#yes that's the story write that down 🚬🚬🚬

[bonesmarinated]

Oh, baby, have you seen Amy tonight? 🔪

[torawro]

royal knight!caleb & princess!reader.

cw ━━ ! minors, ageless, and blank blogs DO NOT INTERACT. reader is written / portrayed as a curvy, thick black woman but you do not have to imagine it that way ! anyone and everyone is welcome to read <3. historical / medieval au so there will be use of language & rhetoric relative to that era ( i.e., aye = yes or indeed . . . . i did my best doing research ). caleb is a high ranking knight in the kingdom they live in and is referred to as 'sir' because of his status. reader is a princess of royal status. mentions / descriptions of blood and injuries, and contains violence sprinkled with a little bit of gore (???). depictions of murder / character death. a liiittleeee bit of religious imagery & references, not sure but adding it just in case. hints at caleb having psychological issues and / or mental instability. kind of yandere(ish) behavior if you squint; caleb is obsessed with & in love with the reader. he is also a wee bit condescending ( not to reader ). instances of caressing ( groping? ) and slow, sweet kisses. veryyy subtle manipulation (?) via intentional omission of the truth. sorry if im exaggerating with these tags lol. directly based off this post i saw a few weeks ago. i tried my best to proofread at 1am pls excuse any errors. let me know if i missed anything!

word count ━━ ! 3.9k

notes ━━ ! man…..🚬🚬🚬 i can’t believe i wrote this lmaaaoooooooooo like what. where did this come from even.....anyway hi everyone i’m back with another (short-ish) fic <3 my apologies it's been another two months since my last published work, you know what it is: it takes longer for me to put things out and i wanna make sure i put my best foot forward every time >< but whoop whoop here's to my second fic of the year! as u can see i have gotten into lads during this past month and some change....... and i swear, i really had no intention of writing for any of the guys any time soon, let alone the newest one..... i took a pause from working on my longer projects to write this LMFAOOOO. i honestly thought that if i really did have a burning desire to write about them, my first lads fic would have been about sylus cause he.....anyway i won't go on a tangent about him, but i sincerely hope u guys enjoy this one!!!!!! obviously this is my first time writing for any lads character so pls be kind to me. i also want to apologize if this characterization of caleb is weird or ooc, i haven't unlocked him yet but i have seen a lot of content of his story in relation to the mc, his lore, his voicelines, etc so i hope i did him justice!! reblogs + commentary are HEAVILY appreciated ♡♡♡.

THE SKY REMAINED DARK, BUT a deep navy hue began to seep into the heavens, soon giving way to the dawn; the early hours of the morning was nigh. The castle was silent— obviously, but still eerily so despite the hour. There was a draft that seeped through the miscellaneous cracks of the stone, the shutters, and the windows of the castle that had not been properly shut, and the brisk breeze that flowed inside caressed the walls with a whisper— quiet but forceful enough to sway the small flames of the candles. The unsteady flickering of the flames grazed and dimly illuminated the walls behind them. Upon its surface were fresh stains, which would permanently seep into the stone if not cleaned in time. The stains were red.

It was blood.

In the many corridors of the castle was a figure, trudging through the halls like a corpse that had risen from its resting place, exhaustion weighing down his every step down to the marrow of his bones. He was injured— not gravely enough to make him lose consciousness but enough to reopen the wounds he so haphazardly patched himself before returning to the kingdom.

His chambers in the keep, along with all the other higher-ranked Knights, was on the other side of the castle grounds. He should have made a left the moment the portcullis closed behind his heels so he could at least get patched up again, get some water, and something else for the pain. Instead, the soldier walked straight ahead, onward to the main structure of the castle, down the stretches of its veins, up the stairs– a path he had memorized after spending many a moon traversing it, sometimes without your knowledge.

But he needed to see you, and he was unsure if he would be able to wait until the sun’s ascension in just a few hours time to do so.

The knight was tired, and that slowed him down, but eventually he made it to your private quarters. He made sure to quiet his labored breathing and footsteps as much as he could; the king would have his head before he even made it to your chambers if he were to be discovered.

You laid underneath a thick blanket, the warmth of the fur against your clothed skin protecting you against the brisk cold. As comfortable as you were, however, tonight you had trouble staying asleep. It would greet you kindly, only to slip away from your embrace if you held it too tightly. Your eyelids were half-open, finally on the verge of drifting close again, when an abrupt but muffled thumping noise resounded on the wood of your door.

