#500K STRONG!

[meripheri]

[jenanigans1207]

I am this close (*fingers touching*) to writing a lengthy, angsty shiguang fic where Lu Guang goes back in time for the who-knows-what-number time to continue to try and save Cheng Xiaoshi.

Except this time, in the last timeline, they had finally managed to stop dancing around that thing between them and actually work it out so they were together. Together together. So Lu Guang goes from being Cheng Xiaoshi's significant other, the one who knows him better than anyone else in the world... to a complete stranger. And this entire time he has to endure staring at the love of his life, knowing that Cheng Xiaoshi will eventually love him back but that love hasn't been enough to save him in the past and might not be enough to save him this time either.

And it's in little things, right? Like Lu Guang making Cheng Xiaoshi's coffee out of habit only for Cheng Xiaoshi to ask him how he knew the way he liked his coffee and Lu Guang remembers that he's not supposed to know Cheng Xiaoshi that well at this moment in time. It's things like watching Cheng Xiaoshi lay on the couch while he plays games on his phone and knowing that in the last timeline, Cheng Xiaoshi would've put his phone down and opened his arms so Lu Guang could come curl up against his side before Cheng Xiaoshi would resume playing and Lu Guang would tease him about losing. But this Cheng Xiaoshi simply bends his knees and moves his feet so there's room for Lu Guang to sit on the opposite side of the couch.

And it's beautiful sometimes too, right? When Cheng Xiaoshi opens up to him, starts to let down his walls and let Lu Guang in the way he has in every timeline previous to this one. The way he somehow manages to surprise Lu Guang and tell him things he never knew, despite the fact that he's gone through this so many times-- reminding him bitterly that this is in fact a different timeline.

And it's just the hollow, gut wrenching ache of having everything he wants right there-- having been given everything he wanted before-- and not knowing if he's going to be able to keep it.

And to be fair, this entire idea started out as a language of flowers fic where Lu Guang, in those initial weeks where they're becoming friends and bonding, sends Cheng Xiaoshi pictures of flowers because Cheng Xiaoshi asks to see some of his photography. And Lu Guang sends him pictures of flowers that mean "I miss you", "I love you", "I'll never forget you". And Cheng Xiaoshi thinks the pictures are beautiful but he doesn't get it, not really-- he can't understand that Lu Guang is bearing his heart to him in a way that is both painful and dangerous if he were to ever figure it out.

And at some point it ends up being suggested that Lu Guang try portraits so he agrees to, only if Cheng Xiaoshi is his subject. Cheng Xiaoshi doesn't think much of it, thinking that he's the only one Lu Guang trusts enough to do something like this with. And then Lu Guang insists on Cheng Xiaoshi wearing a flower crown-- his lame excuse being that he's used to shooting landscape/flowers so this helps bridge the gap. But it's really just an excuse to adorn Cheng Xiaoshi's beautiful face with flowers that essentially translate to "I will never give up on you, I will move mountains and alter the past for you, I will not let anything keep me from you ever again." But of course, Cheng Xiaoshi doesn't know this, either.

And no matter how it ends, Lu Guang will have this photo of Cheng Xiaoshi-- beautiful and wearing a crown of every emotion Lu Guang has for him-- to cling to.

[pearsandrust]

i never post about genshin on here because i quit for good last year but i do kind of miss the sumeru cast so here's some quick surface-level analysis to cope with the hole in my heart. i am not editing this at all so it will likely be totally incoherent, but here goes:

language & wisdom

sumeru's character lore plays on the concept of "communication", which fits in well with the academic focus of the nation. each character represents a different form of communication: notably, kaveh communicates through art, nilou through body language, and dehya through fighting. we also get interesting tidbits about communication in candace and cyno's stories -- candace makes the conscious decision to negotiate through talks rather than violence, and cyno notes that he makes jokes to make people feel more at ease. in both cases, the characters break tradition and/or stereotypes about them through the use of language.

to add to this, i consider alhaitham the "emblem" character of sumeru (despite cyno being in the travail trailer) because. well. linguistics major. he's accordingly well-versed in manipulations of language -- for example, being sarcastic simply because he finds it interesting.

but interestingly enough, nahida seems to imply that alhaitham is not truly wise, which we can see from how nahida uses language compared to him. while alhaitham speaks pretty bluntly and tends to not use many figurative devices (at least as far as i remember), nahida is full of odd metaphors. her speech almost has a poetic vibe; this both demonstrates a higher degree of "freedom" with language and shows that nahida's idea of wisdom is more closely associated with art than alhaitham might think. she corroborates this by saying that of the sumeru cast, kaveh is actually the person she believes to be closest to her idea of true wisdom.

while i don't think the writers got this across very well, the events of the story are supposed to take each character beyond their original communicative style. for example, alhaitham has to confront cyno in a fight, deceive the sages through acting (body language, like nilou), and briefly Do Politics as acting grand sage. pretty interesting, but i'm unfortunately not sure if it led to any meaningful development in the end.

the importance of memory

this point is going to be a lot less coherent, but basically: the dendro archon being the avatar of irminsul creates an inherent link between memories and wisdom, which we see in the characters as well.

coming back to the point of kaveh being closest to nahida's ideal of wisdom -- kaveh is a character who is firmly influenced by his own past. a lot of his actions are motivated by the guilt he feels. he also understands the importance of making memories; one of his hangout event endings has the caption "the positive feelings you gain will get you through the long and difficult years". on top of that, he has two hangout endings where he emphasizes that his present suffering is nothing compared to the legacy he hopes to leave behind -- another form of preservation through memory.

with this in mind, the reason that scaramouche cannot become a god of wisdom is not because he lacks power -- it is because he cannot come to terms with his past. nahida even says that although he may have the abilities of a god now, he still has the mind of a mortal. and that is because he is always trying run, always trying to leave behind the last thing that hurt him. if wisdom is fundamentally tied to memory, then those who choose to bury their pasts entirely cannot be truly wise.

there's a lot more to talk about -- mind control, childhood, dreams, that time-stop place under the desert, etc. sumeru is very far from perfect (cOUGH hyv stealing pieces of existing cultures and then refusing to acknowledge the rest of them COUGH), but the story had such great potential. potential that might have been ultimately wasted, but hey, that's what fanworks are for, right?

[nosyp]

Care For Another Game?

Warning = smut🔞, gambling(?), destroying food, small spoilers, dubious consent

Pairing = Salesman (squid game) x fem! reader

Summary = A simple game of ddakji turns into something much more when he shows up at your door with a proposition. The stakes are higher, and this time, it’s not just about winning. Now it’s about control and desire.

Word count = 2.8k

Part 2

A/N = I'm genuinely so horny for this man please forgive me

“Excuse me, ma’am, would you like to play ddakji?” 

You turned to face the voice, unsure if it was meant for you or someone else. A man stood just a few feet away, a small, polite smile on his face. You were sitting on the bench in the subway, waiting to catch the next one. 

“M-me?” you muttered out.

“Yes.” he replied, very quickly. Damn, he’s so certain. How could I possibly reject it?

“Ehh? Sure I guess…” you mumbled, your words almost inaudible.

“Excellent,” he said, his smile widening just a fraction. He stepped closer, lowering himself to your level. Up close, you noticed how sharp his features were, it was like he was carved out so carefully. His suit didn’t even have a single wrinkle, and his posture was impossibly composed, as if he was used to winning in life.

He then knelt on the dusty subway floor and placed two folded paper squares in front of you. “The rules are simple,” he explained. “You use your tile to flip mine. If you succeed, you win.”

You started to roll your eyes as he was explaining the preface of the game… well that was until he held up the stack of cash. Oh you’re not losing now.

“And if I lose?” you asked cautiously.

“Then…” His eyes flickered with something you couldn’t quite name. “You owe me.”

You blinked, your unease growing. “Owe you what?”

