#q❛ ✧ ┊ arc ┊ be the good girl you always have to be.

[ghostfacd]

LACY — QUINN HUGHES43

“smart, sexy lacy, i’m losing it lately.”

listen to olivia rodrigo’s lacy for better experience!

summary; you have always been insecure of quinn’s girl best friend, so what do you do? you swallow it down. it wasn’t until the jealousy started to eat you up that everything explodes all at once, and what comes out of it was never something you’d expect.

pairing; quinn hughes x fem!reader, implied oc x fem!reader

genre; angst, midlife crisis arc goes hard! reader gets massive self realization, lots of commentary (you see through reader’s brain with this one) quinn is confusing, everybody’s so confusing

Would it be mean for you to say you didn’t really like Quinn’s friend? Sure, she was one of his best friends and made sure to always compliment you whenever you were in close proximity. But why couldn’t you just like her?

Lacy Willers. According to Quinn, she had gone to Umich with him and they became inseparable after he accidentally fell asleep during class because he had ended hockey practice late and stayed up doing his assignments. He woke up with zero notes in his computer and had awkwardly asked the girl next to him, Lacy Willers, for help.

Lacy Willers was beautiful, inside and out. She was sweet to you, always keeping her distance with Quinn and respecting your boundaries as his girlfriend. She had long blonde hair before dying it brunette because according to her “YN looks so pretty brunette, I wanted to try it out.”

How could anyone hate her?

Her skin was like puff pastry, and you hated how perfect Lacy seemed to be. You just wanted one reason. One good reason to hate Lacy and not hate yourself for doing so.

“Babe?”

The voice of Quinn makes you snap out of your trance.

“What’s up Quinny?” You ask, shooting him a smile so he wouldn’t notice what was up.

“Are you still going to my game?”

Ah right. Quinn’s game. Shit—you had been so wrapped up in your thoughts these past few days that you seemingly forgotten all about it.

“YN..”

“No no, I’m going Quinn!” You reassure him, “don’t worry. I’ll get all my assignments in by then so I can go to your game.”

Quinn gives you one of his small smiles, the smiles that is only reserved for you.

Or does he give them to Lacy too?

“You okay?”

Curse Quinn’s big brother instincts. He always knew when you were feeling down, and you hated it.

“I’m fine Q,” you say, standing up to kiss him on his cheek. He’s so cute, you sometimes wonder what you did in your past life to deserve someone like Quinn.

“Okay,” Quinn doesn’t seem so sure of your answer but he doesn’t push. If there’s one thing about Quinn is that he knows his limits. He pulls, not push.

When Quinn’s game comes by, you find yourself sitting next to Lacy Willers and the youngest Hughes, Luke.

You excuse yourself for a few minutes, needing a breath of fresh air. Even past the seats, Lacy’s perfume lingers through the air. You swear that you see her everywhere.

When you come back, you see Lacy with her hand on Quinn’s back, a bright smile exchanged between them.

A knot forms in your stomach.

“YN! Hi!” Lacy waves you over, “Quinnier here made a winning goal last minute!”

Oh Lacy, it was like you were out to get me.

“Really?” Your face brighten up, eyes looking up to meet Quinn’s. In the corner of your eye, you see his hold on Lacy’s waist, but you don’t say anything, too tired to overthink or accidentally start a fight.

The familiar toss of keys and the turning on of the lights seem suffocating to you. You had no idea what was wrong with you. Quinn was a great boyfriend, Lacy was nice, so why does it feel like you can’t breathe?

“Lacy asked me to ask you if you wanted to have a girls night with her.” Quinn mentions as he takes a bite of his peach.

“Lacy asked you to ask me?”

“That’s what I said, baby.”

You don’t know why you feel so nervous. Lacy Willers asked you to have a girls night with her?

“I mean, yeah, I guess.” You shrug. Quinn throws the seed of the peach he’d just finish into the trash, making his way towards you.

He wraps his arms around you—a all too familiar sight from when he previously had his arm around Lacy, and placed his hand on your head, pushing it slightly so he could place a kiss on it.

Saturday night. Girls night with Lacy. You were scared shitless.

You clear your throat, pushing away the negative thoughts. It’s just Lacy Willers. Umich Lacy. Quinn’s Lacy.

“Hi!” The excited voice of Lacy sends you into a spiral of emotions. She’s in a pretty white silk pajama set with little hearts all around. Her hair looks so naturally perfect that you wanna curl up and cry. Lacy Willers, without even trying, can already take your breath away.

Smart, sexy Lacy. You remembered Quinn mentioning how Lacy was a nursing major. She was good at the arts too, you knew as soon as you stepped in her living room and glanced at the portraits on the wall.

“So,” Lacy sits the both of you down, the beautiful smile of hers never leaving her face. “You okay? Did Quinn’s dumbass do something?”

Your eyes go wide, “no! What makes you think that?”

She laughs slightly, eyes genuine. “Call it.. girls instincts. But really, you can talk to me. I know we aren’t that close but I’d love to become closer. I mean, you’re beautiful and so kind, doing Quinn a charity case if you ask me.”

Although Lacy’s so genuine and her compliments would’ve made anyone else drop to their knees, they feel like bullets on skin.

“Well I don’t know, I just feel weird.” You say awkwardly. “Quinn’s great, don’t get me wrong.”

“Yeah,” Lacy wraps her hands around her hair, making a quick ponytail and grabbing a ribbon from her cabinet to tie it up with. “I get it.”

Ribbons in her hair. She looks as pretty as ever. Almost as if she was made of angel dust. Your stomach is all in knots.

That night you slept on the bed fort Lacy had made, your heart thumping in your chest. Even in your dreams, Lacy Willers is there.

“How was the sleepover babe?” Quinn asks, placing a kiss on your head. He shoots a smile at Lacy who smiles shyly at him.

“It was good,” you say, looking between the two. It was as if they spoke to each other with their eyes, a language you didn’t understand.

“Quinn,” you say as soon as Lacy says her goodbye after dropping you off, clearing your throat.

“Yeah?”

“Have I told you I haven’t been feeling well lately?”

Quinn’s eyes shift to concern, his eyebrows furrowed. “You okay babe? Is it the flu?”

He reaches to feel your forehead, searching for a burning sensation, but to his surprise, you seem perfectly fine temperature wise.

“No, it’s not that.” You say.

It’s never been that. It has never been about you being jealous of Lacy being close to Quinn. It’s never been about you being scared she was gonna take him away from you.

It’s always been about Lacy. Smart, pretty, kind Lacy Willers. The girl who made your stomach turn in knots and your words into stutters.

Lacy Willers, the girl you seem to loathe lately. The girl that poisons your mind and everything that you do.

The girl who made you despise your own eyes for how hard they fell for her.

Lacy Willers, the girl you’re in love with.

[soleminisanction]

Do you think Tim would have been more angry at Steph for starting the war games if she survived/didn’t fake her death? Or do you think the fact that she tried to fix it in the end would absolve her of that blame a little bit in his eyes?

I always love your analysis btw! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the world

That's a good question. An interesting complication to the answer being: does canon Tim even know that Steph was responsible for for starting the War Games?

It can be hard to tell because certain people muddled the waters a lot (cough Brian Q Miller cough no-nothing wiki writers cough cough) but near as I've been able to glean from reading the comics, so far as most people in-universe were concerned, the blame for the War Games gang war fell on Batman's shoulders. There was a big publicity campaign during the War Crimes arc that followed that outed Steph as the girl Robin, but it painted her as a martyr and laid all the blame at Batman's feet.

Near as I could tell, the only people who actually knew Steph was involved with causing the war were Bruce, Selina, Black Mask, and Cass; and Bruce also blamed himself. The only person who ever really held Steph responsible was Cass.

So the question is, was Tim only not upset because he didn't know about Steph's involvement? Personally, I like to think that, if Steph had lived/not faked her death, she would've been open about her part, and that she'd continue the arc she showed in War Games of newfound awareness and understanding of how her actions affect others.

And if she did that, I think Tim wouldn't be angry. Hurt, yes. I think the whole mess of emotions surrounding those days, especially the fact that she became Robin in part to deliberately hurt him, would irrevocably damage their relationship to the point where they couldn't date anymore, and they'd need to spend some time apart. Tim would go off to Bludhaven with Cass after his dad dies, and Steph would go... somewhere else, away from Gotham, maybe with her mom, to recover and figure out her own way to move on after everything.

But the parting, I like to think, would be more sad than angry, a mix of remorse and hurt and being glad they're both alive and just... knowing they can't be around each other right now. That they won't be able to stand doing that again for a while.

Eventually, after a few months or years, they might get back to a point where they've worked through the grief and trauma enough to be friends again. And it'll be a different relationship than they had before, but it'd still be good. Or maybe they'd just stay apart from each other and live their own lives. You never know.

