#bex in progress

[rainbillcipher]

Bex isn't done with it yet, but I'M TOO EXCITED. IT'S US IN WEDDING ATTIRE! I'M DAPPER AND BEX...SHE'S SO PRETTY.

....I really wanted a real wedding with her....

(blame @theautismgoblin, they started the wedding drawings!)

[thedarkestgreys]

ya know, i hope that at some point in the near future writing yvor fezco’s point of view doesn’t leave me feeling like im ripping my heart out of my chest because god it hurts right now.

[musical-chick-13]

I hate to tell you this, but many gays also love Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. (A musical show about discovering your identity and the negative effects of internalizing harmful societal ideas about relationships, which also has canonically queer characters in it.)

[obscuremechala]

i need to actually post stuff here so instead of a finished art piece im gonna share a design wip i started last night

chipping at oc designs, this guy's name is maltrion and he's desperately trying to cling to being a normal person when he's anything but

i should share my other designs actually i have a handful now

[thiriann]

If only for tonight

You can also find me on AO3

Rating: Explicit

Words: 5,4k

Pairing: Astarion (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Vampire Bites, Blood Drinking, Manipulative Astarion, Romance, Dissociation, Trauma, Falling In Love,Tiefling Tav, Vampire Spawn Astarion (Baldur's Gate),one shot

Summary:He tried to weigh the consequences in his mind but his hunger, which had already reawakened at the mere suggestion of drinking her blood, was terribly distracting, gnawing painfully at his belly. He took a reflexive breath and as if on cue her scent invaded his nose, the bouquet of her blood mixed with her arousal. This might be a terrible idea, but most fun ones were. All he had to do was hold back a little, he could do that. Surely.

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Gentle music and lively conversation filled the camp, after so many days of uncertainty and danger, this celebration felt like a breath of fresh air. Thiriann, surrounded by her people and basking in their adulation, felt a sense of belonging that had eluded her for far too long.

She flitted from one conversation to the next: creating light displays with Rolan, mulling over song ideas with Alfira, and sharing drinks with Bex until the latter succumbed to slumber. Her companions weren't forgotten either —a toast with Shadowheart, nostalgic stories with Gale, and an unexpectedly flirtatious exchange with Halsin.

She just wanted to know everyone a little better before separating ways but despite her efforts to mingle, Thiriann's gaze often drifted to the one person she yearned to speak with that night.

Perched in front of his tent, drink in hand, he seemed out of place at the festivity, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but at this party. His striking beauty, undiminished by his sullen demeanour, drew her in. The firelight danced across his face, softening his features and igniting a desire to trace her fingers across his lips.

She shook her head and averted her eyes before he noticed her staring, her thoughts tinged with shame. Perhaps the alcohol was to blame, making her foolish.

But that wasn’t really the case, was it?

The reality was that she was developing feelings for her pale companion. His humor, intelligence, and sarcasm, along with their late-night talks, had captivated her.

Things had gotten worse for her after they’d spent the night together.

And it had been…good? Somewhat. Initially eager, he had become distant as the night progressed. Or maybe he’d grown bored?  She tried not to take it as an insult to her skills. This was no time to get focused on insecurities over her performance.

In the morning after, he claimed he was restraining his vampiric urges—a plausible struggle. She could only imagine the difficulty of his condition.

She had chosen to deem it a flop and move on, happens to everyone. Dwelling on it served no purpose, especially since he avoided the topic.

Lost in thought, Thiriann was oblivious to the giant red figure sneaking up behind her until it was too late.

“Hey,Soldier~” sang a voice making her almost jump out of her skin. Astarion really would be the death of her if thinking about him prevented her from noticing this hulking beast of a woman approach.

“Karlach! What are you up to?” she gasped holding a hand over her chest.

“You’ve been holding out on me, soldier. ~ What is this I’ve been hearing about you and Astarion?”

Karlach had a very unsettling devilish gleam in her eye, it was clear she was out on a quest for scandalous tales.

 “I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean.” She said, trying to keep her face neutral.

“Oh, come off it! I thought we were friends. You know you can tell good ol’ Karlach anything, especially any juicy stories.”

Thiriann searched her mind for a way out of this. There was no way she would talk about anything that had transpired between her and Astarion.  Luckily for her, Karlach relented first.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d ride him to the Feywild and back if I had the chance, but I wouldn’t let my guard down around him. Good to see the two of you getting along, anyway. As for myself, I think I’ll go look for a fire-retardant lover to go lost in ‘til sunrise.” She winked before taking off in the direction of a rather good-looking bard.

“Enjoy yourself tonight, Karlach.”

Unconsciously, Thiriann shifted her gaze to his tent again and to her surprise, he met her eyes. His look conveyed a silent invitation. There was only so much delaying the inevitable, she couldn’t avoid him forever. Taking a deep breath and steadying herself she approached him.

“Here’s my little treat with their cheeks all flushed. You will come to my bed tonight, won’t you?”

She hesitated. This was rather unexpected.

“I’m not sure…” she said with no small level of uncertainty.

“Ah, you need a bit of enticing, let me see.”

He said, hand gripping his chin in thought.

“How about this one: All these accolades from the Tieflings are nothing compared to the sound of my name, cried from your lips.” He said with a flair, arm gesturing for effect.

A ghost of a laugh left her. Did he want to play some pickup game?

“Is that the best you can do?” she teased.

“Hmm, let me give it another go: Every part of your perfect body whispers temptation - it's as if the Gods made you just to ruin me.”

The blush on Thiriann’s cheeks returned with full force.

“You're sweet, and sillier than I thought.”

“I can go on all night with the flattery, but is that really all you want?” he drawled, hand hovering over his chest, drawing her eyes to the little bit of skin visible under his collar.

Maybe.

“How about if I said these little words... Everyone's favorite...” he put on an innocent face, if not a bit sad. “I love you.”

The smile fell off her face, and she stared at him in stunned silence. This playful banter had been a nightly routine, but those words coming from him held a powerful punch.

Finally regaining her composure, she teased him, "Having fun, are you?"

“I am, it's hard not to with you.” He giggled, and she raised an eyebrow. Somehow, hearing him say he enjoyed their time together stirred her emotions more than any of his pickup lines.

“Now, as much as I relish standing around and saying all my favorite lines at you, I'd much rather we got to experience each other’s full portfolio of talents once again.”

She really didn’t think he’d bother with a repeat after last time. But she had heard him complain that the party was boring, and the wine was bad, and, well, if it was entertainment he wanted, she had a few ideas.

“All right, I’ll come see you after everyone’s asleep.”

Once the party had died down and the camp had settled into silence, she sauntered to his tent.

 “I'd hoped you would come. And now you're all mine, and I’m all yours. Until morning at least.”

His eyes drifted to the cup she held in her hand. A flicker of concern crossed his face. Not that it had stopped him in the past but the idea of sleeping with her intoxicated brought a sour feeling to his stomach.

“I see you've been indulging. “ he said, trying to gauge her inebriation.

“Don't worry...”

She was pleasantly surprised to see how he arranged his numerous pillows within his tent, evidently trying to provide some comfort. Moreover, he had an actual bedroll spread out.

“…I've brought you a drink as well.”

She reclined on a pillow and placed her drink down next to her. His gaze travelled over her form. She was only carrying one cup. A thrill of anticipation shot through him as he realized her game.

“Really, now?” His voice purred seductively.

She removed her top in one swift motion, but he was already used to such displays from her. Probably half the camp had seen her topless by now.

“Tonight, you can drink as much as you want from wherever you want.”

With that she slid out of her pants as well, remaining only in her underwear.

His eyes lit in excitement. Now, this sounded like fun. But he wasn’t one to just jump at an offer that sounded too good. Most of the time.

“Darling, as much as I want to accept your generous gift, I believe the others will be less understanding in the morning when Shadowheart is forced to resuscitate you again.”

“It won’t come to that. I’ve taken some precautions.”

“Precautions?”

“There’s a scroll of Revivify in my pants. The others don’t have to know.”

Oh, so she had a deviant side to her after all. This was rather surprising, and so very tempting. For a moment, he considered this had to be a trap of some sort, even if an unusually elaborate one. But that didn’t seem like her. She had too much of a bleeding heart for that.

He tried to weigh the consequences in his mind but his hunger, which had already reawakened at the mere suggestion of drinking her blood, was terribly distracting, gnawing painfully at his belly. He took a reflexive breath and as if on cue her scent invaded his nose, the bouquet of her blood mixed with her arousal.

This might be a terrible idea, but most fun ones were. All he had to do was hold back a little, he could do that. Surely.

“My, my, I had no idea you enjoyed it that much, darling.” He said as he sat between her legs leaning over her. He placed both his hands on her knees spreading them further apart.

“You should have said so earlier. I would love nothing more than to devour you.” He drawled, trying to sound as seductive and sexually charged as possible.

 In reality, he had no idea where to begin. Elation and nervousness surged through him as he took in her form. Her delicate neck was extremely alluring as usual, but shifting his eyes lower he couldn’t help but draw his attention to her supple breasts. They would be so soft against his face, her nipple would fit perfectly in his mouth as he bit around her areola. Moving his gaze even lower he was presented with her thighs. Firm and toned, he’d heard you could draw a rather large amount of blood from them with barely any effort. He wondered if that was true. And then there was her tail. Could you even draw blood from a tail? He had no idea, but it had a large vein on the side of it that seemed to almost challenge him to try.

He realized he’d probably taken longer than he should have contemplating his options. He stole another glance at her face, only to see her patiently observing him. At a first look might have mistaken it for casual relaxation, but he could hear her heartbeat, it was elevated. Even in the dim light, he could almost perceive a shift in her eyes, a dilation of the pupils that sent a jolt through him. This wasn't just idle amusement. Desire flickered beneath the surface, a silent mirror of the hunger gnawing at him. She wanted this, almost as much as he did.

A trail of fire danced across her skin as his lips brushed upwards from her knee. The coolness of his breath against her heated flesh sent shivers rippling down her spine. He paused, hovering just above her thigh, a single raised eyebrow in a silent question.

