#playing with the writing raven

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

probably shouldn’t be laughing about this, but…

eubzlabakVia HAhfHahahHahhHayAH

THE JP SERVERS ARE OVERLOADED AGAIN 😭 First it was Jamil, now Ace…

I-Is this just going to become the new norm for every Relaxing in Room birthday… OTL

[yyokkki]

Dire Crowley

The mayor of NRV! 

He’s always giving you quests to complete while you’re at NRV claiming he’s too busy to get it done himself but his daily schedule consists of just walking around town doing daily ‘check ups�� on the businesses.

Dubs you a beast master after you gain three hearts with more than two villagers. He says nobody is able to acclimate themselves with the townsfolk so quickly!

He may or may not have been scared off by the scarecrows in your farm once or twice.

Is a total suck up to Governor Ambrose the 63rd but shit talks him behind his back. He plans to overthrow him one day but it’s not looking bright…

Absolutely hates the city and the new Royal Sword Mart that opened in town.

You basically get tasks weekly from him. Don’t worry the rewards are generous as he is a very gracious man~

Loved Gifts: Any Gems, Glass Shards, Gold, Meat, Universal Loves

“How generous of you, farmer! It seems my graciousness has rubbed off on you~”

Hated Gifts: Royal Sword Cola, Any Spicy Foods, Hot Pepper, Universal Hates

“Boohoo! Despite all my generosity and graciousness! How could you give me something so vile!!"

Divus Crewel

The local scientist! I’m not going into his specific field but he does a lot of experiments on the geography and ecosystems of the valley.

He also seems well versed in Chemistry as he regularly supervises Trey and Rook as they do their experiments too. (He’s afraid the pups are gonna injure themselves)

He owns a cool classic car that doesn’t work anymore after years of not travelling out of NRV. He grieves about it a lot.(The junimos fix it and he chaperones you over to the desert!)

His hobby is fashion design and he has a room in his house fully decked out with sewing machines, mannequins and the like.

He keeps a very good dalmatian named Spot at home. He is the most spoiled boy in town.

Occasionally visits the library to play chess with Trein but it usually ends with some kind of argument…

He’s the one who offers to set up a fruit bat/mushroom cave for you! (He may or may not have inspired Jade)

Loved Gifts: Raisin Butter, Wine, Cloth, Dye Materials, Universal Loves

“Good pup! This is a great gift.”

For Cloth and Dye Materials: “Might as well make you something with this… Especially considering your current attire.”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates

“Bad pup! What is the meaning of this?!”

Mozus Trein

The librarian and teacher!

He holds classes for the kids twice a week but when he’s not a teacher he looks over the library with his cat, Lucius, whom the kids (and Idia) absolutely adore!

He’s quite strict with the manners and knowledge of the young people in town so it’s always a shock to see him so patient and gentle with the kids.

He has grown daughters who are currently working in the city! He regularly pens letters to them and sends over care packages. They come to visit him often too!

He finds it absolutely unacceptable how barren the library in town is and finds lost books more important than artifacts, though he thinks they’re a valuable educational tool as well.

Loved Gifts: Duck Feather, Vichyssoise, Tuna, Leek, Universal Loves

“This is a good gift, farmer. Thank you.”

For Duck Feather and Tuna: “Lucius will enjoy this, I thank you on his behalf.”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates

“Ugh. How distasteful.”

Ashton Vargas

The town blacksmith!

Honestly? Might’ve become a blacksmith so he could work his arms out… He’s off every Thursday for leg day!

He encourages everyone in town to work out more! Certain townsfolk avoid him because of this.

Approves of you since farming requires a lot of physical labour! Actually offers to help you out with heavy lifting too.

He lives off of the forests too, he hunts and grows his own harvests! 

He has a few chickens too for sustainable egg supply.

Probably one of the nicest villagers if you ignore his gloating!

Loved Gifts: All Eggs, Beer, Universal Loves

“Thanks! Why don’t you drop by later for some weight training? I’ll tell you all of my tips!”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates

“I hate this stuff!”

Sam

Owner of the general store!

