#a warm up of sort

[popponn]

rin who suddenly makes a habit of saying “i love you” to you every morning. he is determined, awkward, and somehow sort of always shouts that declaration every morning. very honest and red too. it's cute and very confusing to see.

isagi whose first response to trying new food is: will you like it? if you will, he immediately sends photos and a “let's get this next time”. he remembers your taste by heart, so it is not hard. the hard part is that sometimes he accidentally blurts it out loud and gets teased hell and back by his friends.

kaiser who can't act teasing or suave to save his life after realizing his feelings for you. now he acts like a classic tsundere male lead who is also protective and respectable in a lot of departments except his attitude. unless you got involved, then somehow he gets more obedient like a ruffled, flustered puppy.

reo who will unconsciously buy everything related to your liking or interest. it's not by purpose, but if the feeling says it will make you happy—what's the reason not to? if you also do the same to him, the something you buy will be treated with utmost care in the world.

[newttxt]

a little collage of dressrosa stuff from late february

[parisoonic]

pals drinking together (hand practice that got out of control)

[nebquerna]

Year of the Snake!!

[lunammoon]

Little spoon Lucanis. Reblog. You agree.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Lan Wangji Goes To Lotus Pier AU: Part 1: Dread on Arrival

(Part 2)

[alpacacare-archive]

he dont bite

[elumish]

One way to build your writing skills--a way that I would argue is necessary if you ever want to write original fiction for publication--is to write from the point of view of, and with the focus on, a wide range of different characters.

it's really easy to fall into a rut when writing the same character or characters all the time, or even the same type of character all the time, where characterization tends to become muscle memory as much as anything else. You know what that character will do, so you know what characters of that type will do, so you know what characters will do, so that's what your characters do.

And when you don't have to think about it, you don't build--and can start to atrophy--those muscles required to do detailed, specific, engaging character building. What does it mean for this character, in this time, to do or experience this thing. What are the myriad of things that have built your character up to being who they are, and how do those things (individually and in aggregate) impact the choices that they make, the actions that they take, the reactions that they have, and the people that they engage with.

What can end up happening--and I see this all the time in published fiction--is that authors end up only being able to write 2-3 character types of each gender, and it all feels a bit samey.

Without opening a book by so many authors I have read, I can predict with a fair amount of accuracy what most of their characters will act like, because it's kind of the same across the board. Even when they start distinct, they end up drifting towards the same personality/character types like carcinization.

Writing from the point of view of/focusing on a range of characters (especially if they are different genders, of different backgrounds, with different wants and fears and habits and interests and personalities) forces you to actually be specific in your writing, if you want it to be any good.

Your 15-year-old B-student who really wants to spend their time playing rugby shouldn't sound like your 45-year-old businessman with a penchant for collecting Star Trek action figures who is trying to plan the perfect anniversary for his wife and neither of them should sound like the 23-year-old who spends their time going out at nightclubs and showing up a little bit hungover at work and worrying about finding a job that will let them move out of the apartment they're sharing with three other people.

Practice, and then practice some part, and then keep practicing. Write different characters, ask yourself if you're writing a character a certain way because you think they would be that way or because it's just habit, and be specific.

[greenlaut]

bitter tea & oranges

sequel -> tea & dates

[redrosydiaz]

happy warm mouth wednesday friends 👄

walk with me and picture: a post bisexual awakening world — where either tommy doesn't exist or he and buck just kissed and that's it. nothing else. no relationship — but. post bisexual awakening buck, who is considering the fact that being bisexual means sleeping with men. and, he wants that, of course, but it's new to him, so, naturally, he gets in his head about it. and he's like well what if i'm bad at it? what if i don't know how to do it? what if i'm not good at giving blowjobs?

and, this, crucially, is the most upsetting part, because buck loves going down on people — on women. he prides himself on it. he's good at it, like, really good, AND it's just something he loves to do. like he could literally get off on just going down on a girl — not just because he's getting off on giving to his partner and making her feel good first, but also because he just genuinely enjoys the act itself. and so he's like well. it is fundamentally different with a man, it is something new i'll have to learn and — what if i'm bad at it? what if i don't like it?? i don't think i won't like it, but i don't know! and i won't know until i do it! but also i can't be like mid blowjob and realize i hate it!! that's terrible!! and so, in true buck nature, he is toootally spinning himself out about this.

