#try not to write these 3 challenge: level impossible

[writertyozzie123]

As a writer I serve a very specific audience. And that audience is me.

[catmask]

when u go to write a mentally ill person in ur story you are presented two options. the first option is to write your mental illness realistically as you actually experience it with all the ups and downs and people who are like you will resonate with it and feel seen. except every person who reads instagram infographics on mental health that uses the phrase narcicisst for anyone who does anything that crosses them and unironically call themself a dark empath will call you scary and tell you that youre demonizing mentally ill people

the second option is to lie and write inspiration porn for those people to get hard to

[exorcxqsm]

Only a fool would bargain with the leader of Onychinus

Word Count: 5,8k

tags - WARNINGS: mdni, reader isn’t the lnds!mc, explicit sexual content, first time sex (not virginity loss) alterations to the main story, dr/y humping, thigh riding, b/egging, f!receiving oral, p in v, unprotected sex, creampies, squirting, dirty talking, use of pet names (kitten, sweetie, baby), violence, mentions of injuries. 

Notes:Some of you may have already read my fic, The Price of Desire, in which the reader’s evol is mentioned. If you have, you’ll notice that the evol is the same in this story; however, there is no connection between the two. The concept of a reader with this ability was too appealing for me to resist, and since it was briefly mentioned in the previous fic, I decided to explore it further in this one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! All likes and reblogs are appreciated. :3

Going on missions for Sylus was nothing new to you by now. You had spent years by his side since he first found you, a wild creature desperate for survival. Sometimes, you could still recall how close you had come to killing each other back then. You had been hunted by nearly every illegal underground group, all seeking your evol, and while on the run, you stumbled upon him like a scared and feral animal.

You had instinctively tried to attack him on sight; it was all you knew how to do, having fought for your freedom for as long as you could remember. You were no stranger to the danger he represented—the bloodthirsty leader of Onychinus. If other groups sought you as a mere experiment for your power, you could only imagine what Onychinus would do if they got their hands on you.

The moment you realized the person you had fallen headfirst into was the white-haired menace himself, you had attempted to fight him with everything you had. Sylus, of course, dodged every single one of your attacks effortlessly, but he was merely toying with you, for he possessed something you were unaware of; he could not be killed.

You had always been feared for your lethal evol—one touch from your bare fingers could send someone halfway to the other world. You were an extraordinary weapon, yet Sylus was not deterred; he was intrigued, even enamored by you.

With his energy manipulation, it was impossible for you to harm him, particularly when he thrived on high levels of adrenaline and excitement.

So, even as you forced yourself to keep trying to touch him, desperate to end the chaos, he reveled in your fierce determination. He loved witnessing the fire in your eyes as you believed you could take him down. When he finally grew tired of your little game and decided to put an end to it, he was blindsided by a fact he had overlooked.

While he had learned nearly everything there was to know about your evol and your abilities, he did not realize one important thing; you were immune to his mist.

No matter how fiercely the red and black tendrils curled around you, the moment your flesh made contact with them, they vanished into thin air.

Sylus had nearly salivated when he realized the challenge you presented. It had been far too long since he had encountered someone so intriguing, and he was determined that you wouldn’t walk out of that valley without becoming his.

That’s how you found yourself in his group now. Unlike everyone else, Sylus had made a promise that night: if you went home with him willingly, he would never force you to use your abilities for his research or personal gain. He needed you to choose to be there if you were going to help him.

His condition was simple: think of aiding him, and in return, you would gain his protection, a life free from fear and the constant need to run for your freedom.

You had taken a significant risk when you decided to go with him, but the white-haired man kept his word. It took you months to contemplate helping him instead of merely enjoying the luxury of his lifestyle, but he was patient. In time, you became not only his most valuable asset but also his right hand. Whenever he was out of town for deals or missions, you handled matters back home on his behalf.

Deep down, back then you knew he wasn’t just a kind-hearted man simply looking to help a struggling girl off the street. What he truly sought to protect was your evol because he believed you would eventually come around to assist him when he needed it most. So when you finally did, it was no surprise to him. He had merely given you a subtle nod and handed you the first files.

Now, two years later, you stood beside him at one of the many auctions taking place in the N109 Zone. He was after a particularly important and valuable protocore—one he had pursued for years—and today presented his chance to possess it.

Being next to him not only amplified his chances of leaving unscathed without extensive negotiation—after all, who was crazy enough to challenge the leader of Onychinus and his lethal right-hand woman?—but it also made it easier for him to operate, as you inevitably drew attention and distraction from other bidders.

His hand curled possessively around your waist as he proudly showcased you to the crowd. The dress you wore was as red as his eyes, hugging your every curve and accentuating your figure. Your hair was styled in a simple updo, revealing your back to the admiring gazes around you.

The less fabric you wore, the more difficult it was for his mist to approach you, and that was one thing you clung to. You knew he wouldn’t hurt you—he had come to not only depend on you but to trust you as well. Still, you maintained a small resistance, a defiance that you weren’t ready to surrender, no matter how much it irritated him.

Your gloves were snugly in place, allowing you to interact with him without draining his energy, thus enabling you to warn others of the imminent danger your touch posed. One slip of fabric, and whoever you touched would be lost forever.

“Mr. Sylus, I didn’t think you’d make it tonight,” a distant voice interrupted your thoughts, drawing both of your attention. A young man addressed your boss, his tone a mix of surprise and formality.

“Not happy to see me?” Sylus replied, his voice smooth as silk and sweet as honey, the smugness evident in his expression as he arched a white brow at the man.

“Of course, sir! I’m sorry, sir. I just thought you’d be out of town—”

“Change of plans." Sylus muttered, cutting him off with a tight smile before guiding you forward, his hand resting firmly on the small of your back.

As you walked toward the room where his meeting would take place, you tilted your face up to catch a glimpse of his profile. ��He’s right, you know,” you began, curiosity lacing your words. “Weren’t you supposed to return next Tuesday?”

Sylus’s smirk deepened at your question. “If I had known you’d be so disappointed by my early arrival, sweetie, I would have made sure to come back yesterday.”

You scoffed at his remark, subtly flexing your back to shake his arm off, but his grip only tightened, keeping you glued to his side. “Be good now. You know how important tonight is,” He leaned in closer, his hot breath sending a shiver down your spine as it tickled your ear. “Don’t screw this up.”

You couldn’t shake the uneasiness that crawled up your spine from the subtle threat lacing his tone. Sylus had been under immense pressure lately, but you refused to let him take it out on you.

“Sylus.”

He let out an impatient huff as you halted him just outside the door of your final destination, but he turned his body to face you fully, his expression a mix of frustration and intensity.

“I’m not your enemy,” you asserted, holding his gaze with unwavering resolve. “Many people work for you, but aside from Luke and Kieran, no one stands by your side with the same loyalty I do. I know you’ve been struggling, but I’m the last person you want against you right now.”

“Oh, is that right, kitten?” His brows furrowed, drawing closer until your chests nearly touched. To an outsider, you might have appeared to be lovers, but the tension between you was palpable and lethal. “And why is that? Because you’re oh-so-dangerous?”

His provoking smirk ignited your anger, and while you couldn’t fathom what was going through his mind, you chose to avoid making a scene. Stepping away from him, you tried to regain your composure. “They’re waiting for us.”

Before you could take another step toward the door, you were abruptly lifted off the ground, hanging upside down over Sylus���s shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing?” you whispered-yelled, frantically scanning for prying eyes. Your surprise deepened when, from the shadows, Luke and Kieran rushed toward you, effortlessly pulling you from Sylus’s grip. “What—”

“Take her to the car and wait for me,” Sylus commanded sharply, his tone clipped and leaving no room for negotiation. As you were carried away from him and the room, you felt a pang of frustration.

“Let me down!” you practically shouted as the twins put distance between you and the auction building.

“Sorry, ma’am, no can do.”

“Yeah, ma’am, we’re sorry, but no one bypasses the boss's orders!”

Your heart thumped loudly in your ears as the events unfolded, anger and frustration boiling within you at how Sylus had treated you. It was the first time since you started working for him that he had dismissed you so callously, and you couldn’t ignore the pang of hurt that coiled deep in your stomach.

You sat in the backseat of the car while the twins chatted and bantered in the front, oblivious to your turmoil. It felt surreal, as if they were living in a different world. Maybe you were overthinking it—after all, you hadn’t expected him to disregard you like that, especially during an auction so crucial to him. You were valuable to him, weren’t you? He needed you by his side, didn’t he?

Your thoughts spiraled until they were abruptly shattered by a loud bang. Before you could process the sound, part of the building in front of you exploded in a fiery eruption. Wait—was that the floor where the auction was being held? The very floor Sylus was on?

Without a second thought, you threw open the car door, sprinting toward the burning building despite the twins’ frantic shouts urging you to stop. Your mind was consumed by one thought: Sylus. He couldn’t be hurt. He couldn’t die. Foolish girl, not even his evol could save him from an explosion of that magnitude.

Your breaths came in ragged gasps, sweat clung to your skin as you pushed your limits, charging up the stairs to the floor where you had been just forty minutes earlier. You stumbled multiple times, falling to your knees, but the thought of Sylus pushed you onward.

When you finally reached the floor, it was a scene of devastation. The area lay in ruins, engulfed in smoke and chaos, with scattered survivors struggling to breathe amidst the wreckage. You focused your eyes and ears, straining to find Sylus amidst the agonizing cries of others. Time blurred as you searched, exhaustion creeping in and threatening to overwhelm you.

Just when you thought you might pass out, you spotted it—silver locks, now dirty and disheveled, just a few feet away. Panic surged through you as you fell to your knees and crawled with the last remnants of strength you had left. When you finally reached him, your heart stopped. You had never seen Sylus so vulnerable, so exposed.

You reached out to touch his face, your irritation intensifying at the realization that you still had to keep your gloves on, unable to feel his soft, dirt-streaked skin. With the last remnants of your strength, you shook him gently, your voice coming out hoarse as you tried to call his name.

Slowly, his eyes peeled open, and you let out the breath you had been holding. Unfortunately, you had inhaled too much smoke, resulting in a violent cough that wracked your body.

Clutching your chest, you hunched over, trying to cough out the smoke while moving away from him. Just then, you felt his fingers wrap around your wrist, tugging you down to him. You attempted to focus on his face, searching for any injuries, but your eyes were tearing up, and your vision was blurred from the smoke-filled atmosphere.

Just as you thought you might lose consciousness, his voice broke through, shaky and hoarse but still as sharp as a knife. “What are you doing in here, kitten?” His eyes were half-lidded, and he groaned as he struggled to sit up. “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me outside?”

You tried to help him rise, but his heavy body only dragged you down, sending you sprawling onto the floor. As he noticed your condition, his eyes sharpened with concern, and his features turned serious. He began removing his coat, which was now dirty and full of holes.

“Sylus—you need to get out of here,” you urged, trying to push him away as he attempted to cover you completely with his coat.

“Don’t talk right now, sweetie.” His movements were urgent, almost desperate, as he made sure no part of your upper body was exposed. Your hands were now firmly pinned to your torso beneath his coat. “And don’t fight me.”

His fingers came to your face, squeezing gently until your lips formed a pout and your attention was solely on him. “Stubborn little kitten,” he muttered, his voice a mix of frustration and affection.

Just before you slipped into unconsciousness, you felt the tendrils of his red-black mist enveloping you, pushing through your evol’s resistance and carrying you away from the chaos.

When you finally opened your eyes, it took a moment for your surroundings to come into focus. The unmistakable scent of Sylus’s mattress enveloped you, grounding you in reality. You were back at the mansion.

Your limbs felt heavy, and a dull ache throbbed in your head. Every part of your body screamed for you to stay in bed, to drift back into sleep and forget everything that had happened before you lost consciousness. But your mind was fixated on one thing: Sylus.

With a groan, you attempted to sit up, quickly glancing over your body. To your relief, you realized you were freshly cleaned and dressed in one of your nightgowns, with no significant injuries aside from a few scratches on your skin.

You took a moment to steady yourself, ensuring your vision wouldn’t fade to black before you attempted to walk across the room toward the door. Sylus’s office was just down the hallway, and as you stepped outside, you could faintly hear Luke and Kieran’s voices drifting from inside. You paused, heart pounding, and when you heard Sylus’s gruff tone, a wave of relief washed over you. He was okay.

After a brief moment, you knocked once before turning the doorknob and peeking through the small opening. Sylus’s gaze met yours immediately, and the twins turned to regard you with their rare smiles. It wasn’t often they dropped their masks, even in the mansion, but now their boyish features shone through. Their red hair was pulled back into matching messy ponytails, and a hint of blush colored their cheeks as they took in your appearance in the gown.

Sylus coughed discreetly, and the twins exchanged glances before standing up to give you two some privacy.

As they made their way to the door, Kieran paused to ruffle your hair playfully, leaning down to whisper in your ear, “You gave us a scare there, little crow.”

You regarded both twins with a small, apologetic smile before turning your full attention to the white-haired man seated behind his desk. He still wore his torn shirt, which left his muscular frame fully exposed. With a languid movement, he rolled his chair away from the desk and beckoned you with a finger.

Taking slow, deliberate steps toward him, you felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over you as his intense gaze roamed over your form. Despite the butterflies in your stomach, you approached and stood before him, his legs slightly apart, causing your knees to brush against the inside of his thighs as he looked up at you.

