#kudos if you get any of the references I sprinkled in

[luckyreds]

I said I was gonna post modern web before Christmas- 😔 it keeps expanding on itself. You can have the first piece of chapter 1. Alright byeee🚪🚶‍♀️

Heavy Eurobeat thumped relentlessly against the basement walls, each pulse vibrating through David's entire body, making the room feel as if it might collapse under the pressure. From his lonely perch by the pillar, the dance floor below him resembled a writhing, pulsing organism, alive in ways David could barely comprehend. Strobe lights splintered the darkness into jagged fragments, catching brief snapshots of glistening, sweat-soaked bodies tangled together in chaotic unison. A thick mix of artificial fog and acrid cigarette smoke curled in the air like a restless spirit. The club’s heavy metal doors wheezed open and shut like lungs, exhaling smoke and heat into the chilly November night.

David blinked, disoriented. This wasn’t dancing, not really. This was chaos set to a beat, He wasn't a stranger to a good night out; after all, Manhattan was chock full of them, and he had his fair share of nights out on the town, but between this and Manny’s car wash it was like going from the opera to a garage band.

He pulled at his collar in discomfort, when Denise had enthusiastically proclaimed that they were heading to the best club in town. He had dressed accordingly, or so he thought: a simple, crisp button-up shirt, neatly tucked-in jeans, and his usual dress shoes. However, the raised eyebrows he had gotten from his colleagues should have been his first warning sign. The glimmering, sequined tops and oversized baggy trousers they were wearing should have been the second signal that he had fundamentally misjudged this whole night out. Nevertheless, he had shrugged it off as they piled into the backseat of Thomas’s Volvo 240, arriving at the place just after 10.

The intersection was bustling with life, dotted with several vibrant restaurants and bars, each more lively than the last, but they had ignored it, marching straight past a crowded bar brimming with laughter and music into a dark, narrow alleyway. Where trees obscured most light from above, creating an almost eerie ambience as they joined the line leading to an unremarkable set of metal doors tucked away down some stairs behind the bar. The only thing that indicated there even was a club there was the posters plastered on the grimy brick wall, one simply a Eagle coming down with Club Eazy written underneath in a looping scrawl. Another from a week ago: you are invited to our 2nd anniversary Halloween weekend special! Fri-Sat-Sun from 9-5. It was right there, in between the clusters of alternative styles, the already faint thumping erratic music, the scent of weed and the heavy musk of sweat, David truly should’ve acknowledged that this club wasn’t his style.

Sighing, he checked his watch for the fourth time. 00:31. Thomas had gone to get drinks twenty minutes ago, maybe longer, and hadn’t come back yet. Mel and Alice had wandered off to the toilets and similarly vanished in the throng of people, and Denise managed to charm a cute girl into a corner and slipped out of the club moments later with her hand in said girl’s back pocket. He scanned the crowd for familiar faces, but it was hopeless. The strobe lights turned everything into disjointed flashes, and it seemed his colleagues had melted into the chaos.

this was Mauvaise Fois, David thought dimly, twirling his glass of beer in his hand, watching the lukewarm liquid swish around like a sad excuse for a drink. That was why he had ended up here, in this dingy club. He should’ve listened to his mother and used his gap year on a trip through Europe. But no, he had to be stubborn, follow the example of Lewis Nixon, who had quit Yale and the family business and to Philadelphia with a mysterious redhead from rural pennsylvania. making a name for himself here. It had been quite the scandal, and David had been enthralled. Of course, he should’ve realised that such things didn’t work for him. because here he was, three months in, churning out mediocre horoscopes for a B-tier magazine, surrounded only by colleagues who, despite their familiarity, felt like distant acquaintances at most.

Really, Returning to Manhattan sounded increasingly appealing each day more he spent in Philadelphia; then he could finish his degree at Harvard and take the job at The New York Times his father had been hinting at, instead of getting lost in this hazy world of nightlife and regret.

The music shifted, morphing into an even faster rhythm that sent his head spinning. The two Mai-Tai’s he had weren’t doing him any favours right now. “Do you think you’re better off alone?” was repeated into his slightly swimming consciousness. It felt like the universe was mocking him, like a cruel twist of fate he couldn’t escape. fucking great.

Suddenly, a jolt knocked him from his thoughts as someone collided with him, sending his beer flying from his hand and spilling the tepid liquid down his arm and onto his already-ruined shoes.

“Hey! Watch it!” David snapped, shaking his arm in disgust.

“Watch it?!” the stranger retorted quickly, turning back to face him. He was wiry, with sharp features and deep brown eyes that seemed to catch the faint glow of the strobe lights. An unlit cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth, his lips curling into a scowl as he leaned in to be heard over the relentless thump of the bass. “Maybe don’t hold your booze out like a trophy, Jeezus!”

It was then, the guy noticed David, really noticed him, eyes flicking over him, from his drenched shoes to his perfectly tucked-in button-up. “Huh,” he muttered, angry façade disappearing like snow in the sun. “what’s a yuppie like you doing in a place like this?”

David blinked, thrown off guard. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Baby blue here doesn’t exactly scream ‘underground chic.’ You got lost on your way to the country club or something?” the guy smirked, leaning even closer now, almost nose to nose with him.

David bristled with indignation, glancing down at his outfit and then back up at the audacious stranger “There’s nothing wrong with how I’m dressed.” He huffed, leaning back “And I’m not a yuppie!”

“Yeah, sure.” The stranger rolled his eyes dramatically and leaned against the beat-up iron railing beside him, flicking his lighter. A tiny flame flared briefly before igniting the cigarette, the cherry glowing red as he took a long drag. “Keep telling yourself that,” he said, smoke curling out with his words.

“I’m really not—” David opened his mouth to argue, but got a face full of smoke as the guy blew a puff of smoke directly at him watching with a lazy smirk as he coughed and sputtered. “It’s what I fucking see,” he retorted, a smirk playing on his lips “But seriously- what are you even doing here?”

David shot him a glare through watery eyes. “For your information,” he bit out “I’m here with friends.” The word stung in his mouth. Denise was the closest thing he had to a friend, with their shared cubicle and all. Thomas? He felt embarrassed to even label him a co-worker, and Mel and Alice? They had only exchanged brief pleasantries over the coffee machine. But no way was he admitting that to this guy.

The stranger raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Friends, huh? And where are they?” His tone dripped with scepticism, smirk morphing into something sharper, almost predatory. David swallowed, heat rising to his cheeks and flushing his ears.

“They went to the bathroom,” David shot back defensively, his arms crossing tightly over his chest.

“All of them, together? I’d like to see that,” the guy laughed, the sound almost cruel. “Sounds to me like they ditched you.

“They didn’t ditch me,” David insisted, though the words sounded hollow even to him.

“Uh-huh.” The guy took another drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly, the smoke curling lazily upward. “Whatever you say, baby blue.”

David opened his mouth to retort but stopped. What was the point? His colleagues had ditched him, as accidental as it was. He felt a pang of frustration, not just at them, but at himself, for letting the whole situation get under his skin in the first place.

The guy observed him for a moment, and to David’s surprise, his grin softened, transforming from something mocking to almost playful, his dark eyes sparking with mischief. “You know,” he drawled, straightening up, “I was gonna leave you here to wallow, but watching you stand there like a sad puppy is just depressing. Come on.” He motioned toward the bar. “Let me get you a new beer at least.”

David blinked, unsure if he’d just been insulted or pitied. Either way, the night couldn’t get much worse. “make it something stronger and you have a deal.”

Joe’s grin widened. “Knew you we’re a fun one” he said and a slim but firm hand gripped his wrist as David was dragged from his place by the pillar through the bustling crowd of onlookers spilling out of the pit area for a moment of fresh air. The bar was conveniently situated near the restrooms and directly across from the doorways. A fluorescent oasis in the swamp of noise and grime, where the bartenders worked with mechanical precision, sliding glasses of glowing, sugary drinks across the sticky counter in rapid succession.

David scanned the area quickly, searching for Thomas but finding him nowhere in sight. ‘I’d better not see him now,’ he thought darkly, frustration creeping in once more as he thought of him. The annoying prick.

His new acquaintance quickly wormed his way to the far left side of the bar, where they seized a spot at the very end. He leaned over the sticky counter, his voice cutting through the pulsating bass as he called out to the bartender. Almost instantly, a young bartender approached, a crooked grin spreading across his face. “Heya, Joe! The usual?”

‘Joe,’ David thought absently. So that was his name, and it suited him; all cocky charm and bravado

Joe flashed a smile " Yeah! Two of them! And a Sobel for him," he ordered. The bartender smirked knowingly at the last request, nodding before grabbing the well-worn beer tap.

David raised an eyebrow, his curiosity sparking past his frustration. “What’s a Sobel?”

Joe barked out a laugh, slapping him on the arm. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

In the back, David noticed the bartender retrieving bottles of vodka and hot sauce from underneath the bar. His stomach churned at the sight, a pit of unease settling in. Joe turned toward David, a conspiratorial glint in his eye.

“Ya got some cash on you? I’m tapped out.” jabbing his thumb to a cracked neon sign flickering weakly behind the bar, spelling out "DRINKS $5 CASH ONLY" in an uneven pink glow.

David nodded, half distracted by the strange ingredients retrieved for whatever concoction Joe ordered him, feeling in his trousers for his wallet. Fumbling a bit, he opened it and pulled out the first bill he encountered, slapping a crumpled fifty onto the bar.

“This enough for the night?”

Joe peeled it off the counter and let out a low whistle.

“Well, look at you, Rockefeller.” He grinned and flashed it to the bartender.

“You hear that, Malark?” he called out cheerfully. ‘Malark,’ the bartender, turned around and placed three glasses in front of them. “Is this enough?” Joe laughed, leaning over the bar to stuff the fifty into Malark’s shirt pocket with exaggerated flair. “Keep it!”

“Hey!” David protested, his eyebrows knitting together in a frown “That’s my money!”

“And you gave it to me, genius. Rule number one—never hand over your cash unless you’re cool with losing it.” He clapped David on the shoulder, chuckling. “Man, showing up in a place like this looking like you just stepped out of a J. Crew catalogue? You’re lucky someone hasn’t lifted your money yet.”

“You did.” David replied. Joe just shot him a look. “Think of it as a lesson.”

With that he swiped the drinks off the counter, thrusting a cloudy reddish beer into David’s hands with a smirk. “Come on, drink it. It’s a newcomer’s welcome,”

He swallowed hard, resolve wavering. He really shouldn’t drink it; the concoction looked utterly disgusting, and he was sure it wouldn’t taste any better. Yet, something within him refused to back down from Joe’s dare. With a deep breath, he tossed it back. The vodka and hot sauce seared through his tongue and throat like fire, the fizz of the beer only making it worse. He slammed the empty glass back onto the sticky counter, doubling over and sputtering. Above him, Joe cackled, enjoying the show.

“that’s it!” Joe crowed, slapping David on the back “Knew you had some balls on ya.” He handed David the next drink, something that resembled coke but it undoubtedly held some form of alcohol. David took a sip, almost retching again. It wasn’t just coke with booze; it was a godforsaken Jägerbomb. He closed his eyes, the realization sinking in like a weight. ‘What the hell,’ David thought. ‘If I’m going to get wasted tonight, let it be with something good at least.’

He tossed the Jägerbomb back, feeling the burn as it slid down his throat, and turned around, slamming the glass on the back. he looked at the much-too-pleased face of the bartender. “Get me a Mai Tai!” he called out, his hand already darting back into his pocket to produce another bill, a twenty this time, which he slapped down with renewed determination. “make it a double.” He added, glancing at Joe with a conspiracy look, two could play that game. “And a Four Horsemen for him.” Joe laughed once more, bumping their arms together. “Now we’re talking.” He cheered and David felt a real smile appear on his lips for the first time in a long while.  

[kevin--of-desert-bluffs]

I did it lol enjoy if people really like it I might do more~ Kudos if you get all the TMA references I sprinkled into the 'main plot'. Cw: long post, smoking mention

There is more than one way to archive a statement – Welcome to Night Vale.

It is not unusual for people to go missing in Night Vale. People go missing, or are taken and called missing by any number of the shadowy organisations which run Night Vale all the time. I'm mentioning this because a missing persons was slipped onto my desk this morning by Intern Gertrude which means I'm supposed to report on it. I told Intern Gertrude that many many people go missing in Night Vale and they almost always go missing for a good reason so it's not really news. She shrugged her shoulders and made the universal sign for 'passing it along so Station Management doesn't eat me'. So I guess I'm doing a missing person's report today.

Ahem – Missing: Jessica McEwen. Last seen around the Old Fishmarket Close. Above average height and weight. Brown hair with a pink streak. Hazel green eyes. Last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans, her purse slung in a carefree manner over one arm as she strode up this long road in Old Town Night Vale sometime during the late evening/early night. If you have any information about Jessica's whereabouts, please whisper it into the nearest Sheriff's Secret Police hidden microphone. So pretty much just grab anything and start whispering.

It's strange, listeners, but I actually have memories of Old Fishmarket Close. That's where all the cool kids would go to smoke during their lunch period. I was uh...never invited to join – which is fine because I've also never smoked. Terrible habit.

Now for today's sponsor:-

The stranger is standing in the unlit alleyway. The stranger is swaying from side to side. You cannot see their face. Your stare at the stranger and they are expressionless. You stare at the stranger and they do not stop swaying. Sweat breaks out along your brow and upper-lip. You lick the sweat from your lips and it tastes smokey. The stranger is not coming any closer nor are they getting any further away. It's a lot darker now but your eyes cannot help but see the stranger. Swaying. Swaying.

You stare harder. What are you trying to see? The mind is a scattered thing. Stop seeing. Move forward. Move towards the stranger. Their mouth does not open and yet you hear them clearly ask as your trembling hands reach for the packet bulging in your front pocket;

“Can I have a cigarette?”

Kindly, you step forward to oblige.

Marlboro;- ignoring the warning labels means you consent to the health issues. Come to flavour.

Oh well I mean, that was a little awkward giving what I said before. Is it really alright for us to be sponsored by a tobacco company...? It's not like I get to choose who gives us money. Oh well.

Intern Gertrude is gesturing to the missing persons report that I read earlier. Ah I see. It's a missing persons report plural, not singular. The sheets of paper are so thin I didn't notice there was more. Here is the full list of missing people;- Jessica McEwen as mentioned, Sarah Baldwin, Daniel Rawlings, Ashley Dobson, Megan Shaw and most recently John Fellowes just...a couple of nights ago actually. Wow and they all went missing around Old Fishmarket Close! What a coincidence.

I'm just getting word that the Sheriff's Secret Police are taking the case very seriously and have blocked off both entrances to Old Fishmarket Close. They are calling the names of the missing people into the alleyway alternating between encouraging them to come out and threatening them with imprisonment if they don't. Sounds like they've got it all under control.

It seems my earlier sponsorship ad for Marlboro cigarettes has not gone down well with some members of our community. Night Vale PTA member Diane Crayton issued a statement saying that the local radio should not be promoting deadly habits to the young impressionable minds of Night Vale. Her son Josh Crayton was listening and immediately took on the form of a tall smoking chimney stack. It won't be long before other children are smoking too, because the radio told them it was cool and as everyone knows you have to do what the radio says is cool.

I can only apologise Diane, as a concerned uncle myself I want nothing more than the best for the children of Night Vale. I'm going to write a note to Station Management asking that we maybe drop today's sponsor and try for a new one. Intern Gertrude will deliver it and after the mandatory 24 hours of grovelling at the foot of Station Managements door I'm sure we'll get a positive response.

Let's take a look at the community calender.

Sunday is getting way too cosy with being both the start and end of a week depending on how you look at it.

Monday recent college graduate Joshua Gillespie fresh from his vacation in Amsterdam will be daring people to open the coffin of unvarnished pale yellow wood bound tightly by a thick chain that he's been watching for a friend. You know the one. It has the words 'DO NOT OPEN' scratched into the lid in three inch high letters which just makes it even more tempting to open.

He has the key and has almost opened it several times before chickening out. It's not that he's afraid of coffins, he says, it's just that it's a weird kind of coffin, ya know? Like if you put things on top of it there's this soft insistent scratching sound from within and it's always warm even after being inside and out of the sun for ages. Anyone interested in opening it will first have to get the key from the block of ice Gillespie has put it in so as to stop himself from being tempted.

Tuesday is imagine a farm day in which all citizens are required to sit still no matter what they are doing for at least ten minutes and imagine a farm. It can be any kind of farm you like but must contain at least one animal and at least one statue to an old god of fertility.

Wednesday is cursed literature day at the library where books by Jurgen Leitner will be proudly displayed by cursed literature enthusiast and librarian tamer Mary Keay. One of these books is written in fine ink over every inch of her skin making it difficult to read or comprehend but for those dedicated enough to the craft of reading what you should not it's sure to be worthwhile.

Thursday is a blank to-do list you restlessly tap your pencil against not knowing how to start. You have things to do, but should you order them based on how difficult they are to get done or based on how quickly you need them doing? Do you have to follow the order of the list anyway or is it okay to just do bits here and there? Where did you even get these illegal writing implements?

Friday is esoteric garbage day. This day only comes once every blood moon, so be sure to leave out all your bags of teeth, haunted dolls heads, frantic prayers to your god written over and over on one long thin strip of paper and anything else that doesn't go in your usual recycling bin.

Saturday Siobhan Dobson, sister of the missing Ashley Dobson, says she might show us the apparently empty picture of Old Fishmarket Close that her sister took shortly before disappearing providing that she hasn't been returned or found dead. It's not a very useful picture, Siobhan said, but people who like true crime might enjoy looking at it for morbid curiosities sake anyway.

Sounds like another busy week! Whilst we ponder how any one of us could become missing at any point, I take you now to...the weather.

{Checkout 'Lure of the Rock Pools' by Marine Girls}

Local university student Nathan Watts says he thinks he knows what has been taking those who linger at night around Old Fishmarket Close. Last night he was out drinking with some friends of his and having had maybe a few too many started to feel violently ill. He decided it was time to walk home. He was cutting up Old Fishmarket Close when he took a tumble and was just getting up when he heard someone asking him if he had a cigarette.

The person they saw was possibly male, their face expressionless, their skin damp and slightly sunken like they had a bad fever. Nathan says that the figure was swaying from side to side a couple of inches off of the ground, moving mostly by the waist and otherwise motionless – not even opening their mouth when they asked their question again.

Nathan offered the figure one of the cigarettes he'd just rolled but it didn't make a motion to come closer and get it, nor could Nathan made his fear-frozen feet move any closer to it. He decided that he wanted to take a better look at the figure so fumbled for his phone. No sooner had it brought it out than the figure folded in two and was pulled rapidly back into the darkness. When Nathan was able to shine light into the alleyway it was completely empty. He says he has no doubt in his mind that this was the thing which had lured away those other people.

Upon this release, City Council finally revealed that all of this was actually a part of a new anti-smoking initiative they have going which involves reprogramming a Marlboro representative anglerfish to target smokers in dark alleyways. So basically don't smoke and stay out of dark small spaces, they said, it'll be fine.

When reporters mentioned that only two of the missing people were confirmed smokers city council waved all of their hands in unison and made a scoffing sound in the back of their throats.

Diane Crayton expressed approval of the City Council's new initiative, believing it will surely scare most kids and many adults into never smoking. She asked if vaping would be considered along the same lines, or if the initiative only targetted the smoking of tobacco and other such products.

