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cranialjam · 6 days ago

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finally finished a flash fiction for a writing meetup i'm going to.

i actually tried to draft it out sort of, using inspiration from an interesting writing prompt.

took forever to figure out an ending so i just cut out what i had and made due with the remains, what're ya gonna do?

i also had a lot of fun wracking my brain by trying to write in present tense; still getting used to it but it was pretty fun actually, highly recommend it.

not perfect, but sometimes you just gotta finish it. might be good kindling for a future story idea, who knows.

PROMPT [REDDIT]: "A drug is discovered that stops all effects of aging. You decide to not take it. 20 years pass and the side effects are discovered."

WARTS AND ALL

As the light from my eyes slowly fades and the world around me becomes creepingly impressionistic, I can feel the frightened pinpricks of my family's eyes on my descending body. My heart beats slower and slower until its penultimate halt. Was this really it? I think to myself. This isn't how I planned. This isn't how it was supposed to go.

In some vain, thinly-veiled attempt to look back at my achievements, my dying brain decides to give me a rolling projection of what led me here like a neuron-powered zoetrope.

I see myself as I was 20 years ago; that lanky, wiry Jewish kid from Long Island with more metal on his ears and nose than would ever touch his pockets. My long, mop-top of curly hair flows in the breeze of the East River, my eyes curl up in the warmth of my eyelids to avoid the beaming sun, my unwashed shirt and shorts are drenched in the sweat of a hard day of doing absolutely nothing productive.

My life is perfect. I go to class, I relax with my friends, I enjoy the countless advantages of strong bones and a flexible back. I work short, near meaningless hours at a hot dog stand and get paid nickels and dimes to do the bare minimum. Days and days, my friends and I go out and ride our boards across the entire Island from Williamsburg in the west to Massapequa in the east. My reward at the end is a heartfelt meal with my parents, my sisters, and our dog, Cissy; the taste of homemade matzo and pastrami on rye lingers in my mouth and pours into my soul. Rinse and repeat for months on end. Never boring, never waning. I never want anything to change.

This is the same time Perpetua makes 'The Cure' public to all. The billionaires have the first course, the millionaires get their crumbs, and the rest of us are served the whiff, the taste. I want it. I don't care who I step on to get it. I don't care how much it costs, how exorbitant the monthly fees would be, nothing will stop me. I finally have the chance to put time in a bottle. Why should I change what may be the best point of my life?

The process starts slowly. I'm walking into the clinic, shaking myself awake with the smell of high-powered disinfectant, greet the friendly receptionist in her vaguely-stained scrubs, and stand in line behind tens, near hundreds, of future immortals. People of all walks of life; teens like me with baggy clothes, disheveled fathers comb the last remnant of what they still call a hairline, and youthful women who hope to keep the peak of their beauty like a timeless polaroid.

Step by step, inch by inch, moving with the sway of the serpentine until, almost unconsciously, I got called up and strapped in. The nurses firmly wrap my hands and feet into a vertical stretcher, their eyes bounce between their screens and my extremities like a championship tennis match.

The doctor, a wild-haired grad student pouring inhuman amounts of sweat, came in and gave me firm look over before asking a barrage of questions; "you smoke?" "You drink?" "Sex history?" Before my brain can even form a sense of regret, he checks my arms for any signs of track marks and rushes out to another room.

The nurse plunges the vial of solution and penetrates my supple skin. My body is stiff for a moment but soon the tremors start. My arms and legs begin to throb and vibrate faster and faster. The straps just barely keep them bound. My mouth tastes like iron. My skin is burning up. After a few seconds, my body cools down and I feel physically drained. Another nurse passes by and gives me a shot of water to rinse out my mouth before she unstraps me.

"Here's your bill," the receptionist says, "don’t drink. Don’t smoke. For the love of God, don’t have sex for at least a week or you’ll leak bile from your ear canal. Have a nice day."

I hold onto my poorly-formatted receipt with the same conviction as a preacher. I feel so alive and revitalized. It's the start of something new. It's the first day of the rest of my life.

From that day on, life feels infinitely more freeing. I drop out of school, I move out of Long Island on my vendor's salary, and I travel the world. From Milan to Minsk, from Sicily to Sri Lanka, from Tokyo to Tucson. I work part-time at different jobs to pay for more adventures. I find various lovers; musicians, dancers, models, anyone willing to feel the warmth of youth they've once forgotten.

I'm not the only one either; it becomes very 'in' for other immortals to do much the same. The economy of every country booms significantly with the forever children on the go. The whole world feels the pull and can't ignore us any longer. Not only is there an economic boom, but also a rapidly developing 'children of immortals' boom. Slowly, however, the impact wanes. What goes up, must come down.

After twenty years, immortals are facing the biological effects of the injection. The first case is discovered just a few months ago; an immortal in Canada wakes up to loose skin across their body, their bed fluffed with newly-lost hair, and their bones becoming as brittle as dead tree branches. One moment, you're having the time of your life, the next you're in a coffin with the skin and bones of a 120 year old.

Additionally, countries who thrived off the income of immortals are now left in the dust, paying eternal mortgage on housing and entertainment departments made for the first lineup years ago. Children of Immortals sue their parents by the thousands for their rampant, uncaring past actions. Children, now adults, who've never even known their parents are now feeling the shock of seeing someone who stands at the same age as them, having to give them the 'love' and 'respect' they give to their up bringers.

Twenty years on, and I feel the pinch as well. My past affairs catch up to me like a pack of wolves. I've sired tens of hundreds children across the world. I've accrued enough debt to drown third world nations. Worst of all, my luscious locks are losing their luster, dying like wilting flowers in the chill of incoming winter. My time is running out and at any moment my heart and brain can take me kicking and screaming 6-feet under. Do I make right what I've done wrong? Or do I keep going until the end?

#flash fiction #creative writing #writers on tumblr #short story #fiction #sci fi #my first attempt at actually writing like a real writing person guy #ya'll rockin wit it !?

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phantomdialogue · 18 days ago

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Just finished People We Meet on Vacation. It was good. But here's the thing. I remembered why I stopped reading. I will consume any story in one sitting. Started around 12 this morning and just finished. Roughly 11 hrs of reading with breaks for eating and moving laundry. I don't casually read, I fall into story holes.

How do you take breaks when you read?

first off, i'm glad you liked people we meet on vacation!! i am starting my binge of emily henry's other books right now and they are definitely living up to the emily henry hype

second off, that's very real and honestly my advice and experience change on a few different factors that i hope are helpful to you to know. feel free to ask clarifying questions btw! i'm just kind of spitballing haha

tldr though - instill times of the days to read in, practice using reading in short spurts as a reward for being productive, highlighting/sticky tabs, and track your reading

i will admit that i am a bit of a mood reader meaning that once i finish a book, i have a hard time not immediately starting another because i'm already in that reading "mood" and i will often go on like reading "binges". so sometimes i will only read a few pages/a chapter or two a day for like a week and then i'll finish 75% of the book in one or two sittings after that. i find that a lot of my big reading days are centered around my kind of "off times". being in college rn it's usually right before or after midterms that i will read like crazy because i think my mind is like "making up for lost time". this isn't exactly what you described but i think it's similar enough that my advice may still really help.

to read consistently, i have found that it's best to restrict myself but not in a crazy like "i can not read unless x, y, or z" kind of thing. i like to think of it almost like intermittent fasting in a way but for reading (and some exceptions). if i wake up early, i'm allowed to read until i have to shower and then 80% of the time, i don't let myself read again until i'm done for the day and am winding down in bed. now that other 20% of the time, i'm still using reading as like a treat/reward kind of thing. so for instance since i'm studying a lot for a bunch of midterms, when i feel myself start to kind of get really anxious or overwhelmed, i say "i'll read a chapter or two and then get back to work".

this is when that self control kind of has to kick in admittedly because you can easily just say "screw it" and then end up reading but this is when i also utilize timers. especially since i read on a kindle and i'm really not a fan of pausing in the middle of a chapter, i have it set to tell me how long it will take me to read a chapter when i start it. this is kind of how i gauge how long i can read for. so for instance i was doing some math today and took a break to read and my chapter was going to take me 16 minutes to read and so i told myself that was my allotted break time and only let myself read one chapter. the way i'd recommend doing that with a physical book is to just set a general alarm of how long of a break you want to take and then when you finish a chapter, check the time left and decide "do i have time to finish another or should i stop now?" rule of thumb is generally if you only have 5 minutes left, set the book down haha

another little thing is highlighting/sticky tabbing as i read. i think that it kind of slows me down and takes up a bit more brain space to focus on what i'm reading to catch my favorite quotes and moments to highlight. you don't have to physically use a highlighter for that. i have a gazillion different colors of sticky tabs that i use personally and i color code them to the book cover

my final little piece of advice that i think has been great for me is tracking my reading. if you look at my monthly recap posts, there is a little book calendar on the bottom with all the days that i read a book. tracking my reading and filling out that calendar has been really nice because it's really encouraged my little "reward" reading times. there are days that i wake up late and can't read in the morning or by the time that i go to bed i'm so tired that picking up my kindle feels more like a chore than pleasure so i just don't do it. but tracking my reading gives me incentive to really allow myself even just the time to read a chapter. i don't especially know why the tracking works for me but it does. i personally really love the app bookmory for tracking my reading because i find that it's fairly simple and there is no social aspect and the free version is pretty easy to use without feeling like the ads or anything is getting in the way.

this was a lot but i just kept talking so i hope that any of this advice is helpful and my inbox is always open to talk if you have any questions or want to just chat books in general!

#asks

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alysongills · 5 months ago

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How to Publish Your First Puzzle Book on Amazon KDP

Want to dive into self-publishing and start a new way to make money? Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) can show you how. It lets you publish various books, including puzzle books, which are highly sought after. Puzzle books offer games like crosswords and word searches, great for those wanting to step away from screens. Using Amazon KDP, you can make your own puzzle book for free. You only need to create the book, and Amazon takes care of the printing and sending. The added bonus? You get money from every book sold. This could become a nice side income for you. Key Takeaways: - Amazon KDP lets you publish low-content books with puzzles for free. - People love puzzle books for a screen break, making them popular. - Selling puzzle books online can earn you money passively. - It's quick to get your book on Amazon KDP, sometimes in just three days. - Picking the right book categories and keywords can help it sell better.

What is Amazon KDP?

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is a self-publishing platform by Amazon. It lets authors publish their books and low-content books with no upfront costs or minimum stock requirements. You create the books, share the printable manuscripts, and Amazon deals with printing, shipping, and support. You make money through royalties on sales, which can become a steady passive income. Amazon KDP offers a lot of flexibility. You can publish both ebooks and physical paperback books there. For ebooks, the royalty rates range from 35% to 70%, based on the book's price. With physical books, you get a steady 60% royalty on the list price. Amazon KDP also lets authors join the KDP Select program. This program gives better royalties in some countries, like Brazil, Japan, India, and Mexico. You also get to join Kindle Unlimited, a service where readers pay a monthly fee to access books. With this program, authors earn based on the pages read. In sum, Amazon KDP is a great tool for self-publishing and making low-content books. It gives authors a chance to reach many readers and possibly make passive income from their creative projects.

Why Publish Puzzle Books on Amazon KDP?

In today's world, people look for books that get them thinking, like crossword puzzles and word searches. These activities are great for taking a break from screens. They also give our brains a workout. This has opened a big chance for authors to publish puzzle books on Amazon's platform, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Growing Demand for Physical Activity Books Books where you write things down, like notebooks, have always been popular. This is because some like keeping track of stuff in a physical book. The interest is the same for brain teasers and games, making puzzle books a hit on Amazon KDP. These books are also perfect as special gifts, making them even more wanted. Lucrative Opportunity Not long ago, 105 crossword puzzles with a Canadian theme became a hit book. Packed as an 8.5x11" book, it became a #1 bestseller in its categories. Smart choices of words and categories on Amazon played a big role in its success. Plus, more folks were buying activity books during the early COVID-19. This propelled its sales even more. Realizing this success, the author made another book, this one about poker, with 125 puzzles. It also did really well. More promotion for the poker book meant more people noticed and bought the Canadian puzzle book. This shows how good it is to create different puzzle books on Amazon KDP. Amazon KDP lets authors upload books and have them ready for sale in just three days. Right now, many people are looking for puzzle and craft books. This makes Amazon a great place for authors to publish their puzzle books.

Examples of Puzzle Books to Create

If you're keen on making your first puzzle book for Amazon KDP, you have lots of great choices. Puzzle books and activity books are very popular now. They can sell between 573 to 885 copies every month. This could earn you about $1,117 to $2,185 every month. Here are some top puzzle book genres: - Crossword puzzle books - Word search books - Cryptogram puzzle books - Picture find & seek books - Math riddle books - Sudoku books - Connect the dot books - Coloring books - Maze puzzle books - Brain teaser books - Themed activity books - Mixed activity books - Cut & color activity books - Logic puzzle books - Memory games books While word searches, crosswords, and sudoku are well-liked, try out other puzzles too. Hashiwokakero, cryptograms, and more offer less competition. No matter the puzzle type you pick, do your research well. Make sure you reach the audience you want. Amazon KDP helps you make, sell, and earn from your puzzle book ideas.