Not much is known about him but he has lots of friends on the other side! (They’re the travelling cart merchants cooperating with him to sell out of season products)

He sells absolutely everything! Except for other shops products since he doesn’t wanna stir up the competition!

The general store has another branch in the city too!

Loved Gifts: Chicken Gumbo, Void Essence, Universal Loves

“Daw, thanks little imp! Now, don’t go thinkin’ this’ll get you a discount~”

Hated Gifts: Solar Essence (His friends hate this stuff), Universal Hates

“Hate to break it to ya, but I have a million of these in the back… You can keep it!”

Grim

The sewer rat? Basically the Krobus of this universe because it was between him and your farm companion! I mean c’mon you can even have him move in with you after you become good friends! He’s the true route fr.

Wants to live on the surface but that bird brained mayor won’t let him! So now he sells random stuff he found in the sewers to you…

He does sneak out pretty often though, it’s how you found him pretty early on.

The poor boy, get him some tuna. It blows his mind the first time he tries it. (He’s been living off of radioactive fish, he’s fine though)

Actually starts living with you even if you’re pursuing a bachelor as soon as he hits ten hearts.

He constantly complains about your other furry companion though…

It’s probably harder to give him a gift he hates since he’ll eat about everything. (Yes he eats all your gifts)

He wants to overthrow Crowley and become the mayor of town! He never succeeds. (He thinks mayor is the highest position in the whole world because it’s all he knows)

Loved Gifts: Tuna, Stone, Any Gem, Universal Loves

“Funa! You’re the best henchuman!!  I was feeling a little hungry!”

Hated Gifts: Universal Hates (Except clay maybe? Feels like he’d eat that too…)

“EW! This is worse than that time you called me a raccoon!”

---

TWST x SDV Masterlist

Tag List (Interact with the linked post to be tagged in future updates mwah)

Tag List Below Dropdown

@coffee-or-hot-cocoa @neuvilletteshusbandd @multifandomlazywriter @whimsybloom

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@agaygothicmushroom @lunarcollaspe

[thelilylav]

and I love you so much, I’m going to let you kill me

~

A little edit in honour of me destroying the relationship between these two in my fic

[sracha]

rosebird cringe :(

[ninyard]

what if I took some of my regular ocs and turned them into aftg ocs. What Then

[wolf-saint]

"The life of the dead is placed on the memories of the living." Marcus Tullius Cicero

"Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field." While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him." Genesis 4:8

[swampstew]

>.>

<.<

Oh 12 and 14 for sure 😇🥰

Ahhh Quin, going right for the kill as always, my favorite deviant

12. Does your F/o like to see you in lingerie? What kind?

Yes and no. Yes for the teasing, eye viewing before the tasting; but Kid prefers to have me naked entirely if having to choose between nude and slutty tease. On the mechanical hand, if it's clothes that are easy to access, then a red corset panty set underneath a skirt or dress so he can do whatever he wants with me when he wants.

14. Does your F/o enjoy with you? What kind?

The breeding bench™️, all the vibrators, eggs, dildos, strap ons (he likes being pegged), wands, beads, and toys you'd never heard of because he can create custom goodies ;)

Send me a selfship ask😆

[raven-cincaide-words]

𝓑𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓬𝓼

A prompt list for those who feel the need to refresh genres to get back into the hang of writing. Use the words within their genre-categories, take inspiration from the italics line and/or the questions below or play around all across like a writing bingo. The sky is your limit!

Some questions to ask yourself when working with one-word prompts (example with ‘disappointed’)

What does ‘disappointed’ mean? Can you define it in some other way?

How do you usually write it (is it angst?) and can it be the opposite?

Why is the character disappointed? What do they do about it?

How is it expressed/ How does the reader know the character is disappointed?

Why is it important/ Why should the reader care that the character is disappointed? 

Can you twist ‘disappointed’ into something more complicated? What happens next?

And most important of all questions; Why?

Main| About Raven | Beta & Rules |Prompts | Masterlist | Tags & links|

All fics are unique works by © raven-cincaide 2024. Do not copy/repost/translate or spread my work(s) without my explicit permission. If you see any of my work(s) reworked/reposted/copied anywhere, please inform me!

