#I just need a title. and to finish the middle. and like 2 sentences for the end. IT'S ALMOST DONE FOR REAL

[ageless-aislynn]

Nobody asked me any of these but, honestly, I wanted to know the answers to some of them myself, so... I'm answering what I want anyway! 🤷‍♀️😉

ao3 wrapped [writers edition]

How many words have you written this year?

I'm counting this as how many words in something that I posted, which is 14,819. A lot more than I expected, honestly, but most of it came from me doing several chapters of "15 Minutes" early in the year. 😉

How many works did you publish this year?

9 chapters in all, but only 4 individual works.

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

"Sentence Starters Short Fic Collection" (Soap and Ghost, Call of Duty, Kaidan x Shepard, Mass Effect and Kai and Vannak, Halo the series) Yeah, they're all suuuuuper short but I'm always proud of myself whenever I write anything at all for fandoms/characters I've never attempted before. 😎👍

What work of yours has the most hits?

Definitely "15 Minutes" (John x female Reader, Halo the series). I'll never have anything else that will get this sort of response and I'm going to miss it when it's over. But I AM finishing it. Someway. Some how.

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

"15 Minutes," yet again. It was meant to be a one-shot and then people liked it and asked for more.

Favorite title you used

"It's All Coming Along" (Master Chief, Halo/Halo the series) Never post things you wrote while in the middle of a bad insomnia bout, kids. You'll think something is funny and everybody else will probably not. I've debated removing this one but finally thought, eh, so it's dumb, that doesn't mean that one day, somebody might get a laugh from my puns. If not, then welp, I'm woman enough to have a total dud in my collection.🤷‍♀️😂

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

Didn't use song lyrics this year but I have in the past. I honestly just use whatever artist or song fits the story or theme. I have a really eclectic bunch of artists that I like, so you never know what'll pop up.

Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

John x female Reader, since "15 Minutes" had so many chapters and "It's All Coming Along" is technically a John x Reader as well. "Recreation" is Kai x male Reader and the Sentence Starters I've already mentioned above. 😉

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

It's actually the female OC/Frank West from my Dead Rising AU titled "Turn Back." They're the only ones I can consistently sit down and just bang out blocks of hundreds of words. I dunno why. 🤷‍♀️

What work was the quickest to write?

"It's All Coming Along" took literally two hours from "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if...?" to me hitting post. Don't do that, kids. Have a nap first if you haven't slept in, like 40 hours. Don't commit fiction, lol. 😆😴

What work took you the longest to write?

"15 Minutes" which was started 2 years ago along with "Recreation" probably deserves that "honor" for more than one reason, lol.

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

In addition to finishing "15 Minutes" and "Recreation," I have 6 others: "Untitled Fluffy Vannak fic" (Halo the series), "Choices" (Noble Team choose your own Spartan adventure, Halo: Reach), "The Price" (Caitlin Frost/Hunter Zolomon, The Flash), "Guardian Angel" (Time Wraith!Caitlin Snow/Eobard Thawne, The Flash), "Split" (Caitlin Snow/Eobard Thawne, The Flash) and "Try" (TomCav!Eobard Thawne/Caitlin Snow/Mattobard!Eobard Thawne, The Flash).

What’s your longest work of the year?

"15 Minutes" chapters 7 - 11 totaled 12,064 words on their own.

What’s your shortest work of the year?

"It's All Coming Along" at 106 words

What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

I'm dragging all 8 of them with me, lol.

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

I'm terrible at tagging so most of my tags are just pairings or the occasional warning I feel might be needed.

Your favorite character to write this year?

I'll always love writing for Master Chief John-117, my beloved. I also really love writing Cortana.

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

All of them. Writer's block suuuuuucks. 😭

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

Honestly, once I finish my WIPs I feel like I'm done. I'll probably keep writing things like my Dead Rising AU and my handful of Mass Effect: Andromeda fics but they're all totally just for me, not to be posted. If something pops to mind, I'll write it but, for the most part, I don't think fandom in general needs me anymore, lol.

Which work of yours have you reread the most?

"15 Minutes" because I'm trying to make sure I keep things consistent and wrap up any loose ends.

How many kudos in total did you get this year?

I can't really tell because there's no way to sort out the kudos that "15 Minutes" and "Recreation" already had on them. Excluding them, though, 21.

Which work has the most comments?

"15 Minutes."

Did you do any collaborative works this year?

No, I could barely work with myself this year, lol. I'm lousy at collabs, unfortunately.

Did you write any gifts this year?

No.

Did you receive any gifts this year?

No.

What’s your most common category?

I guess I technically write (hopefully) humorous romance?

What do you listen to while writing?

My inner editor screaming NO1CURRS and that I'm wasting my time even trying to finish my WIPs. I try to drown her out with various playlists. Here's one.

Favorite work you wrote this year?

Again, it's probably the "Turn Back" Dead Rising AU or "The Best Mistake" (Gil x OC, Mass Effect: Andromeda AU). Of my posted stuff, though, "15 Minutes."

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

"Look, it's not my fault that that penguin documentary was kinda lame and—"

"IT WAS NOT!" Vannak bellowed back and took a swing at her that would've definitely put a marine in the infirmary for a month, if not in the ground, permanently. For Kai, it would've at the very least mussed her hair. "Those penguins are adorable and—"

"Lame. Laaaaaame," she singsonged, ducking a flurry of punches, then doing a very impressive parkour run up the wall into a backflip that sent her soaring over the enraged Spartan's head.

"THEY'RE NOT LAME, YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"Sentence Starters Short Fic Collection" Chapter 3, Kai and Vannak, Halo the series. For some reason, I absolutely LOVE the idea they're arguing over whether penguins are adorable or not, lol!

Biggest surprise while writing this year?

That I haven't totally given up. It's been verrrrrry close, friends. But every time I've thought, "Eh, why keep trying?" a comment will pop up, thanking me for writing something that gave them a laugh or the like and that'll give me the strength to keep in the fight. If there's even one person left who wants to read how these end or who'll check out the ones I haven't started posting yet, then I want to finish them.

Here's the original post if you'd like to reblog it for yourself or hey, if you'd like to just go ahead and answer it, no asks require, lol!

[1001gallery]

pandora. chap. 3 - ヒーロー

chap. 2 | masterlist | chap. 4

a/n - chapters in Japanese mean that their titles are more important/give too much away, you can find each translation at the end

Obaa's daily routine began when she got the will to get out of bed, knowing well her body would not fall asleep anytime soon, she would hobble down the hall to the living room where the sliding oak doors would be opened to allow the cool dawn air to flow through the home as the old woman settled on the couch. Waiting and listening for the world to wake around her.

It wouldn't be too long before the tell-tale signs of you waking up were heard. The creaking of the boards, followed closely by the shuffling of feet, was your grandmother's signal to make her way to the kitchen to begin making breakfast. Only this time, as she placed a pan on the stove, the shuffling that would make its way to the couch hastened. Obaa watched as your disheveled appearance came around the corner,

"Can I help?"

She never had seen your eyes look so awake until that morning. "You do not touch the pan or stove." A light sparkled in your eyes as you turned and dragged a chair over to the counter. She wonders if this would be the beginning of a new routine.

A small change and a helping hand seemed to spark something in you. Not only did you begin helping with cooking but also around the house, the grass needed watering? You were there, "I know how to, Obaa-san."

The days' worth of dishes not cleaned? "I got it, Obaa-san!"

There was a shortage of ingredients? "I know a shortcut to the store, Obaa-san."

You spent your days outside exploring more than the time you spent inside. It wasn't a bad thing, your grandmother thought, only that you seemed to always come home as if you just finished a 9-to-5 job. Face smushed against the coffee table. Obaa could hardly get more than a sentence from you yet on the better days when you would come home with twigs in your hair, dirt covering your clothes, and scraped up skin. You would inhale like your final breath and retell the stories of your day -

You know the beach park, um- it starts with a T and everyone litters there- but someone threw out what they shouldn't have and lost their wallet. I said it was in the bushes, they didn't follow me. I found it! But they were already down the street! So I ran! I ran to them, and I didn't feel tired!

Or, pray she has enough patience, you would stand outside and wait for a towel soaked to the bone -

A dog! It was cute and shivering in a ditch. She thought I was a bad guy and ran, but I'm fast! I had to find her home, which she helped me with but it was confusing sometimes. That's why I'm home late, sorry.

Each time, Obaa made sure to give you an earful as she threw you in the bathtub, "Goodness, child. You can't go wondering aimlessly around getting yourself into trouble." And each time you would look down, hands gliding through the water as a small smile graced your lips. "I know, Obaa-san."

The day would end and start once more with you carrying the chair to the counter, ready to take on another adventure. Obaa would stand by the door watching as your young legs carried you down the lawn and into the maze of neighborhood streets. Wishing for your safe return.

That's why, when she heard the stomping of your feet and slamming of the door, she knew there was something wrong. You entered the living room through the kitchen, not sparing a glance at the woman on the couch, and yanked open the sliding door. The thump of you sitting enough to get your grandmother to move from her relaxed position.

Your back was small as you huddled into yourself. Sitting in the middle of the veranda was something she thought she would never see again. The space felt empty and out of place.

An ounce of fear tightened her throat, her hand gripping the door frame. As the light of the setting sun dimmed and a breeze rippled through the blades of grass. Your back hunching and shoulders jumped as you began to cough.

In a blink, the grass settled, and the warm evening light burst into the calm of night. If she were a simple person, the thought of imagining the light dimming would have passed her mind, but she was a woman of the Ln bloodline. Nothing in this life was more beautiful and haunting than what the eyes of the Ln family saw.

"Heroes are actors, aren't they." The woman only continued to look at your back, your coughing had died down but you continued to hide in yourself, arms hugging your knees to the best of your ability, "I'm sorry, Obaa-san." You were crying.

"I'm so sorry." You weren't talking to her anymore, voice cracking, sobbing, "I won't hurt anyone again, I promise! I'm so sorry!" The strength she had disappeared, her knees hitting the ground as she held herself up from her grip on the door frame. Her cheeks wet from her own tears, the view of you still clear. You holding on to the talisman, forehead pressed against the marbles, body shaking from the hiccups and wailing.

It's okay. Your grandmother thought, it's okay. This is what you needed. Ever since the day she opened the door and saw you stood on the front steps, eyes hollow, lips cracked and dried, you never once shed a tear. To caught up in her own grief, the quirk she had polished and perfected grew inside her until she could no longer hold back and yelled at you to leave the home. Never again did your grandmother want you to witness such a thing again. She didn't promise herself that when she ran away from home, she didn't promise herself that when she first felt life inside of her growing.

What she promised was a life where the disgusted and distrustful eyes didn't hurt anymore. A life found dancing in the rain. A life where you fall asleep warm and wake up dry.

Her arms found their way around your child's body and held on with the strength of love and protection. Cry, child. Cry. Let it out and grow to be a better person than me. Let it out and grow to be happy.

Guilt was something a child first learns, it was the feeling when you're laughing at what you had done but saw your parent's eyes crumble as they tell you to be careful next time. In the end, the child learns a lesson.

Guilt for you was the reason you breathed. Your first breath in life was a howl of grief. Someone who had been there said you hadn't cried like a baby, you cried because you knew you hurt someone. Only when a voice spoke in your ear and cradled you, did the sorrowful cries stop. You don't remember who told you or who spoke into your ear. All you know is that the grief has been the reason that your heart kept beating since.

Yet when you felt your grandmother's arms around you, when you felt the love and protection, something clicked. And a fog you never noticed started to fade and replacing it was a feeling you could only describe as when you first looked out at the ocean - in awe - both afraid and wondering how it would feel to touch it, if the waves would hurt and carry you away.

But you couldn't touch it, not yet. Not when the pins and needles grew with the feeling, hands pinching and cutting your back. Voices starting to form in wordless whispering, only a breeze in your ear than gone. The feeling that had led you to the body - No.

No, Yn. Focus.

Marbles click together, hurtling right and left as your body continues up the trail of the hill. Focus, you told yourself. No more, like you promised to Obaa. You weren't going to let your mind walk for you anymore. Focus on the twigs under your hands as you climb your way to the top, to the birds that fly between tree branches and chirp away.

Ever since you started your new routine of cooking with Obaa, you had also spent most of your time outside. Walking around the streets of the neighborhoods, finding out that though they feel and look like mazes, most of them connect to Tatooin Station - the most famous ward in Musutafu - weaving through the alleys and backstreets that were home to unknown bakeries and stalls.

Through the alleys and sidewalks is how you found yourself climbing the hill beside your house one day. Conversations of a hero school that sat on a hill always seemed to be a popular talk among the crowds and children in their uniforms. You told yourself that whatever was atop your hill would be better than a school for pretenders.

You thought right, as your body takes the final steps and reaches the peak, the trees along the edges of the clearing leave sight for the forests and houses along the coast before the ocean takes a hold and reaches as far as the eye could see. It was at this point that your young mind realized how small you truly are. That the city was too big to take into view with just this hill, that not even the famous school could be seen. It was perfect in your eyes as they looked down to the parts of neighborhoods you could see, wondering if Izuku is down there somewhere, hoping he was happy. That he was okay because you knew his bully was.

