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sugareey-makes-stuff · 2 years

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I had already planned to give @crazybutgood a shout-out this month because she’s an amazing person, but it also happens to be her birthday today! CBG is way better at origami than I’ll ever be, but I thought I’d give it a shot in folding some things I still know and enjoy making. Stars bring hope, and (baby) turtles link back to the nature of creation and good luck. Fortune cookies are full of fun and surprises, and a paper crane is as the “bird of happiness” that symbolises good fortune and longevity (and it’s a nod to a certain blond ;D). These are all of the qualities I see in CBG, which has made her a key person within fandom who has brought so many others together. She’s a shining star because she knows exactly how to support creators and cheer them on. Her warmth and enthusiasm make things so much brighter, and I’m sure fandom folks can agree with me that because of CBG’s support, that’s why so many awesome works exist today. She’s that fandom enthusiast and reader who makes creators go, “OMG, okay! Maybe I should be doing more of what I’m doing?!” I first saw CBG’s origami from mutuals’ reblogs, and I was blown away. How cool is it that such a beautiful craft has been integrated within fandom? Her work is unique and thoughtful. And she’s obviously damn good at folding, and that’s what makes CBG stand out. She creates origami recs, gifts and shout-outs for people because she wants to not because she has to. Seriously, her origami advent from the hols was so cool, and her author appreciation project is just as awesome and heartfelt (and there’s more to come soon for that!). I have no idea how she does all of this, since these projects are labour intensive to set up. Nevertheless, all of her origami and recs always make me smile whenever they pop up on my feed. And, this is 1000000% why CBG is truly one of a kind. As an origami artist, she has collabed with so many creators to bring some stellar works to life. Make sure to check out more of her creations and recs! She’s also an alpha AND a beta, which is not an easy job. For those who have written fics, it’s easy to let imposter syndrome take over and for the writing plan to fall to pieces. But CBG is there offering her help, cheerleading and kindness so authors can produce the best fics they can be proud of. And the fact that she’s worked with many creators in that sense and has lifted each one up says everything you need to know. She’s obviously someone who is a dream to work with. Did I mention how nice CBG is? I got to co-mod @microficmay with her, and her energy is such a breath of fresh air. She truly wants to help in any way she can and she delivers. She was a godsend during a busy May, and she deserves 8324324324 kudos for keeping things going (thank you so much for being a gem for dealing with all the reblogs at weird hours). I don’t think we expected so many microfics to come in, but hey, that’s never a bad thing. More microfics to enjoy and read! If CBG wasn’t talented enough, she makes podfics AND she writes! I’m so glad she dipped her toes in writing! We both had no idea we would be paired up for the @gameofdrarry Owlery Exchange, but here we are! XD When reveals came out right after Microfic May ended, we laughed when we found out we had been writing to each other for two months without even knowing it. I haven’t written anything for Drarry in many years, so receiving letters from CBG’s Draco and responding back as Harry was really fun. She has been a great person to collab with, and I’m so glad we hit things off (as Harry and Draco and as co-writers)! Our fic, I Just Want You to Know is currently posting up letters from now until the end of the month. Feel free to check it out and follow along for the latest updates! Here are my fav CBG fics too: 🌟 >>> Language of Love (Drarry, T, 864) Summary: “Sometimes, I wish you could understand the things I want to say to you, about you, in Hindi or Urdu.” AHHH! My heart ! <333 This is so tender and gorgeous, and I totally get this. Native languages in fics are something I absolutely adore because the words are personal. And I love how Harry is willing to teach Draco some words he knows to show that he cares. This fic shows so much in so few words! 🌟 >>> Heart on Your Sleeve (Drarry, T, 5.1k + origami) Summary: Draco’s finally returned to England after fleeing to France when he was turned into a vampire. Pansy and Blaise try to drag Draco's moping ass out of Malfoy Manor, but he’s still reluctant while doing so. Until he stumbles upon Potter’s cafe. This is soooo cute! Coffee shop AU + Vampire!Draco was something I didn’t know I needed until I read this fic. The coffee puns, the flirting, the meddling friends and the origami that goes with each part makes this fluffy fic worth the read! If you’re also looking for classic dramatic!Draco, and general banter, give this a shot! 🌟 >>> Green Heart (Drarry, G, 899 + origami) Summary: Seeing Draco’s dexterity with his hands, Draco’s father lets him pursue various Arts for him to develop his skills, including origami. Ensuring Draco strives to practice and excel, his father provides him with an endless supply of ordinary and magical papers. One special type changes colour depending on one’s mood when touched, making for an interesting folding process. A curious Draco tries it out. OKAY, this fic is precious AND clever, because Draco making origami and using it as his outlet for his worries is pretty amazing here. There’s such a beautiful narration of his years at Hogwarts, how they tie back to canon events and how he’s feeling about everything. I don’t even know what else to say, other than the execution of this was so well thought out and how cool it is that we can actually see “his” creations. Find more of CBG’s work on AO3, and give her some love for her fandom contributions! CBG, thank you so much for what you do for fandom creators. You have such a way of making each day so much better for all of us. We love you, and keeping being awesome!

#crazybutgood #happy birthday #drarry #hp fanfic #fic recs #rec lists #origami #hp fanart #lettering #friends with bdays #sugareey does lettering #sugareey makes origami #sugareey recs things #fandom friends

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sessakag · 1 year

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Idk if anyone has said this before but I just wanna thank you and some Naruhina writers for writing/exploring the morally gray and dark themes in NH fics. We don’t see that a lot bc NH is usually fluffy and I love it but other times I just want stories like Butterfly, Prey, Secrets of the Hidden Leaf, A Cure for Love,etc.

So thank you for writing them! I love that you don’t shy away from it. I always look forward to any stories you put out. Like the recent one and that one shot where Hinata is grieving from a loss and gets drunk and meets an equally broken Naruto. Or your fluffy ones where Naruto want to surprise Hinata on Mother’s Day while the kiddos help. Or when you explore poly relationship between Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke. There’s not a lot of fic of these trio so I appreciate that you write them!

Honestly your power to switch in making us hella sad, hella horny, and hella happy needs to be studied😩🫦🫰🏾 love it!!

I want to write my own NH fic someday and a lot of you writers inspire me everyday!

