#shaywrite

[shaydraplays]

I wrote the first fanfic for Runaway to the Stars on AO3! Featuring Bip making a phone call to 2 of my 3 centaur OCs and their hawkdog pet. I didn't want to poke Eaton's characters (OCs) too much but I do want to play a little in the world they've created.

[barracuda-shark-games]

This is, for real, a huge compliment. :')

I, the Forgotten is genuinely one of my favorite IFs of all time. Might even be in my top 3.

Thank you, @shaywrites-ifs! I'm still new to IFs and I have some of yours on my backlog already, and I'll be sure to move them up. I'm excited to read your works!

[moon-rising-if]

🌱, 🍬, and 🌨️

🌱 Book that inspired your WIP

I don’t know if any one book inspired Moon Rising, but I adore reading lore and various other things about supernatural creatures. So, I suppose, those had a hand in Moon Rising becoming a thing.

🍬 A song for your favourite character

I have a lot of favorite characters, but one of them that I haven’t spoken of is Drakken. Who happens to be the current High Alpha of Lunaria; meaning he’s Fallon’s father.

A song I could see for him is Explore The World by Brainheart & Sis (that would be directed towards Fallon).

🌨️ Book you hate

I don’t think I absolutely hate any books… as I just steer clear of them and simply leave them be. A book that I tried to get into was The Devil Wears Prada because I adore the movie; I didn’t think it was a bad book but I definitely preferred the movie.

[interact-if]

Hello! I've been looking for an IF for ages but I can't seem to find it.

The only things I remember are that the MC is royalty, has unique eyes, and is quite frail physically but is competent in magic. If it helps, I'm 70% sure their pupils are shaped like stars. They have a younger sibling that is a knight(?) who protects them. They also have an uncle who's trying to kill them.

Thank you!

Hi Anon,

Hopefully your search ends here with In Times by @shaywrites-ifs. You can find the demo here~

If that is not the correct title, please let us know :)

[uroboros-if]

Chapter 1, Bitter MCs

As per some requests, I will be going over some of my plans for specific additions and changes to Chapter 1 to be more inclusive of bitter/dismissive MCs!

I will be paraphrasing and quoting for the most part, but all screenshots of replies + ask are here (Imgur).

Keep in mind, all of these are just plans for additions to Chapter 1; they have not been uploaded.

Morally grey MCs?

First Anon's original ask says:

Will there be an option to play a somewhat evil/grey MC? As in, a MC who is actively power hungry and seeks to become more powerful at the expense of other gods

I definitely think the option should be there, but I've looked through and haven't seen the opportunity to for MC to explicitly express their power hunger just yet! I think that will come into play if MC believes it's possible to become more powerful! If that does happen, I will 100% keep this in mind. It makes a lot of sense, especially for MCs who've developed an inferiority complex.

Especially as the conflict between mortals and gods is coming to a climax, I can see an MC attempt to take advantage of the situation to put themselves in power... we shall see? :)

Bitter MCs?

As far as having enough bitter options, the opinions were slightly mixed. A couple of people pointed out a lack of options to be resentful or negative:

Second Anon:

In the demo, MC can be loud and happy but not resentful or really negative exept for some small inner monologues.

trashy-corvian commented that although the MC has to be a certain way for the story to progress, and having a hostile and openly aggressive MC wouldn't make sense,

maybe more passive-aggressive or bitter/resentful options would do well? I was trying to play like that but it came out more passive/neutral than bitter in the demo.

tarotbyte expresses a similar sentiment:

i like the more bitter (maybe not down right mean more just sorta sick/tired of it) options ... i like being able to be a bit short with others and saying very little and not being overly enthusiastic with interactions

They point out this is because their MC believed the Universe lied about loving them, in addition to being mistreated by other characters, which could lead them to being "bitter and more curt with their words."

Other people do not necessarily see the need for it, one of which being my editor, and First Anon who said:

I personally felt like the level of potential rudeness in the demo was about right. MC could be cold and somewhat haughty, but not cruel for the sake of it (Which for me made sense, since none of the characters did anything that would warrant such a response).

shaywrites-ifs says:

I don't often like angry and rude for the sake of it so I might be missing the need or point of hostile MC for this kind of if.