“Let’s not worry about that just yet.” His voice was calm, almost reassuring, but it only made you more aware of the trap you might be stepping into.

Your fingers fidgeted with the hem of your coat. You were unsure whether to back out now or follow through.

“Well?” he prompted, tilting his head slightly. “Which colour do you want?”

“Red please.” you responded, evoking a small smile from him.

You hesitated, then picked up one of the paper tiles. Its edges were surprisingly crisp, as though it had been folded just moments ago. Taking a deep breath, you crouched down to face him.

“Okay,” you said, steadying your hand. “Let’s do this.”

You both immediately got up and started playing. He seemed like an innocent guy from the outside but in the game, he seemed like a completely different person. The force he put into flipping the stupid tiles was so strong you swore you heard the ground shake beneath you.

Somehow, miraculously, you won most of the rounds and earned 500k won. You’d expect him to be a bit better if he was spending a bunch of time running around asking to play. You saw him a few days prior doing the same thing he did with you with other people. Though, they didn’t win much, mostly slaps to the face.

“Thank you,” you say, holding the stack of cash in both of your hands. 

He still had that stupid smile plastered on his face. It never disappeared. How annoying.

“Mm. You’re welcome.” he responds, his face quickly darkening. And he walked away, without saying anything else. He also left the red paper tile with you.

With a satisfied hum, you skipped your way into the arriving subway. 

—

Somehow, that didn’t end up being your last meeting with him.

A week later, you were strolling through the park, enjoying the rare peaceful silence. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves accompanied the sounds, but something disrupted the serene atmosphere. A sharp, rhythmic sound.

It was… stomping? And yelling? What the fuck?

Curious, you followed the noise, rounding a corner near the fountain. There, in the middle of an open patch of grass, stood the man from the subway— the Ddakji guy. He was dressed just as sharply as before, though his once-pristine shoes were now caked with crumbs.

You froze, watching in disbelief as he stomped repeatedly on a pile of bread scattered on the ground. It was like a massacre of carbs. He was literally stomping on it while screaming “this is your guys' fault” or some shit like that, in the middle of the park. Holy shit.

“What the hell?” you muttered under your breath while walking closer to him. 

He looked up, pausing mid-stomp as if he’d heard you. His eyes locked onto yours, and that familiar polite smile spread across his face.

“Ah,” he said, straightening his posture as if he hadn’t just been waging war on baked goods. “We meet again.”

You blinked, pointing at the corpses of the bread. “What… are you doing?”

He glanced down, brushing a speck of flour off his pants. “An experiment,” he said simply.

“An experiment?” you echoed, incredulous. “In what? Angering pigeons?”

He chuckled softly, stepping away from the pile. “You wouldn’t understand. But it’s good to see you again, ma’am.”

“Okay, no.” You held up a hand, as if to stop whatever strange explanation he was about to give. “First, why are you stepping on bread? Second, why are you here, in this park, at the exact same time as me?”

His smile didn’t falter, but something in his gaze shifted. It became more calculated, as though he was about to beat you up– okay maybe not literally. 

“Coincidence, perhaps,” he said, though the tone of his voice suggested otherwise. “Or maybe it’s fate.”

You took a step back, your instincts telling you that fate wasn’t the right answer. “You’re not stalking me, are you?”

“Stalking is such an ugly word.” He tilted his head, his expression almost amused. “Let’s just say… I find you interesting.”

Your stomach flipped, and not in a romantic way at all. “Right. Well, maybe don’t ‘find me’ again, okay?” you say, giving emphasis to the ‘find me’ with your two index and middle fingers on both hands.

He took a step closer, and you immediately regretted not leaving sooner. “I have a proposition,” he said smoothly, ignoring your obvious discomfort.

“Another game?” you guessed.

“Not quite.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out something that made your heart race— a single piece of folded paper. Ddakji.

“Nope, no way,” you said, backing away. “I’m not doing this again.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, his smile widening. “This time, the stakes are higher.”

Then you stopped. Halted in your position. “You really wanna try again after losing? You’ve got guts. Or maybe you’re just dumb. Who knows?”

He rolled his eyes at you and pulled out the same two tiles. 

“Oh! You’ve got another one,” you mentioned, reminding him of the night.

“Yea yea… let’s start,” he demanded.

To your surprise, you won again. Well, won most of the rounds. He seemed a bit frustrated at the outcome. 

“What? You upset?” you tease.

“...” 

He didn’t respond. 

You flipped the tile in your hands again, a smug grin plastered on your face. “You know, for someone who’s so insistent on playing, you’re really not that good at this.”

His jaw tightened, but the polite smile stayed in place. “Luck doesn’t last forever, ma’am.”

“Maybe not, but it sure seems to be holding up today,” you say while stuffing your winnings into your pocket. “Thanks for the cash, by the way. It’s not everyday someone bankrolls my coffee addiction.”

He didn’t respond right away, instead adjusting his cuffs with an almost mechanical precision. You could tell he was trying not to let your teasing get to him.

“So,” you continued, leaning against a nearby tree, “is this what you do for fun? Wander around challenging strangers to games you’re bad at?”

He glanced at you, his expression unreadable. “I wouldn’t say I’m bad.”

“Oh? The scoreboard says otherwise,” you shot back, gesturing to the imaginary tally in the air. “I’m up by, what, a hundred rounds?”

His smile faltered for the shortest moment, and you felt a spark of triumph. “You’re quite the character,” he said finally, his tone more measured.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” you said, shrugging. “Anyway, thanks for the game. I’ll be sure to tell my friends about the weird guy in the park who hands out money for getting owned at ddakji.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “You won’t have to. They’ll find out for themselves.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He didn’t answer, instead stepping closer and plucking the tile from your hand with surprising speed. You blinked at the empty space where it had been.

“Hey! That’s mine!” you protested.

“Consider it a rematch token,” he said, tucking the tile neatly into his pocket. “When you’re ready to lose, find me.”

“Lose? You’re delusional,” you scoffed.

He gave you a slight bow, his polished demeanor back in full force. “Until next time, ma’am.”

And just like that, he turned and walked away, leaving you with a mix of irritation and amusement.

“Next time, I’m taking your shoes too!” you called after him.

He raised a hand in a lazy wave but didn’t look back.

You shook your head, letting out a breathy laugh. “What a weirdo.”

Still, as you walked back to your bench, you found yourself wondering if there really would be a next time. And if there was, you weren’t planning to lose.

—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Three consecutive knocks at your door. You wondered who it was. You hesitated for a moment, eyeing the door warily. It was late, and you hadn’t been expecting anyone. You didn’t have many visitors… well, actually, you had no visitors, except for the occasional delivery or perhaps a neighbor. The knocks repeated again, a bit harsher this time.

"Who the hell is it?" you muttered under your breath before rising from the couch and moving cautiously towards the door. Then you peeked through the peephole, but the hallway was empty.

A chill ran down your spine, and for a moment, you considered not answering. Maybe it was just some mistake, or a knock meant for someone else. But then the thoughts of being too paranoid crept in, and you didn’t want to seem like an idiot ignoring a visitor.

You pulled the door open a bit, just enough to see who was there.

And behold, there he was— the ddakji guy. Of course. How the heck did he dodge the peephole? He’s quite tall.

His smile was as unnerving as always, that same polite grin he always wore that never failed to send a shiver through you. He was standing there, holding a small black briefcase in his right hand. His suit, crisp as always, was illuminated by the light, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that something about his presence wasn’t exactly… safe. 

“Ah, I knew you were home,” he said, as if he’d known the entire time you were debating whether or not to open the door.

“Are you… stalking me?” you asked, raising an eyebrow, trying to maintain your composure despite the strange situation.

“Stalking is such a harsh word,” he said smoothly, giving his usual tilt of the head. “I still much prefer… coincidence… or fate,”

You crossed your arms, still not entirely convinced. “Fate? That sounds like a line you use on people before you scam them into some ridiculous deal.”

