#seriously if anyone actually reads that I will give you a prize

[daisywords]

📖🔮 for the ask game!!!!!!!! :)

📖 - favorite thing about your current wip

hmmm everything I really love having two main characters who both get POV and switching between how they interpret things and how they perceive the other. First of all sometimes it's funny. Second of all it's a fun exercise in character development when you have two characters who disagree with each other and they're both wrong and you're rooting for both of them.

And like yes eventually this becomes a romance but I swear *slaps Lya and Trip* this duo can fit so many different dynamics like we basically have annoyed coworkers except one of them is the employee of the other (and doesn't get paid for it because the one who is the employer can't ever have money) and like also they're obsessed with each other and they can't shut up but also they ignore each other at all costs and also they hate each other but they keep helping each other again and again and then they get so mad that they ruin their own lives just to get away from each other but that lasts like a few hours at most and then they finally communicate and experience sef recognition through the other (derogatory) and then become the keepers of each other's darkest secrets and then have some kind of secret alliance and protect each other against everything else but there's still things driving them apart and they still keep secrets from each other and misunderstand each other but everything's different when they're giving each other the benefit of the doubt this time and they learn humility and forgiveness and everything good because of each other and outside politics are playing them against each other not to mention their own personal commitments but at the end of the day they're in love even if they never come to an understanding and then at the end of it all they forget everything and have to start over and work together to figure out what happened even when they take different paths and have to confusingly come to terms with who they used to be to each other and who they are now and

hahahha i am so normal about them

🔮 - what genre do you enjoy writing

Fantasy babey

(I also like soft scifi and ambiguous contemporary)

Mostly I really like having control over my worlds and social dynamics and I don't want to have to be beholden to irl history/fact or have to do research

Like I want to be in charge of the exact contexts and flavors to get the exact kind of situations and character dynamics that I want (you could say that my worldbuilding approach is very character oriented) So I like to have stories take place in other worlds because it gives me that freedom. This to me is actually a lot more appealing to me than the typical "magic" aspects of fantasy that define the genre. Yes I like a good magic system as much as the next fantasy fan but that's not the main reason I'm here.

(The most extreme example of this is the wip I've been planning for years that takes place in an alternate historical world vaguely inspired by the ancient Near East but like. there isn't any magical elements at all. Is it fantasy? idk. idk what the genre is)

ask game

[cosmicstarlatte]

Your blog and headcanons are living in my brain since i got here, and i just want to say, thank you, i love your work 💕 also, i saw this in other posts (i was in the monster fucker side and end up in the lover side, but im not complaining) about demon relantionship dynamics and i have a question, who of the demons do you think would use an accesory made of something of MC?

TW: blood and hair being used as accesory, demon dynamic being a little disturbing.

Like imagine if with magic MC (safelly) could make jewells with their blood, or in a more victorian way, maybe a bracelet with a lock of their hair. In my mind there would be Satan and Barbatos who have the jewellry always on them but are discret, and then there is Mammon and Asmo who show whatever MC gave them with pride.

Thank you so much anon!!!♡ It's messages like these that keep me motivated, I'm honored!!! 🥰 I hope you don't mind I changed it to just items with blood 😎 I was gonna keep this short originally but ended up getting carried away. This was seriously SO fun to write! I rly think they all would!

Giving Them An Item With Your Blood (Obey Me!)

Tags: Blood, Fluff, Demon Bros, Barb, Dia, GN!Reader, HCs

Lucifer: "Hm? It's from ___."

If someone happens to catch a rare glance at it & are curious enough to ask, he has no problem proudly answering he got the bloody vial necklace from you. He's not shy or ashamed about it, but prefers to keep it between you & him. It usually stays well hidden behind his high collared shirts. Sometimes when he's at home in his office & shirt unbuttoned, he will fidget around with it while doing paperwork. He loves it but won't ever tell you or anyone else how very attached to it he is. ♡

Mammon: "This one!? Not up for betting, scram!"

When isn't Mammon flashy??? The day you gave him the ring filled with some of your blood was basically the day you got married (in his mind) & he went around showing everyone. Of course some of his buddies asked if he'd bet it for a chance at clearing his debt but even that's one bet Mammon refused. He has a ritual of kissing his ring everyday, he thinks of it as his good luck charm even when he's actually having a bad day. He makes you kiss it to add extra luck (love) to it too. ♡

Levi: "I will guard this with my life."

Let's be honest, he doesn't care what it is & would wear/take whatever you give him. Your hairbrush? He will cuddle it.

When you presented him a blood vial bracelet, he got all teary eyed & nearly fainted from excitement. It easily became his most prized possession, he takes such good care of it. He wears it openly & you can see him fidget around with it when he gets anxious. Sometimes he will lightly rub or hold it against his cheek, calming him down when he's overwhelmed. ♡

Satan: "That's what you get for touching things that aren't yours."

His smile was radiant, blinding. Satan's gift is unique just like him & he appreciates the thoughtfulness of a handmade blood infused bookmark. It's one he takes care of & makes sure it doesn't get lost in the mess of his room. He did curse it (you'll get a hand burn) so no one else can touch it except you & him. From time to time he gets distracted by it when reading. He wants to ask if you'll attach a blood charm to the end of it too. ♡

Asmo: "My outfit isn't complete until I put this on!"

He squealed, cried, & wouldn't let you go for the entire day after gifting him the little box of jewelry. He went on to rub it in everyone's faces & showed it off on all his socials. The main gift was a gorgeous charm, the blood swirled, glittering inside. You made sure he could pop the charm into the ring, necklace, or bracelet you also gave him in the box. He was impressed you went to such lengths just so he could always choose how to wear it each day. Even if it was a single piece though, he would've worn it no matter what, even if it "clashed" with his outfit. ♡

Beel & Belphie: "We promise to never take it off." "You promise too ___!"

The twins immediately pulled you into bed & cuddled with you, happily accepting their gifts. You gave each a pendant, a sun for Beel & a moon for Belphie, the middle of each pendant holding your precious red liquid. You even got a star pendant for yourself to match with them although your pendant remained empty; something they noticed quickly. They happily offered up their own blood; they never minded sharing as long as it's with you. ♡♡

Barbatos: "I'm...at a loss for words, thank you."

He kissed your cheek before turning his attention to the golden pocket watch you gave him. He handled it delicately, admiring the ancient designs etched onto it before opening it. It was a gorgeous watch, one of the inner side walls swirled beautifully with your blood. He enjoyed the hidden surprise inside for his eyes only. Truly, he was moved by your gift & made a mental note to give you something in return. ♡

Diavolo: "An absolute treasure this is."

He gave you a tight hug, nearly cutting your air supply off. He's received many gifts throughout the years but the custom pen you gave him was now at the top of the list. Only a see-through compartment of the pen held your blood, floating around. The actual ink inside the pen was regular but refillable for permanent use. He found himself smiling a little more even when filling out the piles of paperwork on his desk. It also finally fixed his habit of losing pens, making sure he always has it on him for quick signing (& Barbatos thanks you for it). ♡

Also I like to think that if they really miss you, they'll hold their object close to their nose to get a whiff of your scent ♡ alakskfgllsskfkg

⬦You might also like: Coffee Shop︱Two A.M.︱Pick-Me-Up

[familyvideostevie]

october eleventh

day eleven: eddie munson you and eddie go to the harvest festival | fluff and first date vibes! | 1k

Eddie Munson asks you to the harvest festival and you panic a little bit. But you say yes, of course. Why wouldn’t you?

He’s kind of a friend through Robin and if she likes him you know he’s a good guy. You like how he laughs and how he never seems to take things too seriously but he still cares about his friends. You like his ripped jeans and his chain and his metal wardrobe even if it’s not what you wear or listen to. You think he’s funny and he tells you how pretty you look and he seemed just a little nervous to ask you which made him even more endearing.

It’s silly that anyone thinks he’s anything other than wonderful.

Plus, you’ve never actually been to the harvest festival even though you love fall. So, you’re double excited.

With your work schedule and Eddie’s commitments it makes sense for you to meet there. His van is a bit of a hazard so you’re perfectly okay driving yourself there, even if you had a dream last night about making out in his backseat.

You get there a few minutes later than you’d hoped and spot Eddie at the entrance in a heated discussion with a high schooler you know to be Dustin Henderson. The latter is gesturing wildly and Eddie looks like he’s going to tear his hair out. You call his name and he turns, grinning once he spots you.

He shoves Dustin’s hat further down on his head and the kid laughs and heads into the festival, flipping Eddie the middle finger. Eddie shakes his head but turns towards you and meets you halfway.

“Hi,” he says, breathless.

“Hello,” you say. “Did I catch you bullying a child?”

“He deserves it.” Eddie grins, gaze traveling from your head to your toes and back again. “You look nice.”

You look at your own outfit and smile because you agree. “Thank you,” you say. “So do you.”

He’s wearing his usual getup but it almost looks like he brushed his hair and is that…cologne? A little strong but that’s okay.

“Wanna do this thing?” he asks, holding out a ring-clad hand.

“Sure do.” Your joined hands hang between you as he pulls leads you under the arch and onto the grounds.

“Thanks for coming,” he says, squeezing your hand. One of the things you like about Eddie is his confidence but also his seemingly random bouts of nerves. It makes your stomach swoop in the best way to know that you’re one of the things that makes him nervous.

“Thanks for asking me,” you say. You decide to throw him a bone “I’ve been wanting to go on a date with you for ages.”

“Really?” He turns to look at you and looks genuinely surprised. “Could’ve asked me!”

You laugh and knock your shoulders together. “That would be too easy, Munson.”