Awww, thank you!!! I feel the same, I love NaruHina fluff, but I wish more fics would branch out beyond just that. Or even better, keep the fluff but add the other morally questionable, soul rending darkness along side it. Like, I need flavor, I need some variety, I need stories that are gonna make me experience the full scale of my human emotions; from dark to light, high to low, wtf to omg yes! 😂

The sterility be killing me 😭 but luckily I'm seeing more NaruHina writers dabbling in the dark arts and I am behind all of you 1000000%, thank you for bringing us some color in this fandom!

Lol, my ass be running head first into the chaos for sure. From my first fanfic ever, I decided I wasn't gonna shy away from anything. Life is beautiful, but life is ugly af too, you're getting the whole range with me. I'm not much of a tip-toer for a lot of topics. It is what it is and I make no apologies. I want my readers to be happy, sad, horny, annoyed, enraged, devastated, uncomfortable and offended reading my stories. I want readers to experience LIFE in my fics; good and bad, ya know?

Don't even get me started on the lack of NaruHinaSasu poly relationship fics!! 😭😭😭😭😭I hope more start cropping up and I plan on adding at least 5 more myself. I love that ship! 🥰

Lol, well I'm glad you think my fics are worth studying, I try my best and if I can inspire anyone at all, I'll take that as a win!

Go for it!! We always need more NaruHina writers! And if you need any help, or support, or just wanna chill and chat my inbox is always open!

Thank you for dropping some love in my ask box! I wish you the best in your writing journey, and thank you for supporting NaruHina writers of the community!

#ask #answer #naruhina #fanfiction #writing

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heauxplesslydevoted · 2 years

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Hello!

There have been a few versions of fics where a happily married Ethan/MC learn that Ethan has a long-lost child that he was unaware of. To make matters worse, before they were wed, he told MC he didn't want children, so she agreed to this (begrudgingly).

Let's flip...

What would happen if your Ethan learned that your MC had a child which was put up for adoption before they met, and she never told him? Given his own abandonment issues, how would this impact his feelings toward MC and their relationship going forward?

(Don't blame me; someone hoisted this on me last night, and now I need to know other writers' answers! lol Oh, and if I sent this twice, forgive me, it's 2:28 AM and my dumb ass should be in bed.) :)

Oh my god, how could you dump something so angsty on me. I literally just woke up, bestie 😩

Okayyyyyy let’s go. I might turn this into a fic, with better grammar later on.

Naomi gets pregnant at 17. Despite always using protection, she and her boyfriend, Steven are still that 1% of people who get pregnant while taking all precautions.

Financially, Naomi knows she’d be fine. But emotionally/mentally/physically? She knows without a doubt that she would be a horrible mother at 17 years old. She doesn’t want to subject a kid to her selfishness and unwillingness to sacrifice her goals.

Naomi’s already committed to Johns Hopkins, and her boyfriend is leaving the east coast and going to California for college. Neither one of them wants to put any of their plans on hold, so they know early on that Naomi isn’t keeping the baby. Thankfully their parents support the decision 1000000% and do not try to talk them out of it.

They’re quickly connected to a couple, Sheila and Franklin Foster. They live in Arlington, Sheila is a 5th teacher, Franklin works for The Pentagon. They’ve been trying to conceive a baby for 6 years with no luck, and instantly, Naomi knows she’s meant to help them.

After she gives birth to a healthy baby boy, Naomi insists that he’s immediately handed to Sheila so she can experience mommy and son bonding. For a split second, the urge to hold him and never let him go crossed her mind, but she knew that wouldn’t work for anyone.

After two days in the hospital, Naomi is discharged.

She cries. She cries a lot. She takes 3 weeks off from school. Her mom finds a support group for her to join, and that’s that. She graduated high school at the top of her class and went on to college, and the rest is history.

Ethan finds out when they get engaged and on a fluke. One night, he stumbles across a box of momentos in Naomi’s closet, tipped over, the contents spilled out. Out comes an ultrasound and the first thing he notices is the date. It’s dated for 12 years ago. When confronted, Naomi confesses that she was pregnant as a teen and gave the baby up.

Ethan is shocked to hear this, but he listens to her nonetheless. How could she keep something like this from him? Something so huge.

“It’s not like I have a kid out there that I’m not raising or abandoned at my parents house,” Naomi says, and it kills whatever rebuttal Ethan was going to throw at her regarding his own parentage. “I didn’t let them grow attached to me and then leave them. I was a kid myself, I knew I wasn’t in the right space to bring a baby into this world and properly care for them. I’m not a mom. Sheila is his mom. I’m just someone who had the opportunity to help a very deserving couple.”

“I get a picture and a birthday card every year from his parents,” Naomi says, absentmindedly pointing to their bedroom closet. Ethan surmises that’s where she keeps them. “His name is Isaac, he’s 11 years old. The family live in Virginia, and Isaac is great at science and loves football. He wants to be an astronaut football player, and he has a 5 year old sister named Maya who wants to be a princess.” She laughs. “And knowing that, knowing that he’s loved and cared for, and his hobbies and interests are being nurtured, and he’s surrounded by such a great family is more than enough for me. I know Steven and I made the right choice, and I don’t have a single regret.”

“Does he know he’s adopted?”

“Yes. He’s sent me a few pictures before. He said I’m a cool lady who helped him find his mommy and daddy.”

“Would you ever want to meet him?” Ethan asks gently. “If he reached out, what would you say?”

“I would love meet him,” Naomi replies. “After he’s 18 and an adult, of course, I don’t want to overstep.”

“I’m sorry I never told you,” Naomi continues, sniffling. She doesn’t know why she’s crying right now. She’s not even sad. “It’s not something I’m ashamed of at all, so I shouldn’t have kept it a secret.”

“I’m sorry for jumping down your throat,” Ethan tells her, all of his righteous indignation completely gone from his body. “That wasn’t fair, especially since I didn’t have all the facts.”

“I know you said you wanted to be selfish and continue living your life, but I think you are one of the strongest and most selfless people I know. Selfish would’ve been keeping him despite knowing you weren’t in any position to do so. You decided to give Isaac a life that he deserved and putting someone else’s life and well-being above your own is the the most loving thing you could do.” Ethan sighs and wipes away one of Naomi’s tears. He hates seeing her cry. “I got caught up in my head and wanted to compare you to my mother, and I know you’re nothing like her, not at all. I’m sorry for even attempting the comparison.

