#I hope you don't mind this being shorter! I know you've been stressed out so I didn't wanna give you too much and overwhelm you.

[h0neysp1ce]

Hii

Sorry if this is weird but please can I request some headcanons with Kaveh, Alhaitham and Diluc (Also if you don't write Diluc, Tighnari is good instead) where the Reader has extremely painful period cramps, like to the point where they need to vomit and can't move 🙏

Not at all! here you go 💚🫶

˚୨୧⋆｡˚  Summary: ↑ How does he take care of his s/o when they have very bad cramps?

Characters: Kaveh, Alhaitham, Diluc, Tighnari Tags: Established Relationship (all Separate) Fluff?? Constellation: Head canons Warning(s): Mentions of Period symptoms, nothing graphic reader can be read as gender neutral or Female (Had no clue which one to put so I put both) ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ 

A/N: I tried my best, apologies if Diluc's and Tighnari's Parts are shorter, and hopefully I went into enough detail as you asked , also I hope I titled it in the most un akward way possible, This was my first time writing something like this so I hope its not to bad ^^"

sorta Proof read (will edit later)

Word Count: 1243

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა

Kαʋҽԋ 🎨

This man is worried about you the moment you start not feeling great.

There's no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed; he understands that this is something you go through.

It’s nothing new, really. You've been open with him about your cramps being bad, and he understands that.

The first time this happened, it freaked him out because he thought something was wrong with you until you told him what it was, and he calmed down.

Kaveh: "Alright, I'm back with the heating pad and snacks."

You: "Kaveh, aren’t you supposed to be out working with a client today?"

Kaveh: "Oh no, I canceled all my work for today. I’m not leaving you alone and unattended."

You: "KAVEH!!? No, don’t worry about me. You should worry about your work. I know it's stressful and—"

Kaveh: "No, you're more important right now. Please, let me take care of you."

If you end up getting sick, like feeling like you’re about to vomit at any moment, he’ll be there with you, holding your hair back if you're actively getting sick, rubbing circles into your back, and staying with you in the bathroom until you feel better and can get back to bed.

Knowing that you can’t move much in this state, he'll take it upon himself to get you things. Want food? He’ll make you some. Want cuddles? He’ll gladly cuddle you.

He’ll have medicine ready for you along with a glass of water and a heating pad.

This man pampers you 100%.

It pains him to see you hurting and not feeling your best. You won’t see it, but he tends to have a frown on his face when you're hurting. He’s doing everything he can, but he can’t take your pain away completely, and it makes him sad.

He’d take away the pain and discomfort from you if he could.

Most of the time is spent cuddling. It doesn’t matter to him; whatever makes you most comfortable and relieves at least some of your pain is what matters to him.

He’ll kiss your face all over, along with some hand kisses, giving positive affirmations that you’re going to get through it, that it’s going to be okay, that you’re very strong, and that it’s only temporary.

His voice goes soft when talking to you, running a hand gently through your hair. He’ll be looking at you often, always asking if you're alright or if you need anything.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა

Aʅԋαιƚԋαɱ 📚

He’s read plenty of books to know what you’re going through and the best treatments for it.

He knows what it is without even having to ask you, as you’re wrapped around the toilet suffering.

He’ll sit with you and wait until you feel slightly well enough to get back to resting.

He will be honest with you and say that he doesn’t mind or care; there’s no shame or embarrassment. It’s a normal thing you go through.

If you let him, he’ll use his hands to place them on your abdomen. He has warm hands, and he’ll keep them there if it helps relieve the pain and discomfort, even just a little bit.

He’ll pull off his cape and put it on you if that helps comfort you in some way.

If you’re lying down, he’ll make sure to pull you closer. Usually, he doesn’t like being so close, but he’s doing this for you because he cares.

You: "Alhaitham, am I burdening you?"

Alhaitham: "I've told you multiple times already that you’re not a burden. You just need help and assistance right now, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Now go back to sleep." (says this while reading a book)

He’ll carry you or pick you up and take you places since moving by yourself is a no-go.

He’ll be reading a book while you lay with him. In reality, he’s keeping an eye on you, not reading a page of that book, just pretending.

This man would take the pain away from you in a heartbeat if he could.

He’ll be with you the entire time through this tough period.

He’ll make sure you take your medicine every few hours as directed.

In a modern AU, he’d likely turn on a movie or something for you, and you two would stay in bed mostly. He’ll also get you anything you need, don’t worry.

He’s still able to do his job remotely from home as the Akademiya's Grand Scribe. What, did you think this man was going to work while you weren’t feeling your best? Nope! He’s going to take care of you because that’s what partners do.

Even if he shows little affection normally, he’ll make sure to give you some during this time.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა

Dιʅυƈ 🍷

He’s more than aware when he wakes up and finds you not up, as you’re usually up before him.

He’ll ask you, and when you confirm his suspicions, he’ll grab some things (food, whatever you want if you just ask him).

He’ll also make a quick trip to the Tavern and have someone take over for him for a couple of days since he’s going to focus on you right now.

If you allow him, he’ll heat up his hands with his Pryo Vision and place them on your abdomen to ease your cramps slightly. If you’re feeling sick at any point, just tap on him or signal him, and he’ll make sure you get to the bathroom.

He’ll always take one of your hands, pepper kisses all over, and look at you while the two of you are in bed as you relax.

This man is a gentleman (all the men are gentlemen).

Your well-being is a main priority for him.

He’ll shower you with affection and pamper you lots.

He’ll always talk with you and explain that if you need anything at all, just tell him. It’s no bother nor burden. He’ll always assure you that you’re his partner and that he cares about you, giving plenty of reassurance if you need it.

All his duties will be resumed once you’re feeling better completely, so don’t worry about him being behind or anything. He still manages things remotely from Dawn Winery.

Diluc: "Please do tell me if you need anything, anything at all."

You: "Of course I will, Diluc. I love you."

Diluc: "Love you too."

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა

Tιɠԋɳαɾι 🌻

He’ll brew up some tea or have you drink a glass of water first when you confirm with him that it’s that time.

He has plenty of medicine and herbs on hand to ease your cramps and maybe the nausea caused by them.

He’ll let you have snacks but will also make sure you have balanced meals, going for the healthy approach.

Don’t be afraid of your mood changes or swings; he understands. He’s not going to be mad if you end up snapping at him.

He’ll try to limit his job as a Forest Ranger so he can keep an eye on you and take care of you.

The first time it happened, he thought you’d come down with some sort of sickness until you told him what was happening. He understood and went out of his way to help you (though he did end up going on a ten-minute ramble about what you already knew and didn’t need to hear).

If you have back pain, he’ll rub your back for you. If you’re feeling any other discomfort, he’ll do whatever he can to help.

He also tends to give you face kisses and affection. He’s a cuddle person and doesn’t mind you being clingy (none of the men mind you being clingy).

Tighnari: "Now remember what I told you, [Name]?"

You: "Tighnari, we’ve been over this five times already." sigh

Tighnari: "I just need to make sure you’re retaining the information."

You: "This is going to take a while."

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ﾟ ｡ﾟ•┈｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა

[vynnytypesstuff]

Umm hello!! I hope you don't mind me requesting this, I saw your dating hcs for Sun and Macaque and I loved them! May I request some marriage hcs?? Like what would include being married to these mistical monkeys?? Please and thank you! ^^

꒰୨୧﹒Lego Monkie Kid - Marriage Hcs for Sun Wukong and Macaque 

I swear I'm not dead it's just been busy lmao

Ofc I don't mind!! Here you go <33

Warnings: None

Sun Wukong

• Dating him was one thing, but marriage? That's a whooole other ballgame. Definitely has its ups and downs and they are very prominent

• Not going to lie, you’re probably the one who proposes. Wukong is immortal, so the thought of proposing has never really crossed his mind (neither has marriage tbh). He doesn’t see the point in getting married since you two already act “married.” If you want to make it official, though, he’ll give in 

• He doesn't stress over taking you on extravagant dates or giving you expensive gifts when you're dating, and it's the same attitude when married. Hell, your wedding only consisted of family and a few close friends and there wasn't much planning involved 

• There’s not much discussion on the topic of moving in together, it kind of just happens on its own? When you were dating you’d always show up at each other’s homes (often unannounced on Wukong’s end) so there’s not really much to talk about since you're both already kind of used to staying in the same place together

• I hope you know how to cook because he sure can't! He travels a lot and ends up snacking on peaches and peach chips so he hasn't tried to learn. The most he can do in regards to "cooking" is brew you a cup of tea. Don't worry about preferences, at this point he'll eat anything as long as it tastes good.