The festival is like a country fair but a little smaller. There are vegetable and animal judging contests, a pie eating competition, and plenty of games. Pumpkin carving tables dot the fair grounds and booths from local farms sell honey and candles and produce. Ring toss and a wack-a-mole game have long lines, people of all ages and plenty of couples excited to give everything a try.

“What do you want to do?” he asks you. The wind whips down the path and you press a little closer to him.

“There are so many things,” you say, slightly overwhelmed. “We have to get cider doughnuts, right?” He nods. “And maybe a game?”

“Absolutely. We have to crush some kids.”

“And…” You look around before spotting something that makes you yelp with excitement. “Is that bobbing for apples?”

There are three huge barrels of water and they are full of apples. There is a round going on and you drag Eddie over.

“You want to do this?” he asks. You beam at him.

“Hell yeah I do. I was great at this when I was a kid.” You read the board at the sign-up table and gasp. “The prize for the most is 50 dollars!”

“Hell of a prize,” he says, impressed.

“I’m gonna do it,” you say. Eddie laughs. “Atta girl,” he says. You make sure all of your hair is out of the way and Eddie takes your bag and jacket so you don’t get water on them. A lady ushers you to one side of one of the barrels and you look around at the competition. Mostly all high schoolers, and one guy with a huge beard.

“Kill ‘em dead, sweetheart!” Eddie shouts from behind you.

The horn goes off and the music starts and you bob like your life depends on it. It occurs to you halfway through that this probably isn’t a cute thing to do on your first date but you want to win. If you do, you’ll buy Eddie some funnel cake for being a good sport about it. Are you a little too competitive for a small-town harvest festival? Maybe, but whatever.

You hear Eddie chanting your name behind you and you bob and bob and bob and you know you’re all wet but you don’t stop. The music finally cuts out and you stand, water dripping down your chin and into your collar. You wipe your eyes and find Eddie grinning and waiting behind you.

“You crushed it!” he whoops.

“Really?” Your pile of apples is pretty big, truth be told.

“Yeah,” he says, before stepping forward and resting a hand on your hip. You can see some light freckles on his nose this close. “And it was hot.”

That makes your stomach do something funny. Maybe Eddie Munson makes you a little nervous. The good kind,

He leans in like he’s going to kiss you but you put your hand on his chest.

“Eddie, my face is all wet.”

His expression says he very much does not care about that but he leans away to grab a towel anyway. He gently dries your cheeks, your forehead, your chin. Your hairline is a little damp but you don’t care much. You’ll have to come back at the end of the festival to see if you got the most apples but right now you’re focused on how Eddie is tossing the towel over his shoulder and leaning back in and —

You laugh against his lips and wrap your arms around his neck as he kisses you.

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, general masterlist here! promptober masterlist, find all fics under #fvspromptober23

[sinyaru]

Art Raffle! naruto fanfic writers appreciation ! /round14

To note: THIS IS A NARUTO RAFFLE, I will not accept other fandoms

What you have to do to enter this raffle: REBLOG this post and…read the post ? XD You don’t  need to be a follower. (though follows are highly appreciated, of   course! <3) Just, again, please read the whole post. I don’t want people to ask me later to draw things that I’ve said below that I won’t draw.

How will I go about this:

I   will collect all the people who reblogged this post and list them.  Each  of the participants will have a number which will be later drawn  using  random.org

The art I offer for this raffle will be based on  fanfics. Meaning  that the winner gets to pick a story of their own to  which I will draw  fanart of. If said winner does not write, they are  free to pick their  favorite story that is written by a different  person. Even if you do  write, you can still pick a different person’s  story

I know some  fanfic writers out there really appreciate art  being based on their  stories, so I’ve decided to do this little thing!

For  those of you  who neither write nor read, that’s too bad. But I might  sometimes in  the future make a raffle that is not like the ones I’ve  usually held. So  keep your head up~ (yo, seriously, please read the  whole post if you really want to enter this raffle. I will know if you  don’t. *glare*// tag “ficlove” in your tags when reblogging this post so  I know you’ve actually went through w/ reading the post). If you are  one of those people though, but know  someone who writes you can sure  give your winning prize to them. Be  kind, do good.

Please don’t  throw a 100k long fic at me, it will take me forever to read XD but if  that’s just the fic you really want to get art for, go ahead. Just have  in mind I’ll be extremely slow w/ reading it.

Characters I do NOT  want to draw:  Sakura, Sasuke, Orochimaru, anyone from team Taka, Baki,  Tajima,  Butsuma, TenTen, Kinkaku/Ginkaku, Danzo, Hiruzen, characters  from the  Boruto  generation (they’re just characters I have 0 interest in;;  nothing too  personal) ( my commissions are open to these characters  though; haha)

Things I would LOVE to draw (but not limited to) : fluff/romantic stuff <3 , battles! >:O , friendship yay! and of course… smut

some ships I would LOVE  to draw  (but not limited to) : MadaTobi, IzuTobi,   KakaObi, KakaIru,  HashiMada,  MadaObi, ShikaTema, KoteIzu, Itama/Izuna, KakaTenzo,  NaruHina,  SaiIno (list goes from my current hype to lowest hype atm)

one thing I keep forgetting to add on here the previous times:

I  will NOT draw underage; kinks I find unpleasing; ships I find  unpleasing; incest; etc. // if you’re unsure, feel free to ask (you guys  feel free to ship whatever you want, just don’t make me draw it XD)

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE

DEADLINE FOR ENTERING THE RAFFLE IS THE 4TH OF APRIL

[potatomountain]

Bet Gone Right?

How about a one shot I did a bit ago that had been requested?

pairing: Ateez Mingi/Wooyoung/Jongho and reader

A game night bet turned into being shared??

Warnings/labels: smut, all three at once, face f*cking, bratty Woo, boyfriend Mingi. Shy but rough Jongho Unprotected sex [always wrap it up kids]

What started off as a simple game night playing some competitive games turned into a much more competitive game and I seemed to be the prize. I hadn’t been winning anyways, but Mingi and Wooyouong had both been taking the game seriously, both fighting for first. Jongho, who had reluctantly gotten dragged into this, was forever in last place as he barely tried- that didn’t make my second to last place position any better.

“Come on, I’ll be fine if I’m in last place.” I nudged his side with my elbow, the two sitting on the ground before us oblivious to Jongho and I on the couch. I had all but given up on even playing from the moment Mingi had stopped leaning against my legs and technically both Jongho and I both had been knocked out of the arena on super smash bros this round.

Mingi and Wooyoung were still battling it out, the screen shaking from their antics and the room full of their shouts and curses at each other. I didn’t know where the other members had gone, they usually left us alone whenever I was over since Mingi and I started dating. That was a story for a whole other time.

I usually enjoyed these game nights, but tonight, both Mingi and Wooyoung seemed much more competitive ever since Wooyoung had made a comment of earning a kiss from me if he came in first place. Neither had even asked for my thoughts on the spontaneous bet, but I don’t think I would have actually protested.

I had been ot8 long before Mingi and I had been a thing, and to be fair, no matter how much of a slut it made me feel, I would give myself to any of them if they asked. And, well, Mingi was okay with it. Not that I had ever told them that- so when the subject was brought up no protests were heard from me.

I had a feeling Jongho knew that, but didn’t comment. After a moment of silence he finally replied, although I had expected him not to. “But if I try, and win- I’d get the kiss.” I figured he just didn’t want to, which was normal, but from the way his cheeks tinged red I doubted that train of thought.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Really, I didn’t think I’d be kissing anyone but Mingi-”

“NO!” Wooyoung let out a loud yelp as he tossed the controller down, having lost. “I want to kiss her, no fair! You said so Hyung.” He pouted over at Mingi who wore a triumphant grin. “Fine, one more, but this time if I win, I want to do a lot more than kiss her.”

I froze up, eyes wide as I looked between the two. Wooyoung seemed serious about this, that alone was enough to throw me for a loop- but Mingi nodded, his expression just as serious.

I shot forward, gripping Mingi’s shoulder to turn him towards me. “What are you doing? Are you serious?”

His lips spread slowly into a sly smirk, reaching up and placing his hand over mine, completely enveloping it. “If I’m going to share you with anyone it’s going to be with my members- I trust no one more.” He leaned back, pulling my hand down to rest against his chest. “Besides, I know what you read, you want to don’t you?”

I wondered if my face was as red as the red solo cups laying about, giving my answer without speaking; not like I could form a proper sound let alone a whole sentence.

His grin widened, Wooyoung cheered, both turning to the game.

It had gone from just a kiss to… more? How much more of myself would Wooyoung want? How much was Mingi willing to share?

As the round started up, I was further shocked at how quickly both Wooyoung and Mingi were thrown over the edge by Jongho- who had sat up next to me and seemed as flustered as I was. Now I really doubted his intentions and feelings- Jongho didn’t like doing stuff like that right? And he wouldn’t want to… with me… right?

Mingi groaned in desperation as he fought to stay on the platform. I was already long dead, not having been able to pay attention as I was still reeling from the shock. There was absolutely no way that- “I’m sorry, are you three serious? You all want to do… intimate things with me?” Just saying it like that was enough to burn my throat with embarrassment. Sure I read and day dreamed about those things with the others but the possibility of it actually happening was too far fetched to grasp.

Hell I was still surprised I managed to somehow get my sweet and spicy Mingi.

“Of course- I was kinda sad Mingi got you first.” Wooyoung replied without looking  back, focused solely on trying to win me, the prize. But, Jongho was putting up a good fight.

“And Jongho?” I turned to him, hoping he could explain himself a little.