Ultimately, I believe the demo suffices, but I also think it can be expanded to be more accommodating of bitter MCs without being needlessly cruel. They can still be hostile, but this is mainly from being mistreated for so long, which could have them developing a pretty unpleasant attitude.

I've created a list of areas I plan to/have already added bitter/dismissive options:

For the first scene with the lady, the only real openly hostile choice is dismissively telling her "tough luck" and glaring at them. The choices are the same, but the glaring option has been revised as it suggests MC does it because they're too tired to argue. It's rewritten so a cold/unfeeling MC can also choose it, if they don't want to waste their breath arguing.

Mortals call for MC's attention, and the only real negative option is to turn from them. Now you can openly grimace at them, no hiding it.

When mortals ask for MC's help, initially the only real negative option is to go "Fine. What is it?" -- now you can snap at them to speak quickly.

When Nero says he came to see you, the options generally suggest you have a good relationship with him. Now there are a couple of new options: one in which you dismissively ask him why (expecting him to come for reasons other than just to see you). You can also raise your eyebrows in question for a simply neutral, but skeptical option.

It is written that you wave to Nero goodbye when you go to see Rafaele. Now, it merely says he departs.

Could add an option where the MC gets annoyed for being dragged out to talk about the Ceremony. Could also add an option where the MC protests to coming, but ultimately has to (for a reason that can be picked?).

When Luciel and Rafaele talk about mortals, you can be annoyed about the topic rather than simply disinterested.

When Salvatore says Rafaele was worried about MC when they passed out, MC can dismissively or frustratedly insist that other people not worry about them.

If you are able to tell Salvatore that the Universe is in pain and they change the subject, you may be able to refuse to speak to them.

Make a mention that the seating assignments during the Ceremony are based on families/quisitora, so MC would not be able to choose to sit away from their parents.

When Rafaele tells MC they should speak to mortals, the only real "no" is joking sarcasm or a passive "I'll pass." You should be able to express your disdain at the idea (or even hide your feelings).

Please, let me know if these are still too tame, or if they are unnecessarily hostile. Most of these options are minor additions, and thus do not derail the story at all.

The only somewhat significant change is if MC can resist the idea of going to the Ceremony, but I believe it'll also suffice for MC to be able to express their unhappiness, but go along with it for one reason or another (which may be an extra set of options?)

Ciocana's Dance

I think there is a pretty good consensus here, mainly that people who are touch-averse or uncomfortable want the option to be more upset with Ciocana. Originally, you can only unhand or pull away from them if you have the strength; now they will unhand you when you attempt to.

I am still figuring out the details, but I definitely have plans to add option(s) to be upset with them, and to hopefully have Ciocana offer an apology in the future--albeit in their own way (forgiveness, of course, optional).

Also, you can get upset with them, but you seem to brush the encounter off without another thought. When you say you mistrust them, you should be able to pick the option that what they did to you just then is the reason for your mistrust.

If Ciocana witnesses that you are upset with them because you are touch-averse, they will not be as playful when they speak of your mistrust of them.

Funny side note, though, that some people have zero issue with the dance. Their opinion is not incongruent with having more options to be upset, of course, I just thought it was funny having two very different (but not opposing) crowds on this!

Concluding Thoughts

Again, I am still in the process of making these changes, they are not uploaded to itch.io! Mainly because I want to check in about these changes and see if you guys think they are sufficient/too much/too little. If you have any thoughts, please let me know!! 💕💕

[defiledtomb]

Last line tag! Thank you @shaywrites-ifs :]

Teeth bared in a mad smile, a tide of adrenaline surges into your head and heart, pushing aside all rational thought. You pull the trigger.

