#CECIL SWEEP BABE

[galaxyfundy]

Sorry girlies but Reigen is never going to be an actual tumblr sexyman no matter how hard you try to believe it 😔

He's an Twitter Sexyman.

[smutfornerds]

Never Happened // Harry x Reader

A/N: it gets real steamy y’all and I’m not talking about the food!!! This request was so perf I love it. Also it’s pretty long oops. Enjoy babes!!

—

Holidays are always a hot spot for food, but also for social interactions. Neither you nor Harry were ever up for too much of the latter. Thankfully, Caitlin and Iris always made sure that leftovers made their way back to the two of you, via a quick breach from the West house to Star Labs. This year they’d gone all out and practically cooked a separate meal for you guys. Pies, turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, and of course grandma Esther’s pasta salad. Moments after leaving the blue light shined through the Cortex again as Cisco popped in with a bucket in his hands. “We forgot whipped cream.” He gestured the bucket with a throw towards Harry, who barely catches it as it spirts at him, and he grimaces at Cisco. “Next time don’t throw the white substance at the man in ALL BLACK, Ramon.” With a wave and a nod he disappeared back into the breach.

Glancing at Harry you notice some of the cream has spilled onto his sweater. He’s staring down at the tub of cool whip in his hand with so much anger that could only truly be directed at Cisco. Finally he huffs and sets the tub down, pulling his black woven sweater off over his head. For a brief moment his shirt is caught, exposing his abs and torso. While his face is covered you unabashedly stare. If only you could just reach out and graze him with your fingers.. Hearing another breach open snaps you back to reality, spinning in your chair to quickly see Cisco carrying four more dishes of food, each precariously topped upon the other.

Peeking out from behind the stack of leftovers, Cisco glances between you and Harry a few times before finally speaking. “Cecil told us to get the leftovers out of her house before they end up on her thighs.” You chuckle, finally standing to help put the various dishes on the table. Harry makes his way over, spoon of cool whip in hand and pointed at Cisco. Before anyone says another word you watch as he flings the spoonful directly into Cisco’s face. You cover your mouth to stifle your laughter while Cisco let’s the cream flop to the floor, a trail of it left on his face where it slid off. Slowly he turns to Harry, who is now deliberately and slowly cleaning off the spoon in his mouth. As humorous as the situation is, you can’t seem to tear your eyes from Harry’s lips. Once he pull the freshly cleaned spoon away, he licks his lips torturously slowly. Almost on cue Cisco snaps you from your trance again with his voice. “MINE was an ACCIDENT.” He yells to Harry, who couldn’t be bothered. “Don’t care.” Harry states flatly, walking right past Cisco to your side. Keeping your mouth shut, you started filling your plate with food. It hadn’t occurred to you how hungry you were until there was about eight different kinds of side dishes in front of you.

As the boys keep bickering throughout the room, you set yourself down and finish your meal. From inside the lab you can still hear them going at it. “I’ll HAND WASH the damn thing!” Cisco’s voice carries as they make their way back to the food table. Harry shrugs, throwing the sweater at his face. “Don’t care.” He repeats. Those have been the only words he’s said to any of Cisco’s attempted, half-assed apologies. With a frustrated growl he picks up a handful of mashed potatoes, eyes glistening with mischief. Harry glares daggers. “Ramon... don’t you—“ He’s sharply cutoff by a face full of potatoes. You gasp softly, giggles escaping past your hands this time around. Cisco laughs heartily in Harry’s face. “Now THAT was on purpose.” He beams, wiping the remaining potatoes from his hand on Harry’s undershirt. “And I’m not washing that.” Once he’s done speaking Cisco opens a breach between the boys and yourself. “That’s all folks!” He chimes as he steps in, Harry however already had a full pie in his hands ready for Cisco’s smug face.

A bit late though, as he threw the pie the breach closed, letting it through to you. All you felt was cold, sticky cream and pumpkin guts cover your neck and chest. For a few seconds you sat there completely frozen. Harry was too, looking a bit scared for your reaction. “That— That was not supposed to happen..” he states softly, hands out as if in an attempt to help but he didn’t know how. A low chuckle leaves your throat as you wipe the pieces of pie from your face. Silently you make your way to the food table, thinking you’ll grab napkins or a towel. Just as your hands meet the table though, a better idea sparks in your brain. Taking a deep breath you turn to Harry. “So you’re just gonna stand there basking in the aftermath of your throwing skills? Or lack there of?” Your tone is teasing, with a hint of playfulness that you’re trying to hide. He sighs and walks over with a towel in hand. “I’m.. sorry.” He blurts, eyes darting down to the floor. While he’s not focused, you slip a handful of cranberry sauce behind his back.