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

Happy New Year!!

*pops grape juice bottle* woooo we’ve made it, guys!

2023 was such a nice year in the fandom, in my opinion. There was s3 and that was a banger, but I feel like the stuff we were up to ourselves over here was amazing too. I got to talk more with some of my mutuals who I hadn’t been as close to before, and lovely people keep coming to this corner of the internet!! We had our first sketchbook event and are currently preparing for a general Hilda Appreciation Week, I feel like this is all amazing considering the size of this community.

Just wanted to thank everyone who’s been here for the ride as well! It’s certainly always more fun when you have people to be insane with you. I just. Get very touched thinking about the amount of support in this fandom and how we creatively fuel each other.

Anyway, just wanted to write this post as a thank you. I hope you’re having a lovely end of the year, and may 2024 be even better 💜

(I do have one small writing update to add, though! The first months of the year will probably be relatively devoid of new content from me. This for two reasons. One is that I churned out so many fics this year that I feel like even the people who like my writing are having a hard time catching up (I don’t know how this happened either-), and the other is that I’ll be using my free time to get ahead on preparing my content for the rest of the year! I won’t completely stop or anything (Hilda Appreciation Week will see to that), just wanted to leave this noted so no one things I’ve Vanished from the fic writing scene or anything. I’m just preparing my next attack. Anyways that was it happy new year!!)

[gomzdrawfr]

the agony of imperfections and lost

a prodigy once soared, melody adored with perfection now suffers with pieces and symphony left unfinished a silent pain with wrist betrayed each notes falter, with the end replaced by sniffles and pain

☾⋆⁺₊♫✩°｡

AU: pianist!Raven and piano technician!Price

between classes and lectures I've been doodling an AU for my cod oc Raven :] it's the first AU I've ever thought of for a very long time and I didn't start writing and drawing a few things until recently (my friends are huge enablers ah ha)

this AU is heavily inspired by the anime Your Lies in April so if this familiar that's why

Prodigy Raven who used to swoop every piano competition stopped participating one day due to various reasons.

She can no longer finish any pieces.

It starts off with pain, and then progresses into fits of spasms and shakes on her wrist.

That was however, not the main issue.

As she will herself to play more to overcome the issue, another problem raised where notes and tune muffles out as she approach the end of any song, rendering her unable to map out the tempo and the feel of the piece, which was the most crucial aspect in performance((and also hence why the art wrote "when will the sounds return"))

again and again, she attempted to play and only met with tears and pain at every end, and so she stopped playing.

It wasn't years later when her friend invited her to a concert hall that she would attempt playing again, and met a man with an unmistakable beard she thought she will never meet again.

here is a fic I wrote below, you can listen along with the spotify song linked below, and as always I hope you enjoy this lil blurb ⸜(˶´ ˘ `˶)⸝

tags: a lil angsty and mentioned of struggles with chronic pain

𓍢ִ໋. 𝄞 ✧˚ ༘ ♪ ⋆｡˚.𖥔 ݁ ˖♬ ♪₊ ⊹

Raven found herself at the concert hall, involuntarily dragged there by a close friend who was settling some business with the hall owner. Having no interest in the conversation, she idly wandered around.

Eventually her attention was drawn to the main hall, the area was dimly lit with only one light shining above a magnificent grand piano on the stage, when was the last time she had even seen a grand piano?

The golden words that etched on the front of the piano captivated her, "Steinway and Sons", and she ran her fingers delicately along its shiny polished surface, despite promising herself not to touch it.

how could she resist when such a beauty is in full display within her reach?

Perhaps there was a lingering wishful hope within her that pulls her through the haunting echoes of her past struggles.

Perhaps this time it would be different, after all, it's been so many years.

As she took a seat and opened the fallboard, she knew she had to play something.

Little did she know she was not alone in that hall.

John Price, a famous piano technician was scheduled to carry out his tuning services on the grand piano, has arrived earlier than the expected time in order to explore the place.

It gives opportunity for him to figure out the environment, and to assess the condition of the place.

