#tagging the serial name because i need more people to watch that serial

[donutdrawsthings]

It's almost impressive how consistent this issue is

[lipglossanon]

Gloom

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Serial Killer!Leon S. Kennedy x fem!reader <one shot>

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, troubled reader, violent/dark thoughts, flirting, Leon abusing his bartender privileges 😆, for once no smut!

not proofread; this has been languishing in my drafts and I’m tired of looking at it—don’t know if I’ll add to it or not

title from Gloom by Djo

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Clawing anger stirs in your chest, pricking you like the briar bushes outside your granny’s house. It feels like you’ve tumbled face first into the thorny tendrils, pointed tips digging into your skin, blood dripping like sweat across your skin. Shaking off the phantom sensations, you peer back out across the dance floor. 

You smile, pretending to be happy, mask firmly in place. Good people grin and bear it, don’tcha know? Eyes landing on the table full of people you’d rather never see again, almost without conscious thought, makes your skin itch. The feeling of unfairness fizzes in your blood like carbon bubbles. You hate them. Hate these feelings all stirred up like a kicked hornets nest. 

You hope they get hit by a truck, shanked in an alley, acid thrown in their eyes. It’s hateful and spiteful but you can’t stop the thoughts once they start. Maybe they’ll fall down the stairs and break their leg, bleed out a slow death all alone. Or pushed off the roof of a building, not so tall they have a heart attack before splattering across the cement. Maybe they’ll trip holding a pair of scissors, the pointed end puncturing their eye—

“You need another drink?”

The voice pulls you away from staring across the room to the bartender standing behind the counter. 

“No,” you shake your head, eyes dropping to your glass, water still near the rim. 

“You seem a bit perturbed,” he offers, propping his hip against the drink station, arms crossing and showcasing his thick biceps.

“It’s nothing,” your airy response only makes his eyebrows raise in amusement.

“I’m sure that group over at the table would love to hear how they’re nothing,” he grins when you glare at him.

“What do you care..” your eyes glance at his name tag, “Leon?”

“I don’t,” he shrugs easily, “but you do and I hate to see a pretty lady in distress.”

You snort, eyes rolling, “I’ll bet you say that to anyone with tits.”

His grin widens, “True, but I always mean what I say.”

Someone on the other end flags his attention and Leon leaves you to your intrusive thoughts and untouched water. Your lip curls in a sneer as someone gets up from the table he mentioned and walks over to the bar. They flirt with Leon who you notice gives you a quick side eye before making a round of drinks. 

Once he’s finished up, he walks back over to you with a smarmy little swagger. 

“Miss me?” 

You shake your head, gaze still zeroed in on the bitch taking the handful of drinks he just made back to the table. More people come up to the bar and Leon slips away, busy for several long minutes. While he’s mixing whatever cocktail an older lady and her friend ordered, your eyes widen in surprise to see a few people at that specific table suddenly make their departure towards the restroom. 

“It didn’t kick in as fast as I thought,” Leon muses next to you— a little put upon sigh slipping out for good measure, “they’ll definitely be calling it a night once they’re not puking their guts out.”

Delightful vindictiveness makes you smile broadly at him; it must surprise him because he only looks at you stupidly as you thank him. 

“Didn’t I tell you I hate seeing a pretty lady in distress,” he recovers quickly enough, a pleased smile making him seem boyish and sweet, “besides they seem like stuck up cunts. And not the fun kind.”

You watch with a sort of childlike awe as he goes about the rest of his shift, chatting up customers and making drinks. The table of cunts, as he so politely put, cleared out once the others returned looking sick. 

“I’m off work in ten minutes,” he appears next to you, making you jump. 

“And?”

He drums his fingers on the side of your glass, “Might wanna get your last call in before I walk you home for the night.”

He slips away before you can argue and ten minutes later, he’s helping you with your coat and holding open the door. Once you’re a comfortable distance away from the bar, you turn to him. 

“What did you use?”

“Ah,” he taps the side of his nose with a grin, “that would be telling.”

Your eyes narrow and he laughs. 

“Just a little something I like to keep on me,” he ducks to the side to whisper in your ear, “it’s not the worst thing I’ve used on someone.”

He pulls away, looking pleased as punch, and it makes your heart flutter in excitement. 

“Thanks,” you offer, looking back to the sidewalk in front of you, “it was nice.”

“Oh my absolute pleasure,” he sighs happily, wrapping his arm around your shoulders, “do they come in every week?”

“Yes,” you bite your lip in thought, “usually at the same time.”

“Shall I give them something a bit stronger then?” He murmurs quietly, eyes glittering when you pause to look back at him. 

“There’s something wrong with me.”

You didn’t mean to blurt that out, but it is what it is; he shrugs, total nonchalance, that makes you frown. 

“I want them to hurt. I want them to feel awful. I wouldn’t mind if they died.”

His smile’s a sharp brittle knife, “I can help with that last one.”

Your heart flutters again, and you twist to face him fully. 

“You mean that?” Your eyes stare into his calm blue gaze, “you don’t even know me.”

“Does it matter?” He grins playfully, “besides you seem like the kind of girl who would appreciate it.”

Those intrusive thoughts come back, flashing the various ways you’ve pictured those same people being hurt. Your hands reach up to curl your fingers in the collar of his jacket.

“Do you want help?”

He laughs delightedly, his own hands gripping your hips before sliding up to pet your ribs. He slides your noses together, before hovering his lips over your mouth. 

“How do you want to help me, sweetheart?”

[unknownperson246]

Here’s a rockstar crime fic

Modern Nikki who’s a serial killer eyeing an innocent waitress who works in the sunset strip

Part 2

Killer On the Loose

Words: 1,169

warnings: *angst* *cussing* *crime* *killing mentioned* *cutting* *hurting* *shooting mentioned* *kidnapping* *being tied up*

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

You see this very popular rockstar who was performing on the stage with his band called Motley Crue. He sat down at a table while the rest of the band went out the door. He sat down in his glam metal get-up. You recognized his outfit from his music video “Shout at the Devil”.

They play that video all the time and you are sick of the song especially when they perform it live at the bar every once in a while. You go up to him with a notepad and a pen to get his order.

“Hi sir, what would you like today?” 

“Hi, please call me Nikki,” He said, trying to break the ice.

“I would just like one coke” Nikki smiles and makes eye contact with you.

“Is that all Nikki?” You ask, making sure it was all Nikki wanted.

“Yes Y/N,” He said looking at your name tag.

You go back to the vending machine to get his can of coke.

“I just found my next victim” Nikki chuckles at his sick thought.

“You're going to have fun tonight baby” Nikki smiles as you make your way back with his can of coke.

You set it down at his table and leave to get other people's orders. You go over to the next table and ask what they would like. Nikki keeps looking at you. You were scared of him. You felt uneasy and you wanted to disappear. You felt uncomfortable at the way he sipped his can of coke and how he was staring at you with his red eyes. He looked like a devil. It's been a couple of hours and he is still there. You decide to ignore him and go on doing your job. You turn your back on him and he is gone. You sigh in relief and you go on doing your job. Your shift is over and you go outside to go home. You suddenly feel a man's touch on your back. You can recognize the man's stare. It was Nikki. 

“Nighty night babe,” He says while putting a chloroform-soaked cloth against your nose. You immediately recognized his voice. You pass out within seconds. Nikki makes sure no one sees him and he carries your limp body to his car. His whole band is in the car staring at you with smug smiles. They all kidnapped you. You wake up in an abandoned house with ropes tightened on your body. 

“What the” 

You get cut off by Nikki.

“Hey babe. Do you remember what happened last night?” He smirks with a knife in his hand. “Fuck you,” You say on the verge of tears.

“Someones feisty. There is no need for cussing,” Nikki says.

“I'll say whatever the fuck I want to say and that is funny coming from a fucking psycho rockstar” 

“You know you're annoying. You would be way more prettier if your tongue didn't run like that” 

“Now how about we make you prettier princess” He holds his knife to your tongue. 

“What the fuck?” You scream.

Tommy and Vince come in.

“Now look at what we have here” Tommy chuckles.

“You people are evil. What are you going to do? You and your gang of killers cant fucking get away with this.” You scream.

“Woah she's a real chatterbox” Vince chuckles.

“Maybe we need to tape her mouth,” Tommy laughs.

“You people are fucking pussies.” You yell as Vince brings the tape closer to your mouth.

As a warning Vince cuts you a bit to show you that they really would hurt you. Your words are mumbled as you try to talk with the tape on your mouth. “Fuck you” you try to yell.

They hit you with the chloroform again. You fall asleep on the floor where they tied you up. They removed the tape because you were finally quiet. They all watch you sleep admiring how pretty you were when you kept your mouth shut. “Look at her she is so pretty” Vince coos as his hand goes through your hair.

You start to mumble words in your sleep.

“No, please don't kill me. Please don't kill me!.” You sob in your sleep.

They felt some pity but they weren't going to hurt you after talking about it. They just wanted to kidnap you for money. They all agreed that if you pulled a dumb move then Nikki would be the one who killed you. Nikki had a soft spot already growing for you in his heart.

You wake up again and start to yell and scream for help after you help police sirens around the abandoned neighborhood.

“Shut the fuck up before I blow your brains out!” Nikki yells frustrated with you. 

You map out an escape in your head. Your plan is to run away when they are asleep or when they are only one of them to keep an eye on you because fighting one person is easier than fighting a whole group of people. The next day Nikki and Tommy say they're going out to find a new victim to kill.

“Hey Vince, are you sure you can take care of her alone?” Tommy asks.

“Yeah I mean how hard could it be she’s fucking tiny!” Vince laughs.

Tommy and Nikki leave with all their weapons.

“Vince could you please go get me some Advil and pads i’m on my period” You whimper in pain.

“No. I need to stay here and watch so your ass doesn't escape.” Vince says.

“Vince, I promise I won't try anything. Please can you go and get my things. It hurts so fucking bad” You start to cry.

“Fine fine just don’t start all the hormonal shit with me” Vince gruff’s. Vince grabs his car keys in front of you. “You better not try anything princess” He gruffs as he walks out the door.

You scan the room to find anything to cut the ropes. You slide on the floor so you could try to grab the knife that Tommy left. It's on a high place so you knock it over and you successfully grab the knife with your mouth. 

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck” You scream out of frustration with you.

You try to cut the ropes. You cut the ropes in under ten minutes. You walk out of the door with your hands free and you escape. You run to where you hear the police sirens and ask for help. By the time you were out of the house Vince came back with the stuff you asked for. He was angry when he saw that you weren't in the room anymore.

“Damn it” Vince says angrily.

He calls Tommy and asks for backup but it is too late. The cops were coming to get them.

“Motherfucker” Vince said when he heard police sirens approach. Vince sneaks out the back and gets in his car. He slips away and the police never find Tommy Vince or Nikki again in that state. 

