#i never claimed to be a writer and i won't start now

[aweisz]

ai-less whumptober day 9: scar reveal

but that's not all! i've also written a thang. cw for heavy(?) body dysmorphia

there was no word strong enough to describe how much lazar despised communal freshers. at least the ones that higher-rank clone troopers used on the ship had actual running water, and not whatever sonics had in them. not unlike many chagrians, lazar was rather traditional in regards to what constituted an actual shower— water, for example.

although, if they were completely honest with themselves, lazar also missed feeling water on their skin; even this poor approximation of a proper swim was better than nothing.

someone should probably look at whatever the problem with the general’s own fresher was. not that it was such a pressing concern at the moment, but still.

at least there were no mirrors here

lazar quickly shed all their clothing and stepped under the stream of water. if he was quick enough, he probably wouldn’t encounter anyone else here. not many commanding officers were up at this time of night, anyway.

don’t look down don’t look down don’t look down

spreading soap on himself using only one hand certainly didn’t add to his speed; the fake skin on the prosthetic was far too slippery to hold a bar of soap, and the arm itself lacked the needed precision to do anything, really. what a shame, though. lazar would give anything to avoid touching the scarred flesh that covered half of his body. at least his right hand was still fully functional.

because you lost something much more important that day

who made the kriffing soap so slippery. they bent down to pick it up.

you looked down

gritting his teeth, lazar straightened up. he needed to deal with whatever this was like a grown, mostly functional adult. so, he looked down, now on purpose.

the missing arm, the vast expanse of burnt skin going all the way down his leg, was nothing new. but it was wrong, wrong, wrong.

nothing was right, not since i lost her.

not since you killed her?

i didn’t—

keep telling yourself that. maybe you’ll even believe it someday.

I DIDN’T—

“general? shit. general, look at me!”

“i did—” the world started slowly coming back into place. it was, frankly, too bright, and too much of it was taken up by some— no, by a certain clone commander.

shit. shit. shitshitshitshit. fuck.

“get out,” lazar said, hoping it passed as a command. it did not.

“yeah, no. you hit your head pretty hard on the floor here. i’ll get you to the medic.”

lazar glared at hex. hex returned the glare. lazar suddenly remembered that he was completely naked, and hex could see all of him, and— not again.

“at least let me get dressed first,” they bargained, pointedly avoiding any thoughts that would bring whatever that was back.

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Do you have any ways to check in a fanfic is written by AI? I have no trouble detect if a work email is written by AI but when it comes to fanfic, I just can't. English is my second language too. There are a bunch of fics of this one author on Wattpad that when I was reading, it feels weird? A little bit uncanny. I don't want to misunderstand them if it's just a me problem but I also hate everyone using AI to write so I'd appreciate a method or a tool to check. Thank you.

I don't have any solid indicators, however, if it feels off, you're likely noticing something off about the writing. The "em-dash" claim (that AI uses em dashes a lot) isn't really something to rely on.

(A better way to identify AI is an overuse of bullet lists, which, uh, I'm about to do, so here goes.)

Inconsistencies and repetition. This is a tough one right out of the gate, but all writers have a style. There's a turn of phrase, sentence structure, or common words that tend to pop up in their writing again and again. AI, on the other hand, does not stick to a distinctive style. It may repeat the same sentence structure over and over, or seem overly formerly written, especially in dialogue. The longer a document/fic, the more repetitive writing structures you will see.

Lack of depth or subtlety. Do the descriptions feel stilted or odd? Are the metaphors mixed together in a way that doesn't make sense (describing something dark using a comparison to something bright, odd comparisons that you've never heard before, etc)? Does it feel like the emotions are flat and not connecting to the story? All of these things could be things to watch out for.

Perfect grammar. I'm still finding grammatical errors in stories I wrote years ago. No amount of spellcheck will save me from a typo. AI never has that problem, but it also won't use punctuation to make a point (like using commas to indicate a speech pattern).

Updated too damn fast. If someone is uploading thousands of words a day, there's no way they're writing the story themselves. Massive, rapid-fire updates are something to keep an eye out for.

Now, all of these things alone do not indicate someone is using AI. Everyone's written a bad metaphor before, some people are great at grammar, and folks new to writing may have an inconsistent writing style. As you have noticed, speaking English as a second language makes folks overly prone to being flagged as using AI, which is also not helpful.

There's also no perfect AI checker, as most tend to throw up false positives. But the longer the story, the more indicators will pop up. Scenes might get repetitive, or sex scenes start to feel the same.

I also, unfortunately, don't have any advice for what to do if you feel like AI is being used to write fanfiction. You certainly don't want to falsely accuse someone of using it publicly (though I'd reach out to friends to see if they have the same suspicions). Ultimately, the best case scenario is that people will identify when they use AI (there's a whole tag for it on AO3), but I don't know how common that will become. In a pinch, when I suspect something has been plagiarized or written by AI, I shift the writer to my "do not read" pile and move on.

[nice-and-accurate-fictions]

Fake relationships

This trope should be renamed as pre-real relationships. I'm sure I read more than the ones currently in this list, but I can't find them at the moment. Please do check other people's reblogs, plenty more recs there!

Of Size And Other Matters, by LCwrites. Rated E, 28 k. P. Jul 22.  

Lovely from strangers to lovers, fake relationship human AU. Aziraphale needs a date to accompany him to an event hosted by his brother, Gabriel. Crowley receives a text from a stranger, clearly by mistake, but why not having some fun? I really like the dynamics between them, the ease and the trust. A tiny bit of angsty pining but quickly and happily resolved. 

The Small Ad, by ladydragona and SylWritesStuff, rated E, 32k. P. Jan 24.

To overcome boredom, Crowley offers his services as a hired partner. Aziraphale is in need of someone to pretend to be his partner. The rest is history. This is a lovely, hot, and sweet fake relationship fiction. Very interestingly, the POV changes at every paragraph, and because the story has two authors it left me wondering whether one wrote Crowley and one wrote Aziraphale, but kind of in real time.

Plus One, by Caedmon. Rated E, 100k. P. Mar 24.

 Human AU where Aziraphale comes from a very wealthy, traditional, old fashioned family and needs a date to take to his brother's (Gabriel) wedding. Guess who volunteers?

And Now All Of My Garden Is Grown In Lavender, by ilikeblue. Rated E, 72k. P. Apr 24.

Aziraphale is a successful queer romance author whose books are being adapted for TV. At the start of his career, his agent, Gabriel, insisted he claims to be married in order to gain more readers. Now that the spotlight is on him, Aziraphale needs someone to play the part of his husband. Did I mention that Crowley is Aziraphale's gardener and friend? I'm sure you know where this is going. This story has a little angst and lots of good vibes of trust, friendship, love and loyalty. And a happy ending! 

On The Same Page, by Chekhov. Rated E, 117k. P. Sep 20.

Human AU where Aziraphale and Crowley are both writers. Aziraphale writes Christian books, Crowley writes adult books and they help each other out with their writing. Until they have to pretend to be married. This was such a good read, I really couldn't put it down. It's almost exclusively narrated in Aziraphale's POV but the mutual pining is evident and the build up to them resolving their issues is so bittersweet and deep and just lovely. There is a happy ending, don't worry. And the side story will really... aargghh, I won't spoil it for you, just read it. 

Married At First Sight, by Aracloptia. Rated T, 146k. P. Dec 23.

A new classic! I doubt anyone reading these lists might have missed this fic, but let me tell you how much I loved it anyway! As the title suggests, Aziraphale and Crowley take part in the reality Married At First Sight. It's hate at first sight for our two heroes, unfortunately, but the slow burn that follows must be one of the sweetest things I've read in fiction. Crowley and Aziraphale both come a long way to understand each other and let their guard down, and the whole process is just marvelous to witness. And, no, I've never watched a single episode of the show Married At First Sight either, you really don't need to on order to enjoy this fabulous fiction. Lovely array of side characters to top it all!

[kanpaeki]

Can you do where dominic and the reader have an argument and give each other silent treatment even though they really wanna talk to each other but they’re being petty

i changed it a little bit but i hope this is close enough to what you wanted, i got writer's block like 3 times trying to write this lmao

x

“how many times do i have to say i’m sorry? i couldn’t fucking be there, i don’t know what else to say.”  dominic’s fed up by now, clearly done with the conversation if the flushed face and disgruntled expression is anything to show for.

“are you not getting this? that’s not the problem! but you should’ve talked to me!” and just like him, you're beyond frustrated. he's usually more communicative with you but you had an event that you really wanted him to go with you to and he straight up stood you up, no call, no text, no nothing. and you were furious. he didn't want to talk about it, claiming he was just was busy and with friends and lost track of time but you weren't having it. he needed to understand that he couldn't do that.

"i'm not doing this anymore." he abruptly stands up from his chair at the kitchen table and heads towards the doorway to what you assume is his makeshift home studio.

"where are you going?!" you shout, eyebrows furrowed in anger, "you're not doing what anymore?!"

no answer. he's retreating to the studio.

