#sometimes the person who wrote the story replies!! and tells you how much they loved the comment

[letsplaythermalnuclearwar]

tbh I can’t imagine not leaving comments on fics. when a story gives me feelings, I want to talk about the feelings. and AO3 provides a little box! right at the end of the story! for you to talk about the feelings! as a bonus, the person who wrote the story can hear all about the feelings!! this is so cool!!

[eunnieboo]

IYHM ask replies! (2/3)

🌸 @csevet asked:

hi my copy of iyhm just came in and my fiancee and i snuggled up and read the whole thing cover to cover and CRIED!!! i love when lesbians 💕💞💝💗💝💗💘💞💖💗💝

AHHHHH thank you SO much!!! OMGGGGG 🥺 live laugh lesbian..... 💞💗💖💕💖💞💕💖💗

🌸 @chrysalis-the-butterfly asked:

I read If You'll Have Me a few months ago and I loved it! Your art is so pretty and Momo and PG are such cool characters! 🥰 If you're okay with sharing, I'd be interested to hear what inspired you during the creative process? Were there any pieces of media or any other characters which influenced the formation of Momo and PG? Or did you do your own thing?

oh my gosh! thank you!! i really love character interactions and relationship dynamics, so i wanted to depict two girls who seemed like opposites - one cool and laid-back, the other soft and sweet. after a while they started to take on a life of their own, and i thought it'd be wonderful if their story could evoke the feeling of a shoujo romance!

i had a lot of things on my mind when i wrote the script... friendship, intimacy, communication... communication can be so hard! sometimes it's harder with someone you're close to because their opinion is so important to you. and what happens when you've got a character who's non-confrontational and has low self-esteem + someone who prefers actions over words, and would rather burn bridges than admit to feeling vulnerable? how would they get past that? i wanted to write their flaws as believable, and how their life experiences have shaped the way they think about themselves / the way they respond to personal conflict... but also how they learn from each other and grow ❤️ tysm for the question!!

@bisexualgoof asked:

Hi Eunnie! I just finished reading “If You’ll Have Me” and let me tell you, it was spectacular! I saw it in a local bookstore the other day and it was a no brainer to grab. The characters are so fun, the story is beautiful and heartfelt, and honestly every character is attractive… I especially fell in love with the pages of the books without words, especially 312-313, it made me cry. Such beautiful art! I related to PG’s annoyance with her long hair, I felt very seen with her comments. I’ve definitely said “I’d like to forget” so many times myself, right to my butch heart haha. Thank you for sharing this story with the world, and thank you in particularly for your acknowledgment at the end of the book, it made me feel seen. What an amazing love story, hope to see more of this adorable couple in the future!

oh my goodness!! this is so lovely and wonderful and ahhh T_T thank you so very much. it's such a dream, having these girls be out in the world with their personalities and backstories revealed at last! and i'm so happy to hear about the cast and side characters, i love designing people hehe ♥ i'll definitely keep drawing this couple, alongside more sapphic couples that are to come 😍 thank you!!

🌸 @skittles-rainbow-cat asked:

HI HI HI!!! you’ve been one of my fave artists forever and i just got done with iyhm and it’s sooooo amazing im in love with it. also i think strawberry blonde by chloe moriondo fits mono and pg very well :] i hope you’re having a good day and thank you for all your art it heals me in many ways <3333

HIIII omg!!! thank you so much! this song is so cuteeee oh my gosh this line:

Takes my hand in hers when the lights aren’t on Smaller than mine and oh god I am gone

it's so sweet ;_; thank you forever, i hope you're having a wonderful day!! <3 <3 <3

🌸 @lord-of-the-froggies asked:

Howdy Eunnie! I know you're probably swamped with work right now, but I just wanna let you know that I got my copy of your book today!! I'm gonna start reading it right away, it looks and feels amazing. From a fellow Washington artist to another--congratulations on such a huge achievement!

yay hello fellow washingtonian! and fellow artist!! thank you so much for your kind words 🥺 and i'm so glad the book got to you safely! wishing you a happy read~

🌸 Anonymous asked:

I just found your art today and after scrolling through your stuff I went and pre-ordered your book. I'm so excited!!

omggg thank you that means so much!!! ;_; <3

🌸 @ddooyoung asked:

I got my (signed!) copy of the book, and I love it SO MUCH. It's everything I was hoping and more. I love finally getting to know them, especially Momo. Since the first time I saw them, I thought Momo was a lot like me and now I have confirmation 😆 Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful story!!! I'm excited for everything you do 💗

WAHH thank you so much!! yesss i'm so overjoyed to finally share their story after so long! i hope the signature turned out okay, i was very nervous signing books for the first time (shaky hand and everything) 😱 i think next time it would be fun to make a custom stamp and stamp a doodle next to my signature hehe. thank you again!!! 💕

🌸 Anonymous asked:

I somehow missed the news about your having created a whole damn book?? was just flipping through yu & me books's holiday gift guide and did a double take when I saw priscilla and momo!! zoomed in and sure enough, there was your name at the bottom! congrats on ihym and congrats on being featured on rec lists from shops as cool as yu & me 🎉😍

omggg thank you thank you!! 🥰 AHHH yu & me books looks so amazing! i've been to new york just once but if i ever get to go back i have to visit them... i'm always looking for indie bookstores to throw my money at 😤

🌸 Anonymous asked:

1. Will there be an “if you’ll have me” sequel? 2. Is Momo her full name or a Nick name? If it’s a Nick name what is her full name? Thank you i love your work! ❤️😊

ahh there's no sequel planned as of right now! but i'd love to make one if i get the chance... i have some ideas that i think would be fun <3 and momo gardner is her full name! i liked gardner because it made me think of flowers ☺️❤️ thank you so much!!

🌸 @upsidedown-shadow-dreamer asked:

Hello, long time fan here. If You'll Have Me was delivered an hour ago and I've already finished my first read. OMG it's AMAZING. I love the story, the beautiful art, the inner thoughts, the pacing, the page color changes for back story… Just major WOW. I hope you are so proud of this work. I'm already looking forward to reading it again. Thank you!!!

this is sooooo AHHHHH T_T i'm in tears. i can't tell you how happy and thrilled i am to hear this!!! it's so encouraging and uplifting and ahh!! i want to make more stories... and just knowing that this book will be read by the same person more than once, omg! it's truly the highest of praise. thank you from the bottom of my heart <333

🌸 Anonymous asked:

Hello!! I just remembered I could borrow graphic novels as e-books from my local library, found IYHM, devoured the entire thing in one sitting, then went through your tags so I could look at all your other IYHM art, and I was wondering if you'll make more stories about Momo and PG because I can't get enough of them! Absolutely obsessed with these two and I love seeing them so happy together 💖💖💖💖

hello!! oh i'm absolutely over the moon about this! i can definitely see myself making a follow-up book if i'm so lucky 🙏 but i'll keep on drawing more minicomics and illustrations no matter what!! thank you so much for this wonderful message 💕💕💕💕

🌸 Anonymous asked:

hi!! love love love your art!!! do you think we can expect to see another graphic novel about momo and priscilla in the future?

🌸 Anonymous asked:

I’ve read IYHM so many times already and I absolutely loved it!!!! Are you planning on writing another book with Momo and PG? Is is there a way we can buy more of your stories?

thank you both so much!!!! <3 a sequel is actually one of the ideas i pitched for my second book! my editor cautioned against it in case IYHM didn't perform well, so i ended up going in a different direction - but my fingers are crossed for future opportunities 😤 realistically, it will probably depend on sales... but for the record, i'd want to do one regardless of the numbers...

i have one more book coming out, which i'm working on right now! the timeline is a bit up in the air atm but i'll try to keep everyone posted. making a book is so slow but i'm so grateful to you all for waiting 🥺💛

🌸 @randomqueernoun asked:

Do you make webcomics for other apps/websites? If yes where can I find them and what do I search in them to find your comics?

ahh not at the moment! but thank you SO much for the interest! one of my biggest goals right now is to set up a website where i have all my work in one place, and that would definitely be the place where i post future webcomics ����

also, just as an aside... i want to make webcomics so bad. i think after my next book, i might take a break from traditional publishing to do that. sometimes i can't believe i'm drawing hundreds of pages i can't post... i'm like, how are people supposed to read this if i can't show them? how will they know?! ahh it kills me... but yes... someday!!!

part 3 to come~

[eunxhan]

Ꮺ Anon Requested ⨾ Polyamory/harem relationship with head over heels bottom subs,, one is a cute shy guy who loves m reader so fucking much he doesn't mind getting cucked and stuff as long as it pleases reader,,another one is a hot sexy model who's very proud of his body, always taking care of himself so you'll praise him when you fuck him, taking care of his hair well so you can easily pull them,,, kinky sub who's into wild plays, totally devoted to reader and would do literally anything like damn.. Another cold aloof kind of man,, people are intimidated by him and he's all strong and one man army stuff.. Yet when it comes to reader he's just a mess like damn,, all these pretty, smart, strong subbies also has reader's personal brand on his skin,,, they're so head over heels they do anything for reader's acknowledgement,,,

Ꮺ Eun Replies ⨾ Oh my, It is lovely to see my sweets still active. I have been thinking about this entry the moment I came back in this platform. How I've missed all of you.. I did wrote them separately but I decided to write and post another where they all meet in the future. But anyways, what should we name these three?

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

Ꮺ Disclaimer — NSFW.

Reader ⨾ MALE. YOU/YOUR.

Words used ⨾ 1578

Links ⨾ My Navigation

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

Let's say, you're an average guy with a typical 9 to 5 job. You couldn't care less about what anyone has to say or do to you, yet three men managed to catch your interest. One of them being Shy!sub. It's not like you guys have been together since childhood; you only met during middle school.

Shy!sub is incredibly shy and easily embarrassed. He tends to blush a lot, especially around you. Even the slightest touch or intimate gesture from you can make him flush red.

Shy!sub is used to your rantings while playing with him, and sometimes, you being a little shit happens to take your anger out on him during your calls. He never says or complains about it; he just listens or sometimes even apologizes to you.

Shy!sub enjoys playing video games with you, even if he's not very good at them and you call him out for jt. He just finds it relaxing and a great way to bond with you. He often cheers you on during your gaming sessions.

Not only does he enjoys gaming, Shy!sub has a secret love for romantic movies. He often watches them when you're not around, dreaming of the day you and him will have your own romantic story.

Shy!sub looks at you as if he's admiring a piece of art, even if you're just there yelling and getting mad about something ridiculous. You can tell that he wants something else. But if you call him out on something, Shy!sub hates confrontations and avoids them at all costs. He would rather keep the peace than engage in an argument, even if it means holding back his true feelings.

Shy!sub is the type of person who's too soft for people like you to handle. He does your chores because he knows you're exhausted from your job or school, and even cooks for you.

Shy!sub enjoys cooking for you, as he sees it as a way to show his love and care for you. He often tries out new recipes, hoping to impress you with his culinary skills. If you point something out or compliment his cooking, be ready to see him almost everyday in your kitchen.

He acts more like a boyfriend than a best friend. One call of his name, and he's dashing towards you like a loyal dog ready to do what you ask. With him basically living with you, Shy!sub can sleep easily. He is afraid of the dark and often sleeps with a nightlight on. He sometimes asks you to sleep with him when he's feeling particularly scared.

Shy!sub never admits this but he secretly loves it when you get angry, as it shows your passionate side. He often provokes you, hoping to see your fiery temper.

When both of you started to have some intimate moments, Shy!sub got even more embarrassed but he never stops trying to tease you with his every move. He basically lives with you now from how much time he spends with you. Everything escalated quickly when you got home and saw him wearing something he normally doesn't wear.

Shy!sub looks so damn adorable in his light bubblegum pink lingerie, but you decided to keep it in your pants and let him explain what he was doing. You could tell he was about to burst out crying when you walked in on him.

—

Shy!sub's eyes widened as he realized you had caught him in his new attire. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his heart raced, fearing the worst. The lingerie, a gift from a secret admirer, was supposed to be a surprise for You. But now, with you standing in the doorway, the moment had been ruined.

You, on the other hand, couldn't help but admire the way the lingerie hugged Shy!sub's curves, accentuating his hourglass figure. The sight of Shy!sub in such a delicate and feminine ensemble stirred something deep within you—a desire he had never felt before. But he knew the time was not right to act on it.

"It's... it's for you," Shy!sub managed to stutter, his voice trembling. "I wanted to surprise you. I thought you'd like it."

"Wow, I've never thought I would see this coming from you. Someone who is known to be easily embarrassed over everything." You could see the vulnerability in Shy!sub's eyes as you reply to him. It was a rare sight, and it tugged at your heartstrings. You knew Shy!sub's affections ran deep, and you couldn't bear to see him so distressed. So, with a smile, you stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Shy!sub's cheek.

"You look amazing," You said, his voice soft and reassuring. "And I appreciate the thought. But remember, you don't need to do anything to impress me. I love you just the way you are."

Shy!sub let out a shaky breath, relief washing over him. He leaned into your touch, grateful for your understanding. The moment, though awkward, had brought them closer. From that day on, You began to see Shy!sub in a whole new light. Your words and gentle touch calmed Shy!sub's nerves. The tension in the room shifted, and a new energy filled the space. Shy!sub's heart fluttered as your hand lingered on his cheek, your thumb gently caressing Shy!sub's soft skin.

Emboldened by your acceptance, Shy!sub leaned in, his lips brushing against yours in a feather-light kiss. It was a tentative move, a test to gauge your reaction. But you responded with a hunger that surprised them both. Your lips met in a passionate kiss, your tongues dancing and exploring each other's mouths. Shy!sub's hands roamed your body, feeling the contours of your muscles through your shirt. Your hands slid down Shy!sub's back, cupping his rear and pulling him closer.

The lingerie, once a source of embarrassment, now became a symbol of their growing desire. The soft fabric rubbed against your body, igniting a fire within you. Shy!sub could feel your arousal pressing against him, and it sent shivers down his spine. His mind were somewhere else as he softly groans in your ears, his mind tells him to beg you to do something more to him.

You both broke the kiss, panting and flushed. Your eyes were dark with desire, and Shy!sub's lips were swollen from your passionate embrace. The room was filled with a palpable tension, a promise of what was to come.

"Darling," Shy!sub whispered, his voice heavy with need. "I want you. I've always wanted you." he whined at the end. You didn't need to be told twice. You scooped Shy!sub into your arms and carried him to the bedroom, which made him more excited.

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

Confident!sub, a charming and flirtatious individual, utilizes his natural charisma and wit to captivate those around him. Easily drawing in his audience, he leaves them craving more of his company. His tactics to garner attention, however, are solely to attract the cameras. When it comes to you, his dearest, he's wholly devoted.

His sarcastic nature and high tolerance levels add an alluring challenge to his persona, making him even more magnetic. For you, though, his sarcasm serves as a playful means of aggravation.

Confident!sub is confident in his physicality, maintaining his desirable physique through rigorous workouts. Brands and designers clamor for him to be the face of their new products, well aware of his pickiness when it comes to endorsements.

In his pursuit of physical perfection, Confident!sub adheres to a strict regimen of body care. His routine, from head to toe, takes a full three hours, with shower time not even included. If you need the bathroom while he's in there, you'll have to resort to forceful measures.

During his photoshoots, Confident!sub teases you with his movements and poses. He'll gaze hungrily at you, performing his job with you as his little assistant, always present in the room. If you're absent, his temper flares. So, sad to say that you're always with him in and out.

A possessive streak emerges in Confident!sub when he spots you admiring other models. With him in the room, half-naked and expecting your adoration, he takes offense at your gaze wandering to less attractive individuals. If you curse at him for his tantrums, his anger intensifies, believing you should have been fixated on him.