The sound caused your eyes to snap open with alertness, any waves of sleep that were about to wash over you retreated at the sound. You laid still, absently wondering if you were hearing things, but the noise reverberated in the air again, then three times— it was soft, as if the source of the sound was being careful not to be too loud.

As the sleepiness of the late hours continued to melt away, you began to remember what day it was, and your pulse quickened as a result.

He should have returned today, you thought. But could it be? It cannot possibly…

And yet, that possibility is what tugged your body forward to sit up and straight, and slide your legs out from underneath the layers of blankets. That possibility is what led you to slide your bare feet into your slippers, and move to swing the long, woolen robe on top of your nightgown. That possibility is what pulled you to the thick door of your chambers, and opened it by an inch to peek through the cracks.

The relief and subdued elation you felt when you saw the familiar features of Sir Caleb’s visage on the other side washed over you.

But that feeling faded as quickly as it came when you noticed the state Sir Caleb was in. While it wasn’t abnormal for him to have a deep scratch or a bruise somewhere, he looked . . . worse, somehow. And whatever it was seemed to reach deeper than just his physical injuries.

Without exchanging any words or outwardly questioning him, you carefully— for he winced at nearly every graze of your fingers on certain areas— led him into your room, allowing him to use your body as a crutch. Caleb let out strained puffs of air, both in relief that he didn’t have to carry the weight of his own body alone anymore, and with increasingly dwindling self-restraint. 

He had hardly stepped foot in your bedchambers before; only about four steps past the threshold of the doorway at most, out of fear that his mere presence when he visited in your absence would become a noticeable, tangible thing. Like you’d be able to sense if he ventured too far in for too long, too many times.

Everything smelled like you. Your unique flowery scent was almost palpable with how it clung to every surface of your living space, even the air itself. The contrast between the fleshy softness of your body pressed against the cold, angular ridges of his armor was enough to make his breath catch in his throat and his pulse to miss a beat. 

“M…milady.” Caleb croaked, his throat significantly lacking moisture to the point it almost ached to speak. At this point, the remaining strength in the knight’s body had become completely nonexistent; the sword he didn’t even have the strength to place back in its scabbard tumbled from his loosening grip onto the ground, the sound sharp and uncomfortably punctating. 

“Sir Caleb”, you gasped, your grip tightening on whatever area of his stocky, towering figure you could reach. Both the suddenness of the sound of metal colliding with stone and your delayed realization of how serious his injuries were pulled your nerves all the more taut, the worried furrow in your brow growing more prominent.

Caleb’s legs gave out next, all while his heavier form still partially hung from your sleep laden frame. His arm slipped from around your shoulder as he descended to his knees, the movement clumsy enough to slightly throw you off your balance. The room was still dark enough that you did not readily see nor notice the blood that now permeated the folds of your nightdress. 

The honorable knight— who did not quite look so on his knees like this— absentmindedly grasped at your calves, pulling another surprised noise from the back of your throat. It was as if making physical contact with you would steady his mind that swirled endlessly with fragmented thoughts, stained with the dark horrors that crawled from the depths of his subconscious, and keep him tethered to the plane of consciousness. The blood loss would soon catch up to him.

Silence descended upon your room, save for Caleb’s ragged breathing and your quiet, frayed inhales. He still held onto your lower legs like it was his lifeline, the mesh underside of his metal gauntlets sending a subtle shiver with each miniscule movement he made, but you did your best to silence any hitch in your breath or twitch in your muscles. Worry still festered underneath your skin, so much so that you were afraid if you moved, or even spoke, that Caleb might fall apart at your feet, considering his current state. 

“Milady…” Caleb tried again, his voice still rough but a muted veneration was present underneath his words, as if your title was the beginning of a prayer. It was a thought that spurred another shudder to crawl across your flesh. “Milady, I have returned. The war with the kingdom to the east—Havencroft—  is over now.”

The knight turned his head slightly so that his cheek was resting on the fat of your thigh, your nightdress being the only barrier between his skin and yours. Another stain of crimson leapt from the side of his face that rested on your leg to your clothes, but you could not see it from this angle. Caleb almost resembled a wounded animal, marking the territory that was once his after enduring an attack– not much for your sake, but purely for his own, as a reminder of sorts.

Even through the linen, you could feel the uneven puffs of warm air from his mouth fan across that small area on your thigh. Like a magnet attracted to a metal of the opposite affinity— a force yet to be explained or explored— your palm gravitated towards the knight’s armored shoulder. Whether it was an action of acknowledgement and commendation, to silently urge him off his knees, or as a means to steel yourself was unclear even to you.