Tagging, participation not required lol @mondaysandwich @kalorphic @runcriedthecrawlingif @sleepingcitadelstudios @lapinlunairegames @magiciansvoyage // and anyone else that wants to, maybe tag me so I can have a lil 👀

[valcubust-writes]

thank you for the tag @spikingtheodds-if !!!

for the game, you have to choose images that perfectly describe your wip/if without any context

i tag..... (a bunch of people who were up for tag games on discord, lmk if you want removed!!!) @shaywrites-ifs @coeluvr @prettyboyhowl @mondaysandwich

no context split vibes

[phantasmagoriatime]

I finished The Big Bros!!! The story is as old as the world, the "mother hen" punishing his lil bear of a brother for being too reckless (I secretly wanted the MC to knit a scarf for his twin, because the MC, always sick and wrapped in 100 layers, stubbornly thinks that everyone needs a scarf to keep them from freezing to death but it is the idea for the next time) The twins care about each other more than about temselves and there is the great balance in the world Inspired by very cool IF In Time that belongs to @shaywrites-ifs!!!

[jolient]

reiteration (a little quieter)

Rating: not rated

Warnings: major character death 

Fandom/Ships: BuzzFeed Unsolved universe, Sara/Shane mentioned but otherwise gen

Word Count: 2.4k 

Content Warnings: death, murder, mild blood, dead bodies, the mob, angst, mild panic attack

Summary:  A more pious person might have started praying when the two splashes turned into footsteps, faint and almost impossible to discern over the ambiance of the sewer, but still definitive, still solid and real.

AO3 LINK

Read Below the Cut

Water sloshed around his feet, soaking through his boots. It was cold, and full of grime. Every so often his foot would brush against something solid and he would jerk back, certain that something was going to grab him. 

Nothing did. 

He didn’t have a light, so his progress was slow. He had to rely on his ears and the feeling of the air on his face or the slimy walls of the tunnel under his finger tips. The tunnel was narrow, too, and he was tall enough that his shoulders brushed against the stone ceiling, forcing him to bend over slightly.  

The whole place stank, too. The air was warm and rancid, like sewage or decaying meat, and it felt unsettlingly like a hot breath on his neck. He had gagged when he’d first stepped into the tunnel, and right now his shirt collar was pulled up around his face, which was pretty ineffective in terms of keeping out the offending smell. 

He heard splashes behind him a few times, as though something had fallen into the water. Every time, he assured himself that it was nothing more than a rat that had gotten sick of the smell and tried to end its own life. 

Still, though, he was paranoid enough to entertain the idea that something--or someone--had followed him--he’d barely escaped from whatever little den he’d wandered into. 

Who was he kidding, though, he knew he’d been where the mob hadn’t wanted him. He’d gotten cocky, rising through the ranks as fast he did, thinking he could swim against the current just because the boss had treated him like some kind of son. You wanna dance with the devil, you gotta live with it when he sets you on fire, though, and boy, was Shane living with it--He was stumbling through Satan’s cement butthole because of it! 

He stopped for a minute, when things (the smell, the sounds, his own fatigue) got overwhelming, leaning against the wall and wishing for a blast of cold air or a flashlight. He’d realized pretty quickly that he didn’t actually have much of a plan, since when he’d jumped into this random sewer there’d been bullets flying at his head, but he hadn’t really had any choice but to follow the tunnel and try to put as much distance between the mobsters and himself as possible. 

He didn’t doubt that they’d be looking for him. There were only so many places he could have gone. 

He wondered how it would go down--would he find some way out of this tunnel and die outside, shot down by whatever firing crew was presumably waiting for him, or had they sent someone, some lone killer, down here after him? The latter seemed more compliant with the mob’s methods--quick and quiet. He shuddered, leaning his head back against the wall, fungi and dampness be damned. He closed his eyes for a second, not that that changed much in terms of darkness, and listened, breathing in the warm, rotting air, his body pressed up against the wall while dirty water ran down around his ankles. 

This was no place to die, but a corpse would match the décor impeccably.

He listened, filtering out sounds he determined to be purely environmental: water dripping, rats running around and squeaking, the almost stream-like ambiance of the torrent at his feet. 

He heard nothing. 

It was unsettling. 

So he kept moving, his feet almost frozen, his clothes damp, his fingers numb as they blindly groped the tunnel, guiding him about as well as a broken traffic light at a busy intersection. Twice, he nearly tripped, almost pitching forward into the disgusting man-made swamp he was wading through. 