Walking and exploring the city wasn't just for your grandmother to have time alone, it was also to maybe get a glimpse of the green-haired boy but no matter the time or days you spent, one day turned to a week, which turned into a month until July began and you caught the blonde spiked hair as he hiked the trail you had grown fond of. You had promptly hid behind a tree as he made his way to the top, hoping that another pair of footsteps would follow, but nothing sounded behind him.

The only sounds were of the birds and trees, his own footfalls blending into the beautiful sounds of nature. His face wasn't scrunched up, his lips weren't scolding. His eyes weren't afraid or mean. They just were. You couldn't find the word for it, he was just there. No yelling. No tiny explosions in his hands. Just a boy hiking a trail.

The memory was still confusing and made your head spin. He was a bully, wasn't he? But how could someone that calls another use look so.. relaxed, like not a thing could disturb them? Does Izuku look like that? Can he be without a care in the world just as his bully?

You sent a prayer on the wind that wherever he may be that Izuku could be happy. That he's surrounded by the people who love him and protect him. That if it can be in this large world, you would be able to meet again.

The day you had feared finally came. Listening as the two older women talked, their hands busy with packaging the fruit to take home. Obaa held the bag as Mrs. Hachimachi stuffed the produce in the bag, not caring if it overflowed.

"Came up to me, says someones hurt. Always been a quiet one, knew something must be wrong," Obaa points to the bananas, Mrs. Hachimachi's hands don't waver. "The darling brought me over and I sees a man passed out, went to check on him. Shook him a little, you know."

"Don't touch him! Never heard her yell like that before, never been yelled at before." The last bag of fruit is placed into the wagon as the two women straighten from bending over, Mrs. Hachimachi places her hands on her hips as she smiles, "That man had lost consciousness on his feet. Nothing stopped him from falling flat on his face, broke his jaw. Sprained muscles all throughout here," She stretches her neck sideways, her hand sweeping up and down the side of her throat to her shoulder.

"No one saw him. No one would've. I'll tell you what a hero had been there, you know. Not one sign of that man after the ambulance arrived, I tell ya." Your eyes are downcast, hands keeping the handle of the wagon straight, "Yn's a decent one. Only 6-years-old and she can already sniff out danger. A hero for sure, that one."

Something snags in your mind but is gone before you realize, the hand caressing your head all but takes your attention. Obaa was proud.

The wheels of the wagon crunch along the pebbles of the sidewalk as you enter a Hyaku-en shop, stopping by to get more stationery for yourself and your grandmother. You walk throughout the store, placing paper and pencils in the wagon that you see yourself would use when you pass an aisle. Green in the corner of your eye.

You stop and see Izuku's mother staring at something on one of the shelves before placing it in her basket. You walk over to her, bowing as she notices you approach. She seemed more upset than when you had met.

Glancing in the basket, your heart grows cold seeing the candle shaped as a 6. "Hello. Yn was it?" You nod and move around her as she is about to call you but leaves you be as Obaa comes down the aisle and exchanges greetings with Mrs. Midoriya.

As for you, you search the shelves looking for the perfect gift for Izuku. Maybe a toy? Or a card? What does Izuku like?

Just then, something catches your eye. The red spine and green body with accents of blue. It was perfect.

Slipping it into the wagon, none of the two notice as they continue to talk. Mrs. Midoriya's eyes fly towards you before looking into her basket. She wants to say something.

"Have a good evening, Mrs. Ln, Yn." She bows and leaves heading to the cashier, you and Obaa lining up at the other. Just as the notebook is scanned, you grab it and head to the green haired woman starting to walk to the exit.

Jogging to be level as you call out for her to wait, presenting the book to her - two handed - has she turns around, eyes taking time to disgust the scene before her.

"For Izuku." The green eyes begin to water, Obaa is beside you once more.

"Izuku is a good child. Yn is new in town and has been wanting to know your son better."

"Would-" She hiccups and covers her mouth, apologizing. "Would you like to wish Izuku a happy birthday?" A glance to your grandmother was all the answer you needed as you turn back to Mrs. Midoriya and give her a resolute nod, she laughs.

"Around 6:30, maybe. izuku would be happy with the wishes." She grips Obaa's hands, bringing them to her chest, "Thank you."

You couldn't finish your dinner, too busy looking at the clock every second, watching as the time grew closer. Springing to your feet as you pack fruit for dessert and making sure that the notebook is still as perfect as you saw it.

Obaa made sure to keep a mentally strong leash on you. Reminding your racing mind that you would get lost in your excitement, you would run back to her side every time.

When you get to the apartment, it isn't like before, no storm, no darkness. Only the warm air of summer as you enter the cooled down building.

Arriving at the apartment door, your fingers start to fidget around the basket of fruit. What if he didn't want you here? What if he had his friends over and you were just too desperate to have a friend?

But Obaa is already knocking on the door to back out, as seconds later a click fills the hallway and Izuku is standing at the doorway. The hair is as green and fluffy as it was before.

You both stare at each other, and all you can do is thrust the basket towards the green-eyed boy in hopes he knows what you mean.

He does, of course he does as tears begin running down his cheeks, arms trying to wipe and catch them before they fall. Another step of footsteps is heard moving towards the door, and his mother is behind her son, soothing his hair as she opens the door wider, allowing you and your grandmother to enter.

"お邪魔します" Ojama shimasu - Sorry for intruding on you. Thank you for inviting us in. Whatever translation, it holds the gratitude of the speaker to the invitation of entering another's home, another's safe space.

You just hope you can convey it better than just some words. So you're there when he blows out the candles, wishing him a blessed future when his eyes begin to dim. You're there for the first slice of cake as he presents it to you only for you two to fight on who gets it first, Obaa tisking and telling you to take it with gratitude. You do with a shy smile, locking with Izuku's eyes as he smiles back.

You're there when Izuku starts to cry as he holds the notebook in his hands, seeing the significance it was to him but never truly understanding the depth.

You're there when Mrs. Midoriya asks if you'd like to have a playdate with Izuku. He stands beside his mother, a blush on his cheeks as he tugs on his shirt, beaming when you nod your head. A wave of heat dizzying your brain as the two Midoriya's wish you a safe trip home, knowing full well you get to see Izuku again.

That you had a friend.

ヒーロー - hero

chap. 2 | masterlist | chap. 4

[valeffelees]

An Ask Game for Writers to Procrastinate Working on Your WIP(s)

thank you kindly for tagging me @shrekgogurt @youarenevertooold, and @monbons i've been seeing this game make its rounds on my dash and was really hoping someone would pull me in!

🦈 Tell us the name of one of your WIP(s)

my main three wips at the moment are without sun, ballad of the final sparrow, which is more commonly known as bitverse, and fragile things (and how to break them), but i've also been fucking around a bit the last two or three weeks with a new (terrible, evil, very self-indulgent) wip called god-forbid.

🍄 Describe one of your WIPs in the format of “___ + ___ =___”  

i think i might be dumb bc i don't understand this question at all.

🌍 What tags or warnings will your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it?

bitverse: heavy angst, psychological horror elements, alcohol abuse, allusions to suicide, unhealthy coping mechanisms, dead dove: do not eat.

🧭 An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

ballad of the final sparrow -> baz is typing fragile things (and how to break them) -> there's a werewolf in london god-forbid -> the gap between a tragedy and comedy

⚠️ Which WIP you’re most likely to finish or update next?

i have no idea. i mean, you'd think the answer would be without sun since it's the only fic i actually have posted at the moment, but unfortunately i am an untrustworthy villain.

💾 What is the document of your WIP called? (Not the story title, but what you’ve saved it as.)

same as the fic title. if i start a new wip and don't know what to call it, i'll pick something at random and add (working title) at the end.

🖍 Post any sentence from your WIP

from without sun:

“You don’t like peppermint,” he says. But maybe she does. Maybe that’s one more thing he can add to his growing list of things he got wrong about Agatha Wellbelove. No. 1 — Dislikes peppermint; actually, she is quite fond of it. No. 2 — Likes Simon Snow; him, not so much.

♻️ A scrapped idea for your current WIP

one of the biggest changes i made to the plot of without sun really early on was penelope's role in the story. i had a clear idea of the story i wanted to tell as soon as i saw the prompt for the fic. without sun was always supposed to be about more than simon and baz. the story is about grief and love, and the space we take up in the lives of the people around us. but n e way, in my orig draft, penny was actually supposed to be able to communicate with simon a bit, and there was gonna be a whole sect of scenes in the middle of the fic where they sat around together trying to break simon's curse what we know and what we don't know style via passing notes. i ended up tossing this idea really quickly tho, and i'm glad i did bc one of my favourite moments i've ever written in any fic happens in chapter two of without sun and it belongs to simon and penny.

🤔 What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

so many. or, well—what counts as "haven't even started"? i hate to let ideas sit around in my head bc it feels like leaving raspberries in the fridge for too long, like that shit is gonna get mould on it, so usually the first thing i do is rough out a few scenes and/or script out a very rough outline of the plot (like this / this / this style) so that i have something to come back to later. i have dozens of zero drafts just lying tf around. but otherwise, yeah, so many. one big idea i have is called heart on fire and it's based on fanart, but i haven't started it yet bc obvs i wanna get permission from the artist first but i've been holding off reaching out to them about it until i've knocked a few of my less intimidating longfics off my wip list bc heart on fire is gonna fucking hefty so i don't wanna give'r until i'm sure i can manage it.

🤡 How many WIPs are you actively working on?

LMFAO

🛠 Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

i'm having a real bitch of a time with agatha's main scene in chapter two of without sun, i've been fighting with it on and off for months, but i can't get it to do what i want it to do.

❤️ Not a question, just a second kudos to send.

cheers!

sorry for any doubles but, tagging: @drowninginships @cosmicalart @that-disabled-princess @fatalfangirl @cutestkilla @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @roomwithanopenfire @hushed-chorus @blackberrysummerblog @imagineacoolusername @nightimedreamersworld @prettygoododds @confused-bi-queer @mooncello and an open tag for anybody else who wants to procrastinate their wips!

[ghost-of-you]

Wait, have you done 5SOS5 for the album things, like you did the other 4?

I haven't but I will now oskaoskoasas here are the other posts if you feel like reading them self titled sgfg youngblood calm random post i made about how the album is telling the story of being trapped in one relationship

5sos5, my tragic love baby, we start it out so strong with complete mess, first self-produced song and first song we heard that was written by the four of them and only the four of them, all of them singing, a recognizable guitar riff, that classic 5sos song structure with a 4 chord melody where the song builds up until it drops at the bridge and comes back to finish it off strong with the last chorus, also "I ask no questions as your colors take their hold as my darkness turns to gold inside"?????? Excuse me??????? Then we move on to easy for you to say, they wrote all that we just let them get away with it, I'm scared to find a piece of peace of mind has haunted me since I heard it for the first time in a shaky Instagram live from the Dublin show, obsessed with the lyrics of this song, I think lyrically it really shows how good they are as songwriters, but this song is also my controversial opinion of the album because there's something in the production of it that deeply bothers me (sorry Michael, I love you) so it's the song I listen to the least, I'm still listening the live cut from the tour diary. Then we go to Bad Omens, I will never accept the fact that that song is not everywhere. I think it's flawless, the way the intro matches the outro so you can get caught in the same loop of going around again that the lyrics are talking about, and that's something that's a trend with them, they exaggerate the lyrics with the production and I think bad omens is the best example of it, I'm particularly obsessed with the way the chorus makes you expect a high note after the somebody, so when we get to the outro we expect the last somebody to be followed by a high else, but they actually drop the note, because nothing is ending in a high note here, not the relationship, not the song. Flawless vocals, flawless melody, flawless production, not a single wrong decision was made with this song. Then we have me myself and I, I think is so much fun, I think they made the perfect pop song, you have simple lyrics that are just repeating, and the way the song is structured it kinda feels like it's just one chorus that keeps going and going and since the song actually ends not only in the middle of the sentence but also in the middle of the progression in the guitar, you kinda feel this need to loop it, I know most people didn't get it when Ashton said that this song was very sgfg, but this song is so sgfg if sgfg was more pop than it is, the way its 4 chords in a guitar that just loops, the way it builds around that riff, the way the drums only come in in the second verse, the way it goes, goes, then just drops before coming back, the outro with the repetition, it's all very vapor of them in my opinion lol. Then we have take my hand, the way Luke wrote it alone and they managed to make it sound like a 5sos song is actually such a good example of how well they work with each other as musicians, because, yes, you can feel Luke's influence deeply in the song, but you can hear them all in it. Also, Luke Hemmings the songwriter you are, I can't quote anything because I would just write the whole song. One of their strongest bridges, amazing song all around.