To him, a piano was like the heart of the human body, requiring care and love with every factor taking into account, such as the air moisture content, exposure of sunlight, humidity, temperature...the list goes on.

As he walked onto the area from the backstage, he was surprised to see a figure seated at the piano. When he wanted to call out, the tune of a song stopped him.

A familiar melody, a classic.

He recognizes this song, however, with the way the sound and notes were played, it felt as if he was listening to it for the first time.

Liebesleid. Love's sorrow.

As he pause and listens, watching as the fingers of Raven danced around the black and white, he felt himself washed by the emotions of the piece.

remorse, pain, emptiness and cheery? was it hope? yet he can't help but felt bittersweet.

Each note was played with perfection, the pauses, the tempo and the timing were accurate, and with the sway of the pianist, he could feel the emotional depth infused into the piece.

And yet as the song approach the second half of the song, something in the air shifted.

The tempo increased, the intervals between notes were shorten, and slowly wrong notes emerging as well, with some keys played with more force and vigor.

Eventually the song stopped, and only the sound of stifled sniffles filled the air as the figure slouched forward.

((if you're curious and still listening along on spotify, the errors starts around 2:42 she stopped around 2:57))

"It happened again"

Raven thought as she struggled to control the shaking of her hands, and the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"it hurts....it hurts so...so much"

She lets out a shaky breath; it wasn't the pain of her wrist that was eating at her.

It was the act of not being able to complete a piece.

She pressed her palm up her eyes, a weak attempt to stop the shaking of her arms and the tears that kept flowing.

A hand on her shoulder was what brought her back to reality.

Startled, she looked up into a pair of blue eyes, with gentle gaze that melted away her panics.

"You alright, luv?"

The man asked, and Raven composed herself, wiping over her tears as she gave a weak nod.

She apologizes for the state she was in, gingerly stepping up from the bench, only to be met with a chuckle and another reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"It was beautiful"

He complimented, nodding his head towards the piano as Raven pauses.

"no, it's not", she thought internally, but just gave another thankful nod.

"thanks"

John raised a brow at that, taking note for her answer.

"something tells me you disagree, hm?"

She wonders for a good moment if she should speak her mind, and after deciding that the chances of meeting this man again is slim, she gave her comments.

"I didn't finished it"

She spoke, glancing back at the piano as her eyes soften as the echoes of her instructor came to mind.

"you're not worthy to even be in the same room as the piano if you can't finish the piece. It's not just about the techniques and music theory only, you need to focus on the flow and the dynamic of the piece, honor the composer, bring the composer's vision to life." "alright, play it again Raven, how bout putting your body into it this time huh? I've seen others played better than that" "you know you need to win, make me proud dearie"

"well, a song doesn’t need to be complete in order for it to be good"

His voice brought her back as she frowns slightly, the older male simply smiles as he goes on.

"what matters is how much you put your heart into it"

He takes a step forward to her.

"and you, certainly poured your soul into that song, hell, felt like I was listening to Fritz Kreisler himself, ha!"

She could only blink as she chuckles, a warm feeling embrace her heart as she hummed.

"you flatter me...uh-"

"John. John Price."

He extended his hand out as he smiles.

"Raven."

She smiled, shaky hands now no longer tremble as she gave the firm handshake. Something tells her that this will be the first of many more meetings.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

happy pocky day, y'all 💞

I wasn't initially planning on making something, but I was inspired by some of my friends doing cut stuff with their OCs--

ADSHBFGFWYOFQWYfwnqeuto2YGO31T8 Looks like you caught Miss Raven in the middle of her snack time... Just close your eyes and slowly back away, pretend like you didn't see anything!

[sokokoko]

I have a book I'm writing (Dreamer). The latest chapter is 5k words and counting (almost done).

I had an idea for the start of a completely unrelated project (if you look at my pinned post you'll see I have a lot of ideas I want to write). Decided to get it down because I really liked it. Wrote 840 words, which is small for me. These words felt like a good stopping point considering the content covered in the chapter.

That's when I decided to write this book, Nemesis, with The Raven & The Dove rules. What does this mean?