City Council groaned deep in their many throats and said; “Oh we have a special plan for those kinds of people...vapers.” and then they groaned again for three minutes straight before ending the press conference with another disgusted muttering of “vapers...”

The missing people are still missing, but they were all smokers anyway (probably) so I guess that's alright? The Sheriff's Secret Police has taken away the blockades around Old Fishmarket Close and congratulated themselves on doing absolutely nothing. So, that's that.

I guess if City Council is against smoking then our own stance against today's sponsor will go down much more kindly with Station Management...I hope Intern Gertrude is okay. I might go and check.

Stay tuned next for several people breathing deeply and audibly into the microphone,

goodnight Night Vale, goodnight.

You have no idea how tempted I am to write a kind of... parody fic where I take TMA episodes and switch them to the WTNV format i.e. take the plot and act like it's just something casually happening in NV.

[demigoddessqueens]

Hi! I LOVE your writing and I wanted to request a vax'ildan x reader in which reader learns something sad (maybe someone died?) and Vax tried to comfort them? You don't have to write this of course. Anyway, have a good day!

Oh the angst! The tears! The hurt and comfort, anon! You speak my language. 😢 💔❤️‍🩹. This is a bit of a drabble, but if you catch the tv and film references I sprinkled around, kudos on you 👍

It started out as a quiet afternoon, unbeknownst of the tragedy that had fallen. You were enjoying a lively breakfast with the ones you had called family, in addition to the one you still missed back home. Yet that came crashing down on this cruel sunny day.

Captain Jarrett had called you outside, stating that he had urgent business to discuss with you. Matters that concerned your home. Given the tone in his voice, it made your heart drop down to your stomach. As soon as you both stepped outside, he knelt down solemnly with a somber expression on his face. 

“Lord/Lady Y/n, it is with a heavy heart that I bring you the tragic news from your homeland. Your parents and twin brother have tragically passed from a plague that ran amok the land. Your presence is requested back home...to take care of affairs with the rest of your family.” 

No, no. This couldn’t have been happening. It’s impossible. You just wrote to them barely two weeks ago. 

The words in your head were expelled with shaky breaths and sobs that ripped from your body. Chest heaving, eyes glistened with tears, you wanted to throw up. To scream, cry, shout. Anything. What started as a slow process became a torrid affair of despair. Jarrett saw your demeanor change as he stood up. Pulling you into a comforting hug, he expressed his condolences. 

“I am deeply sorry for your loss. If there are any preparations or requests you may need, please do not hesitate at all.” You nodded weakly as Jarrett placed a small handkerchief in your hand before stepping away. You still stood there frozen with grief before you felt a soft touch on your shoulder. Turning around hastily, you saw the concerned look of your best friend, Vax’ildan.

You tried to dab away at your tears in vain, but your demeanor only further worried the rogue. “Love? Are you alright? I heard you scream! Was it Jarret? Are you hurt or—?!.”

You could only choke out your response. “It’s my family…my parents…my twin…and now my other siblings are alone…and.” The floodgates were ripped open again as you fell to your knees sobbing. You instantly felt his arms circle around you into a tight embrace to his chest, voice cracking in the shared despair.

“Oh sweet, I’m so sorry. Love, I’m so so sorry.” It was an endless cadence of sympathies as Vax gently rocked back and forth with his hand stroking through your hair. Tears from your muffled sobs stained his clothes and cape that wrapped around you, but he didn’t care. It had felt as if hours had passed before your strangled voice broke the silence in a whimper.

“I can run, travel, or conquer this whole damn continent but they can’t. They’re gone…gone from me..gone where I can’t go. And all I want to know is why? WHY them while I get to live?”

Vax only stroked the back of your head before responding. “I know, I know, peach. It never is easy, and sometimes you do feel lost without them there.” Memories from when he and Vex faced the unthinkable quickly flashed through his mind. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he careful pressed on.

“But what I do know is this…it’ll never be the same entirely but you live on through them. You are them, their legacy and even gone, they live in you.” He placed a chaste kiss on your forehead. “I…We…will help you through this, if you ever need the time or space.” You nodded weakly into his chest, grateful that he remained here with you.

You spoke one last time as the emotion coated your throat. “You know, the crazy thing out of all this though…is that..we had this tradition every start of the season to sing folk songs…and I would give up anything to just hear them one last time right now.” At that, Vax let his tears fall out of sorrow and pity for you.

He felt your shoulders shake as soft sobs left your body again, gripping only tighter. If there was a way, he would take all this pain away from you. Anything that would absorb all this pain that tore your heart. But for now, this was all he could do for you.

[inkwolvesandcoffee]

Fox Pearls | M!Gumiho x Fem!Human

Genre: Fluff, Angst, Humour, Romance

Word Count: 5.6K

Pairing: Kang Dae-Hyun x Sinead O’Hara (M!Gumiho Romance Writer x Fem!Irish Human)

Warnings: None except tooth-rotting fluff, Dae-Hyun being an absolute (but insecure) gentleman, (age) discrimination, a sprinkle of angst, and a rather significant age gap.

Summary: Dae-Hyun spends his days at the bakery where Sinead works, writing the hours away and providing company to the girl and vice versa. However, one day he shows up in a breath-taking manner that does more than send tongues wagging.

What should be a boba date to celebrate a book deal and repay past kindnesses entails more than either party could have expected. Nevertheless, will it strengthen their bond or enhance the distance between them?

Author’s Note: First of all, thank you so much for the 200+ followers!

I know I’ve said this before, but someone seriously needs to take Park Hae Soo away from me or vice versa because the way he makes me feel is not okay. Have you seen this post by Alok?

DO YOU SEE MY PROBLEM NOW?!

Oh, when will being inspired not cause me any emotional distress?

By the way, kudos to the people who will pick up on the references in this piece.

Story ML | Thoughts ML

Irish vocab & meaning (sources: personal experience & The Irish Road Trip):

A cute hoor: used to describe someone that’s relatively crafty and that’s able to mould a situation to benefit themselves.

Eating the head off of someone: to get very mad at someone, to give out to someone.

Flapping your gob: tongue-wagging, gossiping.

Gawk: rudely staring.

Grand: a type of word commonly used as a response to questions like ‘How are you?’. It’s kind of comparable to ‘fine’ in this type of setting. 

However, it can also mean ‘great’ when, for example, congratulating someone.

Ossified: Drunk.

Bakeries are never short on conversation topics, forming one of the hubs of gossip around town. Today forms no exception at Wolf Bread because the same words are repeated in hushed whispers once the bell above the entryway announces a new visitor.

“Who is that?”

“Oh my days, he’s handsome.”

“He looks like an actor from one of those dramas you watch.”

“Do you think he’s taken?”

A tall man, in his early forties and neatly dressed in a black suit, enters the bakery. Whereas his bangs normally cover his forehead, today they’re parted in the middle and styled to the side. His glasses have remained at home, replaced by lenses. 

Ignoring the excited murmurs, he heads for the counter. While he does, he keeps his back towards the other customers, keeping them ignorant to the fact he doesn’t take the indirect compliments with pride. Shoulders slightly hunched and gaze turned downward to make sure he won’t stumble over his own feet, as he tends to do, he looks like he’s ready, even yearning, for the ground to swallow him.

“Look at you.” I take the bakery’s resident writer in. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this dressed up. And shaven, too.”

I tilt my head, squinting in fake suspicion. “What’s the occasion?”

“I got a book deal,” Dae-Hyun beams, eyes alight with wee will-o’-the-wisps as they make contact with mine.

Albeit difficult, I suppress the urge to step away from the counter to hug him. Instead, I force myself to remain where I stand, the corners of my mouth curled up into a wide grin.  “You did? Ah, that’s grand! Congrats. Coffee’s on the house.”

He’s worked hard on his manuscript for weeks, sitting in his usual spot from opening until closing. The dark circles under his eyes made him look older, the fine lines in his skin seemingly deepened by the long hours of work. Each morning he’d show up with blood-shot eyes, dry and irritated. Notwithstanding, the physical strain did not stop the workaholic.

Me putting a tap on the caffeine flow at the end of the day, on the other hand, did.

Although we’re little more than strangers, having met only three months ago, I continue to harbour the wish to take care of him. If only because others, namely those gawking in awe at him and flapping their gobs now, won’t if he’d look as he usually does. A bit disheveled, unshaven, a plain white shirt and cheap grey suit or a white t-shirt paired with a pair of sweats and matching tracksuit jacket.

A poor sod.

“That’s sweet, but I’m not here for coffee today,” Dae-Hyun says, cheekily biting his lip as if barely able to spoil a surprise of some sort.

Despite it being unintentional, him doing so makes my pulse pick up and my knees go weak. He has a tendency to reduce me to this state, but I have learned myself to hide it behind a mask of friendly nonchalance. After all, a man like him isn’t interested in a lass half his age, much less one working as a barista to make ends meet.

I bite the inside of my cheek to clear the fuzziness in my head. The sharp pain makes me think clearly enough to regain my composure and come up with a response, which I repeat a few times to make sure it won’t come out distorted. 

I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms to keep my fingers still. Mentally, I cross my fingers in the hope my tone is playful enough to hide the fact he has once again left me tongue-tangled. “Don’t tell me you found a better spot in town.”

He gives me a lopsided smirk and shakes his head. “Nothing is better than your caramel macchiato. But I actually wanted to ask you something.”

I clench my jaw and breathe in deeply to suppress the warm glow spreading through my chest. Fortunately, he doesn’t pick up on my stiffened attitude, too caught up in whatever his question has to do with.

Now, this isn’t fair. Stop smiling like that, you… you big bastard.

“Go on, I’m listening.”

Dae-Hyun tucks his hands into the pockets of his trousers. A red hue tinges the tips of his ears, the flush on his cheeks matching the colour. Forcing himself to keep looking at me, his light voice turns into a barely audible, too quiet to hear if I didn’t stand directly across from him.“Would you like to go out for boba together?”

“Boba?” I give him a blank look. “What’s that?”

“You’ve never heard of boba?” His expression turns surprised, dark hooded eyes widening and staring at me like I don’t know the world is round. “You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m serious. What is it?”

“It’s a sweet drink originally from Taiwan. There are little boba pearls in it too, which either pop in your mouth or are chewy. Depends on where you buy it.”

I snap my fingers, catching on to what he’s talking about. “You mean milk tea.”

He lets out a dramatic sigh of relief. “So you have heard of it.”

“At this point, who hasn’t?” I shrug, feeling rather sheepish as I explain myself. Even to my own ears, it sounds like I’ve been living under a rock. “I just didn’t know boba was another name for it. Actually, I’ve been meaning to try it for a while now.”

“Want to try it together? I found a place on the Salthill Promenade. It’s new, so I thought it’d be nice to visit it together.” Some of the brightness fades from his face, the same gloom that seems to haunt him, dimming his enthusiasm. “If you want, of course.”

“But shouldn’t you save up to repay your debt?” I know little of his personal financial situation, but I do know thanks to one of our earliest conversations that he’s practically on a cliff-edge. Fortunately, he still has a place in town to stay.

I think.

I never asked.

The mention of his circumstances makes him grimace, but he tries to hide the negativity behind a strained smile. “I have a little extra change, so don’t worry. Besides, let me repay you for all the coffees you’ve served me free of charge.”

He leans in, raising his hand a bit as if to reach only to put it down on the counter again like he has changed his mind at the last second. “Please?”

The answer falls from my lips without a thought, rapid like the sea current and perhaps a bit too eager. Ashamed of my enthusiasm, I try to regain my composure. So I clear my throat while trying to contain the storm of butterflies within. “Sure. I’m due for a break anyway. Let me get my jacket.”

“Great. I’ll wait here.”

I turn on my heel and head for the kitchen, a light spring in my step.

“Mrs Lee, I’m going to take a break,” I call out to the petite woman baking bread. 

She has styled her long black hair into a bun which is set in place with a carnation hair pin, a gift from her parents when she came here as a young woman searching for a prosperous future in Galway. Though she doesn’t look a day older than thirty-two at most, she’s actually in her early forties.

“That’s fine, sweetie. Chan will be here in a bit anyway.” She places a tray with freshly baked chestnut bread, one of the bakery’s specialties, on the metal counter across from the oven. As she takes her oven gloves off, she looks over my shoulder into the bakery.

At Dae-Hyun.

Who’s appearance catches her as off-guard as it did me. “Isn’t that the writer?”

I glance over my shoulder at him. He’s leaning on the counter, fumbling with his fingers. However, when he sees me looking at him, he smiles.

I smile back at him, gesture that I’ll be with him in a second, and turn back to Mrs Lee. “It is.”

“Is he the reason you’re taking a break?”

“Sort of,” I admit with heated cheeks. “He wants to go out for milk tea together.”

Don’t be silly. He’s simply doing you a favour, a kindness to repay yours. He’s not some kind of cute hoor. Besides, he’s about twice my age.

She crosses her arms, head tipped to the side. Her tone is stern, the words colder than they normally are when we talk. “And you agreed?”

I nod, wondering where the sudden cool demeanour comes from. “Yes.”

“Of your own volition?”

Brows furrowed, I open and close my mouth, unable to think of a proper reply. Nevertheless, after a quick second to recollect myself from the distrust in her attitude, I give her the best one I can think of. “Of course. Why do you ask, ma’am?”

“I’m simply worried for you.” She breathes out deeply, approaches me, and reaches up to pat my head. “You’re like a daughter to me, Sinead. He seems fond of you, but be careful around his type. They’re well aware of how to wear a mask properly.”

“Thank you, Mrs Lee. But I think Dae-Hyun,’’ I can’t suppress a silly grin at the mention of his name, ‘‘has good intentions.”

After all, he’s never done anything to hurt me.

If anything, the writer has been a gentleman from the start. Inappropriate remarks haven’t had a place in our conversations since we met nor have there been flirtatious words. One way or the other, we tend to end up discussing the same topics over and over, namely books, writing, coffee, and stories of faraway places. The latter are my favourite since Dae-Hyun can tell them vividly enough to envision myself at his side while he conjures up tales about his journeys. It doesn’t matter whether they are actually true, hold perhaps only a sliver of truth or entirely false. They allow me to think with him, to see the world through his eyes for a little while and for a moment know what goes on inside the head of the face given to stoicism.

“I’m sure he does, but you can never be too careful. However, don’t let me spoil your spirits.” She puts a hand on my shoulder and stirs me toward the coat rack. “Grab your jacket and go with the man.”

I do as she says, sling my bag over my shoulder, and walk out of the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, I turn around to wave at Chan’s mother. “See you later, Mrs Lee.”

She waves back, fabricating a motherly smile. Notwithstanding, it barely conceals the distrust she harbours to the man at the counter. The cold gaze in his direction sends shivers down my spine. Fortunately, Dae-Hyun misses the hostility thanks to typing something on his phone.

Chan, your mother is not a force to be reckoned with, is she?

“Ready?” Dae-Hyun asks as I step into the bakery again, tucking his phone into the pocket of his black blazer.

“Let’s go,” I say, joining his side.

Like a gentleman out of one of those old movies, he offers his arm. With a giggle, I place my hands on it, and instinctively snuggle into his warmth as he guides us outside. However, the writer comes to a halt at the door and glances over his shoulder.

At Mrs Lee.

“Is something wrong?” I lean away to read his expression. Unfortunately, the interpretation of his set jaw and keeping me a little tighter against his side is all I get in the way of answer.

Exactly at the same time, the elderly woman sitting nearby with her husband speaks up. She likely didn’t intend for her words to be heard, but her supposed whisper is all but inaudible. “It’s disgusting, a man his age going after a fine spry thing like her.”

He’s not preying on me. Stop eating the head off of me and shut your gob, woman.

I’m itching to turn around to burst out in a fierce defence of the writer. But, I don’t because it would only make matters worse and the least I want to do is to worsen his discomfort. So I merely grit my teeth, faking ignorance as I strengthen my grip on the fabric of his blazer.

Dae-Hyun swallows hard and grimaces though he pretends he didn’t hear her when he shifts his attention back to me, a forced soft smile on his small mouth. His watery gaze tells another story, however. “No, not at all. Everything’s fine.”

Story?

He briefly breaks away to open the door for me. “After you, swee- I mean, Sinead.”

“Thank you,” I say and pass through, dismissing his slip of the tongue. If I don’t, it might only add to the false hope of there being more for us.

But there isn’t.

We’re simply acquaintances, maybe even friends, who are going to get milk tea together because he wants to repay my kindness.

That is the story.

He follows, lighting a cigarette to give himself something to occupy himself with other than the blatant prejudice he had to endure. My hands instinctively reach out for him to wrap around his bicep again while we walk down the street.

A trail of smoke behind us.

The café on the promenade is the polar opposite of the writer’s character. Well, for as far as I can be a judge of it with what little I know about him. 

Lush green plants hang from the ceiling alongside lamps reminiscent of full moons. The interior is minimalistic yet sophisticated, the pink and pale grey chairs and simple white tables adding to the elegant atmosphere of the establishment. Classical music plays over the speakers hidden in the corners of the ceiling. Here and there on the wall hang animal masks made of gold. A bear, a buffalo, a tiger, an owl, an eagle, a lion, and a deer.

Like at the bakery, the eyes of the customers turn to us as soon as we step inside. Excited murmurs are mixed with less appreciative ones, the comments on Dae-Hyun’s age and ethnicity having me hold on to him a little tighter to hopefully distract him enough to not give them any heed. Unfortunately, his muscles tense under my hands as his jaw clenches, straining under the pressure of things unsaid.

“Dae-Hyun, it’s been a while!” the barista happily greets us when we’ve reached the counter. He’s a slender man in his late-forties with tanned skin and his long wavy black manes streaked with the occasional silver-like grey hair styled into a quiff. His big dark brown eyes dart to me, a goofy smile breaking out on his lips. “Who’s this?”

The writer lets out an exasperated sigh, nostrils flaring as he curses under his breath. Nonetheless, he hides the violence boiling in his veins behind a feigned polite smile. The greeting are the first words he’s uttered since we went on our way, the long walk here having been silent. “Indeed, it has, Jae-Hwan. When was the last time?”

The barista purses his lips, tilting his head as he scours his memory for their last meeting. 

Either he doesn’t think deeply or doesn’t make the effort at all because he waves dismissively the second after. “Doesn’t matter. But,” the barista shifts his attention back to me, “who are you, madam?”

“Sinead. Sinead O’Hara,” I introduce myself. In my peripheral vision, I see Dae-Hyun looking down at me, face pale.

What’s wrong? Did I do something?

I turn to the writer to ask what’s on his mind, but am interrupted by the other man before I can formulate the question.

“It’s good to see you at his side. I started to get worried for him. He’s been alone for a long time.”

Dae-Hyun jumps into the conversation, commenting something mockingly in Korean which Jae-Hwan tries to counteract with nonchalance in the same language. Evidently, whatever it is he said doesn’t sit well with the writer, who takes a step forward. His voice rises in volume as well as intensity, his tone growing more sarcastic as the conversation between the two continues.

My hands are itching with the need to act before things get out of hand, the chance of a fight breaking out becoming likelier the more I watch them interact. 

I place my hand on Dae-Hyun's chest when he leans in until his face is mere inches from Jae-Hwan's, the menace in his eyes making the other man step back with his hands raised like he’s being held at gunpoint.

