#my favourite middle grade books

[amiablesummer]

my favourite stories - 2/? - The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Time, Kate was learning, was like a river. You might put up obstacles, even divert it briefly, but the river had a will of its own. It wanted to flow a certain way. You had to force it to change. You had to be willing to sacrifice.

[emmyspov]

I just sorted everything away from this semester and also obviously stumbled across my notes and ideas for my journal article and like- it's such a bittersweet thing.

I would have loved to do this, would have loved to do more research on EDs and advocate on the topic from an academic pov and maybe make the world a tiny tiny bit better, but I am so glad that i do not have to - I don't have to worry about all this extra work and stress on top of my studies and my job.

But it also makes me so sad because I remember my very first semester at university and how excited I was. God I would have given everything to be successful and make a career here - and I did give everything. And now, 3.5 years later, I see what that did to me and I just wish that no one ever puts their job or their studies or anything really above themselves. Which is so hard in our societies nowadays, I know that, too.

And sometimes I think I should have just pushed through. What's one and a half more years? Maybe I could have done it, just to make a difference. But then I remember Gandalf's quote in the hobbit

I have found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.

So maybe, just maybe, I don't have to work until utter exhaustion to be good and helpful. Maybe, just being kind is enough. And that thought is a lot more comforting than me thinking I have to achieve something great in order to be worth it.

[neil-gaiman]

Hi Neil!

I’m quite new to the Good Omens Universe (only watched it for the first time around 6 months ago), but I’ve quickly become obsessed with it.

I work in a nursery, and while I was researching children’s books to buy for the nursery, I came across ‘Chu’s First Day at School’ and I got very confused.

I read a lot of your books (unknowingly) as a child/teen (the Graveyard Book, Coraline, etc etc) but I had no idea that you wrote a book for young children. I also watched American Gods back when it first came out and loved it, and had no idea that you wrote the book!

Do you have a favourite book/novel that you’ve written? I imagine it’s quite difficult to choose, so if it’s such an impossible question - do you have a favourite book that you’ve read?

You’re a huge inspiration to me, so thank you for all you’ve done! Have a great day :)

There are a few books for small children.

I just nipped over to the Mousecircus.com site, and it lists 11 Picture Books for younger readers:

(And 18 Middle Grade books, and 6 Teen books.)

I don't really have a favourite. Or if I do, it changes depending on my mood.

[gayferrari]

Hi Elle!! not sure if you saw charles’s latest interview w sportsweek where they asked him 25 favorite things and he said his favorite book was “that’s why my name is giovanni” by luigi garlando - i tried doing some research but don’t know a ton about it bc everything’s in Italian! I’m just so curious what type of reader charles is/wants to present himself as. Is it an acclaimed book, a required reading in school type book in Italy, etc? I think it’s so interesting first of all that he mentioned an Italian book and not a French language one!

I saw it! I was also surprised but in retrospect, I shouldn't have been, tbh. It's a "read for school" kind of novel about Giovanni Falcone, an Italian magistrate who was killed by the mafia in a terror attack in 1992. He's a very influential figure in recent Italian history and a very inspiring story; the book itself targets young readers but it's definitely readable for adults. I actually asked my mum about it (she's an Italian lit middle school teacher and she's very keen on civic education in the classroom) and she says she loves it and ofc she made multiple classes of students read it.

Some thoughts

It's a bit of a random choice but not the kind of Critically Acclaimed Novel you bring up to look sophisticated. You wouldn't make up something like that

It's definitely a Book That Means Something though, which I think says something about what he spends his time reading (or what he thinks makes a good answer)

It hasn't been translated into other languages so he'd have read it in Italian

If you asked me to make up a whole spectrum of book taste from this book I'd say: middle-grade but adults enjoy it a lot. There's an AU Charles who loved Serge Bussolo's Peggy Sue books as a teen instead of Harry Potter

I saw the quote I was surprised for 4 seconds then I remembered he loves Where's The Love because it was his dad's favourite song and I went "You know what. It tracks"

Please DO read up on Giovanni Falcone if you are intrigued. He's a national hero in so many ways

[thinkingotherwise]

Kuro Tetsuro, his s/o, and their first kiss

My man <3 I had to write for him, just had to make him the first character from Haikyuu I post for.

Other captains

Kuro was an interesting person, to say the least. Additionally, or maybe, because of that, he attracted just as unique people, keeping them as his friends. You, being one of them.

You met Kuro during your junior high school days, and the moment he got to know your home was near his and Kenma's he decided to befriend you. Of course, being his friend you couldn't escape his favourite sport.

There were tens, if not hundreds, of times when he made you go with him and play volleyball, even if you weren't really interested in it. Other times you would either watch as Kenma had to join him instead of you, or the three of you played together.

You actually enjoyed watching them play rather than stumble trying to hit the ball yourself. There was just something in the way he enjoyed the sport. His grins and excited eyes every time he did exceptionally well during his matches. Even his prideful and cocky personality seemed to enchant you. It was just him and him alone that had that effect on you.

You liked Tetsuro, liked his every side, no matter how irritable he could be sometimes. If you had to pick one you loved the most, it would be his nerdy side, because of his passion for volleyball, which made him simply cool, and his knowledge about chemistry, which seemed to even his cool personality, as if he couldn't be too cool. And as it wasn't all because of his big brain and surprisingly great grades in the subject, it was his puns. His usually cringy and eye-rolling puns.

Sometimes you wondered if the puns came from his friendship with Bokuto, as the owl captain seemed like a person who liked to joke, but it may as well be Fukunaga, who although was silent, his interest in jokes was well known.

You used his talent for chemistry, with his approval, or more like with him telling you to. Tetsuro proposed to help you out when he noticed the poor score on one of your tests. It first had him laughing his hyena laugh before he turned to you and told you.

"You're a lost cause. Thankfully, I'm kind enough to become your tutor."

So you did use him, as he wanted, participating in the little tutoring sessions between you two. Did they work? Maybe.. Hard to tell, as he tried his best to explain the stuff to you, and your grades were better but...

"Is it any good?" You asked hopefully after finishing some exercises from the workbook. You pushed it to your left and toward him on the table and he grabbed it.

You put your pencil in your mouth biting on it as you saw his face twisted and eyes narrowed in focus. His pencil tapped on the workbook before he looked up and turned to you.

"Nah, not really, here I'll explain it again." Tetsuro said moving the book back in front of you as he started explaining the theory and exercise to you.

Even when you sometimes didn't get it at first and he had to talk you through the topic again.

You really appreciated him for that and it made you happy that he would spend some of the free time, he could spend playing volleyball, to help you.

"Hey, no worries. Just be like a proton." He said in the middle of his explanation and at the exact moment you started feeling like you didn't get anything once again.

'Oh no..' You thought knowing pretty well what was coming. Still, you couldn't help a small "What?" leaving your mouth.

You slowly turned to look at him with his stupid grin on his face.

"Stay positive." He giggled right after the line and you felt something in you break.

Unfortunately, although he was smart and very knowledgeable, he was still your idiotic Tetsuro. And it meant situations like that were happening regularly...

"Ugh.." A groan left you as your hand moved to your temple and massaged it slowly.

"I got more." His enthusiastic voice called and before you could say anything he continued. "What do you call an acid with an attitude?"

Your silence didn't stop him. On the contrary, it fueled his need for your approval.

"A-mean-o Acid."

"Tetsu." You said slowly.

Your gaze moved to him to see his proud face looking at you with that smile. It seemed like your look was too little to dishearten him. Tetsuro moved closer to you placing his elbow on the table and leaning his head on the palm.

"What emotional disorder does a gas chromatograph suffer from? Separation anxiety." He answered to his own joke lazily, all while his eyes were stuck on you.

"Tetsuro please." Your begging voice echoed in the room making him chuckle.

And sometimes when he started he didn't know when to finish. The puns seemed neverending, you wondered where he got them from.

He sat up momentarily and leaned even closer to you.

"Wait, are all these jokes too basic for you?"

You felt your fist tightening as irritation started to gather inside you.

"Because I see no reaction."

'Please someone stop this.' You prayed in your mind.

You turned to your workbook and placed the tip of pencil on the exercise you had to correct.

"Can we go back to the-" You were cut off by his quick mouth.

"I wish I was adenine. Then I could get paired with U."

That was it, you've had it with him. You looked at him determined smacking the pencil down on the table.

His grin grew as he thought you finally liked his little pun.

"How did you-"

It was your turn to cut him off as you grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. Your mouth smashed against his keeping him silent.

Tetsuro was shocked at your move but soon smiled into the kiss and pushed his lips against yours. His hand moved to your face as his forefinger curled under your chin.