Then we get to carousel, I don't know if anyone else remembers this but Ashton said that you just need 2 chords to make a great song, and this song technically has 4, but in the verses, they're actually going back and forth with 2, and I think that's such a good way to give you that feeling of spinning that comes with a carousel when paired with the drums, also I feel like this song is the first of many in the album where Luke flexing his vocal range lol, dude starts on his lower register, pulls some high notes and the whole time you're just like *Ashton's voice* you got an epic voice bro. Also, the symbolism of the lyrics drives me a bit crazy. And the way the song drops but never picks back up because you're on a one-way ride and there's no going back, INSANE. Also, Youtube countdown outro my beloved <3. Then we get to the most controversial song on the album. Personally, I think older is a good song, I would've put it as a deluxe track and put moodswings here instead but mostly because moodswings fits the tragic love narrative of the rest of the standard album in a way older doesn't. Love the piano, love the way Luke's voice goes with Sierra's, beautiful song but it feels out of place when you look at the rest of the album. My dear devoted delicate <3. Then Haze. Let's ignore the emotional whiplash of going from a piano ballad to it. I'm actually obsessed when 5sos goes 80s pop, it's a song that makes you want to move. It gives you that very pop feeling while being completely built around a guitar riff, so it's a very pop vibe but it exists around their strength, also Ashton is singing so it is a win in my books lol "when I lived between the bars" <33333333 . And the fact that all of them have production credits on it makes me all !!!!! Then you don't go to parties. I'm in a ydgtp mood so this may be very biased toward it. I love that the verses are built around the bass but the chorus is built around a guitar riff. I'm obsessed with everything about it, the little synth noises thrown all around, Calum playing with his lower register, the drums, Ashton's verse, everything really. Lost my limit cause I'm dumb and I'm passionate. I'm particularly obsessed with how many ways you can interpret the lyrics. Maybe he's looking for someone, maybe the someone he's looking is his old self, maybe he just wants out from his own head. Amazing, incredible, did something to my brain when I first heard it. Then blender, my beloved. LOVE when they make a song around the bass riff. Obsessed with the use of a blender as a metaphor for the cycle they're trapped in, because a blender spins things around while chopping them up, so no cycle is without consequence. Another song Luke is just flexing how good of a vocalist he is. Everything about it feels dramatic, the chorus sang in one breath, the imagery the lyrics are painting, the way the song starts and ends with Luke singing so no intro or outro to get you out of the cycle. Mandatory moment of appreciation for time stamp 1:37 <3.

Then we have caramel. I will never get over this song. It fundamentally changed me as a person. From the sigh in the beginning to the riff at the end. Ashton lower harmonies in the first verse, Luke's voice sounding almost dreamy while the lyrics are talking about getting back to something and how it gets sharper as the song goes and the lyrics start to give you the idea that maybe there's no saving this one. I know it well, caramel, I feel the comedown. I don't know about yall but every time I hear the second verse of this song I want to drop to my knees and scream (and I have on occasion lol). I don't think they made a single wrong choice with this song, from lyrics to production. Love like a landslide, I kiss you goodnight and the implications of the goodnight in a song about fighting for something that you know is doomed because they could've very easily made that love like a landslide I kiss you goodnight, love like a landslide I kiss you goodbye and imply that they are leaving this thing they know they can't save, but no, the love is going down and they are going down with it. Then they just spin you around with best friends. Love that this is a 2 chords lets have FUN song. I love my best friends, they love me, I will hold on to this feeling as long as I can. Michael verse <3333333333. Absolutely obsessed with how they just wrote a song about friendship. Love how this is a song that I can see every era of them playing and just goofing around on stage. Then we have Bleach. Way to put you back in the emotional blender. Again, Luke flexing his range. Lower Calum, Michael verse. You know how I said they sometimes exaggerate the lyrics with the melody? This song has water sounds (I can't determine if Michael actually added waterlike sounds or if he added a waterlike effect to the slides sounds you can get when you switch chords in a guitar) and with a good enough headphone, there's actually a whole layer of harmonies in it that sound like they are playing somewhere with a lower refraction rate than air, like water. It's so hard to watch everything I want, everything I was spinning down the drain. Multitasking 🥺. I do wanna know if this song was the soundtrack to more people impulse changing their hair color because the amount of times I bleached my hair while this song was playing since it came out is a bit alarming. Perfect soundtrack for those of us who dye hair as a bad coping mechanism lol. Then we have red line. I'm definitely biased about this one. This is one of my favorite songs ever. Definitely my favorite on the album. The way they play with the imagery of waiting in a train in it fascinates me, from the oohs that sound like the notes of a train whistle, the synth that sounds like the sound you get when there are station announcements, the echos that sound like the ambient sound you would hear waiting for a train, to the literal train doors closing as the song ends. The lyrics that leaves you wondering if they are waiting for the train to come or for someone to join them on the train they are. The implication of not being welcome anymore. I want back in, but I can't. I would love an acoustic version of it and I think more people would like it if it had a more stripped production, but seriously this song is everything to me. And what a way to end the album when you consider the bird sounds in the beginning of complete mess, to finish it with a door closing. Michael Clifford the producer you are.

Then we have the bonus tracks. They put you in the emotional blender going back and forth with sad songs, lets dance songs. I want whatever Michael put in moodswings so I can inject it pure into my bloodstream. The most Luke flexing his range Luke could get lol (they're not playing this song because they can't change the key or else the rest of the song would be too low but the chorus is too high for Luke to sing every night and I will die on this hill lol). The epitome of I have an anxious attachment style but I am in a long-distance relationship. I love a good reminder of how well all of their voices go with each other. Obsessed with the way they exaggerated the breaths in the bridge, the random piano sounds. Also, do something for me, put moodswings, queue bleach, change the crossfade to 12 seconds, then sit back and enjoy. Then we have a nice little 180 twist because going from moodswings to flatline gets me like that gif with the girls dancing while crying lol. I don't care what Ashton said, I still hear Calum lol. But their harmony game is insane and I think that that chorus has a shitton of layers and that's what keeps us all guessing about who's singing. Anyway, this song makes me want to sit them all down and discuss their range because that shit is HIGH. Again, love me some pop vibes. Sometimes you just wanna dance to a song about falling so hard you feel like your heart is gonna stop. Then we have emotions. Criminally underrated song. Obsessed with the way Michael is singing about anxiety on top of a guitar riff that counts in a self-soothing pattern, I think that's legit genius of him. The way he's harmonizing with himself too, like, he said MY SONG and meant it. I'm doing my best and I guess that's the best I can do. I think this song follows the malum pattern while writing songs together because they have a tendency of repeating sounds more frequently than you would expect, kinda as if they made a list of words that rhyme and tried to put them as often as possible. I'm also obsessed with how low the song is because I think we as a society talk about hitting high notes all the time, but a lower song can be real impressive if you give it a chance. Bloodhound. Forever mad I didn't get visuals of Michael's "he sunk his teeth into the bone" but I can see Ashton arguing against this song because the crowd would clap wrong during the bridge and he wouldn't be able to move past it oksaaoska. Fun song, gotta be honest tho, the lyrics confused the shit out of me for a while there. I do love the beat in this, the combination of the bass and the drums and that thing in the back that sounds like Ashton is banging his drumsticks together. Then we have tears. Anything that has Ashton singing is a win in my books. Obsessed with the imagery in it. There's a hole in the sun caving in and I feel it. Burn the words to start over. Diamonds turn to puddles. Tears hitting the ground, Fears pulling me down. Cashton do know how to make a song. I think if you're going back and forth with a duo in the band, Calum and Ashton create a real nice effect. The rhythm section really popped off with that one. Love how you get double the Ashton influence with how heavily it goes around the drums.

The new vocal coach was an amazing choice, Michael is an amazing producer, lyrically they excelled themselves, really shows off all of their strengths 1000000000/10 best 5sos album and we all know it.

[memberment]

Genesis

12:06 oh my god I have once again woken up too early and this time it was not on purpose.

TRYING to speed run some of this pre-work. Updates later but GOOD MORNING

9:12 I am back and working on two chapters at the same time. BECAUSE I NEED TO CONCEPT A DAMN ANGEL FOR HEIDI AND KENNY TO FIGHT. I CONCEPTED ONE AT WORK BUT THEY CAN'T FIGHT THIS ONE LMFAO

Also I need a flashback for Kyle so I'm literally just playing procrastinator olympics as I pingpong between two chapters. I might work on Bound for a bit tonight though, ngl. Because I am 21 chapters completed deep and 71.9k words in on this and Bound has THREE CHAPTERS READY AND BOUND HAS INTERMISSION CHAPTERS SO TECHNICALLY TWO LIKE. I WANT THE OPTION TO NOT WRITE WHEN MY SEMESTER STARTS!!!! (It's not like I'd even follow that but STILL.)

Also next line up is prob not gonna have a fic for every day, much to my own disappointment. Because school literally starts in FOURTEEN DAYS. and I only have four things ready to go. And I am determined to finish Genesis before my semester starts. Like I'm definitely gonna take a solid break from this series before I start Revelation, because that is going to be A LOT. (I do not think I will be taking much of a break between Revelation and Karma though, ngl. Bc each part starts, like, immediately after the previous one, but I KNOW how Revelation ends and Karma starts already and it has me LOSING MY SHIT. LIKE THE ENDING OF FUCKING REVELATION IS INSANEEEEEEE. And I hope not a soul sees it coming despite it being RIGHT THERE.)

I am sad though because I did want to start on Princess of Fire and get to a point where regular posts can pull up on that because I genuinely really like the concept and like, fine, I'm getting better at writing (and it is SOT and I do not wanna post a shit SOT fic on Wintergrew's internet) as I go so maybe holding off isn't a huge deal BUT I WANT Y'ALL TO FUCKING SEE THE VISION‼️‼️‼️

I honestly wish I could livestream my brain does that make sense LMFAO

2:24: Tears just rolled down my cheeks at the realization that we have not had one goddamn (exclusively) Bebe centric chapter and I am trying to write chapter 24. OH MY GOD. I can't even give her a full filler chapter because I wan't my filler to be like LIGHT HEARTED AND FUN. I CAN'T JUST STRETCH OUT LIKE 3K WORDS OF HER JUST EXISTING IN THE MIDDLE OF ANY OF THIS. LIKE WE ARE TEN CHAPTERS DEEP INTO THE WORSE SHIT. OH MY GOD I HATE IT HERE. Like I actually was just scrolling through the chapter titles and was like 'oh we have Stan! We have Craig! We have duhduhduhduhduh.' AND I GOT TO THE BEGINNING AND THERE IS NO FUCKING BEBE CHAPTER?????? WHAT THE FUCK! (I literally did this with Butters in Dandelion and had the same reaction why is it that all of my favorite fucking characters I do this to???? HOW. Like, we get more of her in Revelations but WHAT! THE! FUCK!)

So yeah, 24 is gonna be Bebe, despite me kinda wanting it to be Tam or Wendy.

Also I'm reading 'You're Not Mine Anymore' AGAIN (because even though I said I hated it, that chapter has literally embedded itself in my brain. Like, it's so fucking disturbing and so sad and I actually wanna throw myself out my window every time I think about it LMFAO)

2:55 I changed one sentence in this chapter and now I'm actually gonna sob. I hate it here.

4:30 I got distracted and watched tik toks since my last update, specifically spending like an entire ten minutes absolutely geeking over the 1970's gymnastics olympics and I am now back at my keyboard. I got a very specific bit of inspiration and it is fucking TERRIFYING.

Anyways. RIP Craig. Like seriously, dude is going THROUGH IT. This is what I get for ignoring him for like a week and a half (two weeks? ish. I'm settling on ish, here. A VAGUE, BUT NOT VERY LONG AMOUNT OF TIME) of their time when he is actively losing his shit.

I think killing him and Tweek off at this point is more of a mercy killing than anything on my part why did I do this to them I am so sad. AND THE FACT THAT THEIR DEATHS IS WHAT THIS WHOLE FIC GOT CONCEPTED AROUND IS FUCKING INSANE. LIKE I WROTE THEIR DEATH SCENE AND WAS LIKE WELP GOTTA WRITE A MAGICAL GIRL FIC.

And now I'm slowly but surely on my way to that chapter and annotating and writing in bits and pieces of THAT chapter and I'm like wow. Wow oh wow. Might need a hallucinations tag. Hypothetically, of course. But also hypothetically, would the hallucinations tag apply to this if said hallucinations are questionably real? Hypothetically. Anyways, when Fall From Grace gets posted, y'all are gonna need like sixteen and a half TWs.

And now I'm off to go write this fucking MESS of a chapter that is the Bebe chapter because I STILL DIDN'T WRITE IT. AND I AM OFFICIALLY DOWN TO THIRTEEN DAYS.

Another hypothetical, while I'm still here before I leave again and don't update until god knows when. Do you guys think I can finish 20 chapters in 13 days? Like, that would be approximately 60-80k words. Do y'all think I got this? And I'm typing that and realizing I thought the wc for this was gonna be like 100k and am now realizing I'm at 74k and just wow. ANYWAYS. LATER. Hope y'all are enjoying my extra long screams into the void tonight.

4:55 Black Swan cries out violently in the background as I realize I have just made five out of six, the quintet is now a trio, and Red is just there not giving a fuck. My head is in my hands. My jaw is dropped. I fear I may be evil for writing this.

May the gods I don't believe in help us all.

(I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN THIS MANY MAJOR CHARACTER DEATHS. MY MAX HAS BEEN TWO SO FAR. THIS IS WHY DESOLATION ENDED THE WAY IT DID BECAUSE I FEARED THIS.)

Eh, fun fact while I'm here again. The original ending of Desolation, everyone was gonna die except for Kyle.

But wow OH WOW. Yeah, this is why I don't write major character death.