Examples of Free Tools to Generate Puzzles

Self-publishing puzzle books on Amazon KDP is easier with the right tools. Luckily, you'll find many free tools to help create puzzles for your books. Here are some great resources: - Online Puzzle Generators: Check out sites like Puzzle-Maker.com and TheTeachersList.com. They let you create crosswords and word searches for free. This is perfect for making content quickly for your Amazon KDP books. - Canva: Canva isn't just for design. It also offers templates and features for creating activity pages and puzzles. It's a powerful tool to add to your puzzle-making kit. Using these free puzzle-making tools can make the process smoother for your Amazon KDP books. This saves you time and effort. Mix in your creativity and these helpful tools. Soon, you'll be making and selling great puzzle books on Kindle Direct Publishing. To do well in the puzzle book market on Amazon KDP, focus on top-notch content. These tools will help you make standout puzzle books that draw readers in. Stay ahead by offering engaging and high-quality puzzles using these free options.

Examples of Paid Tools to Generate Puzzles

Free tools are good to get started, but there are paid options too. These help you make puzzles for Amazon KDP books. Paid tools have more features. They make creating puzzles easier and let you make books that look professional. Consider these top paid tools for puzzles: - Book Bolt: Book Bolt offers puzzle generators within Book Bolt Studio. It lets you make sudoku, word search any many other puzzle types fast. - Fiverr: On Fiverr, freelancers make custom puzzles. This is great for unique, personalized books. - Puzzle Generation Services: Puzzle Warehouse makes puzzles for you. You tell them what you need, and they deliver. This is convenient if you don't want to make puzzles yourself. If you want a big variety of puzzles, need special features, or don't want to make puzzles yourself, these tools are great. They help you create a top-notch puzzle book for Amazon KDP users. ToolKey FeaturesPricingBook Bolt - Book Bolt Studio for puzzle generation - Wide range of puzzle types - Customizable difficulty levels Newbie starting from $9.99/month. You will need Pro at $19.99 to access the puzzle generator (It is well worth it!)Fiverr - Custom puzzle creation by freelancers - Variety of puzzle types available - Personalized designs and themes Varies by freelancerPuzzle Warehouse - Puzzle generation services - Submission of requirements for custom puzzles - Delivery of completed puzzles Varies by project requirements Exploring these tools opens new paths. You can make great puzzle books for Amazon KDP. Choose to make puzzles yourself or find someone to do it. These tools make the process smoother and help your books stand out.

Self-Publish Your First puzzle book on Amazon KDP

Want to self-publish your first puzzle book on Amazon KDP? It's a rewarding journey, with key steps to success. By taking the right steps, you can have your low-content book available on the biggest online store. - First, find good puzzle book ideas that people want. Use tools like Book Bolt's Cloud to see what's hot and not. - Next, pick the KDP book size for your puzzle book. This affects how your book looks and fits Amazon's rules. - Then, bring your puzzle book to life with tools like Book Bolt's Creator Studio. They make designing and formatting easy. - Make a great book cover that draws in readers. Your cover should be catchy and show what your puzzle book is about. - Adding A-Plus Content can make your puzzle book even better. It lets people see inside, making it more interesting. - Customize your puzzle book with special themes and designs. This can make you stand out among other low-content books on Amazon KDP. By sticking to these steps, you're almost ready to publish your first puzzle book on Amazon KDP. Remember to study your market, make a top-notch product, and get it noticed. This is the path to a successful self-publishing story.

Step 1: Research Puzzle Book Ideas

Use Book Bolt's Cloud Tool To start making your first puzzle book for Amazon KDP, do some important research. This research will show you which puzzle book ideas are popular and not too crowded. Book Bolt's Cloud Tool is a great help here. Signing up for a free Book Bolt account means you can check out the Cloud Tool. It helps you find hot puzzle book topics, see what's selling well, and check out the competition on Amazon. The aim is to pick a topic that lots of people want but not many others are selling, so you can shine as a new creator and sell your book. - Use the Cloud Tool to search for popular puzzle book keywords and topics. - Examine the top-selling puzzle books in your target niche to understand what's working well. - Analyze the level of competition by looking at the number of similar books and their sales ranks. - Identify any gaps in the market or opportunities to create a unique, high-quality puzzle book that caters to a specific audience. Doing this detailed research with Book Bolt's Cloud Tool prepares you to make a winning puzzle book for Amazon KDP. This first step lays the groundwork for your publishing journey. It also boosts your chance of finding a successful spot in the growing puzzle book market.

Step 2: Pick a KDP Book Trim Size

When making your first puzzle book for Amazon KDP, picking the right trim size is key. The trim size is the physical size of your book. It influences how it looks and feels. Picking a trim size starts with looking at what's popular in your book's category. Check out top puzzle books on Amazon for their trim sizes. This tells you what your readers might prefer. Amazon KDP makes it easy by offering a variety of standard trim sizes. The 6" x 9" size is common and versatile. It is well-liked for its balance of space and easy reading. But there are other sizes like 5" x 8" or 5.25" x 8" that might fit your book better. Your choice depends on your book's design and contents. For the best choice, follow Amazon KDP's suggestions on margins and page numbers. This will make your book look professional and polished. Think carefully about your trim size. It will affect how your book is produced and sold. Research well and pick a size that meets your vision and your audience's needs on Amazon KDP.

Step 3: Create Your Book Manuscript with Book Bolt

Book Bolt's Creator Studio makes making a puzzle book easy. It makes sure your book is good for Amazon KDP. You can design covers, make puzzles, and add themes inside, all in one place. With Book Bolt, you get everything to create, arrange, and export puzzles in the right way. This helps save time, letting you focus on making your book fun and unique. Designing Your Book Cover The Creator Studio lets you design a cover with ease. You pick from many templates, add your text and images, and check it meets Amazon KDP's rules. A good cover helps your puzzle book get noticed on Amazon. Generating Puzzle Pages - Book Bolt offers tools to make various puzzles like word searches and Sudoku. - You can change themes, problem levels, and layout for your readers. - The software prepares your puzzles to fit smoothly into your book. Customizing the Interior You can make the inside of your book look great with the Creator Studio. Add backgrounds, graphics, and more to make a beautiful experience. This helps your puzzle book look better than others on Amazon. Using Book Bolt's Creator Studio, you can make a great Amazon KDP book without much hassle. This lets you focus on making your book fun. It also ensures your book is ready for Amazon KDP's standards.

The Importance of A Stand Out Book Cover

Selling your puzzle book on Amazon KDP demands a catchy, visually appealing book cover. It's the first part anyone sees. So, it must make them want to dive into your puzzle world. To make your Amazon KDP puzzle book cover great, think hard. Choose bold colors, intriguing pictures, and titles that tell what the book's about. A great cover is key in helping your puzzle book shine among others on Amazon. Did you know, 85% of readers judge a book by its cover? It's smart to hire a skilled designer. The cost is often a few hundred dollars. Why not invest in a cover that will help your puzzle book stand out? Plus, consider this, 90% of self-published books use platforms like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark. A unique book cover is vital for success. Key Considerations for Puzzle Book Cover Design - Create a cover that is 300 DPI in CMYK color for optimal printing results - Include a spine if your puzzle book has at least 80 pages - Extend your cover images 0.125" beyond the trim line to avoid a white border - Ensure your cover file size is 40MB or less to avoid conversion issues - Provide your cover designer with at least 3 mockups to choose from - Consider creating a cover vision board on Pinterest to share with your designer A striking, well-made cover can really help your Amazon KDP puzzle book stand out. It's a crucial step in making your puzzle book noticed amid the vast competition. This way, you make your book intriguing and inviting to your potential readers.

Why You Should Consider A-Plus Content

For self-publishers on Amazon KDP, A-Plus Content can make a big difference. It allows you to show off your puzzle books in a detailed and attractive way. This feature lets you include more visuals and details, improving how your books are seen. This extra content lets you share sample pages and puzzle examples. It helps customers understand your book's quality and content. This is especially useful for puzzle books where visuals matter a lot in choosing to buy. Amazon found that using A-Plus Content can boost sales by about 5%. It also means fewer returns and negative feedback. This is because customers get a better idea of what they're buying. Adding A-Plus Content can make more people interested in your puzzle books. It also helps tell your story and build trust with readers. So, it doesn't just boost sales; it helps your brand stand out too. Even though Amazon’s A9 algorithm doesn't read A-Plus Content, using it can still have a big effect. It can help sell more books and affect your Amazon search ranking and ads. Making your books more engaging can separate them from others, making customers more likely to buy. FeatureBenefitsA-Plus Content - Increase sales by an average of 5% - Enhance product presentation and improve conversion rates - Build trust and connect with readers through brand storytelling - Reduce returns and negative reviews by providing more details - Impact Amazon sales, SEO, and Advertising Cost of Sales (ACoS) Using A-Plus Content can lift your Amazon KDP puzzle book listings. It makes the buying experience better for your customers. Ultimately, it boosts your sales and helps your low-content book business succeed.

Niche Down Your Puzzle Book

To stand out on Amazon, focus your puzzle book. Aim at a certain group like children or a hobby group. Or pick a special theme or type of puzzle. One smart idea is to make each page unique with themed backgrounds and elements. It makes your book look great and different from others, drawing in your target readers. Customize with Themed Backgrounds Adding themed backgrounds and elements makes your puzzle book special. It connects with your readers in a unique way. Try these customization ideas for your puzzle book: - Use nature themes like forests or beaches for those who love the outdoors. - Add fun, cartoon-style pictures for a family-friendly touch. - Choose modern designs with simple shapes for a sophisticated look. - Pick patterns or images related to certain hobbies or interests to grab readers' attention. By adding these touches, your puzzle book becomes visually attractive. It's a hit in the Amazon KDP world of niche puzzle books. This approach helps get your book noticed by the right people. It improves your chance of having a popular low-content book.

Estimated Earnings with Puzzle Books

Selling puzzle books on Amazon KDP can lead to significant earnings. Research shows the top puzzle books are making between $3,481 and $7,071 a month. Authors are earning $1,117 to $2,185 monthly. This shows how profitable passive income from puzzle books can be on Amazon KDP. Your earnings will vary based on your niche, price, reviews, and marketing. But, selling more books in a growing market can bring in good money. By meeting the demand for activity books and using Amazon's reach, you can earn well from puzzle books. MetricRangeMonthly Sales$3,481 - $7,071Author Royalties$1,117 - $2,185 To make good money, focus on creating top-notch puzzle books for your readers. Amazon KDP offers tools to help you publish with success. This approach can boost your earnings in the puzzle book market.

Conclusion

Creating puzzle books through Amazon KDP can make you money with little effort. Now is a great time as people love activity books and making puzzles is easy. Read the full article

#AmazonKDPGuide #AmazonKindleDirectPublishing #CreatingPuzzleBooks #IndiePuzzleBook #PuzzleBookCreation #PuzzleBookPublishing #Self-PublishingStrategies #Self-PublishingTips

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jonmcbrine-author · 8 months ago

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My current WIP is set to be a full-length novel that is intended to be the first book of a trilogy - I have the titles and much of the overall story outline mapped out, but I feel apprehensive about revealing very many details about it. When does teasing information about a forthcoming release cease being a pragmatic part of marketing? At what point is it just being too precious about my oh-so-original idea?

There are legitimate concerns regarding withholding info about a book still in development - sadly, concepts, names, and designs can be stolen and it’s a difficult battle no matter how much of a claim you have. That said, do I really think literary thieves are out in the wild scheming on ways they can usurp my intellectual property? They’d have to be aware of me in the first place in order to lift any of my ideas. Being so guarded about my stories feels like such a newbie author thing to do, and it’s a tough habit to shake. So, one of the reasons I’m so coy about providing even the slightest tidbit of info about my latest novel is that, yes, I still struggle with the notion that some miscreant will think my idea is so brilliant that they just can’t resist swiping it. The more realistic reason is that it is still very early in the developmental process and things change. Chronicling the creative process can be fascinating, but at the end of the day, I want to avoid confusion about a piece of work that could undergo title changes as well as general story switcheroos.

As an admittedly vague example, as of this writing, I have introduced a major change in the narration - a different storytelling device than what I had originally conceived. This is something I decided that I will at least try - I have to see what it looks like, so-to-speak. It involves a bit of a time jump; a sort of past and present prism all told via first person POV. This idea could end up in the scrap heap, but it is too intriguing for me not to explore. One of my personal rules of writing is to find the most interesting way to tell the story, and if this particular idea that originated out of left field improves the book, then it is all for the better. After all, the only “real” rule of writing is to produce a story that someone enjoys. It’d be nice if it made money, too, but one thing at a time.