[soft-persephone]

Helpful not so Helpful Guide to Jake Johnson

A master post with links to some movies and information or where to access some of them +more

Disclaimer: if any of these movies are bad or you hate them, that’s on you and not me. I am heavily biased. You have been warned.

SELF RELIANCE

let’s start with the obvious. It’s out now on Hulu! Has been since February maybe idk. I’m unhealthily obsessed and bad with dates.

It’s his directorial debut, but if you didn’t know. Jake started out as a writer before improv and acting. He’s the writer, director, and star of this one. It’s very special and his baby!

It’s a wild roller coaster ride of emotions and genre. If you smoke, smoke, if you drink, drink, if you are sober, it’s still a roller coaster ride. Don’t worry, there is a lot there for you too!

But if you like enhancements, I hear it’s extra fun.

I liked it a lot, it’s whacky, creepy at times, but undeniably fun. And that’s all I will say.

Warning! Don’t watch press or any interviews for the movie until after you’ve seen the movie.

Ride the Eagle

is also on Hulu

It’s a movie he wrote during the pandemic and directed with Trent O’Donnell who directed many episodes of new girl.

It’s very heartfelt and about Grief.

Jake Johnson’s dog also makes guest appearance with their acting debut and they are the sweetest and most bestest acting dog ever.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

his podcast!

It’s very fun and with one of his buddies Gareth Reynolds.

People call in and they give them advice that is as funny and crazy as the callers.

Something’s Burning

Here’s a link to a interview on the premise of the show, but also they talk to this guy. idk. He may be a bit much, but he makes Jake laugh and I love listening to him laugh, so it’s fun for that reason too.

Or you are a Burt fan.

🏴‍☠️Pirate ship access only 🏴‍☠️

Link to the ship

The Pretty One -

one of my favorites. It’s an oddball indie about twins where one dies and the one alive assumes the identity of the one who died where she stumbles upon her sister neighbor played by Jake Johnson. He’s dressed like a sexy Mr. Rogers if you ask me, and he is delightfully sardonic and childish. However, he dresses better than Nick Miller ever could

Win it All

It used to be on Netflix, but it’s been taken down recently. That’s my bad because I could have made this sooner, but I just haven’t for no reason.

Jake plays a character with a gambling addiction and an anxiety inducing as the first part may be, it’s not that bad. When I first saw it I had to turn it off because I just got too anxious over what might happen next, but you might not have a weak stomach like me, so you might be fine.

On the second time around, I made it to the part where he meets this girl and everything quickly became heartwarming and endearing and it makes you just root for the main character.

A love letter for those in our lives who may not be fortunate to put themselves together as well as we might.

TAG

It’s also available the link above, but it could be streaming for free somewhere. Idk.

this movie is very self-explanatory by the name. It’s very fun, Jeremy Reiner is in it, so that’s either good news or bad news for you. But it’s still fun.

Jake looks very good in this one. He still has his Tom cruise work out body.

I am very embarrassed to say I can tell what year every movie has come out based on his body shape which is lovely at every size, but the accuracy is quite scary. Which is information I didn’t need to share at all

Stumptown

I used to keep that thang on me.

And by thang on me, I mean a pirate ship link to see this show. But they are for some reason gone. I’ve searched high and low for ones to access on maybe a phone? But unless you have a fire stick that has some certain pirate ship accessories on there, I don’t know where you can watch it.

But it’s such an amazing serialized show about this woman who comes back home from Iraq with ptsd, the love of her life died over there and his family blames her for it and she also blames herself for it.

She becomes a private investigator and her best friend is Gray McConnell played by Jake Johnson who, surprise suprise, owns a bar.

Imagine a cooler, sexier, smarter, and more put together Nick Miller. He is just as funny and sarcastic, but not a manchild.

But the show has amazing bisexual representation, mental health representation of ptsd, complex female characters, and it’s so well paced and written and every way.

If you love cop shows like criminal minds or fbi or any of those, imagine something like that but about a private investigator, and more emphasis on the plot and characters and their relationships. The “cop” part is just more fun on this show than others, but I am biased because I hate cop shows.

I wish I had a link to give y’all for it because it’s so easily to obsess over.

However, it’s also been canceled because of “COVID” but if you look into it. That’s a bullshit reason, and it’s been canceled for no reason, but at that point Jake Johnson was doing spiderverse and Colbie Smolders was doing other stuff. (She plays the main female character)

MINX

Show set in the 70s about a woman starting the first male nude magazine to persue her dream of making a feminist one.

It’s smart, the writing is amazing, and I can not recommend it enough. There’s a lot of nudity, but it’s not what you think at all.

You truly have to watch it for yourself to understand what the show is trying to do, and it’s amazing.

I’ve never seen anything like it and it’s such a breath of fresh air in a time of remakes and endless sequels.

It used to be on HBO but now it’s on Starz!

Here’s a link to see it. Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone

But for some reason it only has season two which sucks so hard and I am so sorry I couldn’t provide more.

Drinking Buddies

- it used to be available on YouTube but now it’s not free anymore or the person who posted has since deleted it been removed. But the pirate ship one will have it for sure.

Have you ever met someone and you never dated them, never had a something more conversation but the chemistry is there.

You were super close to them, but no one has ever questioned it or said anything about it, but when you are with them you know it’s there? But that’s all it ever has been and will be, and maybe you aren’t even in each others lives anymore but you still think of them from time to time because they were a major part of you being who you are?

Yes? Well boy do I have a movie for you!

No? Well that’s what this movie is, but it adds more because it’s a movie and it needed to be at least an hour and a half.

But now that you know what it’s about, be warned that it’s slower in pace. It’s an indie movie.

I will have more to say about that later.

But overall it’s a good movie with a good feeling.

If you’ve ever had a will they won’t they in a real life way and not the Hollywood way, this movie might trigger those feelings.

Digging for Fire

- it used to be available on YouTube but now it’s not free anymore or the person who posted has since deleted it been removed. But the pirate ship one will have it for sure.

A cute heartwarming thriller.

Those genres don’t seem like they could all blend together, but that’s what this movie does.

A family rents out a house in LA and the husband, played by Mr Jake Johnson, finds a gun and a bone, and they call the police and they say we’re not responsible for random trash. Call us if you find a body.

This is a real story that happened to Jake Johnson and his family.

He called up his friend Joe Swamburg who is a director, and they make this movie together.

He’s also the director of drinking buddies and Win it All.

It’s not only about that, again, because it needs to be over an hour. So it’s also about marriage. Not say anything else because you need something to keep you wanting to see this one, but I will say, it’s not a pretentious or dark or super try hard movie about marriage that will depress you.

It’s open and honest and ultimately sweet.

Imagine if scenes from a marriage wasn’t a drag or if a marriage story was positive instead of weird.

Idk I never actually watched a marriage story. It might not even be called that at all and you may be confused so… moving on.

No Activity

A show he was in for three episodes but it has a hilarious premise and if you are a fan of comedy, you might enjoy it having Will Farrell, Jason Mantzoukas and so much more.

Here a clip

Apparently there a ten photo limit.. so no picture

I use to have a link to it, but it’s also been erased from everywhere, unless you have access to other pirate ships.

:(

Interviews

Link

Here is a playlist of amazing interviews that give you a head start on getting to know him. They aren’t in any important order, and they also have a few about each movie and show he’s in as well.

Also if you need accessing a vpn please reach out. I know a good free vpn app for iOS.

PART TWO!!!!

[trivialbob]

I was tagged by @mstacobelle and @littlerunnergurl: Name 5 things that really irritate you, and what you do to keep that irritation from turning you into a serial killer, or just slapping people on a street corner in your town.

Let's see.

When the grocery store has a sign that says 4 for $10 or $2.99 each. I am accustomed to that horrible pricing at convenience stores but hate that my grocery store has started to adopt the "or" practice. So I simply refuse to buy one OR four of that item at the grocery store, no matter how much I want it. I have many little personal boycotts. They bring me much satisfaction, even if store managers don't notice it.

When the grocery store has a sign that says 4 for $10. Period. Bob! What's the problem? The problem is when my wife wants to buy all four items even if we only need one. No, no, no. 4 for $10 with no footnote means we can buy one item for $2.50. Yet she still wants to buy four. This is why I never complain if she hands me a grocery list, and I shop by myself. The savings are in my control!

Drivers who disrupt the smooth flow of traffic. Those who drive way too fast or a bit slower or even the speed limit if the rest of the vehicles are going faster. Awful. Or the people who brake on the highway, start to exit, and only then use a turn signal. Isn't there some sort of social contract or state law that says be predictable and don't disrupt your fellow travelers' lives, even if you are hyper-miling in your hybrid or pleasing Gaia by making that turn signal bulb last longer by using it less? I cope by thinking these drivers are someone's lovable grandparents. I wouldn't have lost my shit at my grandparents. When I'm following a slow driver and being tailgated by an aggressive one, I love to simply move over and watch the two jerks annoy each other.

Centipedes. Damn, even if every insect is one of God's creatures, centipedes creep me out beyond belief. Any living thing with more legs than a tarantula is heinous, except those puffy green caterpillars. A centipede in my house makes me shriek. Satisfaction is derived from spinning the monster to death in the vacuum cleaner or feeling a satisfying smush from stepping on it. They're only targets inside the house. Outside they are fine.

"Special" episodes of TV shows. A black and white episode, to be artistic? Ick. A musical version? Yawn. Seinfeld S09E08, with the Indian wedding where the timeline was in reverse? Not for me. Even worse are "Very Special" episodes, often with music-less endings and nowadays a toll-free number appearing on screen. The Bicycle Man episode of Diff'rent Strokes was one of the first. It was a "sit-com" episode about child molestation. Just because a comedy show is (or used to be) entertaining and popular doesn't mean it has to "start a conversation." The remote control, or the round knob on the TV when I was 12-years-old, provided relief.

[nectar-cellar]

15 questions for 15 mutuals

thank you very much for tagging me!! sorry i didn’t get around to this sooner 🙈

@sofiims @uglynormie @hiddenspriings @cupidia @obscurus-noctem @drawing-way-outside-the-lines @agnelid @descendantdragfi @satellite-sims @sim4areason @mainlyjustthesims @pleaseputnamehere @sim-songs @simolemons @theageofsims @its-adrienpastel

i loved reading all your answers.

my answers below:

Are you named after anyone? i was named after a place that was named after a person 

When was the last time you cried? earlier this week 💀 the reason: i was trying to write some goth family backstory, trying to write from cassandra’s perspective, and her life made me really sad. not sure if these ideas will end up turning into story posts or not. 