“Yep, never thought he would admit to it though.” I gawked at how nonchalant Mingi said that.

Moments passed in utter silence but heavy tension, and it seemed like any of them could win now.

It was Wooyoung that managed to survive, Mingi and Jongho effectively taking each other out. Woo jumped up, throwing his controller again but this time in celebration as he jumped around screaming “Woo-hoo” and rubbing it in Mingi’s face. Despite how laid back Mingi has seemed about sharing me, he seemed plenty pissed off at Woo’s cheers.

I almost- almost- missed Jongho’s shoulders slump in disappointment and the way he shifted away from me. My chest felt tight, and before I knew it I was reaching out and taking his hand in mine. “Wait- nothing gets done without my say.” His eyes flickered from our hands up to my face in obvious confusion, but I didn’t shy away. “You’re all winners in my book.”

“You’re just saying that because you want all of us.” Woo teased but he wasn’t wrong. “As long as I get my sweet sweet kiss-”

“Are you sure?” Mingi’s hand rested on my thigh, our eyes locking when I turned to him. I expected some sort of betrayal or hurt or pain in his features, but I was only met with adoration and concern- for me.

I nodded. “As long as everyone is aware that you are still the one I love, then yes.” I leaned down and pressed my lips to his forehead, then down to his nose before the final destination of his lips. When I pulled away he was grinning.

I didn’t get a chance to say much more before I was being pulled to my feet and spun around in Wooyoung’s arms. “I don’t want to compete with Mingi for that, I know you still love us.” Well yes but if you add in the desire and lust… didn’t that make it the same as my love for Mingi?

Now that- that was a thought to process for another day. Right now was an opportunity my whole body was aching to have and I knew passing it up would be a big regret of mine.

I giggled as Wooyoung began to shower every inch of my face with kisses; my eyelids, nose, cheeks, chin and jaw until finally they were against my lips. They were soft, gentle, but before I could give into the hints of more I was pulled back against a familiar chest. Mingi wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my head.

I tilted my head back as much as he would allow, looking up through my lashes. He was pouting, but eyes were on Wooyoung who was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot in love. “Mingi? Baby?”

“How far are you wanting to go?” It seemed he still had a few reservations, although I was just shocked he really was  going through such a bet.

“As far as she wants.”

“And how far is that?” He looked down at me, eyes softer than when they were on Wooyoung.

I shrugged. “I don’t think I’d want to go all the way- not with how sudden this is but…” I blushed, trying to think of what I would really want to do with Wooyoung. He was such a brat, an adorable brat but still a brat- I didn’t think anyone in this room was more of a dom than Mingi so having one in such a way seemed pointless?

Wooyoung waited for me to finish my statement, rocking on his heels as Mingi’s hands ran over my sides. I still hadn’t come up with a decision when Jongho got up, drawing our attention.

“I’m going to head to my room then while you all- do whatever it is you want.” But like before, my hand reached out to grab his, stopping him from taking another step. “What? I didn’t win-”

“I said you’re all winners in my book-” Despite how increasingly flustered I was getting, I pushed through, eyes falling to his hands- hands I had daydreamed about a little too much. “That means you too Jongho. Stay?”

He was hesitant, the three of them sharing looks I couldn’t describe as they processed my request. This was the last moment to make a final decision, even if any of them could back out at any time. As the silence dragged on, I was getting worried they decided it wasn’t worth it. “If you don’t want to-”

“No! No I-” Jongho took my hands in his, staring as he interlocked our fingers. “Do we have to… in front of each other?”

I didn’t think about that- Was Mingi going to watch? Would I be able to enjoy them alone?

Mingi seemed to decide for me. “I’m not letting you guys touch her without me.” He lowered his head to my neck, biting softly on the flesh up to my ear while keeping eye contact with the members. “I want her to always remember who loves her most.”

I didn’t get a chance to speak up before both were nodding in agreement. They were okay with that? What? Half of this night I could barely keep up with what was going on, and I was still left confused as Wooyoung stepped closer and brought his lips to mine once more, cupping the side of my neck to hold me still as Mingi claimed the other with his lips. I felt Jongho’s hold on my hand tighten, giving a slight tug. I didn’t want to forget about him, yet it was hard not to give Wooyoung’s soft lips and Mingi’s possessive bites all my attention.

I still wasn’t sure how this was going to go, especially now that Mingi had demanded to be present, yet again Mingi seemed to have some ideas. “You can use your hands and mouth baby girl, I want this-” He gripped my hips and ground them back against him, the height difference pressing him into my back. If I didn’t know any better I’d say the idea of sharing me was excited him quite a bit-

Of course I never thought he would be willing to share me at all so apparently I didn't know him as much as I thought.

Wooyoung pulled his lips away, a sweet mischievous smile playing on his lips as he ran a thumb over my bottom lip. “Your hand or mouth is more than I can ask for now- please?”

I glanced at Jongho to see him staring at our hands still with bright cheeks. “Only if you want-”

I quickly nodded, feeling a bit more confident at their affections. “You two… can you sit down on the couch… pants off?” While Wooyoung grinned, Jongho just seemed even more flustered.

“And me?” Mingi nibbled on my ear, his hands sliding up my shirt and needing no directions.

“Take me as you always do if you want.” Just the idea of it had me a blushing mess even more so than Jongho, the maknae following Wooyoung’s example but at a slower pace. Woo seemed to be in a rush at how quickly he kicked his pants off, black briefs tight over the growing bulge as he sat down.

My eyes were on Jongho as Mingi pulled my shirt above my head, his hands becoming a bit more needy as they pulled the bra off and down my shoulders. I couldn’t think about anything else as I took in Woo and Jongho’s reactions to Mingi’s actions- they both showed their excitement in their own ways.

I thought one idol adoring my body was a hell of a confident boost… but three? The confidence was almost enough to wash away the embarrassment- almost. To be bare chested in front of two friends and while being fondled by my boyfriend was quite an embarrassing, but exciting, situation.

As Jongho finally sat down on the loveseat with his pants kicked aside, Wooyoung was already enjoying the show, his hand rubbing the tent in his briefs and biting down on his lip. I wondered if he normally would be this obedient and decided probably not. But Jongho? Staring so intently at Mingi’s hands cupping my breasts with obvious labored breathing and his hands clenched at his sides? Before Mingi slid a hand down the front of my pants I was already wet, his  finger brushing against the slick and resulting in a deep rumble through his chest and against my ear.

“So wet already baby girl?” He mumbled against my flesh, deciding not to be patient as the lone finger pushed its way up into me.

“Mingiiii- don’t leave us hanging.” Wooyoung groaned, his eyes on my pants, no doubt wanting to see what Mingi was doing behind the fabric.

“Sh-shouldn’t Jongho get a kiss too?” The words came out as a breathless whisper, my lidded gaze focused on the quiet yet tense man. I wanted to know how his lips tasted too.

“Of course, you get what you want.” Mingi pulled his finger out and up to his mouth, licking it clean as he guided me over to Jongho, bending me over unexpectedly and nearly resulting in my head hitting Jongho’s. His breath hitched, eyes a bit wide as they met mine and for a small moment it was just us two.

“Jongho…” our eyes fell to each other's lips, and surprisingly he moved first. His hand reached up and slid over my neck into the hair on the nape of my neck, tugging it softly to bring me the short distance closer. I never expected his lips to be so hungry on mine, but I didn’t mind at all- in fact it was quite the turn on to know shy Jongho could kiss like this.

My eyes fell shut and I found myself lost in the taste of his lips, opening my mouth to him when his tongue asked for entrance. While Mingi worked my pants off roughly, I didn’t want to just take all that they were giving me, I wanted to give back too. So my hands moved from Jongho’s thighs up to grab the waistband of the briefs, pulling them down to expose him fully. I wanted to take a look but not at the expense of pulling my lips from his.

“Wow Jongho, I think you’re thicker than I am.” Wooyoung’s voice pulled me away, my curiosity getting the better of me as I looked down to see Jongho hard and ready- and thick as Wooyoung had so graciously pointed out. I ran my fingers along the base, marveling at how it twitched from the simple touch and Jongho’s grip tightening on my hair in response. “Mm, me too please-” Wooyoung took my other hand and brought it to his boxers, placing my palm on a damp spot over the bulge. “Touch me like that.”

His whines were so adorable I couldn’t refuse, palming him through the fabric as my thumb ran over Jongho’s tip. I marveled at this entire situation, the two of them each in my hand and seemingly eager for more as Mingi had me stepping out of both my pants and underwear to leave me bare before them.

“Ah I can’t believe this is happening, you look so beautiful you know.” Woo mumbled around a gasp as I pulled his briefs down, exposing him as well. I marveled at the slight difference in size but really I was eager to have a taste of both, licking my lips at the thought. I didn’t have a moment to speak up my whims before I felt Mingi’s fingers spreading me wide and two being pushed in.

I let out a whimper, my head falling forward to rest on Jongho’s shoulder to steady myself from the sudden flow of pleasure filling my veins.  I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold myself up and stroke them both like this soon, so I debated on just which of them I wanted a taste first. The obvious decision was Jongho.

With a kiss to his neck I lowered my head further, my hair falling around me but Jongho was quick to catch the strands and hold them out of my face. “What are you-” All questions were paused when my tongue ran across his tip, looking up through my fringe to gauge his reaction. His lips parting like that, the way his eyes were so heated despite being half lidded and locked on mine.

I realized I wanted to see him fall apart.