“The enemies… have been defeated.” Each syllable felt delayed, each word tumbled from Caleb’s lips like a wispy trail of smoke from burning incense, and the casual hold you had on his steel shoulder imperceptibly tightened when you felt his gloved hands trail up the back of your legs. His movements were slow—almost reluctant and experimental— but deeply rooted in reverence, as if this was the first and last time he would be able to touch you so boldly.

The knight below knew better. He was well aware that his actions more than just bordered on bold, they fully reveled in it– embraced it, even. But he was having a significant amount of  trouble caring enough to stop himself. It was always a difficult task reasoning with the thing that resided in the folds of his unconscious— especially and specifically when it came to you. 

Caleb awaited you to halt the soft caress of his palms, either verbally or by action, but neither came. You were rendered silent, breath slightly restrained as you stared down at him from on high, your palm still resting upon his armor. A part of you was swayed by the currents of curiosity to see what he’d do next, just to see what might happen you allowed this moment to persist a bit longer. 

And the other part…might have enjoyed this. It might have enjoyed the sight, the sound, the sensation of his iron skin, the subtle yet unknown metallic aroma that washed over your senses, mixed with his signature musk.

So he resumed, both his movements and his speech, which were languid and slowed. “Those that wished… to do harm to the kingdom, to you…They have been slain.”

The way his head shifted against your leg was like a cat nuzzling itself against its human companion. The weight of his body pressed upon you like this was even a bit endearing, and it began to melt your heart. Caleb’s hands glided from the backs of your knees down to the base of your ankles, only to carefully ascend back up the valleys and shores of your legs. In his ascent the hem of your dress got caught in between the gaps of his fingers, causing it to steadily rise like a curtain and expose the bare, supple brown skin hiding beneath it. 

His touch was so gentle, like dragging the sharpened edge of a knife against one’s skin in fear of accidentally cutting it. As someone who has done so much damage and has scarcely been shown this kind of gentleness, it was a bit jarring to see himself embody it so naturally.  “...The lot of them. I made sure of it.”, he continued, the knight’s noble heart raced so frantically about his chest, he thought it might reverberate and echo against his chest plate if it were to beat any more intensely.

Even with the sizable gauntlets weighing down his hands, Caleb was still able to tell just how delicate and cushiony your flesh was, and he released a barely-there, shaky exhale of his own when his fingers lightly clenched around it. If he didn’t know any better, he might have thought he was on the brink of death and was kneeling before the gates of heaven.

It was nearly impossible for you to distinguish the sensation of the carmine substance being smeared against your bare skin with each inch Caleb caressed, because your nerves had put all its effort into focusing on his breath fanning across your legs and the cold surface of his armor. At some point, the hand laying on his shoulder levitated to rest atop his head instead, the area unadorned without his helmet; a shiver rolled down the knight’s spine at the gesture. Sweat dampened the rich, umber strands of his hair, and the heat radiating from the crown of his head rivaled the one building underneath your face and chest.

“The army of the east kingdom, boasting numbers of over eight-thousand men, have all…. fallen. All of their strongest knights…”

Caleb’s words sounded a bit muffled as his mouth was slightly pressed against your leg, his pillowy lips continued to trail across the expanse of increasingly exposed limbs, “...their battalions, their village militia units…”

By this point, Caleb’s strong sense of rationale, his logical consciousness that usually never steered him wrong had finally caved in on itself. The void that it left in its absence would now be filled and controlled by the iniquitous thoughts that plagued him day in and day out. Such immoral, perhaps unhealthy, thoughts that always had you at the front and center of it all.

“...Even the gentry. Witnessing them …attempting to wield a polearm was almost pathetic. I would have pitied them, but one way or another, they would have attempted to harm you and our kingdom in some way, at some point…” 

There was a brief pause, the surface of his parted lips and that of his artificial armor took turns savoring the feel and smell of you, even being so brash as to place tender almost-kisses across your thigh. You gasped silently at that, and the reflexive clench of your fingers in the tufts of his hair brought forth something of a purr that vibrated in the back of his throat. Embedded within that imperceptible purr in his deep voice lurked something more dangerous you did not notice— sharp, like having a dagger pressed against one’s jugular.

“And I cannot allow that.” 

Caleb continued to murmur about his achievements of war into your chestnut-tinted skin as if he were talking directly into it and not you— as if it were actively listening. And with the way your nerves sparked and crackled with each syllable he pronounced, you could easily become convinced that it was.

