that time if you added an unexpected pregnancy to it, even if I had the idea before even getting there, lol. Think, the ending-ish of Han, or parts of Disaster Relief. (Both of which do feature! I surprisingly focus a lot on Disaster Relief.)

The thing with S5 is that the timeline is so weird, and I feel I've also created one that isn't entirely realistic but I think it works within the story. (IIRC, the season starts in “May” but also July, then the Shutdown is in November, lmao. A few of the episodes are sneaky two-parters that flow into each other… See 5-6, 7-8.) I've finally gotten out of the no-man's-land I wrote myself into and the next chapter or two, knowing myself, will deal with 7-8! There are a couple of scenes that should be fun to write! (There are so many details I want to mention that are technically spoilers for early twists…)

Every time I had the urge to write it, I'd edit whatever outline I was working in, and though I kept some details… my muse decided to make a big change early on that completely changed the fic's direction. That, and my inability to write anything succinctly. No reason why this story will cross the 100k barrier in a couple of chapters, tops. (It's sitting at 85k across 12 chapters. I think it'll be less than 20 chapters total. Hopefully.)

This might be too long to share snippets, but I've shared some either on the server or here, a couple of months ago.

For more irrelevant details on the “process”…

As I hinted at, I wrote an outline or two around this time last year, because I couldn't stop thinking about it. When I say outlines, it's a general path for the story to follow – ideas, suggestions of dialogue and/or scenes I write to myself; all focused around some sort of chapter structure. I find it much easier to write if I write down where a chapter might go, even if it's just a few lines saying “This happens → then this → finally this;” otherwise, it takes me months. Some would say that I should post it and get encouragement that way but… I hate being dependent on something I can control even less than my muse? That's not for me, thank you. Mad respect for those who work like that.

It was meant to be short – 1-2 “long” chapters per trimester, more if needed, but then interludes in between trimesters. It's not that. Most chapters currently cover 1-2 weeks, but there is not really a pattern. I was afraid of having a fic that would take over my life like the WOWO did three years ago… And it has, but I've also taken breaks and not felt too guilty about them. I definitely don't want this one to sit in my drive and have me wondering what to do with it.

(The novel, aka WOWO, aka IM AU (2021): 150k written in a little over five months, even with extended breaks over the summer. Still hits, even with all its crazy decisions, maybe because of them, but it's also been too long, and it will always remind me of someone who kinda hurt me. Attempts to replace those memories by sharing the story with others, trying to gather whether it's worth posting, have failed, lmao. One day! Maybe!)

But yeah. Uuuuuhhhh. As I've said… Twelve chapters in ten months, 85k words… It's still not done. In fact, I've repeatedly said I am unsure of how to end it (beyond the obvious), but I'd estimate it to be under 20 chapters. I'm not posting it anywhere yet because I want to be able to edit it as a whole and try to make it more consistent; to add little details as I come up with them. There's also the fact that I am not skilled enough to write a compelling story that mixes politics and emotion into something remotely engaging. As a result, the story's politics are very surface-level, and probably repetitive at points, but it's also true I've always been more interested and focused on the emotional journey and the relationship(s) at its center. (Which should surprise exactly no one who's ever read one of my stories.)

But, as critical as I might sound of myself here, I am having fun writing this and I'm committed to seeing it through. I just keep having ideas for stories down the line, putting actual show events through a 'but she also has a kid' perspective.