and the thing is — he and eddie never really got detailed about their sex lives with each other. like, eddie would know that buck was sleeping with his girlfriends and buck would know that eddie was too, but outside of like the briefest of mentions of that they were never the sit down with a beer and describe in detail the play by play of the night type of guys. they never really talked about it, and they never really talked about why they never really talked about it either.

but. here buck is. talking about it. even if it is only hypothetically speaking here, but still. it's a lot more detail than eddie is used to. and he— well. buck is painting a picture. and eddie is— not lacking imagination. so he is picturing. and he is. getting hard about it. but eddie is trying so hard (hah) to be a Good Friend about this, and offer advice and keep buck from spiraling further. only— he opens his mouth and what ends up spilling out is "you can practice on me." and it. cuts buck's rambling and his pacing off completely. and he just stares back at eddie, blinking at him like he isn't so sure he heard him correctly. but, oh, he did. he did.

and so. yknow. Practice Blowjobs happen. and after the first time, naturally, it ends with eddie telling buck it was good, really good, but he trails off in a way that suggests there is a but (and, there isn't, not really, because buck WAS really good, actually. but eddie's brain is already two steps ahead trying to figure out a way to make it happen again.) and so buck goes "..... but?" and eddie goes "well. you know, you've got to keep practicing. to keep your skill up. it's like. it's like a muscle, y'know. you gotta keep using it so it doesn't deteriorate. and you don't want your um. blowjob muscle, so to speak, to to deteriorate." and buck is like "mhm mhm you're so right. absolutely. yes. yep. yeah" and eddie's like "welllll. if you ever need a practice buddy........" and buck is like "mhm mhm right. absolutely. yes. yep. yeah."

and OF COURSE it keeps happening.

and i am thinking by like the fourth or fifth time it happens maybe, eddie — in his brain — is like well. actually. what if. what if i wanted to try it. because like. buck makes it look fun. and y'know. it's always good to expand your repertoire. to learn new skills. you never know when you'll need them. mhm mhm. totally normal thought process here.

and so the next time, after they finish, buck sits back on his haunches and wipes his hand over his mouth (obscene) and looks up at eddie with those big eager eyes and he goes "so, how was it?" (because they have Kept Up the "this is for skill practice and improvement" thing) and this time eddie is like "well. it was good. but i was thinking. what if. what if i showed you. um. exactly what i like?" and bucks like "um?" and eddies like "yeah. yeah! i could. y'know. show you. exactly how i like it. so you know. for next time." and bucks like "show me?" — and like he thinks he knows what eddie is getting at here, but also, there's no way eddie is getting at what he thinks he is getting at. that's like. way too good to be true.

but it is. true. and eddie just nods and goes "yeah like. like." and he mimes a blowjob (because he is. a DORK. but also because this feels too precarious and he can't bring himself to actually say blowjob, out loud, in the context of himself. but not because he's scared or ashamed or confused or anything. but because he's just. excited about it. and that makes him nervous but like. in a good way)

and buck is like oh. oh. and then nearly swallows his tongue in his haste to agree like "oh yes yes uh huh sure absolutely that would be. i am a visual learner hah. you should— yes. you should yes. definitely."

and that is how eddie gets his practice in too.

and of course, they are not together yet and they think this is Totally Normal Boy Bestie Behavior — exchanging blowjobs for practice — and they are both catching feelings (or, becoming aware of the feelings they've already caught, really), and recognizing that this is a Dangerous situation, because it's just practice to the other, but it means something more now, to both of them, unknowingly to each other!!

[gojoest]

Sylus leans lazily against the doorframe. His arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips.

