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gamergirlshelby · 1 year ago

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Alright I just finished Chapter 1 of Rejuvenation 13.5 and I have many thoughts I want to ramble about.

I want to note that I have done 100% playthrough of version 13.0 a few months after it had initially released, so although my memory is a bit rusty, I will be talking a bit about some of the changes between the versions (i want to note that they're all positive imo)

Also should note that be wary of spoilers for new content for 13.5 as well as spoilers for story stuff since I want to talk about how good the writing in this game is. I've taken a lot of screenshots and will be adding them when i think they fit in my little rambles and stuff.

Without further ado my ramblings are under the read more!

To start things off I wanna just gloss over the beginning scene with Maria and the prologue on the SS Oceana. From what I can remember nothing really changed between those two sections but honestly I think they are as close to perfect if not as perfect as they can be. They give just the right amount of information to set up some of the first main mysteries and plot threads, and I think they do amazingly at setting the tone for the game.

Next I want to talk about how East Gearen has changed, having made some small adjustments to the city to help make traveling through it all the more easier. I'm happy that the changes were minimal enough that walking through the city I still knew where everything was, so everything felt familiar but it had been different enough where seeing everything game me the same sort of wonder and comfort that it had in my first playthroughs.

I think the biggest changes being to the designs for the Gearen lab and the Gearen Help Center (I haven't made it to Sheridan yet so I'm not sure if all of the help centers have been changed to be the same sort of layout, or if they all have a unique sort of look to them). The only change I'm not the biggest fan of is the starters all being lined up in rows as shown above. It definitely makes choosing the starter easier since they're all in one space, but having them all in their own little enclosures had this quaint sort of feeling to it. Still I do think that it was a good change overall, it just doesn't pander to me specifically.

Next change that I want to point out is the ability to take on quests right when you see the npc and not needing to go to the help center. Overall I think everything about quests has been changed to be much easier and more streamlined. The little quest notification does a lot in making finding the details for quests and even just finding quests a lot easier. Overall I'm a big fan.

I also adore the additions of finding some relevant story npcs out in the world outside of big story events and areas. It just adds so much to the world and helps make the world feel more alive, like its really worth saving. Whether its just small dialogue that doesn't impact anything, a conversation that can build up on your relationships with characters, or even having a quick battle, I love these small changes.

Next on the list is the completely new content, with the most notable being Mr. Luck's tent. I'm gonna be honest I am a big fan of him, I love this character archetype of just these mischievous tricksters (probably a more common term for this trope but. y'know the sort of characters I'm probably thinking of) Honestly the whole quest introducing Prism Pokemon was very fun! Melia also explains them later on during the Goldenwood Forest section with the fight with the Prism Nidorino, but I think being able to learn about it early through the quest is fun. Also I am just a huge fan of the contracts and items you can trade in. I'm gonna save a bit though for some of the more expensive items though, at least for now. If I can find a way to grind for the Black Prisms easily I'll probably grind for that ??? contract, but I have no idea what it could be (also 999 is a lot,,,).

Next up I want to talk about the update to Venam's gym! It definitely feels a lot more her than the last one, but I do think there was a bit of charm to the idea that she didn't really get a say in what her gym was like, to the point she made a gym grave yard to help preserve those old gyms. The factory is still there and I'm gonna be honest I kinda just walked there first when it was time to challenge Venam and I was very confused-- Not complaining just a silly thing I thought I'd mention.

Next I want to talk about the Zygarde quest. I think introducing it during the main story instead of pushing it to the side in the help center was a smart move, but I did not realize who Ayuda was at first when I saw him in Venam's gym. I'm gonna be honest though, I don't see myself going out of my way to work on completing the Zygarde quest this playthrough, mostly just cause I'm not the biggest Zygarde fan, but also its just very tedious to look for all of them.

Next I wanna talk about the Goldenwood Forest Section and I just. Wow I think how it was reworked was phenomenal. First I absolutely ADORE how instead of having it be a cutscene you can help out everyone in Goldenwood made the trip feel a lot more impactful. I adored that original cutscene but honestly I think having a few quick quests to help everyone in the area made what was once gonna be one of the best days ever into the worst day ever feel a lot more... real if that makes sense, telling a story through gameplay and not just cutscenes, something Rejuvenation never had a problem with, but I'm glad they made the change here.

Also the fishing quest. Oh my goodness the fishing quest. The mechanical Lairon encounter hinting towards the future mechanical Pokemon you have to fight later on even more intense cause like. This rusty old one can give you trouble if you're not prepared for it, and and the fully functional mechanical Pokemon found later on in the game can be pretty rough, especially since there are so many of them in some sections like in the pearl route of chapter 15. That said there was something really funny to me about the idea of this fisherman having the hardest time trying to get a Magikarp haha.

Next I love the information Melia gives about the mural, how she talks about how the squares couldn't be buildings, since the Garufans hadn't been very technologically advanced. Honestly there being so many differing interpretations for the Garufans and how they handled things is so cool to me, cause I feel like its just like how people who research ancient civilizations are in real life, especially when there isn't a lot of information available. This might be partly because I have this stuff on my mind because I am taking a World Civilizations class rn for my college classes. Karen talking about in the Missing Starly quest that the Garufa were a nomadic tribe that harvested the powers from Pokemon's souls to be able to cast magic. Then in the Hidden Library quest we learn that they hated Pokemon, seeing them as vile pests. Even the idea that their technology was undeveloped is something that gets disproved later on in the story. I just find it fascinating that nobody can seem to agree on what the Garufa were like. I may be pulling at straws here though I just think its cool.

Next is the whole redesign for the Silent Grove. First I think the name itself is new but tbh I may just be forgetting and I don't feel like looking up an old playthrough to check (tbh thats just me being lazy tho). I personally was a big fan of the grove being a small secluded area, but I think the big castle builds on the lore that was first established in the Goomy Kingdom quest, that being what the world was like all the way back before the calamity decades ago, and showing that there where even more castles. Also it just makes more sense that this would lead to the secret Garufa settlement that we explore in the Pearl Route for Chapter 15. Also I love the new statue design being based on the Ranger sprite for Arceus.

Lastly I just wanted to say I think the battle with Zetta being changed to take place in a crater instead of the lake front just makes sense. It didn't make sense to me that the park had been closed off for so long after the Rift Gyrados was dealt with. I know it's because the Gyrados wasn't completely gotten rid of, but before it was just overgrown, but still manageable. This level of damage I could see needing to have a full quest line repairing.

Anyways that's it for my thoughts on Chapter 1 and the Prologue for version 13.5 of Rejuvenation. Hope you enjoyed my rambles and thank you again for reading all of them :D

#pokemon rejuvenation #long post #pokemon rejuvenation 13.5 spoilers #pokemon rejuvenation spoilers #pokemon fangames #this game is so good guys i will shill for it forever please if you havent played it please do and also please talk to me about it #honestly id love to have some more people to talk to about this game this game just makes me so happy to talk about and make fan stuff for #if you have anything to add or talk about relating to the stuff i talked about here i'd love to hear it!#i'll probably end up doing more posts like this it was very fun!

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kame-writes · 6 months ago

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Could you talk about your writing and editing process? Maybe tell three keywords that describe your writing?

Three keywords? Non-liniear, stream of consciousness and daydreaming are probably the ones I'd go with. More phrases than words, but I think it fits.

More under the cut

Usually I have a very basic idea or plot, maybe a few lines of dialogue or specific things in my mind before I start writing. A lot of scenes and situations are things I've just daydreamed or thought of while trying to sleep, or walking the dog ect.

I write down whatever I thought of that started the story first, even if it's for something towards the end of the story or chapter, it helps flesh out the tone of the writing and where I need to get to or go from there.

For example, 'wounded deer' started with just "Alastor gets healed by Lucifer, but puts up a fight about it" as the main premises, and then I came up with the funny misunderstanding of Lucifer asking Alastor to take off his shirt and Alastor having an Asexual panic over it.

I wrote that, and then a very basic version of Alastors reaction to Lucifer's blood both at the same time, and just kept pushing back the blood scene until it fit with the flow of the story. The scene is very different from that first draft since the situation had changed a lot by then. (I hadn't planned on them making a deal, or half of their arguing)

For editing, since its non-linear I do it all on one Google doc with large gaps between the scenes where I need to fill in the blanks. Once I'm happy with a chunk that works as a full chapter with no missing scenes, I cut and paste it into its own document. Then edit the chapter separately before carrying on with the main doc and splitting off chapters until the story is done.

One-shots just always stay in the one document, with large gaps until I fill them in and move scenes around with connections so it works as one coherent piece.

I don't have a beta reader, so I just reread chapters as I finish them to look for mistakes, then usually go back to writing something else and come back with fresh eyes to double check I didn't miss anything. Sometimes I add little bits in this stage to make things flow better, but usually this is just for typos before I post it.

That's basically my process, it's a bit all over the place, but it seems to work for me. Everything is on Google docs so I don't have to worry about losing progress from forgetting to save, and I can access them anywhere. I also do all my writing, editing and posting on my phone since that's the most comfortable for me. (Drawing is on a Samsung note tablet)

It does mean I have docs with over 1000 words of content written that isn't all connected up yet for various different stories. I work on multiple at a time, jumping between them to which ones I've got the best ideas or motivation for.

Hope that helps someone out. It's taken me about 20yrs to get a style of writing and editing that fits me, and it might not fit me in the future. Writing styles and methods change a lot as you grow as a writer, sometimes you just have to play around and ignore conventional rules until you find something that fits.

#hazbin hotel #helluverse #hellaverse #asks #ask #answered #long post #a glimpse into my writing process #writblr #writing things #my fic #fics #fic things #writing process #i have 5 wips activly open right now im bouncing between #too many wips

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linklethehistorian · 9 months ago

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So while working on a drawing WIP of mine, I was watching a video from Drew Gooden on the Avatar Netflix adaption (note: I have never seen Avatar: the Last Airbender, and I don’t particularly plan to, either; I am just a fan of Drew Gooden’s videos and I like to learn about various series I will probably never and honestly have no desire to directly, personally interact with), and I think that he perfectly summed up in very short terms what I mean when I say that the Fifteen anime and manga are both poor adaptions of the original story.

