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[vexic929]

Only With the Falling of the Dusk

Chapter 3

Chapter 1: link

Previous: link

Warnings: spooky scary skeletons, canon typical violence

Ricki's next conscious thought was a haze of disjointed sensations: the muffled sound of voices speaking around her, a cold surface pressing against her back, and a dull ache spreading through her limbs. Shadowy figures wearing porcelain white masks surrounded her, their cold, expressionless faces standing out eerily in the dim light and contrasting oddly with the medical scrubs they wore. She tried to move, to defend herself, but her muscles felt like they were encased in lead. She aimed a punch at the nearest person but her arm was caught easily and instead, she felt a needle slide into the crook of her arm and then...

She blinked and the people were gone, the voices quiet. The hard, uneven ground beneath her and the faint echo of dripping water told her she was no longer above ground. Everything still felt distant and hazy, her thoughts jumbled. The air was damp and cold, carrying the faint scent of decay and earth. She pushed herself upright, her limbs trembling with the effort, and immediately doubled over as a wave of nausea hit her. She forced herself to breathe slowly, leaning her head on her knees until the sensation passed.

"Oracle, can you hear me?" She asked, activating her comms. Nothing but silence greeted her. She cursed under her breath, realizing she was truly alone. "Enable logging mode to send as soon as possible."

She paused, the faint sound of something scraping over the rocks catching her attention. It was probably just a rat but...she needed to get moving just in case. Ricki pushed herself unsteadily to her feet, swaying slightly, and stumbled forward, using the cave wall as a guide.

"It was a setup. I was drugged with chloroform, maybe something else." Ricki continued, tripping as her feet crossed in front of each other. "Shit. It's wearing off but I have no idea how long it's been." Pretty long, she imagined, considering they'd managed to get her down here.

The caverns could have stretched for miles or mere feet, Ricki wasn't sure, all she knew was that each new hallway seemed only to lead to another dead end. She rounded another corner and froze, squinting in the dark at what appeared to be fabric walls rather than stone. A circus tent?

Ricki's heart pounded in her chest as she blinked hard, trying to clear her vision. The fabric walls of the tent rippled lightly, as if caught by a breeze that didn't exist. Her breathing quickened, the tightness in her chest growing. The tent was an impossibility; she knew it wasn't real, couldn't be real, but her senses were telling her otherwise. Her legs moved on their own, carrying her towards the center ring, knowing already what she would find.

"I don't want to relive this..." Ricki whispered, her eyes glued to the broken trapeze swaying above her.

Ricki's heart hammered against her ribs, her breath coming in shallow, rapid bursts as she stood frozen beneath the ghostly trapeze. The phantom tent loomed around her, its colorful fabric faded and tattered, like an old photograph. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to turn away, to run, but her legs refused to obey. They had somehow dragged her here, back to the place where everything had gone wrong.

The trapeze swayed gently, taunting her with the memory. She could see them now - her mother, graceful and strong; her father, full of confidence. They moved in perfect synchrony, like they always had, their performance flawless - until the moment it wasn't.

The snap of the rope, the gasps of the crowd, and then the sickening thud that had haunted her nightmares ever since. It had been so final, so quick, so instantaneous; it never felt right that it had happened so fast and yet every time Ricki saw it again it was in slow motion.

She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms through her gloves as she forced herself to look away. This wasn't real. It was a hallucination, a side effect of whatever they had drugged her with. She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to focus on what she knew was real - the scent of earth, the dripping of water, the feel of stone beneath her feet.

Ricki pressed forward, rounding another corner, sending something small and hard skittering with her foot as she nearly tripped again. On closer inspection, the object appeared to be an old digital camera, similar to something she'd carried around in middle school. The screen was cracked, the lens shattered, and the paint scuffed but, miraculously, it still turned on.

The small screen flickered to life, casting a faint, ghostly glow that barely illuminated the surrounding darkness. The battery icon flashed red, warning her it didn't have much time left. She held her breath as she navigated to the last recorded video.

The footage was shaky, the timestamp at the bottom corner indicating it was nearly twenty years old. The image showed a man, maybe in his early thirties, his face pale and eyes wide with terror. His voice was a hushed, frantic whisper, barely audible over the distorted background noise.