The moment you pulled away and your eyes opened you noticed the awed gaze in his. He breathed deeply and for a moment it was silent. Finally, he was silent, with no more chemistry puns. Just him looking at you, at your flustered face but unwavering gaze.

Unfortunately, the silence was quickly gone as Tetsuro broke it with his curious voice.

"Oya? What was that for? Not that I mind."

You held his gaze.

"To shut you up. Seriously, how many chemistry jokes do you know?" You answered.

"You want to check?"

Your eyes widened not believing he had more of them. This man had to search the internet to get to know so many of them. (I know I did)

"Do you want me to make you my bromine and oxygen?" He asked and resigned you waited for him to finish.

He smirked tapping the periodic table that was placed next to your workbook. You sighed your gaze searching for the two chemical elements.

"BrO?" You asked confused.

"Of course, I'd prefer something different." Tetsuro flirted with you his finger moving to your forearm and running along it.

"Then shush and help me understand this." You smacked his hand away.

Your hand moved back to the pencil you left on the table and you picked it pointing it at him.

"If I pass my exam then we can go on a date." You declared and he straightened in his seat.

"Oya? Oya?" Your words certainly got his attention.

"Focus! And no more fun facts till we finish."

The smile fell off his face.

"But I think these jokes are sodium funny."

"Tetsu, stop."

Nevertheless, you loved him, his passionate, charming, heck even his nerdy side.

[jediwizard]

It's crazy how Alice creates the most diverse but also relatable characters. There are characters of different sexual orientations, different races, genders, mental illnesses, family life and eating disorders. They're all so different??? but there's something that binds them all together. For example, I relate to Tao and his love for films but I also relate to Georgia with her loyalty to her friends, and I relate to Tori but I relate to Frances and her obsession to do well in school and not be a disappointment, but I relate to Lister but I... They're all different, but there's something so familiar about them and you can see similar traits in each of them in yourself. you're never just one character, but a perfect mix of a bunch of them. I feel like a collage or mosaic of my favourite characters. Not just the four of them, but all the characters, like Aled Last, Micheal Holden and Elle Argent.

Alice Oseman's characters radiate comfort and warmth. Her books give the same vibes as curling up in you're cozy messy bed after an exhausting day at school or work, buried under a mountain of blankets when it rains or snows outside. The months between September and February when the sun sets early and you get to wear extra layers of clothes like that oversized black hoodie to cover your face from the unfamiliar or jean jacket covered in fandom pins. Returning to your room filled with artifacts from your childhood, old middle-grade fantasy books you haven't touched in like four years but wouldn't sell or donate because they mean too much, book reports and DIY science projects from 3rd grade and that movie poster filled haven where you could leave the stresses of the real world behind.

All the lights are off, except for those fairy string lights above your bed. You're sipping a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate, rereading your old favourite books you loved as a teenager and watching that old favourite film that you've seen so many times that you can remember all the dialogue to, but you watch it anyway. Listening to that carefully curated 90s indie rock playlist from 2019 to drown out and forget the world outside. listening to artists like cavetown, girl in red, the 1975, Arctic monkeys, phoebe bridgers and the smiths. staying up wayyyy too late, the only light being the screen of your laptop or phone, reading fan fiction on AO3 while your whole family's asleep. That warmth and authenticity that you don't find much in modern media. The nostalgia. How she accurately portrays what actual teenagers are like, both the good and the bad. and every other feeling in between. confusion and the odd feelings of growing up, especially how characters like georgia and Nick never realized their sexualities until later (it can be nerve-wracking to figure something out), but also people who have known who they are since forever like frances and charlie. knowing yourself but also feeling like a complete stranger in your body. i don't know how, but even if you're reading it for the first time, @chronicintrovert books have the feeling of returning home.

[bewitchedbywords]

Teen Romance Prompts

+ Sorry for being inactive. I'm trying, I promise. Send requests pls so I have something to write 🙏

¥•₩•¥

1.) The classic jacket lending. Scary amusement park? Character A gave Character B their jacket and they look over at Character B, who's hiding their face in it. ADORABLE.

2.) After a party, taking care of drunk Character B. Character A takes off Character B's make-up, brushes their hair, changes them into something comfy, and puts them to bed.

3.) Acro-Yoga putting them in a very awkward situation (James and Anna, we love you)

4.) Characters A&B live in a small town, and they walk up to the lake together. Playful wrestling turns into pushing the other into the lake.

5.) Middle of the night with their friend group, dumbass Character B climbs a rock & falls. Character A quickly helps them up, checking them for injuries, which makes their entire friend group ship them.

6.) While sitting next to eachother in math class, Character A checks Character B's paper.

7.) Character A learns that Character B's favourite book series is (____) and proceeds to finish it in three days to be able to talk to Character B more. (I did this for my crush in 5th grade, btw)

8.) Midnight trip to Target and Character A pushea Character B around in the cart.

9.) Character B being closed off and quiet, and Character A is only calm around them as not to overwhelm Character B.

10.) Being good with the other characters' younger siblings, omfg, marry me, please

Love yall 🫶 no credit required, but still tag me bc I would LOVE to read your writing.

[dragonbarbie]

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏 𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 - modern!aemond targaryn x reader

rating: 18+, minors dni

summary: academic rivals, where revision has the same rules as strip poker

word count: 3.8k

tags: mature content, smut, modern!au, reader being petty and competitive, aemond also being petty and competitive, guest appearance by aegon

note: this is like… my first attempt at writing smut so ….*clown emoji* anyway hope you like it

y/n was used to being number 1. all throughout high school, be it history or physics – she had the highest grade in every class and was managing to do so without much effort, really. she hadn’t expected that to change when she landed her dream university, dragonstone. but when she arrived she had the rude shock of getting acquainted with aemond targaryen. first day of their valyrian history class, she had expected to impress her professor with the extensive knowledge on the subject that had been one of her favourites in high school, but when she found herself being beaten to the punch by the blonde bastard, she took an instant dislike to him.

pettily enough, as everyone was leaving the class, she made a show of saying “suck-up” in a not so quiet whisper as she passed him by. “excuse me?” his condescending, posh tone made her eyes roll. “all i did was answer his questions. i wasn’t the one gushing about the books he had written.” he sharply pointed out. “whatever.” she tried to brush off the retort. “if you’re so jealous, maybe actually read before class next time, instead of whining.” he coolly stated as he stalked off, leaving her behind as she gritted her teeth and glared at his striding figure.

from that point onwards, every class that she shared with him, she made a deliberate effort to work extra hard for. she went beyond just the recommended readings, she would write extra few hundred words for every essay, and for every test she would spend hours in preparation. still, frustratingly, all of this effort only made her good competition for him and not the outright winner. it seemed that aemond targaryen was in fact used to going beyond just the bare minimum, she didn’t ever see him take a break. if he wasn’t at the library, she found him sweating it out on the track field. his perfection was downright annoying.

what her friend baela found annoying, was the detail with which y/n would observe (obsess over) his daily behaviour and then rant about it to her. by the time finals week was on the horizon, she was just about done with y/n’s obsession.

y/n had been in the middle of ranting about how she had caught aemond revising for finals on the treadmill, when baela slammed the book that was open in front of her with frustration. “why don’t you just join him then?” she sarcastically asked, earning a “yeah right” from y/n who returned back to her notes as she realised that all this talk of her rival had clearly seemed to drive her friend to the point of irritation. “actually… why not?” though she had asked the question rhetorically, baela soon realised that perhaps that wasn’t such a crazy idea after all. y/n, did not share that understanding. she blinked back at her “i’m sorry am i supposed to say something or just wait in silence while you regain your senses. what are you talking about?”

“you said it yourself, you study better with a partner. and i don’t have any of the same classes as you.” the thought of baela having fun studying marine biology while y/n had to suffer aemond targaryen’s presence all alone at the history department was a point that brought her great sadness each day. “he does. and you have to admit it, he’s pretty good.”

as soon as y/n opened her mouth with a retort right on her tongue, baela silenced her with one pointed sentence “i have one reply to all your objections — keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

oh, y/n thought, she’d never thought of it that way. “besides,” baela reopened the book she had shut, “this way you can keep an even closer eye on his schedule.” she teased.

