#you could have your pick from SO MANY stories!!

[papaya-twinks]

a kids’ fairytale - l.n

Warnings: single!father, single!mother, swearing, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of sex, anxiety, picking nails/skin

Pairing: Lando Norris x fem!reader

Summary: Having a child so young hadn’t exactly been Lando’s idea of a fairytale, but what happened next, well, more suited to his kind of story ✨

Having a child so young hadn’t been Lando’s idea of a fairy tale dream.

Lando had been 20 at the time - young and reckless. Too reckless.

A night of drinks and rowdiness, ending up with his girlfriend, who was also 20, pregnant with a child she didn’t want - and child she was angry at Lando for having put in her.

And as much as he pleaded and begged her to stay once his little baby girl was born - she wouldn’t.

In her words, she didn’t want to live with Lando from mistakes he had made.

And that hurt him. A hell of a lot more than he’d like to admit.

Because he loved his little girl, a hell of a lot more than that bimbo who’d walked out on him.

And besides, little Honey looked so much like Lando, you wouldn’t have even guessed there was another person involved if biology didn’t exist.

She had his gorgeous, chocolate brown ringlets, shimmering green eyes, and a heart of gold.

Just like her father.

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Now you, on the other hand. A similar story, but inverted. A father who didn’t care so much for you or your child, and mistakes when you were 19.

That left you and your poor boy, Alec, to fend for yourself.

But you worked hard, you weren’t the kind of person to wallow in mistakes you’d made when you were younger, and you’d worked.

You’d worked for so long, trying your best to provide food for your child, and soon enough, a promotion for your dedication catapulted you to the success that brought your child happiness.

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“You excited, baby?” Lando smiled, kneeling down in front of his daughter.

Honey nodded gleefully, her eyes bright and shining as her father squeezed her hand.

Since she was born, Lando had made it his mission to give her the upbringing any and every child deserved, and he tried his best to fill in the place of a mother as best he could.

And so, he’d spent hours when she was only two, sitting In his room for ages past midnight brushing the head of a mannequin, and learning how to braid.

And he was never prouder, as he looked at the beautiful girl that was his daughter, her hair tied in pigtails he has tied, with little bows on the end, just like she’d asked for.

“Daddy, I’m gonna make so many friends!” she squealed, clutching at his hand.

“Never been surer,” he said, gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Everyone’s gonna like you, beans,”.

He’d conveniently put a hoodie and an oversized coat on, enough to cover up his identity so the attention wasn’t taken away from his daughter’s first day at school.

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“Mama, what if no one wants to be friends with me?” Alec said, chewing on his nails.

“Hey, hey,” you scolded, “none of that now,”.

“Don’t be silly, baby, everyone’s gonna wanna be your friend, won’t they?

“Mama, I’m not sure,” he said, still picking and chewing at the skin around his nails.

You gently took his smaller hand in your, giving it a squeezers you looked into his scared, puppy-looking eyes.

“Baby, I promise you, it’s gonna be fine, okay?” you said, examining the little cut on his finger where he’d picked off the skin.

Half the time, you were tempted to put his baby mittens back on to keep him from doing this.

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The walk to school was a quiet, yet comfortable silence.

You were hand in hand with your little boy, his backpack slung over your shoulder.

“I spy, with my little eye…” he looked around, his eyes flickering from place to place.

You’d decided that maybe playing a game would distract him from the nerves of starting at this school and ease the little cogs working in the back of his mind.

“…something beginning with…G!”.

“Hmmm,” you said, playing along, “garbage can!” you said, looking around.

“Nuh-uh, Mama, try again!”.

“Gate…Glasses….Girraffe!” you laughed as he squeezed at your hand! laughing as much as you were.

“No mama!” Alec laughed, “there’s not a giraffe anywhere!”

“Maybe there is….no what was it, then?”.

“Girl!” he pointed at a brunette girl in the distance, who looked equally as shy as him, holding her father’s hand.

Interesting.

You usually didn’t see fathers dropping their kids off to school or anything….

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Lando was standing anxiously in line, painfully aware of the whispers between the other parents, particularly the mothers.

The only other fathers had at least another woman with them, and god, he hated gender stereotypes.

“Daddy, that boy’s pointing at us,” Honey said, tugging on his hand.

“Hm?” Lando hummed, snapping out of his thoughts and following his daughter’s gaze.

She was right, there was indeed a very timid looking at them.

And hand-in-hand with a woman, a very pretty one at that.

Like every new parent, it was his first time doing all…this…parent stuff.

Lando didn’t know whether to be concerned or just ignore it, and regard it as kids being kids…but it was definitely slightly odd.

“Daddy, do we say hi?” Honey whispered as Lando knelt down, thinking for a second.

Meanwhile, you were desperately trying to make Alec put his damn hand down and stop pointing at poor strangers.

“Mama, they saw us,” Alec said, wide-eyed.

“Of course they did, you numpty,” you said, poking him on the nose, “you were pointing at them,”.

Alec pouted at the fact that he’d been ‘caught’, taking your hand as you followed him into the classroom.

“Alec, sweetie, it’s a line,” you said, slightly embarrassed as he walked cluelessly in front of the girl.

“Hey,” she said indignantly, tapping him on the shoulder.

Oh god.

“We were here first,” she said, her tone showing she was clearly not happy with the line cutting on your son’s behalf.

Lando looked just as embarrassed for his own daughter, a light red blush spilling from his cheeks all the way to his ears as he averted his gaze from you.

“Darling, c’mon, let’s not be rude-,” Lando started, his words going completely over Honey’s head.

“Go to the back,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Sorry,” Lando mouthed to you as you nodded, tugging slightly on Alec’s arm.

“C’mon, sweetie, she’s right, no pushing in,” you said, trying to encourage him to move.

But he was frozen still on the spot.

His eyes were wide, brimming with tears as Lando groaned, why did his daughter inherit his attitude as well?

“Honey!” Lando said, kneeling down, “you can’t make people cry!”.

She opened her mouth to bicker but Lando was having none of it, whispering to her as she pouted.

You’d managed to clean some of the spilled tears with your hands, calming him down as he sniffled.

“C’mon, now, no tears on your first day,” you cooed.

Lando looked sympathetic as he watched your cradle your son in your arms, and even Honey looked slightly guilty.

You reluctantly let Alec back down as the teacher let all the children down, not without him giving you a kiss on the cheek, taking his bag and walking slowly behind everyone else.

“Jesus, I’m so sorry-,” Lando started, in sync with you.

You both paused, before laughing, as Lando held his hand out for you to shake.

“I’m…Oscar and my daughter’s Honey,” he said, waiting for you to share your name.

He didn’t know why he had lied, much less why he’d chosen his teammates name, but hey, he’d rather you didn’t know he was famous.

“Y/N, and my one’s Alec,” you said, walking away from the class beside “Oscar”.

(A/N - I’ll refer to him still as Lando except in dialogue so it makes sense 😭)

“They’re tough little things to deal with, aren’t they?” Lando asked, digging his hands into his pockets.

“Tell me about it,” you laughed, your breath puffing in front of your face.

“Much harder when you’re a single parent.” Lando muttered under his breath as you looked up. “What was that?” you asked, cocking your head as he blushed again.

“Nothing, nothing,” he said quickly, “didn’t mean to trauma dump,”.

“No, you said something about single parents,” you said, “you’re…a single parent as well?”.

“Yep,” he grimaced, before pausing.

“Wait, you are as well?” he asked, raising a brow as you nodded; was that so hard to believe.

“Oh, but I thought…nevermind,” he said, shaking his head quickly.

“No, c’mon, share with the class,” you smiled, purposefully adding the school-related pun to the mix as Lando laughed.

“Would’ve thought someone would’ve scooped you up by now, I mean…you’re quite…you know, forgive me for being forward,” he said bashfully, “you’re quite pretty,”.

“Oh,” you blushed, “well thank you very much,”.

“You’re quite good looking yourself,” you added as he laughed, smiling at your compliment.

“You know, I could swear I’ve seen your face somewhere,” you said out of the blue, his body going into alert mode.

No, absolutely not.

He was not about to fuck up this little chance with this very hot pretty and very kind mom by bringing up the fact he was a rich, famous F1 driver.

“No. Probably not,” Lando said, far too quickly, “I have, uh, one of those faces, y’know?”.

“You sure you aren’t famous or anything?” you teased.