“No worries, I’d say we’ll be even..” You pause long enough for him to look up in confusion, as you slowly slide the sauce around the side of his neck and up his chin to his face. His expression is priceless; surprised, shocked, defeated just to name a few feelings he emoted. An eruption of laughter takes over, and you lean against the table to brace yourself for a moment. Your biggest mistake, because it gave Harry just enough time to sling a spoonful of potatoes at your forehead and into your hair. With a dramatized gasp, you begin grabbing fistfuls of pasta salad to hurl at him.

For the first time in God knows how long, you hear Harry laughing. His smile lights up his entire face, the entire room rather. It stuns you for a second and you get a little lost in the sound of his laughter. This gives him more than enough time to put a palm full of cranberries to your cheek. His hand lingers for a moment as he stares at you, his smile even bigger. “Somehow you’re prettier covered in food. Didn’t think that was possible.” Harry huffs out a laugh as he pulls his hand away to lick the fruit juice from his fingers. You’re frozen again, his words rolling around your brain and your eyes fixated on his fingers, his lips, the smacking sound it makes when he slips a finger from his mouth. You’re jolted back when the cranberry sauce from your face falls on your chest. “Ooh that’s cold!” You squeal, grabbing for something to wipe it off with but every towel is dirty now. Harry let’s out a small laugh, hints of a smirk tugging at his lips, before handing you his sweater. “Here. Ramon has to clean it anyway.” His smile is still there, but it looks much more mischievous now. Was it because he enjoyed the idea of Cisco washing his clothes? Or did he have other ideas?

You wipe the food from yourself with the sweater, the soft fabric gentle on your skin as to not scratch it. When you’re done you toss it to him, but he deflects and just lets it hit the floor. “I’m alright, I got it.” Harry shrugs, moving to take off his undershirt. Your face flushes, and you turn away to asses how ruined your clothes are, and to compose yourself. With a sigh you realize your dress is all but trashed. Starting for the door you explain yourself on the way. “I’m gonna see if Iris has anything here I could change into—“ You stop when Harry’s hand grabs your wrist gently, forcing you to turn to his half naked figure. Instantly your eyes go to his torso before his face, which brings a grin to his lips. “I’ve got clothes here, I’ll find you something warm.” He pauses, realizing he’s still holding your wrist, and let’s go abruptly. “I mean, if you’d like.” He adds shortly, same old Harry. You smile softly up at him, nodding. “Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.” Expecting him to move you take a step forward, but he’s dead still, staring at your dress. “Let me go wash that before any stains set.” He states before his eyes move back to yours. Snapping his fingers hastily he motions towards you. “C’mon, off it goes.” For a moment you’re stunned by the idea of stripping in front of him - FOR him - but his snapping snaps you out of it and you nod as hastily as he moves.

“Some help?” You turn your back to him and move your hair aside. There’s a pause as Harry takes in what you’re asking of him. “The zipper?” Looking over your shoulder you barely notice Harry swallow dryly, as if to gain some sort of self control, before he reaches up to pull the zipper down past your rib cage. Once he’s done he takes a step back as you let the dress fall from your body. Along with it you kick your heels off and to the corner. Harry kneels to pick your dress up, and upon standing reaches a hand out to touch your neck. He lingers for a few seconds, his touch warm on your cool skin. Seconds later he clears his throat and brushes a bit of potatoes from your shoulder. “You had, uh.. food.” Harry clears his throat again and holds your dress up in his hand. “I’m gonna get this washing.” Without another word he saunters off into the hall.

While he’s busying himself you decide its best to try to clean the mess the two of you had made. You manage to sweep and wipe down the tables before Harry comes back, but he walks in to find you half bent over and attempting to wipe whipped cream from a white board. You don’t notice him, your back and backside exposed to him. Having trouble reaching one of the edges of the board, you lean further in over the table and let out a frustrated groan. To Harry however, it’s just tightening the knot forming in his stomach. Coyly he leans against the doorframe of the Cortex, simply watching as you’re bent over the table. The ideas rolling through his mind are the farthest from scientific at the moment. As he’s watching you however he notices your foot about to slip on a mound of food, and he then waits to make his presence known.