Do you have kids? no ❤

Do you use sarcasm a lot? a little bit. i’m more of a dry humor kind of person, not so much sarcastic lol

What sports do you play/have you played? i’ve played a variety of sports but never stuck with any for very long. i can’t say i enjoy sports in general. i think it’d be more fun if i had a partner or family or group of friends who were very into it. i’m such a couch potato lol but i do go to the gym 3x a week, trying to tone up a little bit okay 💅

What’s the first thing you notice about other people? i used to draw/doodle portraits a lot so i notice faces immediately. their noses and eyebrows especially because those are the “framing” features in my opinion. when i used to draw, those were the features i would sketch first.

Scary movies or happy endings? i like both! i grew up watching scary movies so i find it hard for a movie to truly scare me anymore. i do have a fascination with morbid things and i always want to know why this monster/serial killer etc is on the prowl, like WHY? also the creativity and ingenuity behind how a good plot is set up is really interesting to me as a writer/storyteller. so i’m always intrigued by horror movies, thrillers, mysteries etc. i get to be entertained, i get to analyze, and i get to learn.

Any special talents? related to #6, i’m really good at recognizing faces? i didn’t think this was special but my coworker recently told me he is terrible with remembering faces (we work in a big office) and i was a bit surprised. i remember faces much better than names while he is the opposite.

Where were you born? canada, eh

What are your hobbies? daydreaming about fictional ppl and situations 😐

Do you have any pets? sadly no, as a kid i always wished to have cats and dogs but it just never suited our lifestyle and my parents weren’t keen on them. pets like hamsters, birds and fish don’t really interest me. as an adult i can’t commit to the care and maintenance a pet needs so i don’t see myself getting any pets anytime soon.

How tall are you? one time at work they had the nerve to ask me to change a lightbulb. like... me! imagine. i got onto a chair and stood up and still couldn’t reach the ceiling. 😌

Fave subject in school? english and art!

Dream job? i don’t have one but when i was a kid, it used to be an author or an artist.

Eye colour? dark brown

hmm most of my mutuals have already done this. i’ll tag @olomayasims @zoeoe-sims @twinsimming @frostedshore @llamaheart @treason-and-plot @sunlithills @thegloomiestwhim @streetlites @wolfavens @hotpatched @fishduhh @chinsims @polrbearsims @bobnewbie @itssimplythesims @lazysunjade @amuhav @keibea @simbico @bool-prop @cinamun @rebouks

[samthehyena]

Sam's Guide To Writing Chatfics

Step 1: Read chatfics

Browse your local ao3 for chatfics to find what you like in them and what stuff makes them difficult to read.

One of my favorite things about chatfics is how much a username can reveal about a character - plus it's a great way to include puns. The trope of having characters change their usernames based on the flow of the story is also very fun (e.g. in my Togachako chatfic Himiko changed Dabi's nickname to Dad-bi and Hawks' name to Pop-eyes after they basically adopted her). Chatfics are also a great way to balance having a lots of characters talk at once.

Now one of the things I have a hard time with a lot of chatfics is that it can be difficult to keep track of who is who - especially if it's a story with a class group chat. One way to mitigate that issue is to periodically have your characters address other characters by their name. Having usernames directly relate to common HCs or very specific traits unique to the character is also a good route to go with (e.g. 3D_Printer for Yaoyorozu Momo).

Step 2: Find character voice

Since character interactions are the foundation of chatfics, characterization and imitating the way your characters speak in canon is important.

To get a character's vibe right I usually start off by watching clips on YouTube so I can get a refresher on what kind of words they use, how formal their register is and most importantly how to make characters with somewhat similar personalities more distinct.

For example, Tsu and Jiro in my Togachako chatfic have a lot of similarities in the way I write them. Both have a bluntness to them and won't take anyone's shit. So I try to differentiate them by their role in the conversation. Although both make blunt commentary, Tsu has more of a stating the obvious angle while Jirou adds her dry sense of humor to the fic via sarcasm.

Another thing to consider is how a particular character would realistically text. Which characters don't use capitalization because they couldn't be bothered? Who relies heavily on emojis to reflect how expressive they are in canon? Who uses abbreviations and makes Internet references because they seem like they'd be tech-savvy? Who always writes in full sentences and super formal?

Step 4: Humor

Chatfics work extremely well for banter and can tie in well with broader meme and Internet culture, making them the perfect platform for humor (oh, my beloved Crack Treated Seriously Tag).

I find that a particularly effective way to incorporate humor into chatfics is by weaving in fandom inside jokes since the rapid-fire back and forth for the convos suits that well. (e.g. Toga Himiko literally being thought to be a vampire).

There's also all sorts of room for jokes like someone not understanding an Internet reference or a character making typos - oh dear lord, I can't think of anything else of substance to say for this section.

Step 5: Plot or no plot?

Ah, the big question! Some people like how chatfics can be silly slice-of-life stories that are fun and episodic without an overarching plot, and others want more conventional linear storytelling out of their chatfics.

Both are great routes to choose! I tend to write chatfics with some sort of plot (if we want to generously call it that), but my two cents on chatfics that aren't plot driven is to focus on the same group of core characters so that readers can get investigated in their dynamics and interactions.

Now for plot-driven chatfics one thing that I keep in mind is justifying why this story needs to be a chatfic rather than a full-length prose story. Maybe there's a catfishing storyline. Maybe conspiracy theorists meet through an online forum. Or for a specific example here's the summary of my Togachako chatfic: "Ochako's friends are suspicious of her online girlfriend. For all they know Himiko could be a villain, a serial killer or even a vampire."

The fic's plot hinges on the chatfic format since otherwise the online relationship aspect doesn't hit quite the same.

Of course, you don't need your chatfic to be one-hundred percent chatfic. If there's a plot-point where you think it would be nice to incorporate introspection to make emotional moments hit or have characters interact IRL, go for it y'all!! The way I like to do this is by just switching between chatfic and prose sections. Other authors split off the prose parts into their own one-shots (The Todoroki In-Laws series is a very well-executed example of this).

Step 6: So Formatting

The bane of my existence tbh. A lot of authors have neat coding tricks up their sleeve or go the extra mile to add times for each text for ultimate immersion which is very cool.

But alas I am lazy. When drafting my chatfics I use the characters' initials or sth and then I add all the usernames and formatting later.

Screenshot of one of my chatfics:

Step 7: PC or Phone

Whether you prefer to write chatfics on your phone or laptop/computer is up to personal taste. I've done both depending on my mood.

The pros of typing on a phone is that it makes accessing emojis or kaomojis easier - plus it's easy to get in the headspace of characters who are texting. And you get to write your fics while being all snuggled up in bed. The downside is autocorrect which makes typing a lot slower especially when I try to add distinct ways of texting.

The pro of PC is that it's easier to switch between full length prose and chat fic sections and I at least type faster on my laptop. Of course the caveat is that emojis tend to be less accessible via Google docs and word ... Or at least there isn't as much variety as on a smartphone.

So yeah just go with whatever feels right. I find chatfics pleasant to write while traveling since I don't need to whip out my entire laptop on a plane and can draft chatfic on my phone instead

Step 8: Have fun!!

Ultimately there are no rules, this stuff is just my takeaway. Do whatever suits your fancy because fanfic is all about being self-indulgent and YOU having fun.

[gachagen]

The Horror of falling in love-Heart Devourer Analysis

Spoiler Warning: I do indeed talk about everything that happens in the fic up to and including the most recent chapter, so please don't click if you haven't read the fic yourself. Heart Devourer has very heavy themes of Violence, Cannabilism, Gore, NSFW, heavy blood and much more, so please be mindful and check the tags before you read the story or read the review.

Check the original story out on AO3 by KinoWrites. It's a really good read!

This month I started reading a fic called Heart Devourer by Kino Writes on AO3 and it's my favorite genshin fic I've read this entire year. It's SUCH a good horror story that has a unique and interesting premise, while still tackling both new and old tropes flawlessly. I enjoyed the themes of the story as well as the characterization of the character's chosen for this fic.

So what is Heart Devourer even about? Well here's a quick synopsis:

"Shikanoin Heizou is the lead detective on the case of a string of cannibalistic murders committed by a terrifying killer known as the Shinzo Kuishinbo (Heart Devourer). He has to balance the endless hours he commits to the case, a crush on his roommate Kazuha, and confusing feelings for a new friend named Kuzo. Meanwhile, Kazuha is falling rapidly in love with Kuzo, despite sensing that Kuzo is hiding a dark secret. He struggles with his feelings for this mysterious man, while still harboring feelings for his roommate Heizou. All the while, Kuzo is pulling all the strings, playing them like a pair of puppets in a tragic romance." -Heart Devourer's AO3 summary

One aspect of this fic that I really enjoyed was how it took what is usually a really cute, and fluffy trope (Falling in love at first sight) and twisted it to be something downright horrifying. In books, "love at first sight" is usually played as the most romantic trope you could do, the idea that all two people needed to come together was to set eyes on one another in the first place, it's no wonder it's used so often in stories.

But in Heart Devourer, the horror doesn't just come from the way Kuzo is able to make people fall for him with a single touch or glance, it's his intentions and mind that contrast with his actions that make all of those scenes absolutely nerve wracking. Every scene with Kuzo in it where he makes someone fall for him is played not as a romantic encounter, but like a scene in a slasher film when they come across the killer for the first time. Even in the first chapter, it just feels like a classic horror film rather than the beginning of some cheesy love story:

Another thing that makes it scary is just how fast the falling in love happens for his victims. There's no slow motion view, or rose petals, and there's certainly not time to even process what's happening to the other person until it's too late. The way Kuzo's victims are described when he does this to them sounds as if they've been put under a spell in an instant, or gone crazed.

This was one of my favorite scenes in the fic, mainly because it's the one that best shows Kuzo's ability in action. Before this scene, things were peaceful and even really cute, until the horror of what Kuzo just did sinks in. The whole fic is full of this kind of tension as well, especially later on when Kuzo starts to kill and eat more people near Kazuha and Heizou's home.

Watching two people slowly fall prey to a serial killer as he hides in plain sight is such a surreal thing to read about, and every scene with Kuzo and his two loving boyfriends is super unnerving as the things he says and the things he's thinking never match at all.

His point of view is so different from Kazuha's and Heizou's that I want to break down just how narratively perfect each of their perspectives are.

Kuzo's Perspective is like reading about a monster on a sick hunt every night, he's a sad and sympathetic villain who still does absolutely terrible things to other people. His inability to actually love someone or something in a healthy way just drives him forward to commit more atrocities, and the worst part is that the people he hurts don't even realize they're being literally eaten until they're dead. The pain of having their body bitten at over time and the love they have for Kuzo always contradicts one another and shocks them out of whatever spell he's put on them.

And this is such an interesting way of doing a "love hypnosis/spell" kind of mind power, because instead of making the "love" they feel overpowering to the point where they are practically invincible, all it does is blind people to who Kuzo really is as a person. He has to not only have a constant stranglehold on someone's mind, but also their heart so they don't completely abandon him the moment he actually hurts them.