All this interior drama is unfolding within my mind palace, but to the outside world, no one knows much of anything and that is because of the aforementioned rookie preciousness. Ego also plays a factor, too. Strange as it sounds, I almost don’t want to rearrange my story’s structure despite its excitement because it deviates so much from what I said I’d do - what I said to myself, that is. The truth may lie in that my opening sequence has expanded into three chapters. The editor part of my brain demands I kill my darlings and only retain the key points and move the story along. Stupid logic.

The chapter consolidation may still happen, but I had one of those pesky ideas that seem too enticing to ignore. But much like the eclipse, I can’t help but think perhaps I should simply let logic takes its natural course and block out the bright sun of endless ideas. After all, the totality of my time that I can spend creating all of this is very limited and I don’t want to wait another twenty years for another completed book to resurface.

Alas, things are still looking sunny and the future is radiant with new possibilities. Maybe one day I will feel confident enough to simply post my new story’s details and watch with satisfaction as it gets ignored in the never-ending stream of social media.

Stay in the loop for more details by following Jonfcition Blog on Substack, Tumblr, and Medium. For more info about this and all my books, please visit jonmcbrine.com

The monthly Jonfiction Newsletter is released on the first Monday of every month only on Substack.

Unsecret Identity: Eric Icarus - Book One is available now from the Amazon Kindle store.

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mochie85 · 2 years ago

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Creature Comforts - Chapter 5

Creature Comforts Masterlist Complete Masterlist

Summary: Loki is enamored by you, and you can’t understand why. He tries to get your attention until a disastrous accident occurs pushing you to rely on him. Will his charm finally win you over? Or will you continue to stay in your comfort zone? A/N: This will probably be the penultimate chapter. I think it will conclude in the next one. Pairing: Loki x Original Female Character Word Count: 2.7K Warnings: Fluff. Flirtatious Loki. Angst. Dividers by: @firefly-graphics

The following days left you free and unoccupied. Since you didn’t have any more physical therapy with Chris, you were able to soak up the morning rays in the living room with your Kindle and catch up on your book.

It also meant that you hadn’t trained with Loki either. You recall knocking on his door again the following day, but still no answer. You didn’t want to look desperate and ask Thor what was going on, so you just left them alone. When he’s ready, he’ll find you.

So you continued to train, by yourself. Walking from one wall of the vast gym to the other. Sometimes, you’d fall. But you’d always pick yourself up again.

It seemed like a different life since you were able to sit here and relax. You thought about the countless times, Loki came and ‘kept you company.’ You missed him. Guilt and worry wracked your conscience, hoping that everything was alright with him.

You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the cushion sinking next to you and a head falling on your lap. It was a ray of copper red hair instead of the dark onyx you were expecting. You looked down only to be disappointed at who you saw.

“Well hello to you too,” Wanda said noticing your grimace. You changed into a warm smile and apologized.

“I’m sorry, babes. I just thought you were someone else.”

“A certain mischievous prince, no doubt.” She stated. You simply smiled at her, avoiding her glare.

“Where are Billy and Tommy?” you asked.

“They’re with Vis in the lab. Playing with Tony and Morgan. It’s nice to get a change of scenery. Those two keep me so occupied with school and extracurriculars. I forget there’s a whole other world over here.” She sighed.

You looked down at her, involuntarily stroking her hair. Wanda glowed. She relished in the small-town life she and Vision had built for themselves. A sense of normalcy in the chaotic world.

“I’m glad you guys can come to visit for monthly dinners at least. I would miss you too much.” You smiled at her. Wanda smiled back, her green doe-eyes sparkling with joy.

“This is a nice spot.” She said commenting on your location on the couch.

A click of a door handle and footsteps down the hall, made the two of you look up. You saw Loki hand in hand with a beautiful stranger. Their laughter peeled through the hallways.

When they reached the elevator, Loki gave them a heated gaze before kissing them, then said goodbye. He watched as the doors of the lift closed, never taking his eyes off the elevator.

The world crashed around you. A loud humming rang through your ears, putting pressure on your brain. Your chest tightened and heaved only giving you short breaths, barely enough to stay alive.

Wanda sat up from her position and watched the whole thing unfold. She felt your change in demeanor. She looked back and forth between the two of you until Loki turned around and spotted both of you on the couch.

“Ladies.” He said with a smile and a slight bow. He continued to walk down the hallway towards his room. Ever the ray of sunshine, taking your sanity and composure along with him.

You haven’t seen him at all! And the first time you did in so many days he was in the arms of someone else!

You heard the click of his door shut and that’s when you screamed inside your head.

Wanda turned quickly towards you as if she heard the wailing inside your thoughts. A tear dropped from her eyes as she felt your pain and longing.

The mess, the inconsolable sob, that she could hear in your head was a contrast to the apathetic face that she stared at before her. Her grip tightened around your hand. Only then did you look into her eyes.

“It’s not like we were ever together.” You said with a smile. “I’m fine,” you said getting up from the couch. Wanda knew that you weren’t.

During dinner, you sat down in between Wanda and Thor. You were quiet and stoic. Only answering with a bob or shake of your head. You kept your eyes on your plate as the team talked around you about various life pursuits.

You heard the chair scrape on the other side of Thor as a whiff of Loki’s cologne traveled down your senses. Wanda squeezed your hand under the table, only realizing that she held your hand this entire time.

“So, Loki, who was your new friend earlier?” Wanda asked. You squeezed her hand back in warning. Some of the team looked up at the question. Their glares bounced between the two of you in confusion.

“They’re someone I met awhile back. We’ve been hanging out for some time.” Loki answered. A while? You felt an all-time low at having kept him from his life. Is that what he meant when he said he had something he didn’t know how to get out of? Was that something, you?

“Speaking of new people. Liesl, do you want to get a new physical therapist?” Tony asked you, sensing the awkward tone in the room. “Liesl? Hellooo Edelweiss, you there?” Wanda squeezed your hand again.

“Hmm?” You looked up at Tony, absent-minded.

“What was wrong with the last one?” Steve asked, passing the mashed potatoes to Clint.

“He was her ex,” Nat answered after seeing you retreat into your bubble. “And she fired him because he made her feel uncomfortable.” You looked down at your plate, digging a grave into the mashed potatoes that you wanted to crawl into. “Once a flirt, always a flirt,” Nat said, looking directly toward Loki.

“I didn’t know he was your ex? Reindeer games, did you know?” Tony asked. Loki just gave a curt nod. You could see the wheels turning in some of the member’s heads, no doubt imagining outlandish scenarios of what happened between the three of you to explain the awkwardness happening now.

“Excuse me. I’m a bit exhausted.” You said in a low voice. You pushed away from the table and stood up, warily. You willed your body not to collapse. You walked slowly towards the sink, deposited your full plate, and walked away towards the bedrooms.

“Do you need help, Edelweiss?” Tony asked.

“No. I – I just want to be left alone for a while.” You slowly made your way down the hall, ignoring the hushed tones and murmurs behind you.

Loki had not seen you in days. And it killed him. He stayed cooped up in his room, refusing to leave, refusing to answer the door. He was a mess. He left his heart open again only to be ripped out by your hands.

No. His hands. He did this to himself.

Tonight had been the final strike to that heartache. The poignant stares thrown his way from the team reminded him of his first days here at the tower. It was like they were all thinking of him as a villain again.

He marveled at your progress when he saw you stand up from the table. All on your own. And you walked! Fates bless her, she walked! By herself! And I wasn’t there to share in her triumph. What am I doing with my life?

“Natasha, what do you mean she fired him?” Loki asked. The table went silent, even though Loki had barely said it above a whisper.

Nat looked towards Wanda who must’ve given her a secret indicator to go on. Nat crossed her arms and leveled a stare at him. She knew what had happened earlier that day. Wanda came looking for her, after you had left the couch, to see if either one of them could help you out.

“Chris asked her out, on multiple occasions,” Natasha answered him.

“But wasn’t he under the impression that we were in a relationship?” Loki interrupted.

Tony pointed his fork towards Loki, “Now hold on ju…”

“Shh,” Sam said as he raised a hand to cover Tony’s mouth.

“Apparently, that didn’t matter to him. She said that he was just a big flirt and that he’ll never change. She couldn’t trust someone like that. So she waited till she can stand up on her own again to finally look him in the eye and fire him.” Natasha finished.

Comprehension dawned on everyone’s faces. But on Loki’s, there was something more. There was a realization, but also shock and fear. Familiar words rang in his head. The same words he overheard you say that day by the lift.

“So you guys were a thing?” Tony finally asked pulling away Sam’s hand.

“It was a sham relationship,” Loki answered, not looking at anyone. “For her, it was so that the therapist wouldn’t see her as some pathetic ex-paramour who needed his help. For me…for me - ” it was real.

As if to turn the knife that stabbed him in the heart, Natasha added, “She waited for you to join her at the gym. What happened, Loki?”

“Nothing. Nothing happened.” And it was the truth. He sat in his room for days contemplating what to do. He had only left this morning to go to the coffee shop where he met…Norns, I don’t even remember their name.

Wanda’s children and the little Stark girl ran in from the separate table across the hall. “Mom, mom, mom. Can we have ice cream now? We finished our dinner.” Loki took this as a cue to leave. He placed his full plate on the sink, next to yours, and went to his room to sulk.

Loki paced back and forth. He twirled his daggers in the air, lost in thought. What just happened? What did he do? What the fuck was he going to do? I shouldn’t have assumed anything. That’s what I get for eavesdropping.

He completely misheard your conversation with Natasha that day in front of the lift. You were speaking about your ex. Not about him.

But he’s so self-centered that he thought you were speaking about him. And he is so insecure that his mind couldn’t think of any other explanation. Why do I screw things up? Why do I destroy everything good that happens to me?! He pitched his dagger expertly at his wall, leaving a thin cavity amidst the many he’s already left tonight.

You waited for him! Gods, he could picture you, in your chair, sitting at the gym, waiting for him to come train with you and he never showed up. He could pull all his hair out right now, just from the thought that he abandoned you.

He heard you visit. He heard you knock a couple of times at his door trying to reach out. And he had ignored you like an arrogant bastard. Will you ignore him if he went to your door now?

He opened his door only to find Thor with his hand about to knock. Surprise coloring both their faces. “Brother. An emergency mission has come up.” Thor informed him. “It seems we have not collected all the super soldier serum from the last outing.”

“Will you need me?” Loki asked.

“No. It should be quick. Wanda and her family had left already to go back to Westview. Clint went back to be with his family. There will be no one here to be with Liesl.” Thor updated.

“I will watch her.”

“I know you will, Loki. And chin up. Misunderstandings have a way to straighten themselves out.” Thor patted him on his shoulder. Then quickly left to go to the hanger upstairs.

Loki looked defeated. There was no way he could ever clean this up. How could he explain to you what happened? How he felt. He had to try.

Loki followed Thor out into the common area. He was surprised to find you already sitting on the counter barstool. Thor went up to you and gave you a farewell bump on your fist as he quickly sauntered off into the lift.

Loki stood in the opening of the hallway, deciding whether to stay or go back to his room. All his bravado from earlier was gone as you sat there in front of him.

He cleared his throat so that you wouldn’t be surprised to see him. And he felt you stiffen and go still at the sound.

“Hello,” Loki said coming into your field of vision. Piss-pot of a greeting that was, he scolded himself. You smiled at him tentatively and tried to stand up. “Please, don’t leave on my account. I was just making myself tea. Would you like some?”

You shook your head looking back down at your plate. You had reheated leftovers, hungry from not having dinner earlier with the team. “Don’t trouble yourself. I wouldn’t want to burden you,” you said detachedly.

That knife in his heart twisted again. He knew how you felt about being a burden to others. “Listen, Liesl…”

“No!” you said forcefully. “Whatever reason you have Loki, they’re yours. You don’t need to explain anything to me.”

“But -” You started to stand up to walk away. You couldn’t handle talking with him anymore. The smell of his cologne, his bright eyes finally looking at you. Your chest tightened at the sight of him.

He had played you. You were just another notch on his belt. And when he finally realized that you couldn’t be what he needed, he went out and got someone else.

“Wait! Liesl, just wait…”

“No! Fuck you Loki!” Your sudden exclamation shocked him. “I trusted you! No, we were never together, but I thought - I thought we were at least honest with each other. So whatever you have to say, Loki, I don’t want to hear it, because I can’t trust a word you say anymore.”

That knife that was twisting his heart, was pulled out by your words. His heart along with it. You continued your exit. Willing your legs to hurry. But they were heavy and aching.

“Woman! Will you please just stop!” He yelled at you. “What do you want me to do? Get on my knees? Beg?” You ignored him and tried to hurry your painful getaway.

He caught up to you and stopped right in front of you, his hands held out. You looked him straight in the eye as he slowly lowered himself. One knee at a time. Blocking your path towards your escape.