Silently he creeps closer until you’re about to fall, and catches you swiftly from behind by pinning you to the table with his hands bracing your waist. A gasp escapes you as you’re falling, but is overwhelmed by the feeling of Harry pressed firmly to your ass. You can feel your face light up like a stoplight as he pins you. “That was a close one..” he murmurs just behind your ear. A shiver runs through you and you just nod, the butterflies in your stomach paralyzing your vocal chords. Harry keeps his hands firmly on your waist, his body pressed to yours, his breath against the back of your neck. “You know, you’ve got a little cranberry sauce..” he pauses his raspy voice to lean close to your neck, lips brushing your skin as he speaks. “Right here..” a split second later his lips are on you, suckling your skin gently.

Immediately you melt into him, a soft and appreciative hum slipping out of you as your head tilts back to give him more access to your neck. Feeling his lips curl into a smirk against your skin, Harry moves his lips up your neck, gently kissing and suckling your skin to small, faint hickeys. Another small moan leaves you and that takes Harry from zero to a hundred. His hand moves down past your panties, his fingers gliding to your clit to rub small but deliberate circles. As he does so your back arches, pushing your ass tighter against his growing bulge. Harry groans and lets his other hand find your breast, slipping past your bra to massage gently before flicking his fingers against your nipple in sync with how his fingers toyed with your wetness. Your head leans back against his shoulder with a low groan, and he brings his lips back to your neck but now to nip at your skin. Every sound he elicits from you only drives him crazier and crazier. Your legs start to shake at how he’s playing with you, and Harry takes the cue instantly. His hands move back to your waist to spin you and lift you onto the table. Wasting no time now, you undo his belt and jeans while he continues kissing up and down your neck and chest.

As soon as you have him stripped you notice just how hard he is and it makes your mouth water more than any of the food did. Bringing your hands up to his neck you pull him to your lips, finally kissing him with all the heat and fervent you’ve been saving for this moment. Now Harry groans, slipping his briefs off in a swift movement. His hands fall to your hips again to pull your panties off and fling them away, other hand reaching behind to unclasp your bra. With both of you stripped you pause, to take everything in and admire each other. For the first time you see his expression soften, and he presses a small kiss to your lips before speaking. “Do you.. want to keep this going?” His voice is low and soft, almost like if he spoke too loudly he would shatter this moment. You don’t respond, just smile brightly and pull him to you with another passionate kiss. Thankfully Harry is a smart man and understands, lining himself up to slowly enter you.

Both of you let out labored sighs, the feeling of him filling you taking your breath away completely. Your arms flung around his shoulders you both start to rock your hips in sync to the other. Watching as Harry’s eyes close he groans lowly, a growl in the back of his throat. Without warning he thrusts hard into you, a load and squeaky moan radiating out of you to fill the Cortex. Harry growls again, as if to show his appreciation for the sounds you’re making. Again he slams into you, again you squeal and whine for him. His pace picks up and with every thrust you’re gasping and moaning for him. Bringing a hand down he starts furiously rubbing your clit, a loud and shaky moan falling from your lips. He slows his thrusts just long enough to pant into your ear. “Lemme hear you scream my name..” His voice is raspy and low and unbelievably sexy, and as soon as he finishes speaking his thrusts pick up intensity even harder and faster than before. Again you cry out, this time giving him what he wants. “Ha-Harry! Fuck..” you feel his muscles tense under your fingers, the sound of his name from your lips making his hips jerk out of rhythm. Rubbing tight circles against your throbbing bundle of nerves, he thrusts hard into you twice as he growls at you. “Again..”

Both of your breathing labored, you arch your back as he plays with you, letting your head fall back as you scream his name again and again. “Harry.. fuck me.. I-I’m—“ you’re cut off by your own moaning as he slams into you, but holds still. Harry’s fingers slow, but don’t stop. Teasingly he presses to your clit, rubbing side to side as he simply watches your face contort with pleasure. Minutes go by of him achingly slowly rubbing you before he slowly pulls back, just to slam hard into you again and again.

“Harry!” You exclaim, clutching to his bulging arms as he rails you. A guttural and gritty noise erupts from his chest as he forces himself to pull out of you, to cum into his hand. His free hand still pleasing you, he begins rubbing harder and faster until your legs are shaking and trying to close around his hand. It’s mere moments before he has you sent into euphoria, eyes fluttering closed as you whine and gasp for air. You hear Harry hum affectionately as your juices cover his fingers, and he simply watches you come undone at his touch.