[Transcript: “Now, before I continue getting mad about every single aspect of this show, I do wanna answer a more general question of like, ‘what should we expect out of an adaption?’ — because it may sound like I’m trying to say that this should have been a one-to-one recreation of the original show, when that is not the case.”

“You can, and should, be able to change things; why even bother spending all this money to make something that looks worse, if it’s going to be exactly the same? But, those changes need to enhance the story; they can’t be at odds with the spirit of the show, or fundamentally change a character.” /end Transcript]

While I still need to finish my article on Fifteen and its anime adaption, and later better address the manga, this is the point I want to hammer home to people who refuse to get the position I am coming from:

I am not saying that either the manga or the anime would be bad in and of themselves if they were wholly original stories, or that there is anything inherently wrong with adding content that was not in the original source material.

I am saying that they are bad at being adaptions; they are bad at representing the pre-existing story they are supposed to be telling in a new medium. While they could be perfectly fine and serviceable — if, in my opinion, far less compelling — stories if they were original content with no previous source material to adapt from, they are not that, and that is what makes them bad. They are horrible representations of the story they are trying to tell, and for an adaption there can be no greater failing than this.

The biggest changes that were made to both the anime and the manga do not enhance the story.

They do not fit the spirit of the source material.

The anime fundamentally changes a major character and re-writes an entire scene and major plot points in order to allow them to have an excuse for a few seconds of cheap fanservice for a popular pairing/character — which could have still been had in an even better way without mutilation in a different scene they actively decided to remove in order to save time that they completely squandered anyway.

The manga in certain crucial chapters takes visual creative liberties that do not at all fit the spirit, tone, or descriptions within the source material in order to play up a horror aspect that very simply was not intended to exist in the first place, and in doing so fundamentally alters important characterization, along with unnecessary and tone-altering tweaks to a few choice lines of dialogue.

An adaption should be just that: an adaption, not a re-imagining, not a re-telling, not a re-make; its job is to tell the story and elevate it as much as possible using the unique perks of the specific medium it is being brought into. For both anime and manga, this should have been done through the use of visuals (and in the case of the anime, movement, music, and voice acting) to bring the scenes described within the original source material to life and fill in the blanks based on the rest of the picture painted there, as well as expand on certain points and add to them using the spirit of the original story.

Both the anime and the manga have times when they prove that they can do such things quite well and quite efficiently, but then utterly fail to do at some of the points where it matters the very most, and that is why it can’t and shouldn’t be forgiven.

It is not a matter of not being one-to-one with the original with every scene, it is a matter of completely ignoring the most fundamental and important aspects of some of the very most crucial ones of those scenes in favor of “doing its own thing”, even if it means completely ignoring the points the original source material — and the adaption most closely worked on by the original creator (the stage plays) — tried to make.

#linklethehistorian #my thoughts #thoughts #bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd novels #fifteen #bsd anime #bsd stage play #fifteen manga #fifteen stage play #season 3 #bsd arthur rimbaud #randou #I know I’m talking to a wall but seriously people need to realize that adaptions are supposed to be adaptions #and that the moment it fails to be that yes it is in fact a bad adaption no matter how much you enjoy it as its own thing #you can enjoy it as its own thing if you must and still understand and acknowledge that it is a bad adaption #an adaption that does not adapt a story to a new medium but rather changes it in unnecessary ways that do not elevate the original is #not an adaption #but a failure of one #as at that point it has become a complete reimagining #and reimaginings are not bad….but they are if that was not what they were supposed to be doing in the first place #and if they aren’t upfront about the fact that it is NOT the same story but only borrows parts of it

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takeariskao3 · 2 years ago

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hi Hannah! what's your writing process like? do you use tools like scrivener or just documents or notebooks? love you ♥️

i’ve tried a few online resources: scrivener, miro, pro writing aid, etc. but nothing organizes my thoughts quite like physically writing things out with paper and pen. if i need to storyboard (write out plots points so i can move them around) i typically use sticky notes and my bedroom wall. i outline in a 5x7 journal, keep it my purse so i have it with me at all times, and take all my notes/thoughts/scene ideas down in that if i can. then i open google docs and try to do a detailed outline in the chapter doc. once the detailed outline is done though, i have to sit on it and stew over it and try to get a feel for each scene individually. what is the tone of the scenes, the dialogue, the internal monologue? what’s the point of the interaction? what do harry and ginny learn?

once i answer those questions then i feel equipped to start the actual process of writing. my first draft is typically really rough. mostly action and dialogue. the second draft is where i add in emotions and narration. third draft is making it sound good in my head with pacing and flow.

then i try to sleep on it, which doesn’t always happen, but it definitely makes the next step easier/better when i do. once i feel it’s *finished* i read it through out loud (sometimes in my own terrible british accent) and i post the chap! usually within five minutes of posting i find sixteen typos and seven dialogue edits. so final edits come after it’s live 🤣

that’s a very linear explanation but there’s lots of going back and forth. usually between draft one and outlining. if something isnt working, and i can usually tell pretty early, then i set it free and go back to brainstorming. other, rarer times, (like with chap 13 and now again with 16) i’ve made it all the way to draft three before i realize the pacing is totally wrong. and that’s a punch to the gut, when i’ve put all that time and effort into a chapter that ultimately needs to be scrapped. but i do feel confident enough that when i scrap a chapter, it’s for the best and i can make it much much better on the second attempt.

that’s it! that’s me in a nutshell. a messy journaler who thinks reading the chap in a british accent will hide my phrasing and spelling enough to not immediately give me away as an american attempting to write celtic mythology

#thanks for the question!!#anon #answered

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stackthedeck · 2 years ago

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Hiiiiiiiiii i kinda had a question #lol. The fact that you write is awesome and makes me wanna write too, but every time i try i feel like i have such a large amount of self doubt that comes with it. Every single scene i finish is accompanied by an "oh god this sucks" in my head. Im also having a lot of trouble getting character voices down?? Like wow. Writing's harder than i thought it would be🫡 anyways just wanted to see if you had like tips or anything for dealing with that😨😨😨

Okay so my most practical advice is for how to get character voice. What I'll do as a writing exercise is I'll pick an episode of a show or like a scene from a movie or maybe a podcast episode, pick a medium that has a focus on dialogue. Transcribe the dialogue as you watch or listen (pause or turn on subtitles as needed) and pause the thing between chunks of dialogue and add the action tags, describe what the characters are feeling, give them internal monologue, describe the setting. I know this sounds tedious and like it is and it might not work for you and you definitely can't post it. But it makes me super aware of characters' speech patterns, the way they pause between words, what nicknames or phrases they use often, etc. It's also something that I just pick up on naturally, like I'll talk like my friends not as like an impression of their voice but how they talk and people say it's spooky.

The short cut to nailing how a character talks is to steal dialogue directly from the source, have them use nicknames from canon, and like be aware of their general tone. Like in most situations, Deadpool leans into a more jokey way of speak while Spider-Man is sarcastic with dry jokes and Daredevil is serious and gruff. These will change with each situation you know characters have moods and stuff. But if you're familiar with the source material you're probably really close to a character's voice that you think

with original stories, if I want to create a strong voice for characters and narration, I'll do a writing warm up by going outside or like a library and describe what I experience. I'm not allowed to start writing my actual thing until I include all five senses in those descriptions. I also tend to narrate how I think which doesn't work for everyone but I love metaphors and alliteration so it works. With original characters, they're usually based on someone I know so I'll just memorize their exact words or watch videos that they send me. It's kinda creepy tbh. But rule of thumb is to always read your stuff out loud, heck I usually say the dialogue before I write it, and it gives it a more human sound.

Okay practical advice done now I gotta tell you the thing you won't like. The best way to get over the "this sucks" mentality is to just write a lot. Anytime I'm not so sure about my own writing, I got back to the Hamilton fanfic I wrote in middle school that I proudly put on the internet and sent to my friends and I think "okay it could be so much worse" self-doubt will always be a part of the process you will always be your worst critic. But also you've also gotta be your biggest fan, it helps to find someone else to hype you up, but I dare you to read what you've written a say at least one nice thing about it. Any time you're in the editing stage, say one nice thing about what you've written before you say something that's not working. When you finish editing, say one thing that you're happy you added. You gotta write a lot but you've gotta be good to yourself

#asks #was this helpful?

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auromirafilms-blog · 8 months ago

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Different Visionaries: The Art of Filming Stories

There are different visionaries for every other individual, and as there are various forms of thoughts and forms of art, that’s how there’s a variety of views about filming. The thought process of various people does change with time and the form of filming is also changing with time. Filming stories is an art that cannot be done by anyone, through the lens of their artistic sensibilities and perspectives, filmmakers weave a shade of cinematic experiences that profoundly connect with audiences.

The process of telling a story on film is a team effort driven by passion and creativity, from the visionary director who paints with light and shadow to the creative cinematographer who uses cutting-edge camera methods to capture the narrative's essence.

Exploring the Visionaries of Filmmaking

The visions, narratives, and perspectives are all very different from each other, as everyone has their own set of thoughts and skills.

The directors, master storytellers who bring texts to life and translate words into moving pictures, are in charge of this artistic journey. Every director has a distinct voice on screen, leaving their mark on every frame, from the audacious vision of the supervisor who defies expectations to the painstaking craftsmanship of genre masters.

The anonymous heroes of the film industry, and cinematographers create visually striking landscapes that take audiences to far-off places and arouse strong emotions by manipulating light and shadow like paint on a canvas.

The vision of a writer or a storyteller whose words set the stage for iconic cinematic moments. They weave stories that speak to the core of humanity through compelling screenplays and subtle dialogue that stay with viewers long after the credits have rolled.

As we explore more of the filmmaking world, we get to learn more about the fundamentals of human expression, a language that cuts across boundaries of time, place, and culture, as well as the craft of filmmaking.

Insights from Filmmaking

Filmmaking gives an engaging look into the complex world of film, where storytelling, imagination, and innovation come together to produce memorable moments. Film is a symphony of concepts and visions brought to life on screen, it's more than just lights, camera, action.

Making films is an immersive adventure that requires devotion, vision, and rigorous attention to detail.