Confident!sub is unfiltered in his communication, voicing his thoughts at any given moment. Be it day, night, place, or time, he'll share his uncensored musings. With a bored expression, he'll casually mention desires like you satisfying him behind a door post-shoot or gripping his hair. One time while you were having breakfast, he mumbled something about how he dreamed about you pounding him for a photoshoot.

Despite his outward confidence, Confident!sub harbors insecurities deep down. He worries that one day, his looks might fade, and he'll lose the adoration he currently enjoys. So with you having around him, he dares not to let you go. He hates it when you look at other models that he finds intimidating. Whenever you reassure him about his insecurities, expect not getting out of the bedroom for atleast two days.

Confident!sub hates being touched by strangers. He becomes uncomfortable and edgy when people he doesn't know try to touch him. He's only comfortable with you touching him. You should be lucky that someone like him allows you to touch him, his words not mine.

——

After a long and tiring photoshoot, Confident!sub was ready to unwind. With his manager having rented a hotel room for him, he of course invited you to join him, knowing full well what he had in mind. You, aware of Confident!sub's intentions, eagerly accepted the invitation.

In the privacy of the hotel room, Confident!sub wasted no time in expressing his desires. You pinned him against the wall, his hands roaming your body with a hunger that could not be satiated. With you, equally aroused, gripped Confident!sub's hair, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

Confident!sub's hands slid down to your body, undoing your pants with a swift motion. He wasted no time in freeing his own arousal, rubbing it against yours before he could let you rub against his entrance. With a swift thrust, you entered him, filling him with your length.

The room was filled with the sounds of him screaming your name and the wet sounds. Confident!sub's moans echoed off the walls, a testament to his pleasure. You, gripping onto Confident!sub's hair, praised him for his skill and good looks, encouraging him to continue his plea.

Confident!sub, driven by your words, moving his hips at the same pace as you with a fervor that was almost animalistic. Your hands gripped on his hips, pulling him closer with each thrust. Him, lost in a sea of pleasure, could only hold on for dear life, his moans mingling in the air.

As you both reached your climax, Confident!sub's moans grew louder, your thrusts becoming more erratic. Him, gripping onto you tightly, felt his own release building. With a final thrust, you both reached, your bodies trembling with the force releasing.

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

Intimidating!sub, a formidable figure with a history in the military, bears scars on both his face and body. His imposing physique and commanding posture are enough to convey his cold and strict demeanor, deterring others from approaching him. Even children and pets are frightened by his aura.

Despite his chilling exterior, Intimidating!sub has a soft spot for his beloved. At the mere sound of his name, spoken by you, his defenses crumble. He prefers to reserve his genuine smiles for private moments, sharing them only with you.

In terms of protection, Intimidating!sub is unparalleled. His presence alone is enough to deter potential aggressors, as if he were a guard dog watching over you. His menacing appearance suggests he'd defend you with ferocity, ready to "bite" anyone who dares to bother you.

In private, Intimidating!sub reveals a sensitive side. He cries during movies or deep conversations, seeking your comfort. With his head resting on your chest, he finds solace as he weeps, trying to express his feelings or explain the emotions triggered by a film. He's known to shed tears privately if his actions upset a child or pet.

Intimidating!sub is an intellectual powerhouse, capable of answering nearly any query and solving complex mathematical problems in a matter of seconds. He's like a human calculator, with an uncanny ability to memorize information. This makes outings with him effortless, as you need not consult your phone for calculations or searches.

Eager for your affection, Intimidating!sub leans on your shoulder, a subtle request for attention. He demands your love, regardless of your current engagements. If he's bold enough, he'll wake you to share a tender gaze.

Embarrassed by his nocturnal desires, Intimidating!sub awakens from wet dreams, seeking solace in the bathroom. If he gathers the courage, he'll attempt to rouse you, his eyes pleading softly.

——

After Intimidating!sub woke you from your slumber, you noticed the flush on his face, a testament to his embarrassment. A soft whimper escaped his lips, "Please help me with this..." Your eyes followed his gaze downward, where you found his hardened length, throbbing and grinding against the material of his pants.

The sight was too enticing to ignore, and as he offered you a small, tender peck on the cheek, you decided to give in to his desires. You guided his hand to release his length from its prison, letting it spring free. The tip glistened with pre-cum, a clear indication of his arousal.

Intimidating!sub's eyes locked onto yours, pleading for your touch. You obliged, wrapping your hand around his shaft and beginning to stroke him gently. His breathing hitched, his face contorting in pleasure. You teased him, speeding up and slowing down your strokes, drawing out his pleasure.

As you continued, Intimidating!sub's body grew more tense, his hips bucking involuntarily. You could sense his impending release, and you leaned in, taking his length into your mouth. The sensation of your warm, wet mouth enveloping him sent him over the edge.

Intimidating!sub cried out your name, his body trembling as he came. You swallowed his release, showing no signs of discomfort. When you pulled away, he collapsed onto the bed, his body slick with sweat.

You climbed on top of him, straddling his hips, and lowered yourself onto his still-hard shaft. He gasped, his hands gripping your hips as you began to ride him. The intimacy of this moment, with the dominant figure now reduced to the bottom, was intoxicating.

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

@𝑬𝑼𝑵𝑿𝑯𝑨𝑵. Do not repost, plagiarize, translate, or adapt my work/theme without prior permission and/or confirmation.

[watercolor-hearts]

i just saw your logan/george/alex universe and i'm obsessed with it actually

[First mention of the Logan/George/Alex universe.]

Hi dear ❤

Yesterday, in connection with this, I told you I can be too much sometimes. Well, now here’s the proof. Let me introduce you to my Logan/George/Alex universe in 10K words. (My longest “story” ever. 😂)

I love talking about my stories/universes but it feels weird to just simply write posts about it when nobody’s asked, so I usually just wait for games and asks to talk about them. This post is really long because it contains a lot of quotes from our conversation with my friend, @starlightiing Jess, with whom I created this universe. In the beginning I tried to simply just talk about it but after a while it turned into me putting our chat/role play messages into it because I felt like that’s the best way of showing how this universe works and what people’s personalities are like in it.

Important information: This universe is heavy on non-sexual cardiophilia because I’m a cardiophile and since I’ve got a cardiophile friend I became more open about putting heart things into my stories/universes, especially into ones we just talk about for fun with my friend. (We put heart things into everything because that’s what makes us happy.) So yeah, this is basically about hearts and the comfort they give. And there also are a few mentions of panic attacks and a detailed description of one towards the end. If any of these topics makes you uncomfortable, please don’t read this post. If you decide to read it, I hope you’ll enjoy it! ❤

And now let’s dive into this Logan/George/Alex universe:

Okay, so, I went back to reread the whole conversation where we built this universe with my friend and I realized that the thing that actually started it is the ask I received in connection with Logan’s heart and to which I made this drawing. I completely forgot that it was that ask that started it. 😀

I’m gonna quote some things I wrote to my friend to show how it started. So, after receiving that ask, I started thinking about it, about Logan’s heart and Logan himself, and wrote this: “Logan for me is like some kind of sad boy who’s alone with no close friends, trying to survive and show his potential that might be there, might not; someone that has the sad story where things didn’t turn out the way they should’ve and he’s left alone.”

This universe starts with George asking Alex how Logan is, because he had crashed out in the race and things aren’t going too well overall and he’s a bit worried about him and about how he handles these things. Alex tells him that Logan seemed upset, to which George replies with wanting to go and check on him and maybe try and make him feel a bit better. So they go to Logan’s room and they see that he tries to look okay but George knows that he isn’t. 

George offers a hug which Logan accepts but then things change quickly and Logan’s breathing becomes irregular and it worries George, especially when he sees Logan pressing his hand to his chest. But then he remembers Alex mentioning that Logan does this sometimes, especially before races, and Alex thinks it’s some kind of soothing mechanism for him. So George tries not to worry too much and helps Logan through this panic attack, his big hand resting on Logan’s back, telling him how to breathe to make it go away easier and when things calm down a bit, he asks Logan about this ‘hand on his chest’ thing. Logan tells him that it’s for comfort, to tell/show his heart that everything’s alright and he’s there and it’s fine, they’re in this together and they’ll get through it. George tells him that he has a similar soothing mechanism, putting his hand on his stomach, so he knows how much it can help and supports Logan in using it and asks him if it’s a thing where only his own hand helps or anyone else’s could, if needed. Logan tells him that so far he has only tried his own so he doesn’t know but if George wants to try, they can. George wants to, so Logan lets him put his hand on his chest. George’s so gentle and soft that it makes Logan immediately connect with him because he hasn’t felt anyone touch him like this in a long time and the closeness and gentleness does things to his brain. George smiles and tells Logan that he can feel his heartbeat but it’s starting to slow down and that’s a good sign, he’s done a good job with following George’s instructions. He keeps his hand there until Logan’s breathing goes back to normal. 

After this, they start talking about the race, the crash and Logan’s feelings. Alex gets them tea and George pulls Logan into a hug when he sees Logan needs it because he looks like he’s close to crying. Logan doesn’t know why he’s suffering so much and why can’t things work and he doesn’t know what to do and it’s just too much. He can’t hold it back anymore, he starts crying. George holds him close and lets him cry because he knows how much a good cry can help. And after a while, he notices that George’s slow heartbeat helps him calm down and he starts to drift off. 

Another quote from the messages I sent to my friend: “In the beginning he can’t even believe that George is there to hug him. Because okay, yeah, Alex is nice, they’re teammates, he’s there for him, but George. He doesn't have to. And he's still there. And holds him. For hours. When he could hold Alex instead or they could have a sexy time or anything else. But they’re there with him, talking about race mistakes they all have made (or suffer because of others) and then when George sees the tears in Logan's eyes, he can’t just sit there anymore, he has to hug him. And it comes as a surprise for Logan because he usually only gets pats on the back/shoulder. But a hug is different. A George hug. And in the beginning he doesn’t even know how amazing a George hug is. But when he realizes it's not just a quick hug and George positions himself to rest his back against the headboard, he starts crying because people don't do this to him anymore. They don't cuddle him. When he was a kid, they did, maybe. But he’s not a kid anymore. And he doesn't even realize how much he needs it, someone to hold him, feel their calm breathing, hear their heartbeat... He thinks he’s dreaming. But he isn’t. Not until the tears dry while Alex strokes his back or hair and he falls asleep.”

It’s usually George who provides the physical connection and the comfort and Alex is the one who talks and gives advice, but sometimes they do what the other does, too. I think it fits them to be there for someone who’s been alone and needs some love and support.

Next morning they have breakfast together and George makes Logan promise to call/text him if he needs him. Logan promises.

And then George actually gets a text a few weeks later. And Logan can’t believe George actually came when he shows up at his hotel room. He thought George only offered Logan to text/call him because he wanted to be nice to him. But he’s actually there and it means so much to Logan because he’s having another panic attack and he needs help. And this is the first time he was brave enough to text George. And George is there for him, pulls him into a hug and tells Logan never hesitate to text him if he needs him. Logan promises he won’t and nuzzles into George’s chest, feeling and listening to his heartbeat. It slowly becomes a comfort thing for him.

And after a while George and Alex basically adopt Logan and they’re always there for him when he needs them, whether he needs someone to talk to or just needs a hug or something. They’re there for him, and Alex and George have such a healthy relationship that it’s never a problem for Alex to see George being close to Logan, letting him snuggle into his chest, things like that. He’s not jealous because he knows how nice feeling it is to be pressed against George’s chest, feeling his breathing, hearing his heartbeat… It’s one of the best things in the world. And George would never say no to hug someone or let them listen to his heart if that’s what they need. He likes to help people.

When George notices how much his heartbeat and breathing helps Logan to calm down, he tells about it to Alex and Alex has the amazing idea of trying to record it (first with the shot glass technique) for Logan so he can listen to it even when George can’t be there for him. Especially after he leaves F1.

Another quote from a message I wrote to my friend: “Imagine George getting a ‘thank you for the recording. I listened to it again and it helped. It always helps.’ text every time Logan listens to the recording. It makes George smile. He’s glad he can help this way too. He never thought recording his heartbeat and breathing could help as much as it helps Logan. It’s a pleasant surprise for him. 

Now there’s a scene in my mind with Logan lying in the bed, earbuds in his ears, recording playing. He puts one of his hands on his chest and the other on his stomach, and he tries to match George’s breathing and heartbeat with the breathing technique George taught him. It’s not panic this time, it’s just the night of a difficult day and he needs a bit of comfort and calmness because his mind and heart is still racing and his body is tense. But concentrating on George’s heartbeat and breathing slowly helps him to calm down and it also eases the tension in his body. His heart slows down beneath his palm and he can sleep peacefully. ❤”

And another one: “He’d show the message to Alex and he’d tell him how happy and honored he is because he didn’t think a simple thing like this could help so much. “It’s just my heart and breathing. I didn’t think it's this big of a thing. It’s so simple. It comes with me, I don’t really think about it most of the time. But seeing what it means to him...” And Alex would say something like “It might be a simple thing to you but it means the world to someone else and it’s beautiful. It might be “just your heart” but that’s the point of it. It’s your heart. It’s your heartbeat, your breathing pattern, and in person your skin, your hug and your body heat. And your voice, if you talk, too. This is the beauty of it. That it’s all you. I’m glad you let him experience it. It means the world to him. I know, because it means the world to me, too.” And tears appear in George’s eyes.”

And after this Alex and George start making new recordings from time to time so Logan always has something new to listen to. “And when Logan sees it he's like ‘oh my God, But... But he didn't have to... And he still did it. Again. And he said he'd do one next month too.’ And he tries not to get emotional about it but it’s hard not to be because he really appreciates how much George (and Alex) cares about him.”

And after a while George wants to send more clear recordings (because the shot glass technique usually results in not so clear recordings) so they upgrade the setup from the shot glass to a stethoscope. “Imagine him sending a pic of it to Logan with a text that says ‘next recording in progress’. Logan would be like ‘holy shit man.’ And he’d start thinking really hard about what to do next time when they meet, to thank him/them for this. Because at that point a ‘thank you so much’ is not enough.”

“George, in a text message: ‘Let me know if there’s something that needs to be changed. We tried to make it as clear as possible but it’s not perfect. Also, if you have a spot preference for next time, let me know and we’ll focus on that. Here’s a pic of the spots and time stamps for the recording to know which you’re listening to when. I don’t know much about it, Alex helped with it.’ And Logan’s like ‘oh my god’ tries not to cry, heart beating like crazy ‘it’s perfect, it’s always perfect no matter what oh my god thank you so much again and always’, And he’s there, sitting on the edge of the bed, his heart beating out of his chest, listening to the newest recording and God, it’s so clear he can hear the valves open and close, the blood whooshing through them. It’s another level. He still doesn’t understand why George does this for him when he doesn’t have to. But he’ll forever be grateful for it.”

Also, something that’s important to mention is that George doesn’t really know that much about hearts, only those things he has to know for training, it’s actually Alex who knows a bit more than a normal person. In the beginning he does some research to make the recordings a bit more enjoyable for Logan, Googles how to use a stethoscope properly, what are the auscultation points, things like that, but then after a while he realizes that he might be into hearts. Okay, not all hearts but George’s heart. It’s not that big of a thing for him but it was nice to realize it. He mostly uses his knowledge to help Logan, but I’ll talk about it later.

