#some of these tags sound like search terms i'm sorry

[sl33py-g4m3r]

glass desert best gadget slots for later area? and teleport hub~~

what's a good teleporter spot for further in the glass desert? looking for a good teleporter spot for extractor resources mainly~~ found one near the dervish shrine; right before the big oasis before the fountain, there are 3 slots for extractors by the hole and cave that a dervish plort statue is, and I looked around the area and counted 5 slots counting the teleport one?

I could be very wrong tho~~

what's a good teleport spot for later in the glass desert that has good access to the area and extractor slots?

found one that I wanted to use but it was by the mosaic shrine, there were a few of them tho~~

have one right before the teleport at the beginning to access both the ancient ruins and the beginning of the glass desert~~ I think I'm good enough running through there I can go ham with echo nets~~

I hope I've found good teleport spots for the other areas too in regards to extractor collection, as they're right in the central areas...

where do I put one in the glass desert? is by the dervish or mosaic shrines worth it? are there better spots?

I don't want to waste a diamond and resources only to have to get them back, even though its gonna happen anyway, lol.

also what's a good source of pink plorts? I have one pink/rock largo tank that I started with, but if I'm making things continually, it can't keep up....

do I make a tank of purely pinks and have no favourite food? or go pink/mosaic or something? but now I don't have room for anything else that wouldn't be dangerous~~ unless I use the spare plot I have that's almost behind the lab~~

idk~~~

everything else I can quickly gather resources and drop them in a refinery link... the desert tho.... idk where the best gadget slots are in relation to being almost at the end of it......

help.....

speaking of where's the best area for a teleporter hub? I've got everything in the area of the ranch before the dry reef.... (moss blanket, indigo quarry, ruins before the glass desert, and eventually a later glass desert one)

is there a better location for this? those with a refinery link right as you reenter the ranch again.

is there a better way to do this?

can't find a map of gadget slot sites~~ do any even exist?

guess I'll put the teleport where I was initially thinking and see how it works~~

or use the end game "final hobson message" location~~ idk~~~

me being indecisive instead of playing (and enjoying) the game, lol

[guiltyasdave]

come morning light

chapter 2 • series masterlist

pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

summary: An injured Joel and Ellie stumble into your home in the middle of the night. Against your better judgement, you decide to help them.

word count: ~2.5k

tags/warnings: post outbreak, slow burn, found family, age gap (sorry not sorry), able-bodied reader, angst, reader has a sad sad backstory and ptsd, hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual smut, vague description of an injury

a/n: i'm finally finished with chapter 2, and once again nervous af about it haha. there's not terribly much happening in this one, but i promise we'll get there, it just needs the buildup :)

thank you @catchallfangirl for beta reading <3

follow @guiltyasdavenotifs for fic updates and find my full masterlist here :)

dividers as always by the lovely @saradika-graphics 🤍

You don’t feel like you’ve slept at all, but after hours of tossing and turning in the darkness of your bedroom, you think it’s probably time to get up. 

You’re halfway convinced that last night’s events were a product of your imagination, that your mind has felt so lonely that it conjured up the whole scenario. But when you step out of your bedroom and find the door of your parents’ bedroom only halfway closed, the way you have never left it before saying good night to Ellie earlier, you have to come to terms with the fact that this might actually be your reality. 

Ellie seems to be sound asleep, a lump under the covers, softly breathing, but when you head to the living area and switch on one of the smaller lamps, you’re met with the piercing glare of Joel. He’s still lying on the couch, much like you left him, still pale, still dark shadows under his eyes, but he’s much more awake now, his gaze following your every move. 

“Hey,” you say softly, sinking down on the same armchair that you sat in when you watched him last night while Ellie took a shower. You suppress a shudder at the way he regards you, his eyes flicking up and down your body, taking in your size, you presume, searching for weapons. Your gun is tucked into the waistband at the back of your pants, which you’re sure he’s already aware of. You don’t like the way he makes you feel, like somehow you’re intruding on him. You should have the upper hand, this is your home and he’s injured, you helped him for crying out loud, and here you are, nervously watching his every move. You did the right thing. It’s gonna be fine. 

“Where’s Ellie?” he asks, ignoring your greeting, his voice gruff. 

“Sleeping,” you reply, nodding your head to the bedroom door. “She’s okay, I promise.” 

Some of the tension seems to release from his body and he slumps back down a little, but the distrust in his expression when he looks at you doesn’t waver. Then again, you’re probably not much different. 

“Look,” you sigh, “I’m not playing some kind of game here. You came into my house, I saw that you needed help, so I helped.” You try to infuse your voice with as much confidence as you can. “Don’t make me regret that, okay?” 

He shrugs, a noncommittal grunt the only verbal answer. It could potentially be interpreted as a thanks, you guess. In a less tense situation, you’d probably grow annoyed by now. Shrugging yourself, you get to your feet and head to the kitchen. Anything to escape the way he’s watching your every movement.

“Hey, do you want coffee?” You don’t really want to offer him any, but you’d feel weird drinking it yourself without asking. 

He pipes up at the question, head turning in your direction, his face the most open that you’ve seen it yet. “You have coffee?” 

“Yeah.” That’s why I’m fucking asking. 

“I– yes.” A breath, a second of him not meeting your eyes. “Thanks.” 

You smile, small, fleetingly, busying yourself with the ground beans and the boiling water, reveling in the smell that slowly spreads throughout the room. It reminds you of happier times, when the world was still normal. 

He has pushed himself into a sitting position, breathing heavily, when you walk over to hand him the steaming cup, still careful to keep your distance. 

After you sit back down, the both of you stay silent for a few minutes. You enjoy the bitter taste on your tongue, the way you slowly feel your energy rising. 

“Does it hurt much?” you ask eventually, gesturing towards his stomach. 

Another grunt, the hint of a head shake. 

“So it does.” He opens his mouth, the protest most likely already on his tongue, and you raise an eyebrow. “I have painkillers, are you sure that you–”

“No.” It comes fast, his voice raised, no room for arguments.

You instinctively flinch back at the unexpected louder sound, the cup shaking in your grip. You set it down on the table in front of you. Have your hands free, just in case.

There’s a hint of regret in his eyes, his free hand slightly raised, palm open. He’s trying to calm you down, you realize. 

“Okay,” you breathe, working hard to keep your voice steady, “no painkillers, got it.” 

“Sorry,” he mutters, his face half hidden, words almost lost behind the cup. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“It’s alright,” you tell him as much as yourself. 

You’ve gotten jumpy, not used to loud sounds anymore, raised voices, not used to humans in general, you suppose. You hadn’t fully realized it until now, until there’s other humans around you again.

“Thank you,” he continues unexpectedly, “not just for the coffee, but– you know.” He’s struggling, the words not coming easily, but you think that he’s being earnest. “Patching me up.”

“Of course.” You nod hastily, your heart still beating a little too fast. 

Another moment passes in silence, both of you slowly sipping the coffee. He’s looking around, taking in his surroundings, eyes lingering on the closed wooden doors and the stairs leading up. You try not to get nervous about it. It’s normal that he would want to know more about where he is, after all. 

“This is the basement, right? Is it safe?” 

“Yeah,” you breathe. “No way to get in from outside.” As long as you stay inside, you’re safe.

He hums, appreciatively, you think.

“How long have you been living here?” 

“Always. It’s my parents’ house. I mean–” you laugh, but it comes out hollow, “we lived upstairs, obviously. But my dad was… kinda crazy. Or– not that crazy, I guess, all things considered.” Your lips curl into a wry smile. 

Your mind flashes back to long lectures about survival techniques, learning how to shoot, your father going on and on about first aid, hunting, all the things that you couldn’t have cared less about as a teenage girl, but were ingrained in your brain nonetheless. You’re grateful, now, but it’s laced with guilt about how often you snapped at your father, how often you told him he was paranoid, seeing dangers that weren’t there, that he was wasting your time. You couldn’t have known, the rational part of you argues. But you can never take it back now, the guilt whispers. 

When you look up, Joel’s eyes are on you, eyebrows raised in question. You shake your head, trying to clear it. Stay in the present.

“Sorry, what did you–?” 

Worry is painting his expression. “Are you okay?” 

Don’t show weakness. “Yeah, of course. Just spaced out for a second.” 

You force a smile onto your face and stand up rather abruptly, gathering both cups and putting them into the sink. Joel hasn’t moved, but you feel his eyes on you as you move. 

“Do you, um, do you want to shower, maybe? Or just wash up, I don’t know, how–” You gesture towards the dried bloodstain on his flannel, forcefully keeping your tone light. “I have clean clothes, too, if you want.” 

A shiver runs through you at the thought of going through your dad’s things, of someone else wearing them. He doesn’t need them anymore. He’s not coming back. 

You know that you’ve gone silent for too long again even before you see Joel’s expression. He doesn’t ask this time, but there’s something in his eyes that you can’t place, something that almost looks like understanding. 

“Yeah, I guess cleaning up a bit would be nice. I– thank you. Again” 

His voice is gruff and he avoids your eyes. You think that he doesn’t like it, having to thank you. Owing you. 

Giving him a nod, you head to the bedroom, hoping not to disturb Ellie, but she’s awake already, her eyes glinting in the light that’s falling into the dark room from the living area. You clench your jaw, heading for one of the drawers, trying hard not to think about what you’re doing. It’s not like he ever wore this stuff, it was just sitting down here. It’s fine, you’re fine. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not about you,” Ellie says quietly from beside you, breaking through your racing thoughts. 

You turn towards her, confusion on your face. “What is?”

“Joel,” she shrugs, still keeping her voice low. “He’s like that with everyone. He’s a bit of an asshole, really.” She sounds fond, saying it, like it’s an endearing character trait. 

A surprised laugh escapes you. “I– okay, thanks, I guess.” 

She waves it away, swinging her feet out of the bed. “No, thank you for not murdering me in my sleep.” 

“Yeah, likewise.” You shake your head, still laughing to yourself. It’s so easy to like the girl, to feel like you already know her. 

You hand Joel a pile of clothes, purposefully avoiding to look at them too closely, explain where the towels are and he grumbles his approval before the bathroom door closes behind him. 

You release a breath and close your eyes for a second. You are undeniably warming up to Ellie, finding it almost impossible not to, but her companion is a different story. 

“Hey, do you drink coffee?” you ask in the direction of the bedroom. 

“Ew, no!” comes her reply as she steps out of the door, collecting the wild mess of hair on the top of her head and securing it in a ponytail.

Her offense at the mere suggestion makes you chuckle under your breath as you busy yourself with preparing breakfast in the form of porridge instead. She’s leaning against the doorframe, watching you, her eyes wide as she takes in the cupboards full of supplies. 

You’re glad that you don’t need anything from the storeroom, keeping that door in the corner firmly closed. You want to trust her, want to trust them, but a feeling of unease still lingers at the thought of letting them know just how much you have.

Instead, you voice another question, a thought that fills you with unease as well. 

“Hey,” you begin, keeping your eyes trained on the stove, “I’m sorry, but you and Joel, there– there isn’t anything weird going on, is there?” 

“Like what?” She sounds slightly defensive, but when you steal a glance at her, she’s eyeing you with curiosity. 

“I don’t know, like…” You shrug, stirring the mixture of water and oats, “you want to be here, he’s not forcing you to come with him or anything, right?” 

“No, don’t worry about that,” comes her reply, almost amused. It was a bit of a stupid question, when you think about it, considering how worried she was about him last night, how protective. 

“Okay,” you smile at her. You’re curious nonetheless, how they ended up together and where they’re headed, but it’s probably not really your place to ask. 

You divide the porridge into three bowls and hand her one, while you carry yours and one for Joel back to the living area and set them down on the wooden table. 

Ellie starts shoveling the food down immediately and you’re left wondering once more what happened to them and when they last ate something. 

“So…” Ellie begins, her mouth still half full, “you’re just down here with all this food? Because your dad stored it here, before… things went to shit?” 

You can’t blame her for her curiosity, you’re aware that you’ve probably found yourself in a better living situation than most people. Your thoughts go to the storeroom again, basically stuffed with enough supplies to last you multiple lifetimes, especially now that it’s just… No.

You hum in affirmation, not trusting your voice and you’re thankful that she’s too distracted by her breakfast to notice anything weird about your reaction. 

“So you don’t go out hunting or anything?” comes her next question. You freeze. 

You did go hunting, back when you cared about variance in the meals you prepared, about using fresh ingredients when you could. Until there was no need for that any more. 

You realize that Ellie is saying your name, not for the first time, judging from the look on her face. 

“Sorry,” you mumble, your hands tightening around the bowl. “No, I- I don’t go hunting.”

If she finds the situation weird, she shrugs it off impressively fast. 

She nods to herself, eating quietly for a minute, before she speaks up again. “So what do you… do? Down here all day?” 