“Go ahead.” She answered him out loud, her voice trembling but he couldn’t tell if it was fear or arousal.

Either way, he’d at least try to be gentle, he was a gentleman after all.

He bit her swiftly, but her thigh was softer than he had anticipated, and his fangs sank in deep. A gasp, sharp and quick, escaped her lips and her legs trembled, but she remained still.

Blood gushed into his mouth, filling it with rapid speed. He moaned around her leg startled and swallowed everything he could. A few errand droplets ran down his chin. A wave of warmth surged through him, an intoxicating sensation that left him breathless.  He didn’t even have to suck at the wound, her blood was freely running into his mouth, and he swallowed a second time. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this was too much, she would bleed out in no time at all. A third mouthful gathered, and he forced himself to pull away. He licked at the wound hoping to aid congeal the blood and felt a jolt of panic when his senses finally returned to him.

He stared in shock as the holes stopped bleeding almost instantly and even closed. She hadn’t been kidding when she said she’d taken precautions.

When he glanced at her face, her eyes were lidded, and she had a confident smirk on her lips.

It seemed it was his turn now to impress. Of course, there was no such thing as a free lunch.

He kissed her thigh one last time, the smell of her blood making him want to dive back in but he could be patient.

He moved his face to the apex of her thighs, hovering above her sex. He hooked a finger in her underwear and moved them to the side before blowing a cold breath over her. She gasped as goosebumps ran over her skin.

Astarion looked so beautiful between her legs. She was caught between wanting to look away in embarrassment and staring into his eyes forever.

He was the first to break their momentary connection as he lowered his face and took a broad sweep of his tongue over her clit.

She moaned quietly at the contact and spread her legs further. He smirked at her eagerness and ran his tongue over her hole before bringing it back to her clit. There was something in her taste that was uniquely hers and he could swear he tasted it in her blood as well.

Without musing over it too much, he began his usual routine, habits kicking in. She moaned loudly above him, and her hips thrust against his mouth. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself and of course she was, he was very good at this. It was after all one of his, admittedly few, talents. Words echoed in his ears as memories began to surface, reminding him exactly what he was good for. So, he drifted away from them, sinking into the quiet abyss of his own mind. How long had he been gone? Had he even left at all? A throbbing beat, insistent and growing, clawed its way through the fog. When his eyes snapped open, reality slammed back. He tried to take in what had happened. It seemed at some point she’d put her legs over his shoulders, or maybe he’d done that, and he now found himself almost squished between her thighs, her pulse loud right by his ear.

He pulled away from her slightly, every instinct in him was screaming to just get on with it like always, get it done, and move on, but he found himself hesitating. His feelings were even worse than usual, maybe that was the problem, he had let them run loose and now his thoughts were a mess as well. Shame twisted his gut in a dull ache, familiar and unwelcome.

He wanted to clear his head, to calm down. Almost by instinct, he grabbed her by the thigh he hadn’t bitten and sank his fangs in. He hadn’t asked this time, a sliver of unease worming its way into his gut before he felt her hand run through his hair.  He stilled expecting a blow or a yank, but it never came. She just carded her fingers through his locks and stroked his head, her light touch a soothing counterpoint to the storm raging within him. He’d bitten her at an awkward angle, and he couldn’t fully see her face but from what he could tell she appeared to be smiling. A strange calm washed over him, a quiet settling in his usually churning stomach. Before he even swallowed the first mouthful, a sense of control, however fleeting, began to return.

As he drank greedily from her again and slowly began to feel more like himself, with every drop he consumed, the world seemed to sharpen, the confusion receding. Feeling his confidence return to him he unlatched his fangs and licked her wound closed.

 He finally looked at her then and what a sight she was. Her face was flushed, almost red, the color reaching all the way to her delicate collarbones. She was panting with a gentle smile on her lips, a sheen of sweat clinging to her flushed skin like morning dew. Both her thighs were smeared in blood, his marks clearly visible despite it. Her cunt was glistening, slick dripping down onto her tail. He felt a twinge of pride that he could reduce their righteous leader to such a wanton state. His dick twitched against the confines of his pants and he stood up to remove them. Her eyes were glued to the motions of his hands before they fell on his cock and she looked away. He’d had his tongue inside her just minutes prior but now she was suddenly feeling shy? Ridiculous woman.

He sank back to the ground, a predatory glint returning to his eyes. Before she even had the time to ask him why, he grabbed her by the thighs and pulled her to him, making her fully prone on the floor with her legs wrapped around his waist. She gasped at the sudden motion and looked up at him with wide eyes. He was finally back on track with the evening. He loomed over her, taking in her form before lowering his hands to her hips. He gripped her underwear and ripped them off with a snap. Thiriann gasped, more at the audacity than the pain.  But her eyes, wide and unblinking, remained fixed on his.

He lowered himself onto her and their lips locked in a passionate kiss. He plunged his tongue in her mouth and slid it against hers. She responded eagerly, and the kiss immediately turned into something filthy. He retreated his tongue, and she followed him, licking into his mouth, just where he wanted her. He bit her tongue gently in a silent request. She shivered under him and he fought the urge to rut against her. He felt her drag her tongue against one of his fangs in permission. He bit down just hard enough to draw a few drops. The taste of her blood mixed with her saliva was intoxicating and he sucked greedily on her tongue. Despite drinking from her twice already, his bloodlust was far from satiated. She felt the heat in her belly intensify as he growled animalistically in her mouth.  

She pulled away trying to regain some composure, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Oh no you don't," he whispered, his voice husky; not when he finally had her where he wanted.

He trailed kisses down her delicious neck, over her delicate collarbones until he reached her breasts and sucked a nipple into his mouth. She keened loudly and arched her back in an attempt to touch as much of him as she could. Her hands were now firmly on his back but he could tell she was trying not to scratch him with her nails. A bittersweet pang shot through Astarion's chest at the thought of her concern. It was a foreign sensation, almost unwelcome. He shoved it down, a familiar darkness settling in its place. Tonight, he wouldn't be swayed by fleeting emotions.

He swirled his tongue around her nipple, and she thrust up, her wet heat pressing against his length. The sudden sensation against his neglected cock sent a shock of pleasure up his spine. He gasped and pushed down more firmly into her, dragging his length along her folds and rubbing against her clit. Giving her a taste of her own medicine before pulling away and pressing her hip down with his free hand, holding her still.

She whined loudly at the loss of contact, and he smirked against her breast.

“Now, now, darling. Wouldn’t want to end our night before I’ve made use of your very generous offer, would we?”

The desire to be filled was making her ache with need but he was right. She wanted him to enjoy himself without holding back, even if that meant slowly driving her to madness with lust.

She forced her muscles to relax under him, giving no resistance to being pinned down. “I’ll be good. “

Gods, he wanted to ruin her.

He felt a strange sense of satisfaction having her submit to him, allowing him to take whatever he wanted at his own pace. And seeing her so eager to follow his lead for once sent a thrill of excitement up his spine.  He'd never had an opportunity like this before, so he was going to make the most of it now. Astarion lowered his head to her breast once more.

“May I?”

Her breath stuttered, but she nodded, closing her eyes anticipating the pain. He took her nipple into his mouth again giving it a firm suck before opening his mouth wider and sinking his fangs into the skin just barely above her areola. Her breath hitched and he rubbed his thumb over her hip in a silent apology.

When he felt her relax against him, he removed his fangs and let the blood seep into his mouth.

He swirled his tongue around her nipple playing expertly with it. Her muscles tensed once more,  fighting fiercely with herself to stay still.

 He could just lower his hand and give her the much-desired relief but a part of him relished having her like this, completely at his mercy. He wanted to push her to see when she'd finally break and start making demands of him. Or maybe start begging.

Light-headedness set in and Astarion began to feel almost tipsy. He wondered if he wasn’t drinking too much of her blood. But there she was releasing chocked little sounds above him, her face beautifully flushed and sweaty.

Releasing the now-swollen bud from his mouth he flinched as a flash of brilliant light erupted in his vision. He snapped his eyes open, searching the room for the source but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

A trail of heated kisses climbed up her body, stopping at the vulnerable curve of her neck. He lingered there, brushing his lips along the sensitive skin. A subtle shift in her breath betrayed a growing anticipation. He dragged his fangs gently across her flesh, teasing himself as fire pooled in his gut from the action. Interesting, that was new.

Finding his favorite spot mirroring almost perfectly where his own scars were, he licked the delicate skin and felt her tremble.

He blew a cold breath over the now wet spot and with a swift movement, he captured her lips in a fierce kiss.

“Mmh-“ a strangled moan escaped her lips, surprise melting into raw desire. She met his kiss with equal fervor, her hand tangling in his curls, pulling him closer.

“I thought you were going to drink.”

“Oh, I will, darling. But I think it’s time I gave you your reward. You’ve earned it.”

Removing his hand from her hip, he grasped his length and lined himself with her entrance. She felt hot and incredibly tight, too tight. Astarion froze, a curse escaping his lips. The unexpected resistance sent a jolt of frustration through him. He couldn’t even push halfway in.

He moved his hand to rub at her clit to get her to relax.

“Astarion, wait, I- “ and with that, he felt her squeeze him even harder before her tight channel started fluttering around him. It felt as if her body was trying to suck him in and he bucked into her instinctively, making her scream. He stared at her in awe as she came undone on his cock.

Having someone finish prematurely wasn’t a novelty to him but it had been always men. He’d never made a woman cum with a single thrust before. Unfortunately for her, it made his already impressive ego swell further.

“Oh, you poor thing. You should have said something sooner, had I known you were this frustrated, I would have helped you out right away.”

She tried, and failed, to glare at him.

“Liar.” She pouted and something like fondness swirled in his chest.

“Don’t worry, darling. I’ll make sure you’re thoroughly satisfied tonight.” He punctuated his last words with languid thrusts making her eyes glaze over and her mouth open in a gasp.

Astarion angled his hips in just the right way to bring her to bliss again and set a steady pace. He panted quietly against her, she was still so impossibly tight, and his pleasure was building faster than he would have liked. He blamed it on the amount of blood and wine he’d drank.  She tugged gently at his curls and the sensation sent a shiver down his spine.

