#songfic in the sense that listening to that song while you read would add to the atmosphere?

[idontknowreallywhy]

Stars Are Only Visible In Darkness

A scene thrown down in my lunch break. I’m still not particularly confident writing Serious things but this was inspired by two things -

A song on the Scott playlist shared by @lenfantdeverone this morning - Battle Cry by Imagine Dragons which has some lovely angsty chord sequences, gorgeous vocal melody and the cracker of a line that is the title of this little ramble.

The most excellent @sofasurf who is constantly encouraging and has clearly slightly broken my brain with her angsty-ptsd-Scott writing. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Here is a weirdly dark birthday present for you… 😘

It’s established fanon that Scott ended up as a POW in Bereznik while in the Air Force, but how did that happen? One possible version of events…

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Fear and fury danced a tango through his veins as he watched the khaki-clad thugs surround the small group of children and a woman he guessed was perhaps their teacher? An impromptu lesson in how to calmly stand up to playground bullies was underway but this particular gang was armed and accountable to nobody. One of them laughed with a coldness that sent ice rocketing down his spine.

He tried to tear his eyes away and move on. But his body was deaf to his logical instructions and so he waited.

It had been nearly 44 hours since he had been spiralling towards the ground with both engines aflame. He hadn’t stopped moving since his parachute caught on a rocky outcrop and arrested his fall with a jolt he was still feeling in his shoulders. He’d dodged the roving bands of soldiers and all the locals too - for how could he know who to trust? And even if he could, he’d only endanger them further. He’d crept slowly but surely towards the local town - hoping for somewhere to hide, food to steal, maybe some kind of weapon more useful than the short length of crumbling iron railing he carried and then… Well. A plan of some kind.

The town had been used as a shield for the local militia and everyone who lived there was effectively imprisoned in their own neighbourhoods. From the moment he’d entered through the heavily guarded gates clinging to the bottom of a truck he wondered how any of them were still functioning.

The devastation and oppression he had witnessed had crept under his skin like a poison he knew he couldn’t outlive. He would carry it for always now. 

The latest Allied onslaught had meant half the place was in ruin. The residents were stoically keeping on going as best they could with what remained… as well as the makeshift medical centre he’d clocked a handful of shops, a tiny church and the primary school across the square from where he crouched among those that were still welcoming people through their sandbagged doors.  

As for the rest… well… at least all the rubble and mostly-collapsed buildings provided shelter for one who knew how to use it. He’d slipped from shadow to shadow. 

Watching, listening. 

And it had paid off. His grasp of the local language was basic but he knew some key words and because of that he knew a cargo plane of armaments was due to arrive at the playing-fields-turned-airstrip on the other side of town in 2 hours. All he had to do was get there unseen, stow away until the ship was airborne again and then overpower the single pilot with the sedative that was the sole item left in the micro first aid kit stowed in his left thigh pocket.

The plan kept him upright when the despair surrounding him dragged his bones towards the ground.

The teacher crouched and addressed her flock with a gentle but emphatic tone as the soldiers jeered behind her. One lad shook his head, horrified, and one of the taller girls frowned and grasped her by the arm. She was shaken off and the trembling woman barked a one-word command that echoed through the courtyard

“RUN.”

Even he knew that word. And his brain shrieked at him to obey…

Seconds ticked by. Each one should have been taking him closer to that airstrip. He had a home to get back to. Brothers to get back to. Dad, Grandma, the farm. That cute librarian he’d promised to meet for coffee when he returned from duty. The smell of maple pancakes and bacon. A thousand sunrises. Hugs. Probably a medal and recognition as a war hero.

He had a life to live…

But so did the woman not 30 feet away, who was now stiffening her spine and lifting her chin in defiance to impossible odds. 

She was more of a hero than Scott would ever be, the quiet, un-showy type only visible when everything else became so desperately dark. The kind that made the world worth saving.

He tightened his grip on the rusty metal bar and stepped out of the shadows into the square. 

[AO3]

Ok a TBC did happen and got a bit massive…

[dusksmote]

Is there anything you want to talk about regarding your fic that no one has explicitly asked you? IF SO PLEASE DO SHARE ^_^

maybe not what you were looking for, but i've been wanting to talk more about ~music~

i'm actually not a huge fan of songfics so i consider myself kind of a hypocrite in that regard, but i do have a process for picking music or a kind of "code"

my issue with songfics is mostly that the music doesn't fit the characters, or the mood, or the setting. when it doesn't serve a purpose. i remember years ago reading a fanfic for a different fandom where a character was written as obsessed with MCR or All Time Low or some other alternative emo boy band. they went to their concert, wore band merch, and brought up the band multiple times--but it had nothing to do with the story and made no sense for the character. it was like if light yagami had a shrine to britney spears. it just didn't work, and it was really obvious that this was the author's favorite band. for whatever reason they felt it necessary to include it in their fanfic.

for that reason, i never use music i'm already familiar with. i do have favorite bands/genres/songs/etc, but shoehorning them in just because i like them feels like pandering to myself. not every character should have the same music tastes as me, and i enjoy speculating on what they would like to listen to and exploring new music. regardless, i usually try to use music i think is "good", but sometimes i add stuff i don't like. for example, kyle canonically likes the cure, and i think the cure fucking sucks!!!!! but i still forced myself to listen to them and used like 3 of their songs >X^(

so how do i find music to use? in most cases i'm seeking out new music to listen to and it ends up inspiring me. i rarely go out of my way to look for a song that fits a scene, because i try to use music sparingly. a song should compliment the scene and add something to it, otherwise just don't add it. ETL was inspired in part by the song juicy by doja cat, and the reason stan likes weezer is because i was listening to pinkerton while writing. i had actually never listened to weezer before this fic (except for their big hits of course), and sometimes i wonder if people assume i picked weezer because they think they're my favorite band LOL.

sometimes i do have to go out of my way to find the right song, and that's because i need something that fits the tone of the scene or the character or has some lyrical quality. if someone mentions a song in their fanfic you better believe i'm gonna look it up and listen to it, so it better fit the tone of the fic. ever seen a movie where the soundtrack completely didn't work with the scene? it totally takes me out of it. and on the topic of using music sparingly, if i put song lyrics i try to be as concise as possible with my choice. i don't want them to distract from the rest of the story, so i'm not going to copy and paste a whole ballad into the middle of a paragraph. and by rule i always try to choose lyrics that add an element to the piece, either by conveying some emotion or information or foreshadowing something.

sometimes its to make the audience think about things a different way, like when randy walks in the barn i specifically used the line "All my enemies from the past pucker up they lips, and kiss my ass!" from the song "i smoke weed" to remind the reader that this is where stan did the same to kyle's ass and now randy might be about to find that out. another example is karen listening to "my girlfriend's girlfriend" by type O negative while butters, cartman, and kenny are in the other room. it's by a goth band so it fits her goth persona, and it's about a polyamorous relationship, so it does some double work foreshadowing that. actually, i think i've listened to every fucking song about threesomes. there are, unfortunately, not that many.

anyway, i think the best way to incorporate music into fanfics is to just be open minded and willing to listen to a lot of different shit. the coolest thing is listening to a full album and finding some hidden gem no one knows about or a piece that really inspires you to write.

[airi-p4]

Songfic: The listening

Hi! I can finally share this songfic I finished a while ago!  It’s based on the song ‘The listening’ by Lights. (After hearing the lyrics I thought it was so Marinette and I had to write it down. It was HARD. But I think I managed well enough?)