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed. He’d ducked into the tunnel sometime past midnight, he knew. He wondered if Sara would be waiting up--probably not, she’d gotten used to his busy--and secretive--schedule. She’d never complained about it, just kissed him and told him she understood, and for that, he was eternally grateful. He truly didn’t deserve her, she had a heart of gold. He didn’t deserve any forgiveness she’d offer him either, because her life was probably going to be changing very soon: he’d either be shot and killed and possibly left to rot down here, where the smell of his decaying body with compliment the already rank stench, leaving her a better-left-unsolved mystery, or he’d manage to escape this impossible situation and flee town with Sara in tow, alive but on the run forever. 

He knew that his death would the better of those two options, logically speaking. So long as the boss had confirmation that he was out of the picture, Sara would be fine. She’d be vaguely affiliated through ties she subconsciously knew about and chose to ignore, and if the boss really was sad to see Shane go, her protection would be guaranteed.  

If he lived, though… Well, the only service the boss would provide would be a priest reading their last rites. It was farcical to assume that they’d get far enough from the boss’s sphere of influence to be safe, and everyone knew the mob didn’t leave loose ends hanging. He would really prefer not to subject Sara to that kind of terror if he could help it.

On the other hand, though, he didn’t really want to die. In fact, all he really wanted was to settle down with Sara, get married, maybe adopt another cat, and leave all this mob shit behind him. 

Damn, he really was up shit creek here, with no paddle in sight. 

He stopped for a second--Had there been a splash behind him, or was the stink of this place finally starting to get to him? Frowning, he listened, and a few seconds later, a second splash ricocheted around the tunnel, bouncing off the curved walls. 

Shane froze, listening in silence, completely blind to whatever, if anything, was coming towards him. 

He didn’t, because he didn’t believe in anything, from ghouls to God. Instead, armed with all his logic and reasoning, he began frantically calculating, trying to come up with anything that could help him. Turning as silently as possible, one hand on the wall, he lifted his face and breathed in, trying to feel the air in each direction, hoping for a whiff of anything fresh or any moving air, anything that would indicate a hole he could slip into. 

He was disappointed. 

There was no way out--his heart was beating too fast, too loudly. Every instinct he had told him to run. The footsteps, sloshing through water without any care for subtlety, were getting louder, their owner’s only goal becoming more and more apparent.

Shane had learned what the footsteps of a killer sounded like a long time ago. They were quick yet heavy, efficient and ruthless. Even with the water dripping and running around them, he could still make them out clearly, could hear the almost-anger this man walked with. 

He wondered who it was--maybe Banjo, or Lim, maybe Goldsworth. He doubted it was Banjo or Lim, even though he was sure Banjo wouldn’t hesitate to crawl through this tunnel. He hoped it wasn’t Goldsworth. Goldsworth wasn’t interested ‘quick and painless.` He liked to see his victims squirm, liked to watch the fear in their eyes while they bled out, powerless to do anything while he smoked a cigar and asked them why they took so long to die. 

Shane had worked with Goldsworth before. It hadn’t been pretty.

He tried to calm himself down--no one wants to face their killer with piss running down their pant leg--and decided he had two options: step away from the wall, into the center of the tunnel, and accept his fate, or try and rush his killer. He didn’t see a high success rate for either, but it might be better to save his strength in case he survived the initial shooting and needed to drag himself out of the tunnel.

Moving slowly, he stepped away from the side of the tunnel and put his hands up, even though he wasn’t sure if the killer could see him. 

“I’m right here.” He called out, hoping he wasn’t about to be pumped full of lead. In the distance, although still too close for comfort, the footsteps stopped. 

“Do you really want to die?” Shane frowned, trying to place the killer’s voice--It definitely wasn’t Banjo or Lim. And while it did kind of sound like Goldsworth, he had to rule that out: Goldsworth spoke to you like the dirt he walked on was worth more than your life. This guy, though? He sounded more human, almost remorseful, like a man about to destroy a stained glass window. 

“I mean, no, but I’m also not going to go live out life as a fugitive.” He wondered if he was crazy, talking to this guy. The man was about to kill him in a sewer, after all. 

“I’m sure. Don’t worry, I’ve got a clear shot. It’ll be pretty quick. About 6 minutes until you’re completely brain dead, but you’ll be out after a few seconds.” Who was this guy? What kind of hitman said shit like that? Someone with medical knowledge… Who in the mob would have medical knowledge? Were they recruiting corrupt doctors now?

