#realized she came out with some new books and started reading them. let me tell you. she says some things. that make me realize-

[holylulusworld]

Sewer rat (2)

Summary: He broke your heart. Now he must pay for it.

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader, former Mobster!Tony Stark x fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, scared reader, Bucky is scary as shit, mentions of a breakup

Sewer Rat (1)

Sewer rat masterlist

Prey. That’s what you are to James Buchanan Barnes. Well, at least you’re not a sewer rat to him. As long as your information is useful to him, you’re safe.

For how long, you don’t know. He’s, just like Tony, a cold-hearted man unable to feel compassion or love. Sadly, you realized too late that Tony Stark could never love you.

“Let me get this straight. Tony threw you out with nothing but a towel. Still, you got this.” Bucky holds up the little black book. “How did you manage to steal his black book in only a towel?”

“My bathrobe,” your voice cracks, and you drop your gaze. “Did you not wonder why I fought tooth and nail to get my bathrobe, not a pretty dress or at least shoes?” You lift your head to look Bucky straight in the eyes. “The moment Tony Stark stepped into my life, I knew it was too good to be true. Whirlwind romances and men fulfilling your every wish always come with a catch.”

“You hid the black book in the bathrobe, didn’t you?” Steve smirks. He’s impressed you thought about hiding something so valuable for hard times.

“In the first months, I was on cloud number nine, but the façade crumbled. I slowly realized that Tony is not the man he loves to pretend he is. I didn’t think he’d treat me like he did last night.”

“How did you get your hands on his black book?” Bucky is still not convinced you are telling the truth.

“He’s sleepy after—” You bite your tongue and look away. “You know, sex. I couldn’t sleep and got up to get some water. I saw his little black book and phone lying abandoned on the kitchen counter. He was so eager to fuck me in the kitchen, he forgot about it.”

Bucky clears his throat. He shudders; imagining Tony and you going at it is the last thing he wants to think about. “Go ahead, tell us everything.”

“I knew Tony had lots of these black books. He uses them for notes. I sneaked into his office and stole a new one,” you lick your lips as Bucky opens the black book to check on the first names. “That night, I copied the book, writing every contact and code word down. When I came back to the bedroom, Tony was awake. I didn’t get the chance to hide the book somewhere else but in the pocket of my bathrobe.”

“Smart girl,” Steve praises. “This probably saved your life. We are not the kind of people protecting others for free.”

“I know,” you wrinkle your nose. “If you’re not useful, you can rot in hell.” You chuckle humorlessly. “I’m not delusional nor blinded by my undying love for Tony. He showed his true colors, and all I got left is the little book in your hands and all the things I memorized to help you bring his business down.”

“I will check on the information. If you tried to trick me, the things Tony said and did to you will be a pleasant memory.” Bucky’s features darken for a moment. “Steve, ensure she gets food and show her the way to the guestroom.”

“Please come with me.” Steve holds his hand for you. You look at his large hand but refuse to take it. So far, they haven’t proven to be better than Tony. “Alright.” Steve shows his palms. “You don’t trust me. That’s fair. We don’t trust you either.”

Slowly getting up, take a deep breath. Bucky is still reading the names in the little black book. You only hope he won’t betray you too after you hand the only leverage you hold over Tony.

“The information is gold,” Jake grins while explaining every little detail he found out about the people on Tony Stark’s payroll. “He pays cops, politicians, civil servants, and prostitutes,” he laughs. “Man, even taxi driver. That man seems to be obsessed with staying informed.”

“We will start with the less powerful people. The taxi driver he pays,” Bucky points at a name in the black book. “We will talk to him first. Make sure he knows if he fucks with me, he’ll die.”

“Got it, boss,” Rumlow hums. “Do you want him in one piece, or can I rough him up a little?” He smirks at Bucky.

“We don’t want him to shit his pants yet. Bucky wants to talk to him, not scare the shit out of him. Maybe it’s enough to offer more money than Stark to him,” Steve huffs when Rumlow gets a knife out, grinning. “No violence before we tell you so.”

You’re starving. Until now, you didn’t know you were hungry. It’s been hours since Tony kicked you out of his house and life. It feels odd to give in to a primal need while your heart still lies in shambles, shattered on the ground.

“Good, isn’t it?” Bucky sits down on a chair at the kitchen counter next to you. He looks at the sandwich his cook made for you. “I hope they made something you’ll like for you.”

“I’m not picky,” you murmur before taking another bite. Bucky’s presence in the kitchen can mean two things. Your information is valuable to him, or he wants to kick you out too.

“You know,” he leans closer to steal a pickle from your plate. “I saw you at one of his parties a few months back. You helped a waitress pick up glasses after another guest bumped into her. I knew that you were different at that moment.”

“People are rude; the world too. This doesn’t mean I have to be rude too,” you sniff. “Maybe when it comes to Stark. He deserves to catch hell.”

“That guy,” Bucky steals another pickle from your plate. “Your friend. Do you think he was involved in this shitshow? I mean, he comes back to town to marry and wants to meet up with you out of a sudden.”

“If you already know all the answers, why ask questions?” You muse. “I guess he was paid to get me in trouble. I just don’t know who is behind this conspiracy and why anyone wanted Tony and me apart.”

“We will find out,” he says, eyeing the second half of your sandwich. “Your information was correct. So far. We will see if you are as valuable as you believe you are.”

“I’m not, but this,” you tip your forehead. “I memorized every shady deal and name. Whatever you want to know about his organization.”

“Jake, my smart little tech nerd, is working on finding out more about your friend and his involvement in all of this. If you are helping me, I’m helping you.”

“Quit pro quo, Mr. Barnes,” you reply, and hold out your hand.

“Quit pro quo, doll,” he says, and grabs your hand, making you squeak. "But,” he leans closer to whisper in your ear, “if you try to trick me or fuck me over, you’ll end up six feet under.”

Tags in reblog.

[gottarunfromthelaw]

The problem with reading Nagata Kabi’s works is that I relate too much to her works that it makes me want to die.

[totaly-obsessed]

Out of the Pages

➳ Paige Bueckers x reader

➳ Navigation Post - here!

➳ introvert x extrovert - worlds meet

➳ Pure fluff, not proof read, idk guys, it's been a while. ➳ reader really is just me...

➳ Word count: 3.1k

The soft afternoon sun filters through the curtains of the small apartment you share with your girlfriend in downtown Storrs, casting a warm, golden light over the neat rows of books on your beloved bookshelf. Through the open window, you can hear the people talking on the street as they embrace the last warm days before it eventually gets colder. 

October is halfway over, and it won’t be long until the basketball season starts back up again, leaving Paige and her teammates in a constant state of excitement as they are making the last preparations. But in this apartment, curled up in your favorite armchair, you are at peace, absorbed in the pages of your book as you try to solve the case alongside the main character—a stark contrast to the lively chaos your girlfriend thrives in. It’s that very difference that makes your relationship work so well, despite what other people say.

In one of the restaurants close by a glass is dropped, pulling your focus from the book. A quick glance at the clock tells you that it shouldn’t be too much longer until Paige comes home. Practice ended 20 minutes ago, but most days she stayed a bit later, getting some more shots in, trying to perfect them to the best of her abilities, before she finally walked the 5-minute way back to your joint home.

With a sigh you close your book, realizing that you should probably get a start on dinner. You had always been the kind of person who found joy in the quieter moments in life. Reading a good mystery book and savoring the stillness that came with an afternoon without classes. Paige thrived in the energy of the crowd and the adrenaline of the game, while you cherished the simple things. A nice, hot, cup of tea. The feeling of a brand new book in your hands. Rain hitting your window in the fall. Knowing that she will walk through your front door in a couple of minutes, happy to fall into your comforting arms and tell you everything that happened. 

But even with you being a more private person, Paige loved you loudly. Nearly every second day she posts a pic of you on her Story. Sometimes she posts little videos of how you’re dancing around in the kitchen with her or how her teammates are interacting with you. In interviews, it’s hard to get her to stop talking about you, because no matter what the topic is, she is guaranteed to talk about you. And her fans love every second of it, and they love every bit of you. While she chases perfection on the court, you find perfection in the little things—in the way her eyes light up when she talks about her day, in the quiet moments when you simply exist together, side by side. And everyone loves watching you two be in love.

“Hi, Lovie!” Not once in your life has Paige walked through your front door quietly. So just like most days, the door flings open, as your girlfriend grins at you. “Oh, you look good, Baby!” And just like most days, she pulls the ‘o’s’ in good as long as she can. “Love, I’m wearing a sweater and shorts.” You deadpan at her while you drain the pasta and pour it into a pan. “I know Baby.  But it’s my sweater and those shorts… Yeah, I don’t think I need to say it.” Warm arms wrap themselves around you as your girlfriend clings to you, looking over your shoulder and watching you finish the sauce. “There is no protein in there, Baby.” With a scoff you shrug her off, pushing her towards the bathroom. “Wash your hands, dinner is ready.”

A soft kiss was pressed against your cheek as Paige joined you at the table. “Thank you for cooking Ma.” With a soft hum you lean into her touch, a small smile playing at your lips as you reply, "Anything for you, Love." The blonde lets out a satisfied moan as she takes the first bite, “This is incredible.” As quickly as you can you pull a face, “There is no protein in there, baby”, mocking what she said earlier to you, in your best ‘Paige voice’. One of her eyebrows shoots up, daring you to test her again.

As the playful banter continues between the two of you, Paige's eyes gleam with a mischievous spark. "You know," she says, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, "You can't stay cooped up in this apartment forever. How about coming out with me this weekend?"

You give her a knowing smile, already sensing where this conversation is headed. "Oh, Paige, you know I’d rather spend my time at home." She pouts dramatically, “But baby, it’s not just some loud party. It’s gonna be fun! Just a little get-together with the team and some friends. Nothing too crazy, I promise. Azzi told me about it.”

You roll your eyes affectionately, “I’ve heard that before. And I also remember how we ended up staying until 2 a.m. last time because you couldn't stop dancing.” Paige laughs, a sound like music filling the room, one of your favorite sounds there is. "Okay, fair point, but this time, I swear, it’s different. It's going to be relaxed—chill vibes, a few drinks, good music. Just a chance to hang out together."

You look at her skeptically, already shaking your head. “I don’t know, Paige… I’m really not the party type.” Your girlfriend leans in closer, her grin widening. "I know that, babe. And that’s exactly why I think you should come, just this once. It could be good for you to step out of your comfort zone. Who knows? You might even enjoy it." You laugh softly, but the idea still feels foreign to you. “I think my comfort zone is a pretty nice place, actually.” 

“Come on,” Paige nudges you gently. “Just think about it, okay?”

You nod, more to humor her than out of any real intention of agreeing. "I’ll think about it," you say, and Paige gives you a triumphant little cheer, knowing that everything but a ‘no’ is a victory.

Over the next few days, Paige doesn't let it go. She brings it up casually while you’re both cooking dinner, or when you're curled up on the couch together. “You know, they’ll have those little sliders you love at the party,” she mentions offhandedly one evening. Another day, she adds, “It could be like a mini-date night… just us two, but, like, with other people.”

You can’t help but smile at her persistence, though you keep gently declining each time. “I’m really not sure, Paige,” you respond, even as she keeps layering on reasons and reassurances, each argument filled with her enthusiasm.

Finally, one evening, as you’re sitting together watching a show, Paige takes a more serious tone. “Listen, love,” she says, turning towards you and taking your hand. “I know you’re not into these kinds of things, and I respect that. I love that you’re different. But I think it could be fun for us to do something a little out of the ordinary… together. Just this once.”

You tilt your head, considering her words, but still unsure. “And if I don’t have a good time?”