Notice: Song lyrics are in bold. Notice2: Scroll slowly! There’s art included 💙 Notice 3: A comic based on this fic is -> HERE <-. I recommend to read the fic first, though.  AO3 Comic: The Listening ________________________________

Marinette POV

What the hell I’ve just-!? Is this for real? Oh no!

I mean- it’s usual Marinette to stumble, trip on her own feet and mess everything up... but kissing Luka out of the blue? On his lips? That’s new. Problematic, even. Not because I haven’t been wanting to kiss him for a while- of course not (I’ve been dying to do so)-, but because his blue eyes are staring back at mine, confused, surprised, indecisive and expectant. I certainly took him unprepared. Not that I was prepared either! With mere seconds to think, panic is taking over me.

"Please excuse me, I'm not thinking clear. It must just be stress…"

Shit. I can feel my cold sweat down my spine as the hotness on my cheeks increases, and my nervousness is ready to take my body next. Not that I’m lying: I really am stressed out and I can’t find inspiration. But today… It's not really stress what took me here. I still have tons of work to do, yet here I am: with Luka at the park, messing things up again.

"I- I just saw you from my balcony and I thought to say hi...

But I likely shouldn't be here…

I’mSorryForDistractingYouWhenYou’reMeditating-! IShouldNotHaveKi-DoneTha-! Ugh…” Here I am, rambling again… “I'm such a mess…"

Why am I so bad with talking when it involves romantic feelings? Everyone knows what happens when Marinette is in LOVE. Stumbling, tripping, mistakes… and unexplainable stuff like the kiss just now. A complete mess...

'I never really ever know what to say When all of my emotions get in the way I'm just trying to get us on the same page'

Why can’t I just confess to him already? I’ve been trying to confess for a while. Opportunities to do so always either wasted or ruined by a hurricane of emotions. Words always incoherent and incomprehensible- and that's only when they actually make it out of my mouth... 

I always get it better right afterward When all the wrong impressions are said and heard

Luka always manages to give me some encouragement after, a different meaning to my words even, so I don't feel embarrassed after the failed attempts to confess my feelings to him.

How come I can never get the right words, I need to convey

Why is it so hard to say those words? Why can’t I convey my feelings to Luka? Why is he not getting my message? It’s been a while since I noticed my feelings for him. I really want to confess and tell him how I feel. I need to!

And yet, chances to confess are not outnumbered. Most of the time I’m either busy or rushing somewhere. Interferences. It’s always the interferences.

Wish I could explain the things that I have to work out

School, sewing, commissions, helping out at the bakery, being Ladybug… add recently becoming the guardian of the Miraculous and having to deal with Lila’s lies, too.. and even more: new feelings for the guitar boy… It’s too much for a 15 year old girl. I doubt anyone but Tikki knows actually how much pressure and stress I’m under.

I don't feel right What has come over me, I'm about To lose my mind

I’m overwhelmed with responsibilities, excuses, work and recently, Lila’s lies have become unbearable. I can't keep up with everything, resulting in me failing at everything. Maybe that's why my feet took me here, in look of Luka’s calm and freedom.  

Maybe I’ve already lost my mind. No, I must have. I mean- kissing Luka like that isn’t something normal sane Marinette would do, that’s for sure...

I never really ever know what to say When all of my emotions get in the way

I’m determined to tell him my feelings, yet here we are again: messing things up and wasting my chances to do so. It’s frustrating how I can't make sense around Luka anymore...

I'm just trying to get us on the same page (Wish I could explain)

If only I could confess! And I can't tell him everything I'm going through either...

Why is it so hard to tell Luka I want him by my side? That I want to spend more time with him? I just want him to like me as much as I like him. Why is it so difficult to explain my feelings?

Just like the kiss right now. I’ve really done it this time...

I always get it better right afterward When all the wrong impressions are said and heard

But I’m Ladybug, so I’m going to find a way to improve the situation… even if it’s too late to erase the kiss or the embarrassment I’m feeling right now, I have to find a way to dismiss any misunderstanding.

How come I can never get the right words, I need to convey

But how can I tell him? Why can't I just tell him my feelings?

Wish I could explain

I want to tell him. I wish to tell him. I wish to explain that I kissed him because I love him.

And despite all these minutes of random thoughts, he's still staring at me. Waiting. Immobile. Impassible. With breathtaking handsomest.

Why can't I just get something else to do my job and convey my feelings on my behalf? Like:

Can I let the trees do the talking

They would definitely not stumble as much as me, as wise, flowing and calm as they are.

Can I let the ground do the walking

At least the ground won't be calling my body as a magnet if he was! Surely no tripping or falling either. The ground would be good to do the walking...

Can I let the sky fill what's missing

Ah, yes. I feel what I'm missing is as massive as the sky. I wish I had something or someone to fill me for my incomplete imperfect self. Something to make me forget about all the work and pressure I’m under. It would be nice to, even if just for a while, become one with the sky. Serene. Vast. Clear. Blue. The same color of the eyes that are still focused on me while I look up at the sky: so pretty...

Can I let my mouth do the listening,

That one is the silliest. I’m really out of my mind, aren’t I? How is the mouth supposed to listen? It doesn’t work like that, does it? The thought makes me close my eyes and sigh.

And that’s when Luka’s silence ends. He doesn’t speak. His voice never leaves his throat… No words are pronounced.

Yet I can hear: my mouth can hear.

Not my ears, not my eardrums. But my MOUTH. My mouth is doing it: The listening. And I can hear as clear as pure water. With Luka’s lips pressed over mine, his message is conveyed clearer than a cloudless summer sky, over and above from what words could ever express. How is it even possible? How can my mouth do the listening? I don’t know, but I don’t care.

My mouth has listened to him and I open my eyes again.

‘I love you’

The received message is automatically amplified by Luka’s expression: his loving smile and the soft look on his eyes. And I’m melting.

Ah, those sky blue eyes. Like the sky that I wish it would fill me.

His calm and steadiness could become my ground to secure my walking, to always take the right path- his same path.

And his wisdom, flowing and natural self could certainly help me with my talking: say the right thing at the right time, express my true feelings, stop the stumbling and keep a steady flow of words... Or talk without words, like he just did. Could I do that too?

A match with Luka would mean all the Chinese elements aligned for me: the wood of the trees, the earth of the ground, the water of the blue sky, the fire of his lips and the metal of his golden heart.

And that’s it. All that I need. With only one way for me to describe it:

‘Perfect balance’

Before that, though, I still have to assimilate what has just happened. Is it even real?

I need to answer him, but the old same Marinette is back in action, stumbling and panicking. I can’t help it but wonder how to express myself properly. How can I talk when I’m speechless?

I never really ever know what to say When all of my emotions get in the way I'm just trying to get us on the same page I always get it better right afterward When all the wrong impressions are said and heard How come I can never get the right words, I need to convey

Wish I could explain

Oh. Maybe I don’t need words. Can his mouth do the listening too? Can I really explain it this way too?

What I mean to say

Will he understand it?

My lips brush against his again, more confident this time, wishing for him to understand my feelings….

And yes, it seems his mouth can also do the listening.