• This man leaves his stuff all around the house. There's probably an extra room somewhere dedicated to some of the stuff he's hoarded over the years. Unless you want to spend days cleaning everything, make sure he picks up after himself

• One word. Commitment. We all know that Wukong can have some trouble when it comes to commitment Don't be surprised by his tendencies to run off on adventures while notifying you at the last second. You're going to need to call him out on his behavior because he most likely isn't aware that he may be hurting you 

• After you both start to get settled in the marriage, there are lots of traveling together, whether it be for business, adventures, or vacation. You've probably seen more little corners of the world now than before you were married

• Watching the sunrise together. I know, cheesy, but honestly, a relationship with Wukong is going to be a little cheesy sometimes. He loves watching the sunrise because it makes him feel at peace and boosts his mood (especially since the view from his home is incredible) and he wants to share that with you

• Personally, I think Wukong wouldn't mind trying to start a family, though he wouldn't be in any rush to do so. Don't get me wrong, he likes the thought of it, but even he's aware of how much knowledge he lacks when it comes to familial relationships

Liu'er Mihou/Macaque

• His anxiety really said [insert upwards trend chart emoji here]. He didn't think he'd ever get married to anyone (not that he isn't over the moon about it). He's both excited and anxious

• Like Wukong, Macaque prefers a smaller wedding with a shorter guest list, though he takes wedding planning a bit more seriously. Part of the reason for this is that he likes things organized. The other part is that he wants your wedding to be as memorable for both of you as possible

• Congrats, you've domesticated Macaque /hj. Seriously though, he finds himself spending more time at home with you. When he leaves the house, it's typically to do something absolutely necessary (ex. when the Lady Bone Demon needs him for something). He sees both home and you as an escape from his troubles

• There's this brief period after you get married when he won't stop doing nice things for you (making/buying you gifts, doing tasks for you, etc.). Of course, it's because he loves you, but it's also because part of him thinks that the marriage is too good to be true and that he needs to prove that he's worthy enough for it

• Splitting chores because he doesn't think it's fair for one person to take all the workload, nor does he see a point in doing so. You'll take on the bigger chores (such as cleaning out the house) together

• Has a huge rush of pride when he sees you wearing the ring on your finger. Sometimes his eyes will linger on it, though he'll immediately avert his gaze if you notice

• You thought he couldn't get any more protective when you started dating, but that was only scratching the surface of it. It's still not too overbearing but it's on thin ice. At this point, you've probably become best friends with the shadow clones he sends to look after you when he's gone

• Speaking of shadows, he teleports around the house a lot. For example, you'll be doing a mundane chore (let's say the dishes) and he'll just jump down from the ceiling out of nowhere

• There's this sort of unspoken rule between the two of you where neither of you can go to bed upset/angry at the other. What I mean by that is if there's an argument, you can't leave it unresolved. It helps encourage communication between you two

• Ngl,,, I think Macaque is a family man at heart. Is it something he's going to admit on his own? That's debatable. He thinks that if he ever has kids he'll end up scaring or hurting them. He'll open up to you about the idea eventually, he just needs time

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Personality through quotes

Thanks @willtheweaver here, @melpomene-grey here, @somethingclevermahogony here, and @awritingcaitlin here!

Rules: give quotes from your OCs based on the given prompt!

Got long, under the cut!

Prompt: Being caught red-handed

Lexi: *sobbing* “I am so so so so so sorry please - please I understand if - if you don't see that but - but I really mean it! You should understand! You do, right?”

Maddie: “Fine, I did it. But if you think about it, you were supposed to look out for that, so in a way, it's both of our faults.”

Ash: “I did it, that's true, but lookey here...” *pulls out $5* “diiiid I?”

Gwen: “Well, you got me... I'm really sorry I was... I was trying to help, y'know? I try my best and sometimes I mess up, and it's not good enough. I had no idea this meant that much to you. I'm really sorry. If I knew, I would've been much more careful. You know me, right?”

Robbie: *standing up straight, hands on hips, but noticeably bouncing on his toes* “Look, I know it looks bad. But in my defense...I literally forgot. And I was stressed.”

Akash: *trying not to panic* “Please, just believe me when I said that it was an accident. Genuinely. You won't to put me in too much trouble for an accident, right?”

Jedi: “My sincerest apologies. I am humbled by this experience. I admit that I did this terrible thing. You must think little of me. Perhaps I went a bit too far. It shall not happen again.”

Carmen: “I cannot believe I'm being interrogated! You actually think you've caught me doing a wrong-doing? Tt. You haven't caught anything! Who are you going to get me in trouble with? No one! Agh! This is a pointless conversation. If you're going to ask me questions to get answers from me, the least you can do is not sound idiotic.”

Prompt: About someone they wish they could forget

Lexi: “I wish I could forget Shelby entirely. I mean, I don't remember first grade to begin with, other than that something happened that made me hate her forever. I wish it could've all gone. Then again...maybe it helped Ash, in the end. I'm not entirely sure.”

Maddie: “Hm. Brycen. I miss him sometimes since he used to be a friend. I wish I could forget him, so I won't have to miss him.”

Ash: “I want to say Frank, but I dunno what effect that would have on Mikey, so I'm picking Mr. Jimenez. Whatever creepy thing happened at his house I'd like to forget.”

Gwen: “I don't want to forget anyone. It's shaped me into who I am today. However... There was this one rude girl, Chailey, in elementary school. I guess her.”

Robbie: “Jason Sturges. I called that guy so many insults, I can't regurgitate them all.”

Akash: “Jason Sturges. Middle school was bad enough.”

Jedi: “I would not mind forgetting the man my father was.”

Carmen: “My uncle. I hope he is not resting in peace.”

Prompt: You're completely lost in ____(fill in the location)

Lexi: “If I'm lost, I'm gonna be honest, I'll panic. Before I found out I had teleportation, that is. Though my instinct may be panic first anyway. It felt so weird being in Alium for the first time. I felt more lost there than ever.”

Maddie: “I get lost in places like the mall. I only visit, like, three stores, so I don't know where I am if I'm not in my usual stops.”

Ash: “I get lost in my aunt Reyna's house. Is that normal? It's almost a maze.”

Gwen: “On my first morning run, I got lost in my neighborhood. I think I took a wrong turn and got to a street I've never been on. So it threw me off, and it took about ten minutes to find my way back. Maybe it was shorter. But it felt like ten minutes.”

Robbie: “I get lost in my school all the time. It's pretty big, which is pretty annoying when I space out. It took me forever to find my classes on the first day. First week, actually. I kept forgetting.”

Akash: “I don't usually get lost, actually. I have a good sense of where I am. So I'm usually Robbie's guide that first week of classes. But when the whole Alium thing happened, it freaked me out.”

Jedi: “I believe we are speaking literally, for I have become lost in my work before. In the case of the former, I have found certain cities hard to navigate, even when I studied maps beforehand.”

Carmen: “Tt, I don't get lost.”

Prompt: A quote about bad weather.

Lexi: “Oh, I hate bad weather! It completely ruins my plans that I make with my friends. I mean, yeah, rain is good, but come on! Why when I have an outdoor activity plan!?”

Maddie: “Hm. I dunno, I don't care about bad weather. I mean, sometimes I want to be outside but I can't, but I don't mind the rain.”

Ash: “I don't care if rain ruins my plans. I'll just do something else. But I don't like if I can't do what I want, like if a hurricane keeps me trapped inside my house. That's the worst.”

Gwen: “Well... Bad weather has its ups and downs. I don't like the rain ruining my plans, but if I'm inside all day, it's really nice atmosphere for reading!!”

Robbie: “Ah, bad weather...would be a lot more fun if my mother didn't fuss about how dangerous playing outside is.”

Akash: “Logical brain says bad weather is natural. Emotional brain says I agree with Lexi, I hate bad weather.”

Jedi: “Sector 2 is rather small and completely surrounded by water. We have many powerful hydrokinetics whose job it is to prevent flooding or destruction. Sector 9 has less of those, but we are close enough to a coast to get a lot of rain and occasionally potential flooding if the season is right.”

Carmen: “Miss Morgan and Mr. Singh had a point when they said they hate bad weather. I happen to strongly agree, though my reasoning is irrelevant.”

Prompt: [A quote about reading]

Lexi: “I like reading, but I usually will gravitate towards audiobooks so I can multitask. Sometimes if I don't feel like music I'll turn on an audiobook while I'm riding my bike or working on my garden! And sometimes I'll peek at some fanfiction....”

Maddie: “Sometimes I'll read a cool sci-fi book. And sometimes nonfiction stuff about technology. Also decided to check out some Star Trek fanfiction. I'm not sure if I should be doing that.”

Ash: “My shelves are full of high fantasy and cool robotics stuff. And puzzle books.”

Gwen: *lights up* “Oh, I love reading!!! My walls are lined with shelves that I got when I ran out of room on my bookshelf! It feels so cozy being surrounded by books, and I usually curl up and read a book in my little reading corner to wind down at night.”