So yeah, bit of a ramble, but that's how I figure it'd work. Steph really does show her best character during War Games so I'm inclined to say that people who met her in the immediate aftermath, especially people who knew her before and could see how she'd changed, would give her the benefit of the doubt.

[vintersang]

Why is he the nervous-sounding one? That should be me right now, not him! Confusion quickly swirls around her mind, mixing quite well with her exhaustion. Even though she did not understand why he sounded uneasy, nothing he said could coax the tension out of her high-strung body. She may have gotten caught up in the tone of his voice, but soon her tired mind caught up with what he was saying. Her naked hand tightens its grip on the heavy candleholder as her mind registered only one word from the stranger's sentence. He called her what everyone called her, "Highness" is such a familiar word to her ears, but she knew for a fact she has never seen him before—

Well, actually, she can't see him so good from this distance in the dark church— Her vision is more accustomed to reading by candlelight, not eyeing up some man from head to toe without even a chaperone to watch over them. If she wasn't distracted by his sudden arrival, then she might be thankful for the darkness because at least darkness (and their distance) hid her inappropriateness for trying to examine him so much to try to identify him— Oh, did it matter what he looked like? She didn't recognize his voice; she made it her duty to remember faces as well as voices, but she does not recognize anything. He knew her, that much is very clear, yet here she stood with no information about him.

Quickly realizing her lack of information on the man cleanly sliced through her list of options, she did not dare to open her mouth to respond to him. Confusion and exhaustion weighed down on her, breathing down her neck, but she refused to open her mouth. Speaking without any form of information on the matter could easily lead her down a dangerous path. Others might be comfortable to speak their mind, maybe even try to make small talk. Elsa, however, did not have this mindset. She could not have it, not when speaking so freely could easily cause her future problems.

Choosing silence as her response to his polite yet nervous words, all Elsa did is grip the candelabra even tighter in her hand. What is she going to do if this stranger proved to be a threat to her? She is all alone in this sacred place at night. Neither chaperone nor guard are here to protect her as well as make sure her reputation, her everything, is safe. He sounded nice, maybe a tad awkward because of his nerves, but she knows all too well that people who go roaming in the night are full of secrets. She should know since she is one of them.

What should she do if he approached her even more? She had no form of blade on her person, not even hidden beneath her skirts or cleverly hidden elsewhere on her person. If she wasn't so skittish, she would have made a note to carry some form of protection on her person. Others may choose a sword in this moment, maybe even a cast-iron frying pan if they didn't have a "proper" weapon, but... What did the mourning heir to the Arendelle throne have at her disposal in this dark setting against a potentially dangerous stranger?

Elsa has a candelabra as her weapon of choice.

How...perfect.

She knew she also had this curse, the very power that has led her to coming to the private chapel for months to try to prepare for her Coronation Day when she becomes of age. It is the fault of her curse for placing her in this situation with a man all by herself. Why, oh why couldn't he be a female? To be left alone with another female wouldn't damage her. The universe, however, decided to continue punishing her. Was the sinking of the ship already the biggest punishment? Apparently not.

"Are you not capable of thinking within your bedchamber?" She finally speaks, cutting through the fear within her core.

Ah, there goes her silence.

Seconds begin to pass, but time felt like it's stretching so slowly once she realizes she had spoken aloud. It may have been a slip of her tongue, but it is still as icy as the candelabra in her bare hand. Her trembling had stopped at the horrifying realization she had spoken her thought aloud. How can I be such a fool to say that aloud? She sucked in her breath, suddenly wishing for the shadows of the empty chapel to hide her...keep her, if they will even approve of her. She tries to not grip the heavy object in her hand because she's already grasping onto it far too tightly.

Elsa should be relieved he has chosen to sit at the pew near the entrance, far from her and the frost beginning to cover their only source of light. Her power has yet to reach the burning wick tips of the three candles. It remains on the tall stem of the object, right where her hand is gripping. The faint frost has begun to spread downward, desiring to corrupt the well and the base since it has already covered the column-like stem. She hopes it think about moving upward towards the three arms. For now, the soft glow of the candles are not disturbed.

Focus on something else! Her mind screams at her, noticing the creep of the frost.

How do I focus when I said something awful to another person? She protested back. It only resulted in more of a rigid stance, though it did stop her fear and its trembling. Not only did she speak her mind, but she had also failed to remember they were within the walls of a chapel. God has already punished her and her subjects enough by stealing away her parents, the real rulers.

They were taken away too early, still so young... How many ideas and dreams died with them upon that ship? The sea takes and takes many souls, more than any war, yet their deaths will not please it. She should be the one in the sea, sinking within its depths. She will not feel its cold. She imagines being dragged to the darkest depths of the sea will be much like falling asleep. It's only a fleeting thought, however. She does not have much experience with swimming, so she is not the best swimmer. She, however, has not faced a stormy sea or raging currants. Aside from her burning lungs longing for air, she thinks she can handle the sea.

The mental image of her parents struggling for air and fighting the freezing temperatures of the water haunt her waking mind whenever she peers out at windows towards the sea. She did not know if their deaths were slow or swift, but the lack of knowledge only seemed to fuel her mind. The missing answers caused her to draw curtains shut, dismissing the sights of the sea. She went as far as refusing to eat fish these past four months, unable to look at it. Olina, the kitchen cook, quickly learned to stop serving seafood to the oldest princess.

I should apologize. I'm within a dwelling of holiness, so it feels like something I should do. She thinks about it as silence wraps around her, familiar and so easy to lose herself in within its embrace. Silence did not expect things from her. She did not have to be polite with strained smiles and polished words.

But all you said is the mere truth, is it not? The logical side of her mind argues back. Making a decision, even something as simple as giving an apology, only weighs her down even more. She is tired, too tired for a conversation with anyone. If she didn't wish to speak to the pleasant Lord Peterrson, then she surely didn't want to talk to a stranger in the middle of the night.

The sitting man seems to like silence... However, he could be merely stunned by her response? If she were in his shoes, she knows she would be shocked as well as more nervous. Maybe scared since their roles were swapped, then she wouldn't be afraid of herself since she wouldn't have magic. Judging by how his voice sounded, he also might reach a point of no return when it comes to his nervousness. Some part of her, the more frustrated side that didn't want to be around anyone in her grief, enjoys his silence. The blunt words and icy tone appear cruel, but his silence showed how easily she could silence someone if she chose to do so.

Out of nowhere, he speaks.

He tried to make a casual joke, but one word has already sealed his fate.

"Are you implying that you wish to be trapped with me in a storm?" She cannot see him and his smile, not unless he magically produces a light source, but it matters not what his face looks like. She instantly frowns at the mention of a storm, though the mention of being trapped only sours her mood. The Arendelle household have danced around saying that word, including her regent himself, because they knew what to expect whenever she heard the talk of storms. She didn't ask them to do so, but she did appreciate their attempt to not remind her of the still-fresh deaths.

"It doesn't sound like a comforting setting, no. I suppose you are correct. I can imagine far worse settings to be trapped in, actually!" Elsa knew she should bite her tongue, but she doesn't do so. Let him remember her family's tragedy. If she must be disturbed during a private moment meant for her and herself alone, then she will make him want to leave.

"The... The stained glass?" His abrupt observation startles her from everything, including her own mind as well as the frost gathering upon their light source and her weapon. Though she has been frequenting the chapel at night ever since the news hit her, she has not focused on the stained glass because she always focused through the ceremony without her gloves. His comment causes her focused gaze to, finally, leave his shadowed figure to look over at the windows.

Moonlight tries to spill through the colorful glass, but it struggles due to the clouds and dark night. Anna, if she were here, would most likely say it would look prettier during the day. The sun would shine through, casting a spell of warm colors to wash upon the people. Her earliest memory of coming to the chapel with her family were marveling at the colors, desiring to create something as beautiful as the glass.

If she remembers correctly, little Anna squealed loudly by saying she wanted to eat the shards of pretty glass. Their father got a laugh out of that remark, but their mother gently shushed Anna for being so loud. Extra careful of her tone of voice, Elsa curiously asked her little sister why she would eat something so dangerous. Her sister said it had to be made out of candy, easily showing her young age as well as her innocence. All three of them laughed at Anna's response. Their parents, mostly her mother, never let Anna forget about such a faint memory since she always brought it up on Sundays.

Every time her parents asked if she wanted to attend a service in the chapel when she was younger, her mother occasionally asked her if she wanted to join Anna in plotting to eat the stained glass windows. It has been her mother's attempt to lighten the mood, trying to ease the distance after the accident. Her mothers always put on smiles, but she knew how much it hurt her mother. When it came to her father, he was harder to read. Now, however, they will be forever impossible to read because they are gone. Even now, she struggles to recall their laughter.

When was the last time she heard their laughter?

"Yes, it is beautiful, isn't it?" Elsa finds her voice after pushing back the memory as well as the awful intrusive thought. She blinked away the forming tears, disliking looking at the display of art. She looks back at him, suddenly remembering that he is here. Thankfully, he is still in his seat. She still grips her weapon, ready to potentially use it if he dared to think about approaching her.