Now, after all the chances I missed or wasted to express them, my feelings can finally be conveyed:

‘I love you’

And my mouth can listen his once more as his mouth corresponds mine:

‘I love you too’

FIN

[bisexualcrowley]

Fairytale of New York

Pairing: Jack Kline x Reader (Gender non-specified)

Summary: Jack gives you something you’ve always dreamt of while walking through a park on Christmas eve

Content/warnings: Fluff, songfic, little bit of angst, censored use of the F slur in song lyrics, can be read as romantic or platonic

Word count: 2, 581

A/N: I absolutely recommend you listen to the song while reading, I know it’s not really everyone’s taste but I feel that it adds to the mental image, plus there's a bunch of instrumental bits that I think are worth being included :) // Originally wrote this as a Jack fic, but felt that Jack fit better

The snow fell in a light drifting throughout the city, glistening in the glow of the streetlights and setting the scene for what in most movies would be seen as the perfect Christmas eve. It was quiet, peaceful, the soft noises of traffic heard behind the sound of slow Christmas music playing soothingly from a shop across the street.

Since becoming a hunter, you hadn’t really been much for the holidays, especially religious ones, but tonight as you walked side by side with Jack through the little park, boots crunching in the fallen powder with snowflakes dusting your hair as you made your way to a nearby pizza joint to meet Sam Dean and Cas, it felt different, the way Christmas should feel.

Tonight it didn’t matter that the apocalypse was approaching, the thought was shoved to the back of your head along with everything else that had gone wrong. Tonight was just snow, food, gifts, and family, and you found yourself smiling as you made your way along the path.

You were so caught up in your thoughts, or lack of them, that it took you a moment to realize you had been walking by yourself for a few seconds, and quickly doubled back to where the nephilim was standing.

You were concerned at first, his still figure bringing all sorts of unpleasant thoughts to mind, but your worries quickly evaporated when you drew closer to your friend. A peaceful smile graced his features, eyes closed and face tilted upwards, snowflakes hitting his skin and melting, the fair few settling softly on his eyelashes.

“...Jack?” You called quietly, hesitating at the idea of disturbing him but knowing he wouldn’t want to be late to dinner with the Winchesters.

Luckily, the nephilim’s peaceful expression cracked into a toothy grin as he turned his head to face you, a light dusting of snow falling from his hair onto his nose and making you giggle.

“It’s so beautiful, isn’t it Y/n. I never took the time to experience a snowfall properly before now, and it’s just... Well it’s just incredible. God did a good job with this one” He murmured happily, his gaze returning to the sky, this time followed by your own.

It had been years since you sat back and allowed yourself to enjoy a moment like this, year after year of hunting taking priority over and over again, and you were glad that there was time for it tonight. Jack was right, the sight truly was beautiful, the crystals of ice glistening as they blew through the sky and settled on every surface in sight.

You had just opened your mouth to respond when a familiar melody filled the air, and you paused in your thoughts. Fairytale of New York, The Pogues. You hadn’t heard this one in years, though you never forgot it, your teenage daydreams always somewhere in the back of your mind.

Apparently Jack had found your silence alarming and turned his attention back to you, finding you lost in thought, a troubled expression having replaced your smile from before.

“You look upset, Y/n, are you alright?” Your friend questioned, a concerned expression gracing his usually happy features, and his worry drawing a dry chuckle from your lips.

“It’s nothing Jack, lets just keep going, Sam and Dean are probably already at the pizza place” You replied in a dreary voice, sighing as the song progressed from purely instrumental to include vocals, the piano echoing sweetly in the darkened street and Shane Macgowan’s somewhat rough voice flooding your ears.

It was Christmas Eve babe

In the drunk tank

An old man said to me, won't see another one 

Turning away from Jack, you moved to cross away from the park, but found yourself held back by the angel’s hand landing firmly on your shoulder, forcing your gaze back in his direction.

“Honestly, it’s stupid, lets just keep going please” Your voice came out tight and clipped and the sound made you wince, hoping Jack didn’t think of it as rude. Luckily, in that sense, your friend didn’t seem to be offended, but unluckily it made him push the subject further.

And then he sang a song

The Rare Old Mountain Dew

“You've never been good at lying to me, Y/n, it’s clear that this isn’t stupid. Please, talk to me.” 

You shot him a defeated smile, the ache in your heart showing clearly in your eyes as you shoved your hands in your pockets, shifting your weight from one leg to the other.

I turned my face away

And dreamed about you 

“I dunno, Jack, It’s just this song.” You mumbled, gaze falling to the ground in hopes of avoiding the nephilim’s concerned stare.

“Ah, I understand. Cas explained this to me, how humans can connect bad memories to songs,” He nodded, his hand returning to your shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Got on a lucky one

Came in eighteen to one 

“No, it’s not that. It’s just... Ever since I was a kid I’ve always dreamt of dancing with someone to Fairytale of New York. I haven’t heard it in years, hunting kind of took over my life, but hearing it again makes me realize, as small as it is, I want it, so so badly. Being pulled close and spun around as the snow falls around me on Christmas eve, it’s so stupid but knowing the world is gonna end and I’ve never had the chance to experience it hurts like hell, Jack, and I know as a hunter I should have higher priorities, but honestly it’s all I fucking want, the only thing I wanted to do before I die and now I’m not gonna get the chance.”

I've got a feeling

This year's for me and you 

You didn’t plan to ramble on, spill such a close desire to your friend but as soon as you started speaking the dam broke, all your feelings slipping out at once. You were so caught up in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the tears running down your cheeks, not until a gentle hand tilted your chin up, your eyes locking on Jack’s caring ones as he brushed them away.

“That’s not stupid, Y/n... Actually, I think it’s quite beautiful. There’s so much hate and greed in this world, but all you ask for is one moment in time...”

Jack’s voice was quiet but sincere as he spoke,  and though you couldn’t work up the strength to thank him, you appreciated what he had said.

So happy Christmas

I love you baby 

“It doesn’t matter, we can’t all get what we want, right?” You smiled tightly, quickly clearing your throat and turning to head towards the road again, and once more you were stopped by a strong hand pulling you back.

"Jack please, lets go, I don’t wanna talk about this anymore, ok? It’s upsetting and it’s getting cold, let’s just go meet the guys” You huffed, now slightly annoyed at the nephilim’s stubbornness, but the feeling melting almost immediately into confusion as your friend pulled your shorter frame against his own, leading one of your hands to his waist and capturing your other in his.

I can see a better time

When all our dreams come true 

“Dance with me, Y/n.” He whispered, smiling shyly at the expression on your face.

“..what?” You managed to ask, somewhat in shock at the quick movements Jack had made to settle you in such a position.

“Look, I know this probably isn’t exactly what you were hoping for, It’s barely snowing, we’re probably going to get yelled at by Dean and well, it’s me, but if the world really does end, I don’t want you to go out having not experienced the thing you’ve dreamt of all your life. I understand if you don’t want to waste the moment with me, but if you do I’d be more than happy to share it with you”

Jack chuckled at the end of his sentence, but didn’t go on, waiting for an answer as the music picked up, moving from piano to accordion.

You had to fight back tears as your friend spoke. It was hard to believe, but it was finally happening, you were finally going to get your dance, and you just beamed up at the angel, emotions overflowing with each second that passed, and as the third verse began, you nodded, Jack responding by matching your smile and settling his free hand on your waist.

They've got cars big as bars

They've got rivers of gold

But the wind goes right through you

It's no place for the old

You hadn’t danced to the song since you were a kid, twirling around in an oversized dressing gown with a broom in Bobby’s basement, and you were almost certain Jack had never even heard of it before now, but somehow the both of you knew exactly what to do, how to move. Two steps and a spin, swinging away from the angel only to be pulled back in, each switch of your hands, it was all exactly how you had always pictured it.

When you first took my hand

On a cold Christmas Eve

You promised me

Broadway was waiting for me

1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6. You counted silently along with the patterns played, a squeal turning into a joyous laugh as a particularly passionate spin from Jack led the both of you sliding along a patch of ice, boots leaving trails in the freshly fallen snow.