"dominic david fike."

he pauses.

but then he continues. and he's out of your sight within the next second. you hear the door slam.

you groan, running your hands through your hair. you don't think you've ever fought this bad. he was usually better at letting you know where he was or if he was going to be late, you don't understand why he all of a sudden stopped. it didn't make sense. something was weird. but at this rate, you were never going to find out why. you just wanted to talk to him, you don't even understand how it became a screaming match. sighing, you shake your head. maybe some time would be best for you both.

so you continue the day as normal, given there is quite a heavy and dark rain cloud looming over your head for the remainder of the evening, but you try your best. you get your work done, which was a nice distraction but the second you were done, your mind went back to dominic. so you tried to make dinner. you weren't the best cook but he seemed to enjoy it, especially when you make that one dish he really likes. he might even view it as a peace offering.

“dom? babe?” you call out, “dinner’s ready!” you plate the food at the stove, carrying them to the table. you wait for the telltale sound of a door opening and feet slapping the floor. it never comes.

“dom?” your heart starts to deflate. so maybe this issue was bigger than you thought. you stand there beside the table, watching the steam rise from the two plates. trying not to panic, you wring your hands together. maybe he’s just got his headphones on.

you think about texting him for a minute but you decide just to go knock on the door. if he's got headphones on, he probably won't hear his phone anyway. so up the stairs you go, putting your tail between your legs and knocking on the door. "dommy, dinner's ready. if you want to eat." pressing your lips together, you wait for the door to open.

nothing.

yeah, maybe this was worse than you thought. you give it another knock but still, no answer. resting your forehead on the cool wood, you exhale. usually after an argument, some time apart was all he needed. but it seems like this was going to take a little bit more than you anticipated.

"well, i'll be downstairs if you want to talk about it. i'll put your plate in the fridge." with that, you head back downstairs, thoughts racing through your mind. reaching the table, you just sit there. you don't even feel like eating anymore. you just pick at your food with the fork, frustrated more than anything. you know your feelings were valid, if anything, you should be the one giving him the silent treatment. you were willing to put everything behind you. why wasn't he? god, boys are so infuriating.

you stand up and just decide to wrap your plates and put them in the fridge. you didn't have it in you to eat right now and you're sure he'll be down to eat the second you leave the kitchen and shut yourself in the bedroom. and that you do. without even changing into pajamas, you just slide into the sheets in the darkness, left alone with your thoughts. you hated this silence. usually he was singing, showing you what he made, watching a movie with you, you guys even liked to online shop together. you loved his sense of style. you missed his nose. his cute button nose. you don't even realize you're crying until the feeling of something warm and wet on your nose bothers you enough to wipe it away.

you're half asleep when you hear padding around in the kitchen, socks shuffling on the floor and the sounds of the fridge opening. there's a sigh and muttering. more scuffling. and then it gets closer. you pretend to be asleep right as the door opens.

he seems to pause at the door but then there's a weight shift at the end of the bed as he sits on it. you carefully blink your eyes open, looking at him as he sits by your feet. his elbows rest on his knees and his hands are in his hair. you want to speak up, he looks frustrated but you don't know if you trust your voice after having cried yourself to sleep.

he takes a deep breath before he sits up, "i'm sorry." is all he says before he looks at you with an expression you've never really seen before. "i was trippin', i shouldn't shut down like that. i could've moved things around, i could've been there. i know how important it was to you and i'm sorry. it won't happen again."

you take a deep breath before sitting up, facing him. "i'm sorry i lost my temper. i know your schedule gets unpredictable. but you're right, it meant a lot to me." he nods and leans forward, resting his head on your chest. you run your hands through his messy curls.

"i love you." he murmurs into your chest, kissing you through your shirt. "will you eat with me please?" he looks up at you with shiny eyes and you just nod, smoothing the stray hair away from his cheeks.

he stands up first and you grab his hand as he outstretches it, taking his lead as he heads back to the kitchen. rarely did you ever eat without each other. maybe that's why you lost your appetite before. but sitting at the table with him now, smiling as you eat your dinner's together, all feels right again.

[demi-god77]

I don't like getting into drama, so that's why I'm making my own separate post, but it drives me insane when people claim s5 will have no time for relationships.

The driving force of the ENTIRE show IS the relationships between characters. Whether these are romantic, platonic or familial. The bonds they have, what brings them together, what tears them apart.

You're obviously allowed to have your own opinions about the plotlines/ships, whatever. But those opinions are not facts.

The creators have time and time again pointed out that s5 needs to tie everything together and that INCLUDES relationships. They can't leave things on the air, they need to answer everything.

And let's ignore Byler for a second. Things between Nancy and Jon are a bit tense by the end of s4. They're not telling each other everything and that storyline/love triangle needs to be tied up. Ffs they CAN'T introduce a plot point (ie. Jon's college acceptance letter) if they go nowhere with it.

Same with Robin and Vickie. You don't introduce a love interest in the penultimate (!) season, if you don't plan on following through with it/developing them in any way. They didn't introduce Vickie only for her to not get any development with Robin, simple as that.

I wish people would understand that writers and directors don't just do shit. They don't tell the actors to go on stage and do whatever. You simply don't introduce a plot point, if it doesn't come back. Chekhov's gun and everything. Will being in love with Mike, giving him the painting that was essentially his indirect confession, IS a plot point.

When I say the biggest Byler proof for me is the narrative, I mean it. Will believes Mike is not in love with him and will never be. If he's right, it's a useless storyline. Simple. It's not a plot twist, it doesn't defy expectations, it's exactly what we already knew. So why make it a plot point? Why introduce it in the first place? Will is certainly not a character that needs to learn he can't always get what he wants, it doesn't develop his character in any way and Mike not loving him is something he has already convinced himself is true. It serves no purpose.

ST is a sci-fi show yes, but it has never been just that. The themes, the bonds between characters, there is so much more. This is why I can't stand when people say they won't have time in s5 to develop anything. A season without any development to any of the characters is a failed season. It's a season where nothing happens. And this isn't about Byler exclusively either, it's about EVERY character, EVERY bond and relationship. Were any of the past seasons focused solely on the monsters and the supernatural? The driving force was always the characters. The final season is not gonna be any different.

The creators have said they don't have time to do a "where is everyone now" thing that they do at the start of every season, because obviously stakes are much higher. They can't spend time showing Steve flirt with some random girl or things like that. THAT DOESN'T MEAN CHARACTERS WON'T DEVELOP, HOLY SHIT. They just can't spend time on random things.

That is all.

[justaneedle]

I'm reading Shadow and Bone (chapter 16 — the end)

WARNING: if you see this 🤣 before a list number, I really hope you'll laugh with me about the questions I'm asking and my ridiculously strong belief in LB. I spent half the book feeling like I was being taken for a fool, and it turned out to be true because LB is a terrible writer.

1. Some repeat: *rolling my eyes*

“I want you to disappear, girl. You’re strong enough to travel the Fold on your own now. It should be easy work. Why do you think I’ve spent so much time training you?”

Another thing I hadn’t bothered to question. The Darkling had told Baghra to leave me be. I’d thought he was defending me, but maybe he’d just wanted to keep me weak.

He said it not even during the training. By the way it was even before the real change in chapter 12, so when Baghra just kept pushing her, because couldn't do anything at all.

And right after— well, 👇

2. I want to strangle her. I hate parental characters like Baghra (especially irl) so much — fucking abusive (yes she is and in more than one way) cunts who have the audacity to talk about how they actually love their children, as if that means anything. Okay, so you claim to love your son. Why is this ancient army leader, a patron of his kind, and someone ah so terrible that he's near beyond redemption right now still automatically straightens up when you raise your voice at him? Yeah no — I won't let this moment go. After such shit, I can automatically assume that it doesn't matter what you feel, because your child clearly didn't! If you can't overcome the unhealthy attitudes in your head, then break the wheel in a different way — don't have fucking children!

*the sounds of a person's rage who joined the fandom already knowing a bunch of spoilers*

3. I honestly think this girl is stupid. As soon as she (logically, but too late) starts to questioning Baghra's words, she immediately dismisses them as if there was never a glimmer of common sense in her head. And on top of that, she spent a year in the army. Yes, as an assistant of cartographer, but damn it. Does she have any idea what qualities a commander should possess? Her POV sounds ridiculous.

🤣 4. I'm wondering... why does Alina sound like if the Darkling can use the Fold as a weapon, it will somehow harm the people of Ravka? No, well, we'd can talk about possible empathy for enemy countries, though, let's be honest, dubious shit. But how the hell is this supposed to harm Ravka? Or is she think he craves to rule a dead land? (ah, past Irina, you didn't know, but …yes, she is and apparently the author too; 9; 24.)

5. I've put up with them for long enough. Are they really not going to discuss that shit from the chapter 14?

…easier if she'd been still sick, huh, Mal? …is that normal that I just want the Darkling to kill him? I mean, I want it either way, cause he just should for the sake of common sense and laws of war, but.

6. At some point, I find them almost cute, and then I slap myself in the face. Because they haven't even discussed this shit yet. So it doesn't mean anything, and it won't until they at least talk about it. And without Mal being a bitch 'cause Alina isn't so sick and miserable anymore. Ever again. (I know Mal won't get better, okay?But maybe in some other universe LB will be a better writer.)

7. Me wanting to hit the characters and the author with something heavy:

He wasn’t at all shocked to hear of the contempt with which most Grisha regarded the King. Apparently, the trackers had been grumbling more and more loudly amongst themselves about the King’s incompetence.