"It looks perfect when the full moon is shining through them on a clear night. It's more beautiful at nighttime..." She added more quietly, but she's completely speaking to herself when she says those words. In only a couple of years from now, she will be twenty-one. She will be expected to face the public by then, right within this very spot, no longer allowed to hide under the dark veil of the mourning period.

The mere thought of witnessing the stained glass windows during the day reminds her of the future. A piercing chill descends across the dark room at the cruel crash of reality. It's more colder than the the initial chill of the night and lack of a properly burning fire. Elsa doesn't notice the drop in temperature until the stranger notices it, but she can't pull back the cold from wrapping around his body.

Elsa can only stand there and hope he doesn't say or do anything.

@umbravirtus walked into the unknown.

Lord Peterrsen has served her family for many, many long years. The death of her parents, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna, led the kindhearted man to become her regent until she became of age to properly take the throne. Four months have now passed, but the mourning period is still in full effect. Even though her birthday is quickly approaching, Elsa dresses in black. She does not allow any celebrations to occur, though she still thinks Anna is going to try to do something for her birthday...

Though the gates were closed, Lord Peterrsen had invited someone from the Southern Isles to the Arendelle Castle to try to settle some important arrangements. It was private business, something that Elsa should know about... But she couldn't focus. Lord Peterrsen requested an audience from her, but she didn't answer his knocks. She told him to go away. Unlike Anna, the nobleman did not go away as easily.

She urged him to do whatever he thinks is best, telling him to do what he thinks is best for Arendelle. Still, he didn't leave. Growing with urgent desperation, she told him that she will see him in three days time. Somewhat satisfied with her agreement to see him, he left her to her own devices. A wise queen would automatically let him in, immediately address the important matters. But she is too deep in her grief, not wanting to see anyone except for two people she would never get to see again. Will she forget their voices?

She knows she is fortunate enough to have family portraits spread throughout the castle, but the fear of forgetting them spread as fast as the ice in her bedchamber. She feared the idea of forgetting their voices. She wished it was possible to record the sound of someone's laughter, every inch of their voices... Record everything they ever said. Writing down melodies and songs upon music sheets were easy, but no amount of parchment or ink can preserve the preciousness of someone's voice... You can write down the lyrics of a precious lullaby, allow the lullaby to be immortal upon the paper, but you can never preserve someone's beautiful singing.

Gone, gone, gone.

It was all gone...

Why didn't she write down their conversations in her private journals? She has dedicated herself to writing as much as possible during her years of isolation. She should have wrote down every drop of wisdom from her father's mouth, but she didn't do it. I won't have to do that, she once thought to herself, so very foolish. Papa and Mama will always be there for us. But now they were gone, forever lost at sea.

Elsa didn't want to write down just her father's endless wisdom. She wanted to immortalize her single inch of her mother and father's very souls, but it is far too late now. They were dead. She could ask people about them, but... Talking about them left her with the urge to scream. She has never been one to scream before, not even during moments of pure joy. She swallowed back the urge to unleash a loud sob, too terrified to know what would happen if she unveiled her emotions.

One day, Anna will leave her once she grew sick of being shut out by someone as coldhearted as her. One day, Anna will find someone to happily marry— Elsa cannot predict the future, but she knew that Anna's marriage had to be written in stone. In her mind, it was a fact. She simply didn't know when or how. Anyone would be happy to have her sister's hand in marriage, even if she never got her hands on the throne. One day, Anna will no doubt live elsewhere in her husband's home. These halls, these very grounds, will no doubt be where Elsa will spend all of her days until she takes her dying breath.

Elsa kneels down in the darkened chapel. Only a single candelabra, heavier than the royal scepter she will one day hold in three years time, with three brightly lit candles were her light in the otherwise empty royal chapel. She was once wrapped up with her mother's scarf, but now she removed it from her shoulders to cling to it with gloved hands. She embraces it to her chest, lost in prayers to a silent god— Not even the gods of old, the ones that her people once worshipped long ago, would answer her prayers— She has found herself in this chapel for two, maybe three, hours since she struggled to sleep. She thought, yet another foolish thought, that the chapel would be able to ease the storm of many swirling thoughts.

In the beginning, she stood and stared up. Ever since the castle received the news of the sunken ship, Elsa had began to regularly visit the chapel. In the earlier days, she tried to sought comfort through being in the presence of the quiet chapel. Her faith has always lingered in the back of her mind, never quite the strongest. Though she may have struggled with religion, she did still believe. How could she sit back and not believe when she was given such a dazzling power as hers? Even if she did believe in the existence of a deity, praying has also been a struggle since none of her prayers were answered.

Soon, her visits to the chapel quickly turned into something more productive. If prayers cannot held her, then she will make use of her nightly visits by practicing for her coronation day. Tonight is like no other. She is here, pulled by the duty of needing to practice without her gloves. She is alone on this cold night in December, but that will soon change. She didn't know when she rose back to her feet, but she had done so without much thought. Elsa had removed her gloves, something she only chooses to do when she knows she is all alone.

Though she was worried about ruining her mother's scarf, she still clings to the fabric with both of her bare hands. It felt so soft... How soothing to feel something that her mother created from nothing. She clung to it with both hands, temporarily lost in a reverie of nostalgia. Her mother was always busying her hands, often bouncing between detailed embroidery to her newest knitting project. She had a gift for creation, her mother. The thought of her mother brought a lump in her throat as she pictured her face, but all she can remember is the way her mother looked so sorrowful, no doubt still hurt by her decision to be all alone...

The sound of a door opening instantly makes her drop her mother's scarf. The knitted scarf will no doubt not mind the floor since the chapel was extremely clean, thanks to the more pious members of the castle's staff. Still, she feels a pang of guilt for dropping something so precious so easily— But her panic shoots through her, stronger than anything else, as she didn't have time to put on her gloves, which were resting neatly on one of the empty pews. Her hands quickly reach over to grab the candelabra with both hands, the next best thing for her. She spins around, surprise written across her face. She sees the silhouette of a tall man, though she cannot see his features so clearly.

"Who goes there!" Elsa called out, silently cursing herself for not being able to get to her gloves in time. Part of her wished it was only a worried Kai, but she knew very well that the proud steward was not shaped as tall and muscular as this stranger. Was it Lord Peterrsen, the very same man that vowed to be her regent until she could properly take the throne in three years time? She hoped it was the case, even if he would no doubt lecture her on how she shouldn't be sneaking off in the middle of the night. The silence stretched, immediately confirming her worries... This person, the same person who was now blocking her only exit, was no one that she knew.

"What are you doing here?" No trace of uneasiness, thankfully, does not seep into her voice. Her hands are trembling a little bit, but they appear as steady as can be from a distance. With no heat to stay warm on this December night, she can pretend that she is cold. It was a good enough excuse for a trembling monarch. Elsa is still reeling in shock, but she holds her head up high. She cannot show weakness...

She cannot show anything.

[notebookmusical]

books read in 2024!

books read so far: 107/100

— gr: http://goodreads.com/cossettereads — sg: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/cossettereads

as always, askbox + dms are open if have any questions or would like to chat about books! 🤍

⊹ indicates any (new) favorites of the month! previous months are under the cut!

december ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) the raven boys by maggie stiefvater (reread, annotated) 2) these violent delights by micah nemerever (audiobook) 3) wicked: the the life and times of the wicked witch of the west by gregory maguire (audiobook) 4) alice's adventures in wonderland & other stories by lewis carroll (annotated) 5) the outsiders by s.e. hinton

january ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) beach read by emily henry (reread) 2) on palestine by noam chomsky & ilan pappé 3) valley verified by kyla zhao (gifted) 4) the wind at my back: resilience, grace, and other gifts from my mentor, raven wilkinson by misty copeland & susan fales-hill (gifted) 5) check please: year one by ngozi ukazu (reread) 6) check please: year two by ngozi ukazu (reread) 7) check please: year three by ngozi ukazu (reread) 8) check please: year four by ngozi ukazu (reread) 9) raiders of the lost heart by jo segura (gifted) 10) the frame-up by gwenda bond (arc) 11) everything i never told you by celeste ng ⊹ 12) forgive me not by jennifer baker (gifted) 13) ever after always by chloe liese (gifted) 14) the summer of bitter and sweet by jen ferguson (gifted) 15) the lily of ludgate hill by mimi matthews (gifted) 16) last call at the local by sarah grunder ruiz (gifted) ⊹ 17) the sun and the void by gabriela romero-lacruz (gifted) 18) a line in the dark by malinda lo (gifted) 19) biting the hand: growing up asian in black and white america by julia lee (gifted) 20) play it as it lays by joan didion

february ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) mister hockey by lia riley * 2) collide by bal khabra (arc) * 3) a curious beginning by deanna raybourn (gifted) 4) breaking the ice by k.r. collins * 5) if only you by chloe liese (gifted) * 6) anxious people by frederik backman ⊹ 7) the catch by amy lea (gifted) 8) weekends with you by alexandra paige (arc) 9) happily never after by lynn painter (arc) 10) klara and the sun by kazuo ishiguro 11) good material by dolly alderton 12) in the event this doesn't fall apart by shannon lee barry 13) the night ends with fire (arc) by k.x. song 14) the good, the bad, and the aunties (arc) by jesse q. sutanto 15) where sleeping girls lie (arc) by faridah àbíké-íyímídé 16) sophomore surge by k.r. collins * 17) lighting the lamp by k.r. collins * 18) glove save and a beauty by k.r. collins * 19) home ice advantage by k.r. collins * 20) power play by k.r. collins * 21) grounded by k.r. collins * 22) line chemistry by k.r. collins *

march ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) happy medium by sarah adler (arc) 2) a darker shade of magic by v.e. schwab (audiobook) 3) expiration dates by rebecca serle (arc) 4) divine rivals by rebecca ross (book club) 5) the siren by katherine st. john (gifted) 6) light in gaza edited by jehad abusalim 7) how to end a love story by yulin kuang (arc) // reviewed here 8) rising from the deep: the seattle kraken, a tenacious push for expansion, and the emerald city's sports revival by geoff baker 9) les misérables by victor hugo (reread)

april ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) the goodbye cat by hiro arikawa (reread) 2) the traveling cat chronicles by hiro arikawa (reread) 3) this is me trying by racquel marie (arc) 4) kill her twice by stacey lee (arc) 5) the pairing by casey mcquiston (arc) 6) swiped by l.m. chilton (arc) 7) lies and weddings by kevin kwan (arc) 8) the odyssey by homer (audiobook)

may ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) this summer will be different by carley fortune (arc) 2) the viscount who loved me by julia quinn (reread) 3) romancing mister bridgerton by julia quinn (reread) 4) the iliad by homer (narrated by audra mcdonald) (audiobook) 5) a novel love story by ashley poston (arc) 6) when he was wicked by julia quinn (reread) 7) a banh mi for two by trinity nguyen (arc) 8) the secret garden by frances hodgson burnett (audiobook)

june ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) lessons in chemistry by bonnie garmus 2) the phantom of the opera by gaston leroux (audiobook) 3) you, with a view by jessica joyce 4) s. by j.j. abrams & doug dorst 5) the hunchback of the notre dame (audiobook) A

july ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) firekeeper's daughter by angeline boulley (audiobook) ⊹ 2) born to run by bruce springsteen (audiobook) 3) it had to be you by eliza jane brazier 4) the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald (reread; annotated) 5) death on the nile by agatha christie (audiobook) 6) blue sisters by coco mellors (arc) ⊹ 7) juniper and thorn by ava reid (audiobook) 8) the villain edit by laurie devore ⊹

august ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) a study in drowning by ava reid (audiobook) 2) just for the summer by abby jimenez 3) the match by sarah adams (audiobook)

september ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) the glitch by leeanne slade (audiobook) 2) howl’s moving castle by diana wynne jones (traveling book club; annotated) 3) how to kill your family by bella mackie (audiobook) 4) everyone i kissed since you got famous by mae marvel (audiobook) 5) blue sisters by coco mellors (reread, annotation) 6) mott street: a chinese american family's story of exclusion and homecoming by ava chin ⊹ 7) confronting the racist legacy of the american child welfare system: the case for abolition by alan j. dettlaff 8) jane eyre by charlotte brontë

october ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) anne of green gables by l.m. montgomery 2) intermezzo by sally rooney 3) razzle dazzle: the battle for broadway by michael riedel 4) designing broadway: how derek mclane and other acclaimed set designers create the visual world of theatre by derek mclane and eila mell 5) summer in the city by alex aster (arc) 6) rebecca by daphne du maurier (audiobook) ⊹

november ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) shoot your shot by lexi lafleur brown (arc) 2) ready or not by cara bastone 3) the secret life of the american musical: how broadway shows are built by jack viertel 4) the starless sea by erin morgenstern (reread, annotated)

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

ARII HII

I cannot for the love of god stand the satoru cheating allegations 😭😭😭

Some brain dead redditors are so annoyingg omgg they keep bashing our perfect lil boy toru like they keep forcing him to be some sort of a heartless cheater who cheats continuously and hops from woman to woman??

They keep using this one gege interview as evidence to back up their brainless claims where gege said that “satoru wears his glasses when he goes out to see/pick up women”

AND IM LIKE??? Okay is that the only thing you have to backup all your bs (it’s other idiotic crap too) 🤦‍♀️

Like Gege might’ve said that to troll the gojo fans, or even if let’s say that statement is true it can be interpreted as him having like short-lived relief from his title as the strongest like maybe a one night stand but he would feel really shitty afterwards BECAUSE HE CRAVES GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS NOT HOOKING UP AND FLINGS 🤦‍♀️

It’s written everywhere in the manga that he needs to be understood and not some temporary relief by hooking up which is not something he cares for so idk why gege said that (the sunglasses woman thing) it doesn’t align with his character ☹️

ALSO DONT GET ME STARTED WITH THE MISTRANSLATION LINE 😭💀💔

ahhhhhhhhhhhh the cheater gojo allegations……. my old friend……………….. (<- said with exhaustion)

to be clear !!!! i have nothing against anyone who likes cheater!gojo, it just . isn’t for me/doesn’t align with the way i see him!!! :’3 realistically i don’t think it’d be easy for gojo to be in a committed relationship, but that’s because he’s bad with intimacy/sincerity, NOT because he would cheat on his partner. it just seems silly to me!!!! gojo is a good guy at the end of the day, the worst he’ll do is ghost you 😭 and even then it’ll be with both your best interests at heart, yk? he isn’t cruel.

… i will also add that . ace!gojo is real to me lmao so i just don’t see him . liking sex that much 💀 definitely not enough to cheat, anyway. so this take just… isn’t for me in a Lot of ways </3 i don’t think he’s the type to hook up with people at all because sex is something that demands a level of intimacy. one that i frankly don’t think gojo is comfortable giving. idk virgin!gojo is canon to me i can’t lie to you anon…

BUT. in regards to the akutami thing!!!! i think the jjk fandom is absolutely awful when it comes to spreading misinformation/bad translations 😭😭 and this little tidbit is a common example!!!! the interview that you’re referencing is this:

this translation is by @/soukatsu_ on twt!!! i highly recommend checking them out because their translations are always very accurate and thoughtful :3 i’d also recommend reading this, where they explain this q&a answer in particular!! but tldr: this answer is foreshadowing for the hidden inventory arc, where satoru meets riko (and is wearing glasses). it doesn’t have any bearing on his actual character and his ”tendencies to pick up girls” or whatever 😭

and even assuming it isn’t foreshadowing, akutami is literally just saying that gojo might wear shades when meeting a girl. meaning — he wears his glasses when he wants to make a good impression/connect with someone!! again, it literally does nothing to imply that gojo meets girls often, or that he’d cheat on them, and etc. there’s no actual evidence for that take in the manga. people are free to make what interpretations they want obviously!! but. yeah. not for me <33

[ebonyslasher]

Spicy Alphabet: Ichigo Kurosaki

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

A little shy, Ichigo blushes and smiles. Looking like a handsome strawberry. "Y/n....thanks.". Gets lost in the moment before remembering to clean up and care for you. He’s also a cuddler

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Ichigo: The abs he's attained over all those battle arcs is a testament to his determination. His pecs were pretty awesome too, he makes them bounce to tease you.

You: The cutest button sat upon your face, looking wonderfully wide. Your nose fit your face nicely, and he loves to rub his nose on yours.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Ichigo likes seeing the image of cum leaking out of his dick onto you.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He sorta feels bad about it, but ever since he discovered porn, he always visits the 'Ebony' section

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Only done oral with one girl he had a crush on when he was younger. Never done anything since.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

This

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Ichigo will make sly jokes to make the nervousness go away. He won’t joke when he’s in the groove.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He has a cute orange bush going

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Yeah. He needs some emotional attachment to even be okay with having sex with someone. So, Ichigo is romantic. It's comforting when he holds you. Exciting when he thrusts into you, tells you how good you feel and that he's lucky to experience you.

J = Jack off (masturbation hadcanon)

He jacks off regularly when he’s not in a major fighting era. He gets cranky if he can’t in a long time

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Cuddling, big titties, phone sex, threesomes, queening, seduction, flashing

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

On a balcony, at night, with the moonlight glowing on your dark skin

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

You stereotypically seducing him (like in a movie): "You like what you see, handsome?"

Flashing your naked body, sparring and impressing him, using your sexy voice on a phone call, making him sexually uncomfortable

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Chains, defiling, CBT, race play

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Tasting you is a requirement. Tasting him is one too. It's too exciting to pass up on, don't you think? Also, please sit on his face.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Andante, deep

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Not preferable but he's cool with them, especially on lengthy missions

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

No, he’d have to think about things for a bit before agreeing to something. 