Wooyoung whined as he watched my tongue run around and then down the length of him. How I managed to focus on the task at hand while Mingi’s skilled fingers curled and pumped into me from behind was a mystery, but as I took more of Jongho between my lips, Mingi hit just the right spot to have my moans vibrating around Jongho’s shaft.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to focus on both of them with Mingi intent on driving me crazy like this, but I tried. As my mouth took more of Jongho and I reveled in the way his breath hitched, I glanced over at Wooyoung as my hand wrapped around him, using the bit of pre that had leaked out to lube him up. Eager to help, he brought my hand up to his mouth and supplied me with ample spit to do the job before wrapping it around himself and guiding me. I thanked him with a glance, but his gaze was locked on our hands moving along his cock.

It gave me the idea that I didn’t need to necessarily focus on them, just let them use me as they wanted. I pulled my lips off of Jongho just as Mingi brought his thumb to rub my clit, resulting in me bucking forward. He gripped my hips to keep it from happening again, muttering for me to stay put.

I nodded, looking up to take in Jongho and Wooyoung’s reactions before looking over my shoulder to lock gazes with Mingi. “I don’t want to be teased any more Mingi baby, please use me.” I stopped my hand to get Wooyoung’s attention, a pout on his lips. “Use me too Woo- Jongho-” Finally I looked up at Jongho, his gaze expectant. “You have my head in your hands, use my mouth as you want, I want you to come undone.”

With deepening red cheeks, he nodded, and the moment I opened my lips around his head again, he used me as he wished. I was reeling from the feeling of him hitting the back of my throat, tears pricking my eyes as I expected another harsh thrust, but he seemed to notice my discomfort and held back slightly. 

But Woo? Mingi? They were relentless. Woo had turned his body and held my hand in his, I could feel his gaze as he set the tempo, hips thrusting up to meet each stroke. And Mingi had wasted so little time before bottoming out inside of me, his fingers digging into my hips as he froze for only a second to let my walls relax before he set a tempo much similar to Woo and Jongho.

I felt blindsided by the overwhelming sensations and sounds. Woo was noisy in a delicious way, his whimpers and whines of my name falling off those soft lips. Jongho seemed to struggle not to bury his full length into my mouth with each hesitant thrust, but Mingi remedied that. “She can handle more, go ahead.” I felt Jongho hitting the back of my throat a bit roughly and he continued with that pace. I focused on breathing through my nose, my knees falling to the floor as Mingi pushed me down and followed along.

I was practically bouncing between their two cocks while Woo whined that he only got my hand.

“Be lucky you get that.” Mingi grunted out, using the force of his thrusts to push me to meet Jongho’s. I barely noticed at first when Jongho’s own grip and thrusts became frantic and a bit unhinged, his hips lifting to meet my mouth and pants heavier and bordering on moans. I thought Woo’s had been absolute music, but Jongho’s was perhaps my newest favorite sound.

“Hyung- I’m going to- ah-”

A few thrusts later and his hips snapped up to meet my mouth, coating the back of my throat which I believed he had been given permission to do from Mingi. I had already been pushed so close to my own release that feeling Jongho in my mouth like this had sent me into sweet bliss. Mingi let out a deep grunt as I tightened around him and I barely noticed his breathing seemed to be even more erratic.

I couldn’t focus on my love for long, not with bliss flowing through me in waves that hand me moaning even with a mouth full of cock and cum. Wooyoung whined out, pumping himself with my hand still but I could tell that wasn’t enough for him. “Me next- me next please-”

Jongho’s hand suddenly loosened and he dropped his hips, panting beneath me as my mouth was finally free. It felt empty. Swallowing, I quickly turned my head and took the full length of Wooyoung into my mouth as he had begged. His loud moan filled the room, moving our hands to my hair as just like Jongho he held my head still as he thrust into my throat. “Fuck- so good. So so good- No fair Hyung, you get this all to yourself-”

At Woo’s whiny moans, Mingi responded by lifting my hips just right to hit deeper inside me, causing me to cry out around Wooyoung who yelped in response. “T-too good- I-I don’t want to come yet.” But yet with the way Mingi was fucking me onto him, he had every intention for Woo to come before him, even though I could feel Mingi’s trembling hands indicating he was already so close.

With all the sensations and overstimulation on both ends, I was surprised to feel Jongho’s hand run along the back of my shoulders and then down my spine gently. Funny how that was the one touch that had me tightening around Mingi once more and overcome with sweet ecstasy. 

Wooyoung came first, cradling my head in his hands as his hips twitched with his release, pooling it onto my tongue and thrusting it down my throat. No sooner had Wooyoung collapsed back onto the couch had Mingi pulled out, gripping my hips still as he spilled his warmth all along my lower back.

I seemed to be the last to come down from the high despite my legs still trembling as I fell forward against the couch between Wooyoung and Jongho. Wooyoung was panting heavily, watching me with the same mischievous grin from earlier as Mingi stood up to go somewhere- I suspect to grab a towel. I swallowed what was left in my mouth, my head resting on the cushion as I shut my eyes, shivering at Jongho’s light touches.

“I want a taste.” Woo leaned over me, gripping me by the chin to hold me up enough to crash his lips against mine. I was still reeling and let his tongue in, moaning at the feeling of him exploring my mouth. He still was when Mingi came back, a warm damp towel cleaning up the mess he had made of me.

With a soft moan Wooyoung pulled away and looked at my boyfriend. “I want to fuck her next time.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“She’s mine.”

“But you just let us-”

The two continued to go back and forth but I tuned them out as I rested my head back on the cushion, feeling Wooyoung’s weight shift off the loveseat a moment later. Jongho’s hand on my back continued to run along the soft trail he had mapped out, easing tension there I hadn’t realized I had. “Jongho-”

“Hm?”

“That feels really nice-”

A soft chuckle was my only response before his hand pulled away. I opened my eyes to look up at him, watching him tuck himself back into his boxers before reaching for me and picking me up with ease. He pulled me onto his lap, knee on either side of his hips and chest to chest. He continued running his hands over my back, gently massaging as my head rested on his shoulder.

I didn’t realize just how tired I was until I relaxed in his embrace like this. “Jongho?”

“Hm?”

“Did you like it?” I turned my head just enough to look up at his expression, watching the apples of his cheeks darken once more.

“I did- I didn’t hurt you did I?” 

I smiled at his concern, reaching up and cupping his cheek. “I enjoyed it very much.”

“See! We should do it more!” Wooyoung’s sudden voice right behind me startled me, eyes going a bit wide as I looked back to see both he and Mingi dressed as if nothing had happened. “Come on- don’t you love us? Love me?” He pouted up to the taller man, tugging on his shirt.

Instead of answering Wooyoung, Mingi locked eyes with me, noticing how tired I was. “I will talk with her about it.” He moved around Wooyoung and easily picked me up out of Jongho’s embrace. I let out a soft whine, glancing down a bit sullen to be pulled from Jongho so soon- I was enjoying the cuddles. Mingi sighed at my response, setting me on my feet to put my shirt back on over me, the rest of my clothes tucked under his arm. As if to remind me and the other two, Mingi brought his lips to mine in a slow sensual kiss that clearly claimed me as his.

Wooyoung scoffed, plopping down on the couch next to Jongho, but he didn’t say anything else on the matter. When Mingi pulled away he picked me up to cradle me against his chest, looking down at the others. “I’m taking her to bed.”

Once we were alone back in his room, he laid me gently on the bed and crawled over top of me. “We can talk about tonight once I stop being so jealous.”

“But then why?”

“Because they are as important to me as you are- No more questions, tell me you love me.”

“I love you MIngi.” I smiled up at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down in an embrace. “You will always be special to me.”

He grumbled against my neck happily, arms slipping beneath me and hugged me tightly against him. “I love you too. I want to hold you like this all night, can I?” After my nod he rolled us onto our sides, pulling the blanket over my bottom half and staring down at me. “That’s my girl.”

I was out like a light in minutes, comfortable in his warm embrace.

[akirqx]

she/her + romantic

none!

someone extroverted, friendly/outgoing, smart!!, isn’t afraid to show me off or express himself, and taller than me!!!! also guys who are protective over me but not controlling. they have to have good humor and can take a joke. someone who can have a little playful competition, and doesn’t care abt being seen as clingy and just wants to express their love.

i’m really talkative, and i love trying and learning new things. i’m pretty smart, i take a lot of APs and school takes up a lot of my time, but i love going out with my friends and i hate studying 😭. even tho i talk a lot, i get really scared when i talk to someone i’m interested in for the first time. i love shopping, and i play softball competitively, but i enjoy other sports like tennis and volleyball just for fun (even tho i lwk suck LMFAO). i’m also a photographer, i do mostly sports photography, and i love flowers!

giving: acts of service and gift giving. receiving: quality time and acts of service

friends to lovers or strangers to lovers

i’m 5’3-5’4, and i’m filipino. i have long dark brown hair and my style switches between abg and stockholm and i wear glasses!

extras: an ideal date would be a festival/amusement park or a day at the beach. i LOVEEE those little photobooth pics. my favorite flowers are pink stargazer lilies.

thank you so so much and i hope you have an amazing day!!

(there was an error when i tried sending this the first time, so if it happened to send twice im so sorry 😭🙏🏻)

Oikawa Tooru definitely noticed you first. I feel like he took interest in your photography and approached you about it! (..strangers to lovers?🤭)

I think I’d be such a cute interaction if he saw you taking a photo of some flowers and then came up to you to recommend a better place for the picture.