Kazuha's Perspective shifts from an adorable little meet cute between strangers, to a horror story where he's not sure what but something is wrong with his significant other, to a thriller where he has to somehow defeat a person he can't help but care about. Kazuha is a really likable hero in this story, and one that has a layer of irony to it because he like Kuzo also has a strange ability that he uses to help him understand others better. He's got a vague "connection with the wind that other's don't understand" and he's also deeply empathetic and understanding of other people. Kazuha is Kuzo's foil in this story, and he represents the kind of person Kuzo could've been if not for the tragedy that befell him when he was young. Particularly the scene where Kazuha finally realizes who Kuzo really is and what he's been doing, shows them both conversing internally but completely having separate reactions to the truth.

And in the end when Kazuha fails to beat Kuzo and practically loses everything including his own memories and heart, it's gut wrenching. You spend all of this time with him as he tries desperately to get others to catch onto the truth without directly revealing who the killer truly is, because he knows that if Kuzo is aware of anyone knowing his true intentions he'll kill them, no questions asked.

Heizou's Perspective is like reading an entirely separate book all together because he has no clue about what's really going on. Everyone is keeping him in the dark, he's not aware of what his two partners are up to, and he just wants to try and solve these murder's as fast as possible, but he's also getting too emotionally wrapped up in the perpetrator to see the truth right in front of him. Heizou's point of view is the most interesting to read about to me personally, because we get to see a "real" detective try and track down this killer, not just Kazuha who's not really trained for this. Even though Heizou doesn't have supernatural abilities like his two partners do, he's still a smart and perceptive person who knows when he's being tricked or used even under Kuzo's spell. It's Heizou's ability to deeply connect with others that puts him on par with the both of them, and lets him keep up.

Now I won't spoil what happens to Heizou just because I feel like his story is arguably the most intriguing to read about aside from Kazuha's.

The story is ongoing, but already it's managed to really tackle a lot of heavy themes about love, unhealthy relationships, and how abusers can use "love" to their advantage. The fic is, all together, a really GREAT read and I highly recommend it to everyone.

[deancasswitchbang]

Making Other Plans

Author: NEG85 Artist: DimitriRmy (@dimitrirmy​) No Major Archive Warnings Tags: Friends to Lovers, Blowjobs, Hand jobs, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Bottom Castiel/Top Dean Winchester, Face fucking, Fingering, Prostate Massage, Sex in/on the impala, Eventual Castiel/Dean Winchester Summary: Dean is set up on a blind date by his best friend, Charlie, and her friend who is best friends with Cas.

Preview: Dean stands in Charlie’s Harry Potter themed bedroom with posters all over the walls, bobbleheads of her favorite characters and dark curtains as Charlie changes clothes in her en suite bathroom.

He picks at the corner of one of her Hermoine posters, holding the DVD box for the entire Lord of the Rings set in one hand. “Why can’t I come with you, again?” he asks through the door. “Anyway I was hoping we could re-watch Lord of the Rings again, we could do that instead of going to dumb old game night.” “Because you weren’t invited, besides the girl I like will be there and I don’t want you embarrassing me in front of her.” “Gee thanks. Is that how you see me? As an embarrassment?” “Not at all. Okay, maybe… sometimes- like at the last D&D campaign we played where you wanted re-rolls for almost every one of your turns. You just take the game way too seriously and get upset. It’s not for everyone and in this case, ‘everyone’ being you. The good news is, I have a guy to set you up with.” "But Charlie, I don't wanna go on a blind date." Dean whines, leaning against the doorframe. Charlie swings open the door and puts her hands on her hips. "Why not?" Dean full on pouts. "Because I don't know the guy for one. And I do know how to get my own dates, thank you very much.” She gives him an incredulous look. “Meeting people at the bar and having a one night stand doesn’t count as dating, Dean. Plus you don't know them either." Dean rolls his eyes. “Fine, what do you even know about him?" Dropping her hands back down to her side, she sighs. "His name's Castiel and he's not a serial killer, that's all you need to know. Oh, but he’s cute. Dark hair and blue eyes - just your type." "I don't have a type." Charlie scoffs, shoving past him to grab her belt off her bed. "Yeah, okay. Sure you don't." "Okay fine, you're right I have a type and apparently this guy fits it. You win. But you gotta give me more than that for me to agree to go out with him.” Charlie sighs, “What if I told you he loves pie and burgers just as much as you do?” “What else?” “He’s also into westerns and cowboys. Good enough?” “Fine, I'll go out with him. But once is all I'm promising though and just dinner." "All I ask is that you give him a chance. Just talk to him." she pleads adjusting her belt. "Fine." "Fine." Dean eyes her skeptically. “Wait, how do you know him, Charlie?” “He’s a friend of a friend, okay? Just trust me. It’ll be fine- great even. I promise.” POSTING BETWEEN APRIL 23rd AND MAY 6th, 2023!

[sidekick-hero]

15 questions, 15 tags

i was tagged by the lovely @hammity-hammer thank you darling! <33 It was SO interesting to read your answers and getting to know you better. I don't have a piercing yet but I would def get one at your shop, if you ever open one!! <3

Gonna put this under a read more so I don't clutter anyone's dash :)

1. Are you named after anyone? Not really. My mom was watching a lot of American movies when she had been pregnant with me, looking for a name and that one came up in the credits. To be fair, she wanted to give me a different name but my father vetoed that one, so my name is their compromise.

2. When was the last time you cried? Depends a bit on how we define crying. Work has been really hard the last few months and I did not get a lot of sleep and I was really exhausted. So, when 2 weeks ago my boss called me after I worked 8 hours already to tell me she had some issues with a text I wrote and then we talked this through for almost 3h and then I realized I would need to rewrite the whole text that same night I had tears spring to my eyes. In front of my boss (video call). Not my best moment. But real crying? No idea, actually. I don't cry a lot tbh.

3. Do you have kids? Nope, and I also don't want them. Never have. I like my friend's kids and being the cool auntie, but that's it.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? the more tired I am, the more sarcastic I get. I try to tone it down usually because while it can be amusing at times it's also kind of a negative kind of humour and a downer if you use it too much. Also very easy to hurt people with it.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people? Varies a lot. Their general appearance I guess, like height, figure, hair. It's not like I single out a certain feature. And from there it depends on the context, the person, my mood etc.

6. What's your eye color? Hard to describe. It's green, but not like grass. More a faded kind of green, grey-green but with specks of brown when you get really close.

7. Scary movies or happy endings? there are scary movies with happy endings ;) But yeah, as a kid/teenager I was a sucker for horror movies, I watched them all. Then I moved out and started living alone. Horror movies lost their charm then so now I have to go with happy endings. Life sucks enough as it is, give me some escapism.

8. Any special talents? At parties I always impressed people by being able to fit my whole fist into my mouth lol but I wouldn't say that's a special talent, just a flexible jaw. I'm very good with numbers, and patterns, and logic? I have a very analytical mind. Oh, and I'm a very good runner.

9. Where were you born? A very small town smack in the middle of nowhere in Germany. I played in cow dung as a kid.

10. What are your hobbies? Running, working out, taking long walks and hikes in the woods (yeah I'm one of these outdoorsy people you've been warned about). If getting tattooes counts as a hobby then tattooes lol.

11. Do you have any pets? My beloved dog Bella (the floof, as Jen would say). She's the light of my life. Huge ass snow white dog, cuddly as fuck at home, more of a Cujo outside. She has a very strong distrust of other people. She's bred for protection and takes this very serious.

12. What sports do you play/have you played? Outside of PE I never really "played" a sport. I run since I am 17, I train at the gym regularly, I go for really long walks (record is 60km in one go) and I did KravMaga for about 2 years. I want to start MMA but it's expensive as fuck.

13. How tall are you? A very average 5'7'' (170cm)

14. Favorite subject in school? Philosophy, history, politics as well as German and English (those two had been my advanced classes)

15. Dream job? I always wanted to become a profiler. I find serial killers and offenders endlessly fascinating. It speaks to the analytical part of me but also to my love for being active and to work with my body. So yeah, dream job. Sadly, it never worked out. But I love my current job, too :))

i'm gonna tag the last 15 people in my notes, as I tend to do ;) And as usual, please feel free to ignore this <3

@yournowheregirl, @baronsamediswife, @hedwigs-art, @aftershocked, @princess-josephina (hellooo new follower, nice to meet you!), @demonbitchesnearyou,@dogblogbog, @silentdescant, @kaspurrcat, @gooodtoast (love the URL lol), @supernaturalvikingwhore, @wastedonyoursmile, @legitcookie, @fearlessjones and @letmeplaytheliontoo

[katistrophe]

8 shows to get to know you better

Rules: list 8 shows for your followers to get to know you better

Tagged by @awordwasthebeginning - thanks ^^

This is going to be a pretty weird mix given I don’t watch all that many TV shows and I’ve taken to watching Danish ones when I do.

1. Star Trek, primarily Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Thoroughly to blame for my latent space nerd streak

2. Mythbusters - proooobably the reason fact checking still can be a reflex for me sometimes (though sometimes I wish it were as explosive as it was on the show)

3. Rejseholdet - early 2000s Danish crime series, sort of proto-Scandinoir, and pretty much the show I learned understanding spoken Danish with. Also to blame for the fact that early on my Danish vocabulary consisted of „hello, my name is Kat, I live in X and study at Y“ and „murder, death, dismemberment, serial killer, knife, axe“. That definitely needed explaining, and the explanation is this.

4. Den klassiske musikquiz - it’s a quiz show about classical music in the style of a British panel show. Puns, slightly bizarre outfits, music by people who have been dead for at least a century, ridiculously obscure knowledge… sounds about right up my alley.

5. Den store bagedyst - the Danish equivalent of GBBO. I still can’t bake pretty cakes, but I have been known to start thinking about how the giant cookies from the cafeteria could be a biiit better if they’d gotten fifteen seconds more in the oven. Also one of my best friends got me to watch it because she wanted me to feel better about my German accent.

6. Mayday - plane crashes and how they happen, or how they’re avoided. I’m just weirdly fascinated by seeing the long chains of events that lead to things going wrong, and just as importantly, how to make things go less wrong

7. Horatio Hornblower - well, it has parts, it counts as a series, right? Also it has ships. And a protagonist who starts as an awkward noodle.

8. …I’m also going to have to say Genial daneben. Source of so many in-jokes between my sister and me, and many a New Year‘s Eve has been spent playing the game (except making it a freeform guess thing like the show instead of giving three choices)

Tagging, hm… @toooldforthisbutstill , @having-conniptions , @tatzelwyrm , @theherondaels , @ackerschnacker , @thattalviel , @black-cat-aoife and whoever wants to do this!

[poledancingghostson]

WIP Wednesday

No one ever tags me in these but I’ve been working on this TK Begins fic for ages and it’s gonna be long but I don’t wanna post it until it’s completely done but I keep wanting to share bits I’m proud of so fuck it who needs to get tagged to show off art you’re proud of.