He chuckled lightly. “I assure you, no deals. Just a proposition.” He took a step closer, his presence suddenly more intimidating than before. “I’ve come to finish what we started.”

You frowned, the memory of your last meeting flashing through your mind. From the look on his face after you won the game, and the way he seemed so nonchalant about everything.

“I’m pretty sure I already finished it,” you shot back, trying to sound unaffected. “I won. You lost. End of story.”

He didn’t seem fazed by your resistance. “Maybe. But I don’t think it’s over just yet. You see, I have another game in mind. One you might find… more interesting.”

You were about to shut the door, but then he grabbed hold of the side to stop you.

“Just wait a second,” he said, his strength much overpowering yours.

What the hell was this guy’s deal?

You frowned, the memory of your last meeting flashing through your mind. From the look on his face after you won the game, and the way he seemed so nonchalant about everything. But now... there was something in his eyes. Something darker. And it made your breath catch in your throat.

"How many times do I have to say it?I’m pretty sure I already finished it," you shot back, trying to sound as mean as possible to shoo him away, but you couldn’t silence the sound of your heart pounding loudly in your chest. "I won. You lost. End of story."

He didn’t seem fazed by your resistance. In fact, his smile only widened, an almost predatory glint in his eyes.

"Maybe. But I don’t think it’s over just yet. You see, I have another game in mind. One you might find… much more interesting."

Your breath hitched as he stepped closer. Too close. The air around you suddenly felt thick and heavy. Before you could react, he reached up, his fingers lightly brushing against your arm as he held the door open just a little wider, his grip surprisingly strong.

“Just wait a second,” he said in that low, smooth voice, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. "This time, there’s no escape."

You swallowed hard, a mix of confusion and arousal swirling inside you. Why was he doing this? Why were you still standing there? Why was your body betraying you, craving something you couldn’t quite put into words?

You tried to back away, but he was already pressing himself into the doorway, the scent of his cologne filling your senses. He leaned in closer, so close you could feel the heat radiating off his body. His hand reached up, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face, his fingers lingering a little too long.

“I told you,” he whispered, his voice low and rough now. “I don’t lose.”

Before you could say anything, he closed the distance completely and pressed his lips into yours. It was fierce, demanding, his hands on your waist pulling you closer, the pressure of his body sending shockwaves through you. You gasped into the kiss, feeling the heat intensify as he deepened it, his tongue sweeping into your mouth.

Your hands, on instinct, found their way to his chest, but he was already guiding you back into your apartment, the door falling closed behind him with a soft thud. You barely noticed it as your body reacted to him. Instinctively, your hands were pulling him closer, your legs weak with need.

He paused only for a moment, pulling back just enough to look at you. The lust in his eyes made your pulse race. “You wanted a challenge, right?” he said, his voice husky. “Let’s see how far you’re willing to go now.”

And then, with a swift motion, he pushed you back against the wall, and his hands started to explore your body, touching every part of you. You let out a breathless laugh, caught between the strange tension and the undeniable pull between you two. You felt the weight of him press against you, the tent unmistakable in his pants.

“I think you’ve already won,” you said, breathless, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Is that so?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement. He pulled back slightly, giving you a look that sent a jolt of desire straight to your core. “Then let’s see if you’re ready to finish this game.”

His lips gradually moved to your neck, kissing and biting softly as his hands slid beneath your clothes, feeling the smoothness of your skin. Every touch made you shiver, every kiss igniting a fire within you. You gasped as his hands worked their way down, finding the heat between your legs, making you ache for him even more.

Without another word, he slowly undid your clothing, his movements deliberate and controlled, yet full of hunger. His lips trailed down your body, each touch, each caress, sending you into a spiral. By the time his hands found their way to your most sensitive spots, you were already a mess, your body aching for more.

“Do you want this?” he asked, his voice dark and velvety, as he hovered above you, his fingers teasing just at the edge of what you needed. You nodded, too far gone to hold back any longer.

"Then let's finish what we started," he says. 

The game is much simpler now. The only rule being… the first to cum loses.

[shizumi123yuki]

“Tiktok Trend”

Simon “Ghost” Riley as your anonymous husband on social media.

Summary: You as a popular influencer shares the snippets of your life with your “mysterious” husband, Simon Riley, on TikTok.

—————

It started as a harmless hobby. Your TikToks, cute little glimpses of your life, had quickly turned into a whole vibe. Over 500K followers. You were in your element, and your fans loved the behind-the-scenes look at your life with Simon. Of course, Simon didn't know everything you posted. Some moments were just for you—and a bit for your followers, who were obsessed with your mysterious husband.

Simon wasn't the easiest person to get on camera, and you respected that. He worked in a world where anonymity was crucial. He'd warned you multiple times: "Don't post my face, love. You never know who's watching." You'd always agreed, filming around his face, never quite catching the glimpses you so desperately wanted to share. But his back muscles... his strong hands... his easy grace as he moved around the kitchen. Those were the things you had to share.

One of your most popular TikToks was of him cooking dinner, his back flexing with each motion, his strong shoulders shifting as he chopped vegetables. You weren't subtle, your focus clearly on the way the muscles of his back moved under his t-shirt.

"Look at him," you whispered to the camera, "I think i have a crush on my husband." You knew your followers were dying to know more about him, and you kept teasing them with bits and pieces—never too much, always keeping Simon's identity a mystery.

You knew he hated trends. But the “A boy who’s jacked and kind” trend had been all over your feed. It was cheesy, sure, but Simon had that perfect mix of strength and gentleness. His muscles were made for it, and his soft smile, the one he reserved for you, was nothing short of divine.

"Come on, Simon," you begged, sitting on the kitchen counter as he cooked. "Just once. Do it for me? Please?" You pouted, trying to force him.

He was stirring a pot, his eyes narrowing as he glanced over his shoulder at you. "What’s that supposed to be?" He raised an eyebrow.

"It’s a trend. You pick me up and I sit on your shoulder." You grinned, pushing your luck. "It’ll be cute, and your fans will love it."

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You’re kidding, right? That’s cringe."

You tried to play it off, but inside you felt a little twinge of disappointment. “It’s not that bad,” you teased, but you could see he wasn’t having it.

He shook his head, muttering something about how ridiculous it all was. “You know what? Never mind.” You hopped off the counter, sulking, your mood deflating like a balloon.

——————

For the rest of the evening, you couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment. It wasn’t just about the trend. It was that Simon, your husband, the man who shared so much of his life with you—his quiet moments, his fierce protectiveness—was so closed off about this one thing. It was the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t understand why these little things mattered to you.

You wanted to show him off. Not in a superficial way, but because to you, he was perfect. The way he moved, the way his presence filled the room, the way he cared for you—it all felt special. You wanted to share it with the world, yes, but more than that, you wanted him to let you. You wanted him to feel comfortable enough with you, with the relationship, to just let go of his guard for a second. But when he shot down your request, it felt like another wall had gone up.

When you climbed into bed that night, you pulled the covers up to your chin, staring at the ceiling. You felt a pang in your chest that had nothing to do with the trend and everything to do with how distant he seemed, even though he was right there next to you. You could feel his warmth beside you, but the space between you felt too wide, too heavy.

Simon didn’t push you. He let you stew in silence for a while. You thought maybe he'd let it go—maybe it wasn’t that big a deal. But as you were drifting off, you felt the familiar pressure of his body against yours, his chest gently nudging your back.

His breath was warm on your neck as he whispered, "You mad at me?"

"Not mad," you mumbled, trying to sound unaffected. "Just... tired."

He didn’t buy it. "You are mad, love."

You tried to ignore the tightness in your throat, swallowing it down. "I’m not sulking."

But he knew better. He always did.

His hand reached for you, pulling you closer, his voice a little softer now. "Come on. Im sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you."