Your eyes fell to his toned chest, now marred with scratches and bruises—evidence the damage inflicted, perhaps a sign that he was running low on evol energy and unable to heal completely.

“Are you okay?” Your voice emerged as a barely audible whisper, still tinged with hoarseness. You clasped your hands behind your back, fidgeting awkwardly.

You weren’t quite sure what had come over you; you had never before found yourself in a situation where you needed to actively express your concern for Sylus until tonight, and you hoped he wouldn’t recall too much of what had transpired in that building.

“Worried, kitten?” he asked, a small smirk curling at the corners of his lips as his gaze swept over your body. His fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and touch you, yet he seemed equally torn, grappling with the worry that had gripped him when you had passed out in his arms.

You sniffled softly, your eyes darting anywhere but to him, your body tense and rigid as if your bones were locking into place. Instead of answering his question, you opted to redirect the conversation. “Do we know what caused the explosion?”

His expression was unreadable, and you noticed his jaw tick slightly as he processed your words. After a moment, he exhaled slowly, raising his hand to brush his knuckles gently across your arm. A shiver coursed through you at the contact, and you could see the corners of his lips curl slightly at your reaction. This time, he didn’t bother to hide himself from you.

“I did.”

“What?” Your voice came out louder than intended, earning a deep, rumbling chuckle from Sylus. He relaxed further into his chair, locking his carmine eyes onto yours with an intensity that sent your heart racing.

 “What are you talking about, Sylus? When I came in there…” It was becoming increasingly difficult to mask the emotion in your voice. “When I came in, you had fainted. What would have happened to you if I hadn’t found you in time?”

Amusement danced freely in his eyes at your small outburst. You truly were exquisite in your concern. “You underestimate me too much, sweetie.”

“You’re the one underestimating your enemies, Sylus!” You raised your voice, your hands gesturing in disbelief. “Just because you’re the leader of Onychinus doesn’t mean they can’t get to you if you’re unconscious.”

“Burnt men can’t walk, kitten.”

A small gasp escaped your lips at the speed and bluntness of his response. His smugness only fueled your anger at his reckless behavior. Leaning down, you gripped the arms of his chair, effectively caging him in. You were about to respond when you suddenly realized the position you had put yourself in. It gave him a full view of your breasts, the fabric of your nightgown flowing away from your skin and leaving little to the imagination.

Your ears and cheeks burned a deep crimson as you tried to pull away just as quickly as you'd leaned down. However, Sylus’s arm had already wrapped around your waist, anchoring you in place and pulling you impossibly closer. Your breath hitched when you noticed the way his pupils had dilated, his lips parting slightly as he fixated on your slowly hardening nipples.

“Sylus…” Your voice was barely a whisper now, heat pooling in your core under his intense gaze.

Finally, Sylus’s eyes met yours, and he began to stroke your back slowly, his tone low as if he feared shattering the delicate bubble that enveloped you both. “The explosion; It was my plan all along. Why else would I want you out and away from the building, sweetie?”

A frown crossed your face at his admission. Despite your initial shock, your body grew more compliant under his gentle strokes as he pulled you in, guiding you to straddle his thigh. His red irises darkened just a bit when your pulsing core made contact with his jeans and you felt a rush of heat flood your cheeks at the realization that he could probably feel just how wet you were.

Yet, he continued speaking, his voice smooth and steady. “Tonight had no other way of going. It was necessary and inevitable.”

“But why?” Your eyes had softened since you’d first entered his room, and you found yourself relaxing more beneath his touch as he explained the events of the night.

“Because, kitten, tonight’s transaction was off the table the moment it was proposed by the other side, a few days back when I was still away."

By now, confusion began to cloud your understanding of Sylus’s motives. “But…” Your gaze drifted to his desk, where numerous files lay scattered. “Is this why you came back earlier? Tonight’s transaction was for that protocore you needed, Sylus. I thought nothing could screw this up for you. Weren’t you after it for years?”

Sylus let out a small scoff, his lips pressing into a thin line as he studied your face intently. “You never asked me what the price of that protocore was, kitten.”

Curiosity piqued, you looked up at him again, instinctively leaning closer. Your breasts brushed against his chest, heightening the tension between you as if his answer were a secret he needed to share. “And what was the price?”

“You.”

Your eyes widened in shock, and a dark cloud crossed his features as he spoke. His grip on your waist tightened slightly, causing you to squirm on his thigh, which elicited a low grunt from him.

Your emotions were a chaotic mess, thoughts swirling together and leaving you breathless as you tried to process what he was implying. “So what you’re saying is…”

“The deal was off the table the moment they thought you were for sale.” Sylus’s leg bounced suddenly, and you couldn’t suppress the moan that escaped your lips. Your hands instinctively flew out to clutch the fabric of his open shirt for stability. “I came back because I had to send a message.”

His voice dripped with malice as he continued to move his leg, sending shockwaves of sensation through your core as it ground against his thigh.

The pleasure mixed with confusion made you feel light-headed; even if you wanted to resist, your body had already betrayed you. There was no stopping your hips from chasing the friction, no way to quell the whimpers that escaped your lips. Sylus’s fingers curled tighter around the fabric of your nightgown at the sound.

As you continued to grind against him, he spoke with a dark intensity. “They had to know, kitten; Nobody lives to say they tried to bargain with what belongs to me.”

“I—I don’t belong to you,” you breathed out, unsure whether you were trying to lie to him or to yourself.

“Is this why you’re drenching my thigh, sweetie?” As if to emphasize his point, he bounced his knee again, causing it to press against your sensitive nerves with a force that made you moan involuntarily, your head falling to rest on his shoulder.

“You poor thing,” he cooed in your ear, his hand sliding to your lower back, urging you to grind down against him.

“Tonight—you put yourself in danger, Sylus.” You struggled to form coherent thoughts as you chased your orgasm on his thigh, your mind slowly turning to mush. “That was so stupid, even for you.” You finished your sentence with a moan, and Sylus groaned, instinctively moving his hips upward, his own hard-on seeking friction.

“Were you worried about me, kitten?” He dipped his head to your neck, his lips leaving open-mouthed kisses as he awaited your response, which never came. Sensing your hesitation to voice your concern, his hand slipped between your bodies, his fingertip pressing onto your throbbing clit, making you cry out. “Answer me.”

“I—yes. Yes, I was s'worried.” Your head fell back in bliss, granting him access to suck and nibble on your throat as your hips moved faster and harder. The tight coil in your belly was only a few movements away from bursting. “I thought I’d—”

“Go on.” Sylus urged, his fingers dancing over your clit as he bounced his knee in sync with your movements, relishing the way you were making a mess on him, your whole body heating under his touch.

“I thought I’d lost you.” The words escaped your lips just as your orgasm washed over you, making your vision go black and your entire body shake with its intensity. Sylus’s arms wrapped around you, caging you against his chest as he let you ride it out, offering the small comfort you sought after your confession.

When you finally came down from your high, you were breathless, panting, and a few tears had escaped your eyes. But he was there, holding you gently and running his fingers through your hair. “I’m not that easy to get rid of, sweetie.”

You pushed your head off his chest, your eyes meeting his soft red ones. Without thinking clearly, you reached out to cradle his face. The moment your fingertips made contact with his skin, his whole body visibly flinched, and just like his heartbeat, it felt like time had stopped.

Horrified and regretful, you realized you had let your emotions get the best of you and forgotten about your evol. You stood up from his lap, pressing your hands tightly against your chest, the sound of your own heartbeat pounding in your ears.

Just a few seconds. Just a few seconds, and he’ll wake up, like he always does, right? Doubts gnawed at you; he was so weak after tonight, but his evol would heal him. It had to.

Just when you were about to scream for help, Sylus’s chest began to rise and fall again. His eyes fluttered open, and relief flooded your entire being. Your shoulders slumped, and your body shook, even though he was alright. How could you have been so careless?

“Sweetie.” His voice was soft as he stood from his chair, towering over you. “Look at me.”

You tilted your head up hesitantly, your regrets gnawing at you for what you had just done. You tried to open your mouth to apologize, but no words came out; instead, his lips found yours, silencing any sound you might have made. He threaded his fingers through your hair, pulling gently to angle your head to the side and deepen the kiss until you thought you might faint from lack of breath.

This time, you made sure to keep your hands glued to your sides, not daring to touch him again. When he finally pulled away, you were both panting. He rested his forehead against yours and moved his hand to the back pocket of his pants, retrieving something.

You tilted your head to watch him unfold two pieces of leather gloves. He carefully took your wrist, drawing it toward him before placing the glove on your hand, then moved to the other to do the same. It was a temporary solution, one that frustrated you to no end, but you wouldn’t jeopardize his life just for a touch of his soft skin.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, your thoughts crashing over you like a tsunami of negativity at the prospect of harming him. Your frustration only fueled your desperation, and you found yourself clawing at the remnants of his shirt, trying to pull him closer. “I need you, please, Sylus, ’m so sorry.”

Sylus groaned as he felt you tugging him nearer, his own hands finding refuge on your body, touching and caressing anywhere he could reach. “Are you sure, kitten? Once we start, I don’t know if I can hold back.” His voice was low and controlled, while your legs trembled with desire and need.

“Then don’t hold back. Give me everything you have. I can take it, Sylus.” You pressed kisses all over his exposed chest, making him gasp and thin his patience. In one swift motion, you found yourself lifted off the floor, your body cradled in one of his arms as he carried you toward his desk.

“You really know how to bring a man to his knees, sweetie.” He placed you gently on top of the desk, taking his position between your legs. Your lips connected again as his hands deftly worked to rid you of your clothes.

Once you were bare before him, he stepped back, his gaze roaming over your body like a starving man taking in a feast. “Breathtaking.”

He fell to his knees in front of you, throwing your legs over his shoulders with a force that sent you backward, your elbows bracing against the desk for balance. He was too impatient to tease; he dived right in, his tongue lapping at your folds with urgent fervor.

Your back arched immediately, moans and whimpers spilling from your lips as he worked his mouth on your cunt, devouring you as if you were his last meal. Your legs tightened around his head, the pleasure overwhelming, which only made him groan and feast on you harder.

His tongue plunged into your tight hole, sending shockwaves of sensation coursing through your body. You thought you could hold on a little longer, but when his large hand spread across your tummy, pressing down, you exploded in his mouth. Your vision went white as you drenched him, your thighs shaking violently around his head.

The realization of what you had done hit you when he pulled away, his chin and exposed chest glistening with droplets of your release. You shot your gloved hand to cover your mouth, your legs instinctively closing in embarrassment.

Yet, he looked even more exhilarated, his hands gripping your thighs and spreading them apart as he positioned himself between them, his lips finding yours once more. “You’re going to do this again. And this time, you’re going to do it on my cock.”

He pushed you back, a firm hand on your chest as you lay spread out on top of his desk. Your eyes focused on his hands as they deftly undid his pants, pushing them down along with his briefs. The moment you saw his girthy cock—veiny and the tip angry and red for you—your mouth went dry.

You craved to satisfy him as he had satisfied you, but when you tried to sit up, his hand pressed you back down against the desk.

“Not tonight, sweetie. Right now, I just need to be inside you.”

Even though he spoke, he made no move to get on you, waiting for your consent first. You nodded, your eyes clouded with lust.

“Use your words, kitten. I need to hear you.” He was pumping his cock with his hand, his fingers barely wrapping around it. Standing before you in all his naked glory, he resembled a Greek statue, and your chest tightened at how wickedly beautiful he looked.

“Yes. Please, Sy, need you inside me.” Your voice came out breathless, and that was all the confirmation he needed. He wrapped an arm around your thigh, pulling you to the edge of the desk and throwing one of your legs over his shoulder to spread you open exactly as he desired.

He pushed the tip in at first, making you clench around him instinctively, as if trying to suck him deeper. An unsteady breath escaped him, and his body stuttered momentarily. You were killing him in the sweetest way. “So goddamn tight.”

Your eyes rolled back in pleasure as he pushed further inside you, his grip on your thigh tightening the moment he was fully buried in you, his pelvis pressing against yours. You could feel him all the way up into your stomach, and your legs began to shake, even though he remained still.

His breathing had turned erratic, and the moment your hips squirmed forward, his other hand came down to keep you in place. “Shit, baby, don’t move. Give me a moment.”

You were a whimpering mess, sweat beading on your forehead from the anticipation. But the instant he started moving, your whole body unlocked, turning to pudding under his thrusts. He began with a slow, deliberate pace, his lips parting as small grunts escaped him, each thrust igniting the fire building within you.

The more you clenched down on his cock, the faster he moved, until the desk scraped against the marble floor. “Fuck, kitten. You’re squeezing me so tightly.” His voice was thick with lust, and the sound of skin slapping against skin only intensified the fire burning deep in your core. “Do you love my cock that much?”

Your mind had turned to mush, thoughts consumed by how he stretched you and filled you to the brim. You nodded uncontrollably, crying out every time his cock brushed against your sweet spot. “Yes! I love it so much, Sy.”

“Good girl.” Sylus’s thrusts quickened as he heard your pretty sounds, the way your walls sucked him in making his thighs tremble slightly as he felt his release drawing near. “Such a good girl, so cock-hungry for me.”

“Ah— fuck.” Stars began to form behind your eyelids, your whole body rocking on the desk. If it weren’t for Sylus’s hands gripping your thighs, you would have slid right off and ended up on the floor from his relentless force. The desk shook violently from his pounding, and you were certain the whole house could hear you.

