#there's shit and there's gold in EVERY goddamn genre and you gotta read some shit and compare/contrast to the gold to fucking

[frogeyedape]

How do you get from "Read books, they're great!" to "Let's shit on fanfiction a ton now!"???

"Fanfiction isn't real fiction. Fanfiction isn't PUBLISHED" do you hear yourselves?

"Publish" is NOT in fact 1:1 synonymous with "published via traditional publishing house." A whole hell of a lot of fanfiction is fucking published *on the internet free for all to read*

Just to be clear: "Real" fiction doesn't have to be published ever to be real! Handwritten in a journal or lost on stone harddrive are absolute treasure troves of unpublished fiction of all sorts of genres. People LOVE to discover these after a person has died!

Let's be real, shitting on fanfic is the new shitting on romance. Your disdain for whatever genre will never be cool. Yes, genres exist! Congrats! The answer to that is not "Don't bother with fanfic if all you want to write is original romance/fantasy/fake memoir/whatever"! The answer is: read broadly.

Fanfic has value on its own as a genre. Close character studies and explorations that, hell, have gotten me into a new piece of media I've never heard of until reading that fic! Absolute chonkers of not merely novel length but trilogy or even extended series length, as well as shorts and everything in between!

Fanfic has merit. Even if you never write an ounce of fanfic, reading it will strengthen your writing (and reading!) skills.

How about instead of picking a genre to rebuild we say: gosh, there's so many genres! Read a sampler from a ton of different genres! Read deeply into genres you especially love or want to explore, and also read widely! Who doesn't like a bit of locked room mystery tucked into their not-mystery-genre fiction?

fascinating that when you tell people "you have to learn the rules to break them" when talking about drawing/painting etc everyone nods and agrees but the second you say "you have to read books if you want to write better" there's a horde of contrarians begging to be the wrongest people ever all of a sudden

[gabrielitas]

phew it's good to know i'm boy the only one super behind lmao

alright answering questions and asking some more because i have a funny little group of questions that mean nothing but i like to ask

alright so i do bias soonyoung ����🙄 didn't think you'd guess so early. i also like seokmin and minghao 🥴🤤 aLSO, WHY HAS SEUNGCHEOL BEEN LOOKING SO CUTE RECENTLY I CANT HANDLE 😩😩

outside of kpop i may or may not have had an emo phase (read: fall out boy, panic!at the disco, my chemical romance). i may or may not still listen emo music. i also LOVE CONAN GRAYYY. idk if he's still indie but i love indie too! probably one of my favorite genres though is classical (instrumental if you wanna get technical 🙄 been yelled at bc cLaSsiCaL iS a TiMe PeRiOd)

the best of us had emo phases ☝️ mine is a little longer lasting three years in middle school. due to this, fall out boy is one of my favorite artists! i’m also a big tchaikovsky fan, and i like doja cat a lot too!

in response to your question about 1518 strasbourg, this is when and where the dancing plague of 1518 happened dnsbsbshja. it's where the phrase "dance till you die" originated lmao. i think it'd be funny to witness this/take part in it. aside from that, id probably fuck with california in 1849 because the gold rush🧎‍♀️, france in the 1880s, or america in the 1980/1990s! i’m a history nerd courtesy of my father, so i choose all my time periods based off some of my favorite historical events! 1880s for architecture mostly, gold rush because lawlessness and the "wild west", and the 80s for the cold war :)

the night is beautiful if you take the time to live it. for me, my favorite time across the board is lunch time-12:00 ish to 3:00 just because the sun is highest and i feel happiest! i like the night when i go out on bike rides because i feel alive/ like i’m not wasting my teen years

GIRL IM NORTHEAST US TOO DJNSBSBSVABWB #goals lmao

i have 1 sister and she's super annoying🙄 i also have 2 cats and a dog (i consider them my siblings)

the most recent show i binged and finished was criminal minds, and i tried supernatural but it's just so bad i cant get past season 11. i’m working on hannibal right now!

the last book i really enjoyed was the summer i turned pretty! i’m a sucker for romance books 😩

questions i've got:

- do you have any siblings or pets?

- do you play any instruments?

- what's your favorite font?

- how many pillows and stuffed animals do you sleep with? (i have too many to count)

- would you rather live in an urban, suburban, or rural setting?

I FRIKIN KNEW U BIASED SOONYOUNG UR VIBES R SO HORANGHE I COULD JUST TELL and i gotta say ur the second person who’s had both minghao and soonyoung on ur bias list and i just find that so funny cuz they’re polar opposites to me (also u have impeccable taste with minghao that boy is my ult and has my whole heart) AND OMG RIGHT??? seungcheol needs to *CHILL*😤

omg yes conan gray😫 this is gonna sound whiny but heather was one of my favorite songs of his before it became a tiktok trend💅

and yes the best of us *did* have emo phases, mine lasted from late 8th grade into the first half of freshman year, so it was kinda short lived but it still happened lol

also, seeing tchaikovsky and doja cat next to each other in a sentence is so funny (but in a weird way i get it lol) i’m not the *biggest* classical/instrumental fan, but i have def used it as study music when songs with lyrics r just too distracting. back to doja tho!! have u listened to her new album?? do u have a fav song off of it? (i haven’t listened to all of it but i do have a couple that i rlly like)