"They're not human," the man hissed, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting something to leap out of the shadows. "They're not- these things! I warned them, I told them- they're a crime against nature! Against God and man! They don't stop, they don't sleep, they're always hunting-" He froze, face paling somehow even further at a scraping sound a high-pitched hiss. "No- no! Please!"

The view fell from the man's grasp, clattering to the ground as the horrible hissing sound rattled through the speakers along with the man's final agonized screams that cut short much too quickly. The video had hours left but the battery warning flashed once more before Ricki was left in silent darkness again.

Ricki's fingers tightened around the camera, the last remnants of the video replaying in her mind, the man's terrified expression seared into her thoughts. A shiver ran down her spine as the hissing from the video seemed to echo around her.

She needed to move but her body was still sluggish, the lingering effects of the drugs making her feel as though she were wading through thick mud. Every step she took was heavy and deliberate, as she fought to stay alert. She pocketed the camera and trudged on, determined to find an escape.

The sound of hissing grew louder, more distinct. The hair on the back of Ricki's neck stood on end but she forced herself to continue at a steady pace, certain that running would only alert the creature (creatures?) to her presence. She took a deep breath, feeling some of the fog clear finally from her mind.

The scraping of claws and another hiss from directly in front of her had Ricki freezing in place, eyes scanning the path and wall. The creature emerged slowly, its glowing eyes piercing through the darkness; she could just make out the shape - humanoid but in a way that felt...wrong, its limbs long and thin, bent at slightly unnatural angles. Ricki's eyes widened as the thing crawled out of an old sewage pipe high in the wall, its movements inhumanly fluid and quick. The creature was wrapped in filthy, tattered bandages, its skin almost entirely hidden beneath the layers of cloth - what skin was visible was pale and leathery with a grey tinge. It twisted its head at an odd angle, goggles reflecting a sickly yellow-green light as it hissed at her, the sound somewhere between a screech and a growl.

Ricki reached behind her for her escrima sticks, immediately sinking into a defensive pose. The creature crawled down the wall effortlessly like a spider, setting all of Ricki's nerves on edge. She let out a slow breath, her grip on her escrima sticks tightening.

"Alright, ugly, let's dance."

The creature's hissing grew louder as it lunged at her, faster than she'd anticipated. Ricki barely had time to dodge, backflipping out of reach and spinning her left escrima stick, adjusting her grip to activate the electricity.

"Easy now." Ricki crooned to the creature, almost mirroring its animalistic crouch as it stalked around her.

The creature didn't respond to her words, its gaze fixed on her with a single-minded intensity that sent a cold shiver down her spine. It moved with a jerky, disjointed grace, like a puppet controlled by invisible strings, its glowing gaze never leaving her.

Ricki circled with it, keeping her breathing steady, her movements fluid, waiting for the creature to strike again.

The creature lunged once more, a blur of bandages and claws. Ricki flipped sideways, swinging one of her escrima sticks to connect with its side. The impact sent a jolt through the creature, causing it to convulse and emit an ear-piercing screech that echoed through the cavern. But it wasn't enough to stop it.

The creature hissed again, recovering from the electric shock faster than she expected. It scrambled back up the wall, its movements erratic, as if the electricity had only made it more agitated.

Ricki took a deep breath, flinging one of her escrima sticks at the creature. It dodged, as she anticipated, but the stick ricocheted off the wall and struck the creature from behind, knocking it to the ground again and disorienting it just long enough for her to close the distance.

Ricki threw herself at the creature with all the force she could muster, tackling it to the ground. She pinned it down, using her remaining escrima stick to press its neck against the cold stone floor. The creature thrashed beneath her, its talons swiping wildly, but she held firm.

"Stay...down..." Ricki hissed through gritted teeth.

The creature screeched one more time before finally going limp. Ricki remained on top of the creature for a moment longer, her breaths ragged and heavy as she waited for any sign of movement. The cavern was silent save for the echo of her breathing and the distant dripping of water. Slowly she lifted the escrima stick, her hand trembling as the adrenaline that had fueled her began to ebb away. Up close, the creature only seemed more disturbing. Its fingers were unnervingly long, each ending in a sharp, almost metallic point, and they glistened in the faint light.

Ricki wiped the sweat from her brow, her skin sticky and clammy from the fight. This place felt like it was closing in on her, the air thick and heavy. She needed to keep moving. If this one had found her, others would follow soon enough.