The closer he got to release the more overwhelmed he felt. He blinked, momentarily disoriented. Time seemed to have blurred. Her arms, once loosely around him, had tightened their hold. A soft brush against his leg startled him, and he realized her tail had also wrapped around his leg. A wave of nausea threatened to rise, a primal reaction he couldn't seem to control. He clenched his jaw, forcing the feeling down, desperate to salvage whatever connection they'd built. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to pull away, to flee from the very touch that had moments ago filled him with pleasure. Shame burned hot in his chest, a bitter cocktail of self-loathing and regret. Why couldn't he allow himself this moment of connection, this flicker of normalcy, without the past rearing its ugly head?

“Bite me.”

He had been so distracted he wasn’t sure he heard her. Pulling back to see her face he felt mesmerized by her eyes. It was a look he hadn't known existed, a look that held not fear or disgust, but acceptance, even admiration. No one had ever looked at him like that.

“You can bite me again.” she repeated, her voice a gentle murmur, devoid of lust or demand. It was a simple statement, spoken with the same trust she offered him every night.

Words failed him so he bent down to her neck and bit. It may have been the fourth time he’d drank from her that evening but the joy of it hadn’t weaned at all. He felt her blood course through both their bodies and every sensation felt charged. He hooked her legs over his shoulders bending her in half, allowing him to pump into her with animalistic need. She cried out, bucking up against him as much as she could. He wasn’t going to last long, the coil inside him ready to snap. He tried to reach for her clit again, but she held him tighter, pressing their bodies even closer.

“Like this-ah- is -aah- good!”

She clenched around him, and he growled in her throat, the sound not quite human. He sucked harder and his release approached with every coming second. He fucked her with reckless abandon, intoxicated by the sensations of her blood filling him and her tight heat wrapped around his length.

 Suddenly, without any warning, the coil snapped. And it was as if a dam had burst, wave after wave of uncontrollable pleasure crashed into him. He finally released her neck to gasp as he unravelled, filling her. The feeling of his hot spend inside her and his delicious moans by her ear finally pushed her over the edge as well. She screamed and dug her nails into his shoulders holding onto him for dear life.

Her cunt was spasming and convulsing around him trying to drain every last drop and he was more than eager to let her.

After a few last desperate thrusts, he collapsed on top of her. Coming down from his high, reality began to sink in once more. He didn’t often reach bliss with his partners let alone reach it first. And he’d drank from her, a lot, definitely more than he should have. Shame set in his gut, and he winced.

Willing his shaking muscles to cooperate he lifted himself off her and moved to crash by her side.

She whispered an incantation by his side and suddenly the room was engulfed in a bright green light. It vanished as soon as it came, and he finally looked at her, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him. Gods, she looked radiant. His bites decorated her body, and blood had been smeared all over her neck down to her chest. He felt an urge to lick it despite it having already gone dry. But the most unexpected sight was the radiant smile on her face. He realized with a pang that he rarely saw her smile at all, except during these intimate moments. It shouldn't be surprising, given their current circumstances, but it still felt like a shame.

“Healing magic?" he rasped, his voice rough. "I didn't know wizards could mend wounds."

A smug grin spread across her face "We can't usually. I learned it from a scroll I bought in the Druid Grove.  Abjuration's my specialty, after all” A hint of pride snuck into her voice.

 Of course, a wizard would use any opportunity to brag about their intelligence. Despite the urge to roll his eyes, there was something rather adorable about her smugness.

"Actually," she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper, "when I saw it, I remembered what you said before… about holding back." her eyes shot open suddenly only to see him staring at her curiously"-"Not that I expected this to happen again or anything!"

A sardonic smile played on his lips. "Of course you didn't." He paused, studying her flushed face.  It seemed like his plan was already working, soon he'd have her wrapped around his finger. Somehow it didn’t feel like a success.

"But if we did," she pressed on, "I thought… well, you might enjoy it more if you didn't have to worry about keeping your hunger in check."

 Her cheeks burned scarlet, and she quickly averted her gaze, focusing on a stray thread on the bedroll.  She cursed herself inwardly.  A lifetime spent studying magic hadn't prepared her for the flustered mess Astarion turned her into.

"Casual relationships aren't exactly my forte," she mumbled, the lack of experience a foreign and unwelcome sensation.

A strange tug pulled at Astarion's chest.  People didn't typically prioritize his pleasure, let alone go to such lengths to ensure his enjoyment. He pushed the thought down. This was about a fair exchange, he gave her as good as he got.

"You sweet generous thing. Aren’t you just full of surprises?” he teased, his voice tinged with amusement. “I can't wait to see what other hidden talents of yours we can explore."

He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow.

"Really? Well..."  she said half-jokingly as her tail raised, waving through the air " I can think of a few." She said with a wink.

She was more debaucherous than he gave her credit for.

Her tail snaked out and snatched her drink, bringing it to her lips before setting it down beside him.  He caught a whiff of a healing potion, she truly had thought of everything.

"We should probably get dressed before anyone decides to thank us for saving their tails."

A moment of silence passed and when he looked back up at her, she was fast asleep.

Disbelief battled with a flicker of genuine warmth in his chest. How could someone fall asleep so quickly, so trustingly, after their… exertions? A chuckle escaped his lips.  Well, it wasn’t that surprising given how much he tired her out.

It would be downright cruel to wake her now. And the thought of her staying until the morning wasn’t unappealing exactly. 

He rose and put his clothes on hastily, embracing the feeling of safety they brought. Dressed, he lay back down beside her, the warmth of her body a stark contrast to the chill that had settled within him. Here, in the quiet aftermath, the silence pressed in, suffocating.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, her body shifting unconsciously closer to his. He flinched, a primal instinct against the unexpected touch.  But then, as quickly as it flared, the tension dissipated.  He watched her for a moment, there was a vulnerability in her sleep, a stark contrast to the determined woman he knew.

Hesitantly, he reached out a hand, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead.  Her skin was warm under his touch, sending a tremor through him.  He snatched his hand back, a surge of self-loathing rising in his throat.  What was he doing?  He shouldn't…

But the quiet rhythm of her breathing, the steady rise and fall of her chest, had a strange calming effect.  He found himself mimicking her breath, slow and deep, willing himself to succumb to the darkness.

[leaswhum]

hiii bex i have a question for julian. a ‘certain someone’ is forcing me to requesting that i ask if he’s made any progress on that seahorse transformation yet.

ps hope you’re well i adore you!

Char, my love!

I adore you as well, and I hope your day is being kind to you. 💜 But I'm not really sure what you're talking about?

Charlotte. Love. And 'certain someone,' I guess. Progress is...a strong word. A very strong word, frankly. I thought my Latin might be the issue, initially. But I'm a rather deft hand at charms, and my Latin has never been an issue before. I believe it may be a problem in the transfiguration department. Unless the desired effect is actually a soggy horse? (And a rather ugly one, for that matter.) I've come across something else that may prove useful, but I Westley is now over my shoulder insisting it is, in fact, not useful and likely to backfire horrendously. 'Burning my hair and giving me boils' horrendously. Can't have that. Sorry, mate. Back to the drawing board, I suppose? Dutifully yours (Char), - JW ♡ PS A 'certain someone' should come to me with his own requests. Unless he has a 'certain blonde reason' for the cloak and dagger?

[abogwitchnamedsage]

𝙀𝒍𝙩𝒖𝙧𝒊𝙖𝒏 𝑻𝙖𝒊𝙡𝒔 𝑾𝙚𝒆𝙠𝒍𝙮 𝘿𝒆𝙫 𝙐𝒑𝙙𝒂𝙩𝒆

[ Week of May 18, 2025 ] /// Primary Game Dev Post

Well, this has been an unexpected week. I had hoped to have a secondary character sprite to share, but life had other plans.

I'm away from home, helping with a funeral and mourning family. I'm away from my usual set-up and not particularly in the mood for creativity.

BUT! I would regret not sharing any little progress that I made this week (and last week that I forgot to share).

The best news I have to share is...the first completed draft of Zevlor's core romance route is complete! *insert copious amounts of confetti and champagne here*

Writing for Zevlor—someone who starts out guarded and duty-bound but slowly reveals tenderness, uncertainty, and (poetic) longing—is just so delicious. I've said it many times before, but I'll say it again...I adore this old man.

And by the watching gods, Zevlor Nation... we will give this old man the love and devotion he deserves!

Right now, his core romance route is just over 9,000 words in total, including dialogue branches. Once all is said and done, it will probably be right around 11,000 (this is excluding parts of the game that aren't romance-route specific). More branches that correspond to specific player backgrounds are needed, but as it stands today, when coded into the game, he has a romance storyline that just works!

A smaller achievement: secondary characters (ones without romance routes but are a part of the story) have been identified, parred down, and will eventually have their own functioning sprites! These characters include:

Lia

Cal

Bex

Danis

Lakrissa

And last but surely not least, our favorite tiefling bard: Alfira!

The overall script is... very much in progress! I'm still getting used to writing fan fiction and visual novels, and I am humbled every time I have to delete chunks of drafts to start over again. (I come from a background in writing periodicals...to all of the fanfiction writers: you are built differently, and I can't comprehend your beautiful big brains.)

While choices in the game aren't critical to achieving a better story outcome (they are just there for flavor and storytelling), I want plenty of options that create player agency and reactive storytelling. Unfortunately for me, that means when I commit 300 words to a chunk of three branches, the player sees only 100 words (just a third of the writing), assuming they don't go back to test the outcomes of other choices. AND because I hate myself, some branches contain five or more player options. I now understand why visual novels don't have as many branching dialogue options as my emotionally-invested heart desires—they're a ton of work!

Zevlor has a TON of history hidden in his dialogue options! Here's a snippet of dialogue from Zevlor that comes from a specific branch where you can inquire about a particular scar on his body, where he talks about his old loyal steed:

ALSO! Last week was a huge milestone in that all of the bachelors' sprites have been finished and implemented into the game. I didn't share a screenshot with the boys together, which is a CRIME.