Looking up to you, his eyes had burned and tears lined the corners. “I’m sorry.” He said with a low timbre.

His voice vibrates down to your bones. You looked into his eyes earnestly and you saw the truth behind his words. “I was hurt. I overheard your conversation with Natasha by the lift and assumed that you had been talking about me. I didn’t realize that you were speaking about your ex. I didn’t know that you had let him go. I was consumed by my pain that I shut myself in my room for the past couple of days. I only left just today and met the stranger from earlier.”

“So, you lied?” You said, trying to understand his reasons.

“I’m sorry.”

“Do you see, how this proves my point, Loki? I can’t trust you. What if we get into another argument? Are you just going to shack up with the next stranger you see? Just to get back at me every time?”

“No, darling, I would never -”

“You just did!”

“We never did anything. I led them out, gave them a platonic kiss on the cheek which they then turned and made more complicated.” You rolled your eyes at his excuse. “I realized my mistake. I’m here on my knees begging for your understanding.”

You were about to say something. But your face changed to that of surprise and pain. You arched your back yelling out a small cry of hurt.

A masked man stood behind you, pulling your hair back. Loki stood up instantly, registering the danger that you were in.

“Stop. Right. There. Prince of Asgard.” The masked man’s voice trembled. It sounded familiar but somehow off-key. No, it was too high-pitched. He was nervous. He had a dagger pointed to your back and your hair was being mercilessly pulled.

The masked man turned to you and whispered, “Hello, cupcake.”

⬅️Chapter 4 | Chapter 6➡️

Tags: @a-lonely-gray-couch @albinotigerpython @annesunlight @anonymousfiction211 @asgardianprincess1050 @chickencouncilrep @daggers-and-mischief @daintinessiskey @fire-in-her-veinz @froggybitchh @gigglingtigger @hoff-mommy @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @ilivedonceinthisworld @immersed-in-mischief @jmehp @kellatron55 @kittiowolf210 @klaushargreeves420 @kxthxrinx0310 @lokisasgardianvampirequeen @lokidbadguy @lokiestorch @lokixryss @lonadane @loopsisloops @lucylaufeyson3 @lulubelle814 @luvlady-writes @mcufan72 @midnights-ramblings @mistress-of-words @moonlightreader649 @msturi2u @peachyymallows @pinksparklypen @salempoe @sititran @sonatabee-blog @theotherspiderlady @wolfsmom1 @yoongissidebitchh @lokiprompts @lokisninerealms @lokisgoodgirl @alexs1200 @a-witch-with-words @britishserpent @huntress-artemiss @mischief2sarawr @user13cabs

#loki fandom #loki fluff #loki fanfic #loki laufeyson fanfic #loki angst #loki series #mcu #loki x you #loki x reader #loki x OC #Marvel fanfic #MCU fanfic #flirt #loki laufeyson #marvel fanfic

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badger-bear · 3 years ago

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January Reading List

I have decided to track everything I read this year and decided to make monthly posts! So this is my January Reads! As far as the books go, a lot of them were free on kindle unlimited so don’t judge me too hard okay!! My taste in fics is way better!!! If your fic is on this list but I didn’t tag your tumblr please message me and let me know so I can link to your blog as well!

Books

Brutal Mate by Tabitha Black and Lee Savino (an alien/omegaverse f/m romance)

A Court of Throns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (fantasy f/m romance)

A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn (a fake dating f/m romance)

Knot My Type by Evie Mitchell (f/m romance)

Fics

Sip it Slowly and Pay Attention by louistomlinsons// @adoredontour

“So I’ve got a guy I think you might like,” Louis says. He’s standing in the doorway of Harry’s office, drinking from what is most definitely Harry’s mug.

“You’re going to set me up?” Harry asks, rightfully wary. He can’t imagine that this could end well.

“Don’t look so afraid.” Louis takes a sip from his mug, wincing as it burns him. Harry rolls his eyes. He’s always warning Louis to be more patient before he loses all his taste buds. “I know you better than anyone else. Who better to set you up on dates than me?”

“I guess you’re right,” Harry says, still slightly hesitant.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust Louis, but. He doesn’t trust Louis’ taste. Louis has about the same track record with men that Harry does, if not quite as extensive.

or, harry is a guidance counselor, louis is an english teacher, and harry just wants to go on one successful date

Copy of A... by nonsensedarling// @absoloutenonsense

Harry really loves Louis' dick.

Thick Alpha Series by delsicle// @eeveelou

Tease by dolce_piccante// @haydolce

AU. Louis Tomlinson, actor and movie star, is wildly in love with his boyfriend, supermodel Harry Styles. Their relationship is lovely and unlike any Louis has ever had before, which makes the surprise of Harry's newest interest that much more intriguing.

My Eyes Want You More Than A Melody by levolofcharm// @levelofcharm

Harry’s brain is short-circuiting at an absolutely awful time, the more expressive side of him is falling to pieces for some reason. The only responses he can give are venerated vibrations and nods, the feeling of Louis’ sweaty skin sliping him further into nothingness. Lightly dewy thighs, so muscular and plush— his lips feel just the same, so dangerously soft, a devious intention lying behind it all.

“You’d do anything for me,” Louis mumbles, teeth tugging on Harry’s bottom lip, eyes dragging from his sinfully pink mouth when he lets it go to his hooded green eyes. “Isn't that right, daddy?”

Harry whimpers— something that’s so foreign to him— but nods, trailing his hands up his shaved thighs, fingertips passing the hem of the dress.

or: Louis and Harry are on vacation in Italy.

19. Wine by TheMagicWord

Louis’s not sure Harry’s latest interest will interest him. But he’s willing to give it a try.

Sour/Sharp/Salty/Sweet by homosociallyyours// @homosociallyyours

From the moment Harry walks in, Louis is instantly attracted to her, and that attraction skyrockets when she catches sight of Harry's lush, dark, bushy pit hair. When Louis gets the chance to worship it-- and Harry --just as she pleases, she doesn't hesitate to give her all. Fortunately that's just what she gets back in return.

Depth of Oceanic Gunfire by winterdee// @crankydee

After she left, Henry finds Louis crumpled amongst the white linen sheet like a wilted lily, nose red and lips trembling as he reaches up to kiss Henry. In the corner of the room, he saw his father raise his hand at the cowering figure of a blue-eyed ten-year-old. He kisses Henry and as the field somewhere blooms in blood and smoke and gunpowder, he thinks this is how much I love you.

They come to escort Henry a week later. The world lets out a pained scream somewhere.

Waiting by allwaswell16 // @allwaswell16

Louis Tomlinson was Harry’s omega, of this Harry had always been sure. Unfortunately for Harry, Louis seemed to think they were just best friends. The six weeks that Harry has to live with Louis were going to be rough.

Keep Me Closer by zanni_scaramouche // @zanniscaramouche

Louis expects Harry to react poorly, maybe even file a formal complaint and that’s gonna suck ass but Louis won’t say shit cause he knows he deserves it, so he prepares an apology before Harry’s even turned around.

What he doesn’t expect is Harry to fucking drop.

Under The Candlelight by littleloverlouis // @littleroverlouis

Well we drank champagne and danced all night

Under electric candlelight

She picked me up and sat me on her knee

And said little boy won't you come home with me?

A Reckless Hallelujah by sunsetmog // @magicalrocketships

You're too short to be a dancer, they'd said. Competition's really tough. You should have applied when you were 11. You can't commute to the Royal Ballet School from Doncaster, they'd said. Why would you even try?

(summer is over) and i want to leave you satisfied by patdkitten // @doncasterkitten

On the very last night of his summer break in London, Louis Tomlinson hooks up with a hot guy. When he gets back home, his roommates tell him that they're going to be getting a new roommate. Said roommate? The same hot guy he hooked up with back in London: Harry Styles, who's looking for a quiet place to go to school and just wants to keep his head down. Funny how he keeps getting noticed, though....

Tea and rainy day by justalarryblog (bekita) // @justalarryblog

Harry wanted to surprise Louis with a dinner for their anniversary, but then it rained.

You Bring Me To Life When You and I Collide by berzerkshires

People always told Louis her mouth would get her in trouble one day, and to be honest, it’s gotten her in and out of trouble more times than she can count.

Your Sex Is On Fire by capriclout // @sunflower-vol5

It was their house, but something was missing. Louis was missing.

AKA Harry has a plan to surprise Louis when he gets home from a tournament.

I’ll Keep You Warm by parahamlarrie // @parmahamlarrie

Louis is the kind of guy who keeps his head down and minds his own business. He’s lived on the same street for years and barely would recognize the buildings, let alone his neighbours. That’s all about to change however, due to a broken key and an unexpected snow storm.

The Art of the Giants by asphodelknox // @iamasphodelknox

Louis is dancing away from an old relationship when he meets Harry at a bookstore in the busy streets of Seattle. Harry is just a bookstore owner hoping his handsome weekly visitor could become something more.

Cake Date? by sadaveniren // @sadaverniren

Louis is raising money for a bake sale. Harry wants to help.

Hush-a-bi by starryday13 // @peggyschuylerbasically

Harry can't sleep and there's an ice cream truck outside.

A Meeting of Minds (and other things too) by LadyAJ_13 // @ladyaj-13

Zayn's fed up, Liam's a bartender, and maybe they'll both get what they need.

See or Touch or Use by jishler // @jishlerfics

He gathered Harry’s hands in his own. “Good boy,” said Louis. He kissed a knuckle and looked up at Harry, who seemed to be drifting somewhere between a haze of tenderness and the kind of arousal that made him shudder, gag, beg for more. Exactly where Louis liked to keep him. He gave Harry’s hands back to him, placing them at his sides.

Up, Up, and Away by gettingaphdinlarry // @gettingaphdinmomo

Niall bit his thumb. “What if we fall out?”

“We’re not going to fall out.” Louis bounced on his toes. “Aren’t you excited?”

Niall shook his head and watched as the teenagers stretched the balloon out along the sun-warmed grass. The basket was on its side and it looked like an actual basket, the kind his grandma had in her living room. It didn’t look sturdy enough to carry anyone up into the air.

“I said yes to make you feel better."::

When Niall joins his heartbroken best friend Louis on a hot air balloon ride for two, the last thing he expects to find is a bit of romance with their young tattooed pilot.

Someone To Come Home To by thingssicant //

“I thought I was just doing the usual: getting coffee, picking up lunch, driving him around…”

“He prefers to drive, actually.” Niall offered.

Harry scoffed at that, throwing the contract down. “Then what am I even there for?”

Niall seemed to be at a loss, but he shook himself of it and dropped his legs to the floor to pull the contract up himself. “I don’t know. The dude demanded someone with him at all times. It was the only way to secure him for the role, and he was perfect for it.”

“So I'd have to live with him for the next 3 to 4 months then?” Harry asked. “And you still won’t tell me who it is, or for what movie even.”

“Exactly.” Niall said, leaning back in his chair again.

“And you knew I'd take it, because I need the money.” Harry said flatly with a frown.

“Already packed your bag.” Niall grinned, wheeling it from under the desk.

Or, Harry will do anything to up his career in the film industry, even becoming Country Boy Louis Tomlinsons full time assistant

Shuffle off this immortal coil by absolutehly // @thestylinsons

It's an old curse, an immortality gene passed down to the sons in the Tomlinson bloodline. In 1902, just as Louis Tomlinson turns ten, MI6 catches wind of this scientific occurrence, igniting a game of cat-and-mouse to capture Louis in the name of greed.

He becomes immortal at twenty-eight but dies more times than he can count.

In 2019, Louis ends up back in London. He can't resist falling for a certain curly-haired stranger named Harry, accidentally putting his life in danger.

A tale of flowers, an immortal fugitive, and blood on everyone's hands.

The First Year by parahamlarrie // @parmahamlarrie

When Louis Tomlinson was assigned a first year student to be his roommate for his final year at the University of Manchester, his expectations were low. All he needed was a cheap place to sleep and keep his stuff amidst his nights out, willing his brain to forget his past. He never expected Harry Styles to become his eclectic, sweet, and cuddly best friend. That was never the plan.

Or the cliche Uni AU

It’s Not a Banana Dick by sunflower_vol91 //

“Just a minute, baby. Then I’ll help you search for your special banana dick necklace.”

The glare that quickly formed on Harry’s face probably would have made Louis laugh if he were with him in person. That annoyed Harry but he was too frustrated to be upset about it.

”It’s not a banana dick,” he stated for the second time that day even though it really was a banana dick.

”Really?” Louis questioned with a pretend gasp of shock. “What is it then?”

Harry’s glare turned into a pout. “It’s just a necklace. With a banana. And a little bit of dick.”

Or: Harry loses his banana dick necklace and Louis still can’t make pancakes.

We Can Find A Place To Feel Good by yeah_alright // @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

14-year-old Harry is ecstatic to finally be old enough to experience the time-honored tradition of school dances. But with each year that passes and each dance he attends, he’s realizing they’re not all he used to hope they’d be. Especially when he can't actually dance with the person he most wants to.