“You know”, he begins, voice laced with mischief but softened in a way that only appears when his gaze falls on you. “You’re really not as subtle as you think, kitten”

You glance up from your book, raising an eyebrow. “Not as subtle as I think?”, you echo, tossing the words back at him. “I’m not the one lurking in the doorways, making it really obvious that I’m waiting for something”

Sylus chuckles, taking a slow step toward the couch where you’re seated, his gaze trailing to the curve of your lips as they twist into a near-imperceptible smile. “I’m not lurking. I am observing” He tilts his head slightly, his voice low but tinted with amusement. “And you — well, you’re practically glowing right now”

You roll your eyes, trying to hide the rush of warmth spreading across your cheeks. “Glowing? What are you, a walking cliché? Don’t flatter yourself”

His smirk widens, clearly unfazed by your attempt to deflect. “I’m not flattered, kitten. But we both know what’s going on” He steps closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming as he stands directly in front of you, leaning in just enough to tower over you. “You’ve been acting a little… strange tonight. Fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, and—”, he gestures toward your tightly clenched hands around the book. “What’s the matter? You want something but can’t bring yourself to ask for it?”

You scoff, fighting the flutter of nerves building in your stomach. “Oh, right. I’m just desperate for your attention, aren’t I? That’s it. All this time I’ve been planning my grand confession of longing”, you add with another exaggerated roll of your eyes.

Sylus raises an eyebrow, leaning in closer, his grin turning playful as he snatches the book from your hands and tosses it aside. “Maybe not a confession, but you are dying for something. I’m just curious what it is”

You refuse to let him see you flustered. Instead, you offer him a sly grin. “Maybe you are the one who’s dying for something, Sylus. Not everything’s about me, you know?”

But his grin only stretches wider, his voice drops to a teasing whisper. “I’m sure it’s all about me, kitten. You’re just trying to save face, pretending you don’t want it. But we both know the truth”

You huff, narrowing your eyes. “And what’s the truth, Sherlock?”

“The truth”, Sylus says, his face inching closer to yours, “is that you’ve been avoiding me like I’m some sort of plague. But the way your eyes keep flickering to my lips? That’s not the look of someone who’s trying to avoid me, kitten. That’s the look of someone who wants something”

Your heart skips a beat, but you fight to keep your composure. “Yeah, well, maybe I just like pretending that you matter. It’s fun to watch you get all smug for no reason”

His grin widens, clearly relishing every second of this. “You keep telling yourself that”, he says, his hand reaching to tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear. “But your body’s saying something different”

You shiver involuntarily, and of course, he notices. “See?”, he whispers, his hand gently cupping the side of your face. “You don’t need to be so coy, kitten. You want a kiss, don’t you?”

His words hang in the air, and for a moment, you almost cave. But you quickly recover, tilting your head and meeting his gaze with a sly, confident look. “If anyone wants a kiss here, Sylus, it’s you. I’m just here trying to survive your insufferable teasing”

For a brief moment, his eyes widen in surprise, but the mischievous glint returns almost immediately. “Oh, really? That’s how this is going to go? You want to make it about me now, kitten?”

You shrug, your lips curling with a playful defiance. “Well, it’s certainly more fun than pretending I’m the one dying for your attention. I mean, we both know you’ve been hinting at it all night. So what’s the deal? Just give in already”

“I’m not the one avoiding the truth here”, he says, his voice low as he closes the distance between you. His lips brush yours in a deliberate, teasing kiss before pulling back, smirking. “Told you. You are the one who wants it”

Your breath hitches at the contact, but instead of pulling away, you close the gap this time, pressing your lips to his in a quick, fiery kiss that causes his smirk to falter.

When you pull away, the playful tension is gone, the teasing fading into something more genuine. A soft, contented smile on your faces, hinting that you both got what you wanted.

“You’re insufferable”, you mutter, though your tone is loaded with satisfaction.

Sylus chuckles softly. “Maybe. But I think you like it”

You shoot him a glare of feigned annoyance, but the soft smile tugging at the corner of your lips betrays you. “Maybe. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you”

“I wouldn’t dream of it”, he softly whispers before pulling you in for another kiss.

This time, without the games. There was no need for teasing anymore.

[beelaboola]

toby does NOT fw her!!!! (reason? she may or may not have pretended to be his deceased sister) (mimicked her voice and all)

bonus: old drawing of ol’ tobers

[vaguely-concerned]

the barista lady in the treviso café fucking giggles every time you buy the fancy coffee lucanis likes from her btw. can't believe the game is calling out rook and me like this

[tmos-time]

happy birthday to june, eridan apparently has other things to do than be invited to the birthday party

[premamelody]

living

[gomzdrawfr]

"psst, Raven- look here"