The way he said it made your heart ache. You could hear the frustration in his voice—the way he always wanted to fix things, to make things better. But in that moment, you didn’t need fixing. You needed him to see you, to understand why it stung so much when he brushed off something you’d thought would be fun, something you’d hoped would bring you closer.

"I know im being childish but..i just feel like..you don’t want to do things with me, i just want us to feel closer." you whispered, your voice barely audible.

Simon paused, his hand going still on your waist. You felt his weight shift as he processed your words, and for a long moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, he sighed, a low sound of frustration mixed with something else—regret?

"Alright, that’s it." His voice was firm, but there was tenderness to it too. Without another word, he pulled you up by your waist, gently but firmly, and before you could even react, you were standing in front of him.

"Hey!" you yelped, your feet barely touching the floor as he took your phone off the nightstand.

"Shh," he said, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Im gonna do this one for you. And I’m not asking you for anything in return." His voice softened, but there was determination behind it. "You’re not gonna give me that attitude anymore, yeah?”

You blinked up at him, confused and surprised as he turned the camera app on, angling it just right. He didn’t give you time to argue as he stood behind you, his big hands slipping to your waist and effortlessly lifting you into the air.

“Simon!” you squealed, your surprise morphing into laughter. But he didn’t even grunt, didn’t show any sign of exertion as he carried you, your legs hooked over his shoulder, his hands firm on your thighs. His arms were like iron, holding you in place without any strain.

“There,” he grumbled, his voice low and steady as he looked into the camera. “Happy now?”

The sight of him, so effortlessly strong, holding you in such an intimate yet playful way, made your heart flutter. But it wasn’t just the physical act—it was the fact that he was doing this for you, even when he thought it was cheesy. He was giving you that small piece of him that you’d wanted all along: his trust, his willingness to indulge you, even when it wasn’t his thing.

You couldn’t help but smile, a genuine smile this time, one that you hadn’t felt all day.

"You look cute when you’re being a softie," you teased, unable to hide the affection in your voice.

Simon didn’t respond with words—he just smiled to himself, a rare, soft smile that made your heart melt. “Yeah, yeah. But only for you.”

(URGHH THIS MADE ME SMILE WHILE WRITING THIS🥹‼️)

[champion-of-love]

holly being a writer and cedar being a painter are cute details about them and i'm kinda sad that the show never paired them up together to work on a project or something. but i also kind can't see them collaborating since one of them has strong and disciplined morals (cedar) and the other does not (holly). cedar would ask a flower if it would be okay to paint them meanwhile the future rapunzel is out here blackmailing her school's headmaster and the next second writing fanfiction of her classmates. cedar would suggest making a memory book of their friends and holly would show up with a powerpoint presentation filled with evidence that raven's mom and apple's mom were in a toxic yuri situationship and that they should make a doujinshi about it. (when pressed on how she got so many details, holly admits that she only joined dragon games so she would be up close and personal with the two of them and get more material for the 500k word count fanfiction she's already been writing.)

[misserabella]

catch me if you can

street racer! ellie williams x fem! reader

summary; heat rises on the streets, blood pumps with adrenaline in the race, and bad memories come up to the surface with a swing of the steering wheel.

cw; tension, swearing, mentions of death and death of a fictional character, anxiety… in the future there would be +18 content!

special thanks to @winfleurs and @atomicami for inspiring me i luv u! 🎀

“dina! wait up!” you screamed, your heels making it not quite easy to run after your best friend.

your ears were buzzing with the roaring of the audience and the car’s engines. it was a fresh saturday night, and the city seemed as bright as a constellation. adrenaline was pumping through your veins, you shouldn’t be out today. in fact, you’d sneaked out of your house. but you couldn’t help it if your friend asked for it so badly. her boyfriend, jesse, was supposed to be racing today. there was a lot of money on the line. probably about 500k. and dina had to be there. you know, the ‘good luck’ kiss and all that.

the cars looks amazing, modified with the newest technology. you could see the NOS tubes peeking though, ready to push though the chambers of the cars and burn the tires in the asphalt.

shit, you were getting excited.

you followed your friend through the crowd, trying to not lose her black wavy hair out of sight.

“jesse!” she screamed, a huge smile on her features as she ran towards the cars and her boyfriend, jumping onto his arms.

“hi beautiful.” he smiled, giving her a kiss as he held her. you made a gagging sound that made them laugh and pull apart.

“nice to see you too, jesse.” you said as you met up with the two of them. jesse chuckled.

“hey trouble maker, what are you doing here?”

“oh, you know… being a good best friend and all that.” you rolled your eyes, a playful smile on your lips.

“of course.” he hummed, squinting his eyes.

“although i really wanted to see you lose too.” you added and he laughed.

“there it is. i could see it coming.” you winked at him.

“i see you’ve got competition.” you looked around to the cars placed for the race. and you whistled. “a 2015 Lykan HyperSport? that’s gonna be hard to beat.” jesse frowned. “but of course yours is not that bad…” you placed your hand on its surface. “Nissan Skyline GT-R R34… 1999 right?” you inquired and he nodded.

dina seemed just as surprised as him.

“yeah… how do you know all this stuff about cars?” you froze. shit.

“uhh…” you shrugged. “my father. he’s a fanatic.” you quickly spurted out, and the two of them nodded, letting it slide. ‘cause they couldn’t think anything else about it, of course. you were no longer in LA, you were safe.

you sighed. almost fucked it up.

“hey, jess!” the three of you turned around at the sound of a low and sultry voice. your eyes met a pair of evergreen ones, silky auburn hair —tied half and half on a messy bun— and freckled cheeks. she was seating on the hood of her car, girls with tiny skirts and exposed cleavages surrounding her. her legs were spread, a black tank top hugging her chest and toned abdomen, leaving her strong arms exposed.

she was hot. really hot.

“yo williams.” jesse smirked. “ready to eat dirt?” she scoffed, showing off a confident smirk.

“you talk too much for someone who hasn’t beaten me once.” people around you hollered.

“and you talk too much to have that shit of a car.” you huff, and she arched her eyebrows. “Subaru WRX. year 2008.” you pointed out, your heels clicking as you got closer. “i’m sorry for your wallet. the engine and drivetrain must have given you a lot of problems.” you saw the way her jaw ticked and you smiled. “uuuh, seems like a touched a tender spot, didn’t i? i mean subarus are impressive. but not even an STI? come on. you hurt me.” you pouted and she chuckled.

“well, look at that. here i thought your pretty face would be the most interesting thing about you. but you’ve got brains.” she said, jumping off of the hood of her car, getting closer to you as she eyed you up and down.

“not like your kitties here.” you nodded at the girls and they all stared dirtily at you, what made you smirk.

“careful doll, they might scratch you all up.” she warned, playfully, so close to you you could smell her perfume. “and we wouldn’t want that beautiful face of yours to go to waste, do we?” you smirked.

“i would like to see them try.” you muttered, leaning until your faces were mere inches away. she pursed her lips and took a look at you, at your exposed legs and cleavage, beautiful hair and glossy red lips. you had gone for a simple tight tube leather dress that pushed up your tits a little bit too well, and a pair of red thin high heels. a red pendant hanging from your necklace.

“see something you like, ‘williams’?” you inquired, sultry, teasingly and she smirked.

“maybe.” she tilted her head slightly backwards. “what about you? you see something you like?”

“i do…” you nodded, droopy eyes on her own green ones and she smiled. “your car.” she let out a sarcastic laughter, shaking her head.

“but weren’t you just saying how much of a shit it was?” she inquired, eyebrows arched in disbelief.

“now it is. it won’t be once i’ve got my hands on it and touch her all up.” you said as you stared at the cherry red car. the people surrounding you let out ‘uuu’s that made you smile. “you know… a short throw shifter, maybe a new intercoolers…”

“and how are you gonna do that, princess?”

“with a race.” the crowd roared and your friends frowned. dina approached you.