“This hyung,” he grumbles, switching back to English. Expression sour and his hands locked into fists at his sides, he mutters a string of Korean words which I can only assume are curses under his breath.

“Why don’t you go look for a place for us to sit?” I place my hands on his broad shoulders to turn him around, but Dae-Hyun roughly swats them away.

The hostility in his gaze softens to remorse when he sees me hold my breath, gulping them all down to remain quiet and thus prevent him from lashing out at me. Jae-Hwan is also affected by the writer’s rash action, tensing up and keeping his sharp eyes trained on him.

“Sorry,” Dae-Hyun mutters, blinking and avoiding my gaze.

“He has quite the temper,” I try to amend, voice hardly bearing any conviction.

“I know,” Jae-Hwan confirms, turning his attention back to me. Although his voice is strained, he tries to sound calm in an attempt to lessen my discomfort. However, the careful choosing of his words does little to lessen the tense atmosphere. “We go way back. Dae-Hyun’s always been, what’s the word? A fire… fire…”

“Firecracker?”

“Yes, a firecracker.” The way he says it makes me think he means the writer is worse than simply a hot-head. “Anyways, what can I get you?”

Now, what’s your story?

Withal, as with Mrs Lee, I’ll let this lie until a later date. For now, I simply want to sit down with a friend before work calls again. To enjoy a bit of sweetness while we retreat into our own little world, the safe bubble we share.

Instinctively, I reach for my purse after we’ve picked our drinks to pay. Dae-Hyun, noticing this, hastily pulls out his debit card and places it on the pin machine. A low beep confirms the transaction.

‘‘My treat, remember?’’ He nudges my temple with his nose as if to kiss it, but, unfortunately, he catches himself when his lips brush over it. Stuck on how to correct his mistake, he sheepishly ruffles my hair.

Pretending not to be affected, I fumble with the seashell bracelet he made and I wear on a daily basis together with my watch. A weight presses down on my chest, dropping into my stomach, when I look at him askance. Dae-Hyun evidently has no intention to do what he might have wanted before and I don’t have the courage to ask him about it.

So I remain quiet, dreaming of the affection he can’t give in a space where there is no rejection.

Merely bittersweet wishes.  

The writer still doesn’t look at me while we wait for our drinks to be served nor when he gestures for me to do what I suggested earlier and find us a spot to sit. He quietly follows as we make our way to the seating in the corner, walking one step behind me so that the only hint of his presence is his sturdy shape in the corner of my eye.

Fortunately, the silence doesn’t last because as soon as we sit down he breaks it with an unexpected remark. “Your boss doesn’t seem to appreciate me dropping by the bakery. She tolerates me enough to let me stay whenever you’re around, but I don’t think she’d let me otherwise.”

Absent-mindedly, he swirls the pearls with his straw. He tends to fall silent when he feels it’s necessary for me to process his words. Occasionally, when I ask for clarification or he notices I can’t decipher what it is he is actually saying, he’ll pet my head and we’d move past it.

But he says nothing at all, allowing me to work through this myself.

Which means it’s important.

“You don’t come to the café when I’m not there?” I try to make eye contact, but he firmly keeps his attention on the plastic cup in his hands.

It surprises me when he shakes his head, a wry smile on his thin lips. “I don’t. I just stay at home, writing, or go out for a walk.”

“Really?”

He nods. “I don’t like to stay where I’m not welcome.”

You’re like a daughter to me, Sinead. He seems fond of you, but be careful around his type. They’re well aware of how to wear a mask properly.

Mrs Lee’s warning repeats itself in the back of my mind. Although this is the first time she’s explicitly told me about her concerns regarding my relationship to the writer, it’s been noticeable since the day he showed up. It isn’t difficult to miss the judgemental glances in our direction whenever I decide to spend my break with him. Neither are the faltering expressions when he enters the bakery. Chan has become a mediator, pushing his mother towards the kitchen or whispering to leave it alone. All the same, her issues with the writer are clearly implied in her attitude and demeanour.

Shoulders rounded, Dae-Hyun takes a sip of his milk tea. The cup clasped in his hands, he looks up at me through his lashes, his dark eyes apologetic yet overpowered by the shadow he carries with him, adding a melancholy note to his downcast appearance. His voice wavers, trying to remain steady in spite of beginning to show signs of breaking. If his response was longer, it would have. “I’m sorry. I’m being a sappy old man.”

“You’re not.” Before I can think about it, I reach across the table.

His tanned skin is graced by fine lines, the ones around his eyes becoming prominent when he smiles. Although he’s shaven today, the usual dark stubble tends to add a few years to his appearance. Nonetheless, for as far as I can tell and am correct, he is still quite young.

Before I’m given the chance to retract my hand, aware of the brashness of my action, he envelops my fingers with his. His big hand is warm, the calloused skin of his thumb a pleasant sensation as it rubs over my knuckles. “How’s the milk tea?”

“It’s… well,” I take another sip of my taro drink and make a face, “filling. And I’m glad I chose only fifty percent sweetness. It also kinda tastes like,” I take another sip to place the flavour, “like… watered down…” another sip, “vanilla soy milk. It’s good, but, yeah. Wouldn’t do this again. This flavour, that is. The pearls are nice and chewy, though.”

Dae-Hyun laughs, the hearty sound alongside the dimples in his cheeks making my heart skip a beat. “Let’s try something else next time.”

Next time.

And thus, promised a moment like this again, I find myself completely under his spell once more.

Helplessly enthralled.

And eagerly chasing the daydream about next time.

A vision I snap out of before the silence caused by my chasing fantasies turns awkward. “How’s yours? What’d you get again?”

“Green tea.” He holds it out to me. “Wanna try?”

I accept his drink with my free hand and take a sip. Immediately, I flinch at the sugary assault on my tastebuds. “How sweet did you get yours?”

“One hundred and fifty percent,” he chuckles.

It might be because of the overwhelming sweetness sending my system into a fit, but for a second the air behind him condenses into a collection of four black fluffy tails which sweep with cheeky pride. Withal, they disappear as fast as my imagination conjured them.

“Oh, Lord.” I quickly take a sip of my own beverage again, breathing out in relief at the lower sugar levels. “Yep, don’t like that.”

My eyes wander to our fingers. In spite of the image feeling right, there’s a voice at the back of my mind screaming it isn’t. It points out the years between us, demands me to retract my hand, warps the murmurs of the other customers around us and makes them audible. They repeat the same things which were said at the bakery before we went out.

The things we hear but ignore on a daily basis.

The demons we drive our by wearing our masks of ignorance.

Dae-Hyun follows my gaze and as if sensing my insecurity and deciding to be brave himself, lifts them to his lips. A pleasant dizziness sets in when he kisses my knuckles. My mind grows foggier when he lifts my hand to give himself better access to my wrist, erasing every thought and setting my veins aflame when he kisses it. I clench my thighs when he grazes the skin with his teeth, the pooled heat making it difficult to maintain my composure.

I bite back a moan as his teeth sink into the skin, overcome by an intoxicating mixture of pleasure and pain paired with the inability to think, my mind clouded like I’m in an opium-induced daze. A heavy feeling descends on me, my body slumping like it tends to do whenever I’m knackered. I blink, fighting the urge to fall asleep.

And to make the black tails disappear.

I’m conscious enough to shiver as Dae-Hyun eventually runs his tongue over the wound, done with sucking on it. But the tenseness melts away when he affectionately nuzzles my wrist like an animal rubbing off its scent. His lips are slightly parted, his breaths ragged and short as if he’s suffering from a fever.

Suddenly he starts, his pupils dilated as he stares at me like a deer caught in the headlights. 

As fast as lightning he puts my hand down on the table again. His knuckles turn white as the writer strengthens his grip. Would I have been able to feel anything besides lingering slumber, I think I might have flinched.

You could bruise me if you keep holding on like that.

I smile wistfully at the thought that follows.

I’ll be okay even if you do. 

At least it will leave me something to remember our intimacy.

Dae-Hyun pushes his drinks towards me again. I drowsily shake my head, the world swaying from side to side as I refuse to be subject to another sugar overdose.

‘‘Sinead, please. I- I need you to drink this.’’ The demand tumbles out of his mouth, the words choppy and quick.

‘‘I’m fine.’’ Lazily I swat his hand away.

‘‘Please,’’ like it’s a matter of life and death, he urgently motions for me to take the cup from his hands, ‘‘I don’t want you to pass out.’’

‘‘Pass out?’’ I let out a mirthless laugh. ‘‘Why would I-’’

My vision goes black, my body weightless and out of control. In the distance it sounds like someone rushes to get up, hasty footsteps hurrying to my side. They come to a halt as a shadowy figure crouches down next to me.

A familiar blend of tobacco, sandalwood and smoke penetrates my nose. Fighting the threat to faint, I hold on to the writer’s scent, which is as much of an anchor keeping me conscious like the hand on my knee. 

Something plastic, maybe, no, likely a straw probes at my lips. ‘’Drink.’’

Reluctantly, I heed the command. The disproportionate amounts of sugar and bitterness makes me gag after the first small sip.

‘‘More.’’

‘‘No.’’

Dae-Hyun runs his hand through my hair, the gesture warm and loving. Perhaps it’s because of my current state which makes the world feel like a dream I’m about to awaken from, but the affection almost makes me cry. ‘‘Just a little more. Two sips.’’

I shake my head.

‘‘Sinead!’’ he exclaims, a tone of desperate resignation staining the mention of my name. ‘‘Stop being selfish. I’m just trying to help you.’’

‘‘Why?’’ I slur. Even to my own ears, it sounds like I’m either high or ossified.

‘‘Why what?’’

‘‘Why help me?’’

He exhales deeply though his nose. For a moment he remains silent, nibbling his bottom lip as he thinks of what to say. I merely stare at him, helpless with a messy mind yet chastising myself for not being able to think with him. For not being able to read him to guess at might go on inside his head.

Although his reply shatters that wish, the longing for something that isn’t there, into bits and pieces.

‘‘Because I care. I care for you.’’

As a friend. Not in the way I want you to.

I swallow the thought of voicing the remark, unable to say it without heavy snark. After all, what is the jealousy of a young woman he barely knows worth? What is there to gain from it?

What is there for us? 

Instead, I bring the straw to my lips again and take the two sips he demanded me to take.

‘‘Happy?’’ I grumble as I let the overly sweet and bitter beverage restart my system.

A gentle smile on his lips, he takes the cup from my hand and places it back on the table. The hand on my knee moves to my cheek, the warmth of his palm mixing with the lovesick heat the action rekindles. Substituting an answer, Dae-Hyun lets out a content hum.

The happy moment doesn’t last, reality interrupting the temporary bliss with the reminder of having obligations. The writer is the one to pull us back, to create the familiar distance to our shared bubble.

To take off the mask.

The dejected sigh forebodes the moment I wish could have been avoided for at least another hour. Nevertheless, duty calls. “For how much longer can we stay?”

I fish my phone out of my pocket with my free hand and press the home button. The screen lights up.

A quarter past two.

“We have to go.’’ I grip my phone in a futile effort to fight the emptiness washing over me, the numbness it ignites making my arms go limp. ‘‘I’ll be late by the time we get back.”

“I see. Well, then, let’s get you back,” he agrees emotionlessly.

He makes to stand up, but sits down again when I squeeze his hand. Eyebrows raised, he waits for me to explain myself.

“I don’t want to go,” I admit, ashamed of the petty behaviour. “I- I want to stay.”

“You have to work to return to. Come on.” Dae-Hyun gets up, pulls me to my feet, grabs my jacket from the back of my chair and helps me into it. Withal, at seeing my sullen expression, he softly nudges my cheek. “We’ll do this again soon, if that’s what you want.”

Yes!

“Sorry, I’m being childish.” Though the promise of next time replenishes my spirit, I wrap my arms around myself to battle the cold creeping into my bones regardless. 

“You’re not,” he assures me, placing his hands on my shoulders. His gaze flickers to my lips, but he prevents himself from leaning in at the last second and sheepishly pats my head instead. “Let’s go.”

“Dae-Hyun,” I call out as he turns on his heel to make for the door. To make sure he won’t be able to get away just yet, I grab his sleeve. Interest piqued, he stops and turns on his heel. “My heart doesn’t care how old yours is.”

It only knows it wants you.

He’s about to say something, but changes his mind. Instead, he gives me a quicksilver smile and shakes his head. I don’t resist as he grabs my wrist to remove my hand from his sleeve. 

You don’t believe me.

Without so much as a glance over his shoulder to make sure I’m following, the writer moves towards the exit. Heavy-footed and sniffling, I hasten after him through the maze of wandering eyes.

I hate this heart. Hate how it belongs to you.

From behind the counter, Jae-Hwan gives me a clenched half-smile. When our eyes meet, the pain seems to be mutual. 

It’s okay. There’s nothing you could have done. This is something between Dae-Hyun and me.

To avoid worrying him any further, I straighten my shoulders, sniffle, and wipe my nose on a tissue. Not making eye contact nor offering a word of thanks, I move past Dae-Hyun as he holds the door open for me.

A few paces ahead, I halt and wait for him to catch up. Torn between the urge to turn around to run into his arms and the tempting decision to head to the bakery without him, I stand among the other people strolling the boulevard. Overhead, the seagulls fly around without a care, the waves lapping at the shore like they always do.

Unbothered by Love.

Dae-Hyun remains silent when he joins my side, neither asking why I keep staring down at my hands nor my ability to look at everything but him. As he did on the way here, he lights a cigarette. 

For a few meters, I manage to ignore the man at my side. Nevertheless, despite feeling conflicted, I find myself instinctively reaching out to wrap my hand around his pinky.

Because I want to be in touch a little longer.

To be a part of him.

Like the smoke on his lips.

And he allows it.

[ura-writes]

Trampolinist - Part Two

Part summary: You encounter a few strange teenagers, discover blown-up ruins, and find out about who caused them.

Warnings: mild anxiety, thoughts of murder, blood, threats, lots of swears

A/N - I got a good few requests asking for a taglist for Trampolinist, so here it is! Just ask and you shall be added!

@lemonmochitea

@dad-ee-drea

@victoria-a567

Also, this is non-canon compliant, but only by a bit. I may change a few small details.

Hope y’all enjoy!

(Also, if you can find the movie reference I put in here, then kudos to you!)

——

A lingering curiosity sits in the back of your head for the rest of the week, not quelled by any amount of Bedwars or Skywars, which leave you exhausted in the evenings.

Even your dreams hold inquisitiveness.

How lovely.

Eventually you have to go back to your home world to check on your animals, repair your tools and the like. It’s tedious work, but nothing you can’t handle.

Boredom eventually sets in.

It’s unnerving. You never get bored of combat, of competition between your fellow players and teammates, but here you are, eyeing the list of servers on your grid.

Only two people are on the server at the moment, their names not available for whatever reason. You’d prefer to pop on when there were no people online, mostly to scope out the server, but you’ll take only having to deal with two people.

Hopefully they’re adults and not kids that recently learned to use portals.

You stick your pointer finger out, curl it like you’re dragging it down a wall; a ripple starts where your finger lands, slowly following its path downwards. It rips a hole through the fabric of woven servers, creating a direct link to the Dream SMP. You just hope that no one attempts to close the portal, as opening one in the first place takes a good deal of energy and effort.

A sight of spruce trees and misplaced dirt greets your vision through the rip in reality.

An odd spawnpoint, but whatever. You’re not one to judge.

In the corner of your eye, where chat normally sits, a message pops up.

TommyInnit: who the fcuck

TommyInnit: what

TommyInnit: NEWY PERFHSAON

Ranboo: ah yes, perfhsaon

TommyInnit: shut the fuck n up

You chuckle at the messages rapidly crowding the chat, watching them fade idly while trying to find a way out of the really weird spawnpoint, which is, for some reason, walled off by a combination of dirt, wood and stone haphazardly placed down, as if in a hurry.

Your efforts do not go unrewarded as you spot a section of the wall that sits lower than the rest, low enough to climb over if you try hard enough.

Perfect.

Feet hit the ground rapidly as you get a running start towards the wall, scrambling upward after you jump. You fall almost immediately off the other side.

“Ouch.”

“That looked like that hurt.”

You glance upward to meet heterochromic eyes, red and green contrasting with the curious face split in half by its black and white sides. A tail flicks behind the person as their crown slips a bit down their head.

“Wh—the fuck?”

The figure laughs at your reaction, offering a gloved hand out to help you off the ground. Hesitantly, you accept, being pulled up easily, and that’s when you realize that he’s a lot taller than you thought.

“Jesus, you’re tall,” you comment idly, brushing yourself off. “Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem. I’m Ranboo.”

You introduce yourself with your tag, which elicits a hum of recognition from him, much to your pleasant shock and surprise.

“You’re the person that Dream invited, aren’t you?”

“In the flesh.”

He laughs at your quip at him, smiling with sharp fangs exposed to the midday sunlight. No point in judging a person on their (potentially, anyway) monstrous features.

“Well, you probably need a tour—“

He’s quickly interrupted by a loud “hey!”

“Oh great,” you mutter, crossing your arms. Ranboo looks a bit sheepish at your cocked eyebrow and slightly irritated expression, scratching his bi-colored hair.

“That’s Tommy. He’s uh… well, Tommy.”

A teenager wearing a red and white shirt and jeans with battered sneakers comes sprinting out of the nearby forest, coming to a halt just in front of you.

“New person!”

“Yeah, and what are you, the gremlin that got fed after midnight?”

The kid sputters out a few protests against being called a gremlin, sprinkling a good few swears in his jumbled sentences that mostly consist of rambles.

When Tommy gets his bearings, he eyes your tag, squinting at it suspiciously before his eyes widen in recognition.

“You’re the bastard that beat the shit out of me in Bedwars! Get ove’ here—“

One of Ranboo’s arms shoots out to grab the lanky teenager with ease to stop his potential assault on you. You just brush your nails off on your shirt.

“Oi! Lemme a’em!”

“No, Tommy, remember what Tubbo said?” Ranboo lectures, tail flicking in annoyance, eyes trained on him. “Remember?”

“You’re one to talk about rememberin’.”

Ranboo cocks an eyebrow.

“No punchin’ people we don’t know unless they’ve hurt us…” Tommy grumbles. “Can ya lemme go now?”

Ranboo agrees, letting go of his shirt and summoning a journal and quill to write something down in, muttering that he’s almost out of ink.

“Anyway, how about that tour now?”

You smile at him.

Maybe you’ll like this place.

——

“...and this is L’Manburg… or what’s left of it, anyway. It’s still being rebuilt.”

“How’d it get destroyed?” you ask him. “It takes a lot of TNT, Withers and dedication to destroy a city this big.”

I should know.

Tommy eyes Ranboo.

“Hey, it’s your city. I’m not explaining it,” Ranboo defends against the wordless accusation. Tommy exhales with a groan and begins his explanation.

“Wil-Wilbur, my brother, went a bit insane a few months back, blew it all up with Technoblade’s help. Wil’s… well, he’s dead.” Tommy sounds indifferent about the death, much to your surprise.

You nod absentmindedly, setting your eyes on a slightly obscured poster that flaps in the wind. When you get close enough to pin it down it reads:

Wanted: Dead or Alive. High Treason, Inciting Violence, Unlawful Use of Explosives, Extreme Terrorism.