Robbie: “Reading is super cool for something I don't do as often as I'd like. I've been reading more Webtoons lately and some manga. That's awesome.”

Akash: “I'm still reading the book series I loved in fourth grade, like Wings of Fire. Who cares that I'm a high school freshman now? That's basically still middle school. And sometimes Robbie will pester me until I read a web comic.”

Jedi: “I have been so busy with my work lately that I do not often read for pleasure. Even still, reading for pleasure usually included science or speculative fiction.”

Carmen: “I don't read often. Just research papers.” [she likes historical romances even if she'll do nothing but complain about them I know it]

Tagging @mysticstarlightduck @cherrybombfangirlwrites @mk-writes-stuff @monstrouswrites @drchenquill

+ ANYONE ELSE

Your prompt: [A quote about the ocean]

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

[indignantlemur]

I was wondering if you had any advice for beginners writing a long fanfic?

Thank you.

Hello! I actually do have some advice, though of course I must stress that what works for me is not necessarily what will work for others.

I'll break this down into two categories - general and specific.

🖊️GENERAL WRITING ADVICE:

🌟FIRST: Find a process that works for you to stay on track.

Some people find making a diagram or a mind-map of ideas and plotlines helps them stay on track. Some people make a bullet-point list of what they need to accomplish in each chapter. Some don't even bother making a list at all, and write on the fly.

Personally, I've found that making an outline helps me immensely. I can flesh out the outlined points as I need to, throwing in possible bits of dialogue or descriptions that come to me when I think about a scene I've planned, and I can move each plot point around as needed. Not only does this keep me organized, but if I need to take a break from writing, I'm not left floundering when I come back to it. I can pick up the threads right away, because I know exactly how and where I left them and what they're meant to tie into. I keep all of my plot notes on a separate document that I can switch over to (or keep open on a second screen, or even just open on my phone, really) and I reference it constantly.

I do this for shorter stories as well as longer ones, and the key to make this approach work is understanding that the plot points and tidbits I have prepared are guidelines. Only the bare bones are set in stone, and even then I give myself as much flexibility as possible. Sometimes, the scene develops in such a way that I can't include the dialogue or descriptions I'd hoped to because now it doesn't make sense - and that's fine. I save the defunct bits, cut and paste it to a junk drawer document where I put all my missing and cut scenes, and see if I can reuse them in the future. No writing is a wasted effort.

🌟SECOND: Get a second pair of eyes on your work.

Find a beta-reader, or a very good friend who isn't afraid to tell you when something needs work. Ideally, both. Beta-readers are worth their weight in gold twice over (I love you @emilie786!) and will help you with the grammar and the flow of the scene, often catching mistakes you miss. Some beta-readers only want to proof-read, and some want to be more involved in your writing process - clear communication about goals and expectations is key!

Likewise, a writer-friend who's willing to look at your work while it's still rough and give you feedback on it (becoming your alpha audience, as it were) is an amazingly helpful person. They can help you by suggesting different takes on a scene, or alternate phrasing when your writing feels a bit awkward in places, or even workaround for plot problems and any difficulties you run into. I frequently chat with @the-lady-general about our different writing projects, and it's been immensely helpful for both of us.

🌟THIRD: Be prepared to kill your darlings.

So, you've written a thing. You worked hard on it, poured your heart and soul into it, and you love it to pieces. Of course you do! Only... your beta-reader had torn a scene or a character to shreds, however kindly, and now you have to cope with rewriting it.

A kneejerk response a lot of new writers have to this is to get defensive and upset - I've been guilty of this myself, in the distant past when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. I'll tell you now what someone should have told me then: sometimes, a person has to be cruel to be kind. A beta-reader or a friend telling you a scene needs work is a gift compared to your story being panned by negative reviews after the fact, especially if you are the sort to put a lot of emotional value on your reviews (as many of us do).

When this happens, because it inevitably will, listen.

Step back, take a day or two to reset your brain if you need to, and then review what your beta-reader told you. Look at it objectively, without emotion. If you cannot, bring in a friend or mentor who can help you do so. Go over what's been said, the chief complaints and concerns, and open up a new document. Copy the scene. Paste it over. Rewrite the scene in the new document, taking all of the advice given to you into account. Once you're done, take a break. Make a cup of tea. Grab a snack. Go for a walk, even. When you're done, come back and read both the original and rewritten scenes.

You may very well find that your writing has benefited from the exercise, if nothing else, but I suspect you will find you like the rewrite a little better.

🌟FOURTH: Writing tutorials and guides are goldmines.

If you're struggling with writing a scene, or even if you just think it doesn't flow the way you want, look at what other writers who can write these scenes suggest. I struggle with action scenes, personally, and I've been referencing a lot of guides for Hoarfrost (which is still in the works but getting closer to completion!) to shore up those weak points in my writing.

Heck, I spent a literal week reading nothing but smut guides and writing tutorials, learning everything from phrasing to atmosphere-building, before I felt brave enough to try writing TSKW, never mind actually posting chapter 44 of Emigre. My ads haven't been the same since. The VPN did nothing.

Of course, a thesaurus is a valuable tool as a writer, but learning how to stitch your words together to create a scene is more than just knowing twelve different synonyms for the word "said." To that end, I would say that there is absolutely nothing shameful about taking inspiration from other writers and published authors, or from guides and tutorials. So long as you're not copying another's work or borrowing their ideas without permission, of course.

And, finally,

🌟FIFTH: Don't be afraid of writing badly.

I started writing when I was 8 - silly, nonsensical things with no particular plot or plan. Charming, but terrible. I got into fanfiction at 12, and the stuff I wrote was beyond cringe-inducing. Mary Sues, flat descriptions with no life to them, using too much emotion or too little, unrealistic reactions and irrational decisions from every character unfortunate enough to be involved - you name it, I wrote it.

All of this is a perfectly normal part of writing, even if I'd rather walk into the sea with a canon ball lovingly bundled in my arms rather than let any of it see the light of day ever again.

Through these horrible, absolutely godawful first steps into the world of writing, I grew. I got negative reviews, and supportive ones. I took breaks and tried again later. I wrote and rewrote. I erased entire documents and started from scratch more times than I can count (which I kind of regret, hence my advice to make a junk drawer document). I spent weeks, months, even years using my maladaptive daydreaming to hone scenes, refine characterizations, and tweak plot ideas. I have stories and worlds in my head that have been percolating for a literal decade or more, and they still don't feel ready to put onto paper yet - but if I don't start despite that, they never will be.

So don't be afraid of writing badly, and certainly don't let that fear stop you from writing at all. After all, churning out a rough, unrefined first draft is the first and most important step to learning how to write well.

✒️SPECIFIC WRITING ADVICE

The first, best piece of specific advice I ever got when starting out was this:

🌟Describe the scene as if you were describing it to a blind person.

(I always took this advice to mean someone who had recently lost their sight, rather than someone who would have no shared frame of reference for visual descriptions, but you're quite welcome to interpret it differently.)

The colours and shapes we readily think of when it comes to describing a scene are important, but what about texture? Scent? Taste? Scent in particular is hugely important to people because it's directly linked to our memories, but sound and touch are also very important for setting a scene. By excluding those details, you are robbing the audience of layers of immersion.

Think about the sights and scents and sounds around you as you go about your day. How would you describe them? The smell of coffee from across the room - is it earthy, bitter, burnt? Is Karen from accounting eating fish tacos again, despite multiple complaints, and now the cloying, oily aroma of microwaved fish has saturated the entire office? What about the warmth of sunlight streaming through a nearby window against your arm, the way the light catches on the hard edges of the furniture and the highlights in a woman's hair. What about the sound of your shoes against the floor as you walk, the click of heels and the shuffle and squeak of sneakers? Think about how you would describe what you're wearing, beyond bare facts. The softness of the fabric, the sturdiness of the construction, the weight of the material - how would you put them into words?

Spend time actively paying attention to the world around you, to conversations and scenery and people, and ask yourself: how would I write this?

The second piece of advice may seem contradictory, given the first, but it's worth hearing anyway:

🌟Sometimes less is more.

Descriptions and explanations are an important part of story-telling, enhancing the scene and building the world around it, but there's a time and a place. We don't need to know every single descriptive detail about the main character in the first paragraph, or even the first chapter. We don't need to know the entire history of the new alien species the moment we meet them, or even for years after the first encounter. We don't need to wade through ten pages describing how strange and bizarre the alien trees are, nor do we need three different descriptions of the shape of each leaf on every branch.

Learn to space out your expositions and descriptions. Treat them like sprinkles - they look better when they're spread out over the whole cake, rather than clumped in one spot.

My third bit of general advice is this:

🌟Don't rush it.