“are you crazy?! do you even know how to race?” you looked at her, and took one of her hands.

“dina… i’ll explain later, okay? but now i need you to trust me on this one, alright?” jesse and dina looked at you, into your eyes, and saw your determination. silently, he handed you his keys.

“if you’re gonna race, you’ll need a car.” you looked at him, and he smiled. you returned it, taking the keys. “if you lose i’ll kill you.” he warned though, and you laughed.

“i never lose.” you promised.

“what do i win if you do?” ellie stepped into the conversation, eyebrows raised. “need to hook me in, gorgeous, i’m betting my car after all.”

“i’ll tell you what.” you smirked, turning towards her. “since it’s not gonna happen. i’ll bet you anything you want.”

“anything i want?” she inquired and you nodded. “don’t pull back later on your promise, princess.”

“i won’t.”

-

you could feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins, the tingling of your hands. you pressed on the gas, hearing the engine roar, and your heart stammered. shit. it’s been so long.

you had promised yourself you wouldn’t do it ever again. but how could you get away from all of this? from the only thing that made you feel something? that made you weak on your knees and your heart race? it was like a drug. every time you took it you’d find yourself begging for more. you needed it on your system.

you had learned how to race since a very early age, even before you had enough age to get your license —yeah, you got in trouble with the police more than once, but they could never catch you—. and even if you loved it, you’d left it all after your best friend had died while racing, in the hands of a crazy dick who made him crash against a building, making the NOS tanks blow up and burning him alive.

you still could remember your screams, how your friends had grabbed at you so you wouldn’t get closer. ‘let me go! let me fucking go!’

you’d watched the only person that got you and unconditionally loved you die in front of your eyes.

after that you’d used the millions of dollars your family name had to drown your sorrows in alcohol and drugs, getting away from the city that had taken away your everything from you and building a brand new life where nobody could know you.

you’d been hard to get to know, always having everybody at an arm’s length until dina had come along, with her stupid smile and warm personality bringing you back to life. you’d forever be grateful to and for her. but her past was something you’d never talked about, and she didn’t want to force you into it.

“i see you shaking there, princess. scared?” williams screams from her car, who just had positioned itself to your right. you scoffed.

“oh yeah, terrified.” you sarcastically said, and she smirked.

“don’t worry babe, you can always sit on my lap later, i have something that will calm you down.” she winked and you rolled your eyes.

“no thank you, once i’m done i’ll be sitting on your car and driving back to my house.” you winked back, and she chuckled, mouthing something to herself that you couldn’t figure out.

“you guys readyyyyyy?!” a girl in a mini skirt came in between the two cars, a gun in hand. the audience roared, and so did your car. there were phones everywhere, recording the impending race —and your victory—.

you bit down on your lip. you were gonna make win that pretty girl, in heels.

“set!” another girl to your right yelled, and your engine roared again, the tires burning.

“ready!” another to your left, one more roar.

“go!” the girl with the gun shot up to the sky, and before you knew you were flying. the world stopped. there was no future. no past. just the present. just that moment.

ellie took the lead, and she smirked to herself, looking at your car through her mirrors. but she just had to take her eyes away from you for two seconds to lose you. “what the-“

she took the curve, and with a honk, you drifted right beside her, in a swift motion getting in front of her backwards to the road, facing her car. you smiled at her, and send her a kiss with one of your hands before harshly spinning the wheel and drifting once again to face forwards, using the NOS to catapult yourself through the asphalt. you relished on the shock of her face. god you could never get used to it. it never got old.

ellie cursed, following right behind you, adrenaline pumping through her body.

“i’ve finally got you.” she smiled, changing gears and speeding up. another closed curve came into your view and you sped up, in a quick movement changing gears and pulling on the break as you harshly manhandled the steering wheel. you could almost see everything on slow motion, the people outside of the car roaring as you perfectly drifted in an U shape.

you screamed, euphoria in the pit of your stomach. ellie used the inertia to pull up by your side, lowering her window. you did the same. you two were on the final straight line. “you ready to lose princess?” she inquired, and you scoffed.

“catch me if you can, williams!” you screamed, and changed gears before pressing the gas. you press the NOS button, the strength making your back press tightly against your sit. you flew through the straight line, ellie copying you and keeping up with you. you could see the finish line getting closer and closer, and the speedometer getting higher.

you knew you couldn’t over do it, the crowd was waiting for the winner there, you couldn’t hurt them, you wouldn’t.

100mph, 125mph, 150mph, 165mph.

“3…2…1…” and just as you crossed the finish line, mere inches ahead from ellie, you harshly rotated the wheel, drifting as you stepped and pulled on both breaks, the tires burning against the asphalt and leaving marks as you finally stopped the car. the crowd roared and quickly approached you. dina and jesse were hollering.

you stepped out of the car with a smile on your face, your best friend jumping to hug you and jump into your arms, making you laugh.

“what?! i mean- what?!? that was amazing!!! since when could you race?!!?? oh my god!!!” you chuckled, trying to calm her down.

“i’ll tell you everything about it later, alright?” she nodded. jesse tried to say something but he was out of words. “it’s okay big boy, don’t waste your breath.” you tapped her shoulder, and he scoffed. “and now…” you turned around, watching ellie as she stepped out of her car. “i’ll be taking my prize.” you smirked, spreading out your arm and showing her your palm. she tilted her head to the side, a playful smile playing on her lips.

“sure. but first aren’t you going to introduce yourself for me, princess?” she inquired. “or should i do it… viper?” your blood froze, as well as the whole crowd. ellie smirked. “you really thought i wouldn’t recognize those drifts?” you quickly got closer to her, your breaths mingling.

those surrounding you started mumbling. your breath was shaky and your body, still filled with adrenaline, slowly filled with anxiety and bad memories.

“viper the street racer?”

“no way!”

“she disappeared years ago, is it really her?”

“i would shut up if i were you.” you hissed, and she leaned in, the smirk on her lips growing. your lips were almost brushing, and with the hand in which she had her keys, she cupped your chin.

“why don’t you make me?”

you needed to get out of here.

why… why now? why after all this years was your past catching up to you?

you quickly took her —your— keys, watching her smile as you got into your new car and started it. the crowd was unraveling and you knew soon they’d start either jumping at you or taking pictures to expose you.

“see you soon, princess!” she screamed as you drove out of there, groaning at the buzzing of your phone. “i caught you.”

-

a/n; ty’all for 7k! i’m so happy that such a large number of people enjoys my work :(🎀 i love u!! also hope you liked this fic! would you like a part 2? let me know!

[phoenixcatch7]

Deep in my ff7 rereads so here are my favourite fandom fics, hands down.

End as you mean to begin <- 130k+ of time travelling cloud parenting the remnants, seeking asylum in a war torn wutai to keep all four of them out of shinras hands while sephiroth is absolutely Going Through It in midgar. Great Genesis characterisation and cloud mothering his way to an international incident. Bonus gender hijinks, hilarious misunderstandings and zack. Unfinished.

The fear of falling stars <- 500k+ and soon to be completed. Cloud and insane!Sephiroth time travel back to their shinra days and I cannot emphasise enough how much cloud is Not Doing Well. Gorgeous wordplay and top tier banter. Utterly unhinged blood enemies to ??? to ?????? to lovers sefikura. It's E rated and probably the tensest I've ever been reading fic lol, it is not lighthearted! But it's incredibly well written and the characters are phenomenal (zack my beloved) so if you've got strong nerves (and like a quarantine pairing) I'd definitely recommend it.

Voice of the gods <- 170k+ of almost idyllic gods and avatars au. Slow, soft and full of world building, it's a lovely relaxing read of cloud getting anointed the envoy of sephiroth, god of war, and slowly growing into his role and joining the ranks of envoy. Lots of side characters take larger roles here, and sephiroth himself is a darling without losing his sharpest edges. Unfinished.