Paige smiles, her eyes soft. “Then we leave. No questions asked. I’ll stay by your side the entire time, I promise. I just… I just want to see you in my world, even if it’s just for one night. We can leave whenever you want. I promise you won’t be alone in it. I’ll be by your side the whole time, and Nika is gonna be there, and Azzi and KK, the whole team really. You love them! Deal?”

Her sincerity touches you, and you feel a small tug at your heart. You know how much this means to her, how much she wants to share every aspect of her life with you, just as she proudly shares you with the world.

With a sigh, you finally relent. “Alright, fine. I’ll go. But I’m holding you to that promise. One step out of line, and we’re out.” Paige’s face lights up with a brilliant smile, and she throws her arms around you in a tight hug. “Deal, baby. And trust me, it’ll be fun. You’ll see.” You smile back, feeling the warmth of her excitement radiating off her.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she litters small kisses all over your face, as the blonde just can’t help herself, hiding her face in the crook of your neck. “If you hadn’t said yes today, I wasn’t gonna go either.” The jerk of your head was exactly what she had expected after telling you her little secret. At your whines, she could only laugh, “Nuh-uh. you said yes. Now We’re goin'!”

The night of the party arrives faster than you expected, and you find yourself standing in front of the mirror, adjusting your clothes nervously. Paige, ever the enthusiast, had picked out a comfortable yet stylish outfit for you, something that she assured would help you “blend in but still look cute." You catch her reflection in the mirror as she comes up behind you, wrapping her arms around your chest, her smile warm and encouraging. “You look perfect,” she says, and you know she means it.

Your nerves build with every meter on the way to the party. The streets are busier than usual for a usual Saturday night, and you can already hear the faint thrum of music coming from a few blocks away. Paige’s right hand found its usual place, your thigh, as she rubbed comforting circles. “Remember,” she murmurs softly, loud enough that you can hear her over the open windows that let in the cooling evening air, “we can leave whenever you want. This is just for fun, okay?”

You nod, trying to take a deep breath and push down the flutter of anxiety in your chest. The music grows louder as you approach the house, the bass thumping through the walls as the blonde parks the car. Laughter and chatter spill out into the street, a warm glow radiating from the windows. Paige squeezes your hand one last time before opening her car door, jogging around, and helping you out of your seat.

Inside, the atmosphere is exactly as you imagined—people are scattered around, chatting in groups, dancing, or playing games. You immediately feel a wave of discomfort wash over you. It’s not just the noise, but the sheer number of people crammed into the small space. Paige senses your hesitation and keeps you close, her arm slipping around your waist protectively.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she whispers, her lips close to your ear. “Just breathe. We’ll find a quieter corner.” She guides you gently through the crowd, smiling and waving at friends as you pass by. You catch snippets of conversations and see faces turning your way, but Paige’s presence keeps you grounded. She introduces you to a few people, all of them friendly enough, but the whirlwind of names and faces makes your head spin.

How does this girl know everyone?

Finally, you reach a quieter spot near the kitchen, where the noise is a bit more subdued. Paige grabs two drinks, handing one to you. “Here, something light,” she says with a wink. “No pressure to drink if you don’t want to, but it might help you relax.”

You take a tentative sip, and Paige’s smile widens. “See? Not so bad, right?” You give her a small smile in return, still feeling a bit overwhelmed but comforted by her presence. For a few minutes, things seem to settle. Paige chats animatedly with a few friends who come by to say hello, and you listen quietly, feeling a little more at ease just being by her side.

But then, KK and Ice, two of Paige’s closest friends and teammates, approach with wide grins. “Paige!” KK exclaims, throwing an arm around her shoulder. “We’re about to start a game of beer pong. You in?” 

Paige glances at you, “Nah, I’m good right where I am,” she says firmly, smiling at her friends. “I’m here to spend time with my girl tonight.”

KK raises an eyebrow, her grin widening. “Your girl can play too, you know,” she teases, glancing over at you with a playful challenge in her eyes. “Come on, it’s just a game. We promise not to make it too competitive… unless you want us to.” Ice laughs and nods, chiming in, “Yeah, it’ll be fun! You’ve got Paige on your team, so you’re already halfway to winning!”

Paige looks at you, her eyes searching yours for a moment. She can see the hesitation written all over your face, the way your fingers lightly grip her arm, not wanting to let go. You give her a small, almost imperceptible shake of your head, and she instantly understands.

She turns back to KK and Ice, flashing a charming smile. “You know what? I think I’m gonna sit this one out tonight,” she says smoothly. “We’re just here to chill and have a quiet night. Maybe next time?”

KK chuckles, catching the subtle glance between you and Paige. “Alright, alright, we get it. No pressure,” she teases with a grin. “You two are inseparable, huh?” Paige just shrugs, her grin widening as she pulls you closer to her side. “Can you blame me?” she quips back, her tone light but sincere.

KK and Ice exchange a knowing look, teasing her with playful jabs. “Oh, come on, Paige, you’re whipped,” KK laughs, but there’s no malice in it—just teasing their friend. 

“Damn right, I am,” Paige grins, pulling you closer. “And proud of it.”

They laugh and shake their heads. "Alright, alright," Ice says, “we’ll catch you later then.” They wander off, leaving you and Paige in your little corner.

As they wander off to join the others, Paige turns to you, her smile softening. “I’ve got you, always,” she murmurs, brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear. You feel the tension in your shoulders ease a bit, and you nod. “Thank you,” you whisper, and Paige leans in to press a gentle kiss to your temple. “No big deal Ma.,” she replies softly.

“Tell me about your book, baby. What happened in the last chapter? Did Pip figure it out?”

You can’t help but smile at her genuine interest. Paige has heard you ramble on about countless books, and every time she listens as if it’s the most important thing in the world. "Well," you start, your voice a little shaky but gaining confidence as you go on, "Pip thinks she has it all figured out, but there’s this new twist... the suspect has an alibi that throws her entire theory out the window."

Paige’s eyes widen dramatically. “No way!” she exclaims, leaning in closer as if this story was the most gripping thing she'd ever heard. “I was sure she had it this time. What’s she going to do now?”

You laugh softly at her enthusiasm, feeling more at ease. "She’s back to square one, basically. But she’s determined to find a new lead, and I think she’s getting closer to the truth."

Paige nods, fully absorbed in your words, her blue eyes fixed on you with a look of admiration that makes your heart flutter. For a moment, the noise and energy of the party fade away, and it’s just the two of you, sharing this quiet little world together. It’s these moments that remind you why you took the chance to come here tonight—for her, for this.

Just then, from across the room, Azzi catches sight of Paige and nudges Nika, who follows her gaze. They both burst into giggles, catching the attention of KK and Ice, who turns to see what’s so amusing. 

“Look at her,” Azzi whispers to the group, a grin spreading across her face. “She’s got the puppy dog eyes again.”

KK snickers, “She’s totally whipped. She looks like she’s watching a sunrise or something.”

Nika laughs quietly, nodding. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look at anyone like that,” she adds, her voice filled with a touch of wonder. “It’s actually really cute.”

Ice chuckles, shaking her head. “That’s love, right there,” she says with a smile. “The girl’s completely gone for her.”

Meanwhile, Paige remains blissfully unaware of her friends’ teasing, still fully focused on you, hanging on to every word as you continue to tell her about the next chapter. Her hand finds yours, squeezing it gently, her thumb tracing light circles over your skin.

After a few moments, you catch sight of her friends watching from across the room, and you feel a blush creep up your cheeks. “Paige,” you whisper, nudging her slightly. “Your friends are staring.”

Paige glances over and catches their teasing expressions. She rolls her eyes with a grin, then turns back to you, unabashed. “Let them stare,” she says softly, her voice filled with warmth. “I’ve got everything I want right here.”

You feel your heart swell with affection as Paige leans in and presses a soft kiss to your forehead. The party continues around you, but it feels like the noise has dimmed just a little, leaving a bubble of peace around the two of you.

Eventually, the evening winds down, and as the crowd begins to thin, you realize that Paige is right. It wasn’t so bad—actually, it was more than that. You had fun in your own way, simply by being there with her, sharing in her world.

As you make your way back to the car, hand in hand, Paige looks at you with a triumphant smile. “See?” she says, her eyes sparkling with mischief and joy. “Told you it would be fun.” You roll your eyes, but you’re smiling, too. “Okay, okay,” you admit. “Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

As you reach the car, she stops and turns to face you, her expression turning sincere. “Thank you,” she whispers. “For tonight, and for always being my safe place.” You lean in and kiss her softly, your heart full. “I love you, Paige,” you murmur against her lips. “Anywhere with you is where I want to be.”

And with that, you both get into the car and drive back home together, knowing that whether in a crowded party or a quiet apartment, you have everything you need as long as you have each other.

[dedalvs]

When will humankind learn the lesson of its hubris and begin to heal itself? Also can you recommend any undergraduate or graduate level resources (textbooks etc.) for learning about fiction? I already read Writing Fiction by Burroway. Thanks in advance

January 14, 3182. Make a note of the date and return to this post when it comes.

To your second question, I've never read anything on writing fiction, only writing in general. I've found something valuable in every book on writing, even if there were things in the book I found less valuable. For example, I read Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg, and while there was much of it I didn't care for, there are some passags that have stuck with me 22 years later. When it comes to writing guides, I think the best thing to do is read what interests you while understand that what you are really doing is building your own writing guide inside you. You're absorbing what you find personally meaningful and using it to create your own personal styleguide that, like it or not, you'll be following for the rest of your life. Rather than rejecting that, and trying to decide which text will be the text that tells you how to write, embrace it, realize that you are going to do what you're going to do, and then try to work within that framework. That is, if that's what's happening, how will you approach a styleguide? What will it mean to you to read a very didactic text (i.e. "All serious writers must do x; no serious writer every does y") vs. a loosey-goosey one (e.g. "Dance naked in the garden of your creativity and allow your flowers to bloom!")? What are you looking for in these texts and what will you do with information or strategies that you find valuable?

Returning to Writing Down the Bones, I have to say I found the book to be mostly woo. It was more a kind of self-help/empowerment book than a book on writing, in my opinion. But there is something in there that I'm sure I'd heard before but which finally resonated with me. Specifically, it was the way she articulated that it really, truly doesn't matter what you put on the page when you're drafting. Drafting is not the time to reject. Even some idea comes to you that you find absurd, illogical, thematically inappropriate—whatever. It's not the time to push it away. Indeed, it's wasted effort. Editing and revising is the time to question. If you're writing, you shouldn't let anything stop you—even your own brain.

Why it took till then for this idea to take root, I don't know. It could be how she worded it. It could be that it came at the right time. Perhaps I was more open to new ideas when I was reading this book. It may also have something to do with a transition that had taken place for me in writing. After all, when I started high school, I was not regularly using a computer (we'd only just gotten a computer that stayed at home). When I started writing, I wrote by hand—on paper. It's a much, much different thing to edit and revise when you're writing on paper than it is on when you're working on a computer! I mean, digital real estate is cheap. When you're writing by hand, it can literally hurt to write seven or eight pages—and then to discard them in editing! Right now I'm working on a novel draft where I've decided an entire section needs to come out. If I'd written that by hand?! I can't even imagine.

I guess the tl;dr of it is I don't have a specific text to recommend. Rather, I encourage you to look around and grab anything that interests you. In doing so, though, I encourage you to approach it differently, focusing on what in it you find valuable, without either wholly rejecting it or feeling you have to follow it to the letter like an Ikea manual. I even found something valuable in C. S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man, which I honestly can't believe I read.