“Famous? Uh, little ol’ me?” he laughed, trying to keep himself authentic, “not at all,”.

You just chuckled, digging your own hands into your pockets.

“Well, this is me, so,” you said, gesturing to the dingy little apartment as he nodded.

God forbid you ever saw his grand ass house.

“It was nice meeting you Y/N,” Lando nodded, giving you a wage as you smiled.

“You as well,”.

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As much as you told yourself that maybe you hadn’t seen Lando somewhere, and maybe your mind was playing on tricks on you, it just wouldn’t stop bugging you. 

He definitely wasn’t “one of those faces”. 

Not in the slightest. 

Which other person that you could possibly know could have such perfect, chocolate brown curls, such pretty olive green eyes, such perfect lips-

Hold. Up.

Since Alec had been born, you’d vowed never to go near another man like that, what the fuck? 

What the hell was going on? 

You weren’t some feeble little girl who relented to men who looked the slightest but attractive, not at all…what was this man doing to you? 

You didn’t want Lando to be another mistake.

Not like when you’d be younger and more innocent and more stupid.

But you didn’t have time to worry about who Lando was, if that was even his name, anyways, because Alec needed to be picked up.

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But on that walk to pick up your son, you couldn’t help but think that maybe you were being a bit too cautious.

He had said he was a single parent, so maybe he struggled as well.

You walked into the gates, shivering in the cold once again as you waited for the kids to come out, catching Lando’s eye as you did so.

You gave him a smile, hands buried deep into your packets as you shivered.

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Shit.

Why’s she not coming over? Has she found out who I am? Go,leave, anything but that…

The thoughts were rushing through Lando’s head as he took a breath, deciding to walk over. “Hey,” you smiled as he did so, nodding your head.

“Hi,” he said, “just thought I’d come over whilst we waited for the kids,” he nodded.

“Yeah, okay,” you said, looking to the door. “So, Oscar,” you said, using the name he’d told you, “how’s your daughter been?”.

“Oh, Honey? She’s got an attitude on her, but she’s been an angel,” he gave you a nod, “and Alec?”

“I’m sure she has,” you smiled, “Alec’s more on the introvert side of things,”.

“Yeah,” Lando nodded, “I noticed,”.

“Take after his mother or what?” Lando asked, watching the steady stream of kids pour out, neither of yours in sight.

“Takes after me more than the father, thankfully,” you laughed, “Honey take after you or is she like her mother?” you asked, reflecting the question.

“Definitely in looks,” you added.

“Yeah, she looks a lot like me,” Lando smiled, “she’s taken my attitude as well, which is….yeah,” Lando chuckled.

“Damn, that’s a…change,” you said.

Lando looked up, letting out another laugh as you both watched Honey talking a lot, and Alec standing there and listening to her politely.

“At least they get on,” Lando pointed out as you nodded.

“Hey baby,” you knelt down, leaving Lando to talk to Honey, “how was school, hm?”.

“I made a friend,” Alec said, his eyes lighting up as Honey gave you a wave, making you smile.

This couldn’t have fallen into Lando’s favour this well.

“I saw,” you smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Daddy, can me and Alec go to the park?” Honey asked as you and Lando nodded, walking with them to the nearby park.

“So,” Lando said, “they’re pretty close, i s’ppose,”.

“Right they are,” you said, your doubts as to who Lando was, long forgotten.

“I guess we’re gonna a have to have play dates at each other’s places, then,” you said coolly, watching the kids, missing the way Lando tensed.

“Yeah, yeah, maybe,” Lando said, “I’m doing some renovations at the moment,” he lied, “so I’m not really sure I’ll be able to have anyone round,”.

“Oh that”s fine,” you said, still determined to be suspicious, as you watched the kids play.

“You can bring Honey round mine, and maybe we can have some coffee like grown adults,” you laughed.

“Yeah…I hate coffee,” Lando said, scrunching his nose as you chuckled.

“Me too,” you smiled.

[nothorses]

I'm starting to feel like.. i should stop looking to transfems for allyship. the way so many of them talk about and treat transmascs... i'm probably better off on my own than trying to form any kind of united front or community or whatever with them. the number of times i've seen transfems putting transmascs down lately is just.. it's ridiculous..

Trans people have been eating each other alive for a long time, and it's gonna keep happening, unfortunately. On the bright side, not everyone's like that! And lots of transmascs (and other trans folks) suck just as bad as the transfems letting you down.

The thing about it is that if you want a better trans community, you have to help make it. If you want solidarity, you have to start by offering yours. If you want the river to be clean, you need to go pick the litter out of it. I know it's hard and unpleasant a lot of the time, and it's scary because you might get hurt, but you still have to try. Being scared or tired or even hurt doesn't get you out of trying.

There are a lot of people already trying together, and a lot of them are transfem. Seek them out in every way you can. (I often reblog from them, if you need a place to start, and I think I've put some lists under my #recs tag over the years)

And don't let the seperationism get you. I'm so serious right now, we cannot under any circumstances afford to entertain seperationist ideas or feelings. Start reckoning with it if you haven't yet, and don't let yourself stop reckoning with it.

You need to remember that even the ones who are wrong about you are still more right about themselves than you could ever be, and you need to listen to what they're saying about themselves anyway. If you start tuning them all out because of what they're getting wrong about you, you will lose a massive part of the story, and your picture will always be incomplete. We can't make things better for trans people if our picture of transphobia and trans experiences is incomplete.

I'm sorry you've been hurt. You deserve better. I hope you're able to connect with folks who make it easier soon.

[amorre1989]

new years day

pairing: Spencer Reid; reader

word count: 2,7k

story: cleaning up the mess with Spence after new years day party

Did we host the best New Year's Eve party of the year? yes. Do we have to clean up the mess in his apartment now? also yes.

As I was saying goodbye to all of my girl friends I saw a glimpse of glitter on the floor that was thrown to the air during the party, they were carrying their shoes from the pain of trying to keep them on their feet all night.

I turned around and saw my beautiful boyfriend, Spencer, dressed with a black blazer that was now off and he was wearing a plain black buttoned shirt. He was picking up everything he could find and throwing it inside a big garbage bag.

I walk towards him after I lock the door and hug him from behind. "you can leave it there, I'll clean it tomorrow" I say, a little aphonic from all the yelling and talking I did.

"it's gonna be tiring to do it tomorrow" he says, visibly exhausted, I think it wasn't a good idea to host at his place, but he insisted.

"I promise I'll clean up tomorrow" I say as I kiss his shoulder getting on my tip toes to accomplish that action.

He sighs and leaves the bag, he turns around and wraps his arms around my waist, sometimes in my mind I compare that feeling to wearing a corset, he's got such a strong grip he has left more than once a little reddish on my skin.

He holds both sides of my head and kisses me, so soft, so warm, so Spence.

"did you have fun?" I ask. He limits himself to smile and nod. I hug him and stroke his back.

"let's go to bed baby" he says aphonic as well, it was the first time I saw Spence having fun, really having fun. It was a weird combination of guests, his coworkers, my coworkers, my friends, their boyfriends, and some other plus one's. The entire building was having different parties at each apartment, so no one complained.

"do you think tomorrow Ms Johnson will gossip to you about how bad and little she slept?" he asks. I laugh "she definitely will, we have a bond, but I won't confess we were part of the problem...I'll say we went to my parents house, so...be my alibi"

"I'll always be your alibi baby" he says against my lips. "what the hell did you drink? you stink" he says smiling against my lips. I laugh, a bit offended.

"everything you drank!"

"oh no, you drank more than me, I only ate" he says

"no you did not, you liar" I accuse offended.

He laughs and says "yes I did! every time I turned around with chips on my hands you were drinking! once I saw you drink straight from a bottle!". You blush and smile "mh.. weird, I don't remember that" you say as you leave.

He laughs and kicks the garbage bag so you don't trip with it in the morning. He follows you to the bathroom where you're taking your makeup off.

"did you see there's people using beef to moisturize their faces?" you ask while creating bubbles in your face.

"we have some in the fridge if you wanna try" he says smiling, now aware of how you're not gonna do that.

"yuck". He smiles and strokes your lower back.

"this is a nice dress" he says while feeling the texture of the beads and little stones on your dress. He lowers his hand and strokes your butt. You smile. He pats your butt and leaves.