It is 6:26 am and I just posted An Answer chapter in attempts to procrastinate this horrible ending further and the realization has dawned on me that I am now involved in the mystery because I'm rereading and I have no idea WHAT THE FUCK is going on. I'm laughing so hard over this. God, how two months can really slip away is insane.

6:49: guys I'm rereading this and I am actually thrown off by my own writing like I fully forgot how off-putting this fic is supposed to be BECAUSE of what happened and why things are like this and I actually fell into my own fucking trap. I'm crying this is so funny HELP

7:02: not me happily reading and giggling over platonic twendy fluff and just getting smacked in the face by shit getting very real very fast. this is wild.

[too-many-rooks]

Writing procrastination game!

Thanks @lastlymatt for tagging me, I got rambly so I’ll put this under a ‘read more’

Tagging @pigandpepper @known-concepts @countessrivers

1.) what’s the name of one of your wips?

My doc names are usually very boring 95% of the time I finish a fic and think it’s ready to post and realise I need a title. How about ‘Yassen Bedroom Visit’?

2.) Describe a Wip in the format of __+__=__

SCORPIA heir Alex + totally normal kidnapping and drugging in the middle of the night get to safety orienteering exercises = childhood trauma

3.) What tags/warnings will one of your Wips need if you share it?

Forced child seperation?

4.) alternative title to a wip?

I don’t really have alternate titles! Titles tend to come pretty late in the process!

5.) which wip are you most likely to update/finish next?

Probably one of my s3 aus I’ve got brewing, there’s a longer thing I posted the first chapter of today but I also have some one shots, one where Yassen gets wounded fighting off Alex’s enemies and Alex basically has to hold him down to say he cares about him, and another where Yassen comes to chat to him in the middle of the night (while Alex is sleeping) and they catch up.

6.) what is one of your wip’s document title, not what it’s name is but what you have it saved as?

Again, extremely boring. Some examples - ‘Tom/House introduction’, ‘stables’, ‘the ball’, ‘heir apparent 1-9’, ‘hunting’ ‘hostage’ ‘orienteering.’

On reflection, these are very badly organised. But, hey Ho.

7.) post any sentence from your WIP?

Okay this took me forever to decide bc I want to share like, all of my sentences, but here’s a sentence from my SCORPIA heir Alex thing where Yassen just tries to take a day off, but is interrupted by Alex sneaking out of school/the country and mountain his school is on

‘Rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb, he blocked out the little blonde headache sat before him, and sighed, already imagining the state of his email inbox when he got back to his laptop, which he’d sworn would stay folded in its case for the rest of the day.

“And how long ago was this? When should I start expecting panicked calls from your father?”‘

8.) a scrapped idea from your WIP?

Not necessarily a scrapped idea but evidently one I forgot about and rediscovered as I was flicking through google docs - originally a pre-season 3 idea (but could work post s3) where Yassen retires, and decides it’s time for Alex to retire too, even if he doesn’t want to. Very “congratulations you are being adopted! Do not resist.” Meme with Yassen that I’ve seen on here, the bit I’d written was him contemplating the least traumatising way to kidnap him, to make sure they’re a happy family unit post-kidnapping

9.) what’s a story you would love to write but have yet to start?

Alex sees dead people AU - Ian knows, when he dies his ghost becomes bound to Alex, and helps take care of him/watch over him in the field, Alex bumps into Yassen at Point Blanc and immediately recognises the ghost bound to him as his father, especially as he begs the assassin to stop pretending like he can’t hear him for once and let him see his son, to protect him.

10.) how many WIPs are you actively working on?

Four - regency fic, darker Alex s3 au, two other s3 aus I mentioned earlier. Suprised myself by how much of this longer ‘SCORPIA heir’ Alex thing that I’d put off for a while I’ve actually written. That’s one that I really want to finish before I start posting bc I’m bad at doing work without an immediate emotional reward/it’s a longer than anything I’ve written before and I don’t want to give up on it when it’s half published. I had been delaying it till after s3 but maybe time to get to work (will try and finish regency fic first)

11.) is there a scene your struggling to write now?

Oh I mean so many but the most immediate stumbling block is with the regency fic, chapter after this one they go to a ball and that’s almost basically written and so is a lot of the next two chapters but there’s things I need to thread into this chapter that just don’t want to be threaded - I need Alex to start being a bit more suspicious of Yassen, and remember that whole thing about his uncle being murdered now he’s a bit passed the initial princess diaries revelation moment.

I was thinking like Alex waiting up for him on Christmas Eve or something and falls asleep then is woken by Yassen sneaking back in and Alex noticed he’s got blood on his clothes or something and Yassen just shrugs him off and reacts more strictly/authoritatively than he has before. But the scene is a bit sludgy I my mind atm.

12.) Not a question but a second kudos!

[bi-dykes]

Ok so. It's like I have forgotten everything about writing. How does one even begin writing? 😭😭 Do you have any writing advice for beginners?

This is a great question! I think you’re going through writers block. Sometimes, after years of writing, we one day are like “what r words.” It’s like if you’ve ridden a bike for years and one day it’s just so difficult randomly. But don’t worry! You can always get back on that bike.

Here is a website I found to combat writers block:

10 ways to overcome writers block

I also have some words of wisdom for beginner writers that I hope will help!

1. Start with a scrap journal.

This journal does not need to be like a diary or anything, but it can be fun to just write down sentences for your story as they come into your mind- in whatever order! I have written down the beginning of my spin off- I’m not even done the first book in my series! But writing down any ideas for your characters or the universe your story takes place in- whether it’s the first chapter or last-

My scrap journal is a mess. I’ve been writing in it for years, it’s purple and glittery which I looove, there’s ripped out pages stuck in the middle, there’s ideas for the sequel, there’s some dialogue written for the first book, for chapter 1, then chapter 12 randomly etc. Writing in a little scrap journal or diary of lined paper (or you could use your notes app on your phone, or a google document on your laptop, or whatever you prefer to write in! I just wouldn’t use the same folder as your actual manuscript/draft of book) can take away the pressure of it feeling like a “good copy” that has to be “perfect”, and instead just gets the writing flowing :)

2. Fill out a character chart!

These can be fun to get in the heads of your protagonists! You can find many on Pinterest, but here’s one I found from Medium!

Also: don’t worry if you don’t know your character’s favourite food or favourite number or favourite shirt yet, some of these you’ll never even need to know as the author, and some of these you’ll discover along the way. Whatever suits your story! It’s more important to know your characters’ goals, ambitions, fears, and inspiration than say, their favourite animal.

3. Give your document a funny name!

The first manuscript I ever wrote (and never finished lol, abandoned middle school project) had it’s book title and chapter title of course, but said just below the header, “warning: don’t read if you’re homophobic or hate fall out boy” or something else cringy like that, I can’t recall exactly 😅 but it helped take the pressure off of beginning a “formal looking draft”! Some header titles could include:

- Welp here we go, I have nothing to lose

- First draft, cowabunga!

- Here is some beautiful messy writing

- Hmm let’s give this a try

- Behold! Beginner’s writing!

And then just write your book title and chapter title below it, and began typing out the intro. It could be your main character describing her life, or it could pick up right during two characters’ conversation, or it could begin with the main character walking home and describing the world around her, there really are no rules!

4. Use a few tumblr writing prompts!

If you feel stuck at the beginning of your story, many tumblr users do post great dialogue prompts! Here are some I enjoy :3

@givethispromptatry- I literally recommend like all of their prompts lol, whichever ones you get inspiration from :)

150 random writing prompts by @writinginstardust :)

@writing-prompt-s is also a good account! :)

5. Don’t overthink it!

Let your beginning of your novel have mistakes. Let it be a work of progress. Let it be childish or messy or cringy or whatever. Your second draft can be the fancy one, don’t hold back on the first draft! It will be okay <3

Goodluck! I hope this helped!

[xhudgenssistersconfessions]

So I listened to the podcast and have some thoughts

1) It was my first time listening and really disliked to format. It was just so rushed like "oh yeah, your father passed. Anyway, let's talk about the benefits of prickly pear." *insert paid Amex promo*

2) Agree, she wasn't shading Austin. If you look back, it's obvious that her life has changed a lot since then so it must've been an important pivot as the title suggests. Was it necessary for her to mention? Probably not. She's been in the industry long enough to know that it will make headlines so she could've just given another response. But hey, at least she was being honest.

3) I have mixed feelings about the pregnancy part. I agree that people were disrespectful and she doesn't need to share that part of her life. Plus the way media and the public monitor women's bodies is f'd up. But to be like "sorry for being a real woman!" just comes off a bit condesending and holier than thou. Especially since it's basically an open secret (I know this was recorded a while back) and not in fact the lack of spanx. I'm generally not a fan when celebrities get to teaching and preaching and apply feminist concepts e.g. bodily autonomy to their individual pursuit or something like instagram comments in this case.

The podcast was recorded in the beginning of November so the bachelorette comments were still fairly recent and she was probably still upset about it. She had been dodging pregnancy speculation almost the entirety of 2023 (not exaggerating). I can see her just being over it (which I don’t blame her. that’s why I always say y’all need to be mindful of what you comment)

However, I didn’t like the format either lol. The interviewer even played random clips and everything in the middle of Vanessa talking like girl, can you let her finish her sentence first 😭

[iwritetounderstand]

Book #2 Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

This would be the first time I’ll be writing a book reflection so bare with me.

“As with everything in life, reading is about the right timing.”

And that was exactly how I felt when I finished the book. I read it at the right time of my life without actually planning on it. It just fell into place. And finishing it made me draw a lot of realizations, and while reading it, there were a lot of relatable and true to life sentences and phrases. I may share a few on this post. 

When I started reading the book, I did not really have an expectation in mind because personally, I just wanted to enjoy reading again. And I’m very much grateful because from the title itself, it surely is about books and while I was reading it, I realized how much I loved leisure reading. Somehow it transported me to a different world. A world wherein I can just be myself, a breath of fresh air, enjoying the book in front of me without any pressure around me or to finish it right away. Every sentence I read, I can absorb and just be in it, be in the moment. And that was what I was after for, a quiet peaceful time while I was enjoying this book.

Honestly, while I was already hooked and was in the middle of the book, I somehow questioned how the book will turn out. How will the book end? How will the story unfold? Because honestly, as shared by the author too, the book was written in such a way that every chapter was just flowing like there was no concept of night and day. It was written in such a way that the author just continuously wrote and picked up from where she left off the day before. I do not think there was a visible climax of the story or that there was a direct solution to every problem. It was simply, the characters were just living their day to day life, sharing whatever there was in there lives and was indeed creating a space for everyone to just be themselves, sharing their common interests about the bookshop and their love for books. They shared their goals and realizations about life that were all relatable and true. It was as if how they described it in the book, the bookshop was a place where once you enter, there was a feeling of coziness, a place where you just feel instantly comfortable, a place where you can just find yourself drawn to.

Surprisingly, when I was about to finish the book, I actually made a lot of realizations and a lot of new ideas popped into my head as if I just want to jump already and start everything at once. While I as about to finish the book, I was filled with excitement of how I wanted to live my life again. The happiness it brought me was such a familiar feeling that I was so grateful I felt that way again. Somehow, it brought me back to my younger college self who just had all the time for herself, devouring her love for reading. And that was honestly one of the reasons why I am here typing my reflection about the book because just like the characters from the book, I was inspired to talk about how I felt when I read the book and share my realizations about it because I know for a fact that after quite sometime I would look back to these and enjoy reading them once again. As I kept mentioning, there were a lot of relatable sentences in the book and let me share a few of them and my realizations with it

“A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day”

This line was shared by one of the characters defining a successful life. And I too, agrees with it because honestly being surrounded by people who let you be yourself and supports you, is one of the important aspects in life. I mean, life as it is is already hard and to have good people surround you makes it bareable each day. People who make you realize the important things in life and make you feel happy are the few life hacks you will need in order to face your daily life challenges. And honestly, I was so happy that all the characters in the book had each other to be there by their side. Moreover, it just reminded me also how I should be in life, how I should be around people because everybody has their own struggles, and for me, I just want to be someone who brings light and happiness to the people around me. I remember a quote I’ve read online that goes somewhat like, if they make you laugh a little louder and make you smile a little brighter, keep them. And that’s how I want to be in people’s life, bringing joy and peace in this world full of negativity and challenges. 

“I keep thinking how great it would be if you’re also working for yourself. This way, you’ll find meaning in the work you do. My experience taught me that even if I’m working for someone else, I need to work for myself. Working for myself means that I’ll try my best in what I do. More importantly, never lose myself, no matter if it’s at work or outside. There’s something else you shouldn’t forget. If you’re unhappy or unsatisfied with your work life, and each day is spent in meaningless misery, it’s time to look for something else. Why? Because we only get one shot in life, and we’re living it now.”

Probably one of the best realizations to end a book. Reading through these lines made me realize a lot in my current situation. I somehow see myself in the main character, I mean I am also at a point in my life where I just let go of the path I was miserable about. Although I did not just drop everything and left, I mean, I thought things through and meticulously before drawing out the conclusion to leave that place. However, just like the main character, I saw the same courage and strength it took in order to do all of those things and I am grateful that somehow, I felt a validation to the decision I made. And currently, as I am here living my day to day life, I see myself in the character also during the time she was continuously pouring her efforts to sustain the bookshop and by the end of it all, still enjoying and finding happiness in the process. And that is how I currently see myself, I have an end goal during this year but as days and months go by, I continuously and consciously do things in order to achieve that goal but still living each day fully, enjoying the things and time I have and just being in the moment. With this thought in mind, I am  working for myself as well because I also want to be better and be the best version of myself. And it is true that we only got one shot in life, so might as well live in every moment and go choose the path that you know will bring you fulfillment in this lifetime. 