If you'd like some fiction advice that may be generally useful no matter what you're writing, this is what I can offer:

A valuable skill to hone is being able to read your work as if you have no other knowledge of it. In other words, you need to be able to read your work like a reader. One of the most difficult things to do with fiction is to cut. You usually have a lot more characterization, a lot more plot points, a lot more detail, etc. than end up on the page. The important question is if you cut something, will the reader notice? Will it actually feel like something's miss it, or will a reader never notice? Mind, I'm not saying that as a writer you can't tell if something is superfluous, or that anything you cut will be superfluous. I'm saying sometimes even if you cut something important a reader will still get the impression that what they are reading is whole and unedited. That isn't a good thing or a bad thing: it's a neutral thing. The question you'll have to answer is what is this whole that the reader is getting, and is that whole something you're satisfied with?

Get multiple rounds of feedback from many different readers. I say this not because it's vital, because beta readers are important, because you have to have multiple perspectives on your work, etc. None of that. Getting feedback from many different readers is a form of self-care on the part of the writer. I was deathly afraid of feedback as a young writer. I welcomed praise, sure, but anything else felt too painful to bear. This changed when I took a short fiction class at Berkeley. Suddenly a short story of mine wasn't getting one round of feedback: it was getting fourteen. And not just from the professor, but from fellow students. This was a minor revolution for me in terms of accepting feedback. If I were to take, say, one round of feedback, certainly there would be some praise, but there would also be notes like "awkward phrasing", "why did x character do y?", "this is unclear", "too much description", etc. These things would burn me. I would seethe reading them, and it would hurt so deeply. But! Imagine that one of them circles a paragraph and writes "too much description" and then the other thirteen readers say absolutely nothing at all about that paragraph—maybe one even puts a smiley face next to it. THAT puts the criticism in its proper context. Maybe your writing isn't too bad! Maybe there isn't too much description. Maybe that particular reader just wasn't vibing with it, and maybe that's okay. And then let's look at it from the other perspective. Say thirteen out of fourteen papers have a sentence marked and all of them say things like "huh?", "what's this mean?", "confusing", etc. Guess what? The sentence is probably confusing. And for some reason if everyone's saying the same thing it hurts a lot less. It means, yeah, you probably made a little mistake, and that's okay. It's not one person singling you out, and it's not the case that they don't know what they're talking about. I can't emphasize enough how freeing it is to look at reviews of your work if you have a handful or more to draw from rather than just a single good friend.

It's okay to write the fun part first. You may have a plot device you're really excited about, but to get there, you have to introduce your characters, have them get together, have them go to a place, meet someone else, etc. And it may take time and energy to write all that. You may feel pressured to get through that before you get to the part you really want to write. You certainly can, but you do not have to. I don't know if younger writers can appreciate exactly what it means to have a computer. You can write a little bit now and literally copy and paste it into some other document later. Try doing that with a typewriter! You can write something like "Insert paragraphs later of characters traveling to x location". You can even drop a variable in there so it's easy to find with the search function later (e.g. "ZZZZZ insert scene description here"—now you just need to search for "ZZZZZ"). You can put it in a different color on the screen so it's easy to find when scrolling. You can paste a freaking photo into your document! It's extraordinary what you can do with a computer that you couldn't do in years past. You've got a ton of options. But most importanly, when your work is done, no one will know what order you wrote it in.

In fiction, nothing has to happen. Villains don't have to be punished; heroes don't have to win; characters don't have to have a specific arc that comes to some conclusion. Honestly, one of the tropes (if you can even call it a trope) that I find most frustrating in sequels for movie franchises is after the characters are introduced, they take a few character and assign to them the major story conflict, and then for the rest, they give them a mini arc. It's like, "Mondo 2: Exploding the Mondoverse sees our hero Larjo Biggins take on new villain the Krunge as the very core of the Mondoverse is threatened with destruction! Also, Siddles Nuli learns its okay to be left out sometimes and she shouldn't get her feelings hurt, and Old Mucko learns that even though technology is advancing, sometimes good old fashioned common sense is just what the doctor ordered!" If you get to the end of your story, and you feel it's done, you don't have to panic if you suddenly realize we don't know whether Hupsi ever made it to Bumbus 7. It's okay if Story A is resolved but Story B is not.

I don't care if you used Trope A in your new story even though you used Trope A in your past seven stories and neither should you. Seriously, you think anyone was complaining when Agatha Christie put out another mystery novel? "Oh. Mystery again, huh? Gee, we were all hoping you'd write a book about the struggles traditional fishing villages are facing in the wake of industrial modernization." No we fucking weren't!

I hope you find some of this useful. Whether you did or not, though, be sure you enjoy what you're doing. If you are, you're doing the right thing.

[potteraep]

-me, a father?

-yuta okkotsu x afab!reader

-little thoughts of how yuta would be as a dad :>

-characters aged up to 22! mainly fluff, little tingle of angst, mentions of pregnancy, and birth ( only reason I put afab cuz of pregnancy and stuff sorry 😅)

-WHEN YUTA FOUND OUT YOU WERE PREGANT HE ALMOST FELL TO HIS KNEES. and not even to be dramatic.

The second the words left your mouth it’s like every word left his, his words and thoughts left him

a few awkward seconds made you worry with regret and sadness, not knowing how he felt you shifted your head ready to turn and apologize before you hear a soft sob escape his mouth

you looked back worried to see tears streaming down his face and a bright smile on his features, he ran to you cradling you softly before he pulled away and kissed you still worried but happy

“me, a father?”

-those whole nine months were the best and worst months of his life all he felt was worry and affection to you and his child growing in you

Most nights he’d fall asleep with you in his arms, his injured hands from battles seeming so light on your skin rubbing your stomach softly and kissing your head

of course there were ups and downs of the longs and Tiring months when your tiredness took you over and yelled at him he understood and apologized never wanting to fight with you, even tho he looked like a sad puppy sulking the rest of the day.

he never stopped talking about you and your growing son to his friends and teacher, they were all excited and happy seeing how his eyes seemed more happy and his eye bags seemed less appearent

Gojo was a little to excited at the news and half the stuff at the child’s future nursery was bought by him as a gift and a show of support

maki and toge were super happy for him and toge was excited to meet the baby when they were born ( so was maki but she tried to hide it)

when you went into labor this boy was so nervous biting his nails and shaking in the hospital hallway not aloud inside even tho you wanted him to be it was hospital rule that he despised wanting to unleash rika on whoever made that dumb rule

he paced around the hall while Gojo came to the hospital to support both of you even his unserious demeanor had sat down seriously to reassure yuta that’d you and your son would come out of the room perfectly fine

when a nurse came out to tell them they could see you he rushed past her with a thank you and opened the door slowly Gojo trailing behind him

when he walked in he almost wanted to cry right there and then, the sight of you laying upward and his newborn song in your arms so peacefully made his heart strings tug at him tightly he walked over and smiled at you kissing your forehead before he looked at his son up close

it was his son alright, I mean he never had any doubts but seeing the baby looking back up at him made him realize the reality of everything

Gojo tapped his shoulder trying to pull him out of his daze as he blinked looking back at you, he paused seeing you raise the baby into his arms

He felt such adoration seeing his son peacefully laying in his arms his dark blue eyes fluttering open, a perfect reflection of his fathers.

he felt his eyes well up with tears at the sight. A wobbly smile on his lips as he bit back sobs as his son wrapped his tiny finger around his ring finger

That moment he swore to never let anything happen to you or your son

Raising your son wasn’t the easiest thing he’s done sure, but he enjoyed it so much. He already had a bit of experience having a little sister of his own.

Some nights you’d wake up to find him reading a little picture book to his while he listening not even comprehending what his father was saying.

he’d also get so emotional knowing his baby wouldn’t be little forever

when your son started to walk and talk

he’d joke around with him giving him piggyback rides and playing games outside teaching him many different skills

Sometimes when he’d fall asleep his son would prank him drawing on his face and showing you as you both laughed at his peaceful sleeping form

Your son also loved his uncles and aunts he would have a notebook to talk to toge because he found it difficult to under stand how he spoke at it melted inumakis heart

Makis serious demeanor faded a bit as the kid ran around her saying tag while expecting her to chase him ( she did)

panda would become a personal stuffed animal and let the kid lay on him and run around with him as if he was a horse

Yuuji nobara and megumi even met and adored the kid

yuuji being the sweetest and bringing him chocolate for them to share in secret

Nobara would play arts and crafts making origami animals for the child to play with

megumi would offer to babysit because “ knew it was hard to take care of a baby” bud deep down he just wanted to see the child

gojo was the worst of them being shameless about buying your son snacks and expensive toys no 4 year old should have and would giggle while you scolded him that you didn’t want your child being a spoiled brat even tho he was the sweetest and most grateful kid ever

Sometimes all of them would come over just to shower the boy with attention and love as if he didn’t get it everyday from his parents

(Megumi would summon his demon dogs and let him play with him when they went outside)

the boy of course grew up very kind and timid a lot like yuta did often hiding behind his leg when introduced to new people and crying when he scraped his knee playing outside

still even with his shy demeanor he tried his best to make friends at parks before he started school and nervously would play with trains with other kids

He’d talk to you and yuta about his day and sometimes cry to you about how some kids picked on him for his toys being super expensive ( of course due to gojo) and that they said he was probably a spoiled brat

you and yuta always listened no matter when and what trying to reassure him and cheer him up sometimes you even caved and baked him sweets sometimes while yuta played with him in the living room lifting him in the air on his shoulders running around like a rocket ship while his son giggled

but no matter what yuta okkotsu is the best (husband) and father in the world.

-reblogs appreciated! and feel free to leave whatever feed back so I can improve or just how you felt about this fic ! :>

[shatcey]

My fiancé has become a child JP (Nokto)

Luke Licht Nokto

Strangely enough, there were no references to the main route in this story. Maybe I just didn't notice them. Nokto's habit of keeping everything to himself and not showing his struggle to anyone played a huge part in that story. I hadn't thought about this side of him before, and now I'm really curious to re-read his route to check.

Nokto came to the garden on a break from work and suddenly…

First of all, I like that look on his face. I don't know why. I just like it. Secondly… I have to apologize. Initially, it was indicated what kind of tree it was. But… my translator told me that it was a "taru tree", and I thought I would figure out its meaning later, and did not take a screenshot with the original text. And now I have no idea what that might mean. So… Let's imagine that Nokto is not a botanist and has no idea what kind of tree it is.

He assumed that she was the daughter of some visiting nobleman, but was surprised not to notice her guardian nearby. He approached her cautiously and asked her what she was doing.

She reminded him of someone. He thinks that maybe it's not the first time they've met. What's wrong with you, Nokto? How could you not recognize her at first sight?

But right after he found out her name, he just thought… Oh, yes, I haven't seen her all day, that explains why. So calm…

Emma asks him to play, but he says he has things to do, but after that they will play.

I have no doubt what you mean by that.

In the library, Emma was amazed to see how many books there were.

Emma asks what he was looking for, and after some thought, he decides to tell her. He tells her that there is a spell on her. And then she asks which one…

That's so sweet of you to assume that, baby…

He decided not to correct her, but simply to agree with her theory. And he asked her to help to find a book about magic. She enthusiastically began to help. But after reading a lot of books, Nokto felt depressed because he didn't find anything that could help.

He looked at Emma and realized that she looked under the weather as well. When he asked her why.

Well, this is Emma, she's an empath, she feels other people's emotions like her own.

He on the other hand assumed that she was just bored because he wasn't paying much attention to her. Suddenly the door opened, and Nokto hides the girl that she had not noticed the newcomer. Assuming that if she saw him, she would cry. And considering that this is exactly what happened in Luke and Chev's stories, it was very likely.

I thought he would at least said something. Like… how did it happen? But Nokto didn't even give him the chance. He invited Emma to return to the garden. Don't you think your break has suddenly turned into a day off?