LOOK AT THEMMMM!! ❤️❤️❤️

This is me, seeing the boys together in-game at last:

[frizzle-mcshizzle]

random Dizznee family headcannons that are part of my personal cannon

that get progressively more detailed

Kesler has a Tattoo of the alchemy symbols for fire, water, earth, and air on his right arm.

Kesler has glasses and curly hair, Milo Thatch vibes.

Juline is the one with Dimples and is the reason all the kids are sound sleepers shes harder to wake up than Dex. the only person who can successfully wake her up is Kesler

Bex has periwinkle eyes while Rex and Lex have turquoise Bex's hair is curly while the boys hair is wavy.

Kesler and Juline wear elven wedding rings which are similar to Cognate rings except that theres only one and it goes on the weares dominant thumb glows when their spouse thinks about them.

Juline has to wear her wedding ring around her neck when shes in her disguise because Kesler thinks about her so much that it’s constantly glowing.

Juline has a lot of jewelry with periwinkles on them and Kesler has a lot of jewelry with Snowdrops on them, because they like to wear little thingd that remind them of each other

Juline brings home human snacks and Kesler's favorite human candy is nerds and constantly begs her to get some. when shes out getting snacks she also gets them stupid grapic tees to wear around the house

Kesler was way more upset about her lying to him for ten years when he actually properly processed what she did and he just held it together in front of the kids. but they have a deal to never fight in front of their kids and apologize to their kids if they do.

Kesler runs warm and Juline runs cold (because froster) and they can’t sleep without each other

Juline badly picks her lips when she’s upset, along with frosting over whatever is around her because of her strong emotional connection to her ability.

when Edaline was a young adult she rasied Juline through teens because her parents deemed her difficult for not being able to control her ability, it resulted in Juline becoming very angry at everyone around her, and while she realized it wasn’t Eda’s fault she ended up taking it out on her often.

after making friends at school that didn’t call her defective, Juline’s mental health got to be a lot better and she apologized to Edaline profusely, Edaline was just happy to see her sister smiling again

Bex inherited her mom’s temper and is the ring leader of the triplets, shes the most outgoing has no filter and says what she thinks at all times, she likes to hang out with Lovsie because she likes having another girl in the house and was taught some basic fighting skills by her, while shes so much like her mom shes a daddys girl through and through and is the most skilled in alchemy second to Dex.

Lex is the prankster of the group and is the worst out of the entire family at alchemy, he goes out of his way to annoy people because he likes to get reactions out of people, his favorite uncle is the one who gave Juline and Kesler the Yeti as a wedding present and he looks up to him immensely. he also loves to create food abominations that he will eat as disgusting as they look.

Lex's full name is Alexander, he is the only triplet with a full name Kesler and Juline did this to confuse people and it works.

Rex is the mellowest and shyest triplet, he prefers to hide in his brother and sisters shadow, he is known as a troublemaker because people don’t care to tell the difference between him and Lex, he likes to spend time with Edaline at Havenfeild helping with the animals, after he doesn’t manifest he starts to isolate himself from his brother and sister and spend even more time with his aunt

Kesler and Grady where best friends before Jolie’s death and Kesler called him his brother, in reality he got along better with Grady than he did with his “real” brothers

Kesler and Juline where also broken up over Jolie’s death and constantly reached out to check on Grady and Eda, but when they seemed to want space they gave to them, Kesler and Juline still reached out every now and then to check up on them and let them know they loved them, but it wasn’t very often because they thought that was what Grady and Edaline wanted.

the triplets only met Edaline and Grady a handful of times in their memory because it was hard for their uncle and aunt to be around kids and the triplets high energy and overwhelming.

Juline and Jolie constantly exchanged letters, especially after she and brant where deemed a bad match Juline keeps all the letters in a box at the top of her closet and sometimes takes them out to read them when she misses Jolie.

Kesler and Juline where like the cool aunt and uncle to Jolie and they used to have family game nights once a week until she died, after her death the families drifted apart and didn’t get that closeness back until the kidnapping

Jolie was going to recruit Juline to the Black Swan and had written a note to her in her black cube that was kept until Livvy recruited her, she was given the box with Jolies note inside and keeps it in a locket

a lot of the black swan thinks Squall wants to be a homewrecker because of the way she talks about Kesler, not realizing he is in fact her husband and shes just so in love she can’t hide it even in a disguise.

part of Juline’s job is interrogating prisoners and shes lost coworkers she was close with whenever she has a hard day she comes home and cries into Kesler’s arms from anywhere from a ten minutes to a few hours.

Juline has a bunch of notebooks that she wrote to each kid, Kesler, and Edaline just in case she dies or has to wipe her own mind with the poison for her own peace of mind.

during the kidnapping instead of isolating themselves their families stuck together like glue over the two in a half weeks the kids where missing because they didn’t know what else to do 

they started their family games nights after they got the kids back, and started a new tradition of movie nights at Rimeshire, where Sophie would show the family her favorite movies and they would make pillow forts to sit in while they eat their movie snacks. 

Juline was pulling strings behind the scenes to keep Dex from going on missions and to just stay behind and work on gadgets, because she never wanted him to join in the first place, she didn’t want to lose him again

after revealing the fact that she was part of the black swan it took a long time for decks to trust his mom again because he was constantly asking questions she couldn’t answer, and he wanted to be let on more missions, but she wasn’t going to do either, so he was angry and upset (rightfully so) they had to work on their relationship for a long time afterwards

[rexisaurous]

Heyhi!

Just a warning, im writting a book and im about to post a snippet of it! It has darker themes such as:

- parental abuse/neglect

- bullying

- alcoholism

-schooling

-mental health struggles

-polyamory (eventually)

- self harm and suicide (eventually)

-unconventional relationship(eventually)

-romantic and sexual themes(eventually)

If any of that is not your jam or you aren’t in the mind to hear about it please dont read further! Get a drink and snack and take care of yourself!!

That being said. Heres a snippet of my work in progress book “our toy.” Enjoy.

•

•

Bex’s pov:

I wake up, drained. I hear my mother screaming and glass breaking, she must be drunk already. “What time is it?” I groan and check my phone. 5:30am, I read the clock again making sure I was right before getting up and getting ready. I transfer schools today. Leaving glencreek and going to norburrow is going to be rough. Not that I have friends at my old school, its just.. familiar you know? I know what to expect everyday when I walk in those doors. Norburrow I have no idea what to expect. Pushing past my nerves I slip on black jeans and a black and white striped hoodie. I slip on my converse and grab my backpack. Taking a deep breath I open my bedroom door and walk into the living room. Empty beer bottles scatter the floor, mostly broken. My mother is nowhere to be found which means she’s probably passed out in her room. I quickly and quietly step out of the house and head to the bus station, hoping not to wake her. Once there I sigh a breath of relief and try to shake off my anxiety. The bus comes not long after my arrival and I step on, seeing its mostly empty I sit down at a random vacant seat. Scrolling through my phone I check my schedule over and over, nodding I slip my phone back into my pocket and stare out of the window, eventually zoning out.

I feel the bus come to a halt and I look up, snapped out of my thoughts. Were here. I take a deep breath and grab my bag before exiting the bus. The concrete stairs leading up to the door were scattered with students talking amongst each other. I ascend the staircase and push past the doors, the clock in the hall tells me I still have 30 minutes to talk to the office and get to class. “I can do this” I tell myself internally. Not daring to mutter a word externally. I find the office and knock on the door before gliding up to the front desk. “How may I help you?” A bigger blonde woman with way too thin drawn on eyebrows asks me “i'm the new student, bexley warner?” I say, voice shaky. “Ah, yes! Bexley, here it is!” She nods while clicking around on her desktop. “Do you have your schedule? Or do you need it printed out?” She asks quickly after. “Can you print it?” I mutter, not wanting to cause any inconvenience. “Of course! One moment.” She says before getting up and walking to the printer not far behind her desk. She grabs a paper as the printer spits it out. Checking over it before handing it to me I nod and mutter “thanks.” Before waving and quickly walking out.

First period is history, second floor, room 2304. Sounds easy enough.. I hope. I find the staircase and follow it up to the second floor. Seeing the room number that matches the one on my schedule I walk in, still a few minutes early. I see the teacher at his desk and he greets me “good morning! You must be the new student, bailey?” He asks with a hand stuck out for a handshake, I weakly shake his hand back “bexley.. but yes” I say, voice shaky and barely above a whisper. He nods and notes it mentally before releasing my hand and letting me sit down. I sit down near the back of the class, just after the middle rows but not far enough back that im in some bully kids seat. I just hope no one already sits here..

Moments later students start to flow in the classroom each taking their seats and chatting to their friends. No one tells me to move, or that i'm in their seat so far, so I sigh softly and zone out, drawing in a small sketchbook. “Um. Who are you? And why are you in my seat?” A feminine voice startles me out of my trance and I freeze. I spoke too soon. I look up and meet eyes with pure ice. Her light blue eyes are cold and fierce. Her blonde hair in a tight bouncy ponytail, the white and tan cardigan covering most of her baby pink skirt. “Hello?? Earth to fuckface??” She blurts out. I stand up, shaking harshly “i-i'm sorry I didn't know anyone sat here.. im sorry.” I mumble out, voice shaking just as much as my hands. “ yeah well I do. Get out, now my seat probably has fucking aids thanks to you.” Her words cut like blades on my skin. This school wasnt going to be any better them the last. Great. I walk over to an empty desk at the back, on the opposite side as the ice queen’s desk. I quickly sit down and take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I see the girl talking with some guys, they look athletic. Maybe football? I dont know but they look mean. They are flirting back to her and she giggles. I look at the teacher and listen to his lecture as I jot down a few notes. Eventually the bell rings and I see everyone get up and file out of the classroom.

I check my schedule again for the next class. Great. Math. Luckily its on the second floor so I dont have to go far. I read the room number as I grab my bag, 2028. Ok, I can do this. I head out and quickly find my class. The teacher greets me and her sickly sweet perfume burns my nose. I sit down in an empty seat and pray no one sits here. The last of the students file in and take the surrounding seats. I hear a deep raspy yet feminine voice beside me “yo loser, you new??” I turn and meet eyes with her, shes tan, her dark brown eyes and chestnut hair pair well with her skin tone. She looks athletic too, shes really buff. My hands shake as I nod in response. She scans me, looking me up and down before smirking. “I can tell, the girls are going to love you.” What does she mean by that? What girls? Love me? No, no. I stare blankly at her and she doesnt explain. “Nice talking with you toy, but I gotta run.” She takes the seat a couple rows behind me and I exhale a breath I didnt know I was holding.