I CAN FIX HIM (series) <- possibly my favourite sephiroth characterisations ever. 130k and growing of pure shaking this man like a doll in a perfect mix of almost delirious crack and gutting angst (often both at once!). Very good writing, every single funny moment hits like a truck and keeps building until you're choking with laughter. Bonus points to ROADTRIP! for being utterly, utterly insane. I cannot emphasise enough just how GOOD every single character and their dynamics are written.

Just anything ff7 written by AimeeLouWrites, if you've been in this fandom for any length of time you'll have heard of her. Great concepts, great executions and aus for DAYS.

Five hearts to make him whole <- 130k+ of time/dimension travelling cloud getting sent to a world of soulmates - and his alternate self bagged all four soldier firsts. Alternate cloud also died violently a few years ago and boy did those soulmates (not) take it well. Our cloud, of course, was not read in on any of this. Shout out to the emotional support chocobo! Unfinished?

Shall I find rest <- another soulmate agszc (?) dimension cross but this one is 100k+ of post AC cloud and Tifa waking up and deciding to make it everyone else's problem. They're so done with all the drama. Bamf nibel duo to the end and Tifa is the mvp. Unfinished.

Advanced release <- 250k+ and it's sephiroth receiving the original game in a strange packet that appeared in his room. It spirals into a messy and painful exposure of conspiracy, lies and inevitable tragedy. Video game logic is a running gag and zack remains the only actually stable person in the whole sorry mess but he's also Having a Terrible Experience. Really well written!!! Unfinished.

On broken wings <- 160k+ of pure post AC sephiroth redemption from his pov. Him struggling to find his place in a new world and experience real human connection evolves into MOOGLE EMBASSY need I say more?? Unfinished.

With Great Power Comes Meddling Fucking Gods <- 470k+! Poly WEAPON cloud gets yoinked back to the past (feat agzs), dies for a few days and misses his family SO bad but he is determined to change the future for the better. Probably the most healthy and mature cloud ever lol. Unfortunately for him, insane!sephiroth is pulling a inner hollow and gaia herself isn't talking. If you like symbolism, whoo boy!! The dream sequences are a DOOZY (and drowning in eroticism). Wonderfully written, the divide between sane!sephiroth and his counterpart is really cool to see. E rated at times but it's absolutely DELIGHTFUL and WEAPON cloud is such a treat. And I cannot emphasise enough the symbolism. Zackkura (kinda) and slow burn! Unfinished.

A brand need not be seen <- 180k+ in a world of soulmates where the four firsts have clouds name on their wrists. Trooper cloud is tentatively, desperately hopeful. Then a smoking hot op af adult cloud appears, with no names on his wrists at all. It's a really cute flirty fic despite covering shinra politics, identity crises, huge self worth issues, lots of trauma, and finding your own place in the world. Unfinished.

Memory's struggle <- 250k+ of cascading time travel. Basically everyone goes back, which goes great XD. Everyone... Except cloud. I read this a while ago but I do remember poor cloud just getting loved and spoiled by literally everyone and freaking out about it lmao. He was so confused! Unfinished.

Additional edit:

A solitude of space <- a wonderfully soothing 90k complete of sephiroth getting resurrected and moving to stardew valley to become the farmer. It's sooooo peaceful and following him as he grows into his own person and experiences real normality and community is lovely, if a touch angsty. Eventual sefikura with cloud moving to the farm when he's not doing deliveries. It's just. Really nice. I think I cried at the end. Finished!

One-Winged Angel's Self-Saving System <- 55k+ sephiroth enters the Chinese fantasy Scum Villain world in place of the scum villain himself! (He's the third person to take on that role, but who's counting?) Reborn into a plant body he's set loose on an unsuspecting world with a completely different magic system (sentient swords! Immortality!), with only the guide of a mysterious hallucinated ai. Freedom to make his own choices! Aroallo seph rep! He messes up the plot so bad, recruiting accidental love interests with kill counts and resurrecting long lost immortals. It can get a bit heavy but it's really fun and sephiroth has no intention of ever going back. Unfinished.

The SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun <- 73k+ of the opposite of the last fic: the scum villain (the 2nd) gets isekai'd into sephiroth! Shen qingqiu, aka the modern world native shen yuan, fails to resurrect into his prepared plant body and wakes up in a new fictional world, once again as the villain. With his limited memory of the games and his immense knowledge of cultivation (scum villains magic system) he tries to get a grasp on his new life while evading hojo, the president, his new subordinates and the war front while cultivating to immortality - something shinra is VERY interested in. When I tell you these two fics have a GRIP on me. I've written so many fic ideas around them. It's actually insane. The first thing he does is completely redecorate his rooms and buy a whole new wardrobe, which is totally not suspicious XD. Unfinished.

The fifth act <- 160k, it's a good ol' time travel fic - with a twist. The truest exploration of ripples in a pond, or how kindness, when true, can be returned in most unexpected ways. Or maybe how a single act of good can change the world.... Or maybe it's about how you must never turn your back on an enemy. Cloud has people to save and people to kill, and only time will tell which is which. Complete.

Of Things That May Be Only 'Verse <- another series! At 250k, it's about sephiroth resurrecting, only to, uh, slip and crack his head lol. This sends him spiralling through a vision of a cosy life he'd never dreamed, and when he wakes up? He wants it so bad. But that means behaving. Slow burn sefikura redemption, side Cid/Vincent (vincid?) which ngl did convince me of the ship, domestic fluffiness and found family galore! And the whole series is complete!!

Little seph <- a 160k series about the AC sephiroth revival going wrong. Stuck in the body of a kid, post AC sephiroth is a feral kitten carefully domesticated with the power of pancakes, wing preening, and deeply uncomfortable sleepovers. He's a brat, a pest, a murder machine, but he just wants to be part of a family even if he pretends he doesn't. Eventual sefikura, and overall just a very good read. Fully complete!

We are no heroes <- 70k series, about a secretly time travelled sephiroth desperately trying to save his friends and finally, maybe, rest. When I tell you this had me SOBBING. I was BAWLING. Extremely good, zack is best boy. This man is just so tired. Beautiful descriptions. And, again, complete! Yay!

[betterstllbemywindingwheel]

According to chart data (this just seems so poignant)

One Direction had 15 songs earn over 1 million streams on Spotify on October 17, with 38 over 500K:

#1 Night Changes 4.69M

#2 Story of My Life 4.02M

#3 What Makes You Beautiful 2.66M

#4 Perfect 2.45M

#5 Steal My Girl 2.17M

#6 You & I 1.72M

#7 Drag Me Down 1.61M

#8 18 1.53M

#9 Best Song Ever 1.5M

#10 Right Now 1.36M

#11 History 1.29M

#12 Little Things 1.19M

#13 One Thing 1.15M

#14 Live While We're Young 1.11M

#15 Kiss You 1.09M

#16 They Don't Know About Us 974K

#17 Strong 807K

#18 More Than This 801K

#19 Gotta Be You 791K

#20 Midnight Memories 720K

#21 Where Do Broken Hearts Go 701K

#22 Stockholm Syndrome 687K

#23 No Control 677K

#24 Fireproof 666K

#25 Love You Goodbye 637K

#26 Infinity 633K

#27 Walking in the Wind 616K

#28 Fool's Gold 600K

#29 Moments 592K

#30 Olivia 559K

#31 Ready to Run 537K

#32 Up All Night 533K

#33 A.M. 528K

#34 Last First Kiss 524K

#35 One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) 516K

#36 Over Again 510K

#37 If I Could Fly 507K

#38 Diana 500K

[trans500k]

TRANS500K: Your Voice. Your Power.

🌈✨ Welcome to TRANS500K – A Place for Every Trans Voice ✨🌈

This is more than a blog. It’s a powerful, growing community where your voice matters. Whether you're here to share your journey, amplify your message, or simply find support, you belong here.