In the garden, he continued to be sad about it, and Emma handed him another book. Telling that this book is just about how to turn adults into children. He looks into it…

Awww, it's so sweet of you to think about Clavis right now. I'm looking forward to this event with him. Assuming it's going to be his Belle… It's going to be the most fun. I hope I didn't miss it.

After reading this book, he decided to use everything that was indicated there as methods. He sings (I'd like to hear it. I thought he'd call Licht… he has a wonderful voice). It didn't work. The next one was a potion made from some rare flower. But the description of the flower made him doubt it.

OMG! I like that look on his face. Serious Nokto is the most beautiful one. In fact, I liked the serious Keiji better too. Perhaps this is already a tendency.

So he decided to switch to other methods… Emma looked at him and asked him to play again. He asked her to wait a bit more… and she started crying

Awwww, she's such a sweet kid!

While she "wasn't" crying, Nokto tried to comfort her as best he could. But he himself understands that he has failing. She seems uncomfortable in his arms.

These are new complex emotions. It's a good thing. This is called growing up! You should watch "Inside out". Sorry, it's a different time period. Just take my word for it, honey.

He told her that they were done with it for the day and had to go to the castle. While he was thinking, he needed to find a way to cheer her up.

Normal

They are sitting in the living room. Picture books and toys are scattered everywhere, but Emma still doesn't look very happy. Nokto is trying to figure out what caused the sudden change in her behavior. Suddenly, the door opened…

As we all know, Luke gets along very well with children. Who wouldn't like this cute ginger with a sweet and convincingly sincere smile on his face? So he'll cheer Emma up pretty quickly.

Oh, he's jealous…

Luke even made a bracelet for her. Nokto thinks he will never win. He feels completely depressed because he can't take proper care of his own fiancee.

Emma, smiling happily, runs up to him and shows him her new bracelet. She looks at him and asks seriously

Because of his constant gloomy expression, she thought he was in pain. As expected from the extremely kind and caring Belle… I'm sorry, Emma.

Because he thought she was a child, he gently touched her and as a result began to feel fear of doing something wrong. And Emma felt it. She's really an empath.

It sounds like a promise. Well, will see, I guess…

He asked if she still wanted to play with him. And she's so glad to hear it. I do not know what will happen next, because this is the end of the normal ending. Well, I guess until next time.

I'm actually very surprised at how collected he is, how much he thinks and analyzes. This is probably my first event with him. As I said earlier, I don't particularly like him. I'm a Licht's girl and probably can't feel sympathy for Nokto.

My previous theory about the dream doesn't work here at all. This Emma is definitely Belle. She is kind, sensitive and very sweet. I can't imagine Nokto being like this even as a kid. Sorry, night boy, this doesn't suit you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🔝 Start page 🔝

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[violetszone]

Loving Dog

Charles x fem!reader

Summary: you were in a relationship with charles that nobody knew during the corona , your relationship was revealed thanks to your dog during quarantine.

From this request

WARNINGS: Bad English (a little google translate)

Before the corona started Charles and you were started to dating without anyone knowing and you started to spend the quarantine together, everything was fine. Charles was making lives some days, playing games, talking to the fans.

Likewise, you were active on Instagram and talking to your fans and interacting with them about the movies you would like to make or make in the future.You both made sure to communicate with everyone on a daily basis and show that you were okay, then you spent the day together at home.

Sometimes you were watching movies, sometimes cooking together, doing puzzles Charles was teaching you  about video games from time to time and you were you were racing.

It was such a day again, you had breakfast with Charles, you did yoga, he read a book, then you took a bath and got dressed. Remembering that you were not active on Instagram, you asked Charles for help for a photo, you put on your black sweater and took the Maya in your arms , which was your toy poddle, and Charles take a few poses for you. You shared what you liked among them and so your job for today was done. As soon as you put the Maya on the ground, she ran to Charles and jumped on him, this time Charles started playing with her.

Your days were always the same but you were never bored because you were with Maya and Charles.A few days later, Charles was on the live again, you were cooking while his playing, and Maya was running around at your feet because she couldn't get near Charles.

You walked to the room where Charles on it to let him know that the dinner was ready. You didn't even realize that Maya was behind you. You knocked on the door, waited for a while and opened the door so Maya ran after you and jumped into Charles' lap.

You looked at charles and your dog that in his lap, and he looked at Maya when you made eye contact with Charles the only thing that crossed your mind is "oo we fucked up "

Charles said he had to go, he lowered the shila and turned off the live,you apologized, took the shila in your arms and left the room Charles followed you into the living room and came across  you as you sat on the couch.

"baby it's okay please don't worry we were going to say eventually we don't need to hide anything anyway" You nodded and left the dog on the couch.

"I know it's just that it wouldn't be a bit of an event for them to find out, I mean, it would be a little better to tell them face to face, Charles, I don't know, do I have to be angry with Maya because she loves you so much right now?" he laughed and hugged you "no honey it's no one's fault having a loving dog don't worry"

So while you were eating, everywhere was filled with news that you might date. When you picked up your phones again, you were greeted with a rain of notifications. Charles turned both of your phones off and put them aside, "Let's face it tomorrow, yes, would you like me to beat you in one more race?" You said "you wish, Leclerc" and reached for the game console in his hand.

[stay-dazed]

jock!hyunjin

note: female reader. this photo inspired this little blurb 🥹

imagine moving to a new school and coming across jock!hyunjin. he's a senior like you, and appears as your typical movie jock. the type that dates the captain cheerleader and pushes smaller kids into lockers. you're admittedly surprised when he approaches and rather shyly introduces himself to you. he runs his fingers through his hair a couple times - a nervous habit - and remains unaware of just how pink his cheeks become. jock!hyunjin tries to keep the conversation going, asking why you moved schools and if you'd like him to show you around. the two of you click almost instantly, and you come to realize just how far he is from an average jock.

within a week you two are best friends. he takes you out to eat after school in his dad's truck, he lets you wear his letter jacket, he facetimes you on the weekends and tells you about his upcoming football games. you never used to care about football. it's almost embarrassing just how fast you came to like it all because of him.

in the coming months, you learn a lot about jock!hyunjin. you learn that he loves photography and saved up to buy himself a camera by working as a busboy over the summer. he cried watching titanic and 50 first dates, he frequently picks flowers for his mom, and he's learning sign language to communicate with a kid in his class who's hard of hearing. he enjoys sports, cars, and roughing up his teammates, as well as painting sunsets, reading classics like pride & prejudice, and going for drives through the mountains.

you adore how jock!hyunjin is an absolute gentleman. he holds his arm out so that you can link arms with him in the school halls, he holds onto your books/backpack whenever you need, he threatens to fist fight anyone who bothers you, and he gets blatantly jealous when another guy flirts with you. he even carries some candy bars and pads on him when you're on your period, just in case.

when you both finally start dating, like everyone knew you would, you continue to attend his football games. and when the stray kids' team inevitably wins, you run onto the field to give him a big hug and a kiss. it makes all the other girls who fawn after him angry, but that doesn't bother you in the slightest. you help dress any gashes he manages to get while playing, and he watches you the whole time, his eyes full of what could only be described as awe. you have him as "hyune 🏈❤️" on your phone, while he has you as "lovergirl 🩵" (blue is his favorite color).

he comes over some evenings to eat dinner with you and your family, and then proceeds to quiz you in your bedroom to help you practice for an upcoming test. and while he may be allergic to cats, that doesn't stop him from cuddling princess, your clingy kitten. after he hugs your mom, shakes your dad's hand, and gives you a kiss on the cheek, he heads home. your mom proceeds to gush about how much she adores your boyfriend. "he's the perfect match for you!"

jock!hyunjin loves going on evening walks with you, where he finds tiny flowers and tucks them behind your ear before going back to interlocking fingers. other guys, the really insecure and hypermasculine ones, try to tease jock!hyunjin about how soft he is with you. but it doesn't bother him in the slightest.

"well i oughta be, my girl hugs me and naps on me a lot. thank you for noticing!"

[amica-aenigmata-naboo]

Aeterna Amantes

Astarion x Y/N - Chapter 3 - 1.7K WC

chapter 1

chapter 2

chapter 3 (you are here!)

chapter 4 NSFW 18+

chapter 5

Masterlist

Warnings: mention of sex, blood drinking, Astarion being smitten but in denial, Karlach being lovely

--------------------------

Astarion watched you sleep for ages, your chest rose and fell with the soft golden glow of your heart rising and falling with it. You were an anomaly to him. Quite the opposite - innocent, sweet. He felt so conflicted thinking of you. He wanted you in the purest way; to nurture you and care for you. But his primal brian told him to manipulate you, use you as an advantage for himself. Every time he looked at you he couldn’t decide. You had been nothing but kind to him, it was all you knew. 

“You think a lot.” you whispered up to him.

He hadn’t noticed you wake, “Oh? What makes you say that?” he smirked down at you. Your head still rested on his chest, making his undead heart swell. 

“Your face is scrunched up.” you said, poking his forehead.

Astarion chuckled, sitting up slightly. You followed his actions. He pointed to the corner, “There are plenty of books for you to read through today, Gale even threw some in there for you.”

You ogled the stack of books, there were easily ten there. “Where will you go?” you asked as you picked the first book up, letting your fingers trail over the dusty cover. 

“Moonrise Towers, if we’re fortunate.” he said as he started to put his armor on. 

You gazed at him, never having seen another person’s body before. It was different from yours.

“Like what you see?” he teased.

You tilted your head at his remark. You did like what you saw, you just didn’t quite understand why. 

He saw the curiosity swimming in your eyes, squinting his own before the realization hit him. “Have you never seen another body before?” he asked.

You shook your head, your cheeks heating up slightly. Your general lack of knowledge around everything embarrassed you, especially things everyone else seemed to know so blatantly. You walked closer to him, gazing over the vast expanse of his strong pale chest. You raised your hand, going to touch him before stopping yourself. You remembered how he reacted the first time you touched him without asking, “May I?” you asked in a hushed whisper. 

His eyes watched you cautiously but he gave you a small nod. You felt over his chest, tracing his sharp collarbones, feeling his ribs and the muscles that lay overtop of them. You felt him shiver when your fingers hit the ridges of his scars that barely wrapped around the side of his waist. You felt his stomach and noticed the silent breath he took in when your fingers trailed over tuft of white hair leading from his belly button into his pants. 

You looked at him, “Bad?” you asked, your hand still lingering on the hem of his pants. 

“No…” he whispered, his eyes hazy while watching your every move. He never wanted you to stop touching him, even if these were just innocent little touches. All that mattered was that they came from you.

“Are you different from me?” you asked, looking between his body and yours.

“In some ways.” he mumbled, trying to relish in your gentle ambiance. 

He watched as you put his hand to your chest and yours to his. “Same. We are the same here.” you said. He felt the warmth radiating from your glowing heart.

“Astarion, come one we gotta - oh… sorry…” said Karlach as she barged into his tent breaking the tension between the two of you. Astarion pulled away quickly, slipping on the rest of his armor while you stood still, unsure if you had done something to be embarrassed of. 

Astarion followed Karlach’s lead out of his tent, “Stay safe in here and read. I’ll be back later, you can tell me everything new you’ve learned.” he smiled at you quickly before disappearing into the Underdark. 

You sighed before picking up one of the many books and started reading. 

-----------------------------------

“Soooooo…..” Karlach said with a teasing tone as she and Astarion walked behind the others.

“So what?” he grumbled, not even sparing her a glance.

“Come on, you know what.” she said, sounding giddy.

“Haven’t the faintest.” he said monotonically. 

“Oh I think you do… fangs likes the drow.” she chidded. 

He rolled his eyes at her, not bothering with a retort. 

“And you don’t even deny it!” she cackled.

“Please, I’m a glorified babysitter. That’s all.” he waved her off dismissively.