“Apology accepted.”

The two of them settle onto Naomi’s bed, neither of them wanting to pack anymore, exhausted by the turn of events.

“Hey, Naomi?”

“Yes.”

“For what it’s worth, I know for a fact you’ll make an excellent mom one day.”

#ethan ramsey #Ethan x Naomi

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erodasfishtacos · 2 years

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1000000% support your decision with going on patreon. you’re such a consistent writer that makes 5k+ word long fics and people don’t even realize how much time out of your day that takes. they need to stfu about the reader experience and think about the writer experience !! why is it that creators like youtubers and tik tokers can make profit off their stuff but writers can’t ? people need to stop harassing you about this

Honestly, I’m not bothered! I am so much more amazed by the outpour of support ❣️

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itsybitsys · 2 years

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11 & 14 perhaps

nackly (adjective): smth that is salty as fuck.

11. Have you ever received anon hate?

i have, but it wasn’t that bad! & certainly nothing that made me anxious. the jist of it rly was just someone calling me stupid, which is..............i mean............its an amazing insult if ur 5 years old but 🥴 to each their own. i think the worst anons ive ever gotten are ones that were really guilt-trippy — like, if i posted stuff praising the pjo rpc, i’d almost always get some kind of negative anon saying some shit like ‘ok but yall complain about rick too much’ or ‘ok but i don’t get enough attention in the rpc so obviously i am going to make this your problem/fault somehow’

i’m very very lucky to not have experienced triggering anon hate & i hope that continues bcus some of the shit i see other ppl getting boggles the mind and sharpens my pitchfork, truly

14. Your opinion on muns making canon characters Trans/ gender fluid etc ?

OH I SUPPORT THIS 1000000% ALWAYS!!!!! like every situation is nuanced and there will always be a need for tact and understanding and caution so as not to overstep boundaries, but i have never seen a trans character written by a trans writer that i didn’t love. i genuinely think seeing all these incredible portrayals and the expression of gender freedom they provided helped me figure my own shit out!!!

#nectaric #ANSWERED ... ' ooc meme.#THANK U <3

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birklurks · 2 years

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I’m kinda confused by your recent posts. I’m sorry if I missed something but are you planning to leave fandom entirely? This blog has been a great resource for fics. I understand if it’s just too much work and upkeep to be active because it’s hard to keep track of everything but I’m not sure what this commenting on fics debate is about. I understand literally what it’s about but I guess I just don’t understand why you’ve gone inactive as a result unless it’s just general frustration w the fandom

Hi there anon 👋🏻,

Why would I leave fandom?? I've gone inactive? Says who?? 😂

I'm on Tumblr just as much as I've ever been, and I've been reading fics as voraciously as I ever have (wait, that's not accurate - I'm actually ripping through more fanfics than ever because I'm not wasting minutes of my time here and there to leave written feedback for the stories I enjoy). I don't even bother clicking the kudos button anymore, it's great!!

It's not hard to "keep track of everything", not at all. It's been 1000000% fun fun fun fun fun fun fun consumption for me while putting in literally zero effort of any kind (I LOVE these kinds of "communities"!!)

As for the "commenting on fics debate": not sure what you're referring to, but as far as I'm concerned, since I've been wondrously reformed - there is no debate.

I admit that before September of this year, I used to think that the feelings and morale of our fanfic writers and fan artists actually mattered, because they are the ones doing all of the hard work and heavy lifting to create the content that makes fandom so much fun... and I spent the last four years listening to new writers and veteran writers across a broad range of ships and reading their countless demoralized pleas for written feedback, reblogs and other forms of substantive engagement from the masses who blindly and voraciously consume their work product for free. (I know, so stupid right?? 🤪)

I used to take their concerns to heart, and vowed to use my tiny little corner of our fandom sandbox to try and keep their concerns at the forefront, support their tireless work via kofi's, commissions and signal boosts, and do whatever I could to encourage silent readers in our fandom to leave our writers notes of gratitude and encouragement every once in a while if they enjoyed a story - something, anything, whether it was long or short, in whatever language they felt most comfortable with.

But, I finally learned that all of that was a massive waste of time and money because I was recently informed by a superior and virtuous individual here that I could take the concerns expressed by so many writers in our fandom "with a grain of salt", and that expecting the occasional reader engagement in any specific form (like written feedback, which costs zero money to offer and takes maybe a minute or two of a reader's time) is an improper form of "entitlement".

I mean.... WHAT A REVELATION. 😱

Since then, I realized I don't have to give a shit about the concerns of our fic writers who feel unseen, unappreciated and demoralized by the dire lack of substantive reader engagement in our fandom.

Fandom has taught me that nobody owes anyone anything, and if these whiners were "better" writers and "kinder", more "empathetic" people (like the virtuous author who generously took the time to "educate" me 😇), they would write solely for themselves and their own fulfillment instead of being gross and harassing innocent readers for the occasional crumb of feedback. 😡

I mean really, these writers are so entitled - HOW DARE THEY ask for basic common courtesies from people who enjoy their work product for free?!?!? 😤

Anyways, that's why I'm exclusively a silent reader now. And as I've been repeatedly lectured over the years, just because I'm a lurker doesn't mean I'm not "part of" fandom. If people can't read my mind and gauge my love and enthusiasm for fanworks through my radio silence, that's on them - not me.