omg how did i not recognize that u were talking abt the dancing plague!!!!!🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ idk if u watch buzzfeed unsolved or watcher but they have a series called puppet history and the episode on the dancing plague is one of my favorites! also omg yes another history nerd who knows abt history b/c of her dad!!!! i’m prob most knowledgeable abt wwii, the civil rights movement in the us, and the spanish civil war cuz those r my dads main interests and i was sat down in front of documentaries abt those topics at the age of like, 3 lol. and wanting to experience the wild west is such a perfect and iconic era to want to live in, and wanting to experience the cold war is so funny (b/c i’m sure the ppl who were living it without knowing the ending like us felt the exact opposite lol)

and yes the night is so beautiful when u just give it ur attention. like, on my birthday it was raining and i didn’t have school the next day (and my birthdays i’m may so it was pretty warm) so i just went outside at like, midnight ish and listened to the rain and crocheted and it was truly so nice 😫 also omg last year when covid had us all at home i went for a bike ride almost every day after school to just get out of my room and it was so nice!! it was my bike from when i was like, 12 but i’m 4’11 so i was still able to ride it without a problem lsnsksns

and yes pets r absolutely siblings, my cat prob acts more like s typical sibling than my two younger siblings do lsnsksns (srsly tho my cat is an asshole she fucked up my leg the other day cuz i gave her food late smh)

omg hun season 11?? how many seasons of that goddamn show r there??? i couldn’t get past episode 1😭 (i rlly only started watching it b/c of dean from gilmore girls sksnksns) the show i’m currently bingeing rn tho is downton abbey, as i’m sure u can tell from how much downton shit u had to scroll past to find my answer to ur last ask alskkskjsjs (i’m so so sorry 😭)

ooo that sounds like a rlly good book title, what was it abt? i just finished a secret history (which FUCKED ME UP MY GOD THERES A LOT OF MURDER) and i’m currently working on the sequel to my name is asher lev by chaim potok (who is one of my fav jewish/classic literature authors and also just a rlly good author in general)

for ur questions:

-yes i do have siblings! two younger (one four and a half years younger and one a little over nine years younger than me so i’m the oldest by quite a bit lol) and i do have a pet! my cat sweetie who is an asshole who i love very much

-i took piano for like a year in second grade but then third grade happened and i was rlly bad at math so my parents switched from paying for piano lessons to paying for math tutoring lessons and i now remember literally nothing from piano lessons sksnksns

-i,,, dont think i have a favorite font? i do like to write in cursive and have a collection of calligraphy pens that i bust out on special occasions so there’s that i guess lol

-ok i have two normal pillows, one chair/armrest/pillow thing (idk if that makes sense but that’s the only way i know how to describe it sksnksns), a body pillow, and a single stuffed bear that live on my bed

-ooo so this is difficult for me cuz i technically live in a suburb but we’re *right next* to a major city in my state (like i’m a 20ish min car ride from my states baseball stadium and a 20 min walk to the college of the major city) so this has kinda made me rlly like both? like, i like the quiet of the suburbs but i cant handle not being able to walk to the closest boba shop or movie theatre or bookshop but i also don’t rlly love the noise and lights that there are in the city at night. so idk sksnksns

what do u like more tho? the city or the suburbs? also since u asked the question i’m assuming u have a fav form and i’m now rlly interested in finding out what it is lol

goodnight!❤️ (or good morning if ur seeing this in the morning since i’m answering this at midnight lol)

[bazypitchandsimonsnow]

Night Time in NYC

Rating: T

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 3645

Summary: Simon has no sense of direction and ends up lost in his recent home city of New York. But a helpful stranger offers to get him home. Based on "kiss that was regretted/more than one kiss" request.

Read on AO3

AN: Once again, Theo returns with the ridiculous and cheesy snowbaz fic. This is just pure tooth rotting fluff for all your fanperson needs. Hardly any angst at all really. Just Simon and Baz being pining idiots. After writing the The Sailor and The Siren I needed to do something simple and sweet. I had a lot of fun with it, cause who doesn't love uber fluff? :)

Simon

I don’t know where I am. Which is normal, but usually harmless. I can use Google maps to find where I’m going. But my shitty phone has decided to completely die on me. I hit in a desperate attempt to revive it. And it stays a dead brick.

“Shit,” I hiss.

Godammit. I should’ve accepted Penny and Micah’s offer for a ride home. But no, I decided to be fucking noble and self sacrificing and walk back to campus.

Alone.

In New York City.

At one in the morning.

I’m an idiot.

I think I’m walking in the generally right direction. But I don’t recognise anything. I’ve been living here for a less than a month so I still get lost. Numbered streets are easy, my arse.

From the distance, in the general silence, I hear noise. Muffled, but noise. People! Somewhere open. Where I can find someone with a phone and call a cab to get home! Thank every god for all night places in New York fucking City.

Following with my ears, I head towards some low rise brick buildings. As I go down a long dark alleyway (I’m going to get stabbed), the noise gets louder, stopping in front of a metal door. Thumping electronic music comes from behind it. Must be some nightclub. Aht bright red emergency exit sign hangs over it. Normally, I’d just leave and not risk going through a bloody emergency exit. But I’m beyond desperate. So I turn the handle

Holy shit. It’s like the TARDIS, bigger on the inside. Strobing multi coloured lights fill the massive room. I’m immediately engulfed in a sea of people. They’re all milling about around me. Talking, dancing, drinking. Dear lord, is this is what a real night club is like? It’s freaky. I don’t like it.