You were handsome

You were pretty

Queen of New York City

When the band finished playing

They howled out for more

You hadn’t expected Jack to enjoy himself as much as he appeared to be. You figured, hey, he’s a nephilim, I’ve helped him out, he probably feels obligated to do this, right? To see that you were wrong, the elation on his face made the already indescribable moment all the better

Sinatra was swinging

All the drunks they were singing

We kissed on a corner

Then danced through the night

The rare passerby walking through the park would smile, pause for a moment to watch the two of you spin happily across the frozen ground before continuing on their way, each one chuckling to themselves over whatever joke they came up with about once upon a time being young enough to move like that

The boys of the NYPD choir

Were singing Galway Bay

And the bells were ringing out

For Christmas day

As the two of you danced, you couldn’t help but think how beautiful this scene would be in a movie, all done up in fancy clothes, cameras following each sweeping movement you made

You're a bum

You're a punk

You're an old slut on junk

Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed

Another step. Another swing.

You scumbag, you maggot

You cheap lousy f*ggot

Happy Christmas your arse

I pray God it's our last

Jack’s hands flew to your hips, picking you up as if weighed nothing as the chorus peaked once again, spinning you in the air and making you feel like you were flying.

The boys of the NYPD choir

Still singing Galway Bay

The moment your shoes touched the ground Jack bent you down in a dip, flashing you a goofy smile at the noise you let out

And the bells are ringing out

For Christmas day

Jack smiled, and you beamed up at him

I could have been someone

Well so could anyone

You took my dreams from me

When I first found you

The music slowed slightly, and Jack traded your previous quick footsteps for a simple back and forth box step, the softening of your movements giving him a proper look at you, with your hair mussed and face rosy from the cold. Your smile stood out the most to the angel though, the unfiltered joy crinkling your eyes and releasing whatever tension you were holding before

I kept them with me babe

I put them with my own

Can't make it all alone

I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir

Still singing Galway Bay

And the bells are ringing out

For Christmas day 

As the instrumental section came to an end, the wall inside you that you hadn’t even realized was there finally broke down, and you followed in suit. Your arms flew around the nephilim’s neck and you clung to him as if letting go would kill you, and you sobbed. The sudden burst frightened Jack, who quickly pulled away enough to meet your eyes, but was surprised to find that you weren’t upset, but were crying tears of happiness.

“Y/n are you alright?” He whispered, tightening his hold around you as you pulled him along, your complicated waltz now replaced by the simple motions of a slow dance, weight shifting from one side to another as the song neared it’s end

You didn’t reply at first, choosing instead to smile up at Jack with teary eyes and nod rapidly before managing to choke out the words “Thank you, Jack”. 

As the final few notes finally faltered off, you pulled away from the tight embrace, looking earnestly up at your friend, who wore a warm smile as well

“Really, Jack, Thank you. So, so much, that was incredible, I can’t even-” Your voice cracked, cut off, and unable to vocalize anything more you reached out and took his hand between your own, squeezing tightly.

Luckily Jack understood what you were trying to say. He knew he couldn’t ever truly understand the level of happiness the action had brought you, but he knew he was gonna cherish the moment for the rest of his life. It was the most fun he had had in as long as he could remember, but that wasn’t why he knew it would stick with with. There was something special about sharing such a moment with someone he loved so dearly, being able to give you that happiness that made life worth living, gave the strength to keep fighting whatever the hell would be thrown at them next.

You and Jack would have been happy to stay there forever, hands clasped together and snow dusting your hair, but as always, the reminder that all good things must come to an end was brought to you by whichever shop was playing music turning their volume way up, the blasting of trumpets from rockin’ around the Christmas tree hitting you like a truck and thoroughly ruining the peaceful setting.

Your reactions were like a scene out of a movie, the simultaneous jump, staring at each other in shock and finally breaking down in peals of laughter seconds later.

“I think that means it’s time to go” you snickered, the nephilim chuckling in response, and at that the two of you took off again, making your way towards the pizza place.

Thank you, you repeated silently. Thank you

-

Tags, let me know if you want to be added <3 @cursedbobs​ @frog-tiddies​  @imagine-whatever

[tsundere-mitsuhide]

With All Your Light

I found this song earlier in the week, and it inspired me to write. I would suggest listening to it while you read because I tried to keep the cadence and mood of the song in the story. I translated the second verse with Google translate. AO3 link here. Soulmates AU, bittersweet songfic to follow under the cut. 

Mitsuhide sits in the grass, alone, staring up at the endless stars in the Sengoku sky. He looks longingly at the distant balls of light, wondering hopelessly when his time would come. 

That idiotic fortune teller he passed in town a few days ago still stuck in his mind. They said everyone has a person, somewhere in the world, who is their perfect mate. He’d heard of the “red string of fate” that tied two souls together, but surely it couldn't be true for him, could it?

“I thought sooner or later /

The lights up above /

Will come down in circles and guide me to love /

But I don't know what's right for me /

I cannot see straight /

I've been here too long and I don't want to wait for it…”

Maybe the heavens would bless him with his heart’s desire if he just sat there long enough. But it had been four nights of nothing but becoming more and more aware of how utterly alone he is. In a sense, he is afraid of living any other way. He is afraid of dragging someone into his messy, twisted world. He accepts that it was his role to protect those he could from the shadows, never letting them know what he was really up to, never taking any credit, and always disappearing like a ghost at the first signs of light. His hands were bloodied and he could never wash them clean enough for someone to accept him. 

But deep in his heart, he still wants someone to stand by his side, support him, dare he say care for him? There has to be one person out there who would be upset if he mysteriously vanished, right? 

“Fly like a cannonball, straight to my soul /

Tear me to pieces /

And make me feel whole /

I'm willing to fight for it and carry this weight /

But with every step /

I keep questioning what it's true.”

Mitsuhide wasn't a praying man; faith in anything other than himself had always abandoned him. But he finds himself wishing that someone special would just fall out of the sky…

“Fall on me /

With open arms /

Fall on me /

From where you are /

Fall on me /

With all your light.”

Dare he allow the hope that whoever his “person” may be—if he even has one—that they would be able to light up the eternal darkness of his life? 

“Fall on me /

With all your light /

With all your light /

With all your light.”

-----

Tazuki stands on the bridge of an overpass, trying to make out the stars in the sky through the light pollution of modern Kyoto as the cars zoom away beneath her. She often stops here to catch a glimpse of the sky as she walks home from work. But today, she had passed a fortune teller on an empty side street who had said something that she couldn't shake from her mind. 

“Soon a light will illuminate you /

Always follow it, guide you will know /

You don't give up, careful not to lose yourself /

And your past will make sense to you.”

She feels like this was somehow tied to the destiny she knows she carries; that sense that she is meant for greater things than working in the university archives. She felt drawn to--and connected to--the past in ways that others couldn't quite understand. She’s always felt like she was born in the wrong era. Maybe that's why she ended up studying history and how she found herself a solitary archivist, always hunting through dusty shelves of ancient military tomes that no one else really cares about. Maybe there was someone out there, somewhere in the vast world, who understood. 

“I wish you believed in yourself, but yes /

In every step you move here /

It is an endless journey…”

A stiff breeze blows through her, and Tazuki sighs. At least the stars understand, right?

“I'll smile if /

In the fleeting time, you take me with you.”

-----

Mitsuhide holds still as a strong wind rustles his clothes and mats his hair. If he strains his ears, he thinks he hears the faint sound of the wind answering what he has kept hidden inside. 