Aye, he could not even pretend to spare an ounce of compassion for Havencroft’s  gentrymen, or their local militia, their skilled battalions and armies, nor their most honorable knights. Not after their plans and intentions were discussed amongst the king’s council just months prior, which served as the reason why he and the rest of the kingdom’s army were dispatched there in the first place.

Swine, the lot of them.

The same could be said for his own king’s council members— your father’s most trusted political companions and advisors— that had the gall to speak ill of and scheme against the king and his realm.

The balls to speak ill of you when they believed there were no listening ears around; about how your future ascent to the throne would be this kingdom’s downfall, about how His and Her Majesty should have tried for more children in hopes of a young lad.

He could only thank the gods that he returned from his knightly travels when he did, for the dark-haired soldier knew within seconds of overhearing such idiotic arrogance what his next course of action should be.

Like some kind of cunning animal whose only purpose was to hunt and kill, Sir Caleb watched and waited for the opportune moment to present itself before closing in to strike. And that moment arrived when he realized the two men were making their way to the western-most side of the main castle, where the kitchen and laundry rooms were located. He sneered at how clever they thought they were being, choosing that specific place because they were aware most of the help and servants had retired for the evening.

Without a moment’s hesitation, when he had heard enough drivel, he attacked, administering two swift but fatal slashes to their vital points— one for each man. The pain from moving like that when his injuries had been previously reopened nearly caused his legs to buckle, but he remained steady and quick. This had to be quick, for it would be troublesome if they made noise or if he was too sloppy with his timing and execution. Blood splattered on the nearby walls from the sheer force of his swing, the blade cutting through the councilmen like a cleaver cutting through a slab of tender meat. He made a note to himself to come back and clean any remnants that remained later.

The councilmen fell to their knees, staring and cowering from Sir Caleb in confusion, shock, and unadulterated fear at the realization that their lives might end that very night, and that someone might have heard them.

Surely they blathered on in hushed voices, demanding to know the meaning behind his actions, begging for the knight to spare their lives, frantically questioning him if he had heard them say anything particularly controversial. But Caleb paid no mind and did not bother responding. All he did was stare at them, his eyes as empty as a weathered piece of parchment with no ink on it, his salmon-colored lips resting in a straight line that spoke nothing of his true thoughts. 

Caleb’s gaze alone deeply unsettled them, for they had never seen him look like that before.

On his honor as a knight, Caleb would die before he let any harm— relative or distant, real or perceived, indirect or direct— fall upon you if it was in his power to prevent it. Because not only did he pledge his allegiance to the ruler of this land, but to you as well. And in performing his obligatory duties as a knight— guarding you from near and far, being graced with your kindness, your wit, your smile—it was inevitable that he would fall in love with you at some point along the way. 

And wasn’t it a good thing, a true virtuous thing, a normal thing to do what you can for the one they loved? To keep them safe?

And so, with that resolve embedded in his heart, the knight Sir Caleb would do what he could, and did what he must when the steel of his blade at last collided with the mens’ uvula. The last thing those so-called loyal councilmen saw was his void eyes, and the slightest upturn in the corner of his lip.

But you need not worry or be privy to the gritty details. All you needed to know was that he fulfilled his duty in protecting you, in protecting this kingdom you loved dearly and would govern someday. He would see through this role until the day he could no longer.

Aye, you did not need to know that the blood that had now seeped into the fabric of your pretty lilac nightgown and smudged on his face was fresh; you did not need to know that in some other part of this very castle, two people that had been around since your youth had drawn their last breath, never to be seen again; you did not need to know that the faintest hint of guilt and regret for his actions was snuffed out the moment his eyes met your visage. You did not even need to know of the tender affection that he harbored for you– at least, not yet. A separate time for that should arrive soon, he would pray on it.

And now, all Caleb needed was to hear it from you. That you were proud of him.

“I hope my efforts in battle were satisfactory to you, milady. That my efforts …in keeping your safety and interests of the monarchy at heart pleases you.” 

The knight's lips continued to drag across your skin in a lackadaisical manner, its touch at some point turning into undeniable kisses— pecks so light and fleeting you could have imagined it.

But you weren’t. You knew it to be so because the phantom sensation that was left behind after each one was as real as the ground you stood upon.