I shove my way through the bustling people, trying to find the bar. I bump into a guy and mumble “excuse me.”

“Hey sugar,” he says, taking my wrist, “why don’t you take off your coat and stay awhile?”

I blink rapidly, then look behind me to make sure he’s actually talking to me. “Um, what?”

He raises an eyebrow, smile seductive and obviously trying to tempt me. “I said why don’t you take your coat off? You can’t really find a guy in that.”

“Oh, uh, I’m not here...for that.”

He lifts both brows. “Then why are you in a gay dance club?”

Oh. Oh shit...

I look around the club. It’s mostly populated by impossibly buff men in tight shirts, standing very close and obviously talking in low, seductive voices. This is definitely a gay club. Not that I have a problem with gay people. (I’ve never given much thought to my sexuality, but I’m probably not 100% straight.) It’s just very unfamiliar and a bit intimidating. I’ve never been in straight club, let alone a gay one. And being so lost and stressed out, I don’t really feel like being flirted with right now.

“I uh, I...I gotta go,” I stutter out.

I rush off towards the bar. Maybe the bartender has a mobile I can borrow. Or maybe I’ll be thrown out for not paying. That would suck. I practically crash into smooth black counter, panting slightly. Fuck, the heat of the club plus my coat is not helping my stress levels. I hang my head, breathing slowly. I could really, really use something good right now.

“Hello,” someone with a posh British accent says next to me. “How are you?”

I turn to my left, and my heart promptly stops.

He’s gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. With cheekbones sharper than Benedict Cumberbatch, shining reddish-gold skin, and eyes like a goddamn hurricane. His relatively long black hair is slicked back like some old movie vampire. But it’s a weirdly good look on him. Makes him look sexy and sort of mysterious. His black t-shirt is tight on his defined chest. Equally dark jeans hug him in all the right places. The way he leans on the bar is confident but not cocky. Just self-assured. And it’s so, so hot. (80% straight maybe.)

“H-Hi,” I stutter. “Can you help me? I’m...lost.”

He cocks a perfect eyebrow. “But now you’ve met me and found your way? How sweet and cheesy.”

“No. I mean, I’m trying to get home, and I’m really lost. Like I don’t know where I am.”

Now both brows shoot up to his stark widow’s peak. His face convulses strangely for a second, then he suddenly bursts out laughing. He doubles over holding his stomach. My blush reaches my ears.

“Nevermind,” I grumble.

I turn to leave, but a slender fingered hand grabs my shoulder. I stop, mostly from the jolt his touch sends through my system.

“Sorry, sorry,” he says, laughing toned down. “How can I help?

I sigh, but still turn back to him. “I’m trying to get to Amsterdam and West 114th but my phone’s dead and I’ve never been in this area before and I’m obviously not a local and I just moved here like a month ago. So...I’m lost.”

“But, the streets are numbered.” His eyebrow furrow is so fucking cute. (Wait, no, focus Simon!)

“You’d be surprised at my ability to get turned around.”

A smirk tugs at the corner of his thin lip. “Understood. That’s Columbia, right? I know how to get there. It’s not that far. I’ll walk you.”

“Oh! No! You don’t have to. I mean, I don’t want to ruin your night.”

He waves his hand dismisvely. “I’m bored anyway. And I don’t want to risk you getting my directions then turning to the opposite way. C’mon, I need to get my coat.”

He motions me to follow, and strangely enough, I do. We squeeze through the bustling, sweaty crowd. The man bobs and weaves like a slinky snake. His body is so lithe, it’s incredible. We end up at the actual entrance, which has a coat check. Strange Man talks to the attractive behind the counter. He’s all smooth looks and easy words. I sort of envy him.

I expect the coat guy to hand him a fine wool jacket, or some versace coat (do they make coats?) But to my utter shock, he’s handed a puffy bright green ski coat. It’s not ugly per se. Just, kind of normal. This guy looks some seductive romance novel vampire. People like that aren’t supposed to wear a coat with ripped seams that squeezes his waist to make him look like a green Michelin Man. He leaves a tip for the coat guy and signals for me to follow. I scurry up to him.

“C’mon,” he says cheerily, “let’s go.”

We walk past a very intimidating bouncer and back out into the frigid New York air. Mystery man lets out a long exhale, breath clouding in front of his face. He motions for me to follow him up the street. It’s a bit difficult to keep up with his long legs.

“So,” I say after a long stretch of silence, “do you have a name?”

He flicks his grey eyes over to me. “Yes. Would you like to hear it?”

Okay, so he’s a total smartarse. Why do I find that frustrating yet attractive? “Sure, if you feel up to it,” I deadpan.

He smirks, chuckling slightly. “I’m Baz. And you are?”

“Simon, Simon Snow.”

“Hm. Interesting name.” His tone is shows the slightest twinge of interest. It makes my heart stutter a bit. “So how did you end up accidentally wandering into a gay nightclub?”

I look at the ground sheepishly. “Uh, I was out with my friends at some karaoke place. They offered to give me a ride but their place is in the opposite direction, so I said I could go on my own. But then my phone died, so I just wandered into the closest place with people. Hence...”

“Hence the gay nightclub.”