“Logan lies down on the bed, closes his eyes and lets himself enjoy it. He doesn’t care his heart is racing, he knows he’s okay and it’s just some big emotions and it’ll calm down soon. He can’t wipe the smile off his face. And a few seconds later, he starts crying because it’s all too much and George’s so nice and Alex helping him with the recording and everything... He feels like he doesn’t deserve them. Even though George always says Logan deserves to be happy and if they can make him at least a bit happy with these recordings, then they’ll continue making them. 

After listening to this recording, Logan looks at the pic of the auscultation points George sent, and then goes and searches for more information about hearts, about the blood flow, the valves, and after seeing some gifs and videos, he can visualize George’s heart and how it beats, how the blood flows. He’s absolutely mesmerized by it. It’s even more incredible than he initially thought. George’s heart is so healthy, so strong and so beautiful... 

George doesn’t realize it, for him it’s just his heart, nothing special. He doesn’t really listen to the recordings because Alex does the editing but he loves seeing Alex’s face while he’s listening to it. He loves that there are people who love his heartbeat. He finds it really sweet.”

And after this I started thinking about Logan’s relationship with his own heart. (I know in the beginning there’s a mention about Logan having a special relationship with his heart but that part with the hand on the chest thing wasn’t in this originally, that was born after I finished working on the drawing. Originally this is the point where Logan starts to develop an interest towards his own heart.)

“And I think listening to George’s heart and using it as something that helps him calm down could make Logan have a closer relationship with his own heart, too. Because he could realize that after listening to George’s heartbeat for quite a long time, his heart can almost sync-up with it and it could help him appreciate it more. Because he has a strong heart that calms down easily with a little bit of help and it's healthy, there aren't any problems with it and it loves when Logan listens to George’s heartbeat because now it’s so familiar it’s easy for his to pick up the same rhythm and Logan loves when beneath his palm he feels almost the same as what he hears through the earbuds.”

“Also, a thing I think George would also do for him: another recording of himself but this time it’s not his heart but his voice, helping Logan through a panic attack. Talking slowly, using different breathing techniques in case one doesn’t work, counting techniques, ‘names this and that’ techniques, everything. Some encouraging words, “you're going to be okay, it’s just panic” “you’re not alone”, “you can do this”, “pay attention to your breathing, help your heart calm down with it”, “you’re doing a great job” and things like that, with breaks between the sentences so it feels more natural. I think George would really put himself into this and he’d make an amazing and really useful audio. 

And let's not forget about Alex, because this would be his idea and he’d be the one George would talk to during recording to make sure his tempo feels natural and he isn’t too fast with the things he says. And he’d enjoy this so much that he’d then make normal relaxation recordings too, and basically anything Alex or Logan wants. They both love his voice because it's soothing. And he loves making them happy. ❤”

All these heartbeat and breathing technique recordings happen after Logan leaves F1, and when we were discussing this, I thought the boys would also send nice voice/video messages to Logan, so here’s an example of that: 

“‘Big day today!’ George smiles to the camera, ‘First race in (whatever series) for Logan, right, Alex?’ Alex joins the video, also smiling. ‘Yes, big day for Logie bear! We wanted to send you a quick message before your day starts to wish you good luck and a really, really nice day.’ George nods and continues: ‘We’ll be following your race and there’ll be a surprise waiting for you after the race ends. We hope you’ll like it. You’ll see what it is so we won’t say more about it now. Keep your head high and push to the max.’ 

‘We believe in you.’ 

‘And we love you. Have a nice day and again, good luck for the race. We hope to see you smile a lot today, can you do that for us?’ 

‘Enjoy it, that’s the most important. Goodbye until next time!’ Alex waves and George joins too, and ends the video after saying goodbye.

I'm sure a video like this would make Logan's day. Oh, and what's the surprise, you might ask. Well, it's George and Alex being there at the track but only revealing it after the race not to put too much pressure on Logan. ❤ And when Logan sees them and runs into their arms, hugging both of them at once... Oh God…”

And at this point my friend mentioned that all of the stuff with George’s heart gotta eventually make Logan curious to listen with a stethoscope in person, so… Let’s see some quotes from those messages:

“After the race they’d call him to their hotel room (after he finished the debrief and everything he has to do) to spend the night with them because they know how much he misses cuddling with George and talking with both of them in person, and they think he really deserves it after not being able to do it for a long time. 

And when he gets there, everything’s the same at first, George hugging him, Alex making him tea like he usually does, then they sit down, talk a bit about the race, what was good, what could’ve been better, first impressions, things like that. And when they finished talking about this, then comes the main attraction, the stethoscope.”

“Alex just sets it down gently between them like it’s nothing at all. Like it’s normal and commonplace to just have a stethoscope there. George just looks up at Alex and smiles sweet and then looks back over at Logan. ‘Your show, if you want to use it.’”

“And Logan is like what, and he needs a moment to actually realize what’s going on because holy shit he wasn’t expecting this. He’d be happy with a cuddle and some ear stething, but this... This is insane and he can’t believe it. 

‘Touch it,’ George says, seeing the hesitation on Logan’s face, ‘Try it, if you want to. On yourself, me or even Alex, if you want to. We thought you’d appreciate it if we brought it with us for you to get to know it. I’s different than listening with your ear but it’s worth a try.’ 

All Logan can say is ‘woow.’ He lifts up the stethoscope, touches the dark blue tube, the mirror finish chest piece, and the earpieces. It’s lighter than how he imagined it, it surprises him that the only heavy part is the chest piece. It’s really new to him to hold something like this. He doesn’t even know what to say or do. ‘Would you like to try it?’ George asks. Logan nods. ‘On who?’

Logan looks up at George for a moment, then back at the stethoscope in his hands. ‘Can I try it on you?’ 

‘Of course,’ George nods, smiling, ‘You can try and discover the different spots by yourself but Alex can help if you want to, he’s pretty good at finding them.’ 

‘First you should try it by yourself,’ Alex says, ‘It's magical, I want you to experience it by yourself, listening to the different valves, discovering the differences between how they sound, it’s a special experience. You don’t have to be afraid of it, if it doesn’t work, we’ll help. But I’m sure you can do it, it’s not difficult.’ 

Logan nods and tries to put in the earpieces but Alex stops him. ‘You are supposed to use it the other way around. Sounds better that way.’ 

‘Ah!’ Logan smiles, trying to hide his embarrassment and turns it around, ‘Thank you.’

‘I'm ready if you are,’ George says after taking off his t-shirt and leaning to the headboard, waiting for Logan to start when he’s ready.”

My friend’s reply to this: “George is so cute, he’s so ready. Alex is proud too, the idea of someone listening to George’s heart and him getting to watch them do it is a bit exciting too. Logan might be a little nervous but George is as calm as they come. They’re all used to having their hearts studied and listened to. Alex will start him just in the center of George’s chest, not a real auscultation point, just a place to start, and let him experiment from there.”

So I made him experiment from there: “He is, he couldn’t wait for this since they talked about surprising Logan. ❤ 

Alex is so proud, he loves seeing how close George and Logan are to each other, it really warms his heart, and he’s proud of them, of George for being the amazing person he is, doing everything for Logan he can, and of Logan too, for being open about what he likes and how it helps him. They have a beautiful platonic relationship and Alex is glad he can witness moments of it and he can sometimes be a part of it, helping both of them to make their experiences even more amazing. 

And he loves seeing how much healthier Logan looks since he left Formula 1 and moved back to America to be close to his friends and family. He smiles a lot and he’s more energetic since then, and he doesn’t have as many panic attacks and bad days as he used to have. So he’s definitely made good progress. 

George is calm, he’s smiling softly, his breathing is calm and even, waiting for Logan to start when he feels ready. And then he feels the stethoscope in the center of his chest and he closes his eyes for a moment so Logan won’t feel like he’s being watched. 

Logan’s first reaction is a simple ‘woow’ as the chest piece touches George’s skin. The heartbeat he hears is so loud and powerful. It’s incredible. 

‘Can you hear it?’ Alex asks to make sure everything works well. ‘It... It’s so loud. Woow.’

‘Yeah, it’s a bit different than listening to it with your ear. If you listen closely, you can hear the valves open and close, the blood whooshing through them. If you move the chest piece around his left pecs, you’ll find the auscultation points, those are what doctors use when they listen to the heart. They all sound a bit different, feel free to try them.’ 

I love that George is just there, totally relaxed, eyes closed, waiting to be listened to, and Alex is like a good teacher, explaining things to Logan, gently guiding him. Their relationship is also a really special one. Different from George and Logan’s but just as special and that’s why the three of them work so well together. ❤”

And then my friend went into the auscultation part a bit: “Logan being so curious as he moves them around. ‘I know you’ve named them for me before but I don’t remember them. Can you tell me what I’m listening to?’ And just VERY curious about every single ‘different’ sound there is. 

Like why is the mitral valve so tiny? But the aortic valve is so deep and thumpy? Why can he hear blood flow better in some valves than others? A very curious little guy. 

Alex being there to answer all questions and correct positioning with the stethoscope. Instructing George to sometimes lie on his side, raise his arm up, ect ect all sorts of things doctors do to check for murmurs and certain conditions. Just so Logan can hear.”

“And after Alex has explained everything, Logan just sits there in front of George, listening to all the points over again and tries to name them by himself, with Alex nodding proudly every time. 

‘George’s gonna fall asleep soon,’ Alex slaps on George’s thigh to wake him up, receiving an elbow into his upper arm, making all three of them laugh. 

‘I was just enjoying the thorough examination, Alex,’ he pretends to be angry but he can’t, ‘But now you took me out of the zone.’ 

‘It’s okay,’ Logan says, taking the earpieces out and putting the stethoscope down. ‘Thank you so much for letting me try it on you, it’s an amazing instrument and your heart sound beautiful.’”

So this was Logan’s first stething experience, and after this I started thinking about whether he’d want to listen to his own heart. “I’m not sure, but I imagined this night as they’d tell Logan to stay with them for the night, he can cuddle with George, sleep between them, like good, old times. 

And maybe at night he couldn’t fall asleep. Alex next to him would already be asleep, Logan guesses George too, but George isn’t. He’d notice that Logan is still up and ask him what’s going on, why he can’t sleep. And Logan would tell him, he doesn’t know, he just can’t. This whole day was amazing and he can’t just let it go. He feels a bit strange, his heart is a bit too fast and he feels those strong beats that can't let him fall asleep. 

And then I think George would offer him to use the stethoscope on himself and if he likes it, he can buy one, too, and use it when he needs it, when George’s heartbeat doesn’t help or he simply just needs something else, a different grounding method. And then Logan would lie on his back, earpieces in his ears, chest piece on his chest, listening to his own heart while George pets his head to comfort him. And with George being there, taking care of him, his heart would slowly calm down.”

After this my friend mentioned how important it is for Logan to familiarize himself with his own little heart and understand its importance and then his heart can help him calm himself down. “There is something so inherently calming about feeling your own heartbeat come down from a rush. Like, it’s one of the most calming things.”

And then she asked if Logan would offer his heart to George at some point as a ‘thank you’, so I started thinking about it and this was my answer: “I think after his heart has calmed down, he asks George if he wants to have a listen. He knows George doesn’t really do that, it’s Alex who sometimes listens to him, but Logan still wants to ask because it feels right, after all the things George has done for him. A bit of listening might not mean much to George, he thinks, but he gets proved wrong when he sees George’s excited face. George never really thought about this, for him the most important was always Alex and Logan and making them happy with letting them listen, him listening was a bit rare. Ear stething not much, but with a stethoscope it was. He prefers cuddles and ear on chest, but when Logan offers, he can’t say no. For some reason it feels like a really big thing for him, Logan getting so comfortable with him that he lets George listen to his heart. Alex is his boyfriend, that's normal that he lets him, but Logan... That’s a totally different thing. Especially that in the beginning Logan didn’t really care about his own heart but then George's helped him discover it.” (Yeah, again a bit of a contradiction to the beginning, sorry. As I mentioned after another quote above, Logan originally didn’t really care about his own heart in the beginning.)

“Logan is probably a little surprised that george accepts, but George is a naturally curious person. Logan knows his heart inside and out, maybe he can give Logan a listen and see if he can get to know it just as well. He already knows Alex’s better than anyone EVER could, doctors be damned. Alex himself be damned.

So he closes his eyes and he listens hard. Very intent listening, very attentive, moving the steth around a few times, taking a listen to all the valves, listening for murmurs or anything of the like, nope, completely and totally perfect. Strong, steady, valves sound very strong and the turbulent blood is just barely audible as it should be.

He would smile at Logan. ‘Wow, quite healthy, that. Not that I'm at all surprised - but it’s nice to confirm for myself. Your heart sounds absolutely lovely.’”

“And Logan just shyly murmurs a ‘thank you’ because he doesn’t really know what to say because besides doctors, nobody ever listened to his heart before. So it’s a really new situation. But then he adds ‘I always do my cardio. I’d never dare to say no to Elias,’ he says jokingly, ‘But it was originally Benny who taught me the importance of it. And he made me start liking working out. I miss him sometimes, especially the workouts we did together. He always motivated me. Elias is nice, too, we get on well, but he’s different.’ 

George puts the stethoscope on the nightstand and settles down next to Logan. ‘It’s hard when you have to change trainers after working together for years. But I’m sure if Benny has time, he’d be happy to meet you for a workout and a nice conversation about both of your lives, days since you stopped working together. Sometimes it’s nice to meet when you don’t see someone for a while, you know, to catch up.’ 

‘I’ll text him and ask, thank you. It already helps a lot that we could meet, I’m sure meeting with him, too, would be the cherry on top.’ 

‘I’m sure he’ll make it happen. But now come here and sleep,’ he offers Logan his chest to snuggle, ‘It’s getting late.’ Logan snuggles into his chest. 

‘Sorry I kept you up.’ 

‘It's okay, I'm glad we could talk and listen to your heart. I hope now you’ll fall asleep easier.’

‘I'm sure I will,’ Logan says, eyes already closed. ‘Sleep well, George.’ 

‘You too, Logan.’ And George puts his hand on Logan’s back to pet him until they both fall asleep.”

In the next morning, Alex offers Logan to listen to his heart to give him the full experience.

“While sitting on the bed, waiting for Logan to fully wake up, Alex would be like: “How’s your heart?”

And then Logan, surprised but really awake after hearing this unexpected question, ‘My heart? Uh, it's fine, I guess. I mean…’ 

‘Don't worry,’ Alex touches his upper arm, ‘I’m just asking because we talked about George’s a lot but not much about yours, and while George told me he listened to it at night, he couldn’t give you the full experience because he doesn’t know that much about it. So we thought I could give you a check up, talk you through it as I listen to your valves, things like that. Anything you want, but only if you want to. No pressure.’”

“Logan is probably a bit self conscious at first. Having all of the attention on his own heart is a bit embarrassing and overwhelming, but he would eventually agree to it.

‘Yeah - I - okay, that’s fine.” he’s just a bit nervous about it, still not used to being the one in the spotlight.”

And this is the point where talking about boundaries came in the picture because how Alex started this was probably not the most ideal.

“And I think this would be a good opportunity to talk about boundaries and things like that. Alex telling him that he can say no if he wants to (even when they’re already doing it), Alex and George take ‘no’ really seriously and won’t push anything if it’s too much for Logan. They don’t want to force him into anything, and it’s totally understandable if it’s a lot now because they’ve done a few different things yesterday that were new to him and it’s okay if he needs time and doesn’t want another experience today. Alex is really, really patient with him when he explains it because he knows for him it’s not really new anymore, giving check ups to George, making recordings, things like that, but for Logan it’s really, really new and he has to be patient, go slowly with everything he wants to show him. Logan agrees to do it but Alex tells him they’ll do it after breakfast, so it won’t be a pretty shocking thing right after waking up and Logan has time to think about it and ask questions if he has any.