Looking at The Raven & The Dove, i clearly did not give a monkey about word count. I've got chapters that are as little as 300 words versus ones as much as 1.6k. Both the chapters work, because they achieve the objectives I wanted them to. The shorter ones don't feel like a waste and the longer ones aren't just some tedious thing dragging on words so I can have words.

So I went and made a chapter 2 of Nemesis, despite chapter 1 being 840 words. I might pull a Dreamer and combine the chapters later, but this feels like an accomplishment right now. I didn't think I'd be writing Nemesis anytime soon, but ideas know how to get you. Now I'm on the second chapter of Nemesis and it's great, even if I end up combining the chapters later.

I'll write it with The Raven & The Dove rules.

[bazzybelle]

Where Does The Good Go? - 2.7K - Teen - Jessamy/Rose Walker

For Sandman FemSlash Weekend - Day 3: Night Out

Here is my final fic for FemSlash Weekend. Thank you to the betas @sandmanfemslashfans for putting this together. It was so much fun stretching my brain, and honestly this was my absolute favourite pairing to write.

Has anyone else written a side fic to an unpublished WIP? Because that's exactly what I'm doing. I've been working on a Grey's Anatomy AU fic for the last couple of months and both Jessamy and Rose appear as side characters. While writing that fic, I had a LOT of fun writing Rose and Jessamy. They both managed to take on stronger roles within the fic.

When I decided I wanted to take part in this FemSlash Weekend, I thought it would be fun to include a side fic to that WIP. And since it's a Grey's Anatomy fic, I had to write a different version of Meredith and Derek. You know... One Night Stand ends up being your boss, but you can't keep away from each other?

This is intended to just be their first meeting, but I REALLY liked this pairing, so I dunno, maybe I'll write more. They'll definitely show up in my Grey's AU, so I'm excited about that.

This fic is unbeta-ed. Them's the breaks I suppose.

Also, this is apparently the first fic with this pairing so high-five to me! Let's see if this train gets rolling!

The title of the fic is from the Tegan and Sara song "Where Does The Good Go?" If you know, you know.

You can read the story by clicking the link, or by clicking the Keep Reading bar below.

Click here for the Story on AO3

She has no idea what she’s doing here. 

Barbie had suggested that coming out tonight would be good for her. After the year she’d had, she needed a night to let loose and forget about everything. And normally, Rose would agree. Thing is, she’s supposed to start her surgical internship tomorrow. And yes, she was top of her class and got outstanding recommendations from her professors and whatnot, but no one really cares about that if you end up showing up late and hungover on your first day. 

No amount of recommendations will help if she ends up killing a patient due to her carelessness. Not to mention the utter shame she’d bring to the medical community. Imagine, the granddaughter of the Unity Kincaid —first woman of colour to head her own surgical department, that Unity Kincaid— kicked out of the surgical program that Dr. Kincaid helped to start. 

And it’s not like she grew up with this hanging over her head. Rose’s mother was put up for adoption and everything was kept extremely confidential. Rose’s choice to go into medicine was complete happenstance. No, she had found out about her prestigious heritage while looking for her estranged brother, Jed. 

In fact, finding Jed was what led her to move to Seattle, back to where her grandmother set up roots and burst through any and all glass ceilings that threatened to keep her down. Rose had spent most of her young adult life searching for her brother, with each lead coming up empty. It was only when she was approached by a lawyer for the Estate of the Late Doctor Unity Kincaid where she was able to find her brother, and learn about her grandmother. 

Go figure, the woman she had learned about as a young medical student and looked up to, would be her grandmother. 

After a long plane ride from Boston, a tearful reunion with her brother, and endless months of litigation, Rose was left with a sizable inheritance —which she put right into paying her student loans— as well as her grandmother’s cozy house. Jed was given an impressive inheritance as well, left in trust until he turned 25. The siblings moved into the house together, along with Barbie, Rose’s childhood friend who had come with her. 

Before everything, Rose had been planning on doing her internship at The Brigham. She was one of the first to be accepted, and she had to leave at the last moment. Luckily for her, Saint Anthony’s was beyond ecstatic to have Unity Kincaid’s granddaughter enter their surgical program, even if it was a last minute acceptance. 