Reward: See Authorities

Below that is a well-painted picture of a man you somewhat recognize, wearing a red cape, a crown, full enchanted Netherite armor and carrying an axe that seems to shimmer in the light.

Technoblade. You’ve had a few run-ins with him playing Bedwars and Skywars, even teaming up with him a few times. He always seemed nice enough, and certainly a damn good sword fighter. He always knew when to run and when to stand and fight, when to attack and when to defend.

“What did he do?”

Ranboo starts to speak, but Tommy interrupts him.

“Blew the rest o’ this place up. Bastard ran after that.” Tommy all but spits the words out of his mouth, like they’re acid or venom. “Fookin’ coward.”

Well, I wouldn’t call ‘knowing when to run’ cowardice, but we’ll pretend I agree, child.

“No one knows where he is now,” Ranboo adds. “Except Phil, of course. But he’s pretty much silent about it. Won’t give up a word of information.”

Shouldn’t be that hard to find one man, you muse to yourself. Bet I could.

“Well, I’ll let you know if I find anything out,” you lie with a smile plastered on your lips. “Y’know, as a sort of gift to you as the newest member of the server.”

Hah, as if.

“We’ll hold you to that.”

You nod and say your goodbyes, walking towards the central nether portal while keeping an eye out for an ender chest so you can get some of your stuff. You know the admin will take your elytra away if it so much as comes into contact with the server’s air, so you decide not to risk it.

Spotting one, you make a small noise of triumph and dart over there, grabbing the shulker with your stuff in it, transferring it to your inventory with a practiced ease.

Armor adorns your figure, enchanted Netherite striking an imposing silhouette against the blackstone beneath your feet. You twirl your sword with a grin.

Now to find Technoblade.

——

Turns out, finding a piglin hybrid is not easy.

You scoured the Nether for any sign of him, any trace of fabric, of a broken pickaxe, hell even a piece of iron he may have held. The ability you hold as a Jumper not only allows you to jump servers, but also allows you to find people if you have something of theirs.

Nothing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Nil. Absolutely jack shit.

How can one man be so difficult to track down?

Just as you’re about to give up, a barrage of curses at the tip of your tongue, a glint of iron catches your eye.

Odd.

Hopping over a cluster of Netherrack and scaring off a few baby Striders, you see a small circle of iron sitting in a pile of red dust, looking dented and beat up.

You huff and brush the dust off of it, titling your head to the side when it reveals itself.

A compass, pointing in one direction, working even in the Nether.

Standing up, you pocket it and head to the nearest portal, jumping through to the other side only to grab the compass out of your pocket as you walk to who-knows-where. It still points in the same direction as before, only moving when you do.

An irregularity in the metal against your hand inspires you to flip the compass over to look at the back.

What lies there makes you smirk.

Technoblade’s cabin. Phil’s compass.

This might be easier than you initially thought.

:)

[pendragyn]

20 Questions For Fanfic Writers

Thanks to @meteormemoirs for tagging me! Uh… I always feel a little weird tagging people but um, @rachywritessomething @faejilly @fenrir-kin @theloversthedreamersandme82 (and anybody else who'd like to join in – yes this means you!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

11 (though two of them ended up partially incorporated into a much bigger fic.)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

388,370

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

“In The Garden” (252) “Ineffable Bastards” (160) “Serpents & Ladders” (122) “The Key” (96) “Nature vs Nurture” (95)

4. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No hate, but a few comments that felt disparaging about the complexity of my biggest fic. And I have received unsolicited “suggestions” for my word choices because they didn’t know the definitions of the words I used. And instead of asking me if I meant that word first, they just jumped right to the assumption that I was *wrong* and decided to “correct��� me. -_- So I corrected them and left the comments up as a warning for others.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I love responding to (most) comments, even if it’s just with a <3 to let people know I’ve seen it. I really love seeing people get excited about something I’ve made and then I get to be excited about it with them. It’s the best. <3

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Oh, that’s “Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls (It Tolls For They)” for absolute sure. It made me sob when I wrote it (and it was going to be angstier! but I couldn’t bear to do it) and it makes me blubber any time I reread it.

7. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Weeeeell, technically it’s not finished yet but "Ineffable Bastards" will have a happy ending!

8. Do you write crossovers?

I’m not 100% certain about the terminology but "Ineffable Bastards" and the rest of the fics in that universe are probably crossovers? Or a fusion? It’s between Good Omens and Discworld, with the Discworld characters living on Earth in the GO universe.

9. Do you write smut?

I have but I haven’t ever gotten it to a point that I’m willing to publish it. Maybe one day.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Or turned into podfic?

Not yet, but @fenrir-kin did read a couple of my short works on their Twitch channel, that was really awesome!

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

I haven’t but it sounds like fun.

13. What’s your all-time favorite relationship (doesn’t have to be romantic)?

Right now, it’s 100% Aziraphale and Crowley both as friends and as eventual romantic partners.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

(lego batman no no no gif from https://thumbs.gfycat.com/WatchfulPartialIguanodon-size_restricted.gif)

15. What are your writing strengths?

Thinking about all the little details of worldbuilding to keep the internal logic ticking. I think I’m pretty good with dialogue and description, and I try my damnedest to keep them in character.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Mostly getting in a bad place and not writing. I also tend to reveal too much and have to go back and trim things down to keep the story flowing. Overthinking things and waffling about what to keep and what to trim.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I don’t know any other languages so I just write it in english (derogatory) and imply they’re using another language and add in if others can understand them or not. I’m getting myself out of the habit of italicising to imply foreign language since it feels outdated, and it can be confusing since I use italics to denote internal thoughts.

18. What’s the first fandom you wrote for?

Good Omens (sprinkled liberally with Discworld references) ...in 2019. Since smashing Valdemar Companions and Pern dragons together like playdoh and reforming them into my own creations as a teenager doesn’t legally count as fanfic :}

19. What are your favorite tropes/scenarios to read or write?

Oh ho ho! Friends To Lovers, Starcrossed Lovers, Pining (whole forests worth), Found Family, Gentle One Goes Librarian Poo For Their Beloved (x2 if it’s unacknowledged love) – I’m sure there are more but those are my top five lol

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

“Ineffable Bastards” is definitely my baby but I am also really proud of how “The Key” came out and they’re all part of the same universe so, are they really separate if they’re in a series?

[mandaloriandy]

Fic Writer Interview

I suppose I should... actually get around to doing this.

I was tagged by @maderilien, @stormwarnings, and @willowcrowned! (that’s what I get for putting off doing this, I get ganged up on.) (I’m just joking, I am very touched that you all thought of me)

How many works do you have on AO3?

49

What's your total AO3 word count?

339,898

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

oh fuck there's so many. uhhhh 32 apparently. big yikes. I'm just gonna copy-paste the list over, that'll be easiest. A lot of these are overlaps but alas such is life

1. Star Wars - All Media Types (24) 2. Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (18) 3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types (7) 4. TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms (4) 5. Homestuck (4) 6. Doctor Who & Related Fandoms (3) 7. Avatar: Legend of Korra (3) 8. Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling (3) 9. Marvel Cinematic Universe (2) 10. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) (2) 11. The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types (2) 12. Doctor Who (2) 13. Ender Series - Orson Scott Card (1) 14. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) (1) 15. Iron Man (Movies) (1) 16. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (1) 17. Original Work (1) 18. Sherlock (TV) (1) 19. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) (1) 20. Big Hero 6 (2014) (1) 21. Emelan - Tamora Pierce (1) 22. The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien (1) 23. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga (1) 24. The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien (1) 25. Captain America (Movies) (1) 26. Paranatural (Webcomic) (1) 27. Torchwood (1) 28. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica (1) 29. Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types (1) 30. Star Wars: Rebels (1) 31. Doctor Who (2005) (1) 32. The Hobbit - All Media Types (1)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

To nobody's surprise, my top 5 fics by kudos are (in order) the first 5 parts to the Jedi Shmi AU.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Oof. I used to. But I ended up spiralling pretty badly uhhhh a couple years ago and had to stop. I feel like I should reply to comments, especially those wonderful long ones, but even though I do this whole writing thing, I always have a really hard time, like, knowing what to say to them? Like "akjsdfk;jf thank you" always feels inadequate, but writing a well thought-out reply takes a stupidly large amount of brainpower, and I'll leave them marked as unread if I want to reply to them and then they just accumulate in my inbox and I end up spiralling again, since it just continues to exist as a mental load of something I have to do and the avoidance just gets bigger and bigger the longer I put it off and–

look, I just get into my own head too much about it. I respond to questions, usually. I love all the comments but I can't let myself overthink it, and the easiest way to do that is to not let myself reply.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

I guess Obi-Wan’s Terrible Horrible No-Good Very Bad Life doesn’t count because it... doesn’t have an ending yet? and I don’t know how angsty that ending is going to be. Even Composing Hallelujah doesn’t count because it ends happier than in canon, even though it’s... y’know, not exactly happy-ending.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you've written?

Hahaha I don't do crossovers often, but I have done them, and the craziest one I've actually written is probably my Sailor Moon/Puella Magi Madoka Magica fic. It’s especially crazy because I’ve only seen a few episodes of sailor moon lol

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

lmao YEP

There's this one, like Ender's Game/Doctor Who fic I wrote and posted on FFN back in middle school. And it got a ton of hate, as far as I can tell mostly from the same person, talking about like, how bad and non-canonical and whatever it was. And when I migrated over to AO3, I reposted it there too. This was in like 2012. The migration, at least, the fic was written in... idk, 2010?

And then. In 20-fucking-19.

I got a comment saying "Terrible. Makes zero sense. It’s like the author threw canon out the window and took a shit on it." like lmao what??????

(for reference: https://archiveofourown.org/works/361723?show_comments=true#comments and https://www.fanfiction.net/r/7621672/)

(like what the actual fuck was this person on)

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Not any that I've been brave enough to post. And… also… nothing that I've actually written more than a few paragraphs on… I keep chickening out. I did recently make a deal with a friend, though, so… we'll see. If I do, it’s probably going to be quite dark, because that’s the kind of smut I like to read.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I sincerely hope not.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes!! See how the blackbird walks into russian and just recently In all your wanderings into french!!!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've tried. It's never gone… especially well? I don't think any of them ever actually ended up complete, they all just petered out after a while.

What's your all time favorite ship?

I don't really have an "all-time favorite" anything, let alone a ship. I'm a horrible multishipper and I'm going to cause problems on purpose

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Sigh. Probably my intricate, 30-something-k unpublished Silmarillion Helcaraxë fic. It has so many moving pieces. I know where most of them end up but it's going to take so much effort to get there

What are your writing strengths?

writing

What are your writing weaknesses?

writing

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Hm. Given that I mostly write fic for SF/F, I don't run into the "real life languages" problem a lot. I end up working with conlangs of various complexity, for the most part, and for those… I'll sprinkle in a word or two if it makes sense, especially swear words and stuff. But for most of those conlangs, grammar is… less well-determined than vocabulary, so I almost never do phrases, let alone full sentences. I'll just put it in italics (if the POV character understands it) or say "and they said something unintelligible in [x language]" or the like.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

I think………. let me check the dates on this. I think the actual first fanfiction I wrote was sometime in fifth or sixth grade, for this "Zenda" book series I read?? Either that or Harry Potter.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

A big shout-out goes to The Lichtenberg Figure, which I can’t believe is the only Tamora Pierce fanwork I’ve published, but for my favorite... it's gotta be Messenger. Like, looking back, there is a bunch about it that I am very not happy with, and a lot of things I think didn't come across the way I wanted, and things I would not write the same way now, years down the line, as I have very differently balanced understandings of… well, a lot of these same characters. But, fuck, I just can't let go of Mandalorian!Beru.

No pressure tags!! @apaladinagain @determamfidd @faeymouse @lumateranlibrarian (apologies if you’ve already done this one and I haven’t seen it!)

[emjee]

Tagged by: @morallygreywaren​! Thank you so much, sorry it took me a few days to get around to it. 

Name(s): my AO3 handle when I started writing fic in high school/early college was MerryHeart, which is a Much Ado About Nothing reference; when I came back to fic in college I switched to emjee, which is just MG phonetically. MG stands for my Real Name, which is far too distinctive to be shared on the wilds of this here website.

Fandom(s): right now it’s mostly The Old Guard and like, a sprinkle of the old standbys (Austen, Shakespeare, Les Miserables, etc). Pre-TOG, Black Sails and Good Omens. Pre-that, and we start to peer back into my Beauty and the Beast days.

Where you post: AO3, pretty much exclusively. I’ve done a couple of ficlets here recently but those also get put up on AO3. 

Most Popular One Shot (by kudos) 
this year: You do not have to be good, which frankly might go down as my magnum opus, certainly of this year if not of the rest of my fic writing career.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter (by kudos)
 this year: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Y’all I’m so sorry that I’m so bad at finishing multi-chapter fics.

Favorite story you’ve written so far:
 I’m just looking at what I’ve written this year, but I’m very fond of All that I know is I don’t know a thing.

Fic you were nervous to post: You do not have to be good, because there’s a lot about it that’s personal and I was in a delicate emotional place when I wrote it.

How do you choose your titles?: I try to choose them while I’m still working on the fic so that I’m not staring down the title box on AO3 at the eleventh hour, but they are almost exclusively references to lyrics/literature.

Do you outline?: I daydream ferociously and usually have a sort of mental scene breakdown in my head. If there are details I really make sure I want to include I’ll make a list, but it doesn’t really get any more thorough than that.

Complete: 43 works (!) which includes things I wrote under my other pseud, as well as multichapter works that are unlikely to get finished.

In-Progress: the TOG library AU. It’s just two kind people who like each other a lot having honest emotional conversations and making out and getting teased by their friends/colleagues.

Coming soon/not yet started: I have a couple of TOG one-shots coming up, of the sexy variety.

Prompts?: Almost all of my fic recently has been inspired by posts people have made. I appreciate the inspiration and I like taking an idea and running with it.

Upcoming work you’re most excited about: I mean this library AU is the most self-indulgent thing I’ve ever written so I can’t wait for it to be complete so I can read it again and again.

[forever-rogue]

Unintended Consequences - Part 8

Summary: Y/N and Ben had been best friends since the day six year old Y/N dropped her ice cream in front of Ben and he had offered her his. The rest is history. Until Ben went to Hollywood and disappeared for five years, before suddenly waltzing back into Y/N’s life with one simple request.

A/N: Y’all were very split as to whether you were Team Ben or Team Joe. I’m curious to see it after this chapter as well…  You guys know I like drama...Anyways, thanks for reading and enjoy! Taglists are open! xx

PS - big kudos if you can spot all my references that I’ve sprinkled in :)

Pairing: Ben Hardy x Reader

Word Count:  5.2k

Warnings: language, a lil sadness, some steamy moments

MASTERLIST

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

“I’m starting to think that the only mistake was coming back to you, Y/N.”

The words washed over her like a cold waves crashing against a rocky hillside; cold, jagged, and searing.

Her chest started to rise and fall rapidly in anger. She spotted the glass lampshade near the door and thought about chucking it at him, at least that way he could physically feel the pain his words had inflicted upon her. But she stayed her hand, her body instead trembling with anger.

“Then why did you come back, Ben?” she shouted at him, not ready to let him have the last word. She followed him out of the room as he tried to retreat to his own bedroom. He stood in the doorway, shoulders tense but he refused to turn around. Crossing her arms over her chest, she was ready to demand an answer, unwilling to back down, “why did you come back? After five years…you could have just stayed away. You managed to for so long, why now?”

“I already told you,” his voice was lower than it normally was, a sense of both annoyance and anger. He knew it was probably wrong of him to be this angry still, but he was fuming; he felt like he had been used in the worst way possible.

“You gave me a bullshit answer,” her voice shook lightly as she thought back to the day he had unceremonious return. If she had known then but she knew now she would have just ignored him. But she had to be too soft hearted, so desperate to have a piece of her past back, “is that what you’re going to be sticking with?”

“Yes,” he answered simply, turning around and facing her, harsh glint to his normally soft sage eyes, “I needed you for a reason. You’re fulfilling that reason. And once it’s done, it’s done. If I had known you’d be so cold and bitchy this whole time, trust me, I would have stayed far away.”

“Oh yeah, it’s not like I have a reason to be mad,” she huffed, tired of arguing about the same thing over and over. If he wasn’t understanding by now, she feared they he might never get it. It was a constant game of going in circles and never reaching a resolution.

“I’ve apologized-”

“Words are wind,” she shouted at him, unable to control her feelings any longer. She probably sounded like something akin to a banshee, but she didn’t care anymore, “words didn’t help when I struggling through life while you off doing God knows what!”

“You think it was easy for me? It wasn’t exactly always a fun journey for me either,” he countered slamming his fist loudly against the wall. She knew it would be bruised later on, and was a little surprised that the wall wasn’t damaged from the hard slam. The neighbors across the hall could have probably heard their little fight.

“I never once said that!” she threw her hands up in exasperation, “all I’ve been trying to get you to see it that you could have been there. You should. Like you always promised. Or have you forgotten that too?”

“Y/N-”

“No, I’m not going to be quiet,” she raised a finger and pointed it squarely at his chest, almost jabbing his heated skin, “do you remember that day? We were seven years old. Playing with our Legos, and I asked you if we were always going to be friends. You promised me. You said we’d even get married and get a dog.”

“You’re hanging onto memories from almost two decades ago. Let them go,” he furrowed his brow as her face fell. She could have broken down and cried right then and there, the cruel reality of his words crashing down, and hard, on her ears. Y/N inhaled sharply, biting on the inside of her cheek to keep from crying, “we were just children.”

“See that’s what happened,” she said quietly, “I didn’t forget who I was. Or who we were. But you did…you never would have forgotten who you were.”

“Who we were…exactly, in the past,” Ben remained steadfast in his determination to be right. He knew he was being standoffish but he was beyond caring, he wanted her to hurt like she had hurt him by claiming what they had done was a mistake. Petty yes, but in that moment it was extremely satisfying.

“People don’t change that much,” it felt like he had sunk a dagger into her heart and was twisting it slowly, progressing with each word he spewed out, “I’m still that same person. Obviously, I came back to you, even most people would have run for the hills.”

“That’s a lie,” his nostrils flared in anger. She was staring to hit a nerve; he was always sensitive about how people perceived him. He’d never quite adopted that bravado and swagger he exuded outwardly into his heart, “people would love to be in your position and you know that.”

"Until they met the real you. Your outward appearance is wonderful, even I’m not going to deny that, but once they get to your heart, it’s a whole different story,” a single tear dripped down her face and she didn’t bother to wipe it away, “there’s no way for me to get you to see how much you hurt me. and honestly I’m done trying. Otherwise this will just keep going on and on, and we’ll hate each other even more.”

“I don’t hate you-”

“You could have fooled me,” she almost laughed at the nerve he was displayed. He shook his head silently in frustration

“I just hate that this what we’ve become,” he decided to end the conversation then and there, turning to go back into his room, “I guess things will never be the same.”

“That was your decision,” she shrugged, “not mine. I am sorry for what happened last night. I’ll take my share of the blame for that. It wasn’t fair to you and I should have stopped it. I suppose I even am sorry about kissing Joe…not sorry, but I should have told you I liked him. But you’ve got to take your share of the blame too.”

“There is no blame for me to take,” he scoffed, “you’re a big girl you could have walked away. You didn’t have to let it go so far.”