I shrug. “Yeah. Not my smartest move.”

He shrugs too. It’s somehow more graceful than mine. “Well, you found me. So I’d say it was a pretty smart move.”

I flick my eyes over to him, just for a moment. His smile is only slight, but it’s there. I turn away again, too embarrassed to keep looking at him.

“Why were you in the club?” I ask quickly, aching to fill the even brief silence.

Baz sighs and kicks the sidewalk with his polished boot. “My stupid friend/roommate's idea. He keeps pestering me to go out and meet someone. I finally snapped and said I’d go to this club tonight if he’d stop bugging me.”

“Oh. Sorry for taking you away from it...”

He waves dismissively again, the exact same motion as earlier. “I told you, I was bored. No one there interested me. I’d much rather be home with my books.”

That catches my attention. Books? Movie vampire guy loves books? I thought he’d spend his time practicing smoldering expressions in the mirror. “You a bookworm?”

“That’s what Niall calls me. He says my library puts Oxford and Cambridge to shame.”

“What do you read?”

He sighs noncommittally. “Lots of stuff, I guess. Mostly historical texts though. I like English language development, how it evolved over time. Just a hobby though.”

Wow, what a hobby, I think immediately. He reminds me way too much of Penny. Learning weird shit just for fun. I just stick to what I’m good at, never straying from my numbers. But he tries different things. I find it just as admirable in him as I do in her. Maybe just a bit more, because I don’t find Penelope unbelievably attractive. (65% straight, tops).

We walk past a raised cement beam. Out of habit, I jump up to walk on it. (I always take an opportunity to jump around. Penny calls me a child.) Baz looks at me strangely. But I like being up here. It gives me a better view of him.

“So,” I say dragging out the vowel. “You’re English like me, right?”

He raises a brow. (He seems to be really good at that.) “Accent gave that away huh?”

I roll my eyes like Penny does.“Oh shut up, you know what I mean. Where are you from in England?”

“Hampshire, originally. You?”

“London. I came here for school.”

“I did as well. You go to Columbia, right? Or we’re walking to the wrong campus.”

I chuckle and look away nervously. “Uh, yeah. For maths.”

“Wow, impressive. That’s a tough program to get into.”

I turn back to him. His eyes are wide with genuine impressed awe, one lip corner quirked up in a smile. My cheeks feel hot. I hope I’m not too red. “T-Thanks. It's difficult but, interesting.”

"I'm glad to hear.

I reach the end of the beam and jump down, swinging around a lamp pole. I land right in front of him and stumble on a crack on the sidewalk. Suddenly, he catches me, hands clasping both my forearms. He looks at me wide eyed, now loose black strands falling in front of them. (The hair gel isn’t that strong I guess.) The sensation of his touch shoots up my nerves so quickly and intensely I nearly fall again. Before I do, I pull away, walking next to him again. Though I think we’re a little closer. Not sure if he’s moved towards me or I’ve moved towards him

“Where do you go?” I ask, voice rapid and even more nervous.

Baz bites at his lip anxiously. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out.”

My brow pinches together, mouth turning into a confused frown. “...alright?”

He looks at the ground, like I have many times tonight. “I...go to Juilliard.”

Oh. My. God. My jaw practically hits the floor. “Holy shit!”

“You promised not to freak out,” he groans, head rolling back

“You didn’t warn me it was fucking Juilliard! Are you like, a super talented actor? Or a future Broadway dancer?” I try not to imagine Baz in a tight black leotard (it’s very difficult).

Baz chuckles, shaking his head back and forth. “Nothing that exciting, sorry. I go there for music.”

“What do you play?”

“Violin.”

Strangely, I can see it. Baz with the instrument under his chin and stretched out across his long arm. Dragging the bow across the strings, grey eyes closed in concentration, humming along to the tune...

“Simon? Hello?”

I’m snapped out my stupid day dream. Baz is looking at me very confused. I turn away, hoping to hide the blush I know is increasing on my cheeks.

“That sounds really cool, actually.”

“Really?”

“Y-Yeah, really. Violin is fucking hard.”

“Thanks. Few people say that.”

I can’t help but smile, and neither can he apparently.

He cups his hands around his mouth and breathes out, air misting through his fingers. “This city is too fucking cold,” he mutters. He reaches into his coat pockets and draws out a pair of garishly orange knitted mittens. They have large holes in them where their maker dropped stitches. Baz notices me staring at them.

“What?” He says.

“Oh, uh, just...your gloves are...interesting.”

He giggles (fucking giggles, holy shit). “Yeah, I know. My younger sister made them for me before I left. To keep me warm. She’s only 7 though, so knitting her skills aren’t exactly perfect. The sentiment is what’s important though. Wearing them reminds me of her.”

What kind of guy wears shitty mittens made by his little sister just because he misses her? A perfect one, I think. (40% straight at most.) “That’s actually quite sweet.”

“Why thank you” he chuckles. “Do you have any siblings?”

My shoulders droop. “No. I...I don’t know who my parents are. Proper little orphan Annie here.”

“Oh. I’m very sorry.”

The look of pity on his face makes my heart hurt, but not in a good way. I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. I shrug all the way up to my ears. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Don’t need parents. Got my own little family now.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

I sigh, catching a pole and swinging around it far too dramatically. I need to stop for a second, gather my head. Baz stops too, looking at me curiously. “I mean, I’ve got friends who are way better than whoever abandoned me. Penelope, her boyfriend, Micah, Agatha, they care about me and I care about them. And Penny says family isn’t who your related to but who you love. So they’re my family, I guess. Closest I’ve got. Don’t need blood relations.”