💪🏽 We’re building something unstoppable—a platform where trans voices are celebrated, uplifted, and heard by hundreds of thousands. But we can’t do it alone. We need you.

✅ Follow us. Share your story. Engage. Support one another.

This is your space to be unapologetically yourself. A place where your truth is powerful, your voice is valued, and your journey is seen.

📢 We reach 500K strong—and beyond. Your support can make this vision a reality.

Follow, share, and stand with us. Together, we rise. 💖✊🏳️‍⚧️

[choccy-milky]

bruh i need to vent about a rude comment i got on my recent chap and also about clora, cuz its something thats been on my mind for a while now. it has spoilers to my most recent chap tho so im putting it below

so in my most recent chap clora gets hit by the killing curse but thanks to seb sacrificing himself for her, it doesn’t work/she survives. and I got a rly rude comment about how that’s super cringe and that clora is a "shoe horning of every possible manifestation of Mary-Sueism I have ever seen." theyre dropping my fic after almost 500k words bc apparently THAT’S where they draw the line and that "just somehow pulling it out the bag and surviving a killing curse from the power of love. In simpler terms, it’s absolutely cringe worthy" and "forgive me if I rolled an eye at the yet again invincible nature of Clora Clemons-the-one-eighth-Veela-extraordinaire"

BUT LIKE LMAO TELL ME U DIDN’T READ/WATCH HARRY POTTER WITHOUT TELLING ME. that’s literally what happens to harry??but its only cringe when it happens to our "mary-sue" clora? like yeah sure love magic might be a bit cringe but IM LITERALLY JUST PULLING FROM THE SOURCE MATERIAL. of all the things to take issue with in my fic and interpretations, theyre taking issue with something that’s canon BAHAHA.

and since im on the topic of clora being mary sue can I just say I hate the misogyny/internalized misogyny that i've seen some people (NOT A LOT, THANKFULLY) treat her with. like i get it, im not pale and blonde and as conventionally pretty as clora is, but even if I was, is that a reason to hate me?? and does being beautiful and well-liked = mary sue? bc as far as I know, mary sue is a chara who is just naturally amazing at everything and doesnt need to try hard and theyre just inexplicably great for no reason (like mc in the base game BAHHAA) if anything the mary sue in MY fic is seb LMAO (but hes a boy so its ok). like clora has worked hard and studied magic all her life due to being a squib and wanting to make up for not being able to DO it. she isnt good at flying, seb is still better at her than duelling, shes really short sighted when it comes to doing/thinking whats best for others and can be a huge idiot.... and like. the only guys that have even shown interest in clora on a real scale have been seb and leander (and then lawley for blackmail purposes, and also bc he hates seb) so its not like literally everyone is falling over themselves for her?? like her interactions with the main cast of boys (ominis, garreth, amit) theyre all indifferent to her LMAO but still, the fact that shes pretty and guys here and there might look at her and go o shes cute! doesnt make her a mary sue SORRy thats just called being attractive idk its just annoying that ppl automatically see a nice kind beautiful female character without any VISIBLE flaws and go SHES TOO PERFECT!! MARY SUE!! WAH IM JEALOUS! and like I get it bc when I was younger I probs would have been annoyed by clora as well due to my own insecurities and internalized misogyny but hey, how about u just realize that’s ur own problem and your own jealousy, and not a real one HAHAH anyway ive since evolved bc I used to be a ‘not like other girls’ type girl back in highschool. trying to be super tomboy-y bc I thought being feminine was cringe and too basic but now ive embraced it and love girly things and dresses and charas like clora who are still strong and showcase their strengths and weaknesses in subtler ways, and I want to smooch her and make out with her. get behind me clora ill protect you🤺🤺🤺

[syndrossi]

Meanwhile, over in main story land, I'm trying to figure out how I want to approach the broader/longer story.

My original plan was to keep everything in a single fic that just grows absurdly long, where there are arcs, then lulls/timeskips between.

But increasingly I've been thinking about having a hard cut-off for Resonant and having the next story live in its own fic.

Pros of splitting it up:

It's easier to understand what the self-contained arcs are. For Resonant, this would be from the day the twins woke up, until either the end of the Stepstones conclusion, or just before (in which case the Stepstones arc would be its own story). My guess is that this takes us to something between 300-400K words, not sure exactly.

It provides natural breathing room. I can spend some time exploring other AU concepts, or take a break to write the next thing for 2-3 months so that I have a massive buffer like when I first started posting Resonant. (I believe I was midway through ch13 when I started posting it.)

It lets me mark Resonant as complete, which means people who have been putting off reading it because it's a WIP can read it, knowing they're getting a self-contained story.

I can sprinkle in some short stories between the larger stories, which unlocks some interesting POVs or events.

I can write Rhaegar POV for the "next" long story without it being weird to suddenly introduce it after around 200K words.

Cons of splitting it up:

Inevitably gonna lose people when posting something new. Sequels are never as popular as the original.

The timeskips are more delineated, meaning it may be harder to incorporate smaller, meaningful moments in between. For example, Daemon and the twins going on a winter retreat in the Riverlands. Granted, this could be a short/medium story instead, but I always feel weird doing that for things that don't have much of an action plot.

It can be harder to follow/find everything if there are many smaller stories in between the longer ones.

It's really cool to get a work to 500K-1Mil words, and this doesn't allow that.

I have to come up with new titles 😱

Curious if anyone has a strong preference one way or another, and if so, why?

[gallavich-annise]

June Fanfic Roundup! 

It's been a weird month. I haven't completed any longfics (over 50k) this month, and I've read a tonne of shorts... Gallavich week had a lot to thank there, both because of the new shorts posted, and because I wrote something every day in time I'd usually have been reading.

I also got massively decision fatigued so slowed down towards the end of the month... And ended up reading several chapters of Cooperative Gameplay, which is a go to comfort fic. I normally read some amount of CG in a given month but it's rare for me to read enough to count it in my numbers... But I did this time. 

So overall I read about 500k words from 51 fics.

I also noticed how this roundup has affected what I bookmark, because wanting to rec it is now as much of a criteria as wanting to reread it... But the fact remains that here is a list of my favourites from this month, as recorded in my AO3 bookmarks, most recent to oldest as usual. 

When I think of love as something new by Pillow_Bee

A super sweet, adorable short about Ian high after he gets his wisdom teeth removed and doesn't remember Mickey. 

Shut Up and Drive by EnsembleEtiquette

Chauffeur Ian and Passenger Mickey. A very strong debut fic here... Loving it a lot (WIP).

Freedom is a Cat by DragonBinx

Mickey finds a kitten. I loved the structure of this one and the way it unfolds... Very sweet.

And They Were Roommates by My_Brain_Melted

Friends to lovers. Idiots to lovers. Miscommunication. Super fun... I had a really good time with it.

Ian + Mickey by Suzy_Queue

Didn't think you needed a Romeo and Juliet Gallavich take? You were wrong. (Don't worry, it ends... Differently.)

On a Vespa and a Prayer by My_Brain_Melted

Another delightful ficlet, this time about going for a ride 😆. 

A fuckin' rainbow bracelet by JessiJ1997

Mickey and Ian go to pride. Short and full of joy. 

On the stage, in the lights by My_Brain_Melted

What can I say? Kat was on serious form for Gallavich week... This was a delightful first meeting in the theatre.

Old Habits and Rougher Hands by WhatTheBodyGraspsNot

This is such a good series... Always good for something hot and delicious. 

Down The Line by Energie_vie

Sequel to Break Point, which I also loved. Ian running his mouth is a delight. I also love Mandy in this.

I Could Go Anywhere by JazWrites

One of the few longer reads I read this month, this was a beautiful amnesia fic. I really loved the way Mickey was developed in this. Just... He gets my whole heart.