Those are a few pieces I wanted to share because it really struck me. But in addition to those, I also wanted to share how one way or another, I saw a piece of myself to each and every character in the story at one point in my life. And with that being said, it just made me more grateful of where I am right now because somehow I know that I am in the right path in trying to live a life that I own and not something that I settled for. And I am, indeed, proud of that too. Maybe a big reason for that realization was that I am continuously grateful of the things I have and the things I’ve overcame. 

This book is once again one of those eye-opener for me but it was brought in such an easy way. The story was not heavy nor it was difficult to connect with because it was a story of a day to day living of the characters, that in reality, you may not see the importance of a day because of how mundane things are, but honestly no matter how small you do, it all adds up when you look back. Hence, it is really important to be in the moment and enjoy your every day life. 

This book has made me realize a lot of things and I would want to share a lot more but for now, here are what’s inside my head. This is my first book reflection so it’s a little ramble, but my objective also in doing this is to really just babble what goes inside my head and just share whatever’s in there.

-R

2/21/25 5:59PM

[froggywritesstuff]

warmth | yandere!philip hamilton

Pairings: Yandere!Philip Hamilton x g/n!reader

Warnings: yandere themes, kidnapping, toxic and unhealthy relationships, manipulation, mentions of murder and dying (please don't read if you're uncomfortable with any of these), swearing, being really cold

Time: not specified 

A/N: i wrote this the other night at 2 am, and i'm definitely not happy with it but i need to get it out of my drafts 😭

You sat on the cold, stone floor, violently shivering, the only sounds coming from your heavy breathing, the pounding in your head and the cold air blowing in through the open window. You felt your energy draining as you could barely keep your head up long enough to glare at your captor. He sat on the bench in the middle of the room, staring smugly down at you, a warm towel held tightly in his arms. It was almost like he was enjoying this. The fact that you were almost certain that he was made you sick to your stomach. Why wouldn’t he be? Any situation where you were weak and begging for his help made him feel powerful, and reminded both you and himself that your life was in his hands. And that was extremely enjoyable to him.

”Y/N, you’re being ridiculous,” he said, “all you have to do is apologise, and you can be warm again.”

If your hands weren’t chained to the wall, you would’ve slapped him before he could even finish his sentence. He’s the one who dumped the bucket of ice cold water on you because of some bullshit reason you couldn’t even remember, and he was calling you ridiculous?

But with every second your body was screaming at you to apologise. You could feel your lips becoming numb every second your teeth chattered to the point where it was almost painful. 

You said nothing, just glared at him as he had the nerve to look at you so innocently, so hurt by your hostility.

With a sigh, he stood up from the bench, leaving the towel on the bench, just out of your reach as he headed for the door, “Fine. Stay here. I hope you learn your lesson before you freeze to death.”

Your heart pounded with fear. On one hand, you were sure he was just bluffing. He wouldn’t have kidnapped and killed for you just to leave you to die. On the other hand, you were sure that you would freeze if you stayed there any longer.

”Wait!” you grimaced at the desperation in your voice. You felt so vulnerable, so pathetic. You hated it, while he was loving every second of it, “P-please, just- don’t leave.” you couldn’t believe what you were saying. 

Philip turned around, crossing his arms over his chest as he leant against the stone wall, “Is there something you wanna say?”

You hated him. Everything he did made your blood boil with anger. The way he spoke to you like you were a small toddler, acting like you were completely defenceless and useless without him. But you shoved all that hate down. You didn’t want to die in his house.

”I,” you took a shaky breath, not even the tears running down your cheeks providing any warmth, “I’m sorry.”

He titled his head to the side, “For?”

Your lips clamped shut. Why did he have to be such a prick all the time? So much had been happening lately you couldn’t even remember what he made you have for dinner last night. Well, come to think of it, you didn’t remember having dinner at all last night… how long had you been down there for?

With a huff, he began walking toward you, “Or do you need some reminding?” he knelt in front of you, his hand roughly gripping your chin, forcing you to look at him, “Does the name Theodosia ring a bell?” Just the sound of her name brought more tears to your eyes (tears you hoped Philip would take pity on). You hadn’t seen her in months. But, you did feel like you had had some sort of interaction with her recently… 

Scoffing, Philip‘s grip on your chin tightened, “Or will some more ice water help you remember?”

Your eyes widened at his threat, and you felt your breath become heavier, your chest falling up and down, “No! No,” you cried, your vision becoming blurry with tears, “I-I remember, I remember.”

He chuckled darkly, “I sure hope you do. Otherwise I would’ve killed her for no good reason.” As if he’s never done that. He narrowed his eyes at you, “Now apologise.”

You gulped, regaining some memory of what had happened with Theo, “I-I’m sorry for trying to leave…” you whispered, almost afraid of speaking too loud, which didn’t impress your captor.

”What was that?” he asked mockingly.

With a shaky breath, you repeated yourself, “I’m sorry for trying to leave you.”

Philip’s expression softened immediately, a smile gracing his lips as he loosened his grip on your chin, “See?” He brought both his hands up to your cheeks, cupping your face as he used his thumb to wipe away your tears, “Now was that so hard?”

 You said nothing, sniffling as you stared down at the floor, not wanting to look at him any longer. You felt his lips press against your forehead, followed by the chains around your hands loosening, until they were finally free. Philip’s warm hands wrapped around your wrists, helping you stand up from the cold floor, as he guessed your legs would’ve been numb. He guided you toward the bench, pulling your body toward his as you felt the warm towel wrapping around your body. 

You practically melted in his arms, feeling tears of relief fall down your cheeks. You held back a sigh of content, not wanting to give Philip the satisfaction of knowing that something he did made you feel better. 

You felt his hand wrap around the back of your neck as he pulled you closer, leaning his forehead against yours, “See how much easier this is, Y/N? You just have to do what you’re told and it can be like this all the time. Understand?” You stopped yourself from arguing with him, knowing it would just be more trouble, which was the last thing you wanted right then.

With a shaky breath, you brought yourself to reply. "I understand."

buy me a coffee <3

[cafeinthemoon]

Ruins - Part VIII

Chapter 8

Wordcount 2,7k

Title Part VIII

Fandom Shuumatsu no Valkyrie / Record of Ragnarok

Pairing Hades x reader

Previous chapters

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ . 💛

Warning (s): none

Tagging: @darling-imobsessed @holdyourwine (if you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment here or send me an ask or a message)

N. A.: The family is now complete in this one guys 😭 Enjoy reader being scorted back to the party by two siblings who are not above starting an argument for nothing, Adamas complimenting reader's honesty (?), Zeus being unable to finish a sentence and a certain sea lord not knowing how to babysit a human…

Also, there's something I've already wrote about in my list of notes and references for this story (which you can find at my Quotev), but I want to discuss it here as well: the use of the words child, tiny, little, etc. towards reader doesn't have any connections to her appearance or a suggestion that she's a minor. I didn't specify it in the story, but about 90% of the human girls sent to Vallhala are adults in their 20s, in this is reader's case. These terms are merely a way to depict the gods' general perception of humans, whether they're adult or not.

Anyways thank you for being here and enjoy this new chapter 🥰

I am Adamas, Hades’ younger brother and god of Conquest.

That was the most direct – not to say blunt – introduction you’ve seen since you arrived at Valhalla, if you didn’t count Hermes’, with all the discretion inherent to him.

So... now you had two of his family members before you, as different from each other as fire and water, yet sharing the familiarity and the moderate rawness only allowed between siblings or old acquaintances, and when you remembered that they have been tolerating one another for countless ages, things would get even more unsurprising and justifiable: Adamas wasn’t satisfied to see that Zeus was the first to find this mortal girl about whom his elder brother spoke, and Zeus wasn’t happy to realize that he no longer had your attention only for him and his talking.

And little you were just standing there in the middle of this, not wanting it to continue but forbidden from doing anything to solve it by the defenselessness of your position.

You also realized why the concept of Conquest was attached to Adamas now that you were seeing him: wherever the place he entered and the people who witnessed his arrival, no one would stay indifferent to him; his aspect and manners were not made to enchant, but to catch the observers’ attention and to mold it to his will, so whether you liked or agreed with him, you would just accept that he knew what to do and would let him take the lead, offering your compliance. That was what happened with you seconds ago, and you couldn’t even understand what was going on.

On the other hand, Zeus had a much less impressive presence at first sight – it was even disappointing for the leader of the Greek pantheon and the Lord of Heaven – but one look into those eyes of his was enough to show that this was all on purpose and that you shouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating that playful, prosaic old man, believing he was nothing more than this.

– My brother and I traveled together here, as we haven’t done in centuries – Adamas was saying – I would have come later, since I have no interest in mortal girls and teaching, but he insisted, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

You weren’t sure if he was still talking to Zeus or if that was for you, but the way you gazed at him brought his heavier gaze over you in return.

– I don’t have to stay here if that displeases me so much. Is that what you’re thinking?

You gasped. The answer was yes, but you didn’t think it leaked through your eyes so easily.

– I…

– No need to excuses – he cut you off – I’ll leave soon, but not before hearing everything my brother has to say.

You kept quiet and got a harsh laugh as response for this.

– It’s nothing personal, mortal, so don’t lose your sleep on that. At least you’re honest and funny – and glancing around, at the balcony’s limits, – What are we doing here, anyway? The party is inside.

With a “hm”, Zeus agreed and took short, cheerful steps toward the entry.

– I’m thirsty. I think I’m going to get myself some wine.

– So soon… – Adamas mumbled to himself as he walked after him.

You were going to stay behind and restart your line of thoughts, but the two gods stared at you without speaking, making it clear that you were supposed to follow them.

***

You passed under the balcony’s curtains believing you were going back to the room you just left, a place you helped to decorate and with which you were familiar, maybe to find some of your friends, just brought by Hermes-sama. However, the reception you had that time, in the company of the two gods, made you think you walked into a completely different space.

Once you stepped in, with Zeus-sama at your right and Adamas-sama at your left, the nearest people turned their necks to you with strange looks; if they were of surprise or disapproval, you weren’t sure, and you didn’t think you’d feel better if you found out. The conversations, once cheerful and loud, were getting quieter, until they stopped. You glanced at Zeus, then at Adamas, but none of them showed any sign that they were going to explain the situation: they just kept walking toward the next space where more tables were settled, while the guests stepped back to open the way for them.

You reached a corner of the room where most of the presents were gods who arrived when the human girls’ guardianship period started; apart from yourself, the only humans there were their disciples. Male and female elves were walking among them with goblets over golden trays, their silent feet slipping on the floor with an elegance only possible for them. The reactions of the people to your arrival there weren’t different from the ones in the previous room.

That time, you couldn’t help but turn to Zeus and ask for an explanation… which he happily gave you before you could speak.

– There’s one brother left, child...

– And, of course, we wouldn’t find him anywhere but hiding in the remotest place of the building – Adamas completed the sentence in an annoyed manner.

The last brother, Poseidon-sama. How does he look like?

You started looking around in an attempt to see if you could guess him among the crowd, but you only found the people you already knew: deities from the Nordic, Indian, Egyptian, Japanese pantheons and minor gods; none of them had the slightest Greek trait, or so you thought. Besides, unlike Adamas pointed out, there was no place to hide in there…

You barely finished this thought and had to hold back a scream, for the scare you experienced now was worse than the one caused by Zeus at the balcony: in one moment, there was no one in front of you; in the next, your sight was obstructed.

– Ha! – Zeus laughed at your side – Here he is.

The two brothers soon acknowledged the arrival of the third one, and you couldn’t be left behind: you raised your eyes and found a tall, young man standing in noble, bluish clothing and a pair of shoes of the same shade, his gaze alternating between his relatives. The man had wavy, blond hair and no beard, making him look younger than them, though you already knew he was older than Zeus.

When he finally lowered his eyes to you, you stepped back in an unconscious, defensive gesture: it was impossible to guess if that was the look of someone who was going to kill you or to greet you.

So… this is Poseidon-sama.

Yes, if you’d only count his appearance, you could say that Poseidon was almost as beautiful as Hades, but the resemblance ended here.

If looking at Hades was like having your heart warmed and your spirit comforted once you got used to him, looking at that man was like having your heart broken and seeing your darkest secrets leaking from it before a shocked crowd. Though his traits were carved in perfection, the cold spirit inside them was something you wouldn’t want to have nothing to do with: his emotionless expression and the weight of his gaze was the same of the sea waters in a stormy night. Many times, when you were a child, you observed the gigantic, violent waves from your house’s window during storms, and sensed the existence of this weight, of this indifference to the emotional oscillations of the small, human soul; now, they were reunited and condensed in the form of that pair of ruthless, blue eyes over you, ready to tear you apart.