You were indeed proud of the knight before you, on his knees revering you with his mouth like you were some kind of holy thing that might disappear into thin air. For all of his years here, you have seen the scrapes, the faded scars on his ungloved hands, a limp in his gait or a straggle in his step, and you felt sympathy for him. You sympathized with him for having to sustain a number of different injuries in the name of your kingdom and its values. But seeing him hurt also inspired a great deal of gratitude within you, and you always made sure to take time at night before you fell asleep to thank the Lord above for uniting your paths– even though the two of you were on slightly different social standings. You secretly hoped that one day, that fact might change.

This is why you had no problem in saying that, “From what you have told me, Sir Caleb, your endeavors in battle are indeed quite….satisfactory to me,” Your words were momentarily interrupted with a sound that sounded suspiciously close to a pleasurable sigh, your fingers absently combing through his hair as you continued to speak, “So I must thank you, for doing your duty so well, and apologize that you were so badly wounded in the name of this kingdom. I truly appreciate all that you do.”

The words of sincere gratitude that spilled from your plush lips only excited the muscle beating wildly in Caleb’s chest, and they were enough to spur his heavy hands to glide higher underneath your gown, moving to the backs of your thighs once again. As his lips persevered in its affectionate assault of your legs, his palms mindlessly cupped the full roundness of your buttocks and gave it a slight squeeze, effectively losing himself in the suppleness of your curved body.

His name, without the proper prefix, was about to fall from your tongue, but you swallowed it down in exchange for something else. “This kingdom is— I am quite fortunate to have someone so capable…so strong and valiant at our disposal. Thank you, Sir Caleb, you have done well.” 

And that was all it took for a quiet groan to be pulled from Caleb’s throat. A part of him hoped you didn’t hear it, he was already behaving so shamelessly.

But another part hoped that you did, so maybe then you’d realize without him having to potentially embarrass himself how much he cared for you, craved you, and impacted him so deeply.

“Thank you, milady. You are too gracious to me. I am unworthy of your praises, but will humbly accept them.” One palm resumed its directionless roaming to map out your lower body while the other remained on buttocks, interrupting his own reply by offering your skin doting, airy kisses in between. His reddish violet eyes were somewhat hooded when his gaze flickered up to look at you once more.

“I will continue to do my utmost…to serve you and your kingdom.... to the best of my ability.”

( # ) @smiley-babe @ramonathinks @dollwrites @valentineluvu @rinsko . my apologies if u did not want to be tagged. let me know if you want to be tagged in my future works!

[sovamurka]

@dors-ee

Oh! You made remember so many things. I'm sorry in advance for the amount of words I'm about to produce aggagshdhdjj

To be honest, this is exactly what Riot did prior to Arcane and a little bit after its premiere. Throughout the years I understood more and more that these fuckers should never be trusted with anything so I take every damn thing with a grain of salt. It makes life more enjoyable 😗

But if we speak about financial opportunities of, for a lack of a better word,

💥jinxomance💥...

They didn't really know what could bring them more money.

...

You know what, let me tell you a story called ✨Riot's most notable attempts to explore Jinx's romantic potential throughout the years✨

I'm gonna start with something that doesn't really count. Doesn't count at all, actually. But still kinda does, in my opinion (and my heart 😆). An official crack ship that Riot's staff clearly put for the sake of making a pun. it's totally not the reason I decided to write this post at all, I swear I present to you Jhin/Jinx - the first attempt to toy with the idea of jinxomance.

It was obviously a one-time joke, but I'm so glad Riot's first thought was to make a Valentine's Day card about two characters whose four-letter name starts with J and who are cruelly misunderstood artists in nature (THIS IS EXACTLY MY TYPE OF HUMOUR, I'M SO SORRY, THIS IS EXACTLY THE SHIT I'D PULL IF I WAS THERE). I love it, honestly, it makes me feel like I overdosed on ascorbic acid in the best way possible.

*sighs*

Yes, Star Guardian counts too, actually! In a very "mahou shoujo classic slight yuri that leads nowhere, but it is not really queerbaiting because there's almost nothing going on between anyone, let alone these two" way (you can tell I've been a victim of this one too many times 🚬💀), but it DOES count. Basically, they let Jinx have quotes and moments that could be read BOTH platonically and romantically (Jinx is a tsundere-type character in sg universe so it gives a LOT of freedom to interpretations 🤣��️). Unfortunately for lc enjoyers, chances of something going on between the girls seemingly went down the drain. For many, many, maaaany reasons. But especially when Ezreal came in. I'm sorry, I have to say it, ezlux has more support from Riot than any other ship combined since it's their absolute favourite go-to pairing, with which they can play safe all the time. All in all, it can be considered the first and it seems like the last time they tried to play with the concept of somewhat romantic lightсаnnon.