“Fall on me /

(Listen to me) /

Fall on me /

(Hug me) /

Fall on me /

(As long as you want)...”

He must have finally lost it; that's the only explanation he can think of. With a sigh, he stands and walks back to Sakamoto castle. 

That night, he has a dream. Mitsuhide never dreams. He dreams of a woman, but she felt far away. There are bright lights flashing by her, which adds to the surreal feeling she brings him. She is staring at the sky with the same sense of longing he feels. 

Who is this mysterious woman?

-----

Tazuki tries to go about her business the next morning as if everything was normal. But the truth is, that it is not a normal morning. She couldn’t stop thinking about the strange dream she’d had the night before. 

There was a man, bathed in moonlight, sitting in a field of tall grass and staring at the stars. He felt familiar somehow… like he was someone important. But she couldn’t place him and it was driving her nuts. Every time she closes her eyes, she sees his lithe figure, all in white, and surrounded by the dark dark night. No lights, nothing but vast, empty blackness, the stars, and this mysterious man. 

“I close my eyes /

And I'm seeing you everywhere /

I step outside…”

The more she thinks about him, the more lonesome she becomes. She is consumed by his phantom image as she wrecks her brain for the connection she must be missing. 

------

Mitsuhide could not shake the image of the woman from his dream. He saw her everywhere; as if she was a shadow or a trick of the light… It felt like she could be standing beside him and he just hadn’t seen her yet. It was infuriating, but also strangely comforting. He didn't understand it. 

“I step outside /

It's like I'm breathing you in the air /

I can feel you're there…”

------

That night, Mitsuhide wanders back out to the field he has been occupying at night for stargazing. This night though, wouldn't be like the others. 

As he sits looking at the stars, there is a flash of light in the distance. Odd… It's too big to be a shooting star or lightning… 

Suddenly he feels a sharp pain in his chest and the inexplicable feeling that he needs to go toward the strange light. Almost as if his very soul is compelling him to move, he gets up and strides toward the stables. 

-----

Tazuki finds herself surrounded by a dark fog. She can’t see anything around her. One minute she was standing on the overpass as usual, and the next, she is enveloped in darkness. The more she tries to move through it, the denser it seems to become. So she chooses not to fight it, and just wait for it to dissipate. 

She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes until she opens them again to see the dark blue sky, unadulterated by modern electricity. There are no buildings that she can see, only trees a good length away from where she stands. She takes a deep breath of warm summer air and a thrill runs through her. Wherever she is, she can feel that she is finally where she belongs. Her feet are heavy as if rooted to the ground like a tree. So she stays in the clearing, eyes turning towards the stars to read the constellations and determine her general location. 

-----

Mitsuhide gallops through the night, following nothing but the push-pull sensation that has arisen inside of him and guides him through the forest. In the stillness, he can hear the whisper of the wind from the night before, echoing louder and louder the closer he rides to whatever awaits him. 

“Fall on me /

(Listen to me) /

Fall on me /

(Hug me) /

Fall on me /

With all your light.”

Mitsuhide practically leaps off his horse, heart pounding and ears ringing. His feet feel heavy but that's because the rest of his body feels like it's floating. Dragging his unruly feet, he stumbles away from the horse, passed the last row of trees, and into the clearing. 

-----

Tazuki turns due west and points. “Ah, Saturn! And Pisces right above the horizon. Though its lower than before.” She turns in the opposite direction, facing due east. “And there’ s Virgo, perfectly on the horizon. Huh. Virgo wasn't out yet before.” She speaks in English, reverting to her native language as she practices the skills her father taught her as a child. The sky is much more precise here. It must be the lack of electric lights. I must still be in Japan if the sky is the same. There are slight differences though so it must also be around the same month and day. But why does everything look so different then? 

She hears a rustle from the south end of the field and turns. There, standing on the edge of the clearing is the man in her dream. He looks as if he is casually leaning against a tree, watching her. 

-----

He nearly falls to his knees when he sees her in the clearing, and if it isn't for the noticeable hitch in his breathing, he would think he is dreaming again. He watches her curiously from afar as she stargazes. 

Until she turns around and they lock eyes. 

“Fall on me /

With all your light.”

[mozartwasajungkookstan]

An Analysis of @jungnoir’s ‘First Love’ - Technically a Songfic?

Spoilers ahead for ‘First Love’ by @jungnoir ir (The first paragraph is just a rant about song fics, so that actually will make sense. You should still read ‘First Love’ though. You might also want to listen to Yoongi’s ‘First Love’ for some context as well - and because it’s a great song.

I’m not going hide it: I hate song fics. So much. I just see these little verses scattered throughout a fic and I lose my goddamn mind. Am I meant to read along in time with the lyrics while the song is playing? That makes no sense with fast paced songs - I have to quickly skim past the writing to keep up with the song because otherwise the lyrics I’m listening to won’t make sense with the part that I’m reading. Reading a fic with a slow song is even worse because then I have to wait for the song to catch up with me, so now I’m just sitting there, shrouded in the darkness of my room at 3am, waiting for the chorus of a song, wondering where it all went wrong. So am I just meant to keep restarting the song? That would just break immersion and completely ruin the experience. Should I just not play the song at all? That seems like the most logical solution... but then why are you giving me the lyrics? Now I’ve got to scroll past them every time I see them because they’re there for no good reason.

Ever since I’ve come across these things on Wattpad I just immediately click away when I see them. They just seem like a way to make a fic look longer and they’re used to easily create tone by just copying and pasting words that someone else wrote. I hate them. Have I made that obvious yet?

That being said, ‘First Love’ is sort of a song fic. But I also love it. Notice how I said “sort of”. Yes, ‘First Love’ is associated with a song, which means it could potentially be classified as song fic. But because there are so many things that set it apart from from your average Wattpad song fic based on ‘Colors’ by Halsey (wow, it’s a story about a boy leaving you after you fall in love with him. What a surprise. It’s not like I could’ve told you the entire plot after reading the title). No, this is much more than that.

Aesthetics are unfortunately important for writing because even if your fic is well written, something else with fancy banners and calligraphy in the title is more likely to win someone over. It’s one of the first things that a reader takes note of, so it’s fitting that I talk about it first. ‘First Love’ doesn’t market itself as song fic, which is why I’m reluctant to call it one. To put it simply: it doesn’t do that god awful thing where lyrics from a song are spliced in between paragraphs of writing. Admittedly, even if jungnoir did want to, it would be weird putting in lyrics of a Korean song so it probably wouldn’t have been an option anyways. But nonetheless, there are no lyrics awkwardly placed in between paragraphs, so I didn’t immediately click out of the fic. While this is really just a personal preference out of my hatred for song fics, it leads onto my second point - the title and song it’s based off of.

The title ‘First Love’ is honestly not all that interesting of a title unless you’re aware of the masterpiece that is Yoongi’s ‘First Love’. But here’s the thing: other than the title and the description mentioning a “brown piano”, there are no other explicit references to the song other than a mention of a piano, which could easily just be that; and calling Yoongi the reader’s “first love”, which is completely different to the way it’s used in the song because the “first love” in the song is the piano, not a person. This sets apart the fic from the song and makes them different entities entirely.