When you finish washing your face you go to his- your bedroom (he has corrected you many times) and try to take off the dress, mission you fail successfully. "help" you say still trying to reach the closing. He gets up from the bed and stands behind you, he holds the closing and starts to lower it, you can feel his breathing. Drunk and horny, that's a new one. He holds your waist and presses you closer to him, he kisses your now bare shoulder and pushes the straps down your arms, feeling your skin, you feeling his hands and his growing bulge, he bites your shoulder and you smile.

"it's a hot night, I think we should sleep naked" you hear he says, very blunt Mr Reid.

"is it? or is it just an excuse to be quicker in the morning" you ask, laughing.

"tomorrow we'll be so sore we won't even be able to pull our clothes off" he says. He turns you around so you're standing face to face and starts to take your dress off and your lingerie starts to be visible to his sight. He laughs "blue and pink?", you smile "what does it stand up for? barbie?" he says smiling.

"no, pink to attract sweetness and love, and blue for focusing on the new projects" you say, very serious.

"what do you need pink for? you have me." he says squinting his eyebrows.

"well for that, to keep that love"

He smiles and kisses you. His hand strokes your lower back. "let's go to bed" he whispers.

After you put on your designated shorts and shirt you get inside the bed, as soon as you cover yourself with the blankets he pulls you closer and rests his chin on your shoulder. Obviously you're the little spoon (which sometimes switches, cause he's a little baby).

"happy new year baby, I'm glad...I'm so happy that we're starting it like this" he says with his voice calm and low as he kisses your temple. You were about to reply when you felt his soft snoring hitting your ears, you laughed and rested your head on the pillow "I am too baby" you whispered and fell asleep.

honestly I imagined it more with Matthew in his new years day party outfit. Son of a bitch, he looked gorgeous, he has me dripping foam from my mouth.

[i-am-a-bad-influence-writes]

P*rn ☆  Introduction

Masterlist Word count: 1 k Sylus x Fem!Reader

Summary: You have been following a spicy content creator by the name of Red Crow for some time now. Nothing could’ve prepared you for what would happen when he moves into the apartment next door.

Mature content under the cut. This part is setup. No graphic content yet.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

It's been fucking years! Not by your choice. No, not at all. You just hadn't had the time or the energy, but God do you crave it. It hadn't really bothered you the first year. You had gone on dates regularly, but despite your love for intimacy you need a certain level of connection before you lay down and take it. Sure, you had a few nice connections but no one that managed to turn you on. 

Not like he does. 

Ever since your regular booty call called it off, you started watching some adult content. At first nothing really seemed to call to you. You were flipflopping from category to category as if you were flipping through a magazine, leaving you high and dancing on the edge of full gratification every single time. Sure, you came but it never felt that great. 

Then you found him. 

Tall as a fucking mountain, grey hair, red eyes, sly smile, toned body, strong nose that's ever so slightly crooked. You even remember the little scar under his left eye. But what does it for you, most of all, is his voice. Low and gravely, constantly teasing and commanding. There's something more to it though. When he gets to the edge, it's almost as if he wants someone to take over and it fucking gets you going. Makes your panties go from bone dry to soaking wet in a matter of seconds. 

Worst of all, the man has a TikTok page and a Tumblr page. Neither are all that suggestive. The TikTok has some thirst traps and workout videos, but the Tumblr page is a different story. On there, he reads spicy romance books to his audience. He had tried it before on YouTube but got taken down real fast. Those books, the way his voice picks up and changes with the story. It's truly something magical. You'd almost consider it better content than the videos of him stroking his dick, though you don't mind that those exist at all. 

And today is Friday, which means he's posting a new chapter and there's a possibility of a new video on TikTok. Nothing too riveting but enough to get you going and keep you going for the weekend. You're looking at a long and satisfying weekend with your magic wand. Just one more hour until your shift is done. 

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

'Again?!' Sylus’ voice booms through the living room of his apartment. If it were any louder, the walls would shiver. 'I was so fucking careful this time,' he says through gritted teeth. His hand has a strong grasp on his phone, almost snapping the thing in his fit of rage. 

"I don't know what to tell you man. Maybe someone followed you?" Kieran, the ever daft creator that makes spicy content with his friend Luke, tells him in the kindest voice he can must up. He knows just as well as Sylus that the man is impossibly popular. It all happened overnight just a year or two ago when he made a video humping a pillow and groaning praises to a nonexistant partner. Ever since then, he's been making content solo. It's doing much better than his partnered stuff used to.  

It also came with unwanted attention. Sylus lives for the praises and truly feral comments on his socials and spicy content, but this. This goes too far. It's the third time in as many years he's been doxed. If it were a stalked he could go to the police but it seems to be someone different each time. 

Sylus groans and runs a hand through his hair. 'I should move further away this time.' 

"That's the understatement of the century. Just be glad they haven't got your name yet." 

Yet. The word rings in Sylus’ head for a little longer than he would like it to. If those feral women and men got his name, he would never get any peace again. Sure, he was the one that decided to put his face in all those videos and that might've been stupid. It is stupid. Especially for someone who likes his privacy as much as Sylus does. 

"Oh, Luke just said he knows a place for you. He has a friend who owns an apartment ages away from your place. He's been looking for someone to lease it to." 

'I can trust this person?' 

"Yes, for sure. I know this guy too. He's some flamboyant artist that owns too many properties to keep track of who lives where." Sylus sighs, a rumble going through his chest. 

'Fine, get me the contact info.' 

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

'You doing anything fun this weekend,' your friend and colleague Tara asks with a sweet smile. You almost spill and tell her, but she's far too pure to understand any of your desires. It'd be better to keep this friendship as wholesome as it is. 

'Nothing much. I don't have any plans for once. I'm probably going to binge that TV show you recommended.' 

'Oooh, tell me what you think about it,' she replies excitedly. At that moment, a car honks, and she looks up. Her lovely boyfriend is waiting for her in the car. 'See you soon,' she says with a quick wave and off she goes. The man even gets out of the car to open the passenger door for her. Such a nice man. He waves to you and you nod back. You know him a little, but he never comes along to any company events or dinners. If you're not mistaken, his name is Kieran. Nice guy. 

You make your way to your car and drive home. Traffic is terrible but uneventful. All you can think about is sitting down on the couch at home and listening to whatever Red Crow has cooked up this time. 

[oceanicwriting]

you... love me?

part one. part two.

summary: one afternoon, while you're going home from work, you run into that man who had become a complete stranger in your life. how much had things changed? how much could you remember from that encounter?

pairing(s): theodore nott x fem!reader

a/n: this is part two of another story that's addressed above. you don't need to read the first one, but you might like it! i really liked this ending :-).

maybe angst...

ㅤㅤㅤ—mattheo's an asshole —hellen, your best friend, whines on the other end of the phone—. i swear i had no idea he'd invited everyone, including...

ㅤㅤㅤ—you don't have to worry. —you try to sound calm, but you weren't calm at all—. it's been a long time since we last saw each other. we must be over it, right?

ㅤㅤㅤ—that's the question i should ask you, don't you think?

ㅤㅤㅤit's been three and a half years since you last saw your ex-boyfriend from school who, at the last moment of the relationship, ended up being a complete stranger. so many things happened in the last months of the relationship that, after ending due to the tiredness of the repetitive arguments, avoiding him was a game in which you became an expert.

ㅤㅤㅤ—i'm completely over it. —you lie, stopping the supermarket cart in the fruit section.

ㅤㅤㅤ—of course. —the voice of your friend on the other end of the line extends the letter o, making you roll your eyes—. is that why you haven't been with anyone since then?

ㅤㅤㅤ—because i haven't wanted to, hellen —you answer, laughing as you grab some apples to put in the bag.

ㅤㅤㅤ—do you really think i've believed you every time you tell me that? i feel like you're always waiting for him. you want him to show up in your life as a completely different person, but every time i try to talk about him with you, you...

ㅤㅤㅤin the middle of the speech, one of the apples slips out of your hands, rolling across the neat floor of the supermarket until it hits the feet of a man on the other side of the displays. you turn around, still hearing your friend's voice prattling about everything that's wrong with your love life, but as soon as that man turns to pick up the apple, the entire world succumbs to silence.

ㅤㅤㅤbrown hair, messy and wavy, falling over his pale forehead. those blue eyes, hidden behind long, almost sleepy, drooping eyelashes, are glued to yours. you had the feeling that he had grown taller, or perhaps it was the musculature that widened his shoulders. he was well dressed in a black suit and long coat that gave him an overly adult air.