It's really, really tempting to rush towards that one amazing scene you have planned out in your head - the one with the big emotional impact, the plot twist, the big scene - but don't! Hold off! We, the readers, don't know about all the details that lead up to that scene. We don't know about the layers of meaning and all the build up that leads to that great pay-off. Without that, we simply won't get it. We won't understand what you're trying to convey, or why it's such a big deal.

Take the time to build up the story, to show us how your characters learn and adapt and grow with each challenge. That journey is important. It might feel tedious, like a slog you have to get through to get from Point A to Point B, but we need it! We need those scenes, those moments, in order to stand where you want us to stand when the big scene begins, to know what we need to know and feel what you want us to feel as we watch it happen.

And finally, my fourth and final bit of specific advice:

🌟Wish fulfillment is fun, but realism is what draws us in.

We have all made Mary Sues, Gary Stus, and every possible permutation of them, even if we never quite put pen to paper with them. Many folks who get into writing start by imagining a character who serves as a kind of wish fulfillment or power fantasy put into writing. It's perfectly normal - but the thing to remember is that those characters are a bit... bland. They don't struggle. They don't fail. They don't lose. Or if they do, it's not in a meaningful way. That kind of character is so divorced from reality that it breaks the readers' suspension of disbelief.

Everyone alive has a combination of talents and failings, weaknesses and strengths, insecurities and weird quirks. That's part of the Human experience. A perfect, flawless character defies that experience, and thus we cannot relate to them. The character becomes flat and uninspiring to the audience, and once that happens all that remains is apathy. When there are no stakes, there is no investment. Why should we care about a character who will never fail against even the most overwhelming odds? We already know the ending, because the character cannot lose.

So I urge you to really look at your characters. Some folks recommend taking "Mary Sue Litmus Tests" and such to get a rough idea of how your characters might be received, and those are certainly useful tools - but they are not the only tools at your disposal. Read constantly. Watch films and documentaries alike. Try out new show and book genres, even the ones you don't think you'll like. Really look at the people around you, at how they act versus what they do, and how their unique combination of personality traits and flaws coalesce into a perfectly ordinary person. Inspiration is literally everywhere around you, if you look for it.

Now, everyone creates characters differently. Some folks start with an idea, or a core concept, and build the character around that. Others make characters more procedurally (wherein those "20+ questions about your OC" posts are actually quite useful), and some even use generators to slap a bunch of traits together to see what sticks. Some characters seem to spring fully formed from the ground one day, and others can take years of tinkering to really come into being.

Look for inspiration everywhere, and you'll eventually find a way that works best for your writing.

...I know, I know. You asked for advice and I wrote you a book. If you've made it this far, kudos. Writing can be a lot of work, but never let it be anything other than a labor of love.

[lexinympho]

Void

Kunigami Rensuke x gn!reader

Summary: Kunigami learns the hard way that a relationship with you could only last so long when neither of you have the time to maintain it.

WC: 5.1k

Tags/Warnings: Angst to hopeful ending, breakups, self-destructive behavior, Chigiri being a real one, Bachira being a sleepy one.

A/N: What started off as a drabble turned into a full on fic, so here ya go. Expect inaccuracies because I am not an expert on anything and I added more things as I wrote. This was going to be straight up heavy angst at first btw, but I changed my mind, so imagine how that would've went lol.

Kunigami always heard people say the breakup is the worst part.

They don't too often say the recovery from the breakup is worse by comparison, easily combining the two when, in reality, they're totally different experiences.

At least they are to him.

Before the breakup, life with you was all he could ask for and more; learning to love all that is you was an experience he wouldn't trade for anything in the universe. He memorized aspects of you that many would see as flaws, your morning routine mingled with his to make for both lively and quaint memories worth looking back on, and cherished the little instances of adoration that outweigh the occasional disagreement. He'd avert his gaze and lower his head whenever his friends would light heartedly jest about his devotion to you, something so evident in the way he'd cut a conversation short when his phone twitches in his pocket.

Meanwhile, you were the opposite. Where he'd look away from embarrassment, you'd look it in the eye and greet it with a bashful yet thankful smile, glad to feel this way over someone you hold near and dear to your heart. You'd be much more open with your affection than Kunigami, something one could think would put him off when showing affection wasn't an easy feat for him in public, but it wasn't a problem to him. There wasn't any serious problem with you or him for the three years you've been together.

Until your lives outside of "us" came knocking at the door.

You were happily doing better at work and spent more time there in the process, while Kunigami spent substantially more time with soccer. Maybe the stresses of certain teams being too good at picking out weaknesses got to him, or maybe it was a certain maneuver that made the physician force him to chill out a little with the rough play. He already didn't see you enough due to the time constraints and demand of matches, and with you becoming busier, the most he could do was immerse himself in the regular season.

Perhaps a little too well though. He'd rarely come home to you before you were asleep, and similarly, would be up and out before you knew he was home. Calls became shorter for time to focus, texts became scarcer, and effort was being put towards many different things aside from you.

You both felt bad for neglecting and feeling neglected by each other, but you especially felt forgotten by your boyfriend, and rightfully so. Kunigami, who's been nothing but a big sweetheart to you in all the time you've known him for, had begun choosing soccer over you. But in his mind, this will blow over after some time; he's just going through another rough patch with you because you're both tied up with your own things. Deep down, he knows there's something amiss, that there's a chance it won't simply blow over and will lead to a huge confrontation. How can he end that foreseen confrontation the same way he ends the occasional disagreements?

A true case of knowing when something might be wrong, but not quite knowing how to approach that something.

You apparently figured out your own solution when you greeted him at the front door one night in a stern manner, "Rensuke."

It's been a while since he came home to see you awake, and he's not sure if that's a good or bad thing right now. You aren't dressed for bed either, even though it's nearly midnight, so that should've been a red flag right there, but his mind only saw yellow. "Hey, I'm surprised you're awake," he greets you with a smile, cautious, weary, and genuine.

"Couldn't sleep," you say a bit distractedly, mentally preparing yourself as you follow Kunigami to the bedroom.

"Oh yeah? What time did you get off?" He casually makes conversation and drops his bag off.

"About an hour ago. Look," you inhale, which gets his attention, "we need to talk."

He finally looks at you, sees more than your attire, looks beyond the gleam of the promise ring he gave you so long ago, and sees the hesitation in your stance, in the way your arms are crossed and your shoulders are slightly drawn in. Your frown contains various emotions just waiting to be deciphered, and "we need to talk" became the red flag he recognized.

That was the sound of someone planning to breakup with him.

The denial kicked in right away though, and he asked nervously, "What's wrong?" An idiotic question, because what on Earth could've been right recently?

"It's about my job."

What happened with your job? Were you fired? Did someone say something to you?

"I got a better position."

His brain processes that information and he smiles, "That's good!" Why don't you look happy about it though?

"I'll have to move for it though."

The smile slips to the floor with a harsh thud, "...What?"

You cruelly repeated yourself to say your job wanted you to move for a bit to the other side of the world, and that you were considering taking them up on that offer.

Considering.

"So...you haven't made your mind yet?" He asks with optimism, unintentionally making it clear what he'd prefer you to do.

"Kind of, I don't know." You tug at the hem of your shirt when you began feeling the guilt creep in, "I was thinking of taking the offer at first."

"Before you talked to me about it?" His jacket feels too hot in the relatively comfortable room.

"I just said I was thinking about it," you remind him with an unintended tone of voice. You knew the conversation wouldn't be peaceful, but you hoped he would've at least understood where you're coming from.

"That's no different from accepting it." He knows he was wrong to say that, but continues with anger as his fuel, "And why do you have to move for this? To America at that!"

"Rensuke, it's for my job!" You make it seem like I'm leaving you, was an unpleasant statement your mind conjured up, and you felt even guiltier for not being as opposed to it as you should be. You're tired from work, but his anguish is clear to see with nothing but two bedside lamps to light the room.

Neither you nor him are tired enough to avoid arguing though, and the back and forth yelling was bad to put it lightly. He says you sprung this onto him out of nowhere, you say he should check his phone. He says you aren't considering how he feels, you say he isn't considering how you feel. He says he only saw you at 4 of his games, you say you can't drop everything for him and that was never a problem before. He says you're being unfair to him, you say you're being fair to the both of you. A dictionary of words were thrown back and forth and your neighbors definitely heard a handful of them.

Breathless and exhausted, you lower your voice and say, "I'm going to my sister's place for now until I'm ready to go."

Desperation finally comes in to play, a weird thing since your sister lives close by, but the implications are what scare Kunigami. "You don't have to-"

"I do. I need to go," your voice becomes wobblier by the second, "because my head hurts and I can't deal with whatever's going on right now. I need a break."

A break. You need a break.

"What kind of break?" He asks, desperately in need of clarification as he watches you throw assorted necessities into a bag.