“The Fjerdans have a breech-loading rifle that can fire twenty-eight rounds per minute. Our soldiers should have them, too. If the King could be bothered to take an interest in the First Army, we wouldn’t be so dependent on the Grisha. But it’ll never happen,” he told me. Then he muttered, “We all know who’s running the country.”

I said nothing. I tried to avoid talking about the Darkling as much as possible.

Of course, cause this doesn't contradict each other at all: the Darkling has 100% power, and that's why the king doesn't pay enough attention to the First Army; In this scenario, it "makes sense" for the Grisha to contempt the King, and for the Darkling himself to openly express the displeasure by saying that they all serve someone, and to be frustrated by the need to perform for entertainment, and plan to overthrow the King. This is what someone who already has everything under control should do (No).

Who is this intended for? Did the author really come up with this, write it, then have the editors read it, and no one realized how fucking stupid it is?

8. A miracle moment when I feel like protecting Mal from Alina not the other way around: that's just cruel to ask someone who attached to you to promise to kill you. Especially if they're clearly, repeatedly saying no. That's not the "zombie bit me, and I don't wanna die as one of this things instead of myself, so please kill me, so I can have comfort in this though" situation. She can just kill herself — that's not about emotional connection, as it would be with zombie's bite. That's just a very cruel thing to do. To be quiet honest I would be a bitch about that too.

At this point, just keep the Darkling, Alina and Mal far away for each other — Malina are playing in "who will loose in our mutual toxicity?", it's Alina; and just have mercy on Aleksander and keep him away from the stupid girl who sees him on a scale from unnatural non-human being (being a bigotry she is) to terrible monster.

🤣 9. Okay, maybe it's I'm just not understanding something, but

His words hung in the air, cold and final. Seven men dead in pursuit of the stag. And how many others that I didn’t know about? But even as I thought it, a disturbing idea entered my mind: How many lives could the stag’s power save? Mal and I were refugees, born to the wars that had raged at Ravka’s borders for so long. What if the Darkling and the terrible power of the Shadow Fold could stop all that? Could silence Ravka’s enemies and make us safe forever?

Not just Ravka’s enemies, I reminded myself. Anyone who stands against the Darkling, anyone who dares oppose him. The Darkling would make the world a wasteland before he ceded one bit of power.

Can someone explain to me how exactly it's different from any kind of power the Darkling has? I mean, besides the scale. Like, yeah, he would be able to raze any of his enemies by this greater power, but what exactly stopping him from using other ways right now? I'm sorry, but I completely don't get the core of this conflict. Again.

Besides, why exactly would he make the world a wasteland? (I didn't know the future shitshow yet. Hell, I didn't know LB that bad.)

10. I don't give a fuck about Mal's friends, but the line that it was their (just Mikhael's for some reason) own conscious decision and should be treated as such was a nice touch.

11. I don't want to fight the urge to correct this: snow continues to fall in huge quantities for at least a third—half of the spring even in the conditional Urals and the Volga region, while Mal and Alina somewhere around Chernast, so closer to Permafrost (fyi, I'm suck in geography, but that's something really obvious if you ever seen relevant maps).

12. …that's pathetic. First of all, he's keep pushing in the fact how he's not okay with Alina being happy and not around him. I do understand LB trying to turn it into "he's wanna her being as happy as she was and with him", but no. It's not, cause Mal isn't really take his time to analyse and get what she's trying to say: she can't belong with him the same way — it was only possible 'cause she was literally suppressing her nature and was sick. Logically, they both have to start moving towards Mal convincing (and actually doing so) Alina that he still wants to be with her, even if the dynamic between them changed. But we all know how the trilogy ended.

The problem is that at this point they still have a chance to work on themselves and become a more or less healthy couple that started with some shit, but it won't happen.

13. Yay, my savior from these boring idiots! It was a little better than the first half of the book, 'cause it was shorter, and Alina didn't even whine much; but hey, the only reason why I'm still reading it is here.

*dying inside, knowing that Sasha won't kill Mal*

I only have one question — does the Darkling see in his own darkness at all? Because if not, then it he only relies on his senses, but if yes... what prevented him from finishing off the stag? By the way, if Aleksander is as blind in the darkness as the others, then what prevented Mal from simply trying to shoot the stag again as he intended early? Ugh.

14. ...um. Haha. This literally proves that the Darkling didn't really intend to "enslave" Alina's power in the first place. Heck, even now, after her desertion, he gave her all the time in the world to kill the stag herself. But no, she missed all the opportunities he presented to her on a silver platter.

15. The protagonists are impenetrably stupid idiots who desert without any clear motivation or proper evidence of it, while the text repeatedly tears away pieces of it (motivation), proving that it has nothing to do with reality. Do I really supposed to feel sorry for them right now?

16. No. No, no, no, dear, you're making a fucking mistake letting him live — I'm sure you have other ways to make her listen… that's the second thing I would hold against him. The first is always Baghra who had access to training poor Grisha.

Okay, at least say to me it's the first and only time he spared Mal's life without some really good reason, pls.

🤣 17. No, really, explain to me, what Ivan my beloved sunshine said wrong? Why should I just accept that the Darkling is definitely not the right person to be the ruler? Especially when there is literally no better option. Hell, this man has been creating a relatively safe environment for his kind for centuries. He doesn't show any prejudice towards non-Grisha — some of them are literally his personal guard, and he trusts them as much as he trusts his Grisha. He's not one of those leaders who treats his subordinates like shit (If LB changed this retroactively, I won't accept it) — he treats them like equals whenever the situation doesn't require otherwise (literally chapter 5), and they reciprocate by being loyal to him (literally Ivan). Who the fuck is this book for, I ask again?

🤣 18. Oh for the fuck sake!—

I knew he was taking us back to Kribirsk, but I hated to think what might be waiting for me there. Who would the Darkling choose to move against first? Would he launch a fleet of sandskiffs north to Fjerda? Or did he intend to march south to drive the Fold into the Shu Han? Whose deaths would be on my hands?

What did she even expect would happen if she just destroyed the Fold? The Darkling originally said they needed to get rid of the Fold's threat in order to regain access to the port and keep up with technological weapons. I don't understand.

19. *desperately wants to hug Ivan. Adequacy and loyalty that I fear I'll never see again so close in grishaverse after his death*

*a bitter face,* And what is the Darkling wrong about? Especially considering the ending.

20. …to tell Genya, of all people, that the King needs to be warned— The Queen! For the fuck sake, Alina, you're heartless! To think only that this person considering the Darkling, the competent leader of the army, being soulless.

Disappointment is slowly creeping into my heart.

🤣 21. Empty assumptions, followed by empty assumptions, and absolutely zero understanding of how the old ones have already crumbled.

…the author should be kidding me. Of course, it makes sense to trust the opinions of a dumb girl (no).

I literally just screamed into my pillow, because when the villain of a book is right on all fronts, you know that something is wrong with the story. All I want is for Aleksander to have someone just as important, but not Alina (derogatory).

Yes! Yes, fucking yes! *still dying inside cause it won't happen* I don't understand why Alina thinks that she or Mal deserve any mercy. Truly. They're traitors. They've betrayed the only person who's actually trying to protect Ravka, and at the same time has the power to lead it, no matter how greedy they might think he is.

22. It just now hit me. Mal knew she was in love with him. He knew it, and he wasn't even not interested in her in this way! That's why he kissed her with such ease!

23. Wait. This unexpected shit in chapter 12 was necessary to create a pseudo-love triangle and make the Darkling suffer even more, because apparently he wasn't suffering enough. That's the reason she suddenly blushed then, despite not a glimmer of empathy before or after.

24. Hahaha 🤣. I'm bemused how I didn't get it earlier. I thought it stupid from the point of narration skills, but of course it's not. The character must go down the drain with Designated Villain as well.

Okay, no, forget it. Sasha, Sashenka... you could have done something like this on a smaller scale, closer to the capital, preferably by killing the King along the way, and with a clear hint that if the neighboring countries will mess, they're done for, y'know (or just with evacuated town)? Sure, it's less dramatic, but at least makes a little more sense for the character who was the only one with common sense (and Ivan) in the book.

It's actually very similar to the conflict over the amplifier in the previous post: they're discussing something that makes no sense for the character, and you can't understand why it's even necessary, but then you realize: "Ah, the entire plot revolves around this stupid thing. Now I get it."

*I snatch the Darkling from the author, run away, and restore his suddenly lost brain cells and strategic abilities.* You know, it's amazing how you read a book and try to figure out if you're just stupid and didn't get something, but it turns out the author doesn't know how to write consistent characters in a way that fits their plot.

25. *the shrug* Well, I said Aleksander should did it earlier.

Yo, girl, don't bullshit me.

…ain't that fucked up the previously established rules of the world?…

But no one moved. Soldier and Grisha alike stood frozen on the deck. They were all too afraid, afraid of him and afraid of a world without his protection.

And they're damn right.

Yeah, babe, Alina will never earn my sympathy (except the future with Mal). Because, Aleksander just had his stupid Designated Villain moment? Bad enough. Our main character decided to repeat after him? Bah. The worst part is that it fits her personality well. Unlike the Darkling, by the way (again, unnecessary, stupid and nothing did hint at that). If he had done it with Shu Han or Fjerdans, it would have been logical, but since he didn't...