You weren’t really surprised with such observations, of course – the title of “Tyrant of the Seas” was well known even in distant places such as your homeland – but that didn’t make things easy for you. All you wanted was to run away from him.

Please, stop looking. Please, go away.

The Lord of the Seas was the first of the group to speak, and when he did, you confirmed what you already knew: that it would be preferable to deal with the rawness of Adamas or the eccentricity of Zeus than with the low tones and smooth gestural of their brother.

These were his words, about you but not directed to you:

– This human… This female has a decent face. My brother... must know what he is doing.

You opened your mouth, but forced it to shut again before the obvious question came out and the god in fact tried to end you for your boldness.

Female? Decent face? What is he talking about?

Yes, you doubted that Poseidon had any experience in talking to or about humans, but now you were also sure that he hasn’t seen one in centuries. Was that a compliment or a mere observation?

Before anything else happened, you heard a sigh behind you, then Adamas’ voice.

– Good evening for you too, brother – he crossed his arms over his chest – Have you seen Hades around?

The other barely looked at the speaker to reply.

– No. But he’ll be here soon – and, turning to Zeus, – And I suppose we have to keep her with us until there?

Zeus gave him a positive answer and you wondered how long they would keep talking as if you weren’t able to understand them. What did they think you were? A child, as they liked to say, or a pet? Well, maybe they did; maybe you were just spoiled by Hermes-sama, who always behaved like you were close friends, and what you were seeing now was the regular treatment gods gave the mortals.

But that didn’t explain the way Hades treated you – no condescension, no arrogant assumptions, like you were some sort of exotic species. In the few encounters you had, he always spoke to you as an equal, in respectful, simple manners, as two souls talking to each other. Now you were wondering why he acted that way; what did he want you to think? Yes, you had a connection due to your dreams, but why wouldn’t he speak openly about his thoughts and make you understand what this was all about instead of giving you space to imagine things? Why did he give you that enigma to solve? What exactly did he reveal to his brothers?

And why the people in that room kept looking at you that way?

You swallowed. No longer able to stay quiet, you gathered all your remaining courage and spoke again.

– What’s… What’s going on?

The three turned to you at the same time, but Zeus was the first to reply.

– What do you mean, girl?

You glanced at your surroundings.

– Why is everyone... staring?

Zeus opened his mouth to give you an answer, but it didn’t come from him.

– And why is this a surprise to you, human?

It was Poseidon’s voice. You immediately turned to him, his eyes on you in something close to annoyance, the same of someone who is forced to explain an obvious fact.

– They are in the presence of gods. And not only that: we are on the top of our pantheon. Paying us attention is the least these people must do.

You started to observe each of those people’s faces, and the understanding of the circumstances finally came to you. It wasn’t for nothing that you felt so small when you thought of the distance between your own reality and the one in that place: that was their world, after all; what would be seen as the depths of arrogance and disrespect among men was the rule for them. The presence of human children, as Hermes used to call you, in a small part of their territory would never mean the change of the said rule.

And my presence here wouldn’t make things different as well. No matter what my dream is about… and how gentle Hades seemed to be. Maybe the message of my dream was always clear, and I just didn’t want to see it: I should never try to touch the ruins. They weren’t meant for me.

You glanced at Poseidon, who was still staring at you.

– I… Think I understand something now.

No one made any effort to continue that conversation, and you were glad for that, because you saw the perfect opportunity to do what you had to do. You stepped back, ready to excuse yourself from the brothers’ presence…

But haven’t had the time to say anything: all the three gods looked ahead of you, and something in their faces changed with what they saw. You turned back to find what was going on, and any attempt to understand or describe what you felt when you saw the same as them would be useless.

The gods, the heroes, the elves and the human girls all turned their looks to the newcomer, opening the way for him in respectful silence as he took calm steps toward your group. The gods bowed their heads to his passage, and some put their hands upon their chests in reverence: it was clear that none of them was expecting to see him there, but that didn’t make them forget their good manners.

By the expressions of the humans among them, you confirmed that none of them knew about him except you, and that only deepened their surprise: who was this stranger whose arrival was enough to make even their divine guardians be quiet and step back, afraid of obstructing his path? What kind of authority was that?

And to think that, only a few days ago, you were wandering among the Gardens in his company, engaged in deep talking and sharing fruits like old friends... Was that man and this one really the same?

So, he’s finally here... Hades-sama.

He was dressed in white, as elegantly as Poseidon, wearing an eye patch over his right eye, thin waves of his gray hair falling upon it; over his shoulders, a white cape with fine embroidery on its hem, matching the overall pattern of his clothing.

Just like the other presents, his three brothers nodded to greet him, and he nodded back in response. However, his first words were not directed to them.

Hades had his gaze on you, and through it you saw the truth of what he said.

– Evening, y/n. It is with immense pleasure that I meet you here – and, glancing above your head, – I can see Hermes delivered my gift as requested. And, as expected, it looks magnificent in you.

You bowed to him just like the rest of the room.

– Thank you for it. It’s beautiful. And I’m just as happy to meet you again, Hades-sama.

The growing curves on his lips at the mention of his name, coming from your mouth for the first time, didn’t go unnoticed by you.

– You did it, then. You found the answers.

You nodded.

– I did what I could, but destiny helped me on the hardest parts.

– There’s no need to be so modest – Hades replied with softness – I’m sure that destiny would never say no to a wise, adorable damsel in need of assistance.

You couldn’t see your own eyes when you heard that, but you sensed they got brighter, and this change was pleasing to him. You observed his face and, for a moment, the warm feeling you’ve become familiar with during your previous encounters returned to your heart, and you almost forgot the deliberations of just one moment ago; for a moment, you allowed yourself to think everything was going to be like that, and the natural abyss of your people and position could cease to exist with a mere exchange of sweet words. For a brief moment, you were just a girl cheering with the attentions of a gentleman.

However, you knew that this wasn’t but a dream, more tenuous than the one of the ruins, though more pleasing. And all dreams have to come to an end – the persistent looks of the guests wouldn’t let you forget that.

You swallowed and prepared yourself to act accordingly.

– And it was an honor to have such assistance, as much as it was honor to meet you. I’m glad for our encounters and our conversations, and for your gift. However... – you stretched your hand to reach the pin and took it off your hair, holding it with both hands as you gave it back to him – I can’t accept more than that.

Part IX

[shadowgirl138]

Pouge Princess Chapter 2

(Rafe Cameron x Reader)

A/n: Chapter 2 is here !!!! I just wanna start off with saying thank you guys for reading of course 💓 I kinda wanna start dabbling in maybe headcanons or doing stuff from a prompt list eventually once I see how this all goes. So let me know if anyone's interested in that. Also this chapter is heavy Wheezie centric I feel like she needs more love in the Fandom. She's the only one in the show that let's us see that Rafe still has a heart and that's just so fascinating to me. So I figured I'd give her some love this chapter 😁

Disclaimer: I forgot to mention this in the blurb and chapter 1 but everyone is aged up in this and obviously there is no gold or killing or anything (yet maybe idk🤔)

Warning ⚠️: foul language that's about it

Word count: 3,100

You couldn't help but to avoid Rafe like the Goddamn plague after that day at the golf course. To say he got under your skin that day would be an understatement.

All your years in knowing Rafe Cameron you tried your best to understand where Rafe was coming from because the moment he laid eyes on you as kids he made it his mission to terrorize you day in and day out.You would think with him being three years older he'd be more mature but that was never the case.

You'd take the wrath of little Rafe any day compared to what he does now. When you were kids he would pinch your cheeks with his hands and just hold your head calling you an annoying, a little baby or other innocent insults before running off to avoid getting in trouble. It was so much simpler than wishing you could just go back to that version of Rafe. But yet somehow no matter what he did you always seemed to have a secret soft spot for him.

Maybe it was because you saw how hard Ward was on him. Every time you'd come over Rafe was always being scolded, Ward expected the best from him and everytime Rafe didn't deliver the harder he'd be on him. A part of you wondered if this was why Rafe had a hard time letting people into his life with all the high expectations that people put on him.

Maybe this was all part of being the kook prince, maybe the title was actually a curse in disguise. When you have a title like that attached to your name people start treating you as if you're not a person, you just become whatever people want you to be. Both you and Sarah understood that all too well.

When you're back home on the cut, everyone tries to cozy up to you in hope of getting invited to kook parties or to see if you have any dirt on outer banks richest families. Some even go as far and call you a traitor feeling as if you abandoned your roots. And when you're in figure 8 you feel the need to prove that not all pogues are just sleazy poor people and that you're not just there to steal from them. That's why you always tried your hardest to prove everyone wrong and show them that just because you're a pogue doesn't mean you have no class which I guess in return earned you your princess of the cut title after all these years.

But moments like these really made you question why you even tried in the first place. And as you walked up the steps of Tannyhill after a week of avoiding it simply because of Rafe you couldn't help but to wonder what your next course of action would be if you saw him. Sarah has been asking you for days to come over and hang out with her but you just kept pushing her off knowing that running into Rafe in his own home was inevitable.

But here you are standing at the beautiful, mostly likely hand sculpted doors of Tannyhill. Before you could even get ready to knock the doors swung open revealing none other than Wheezie Cameron herself.

"I'm so glad you're here (y/n) I'm in the middle of a deep crisis and I could use all the help I can get."

"Um but I was supposed to…"

Wheezie didn't even give you time to finish your sentence as she yanked you inside, taking your hand and dragging you towards her room.

"We have no time to waste." She slammed the door behind her pressing her body against it as if she was trapping you inside.

"I need advice and I need it now and you're the only person I can go to. This is top secret stuff here (y/n). I'm bypassing the whole Cameron family and I'm coming straight to you."

"Well what is it that you need…."

"Shhhhh '' Once again Wheezie cut you off this time by pressing her finger against your lips.

"I can't let anyone know you're here Sarah's in the shower getting ready for you. We only have limited time to talk before she wonders where you are." You nodded your head afraid to cause another over dramatic outburst from the youngest Cameron.

"I screwed up big time (y/n) . I think I crossed the line with my crush. You know the one from my school and they totally hate me now. I said something I know I shouldn't have, I kinda called them out on something I know they're insecure about but in my defense I only did it because I was hella fucking jealous that they weren't paying attention to me. But love makes you do crazy things you know."

You nodded taking in what Wheezie was saying as she frantically waved her arms around. "Well maybe you should…" once again you were cut off feeling Wheezie pressing her finger against your lips once more.

"I'm almost done, I'm getting to the big finish." Dramatically she put her arm over her forehead leaning back and closing her eyes.

"I'm just scared that I'll never get the chance to apologize. I really messed up. I guess I'm just worried they don't like me back and I've wasted all this time crushing on them for nothing." You waited wanting to make sure that she got out everything she needed too before finally speaking.

After all these years you really bonded with the youngest Cameron. You guys are just as close as Sarah and you. She truly felt like an outsider in her own home. She wasn't as popular as Sarah and Rafe at school and she always felt buried beneath all their drama. And even though she was younger than you, you always felt like you two shared a special bond.

" Well as long as you've given them space and everything you should take the time to reach out to them and apologize. If you're not ready to let them know how you feel then just continue trying to be a friend, if they care about you too then they'll forgive you just make sure to allow them to forgive you on their time not yours." Wheezie nodded, taking in the information you told her.

"Also jealousy and love make you do crazy things so just be careful those are two very powerful emotions that consume you if you don't handle it properly."

At that Wheezie hugged you smiling widely. "You're the best (y/n) I knew I could count on you for top tier advice. If Sarah asks just say you've been waiting in the foyer for her and that she needs to take quicker showers, her and Rafe are the only people I know that can use up all the hot water in Tannyhill." You laughed before making your exit.

Walking back to the foyer you could see Sarah texting on her phone. "Um, where have you been? I've been waiting for like ever."

"Funny I got here almost 20 minutes ago looking for you. I'm guessing your "quick" shower took longer than expected like always." You roll your eyes as she begins to laugh.

"Ok my bad I'll make it up to let's head outside."

As Sarah and you make your way to the back Wheezie pops her head out from behind one of the closet doors making sure the two of you are gone before making her way towards her brother's room.

Knocking on his door she slowly peeks her head in to find her brother laying down playing on his phone.

"What's the point of knocking if your just gonna fucking barge in anyway." Rafe said not bothering to look up at his younger sister.

"I come bearing information about (y/n) that I thought you might like to hear. But if I'm not wanted then I could always go." She says coyly sitting at the end of his bed as her brother's head pops up at the mention of your name.

"Why would I care about that ?" Rafe says, sinking back down Wheezie knows he's just trying to play it cool not wanting to seem too over eager at the idea of you.

While Rafe has never come out and said it directly to her Wheezie has always known about the secret crush he's harbored for you. She always held a deep admiration for her older brother so naturally she'd follow him around when she was younger. And over time she started to realize that while she was following him he was always following you, watching as you and Sarah would play in the background, taking every chance he could to tease you.

At first she just thought he was being a normal annoying boy treating you like he would his sisters. But as you all grew older Wheezie understood that he had a diffrent type of love for you.

Naturally she found out about what happened at the golf course, granted it took major prying on her end for Rafe to explain why he's been in such a mood this past week. So she figured she'd take matters into her own hands knowing that communication was never her brother's strong suit.