She did deserve this night, who was she kidding? She was about to start a brand new chapter of her life, with a brand new sense of who she is and where she came from. After tonight, she would have to work hard in order to live up to her grandmother’s name. 

“Tequila shots!” 

Rose is pulled out of her inner thoughts by Barbie slamming two shots in front of her. She grimaces. Tequila does not agree with her at all. In fact, she had made a few mistakes due to over indulging on tequila back in school. 

“You can’t be serious, Bar.” 

“Oh, you know I am. This is how we’re gonna get you to loosen up a little.” 

“Not happening. I am not responsible for my actions after tequila. Remember New Year’s Eve, 2016?”

Barbie laughs, “New Year’s Eve, 2016 was amazing. I wonder if MIT Princess still has nightmares of that party.”

“Her name was Candice, and I doubt it.” 

Barbie shrugs, pushing one of the shot glasses closer to her. Rose sighs, defeated, and picks up the glass, pretending to inspect it. 

“Rose, it’s not poison.”

Rose rolls her eyes. May as well get this over with. The faster she humors Barbie, the faster she can call it a night and head back to the house. She takes a deep breath and knocks back the drink, coughing as it burns her throat. 

She hates tequila. 

“Happy now?” she chokes out, to Barbie’s amusement. Barbie, to Rose’s frustration, is able to knock back her shot without any difficulty, and Rose very much hates her for it. Barbie is one of those people who can drink alcohol like it’s water. 

“You know I am. As much as I wish we could be doing back to back shooters at the bar, I do know that you have to be a badass surgeon tomorrow, so I won’t be pushing things, I promise.”

“Ok, first of all, I am far from being a badass anything. I’m just an intern. They’ll probably have me doing non-stop sutures and running labs. I’ll be lucky if I see the inside of an operating room in my first year.”

Barbie sighs, giving Rose a light punch in her shoulder. “You do not give yourself nearly enough credit. You are so smart and capable. Once they see how incredible you are, these hot-shot surgeons will be fighting to get you working with them.”

Rose scoffs, sipping on her water. Her eyes wander to the other patrons of the bar, wondering if any of them will be working with her tomorrow. Her eyes happen to catch a young woman talking and laughing in a small group of young adults. She’s got a wide smile and a loud laugh, big eyes shining bright underneath the bar lights. 

She’s really pretty, Rose thinks. She’s short and curvy, with dark olive skin and thick, dark hair. She’s wearing a bright red button-up top, silky, from the way it catches the light. It’s tucked into a pair of dark leather pants. 

“Rose? Did you hear what I said?”

Rose snaps her head away from the smiling woman, and back to Barbie. “Huh? Uh— something about me being talented?”

She’s not impressed. “Not even close.”  Barbie nudges closer to Rose, and looks out into the crowded bar. “Spill. Who caught your eye?”

“We are not doing this—”

“Why not? What’s the problem with an innocent little flirt?”

“I am not flirting with some random person in a bar. Especially not right before my new job. It’s a recipe for disaster?”

Barbie stretches over, in order to get a better look at the small group. Rose looks away, sipping her water faster, and hoping to hide her face away from her overly-involved friend. 

“Well, they are a rather attractive group, aren’t they? Maybe I’ll go over and say hello.”

Panic grips Rose. Once Barbie gets an idea in her head, it’s impossible to convince her to let something go. And the last thing she wants is her friend doing her best to play wing-man. She means well, and Rose knows this, but it’s so embarrassing. And they aren’t in high school anymore. The days of giggling over crushes are long gone. Rose reaches over to stop her, but Barbie is already out of her seat and sauntering towards them. 

She groans and watches Barbie chatting with the group. It amazes Rose how easily Barbie is able to talk to people and fit into a group conversation. Rose finds herself to be shy and awkward, and has what her friends call “med school sociability”. The level of social intelligence one has after having spent most of their life studying and working, without having much time for an active social life. 

Rose can’t watch this anymore. She gets up from her seat and heads over to the bar. Hopefully the bartender will have some mercy on her. She orders a gin and ginger ale and sits in silence, thinking about the thousand things she needs to do at home. Making lists in her mind helps calm her down when she feels overwhelmed. 