“Uh…” What is it that you do all day? Time has been blurring together, days without anything happening repeating on a constant loop. You realize that you don’t remember, can’t talk of any activities that are part of your day. How long has it been like this?

You’re relieved from having to answer by Joel emerging from the bathroom, his face pale and his breaths going heavy. He has put on the sweatpants you gave him, but his torso is bare, the skin around the injury still an angry red. 

He sinks back down into the cushions with a heavy sigh and you quickly get to work, cleaning the wound once more and giving him more antibiotics before you redo the bandages and hope for the best. Your hands don’t shake as badly as they did last night. 

Ellie gets him some water and pushes his bowl of porridge into his hands, urging him to eat, before she turns to you. She’s trying to be strong, to hide her worry, but the pleading look in her eyes when she asks you if he’s gonna be okay tells a different story. 

“Of course,” you say, giving her what you hope to be a reassuring smile. 

Joel does look better after he’s eaten something, but his eyelids are drooping and after a few more minutes, his eyes close and his breath evens out. You do the dishes and check the cameras, calming down a bit more when you’re sure that everything seems to be quiet upstairs. 

When you return to the living area, Ellie is rummaging through her pack, muttering to herself, until she pulls a book out of, proudly turning the cover for you to read it. No pun intended - Volume Too.

She starts reading them to you while you settle back down with a second cup of coffee and you share her laughs, enjoying the way it makes her look lighter, allows her to be a kid who can laugh at stupid jokes. You ignore the sting it causes in your chest because you once knew someone who would have loved this book just as much as Ellie does.

thank you for reading 🤍 if you liked this, please consider reblogging, leaving a comment or sending an ask, it truly makes my day every single time!

[sohyxn]

SLIPPED AWAY⠀───⠀HUH YUNJIN.

TAGS : REQUESTED, fluff, angst, yunjin is confused w her feelings, yunjin is too late, reader is part of le sserafim, 02 liner reader.

PAIRINGS : yunjin x fem reader, kazuha x fem reader.

REQ BY ANON : yunjin losing yn to another le sserafim member

NOTES : sorry it took so long anon, pls forgive me i was occupied w exams + writer block got me 💔 also this is kinda shitty tho, i'm so sorry in advance 🤕

it was another day of intense rehearsals for the girls. yunjin couldn't help but steal glances at le sserafim's main dancer, y/n as they performed practice together at the practice room. yunjin's heart skipped a beat at the sight of y/n's radiant smile every time.

the latter has no idea why her heart did that every time she glanced at the younger — or is it because she has feelings with her?

"no, it can't be." yunjin whispers. "what can't be?" a voice appears. yunjin broke out of her thoughts and searched for the source of the voice and she found y/n who's staring at her with a curious look. "huh?"

"-yunjin" y/n continues with a giggle following after. "you get it? huh? yunjin!"

and there, it happened again. yunjin's heart skipped a beat hearing the sound of laughter coming from y/n. again yunjin wondered why she felt like this.

"unnie." y/n said softly. "are you okay? is there something on your mind? you keep staring at the distance. you know you can tell me anything right?" the latter continued.

yunjin feels her heart race at the younger affection. "i'm okay y/n. just feeling tired." yunjin said softly. "hmm if you say so." y/n hummed even though she knows the latter is lying. "i'm gonna go to kazuha unnie. tell me if you need anything okay?" yunjin hummed in response.

yunjin watched as y/n strolled towards kazuha and back hugged the latter. yunjin felt her heart dropped at the sight. these past few months, y/n have been annoyingly close towards kazuha. not like it's a problem but for some reason yunjin do not like it — whenever kazuha makes you laugh, the way you cling to kazuha's side and the way you always cuddle with kazuha during movie night.

and there she thought, "do i have feelings towards y/n?" it hit her like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless and confused.

during a short break, as the girls gathered in the dressing room, yunjin found herself lost in her thoughts. the sound of laughter and chatter faded into the background as her mind replayed their moments together. the way y/n's eyes sparkled when she spoke, the warmth of her touch during group hugs, the way her voice resonated through yunjin's soul during their performances — it all became clear to her.

yunjin's heart raced as she tried to come to terms with her newfound emotions. she knew that confessing her feelings could potentially jeopardize their friendship and the group bonds.

that evening, after rehearsal, yunjin mustered up the courage to seek solace in the comfort of her favorite spot — a secluded bench in a nearby park. the moon hung low in the sky as she sat there, her thoughts consumed by y/n.

"i never expected to feel this way... y/n has become the center of my universe. how did i not realize it before?"

as yunjin pondered her next steps, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"unnie, there you are. i've been looking all over for you."

yunjin's heart skipped a beat as she turned to see y/n standing before her, concern etched on her face.

"y/n, can i ask you something?"

y/n sat down beside yunjin, her eyes filled with curiosity and genuine care. "of course, unnie. you know you can ask me anything." y/n replied.

taking a deep breath, yunjin gazed into y/n's eyes, her voice trembling but determined. "how do you know if you like someone?"

y/n's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and confusion crossing her face.

"oh well, for me, if i like someone, I can't stop thinking about that person and how i want them to be mine. also my heart will beat so fast whenever i'm with them and spending time with them is something that i'm looking forward to every day."

yunjin nodded. "why do you ask unnie? do you like someone?" with curiosity y/n ask. "yeah, there's someone that i like, a lot." yunjin said while staring at y/n with loving eyes.

"and you, how about you y/n?" yunjin asked. "yeah i do have someone that i like." y/n said with a blush on her cheeks. "ooh, and who is that lucky person?" yunjin teased.

"well, sorry unnie that's a secret!

yunjin laughed at the younger antics but soon replied with a question "do you think i should confess?"

"of course unnie, what if they like you back? wouldn't that be great!" yunjin hummed. "maybe i will, thanks y/n."

"you're welcome unnie." y/n said and gave the older a warm hug. "i'm gonna go back to practice. don't stay here too long unnie!" y/n said to remind yunjin.

a few days have passed and yunjin still hasn't confessed her feelings towards y/n. the fear of rejection has been consuming her mind. "what if the person that y/n likes is someone else?"

but today is different, today is the day huh yunjin gonna do it.

the rain poured relentlessly as yunjin stood at the doorstep of y/n's house. hybe give the group holidays break after finishing their latest comeback promotion.

yunjin knocked on the door of the house and her voice quivered as she spoke, her words laced with softness. "y/n, i... i need to tell you something. please hear me out."

the door opened and y/n's eyes met yunjin's, filled with a mix of surprise and apprehension. "yunjin unnie? what are you doing here? it's raining? let's go inside first."

yunjin bit her lip, as she sat on the couch. "here." y/n gave the older a towel to wipe the wet rains off her soak body.

"so... unnie, what's the important thing you need to tell me until you need to soak yourself in the rain?" y/n asked.

yunjin can hear her heart pounding in her chest "remember when we had a conversation about confessing my feelings to the person i like? well actually the person i like is—"

"babe?" yunjin whipped her head to the source of the voice and was surprised to see kazuha.

"babe? what do you mean by babe zuha? w..what is going on?"yunjin said while looking back and forth between kazuha and y/n.

"unnie." y/n audibly called. "zuha and i, we are seeing each other."

"i know we should've told you and the others and i swear we're going to do it after our break ends." kazuha continued.

tears welled up in yunjin's eyes as the weight of her unrequited love crashed down upon her. "i..i don't know what to say — but i'm happy for you guys and i'm not going to tell the others, i promise." y/n reached out, their voice filled with appreciation. "unnie, thank you so much."

"now about our conversation earlier—what about the person you like?" y/n ask as kazuha leave to give them some space. "oh, nothing. it just—i found out that she likes someone else and well" yunjin's voice trembled, her pain evident.

y/n's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her voice filled with sadness. "oh unnie." she reached out to hug yunjin and she whispered softly in the latter ear "i'm so sorry unnie, i know it hurts but i promise you will someone's that will love you the same."

yunjin nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "i know, y/n. i just... i love her so much. if only i can turn back time to confess earlier."

as the rain continued to pour, y/n comfort yunjin as the older sobs on her shoulder in silence, her heart heavy with the weight of her shattered heart. the echoes of what y/n and her could have been lingered in the air, haunting yunjin.

"do you feel better now?" y/n pulled away, her voice filled with concern. yunjin forced a weak smile, tears streaming down her cheeks. "i am, thank you, y/n. I'll try my best to move forward, even if it feels like my heart is breaking."

her heart ached with regret and longing, knowing that she had realized her feelings for y/n far too late. she had finally mustered the courage to confess her love, only to find y/n in the arms of her best friend, kazuha.

with a final glance, yunjin eyes filled with unspoken pain as yunjin parted ways. the rain continued to fall, washing away the remnants of what could have been, leaving behind only the fading echoes of a love that was never meant to be.

[flightfoot]

i think you rec fics if i'm wrong i'm so sorry. any fluffy fics with all 4 lovesquare sides? - though just ladynoir/adrienette would work too.

Yep I give those recs! This is actually one of the tricker cases, because on the one hand there's a lot of them and on the other hand they're interwoven with a lot of other things and often don't have specific tags to search with, so I'll see what I can do. I'm mostly just looking for fluff fics that have more than one side of the Lovesquare represented.

I Put A Spell On You by dazaimaru

Friday, October 25. 6 days until Halloween. It’s their first high school Halloween dance, and Marinette and Adrien are ready to throw on some non-superhero costumes for once--that is, until an akumatized witch spoils the party and threatens to reveal what lies underneath everyone’s disguise. With Hawkmoth taking full advantage of the spooky season, the days leading up to Halloween are certainly going to be thrilling! Especially considering Marinette’s growing feelings for a certain black cat…

---

Fate, Destiny... A Hamster by @mostmagical

After finally moving into his very first apartment per Ladybug’s suggestion, Adrien stumbles upon something no movie or TV show could have ever prepared him for: someone else's hamster. At least now there’s an excuse to talk to the new neighbor. (Adrinette Never Met AU)

---

Villainous Matchmaking by @nedjsmlfavs

When Chat Noir is tragically unable to attend an event with Ladybug, the mayor calls in a favor from a designer ‘friend’. Now she’s attending in style, on the arm of the hottest male model in Paris. Which would be fine if it weren’t for one, tiny issue: Paris’ favorite domestic terrorist now knows how Ladybug feels about his son. This leads him to his greatest plan yet, using Ladybug’s extremely obvious crush on Adrien Agreste to akumatize Chat Noir. A Ladrien/“platonic” Ladynoir fic

---

Painted Canvas by @wehadabondingmoment

And then, Adrien would send her a selfie, acting as if he was some secret agent trying to not get caught and he was so ridiculous that Marinette’s heart ached at the thought of being away from him. Hushed phone calls, his voice sounding like honey; in moments like these, she wasn’t Ladybug, only a teenage girl drunk on love. Or: Adrien and Marinette are soulmates and it still takes them years until they finally meet. Also fencing.

---

Professeure (of your love) by @mostmagical

“We should do it.” Her voice came out in a screech. “What?” “Just a fake wedding at graduation,” he said, like it wasn’t completely crazy. . . After ages of letting Paris believe their beloved superheroes are married and in love, Marinette's superhero partner turned fellow teacher wants to apply the same logic to their civilian lives and put on a fake wedding for their students. Only problem is, for Marinette, the being in love part is very much not an act.

---

From School Bells to Wedding Bells by @linnieluna

When the superhero duo takes on another exhausting fight against an akuma, Chat Noir does what he never hesitates to do and takes a hit for his partner. The problem being: neither of them knew what power the akuma possessed. That is... until he is transported into the future. More specifically, to his friend Marinette's wedding.

---

The Power of Love by @nedjsmlfavs

In which Ladybug announces that she’s pregnant via her long term boyfriend and Chat Noir is a supportive partner. After all, he can hardly be upset when he’s been dating his Princess for years! A different take on the show’s tagline (“The Power of Love Always so Strong”) written for Valentine’s day 2023.

---

The Rules of Engagement by underworkedoverwhelmed

When tragedy sends Adrien Agreste racing back to Paris to run his father’s fashion house, Marinette doesn’t expect much from her very new, very rich boss. At least not until she is set up on a blind date with a very familiar face. Much to her surprise, Adrien Agreste was hiding far more secrets behind his stoic business-like mask of temporary CEO. Maybe as many secrets as she had been trying to hide for years. As they grow closer, Marinette fears her mask isn’t nearly as foolproof. Day after day, it gets harder for her to keep all her secrets well hidden from the surprisingly sweet man who insisted on staying by her side as often as possible. Only she couldn’t afford to fail. Not when her biggest secret could spell the end of the job she’d dreamed about for years.