Important context: Josh, Alexander, Kat and Kylie are high school friends of TK’s. They’re seniors here, he’s a sophomore. Kat and Kylie are girlfriends. They’re all rich upper east side Manhattanites. Also though all queer.

Josh entered his life like a whirlwind, and whipped through it the same way every single day since. He was TK’s first everything. First kiss, first fuck, first love. Not in that order.

They spent a year fawning and blushing like chaste Victorian girls before Kat had finally had enough. It was Halloween, and they were laughing and drinking in Alexander’s apartment —his parents were out of town most of the time— and Josh had untangled himself from TK’s arms for the first time all night to go to the bathroom. Kat plopped down next to him, and just stared, eyebrows raised, chin pushed forward, silently questioning him.

TK could feel himself blush and he looked down at his drink. “What?” He asked, as if he didn’t already know.

“You are aware that he’s, like, completely in love with you, right?” She asks, matter-of-factly.

“Bullshit,” he muttered. “He’s just… he took me under his wing, I’m his… kid brother or something.”

Kat scrunched up her nose. “I know you’re an only child, but I really hope you don’t think brothers touch each other like that.”

TK wanted to dissolve into the cushions of the couch. Instead, he finished off the rest of his nearly full drink. “I’m gonna get another beer, do you want something?” He asked, standing up.

“Uh-uh, you’re not going anywhere. Sit.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

“Why do you care so much?”

“Because you’re my friends. I want you to be happy.”

TK smiled slightly at that.

“Also, the heart eyes and the footsie games and the stupid giggly nerves are so fucking annoying to watch.”

“Oh.”

In an act of uncharacteristic sincerity, Kat put a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed it gently. “Look, Teaks, Josh is a nice guy. And he’s loyal as all hell. But I’ve known him my whole life and he hides a lot of damage behind this facade of stupid jokes and even stupider games. If you want to get anywhere with him, you have to refuse to play along. You’re good at that. You’re good. I want that for him, you know? If that’s what you want, too. But if you do want more with him, you’re gonna have to be the one to ask for it.” With that, she stood up and rejoined Kylie and Xander in the corner, hunched over a deck of tarot cards that Kylie was overconfidently analysing.

TK was pretty quiet for the rest of the night, earning him some concerned comments from Josh and Alexander, while Kat and Kylie just watched him expectantly.

Eventually, Alexander had passed out on the couch and Kylie and Kat had disappeared together into one of the bedrooms, and it was just TK and Josh watching Scream alone in the dark apartment. TK was curled up against one arm of a loveseat, with Josh squeezed into the space left on the other side.

“So they’re definitely fucking, right?” Josh asked, pointing to the screen.

“They’ve just murdered an entire house of people, and that’s what you’re thinking about?” TK laughed.

“I mean, it’s pretty obvious, right? And kinda romantic.”

“Romantic?” TK asked, agast.

“Yeah, I mean, in a really twisted way of course. They found something they’re passionate about, and they found someone to do it with. It’s just…. You know, unfortunate that they’re passionate about serial murder.”

“I mean… I guess?”

“And there’s always been something romantic about the partners in crime thing. Bonnie and Clyde, Thelma and Louise… being pushed to the fringes of society and just facing the world together, a world that wants you dead or locked up or erased from existence.”

“Wanna name an example who don’t die at the end?”

Josh chuckled, but didn’t respond, looking away from TK and back to the screen.

TK frowned and kicked his thigh gently. “Hey, you okay?”

Josh turned back with a plastered-on grin. “Yeah of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

TK leaned forward and took Josh’s hand in his. “It’s okay if you’re not, you know.”

Josh looked like he wanted to deny it but something caught him before he could. He placed his free hand cautiously on TK’s thigh. This was not the first time he had touched TK’s thigh—they had always had a fairly touchy friendship—but it was the first time it felt like this. Not just the normal butterflies and mild tingles, but a full electric storm racing through his body, emanating from Josh’s fingertips. When TK didn’t pull away, Josh smiled slightly, a real smile this time and started to lean into him. His breath smelled like vodka and jolly ranchers, and TK’s heart skipped a beat as he grew closer. But he looked down when their lips were close to touching.

Josh pulled back quickly as soon as he did. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, like—I’m sorry, I—I’m stupid, you just want to be friends. Of course you just—“

“No, no,” TK laughed nervously. “It’s not that. I do want… but I’ve just never…” he let out another shaky laugh. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Oh,” Josh said with a grin. “Okay, well, just… follow my lead.”

It was innocent and sweet that first night. Josh promising to take things slow. Hands never venturing below the belt, and falling asleep together, uncomfortably, on the loveseat in Alexander’s living room. TK woke up the next morning with pain in his neck and drool on his shoulder and a boy still wrapped around him.

[kennyomegasweave]

Get to Know Me

Tagged by @negrowhat.

Three Ships 1. Over: Team/Win I liked the 30 minutes we got in Until We Meet Again. The whole "be brave about it" scene got so many bitches and I was one of the bitches. I loved Between Us. The only complaints I had had nothing to do with those two. Also, unpopular opinion, but the subs translating "hia" to bro were amazing because I call my girlfriends dude, so it didn't even occur to me that it was weird Team was calling his boyfriend bro. I'm a Californian okay. That makes more sense to me than Win wanting his hookup to call him the same name his baby brother calls him and he calls his older brother. I don't even like daddy kink, no thank you to a brother kink, lol.

2. Not Airing, But Not Over: Palm/Nueng Listen. They're so hopelessly teenage. They're like 18 and are like "we ride together, we die together, bad boys for life." Palm got Nueng's name tattooed on him, got shot for Nueng, had his mom die due to Nueng's life, his father is in the wind cause of Nueng's life, and he's still like I love you more than anyone in this world baby. Nueng really isn't better. He was like you're officially debuting as my bodyguard so I'm gonna dress you in a slutty shirt and too tight pants since you're gonna be next to me and I want people to see my fine ass man *play Nikki Bella's "you can look but you can't touch"*. They both tried to break up with the other with dramatic goodbye notes and leaving in the night. That didn't work for either of them. Palm like owns a bar at the end? And Nueng is like still gonna take over an entire company, possibly mafia? Remember, they're like 18. It makes no sense, compels me though.

3. Currently Airing: Buck/Eddie Eddie legit said to Buck after a year of knowing him "I know you love [his son] the same as I do." And then after only like a year and a half of knowing him gave him custody of his son in the event of his death and when he finally told Buck that, like maybe two and a half years after knowing him, he was like "yeah I have family, but you love my kid more than anyone, you'd fight for him more." I don't think I need to say anything more. Oh, except I will mention the time Eddie was trapped in a mudslide well underground and Buck tried to DIG HIM OUT WITH HIS BARE HANDS until their captain stopped him because, you know, that wouldn't work and also get ahold of yourself Buck. I've lived in that moment ever since. "Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen, time went on for everyone else, she won't know it" and all that. It won't be canon cause I know my Ryan Murphy shows, but that won't stop me because they legit have a KID together.

First Ship Eric/Jack and Shawn/Angela from Boy Meets World I loved Eric/Jack together and wanted them together all the time. Even as a kid I was like "Rachael, babe, please, let them be with each other." Looking back, I know they were baby's first slash ship. Shawn/Angela were just perfect for each other and, to this day TO THIS DAY, I don't understand why they broke them up. It makes absolutely NO SENSE. Both of these ships are why I also don't acknowledge Girl Meets World at all. Because fuck that. Just fuck all that. Thank you.

I'm gonna do my first BL ship too because it's my post and I do what I want. Prem/Wad from SOTUS. Yes, I'm aware they weren't canon. And I will be FURIOUS until the day I die. Plus Wad just disappeared never to be spoken of again and I don't understand. I DON'T UNDERSTAND. Gunsmile was out here CAMPAIGNING for that ship. He would have done it! They would have made a good ship. They are the ship that should have been. I'm more angry about them not being an actual thing than I am about ToddBlack and, believe me, I am a full on clown about ToddBlack.

Last Song Serial Killer by Lana Del Rey. I will be mad as hell this was never officially released. It is in my Top 3 Lana songs.

Last Movie I haven't actually watched a movie in a really long time. So maybe it was Fair Haven months ago? I come back to that one a lot because it's not super angsty, but also not 100% fluff. It has the hint of religious trauma but even that's thrown off relatively easily cause he misses his bf that much, lol.

Currently Reading I just did a reread of The Long Walk by Stephen King. It's just sad. 100 boys are selected after volunteering to enter a yearly game in a weird alt America. They start walking at the Maine border and have to continue to walk until there's only one left alive. The winner gets anything he wants. They aren't allowed to stop for any reason. If they do stop, or fall under pace, they have three warnings and then they're shot. It's the worst because you know the entire time they're all doomed from the start, but you really hope somehow it won't end the way you've known it will end the whole time. Plus it's very fruity between two of the mains and that's like an acknowledged thing. That makes it even more devasting to me. It's one of my all time favorite books.

Currently Watching 9-1-1, Bed Friend, those are the only ones I can think of actively airing.

Currently Consuming Last night's grilled cheese.

Currently Craving Rice and an egg. Like cracking an egg on steaming rice? Perfection. I can taste it. Except I don't have any eggs. And like a cuddle buddy. I don’t cuddle but I want to, idk, lol.

Tagging: @ohnegroplease, @yourrescuemission

[duckprintspress]

I posted 1,272 times in 2022

That's 420 more posts than 2021!

115 posts created (9%)

1,157 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@lgbtqreads

@thehorrortree

@duckprintspress

@diaryofageekgirl

@antiqueanimals

I tagged 1,271 of my posts in 2022

#ducks - 618 posts

#duck prints press loves ducks - 606 posts

#duck art - 497 posts

#duck prints press - 187 posts

#queer fiction - 138 posts

#our titles - 72 posts

#resources - 68 posts

#signal boost - 55 posts

#fandom - 55 posts

#may trope mayhem - 43 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#the don't support business rhetoric is more than a little scary for those of us who are trying to run small businesses on this hellsite

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Editing Tips for Beginning Editors

This is a guest post written by Adrian Harley.

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, I’m willing to bet you already have a lot of the skills you need to be an editor. Even among full-time professionals, a lot of editing skill comes from reading a ton—you get an “eye” for when a sentence just doesn’t look right. The more you read professionally edited work, the better you get at it. (Fanfiction is incredible, obviously. But fanfiction has its own quirks, and the grammar and punctuation can vary, so I’m not confident recommending it as a way to brush up your instinctive grasp of when a sentence “looks right.”)

The specifics of what you do as an editor can vary a lot depending on what you’re editing and who you’re editing for, so in this post, I’ll be covering some of the basic principles that I think will be helpful no matter what type of editing you do. Broadly, I’ll be going over language-related tips and profession-related tips. 