"So I was talking to (y/n) about "MY'' little problem and she gave me some pretty solid advice."

"Wait, what's your problem? Do you need me to take care of anything?" Rafe said, sitting up clearly not getting his sister's hints.

"No stupid I basically refrased the issue your having with her but making like its my issue."

"Oh ok why didn't you just say that." Wheezie couldn't help but roll her eyes at how stupid her brother could be sometimes.

"Anyway I think you should apologize to her but like in your own way so she doesn't get sus about your crush and everything. And she also says that if someone cares about you they'll forgive you just don't get all pushy like you usually do. I know you have no patience.''

Rafe nodded, taking in his sister's words. "I think it's about time you just tell her how you feel Rafe. It has been agonizing to watch all these years. Plus I would love it if (y/n) was my sister in law."

At that Rafe flicked Wheezie on her head "Jesus Wheeze let me work on my own goddamn time, you're jumping too far ahead I gotta focus on today."

"So you're admitting you've thought of marriage." Wheezie smiled, jumping off his bed and running to the door before he could flick her again.

"Sarah and (y/n) are outside. I can get Sarah away from her so you can apologize."

Following his sister out they made their way to the backyard to see you and Sarah sitting beneath a tree facing one another and laughing.

"What are you two doing? '' Wheezie calls out running up to you guys as Rafe stands behind leaning against the back door.

"We're playing our secret game." Sarah says giggling

"God not this again when are you two gonna give this up." Wheezie whines and you two burst into laughter.

For years Sarah and you have been playing this "secret game" that only the two of you know about much to everyone's annoyance. It was something you two did to ensure you'd always be friends and never fight and after all these years it seemed to be working. While Sarah has a tendency to drift away from people she never seemed to drift from you.

"Gosh you two are so annoying together, anyway Rose texted me to ask if you can send her a picture of that contract she just signed for that new house she sold."

"Why can't you do it? I'm busy."

"I don't know where it is. Can you show me?"

"Ugh I'll be back (y/n)."

Rafe watches as Sarah gets up following Wheezie inside before stepping his way over to you. "Hey" He said, towering over you instead of sitting.

"Hi Rafe." He couldn't help but see the way you looked up at him before looking back down, noticing the way you didn't want to make eye contact. Rafe finally sat down, sitting opposite of you like Sarah was just moments before.

You watched as he suddenly lifted his large hands to your face. "Um Rafe, what are you…." Before you could finish your sentence Rafe began to pinch your cheeks and shake your head.

"I'm trying to get you to stop being such a fucking baby and look at me when I talk to you." He said as he watched you squint your eyes and scrunch up your nose secretly relishing the feeling of your face in his hands.

Once satisfied he released your face and watched as you busted out laughing, he couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face as you laughed. As much as he ragged on his friends for being love sick bitches all the time he was probably secretly the worst out of all of them because everything you did riled him up to no end.

"You Camerons can never let me finish a sentence." You chuckled.

Excited that he finally got you to speak to him he found a way to keep the conversation going as best as he could. "Hmm, So uh you're going to Toppers next week for the yearly Thornton charity ball ?"

"Yha it's not like I have a choice really."

"Well you gotta love being Cynthia Thornton's favorite trophy piece to show off." Once again you giggle at his words noticing Sarah approaching from behind.

"Is he bothering you (y/n)? I could always have dad lock him back up in the kennel with the other dogs." Sarah said arms crossed waiting for Rafe to move from her spot.

"I'm fucking going" standing up he took one more glance at you before walking away noticing the small smile you gave him. He was trying his hardest to bite his tongue, not wanting to ruin the moment between the two of you just to get into a petty dispute with Sarah.

"You know actually I think it might be time for me to head home. I have an early shift tomorrow and you know it will take a while for me to get back." You said standing up and brushing off the dirt from your shorts.

"Aw come on (y/n) why do you always have to be so responsible?'' Sarah whined before taking you in her arms. "Come over tomorrow we can keep playing our game."

"I can give you a ride home (y/n) I was gonna head over that way anyway."

Rafe could see the look of shock on both Sarah and yours face and a part of him already felt regretful for even offering. But he couldn't sit on his feelings for you any longer. If he didn't start acting on them then he might actually explode, and a ride home was a good step in the right direction.

"Um sure I'd really appreciate that it saves me the cab fare." Rafe could tell you were agreeing just to avoid the awkward rejection and it hurt a hell of a lot to realize that.

"I'll see how I feel after my shift Sarah and let you know." You hugged her one more time before taking your leave falling a few steps behind Rafe's tall frame.

The two of you got into his truck sitting in an awkward silence as he started the engine. Neither one of you spoke for sometime both just keeping your eyes straight ahead.

"Are you going to go see Barry?" You asked knowing that Rafe wouldn't be caught dead in the cut unless it was to see Barry.

"Uh yha I owe him money and I gotta pay him back today."

"Hmm" your attempt at making conversation fell dead, coming off as more judgmental than you intended it to be.

"So I assume you're going to the charity event next week too. Maybe we could hang out for a bit. I always hated going and I know Sarah kinda isn't invited because of… well you know." You looked over at him to see if you got any reaction.

A part of you was mentally screaming for even asking him. Rafe seemed like he was extending an olive branch today so of course you'd try to grab hold of it and finally end his years long reign of terror against you. Plus it would be nice to finally go with someone to the Thornton charity ball and not awkwardly hang onto Topper for the whole event.

"Sure I hate those fucking things anyway I only go for Topper and since my dad is makeing me this year."

You nodded watching as Rafe turned down your block slowing down when he reached your house. "Well thanks for the ride Rafe, I'll probably see you tomorrow." Rafe nodded as You flashed him another smile, you got out of the car waving goodbye when you reached the door.

Rafe stayed to make sure you got in safe and to get the excuse to watch you a little longer before pulling off making his way over to Barry's house.

Maybe Wheezie was right that now was the time for him to make his move. You're sweet and caring and no matter how hard he's tried to push you away you always end up forgiving him.  Being around you is the best high he's ever had but he couldn't stop the nagging voice inside his head from telling him he'll just ruin everything or more importantly ruin you. 

A/n: Well that's the end of chapter 2 I had alot of fun writing this one. I'm gonna try to come up with a consistent posting schedule and shot for Thursday nights to post. Anyway I hope guys enjoy I have some fun stuff planned😚😚

[yellingaboutmasseffect]

Writer Tag Game!

I was tagged by @stormikins

No pressure tags:  @angstyastro @zet-sway @spookyvalentine

Do you write in order?

Definitely not which is why  my mass effect series, Memento Vivere, took so long to start publishing. The stuff that inspired me to get started was usually in mass effect 2 which is the middle of the story and not great for posting in order. I also try to write things down the moment I get inspiration for it so I can come back to it later which has been really handy to have those notes later.

Do you start with something in particular?

I will start with the most inspiring bits first and worrying about filling in the gaps later. That helps me write more than forcing myself to worry about things that I don’t enjoy as much like the title or summary.

How fully formed does your writing come out first try?

Pretty well formed. I used to be a perfectionist until I realized how much that was truly holding me back, especially when I thought that first draft had to be the only draft. Even so a finished draft will at least be as close to how I want it to look before publishing, just in need of edits, word choice revision, and some polishing.

How many drafts do you go through?

One technically? Or at least it feels like one to me. I open up the document and I write. When that draft is done, I edit it a few times before I go to publish it. Then I usually go through on AO3 to spot what I missed during edits.

Tell me about your process:

I will usually start with that core inspiration and write out that scene as long as that inspiration has me. As I add on to it, I will start doing a rough outline and write notes or a couple sentence about what will happen in certain scenes about where I want that scene to be. Then I bounce around to where inspiration takes me and then try to connect those scenes together which is usually easier as writing the other scenes helped fill in the gaps.

[nanowrimo]

5 Tips for Fast Drafting from a New York Times Bestselling Author

NaNoWriMo is basically an exercise in fast drafting: getting as much of the first draft of the story as you can on the page as quickly as possible. Today, bestselling author J. Elle is here to share some pro tips for fast drafting: My first middle grade novel took me nine days to write. 

The first draft was about 40,000 words or so. And yes, it needed to be revised before it sold to a publisher. But the meat of the story was on the page in just over a week’s time. I’d never drafted anything quite that fast before. Within a single month I’d written an entire novel, revised it a couple times and readied it for sale. A few months later that novel sold at auction and will be on shelves May 2022. 

I still look back on this feat with a bit of shock and awe. To date I’ve sold five novels to major publishers, two young adult, two middle grade and one non fiction and my experience fast drafting has forever altered the way I approach writing. I should mention, fast drafting isn’t for everyone. Writing is such a personal thing and each storyteller has their own process, but in the event getting the first draft out is the biggest hurdle for you, like it is for me, I’m going to share five tips for knocking out that first draft in record time. 

1. Start with a SHORT story pitch.

Pitching a story in a few words is tough. But it’s a worthy effort and the best use of your time before you get any words on the page. Why? Because it helps you hone in on the core of your story and its hook. A good short pitch involves the character, their dilemma, and a hint of the stakes. In October of 2018 I pitched my YA debut novel in a tweet which then blew up. Not many words can fit in a tweet, but by choosing the right set of words, I was able to convey the heart of my story and it really resonated. (From that tweet, I signed with a literary agent and sold my debut novel to a Big 5 publisher in a six-figure-deal.) The biggest favor you can do for yourself is understand the story—its essence, its core—you’re trying to tell before you start drafting. And that’s hard. But the more you play around with creating a short pitch, you’ll begin to see a clear snapshot of what your book is going to be about. That’s your jumping off point. 

2. Expand your pitch into tent pole beats.

From your short pitch, spend some time deciding on what your major beats are. Now, yes this is a bit like outlining. And for you pantsers out there, I empathize with you. I was a pantser and still am in many ways. But I still do this step because this step ultimately saves me time. The beauty of fast drafting is that you know what you need to do when you sit down to type. So a lot of these steps are about doing pre-work so that when you sit down to type you’re not spinning your wheels to figure out what to type. Instead you’ll have a clear goal and you’ll be ready to execute it. Also, note that the goal isn’t to perfect each of these steps, but instead to try to do each step, to the best of your ability, and in a way that makes sense. 

I could write an entire piece on beat sheeting novels (which I love and do for all my books), but for the purposes here, I’ve organized the main things you want to know below in a series of questions. Simply answer each, make a chart if you like that sort of thing, and once you have each question filled out in a way that logically makes sense, move on to the next step. (NOTE: It’s a good idea to get feedback on this step if you have critique partners and fellow writers you trust.)  

Opening Scene - Who is the character before the world changes?

Inciting Incident - What happens that forces them to make a choice, changing their lives forever? What are they choosing between? 

“A” Plot - What is that choice they make? What are they pursuing or working toward? Finding information? Going on a quest? Uncovering the truth behind a murder?

Stakes - What are the stakes of the “A” plot? What’s at risk if they fail to accomplish whatever they’re pursuing? It should be something that personally affects them or someone / something they care about. 

“B” Plot / Character - Who or what is the theme of the story? What character in your story is going to embody that theme and play a key role in helping the main character change?

Midpoint - what happens in the middle of the book to change the character’s direction. Usually it’s some bit of new information or they realize things are not as they seem. 

Stakes Raise - How do the stakes (what’s at risk if they fail) raise after the middle of the book? 

Character Arc - what does your character believe about the world in the beginning of the book that by the book’s end they will no longer believe? (An extension of this question is: what things can happen in this character’s life to facilitate them incrementally learning this big truth? If you don’t know this question right off, that’s okay. But this is a question you want to go back to every now and again, even after you finish the first draft, to ensure your character is actively involved in a plot that is resulting in their change.)

Failure - How will your character fail big? This happens at about the 75% point of the book and it's the final moment of failure, usually, before they pick themselves up off the ground (figuratively or literally) and learn the lesson they’ve needed to learn. There forward they act on their new belief to the end of the book, demonstrating how they’re changed. 

If you’d like a more in depth look at how to beat sheet a novel, I strongly suggest reading Jessica Brody’s Save The Cat Writes A Novel. 

3. Flesh out your beats into a detailed synopsis. 

Now the fun part! This step is the most helpful thing you can do to enable yourself to fast draft. 

Write a mini version of your story, also known as a detailed synopsis. The key to writing synopses is not to worry about the voice, but instead what happens. Try to convey what happens and its impact on the character to show how the story moves from tent pole moment to tent pole moment (per the step above). This takes some trial and error and you may get annoyed with yourself because it’s not as easy as it seems. But, I’ve seen that if you can write a compelling and cohesive synopsis, the draft that you execute will be far stronger and more efficiently executed. 

Definitely get beta feedback on your synopsis from writing friends you trust. It’s worth going over this a few times to get it right. In terms of length, aim for 3-4 pages for a middle grade novel and 5-10 pages for a young adult or adult novel. These are just general guidelines. My latest YA novel required a fifteen page synopsis and I am very glad I did it because it conveys the tone, arc, and plot of the novel and the main plot threads quite well, which allowed me to draft the first 23,000 words of the story in five days. 

4. Summarize each scene. 

(Note: a chapter can have more than one scene.)