Sylus’s hand reached for your face, his thumb brushing against your lower lip before slipping past it to press down on your tongue, making you clench around his cock instinctively. “That’s it, sweetie,” he breathed, his eyes closing and his head tilting back in pleasure as your cunt hugged him tightly. “Give it to me; I can feel how close you are.”

You were indeed on the brink, your whole body burning and trembling under Sylus’s powerful thrusts. But what sent you over the edge was a sudden knock on the door, followed by Luke’s voice calling out to see if everything was alright.

The moment you realized you had been caught, and Luke could turn the doorknob at any second to find you spread for Sylus, his cock pressing against your cervix, you exploded. Your loud moans were partly muffled by the white-haired man's finger in your mouth. The pressure you applied around his cock as you climaxed made Sylus falter, his own orgasm crashing over him with a force he hadn’t anticipated.

His hot seed coated your walls, filling you to the brim and spilling out of you, trickling down your thighs as he continued to thrust, ensuring every last drop found its way inside. You were a crying, spent mess on his desk, while he tried to catch his breath, slowly lowering your leg back down from his shoulder.

Luke was long gone from outside the door, having heard enough to realize what was happening between you and Sylus.

You could only look up at him with a small shared chuckle before he leaned down to kiss your lips, his newfound gentleness contrasting sharply with the intensity of the moment. “I believe they received a lesson about eavesdropping now,” he murmured, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

[solxamber]

hello!, I was wondering if I can request twisted wonderland with male reader with a fierce wild cat personality? Any characters are fine but preferably the dormleaders, thank you! :)

thank you for the request <3 and i interpreted it as a wild cat beastman reader, and if that's not what you meant, you can resend the request and i'll write that! and i got carried away and did all the characters but the dormleaders' parts are a little longer

Characters: All NRC + Staff(completely platonic) + Grim(completely platonic) + Rollo, Neige and Chen'ya as a little treat

Riddle Rosehearts: The Stressed but Sweet Caretaker

Riddle was trying his best to remain composed, really. But watching you—a wild, fierce, untamable beastman—dangle upside down from a tree branch while growling at a confused pair of first-years was not helping his stress levels.

“Get down this instant!” he barked, glaring up at you. “That behavior is absolutely—”

But you just smirked down at him, tail flicking lazily as you refused to budge. “Make me,” you teased, stretching out leisurely across the branch, fully aware of how much you were winding him up.

Riddle’s eye twitched. “I will write you up for insubordination! Or worse, I’ll—”

You jumped down right in front of him, landing with perfect, feline grace, and leaned in close, a wild grin on your face. “You’ll what? Punish me?” you purred.

For a brief moment, Riddle’s composure cracked, his cheeks going bright red. He stammered, flustered, and finally looked away, exhaling sharply. “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

And though you teased him relentlessly, you eventually backed off, surprising him with an affectionate headbutt that left him speechless. You had a knack for driving him to the brink of insanity—and then doing something sweet that made him almost enjoy it.

Trey Clover: The Beast Tamer

Trey’s patient, steady demeanor makes it impossible to ruffle him, no matter how feral you act. You once threw a fit in the kitchen, upset that someone had left out a bunch of vegetables instead of the meat-heavy snacks you craved.

Trey calmly handed you a whisk, nudging you toward a bowl of dough. “You know,” he said, smiling like a saint, “kneading dough is a great way to get rid of all that extra energy.”

You blinked, glaring at the flour-coated mess, but before you knew it, your hands were working the dough, tension easing. Trey just chuckled, somehow always knowing how to soothe your wild side.

Cater Diamond: Magicam’s Feral Star

Cater’s camera is practically glued to his hand whenever you’re around. “Omg, this is gold!” he chirps as he snaps shots of you mid-growl or pounce.

He even convinced you to strike some fierce, dramatic poses just for his Magicam account. “Okay, now show me that ‘wild beast who’s secretly a softie’ look,” Cater teases with a wink.

You snarl, lunging at him to swipe the camera from his hands, but he just laughs and dodges. “Wow, so wild!” You grumble but secretly enjoy the attention.

Ace Trappola: Professional Button-Pusher

Ace never misses an opportunity to tease you. He’ll poke at your cat ears or flick your tail when he thinks you’re not paying attention. “Careful, or I’ll have pictures of you chasing your own tail like a housecat,” he reminds you, grinning.

One day, after an especially exasperating comment, you lunge at him, claws out—but instead of fleeing, Ace bolts behind Deuce, who yelps in panic. “Hey, he’s your problem too!” Ace cackles, leaving you growling while Deuce looks panicked. “Ace! Quit using me as a shield!”

Deuce Spade: Honor-Bound Sparring Partner

Deuce tries to treat you with the utmost respect, but sometimes your wild side catches him off guard. The first time you wrestled him to the ground as a playful challenge, he froze. “I-Is this a duel?” he asked, wide-eyed, his honor-bound sense of duty kicking in. “Uh, no. It’s just a cat thing,” you explained, blinking down at him. But instead of calming him down, he took it way too seriously, swearing he’d learn to be strong enough to one day match your strength. Now, every time he challenges you to a spar, you just sigh and pat him on the head.

Leona Kingscholar: The Sleepy, Grumpy Mentor

Leona had never expected to find a wildcat who could match his laziness and his stubbornness. Yet, here you were, lounging next to him in the botanical gardens, basking in the sun.

“Yer blockin’ my light,” he grumbled half-heartedly, pushing you away with a lazy hand as you sprawled out over him.

You didn’t move an inch, only let out a low growl of satisfaction, “Find your own spot, ‘King.’ This one’s mine now.”

Leona snorted, amused despite himself. He didn’t care much for company, but you were an exception—mostly because you never tried to impress him or suck up. You just existed beside him, like another lazy lion in the pride.

Occasionally, though, you’d get a burst of energy—pouncing on him when he least expected it, challenging him to wrestle, which would invariably end with you two snarling and rolling around the gardens like cubs until Leona finally pinned you down.

“Quit strugglin’,” he’d mutter, half-sighing, half-grumbling as you squirmed under his hold.

“Never,” you’d retort with a cocky grin, only to go limp the moment Leona let out an exasperated sigh, settling back in as if nothing had happened.

“Yer such a pain,” he’d grumble, but secretly, he liked the challenge you brought to his otherwise lethargic life.

Ruggie Bucchi: Partner in Mischief

Ruggie absolutely loves that you’re a beastman like him. The two of you frequently team up for pranks and schemes. “Hey, we could totally swipe those sandwiches before anyone notices,” he whispers, and before you know it, you’re both in action, working as a sneaky duo.

He’s also not afraid to roughhouse, tackling you in the halls to try and wrestle something you’ve stolen back from him. “C’mon, share! You can’t hog all the loot!” he laughs, half-heartedly trying to swipe whatever you’ve nabbed.

When you snarl back playfully, he just smirks. “Alright, alright, keep it! I’ll get ya next time!

Jack Howl: Honor Among Beasts

Jack is all about training and honor, so your wild nature keeps him on his toes. He’s not one to flinch from your growls or playful attacks.

Instead, he meets your ferocity with a determined stance. “Come at me,” he grunts, and before you know it, you’re in a wrestling match, claws and teeth bared—but it’s all in good fun.

Afterward, he’ll clap you on the back, panting but grinning. “Good fight. You’re pretty strong, you know that?” You snicker, catching your breath. “You’re not bad either, pup.” He glares at the nickname but doesn't deny the compliment

Azul Ashengrotto: The Nervous Businessman

Azul had never met someone more unpredictable than you, and that was saying a lot. You had a tendency to pounce on him from the shadows whenever you felt like it, scaring him half to death and knocking his neat little world into chaos.

“Why must you insist on scaring me like that?” Azul shrieked one day as you leaped from behind a curtain, sending his papers flying everywhere.

You grinned, fangs gleaming as you crouched low. “Keeps you on your toes,” you teased, tail swishing playfully behind you.

Azul tried to collect himself, adjusting his glasses with a huff. “I’m running a business, not a… a circus!”

But despite his protests, he often found himself secretly enjoying your antics. They kept him sharp and on edge—qualities he valued, even if they did come with a side of perpetual anxiety. And, more than once, you surprised him by showing up with some rare, exotic item you’d “hunted” in the wild, much to Azul’s gleeful interest.

Though he never openly admitted it, he had a soft spot for your fierce and untamed spirit, even if it did give him heart palpitations on a daily basis.

Jade Leech: Amused Observer

Jade watches your antics with an almost academic fascination. When you’re in the middle of a fierce bout of wrestling with Floyd or Jack, he’ll stand by with a serene smile, making comments like, “Ah, such fascinating instincts you have.”

You never know if he’s complimenting you or analyzing you like a strange specimen. “You’re surprisingly dexterous for someone so… untamed,” Jade remarks after you dart past him in a chase with Floyd.

You roll your eyes, but when you snarl playfully in his direction, Jade’s eyes glint with amusement. “Very intimidating,” he chuckles.

Floyd Leech: Playtime, Anytime, Everytime

Floyd finds your feral energy endlessly amusing. The first time you growled at him, he practically sparkled with delight. “Ooh, a wild kitty! Let’s fight!” Without waiting for a response, he lunged at you, and what followed was an intense but weirdly fun brawl.

Floyd’s unpredictability keeps you on edge, but you’re the only one who seems to match his wildness blow for blow.

He loves sneaking up on you too, draping himself over your shoulders like a scarf and whispering, “Hey, kitty~ Wanna play?” You swat him off, grumbling, but Floyd just laughs and bounds away, promising to find you later.

Kalim Al-Asim: The Overexcited Hype Man

Kalim absolutely adored you.

“Woah!” Kalim exclaimed, jumping around with pure excitement as you leaped effortlessly onto the highest point of Scarabia’s rooftops. “That was amazing! Do it again!”

You, perched like a wild animal on the ledge, gave him a toothy grin. “You’re too easy to impress, Kalim,” you teased, flicking your tail and jumping back down beside him.

“But it’s so cool!” Kalim gushed, eyes sparkling with admiration. “You’re like a real-life king of the jungle or something!”

You ruffled his hair, your normally fierce demeanor softening in the face of his endless enthusiasm. “Well, someone’s got to keep you out of trouble, right?”

Kalim laughed brightly, wrapping you up in an affectionate hug that almost knocked you off balance. You huffed, rolling your eyes, but couldn’t help but smile at his boundless energy. Sure, he wasn’t the most intimidating guy, but he had a way of making you feel like a hero in his eyes, and that was more than enough for you.

Jamil Viper: The Exasperated Handler

Jamil didn’t ask for this. He didn’t ask for a fierce, wildcat beastman to constantly wreck his plans with reckless abandon, but here you were. Whether it was stealing food from the kitchens or causing chaos during training sessions, you were always finding ways to make his life harder.

“I swear,” Jamil muttered under his breath, wiping his brow after yet another one of your wild stunts, “you’re going to give me gray hairs before I turn twenty-five.”

You grinned, lounging lazily on a nearby couch, completely unbothered. “You should loosen up, Jamil. You’d have more fun.”

Jamil shot you a withering glare. “I don’t have time for ‘fun.’ Someone has to keep things running smoothly around here, and it certainly isn’t you.”

But despite his constant complaints, Jamil often found himself unconsciously looking after you—making sure you were eating properly (even if you preferred hunting your own food) and quietly smoothing over the chaos you left in your wake. He’d never admit it, but you’d grown on him—like a particularly troublesome stray cat that he couldn’t help but care for.

Vil: The Patient Tamer

Vil had dealt with divas, but you were a whole different beast—literally. Yet, somehow, the idea of taming your wild nature was a challenge he couldn’t resist.

“You could look so much better if you just let me help you,” Vil sighed as he brushed back a lock of your messy hair.

You growled in response, swatting his hand away. “I’m not some house cat for you to groom.”

“And that attitude,” Vil replied with a perfectly arched brow, “is why you continue to look like you just crawled out of a jungle.”

You gave him a sharp-toothed grin. “That’s because I did.”

Vil sighed dramatically but never gave up. Over time, you begrudgingly let him “polish” you up, as he liked to call it, and much to your surprise (though you’d never admit it), you didn’t hate the way he made you look. And for all his refinement, Vil had a deep respect for your strength and fierce independence, often praising you for qualities that no one else seemed to notice.

“You have a certain wild charm,” Vil once told you with a smirk. “Just… let me polish it to perfection.

Rook Hunt: Enthralled by the Beast

Rook absolutely adores your wild side. “Ah, magnifique!” he’ll exclaim whenever you bare your fangs or show off your feral grace. “Such raw, untamed beauty in your movements! You are truly a predator among men!”

It’s flattering at first, but eventually, you find yourself trying to escape his relentless admiration.

He’s always trying to sneak up on you, challenge your senses. “Ah, mon ami féroce, can you sense me even when I am but a shadow?” You snarl in annoyance, knowing he’s nearby but unsure where. He cackles, “Très bien! Your instincts are sharp, as always!” You’ve accepted that Rook will forever be your most persistent fan.

Epel Felmier: Wrestling Buddy

Epel thinks your wild nature is the coolest thing ever. He’s always asking you to spar, wanting to prove his strength. “C’mon, I ain’t afraid of a few claws!” he boasts, puffing out his chest. You can’t help but laugh at his bravado, but you indulge him.