“Ignore her, thats alessia. Shes a bitch but shes strong and can fight so no one dares say anything to her.” A voice speaks lowly beside me. I turn and see ashy blue hair and dark blue eyes peering back at me. The boy smiles “im elias by the way, but you can call me eli.” He states. “Bexley, but call me bex” I reply softly. “He nods and sits up in his chair, “nice to meet you bex, I dont really talk or hang out with anyone so you want to eat lunch with me after class?” I smile faintly at his question and nod “id love that eli.” In mutual agreement we break the eye contact and look up at the teacher whos now pointing at numbers on the board. Following along with her I take notes. The bell rings as shes passing out homework. “Homework due next week!” She calls out as students leave the room.

I look up and eli is gathering his things, waiting for me. I grab my bag and stand up to follow him to lunch. “Ready to go?” He asks. “Yeah, ready as ill ever be.” I state. We start walking and he looks down before asking “do you not like lunch?” I let out a soft laugh and shake my head “no but I don’t exactly pair well with crowds of people.” He nods and his eyes flash with a new idea “how about we sit in the library? Way less people and alot quieter.” I smile and nod. “lead the way.” I say. Following eli we make our way to the library, its quiet and peaceful. Barely anyone else here. He points at a table with no one at it “want to sit there?” He asks. I nod and follow him to the table, taking a seat next to him he pulls out a laptop from his bag. “What for?” I question. “Im recoding a website, wanna see?” I nod and he turns the screen towards me. Rows and rows if numbers letters and strange characters line the screen. “Wow that looks hard..” I Say, completely Confused at what im looking at. “It isnt once you get the hang of it!” He smiles and I return it, smiling back at him before pulling out my sketchbook and a pen and doodling away. “Whats that?” He asks and I look up at him before looking back at my page. “Nothing really, just doodling.” I shrug. He looks closer at the paper “no bex this is REALLY good” he enunciated the word ‘really’ as he talks “youre really talented bex are you joking? Can I see more of your work?” His question catching me by surprise, I nod and he flips through my sketchbook. Gawking at each page he stops at one of them and his eyes grow wide. “Can I.. take a picture of this one..?” He asks and I look at the page. Its a drawing of two random characters I drew a fee month ago, I notice they roughly resemble eli and I. “Yeah sure why not?” I say taking a sip of my water. “Thank you, I really like this one!” He beams. I smile at him, happy that he likes my work so much. A voice breaks our bubble “what are you two doing in here. You are supposed to be in the cafe, are you not?” A prestigious female voice asks harshly and I wince. Eli looks up and his eyes go wide “s-sorry president! We will be going now.” He starts packing his bags and looks at me with a “hurry! Pack!” Look, I quickly pack up and follow him as he scurries out of the library. “President? Whos that? What just happened?” I ask looking back at the long black hair of the girl we’d just been busted by moments ago. “Thats the student council president, vanessa. If you get on her bad side she can expel you herself!” He says still clearly shaken up. I nod as we walk to the cafeteria, eventually deciding to sit outside. Warm breeze of spring keeping us st the perfect comfortable temperature. The silence between us was content but anxiety racked through us both and I could tell.

After awhile the bell rang and the next period was starting doon, I look at my schedule, art, thank fuck. Third floor, room 4702. I jump up and look at eli. “I have art, what class do you have?” He looks up at me from his spot on the bench and smiles “tech class, its down on the first floor. See you after school though?” I nod and wave him off. “See you!” I rush quickly to the stairs and scale the two flights the room at the end of the hallway. i walk into class and check in with teacher, she was super sweet and smelled faintly of jasmine and lemongrass. I sit down at one of the large table, each table having four chairs I get my sketchbook out and keep working on the drawing I started at lunch. As the kids piled in class each taking seats with each other at neighboring tables three familiar voices came through the door, all in a conversation together. Every single one of the girls that were mean today were here. All at once. I hold my breath when I feel their eyes burning holes in my side. “What are the odds.” Alessia chuckles “this was the toy I mentioned earlier girls.” She flips a chair so the back rest is infront of her, sitting down in it across from me. The other two sit next to her amd next to me. “Are you that freak who sat in my seat this morning?” The blonde retorts. “Youre the student from the library.�� Vanessa laughs coldly. “So you all met our plaything?” Alessia asks the girls. “Not really, I never asked his name. He sat in my chair! He was trying to give me aids or something!!” The blonde huffs out “relax chloe. He definitely doesnt get any kind of action.” Vanessa throws out. So the blonde girl is chloe.. the president is vanessa.. and the athlete is alessia? Noted.. vanessa continues “tell us your name student.” I tremble and look down at the table “bexley.. or just bex..” I hold my breath as my eyes start to water. Dont cry. Not here. “Bexley? Isnt that a girls name??” Chloe asks while giggling. “Y-yeah I guess so..” I agree, not wanting to start anything.

The class starts and the girls fall silent as does the rest of the class. However, chloes eyes have yet to leave her phone screen. The teacher talks about an assignment and I listen eagerly. I dont show that i'm eager, but it laces my body sending waves of excitement through each limb. The teacher passes out white papers and everyone starts getting to work. I get my paper and before I can put my pencil down my paper is snatched “h-hey!” I say and gasp suddenly, realizing I shouldn’t have said anything. “What, have a problem?” Alessia asks with an arched brow. I shake my head and look down at the desk. How am I going to work in this class?? Im screwed. I want to go home. And that says alot because I hate home. The rest of the class the girls make comments here and there about my looks or lack of worth. I sit there silently, taking each insult. “Say something fuckface!” A paper ball hits my face as chloe snorts and giggles in her seat. “Nice aim clo.” Alessia snickers. “While I applaud you on your skills clo, it was still cliché.” Vanessa says as she rolls her eyes. “Nessa youre way to serious, cliché or not it was totally funny!” Chloe pouts. Just one more class and ill go home. I just have to get through one more class. The chatter amongst the girls is deafening, eventually I was able to tune it out and zone out. Im slapped back into reality, literally. A sharp pain floods my cheek and I jump and look up “are you fucking ignoring me right now bitch??” Alessia questions. “N-no! S-sorry!” Fuck that hurt. First day and im already getting hit. Great. “Tell me where youre going after this class, freak” she demands as she slams her hand on the table I jump and hand her my schedule shakily.

She scans over it and shows it to the other girls “you have science next. When the last bell rings ill be outside the class. Dont think about running early.” Alessia states with no room to argue, not that I would argue with her. The other girls nod and chime in “we will join you ale!” I feel dizzy and nauseated, I hate this fucking school already. The bell rings and everyone leaves for the last class, I stay behind a second to get a new paper to finish the assignment before scurrying to my last class. “Lets get this over with.” I say in my head.

Walking into class and repeating the process all over again, see the teacher, sit down, hope no one sits here, zone out. The class goes by rather fast, the clock ticking down to my inescapable demise. I force myself to take a deep breath. I can do this. Ill do whatever they want and go home. Itll be quick. The bell rings and with trembling hands I pack up and step out of the door to see the three girls I dreaded seeing. “Good listening. You know whats best for you bitch boy.” Alessia spits out and I stay silent “youre coming with us.” She states as she grabs my arm dragging me beside her “o-ok” I croak accepting my fate. Vanessa grabs my other arm and im dragged to a private classroom by the girls while chloe follows behind us closely, each step making her blonde hair bounce. The shuts and locks the door once everyones inside and I dont make a sound or try to run. I try to keep my composure, not wanting to cry infront of my new tormentors. “W-“ I take a deep breath “why am I here?” I ask my voice shaking and weak. “As you may know, im the student council president. I have the authority to kick you out of the school entirely if you disobey any order given to you.” I gulp as vanessa speaks “before you got to this school I saw your student profile. I was aware of your arrival and knew youd be different then other transfers. That being said when alessia told us about you being in one of her classes I knew it was fate. You will listen to any and every command any of us make, that is, if you want to stay at the school.” She finishes her speech and im left terrified, I cant go back to that school. Everyone hated me there, I was pushed and shoved, put into trashcans, you name it. I take a deep breath and nod “o-ok. Ill do it.” I say, voice broken and barely above a whisper. “Good. Itll be easier for you that way. Hand over your phone.” Alessia states. I scramble to pull my phone out of my pocket before handing it to her. “Password?” She asks, voice filled with annoyance. “080117” I squeak out. She unlocks my phone and I tremble. What is she looking for? What is she going to do? I see her typing and passing my phone around to the other girls, watching them type as well. They hand back my phone and I slip it into my pocket weakly “we put our numbers in there so we can text you at anytime if we need something done.” Chloe chimes out “oh! And we all have your location so you cant hide from us!” She continued. I nod, not fighting against it. “I send a message to your mother letting her know youll be moving to the dorms.” Vanessa says. I freeze, “w-what?” I ask with a broken tone. “You heard me. Tonight you will pack your bags and move into the dorm house. Alessia, chloe, and I will be there to pick you up at 10pm tonight. Be ready.” She finished and turns to walk out, the others following. I have no choice, im fucked. Im so fucked. left in the empty classroom with nothing but my thoughts I grab my bag and rush to the bus station. Checking my phone its already 5:30, the next bus is at 6. I take deep breaths, calming my nerves. Mother wont care, she will be too inebriated to even take notice. That means I have no one to stop this and only 4 hours to pack.

The bus ride was quiet and empty, I get off at my stop and walk home quickly. My phone chimes and I pull it out of my pocket.

V: 4 hours. Pack quickly.

B: I just got home, starting to pack now

V: dont be late.