“Really? That’s not what it looked like this morning.” she grinned at him. 

“Neither of us have heartbeats, that's all they discovered this morning,” he said.

“I bet. And I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if Gale or Wyll were to take an interest in them?” she asked.

A faint trace of jealousy crossed over his face as he shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. 

Karlach chuckled at the very obvious fondness Astarion had for you. He was stubborn and knew he wouldn’t admit it but she saw it as early as the basement. You were drawn to each other. Fate was funny like that, always unexpected but always falling in line. 

Astarion walked ahead, aching to get away from Karlach’s prying questions and accusations. Primarily because they were true and he hated having anyone other than himself be right. Especially about this. 

--------------------------------------

You fell asleep after the fifth book. It gave you much to think on, primarily because it was an anatomy book. Humans and elves are different but not very much. So now you knew what rested beneath Astarion’s pants. You also knew how reproduction worked. The whole explanation of the process seemed rather odd to you. Very… clinical. You couldn’t help but feel like the process of creating life was supposed to be more… emotional. It all overwhelmed you after reading the previous books on The Hells, Baldur’s Gate history, The Many Gods, and The Practice of Arcane Magic. The more you read the more your brain felt like it was devouring intellect and by the gods was it an insatiable beast. 

Astarion entered the tent to find you asleep, surrounded by different books. He laughed at the sight. You reminded him a lot of himself. He changed, cleaning himself only slightly as today had thankfully not been a very battle heavy one. He brought a plate of dinner to the tent for you, some sort of beef stew from what he could tell. 

You rose at the noise of him returning, “Hello.” you smiled at him.

“Hello beastie. Learn lots today?” he asked motioning to the scattered books before handing you the stew. He settled next to you, imbibing in his typical bottle of wine. 

You happily took the bowl from him, forgetting to eat throughout the day. Something you’ll have to make a mental note of - eat, regularly. “Yes! All of it was interesting… some of it was perplexing. I don’t quite understand the feelings one book described.” 

“What feelings?” he asked.

“What does sex feel like?” you asked, trying to understand the book that wouldn’t seem to leave your mind.

Astarion choked on his wine, he coughed a few times trying to regulate himself, “Where did you read about sex?” he asked.

You handed him the book. Of course it was one of Gale’s, he thought with a roll of his eyes. 

“Didn’t the book explain what it felt like?” he asked, trying to avoid the topic.

“It did but…” you sighed before you continued, “I don’t think it was right. I feel like the combining of two people in body would feel… emotional. Not just physical.” 

Astarion’s eyes widened at your explanation, perceptive little thing you were. “It… can be.” he confessed.

“What does it feel like then?” you asked while you continued to eat. 

“With the right person it can be… euphoric.” he said, trying to find the right word. He wasn’t exactly the one to answer questions on how good, healthy sex was supposed to feel. All the sex he could remember was harsh, loathsome. 

You smiled softly, “That sounds lovely.” you said, understanding the science of it all but also the beauty of the emotional aspect. “How do you know if they’re the right person?”

“You just do.” he said as he laid down.

You hummed at his answer. “When do you eat?” you asked.

“Truth be told, I haven’t eaten in a few days. The Underdark is lacking in options.” he sighed. Even the thought of blood was enough to send him reeling. 

“Do you want to eat? I don’t mind.” you smiled at him as you finished the last of your stew before leaning your neck towards him. 

He sat up, “Are you sure?” he said cautiously. 

You nodded eagerly at him, wanting to help. You laid back on the bedroll, beckoning him closer. Astarion kneeled next to you before leaning down. You could feel his cold breaths on your neck, giving you a slight shiver. 

“This might hurt…” he said before kissing your neck and sinking his fangs in. You winced a bit but it wasn’t awful. He had never tasted something so rich. Decadent and sweet. Your crimson poured into his mouth, it rolled over his tongue in waves and he cherished each little molecule of it. His hand held your waist while the other cradled your head. He straddled you to get a better angle at your neck. Your whole body felt warm, particularly between your legs. When Astarion ripped himself away from you he lapped up the rest of the blood that dropped from the puncture holes he left behind. The feeling of his tongue on you was strange but you craved it the longer it went on. He kissed over your neck a few times as an apology for the pain he caused you. It wasn’t pain you felt however, it was something else. Something carnal. You let out an involuntary but needy whine as he kissed over your neck. You both pulled away looking at each other. 

“Sleep?” you asked quietly. You felt embarrassed. Was that the feeling he was describing earlier? Did you want him in the way the book described?

“Yes, of course.” Astarion said with a breathy laugh. He settled next to you, holding you close like the night before. 

Little did you know, as you drifted off to sleep, the fantasies he was playing in his mind of the two of you were positively sinful.

---------------------------

Naboo's Note:

Hello! This has taken me literally all night to write but I am so sleep deprived I'm not shocked. I got called in for another overnight despite having worked 3 in a row with very little sleep - I hate being on call. But I do like this! Your guys' comments/reblogs/likes keep me super motivated so I hope I hear from you all soon! XOXOXOXOXOXO

[overtail]

hey queen it’s me sawda with another toph ask </3 (im toph content deprived literally crying) but!! can i req a toph x fem!r where toph’s s/o is literally mulan but in the firebending army?? Thank you!!!

YES ILL DO THAT HEHE I LOVE TOPH!!

ALSO just wanna make yall aware my pronouns are they/them

I'm also so sorry for the delay. I've been on the worst writers block due to a lack of motivation. my whole family was sick, and we've been unable to pick up my anti-depressants 😭

...

Little Soldier - Toph x F!Reader

Summary: When Toph's lover turns 13, she tells her that she has to fight alongside the fire nation to protect her family.

Trigger Warning: Sexism, Implied racism, Forbidden love

Info: Pre-Book 2, long hair reader

...

'We're not gonna lose anyone else close to us again

We swore that we would always be there for each other

No matter what happens though, I promise that I'll protect you

If you were a boy

I would have actually have fallen for you if you were careful

Oh, c'mon, well maybe I'm the one who should have a crush on you'

...

"Watcha doin?" Toph feet dug into the dirt of the valley's grass, trying to identify (Y/N)'s action. Her delt held a look of confusion as se did so.

"Im just.." (Y/N) began, glancing back at Toph as she thought. "Thinking."

She held a clump of hair in her fingers, combing her digits through the strands. Something was obviously on her mind, like she was stuck in a loop up in her little head.

"About what?" Toph shuffled over, crouching down so she was eye level (if you wanted to say that) with the other. She smiled softly while (Y/N) thought: only if she knew

"You know how theres news of the Avatar returning?" (Y/N) whispered, letting out a shaky breath. Toph hummed a quiet 'yes', letting her feet slip so she would fall on her bottom. "And you also know how they're drafting men from the fire nation?"

Toph wondered where this was going. She modded carefully, feeling the floor to hear (Y/N)'s heartbeat. It was fast paced, causing the earthbender to worry.

"Yeah. Are people in your village getting drafted?" Toph questioned, thinking about all the possibilities. She heard (Y/N) sigh.

"Worse. My dad was given a note specifically by the current general." Toph's eyebrows raised at her words, realization hitting. (Y/N)'s father used to fight a long time ago, starting when he was just a boy. This was before she was born, before he met his wife.

He was regarded as one of the most intense, bloodthirsty, and brutal generals in history - behind the Dragon of the West. Though, he was old now; not fit for war.

Toph didn't know what to say. She wasn't particularly fond of the fire nation, but she was fond of (Y/N).

The girl across from her sighed, continuing to comb her digits in her hair. How would she tell Toph?

(Y/N) looked up, her face flushing red at the sight of Toph's oblivious face. She looked so calm in the moment, the valley wind ruffling up her hair. During these secret meetings, Toph would let her hair down. The soft locks ran down her back, some falling over her shoulders.

(Y/N) thought she was beautiful.

"Well, I was thinking," (Y/N) let go of her hair, moving to pick at the nail of her index finger. A sickness caused from nervousness settled in her stomach. "of pretending to be a boy."

Toph laughed, not quite knowing what she meant. "Why would you want to do that?" She smirked, before the smile faltered.

Oh.

"Wait, you're not saying-"

"I'm going to take my fathers place as his eldest son." (Y/N) interjected, her breath hitching at the words. Saying it out loud made the reality hit her light a train - realizing that it wasn't just an idea. This was happening.

Toph stayed unusually silent. She wasn't too expressive when it came to her face, but even now (Y/N) couldn't read her. Was she angry? Happy? Scared? What. was she feeling?

"How?"

(Y/N) raised a brow, confused by the question. "What do you mean?"

Toph pursed her lips, her eye brows knitting together. "How are you going to pretend to look like a boy?"

Even though Toph couldn't see her, she knew that boys and girls looked different.

(Y/N) let out a shaky breath, gripping at her hair lightly. Her family always forced her into the ideal of a perfect, feminine woman - but in secret, she was strong, aggressive, and messy. Even though her personality was changed, her looks were still influenced by her family's wants. Her hair was long, and she wore fancy clothes and makeup.

"Oh, uhm.." (Y/N) was hesitant. She knew, but she sounded like she was protecting herself from her own words. "I'm gonna cut my hair.."

Toph raised an eyebrow, intrigued by (Y/N)'s response. "Cut your hair, huh? That's a bold move. How short are we talking?"

(Y/N) swallowed nervously, fidgeting with a loose thread on her sleeve. "I-I don't know... Short enough to pass as a boy, I guess."

Toph nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, let's do it."

Later that day, the two sat in her bedroom, Toph listening to the sound of (Y/N) snipping her hair. The locks fell onto the floor, sticking to clothes and to skin. After some time, (Y/N) found herself spaced on on Toph's bed, watching her every move.

As Toph unraveled her hair, the room was filled with the sound of gentle brushing, the rhythmic motion soothing in its familiarity. She worked through each tangle with practiced ease, her movements fluid and deliberate.

(Y/N) watched in silence, mesmerized by the way Toph's fingers danced through her hair, untangling knots with effortless grace. There was something intimate about the moment, a quiet exchange between friends bound by unspoken understanding.

"Your hair is beautiful," (Y/N) said softly, breaking the silence.

Toph glanced up, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Thanks. It's a pain to manage sometimes, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

(Y/N) hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Do you ever wish you could cut it short, like mine?"

Toph paused, her expression thoughtful. "Sometimes, yeah. It would be easier, especially when I'm training. But... it's a part of who I am, you know? Cutting it would feel like losing a piece of myself."

(Y/N) nodded, understanding flickering in her eyes. "I get that."

Toph set down the brush, turning to face (Y/N) fully. "I get that you're worried. I can sense it. Your heart is racing." Toph walked over to her bed where (Y/N) sat, sinking into the mattress. "I'm gonna miss you, but I also believe in you, (Y/N)."

(Y/N) felt a weight lift off her shoulders, a sense of freedom washing over her. With Toph's unwavering support, she knew she could embrace her true self, messy hair and all. And as they sat together, basking in the warmth of their friendship, (Y/N) realized that sometimes, the most beautiful thing about a person isn't their appearance, but the authenticity of their spirit.

(Y/N) turned her head to look at toph, her face going red at the sight of her graceful face, She wanted to kiss her. Yeah, she did.

As (Y/N) gazed at Toph, her cheeks flushed with a warmth that had nothing to do with embarrassment. She was captivated by the gentle curve of Toph's lips, the sparkle in her eyes that hinted at hidden depths. And in that moment, a realization washed over her with startling clarity – she wanted to kiss her.

The thought sent a shiver down (Y/N)'s spibe, her heart pounding in her chest as she wrestled with her emotions. It was a risk, she knew, to confess her feelings, especially when their friendship hung in the balance. But the longing in her chest was too powerful to ignore, a flame that refused to be extinguished.