After a few rounds of wrestling, you let him win, watching as he struts around proudly. “See? I can handle it!” he declares, even though he’s panting and disheveled.

You chuckle and tousle his hair. “Sure thing, champ.” Despite the light teasing, Epel genuinely enjoys having someone around who doesn’t treat him like he’s fragile.

Idia: The Startled Cat Owner

Idia didn’t do well with social interactions, let alone a wildcat beastman who liked to sneak up on him while he was gaming.

“Gah!” Idia yelped, almost knocking his controller out of his hands when you suddenly appeared behind him, your tail swishing lazily. “D-Dude, warn me next time!”

You chuckled, plopping down beside him. “You’re way too easy to sneak up on.”

Idia grumbled something about “max stealth stats” but let you stay, mostly because he was too nervous to tell you to leave. Though, as time went on, he started to get used to your sudden appearances, even finding comfort in the fact that you always seemed to gravitate toward him—like some kind of guard cat.

It wasn’t long before you both ended up gaming together, with Idia quietly giving you tips while you teased him about being the “weakest cat in the den.”

And though Idia would never admit it, he appreciated your presence more than anyone knew. Having a fierce beastman around made him feel a little safer, even if you did constantly startle him half to death.

Ortho: The Curious Brother

Ortho is instantly fascinated by you. “You’re so cool!” he exclaims, scanning you with his eyes glowing as he processes data. He’s always asking questions about your wild beastman nature, wondering about your enhanced senses, strength, and agility.

“Is your tail prehensile? Can you communicate with other animals?” His curiosity never ends, and you find it endearing.

Sometimes, Ortho will run simulations with you, testing your speed or sparring with you in a safe environment, always careful to make sure you don’t get hurt.

He even programs a few custom video game challenges for you to try, and despite his more robotic nature, you swear you see him puffing up with pride when you praise his efforts. "I knew you'd like that feature! Maybe one day, I can create a robotic panther, and we can team up!"

His enthusiasm and innocence make your interactions lighthearted and full of adventure—like having a little brother who looks up to you in every way.

Malleus: The Intrigued Fae Prince

Malleus had never met someone so wild yet so intriguing. Your untamed nature reminded him of the old stories of beastmen who roamed the forests long ago, and he couldn’t help but be fascinated by your strength and unpredictability.

One day, during one of your many impromptu sparring sessions, Malleus observed you with a rare smile. “You are quite remarkable,” he said as you pounced toward him, claws out.

You grinned mid-leap. “And you’re not too bad yourself, dragon boy.”

“You’re quite the lively one,” Malleus remarked, barely winded as he effortlessly dodged your attacks, his long coat swishing elegantly behind him. “I must admit, I find your untamed spirit... refreshing.”

You growled in frustration but couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at your lips. “If you keep talking like that, dragon boy, I might think you’re flirting.”

Malleus’s lips twitched upward. “And if I were?”

Lilia Vanrouge: Playful Mentor

Lilia finds your wild antics endlessly entertaining. He’ll often join in, playfully flipping around and encouraging you to let loose even more. “Yes! That’s the spirit!” he cackles after you leap onto a high ledge during one of your spontaneous chases.

He even offers you advice on how to hone your instincts, and you’re surprised at how sharp and perceptive he is. “Ah, you remind me of some old friends from centuries ago,” he says with a fond smile.

“Such ferocity is admirable.” You growl, but it’s half-hearted—Lilia’s playful energy is contagious. Plus, he’s surprisingly good at dodging your attacks, making him an entertaining sparring partner.

Silver: Sleepy Companion

Silver finds your energy a bit exhausting, to be honest. But he doesn’t mind it too much. In fact, he often naps while you’re causing havoc, and you’ll find him fast asleep in the middle of a brawl or sparring match.

“How do you sleep through all this noise?” you ask one day, poking him awake. Silver yawns and stretches lazily. “I’ve gotten used to it,” he says with a sleepy smile. “Besides, you’re not as scary as you think.”

You grumble, but there’s something endearing about how relaxed he is around you. Sometimes you’ll sit next to him while he naps, and you catch yourself softening, just a little.

Sebek Zigvolt: Constantly Offended

Sebek is furious about your untamed behavior. “How dare you act so… so savage in the presence of Malleus-sama!” he roars whenever you’re being particularly wild.

He’s always lecturing you about manners and proper decorum, but you find it amusing how easily ruffled he gets. One day, you purposely growl while gnawing on some meat in front of him, just to see his reaction. “Disgraceful!” he yells, practically sputtering. “You are in the presence of greatness, and you—!”

You cut him off with a smirk. “Relax, Sebek. It’s just a joke.” Sebek fumes but can’t seem to argue with your nonchalance. Malleus finds it funny, and that only makes Sebek more frustrated.

Rollo Flamme: The Begrudging Observer

Rollo isn’t quite sure what to make of you. He’s used to quiet order and isn’t a fan of anything remotely chaotic or, in your case, wild. You can see his disdain every time you let your beastman instincts slip—climbing trees, lounging on rooftops, or hunting for sport on school grounds.

“That behavior is unbecoming of a student,” he huffs, glaring at you from across the room. You just give him a toothy grin, flashing your sharp canines, which makes him bristle. Still, he’s too much of a stickler for rules to do anything drastic.

He does, however, go out of his way to avoid you during events, always muttering something about ‘chaos incarnate.’

One day, you catch him staring at you from afar, and when you wave with a lazy smirk, he turns sharply on his heel. “I have no time for such nonsense,” he grumbles under his breath, but there’s a hint of curiosity in his eyes that he refuses to acknowledge.

Neige LeBlanche: The Overly Cheerful One

Neige is utterly fascinated by you, in the most innocent, endearing way possible. “Wow, you’re so strong! And those ears!” he exclaims every time he sees you, eyes sparkling with genuine awe.

He’s constantly asking you questions about your beastman traits, from your heightened senses to your climbing skills. “That’s so cool! Can you teach me?”

You can’t help but smile at his enthusiasm, though sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming when he tries to copy your movements (and fails spectacularly).

You find yourself softening around him, his pure-hearted nature making you feel oddly protective. He’s always showering you with compliments, and despite your rough exterior, you can’t help but be a little charmed by his sweetness.

He even tries to make matching flower crowns for you, though you’re not quite sure how to break it to him that they don’t really go with your vibe.

Chen’ya: The Mischievous Kindred Spirit

Chen’ya is someone who truly gets you. “Another cat in the mix, huh?” he teases as he appears upside down in a tree, his signature grin wide. “You’re not so bad. Almost as sneaky as me.”

The two of you share a certain playful, mischievous energy that makes for some chaotic fun around campus. You’re constantly trying to out-prank each other, leading to a sort of rivalry-friendship that keeps things exciting.

“Think you can catch me?” Chen’ya challenges before vanishing into thin air, and you’re always up for the chase, grinning like a feral cat.

He enjoys pushing your buttons, but you give as good as you get, earning his respect. “You’re pretty wild, huh? I like it,” he laughs, the two of you often ending up in trouble together—but always with a good story to tell.

Grim: The Feline Frenemy

Grim, naturally, sees you as competition from day one. “Hmph, I’m the only cat anyone needs around here!” he declares, puffing out his chest. Every time you cross paths, Grim tries to one-up you, whether it’s showing off how many cans of tuna he can down or demonstrating his “powerful” magic.

“Bet you can’t shoot fire like this!” he boasts as he sets a small flame dancing on the tip of his tail. You just shake your head, amused at his antics. Sometimes, though, you play along, sparring with him in mock battles or sneaking bits of food his way during mealtimes.

As much as he tries to assert his dominance, it’s clear he sees you as a partner-in-crime of sorts. “Alright, you’re not so bad for a giant furball,” he begrudgingly admits after you help him out of a particularly tricky situation involving some overzealous ghosts.

You’ve grown to enjoy the little gremlin’s antics, even if he refuses to admit how much he likes your company.

Crowley: The Ineffectual Handler

Headmaster Crowley is at a loss for how to handle your wild side. “Please, dear student, try not to destroy any more property!” he begs after you accidentally claw through some furniture during a particularly energetic moment.

You barely pay him any mind as he waves his arms dramatically. “Oh, but think of the expenses! The repairs!” he wails. “Why must you make my job so difficult?” You flash him an innocent smile, “Oops, sorry Headmaster.”

He flinches but quickly shifts into his over-the-top persona. “Ah, but I am a forgiving man! Just be more careful next time, won’t you?” He backs away quickly as you flex your claws playfully, clearly unsure how to handle your unpredictable nature.

Divus Crewel: Training the Beast

Crewel doesn’t tolerate any of your wild antics during his class. “Sit down and behave, pup,” he orders with a snap of his riding crop, his tone sharp as he glares at you over his glasses. “You may be a beast, but you will learn discipline under my watch.”

Surprisingly, you find yourself respecting his no-nonsense attitude. His strict demeanor keeps you in check—at least during his lessons—and though you grumble about it, there’s a small part of you that likes the challenge.

Crewel gives you pointed looks whenever you slip up, and when you’re particularly rambunctious, he doesn’t hesitate to pull you aside for a stern lecture.

“Remember, you’re not a wild animal,” he says, patting his ever-faithful Dalmatian beside him. “Though sometimes I wonder.”

Mozus Trein: The Disapproving Scholar

Professor Trein does not approve of your behavior, not one bit. “Such undisciplined conduct!” he mutters under his breath every time you act out in class.

His cat, Lucius, is constantly glaring at you from his perch, seemingly sharing his master’s distaste for your rowdy nature. “Beastmen are always so… difficult to manage,” Trein sighs as you grin mischievously at Lucius, who hisses back.

You’re not one to back down from a challenge, so whenever Trein isn’t looking, you and Lucius engage in little standoffs, making Trein exasperated.

“One of these days, you’ll learn the importance of decorum,” Trein scolds, though you can’t help but notice that Lucius seems to be warming up to your playfulness—just a little

Vargas: Ultimate Hype Man

Vargas loves your wild energy. “That’s what I’m talking about!” he cheers whenever you leap over obstacles or use your beastman abilities to ace his physical challenges.

“Now that’s a true athlete!” He encourages your every move, making you feel like a superstar during his training sessions. “Come on, show everyone what real power looks like!”

Vargas is always hyping you up, and you admit it feels good to have someone who appreciates your raw strength. He constantly pushes you to go harder and faster, treating you like his prized student.

“Beastman power, yeah!” You just smirk, playing along with his enthusiasm, knowing that you're pretty much is favourite.

Sam: The Mysterious Merchant's Favorite Customer

Sam finds you absolutely fascinating. Every time you step into his shop, he grins widely, the shadows in his shop almost seeming to stir with excitement.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favorite wild child,” he chuckles, waving you over to his counter. “Got something special just for you.” You’re intrigued, of course.

Sam always seems to have exactly what you need, whether it’s something to tame that unruly beastman fur of yours or an ancient charm for your next competition.

“I always get the most interesting customers,” he says with a wink. You suspect there’s more to him than meets the eye, but hey, as long as he’s got what you need, you won’t complain.

Plus, his shop has a certain mysterious charm that keeps you coming back.

Masterlist

[runningfrom2am]

leveling the playing field IX

summary: with nowhere else to go after getting caught cheating to help lucy gray, you both make some desperately stupid decisions.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 2.6k

tags/warnings: capitol brat!reader, maybe slightly ooc coryo, idk i tried my best. do they love each other or hate each other? who knows (we do, kind of). implications and mentions of abuse, so read with caution!! also a little bit of swearing but that's neither here nor there

masterlists // nav // requests

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a/n: here we are!! 'season' two!! thanks so much for reading it and I'm SO so glad lots of people seem to love it :) if you do, please reblog it or leave your thoughts in the replies or in my inbox! i love hearing from you and talking about it so don't be a stranger !

without further adieu,, enter buzzcut coryo <3

next part

Coriolanus's stomach twisted as he could hear your screams from the hall, even though by then he was all the way on the other side of the school. He thought that was unsettling, only for them to abruptly stop just before he left. The silence that followed was so much worse. He didn't get any sleep, sitting on the roof in Grandma'ams rose garden with Tigris all night, wondering if you were dead.

He was just sick about it, even as he left the following morning, so early that the sun was yet to rise. It was a long, painful ride, and he spent the entire thing certain that you were dead. It was his fault, he had only wanted you to come with him, so he wouldn't be alone, but now he truly is alone and he won't even have you to write to back home. Regardless, he would try.

Rather than sit with the idea that it might even be pointless for him to live another day, especially with this unflattering haircut and a uniform that challenged the discomfort of the academy one, he decided to write to you on a paper he had found bunched between the train seats to ease his mind.

Y/N/N,

I hope you're reading this. I hope this gets back to you at home and finds you safe and sound, and you're sitting over your desk with a textbook open getting ready for university in the fall. That's not what's happening though, is it? You're probably dead. I probably killed you. If you are reading this in your room, or your library, or over my shoulder as I write this because you are only alive in what's left of your spirit, I hope you know that I am sorry. I did it because I wanted you with me, because in the moment I was so sure you'd be better off with me in the districts than you would be at home with your father. I think I was wrong. But I still miss you. You meant more to me than I ever told you. I guess, more than I ever told myself either until these last few weeks.

I think I heard them kill you after I left you with the Dean. If they did, boy, did you go out fighting. I always knew you would. I can't stop writing in case I never get to speak to you again. But again, maybe you're not dead, right?