After the breakfast Logan tells Alex that he still wants him to do the check up and shyly asks him if he could like, somehow show or explain to him how to listen to his own heart, where to put the chest piece on himself, what he’s hearing on those points and things like that. He isn’t sure if Alex understands what he means but it’s not easy for him to explain it because it’s all new and a bit scary to open up about it because it’s his heart and it’s really different to just listening to George’s heart. Now he wants to understand hearts. And he knows Alex is the best person to help with it. 

George almost melts as he witnesses Logan telling this to Alex while Alex holds his hands and listens to him attentively. George understands what Logan means, and he knows Alex understands it, too. 

When Logan finishes explaining, Alex nods and tells him how they’ll do it. First Alex listens to a point, explains what he hears, then gives the stethoscope to Logan and lets him listen and ask, if he has any questions. And this is how they check every auscultation point, slowly, not rushing anything. George’s heart fills with so much love as he watches them from afar not to bother the moment. He knows Alex is gentle but seeing him being gentle with other people, paying attention to their signs, how they want to do things, everything, makes him so happy and he feels so lucky to have a partner like him.”

Logan gets to learn so many things about his heart and with Ale’s help he even finds his favorite auscultation point on himself. And by the end, he gains enough confidence to straight up ask if he could hear Alex’s heart, too. 

“Alex jokes with him about secretly waiting for this moment because he was jealous of George getting all the listening and attention. And then George from the other side of the room: ‘He’s lying, he doesn’t even like attention. He loves giving it, hates receiving it. Don’t feel bad, Logan.’ 

‘I've been exposed,’ Alex laughs as he takes off his t-shirt. ‘But he’s right, I prefer giving it and not receiving, but I’d love it if you listened to mine, too, and told me what you think. Would that be okay for you?’ 

‘Of course,’ Logan nods, ‘I'll try and use everything you’ve taught me.’

‘Don’t feel pressured to do it. Just enjoy, it’s not a med school exam or anything like that. I won’t ask questions about it, only maybe about your feelings and thoughts. If you want to talk about it.’ 

‘Okay,’ Logan smiles and puts the earpieces in, and then the chest piece on Alex's chest to discover his heart too.’”

And here we talked about Alex’s heartbeat a bit with my friend saying: “Alex probably has one of the BEST hearts to listen to if I’m honest. I bet it’s SO soft and so gentle and so slow.

So easy to fall asleep to, or be calmed by. It fits his personality so much.

Alex gets comfortable, too, he’s used to George listening here and there so it’s easy for him to just forget the stethoscope is even there. Takes steady, even breaths, and just lets Logan listen.”

And I said this: “Yeah, and it’s so overlooked most of the time because out of the two of them, George is the more physical, he lets people close quicker, comforts people with hugs and cuddles while Alex does it with words and maybe pets. He needs more time to let people close, to feel safe to do it. But now that he lets Logan close enough, Logan does his best to give some attention to his heart and use all the things he learnt from Alex. He wants to make Alex proud. 

He’s really surprised how different Alex’s heart is compared to George’s. It’s still a heart, a really healthy one, just like George’s, but it’s still different. Good different. 

He lets Logan take his time with listening to each point, going back to some of them he really likes or wants to compare. Logan doesn’t talk but Alex doesn’t mind it because George doesn’t usually talk during it either. So it’s not surprising, he likes when people get lost in their thoughts while listening to his heartbeat because it shows that they enjoy doing it. And that’s what’s the most important for him.

Seeing the soft smile on Alex’s face means everything to him. And when Logan starts telling him things about what he hears and they start talking about Alex’s heart, George feels so happy because Logan’s learnt so much and he sees how proud Alex is of him. These last two days are really two of the best days of their lives. Everything’s just so perfect. 

Logan loves Alex’s heartbeat. It’s so soothing. It’s so Alex. He can’t really explain it, he just feels it. Hears it. And knows it. 

After Logan’s finished listening, he asks Alex if he can put his hand on his chest. He’s a bit scared that it’s too much but Alex nods in a heartbeat without hesitation. But he’s verbal about it, too, to make sure. “Of course you can, Logan.” Logan thanks him and gently lays his hand on the center of Alex’s chest and closes his eyes to see if he can feel it. A few seconds later he feels Alex move his hand a bit. ‘Don’t worry, I’m just putting it to the spot where you can actually feel it, because I don’t think the center is the most perfect place for that,’ he explains and when he finds the spot, he presses Logans hand there, with the boy's fingers being exactly on the spot, feeling the powerful muscle rhythmically contracting under the skin. 

George’s having a hard time not to get too emotional about this whole chest touching thing, especially when Alex moves Logan’s hand to the spot. The spot he uses to help George calm down when he needs it. The spot only George knew about until now. This is the moment when George knows Alex’s reached the point where he feels safe enough to let Logan be as close to him physically as he can. And it’s a really big thing for all of them.” (The spot is the apex/point of maximal impulse at the fifth intercostal space.)

To this, my friend replied with this: “I like how it’s kind of - Alex is this soft sweet thing so eager to help and support others but he’s actually quite reserved letting others in for himself

and somehow Logan has broken through that and that’s why George gets so riled up about it. He is theirs, for sure. Unbreakable bond between those three.”

“He’s like, ‘well, if you want it, you’ll get it, there’s no reason not to show it, really’, because seeing that Logan really cares about his heart made him realize that he’s just as much part of this as George is. He was never jealous of what George and Logan have, but he knew that they’re closer/it’s a bit more special to them. But Logan showed him that their relationship is just as special. It’s different but that’s why it’s also special. George is his comfort person, he gets the best hugs and cuddles from him, but Alex... Alex is an amazing teacher and the way he talks about hearts (and basically everything else) is amazes Logan and he loves talking with Alex, loves learning from him and loves the support and guidance he gets from him. He really appreciates that George and Alex are this different because they fit together perfectly and the different ways they comfort Logan always makes him feel safe and loved because they always have a solution, no matter what the situation is. If he needs hugs, he gets hugs, if he needs someone to talk to, then he has someone to talk to. It’s so perfect and he’s really glad he has them in his life. 

Alex’s really sweet and loves to help and support but needs time to actually let people close because he needs to make sure he won’t regret it and the relationship is close (and strong) enough to do it. But once he does it, being a friend of his becomes a whole new experience. It’s nice without the physical stuff too, but with that it’s just simply amazing. He doesn’t do this with any other people besides George but Logan deserves it because he’s part of their little family of some sort. Because by now it’s more than just a friendship. It’s an unbreakable bond, just like you said.”

So yes, this is the point where their relationship becomes something special, something more than just a friendship. Their friendship has grown into something beautiful.

“A sweet thing, kind of an ending for their day, is that when it’s time to say goodbye at the airport and George hugs Logan, it’s a bit more emotional than they planned and they’re both crying, and George tells him that he doesn’t have to wait as much until their next meeting as he had to for this one. They’ll come back soon and spend more time with him and when he has time he can also go to their apartment and spend time with them there, he’s always welcome, he just has to call/text to let them know he wants to visit them. And by the end of saying goodbye, George’s voice is so thin that to the outsiders it looks like a really, really sad and painful moment, when in reality it’s not, it’s just... They just made their bond even stronger and now it’s difficult to say goodbye. But it’s not for forever, only for a few weeks, a month at most, if everything goes well. 

Seeing how broken they are, Alex decides to hug the two of them. One big, big, big hug to comfort them. He didn’t plan to be emotional but he is now. These two days have taught him so much and he’s so grateful to have these two amazing people in his life. In the beginning, he didn't think they'd have this strong relationship with Logan, and now they’re there, crying at the airport, not wanting to let go of each other. But they have to, slowly. When they finally let go of each other, they’re smiling as they’re waving, because they know that the distance doesn’t matter, this relationship can and will survive everything. And it’s not like they can’t meet pretty frequently or at least have phone/video calls and change texts until they get to see each other in person again. They try to find the positives as they part ways for a while. 

Until the next meeting. Which will be when they surprise Logan on his birthday with a stethoscope customized especially for him. ❤”

My friend’s reaction to it: “They love each other so much omg. I bet Logan is over the moon when he opens up his gift and it’s a customized stethoscope sobs he’s like ‘they can’t possibly GET better and then there they go, getting better anyway!’

That is so sweet. I love the love, it’s so good and happy and pure.”

This was the point when I told my friend I almost started crying like them. This story has grown on me so easily. It’s so important to me, and what’s the best in it is that this is not the end, there’s more to come, because yeah, they surprised him with a customized stethoscope. 

“Logan’s over the moon, because he doesn’t expect it. He mentioned to them that he was thinking about buying one but he wasn’t sure about it because he still listens to George’s (and Alex’s) heartbeat recordings more than he wants to listen to his own heart but sometimes he really wants to and for those times it’d be nice to have one. 

But they told him they’d talk about it in person and help him choose if he really wanted one. But then when they meet, there’s a box. With a stethoscope in it. And he can’t believe it. He can’t believe that these two love him this much even if he doesn’t do anything extra, he just tries to be happy and enjoy life and racing. He couldn’t wish for better people to be his found family. ❤”

After this I told her that we both knew how they spend the night now that they have two stethoscopes. “Imagine them both stething Alex. The person that hates attention and who’s really not used to his two favorite people caring about his heart at the same time.”

“If Alex’s being honest, he enjoys it because he trusts both of them and he deserves a bit of heart appreciation too. And they take really good care of him, all beats tracked, heart sounds checked, everything’s perfect. What an amazing way to spend Logan’s birthday and New Year’s Eve. The three of them together, stething each other, taking breaks to eat cake and drink champagne. Totally a dream come true for all three of them. No party could be better than this.”

This is where we ended the story, but then a few days later we brought it up again because my friend said that they work so well together that she could even imagine them in a romantic polyamorous relationship. The fact that she said this made me so happy I instantly jumped on the polyam Logan/George/Alex train. 

“Their romantic relationship would start with an accidental “I love you” from Logan to George after an emotionally (and maybe physically, too) difficult moment while he’s in George’s arms, being comforted. And when he realizes it, he’d run away (maybe to the bathroom or something) because of being too scared of what George (and Alex, oh my god) would think/say. But Alex would be quick enough to catch him before he’d close the bathroom door.

‘Hey, Logan, wait,’ Alex catches the boy’s hand, not letting him run into the bathroom. ‘S-sorry, oh my god, I'm so s-sorry.’ Logan’s shaking, his voice is trembling and he’s crying. His breathing is irregular, he gasps for air but it just makes the situation worse because he doesn’t actually get air into his lungs. 

‘Hey, breathe,’ Alex instructs him as they sit down in front of the bathroom door, ‘It's okay, Logan. It’s okay,’ he tries to make eye contact with Logan but it’s not easy, ‘You did nothing wrong. Nothing. You have to calm down, okay? So then we can talk.’

And when George realizes what’s happening, he runs after them and when he sees Logan hugging himself, he wants to run and hug him and tell him it’s okay, everything’s going to be okay. But Alex stops him. ‘Don’t,’ he touches George’s leg, ‘I know you want to help but maybe it’s better to try it from here, mhm? Maybe touching him would only make it worse now.’

‘Yeah, okay,’ George nods and sits down and watches Alex trying to help Logan. It’s really difficult to just sit there and not do anything when Logan’s clearly panicking. But he trusts Alex. He has helped George a lot, he knows what he’s doing. And maybe his method is better in this situation.”

Logan feels like he’s going to die. It’s too much and he’s scared and can’t breathe and he can’t make himself smaller and just disappear. 

“‘Logan, can you hear me?’ Alex asks, ‘You have to sit up straight or lie down on the floor or something, anything that doesn’t restrict your lungs, okay? We’re going to try and breathe together.’”

“Logan seeing George behind Alex sort of makes his heart clench up too, oh god, George is going to be so furious --- But Alex gets his attention. It takes him time before he would be able to reply, but he does hear Alex. ‘Uh…’ he will lie down. Scrambling further away from Alex, as far away into the bathroom he can get. And then he will lay down. ‘Yeah, okay. Okay.’ But god, his heart is racing so fast he feels it in his throat, like he's swallowing it down.’”

“‘Good job,’ Alex said, trying to concentrate on Logan while holding George’s hand to keep him as calm as possible. ‘Okay, now I’m going to start counting to help you calm your breathing down, please try and follow me. I’m going to tell you what to do at each step.’ 

And when Alex starts counting for Logan, George starts doing the breathing technique, too. He needs it, he needs to stop the panic before it gets stronger. Luckily Alex’s calm voice helps, as always. He hopes it’ll help Logan, too, because it breaks George’s heart to see him like that, so far away, struggling with breathing. He wishes he could hold him and tell him he loves him, too.”

And now not only Logan’s suffering but George, too. Poor Alex, one’s here, one’s there, but fortunately George can deal with it pretty well so Alex can put the focus on Logan. It’s pretty scary for George because he’s seen Logan panic a few times, they’ve gone through difficult situations together but he’s never seen him like this before.

“Alex’s got this. He’s good at this. He’s got George’s hand so he can put his thumb on George’s wrist and feel his pulse, know where he is in the panic… If he's calming down, ect. And he does calm down! Enough so that Alex doesn’t feel like he needs to monitor George anymore. 

Logan tries his best to follow the counting that Alex does, but it takes a few tries before he gets it right. He’s just worried that he’s ruined everything. The one good thing he has had in years…”

“When George starts feeling better, he starts thinking about what to say to Logan when he’s okay, too. He wants to show him that he’s loved and he has no reason to be scared of them, no matter what he says. 

‘Water,’ George whispers to Alex after a while, meaning he’ll go and get a glass of water for Logan for when he’s better. Alex nods and turns back to Logan. ‘You’re doing a great job,’ Alex says, ‘Can you feel your heart slowing down as you start breathing more regularly? Your lungs and heart work together, if you start breathing faster, your heart will also start beating faster. To help slow it down, the best thing you can do is to take some deep breaths. It’s not easy in the beginning but if you keep going, you’ll see the result. I can already see it.’

Logan closes his eyes and tries to keep doing the breathing. It slowly keeps getting easier, he can feel his heart slowing down beneath his palm as his lungs expand more easily. He can’t really speak yet but Alex tells him he doesn’t have to, he just talks to let him know he’s there and to provide an even and calming voice he can hold on to. 

‘Here’s the water,’ George says when he’s back. 

‘Thank you,’ Alex says with a soft smile on his face, proud of his boyfriend for wanting to help a minute after fighting with his own panic. ‘He’s getting better but we have to give him time. No running there and hugging, only when he’s asking for it or shows signs that he wants it. Okay?’ 

‘Okay.’”

“Logan feeling his heart slow down helps him feel like he’s going to be okay. He doesn’t feel like he's dying. He can think more clearly. Alex is helping more than he probably even realizes. 

Logan being brave enough to finally look over at Alex and make eye contact.”

“George leaves them alone because he knows it’s better for Logan to be with Alex now, he helps him more than George’s presence. 

Alex looks straight into Logan's eyes but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t talk, he just holds the glass in his hand, ready to give it to Logan when he asks for it. He’s glad Logan’s better now. 

‘Is George angry?’ is the first thing Logan asks, still lying on the ground, wanting to sit up but not having enough energy. ‘I remember him being with you but now I can’t see him…’”

“‘No, no, he’s not angry.’ Alex is quick to do some damage control on that. ‘H’'s worried about you, but there wasn’t much he could do to help you, so he’s waiting until you feel better.’ Softly smiles at Logan, gestures down at the water. ‘I can leave this in the middle of the room for you if you want it?’”

“‘I’m sorry,’ he says, taking a deep breath not to start crying again. ‘Please,’ he says when Alex mentions the water, ‘I feel thirsty. And tired.’ 