Without another word Harry captures your breathless lips in a passionate kiss. With all the strength you can muster you kiss back, pulling him to you by the back of his neck. The two of you stay there, kissing and reveling in your moment as long as you can. From a distance you hear the washing machine beeping that your load is done, and Harry groans against your lips before pulling away. “Not like I want you to put it back on anyway..” His voice is soft but still as sarcastic as ever. Both of you smile knowingly, and he helps you off the table before handing you your bra. “I’ll let you have this back.” He winks before jogging off, naked, to put your dress in the dryer. You take the opportunity to jump in the lab shower to get the food off you and out of your hair.

Minutes later Harry comes back in a pair of Star Labs joggers, holding a pair and a sweatshirt for you. You smile before taking them, narrowing your eyes at him. “What, no shirt for you?” An eyebrow arched in his direction. Another smile with those beautiful dimples and he shrugs. “You seem to like me like this, figured keep the lady happy, no?” Harry does a little twirl, motioning to his abs with a grin. You roll your eyes playfully as you pull the sweatshirt on, pulling the sweats over your naked bottom half. “By the way, where did my underwear end up?” Looking around the room you can’t seem to find them anywhere in sight. Turning to Harry he’s smirking, but shrugs as if he has no idea. Before you can say another word, you hear voices from the hallway. Harry looks at you and you both mouth “never happened” in sync before you both bust out laughing at the other, just as everyone floods into the food-covered Cortex.

“Oh.. my god.” Iris blurts, eyes darting all over the room before landing on you and Harry. Caitlin and Cisco laugh at the copious amount of food still covering Harry but not you. “So I guess we all can see what you’ve been doing..” Joe mumbles, elbowing Barry. All three boys’ mouths drop for a moment before they compose themselves. “Something you’d like to share with the class?” Harry banters, and you look at him to see a knowing glint to his eyes. With a crooked smile and a stifled laugh, Barry points to the wall behind you both, where you turn to see your underwear hanging from one of the monitors. Caitlin and Iris follow Barry’s gesture and their eyes go wide before directly turning to you, and seeing how beat red your face is, they all just nod. With a polished and contended grin, Harry slung an arm around your shoulder and walked you past the group and down to his lab. “Never happened..” he mused, warranting a sharp nudge and embarrassed giggle from you before wrapping an arm around his waist.

[soulsxng--a]

"Jaaaaaay." Cue Cecil whining for his lover, and then draping himself on the reaper in the next moment. He doesn't need anything in particular, he's just feeling needy, so he nuzzles JJ's shoulder with a whine.

“Hey, babe…” The reaper hums softly, setting aside the ancient looking scroll he’d been scanning through in favor of turning so that he could face Cecil. Just doing a bit of research on some things that might make all of the Horseman ridiculousness go a little bit more smoothly.

But, if the way the witch that JJ was currently sweeping into his arms and carrying to the bed to snuggle was acting– needy, and attention-starved, was any indication, it was time for a break. So a break, it was! After all, how could he say no to curling up with his beloved like this?

JJ laid down immediately beside Cecil, laughing when he put his head down, and the glasses he’d been wearing to see tiny, fading text shifted uncomfortably in his face. They’re taken off quickly, set on the nightstand beside the bed, before he returns his attention to Cecil. Wraps his arms securely around strong frame and wastes no time capturing his lips in one kiss. Then another. And then it was hard to be able to tell what was a new kiss, and which was just a continuation of on they’d already been in the middle of.

Seems Cecil wasn’t the only one that had been wanting some attention. Maybe a little afternoon make-out (Or more. He was perfectly happy with more, too!) session was exactly what the doctor ordered

[justira]

STORY STARTERS MEME

Rules: List the first lines of your last 15 stories. See if there are any patterns. Then tag 10 of your favourite authors!

@petite-neko tagged me, and I have never been tagged for anything before in my life. But, uh, sure, let’s do this!

I definitely do not know 10 writers on tumblr because I am very terrible at doing The Tumblrs and also I mostly talk to artists on here? But why not, let’s tag my partner in crime @sevdrag; @wordsdear, who I know writes; and @kaizokunohime, who doesn’t write prose but does write story ideas/prompts, and I’d like to see how those do with this meme.