There are 3 main insights that filming needs:

Storytelling: A gripping tale is the foundation of every successful film. By writing a compelling screenplay that speaks to both, your intellectually and emotionally engaged audiences.

Cinematography: It is an essential component of filmmaking, the skill and process of creating visual images for a moving picture. They supervise the camera and lighting team to guarantee that every shot is properly framed and that the lighting complements the scene's tone and mood.

Editing: The art and craft of cutting and assembling a finished film is said to be film editing. A film editor who assists in realizing the director's vision for the film does this work.An editor's creative decisions typically combine their vision for the picture with the director's (and producers') desires for the final product.

Filming Techniques that Impacted Lives

There are numerous techniques that filming follows to get an amazing result, it includes all the camera angles, shots, perfect scenes, and all the other factors that get included while doing the production.

The proper use of camera angles, framing, movement, and basic editing techniques such as establishing shots, reverse, and POV shots as well as low/high angles and time lapses, these all will have an impact on the audience's brain activity because they add context, the sense, improve performances, and emulate how we actually see the world.

Auromira: Creating New Visionaries

The main element that has kept Auromira different from others is their unique approach toward creating and changing the perspectives of the audience through their stories. The tagline of Auromira itself conveys a lot many things “Videos that Create Impact”. We at Auromira ensure that our clients get a good delivery of the video that they have demanded from us.

Conclusion

Film storytelling is a collaborative process that is fuelled by emotion and imagination because each person has a unique perspective and set of abilities, the visions, stories, and views are all quite different from one another. A film is more than just lights, camera, and action; it's a symphony of ideas and ideals brought to life on screen. Filming comes next to produce a fantastic outcome; it incorporates all the camera angles, shots, ideal scenes, and other elements that are included in production.

#digital marketing agency in odisha #video production company #corporate video odisha #film production odisha

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wordsnstuff · 4 years ago

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Guide to Drafting

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

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Planning v. Discovery

The first thing you must decide when you embark on the journey of drafting a story is how you’re going to get it done. Typically, there are two groups you can fit into, though most writers are somewhere in between. There are writers who plan meticulously before they begin writing to create a very clean first draft, or there are discovery writers (otherwise known as “pantsers”) who find more success in choosing a premise and then using a zero draft to explore the idea before gluing down any details. You are most likely someone who falls between those two methods. Some initial planning to feel familiar with your idea before you do some of the planning through the writing itself. Having some semblance of a method will help you narrow down your own process, which is immensely important if you want to get any substantial project near completion.

Consistency

Drafting is a difficult process because it’s either the revisitation of ideas you’ve already had, or the generations of ideas in quick succession. If you want to have a draft in a reasonable amount of time, you must develop a consistency in your writing. I won’t say that it must be a strict routine because time management can be a luxury, but you must make the consistent effort to write, and keep it in the forefront of your mind. Even if you don’t write every day, it should be something you try to make time for every day.

Know What You’re Trying to Accomplish

To get a draft done, you need to set expectations for yourself and they must be realistic. That doesn’t mean they have to be easy, or an amount of work you’ve been able to accomplish in the past. Considering how much time you dedicate to writing and your skillset, it should be a goal within reality. In addition, you must accept that you cannot create a masterpiece in one draft. For each version of your story that you write, you must have a focused goal, such as maintaining consistent characterization, making the plot concise and engaging, or making the prose more fluid and efficient. If you have a specific and attainable goal that you can accomplish in a reasonable amount of time with a fair amount of precision, each draft will be better than the last.

Designate Work to Phases

As mentioned in the last section, it maximizes your time and effort to have specific and attainable goals for each draft. This doesn’t mean that you rewrite the draft each time (though that is very common amongst writers), but that you designate tasks to draft versions. I find it very helpful in clearing my mind and soothing my perfectionist anxiety to make a “schedule”, outlining what I’ll accomplish in each version following the zero draft. For example, my draft schedules usually end up something like this:

Zero Draft: Main plot line, basic characterization, key world building

First Draft: Finalize Timeline, research for world building, structure

Second Draft: (Rewrite) Plot Development Fine Tuning

Subplot development

Foreshadowing

Build up to climaxes

Tone & Pace

Third Draft: (Intermittent Rewrites) Character Development Fine Tuning

Backstory

Subtextual Development

Making sure motivations are clear

Relationships between characters

Reinforcing character arcs

Checking dialogue

Fourth Draft: (Give to Beta Readers) World Building & Prose

Descriptions & Flow

Finalize settings

Checking grammar & punctuation

Reader Immersion

Fifth Draft: Incorporate Beta Reader Feedback

Write for Yourself First

In what some call the “zero-draft”, there are no rules. This draft is purely for your eyes. It’s you telling yourself the story for the first time. So, you don’t have to write in chronological order, or know the right word you’re looking for, or take a break every time you run into a problem. The purpose of the zero draft is to get a rough idea of as much of the story as you can and avoid getting snagged on minor details. This part is important. A lot of writers like to outline meticulously before they begin drafting and if that works for you, that’s great, but the majority of writers who attempt that get stuck in the planning phase, or burnt out on their story before a word of it exists. The easiest way to avoid those two situations is to do a zero draft, which can be as long or short as you want if it provides a skeleton for you to add meat to later.

Common Struggles

~ How do you estimate the number of words/chapters?... That depends on the genre, mostly. However, that’s usually something you decide in the second draft and beyond, and it can vary because of factors you haven’t got locked down until the plot and character arcs are firm or final. This is also something you’ll probably do a lot of tinkering with, and receive feedback on, especially from beta-readers, who can advise you on where natural breaks could occur from their perspective.

~ Why, after planning everything out, do I always struggle to write the draft?... 99% of the time, it’s because you’ve either burned yourself out, or accumulated too much pressure. When you put that much effort and time into a story, you can either slip into a headspace where you feel little excitement about it because you’ve already done all of the problem solving and had all of the revelations. It’s usually beneficial at this stage to take a step back (even if you’re not burnt out) and give your story some space, so that once you come back to it, you’re enthusiastic enough to fully realize your vision. If instead you’re struggling to write because you feel a lot of pressure to do justice for a story you’ve put so much love into already, take a step back, remember that the first draft is just for you, and work on letting go of the idea that the zero draft is meant to serve any purpose beside simply existing.

~ How do I come up with the necessary scenes to move the story forward between major plot points?... Most writing problems can be solved by asking yourself the right questions. When you’re trying to figure out what your reader needs to see next in order to effectively set up the next major event, ask yourself “What would happen between event A and event B that would add context or make event B more impactful?”. Treat it like a real situation and try to map out all of the tiny, notable moments that would take place between the major plot points, and then assess those moments on the basis of how impactful they would be to the coming scenes, and whether they can add context, set the tone, or aide in the rising action.

~ How do I balance sticking to the draft and following my own creative instinct in the moment?... This is a judgement call. Sometimes you’ll realize that maybe you should have just stuck to the outline, but remember that you can always go back, rewrite, test things out, etc. Always save every version of every scene, just in case, and go wild. Don’t be afraid to take detours just to explore. The writing process is anything but linear.

~ How do I maintain momentum in my writing progress when I constantly have distractions or other responsibilities that take priority?... Work at it. There’s no magic trick or piece of advice I could say that gets rid of your personal responsibilities. Write when you can, don’t make excuses on top of the reasons you have no control over, and remember that you create your own deadlines and expectations. Be kind to yourself, do what you can, and don’t spend potential writing time punishing yourself because there isn’t as much as you’d like.

~ How should I designate space (words/pages) to specific scenes/description/conversations, etc?... Trust your instinct and remember you can always cut/add later. In the earlier drafts, I’d advise you try to create as much material as possible to work with, and in the later drafts, be ruthless when determining what is necessary and adds value, and what doesn’t.

~ How do I finish a draft if I regularly lose motivation or interest in my projects?... Accept the fact that motivation is fickle, and that no writer in history has ever maintained “inspiration” for any project from the beginning to the end. There are going to be days where you’re like “ugh this is not what I want to do right now”, probably more than there are days where you’re stoked to work on your project, but that’s reality. If your goal is to finish a draft, you must recognize that writing is work, and nobody wants to work all the time. Try to supplement the lack of motivation by setting a positive and enjoyable routine so that, even when you’re not particularly motivated, you still know that your writing time will be peaceful and comfortable.

–

Masterlist | WIP Blog

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#writing #writeblr #writing advice #writing tips #writing resources #resources for writers #writing reference #writing help #writespo #writing inspiration #writing motivation #inspiration #motivation #drafting

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procrastinatingsapphictrash · 4 years ago

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Shy

Word count: 2165

Genre: Fluff

Pairing: Natasha x fem!reader

Warnings: I don’t think there are any but let me know if I need to add something

Request: heyy! can i please request a natashaxfem!reader fic where the reader is shy? i don’t care where you take it, i’m just in need of some fluff with soft nat 🥺 like maybe she finds her shyness to be adorable and cute even though the reader is extremely insecure? no worries if you don’t want to write it!

Summary: Reader is super shy and has a huge crush on Natasha although she can barely talk to her until they spend some time alone together.

A/n: This request was for @rail-me-romanoff so I hope you enjoy it because I had a ton of fun writing this one! Obviously I hope everybody else likes this as well and my requests are always open if anyone has any ideas. To anybody who has already requested something, don’t worry, I’m working on them. Also sorry if this fic has too much dialogue because I just realized it might have a lot.

You are just heading out of the training room when you bump into Natasha. You’re about to apologize when she speaks first.

“Y/n! I was just looking for you! A few of us are planning on watching a movie in a few minutes and I was wondering if you’d like to join us?” You blush at the thought of spending more time with Natasha, even if the rest of the team will be there.

“Um, sure, that would be great-what movie? You ask stammering the entire time.

“I don’t know the name,” she responds, “Tony said something about it being a really good horror movie.” You hesitate at the thought because you don’t like horror movies but you decide you want to because it is a perfect way to spend time with Natasha without having to actually talk to her.