Please tell me you're not dead.

Yours,

Always yours, your Coryo

He smoothes out the wrinkled sheet as he writes, hand shaking through most of it. He doesn't know if he should even bother sending it, or if he should just fold it up and throw it out the window in hopes that the message will find its way to your ghost. No, he has to send it. Otherwise he'll definitely never know, at least not for twenty years, and he couldn't bear that.

The wind hits the trees into the windows of the train as it rolls along the tracks, demanding that the branches be heard against the glass. It reminds him of you. Then again, what doesn't these days? Maybe it was just you letting him know you had read his letter, and that you forgive him. That would give him a semblance of peace for the rest of the ride.

When you woke up, it was impossible to tell what time it was. You only knew that it was dark, and your bedroom door was locked from the outside when you got up and carefully tried to open it only to be blocked by the mechanism.

"I have half the mind to agree with you on the Avox thing." You hear your dad sigh, his voice echoing from his study just down the hall. Your eyes widen and you try the knob again. Yep, still locked. "But we could always send her to Nine or Ten as a nurse. She's not staying here, that's certain."

"I don't want to push your decision, here, but she was saying she would tell everyone. She knows more than we thought, more details." Highbottom was here too, great.

"No, that's impossible. What did she say?"

"She knows we're selling, likely that you're storing it all here somewhere, and she knows it's enough to be treason. I don't know what else she knows, but it's risky business ever letting her out of that room again. The procedure might be our best option, here." You've heard enough, quickly making for your window instead. It's locked as well, but draping your old uniform over the lever gives you enough freedom to crush it with a particularly heavy, hardcover textbook without making much noise.

You change quickly, grabbing a few essentials that you could fit into your book bag, then climb out the window and slide down the back porch column before making as quiet of an escape as possible. Adrenaline carried you a few blocks away, but now, you were unsure what to do. You couldn't return, and you couldn't be seen, and you had a tragic shortage of friends at the moment. You find your feet carrying you toward the building you know Coriolanus lives in.

You're not particularly excited to see him, but with no other options, you're sure you can find it in yourself to be forgiving just this once. You could go to Sejanus's family home, but it's not far enough away, and you're not sure what his father would say. He'd probably call your dad in a second and it would all be for naught- you couldn't risk it. So, Coryo's it was.

You enter the building, walking straight for the elevator. He was in the penthouse, so you just have to hit the very top button and figure it out from there. You've never been to his home before, but he's talked about it plenty. Enough that you could find your way there, at least.

You groan when you quickly realize the elevator doesn't work, looking over at the stairs. It's a tall building, so you've got a long way to go. You wonder how he does this every day as you climb up set after set of stairs, taking note of how the walls are basically crumbling around you.

You knew he didn't have money, that he couldn't eat, but you didn't think he lived like this. No wonder he was so thin, and no wonder he still had any muscle left on his body. It was these damn stairs. That couldn't be it though, that wouldn't explain how his shoulders just seemed to go on for miles- maybe he had some kind of workout routine you never knew about.

You're drawn from your thoughts when you reach the top of the last staircase, hesitating to open the industrial looking door in front of you. Just beyond that was the front door to the Snow penthouse, and now that you're here, you're not sure what to do. Do you knock? You don't even know what time it is.

You sit by the door, deciding to think it over for a bit. It doesn't take you long to fall asleep leaning up against the wall where it meets the dusty floor.

Waking up, you're met with a gasp. "Y/N?" You blink open your eyes, seeing Tigris crouched in front of you, forehead creased with worry. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"Tigris, hello." You mumble, gathering yourself to stand up as she helps you. "I, uh, I didn't know where to go, so..."

"Okay, okay. Come in for a second." She nods, holding your shoulder as she guides you back into the apartment. You squint at the sunrise through the large bay windows, she must have been on her way to work. "Can I get you anything? Some tea? You must be freezing..." She says, immediately shuffling into the kitchen.

"No, no. It's fine. Thank you, though." You insist, trying not to stare at the state the apartment has fallen into.

"Okay, well, please, take a seat. Tell me what's going on."

You nod slightly and move to sit down at their dining table where she joins you, reaching out for your hand which you gratefully take. "Did Coriolanus leave already?" You ask and she nods, giving you a sad smile.

"I must admit, I'm relieved to see you." She says, taking you by surprise. "Coryo thought you were dead. He was just so torn up about it, he said it was his fault but he wouldn't tell me why. I was expecting to see your passing in the papers this morning."

"Well, my days are numbered." You sigh, looking out the window again. The view was stunning. Maybe you would prefer a penthouse to your own large, empty feeling home. "My father and Dean Highbottom were discussing turning me into an Avox as a pity punishment, and I don't doubt that my father would rather bury me than have that on his name. I didn't stick around to hear their decision."

Tigris listens intently, squeezing your cold hands between her own. "And now, I don't know what to do. I had nowhere to go, I'm so sorry to intrude-"

"No, my goodness, please. You are always welcome here." She assured you. "But... what will you do?"

"I have to leave." You nod to yourself. "I have to leave and I can't come back, can I?"

"One day I'm sure it will be safe for you to return." She says, notably trying to put a positive spin on it. "I'll tell you what-" She stands quickly, going over to a hall closet and pulling out a large fur coat. "Take this, it can hide you and keep you warm. Take the next train to Twelve, that's where Coryo went." She places the coat in your lap. "He'll be ecstatic to have you and see that you're well."

You nod, standing up and pulling it on in a hurry. It was a beautiful coat, you could tell it was real fur. This must have belonged to one of their mothers. "Thank you, Tigris."

"There's another train headed there in about twenty minutes, if you rush you can make it. I had to check the schedule last night for him. Don't buy a ticket, just climb in a transport car from the opposite side, not the platform." She instructs you hurriedly,

You dig in your bag as you both head for the door, pulling out a handful of money and rifling through it to give some to her. You'll need some, but she will too.

"Here, Tigris. Take this." You say as she holds the door for you, and she instantly is shaking her head.

"No, no. I couldn't." She smiles awkwardly, waving a hand at you. "You'll need it more than I do, Coryo will be sending us cheques."

You smile at her understandingly, holding it out to her again. "If not for your help, then for this lovely jacket. Please take it. I insist."

Tigris sighs, taking it from your hand before pulling you into a hug which you gladly return. "Tell him we love him, okay?"

"He knows," You say, chin resting on her shoulder. "But I will."

It was dark again when your train reached its final stop, and you were curled up under the coat trying to sleep. You scramble to get up, having to bolt from the train before anyone came to unload the car.

Unfortunately, you didn't get the privilege of having a place to stay when you arrived, so once you're out of sight of the train, the best you can do is wander.

You don't have to wander long before you hear music. You didn't realize people were happy here, so the sounds of laughter and shouting and dancing coming from inside what looked to be an abandoned building made you tilt your head at the idea. Maybe you would just sit outside, around the side of the building where you won't be seen and you can listen.

You don't even get the chance to sit before you hear the singing start. It's Lucy Gray. You mentally scold yourself for not thinking of her sooner as you stand again quickly, finding yourself quite lightheaded. You must be hungry. Maybe there will be some food inside, or maybe you can find talk to Lucy Gray and maybe she'll let you stay with her. Just until you get yourself situated here.

Clutching your new coat tightly around yourself you walk in after attempting to dust off and salvage your clothes. Your favourite skirt and shoes took quite a beating throughout the day, and you're disappointed, to say the least. Hopefully Lucy Gray has a washing machine, but you doubt it. Did these people even know what a washing machine is? By the look of everyone in the room, the answer was a definite no.

Sure enough, Lucy Gray was on stage, singing her heart out. You had never seen her smile so wide, of course, and the kids surrounding her onstage were just as talented as she was at all their instruments. You've never seen live music like this before, only classical or opera where everyone sat quietly and listened until the end. This environment was entirely new to you.

Not wanting to interrupt, you wait until Lucy Gray steps offstage and her spot is replaced with a little blonde girl who couldn't have been older than ten.

"Give it up for the amazing Lucy Gray Baird!" The girl shouts into the mic, gesturing to your friend before more music started to play. "She'll be back, she's just taking a little break, but until then, you lot are stuck listenin' to me."

This is your chance. You push through the crowd and step into the hall you saw Lucy Gray go down. "Lucy Gray?" You call out hopefully, watching your step as to not roll a heel. In hindsight, these shoes were not ideal for the journey you took, but your options were limited by a time crunch.

"Lucy Gray?" You ask again, turning a corner and peeling into a large open room. It's a few moments before your eyes land on her, and she turns to face you having heard you walk in.

"Oh my days, I thought I recognized that voice!" She smiles, opening her arms and running up to you. "Y/N, my word, what are you doin' here?" Her excitement fades quickly into concern as she drops her arms from around you.

"Long story..." You chuckle nervously, pulling at your coat again as she nods for you to continue. "We got caught, for the compact. And the snakes, somehow. Coriolanus put our handkerchiefs that you used in the tank so they wouldn't attack you, I guess. I didn't know. Then they pulled us out of class the next day, he told them it was me, so then I put up a fight and they sedated me. When I woke up I was at home and they were talking about having my tongue cut out and turning me into one of those servants but I'm sure my dad would rather have me dead. So," You sigh, trying to summarize it as quickly as possible. "I ran."

Lucy Gray shook her head, mouth agape in shock at all the information she just took in. "Okay, wait... So they were going to kill you?"

You nod.

"But that teacher of yours seemed so nice."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah, he gave me some money and escorted me into the train himself."

You scoff, shaking your head. "He's never liked either of us, but that's only because I have dirt on him. I don't know what Coryo did."

"Well," Lucy Gray sighs, rubbing your shoulders gently. "I'm glad you're here. That you're safe."

"You too." You smile. "Can I just say, too, we were so proud of you. We were so lucky to be your mentors."

"I count myself the lucky one." She grins. "Let's move on, shall we? On the up and up."

"Yes, sounds lovely." You grin at her.

"Can I get you some water? Liquor? What do you need?" She asks, turning at that and going over to a bench in the middle that had a few water bottles.

"I would love some water." You breathe out, joining her and sitting down as she hands one to you.

"Lucy Gray, could I ask you for a really big favour?" You say after taking your first sip.

"Please." She nods.

"Can I stay with you?"

taglist: @kitscutie, @annaelise, @serrendiipty, @fratboyharrysgf0201, @totallynotkaibiased, @stelleduarte, @klplynn, @secretsicanthideanymore, @bejeweledreverie, @gloryekaterina, @andrewgarfieldsbitch, @queenofspades6, @pixiepopz, @pepperonipastas, @ladybug0095, @lunamothwrites, @nhlfs, @sbrewer21, @mus-tbe-a-weasley, @splxtscreen, @unclecrunkle, @karmaswitch, @sunghoonsbakery, @coconut-dreamz, @nekee-lilac02, @ooooglymoooogly, @riddlerloveb0t, @lovedbalances, @notyourwildestdream, @snowlandson-top, @too-lit-for-fanfic, @utopiakys, @deafeningballoonnacho, @roosterschanelslut, @impeterporker, @chmpgneprblem, @cosmoetik, @http-ilysm, @lauravanderbooben20, @dry0campa, @luclue, @lokidala, @urvampgfsworld, @carolanns-world, @nan-nie, @shakespearseclipse, @iovemoonyy, @notyoursweetheart-honey, @girlalwaysathome, @gingerpixiecosplay, @xyzstar, @eatpizzasass, @slytherinholland, @chess1ca, @queenofshinigamis, @elodiebeau, @soulessjourney, 

if your user has a strikethrough that means i was unable to tag you! double-check that your user is correct! I also did some googling and it says it's possible you aren't being tagged because you could be a new blog or they've flagged you as a possible bot, so try reblogging something or leaving some comments. you can do that here if you'd like ;)

fill out my form linked here to join my taglist!

[pugh-bug]

Voiceless

Paul Atreides x servant reader

SFW, quite angsty with some fluff

Word count: 2,105

First Dune fic, I hope you enjoy! I know people follow me for Challengers content mostly but this was so nice to write for a change. I hope everyone has a great New Years <3

——————————————————————

You had been Paul’s servant for two years. He’d hand picked you out of a line up of seventeen and kept a close eye on you from the moment you began washing his suits. It was no secret to Jessica, his Mother, that her son harboured certain feelings for you but if kept at bay she knew you posed no threat. Despite that unshakable belief, you’d catch her commanding stare several times a day. The one that said you are nothing, never forget it.

It took several months of unprofessional, longing looks and delicate hand touches before Paul finally kissed you and since then your life had been consumed by a need for him. Sometimes it frightened you. The hours in between seeing him stretched on endlessly, you’d find yourself staring at walls waiting. You did a lot of it and it only got worse the closer Paul became to inheriting his Father’s title. His duties were greater, his training was longer and the weight of responsibility was heavier. You had to make the most of every minute spent together and those were becoming few and far between.

“Gurney should be more careful.” Paul flinched as you caressed his bruised rib, your fingers barely grazing the blackened flesh. “You should dodge, you’re just giving me more work.” You gestured to the rip in his tunic, already dreading the needle work. His shirts were getting so frayed there was barely enough sturdy fabric to stitch together. It used to hurt you to see Paul so beaten but two years of licking his wounds and kissing his scars had left you numb to the sight.

“Can you do something for me?”

Paul didn’t miss the tightness in your voice and the insecurity brewing in the room as he awaited your request.