“May I sit here?”

Rose whips her head and nearly falls out of her seat. Jesus, she’s more beautiful in person. Her dark hair falls in thick curls down her back. A stark, white streak cuts through the front, as well as over her left eyebrow. 

Speaking of her eyebrows, they are thick and perfectly shaped, arching nearly severely over deep, hooded eyes. Eyes the color of coal and yet bright and warm at the same time. 

“Um. Y-yes—Yes.,” she stammers, quickly turning away and taking a generous gulp of her drink.

The beautiful woman flashes a wide smile, and Rose is instantly caught. “Thank you.,” she says in a soft accent that Rose cannot really place. “I was losing my mind over there. I love my friends, but once they start with their life problems, I have to leave them to their devices.”

Rose nods along, enjoying listening to the woman talk. She’s got a rather loud voice, one that Rose imagines would have no difficulty commending a room. Rose wonders what line of work she does, and if she had to learn to be loud. Or maybe she was always this way. Maybe she’s loud, and happy, and incredibly beautiful all on her own. 

Rose thinks of herself, and how she’s quiet and unsure. Nothing at all like the Barbies or the beautiful women in this world. 

God, did Barbie annoy this poor woman? Rose hopes not. The last thing anyone needs on their night out is some random person trying to play matchmaker for their lame friend. 

“I apologize for my friend,” she says. 

The woman, having ordered her own drink (a dry Martini— of course she’s classy as well), turns back to where Barbie is still chatting up her group of friends.  “Oh? The pretty blonde?” She asks, pointing her thumb towards them. “She was rather entertaining. You should have seen the way one of my friends stiffened up when she approached us. I swear, the man means well, but he’s impossible in social situations.”

Rose smiles into her drink, taking another sip. “I can relate. I’m—I’m awful with new people.”

The woman studies her, her large, dark eyes taking Rose in, considering her for a moment. She eats one of the Martini olives, still smiling at her. “I find that hard to believe.”

“What gives you that idea?”

The woman leans closer to her, placing an elbow on the bar top and resting her head on her hand. Rose watches as she slowly plays with the olive pit in her mouth, wondering what it would be like to taste her. Would she taste bitter like the olive? Dry like her Martini? Or maybe she would just taste sweet? Like cherry slush, or bubblegum. “Because we’ve been chatting for a bit, and you have yet to tell me to fuck off.”

Rose laughs. “Maybe I’m just polite,” she says. 

It’s not because she’s just polite. 

The beautiful woman knows that too. “Maybe. Maybe you find me easy to talk to,” she says, playing with Rose’s coaster. Her nails are cut short, and painted in a blood red nail polish. 

“Pretty presumptuous of you,” says Rose, placing her hand beside the woman’s. The woman gazes down at Rose’s own indigo nail polish, and Rose is thankful that she took the time earlier today to paint her nails. 

“I have been told that I tend to assume I know everyone’s story.” The woman runs the tip of her pinky over Rose’s nails. Her lips match the blood red of her nails. Her lashes, long and thick, practically brush the tops of her cheeks. Cheeks that are round and rosy.  

Rose smiles, leaning in even closer to the woman. “I don’t really have a story. I’m just a girl in a bar,” she says, taking another sip of her drink. 

“Hmm. So am I. I’m Jessamy,” she says, placing her hand over Rose’s.

“Rose,” she says, not moving her hand away. Maybe it’s the alcohol talking, but Jessamy’s hand feels so nice right now. It’s warm, yet a little rough. Kind of like Jessamy uses her hands for a living. For a moment, Rose imagines that Jessamy is a surgeon like herself. Maybe she is also looking for a night where she doesn’t have to think or worry.

Maybe they can just be two girls in a bar. Nothing else. 

“So what brings you here, Rose?” Jessamy asks, thumb brushing over Rose’s knuckles. 

Rose turns her hand over, feeling the weight of Jessamy’s palm against her own. She wonders, if she meets her again in a year, will her own hands feel as rough? Will hours spent in labs and practice change her?  “Recently moved to Seattle. Starting a new job. Friend thought I needed a night to just let go of all my stress.” 