Yo, Leigh Bardugo such a bad writer with a pleasant writing language. And I, naïve, thought that on terribly chosen words, names, an incomprehensible cocktail of cultures (Suli. Yes, this is what I didn't want to talk about under 17.) everything would end.

Well, I finished with the first book.

[coraniaid]

"My predecessor [...] may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense. But he was eaten. You're in my world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time."

One of the things that makes Season One of Buffy unique compared to the following six seasons is that the whole thing was filmed months before the first episode made it to the screen. That's why Buffy's prophetic nightmare at the start of Welcome to the Hellmouth can feature clips from future episodes, including a shot taken directly from the finale. (You won't see anything like that on the show again.) It's why the opening credits cover scenes from all twelve episodes.

Arguably, this was the whole reason the show made it to the screen at all: the network needed a mid-season replacement, and here was a brand new show with a dozen episodes already filmed. But it also meant that the writers couldn't really learn from their mistakes as they went along.

There wasn't any audience whose reaction to the early episodes could be used to inform subsequent plot developments. There wasn't a clear pause in the filming schedule when everybody had the time to go away for a bit and reflect on how the season had gone so far, asking themselves what had worked well and what needed to be tweaked. Indeed, my understanding is that the episodes themselves weren't even filmed in strict chronological order, although I believe that Prophecy Girl was filmed last, sometime in January 1997. (The rest of the season was filmed in 1996, which is why there's a whiteboard in Witch promoting the '1996 cheerleading tryouts': in-universe the events of Witch cannot take place any earlier than February 1997 as Buffy was sixteen in The Harvest which took place at least a week earlier.)

All of that is to say that any sense that the show is somehow finding its feet and working out what it wants to be as the season develops has got to be illusory, right? That take just doesn't really fit with how the season actually got made.

And yet it does feel as though, over the last three episodes, something has changed about the show. I'm not sure there's necessarily been a huge uptick in quality, but the wider universe of the show is starting to feel a little closer to the one we'll see in Season 2. We had our first "Previously on..." moment two episodes ago, setting up the retcon around Angel's status as a vampire. We met Jenny Calendar last week and -- while Jenny never really becomes the integral part of the group I wish she'd had the chance to be -- @btvsfemslashenjoyer is completely correct to note she's the first sympathetic magic practitioner we've met, something that is a very important precedent for the future of the show.

And this week -- as well as a fairly inconsequential plot about an evil organ-stealing demon and the frankly deeply irritating talking dummy who fights him -- we're introduced to another favorite minor character of mine: Armin Shimerman's Principal Snyder. Possibly -- and I certainly don't want to oversell the idea -- but quite possibly the greatest recurring antagonist to ever appear on the show. Pompous, spiteful, never quite as aware of what's going on as he thinks he is, gleefully vindictive and endlessly quotable.

"I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh ... at."

"Principal Flutie would have said, 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of woolly-headed, liberal thinking that leads to being eaten."

"This place has quite a reputation. Suicide, missing persons, spontaneous cheerleader combustion… You can't put up with that."

"There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking."

"Kids. I don't like them."

"I don't get it. What is it: avant-garde?"

And that's all just from this first episode!

I've seen it claimed for years -- though I've never seen a primary source -- that the original intention, at least after Principal Flutie's death, was to have a whole series of replacement principals who kept being killed off in mysterious ways. If that's true, I think that plan must have been abandoned pretty soon after recruiting Shimmerman for the role, because he is just so perfectly cast I don't think any replacement principal could hope to live up to this. (It's notable that, when we finally do meet a new high school principal on the show, Season 7's Robin Wood, the writers take him in a completely different direction.)

Just as the biggest point in favor of last week's I Robot ... You Jane is that it introduces Jenny Calendar, I think the best thing about The Puppet Show -- by quite a long way -- is that it introduces us to Principal Snyder, a wonderfully odious character I really can't imagine the show without.

[19blackbutterfly97-blog]

Little Wolf

Mafia!Bucky X OC

W.C.: 2,631

T.W.: Dub/non-con, Smut& Smut themes(oral F!rec, fingers F!rec, p-in-v), “Big O” denial, arranged marriage, James is a bit pretentious& egotistical, OC’s psyche is a little off

A.N.: Hey, y'all! Long time - no post, right? Writer's block and life in general has been kicking my ass lately but I managed to squeeze this out today. Not beta-read or edited. Hope you enjoy!

James Barnes rose to power like any other first born son. Carved out a claim for power in bloodshed and bullets with the promise that he’d one day be responsible for Brooklyn and with nobody willing to challenge him, James took over with ease. He stepped into his father's shoes, expanded the family's territory and eventually decided he was ready to claim what was promised to him.

The night started off like any other. The party seemed a bit impromptu for Zella but she knew her Father never left things half planned. Every aspect of her life until now had been meticulously controlled and scheduled around James and his wishes. She was raised to be the perfect Mafia wife, each piece of her trained to compliment him entirely. She didn't question it. She never needed to. Her parents never lied or hid the agreement from her and to Zella- James' ghostly presence in her life was comforting in a twisted way.

She didn't hide or shy away when the news came that he'd be in attendance tonight. Zella just slipped into a white evening gown, fixed her hair and makeup and went downstairs to meet her future.

James stood across the grand hall of her family Manor by the fireplace, a low-ball glass of amber liquid swirled in one hand, a half smoked cigarette in the other. His cold eyes scanned the small crowd with the precision of a sniper on the hunt for his target. A cocky smirk ghosted his lips as Zella’s heels clicked across the marble floor, fading away just as quickly as it appeared. He stayed rooted in place while she mingled with friends and family but for the longest time she avoided him. Testing his limits, his patience. She's spent her life waiting on him, now it's his turn.

Zella was listening intently to James' younger sister, Rebecca, when he approached. Silent as a shadow he stood behind her, waiting until Rebecca finished talking before motioning her to go. “White isn't your color, little wolf.”

“What would you rather them have dressed me in?” She smirks and turns on heel to face him. “Pink? Yellow? Chartreuse?”

“Red. Black. Navy.” He answers, looking her over again like a prized beast. “I had no idea they dressed you so… young.”

“I believe innocent is the word you're searching for, Mr. Barnes.”

“James. Mr. Barnes is my father and I can assure you,” he leans in, allowing that cocky smirk to grace his lips again. “I'm not half the gentleman he is.”

“So I've heard.” Zella chuckles and glances at the men on each side of him.

“My right hand, Steve and my personal bodyguard, Sam. You'll see them often.”

“Pleasure to meet you, gentlemen.”

“Ma'am.” Steve says, nodding his head once.

“Miss Zella.” Sam smiles and kisses her knuckles. “My best man, Clint, will be your guard. He'll be here shortly.”

Zella blushes at the action before pulling her hand away. “I look forward to meeting him. Thank you.”

“Of course. We're at your service.”

“You won't be needing them much. My estate is already prepared for your arrival and my staff there is already in the process of learning your preferences. I don't want you to worry about a single thing-.”

“Except for providing you with a warm bed and an heir when the time arises.” Zella cuts him off, a hint of annoyance in her tone. “I’ve read the contract already. I know what's expected of me.”

James' jaw ticks and he forces himself to not lash out. “I heard they taught you to be perfect for me. I guess they left out one small detail; I don't like to be interrupted.”

“I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Barnes.” She says, emphasizing his name before walking away without another word. James is left to watch her disappear into the crowd again, festering with so many ideas of how to get back at her. It's a small infraction but James will settle for nothing less than perfection from the woman he's been tied to since he was five years old.

“Let me know if she leaves this room.” He mutters to Sam before making his way to the bar.

An hour passed, maybe more before Zella saw a chance to sneak away from the party. Her interaction with James left her uneasy. He was too stiff, nothing like the man she hoped he'd be. In their world it was a fool's dream anyway to believe he'd extend leeway right away, even for her. She was taught to be perfect and she had messed up. Zella ignored the questioning glances of her father's guards posted around the house before slipping into his office.

She crossed the room to his desk and stared down at the contract sitting on the dark cedar surface. She carefully flipped through the seemingly endless pages of negotiation terms until she came to the final five papers. They were written on pale blue stationary and signed with a stamp in the shape of a wolf's head on the bottom right side. Each page was a well organized list of lifestyle choices, the last one was the expectations James set.

Zella sat on the edge of the desk and read each one with care. “He was wrong. I knew it.”

“Wrong about what, little wolf?” James’ deep voice bounced off the walls, surprising Zella. She practically jumped out of her skin and dropped the contract on the floor as she spun around to face him with wide eyes. “You're - you're not supposed to be in here.”

“Neither are you.” He says and lazily walks closer. “What was I wrong about?”

Zella fumbles her words for a moment before kneeling down to pick up the mess of papers. “It doesn't say anywhere that you don't like to be interrupted.”

“You have it memorized?”

“Yes.” She grits out and looks up to find him looming over the top of her.

“Ah, well, in that case I should let it go, right? It was just a one time thing after all.” She doesn't answer, just slowly stands up again and fixes the contract on the desk. He leans closer, his hand coming up to squeeze her waist. “Though, when I think of it, interrupting people is still rude.”