Ricki stepped over the lifeless creature, her stomach twisting at the unnatural bend of its limbs, and retrieved her other escrima stick before pressing forward, one hand on the cave wall to guide her. The corridor narrowed into a cramped tunnel, barely tall enough for Ricki to stand upright. She pushed herself forward, half stumbling, until the narrow tunnel opened into a vast cavern. She stopped short, her breath catching in her throat.

The room stretched endlessly before her, the floor littered with a scattered mosaic of what could only be the skeletal remains of hundreds, maybe thousands of bodies. She stepped forward carefully, her boots crunching over bone fragments, the sound unnervingly loud in the otherwise still air. The cavern felt colder here and Ricki shivered, rubbing her arms as she took in the scope of the scene. To her right, a gaping chasm revealed a giant incinerator at the bottom, faint embers still glowing faintly, the faint scent of burnt flesh lingering despite the years that must have passed since it had last been used.

"What the hell happened here?" Ricki muttered, bending to inspect the remnants of clothing. There wasn't much left but she could make out the designer tag of a fashion line that hadn't produced a new item since 1911.

Ricki's eyes narrowed as she scanned the cavern, her mind racing. It wasn't just a mass grave - it was a mass execution site. The incinerator likely held hundreds more victims, nothing but ash now. The thought made her faintly ill.

"Oracle, I hope you're seeing this," Ricki said, scanning the area thoroughly with the camera in her mask as she searched for a way out.

Far across the cavern, Ricki finally spotted what looked like a ladder, though it was rusted and worn, clearly having seen better days. It led up to what might have been a door, partially obscured by shadows and webbing. Her heart skipped a beat. An exit.

"Just a little further," she murmured to herself, using the mantra to keep her legs moving as she trudged forward. The chill in the air made her shiver, and the exhaustion from the fight with the creature gnawed at her muscles, but she refused to stop now.

As she approached the base of the ladder, Ricki hesitated, inspecting the structure. It was bolted into the rock wall, but the rust had eaten away at most of the bolts, leaving it precarious. She clenched her jaw, knowing she didn’t have the luxury of time. Behind her, the soft, echoing scrape of claws against stone reminded her that the creature she had fought wasn't alone.

"One step at a time," she whispered, gripping the cold metal with both hands. It flaked beneath her fingers, and she could feel the rungs groan under her weight as she began to climb. Each movement was careful, deliberate, and she kept her gaze fixed upward, refusing to look down into the darkness below.

Halfway up, the ladder shifted with a metallic screech and Ricki froze, pressing herself against the wall, her heart hammering in her chest. She held her breath, every muscle tense as she waited for the inevitable collapse, but the ladder held - barely.

"Come on, come on," she muttered through gritted teeth and resumed her climb. It felt like an eternity before her hand reached the top, her fingers brushing against the rough, cold stone floor of what she hoped was the exit. With a final heave, she pulled herself up, collapsing onto the marble surface, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she gasped for breath.

The air was different here - stale but not as oppressive as the cave below. As she lay there, catching her breath, she took in her surroundings.

The room was small, circular, and empty save for a large bronze owl statue slightly off to the side, the center of the room little more than a hole that she suspected closed at one time like a trap door. Three small doorways surrounded the room however, it seemed two of them had been blocked off.

Ricki pushed herself to her feet, muscles groaning in protest. "Alright, let's see what's behind door number 3."

Ricki's steps were slow and deliberate as she moved toward the one open doorway, the soft echo of her boots against the marble floor the only sound in the eerie silence. Her senses were on high alert, every nerve humming with the possibility of danger as she stepped over the threshold and into what could only be described as a grand hallway.

Dim light filtered in through cracked windows, illuminating intricate carvings of owls that lined the walls, their eyes following her as she moved. The corridor was lined with faded paintings depicting scenes of figures in the same porcelain masks she'd seen on her captors - some kind of ritual or ceremony, she guessed. It gave the space an almost church-like feel, though the atmosphere was anything but holy.

The following room was massive and though it had fallen into disuse, there were still hints of the wealth that had gone into its construction. More marble floors stretched in front of her, dusty but uncracked, and towering bookshelves lined the walls, reaching up to a domed ceiling that disappeared into darkness. Ricki's eyes roved over the space, taking in the grandiose fireplace on one side and the elegant furniture and grand piano on the other.