I lift my head up from the ground. Baz is no longer looking at me with pity. I’m not sure how he’s looking now. Something between confusion, wonder, and...maybe admiration. I hope it’s admiration. I may be projecting though.

I let go of the pole, shoving my hands in my pockets and keeping my head down. “I-I don’t know, it’s dumb.”

“No,” Baz says firmly. “I don’t think so. It makes sense.”

I look up, just slightly. His grin is soft, caring and understanding. But it’s not small and sort of hidden like before. It’s wide and obvious and meant for me. If my blush was bad before it must be raging now.

“Thanks,” I say quietly.

We resume walking again. I don’t stoop as much. We stay in comfortable silence, but I sneak glances at Baz. His hair is completely loose now and falling in his face with a bit of a wave. It looks better actually. Makes him look more human, less out-of-reach gorgeous.

Just as we round a corner, I spot something familiar. A big ridiculous statue on top of a building glass building.

“Hey!” I say excitedly. “I know that thing! We’re really close.”

Baz squints at where I’m pointing, frowning in the most adorable way possible. “Ugh, I can’t see it. Hang on.”

He opens his coat and reaches into the inside pocket. To my utter astonishment, he pulls out a pair of rectangle wireframe glasses. Like that of a university professor or a librarian. Once he puts them on, he stops squinting. They rest on his long nose perfectly. And now Baz has made full transition from mysterious sexy club goer to violin playing, adorable little sister having, puffy coat wearing, language history nerd. Yet somehow, I like him even more than I did at first.

“Huh,” Baz says, “you’re right. I know it too. We just have to go through that gate across the street.” He turns to me and sees my slack mouthed expression. His brows push together adorably. “What? Is something wrong with my face?”

“Uh, no! It’s just...you wear glasses?”

He takes them off quickly. “Yeah. Well, I’m supposed to. I don’t usually though. I’m near sighted, so I can usually get away without them. They just make me look so bloody dorky.”

“I don’t think so,” I blurt out, immediately dropping my gaze to my feet. “I-I don’t think they look dorky. They look...nice. On you.”

I flick my eyes up quickly, just enough to catch the grin pulling at both sides of his lips.

“You flatter me too much,” he says in a slightly self deprecating tone.

“Only cause it’s true,” I reply quietly.

Baz spins the spectacles in his hands for a second, and instead of putting them back in his coat, he slides them up onto his forehead. Not exactly on his face but close. It’s actually quite cute. Like he’s a messy haired student. Which...I guess he is. Even if he’s a fancy Juilliard student.

Past the gate, we enter the Columbia campus. It’s beautiful, even at night. I like it. It’s greener than the rest of this glass and concrete city.

“Hey this is my building,” I say, grabbing Baz’s sleeve to stop him.

We freeze in front the lawn. Across the manicured grass is South Lawn, where they put all first year students. It’s huge and block-like and gorgeous. It reminds me of the Georgian buildings in England. Baz flips down his glasses and looks at it in awe, making a little whistle.

“Wow,” he whispers. “I’ve heard of Columbia buildings, but...wow”

“Yeah,” I chuckle. “Pretty neat.”

“Understatement of the century, Snow.” He puts his glasses back, looking down at me with a nervous smile. “So, I guess this is your stop.”

I shuffle my feet, rubbing the back of my neck. “Yeah. Should probably get up there before my ro-”

Quick as lightning, Baz leans to my left and kisses my cheek. It’s so soft and light I barely feel it. Like a cool brush of wind against my skin. But my face still goes beet red. I look up. Baz resembles a terrified deer in the headlights, eyelids completely pulled back and lips hanging open.

“I-I, uh-,” he stutters out quietly. “Sorry. That was completely inappropriate. We’ve only just met, I just, I got caught up in the moment, and I guess I just decided to go for it. But I’m sorry that was-”

“You missed.” For once, my words are clear and precise. Baz’s sinking head snaps up, looking even more terrified than before.

“W-what did you say?”

I take a step closer to him. We’re barely a foot apart. I can feel his hot nervous breath on my skin. “You missed. Try a little more to my right this time, okay?”

Red darkens his lovely cheeks like a bashful schoolboy. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” I step even closer, tilting my head slightly to the side. “Seriously.”

He leans down, eyes fluttering shut. I stand on my toes, and we meet halfway.

His lips are soft and cool, lightly pressed against mine. It’s probably the most chaste kiss I’ve ever experienced. Yet I can feel it in every nerve in my body. Baz’s hand brushes against mine, and I move to hold it firmly. His other cups my cheek, thumb tracing over the skin. Our lips part slightly and slot together. And it just feels too right.

I pull back, as does Baz. I don’t want to get myself too worked up on a first date. (Is this a first date? Fuck if I know.) His eyes open only halfway. And his cheeks are so red they’d put Disney princesses to shame. I grin at him, and he grins back. I hold my open hand in front of him.

“Gimme your mobile,” I say. He raises an eyebrow. I sigh exasperatedly. “Look, I’d give you mine to put your number in, but as I mentioned before, it’s dead. So give me your’s so you can contact me again. That’s what you want right?”