Maybe he and Louis can figure out their own ways to keep dancing, anyway.

Click by allwaswell16 // @allwaswell16

When Louis got assigned a roommate, he wasn’t exactly thrilled, but as far as roommates go Marcel was a pretty good one. That was until Marcel started clicking a counter everywhere he went...

All Dolled Up For Me by orphan_account

It's Valentine's Day, and Harry needs it to be special.

Ain’t ever been vanilla honey (just wait til you get a taste) by dilfrry // @silverfoxrry

Maggie rests her head in her palm and learns forward, an evil smile on her glossed lips. “What’s the wildest thing you have done? I bet Harry’s into some shit like you,” she wiggles her over drawn in eyebrows at him.

Nodding feverishly, Julie adds, “Oh god, I can just imagine! He’s so fucking hot too, those hands! His arms! They can definitely hold you up, right?”

He wishes.

Louis’ mouth drops and he pushes Julie's arm. “That's my boyfriend you’re talking about, thanks.”

He lets a pout weigh on his lips. Half because they’re all obsessed with his boyfriend, and half because he genuinely doesn't know how to answer.

The thing is…Harry is shit in bed.

or the fic where louis thinks his boyfriend is shit in bed but in reality it’s just one big miscommunication.

We’re Not Who We Used To Be by jaerie // @jaerie

Louis comes back to his childhood home and sees an old friend who has changed quite a lot since the last time they saw each other.

There Is a Light by perfectdagger // @perfectdagger

Louis and his daughter have had a pretty bad year and things start to change when Harry tries to buy the same doll Louis intended to buy for his little girl for Christmas.

Two girls.

Two fathers.

Two families, meeting and becoming exactly what the other needed during the holidays.

Christmas/New Years AU in which Harry and Louis are single parents and they meet at an odd encounter at the toy shop and somehow, they end up together, bonded by their little ones.

I’d never seen it coming by foreveralliee // @lovehandledharry

“So,” Louis asks dragging out the vowel sound and raising an eyebrow. “Heard you wanted a tattoo?”

“Oh! Um....Yeah.” Pebbles stutters his voice huskier than Louis anticipated from his first word and appearance. “This!” He exclaims, holding out the drawing in his hand.

It’s a sketch of a large butterfly in shades of black and grey.

Or an AU where Harry works in a coffee shop and Louis works in a tattoo shop. Chance encounters bring them together and they go from there.

Falling Slowly by LHStylinson

You'd be surprised how much you can have in common with someone completely different from you.

OrLouis is a quiet and shy famous football player who has a secret obsession with fish and Harry is a photographer who talks enough for the both of them.

Mirror Touch by pinky_heaven19 // @pinky-heaven19

“You know I can see colors in sounds, right?”

Harry nods, confused as Louis knew he would be.

“Well, I have another type of synesthesia, called mirror-touch. Have you heard of it?”

Harry shakes his head, and Louis can feel the tenseness in his shoulders and jaws slacking a little at the unexpected topic.

“It means I feel what other people feel. Literally, all the time.”

OR the one where Harry owns a second-hand clothing store, and Louis is a radio host. Louis has mirror-touch synesthesia, which makes him experience what people around him feel. He feels a lot around Harry.

When I land, You’re Mine Series by Phillipa19 // @ thedeliciousrude

Sleepy Nouis Series by LadyAJ_13 // @ladyaj-13

I Can’t Hear You by kikikryslee // @flamboyantommo

"I’m not supposed to be built this way!" Harry said. "I’m supposed to be shorter than you, and you’re supposed to be stronger than me and-“

“Harry!” Louis tried to interrupt.

“And what if I’m not supposed to be an omega? What if my body screwed up somewhere or something? What if I’m not supposed to be your omega?”

---

Or, the one where Harry is self-conscious about his body because it's not the 'typical omega body' and Louis shows him why he loves that.

Around you like the rings of saturn by docklands // @hershelsue

Niall and Harry are best friends. Because they're both omegas who live together, they decide to help each other during their heats. It becomes something else.

You fit me better by docklands // @hershelsue

Louis moves back to Cheshire with no prospects and lacking a laundry machine for his apartment. At the laundromat, he meets Harry, a meddlesome alpha who smells divinely enough to ease his anxiety. When Louis goes back home, he finds out he switched clothing with Harry, meaning he needs to meet him again to give it back.

Sun-Kissed Hurricane, Perfect Storm by iwillpaintasongforlou // @canonlarry

Harry is the quiet kid in the back of his statistics class who writes a lot and dreams about Louis’ cheekbones . Louis needs a statistics tutor ASAP before he flunks and the quiet kid in the back of the class seems like a good choice. Harry wants to help Louis however he can and Louis wants to see how much he can make Harry blush.

Word Play by yeah_alright // @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

Liam's frustrated over grading his students' papers and Harry tries to cheer him up.

All you can eat. by harrysprostate

“You didn’t deny thinking about me while watching porn either, though.” Harry smiled and brushed his curls to the side before leaning over the desk so he was closer to Louis. “Do you stroke your big cock to those corny student teacher porn videos? Do you get mad when you watch? Because god, it’s so fucking cheesy. But you can’t help the way you start to come when the student starts moaning, ‘Ugh fuck professor fuck me.’ Because somehow it’s hot, and maybe it’s hot because you want to hear a certain student moaning professor while you fuck them over your desk. Now isn’t that right, Professor Tomlinson?”

~ or the one where human harry seduces his hot teacher professor tomlinson, who happens to be a vampire ~

All the things she said by sweetielouis

Louis never knew what she wanted until Harry came into her life but now that she's here Louis is scared of ever having to lose her.

-or a dom/sub lesbian fic where Louis had no idea she even was gay until she saw Harry's tits for the first time.

Drive me wild by synerqetic

basically girl!larry dom/sub sex to appreciate louis being a sub.or: louis trusts in harry and harry takes care of louis

To the late night double feature show by LadyLondonerry // @londonfoginacup

It’s the tap on his shoulder that notifies him. Louis jumps, whirling around and pulling one earbud out. Clifford barks in oblivious excitement.

“Sorry!” says someone. "I just wanted to know if I could pet your dog?”

Louis squints. He backs up a step. He wonders if the punch at the fancy dress party was spiked, or if one of the brownies Zayn gave him had a little something extra in it, because there is definitely someone there but there is also definitely not someone there.

“Uh,” says Louis.

“Your dog,” says someone. “What’s his name?”

Flawless by throwthemflowers

After a debilitating surgery, former concert pianist Harry Styles isn't able to come to terms with his new reality. Sundered from his high standards of performance, Harry can't seem to feel anything anymore, except perhaps interest in his favorite coffee shop's barista, a man who seems wholly unsuited for the job and whose blue eyes hold in them the same pain that Harry struggles with every day. When fate renders them more than mere acquaintances, Harry is forced to deal with the insecurities of his condition and his stubborn pride. Louis wants to love him, but Harry can't accept that, because he can't accept himself. And besides, he's never loved. He doesn't know how. He just wants to be able to play his piano like before, because it was safe, because at its keys he could control the roiling of his heart and funnel it into music. With love, things are much too risky. Why would he ever take such a chance?

The pian never leaves but neither do you series by anonymous

Love Mail by NeonDiamond // @neondiamond

A week after moving into a new apartment complex, Harry discovers the mailman doesn’t seem to know the difference between numbers 23 and 28. He’s not too mad about it when he finds out just how handsome his neighbour from apartment 28 really is.

Or the one where Harry and Louis keep mistakingly receiving each other’s mail (and also fall in love).

This Ain’t Just a Thing That You Give Up by LuluLawrence // @lululawrence

Harry turned to Liam to whisper something about not being in Kansas anymore but his best friend was frozen to his spot with a look of complete disbelief on his face. Harry looked to his right, the direction Liam seemed to be focused on, and saw a small group of people who had paused their discussion to look towards him in confusion.

A small group including Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. Harry is fairly sure his jaw actually dropped.

"Li, is that...?"Liam nods his head emphatically. "I'm about 110% sure that yes. It is."

or...The one where Harry is a baker in addition to being a college student who just happens to meet the crazy famous Louis Tomlinson while on spring break. Featuring personal assistant!niall, roommate and best friend!liam, and costar/model!zayn.

All My Loving series by KennieWen // @kenniewen

Mark My Word (we gon’ be alright) by harioandlouigi

"He’s always known that there would come a time when Harry would bond with some beautiful, quiet omega, and they would have lots of curly-haired pups and live happily ever after.

Knowing it and living it are two very different things, though. Watching the object of your affection desperately search for a mate and completely disregard you as an option is all sorts of painful, but it is what it is, and Louis is just going to have to learn to live with that.”

Or, an A/B/O AU featuring an oblivious Harry as the pack leader, a pining Louis as his second-in-command, and an entourage of friends and family who are a little too good at keeping their mouths shut.

Take My Heart by justalarryblog // @justalarryblog

“So, you’re telling me he’s divorced and has a kid?” Samuel asked, checking if he understood everything right.“

Yeah,” Harry nodded while chewing the last bite of his hamburger, “Ethan, he’s ten.” He discarded the wrapper and drank from his soda.

“And he’s single.” Samuel stated, remembering what his friend had told him the last time they ate together.

“Yep,” Harry agreed, popping the ‘p’, “And I have no clue how I’m gonna tell him I’m interested in him without sounding like a damn creep.”

“Well, that’s easy. Like, he knows you take rounds at the supermarket’s block, right? So you just have to go up to him one day and tell him.” Harry’s friend said, looking proud of himself as if he said the most brilliant thing in the universe.

“Sure thing, you dimwit! Of course I’m gonna stop the car on the sidewalk and say, ‘Hi Louis, I think you’re hot and I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that day at the hospital so I want to know if you want to go out with me.’” Harry snorted and rolled his eyes. “That’s really gonna work.”

Or Louis's life is saved by the hot Officer Styles, a man who's a very competent policeman but can't help his clumsiness and blushing around him.

Even On My Worst Days by homosociallyyours // @homosociallyyours

When they meet at a party, Louis is instantly drawn to Harry like a moth to a flame. They hit it off, and Louis is eager to get to know Harry better-- maybe even take him out on a date --but Harry is hesitant. Cautious.

Since developing chronic fatigue a few years earlier, a lot of things have changed for Harry, his once active lifestyle reduced to the occasional outing like the one he met Louis at, visits to the doctor, and doing his best to take care of himself on hard days. He can't imagine that anyone-- especially not someone like Louis --would ever really want to be with him.

It takes time to convince him otherwise, but Louis can see he's worth it. He just has to get Harry to see it too.

Mother I’d Like To * by 28sunflowers // @vintageumbroshirt

“What’s up, dad?” Oliver asks Louis, standing in front of Harry in a way that hides his friends from the view.

“Is there something wrong with your mom? Your friends are staring a lot.”

Oliver goes beet red at that. He groans and hides his face on his hands.

“Oh my god. Oh my god.”

K-9.s and Blue Eyes by LHStylinson

Harry runs the police station’s K-9 unit and Louis is a single father to a newborn and has a few things to figure out.

Or Harry and Louis with puppies and babies.

Thou, Sun, Art Half as Happy by LuluLawrence // @lululawrence

Hello, I’m sorry if this isn’t a post that is allowed on this channel, but I was hoping for the best since it is regarding a photography project I’m working on at the moment. I’m working on a set of sunrise kiss photos and therefore am needing a willing kissing partner. I’d hoped to be able to provide one for myself, but it hasn’t panned out, so here I am! I was hoping to find someone here, since I know most of you (at least peripherally) and can generally vouch for you not being creeps. Plus this way I know you will understand needing to continue to tweak the camera settings and reshoots etc that others might not.

Anyway, I’m looking for someone who identifies as male or male-ish (sorry, ladies) who is between the ages of 18 and 40. I’m a 29 year old male-ish myself, for those who would like to know before replying.

If you’re interested and are free the early morning of August 7th and would like to kiss in the sunrise with me for the sake of some (hopefully) interesting and fun photos, let me know via DM and I’ll give you the location.

OR the one where Louis needs a kissing partner, two show up, and it all might turn out for the best that way.