I have no idea what is meant by “first lines” here? The first sentence? The first block of text until whitespace? idek, I tried to keep it reasonable. This is in reverse chrono order, so first story is most recent.

1. Acclimating

[One Piece — Law/Luffy, Law & Strawhats — E, 31.3K ]

Law probably should have seen this coming. It wasn't his splintered self-worth that made him avoid things like this (and what business of anyone's was it, anyway, if he lived for Cora-san's memory? He'd been living on borrowed time for over a decade, and every step he'd taken since then had drawn him closer to a confrontation he expected (hoped) he wouldn't survive). But his utter lack of interest in making himself likable because there was nothing much to like certainly helped cut down on complications. Or, it usually did. The standard rules did not seem to apply to Strawhat. Black Leg had warned him, although, all things considered, that shouldn't have been necessary. 

2. A Slow and Vicious Hemorrhage

[BBC Sherlock / Hannibal Movies — Holmes/Watson — M, 5.5K, WIP]

The air gets heavier, down here, cooler and tinged with inescapable subterranean damp. John breathes it in, steadily; it doesn't particularly unnerve him. It reeks of institution and he's had practice enough with those. It's not calming, precisely, but it's familiar. It's all familiar. It's all fine.

It is.

His hand tightens on the two case files. It doesn't stop the tremor, but he rubs his thumb across the labels, the rough reality of them, already thoroughly ragged from the flicks and scrapes and polishing and various pointless attritions of dozens of fingers, despite the very recent dates stamped on both of them. Two dates, two names. Neither name belongs to Sherlock Holmes.

3. Swimming Lessons

[Final Fantasy X — Auron/Braska/Jecht — T, 1K ]

Auron sputtered as Jecht dunked him under the water again. He came up for air, gasping, to hear Braska rebuke Jecht. "Jecht, he can't swim." Braska's tone was just this side of sharp, showing that Jecht was testing his patience; good, as he had surely tested Auron's. Auron clawed his hair out of his face where it had escaped his tail. Jecht was already too far away to shove. Braska floated over to him, touched his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

4. This Stolen Interstice

[Dragon Age: Origins — Duncan/Teagan — M, 8K]

The Grey Warden came during the harvest. The field Teagan was working was cradled in one of Rainesfere's rolling valleys; trees rose high on all sides, crowning the surrounding hills and wind-murmuring to each other as the harvesters worked. The air was thick with dust and chaff and the smell of fallen leaves, just edging into cold. That hint of crispness settled pleasantly on Teagan's skin as he worked amidst the slice and whisper of sickles and threshing, the barking of dogs weaving through the rhythmic sounds — no laughing children, not during the harvest, as all but babes were put to work at some task or another. He found one such child suddenly in his path — Rogher's youngest. Deliah? That must be it.

"What is it, Deliah?" Teagan wiped his brow as he stood, stretched his back.

"There's a man to see you," the girl mumbled, shy before her bann. "Mama says he's a Grey Warden."

The words spilled a chill down his back, much harsher than the gentle bite in the air. Darkspawn, here?

5. The Storm That Sweeps So Quiet

[Final Fantasy Tactics — Alma/Tietra — T, 1.2K]

Alma's spine aches. She has been bowed over this tome for entirely too long. Study is normally a pleasure, particularly the histories or the great tales of the Church, but this day she set aside to get through an endless dissertation on courtly graces. Studious as Alma may normally be, her heart is not in this. Today, the floor is distractingly hard beneath her folded skirts, even with the spare cushion. Her bodice itches unreasonably. Behind her, Tietra's quiet breathing and quieter warmth brush down Alma's back; she had persuaded her friend to take the window seat and regrets it not one bit, discomfort or no. It's not Tietra's fault that Lord Haverell's text drones so. Outside, the sunshine drips between tumultuous clouds; the air is heavy and moist, and the clouds tower high. It is not a day for study, not at all.

She runs her finger down the rich vellum of the page and listens to its smooth whisper. Behind her, she hears Tietra shift, the soft sigh of fabric and the rougher-edged rasp of pages rubbing together. Well, if Tietra feels it too...

6. So let it out and let it in

[Supernatural — Castiel & Mary, Castiel & Dean, Castiel & Sam — G, 5.1K]

"Jay Bird Family Special," the waitress announces, clear and cheery above the lunchtime clinks and conversation buzzing through the diner. She tips Mary a wink. Mary grins back as Heather sets the giant platter in front of her, gently intercepting baby Dean's hand going straight for the steak. "Your man running late?"