With trembling hands, (Y/N) reached out, cupping Toph's cheek gently as she leaned in, her heart pounding in her ears. And then, their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss, a silent affirmation of the emotions that had been brewing beneath the surface.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as they savored the sweetness of the moment, their hearts beating in perfect synchrony. And when they finally pulled away, their breath mingling in the air, (Y/N) found herself smiling, a sense of peace settling over her like a warm blanket.

Toph blinked in surprise, her lips curved in a soft smile. (Y/N) chuckled nervously, her cheeks still tinged with pink. And as they sat together, their fingers intertwined, (Y/N) had already started to realize what she was committing to. She's leaving. She's leaving to fight in a war that seemed as if it was never going to end to save her family.

As the reality of (Y/N)'s impending departure settled in, a somber silence descended upon the room, casting a shadow over the warmth of their shared moment. Toph's smile faltered slightly, her eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation.

(Y/N) squeezed Toph's hand tightly, her own heart heavy with the weight of her decision. She had made up her mind to fight in the war, to confront the forces that threatened her her homeland. But with each passing moment, the prospect of leaving Toph behind grew more daunting.

"I... I have to go," (Y/N) murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Toph nodded slowly, her expression a mixture of understanding and sadness. "I know," she said softly. "And I'll be here waiting for you when you get back. No matter what."

Tears welled up in (Y/N)'s eyes as she leaned forward, resting her forehead against Toph's. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Toph wrapped her arms around (Y/N) in a tight embrace, holding her close as if trying to shield her from the harsh realities of the world outside. "You won't have to find out," she promised, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her heart.

And as they held each other in the quiet of the room, (Y/N) found solace in Toph's arms, knowing that no matter how far apart they may be, their bond would endure.

Toph was her best friend, Toph was her girl. Toph was, well, Toph, and how could anyone forget someone like her?

...

should I make a part 2

[tiredtogepi]

A Lady & Her Hounds

Chapter 1

The Hound x Fem!Reader (Jon Arryn's daughter; Sabrina)

This chapter contains: Fluff | Brat

Word count: 1146

*this is my first GOT fan fiction. There are many chapters with mostly fluff, some angst, and mature content ;) I hope that someone will read it and enjoy it*

Dogs have always fascinated you. The way they create bonds, love their humans, their loyalty, and friendliness. Being Jon Arryns daughter was not bad but, you felt left out most of the time since he married Lysa and their son was born. That's when the dogs came into your life. Some Lord from the north had offered puppies from his newest litter as a gift for your name day. Your father wasn't so happy about it, but he let you keep it so you could finally have some company. Initially, you had 3 dogs, but a few years later after contacting more breeders, you found yourself with a pack of 15 dogs.

You took your time to train them for protection during the conflict between the Mad King and Robert Baratheon. They obeyed you well, they looked out for you, but most of all they loved you, their loyalty was not questionable and they would give their life to save you. When the war was over your father was named hand of the king and you all moved to the Red Keep. You had begged your father to take at least some of your dogs but he wouldn't allow it. Luckily you were close enough to the working staff in The Eyrie to make sure they were well taken care of.

When you arrived at King’s Landing, King Robert made sure to have a feast in honor of the new hand and his family. He was a big man that had fought many battles and almost kept his intimidating factor intact, if it weren’t for the extra pounds he gained. What surprised you is that there were still knights protecting him.

During the feast the conversation around you was like some faded-out noise, but someone caught your attention. A tall man with a half-burned face and intense brown eyes. It was interesting to look at him, especially because of some slight facial expressions he made out of distaste for the conversations around, just like you.

"Ha! Lady Sabrina, I know about your interests in dogs but I didn't realize this one would interest you too!" Robert pointed at the man he was able to catch you staring at.

You blushed as that man at glanced at you.

"Pardon, your grace, I was lost in my thoughts." You gave a quick answer trying to avoid more embarrassment.

"No need for apologies. Sandor Clegane is a tough-looking man, our Hound!" The drunk king was getting more excited by the second. "Tell me Lady Sabrina, if we put your hounds and my hound in the arena against each other, which one would take the win?" He laughed and started choking on his own wine.

"I don't think any hound deserves to be put in that situation. I find it very distasteful, your grace." You stood up and bowed to the king while he laughed at your audacity.

"Are you leaving us already?" Robert inquired

"Yes, your grace. I am unwell, maybe I had too much wine." You were already slowly stepping away.

"Would you like to see the master?" your father asked, he always worried about your health, since your mother passed away from a terrible and silent disease, so any little symptom you had he would take it very seriously.

"No, thank you father, I will go get some books at the maester's library. If I need assistance I will call for it." You bowed lightly and as you turned your back the king spoke

"Clegane, accompany the lady to her chambers. She had a little much to drink and might need some help"

You rolled your eyes as you walked out and heard footsteps coming towards you. This is what you hated about this place. Too many people telling you what to do, keeping an eye on you, and always so many rules on what you can and can't do.

As you went to turn into the next hallway to the library Clegane stepped in front of you. You tried to go around him but he kept blocking your way.

"The king said to take you to your chambers." His tone was serious.

"Maybe you misheard it, but I need to get some books first." You tried to move away from him. He ignored you and kept blocking your way.

You tried to keep yourself composed since you had much anger and frustration stored inside you since coming to the king's landing. You took a big breath trying for the last time to be polite.

"Ser.."

"I'm no Ser."

"Seven hells! Let me go get my fucking books!" Maybe it was the alcohol that gave you the courage to raise your voice and push him out of the way, even though he didn't move an inch.

Apparently, that was amusing enough for him to let you go while he subtly smirked. You finally reached the maesters' library. The Hound stood by the entrance. You took a book, then another, then as you went to get the third book you had an idea.

"Ahem!" You cleared your throat to get his attention. He looked at you as you repeatedly looked down at the heavy books on your arms and up at him.

He scoffed and took your books.

''Wait, there's more!" You said it innocently as he turned around and you decided to find 2 of the heaviest books on forestry and wildlife and put it on top of the pile he was already carrying. He grunted.

"We can go now!" You said innocently, knowing you were being a brat. Honestly alcohol didn’t give you the best ideas.

As you found yourself by your chamber door, Clegane leaned down to hand you the books. You stepped away, opening the door to your room.

"Could you place them inside on that little table?" This time you weren't trying to be inconvenient, but there was no way you could carry all that weight.

Clegane tried to hide his annoyance. He thought you were just another spoiled highborn like Joffrey or Cersei. He placed the books on the table aggressively. You tried to walk around the table to accompany him to the door, but you tripped on one of your book piles on the floor and fell with your face on the big man's chest. He didn't move, you put your hands on his chest to get back on your feet.

"Pardon me...I think I've had too much to drink." You mumbled. He looked down to stare at you making sure you didn't get hurt on his armor. You blushed and looked away as he started to leave.

"Why do they call you The Hound?" You asked as he was almost by the door. He stopped and didn't turn around.

"Why do you care?" He grunted.

"What should I call you then?"

"Don't call me." He replied as he walked away.

[the-phantom-author]

Hasan Piker | 9-5!gf

Is this a rewrite of three asks? Yes. Did I more to it? Also yes.

Request are open. Reblogs always welcome.

Y’all meet completely accident. It was in an elevator that got stuck for an hour. You were visiting a friend, who just got a promotion, and he was in New York for a friends wedding.

The elevator got stuck for an hour, honestly neither of you talked to each other for the first five or so minutes but it was a bit awkward being in that close of a space with another without interacting, so he asked about what you were doing first. As you spent time in that elevator you realized how easily conversation came between the two of you, and when you found out that both of you live around the L.A. area, you exchanged numbers.

At first hasan was a bit worried that he wouldn’t be able to spend enough time with you, given how much he works and what he does for work, but it didn’t take him long until he found out that you’re just as much of a work horse as he is.

As much as both of you are busy, you both start your day at the same time, your morning routine and breakfast are always reliable times for the two of you to spend together. He’ll wake up at around 6-6:30am and go out for his morning workout, come back with coffee for you and wakes you up. Morning shower/bath, going through doing your makeup, doing your hair, and getting dressed to then make breakfast.

You get off of work about two hours before he does. While the last bit of his stream is usually more fun content, you don’t get that same liberty with your job, so the two hours you get when you come home and Hasan is still streaming, you take that time to relax. Take your hair down, get into comfy clothes, make tea, read a book, whatever you need to do to get yourself out of the work head space that you get into. Even if he has calls to make or research to do, the camera's off and your able to exist together without judgment from chat.

Speaking of chat, when your on stream chat honestly adores you. At first it’s very “This is my friend y/n, she works a normal 9-5 and is bullying me into ending stream so we can hang out later.” and you start showing up as “Hasan’s normy friend”. Chat likes so much because you are so normal, unlike some of his other guests who are streamers, lawyers, journalists, and other political figures, you’re just you. You wake up and go to an office to work for 8 hours and come home, in a very similar manner as to what they do.

Chat likes to ask Hasan about you a lot. You don’t use social media, at all really, so all information they get about you is from his stream. Que chat asking if you have a boyfriend, and hasan always having to be like “She’s dating someone chat, stop asking about it”. When you’re on stream and talking about the fact you have a boyfriend with hasan right next to you, you pick on all the time.

“Yeah, I have a boyfriend, but he is annoying sometimes☺️” “WHAT DO YOU MEAN”

“He also snores super loudly.”

He’s trying to get you to take what you said back while trying to sound as detached from it as possible as to not implicate him being said boyfriend.

He fails of course, you bring him his lunch or a snack one day and as he takes it he slips up and says something like “I’m so lucky i’m marrying you”. The moment that he accidentally spills the fact that your secret boyfriend is him, it's over. Chat will not let him move in for the life of the stream. It's officially The Integration Of Hasan on stream.

Chat has soooo much respect for you. From the times that it’s just hasan telling them you’ve had a really busy week at work and won’t be on stream to the ties you walk in, still in your work clothes. You provide very practical advice while on stream as well. Talking about what to expect in the workforce, how to find jobs out of college, what kind of clothes are workplace appropriate, where you can get these clothes for cheap, what to look for in an apartment and roommates, how to keep friendships alive, ect ect. They also get the office gossip from you.

TLDR; the relationship dynamic is very "She keeps me sane and grounded and in return I keep her sane and grounded." I imagine him talking about you this way a lot. X (47:20-48:10)

[dduane]

What inspired you to write Young Wizards? A relative, a dream you had? Did the story come to you as you were writing it, or was it hammered from bits and pieces of thoughts made plain on text? Were there parts you struggled with, parts that came easier than others? (Have you already answered these questions in an interview you can link to?)

What inspired me to write So You Want To Be A Wizard?

Partly humor. Partly rage. (More about both under the cut...)

The subject's come up in interviews every now and then, but let's tl:dr; it here.

The humor: Often enough while I was nursing, and seeing the bizarre things people would do to their own bodies, I wished out loud to various fellow health-care professionals that human beings came with some kind of instruction manual or new user’s management guide. Now, I'd known the "So You Want To Be A…" series of (US-published) career books from my childhood. One day when I was thinking about them—possibly while trying to figure out what the title of such an instruction-and-advice manual might be—the word "…Wizard" plugged itself onto the end of the title template.

Instead of a simple instruction manual for people, I gradually found myself considering what a wizard's manual would look like. Where would it come from? Who would it have come from? Might it, itself, be an entirely bigger manual than the one I'd been joking about—but one containing the full instructions and background material you'd need for (maybe) understanding life and the world, but (definitely) doing magic? A book as big or as small as you needed for the work in hand, and full of the answers to questions you never thought you'd get answers to? ...