Language

I won’t be going over the nuts and bolts of grammar here, as a zillion good guides to it already exist online. Grammar Girl is my go-to free resource, and a lot of grammar and punctuation questions can be easily answered online or in a style guide from your library. I looked up the rules for commas a LOT in my first years of editing, and I still have to double-check them sometimes. A lot of the fiddly details differ between guides (how to write a.m. and p.m.; serial comma), but the nuts and bolts of grammar and punctuation stay the same across guides. 

Professionally, those fiddly details are a big chunk of editing. Do you write out numbers less than 20? Less than 10? Do you capitalize titles like “President” all the time or only in certain situations? There’s no one right answer, which is one of the many reasons there’s no “right guide” to editing. A style guide will decide many of these questions for you. If you pick up editing as a profession, your employer will most likely have a style guide in mind. You may want to pick one for yourself if you do freelance editing. That way, you won’t have to re-decide on every job, and if you get repeat clients, you’ll be sure their text is consistent across all their documents. A “series bible” for fiction works on similar principles. 

Whether you’re looking at those fiddly details or at the big picture, one principle of editing is to never take anything for granted. Someone says there’s five ancient orbs needed to defeat the dragon? You’d better count the orbs. Make sure every proper noun in the story (names of people, places, things) is spelled the same every single time. This is the kind of thing you’ll get quizzed on if you ever apply for a professional editing gig. Every editing job I’ve ever applied to has an “editing test” of at least a page, and it usually has at least one of those errors (if not both).

Another major thing to watch out for is colloquialisms, especially ones that mean multiple things. A short list of common errors I see:

“Since” should only relate to the passage of time; it does not mean “because.”

“While,” again, should only refer to time—two things happening simultaneously. “But,” “although,” “whereas,” and others are good substitutes for the other sense.

“Due to” does not mean “because of,” it means “caused by” (and I’ve seen some editors argue to not even use it for “caused by” and to only use it for when something is owed to someone).

“If” will often need to be replaced with “whether.”

Obviously with dialogue, that’s a whole nother story, but be careful about these in narration, even with a colloquial narrative. They can introduce unintentional double meanings.

When you’re moving from basic accuracy to style, you’ll often need to “tighten up” the language. This might be something you’re used to doing in your own writing. This doesn’t mean all prose should be sparse! But as an editor, part of your job is making sure that every word is contributing something, no matter whether the sentence is flowery or stark. One exercise is to go through and see if you can cut one word from every sentence. Depending on what type of editing you do, you’ll have different “filler words” to look out for. My personal demon is “just,” so I always do a search for that when I’m revising my own work. In my day job, the word “provide” often signals a clunky phrase that could be condensed into a single, better verb (e.g., “provides assistance” vs. “helps”). 

You’ll look for a lot as you edit, so don’t feel like you have to do it all at once. A simple search can make sure you’ve caught issues like “while” and “since.” Other issues are best solved in their own read-through. For me, I try to do a read-through specifically for passive voice. I often skip over passive voice on my all-purpose read because, well, the sentence makes sense, doesn’t it? So my eye simply doesn’t catch it if I’m not on the lookout. As you edit, you’ll figure out what process works best for you.

And to wrap up the language section—checklists are your friend! I used to have a post-it of all the things I knew I struggled with, and I’d systematically search the document for those trip-ups after I did my first read. You can customize your own checklist with whatever snags give you trouble.

Professionalism

A huge part of editing as a professional is in how you interact with other people. Your whole job is telling people they’re wrong, after all, and you often have no control over whether they’ll listen to you. Everything you can do to make the criticism easier for them helps!

My favorite “one weird trick” that my first boss taught me is to turn every criticism into a question. If you’re suggesting a significant revision, “How about…?” is one of my favorite leads. If you have no idea what’s going on, do your best to figure out what might be causing the issue, then form a question around that. “Are there missing words here?” is kinder and more useful than “Huh?”

Essentially, your role as an editor is to advocate for the reader. This “reader stand-in” role can help frame critique as well. Will the reader understand this? If you’re in one of the more-technical editing jobs, that question may be completely necessary. As an editor for scientific research, I’m often editing documents meant for people who know way more about the subject matter than I do. The framing of “the reader” is also a useful tool in your toolbox for fiction. You may be editing something that you are not the target audience for. Or, on the other end of the scale, you may know without question that you’re reading something incomprehensible. The polite device of “the reader” helps add a level of depersonalization to the critique.

Unsurprisingly, for editing, communication is key before you even start work. “Editing” covers a huge range of possibilities. Make sure you and the author are on the same page. Do they want a proofread—only correcting glaring errors? Do they want you to improve the phrasing of sentences? It can go all the way up to practically rewriting the thing, if you’re working at a corporation and the authors aren’t professionals. This conversation beforehand will let you know whether you should make “artistic” suggestions as you read, whether you need to stick with nuts and bolts, or something in between.

If the author says they only need a proofread and you discover the whole thing is terrible, that’s when some tactful emails come into play. Never start doing a higher-level edit unless you’ve talked about it with the author first. You have much better odds of an affirmative if they feel like they’re collaborating with you–that you’re both in it together to make the best document possible. As far as the tactful emails go, be kind and be specific. If you have examples of what you’d like to correct, throw those in. It helps the author know what to expect and make an informed decision.

And sometimes the author says no, and that’s okay! You must wash your hands of it. It’s not your name on the thing, and if you don’t put it in your resume, it never will be (fresh out of college, I worked on a couple truly awful novels that nobody will ever know I worked on). Perfectionism is HARD to overcome, I know, but accepting the errors gets easier with practice.

And finally, if you’re still wondering, “Am I cut out to be an editor?” I would recommend the words of Neil Gaiman. In his excellent “Make Good Art” speech, he says that as a freelance artist, you need to do good work, do it on time, and be pleasant to work with. And then, he adds, “You don’t even need all three! Two out of three is fine.”I recommend the whole thing if you ever want to battle imposter syndrome, because the same tenets apply to editing. At least I think they do. You don’t need to be the perfect editor—nobody is. But I guarantee that you have most of what you need already, and I hope this has helped.

Biography

Adrian Harley, one of Duck Prints Press’s editors, has been a full-time professional editor of scientific research for 10 years. Their freelance and ad-hoc editing has run the gamut from books to blog posts to family members’ cover letters. They’ve been published in Duck Prints Press’ And Seek (Not) to Alter Me and the forthcoming She Wears the Midnight Crown, as well as OFIC Magazine. 

Want to learn more?

Beware the Weasel Word has information and resources for “tightening up” language.

How to Ask for Feedback on Your Writing talks more about how, from a writer point of view, to help your editor understand what type(s) of editing you’re looking for.

See the full post

165 notes - Posted October 16, 2022

#4

Formatting Tweaks to Help Your Typesetter Have a Great Day

The last few weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of editing, which also means I’ve been doing a lot of small changes to ensure that the documents are print and e-book ready. Preparing manuscripts involves doing a lot of tiny, fiddly tweaks to make sure that spelling, grammar, and formatting are uniform across all the stories in an anthology, are accurate to the authors’ intentions, and look nice in all the formats we’ll be offering (print, PDF, ePub, and Mobi). None of the changes are complicated, but making them all is surprisingly time consuming—I usually spend about 30 minutes “cleaning up” each story with modifications that are largely invisible to a writer and reader, but still essential to produce a polished finished book.

Each Press and Publisher will handle these formatting things in slightly different ways—while some of these (such as “when do I use a hyphen vs. an en dash vs. an em dash?”) others are publisher-discretion. If you are submitting a manuscript and want to look like you’ve really, really paid attention, consider making some of these changes yourself—but make sure you check if the place you’re submitting to has a public style guide first, and if they do, anything they say in their style guide takes precedence! (Duck Prints Press doesn’t have a guide yet—we’ve been working on one, but it keeps getting back-burnered in favor completing more timely tasks). 

This post is written from our point of view—which is to say, I wrote it specifically for how we at DPP handle these formatting matters—but it can provide some general guidelines, especially if you are submitting to a publication that hasn’t provided a style guide. Even if what you do based on this guide doesn’t match what they do, at least by being consistent in your own submission, you demonstrate that you were paying attention! (But: NEVER do any of the below if it contradicts the submission information and/or style guide provided by a different publisher!!)

Note that to really do most of these tweaks, you’ll want to use an actual word processor. Google docs doesn’t have the functionality for the most fiddly bits. Despite its downsides, DPP currently uses Microsoft Office 365, and this guide is primarily written with Word in mind. If you also use Microsoft, here’s a couple quick tutorials—you’ll need to know how to do these two things in order to do…all the rest.

Tutorial 1: Inserting Special Characters

1. Go to the “Insert” Menu

2. Go to “Insert Symbol”

3. If, like me, you use the same 4 special characters over and over, the symbol you’re looking for will most likely be in the “recently used” list that pops up. But, if it’s not there, pick “More Symbols.” That opens a screen that looks like this:

4. While you could scroll through this list until you find what you want, it’s much easier to go to the bottom boxes I circled in red, where it says “Character Code.” Enter the 4-digit-and-letter code for the character you want. This way, you can be sure you actually get the character you want. Make sure that the “from” field matches the code type you’re using—I pretty much entirely use unicode, and that’s what I reference/include numbers for in this post. (Usually, googling “(name of the character you want) unicode” will get you the number.)

5. Note that not every character is available in every font; if you want to be sure you can access the maximum number of characters, I recommend using Arial or Calibri.

Tutorial 2: Turning on Mark-up

1. Go to the “Home” menu

2. In the “Paragraph” section, find the ¶ option; if your menu is drop-down it might be called “Show/Hide ¶” (in Word, it can also be turned on with ctrl + * )

See the full post

244 notes - Posted April 24, 2022

#3

WELCOME TO MAY TROPE MAYHEM!

May Trope Mayhem is a multi-fandom/original creation event open to writers, artists, and content creators of all kinds! We’ve put together a list of 31 of our favorite tropes, one per day through the month of May, and we encourage creators to join us for this month of fun tropey mayhem.

Our goal is to promote motivation and help with habit building, so we’re encouraging people to keep their ficlets under 1,000 words, or if you make art or a gif or some such, to stick to a sketch or a single image.

This event is primarily held on Tumblr, but you’re welcome to participate on anywhere Duck Prints Press has an account (you can see all our current platforms here) and we’ll keep our eyes on our tag everywhere!

How can you participate? It’s easy! There's just a few simple rules:

to participate, write a ficlet, a poem, create art, make a gif, or create any other content that you want, aligned with the prompt for the day!

post your correctly tagged fills to Tumblr, and we��ll reblog them!

you must tag warnings such as gore, MCD, sexual content, etc., so that people can avoid triggering material!

please also tag fandom and ship, so people can find what interests them!

we ask that you put the tags at the top of your post, so they’re easy to find.

if you write more than 1k words, please use a read more,

if you write something with NSFW content or potentially triggering material, please put the entire story under a read more.