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

High. Those Bleach battles long as hell (mostly b/c they always have flashbacks for most of it)

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Couldn’t afford toys, plus he’s too shy to go into those types of stores. If you have them, he will use them.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Foreskin pulled back, Ichigo places his head at the edge of your eager entrance. He had already used those amazing fingers to open it up, making it easier to slip in. The crown of his cock peeks in your heavenly doorway and stays there. Ichigo guides the crown of his cock around, in a teasing circle. For a moment, he goes in, but not too far. It made you start whining. "Don't worry, I won't tease you too long...'m about to give in myself."

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Ichigo is very concentrated on your pleasure, that he forgets to make noises. He moans, frequently saying "Ah!" and "Y/N, I can't get enough of you.."

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

It was embarrassing, but you both made love in one of the training areas one day. The next day, Ichigo received a note.

>:(. I didn't need to see that.

From: Rukia

He was horrified.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

6.2". Uncut

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Average

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Quickly. The snoring makes you laugh at how cute he is

[beanieman]

Some time back you did a post discussing what you think Anzu's dynamics with the cast would be like if she survived her first trial. I'd like to ask the same question, but with Hinako if she survived her first trial!

Sara Chidouin - I could see Sara having a soft spot toward her like she does Kanna and Gin. I think she would be kind toward her and encouraging like she is with Kanna.

Joe Tazuna - I think Joe would treat her similarly to Gin by inviting her to play with him and the other kids once they escaped.

Gin Ibushi - I think Gin would find her a bit weird, but he would also want her to feel better about her life and place in the world.

Keiji Shinogi - I think he'd be kind and encouraging toward her, but also likely to vote for her if she gave him an "easy out," like he does with Kanna.

Alice Yabusame - I think Alice would mostly be relived that he didn't run out of the room. After that I could see him being gentle and kind with her since I think he would behave that way with most little girls. Considering his bond with Reko.

Reko Yabusame - I think Reko would be kind and encouraging toward her. It would bother her to see a child so young carry so much weight on their heart, so she'd try to make it better by always being the first to tell her how much she's worth.

More Undercut

Nao Egokoro - I think Nao would be kind to her like she is with the rest of the participants. I do think she'd might try to use her bad mindset to try ease her guilt after the massacre ending, but wouldn't be successful.

Kazumi Mishima - I could see Mishima getting a scene where he drops everything to encourage her. As a good teacher I don't think he could see a distressed child and just not care.

Q-taro Burgerberg - When Kanna gives up in the first main game it really bothers Q-Taro. So I think he would be super encouraging toward her given how uncomfortable he with how Kanna acts.

Kai Satou - Since Kai is such a loner in 1-1 and 1-2 I don't think he'd have much time to establish a dynamic with her. He'd probably think she was tragic, but his motivations remain centered on Sara.

Kanna Kizuchi - I think Kanna would find solace in Hinako's company as someone would understand how low she felt. Yet, I could see them becoming friends, and a high point of Kanna's arc would be telling her that her life holds value.

Shin Tsukimi - Since Hinako reminds me a lot of pre-devolvement Kanna, I could see Shin using her at first. Only to become protective later because of the time spent with her. Though I think he'd find her more confusing then Kanna because of their contrasting views on survival.

Dolls

Ranmaru Kageyama - I think he'd understand her a bit considering what he says about wanting to live in his victim video. I could see him wanting to help her since he assumes the death game would have reinvigorated her will to live.

Naomichi Kurumada - I think Naomichi would be really unsettled by someone who has no intention of winning. I think he would end up being an encouraging figure who pushes for her to not give up.

Anzu Kinashi - I think Anzu would really want to cheer her up. She would keep making attempts until Hinako at least cracked a small smile.

Mai Tsurugi - I think Mai would struggle to wrap her mind around someone not being willing to do anything to preserve their life. It's so unlike her desperate thought process.

Shunsuke Hayasaka - He would keep an eye out for her since he has a soft spot for kids.

Hinako Mishuku - I think the fake Hinako would look down on the real one in a certain way. I think she would be annoyed that she was unwilling to fight.

[bistaxx]

JINX !! tell me why you ship Quackity x Luzu and why you dont ship Quackity x Wilbur I need to know the Lore

Hiiiiiiiii Vin! oh gosh- I'll try to condense this as much as I can OKAY SO...

yeah I don't vibe with tntduo 😭- I already talked about q!tnt so I'll just explain about c!tnt instead:

Why don’t you ship it: The Fandom. Listen I hate saying it but it really is 90% of the reason why- I always try not to let annoying fandom stuff sour my opinions but like... MAN- Because like I actually did really use to enjoy /r tntduo fuck man I was shipping it back in October 17th 2020 after the moment in the button room and especially after the famous Niki's birthday stream like- idk I just liked the dynamic and the chemistry it was fun! I was even still shipping it when I first started getting really into the c!fiances and was hyped when Wilbur and Quackity met up again... but then. IDK- something about the fandom take on their dynamic just didn't click with me it didn't feel like the same characters I enjoyed ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE WAY C!QUACKITY WOULD GET TREATED- like GIRL- Quackity would not cave and be visibly annoyed or flustered by the first jab Wilbur makes hello-??? or the fanart that would portray Wil as like completely disregarding Q's personal space as this 'teehee funny flirty' thing like I HATED that shit- I also just hated how when I tried to look up c!fiances content I had to filter like 5 million tags to actually find what I was looking for because there'd be so many c!tnt fics that had the fiances tagged in them and 50% of the time it was just so Quackity could break-up with them for Wilbur 😭 I also just like got sick of seeing it everywhere when I wanted to find c!Q content it felt like it was inescapable and that people only cared for my favorite character solely to mischaracterize him in a ship I was quickly growing tired of... yeha I think that sums it up-

What would have made you like it? Um.. All of the above not happening LMAO-

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it? Like I said earlier I DID really like it and I have tnt shipping mutuals who do the dynamic justice even if I got super burnt out on it (shoutout to Thes)

... So anyway uh- SO LUCKITY-

(this will be a lot shorter despite how much I have to say about Luckity I'm just really tired rn SORRY 😭)

This will be about k!Luckity specifically cuz I rly don;t have much of anything to say about q!Luckity outside of finding Arinckity cute

What made you ship it? Started for the fluff and stayed for the toxic ship 😈- GOD Quackity and Luzu fucking outdid themselves with Luckity in Karmaland V like dude it's just so good- like looking back on it the writing was already on the walls that they were so doomed from the very start- like they somehow manage to be both "it's tragic because it didn't have to end this way" and "it's tragic because it was always gonna end this way." if that makes sense. But god at the start it was just so easy to overlook the blaring the red flags because they'd give us just enough hope that it'd end well only for the rug to get pulled during the elections and the whole dynamic get's flopped on it's head but now instead of cute fluff or funny flirting it's this Angry passion and resentment- from start to end they were devoted to each other whether in hatred or in love. The build-up and payoff were both just amazing even if I felt miffed about the ending of the arc at first I've since come to love it because really it's just the cherry on top of their tragedy leaving the possibility they could just end up doing it all over again yeah <3 They were The Moment yeah!

What are your favorite things about the ship? A lot of things but like- I love that they're sun and moon coded <33333 I remember associating them with sun/moon imagery before they took those iconic photos with the sun and moon and like I was so hyped when that happened <3 my toxic sun/moon boys yeah <3

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? Not really no- but HEY check out this web weave I made about Luckity that I'm still super proud of and debate remaking one day: X :3

[castlebyersafterdark]

Have you read this article? https://variety.com/2023/tv/features/noah-schnapp-coming-out-will-byers-gay-stranger-things-5-1235687739/amp/ it’s about Noah’s coming out, he gives insight to what it was like growing up adjacent to wills story and how they’re intertwined

If I remember correctly he said he denied Will’s sexuality to himself, until he couldn’t by season 3 esp after the rain scene and THAT line was delivered by mike. That was something I was stuck on when Noah came out, while beautiful and meaningful and important it is that Will so deeply resonates with him, he had to experience that moment right along with Will, except Noah himself was more in Mike’s place at that time and wasn’t ready to let himself accept being gay. He came a long way to feel grateful for Will’s sexuality, because he said he refused to connect with him for that fact (since he was closeted to even himself) even during s4, which shocked me reading that because that season was like the rain scene x10. And also because b4 Noah’s coming out, I speculated he was out to friends/family at that time. It’s what made me assume why Finn was so sweet and sensitive talking about this particular gay ship he was part of contrast with how he sort of treated his past gay ships, paired with maturity and passion for this arc for Mike. (Now I think it’s for many other reasons, some degree of self acceptance? his own journey in Cara’s words)

Also I remember a fan asked about Noah’s first kiss in an old q&a on his YouTube, he said it was with this girl he was talking to while shooting that 3rd season, and it happened after wrapping up and coming home. He recalls it being really awkward and was interrupted by a light falling (i swear the universe was screaming at him jk unless👀) Thinking about that now, though funny watching it back then, makes me weepy when you fit it in the timeline. He’s known since he was 14 that Will’s gay, first introduced to the possibility of his own queerness and what that even was through this character when he was even younger. Though Will is ultimately what helped him accept himself and come out, as he said he doesn’t know if he would have come out without him, I feel like acting out a reflection of himself informed his actions and struggles in the beginning as his life and this characters storyline played out. And in the public eye in that scale, while also just being a normal kid with family and friends and school, internal life, that’s really fucking tough, and still act wills story so authentically because it’s so true to him deep down. I admire him a lot he’s incredible to me, I can’t wait to see what s5 Will looks like played by our grown up evolved Noah who has finally let himself be fully and deeply connected to his character the way he’s always been inside. (Also I will not think of the possibility of Finn deeply resonating with Mike…I’m just not emotionally prepared oh god)

This is theeeeee ultimate article!! A very important one!