The song choice is also a fantastic one. It somehow fits perfectly with the tone of the writing, but if I told you about a piece of writing based off of Yoongi’s ‘First Love’ and asked you to guess the plot, you wouldn’t have a clue. You might’ve guessed a story about Yoongi and his piano and taken the lyrics literally, but the tale of an engaged woman realising her childhood friend is the one she should be with is probably not what comes to mind. This makes it way less predictable than any other song fic I’ve ever read because normally every lyric is taken at face value - a sad song about your partner leaving you will create a sad fic about your partner leaving you (who would’ve guessed it?). ‘First Love’ just doesn’t fall for that trap because how could it? The song itself is never about a romantic love, so to make a fic about romantic love gives it a sense of originality and shows that jungnoir hasn’t just transcribed some verses into prose and has instead made something entirely new.

And that’s what I love most about this fic: it’s different. It’s different from other song fics out there and it’s different to its source material. Hell, when I first read it, I wasn’t even aware of the song that it was based off of. But I still thought it was a masterpiece regardless. Unlike so many other song fics before, it doesn’t depend on pre-existing work to establish its tone. The knowledge of the song adds to the experience but doesn’t complete it. I think that’s why many people add in lyrics to their fics: the experience isn’t complete without the knowledge of the song and the writer knows that. I’m not saying that writers who use songs are inherently bad; it’s possible for songs to be used in a way that heightens the enjoyment of reading. ‘First Love’ is a testament to that. It’s just that people are starting to be dependent on these songs to do most of their work tonally and that just doesn’t work for people like me... because I’m way too lazy to pull up Spotify and find your song.

As well as it being a sort-of-songfic, ‘First Love’ is incredibly well written and I really like some of the choices made in it. For example, I think it’s really clever how the fiancé was never given an actual name. It really shows how insignificant he is to the main character and Yoongi’s relationship and shows how the main character feels so disconnected from her soon-to-be-groom, as the closest to a name that we ever get is “the heir of Kang Group”. It’s such an official title and we only get his surname, which makes his relationship with the main character seem way too official and formal for romantic partners. It also helps with making his family seems more ominous, with them being called “his family” and nothing more personal than that. It’s really good in constrast with all the interactions between the main character and Yoongi, which are so much more personal. The use of language tells the reader from the very beginning that the main character was never meant to be with her fiancé, which makes the moment where she decides to run away with Yoongi full of satisfaction and not guilt, which is a big problem that I have with runaway bride stories. The groom is never mentioned in a bad light so I always feel bad when the bride leaves him because ‘hey, he might’ve actually loved her’. This doesn’t have that problem - it’s pretty clear that the groom considers the relationship to be more like a business transaction.

It also doesn’t make the mistake of having the groom be needlessly bad. Yeah, I’m glad to get away from him, but this isn’t a fantasy universe and he shouldn’t be cartoonishly evil. If I can imagine the antagonist petting his black raven while maniacally laughing in a ‘realistic’ story, then maybe you should tone it down a bit. I’m glad there’s no scene where he gets into a fight with Yoongi and no moment where he calls the main character any derogatory terms because it would’ve been so easy to just put it in, but the fact that there’s more of a focus on Yoongi’s and the main character’s relationship is much better. Instead of just telling the reader that the main character loves Yoongi, it shows them through meaningful interactions, which makes the romance seem so much more believable.

Overall, I think this fic is an amazing example of using song in fiction. It’s perfect in the minimal amount of references to the song, which makes it incredible as a stand alone piece as it doesn’t ever depend on the song to evoke emotion in the reader and the focus on the moments between the main character and Yoongi emphasises the idea that the fiancé never really mattered and builds a realistic and believable relationship between the two.

I give it 10 brown pianos out of 10 (listen to ‘First Love’. It’s so good)

- [redacted]

[floofyroro]

every piece of me

genre: angst. pure and utter angst. like, your-idol-boyfriend-is-breaking-up-with-you angst.

pairing: namjoon x reader

word count: 1.7k.

author’s notes: first one shot i’ve ever shared! PLEASE give feedback. constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

this was originally a songfic but i drifted away from the song’s lyrics more than i had intended. this took a life of it’s own and i didn’t expect to become so attached to these two. for reference, give “every piece of me” by Illenium & Echos a listen for Y/N’s perspective. for Namjoon’s, listen to “Intro” by Khalid.

It’s happening. As time suddenly slows and your surroundings become a blur, you feel your breathing hitch as the realization sinks in. He’s… he’s actually serious.

You ring out your sweaty palms and avoid eye contact as Namjoon stares you down with a gaze that screams exhaustion and something else you can’t place. After a long twelve-hour flight back to Seoul, he seemed more than a little unhappy to deal with your current predicament.

“Y/N, the last thing I want to do after a long day is have to cheer you up because you have trust issues,” he says with exhaustion clear in his voice. You finally look up from the cold, wood floors and lock eyes with your boyfriend of two years. Even behind his glasses, you find that Namjoon’s eyes have lost their characteristic gleam which makes your stomach sink even further. 

He continues on, “And I love you so much, Y/N, but you’ve been more emotionally exhausting than anything else as of lately.” Tears finally escape down your warm cheeks and taste salty as they hit your lips. You make a feeble attempt to wipe them away.

“You have no idea what I’m going through though, if you could just listen to what I’ve been dealing with…” You pause, trying to gauge his reaction. At this point, he’s unpacking his personal bags out on his king bed, and in the warm lighting provided by his lamp and a candle, you’re still captivated by how beautiful this man is in front of you. 

“Dealing with what?” he askes limply, “You’ve told me several times already; you’re worried about us, you’re worried I’m getting too wrapped up in the group, that you’re not good enough…” You realize he has been listening and defeat settles in as he takes his baseball cap off and runs a hand through his blonde hair, but you attempt to vocalize your feelings once again anyway.

You gulp and let your walls down. “I get it… You and the boys are a big sensational hit across the globe right now. So many opportunities have been presented to you within the past few years,” you take a breath, trying to hold the incoming tears at bay, “which I’m so happy about!” You try your best to sound convincing, “I can’t believe how lucky you are and how life has been treating you so wonderfully lately. But I can’t help but feel like I’ve…” 

Your shoulders drop and it’s awfully quiet, “Like I’ve been put on the back burner.”

Having said your two cents, you now anxiously await his response, the sound of your blood pounding in your head the only thing that you hear for the next minute. Soreness sets into your feet from being on them all day at the café so you decide to sit on the edge of his bed.

Finally, a sigh is released. Your eyes snap up immediately to find his already on you. Those damn butterflies begin in your stomach, making this all the more difficult for you. Why the hell is he so damn gorgeous? You try to stop your thoughts as the anxiety slowly seeps in, whispering that you aren’t simply enough for him.

“Babe…” He pauses for a beat and looks down, clenching his jaw before carrying on.

“Last summer was the best summer of my life. Do you remember when we spent the majority of all those nights talking late on the phone?”

Very carefully, he kneels in front of you, and places a hand on your knee. Eyeing the gentle gesture, you exhale and slowly nod before meeting his gaze. “Yeah,” you reply, “they were endless until my phone crapped out.” He smiles weakly, prompting you to add more.

“It couldn’t handle five-hour conversations every night.”

A chuckle escapes Namjoon and his dimples make an appearance once more in a lopsided smile.

“I felt bad so I bought you a new one.”

“Which was totally unnecessary. I could have afforded a new one.”

“I know you were capable of doing that but it was one of the perks of being your boyfriend.”

Your small smile falters once you realize the use of the past tense. He notices and looks away for a moment. A heartbeat later and he’s sitting next to you on the bed, shoulder-to-shoulder. The warmth at your side is welcomed, has always been welcomed and you’re enveloped in a sense of familiarity again.