ㅤㅤㅤ—theodore —you say, perplexed.

ㅤㅤㅤ—yes, i'm talking about theodore. are you listening to me...?

ㅤㅤㅤ—hellen, i'll call you later.

ㅤㅤㅤtheodore hasn't moved, and you have the feeling that he's as stunned as you are by the materialization of your body in front of him.

ㅤㅤㅤ—hello. —the sound of his voice hasn't stopped affecting your heart rate, giving you goosebumps with the simple, carefree greeting—. you look... good.

ㅤㅤㅤyou smile, unable to do anything else in the face of the comment.

ㅤㅤㅤ—miss, could you let me pick some apples? —an adult lady with more wrinkles than you could imagine appears next to you, forcing you to move your cart—. thank you.

ㅤㅤㅤtheodore has also moved, being closer to each other. in your nose, you can feel the scent of his body hit hard, making you smell the air around you more than necessary.

ㅤㅤㅤ—this is yours —he says, extending the apple that was in his hand.

ㅤㅤㅤ—yes, thank you...

ㅤㅤㅤyour hands wrap around the fruit, brushing your fingertips against theodore's skin. it was as cold as you remembered, rough as unused sandpaper and electrifying as it had always been. everything felt so familiar that a current of panic runs through your spine.

ㅤㅤㅤ—what are you doing here? —you ask, feeling your voice shoot out in a fear-filled question—. i mean, here, in london.

ㅤㅤㅤand you weren't going to lie because more than once, you heard the voices of his friends saying that he was still in italy.

ㅤㅤㅤ—work and mattheo's engagement party —he says. with each word that left his lips, the air became lighter, allowing you to lower your defenses—. who knew he would be the first to get engaged?

ㅤㅤㅤyou laugh softly, noticing how theodore doesn't take his eyes off your happy expression. maybe after a long time things were different for both of you and you had to make the effort to disassociate your last experiences with him.

ㅤㅤㅤ—hellen can be very insistent when she wants to. —your whole body reacts to the smile you swore had gotten over, but he manages to send all kinds of sensations to your body—. you...? would you come with me? i still have things to buy.

ㅤㅤㅤtheodore looks at you, calm. his eyes have not left yours at any time, and you are sure that everyone has started to look at you strangely for standing there. then, he nods, making you release all the air you have been holding in your lungs.

ㅤㅤㅤas you wander around the supermarket you discover that theodore is still working as an astronomy teacher at the italian school of wizards and witches, he hasn't seen the boys since he left but they write letters to each other frequently, and he's had more than two partners since he finished school.

ㅤㅤㅤ—how about you? —he asks, picking up your bags to help you with them to the exit door—. are you going with someone to the engagement party?

ㅤㅤㅤand it's a moment, small as an ant against the planet, that you have the memory of that conversation between you. you remember how theodore dreamed of seeing you wear a white dress, walking to the altar where he would wait for you, surrounded by the people you loved and full of emotion. that had happened that year of your relationship, where everything was dyed pink before burning to ashes.

ㅤㅤㅤ—i... i'll go alone —you answer, unable to look at him because of the shame. theodore had gotten over you, and you had waited for him for a long time in the hopes of finding a new man—. thanks for carrying the bags.

ㅤㅤㅤhe could notice the way your uneasy gaze falls to the ground, handing over the bags and feeling the current from your body pass through his.

ㅤㅤㅤ—you're welcome.

ㅤㅤㅤand the truth of the matter is that not seeing each other for so long, right after breaking up the way you did, hadn't given way for either of you to grow. it's like you've both stopped in time because something was still tying you so tightly that moving forward was impossible. you turn around, ready to walk to the opposite side of theodore, but his voice stops you.

ㅤㅤㅤ—i lied to you. —he's firm, chasing away any trace of fear that blooms in the darkness of the sky—. i lied to you when i said that i've had partners in these years. since you left me, i haven't been able to move forward with my life.

ㅤㅤㅤyou turn to see him, noticing his blue eyes shining with honesty.

ㅤㅤㅤ—because you were right. —that makes you frown—. when someone loves you, they trust. when someone loves you, they listen. and if i loved you... i should never have done all the harm i did to you. and i know that i didn't love you, not like i should have.

ㅤㅤㅤ—theo...

ㅤㅤㅤ—and i waited all these years for you to come back like every time we argued when we were younger —he says, laughing bitterly—. that shows that i haven't been able to change.

ㅤㅤㅤeven though his words were loaded with a farewell, instead of shedding tears for the beating of your heart, you feel a weight lift off your shoulders.

ㅤㅤㅤ—i have to learn to love, and i'm sure i couldn't do it with you, because after a long time, i was still waiting for you to come back as if nothing had happened.

ㅤㅤㅤ—and i was hoping you'd come back a different man, theodore —you admit, smiling melancholy—. if you had said what i wanted to hear, i don't think anything would have stopped me from accepting it. would we have ended up in the same circle as years ago? no?

ㅤㅤㅤtheodore nods, letting out a long sigh.

ㅤㅤㅤ—i'm happy we can accept it —you say, smiling at the way all your fears have disappeared, and not because of his presence, but because you've cut that tie that bound you two—. i feel like i can move on with my life now.

ㅤㅤㅤhe agrees, and you both smile one last time before walking in your directions. sometimes, two people who love each other aren't made to be together, even if they feel so strongly attracted to each other. theodore and you loved each other a lot, but at the same time, you managed to understand that a life together wasn't for you.

dedicated to @lorenzozurzolocanruinmylife, sorry if it isn't what you expected, and i hope you like it! xoxo

[narcjsistx]

𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 | kaiser x reader

— part twelve

plot: kaiser comforted you after a bad and slow breakup, but what will happen now considering what you two shared? is everything still unexpected or is there something you both simply have yet to realize?. fluff shit 'cause yeah!!

words: 3.2k (3203)

extra: it will probably become a multi part story, tell me if you're interested in a part thirteen!

𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ; take a look, trust me!. you can find the other parts of the story by searching in the section dedicated to bllk

If revenge took so much time, you weren't sure you wanted to take revenge against Gabriel and possibly Ursula. You had been spending all your time calculating your ex's steps in great detail for a month now, trying to find the tip of the iceberg that hid a world of mistakes underneath; but you couldn't find this tip, and you were starting to lose hope. You knew for a fact that Gabriel had a lot of secrets that the more hidden the worse they were, but you couldn't figure out where to start to unmask these secrets of his. You can't help but admit that he's a smart person, and he's definitely trying to use this potential to hide all his mistakes

After that night, Kaiser had decided to take his vacation early to enjoy some time with you, and in his humble opinion you yourself needed your boyfriend to work better and send Gabriel to hell. It was Kaiser's cute way of saying he wanted to be around you, you knew, but it made you laugh to imagine him as if he were at home planning some sort of murder with his soccer ball. Besides, since you had that hysterical crying fit, you had never found yourself without breakfast ready in the morning and someone to take you to and from work. Some paparazzi had intercepted Michael in the car, but so far you were not in any other current scandal. If they had started something you would have simply shut everyone, the media and the entire world, with yet another excuse

You pick up the phone, retrieving it after hours in the hands of the stylists, who have used your body for at least four consecutive hours with the clothes of the next fashion show. Today in the agency there are few models, you and a few others scattered throughout the entire building; Ursula should be in her office and there is no trace of Gabriel since this morning. It's a pretty boring day, the next show is still far away and many prefer to stay home and come in the afternoon, if they have to. You could have stayed in the arms of your beloved boyfriend in your soft and warm bed, but if you really want to find out something about Gabriel you have to be around all the time

And if that means wasting hours you could spend with Kaiser, you'll do it for now. You sighs, checking messages you've received

mihya ♡

— Return home at least for lunch is not an idea, right? — 12:08

— I take that as a no, schatz — 13:10

you — I was busy, sorry love — 13:20

— I had guessed it. But for dinner I want to order from that french food shop that disgusts you, so be ready — 13:21

you — Obviously I'll eat before I return home, disgusting boyfriend — 13:21

— You are hurting me badly. You might not find your favorite socks when you get home — 13:22

you — MICHEAL KAISER TOUCH THOSE SOCKS AND I SWEAR TO GO BACK TO ITALY, I SWEAR — 13:23

— You're always so sweet, schatz. Any news on your evil plan of destruction? — 13:23

you — None other than I'm thinking of giving up. That bastard seems to have everything hidden so perfectly, my god. I thought I had learned to read he at least a little after years, but apparently not. I'm thinking of just making up something far away that he might have done and making it the news of the century. It looks cool — 13:25