“Ok, that sounds good.” You say nervously, before blushing and scurrying away from the training room. Natasha sighs. She doesn’t know what she did wrong because you were perfectly friendly around everyone else but always avoided her and ran away before you could have a proper conversation. She was determined for you to spend time with her, even if that meant her lying about movie plans that she now has to create. She quickly makes her way down to Tony’s lab and bursts in without knocking.

“There’s been a breach, call security.” Tony says sarcastically as she enters.

“Tony…” Natasha says while fixing him with her stare. He just gazes back at her, one of the only people that is not easily intimidated by her. “I need you to organize a team movie in less than half an hour, and it has to be horror. Also you have to pretend you came up with this idea days ago.”

“So you’re telling me that I have to gather the team to watch a horror movie in half an hour?” Tony asks and Natasha nods. “No can do.”

“Please Tony!” Natasha practically begs.

“First of all, that was weird, never do that again. Secondly, why do you care so much?” He asks, very curious and always looking for more gossip.

“I lied to Y/n and told her that some of us were going to watch a movie because I wanted her to stop avoiding me.” She responds. “But I need you to help me out here.”

“Ooohhhh, someone has a crush!” Tony sing-songs in a very obnoxious tone.

“I do not,” Natasha defends herself, “I merely wanted to make sure I get along with everyone on the team so missions run smoothly.”

“Sure,” Tony tells her as she starts to walk away, “whatever lets you sleep at night, but I know you have a heart in there Romanoff.” Natasha doesn’t reply and continues walking away, throwing up her middle finger on the way out.

“Why did I think he would be helpful?” She mutters to herself as she makes her way to her room. It doesn’t take her long to get there but by the time she does she already knows what she’s going to tell you so you didn’t know she was lying before.

You’re just finishing up giving yourself a quick pep talk in the mirror when you hear a knock on your door.

“Hey,” you say softy when you open the door, trying to force the butterflies in your stomach to go away.

“Hi,” she replies in a tone that sounds much more confident than yours, “you ready to head over to the living room?” You nod your head as an answer because you don’t trust your voice to speak and follow her as she walks down the hallway.

“Are you just going to walk behind me?” She asks when she notices that you are trailing behind her. You mumble no under your breath and blush while doing an awkward half jog/half walk thing to catch up to her. You continue the rest of the walk to the living room in silence, every so often looking over at Natasha and then quickly turning away when she thought she might see you.

“I forgot to mention but Tony is busy and the others decided not to watch either, so it’ll be just you and me.” She says just as you enter the deserted living room. Your whole body tenses up and you feel super nervous. You already were nervous about watching a movie with Natasha when the others were around, so you can’t imagine it without them.

She seems to pick up on your tense state and asks, “That’s ok with you right?”

“Um, of course, why wouldn’t it be?” You say, trying not to let her catch onto the self doubt that fills your head. You can barely say a few sentences to her but now you have to spend a whole movie together. You’re so caught up in your thoughts you don’t notice that she smiles slightly while letting out a small sigh of relief.

“Ok great,” she replies with a bigger smile that you notice this time, “you can sit down on the couch and I’ll be there in a minute, after I make some popcorn.” You sit down awkwardly and take a few breaths trying to calm yourself down. The fact that you are going to watch a horror movie is not helping because even though you are a badass superhero while on mission, horror movies scare you very easily. You decide to grab a blanket to wrap yourself up in when the movie gets too scary. In the kitchen you can hear the microwave beep and not long after Natasha comes over to the couch and sits beside you, with only a popcorn bowl distance between you.

“Are you still ok with watching a horror movie?” She asks you. You technically don’t want to watch a horror movie but you know Natasha likes them and you don’t want her to know how much of a wimp you are when it comes to them.

“Yes”

“Great, I was hoping you’d say that,” she says while smiling brightly at you. You turn your head away from her to hide your blush and she frowns. She gets up to put the movie on and glances back over to you, but you’re still avoiding her gaze. She doesn’t know what she did wrong because it seemed like you were starting to want to spend time with her but now you’re closed off again. You intrigue her for some reason she can’t quite put her finger on and she just wants to have you open up to her.

She sits back down on the couch just as the movie starts to play and you swear she’s sitting slightly closer than before. She doesn’t say anything so neither do you, both of your eyes locked to the screen. You can already tell within the first minute that the movie is going to be scary because it looks really well done and those are always the creepiest kind.

After half an hour, you know for sure that your suspicions are confirmed and this is the scariest movie you have ever watched. You try to appear calm but Natasha can tell with just one glance that you are terrified. She can’t help but smile at how cute you are; trying to put on a brave face but failing miserably and burrowing yourself deep into the blanket. You look over to her, noticing her eyes on you, and blush and her heart practically melts at the sight. As much as she hates it when Tony is right, his point from earlier about having a little crush on you was more spot on than she wanted. Especially with how cute you are while blushing around her. There is a jumpscare in the movie and you jump slightly. Not one to shy away from anything, Natasha takes her chance to get closer to you and moves the popcorn bowl out of the way before scooting over.

“Are you scared?” She asks you. You’re embarrassed that you are but there is no point in lying to her because she already knows.

“Just a little.”

“Only a little?” she teases, “you looked scared out of your mind.” Your face turns bright red and you move to turn away from her but she stops you by gently grabbing the side of your face.

“Don’t worry, I was just teasing, although it is true.” She says. “But in all seriousness we can turn the movie off if you want to.”

“It’s ok, I’ll just turn my head at the scary parts because I know you want to watch it.” You tell her, hating how weak your voice sounds.

“If you don’t want to watch I’m turning it off,” she says, getting up to do so, “besides as much as I wanted to watch this movie, I don’t think I could have focused on it much with someone as cute as you next to me.” She winks at you after she says the last part and you avoid looking into her eyes while burrowing even further into your blanket, like it would help you disappear and take you away from the embarrassment. It seemed like she was flirting with you but you didn’t understand why.

When she sits back down this time there is no popcorn bowl between you so she sits super close, close enough that you can accidentally lean against her if you so much as shift. Your whole body tenses up and you don’t know what to do because you are afraid to move and touch her. Natasha has no such thoughts and puts her arm around your shoulders, pulling you into her. Much to your embarrassment you let out an undignified squawk at the unexpected contact.

“Is this ok?” She asks, worried by the noise you made. You don’t fully trust your voice right now so you nod, blushing for what must be the thousandth time today.

“Good.” She states before pressing a light kiss to the top of your head. If you weren’t already absolutely in love with her, you would be now because she is being so sweet and your heart can barely take it. Gathering all your confidence you swing your feet from the ground onto the couch on the other side of Natasha’s legs so you can cuddle in a bit closer. Although that move made you so nervous you could barely breathe, your fears are calmed when Natasha helps to pull you in closer.

“You know,” she speaks again, “I used to think you hated me.”

“I don’t-” Natasha shushes you.

“I know now,” she says slowly, “that you were just shy around me. But why were you more shy around me than everyone else?”

“I-I, well, I don’t really know, just I don’t know.” You stumble over your words, not wanting to own up to your not very small crush on her. She laughs at your obvious embarrassment.

“It’s ok, I think I’ve figured it out.” she tells you and your heart pounds. “I think you had, and still have, a bit of a crush on me.” Once again you feel your whole body freeze but you start to relax again when you feel her hand slowly start to run through your hair. You force yourself to calm down by telling yourself that although this situation was embarrassing, she obviously wasn’t mad at you for liking her. Still wanting to stay on the safe side you decide to apologize.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she pauses to kiss the top of your head again, “I’m glad, I like holding you like this. And I want to be able to do this.” She slowly tilts your head up to face her and gently presses her lips against yours. You haven’t kissed many people but even if you had you were sure that this would still be the best kiss of your life. It was just so gentle and sweet and you were definitely way too in love, your only complaint was that it ended way too quickly. Even after she pulled back your lips are still only a few inches apart and you study her face, for once not feeling shy.

A wolf whistle diverts your attention and both of you turn to look over at Tony who is in the doorway.

“Get lost Stark.” Natasha practically growls.

He smirks, “I don’t know how seriously I can take you when you’re cuddling Y/n, who’s literally on top of you.” Natasha’s glare intensifies and you almost feel bad for Tony but can’t quite bring yourself to because you hated how he interrupted you.

“Ok, fine, I’m leaving,” he says before turning and walking away, “treat her well Romanoff.”

Natasha rolls her eyes with a small smile, “Of course I will,” she responds even though he is out of earshot, turning back to look you in the eye, “what do you say we go on a date?”

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #black widow x reader #black widow #tony stark #avengers #avengers x reader #marvel #marvel fanfiction #reader insert #x reader #nicolasfam

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colder-yet-colder-comic · 2 years ago

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a quick few things about this comic, think of it like an faq except nobody asked. if you have any additional questions please leave them in the comments, i’ll try my best to answer.

(for all future purposes i’ll be calling doyouheartthunder Nathan because its easier to type)

Q: How frequently will this update?

A: Whenever I finish a chapter I’ll post it, I’ll take a guess of 2-3 weeks between chapters, but it’ll vary depending on my motivation and personal life. I don’t really keep schedules well, so don’t expect real consistency.

Q: Are you associated with doyouheartthunder?

A: I’ve gotten permission from him to make this comic, but besides that he has no influence on the comic. I haven’t talked too much with him about it besides the general ‘hey can I do this?’ thing. So… sort of???

Q: How long will the chapters be, and will you cut out things or change dialogue?

A: Some things are going to be really hard to adapt from written to visual mediums, so some elements will have to be changed or cut out. I’ll also probably edit dialogue to be shorter but I’ll try me hardest to make the tone and message the same. Chapter length varies depending on how much movement, dialogue, etc is there. So far chapter 1 is about 12 pages, and some early sketches I did for later chapters tend to range from 5 or 6 for the shorter ones to 13 for the really long ones. I’m less concerned with page amount and more with keeping the pacing intact and giving a faithful adaptation, so like I said, don’t expect consistency.

Q: What are some things we should expect from it visually?

A: I’ve never done a long-form comic before, nor am I very good at keeping consistency. This is a learning experience for me and I mostly took up the project to improve on some things. Some things like character design will also probably change, as sometimes while I work I think, ‘wow, this would be a cool element to change or add!’ and I see what sticks. Backgrounds are going to be mostly monochromatic except for in certain instances. I’ve drawn backgrounds for later chapters where I fully colored them and those are certainly going to stay. They’re also going to be mostly lineless. My style has also been developing over time so the comic will certainly change with it, even though I have made a basic style guide for things like line thickness and such. I don’t want it to stay stagnant and it will probably change with me.