☆…━━━━━·:*☆…━━━━━·:*☆…━━━━━·:*☆

aemond somehow didn’t need to lift his eye to know who it was that had approached the corner library desk that had become his unofficial residence for finals weeks. “can i help you, l/n?” he asked, as she stopped before him. “no, but i can certainly help you, targaryen.” she announced, pulling out the chair across from him and putting her laptop bag down on the desk. he wordlessly raised his brow as she made herself comfortable. “look—” she knew that selling the idea to him was going to be just as hard as it was for it to be sold to her, but she was as stubborn as she was competitive, “—if we work together, our work will be halved. i can beat your ass at history of tyrosh and the origins of dorne any day of the week, and you are marginally better than me at valyrian history and aegon’s conquest. i am proposing that we sit and quiz each other on the exam portions and that way we’re both covered for our weaker subjects.”

she did not like the smug smirk that overcame his face at the suggestion. “so, you’ve come here to grovel for my help?” she could punch his perfect white teeth in. “look you little shit, while everyone on campus will be sweating and crying and chugging copious amounts of energy drinks to survive this week – we could be sailing through it, if we do this. our rivalry’s entertaining and all, but the stress of finals week will make even your fabulous hair fall out.”

“hmm.” he considered her words for a second. she rolled her eyes as he seemed to revel in making her wait for his response, “c’mon, targaryen, do it for the hair.” she was sure she saw his lips twitch upwards at her teasing.

“fine.” he finally gave in, causing y/n to sigh in relief, “but if you can’t keep up, i’m dropping you.” “likewise.” y/n promised.

she had to admit, studying with aemond was actually not that bad. their reading speed was similar, he kept her on her toes with his constant quizzing, and initially he had seemed to be singularly focused on the task at hand. as the days went on though, y/n found that they had actually started to talk of things beyond dead king and queens. “so, you’re like, related to the conqueror?” she asked as a manner of taking a break from their revision of her least favourite class, the conquest of westeros. “yeah, directly. he’s a great-great, times ten, grandfather.” he answered, turning the signet ring on his hand subconsciously. “that’s cheating, then. i’d be great at that class too if daddy had told me tales of grandpa aegon every night before bed.” she shrugged as she reached to grab the pot of black coffee, to refill her cup.

“well, ‘daddy’ didn’t even bother saying goodnight most nights, so let’s not attribute any of my success to him.” she looked up at him suddenly at the off-handed admission about his home life, but before she could really react, he added. “you just want there to be more to why i’m better than you, rather than accepting – i just am.” there was that smug smirk again, the one that she used to loath. but nowadays, that same smile was more playful than hostile, she had noted. “or, i’m trying to figure out if being an asshole is just who you are, or if it runs in your family. aegon burned half of westeros down to colonise it, so I’m leaning towards the latter.” “colonise?” he was clearly irritated at her choice of words. “one race of people, the valyrians, through violence made another race, the first men, submit to them. that’s the textbook definition of colonisation, is it not?” she raised her brow, inviting him to debate her. she knew it was the subject he felt most passionate about, and thus, it was the class where she would most often find herself playing devil’s advocate, for no reason other than to oppose whatever view aemond had taken. in their revision sessions, too, she liked to watch the passion light a fire in his eye whenever she would declare his opinion was wrong. he looked hot when he was academically pissed off.

“westeros was just different war lord states fighting for dominance until aegon united the seven kingdoms.” he firmly argued. “so what, that gave him open invite to just come and take over?” she challenged, crossing her arms with a self-satisfied grin at having gotten him so riled up already. he opened his mouth to throw his retort at her, when suddenly the door to aemond’s apartment, where they had been studying, swung open to disturb the proceedings.

she saw a man with platinum blonde hair that matched aemond’s stumbling as he entered the apartment with his arm around a beautiful girl, with black hair hanging down to her waist.

aemond, she noted, was visibly annoyed at this.

“oh, did we spoil your little study session?” the other man rhetorically asked, without any real remorse in his tone, his words slurring to indicate that he had been drinking. he sat himself down on the sofa next to y/n, uninvited, a move that inexplicably made aemond’s jaw tighten. “you must be my little brother’s study buddy, y/n. i know all about you, and i’m sure he’s told you nothing about me. i’m aegon, the nerd’s big bro.” y/n was immediately amused at the thought of this man, who was decked in a supreme tracksuit and who’s hair seemed to have been left uncombed, was the perfect, prim and proper aemond’s elder brother. “nice to meet you, aegon. are you studying at the university too?” “business major, yeah, graduating next year.” he replied stretching his hand to place it behind y/n. aemond snorted at his brother, “with the way your finals prep is going, i would not bother wasting money on a graduation gown.” he eyed the woman with whom aegon had entered, judgement clear in his eye.

“hey! i decided to follow your lead and i’ve asked cassandra here to be my study buddy. i’ve actually gone one step further than you and invented the best revision method.” he declared. aemond seemed to have no curiosity at his brother’s statement, but y/n asked “do tell.” aegon turned to her with a pleased smile, “it’s revision, but with strip poker rules.” he simply answered.

she raised a brow at his response, “as in…?” “as in you quiz each other, and every time one of you gets an answer wrong – you take an item of clothing off. it’s a win-win, if you get the answer right, good job, you know your shit. if you don’t…. well, its so much more fun if you don’t.” y/n had to purse her lips to suppress the laughter at the back of her throat.

at the sound of aemond packing up his books, she looked away from aegon to the younger brother. “let’s go to your dorm, y/n. he definitely doesn’t know his shit, and his ‘revision’ tends to be loud.”

☆…━━━━━·:*☆…━━━━━·:*☆…━━━━━·:*☆

as per y/n’s prediction, final’s week had indeed sailed by for aemond and her because of their revision sessions. they only had one exam left now, and it was the one they had both been dreading the most – historical methods. it was a subject that was so boring and plainly simple, that they knew it was easy enough to study for, but they could not bring themselves to revise something so mind-numbingly dull.

y/n, in her frustration, threw her notes on the table at aemond’s apartment. aemond, seated on the other end of the sofa from where y/n was lying on her back, shared her frustration, but he tended to be more stoic and was determined to finish the work on hand. “it’s just a few more topics, and then you never have to think about the subject ever again.” he tried to placate her. “it’s too boring, i can’t do it!” she complained bringing her hands up to her face in frustration. aemond couldn’t help but notice how the action made the t-shirt she was wearing ride up and expose soft skin just above her jean shorts, his eye remaining fixed on the spot for a second too long.

then, the mixture of a caffeine high and a boredom that was seeming like an unending chasm, gave birth to what y/n thought was a brilliant idea. she moved her fingers slightly, so only her eyes would poke out from behind them. “let’s try your brother’s idea.” she suddenly said, “i don’t think anyone has ever said that sentence before.” he remarked.

“i’m serious.” she sat up, as if to indicate her earnestness. “the ‘revision, but with strip poker rules’ idea, let’s try it.”

aemond’s expression was unreadable as she watched him, but she was certain she saw his adam’s apple move at the suggestion. “it’s a dumb idea.” he said, but his throat had gone dry at the thought.  y/n rolled her eyes, “that’s the point! it’ll break the monotony.” she crawled to his side of the sofa. “come on, aemond. don’t be a coward.” the suggestion of him even possibly being cowardly had clearly set off something in him. “fine.” he shut the book in his hand and placed it on the table.

they quizzed each other, and it was going much the same as their usual quizzing went, which disappointed y/n since it did not in fact break the monotony as she had wanted. that was until, in her over-confidence, she got a question wrong. “well…” aemond seemed to be very satisfied indeed at her wrong answer, “are you going to do the honours or are you ready to admit that you’re the only coward here?” he scanned the white t-shirt she was wearing, almost with hunger and an expectancy, y/n thought.

she pulled the shirt off over her head, and threw it right at his smug face, “i’m no coward.” he caught it with ease, and for a split second she was sure he smelling it as he held it to his face, before dropping it in his lap. when he looked at her now, he didn’t even attempt to hide how he was taking in her figure, as she sat exposed only in her black bra. knowing that she was being watched, she sat straighter, even as she muttered “pervert” but made no attempt to hide her form.

 “please, don’t even try to pretend like you don’t love it.” now, that did take her aback. sure, she had caught him looking at her chest or her ass many-a time over their study sessions, and had done nothing to stop it, but she hadn’t realised that he had in fact, caught her catching him when he looked. he knew she had allowed it all this while, unspoken.

the monotony was certainly broken now.

when it was next aemond’s turn to ask a question, he threw her an easy one, a question she had answered in class. but y/n shrugged and said, “i don’t know”, as an answer. aemond snorted at her, “yeah, you do.”

she simply laid on her back as she undid her shorts and slid them down her legs, eyes never leaving aemond’s as she did. he wet his lower lip with his tongue, and then bit down as he watched. his eye trailed her bare legs, up to her panties, with very little being left to his imagination now that she sat only in her underwear on his sofa.