Okay, we’re getting really close to writing! Now that you have a mini version of your story, consider how you will break it up into scenes. This doesn't need to be perfect, but spend some time figuring how to stretch your synopsis into a full novel. Give each scene a short summary. Aim for a few sentences, no more than a paragraph, just so you know what needs to happen in that scene (or scenes). Do not skip this step. I repeat, do not skip this step. This step allows you to sit down and execute the scene without figuring out what to write. The “figuring out” part is where a lot of writers slow down. Do that in the summaries so when it’s time to draft you are ready to execute, not sort out details. 

5. Write with a goal in mind.

Plan your writing days. I’m not talking anything extensive here. Just grab your phone calendar or a post-it note and write down which days you want to do which scenes. Then on writing day re-read that summary and execute it. If you’ve done all the pre-work the words will fly from your fingers. Don’t worry about grammar, typos, reading back what you did. Insert fillers such as, “TITLE” or “NAME” for details you haven’t worked out yet. Just get the scene that you’ve summarized out. The goal is to finish the draft. After that is when you make sure it all works together through revisions and fill in the details. Right now the goal is finishing the draft. It literally just needs to exist! 

If you’ve done all five steps, pat yourself on the back because congrats, you’re ready to fast draft! Don’t hesitate to tag me on socials if you try this method out and it works for you. I’d love to hear how it goes!

J.Elle is the New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Ebony. Elle has a Bachelor’s of journalism and an MA in educational administration and human development.  She grew up in Texas, but has lived all over, from coast to coast which she credits as inspiration for her writing. These days the former educator can be found mentoring aspiring authors, binging reality TV, loving on her three littles, or cooking up something true to her Louisiana roots.

Website: WingsOfEbony.com

Twitter: @AuthorJ_Elle

Instagram: @AuthorJ.Elle

TikTok: @authorjelle

[tuulikannel]

My WIPs

@solarsavoy wrote about her wips, and that got me thinking about mine. Unlike her, this isn’t so much to show you what my goals are, but what kind of plotbunnies are bouncing around in my brain at the moment…

Well, first of all, there’s of course those wips I’m already posting, and hopefully finishing some day soon(ish). Stress the word hopefully… >_> Caught Between, a Hikaru no Go fic with intersex Sai, and All the Gifts, Assassination Classroom fic inspired by The Girl with All the Gifts (which has been facing something of a writer’s block for a while, but good news for the readers: I started writing this again yesterday!)

Then, the unpublished wips (that are stealing all my attention). Don’t hold your breath waiting for any of these, though… they'll happen. Some year.

Untitled Assassination Classroom/Danganronpa crossover #1 I’m pretty excited about this one, but also slightly terrified. I mean, I’m afraid this fic’s going to be huge (in size, that is), and I technically know where it’s headed, but I’ve no idea how to reach that ending yet. ^^; I also have way too many characters in my hands (all assclass characters + all characters from the 3 DR games…) How many different povs can you have in one fic? I’ve now written some 6k of words, and I’m still far from what I consider the starting point of the fic. >_> It’s all just background stuff so far.

The starting point? It’s this: “Under the broken moon, Junko Enoshima laughed.”

(I feel like that sentence is a bit… overly dramatic or something, but I just like the image. XD)

Untitled Assassination Classroom/Danganronpa crossover #2 which is in fact a Koro Quest/Despair Dungeon crossover. I personally like this idea a lot and I’ve a clearer view of the plot than with the first crossover. I’ve written most of the first chapter, but the previous plotbunny’s demanding my attention right now…

Trying to come up with a title for this, I created one kinda in the style of the ridiculously long Victorian chapter titles: The Epic Tale of How Students of Two Grand Schools Set Aside Their Differences and Joined Forces to Combat Despair. Then, just for the sake of procrastination, I put that through several layers of google translate, and it turned into this: Breakups aside, a good story about two high school students struggling with depression.

Therefore, I’m thinking of this fic these days as Breakups Aside, just fyi. A working title? It has nothing to do with the plot, but so what.

And then there is Toilet-Bound Nagito-kun. Umm, does this need any explanation? xD Hajime has a wish, that’s all I’m saying about the plot. If you’ve played DR2, I’m pretty sure you know what that wish is. Something he’s desperate enough to realize that he’s sneaking into a girls’ bathroom in the middle of the night after an urban legend. This was inspired by a short clip on youtube. Don’t watch the video if you’ve not played DR2! No spoilers for Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, the clip’s from the very beginning of the anime. Here it is.

I thought this fic would just be a pointless, short one-shot, but now that I’ve reached what should have been the end, the characters suddenly want me to take this seriously, and I don’t know where I’m going with this anymore. >_> We’ll see.

Then, there’s two more additions to Mythologica (assclass retellings of various myths, that is) that for now exist only in my mind:

Helen of Troy which is nothing but a rom-com. Here’s the cast: Kanzaki as Helena, Sugino as Menelaus, Isogai as Odysseus, Ren as Paris of Troy, and basically the rest of 3-E guys (apart from Nagisa and Karma) as her other suitors. Oh, and Maehara is Penelope, i.e. Odysseus’s love interest. XD

Then there’s a very short ficlet idea with Hazama as Medusa. Inspired by the song Medusa by Heather Dale.

And some sequels:

The Haunting of Kunugigaoka, continuation to blind alley. Again, something I really want to write, but it exists only as a bunch of random ideas in my mind, atm. It’s not even a wip yet…

A sequel for Chika-go, crossover between Hikago and Dresden Files, still untitled (what a surprise!) I’ve only written very little of the beginning, and this is unlikely to be ever finished… but I like the first fic a lot and would love to write this someday. Hikaru returns to Chicago years later with Akira, just to find out that a lot has changed.

And oh damn, I’d forgotten about this one! A Dresden Files fic about Thomas. I seem to have written over 7000 words of it… I really have to finish this someday. There’s less than half left to be written, anyway.

That’s it, I guess? There might be some other random things, but they’re so unlikely to ever be realized that it’s not worth it to talk about them.

[itsjustmyfantasyroom]

Badge to Case.

For: @thatesqcrush Smutty Summer Bingo.

Square: Dirty Talk.

Paring: Nick Amaro x reader.

Warnings: Smut.

WC: 1627

Enjoy x

The case that you guys were handling had led to another case that had happened in LA and the perp had been caught in Manhattan for the same string of offences. Sonny had been in touch with the ADA in Los Angeles and they were flying out after the Manhattan trail with SVU LA to bring the perp back for sentencing there.      

You had promised you would be in court for Sonny that morning to be there when the verdict dropped, but there was a stack of paper work the LA ADA needed the detectives to bring back and Sonny had asked you to do it. You finished late and got home at almost 1am and then you slept through your alarm. You had just walked into the bullpen when your phone buzzed with a message,

“Missed you in court. Got the verdict we wanted. Drinks tonight 6pm not taking no for an answer, our usual place”

You smiled at Sonny’s message sending back a quick reply agreeing to drinks and got stuck into the day finishing off more paper work related to the case to get the file closed off. Liv walked out of her office at 5.30 with her bag telling you all to grab your jackets because Sonny was waiting for you all for drinks. You let the other’s go ahead wanting to go to the bathroom before you made the quick walk to the bar.

You didn’t take long before you were walking out heading to the bar and making your way over to the usual drinking hole, excited to have a drink and let your hair down after an intense case. You walked to the door pulling it open and stepping inside scanning the room for your friends. Your eyes found Sonny first and he waved to let you know he had seen you when the whole table turned to look at you grinning.

You had seen the dark-haired person leaning on the table between Liv and Sonny but it didn’t click till they turned around with a big smile on their face. You stopped in your tracks and you took in their appearance. Hair swooped to the side set in place, neatly trimmed beard, well-fitting suit and a smile that you had seen from every angle that still made you melt.

Nick started to walk towards you and you matched his steps faster, a big smile and tears rolling down your cheeks. You both rushed towards each other and just as you got a finger length away, you got up on your tippy toes wrapping your arms around his neck, his around your middle and he lifted you up off the floor spinning you around before putting you back on the floor and cupping your cheeks wiping your tears away with his thumbs,

“Don’t cry, Amor”

“I’ve missed you” you sniffed out.

“Me too, so much. I’ am glad you didn’t see me in court this morning, didn’t need your tears all over my suit” Nick chuckled kissing your forehead.

You shook your head laughing while his hands ran down your face to sit on your shoulders and your hands moved to rest on his hairy face,

“What are you doing here? You didn’t call to say you were in town”

“I only flew in this morning with the ADA and the detectives. Sonny set all this up when you didn’t turn up this morning”

“Wait” you raised an eye brow, your hands dropping from his face “What?”

“I’ am a paralegal in the DA’s office in LA. The DA wanted me on it cause your my old squad, thought it would have made everything run smoother”

“How long are you here for?”

“2 nights. 7am flight out the morning after next” You smiled up at him and one of his thumbs came up to run along your chin “I booked our place for 7.30 tomorrow night; think you can make it?”

“I’ll make sure of it”

**

You gave yourself the once over in your hall mirror fixing up your leather knee length tight fitting skirt and tucking in your leopard print shirt before rushing out the door to your waiting uber. It wasn’t long before you were at a spot that you hadn’t been to since before he left. Your tummy filled with butterflies as you walked into the restaurant and Nick instantly stood up from his seat when he saw you and started to walk towards you. Nick took you in his arms, his big warm hands running up and down your back and you melted into him when you felt his lips and his soft beard on your neck,

“God, I missed you” Nick pulled you in closer to his solid body.

“I missed you so much” you squeezed your arms around him.

Nick pulled away looking down at you with a soft smile, he cupped your cheeks and lent forward his lips landing half on your cheek, half on your lips and his forehead came to rest on yours,

“Let’s eat”

The conversation flowed over dinner and you had caught each other up on what was going on pretty quietly, you only speaking over the phone to him 6 weeks ago. Nick insisted on paying and you were standing outside the restaurant almost toe to toe with each other, Nick’s hands on your hips,

“What time do you start tomorrow?” he pulled your hips into him titling his head to the side and licking his lips.

“I have tomorrow off actually” you grinned.

“So, we have all night?” Nick sucked in his top lip “My hotel isn’t far”

Everything happened so quickly and before you knew it you were laying on Nick’s hotel bed in just your panties, your hands pinned above your head and Nick on top of you between your legs, his top half bare but his pants still on,

“Tell me what you want” Nick rolled his hips into you.

“I want you” you purred.

“What do you wanted me to do to you, my love?”

“Nick” you whined pouting “Please, you know what I want”

“You need to use to your words baby.”

“I need you” you shot back.

“The last time you told me that, you let me fuck you against your wall. I need more details Y/N, it’s been so long, I need you to remind me what you like”

“I know you remember” your cheeks blushes. Nick looked down at you with a smirk giving you a wink.

“Come on baby, tell me, please” Nick rolled his hips again, his lips brushing along yours and you whimpered softly, squirming under him when you felt your panties dampen more.

“I want you” you paused taking a deep breath “I want you to fuck me doggy style, hard and fast” your cheeks blushed even more and Nick bit his bottom lip.

“What do you want me to fuck you with?” Nick growled back, pulling back away from you, to get up off the bed, ridding himself of his pants and boxers.

“I want you to fuck me hard and fast with your big thick cock”

A chesty groan left Nick as he grabbed the waist of your panties pulling them down your legs and throwing them on the floor,

“Very good for using your words, my love. And because you did what I asked, you now get what you want”

Nick’s hands came to your hips flipping you onto your tummy and he moved back onto the bed between your legs, grabbing the protection he sat on the bedside table opening it and rolling it on. You felt Nick brushing himself along your core, and you braced yourself onto your elbows, your head falling onto the bed when Nick bottomed out in you.

Nick didn’t give you anytime to adjust to his size, he started thrusting into you, his hands on your hips pulling you back. You started to push back into him. One of his hands left your hips and run up your back into your hair resting there, his other hand in a bruising grip on your hip,

“That’s it Y/N, I forgot how well you take my cock” Nick grunted, feeling his own release getting closer “How much have you missed me? Missed me fucking you?” you groaned.

“So much” you gasped out “Missed all of you Nick”

Nick’s hand on your hip ran around to your clit, his pointer finger rolling across at. A spark shot through you and you pushed yourself up onto you hands and arched your back screaming his name coming hard around him. You had barely come down from your bliss, when Nick thrusted hard, stilled and came deep inside you, your name chanting from his mouth.

Nick moved away for a moment, and you flopped down on your tummy while he quickly cleaned himself up and was back in bed with you, taking you into his arms, his thumb circling on your back and peppering your face with kisses,

“I missed you, but I didn’t know how much until now” Nick muttered and you looked up and him, your hand coming up to rest on his bearded cheek.

“I feel the same” you whispered back.

“Sonny told me there is a position in his office. I want to apply for it”

Your eyes blew open and you smiled big,

“You want to come back to Manhattan?”

“I do” Nick nodded “What do you think?”

“It’s a great idea” you almost squealed. Nick laughed and peaked your lips.

“One question”

“Anything” you smiled up at him.

“If or when I come back, can we pick up where we left off?”

“Yes” you smiled.

“I’ll apply first thing in the morning”

 Tags: @beccabarba @lovebishoplosamiguelgalindo @alwaysachorusgirl​ @amorestevens​ @harryssxnflwr​ @ben-c-group-therapy​