OSHA Compliant Series by romanticalgirl

After reading the first one a month or two ago I remembered this and read part 2. Then binged the lot... Partly because of a cliffhanger, and partly because they were just so good. I bookmarked all of them, so I'm just linking the series here.

The Taming of Ian Gallagher by WhatTheBodyGraspsNot

Yeah, you already know by now that Ray is one of my favourites, especially for smut. Enjoy. 

A Love You Can't Shake Off by An7ious

If you want to grin for a few minutes at clingy dramatic Ian, this fic has you covered.

Mistaken by whatyouandihave

This was a delightful canon twist where Mickey mistakes Ian for Mandy's pos boyfriend. Very funny. 

Palm Springs by ElizaPembroke

Super fun, super readable. Gallavich in a time loop. I've not seen the movie this is based on, but I had so much fun reading this one! 

[frenchkisstheabyss]

♡ chocolate opal ♡

♡ Pairing: boyfriend!yoongi x reader

♡ Summary: While out celebrating your engagement, you hear a drunken confession from your fiance that risks destroying everything you've built together.

♡ Genre: angst/fluff

♡ Word Count: 912

♡ Warnings: strong language

♡ A/N: This was a request for some happy ending angst with either Bang Chan or Yoongi. I went with Yoongi since I don't get requests for him much and I just adore him to pieces.

You haven’t spoken in what might as well be an eternity but the pain in what was said, pain caused by repeating those whiskey-laced words he whispered to his best friend late last night, has settled deep within his bones. They splinter and crack, the rotted core of a once beautiful home now fallen to ruin in a matter of seconds.

It’s almost comforting that you’ve partially turned away from him, a sea separating you across the dining room table. He’s sure that if you were to flutter disappointed lashes in his direction or let out a heartbroken sigh he’d crumble to nothing. “Is it true?” you ask, softly closing your eyes in anticipation of the answer.

The "it" in question is that he’d proposed to you before he felt ready. Eavesdropping had never been the plan when you stepped outside of the restaurant to check on him after he said he needed some air. Namjoon had tailed him out the door so you trusted he was in good hands. Still, what kind of fiance would you be if you didn’t at least peek out to see how he was?

Your peek, quiet with the sole intent of not disrupting whatever bonding moment was occurring between the men, is how you overheard the admission. “What if,” Yoongi mumbled, wavy locks of coal pressed against Namjoon’s shoulder, “What if I’m not ready for this? Maybe having a wife…” You turned back around, seeking shelter from your own little apocalypse in the noise of the crowded restaurant.

Disassociation. It’s the only way you made it through those next few hours. Laughing and smiling, exchanging loving glances that you both knew were a facade, as everyone admired the newly engaged couple. Disassociating your way home, into the shower, and into the darkness of your bedroom where, only once you were sure he was out cold, you cried enough salted tears to make your cheeks raw in the morning. 

“Is it?” you repeat when your question is met with silence. Yoongi straightens his back, clears his throat, cracks his knuckles. “Hmm,” he exhales in a tone that gives the answer away before his lips can, “It is.” With only enough tears left in you to moisten your lower lids, weeping isn’t an option and so you laugh. At him. At yourself. At the 500k diamond ring on your finger that might as well have come out of a cereal box at this point.

Everything that meant anything to you is all just one big joke. You rip the ring off, tossing it across the table. He doesn’t react, not even a little, and that drives the knife in your back straight through your heart. You're bleeding out. Why can’t he see that? How can’t he see that? Would it even matter if he did? Choosing not to stick around to find out, you storm off towards the bedroom to gather a few things of yours.

Nothing major. Just enough to hold you over at a hotel for a few nights while you pieced together the ruins of your shattered heart. At least, it’s what you would’ve done if Yoongi didn’t have his fingers wrapped around your wrist, refusing to let you take another step. “Put it back on” he insists, struggling to slip the ring back onto your resistant fingers. “What for? You don’t want me.”

“I never said that.” “But it’s what you meant! That you don’t want me. That ‘maybe having a wife…’” Yoongi’s up from his chair in an instant, your wrist still in his hand, his body close enough to yours that your noise nearly brush. His eyes gleam like polished chocolate opal, as close to crying as you’ve ever seen him. “That maybe having a wife isn’t meant for people like me. Maybe I will only fail her.”

Yoongi sets you loose, the ring clinking onto the pristine marble floor. “Maybe,” he sighs, warming your cheeks with his palms, “I’m too broken for her. But you know what Joon told me?” “What?” “Shut the fuck up and stop being an idiot before you miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” The laughter that escapes you this time is genuine and, strangely enough, your body suddenly finds the tears to shed. Yoongi dries them with his sleeves, “Sounds like something he’d say doesn’t it?” “Yeah, it does actually.”

The pain leaving his bones at the sweetness of your laughter, he retrieves the ring once more, remaining on one knee, hands trembling as much as the first time he asked. “I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to, I just...I do feel broken sometimes but I’m never more whole than when I’m with you so please will you marry me…still?”

Easing down onto your knees so that you’re at eye level once more, you kiss him like you never have before. “You aren’t broken, Min Yoongi and you won’t fail me. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me too.” Yoongi smiles, taking your hand and returning the ring to its rightful place, “I love you…but if you ever throw this at me again I’ll glue it on in your sleep.”

You roll your eyes, pushing yourself back onto your feet, “I love you too but there won’t be a next time, okay?” “Okay,” he says, four letters encompassing the pages of love notes he holds for you in his heart. Four letters magically conveying that there won’t be a next time because he trusts what he hasn’t been able to with any woman before you. That he’s sincerely and truly loved.

[novasillies]

steo brainrot is too strong considering im writing a chapter of my 500k+ sterek fic as we speak. but like. bro omg. childhood friends to enemies to Something STOPPPPP

[retro-stars]

Honestly can someone please explain how New Rome functions to me like I'm five Because this is a demigod settlement with an economy that has all the standard commodities and financial systems of a city, a university, a school system, and if their general hesitation towards outsiders says anything, most likely an in-built program to welcome, settle, and accommodate the extended families of any new demigods or legacies, plus the literal vault of gold they have, so realistically the population is pretty big, no?? It's likely possible for them go unnoticed even with a big population considering how spread out most of the USA is and while we do know that New Rome almost definitely doesn't continue past the horizon when we hear descriptions of it from characters looking down from the Argo II as they land (so it's probably less than 36 km across in all) that's still a pretty fucking big area capable of housing upwards of 1.5 million people. Or hell, look up the actual Ancient Rome (the city that is) which is estimated to have had somewhere around ~500k residents at only about 16 square kilometres, by modern estimations And what makes this even harder is that the hand-wavy descriptions of what the architecture actually looks like beyond "classical" means that for all we know the entire city's living in 19th century apartment buildings (or hell, if the mist is strong enough, high-rises, though that's unlikely as one of the characters probably would've taken note of that), which creates a wildly different population estimate as opposed to, say, if New Rome was primarily made up of the average American suburbs. And mind you, both of those are entirely valid options for how New Rome could look like seeing as we have little to no way of knowing what the standard living situation and/or family unit might look like It gets more confusing when you consider that the 10-years-serving-the-legion rule likely functions like economic immigrants, with the serving of one person allowing for their family to come with and/or them getting rich enough to sponsor people getting in without heading through the army first We also know that they do not have a public transport system and don't use cars so New Rome would've been built with the idea that any necessities (medical, housing, etc.) are within a 15-30 minute walk of you and the city is constructed around the political centre, with any shopping/trading areas, shrines, or entertainment areas such as a theatre also being in the centre So all things considered they could totally have a population in the hundred thousands, though realistically since the city has to be at least 90% Roman legacies and demigods if we account for the mortals brought in through familial relation (spouses, parents/guardians of demigods, etc.) puts a cap of about 50,000 on the population and the actual number at around 20,000, give or take a few thousand

And then fucking Rick jumps in and goes "Oh the population is only like a 1000 people :D" and refuses to elaborate on how or why