I sigh and walk into the house, b-lining it to my room and tossing my bag and phone on the bed. I pull out my old suitcase and get to work. Pulling out all my clothes and putting them neatly in my suitcase. I grab my blanket and stuffed dog and place them in there too. My stuffed dog is my comfort item, I named him milo and I sleep with him nightly. Moving on I pack what I can and check the time 8:30. Fuck I need to hurry. Grabbing my art supplies I slip them in my backpack along with my medications and headphones. I sigh and finish putting my stuff where I can before hearing another chime of my phone. I grab it and see messages from alessia this time.

A: dont eat. I made dinner and you will be eating it.

B: ok, I wont eat.

A: we will be there in 30 minutes.

B: im ready.

I gulp and grab my phone charger, putting it in my bag as my stomach growls. Was this going to be my last meal? Were they going to poison me? I shake off my fears and hope they are wrong. I grab my bags and put them by the front door. I pick up the shattered glass and deer bottles from my mother and go to find her, knocking on her door softly I hear her grunt. I open the door and speak softly “im about to leave for the dorms now, just wanted to let you know.” She groans “ok whatever just go.” I nod and close the door before a loud bang and the sound of shattering glass makes me jump and wince. I quickly check the time before heading outside. 9:45. im on time. I grab my bags and walk to the bus stop, once there I pull out my phone. Chloe messaged me.

C: we r on the way! Better not b late! X

B: im at the bus stop, im packed.

C: *chloe liked the message*

I exhale a breath I didnt know I was holding. Im walking into my death. Her texting mannerisms are sweet but they are laced with venom. I pass the time thinking of a better life, zoning out like I always do. What would life be like with a loving family? Would I be happier? Having a group of friends, laughing and making memories. What does it feel like to enjoy going to school, to enter the doors and not get bullied? How much better would life be if I wasnt so.. me?

I hear a car pull up and I snap out of my thoughts. The backseat passenger window rolls down. “Put your shit in the trunk!” Chloe yells. I walk to the back of the expensive looking car and load my bags in the back before shutting it and getting in the backseat drivers side. All three girl were in the car, vanessa driving, alessia in the front passenger seat and chloe in the back with me. My nerves surge through my body, my body shaking intensely. The car drives off with me inside, sealing my now not so distant future. My stomach growls again and I pray no one hears it. The car ride was around 20 minutes and when it was finally over the car pulls to a stop in a small gravel parking infront of a Victorian looking building, it looks like one house, not a school dormitory. I suppose thats why vanessa said dorm house and not dormitory? I dont have time to get lost in thought though. The girls exit the car and I follow, grabbing my bags before I joining them. They open the door and the house is gorgeous yet terrifying. Everything about it looks like a home. Somewhere a family should live. “The bedrooms are upstairs, your room is the last on down the hall.” Vanessa says and I nod. Walking up the wooden staircase I follow the long hallway, doors line the way to the door at the very end. I open the door and it creaks as it moves. Stepping into my new room theres a bed, a nightstand, a desk, and a closet. I sigh, maybe this wont be so bad afterall. Aside from the tormentors now living under the same roof as I. Setting my backpack on my bed I pull out my phone charger plugging it into the wall and connecting my phone. I unpack most of my suitcase and all of my backpack. “Dinners made. Get down here.” I hear alessia shout. “C-Coming!” I rush down to meet the girls. They sit around a large wooden dining table, I sit down in an empty seat and they pass around a bowl of noodles, carbonara? I take a helping of it, putting it on my plate when the bowl gets passed to me. Next the garlic bread gets passed around and I set one on my plate. Eventually a bowl of assorted vegetables is passed too. Spooning some onto my plate I exhale. “I do not want vegetables!” Chloe shoots out. “Eat some chloe. Youre short enough as is.” Alessia retorts as vanessa snorts, trying to hide her laugh. I stay silent, not wanting my presence to become the attention. I eat my food once I see one of the other girls start eating. So far so..good? Nothing seems to be poisoned, or at least not yet. And im not being attacked yet. I continue eating, still confused about what my life is turning out to be. I finish my food along with alessia and vanessa, chloe still poking around at her vegetables. “Take the dishes to the kitchen and wash them. Spotless.” Vanessa says, looking at me. I nod and collect all the dishes taking them to the sink and start to wash them. In the other room I hear alessia speaking “chloe eat the damn vegetables!” Chloe lets out a long whine and pouts “I dont want to!” I hold in a laugh and finish cleaning. 30 minutes later chloe comes in with an empty plate huffing like a child she slides it in the sink. I stay quiet as she stomps off like a toddler, quickly cleaning her dishes and putting all of them away. I wipe down the counters and turn to meet eyes with alessia. I never noticed just how tall she was. She looks about 6ft, towering over me. Im pretty tall, I think. Im 5’9 and pretty lanky. “If youre done you can head to your room for the night.” She states and I nod before walking iut of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room.

Exhausted from the day I plop down on my bed and let myself sink into it.

[notquitejiraiya]

9 Years

Well, here we are again. Back to spew some nonsense you could’ve done without about fic writing and otherwise. As a small introduction to myself, if you miraculously come across this before anything else I’ve done online: hiya, I’m Becks. When I was fifteen years old I decided that I was going to create a Naruto specific blog to post fanfiction on and 9 years later, I’m still here.

This is only my third reflection of those 9 years, the first and second of which you can find linked respectively, but it’s the 24th of September, and so here I am, ready to continue a tradition set by the wonderful @unioncolours of documenting her years in fandom. Sink your teeth in below the cut off if you so wish. If not, have a wonderful day ♥️

Before I talk about myself, a little thank you to her, to Bex. Two days ago, she posted what I consider to be her most powerful reflection yet, and I command the lot of you to read it, feel it, and walk away demanding you treat yourself and others kindly for this year and all those to come. Her heartfeltness and honesty is something all of us should learn from, and it is an honour to share my forename, space, fandom, world with her. Thank you, Bex, for all you do, here and away.

Now, the first thing I must address about this Rebecca here is “job no1”, as I called it in last year’s recap. “Job no1” was to become more concise.

It is safe to say that I did not get hired for “job no1.” Not yet, anyway. Perhaps on the future. Maybe. We’re still in the interview stages, and you know how many rounds these things take.

To set the tone of this past year, I will admit that it is the 24th of September, not just when I post this reflection, but as I write it. As mentioned, I have only written two recaps of this sort in my fandom career, both of which were written ahead of time and posted on the day with little stress. This one is being bashed out when the sun is already setting, and time is running out.

Time is something that has fascinated me for years; it’s something I’ve written scientifically on, written fiction about in short spells, and something I’ve come to respect a bit more over the last year, too. It’s something I’ve especially enjoyed playing with and writing about in the one fic that I’ve published/added to this year. In Grandmaster, one of my favourite passages from the fic and one of the bits I’m most proud of involves time. But I won’t dwell on that. Grandmaster — or GM, as I affectionately call it — will get its moment later on. For now, let us focus still on time.

I’ve had a strange amount of it this past year. I wouldn’t say I’ve had too much, nor particularly little, on average, but I certainly feel as though I have. Even if not, it’s slipped away from me, and this year that feels rather damning. You see, as you might know, I live in Finland at the moment. I say ‘at the moment’ because this time next year, when I’m writing my next recap, that will no longer be true. I already no longer live 40 minutes from the front door of my best friend — moving in the summer upped it to almost an hour — and by next year I won’t be able to jump up, hop on a train and see her when the mood (and life) suits. Many rather saddening things have hammered home time to me since last September, but even considering that one thought makes time seem rather fleeting. I need to treasure it until the summer, and so forgive me if my time at my laptop is a little less than it once was.

More relevant to you reading this, perhaps, is the amount of this year that I have been able to spend writing. Without examining the statistics, I feel like I’ve barely written this year. I know that that is ultimately not true; I have made good progress with GM, and have written snippets of works to come. But I still feel as though I haven’t had the time in year 9 that I would’ve liked, and even less than the small amount I dared to expect.

In the time I did spend writing, though, I largely spent it on GM, so it only feels right that I dedicate a sizable portion of this recap to that fic.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that GM has consumed me. I view the world through a different lens having conceptualised, written, and frankly breathed the world in that story. I see situations in the real-life chess, and I imagine where that might happen in the GM-timeline, were it there. I see the people I envision when the scene play out like theatre performances in my head, and I think about GM, even when it’s totally irrelevant. Even just a face. I hear songs, and I think about GM. I watch movies, and I think about GM. I sit on the bus or god forbid the train, it rains or it shines, and I think about GM.

I have never, in my life, felt a story in my bones like this. When it ends, which this year it certainly must, I will cry. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t cry because it’s over — I will cry because I will remember all the countless hours that have gone into not just writing but thinking about this fic. It is a part of my daily life and has been for such a long time now. I don’t go an hour, let alone a day, without thinking about it. It has been in progress for over 2 years — during every every wrapup I have written, it has been in progress — and 2 nights ago, I finally posted a chapter, the heart of which I first sent to my friends almost as long ago.

I won’t spoil the contents, as I’m sure many of you may not have read it, but I’ll admit now that I cried as I went to sleep after posting it. It took me three months to be happy with that chapter. Three months. That long to accept a chapter that I knew I had the core, important part of set and the was happy with since almost two years ago. It felt and still feels ridiculous to me. Even three days ago I felt like, surely, I had forgotten how to write. Or maybe I just had never known how to write in the first place. I had lost my touch, at the very least, the very spark that made anyone read more than the first paragraph. How in the world could it be that I manage to write these core lines two years ago, when GMverse was Strangers and only Strangers, yet having honed the voice of this story for so long, I now couldn’t write a single good word?

I felt like such a failure. I felt like there was no way I was ever going to finish it, and if I did, I was sure I wouldn’t be happy with it. But I told myself that I was going to post the fic on Majsasaurus day and so I said, “Fuck it,” to my assignments and I finished it.

I was late hour, but I almost did it. When I read it back before posting, I cursed myself for all the clunky sentences and obnoxious descriptions — which may not even exist, I don’t know — but I still pressed post at the end, and I immediately felt proud of it.