‘You don't have to apologize. We’ll talk when you’re ready,’ Alex puts the glass in the middle of the room, ‘It's normal to feel tired, panic attacks drain the energy. If you want to, you can sleep in our bed, it’d help.’ 

‘Thank you,’ Logan sits up to get the water and drinks a few sips, ‘I don't want to sleep. Not until... Until we’ve talked.’

‘We can talk now if that’s what you want,’ Alex offers. Logan nods. ‘Can... Can George come here?’ Logan asks, shyly, ‘I'm... I'm a bit scared but I want to apologize. For... For what I said. For this whole thing. For this whole day. I’m a mess today and you two have been so nice to me, helping everywhere and here I am, messing up everything because I’m stupid and can’t keep my mouth shut…’”

Logan really needs some slow, really gentle touches after some talking (for him to know that they still love him, and they love him that way, too, and they’re still the same people, they’re still safe to be close to), plus a lot of patience, love, comfort and a nice chest to snuggle to and fall asleep on. Slowly we’ll get there.

“‘I’ll bring him over, of course.’ Alex snaps to get George’s attention, and then gestures for him to come over. George would slowly make his way over, and sit next to Alex. He immediately smiles at Logan, hoping it’ll calm him a bit. 

‘Hi Logan.’ he says, and he leaves it at that. He doesn’t want to startle the poor boy after all this. Alex takes a deep breath, and gives the floor to Logan. ‘Whenever you're ready, at your own pace, okay?’”

“‘Thank you,’ Logan murmurs and waits for George to arrive. When he does, he sits in the corner of the room, far enough from Logan not to scare him. 

Logan nods to Alex and then looks at his hands on his lap, trying to find out how to start. But then he starts without any plans because he doesn’t want to make them wait for too long. 

‘I—I’d like to apologize,’ he starts and George immediately wants to cut in but Alex stops him. ‘For... For this whole day. For crying earlier, for the panic attack now, and for... For saying I love you. I—I don’t… want to apologize for… for loving you, I can’t control that. But I want to apologize for saying it. I should’ve kept it to myself. You two are in a happy monogamous relationship and I should’ve respected it. But I did not, and I’m really sorry about it and I hope that I didn’t mess up our relationship with it forever. I really hope so. Because... Because I love what we have and I don’t want you to feel like I want more and it’s not enough. It is, you make me happy, having you in my life is already more than what I imagined. I…’ he sighs and looks at George and then at Alex, ‘I don’t even know what I want to say. But I guess I just want to apologize and I hope... I hope I won’t lose you. But I understand if I’ve crossed a boundary with this. I think... I think this is all I wanted to say. Oh and thank you for the help. You’ve helped me so many times. I can’t be grateful enough. Thank you.’ 

George looks at Alex and then waits for a few seconds to see if Logan wants to add something else. When he stays silent and Alex nods, George opens his mouth and says, ‘I love you, Logan.’

It makes Logan smile. ‘You're so nice. But... For me it’s... A bit of a different kind of love. You don’t love me that way and it’s okay.’ 

‘We do, Logan,’ Alex says, ‘We love you. That way. We’ve been wanting to talk about it for some time now but we wanted to wait for the right time. We didn’t want it to have to talk about it like this, but now that we’re here, there’s no reason to keep it secret. We love you. We’re in love with you, Logan. Both of us.’”

“Logan just sort of chuckling in disbelief. ‘Right, of course you are.’ and laying back against the wall of the bathroom, hitting his head back against the wall. ‘Jesus christ, I can wake up at any moment now.’ 

And George is incessant. ‘Logan, we mean it. I know it’s probably quite a shock but it’s true. I know the timing is a bit muddled up, but…’ 

And then Logan sort of looks back over at them, studying them. Still a bit in disbelief but he swallows harshly.

‘It's not a sick joke?’ 

Alex frowning, ‘we would never do that to you, I promise.’ And then he just sort of goes boneless. Big relieved sigh. 

‘You love me? Both of you?’ 

‘Both of us,’ George confirms. And then Logan sort of laughs this breathy soft little laugh and crawls back over to them.”

“He crawls back over to them and pulls them close to himself for a group hug, trying not to cry, this time from relief. They’re in love with him. 

‘I could’ve spared this panic attack, I guess,’ he jokes as George pulls him to his chest and he closes his eyes for a moment as Alex rests his hand on Logan’s back. “Sorry about it.’”

“‘Don’t be sorry, how were you supposed to know?’ George is so soft and earnest, giving Logan the biggest hug ever. ‘I'm just sorry you had to suffer through it. I hate seeing you so scared.’ 

And it's true, seeing Logan well and truly frightened like that, it’s… It’s just awful.”

“‘Yeah,’ he sighs, ‘You’re right.’ 

‘We should go back to the bedroom, the bed is more comfortable than the ground in the bathroom.’

 ‘Can we cuddle there?’ 

‘Of course,’ George says, hinting a kiss on Logan’s hair. “You can take a nap on my chest. Or on Alex’s. Would that help?’”

Here I sent a pic of George’s hair almost forming a heart shape, and then I incorporated it in my reply:

“‘Your hair,’ Logan’s eyes light up when they sit down on the bed and he notices George’s hair, ‘It's almost— Can I?’ he asks, gesturing towards George’s hair. 

‘Of course,’ George smiles, not really knowing what to expect as he feels Logan’s hands on his hair. 

‘Now it’s perfect heart. A just had to put the ends closer,’ he explains with a satisfied smile on his face.

‘Aww,’ George pulls him closer to kiss his forehead while Alex grabs his phone to take a pic of the moment. It’s going to be his new wallpaper. George’s heart shaped hair and him kissing Logan, a moment from the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship.”

The End

And this is it, the story of the really special and beautiful relationship Logan, George and Alex have in me and my friend’s universe. ❤

Thank you so much for letting me talk about it, and if you see this here, then thank you so much for reading this. If you stayed here through a bit more than 10K words, I hope you liked reading this and getting to know these three amazing people and a few moments of their relationship. They’re really special to me. I hope there will be some people who’ll think the same because I think Logan/George/Alex is a beautiful polyam couple. 

Also, if you’re still here and still interested in this universe, me and my friend have also talked about another story in this universe where Alex gets a fever and Logan’s the one who’s at home with him and he has to deal with Alex being sick alone, for the first time since they’ve been in a relationship. It’s much shorter than this, around 2K right now in the document but it has all of our unrelated little messages, too, so it’ll be even shorter when I delete everything that’s not the story. If you’d like to read that, too, send an ask. ❤

Also, I’m open to talk about this universe, hear people’s thoughts, headcanons or anything about it. I love reading people’s thoughts about my stories so if this has given you any little idea or anything, don’t be afraid to share it with me. ❤

Have a nice day/night. ❤

[dayseternal-blog]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Bunny-senpai!!! 💕

I answered an ask similar to this one last year in March and I don't think my answers have changed...

I rewrote each blurb haha, so it's not an exact copy-paste from before.

1 “It’s No Secret” - Rated M, High School AU, Multi-chapter, Incomplete. Hinata returns to Konoha after 5 years studying abroad in the Moon Kingdom. She just wants to enjoy her last year of high school as a normal girl, but blossoming love forces her to confront her future. - My top fave. Back then, I wrote this like I was possessed. This story consumed my mind, and I was posting chapters every 1 or 2 weeks. I'm amazed at myself from back then. No, it's not my technically best writing, but I was having so much fun thinking up all kinds of scenes!!! Oh, to be a fanfic writing newbie all over again. Major love to everyone who's read this flirty teenage shenanigans mess and enjoyed it!!! One day I will write part two 🥺

2 “Nightdreams” - Rated E, Canon-Divergent AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. Naruto and Hinata find comfort in each other after the war. - This fic idea came to me sometime after I read agitosgirl's "A Special Friend," and I wanted Moooooore!!! I wanted more of this hurt/comfort dynamic between NaruHina!!!! So bam, the fic almost wrote itself, it flowed so easily (except for when it didn't). I'm so happy that people reread this fic, and then tell me that they're rereading it :D. Once in awhile I reread it, too, and think, oh, I should fix that sentence, or whatever loll, but I don't. I kind of think it's nice to leave it as it is, imperfect in little ways to bother me. Please read this fic and recognize that I was copying Katarinahime's writing techniques throughout.

3 “Awkward Jocks” - Rated G, 1990s High School AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. She knows that if he were to ever ask her out, she would accept in a heartbeat. After all, he’s the star quarterback and basketball player. Plus, she’s liked him since…forever. But when her home phone rings, and he’s on the other line, she hangs up. - It's interesting to me that even after all the fics I've written over the years, it's a few of my oldest fics that take the top 3. I guess I really have been trying to write for myself since the start. This one is based off of my ex-coworker's love story. Even though I don't work with her anymore, I still think of her as my role model for good leadership. When you read this, I hope you can feel how much I love her!

4 “About You” - Rated G, 1970s High School AU, One-shot. A summer job at the Dole pineapple cannery, graveyard shift 10 PM to 6 AM. A long bus ride into and out of town. Two teens, shy beside each other. - This is my most personal fanfic. Based on stories my parents told me and stories I found online from people of their generation, I tried to dive into their time using NaruHina. Ever since I was inspired to write after reading emmykay's "Torch Song," I had wanted to write a fic with Japanese-Hawaiian pidgin dialogue. This fic is close to my heart, but it's not higher on the list because there are inaccurate details that bother me 😅. I'm thinking of writing a fic about my great grandparents' generation one day, I've done a ton of research for it! Anyway, I'm so happy that others love this fanfic, too.

5 “Matcha” from “Shared Vows” - Rated T, Canon-Compliant, One-shot. Naruto calls Hiashi “father” for the first time. - According to my previous blurb, I picked this one because I loved how I structured it, I thought I wrote it really well. I also loved the notion of Naruto finding his own family. On deeper reflection, I think I also picked this one over "Finally Home" because I have a not-so-secret agenda for reconciliation between Hinata and Hiashi, fed by my own family's dynamic with my dad.

If I were to recommend any one of these for someone to read, I'd say they should start with Nightdreams or Matcha as an intro to some of my work since canon universe fanfic is always easier to digest.

[runawaymun]

Have you ever just stared at an idea and couldn't write it? You want to buy it's so you tailored that no one will read it, in fact your scared that people who ship the rare pair might be disappointed with it.

If so how do you deal with it because I am struggling. I lost a lot of my creative drive because I feel like no one wants to hear my stories. Has that ever happened to you?

Sorry to come in and like have a big sad in you inbox but I love your work and I always wonder if other people with such amazing work feel this way too.

Ah, nonnie, you sent this in a little while ago and I was laid flat, so I'm so sorry that it has taken me this long to reply!

But yes, this has happened to me! I think it's very natural. The only way you can get past it is by saying fuck it tbh. Write what you want to write; write what makes you happy!

I thought Stars was going to be way too hyperspecific to me. I hadn't really seen anything like it, and platonic OC & Canon Character fics as a whole rarely see any popularity, but I wrote it with my whole chest and surprisingly it resonated with a lot of people. That happened with Brimbrond (there were like, I think three people who shipped it at the time I started writing Partake), and now with my Zhongli x Baizhu fics, Genshin is such a large fandom and it is such a rarepair. Zhongli is attached to one of the most popular fics in the fandom and Baizhu is simply rarely ever written about. But I love them. And I feel that way about Dehya and Baizhu, too, and plan on writing stuff for them and making art.

Truly the only way to get past this is to write what you love. You don't even have to post it. Write what you want to read. It helps if you can find even one other person who ships the ship and likes your work, and the two of you can scream about it together. I know it really sucks when it feels like no one's reading your work. I've had flop fics myself, and it happens especially with art since people just don't reblog as much as they used to. It can be really discouraging. But you have to do it for you.

If it's really bothering you, then maybe take a step back and just don't post anything. You don't have to post it at all. Write it without posting. Let it be Bad, even. Put your whole chest into it, write whatever tropes you want, skip around. If you're bored then don't write it. If you aren't having fun, don't write it. Skip all the uninteresting parts and just write the shippy nonsense you want to read.

I guess what I keep wanting to say and keep repeating ad nauseam is that you really, really cannot be writing for others. Again, believe me, I know it's disheartening when something flops and you feel like no one wants to read your work, but that's where you have to decide that you're going to write for you.

And if you're burnt out and absolutely nothing is fun, then take a step back and just read. Like, fanfic sure, but I mean a physical book. It'll exfoliate your brain. Read for fun. If you aren't enjoying the book then don't be afraid to DNF it. Play a good story-based video game if that's your thing. Watch a show or a movie and really pay attention to it. When I'm lacking inspiration and everything Feels Bad sometimes I just need to get some input. As it was described to me years ago: your writing brain is like a well. You have to pour good stuff into it. Nothing is written in a vacuum, and if you're struggling to make anything come out it may be because your well is empty, and you just need to top it up a bit.

Anyway, yeah. Enjoy some good fiction. Kill the critic inside your head. Write for you. I am pretty much terrified 100% of the time when I am writing and posting that it won't be good, it'll flop, no one will like it, etc. etc. But you absolutely cannot let that paralyze you into not creating. Don't let the critic in your head win. Tell yourself it doesn't have to be good. Repeat that over and over. It's okay if it's bad. It's okay if it's bad. No one even has to see it.

Plus, when it comes to rough drafts --- accept that it is going to be bad. You are just shoveling sand into a box to build castles with later.

If you want to post, please try to remember that it is a gift to the community. It is a privilege that we get to read other people's work. For FREE. For FUN. And make friends doing it! You do not owe anyone anything. At risk of sounding like a broken record: please, please, please write for you and no one else. If you choose to share it that is up to you, and the rest of us say fucking thank you. The inner critic never goes away. That fear never goes away. I'm so serious. But it's fake. It's so fake. It doesn't matter. Imagine it in a silly, stupid little voice (mine sounds like a whiny kylo ren or sometimes like Donald Trump, and then it's easy to dispel). Tell it to shut up. If it's like 'this is awful' then say 'that's okay. I'm having fun', and if it's like 'no one will read it,' then say 'that's okay, i'm writing it for me,' and then write what you want to write, because you like it and want to read it. Fuck it you ball.

[im-a-goddamn-cat]

I found your post "sorry (not) sorry" where you talk about asexuality and aces who say they love sex etc.

That post ended up on my "for you" and I'm glad it did. I wrote a reply in that post but I was typing too quickly and it was a mess. So I deleted it and decided to write a message instead.

I have to say that I agree with your post 100% and it's quite sad that your opinion is "problematic" in ace community.

Can aces have sex? Yes. Some say they do it solely to please their partners, which sounds very RAPEY. It's interesting how little we hear about the allosexual individuals, who might masturbate instead of having sex with their asexual partners.

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is obsessed with labels and twisting words to fit their own narrative. I'm not against labels, just use labels that fit you. A lot of times I feel like allos just use asexual label so they can preach how they love sex & they can show aces that they can love sex too like every other "normal" person.

Sometimes when I see someone talking how they never want sex or that they are sex repulsed there always have to be some "ace" that screams BUT DON'T FORGET ACES LOVE SEX TOO! WE LOVE KINK! WE LOVE FUCKING!!!

It feels like you're being erased, but erased by someone who's not even asexual.

I come to ace tags a lot, because I would like to follow some people, (also I come to the tags a lot so I can block bots that started spamming the tags) but it's always the same story. I see people who say they are ace but they also say things that show me that they are pretty much allos. It's sad because these people made me avoid ace spaces... because it really feels like 60% of them are allos who just use ace label. 30% are aces who don't want to be rude and they're like "all are welcome, all can use ace label!!! No one can tell you that you're not ace" and then 10% people just don't say a word because they don't want drama.