"Course not!" John pops up behind Heather. He's breathless under a thin sheen of sweat, his face all smiles and engine grease, and Mary could not want to touch that handsome curve of jaw more.

Instead, she puts a mild growl of threat in her voice, not even trying to cover the laughter crowding up alongside it. "If you think you're getting those paws anywhere near my food or my son—"

7.  And Under Sky, the Shelter

[Final Fantasy Tactics — Ramza & Rapha, Marach, Mustadio, Agrias  — G, 1.4K]

The hill cups gently around a lee; pebbles gather in the shadow where the wind abandoned them, making for a stony bed, but it will serve well enough for their purposes. Ramza, at least, is tired enough to collapse where he stands. He watches Agrias survey the site and thinks dully about what to do if it does not meet her standards of defensibility. It is well that she nods in approval, as he had not managed to think of any alternatives. The weariness runs too deep in his bones, leeching at thought, at care. It frightens him, distantly. So many have ceased to care, it seems. He rouses himself with a shake that feels like trying to shift mountains.

Tired to numbness or no, camp must be made, the birds cared for. The birds and — his teeth tug at his lip as his glance lands on Rapha and Marach, hovering at the edges of the group — the people. The tasks have been long apportioned, but in their ever growing and shrinking company, they reassign the routine often enough. It is just that he is too tired tonight to think on it.

8. There the Bones of Us May Lie

[Final Fantasy XII — Ashe/Balthier — T, 2.5K]

The hollow starlight sinks into ashen softness before her as she boards the Strahl; the hungry roar of the Cataract is hushed, made muted and metallic. It is like sinking into water, reversed. The quiet is the same, the sense of distance, but as she ascends there is no persistent buoyancy, no insistent upward press. Weight seems to sink down on her instead, settling deeper about her shoulders like a mantle.

It's familiar.

The silence of the ship eats her sigh, giving back nothing. And that, too is familiar — comforting, even, to have no wraiths answering those unmeant nighttime summons. The Occuria's illusion of Rasler is shattered, and Vaan isn't here to haunt her either, sleeping below with the others; Ashe is alone if not exactly unfettered. It is beyond her, just now, to judge whether that is better, and that is, in any case, irrelevant. There is little point in dwelling on it, now.

9. Best Hand

[Ace Attorney — Apollo & Trucy, Phoenix — G, 0.5K]

Apollo eyed the backs of Mr. Wright's cards. Wright kept them low, hands resting easy and relaxed on the table — Trucy was just the opposite, her fan of cards held up in front of her face, casting conspiratorial glances over the top. Hiding her smile. Trucy had something; Apollo'd figured that much out. Not as good as his own hand, though, he was sure of it.

(Now if only...)

He looked back at Wright. Nothing to see. Nothing to sense; bracelet quiet and loose on his wrist. (Damn! It's not just that he used Trucy for the games, he's impossible to read anyway!) Apollo resisted gritting his teeth.

10. Eclipse

[Final Fantasy IV — Kain/Cecil, Kain/Rosa, Cecil/Rosa, Kain/Cecil/Rosa — G, 1.5K]

In the old forgotten passageways beneath Baron Castle the walls exhale ghosts like vaporous winter breath: a fine spice on a hunt for treasure, harmless old haunts that feather around them as they creep down the halls with their stolen torch, their voices a nervous-laughing titter of echoes.

When the revenant comes Kain's blood freezes and he sees the panicked bloom of Rosa's untutored magic, shielding them; Kain's lips parting in awe and breathlessness as they flee.

But as they tumble back down the halls, to light and safety and a likely spanking, it is Cecil who clutches his hand.

11. Where Memory Rests

[Thief: Deadly Shadows — Garrett, The Shalebridge Cradle — G, 2.3K]

Thick exhales of steam crowd the night air, damp on your skin, as you make your way through the noise and shadows of the City. Grit has gathered close to the walls where you walk, giving the soft sound of your steps a rougher edge. Your fingers trail where a gas arrow once crystallized: a pipe carrying hot air hisses quietly at the leak. Magic lies thick in the air since the Final Glyph, dispersed and unformed. You can feel it in your hand. It washes across the red new scar like warm breath, like the air trickling from the pipe. The elemental crystals form faster, now, and someone harvested this one before you.

It doesn't matter. You have other things on your mind tonight.