---

Dreams of You by @chocoluckchipz

Dreams had long been his only escape. Dreams of Ladybug, the girl who had always been there for him. If only in his dreams. And only while she was also sleeping. Because with the first rays of sunshine gliding over her skin, with the first fluttering of her eyelashes, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, memories of Adrien would vanish from her mind. She would go on living her life. He would always be the only one who remembered. At least until they meet in the real world and fall in love all over again, something that would’ve been easier to do if Adrien wasn't a prisoner in his own home.

---

Tell Me Why You Love Me by @linnieluna

“Anyway, that piece of paper contains the name of this texting app. It’s completely anonymous, so you can download it, make your account with no attachments to your personal life, and communicate with me outside our suits. I included my username on the paper, too, so you can add me once you’re done." Her partner skimmed through the words on the paper and nodded his head. “Brilliant as always, M’lady. I’m surprised we didn’t figure this out sooner within our superhero careers.” “Yeah, it would’ve been nice to have this before, but hey, better late than never. Make sure not to have your phone screen on the messages if you’re going to leave it somewhere. We don’t want anyone reading our texts. Also, this is for emergencies only. No jokes or puns. I can only deal with you for so long.” “I don’t know if I can agree to that last one,” he said. Now 22 and working full-time, Marinette and Adrien seem to be getting busier and busier, which means fewer opportunities to keep track of akumas and show up on time. With the idea of using a messaging app to communicate with each other without revealing their identities, their lives immediately grew to be easier... until it wasn't.

---

Soul Searching by LiquefiedStars

Marinette was devastated when her soulmate turned out to be Adrien Agreste and not her sweet, loving partner Chat Noir. Despite their misunderstandings, she is willing to give Adrien a chance, even if he doesn’t seem all that interested in her. After all, they are soulmates and the universe says they are meant to be together. A Soulmate AU.

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Love is Blind by @jennagrinsoverml

Tired of all of his potential girlfriends being blinded by his face, his fame and his name, Adrien takes a chance to compete on Love Is Blind: France, where he hopes that dating without seeing each other—or learning each other’s names—will finally help him to be lucky in love. What will he do when he realizes that his Lady is one of the contestants, however? And will he be able to win her heart where he’s never succeeded before? Meanwhile, Marinette is looking to meet the right guy after years of pining away for someone who has only ever seen her as a friend. She’s not entirely sure if she can fall in love with someone without seeing them, but the things that have always mattered to her most are the kinds of things that can’t be seen. What will she do when she realizes her heart is being pulled in two directions? And will she be ready to make a decision in time?

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Over and Over by stcrsquad

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has had the worst day possible. She's failed to confess to Adrien (again), made an embarrassment of herself, and got into a fight with Chat Noir. Adrien Agreste has had the worst day possible. He is tired of being pushed aside by everyone, including his crime-fighting partner Ladybug. Luckily, fate (and Bunnyx) works in mysterious ways because they wake up again on the same day. A do-over. Except it keeps happening. Can the two figure out what they need to fix to break the loop, or will they be stuck forever?

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Graine de toi by MireilleTanaka

Ladybug and Chat Noir think they’re close, until they begin waking up in one another’s skin. AU: Adrien is homeschooled, and he and Marinette have never met. Written for Adrinette April 2020, Day 17: Life Swap. The one prompt snowballed into a multi-chapter fic. Loosely inspired by Your Name (Kimi no na wa), but no need to have watched it to read, since there's no actual plot connection except the premise of swapping lives.

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Knight in Shining Amour by Cakedecorator

Marinette is the daughter of the castle bakers, and she herself is the royal seamstress. She lives her life making clothes, helping her parents, and generally living a simple life. However, she also laments the loss of her childhood friendship with Prince Adrien, and remembers the promise they made when they were five years old. Resigning herself to the reality that she would never be able to marry the prince, and assuming he'd forgotten their promise, Marinette tries to live her life without letting loss get to her. However, her love story begins a new chapter when she's approached by Cat Noir, a debonair new knight in the castle.

---

Evergreen by tanyatakaishi

Everything was gone. The entire cityscape had been obliterated, leaving them in a valley of trees. Blue mountains, peaks dressed in snow, stretched tall in the distance and at their foot lay an array of vineyards, miles wide with no civilization in sight. AKA: two heroes lost alone in the woods with no cheese.

---

Someone to Watch Over Me by @dfcfanfics

Adrien is used to his father taking him for granted and treating him poorly, especially since his mother's disappearance... but it's never been anywhere _near_ this bad before. Between that and trouble at school, his life is in quite the downward spiral. He's been putting on a brave face, but he's struggling... and his friends are starting to notice. One special friend in particular. Marinette is determined to help him, any way that she can -- with _and_ without her mask. But when Akumas fly towards Adrien, he soon finds himself more deeply entwined in Marinette's life AND Ladybug's private life than he'd ever imagined. Can Adrien possibly decide between the two angels who are making his life worth living again? Can Marinette process Adrien's crush on Ladybug AND his growing feelings for her? And can Gabriel stop laughing long enough to launch his master plan? A fluffy DFC - buggachat Ladrienette jam. 10/15: Our story is now complete with the posting of Chapter 24, the epilogue. Thank you so much for reading, as always.

[elviraaxen]

im new here, so im sorry if this is a question youve answered before but tumblr's search bar failed me in finding this to be previous answered but.. uhmmm

c... can we make ocs/personas for Felt World? or would you rather we not or we hold off until further in?? bc i would love to make a puppet give our cowboy a smooch before he is, i assume bc he is a fucking catch and a half, taken off the market in canon lol i assume he wont still be single by the end. im a tad bit too embarrassed to ever post such drawings, but i wanted to know in case i ever did become brave enough to make them public if such you would be welcome to be tagged in or if that would make you feel uncomfortable

and also, for that purpose: as someone with disabilities, im really curious how disabilities are translated into Felt World? obviously not all of them, that'd take forever. but i was curious if they use mobility aids just like ours or if they use ones we could not have (an example of what i mean could be like "seal-chairs" in "Witch Hat Atelier"? they are chairs with hooves that run and jump, as opposed to wheels). and i know you said music is really powerful in this world, in both singing and instruments, but i wanted to also ask how in a world with so much focus on sound are the deaf/hard of hearing accomadated? deaf/HoH people can still play instruments, obviously (the most famous example being Beethoven), but i meant other than that

(also, if i recall accurately you once said that "the puppets have to speak to be considered sentient beings"? i was wondering if in the future could that be amended to "have to be able to communicate"? because i assume nonverbal puppets would still exist, as well as puppets who just dont speak much (whether thats a facet of deafness or nonspeaking shutdown or just a quiet personality). or would that break Felt World's world-building's logic in some way? that's a genuine question. i wasnt sure how to word it in a way that would minimize the risk of one being put on their back-foot, but i tried my best, it really is a genuine question)

(also, because i never like to assume fluency in disability-knowledge: if you need a resource on media portrayals of disability at any point, i highly recommend the youtuber, Oakwyrm. they do a lot of really cool analysis videos on disability. i do apologize if i am overstepping, and you are already largely fluent in disabled portrayals in media and/or already aware of Oakwyrm's existence. i just like to shout at least one resource out because i know many people have no idea where to look to learn more about general disability representation advice and whatnot. you do not have to watch their videos if you do not want to ♡)

also a bit of a tangent, idk if this is just a "for now" aspect of Donna due to her adjusting or if this is a core pillar of her personality but... just, thank you for making a feminine character who cries a lot and is emotional with Big Feelings. ive always felt more connected to the Dorthy Gales, Cinderellas, Clarisse de Cagliostros kind of heroines who are a bit of a "damsel in distress" (tho i do think that term reduces a lot of their agency and bravery) and i feel a bit lonely that we dont see many emotional-vitality-driven heroines who need some help as much as badass heroines or sassy heroines, both of whom are fully capable of getting shit sone alone. makes my cry-baby disabled ass feel a little pathetic (im very physically weak because of my chronic health issues, and am the type of Autistic ADHDer who is very sensitive to getting big feelings), even tho i know those types of heroines are valid and needed. i resonate a lot with AJR's lyric about "But I'm weak. And what's wrong with that?" even though i know im taking it out of context

and im sure Donna will prove herself capable of being on her own and having her own agency, same as all the heroines ive listed, i dont assume she will be stagnant, but i just wanted to really thank you for making a character that i relate to. i dont get that often. it makes me feel a bit abnormal and strange, and i mean moreso than the "well youre neurodivergent and sickly" kind of abnormal that would be implied. like. Weird Kid sitting alone at lunch kind of strange. so its really cool to see Donna and feel less lonely, is what im saying. i wish there were more heroines like her for people like me nowadays, rather than the archetype being reduced to "archiac stereotypes" (which i both do and dont understand the logic of. it depends on context and the example given) and therefore shelving a type of heroine we dont see in a lot of contemporary media (in exchange for a heroine we didnt get to see often (if at all) in past media, the sassy and badass ones, i do get it, and im glad theyre being used more as they should have always been. there are a select few of both camps that feel like "women have to be as stereotypically masculine as possible to be worthy of being called 'a strong character'" when i think strong characters have less to do with personality and more to do with "do they direct the narrative's plot? do they have agency?". but i could be wrong about that and i am getting off-topic)

but yeah. just. overall: thank you for introducing Donna to be like she is. it means a lot to me to see a heroine like her in contemporary media. im really excited to see what youll do next ♡ but yeah, i know im babbling a lot here and you dont need to reply to this half, i just really wanted to stress my thanks and WHY you have my thanks ♡♡♡ i really appreciate having Donna sit at my metaphorical lunch-table with me, even if she has to go sit somewhere else later. its been really nice to be beside her

thank you ♡

ps. i wasnt sure how to format this Ask because i know some people like to have each section have their own Ask for compartmentalizing/tag-organization reasons, but others like it all to be together so they know its all from one person as opposed to the anxiety of "ahh why did i get so many Asks all at once, did i do something wrong, do people hate me-- oh. its fine. i went through that rollercoaster for nothing. dear lord, am i drained now". so i tend to rather assume the latter, just in case; but do feel free to screenshot and section these out into their own posts if you are the former, i wont mind if youd rather do that ♡ have a nice day!!

Oh my goodness what a long message!!! 0.0!!

I had to take a few hours to think about everything to make sure I answered everything. But I should start off by showing my gratitude for the amount of time and effort you put into formulating this! So thank you, this was a really cool ask to receive <3

As for OCs, absolutely you can! I've already had a few who've made theirs, and I have no rules at all when it comes to shipping or self inserts or anything, as long as everyone is being respectful towards each other ^^

As for the disability aspect, I have a few key points that I want to explore in regards to especially deafness and muteness (is it called that? muteness?), but that's further along the story and will be introduced later! Also how song vs instruments work in this world is a part of the lore itself that'll be explained further down the line too, so no need to worry about our fellow mute or deaf/hoh peeps!

I have of course thought about mobility aids and other disability accommodations (because they can be born with defect, illnesses, and be injured pretty much like us, their bodies are a bit more fantastical but there are still rules) but i must admit didn't think further other than to give them similar mobility aids that we use. But clearly it would make more sense to make something more fantastical! I'll give it a thought! That's probably gonna be a fun design exercise ^^

I'm not sure if I can answer the entire ask in a way that does it justice, it's quite frankly the coolest message I've gotten, I'm gonna try and not let it get to my head (lol),

but i'm so glad you and seemingly many others seem to like Donna and appreciate her specifically for being sensitive and reacting strongly. It shouldn't be but it's really daunting to write female leads because as we know people just don't like women in media generally, but I eventually just got over it because I realized I was starting to write a character that demanded the audience cared and respected, rather than showing a story that I had fun telling, in a world worth exploring.

And not to spoil but I've already decided I do not want Donna to go through an arc where she's forced to abandon her emotions or go through something physically traumatic in order to "become tough" to be respected, that's not only overdone but lame and harmful wish fulfillment. So no worries in that department!

But anyways, I don't think I can properly say how appreciative I am of this ask!!! It really warms my heart that you and other people are going out of your way to send me asks about my little story that I came up with on a whim!!! It's truly the best compliment as a creator.