This is why people won't take us seriously because a lot of people who don't know much about asexuality hear just "I'm ace but I still love and enjoy sex!. And this is why some people think being celibate and being asexual is the same thing.

Sorry for a long message & my rant but it's RARE that someone who's ace actually say things you said in that post out loud... and it's refreshing to see that.

I don't really know how much we have in common but I will follow you just so I can read more of your ace posts in the future. Because I really need that.

thank you so much for sending this message, i'm really glad that my post resonated with you. and i agree with everything you said. it's awful that the asexual label/community has been overtaken by this narrative that aces can have sex even tho it's just false. it's actually pretty scary bc, like you said, it sounds so rapey. you rarely hear ppl adovacting for allos to have sex just to please their partner or for allos to have sex with ppl they aren't attracted to bc everyone recognizes how disgusting that is, but for some reason, ppl think it's normal and okay to do this to ace ppl.

i hate being one of those ppl who tries to tell others what their identity is but i truly do feel like ppl who claim that their ace but still want/enjoy sex aren't actually ace, they're allosexual who decided to call themself ace for some reason. asexual ppl do not experience sexual attraction so they would not be seeking out sex with ppl nor would they enjoy it. if someone claims they enjoy sex despite being ace, i feel like there's a good chance that they're not actually ace.

i've also seen the argument that "asexuality is a spectrum" for why aces can have sex but i'm gonna be honest, it seems more like it's allosexuality that is the spectrum; there's only one way to not experience sexual attraction (asexual) but there's many different ways to experience sexual attraction and there's nothing wrong with that but it doesn't mean you're asexual. if you experience sexual attraction, you're not asexual.

i've also seen ppl get harassed for saying that they're asexual which means they don't want to have sex and/or dislike sexual content and i've experienced that myself. i've made posts just talking about my own sexuality and have had multiple ppl who jumped in to try "correcting" me by telling me that aces can have sex, which again is false, and it just shows how creepy this attitude is bc why do ppl always feel the need to try forcing this mindset onto any actual asexual person they come across? it really feels like ppl are just trying to pressure ace ppl into forcing themselves to conform to allosexual society's standards.

anyways, i think you hit the nail right on the head, you're so right about everything. it seems that even the ace community has been overtaken by a compulsory sexuality and rape culture mindset and it's so sad. this is supposed to be a community for ppl to celebrate and bond over their identity and yet you have so many ppl either trying to coerce asexual ppl into having sex and/or ppl who aren't even asexual who are claiming the label and twisting it for their own weird narrative.

thank you so much again. 💕 ik it sucks and it makes me sad and angry that ppl do this awful stuff too but always remember that there is nothing wrong with who we are and that we should try to stay positive and fight against ppl's acephobia as much as possible. 💕

[imaginethathaikyuu]

literally anything with atsumu i love him and ur writing is always up to par so. i will be happy with anything. but a cute birthday themed piece could be fun perhaps

thank u so much i wrote this specifically for u and i managed to write a weirdly formatted atsumu centered fic that barely went over 1k words. we are so back

contains: fluff, mild childhood angst, a black eye, birthday cake word count: 1163 gender neutral reader x miya atsumu :p

-

October 5th, 1995 

Atsumu Miya is born. He’s gifted a bright flash of light, the sound of his own cries, and - seven minutes later - a brother. 

October 5th, 2003

There was a HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner taped to the cabinets in the kitchen. The R was ripped nearly in half, and the colors were dull. 

It was the same one as last year, and the year before that. 

Atsumu walked through the threshold with his brother right next to him. Osamu knew how to say thank you in the right way to get the best hug from their mom. 

They were presented with one singular cupcake. 

“Why can’t we ever get our own?” 

The two boys sat too close at the kitchen table, the strawberry cake sat right in front of them. 

“You have to learn how to share, Atsumu.” 

He knew how to share. There was nothing left to learn.

One candle was mashed in the frosting. Mom lit the flame and Atsumu watched wax dripping onto his half as she sang their happy birthday song, and told them to make a wish. 

Atsumu and Osamu looked at each other, then blew at the candle at the exact same time. 

The cupcake was cut in half, and Atsumu’s stomach hurt before he could finish his. Osamu took it without being asked. 

But if they had each gotten their own, Atsumu would've had more to share with his brother. 

October 5th, 2010

Atsumu was fifteen and he knew everything. He was always right - never, ever wrong, and if anyone disagreed, they’d have to take it up directly with him. 

He knew how to run his mouth. Maybe it was what he was best at. He’d never lost an argument - until his fifteenth birthday. 

He’d gotten good at taking his aggression out in healthy ways - mostly in sports. But, sometimes, the words he spit couldn’t be left on the court. 

He would say what he wanted, and he didn’t care who heard or hurt. 

He didn’t know what he had coming to him. 

The entire team had already abandoned the gym, all but Atsumu and the shitty middle blocker who played like he didn’t know his position. 

Atsumu was outside stretching when his words hit his ears. “You’re a piece of shit, Miya.” 

“Oh my god - get in line, dude, you’re about the fifth person today to let me know.” 

“That many people wanna rip your head off? I wish one of them would teach you how to shut the fuck up.” 

“And I wish someone would teach you how to block the fuckin’ ball.” 

The guy didn’t reply. He took one step in Atsumu’s direction - he remembered hearing the crunch of gravel under the guy's foot. His shoulder moved with the step, and with it, the first real punch Atsumu had ever been thrown. 

And it hit. Hard. Ten times harder than any hits from Osamu. 

The guy’s fist collided with Atsumu’s cheek and then he walked away. Atsumu didn’t even have a chance to hit back - he was frozen in place, anyway. There was no fight in him. He was too surprised. 

A black eye wasn’t on his wishlist for his birthday, but it’s what he got. A lesson learned? Not so much. 

October 5th, 2019

He was another year older - so what. 

The only part of Atsumu’s birthday that he liked was giving his brother a stupidly expensive gift, because it gave him an excuse to gloat. 

Other than that? It was a day like any other. 

Birthdays were nowhere near special to him - especially his own. But it just so happened that on that specific birthday, he had his first date with you. 

And it didn’t even come up in conversation. Neither did his twin brother, or any of his volleyball stories he’d usually tell to impress a date. 

Atsumu found out that he didn’t need to impress you, and he hardly needed to talk about himself. 

He left that date feeling like he was friends with you, and maybe that wasn’t how he should feel after a date, but he was beaming. The hours with you at that hole in the wall bar didn’t feel like enough. 

He took that feeling and ran with it, and he hoped - he prayed - you’d follow him. 

October 5th, 2022

It’d been late nights for as long as Atsumu could remember. He’d come home and you’d already be in bed - if he was lucky, you’d wake up just long enough to tell him you love him. 

That night was different from the rest. 

That night, he would be coming home to - literally - an empty home. 

Finally, you and Atsumu had moved into the house of your dreams that was yours. But, for the time being, you were living out of boxes and waiting for furniture deliveries. 

He opened the door to a dark living room and an even darker hallway, and he didn’t bother turning any on lights to get to the kitchen. 

There was a shred of light there, coming from an old bulb above the stove. He looked around the empty room and what he found was out of place. 

There you were, sat on the floor. A chair was next to you, funnily enough, but it was taken by a round white cake. A handful of candles were stuck into the top. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, the same time you spoke. 

“There’s my birthday boy,” and your voice was all sleepy smiles. “Happy birthday. Happy anniversary.” 

He sat in front of you, right on the floor, not caring when his knees popped on the way down. 

“Did you stay up just to tell me that?” 

“What’s wrong with that?” 

You picked up the cake and presented it to him like you were proud of it, and the size of his grin matched yours. 

“How mad would you be if I just tipped this up,” and he tapped the bottom of the plate, “right into your face?” 

“Atsumu.” Every time you said his name like that, he laughed. “I would kill you.”

“On my birthday?” 

He watched you pout as you sat the cake down again. “Aren’t you going to say thank you?” 

“Thank you,” he said, like he was insisting. He wrapped his hands around your legs and scooted you closer to him. “Thank you, baby, this is so nice.” 

You hummed. “You’re welcome.” And you dipped your finger in the frosting on the cake, and Atsumu immediately caught your wrist when you moved it toward his face. 

“Don’t you dare.” 

You kept pushing, and he didn’t push back fast enough - your finger and the glob of frosting smushed right into his cheek. 

And you laughed loud enough to fill the empty rooms of your house, and Atsumu didn’t know how to tell you how in love he was. 

He had birthday cake for dinner that night, and it settled into a sugary stomach ache. It was the best October 5th he'd lived through so far.

-

got a request for a drabble? send it in, i might write it :)  

[klausinamarink]

writers 20 questions

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

45 at the moment! I have a few more wips to post on the way so the number is going to go higher

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

130,657

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Stranger Things. I’m looking to branch to other fandoms though like The Locked Tomb in the future

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Standup, You’re Never Too Much, Recapturing the Sunset, Just Another Flesh Wound, One Kid Gone, Another Up and Vanished

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes!! But not always as sometimes I immediately forget to reply and when I do, it’s a few weeks or a month later skkshdk forgive me

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Biting Back in Anger. It’s Eddie having a bad day and blowing up at Steve, who leaves trying not to cry :)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhhh most of my fics have happy endings but I think I can nominate The Tinsel Tradition. It has Steve, Eddie, and Robin building a home together in NYC, healed and happy in every queer way!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

nope, thank god

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I’ve been writing more smut recently and exploring some areas. I’m honestly gotten more comfortable though it’s still a challenge to get the right words without coming off as awkward lmao. but that’s Phil’s (@theheadlessphilosopher) job 🫶💜

10. Do you write crossovers?

I’m more of a fusion au writer who borrows the setting and elements and places my blorbos in there than a straight-up crossover. Unless that counts as a crossover? Those two terms are kinds confusing sometimes..

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

There are a couple folks who played around this idea with me but nothing concrete. Though I guess Phil’s beta work can count because he writes better lines and scenarios than me

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

You’re asking me, a Steddie blog—

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

oof. I have a TLOU steddie wip based on resande’s sketches, but it’s looking unlikely to be done because the person looking it as my beta reader over got busy with other things and I’ve lost the writing juice 😔

16. What are your writing strengths?

Many people tell me that I am very visceral with my descriptions, esp with horror, and setting the tension is top-notch 🥰 (I am a freak who loves gore and blood tehehehehe)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have too many ideas and a problem to actually write what I want that it comes off as juvenile to me. I also have a tendency to gloss over the editing of my fic which I’m trying to break out of.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I honestly don’t mind it at all. However, I do get taken right out of the story if the language is written literally (like kanji for Japanese, Cyrillic for Russian, etc.) and not romanized when the character is speaking because that’s not how it works

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Warrior Cats. We all started our writing careers from that series at some point in middle school lol

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Noooo, I can’t pick favourites- I love them all equally. But FINE, I’ll say it would be When Life Gives You Pickles, Make It Into Soup. I wrote this as mostly self-indulgent because I LOVE pickle soup and is the best comfort food of all time. I think anyone making soup in general for their significant other if PEAK relationship goals because who doesn’t love soup?? Of course I had to Steddie-ify it

thanks to Devon for tagging me! Tagging others with no pressure: @thefreakandthehair @pearynice @3minsover @penny00dreadful @chaosgremlinmunson

@cranberrymoons @dies-somniator

[mrsbsmooth]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @rebelrayne! @longbobmckenzie tagged me in the body of hers too so I’ll take it.

How many works do you have on ao3?

82 right now, but I’ve orphaned a few recently

What’s your total ao3 word count?

1,220,982. I’ve got about another 30-40k words in WIP documents right now, so almost one-amd-a-quarter million words 😨

What fandoms do you write for?

Love Island the Game, Too Hot to Handle game, Harry Potter (Dramione exclusive), Romance Club (Heaven’s Secret)

Top five fics by Kudos

Tell Me What You Want (HP)

This Time, I’m Serious

Jaded

Unhealthy

Kinktober 2022

TIL that my Harry Potter fic has overtaken TTIS even though TTIS has more hits.

Do you respond to comments?

Yes! There were a few on TTIS I missed that it would be awkward to reply to because it was so long ago, but I make a point of trying to reply to every comment.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The only sad ending I’ve ever written was the first chapter of Jaded which was originally done as a oneshot.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Welcome To Racers. They got the whole shebang. Love me a happily ever after.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not recently. I’ve had hate for my portrayals of Alex, Lucas, and Suresh. But I haven’t had any nasty anon comments in ages which is lovely.

Do you write smut?

Yeah it's kinda my thing.

Craziest crossover:

I don’t know if I’ve done many crossovers… maybe Bruno and Miri Make a Porno or All I Want for Christmas is You which is a hetero take on Red White and Royal blue?

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I think I would probably die of happiness.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I HAVE! All’s Fair in Casa Amor was written with my beautiful friends @i-boop-you and @crimswnred !!!!!!

All time favourite ship?

Dramione (new fave) but for LITG? Hard question because our fandom is so built around an MC. But with two canon characters? I secretly love a Bruno/Valentina. Also love Hope/Lucas. They just WORK.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

It’s gotta be Recovery. I have the whole thing planned in my head but I just have no motivation to write it at all. Other than that, I don’t see myself finishing Famous Last Words any time soon. If I was going to finish it I’d take it down and rewrite it to make it fully OF.

What are your writing strengths?

Smut probably, I’m not bad at it. I feel like my narrative pacing is alright, and my prose is decent despite it being really inconsistent.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I rely too much on dialogue. I miss all the little body language bits leading up to an important line that could take it from an ‘aww that’s sad’ to a ‘holy fuck I’m sobbing’. Luckily I have wonderful beta’s who help me with this.

But more than anything, characterisation. Forming a fully fleshed out character before I start the story. I struggle with it. I’ve always felt like I’m more of a storyteller, (a plot person) more than a deep dive into a character’s psyche kind of person. I love reading character driven stories though, but I think it’s something that comes with writing experience. I haven’t actually been writing for that long and I think I’m getting better at it, but it’s still a weak point.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I sometimes forget that people don’t like this. I LOVE it. I do try and use it sparingly though. It’s so nice to see a character conversing with someone in their native language. I try and put the English dialogue in brackets or italics unless it's rather clear what they're saying (like swearing).

First fandom you wrote in?

LITG

Favourite fic you've written?

I, like Sarah, absolutely hate this question. My fics are my children. I like some of them more than others, though (I never claimed to be the world's best mother). But I love them for different reasons.

I love Welcome to Racers because it was my first AU. I loved The Only Two Things because I got to create an entire world, an entire city for my characters (Yes I'm aware Waterford, Ireland is a real place but God, I loved that story so much). TT,IS was the first fic I started and it gave me the friends I have today and the amount of people who tell me it's S4 canon just makes my whole life. Jaded was something different. It was a challenge to myself and I'm so proud of it. Unhealthy has been the most difficult to write, but it's also pushed me the hardest in my development of characters. FLW has been so much fun because I get to dive back into my music roots, urghhhhhh. Love.

I don't care if it's narcissistic. I re-read my fics on a regular basis. They're perfectly tailored to my taste. I love doing a nice re-read and sprinkling in a few extra details with liberal use of the edit button. If there was someone who knew my fics as well as I did, they'd get something a little bit different on every read. Might just be a line or two, might be a thought or a reaction, but I love to add and tweak and tinker with them all.