His brow falls and his mouth forms an “o” shape. “Yeah, yeah of course.” He rummages in his pocket and pulls out a pristine white iPhone. Once unlocked, he hands it to me. “Here”

I giggle at his background. (It’s a violin pun). Quickly, I enter in my number under “Directionless Moron”, then give it to him. He throws his head back laughing at the contact name.

“Call me,” I say. “Or text me. Just...something me.”

Baz chuckles. “Don’t worry, I will. I definitely want to see you again.”

My grin threatens to split my face in half. I squeeze his hand. “Same here. Goodnight for now, Baz.”

“Goodnight, Simon.”

I walk off down the lawn. Just as I reach the door, I take one last look back. Baz is still standing there. He’s got his glasses on. I realise it’s so he can see me get into the building. To make sure I’m okay, or maybe just watch me. I give one last wave. He waves back. I practically skip the rest of my way to my room.

Man, what an incredible night.

AN: Hope you enjoyed it! Tbh Baz in glasses is my aesthetic so that's they it keeps showing up in my AUs. Honestly he'd look so good in them. Anyway, this was a lot of fun and I hope you all liked it :D

[enigmatic-elegance]

Mas’ list of people you should probably follow.

The other day I made a big post on those people who deeply impacted me this past year. But this post is gunna be a lot broader. This will be a list of people who are generally just awesome folks, people I think you should follow or check out if you don’t already know about them.

Because it will likely be a big list, I’m only going to make a small sentence or two comment on each to keep it brisk.

And hey, if you don’t see your name here, don’t feel bad. Just means we likely need to RP more, yeah? Get to know me, let me get to know you, let’s share some fun times. And if I forgot you I’m sorry. I am trying to include a lot of names so it’s likely I miss one or two. I still love you.

Cool on with the show.

People

@jazimina @risrielthron Same person. Fantastic writer, runs the courier, very polite and open to people. Good person to know.

@percy-dewdancer Great dude. Knows his shit. Will throw down for his people. Been around, and makes good stories, so check him out.

@the-elf-mahat Sweetheart extreme, fantastic character too, trust me you’ll be glad you took the time to know her.

@grannyshanny @damn-she-big Good dude. Tells it how it is, dude also can write up a storm if given the chance.

@eldricceverton If you can actually catch him for RP the guy will melt your face off with 20 paras of gold.

@thebattlesheep Shy, but a sweetheart. She wants to involve in more stories so go bother her, send her posts, and asks, and love.

@soapiewhitacre They have had a bit of a hard time recently with their muse so took a break but they are a really great writer and a good person so well worth the follow.

@in-ghis-we-trust Coming soon back to the game, time permitting. So go check out this pupper so when she gets back she’ll get all the love.

@berundo-the-deadbeat Okay for real I underestimated this guy when I first met him cuz the char seems silly but then you realize this guy is one of the best writers you’ll ever meet.

@jebweaver So goddamn underrated. For the quality this guy puts out dude should get way more notes and recognition. Just go check it out, read a post or two. Trust me.

@devilsdaughter2 Homegirl has her finger to the pulse. She gets mad excited, loves to talk characters and pretty much whatever you want. Good place to get some solid content.

@the-news-nerd @elyza-morrowbranch @dunnedinsniper This guy gives his opinions without shame. Turns out he’s usually pretty spot on. Great RPer to boot, so all around a win.

@kingofthewolves Great dude, great friend, and makes stories that will rip your heart out while also piecing it back together with sap and fluff. Go check em.

@xerxes-jasper This one is a great shadow RPer. But plays the character less of a horror and more of a human. That’s rare, and admirable. Very worth the follow.

@cedrickholtstories He’s a damn good writer. We have not talked a lot OOC but I’m impressed with his content and you will be too.

@paladin-cynae On the flipside here, I don’t know too much about the characters ICly, but OOCly such a sweet and caring sort. Definitely someone worth knowing.

@gwenya Worth a lot of love. And likely will try to punt me for putting them on this list. But genuinely a selfless sort.

@adhelin We are a lot alike. so if you like me, you will likely enjoy her too. If you don’t like me..why are you here? She’s a good sort, cares for her friends and guild. Respect.

@thegreatnyehehe Seriously. Follow. This is not even an option.

@firebiter @brooke-it @clothespanda Phenomenal RPer with even more amazing characters. And can pretty much get along with most people well. Trust me, good follow.

@fire-and-swords Fire-hearted person but damn fun to RP with. Encourage them a bit out of their comfort zone and you’ll be rewarded with some great stories.

@addie-the-pirate Super kind. Very open. Friendly. And to follow up a brilliant writer and imaginative sort. Definitely worth a follow.

@xana-the-witchhearted The textbook definition of a sweetheart.

@theodorebennas Lawful characters usually annoy me but he does it super damn well. Plus OOcly really open and friendly sort.

@demetrius-devereaux We’ve had our differences to be sure but if you want dark RP he’s a go-to. Plus respect for a damn good writer.

@sparkling-adventurer Goddamn cutie.

@elaianna A grand writer and by what I can see an extremely friendly person. Cares a lot for server events and supporting others, gotta respect that.

@khadorek This guy and I don’t chat too much but he always takes interest in other’s works and creations. It’s refreshing.