"But Valoran Town-" First, Valoran Town is meant to be a wild rift ad in a cute animated form where they made all their poster characters friends, so it's very logical Riot would put them in there as bffs, especially considering they made lc bffs in sg before. Second, all the possible romantic undertones between any characters are erased completely (again, except for ezlux, BECAUSE IT'S SAFE TO PLAY).

Also, off topic but kinda not, I noticed how animators made Jinx and Ez do the targonian lovers pose in the intro of Valoran Town. Like, in a very blatant way. But it doesn't lead anywhere (it's just an easter egg). Although, personally, I think it would be fun to watch if they acted on implications.

*coughs*

However, the most famous (prior to Arcane) and undoubtedly clear attempt to make a pairing with our bombastic lady is the whole ordeal of Jinx and Kayn in Odyssey. And not gonna lie, it worked on me because the concept is batshit hilarious while being very suggestive. But this level of blatantly horny dynamic did not work for general public so Riot never attempted to do something like this again. They swept it under a rug and forgot about it, just like with the previous cases.

Despite what some fans (mostly lc ones in my experience) may tell you, jinxomance didn't work in terms of financial benefit. As a separate character? Yes. As a part of a pairing? No.

And then... came Fortiche with their timebomb agenda that slowly caved its way into Riot's chambers. Fortiche's relationship with this particular pairing is actually suspiciously simple 😑 because a lot of things suddenly start to make sense (like why their creative freedom is seen the most with these two characters - to the point where every timebomb scene could be considered a part of an art portfolio) when you learn that their first two projects for Riot were: 1) Get Jinxed music video (Jinx's character trailer); 2) Seconds cinematic (Ekko's character trailer). They're basically Fortiche's babies. It was seemingly pushed by them (even if unintentionally) to the point where certain people on the Riot team started to notice.

I can only guess what happened later.

From now on, everything that came after late 2019 - early 2020, when Arcane was finishing its development of season 1, could be considered an engagement test.

At this point it was pretty clear Riot understands that general public loves Jinx and Ekko as separate poster characters.

The question is, would people enjoy them as a couple (which, contrary to popular belief, doesn't happen often in league). Couple that, most importantly, could help make profit.

Would people buy twice as many things as they did before if they see these two together?

Would people engage with content more than they already do just to learn what both of their favourite characters are up to?

Would people be more inclined to invite new clients just so they could, for example, play the game™ with characters that have matching skins?

The answer is yes, judging by the general reception of this pairing after diabolical Arcane season 2 - the complete public adoration mixed with the absolute international success of "Ma Meilleure Ennemie" (performed by two of the most influential and talented artists of our generation) that exceeded all expectations (which I'm sure at least one of the producers is angry about, because they missed a huge financial opportunity by not giving it promotion - luckily, it was so good it didn't need one).

All in all, as long as timebomb continues to bring money to the company, it won't fade away in favor of other pairings. In fact, it's most likely that the company will focus their attention on it in an attempt to figure out how to make them even more profitable.

I know. Seems like a very materialistic and cruel view of things. But it is what it is, unfortunately.

[delugyu]

OMGGG I JUST FINISHED READING

i have so many thoughts and i’m very bad at putting them together so bear with me !!

starting with the shit that didn’t make me feel like i was losing my mind !! the convo between yn and chaewon abt how she should ask soobin to be her bf is so funny !! also that part where yn was like yeah this better be a good fucking band and then The concert is pretty mediocre. PLEASE

You don’t let yourself think about it as you crash your lips onto his. my heart STOPPED

i love love first of all how both beomgyu and soobin come around at the literally same time and the way you contrasted their personalities and intentions (besides the obvious actually decent man vs crazy bitch lol), like soobin wanting to know mc was sure about him before kissing her while beomgyu was doing a whole lot more and telling her he would be fine being friends just !!!!! (which also ???? fucking insane dude, like i know why but… yet ANOTHER red flag)

this was genuinely a roller coaster in the best way possible. every new scene i was holding my breath, you really plastered the tension all over this fic !!! i really liked how you wrote mc, since pt1 we were literally in her mind and navigating her every thought, but i think this shines a little more in pt2 with all the crazy lol, prompts a lot more self reflection. also you made this so real !! i really really sympathize with yn and i’m so sad the angst is basically her life 😭😭