You hit on all the good stuff so I'll let your words stand on their own, I'll share snips of the best parts of the article.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

OK I still feel like I read a different Matt and Ross specific interview where they talked about this middle school queer friend and their childhood - but at least here's a mention where I know I'm not crazy for thinking that they definitely based Will on a childhood friend at all (which until it is completely negated, part of me takes that as code for "Matt Duffer" 🫢)

It's so interesting reading this about someone else, someone who we can also go back and observe at least a little bit of from public interview and appearances and videos online. How we look for signs and clues, because we're invested, we're curious. Sometimes it does give me pause that we do this. As well as how his mother knew he was gay that young. Before he was even ready to internally admit. As someone whose experienced a little bit of this himself, I always think about - what were we doing?? What about me made certain people know? What did you see? How did I give myself away? He ended up with support rather than sympathy (opposed to my case. Eventual support, though. It's ok now) - but how do mothers know? I know it's more personal and candid that we'll ever get or need to know, as he in reality is a stranger to us after all, but I always wonder when I hear other's stories like this, what do others really feel like when they know that people saw you before you saw or embraced yourself? I celebrate who I am now, and I know that he does, too. But it wasn't always like that. I don't know. I think about these things.

THIS IS THE PART THAT WILL HAUNT ME UNTIL SEASON 5 IS HAPPENING ON OUR SCREENS. NOAH WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

This is a really moving way of putting it. I think the way Shawn Levy is described as taking a pause going silent says so much, holds so much weight. Because this show, this show - we have to remember this when thinking about it in the end, for better or worse. Look how it changed lives, specifically this young guy's life. I think that's why Will is so special to a lot of us - that character did this for a real person. Sappy as hell, but I find it so beautiful.

Another thing that haunts me is this secretive series he's developing...

Ending on a fun note and yet another haunting little factoid and insight from dear Noah. I know we'll never know this, but who was hitting you up!!!!? Who fully put themselves out there that was so unexpected? Haunted, haunted. He deserves the attention, though...

😊😊😊😊

[renegadebraveheart]

Been a while since I updated this! Time to update my pinned post for my fanfics!

Title: Danganronpa: Fictional Nexus

Rating: M

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death.

Fandoms: Danganronpa, Zombieland Saga, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Pokemon Adventures, The Promised Neverland, Dragon Ball, Back to the Future, Shantae, Hunter X Hunter, Persona 5, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, Durarara!!, Little Witch Academia, Sonic the Hedgehog, Nichijou | My Ordinary Life.

Word Count: 138,807 (Arc 1/Chapters 1-6: 13,199 words, Arc 2/Chapters 7-14: 17,246 words if you skip the Q&A chapter and Bonus Chapter, Arc 3/Chapters 16-23: 18,847 words, Arc 4/Chapters 24-30: 21,583 words, Arc 5/Chapters 31-37: 22,542 words, Arc 6/Chapters 38-44: 24,525 words. Bonus/Chapters 15, 45-50, not counting Stolen Story Situation: 19,842 words.)

Summary: Monokuma hosts yet another killing game, this time with 17 individuals from other worlds! All taking place in “The City That Never Sleeps Without One Eye Open”, Monocity! Who will live and who will die in this murderous metropolis?!

Chapters: 50

Title: Danganronpa: Fictional Guardians

Rating: T

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Fandoms: Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls, Pokemon Adventures, Zombieland Saga, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dragon Ball, Hunter X Hunter, Durarara!!, Sonic the Hedgehog, Epic Mickey, BNA: Brand New Animal, South Park, Super Mario Bros..

Word Count: 117,003 (Arc 1/Chapters 1-6-: 18,687 words, Arc 2/Chapters 7-12: 14,552 words, Arc 3/Chapters 13-17: 17,847 words, Arc 4/Chapters 18-21: 16,222 words, Arc 5/Chapters 22-27: 31,533 words, Arc 6/Chapters 28 & 29: 18,522 words.)

Summary: Multiple people from other worlds are pulled into an adventure filled with hope, despair, and newfound friendships. Battling Monokuma robots in a variety of locations across the multiverse, this team they form must find a way to shut them down for good. If only it were that easy...

Chapters: 29

Title: Danganronpa: Fictional Epicenter

Rating: M (Because of the murders)

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death.

Fandoms: Danganronpa, Silver Spoon, Doki Doki Literature Club!, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Pokemon Sword & Shield, Sonic the Hedgehog, Zombieland Saga, KonoSuba,Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure, Xenoblade Chronicles, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Promised Neverland (Manga), Lucky Star (Anime & Manga), Digimon Adventure tri., Azumanga Daioh, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Pokemon Adventures.

Word Count: 124,388 (Arc 1/Chapters 1-9: 37,112 words, Arc 2/Chapters 10-15: 24,886 words, Arc 3/Chapters 16-22: 31,891 words, Arc 4/Chapters 23-97: 35,625 words)

Summary: Being on Dean Monokuma’s List is not an achievement one should celebrate… 18 participants from other worlds must survive a killing game within a strange college campus! Will they find out the secrets that lie within these learning grounds? Everything isn’t always what it seems…

Chapters: 29

Title: Ai Means Love

Fandom: Zombie Land Saga (Anime)

Rating: G

Pairing: M/F

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Word Count: 23,426

Summary: 愛 aka Ai = The Japanese word for love.

“Congratulations! You have won a full week “dating” the Franchouchou member of your choice! (Note that Franchouchou Number 6 is excluded from being chosen, due to her literally being a child. Also you are not allowed to touch them, we WILL know about it…)”

How is one guy supposed to handle being the lucky (or unlucky) winner of a raffle with a prize this ridiculous? Well, a certain idol with yellow flowers in her blue hair might make it a bit easier on him. However it seems as though she has her own feelings about this contest... what else could she be hiding from him as well?

Chapters: 5

Title: RenAi: Sincere & Sparking Shousetsu SAGA!

Fandom: Zombie Land Saga (Anime)

Rating: G

Pairing: M/F

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Word Count: 35,139

Summary: Warning: Must read Ai Means Love beforehand.

恋愛 aka Renai = The Japanese word for romantic love.

小説 aka Shousetsu = The Japanese word for a novel/story.

Put both together and you get 恋愛小説 aka renai-shousetsu, a love story. Although this love story is quite unusual compared to the norm… After hooking up unexpectedly, a snarky young man with some self-esteem issues and a no-nonsense zombie idol try their best to get used to their newfound relationship. Alongside the girl’s idol group, manager, and zombie dog, they navigate the many trials that come with dating a girl who’s both a living corpse and a kinda-famous stage performer. No overarching story to be found here, just a bunch of fun and fluffy tales with our adorable duo!

Chapters: 10

Title: Nanasama’s Soliloquy

Rating: G

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom: 七人のナナ | Shichinin no Nana | Nana Seven of Seven (Anime)

Summary: The brainiac of the seven Nanas discusses each of her peers, trying to figure out what makes each of them unique beyond their simple character traits. Elementary!

Word Count: 1,624

Title: Erratic Errand Escapade! (Featuring Nanacchi, Nanakko, & Nanarin)

Fandom: 七人のナナ | Shichinin no Nana | Nana Seven of Seven (Anime)

Rating: G

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: Nana entrusts Nanacchi with getting some groceries, but she'll need some help getting them...

Word Count: 2,583

[strkamand]

Fanfic Q&A

Got this here unintentional tag from @pc-corner

1. Why do you write fanfic?

I want to hear the characters talking in my head about topics that matter to me. I want to get spontaneous scene ideas for a gripping plot. To spur my own original characters in my other writing.

2. Which of your posted stories do you think about the most, even though the story is “finished”?

Recovery on AO3. It was always meant to be a series. I love building that series in my head because there's an ultimate point I'm trying to get to with a whole J/C arc.