— You could say he cheated on you, manipulated you, maybe even slapped you once, and you wouldn't even be lying — 13:26

you — I don't know whether to be amused by the fact that you're absolutely right or to feel stupid for letting him act like that — 13:27

— The one that make you feel better, or the one that make you come home to me now — 13:27

you — Mihya :(( — 13:28

— Shall I pick you up then? — 13:29

As you are about to write 'yes' to Kaiser you notice someone passing by you, proceeding towards his destination with a certain hurry. You look up, noticing that that someone is Gabriel, who strangely did not bother you as he usually does. His face is a bit worried, and his pace is hurried as he begins to climb the steps that lead directly to Ursula's office. He has a folder in his hand, from witch a sheet of paper accidentally slips out, ending up on the steps

You put your phone in your pocket, making a mental note to answer your boyfriend. You walk a few meters away from Gabriel, who disappears from your life as soon as he passes the highest staircase. You run to the place where the paper fell, pick it up and sit for a moment on a nearby step, taking a long sigh. The last time you had to deal with secret papers you almost risked ending your friendship with Kaiser, but in the end the result is having him as a boyfriend. Will it bring you luck this time or not? You ask yourself this because, deep down, you know that this paper is important, maybe really important. You yake a little preparatory sigh as you begin to observe

The sheet is presented with simple data about the models and their paychecks. For some more information are written, such as their age and how long they have been working for the agency, but reading it you cannot find your name. You reread the paper several times, but you can't find yours. Why, even though you work here, you are not on the list of models?. You search for the name of some model you are more or less friends with, and at the bottom of the description of one you find a somewhat strange sentence

"Alleged friend of X. Seen with her more than a few times, probably they have an informal relationship. Seems to know about X's situation, possible collaborator. She might ask for a raise, a higher position at the next fashion show, or a transfer to another agency"

You reread the sentence several times, not fully understanding it. What should she be a collaborator for?. Also, she's a model who's been in the agency for a short time, and you're the only one she has any sort of relationship with. You'd like to avoid thinking about it, but you think X is a code name they gave you, for who knows what reason. You turn the sheet over, and in the white part you find a small erased note, still half legible

"She simply asked for a pay rise and more vacation days during the christmas period. She will provide information via messages during the day. X should have told her about deleted and maybe some details about her old deleted"

The girl in question then spoke, but on what topic? If it's really you X, you've never told this girl anything personal, except some old stories from when you were in other agencies, but those have nothing really important. Did she lie?. You get up from the step, walking towards Ursula's office with a cautious step, hoping not to find anyone on your way. Arriving in front of the door you look from inside the crack to see if there is anyone, but you are surprised to see absolutely no one and to find the door open, which is strange considering that Ursula is very reserved. You inadvertently find yourself opening the door, being careful not to let anyone nearby see you. You look in the office, but while you are looking on her desk you hear voices, two that you recognize well, talking; you think they are coming from the corridor, but when you check you don't find anyone. You go back into the office, and noticing the door of the personal bathroom slightly open you are convinced that the voices are coming from there. Cautiously you hide behind the wall that separates the bathroom from the office, trying to figure out why they are in the bathroom and why they are Gabriel and Ursula in question. Maybe you have seriously found the last thing you needed to unmask Gabriel, or at least you hope

"So?"

"You saw the papers I gave you, right? She has few relationships here, with the other models. The only one who agreed to talk said she'll call me tonight or send me messages, but I don't know why I can't find the paper where I wrote it... maybe it stayed at my house. I don't really care, I just need to know that I'll finally have some material in my hands"

"And will it be enough?"

"I suppose so, after all the media doesn't take much to ruin a person, and she's not in such a good situation already. Give me a week and you'll get what you want too"

"I've been waiting for two years, Gabriel. I'm fed up, if it doesn't work this time I'll do it my way, and you know my methods aren't exactly legal"

"Trust me, you'll get what you want and I'll get what I need. I just need to get those messages tonight and by tomorrow you can already say you're her"

"Now I really like the way you talk"

"Maybe you already love me but you don't want to admit it"

"Let's go step by step, I'll think about that later"

"Do as you wish, darling. Just think that from tomorrow Y/n will no longer be her but you will be her. The dream you have been living for will finally come true, and that slut will end up in some forgotten place. No longer the stylist, but now the model, my dear Ursula"

You are petrified, hearing their words. Even without knowing the situation, you already know that those two are doing everything they can to get you down once and for all, probably using something much more powerful than scandal.

"No longer the stylist, but now the model. And you, dear Gabriel, no longer the founder, but the general boss"

You pick up your phone, going to Kaiser chat to start a voice message. You need to record, you know you need to if you want to get out clean off this situation. You're ignoring the tremors that are plaguing you, because now you really need to concentrate, it's for your final win

"Anyway, I really don't believe it took two whole years to get to this point. On the one hand, I'm also sorry I treated her like that, it wasn't that bad... she's nice, more or less. But if treating her this way means I get where I want to go I don't care, or maybe I never really cared about her"

"Two years because, I don't know how, she withstood the scandal. I suspected she would swallow it completely, but evidently she still has some tricks up her sleeve. Then I can't imagine what's going on between her and her fucking best friend, the famous soccer player I mean, Kaiser Micheal. Will they fuck?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. I honestly don't know if she hasn't let anyone else touch her after me yet"

Oh well Gabriel, you have pretty high hopes. You and Kaiser had fucked a few hours after you broke up, let's say you hadn't wasted any time

"You're just a junkie, Gabriel. You ruined that poor girl for your own interests!"

"Are you speaking, Ursula? Destroying someone who has never done anything to you is not exactly good behavior, dear. Being obsessed with the idea of Y/n just because she is actually a successful model, something you couldn't become, is a bit of bad behavior... you even went so far as to ask her beloved boyfriend for help"

"And you destroyed her to become the boss of the TraumLaufsteg, silly"

You've had enough, you get up and leave the office in a hurry, running as fast as you can towards your dressing room. Everything is so damn clear to you, finally something has formed with a logical thread, and damn, this time you even have the proof. You don't know how for two years you didn't notice anything, but finally everything is clearer to you; you won, really won. You arrive in your dressing room, closing the door behind you as you rush to the couch, once again taking up the chat with Kaiser where your most precious evidence rests. You sigh deeply, listening to the audio of less than 5 minutes, where Gabriel basically unmasks himself together with Ursula. You notice that Micheal has viewed the message, and because of the emotion you can't even write, so you opt for a voice message

"Mihya... we'll talk about it at home. But trust me, trust me, this time I've really won, this time I can make him look like a monster, this time I can seriously-" you say excitedly, but you turn when you hear footsteps in the hallway that you would recognize anywhere. The door to the room opens, and the smiling figure of Gabriel makes your blood run cold "Am I disturbing you?" he say "What the fuck are you doing here?" you say, getting up from the couch, and he shrugs "Nothing big. I just think you listened to too much" he says, as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb. He saw you, you don't know how, but he saw you. But this time it won't be a problem to be there, this time you decided that he won't hurt you "I heard, oh yes I heard, you piece of shit" you say taking a few steps forward "How good, my sweet Y/n. She still knows how to spy and listen" he say giving a small laugh, but grabbing your chin "So, what would you like to do? Who would believe the naive girl who everyone believes betrayed the genius of Italian fashion? Do you really think your opinion counts so much compared to mine?" he asks, mixing seriousness with a hint of sarcasm. You don't look down, but you suddenly have a little plan in mind, if everything is happening as you think "Gabriel... god, I hadn't thought of that. You're not entirely wrong" you say, faking a surprised and sorry tone, while you lower your gaze, as if you want to make him feel superior. He raises an eyebrow, smirking when he sees you so defeated, so naive and innocent "You see? You know it too"

Showing yourself weak might help the plan you just came up with. You hate to do it right now when you were showing yourself strong, but if the outcome is what you imagine, you have to do it