We all know he has fangirls and is super focused on volleyball but I feel like once he noticed you that one time, he started seeing you everywhere

He thinks he’s so smooth asking you to come to his next game to take some cool shots of him

If you actually say yes and show up he gets all nervous and asks iwaizumi if he looks good today (he knows he does)

I feel like because he spends so much time on volleyball, he makes sure whenever he hangs out with you that you know he loves you, he def doesn’t care about looking clingy.

Always makes sure to show you off so people know he’s taken

Is also super smart!! Power couple fr

He’d probably make fun of u for being bad at volleyball as a playful joke but will take pride in teaching you (if u want!)

Oh my god if u ever got shy around this man his ego will skyrocket 😭

When you guys go to amusement parks together he pretends to not be scared but is the loudest one on the ride

And then if you bring it up after he pretends he wasn’t scared

I feel like he’d say he’s really good at winning those prizes but he actually sucks and you spend a good 15 minutes waiting for him to actually get something

Would def love taking pictures with you! Especially those photo booth ones :) probably keeps one in his phone case

He buys you one of those big bouquets for your first date and it’s mostly your fav flowers

I feel like he’d steal ur glasses right off of ur face and puts them on just to tease about how bad ur vision is (even if it’s not that bad)

He loves all of your gifts omg he’s so dramatic when you give him something

He will go shopping with you and he will take it seriously when you ask for his opinion on clothes or smtg

He’s always matching your energy and I feel like you guys always have good conversations like there’s never nothing to talk about

He’s also competitive so you guys make plenty of little competitions out of literally anything

It can get really chaotic sometimes..

And he always cheers you on at ur softball games!! He brags about you to anyone who will listen

omg this one was soo fun to write I really hope you like it !!🫶🏻 Oikawa was literally the first person who came to mind when I read yours so I hope you like him…😭

Thank you for requesting!

[runningfrom2am]

extremely late chapter 14 thoughts:

1. sejanus as much as i love you- maybe not throw yourself inside the house when coryo is having an existential crisis.

2. i love lennox because there should be at least one person who thinks the right way. i hope lennox keeps him on his toes so he thinks three times before doing anything.

3. “Unless you still didn’t see it that way.” ohhhh… the drama.

4. “the back cover of an old book about a man who hunted humans.” is the book “the most dangerous game”?

5. trying to materialise her morals with her prize must’ve been awful. only having money to hold as you’re in a train for that long with that many thoughts, i can’t even imagine.

6. i truly love the family r has and how even that makes her different than lucy gray. the latter was the oldest in her unit, as far as i know, while r isn’t meant to take care of anyone. also you are doing an excellent job at not casting them aside, as side characters usually exist for a quick second in fanfics.

7. Coriolanus Snow Being Honest To A District Woman? It’s More Likely Than You Think.

8. well, ladybugs bring luck.

9. thank you so much for not making her jump to his arms in a few seconds. she went through hell in that arena and at least half of it could be traced back to coryo. the emotional weight of that isn’t something that will lift quickly. she is bound to him by something greater than her feelings.

10. “I am yours for the walk and especially when I walk away.” MA’AM IS THIS FORESHADOWING IN A WAY?

welcome back bestie!! also i hope you had such a great birthday !!

1. yeah he was not thinking LMAO he was just like “on my way to see my friend !” and lucy gray was like “bro cmon read the room”

2. yes i love him :’) he was ready to swing immediately. i really love writing sibling relationships bc with my brother i’ve had so many different perspectives on it through the years haha, but now it literally doesn’t matter i’m like “this person is annoying” and he’s like “i’ll fight them rn” lol. i really think lennox needs to bring that energy bc r is WAY too gentle for her own good, even after all that she went through. he’s a good kid, of course, raised by the same parents, but he’s not nearly as timid and i love him for it.

and ANOTHER thing ab lennox- him and lucy gray both know more than her parents do, and both are clearly protective of her but she is still willing to give coryo a chance. he sees coryo as untrustworthy and a threat to r even though he knows she cares about him, but lucy gray is more optimistic ab it. idk, i feel like they see the situation clearly but in very different ways.

3. he’s like “shit i came all this way to be shut down didn’t i-“ lol

4. yes ma’am 🫡🤭 i mean i know it’s a short story but i have seen individual prints of it too (i had someone on wp be like “but that’s not a book it’s a short story” like girl i know pls-

5. no literally i would lose my damn mind. like you’re staring at an amount of money that can change your life and trying to convince yourself it is somehow worth it (which i know she could never do) would be actual torture i think.

6. i love her family so much, like realistically i can’t imagine r being the person she is without having a loving and supportive family.

also thank you! i love lucy gray and the covey too much to neglect them. especially maude ivory!! we deserved more of her in the movie!!

7. no literally. especially r’s mom. i think he doesn’t consciously know it either but r had talked about her mom quite a bit while she was in the capitol so i think he trusts her more than he would care to if he didn’t feel like he “knew her”. also i think important to mention that his fathers death also affected her so deeply and even physically.

8. that they do 🤭

9. AH you are so welcome. like as much as that would have been cute or whatever i seriously don’t think that was even an option for her it wouldn’t have made even a bit of sense. honestly, she was more likely to bolt back out the door and make a run for it hahahaha

10. IDK WE’LL HAVE TO SEE

[heavensbeehall]

"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," Chapter 12

Part 2: The Prize

Chapter 12: Uh-oh! Emily was reading so much fanfic she forgot where she was in the actual book. Coriolanus is jealous of everyone who dares get near Lucy Gray. He hates Sejanus and Ma Plinth. Tigris comes and he's like, "What do you think that song was about? Is she really a whore?" They go home. Grandma'am is also awful. He writes about the fun of war. The next morning, Clemensia is still missing. He gives Lucy Gray his mother's compact and tells her to put rat poison in it.

Quotes:

His girl. His. Here in the Capitol, it was a given that Lucy Gray belonged to him, as if she’d had no life before her name was called out at the reaping. Even that sanctimonious Sejanus believed she was something he could trade for. If that wasn’t ownership, what was?

Oh gross. Now I remember why I didn't want to keep reading.

“One hearing’s all my cousin Maude Ivory needs. That child never forgets anything with a tune,” said Lucy Gray.

If Maude Ivory was Katniss's grandma, do we think her dad had a Covey name? With a color?

Just like those Peacekeepers back in 12. Coriolanus couldn’t help wondering just how friendly she could be.

Coriolanus thinks she's fucking the Peacekeepers in the Capitol and 12.

Sejanus appeared, in another brand-new suit, with a rumpled little woman in an expensive flowered dress on his arm. It didn’t matter. You could put a turnip in a ball gown and it would still beg to be mashed.

Now I am just quoting all the awful stuff he thinks. But also I have never had mashed turnips? Why not say potato?

Tigris’s rebuke shocked him, but less than her alluding to behavior that might be considered a disgrace. What had she done? Because if she’d done it, she’d done it to protect him. He thought about the morning of the reaping, when he’d casually wondered what she had to trade in the black market, but he’d never really taken that seriously. Or hadn’t he? Would he have just preferred not to know what sacrifices she might be willing to make for him? Her comment was vague enough, and so many things were beneath a Snow, that he could say, as she had of Lucy Gray’s song, “Well, that could be anything.” Did he want to know the details? No. The truth was he did not.

So here's the thing about this: I think he doesn't want to know because then he would feel indebted to her, and he can't stand that. But... he is indebted to her. I know family is family and it's not the same as if some random stranger did it, but she gave up going to university so she could work to support him. I don't think he needs to pay her back or anything but he should be more... not grateful necessarily but just aware of what it took to get him here. He may think he just "deserves" all this (and that's a whole other issue) but it wasn't just given to him. She had to sacrifice.

That our ancestral home has gotten too large?

It's a dumb apartment, you weirdo. That is hooie! He bought this place in the 80s! /ben blanc

“The trouble with girls is, they’re not used to fighting the same way boys are,” said Hilarius. The Heavensbees were ultrarich, the way the Snows had been before the war. But no matter his advantages, Hilarius always seemed to feel oppressed.

I wonder if this sense of oppression made its way to Plutarch somehow and made him want to fight.

“The thing is,” Lysistrata whispered to Coriolanus, “I’ve become rather attached to Jessup.” She paused a moment, arranging the wrapping on a chunk of baked noodles and cheese. “He did save my life.” Coriolanus wondered what Lysistrata, who had been closer to him than anyone else in the arena, had seen when the bombs went off. Had she seen Lucy Gray save him? Was she hinting at that?

Okay here's the part where I begin to piss off the Snowbaird shippers. I think Lysistrata has more genuine feeling for Jessup than Snow does for Lucy Gray. I don't think it's romantic, but I do think it's more the appropriate reaction given the circumstances. Snow is all about ownership. I wish Lysistrata did see Lucy Gray save Snow and told everyone so he couldn't pretend it didn't happen.

[misscrawfords]

Hello, fanfic writer question, please. 1, 2, 9, 13, 40, 44, 58, 91. There were so many good ones! Thank you

I'm sorry for the delay in answering this! It was Easter and then I've been on holiday...

do you know how you want the story to end when you start, or are you just stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road?

I never start writing unless I know the ending of the story. Like how the conclusions to essays should reflect the introduction, the ending of a story needs to be in the mind of the author from the beginning. But there might be quite a lot of wilderness in the middle I'm not sure about!

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

Actually, that doesn't really happen to me a lot. Stories unfurl and sometimes develop in cool ways when I think of a new bit of plot or development, but the characters don't really do this... I guess a kind of example was with my teenage HP next generation sequel where after writing it for quite a long time I realised one of the main characters was gay and this made so much sense! It wasn't relevant in any way to the plot but I felt I understood Xanthia so much better and it wasn't something I consciously plotted out.