“So... you normally shoot your victims?” Was he stalling? He wasn’t sure, but stalling his own death seemed like a good strategy. His palms were sweating. The collar of his once pristine shirt felt too tight around his neck. 

“Normally I prefer quieter methods.”  

“Oh? Like what?” He was definitely stalling. He shifted his weight, leaning on one foot, then the other, and smiled, anxiously, even though no one could see his face. The tunnel felt like it was shrinking around him—was he on the verge of a panic attack? 

“Oh, you know, I’ve sampled different methods, but I usually stick to poison or sometimes smothering. Easier to clean up, you know.” The figure took a few more steps forward. Shane heard the click of a gun, and his heart skipped a beat. The tunnel was definitely getting smaller--Jesus, he was about to die. 

“Hey, uh, before you kill me,” He started, stopping when his tone came out as slightly hysterical. He paused, taking a deep breath—he wasn’t dead yet, even if that was subject to change. “Is Sara gonna be ok?”

“Who?” 

“Sara. My--” He stopped, wondering if he was just going to make things worse. 

“I asked you a question.” The killer said. Shane cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice from shaking too much.

“She’s my… um… my girlfriend. She’s not involved in any of this, doesn’t know anything about it. I-I don’t want her to get hurt because of me.” 

“I’ll see what I can do, Legs.” Legs? Clearly, this guy knew him. He frowned, trying again to place his killer--a name appeared in the back of his brain. 

“Night Night?” He asked, incredulously. He’d worked with Night Night for years, the two of them often tag-teaming various targets--him, the extractor, the one who got the info they needed, and Night Night, the killer, who came to finish the job. It had been an effective strategy, until Night Night had been ‘retired’ for his zealousness. He’d been labeled a liability, and the mob didn’t like liabilities.

Night Night laughed bitterly, and the sound reverberated, the acoustics of the tunnel twisting it into a shallow, almost horrific noise above the rushing water. 

“Yeah. Been a long time.” 

“Hell yeah! Hey man--where’ve you been hiding out?” As much as he tried to ignore it, Shane couldn’t help feeling a little hopeful--he and Night Night had been pretty close, as far as mafia ties go. They’d even considered each other friends at one point. Maybe he could talk his way out of this one--he was good at that. And Night Night had survived underground for all these years, evidently, so maybe he’d be willing to help Shane and Sara.

Except he wasn’t. 

It was the oldest trick in the book: hit ‘em when they aren’t looking. Ryan holstered his gun, glad he’d had the foresight to attach a silencer. The sewer walls seemed to trap noise, amplifying sounds to a thousand times louder than they should be, bouncing echoes back and forth between the walls until they faded into nothing.

“You know, here and there.” He said softly, answering Legs’ last question. He stepped forward, trudging over to the dead body, and crouched down next to it. Pulling a penlight out of his pocket, he looked at Legs’ eyes--never into them. Legs’ eyes were still open, wide with shock and surprisingly still lifelike, even as the torrent of sewer water washed his blood away beneath him. 

Ryan reached down and closed Legs’ eyes. 

“Sorry, big guy,” He said, standing up. “Time to go Night Night.” 

He entertained the idea of trying to carry the body out for a few seconds, but quickly abandoned the notion: Legs had a good couple of inches on him, and moving the body would only attract attention and make it difficult to slip away. Must’ve have been hell for him, though, walking down here. Ryan’s head was almost brushing the ceiling as it was. He sighed. 

He had stopped looking at his victims as anything other than bodies a long time ago: murder required impersonality. But he had been friends with Legs, to the extent that their careers allowed them, and he was genuinely sad to see him go. Still, better he’d been the one to pull the trigger. Better him than Goldsworth. 

He, at least, believed in mercy.

He did what he could, in terms of a funeral, leaning the body against the wall, out of the water, even if those damn long legs were still submerged, and reciting the only prayer he remembered, despite years of catholic school. He knew Genesis 3:19 probably wouldn’t mean much to Legs, but he said it anyway, because it felt like the same impartialness he’d give a stranger. 