It’s incredible when you realise you can do that. I think perhaps it’s a skill that doesn’t make sense to people when they first start writing. Not giving a fuck, that is. I know I was guilty of it for a very long time, but there’s no point in being a perfectionist, especially if you’re trying to write about realistic people. Real people are so far from perfect that you’re fucking kidding yourself if you waste your time on such things. Year 9 has been a lot about that: settling. Settling for grades in uni I once would’ve beaten myself up over. Settling for a sentence that I know could be worded better, in theory, but I’m not yet the writer who can word it that way. I’ll meet her one day, maybe. But before I get to, I have to mould her. I won’t do that without writing more and more.

In any case, in the words of Shikamaru in my own fic: “They’re just words. They don’t mean anything unless you let them.”

In line with that thought, I want to thank you all for your theories and thoughts and engagement with GM. The fact so many of you have managed to find some meaning or emotion in it that matters to you specifically, even if that differs between people, amazes me daily. It makes me emotional and humbles me and all manner of things I could write an entire reflection on.

It is on that note that, I would like to extend a particuar mention to @twnj who has brought to life so many scenes in GM with her beautiful artwork as well as created so many fun headcanons for outside of it. I am so lucky to have met and to know you, and it is a pleasure being rambly with you, my dear.

I also would like to shout out @backgroundcharacterno5 for creating one of most incredible things I have ever seen by way of this comic. You brought that scene to life more beautifully than I ever could’ve imagined even in my own head, and I cannot thank you enough for thinking of GM at all. Thank you.

And finally, the book club. Learning of your existence blew my fucking mind, and it continues to. I refer to you this way because I do not know exactly how many of you there are, but I bloody love you all, even those of you I have never spoken to. The comments I received from you and from every reader, even if I am shit at replying to them, move me and inspire me endlessly. Your analysis and theories and reactionary comments thrill me and make my heart sing. So thank you. So much.

With GM this past year, I feel I have reached a point as a writer that I never expected to, and am endlessly proud of. I never expected people to be so engaged with something I wrote — I thought I was a one- or maybe two-trick pony with song inspired banter-filled one shots and depressing britishisms. But this year showed me that that isn’t true. Do I have the widest range? No, and I’ve made peace with that. But does that devalue what I make? No. I love it. I have fun making it. And as an incredible, frankly unexpected cherry on top, so do some of you. So thank you for that. You’ve ticked so many of my author bucket list dreams in a single year.

As I have certainly mentioned in past ‘blog’-type posts, there are elements of GM which are personal to me, but in the coming year, I will introduce to you what I consider my most personal fic yet. While I may lend things I have overheard or observed, I rarely let myself into my own work too heavily. I value the power of looking over a shoulder, and do try my best to do that. But I rarely force my shoes on a character.

Piano Man (affectionately referred to by myself and those closest as GMJ) will not be like that either. Not on purpose. It will not be a 1-to-1 retelling of my life, the opinions and feelings and experiences within it will by no means be my own, but it will be an expression of things I love and know more directly than before.

GMJ will be set some 20+ years after Strangers, so I am still not escaping this universe I’ve built for myself (not that I want to escape it). It will follow one of my most beloved characters in Shikadai, and how he meets someone he really ought to have known his whole life, but by chance, has not: Inojin.

Any writing I have done that is not GM this year has been ShikaJIn. I know that many of you who follow me, do so for ShikaTema. I wonder if there are even so many of you now that joined for GM that ‘CHESS’ and ‘Cloud Nine’ are now irrelvant in my list of past fics. But regardless of what you’re here for, and whether you ship them now or not, I hope that you’ll stick around for GMJ. It is not a ship fic anymore than GM is, and I like to think that perhaps you trust me by now to tell you a story you might enjoy.

Besides GMJ I have dabbled in a couple of other potential AUs, the most promising of which is a wartime au, which came about after my dear friend Bex suggested that @clumsydragon28 and I read a book she was reading: In Memoriam. IM was one of the most fun reading experiences I have ever had, and I cannot reccomend reading with your friends enough. The joy is something I can’t quantify, and I will treasure that experience forever.

I myself have read more books this year than I have in years. I haven’t read so many fics, which saddens me, but I am so pleased that there is space in my life for fiction and stories again besides thsoe in my own head.

One of the books of this year will no doubt come when I return home to England for Christmas, because last year, darling Barb sent me (and Bex) a goodie box from across the Atlantic. In it, she placed the US edition of my favourite book: The Beach. It will get loved and cherished this year with its first physical read. I promise.

There are so many other things that I could say here, but ultimately, I don’t know that I have the time. All I can say is that I am so grateful for the people of this fandom space, old friends and new, and even those that have not shown me kindness this past year — you have hardened me to realise I am worth more than I thought.

The next recap I write will mark a decade of notquitejiraiya. That, in itself, seems absurd. But I am certain that I go into it lucky, and grateful, and really really fucking inspired.

Thank you, all, for another notquitejiraiya year. May the next be sweet and full of more frequent updates than the last! ♥️

(PS - I’ll try to be more consice next year, but I’m not making any promises)

[arxiel]

i had a fanfic idea...

Im sorry if my english is... bad but my natal language is spanish maybe had some errors

This is the idea, this is an alternate vision of the game, it tells the events seen by Rolan and there will also be some changes that will be noticed if you have played....

WIP

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--Rolan! We'd all be grateful if you'd move a finger for us.-- said Lia, annoyed, grabbing a broom handle to carefully lower the book the Tiefling was holding, he just looked at his sister with annoyance for interrupting such an interesting rereading. --Your damn book won't go away if you do something productive, so… do something before they see you slacking off again. --As she finished her sentence she threw the broom handle at him so that he could catch it, annoyed he closed the book with one hand while holding the broom tightly. --For once, I'm not slacking off, since that damned day I haven't had the time to resume my studies in magic, I can't present myself before the great Lorroakan without at least being up to the task, you and Cal should understand that.-- Rolan said rather disgusted. Lia just looked at him with folded arms and an arched eyebrow. Rolan just sighed heavily, putting his belongings away for later to do the chores in the grove, as if they needed a wizard's apprentice to do anything of real use.

To its surprise they did need help from a wizard for mundane tasks, fire control of old lady Okta's cauldron, helping the strange named Ethel move her wares as she worked on her potions and lotions, all that was left was to support the cloying couple, Bex and Danis who were carrying a heavy box full of assorted foodstuffs, When the work was done the pair gave each other a cloying nose kiss. Such an action caused Rolan to unconsciously sigh and roll his eyes in discomfort; when the couple noticed his reaction, they laughed innocently.

--Don't be closed minded, you scare anyone who wants to come near to see your magic.-- Dannis said with a sly grin, his wife Bex nudged him with her elbow. --I don't have time for nonsense like that, I have an even greater destiny in magic instead of wasting valuable time cuddling in a hole.-- Rolan said with a firm stance before retreating.

--You'll see in time, it's not something you'll control.-- Bex said in a high voice with a sing-song tone. The tiefling back just slapped his head at her comment. When the golden hour arrived, free of any chores, Rolan walked to a somewhat remote wooded area near the beaches so as not to attract the attention of the group of refugees and the goblins neither

The sight of the golden touches of the sunset makes him sigh nostalgically for his old home with his two brothers, his untouchable world that they enjoyed watching the same sunset with the sea touching the water making an incredible glow and his two brothers witnessing his progress in magic preventing him from hurting himself or others in the process. But now things had changed; Lorroakan's letter, the fall of Elturel, his stay with the refugees was something he had to adapt to if he was to arrive safely with his brothers at Baldurs gate. Determined, he opened some parchment scrolls that were in his bag.

--Well… I can do this, I must be worthy.-- He whispered to himself, setting his possessions aside to avoid any accidents. He closed his eyes in focus and positioned himself correctly before pronouncing the following words.

--"Detono"--As he pronounced the words correctly he has successfully conjured the Thunderwave without ruffling a hair, without harming himself, he had perfected the Thunderwave. He smiles, excited to put it to the test when the opportunity arises. Inspired, he dedicated the next few hours to practicing different spells without rest. This is his chance. Without interruptions, just him, just magic, just inspiration alone.

The sky suddenly cracked. He looked up at the sky in amazement, as a child he would be completely surprised but after seeing how Elturel fell, anything is possible. A burning Nautiloid of Mindflayers could be seen falling from the sky, heading for the coast. Picking up his stuff he rushed to the Grove, the place will be crawling with goblins, mercenaries, mindflayers. Best not to be seen or he would accidentally expose the shelter and endanger his siblings.

[crippledanarchy]

Recently had the jarring experience of rewatching something I loved as a kid and finding out I am now older than the adult main characters

[blckvchaos]

WIP Tag Game

So the lovely @graysparrowao3 tagged me for the wip tag game - thank you!!

I'll tag whoever wants to join - additionally maybe @dutifullylazybread @sasha199 @forget-me-maybe @reverieblondie @lemonsrosesandlavender @tealfling

So a snippet for the third chapter of my Rolan x Tav fanfic is underneath the cut, but my writing process is always quite messy and I throw around everything until the spaghetti sticks to the wall, so anything underneath might be bound to change!

I hope you enjoy either way!

“She was terrifying, the githyanki woman. Asked me about the other gith Yul and I saw on our way to the mountain pass.” Zorru inhaled another spoonful of mashed potatoes before reaching for the flask of water. “I swear she was about to gut me right then and there. She even wanted me to grovel before her as if the whole situation was not humiliating enough. Feyre stopped her very quickly though.” 

He gulped down some water, Bex looking in his direction with concern etched onto her delicate features, Danis beside her slowly sinking his spoon back into his bowl of mashed potatoes grilled meats. Zorru ate as if it would be his last meal. Must’ve felt like it too, judging by the way his face grimaced as he retold his encounter with the gith, Lae’zel was her name if Rolan remembered correctly. 

Of course, he remembered correctly. 

These busybodies made it exceedingly harder hour by hour to ignore them.

“She is amazing, really. Shot the githyanki one single withering look, and told her to stand down. And it worked! Even apologized to me for her companion's behavior, while the other one looked like she was about to skin me alive. And still, she had the compassion to be kind to me, to ask me for help. As if I was the one holding all the cards right there. The whole encounter felt surreal.” 

Something flashed on Zorru’s face resembling reverence. It made Rolan’s skin itch. 