You pause like you intend to say something, but remain silent, a decision that doesn't give him the satisfaction he craves. All he hears is, 'Maybe we need to break up.'

The bargaining begins.

He breathes as though he ran around the house 5 times, "Don't you think you're overreacting?"

"No." You weakly put the last shirt you picked out into your bag, "I have things I want to do."

"I know that, but-"

"Then let me do those things without wondering when you'll pay attention to me." You refuse to look at him again, or you'll really reconsider what you're doing. Just imagining what he looks like right now is almost enough to do it. You abruptly stand with your bag and keys in hand to say one little, "Bye," and walk out of what you used to call home.

He didn't fight to stop you, couldn't really, even when it feels like a plethora of things were left unsaid. He never heard the utterance of words he feared hearing from you, but everything else was eerily similar and nearly brought him to his knees. The slam of two doors, a front door and a car door, made him flinch where he was left standing in silent shock. His eyes didn't start burning until he by chance looked to his left to see remnants of you strewn across the surface of the dresser, then focuses on the bottom of the mirror lined with stickers that each hold a memory, many of which he thought he'd share with you for a lifetime.

Processing all of that on his own, forcing himself to accept that you were serious when you poured your heart and mind out to him, is what actually made his knees give out on him. The pain from the impact didn't register to his nervous system, too occupied with the numbing sensation that dreadfully spread across his body like a rash, so strong that he didn't know he was trembling until he glanced at his own hands fighting a losing battle for control. His eyes stopped burning, but were no better blurred and flooded with a river of tears, accompanied by pathetically loud wails he never thought he'd be capable of pulling off.

All at once, the bedroom felt like too much; it's not just the mirror and the dresser anymore, it's the closet of jackets and trinkets, the minor scuffs and scratches where the bed grazed the walls, the framed photos, God the photos. He can't look at those anymore. Would you want them? Probably not.

All of your things are here, are you going to take everything with you?

Would you leave him with anything?

You already took his heart with you.

"Damn it..." he whispered, frustrated and lost as to what to do, slumped on the floor and repeatedly wiping endless tears from his cheeks. There was a fleeting thought of calling someone when he began spiraling down a rabbit hole of questions about what's bound to happen, but he never went through with it.

Whoever he called wouldn't be you, a thought only twisted his guts more.

And so began the recovery process.

-----

You once joked that you'd never be able to compete with soccer if he fell too hard for it. It doesn't sound so funny now when recalling one of the last things you said to him, 'You're so selfish!'

Typical of a forward.

They knew what they were signing up for, the indignation spat out.

You should've given them more, the despair whispered.

A sickening jumble of the two sat in his chest ever since then, the brunt of which he could never wholly direct to you. How could he, when he's the one who drove you away in the first place? His heart's been diced by a knife, one that he alone wielded when you attempted to take it from him with caring hands.

Without a real punching bag to attack though, the jumble pounced onto anything in its path.

He swore he wouldn't fall back into the bad habits of his teen years, but it was all too easy to break that promise when there was no one left to keep it with aside from himself. The riptide of convoluted emotions lashing around followed him into his plays, unfairly choosing everything and everyone around him as its target. His usually controlled aggression was no where to be seen, replaced with a truculent version of itself that gave little care to its teammates outside of using them for scoring instead of cooperating. Whatever neutral or friendly chemistry he had with his team was pushed to the gutter without a care; an unappealingly churlish front is what greeted everyone no matter how nice they tried to play.

Even though he's the one acting out, it hurts him, because he's not normally like this and you'd hate to see him this way. It's as though he's watching someone who isn't him live out his days for him in a manner he usually wouldn't, even on days in the past when everything seemed to go wrong.

The parts of his unwarranted behavior that hurt the most right now, however, are Isagi, Bachira and Chigiri, because they know. The team knew of you, but the guys knew you. They all met you, exchanged numbers after getting friendly, and practically had a front row seat to the growth of the relationship. Only now, they witnessed the decay of it on both sides from start to finish. They were there for every call, shortened and missed, for every text left on read or answered with little thought, and the handful of times Kunigami drunkenly (and stupidly) lamented about you being too busy for him. They even all made sure to tell him the one thing he hated to hear: It's not your fault they left.

Saying that it would've eventually happened given how adept you were with your job is an excuse. Why wouldn't it be his fault? He went so far to blame you for things you weren't at fault for, and took his frustrations out on you after pretty much ignoring you for weeks in a borderline passive aggressive fashion.

Isagi and Bachira learned early on to leave him to his own devices after receiving cold shoulders, but Chigiri-

"Kunigami."

The orange haired man depressingly looked up from his cleats and met Chigiri's sentimental gaze. He couldn't tell if it placated him or pissed him off because that's all he's been seeing for the past two weeks.

"What?" He gave a curt response and yanked his towel from around his neck.

Chigiri didn't seem phased by it, not surprising since he's always been the quickest to see through him in moments like these. He kept a pensive expression on and leaned against the lockers behind him, "Have you heard from them since...y'know?"

The weight of the world suddenly jumped onto his back and he could feel his energy leaving him all at once (he supposes he should be thankful he typically has enough energy for soccer to not fall behind despite how he's feeling). Starting a conversation about you is no different from throwing salt into a wound that's taking a millennia to heal. Yes it's been four weeks, no he doesn't feel any better, you're still a sensitive topic, and your absence gives him frostbite in a metaphorical sense (sometimes it seems literal). He feels like the world's biggest coward everytime you're mentioned because he subconsciously clams up to avoid talking about you or what happened.

He did hear from you once though, three whole days after you broke up with him. All you said, in a text of all things, is that you'd be slowly moving your stuff out when you had the time, to which he simply replied, 'okay.' A simple and piteous response conveying none of what's been going through his mind; you don't need him to cry you a river and make you feel bad for a decision you've done enough thinking over.

It's obvious you don't even want to see him in person everytime he comes back to his place and it looks like he'd been burglarized instead of visited by a loved one.

He's not sure he'd want to see you either, though for a different reason.

Kunigami remembers Chigiri standing by waiting for an answer, so he shoves his cleats into his bag and answers abruptly with less bite than he had seconds ago, "No. Why?"

"I haven't heard from them in a couple days, that's all." A moment of silence passes and he begins to speak again, "Did th-"

"You're more likely to hear from them than I am, just give them some time." Ready to stop talking, he promptly stands the moment the slider of the zipper reaches its destination and throws out a faint, "Later," on his way out of the nearly empty locker room.

"Kunigami."

He stops, glancing over his shoulder in acknowledgement.

There's a lot Chigiri wants to say, wanted to say before things got this far, because being hopeful on the sidelines did no favors for anyone. Believing things could work out is entirely different from knowing things could work out, and he knows Kunigami believed before he could know. The man is once again experiencing a moment of powerlessness, of not knowing what to do when all you know doesn't work, when your ambitions end up taking the priority that should've belonged to something else. It's evident in how he's taking his frustrations out in the only ways he knows how, in the perineal bags under his eyes resulting from the broken sleep cycles of either too much sleep or too little, and the numerous times he's lingered in the showers just to be alone.

Despite having seen him the whole time since the breakup, it's hard to think Kunigami's mildly better than he was last month.

"Take care of yourself," Chigiri chooses to say in sincerity, and this time, hopes his teammate reads the multiple underlying meanings behind those four words.

Kunigami does, and if he had it in himself he'd laugh at how blantly concerned Chigiri is being from the norm, but the invisible down coat of exhaustion he wears doesn't slip from his shoulders.

Because you would've said the same thing, you have said the same thing plenty of times. Your words had layers to them much like Chigiri's too, the dissimilarity being the 'I love you' and 'see you tonight' slipped in between the lines.

"Yeah," he speaks in a tone encompassing how depleted he feels. The depletion could also be a result of a skipped meal or two today, something his stomach suddenly reminds him of with pangs of hunger. He walks out before anyone else can catch him, using a swiftness that used to be reserved for rushing home to you and is now for rushing away from you in a sense.

"Did you get to talk?" Bachira asks curiously from around the corner once Kunigami leaves.

He was so quiet I forgot he was there. "Define 'talk'," Chigiri answers and prepares to leave as well.

Bachira easily caught up to him and pouted, "No dice, huh?"

"None whatsoever." The long haired man starts to vent a little as they walk out of the building, "Is it bad that I kind of want to hit him?"

"Yeah, a little," Bachira confirms through a yawn. "But I get it."

"Like, I know he's going through it, but I hate when he got like this back then."

"Mhm."

"And somehow it seems worse this time. I mean, I know why it's worse, but I wish his immediate reaction to something bad wasn't this." Chigiri lets out a groan of frustration once he finishes and wills himself to cool down at the sight of Bachira rubbing his eyes. "It's only 9."

"Can't help it," Bachira slurs while drowsiness works its magic on him.