Love.

tagging: @i-boop-you @crimswnred @ellegreenwxy @tammyisobsessedwith @operationnope @sparxaf @eskiix

[klunkcat]

tagged by @goodlucktai <3333

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

45 lol but i have I think. 30 wips that exist somewhere on my computer at any given moment. alas.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

701,032

which..... is like far too many words per fic actually imo

3. What fandoms do you write for?

honestly whatever currently grabs my brain stem changes a lot but i think my top ones are tmnt and stranger things (what a wild combo actually). Actively atm I have a trigun wip and a tmnt one

4. Top five fics by kudos?

A Kiss is a Kiss (But it's never like this) - 6,528

(something happens and I'm) head over heels - 3,518

Green with Envy - 1,880

Forget the mess I'm in - 1,791

Weak Point - 1,366

5. Do you respond to comments?

literally I am the WORST for remembering to reply I'm so sorry. I must say that I do read all of them in my email and screenshot them and cry

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

angsty endings are too much 4 me I believe so strongly in hurt/comfort but....

Impossible Things and the Tin Can I think is the most like, conceptually tragic series I've written

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Comfort is a requirement but I think but like Stepping over the line is basically just an extended meet cute so nothing really sad happens at all lol?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Actually genuinely have never gotten a rude comment in my life I did once get someone being hyper pushy about new chaps when I was like.... 19? Sometimes comments veer I think towards misunderstanding unreliable narrator elements and can be a little intense as a result

9. Do you write smut?

ehhhhhh closest I've ever gotten was dancing around the topic lol

10. Craziest crossover?

omg me and tai have gone down some rabbit holes and made a tangled/good omens fusion among other things, which was cute 2 me

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've gotten some requests, not sure if they got uploaded anywhere?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I did once many years ago but we didn't end up finishing it from what I remember!

14. All time favourite ship?

oh god I mean. ineffable husbands and wangxian invented romance. big mckirk and vashwood fan despite what my published fics would tell you. stsg ruined my life this year. I'm really big on platonic friendships though personally

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My google docs are a cesspit of fics I will never finish. Once made a wangxian softball fic that will never see the light of day but I think of it fondly

16. What are your writing strengths?

Might actually be a weakness and not a strength but boy do I love prosey metaphor nonsense. Sometimes I think it works other times who's 2 say.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Fighting scenes man, combat is hard as hell.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

in general I dooooon't write it too much just because I don't speak anything beyond like. grade 2 level spanish so.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

tmnt :' )

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Oh tricky. Stealing tai's idea of a top 5

Forget-Me-Nots - :') big ol love u to tai for this

Both the Sweet and the Bitter - so sorry to anyone who follows me for ST fics because I'm probably never going to write for it ever again or finish this but a dear friend of mine helped me with this story and it means a lot 2 me as a result. The flower metaphors were fun to research.

Plain White Beach Houses - also same as the above but idk pacific rim au....house metaphors.... I love this series a lot

change up, high inside - wanted to write a softball fic for my whole life basically and this is more or less me just waxing poetic about the sport if I'm honest

Feedback Loop - this fic was actually insane like. took me I think a full year to write out? There's a lot of stuff in this that I lol cannot reread anymore for reasons but damn if it wasn't a learning experience to write all around

Tagging @eternalglitch @byrdybyrd02 @jinbugs if u want to besties!

[jiliansky-blog]

I will find my way back to you. Chapter 4. Visits to the Dreaming

Pairing: Morpheus x FemaleReader

Rating: PG

Words: 1570

“You’re shining and lost in thoughts,” Miranda noticed. “What is happening to you?”

“I saw him again in his castle,” you smiled. “She made me a place in his library. And he was very sad and told me his story.”

“You’re falling for him,” she admitted finally.

“What? No, don’t say stupid things,” you replied, blushing.

“But it’s not stupid things,” Miranda said. “I know you look when you’re in love.”

“That’s impossible,” you sighed. “He is the god of dreams, and their laws forbid such relationships. Besides, I’m not sure if he feels the same.”

“And he is your imagination,” she remarked.

“He is not,” you objected it. “I know it!”

You appeared in the Dreaming in a few days. Morpheus met you in his throne room for the last time. And he even smiled a little.

“How is your book?” he asked.

“Good,” you smiled. “You are a good inspiration. And how are you?”

“I am,” he said, looking confused after such a simple question.

“Don’t tell me anyone asked you this before,” you said.

“No, my friend Hob Gadling asked, and my sister,” he said. “It’s just…I don’t know what to answer. I’m fine, I suppose.”

“Alright,” you smiled. “I met Lucienne the last time. She is nice.”

“Yes, she is a great librarian and adviser,” Morpheus replied.

“You should be great to know such a big library so well,” you admitted.

“She was a raven once,” he replied.

“Oh, so you can change forms,” you said.

“They call me Shaper of forms,” he smiled. “But I change my ravens, dreams and nightmares. Not everything or everyone.”

“Oh,” you said.

“And ravens were once humans,” he continued. “When they were alive.”

“So are you saying that they became ravens after the death?” you asked.

“Indeed,” he nodded. “If they die in their sleep and choose to stay here instead of going to the sunless lands of my sister.”

“So, your sister...” you said. “Death?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Can I ask something?”

“Of course,” you replied.

“You were waiting for me,” Morpheus said. “While I was...Why?”

“Well, you don’t meet beautiful strangers in your dreams every day,” you smiled. “Sometimes it felt more real than my real life.”

“You, people, think that your life is a real one,” Morpheus smirked. “But life in the Dreaming as real as in the Wake world.”

“My friend wouldn’t agree with you,” you admitted. “She still thinks that our meetings, and you, are not real.”

“Did you tell her about us?” he frowned.

You knew that he meant different thing, but you still blushed after the word “us”.

“Not everything,” you replied. “She thinks it’s my imagination anyway. And I didn’t try to reassure her.”

“Good,” he agreed suddenly. “She doesn’t have questions in this case. Keep her thinking that I am not real.”

“Alright,” you agreed.

“I can show you around,” Morpheus offered. “Or maybe you prefer to stay in the library?”

“I would love to look around,” you smiled.

And he led you through corridors and outside the castle. Everything was beautiful. You saw the river with a stone bridge, held by a giant stone hand. And in the distance, there are some cozy houses.

“That’s incredible,” you whispered.

“Thank you,” he said. And smiled.

It’s amazing how a smile can change someone’s face. He became more beautiful, warmer, and younger. Completely different person.

“Did you change your story?” he asked suddenly. “After what I’ve told you?”

“Not much,” you replied. “I wrote about the prince who was lost and unlucky to be caught. Until the girl came and helped him.”

“Oh?” he smirked.

“She couldn’t immediately get him out of his cage,” you continued. “But she could keep him company. So she came every day there and talked to him.”

“I didn’t come to you every day,” he admitted.

“But I wish you could,” you said. “I can only imagine how lonely you were. And I wanted to help you.”

“You are helping now,” he said quietly.

“Are you lonely even now?” you said, surprised.

His eyes darkened, and he pouted, like when he gets offended. But then he sighed.

“Yes,” he said. “Sometimes.”

“Then I’m glad that I can help you,” you smiled.

“And still I’m afraid to get attached,” he admitted.

“Why?” you asked.

“I hurt everyone I love,” Morpheus replied. “Perhaps it would be a gift if I wouldn't let you stay here and then be hurt.”

“You didn’t hurt me,” you admitted.

“Yet,” he says, shaking his head. “You can ask Calliope.”

“We are not our past,” you said. “I don’t want to believe that all you can do to us. Look around; you created all the beautiful stuff. You can change. You can act different.”

“You are giving me too much credit,” he sighed.

“Perhaps you deserve kindness in your life,” you smiled.

“Perhaps not,” he admitted. “Everyone said that I’m terrible and that I deserve to die. Why do you say different?”

“Because I don’t see a terrible person,” you replied. “I see a lonely and hurt person who tried to hide his own wounds behind a cold attitude.”

He didn’t say anything. But then I felt like waking up, and the dream was over.

You hoped that Morpheus would invite you to the dream as soon as possible. And you tried to avoid talking much about him in front of Miranda. She was still skeptical about him being real and could warn you about your feelings.

But one time, Calliope visits you. Perhaps, she saw the change of narration in your story. She joined in the café as before.

“You met him,” she admitted.

“I didn’t look for him,” you said. “He found me. And we talked. Everything is fine.”

“Yes, he changed,” she nodded. “He is not as arrogant as before.”

“And you still warned me against him,” you said.

“It’s still dangerous for me to be with you,” she replied. “If you get attached to him. And you're already attached to him.”

“Perhaps,” you said. “But nothing happened. Can I ask something?”

“What?” she tensed immediately.

“He said that he hurt you, and I can ask you,” you said.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Calliope frowned. “He just became distant; go back to his work. He can be cold and say some cruel things to you. And then... our son. He couldn’t save him or stop him.”

That was something for the woman who didn’t want to talk about it.

“He regrets his choices,” you replied. “I think that perhaps he couldn’t be any different. He didn’t know how to.”

“And he didn’t want to change,” the muse admitted.

“Perhaps he believes that he can’t,” you replied.

“I know, though, that he can be charming, kind, and generous,” she said. “He is a gentle and attentive lover. But still, you shouldn’t begin love affair with him or your world will die.”

“That’s pretty cruel,” you sighed, shocked. “But I doubt that he is interested in me. I am just a mortal, after all.”

“She invited you,” she admitted. “I didn’t remember him doing that with any other mortal girl.”

“He is just grateful,” you shrugged.

“I hope you are right,” she replied. “For your own good.”

You have met with him a few more times. And each time, he has shown you different parts of his world. And you found out that he is willing to discuss your books or stories. And it was interesting to listen to his point of view.

Also, you got to know his raven, Matthew. He was quite chatty and was glad that he talks to humans.

“He changed after your meetings,” he told you once, when Morpheus left to do his work.

“How so?” you asked.

“He is gentler, calmer,” he said. “And I believe that he loves your meetings. Poor fellow is starving for simple communication.”

“Don’t let him hear you,” you smirked. “But do you really think so?”

“Yes, he wouldn’t show you everything himself if that wasn’t the case,” the raven replied. “He just doesn’t know how to show emotions.”

“He can be very sweet sometimes, though,” you noticed.

“I suppose so,” he replied.

Morpheus

I got used to this girl in the Dreaming. She still wanted to see me, as I was one of her friends. She wanted to know my opinion on different things. I forgot how good it is just to talk to someone. Perhaps, I should talk to Hob Gadling more too.

“My lord,” I heard Lucienne’s voice.

“Yes?” I asked in return.

“What do you think of Y\N?” she asked.

“She is...nice, I suppose,” I replied. “Or what people say in this situation. But I need to admit that I love to talk to her.”

“She is mortal, though,” Lucienne said. “You need to be more careful, my lord.”

“Don’t remind me,” I frowned. That reminding was like cold water.

“I like that girl too,” she continued. “But she started falling for you. You both need to be more careful.”

“I don’t understand,” I sighed. “I don’t give her any kind of romantic affection. Just my presence and allowance to the Dreaming”.

“Perhaps it’s enough,” she said. “Not everyone is going to wait stars from the sky.”

“Perhaps,” I agreed.

Still it was something wonderful in the fact that someone can love just because I let her stay next to me in my home. Or just talk without courting.

“I will consider your words, Lucienne,” I said anyway. “Thank you.”

@shadowqueen1318 @mypsychoticlove @justathirstyhoe​ @ladymoztaza @sapphireonline @deniixlovezelda

[rweoutofthewoods]

hey,

just saw the ask about someone discussing ur characterisation of James in young blood and how they thought he wasn’t a ‘baddie’ and that he was ‘not cool’ (btw this isn’t like hate to the person who asked this or anything incase u reply to this publicly and they see this, ik they said they don’t mean it as hate, I’m just saying what I was thinking cause I think the difference is interesting I guess🫣 so all love!!! ANYWAYS.)

I just thought it was interesting cause I did not get that vibe at all from James in the story. What I got from it was that James was actually cool in juvie, in a lowkey probably a little shit, who is funny and annoyingly endearing kinda way. I also thought he was a ‘badass’ in his own kinda way. But I don’t rlly think ‘badass’ is the best way to describe him in this fic tho, i think it’s more he is very capable and able at holding his own but he’s not like some intimidating, cool and mysterious typical badass (I’ve written this word too many times I hate it now😔) like what I feel Regulus is more like. And I also did get the impression he was a ‘bad kid’ but in a more ‘ I was a good kid and I’m a good kid in my core but something shit happened to me so now I’m acting out and doing bad things cause I don’t know how to properly deal with what’s happened to me , people expect it of me and this is my coping mechanism plus the whole getting myself hurt makes me feel better in a way kinda way (that doesn’t make sense I don’t think BUT WE MOVE) and he doesn’t come across as supposed to have been some teen who was out here doing all this mega bad boy (ew I don’t like that phrase but I’m using it anyways) crimes, but more like enough to get u in juvie ones and be significantly concerning. I could ramble more cause that fat ass paragraph doesn’t even fully express what I got from the way u wrote James. But just overall I think it’s interesting how ppl can get different things out of the same piece of writing. Also sorry if what I interpreted it as, is not what you were looking for, it probs did come across the way u wanted I’m just shit at explaining well and concisely lol.

ALSO (sorry if u hate me for this 10k essay oopsies) the thing about u worrying that James seems OOC but saying he’s not, ur just portraying the effects of childhood. I PERSONALLY DID NOT READ IT AND THINK HE WAS OOC, PLEASE DO NOT STRESS ABOUT IT UR WRITING IS FABULOUS AND IM VERY MUCH GETTING WHAT UR PUTTING ACROSS. Like u can tell by the way James acts with his friends and his internal monologue that he would be what some people more typically see James as, but it’s his trauma which is preventing him from properly being so. Like it’s just this road block. AND EVEN IF HE DOES GET OOC ITS REALISTIC WHO CARES, ILL FIGHT ANYONE WHO DOES, ITS UR FIC(unless you care then I apologise queen) but it’s so realistic like I went through a rlly shitty thing in my early teenage years and personally I think I’m a completely different person cause of it, and it’s interesting to read the way James changes because of what happens to him. Personally, I rlly like the way u write James (omd especially in EOITV I just want to gush over that fic for a second, it’s chefs kiss I love it so much, thank you for creating it, your mind is a wonderful place) I like how he can be a bit more messy, it’s interesting (also that reminds me another reason why I don’t think he’s spineless in young blood, cause he had a go at Regulus when they were fighting and I was like YEAH I KNOW U CAN SAY UNFAIR THINGS BUT ALSO STANDING UP FOR URSELF AND ACTING OUT AND NOT BEING PERFECT YAY, cause sometimes I do see James written in situations like that where he just takes it (nothing wrong with that I just personally prefer where he can gives just as good as he gets sometimes!:)))).

I need to stfu this is way to long, I’m actually embarrassed and scared u think I’m like some obsessed weirdo, I’m not I promise, it’s just 2:30 am and the most common feedback I get on school essays is ‘stop the waffle’. So long ass pieces of writing tend to be a bit too familiar with me 😔

okay last bit I promise, but THE AMOUNT OF NEW FICS U HAVE AND THE RATE U BANG THEM OUT?!?!, whenever I come to your blog and see a post about a new fic, I’m like wow your insane but in the best way possible cause how is this possible?! How are you able to do this?! This is so impressive ?!😭 Cause ur fics r to such a good writing standard and each one is so unique and different to each other, I run around my room in excitement each time u post a new chapter.