"And this time you want to send me down too. How did I not notice that..." you say mortified, and he seems to be convinced "You're so stupid, you don't act so strong when Kaiser's not around, right? Look, I guess you guys fuck, or maybe I don't even know, but I don't care. This time he's not around" he says smiling "And you are the umpteenth brainless and alone with a badly used potential. You could have remained silent in your place and lived at least another year without me having done anything to you, we would still be a couple and only then would I have spoken against you. And yet no, you acted like a bitch and unleashed a huge mess, coming here in Germany"

Gabriel continues, caressing your face "It was never my intention to hurt you, sweetie. The first year was beautiful between us, remember? We lived well in Milan and you paraded like a professional model, even though you had never been in the industry that much... good times. But then you found out about my first cheat, but you didn't leave, silly girl, because you loved me so much. And so, while you were growing in fame, I suddenly became 'Y/n's boyfriend' and no longer the fucking founder of the biggest Italian modeling agency of the moment, and it bothered me darling, it bothered me so fucking much, because I fucking created you. And so while I was looking for some German stylist to open a fashion agency in Germany I met Ursula, who coincidentally was so obsessed with you. She who has always walked the catwalk never got your fame, and she got fed up with creating clothes but not wearing them, and she wants to be you so much, amore mio. So while she became the boss of the TraumLaufsteg, keeping my identity a secret, I continued to cheat on you, and you always noticed everything, baby. The goal was to push you down as much as possible, I would become the official boss of the TraumLaufsteg, which I would later merge with my Italian agency, since Ursula would finally become a model and could give me the role. Because I depend on you, but you depend on me, slut. And if that meant making you the shittiest person in the world, painting you as a traitor, I would have done it. And I did, because I knew you would go down and I could finally take over as the boss of the TraumLaufsteg. And yet you got back up even after the scandal, and I don't know how"

Finally, everything is clearer to you. Gabriel's words come out like a raging river, and you don't know if you're still looking sad, because inside you're dying of happiness. You knew it was shit, you knew it damn well, and he admitted it. You loved a piece of shit that has now exposed itself, without him knowing it. You had been stupid, so damn stupid to let everything slide, but you finally had everything in your hands

"So you admit that you cheated on me...?" you ask sounding desperate, and he nods happily "More than you can imagine. You're gorgeous, I can't lie, but you're more type for a long term relationship, and in the fashion world relationships between people last as long as a fashion show. I've probably been with seven or eight different women... maybe a few more" he says thinking about it "And you painted me in front of the media as a monster" you say, returning to the main topic. He shrugs, sighing, "Give the media what they want, right? No one would ever imagine you would cheat on me, but remember, my opinion carries some weight. I've made up so much bullshit about you that I can't even remember anymore, but look where you are now... you're about to sink. And I love this thing"

You sigh, falling dramatically to the floor as you cover your face "I can’t believe this…" you say, but you’re hiding a laugh. It’s all working out, it’s all worked out, you’ve got it all. Gabriel chuckles softly, giving your hair a light caress before leaving the room "Sorry again, sweetie. Don’t make me feel too bad, good fall into hell"

He leaves, the room is finally empty and silent again. You stand up, moving towards the couch where the phone is still open, and the audio in Kaiser's chat is still recording, and Michael's online

You won. You fucking won

tag(s): @rroxii ; @kittenish0 ; @bungoustraydogsno1fan ; @sabrina-senpai ; @vannilaa16 ; @kaz-0e (if you want to be tagged tell me!)

[wings-of-ink]

IF "research" poll.

I wanted to run something by the Tumblr IF audience before I strike out into the next project. Just a disclaimer that I am not actively planning a new IF at this moment. I'm kicking some thoughts around about it in my head before I start laying the groundwork. God-Cursed remains my focus and main priority.

I am curious if readers would enjoy a personality system that you'd set from the start of the game - in character creation.

One thought I had was to provide at least 4 personality types or "roles" to choose from the onset. The benefit here is that coding and writing for each personality would hopefully net a more immersive feel. The influence of the personality may stand out more and be more impactful to what happens and what your MC does.

A potential downside is that these may also feel "gimmicky." And, of course, once set, that is that - and they're a bit restrictive. Your MC's core won't necessarily develop. Now, certain other aspects could change - perhaps they become more optimistic or pessimistic, or their mental state improves or unravels. The benefit to these is that, even if they feel a bit gimmicky, I can write them more authentically as their own "character." I can better predict what you as the reader would want your character to say or do or how they should react (in my working theory).

As a rough sample of the types I could do:

The Stoic: A quiet and serious MC. They don't mince words and are not traditionally emotive.

The Jokester: Sometimes goofy or sarcastic, they don't seem to take anything too seriously.

The Feeler: Sensitive and shy, the weight of the world seems to be always on their heart.

The Star: Outgoing and loud, they're the life of the party and require the spotlight to survive.

I would add a lot more to these, like more specifics with strengths and weaknesses. I'm open to more suggestions on types and such too, just pop them in the comments or send an ask (just let me know if you don't want your ask shared and such).

Alternatively, I have wondered about letting readers simply select the specific traits from the character creation. So rather than having an over-arching "role" like above, or setting stats via choices only as you progress through the story, you can define your MC right away and take more advantage of having those set early. The "flavor" for this type of character creation might feel less "unique" than selecting a role, but it could also be the best of both worlds. You still get to select more specifics (so, say your MC is a joker but also quite shy) without as many restrictions. The coding for it could be more simple than coding the scoring for the "pick as you go" method as well.

So...

[d-criss-news]

“As an artist, there is no right way to do something” – Helen J Shen in conversation with her Broadway co-star Darren Criss

New York City’s Belasco Theatre first opened its doors in 1907 with a production of A Grand Army Man, going on to premiere productions of seminal plays such as Rocky Horror Picture Show and stage Tony-award-winning adaptations of Shakespeare classics. Now, it is the stage on which Helen J Shen will make her Broadway debut. Having risen through the ranks over the past few years on a series of off-Broadway productions, Shen is starring opposite Golden Globe and Emmy award winner Darren Criss in Will Aronson and Hue Park’s sci-fi, romantic musical Maybe Happy Ending. Set in late-21st century Korea, the story follows two life-like Helperbots each at the end of their warranty, whose chance encounter unravels a tale reshaping the traditional mould of relationships.

Darren Criss: Good morning! We started our first day in the theatre yesterday. How does it all feel? Helen J Shen: It was wild to be there because it’s a gorgeous theatre. It’s like a little jewellery box, it’s so ornate and intricate. I saw How To Dance in Ohio in the balcony at the Belasco Theatre, and I was thinking about how many shows specifically in the Belasco that I’ve been a fan of, not even having seen them, but just knowing the impact of them. Knowing that this will be a part of its legacy forever is wild.

DC: By ‘this’, you mean yourself, Helen J Shen. Your name is on the marquee in lights. HJS: Nobody told me about that before it happened. I just got a picture of it when it was up.

DC: Really?! You didn’t know that your name was going to be up on the marquee? HJS: No! It wasn’t something we had talked about or agreed upon, I feel like the production and the powers that be have been like, “This is an introduction moment for you.” They didn’t have to do that.

DC: It is. It’s a fitting gesture to have your name outside to let people know who is lighting up the theatre inside. While we’re talking about the Belasco and your love of going to Broadway shows, you grew up in Jersey so you weren’t too far from the city, did you grow up going to Broadway shows? Tell me about your experience in two ways, the actual going to Broadway and the consumption of Broadway culture, which are not necessarily the same thing. I didn’t grow up near New York, I wasn’t a ferry ride or subway ride away, I was across the country so for me, Broadway was what I would pick up in record shops. Cast albums would come out and that’s how I would familiarise myself with what was going on. You were much closer to it and you grew up with more resources on the internet. I want to hear how Broadway was part of your life as baby Shel? HJS: Baby Shel was introduced to the tenth anniversary concert of Les Misérables, I had the physical VHS.

DC: I had that same one! HJS: We wore that VHS to its strings, it was replayed so much. I came into the city more so to do piano stuff because I was competitive starting from six years old. I would go to Carnegie Hall and Steinway Hall.

DC: Wait, unpack that for me. When you say you were competitive, what does that entail? HJS: Classical music competitions.

DC: A literal piano duel. HJS: Correct.

DC: How would one be adjudicated? HJS: How accurate you were, or how close you could get to perfect, which is an interesting way for me to have been introduced to music.