“my turn” she had the perfect trick question in mind, and when he called her out, saying “there is no right answer to that”, she shrugged once again. “are you going to do the honours or are you ready to admit that you’re the only coward here?” she threw his words back in his face with a grin.

he didn’t seem to need a lot of convincing. he pulled off his shirt in one swift move, and y/n felt her stomach clench at the sight of defined muscles on pale skin. she took a minute to memorise his details before she asked him the next question, but she hadn’t even reached the end of it before aemond was unbuttoning his pants, answering the question by simply saying “don’t know, don’t care.” it seemed as if he was in a hurry, as if he had waited long enough for this moment.

y/n seemed to be in a hurry too, when she deliberately gave a rushed, wrong answer to his next question. she moved her knees to straddle him where he sat, able to feel everything through her own cotton panties over his satin boxers. “need some help with the bra hooks.” she said as an excuse for her action. he readily obliged, with his hands reaching behind her and unhooking her bra with ease, letting the material fall down to the floor. his hands trailed up from her waist to her chest, pale hands first covering and then roughly squeezing her breasts. she started to rock back and forth where she sat, her now wet panties grinding against his obvious bulge.

“it’s your turn to ask.” she breathlessly reminded him after a minute, “fuck revision.” he was trailing kisses around her collar bone, sucking hard enough to leave bruises, she was certain. ““fuck revision”? who are you and what have you done to aemond targaryen?” she chuckled. he only gave her a growl in return, as his arms snaked around her waist to hold her up and then place her back down, with her back hitting the soft sofa.

he hovered over her for a second, supporting himself on his knees as his fingertips traced her side. “you look so hot when you’re concentrating….” he murmured, seemingly out of nowhere, as his fingers found the waistband of her panties and hooked under them. “…and when you’re debating me….” he pulled the cloth over her legs, and his hand reached down to the wetness between her legs “… and especially, when someone tells you you’re right.” a shiver went down her spine she felt two of his cold fingers in her folds. “already so wet for me.” he chuckled.

“oh, would you stop being a tease and just…” at her complaint he withdrew his fingers suddenly, causing her to whine. “just what?” he asked, making her feel more frustrated with him than she had ever felt before. “did you really think i was going to let go of the perfect opportunity to make you beg for me? make you beg me, to fuck you?” oh, there was that stupid fucking smug smirk once again. Now, it was no secret that y/n had too much pride, especially when it came to facing off with aemond targaryen. but as she lay there, exposed and achingly wet, she decided she had to bury her pride to get what she wanted.

“aemond…” she swallowed, “fuck me.” that did not seem to give him what he wanted. he cocked his head to one side, “hmm. you’re missing something.” she huffed, thinking why he had to make this so difficult, and how satisfied he must be at getting her in this position. “aemond…fuck me….please.”

at that, he grinned. he bent down to be inches away from her face, “as you wish.”

she felt two of his fingers enter her suddenly, making her gasp. his fingers curled inside of her roughly, at the same time he started to kiss the side of her neck with more gentleness than she had expected of him. the dichotomy gave her a high. his fingers continued their assault, as her hands tangled themselves in his hair. “so tight…” he whispered against her ear, “how long have you been thinking about this, you little slut?” y/n could only hum back, not capable of formulating a well thought-out response.

Her legs clenched as he continued to dig his fingers inside of her with perfect rhythm. His thumb reached up to massage her clit, as her hand reach down to grab the arm that was inside of her, nails leaving scratch marks. A warmth spread around inside her stomach at the feeling.

when he suddenly pulled his fingers out, she groaned in frustration, “has anyone ever told you, you have no patience?” he tutted. y/n rolled her eyes as she sat forward and her hands moved to finally remove his boxers, “yes.”

with his boxers now discarded, he positioned her to lay back down on the sofa, her legs around his waist. his tip grazed her core, but he didn’t enter her which only added to her annoyance. “aemond, i swear to the old gods and the new, if you tease me for a second longer—” she was cut off by him slamming inside of her suddenly. “ah!” she moaned as he filled her, “that ought to shut you up.” he grunted, supporting himself by keeping a hand on the arm of the sofa that was beneath her head. “oh, gods… aemond…” she could feel him touching her spot, legs growing weaker with each thrust.

he was going at it with a ruthless pace, leaving her feeling helpless and satisfied at the same time. his mouth dipped and he began sucking on her nipple, his teeth grazing where she was sensitive, making her yelp in pleasure. she grabbed his shoulder, grip strong enough leave even more marks. as she felt his tongue circle the skin around her nipple, she made a mental note to tell his brother that she had come to agree that his method of revising was indeed ingenious.

“aemond…i’m…” she had begun to say, “yeah baby, almost there” he replied lifting his head to her face. he tucked a stray stand of her hair behind her ear, a gesture that felt more intimate than the sex. he placed his hand on her cheek before his lips finally met hers. she could taste the black coffee they had been drinking on his tongue, mixed with something minty like toothpaste. for all the roughness with which he fucked her, y/n realised that the kiss felt sweet, tender almost.

“fuck…” he said against her lips, and she could tell he was close too. “aemond…ah!” she reached her peak, just as he pulled out and finished on her stomach.

panting, breathless and sore, for once y/n did not have a retort in the presence of aemond targaryen. he seemed rather speechless too, as he remained above her, unspeaking but his eye refusing to leave her face. he seemed to be in deep thought, and just when he opened his mouth to speak, a different voice could be heard from down the hall.

“and you called my ‘revising’ loud.” aegon snorted, leaning against his bedroom door.

[lixslut]

apocalypse

read part 1 here

pure tooth-rotting fluff, subtle mentions of sex

the popular mean girl is failing in her classes, her teacher forces her to hire a tutor otherwise she wouldn’t make it into her dream college, what happens when she accidentally falls in love with her tutor?

1.1k

“your lips, my lips, apocalypse”

“last class finally,” i muttered to no one in particular, then proceeding to whine slightly when i remembered where i have to go straight after this. the library. my least favourite place on earth, everyone wants to be so different saying they love it, but it’s all bullshit to seem like a ‘smart kind book girl’ when in reality they are usually the spawns of satan. i never pretended to enjoy the library or reading, i would much rather go shopping or party or do something a normal teenage girl would do. the last time i remember reading was in 2nd grade when i read some book about a cat on a mat.

i silently groaned under my breathe when i recalled the reason why i was going in the first place, i’m going to be in my least favourite place, doing my least favourite thing, studying, or being tutored to be exact. great.

although i desperately didn’t want to go, i was curious to see who this mysterious boy was, i had never heard of him until today. was he a cousin to chris and nick? or was it just a coincidence that they had the same last name?

whatever, i didn’t care, i just wanted to get this shit over with and never have to do it again.

i walked slowly, dreading what was about to happen, to the library on the other side of the school.

i took a long deep breathe and forced myself to open the double doors of the building. it was quiet, too quiet almost, it made me uncomfortable. i was used to loud, chaotic places, like parties and clubs. but this was actually peaceful, i didn’t mind the silence filling the enclosed room.

the email stated that i should meet matthew at the back of the library, i huffed and trudged over there.

the only person i could see was a attractive man, i hadn’t ever seen him before so i just assumed he was in a different grade from me, he had brunette, messy, middle-parted hair, blue eyes, glasses that fit his face perfectly, pink plump lips. i had to admit he was a beautiful man.

“excuse me, do you happen to know anyone called matthew sturniolo? i was supposed to be meeting him here for tutoring,” i whispered with a small, sweet smile on my face, trying to gain the boys attention.

he stared up at me, his pupils dilating as he took in my appearance, he returned a grin at me, “yes that’s me.” he stated shyly and my eyes widened.

he was matthew sturniolo? maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“oh really? can i sit down?” i say pointing to the empty chair next to him.

“of course,” he patted the chair and pulled it out for me like a gentleman.

“hey, you don’t happen to be related to nick or chris sturniolo?” i questioned as i rested down on the seat.

“yeah, their my triplets brothers,” he laughed briefly seeming nervous to be so close to me.

“no shit!” i almost shouted, then realising i was in a library. i turned abruptly to look at him, “how come your never with them?” i asked confused.

“we aren’t very alike, i would much prefer to be sat alone reading then hang out with the cool people.” he smiled softly at me before returning to do his homework.

“how come i’ve never seen you around, not even in the hallways or anything?” i said, popping a piece of strawberry gum into my mouth, he watched as i did so.

“i don’t know, i usually go to class 10 minutes early so that’s probably why.” matt observed closely as i blew a bubble.

“ah yes, thats why.” i giggled slightly as i ran my fingers through my silky hair and gazed at him, “should we start the work then?” i said pulling out my textbook from my bag.