“What I’m getting at is… I have cherished all of our time spent together. I look back on those memories of our first summer together and I can’t help but smile and feel all warm inside,” he places a hand on his chest and motions with the other. 

“I am just so grateful for you. I really am,” he turns his body to face you and he glances at you momentarily, almost as if his eyes asking for permission as he slowly, albeit hesitantly intertwines his fingers with yours.

The sensation is welcome and it feels so good to have that physical touch back. When Namjoon had first saw you standing outside the dorm upon returning home from a quick trip away from Seoul, you had seen his shoulders sag but he hugged you anyway and placed a kiss on your head while doing so. At the time, you thought nothing of his body language. Now, you weren’t so sure.

“Y/N, you know I want what’s best for you, right? I’ve always made that clear to you?”

The surprising questions catches you off guard, causing you to blink, but you respond with an affirmative nod. He goes on. “The future is full of a lot of uncertainties right now for the boys and me. Lots of exciting things of course, but for the most part, who knows where we will be within the next five years. So far, we’ve had two really successful world tours and our fan base is exploding,” you can hear the excitement growing in his tired voice, and you kill the urge of closing the space between the two of you, “so yeah, everything is going so well. It’s just…” He looks down and swallows, “I just don’t know how I can continue to be there…”

You feel it coming. He’s about to reveal whatever’s been bothering him the past month and you aren’t ready. All this time, you’d been telling yourself the lie that everything was fine and that you were just overthinking every single aspect of your relationship only because he’s busier than your average 21 year old and he’s, well, an idol.

“To be there for you.”

You look up at him, the words slowly registering in your head. You search his face for some indication that maybe this is some sick joke he’s playing on you, but when you see how stony and resigned his expression is, you draw back your hands.

“What?” You didn’t intend for your response to be so loud but the hurt is sinking in and dammit, this isn’t happening. Not now. He sighs, realizing the gravity of his words and still not mentally prepared for this conversation, even though he had ran it through his mind a million times. Namjoon tries again.

“I just think that you deserve a guy who will give you the time of day, everyday. I have such a tough schedule that’s always jampacked no matter what,” he quickly lifts up his watch to check the time and internally groans when it reads 2:55 a.m., “and I would love to spend more time with you if I had it… But the reality we’re living in is that I am becoming busier and busier. We are only two weeks out from dropping a new album. We will start promoting it soon and then the next world tour will start, with this one being the biggest one yet. I’m just starting to think that maybe…”

You aren’t ready to hear the rest of what he has to say so you look away and try your damn hardest to brace yourself anyway.

“Maybe we should break up.”

There it is. At this point, you’ve become numb, and your ears are starting to ring, despite the loud silence. It’s hard to breathe because your sense of security (or what’s left of it, at least) with Namjoon is crumbling and the room is stuffy and your eyes already feel heavy from crying. Overall, you just feel horrible, both physically and mentally.

Namjoon senses this and sighs for the umpteenth time.

“I feel awful doing this to you and it’s hurting me too.”

You don’t want to believe that he’s equally as hurt as you since he’s the one initiating the break-up, but when you see how tired he is, from the dark circles under his eyes, to the messy hair that’s sticking out in all directions, it hits you that it does affect him too. He sniffs, and you realize he’s tearing up, his eyes not just heavy, but slightly red as well.

“I’ve really enjoyed our time together,” he shakily says before quickly dabbing the back of his hand underneath his eyes. “And I’ve been dreading this for a couple weeks now.” Your face is wet with tears now, too, and you both inch closer and he doesn’t do anything when you start to lean on him. The contact is welcomed and the unspoken thought of we will never have this again with each other rings so loudly in both heads.

“I’m sorry,” you finally choke out, and everything comes crashing down. He wraps his arm around your shoulders as you openly sob, the tears falling into both of your laps. Flashes of your time together start playing in your mind, from when you first met at 19, to meeting his sweet mother, who always, always, always welcomed you with open arms. It makes your heart sink further when you realize that you’ll probably never see that same dimpled smile that Namjoon shares again.

“Me too,” he murmurs as he pulls you in for one more embrace. It didn’t feel like his usual, warm hug. This time it felt almost forced, but you could simultaneously feel the loss and longing already settling in between the two of you.

[noona-clock]

Return ❣️ One and Only

An iKON songfic series by Admin B! Enjoy!

Genre: AU/Fluff

Pairing: Hanbin x You

By Admin B

Love Scenario ❣️Beautiful ❣️One and Only ❣️Jerk ❣️Best Friend ❣️Everything ❣️Hug Me ❣️Don’t Forget ❣️Sinosijak ❣️Love Me ❣️Just Go ❣️Long Time No See ❣️Rubber Band ❣️

I’m the last cigarette One and only, f***ing one and only I’m a natural, bob your head You keep reaching for me, getting addicted

You gasped when you heard the curse word in the song, your eyes widening as you suddenly turned to look at him.

“Hanbin!” you laughed, bringing your hand up to cover your mouth.

It’s not like he never cursed in real life, but... he’d just used the f-word in this song.

Hanbin blushed a little, but you turned back to listen to the rest of the song before he could tell you to. You were filming a reaction video, after all, and now you knew why Hanbin had even suggested it. Because he knew your reaction to hearing that part of the song would make for good viewing.

And because he just liked having you on his channel. I mean, you were always on his channel. His vlogs had now become both of your vlogs, even though he still uploaded them to his account. But, still. He would let you be in his videos any chance he got. 

Let me, let me tell you something first This isn’t a song where I’ll pretend to be strong and act tough I’m not strong I’m standing right at rock bottom So if you’re going to stare Then lower your eyes first

“Rock bottom? Oh, gee, thanks,” you teased, rolling your eyes playfully. You wouldn’t necessarily classify Hanbin’s life as being at ‘rock bottom,’ especially since you two had been dating for almost a year now.

And, like, not to brag, but... you had almost four million subscribers.

And Hanbin now had one and a half million.

You two had just moved into a three-bedroom house together, you were more in love than ever, and you were on the verge of adopting a puppy.

So if this was rock bottom, you couldn’t wait to see what Hanbin would classify as living at the top.

“Not like that,” Hanbin assured you with a soft chuckle. “Just keep listening.”

Watch carefully and see just how far I go I’m walking on this path alone A Samurai sharpening my blade in the shadows All you hotshots up there, start getting nervous I fight to have my way The town thug I’m rare and precious I love myself so much

“Aww, you are rare and precious,” you gushed, reaching out to pinch his cheek. “And I love you so much, too.”

“Oh my god, baby,” Hanbin muttered, though he was having a very had time keeping a smile off his lips.

“The town thug,” you added. “You know, when I first heard you rapping, I really did think you were a thug. But then I watched one of your vlogs and knew immediately I was wrong.”

My way -- If I was supposed to live and die for the charts I wouldn’t be making music anyway Those meant for success will make it And those who weren’t don’t have a chance

You nodded slowly, agreeing with his statement about how he wouldn’t be making music if he worried about popularity. 

You’d realized fairly quickly he hadn’t become a YouTuber for the sole purpose of becoming “famous.” He’d become a YouTuber because he’d simply wanted a way to share his music. He truly didn’t care about the subscriber count; he continued to do it for the love of music, and that was something you admired so much about him.

You sometimes did let the pressure get to you, worrying about whether or not your content was enjoyable enough or original enough for your viewers. 

Hanbin was always there to talk you down, reminding you that your opinion mattered most. If you liked what you were putting out there, then your channel was a success.

Truly, you wondered all the time how you got to be so lucky finding somebody like him.