Obviously, they need to get with the program and learn telepathy for my convenience!! 😠

Hope this helps clear things up anon, happy thanksgiving!!🦃❤️

#birklurks

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realdealrealtalk · 3 years

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Grand Army

I am in love with this show. I’ve heard people say it’s a Netflix euphoria which I kind of agree to disagree with, GA is more muted and realistic in a way. Not to say Euphoria isn’t real but the show is very dramatic in a sense. GA would actually happen in everyday life. Nothing was insane except for the bomb threat but honestly I’ve had a shooting threat called into my school multiple times so this is just the NY version of that. Anyway onto the characters:

Dom- amazing, beautiful, talented, hardworking, absolutely flawless 10/10

Joey- in the beginning she was a performative activist and self absorbed. She labeled herself an ally of POC then hung out with George and Luke who call their only brown friend every variation of racial jokes. She had an active hand in Owen’s suspension, how can you claim your for POC then act oblivious to how your influence as a white woman could impact a black mans’ future. After the meeting with the principal, she had the nerve to turn to Dom saying how she felt “really bad” about what happened. Moving past this, what happened to Joey was evil. She was assaulted/betrayed by the people she trusted the most in the world. She is stronger than any character I’ve ever seen. I was so proud of her for standing up to her abusers and confronting them. I’m so proud she started dancing again and I hope she gets the healing/justice she deserves. 8.5/10

Leila- I think her storyline/character is very complex and deserves an in depth review. I could make a whole post about only her. She was trash for blaming Joey because she was getting attention from Geo and Leila wasn’t. You never blame the girl and Leila should know better. However, I’m not going to pretend that George’s abuse of Leila was her fault. He is two years older than her and using her for sexual favors, it’s disgusting. Her treatment of Rachel throughout this entire thing was absolutely so selfish. It was Rachel’s sister’s day and all she could talk about was “he’s not texting me back”. I understand she is a freshmen and this happens a lot because high school is new and exciting but she needs to understand that her actions have consequences. Her battle with her identity as an minority adopted by white parents is so strong and I hope she comes to understand who she truly is. She called out her mom for her treatment of Asian women *chefs kiss* and started to think about where she comes from. HOWEVER, when she told the Asian girl in her class to “speak f*cking english”? How on earth can you struggle with knowing yourself/place as a minority then tell other minorities a racist phrase that is used to belittle their struggles? The white writers in charge of the show really shone through there. 6/10

Jayson-he went through a very big change during these nine episodes and I am proud of his progression. He never saw how he and Owen were different until Owen was sent away and it shook his entire world, which I thought was kinda wild because did he really not see the class disadvantages between he and Owen just because they are both darkskin black men? He did the right thing in the end and I hope it works out for him. 8/10

Siddhatha- I think he is a decent person overall. He did put a FRESHMAN on the “bomb p*ssy” list just cause he didn’t want his sister to be on it but one wrong doesn’t cancel out another. He did associate with the d-bags on the swim team but I believe it’s just cause they were his relay. I, personally, have to be friendly with T*ump supporters on my team and it freaking sucks so I get what he’s going through. His struggle with his identity was definitely one we’ve seen before, with a beard girlfriend, a forceful coming out, and unsupportive parents but he had a happy ending and I really love that for him. Him and Victor are the cutest and I hope freaking Orolov gets what he deserves. 9/10

Luke- I am the biggest clown there is. I was walking around saying, “Aww, I love Luke, I want him and Joey to be together, I’m only on the first episode but I hope nothing bad happens!!!”, like a freaking idiot. But yeah, he disgusts me and I hope he and the other three rot. He really had the nerve to tell Joey SHE should be apologizing to THEM?! LIke, wtf? No, actually, what the f*ck? -1000000000000000000000000000000000000/10

George- He is absolutely disgusting for using Leila the way he did. He deserves the worst for what he did to Joey and I hope he gets what is coming to him. -1000000000000000000000000000000000000/10

Tim- He can suck d*ck and rot for all I care,I didn’t like him from the beginning. It’s always the “nice guys”, the “feminists” who turn out to be the worst slut-shamers in history. He really got mad at Joey for being touchy-feely with Geo and Luke like she hasn’t always been this way, that’s how she shows her love and he knows that so wtf is his problem?! Oh yeah, raging misogyny. He sat there and WATCHED as Joey was being r*ped and then SLUT-SHAMED HER to the police? Let’s not forget he had THE BALLS to tell Luke and Geo they did rape her AFTER Joey left, then did coke/ whatever off his phone and begged Joey to talk to him. Absolute trash -100000000000/10

Anna- How dare you not believe your friend whom you’ve known for however many years then call her a liar and turn your back on her when she needed you the most. She’s a feminist until it comes down to her compliant, misogynistic brother then she’s right back to slut-shaming with the boys. Joey borrowed HER UNDERWEAR becuase her’s were RIPPED with BLOOD STAINS and Anna said nothing? When she asked if she needed a tampon and Joey said no HOW DID HER “BESTFRIEND” NOT CARE ENOUGH TO EVEN ASK QUESTIONS?! Same as her brother, she disgusts me and I hope she rots -100000000000/10

Grace- how tf are you going to turn on the girl who literally fished a c*ndom out of you? Like wtf? Not only is she a slut-shamer (quite hypocritical looking back) she’s a racist!! She refused to call Leila by her name or even show her a shred of dignity just because Leila, a BABY FRESHMAN, was getting attention from George . Trash -1000000/10

Orlov- He released Meera’s nudes and outed SId, he can choke. -1000000000/10

Meera- I’m in love with this woman. Didn’t take bs from anyone and was only ever supportive. Called everyone out on their bs and stayed a true feminist icon while at it. 10000000000000000/10

Let me know if you want more!!

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fratboykate · 2 years

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you have no idea how refreshing it is reading anything you write about kate and yelena bc most of the others writers do yelena so dirty it’s actually painful to read. idk if it’s bc kate dresses in a more “masculine” way or any other strange reason, but the amount of stories that portrays yelena as a needy fragile crybaby that needs kate to do absolutely everything is alarming. it actually pisses me off when i read a story like that bc how can you write about a character and just completely erase their essence? yeah yelena shows her emotions without being ashamed and cries when she feels like it, but that doesn’t make her weak, she doesn’t need that much emotional support. sorry if i got a little carried away, it’s just really infuriating

Wait...what??? Seriously??? The only other Kate x Yelena fic I read/have read is the Victorian one and thankfully they're nothing like that there. This characterization you describe sounds SOOOOOO OFF FUCKING BASE.

Kate is 1000000% the more emotionally needy (and needy in general, let's be real) one of the two? WHAT? They're both pretty open about their emotions, but Kate is 10000000000000000000% more unguarded than Yelena. Are we even fucking watching the same thing?

I swear, hearing this is giving me Clarke and Lexa flashbacks. That sounds EXACTLY like when the fandom suddenly started writing Lexa like this weakass baby who needed Clarke to do everything for her and I'm like............COMMANDER LEXA OF THE TWELVE CLANS WHO KICKED MEN OFF BUILDINGS??????????? Fandoms start pushing their headcanons onto characters and turn them into these perverted versions that have nothing to do with canon. It's always really weird to watch.