She approached the fireplace, her footsteps echoing against the marble. The stone mantel was chipped but there were still clear ornate carvings of owls perched along the edges, their eyes watching her with unsettling intensity. Ricki ran her fingers over the carvings, noting how the grooves were smooth from wear, likely touched by countless others over the years.

Barty's voice crackled into her comms so suddenly she jumped, still on high alert for more of those creatures.

"Ni---w-ng? ---- signal is-"

Ricki froze for a moment, pressing a hand to her comms. "Oracle, you're cutting out. Say again?"

"Are --- safe?" The comms buzzed loudly, cutting out anything else Barty said until, "tracking your ----tion. St-- there."

Ricki sighed in relief, though her heart still raced. She wasn't alone anymore; Barty was monitoring her progress and that reassurance gave her the strength to push forward. Her eyes shifted back to the room as she moved past the fireplace and toward the shelves. It was clear whoever had inhabited this place had an obsession with owls - and it was unsettling how much thought had been put into even the smallest of details. She let her fingers glide over the spines of the dusty books, all bearing the same emblem of the owl’s face stamped into the leather.

"Bit flashy if you ask me," Ricki commented, feeling much lighter somehow now that she had Barty on comms. It was familiar and something she hadn't realized she'd missed.

Barty's voice rattled through the comms again though not a syllable was coherent.

"Say again?" Ricki asked, pressing a hand to her comms again as though that could fix it. Moments later, Barty's voice was finally clear.

"You're in The Powers Club. In Gotham."

Ricki froze at Barty's words. The Powers Club? How the hell had she ended up there?

"That's not possible," she muttered, running her fingers through her hair, catching a few stray curls that had worked their way free from her ponytail during the struggle. "There's no way there's a tunnel that stretches from Gotham to fucking Blüdhaven. We'd know about it, B knows the caves better than her own name."

"Maybe you weren't taken there directly," Barty suggested, his voice clearer now but still tinged with static. "You've been out of commission for hours, Ricki."

"Hours?" Ricki echoed. "How many?"

"Six," Barty's voice crackled through the comms, sending a chill down Ricki's spine. "We lost your signal in Lin's apartment. I've been trying to trace you ever since."

"Six hours..." Ricki muttered under her breath, her mind racing. That was enough time to drag her all over Gotham and Blüdhaven if they were efficient. She cast one more glance around the library, the dim light from the cracked windows barely illuminating the rows of dusty shelves and peeling wallpaper.

"Stay put," Barty instructed, the urgency in his tone clear. "I'm sending backup."

"Oracle, I swear if you-" Ricki started but Barty interrupted her.

"Batwoman's already on her way. Stay there."

"Oh, fuck off."

[solifloris]

2024 fics in review ; aka, a chronological breakdown -> overall thoughts -> summary -> highlights, of all the writing i've done in 2024 !! <3 thank you for the tag @starmocha! <3 (you can view her post here! :D)

this was vvvv cool and fun to do hehe so im also tagging @reilemon @rafayelsheart @always-just-red + any other writers who may want to join in, just in case you guys might want to do it too !!! (no pressure though <3333)

Total number of fics: 47

Total word count: 142,420 (a rough estimate!)

Chronological Breakdown:

including fics, chapters, and formally-formatted hc posts. not including unformatted hc posts, rps, nor character analyses.

January

"awaken (hold my hand)" | ffxvi | 4k words (i did still want to include jan here because i did write one fic, but it's part of a paid project and unfortunately i won't be able to share the piece anywhere until feb ><)

February

your eyes | lnds | rafayel | 659 words have we met before? | lnds | xavier | 4.2k words in the bedroom | lnds | hcs - rafayel xavier zayne caleb | 484 words got me thinkin' nonsense | lnds | caleb | 868 words treacherous | lnds | caleb | 4.1k words pretty little mess | lnds | xavier | 3k words teasing | lnds | hcs - rafayel xavier zayne caleb | 777 words so it goes... | lnds | jeremiah | 4.5k words i'll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands | lnds | rafayel | 2.7k pick me up, no headlights | lnds | mini drabbles - rafayel xavier zayne caleb | 1k words