DC: I have so many thoughts on that. HJS: As an artist, there is no right way to do something. So to have such a narrow idea of what successful musicianship is was kind of soul-crushing. Now, I love classical music, I love playing the piano but I had to rediscover that love because it was so intense.

DC: How old were you when you were doing this? HJS: The first time I competed on a national scale I was ten or eleven.

DC: Wow. What was your piece that you always got ‘perfect’? I have strong feelings about what that means but within the rules of the competitive piano world. HJS: Chopin Nocturne no. 2 in D flat major was a huge one for me. Concertos were huge, I did a Bach concerto, and a Chopin concerto – I just love Chopin so much. Romantic music is the genre for me.

DC: Agreed. HJS: No shade to the Baroque period. [laughs]

DC: I’m with you, I did a lot of Baroque stuff because the violin is the same. I didn’t compete but I played in a lot of Philharmonic and Baroque quartets and as a result, it’s a lot of cocktail hour music for dukes and duchesses, as opposed to the romance of Chopin and Tchaikovsky. It frustrates me to no end that you guys had to compete. HJS: I already knew my passion for it was in music in general and being on stage. Piano brought me to Italy a lot, I spent a lot of time going abroad at a young age. It was my first time being away from home, I was ten the first time I went to Italy by myself.

DC: By yourself?! HJS: The piano teachers were there and there were chaperones.

DC: Yeah but without parents, to me that’s kind of by yourself. When you’re ten that’s a big deal. HJS: I remember being like, “Mum, dad, stop being so on top of me! I’m trying to be cool around my new friends.” Then the first day I got there I got motion sickness from the plane, I didn’t want to watch the horror movie that everyone was watching so I stayed in my room and suddenly had a wave of, “Oh my god, I’m in another country for fifteen days without my parents!”

DC: Fifteen days?! At ten years old! That’s hard graft, dude. HJS: It’s an eternity when you’re ten. The SIM card wasn’t working, first panic attack – woo!

DC: Wow, you wear that like a champ. I can’t be casual about that, that’s pretty intense. On top of this, assuming you had to compete. HJS: Yeah. Also timing-wise in Italy, everything starts later, plus jet lag.

DC: I never really thought about soloist musicianship being a competition, but if you’re on this track and you’re studying classical, at what point does it pivot to being an actor? Or singing? I don’t know which one was the first gateway. HJS: I did theatre, my first community theatre was doing Gretl in The Sound of Music in a local production. It was never the thing that was the main focus, it was always the tangential thing if you have time. My parents heard about Paper Mill’s [Playhouse] educational programme and the thing about Chinese immigrant parents is, if you’re going to do anything, you’re going to do it to its fullest extent, you’re not going to half-arse it and you’re not going to quit even if it’s hard. That’s been engrained in me from an early age. Theatre brought me so much joy, it was undeniable that I was going to pursue it. It unlocked something else in me. I grew up sort of isolated, I’m an only child and I was like, “I don’t want to sit in a practice room by myself anymore, I want to do things with other people.”

DC: Were you doing this at the Paper Mill programme while you were competing in piano? Was there a clear turning point? HJS: In high school, the summer months were prime real estate for the things that I wanted to do instead of school, the fifteen days of that Italy programme directly conflicted with the July conservatory at Paper Mill so I had to be like, “This year I’m going to do this, next year I’m going to do Italy.” Then starting in mid-high school I was like, “I think that there is something that I love to do and there’s something I feel obligated to do.” I wanted to be with my Paper Mill fam. That was where I first sang Cornet Man from Funny Girl which ended up being my college audition song.

DC: Nice! Did you learn Cornet Man from that or were you a fan of Barbra [Streisand] or Funny Girl before? HJS: It was a deep cut.

DC: Funny Girl for teenagers is categorically a deep cut. That’s not something teenagers are listening to, call me completely out of touch. HJS: Barbra has always been ingrained in the canon for me. Growing up it was always like, here’s Audra [McDonald], Barbra and Lea [Salonga], these are the voices.

DC: Was there a point where you knew you could do this to a degree that was a little more serious than the other kids? I’m not trying to blow your shit up, I think we can both agree you have a very strong voice, that’s why we’re here. [laughs] But, if you’re playing a piano all the time you’re not sitting there singing, so when did you realise? HJS: I don’t know, but the role that is highlighted in my head is when I played Mushu in sixth grade in Mulan Jr.

DC: [laughs] Does Mushu get a song in the junior version? HJS: She does. It didn’t age well.

DC: Well, it gave you a gateway to singing, so regardless of its content it sounds like this was a moment. HJS: It was a moment where I was like, “Not only do I like it but it likes me a little bit.” My house was filled with music but it was always a secondary thing. Doing something scary like pursuing art as a career, I remember fighting so hard and being like, “My parents don’t understand, they want me to find something that has stability.” Then I was talking to my godmother about it who I’m very close with and she was like, “How risky and scary was it for them to come to America?” Not knowing the language, not having any financial stability, just on a hope and dream – building a community out of nothing, helping each other out. All of these things that I definitely took for granted and was like, “They don’t understand!” But to then reframe, they were so punk for coming here. [Darren applauds] I will never understand how scary that was, but also they did that with the hopes that I could pursue something I am passionate about. When I graduated from high school my dad made a speech about how he was very inspired by the risk I was taking, to have that transition of “I thought you had all the answers, I’m mad at you for not having all the answers,” and then to be like, “They’re learning from me?!” It’s wild.

DC: That’s how it works, in teaching you shall learn. I love the idea that them embarking on this wild west hope and a dream tale is parallel to your own. How old were your parents when they emigrated to the United States? HJS: They were in grad school so about my age.

DC: If we’re talking about parallels, I was also 24 when I made my Broadway debut. HJS: I know! We’ve been talking about it feeling like a homecoming of sorts for you, can you speak more about that?

DC: Well, it’s a relief they haven’t kicked me out yet. I’ll just say that. I tend to hang out at the party longer than I probably should so I’m always very conscious of the host being like, “Alright, this is it.” HJS: The host being the ghost of David Belasco.

DC: He’s definitely on the invite committee, for sure. I wouldn’t say it’s a homecoming, it’s just a continuous grateful lap around the arena. Sometimes I’m in the crowd, sometimes I’m on the field, but for most of my life I was outside dying to get in, they haven’t kicked me out yet and I’m just happy to be in any part of it. We both went to the University of Michigan and you told me a great story that I would love to share, we were talking about what show really knocked you on your ass? HJS: Impact-wise, the show you’re talking about is Passing Strange. I was deck electrician on practicum one of my freshman year, it was my first semester of college and there was nothing to do for this show because it was so hands-on by everybody in the cast. All I was tasked to do was to watch and be an audience member, Tiffany Rachelle Stewart was the director of this production and so many amazing alumni are in this production, it changed how I thought theatre could be. Passing Strange is sort of autobiographical of Stew’s [author, Passing Strange] life, him and his writing partner Heidi Rodewald wrote it for The Public Theatre and then it happened on Broadway at The Belasco. Seeing the Michigan production made me realise my peers were part of this intricate storytelling and were so hands-on in creating, there were things that were divisive and I didn’t know theatre could do that. It inspires me as a hopeful writer and performer in general that we can experience and understand life through these other mediums and make it artful and beautiful. I saw it twenty times and sobbed every time.

DC: You’re speaking to something that really hit me when I was also at Michigan, when you’re in those amazing sponge years of eighteen to 22. I’ll be frank, the musical theatre department at The University of Michigan is a very prestigious, well-known and really incredible programme – I was not a part of this programme. [both laugh] The reason why I’m saying this is because I was completely blown away by the musical theatre kids – it was the first time meeting kids my age doing things that pros do. As we approach your Broadway debut, is there anything from the vision board or the dream catalogue where you’re like, “When I get to Broadway, I’ve always wanted to…” HJS: This already being the Broadway debut is such a glorious victory. I would like to sit on the stage and soak it all in. [laughs]

DC: Empty theatres to me are churches, they’re these very sacred holy places. HJS: We have ghosts in ours!

DC: We do have ghosts. The Belasco is famously one of the most storied theatres on Broadway. There is a holiness to the literal or figurative ‘ghosts’ of the theatre, this is a place where people go to be moved and to feel some kind of catharsis, not unlike the many holy houses of any house of worship around the world throughout time. Being in a theatre alone is a really sacred experience, I hope you find a second amongst all the craziness to do that. Are there any heroes that you grew up idolising? Because I guarantee you whether you like it or not, in a few months’ time there are going to be kids watching this that will forever hold the name Helen J Shen sacred because of this cast album. Not to say the pressure is on but it’s more of a polite reminder that the wheel does spin around. HJS: It was Lea [Salonga] in that 10th- anniversary concert.