Rolan could not stand her. 

Not her interference in any business, no matter how big or small. Nor her fierce gaze when she walked by him, talking to her companions about their next steps, or when she confided with Zevlor about their progress. 

He did not like how everybody seemed to fall to their knees in front of her, figuratively speaking of course, as they praised and thanked her countless times. 

It made him want to scream how Cal and Lia seemed so besotted with her too, how they laughed and bickered together, and how she shot toothy smiles in his direction when Lia and Cal talked about him. He hated how her smile made him feel warm inside his veins and his stomach all fuzzy, how he perked up whenever he heard her name and turned around in her direction whenever he heard her voice. 

He absolutely loathed how she indulged him in discussions, asking about his apprenticeship, which schools of magic he was most interested in and why, and which spells he was intrigued to learn. 

How she showed so much compassion and interest in all their kin, and yet whenever he saw her extend her good nature and kindness, and her pretty smiles, all he wanted was her attention to himself. 

Rolan truly could not stand her.

It must have shown on his face because Cal leaned over, asking him in a whispering tone “Are you alright? You look like you are about to punch someone in the face. Did Zorru’s story wind you up that much?”

“What? No!” Quickly, as if Cal had not already seen the scowl on his face, he tried to fix his posture. “I am just ever concerned. It has been days, and still, we’re all just sitting here on our asses, doing nothing to progress our journey to Baldurs Gate. No one has any idea how long it will take or what the next steps will be, and ever since those adventurers came through it seems as if everyone is content to not even lift a finger. They have helped defend us, and as if that was not enough, now they even feed us! Do none of you feel humiliated by the prospect of accepting handouts without giving anything in turn?”

Cal looked struck, making Rolan regret his harsh words immediately. He hadn’t meant to lash out at Cal like that, not at anyone really, but Rolan was frustrated and the feeling only grew by the minute. His fingers itched to do something, anything really. 

“Look”, Zevlor interfered with a sigh from behind Rolan, having appeared out of seemingly nowhere. He must’ve overheard Rolan's outbreak and decided to prevent further escalations. “We are all trying our best within the circumstances we are given. The scouts are patrolling at all hours, bleeding into the lands to try and find a way to cross the mountain pass safely. We try to train all those who require assistance so that no one is left helpless in case of an attack. Some are trying to discuss matters with the druids to prolong our stay here until we can leave without being slaughtered seconds after leaving.”

In his periphery, he could see Ethel craning her neck to listen in on the conversation. Busybodies, all of them. 

“We are all trying, in whichever way we can - sometimes that has to be enough. At least for the time being. And it is not like we are letting them take all responsibilities from us, we help them, too. There is no shame in accepting a helping hand when it is offered.” 

Of course, Zevlor was right. He knew how to handle situations like this, having been a hellrider commander. Leading qualities flow through Zevlors blood. 

But Rolan had never held such a station. Rolan had never had to sit out a conflict, because Rolan never had the luxury to not fight for his life, and the life of his siblings when conflict arose. It had always been fight or flight, there never was an option to stop and think about the next steps.

Additionally, he did not like sitting here, reading within the same book about beginners' evocation magic over and over again. He had run out of material to revise over and over again a while ago, and now he felt like he was left with nothing to further progress his magical capabilities. One could only advance a spell so many times before he could not think of further ways to modify them. 

He felt frustrated and useless, and it made him dislike the strange ragtag group around the green-haired druid with her piercing eyes even more.

[bisexual-horror-fan]

Hey, Bex as someone who just started writing I just wanna say you have really inspired me, especially with poly content thank you for making your blog, and if you could give me some tips on how to grow and better writing.

Well hello! I am so glad to hear this, whenever someone feels inspired by my work it makes me very happy, polyam content has to be one of my greatest creative joys, I don't think I will ever stop writing it!

Now, it has been a long time since I have given some writing advice, so let's get in it.

Number one, make sure you tag properly! Not just putting it in the proper tumblr tags that will gain you traffic, but also outlining info people might want to know, characters or ships involved, any warnings, a word count, and most important to me: A read more. If your work is over 1,000 words, a read more is a must, esp if you want people to reblog your work and spread it. I have seen some great fic I would love to reblog, but it is LONG with no read more, and I don't want to clog other people's dash with thousands of words like I have had mine done previously, meaning I don't reblog it.

Number two, write what speaks to YOU personally. What interests you, what you know, and my favourite, more of what you personally want to see in regard to fan works, you'll be shocked how many people you can inspire by doing that (I'm living proof).

Number three, be shameless. Promote yourself, hype yourself and your stuff, be your own biggest fan, reblog your own stuff often and sing its praises! I am always more inclined to read someone's work when they act like they KNOW how good their work is, opposed to someone putting in their author's note, "This sucks-" or some variant.

Number four, inspiration can come from anywhere, I have been inspired by movies, tv shows, songs and books of course, but also by conversations with other people, conversations with MYSELF, a simple trip out to the mall or a day at work. The spark for a story can come from ANYWHERE, so indulge and engage in life itself often.

Number five, push yourself. Write in different tenses, look at a scene from media that speaks to you and replace the characters in question with ones you love and want to write, how would that same scene play out with different people? Do self-indulgent things you have no intention of posting. Explore word choice and dissect dialog, that can go a long way to making your characters SOUND like themselves.

Number six, read. If you want to write well, you need to read, fics AND books, different genres, fiction and non, because reading is what? Fundamental. Look at what you love in other works, the feelings they can invoke, and think on how you can do the same.

Number seven, get a good writing program and a grammar/spell checker. One of my biggest issues is run-on sentences, a lot of my personal editing is refiguring sentences so they don't go on and on and fucking on, I cannot recommend a program or two to assist with this enough.

Number eight, vary your word choice and expand your vocabulary. I recommend OneLook, the reverse dictionary, put in a word, and it pops out similar words to give you that variation.

Number nine, write. It should be obvious, but you need to write. Just like anything, writing takes time, effort, energy and practice to improve, view it like a muscle, it will only get stronger the more you work out, it won't unless you do it, so put that mind to work! Don't get discouraged or down on yourself or your progress, the best way to better your writing is to write.

Number ten, have fun! Write when it is fun, and if it is hard or painful, or not coming, don't force it! You will burn yourself out or rob joy from this wonderful hobby and pass time, I have taken breaks myself as needed and I have ALWAYS been better for it.

Last thoughts, comparison is the thief of joy. Don't look at other people's work and get jealous or in your head because of their comments, hits, or notes, if you view it as a numbers game you will never be happy or satisfied with yourself. Keep in mind, any big writer started off just like you did and had to build themselves up to where you see them now.

Reach out! Reblog other's work, comment, send asks, DMs, try to make friends and build a community, hype other's stuff and other's will want to do the same for you.

And last, if you are posting writing here, make a masterlist and pin it to your blog, trust me, it'll make everything way easier in the long run, try to up keep it and it'll be an invaluable resource.

[easypeasylindyvesey]

today’s my one year tumblr-versary!

i had the app for a few years prior just to read lots of fics if i’m being honest, but when i found out there was an entire hockey community on here, i thought to myself, “why not give it a shot?” since i just started getting back into it.

when i woke up the following morning, i noticed that people actually decided to follow me, and i thought “ooh, okay, this might actually be kinda fun!”

safe to say, it is fun.

i don’t think i’ve ever enjoyed being part of a group of people for so long. it is definitely one of the best decisions i have made within the past year. there are so many friendships i’ve made with people i never knew existed that i didn’t know i needed in my life.

to my main girls: bex, liza, and rach. i don’t know where i’d be on this app right now if it weren’t for the three of you. i know we all came to know each other individually, but now we’ve solidified our friendship into a group and i have never felt more appreciative to be part of something where we can collectively share our interests while simultaneously yapping about other things. this group is the purest form of genuinity, and all of you hold such a special place in my heart! the legacy of tumblr’s hockey hoes is currently setting itself in place.

to my followers: whether we interact regularly through likes & reblogs or the occasional DM, thank YOU for giving me a space that is both comfortable & non-judgmental to share my enjoyment and love for hockey, in addition to when i continuously yap about my precious boy jimmy vesey and all the mistreatment he’s been through (which is still an ongoing saga, even in colorado), and reblogging raunchy posts about my main guys and tagging them (bc it’s all jokes yk). basically, just thank you for letting me act unhinged on here with no shame.

and this is probably considered a waste, but to anyone who reads my jimmy fic, the next section is still a work in progress. i’ve been so busy with student teaching & homework & keeping up with watching games that i haven’t really given myself the time to work on it, but i’d say it’s about halfway done at the moment. thanks for your patience! believe me, i WANT to work on it. if this could be a full-time job of mine, i would pursue it. but i’m doing everything i can to get every section out during the corresponding month, and now i have officially failed at that. however, the anticipation will pay off. i promise🤭

okay i’m done being sappy, but thank you guys for being such an amazing little community and enjoying my blog! i look forward to communicating more through avs & rags games. DMs and asks are always open if you want to chat! i know some of us usually have our main peeps on here, but i ALWAYS look forward to making new friends/mutuals on here! everyone is so so sweet. don’t be shy!

this is definitely a little milestone to celebrate, given how fast a year has actually flown. avs play right now, rags play tonight, and my birthday is on thursday! there’s so much to look forward to, both in hockey and personally, and i enjoy sharing bits & pieces of it with all of you.

it goes without saying, but all of you are just amazing. thank you again for giving me a place where i can unapologetically be myself❤️🫂🏒

[1mnobodywhoareyou]

Okay. For TOMORROW (11.11)

Help me make progress on some WIPs. please.

Send me an ask with an emoji and I'll write at least one sentence for it and share.

👶 Bursting into Life chapter whatever we're on 😈 Kinder Devil chapter whatever we're on 🎂 Happiest of Birthdays to You, Lady Bex 🌚 Willex (E) (I've shared NOTHING about this publicly but I NEED TO FINISH IT) 👩‍🔧 Mechanic Julie 🪰 Halloween Bex 🖋️ Audible - Insert WIP you know exists but I've not named here because I can't remember everything right now.