A fond roll of his eyes is Chigiri's response as they reach his car and find Isagi waiting. "You're lucky I don't live that far from you guys."

A bitter memory naturally reappears in the back of his mind, one of the last time he visited Kunigami's place at your concerned request. He may not strike anyone as a person whose life has gone to shit, but the disarray of certain areas of his house are dead giveaways; the refrigerator was frighteningly scarce of its usual contents, an empty beer can or two sat in the sink (he still wonders why to this day), and clothes sat in a pile in the corner of his bedroom. It's enough to make Chigiri wonder if you're faring any better than him, but judging from your lack of communication with Kunigami since you left, he knows you aren't so perfect either.

-----

It's been a month.

And some days.

...Three months.

He walks around his house aimlessly and doesn't look too hard for what's missing from his home, doesn't want to, or he'll conduct a search for all the things you've taken and hope like an idiot that there's something left of you. The first step is not grasping for nonexistent straws after all, and he's managing as best as he can (he's long since stopped expecting to see you anytime he checks his phone).

The heat seeking missile of irritation that flew nonstop randomly ceased by this point, leaving him in a cold, empty husk of his former self. He wonders if he was better off basked in negativity because feeling nothing doesn't seem any better. The walks to his car from practice were uneventful. Shopping for basic needs was uneventful. The drives home were uneventful. Walking inside a house void of life was uneventful. Going to sleep in a king-sized bed by himself was uneventful.

Seeing his friends is a little breather from the uneventful cycle, but that's all it is, a breather.

His performance still holds up, but whatever exhilaration the sport brings him is often short-lived and eclipsed by the blank spot of someone who once shared that exhilaration in the past.

People who get over heartbreak this soon must not have been in love, he wistfully thinks to himself in bed. It's his day off, and he opted to stay home for once, a decision he's not sure was a good one. But he spent so many days swaddled by vicious self-hatred, constantly blaming himself and never knowing how to stop, that he rarely stayed put. He was always out for a game, at practice, the gym, stores, you name it, just to stay busy.

Ironic how soccer kept him the busiest while also being the thing that put a crack in the relationship.

Though he was stubborn about it towards the end of things, the fact remains that the schedules your lives revolved around conflicted greatly after some time, something that became especially evident once you moved in with him. He was left with little time for you, and vice versa; you had a life outside of his, and he had a life outside of yours.

Maybe we were bound to split up then, he thinks while admiring the sunrise for the first time in a while. There's nothing wrong with being passionate for something, you had things you wanted to do, and he supported you (still does). He never once viewed your independence as a negative, it was something he admired about you.

He sits up with a stretch and tries not to think about the copious amount of space he's free to use.

'I feel like a house sitter,' he recalls you whimpering through your desperation that night. He wanted to ask how long you'd been feeling that way, wanted to say that he'd do better for the 50th time. But he couldn't ask about something he should've had a rough idea of, and he definitely couldn't lie to you nor himself.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, he picks up his phone with the intention of checking for rain, but is dumbfounded to see a text from you 32 minutes ago.

'Can we talk?'

He stares wide eyed at his screen until it goes dark on him. Talk. Like this? Or over the phone? He should be jumping for joy that you're asking to talk, let alone contacting him again, but he's filled to the brim with uncertainty. What did you want to talk about? Why'd you want to talk to him again? Were you worried? Did one of the guys talk to you? Did you leave something?

The last question made him look around the hallway by instinct, contradictory of what he's been trying to do lately, and he finally allows himself to assess the damage.

His auburn eyes locked onto something left sitting on the narrow table, a small ceramic lamp he remembers you picking out at a furniture store. You thought it'd be the perfect size considering where you planned to put it, and you were right, he can't imagine it being anywhere else.

But why is it here?

He walks aimlessly into the living room and sees more things worth questioning. A decent chunk of your books are still left standing on the bookshelf, your succulent plants are still sitting on the windowsill (and not dead by some miracle), and he spied one of your umbrellas left behind in the entryway organizer. Your sunglasses, one of your favorite birthday cards, your Monopoly game, they're all there. It's a little mortifying that he's just now noticing all of this, but he's far too confused to dwell on it.

Maybe you just didn't get around to everything yet, except you'd never be so forgetful to leave this many things behind. The thought immediately gets debunked anyways when something randomly tells him to check the bedroom, making him nearly sprint back to find what else he blindly looked past. Most of your jackets are in their same spots in the closet, your trinkets don't even look like they've been touched, and the photos he last saw with eyes obscured by tears remained where they've always been.

Even the polaroids, your polaroids, that you periodically took within the first year of the relationship were still in the album you purchased just for them. And the album, something you hold so close to you and look at with the fondest of gazes, still sat in the bottom drawer of the dresser.

There are many things missing, that much he can see, but there should definitely be less than this left behind after a month.

The uncertainty has left and been replaced with confusion.

Kunigami then realizes he never replied to you and quickly texts back, 'Sure,' not even bothering to figure out what exactly you meant by talk. But you want to talk, and that's something.

Your response is almost instant, 'Okay, I'm coming over. See you in seven-ish minutes.'

"Seven minutes!?" He exclaimed and remembered that your sister's place isn't so far from his. So he spends the next five minutes fixing himself up to look presentable, as well as straighten up the cocoon of sorrow his (your, our??) bedroom turned into. Here he is running around like a headless chicken for someone he should be used to and perfectly capable of keeping his composure around, but that's nearly impossible under these circumstances, especially when that someone is you.

You who he was skittish around on the fifth "friendly" date because none of your other friends joined you two for the first time, which lead to him working himself up and finally asking you out. You who came over so often that he eventually asked (nearly begged) to move in with him after handing over a second house key. You who-

Ding-dong~

-is here. That was fast, but you did say seven minutes, well, seven-ish, he has to open the door, you don't have his key anymore-

He rushes over to the front door but stalls when he's bewildered by a thought, one that was embarrassingly late to make an appearance. What are you doing at your sister's place? Isagi told him you were in America last month. The longing for answers to his questions pushes him to open the door, and the sight of you is almost enough to make him forget everything.

"Hey," he greets you in awe. You didn't go through some major transformation, and you aren't dressed any particular way. But God, he missed seeing you, missed you. He missed your warm, penetrating eyes, your soundboard of laughter, and your domestic, loving touch. He wants to hug you so badly, but is your touch still one of love? Would you let him hear your laughs? Do you still look at him the same way?

"Hey," you greet him warmly, and your left hand moves just enough to catch his attention. Your ring finger still glints, because of the promise ring, you kept the-

"You still wear it?" He asks in disbelief.

Your eyebrows raise like you never realized it and you lift your hand to touch the ring, "Oh, uh, yeah. I do."

He's flipping out on the inside, but he controls himself on the outside enough to ask, "What are you doing here?" He receives a look of perplexity and rephrases, "I mean, why aren't you in America?"

"Oh, I just..." you trail off uncertainly, but restart with a light shake of your head, "I needed to see you. Before I go back."

You're going back. He tries not to let the disappointment show, but the slight downward tilt of your chin lets him know he failed. "What did you need to see me for?"

You fiddle with the hem of your shirt (his lovesick brain focuses on the cute habit) and say, "I wanted to apologize."

He snaps out of his little trance and swiftly replies, "I should apologize. The way I treated you was unacceptable-"

"I need to apologize too, because I ignored you for a bit and-"

"That was because of work though, I have no excuse-"

"Ren, wait," you interrupt with an airy laugh, "are we going to keep trying to one-up each other at the entrance?"

"Oh, yeah," he steps aside, "wait, you said-"

"I don't have to go back today," you casually admit with an amused smirk as you walk in.

You leave him speechless at the door, but he breaks out into a laugh seconds later and runs his hand through his soft, spiky locks in relief. Neither of you have fully cracked the cans open yet, he's still in the dark about why exactly you came back, and he has two keys to his house. But the fond way in which you say his nickname, coupled with the promise ring you still wear snuggly and proudly, puts him at just enough ease to not turn into a soap opera protagonist.

Life with you before the breakup was all he could as for and more, the breakup itself was a nightmare that played out in real life, and recovering from the breakup was a hellish episode he's not sure he ever grew out of.

But if there's a promise of a life with you after all of that, it'll all seem worth it.

©lexinympho 2023, please do not edit or repost my works anywhere on this platform or another

[zhongrin]

[Part 3/3]

- I've seen you write/interact with characters on some other blogs, but I imagine the deluge of asks during EBG week kept you busy. That being said, do you prefer long form stories and interactions or shorter, one-off style ones? Both have their place. But do you have a preference?

- Are there any particular scenarios or ideas that you wish to explore for future EBG's?

- You've done this twice, to very good success. What is your advice for someone who may want to (in the future) create an EBG plotline similar to how yours turn out?