that one scene with yeonjun made me so mad !!! beomgyu clearly twisted the story but wtf man ???? telling mc off but not the dude who keeps pushing her to have sex ???? asking for her side ???? ughhh, i mean, yn definitely needed to hear that and i like that you show that not everyone will be on her side !! but again, i deeply sympathize with her i just could NOT bear reading her getting dragged by yeonjun 😭😭

the scenes with soobin were so sweet </3 (cue tears) HOW HE SAID SHE WAS THE BEST THING IN THE CITY iirc they talked about that in pt2 i’m SOBBING that whole scene of him saying goodbye hurt me the most ngl, at least the smut was yummy enough to forget about that (seriously though, toe curling smut, hats off to u)

lol this got very long !! i can’t wait to read more of your works (if u want to share what’s next or more birth charts for future mcs, i’m not complaining hehe), take care !!

post-c3 astrology anon 🚬🚬

ASTROLOGY ANONNNN I JUST JUMPED FOR JOY! THANK U FOR THIS🤞 long ass response under the cut + c3 spoilers !!

omg yes that chaewon and yn convo on the phone was such a breath of fresh air to write. love to indulge in a little giggle from time to time. had to give the girls at least one scene to just be girls together. also LMFAOOO the transition for the concert scene tickled me so bad

whew yeah that kiss scene between mc and beomgyu is what inspired the tag “very bad reckless dumb decisions” LMAO cannot blame her tho tbh beomgyu was annoying asf and wasn’t gonna stop until something went his way. and then she got to dom him a little so you know what good for her

you crowning beomgyu w the crazy bitch title gave me a good chuckle. mc should’ve called him that once or twice to shut him up a little

RAHHHHH YESSS i’m so glad u pointed out that contrast between soobin turning mc’s kiss down vs beomgyu willing to go all the way immediately!!! soobin is so patient and level minded, and beomgyu is none of that 😭 soobin cares about fostering and protecting his relationship with the mc meanwhile beomgyu is much more concerned with getting mc to bend to his every whim

teehee thank youuuu some of these scenes i was even feeling the tension while writing. specifically the argument between chaewon and beomgyu omg even i was stressing. eek ty for the compliments on mc’s self reflections!! it was so interesting to navigate that in this part because i wanted to make sure her dilemma came across correctly without annoying the audience. there were so many paragraphs i had to rewrite cause i was like “no… this is too contradictory…” cause her actions had to match her thought process. i really wanted to give her some kind of character development—she was so defined by her weakness for so much of this fic, and i was determined to let her find strength at the end. writing her leaving beomgyu was such a challenge, cause she mentioned so many times that she would never leave him, so i kept asking myself how to write it in a way that seemed true to her character. it came her having to choose her friendship with beomgyu or her own sanity, and that’s kind of when it clicked for her that she had to leave.

the reaction to yeonjun’s scene is so real like 1) who does beomgyu think he is telling yeonjun abt that and 2) who does yeonjun think he is to belittle yn like that?! ur so right to be mad abt yeonjun attacking yn but not beomgyu, like yeonjun didn’t even think to question why beomgyu keeps trying to sex her up while she’s seeing someone else. FUCK THESE MEN!!

I SQUEALEDDDD IM SO HAPPY YOU NOTICED THAT PARALLEL!! in part 1 yn asks soobin what the best thing in the city is and he kinda laughs and looks off shyly, and finally we come back to that here and get his answer 😭😭😭💔 his goodbye scene FUCKING KILLED MEEE… but it’s my favorite scene in the whole fic i just love how soobin can still be this beacon of light even as he’s parting his ways with mc.

YAYYY smut praise makes me spin around and do little tricks i just did a backflip just now out of pure whimsy and glee. glad to be of service i will continue to provide the best work i can… not even iron chains tying my hands back could stop me from writing the freakiest smut scenes in the world when im ovulating

im fucking crying at u coming back just to complain about beomgyu KAJHAJAJHSHSJJS your hater game is so strong i admire it so much. u talking abt this fic with a friend omg u have balls of steel i keep this x reader stuff top secret LMAOOO. wait but like were they intrigued 😏 but yes beomgyu’s confession was sooo out of the blue and changed so much so fast. perhaps it was just another tactic to keep yn from leaving him (even tho it ended up having the opposite effect). yup get him again that isolation point is 10000% what his motive was.

writing manipulative characters is an art form i have perfected over the years… we are bringing beomgyu to the town square and inviting everyone to come throw tomatoes at him. i’ll even give you the honor of driving the car he gets hit by, out of the kindness of my heart

the chart analyses oh how far we’ve come astro anon… our harvest has been so fruitful i love this little farm we should do this forever. more are certainly to come when i get my ass back to work on my next fics.

take care, be well, water our crops while i’m off at work… until next time 🤍

[thatndginger]

From the Art Asks...