#kateyelena #kbishop #ybelova #100 #anonymous #answers #clexa

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fyeah-anya-corazon · 3 years

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Ranking every potential love interest for Anya

Happy Valentine's day!

To celebrate the occasion let's look at every single character she has had as potential romantic partners. I'm including here every iteration of Anya so far.

For a teen character with more than 15 years of existence, it's amazing she hasn't had any sort of stable partner. As far as comics go, her main version has only had one romantic partner so far, but calling it a "relationship" is kind of a stretch. MSM did what the comics (embarrassingly) haven't and give her a romantic partner that I think we were all happy for, and even though it's not my favorite, it's probably the most high profile partner she'll have in a while.

Anyway, let's start the countdown!

Peter Parker

NOPE. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE. Sorry shippers from MSM, but this is a big nope from me due to their student/teacher relationship from the comics and that she's still a minor in them.

Possibilities of becoming canon: I mean.... I don't doubt that at some point some hack writer might pull a Bruce/Barbara with them for some au. Probably one of the blessings of her not being as relevant as Batgirl.

Score: -110000/10 HELLSHIP HELLSHIP

Paul Townsend

Her original potential love interest in comics, he disappeared after Amazing Fantasy. He was still important enough that he even appears in the cover of AF #6 as part of Anya's civilian life.

Possibilities of becoming canon: Zero. It's clear we'll never see him again.

Score: -10/10 dude was very clearly into some shady stuff.

Rocky Flint

Her new best friend (?) they even lived together for a while. Introduced during the Spider-Girl relaunch, she is nice friend, but Rikki was the one who took the spotlight during this period.

Score: 1/10 prefer them as friends.

Black Tarantula

From the MC2 universe, I guess it works within it's "What if?" premise. A series that gives a antagonistic-but-not-too-much role to Anya in it's "what if she stayed longer with the Spider Society?" it does kinda feel natural that two characters with characters with similar origin to be attracted. (Let's not even mention how comfortable she feels with Fabian pursuing Mayday to join their harem).

Possibilities of becoming canon: canon in a reality, doubt in main reality this would happen. It would be interesting if 616 Fabian resurfaces as a enemy to Anya.

Score: 2/10 kinda works in it's reality, but I can't forgive DeFalco for thinking it was a good idea to pair a character who lost her family to narcos with a narco.

Lynn Sakura

Oh, the panel that started it all....

Anya's BFF, is a shame she was dropped after the original Araña series. There's is potential in there, but now it all rests on anyone remembering Heart of the Spider.

Possibilities of becoming canon: I mean, it cooould happen. To say there's no subtext in there would be a understatement....

Score: 4/10 just as Rocky I prefer them as friends.

Reptil

So far her only romantic partner she's had. It didn't start the best way, and ended... we actually have no idea how this ended. Next thing we know Berto was pursuing other relationships with Finnesse and White Tiger. It seemed that only Paul Tobin wanted it to happen.

Possibilities of becoming canon: He is kinda dead. He reappeared for a panel thanks to Bendis not caring about continuity, but God knows if anyone is gonna pick that up. Overall, I think there's a bigger chance for Reptil to pursue any of the previous relationships than going back to Anya.

Score: 5/10 good guy, but who thought it was a good idea making Anya's first kiss against her will?

Julie Taregon

Anya's hockey captain from very early, interviews from the time indicated that she was originally meant to have a much bigger role in Heart of the Spider. Just like Paul she was dropped by the main series, but nothing takes away from the distinction of being the one who activated Anya's powers for the first time after she asked her out.

Possibilities of becoming canon: As much possibilities as Paul or Lynn. Assuming a new Anya solo is greenlighted she would make a interesting addition to the supporting cast.

Score: 7/10 I dig it but wish she would appear more.

Mayday Parker

The newest addition to her potential partners, I've actually been shiping them from before Spider-Girls, the fact that in short 3 issues they generated enough interest that this is probably the second most popular ship at this point (came first in a twitter poll I made). There's a story with them just waiting to be written, they need to be together in a series again!

Possibilities of becoming canon: Um... I think that at this point both have the same level of relevance that if someone pitches a story were they become a couple it wouldn't hold much objection.

Score: 1000000/10 currently my fav ship.

Miles Morales

Marvel comics should be embarrassed that a cartoon made this pairing happen, as meanwhile in the comics they haven't even talked to each other. As you may notice, this list is dominated by women, if there's one guy I would smile from ear to ear if it becomes a thing it would be with Miles. They both have so much in common, it's a match made in heaven.

Possibilities of becoming canon: I actually think this has a good chance of happening. They will probably not be endgame, but I see them having a relationship along the lines of Tim and Steph.

Score: 9/10 If only Miles were a woman 😔

Gwen Stacy

Just like Miles, the cartoon did what the comics haven't and developed them into a lovely friendship (with something more...?). Arguably, the most popular ship involving Anya; on ao3 is the one with the most fics, and there's probably more fan art of this pairing than from anyone else. The main limitation with this is how in the comics writers tend to underwrite Anya while putting the spotlight on Gwen, and never developing their partnership into something more. Hopefully the upcoming Order of the Web series they've been teasing they'll finally have some heartfelt interactions.

Possibilities of becoming canon: you know what, I legit think this has a actual chance. As I said, this is a rather popular ship, at least even Seanan Maguire is aware of it and is fair to say other people at Marvel are aware of the fan art and the like. Gwen in the comics so far has ambiguous sexuality, it wouldn't be too far fetched if someone makes it canon. Just as Miles, I can't see this as endgame, but it can become a recurring relationship like Gambit and Rogue.

Score: 10/10 Marvel don't be cowards challenge.

Rikki Barnes

The og. The one that turned subtext into text. Completely unintentional, yet their relationship did eventually had ramifications on at least one of them. At this point, if anyone wants to reveal Anya as a wlw, they just need to point this relationship to justify it. Anya and Rikki were probably the closest between them than any other superhero they ever interacted with.

Possibilities of becoming canon: Uhm.... Just when I thought that Rikki wouldn't be back, she comes back AND confirmed as bi. The problem? Rikki currently has a girlfriend. Breaking up Julie and Rikki seems very mean spirited, specially for Julie. Hypothetically, if for any reason their relationship ends, Rikki and Anya would definitely become canon at some point.