Q: Are you going to do comics for later fics in the Snow Angels series?

A: That depends on how I’m feeling when I finish this one and if Nathan is okay with it! I like the idea with it but I have a lot of struggle sticking with one thing and seeing it through, and this comic will probably leave me drained by the end. If/when I finish this, I’m probably going to take a long break before I consider getting permission to work on the sequel.

Q: Is this official?

A: Sort of..? It really depends what you qualify as official. It is in the sense that I have permission from Nathan to make it, but as stated above, he has no influence over the comic. It’s less of an official adaptation and more of a love letter. Also this is Deltarune fanfiction so official is a pretty big word to use.

Q: When will chapter 1 be posted?

A: 2-3 days hopefully, depending on how much work I can get done in that time. Most of the pages for chapter 1 are done, I just need to make some finishing touches on most of it, as well as redoing one page that is barely started. That’s going to take up the bulk of that time. It’s coming soon, though!!!

and thats about it! if you have any other questions, throw them at me in the comments. i’ll answer them all as best i can!!

#cyc update #sort of i guess

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katcadecascade · 3 years ago

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Pressed thin like your favorite page (Silco X Reader) Chapter 9

Ao3

Tumblr Chapter Index

Chapter Nine: A Name is a Blueprint

Additional Notes: sorry for the wait; it be like that majority of the time; anyway; bit of a miscommunication shenanigans for Reader here; some ragrets from drunken exploits; more backstory on Reader; I had fun writing Silco’s dialogue; there will also be a long wait for the next chapter; opps but yeah

Word Count: 3949

Maybe returning to The Last Drop is a horrible idea and you should never show your face again. But you still have an obligation to teach Jinx. You would bear through your embarrassment of your drunken exploits for the sake of a student. That and there is something important you need to explain to Jinx and Silco.

Once you finish teaching Jinx with the engineering book, you have officially run out of things to teach her.

You rather make a plan about this now than later, that way you don’t end up tumbling into any sort of bad decision in poor timing.

Like two nights ago where you drunkenly recited poetry to Silco and he walked you out the door.

Gods above and below, that will endlessly haunt you won’t it?

Anyway you clean yourself up the best you could in only a manner done by the people in the Lanes. Lack of clean water aside, your worn down clothes are passable for the most part and whatnot.

The Last Drop is always a familiar sight to you and yet you have to admit, it’s been a while since passed out drunks got kicked out in the morning. Silco’s two front men are hauling out the last remaining drunkards. Some are unmoving, slumped against the building. You intentionally choose to avoid your gaze. Yet one of the people actually walking, sloppily you add, nearly stumbles into you.

“Hi Matthias?” You greet with an awkward wave.

A slow blink later, he digs a hand into his pocket for a lighter and cig. “Hey.”

As he walks away, the cigarette gets lit, filling the already stale air with the sharp taste of ash. Normally smoking doesn’t bother you but you can’t help but frown.

“Say hi to Franny for me.”

Your neighbor makes an inaudible noise, the best acknowledgement you can get. From what you’ve seen and Franny’s complaints, her older brother is harmless for the most part. You make a mental note to check up on Franny after this though, just in case the kid gets lonely again.

The front men easily let you through the door, grunting their own greetings that you return.

“Invite Sevika’s girls back here, Reader,” one teases with a laugh.

“Damn Elijah, you’re already a simp?” You fire back, mildly amused.

He grinned and excitedly patted the cold metal of the door, as if it’s a well tended motor. “This place finally got fun again.”

“Ah right,” You regretfully recall the fun that Adora caused. “Honestly, I wouldn’t mind it again.”

“It’s all for good business,” Davis, the other guardsman, said. “A club is a better selling ground than the streets.”

That freezes you midstep through the main lounge. Right now it’s only the usual morning crew in the bar, the two at the door, Therium cleaning the bartop, and you hear some others walking between the storage and the back entrance.

Davis is watching you still, arms crossed but his lax demeanor is non threatening. The guy does raise an eyebrow at your tensed expression.

“Huh, didn’t think of that,” You managed to force out, albeit you had an awkward croak in your voice. To continue with that tone, you give Davis a lopsided smile and pointed a thumb at the bar, “Drinking’s more my thing, ha!”

You relax when Davis chuckled, likely misreading your strange tension as post-inebriated regret.

“Luckily you weren’t the only drunk mess we’ve been getting lately,” Davis assured, somehow making an insult feel comforting.

“Glad to hear that,” You nod before finally parting away, once more with rushing thoughts.

It’s stupid of you to forget the existence of Shimmer. You’re already lost in your own reliance on drinking. You like to believe it’s at a stable and reasonable level but that’s all graphed at normality of the Lanes. Nearly everyone here is an alcoholic or a druggie or both. Personally you’ll stick with drinking and hold a bit of abhor for drug use. It sounds either hypocritical or logical, choosing one addiction and drawing the line for another. Yet you have an increasing discomfort regarding Silco’s drug. You can’t decide if it’s because of its extremities, the deformation, or it’s the kingpin’s main source of money.

But what’s to say that Shimmer isn’t the worst drug ever created?

After all, Silco taught you that it could also be a medicine.

This could be an honest debate or all excuses to normalize the drug use in your city. Or more tragic, it’s another tally in the long list of dangers under Silco’s sphere of influence.

Maybe it’s a good thing to talk about a future resignation.

You make your way up the stairs. An awful cringe in your memory pulls up how you drunkenly labored yourself on this same path merely days ago. It’s strangely masochistic how you’re willing to do this to yourself, just unloading shame and embarrassment into each step.

Worst of all, you hesitate at knocking on Silco’s door. You take a deep breath and just go for it. Rapping your knuckles against the wooden grain mimics the thumping of your heartbeat.

Silco’s “Enter” is muffled but it sends a spike of fire down your spine. You let yourself in.

“Silco,” There’s a hollowness in your voice, “hi.”

The man is at his desk, writing over some papers and such. It’s not out of the ordinary, neither is how organized everything else in the office is. You note the neat stack of files on the desk corner, a reading lamp placed on the edge, there’s even a small box to hold all his pens and a secondary set for ink quills.

It’s all picturesque and orderly, your eyes wandering everything before the man you sullen yourself. You bypass the dreaded couch you imagined debauchery on, hating how the pillows are pampered, like nothing intimate ever happened there.

Finally standing in front of the desk, your eyes reach Silco’s.

The quiet atmosphere is pierced by his unflinching gaze.

“Hello Reader.” He takes his time drawing his platitudes. “It’s good to see you’re better.”

You wince. He’s saving face for the both of you. The least you can do is apologize.

“Yeah, I believe I got carried away the other night. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, Reader,” Silco laces his fingers together, letting his elbows rest on the tabletop. “I run a bar. Inhibitions are rarely at the bottom of the bottle. Also I nor the rest of the world would ever condemn you for getting wasted.”

A huge, awkward weight has been relieved from your consciousness but at the same time you deflected all of those emotions in favor of humor.

“...Does that mean you’ve gotten shitfaced too?” You smile crookedly.

“Absolutely,” Silco nodded, esteemed with a lot of smugness. “Vander and I were truly a menace in our youth.”

You laugh at that, imagining them as such. Sometimes it feels like the Lanes are a timeless place, always with the gritty and the chaos with someone believing they are at their peak. You had your own moments in the thrill but nothing extravagant to become one of the many mercenaries or fighters in the present day.

“Well, if anything this won’t be the last time I’ll get drunk.” Your lips dips down into a frown, “But I’ll try to be less… like that.”

After a beat of silence, with Silco merely scanning you, he said, “...If that’s what you decided, I won’t make any judgment.”

“Thank you, I rather like my position here and I hate to ruin it like that.”

“You didn’t,” Silco lowered his hands on the table, one balled up and the other slid out in your direction before retreating back. “I would never assume the worst of you, Reader. I too enjoy your time here with us.”

There is a serenity in his eyes. Usually any kind of tenderness warms you up but instead there is a cold pressure in your throat.

He pushed you away on that night. It should be proper to give him and yourself a real exit out of your feelings.

“Silco, there’s something I need to tell you,” You said, each word dragged out of your mouth.

“What is it?”

“I just need to be honest about this because I care so much about everything here, between us and most importantly Jinx.” You drag a hand through your hair, stressed and nervous. “Do you get what I’m saying?”

You ask that out of pure rambling, not really expecting a response. Yet Silco stands up, walking to your side with this softness you cannot comprehend.

“I believe I do. Reader, not to sound like a weak man but I’ve been anticipating this for quite a long time now.”

“Really, you did?” A bitter sadness runs along your voice, “I guess that makes sense, you were upset at me from the start.”

Silco places a hand on your shoulder. The light touch matches the gentleness in his cadence, “Never, it was simply a wary behavior to see you. In our time apart, I reflected on what was said and done and I’ve come to realize how volatile we may become. You don’t need to worry about a thing. I promise.”

Hearing that is more than a relief, calming your anxiety before it could become a mess.

“Oh good but I’ll still worry. I mean, this is Jinx’s education after all.”

A wide eyed expression takes up Silco’s face. “...I beg your pardon?”

You tilt your head slightly, worried that you didn’t make yourself clear so you reiterate what’s been in your head for the last few weeks.

“Silco, I love teaching Jinx. She is phenomenal at analyzing and engineering. Jinx is a prodigy at mechanics and sharpshooting but that is out of my wheelhouse. Soon enough, I’ll have taught everything I could to her but there is still much more potential in her.” You shrug helplessly, “It just can’t be me teaching her anymore.”

“What? No, no, you’ve done an amazing job with her.” His hand is still on your shoulder, you feel it curl in. Rather than pulling you closer, Silco takes one step closer to you. “I’m indebted to everything you taught.”

“Hey, didn’t you just say you were anticipating this? Me leaving?”

“No, never that.”

“Then what did you think I was talking about?” You ask, very much off balanced by all of this.