#january reading list #fic rec #long post #28th appreciation #january reads #monthly reads #2022 reads

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nedlittle · 2 years ago

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hello! toomanyassassins here! i've been enjoying your monthly book overviews and it's inspiring me to try and get back into reading and to try using storygraph. do you have an tips for reading as much as you do? i struggle to even get past the first page of most books, much less focus on them long enough to finish them 😅

i'm glad someone is reading my reading wrap-ups!

to be completely transparent, the reason why i've been able to read so much is because i spent the first half of the year unemployed and passively suicidal, so i had the free time living at home to read, and i had the incentive to read because it's one of the few things that can actually distract from the fact that my brain is eating itself alive. and i read a lot now because i have a relaxed job which can have long stretches of time where i have nothing to do but sit at a desk and mop/try not to freeze to death/wonder why nobody is coming to hear my wonderful whale facts, so there's ample time for me to read on the clock, and my boss doesn't mind.

some actual advice is to carve out a dedicated time each day when you want to read. 9/10 nights i read in bed before i fall asleep, desperately trying to take in as much as i can before melatonin sends me to the shadow realm. it gets you into a routine and helps you feel cozy. i can get an hour or two in each night depending on the circumstances. and then my kindle sleeps on my pillow next to me so if the insomnia keeps me awake at 4 am i can at least pass the time.

do you have a commute? read on that! in 2020, i read moby-dick and the brothers karamazov and the worst journey in the world because i lived and worked in the suburbs of shanghai and everytime i wanted to see a friend or a museum or get basically anywhere not in my district, i had a minimum 40 minute metro ride each way. on my (mercifully shorter) commute to work, i could still get in a chapter or two! if you have to drive, try audiobooks! they aren't generally for me, but i imagine they'd be good if you're like. stuck on a highway somewhere waiting in bottlenecked traffic. regardless, i have a physical book or my kindle (or both) in my bag nearly every time i leave the house just in case i want to sit in a park for a bit or have to wait for an appointment etc.

sometimes you gotta shop around and try a few books before you're actually engaged in one. at least once a month i will think okay, i'm going to read (x) only to open it up on my kindle, read the first couple pages, and be like nah, not right now. so i open another book and sometimes that also isn't the right one, so i open another until i find something that clicks with how i'm feeling. if you're not immediately gripped by something it's totally fine to put it down for a bit or for forever!

lastly, reading shouldn't be a competition and i think goodreads and our collective obsession with categorizing, aestheticizing, and presenting very specific versions of ourselves has done detriment to the way people read because it isn't enough to read for fun you've got to be ahead of your reading challenge you've got to read (x) number of books with y-specific rep in them in order to be seen like you're Consuming The Right Media. yes, i have a reading challenge on storygraph but it's partly because i just like graphs and diagrams and have a brain made of swiss cheese. just have fun with it man! it's not a competition and it's not a game it's something that should be done for pleasure and information :)

#oppression is real and it's called living on line 9 of the shanghai metro #once we got so lost heading back from rollerskating we ended up at dapuqiao and i was the only one who didn't have to transfer #tianzifang? also off of dapuqiao #anyway this got really long so i'm sorry but i hope it's helpful!!#peachrosestudies #answered #long post

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cavewretch · 8 months ago

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monthly brain kindling: march

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

fuck ton of migraines and other pain yowch yowch yowch

got minecraft . wretch cubito has been born . i haven't played in 12 years and my reflexes/reaction time is exquisitely bad now bc of the whole eye/brain issues but im having fun anyway

mos thoser food house + balming tiger album + new remi wolf + dnb compilations + hidden orchestra's archipelago + the warning

i got antsy having photosynth spread across like 6 different digital programs/websites so i bought binders and am handwriting everything i had typed up . i am also going to print out moodboards etc so i can have everything exploded in front of me when i work on it

felps videos "but wretch he's been on these since u started making them" what do u want me to do i watch him every week

dev lemons remaking songs without hearing them

terrible stupid family drama proxy war which i feel weird about airing out the details of online . we had a Family Conference Call a few days ago and i was physically shaking the whole time and then listened to mos thoser 8 times afterwards

learning about modular synthesizers on youtube

new hanabira <3333

idk i got into pears recently . like the fruit

EDIT - I FORGOT SUDOKU https://weepingwitch.github.io/sudoku

#monthly brain kindling

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cablesscutie · 3 years ago

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34. “I just want to be there for you.” Zutara, For the fluff prompt list please ☺️

Hello!! You sent me this a very long time ago and then my brain was bad and ground to a screeching halt, but I have been thinking about it this whole time! And now my brain has finally allowed me to make words again these past few weeks, so here it is:

PART 1 \\ PART 2

Even after seeing pictures of Zuko convinces Katara to tentatively agree to Ty Lee’s hairbrained scheme, she still tells herself that she has time to bail. If she really decides that she doesn’t need a date after all, she can just cancel on him and tell Aang her date had food poisoning or something. If worst comes to worst, she can claim that she has food poisoning too and escape the entire mortifying ordeal altogether. Zuko is just an option.

This is the constant refrain in her mind week after week as the date of the wedding approaches, and Katara gets somehow less enthusiastic about it with each passing day. She thinks it as she lets Suki shove her into a fitting room, laden with figure-hugging dresses. She thinks it as she scrolls quickly past Instagram posts counting down the days, politely liking them faster than she can process the sight of fairy lights and mason jars. She thinks it as she impulsively adds a leg waxing to her bi-monthly spa day with Toph. Zuko is just an option.

Just an option with arms that look like they would feel strong and secure around her, and a shy smile, and who’s sweet and playful with kids. Katara lets out a long, frustrated groan and presses her forehead to her desk, rolling it back and forth in a futile attempt to rub out the impending headache of a Friday afternoon. A moment later, she hears the telltale rattle of Suki’s office chair, and then her friend is rolling to a stop beside her.

“You good?” she asks, brushing aside Katara’s hair so she can see her face.

“No,” she sighs, annoyed.

“Is it the rehearsal dinner? Because if you don’t want to go, I can just say you got held late at work.”

“No, no. That’ll be...fine, probably. It’s this whole wedding date thing.”

“Oh do not tell me you’re still being all wishy-washy about it.”

“It just feels like a weird thing to do! I’m just going to show up at my ex’s wedding with this random dude? How will that look?”

“Um, probably like you’ve moved on? Which you have. Objectively. You even had a whole other relationship.”

“Really? Because I think it’ll look like I’m jealous and trying not to be.”

Suki fixes her with disbelieving eyebrows and a laugh. “Trust me, babe. Nobody is going to think that you’re the one that left that relationship pining. You were basically his mom. If this was Jet’s wedding...eh, maybe? But you tend to settle.”

Katara isn’t quite sure if Suki is trying to insult her or compliment her with that statement, and she isn’t sure if her kneejerk, “Hey!” is out of a desire to defend her judgement, or her past partners’ character. Regardless, she doesn’t have much after that to refute the point. Aang seems like a functional enough adult now, a few years out of college, but when they had dated, the “teen” in his nineteen years definitely showed. As for Jet, her much more recent cut, he was...vibing.

“Hon, you’re gonna be fine. I’ve heard Ty Lee and Mai talk about Zuko before, and he sounds like a decent guy. At worst, you have a meh date and escape some social awkwardness, but-” the upward tilt of Suki’s voice had Katara on edge, knowing what was coming next.

“Please, no -”

“- it could be good.”

“No, it can’t be.”

“Ty Lee seems really confident about you two, and you know she’s got a creepy good love radar. After all, she’s the one who convinced me not to block your brother when he slid into my DM’s. Even you told me to block him.”

“She does not have love radar. I love her, but the girl is an unstoppable meddler; she was bound to have a hit once,” Katara dismisses. It’s true that Sokka and Suki are adorable now, and perhaps evidence of the existence of soulmates, but Katara maintains that Ty Lee is a hopeless romantic who believes anything could be the start of an epic love story.

“Fine, be a cynic then. But you’ve already acknowledged that he’s hot, so just go to the wedding with him, and maybe finally rebound from Jet.”

“Hmm,” Katara hums noncommittally.

She’s something of a serial monogamist. She’d left her first real relationship with Aang intending on a summer fling to cleanse her palate before going back for her senior year. After a whirlwind month with the mature and worldly Jiang, she’d been looking into online classes, all but ready to move onto her houseboat and sail away into the sunset. Until Suki pointed out that it was an insane plan, and the ultimately parted ways as planned when Jiang set out to sea again. From there, she had fallen in with Jet as a friend with benefits to blow off steam through her last year without leaving herself open to distraction.

He wasn’t the kind of stable presence she could see herself settling down with, but wasn’t looking to be babied either. No, Jet was more of a feral creature. He knew he was dysfunctional and was fine with it, because function was the system and the system was bogus. Then, she got to know him, and realized that he kept people at a distance for much the same reason she was always pulling them too close. Suddenly, she had grand dreams of showing him the healing power of love, and both of them breaking free of their pain, never needing to fear being alone ever again. He cheated on her, and even as she was shouting at him, she’d known deep down that they had both just repeated their same bad habits all over again.

Now, there is Zuko. Zuko, with tragedy in his scarred eye, and sadness in his smile, but gentle hands on little legs resting on his shoulders. Katara thinks she could make many bad habits out of Zuko, and she is not too proud to admit that it terrifies her. Her stomach turns, and she thinks it might not even be a lie by the time she tells Zuko she’s suddenly too sick to attend the wedding.

The nausea gets worse at the rehearsal dinner, when she walks in to find Jet there, grinning at a bridesmaid. Suki hauls her over to Aang to give him a dressing-down for inviting him, and Katara is somehow reminded in the span of five minutes why she is extremely glad to be rid of both of them.

“I didn’t think it would be a problem!” Aang says, his usual defense. “And he is my friend - we go rock climbing together.”

“Small world,” Suki snarls, and Aang goes wide-eyed, leaning around her to look beseechingly at Katara.

“I swear, I didn’t think you were avoiding each other! After all, we’re exes, and it’s my wedding, but that’s not weird. So I figured you wouldn’t have a problem being in the same room as your other ex.”

Katara grits her teeth behind glossy lips that she forces into a smile, and despite Suki’s murder eyes and the voice in her head telling her not to - to swallow her embarrassment and tell the truth - she finds herself falling back on those old bad habits. “It’s okay, Aang. You had good intentions. We can be adults for one day.”

“Thank you so much Katara,” Aang gushes, lunging forward to wrap her in a hug that pins her arms briefly to her sides. “You’re the best!”

Suki shakes her head in disappointment as he bounds away. “You made your bed,” she reminds Katara. “Guess now you have to decide who to lie in it with.” She glides away to join Sokka at the bar, leaving Katara standing dazed and confused.

“Katara, hey,” an all too familiar voice greets her almost immediately after, and Katara closes her eyes. Suki totally hung her out to dry, and she can’t even be that mad because she’s right.

“Jet,” she says evenly, turning to face him. This shouldn’t be hard for her. While she doesn’t forgive him, she’s also very over him and understands that she’s an idiot for not making Aang ask him to leave. “How are you?”

“Not bad, not bad,” he says, bobbing his head. His clothes are formal but rumpled by disdain for their formality, an effect which once had a liquifying effect on Katara’s insides, but now just feels rude. “I was actually coming over to ask you the same thing,” he says, as though it is a profound inquiry and not the root of all small talk. She opens her mouth to offer a brusque reply and make an excuse to join Sokka and Suki at their table, but he knocks the wind out of her sails with his next words. “Ex’s wedding and all. Brutal.” He gives her a look that she is all to familiar with: his I-see-your-pain look. It was another thing about him that used to push all the right buttons on her, but now she just feels insulted at the presumption that she needs or wants his pity.

“Aang is actually a very dear friend,” she says, trying to sound as impenetrably chipper as possible. “Like a little brother.”

Jet is not deterred, leaning closer to her, his hand just brushing her elbow. “I feel bad about how things ended between us,” he says softly. “I should’ve done better by you.” Katara is momentarily stunned. Is she actually getting a sincere apology? “Which is why I think we should go to the wedding together. I just want to be there for you.”

It’s like a bucket of cold water down her spine, dousing both the fire of her anger and the tiny kindling warmth in her stomach. Katara pulls her shoulders back, straightening her spine, and snaps, “I already have someone to be there for me.”

Jet blinks and rears back a little. “Alright. I’ll, uh. Be looking forward to meeting them then.”

As he slinks away, she feels a moment of deep satisfaction. Only to nearly aspirate her sip of wine as she realizes she has officially painted herself into a corner. Zuko is coming to this wedding.

Thank you! If anyone wants to send me a line or prompt (from this list or your brain) I'll keep it going!

#zutara #zutara fic #my writing #ask game

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rocorambles · 4 years ago

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asahi needs some love :( so what about his first time going rough on his s/o

Asahi is a man who prefers to make love to you and it shows in the sensual, almost sweet way he always handles your body, BUT every once in a while, you just really rile him up. This man has an inner competitive streak in him....I mean have you seen how on edge he gets whenever Hinata is right on his heels about wanting to be an ace AND he chose to be a fashion designer, literally one of the most cutthroat jobs ever. He’s a sweet, shy guy, but when he has something to prove, he’s going to damn well prove himself.

Warnings: NSFW

It was hot at the bar he had met up with Daichi and Suga at for one of their monthly reunions and Daichi had pulled his sweater off, accidentally tugging his t shirt along with it as well, revealing line after line of scratch marks on his back. “Do you have a cat?” Daichi freezes at that question and hastily tugs his shirt back down, but from the blush on his face, Asahi and Suga know exactly what those marks are from. The rest of the evening continues smoothly, but a nagging thought tugs at Asahi’s mind the whole time. You’ve never lost your senses so much during sex that you’d leave marks like that. He knows he makes you feel good, but was it really good enough? Was he good enough? The thoughts fester in his brain until a determined glint lights his eyes. Yes, he could be good enough. He’d prove it.