@harveedeadweight Dude is a meme sure but take part in some of his stories you’ll see he’s a brilliant and imaginative writer.

@summysparklesprocket Only RPed a few times but they are on point as an RPer. Plus, a serious Gnome, too damn rare. They definitely deserve props.

@high-inquisitor Sort of watch them from afar but they are a damn good writer so they deserve attention for it.

@saltylulu Hey so this person is a sweet thing and also a pretty darn good writer when you can get em pinned for RP.

@susan-gampre So NSFW as hell but a cool person. Worth checking out for sure.

@inquisitive-baker Only RPed a few times with them but a really cool ‘neutral’ character.

Guild Corner

@the-royal-courier This is the number one source for alliance news. A great place to keep up to date on events and help promote your own stories.

@thedragonlorenews I’m not Horde active but I still follow them to keep up with the cool things the Horde is up to.

@householt Great writers. Truly. They also don’t force their agenda on other guilds but will work to include others if they wish it. I have a lot of respect for them.

@housestygian I don’t see them around as much of late but they were always really square with me. I think they are coming active again, so worth a check out for sure.

@ludlowvineyards Been around for a while and always provided great content both of their own and supporting others. Check them out.

@wra-lifeline-advocates Not really a guild, but a damn good resource.

@veil-of-ashes New Hordeside RP, but their people have it on lock by what I can see. If you are on Horde, check em out, hit them up.

@stormwinduniv Still make some really solid server events. And they are all so damn unique too. Like, super cool stuff.

Art Corner

@vinsketchbook @vintrove One of the best wow artists I’ve encountered. Made the brilliant portrait of Mas and is working on another at the moment. Great prices, very professional, definitely recommend.

@ferachidoesart A great artist, and their style always makes me smile. Well worth checking out.

@whimsicallyart A killer artist with a great writer to back it all up. The full package, worth the follow absolutely.

@anzka The go-to for great Gnome art.

@auggusst @auggusst-art The improvement on her art has been astonishing, and she deserves more love then she gets. Totally advise supporting her, well worth checking out.

@blackdogmelancholy Already gave props to them in the People area but they are a killer artist too so absolutely check them out.

@@cat-bat @catbatart Fantastic artist, already got a commission from them that I adore. Professional, and works really fast with great quality.

@planktonheretic Their art hits the perfect niche of tasty buff orcs and amazing animated expressions. I already got a piece from them and lord knows I’m going to get more in time.

@artofaokori I have a few small pieces from them but their style is so unique and makes me smile every time. Great for cute characters.

@bloodydamnit Makes some of the most lifelike art pieces I have ever seen. And covers a broad range of genres and games.

@littleliongod Worked with me so well in coupling my sibling pair into one piece. It’s great when an artist takes time to ask questions and assure you get exactly what you are looking for.

@musingzero Just commissioned two pieces from them and they blew my mind. Namely because I had no real references for either of them and from nothing she just built perfectly the characters and brought them to life. Amazing.

[hopeatermain]

Fucked up shit.

Protocreed One-Shot

!WARNING! Spoiler Alert for Prototype and Assassin’s creed

Rating: T for swearing.

Genre: ??? Probably humor with a dash of sci-fi.

Summary: Alex meets someone strange stumbling around Manhattan.

Other warning: Desmond survived. Because the overall lore that links every single one of my one-shot needs him to be alive. Also, bromance or romance developing between Desmond and Alex, I don’t know which one.

Word count: 1 226 words (uh. This one is shorter then Are you okay?)

Finally. Manhattan was peaceful. Well, has peaceful has it could be. He could finally take a break from all of this weird shit. Alex sat down on the pavement, taking a break. Elizabeth was dead. The marine were currently cleaning up what was left of the infection. Well, the infection that wasn’t him.

He wasn’t sure of what to do next. What he just went through seemed to cement what the other one seemed to have always know: humanity is selfish and self-destructive. Because he consumed her, he knew that Greene’s life had been a living hell due to Blackwatch. And honestly, he was seriously tempted to finish what she started right now. He just felt so... empty...

CRASH!!!

Alex got up. It came from the alley down the street. He slowly approached the source of the sound, readying one of his claws, expecting to find an infected. Instead, he found a guy kicking the lid of a dumpster open and stumbling out of it, panicked and clutching his arm.

Well, he expected... something, but not that.

Looks like an easy pray...

Desmond did not know what the fuck had happened. He thought he was dead. Hell, everyone he knew thought he was dead. But no, he was alive and fell in something currently dark and little and it was made out of metal and holy fuck it smelled. Probably a dumpster. He kicked the lid opened and stumbled out of it.

This is not okay. This is not okay. This is not okay and OH GOD MY ARM. He clutched it in pain. What the fuck. His arm was black. And covered in weird lines, which kind of looked like the ones on the Apple and SON OF A BITCH. He clutched it again, not immediately noticing the person sneaking up on him, before his sixth sense told him. Shit.

He turned around, readying his hidden blade (shit, his arm still hurt), and his eyes met... something.

It looked human. Well, human with giant claws thing, but human, with his face covered by a hood. Maybe an assassin. Maybe some kind of freak genetic mutation sent by Abstergo. He looked at the thing. The thing looked back. Red eyes. Yeah, definitely a freak genetic mutation. Maybe not from Abstergo. They were into fucked up shit, but the clean, sterile kind of fucked up shit. Not the eldritch abomination kind of fucked up shit that this guy’s claw and eyes let knew. “Who are you?” Desmond wanted to punch himself. You discover you get back to life and the first you do is ask some kind of weird mutation who he is. The thing looked at him a moment like he got a second head. “You don’t know who I am?”