Ping us (@duckprintspress) or tag your creations “#may trope mayhem” and so we can find them! We’ll reblog all fills that follow the above rules and are posted between May 1st and June 8th, 2022.

If you post to AO3, you can also add them to our collection there!

You don’t have to sign up, just post your fills. You don’t have to be a member of the Press, or following us. You don’t have to be part of a specific fandom. We’re open to all ships, genres, formats, etc.! You don’t have to post fills on the corresponding day, though we ask that if you’re creating for a day that hasn’t happened yet, please wait for that day to post.

This is a low-pressure event, held all in good fun, and we look forward to seeing what you create!

267 notes - Posted May 1, 2022

#2

Now Live: Duck Prints Press's Third Crowd-funding Campaign!

Duck Prints Press LLC is over the moon to share our next to anthologies with you: She Wears the Midnight Crown and He Bears the Cape of Stars!

These two anthologies share a common theme – masquerades – and each features different kinds of relationships. She Wears the Midnight Crown contains 18 wlw stories; He Bears the Cape of Stars contains 18 mlm stories. Both collections tell myriad stories exploring how these characters’ relationships develop, grow, and change while they attend or participate in masquerades!

Our 36 contributors have stretched their imaginations to present innovative stories exploring what a masquerade can be…and, of course, tell rich, engaging tales of wonderful queer folk finding love, companionship, acceptance, the queer platonic relationship of their dreams, or the found family they deserve. The collected works feature characters in all the colors of the Pride rainbow, queer and genderqueer, and these diverse individuals inhabit worlds ranging from science fiction settings where everyone must be masked to breathe, to fantasies where no one wears a literal mask but everyone shows the world a false guise, to iterations of the real world where some people lean into deception.

In addition to the stories by our authors - including new works by @alocalband, @fpwoper, @erajakira, @jhoomwrites, @tryslora, @p1013, @dragonmuse, @unforth, @faerytaleonfire, and @owlishintergalactic (and many others, who don't have Tumblr accounts ) - our books and merchandise also include gorgeous art by @thefriendlypigeon (cover art), @aceriee-art (enamel pins), @migglangelus (bookmarks), @alessariel (our dux mascots!), and @reshipkmn (patch). You're definitely not going to want to miss it - you can buy one book or both books, some merch, or all merch - we've got 8 backer levels to help you get exactly what you want!

We’d love for you to attend the masquerade! Don your mask and read on…

Back our crowdfunding campaign!

Visit our website to read author biographies, learn about our rewards and backer levels, and more!

Back our Patreon or ko-fi monthly to get exclusive extras!

Follow our social media accounts to keep up with all the latest!

The Seed&Spark Campaign for She Wears the Midnight Crown and He Bears the Cape of Stars runs from now through July 14th, 2022.

Go Forth, and Back It Now!

299 notes - Posted June 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

And Seek (Not) to Alter Me Kickstarter: Now Live!

Duck Prints Press LLC is delighted to announce that the Kickstarter for our second anthology, And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, has commenced!

In And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, 16 authors and 16 artists have come together to create an exquisite, full-color collection of artwork and stories inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. We encouraged contributors to stretch their imaginations, think outside the box, and put their own unique—and queer—twist on Benedick, Beatrice, Hero, Claudio, Don Pedro, and the whole gang! In true Shakespearean fashion, our creators utilize gender, sexuality, romanticism, and a host of costume changes to tell unique stories—some featuring original characters, some characters from the play—that show Shakespeare’s work in a whole new light.

So—grab a cup of tea and reread or rewatch your favorite version of Much Ado About Nothing to refresh your memory. Our stories and artworks feature wlw, mlm, poly relationships, trans characters, gender swaps, canon divergent tales, AUs...there's even a two-page comic! Settle in with this delightful collection and enjoy visiting Messina (and elsewhere!) and falling in love with Leonato's family and the troops of Don Pedro's army (and many others!) again and again and again!

And Seek (Not) to Alter Me is a stunning zine, printed in full color, A4 size (8 1/4 inches x 11 3/4 inches/21 cm x 30 cm), approximately 150 pages long. It includes 16 stories, each up to 5,000 words long, and 20 full-page interior artworks. Creators share their visions with us, discuss their inspiration, and take us along on a journey to experience what this play and these characters mean to them.

Ready to get your Shakespearean queer on? Us too!

BACK OUR KICKSTARTER!

Visit our website for author biographies, teasers, and more!

Support our Patreon and get exclusive campaign extras!

Follow us on our social media accounts for updates, extras, reveals, and all the juicy details!

The Kickstarter for And Seek (Not) to Alter Me will run through April 14th, 2022.

Check it out NOW!

344 notes - Posted March 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[scarlettriot]

Stood Up

You (Y/N) get stood up from a date and Kaminari decides to do something about it.

Pairing: Kaminari/F!Reader

Contains: Fluff, Flirty Denki, Established BakuSquad Friendship

Warnings: 18+ Below the cut, Minors DNI! Swearing, Electro-Stim, Overstimulation, use of pet names (cuddle bug & cutie), oral (F receiving), consensual recording

A/N: Well, here we are with the third in my Stood Up series. There is also Bakugo & Kirishima if you're interested. This one took me way too long and it's also my first time writing Kaminari at length. I hope you all like it :)

Word Count Starting Below: 2,461

You slipped your foot into the silver heels you had picked out. Something a little fancier since this was a first date after all and you wanted to make a lasting impression. Not only that but this was your first first date in a while. Being a Pro Hero made life busy and dating difficult.

Practically the entire day leading up to this very moment revolved around you either getting ready or babbling with excitement to your closest friends.

An alert chimed on your phone with a text from your date, a smile sliding onto your face expecting to read some message about how they were on their way and that they'd see you soon, but that wasn't what you were met with.

Instead, it was a screenshot of your Instagram page, multiple of them actually, all of you and the ridiculous photos you took with your friends but mostly with one Denki Kaminari. The most recent of which was from a tea shop he met you at just earlier that day so you could show him the shoes for your date.

The message below was simple and more than enough to leave a sour taste in your mouth, this isn't what I want to see when I'm supposed to be taking you out tonight. What, one date a day isn't enough? Why are you even dating? Does your blonde boyfriend know?

You giggled at what they were implying, quick to explain how these were all your friends, they had been since high school! They are people you spent what little free time you had with. Especially Denki, your best friend since you were 15!

That joy you felt started dissipating within the next few messages. You hadn't even had a first date and they were already jealous, and that was something you didn't have room for in your life. So, you slipped the heels off your feet and put them directly back in the box to return when you had the time. Tight black jeans and fitted top were exchanged with a hoodie and sweats although your makeup and hair stayed done, you didn't have the energy to undo your hard work.

Instead, you slid back into your computer chair, your headset snuggly back on your ears and before you notified everyone you were back online, you took a moment listening to the chatter of your friends.

"Shitty Hair! Fuckin' pay attention!"

"Yeah, man! We're getting slaughtered over here!"

"Less yelling at Kiri! More shooty shooty!"

"All of you are hopeless..."

Eijiro chuckled out an apology that was accompanied by a lighter giggle also coming from his mic. "Think this is gonna be my last round for a bit, guys."

"You're so fuckin' whipped." Bakugo scoffed, before screaming profanities.

"Is it whipped if I'm the one who's wanting to get her into bed though?"

You clicked your mic back on then. "Hey, remember last week when Kats forgot his push to talk so we all heard him getting head and we party whipped because someone couldn't focus?"

"You better shut the hell up right fucking now!"

Everyone else roared with laughter. "Yeah! At least I have the decency to mute myself!"

"Hey, wait a sec, why are you online, Y/N!" Denki noted, "You should have already left!"

You screenshot your messages to the group chat because it was far easier than just explaining the ordeal.

"Cute shoes." Eijiro and Kyoka commented at the same time.

There was a lull as their game ended and the messages were read.

"Ya don't need 'em if they're gonna have their head so far up their ass like this."

"I agree." Hanta chimed in. "They're not worth your time."

"Still, sorry they turned out to be a shit." You could hear the frown on Kyoka's face, "I know how excited you were."

"Right, you doin' okay, Y/N? I can stick around and we can all shoot some things!"

"Thanks, Kiri but I'll be just fine! Go spend time with your girl!"

One by one, everyone signed off. You pulled up Spotify and Stardew Valley, something of a comfort for you to get lost in for the rest of the night.

Less than an hour later, you noticed your phone lighting up with your best friend's familiar smiling face. "What's up, Denki?"

"Open your door! I have my hands full and don't wanna put everything down to get my key!"

You sprang from your desk and rushed to your door. Sure enough, on the other side was Denki with bags in both hands and his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. You grabbed it and a bag before he had a chance to drop anything like the klutz he was. "What's with all this?"

"I feel bad."

"Why? You didn't stand me up?"

He fiddled with the edge of a paper bag. "Yeah, but, we both read those messages and no one said anything but they didn't just call our group out, they called us out.

"Denks, it doesn't matter to me-"

"But, it does to me! You were so excited about this and I got in the way, unknowingly but, still! So, I gotta make it up to you now!"

He pulled out take-out boxes from your favorite restaurant. Two bottles of your favorite wine. Your top three favorite movies and video games, and a board game you both had been meaning to try. "I mean, if they think I'm your boyfriend I kinda gotta live up to the hype, right?"

You really wanted to insist that none of this was necessary. That just because some person that neither of you really knew that well, assumed something about your relationship that didn't mean he had to blame himself for it.

But, you had to admit, this was really sweet. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to you that he knew everything you liked but it was nice. Instead of sitting across from a stranger, making awkward small talk, and trying to learn about one another, you were barefoot in your kitchen, laughing with your best friend while he plated dinner and you poured the wine.

Formalities were out the window. Both you and Denki were eating dinner in your living room, laughing and drinking just as you'd done a million times before. You snapped a photo of the delicious food on paper plates, toasting good times with your cheap wine, ready to post them to your Instagram.

"Gonna make them more jealous..."

"I think they made it pretty clear they don't want to see me so why should I care?"

He shrugged. "I just thought they might, you know, come to their senses that they obviously lost."

"I don't really care either way." You wandered back into your kitchen, putting away the leftovers, "They can forget I exist or they can stalk my page like a creep. If someones' gonna try and tell me I can't be friends with my friends or just not listen to me, then I don't want them in my life. No matter how good-looking they are."

Denki watched you from the sofa, a bit of a lopsided grin on his face that had butterflies taking flight in your stomach. "What?" Laughing to hide the bit of a crush you always had on the man. It was unavoidable you told yourself. His personality was infectious and had 15 year old you head over heels.