“o-oh yes,” he stuttered nervously, blushing, fumbling a pen from his pocket. he began teaching me about algebra and pi and other useless stuff i would never use again in life, although a subtle but noticeable tension lingered between us.

i would never usually go for a nerd like him, but something about the boy made me feel drawn to him, like i wanted to learn more about his personality. he had probably never felt the touch of a woman before, but that only made things more exciting. knowing the fact i could be the first to touch him, make him feel things no one ever has before, it turned me on more than i wanted it to.

after what felt like a lifetime of boring work, we had finally finished todays tutoring session.

“i think i’ve done more work today then i have my whole time of being in school,” i giggled with him. “it’s starting to get dark outside, i should probably start walking back now before it’s too late.” i smiled and picked my bag up off the soft carpeted floor.

“w-wait! i can drive you, i don’t want you getting kidnapped or something.” matt said, whisper-shouting to me as i began to walk away.

“are you sure? you really don’t have to i’m fine with walking.” i asked warmly, not wanting him to feel pressured to take me home.

“i’m 100% sure, it would be nice to have some company on the way home for once.” the blue-eyed boy stood up, grabbed his bag and took the lead as i followed after him.

we sat in a comfortable silence on the way home with his playlist subtly playing in the background. matt’s music taste was similar to mine, sweet, soft, and calming, with artist such as; cigarettes after sex, artic monkeys, the neighbourhood and more.

we took a left turn one final time and arrived at my home.

“thank you so much for driving me matt,” it was now pitch black outside, if i had of walked it wouldn’t of been home until approximately 10pm.

“it’s my pleasure,” matt carefully stepped out of his car and walked around to my side of the car, he opened the door and i climbed out onto the pavement opposite my house.

i smiled gratefully at the tall boy. “goodnight matt,” i commented and looked up at him innocently.

“goodnight y/n.” matt fought with everything in him to not kiss you right now, he knew it was wrong to be crushing on the most popular girl in his grade, but he couldn’t help it. he could most definitely understand why you had everyone wrapped around your finger in the first place, you was the most beautiful girl he ever laid his eyes on. when matt first saw you in the 2nd grade he finally understood what the word “perfect” meant, and when he first learned a few days ago he would be tutoring you he was filled with joy and excitement.

you were going to be the death of him.

@ CHRISWEETHEART

⋆˙⟡ tags : @chrattenthusiast @bernardsbendystraws @chestersturniolo @daddyslilchickenfingers2 @freshloverr @fruitglazed @hearts4chriss @kenzieiskoolaid @mattscoquette @ariestrxsh @mattssluttywaist @muwapsturniolo @m6ttsturniolo @nicksbf @onmykneesformatt @plasticferal @pussypie456 @recklesssturniolo @sturnioloshacker @strniohoeee @sturniolopepsi @whoreforchr1s @yesterdaysproblem @christinarowie332 @itwasmarooonn @freakyellssturniolo @delilahsturniolo @333michelle @annielolz @cconeyislandbaby @chriseatingmeoutin4k @n8doe @jetaimevous @sleepysturn @phimstarz @stonersturns @forgottxen @colorthecosmos444

[kings-highway]

Trick or treat!

hello hello hello thank you for arriving at my door! for you, my lovely giant gay robot, i have curated a never-before-seen Ushiten drabble, written while I wait for my landlord to finish repairing the towel rack. Its about birthdays, its about autism, its about friendship, enjoy~

---

Ushijima has never really celebrated his birthday anyway. After his father had left, that kind of childish, big celebration had been pushed aside. His mother would give him a gift, something quiet and practical, new shoes, new sweater, books or something he needed for school. She'd make him his favourite meal, and then the day would be over. Ushijima wasn't really even sure if any of the other kids at school had known it was his birthday, but if they did, they didn't mention it. He was used to the affair being quiet and unassuming - unimportant.

So he's not particularly bothered by spending the day on his own. Shiratorizawa was a boarding school, even at the middle school grades, so he'd been celebrating his birthdays like this for some time now. He doesn't even think its worth mentioning to the new team - its his first year at the high school, first year with the team, first year with this roommate, none of it feels... relevant. Why should he make a big deal about something he doesnt care about?

He got a text from his mother that morning - nothing so far has come in from his father, but technically it's still yesterday for him, so he thinks maybe he just didnt consider the time change.

He unlocks the door to his dorm, but gets halfway through the process before finding out the door was already unlocked. With a frown, he pushes open the door, calling out a greeting and inciting the intruder - one fellow first year Tendou Satori - to shriek in surprise, trip himself backwards off the chair he was standing on, and flail all the way to the ground. Ushijima starts moving reflexively to try and catch him, but pretty much everything about this is flawed from the start. Although it's technically successful, it's clumsy and impractical and Tendou's gangly limbs have already started thrashing and twisting around, and apparently likes being held or supported about as much as a feral cat would.

So Ushijima lets him go, looking up at what he's been hanging on the wall and-

"Happy Birthday?" he reads off the banner.

Tendou, trying to catch his breath and recover from his scare, looks up at him with a red face.

"Yeah. It's your B-day, ain't it?"

"Uhh..."

"Sorry it's... a little lackluster. There would have been more, I promise, but I only figured out tmit was today like an hour ago. And I thought you'd be out longer."

Ushijima turns to face him. "What's happening?"

Tendou stares back, before straightening up and saying: "Well I was trying to throw you a surprise birthday party, but clearly there's a solar flare or something interrupting my guesswork because you came back really quick."

"I always go in the morning," Ushijima agrees.

"Its summer vaycay? Why are you at the gym on your birthday?"

"...I like it?"

"Weirdo," Tendou sings, before clearing his voice and opening his arms, as if becoming a different character entirely. "Either way, bienvenue à la birthday, Leon is picking up a cake right about now, and Semi is on his way over from his mum's."

"...Why?"

"Because it's your birthday," Tendou repeats, more firmly. "Are you dense or something? What about this is hard to understand?"

"I didnt ask anyone to come over," Ushijima says, a spark of panic glowing in his chest.

"I know, I know," Tendou says. "But you can't celebrate your birthday alone, that-" he cuts himself off, perhaps finally switching that intuition of his back on as he gets a look at Ushijima again, who has started flexing his hands, turning slowly to look over the room.

"I wasn't planning on celebrating like this," he says.

"Oh," Tendou says. "You really don't like surprises, do you?"

"I didn't ask people to come over," Ushijima replies. "I don't need them to bring me things, it is not that important to me, I don't... want to spend the evening in a group of people."

"Its not... just people, we're you're friends-"

"But you're still people," Ushijima says. "Who in short order will be in my room for an indeterminate amount of time and I will not be able to control when they leave nor will I be able to leave myself because I will already be home and-"

"Okay," Tendou says, putting his hands up and approaching slowly. "No worries at all. I can text the other guys, and they will stay away. We can just call it off."

Ushijima takes a slow breath.

He is beginning to think that maybe his lack of birthday celebrations was not, actually, lack of investment on his mother's part.

"Everyone will be annoyed, or mad, that they put the effort in, we should-"

"Hey, Ushi," Tendou says. "That's not your problem. Let me take care of it. Its your birthday, so you get to celebrate however you want. Thems the rules."

Ushijima nods slightly, looking back at him and trying to take in the sincerity in his expression. He's only known Tendou for a few months, but he's an odd little fellow, all spikey features and curled lips and exaggerated expressions. Ushijims thinks this is a new one, though, this kindness. He'd always just seemed... well, for lack of a kinder term, self-serving.

"You really won't be upset? That I'm refusing your party?"

Tendou smiles, shrugs, and says: "Hey, life's a lot more fun when you indulge everyone's weird little quirks. I'll plan something you like next year."

Ushijima frowns. "That sounded-"

"Like a threat? You betcha."

And this makes Ushijims smile. Almost. He thinks he would smile, but he doesnt feel his face do it. Maybe, he thinks, its because that althought Tendou joked about being a threat, it was more of a promise. And a promise meant that Tendou wanted to stick around at least that long.

"Thank you," Ushijima says, and Tendou gives him a mock salute, then turns and waltzes off to the door.

"Oh!" he says, turning around as he opens the door, pointing at him. "But you will have to put up with the gift. Its there on your desk-" Ushijims glances over to see the neat, cleanly wrapped narrow box. "Spoiler alert, its chocolate, but I... uh... did it wrong, so maybe dont eat it. But it's the thought that counts, right?"

Even from here, Ushijima can see the little gift tag hanging from the bow, and the messy, scratchy writing, where Tendou has tagged the gift not from himself or a group, but under the title of 'your bff.'