Silco stares at you, an odd blankness in his good eye.

“...Jinx of course, giving her a personal laboratory.”

“Oh. That's a great idea.”

“Yes, yes, but this ordeal about you being unable to teach Jinx anything more.” He shakes his head. “It’s absurd, Reader.”

“Yet it is the truth, Silco,” You insist. “The time is near for Jinx to graduate.”

He frowns, more than ready to continue this debate that you are actually confident to argue against.

THUNK

That is until the subject of your conversation jumps down from the ceiling rafters. Scuffed up shoes land on top of documents, pens roll off, the quill ink set topples over, spilling blackness across the oak. Jinx cares nothing about the impact she caused to her father’s desk, stuck in a low crouch with both hands on the table surface to ease her landing.

All her attention is trained on you, a fierce snarl pins you in your place.

“Jinx,” Silco stresses the same time you ask, “Whoa, Jinx?”

Before you or Silco could get another word in, Jinx is spiraling.

“Graduate? No, that's bullshit!” Jinx shifts her stand into an awkward squat, freeing her hands to wave about in pure mania. “I can't graduate. That’s not even a real thing around here! It’s just what everyone says when they don’t want to go to your classes. Now? It’s you who wants me to leave?”

She points both index fingers at you. Double the accusation and double the pain.

“Jinx,” You begin with a steady voice, needed to deescalate the situation, “that isn’t what I intended.”

“You promised you wouldn’t leave me!” Jinx stands to her full height, impressively over Silco’s head thanks to the table. Her head blocks the window light from casting onto you. “You pinky fucking promised me!”

To rub salt further into the wound, Silco says in a pointed tone, “You did pinky promise her.”

Your heart is jabbed at multiple angles. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. Frowning, you look up to the little girl you hurt.

“Silco, could we have the office for a moment? Please?”

Jinx is too angry to care if Silco is on her side or not. If anything, this would be more fair, simple one on one. You want to talk her down on your own, to remedy her anger.

“...I thought I told you this was my office.” Silco mused quietly, looking between you and his daughter.

“You did.”

Silco huffs but compiles, “Shall I wait outside?”

You give him a reassuring glance, “We might take a while.”

He studies your face before nodding and gives Jinx a concerned look but she never breaks eye contact with you.

“Scream if you need me,” is Silco’s goodbye before he closes the door.

It’s just you and Jinx in the office, just like the very first day you learned her new name.

“I’m not leaving you Jinx,” You tell her, approaching the table slowly. “You’ve been listening the whole time, I didn’t say I was leaving.”

“You said you’re gonna stop teaching me.” There’s a roughness to her voice, a croak in her anger. “You’re gonna stop coming here. You’re not gonna read books to me or make sandwiches again or ask about my inventions.”

Jinx is trying so hard not to cry, to maintain her anger because that is more preferred than utter sadness.

“You said you never broke promises!”

You have made many promises in your life. To your friends, to your students, but rarely to yourself.

“Jinx, leaving you is the last thing I want. I’m not going to abandon you. I want to see you grow up and make new inventions,” the softness in your being begins to ease the girl’s stiffness, especially when you add, “I trust you Jinx. With your own education, future goals, and my real name.”

This throws her off guard. Her eyebrows furrow. “I don’t get it. I know your name because… because my parents knew you.”

“Yeah, yeah, they did.” The two of you share this quiet sadness for her parents. It’s not your intention to evade her anger and make her sad. No, you continue on with your point. “I didn’t always go by Reader and even then I had a bunch of other names too.”

“Mom once called you Y N.”

The nostalgia haunts you. “...Ah yes. That name… Anyway, Jinx, you know my name. That makes me feel safe.”

She tilts her head, “I don’t get it.”

You take a seat on the desk, giving her some space. Cautiously, Jinx eases herself down. Her knees poke against your thigh and you’re relieved that she’s comfortable to be near you.

“Do you remember the story about Rumpelstiltskin? If you know a person’s real name, that means you have a lot of power over them.” A troubled look enters Jinx’s eyes and you read it easily. “No matter how many names you have, each one represents a moment in your life.”

Jinx mumbles, more to herself, “I don’t want people to have power over me.”

“And that’s why you give your name to those you trust. You have my name, that’s something I wouldn’t leave.”

“...But what if it’s with someone you don’t trust?” Jinx pulls her knees up, hugging them. “When I was out exploring the Lanes again, some people saw me. They called out for Powder and I…”

Jinx hides her face in her arms. There’s no shudder of a constrained sob or anything, just a defeated laze.

Did she run into Ekko?

You haven’t been able to find him at all, looking through the crowds for a small boy with white curly hair. You asked some former students if he’s been hanging out with them.

Ekko is always somewhere else, is the answer you get from them.

His parents say that he’s been busy. Then again, they are too what with their job in the factories. They’re just happy that Ekko has been productive.

You have no idea what that could possibly mean. You can only conclude that Ekko has his own story and it does not involve you.

Yet you have an inkling that Jinx will be a part of Ekko’s journey.

“Then you’ll have to reintroduce yourself. Tell the whole world who Jinx is.”

You take a chance and brush some loose hair behind Jinx’s ear. She immediately eases into your side, warming your heart.

“Why are you Reader now? Are you different too?” Jinx asks, inquizical as ever. “Why care about old names?”

A grin easily forms, adoring her curiosity. She is asking some rather insightful questions and you can’t help but be proud of her.

“Like I said, names have power. I understand that you no longer will be Powder. But for me, well…”

You missed being called by your real name by someone who would never hurt you.

“...I am different than I was back then. Especially when I had Kore and we were taking care of her son.” An ache swells up your entire being. “He was so close to saying my name.”

Jinx turns her head to you, biting on her lip, “You lost your baby?”

It’s an absolute struggle to respond, a pained croak in your throat. Zag was Kore’s son, not yours, and yet you cannot deny it. After all, Kore and you promised to raise him.

You manage to shake your head, “His father took him overseas.”

You omit the painful details, something a child shouldn’t be burdened with. She doesn’t need to know that the day she lost her parents is the same day you lost Kore.

Somehow Kore’s boyfriend learned it before you, likely because you were busy with the newly orphaned children crying in your arms. By the time you reached Kore’s place, all the candle wicks were smoked, the crib was empty, and there was a farewell note addressed to you.

He knew there was not gonna be a funeral for Kore and the many others. The bridges belonged to Piltover, Enforcers tossed the corpses into the waters.

“I miss him,” You tell Jinx, “I am missing so much of his life right now. So I promise you Jinx,” your arms wrap around the girl, “Leaving you is the last thing I want.”

You remember how Franny accused you and Jinx hates being alone. They are so right.

“Besides,” You try to lighten the mood, “do you really want to learn more about poetry and its flowery language?”

“No, not really.” Jinx lets her legs dangle back down, tapping her toes together. “I don’t get them but I like it when you say them.”

“Yeah,” You admit, bumping your shoes with hers, “I barely understand them myself but I still enjoy them. Like, I think we’d have an easier time if you taught me about mechanics. You probably have a new gadget by now, right?”

“Oh oh, yes!” She nodded rapidly, “From the book, it had something about a twin engine and if I could make a smaller version of it use it on my toy train. I could launch a bunch of paint explosives all at once!”

You let her talk more about her inventions, each one increasing more bombastic than the last. It kind of scares you. These kids are a new breed of violence, honestly. Well, it wouldn’t be Zaun if it didn’t have this type of arcane.

It thrills you that you’ll one day see her grown up.

Things end rather nicely here, Jinx soothed back to her usual self and you… Well the heartache has yet to untangle. Losing Kore, Jinx and Vi’s parents, and many more, it hurts to remember them. They did what they could for the Lanes and died for it.

You are doing what you can for Zaun. It’s a different battle, a different cliff to climb with its own dangers. You would take those risks for the same goals as Kore’s.

Even though it all started with wanting the best for Zag. He’s out of the cities, gone with the wind as far as you know. There’s still other students that remain here. Some stick around like Franny and Jinx. Others don’t, Ekko and the other graduates persevere in their own lives.

They are doing so much more than you could ever teach them. It feels almost limiting that all you can provide to the children are lessons of script.

Eventually, you two exit the office and see Silco down at the bar with Sevika. Jinx lets go of your hand in favor of sliding down the stair railing. You’re half pace behind her when meeting back with Silco.

“Sorry if we took too long,” You said and you’re about to say more apologies but you’re distracted when Jinx retakes your hand.

She laces your fingers together and swings your held hands back and forth. You can’t help but smile at her.

“Is my office mine once more?” Silco checks. It’s his own way of asking if everything is alright between the two of you.

“Maybe,” You smirk, bumping your hip with Jinx’s shoulder, “I’ll let Jinx decide that.”

She nods her head twice, “Yep, it’s yours. Also, can we eat something?” Jinx begs, “Can Calcifer make spaghetti?”

“Sounds delicious, go tell him,” Silco tells her.

Jinx grins at you, her feet bouncing before she runs off to the kitchen. Your hand is outstretched from her departure, slowly you put it down.

Silco gains your attention, a constant variable in your book, with a wave towards the chair beside him. “Reader, I’d like to offer something.”

“Um,” You begin unsurely, but you take your seat, “what is it?”

He takes his time, one hand relaxed on the bartop while the other thumbs his lighter. You note the ashtray by his water glass. The little plate is decorated in blue and pink paint, freshly holding a smoking cigar.

When Silco still hasn’t spoken up, your eyes track back to him. He’s wordlessly arguing with Sevika. It’s all facial expressions. She’s annoyed, one corner of her lips dragged lower and eyebrows sinking down. Silco has a tiny shake in his head, disagreeing with this internal debate or something.

You don’t understand so you ask again, “Silco, are you offering a… a job?”

Your mind is once again sent back to the first day you got reintroduced to Jinx. Sevika had to collect you from your alleyway, she treated you like a chore but nonetheless it was a direct task.

Only important people got tracked down and brought to imposing figureheads.

Somehow that applied to you because you mean a lot to Jinx.

Right now you have a weird intuition, something born from your writings.

Silco confirms with a nod, “I’m planning a job in Piltover and ideally, you’d be our leading asset.”