His voice shook a little at the end, and he knew that somewhere in heaven or hell, Legs was probably shaking his head and saying “Not good enough, Night, you can do better. For me, your ol’ pal Legs.” 

He glared at the body. “Fuck you, man.” He whispered, dropping his act for a second. “Fuck you.” 

And before his act disappeared altogether, he turned away from what, at the end of the day, was just another victim and away from any sense of loss, and sighed, because the world was a little quieter now. 

Thank you for reading! This is my first bfu fic (and my first published fic in a while) and I can’t wait to write more!

Additional notes and acknowledgements available on ao3.

[shaydraplays]

While I'm on my genshin brainrot i gotta give a shoutout to ittosara. I don't know why this ship grabbed me by the neck but it's been throttling me for the past year or two. I love Sumeru and its characters out of all the regions but ittosara is special. to me. Bird traits? Hearts of gold idiots? Family: It's Complicated TM? Nonhuman feels? Monsterfucking??? Mwah. Add to that so little canon in-depth character exploration (kujou sara hangout when) that a range of writing can be enjoyed without thinking She Would Not Fucking Say That.

I've blasted through the ao3 tag and scoured every inch of this site for ittosara content and still i am hungry Möther. At this point i feel the need to begrudgingly make my own content but it takes soooo looong to get words out of my brain and i hate drawing humans. I'll get there but BOY.

[defiledheartsblog]

I was tagged by @acatslifeif

Last song- lovely by Billie Eilish, Khalid

Last movie- Interstellar

Last TV series- Hannibal

Last book- Love and Sex in Ancient Rome by Alberto Angela

The rule is to tag 9 people you want to get to know or catch up with

@doriana-gray-games @acatslifeif @adoriels-tears-if @jaunefleurwrites @hauntthebodies @linwritesif @sinnersandsaints-linwrites @shaywrites-ifs @the-keeper-of-midnight @llamagirl28 @pdrrook @kalorphic

[ekgfiction]

Hiii😳thanks for the flower @vendetta-if !! The prettiest roses for you🌹🌹🌹

Here are my flowers for @adoriels-tears-if🌻, @ddwcaph-game🌹, @attollogame🌷, @shaywrites-ifs🌸, and @featherofdarkness-if💐

Also, a flower for all my followers and anons who ask me questions 🌷

U know what? I'm starting that flower trend.

[interact-if]

Hi! Since I couldn't find any blog or forum to follow the progress, or to have any news for "My love will never die" on dashingdon and "In time" on itchio, I thought to ask you guys. I just want to know if this stories are still being written, and if there is somewhere, where I can have news about these projects. Thanks anyway!

Hi Anon,

We cannot comment on status of other authors' projects.

But both authors have a blog on Tumbr:

My love will never die can be found at @mylovewillneverdie-if

In Time can be found at @shaywrites-ifs.

[uroboros-if]

I really like how the cropped version looks!

🥹 I like them as well, they're so pretty! I want to keep my posts accessible for everyone, though, which I know isn't exactly going to be perfectly achievable--but I'm keeping it in mind!

shaywrites-ifs suggested lips, so how about something like this instead? :)

I always thought eyes were so expressive, but this way, you can see a little bit of their clothes, if they're smiling or not, a suggestion of their hair, and of course their complexion! And it's so mysterious, too! 💕

Once I can find another artist who can do this for me, I will definitely try it out! In the meantime, I will see if I can instead add the eyes to the IF itself, with the option to toggle them on and off (wish Tumblr had a spoiler image feature like on Discord)!

[shaysushi7]

you know why having expectations - harmful to your soul? cuz' you end up expecting too much from someone who doesn't even plan on giving you anything in return. and when you don't get what you expected, you start to doubt yourself. you ask yourself questions like, "where did I go wrong? wasn't it enough? did I mess up? maybe I wasn't special.... " etc etc. you put yourself down and blow out the light that's shining inside of you.

stop expecting a lot. do whatever you want to do and don't care if people don't appreciate it. as long as you're satisfied, you don't need people to pat your back. you're amazing and you'll do great things in life. just stop expecting. you gave your best. you don't need the appreciation if you love yourself. x

[shaydraplays]

I finally wrote a 2nd chapter to my ittosara childhood friends fic! Now with Ushi, who I love very much.