“See that’s your problem,” she huffed in frustration, “you’re not willing to understand or anything. You just get mad and shut everyone out. Life doesn’t work like that!”

“In case you haven’t noticed, our lives aren’t normal in any capacity,” he put his hand on the knob, ready to slam the door, “we aren’t normal!”

“I-I want out,” she almost shouted just before he slammed the door. He stopped, stunned at her sudden declaration, “I’m done with all of this, I just want to go home. I want to forget that any of this ever happened.”

“That’d be breaking a contract,” he informed her and she shrugged, “a legally binding one in case you’ve forgotten. There are consequences to what happens when you break a contract. Unintended or not.”

“Would you actually enforce it?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. She knew he was reaching low by even suggesting this; it seemed like he was willing to do anything to get a rise out of her, “what, you’re going to take me to court if I leave?”

“Yes,” he stated simply. Deep down he knew that he wouldn’t really do anything like, but he wanted her to think he would, even if it was just to get a rise for the time being.

“I’ve got no money to pay you,” she huffed, running a hand through her already messy hair in exasperation, “I’ve got no job, no place to call my own. You know that…and you don’t even need the money.”

“Sometimes it’s about proving a point,” he shrugged his shoulder innocently. Ben was starting to hate himself more with each word that rolled off of his lips, but he found himself unable to stop spewing venomous words, “actions always have consequences, Y/N.”

“I’m starting to see that,” she wanted nothing more than to punch him squarely in the face, to damage his perfect features, “if you want to play it that way, then fine. I’ll stay. It’s not like I’ve got much choice.”

“If you stopped because so overly dramatic about everything it would be fine. We can have a future together, you know,” she immediately shook her head at his words, “we can still make this work.”

“Not when you’re being like that,” she smiled tearfully, trying her very best to keep herself from completely falling apart, “I don’t even know you anymore. I had some hope that you were still in there, the real Ben – my Benny. But you’re not. I have no clue who you are anymore.”

“You say that, but you know it’s not true-“

“It’s true,” she interrupted sharply, a bemused smirk on her tear stained face, “but that’s okay…I’ll let used to it. I’ll do my job just like a good girl, and we’ll call it square. I’m done fighting with you, I’m done trying to rationalize anything that’s going on. We’re not the little boy and girl who met over ice cream, who shared their Legos, who grew up together. I’m going to accept that. I hope you do too.”

“Y/N, don’t be like this,” he said harshly, wishing she would just stop talking. He was feeling near a breakdown himself as she kept wearing down his already weak defenses. She had always known how to get him, how to bring him out of his shell, and she was slowly succeeding in it, “let the past die. Kill it if you have to.”

“I can’t do that,” she disagreed with him, “I’m not like you.”

“So, where does that leave us?” he asked suddenly, his hands on his hips, a foot tapping lightly against the cold floor, “tell me exactly what you want.”

“I want us to forget everything that’s happened between us. You want to forget the past, fine, we’ll let it go. But then the rest of this,” she pointed her finger between the two of them, still in their disheveled states after having spent the night together, “is forgotten as well. You agree to my terms, or I’ll walk away. I don’t even care about the money, I’ll find some way to pay you back.”

“What about your new boyfriend?” he almost spit the words out; he wanted to be mad at his other best friend, to call him a snake for kissing he girl he was in love with, “you want me to forget about him too?”

“You have no reason to be angry with Joe. He’s an innocent party,” she wished he was there to defend both himself and her, “he didn’t know about how you felt-”

“What did you tell him? Did you tell him how you felt about me?” he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer, or if he would have preferred to remain in the darkness. When he had seen them kiss, it had broken his heart. The way they had leaned into other, it was a soft, tender moment, intimate and only to be shared between lovers. It should have been him, not Joe was drilled into his mind. If he couldn’t have Y/N, then Joe definitely couldn’t.

“I told him the truth,” she said honestly, “I told him I used to love you, that I used to have feelings for you. I told him what happened between us.”

“Oh,” there was a knot forming in his stomach, and he thought he might throw up. Joe knew too much; Ben had been very careful about what parts of ‘the truth’ he had provided to his closest friends, and it appeared to be coming back to bite him in the butt. 

“And I told him that I had feelings for him too,” she felt her cheeks heat up as the truth came out. She hadn’t intended on falling for Joe; if anything she thought she would slowly be falling back in love with Ben. But things had gone very topsy-turvy, ending up in a mess that nobody had anticipated.

But there was something about Joe, his sweet smile, those soft hazel eyes, the musical laugh - everything that was slowly thawing her out and winning her over. He was kind, a gentle soul to his core, and he made her feel like nobody else had in a long time.

“How do you even know you like him?” Ben huffed, incredulous at her somewhat startling confession. He didn’t think they were actually getting to that part, “you’ve only known him for a few weeks.”

“That doesn’t matter, Ben, time is insignificant,” she countered, “and it’s not like I said I was in love with him. But I do like him, and I’m not going to hold back my feelings just because it makes you feel insecure. I’ve been up upfront with both of you. Joe wants to talk to you about everything, Ben. He feels like he owes you. Or are you going to just cut him off too?”

Ben let out a sound somewhere between a scoff and a half laugh, “I don’t want to talk to him about any of this. He should have known how I felt. It should have been obvious to him..”

“Not everything is obvious to everyone else, Ben,” Y/N sighed loudly, “you have to talk to people, open up to them so they know. You didn’t tell Joe anything about us, how could you possibly think he would have any inkling?”

“Whatever,” he threw back his head and squeezed his eyes shut, rolling his neck and relishing in the popping feeling, “you can do whatever you want with him. I don’t care, just don’t force me to look at it. You can at least spare me that much.”

“If you’re agreeable to my terms, then I’ll agree to yours.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” she echoed back at him, a little taken aback by his lack of bite, or back chat. He did a number of avoiding her eyes, but gave her a nod of confirmation, a single golden curl bouncing and gleaming in the bright morning light.

“Yup,” he popped the p loudly, “I said okay.”

“Okay,” she repeated, almost in a mocking way just to annoy him. He remained wordless, but finally stepped back into the room and and slammed the door shut. It was such a forceful slam, the generic pictures that hung on the walls of the rented apartment shook, threatening to fall to the floor.

Much like me she thought to herself, ready to bend and break at any second.

Y/N sat in front of the television, aimlessly watching the reruns of The Office that were on loop. She’d seen every episode at least ten times, but it provided some good background noise; just enough to keep her mind from drifting too far.

She had been anticipating Joe’s return, waiting with nerves running high. She wanted to intercept and warn him about Ben before he went to speak with him. At least that way she could spare him some torture. Every sound she heard made her jump and look towards the door, sure she would be met with the sight of his face. But it never was, only the sounds of the bustling city met her ears.

Just as she was about to drift off, her eyelids getting heavier with passing second, she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. Almost jumping out of her spot on the couch, she glanced up to see Joe looming over her, a half smile on his face.

“Joe,” she breathed out, unable to prevent the smile that was threatening to break her face in half. He leaned down ever so slightly, pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss, ala Spiderman. It caught her guard for a moment, but she quickly reciprocated the kiss, letting her lips linger against his.

“Sorry I’m back so late,” he finally said as he pulled away, sitting down on the couch next to her. He put his around on the back of the couch and she fought the urge to just snuggle up against him, “did I miss anything? Are you alright?”

“Honestly, I don’t know how to answer either of those questions,” she admitted nervously, suddenly very interested in the loose strands coming apart at the end of her sweater, “it��s been a day to say the least. I-I talked to Ben.”

He could tell by the shift in her tone, subtle but there, that it hasn’t gone extremely well. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and resting her head on top of them, let out a weighty breathe. Joe reached over and gave her leg a reassuring squeeze, trying to be as gentle as possible, “what happened? Is he…okay?”

“I fear that it’s just a pretty big mess and somehow I don’t get the feeling that he’s okay,” she closed her eyes, trying to block out the images of his upset face that floated around her mind, “he was mad that I wasn’t ready to fall back into his arms, I explained to him yet that I was just going to do that. I told him it would take him, especially considering he wasn’t anything like the person he used to be. He just told me to let it go.”

“Can you?” Joe asked, even though he had a pretty good idea of what her answer would be. She laughed though her nose, and cocked an eyebrow at him, “I suppose that was a silly question.”

“If your best friend left, the one you had known for years, the one you thought you knew, left and came back a different a person, could you just get over it?” she mused out loud, and Joe knew he wouldn’t be able to. He just shook his head silently, confirming her own response, “exactly. Which is why this is so weird. Bits and pieces of him are still there, but….it’s not the same.”

“It must be hard,” he commented dryly, watching as she stared off in the distance, not focusing in on anything in particular.

“There was a day, and I remember it so clearly, when we were children, playing with Legos and building a house and little versions of the us,” the same memory he wanted her to forget. But Ben had remembered it too; that’s why it pained him so much, “I asked him of we were always going to be friends. He said yes, and promised me even though we had decided even back then that adults were silly. We were going to get married and even get a dog. But that’s obviously so far from what’s happened.”

“Even though it’s not the reality that’s panned out, you should be able to hang onto that memory,” Joe could picture the young versions of the two of them, sitting around and intently playing the plastic bricks together to build their own little world, “you don’t have to let the past die.”

“I didn’t think so either,” she answered with a half-hearted laugh, as she traced never ending figures into the fabric of her pants, “but someone has other ideas. I just don’t know what to do with him anymore. I wish I could just let him go and forget about him, but I know I can’t.”

“Letting go of the people you love, or once loved isn’t it easy,” Joe agreed; he’d lost several close friends over the years himself, and it hurt just as much each time, “but it doesn’t you have to. Ben’s not a bad person, not the Ben I’ve known anyway. I realize I haven’t known him nearly as long as you, but I don’t think he’s a bad person. This hard for him too, although in different ways.”

“I know,” Joe just had to be the voice of reason. Even in her heart of hearts, she knew Ben wasn’t a bad person. He, much like her, was just confused and conflicted as well, “I just hope he sees my side of things at some point. I think I understand his version of things, but he needs to see him. And not just invalidate my feelings.”

“Well said,” Joe gave her a sweet smile, almost enough to melt her heart right then and there, “do you think I should…”

“No,” she cut him off abruptly before he could get another word in edgewise, “probably not the best idea, at least for now. I told him that I liked you, I was honest with him about my feelings. He wasn’t exactly thrilled.”

“I swear, I didn’t know before...:” Joe started but quietly trailed off, his voice almost cracking as he a wave of realization washed over him. He should have known Ben had feelings for her still. Why else would he have gone back to England to find her and propose this crazy plan to her? But the moment he had laid eyes on her at the airport, he had felt himself falling for her, “I should have been able to put two and two together. I feel like a complete fool.”

“It’s not your fault, Joe,” Y/N didn’t want to see him beat himself up over any of this. If nothing else, Ben should have been upfront with him about his true intentions as well; especially considering he claimed that Joe was his closest friend. Y/N had tried her best to be honest and forth and coming, even though it had been hard, “Ben should have told you how he felt, not just think you knew and then brood about it. Besides, I don’t feel the same about him anymore.”

“Positive?” he asked, needing the reassurance in order to prevent the nagging feeling rising in his stomach. He knew he shouldn’t feel bad about how he was feeling, he had nothing with malicious intent, but it was still there. He knew he couldn’t help how his heart felt. She wondered if she should have just told him about the fact that they had inadvertently ended up in bed together the night before, but decided against. Now wasn’t the time.

Y/N leaned across the couch, reaching out and gently taking his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb across the back of it gently, “I like you, Joe. And trust me, falling for my ex-best friend that still has feelings for me and I might have had repressed feelings for as well’s current best friend was the last thing I intended on happening. But well, it happened. You know, I’ve learned a lot over the past couple of years, had to do a lot of growing up, and while a lot of things still remain a mystery to me, I have learned that almost nothing goes according to plan.”

“What did Ben say about all of this?” Joe felt his heart start to thump wildly in his chest, mainly due to shock by the fact that she returned the exact feelings he for her. He could only imagine his soft face; how upset he must have been. He hadn’t been in Ben’s exact situation before, but the feeling was already weighing in heavy on him.

“Well, he said he didn’t care,” she almost laughed, knowing full well it had been a been a bold-faced lie, “the one thing he asked was that we just…weren’t together around him. Which I can understand, to a point. I also don’t want to have to hide anything.”

“Point well made, but even if we were to…go on a date, or whatever,” there was a small smile playing on the corner of his mouth, “we’d still have to keep it quiet. What would people think if you were supposedly dating Ben but you were out with me?”

“That hadn’t even crossed my mind honestly,” how could she have been so silly and forgotten that not so minor little detail. That was the whole person she was even here – the only reason she had met Joe, “I don’t want to have to hide my entire life, Joe. I can understand when we’re out in public, because obviously I agreed to that with Ben, but in private? I don’t want to hide in the shadows.”

“We can figure it out, sugar,” he took her hand and turned it over, running a deft finger along the lines of her palm, “we’ll take it one step at a time. But first things first…would you like to go out to dinner with me? As in yes, a real date.”

“You might either be bad at reading the signs,” she grinned at him, “or just a real sap. But I think you know the answer is a big obvious yes by now.”

“Really?” he asked enthusiastically, still somewhat surprised by her answer. She just looked at him and nodded, entertained by his childlike reaction, “what should we do about…you know…”

“We don’t have to tell him,” she almost surprised herself by how easily the words flowed from her mouth, “he doesn’t want to know, so he won’t. It’ll be our little secret. At least for now.”

“Okay,” he rasped out as she moved closer to him, their faces only centimeters apart, his breath fanning over her face. She reached up and gently touched his face, fingertips grazing the light stubble he had allowed to grow there.

He couldn’t stop himself from closing the distance between them, effectively pulling her onto his lap, and crashing his lips against on hers, desperate to taste her again, to her body against his. Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand carding through his auburn hair as his hands held firmly onto her waist.

This was so different from how it been with Ben the previous night. With him it had felt rushed, and more forced than anything else, her mind had wandered to all sorts of places. But with Joe it was so different; it was soft, but needy, a sense of fervent passion mixed in as their lips meshed together. Her mind wasn’t anywhere but on Joe, how good it felt as he touched her tenderly, the little bit of scratchy feeling of his stubble against her cheek, how soft his lips were, how he made little sounds of content as she kissed him.

In that moment all she knew was the she wanted him – him and only him.

“Joe,” she almost moaned as she pulled back for a moment, both of their chests rising and falling rapidly as they tried to catch their breath. She rested her forehead against his, nuzzling her nose against his. One of his hands slipped under the hem of her shirt, fingers ghosting over the soft bare flesh. She bit her bottom lip as she looked at him, “I-I don’t know if we should do this right now.”

“Do you want to?” there was a note of trepidation in his voice, like he too was questioning whether or not they should continue on. He wanted to, there was no doubt in his mind, but he wasn’t about to capitalize on the situation if she wasn’t ready to. He’d never forgive himself if he did that, “we don’t have to anything, especially if you’re uncomfortable or not ready. I want you to be ready.”

“I want to, Joe,” she reassured, rutting her hips ever so slightly in his lap, “I just don’t know if I’m going to be able to stop if we start.”

“Then don’t stop,” she looked like she was about to speak again, so he cut her off by pressing his lips against hers, pulling her body tightly against his, “but if you need to stop, just tell me.”

“Please just kiss me,” it was her turn to cut him off, smirking against his lips, and giving into his dominance. She would let him take all the control if meant she got to be with him.

Ben had thought he heard some commotion coming from the living room and wondered what it was. As far as he had known, only Y/N was home, and as annoyed and angry as he was, he wanted to make sure she was okay.

His jaw almost hit the floor as he realized what he had stumbled up. Y/N was perched in Joe’s lap and the two of them were going at each other like they were the only two people in the world. He thought about going over and punching Joe square in the face, telling to let go of his girl, but he stopped himself. He watched them silently, blood boiling and anger rising with each passing second.

But he didn’t do anything. He just watched them for a few more moments, wondering if they’d ever notice. But they didn’t. They were far too involved with each other.

At one point, Y/N pulled back from Joe, a small giggle escaping her lips, as Joe had let out a low moan, “shh, silly, or the whole world’s going to hear! Remember what we said.”

“Our little secret.”

The words crashed over Ben’s ears as he felt like he had been punched in the gut. He inhaled deeply a few times before turning around and rushing back to his bedroom, closing the door silently so they wouldn’t know he had stumbled upon them. He angrily wiped at the few tears that had spilled down his cheeks before throwing himself onto the bed. He had practically given them all the leeway in the world, but it still strung, cutting him like a knife.

Our little secret. Our little secret. Our little secret.

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[twilights-800-cats]

TB AU Retrospective [and the future]

I’ll try to keep this as short as I can, for all our sakes, lol.

I’ll answer the big question first - Will I be continuing the TB AU series?

The answer is yes - but there’s a caveat. My original goal was just to complete the rewrite of the first arc. So many things happened and I nearly quit around Rising Storm due to irl issues and how uninteresting RS was to adapt. I have no idea whether or not I will be finishing a complete (from tPB > OOTS) rewrite. It’s a lot of work, a lot of time - and I might just not have it in me.

From this point on I will be going for as long as I can, but there’s like to be a point where I simply drop the series off the face of the earth for my own reasons.

I have a novella, Russetstar’s Resolve, done and ready to post, and I am going to begin writing Midnight sometime soon. I do not know yet when RR will be releasing, as I’ve got some irl stuff happening in the next few weeks that will require my attention sporadically. Obviously, Midnight will come after RR.

With that out of the way...

What a long four years it’s been! And it has been four whole years - almost right on the dot! The first Tinystar’s Beginning book was posted June 15th, 2014, and that feels... nice. Complete.

There are many things I wanted to add that just never panned out, like Runningwind and Tinystar having a bit of a fling during Rising Storm, lol. Might have made that one more interesting had I not been dealing with other things at the time. I tried to include the Dark Forest too little too late, I think; I could only throw in a few scant references during Dangerous Path and Darkest Hour - and kudos to any reader who guessed which cats are training in the Dark Forest already! And finally, any real Clan differences were kind of hard to squeeze in, since the narrative had to follow the original plots and the story was focused very heavily on ThunderClan - but I did try to sprinkle some individuality in there. There’ll be more in TNP, I promise!

Ah, well, it’s all in hindsight now I suppose!

I was glad to include LGBT+ characters, if a little late into the series. I regret not developing Whitestorm and Tigerstar’s relationship more, but they’re together in StarClan, I promise! They’re having the time of their lives. There will be more open LGBT+ characters going forward, and they’ll get a good amount of spotlight!

I think, overall, I accomplished almost everything I originally wanted - obviously I changed some things as time went on, but... I’m very satisfied with where the first series has ended. Through all the highs and lows I never got bored of writing Tinystar’s POV and watching him develop from a tempermental kittypet to a wise, pragmatic leader (with a more controlled temper) - I didn’t want him to be exactly like OG Firestar, and I think I succeeded.

And, in the end, the final battle played out exactly how I had envisioned it years ago, which isn’t something a lot of authors, even fanfic authors, can say. I’m glad I was able to close out the story the same way I opened it - with Rusty and Tiny in the Twolegplace, saying their last good-byes.

Thank you all so much for reading - your feedback and support for this story has been a great boon to me through troubled times. I hope to see you all for Russetstar’s Resolve, Midnight, and beyond. In the meantime, feel free to ask me questions about the TB AU, and even throw some questions at its characters! Who knows, they might just answer...