March

youtiful | lnds | zayne | 5.4k words youtiful | lnds | rafayel | 7.9k words awkward moments | lnds | hcs - rafayel xavier zayne caleb | 1k words somnophilia | lnds | hcs - rafayel xavier zayne caleb | 1.5k words candy | lnds | xavier | 4.5k words youtiful | lnds | xavier | 6.1k words

April

eating you out | lnds | hcs - rafayel xavier zayne caleb jeremiah | 754 words muse | lnds | rafayel | 3.2k words

June

begin again | lnds | jeremiah | 5.1k words once upon a december | lnds | sylus | 1k words - suggestive

July

every word feels like a shooting star | lnds | xavier | 13.4k don't let me love you | lnds | kieran | 7.7k words

August

red lights | lnds | xavier | 4.1k words you look wonderful tonight | lnds | zayne | 3.1k words

October

pretty girl | lnds | luke & kieran | 4.9k words ignite | ffxvi | joshua | 1.8k words pulse | lnds | zayne | 1.3k words my pace | skz | seungmin | 1.5k words allow me | lnds | greyson | 1.3k words my reward | haikyuu | shirabu | 1k words listless | bllk | nagi seishiro | 842 words this love is ours | lnds | caleb | 5.4k words to love you more | lnds | xavier (lumiere) | 3.7k words your highness, believe me. | lnds | prince xavier | 9.7k words limbo | skz | lee know | 1.6k words sit still | lnds | rafayel | 1.2k words

November

the stars are jealous knowing you're by my side | lnds | xavier | 1.8k words kiss me or leave me | lnds | kieran | 1.5k words if i can have you | lnds | dawnbreaker | 1.8k words lock me in this dream | lnds | luke | 1.5k words praise | lnds | hcs - rafayel sylus xavier zayne caleb jeremiah luke kieran | 3.2k words to you who shines the brightest (i'll give you everything) - prelude | lnds | kieran | 200 words

December

sunday morning | lnds | caleb | 3.8k words to be loved is to be seen | lnds | caleb | 871 words - fluff warm you up | bllk | yoichi isagi | 1.6k words types of kisses | lnds | caleb | 875 words - suggestive

Overall Thoughts:

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?

WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY MORE oh my gosh. i knew i had a hyperfixation on lnds, but this is sincerely the most i've ever written for a fandom ??!! for comparison i wrote maybe like 10-ish in 2023 for various fandoms, and maybe like.... 25-or-so (give or take) for haikyuu once upon a time (though one of them was a multichaptered fic)... THIS, though?! absolute insanity omfg i never thought i could write this much in a year, and holy cannoli i really almost made it to at least one fic a month ?!

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? 

you'd never believe me but. UHH.. SMUT, I GUESS? i mean, i've written like 1-2 smut fics before this year, but i didn't think i'd be writing this much of it LMFAO HGKJDFGKJ AND,,, HONESTLY yeah the love and deepspace fandom in general WHKJDF i did NOT expect to get this attached to the game, usually i don't tend to write for otome games? but this one had me in a CHOKEHOLD and i cant escape omg

What’s your own favorite story of the year? 

oh geez just ONE....!!! nooo it's too hard !!!!!!!! i'll go with my top three instead, in order, but they're actually all quite close together and i'm really proud of them :> (1) your highness, believe me. ; (2) don't let me love you ; (3) every word feels like a shooting star

Did you take any writing risks this year?

a LOT. like i mentioned, it's not like i was,,, super super experienced in writing smut before this, or anything? and i thought it'd be like a one-off fic once in a blue moon, because i definitely didn't start out all super comfy with writing it LMAO so i'd consider starting an nsfw-fic blog a risk? (i just wanted an occasional outlet, you know?) but WELL. LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW (if you look through my writing chronologically... honestly... looking back im not super proud of my older fics LMAO you can def see the improvement there i think)

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year? 