It is interesting, Ushijima thinks, that he would not have needed to know who it was from to understand the vague gift tag. He would have known. He's only known him a few months, but he would have known.

"Yes," Ushijima agrees, looking back to where Tendou was. "It is the thought that counts."

[mirixmoya]

hello friends welcome to GRADING TORTURED POET SOCIETY SONGS BASED ON HOW EASILY I COULD TURN THEM INTO A HAYFFIE FIC (PART ONE) i hope u enjoy.

(for those interested but also my own future reference when i eventual do turn them into hayffie fics hehe)

i. fortnight: 5/10. potential post-war effie reflecting on their pre-canon and during-canon situationship. the "i love you / it's ruining my life" vibe is very Them but i'd have to write my way around all the wife lines.

ii. the tortured poets department: 8/10. good early-to-mid-situationship hayffie. good moments for haymitch trauma angst stuff. "who's gonna hold you like me?" is them. the wedding ring line could be just them messing around while drunk one night during games season; it's when effie realizes it's Real.

iii. my boy only breaks his favourite toys: 9/10. excellent endish situationship hayffie vibes, 74th + 75th era. has good lines for effie as doll / toy / trinket (ha) imagery. also good imagery for effie and haymitch both being pieces in The Games. also "he runs because he loves me" and "he was my best friend" and "there was danger in the heat of my touch" ... need i go on?

iv. down bad: 7/10. good for their relationship between the end of the war and when effie actually moves to twelve. "how dare you think it's romantic / leaving me safe and stranded" literally them. also lots of good stuff for effie's post-war isolation in the capitol.

v. so long, london: 3/10. has the potential for a (book-verse) post-war angst fic where effie and haymitch try their absolute hardest but ultimately have too much trauma + damage to make it work. idk if i wanna do that tho.

vi. but daddy i love him: 9/10. excellent song for pre-canon hayffie all around. effie's relationship to her womanhood / escorting in the capitol? check. effie's inner conflict over her feelings for haymitch vs. her capitolborn beliefs? check. "dutiful daughter, all my plans were laid" but oh no haymitch ruined them! we cheered! joking that she's having haymitch's baby to her parents just to piss them off... very effie behaviour. excellent song for that Haymitch Is Unlike The Capitol Dandies Effie's Been Raised To Love theme that i like. "i know he's crazy but he's the one".

vii. fresh out the slammer: 7/10. good song for smack in the middle of their situationship. winter vs. summer parallels. effie's seasons without haymitch vs. games season. restriction with her capitol bfs vs. freedom with haymitch. "all those nights he kept me going". the end is good for a post-war hayffie happiness moment.

viii. florida!!!: 8/10. really good song for a Effie's Relationship With The Capitol fic. the isolation, the beauty covering ugliness, etc. "this city reeks of driving myself crazy". "at least the dolls are beautiful" that's literally about the escorts. "you home's really only the town you'll get arrested in" okayyy book-verse effie angst.

ix. guilty as sin?: 10/10. HORNY HAYFFIE ANTHEM. i need to get back in my writing proper smut era i fear. so so much material for haymitch worshiping at the altar of effie's hips and thighs. a song for people who believe that like a good 65% of their relationship is based on the fact that they're both incredibly hot and they both love having incredible sex. true love tbh.

x. who's afraid of little old me?: 9/10. excellent fic for the Effie's Relationship With Her Escort Career stuff that i love. "so tell me everything is not about me / but what if it is?" self centered queen! the general backstage horrors of escorting. "i was tame, i was gentle, till the circus life made me mean" ... "you wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" ... "i am what i am cause you trained me" .... yeah.

xi. i can fix him (no really i can): 4/10. potential for a very very early situationship hayffie. general haymitch being a traumatized mess and effie trying her very hardest to help vibes.

xii. loml: 6/10. the first half is excellent for post-war hayffie coming back together. "who's gonna stop us from waltzing back into rekindled flames" yeahhh. but the second half ... the "you're the loss of my life" vibe ... could fit into the (book-verse) No Matter How Hard They Try They're Too Traumatized To Make It Work narrative but idk.

xiii. i can do it with a broken heart: 10/10. THE PERFECT SONG for 75th era effie being the perfect escort despite the fact that the world is falling away beneath her feet. "I cry a lot but I am so productive! It's an art!" is sooooo her. "i'm so obsessed with him but he avoids me like a plague" is haymitch avoiding her in an attempt to save her from Rebel Stuff but effie knows their relationship is only becoming more serious. she's miserable! she's hitting her marks! eyes bright! chins up! smiles on! everyone she loves might die! it's fine!

xiv. the smallest man who ever lived: 1/10. not a hayffie song at all. BUT potential effie + seneca relationship study fic?? mayhaps???

xv. alchemy: 7/10. good song for book-verse post-war post-torture effie going to haymitch in twelve. she's ditching the capitol, she's going back to her man! who are they to fight the alchemy? how could they ever deny it? his heart is reserved for her. the soulmastism! (not that they would ever admit that lmao)

xvi. clara bow: 10/10. ANOTHER PERFECT EFFIE CHARACTER STUDY SONG! the rose imagery? snow's impact on her life. "this town is fake, but you're the real thing". effie's relationship with the capitol / escorting / womanhood / fame / youth / patriarchy / etc. "flesh and blood amongst war machines" literally the escorts amongst The Games. "hell on earth is to be heavenly" + "promise to be dazzling". sexualization has liberated effie (given her a career, money, freedom) but at what cost? it's also her gilded cage.

anyway. thank u for coming to my extensive ted talk.

[tailsbeth-writes]

Favourite Books of 2024

Tagged by @myheartalivewrites & I can't say no to chatting about books.

If you happen to be on Goodreads or Storygraph, add me. Always like more book pals! In no particular order, here's my faves:

Fraternity by Andy Mientus: this was a dark academia queer treat. If you thought Dead Poet's Society should have been more gay & have black magic, this is the book for you.

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow: I listened to this, started it at the gym... Cue me, crying on the treadmill. This middle grade novel deals with grief and gender identity via letters sent to Mothman.

P.S. Burn This Letter Please by Craig Olsen: If you've got an interest in queer history or drag culture, you gotta read this nonfiction. Pieced together from letters, we hear about the New York queens from the 1950s and the beginnings of modern drag culture as we know it.

Let Me Out by Emmett Nahil & George Williams: This graphic novel is gorgeous, I just really jelled with the style. It's a classic satanic panic story set in 1979, with a wonderfully queer cast.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White: this book is not for the queasy of stomach. This historical novel has been on my TBR for a while but the book club I'm in (Bisexual Disasters Book Club) chose it for October and I'm so glad they did! It follows Silas, an autistic trans man in Victorian London who is being sent to a Sanitarium & Finishing school. There's lots of TWs provided by the author, please do take care.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston: The king of romance does it again! Genuinely my fave McQuiston book (someone cover RWRB's ears) & I was so lucky to get a digital ARC of it. I bought a copy for my birthday I loved it that much & it ended up being chosen for my book club. We were all collectively obsessed with Theo and Kit, the whole tour gang and those pornographic descriptions of food. Can't wait to re-read next summer, hopefully on holiday!

Honourable Mention - The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch: I haven't finished this book yet (over 70% through) but it's been such a joy! It's got holidays, princes kissing, moments of surprising depth and a lot of laughter. If you're a RWRB fan but need something with holiday vibes, you'll love this.

In summary: a very queer reading year (as it should be.)

(Apologies if you were already tagged)

Tag You're It: @taste-thewaste @judasofsuburbia @suseagull5914 @onthewaytosomewhere @run-for-chamo-miles & open tag, I wanna see who the readers are in my feed!

[bluekittyworld]

There is Karma.

Hello sweet people, this is my first time writing something, I hope you guys like it and all feedback will be appreciated.

Please don't post my work on other sites/platforms or copy it, or translate it, thank you.

Approx. 11,000 words in total and 5 chapters

Warnings: Lot's of angst, mention of suicide, smut, 18+

Main Masterlist

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Happy Ending

Sad Ending

There is karma. It comes back, don’t use your heart in a bad way.

You were part of the popular girls at school, a rich spoiled brat as one may put it. Grade As and Bs were natural to you, you wondered sometimes if you had put in the effort, you could have scored better than all the nerds in your class, but who needed that, you were busy being the popular and pretty rich ‘it’ girl, belittling the quiet and less popular ones. There was one boy in particular, his name was Yunki or Yoonji, something like that. He wore thick framed glasses; his skin was ghostly pale, and he had contrasting pitch black hair in bowl cut. You found him an easy target as he never spoke back, no matter how many times you tripped him over, shoved him around, broke his ugly glasses, he never said anything back.