9 - already answered

13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

Back when I wrote Downton fic, my collaboration with Claire (@orangeshipper) was such a lovely experience. We were just so in tune with each other in terms of what we wanted to convey about Matthew and Mary and it helped us both develop our writing skills a lot. And we became proper IRL friends too. I can't really imagine having a writing partner like that again.

40. best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

Ooh, I don't know about anything specific but I always loved the comments that a fellow M/M shipper EOlivet left on my fic. We ended up kind of falling out but I was always sorry about that - she gave the best feedback! And @wah-pah also writes amazing reviews and I always feel incredibly grateful if she reads what I've written.

44. any writing advice you want to share?

Uhhhhh I'm not sure I, a person who hasn't written in ages, can give anyone any advice! But I guess I would say that writing has to be what you want to do and whatever you do is okay. I've wasted my emotions and my energy feeling competitive about my writing which is stupid when writers should support each other, and I've also felt jealous of people who seem able to write all the time on top of other lives or who are able to prioritise it or manage to write 1000 words a day or whatever. We all have different lives. Right now, my life doesn't admit of me pursuing writing seriously. It's the wrong point. I do hope at some point that will change but it's okay that I am prioritising other things at the moment. So I guess my advice would be to take it easy and not beat yourself up if you're not writing as much as you want to or how you want to - and definitely don't compare yourself to others!

58. what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were writing it?

Golly, no idea. I'm sorry! It's been so long...

91. how has your writing style changed over the years?

Tricky. I'd like to think it's improved but honestly I'm not sure it has. I think I peaked when I was doing my masters degree, now over 10 years ago. I was so immersed in reading and the analysis of fiction I was really conscious of how I was writing. I wrote Consolation Prize and a lot of University Challenge then. I think I've got better at writing stories set in the modern era since then and perhaps developed more of a style. But tbqh I think I was a better writer ten years ago and I find that really depressing and it puts me off writing again. :(

[mermaidsirennikita]

do you have any recs where the love interest or the main character ~pleasure themself~ in front of other? I’m obsessed with those scenes where, even though they can’t have each other and they know they can’t, they’re just way too horny to not doing anything asfsgfjsd

Oh for sure!

Joanna Shupe does this a good bit!

The Prince of Broadway. Historical. In this book, they're actually not really looking at each other, but they're in the same room. They're hiding in a brothel and end up witnessing a couple have sex, and they both masturbate with their backs turned to each other, very aware of what they're doing.

The Bride Goes Rogue. Historical. The hero coaches the heroine through it in a moving carriage. This is an all time favorite scene of mine, I talk about it a lot because it's that good. He doesn't touch himself during this scene.

The Gangster's Prize. Historical. Hero watches the heroine, I believe; this one is a novella.

My Dirty Duke. Historical I thiiink this happens. It's been a while since I read this book. The hero is the heroine's father's friend and he has a kinky photography habit, so I feel like this happens. Novella.

Sarah MacLean writes one of my favorite scenes where this occurs in One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (historical), in which the heroine is told what to do by the hero while she sits in a chair in front of him, for ~scientific research~. He can't actually touch her because he's sworn a vow of celibacy.

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt (historical) has a scene where the hero jacks off while the heroine watches secretly~, though I feel fairly certain he knows she's watching. He seriously wouldn't care if she was lol, he's a total exhibitionist.

For a contemporary femdom rec, Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre! The heroine is a soft domme, and one of the things she does most often is have the hero masturbate in front of her. Sometimes he's wearing a vibrating cock ring; I think in the epilogue he has a vibrating butt plug in. Her big thing is that if he comes before she lets him, he has to lick it up off the floor. This book is AMAZING, he's very "alpha in the streets submissive in the sheets".

Heated Rivalry is a m/m contemporary that I just. Love love love. Shane (who bottoms in the relationship) lost the like, MVP? I don't know, they're on different teams, it's hockey? Thing to Ilya, and beforehand they agreed that whoever loses has to do whatever the other says. So Ilya has Shane come up to his swanky hotel room and lay down, totally naked in bed and pleasure himself~ while Ilya drinks vodka and watches until he can't! Take it! Anymore!

Untouchable by Kresley Cole is a paranormal (technically novella but it's long lmao) in which the hero is a vampire and the heroine is a valkyrie. They can't touch because her mother was an ice fey and if anyone who isn't an ice fey touches her, she'll overheat and like. Die. So they can have very brief touches and do ONCE because it's unavoidable, but skin to skin gives her extreme pain, so in their first sex scene for most of it he just watches her get herself off while he does the same, not touching.

Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole. Also paranormal, similar "we can't touch" dilemma because the heroine is a ghost and the hero is a vampire. This one is less like, her directly pleasuring herself (and he can't at this point due to vampire reasons) but she does give him like.. a show. That I love. One of my favorite things about Kresley Cole vampire is that when they're getting worked up, they like, lick their fangs a lot because they're basically salivating. I don't know man, works for meeeeeee--

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole, PNR yada yada, also a novella (true novella length). This one is the CONTROVERSIAL ONE so dubcon/technical noncon alert. The hero is a vampire, heroine is a valkyrie. She basically woke his cold vampire body from its sexual slumber (that's a thing in this mythology) and left him unable to come for FIVE YEARS. So when he finds her and does get off, he's understandably pretty irate. She has this magic chain around her waist that he grabs, and it gives him the ability to control her. So he does make her masturbate in front of him. Like, yes, she's turned on, but for all intents and purposes that does start as a noncon. Suddenly realizing that all three of the above books are about brothers, what is with the Wroth bros?

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian. Historical again. I could be wrong, but I think? There's a scene like this in the book, probably towards the beginning. The heroine is afraid of penetrative sex.

The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham. Historical. The hero (who is a former professional dom) instructs the heroine on how to masturbate with an apple, though he doesn't touch himself at all. MUCH better than the peach scene in CMBYN.

Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt. Historical. The heroine is afraid of sex due to sexual assault she experienced as a child. The hero is SUPER patient with her. It starts out with him masturbating in a carriage after she asks him to do it in front of her (she doesn't do it) and then in a later scene, they both do so in front of each other, making eye contact, etc.

Priest by Sierra Simone. Contemporary. Bonus points because they're in a confessional when this happens.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan. Contemporary. Heroine is roommates with a famous porn star, they do this in front of each other.

[kitkatopinions]

You know I gotta ask for Pyrrha lol

Yeah, Pyrrha for the ask game, let's go.

1: sexuality headcanon

I like to headcanon Pyrrha as a biromantic demisexual.

2: otp

Gonna have to say Pyrrha x Weiss for this one, but Pyrrha x Blake is a close second! Pyrrha and Weiss just have great potential as romantic partners, and their first season clips together so easily read as Weiss having a crush on Pyrrha and Pyrrha being like "Oh pretty disaster girl, I can fix you." XD

3: brotp

Pyrrha and Nora! I already talked about them recently, but they could be such close friends!

4: notp

Can I say 'anything involving a Jaune harem?' I don't mind Pyrrha x Jaune on its own if it's done well (in a way that doesn't treat Pyrrha as the prize to be won or Jaune's cheerleader,) but every time I see some Jaune x Pyrrha, Weiss, Blake, Ruby, Neo, Glynda, Willow, Cinder all at the same time any of that... Ugh. That's so embarrassing.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head

I saw a fanart once of Pyrrha and Neptune as kids together living in Argus, and now I love the headcanon that they went to combat school together and actually know each other pretty well. (Of course, in my headcanons, Neptune isn't nearly as sucky. XD) Oh wait, no, I want to talk about Pyrrha's parents! Because the whole monument to Pyrrha seems like something Pyrrha really wouldn't want, I've started headcanoning that her parents were the ones who fought to get that statue made but that they both never really listened to Pyrrha and had kind of pushed her all the time growing up, and were sort of similar to pageant parents. So even though Pyrrha loved them, she also had very complicated feelings towards them, and felt like they didn't know her well, which made her very eager to establish a found family at Beacon (and to latch onto possible mentor/parental figures.)

6: favorite line from this character

"I'll do it. If you believe this will help humanity, then I will become your fall maiden." This line is so good at further establishing what we already know about Pyrrha. She's trusting, she's a follower, she's kind, she's good, she wants to do the right thing because it's the right thing, she doesn't even ask for an explanation because when someone tells her that people need help and this will help, she jumps in with both feet before even thinking through the implications. It's both a sign of some flaws (it's pretty naive to trust people just because they're your teachers and some guy, it's pretty reckless to let people do experiments on you without even asking very many questions,) and proof of her deep goodness and her good intentions. Also I like to think that Pyrrha looked at Amber and felt a connection to her, something drawing her to Amber, and felt like she understood Amber in that moment even though they'd never met, and then her being so willing to take on that power and that responsibility was also for Amber and for her legacy. (Side note, the concept of Amber is slept on both in the show and in the fandom.)

7: one way in which I relate to this character

We both seem to be attracted to disaster people? Lol. But in all seriousness, I feel like I do share some minor similarities to her like her tendency to be protective (I will break his legs) and her over-polite awkwardness and slight passive aggressive tendencies. XD

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

The romance with Jaune. As I said before, I don't mind Arkos in theory. But the way it's done in canon? Gross tbh. They more or less invented Pyrrha for Jaune, made the majority of her story revolve around him, didn't give her real connections with other characters, used her death to prop up his character in a very fridgey way without letting anyone else grieve, and in volume six they gave her a tribute she wouldn't have wanted to remind everyone of how sad Jaune is... And Pyrrha never got any song that wasn't about her feelings for Jaune. Yikes!