<3

[softpine]

@bb-enablefreebuild it's true, but asa says it himself, "I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I have everything a person could want and a better family than some could ever imagine - but it’s not enough for me. I don’t know why. I want to be happy, but I don’t know how." it was important for me to include that part in there, because that has nothing to do with finn – well, only a little bit in that he knows he can come across as ungrateful given that his family is incredibly supportive and some people's families, like finn's, are the opposite. otherwise, this is entirely centered around asa's internal feelings. he's had depression nearly his entire life, it's just that when finn is around he's able to find reasons to take care of himself (going outside for long walks, sleeping regularly, paying attention in class because finn tells him to, taking his meds, etc.) and without finn there to ground him, asa is falling apart for more reasons than one. so yes it's the heartbreak of losing your first love, but it's more than that for him. it's losing the primary reason for living in the moment and looking forward to the future :(

he will be soooooooo pissed :( we'll have to wait and see if asa tells him the truth (or the full truth) about how he got to this point... especially after everything asa said in this post; he KNOWS finn wouldn't approve of any of his actions thus far, but he keeps digging his grave deeper and deeper because he's already gone too far, he's already broken finn's trust and he can't leave things like this now :(

that tag is so funny, i wasn't even referring to myself in Sim God terms i was just mad at him as if i'm a powerless reader like the rest of you jfkjsds and YEAH poor casper :( he'll come up in one of the next posts so i don't want to say too much, but the fact that his worst fear is missing out on something important while he's away, to the extent that he's calling constantly to check on his family is so..... :(

bro yes 🤭

thank you for sharing!! that makes complete sense to me and that's a really sweet way to incorporate your mom in that decision 🥺

RIGHT he needs the sense knocked into him fr

@forgotten-pixels ahhhh i love this question, i was JUST thinking about mac while i was making vegan chili mac the other day fjkjsds i'm actually going to save this in my inbox and take some pictures for you when i have the energy because i miss mac and honey too :') they're always hanging out in the same room while i'm taking screenshots, they just NEVER make it into any good pics. it's actually a curse i swear

i honestly have no idea, i'm sorry 😭 it'll probably be awhile though, i haven't been doing great tbh but i want the next post to look as good as it does in my head so i don't want to half ass it!!

@itsalwaysgonnabeher oh you caught that huh sjfkjsds don't worry (yet) 💖

@little-orphan-ant I'M SORRY 😭 i'm thinking brandi wtf at all times too lmao

omg okay so i'm saving this message in my inbox for later because i KNOW for a FACT that i listed everyone's favorite candy many years ago but tumblr's search function is so incredibly ass and i don't have the energy to keep searching for it right now but i will find it eventually i promise 🥺 and if not i'll just rewrite it and then when i inevitably find the original post we can compare my answers and see how well i know my characters' tastes fjksjds

absolutely yes i'm afraid 😌

in my head i still have to sound it out sometimes if it's been forever since i've typed her name fjksjds

@rebouks thank you so much 🥺🥺 the same goes to you!!! 💖

@moonfromearth thank you!! it's so sweet you thought of me ;-; 💗

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hopefully you or some of your wonderful followers can help me out with a really odd question: what is the difference between an AU and a crossover fic?

This might sound silly, but I've always assumed that a crossover is something like "Sherlock and John, while solving a case, cross paths with Mulder and Scully who are also trying to solve their mystery, and they join up to work together." vs. an AU is more like "Sherlock and John are solving cases in the X-Files universe" and their characters are like combinations: Sherlock/Mulder and John/Scully. But the characters from X-Files don't actually exist in the fic.

Or even fics that are just a completely new universe altogether, not necessarily based on an already known one (like Sherlock and John are from Las Vegas and Sherlock the always winning poker player is under suspicion from security guard John that he is cheating, and that is how they meet, etc etc) would be considered an AU.

Anyway, that is how I've always filtered on AO3 when searching. But now I've come across a few lately that are tagged AU but when I start reading them, they are more what I consider crossover fics (which aren't my preference, sorry. I just don't care to read about Sherlock and Iron Man working together lol).

Maybe I've missed out on some great fics that were tagged as crossover but were actually AU's? Is my assumption of which one is which completely off base? Other than reading every fic until it's obvious which type of story it is, is there a better way to at least get an idea for filtering purposes?

I don't want to miss out on fantastic fics because I don't really understand what they're about because I've misunderstood all along!

Thank you for any help you or your followers can give! 😁

Hey Nonny!

Alright, so here's how _I_ personally understand it, and I'm probably totally off-piste, but it's how I've always understood and try my best in my sorting of fics. PLEASE note that EVERYTHING BELOW is how I PERSONALLY UNDERSTAND it all.

Generally, there's a VERY thin line between AUs and Crossovers AND it also melts into Fusion fics as well.

Alternate Universes:

Basically, AU (or Alternate Universe, for my newbie lovelies) is the "larger umbrella term" that all fics NOT following canon events have. These can be as simple as a non-canon-compliant fic, but GENERALLY it's understood as stories that take place in different franchises, eras, timelines, professions, species, etc. That's the broader definition. It covers everything, really. It doesn't necessarily mean just other franchises, but it can contain them.

But in terms of "this story with BBC Sherlock Characters takes place during the Avengers" for instance, each character from BBC Sherlock REPLACES a character in the Avengers. They would never ever meet any of the cast of the main Avengers IF they are a replacement character.

So let's say we're adapting the Avengers. For the sake of this example: Sherlock is Tony, John is Captain America, Molly is Black Widow, etc. Now THOSE characters in the Avengers franchise should never show up AS those characters. We are doing one-for-one replacements to put Sherlock Characters into the MCU AS Iron Man, AS Black Widow, AS Captain America. Tony, Natasha, and Steve cannot exist in this universe.

(as an aside though, given the MCU's current state of Variants existing in multiverses, it can be argued that they can exist, but I'm being pedantic... for the sake of this example let's say they don't)

TL:DR; we replace main characters with other main characters, and those main characters from either franchise should never meet. So TECHNICALLY what is labelled for your example is actually correct (Crossovers and AU), and unfortunately the filtering needs to be whittled down more. Filtering by "Alternate Universe" does NOT guarantee no-Crossovers, so you will have to add crossovers as an exclusion in your filtered terms. On AO3, there is a place to select exclusions, so just type in "Crossovers" there, or character names.

Crossovers and Fusions

I'm grouping these two together because my understanding of these two is that they're PRETTY close to each other enough that they do overlap.

Crossovers are stories that characters from one franchise meet and interact with characters from another franchise; no characters are omitted intentionally, and don't replace other characters in a story. For instance, in a Harry Potter AU, the Sherlock gang all go to Hogwarts, and Harry and Co. all exist and continue on with their story, probably interact occasionally, but we're focusing on the Sherlock gang and their exploits rather than Potter people.

Fusion stories, or my understanding of them anyway, is one of two things:

You have characters that replace SOME of the characters but keep OTHER characters from Universe 2 to interact with Universe 1. Let's go back to the Avengers sample; Sherlock (Tony), John (Steve) and Molly (Natasha) meet and interact with Bruce Banner and Clint. Now it's a FUSION of two universes, interacting and existing based on the actions of what our BBC AvengersLock is doing.

A fusion can ALSO be adapting or using a franchise storyline as inspiration for the plotline of what an author is writing, ie. the rules of ONE franchise's universe can be brought into another. So you can have a FUSION of Sherlock and the X-Files by adapting an X-Files episode as inspiration for the story with BBC Sherlock characters, but doesn't necessarily take place in the X-Files Universe, just simply the rules of the X-Files universe apply also to the BBC Sherlock Universe.

======

ALL that said, the gist of what I'm trying to say is this: All Crossovers and Fusions are Alternate Universes, but not all Alternate Universes are Crossovers/Fusions.

I tried my best to simplify everything as best I could, so I hope I helped a bit. And hey, if I'm wrong somewhere, or you want better clarification, feel free, all, to reply or send me another ask :)

Cheers, all <3

[lee-hakhyun]

Hiii i will answer in an ask since using tags would be quite cumbersome.

I want to firstly say that im sorry for assuming your identity. I shouldn't have done that. I'm a little bit sensitive when it comes to this matter since i saw a lot of....pretty mean stuff that people said about otherkinity since i entered the community even when it wasn't necessary bad intentioned, so that why's i immediately jumped to the assuming that you were the same. That's the reason, but not a excuse so I'm sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you or anything like that.

Also, i def wont block you or any mutual over this, especially when yall are very respectful and understanding and especially when in this case it's just more a matter of view towards a recognized issue (man why does this sound so formal.....i hate english). And i hope you didn't took my tags as an attack or anything of sorts, i just wanted to raise an issue that worries me a lot, especially when the majority doesn't even know what otherkinity is or when they do, they mostly brush off/ignore it.

Also, before knowing what otherkin was or the kff movement, i used the term kinning in that way too (especially when it came to kdj). Even nowadays, when i try to regulate my usage of the word "kin", i still think to myself "man im too much of a kdj kinnie blergh" because it's too integrated in my brain from all the jokes/memes. So like. I think it would hypocritical to not clarify that. + you tags were far from incoherent, quite the opposite! I think my tags was messier lol

Thing is i do agree somewhat with your views/opnion and i do agree that 90% of the people use it as way to express their love or understanding or empathy with a character and i think that's amazing. But i also, it doesn't erase the fact that it do help erase and block the voices from community and does nothing to raise awareness, and still perpetuate the harm done to the otherkinity. Especially! Towards fictionkin. Although I'm not fictionkin and i dont speak over their issues, from what i seen in some posts the fact that "kinning" became so popular esp in the context of "kinning" a fictional character, it make it harder to talk about their experiences and only intensify the pre-judgment and steorytyping.

Just because "kinnig" is popular now, it doesn't mean that it has/will be that way forever. Over the years, there were many harmful words that were popular in usage but were dropped off and substituted by other non-harmful words later on and "kinning" can be one of those too. I like to discuss the understanding or empathy one have towards characters and i like how this type of discussion became more popular due to "kinning" and precisely because of that, that i find important for us (as in, people on the internet) to popularize alternative terms, akin to how "generative media" is becoming more used than "AI" in some spaces.

It's true that there is no other popular term, and that precisely why it's even more necessary to use alt terms to describe this understanding one have towards a character.

But like you said, its more a matter of opnion/views more than anything. But again, i think it would be at least the minimum if people outside of the community raised more awareness and gave more voice to otherkin ppl, which i dont see happening. I just came to know what otherkinity is because i remembered the term "voidpunk" from the aro community and when i went to search it on tumblr i saw it being tagged in otherkin posts, rather than a directly seeing the term in a post from the dash or anything like that.

So if people outside of the community use kinning, then at least i hope they also care about the community itself and our opinions, experiences and issues. I hope one day, otherkinity would be more known and accepted rather than remain with the popular knowledge of "identity made up by cringe mentally ill tumblr teenagers, who are northern american/european" (at least for me, as an Brazilian, the last part is really depressing) (I hate being seen as USAian or european. Like. Ewww)

I kinda fear that all this discussion about otherkin language and kff will just be brushed as "silly tumblr discourse made by chronically online ppl" rather than something serious to think and talk about, especially in outside circles. so like. Im sorry if im getting too emotional or anything about that, in this aspect, its less about you or my mutuals as individuals and more about "many, many, many people and society in general are pretty ableist, mean and ignorant when it comes to subcultures like this and i want to more people understand that and try to find an alternative way to describe a pretty positive and funny experience without harming other people".

I guess that as long as it harms people, even in indirect ways, i will still be uncomfortable with the term kinning and i dont think i would be ever or so soon be comfortable in using it the way i used before, but that's on me. At the end of the day, people are free to do what they want, and i respect that freedom, especially when they're understanding/respectful/well-intentionated.

And thats it. Sorry for the long ask ajsbsisjsisj also i struggle with tone so sorry if i seemed too rude or too formal (?). English also doesn't helps lol

oh it's okay i mostly keep this blog to fandom/games i get why you would assume things, especially about this! i don't mind other people having differing opinions/feelings, just that i personally don't mind kinnies (as long as they're respectful ofc) + indulge in the kinnie stuff myself. and you're completely in the right to be uncomfortable with it yourself, i wasn't looking to change your opinion but just express mine ^^ i get that it's a touchy topic for a lot of otherkin, i felt that i had to bring up the otherkin/kinnie distinction in that ask because ignoring to just reply with the kinnie definition would leave people ignorant. better to educate people to the best of my ability than to leave people in the dark.

if i start seeing a big push for new language i'd totally be on board to swap to it.. but unfortunately a lot of the alternatives i see are just never used compared to kinnie/kinning. i believe what's most likely to happen to replace kinnie is not a term created specifically to replace it, but a popular new word that just happens to have the same meaning. maybe some good might finally come from tiktok's easy virality🤷

[kopfkino-o]

The Seer’s Stone - Chapter 4

Summary: Elain Archeron is tired of being the “lovely, sweet gardener” everyone wants her to be. After losing her beloved, her humanity, her life, she’s ready to claim her own path forward with the help of her friends, Nuala and Cerridwen, as she searches far and wide for the mysterious Seer’s Stone: an ancient artifact of old rumored to once belong to an ancient Oracle. But will fate itself step in to stop her? Or will Elain defy the strings of destiny that bind her and forge her own path forward, choosing her own fate, friendships, future, and love, along the way.