Jessamy’s eyes remain hooked on Rose, absorbing every word she has to say. It’s been par for the course for the interaction they’ve been having so far. And… It's nice. It’s so nice to have someone completely interested in everything you have to say. 

“And?”

“And, what?”

“Is it working?” Jessamy asks, giving Rose’s hand a squeeze, still looking deep into her eyes. 

And God help her, they are so beautiful. 

“I— I mean—”

Jessamy leans a little closer, and Rose herself is drawn into her pull. Almost as if she has her in a thrall. One that she’d gladly accept (she’s read vampire novels) (Team Rosalie).  

Jessamy casually slips out of her stool and moves closer to Rose, entering her space, but still leaving a small opening for her to leave should she wish to. 

Rose does not wish to leave. 

“Because I find that talking to a really pretty girl is the best way to destress. In fact,” Jessamy places a hand on Rose’s waist. She leans in close, her mouth inches from Rose’s ear. Jessamy’s hair tickles Rose’s neck. She smells so good. Like peaches and vanilla. “I can think of a few other ways to help you destress,” she whispers, her breath tickling a soft spot beneath Rose’s ear. 

Rose shifts in her seat, ready to give in. She turns her head, but Jessamy is already leaning away, a playful smile on her face. 

“If that’s what you’d like, of course.” Jessamy glances quickly at Rose’s lips, her own tongue slowly dragging across her bottom lip. 

Fuck it.

Rose reaches out and cups Jessamy’s face in her hands. She pulls her into a deep kiss. Jessamy moans into the kiss, immediately opening her mouth, granting Rose to finally taste her. It is exactly as Rose had imagined. The bitter taste of the olives lingers on her tongue, as well as a slight sweet taste. Like strawberries. 

Rose feels Jessamy’s hands at the back of her neck, desperate to bring her even closer. She moves her hands towards Jessamy’s hair. Rose moans as she threads her fingers through soft, thick locks of beautiful dark curls. 

Christ, she’s definitely going to have to thank Barbie for dragging her out tonight. Best wing woman ever. 

Rose moves to Jessamy’s jaw, gently nibbling at her soft skin. Jessamy gasps, and shivers under Rose’s touch. She laughs, her hand tightening around a nice chunk of Jessamy’s curls. 

“Shall we continue this at my place? It’s very close,” Rose whispers into Jessamy’s neck, before placing a soft kiss. 

Jessmay sighs deep, leaning her head closer to Rose’s shoulder. “Sounds like a plan.” She lifts her head, gazing into Rose’s eyes. “ Will your friend be alright?” she asks. 

Rose chuckles. “If I know her, she’s probably long gone, after having verified that you’re not some sort of serial killer.”

Just to be safe, Rose glances over her shoulder to make sure that, yes, Barbie is long gone. Most likely she is back home, having ensured that Rose could have as much privacy as she can, considering living with two room mates. 

She’s the best.

But right now, Rose has a gorgeous woman hanging off of her, ready to continue their interesting conversation somewhere more comfortable. 

“Great friend you got there,” Jessamy says, nibbling Rose’s shoulder. 

Fuck, but she will be the end of her, won’t she. Thank God, this will be a one time thing, because Rose already knows that she will not be able to handle spending more time with this woman. She can already see herself falling head over heels. 

One time. One wonderful night before the next chapter of Rose’s life begins. Before she says goodbye to careless one-night stands and beautiful women who smell like peaches. 

“The very best,” Rose says, grabbing hold of Jessamy’s hand, and leading her out into the cool night.

[glitter-stained]

*reading Dixon's Birds of Prey* Well DC stands for disrespect canon apparently, who tf left that guy in charge of anything

[wizardnaturalist]

I feel like recommending the raven tower as a "hamlet retelling" is disingenuous bcs literally The only similarity between the two is that theres a king whos usurped by his brother that the prince wants gone. thats just a normal political fantasy trope. about as much in common as the lion king

[passerinesoncaffeine]

I'm actually going to gnaw my own hand off.