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

One of the only cinnamon rolls left in this show! Pyrrha may have her minor flaws, but by and large, she's a good person who tries to treat everyone well (except for Cardin the bigoted asshole bully which is a good thing) and she spent her life trying to help everyone. Rip that Pyrrha never got to connect with Penny because they would've been the ultimate cinnamon roll redhead duo.

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

I feel like you avoid the actual argument about this issue. I find your way of discussing this and responding to logical and reasonable points made by your anons utterly bizarre. You don’t really respond to them, you just put everything into perspective and try to distract from the original problem that was brought up (some people would call it whataboutism but I’m tired of that word tbh). I haven’t really taken anything from your answers besides you not wanting to criticize individual actions as long as their consequences (or prize as you say) aren’t high enough which is just wild to me bc that isn’t even true in this case.

Anon - I am explaining a really widely held left-wing analysis of political boycotts and how change happens (here's a published example of the same analysis). If it seems bizarre to you, to me that suggests that your politics have mainly existed on the internet and you haven't really engaged with trying to build a better world (or even listened to people who have.

You don't seem to have understood my ideas (for example you us the word 'prize' as if I had said it and I haven't used that word at all). I genuinely don't understand what you're saying in the second part of this anon (not just the prize, what consequences, what isn't true).

From my perspective, none of the anons I've seen have articulated an argument. Instead they've listed the horrors that went into producing the world cup and then said that therefore nobody should watch and talk about it. But anyone who has been paying attention to capitalism knows that those horrors aren't new or unique. They are part of pretty much everything we consume. "Horrific things were involved in making this, therefore you should stay away from it" does not work as a way of understanding society or a theory of change.

If I can't explain my ideas in a way that connects to you that would be a shame, because I do think they are important to understanding the world and changing it.

I am going to explain what I actually think about individual actions, which is not about consequences or prizes. I think living under capitalism is really hard. I don't think individual personal purity is the way to create change (there's quite a lot of evidence on that one). I have seen a lot of people be damaged by other people's ideas about what a moral way to navigate the world is and I've categorically rejected it. So long ago (well before I'd even heard of 1D) I developed a world view that policing the way other people live their life was damaging to building a politics based of collective action. That treating every aspect of other people's lives as up to political debate is completely unsustainable and gets in the way of real political change (seriously if you think the personal is political means every individual action you take has political meaning I really recommend reading the original essay of that title to understand that it means the opposite).

Anyway in the face of that knowledge and experience I decided that it was important to limit political judgement to things that are politically important. In terms of people's actions, that means judging people for using the power society gives them over other people and for crossing picket lines.

I'm happy to talk more about this, but I do need people to engage with the questions of political worldview.

[sirenjones]

Erleichda!

Dec. 10 2018

One month ago I lost my town, my home, and my most treasured belongings to the California Camp Fire.

For those of you that haven’t heard, it was the most devastating wildfire in California history. It swallowed up a town, and surrounding areas, of nearly forty thousand people in less than a day.

We lost everything– pictures, antiques, keepsakes. I lost all of my art, and boxes full of cards and letters and memories. My blessing box, filled with notes of love and prayers for me, written by friends and family just shortly after I had been born. They wished for me things like happiness, love, good health and friendship, and clarity. I took great comfort in unfolding the notes and reading them over during times of sorrow, or unsteadiness. I lost also the large hand-knitted doll that sat upon my bed, the last thing my grandmother had gifted me before her death.

My brother lost his most prized possession, a race car he had built from scratch. My father, the house he had lived in for nearly fifty years.

It’s a lot to swallow. It’s a lot to take in and process, and every time I tell someone “I’m okay” I wonder if they really believe me or not. The truth is, though, that I do actually *feel* okay. I feel like this awful, awful thing is going to bring about a whole new life for me, and anyone else that chooses. All we have to do is embrace it, and move on.

This is the part of the narrative where my thoughts turn… unusual. Back in May, I got a tattoo on my hand of the word “erleichda!” which means, lighten up! It isn’t a real word. It was invented by author Tom Robbins in his book Jitterbug Perfume. The story is about a man and a woman who walk the earth for a thousand years together after learning the secrets to immortality. Along their travels, they also discover the “secret” to life itself, and death. Which is, you guessed it, erleichda.

From here, you can take it any number of ways. Lighten up your mood– stop taking things so seriously. Lighten up your soul– forgive others and give freely. Lighten up your load– take only the necessities. No matter how you look at it though, it really all means the same thing. Free yourself of unnecessary attachments. Lighten up!

The word has always struck a chord with me, but this last year specifically, I have been actively trying to incorporate ‘erleichda!’ into my life. I give away items and clothes that haven’t been used in a while. I only buy things if I really need or like them. When I have a negative response or bias opinion to something, I take time to reflect on why I think/feel that way. Is it a valid opinion? Or am I just holding on to some feeling that developed years ago due to hurt or misunderstanding? I rarely hold grudges, or find myself offended. 

I guess my main thought is this: if you ask the universe for something enough times, and I mean really ask, and actively pursue it, then eventually the universe is going to give it to you. So you better be sure as shit that what you’re asking for is what you really want. There is no refund policy when it comes to life lessons.

“Do you know what you wish?

Are you certain what you wish is what you want? "

I wish to be free of unnecessary attachments, to lighten up.

But am I certain that what I wish is the same as what I want?

What do I want?

I want to be happy. I want to feel fulfilled, but will freeing myself of emotional and physical ties really be the key to getting me there? I used to believe that happiness wasn’t really a feeling at all, but just a way, a state of being. Something that you chose to embrace even when everything around you was all fucked up. And maybe that is still true in some sense… Choose and the heart will follow, right? Surround yourself with good, meaningful relationships, choose healthy daily habits and rituals, invoke all the actions and attitudes of a truly happy person and eventually, maybe, the feeling will develop.

I think I am still a long ways away from what I really want, but I do believe, for the first time in a long time, that I am on the right path.

I am allowing myself space, mentally and emotionally, to mourn the loss of my past. Though with each painful memory that arises, I try to remind myself that, although the fire took away many physical tokens of love, it did not take away the love itself.

I can no longer look upon the birthday cards with love written in them, sent to me by my brother, who always teased me, and pushed me away when we were young, but that doesn’t change the fact that I know he was always looking out for me anyway. I can no longer reminisce over old drawings and comics that my best friends and I wrote together. Over time, the specific details of each inside joke will fade away, but I’ll always remember how much we laughed together. And the things that hurt the most… the books, the doll, the paintings, the sweaters… all from my grandmother, my Prama, my most favorite person in the world, they are irreplaceable, and they are gone. But that doesn’t mean that she loved me any less. The things are gone but that doesn’t mean I won’t always remember the lessons she taught me.

And although I can no longer look into my baby blessing box, I know that I have indeed been blessed, and will continue to be, so long as I choose to see it that way. What my mother wanted for me, more than anything, was clarity. And by golly, I’ll be damned if I don’t say I’ve got that pouring out of my ears right about now. 

A month ago, the fire took my home and everything in it. But it did not take my clarity, my love, my relationships, or my joy, no. I guess when you think about it, it really didn’t take anything important at all.

It just lightened me up a bit.

[chuya-chuya-blog]

I just wanna go on the record and congratulate the creators of NoName for getting serialized Shonen Jump plus. It really IS super cool, and I probably would be super excited if it were me. I'm happy for them.

I also wanna make it clear that I'm not butthurt or jealous, I am very secure in my own capabilities. These are just my thoughts and observations.

NoName's serialization has raised eyebrows because the creator is already successful, but I think that's just what publishers do, hire people with a good portfolio. That's what ANYONE does. It really is that simple. It's not nepotism, and Manga Plus Creators is not the scam or "dungeon" some people think it is. You can still get noticed on the site, same as with other social media. If you do great work on a consistent basis, promote yourself, and demonstrate to publishers that you can sell, they'll be interested in you. That's business.

I think people are getting tripped up by the fact that other great creators on the site received low accolades for their equally awesome work. Put plainly, a few great creators deserved gold. I won't give names to protect their privacy (I actually have a list, too), especially because of what I'm about to accuse Shueisha of, but some of the work there is really good and even better than some published works I've seen, including things running in Shonen Jump. It really bugs me to see good work getting shafted, and honestly, it feels like Shueisha doesn't wanna award people properly because they don't wanna admit amatuers actually can do good work, even without their input. It's like it's a pride thing. Admitting newbies actually did well without their formula is like admitting their way may be going stale or worse, admitting Shueisha may not be necessary at all.

The lack of actual winners ended up working against them as a lot of people stopped taking the site seriously, and it's much less common to see strong contenders there now.

NoName getting serialization is really cool, and I'm sure it was well deserved (I didn't read it because I dont like Sci-fi, but the art looks really good). I'm not butthurt because I've never won anything, it's the bait and switch that annoys me. I don't think they ever actually planned on giving ANYONE the top prize.

When I was a kid, this announcement would've been a game changer. It would have made me super enthusiastic about making manga and trying really hard to follow in those footsteps. But it feels more like they panicked when they saw people leaving the site and finally awarded a gold and gave someone a serialization to try and kick more people into gear.

Other creators on MPC also do really good work, but since they're newbies, Shueisha probably directed them to their Viz Originals editors for some coaching, if they contacted them at all. I don't know any of this for a fact, but I do know that Viz is owned by Shogakukan and Shueisha, so it would make a lot of sense.

I don't know what the future holds for that website, but I have a hunch that it might be time to start thinking outside the box.