DC: Yeah dude, me too honestly. HJS: For her to have done Miss Saigon at the age that she did is just so wild, it’s amazing. I have since been fortunate enough to meet and work with amazing people who have also been doing incredible work, for way longer than I’ve been alive.

DC: Well, that is how I feel about getting to work with you and you’ve only just begun… [Darren sings] And… we’ve only just begun our day because we’ve got to go to tech. HJS: We’ve got to go to tech!

[clanborn]

Your post about people rehashing the same characters/concepts for MAPS spoke to me. I have a lot of characters and MAP ideas I'd love to see, but I myself don't really have the means to animate, so I thought I'd leave this ask with my ideas and see if they speak to anyone else out there or if you think they would be fun :) General characters I think could be added to the list that need more love I did not see on your post: Purdy's life story, Mudfur's warrior and medic life, Willowshine, Spotfur's story, Mousewhisker, Runningnose, Harestar, Lightleap and/or Pouncestep, Post-Scourge Bloodclan with Fury, Whistlepaw/breeze, Spiresight and Shadowsight's relationship, Rosepetal (Daisy's youngest daughter and mentor of many), Ratscar (DF trainee who's apprentice died in the great battle yet joined the Kin?, great material there), Some cats from the Code of the Clans stories such as Graywing (the RC Medic) and Mossfire vs Jumpfoot of ShC?, Palebird (Tallstar's mom) and her story of grief and regrowth + new mate Hickorynose, Boulder and Russetfur (from rogues to Tigerstar followers to proper ShC cats), The Sisters + Moonlight and they hardship they faced because of the Clans (maybe even an AU involving Leafpool as she died protecting them), Nightpelt/star (ShC) and his rebellion of Elders (would love more stuff about his relationship with Starclan too), Monkeystar and Warriorclan, The contrasts between Greystripe and Darkstripe leading to their final fight/the latters death. A map about the whole family connection between Duskfur, Podlight and Curlfeather, Frostpaw/dawn, Splashtail, etc. Podlight and Harelight as Splashtail's biggest followers (one to end up not exiled somehow and the other to die), Splashtail and Frostpaw/dawn's big battle, Berryheart and Sunbeam + their family and fallout, Stormclan (maybe to save after their novella!), Some specific ideas I have: Aurora - Silhouettes There are very few Snowtuft videos, and what ones there are center around Snowkit.. I think this song fits him very well! The MAP would center around his time in the dark forest and in the reflections of cracked trees or water you can see the different animators hcs for Snowtuft's past in Shadowclan done in a paper-y black/white silhouette style. His longing for finding meaning as he slowly comes to accept that the Dark Forest is the home he'll ever know, as at some point there must have been a time where Snowtuft was losing parts of himself, a truly horrific thing to imagine..

Judy Collins - Send In The Clowns Petunia is the Medic of Warriorclan with such a sad past, someone who loved her human to death and has such a good heart. Now who uses that heart to care for the cats of Warriorclan. Her story spoke to me on such an emotional level I'm surprised I've seen no content of her! I think this soft song would go fantastic on a Petunia-focused map with her human, her grief as her elderly housefolk declines, meeting her friends, and ending with her leaving her home to join Warriorclan as their Medic. The Paper Kites - Willow Tree March Nightpelt (ShC) living through Brokenstar's reign, from the battles against Windclan, trying to survive Leafbare with the other Elders, grappling with his disability, the horrors of War and Tyranny as he sees the apprentice he tried to train into a good warrior destroy the clan he loves. Ends in the battle of ShC vs TC and the Elders chase Brokenstar out with Nightpelt left with pick up the pieces of his home.

No notes these are all great ideas! It’s crazy to me that despite this series’ giant cast we still mainly get maps around the same handful of characters, there’s soo many backstories/relationships/storylines to explore!

[sun-ayyye]

Why do you want Jason to stay away from the bats in so many of your posts?

Guess it's how I was raised, honestly. Like, if having a relationship with somebody, even family, actively makes you worse or affects your mental/physical health, then cut them off and don't look back. It's what my dad taught me.

I'm firmly against Bruce and Jason reconciling, and I feel like in a relationship such as with the bats, it's all or nothing. He doesn't have an independent relationship with any of them; it's all built off of Bruce. He'd have no reason to. You could make a case for Dick , he'd always pick Bruce over him. The one time in canon this wasn't the case was gotham war, and even then, it's lobotomy. You can't really turn a blind eye to that shit. And how could he make sure that anything he says isn't being recorded for surveillance or future exploitation? It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you.

I love fluffy batfam content as much as the next guy, but if you're gonna include the victim blaming, throat slitting, and RHatO #25, then it feels cheap and reads like a psychological horror than a feel good story. At that point, please consider the arrows.

[sitp-recs]

Flesh Memory by @citrusses

Harry/Teddy (Explicit, 11k)

Harry’s going to put a stop to this before it goes too far.

Fuck magic, fuck morphing. Harry can mold Teddy with his own two hands.

I sat to write down this rec while still reeling from everything this fic made me feel, all the brand new colours and layers it brought to the way I already felt - intensely - about this ship. Everyone who’s been following me for a while is aware that Harry/Teddy is officially my 2nd OTP. I adore them just as much as I adore Drarry, and am always craving for new takes on them so believe me when I say this is the fic I’ve been waiting for a long time.

I had SO MANY memorable quotes in citrusses’ exquisite prose saved in my notes, but as soon as I started typing I knew I’d pick the one above as it encapsulates perfectly the complex, breathtaking dubious morality of this story. We’ve seen badass Teddy, partners, identity porn, daddy issues etc etc before, but this is the first time I see a story deliberately choose to focus on the darker, toxic potential of this ship - the desolate desperation, the co-dependency, the reckless self-destructive behaviour on both sides. And citrus executes it magnificently with a deep dive into Harry’s mind, keeping him so very sad human and relatable, and by extension, making Teddy - young, capable and lost Teddy - just as lovely through his eyes.

It’s impossible to read this and not feel moved by Harry’s loneliness, or Teddy’s melancholy. It gives the story a mature, somber tone that I really loved, as it highlights the ultimate tragedy of them being a perfect match for each other (“orphans didn’t need teasing, they needed love”). Doomed lovers for breakfast, anyone? Another element that blew my mind was the vivid imagery (Teddy’s dimples, his tattoos!), the strong sense of place (love the Burrow sequence so much) and the idea of their physicality used to display moods and feelings. I found that fascinating and will forever think about brilliant lines such as “but his eyes are red and his skin is pale, and he’s curving in on himself like a collapsing star” and the ways it ruined me. And what could I possibly say about the fabulous smut without compromising myself? So damn hot and tender I thought I was gonna combust jfc 🥵

I cannot, will not spoil the ending but if you’ve seen the tags then you already know this is gonna hurt so brace yourself for the heartbreak but keep in mind that this is a perfect, brilliant ending to a perfect, brilliant fic. I am devastated but I love the possibilities it opened, and have already chosen my own interpretation of how things go (or went - depends on your point of view) from there.

Before being a love story, this is more a poignant character study. I am obsessed with Unspeakable Harry and could spend months detangling his inner thoughts, and learning about how his lonely, detached life has informed his complicated feelings for Teddy. This fic was the best way to start 2025 and got me sat and ready for whatever else citrus decides to cook, Drarry or otherwise. There’s a special kind of awe and gratitude you feel when a fave author explores your favourite rare pair. What a treat, what a privilege. Happy new year to me!!!!

Read on AO3 here!

[oldtvandcomics]

How the HELL am I reading a comic where they are putting King Arthur against DRACULA of all people, AND IT IS STILL THE EXACT SAME OLD STORY?!

People should be banned from using the Grail Quest and the Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere love triangle in their stories until, I don’t know, they have completed a quiz proving that they actually know other parts of the mythos too, or something.

[puppppppppy]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[bedlamsbard]

every day I am shocked the Midwest accent is real

[icewindandboringhorror]

finally finished all of one character's entire quests/optional dialogue/questions/etc.... 100,000 words... .... aughhh

[archaeren]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)