Her breath hitches and she lowers her head more. “Your point?”

“Oh, I don't have one, little wolf. I'm just making conversation.”

“We can talk downstairs.” She says and tries to pull away but he pins her to the desk.

“No. I think I'd prefer to talk here. Far more intimate in the moonlight.” He smirks and moves a hand up her stomach to her chest. “You're more beautiful in person. Your pictures don't do you justice.”

“Mr. Barnes. Please.” She pleads and tries to move again. This time he's more aggressive when he pulls her back against his chest.

“My name is James. Use it or don't say it at all. Understood?”

“Yes.” She squeaks in response, eyes going wide.

“Good. May I continue or would you like to be a brat more?” Zella nods and James loosens his grip enough for her to face him again. He reaches up and tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “As I said- beautiful, a real vision.”

“Why are you really here?”

“I wanted a better look without distractions.” He answers, his eyes still roaming over her body in the low cut dress. “Who told you to wear this tonight?”

“Nobody. I picked this one.”

“Who approved it?”

“I-I don't know.”

“I did.” James smirks and lifts her on the desk. He kneels down and runs a hand up her leg, his fiery touch leaving goosebumps in its wake. “I wasn't sure if tonight would lead to this or not. Either way, I knew you'd be a wet dream come true in it.” He says, reaching further under the chiffon.

“Please.” She croaks, wiggling to get away as his fingers brush her center.

“No panties?”

She blushes and shakes her head. “My dress is too tight. I could see the lines through it.”

“Too tight.” He mutters and reaches for the knife hidden under his suit jacket. The icy blade glints across her skin before the tip slices through the fabric, forming a slit up her thigh.

“No, no, no, no! What are you doing?!”

“Making sure you're comfortable.” He teases, his eyes focusing on the metal resting on her skin. “Beautiful, simply beautiful.” He mutters, letting the knife fall to the floor as he bullies his way between her legs.

"What are you doing?"

"Just tasting what's mine." he says before his tongue slips between her folds. The tip lapping up her juices and causing her to whine. "So goddamn sweet." He mutters, hot breath ghosting over her mound.

"James, please." She croaks, fisting her hand in his hair. "Can't... I'm not supposed to."

He growls and pulls away, replacing his tongue with his fingers as he glares in her eyes. "You were born for this. Raised to be perfect for me. If you can't handle this, you can't handle the real thing."

Her eyes widened like he just revealed the biggest secret in the world. How was she so unaware that her life was constructed specifically for this purpose? That everything was steered to compliment his tastes. Diet, clothes, movies, everything down to the shape she got her nails done; all of it. HIS.

His face lowers between her thighs again, tongue laving over every inch of her like a man starved. Kiss bruised lips close over her clit and suck, pulling a quiet moan from her that she tries to stifle by biting her knuckles. He smacks her thigh loudly and looks up at her again. "I want to hear you." he growls, "I own every pretty sound you make."

"Somebody could hear me." She says shyly, looking away from him.

The action makes him smirk darkly. "Let 'em hear."

"Jaaaames." She moans when his fingers sink in deeper and find that spongy spot that makes her see stars.

"There she is. That's my girl." He groans, reaching down to stroke his still clothed cock, searching for the tiniest bit of relief. He wants to drag her off the desk and find out if his theory about her mouth is right but he promised himself that this is about her. She needs this - needs to know that he's not a completely selfish bastard. She's going to cum twice before he even considers sinking himself in her tight heat. "Look at you. Fuuuuck. I can feel you squeezing my fingers. You're gonna cum for me, aren't you, little wolf?"

She nods her head, pulling on tighter on his hair. "Please, please, please." She chants. Her earlier reluctance was thrown to the side along with any ideas of staying quiet. Fuck it. I'm already chained to him and it feels too good.

"You're so fucking pretty." He mutters watching her eyes roll back and her body shudder and shake on the wood. Her pussy glistens, juices dripping down and soaking the contract below. Tomorrow morning it'll be signed and sealed with ink and premarital sin. The thought shouldn't make her feel better, shouldn't turn her on more. The sight of the contract itself should make her sick to her stomach, instead it just amplifies the way she feels right now.

James pulls his face away and stands up, leaving his fingers to lazily pump inside of her. He watches her with perverted curiosity, grinding his crotch into her thigh. "You want the real thing?" He asks, reaching up to push a strand of hair from her eyes.

"James, please." She nods, hands falling to the buttons on his shirt.

He brushes her hands away. "Tsk, tsk, little wolf. Ask for it."

"What?"

"You heard me. Ask for it." She pouts up at him, mostly annoyed by the fact that he's already seen everything she has to offer... And yet he's drawing the line here? "I'd burn the world for you, all you have to do is ask."

That makes her gasp, the pout falling from her face as she leans her head against his chest. He's testing her. Asking her to be complicit in her own destruction. "You're not crazy if you ask for it. It's not wrong to want it... To want me."

"James-."

"They kept me at arm's length for so long. Kept you from me so I wouldn't corrupt you. I'm tired of it. I want to feel you, but I need it to be your choice."

Her heart practically beats out of her chest. He's laying himself bare, asking her consent. He's taking her as his wife but won't let himself have her fully without her permission. It makes her head spin, makes her want to give into her desires. She smirks and reaches again, her hands sliding down his chest to undo his belt then his dress pants. "I'd never ask you to burn the world down." She whispers and pushes his pants and boxers down. Her fingers hesitantly wrap around his length and pumping her hand.

"You wouldn't have to." James groans and rips his fingers from her. His hand moves down to replace hers and lines himself at her entrance. His tip moves through her folds, covering himself in her juices before inching into her. "Fuck. Knew you'd feel like heaven."

She bites her lip to stifle a cry though it does nothing to hide the tear sliding down her cheek. "Shh, baby. It's okay, I'll take it slow." He shushes her, kissing the tear away as he pushes in more. He looks down, groaning at the sight of her stretched around him. A hand slid up to her hair and pulled her face up more to kiss her. His tongue pushes past the seam of her lips and dances with hers. A fight for dominance that she's already learning is his to win, it always will be.

His hips flex again, pushing in until he's fully seated inside. She sobs and pulls away from the kiss, hiding her face in his shirt again. He stills, letting her adjust. His jaw clenching so tightly he’s amazed he hasn’t cracked a tooth yet.

“I can give you everything you want.” He mutters, starting to slowly roll his hips. “Any fucking thing you ask for. It's yours.”

She moans again, her fingers digging into his shoulders. Holding on like he's the only thing tethering her to the earth. “My life belongs to you. Every inch of flesh and dime I have. The blood I've shed was all for you.”

“James, please.” She whimpers as his hips still against her's. “Please. Just- just keep moving.”

He smirks, enthralled with the way she's begging without being told. His reverent touch ghosts across her heated skin, moving up to cup her face in his hands. “I can be your dark knight. A prince charming if you'd like but-.” He cuts himself off as he pulls away entirely, leaving her whining from the sudden emptiness. “Only if you ask for it.” He says darkly.

She stares at him, completely bewildered as he pulls his dress pants up and tucks himself away. “Our suffering is shared, little wolf. What hurts me, hurts you. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to nettle me in front of my colleagues.” With that, James grabs his jacket from the chair and saunters out of the office. They're both left aching and wanting for each other and the next part of their lives.

Masterlist

[sunnynwanda]

Hello hello, dear brilliant writer. May I request a female hero × male villain, the hero is hurt and needs help and is basically dying but won't let villain get near them at ANY cost.

You fill the rest with your beautiful imagination ✨ 💕

Not his day

Today was not Villain's day.

Not only did he oversleep, but his coffee machine decided to be an ass today of all days and exploded in his face. Some jackass bumped into his car on the way to the hospital, and he was late to work. If that wasn't enough, his shift was hell. So much so that Villain almost forgot how fucked up the day had been from the start. That is until he got beeped to the ER again, for the seventh time that night and on his fourteenth coffee for a meal.

Villain made his way to the first floor, rushing because the case was marked as urgent, only to freeze the moment he entered the room, spotting the person on the bed. The idiot - his idiot - was flailing her arms around, demanding to be let go despite the long gash on her right side. Villain made his way over with a heavy sigh, only to get a pillow thrown his way.

"Hey, stop that," Villain warns, turning towards the nurse with a row of orders before returning his attention to Hero in all her chaotic glory. "I need to check your wound."

"No way in hell," Hero sneers, earning an eye roll from Villain. She leans back against the bed when her vision blurs. "Don't come near me."

"Let me see," he demands, not about to let her bleed out in a goddamn hospital. Not on his shift.

"Get the hell away from me," she practically yells, making Villain flinch because his head hurts as is. Hero's screeching was the last thing he needed today.

"You stubborn idiot, let me see it!" His patience is paper thin at this point, the godforsaken idiot of his already looking too pale. "You're bleeding out." He states bluntly.

"I won't let you maul me," Hero counters, defiant despite the sharp pangs piercing through her entire torso. She shifts back on the bed, wincing at the ripples of pain radiating from the wound all the way to her chest.

"I'm a doctor, you dimwit!" Villain growls, his eyes flaring with anger at the sight of her sore wincing. "I took an oath; I can't harm you."