[ghost-proofbaby]

Hi! I hope your day's going well :) If it's not too weird to ask, I've seriously always wondered, how long have you been writing for? What made you fall in love with it? And what were your biggest inspirations?

It's legit been on my mind since TSIB when I noticed immediately that your writing carried a lot of love inside of it! It's had me curious ever since.

hello!! i’ve just woken up, and so far so good haha <3 i hope your day is also wonderful!!

this definitely isn’t too weird to ask!!! this feels like a slightly cop out answer, but i’ve been writing for nearly as long as i can remember. i was always just writing really silly things, stories between me and my friends and such. i think the first solid memory i have of anyone ever saying “hey, you have some real talent here” was in 6th grade honestly. it was a silly story for school where we were writing about candy bars of all things, and my teacher took me aside to talk to me about it, and i fully thought i was getting in trouble. i wrote my first fully finished story at 11/12, though, so i guess if i had to put a number on it all.... like 12-13 years? oof. god, that's a long time.

as for what made me fall in love with it - i was always a reader first and foremost. it was a really natural transition for me. in the 5th grade, i remember reading the series "Cirque Du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan" (which 10/10 recommends for older kids. clearly, the vampire obsession started young.) and just thinking "hey, i wanna write stuff like this!" and so i just... did. and i loved it. i loved creating characters and making my own worlds, getting just as lost in the writing as i could in books. and my writing was bad, make no mistake, but it was mine. i think i always sort of knew i wasn't going to be a rocket science, or a math genius, or a nobel prize winner, but suddenly i had found something that just sort of clicked for me. i was creating. regardless if it was good and regardless if other people were reading/enjoying, i was creating. and that just felt right. it still feels right. since i started writing at 11, i don't think there's been a time in my life where i haven't been consistently writing something. there's been lapses where i stopped sharing, or felt utterly defeated, or just felt stuck in my skill set, but i never really stopped. stories, poetry, songs - i'm just always writing as an escape. i've also had a discussion with a therapist regarding how i feel like my writing is all i have to offer. for the life of me, i can't remember the author/origin of the quote (nor the quote exactly), but there's this poetic bit where a woman is actually speaking to her therapist, and she says something along the lines of "it has to be good. because it is a part of me." essentially, she was saying she finds herself to be nothing good, something rotten, and so she needs her writing to be worth it because it's inherently a part of her. as though her writing is an apology for all that she is. and i guess i love writing because it gives me that chance to apologize - a chance to say "sorry i'm not always worth it, but here's something to make up for it. here's the one thing i can give to you."

my biggest inspirations to this day still remain other writers/creative individuals! i think it's hard as a writer to not be a reader, y'know? i tend to apply the whole "never be satisfied, never just settle" tactic to a lot of my life - always strive to be kinder, always strive to improve my writing, etc. i find a lot of inspiration in music since that's a huge part of my life along with all the writing/reading, and i also find a lot of inspiration in my own life experiences. usually the more unpleasant ones. (oh, how gross, i fall into the tortured artist stereotype. wah.) i think that's why i enjoy fandom so much, though! i'm surrounded by all these talented individuals who constantly take my breath away with their talent, with their big beautiful brains, and it encourages me to want to be better. to be able to offer something just as beautiful and stunning as they do.

also, complete transparency? the community i've managed to build. you guys. those of you who have taken a chance on me and my words, and enjoyed them. the people who get excited for the next updates on my stories and the people who will squeal back and forth (whether in real life or in person) about these characters, these worlds, with me. it's not so much the 'fame', because it feels wonderful regardless of if it's thousands of people or only 2 people, but just... that connection, y'know? it feels like tangible proof to say "hey, my words are worth something. i could be remembered." does that sound narcissistic? god, i truly hope that doesn't sound narcissistic.

anyways, sorry, this is a terribly long word vomit haha. probably not what you signed up for at all when you sent the ask, nonnie. my apologies! i just really, really love writing/reading. and i can't explain how happy it makes me that that translate into my works. thank you - for reading my words, for caring, and for sharing that joy with me <3

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Alex Recommends: February Books

Well, this year is already shaping up to be a great year for books! I’ve been almost exclusively reading new releases this year so far and it is going swimmingly (isn’t that just a fantastic adverb?!). I really hope that you’re all in agreement with your own reading picks at the moment!

I’ve been settling back into uni this month. The new modules (especially Rare Books) are shaping up to be pretty interesting. I am still having to study a management/Business Studies-esque module, which really isn’t my thing at all but the class is actually proving to be the setting of many interesting conversations. The majority of the assignments this semester don’t seem too bad, although I can’t wait until I never have to write another management report again. Seriously, I’ll be actively avoiding them forevermore if possible!

Mark is still doing amazing things on his course. His current placement is actually the secondary school that he attended, although it has since merged with another school and become an academy, so it’s quite different to when he was there! He is still enjoying it though and I can’t wait to continue to do our own version of student life together.

As I said, February was a great reading month. One of my auto-buy authors put out a new release (mentioned here) and as usual, she certainly didn’t disappoint! March is Women’s Prize Longlist announcement month and I can’t wait to see what the judges pick this year. I imagine my March and April reading will be dominated by those books, so watch this space!

-Love, Alex x

FICTION: Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson.

Nora has been an editorial assistant at Parsons Press, a publisher of business books for five years and quite frankly, she has given up on the idea of a dream job. When the company decide to give her a pay cut, she uses her connections to take another job at a rival publishing house. Only, she never actually leaves Parsons. And she doesn’t tell anyone at her new company that either. It’s not until handsome, successful author Andrew Santos comes along that Nora is forced to decide where she really wants to be. Must Love Books is a deep dive into the realities of the publishing industry that will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has worked in it. There is a relatable, very slow burn romance that feels inevitable but I still really appreciated the pace at which it blossomed. Nora has some really lovely friendships with her colleagues too and I really enjoyed a particular scene towards the end where she consults their advice on her dilemma. There is mention of suicidal ideation and mental health troubles, so beware of that before picking it up. Ultimately, it’s a contemporary novel about learning that what you thought you always wanted perhaps isn’t that but that there can still be more to life than you ever imagined.

THRILLER: The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell.

In Victorian London, Jenny has three younger siblings to support since their older brother betrayed and deserted them. She takes a job as a dresser at the Mercury Theatre, where there are rumours of a curse. Jealous and suspicious of lead actress Lilith, the owner’s wife Mrs Dyer hires Jenny on the condition that she will spy on Lilith for her. After coming into possession of a pocket watch that once belonged to a late actor, Lilith appears to fully embody the characters that she plays while becoming obsessed with the Greek muse of tragedy, Melpomene. As Lilith’s personal life spirals, Jenny takes pity on her and befriends her. But strange things are happening at the Mercury and Jenny thinks that perhaps the curse may just be true. Laura Purcell is one of my favourite authors and I never need to look too deeply into the books that she puts out. She is a master of modern Gothic and those vibes are once again incredibly strong in The Whispering Muse. I was thoroughly invested in this relatively small cast of core characters and the book was highly addictive. There were some pretty shocking, gruesome moments (as you’d expect in a Gothic novel) and a constant ghostly unease that haunted every page. I liked that there was a quiet lovely romance thrown in there too and despite the bleak, dramatic ending, hope was also present. An easy five star read!

MIDDLE-GRADE: Nightspark by Michael Mann.

Despite escaping the now bombed out Battersea Power Station where he’d been a prisoner, Luke is now desperate to find his best friend Ravi. Wracked with guilt at leaving him behind and haunted by the feeling that he is still being watched, Luke embarks on an epic quest with his friends Jess and Alma to find Ravi and outrun their captors. This is the sequel to Ghostcloud, which came out last year, so you do need to read that before this one! This whimsical adventure certainly had some very high stakes, which I strongly appreciated as an older reader. There is some beautiful, fantastical imagery and some wonderful, solid friendships that all readers will love. This series is very imaginative and uses magic and ghosts in a unique way, so if you’re looking for a middle-grade fantasy that is different, the Ghostcloud duology is a great place to start!

MYTHOLOGY: The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood.

Danae was banished by her father, the king of Argos, after a prophecy said that her son would be the death of him. Finding herself in a small fishing village, Danae is desperate to raise her son Perseus to be a good, kind-hearted soul. Medusa is part of a group of women called the Gorgons, who live away from society until an injured Perseus turns up and Medusa decides to nurse him back to health. Andromeda’s people are threatened by a sandstorm and she is prepared to sacrifice herself to appease the gods that sent it -until Perseus shows up and takes her away from the life that she has always known. This thoughtful and well-researched interpretation of the myth of Perseus was so captivating. It’s a celebration of the power of women, a commentary on the brutality of men and the definite ‘shadow’ that Perseus threw over the lives of every woman he encountered. It’s very immersive and unbelievably tragic in places but it ends on a note of hope that I didn’t think it would. 

FANTASY: Dazzling by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ.

When her father died, Treasure and her mother lost everything. So when Treasure meets a spirit in the market who promises to bring her father back, she’s willing to do what it takes. Before he disappeared, Ozoemena’s father told her that she would be the next in line to fulfill the family destiny -to become a leopard and defend her people- but Ozoemena really wants to just fit in at her new school. Then students start to vanish and both girls must decide what must be sacrificed in order for them to become who they are meant to be. Dazzling is such a beautiful novel with some amazing world-building and Nigerian mythology. It is ultimately a story about girlhood, family and ancestral voices in particular with a twist at the end that certainly knocked me sideways. There is some strange, ominous imagery that drags the reader in and refuses to let them go until they’ve taken in every detail. While it’s very unsettling in parts, it’s a compulsive, literary novel that I couldn’t put down.