I’m the one and only, I couldn’t care less Warning to all: I’m foolish, so I choose to ignore it all One and only, f***ing one and only

“I really did not expect that,” you admitted once the song finished.

“But... did you like it?”

“Of course, I liked it,” you chuckled, finding it incredibly cute Hanbin still got nervous when you first listened to his songs. “Like I said, I really thought you were going to be this cool, thug gangster, so it’s nice to know I wasn’t completely wrong.”

“Okay, you’ve known me for, like, a year. You’re just now realizing I have a cool, thug gangster side to me?” Hanbin scoffed.

“Need I remind you how soft you get when you see an animal?” you pointed out with raised eyebrows.

You heard Hanbin open his mouth to retort, but then you heard him close it again. So you just looked at the camera with an extremely smug expression.

“Okay, let’s just end it here,” Hanbin chuckled. “Thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this, please give it a thumbs up. How could you not? My girlfriend is amazing. And please subscribe while you’re at it, but more importantly, go subscribe to her channel. She puts out three beauty videos a week, and if you’re not watching them, what are you doing with your life?”

When he turned the camera off, you came up behind him, sliding your arms around his middle and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.

“When was the last time I told you how talented you are?” you mumbled against his skin.

“Hmm... probably a couple days ago,” he chuckled as he reached to turn the studio lights off.

“And... when was the last time I told you I loved you?”

“A couple minutes ago, while we were filming your reaction.”

“Well, I love you.”

He turned around then, bringing his hands up to cradle your face and placing a kiss on the tip of your nose. “I love you, too.”

“That song was really good, honestly. I enjoyed it.”

“...But did you like it better than--”

“No, ‘Just Go’ is still my favorite. Come here, I have an idea for an Instagram picture.”

You got out your phone, turning your back to him and bringing his arms around your shoulders. You leaned into him, pressing your cheek against his and smiling. You took another one of you kissing his cheek, and when you uploaded them to Instagram, you added the caption...

“My one and only. ❤️”

Author’s Note: This AU takes place in the Please Subscribe universe. If you haven’t yet read that series, this one shot will make a lot more sense if you do!

Tagging @cramelot, @zhangjingyou, @daelicious-jongbulge, @constellxtion,  @xiusmybeautifulnightmare, @brie02, @haveanotherkpopblog, @skatertuan , @peach-sm to let them know this has been posted! Readers, if you would like to know when the series is updated, let me know, and I’ll add you to the list!

Master list //  RULES // Submit a Request! // Read About the Admins

[mindthewolves]

differential diagnosis of common problems in fic*

*not just fanfic, but you don’t see that much original fic from people just starting out because Gatekeepers

disclaimer – this is not a “god this is terrible writing how could you do that ever” but a “we all have blind spots and maybe would benefit from getting a beta reader” and yes, ofc that includes me too. also these are general Story Things as separate from Issues of Representation Things.

other writers, hello and feel free to chime in!

content:

characters that exist solely for another character’s development. write people as people, not objects.

relationships in which A Modicum of communication would save you 20 chapters of angst

infodumping, extensive and conspicuous exposition, the like

on the other end of the spectrum, not grounding the scene (can’t visualize what’s going on)

extreme violence without reason or as a shoddy excuse for character development, particularly as highly gendered tropes

perfection (I see this with kara a lot in supergirl fic. she’s invulnerable, with super strength, super nice, drop-dead gorgeous, and secretly a scientific whiz kid AND ALSO can paint you something to sell at Sotheby’s. this has gone too far.)

songfic with the entire song written out in the middle of the story while the plot slips through your fingers or random lyrics interspersed throughout. ditto poetry. ditto quotes by people who are supposed to lend Weight and Gravitas to the fic

medicine/science that is indistinguishable from magic. R&D takes a long time. you do not defibrillate for asystole. (hello, flash. i’m looking at you.)

the telepathic narrator: in which the POV jumps back and forth between characters (most commonly love interests) with every other sentence

see related cheat code: “character A knew that character B was feeling/thinking X, Y, and Z” just no

precocious toddlers Wise Beyond Their Years or grown-ass adults with the intellect and emotional maturity of children (again, unless done for effect)

extensive author notes that prescribe exactly what you should take away from the fic and what things were Supposed To Mean. stories do not work like that; they’re open to interpretation, AND they should stand on their own without explanation

formatting:

why is there extra white space on ao3 you guys

block text of more than ~5 lines per paragraph, i cannot read it

italics where they shouldn’t be; it’s like listening to an oddly accented musical line

weird formatting of glosses for non-English words

each character’s reaction/description should go with their dialogue

if character A is speaking:

incorrect: “What movie do you want to watch?” character B shrugged.

correct: “What movie do you want to watch?”

character B shrugged.

changing verb tense in the middle of a story

spelling and word choice:

the epithets, cease and desist. it’s distracting and it reduces your character to a single aspect (usually of their appearance) that is (usually) not relevant to the scene at all. particularly egregious: epithets based on race/ethnicity

unclear pronouns, esp with f/f or m/m ships

its =/= it’s, pls google. the first is possessive and the second is “it is”

their/they’re/there and your/you’re, remember google is your friend

lets =/= let’s and all other verbs in this pattern: the first is the verb conjugation (-s) for he/she/it in present tense. the second is “let us”

reign =/= rein. you reign over a kingdom but you “rein in” an impulse. like a horse.

taut =/= taught

weary =/= wary

bawling =/= balling

adverse =/= averse, you are “averse to” pickles but go out in “adverse” weather

it’s “another think coming” rather than “another thing”

there seems to be some confusion over the words lay and lie. you lie down on a bed, past tense lay, present participle lying, past participle lain. you lay an object down on a table, past tense laid, present participle laying. these are not the same word, despite the spelling overlap.

misspelling your character names. really?

that word does not mean what you think it means

see also: i looked this up in the dictionary no one will know it but ppl will think i am Smart

for the reader/audience side of things:

how to comment (an example, not an absolute)

thank the writer. fics are not tangible but they are still gifts

what did you like about the fic and why?

other things you’d like to see, meta about the characters, lines that stuck with you, what worked and what didn’t

if you want to offer suggestions and they are not constructive, stop right there. hard stop.

if you have constructive criticism, drop an ask and see if that’s something the writer is even interested in. you don’t walk up to someone who’s wearing a pair of gloves they just knitted and say, “that row of stitches, it’s going the wrong way.” keep in mind that ao3 or tumblr may not be the place for unsolicited critique, especially from strangers online with no established credentials. concrit is like dark magic and not to be tampered with lightly. people who actually know how to give it are probably not the people who roll up in your comments with Demands

should I even comment?

if you read The Thing, leave a comment. support your writers. it’s not just paying it back or being a good fandom citizen. language is about connection – we write to be read. the fic is the ask; the comment is the answer

fic is not a one-way street or it doesn’t have to be

& I promise that even a well thought-out comment will take a fraction of the time it took to write the actual fic

also if you are a reader who wants to write, or a reader who wants to read better, commenting (i.e. thinking about what makes fic work and putting that into words) will help up your game too

for betas and critique partners:

the diplomatic critiquer

more references

read fic that you admire, take it apart, see how it works

be clear about what the writer is looking for w a beta read AND what the beta reader is willing or able to do. for me this comes in three tiers: 

1. content editing, story problems, representation problems

2. sentence and paragraph-level problems: internal echoes, issues w writing voice, things that don’t make sense, etc. 

3. copyediting: spelling and grammar only

motion to add an opt-in “yes, looking for concrit” box on ao3

sites for critting original fic: critique circle, critters