“I can’t take another evening of being your servant and nothing more in front of your family. Please… please ask for Milena.”

Milena was the ‘middle man servant’, her job was to be on call incase any Atreides needed a temporary replacement. Paul never asked for her, he always found her incessant desire to please irritating.

“Paul?”

He hadn’t spoken for a few moments.

“Milena’s serving Feyd. His servant is still missing.” Missing but presumed dead was the rumour. You hoped for her sake that she was. Whether she was or wasn’t didn’t help your dilemma however. Paul squeezed your hand, his eyes scanning your reaction despite knowing your thoughts. He knew you inside and out, it was unnerving how much power he had over you. What you loved was how little satisfaction that truth brought him. He did his best to ignore it - to level the playing field. Impossible of course but try he did for you.

“I could-“

You raised your hand in polite protest, feeling a sigh come on.

“No. I’ll endure it.”

Paul brushed a piece of hair off your forehead before gifting you a tender kiss. You’d see him in the morning.

——————————————————————

“Quickly.”

To keep up appearances you’d had to sleep in the servants quarters and were paying the price for the hard beds as you poured drinks. Course after course you brought out, feeling Paul’s eyes on you at every turn but Feyd’s as well. Unwelcome as his attention was, it did provide Paul a reason to show his possessive side. That was welcome.

“Have you been practising Paul?” The harsh tones of Jessica silenced the jolly table. Duncan, suddenly mesmerised by the door, ceased his chatting and braced himself for the voice. Jessica used the voice on you at least once a week, when Paul was away, to punish you for the sin of being you. It never became a force you grew accustomed to, in fact on occasion it felt stronger. The first promise Paul ever made was that he would never use the voice on you. A promise he’d never break for anyone.

“Yes.”

Liar.

Jessica stared Paul down across the silenced table of hungry guests. Everyone’s eyes were fixated on the pair and what they were going to do next. Who would they choose as the recipient? Standing behind Paul, as was traditional for servants, you avoided his Mother’s smug gaze. As the white hand of Feyd Rautha snaked tightly around his glass, Paul stared at Milena.

“SIT DOWN.”

Immediately Milena found herself sitting on the cold, unforgiving stone of the hall - her face in shock. You didn’t miss the elation in Feyd’s face. Fixated on Paul’s movements, he stood up from his chair and demanded to ‘see it again’. Paul refused.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly. You did your duties as expected, paying Paul no mind and taking plates away as swiftly as you brought them. Milena wiped the sweat from her brow on the back of her hand before serving Feyd his final platter, earning her a disgusted look from Jessica. Nothing was out of the ordinary until later.

“What’s your name?”

Everyone had left: the staff, the guests, the hosts and Paul. He couldn’t wait for you as it would arouse suspicion. You and the man before you were alone.

“Do you like being Atreides cattle?” The man circling you, asking probing questions, was Feyd. His eyes ran shamelessly over your face and body, you had to suppress the shiver of disgust surging through you.

“I’m sorry?”

Feyd loomed over you, his wolf like intimidation efforts reminding you of an old rhyme. One your Mother had once read you.

“For she could not move whilst she did know of the rumbling, thundering beast below.”

The beast before you spoke in a husky voice you found repulsive but words spoken with black tongues often lose their charm. “You’re wasted as a servant,” Oh. Paul would be beside himself. “I could look after you,” spoken by a man who fed off the suffering of others. “If you were my mistress you’d belong to me.” He ceased his predatory circling so his feet almost touched your own and his eyes could soak up your horror. “Belong only to me.”

“The beast knew only of her pain

And the suffering he brought her again and again.”

You steadied your breath refusing to look at the floor, tempting as it was. Feyd’s eyes chilled you. “You have two days,” he whispered before grinning unpleasantly. “There’s a lot of women who’d die to be in your position.”

——————————————————————

“And then what?”

Paul faced the bed, not you. His voice was unreadable.

“I left! I felt like an ant, what am I supposed to tell him? A servant turned mistress is seen as a great opportunity by so many here that I-“ you felt your blood pressure rise with every word. “I fear I can’t say no to him - if - if I do I need a reason. A proper reason. I can’t say no for the sake of it, I’d need to be diseased or married.”

You pictured Jessica’s smug face watching you drag your used body from Feyd’s room to the kitchens, knowing you were apart from her son. Knowing she’d won.

“Surely it’ll pass, he has the attention span of a gnat. He has a reputation-“

“I’m well aware of his reputation Paul, why do you think I’m panicked?”

Paul looked at you with a mixture of pity and fear. Though he tried to minimise Feyd as a villain in his mind he couldn’t ignore the very real risk he posed. He was becoming worse, the walls were whispering about it. He wasn’t just an arrogant boy playing with others for his own entertainment anymore, he was psychotic.

“I-“

Knock knock

Your heart sank knowing someone was about to pull Paul away and as was routine you’d have to look busy when they did.

“Paul? Gurney is waiting for you.”

You didn’t bother to watch him leave, knowing he’d run after anyone who needed him but you. His love but always his servant.

——————————————————————

The sun hit your face reassuringly the next morning with the promise of something good on the horizon. What it was you couldn’t think or dare to guess.

“Y/N?”

You turned your head to see Paul, he must have climbed into bed without waking you. A difficult task. He looked beautiful in the morning with his mop of curls and slightly confused expression. His dark eyes met your own as you curled into his warmth. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?” Paul smiled down at you, snaking an arm around your shoulders. Smug.

“I want it to.”

His eyes held sadness in them at your words, at the disappointment on your face. He’d let you down again, he knew that much. Being a Duke’s son, inheriting an empire and the knowledge of the Bene Gesserit didn’t align with you. As much as the two of you denied it the truth was you didn’t belong in each others worlds. Thinking just that, and resenting it, Paul ran his fingers through your hair and kissed you.

“So beautiful…”

You melted at his morning voice and his words, the way he looked at you as if you were all that mattered. If only that were true. You kissed him back with all the love in your being, pulling him close to you. You wanted to keep him with you ‘always’ as you had once said in the night unbeknownst to sleeping Paul.

“I love you.”

As soon as the words left your lips you felt assured you’d needed to say them. They were always bound to burst out of you at some point and the day before Feyd took you in his clutches seemed as good as any. Paul beamed at you and with only the smallest bit of hesitation, as he had to take in your words, returned them. “I love you.” Your heart could have sang but instead the door flew open and the frenzied face of Jessica stared at you.

Paul jumped at the sight of his Mother, grasping for the duvet to cover you both. “Stand up.” Jessica snapped, only looking at you with more disdain than ever. You wrapped the covers around yourself, trying to keep some dignity intact but you knew what was to happen. You watched the floor and waited for the inevitable, feeling the happiness of the morning dissipate all too soon.

“Am I dismissed?”

“You must think me an angel.”

Jessica clasped her hands together before taking intentionally slow steps towards you. “You’re to be banished…” Another step. “You’ll never see these halls or anyone in them again.” Paul’s eyes grew wide as his Mother dulled out her punishment. “I’ll ensure no one will hire you as a whore least of all a servant.”

“You will not speak to her like that Mother.”

Both of you turned to Paul in surprise, neither of you expecting him to defend you but never the less his face was defiant. There wasn’t an ounce of regret in his eyes. Jessica pursed her lips in disappointment. “Don’t be so naive. You know who you are Paul, you’re above this. You’re above her.”

“SILENCE.”

The voice…

His own Mother…

“Y/N is my future wife.”

Your ears must have deceived you, or were you dreaming? Had you fallen asleep in Paul’s arms again? ‘Future wife’…Your heart felt as though it were vibrating, not pounding but spinning inside your chest. You didn’t dare look at Jessica, whose face was surely enraged, instead your eyes met Paul’s. There was nothing but tenderness in them.

You were going to be free.

As if his Mother was gone and of no importance, Paul rushed to you. He squeezed your hand and smiled reassuringly. “Y/N…” It had all become so clear, so simple. Paul had loved you quietly but he wouldn’t anymore. “Will you have me?” Such a modest request from the second most important man of Caladan. You hardly registered the sound of Jessica’s footsteps of retreat as Paul spoke, all you heard were his words. His proposal. Finally a proposal.

You couldn’t speak, you were out of words. All there was for you to do was throw your arms around his neck and kiss him breathlessly. When you finally pulled away Paul was beaming, feeling almost as free as you. No one could harm the wife of a future Duke, he wouldn’t allow it. Feyd would rot and so would his Mother’s hate and you would never clean a plate again.

“I’ve never loved anyone else, I never will.”

No longer would you be a dutiful servant, waiting in the wings for a moment that never came.

“I’ll love you forever.”

——————————————————————

Masterlist

[shadowriel]

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going!

Thanks to everyone who tagged me! I've been a bit out of touch with the fandom this year, but I always love this community we've made ourselves. If you see this or are mentioned below, consider yourself tagged!

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

Almost 22k

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

Just 1 (but it was a banger!)

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

I've started 3 new fics, adding to my ever growing list of WIPs

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

Whiskey Over Wine (aka the country Feysand AU I didn't know I needed). It's completely self-indulgent but also incredibly descriptive and well-written?? I'm currently drafting the Nessian instalment, and it's reminding me how much I love the setting.

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

Probably Until Sunrise, which was my gift exchange fic for @witchlingsandwyverns. I am normally a modern AU girlie, but I really thought the perfect gift would stray from that and incorporate the kind of emotions/dynamics that work better in a different setting. I'm so so happy with how it's turning out so far - I think it's a great combination of my typical banter with an added level of yearning!

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

is this what home feels like? which is the recent Feysand nanny/single dad AU I started. I've had this idea at the back of my mind for forever, and it really surprised me when all the bubbling thoughts finally clicked into place.

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Maybe is this what home feels like? ... I was too anxious to make a Tumblr post about it, so it was a bit under the radar in terms of me talking about it

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

So, so many! @witchlingsandwyverns and @velidewrites come to mind, but I have a million pieces of fanart that live in my head rent-free. I don't know if they have Tumblr but @/flavie5dub on IG has me in the best kind of chokehold.

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

Can I just tag everyone for this??

@howlingcaptaincommando (@talons-and-teeth) directly helped contributed to the brain rot that is masked!Az in from the ghost of your lips (to the haunting of mine). I genuinely heard @tunaababee shrieking about Cowboy!Rhys as I wrote Whiskey Over Wine, so that was incredibly motivating.

And these people inspired me in so so many ways: @yourstarsmyscars @thesistersarcheron @foundress0fnothing @damedechance @wilde-knight @separatist-apologist @the-lonelybarricade @reverie-tales @bearbluebooks @witch-and-her-witcher @thelovelymadone @foreverinelysian (and genuinely everyone in UBC)

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

I'm pretty sure this is the first year I read a fic by @bibliophiliaxvignette , and I was lucky enough to have her as my secret Santa for the gift exchange! Our vibes match so well, so her writing has been an amazing discovery.

And @the-new-ribbon! Their gwynriel makes me such a giggling mess, and I love it!

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

None this year!

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

My proudest accomplishment is that I actually found joy in writing! 2024 was an incredibly challenging year for me and, for most of it, writing felt impossible, but I'm glad there were times that it provided a much needed escape.

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

It's an ongoing lesson, but I've been realizing more about how to make writing more sustainable for me. Like in many aspects of my life, I push myself too hard and that often leads to burnout. That's definitely something I'm working on.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

Above all else, have fun! Write the kind of fics you want to write, and try not to get lost in the struggles of writing "better" or producing more content.

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

To not put too much pressure on myself!

I'd also really like to reprioritize all my old WIPs and give myself permission to abandon some (even if I feel myself attached to them). Beyond that, I've been dying to do a full re-write for the STEMinist fics (but that may be something for 2026)

[madlysage]

my stardew valley bachelorette headcanons… again super niche and definitely just me being insufferable

leah

- grew up in the south and still has a little twang when she speaks

- loves fleetwood mac and all 70s rock

- tried to make her own wine and elliott made harvey give her a stern lecture on botulism

- a serial dater with a string of bad ex-boyfriends in her wake (she was just a lesbian all along but that wasn’t accepted where she was growing up)

- a baby gay who still gets flustered when flirting with girls

- befriended the hat mouse and is still trying to convince elliott that he’s real

- dyes her hair but insists she’s a natural redhead (her mom was one and she always wanted to emulate her)

i always picture kennedy walsh (icon that she is)

haley

- the closet is glass babe (lesbian/possibly pan)

- wanted to go to college for photography and studio art but was worried it would put financial strain on emily

- secret little crush on leah because she loves her art and her artistic eye

- her and emily were raised by a single dad who passed away unexpectedly- it’s part of the reason she has a hard time opening up to ppl

- left anonymous mean notes about clint on the town message board for WEEKS after she found out he was hitting on emily

- uses her dad’s camera: it’s very sentimental to her

perf- would def be into clean girl makeup

emily

- nobody is quite sure about emily’s sexuality… including emily!

- very into spirituality- crystals, spirits, astrology, luck etc.