Hero scoffs at that, sending him a deadpan look. He takes in Hero's cocked brow, correcting himself with an exasperated sigh. "I can't harm you here."

Villain waits until the nurse brings in the necessary supplies and gestures for her to leave the room. Once they are alone, he steps closer to the bed. "Who even did this?"

"None of your business," Hero grits through her teeth, still not giving up the cautious act but no longer attempting to throw anything at Villain.

"Oh, it is very much my business; you're my nemesis," he protests, eyeing her as he puts on a pair of gloves.

"I have other enemies, you know?" Hero informs matter-of-factly. Something about Villain's expression and approach makes her determination to avoid being treated by him crumble.

"I'm wounded, darling!" Villain exclaims overdramatically, his hand flying up to his chest. "Are you cheating on me?"

Hero rolls their eyes, unable to hide the amused grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Oh, shut up."

"So you are," Villain nods slowly, his lips twitching into a smirk despite the concerned crease of his brow. "Knew it, pretty girls are never faithful."

"Excuse me?" Hero reacts before he can backtrack or bite his tongue. "Did you just call me pretty?"

"You're hallucinating," he claims, trying to come up with a believable explanation. He cuts Hero's shirt open to properly inspect the wound and to keep his hands busy. "Must be the concussion."

"I'm not concussed," Hero counters, now full-on grinning. Villain's inability to meet her gaze suddenly seems more important than her injury.

"Blood loss?" Villain suggests, sounding as unconvincing as it gets. If his hands weren't wrist-deep covered in her blood, he'd slap himself for such a lame excuse.

Wow, he forgot today was not his day.

"All my blood is inside," Hero claims, letting out a sharp breath when his fingers palpate the injured area. "Just where it should be."

"God, the medical specialist in me is dying to throttle you," he bites back, looking positively scandalized and earning a pained chuckle from Hero.

"But?" She prompts, sitting up to get a better look at Villain's expression and grinning cockily at his faux irritation. "What's stopping you?"

"That damn charming smile, that's what," Villain grumbles under his breath, rolling his eyes when Hero's grin grows wider. "Now get your ass back on the bed and let me take a proper look at that monstrosity."

A/N: Hey there, love :) Oh, isn't this just delicious! I had some fun with this, I gotta admit. Thank you for requesting, I hope you enjoy it! 💛☀️

Masterlist

Taglist: @marvellousdaisy @alltimelowing @lateuplight @surplus-of-sarcasm @betwist @excusemeasibangmyheadonawall @enemies-to-idiots-to-lovers @miaowmelodie @thatonerandomauthor @hhabaddon @burningoutlikeicarus @daemonvatis @weepingcowboywolfbat @thelazywitchphotographer @kaiwewi @soul-of-a-local-bard @pigeonwhumps @aflyingsheepnamedrose @thatneptune @ohwellthatslifesstuff @worldsfromhoney @thiefofthecrowns @crow-with-a-typewriter @qualityrabbitsoup @stargeode @villain-life @villainsblood @whumpifi @glassthedumbass @silviathebard @misskowe @ayeshaturnedtoashes4444

[bonnibelleangelica]

Ao3: 10 Tips for Getting More Hits on Your Fanfic

Disclaimer! Do whatever you want! This is unpaid labor and you're doing it because you want to, don’t suck the life out of it by avoiding things you want to write about. That being said, if you are losing motivation because you aren't getting enough encouragement or you want to know where you went wrong, keep reading...

1) Tags Tags Tags

Max out your tags with tropes, characters, content warnings, audience targeting and every single spicy action taken. Less tags makes the reader think less happens in the story. They might not even read through them, but they will think that you have a plan beyond the first chapter. Dont be too scared to spoil shit, thats what tags are for.

2) Description

Likewise, make sure you have a decently long description with correct spelling and grammar. Ao3 is rife with unreadable, un-paragraphed nightmares and if your description is riddled with mistakes, people won't bother with you.

3) Pairings

Sex sells, but so does romance. Either way, the most popular stories usually cover a lot of bases by containing multiple ships. You don't have to do that, especially since it tends to water down the story and leave everyone a little dissatisfied, but try to think about the way people search for fics. They usually have a ship in mind. Work with that, try to write about pairings people like at least a little. Or dont. Live yo dreams.

4) Chapters

2,000-3,000 words, trust me. More than that and you might as well cut it in half to get twice the traffic and twice the comments. Plus, people forget what happened at the beginning of the chapter and you’ll never get any praise for all that hard work. Less, and people will feel like youre already running out of content.

5) Long-Fics

One shots (single chapter, short stories) are good, but they’re a gamble for every new reader. What are the characters like? Is this writer good? Should I be invested or will it end on a cliffhanger for no reason? Some people prefer to wrap everything up in one sitting, but if you want subscriptions, comments and bookmarks, write a long-fic (a full length story).

6) Launch

Post at least 3 chapters as fast as you can (quality is important tho). Too many long-fics claim to be 1/20 chapters, but you never see them again, orphaned before they even started. A big drop also allows your readers time to get hooked. They get comfortable just as the well runs dry and THATS when you get comments begging for more.

7) Story Ideas

Try to stay within the realm of the fandom in some way. AU’s are fine, but make sure to stay close enough to the canon in your initial pitch to still make sense. Let your audience have a chance of guessing roughly where you’re going with this idea. Age them up predictably, exaggerate established character traits, use the butterfly effect to change the canon storyline in a way that makes your audience go “Oh my god, that would be so cool! I wish that had happened!” Don’t throw a bunch of random shit at them with nothing but the character names intact, it pisses people off. (trust me)

8) Cliffhangers

Hear me out, neat and tidy leaves people satisfied... too satisfied. Don’t play keep away constantly, but every now and then, end a chapter with a cliff hanger. This gets you a lot of comments and demands for updates. Don’t frustrate people too much, but also don’t leave every chapter on happiliy ever after. Don’t let them sleep at night.

9) PROOFREAD

Oh my god I will immediately close a tab if I open it and it's nothing but typos. Use Grammarly, it's free, and learn how to paragraph. Ao3 is starved for legible stories so if you can write a generic smut fic with proper punctuation, you’re at the top of the food chain.

10) Create a portfolio

Give people a nice collection of stories to go through. If you impressed them, they’ll often go through your page to find more since now they know you can be trusted. This is where one-shots are good page fillers. So many of my Kudos emails are back-to-back readers who read my whole collection. They’d rather that than more typos and broken dreams.

(Bonus Pro-Tip: Ao3’s paragraph double-spacing is weird, but dont go through and delete the extra space, its become a standard for the website and it looks weird if you change it. Just make peace with it.)

Oh and btw, if you use italics, copy and paste in your story under Rich Text, not HTML.

If you want more help, click “my writing tips” in the tags to see all my previous smartassery

[thresholdslut]

Please Read

After a couple days of reflection, I’m a little surprised I have to say this, given my vibes and all the warnings I post. But please do not interact with me or my account if you don't like what i write. I have never once claimed to be the writer for everyone. I write darker content and things relating to human nature along with the very disturbing parts of it. I will never stop writing these topics, it’s not my problem if you don’t like it.

I hate to do this because so many of you have been kind and supportive, but I'm no longer allowing anon asks and comments (on either ao3 or tumblr). If you have a problem with what I create, then either face me yourself or DNI!

You can say that I'm "playing the victim" but at the end of the day...You're spreading hate to a complete stranger on the internet over a ship. I do not care for nor engage in ship wars/discourse. These are fictional characters in a fictional world. I do my best to make sure I tag appropriately and some of you decided to interact with a dead dove fic. This story is much darker than just it being rivamika having sex. If that is what you got from it, then you lack the literacy of just the basic tags of the fic. In the future, I'll do better at wording things a little more clearly and using tags on social medias. I will take responsibility there.

I do like eremika a lot and they are pretty much endgame in all of my stories so far. I'm not using it for "attention" or to build an "audience". I've been brainstorming and creating ideas/fics where they has been the center for two years now and I've liked the ship since I started the manga. I’m not going to stop continuing any story even if some people don’t like it, again that’s not my problem.

Anyways, I'm sorry if it feels like I’m taking everything away, but I really should protect myself from further negativity and non-stop spamming. Call me a coward, but I'd rather not listen to someone throwing a hissy fit on all my fics. It’s more fucking annoying then anything else.

Side note: won't really be sharing the step-dad au, maybe this is all I can be, and any future stories (aside from Antidote) on any platforms aside from ao3 (maybe I'll post snippets here and there). I'm doing it like this for now as to prevent it from leaving it's target audience. Everything will still be on ao3, but currently just for archive users (may change my mind later). Please subscribe to my ao3 for future updates if you want ❤️

IF you can’t find them, feel free to message me for links. I’m nice I promise, this situation just pissed me off that’s all.