Score: 1100000/10 @Marvel you owe Anya a girlfriend.

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sankyeom · 3 years

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fanfic writers tag game !

tagged by: the lovely @moonieric, thank you!! 💛 i’m excited to keep getting to know you better! and thank you @uwu0clock too, my dear 🌷

1. what fandoms have you written for (but do not currently)?

soooo many i’m pretty sure the first fan fiction i ever wrote was for the hunger games lol. then i wrote for one direction, 5sos, harry potter, marvel, the maze runner, narnia, teen wolf, supernatural, the 100, riverdale (don’t judge me season 1 was good) & probably more that i can’t think of right now

2. what fandoms are you currently writing for?

a few!! the boyz, golden child, victon, tomorrow x together, ateez, cix, nct, seventeen & stray kids are what i have works up for

but i’m planning some things for enhypen and a few other groups at the moment too 👀

3. how long have you been writing?

ever since i learned how to write letters and words!!

i have a folder of all the stories i used to write when i was like four years old, i think i’ve gotten a bit better since then though lol

4. on which platforms do you post your stories

i only post my current works on tumblr, but back in the day i used to have thousands and thousands of notes on wattpad and quotev

not that my writing deserved it though, that was just the age of terribly written fanfic going viral al the time 😂

5. what is your favorite genre to write?

i like to write mostly fluffy things, but i really like having realistic angst, if that makes sense?? not necessarily something that will break your heart into pieces but something that i think would be normal to experience in love and life

i’d like to get better at writing mystery/action though! those are big struggles for me

6. are you a pantser or a planner?

1000000% planner, especially for social media aus!! i plan every single chapter of a social media au before i post the first chapter, and then i plan every post of the chapter as i go

sometimes i’m a bit of a pantser for written fics if i only have a vague idea and i want to let my mind wander, so i just start writing and see what happens

7. one-shot or multi-chapter?

i personally prefer writing a very long one-shot over multiple chapters, but i have yet to actually post written fics with many chapters on this blog

so who knows? i’ll have to try and see!

8. what is the perfect chapter length in your opinion?

quality over quantity!! the perfect chapter length is specific to every piece

sometimes i feel more proud of and satisfied with a quick drabble or time stamp than a fic with 8k words! it always depends

9. what is your longest published story?

oh back in the day i was posting multiple chapters of 6k words to my fics on quotev every day, so probably around 120k words?

like i said, quality over quantity, though. i definitively included way too many details, like the characters skincare routine and such lmao

here on tumblr my longest fic is he loves me, he loves me not which is my tomorrow x together’s soobin x reader fic with 9.9k words! it’s also the best friends to lovers fic i think i’ve written on this blog, and i’m really proud of it 😌

10. which story did you enjoy working on the most?

i’ve really enjoyed working on and they were roommates! my the boyz’s jacob x reader social media au. the concept is really fun and the characters are really dynamic, so every chapter i write is enjoyable for me!

11. favorite request you’ve written and why?

again, my soobin x reader fic he loves me, he loves me not. i accepted 20 requests once and i think i only fulfilled about 2 or 3, unfortunately. that experience made me realise how bad requests are for my mental health and writing in general!

that fic is my favourite because a friend of mine actually requested it since we had been talking about this concept but i had never written for txt before so i was too shy to start. and also because i think i did a good job, tbh 💗

12. are there reoccurring themes in your stories?

i don’t think so? i write a lot about people who have controlling parents in some of my stories, but not all of them. most of it is from experience with my mum, others are just to add more drama to the plot

13. current number of wips?

before my hiatus i had about 6 fics that i was working on! during my writing hiatus now, i actually have been getting a lot of inspiration through travelling and spending time with my boyfriend. so i think it’s double that by now!!

14. three things you have noticed about your writing?

i describe the way in which people say things a lot, such as the tone or the action they do before/during/after dialogue

gotta have a bit of comic relief if possible

strong and supportive friends are a must!!

15. a quote you like from a published story?

‘ “And if we get heartbroken?” you asked quietly.

Juyeon cocked his head to the side, his familiar eye-smile appearing as he realised you felt the same as him. “Then at least I know that I loved you.” ’ – from my the boyz juyeon x reader fic splash!

wrote this based on what my boyfriend said, almost verbatim, when i agreed to date him bc i was afraid of getting my heart broken. that’s why it’s special to me 🥰

16. a quote from an unpublished story?

ahhhh i don’t have my laptop on me right now so i don’t have any of my wips up!! i’ll try to edit this to add a quote when i have it

17. space for you to say something to your readers~~

i don’t think any of you will ever know how much it means that you’ve given me a platform to share my writing on, as well as constantly giving me love and support here on my blog. you have turned me timidly writing in my bedroom alone to something i can do and share with a community. thank you all so much 💗🌟

tagging: @timextoxhajima @junjungsunwoo @lsangyeons @stealerz @kwanisms @xfirebenderx @softforqiankun 💛

#mentions #dash game #moonieric #belle’s babbles #tag game

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littleferal · 2 years

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If she hasn't realized it already, I want astroboots to know that she is and incredible freakin' writer and she constantly blows my mind with her stories! She's also such a supportive and lovely presence in this fandom and my life is 1000000% better since I met her. I love you, friend!

lots of love for @astroboots 🥰

send some love to your favourite fic writers for new year ✨

#author fic appreciation 2021 #pedro pascal character x reader

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nicknellie · 3 years

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Anonymous requested: I’d love literally anything Flarrie, but I’d really like to see some Nick/Carrie friendship as well (I feel like however she’d come out, he’d be surprised but support her 1000000% and I never see fics featuring their friendship)

Anon, I’m not even joking, you might be my favourite person literally ever. Flarrie with a side of Carrie and Nick being best friends? Sign me the fuck up. I’ve had a serious case of writer’s block, so I can’t promise this is the best thing I’ve ever written, but I still love it. Also this is the first time I’ve ever written Nick, so it might be out of character, but I think I did pretty well. Thank you so much for suggesting this!

Title is from the Masterplan by Oasis because that song fits this fic beautifully.

Say It Loud and Sing It Proud

Carrie looked herself up and down in the mirror, certain she would find something amiss. Her hair was elegantly twirled into a braided crown, her makeup was all soft pinks and subtle glitter, and her dress fit her like a glove. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her appearance, and as far as she could think of there was nothing to be worried about for the night ahead at all, which made the hammering of her heart and the watering of her eyes all the more frustrating.