Pairing: Elain x Azriel

Timeline: Post-ACOSF

Wordcount: 4244

Taglist:   @downingg2001   @gracie-rosee   @nivem565 ​ // Let me know if you want on (or off) the tag list for future updates! Thank you all for reading <3

Read:

Chapter One | The Crone’s Trade

Chapter Two | The Oracle of Seraphyros

Chapter Three | Last of Our Kind (Azriel)

THE SMUTTY STUFF - A PREVIEW

Author’s Note: I love Nesta. I love Varian. I love Cassian. I love Elain. But I hate, repeat hate, trying to make sense of the Library. Is it inside a big rock? Is it inside a Mountain? What does it look like? How did it all the books get there? Where is the actual entrance? Do the priestesses have to climb down the 10K steps every day? Is there an elevator? What about windows? I NEED MORE INFO! That is all. Sorry for the delay in updates, I’ve been unfortunately doing some rapid fire travel for work this month. 

As always, thanks for reading y’all!

- Court

"What do you think, Elain?"

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. Three stones scattered across an ancient map. Three hiding spots she might find the Seer's Stone, three places where it might have been scattered to the wind. Pythia and her staff, lost forever when Seraphyros burned or simply waiting, hidden and still waiting to be found as well? Nothing made sense, and yet...

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. The Stone singing to her even in her sleep.

“Elain? Are you even listening to me?”

She blinked.

Feyre was staring at her from across the kitchen counter, her younger sister's freckled cheek smudged with flour and her tattooed hands shoved elbow-deep in the mixing bowl set before her, a soft wrinkle furrowing her brow. Elain straightened, face heating with a blush red, and shook the warring thoughts from her head. Shook away the hundreds of questions that still lingered from two nights prior. 

"I'm sorry, Feyre," Elain offered a sheepish smile. "I think I might have fallen asleep on my feet. Again."

Her sister laughed, the sound lovely and light, like the first shimmer of starlight in the evening sky. "If I bore you that much, you could just say that."

"You don't bore me! You never could bore me." Elain insisted. "I'm just tired, that's all."

The lie was smooth and sweet, as she knew the demure look on her face was.

Feyre cocked her head. "Are you sure you don't want Madja to come and pay you a visit? Your headaches have been coming on more and more frequently as of late. I'm starting to worry about you."

"The only thing you need to worry about is that dough of yours. You'll overwork it if you keep pounding at it like it’s your enemy. "

"It is my enemy." Feyre grumbled. "There's a reason why I never cooked back in the cabin, you know."

"You never cooked back in the cabin because you were too busy caring for everyone else.” Elain said, and meant it. “Me, father, Nesta. You kept us all alive, kept us fed. And now, here you are again, caring for us all just the same.”

Feyre looked sidelong to the burnt and blackened loaf of bread still steaming on the open windowsill. “I’m not sure I’d call that ‘caring’ for anyone. ‘Poisoning’ might be a better term.” 

“This next back will be even better. I’m sure of it.” 

Feyre blew a golden-brown curl out of her eyes then reached over to place a tattooed hand atop her own. "You did your part too, Elain." She said softly, blue eyes turning tender. "Father would have never made it through the winters without you and your herbs. I know my poor blistered hands certainly wouldn’t have.” 

A soft ache paned in Elain's chest. Father.

She shoved it down deep.

"We all did our part in our own ways, Feyre," Elain said, voice softening. "Father too."

Her little sister gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. 

"I know," Feyre said softly. "And we'll keep doing our part now, together. For the Night Court, for Velaris. For our family."

Her sister's blue eyes shimmered like two stars in this light, lovely and bright with light and love. Guilt twisted in Elain's gut, black and oily. They'd become so close these last few years, Feyre sharing her home and her life and her love with Elain entirely without condition or hesitation.

And what had she done in return? Lie and lie and lie some more.

Nesta floated into the kitchen then, gray skirts swirling like silver embers in her wake and Cassian close on her heels. 

Both warriors were dressed in their formal attire but still wore swords strapped down the columns of their backs. Nesta's hair, surprisingly, was unbound today, the long golden-brown locks flowing over her bare shoulders. There was a certain glow about her, one of life and health.

"Morning, ladies," Cassian said, a lopsided smile gracing his handsome face as he leaned against the counter beside Feyre. "How's the baking going?"

"Painfully," Feyre grumbled, but the corner of her lips quirked up despite herself.

"Well, it smells fucking great."

The General reached to pluck one of the still-cooling quiches off its cooling rack but Nesta swatted him away, her hard blue eyes silently berating him. Cassian mere shrugged, unbothered, and pressed a kiss to Elain's temple before sneaking a taste of her cinnamon icing anyway. He winked at the sisters, hazel eyes bright in the morning sun, then swaggered from the room, whistling as he went.

"He's insufferable," Nesta muttered.

Feyre and Elain both shared a knowing smile. Their older sister could complain about her mate as much as she wanted, but they all knew the truth: she loved him, and he her. It warmed Elain's heart to see Nesta happy, finally healthy, and mated, Cauldron spare them all.

But it also brought a soft pang of jealousy that twisted in her gut.

"Are the others here?" Feyre asked.

Nesta rested her elbows atop the kitchen counter. "For the most part."

"For the most part?"

"Morrigan hasn't deigned to join us yet and Azriel is unable to make it. Something about a late-night mission, I think. He never came home last night."

Elain's stomach fell somewhere far below her knees at the words but she forced herself to focus on her dish, her fingers absently stirring the icing around and around the mixing bowl. None of that mattered, not anymore. Azriel's business was his own and she had no place sniffing around in it besides. 

Especially not when there were so many other pressing matters at hand.

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court.

"Is everything alright with him?" Feyre asked, brows knitting.

Nestra shrugged, the gesture casual. "You know how he is. He likes his space."

"I know, but he's hardly been around these last few months. It’s almost like he’s actually trying to avoid us."

"Maybe you should ask your mate, then."

Feyre straightened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Nesta said, checking her nails. "Just thought Rhys might have some sort of opinion on the matter, seeing as he is the one giving Az all these new assignments aboard."

"Those assignments are to ensure the safety of this court. You know that, Nesta." Feyre said firmly, blue eyes hard. "I know you and Az are close, and I know you have your own... opinions on the nature of his work, but we need as much intel on our enemies as we can gather. Especially now.” She shook her head, exhaling a long breath. “So if Rhys needs him for a mission, then he needs him. It's simple as that."

Nesta clicked her tongue. "Of course it is."

Elain cleared her throat, interjecting before the conversation could continue any further, partially out of her own selfish desires and partially to avoid a verbal sparring match between her two sisters. "I think everything is just about finished," She announced, forcing a wide smile. "Why don't we get everything out to the table before it gets cold?"

Feyre frowned. "What about my bread?"

"Brave of you to consider that watery mess of flour 'bread'," Nesta said before grabbing a serving plater stuffed full of eggs and sauntering from the room, the silver hilt of Ataraxia flashing as she went.

Feyre’s frown deepened.  

"Is it really that bad? Truly?"

Elain smiled sympathetically at her little sister, unable to admit that Nesta, in fact, was right. The soupy mess in Feyre's mixing bowl was a mess.

"It's not bad," She said gently. "But it could be better. We can start over with your recipe later this afternoon. I'm sure some freshly baked bread would go great with dinner, too."

"Maybe I should just stick to painting." Feyre sighed.

Elain couldn't help but crack a smile. "Maybe."

They shared a laugh and Elain gave Feyre's shoulder a comforting squeeze before they gathered up the rest of the serving platters and plates.

The others were already gathered around the long trestle table in the middle of the Riverhouse’s informal dining room. If the vast space overlooking the sprawling manor gardens and the sparkling Sidra beyond could even be called that. 

Some were already in the unofficially assigned seats while others stood before the wide wall of floor to ceiling windows and chatted, the sound of their lively voices and soft laughter filling the morning air. 

Rhys, Cassian, and Varian were speaking animatedly together near the doorway while Mor, the beauty still dressed in her red silk pajamas and fluffy slippers, was pouring herself a large glass of steaming coffee from a carafe on the sideboard, a sleepy look still painted on her perfect face. Amren was seated at the head of the table, inspecting a plate of fluffy pastries with a critical eye while Nyx dozed peacefully in her slender arms. 

Rhys turned to greet them with a dazzling smile, Elain's brother-in-law the portrait of effortless beauty and grace in his immaculate black tunic and matching jacket. 

"You've outdone yourself again, Elain," He drawled, violet eyes glimmering. "Everything looks, and smells, amazing. A proper feast, if I do say so myself."

Elain offered a humble smile. "Thank you, but I can't take all the credit. Feyre was a great help The perfect sous chef, if I do say so myself."

"Was she now?

"Of course I was," Feyre chimed in, a playful smile tugging at her lips as she rounded the table to join at her mate's side. "I even managed to sneak in a few burnt offerings to keep things interesting."

Rhys pressed a kiss to Feyre's temple. "I’d expect nothing less from you, Feyre darling."

Elain's heart tightened at the sight of them, at Nesta and Cassian leaning into one another as they spoke softly, at the warm smile Varian offered Amren when no one was looking, and the subtle look of admiration the ancient one returned. Even Mor seemed to be glowing with a new sense of contentment and happiness, the beauty apparently smitten with one of Nesta's fellow Valkyries.

Then Elain's eyes fell on the empty seat furthest from the hearth, and the lack of place setting set before it and something inside her withered further.

It doesn't matter, she tried to tell herself.

But it didn't help.

"Shall we sit?" Rhys asked.

The Inner Circle grumbled their approval and, one by one, took up their respective seats around the breakfast table. Elain settled down between Feyre and Mor, her seat directly across from the one that still remained empty. The others took no time in filling their plates, everyone piling their plates high with fried bread and scrambled eggs and black-pepper bacon and roasted potatoes and an assortment of fresh pastries that would have put even the finest bakers in Velaris to shame.

But Elain found herself picking at her food, her appetite suddenly gone. Her attention was elsewhere, her gaze constantly pulled to that empty seat. Where was he? She tried her best not to think of him, of the last words they exchanged on that fateful Solstice night, but sometimes the weight of his absence felt almost tangible. Nesta said he'd never come home last night and Elain couldn't help but wonder, despite her best efforts not to, if it was because he was spending time with someone else.

Someone who wasn’t her. 

A warm hand came down atop her own and Elain was pulled from her thoughts to find the Morrigan staring at her, big brown eyes soft in the early morning light and beautiful face contemplative. "Everything alright?" She asked softly.

"Oh, yes, perfectly fine. Just, tired, that's all."

Mor hummed but didn't press the matter further. Instead, she gently squeezed Elain's hand before returning to her conversation with Cassian and Varian about the latest win Velaris's sports team had secured the night prior.

"Cauldron spare me, it was fucking beautiful," The General was saying. "That last play, Mother's tits, I was certain we were about to lose but then the Keeper made that lovely shot and boom, the game was ours."

"Beautiful indeed." Varian chuckled, the sound lovely and deep. "A shame Lucien wasn't here to see it, he would have been thrilled."

Elain’s blood ran cold at the mention of his name. Lucien. The seventh son of autumn and-- 

A chilling realization clanged through her.  The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. Cauldron spare her, how had she not even considered this. Lucien was a son of Beron, the youngest of his brood. 

Elain blinked and a flash of an image shivered in her mind's eye. 

A sun setting over a fire-red forest, a golden serpent twinning up the frail trunk of a wilting tree, its leaves falling like tears to the forest floor to blanket a rotting fawn in it’s funeral shroud, a bird of flame watching and weeping as it circled high above. 

She blinked again and the strange vision was gone.

Blinked and found Amren staring right at her. 

The ancient one's silver eyes were narrowed, her blood-red lips pursed in a look of consideration. A look a predator saved only for their prey. Elain's skin prickled with goosebumps as a cold shiver ran down her spine. It was as if the female could see into her mind, her very soul.

"I think it's a good thing he's keeping away," Amren drawled, her eyes never straying from Elain's face. "His loyalties clearly no longer lie with us. Let him play mortal with Vassa and Jurian as long as he damn well pleases, his absence means one less liability for us to worry about."

Rhys cleared his throat. "I thought we agreed to no court business this morning."

Amren rolled her eyes but returned to her measly plate of food without complaint, though Elain didn't fail to notice the words Varian softly murmured in her ear, the Prince of Adriata surprisingly tender, given the nature of his lover. Or whatever Amren was to him. No one was brave enough to ever ask and Elain certainly wasn't going to be the first to.

The rest of their family breakfast continued without incident, though Cassian, Nesta, and Mor all managed to slip in a few playful jabs at one another, as they so often did. Elain tried her best to remain engaged, to keep her focus on her family and friends, but her thoughts wandered nonetheless.

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. The empty seat across the table, the lost priestesses of Seraphyros, the seventh son of Autumn.