For Shapeshifter:

The Kiss: share your favorite kiss scene from this work. If there's no kiss scene, share your favorite moment of intimacy (romantic or platonic)

For our favorite artist, Warrick:

Graphite: what's something decently common that your character does in a unique or different way? (like how graphite is present in all pencils, but not everyone uses pure graphite)

For Shapeshifter and/or War Witch:

Cricut: are there any characters you've had to "cut" from a story? Are there any moments/chapters/stories you've had to "cut" entirely?

--@ceph-the-ghost-writer

I must admit something, Ceph. I could have answered this days ago. HOWEVER, I knew that I had a very specific kiss scene coming up in the chapter I'm writing and I really wanted to show it to you! So without further ado-

The Kiss

Kerr answers by grabbing the front of Jaime’s shirt and pulling him into a kiss. It’s supposed to be a quick thing. A bit of show, maybe, for Warrick and Jay’s benefit, but nothing more than a peck, really. Only… the feel of Jaime’s lips against his, warm and a little dry, is better than Kerr thought it’d be. Especially when Jaime immediately leans into the kiss, a hand falling to Kerr’s hip like he was expecting this all along. The peck becomes something slower, deeper, and definitely better. Pulling away take a bit of effort, but Kerr manages. He can’t quite get his hand to let go of Jaime’s shirt, but then Jaime hasn’t taken his hand off Kerr’s hip either. The questioning eyebrow is back, though. Kerr grins, and turns his head to the side so he can meet Jay’s eyes as he says, “Pick something harder next time, yeah?”

Graphite

Texting. 100% texting. Warrick is that person who will communicate in the most ungodly combination of emoji hieroglyphics and abbreviations you've ever seen. He knows exactly what he's saying. Only those very familiar with him know what he's saying. For example, what do you think this means?: "🚫🚬➡️🏍️➡️rlphs. 🛒?" answer: "Out of smokes, going to Ralph's. Need anything?"

Cricut

So the answer is both yes and no? For Shapeshifter, there have been a lot of ideas that I've cut out of Into the Storm but fully plan on adding to other books down the line. I am one of those writers who likes to re-use ideas. For War Witch, I've definitely cut a lot of things as the plot has progressed. One of the most memorable that will *probably* never get added back in is the version of the story where Mari becomes a spy for the Koric army. She wouldn't be okay with joining the army in any capacity anymore, even in a relatively passive capacity.

[sugucidal]

what’s your writing process like? also i’m so so excited for the next chapter of the neighbor story it’s so hot without feeling awkward and the writing is just perfect!

- 🧝🏾‍♀️

oh god. my writing process is a chaotic, organized mess. and it differs with each piece of work that i write. for this fic? first i start out with an idea and create a draft for it, then ill seek out my gfs opinion on it and if shes fw it, we'll start brainstorming together. if she's not into it, i force her to think of something and that gets my brain gears working to figure out the rest /hj 🦅🦅

so my standard process works like this:

come up with an idea and brainstorm for it

expand on what ive brainstormed

create an outline

expand on certain scenes included in the outline

write it all out </3

let me actually show you what my process looks like (as spoiler free as possible 💔):

first i start out with telling my gf my ideas (aka i word vomit), then she'll help me expand on them, suggest more ideas, dialogue, etc and ill adjust it to fit my preferences. im also biiig on visualization so i make sure to do research and find pics that can help me envision the scenes i want to write out!

then ill do a general summary for how i want the fic/chapter to play out. (also yes i use comic sans. makes my brain tingle 🦫)

then ill create an outline expanding on that:

then me or my gf will expand on any of the scenes that i have in mind:

and once we're happy with how its looking, i proceed with actually writing it all out 🚬🐟. ill have multiple drafts for one piece of work cause im always adjusting things, adding stuff, or changing my ideas—and things can get really messy so i try making it clean by creating new documents for it lol

something i also do that i suggest literally everyone who writes or wants to write, do as well—is jotting down any thoughts, scenes, or dialogue you come up with that you could use for later!! dont wait till you get to that particular scene in order to write for it. if you can write for it right now, you can use it later and it'll save you so much time.

(these are all dialogue that i may or may not use 🙇🏻‍♀️).

and that's pretty much what my writing process looks like ₍ˆ ̳ , ̫ , ̳ˆ₎. as for smut? thats a whole other different process.