Why did you hate him so much? He didn’t care about anyone, and you hated it so much, why didn’t he try to fit in? He dressed so poorly, everyone just assumed that he was in this school on a scholarship, there was no way he could afford the fees by the way he dressed. On the other hand, you had to become mean to fit in, every day you woke up hours earlier to complete your work, prepare your hair and makeup, you had to stay relevant, have everyone’s attention, keep the ‘it girl’ title, life was so hard. So, every time you saw the careless Yoongi living his simple easy life, it boiled your blood and what ticked you off even more is that he never retaliated, come to think of it you had never heard his voice, was he mute?

This carried on for 5 years until the day of your graduation, just before graduation, you and your friends mocked this boy wearing his skinny ripped jeans, a t-shirt, and a plaid shirt. At the time your high-school boyfriend joined in too, you decided to give him a matching ripped shirt, pulling out your scissors you made a few cuts in his shirt and his bag, your friends laughed and recorded the scene. Your best friend took a few of his books, and teared them up, nobody noticed how Yoongi was having a panic attack and was on the verge of tears. Your boyfriend took the scissors and started cutting the poor boy’s hair, you did think it was pushing it too far, but nobody else seemed to care, why should you care right? Your boyfriend’s mates started kicking and punching Yoongi, he was now covered in blood and bruises, his eyes piecing into your soul, while he was being beaten up, his eyes were still fixated on you. You noticed this and felt a little bit of guilt, you pulled your boyfriend and asked to go to your favourite Korean BBQ. All your friends and his friends discarded Yoongi, leaving him in the middle of the school grounds, you didn’t even bother to look back if he was still breathing or not, nobody did.

On graduation day, Yoongi didn’t turn up, not like you really cared, you just wondered if he was okay, maybe you did go a little too far the other day. Also, it would have been a great opportunity to see his parents and assess his wealth today. Soon your friends and boyfriend came over to you, and that was the last time you thought of Yoongi.

Years had passed since graduation. You were well set into your father’s business, ready to take senior management positions, being born into an affluent family had its perks, your whole life was served on a silver platter, not a single day of difficulty. Life was monotonic and predictable you began to feel a growing sense of emptiness. Despite the success you achieved in your career and social life, there was an underlying dissatisfaction, a void you couldn't fill. A friend of yours suggested maybe participating in charity events may give you a sense of fulfilment, so you decided to join the next available event.

At this event, everyone was put into groups of 4, and the tasks varied, you were in a team with two boys and another girl. The aim was to visit the elderly and help them out with their chores for today. The drive to the house was quite quick, you didn’t really get to talk to your teammates, the only thing you knew were their names, Sora, Yeonjun and Yoongi. Yoongi rang a bell, but you couldn’t really remember if you ever knew a person with that name, maybe it was just a name of one of the many people you see every day at work, you brushed it off. 

Upon arriving at the house, you saw it was occupied by an old lady, the roofing had some issues and the wallpaper had been peeling off in various places. Yoongi took lead of the team, he suggested “Yeonjun and I will take the duty of fixing the ceiling, while you girls can start by removing the wallpaper.”

His voice was like a gentle breeze on a calm summer day, carrying warmth and serenity, you hadn’t heard such a caring voice in a very long time, even your own mother didn’t sound so affectionate.

You just nodded, while Sora nudged you, maybe you were looking at Yoongi for too long, he was looking back at you with his piercing dark eyes.

“The wallpaper removing machine is in the back of the car, let’s go get it” Sora mentioned.

You nodded and followed her along. Removing the wallpaper wasn’t hard at all, you and Sora had bonded quite well, it was interesting to find out about her, you learnt she ran a café nearby and had a fiancé, her parents currently live in Japan, and she has a poodle dog named Bobbi. You loved this kind of interaction; it was like a breath of fresh air being away from your routine life and interacting with people who didn’t have money on their minds 24/7. You glanced over to Yoongi’s direction now and then… there was a certain attraction you developed towards him, but you turned away each time in disappointment, him and Yeonjun were really focused on getting the ceiling fixed and didn’t really have time for other things. You really wanted to talk to Yoongi more and find out about him, maybe you wouldn’t get another chance and that really bothered you.

You and Sora were done removing the wallpaper, and the ceiling was still being plastered. You suggested to Sora “We should paint this room before the old lady comes back, it shouldn’t take too long, what do you think?”

“Perfect” Sora chimed “Let’s go to the nearby DIY store and pick out a colour.”

Sora got up and walked over to Yeonjun, by the looks of it you assumed they knew each other well, maybe they volunteered together previously, she asked “Yeonjun, my dear cousin, can you drive us in your car to the DIY store?”

Oh, now it makes sense, they were cousins, you smiled at learning the fact, you somewhat wished you were close to your family members.

At the DIY store you and Sora decided on a dusty pink colour, it would contrast well with the plants the lady had in her house. Yeonjun waited in the car and you guys were soon back, he suggested to grab some food, and as if on cue your stomach rumbled.

“Yup, ____ is hungry, we should definitely get food” Sora giggled.

You just smiled in embarrassment. The three of you had decided to buy four portions of Jjajangmyeon, not forgetting Yoongi of course.

Meanwhile Yoongi had finished up the plastering, he looked at the clock, it was 3pm, the old lady did mention she would return at 6pm, there were 3 more hours to go, more than enough time for the plaster to dry and paint over. He smiled at the fact he was ahead of schedule and thought the lady will be so happy to see the finished results. Soon you, Sora and Yeonjun came back, you distributed the noodle bowls to each person.

“Thank you” Yoongi smiled, you swear he had winked too, you felt excited like a teenage girl. You blushed and proceeded to sit down to eat, it was a nice meal, mostly Yeonjun sharing his personal life and how he has crush on his neighbour.

Chapter 2

[atalienart]

As a woman, honestly I am way more invested in MMC's because their stories are usually more varied and interesting; female-lead stories are almost always one of two things when you boil it down - romance or revolution (sometimes both if it's a dystopia/romantasy). Either the point of the story is to give the reader something to ship, or it's a very obvious message about one or several of the injustices of the world. And nothing is wrong with either of that, don't get me wrong, but I personally don't read because I want steam or to be preached at/reminded of real life problems. I just want a good goddamn story. And I can name WAY more books and book series I've read that actually gave me that where the main lead was male rather than female.

One of the few exceptions to this general rule is when the lead is a child, like Alice in Wonderland, Coraline, or The Wee Free Men, because in those cases the MC is too young for either romance or social justice; their goals are usually much simpler and, to me, more relatable (wanting adventure, wanting to go home, wanting to find a lost family member, etc). Unfortunately most books with young leads are also written for young readers, which, again, nothing wrong with that, but it would be nice to have YA or even adult books with child leads where the plot is allowed to be a bit more mature and dark.

Granted, most of what I've said is based on my experiences with middle grade and YA books, so take it with a grain of salt. But to me it says something (about my personal tastes at least) that out of my top ten favorite book series ever, six were written by female authors with male MC's, three by male authors with male MC's, and one by a male author with a female MC (but the name of the series is that of the MMC).

That's true, usually the MMC's stories are more personal, the FMC often fights for the greater good. I honestly can't stand the "fight the government" plot and whenever I hear "for fans of The Hunger Games" I run in the opposite direction. As for the romance, I love it, but it's usually written in a way I don't find appealing.

And yeah, I mean, real life problems can be shown in unobtrusive way but it's easier to just show a problem and say "look, this is really bad". What authors forget about is problems come from something, they have a source and have layers and nuances. Also behind the "wanting adventure, wanting to go home, wanting to find a lost family member" needs to be hiding something else too, otherwise the story would be really shallow in my opinion idk. But I agree that often characters don't have personal goals. What do they actually want? Throwing off the government always seems like an afterthought, just because it supposed to be the right thing to do. And romances are also pretty weird, the aim is just to get laid and have a baby. Also as much as I like romance plots, I also love when the characters have some other interactions.

You like YA but I wish to read more books about grown-up people. And dark themes are great but I need some hope at the end too. I'm really tired of choosing between YA and grimdark. I'd like something without the grimy roughness of male fantasy filled with worldbuilding and dry history but also something without black and white morality and always right MC who fights for everyone that's common in female fantasy.

Also, I'm super interested in you favourite books!

[djarins-cyare]

So it’s been a year…

One year since Disney released episode 1 season 3 of The Mandalorian

One year since I published chapter 1 of Be-All And Endor

I don’t really remember much of the first 20 weeks of that year, just that it was a flurry of proofreading and finalising and uploading (the hard parts) and comment reading and new friend making and massively appreciating (the wonderful parts).