You’re in shock when you happily let your boyfriend into your house, expecting his typical sweet kiss, only to have lips hungrily capture yours. You two have shared many passionate kisses, but none of them were like this, none of them had you feeling like a prey being eaten whole. You barely have time to breathe before you’re being swept up by strong arms and thrown onto your bed so hard you slightly bounce from the impact. There’s something so primal, so feral about the way Asahi’s tearing off your clothes and intensely staring at you with darkened eyes that has your thighs clench and you eagerly lay yourself on the bed, submitting to the predator on top of you.

There’s biting and clawing and your mind is so hazy and overwhelmed that you aren’t sure exactly who’s leaving marks on who over the sounds of your screams and Asahi’s low grunts as he holds your hips still in a bruising grip and rapidly pistons in and out of your drenched cunt. You love the typical sex you have with Asahi where he carefully maps and explores your entire body, slowly but surely kindling the fire inside of you until you melt in bliss. But this is nothing like that. You can hardly believe the sounds echoing throughout the room are coming from your own voice as you wail when he brutally hits the spongy spot inside of you with every rough thrust and you barely register the way your nails dig into his arms, shoulders, and back as you desperately try to ground yourself somehow, yet at the same time encouraging him to go harder, deeper, faster.

Your stomach is coiling into bigger knots than you’ve ever felt before and you feel something inside you rapidly rising, an inferno inside of you growing so large you’re afraid you won’t be able to handle its eruption, but you don’t have a choice and as Asahi feels the telltale sign of your body tensing and your pussy clenching around him, he furiously rubs your clit and that’s all it takes for you to explode. You can’t even muster up a sound as your jaw slackens and your eyes go wide, but Asahi doesn’t let up his pace even a bit and your body convulses as he fucks you through your orgasm, desperately chasing his own end.

Both of you pant for breath as he finally releases inside of you, but you let out a breathy laugh as your boyfriend has a swift 180 personality change. Concern, worry, and regret flood his face as he frantically examines your body littered with bruises and bite marks, dark shades of purple, blue, and red gracing your skin. But you stop his babbling apologies by lacing your arms around his neck and pulling him down for a tender kiss and gently murmuring assurances of how much you loved every second of it. And when he makes his way to the bathroom to grab a wet towel to clean you with, he proudly smiles at the red scratch marks that grace the entire length of his arms and back.

#haikyuu smut #asahi x reader #asahi #haikyuu

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nashmusings · 4 years ago

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【Book Review】 Small Notebook Usage Techniques to Help Your Live Your Days The Way You Want, Everyone's 74 Usage Examples

If you're a weeb (odds that you are, reading this blog), you'd know that JP titles are no fucking joke. In this post, besides reviewing the book, I'll be talking about some of the take-home messages from the book and anything of interest that stuck out to me. I'll also be looking at this book through the lens of a bullet journal user.

What's the book about?

It's actually the 2nd in a series called the "Small Notebook Usage Techniques", this one collects 74 examples from other small notebook users, the first one was solely by the author sharing his usage examples and MO. This one does have a taste of the author's, Takahashi Takuya (herein Takahashi), own usage and his MO. This book was published in Late Feb of 2021, and so it's very COVID-19-centered. As with Covid, everyone was locked home and overwhelmed by the changes the pandemic wrought. And so, this book was sort of written with that in mind, to 'reclaim' back our lives through the mighty small notebook.

Why a small sized notebook?

A small canvas has its own charms and perks, one may argue that an A5 book is the way to go. With a smaller space, you don't feel pressured to finish up the entire page to avoid wastage. And it's the 'perfect' size for one 'subject'. Not to mention that it's small-enough to be forked out anywhere or on the go so that you can quickly jot things down that comes to mind. Takahashi's MO on small notebooks does share some parallels with bullet journalling, in the sense of brain dumping all that you have onto the page. Numbered pages are essential, as well as an index. Here are the spreads that are under the "Takahashi-Style" spreads.

A to-do list & idea memo that grants you the ability to observe everyday happenings

A to-do list with a reward system

A grid that allows you to see everyone's roles (for work hierarchies and the like)

A memo that grants you the ability to deepen your understanding on a particular thing

A themepark-like route for going about meetings

A personal manual (referential spread)

Whiteboard-like usage (braindumping)

Inventory list

Namecard scrapbook

Running record

Uneasiness/worry memo

Cooping memo

Emergency contact memo I'll be going through a few of these spreads which I found interesting and that I found especially useful for the small notebook format, as some of the spreads can easily be compiled in a bullet journal. The book comes with lots of visuals and sample diagrams so I'd highly recommend you pick up the book. Every spread in the Takahashi-Style makes use of a header with a date to it and have it underlined (at number 1).

A grid that allows you to see everyone's roles (for work hierarchies and the like) sample page

1. The to-do list & idea memo that grants you the ability to observe everyday happenings

The to-do list will be comprised of 1 daily page, and here you write down all your tasks for the day. The idea memo section is made so that there's as little friction as possible by using the last page of the book, you can always rotate the book vertically to get your page spread orientation right. This memo section is just a list, with the date of when the idea was written and a bullet point of what the idea entails. You can always attach the page number to the heading when you explore that idea in detail in the front section of the book.

2. A to do list with a reward system

This one is fairly straight forward. Construct a to-do list of what needs to be done in the day and then make a margin at the bottom of the page with the heading "reward" and leave a checkbox next to it. Set yourself a rule, if you've managed to complete the urgent or all tasks, get yourself that 'reward' and check it off once you receive it. The reward can be something as simple as a desert or whatever you consider rewarding.

3. A memo that grants you the ability to deepen your understanding on a particular thing

If you heard or saw about something, odds are that you don't really understand it from the getgo. Especially now in the context of the pandemic where the rules set by the government regarding infection control ever changes day by day. Takahashi recommends taking memos on such things (but of course it can be applied to any topic at hand) to deepen your understanding on the matter. So the spread starts with the heading of the desired topic and you write down notes or details of said topic. A bullet point format would be things look cleaner and easier to refer to later in time.

4. Uneasiness/worry memo

When going about our daily lives, we come across many things that induces stress in us, as well as making us uneasy or worried about. In order to sort through our murky thoughts, it's best to get it all down on paper. By making these worries visible to the eye on paper, you're able to gain a 3rd person view about the matter. In doing so, you'll be able to see the ways of resolving the issue or making sense out of it, rationalizing it. You can always use the left side of the spread to list down the issues and the right side the solutions to said issues.

5. Cooping memo

In this spread, you list the number of things or ways to help you detoxify your stress away. By listing them down ahead of time, you save your head the trouble of trying to find such information since you're going through a stressful time. It could be something as simple as getting your favourite drink or going to that special place to even ordering that favourite dish of yours. Whatever works for you, it can be in any scale.

My way of using a small notebook

"Small notebook 1"

Any of these spreads can be implemented into the bullet journal but I'm quite particular and I like having excuses to use more stationeries and hence I got myself a passport-sized Traveler's Notebook.

Index page, with the page number and it's respective heading Unfortunately due to Covid, my living conditions changed for the worse, forcing me to live with a relative who practically takes a dump on my own mental health. And thus, I use writing as means of therapy and a way to sort out my thoughts. So, I use my small notebook as a means of understanding a mental health issue, breaking it down and thinking of ways to solve it. I also use it as a space to break down my monthly finances and stick in reminders for altered budgets cause on one unfortunate month I had to spend more because of emergencies.

I just dump down my troubles and add explanations to it to gain some perspective

I'll give this book a 7.5/10. It has a LOT of sample usages from many users but quite a number of them are common spreads that you'll find in the bullet journal community and thus I personally felt that my money was partially wasted. I quite like the idea of having a notebook small enough to be easily pulled out whenever I'm out and about, so this book opened my mind quite a bit in that regard. I'd recommend this book if you're a fan of Japanese stationery and would like to see how the locals use their notebooks.

I hope this post was of help to you. The book is sadly only available in Japanese. There are ebook versions for sale as well. AmazonJP (Kindle ver available): https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4768314570/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_937X6D1FFSBBQKB0ZTAN RakutenJP (no Kobo ver available): https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/16607928/

#book review #japanese stationery #stationery #bullet journal

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skrltwtch · 4 years ago

Text

Muse

Prompt 1: Just like some people sleep-walk, you tend to paint or draw while in your transformed state because it calms you down. And apparently, people really like your art.

Prompt 2: A is a popular artist, and B messages them without thinking one day. They didn’t expect to become friends, and they definitely didn’t expect to become more. Person B just felt that connection between the two of them.

Prompt 3: A/Werewolf has a tendency to curl like a dog in front of the fireplace a lot (usually in their werewolf form, but it’s not uncommon for them to do it as a human). (Sources in master list)

Word count: 3,721 words

Genre: Fluff, romance, supernatural

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

I put up with the long commute to and fro between home and work for two reasons, and two reasons alone: the decent rent for a place with a picturesque view and that catered to my monthly needs, and the glut of time to catch up on my reading. And by ‘reading’, I meant ‘scrolling through the handful of social media feeds that survived my latest cull of shit that was taking up my time and storage space unnecessarily, and occasionally attempting (and failing) to pay attention to my Kindle’. Hey, at least I was aware I had a problem …?

Instagram was my first hit of the day. I flicked past images of makeup, friends in situations I wouldn’t be finding myself in anytime soon, and cute animals. The occasional meme and comic draw out an exhalation of air from my nostrils. I marvelled at artwork and photography, half wishing I were half as good as the people I followed and admired, half chiding myself for not practising either enough and losing interest quicker than I’d dropped money on new equipment in the name of my new endeavours. You could say one of my hobbies, the ones I’d been consistent about, was amassing gadgets obtained to indulge my whims and fancies.

My heart skipped a beat — or was it the pothole the bus went over? — when I came across a new post by George. I didn’t know him personally to refer to him by his first name like that, but hadn’t social media broken down boundaries between people, making them seem closer to each other than they really were? He was an illustrator whose work I chanced upon on Reddit a while back. His portfolio was a patchwork of subjects, often portraits, rendered mostly in traditional media like watercolour and oil paint. He sometimes shook things up with abstract, contemplative pieces. He had something for almost everyone. For me, it was his attractive, angular yet distinctive faces and statuesque figures, use of watercolour, and versatility: one piece could be superhero fanart, followed by a collection of moody, atmospheric paintings of the English landscape with some fantastical additions.

It also helped that he seemed to be a nice, chill person, and a handsome one at that, too, based on the smattering of pictures he had of himself on his feed. Please, let me imagine a world in which someone as ideal as him — or what I knew about him — wasn’t beholden to anyone for a moment.

His latest post was a drippy bust of a snarling wolf with full moons for eyes. The caption simply read: ‘Mood.’ I smirked as I hit the like button. Did I mention that he drew wolves a lot as well? Sometimes his wolves were feral; sometimes they were humanoid, but still wild. The latter featured heavily in his conceptual works, albeit as hazy, indistinct forms, like blurry photographs. In any case, I liked that he had a fondness for wolves and werewolves, as the constant presence of the full moon in art of the latter would suggest. Anyone who liked wolves was a-okay in my book. Anyone who liked werewolves was even more so. Because.

An interrupted connection between my brain and my reflexes led me to visit his profile. Instead of returning to my feed, my thumb gravitated toward the message button at the top of the screen. Not a single cell in my body resisted this turn of events despite the restored connection. Oh, what the hell. Why not? Like, what were the chances he’d read my message? He had tens of thousands of followers, a likely considerable chunk of them being bots aside. He must receive DMs every other minute. I’d be another sycophant in his sea of fans. Or he’d see my homely mug and locked profile, and he’d think I was driven to add to his never-ending count of unread messages simply out of misguided thirst.

The beauty of the Internet was that it made ‘out of sight, out of mind’ fairly easy to put into practice.

I got the following out of my system and into his inbox: ’Hi! Hope you’re doing well. I’ve been following your Instagram for a while, and your latest post just made me want to say your art is amazing. (I can totally identify with the sentiment behind it.) I especially love your more abstract pieces. There’s something so … raw about them. And I like that you seem to like wolves a lot, too. They’re beautiful animals, and your art really captures that about them. Anyway, keep up the great work! Take care.’

I exited Instagram, not caring about the rest of my feed anymore and not wanting to feel like I was stalking my notifications for something that’d never come. My phone buzzed with several notifications as I went down my Reddit homepage. I swiped away the banners with green icons that pelted the top of my screen. Those could wait. What couldn’t were the banners stating that I had a new message and a new follower request from —

‘Oh, my God!’ I said, loudly enough for me to hear my own voice above my music (the chorus of Walk the Moon’s ‘Shut Up and Dance’ at half of maximum volume, so … loud). Not one soul on this lightly populated bus acknowledged my exclamation — not even the woman sitting next to me. (Come on, lady, the front was mostly empty.) Thank God for technology making hermits of us all. Or my sudden outburst paled in comparison to the shit that could happen and had happened on public transport. When you took long journeys as I did every day, you’d see some real shit in due time, too.