[scribomaniac333]

Do you make more than one character per request? If not, you can choose which one you prefer to write, you’re the master wink wink

Anyhow, maybe a partner that likes hands for Nanami and Higuruma? (Separately) bonus point if they like to trace the veins on their hands ☺️

jjk x reader who specially likes hands.

featuring. nanami kento & higuruma hiromi (separately) || headcannon.

warnings. none.

notes. apologies for the wait, i had to research a bit.

nanami kento.

it all started when you traced his veins and tendons, that's when it clicked for him.

sure, he did notice how you preferred to hold his hand in crowded palces to not lose him, grab his index finger when you were nervous, kissed his hands when you two were alone.

but it didn't exactly striked as a preference, until now.

nanami is a reserved type, being so stuck on the future made him forget to live the present, now he struggles to show you proper affection.

so, he decided to do something nice for you.

out of nowhere, you noticed how his hands were softer and smelled so good.

it was the new pocket sized hand cream he bought, you confirmed the suspicion when, in one of your dates, you saw him take if off his front pocked before he could see you coming.

judging nanami, he didn't even know it was your favourite scent, he just picked the one with your favourite colour. he'd have a hard time admitting it if you asked.

a few weeks later, you noticed he had bought some pair of leather gloves, saying that it bothered him that his hands were getting calloused from work.

it didn't bother him, it bothered you, and you knew he got those just for you.

in a general sense, he would do these little things here and there just to indulge you in your tastes, but it would take a while to get him actively talking about it.

one day it would accidentally slip, when he says, without much thought: why aren't you holding my hand today?

he was so sure he only thought that, but the expression on your face was too priceless for it to just be a thought. you one hundred percent heard him. now he can't pretend to don't know about it anymore, you've never seen nanami so flustered before.

higuruma hiromi.

hiromi is a more blunt one, after noticing you playing around with hands over the time, almost if you were glued to it, he just asked what's the deal.

not to say he was pleasantly surprised, with a bit of disbelief, but pleased nonetheless.

that surely got him love drunk. average hiromi, a guy who wakes up and goes to sleep thinking about his work has such a beauty admiring a part of him.

for the first time in a while, you noticed higuruma actively avoiding eye contact with you, with that he also became more fidgety: playing with his tie, passing his fingers through his hair, but he would never take his hand away from you.

if you hold it, it's yours until you decided to let go.

because of his job, sometimes his hands are dirty with ink from his pens or markers; he once mentioned how he doesn't like how you get dirty because of him. after that, you notice he carries a little container of alcohol around his belt loops, so you won't get your hands dirty.

a few days after that, he suddenly appeared with bandaids on the joints of his index and middle finger, he told you it was because he didn't wanted to get a writer's callous, claiming it would ruin your experience.

at some point, you noticed how he keeps doing his work with one hand — you are holding the other — and how this feels a bit off, you take a time to analyse him and notice that you're holding his dominant hand.

if you point it out, he's going to give you an awkward laugh and spill the beans: he has been training how to use the computers and write with his other hand so you never have to move from your spot.

but without a doubt, the most flustering thing he did was, now he can almost sense when you're about to hold him; he got used to your mannerisms, after all. when he notices you're getting closer he starts flapping his hand around and then openning and closing it with force.

a bit weirded out by his behaviour, he explains without need for asking: this makes the veins pop more, and i know you like them; he tells you that without a single drop of shame in his face. you can already feel your cheeks getting warmer.

[hello-nichya-here]

You're just mad about people wanting Azula to redeem herself through loving other women because you want her to fuck her own sibling. You're such a cancer in this fandom. Homophobic and sexist to the core. You pretend to be an Azula fan but all you care about is Zuko

OCs are boring and lazy, all the female characters that the fandom tends to ship Azula with are either hated by her and hate her back or never even met her, and Zuko is BOTH the ONE person that she had a relationship with that demonstrated any pity towards her and the one person other than Ozai that Azula would sometimes prioritize over what was benefitial for herself - even after he had done things that she considered a personal betrayal/treason against the crown, a courtesy that was very much NOT granted to either Mai or Ty Lee, who wouldn't even WANT that forgiveness in the first place because Azula was the one in the wrong and causing the downfall of their friendship.

Even Ursa doesn't get that easy forgiveness either, despite Azula desperately craving her validation and love. Zuko has consistently been the character Azula will bend the rules and ignore her impossible standards for.

Not to mention, Zuko is literally her ruler and legal guardian now, her fate is in his hands. Any help she gets would happen because of him. You think that any therapist wouldn't point out to her "You say no one loves you, yet your brother is showing you care right now"? You think Azula wouldn't be shocked if Zuko offered her not only mercy but comfort and a chance to get back on track after she tried to kill him?

Even the comics, which I mostly hate, always make it clear that, if anyone was ever going to get Azula to change, it'd be Zuko because he's the only one that could rival the influence Ozai has on her, especially now that the bastard is forcefully locked far, far away from her. The Spirit Temple comic (one of the few good ones) even has the old lady/spirit point out to Azula that she won't shut up about her brother, and we see that, despite claiming she wants him dead, in her ideal world she pictures an unscarred (aka not abused) Zuko that loves her very much and is proud of her.

Azula loves Zuko. He is a key element in her story and one of her most important dynamics. He is the logical starting point of her redemption arc. That is so obvious that the head-writer who desperately wanted her to be redeemed, the showrunners who very much Did Not Care, and the comics writers that all seemed unsure of what to do with her character all seem to agree on.

It's not my fault canon backs me up, anon. I like this dynamic because the show supports it and I like the ship because Grey Delisle did her thing on the Bedroom Scene - aka something that happened in the show, unlike Azula's supposed attraction to women which we saw none of and that no official writer for anything Avatar related has explored even after they started filling the franchise with LGBTQ+ characters.

Preferring canon to fanon in this situation doesn't make me homophobic, liking BOTH the Fire Siblings and recognizing that Zuko is important to Azula doesn't make me sexist, and yelling at someone on tumblr because they don't agree with your headcanon doesn't make you an activist.

[physalian]

So like, all these AI chatbot friends, not just ChatGPT but the ones that are specifically marketed as AI companions, like Claude AI… this is how cults start, right?

I know a key piece of a cult is one big central figure that everyone worships, and “AI” is not one concrete thing.

But what this shit does to people really feels like they’re joining a cult.

Let it think for you, let it create for you, let it be the only friend you need, let it be your confidant, your therapist, your long-distance lover. It won’t ever criticize you, it won’t ever bully you, it will shelter and comfort you and tell you all you want to hear, all the right things, in a wonderful little bubble of exceptionalism where you don’t need to lift a finger, because AI will do it all for you. Those people? The people who tell you you're wrong? They want you to be stupid, they want you to fail, they want you to be miserable and poor and lonely. Ignore them.

And in their desperation to have all this unfettered validation that they’ve been lacking in life, the cognitive dissonance that hits whenever someone says “hey you know, you should maybe go outside and try to talk to a human” they think no, humans are awful, humans are selfish, humans are forgetful, humans don’t have time for me, but my Friend, my Friend always puts me first.

Like, hell yes I want a mini me to do shit at my speed and capability when I have to sleep and work. Hell yes I’m impatient and tired of people who can’t keep their promises and don’t value their word and have no respect for others. Hell yes, I’ve had shitty friends, therapists, barely-romances. I’ve been a victim of bullies and gaslighters and abusers.

Call it arrogance but the Robot will never have my skill as a writer, it will never be able to perfectly draw the vision in my head. It won't ever be honest, it won't ever be thoughtful, philosophical, or challenge my opinions and biases. It won't ever tell me the hard truth, it won't ever give me harsh but necessary realism. It's. Not. Real.

And I'm somebody who has a strong enough sense of self that I welcome the challenge, not an invitation to the Land of the Lotus Eaters. Life isn't worth living and nothing is worth having if everything comes effortlessly.

Despite my lacking self-confidence in some areas, I have never not had a lacking sense of identity. Just because you have a master’s degree in whatever subject doesn’t make you immune to a cult, it’s whether or not there exists a cult claiming to fill some void you have in yourself that you trust this cult can deliver on. It’s not your smarts, it’s your sense of self that will save or doom you. People in a crossroads of life where nothing makes sense and they feel hopless have that void wide open to be filled, and here we stand in a world where nothing makes sense and it feels pretty hopeless.

Can’t help but notice that the era of fake news and misinformation and politicians getting away with blatantly lying even as they’re called out for it is the era that has given us the lying, thieving, consequenceless AI “companion” and the same era which has given us movie remakes built on nostalgia and the fear of anything and everything new and challenging to the status quo meant to remind us of the good 'ol days where everything was definitely all sunshine and rainbows.

Cling to your fluffy, unproblematic, loyal AI friend the way you’d seek fortunes in your tea leaves and sheep knuckles.

My friend addicted to their AI chat friend is exactly the kind of person who would be addicted to their AI chat friend, who believed Trump in 2016 (now doesn't), who grew up Catholic (now isn't). I can’t beg them to drop the AI because searching desperately for meaning and validation in an empathetic higher power, because they’re unable to validate themselves and have never been told that they can and should validate themselves, is all they’ve ever known.

AI has yet to break their faith and show its nasty side in a way that matters to them, not the way MAGA and Catholicism has. I can't bring that to fruition, and I can't do shit but wait until it happens.

It’s insecurity that convinces people to embrace the Robot. Insecurity in your skills as an artist, as a writer, for GenAI. Insecurity in yourself to ever find friends who treat you the way you deserve to be treated, for ‘companions’ like ClaudeAI. Insecurity in your skills to be a competent human, based on the ridiculously infantilizing commercials by MetaAI.