Proofing and publishing 2 chapters a week with average lengths of around 10k words was exhausting. But for the first 8 of those weeks I had Din Djarin on the screen (intermittently *ahem* but this isn’t a post about the quality of s3) and for the rest of the year I had my readers leaving comments and sending messages, and it was… overwhelmingly the best year of my life.

I mean that. The best year. Ever. Because of you. Any of you, all of you, if you’ve ever even just clicked on my fic and given it chance, you’ve raised the hits on it. Even seeing that metric tick up has made me so thankful.

Because I didn’t think I could write. I always wanted to be an author but never believed in myself.

I did an English degree with writing in mind, but told myself nobody ever does anything with an English degree. I took creative writing modules, and when the published author who ran the class gave me scathing feedback, my dream fully died. I got an okay grade, hardly anything to be proud of, and I graduated and went to work in another industry.

I suffered from clinical depression.

One day many years later, I found a favourite author online and messaged him to ask when his fourth novel in a series was being published, and (emboldened by the anonymity of being online) cheekily offered to proofread it for him. Except he took me seriously and sent me the prologue to see what I could do. Like, for a real book you can buy on Amazon. After feeling sick for two whole days I went all Autistic Obsession on it and sent him back the most thoroughly proofed bit of writing anyone had ever seen. And I got the job. (I say ‘job’, I’d volunteered for free in exchange for the privilege of reading it in advance, so I can only ever call it semi-professional since I didn’t earn from it).

This, amongst other things, lifted me from my depression. I came off the pills and felt happier, more creative. Once the proofing was completed, the author encouraged me to write my own stuff, but whilst I’d gained some confidence… my brain was empty. I had no clamouring stories to get down on the page, no gems ready to polish.

Then in summer 2021, a friend sat me down and showed me the first 3 episodes of the Mandalorian. And my brain chemistry was instantly altered. I binge-watched the first two seasons, by the end of which I was unequivocally in love with Din Djarin, and then I binge-watched them again.

Around that time, I moved to a different country. Well, Wales is still the UK, but it’s a different country to England, and I was now 170 miles away from my friends. I went because as a single woman on a middling salary, London is too expensive to live in and having rid myself of an overbearing long term relationship, I was NOT keen to get into another one just to pay the bills. The pandemic meant I could work remotely, so I upped sticks and moved to Cardiff, resolving to visit my office in London (and my friends) once a month. It’s 2 hours by train, totally doable.

So what to do with all the spare time I suddenly had?

By Easter 2022 I’d started writing. 9 months later (yes, it’s my actual baby), Be-All And Endor was complete and I began publishing alongside season 3’s release.

Now… it has over 62.k views and 1.2k kudos 🥹🤯

Did I think it would be this popular? No way. I can’t even believe it now. I still see SO much wrong with it, which is why I’m still proofreading and editing it.

A professional proofread/edit takes a long time, and if you’re wondering what I’m doing to it, it involves the following:

Checking for things like clichés, non-inclusive language

Checking all adverbs to see if a better word can be used (e.g. ‘bellows’ instead of ‘shouts loudly’… adverbs usually end in -ly and it’s not good to overuse them)

Rephrasing any passive sentences (simply put: ‘the ship is flown by Din’ is passive; ‘Din flies the ship’ is active)

Reducing average sentence length (shorter sentences are easier to read)

Going through every single damn polysyllabic word (e.g. anything that has more than 3-syllables) and seeing if a shorter synonym can be found (this helps the rhythm, as too many long words slows things down and can make readers stumble… and I use them a lot 😖)

Checking the 50 most frequently used words and seeing if I can find synonyms for those (helps give more variety in the language)

Ensuring Din’s name isn’t overused or underused, and adding epithets (e.g. ‘the hunter’ or ‘your Mandalorian’) where it’s overused but it’s too confusing to just say ‘he’/‘him’

These are the big things, but there’s more too - I’m streamlining decisions I made to use certain phrasings throughout; tweaking Din’s word choice here and there to ensure his voice is captured the best way possible; revamping some of the photos. And with all the tiny tweaks, it’s slowly padding things out too… when publishing was done it was 393k, now it’s 403k, although it’s not extra content as such, just better described.

I’m up to chapter 13 so far, and I’ll probably be doing this for another 2 years to get through all 40, because (a) I want to write other things too so that slows down the proofing, and (b) I so badly want to be proud of this project… everyone’s telling me I should be, and I am in a way… but it’s more gratitude to others than pride in myself… and I feel like if I get this proofing done and finally have a story I’m truly happy with, I can at last let myself be proud of what I achieved here.

I confess, I’m so envious of those who can post something without obsessing over it. I know it’s a facet of my autism, and I’ve long since accepted that my neurodivergent brain will not let me be cool about things other people are cool about. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that I should turn it to my advantage, so okay… I’m gonna make this fic the same quality as a published book on your bookshelf. And meanwhile I’m gonna enjoy and love all the fics that people can write and publish with far greater speed than I can, because the greatest thing about this fandom is that every contribution is worthy of appreciation, no matter the author’s experience or writing method. Quality fic isn’t synonymous with proofreading, and I hope it’s clear that I’m describing my obsession with perfecting my own writing, not other people’s. I’ve read so many amazing authors on here, and I want them all to know how much I love their work (any recs are from the bottom of my heart).

So anyway, this long and rambling post has turned into something unintended… I guess you now have some insight into my mind and the origins of Be-All And Endor and the future of it. Not what I meant to do, but I’ll leave it in for context.

Because the real reason I started writing this diatribe was because I wanted to express my true and undying gratitude to everyone who has ever read, commented, or left kudos on my fic over on AO3, and/or messaged me, followed me, interacted with me, or reblogged my masterlist here on tumblr 🧡💚

I know I am insanely lucky to have received the level of support I have, and I don’t take that for granted at all. I want to give back to this fandom, and I love reading and reccing other people’s fics, meeting new moots, and hopefully soon I’ll be publishing new fics for you all to read too. Fresh material is percolating, so it won’t be too long now.

So thank you to everyone who reads this post, you’re the absolute best and I love you more than I have the vocabulary to describe. Please accept a grateful forehead kiss instead 💋

[sunmerry-writes]

WRITEBLR INTRO

Hello hello! my name is sunny: 20 yr. he/him; this is my third attempt at a writeblr after tumblr nuked my last one. all my mutuals... lost...

I'm looking for active writers to be mutuals and interact with (bonus if ur open to beta reading! or want a beta reader!) I'm open to ask about ocs and tags for writing games! Don't be afraid to say hi :)

I currently have a ton of wips (over twenty), with most in planning stages, some in drafting.

My current focus, 'WANDERLUST' is a middle-grade coming-of-age fantasy with some religious trauma and existential dread.

I'll be posting info and snippets of my wips, while following/liking/commenting on my main account: @sunmerry-strawb as this is my side-blog

About me:

I'm an aspiring baker

I own a menace (cat) named pebbles

I write in a variety of genres; but my favourite are fantasy, supernatural and horror mainly centred around late teenage casts. I always end up accidentally sprinkling horror of some kind into all of my wips

My favourite book is currently "Gideon the Ninth", I adore Tamsyn muir's writing. I'm also a huge fan of Dungeon meshi and Witch Hat Atelier among other things! (as you can see above, Digimon)

My wips are under the cut! I have many more; these are the ones I'm currently focused on. I'm more than happy to share more spoiler-y details and brainstorm in DMs!! Especially in exchange for info on your wips ;)

Click the titles to be transported to the wip's intro post!

WANDERLUST

A pair of young twins find themselves trapped in a fantasy realm, and with the aid of local kids embark on a treasure hunt for five magical rings contrived from an old legend in order to return home.

Shadow Knights

A story set in a near futuristic city grappling with rapidly developing technology, centered around a young woman who accidentally discovers a science experiment that went wrong, leading to artificially created monsters stalking the city streets and killing residents. She joins a team to hunt them down. (aka the wip with the most body horror and psychological horror BY FAR.)

STRAY

A post-nuclear apocalypse story about a band of teenagers and their journey across the rotting world in search of a safe-haven called "Paradise".

Dragonborn

A story about three kids on the Australian coast who fall through a sinkhole and accidentally uncover the secret population of dragons living in their underground cave systems.

By the seashore

A story about a young boy named Louis who decides to stay with his father at a small coastal town for the summer after the death of his mother, and finds an amnesiac, mute boy washed ashore the beach after a thunderstorm.

(divider by @\cafekitsune!)