I could go on but I won’t because the fear of appearing a tinsy bit insane is real and idk if this is overwhelming, but yeha sorry, my waffling tendencies can be my downfall 😭

but uhhhhh Yeha overall, your writing and ability to write is very impressive, bye 😗😁

Hello!! I can’t answer you privately bc ur anon so I’ll start by saying: that ask? No lingering thoughts or feelings about it whatsoever and this reply is not even going to be about that, just what you’ve said. I can’t imagine how much time it took you to write all that because it takes me FOREVER to write replies to asks, so I appreciate your time and ofc have to write you a response because I’m honored <33

Just on the subject on Youngblood James. You put it perfectly and I think I said this in my end notes vaguely—childhood trauma changes EVERYTHING. Exactly as you said, I myself had a pretty shitty childhood and I think I’d be an entirely different person if I’d grown up differently. I got BPD out of it (😭) and Youngblood James got some pretty fucked up mental health and coping skills. And it was my hope that seeing James thru Reg’s POV and seeing his relationship with his friends etc. that you’d be able to see there’s still some of that James Potter we know and love, BUT part of James’ canon character (or fanon idk) is that he grew up comfortably, privileged, with two loving parents, getting whatever he wanted. We see it in canon with how cocky and in need of some humbling he was, and Youngblood James got way more than humbled, his life got blown to bits and while he was very, very, young. Before he even would have been Hogwarts age in canon. SO, I don’t think he’s OOC at all, I think he’s exactly who he’d be if those things happened to him. And I put a lot of thought into his character and his actions. So me fearing him seeming OOC is really just that I can put things out into the world but I never have any idea how it will be taken or if my intentions will be realized.

I didn’t intend for him to be badass at all because like… James’ crimes were all really in efforts to self-destruct. Him fighting people he did because he wanted to be hurt. Stealing a car? Well… we know by now how that ended. I also will note I didn’t intend reg to be badass either (tho maybe his character naturally is a little bit) because Youngblood isn’t about that, or how cool it is to commit crimes. it’s about how fucked up the system is, how childhood trauma lingers, how we need to do more to support and help kids in need instead of writing them off. So many kids act out or get in trouble because of much deeper reasons than them just wanting to cause trouble. And I say this as someone who was a kid who acted out, and who also recently as a more straight and narrow adult now, had their car fucking vandalized and literally SHOT AT by a bunch of kids. But I can look at those kids in real life, in my town, and I know the families they come from, I know there’s things going on behind closed doors. And yeah, was I pissed? Ofc, actually I was pretty devastated. I worked 7 days a week to buy that car and it was my first. there being reasons doesn’t make their actions okay, but I can also see that here in real life, children are being failed when they’ve barely had a chance at life yet. And Youngblood is really my attempt to humanize these issues and draw light to how we may be failing children. ANYWAY there was my long winded rant. I lost the plot a bit tbh but I could go on about Youngblood 😭

So in short, James in my opinion is not OOC, and ur right he is not weak either, because trauma and mental health issues doesn’t equate to weak. I think you exactly hit the nail on the head and it’s always appreciated when I feel like someone really gets my characters. My James is my James, and he’ll always be so special to me, every single version, because no matter what universe I throw him in, I always know exactly who he is and what makes him that way.

This is so long, I don’t really expect anyone to read this but you (hopefully), but this is just for you anyway <33 I appreciate all your kind words and interesting thoughts and I love how you said it’s interesting that ppl can read the same thing and get something different out of it. Because the amount of times I’ve written something and realized ppl got something entirely different than I’d expect honestly shocks me. And sometimes it’s sad if ppl miss my point, but mostly I think it’s beautiful that we can all interpret things differently.

Hope you have the best week and life is treating you warmly xx

[duckprintspress]

Meet Aether Beyond the Binary Contributor Terra P. Waters

Another day, another AETHER BEYOND THE BINARY creator to shine the spotlight on!

Before we get to that, just a note: hi, I’m Nina Waters, the lead editor, the person running this campaign, and the one who writes all these blog posts. I’ll be traveling for the next four days (Friday, Jan 12 – Monday, Jan 15) to vend for Duck Prints Press at Arisia in Boston. As a result, I will be slower to answer messages, reply to comments, and post updates (I’m going to try to post one, but I’m not sure I’ll have time). I appreciate your patience while I’m less available. And if by some chance, you’re attending the con, make sure you come and say hi! I’ll be at table D14 in the dealer’s room.

Now, on to Terra…!

About Terra: Terra is a scientist by day who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. She has been writing fiction as long as she can remember, and has always told her partner of 17 years that if she wasn’t a scientist, she would be an author. During grad school, she discovered fanfiction and immediately began writing her own. After many years and several fandoms (including Teen Wolf, Hawaii Five-0, and Stranger Things), she returned to writing original fiction. To date, she has self-published two novellas in a 90s-nostalgia polyamory comedy series and has drafted two YA/NA sci-fi novels. When not doing science or writing, you can find Terra indulging her yarn addiction and knitting.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr (pterawaters) | Tumblr (terrapwaters) | Instagram | Bluesky

Terra has previously published one short stories with Duck Prints Press, a Patreon-exclusive entitled The Wayward Timekeeper, and she also wanted to share a few of her works from AO3: 

Kope Kamekona (Hawaii Five-O, Steve McGarrett/Catherine Rollins/Danny Williams)

Forever’s gonna start tonight (Stranger Things, A/B/O, multiple ships and ot3s)

Other Delicacies (Our Flag Means Death, Ed Teach/Stede Bonnet) – this is the piece that Terra used to apply to Duck Prints Press, and several of us reviewers liked it so much that we sought it out and read the whole thing even though we aren’t in the fandom!

An Interview with Terra P. Waters

What motivates you to create?

My love for the ideas!

How did you pick the name you create under?

I’ve been using the name “pterawaters” since 2009, when I joined fanfiction.net. “Ptera” came from an old gaming character I had, “Ptera the Pterrible,” and “Waters” was a last name I really liked the sound of. For my original writing, I decided to go with a more conventional version of the name. I moved the P from the front of my name to the middle initial as an homage to my fannish writing name.

What do you consider to be your strengths as a creator?

My ability to brainstorm scenarios and know how to outline the plot from there. Longer-form works, where I get to dig into the character motivations and development. World building.

What do you consider to be your weaknesses as a creator?

Short stories, creating characters who serve the story I want to tell, adding enough description around the dialog and plot.

When and why did you begin creating?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid, and even took a lot of creative writing classes during college (aside from my science major). I get a lot of joy out of thinking “what if…” and then turning that idea into a story.

Are you a pantser, a planner, or a planster? What’s your process look like?

I’m most often a planner. I like to outline the story beats of any project before I write. Sometimes, I’ll be more of a plantser. I’ll write 1-2k words of an idea before I do the rest of the outline, so I can see if it’s an idea worth planning out further.

Which of your own creations is your favorite? Why?

I wrote a story called “Entanglement” that was part of a long Stranger Things fanwork series. It’s absolutely my favorite thing I’ve ever written, and I’m excited to get to the point where I can incorporate the rewritten version into my sci-fi series.

What are your favorite tropes?

Polyamory, First times/Getting together, Forced proximity (cuddling for warmth, only one bed), Soulmate AUs, Omegaverse, Fake relationship, Friends to Lovers

What are your favorite snacks and/or drinks to consume while creating?

I like herbal tea, candy, or a crunchy snack like popcorn. I’ve recently gotten into eating roasted lentils, which is a nice substitute for not being able to eat nuts anymore.

What is your “dream project” – the thing you’d see as the culmination of your work as a creator?

I want to finish a series of at least 4 novels and have them all in print.

When you look at your “career” as a creator, what  achievement would you most like to reach – what, if it happened or has  already happened, would/did make you go “now – now I’m a success!”?

I would like to have at least one full-length novel printed and for people to actually buy it!

Tell us about your pet(s).

I have two orange cats, Gadget (the chonk) and Gizmo (anxiety in animal form).

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Finish the thing. My writing got so much better once I forced myself to finish fan works so I could put them up for other people to read. Practicing the first part of writing a story without practicing how to write the end leaves you never finishing anything.

Terra’s Contribution to Aether Beyond the Binary

Title: Ancient Hearts Unearthed

Tags: academia, alternate history, cancer, character illness (serious), f/nb, f/f (background), fat, first kiss, friends to lovers, getting together, hospital, modern with magic, mystery, non-binary, panic attacks, past tense, phobia (claustrophobia), pining, professor, scientist, third person limited pov

Excerpt:

Victoria turned and ran a hand over the runes again. “What bothers me is that these are early Age of Aether markings. You see the way they’re using archaic forms of our letters?”

Sasha leaned closer. “I’ll be damned. This doesn’t match the bronze-era artifacts in the rest of the cave, either.” They made a tiny humming noise. “Who else would have this much knowledge of ancient runes?”

As Victoria leaned as close as she could to the wall, she asked distractedly, “What do you mean?”

“Obviously, it’s a fake,” they said, mulling over the problem in their head. “Sanderson has wanted my place on the admissions committee since he joined the department.”

“What if it’s not a fake?” Victoria made a tiny, excited noise. “What if this is early Aether Age work? What if this is a secret that’s been buried for almost a thousand years?”

Sasha’s heart swooped at the thought. “We have to find out what that inscription says.”

You've read the interview! You've read the excerpt! Now go back the campaign!

[morning-sun-brah]

Okay so I've just GOTTA know... how the hell do you write the way you do?? I haven't been able to get sucked into any written work since high school, trauma brain and all. I used to live in books so it's been hell, but your writing got me back into reading, and makes it so I can get lost into that little world again, which I've craved but been able to have for like... so long. Writing is something I've always been into, but I let my fear of failure and need for perfection stop me. Just... do you have any advice for beginners?? It would mean the world to me, but I understand if it's an annoying ask! Thanks for reading no matter what!

Well I am just a mess reading this (in the best way possible).

First of all, thank you so much omfg. And of COURSE it isn't annoying! This is so flattering I'm about to cry my dude.

As far as tips on writing, I feel like I am not the person to ask because I'm just this little weirdo on the internet who likes turtles lol. But!! In an attempt to try and give real advice here is my response... and it got a little wordy so it's all under the break lmaoooo.

~Gin's rambling attempt to give writing advice~

Practice! Literally the only reason I can string coherent words together is because I've been doing this as a hobby for like two whole decades.

Also!! Read! Consuming other fics and books really helps. Sometimes you find a way of saying something that sticks with you. Sometimes you sit and think "I would have done it this way/said it this way." Sometimes you come out on the other end and go "Wow I am a hack that was amazing." Sometimes you finish something and go "Wow that was fucking terrible I'm amazing." Sometimes you read something and it fires off your brain, and you are left itching to write your own story. But however you feel, it's all GOOD FOR WRITING. It helps you grow! It literally helps you find your voice!

Other little things; When I write, I truly immerse myself. I am playing out in cinema format what is happening in the "scene." How is this person reacting? How do they look- down to facial expressions. How are they feeling? Is this something they would say? (would they fucking say that??? is something I think to myself every time I open a doc) And when I write it all down, I try my very best to convey that "scene" that played out in my head. I try to capture that character's voice, their mannerisms, their habits.

Does this even make sense? I sure hope so.

Also, flow. Make sure we're moving right along. Keep track of where hands, legs, and torsos are. If they were sitting when the scene started, and you need them standing to kiss or fight or do a thumb war, at some point you need to make sure you say they stood up. If a hand was on a cheek, it can't suddenly be on an ankle without telling the reader what happened.

I also just think adding little details helps with immersion. When we talk to people, we don't just stand around. We fidget. We pick our nails or scratch our arms or shuffle our feet. All those little details can add to that immersion (or I think so, I'm no expert). "He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck before saying..." - Wow, what an awkward little shit. "They scrunched their nose and gave a near-violent eye-roll" - Oh ok they are annoyed! "She shifted her feet and replied"- cool she's being a person, I shift my feet too, neato.

Anyway, nothing I wrote 20 years ago is as good as it is now. I'm highly convinced that I'll think the same thing in another 10 years, about anything I've published recently. But it is getting better, and it's because I keep at it. Having friends in the fandom and beta readers really helps. Make sure you find someone who you know will be positive but honest. And remember, YOU are always going to be your own worst critic.

God why did anyone ever let me have access to a computer. Why the FUCK is this so long? Does it even make sense? Jfc, I'm going to post it and eat a fucking cookie.

I believe in you anon. Also, I love you and thank you so much for making my whole week. I'm going to be so obnoxious about this shit, everyone expect to hear from my ass an annoying amount (kidding, but seriously I'm so fucking flattered thank you so much. This kind of shit makes me wonder what the fuck you're all reading because I swear I am just a silly gal with seasonal depression who needs a haircut).

((Also, anon, I wish you nothing but the best. Take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and know that I am sending you like a million hugs))

[longlivefeedback]

Commenting 101

Lesson 2: Describe the Indescribable

How are we all doing after the first week of finding our catchphrases?

Ok! So here's step 2 to help you comment more:

Describe the indescribable

Expressing yourself if hard. Many of you indicated in the notes on the original poll that you felt overwhelmed after reading and eventually just walked away without saying anything in a comment in the fic. As a writer, I get it. Writing is hard. Expressing the chaos of thoughts and emotions in your head is hard. If you want a tip on how to handle this and how to communicate even a little bit to the human being who wrote that thing you just read and who caused all those feels, do this:

Accept that you can't describe everything.

Pick one thing to describe.

Use words if necessary.

If you use your catchphrase at the beginning or end of the comment, you got the start of a real nice comment ;)

1. Accept that you can't describe everything

Just sit with your emotions for a while. Let your thoughts be chaotic. Take a breath. It's ok to feel and think a lot of things. And much as the author would love to know all your thoughts and feelings, they understand that it's hard to write it all down on a blank space. (Trust me, they went through the exact same thing to get that fic you just read out into the world and posted.)

So what do? If you cannot pick apart and describe those thoughts and emotions, it's ok to tell the author so! You can write things like:

"I'm sorry, I have so many thoughts and emotions about this story I don't even know where to begin! Just know that I loved your fic!"

"There's so much I want to say but I can't word properly right now this was amazing!"

"Putting a placeholder here for when I have the energy to comment properly!"

For the last one, you can come back and edit your comment as long as no one has replied to it yet. If they have and you can't, just explain in the thread or write a new comment! :)

2. Pick one thing to describe

So much to say, so little time and energy. Remember our first lesson? Something is better than nothing. So. Pick the first thing you remember. Pick the last thing that set you off. Pick the thing that you've been hung up on since the middle of the chapter.

Talk about it. Try:

"There's so much about this fic, but I want to mention this one thing..."

"Person A doing that thing made me cry!"

"I loved the moment when A and B kissed!"

"That part where that thing happened made me laugh aloud!"

"I'm just a mess of emotions at the end of this fic I can't even"

Check out @dawnfelagund's 101 Comment Starters for more examples.

The LLF Comment Builder was also designed to help users learn to comment using instructional scaffolding, as well as to remove other barriers to leaving feedback such as dysexecutive syndrome, anxiety, mobility issues that make typing long reviews difficult (particularly on mobile), language fluency, and mobile commenting functionality in general. Check it out to see if it helps for when you just aren’t sure what to say.

The key is to pick one thing, and know that that is perfectly okay. Don't let not being able to say everything paralyze you and prevent you from saying anything.

3. Use words if necessary

A picture is worth a thousand words they say...😏 So go wild.

Use emojis, add gifs, and (my personal favourite) the keyboard smash.

"This fic was just asldkfjas;dlkfjsdofwekl 😭🙏💗💞💖❤️‍🔥💕"

Enough said, yeah? :)

Remember:

When in doubt, comment your catchphrase.

Saying something is enough, and it is better than saying nothing.

If you really can't word, just spam hearts 💕💗💕💗💕💞💖❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

See you next week!

Lessons masterpost.