- Since you've been on both sides, what advice do you have for someone who may be interested in participating in future EBG's? (Either as a participant who has an "assigned bias" or as someone who may want to interact with a participant who has "an assigned bias?)

- As someone who's done this event twice, do you have any particular advice for people who want to send in asks to participate? Any particular way or ways you would like asks phrased?

- Lastly, I give you the stage. If there's any aspects about this particular EBG or EBG in general that you would like to talk about, but haven't had the chance to, feel free to talk about it here.

Thank you again, Meirin, for creating such an engaging storyline and event. I hope you don't mind the questions!

[ p1 ◆ p2 ◆ p3 ◆ p4 ]

✼ I've seen you write/interact with characters on some other blogs, but I imagine the deluge of asks during EBG week kept you busy. That being said, do you prefer long form stories and interactions or shorter, one-off style ones? Both have their place. But do you have a preference?

i love both equally! shorter asks gives me more room to play with and longer asks gets my brain juice going (especially if it described the thoughts and actions of my friends’ oc, because i am not 100% familiar with most of them)! i just feel a little sorry for people who sent in longer asks, because i had a very limited time to reply to them (most of them are answered the same day, or the next day they were sent in - with a few exceptions, like the gardemek ask), hence i couldn’t reply with longer answers.

i think i struggled more with the continuous ‘silly’ asks, especially those which didn’t have any relation whatsoever to the storyline. because to answer them i need to kind of take my mind out of the more ‘serious’ mindset and forget about it momentarily and just be silly. which means that it would disrupt my thinking process. this is why i think you might notice how i tend to answer the ‘sillier’ asks in a group/batches; either before or after i answering the storyline asks.

✼ Are there any particular scenarios or ideas that you wish to explore for future EBG's?

i have a few! …… that i won’t share because then it would be just me spoiling the plot now for everyone hahahah

but yes, i do have some thoughts in mind. they’re very generic as of now, though. one of them is a little similar to kopi ansy’s idea, heh.

✼ You've done this twice, to very good success. What is your advice for someone who may want to (in the future) create an EBG plotline similar to how yours turn out?

hskdjskdj i don’t know about it being ‘successful’ or not (because i mean… i know some people had fun but also i lost like 50+ followers, so there are clearly people who didn’t have fun too) but really, just have fun with your friends! i think i’m just very lucky that i have supportive friends & followers who are willing to go the extra mile to accommodate my shenanigans and actively participate in the event. so bring your friends and go wild. don’t be afraid to do stuff outside your comfort zone; you and everyone else might end up liking it in the end (e.g. i am not confident in making ocs and coviello is quite literally the first oc i have in….. years lol)

also, don’t stress on planning it all out. sometimes you need to just wing it and trust your instinct. i didn’t have any idea of what ending i wanted when this all started, and i certainly didn’t think of creating coviello a whole story quest. sometimes the best ideas come to you when you least expect it.

✼ Since you've been on both sides, what advice do you have for someone who may be interested in participating in future EBG's? (Either as a participant who has an "assigned bias" or as someone who may want to interact with a participant who has "an assigned bias?)

again, just have fun - it's a game, after all. and try to do both sides if possible. i’m a big believer on “you’ll eventually receive double of what you give if you’re persistent enough”. so if you’re participating as a participant with “assigned bias”, get out and sabotage! to as many blogs as you can! and remember this is all just a game — don’t take things personally, don’t be afraid of being striked, don’t be afraid to murder strike someone, and remember to pace yourself!!

and if you want to send asks to the participants, just remember to not be rude (there is a real human behind that blog name) and read their rules before interacting. also go through their blog for inspiration if you’re unsure of what to send in!

✼ As someone who's done this event twice, do you have any particular advice for people who want to send in asks to participate? Any particular way or ways you would like asks phrased?

hmmm. i think everyone has their own preferences for this, but personally, i favor storyline-related ask. it doesn’t have to be long (in fact, it would trouble me if you sent me a whole long novel ;;;). there’s a balance in there and i will usually try to make do with what i’m given.

and since that's the case, naturally, the common rp rules apply:

✅ bring in your s/i or oc (but please remember to put yourself in my shoes, especially if we’ve never talked before — i might not respond as you expected if i know nothing about your character) with their f/o. bring in my og bias if the storyline permits. bring in third parties if you want.

❌ controlling ‘my’ characters’ actions and thoughts (i.e. in the last ebg this would include: meirin, coviello, childe). sending in multiple asks before i can answer your previous one (please be patient, i'm just human and i work 9-6 on weekdays).

✼ Lastly, I give you the stage. If there's any aspects about this particular EBG or EBG in general that you would like to talk about, but haven't had the chance to, feel free to talk about it here.

what do i want to talk about…. oh! yes!

so in my first ebg, we had an ‘ebg afterparty’ where the ebg somewhat ‘extended’ for the whole weekend, where rubedo basically goes full-on yandere…. yeah don’t ask hskdjskjd BUT ANYWAY

originally, i had an idea to do something similar. so the original ebg event was just going to be something much lighter, without the god remains and everything else, because when childe confronted coviello, i had planned for him to ‘put a stop’ to coviello’s action. then, on the last day of the ebg, i had the idea of doing this:

(excuse any spelling mistakes or incomprehensible-sounding words, this was such a rough draft hahahah)

where it’s basically a ‘what-if’ or a spinoff of “what if childe agreed to help coviello”.... at this point i didn’t have the idea of their actual motives yet, so in my head it was just childe going full batshit insane yandere like albedo.

...... but then i think i realized it felt too similar to the last one, so i scrapped the idea :p

ALSO. when will someone host an ebg where you can acknowledge your og bias but you have to pretend you hate them? i feel like it would be extra painful but extra funny because you’re gonna have to roast your favorite character. also might be a good opportunity to delve more into that character because... you know. sometimes when we adore something/someone, we close our eyes to their flaws, when those flaws are actually what makes that character feel more multidimensional.

[koukamisstuff]

Ready to Love

Chapter Two - First Meeting

◇Written Content◇

After finally reaching the gym, without as much trouble as you orginally thought you might have had. Immediately, you know you're in the right place once you can hear the screeching of shoes against the floor and the sounds of balls being hit and whistles blowing.

You suddenly think back to how you've never really seen the twins and Suna practice. You've made it to a handful of games but usually when it's over. Your sense of timing is completely off and should never be trusted but even when you missed their games you're there to greet them with cookies or cake the next day at school.

You check your phone to see if Atsumu texted you anything after telling him you were almost there. You decide to peek in, you see a few people practicing inside but didn't find your blonde haired friend anywhere. You slowly walk in, in the hopes that you don't disrupt the guys at the opposite end of the gym tossing a volleyball back and forth.

"Can I help you?" You hear a voice from behind you say.

You turn back and see a familiar face. Standing before you is the very own Inarizaki High Volleyball Club Captain Kita-san. Seeing him up close you can't help but notice how tall he is, granted that the twins alone already tower over you, yet here was a guy who was shorter than them but still you stood just about as high as his shoulders. He was also more handsome than you realized. Kita has light gray hair with black tips, it made you want to touch his hair to see if it was as soft as it looked. It also crossed your mind wondering how his conversation went, when you remembered yours on trying to prove that your raven purple hair was natural. His eyes were also breathtaking you didn't know how or why but you were mesmerized by them... it was as if you could look at him all day.

Wait... how long have you been staring?

"Hello? I asked how could I help you." He repeated looking a little annoyed now.

Shaking your head you snap back to reality.

"Ah yes sorry... umm senpai I was just looking for Atsumu. Is he around?" You asked as you looked around the gym.

"He's at the back right now."

"Ohh I was wondering if you could call him out?" You asked kindly.

He whispered quietly, "Didn't they just tell you girls earlier to go."

"Excuse me?"

He looked back at you, "He's busy right now."

"Oh... I know but he's expecting me." You said with a softer smile.

*Sigh* Kita exhaled and it was a tone that you knew seemed irritated, "Listen don't you think you have better things to do then to chase around boys. You don't look like a third year so I'm assuming you're a second year. You know this is a time for you too focus solely on studying and thinking about your responsibilities for when you enter the adult world. And as I've said before, you fangirls need to stop coming here when it's a closed gym. Its impolite to keep popping up every day bringing food that gets left behind for the hard working staff and my team to clean up."

"Wait, wait - this is a misunderstanding. I'm a friend of Atsumu and I'm suppose to drop him this." You say holding up your bento box and also standing there confused by his sudden scolding.

"Listen if Atsumu said hello or smiled to you in the hallway it was just a way of him giving you a nice greeting, you shouldn't take it as a sign of immediate friendship. I'm sure he appreciates the thought of you bringing him food but don't you think that after the incident a few days ago you'd stop doing this. I apologize for being rude but as captain I can't allow you girls to distract this team so if you could just leave now. And as Atsumu said he doesn't want to have squealing pigs around during his practice."