He pushed back bright blonde hair back off his forehead and just shook his head. "Nothin'. Uh, what's next? Video game, board game, or movie?"

You peaked on the counter at the options. "Well, we probably should have checked this but the board game needs at least four people to play... guess we'll have to save that for our next game night. Is a movie okay?"

Of course, it was.

You brought over the DVD with a refill of wine and he pulled a blanket down off the back of your sofa.

It really didn't take long, just fifteen minutes or so, and you were curled up into Denki's side. You'd make grabby hands for your wine glass and he'd pass it over with that damn grin again.

And not long after that, he'd pulled out his phone, angling it to take a picture of the two of you. "What are you doing?" You could see him on his own Instagram, tagging you, with the caption, Check out my cute cuddle bug.

"I thought you didn't want to make them more jealous."

"I decided I don't care either. You're mine tonight, their loss. And since you're mine tonight, I get bragging rights." He snapped another quick picture of you rolling your eyes at him, and then he kept snapping them.

"Denki! Why!"

"Because you're cute, cuddle bug! I like having all the pictures of you that I can!"

Even as you tackled him back down on the sofa, pinning him below you, he still managed a photo. "Bet if I post this one, they'll really get the wrong idea."

You could have moved. You were the one on top of him and you had his arms above his head. You had the power here and yet you just lingered above him.

"Y/N? Not that I'm one to complain about having a beautiful person such as yourself pinning me down, like, it's kinda hot, but..." Looking down into half-lidded golden eyes, you wondered why you had to become best friends with such a damn flirt! "Are you gonna take advantage of this situation we're in or are we just gonna keep dancing around this for another decade or so?"

You couldn't have heard him right? No... no this was your brain playing tricks on you because he certainly hadn't had that much wine tonight. You sat upright on his lap. "Another decade then, Y/N?"

"You- ha- you should stop that, Denki."

He leaned up, moving his arms around you, "Gimme a good reason to and I will."

You didn't have one. And not just because you've been in love with him for ten years but also because he was your best friend. The only reason to not go through with it was the possibility of losing your friendship if something bad were to happen but, you really didn't think anything would.

Denki might have been a serial flirt but he was surprisingly loyal in all the relationships he'd been in, not that there had been all that many serious ones.

"I'm not hearing anything." He teased, his face getting closer to yours. You could count each and every one of the faint freckles that littered the balls of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. "But, I promise, if you tell me no, I'll stop, won't push this any further."

This whole thing seemed like a frickin' whirlwind, happening faster than your brain could really process the situation but you didn't want it to stop either. You wanted to take it further, didn't want to say no.

Which was why you coiled your arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. There was that small little buzz of electricity that tickled your lips when he'd kiss your nose or cheeks that was now playing on his lips, on his tongue when you welcomed him in.

He leaned back again, pulling you with him until you were both a pile of needy hands and breathy pleas. Everywhere his hands roamed you felt that faint trail of shock against your skin, making the little hairs on your body stand on end.

Clothes were shed, tossed haphazardly around your living room, both of you pausing to laugh when Denki managed to land your hoodie over a lamp. His attention was drawn back to you quickly though, still perched on top of him but now he had your chest on full display since you'd forgone a bra when your date canceled.

Electrifying tongue twirled around your nipples, sensitive normally, now it felt like you knew what it was like when he fried his damn brain. He was eager, relentless even, pulling and sucking, another hand giving your other breast a similar treatment. He had you so focused that you let out a broken moan when slender fingers found their way into your panties.

"Fuckin' hell, Denki."

The bastard winked up at you, nipple still between his lips and before you could retort, he sent another small jolt through you.

You were blatantly grinding down on his hand, reaching behind you, you found him completely solid, barely being contained in the tight black boxers he wore. You had enough sense to tug them down and wrap your hand around him making his teeth sink into your soft flesh, whining when you stroked him.

"Y/N..." He whimpered, his hand momentarily distracted from his ministrations gave you enough time to shift in his lap to scoot forward putting his cock in front of you. In one swift motion, you had his length between your slick. "Oh fuck, cutie!" Golden eyes were squeezed shut while you moved along him, feeling that pleasant curve he had, you could only imagine what it was gonna be like to have him inside you.

"You're being a little tease, ma-makes me wanna do all sorts of things to y-you."

He was kissing your neck, your chest, shoulders, and arms, anywhere on you that he could reach. His hips bucking up into you, just trying to hit that perfect angle.

Strength and agility were something most overlooked when it came to Denki Kaminari but when the man wanted something bad enough, he found a way to get it.

He had your ass rising up in the air with a harsh thrust of his hips and a small squeak from you, giving him exactly enough time to scoot down on the sofa so you were sat atop his face. If you complained, he didn't hear you. Denki already had your thighs around his head and his tongue devouring you completely.

Little shockwaves rocked you while you cried out his name, hands fisting blonde locks just trying to stay upright.

One orgasm from you apparently wasn't enough, neither was two but on the third, Denki finally relented, allowing your heartrate to come back down and your gasping breaths to come in more steadily.

You slid back down his body, his erection now smack against your ass. His hair was recked, face completely flush but he had the biggest grin on his face that you'd ever seen.

Denki kissed both your cheeks, "You are so amazing, cutie!" Kissed your lips, "You taste better than anything I've ever had!" And one more on the tip of your nose. "Doin' okay?"

You nodded, starting to really gather yourself again, and by this point, you really just wanted one thing.

"I wanna... Denks... can I take care of you now?"

"Sure, cutie! How do you want me?" The wiggling eyebrows had you rolling your eyes and pushing him on his back again.

It took little effort for you to position yourself above his cock, and with how slick you were, his bright pink head slipped right inside. He held your hands while you scrunched up your face, sliding all the way down him until he was completely sheathed within.

The curve was immaculate. Hitting in just the right way that had you moaning with just a couple thrusts from him. Before long, you were eagerly bouncing on his cock. Riding him hard so he filled you up each and every time.

You barely registered him reaching for the coffee table, his phone now in his hands. "What're you doin'?" You practically slurred, slowing only slightly. He tapped the camera lens with a wicked grin. "Seriously?"

"We could make 'em really jealous now..."

Somewhere in your brain, you knew your date wouldn't give two shits, in fact, this probably would have only validated their thoughts about your's and Denki's relationship but with his cock stuffed so deeply into you, kissing your cervix in the most beautiful way, you really didn't give a damn.

You and Denki put on the best possible show you could think of. You were overstimulated, sore, and completely elated! He balanced the phone against the wine bottle so neither of you had to try to hold it.

This way he could play with your breasts or squeeze your thighs while you dug half-moons into his chest. Shocked with the playful zaps he sent right to your core.

Your makeup you'd didn't feel like taking off now ran down your cheeks with tears. Your hair was a mess thanks to him pulling at it.

Denki had you howling through another two orgasms, telling you how perfect you were, how nice you felt squeezing him so tightly, your nails felt so good against his skin.

It was only when you collapsed against his chest did he hoist your hips up so he could ram into you, pulling out just at the last second with a strangled cry of your name.

He wiggled himself free, grabbing a towel from your bathroom and cleaning you both up before stopping the recording.

"You're, hey you're gonna send that to me right?" You asked when he handed back your hoodie off the lamp.

He dropped a kiss on your lips, plopping down beside you on the sofa again and you noticed your email already up and the video uploading. "Obviously, we share all our videos and photos. Why would this be different?"

[olderthannetfic]

À propos OCs: Do you or your other followers have original characters that exist outside of the context of a specific story you are working on? And if so, do you talk to other people about these characters often or at all?

I have approximately 100 OCs that exist within different universes (2 to 20 characters per universe). I occasionally doodle some if them and rarely ever write anything about them down, but I spend a lot of time watching them act out their lives and/or major plot points in my head. When I was younger I did original RPs, wrote a webcomic and some web serials, and would talk to my readers or other authors/artists/RP partners about the characters and their stories, but nowadays I pretty much never mention them. I might post art of them and caption it with “drawing [name] for once lol” and I’ve recently started tagging posts with my OCs names or their canons, but that’s it.

One time, a very nice person on here found one of those tagged posts and asked me about the OC and I was seriously stumped because I didn’t really know what to say.

I guess that’s another question: If you ever ask people about their original characters, what kind of responses are you looking for?

I eventually gave a quick rundown of his background and life and how it related to the post, but despite being asked for this information, and then some, I still felt like I was being annoying and embarrassing myself. I’m not used to people caring about my characters outside of a specific story they are reading (and I’m admittedly a lot more insecure about my creative work now than when I was a kid/teenager).

I say all this as someone who loves seeing other people’s original work and standalone OCs, so I understand that the interest can absolutely be genuine. Personally, I prefer reading public posts and meme fills, looking at OC-centric meme/aesthetic collections, and buying OC “merch” and art books to private conversations about them, so I don’t have much experience in the latter.

In a recent ask, an anon mentioned buying fanart; do you guys buy more fan art (if any) or art of original characters (if any)? If you buy OC art, is it usually just for aesthetics or are you interested in the characters themselves, even if they aren’t part of a story you are a fan of?

While writing this ask, I was mainly thinking about OCs in original works or RPGs, but my questions apply to fan characters too. …Wait, do people still differentiate between OCs and FCs? Or was that never even a common practice in the first place?

Lots of questions from me today, lol.

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I tend to make characters in the context of a particular story, though if I like them, sure, I might rework them for other things. RP isn't really my thing. I do daydream, but that tends to be either very private and raw or the step before writing a story or making a specific concrete artwork with those OCs.

OC vs. FC was only in certain parts of fandom. I'm vaguely familiar with it existing, but it isn't something I've usually encountered.

For me, an interest in OCs is exactly equivalent to an interest in asking some published author about a character in their work. If someone's good enough, I may even like their OC better than the canon characters and go seek out fic in other fandoms where they used that OC. Any artwork is a chance to fall in love with new characters... But for me, yeah, it's very much about that work.

I don't find character creation sheets interesting or useful, including when I develop characters for something I'm writing. Even if one isn't literally using one of those sheets, you know what I mean: some people develop characters a lot and see where the characters take them. I see a plot I want and make characters who would naturally fit in it. I create only the level of backstory I need for that work. Maybe one or two stray details don't make it in, but I don't know what my characters eat unless it's relevant. I don't know what their first pet was called. Yadda yadda. I find that knowing all that makes the characters feel flatter in the final work than if I knew only "The one in blue who likes martinis" or some other couple of characteristics they need to stick in the mind in the scene where they appear.

I don't think in that RP way where the character is a separate entity from the artwork containing them.

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I buy art that I find pretty and want on my wall. Now and then, it's from something specific and I do like showing off that I'm into that thing. The aesthetic might imply things about my tastes or values. It might be more than just "this object is abstractly nice looking in a way with no cultural connotations". But art is definitely for decoration for me. If I don't have wall space or it doesn't go with my decor, I don't get it.