I launched Instagram for the second time this morning (stop judging, Screen Time) and the first time ever with trembling hands. The notifications were real. I approved his request first. My mind raced to recollect anything on my profile that might make him regret his decision to let my piddling photos of food, myself, my cat, and random junk take up precious space on his feed. Nope, couldn’t think about that now, because I was now staring at an actual, honest-to-God message from George:

’Hey! Thanks for reaching out, and thank you for your kind comments. They mean a lot to me, especially what you said about my experimental stuff and wolves. They are stunning creatures, aren’t they? And yeah, I drew that last picture after a particularly rough night. You could call it a self-portrait of sorts, I suppose.’

I snorted. Change the fur colour and make the eyes normal, and it was a portrait of myself every full moon. Okay, not something I could tell someone I just met, let alone a popular artist on the Internet …

Before I could recover from the shock that my inbox held an actual, honest-to-God message from George Holden (that was his last name — the oxygen made it to my brain for me to remember that he had his last name on his profile), he sent another one: ’Anyway, how are you? I took a look at your profile, and it looks like we have quite a number of things in common.’

What, really? No way. Was it the lashings of sweet treats I subjected my stomach to every weekend? The horror and science fiction titles, celebrity memoirs, and comics, sometimes paired with an iced coffee at either a café I put down roots for the afternoon or the one-bedroom house in Waltham Forest I called home, I showcased to put forth some form of air of intellectualism? The cross-stitch projects featuring memes and popular culture icons? His profile was quite barren of anything that could provide insight into what else he enjoyed doing besides his art. Which, hey, was perfectly fine: no one was obligated to share their personal life online.

I replied, ’I’m fine, thank you. I’m on my way to work. Favourite part of my day, really. And really? Like what?’

Most of my notifications that day were from him.

✦✧✦✧

I was a bustling hub of activity in my seat: A sip of my drink. A shake of my knee. A lift of my phone. A turn of my neck. A shift of my weight from one butt cheek to the other. I was certain I was generating enough electricity to power a lightbulb in five-second intervals. I couldn’t help it. I was so, so excited — and so, so nervous. This was my and George’s first time meeting each other in person. There’d be no screen between us. Actually, what difference would that make? We’d been talking to each other for months, either through text or video calls, the latter more common in the weeks leading up to today. We’d seen each other even on our ‘I’ll put on a clean shirt, brush my hair, and hope for the best’ days. What could either one of us do in person that would irrevocably alter our friendship for the worse? Well …

The sound of someone entering the café stopped me from starting on a list of things that I could do to fuck things up. I looked up, probably the seventh time I did so in the last ten minutes. This was on me. I grossly overestimated the amount of time it’d take me to get somewhere as usual; a natural by-product of living far from the city. Seventh — probably — time was the charm: it was George — and right on the dot, too. His punctuality added to his attractiveness, which had already gone through the roof and was heading straight into the stratosphere. I bit my lip to suppress any unfortunate exclamations. He was a friend, Evelyn … just a friend, and I had no illusions otherwise.

I called out to him. He waved at me and joined me at the table I picked out for us. And the second our eyes met, devoid of any barrier between us, everything about him — and everything about us — clicked.

He was just like me.

And I was just like him.

And he was as astonished about it as I was, going by the long silence that passed between us, a first since we got to know each other.

‘Hi! Oh, my God, it’s so good to finally meet you!’ I said with a grin to break the tension. He broke out into a smile, his posture relaxing. Success. Should I go in for a handshake? No, that’d be too stuffy for a months-old friendship. A hug? No, that’d be too intimate for a months-old friendship, and an online one, too, no less. Was it obvious this was my first time meeting someone I met online?

‘It’s good to meet you, too,’ he said, his expression of cheer unabating. ‘I’m going to get myself a drink first, and then we can shoot the shit.’ His smile turned into a grin. ‘Do you want anything? My treat,’ he added as he spotted me reaching for my wallet.

‘I was thinking a red velvet muffin, please.’ I didn’t know why I didn’t get one earlier. ‘Thank you.’

‘No problem. I’ll be right back.’

As he left, my nerves turned into happiness that I met another werewolf. It was rare to meet other werewolves just about anywhere. What were the odds that two werewolves, one of whom was Internet-famous, would become friends because the other one had a brain fart one morning to send a message to the Internet-famous one? You couldn’t make this shit up. In all the years I’d been a werewolf, George was the first one I knew. I didn’t even know the one that turned me. I got bitten one night, and that was my life changed forever. I figured everything out on my own — I had to. And my puny social network of werewolves made sense: this wasn’t exactly the kind of thing anyone would advertise about themselves.

Once George settled down and courtesies were out of the way, the first thing out of his mouth was ‘I never thought I’d meet another one like me’.

I moved my chair closer to him so that we could speak at length about what we were without the fear of being overheard. ‘Me neither.’ Then it hit me, and I quickly said, ‘It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it, though.’ Personally, I was okay with what I was. No existential dread here, contrary to what one might expect of a werewolf. It happened. I learnt to manage it in a way that made it not have any kind of significant impact on my life. I refused to let it define me. And honestly, I lived for particularly bad days that coincided with full moons.

‘Are you kidding me?’ His face lit up with boyish glee. ‘I’ve been waiting for this day for so long! As in, us meeting up in person for the first time and me getting to know another werewolf. Two birds, one stone: the only kind of killing I endorse. And I’m so fucking chuffed it’s you. I always felt like I could talk to you about anything, and now that really, really means anything.’ It was his turn to be able to power a light bulb, but in twenty-second intervals this time.

‘Same. How were you turned?’

‘I was bitten during a camping trip with friends a couple of years back. You?’

‘Secondary school. I was walking home from the library.’

‘Shit, that was some time ago, huh?’

‘Almost half my life a werewolf.’

‘Do you know the werewolf that did it?’

‘Nope. How about you?’

He shook his head. ‘Nah. Kind of sucks, doesn’t it, that you’ll never get to know the person who’s changed your life so … deeply? They won’t remember either that they turned someone. If only having kids was like that, yeah? Absolutely no sense of responsibility whatsoever.’ He gave his teaspoon a lazy twirl, causing a faint plume of milk to rise and sink into the dark, bittersweet depths from whence it came. ‘I struggled with what I’d become the first couple of months. The transformations were one thing.’ Oh, yeah. ‘I felt … grotesque. God, the amount of self-pity, like, why was I the only one who had to go through this every month when there were four other guys ripe for the picking? So, I decided to start incorporating wolves in my art to get to know and reclaim that part of me. I didn’t want to see it as something ugly. I mean, you get to experience a kind of rebirth every month. That’s extraordinary if you think about it. And I told myself that like myself, the wolf didn’t ask to be born. Ha, ha. Millennial humour. Anyway. Then the most miraculous thing happened one full moon: I woke up next to a coherent painting that wasn’t there the night before.’

‘Oh, my God.’

‘Right? My more artsy stuff? The ones I hate coming up with captions for? Almost all done while I was transformed. I’d started some of my art — bet you can’t guess which one — on full moons, too, and I finished them after I changed back. It’s as if the wolf knew we were now cool with each other.’ He took a big chunk out of his apple crumble and jammed it into his mouth. ‘Sorry if that sounded like spiritual woo-woo. I’ve been wanting to tell someone about this forever.’ Crumbs fell out of his mouth as he spoke. ‘Shit, I’m such an’ — he shot me an impish look as he swallowed — ‘animal, aren’t I? Fuck, I can make stupid references like that now, and someone would get it!’

I laughed. He was such a dork. ‘It’s not “spiritual woo-woo”. It’s amazing. How is that even possible?’

‘I have no idea.’ He held out his hands in front of him. ‘So thankful we get to keep our hands and not have them turn into paws.’ He waggled his thumbs. ‘Fuck, yeah, opposable thumbs. And I want to say it’s like when artists get high and make stuff. I do know artists who do that, and hey, no judgment. To them, I do the same thing, too.’

‘And here I am, feeling accomplished whenever I make it through another full moon without waking up in a trashed place. Seriously, that’s amazing.’

‘I think that’s what’s keeping me from losing it while transformed. I was surprised people liked those pieces when I started posting them, considering they’re such far departures from what I usually post.’

‘That explains why they’re so … visceral.’

‘Yeah? I figure you’d appreciate them even more now.’ He smirked. ‘And you know, no one really talks about my wolf art, and especially my werewolf pieces. Maybe if I didn’t make them blurry and made them more explicit …’ Oh, he’d get a different breed of followers altogether. ‘But that’s fine. I don’t want my lycanthropy to define me and my work. It’s just a part of who I am.’

‘My turn to say something possibly corny: I like your wolf art because … they make me feel seen, because they’re drawn by you.’

He put a hand on his chest. ‘That’s not corny. I’m happy my art makes you feel that way. You know I don’t care about the likes or comments. It just so happens I like drawing things that make me get likes and comments.’ He pushed his plate toward me and motioned at me with his fork to try some of his apple crumble. I obliged him. ‘Did you ever suspect anything? Not that, you know, I purposely drew wolves and werewolves as a kind of signal for other werewolves to pick up on. That’d be giving me way too much credit.’

‘No, I just thought you like wolves a lot.’

‘Same here. What you said about wolves being beautiful creatures when you messaged me the first time … that made me feel something, too.’

‘Then I’m very glad we got to be friends,’ I said. Born from the same blip in brain activity that set us on this path, my hand found itself on top of his. His touch had a pleasant, almost familiar heat to it.

‘Me too.’ He turned his hand over and clasped mine.

‘I have an idea,’ I said, mostly to distract myself from how right this felt. ‘Do you want to meet on the next full moon?’

‘Sure. I can’t wait to see what kind of inspiration will strike with another werewolf around.’

‘Your place, then?’

He nodded. ‘Unless you’re cool with me possibly trashing your place with paint and stuff. That hasn’t happened before, but who knows? What if wolf-me doesn’t like change?’

I stared at him in disbelief.

‘I can’t help it. You have no idea what kind of beast this has unleashed. Oops.’

We sat and talked in the café the entire afternoon; we took turns treating each other to food and drinks to justify our occupancy. Our conversation moved on to other topics besides the one special, biggest thing we had in common. Just like we didn’t want it to define who we were as people, we made a promise to each other, and we did so over a strawberry custard tart, that we wouldn’t let it become the foundation of our friendship from this point on. It’d be unfair to the moments we shared before this. We were friends because we cared about each other, we brought out the best in each other, we could truly be ourselves around each other, and, honestly, I didn’t think anyone else would have the patience for his goofy in-jokes.

✦✧✦✧

I lay in front of the fireplace, rejoicing in the warmth it offered on this cool night, while George was working on his newest painting. Since getting to know each other in these forms, we’d been able to exercise better control. For me, that meant greater peace of mind; for him, that meant a more refined grasp of his artistic sensibilities. As with much about our condition, we didn’t question this. What could possibly be a drawback of us spending more time in each other’s company? I now understood why animals curled up by a fire was a common sight in media and real life, too. Wait, what if this, and not George’s presence, was what I’d been missing all my life?

My tail wagging like a fiend when I felt his breath on my skin begged to differ. I licked his face. He gently parted my lips and slid his tongue onto mine. Our tongues engaged each other in a playful scuffle; the fire crackling in the background could only dream of coming close to causing the rise in temperature in the pit of my stomach. The tussle between our tongues didn’t get to turn into something more: he’d had a long night. I nuzzled him to convey reassurance. He lay down beside me and wrapped his arms around me, his hold firm yet tender. We fell asleep like this, keeping each other warm long even after the fire had died out.

We wished each other a good morning with a kiss — no, two kisses, and we got ourselves ready for the day. As we were having breakfast, George piped up, ‘Do you want to see what I painted last night, love? I’m really proud of it, and I think you’d love it, too.’

I nodded excitedly, my mouth too full of scrambled egg to speak.

He returned as quickly as he’d left the table. His hands held on to a painting … of me curled up by the fire last night. The figure was the clearest, most detailed he’d ever done; the lighting was phenomenal. ‘It’s beautiful,’ I said, tearing up a little, frankly. ‘I love it. It’s going to look so good in our new place’, along with the recent paintings he’d made of a similar nature. He’d come so far from the gauzy forms that once populated his attempts at capturing his — our — condition on canvas.

‘Of course, when I have the most stunning model.’ He gave me a peck on the cheek. ‘I love you, my muse, my mate.’

#exophilia #terato #werewolf #monster love #monster romance #mine #fun fact #I wrote this story in early october last year #and it's kind of truth in television for me now

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