She had been so excited about tonight. It was Los Feliz’s school dance and everyone had been buzzing about it for weeks. Initially Carrie hadn’t been too bothered – just another party, just another dance, she had been to plenty of those in her lifetime. But then one thing had happened and Carrie had found herself more excited about the dance than she had ever thought possible. Now that same thing had her hands shaking and her breath hitching in her throat.

“Carrie?” Nick called from her bedroom. She had almost forgotten he was there. “Are you almost ready?”

She looked up into the mirror of her ensuite again, head tilted so that she could see the reflection of her bedroom behind her, the door thrown open wide between the two rooms. Nick was lying on her bed in his suave white suit, his shoes placed neatly at the end of the bed, scrolling through his phone in boredom. She didn’t blame him – he had been waiting for her to get ready for going on two hours and there were only so many apps a person could mindlessly switch between for hours on end.

She almost envied his boredom. She would have felt exactly the same had it not been for that one perfect, terrifying thing.

Carrie shook her head, steeled herself, took a deep breath. “Yeah, just give me another minute.”

There was nothing to worry about. There was nothing to worry about. There was nothing to worry about. She repeated it in her head, a harsh mantra, one last desperate attempt to calm herself down. And with a final deep breath and glance in the mirror, she left the ensuite and perched herself primly on the end of her bed just beside Nick.

He looked up from his phone, sat up a little straighter and smiled at her. “You look great.”

Absently, Carrie remembered the days he used to say things like that in a romantic way. Compliments peppered here and there, usually followed by a kiss on the cheek or a gentle hug. She almost laughed – those days, thankfully, were far behind them and she was more happy being friends with Nick than she had ever been when they were dating.

“Thanks,” she said, trying for a smile. She wasn’t quite sure if she achieved one, but Nick made no comment so she took it as a win.

“So,” he said, sitting cross-legged in front of her. “Are you ever going to tell me who your date is for tonight?”

Carrie looked anywhere but at Nick. Ever since she had told him she had a date for the dance, he had been enthusiastically trying to guess who it was or trying to wheedle the information out of her himself. It would have been fine, a fun little bit of banter between the two of them, and eventually she would have told him – it was just that she and her date had agreed not to tell anyone until they arrived at the dance, that way they could let everyone know together. No awkward one-on-one conversations, no hurt feelings because one person knew before somebody else. It would be simpler that way.

Simple, Carrie thought, but absolutely petrifying.

“Nope,” she said brightly, forcing a giggle. “I told you, you’ll have to wait and find out.”

“Can I keep guessing then?” Nick asked.

Ah. That was the worst of it. Again, Carrie wouldn’t have minded Nick guessing. A little bit of light-hearted conversation to pass the time, an inside joke to laugh over. But there was just one problem that made Carrie endlessly uncomfortable.

All of Nick’s guesses so far had been boys.

Her date was most certainly not one of those.

It had all started about ten months ago, late August or early September, the very beginning of the school year. Carrie had turned up to her science class and had seen, to her utter dismay, a new seating plan displayed on the board. Teacher-made seating plans never worked out; Carrie would always end up sat next to someone she either hated or never spoke to. In this case, it had been the first option.

She had stalked over to her seat at the back of the classroom, already furious, and slammed her things down on the table. Sitting down, she scooted her chair as far away from the person beside her as possible, glowering all the while. The person had sighed loudly and Carrie heard shuffling as they turned to face her.

“Look,” Flynn had said, voice flat and clearly unhappy. “I’m not exactly thrilled about this either. But it’s one class and if we refuse to even try and get along with each other we’re just going to make it worse for both of us. So stop glaring at the seating plan like it killed your whole family and grow up.”

Carrie had blinked and slowly turned to look at Flynn. Her expression was as empty as her tone of voice. In a weird sort of way, it was intimidating – Carrie felt her insides squirm. There had been nothing she could have said in response (in fact she wasn’t sure she could have spoken even if she tried) so she just nodded and sat up straight primly, attention focused on their teacher.

She had never liked Flynn. There was just something about her that didn’t sit right. Maybe it was how bold and loud she was all the time, how she was so free and comfortable with herself. Maybe it was how she had become friends with Julie Molina and ever since then Carrie and Julie had drifted apart. Maybe it was how every time Carrie looked at Flynn her breath caught in her throat and her mind wandered and her heart beat faster and she wanted so desperately just to smile, which she didn’t understand at all.

Carrie had not liked Flynn, but she couldn’t deny that she was right about the seating plan. It was better to try and get on than to simply simmer in stony silence.

So they had tried. And to Carrie’s surprise, they hadn’t even had to try very hard. Their first conversations started off awkward and forced as they tried to unnaturally spark some kind of civility between them. After about a month, they had found themselves talking a lot more freely to one another, less effort needed, and silences became more comfortable.

But it wasn’t until an experiment went wrong one lesson and Carrie had ended up drenched from head to toe in water, Flynn crying with laughter like it was the funniest thing she had ever seen, that Carrie realised that maybe they had finally become friends. Ordinarily she would have been furious at Flynn (or anyone for that matter) for laughing at her when she was embarrassed, but as Flynn howled, breathless and giddy, Carrie found herself beginning to laugh too.

Since that day it had become easy. Carrie had started hanging out with Flynn’s friends more, reigniting her friendship with Julie, and soon enough Nick had joined their group as well. Carrie found herself and Flynn sharing inside jokes, texting each other all night long, meeting up on weekends just for the sake of seeing each other. Flynn even gave Carrie a nickname, only used on rare occasion – Care Bear. It was ironic, made because Carrie’s response to one too many things had been ‘I don’t care’.

For a while, they had been friends and happy that way. Every time Carrie saw Flynn, she thought her heart might burst with the giddy joy that only Flynn could instil in her. She had let herself smile that wide and bright smile she always wanted to when Flynn was around because it was allowed now. So many things were allowed now that they were friends, things Carrie had hardly even realised she wanted to do – she could hug Flynn, link arms with her, hold her hand, fall asleep on her shoulder during their sleepovers.

In fact, it was on one of those sleepovers that Carrie realised that those things she wanted to do might not have been purely friendly.