3. If you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

I first started handwriting fanfic back in the pre-internet days and felt like I was less of a writer because I wasn't creating my own characters. I'd tell that isolated kid that it was completely normal and cool to write about her favorite characters and interact with them in that way.

For my first publish on AO3 (which was not that long ago), I wish I could tell myself not to listen to that 'fan' who first love-bombed it and then made cruel remarks about it without invitation (and after it was published!) I didn't realize how much one person's assumptions and devaluation could affect my other projects.

Ultimately, the advice would be about joining communities so I know I'm not alone.

4. What’s your relationship to fic stats?

I like tracking them because I like to make spreadsheets. I also like to see the audience's responses to things. But if I wanna write about something and I don't feel like it'll be popular, I'll post it and ignore the stats.

5. Is there a pairing or scenario or friendship you miss writing? If so, why? If not, why not?

I just write it. I don't always publish the things I write, but I have some little decades-old goldens that have led to fun moments in published fics. For example, I wanna chat with the Golden Girls? I will absolutely join them on the Lanai for a chapter or two in a fic.

6. What motivates you to write?

The need to get a scene out of my head and on the page. The need to share healing tools I've found that work for my IRL communities. The need to explore the worst of humanity's suffering and the greatest triumphs of survival.

Sometimes, it's about being witty and clever. But I'm not so good at that, so I have to practice lots and lots.

7. Why do you write for the fandom(s) that you write for?

Trek has been part of the fabric of my personality since I was tiny. And the other fandoms are usually spurred by a desire to explore the characters' limits. I'm drawn to strong characters who endure a lot.

8. If you’re stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

Try to break it wide open by writing the worst possible plot point - like a bad narrative or the most unbelievable option for a story element. Helps with reminding me that I'm the author, damnit, and if I want a plot to be bad, I can MAKE it bad!

I also typically have 7-10 WIPs in any given level of progress, so I just switch.

9. What do you wish people knew about comments?

My very first comment on AO3 made me cry because I was certain no one would read my little canon deviation and like it. Even the simplest comments about how people felt while reading have inspired and motivated me. Comments are huge and have nothing to do with compliments. They're about feeling seen.

10. Maybe there’s a question you wish had been on here. What’s that question (and answer)?

The question would be something about how the world is shite, but bonding over fanfic can be a factor in promoting mental health?

The answer would be yes, yes fanfic (writing or reading) is good mental health.

Who to tag?

I know this post is old. So if you've already been tagged... sorry... how about @magdalenejaneway, @divinemissem13, and @cnroth...

[writing-for-life]

Hey girl. What author most inspires you? Popular press or obscure, dead or alive - no matter. Bonus Q: What author's work is like your comfort food, that you find yourself coming back to at different times in your life?

Whoa, how much time do you have? 😂

Let’s start with the obvious and kill two birds with one stone:

I love Neil Gaiman, and The Sandman absolutely is my comfort.

I don’t even know how often I’ve read it cover to cover, so to speak—my guess is roundabout 15-20 times (and that doesn’t even include dipping into individual arcs or stories just because)?

It’s just a work that has matured with me, and I’m honestly not tiring of it. I still feel I discover new stuff on every reread. It’s honestly the work that’s been most influential on my life in so many ways.

But it’s not just The Sandman. I love The Graveyard Book (I don’t care if people say it’s a children’s book). I really like Neverwhere, literally everything in Smoke and Mirrors, Norse Mythology, The Sleeper and the Spindle, and Snow, Glass, Apples. I also like his other stuff, but the “big ones” aren’t always highest up my list (like Anansi Boys, American Gods, Good Omens and Stardust)—make of that what you will 😂

Also: I really love Art Matters and The View from the Cheap Seats (for some of his non-fiction stuff).

And of course his children’s books.

I just love his worldbuilding, it honestly awes me.

But it’s not just Neil Gaiman. Matt Haig. The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time in particular. His children’s books are wonderful too, especially To Be a Cat, The Truth Pixie and A Mouse Called Mika. And Notes on a Nervous Planet is always worth a read (I think it’s also a comfort one).

Other books I frequently revisit:

Joan Aiken’s Midnight is a Place.

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.

Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (she writes great dialogue)

I also like Tolkien, but I feel I need to be in a very particular mood. His overly descriptive prose irks me on occasion (nothing to do with him, but all with me), but the overall story and worldbuilding makes up for it.

Sinclair Lewis (surprising, I know 😂), John Steinbeck, David Foster Wallace 😢

And many more, so that’s all just from the top of my head and very unfiltered.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

MAX YOU'RE HOTTAKE FOR MON-EL AS A GIRL IS BRILLIANT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD MUCH MORE COMPELLING AND COMPLEX - q what do you think about the aftermath/repercussions of sending female!mon-el away?

Well, female mon-el would have pressed the button on the lead dispersal device herself, so there's that. The parting would be less "I love you, I'm so sad to leave you" and more "hey, I'll be okay. You showed me that."

So it would actually feel like a resolution to her arc on supergirl while also being the start of a new adventure for her. Which would give so much more weight to her return to present day later on more fulfilling. We'd see her as the leader Kara always knew she could be, conscientious and mindful like a true hero. Kara would be so proud. And they'd work as equals to stop the world killers. It would have been AWESOME.

[bloomboxygo]

Day 18: D/D/D - Different Dimension Day

@arcvmonth

A prompt on time, and that's akin to a fanfic? Ghastly...

Anyway, I don't have MUCH for this one, just an idea. An AU set... In the F-Zero universe in which we have a new Captain Falcon coming from ARC-V. You might imagine who it is. In fact, hint hint, that was the nickname he was given from the internet people when the show was airing. I'm doing this just to honor the nickname and because I've recently came back to be obsessed with F-Zero.

No content warnings here, characters are kept a secret for now. Don't worry, it's rather short. Also, imagine that they're both of age to drive.

A rather peculiar time attack session was unfolding in a training oval track seemingly located in Mute City. The objective was to pick up all the light capsules on the track, while finishing 3 laps on a 1 minute timer. The Blue Falcon was boosting all around the track to finish the race in time, with swift maneuvers to collect the cleverly placed capsules, to end up with a swift boost shift for the last two, ending the track with 5 seconds left, a new record for these settings. It would be a painstaking challenge for any F-Zero racer, but for the Blue Falcon, and for its legendary rider, Captain Falcon, that was merely a step up in his training to aspire to greater heights.

Said Captain Falcon now warped in, out of the track and back to his garage, exiting his trusted ride with his helmet, brown, with black visors and white, determined shining eyes, and his proud smile exuding confidence for all pores... Which were proficient in hiding a tender look towards a black-haired girl who came rushing at him, proud and overjoyed.

"Big Bro! You smashed that challenge... You were incredible! I couldn't imagine anyone else being as good as you!"

"Then you're imagining wrong." The Captain responded sternly. "Doing so is underestimating whoever will race alongside us in the Grand Prix. They'll be going all out on the greatest, most prestigious, and most dangerous tracks in the universe, and we would be foolish to be ill prepared."

"O...Oh." The girl quickly mellowed down after being somewhat scolded. "I'm sorry... You were so good out there, I got carried away..."

"There's no need to be sorry, Ruri."

The Captain took off his helmet to finally reveal the tough face, and the tender look, of Shun Kurosaki: half a ruthless bounty hunter with an immense reputation, and the infamy that naturally follows it, half a passionate F-Zero racer that wants to be truly fulfilled by this high thrill sport... And wants his little sister, Ruri Kurosaki, to feel that same joy, following her enthusiasm shown a while ago to follow in his footsteps. Not one to mince his words, Shun continued addressing his sister:

"Big results got me carried away too in the past... No matter what happens, you need to remember the reason you came to race in F-Zero in the first place."

The girl regained her grit and responded: "Right... I want to feel free, fly fast like a bird, following the currents, and visiting many places that the universe has to offer... And maybe, I'll find many friends with the same passion as mine! I won't forget it!"

"I'm sure you won't, Ruri!"

"By the way... I gotta ask, do you have many fans that... Smile when they see you?"

"Well, yes I do, but that's a bit of a weird question..."

"Well... Your talk about never forgetting why we race here made me think of a friend, Sayaka... She wants to race so she could make people smile with her driving. She told me it was possible thanks to that one F-Zero performer, Yusho..."

"Oh... Hah!" Shun couldn't help but give a chuckle. "Yeah, F-Zero is more than mere racing. There's always a lot of prestige when it comes to these events, and anyone can have fun and be thrilled even if they just watch. Sometimes the technique and drive alone can help one achieve that goal... But there's more than that. I can't simply explain it to you, you'll have to see it for yourself."

"Right... I didn't quite get it at first, but she was so sincere about it... I believe her! I can't wait to see how she does!" Ruri then turned her attention to the Blue Falcon, which was warped out of the room just now. "Oh, right! It's my turn to train now!"