You blink and blink again.

“Huh.”

Well moments ago, you did believe you were bound to only teaching. It’s been your skills and expertise for years, changing that up for something new could botch up whatever Silco has planned.

Yet he asked you, idealized you doing this job.

You’ll have to ask for details of the plan, ask if it really needs to be you but in your heart the answer has already been decided.

Taglist(thanks for reading!): @sana-within-you @masteracewindu @shameshomalo @dovahdokren @ancientbeing10 @totallylostinfeelings @cyborgjules @shadow-pancake9 @potato-dragons @subbing-for-clones @faraige @testsubject24601 @accordionplayingrat @idiotic-canadian @accordionplayingrat

#silco x reader #reader insert #my fic #arcane fic #arcane silco #arcane jinx #arcane reader insert

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amalthea-fictions · 3 years ago

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Commander Shepard's Nickname

I had this idea after James and Garrus get that banter dialogue on the Normandy in ME3! Summary: everyone is trolling poor James...

---

He doesn’t believe it at first. Thinks he must be misreading things. But slowly, the pieces all start fitting together.

His first hint is when she immediately rejects his nickname. But, not because of duty or rules against fraternization, no. But out of a sheer lack of interest.

“You sure know how to fight, Lola.”

“Lola?” She snorts.

He shrugs.

She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. “You’re calling me Lola because…?”

“I like giving people nicknames.” He lets his gaze wander over her, wondering if she’ll play his game.

But it backfires.

“Let’s not, Vega,” she says, her tone strict with all the practiced sternness of a commanding officer. “Just ‘Commander Shepard’ is fine for you.”

“Alright, but it’s your loss.” He straightens when she scowls at him and adds, “ma’am.”

Then they meet up with the turian on Palaven’s moon. James had known that Shepard was close with a turian --after all, the crew that helped her defeat Sovereign and blow up the Collector base included everything from turian to krogan.

But something is… different about the way she speaks to this turian.

“We need to find General Victus immediately, then,” Shepard says to the commanding turian officer who had just informed them that this Victus guy is the next in the line of succession to become the primarch.

The flanging voice of another turian approaches behind them. “Don’t worry. I’m on it.”

Shepard spins around a little too hastily. “Garrus!”

The turian, Garrus, smiles ---well, flicks his mandibles-- looking genuinely happy to see her. “Amalthea,” he says, and there’s pure relief and joy in his voice. She’s beaming back at him as they take each other’s hands. It could have been a friendly handshake, but James doesn’t fail to notice the way he takes her hand in both of his, all tender-like.

After the mission, he begins to notice more clues. Especially how Garrus keeps calling her--

“Amalthea.”

The commander looks up from her datapad. The lot of them are sitting around the war table. Garrus says something about krogans, and Shepard doesn’t seem to mind when his hand brushes against hers as he points out things on her datapad. Not once does she scold him for using her first name.

The next day, he sees them eating together. He fixes his own plate at the mess counter and tries not to make it too obvious he’s straining to listen to their conversation. But-- yes-- there it is! He doesn’t call her Commander Shepard. Or even just Shepard:

“I’m sure Wrex will be more happy to see you than me, Malthie,” the turian says.

Malthie -- and that’s definitely a nickname if he ever heard one.

James quirks his eyebrow as he finishes his plate. So, no nicknames from Lieutenant Vega, but they’re acceptable from Garrus Vakarian?

He finds his gaze wandering over the commander’s body again one day when he’s had a few too many drinks in Purgatory. He’s in the middle of talking about EDI’s new body, and how now he’ll be even more distracted because the commander can also fill out a uniform like nobody’s business--

“Nice try, James,” she says, holding up her hand as if to physically shield herself from the drunken flirting. “But you’d best stop unless you want to get on the bad side of a certain turian.”

Right. Certain turian.

The worst part is, everyone else seems to know, too. It’s like an unspoken understanding, and James can’t get anyone to really admit that they’re together.

“Estefan,” he tries one day, protected from intruding ears by the loud sheering sound of Cortez’s drill. “What’s between the commander and the turian?”

Cortez shrugs, not stopping his work. “There’s something between them, obviously. In case you haven’t noticed, amigo, we have bigger things to worry about than who the Commander is dating.”

But James can’t just leave it at that. He needs to know.

“Hey, Joker,” he tries later. “You’ve known Shepard and Vakarian a long time, right?”

“Yeah, we’re SR1 originals,” he shrugs. “Why?”

“So have the commander and Garrus always…?”

Joker doesn’t look up from his flight controls.

“Always been badass? Hell yeah.”

James doesn’t get anywhere.

“EDI,” he even resorts to one day. “You have access to the ship’s surveillance, right?”

“That is correct, Lieutenant Vega.”

“Okay, so, you’d be able to see if anyone was… you know… right?”

“If you’re asking about the sexual activities of the crew, Lieutenant Vega,” EDI says, “then yes, I have logged each romantic relationship aboard the Normandy and linked them to each crew member’s individual health logs. Shepard says this is a breach of privacy, but Professor Solus notes that it is necessary to ensure crewmember health. Therefore the moral ambiguity of the action is justified by the potential benefits of preventing sexually transmitted infections and monitoring vitals aboard the ship…”

She goes on and on about crew vitals and moral justifications.

So, great. Even the AI is complicit in stonewalling him.

Is it just like… a weird fling? Sexual tension from saving the world together so many times? Or are they together together?

And then one day he and Garrus end up in the mess hall together, bantering. It’s a friendly conversation, at first, seeing who can out-brag the other: who’s done bigger and better things (a ‘who-has-the-bigger-quad competition,’ as Wrex says).

“I kind of tracked down this rogue Spectre named Saren and stopped a Reaper from destroying the Citadel,” Garrus says.

James rolls his eyes. “That doesn’t count. You were with Shepard.”

But then Garrus gives James a look: his eyes gleam the way a predator’s would when their prey is trapped in a corner.

“That’s right, Vega,” Garrus smirks, and speaks slowly, dragging out his next words. “I’ve always been with Shepard. Right from the very beginning.”

James blinks. Once. Twice.

Has-- has everyone been trolling him--

Just so Garrus can rub in the fact that they’re together??

“Wait a minute,” he says.

But before he can ask anything else, the commander herself enters the room.

“What’s going on here, boys?”

Garrus smiles at her. “Oh, don’t mind us,” he says, eyeing James. “Vega and I were just...comparing our adventures.”

Shepard quirks her eyebrows. “Uh-huh. Well. I’ll let you get back to it, then.”

But before going about her business, she crosses the mess hall to the turian. “I have some free time later,” she says to him, her voice low enough that James knows it’s only meant for Garrus but loud enough for him to hear. “Meet me in my cabin after?”

“You know I’ll be there.”

She stands on her toes and kisses him on the mandible.

And when she walks away, James swears the damn turian is smirking knowingly at him.

#shepard x garrus #shakarian #garrus vakarian #female shepard #Amalthea Shepard #me3 #mass effect #james vega

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kittae · 4 years ago

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Win-win

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x reader

Side characters: Min Yoongi

Summary: A drabble series where Taehyung is a successful artistic erotica actor but has to expand his areas of expertise in the rapidly evolving world of adult film. Lost and inexperienced in everything that doesn’t involve classy settings, flattering lighting and romantic scripts, he basically has to start from scratch to make it in the online porn community. As a highly demanded A-lister in that community, you take him under your wings (or better yet, between your legs).

Genre: Smut, fluff, a bit of comedy here and there. Maybe some angst, who knows.

words: 1256

Disclaimer: dialogue-heavy, foul language

A/N: things are being set in motion!

« previous — next »

— CHAPTER INDEX —

“–All I’m saying is that you’re not Paul Walker in Fast and Furious and you only drive like that when you’re really upset about something, so why can’t you just tell me? What happened? You missed that cat by a hair, by the way, you almost killed that poor animal.”

Yoongi sighs as he shuts the door to his apartment behind them, keys rattling when he pulls it out of the lock. “You’ll get it when you see it for yourself.”

“What could be so bad that you were ready to drive us to our deaths–”

“Taehyung, for the love of god, stop being dramatic and sit down. Please.” Yoongi groans, a hand coming up to press against his pounding temple, his mind going a hundred miles an hour.

“I’m being dramatic? Wow, okay then.” Taehyung complies but raises his eyebrows, mildly offended by the hypocrisy. “Aren’t you even gonna ask about the seminar?”

“Later. I need you to see this first.”

Taehyung frowns when he sees the website opened on his manager’s phone. “Hyung, i just came back from a three hour seminar, I think I’ve watched enough porn for–”

“Just watch it!”

“Okay, okay! fine…” Tae takes the phone in his two hands and lets the video play. “Oh, he’s cute! So handsome… woah, look at that body!” He whistles in appreciation.

Yoongi only grits his teeth in response.

Taehyung watches the entire video, adding some commentary and making acknowledging noises from time to time. “Cool! I don’t think I’ve seen this guy before, is he new?”

“Yeah, he’s new alright.” Yoongi answers, a pinch of bitterness lacing his tone.

“Okay... What was so urgent about this, though?” Tae wonders out loud, still clueless.

His manager sighs from deep inside his chest. “Tae… please, think. What could be urgent about a young, hot, talented newcomer in a very competitive industry?”

Taehyung snorts, waving away his friend’s concern. “Hyung, new people get into porn every day. Does that mean we have to panic like this every day?”

“No, you don’t get it. He’s going to be your direct rival.” Yoongi presses. “Remember why we’re trying to expand your horizons so you can take on more versatile scripts and different genres. We’re trying to get you as many jobs as possible to increase your online presence.”

“Before a rookie with a 7 inch dick comes along?” Taehyung cites the lecture he remembers.

“Exactly. This guy, this Jungkook, is that rookie. He doesn’t shy away from any trope or genre and is already well on his way on catching up to your following on OnlyFans when you’ve been in the industry for a longer time. Look at the number of subscriptions on his video platform, too. He’s massively popular at the moment.”

Taehyung swallows hard, the gravity of the situation sinking in. His face must be an open book, because Yoongi quickly adds some nuance.