From that basic concept, the wider concept of wizardly culture built itself up over the next couple of years. ...Naturally I'd read Le Guin's "Earthsea" books years before, and I'd noted (but decided to pass on) the concept of a school-for-wizards. While it was interesting enough, it'd already been done by a writer far more skilled. What interested me more was a DIY-ish approach, where you learn by yourself, do things that interest you, and join up with other like-minded practitioners when the mood moves you or circumstances require.

Anyway, now comes the rage. While all this was percolating in the background, I was finishing up a YA series by another writer. When I hit the end of it, I was profoundly upset by the events of the series’s closure. They seemed to me to have treated strong and resilient young characters as helpless creatures without agency, subjecting them “for their own good” to an amnesic end-state they absolutely didn’t deserve. I got mad about this. I dove into the writing of the first Young Wizards book with the intention of treating my young characters a whole lot better—since if there was anything I knew about kids from my nursing, it was that a lot of them were tougher than many of the adults around them.

Once I was started, the writing went straightforwardly from book’s beginning to book’s end (because as I was already a screenwriter, and screenwriters outline, the novel was naturally outlined too). The writing took about six months, as right then I was also writing for Scooby and Scrappy-Doo to pay the rent. I turned in the book and didn’t think much more about what might happen next (though I knew there was quite a lot more story to tell) until I ran into Madeleine L’Engle at some event of my publisher’s. She took me aside and said, “I read your last one. I liked it a lot! When’s the next?”

That was when I realized I had a problem... so I got busy.  :) ...And I’ve been busy with the Young Wizards universe ever since. I’m busy with that universe right now, though it may not look like it. And I expect to be busy with it for years to come.

HTH!

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.99 The llama

"What is it?" she asked.

I was so smiley and nervous. This was one of those things that could go left really quickly, and I didn't want that at all. But I felt like we couldn't ignore it anymore. No married couple knew every single thing about each other, and I looked forward to learning the good, bad, and ugly about Sophia as time went on. But this? Family dynamics were basics. Previously, I tried to blame it on the newness of our relationship, but she and I were not new to each other. She had plenty of opportunities to share this story with me while we got to know each other as friends. I shouldn't have been wondering if her parents were alive or dead still.

"I think, uhhh... I think it's time we talk about...your parents...if that's okay."

She sighed heavily, but not in an annoyed, exasperated way. It felt like she conceded reluctantly, torn between not wanting to but knowing she had to.

"Yeah...I guess I have kept you in the dark long enough."

I almost told her she didn't have to if she didn't want to, but I bit my tongue. We were married, and I didn't intend to end up like my parents. Sharing the hard things with each other was of utmost importance to me.

"I'm adopted...as you know."

She paused for a few moments, staring at the floor, searching for the right words. She found some, but her eyes remained on the floor.

"When you adopt a child, you don't get to choose who joins your family."

She let that line hang in the air for a moment and had me on the hook already.

"You simply state what age you prefer and wait for an agent to arrive with a child. My parents...I think they were just so enamored with the idea of finally having a child of their own, they failed to consider this."

My stomach felt queasy. I had no idea where the story was about to go, but it was definitely not heading in a positive direction.

"They didn't want you?" I asked nervously.

She hesitated.

"They would take offense to you saying that, but they often made me feel that way. I wasn't mistreated or anything. They made sure I had everything I needed and took care of me to the best of their ability. But they didn't love me."

I groaned in agony, thinking of what she must have gone through in her childhood. My parents may have put me through a lot, but never have I ever doubted their love for me. I believe their love sustained me. Who or where would I be without that?

"Sophia...I'm so sorry."

She shrugged and kept going.

"I used to be sorry, too. Throughout my childhood, I thought I was the problem and needed to be better. But as I got older, I realized there was nothing I could do. I was a pretty freakin' amazing daughter. They were the ones with the problem."

The cat was out of the bag, but I was still nervous.

"But...how did you know?" I asked. "I mean, what did they do?"

"To start, they never gave me their name. They claimed they wanted me to remain connected to my heritage or whatever, but that was cowplant poop."

Given that we just got married, that one cut deep. I think it would upset me greatly if Sophia didn't take my name. That tradition had seriously deep significance, and they didn't give it to their own child? I feared what else she would tell me.

"They always made a big deal about where I came from. We read books, watched documentaries, and whatever they could get their hands on so I understood what kind of blood flowed through my veins. In truth, it's really great they did that. So many adopted sims are clueless about their histories. But when I got older, I found it to be weird. Like, they put all this energy into teaching me about my biological history, yet I didn't have relationships with my own family. I can count on one hand how many times I've seen my aunts and uncles and cousins... I felt like they were trying to get me interested in my biological family so I could go find them and forget about theirs."

Both my parents were the only child, so I had no extended family to speak of. Still, I couldn't imagine my parents not interacting with them. I don't think we would be super close, but I'd have a relationship with them, at least.

"We never went on vacations and barely went to local places together. My parents were not wealthy, so it took them a while to save they money to adopt me. It was easy to think we didn't go anywhere because we couldn't afford it or because they were older. But one time, my mom took me to the park. I was sooooo excited to be outside among other kids. I found something and wanted to show it to her, so I picked it up and ran over yelling, 'Mommy! Look!' She was talking to some other parents. The look on her face when I finally reached her... I was almost a young adult when I realized what that was because I'd seen it many times by then. She was embarrassed. The other moms were looking at her for answers because they'd never met me before, and she clearly never told them she had adopted a brown child."

Maybe all the sims in my six degrees of influence were just cool because no one ever made a big deal about me having mixed heritage. I wasn't naïve enough to believe that kind of thing didn't happen, but how could sims be so ignorant? I had no trouble imagining Sophia being the perfect child, but that was not enough for them, and it angered me. How could they go through the heartbreak of realizing they couldn't birth their own children, struggle through saving the money to adopt, finally get a child, and not shout it from the rooftops? What kind of parent is ashamed of their own kid??

"Like I said," she continued, "they took good care of me, but they kept me at a distance. By my young adult birthday, I had a clear picture of the situation, so I left home and never went back. Their care was an obligation, not love. It took me a while to see, but I was empty and it affected me; I hated them for it. I wanted to be loved so bad and went from relationship to relationship trying to fill that void in my heart. My ex was cheating on me pretty much the entire time, and I knew about it. I was that desperate for the crumbs he left me. It took a while, but eventually realized what a gem I am and what a llama turd he was. I didn't have to settle for crumbs. And I didn't have to be anyone's obligation. My parents had died by then and left me some money, so I broke up with him and went on vacation for the first time in my life."

I smiled.

"Mt. Komorebi?"

"Mmm hmm. It always looked so pretty and peaceful in pictures, and I definitely needed some peace. I went to spend time with myself, heal, and reset my mind. Then I met you."

"Wow. I had no idea you had gone through so much then."

"I just wanted it all behind me. I'm sorry for not saying anything. I know it wasn't fair."

I loved her before and tried to show her as much as possible, but I was even more compelled to ensure she never questioned my love for her. She was no obligation to me. It was an honor to love her, especially knowing she chose me after deciding what she deserved and how she wanted to be treated. I vowed to cherish her with every pixel of my being for the rest of my life.

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter special:  Dream’s takeover!

HEY! YOU, YEAH YOU! I’m taking over this chapter, xoxo. Dream.

“Hello there~

You may know me as Dream! Or maybe “one of the guardians of feelings”? “The positive one”? “The ultimate helper around town”? 

I’ve been called many things: “Dreamcatcher”, “Sunray”, “hey you”, “Princess Sunshine”, “strong bony guy”… 

And my favorite, I do not get to hear it often, “brother” or “twin”!

Because I am a brother and a twin to the other known guardian of feelings (yes we’re two on the job), the very purple-clothed Nightmare!

Well, if you’re from around here, you probably already know that? 

Oooor maybe you’re from far away and still new to this?

Let me tell you a bit about me, this village and my other half!

I should start at the beginning.

You see, Night’ and me? We were fully aware of our duty right after our creation. Our mother barely had time to whisper the story before she fully fused with the tree we now guard! Why did she do that? It’s a bit of a gruesome tale, let’s leave that for now… 

So, we twins, were borned spirits, bodiless and so full of the apples’ energy (the tree of feelings is an apple tree, isn’t that funny? Why not a cherry tree? I like cherries a lot…), acquired our body in the form of a skeleton monster’s shape and got released into the world!

I learned later that babies aren’t supposed to already know how to walk and talk and had to wait a few years sometimes to be as tall as we started our lives as. But then, it was just the way it was. We aren’t built quite the same as others.

We’re guardians.

We met the first villagers five years later (or so Nightmare says, I was bad at numbers then) and it was a whole experience.

They approached us very carefully, asking permission to settle down down the hill, promising they wouldn’t touch our treasure and would show us things we never saw before.

They offered us food and clothes and stories and many other things we did not know the use of. You see, our inane vocabulary stopped at what our mother knew about and even then, we lacked any true understanding (and genuine interest) about most stuff we grew up without.

I was very wary of these men back then and let my twin do aaaall the talk. So more useless words spoken, incredibly worthless compared to shouts of delight running through the long grass, compared to the low song of the stars twinkling high and compared to the earable pressure of one hand in another when the sun rises…

I despised those men. They were loud, foreign and constantly disrupting the peace of the forest nearby. But Nightmare was fascinated…and kept reaching out, delighted by the new knowledge he could gain from chatting with some and in his new favorite toys, books.

So I reached out as well, once the first children came around. I appreciated having new friends to run around and learning new games was nice. The beginning was slightly bumpy when I realized none were that interested in the games I enjoyed before meeting them. 

But despite that, they somehow grew on me fast.

I liked that period. The villagers started to bow less and dropped the formal titles the kids didn’t wait to ditch. I played all day, sometimes with Nighty, sometimes without him, and when the sun set, we’d cuddle against the tree, my twin reading aloud a story book and I’d always fall asleep right through it, dreaming of half tales (when our mother wouldn’t lurk around my sleepy mind).

Books really always were my brother’s thing, isn’t it?

Thankfully, nobody snitched on the fact yet I’m still awful at reading anything more complicated than market panels… Nightmare would never let me leave without running me through horrible classes once again. 

I’m not study-smart, ok?

The switch in attitude happened somewhere between the second and third wave of travelers joining the rapidly expanding I think.

I didn’t notice anything. One day, we would happily run together around half-built houses… The very next, we started walking very different paths.

I was always running down the streets and he always stayed put at the tree, claiming reading was more interesting or that he would go later.

I didn’t notice how fast we drifted away. I never really knew if something somehow got between us or just if that was the fate of two brothers with divergent interests…

Ugh, maybe that void where a strong connection had once been was one of the reasons I had such a miserable phase of experimenting things with people they claimed would “make me happy” but we’re… not talking about that!

At this point, you might start to wonder why I’m telling you all this?

I just wanted to talk about something with you that happened recently in my life, in our life, that I have mixed feelings about and I believe some context was needed!

And that conversation stays between us! I trust you.

So…

A season ago or so (I never said I got that much better at numbers, do not look at me like that), I dragged a homeless unconscious guy back home. 

Now, it doesn’t sound very good, said like that, but how can someone fall on what looks fairly similar to your build, all passed out on the dirt and not think “I must drag him to my tree?”

I know I’m right, now next thing.

I’m an hospitable guy so when I see no one is going to give a stray a home downtown, of course I tell him he can put his butt in my spot of grass!

I didn’t really take into account that allowing a stranger in our home would upset Nightmare and, that, maybe is at least part my fault for dumping that poor guy here…

I think, however, that Geno was a needed change in our life.

Maybe a dangerous change, teetering along the line of good and bad ideas each day something happened…

But despite the fear and confusion after those few “accidents”, I can’t deny Nightmare’s true smile, I missed him.