PHEW I HAVE. THE UNHEALTHY HABIT OF TAKING ON SEVERALLLLLLLLLLLL NEW IDEAS ALL AT ONCE. I HAVE LIKE. DOZENS OF WIPS AND TO-WRITE-FICS (ok maybe not dozens, i CHECKED and it's about... nine) and the thing is i also love getting ideas??? so i HOPE to balance this moving forward omg and,,, that i can actually (1) get through all pending requests and (2) write that kieran series to my heart's content

From my past year of writing, what was…

My best story of this year:

honestly? i'd tie between "your highness, believe me." (xavier) and "don't let me love you" (kieran), because i'm super extremely happy with how those came out !!! like they're those kind of fics that just,,, i look at them and sometimes i can't believe i wrote them WHNJVFDKJ

My most popular story of this year: 

so including headcanons, then most definitely my "somnophilia" post WHKGSJDG it was at like 9k-ish notes the last time i checked (last month)???? absolutely INSANE to me because i didn't think it was my best writing (plus it's SO short?!), but it makes me happy to see it so well-received !!!!!!!!! if it's just actual fics though, there's "youtiful" (rafayel) at 1.4k notes !!!!! <3

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:

oh geez i think i'll actually say "begin again", but also at the same time i'd understand why that is, considering jeremiah is a side character and not one of the LI's? i do think i wrote it pretty well though and regardless i do wish it reached a wider audience ngl HWFKSJNG if i had to choose from the fics i have of the LI's though, i think i'd go for "every word feels like a shooting star" !!! purely because it is a 13k words+ fic, and it did take me quite a lot of time to write, that i wish it got a little more engagement hehe (the same for "your highness, believe me." at 9.7k) but THAT'S TO SAY, I'M STILL SUPER GRATEFUL FOR ALL AND ANY OF THE SUPPORT I'VE GOTTEN NONETHELESS !!!! <333

Most fun story to write:

"don't let me love you" IMMEDIATE ANSWER because THAT. was the most fun i had writing FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR oh god whgddnkf i wrote that during entrance exam season?! my exam kept getting postponed due to typhoons, and i was like fuck that and wrote this in probably like.... two days or so HGSKNDV i had SO much fun with it, like a piece of comfort for me <3

Story with the single sexiest moment:

personal opinion i'm torn between "i'll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands" and "muse" which............. coincidentally are both rafayel fics whoopsie HGSNKDVMDHG i'm actually not very sure what others would choose though, but i did see "pulse" (zayne) and "pretty girl" (l&k) quite well-received !! (the tags were fun to read hehe)

Most “holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story:

HM,,,,,, I DON'T PARTICULARLY THINK I'VE WRITTEN ANYTHING REALLY INTENSE SO FAR................... but i do know that "candy" was a stretch that some people weren't happy with (because. you know. candy.), "red lights" was definitely on the more intense side at least out of the fics that i do have, and "muse" (the paintbrush scene.......) had some people pretty shocked lmfaooooo BUT UH,,, CAN'T HELP MUCH i tend to write on the fluffier vanilla side of things GHKSDJG

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:

"youtiful" (rafayel), "youtiful" (xavier)! really had to do some digging for rafayel's so i could get his personality right for it, and i do have to say that writing it made me appreciate his character more! xavier's had me focusing more on the shining traces card which i'm not super fond of because i get sensitive to anger and there was quite a bit of it in that card, but i did get to appreciate the exploration of the whys and hows of his anger, which in turn made me appreciate him even more, too! (funny... after misty silhouette...)

Hardest story to write:

ANY of zayne's fics that i've written, but ESPECIALLY "if i can have you" (dawnbreaker) ... because oh geez. i say this ALL the time but i get SUCH perfectionist tendencies whenever i write him, like i never feel satisfied with how i portray him and sometimes i'd just rather not write rather than write something i feel is a lackluster portrayal of his character, you know? i love him to death, all of you know this, but writing for him does take a toll out of me x_x

Biggest disappointment:

nothing really comes to mind immediately i think...? i'm pretty happy with the things i've written and all the support i've been getting! if i'm disappointed, it's mostly because . i do owe . quite a number of requests HWFJVNSKDJGNKSVJ I'M SOSOSOSOSOSOSO SORRY I DIDN'T THINK I'D BE BAD AT GETTING THROUGH REQS BUT WE'RE GOING TO GRIND ON THEM THIS MONTHHHHHHHHH

Biggest surprise:

everyone's support honestly omfgggggggggg i feel like a broken record but really truly i never thought i'd be receiving so much love from everyone. i started this blog very much on a whim, didn't even expect to be active on it????? but waaaaah it makes me incredibly happy sharing little pieces of myself with you all, and hearing it offer comfort, or joy, and all the little things!!