<3 Twilight

[procreate-brushes]

Free MegaPack XMAS 2017 Update & Xmas Sale

Merry Christmas everyone! My free MegaPack update is online (#26, version 16.0) and can be downloaded via Gumroad, Sellfy or CreativeMarket. It contains 15 new and optimized brushes for Procreate 4 including the MAGIK SWORD brush I created for the great Nicholas Kole as well as 2 new color swatches.

As last year, this MegaPack update is also available as stand-alone XMAS 2017 Brush Set.

🎅 50% Off Christmas Sale!

Use the discount code georg-brushy-xmas2017 during checkout to save 50% off the regular price!

You can also use this code to get a 50% discount on my XMAS 2016 Brush Set (both offers valid until Dec 31st, 2017).

15 New and Optimized Procreate 4 Brushes

• Nicholas Kole's MAGIK SWORD: An awesome multi-purpose brush with a hard and a soft edge. It can be used as a sketch, ink, and watercolor/marker brush as well as for painting with soft gradients and a seamless paper texture. Use pen tilt to create really smooth transitions with your brush strokes.

Nicholas Kole made this amazing sketch using only the early beta version of my MAGIK SWORD brush. I'll publish it as a stand-alone brush set once Nicholas tested and approved the final version.

• XMAS MAGIK SWORD OVAL: A new variant of the MAGIK SWORD with an oval brush tip and hard/soft edge orientation following your finger/stylus stroke direction. • The MAGIK SPEAR: A very versatile sketch and ink brush with nice dynamics and flow. Use tilt for blocking forms, painting, and shading. • The MAGIK SHIELD: A dynamic painting and shading brush with a subtle paper texture. Use with low opacity for soft transitions and smooth shading. • The MAGIK LANCE (INKER): This ink brush with varying line width is based on my popular Kolinsky ink and paint brush series. I added some extras like dynamic opacity and brush hair patterns that become gradually visible when you apply strong pressure and/or use a low pen tilt angle. • WET OIL PAINT MIXER P4.2: A pure color mixing and blending brush I developed for digitally creating oil paintings from any reference photo or image in Procreate (also available as a stand-alone brush). Version 4.2 uses improved tilt settings for a smoother color mix than 4.1.

• XMAS GLAZE PAINTER

• XMAS MAGIK MESSY INKER

• XMAS MAGIK MESSY INKER roll: A variant of the MESSY INKER with longer streaks for low tilt angles.

JensK did this wonderful Xmassy illustration using only the MAGIK MESSY INKER brush! • XMAS OIL PAINTER: A streaky oil painting, blending, and mixer brush. The color runs out at the end of each stroke - keep painting without lifting your pen/finger to move around and paint with the existing colors. Works great together with the WET OIL PAINT MIXER brush.

• XMAS MAGIK PAINTER WET: A multi-purpose wet paintbrush with a soft aquarelle paper texture. Use tilt to accentuate the texture grain. • XMAS POINTILLISM: A versatile low-density spray brush, which you can use for loose stippling and spray shading as well as for adding dirt and dust to your scene.

• XMAS POSEIDON multiply: A modified version of my popular textured watercolor brush including "Multiply" color blending for a realistic color mix (no need to work on separate layers for color blending).

• XMAS POWERLINER WET

• XMAS SNOW SPRINKLE: This brush is very useful to add paint sprinkles and flicks to your illustrations. Just in time for the Holiday Season, it's also a perfect brush for painting falling snow. For a natural look and perspective depth, use pen tilt to vary between soft, smooth and hard circle edges

• XMAS WATERCOLOR multiply: A brand-new watercolor paintbrush set to "Multiply" for natural color blending. Use tilt for subtle texture shading and reduced color opacity.

I also added both new watercolor brushes as a free Christmas present to my WATERLIES Watercolor & Paint Brush Set. Free updates for the Sellfy and CreativeMarket versions will follow asap.

• BONUS Content: KING KOLE KOLOR and GvW TOON TOWN color swatches

Everything Procreate

• Get all 400+ brushes, swatches, and tools for only $15 via Gumroad, Sellfy or CreativeMarket.

• As always, if you already purchased the MegaPack, you can download all new and updated brushes for FREE! Simply log into your account and find the updated MegaPack file(s) under "Purchases"/"Library" or use the download link in your email receipt.

I hope you'll enjoy this XMAS update! If you like the brushes, please leave a short comment and upvote (+1) my thread on the Procreate Forum.

Wishing you all a happy, peaceful, and inspiring Holiday Season! 😊 –Georg

Artwork by Jens K

Thanks and kudos to the great Norwegian comic artist Jens K Styve who shared the time-lapse video of his zany Xmassy illustration with my new XMAS MAGIK MESSY INKER brush!

• Check out Jens K's hilarious comics and discover more of his wonderfully weird artwork: www.JensK.net

• Jens made a cool free ink brush for Procreate too.

...Loading 400+ MegaPack Brushes...

[williamlwolf89]

801+ Power Words That Pack a Punch and Convert like Crazy

Power words are like a “cheat code” for boosting conversion rates. Sprinkle in a few, and you can transform dull, lifeless words into persuasive words that compel readers to take action.

And the best part?

You can use them anywhere.

In this post, you’ll learn how to use power words like a kung fu master. Specifically:

The definition of power words (and why they’re so powerful);

The 7 types of power words proven to increase conversions;

Examples of how bloggers, freelance writers, and businesses are using powerful words to boost conversions;

A huge list of power words you can use, bookmark, and reference (again and again).

Download All 801+ Power Words(in one handy, free PDF)

Want to bring your ideas to life, to make them take up residence in the reader’s mind, lurking in the background, tugging, pulling, and cajoling their emotions until they think and feel exactly as you want?

Then you’re going to love this post.

Let’s jump in.

What are Power Words?

Power words are persuasive, descriptive words that trigger a positive or negative emotional response. They can make us feel scared, encouraged, aroused, angry, greedy, safe, or curious. Authors, copywriters, and content marketers use “power words” to spice up their content and compel audiences to take action.

Clear as mud?

Let’s deconstruct an example from the great Winston Churchill. All the power words are underlined:

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.

Inspiring, right?

Here’s why:

Power Words = Emotional Words Packed with Persuasion

Smart speakers, as well as their speechwriters, sprinkle their speeches with carefully-chosen power words drenched in sensory details, drawing the audience from one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.

And it goes beyond speakers and storytellers.

Email marketing messages, copywriting, infographics, step-by-step tutorials, sales pages, inspirational quotes, content marketing, case studies, call to actions, testimonials, tweets, and other social media posts are all designed to influence the reader in some way. You want to pass along information, yes, but you also want the reader to feel a certain way about that information.

Maybe you want to impress them, get them excited, make them cautious, get them angry, encourage them to keep going, or any number of emotions. The better a job you do at making them feel, the more influential you are, and the better your chances of getting what you want.

So…

Looking for a quick way to give your writing more punch?

Maybe add a little personality or pizzazz — that extra little “oomph” that grabs your reader’s attention?

Then you need to infuse your content with power words.

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The 7 Different Types of Power Words

Fear Power Words

Encouragement Power Words

Lust Power Words

Anger Power Words

Greed Power Words

Safety Power Words

Forbidden Power Words

We’ve organized our power words into seven different types, which all accomplish the same goal: Each elicits emotion in your reader.

Let’s go over each type and see why these words work.

1. Fear Power Words

Let’s do a little experiment.

Just for a moment, stop reading this post, turn on the television, and go to a major news channel. Watch it for five minutes, listening for the words below.

Chances are, you’ll hear dozens of them. Here’s why:

Fear is without a doubt the most powerful emotion for grabbing and keeping an audience’s attention. To make sure you don’t change the channel, news networks load up with fear words, making you worry you might miss something important.

Granted, you can overdo it, but in my opinion, most writers don’t use these types of words nearly enough. They really do connect with people.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Fear Words

Here’s an example of a blog post headline here at Smart Blogger that utilizes three different fear words:

Open it and you’re greeted by this fear-packed introduction:

I was in agony.

Waves of pain unimaginable shot down my spine, causing every muscle in my body to contract as if I’d been shocked with 20,000 volts of electricity. My back arched up at an unnatural angle. My arms and legs began to shake.

One moment, I was on a webinar talking to a few hundred people about traffic, walking them through exactly how to start a blog and make it popular. The next, everything went dark. I was still conscious, but just barely.

Pretty effective, right?

Here’s another one:

If I’m working from home, will I lose my sanity if I don’t read this post? There’s only one way to find out. (Click!)

Want to sprinkle fear power words into your writing? Here are a bunch to get you started:

Agony Lunatic Apocalypse Lurking Armageddon Massacre Assault Meltdown Backlash Menacing Beating Mired Beware Mistake Blinded Murder Blood Nightmare Bloodbath Painful Bloodcurdling Pale Bloody Panic Blunder Peril Bomb Piranha Buffoon Pitfall Bumbling Plague Cadaver Played Catastrophe Plummet Caution Plunge Collapse Poison Corpse Poor Crazy Prison Cripple Pummel Crisis Pus Danger Reckoning Dark Refugee Deadly Revenge Death Risky Deceiving Scary Destroy Scream Devastating Searing Disastrous Shame Doom Shatter Drowning Shellacking Dumb Shocked Embarrass Silly Fail Slaughter Feeble Slave Fired Strangle Fool Stupid Fooled Suicide Frantic Tailspin Frightening Tank Gambling Targeted Gullible Teetering Hack Terror Hazardous Terrorist Hoax Torture Holocaust Toxic Horrific Tragedy Hurricane Trap Injure Vaporize Insidious Victim Epidemic Cataclysmic Bufoon Suffering Reckoning Trauma Dangerous Annihilate Invasion Volatile IRS Vulnerable Jail Warning Jeopardy Nerd Lawsuit Wounded Looming Cringeworthy Last chance Fugacious Worry Wreaking havoc

2. Encouragement Power Words

Let’s face it.

When they’re reading, most people aren’t exactly bouncing off the walls with energy and enthusiasm. They’re probably bored, maybe a little depressed, and almost definitely tired.

And they’re looking for something, anything, that’ll wake them up and make them feel better.

The good news?

Your writing can do that for them.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Encouragement Words

Here’s an example email from Mirasee:

With two encouraging words — life-changing and magic — in one email subject line, it’s a message that stands out in most inboxes.

Want to give your readers a pep talk and get them charged up again? Want to encourage them?

Use these persuasive words:

Amazing Jubilant Ascend Legend Astonishing Life-changing Astounding Magic Audacious Marvelous Awe-inspiring Master Awesome Mind-blowing Backbone Miracle Badass Miraculous Beat Noble Belief Perfect Blissful Persuade Bravery Phenomenal Breathtaking Pluck Brilliant Power-up Celebrate Praise Cheer Prevail Colossal Remarkable Command Revel Conquer Rule Courage Score Daring Seize Defeat Sensational Defiance Spectacular Delight Spine Devoted Spirit Dignity Splendid Dominate Spunk Effortless Staggering Empower Strengthen Epic Striking Excellent Strong Excited Stunning Extraordinary Stunt Eye-opening Supreme Fabulous Surprising Faith Terrific Fantastic Thrive Fearless Thwart Ferocious Titan Fierce Tough Force Triumph Fulfill Tremendous Glorious Unbeatable Glory Unbelievable Graceful Unforgettable Grateful Unique Grit Unleash Guts Uplifting Happy Valiant Heart Valor Hero Vanquish Honor Victory Hope Win Incredible Wonderful Jaw-dropping Wondrous Kudos Brighten Lovable Radiant Flawless Classy Affable Stupendous Virtuoso Cheery Openhearted Jovial Beauteous Logophile Adorable

3. Lust Power Words

Like it or not, lust is one of the core human emotions.

Just look at the men’s and women’s magazines in the checkout aisle, and you’ll see what I mean. Nearly every headline on the cover is either blatantly or indirectly about sex.

And it works, not just for headlines in men’s and women’s magazines, but for messages to your email list, subheads in your articles — anything.

Editor’s Note: Adding one or two power words to your subheads will compel readers to stick around longer, which will increase your dwell time — a big deal in Google’s eyes.

As a writer, you can use words that inspire lust to make almost anything intriguing.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Lust Words

See if you can spot the lust words in this headline from Cosmopolitan:

Okay, the orange underlines probably give it away, but my hunch is you didn’t need them.

Power words like captivating and love jump off the page. And if you use them properly, they can stir all sorts of emotions in your readers’ heads. (Want to see your click-through rates soar? Add a lust word or two.)

Here’s a lascivious list of descriptive words to get you started:

Allure Naughty Arouse Nude Bare Obscene Begging Orgasmic Beguiling Passionate Brazen Pining Captivating Pleasure Charm Provocative Cheeky Racy Climax Raunchy Crave Risque Delight Rowdy Delirious Salacious Depraved Satisfy Desire Saucy Dirty Scandalous Divine Seduce Ecstasy Seductive Embrace Sensual Enchant Sex Enthralling Shameless Entice Sinful Entrance Sleazy Excite Sleeping Explicit Spank Exposed Spellbinding Fascinate Spicy Forbidden Steamy Frisky Stimulating Goosebumps Strip Hanker Sweaty Heavenly Tantalizing Hottest Taste Hypnotic Tawdry Impure Tease Indecent Tempting Intense Thrilling Intoxicating Tickle Itching Tight Juicy Tingle Kinky Turn on Kiss Unabashed Lascivious Uncensored Lewd Untamed Lick Untouched Lonely Urge Longing Voluptuous Love Vulgar Pleasurable Charismatic Riveting Obsession Mouthwatering Compelling Magnetic Enchanting Lovely Engaging Intriguing Fascinating Flirt Alluring Lure Wanton Luscious Wet Lush Whip Lust Wild Mischievous X-rated Mouth-watering Yearning Naked Yummy Sneak peek Promiscuous

4. Anger Power Words

As writers, sometimes our job is to anger people.

Not for the fun of it, mind you, but because someone is doing something wrong, and the community needs to take action to correct it.

The problem is, with wrongdoing, most people are pretty apathetic — they’ll wait until the situation becomes entirely intolerable to do anything, and by then, it’s often too late.

So, we have to fan the flames.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Anger Words

The authors of this Forbes headline don’t pull any punches:

I didn’t realize some people get angry over business jargon, but apparently it’s a thing. And this headline, undoubtedly, had such people frothing at the mouth.

If you want to connect with people’s anger and slowly but surely work them into a frenzy, use the power words below.

Just be careful who you target. Lawyers can eat you alive if you pick on the wrong person. 🙂

Abhorrent Money-grubbing Abuse Nasty Annoying Nazi Arrogant No good Ass kicking Obnoxious Backstabbing Oppressive Barbaric Pain in the ass Bash Payback Beat down Perverse Big mouth Pesky Blatant Pest Brutal Phony Bullsh*t Pissed off Bully Pollute Cheat Pompous Clobber Pound Clown Preposterous Cocky Pretentious Corrupt Punch Coward Punish Crooked Rampant Crush Ravage Curse Repelling Debase Repugnant Defile Revile Delinquent Revolting Demolish Rotten Desecrate Rude Disgusting Ruined Dishonest Ruthless Distorted Savage Evil Scam Exploit Scold Force-fed Sick and tired Foul Sink Freaking out Slam Full of sh*t Slander Greedy Slap Gross Slay Harass Smash Hate Smear High and mighty Smug Horrid Sniveling Infuriating Snob Jackass Snooty Kick Snotty Kill Spoil Knock Stuck up Knock out Suck Know it all Terrorize Lies Trash Livid Trounce Loathsome Tyranny Loser Underhanded Lying Up to here Maul Useless Broke Stink Fear Raise hell Sneaky Screw Rant Miff Diatribe Vicious Weak Diminish Provoke Hostile Morally bankrupt Worst Thug B.S. Agitate Boil over Annoy Violent Misleading Violate Lollygag Quixotic

5. Greed Power Words

The legendary copywriter Gary Halbert once said, “If you want people to buy something, stomp on their greed glands until they bleed.” Graphic, yes, but also true.

Skim through good sales copy on an e-commerce site, and you’ll find a lot of power words based on vanity or greed. Many of them are so overused they’ve become cliché, but that doesn’t stop them from working.

The truth is, nearly every human being on the planet is interested in either saving or making money.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Greed Words

Its explicit and implicit use of greed words makes this popular book from Dave Ramsey a great example:

“Money” is hard to miss — it’s probably the ultimate greed word and it’s sitting there in capital letters.

But a title like “Total Money Makeover” also implies another greed word (even though it doesn’t directly state it): money-saving.

(It also gets bonus points for using alliteration and the safety power word “proven”, which we’ll discuss in a moment.)

If you want to stomp on your readers’ greed glands, use these power words:

Bank Jackpot Bargain Lowest price Best Luxurious Billion Marked down Bonanza Massive Booked solid Money Cash Money-draining Cheap Money-saving Costly Nest egg Discount Pay zero Dollar Prize Double Profit Explode Quadruple Extra Reduced Feast Rich Fortune Savings Don’t miss out Fast Giveaway While they last Instantly Expires Never again Premiere Final More Hurry Sale ends soon Value Monetize Big Save New Deadline Handsome Noteworthy Kick ass Moneymaking Knockout Lucky Notable Amplify At the top Attractive Wealthy Ahead of the game Legendary Beautiful Optimal Good-looking Successful Bold Fortunate Sassy Smart Elegant Gorgeous Clever Foxy Quick-witted Genius Effective Elite Drop-dead Crowned Dazzling You Turbo charge Bright Super-human Brassy Booming Boss Unbeaten Undefeated Boost Exclusive Frugal Special Price break Before Running out Upsell Bonus Free Six-figure Freebie Skyrocket Frenzy Soaring Prosperous Surge Gift Treasure Golden Triple Greatest Waste High-paying Wealth Inexpensive Whopping Cheat sheet

6. Safety Power Words

Greed isn’t the only emotion you want buyers to feel. You also want to make them feel safe.

They need to trust both you and your product or service. They need to have confidence you’ll deliver, and they need to believe they’ll get results.

Of course, building that kind of trust starts with having a quality brand and reputation, but the words you use to describe yourself and your product or service also matter.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Safety Words

On the landing page for one of our Smart Blogger courses, we use power words to make sure our potential customers feel safe:

In addition to “legitimate” and “guaranteed” in the screenshot above, our landing page is sprinkled with numerous safety words:

Money-back

Results

Refund

Proven

Risk-free

They work for us, and they can work for you.

Help your customers feel safe by using as many of these power words as possible:

Above and beyond Privacy Anonymous Professional Authentic Protected Automatic Proven Backed Recession-proof Bankable Refund Best-selling Reliable Cancel anytime Research Certified Results Clockwork Risk-free Endorsed Rock-solid Foolproof Science-backed Guaranteed Scientific Moneyback Bona fide Recognized Authority Studies show Because Scientifically proven Genuine Worldwide Authoritative Safety Accredited Fully refundable Case study Well respected Dependable Improved Ensured Expert According to Track record Approved Ironclad Secure Legitimate Sure-fire Lifetime Survive Money-back Tested No obligation That never fails No questions asked Thorough No risk Trustworthy No strings attached Try before you buy No-fail Unconditional Official Verify Permanent World-class Guilt-free Don’t worry

7. Forbidden Power Words

Remember when you were a kid, and someone told you NOT to do something? From that point on, you could think about little else, right? Curiosity always got the better of us.