- makes alex uncomfortable anytime he comes over: she doesn’t realize she’s starting contentious political debates with him

- makes all her own clothes and hasn’t bought anything new in 3 years

- writes sweet notes to shane on the bar napkins when she can see he’s rlly going through it

- wears crystals in her bras

- stole haley’s diamond earrings for a gem mediation (it did not go over well)

- makes elliott quills with her parrot’s dropped feathers

but picture the hair blue ya know: don’t cast elle fanning as a character in a fandom challenge level impossible bro

penny

- bicon

- my image of penny is Filipino… stardew needs more diversity gonna be so real

- went to college for education and got her teaching license but had to move back home because of the debt

- learned how to do maru’s hair after she complained about how long it took

- watches old movies with maru every weekend and they do a book swap once a month

- sam is the only one who will eat her cooking (but he’ll eat anything… especially if penny made it)

- lets maru come in and give guest teaching sessions in science and math to jas and vincent

-started drinking coffee just to have an excuse to drop some off to maru and harvey at work

likeeeee beabadoobee just makes the perf penny i can’t explain it’s the vibe

maru

- lesbian queen

- my autistic love

- graduated highschool early: got a full ride to school and double majored in nursing and engineering before going to nursing school (graduated early from that too ofc)

- lives off of coffee and gets a daily lecture on caffeine consumption from harvey

- is harvey’s wingman (neither of them have any rizz…)

- goes to the bar just to quiz emily on astrology

- sets up ferris beuller type traps when she wants to sneak out and not deal with demetrius

-used to sneak into sebastian’s room during thunderstorms and still does sometimes

laura harrier my love my light… just picture her with glasses

abigail

- straight but likes to makeout with girls when she’s drunk

- goes to college online (majoring in business for pierre but double minoring in classics and anthropology) - her parents wouldn’t let her go in person because she’s too “reckless”

- brought home a squirrel once and hid it in her room for weeks

-used to do competitive irish dance as a kid (seems like something caroline would make her do)

- has a huge crush on sam and will flirt with sebastian to make him jealous

- pierced her own ears six times at once and made caroline faint when she saw her

- has a tattoo on her thigh that’s she’s desperately hiding from her parents

-helped emily dye her hair for the first time

- hooked up with alex once but will never admit it

can’t explain it she just gives kiernan - with purple hair ofc

[zzencat]

Hello! Myself RJ🪷🐚🪞🪽 ( an ♌sun and ♎moon&rising ) she/her. Here for your free reading game<3

My questions are :")

What's blocking/stopping me to reach my true potential to achieve my dream life? For my career & dance/writing stories?

Is script writing or dancing is a good career field for me?( basically entertainment industry works) Or I should go for language specialist/ jobs related to Laws?

What's I need to focus on in order to achieve success in life?

Thankyou so much in advance💐

Hey RJ!!! thanks for the wait, i hope you’re getting your daily words-read limit in:

Hey RJ!!! im gonna just start it off here- i think you’re stopping yourself. you have what it takes and you have the creativity and the emotion- the raw passion inside of you, but for some reason, you’re stopping yourself. i think you’re hard on yourself and but you do keep your emotions in check. i think you detach yourself easily or “take flight”/mentally check out just in case things backfire, and you might be used to this sort of thing, and while i do think you’d be good at keeping personal and work matters separate, i do recommend that you stick to your promises or things that you claim to commit to. lil teddy note: also i’ve never seen so many king and queen court cards in a celtic cross reading for someone hahaha. i think the biggest issue here is commitment and not trying to limit yourself to one thing, trying to do multiple things at once and get em all with 1 or 2 stones. i can’t tell you that’ll be possible or impossible, but it’s the quality produced that might go south. i suggest focusing on one thing at a time, maybe 2 if you can handle it (but im still iffy on that), and hone that 1 skill or profession up to amazing standards first. perfect what you can do now, but ofc allow yourself to make mistakes. i think you can be pretty harsh on yourself, esp on a subconscious level, but you have to be careful not to burn yourself out and start 1 thing at a time. that way you can balance out the social, emotional, and mental aspects of your life. but other than that- skills n creativity? you’re doin great!! you just need to raise the standard for your own products and commitment levels. and don’t try to make things harder for yourself! a challenge is great and all, but rmr consider the costs :)

i REALLY recommend that you go into something that’s not crazy overwhelming. something that you can handle, and then build up from there. again, the sense of detachment comes up, followed by perfectionism and fear of failure, and then eventually pessimism. something that allows you to express your emotions and story, but overall not dead stressful, bc it can get pretty crazy up in there (esp the industries that you’ve chosen.) i suggest choosing something small that you can tackle and then build your way up so that you can build your commitment as well and lower levels of burnout and anxiety over them. i think it’s a good time to choose rn and honestly, you do value your freedom a lot and ability to make your own choices, do and create whatever you want, so you’d have to look at these options carefully and choose the one that’s less likely to stress you to hell n back. start small, then you can build big. something that you’re already good at, and you don’t mind adding in some extra beginner blocks (even if you already know them.) as appealing as being booked and busy and recognized sounds, it’s also a lot of energy and a whirlwind of things to think about…these could wear you out real quick, so you have to have a stronger foundation.

that’s it!! thank you for waiting and joining the game RJ, i hope this clears up some things for you 😁

[loverboy-havocboy]

What's the hardest thing you've had to encounter while writing the aliit au?

there have been So Many challenges with aliit au 😅

the one that had the biggest impact on both me and the story was trying to co-write with someone who had a completely different level of investment. as of about a month ago, i'm the only author working on the aliit and SICK au's going forward, and i'm sure that'll come with its own set of challenges.

the second biggest, and the one i'm currently dealing with, is writing this next stupid chapter 😅 i'm used to updating weekly, if not biweekly, and now it's been around 6 weeks, which is killing me! i draw from personal experience a lot when i write, which has generally only helped me write aliit comet, but my lack of experience in certain events of the next chapter are making it damn near impossible!

thanks for asking <3

[deafknell]

Can't stop thinking about this part in Lugunican Hustle Extra and how it frames Anastasia from Joshua's eyes.

(This is going to be a long one, bear with)

Like, nothing of what she's saying is negative or materialistic. It's her outwardly saying the source of her confidence is the people beside her, something most characters could probably relate to. Anastasia has only come this far because of the support from Ricardo and the triplets, and will only proceed with them and the Juukulius brothers.

But Joshua takes it that extra step. From just people she surrounds herself with, to them being her possession. She's framed as almost objectifying the people around her, which none of what she's saying matches. We know she desires the kingdom, and her speech as candidate solidifies her nature as greedy and possessive -- telling everyone to "be mine" -- but you have to wonder where her good nature and her teasing/manipulative character lie.

Subaru and Joshua are quite pivotal people in trying to unravel that, but even for them I think it's impossible because they're both so interchangeable for Anastasia. Part of this entire side story is Julius innocently trying to support his nervous brother while Anastasia knowingly pushes him into something he's not comfortable with.

It's pretty established from Joshua's side stories that he is one of the more observant members of the Ana camp. He's able to test and even challenge her on multiple occasions, pushing back where Julius couldn't even spot an issue. He's fully aware when Anastasia is testing or pushing his buttons, and knows she does it intentionally when Julius is around making it difficult for him to back out.

But he automatically assumes she's doing it out of bad intent, just as Subaru frames his whole interaction with her in arc 3 as negative. It's so easy to write her off as "just teasing" or "manipulative" when, well, there's several different ways to interpret things. Is Anastasia being quite sly in this story? Yes. She's actively pushing a boundary that she knows the person in question isn't comfortable with.

But there's no explicit evidence that what she's doing is out of enjoying swindling people or manipulating them. When Joshua finally pushes back and challenges her, she apologises, lets Julius handle it, then reframes it into something Joshua's okay with. In most of Joshua and Ana's interactions, she will always poke and prod, but never go beyond the line that he establishes.

There's several parts you can argue she's actively trying to help others. With Subaru, she offers up the dragon carriage information which she didn't need to do. With Joshua, she's always correcting Julius when he scolds his brother without knowing the full story. Just as much as Joshua reads her, she picks up on his insecurities and Julius complex, and regularly tries to help him rebuild that bridge into something healther.

Even at the end of Lugunican Hustle Extra, we see it:

Anastasia's using him as a toy. She's doing something for her own entertainment and benefit.

It's fascinating. Joshua is incredibly intelligent, but he's such an unreliable narrator in regards to his personal trauma and hangups with Julius. He can't accept people on good faith, and will lower them to his level in his eyes. The only people he's able to see on equal grounds are Cecilus and the triplets.

And it really makes you wonder, because he's not entirely wrong. Anastasia does benefit from this. She gets free artwork of herself done by a competent artist while he practices his skill. As an art connoisseur, she can provide him feedback, and get a satisfying product at little cost. Once he builds up his skill, there's even a chance for future business there.

Yet you can make completely opposing arguments for why this is something for Joshua, rather than solely for her. All the art is for the mansion only. She has no intent to sell or make any profit from it, and the only reason distribution of the paintings was brought up is because Julius thinks that highly of his brother. Anastasia just goes along with it, either to tease him or to see whether she can use him in that regard.

You could spend hours just going over each decision and idea she pitches for those pros and cons, trying to see whether it's from a good intent or something for profit. I don't think you could ever come to a clear cut conclusion for her, and that's what I love about the writing behind her character. It's up to you to decide whether he's just after money or if there's more motive behind it.

In the context of the election, it really sells her as a contrast to Priscilla. Where Crusch and Felt represent nobility fighting to change the status quo and pre-conceived notions of destiny, Priscilla and Anastasia are two vastly misunderstood characters with a possessive streak and the ability to see through ideas (like running in a foreign election) like no other.

I can't wait for the updated ver of Lugunican Hustle to be TL'd. I'm curious how much has changed from the original story.

[lovely-lepidoptera]

I've low-key got 0v3rw4tch brainrot,, so, have some of my 0w2 v0r3 headcanons <3 Plz be nice !! I don't write very often and I'm trying to practice TvT

!! PLEASE DO NOT USE MAIN TAGS !! I don't want people seeing this and getting uncomfy !!

!! TANK EDITION !!

[ Minus H4mm0nd & W1nst0n cause,,, no.]

If you want more, send me an ask and I'll happily go on a rant about anyone uvu Try and guess who my fav pred is Challenge: Impossible

D.v4 : I could definitely see her being a pred in certain scenarios, but I much prefer her as prey. I love fanfictions where she's very reluctant to be eaten, but due to her high stress levels and lack of rest she's forced to as a sort of break from her work. In instances where she is a pred, I love when it's to protect her friends/partner and even then she's also a bit reluctant to do so at first.

D00mf1st : Very cruel, but relaxed and overall lazy predator for the most part. As much as he doesn't mind making a quick meal out of anyone he deems as weak.. he secretly yearns for a challenge. He's very dismissive of his prey as well.. not caring much for all the pleading and begging, but does enjoy the feeling of them moving around once they're inside him. To him, they're just food. Perhaps a bit of entertainment as he pokes at his stomach to keep them moving, but nothing more than that.

Junk3rqu33n : Very gluttonous and opportunistic predator who's more than willing to show off her catches and eat in public. She doesn't mind if you can see her prey moving around in her gut or not and has used it as a way to send a message to the people of Junkertown who wish to defy her rule. However,,, I definitely think she would be a reluctant and easily flustered prey. I read a fanfiction once where she had one of her nightmares and the other character proposed they ate her to see if it helped her sleep through the night and seeing someone write JQ as a prideful, but easily flustered prey was SO GOOD.

M4ug4 : VERY cruel and possessive predator; borderlining obsessive. He's definitely used Talon's resources to stalk prey and that's one of the reasons Baptiste left Talon in the first place. He doesn't take no for an answer and is willing to do whatever it takes to fill his gut.. no matter how unethical or shady it is. M4ug4 is definitely the type to play with his food before eating it as well,, taunting, biting, licking, and scratching while his prey writhes and screams beneath him.. knowing that they'd never be able to escape him. Despite how roughly he treats his prey, however.. his taunting is sickeningly sweet and his cunning attitude lures in prey like a moth to a flame. He's a very intelligent predator.. that combined with his strength makes it impossible for most prey to make it out alive.

0R1SA : Two words. Protection v0re. I read a really good fanfiction a while ago about her having a compartment in her "stomach" to help transport injured people or detain criminals and it was,,, very good. Sorry I don't have more thoughts on her- I probably won't for most omnics 😔

R4m4ttr4 : The whole idea of being a pred and eating someone was definitely not his idea nor will he admit to liking it, but.. he does secretly hope for the opportunity when it offers itself. He's completely against allowing humans into his abdominal compartment, but.. when it comes to another omnic, ESPECIALLY one he really cares about,, oh, baby. He's very protective of his prey and never seems to let them too far out of his sight. His "stomach" is a very personal and almost intimate part of his omnic anatomy in his eyes. So, when he offers them refuge inside.. it's the closest thing most omnics get to an affectionate gesture from him.

R3Inh4rdt : He was a very reluctant predator at first, doing it only to be kind to his dear prey, but.. now he's constantly asking to eat them any chance he gets. Any sort of protection v0re with him goes absolutely insane imo especially with other members of 0v3rw4tch, but I really like just like,,, domestic and sweet scenarios with him. Like,, him coming up to his partner nearly every night asking to keep them in his stomach,, explaining the extra weight feels comfortable and he'll toss and turn without you inside of him- he's always ready to pull out the puppy dog eyes to get what he wants and he's very gentle the whole time.. softly rubbing his middle and making sure you're comfortable the whole time.