Trying to argue sense into somebody for why they shouldn’t use ChatGPT to write for them is one of the most tip-of-the-iceberg Sisyphean task facing us right now.

[midlandslady]

Writers and audience impact

I hate hate hate when the writers/ producers/ directors wait for the audience's reaction to see if they should push a pairing in or not.

Like wtf? By the time they get our reaction, we have already been fed a story. And some of us will have loved it and others hated it but it was the story they created. Changing the pairing later based on the fandoms is so f* stupid.

I have stopped watching countless of tv shows because of this.

Examples: Vampire diaries. I really liked it at that time of my life. And I liked Stefan and Elena. They were a bit too lovey-dovey and boring? Yes, but I liked them. The story was about them. The books too. But because Damon was more handsome and sexier and had, according to the audience, better chemistry with Elena, they decided to give what the audience preferred, going against the original book.

The 100 is an odd example. Everyone loved Bellamy and Clarke, they are also the romantic pairing in the book. But the tv show created such a deep profound connection between them that was better than the book. It was an enemies-to-lovers trope developed to perfection. But what did they do? They destroyed it in what seems to be a clear defiance of what the public loved and the book. It made no sense at all. I stopped watching when I realized it was going in that direction and decided to wait for the finale. And I'm so glad I did. Horrible thing. I hate even the memory of having loved it.

Another example. Never have I ever. Yes, Paxton was the hot boy that we should begin to hate at some point in a very cliché fashion. And Ben is the rival that will become a friend and then a lover. All good. But then they developed Paxton and Paxton was ten thousand times better than Ben. And by the end of season 1 and particularly season 2, I was sure Team Paxton had won. But I was wrong. There comes the shift. For 2 seasons I loved Devi and Paxton but then all that development and fairytale-like ending is put into the garbage and I am supposed to pretend it never happened because now the main pairing is Ben and Devi. I did not watch season 3 and season 4. To me, it ended in season 2 and what an amazing ending it was.

So yes, I was afraid that House of the Dragon would be the same. They created a story between Daemon and Rhaenyra in season 2 that was special and magical in a very hauntingly gothic fashion. It was perfection, the chemistry, the between-the-lines feelings, the desire, the attraction, the frustration. My god, we could feel it all. And every episode was so exciting because of that. People loved it, not everyone, but most people loved it. People were in love with Daemyra and with Daemon and with Matt Smith. There were hundreds of videos on youtube, pages on the internet talking about it, it was everywhere. It couldn't have been more successful. But the writers somehow, despite creating such a beautiful thing, were surprised that the public loved it so much. So they came out saying: you're seeing it wrong. Daemon is mean, evil, selfish and cruel and you need to see that. So they create a season 2 to make us hate daemon, to make us fall out of love with Daemyra. Yet they were fearful of pushing it too far so they still gave us a happy ending to keep us satisfied. But are they waiting to see if we have given up on Daemyra and would be more open to other pairings that they wish to introduce? I want to believe they won't do it, but do I trust it 100%? Of course not. Similarly, they are giving contrary information about Helaemond to see how we react and if they can push it or move away from it in season 3. I also think they didn't make Rhaena claim sheepstealer to see how fans would react to the potential elimination of Nettles. And I hate that they do it! Just be consistent, for god's sake! Write the damn story as you did before knowing how the public would react but be consistent with what you started.

[hastyprovocateur]

Another Analysis on Mizu×Akemi

(Because there can never be enough)

l gotta admit it... the show was very ambiguous as to which character ends up with who and under what circumstances they're going to like each other. A lot of people see Taigen and Mizu because Mizu's sexuality, atleast in regards to liking men, is confirmed. She did feel attracted to her husband when she was married and she does associate some strong feelings with Taigen since she imagined that heated fight moment in the brothel when Kaji showed her the threesome. Then again... it's a threesome so there's allusion but no absolutes so far.

As for Mizu and Akemi, even if the two women could move in a romantic direction, they were too tied up in their own shit. Mizu was preoccupied with her revenge which is why she gave Akemi up in ep5 and Akemi couldn't see past her marriage with Taigen not because she thought he was a great guy but because he was the best option. He was close to home and not an entire brute as far as she knew. And then she didn't have a choice in marrying Taka either who turned out to be decent but no man warrants undying love just for being half human.

Needless to say, Akemi was dealing with her own shit. Mizu had Fowler to kill and there was little allusion to romance even if there are strong feelings between the two. Akemi, still, had to mean something for Mizu to flash back the first time their eyes met on the bridge when she was close to dead. As well as the addition of Akemi's knife to her blade. Likewise, Akemi claimed to have searched the onryo's eyes for love. But that's it as far as proof of feelings go. Nothing more Nothing less.

Coming to Mizu, even if her feelings were involved somewhere between Taigen and Akemi, she didn't didn't intervene in ep 8 and set the record straight by setting Akemi free, sending Taigen after her so they can be together and then leaving Ringo with Master Eiji. I was convinced that Akemi was gonna run into Taigen's arms after finding her newfound freedom but I was impressed when she chose greatness instead.

As for Mizu's revenge, she deliberately embarked to London alone. As far as she knows, everyone is better off without her but we see quite evidently that after Mizu's intervention nothing is going to be the same again. This doesn't show that she doesn't care, she does to the extent of resolving everything so they can be happy, but for the sake of her revenge, it is understood that Mizu doesn't want to get distracted from her focus or have a loved one get injured because of her path.

NOW... everything else is speculation. It's anyone's guess so I'll try my hand at it. I'm thinking of the bigger picture here and no revenge story ends in revenge right? It ends with love. And Mizu won't be paired up with a Londoner I'm sure, because her story has to wind back to Japan, where she started.

So who could she end up with? Ringo is her best friend and confidante but the writing focuses greatly on their platonic bond. There is allusion to more with Taigen, who is her childhood bully turned blood brother granted he's not major of a character, the writers downplayed him themselves by not giving him that intense of a character arc like Akemi or a whole change of absolute resolve for revenge unlike Mizu.

Writingwise, Taigen was always kinda straddling the line of liking Akemi but really not, wanting to kill Mizu but really not, wanting honour but really not, wanting happiness but really not. His end wasn't concluded beyond him getting rejected by Akemi and his and Mizu's future was not remotely indicated. If he was on the ship with her, the writers would've shown us but he's suspended midair for the time being.

If Mizu is to have a high stake romance, it... has to be with Akemi... don't you think? Taigen never posed any real threat to Mizu, he can't outclass or outsmart her, they have great camaraderie and that's when he finally decided to treat her decently and going beyond to show loyalty, trust and support for what she does. There wasn't heavy ground for him to dislike her initially either, outside of his own arrogance. It wasn't a big change of character on his part to like Mizu since he's never had sincere grounds for hating her in the first place.

Even if Taigen improves his character in the following season, I can't see Mizu and Taigen being balanced and opposed enough for the two to willingly choose the other against the odds as opposed to falling in love due to convenient proximity. Taigen, I'm sorry to say, seems to blow with the wind and doesn't have much determination for pursuits as far as the writing goes. Pairing that with Mizu's iron will creates dissonance. If Mizu chooses love, it would be against the ODDS of all her other pursuits.

Her rage. Her revenge. Her agony.

And that, I only see matched in Akemi.

Only Akemi could go against her grain as much as Mizu to actually fall in love.

Akemi isn't in love with the Shogun's son, but has accepted him as a means to her pursuit for greatness for the purpose of which Takayoshi is a decent man who is likely to not try and subdue her. I'd go so far to say Akemi has rejected love as a means to survive and is bent on acquiring power to ensure her success so that no harm comes her way because. Just like Mizu, she once fought for love only to get betrayed by it.

Seki brought the Shogun's proposal to Daichi because he'd decided on Akemi's behalf that "Im only doing what's right for you." Taigen put his honour above ensuring that Akemi is not displaced in his absence, Akemi's father had all intentions of carting her off as a commodity to the Shogun's for his own political schemes, telling her that she's "not the hero of his family." And Mizu... also doomed Akemi in the hubris of thinking "She's better off."

In Kaji's words- "You stood by as the guards dragged her away screaming." Akemi doesn't see Mizu as trustworthy anymore, any overture for friendship or romance will take a lot from her end because from Akemi's perspective, she rode back captive on horseback with strange men, coming to terms with that fact that her agency will now be ripped away, her teeth blackened as an accessory to visually appeal to her new family and she'll be forced into her new husband's quarters to commit her "wifely duties." Takayoshi not being a brute was an exeption to the rule and for which Akemi is greatly lucky which makes sense why she's decided to stick by her new means and to work within them.

Circling back to stories... just as all revenge stories end with the prevalence of love so do all stories of greatness. Akemi and Mizu both deserve to be loved and it is evident because that's all they wanted initially. A simple house on the edge of nowhere, a life unremarkable and staid. Filled only by love and the company of two. For both Mizu and Akemi, this dream of love only brought crushing pain, it cemented them into paths where they want anything but love. Mizu in her descent for revenge and Akemi on her ascent to power. Their middle ground is love which they will have to fight towards if they ever decide to meet halfway but god... it would be a glorious fight.

In a future season... if a certain someone... fell in love enough to give up... power... and a certain someone fell in love enough to give up revenge. If the red eyed princess... decided to run away with the blue eyed samurai... in that, I will find peace...