"Yes, it is!" Shun then warped in Ruri's vehicle, which looked like a dark blue plane, with curved wings almost forming a shield to the boosters at the middle of the machine's body. He then clarified: "Oh, by the way, while the course's the same, I'm going to set the time limit to 75 seconds."

"That's 15 more seconds than you get!" Ruri exclaimed, a bit miffed but not showing it too much. "Come on, now. At least I can try being on the same page as you, Captain Falcon!"

"Well, no." Shun then explained to a stunned brunette: "That timing is incredibly tight, and your machine won't make it at all. Compared to my Blue Falcon, your Sapphire Swallow trades a lot of top speed for better bulk and maneuverability. Your focus will be on handling your cornering well without stopping completely."

"Ah... Right, I trust you then!" Ruri then enthusiastically hopped to the machine, and the glass hatch closed as she got ready. "I'll make you proud, big brother!"

"It's not about that, Ruri." Shun responded. "Focus on yourself and the track. Any review and criticism will be just for that."

And so, she warped in the track and the time trial soon started. Shun was observant of all her little movements, and how she collected each capsule less swiftly than he did, but more steadily. No risky maneuvers to be had here: there was no reason to in the first lap, as the booster is not active. Handling will always be the key in this track, and Shun had laid out these capsules in advance to take advantage of the Sapphire Swallow's strengths. From her movements, he noticed absolute confidence in her... But the first lap was about to be done, and as everyone says in the F-Zero world...

"The race starts at the second lap."

YOU GOT BOOST POWER!

P.S. To clarify, yes. People nicknamed Shun Kurosaki... Captain Falcon. But I'm sure they refer more to the Smash version, where he goes around punching people very effectively... As Shun does.

Then again, since now both rode a vehicle... Yeah, I thought it would be fun as an idea.

Also F-Zero is goated and it's a dang shame that a new game will likely never come out.

[cherubim-of-vvkastel]

🖋 - I WILL LITERALLY DO ANYTHING HELLO.

My only dsmp muses are Dream and Wilbur but they don't bite much /t

Hello hello!!!! Nice to meet you btw!!! I really appreciate you sending me an ask haha, I'm still nervous sneaking into everyone else's ask boxes - my muses do bite. Very hard. Sam will tear them to shreds sorry not sorry

🖋 a list of plots or ideas // plot meme

My dsmp muses are lengthy, but my highlighted ones are Awesamdude, Foolish, Sapnap, Schlatt, and Punz! So, here's what I think we could potentially look into:

Pandoraduo/Vaultduo is a pairing that I will literally always salivate over. Sam and Dream are very similar in their characters and how they approach things. As I like to always call them, my two green monsters. I will eat up any plot or dynamic when it comes to these two because they feed off of each other so well and I think it's an utter shame that there's so much content where one of them is written extreme while the other isn't and vice versa. Angst, hurt/comfort, shipping, enemies, friends, literally just slide them over and I will eat them all up.

TNTduo is another possibility! I tend to prefer writing my Quackity with my personal femme!Q headcanons, however, I'm not hard-pressed to write my girly girl if you prefer male Q more :] She's been a comfort character for a while now and I like bitchy chick and how their dynamic went on during canon and spin-offs.

Sweaterduo... get these vile men some therapy /t. Schlatt and Wilbur are just too good to let go of impo. I think they're hilarious and just have such fun quips against one another. Not to mention there are plenty of plots we can go about with canon Manburg times, EarthSMP, both of their ghosts and revival arcs. Silly goobers.

Dreamnap!!! Waves these little guys around. Sapnap is my baby, my sweetheart. Anything to do with the Dream Team will make me jitter and squeal. I'm down for any plots you wanna hit with them be it canon, aus, tropes etc. Doesn't necessarily have to be shipping (or on friendships if you had another idea in mind), just the goofy guys. I can write a little bit of George, but it's difficult for me to get into George's muse when I've got so many other asshole (/aff) muses that overshadow him.

All in all, you can probably hit me with any plot or idea you want, and I'll meet you with enthusiasm. Just slide on in, and I will grab your hands and drag you to frolic with me into the pits of rare and otherwise crazy dynamics and aus!!! I'm also pretty flexible with the muses that I can write from dsmp so if you have a certain pairing that you want to explore, just send me whichever muse you are interested in me trying and I'll let you know if I can fulfill it or not giggles

[yoonieper]

Some of these asks are making me cackle. Director dominate jungkook 😭😭 LMFAO. That’s a good one but I do agree. He has yet to experience things romantically and sexually. He’s suffered in his loveless marriage for too long 😔 Picking himself back up will be hard but I know he has good people around to support him, he just needs to let them in. Weren’t his parents also in an arranged marriage? They probably are stuck on the idea that they’ll eventually learn to live with each other without being in love and poor jungkook is a hopeless romantic. I know his brother was originally supposed to take over his current position hmmm they don’t seem too close since we haven’t had any scenes where they call to catch up etc. I know jungkook didn’t mind taking the position at the company but maybe it’s because that’s the only life he really knew, following and doing what his parents wanted of him. I do hope his parents help him out and see how much damage has done on their son. Y/n really is the light in his life so I hope he holds onto her and I hope she doesn’t give up on him. Their relationship is so special and vulnerable.

And I am on team who believes yuri has been cheating since day 1. That girl hasn’t put any effort in and expects everything to be handed to her on a silver platter. Why does she enjoy torturing jungkook so much? If she doesn’t know why she married or is still putting up with him why doesn’t she bring up leaving him and divorce? Why continue to stay if he “annoys” her so much? I need her to experience karma, she’s such an icky character 🥴 Y/n is much more classy, smart, confident, and beautiful than she is. I want jungkook to smile more and I want him to seek out Namjoon so I can finally swoon over Dr. Joon in glasses (he’s my bias if you couldn’t tell hehe).

Q: Since you have the chapters written out already, have you changed anything significant in the plot or added different scenes to the chapters? I know a writer’s mind is always changing once new ideas pop up so I wanted to see what your thought process looks like.

I won’t comment too much about most of this since all will be revealed in due time, but AHHH this was fun to read, I love long speculative post like this! Also jsksjsksksks with Dr. Joon, I’m excited too 🙂‍↕️

But to answer your question something MAJOR changed when I was still writing these chapters. I can’t really talk about it now because it deals with things in the future upcoming chapters but there was one important element to the story that I was indecisive about that became cemented once I moved closer and closer to it. Again I can’t talk about it right now but after the end of this arc I can kinda get into it! Oooo, I think I can say that I started writing the prologue back in 2020, and there was some changes to it over the years but it relatively stayed mostly the same, however I actually had two different drafts for part 1 that I originally started soon after! For the longest time I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to structure this story. I managed to get a couple k in then I was like sumn about it feels off before it was I think the end of 2022 that I finally decided to scrape it and change the structure entirely. Once again I can’t get into the details cause it would spoil the story completely but trust I will come back to this!

I can answer your question a little better with some changes to scenes! So typically how I write is I do very VERY rough first drafts to start with. I try and work in as many details as I can but if it’s not coming to me at the time I move on. Once the first draft is complete I then enter into the editing stage of what I call “putting meat on its bones” and working on the details I missed out on. Idk why but I find it easier to come up with those details when I don’t have the burden of finishing the story/chapter. This usually involves just adding the little details that make the story a little more lifelike. Then we move onto more traditional editing where I get into the grammar and making sure it actually reads well. I’ve been editing these initially chapters of For the Birds for over a year, but I’m only now having betas read through the chapters and give their feedback. Based on their comments sometimes I’ll make more drastic changes to scenes and sometimes add whole additional scenes, usually based off the notion that I just couldn’t figure out what a scene was missing based on my own editing and with more options it’s easier to manifest that discontentment into changes I can make. Part 3 is a great example! That whole scene with late night meeting between Y/n and Jk ended up getting like 3k added to it by the time I was publishing because I wasn’t very happy with how it lead into the smut and my betas gave some very helpful advice that lead to 3k being added to the scene. Oooo and I can give a more recent example but in part 4 that convo between Jk and Yoongi had some small but notable changes to Yoongi’s advice he ultimately gave Jungkook that ultimately worked out better to what I wanted! OOO and something a bit more specific but that part in part 4 with Y/n detailing what happened in the days leading up to when Jk and her talk again wasn’t there a few days beforehand so thank you to the betas for the help 😌🫶🏽 It’s typically things like this that end up getting changed and added. Editing for me usually takes forever but I find it one of the most fun stages! Some of these changes are big, some are some but noteworthy, but usually if I’m not happy with I’m changing something. This arc especially went through what I would say the most changes as I was a little less sure of how I wanted it to be exactly told starting out, but I have a storyboard now detailing the most notable details of the future arcs and chapter planned far out so I think things like that will happen a lot less now! The story has certainly evolved since I really got into writing it but once again I’ll discuss more of those details later!

Hoped this answered your question anon and sorry I didn’t expect this to become so long 😭~