The truth is, we’re all fascinated by the mysterious and forbidden. It’s like it’s programmed into our very nature.

So why not tap into that programming?

How to Crank Up Emotion with Forbidden Words

This Ahrefs article tempts you with its headline:

What’s the “secret”? Only one way to find out.

Whenever you want to create curiosity, sprinkle these power words throughout your writing, and readers won’t be able to help being intrigued:

Ancient Lost Backdoor Never seen before Banned Off the record Behind the scenes Off-limits Black Market Outlawed Blacklisted Private Bootleg Restricted Censored Sealed Remote Be the first Ridiculous Become an insider Secrets Bizarre Shocking Class full Ssshhh!!! Closet Spoiler Elusive Supersecret Hilarious Thought-provoking Illusive Top secret Incredibly Trade secret Insane Uncharted Interesting Unconventional Invitation only Undiscovered Key Unexplained Login required Unexplored Members only Unheard of Myths Unsung Odd Untold On the QT Unusual Priceless Wacky Privy Zany Psycho Classified Secret Cloak and dagger Smuggled Concealed Strange Confessions Tried to hide Confidential Unauthorized Controversial Uncensored Covert Under wraps Cover-up Undercover Exotic Underground Forbidden Under-the-table Forgotten Undisclosed From the vault Unexpected Under the table Unlock Hush-hush Unreachable Illegal Unspoken Insider Unveiled Little-known Withheld Hidden

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Now that we’ve looked at the different types of power words (and gone over a few quick examples), let’s go over all the different places you can use them:

Powerful Words in Action: 14 Places Where Strong Words Can Help You

Headlines

Subheads

Email Subject Lines

Opt-In Boxes

Homepage

Business Names/Blog Names

Product Names

Sales Pages

Testimonials

Bullet Lists

Button Copy (Call to Action)

Author Bios

YouTube Videos

Book Titles

1. Using Power Words in Headlines

Any writer or blogger who’s been in the game for a while knows the headline is the most important part of writing your blog post.

Its purpose, after all, is to entice the reader to read the rest of your content. If your headline fails to get attention, potential readers will ignore it when it shows up in their tweets and social media feeds.

And just one or two power words in your headline is usually enough to make it stand out.

Just look at this headline from BuzzFeed:

The word “Unveiled” makes it feel like a secret is being exposed, and the word “Breathtaking” makes you curious to see what the photo looks like.

Here’s another example from BoredPanda:

People generally love anything adorable, so this headline will easily catch attention. (The fact that it refers to snakes will only make people more curious.)

The headline then drives it home by using the powerful verb “Conquer.”

Here’s one from BrightSide:

While one or two power words are often enough, this headline proves you can use more when it fits.

This headline has four powerful words, but they feel natural in the headline, which keeps it from feeling like over-the-top clickbait.

Last one:

This headline from our How to Make Money Writing: 5 Ways to Get Paid to Write in 2020 post incorporates two greed words: “money” and “get paid.”

It’s one of our most-popular posts, and its headline’s use of power words is a big reason why.

2. Using Power Words in Subheads

Too many writers overlook the value of subheads, which is a mistake. Once people click on your headline, most will scan the post first to see if it looks worthy of their attention.

Adding some power words to your subheads is a good way to make your post look like an interesting read.

For example, here are three subheads from our post on E-book mistakes:

See how the power words in these subheads grab your attention and make you want to read the text that follows?

Adding one or two power words to your subheads will compel readers to stick around longer, which will increase your dwell time — a big deal in Google’s eyes.

3. Using Power Words in Email Subject Lines

Having an email list is of little use if only a handful of readers bother to open your emails.

And these days, most people’s inboxes are flooded, so they’re selective in which emails they open.

You can stand out in their inbox and raise your open rates by including power words in your subject lines.

Just look at this one from Ramit Sethi:

If this subject line would’ve read “The rules of learning,” do you think it would be as appealing? The word “unspoken” is what makes it interesting.

Here’s another one from Cal Fussman:

Both “Triumph” and “Tragedy” are powerful words full of emotion.

And finally, here’s a good example from AppSumo:

The power phrase “Unleash the power” makes you feel this email is hiding something incredibly powerful inside.

See how that works?

When you send out emails to your list, try to add a power word to your subject line so it stands out in readers’ inboxes.

4. Using Power Words in Opt-In Boxes

As a blogger, one of your main goals is to grow a large and engaged readership, and the best way to do it is by converting readers into subscribers.

That means — unless you’re using a blogging platform like Medium which doesn’t allow them — you should have opt-in forms scattered across your website.

You can place them on your homepage, at the end of your posts, in your sidebar, in a popup, or anywhere else.

But no matter where you place them, your opt-in boxes must catch people’s eye and make them want to share their email address with you. Because they won’t give it away to just anyone.

(Remember, their inboxes are already flooded, so they’re not necessarily eager to get even more emails.)

Fortunately, you can use power words to make your offer more enticing.

As an example, here’s an old popup from Cosmopolitan:

This popup had power words everywhere, but it avoided feeling like overkill. I bet it converted like crazy.

Here’s a slightly more subtle example from Betty Means Business:

It’s understated, but still quite effective.

Again, you don’t have to overdo it with the power words on these. A little can go a long way.

Here’s one final example from Renegade Planner:

In short:

If you’re not using power words in your opt-in boxes, you’re missing out.

Big time.

5. Using Power Words on Your Homepage

Your homepage is the face of your website and it’s usually one of the most visited pages. Many people who visit your website will see this page first, so you want it to make a good first impression.

Some people use their homepage to promote their email list, others use it to promote one of their products, and others use it as a red carpet — welcoming new visitors and explaining what their site is all about.

In any case, your homepage is a good spot to add a few power words, as it can determine whether people stay (and take the action you want them to take) or leave (never to return).

Look at this value proposition on the homepage for Nerd Fitness:

“Nerds,” “Misfits,” and “Mutants” are unusual power words that work well for Nerd Fitness’ target audience. These words immediately separate it from all the other fitness blogs out there.

But they push it even further with “Strong,” “Healthy,” and “Permanently.”

Here’s another value proposition from MainStreetHost’s homepage:

It’s quite minimal, isn’t it? They just wrote down three power words and follow it up with a service they provide.

Of course, you don’t have to limit your use of power words to the top of your homepage.

You can use it in other parts of the homepage too, as Ramit Sethi does here in his list of what you’ll get when you sign up for his email list:

Go look at your homepage now and see if you can find any areas you can spruce up with some power words.

6. Using Power Words in Business Names/Blog Names

Having a forgettable name is poison to your website’s growth. So when you start a blog, you want to make sure you have a name people can easily recall.

If you haven’t chosen your blog name yet (or if you’re thinking about rebranding), you should use a power word to give it some punch. It’ll make you stand out from all the boring, forgettable brands out there.

Just take a look at the collection of blog names below and see how well they’ve incorporated power words:

7. Using Power Words in Product Names

Just like you can use power words to spruce up your blog name, you can also use them to make your product names pack more of a punch.

It can make the difference between your potential customers thinking, “Ooh, this product sounds cool!” and them thinking, “Meh.”

Just check out this subscription product from Nerd Fitness:

It has such a powerful name that you’d almost want to sign up without learning anything else about it. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a community of rising heroes?

Here’s another good example from Pat Flynn:

It’s a powerful name for his podcasting course that instantly informs you of the benefit.

So if you’re about to launch a product (or if you’ve launched a product with a tepid name), consider giving it a power word to make it pack a punch.

8. Using Power Words on Sales Pages

You can also use power words to spruce up your sales pages and make them more effective at selling your e-commerce products or services.

They will grab people’s attention when they arrive on the page, they will keep their attention as they scroll down, and they’ll help seduce readers before they reach your “buy” button.

Just look at this headline on Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his product 50 Proven Email Scripts (which also has a power word in its name):

And as you scroll down, you see he keeps using power words throughout his sales page.

His headline is followed by emotion-packed subheads:

And he even uses power words in his guarantee:

9. Using Power Words in Testimonials

Power words are also tremendously effective in testimonials.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you change people’s testimonials to include power words. But you can certainly select the ones that already use them to great effect.

Just look at this example from Betty Means Business:

Or look at this one from Farideh’s blog:

And here’s another example from Renegade Planner:

All these testimonials will lend extra credibility and excitement due to their power words and phrases.

10. Using Power Words in Bullet Lists

Many sales pages include a list of benefits of the product they’re selling. Many opt-in forms include a huge list of reasons you should sign up to their email list. And many case studies use bullet lists to quickly summarize information.

You can use power words in these lists to inspire more excitement in your reader as they read through them.

Here’s one example from Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his How to Talk to Anyone course:

And here’s another example from an opt-in form on Restart Your Style:

Without these power words, these lists wouldn’t convince nearly as many readers to buy or subscribe.

11. Using Power Words in Button Copy and CTA (Call to Action)

Yep, you can use power words in your button copy too — even if you only have a few words you can fit in there.

One of the most common power words used in buttons is “Free” (as in the example below):

But you can be more creative with buttons than you might think.

Takes this button from the sales page for the book The Renegade Diet:

“Immediate,” “Money Back,” and “Guarantee” are all incredibly powerful words, and the author manages to squeeze them all into one button.

Here’s an example from Tim Ferris:

He could’ve used “Send Me the List” as most people would do, but “Unlock” makes it sound a lot more intriguing — like you’re getting access to something that’s been kept hidden away.

Now take a look at the buttons on your site.

Do you see any opportunities to spruce them up with a power word?

12. Using Power Words in Author Bios

Your author bio is another extremely important part of your marketing.

When you guest post for another blog (or write a paid article as a freelancer), your author bio has the difficult job of making readers want to know more about you so they click through to your site.

That means your author bio needs to spark attention and interest. And you usually only get three sentences, so you need to carefully consider the words you use.

As an example, here’s the author bio from Henneke Duistermaat in her post on overcoming writer’s block:

Henneke’s author bio is full of power words. It shows her uniqueness and makes her stand out from other copywriters.

You can tell she has carefully picked each perfect word for maximum impact.

Here’s another example from Sarah Peterson’s post on blog ads:

She opens strong immediately by mentioning her guides are insanely useful. And just the name of her report alone is full of power words: “Free,” “Reveal,” and “Begging.”

Makes you want to get your hands on that report, doesn’t it?

13. Using Power Words on YouTube Videos

If you’re publishing videos on YouTube and you want to get more views, you should use power words in your titles.

All the biggest YouTube channels do this.

They understand most of their views will come from their subscribers finding them in their feeds, and from people finding them in the sidebar of other videos.

In both cases, you’re competing with many other videos for their attention. If you want your video to stand out and be the one they choose to watch, your title has to be captivating.

See how Philip DeFranco does it below:

“Disgusting,” “Punishment,” and “Controversy” are all attention-grabbing words (and that’s besides the attention-grabbing names of Brock Turner, Star Wars, and Kim Kardashian).

Note also how he has capitalized “Disgusting.” It’s another smart trick many YouTube channels use to stand out more in YouTube’s lists of video suggestions.

Style vlogger Aaron Marino often does it as well:

By capitalizing the power words “Don’ts” and “Stupid,” his title catches a lot more attention (as you can see for yourself by the millions of views it’s received).

14. Using Power Words in Book Titles

If you’re interested in writing your own book, adding power words to your titles will help it sell better.

With all the competition in the book market these days, you need a title that grabs people’s attention and makes them want to peek inside.

Here are a few quick grabs from Amazon’s list of bestsellers in the self-help niche:

I’m sure you’ve seen this title before.

You might say Stephen Covey’s use of power words in his title has been highly effective. (See what I did there?)

Here’s another:

Mark Manson’s bestselling title is packed with power.

The power word “Subtle” juxtaposes well with the F-bomb in the title, and his use of “Counterintuitive” will spark some interest as well.

One more:

Lastly, Jen Sincero’s encouraging book title makes you want to flip it open and read it in one go.

The use of “Badass” alone will make it stand out in the self-development section, but her use of “Greatness” and “Awesome” in the subtitle truly seals the deal.

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Go Ahead and Tell Me. What Powerful Words Did I Miss?

They’re known by many names…

Emotion words. Good words. Strong words. Powerful words, creative words, sensory words, trigger words, persuasive words, descriptive words, impactful words, interesting words, positive words, unique words, and even — yes, seriously — awesome words.

But whatever you call them; smart, attractive people such as yourself have mastered the strategic use of power words and use them every day to pack their writing with emotion so they can increase conversions.

Yes, this is an enormous list of words, but with so many power words and power phrases available, you’d need a thesaurus or Word of the Day dictionary to catch every single word on the first pass. (Plus, new words seem to be added to the English language every day.)

What are some other good words that seem to have that extra little spark of emotion inside them?

The post 801+ Power Words That Pack a Punch and Convert like Crazy appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/power-words/

[williamlwolf89]

600+ Power Words That Pack a Punch and Convert like Crazy

Power words are like a “cheat code” for boosting conversion rates. Sprinkle in a few, and you can transform dull, lifeless words into persuasive words that compel readers to take action.

And the best part:

You can use them anywhere.

In this post, you’ll learn how to use power words like a kung fu master. Specifically:

The definition of power words (and why they’re so powerful);

The 7 types of power words proven to increase conversions;

Examples of how bloggers, writers, and businesses are using power words to boost conversions;

600+ powerful words you can use, bookmark, and reference (again and again).

Download All 600+ Power Words(in one handy, free PDF)

Let’s jump in.

What are Power Words?

Power words are persuasive, descriptive words that trigger a positive or negative emotional response. They can make us feel scared, encouraged, aroused, angry, greedy, safe, or curious. Authors, copywriters, and content marketers use “power words” to spice up their content and compel audiences to take action.

Clear as mud?

Let’s deconstruct an example from the great Winston Churchill. All the power words are underlined:

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.

Inspiring, right?

Well, there was a lot on the line. Under attack from Germany, Britain was fighting for its survival, and somehow, someway, Churchill had to find a way to inspire his countrymen to greatness.

He chose words. Or, to be more accurate, power words.

Each underlined word makes the audience feel something.

In this case, Churchill intermixes words that cause fear, such as “struggle,” “tyranny,” and “terror,” with words that cause hope, such as “strength,” “God,” and “victory.” The last, in particular, is repeated over and over, practically drilling the emotion into the minds of the audience.

It’s no accident.

Power Words = Emotional Words Packed with Persuasion

Smart speakers, as well as their speechwriters, sprinkle their speeches with carefully-chosen power words drenched in sensory details, drawing the audience from one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.

And it goes beyond speakers and storytellers.

Email marketing messages, resumes, copywriting, blog posts, infographics, step-by-step tutorials, sales copy, inspirational quotes, content marketing, and proposals are all designed to influence the reader in some way. You want to pass along information, yes, but you also want the reader to feel a certain way about that information.

Maybe you want to impress them, get them excited, make them cautious, get them angry, encourage them to keep going, or any number of emotions. The better a job you do at making them feel, the more influential you are, and the better your chances of getting what you want.

So…

Looking for a quick way to give your writing more punch?

Maybe add a little personality or pizzazz — that extra little “oomph” that makes your reader pay attention?

Want to bring your ideas to life, to make them take up residence in the mind of the reader, lurking in the background, tugging, pulling, and cajoling their emotions until they think and feel exactly as you want?

Then you need to infuse your content with power words.

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The 7 Different Types of Power Words

Fear Power Words

Encouragement Power Words

Lust Power Words

Anger Power Words

Greed Power Words

Safety Power Words

Forbidden Power Words

We’ve organized our power words into seven different types, which all accomplish the same goal: Each elicits emotion in your reader.

Let’s go over each type and see why these words work.

1. Fear Power Words

Let’s do a little experiment.

Just for a moment, stop reading this post, turn on the television, and go to a major news channel. Watch it for five minutes, listening for the words below.

Chances are, you’ll hear dozens of them. Here’s why:

Fear is without a doubt the most powerful emotion for grabbing and keeping an audience’s attention. To make sure you don’t change the channel, news networks load up with fear words, making you worry you might miss something important.

Granted, you can overdo it, but in my opinion, most writers don’t use these types of words nearly enough. They really do connect with people.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Fear Words

Here’s an example of a blog post headline here at Smart Blogger that utilizes three different fear words:

Open it and you’re greeted by this fear-packed introduction:

I was in agony.

Waves of pain unimaginable shot down my spine, causing every muscle in my body to contract as if I’d been shocked with 20,000 volts of electricity. My back arched up at an unnatural angle. My arms and legs began to shake.

One moment, I was on a webinar talking to a few hundred people about traffic, walking them through exactly how to start a blog and make it popular. The next, everything went dark. I was still conscious, but just barely.

Pretty effective, right?

If you’d like to sprinkle fear power words into your writing, here are a bunch to get you started:

Agony Lunatic Apocalypse Lurking Armageddon Massacre Assault Meltdown Backlash Menacing Beating Mired Beware Mistake Blinded Murder Blood Nightmare Bloodbath Painful Bloodcurdling Pale Bloody Panic Blunder Peril Bomb Piranha Buffoon Pitfall Bumbling Plague Cadaver Played Catastrophe Plummet Caution Plunge Collapse Poison Corpse Poor Crazy Prison Cripple Pummel Crisis Pus Danger Reckoning Dark Refugee Deadly Revenge Death Risky Deceiving Scary Destroy Scream Devastating Searing Disastrous Shame Doom Shatter Drowning Shellacking Dumb Shocked Embarrass Silly Fail Slaughter Feeble Slave Fired Strangle Fool Stupid Fooled Suicide Frantic Tailspin Frightening Tank Gambling Targeted Gullible Teetering Hack Terror Hazardous Terrorist Hoax Torture Holocaust Toxic Horrific Tragedy Hurricane Trap Injure Vaporize Insidious Victim Invasion Volatile IRS Vulnerable Jail Warning Jeopardy Worry Lawsuit Wounded Looming Cringeworthy Last chance Fugacious

2. Encouragement Power Words

Let’s face it.

When they’re reading, most people aren’t exactly bouncing off the walls with energy and enthusiasm. They’re probably bored, maybe a little depressed, and almost definitely tired.

And they’re looking for something, anything, that’ll wake them up and make them feel better.

The good news?

Your writing can do that for them.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Encouragement Words

Here’s an example email from Mirasee:

With two encouraging words — life-changing and magic — in one subject, it’s an email that stands out in most inboxes.

Want to give your readers a pep talk and get them charged up again? Want to encourage them?

Use these persuasive words:

Amazing Jubilant Ascend Legend Astonishing Life-changing Astounding Magic Audacious Marvelous Awe-inspiring Master Awesome Mind-blowing Backbone Miracle Badass Miraculous Beat Noble Belief Perfect Blissful Persuade Bravery Phenomenal Breathtaking Pluck Brilliant Power-up Celebrate Praise Cheer Prevail Colossal Remarkable Command Revel Conquer Rule Courage Score Daring Seize Defeat Sensational Defiance Spectacular Delight Spine Devoted Spirit Dignity Splendid Dominate Spunk Effortless Staggering Empower Strengthen Epic Striking Excellent Strong Excited Stunning Extraordinary Stunt Eye-opening Supreme Fabulous Surprising Faith Terrific Fantastic Thrive Fearless Thwart Ferocious Titan Fierce Tough Force Triumph Fulfill Tremendous Glorious Unbeatable Glory Unbelievable Graceful Unforgettable Grateful Unique Grit Unleash Guts Uplifting Happy Valiant Heart Valor Hero Vanquish Honor Victory Hope Win Incredible Wonderful Jaw-dropping Wondrous Kudos Brighten Lovable Radiant Flawless Classy Affable Stupendous Virtuoso Cheery Openhearted Jovial Beauteous Logophile

3. Lust Power Words

Like it or not, lust is one of the core human emotions.