And besides, you can always get it back.

12. the silent fulcrum in the interstice

[Kingdom Hearts — Kairi & Riku & Sora, Kairi & Naminé — G, 1.2K]

It begins with her hands: she plunges them into the place where earth meets sea meets sky. The light falls fragile across the grains, soft contrast to their coarse texture against her palms, her bare knees. The damp sand is heavy in her palms and something stirs in her as she pauses, hands suspended, full of infinite possibilities: This is how worlds are created, she thinks. Memories, falling like sand, like stars, like snow (where does she remember snow from?); she pauses, hands suspended, full of infinite worlds.

She can't remember the last time she did this, or maybe she never stopped: this is where she sat and stitched together a star, a promise; this is where she stood and watched the horizon and waited, or tried to remember what she was waiting for. The sand is heavy in her hands, and she wonders if this is any different, or if it is all reconstruction and remembering.

This is how worlds are created, and she sinks her fingers into the sand.

13. Same As It Never Was (cowritten with @sevdrag)

[Final Fantasy VIII — Rinoa/Squall, Laguna/Squall, Quistis/Rinoa, Kiros/Laguna, Quistis/Rinoa/Squall — E, 72K, WIP]

“I’m sorry, Commander, sir,” the waiter said over Squall's shoulder, “but we don’t have that particular vintage — our sincere apologies. Can I recommend another bottle — on the house, of course?”

Squall tried not to grit his teeth— too hard, anyway, because they were already grinding a little at the waiter’s placating, admiring, sorry-to-your-famous-personage-please-be-kind tone. He glanced up. Rinoa was smiling at him, that smile of hers that carried beaming wattage like a Thundaga to the chest, and even though it still made his heart skip a beat he could read in it what neither of them was saying: her hesitation playing across her face, the tense strain of her smile even as his own lips quirked back in response.

“Not a problem,” he said, aware that his voice was gruff and sounded irritated; maybe everyone would assume he was aggravated about the wine.

14. Coward Heart

[Final Fantasy X — Auron & Braska & JechtI — G, 3.6K]

The caves cast light back at them, fractured reflections and the rock's own native glow: the water was still and star-littered, pinpricks of light beneath a surface so motionless that Auron could barely tell where water ended and the pressing dark of the caverns began. All the light should have illumed the air, but the icy breath of the place seemed nearly solid, swallowing the light before it could reveal more than it hid. Auron had drawn his sword long ago, its rasp loud and echo-inhaled. Even the fiends glowed, here, great gelid flans with galaxies glittering inside them, dissolving into pyreflies like gentle novas.

Auron's gaze slid to Braska. In the gloaming, Braska's eyes seemed wide and white, his robes silver-edged black, all the careful distinctions of colour — red, for mourning; purple, for hope; blue, for seas and skies — lost in the half-light. Jecht was a suffocated flame beside him, the leaping fish on his sarong like the empty spaces between licks of fire as he shrugged off the wool-lined jacket Braska had finally convinced him to wear.

15. Disconnect

[Final Fantasy VIII / Kingdom Hearts — Maleficent & Squall — G, 3.7K]

He opens his eyes to the sight of water falling up. The spray coats his face, his clothes— he tries to sit up and make sure Lionheart is dry in its sheath and realizes that everything, everywhere, hurts.

(Rinoa.)

He makes it to his feet, checks on Lionheart. The gunblade survived the trip, maybe in better shape than Squall had. He flexes his hands, staring at them. They still feel numb. (Did it hurt you like this? Your magic?) His spells are gone, eaten up by the trip from Traverse Town. He hadn't counted on this exhaustion. (Yeah, and Cid had said it was impossible and called me an idiot. Whatever.)

It doesn't matter. He heaves himself away from the rocks he'd been leaning on, and starts climbing.

Analysis, I guess?

Okay well the immediate thing I notice is that I used the word "interstice" twice in this set of titles and that's just mortifying.

Decent mix of fandoms! 14 fandoms counting crossovers, although 8 were Final Fantasy of some kind.