She needed to speak with Kalla. Needed to formulate an official plan with the twins. Needed to figure out how the hell she was going to pull off her next move without putting any of her friends in danger. Or tipping her sisters off on her secrets. 

Elain knew she couldn't keep her intentions hidden from them forever, but she also knew neither Feyre nor Nesta would react well to what she was attempting to do. Researching a strange artifact and collaborating with a mysterious acolyte from half a world away was one thing, actually setting out to retrieve the fragments of said artifacts was a whole other.

By the time their plates were cleared, Nesta and Cassian had already retired to their room on the Riverhouse's topmost floor and Nyx was dozing peacefully in his mother's arms, Feyre just as seemingly tired as her newborn son, her little sister yawning as she swept quietly up the stairs to lay the infant down for a nap. Varian and Rhys were seemingly content to discuss matters of state alone in the High Lord's office, leaving her alone with only Amren and Mor alone at the dining table. Elain's eyes shifted towards the doorway leading out to the sprawling veranda and her gardens that lie beyond.

She took a deep breath and rose from her seat, smoothing down the skirts of her amethyst dress and offering the two other women a sweet, innocent smile. "Forgive me, ladies, but I've got some gardening in the city I need to attend to," She said, voice a shade softer than she intended it. "But it was great seeing you all. I do hope you'll join us for family dinner."

Mor merely yawned and offered a sleepy farewell. Amren, however, fixed Elain with a withering look that stripped her bare and laid her clean, her strange silver eyes seeing everything and missing nothing.

"Gardening, hm," Amren hummed, her lips pursing ever so slightly. "Do take care not to entangle yourself in any thorns, girl."

Elain forced a pretty little smile. "I always do."

Though the ancient one said nothing more Elain could have sworn her eyes followed her all the way out of the room and onto the streets beyond.

Elain brought a bouquet of irises to the Library as an offering for Clotho. Their sweet scent perfumed the dry, dusty air as she approached the large wooden doors, the whisper-soft petals brushing her fingertips as she held them carefully. She hoped the flowers would be enough.

She pushed open the massive doors of the Library and was immediately greeted by the sight of towering bookshelves rising high up into the gloom, tall and proud and seemingly unending.

Clotho was seated at her usual desk, the high priestess's face concealed beneath her heavy hood, tall stacks of books surrounding her on either side. Elain approached the woman slowly, purposefully, so as not to scare her and made sure each step sounded loudly off the worn marble.

"Hello, Clotho," Elain said gently.

Clotho lifted her head and though her face was entirely concealed beneath the darkness of her heavy hood, Elain could have sworn the priestess offered her a smile. She returned the gesture and gently set her bouquet of flowers atop Clotho's desk.

"For you," She said

A pen and a piece of parchment appeared in the air between them and Clotho's enchanted pen began to move effortlessly across the page. From your garden, Lady Elain?

The title tickled something in her. Lady.

"Yes, from my new greenhouse at Feyre's Riverhouse," Elain replied. "I wanted to thank you for permitting my friend access to the Library, especially so last minute, and I heard you had a soft spot for the color purple."

A beautiful gift, thank you. They shall bring us all a little bit of life down here.

"I do hope Kalla's arrival hasn't... upset the nature of things. The last thing I'd ever want is to cause a burden for you and the other women."

A soft sound that might have almost been a laugh came from beneath Clotho's hood.

Lady Valenholt has been a lively addition to our humble little library and we do not often have the honor of hosting an artificer here in our sacred space. She is welcome to stay and work as long as her research demands.

"Thank you, Clotho. Truly."

The priestess inclined her hooded head and her pen scratched out a new message.

You'll find Kalla in one of the offices on the third floor. And Elain?

"Yes?"

Tread carefully, Lady of Sacred Visions. Nothing is ever as it seems.

A chill ran down Elain's spine at the words, at this new title bestowed on her, but before she had the chance to question it further, before she could even ask, Clotho magicked her enchanted pen away and bowed her head, returning to the pile of work spread before her. Conversation over, then, she supposed. The last thing Elain wanted to do was disrespect the priestess’s request for silence so Elain dropped into a low, elegant curtsey before gathering the skirts of her amethyst and striding for the Library's massive oaken doors.

The dusty smell of old tomes and worn leather and the faint smell of sage immediately struck Elain as she stepped out onto the Library's uppermost floor. She had only come here a few times before, but each time she was immediately struck by the sheer size of the Library and the boundless knowledge stored within its halls. It was a place of quiet reverence, a place that left her bones feeling settled and her mind at ease.

Elain craned her neck as she took in the hundreds upon hundreds of bookshelves occupying the expansive space, some so tall they disappeared into the misty gloom of the cavern above and each stuffed full with every book and scroll and tome imaginable. How many secrets did the Library hold? Certainly far too many for even an immortal to uncover, the collection far too vast to ever be read in full, even over the course of a Fae's long-lived lifetime.

But, perhaps, that was the wicked irony of immortality.

Elain trailed her fingers over the carved banister of the grand staircase as she made her way to the floor below. 

It made sense to her that Nesta had found solace in this place. It was quiet, yes, but it was quiet that resounded with fierce, determined purpose. The Library was knowledge and rule, it was law and absolute understanding, it was a place not for the broken but for the fiercely determined. A place women could come to reclaim their power, reclaim their destinies. The strength of this place leaked from every bookshelf, every feminine whisper, every rustle of turning pages and every sigh of contemplation.

Yes, there was power in this place indeed.  

Elain found Kalla's assigned office on the third floor easily enough. This section of the Library was busier than most, the floor crowded with priestesses gathered around long tables and perched in worn leather chairs, some heavily engrossed in their studies while others were content to gossip in low, hush tones. 

A small group of them were gathered outside one of the office doors, eyes wide as they watched whatever unfolded beyond the doorway, whispering between themselves. Elain gently pushed past, weaving between closely gathered shoulders until she too stood in the doorway and marveled at the sight that lay beyond.

Open books floated midair all around the room, pale white runes and strange shifting marks shimmering above their open pages, both swirling and warping around Kalla Valenholt's lowered head, the artificer seemingly entirely unaware of either the spectacle unfolding above her or the audience gathered at her door. She scratched away in a large tome entirely unbothered, one hand clutching her ink quill, the other raised and surrounded by twinning threads of iridescent gossamer.

"Ah, good, you're finally here. Shut the door on your way in, won't you, Elain?" The artificer said without so much as lifting her head, seemingly entirely unaware of the spectacular unfolding all around her and the crowd gathered at her door.

Or, more like, just simply unbothered.

Elain offered the gathered priestesses an apologetic smile before stepping into the spacious office and pulling the heavy wood door closed behind her. 

The room seemed to hum with wild energy filled with light and wonder. She could feel it pulsing in her bones, crackling in the air and space all around her. A loose leaf of parchment whizzed past, ferried on the wind by the twisting strands of power that danced all through the room. Elain watched in awe as it fluttered up to join the rest of the swirling books and runes, a complex dance she did not understand nor recognize.

"Never seen spellspinning before?"

Elain blinked.

Across the room, Kalla had finally lifted her head from her books and was now watching Elain take in the spectacle with an amused, maybe even smug, look on her pretty face. A pair of oculars were perched on the bridge of her nose and, even at this distance, Elain could see the dark smudges beneath Kalla's green eyes.

Elain shook her head. "No."

"Looks more impressive than it really is. Just about anyone could learn to do it. If they've got the stomach for it, of course." A crooked little grin. "Meditating on the root of spells, on the natural Weave of all magic, is pretty nasty shit."

Elain had no idea what that meant and the look of mischief in Kalla's eyes suggested she was probably better off not knowing anyways. She had enough nasty shit when it came to her own powers to begin with. 

The two of them would need to talk about that later, but first. The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. Three stones atop the map.

Elain ventured deeper into the room, ducking just in time to avoid an oncoming spellbook spearing for her, the pages flying as runes and sigils swirled above it like a maelstrom of knowledge and power. "Dare I ask what it is you're trying to... spin?"

“Nothing, as of right now. That’ll come later, but for now,” A small, wicked smile. “Let’s talk about the Prison.” 

Elain swallowed hard. 

“So you do know of it, then?” 

“Does that surprise you?” 

“No.” Elain tucked a golden-brown curl behind an arched ear. “What of it?” 

“I certainly can’t get in, no matter how hard I, or my spells, might try. You don’t seem like you’d be permitted either.” 

Elain tried not to take offense to the jab. She could do whatever she damn well pleased... well, maybe. 

She folded her arms across her chest. “So what are you suggesting?” 

The smile on Kalla’s face was simply wicked. 

“I hear your court has a shadowsinger.” 

[jacenotjason]

(tw ed; feel free to delete this ask obv)

hi sorry if this is weird and no pressure to answer but I was scrolling through the radford tag and I found this ask about someone's hcs for radford/robert/their little sister's living situation (shitty parents and radford caring for them and all that) that was sent to you. but I saw in the tags you said something about an ed? and ik you have your au class of 31 with radford having one but it kinda looked like you meant robert, too. i may definitely be misreading this though. I just kinda got curious because. like. it sounds interesting haha (/gen). tho i completely get if it's not something you want to talk about!! i just searched your blog to see if you posted for it and it didn't look like anything came up

Oh yeah! I have some hcs (?? If that's even that right term to use here) about Robert having an ed, but they're sort of private? I'd be down to make art or something one day but rn they're kinda... just my little comfort things? I do wanna share them one day idk

As for the class of 31 au, Radford also has one. That wasn't on purpose I swear I'm not just giving this entire family eds lmfao

[grubliinu]

Hello, apologies if this is interrupting your day but i absolutely in love with your writing which is very immersive! I want to write like you. Do you have any recommendations for sources and tips of writing for beginners? Also thank you so much for all the fics. Love them <3

Aaaa oh my gosh this comment just made my day, thank you so much I'm really flattered you think so highly of my writing skills! Sorry it took me a while to reply, I have been busy and wanted to take my time writing a reply. Hopefully, you'll find this useful!

I can't think of any specific sources I have used but my tumblr should have some stuff if you search the ''writing'', writing stuff'' and writing reference'' tags (I think those are the ones I use but man, I really should organize them better lmao) But here are also some other tips I use frequently while writing that I can think from the top of my head:

1) Make a separate document to ''doodle'' on This is a big one for me. I'm not quite sure what kind of writer you are (are you the type to meticulously plan everything before you start writing, or do you go with the flow?) so I don't know how useful this is for you, but I am strictly the former. When I start planning a fic, I make two files – the actual fic, and a separate document that is basically a sketchbook but for writing. There, I write down everything, from ideas to random bits of dialogue that I thought sounded cool and could be used in the future.

Another thing this doodle document is super useful for is creating summaries. Since I write a lot of angst, I often have to write scenes that deal with the character's emotions and inner thoughts. While I like writing that type of stuff, I often struggle to articulate my thoughts and interpretation into something coherent that I can put into words and I have discovered that simply writing a short breakdown essay of every aspect I want to explore in that particular scene. For example, in chapter 4 of Lungs Full of Roses, when Childe destroys the hilichurl camp, in that scene, I wanted to establish how he views his relationship with the tsaritsa and family, as well as reveal how he really feels about Zhongli, so I wrote separate sections for Tsaritsa, Childe's family, and Zhongli, and how Childe feels about them using very simple terms.

I also tend to never erase anything from those documents so that I can revisit an idea in the future. Instead, I just make the font smaller for those parts!

2) Balance between purple prose and ''pragmatic'' (idk what to call it really) This is especially related to your question since this is something that is constantly on my mind as I write – I love using a poetic style of writing full of words that I think sound pretty. However, I personally can't read writing that only consist of that type of purple prose, so I often have to resist the temptation to add more poetic flair to the more mundane parts. But honestly, sometimes you just gotta focus on making the plot move from point A to point B and that's okay! Every sentence doesn't have to be a work of art – in fact, I personally think (or hope in the case of my own writing) that saving the poetics for the more emotional scenes makes them hit even deeper.

3) Use gestures to convey emotions This is like an actual tip from writers but it's also something I try to be aware of when I write. Instead of using something like 'he felt angry', try something like 'he clenched his fist' etc. to convey the anger. The Internet is full of lists of body language and gestures that are created for writers and I recommend checking those out! You can also use metaphors to convey emotions – using the example above, you could write something like ''anger surged through him like a wave''. I like to mix gestures and metaphors.