I’m worried however.

No amount of aweing at surprising them sleeping close or sharing stupidly sweet moments can take away the fact, the village’s atmosphere is more… sour than usual.

Especially since the last (bad) event! 

Last verflor festival, I went with Nightmare in the village with the objective of making the most of the day and sweeping some flowers to redecorate our mother’s scar. It didn’t go as planned. 

I lost Nightmare in the crowd when I got swept away by the music and the playful offers of dance by the local children. 

Maybe the fact I got used to waltzing alone around there is the main reason it took me so long to notice the devastating absence. Or that old couple dominating the place with their dance was that good.

Regardless of the reason, I let go of his hand and wandered alone.

In fact, while I was a smidge anxious when I noticed… I thought he’d be fine and that he’d probably just go back to the tree first! 

That maybe he’d pout at me for leaving him and after some banter, we’d tell our day to Geno and all!

That’s not what happened.

And you know that, don’t you?

I searched around for a moment but I kept getting robbed into activities or helping (something that strangely did not happen when I was still holding Night’s hand).

The sun was already down before I managed to flee back home, energy buzzing at the thought of finding my missing brother).

I was right about one thing.

I did find him here.

Small and shaky, curled up in Geno’s arms.

I was welcomed by a hard glare from our guest and cruel silence.

They both refused to tell me what happened and I didn’t insist.

I felt guilty enough like that.

It’s been some time since then.

Things are more or less back to normal.

I’m not stupid however…

And I do not like the dots I’m starting to connect.”

End of chapter 18... Go to chapter 19?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[nadinebrooks]

Here is the link to my masterlist.

You Realize You Like Him

Harry: Gryffindor, halfblood, same year

"Hey (y/n)?" There came a timid voice from above me. I was sitting on a couch reading a couple of chapters from a book I had picked up from the library this morning. Looking up I saw Ron Weasley nervously standing in front of me as if he had something to say. He awkwardly rocked back and forth between his feet. I had never seen him like this before.

"Hey Ron. Did you need something?" I closed my book and focused all my attention to him. Even though the book had started to get good, it could wait.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the Yule Ball with me? It's totally fine if you don't want to. I would understand."

"Did you wait too long to ask the girl you actually wanted to go with?" I chuckled wishing that he had asked Hermione to go with him instead. I though the two of them were destined to be together.

But Ron had waited too long and she ended up going with Viktor Krum. I don't think he knew that though. She for sure would have gone with him if he had made a move though.

"If I said yes would you still go with me?" He sheepishly chuckled scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah." I giggled, " Of course I'll go with you Ron."

"Thank you (y/n)." He let out a sigh of relief, "I'll meet you at 7:00 in the common room." I watched as Ron walked off to tell Harry the good news and I couldn't help but smile a little at his actions. He was adorable.

Over the past couple of weeks I noticed that there had been this slight tension between Ron and Harry. I thought that it had to do with Harry being dragged into the spotlight once again, but Hermione told me it was because Harry didn't get to take the person he wanted to the ball. I was instantly curious at who this person was. Cho Chang maybe?

The night of the ball, Hermione and I helped each other get ready. She had to leave before me since she had to meet Viktor somewhere. I spent a couple more minutes fixing my makeup until I realized I was going to keep Ron waiting. I touched up my hair one last time before quickly walking out of my room. I found Ron waiting in the common room with Harry.

"Wow." Ron and Harry said in unison when I walked up to the them. I giggled and jokily rolled my eyes. It must've been a shock for them to see me all dressed up like this.

"You look really nice." Ron grinned holding out his arm so I could loop mine with his. I wasn't sure if I was just imagining this but it seemed like Harry had this annoyed look on his face.

The whole night went way better than I could have expected. Ron was the perfect gentleman and he was a much better dancer than I could have imagined.

After dancing for a while we both started to get thirsty, so he went to go get us some drinks. As a slow song started playing, I headed to go sit down until Harry asked me to dance. I nodded and followed him out to the floor. I told myself one dance and then I would go back to Ron. I was his date after all.

I couldn't help but smile as Harry wrapped his arm around my waist and grabbed my hand. He wasn't as good of a dancer as Ron was, but I figured Molly had taught him how to dance.

"I just want to say you look absolutely beautiful (y/n)." He blushed bright red and spun me around. "I didn't get to tell you that earlier."

"Thank you Harry." I whispered and before I could stop myself, I rested my head on his chest and I felt him rest his chin on the top of my head. When the song was over, I got out of his grasp and decided it was time to go find Ron.

Walking away from Harry, there was a smile on my face that wouldn't go away for the rest of the night.

Ron: Ravenclaw, muggleborn, year above

I absolutely hated being sick. I try not to use the word hate, but one thing that I do hate is being sick. Whenever I am sick, I feel like I took for granted all those times I wasn't sick. My head was throbbing, my nose was runny, and every time I took a shallow breath, I could feel my lungs rattling around in my chest.

It was my own fault though. I had brought this illness upon myself. I had no business playing out in the snow without a jacket. I thought back to yesterday's events.

The second I realized it was snowing, I ran outside with some of my closest friends. Luna Lovegood tried to tell me to bring a jacket down, but I was too excited to listen to her. I just wanted to build some snowmen.

We stayed outside for a while until I realized that I should have listened to Luna. Once I had gotten up from my snow angel, I knew that I had made a terrible mistake. I stood there shivering for a moment until Ron Weasley walked over to me.

"I have an extra sweater if you would like to wear it." He offered holding out a green sweater with a gold R stitched across the front. I took the sweater and slipped it over my head before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. I watched as he turned bright red and I ran off to participate in a Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw snowball match.

This morning I woke up still wearing his sweater, but feeling absolutely awful. When I opened my eyes, I could feel a searing pain shoot through my head. I closed my eyes again hoping the pain would go away, but it didn't. I needed to get to the infirmary.

I was going to need to see Madam Pomfrey. There was no way I could get over this sickness by myself. I managed to climb out of the bed, slip into some comfy pants, and stagger to the infirmary. I collapsed on the floor shivering and Madam Pomfrey quickly rushed over to me and helped me get into a bed.

"You children do realize this will happen if you play in the snow without proper attire." She scolded.

"I promise I won't happen again." I managed to get out before collapsing onto the bed. I groaned thinking about all the classes I was going to miss today. They were going to be bombarding us with homework.

Madam Pomfrey came back to me holding a mug with a steaming liquid inside. I took a cautious sip not expecting it to taste like peppermint hot chocolate. I quickly downed the rest of it and passed the mug back to her.

"You should start feeling better in about a day or so. You've got a nasty flu from being out in the cold. I suggest you get comfy." I nodded and looked around the infirmary for anyone else to talk to, but it was just me. I guess everyone else was smart enough to bring a jacket outside yesterday.

I ended up taking a little nap and when I woke up, I saw Ron Weasley standing in the doorway arguing with Madam Pomfrey. I couldn't hear them, but it looked as if he was trying to get it and she wasn't having it. Eventually she gave in and told Ron he had "20 minutes to talk to his friend".

He rushed over to me shoving a sheet of parchment paper in my face. "Look (y/n). Look."

I grabbed the sheet and looked at it to see a bold O written on the top of it.

"This is the exam for Charms that you helped me study for. I've never gotten an O on anything until you started helping me. I know I can be difficult to study with but I just wanted to thank you."

"You're welcome Ron." I managed to croak out beaming at how excited he was.

"You're still wearing me sweater." He pointed out taking the exam back from me.

"Oh." I had completely forgotten about it. I got ready to pull it off and hand it back to him, but he stopped me.

"No, you can keep it. I have tons of them. I'll ask my mom to make you one too. Besides. I think you look cute in it."

"Really?"

"Really." Ron nodded earnestly back his face taking on a pinkish tint. I couldn't help but grin. I was starting to develop a little crush on Ron Weasley.

Draco: Slytherin, pureblood, year below

I have absolutely no idea what Draco's favorite color is. I did a little research and I found multiple answers that ranged from black to emerald green. The most common answer that I did find was red so I'm rolling with that. If anyone knows what it really is, please let me know.

"You look lovely (y/n)." Blaise addressed walking up to me.

"Why thank you." I flashed him a huge smiled doing a little curtsey. "You look quite dapper if I do say so myself." I was not lying at about that. Blaise looked good.

Everyone knew that he was a very attractive guy. Girls and guys alike were constantly throwing themselves at him. I knew that he was waiting on the perfect girl. Contrary to what people believe, Blaise was not someone who liked to play with girl's emotions. I couldn't wait to meet the lucky person that stole his heart.

My family put on these huge pureblood balls twice a year which I found to be rather boring. Witches and wizards from all over the world came out to attend their balls. One of them was during the summer and another was during the winter months a couple of days after Christmas.

When I was younger, I loved the balls. I loved getting dressed up and enjoying all the fancy things that my parents kept hidden every other day of the year.

But as I got older, I realized the balls were mostly for me. They were hoping that I would find someone at their balls I could end up marrying. I didn't understand why they so desperately wanted me to marry a pureblood since I wouldn't be carrying on the family name. That was the job for my older brothers.

"I noticed that you're wearing red. Which so happens to be Draco's favorite color." Blaise smirked taking a couple of sips of his champagne.

"I had no idea." I mumbled snatching a glass of champagne off the tray one of the waiters was carrying. Blaise didn't say anything, he just threw his head back and laughed. He knew that I was lying. Whenever he laughed you couldn't help but join in. I placed a hand over my mouth trying to quiet my giggles.

I knew that Blaise and I should be mingling with the other members of the party, but we didn't want to. We were happy just talking to each other. The two of us laughing caused almost everyone around us to look over and us and stare. I noticed a couple of girls who had their eye on Blaise were glaring at me. They had nothing to worry about. I had absolutely no interest in him.

"What about her?" I suggested gesturing over to a girl with long dark curly hair. "She's pretty."

"She is." Blaise shrugged and then let out an agitated groan. "My parents are calling me over to talk to this girl. I'll be back to check up on you and the Draco situation." Seemed like Blaise's parents had the same idea as mine.

There was no Draco and I situation which I had to keep reminding him about. I had always thought Draco was cute, but I'm not really sure how he felt about me. I thought he was going to end up dating Pansy, but they never did.

I wanted Draco to notice me in the way that I noticed him, but I knew that he only saw me as a younger sister. I stood off to the side sipping my champagne watching all these girls flock around Draco. but He looked bored. It looked as if he had absolutely no interest in whatever they were saying. I couldn't help but swoon at how amazing he looked in his black tux.

"He's not interested in them, you know?" Blaise was back. "He's only ever been interested in one girl."

"Are you sure he doesn't just see me as a little sister?" I nervously rocked back and forth on my heels. I was starting to get nervous watching all these gorgeous girls try to talk to him.

"I'm positive (y/n)." He promised. When I was sure that no one was looking at us, I grabbed Blaise's arm and dragged him off to one of the bathrooms.

I stood in front of the full length mirror and attempted to make myself look better. I touched up my makeup, readjusted my hair, and sprayed on some more perfume.

"How do I look?" I turned around to face Blaise giving him a little spin so he could take in my entire appearance.

"You look exquisite (y/n)." He replied. He said it with such certainty that I had to believe him.

"Thank you." I whispered nervously fiddling with my fingers. I could hear some music start playing and everyone start shuffling around looking for a partner. "Should I ask him to dance?"

"He would never turn you down." We walked back out of the bathroom and Blaise sat his empty glass on a passing tray. I scanned the crowd to see him standing by a window trying not to get himself noticed. "I'm so nervous."

"Wow." Blaise let out a low whistle. "You really do like him."

"Yeah." I nodded confirming his suspicions and taking a couple of steps in Draco's direction, "I really do."