“He’s not better than you, Tae. He’s new, interesting, maybe a little different but not better. You’re at least as talented as him, but we have to step up our game. You just need to level the playing field. We have to make sure you’re not old news by the time this guy hits his peak.”

“But how can we do it fast enough? I’m trying but… I can’t take hard core degradation scripts and BDSM stuff on yet, you saw what happened yesterday!”

Yoongi goes to sit beside his friend, wrapping a slender arm around his shoulders to pull him closer. “Listen, there’s no need to freak out yet– yes, I know how I reacted and that doesn’t help but I’m just thinking ahead. I need to think about every possible outcome, everything that could happen so we can be prepared. That’s my job. Your job is just being you and doing your best, alright? Got that?”

“What if that’s not enough?” Taehyung murmurs, sadness seeping through his words. “What if I’m not enough anymore, hyung?”

“Stop that. You’re doing great, you’re still in the top 5 of most popular adult actors. You just continue to do what we planned and I’ll take care of the rest. You’re going to be very busy the next couple weeks.”

Tae’s eyebrows crease questioningly. “Why?”

“We need to get our asses in gear. We’re too outdated, too old school. You need to be more active on social media and make a lot more content. People want instant gratification, the ones who want exclusive, luxurious stuff will still pay the right price for it. But we can’t rely on those customers alone anymore.”

Taehyung’s face twists with distaste. “Hyung, please don’t tell me I’ll have to be a camboy…”

“What? No, of course not. I know that’s not romantic enough for you.” Yoongi winks, the younger visibly relaxing. “No, we’re going to do something different. And I know the perfect person to help us with it.”

–––––––––––

“A miniseries? About what?” You squeeze your phone between your ear and your shoulder to prevent it from falling while you pour hot water into your favourite mug. “Yoongi, stop apologising. I can make time. Besides, things are a bit quiet since I’ve finished the Dom & Dommer series with Hoseok, so I could use something small and fun to keep me busy, actually.”

“Well, technically you’re not really asking me for a favour if I’m getting paid while doing it, right? So you can stop feeling bad for asking before you make me feel bad for accepting.” You chuckle, plopping down on your couch next to your cat, whom you absent-mindedly start petting as you listen to your old friend’s voice. You blow on your tea to cool it off while he speaks, Mochi purring happily underneath your fingers.

“No, I swear it’s no trouble at all. It sounds fun, I’m excited!” You shrug, a genuine smile playing on your lips. “Stop it! It’s a win-win situation. Um...what does Taehyung think? No! No, uh, you don’t have to put him through, I was just curious.”

Your cheeks feel hot and you catch yourself biting your nails for a second, an old habit you used to have when you felt nervous. “Okay, that’s good. Good to hear he’s looking forward to it, I’ll be too! Okay. Yeah, just send it to me or my agent when you’re done. Alright. Talk to you later! Bye, Yoongi.”

The call ends and you take a sip of your lavender tea. “Ow, fuck! Ugh…” You curse as the boiling hot water touches your tongue, simmering for a few seconds before the burn subsides. You weren’t paying attention, thoughts elsewhere.

Mochi meows, the sound somewhere between indignant and mocking.

“Watch it,” You warn him, your eyes narrowing to slits, which he only takes as a display of affection, returning the gesture before crawling into your lap.

Murmuring, you scratch Mochi behind his little ear. “A miniseries with Taehyung?”

Unaware of how your breathing becomes more shallow, or your heart beats a little faster than usual, you grab your phone to look him up online. Immediately, you’re met with an influx of images from the man you’ve only just seen yesterday. You don’t know why you’re doing this, but you find yourself browsing through his social media as well. It’s probably just because you haven’t done any new projects with a new co-star in a while.

“I should try to know more about him if we’re going to work together more often, right? I’m just being professional.” You mumble out loud, Mochi perking up questioningly.

#bts smut #bts fanfiction #bts #taehyung smut #bts scenarios #kim taehyung #kim taehyung fanfic #taehyung x reader #v #bts v #bts x reader #v fanfic #v smut #taehyung fic #taehyung fanfic #bts fanfic #pornstar!bts #bts au

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piteouspeculiarity · 4 years ago

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Defining Home: Extended Author's Note

Warning: This might contain spoilers for the series

(For clarity, when I say 'Tommy' etc in this post, I'm talking about the characters from my fics, not the content creators themselves.)

So it's done, huh? This note will include the sappy shit, the fun facts, then some of the more serious stuff, because I just didn't want to add an essay to the end of that chapter.

First of all, thank you all for the support along the way. Defining Home is easily my most popular series of fics I’ve ever written and I’ve been writing fanfic for years now. The comments and the kudos and the bookmarks were so very validating when I was new to the fandom, and still are. Hell, people have gifted me fics and written related fics to Defining Home, which blows my tiny mind. I haven’t gotten the chance to read a lot of them yet (procrastination I know thy name), but when I do, I’ll be leaving my best comments in thanks <3

I'll be honest, when I posted the first chapter of Enough, I never expected it to turn into what it did.

That first chapter was written in my phone notes at 3am, hours before an exam. I hadn't interacted with the fandom at all at that point, didn't even have a Tumblr for it, but boy oh boy did I get a warm welcome.

The point is, that first chapter was a very spur in the moment thing, mainly consisting of one scene I couldn't get out of my head (Tommy on a train to Wilbur's). I've gotten a few people telling me since then that they wished that they could write as well as I can, which is a huge compliment, but every person can write a fic like Enough. There are things that we all struggle with when it comes to writing: dialogue, prose, starting scenes - I have my own things I struggle with, things you might have noticed, things you might have not. You don't have to be a perfect writer to tell a story, especially in fandoms, where betas are easy to come across.

Write your story, even if its just for yourself. Posting that chapter gave me the chance to make new friends and I'll never stop being grateful for that.

One of those friends is Kat, who I've mentioned a couple times in the author's notes, but who honestly, I owe a lot to. Kat has encouraged me and been one of the main motivators to write this fic when I felt like it would never be finished, or that I'd never live up to other people's expectations. Sometimes, that meant motivating in some weird ass ways, but hey, it worked.

People who know me in discord servers might know that I'm a simp for Kat and it's damn true. Kat, I love you, you've improved my life more than you know in the last couple months and you deserve so, so much happiness.

In fear of love reciprocation from Kat, we'll move swiftly on to the more fun side of things.

Anyone feel like fun facts? You might already know some of these because I tend to overshare in author's notes, but I'm pretty sure some of them are new to all of you.

Barney the dog? Named after my own late labrador, who I love very much and loved to jump in lakes and need rescuing, time and time again.

I had no plans in moving Tommy in with Techno, hell, I had no plans in Techno moving to England at all. It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to everyone else when he told Tommy the news, but I latched onto the idea and ran with it. I think it worked out okay, in the end.

Techno has a draw in his bedroom full of parenting books, most of which were stolen from Phil.

After Tommy asked for help about what to do with Dream, Wilbur sent Dream a dm telling him he better not fuck anything up and if he did, Wilbur would not hesitate to humiliate him in front of millions of people. It was unnecessary, of course, but Dream was definitely a bit more cautious about what he said when he listened to Tommy’s explanation.

Some of my favourite things about writing Defining Home:

The Tesco v Asda discourse. Look, some of you just need to accept that Asda is the superior shop and get off your Tesco stanning bullshit. /j

The offers I would get for new chapters, some honourable mentions being newborns, siblings, diamonds and kidneys.

Now, I know that as much as I tried to, I won't have managed to include everything that everyone wanted from Defining Home, whether that's certain confrontations or scenes, I am sorry if I haven't included.

I don't imagine myself writing any more in the series, not because I think there isn't more I could write about, but because as a whole it feels complete to me, and any added oneshots I write would disturb that.

Right now Defining Home feels well rounded in a way that I'm proud of. The minute I realised that Enough was going to turn into a series I planned out how I wanted it to work. Maybe its just the maths part of my brain, but I like how there's three fics, with three chapters in each and how Tommy heals as you progress throughout the series.

My aim for the series was for the tone to get lighter as you went through, because yes, things kept happening (confrontation with dad, beach incident etc) but the point was that Tommy dealt with those things in different ways that he would have earlier on in the series. I have lots of thoughts and lots of emotions about how he felt safe enough with his family to experience nightmares and such. I made an effort in The Truth Behind Family to include more fluff, especially in the last two chapters, because I think it’s important to show that yeah, his parents’ abuse effected him, but it didn’t dictate how he lived his life.

Like yes, I could write about their first Christmas together, for example, and add it onto the series, but I don’t think that I’d be able to do the rest of the series justice in that. Defining Home is largely about what the title implies, Tommy discovering what words like ‘home’ and ‘family’ mean beyond what he’s been told he’s stuck with and I believe that by the end of the series, he’s been successful in that.

I'm so proud of the characters I wrote, Tommy in particular, for how far they've come in Defining Home, but I think that in a way, it’s time for me to let them go.

That’s not to say I’m done with writing for sbi! Hell no!

I have a couple long fics in the works and a one shot I’m working on. The main fic I’m excited to focus on now Defining Home is finished is heavy heart, heavy head, heavy hero which, to put it simply, is an sbi royalty au, where unfortunate circumstances mean Tommy is forced to become King. It’s going to be a little more plot focused than Defining Home was and I am so very pumped to give it my full attention instead of leaving that lonely one chapter on AO3 like I have been doing.

I was 🤏close to making a Discord server, but ultimately decided I’m much more suited to causing chaos on other people’s servers than running my own. I think at this point the karma would be too great to even consider making my own server, so if you’d like to talk to me on Discord, keep an eye for me on other people’s servers - I mainly lurk, but I’m pretty active on one or two :D

On a more serious note, Defining Home deals with some heavy topics and I’ve had comments tell me that they relate to Tommy’s situation and wish that they had their own found family to run to.

This Tumblr post has a list of phone numbers and places you can contact if you need help or want someone to talk to. Saying that, I recognise that a list as long as that can be daunting, so feel free to shoot me a message and I can either help you find the right one for you, or keep you company for a bit if you need it.

Not all of us are lucky enough to have our own found family, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t forever, or that you’re alone. My dms and ask box are always open if you want someone to talk to.

Keep yourselves safe <3

- Lee

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