You can also use the structure of the sentence to convey emotion. For example, if the character is angry, use short sentences. If they're panicking, convey that panic by using a longer sentence that just kinda spirals into panic. (I don't know how to explain so here's an example from Lungs Full of Roses where Childe is both angry and panicking lmao)

[Childe breathed in. Out. He felt trapped, like a giant beast in a small cage, and Archons how he hated it. Hated how his skin crawled with the need for action, hated how his instincts were screaming at him about nonexistent eyes watching his every movement even though he knew that he was alone. A part of him, the part that had been forged by the suffocating mists of the Abyss, itched to destroy his room, no, actually the room wasn't enough – destroy the hotel, the city, the whole goddamn region that prided itself on the fictitious freedom and cloying wine until nothing but ashes remained.] 

As you might have noticed, I wrote ''he felt trapped'' – which is what I just said to avoid. However, I remember thinking that the scene needed something short and simple and I figured that this was the way to go – which goes to show that the rules of writing aren't set in stone and you can absolutely break them if you want (imo the only rule I think everyone should follow is to USE PARAGRAPHS if you write fics, it is really hard to read fics that don't use them)

Annnd that's about what I can currently think of, hopefully, there was something that you find useful! My writing style is something that has been developing for over ten years so it is hard for me to like actually explain it so I'm really sorry this is so disjointed. Again, thank you so much for your kind words, I'm so glad that you sent me this message anon!

[tadpolesonalgae]

Hey Tabby! how's your day going/ if you're reading this at night—how was your day? i hope you had a good one!

i think I saw you mention once that you don't get to read as many fanfics as you'd like to?(sorry if I'm remembering wrong tho🥲) so when you do, do you have preferences in ships or maybe AUs?

but I mainly wanted to ask if there were certain rarepairs(idk if I'm using the right term here, I'm kindof a noob when it comes to fanfic slang🥲even tho I've been reading them for years now) that you enjoy?

I once read a Feyre×Gwyn fic that I really enjoyed even though I'd never thought of the ship before/come across it. and then there were these 2 fics that were Feyre×Lucien that I really liked (but couldn't find more of🥲), which ik might sound kinda weird after acomaf but I think I'd read it right after the first book?? so😶... there are a few more that I can't think of at the moment but do you also have ships that might seem a little odd at first but you personally think have potential or are just a guilty pleasure?

also, what's your favourite ship to read or write about in general? thoughts about TamSand?(sorry if this has already been asked before)

—🫀

Hello hello!!

My back and fingers are aching but I’m good for the most part! I think my cycle is coming up though which I’m not looking forward to—I’ve been having trouble sleep this last week :/

‘i think I saw you mention once that you don't get to read as many fanfics as you'd like to?(sorry if I'm remembering wrong tho🥲) so when you do, do you have preferences in ships or maybe AUs?’

That was me, yes 🫠

So on the rare occasions I have the time and inclination to read fanfics, it’ll usually be by someone I trust? If that makes sense 😭 If I’m reading to relax, I want to know the writing will be good and the story will be enjoyable, so I’ll stick to people I trust for that. But if I have time and I’m interested in having a nose about, I’ll usually be more interested in female characters rather than the male ones (since, well, you know👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩🤭) I’ll also read some female character x female character fics instead of x reader from time to time if I can’t find anything new, but I struggle to find those too 🫠

‘but I mainly wanted to ask if there were certain rarepairs(idk if I'm using the right term here, I'm kindof a noob when it comes to fanfic slang🥲even tho I've been reading them for years now) that you enjoy?’

Girl I’m with you there, I have no idea about proper tags 🫠 I only recently (this week) found out apparently there’s a happy ever after tag? So people I guess can settle into a fic knowing the ending?

Anyway, I guess gwynlain? If I came across a fic with that pair I’d probably give it a go, but it’s not often my interests go in that direction :) though I’ll stay away from male x male character fics since they just rub me the wrong way for personal reasons—as a general rule :)

‘there are a few more that I can't think of at the moment but do you also have ships that might seem a little odd at first but you personally think have potential or are just a guilty pleasure?’

Not really, I don’t think? I mean again, I quite like gwynlain but I don’t frequently or actively search for things under that tag :)

I do think it’s fun however when people have their own corner of chaos where you can find some odd ones (I would consider Amarantha x Lord Devlon and odd one—though I don’t know if that actually exists or not 🤭)

‘also, what's your favourite ship to read or write about in general?’

Favourite ship to read would probably be Feysand? And to write about it would probably also be Feysand :) pretty straightforward 🧡💛

‘thoughts about TamSand?(sorry if this has already been asked before)’

I enjoy seeing fanart of it, but I think I’m more on the side of it would be nice if they began mending relations so neither of them have to constantly deal with their resentment to one another since I think it takes a lot of energy to hate someone :)

[zhongli-topper]

Hello, that Zhongli fic is *chef kiss* can I request dom reader with xiao, with orgasm denial, overstimulation but also praising him? Can the reader be gn? but fem reader is fine too. I've can't stop thinking about this man please, sadly he didn't come home so I'm here stalking xiao tag 😔

xiao x dom reader - taking care of him (nsfw)

pairing: xiao x gn reader includes: praise, orgasm denial, overstimulation, light dom reader/sub xiao a/n: thank you so much, lovely! 💖 sorry for the delay, i got busy with life. i love xiao, he’s baby and he absolutely deserves to be taken care of~

“Xiao.”

It never fails to astonish him, how just the way you say his name can feel like a caress, and you don’t even need to touch him. Despite his instincts, despite the voices that tell him to take up his burdens in solitude, he finds himself drawn to you like a moth to light.

“Come here?”

Under the lantern-light of your room at the Wangshu Inn, your voice is somehow softer, your gaze darker than the velvety night sky settling over Dihua Marsh.

He approaches you on the bed, stance wary like a cat’s. You know his caution is born of necessity, a natural outcome of his thankless and eternal battle, but right now it mainly makes you want to hold him and comfort him and try to help him untangle that ball of pain, even if just a little. Even as he sits on the bed next to you, his body’s tense, and still fully dressed even though you’re ready to sleep, if you felt like sleeping, which you didn’t.

You turn slightly towards him and place your hand over his, and the warmth of your skin seeps even through his glove, and even to a two-thousand-year-old adeptus, the mystery of human touch is still something unfamiliar to him—though with you, he’s learning to grow accustomed to it.

It had been a relatively slow process, even in mortal, human terms. After Xiao had begun to accept your fleeting, friendly touches during your acquaintance, it had taken a while for him to reciprocate, and even longer for either of you to progress into more physical, intimate forms of affection.

In that time you had learned to read the subtle shifts in Xiao’s moods, the quiet differences of his anger and sadness, and the rare, sun-bright glimpses of his happiness. For him, learning to be vulnerable was—and still is—an uphill battle, but in the time you two had been together, you could sense what he needed, and right now, with his brow drawn and hand clenched beneath yours, you were determined to give it to him.

“Xiao,” you say again, and flip his hand to thread your fingers through his. “You seem tense. Did anything happen today?”

“No,” he answers automatically. Then he frowns. “I’m the same as ever. What makes you say that?”

You’re a little stung at his blunt tone, but you know he means nothing by it. You shrug. “I know you, Xiao. I’d hope you would give me a little more credit after all this time.”

He looks at you fully then, and his frown deepens as though he’s disappointed in something. “I—I know.” He blinks, his lashes fluttering. His gaze grows determined then, and squeezes your hand in return. “I need…”

“Yes?”

“Just…” He shakes his head, a frown etched into his features. “Memories of the war. They’re… being difficult to deal with again.”

He averts his gaze from yours, suddenly shy. “I… thought I would ask if you…” His mouth presses into a thin line as he cuts himself off, seeming to be embarrassed at what he was asking you to do.

“What did you want to ask me?” you encouraged him.

“If you would… help me to forget. To stop thinking about it.” As he said it, a pink tinge bloomed across his cheeks, an endearing sight that clued you in as to what kind of activity he had in mind. You turn your hand over and twine your fingers with his, and you’re happy to see him reciprocate rather than shy away as he had done in the past.

Giving him a small smile, you nod. You pull him closer, slow enough for him to get comfortable, and press your lips to his. “Then, let me take care of you, Xiao.”

~*~

You kiss him, slow and deep, and he melts under your touch, his hands grasping at your shoulders, your arms and chest, anchoring himself to your body. He’s taken off his accessories, leaving him in his sleeveless top and pants. In between kisses, his breaths already have an uneven quality, as he presses himself into the warmth of your body.

You pull back to catch your breath, and see that even with his eyes closed, his brow is still clenched, and you smooth over the crease between his eyebrows with your thumb, following it up with your lips. He shifts on your lap, and you can feel through his pants that he’s already half-hard, and trying not to rut against your thigh.

You smile against his skin. “You’re doing so well, Xiao,” you whisper, kissing close to his ear after you say it. You can feel him shiver, just slightly, at your praise, which you’ve learned is something that really gets him going.

“Do you want me?” you ask, just to make sure.

His fingers clinging onto your shoulders tighten and he nods fervently, refusing to meet your eyes.

“Please.”

You swallow the rest of his panting breaths by sealing your mouth over his, and slowly you push up the fabric of his shirt, his tight shirt that never left much to the imagination. Xiao might have been small, but his body was solid and muscular, and his naked skin under your hands was hot. You could feel the vibrations of his soft moans as your palms dragged up his toned torso, over his abdomen to splay your fingers over his chest and play with his nipples.

“Y/N…” he pants, forehead pressed to yours. “I…”

“Shh,” you say. “I said I’d take care of you, love.” You let your mouth trail over his jawline and down his neck, enjoying the little huffs of breath he lets out. “You deserve to be taken care of.”

You feel him hesitate. It’s always been difficult for him to admit to it, that he is worthy of such gentle, loving attention, but you want to make it known to him that he is.

Your lips descend to his chest, and you swirl your tongue around his erect nipples, drawing small gasps from the adeptus. He soon grows pliant beneath your caresses, and you easily push him down to lie on his back, and place the hem of his shirt in his hands so he can hold it up.

“Keep that there,” you instruct him in between kisses down his abdomen, until you reach his waistband and the tent he’s forming in his pants. His lips are trembling as he looks down at you, already sensitive from your kissing. He attempts to reach down with one hand but you bat it away, prompting him to return to holding his shirt up, and you slowly pull his pants down.

He’s already hard, the tip of his dick starting to leak precum, and you press your palm to its top before sliding it down his shaft and encircling him in a loose fist. You pump him a few times, and lower your head to his hips.

Your eyes flick up towards Xiao’s, and you can see him biting down on his knuckles, unwilling to make noise. You pause in your movements, looking at him meaningfully, and he growls into his skin.

“I want to hear your voice, Xiao,” you tell him, “I want to hear the sounds you make when you’re feeling good.” With your other hand, you let your nails dig into the muscle of his thigh.

He gasps at the sudden pain, releasing his hand from his teeth, then frowns at you, but you’re already smoothing the hurt over with kisses, getting closer to his cock.

“Don’t hold back,” you tell him. “That’s an order.”

He only grunts in response, but you stop moving and give him a pointed look until he says, “…I won’t.”

Pleased, you finally give attention to his cock. You start to leave a line of small, light kisses up the side of his shaft, lips fluttering over his heated skin until he’s gasping and barely stopping himself from bucking his hips in search of more friction.

“Good boy,” you say, “you’re following my instruction.”

He mewls as you give tiny licks to his cockhead, tasting the slightly salty flavor of precum, before swallowing it whole and sealing your lips over his shaft.

“Aa-ah!” He trembles, suddenly engulfed by the wet heat of your mouth. You close your fist around him and pump in tandem with your head, slowly building the intensity until his eyes glaze over and his hands threaten to rip the fabric of his top. All the while, he moans and whimpers, and you can see how his lips tremble in embarrassment before letting the sounds out.

You release him with a pop and his hazy stare goes to you, hips chasing after your face only to be stopped by a hand on his hip. You look down at him, and he’s so cute, panting underneath you, you can’t help but grin.  

“You look so cute like this,” you tell him, “feeling good under me. I like how you’re moaning too~”

His eyes widen and then his brow clenches, blushing hard at your praise. You give him a little kiss on the nose, his lashes fluttering at the contact. He had been getting close, you could tell, but you wanted to tease him some more.

You push his legs up and spread them, using your thumbs to massage around the cleft of his ass.

“Aah!” A high-pitched gasp leaves him, your fingers having taken him by surprise. His golden eyes fly towards you, in between his thighs, spreading his asscheeks to have access to his entrance.

“Nnh… that’s…” He bites his lip and trails off, apparently lost for words. You grope around for the bottle of oil you keep in your nightstand before spreading some over his hole, then continuing to massage around it, loosening up some of the tension in his muscles.

Apparently you’re taking too long, because he growls and says “Stop teasing,” which might have sounded threatening if not for the pleading, high-pitched note in his voice. At his demand, you let your nails dig in to the meat of his thigh—not too hard, but just hard enough to draw a small hiss of pain from your mewling lover.

“I said I’d take care of you, and I will,” you tell him. “Or don’t you trust me, baby?”