Alex wanted to laugh. He was a goddamn sentient virus. People all over Manhattan knew who he was. And then, there was this guy, with a knife stripped to his wrist (maybe he could get Blacklight to copy it if he consumed the guy) who fell into a dumpster and did not know who he was. Probably insane. Who are you to judge? Aaaand there is that annoying voice that the virus took inside his head. You are a sentient virus who took control of it’s creator’s corpse. You have no right whatsoever to judge if something is insane or not. 

Okay, annoying voice had a point. Then again, he was all over Manhattan, people knew better than engage him, and this guy just asks who he is. “No, I don’t know who you are. So, you’re gonna tell me?” Or he was from another world. That was possible, too. He did look like he had no idea of where he was. Finally, he didn’t want to consume him. Too crazy for him. Oh, come on! Shut up, annoying voice. “Uh, sure. I’m Alex Mercer.” “Well, Alex Mercer (Yeah, the guy had no idea of who he was. That felt insulting and refreshing at the same time.), would you mind telling me where and when I am.” Alex blinked. One time, then two. And then: “We are in Manhattan, 3 June, 2013″ “HOLY FUCK.” “What?” “Nothing, I was just out for approximately 5 months.”  “What.” “What?” “How do you stay unconscious for 5 months? Without medical help? In a virus outbreak?!” “Oh, I wasn’t unconscious. I was dead.” “WHAT.”

You know what? You were right. He’s too insane for us. In any other situation, Alex would have been glad that he had a point against the annoying voice. “Who the fuck are you?!” “Desmond Miles.” “That’s not what I fucking meant!” “Then, what did you meant?” “What are you made out of?” Desmond looked at him a moment, before sighing. “You know what? If you help me with get out of there, I’ll explain everything to you in the best way I can. But you have to explain to me what the fuck happened while I was out.” “Deal.”

                   **Time-Skip in which they explain everything to each other**

Well, that was some pretty fucked up shit. And Alex had seen a lot of fucked up shit in his life. Hell, he was fucked up shit. But the kind of fucked up shit that Desmond just explained to him was a whole different kind of fucked up shit. The guy he was giving a piggy ride to because it was faster also looked kind of spooked by what he told him. “Wow. You went through some fucked up shit, Alex.” “Understatement of the fucking century, man. Your story is not too bad on the fucked up shit stuff either. I mean, I knew there was some kind of conspiracy going around, but not that it was so fucking ancient and- how did you preserve your mental health through all that?” 

“I have no fucking idea, man. Probably because I was subconsciously prepared for it, what’s with my assassin training when I was young, and all that.” “It’s still fucked up.” “You’re one to talk about fucked up, mister living virus! You eat people alive and absorb their memories! How fucked up is that?!” “The original Alex Mercer was worse.” “You’re shitting me, right?” “He’s why I’m here in the first place, man. Heard he once said that he wasn’t paid to feel.” “Wow. Your creator was a dick.” “I know.”

Silence. Then “We’re here.” “Sweet!” They were at the outskirts of Manhattan. There were close to no marines, so Desmond could probably simply walk out and enter another district of New York without being seen. “You think you’ll be able to find your friends?” “Yeah, don’t worry.” Alex nodded, before starting to turn, before he heard Desmond calling him back. “Oh, and one last thing!” He turned toward him. “Don’t lose faith in us, okay? I know humans can be real bastards, but there’s always an exception that confirms the rule. You just gotta find it. You think you can try?” Alex looked at him a little moment, before nodding. Desmond’s face lite up before he turned back and started running. Yeah, maybe Alex could give humans a try. Desmond was kinda nice, so maybe others could be too.

Yeah. Now that, at the brink of his death, he remembered the gold-eyed assassin, he really wished it went that way...

“Huh. Welcome to the top of the food chain.”

OOPS. I’ve made this one-shot a flashback that Alex has just before James kill him. IT’S ACTUALLY DRAMA. Sue me.

More seriously, if you’ve read the comic tie-in with Prototype 2, you know what I’m talking about. The guys Alex met were real bastards. The bold italics is the voice that the virus takes inside Alex’s head. So yeah. I will write a sequel to this.

[awritersbro]

Prev tags: #anyway#fuck you for shitting on “genre you don't see the point of.” that genre's not for you#someone's gonna come on here like “you can't say reading only fic will help someone write a mystery novel!” a) that's not what i said#(i said: read broadly)#b) that's so fucking stupid. you know there's subgenres? fanfic mysteries exist! some of them are damn good!#and before you go Well fanfic just doesn't have the ~Quality~ of tradpub fiction: have you READ some of the shit that gets published tradly?#there's shit and there's gold in EVERY goddamn genre and you gotta read some shit and compare/contrast to the gold to fucking#learn why shit's shit and gold's gold#god#this really is just “romance is trash/not serious/just formulaic” but make it fic

fascinating that when you tell people "you have to learn the rules to break them" when talking about drawing/painting etc everyone nods and agrees but the second you say "you have to read books if you want to write better" there's a horde of contrarians begging to be the wrongest people ever all of a sudden