Just look at the men’s and women’s magazines in the checkout aisle, and you’ll see what I mean. Nearly every headline on the cover is either blatantly or indirectly about sex.

And it works, not just for men’s and women’s magazines, but for anything.

As a writer, you can use words that inspire lust to make almost anything intriguing.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Lust Words

See if you can spot the lust words in this headline from Cosmopolitan:

Okay, the orange underlines probably give it away, but my hunch is you didn’t need them.

Power words like captivating and love jump off the page. And if you use them properly, they can stir all sorts of emotions in your readers’ heads.

Here’s a lascivious list of descriptive words to get you started:

Allure Naughty Arouse Nude Bare Obscene Begging Orgasmic Beguiling Passionate Brazen Pining Captivating Pleasure Charm Provocative Cheeky Racy Climax Raunchy Crave Risque Delight Rowdy Delirious Salacious Depraved Satisfy Desire Saucy Dirty Scandalous Divine Seduce Ecstasy Seductive Embrace Sensual Enchant Sex Enthralling Shameless Entice Sinful Entrance Sleazy Excite Sleeping Explicit Spank Exposed Spellbinding Fascinate Spicy Forbidden Steamy Frisky Stimulating Goosebumps Strip Hanker Sweaty Heavenly Tantalizing Hottest Taste Hypnotic Tawdry Impure Tease Indecent Tempting Intense Thrilling Intoxicating Tickle Itching Tight Juicy Tingle Kinky Turn on Kiss Unabashed Lascivious Uncensored Lewd Untamed Lick Untouched Lonely Urge Longing Voluptuous Love Vulgar Lure Wanton Luscious Wet Lush Whip Lust Wild Mischievous X-rated Mouth-watering Yearning Naked Yummy Sneak peek

4. Anger Power Words

As writers, sometimes our job is to anger people.

Not for the fun of it, mind you, but because someone is doing something wrong, and the community needs to take action to correct it.

The problem is, with wrongdoing, most people are pretty apathetic — they’ll wait until the situation becomes entirely intolerable to do anything, and by then, it’s often too late.

So, we have to fan the flames.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Anger Words

The authors of this Forbes headline don’t pull any punches:

I didn’t realize some people get angry over business jargon, but apparently it’s a thing. And this headline, undoubtedly, had such people frothing at the mouth.

If you want to connect with people’s anger and slowly but surely work them into a frenzy, use the power words below.

Just be careful who you target. Lawyers can eat you alive if you pick on the wrong person. 🙂

Abhorrent Money-grubbing Abuse Nasty Annoying Nazi Arrogant No good Ass kicking Obnoxious Backstabbing Oppressive Barbaric Pain in the ass Bash Payback Beat down Perverse Big mouth Pesky Blatant Pest Brutal Phony Bullsh*t Pissed off Bully Pollute Cheat Pompous Clobber Pound Clown Preposterous Cocky Pretentious Corrupt Punch Coward Punish Crooked Rampant Crush Ravage Curse Repelling Debase Repugnant Defile Revile Delinquent Revolting Demolish Rotten Desecrate Rude Disgusting Ruined Dishonest Ruthless Distorted Savage Evil Scam Exploit Scold Force-fed Sick and tired Foul Sink Freaking out Slam Full of sh*t Slander Greedy Slap Gross Slay Harass Smash Hate Smear High and mighty Smug Horrid Sniveling Infuriating Snob Jackass Snooty Kick Snotty Kill Spoil Knock Stuck up Knock out Suck Know it all Terrorize Lies Trash Livid Trounce Loathsome Tyranny Loser Underhanded Lying Up to here Maul Useless Misleading Violate Lollygag Quixotic

5. Greed Power Words

The legendary copywriter Gary Halbert once said, “If you want people to buy something, stomp on their greed glands until they bleed.” Graphic, yes, but also true.

Skim through good sales copy, and you’ll find a lot of these power words. Many of them are so overused they’ve become cliché, but that doesn’t stop them from working.

The truth is, nearly every human being on the planet is interested in either saving or making money.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Greed Words

Its explicit and implicit use of greed words makes this popular book from Dave Ramsey a great example:

“Money” is hard to miss — it’s probably the ultimate greed word and it’s sitting there in capital letters.

But a title like “Total Money Makeover” also implies another greed word (even though it doesn’t directly state it): money-saving.

(It also gets bonus points for using the safety power word “proven”, which we’ll discuss in a moment.)

If you want to stomp on your readers’ greed glands, use these power words:

Bank Jackpot Bargain Lowest price Best Luxurious Billion Marked down Bonanza Massive Booked solid Money Cash Money-draining Cheap Money-saving Costly Nest egg Discount Pay zero Dollar Prize Double Profit Explode Quadruple Extra Reduced Feast Rich Fortune Savings Free Six-figure Freebie Skyrocket Frenzy Soaring Frugal Surge Gift Treasure Golden Triple Greatest Waste High-paying Wealth Inexpensive Whopping

6. Safety Power Words

Greed isn’t the only emotion you want buyers to feel. You also want to make them feel safe.

They need to trust both you and your product or service. They need to have confidence you’ll deliver, and they need to believe they’ll get results.

Of course, building that kind of trust starts with having a quality brand and reputation, but the words you use to describe yourself and your product or service also matter.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Safety Words

On the landing page for one of our Smart Blogger courses, we use power words to make sure our customers feel safe:

In addition to “legitimate” and “guaranteed” in the screenshot above, our landing page is sprinkled with numerous safety words:

Money-back

Results

Refund

Proven

Risk-free

They work for us, and they can work for you.

Help your customers feel safe by using as many of these power words as possible:

Above and beyond Privacy Anonymous Professional Authentic Protected Automatic Proven Backed Recession-proof Bankable Refund Best-selling Reliable Cancel anytime Research Certified Results Clockwork Risk-free Endorsed Rock-solid Foolproof Science-backed Guaranteed Scientific Ironclad Secure Legitimate Sure-fire Lifetime Survive Money-back Tested No obligation That never fails No questions asked Thorough No risk Trustworthy No strings attached Try before you buy No-fail Unconditional Official Verify Permanent World-class Guilt-free

7. Forbidden Power Words

Remember when you were a kid, and someone told you NOT to do something? From that point on, you could think about little else, right?

The truth is, we’re all fascinated by the mysterious and forbidden. It’s like it’s programmed into our very nature.

So why not tap into that programming?

How to Crank Up Emotion with Forbidden Words

This Ahrefs article tempts you with its headline:

What’s the “secret”? Only one way to find out.

Whenever you want to create curiosity, sprinkle these power words throughout your writing, and readers won’t be able to help being intrigued:

Ancient Lost Backdoor Never seen before Banned Off the record Behind the scenes Off-limits Black Market Outlawed Blacklisted Private Bootleg Restricted Censored Sealed Classified Secret Cloak and dagger Smuggled Concealed Strange Confessions Tried to hide Confidential Unauthorized Controversial Uncensored Covert Under wraps Cover-up Undercover Exotic Underground Forbidden Under-the-table Forgotten Undisclosed From the vault Unexpected Hidden Unlock Hush-hush Unreachable Illegal Unspoken Insider Unveiled Little-known Withheld

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Now that we’ve looked at the different types of power words (and gone over a few quick examples), let’s go over all the different places you can use them:

Powerful Words in Action: 14 Places Where Strong Words Can Help You

Headlines

Subheads

Email Subject Lines

Opt-In Boxes

Homepage

Business Names/Blog Names

Product Names

Sales Pages

Testimonials

Bullet Lists

Button Copy (Call to Action)

Author Bios

YouTube Videos

Book Titles

1. Using Power Words in Headlines

Any blogger who’s been in the game for a while knows the headline is the most important part of writing your blog post.

Its purpose, after all, is to entice the reader to read the rest of your content. If your headline fails to get attention, potential readers will ignore it when it shows up in their tweets and social media feeds.

And just one or two power words in your headline is usually enough to make it stand out.

Just look at this headline from BuzzFeed:

The word “Unveiled” makes it feel like a secret is being exposed, and the word “Breathtaking” makes you curious to see what the photo looks like.

Here’s another example from BoredPanda:

People generally love anything adorable, so this headline will easily catch attention. (The fact that it refers to snakes will only make people more curious.)

The headline then drives it home by using the powerful verb “Conquer.”

Here’s one from BrightSide:

While one or two power words are often enough, this headline proves you can use more when it fits.

This headline has four powerful words, but they feel natural in the headline, which keeps it from feeling like over-the-top clickbait.

Last one:

This headline from our How to Make Money Writing: 5 Ways to Get Paid to Write in 2020 post incorporates two greed words: “money” and “get paid.”

It’s one of our most-popular posts, and its headline’s use of power words is a big reason why.

2. Using Power Words in Subheads

Too many writers overlook the value of subheads, which is a mistake. Once people click on your headline, most will scan the post first to see if it looks worthy of their attention.

Adding some power words to your subheads is a good way to make your post look like an interesting read.

For example, here are three subheads from our post on E-book mistakes:

See how the power words in these subheads grab your attention and make you want to read the text that follows?

Adding one or two power words to your subheads will compel readers to stick around longer, which will increase your dwell time — a big deal in Google’s eyes.

3. Using Power Words in Email Subject Lines

Having an email list is of little use if only a handful of readers bother to open your emails.

And these days, most people’s inboxes are flooded, so they’re selective in which emails they open.

You can stand out in their inbox and raise your open rates by including power words in your subject lines.

Just look at this one from Ramit Sethi:

If this subject line would’ve read “The rules of learning,” do you think it would be as appealing? The word “unspoken” is what makes it interesting.

Here’s another one from Cal Fussman:

Both “Triumph” and “Tragedy” are powerful words full of emotion.

And finally, here’s a good example from AppSumo:

The power phrase “Unleash the power” makes you feel this email is hiding something incredibly powerful inside.

See how that works?

When you send out emails to your list, try to add a power word to your subject line so it stands out in readers’ inboxes.

4. Using Power Words in Opt-In Boxes

As a blogger, one of your main goals is to grow a large and engaged readership, and the best way to do it is by converting readers into subscribers.

That means — unless you’re using a blogging platform like Medium which doesn’t allow them — you should have opt-in forms scattered across your website.

You can place them on your homepage, at the end of your posts, in your sidebar, in a popup, or anywhere else.

But no matter where you place them, your opt-in boxes must catch people’s eye and make them want to share their email address with you. Because they won’t give it away to just anyone.

(Remember, their inboxes are already flooded, so they’re not necessarily eager to get even more emails.)

Fortunately, you can use power words to make your offer more enticing.

As an example, here’s an old popup from Cosmopolitan:

This popup had power words everywhere, but it avoided feeling like overkill. I bet it converted like crazy.

Here’s a slightly more subtle example from Betty Means Business:

It’s understated, but still quite effective.

Again, you don’t have to overdo it with the power words on these. A little can go a long way.

Here’s one final example from Renegade Planner:

In short:

If you’re not using power words in your opt-in boxes, you’re missing out.

Big time.

5. Using Power Words on Your Homepage

Your homepage is the face of your website and it’s usually one of the most visited pages. Many people who visit your website will see this page first, so you want it to make a good first impression.

Some people use their homepage to promote their email list, others use it to promote one of their products, and others use it as a red carpet — welcoming new visitors and explaining what their site is all about.

In any case, your homepage is a good spot to add a few power words, as it can determine whether people stay (and take the action you want them to take) or leave (never to return).

Look at this value proposition on the homepage for Nerd Fitness:

“Nerds,” “Misfits,” and “Mutants” are unusual power words that work well for the audience Nerd Fitness is targeting. These words immediately separate it from all the other fitness blogs out there.

But they push it even further with “Strong,” “Healthy,” and “Permanently.”

Here’s another value proposition from MainStreetHost’s homepage:

It’s quite minimal, isn’t it? They just wrote down three power words and follow it up with a service they provide.

Of course, you don’t have to limit your use of power words to the top of your homepage.

You can use it in other parts of the homepage too, as Ramit Sethi does here in his list of what you’ll get when you sign up for his email list:

Go look at your homepage now and see if you can find any areas you can spruce up with some power words.

6. Using Power Words in Business Names/Blog Names

Having a forgettable name is poison to your website’s growth. So when you start a blog, you want to make sure you have a name people can easily recall.

If you haven’t chosen your blog name yet (or if you’re thinking about rebranding), you should use a power word to give it some punch. It’ll make you stand out from all the boring, forgettable brands out there.

Just take a look at the collection of blog names below and see how well they’ve incorporated power words:

7. Using Power Words in Product Names

Just like you can use power words to spruce up your blog name, you can also use them to make your product names pack more of a punch.

It can make the difference between your potential customers thinking, “Ooh, this product sounds cool!” and them thinking, “Meh.”

Just check out this subscription product from Nerd Fitness:

It has such a powerful name that you’d almost want to sign up without learning anything else about it. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a community of rising heroes?

Here’s another good example from Pat Flynn:

It’s a powerful name for his podcasting course that instantly informs you of the benefit.

So if you’re about to launch a product (or if you’ve launched a product with a tepid name), consider giving it a power word to make it pack a punch.

8. Using Power Words on Sales Pages

You can also use power words to spruce up your sales pages and make them more effective at selling your e-commerce products or services.

They will grab people’s attention when they arrive on the page, they will keep their attention as they scroll down, and they’ll help seduce readers before they reach your “buy” button.

Just look at this headline on Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his product 50 Proven Email Scripts (which also has a power word in its name):

And as you scroll down, you see he keeps using power words throughout his sales page.

His headline is followed by emotion-packed subheads:

And he even uses power words in his guarantee:

9. Using Power Words in Testimonials

Power words are also tremendously effective in testimonials.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you change people’s testimonials to include power words. But you can certainly select the ones that already use them to great effect.

Just look at this example from Betty Means Business:

Or look at this one from Farideh’s blog:

And here’s another example from Renegade Planner:

All these testimonials will lend extra credibility and excitement due to their power words and phrases.

10. Using Power Words in Bullet Lists

Many sales pages include a list of benefits of the product they’re selling. Many opt-in forms include a huge list of reasons you should sign up to their email list. And many case studies use bullet lists to quickly summarize information.

You can use power words in these lists to inspire more excitement in your reader as they read through them.

Here’s one example from Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his How to Talk to Anyone course:

And here’s another example from an opt-in form on Restart Your Style:

Without these power words, these lists wouldn’t convince nearly as many readers to buy or subscribe.

11. Using Power Words in Button Copy and CTA (Call to Action)

Yep, you can use power words in your button copy too — even if you only have a few words you can fit in there.

One of the most common power words used in buttons is “Free” (as in the example below):

But you can be more creative with buttons than you might think.

Takes this button from the sales page for the book The Renegade Diet:

“Immediate,” “Money Back,” and “Guarantee” are all incredibly powerful words, and the author manages to squeeze them all into one button.

Here’s an example from Tim Ferris:

He could’ve used “Send Me the List” as most people would do, but “Unlock” makes it sound a lot more intriguing — like you’re getting access to something that’s been kept hidden away.

Now take a look at the buttons on your site.

Do you see any opportunities to spruce them up with a power word?

12. Using Power Words in Author Bios

Your author bio is another extremely important part of your marketing.

When you guest post for another blog (or write a paid article as a freelancer), your author bio has the difficult job of making readers want to know more about you so they click through to your site.

That means your author bio needs to spark attention and interest. And you usually only get three sentences, so you need to carefully consider the words you use.

As an example, here’s the author bio from Henneke Duistermaat in her post on overcoming writer’s block:

Henneke’s author bio is full of power words. It shows her uniqueness and makes her stand out from other copywriters.

You can tell she has carefully picked each perfect word for maximum impact.

Here’s another example from Sarah Peterson’s post on blog ads:

She opens strong immediately by mentioning her guides are insanely useful. And just the name of her report alone is full of power words: “Free,” “Reveal,” and “Begging.”

Makes you want to get your hands on that report, doesn’t it?

13. Using Power Words on YouTube Videos

If you’re publishing videos on YouTube and you want to get more views, you should use power words in your titles.

All the biggest YouTube channels do this.

They understand most of their views will come from their subscribers finding them in their feeds, and from people finding them in the sidebar of other videos.

In both cases, you’re competing with many other videos for their attention. If you want your video to stand out and be the one they choose to watch, your title has to be captivating.

See how Philip DeFranco does it below:

“Disgusting,” “Punishment,” and “Controversy” are all attention-grabbing words (and that’s besides the attention-grabbing names of Brock Turner, Star Wars, and Kim Kardashian).

Note also how he has capitalized “Disgusting.” It’s another smart trick many YouTube channels use to stand out more in YouTube’s lists of video suggestions.

Style vlogger Aaron Marino often does it as well:

By capitalizing the power words “Don’ts” and “Stupid,” his title catches a lot more attention (as you can see for yourself by the millions of views it’s received).

14. Using Power Words in Book Titles

If you’re interested in writing your own book, adding power words to your titles will help it sell better.

With all the competition in the book market these days, you need a title that grabs people’s attention and makes them want to peek inside.

Here are a few quick grabs from Amazon’s list of bestsellers in the self-help niche:

I’m sure you’ve seen this title before.

You might say Stephen Covey’s use of power words in his title has been highly effective. (See what I did there?)

Here’s another:

Mark Manson’s bestselling title is packed with power.

The power word “Subtle” juxtaposes well with the F-bomb in the title, and his use of “Counterintuitive” will spark some interest as well.

One more:

Lastly, Jen Sincero’s encouraging book title makes you want to flip it open and read it in one go.

The use of “Badass” alone will make it stand out in the self-development section, but her use of “Greatness” and “Awesome” in the subtitle truly seals the deal.

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Go Ahead and Tell Me. What Powerful Words Did I Miss?

They’re known by many names…

Emotion words. Good words. Strong words. Powerful words, creative words, fancy words, sensory words, trigger words, smart words, feeling words, descriptive words, impactful words, interesting words, positive words, unique words, and even — yes, seriously — awesome words.

But whatever you call them; smart, attractive people such as yourself have mastered the strategic use of power words and use them every day to pack their writing with emotion so they can increase conversions.

Yes, this is an enormous list of words, but with so many power words available, you’d need a thesaurus or Word of the Day dictionary to catch every single word on the first pass. (Plus, new words seem to be added to the English language every day.)

What are some other good words that seem to have that extra little spark of emotion inside them?

Leave your answer in the comments, and as time goes by, I’ll come back periodically and update the power words list. Eventually, I hope to have over 1,000 words here, separated and organized by category, making this the definitive “cheat sheet” of favorite power words on the web.

Thanks in advance for commenting and sharing the post with your friends!

About the Author: Jon Morrow has asked repeatedly to be called “His Royal Awesomeness” but no one listens to him. So, he settles for CEO of Smart Blogger. Poor man. 🙂

The post 600+ Power Words That Pack a Punch and Convert like Crazy appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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