He grumbles and has to avert his eyes before saying, “…Yes. I do. Sorry.”

Xiao chews on his lip when you slip one finger inside, then eventually another. His small gasps are coming out in an uneven staccato, his hips writhing slightly as he tries to get your hand to hit that sweet spot inside of him. You settle in between his legs, adding a third finger, and he moans, clenching at the bedsheets.

“Fuck,” he groans, “please, deeper.”

You do as he says and curl your fingers as you drag them against his insides, and he all but howls when you press against his prostate.

“Y-Yes! There—ngh,” he gasps, opening his bleary eyes, looking down at you in a daze. You smile, keeping your fingers buried inside him, and grip the base of his still hard cock tightly. Sweat is sticking his dark fringe to his forehead and beading on his skin.

He presses the back of his hand to his mouth, his hips rutting into your fist, but you’re not moving, holding him too tightly. Rather than giving him pleasure, your hand is keeping him from cumming, even as you continue to pump your fingers inside of his tight hole.

“Please let me cum,” he begs, stilling his hips with effort, his thighs shaking as you keep thrusting at his prostate. He whimpers, clearly at the edge and overwhelmed at the sensation of being so close and denied his release.

“You can hold on for me,” you coo, your voice sweet. “You’re taking my fingers in so easily. You look so hot begging for me, I want to see more of it. Can you spread yourself open, baby boy?”

Panting, he lets out little huffs of breath as he bends his legs up, pressing his thighs against his chest, opening his legs wider. His face is bright red, his voice growing in volume when you resume thrusting your fingers and lower your head to take him in your mouth again.

Xiao sobs, the warm heat of your mouth engulfing his weeping cock, driving him closer to his peak even as you still grip his base.

You drag your tongue along his length in time with your fingers on his sweet spot, and he bites his lip bloody.

He all but screams, his hips and thighs shaking. His eyes are glazed and he seems lost for words, aware of nothing but the sensations your hands and mouth are giving him.

“I need to cum,” he cries, “c-close, please—”

He’s held out for long enough. You drag the hand on his shaft up along with your mouth, sealing your lips around his sensitive head, while aiming for his prostate once again. Like clockwork, his fists clench in the sheets and he cums, spilling down your throat.

You swallow down the salty, bitter taste of his spend, hearing him begin to quiet above you, but you're not done with him yet. You nudge again at his spot and give his cockhead a broad lick before sucking him back in.

He makes a noise of surprise, trying to watch as you don’t stop, but his entire body shivers from the overstimulation, and he's unable to prop himself up, instead shaking and boneless under your hands and mouth on the bed.

You pull your mouth off him for just a brief moment and say, “You said you needed to cum, baby. So be good and cum for me some more, huh?” You lock your eyes with his blurry gaze and keep them there as you begin to suck him off again.

“Ngghh,” he groans, and it doesn’t take too long until he’s shaking and fully hard again, and close to a second orgasm. When you feel him approaching his peak, you release his cock from your mouth, pulling a frustrated groan from Xiao as he cums a second time, a dry one, as his hips bear down on your fingers inside him.

“Good boy, Xiao,” you say when his lashes flutter open, slits of gold peering at you.

His whole body is trembling even after you pull your fingers out of him, and you kiss his sweat-slicked brow before wiping his cum off his stomach. He finally lets go of the sheets and then blinks at the torn fabric that falls from his hands.

“…You ripped the sheets,” you say with a laugh. “Was it that good?”

He grumbles again, turning on his side. “You kept going. I’m blaming you.”

Still smiling, you slide into bed behind him, and lay an arm around his waist. You can feel his soft exhale when you wrap around him, and he subtly nudges himself back, further into your embrace.

“You did well, baby,” you tell him, kissing at the sensitive spot under his ear.

“…Thank you,” he mutters, and you almost don’t hear it. You pull him close, nuzzle your cheek into his dark hair.

“You don’t need to thank me.” Nothing answers you but the sounds of soft breath, and when you check, Xiao’s fallen asleep.

You pull the blanket over the both of you, making a mental note to have them repaired in the morning. “Good night, Xiao.”

[appleslices]

i was tagged by @thesentdowngirl and @plusque

Nickname: zee

Height: 5'4"

Last google search: diy miniatures

Song stuck in my head: i dont remember the title but its kylie minogue and its the one with the "remember the old days walking in rhythm the night is for livin' it's in your hands now to... something something" i lose the lyrics at this point

Number of followers: 390ish

Amount of sleep: a blissful 7ish hours of sleep last night

Lucky number: i don't have one of these i don't believe in numbers

Dream job: i get money to fuck around with art and crafts all day but with no pressure to scramble for freelance work or do corporate design altho atp its inevitable LOL

What are you wearing right now: jeans and a sweater vest with a teddybear pattern

Favorite media: god ig video games bc they engage like audio, visual, and tactile senses At once its very easy for me to be invested in the narrative, concepts, visuals etc. but like tv shows are also very big for me, there are many good ones out there and i love learning abt the visual language and story telling of that kind of "long term" film.

Favorite song: song of the week is "ya no soy tu baby" by princess alba

Favorite instrument: cello, synths, drums

Aesthetic: idk i enjoy a lot of different aesthetic movements and it's impossible to boil my Tastes into a singular movement or even blend them together BUT a few key faves are bauhaus and memphis group, i like brutalism but in combination with more color, i also enjoy baroque and some elements of rococo but i think even for someone who leans towards maximalism rococo can be overwhelming for me sometimes. fashion wise i really enjoy blending morikei with classic/gothic lolita i also have a few sort of like techwear adjacent and athleisure pieces i try and blend with my EGL to uhm varying degrees of success but also sometimes i just want to wear sweatpants but most of my shirts are blouses so they dont blend easily together.

Favorite author: god i dont know i don't read enough to answer this </3

Favorite animal noise: love cat sounds any noise a cat makes will be entertaining

Random: have any of u guys watched the dangerous liaisons tv series its actually really good im watching it with hannah and a lot of our commentary is very sort of like reactionary like we're watching a reality show but it's so engaging and the costume design is beautiful. and also i think there's some gender and sexuality going on with the two leads somethingggg about them is insane. sorry for spoilers but there's this one scene where camillle corssdresses to get into a gentleman's club and the whole time she and valmont are sooo h*rny about it and i really had to have hannah pause it while i had thoughts and she laughed at me (affectionately) the whole time while i was trying to Get Myself Together.

i've rambled on for sooo long i'm just going to tag "anyone who wants to do this" xoxox <333

[house-of-laminations]

Hiiii ! I love your blog sm :) I was just wondering if you had advice to give to fellow tumblr writers? Even though I'm tagging and stuff I'm still really struggling to be seen on my new blog and its a little disheartening. If you don't have advice for that specifically, do u have any advice for finding and developing ideas? I hope you're having a good day either way because you really seem so lovely 🧚

oh my goodness thank you 🧚anon 💛 I hope you're having a wonderful day too!

Full disclosure: I'm making up this writing blog thing as I go along. I didn't expect any of my stuff to draw the attention that it has so the whole 'visibility' thing feels a lot like luck. That being said, there's a few things I've picked up on my decade+ on this site, as well as some things from being a little internet and design savvy.

Tumblr tag functionality is and always will be a mystery. However in times of yore, the tags that took search priority are the first five tags. Work out which are the five most common tags relevant to your topic/fandom - the ones that get the most traffic, and prioritize those.

Don't be afraid to shamelessly promo and reblog your own stuff. Lord knows the like-to-reblog ratio is atrocious - the only way things show up on a dash without an algorithm is through reblogs.

Link back to your stuff within your post as much as you can! You may notice I include a little back to masterlist at the bottom of my writing posts. It's at the bottom, not the top, because readers that enjoy your work will have made it to the end of the post, and it saves them the effort of scrolling back to the top once they're done. It's also a not-so-subtle hint that you have even more work!

Make friends! Follow other writing blogs starting out - and even the bigger ones - and don't be afraid to reblog their own work. Scream at them in the tags. Talk about what you like! I think people would be surprised at how many people I follow back because of the tags they leave on my fics.

Never let it dishearten you to the point where you stop writing. To be frank, tumblr is one of the hardest platforms to build an audience on. Please don't take it as an indictment on your passion - it's literally a hellsite. To counteract this share your writing with friends that you trust. All my stuff I really only write for one, or maybe two people. And they know who they are. It's their support that keeps me writing - not my follow count or my notes. One of the favourite things I have written has the least amount of notes, go figure.

In terms of developing ideas, I have a few pointers here too:

Write what you love. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but you'll find that ideas come more naturally when you enjoy what you do. It doesn't matter if what you love is trope-filled and cliche. Those tropes and cliches exist for a reason, and that reason is everyone loves them.

On that note: visit TVTropes if you feel like you're struggling with ideas. Follow a few rabbit holes. You may lose an afternoon or five to it. Sorry not sorry.

Don't be afraid to do what's been done before. So what if there are twelve other fics about kissing pretty boys/girls/enbies under the mistletoe? This is your own take, and you can bet your ass people will appreciate it because you're the only you to exist.

Along both of these points - work out what it is exactly that drew you to this fandom/media/genre in the first place. What expectations did you have going in, and how were those subverted by reality? Can you play in your original expectations?

Don't be afraid of a good mash-up. "omg imagine [x] au" has become somewhat of a meme with a few of my friends. Sometimes an 'au' is just an excuse to play with the tropes of another genre and that's ok!

Prompt generators are your friend.

Don't write alone. Find a friend who will happily just listen to your ideas. They don't even have to be part of the fandom. If you're feeling particularly extroverted, you could even join one of the discords that are floating around. The point is to find someone to share your ideas with so they can be excited with and for you. If you're anything like me it may also help to keep you accountable.

Consume other media. Don't let one fandom dominate. Go outside for a walk and experience life. This sounds cliche again, but sometimes all it takes to come up with new ideas is to just. Give yourself a break. Walk away and come back. And its hard to come up with ideas if you dig yourself into a single-media-hole.

I could honestly write a massive post on creating ideas and brainstorming because it's my favorite part of the creative process. It can be fun - There's so much potential at that point. But yeah this is getting long. I hope this helps! 💛

[pumpumdemsugah]

What is your job title? I’m really interested in your shift into tech✨🤧

I don't really consider it tech but I am around alot of numbers, data and coding so I guess lol. It's more a data role than anything with finance and coding. Idk about saying my job title ( it's a pretty broad term and I might change my mind in the future) but I'm more than happy to tell you if you directly message me and answer any questions. I'm happy if any of my advice can help other women skip some of the nonsense I went through

I wanted to become a data scientist or UX designer but my brain was not having it lol and I just didn't have the skillset years ago to make the jump in a year so I had to figure out what my bridge job to that path would be. My previous job put me on a course for data science. I completed the dell data science associate and analytics, which helped and the benefit of doing courses is it will expose you to even more jobs involved in that sector. When I applied for my previous job, the job title was, data administrator but the title changed.

It got long sorry lol

When I was trying to go from customer service roles to office roles years ago, I looked up assistant positions for jobs I wanted and wrote out a list of the software, skills, achievement and main duties from the job specifications I kept seeing. This gave me a rough idea for a time line for how it will take to gain certain skills and what I'd be willing to do ( willingness is key )

Then I tried to figure out how to force my customer service job to give me opportunities to do lesser versions of these tasks, which was easy because I'm assertive and I'd just flat out ask lol. All customer service jobs usually involve admin tasks the key is figuring out what data or tech skill is similar enough that you can call those admin tasks " database maintenance"

YOUTUBE is actually really helpful for understanding what a specific skill looks like in action. It's one thing to read a duty for a job being, creating a database but you might not realise a spreadsheet is a database and that's how lots of people end up under-selling themselves. That way you can describe your skillset in a more accurate and flattering way

Going on indeed and searching for assistant versions of certain jobs and going on sites like https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ and looking up related jobs or career progression for roles can help you better apply for or find role titles, related to what you're trying to do because you might have enough skills to get entry level roles in close proximity to more data and tech jobs

Tbh data is much easier to get into but I'm in a data role so I'm biased lol

I've also tagged this and some of my other posts about this and jobs as "job blah". Hopefully something is useful and I really don't mind answering any direct messages. My job doesn't ramp up for a few weeks so I'm bored lol

However easy these YouTube videos make it sound that you can become a data analysis in a few months, ( it is possible with a good plan and Adderall) it's normal that it takes longer lol. My ADHD means everything I do takes longer.

Also I forgot about looking into credible certificates or professional certification you can pay for ( ranging anywhere from £300 to £2000 ) that you might need for certain jobs. Just make sure it's a credible provider ( LinkedIn certificates, udemy and most things on coursea don't count though it can help you learn more but jobs don't care about LinkedIn certificates)