R04dh0g : He's so versatile when it comes to v0r3 scenarios it's actually insane,, like half of my mind loves thinking about him and Junkr4t running around causing mayhem and filling up their guts with whoever they please without a care in the world, but,, the other half wants so badly for him to be soft and loving when he eats one person in particular. He's not very talkative, obviously, so a lot of his sweetness is through his touch.. his tongue, and the soft noises he makes as he tastes his prey.. and once he's gulped them down, his hand rests permanently on his stomach as he enjoys every little bit of movement until his prey is settled. He's definitely also eaten Junkr4t and tried to sneak into Junkertown, but obviously it didn't work since he's still a wanted man himself.

S1gm4 : My beloved,, in his prime, he was quite the cunning and alluring predator. He had to be in order to fuel his large and imposing body, but.. after the accident, he lost most of his instincts in that regard and now barely eats prey at all unless they offer themselves up to him. At first glance, most assume he's nothing but large prey.. having been targeted multiple times by predators his size, but despite the state of his mind.. he's still more than able to hold his own and usually ends up eating the other predator before they even get a chance to taste him. He's always polite to prey willing to be his meal.. praising and soothing them as he tastes them. He's gentle the entire way down, rubbing at his throat and stomach through the entire process and giving all of his attention to his bulging stomach the moment his prey is tucked away inside.

Z4ry4 : A confident predator always looking to bulk. She receives thousands of letters every day from fans all over the globe begging her to eat them and she's more than willing to oblige as long as they don't get in the way of her training. She's not the most kind predator out there.. at most giving a quick thanks before getting back to work or lying down for a well deserved nap, but she's not the type to be cruel either. She appreciates her fans she's just never been the most social person despite her fame. (She definitely has a weak spot for bigger prey tho,, ESPECIALLY chubby women)

[dread0narrival]

Somehow I accidentally deleted my asks when trying to respond to them ;w;

The most recent asked what do I like the most and least about my OCs I believe?

🪷 ALETHEA 🪷

Least; I've struggled since '08 with nailing down her physical appearance as my art skill level was not advanced enough to recreate how she appears in my mind, if that makes any sense lol I'm satisfied with it for the time being but there's always room to improve :3

Best; I love how her personality as progressively gotten darker and darker over the years LOL this is a good thing since she is villain after all. She's one of my oldest OCs and she's come a LONG way since I first created her.

☁️ VESPER ☁️

Least; For those unfamiliar, Vesper was originally a self insert MC so I could ship them with various VN OCs. Even tho we share a lot of common interests and similar mannerisms, I struggled HARD when I attempted to make him his own character.

Best; Still on topic of writing him out as a MC and into an OC; I do believe I've separated him enough from myself to be classified as an OC now which I prefer since I've created a whole backstory for them which makes makes me love her even more and expands my creativity.

🛠️ PHISC 🛠️

Least; giving her a disability that makes communicating challenging has been difficult that's for sure lol The writing might be challenging but not impossible and I've learned a few things to improve my writing skills solely on having a predominately silent OC :3

Best; she's been the most fun OC of mine to make and build upon over the years. She's so complex it's both a headache and a blast lol

🔪 CLOVE 🔪

Least; JFC where do I even begin lmfao giving him a non generic yandere personality has been the longest running struggle for me. I had a singular thought for his creation, "what if the victim didn't heal from his trauma and abuse and it only made him worse?" a blatantly toxic OC who chooses to self sabotage.

Best; He's surprisingly easy to write lol Idk what that says about me as a person but writing him IC and answering from his POV comes easiest.

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

Rachel,

I have a few questions if you don’t mind:

1. How do you get comfortable writing the story of your heart? I’ve been pushing off big story ideas that I want to write so that I can get better at writing. But like what if that’s making me feel less motivated or am I just being annoying about it? Maybe I should just suck it up and practice something easier because I honestly don’t have the skills for a complex novel idea.

2. Do you ever look at other writers progress and process and feel bad about your own? Because I’ve been feeling like that a lot lately and trying to adapt to every writers process is impossible and not fun. But I’m stifled by the fear of doing things wrong even though there’s not really a “wrong” way to write.

3-4. I want to participate in nano but I’m a student so it’s going to be a challenge. Since you also were a student do you have any tips? I’ve heard from others that I should just give up writing while in school and every time it hurts, even though I know they don’t mean me any harm. I just want to know if it’s really impossible. So I guess this really is a 2 part question: Do you have any time management tips for writing as a student and do you have any tips for starting nano for the first time?

Hi hi hi!

1. Tbh, my best advice is just to write what you want. If that’s the hard thing, then go for the hard thing. I skirted around difficult projects thinking I didn’t have the skill set for them but that just led me to never writing them. The truth is you’re always going to be missing something before writing a project—writing is an evolutionary art form for that reason, so it’s intrinsic that we learn and fail as we go.

2. I don’t really feel bad when comparing myself to other writers but this probably is mostly because I generally don’t have negative self-talk anymore (IDK WHERE IT WENT LOL) but you’re absolutely not alone in this feeling (& I know I’ve felt this way in the past). You’ve got it right that there’s no one process, and tbh, the thing you might have to do is just constantly remind yourself of that when writing in order to push through. A lot of the time if writing is sticking for me for a more abstract reason like this I have to grit my teeth and keep reminding myself it’s okay to be imperfect, etc.

3. To be verrrryyy honest with you, I struggled to balance writing & school and while I don’t think you have to give up writing while being a student, something a lot of the times naturally has to give since being a student is so time consuming. Not to be discouraging at all but just as a precursor because I was never able to successfully do NaNo when I was in school (not even in high school) EXCEPT for in 2022, and that was for a couple reasons. Mostly, I just put school on the back burner haha. I’m not recommending this but at that point in my degree I was tired of how I was being treated & not being able to prioritize my own writing & I started to push the boundaries of my academics to see how much I could let go in order to write. This is not something I responsibly recommend, but it’s what I did. I wrote a lot in lectures (….. oops lol) & pulled back a bit on assignments (I still did as well as I typically do which is when I realized for me I could put in less effort into school & get the same results—just MY experience, again not a recommendation).

So I’m not saying it’s impossible but I don’t want to make it seem like I was able to juggle both. I wasn’t lol! I skipped classes, I BS’d assignments & that’s bc school wasn’t my priority anymore (this was 100% best for my mental health & I surprisingly academically performed the best I ever have & also graduated #1 in my faculty BUT I thrive off of chaotic timetables & doing things when I’m not supposed to lol, so again not a recommendation & just context as to how I did it).

Otherwise, a couple things I did: edited late at night when I was too tired to draft & added words through line level edits. Used scene ideas from old books & propagated them into the new book. Prepped a little in advance by drafting (or you could outline) so I knew where I was going. Got ahead by 1k as much as I could. It also helped that I was at the exact right place at the exact right time to do nano (literally got right to the climax at the very end), so a lot of my success I think was also luck.

My biggest tip for starting NaNo for the first time is to be open for your expectations to change & to listen to yourself as you go because a word count isn’t worth your mental health! If you can plan around busy days that can also help too. November was always the worst month for deadlines when I was in school, so if you’re falling behind it’s soooo okay! Have fun with it—NaNo isn’t supposed to be stressful, so if it is it’s okay to amend the goal to suit your lifestyle! :)

[goingsparebutwithprecision]

Fic writer interview

Thanking @sinni-ok-sessi for the tag!

How many works do you have on AO3? 13

What's your total AO3 word count? 50455 - holy shit, a whole nanowrimo!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sleeping Arrangements (Good Omens) Habitual (Good Omens) Project New Hope (MCU) Passing the Time (Star Trek:DS9) With Friends Like These (Star Wars, The Mandalorian)

I think I kind of already knew about the top 3, but I would not have called the last two. Nice to see With Friends LIke These doing well, that was so much fun to write but I never felt like it found its audience, y'know

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Mostly not, alas - it feels very awkward to just repeatedly say Thanks <3, however genuinely and enthusiastically I would mean that! I want emoji reacts to AO3 comments, that's about the level I'm at. That being said, I'll try to make the effort if someone's written me an essay, because it's so cool to get that and I've had some really fun conversations that way

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? I don't really do angsty endings. I've been known to write angsty fic, but I'm usually ending on an upswing...Story-Wise is probably the closest, being as how it's heavily implied that everybody involved is dead, and also Bilbo walks away at the end, but even that to me is more bittersweet than angsty.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending? Not Story-Wise, and probably not Lethe. But with the rest I don't know that there's much between them. The ship ones tend to end with a get-together, the dealing-with-shit ones tend to end on a found family gathering, and the funny ones end on punchlines; they're all happy but no stand-outs, if that makes sense.

Do you write crossovers? Write? Sure. Plan out intricately and in great detail? Absolutely. Finish? Never in my life. I tend to have the idea for a lot of crossovers too, but very few of those ever get started. Off the top of my head, the current list includes a Star Trek AOS/Disney's Atlantis fusion, thousands of words of BBC Merlin is happening in Starfleet now, a few incoherent sentences of post-Burial Mounds Wei Wuxian having absorbed all of its ghosts a la Matthew Swift of Blue Electric Angels fame, three scenes of Person of Interest and Castle, several pages of Phryne Fisher and Diana Prince are besties - ohhhhh, and my beloved "Oh Good, My Sith Found the Chainsaw" Star Wars/Lilo and Stitch nonsense, which is the only one of these I have any intention of finishing.

Have you ever received hate on a fic? Not as far as I remember. The closes I ever got was someone commenting on Project New Hope in a very "trying to start a fight about MCU Civil War" way, but claiming they agreed with my opinion on it despite MCU Civil War very much not happening in that universe. Very odd.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Not really? The closest I've gotten in anything published is the blowjob letter in And With It My Constant Mind, which is more of an extended sext, and the ending of Untitled #3...the theme seems to be Cyrano De Bergerac and blowjobs, so make of that what you will.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not as far as I know

Have you ever had a fic translated? No.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Involves too much unfortunate-ordeal-of-being-known, I'm afraid. I'm in awe of people who do this though, the process mystifies me.

What’s your all-time favorite ship? I am invoking my god-given bisexual right not to choose. I cannot do it. Simply impossible. Cyrano/Christian/Roxane of Cyrano de Bergerac fame is probably a front-runner though.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? Lin Chen's Hanahaki Research Project - I was having a lot of fun with character voices and style, and it was challenging me as a writer in interesting ways, but I think it needs more research and investment and full Nirvana in Fire rewatches than I'm ever going to commit to.

What are your writing strengths? Comedy, yearning, and sentences that sound good when you read them aloud.

What are your writing weaknesses? Actually finishing things and comedy (I contain multitudes)

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? Absolutely do not have the confidence to do that, thank you and good night.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? By published work, the MCU, unpublished I was not immune to Supernatural

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to? Was not expecting this to be the trickiest one to answer, what the heck. Ummm. Idk. I get more enthused by specific ideas than by specific fandoms, I think - if I actively want to write for something it's because I've been Seized By An Idea(TM), Taken Hostage By An Idea, Had My Whole Brain Rewritten To Think Constantly About This Idea, rather than like abstractly, huh, it would be fun to write something for X

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? I-love-all-of-my-children-equally.gif. No, that's a cop-out. Um. Usually I think whatever I've written most recently gets the most affection, so With Friends Like These is bang at the top. And With It My Constant Mind I suspect is going to have the most longevity at the top of my list, I was living with that one for years and I'm really really proud of how it turned out.

Right, no pressure tagging @starkey @missfangirll @july-19th-club @ereborne and any other writerly folks lurking out there who are interested :D

[solo-rpg-rambling]

Solo + LLM, some ideas

Throwing together some thoughts on playing solo TTRPGs with help from LLMs (Large Language Models, "AI", GPT, etc.). I'll throw up a cut so people who hate the idea can click and move on. Mostly I've been using LLMs as a way to expand or contextualize oracles, tables of words or phrases that are used to inspire what comes next.

Lesson 0: If the Answer is Obvious, Don't Use an Oracle (or Mechanic)

I'm sure many people have done this at least once, tried something impossible in a game hoping for an "automatic success" (natural 20 in D&D terms). At the other end of the spectrum, there are playstyles where you roll (or ask to roll) for trivial tasks and observations.

Oracles are useful for those moments when you don't know what happens next. Your characters (and you) are bored with travel scenes, so you need something to spice things up. But your brain is just churning on a lot of nothing.

Lesson 1: The LLM is a Bad GM

LLMs (at least as of 2024) are bad at synthesis, facts, math, and long-form storytelling. They are ok at making surface-level connections, suggestions, and "what happens next" (within the limits of what something trained on wikipedia, twitter, and reddit can do.)

Lesson 2: Provide Context

GPT is a "conversational" LLM. It can (within limits) remember earlier parts of the conversation. Give it one paragraph of the story so far. Describe genre and setting.

Lesson 3: Brainstorm

"Give me five ideas for..." Asking for one answer will likely get you something that doesn't quite work. Instead, ask for five suggestions and pick the one you like best.

Lesson 4: Critique, Argue, Rewrite

IMNSHO the real challenge of writing or GMing isn't ideas it's development. Treat LLM suggestions as thumbnail sketches or scribbling on a whiteboard. Take the most interesting idea, and argue with it. Keep what works, critique or rewrite what doesn't. Arguing with a bad idea helps clarify what you want from the scene.

Unleash your internal editor on those ideas.

Lesson 5: If it's not Fun, Do Something Else

I enjoy bouncing ideas off of a group or LLM. Other people use notebooks or rubber ducks. If it's not fun, and not moving your game forward, try something else.