He gently guided you out the door and closed it behind you. Left standing there facing a closed door, you suddenly tune into the murmurs of other students passing by making comments and guessing about what happen.

"Ohh god is she another fangirl? She must have been desperate to show off."

"Probably, thought that the incident with the volleyball club blew over and tried to stalk them again."

"Wow I've never seen Kita-san throw anyone out before."

After turning to them the look on your face, immediately shuts them up as they carry on with their business.

"What the hell was that."

Masterlist - Previous / Next

Side Notes

Y/N sent straight back to her class to angrily finish her lunch. When Atsumu returned to class she unintentionally ignored him the whole day.

Y/n left immediately after the bell rang and went home to stress bake.

Y/N always leaves school with either the twins or Suna. They've made it a habit that since they live in the same general direction, someone needs to always walk her home.

TAGLIST: @onelostgirl @justsomenobodygirl @luna-vitae-suae @neologyro

Taglist is still open :) and I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter!! 😊

[locoluis]

Pam's visit to the doctor

DISCLAIMER: This is a fictional story. I have no medical knowledge, so the following is all artistic licence and stuff taken from the web. Please consult a proper medical professional if you experience any of the symptoms described below. Oh, and sorry for the sloppy writing.

It has been from bad to worse during the last weeks. I don't like summer, I get way too sweaty and dehydrated. I get sunburned easily. I am self conscious about my body and will need to wear less than the normal amount of clothing I usually enjoy wearing, which attracts the stares of people who look like they haven't seen a girl with more than a B cup in their entire lives.

Like they never get out of this town.

I like going to the city, even though the climate is warmer there than up here in the hills, because nobody bats an eye about my appearance there, or at least not that much. The city centre is a couple hours away by bus. Only a few, elderly people are joining me in this trip I absolutely need to carry out.

The local paediatricians are as useless as the painkillers they prescribe. One of them said: “ At this point, you should consider going to an adult's doctor. ” Madam, I'm only twelve, and you're supposed to be able to take care of people through their late teens. Don't come at me with such rubbish.

Then my PE teacher recommended me this children's hospital in the city, and I got an appointment. I got so stressed during the bus trip that the box of chocolates that I brought with me didn't last long enough. I hope this isn't as bad as it feels.

Even though this is the second time I've seen this particular lady, I immediately recognised her. Shorter than me, dangerously skinny, with a childish face despite being in her mid-thirties, and a brunette ponytail of ridiculous length.

— Pamela Evans. I remember you.

— Dr. Eliana Martínez. You were the lady who awarded me the gold medal at the swimming competition a few months ago.

— Indeed. That was… a random, unusual philanthropic gesture from me. I must confess that your victory caught me by surprise, as you looked like you didn't even want to participate.

— Well, Mum taught me to swim at an early age, and she really wanted me to participate. But I hate PE with a passion, and it was really embarrassing for me to be in a swimsuit with all those people around. You can guess why.

— Yeah, I can relate, having been pregnant once. Never again.

I couldn't quite hide my amazement. How does such a twiggy lady manage to have a child growing inside such a tiny belly?

— Indeed, I have a daughter. Her name is Violeta, and she will soon be bigger than me. I carried my baby through full term, with no complications, shattering all expectations. I guess I'm a woman after all, ha ha ha. But enough about me; please tell me what brings you here.

I took a long breath.

— Doctor, during the last few weeks it's been difficult for me to concentrate in class, to get asleep, to get enough rest. I sweat way too much. I feel a lot of anxiety, even to the point of paranoia. Sometimes I feel my heart beating too hard and too fast. Sometimes I feel a burning sensation in my chest. And I've been putting on quite some weight, though I'm not sure how much of that is just going through puberty.

— Well, body changes are normal through puberty, and girls grow and develop at different rates.

— I'm aware of that. All my classmates still look like children. I'm the only one with the shape of a grown-up woman at twelve.

— About that. When I was twelve, it was the exact opposite. The other girls were all grown up, while I still look like a ten years old.

— Well, you sure are tiny, even compared to my classmates.

— Yeah, yeah. Now that I think about it, you look a lot like one of mine. Blue eyes, a different hairstyle and nose shape, a slimmer waist, but otherwise she was a dead ringer for you.

— Even her breast size?

— Indeed. She was curvy and gorgeous, and all the boys were crazy for her, but she only had eyes for one boy… who just wasn't ready for a relationship. And it made me cringe that she didn't seem to feel pretty enough, that she wore more make-up than was necessary, plus her dangerously short, tight-fit school pinafore dress… she looked ridiculous.

— Oh, I have some classmates who are like that. Not me, though; I already get way too much attention without doing anything with my looks.

— Well, you seem more like the forbidden snack type, which ironically is more attractive for some men than the overly sexy type.

— … Ach-y-fi.

— … Excuse me? I'm not a native English speaker, and that's a word I haven't heard before.

— Oh, that's a local expression of disgust. Like, it seems like I can't avoid the male gaze.

— That's their problem, Miss Evans, not yours. Don't make it your problem. I've got nothing here, yet men still stare.

— Well, your body type is even more unusual…

— I know. But you have to excuse me, this is getting way off-topic. I don't usually talk to my patients about my own childhood, and I'm talking to you like we knew each other from long ago.

— Well, I don't mind. Yours seems to have been an interesting childhood.

— Indeed, but that's not why you're here. So let me get through this. Most of the issues that you describe are not necessarily associated with puberty, and no sign of pain or discomfort is worth getting glossed over. First of all, please stand on the scale to get your height and weight measured.

I do. To no surprise, I'm overweight. She also checked my heart rate and blood pressure.

— Now, tell me. Tea, coffee, carbonated drinks. How much do you drink each day?

— Not much, actually. I drink a couple cups of tea each day. Unlike the rest of my family, who just can't get enough of it. And they drink green tea, which tastes horrible to me.

— Hmm. What about chocolate?

She stopped talking when she noticed the sheer expression of horror in my face.

— What? Did I hit a nerve, Miss Evans? Please tell me how much do you eat everyday. Answer truthfully.

I started crying uncontrollably. She patiently bears with me through this.

— … Doctor. I have a lot of admirers. Every day I get several boxes of chocolate in the mail. And I can't control myself.

— Well, chocolates have a high calorie count due to their sugar and fat content. And the symptoms you've been experiences are consistent with an excessive chocolate intake.

— And now you're telling me that I have to eat less chocolates. As if my life wasn't horrible enough.

— Well, at least you don't have acne… yet.

— ACNE!? Oh my God! I need to stop eating chocolates right now!

— Well, acne is more of an issue with eating lots of carbohydrates and dairy products, and there's no consensus about the link between acne and chocolate consumption. But I still advise you to reduce the amount of chocolate you eat everyday.

— I understand.

— To prevent acne, you should eat more fruits, vegetables and fish. Drinking green tea is also good against acne, and it has many more health benefits. It contains caffeine, so it too must be consumed in moderation.

— Green tea. As I said, I don't like it.

— Add lemon juice and stevia to it. There are many types of green tea, you just have to find which one is better tasting for you. And brewing it correctly is quite important in order to get it just right, not too bitter or watery.

— Well, thank you.

— I'll prescribe you some medication in order to treat the symptoms you've mentioned. But you should follow my instructions in order to attack their root cause. Stop eating so many chocolates, and come back in a month or so, in order to check your progress. I most likely won't be around, as I travel a lot and I'm currently on a temporary contract, but Dr. Spencer is an experienced paediatrician who will be able to take your case.

— I'll do. Oh, and I have a last question. Do you think I should get a breast reduction? And how do I get it on the NHS?

— Well, first of all, I don't think it's advisable to get one while you're still developing, except in extreme cases of breast hypertrophy. Second, you should get down to a stable weight, and get an assessment with a psychiatrist or psychologist. Third, as there are many women seeking to get breast reduction surgery on the NHS, the waiting list can be up to several years, and a lot of women are being turned down as not meeting their criteria. Also, private treatment is quite expensive. And… would you like me to measure you?

— Yeah, sure.

Her procedure for measuring my breast size is a bit more complicated than what I knew. She then puts the measurements on a spreadsheet, which gets her a bunch of numbers.

— Wearing a good-fitting bra can alleviate many of the issues associated with large breasts. Also, I'm recommending you some exercises that can strengthen your core muscles, and some tips to improve your posture. But I wouldn't advise a breast reduction surgery on someone like you, as its risks and consequences certainly outweigh the possible benefits. They're not that big, actually; you just have a delicate body frame. Your ideal weight is lower than that of other girls of your age and height.

— I understand.

I need to make a lot of sacrifices in order to stop feeling like this. Mum is going to stare me down and tell me: “ I told you, Pam ”. And then I'm asking her what we should do with so all those chocolates.