I counted 6 past tense intros (though one of those fics switches to present tense halfway through, which is 15K words past the opening lines), and 9 present tense ones. That's a 2:3 ratio of past to present, and I actually had never realized I wrote in present tense this much. In the grand scheme of fiction writing, past tense is heavily more common so I guess this sample puts me in the... minority? I find present tense more immediate. I rarely actively CONSIDER which tense to use, I just start writing in whatever FEELS right for the idea. The first story where I actively considered tense was "Acclimating", the most recent story on here. Whoops >.>

Also I don't tend to open with dialogue. For short fics (less than 10K) I tend to write mostly in order, and I find writing dialogue difficult, so I tend to kind of "settle in" with a story by writing description first, and only after I'm properly settled try some dialogue. There were only 4 stories with dialogue in the opening lines here, and only 2 that actually had dialogue as the first thing in the story.

Fewer em dashes than I expected, as I know I overuse those. But not, apparently, in the opening lines. I wait until the reader is settled in/committed before pulling that shit on them.

I seem to vary between starting in the middle of things vs. doing a bit of setup. I couldn't really pin numbers to this one, as it's a bit more nebulous. For example the very first sentence of "This Stolen Interstice" (that word again, shoot me now) is in medias res, but then I back up to a bit of scene-setting. So who even knows!

Anyway, this was a fun exercise!

[minnamarie1983-blog]

Quotes for Monday July 24,2017

Beauty quotes The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason. -John Cage The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. -Eleanor Roosevelt Some people look for a beautiful place; others make a place beautiful. Beauty has a lot to do with character. -Kevyn Aucoin Beauty awakens the soul to act. -Dante Alighieri Just because you are blind, and unable to see my beauty doesn't mean it does not exist. -Margaret Cho I find beauty in unusual things, like hanging your head out the window or sitting on a fire escape. -Scarlett Johansson The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart. -Hellen Keller ========= Challenges quotes Above all, challenge yourself. You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you have, what you can accomplish.--Cecile M. Springer Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.--Gen. George S. Patton Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day to day obstacles of life -- facing new challenges, seizing new opportunities, testing our resources against the unknown and in the process, discovering our own unique potential.--John Amatt All my life I've always had the urge to do things better than anybody else.--Babe Didrikson Zaharias Because our gifts carry us out into the world and make us participants in life, the uncovering of them is one of the most important tasks confronting any one of us.--Elizabeth O'Connor (Eighth Day of Creation: Gifts and Creativity) Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.--Roger Crawford The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.--Jim Rohn ( Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine - February 11, 2003) ========== Determination quotes George S. Clason Where the determination is, the way can be found. Leroy 'Satchel' Paige  Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. Claude M. Bristol  It's the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles. Unknown Author Don't get discouraged; it's usually the last key in the bunch that opens the lock. Leonardo da Vinci  Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind. ======== Hope quotes Hold your head high, stick your chest out. You can make it. It gets dark sometimes, but morning comes.... Keep hope alive.--Jesse Jackson Hope and possibility best describe the art of teaching.--Camille Banks Lee (from The Quotable Teacher, comp. by Howe) Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible.--William Sloan Coffin, Jr. Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.--Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life) Hope, deceiving as it is, serves at least to lead us to the end of our lives by an agreeable route.--François de la Rochefoucauld Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.--Saint Augustine Hope is a good thing--maybe the best thing, and no good thing ever dies.--Stephen King (The Shawshank Redemption) Hope is a pleasant acquaintance, but an unsafe friend.--Thomas Chandler Haliburton Hope is a talent like any other.--Storm Jameson Hope is a vigorous principle ... it sets the head and heart to work, and animates a man to do his utmost.--Jeremy Collier Hope is a waking dream.--Aristotle Hope is generally a wrong guide, though it is good company along the way.--George Saville ===== Joy quotes toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. Horace Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment. Billy Mills Your life is a gift from the Creator. Your gift back to the Creator is what you do with your life. George Bernard Shaw  The joy in life is to be used for a purpose. I want to be used up when I die. Chinese Proverb  One joy scatters a hundred grieves. Dr. Melba Colgrove  Joy is the feeling of grinning on the inside. Eileen Caddy  Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it. Sir James M. Barrie Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves. Unknown Author I asked God for all things, that I might enjoy life. God gave life, that I might enjoy all things. ======= Kindness quotes Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.--Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D. Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.--C. Neil Strait Kindness is never wasted. If it has no effect on the recipient, at least it benefits the bestower.--S. H. Simmons Kindness is the insignia of a loving heart.--Anonymous Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.--Mark Twain Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows.--Robert Ingersoll Kindness, I've discovered, is everything in life.--Isaac Bashevis Singer Kindness refreshes and restores the tired and broken.--Gerard Thomas Straub (When Did I See You Hungry?)