Most unintentionally telling story:

HMMMMMMMMMMM. either "begin again" (jeremiah), "youtiful" (zayne), or "youtiful" (xavier)! those three are very personal to me and also my own personal comfort fics!!! though... they were written intentionally to be personal fics? i'm not sure if i've found which fics of mine are unintentionally telling.... but lemme know which ones you think so, i guess!! :>

Highlights + Wrap-up:

5 Favourite Opening Lines:

1. "You knew well what it was like to drown. The tilt of his head, the subtle tug of the corner of his lips—his eyes were half-lidded, eyebrows raised as he looked at you. But whether from amusement or sheer exasperation at your lack of response, you couldn’t quite tell anymore. You’d been trapped in his allure from the start—there was no more escaping. You knew well what it was like to drown." - once upon a december

2. "This was how it was to be in love with you. The sweet smell of roses, a walk under the cherry tree…. The calm breeze of morning and soft, fresh linen sheets. Sunlight peeking in through the window, pages of a book. Of words that could mean more to him than he could ever think to describe." - to love you more

3. "It was like stardust. Speckles of light gathered around his figure, illuminated in such a glow that wouldn’t dare allow you to look away. If a few moments ago he’d brought you out for a walk under the stars, that view of the sky was��nothing compared to the view in front of you now." - the stars are jealous knowing you're by my side

4. "You don't fall in love with someone in the span of a few days. It didn’t work that way—love was a fickle emotion; complicated, unpredictable… terrifying. To approach it meant silent steps. It meant biding your time, holding out your hand, moving forward little by little…" - if i can have you

5. "You’d made many mistakes over the course of your life—some, then, including the ones you’d made tonight." - kiss me or leave me

[honorable mention]: "The fact of the matter was this: Blankets were comfortable." - sunday morning

5 Favourite Closing Lines:

1. "The moonlight illuminated many things. Now, it cast both your bodies in an ethereal glow, settled together in an intimate, loving embrace." - pulse

2. "The warmth of his words, blending in with his familiar, most precious nickname for you, had you easily forgetting whatever trepidations you had in your heart. Maybe, you thought, whatever came with this new door in your relationship was worth it—especially if you could be in his arms the way you were now, listening closely to the lull of his heartbeat." - treacherous

3. "To be loved is to be seen. And he sees you, and you see him. To you, there's no greater love than that." - to be loved is to be seen

4. "His eyes fell closed. This time, he felt—this was a promise he could make for you. This time, knowing he had you, he thought… Perhaps, he could. "…Mhm. Rest now,” he whispered. “And I’ll be by your side. Always."" - every word feels like a shooting star

5. "“I believe you. I do, and I will, and you—you will be my Queen. I will make sure of it. Beside me, with me.” A slow, shaky breath— “Your Highness, believe me.” - your highness believe me.

5 Favorite Lines from Anywhere:

1. "And I love you became goodnight; I love you became stay; I love you became come back; I love you became come with me. It became a glance. It became a touch, it became the tug of your hand. It became gentle ruffles of your hair, it became smiles, it became laughs, it became—you. Love became you." - every word feels like a shooting star

2. "“If your vow is to protect me,” he murmured, “then mine is to protect you. If your vow is to love me… then, so, too, will my vow be to love you. You are not behind me. You’re with me.”" - your highness, believe me.

3. "The music had since been long forgotten. Familiar, yet faded within distant memory, as the world, once more, became filled with you." - every word feels like a shooting star

4. "All fragrant perfumes as petals unfurl one by one, a sea of beautiful pinks and reds enough to blind you into their allure and have you bleed—you had always felt this way. Every rose had their thorns; and you’d just never learned to love… without them." - begin again

5. ""Don't let me love you." You could hear it in the way he kissed you, the way he moved against you, the way he almost seemed to have lost any control he had in his body and his only thought was to consume you. "Don't let me love you." But it was too late." - don't let me love you

Fic-writing goals for 2025: 

i should organize my wips and actually finish them </3 IM ALSO GOING TO WHFKSJDNGK GET THROUGH REQUESTS I PROMISE OMG. IVE TAKEN FOREVER FOR SOME OF THEM IM SO SORRY