She had woken up before Flynn, sprawled on the sofa in the fort they had built (as had become a tradition for their sleepovers – who didn’t love building pillow forts?). She had stretched and rolled over, burrowing a little further into the covers, and caught sight of Flynn fast asleep on the air mattress on the floor. She looked so peaceful, wrapped in two blankets, her chest gently rising and falling as she breathed, her hair spilled over her face. Carrie had smiled and tenderly reached down to move a braid away from Flynn’s face.

Without thinking, she gently ran her thumb along Flynn’s cheek, still smiling to herself. Then she had stopped because what on Earth was she doing? And in that one moment she re-evaluated every interaction she’d ever had with Flynn, played out every moment in her head over and over again and realised in no uncertain terms that–

“I’m in love with you,” she had whispered dumbfoundedly. She didn’t think, just shook Flynn awake, more forcefully than was probably necessary. Flynn grumbled, but sat up, probably thinking there was an emergency. Carrie didn’t let her ask whatever question she probably had lined up, just repeated again so that Flynn could hear her this time, “I’m in love with you.”

Flynn’s expression had morphed from sleepy urgency to utter bewilderment to dawning realisation to pure elation.

“Really?” she had said, wide awake all of a sudden.

Carrie had just nodded – she had used up all her words.

Flynn beamed and launched herself forward, wrapping Carrie in a tight hug that she responded to as if it was the most natural thing in the world, all the both of them had been born to do.

Flynn spoke in tandem with the rising sun as its light streamed through the window and illuminated the two of them, holding onto each other, just four simple words: “I love you too.”

That had been three months ago. They had done a lot since then – officially labelled themselves girlfriends, gone on their first dates, had their first kiss. But one thing they hadn’t done was tell anyone they were together. At first it was because they had wanted to wait and see it they ‘worked’. After that, the time had never felt right, and as time went on the whole prospect had become more and more daunting.

Which was where the school dance came in. Flynn had been disappointed when Carrie had told her that she wasn’t planning on going.

“Oh, come on,” Flynn had whined, her fingers trailing through Carrie’s hair, sending shivers down her spine, “it’ll be fun! We’ll get to spend the whole night dancing and hanging out with our friends! Plus, I’m DJing for about an hour near the start so you’ve got to come and watch me.”

Carrie had remained unconvinced. “It’s just a dance. There’ll be one next year and the year after, it’s not like I’ll be missing much.”

“I want you to be there with me,” Flynn had said.

That in itself had almost been enough for Carrie – she turned to face her Flynn, whose expression was open and honest and adoring. She realised in that moment how lucky she was to have Flynn, this beautiful girl who loved and understood her and wanted her to see her doing something she was proud of. Someone who wanted to spend time with her because she couldn’t imagine anything better. Flynn was a stroke of luck, more valuable and more rare than a lottery win, and Carrie had the privilege of calling herself her girlfriend.

But nobody else knew.

“Okay,” Carrie had said, “but we’ve got to make it worthwhile.”

“It will be,” Flynn insisted, beaming. “Julie and the guys are performing as well, so that’ll be great, and I’m pretty su–”

“No,” Carrie interrupted, “I mean I have something specific in mind.”

Flynn went quiet, said nothing, nodded encouragingly.

Carrie had taken a deep breath and said, “What if we told everyone about us? Just show up and tell our friends and dance together and spend the night as Carrie-and-Flynn rather than just Carrie and Flynn?”

“Woah,” Flynn had breathed. Carrie had instantly regretted saying anything at all – was it too soon still? Did Flynn not want to move that fast? Did she not want to tell their friends at all? “Really?”

“We don’t have to,” Carrie said, turning away. She felt Flynn link their fingers together but still didn’t look back at her. “If you don’t want to then I get it.”

“I do want to,” Flynn said. Carrie turned to face her then and saw that her eyes were bright with tears. “Of course I want to. As long as you’re ready then I think we should go for it.”

Everything in Carrie had screamed at her to backtrack, to wait a little longer, that this was a mistake. But she had gripped Flynn’s hand tighter, pressed a kiss to her lips, and smiled.

“I’m ready.”

Just like that, she had gone from indifferent about the dance, to ecstatic, and now – sat on her bed beside Nick, watching him expectantly wait for her to reply – she was utterly dreading it.

“Sure,” she said now, voice thick, “you can keep guessing.”

Nick frowned and leaned back, propping himself up with his hands behind his back. “It doesn’t sound like you want me to.”

Carrie tried to look him in the eye, but just couldn’t manage it. She felt like her chest was going to burst, like her head was full of TV static. She heard Nick sigh.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “if you don’t want me to pry then I won’t.”

“It’s not that,” Carrie assured him, quiet. She took her time as she spoke, grasping for the words – all of them felt out of her reach. “I don’t mind the guessing.”

“Then what is it?”

She looked at him. She knew Nick, she’d known him practically her entire life, ever since they were toddlers. She had dated him for two years and now considered him her closest friend. His expression now was kind, gently nudging her to say what was on her mind.

Carrie and Flynn had agreed not to tell anyone at all before the dance, but if anyone could ease Carrie’s mind it was Nick, and if she didn’t calm down soon then she wouldn’t be going to the dance at all.

So she chose to tell him.

“Flynn and I are dating,” she said, looking at her duvet instead of at him, throwing the words out in one breath so she couldn’t hesitate or stop herself. “We have been for three months and we’re supposed to be telling everyone tonight, but I just feel so nervous about it and I don’t even know why. And I wasn’t meant to tell you because we said we’d tell everyone together, but at this rate I don’t even think I can make it out of this room.”

Nick was silent for a moment. All he did was reach out and take Carrie’s hand, stilling its movement – she hadn’t realised, but she had been restlessly picking at her duvet cover and had almost worn a hole in it. He held her hand softly in his and squeezed it ever so slightly, just enough to give Carrie the courage to meet his eye.

“It’s okay,” he said, smiling. “I promise you. Everything is okay.”

Somehow she believed it. She nodded mutedly.

“There’s nothing to worry about, right?” Nick continued, his thumb tracing gentle patterns on the back of her hand. The ticklish feeling was oddly grounding. “Are you and Flynn happy together?”

“Yes,” Carrie breathed.

“Does it matter what anyone else thinks of it?”

Carrie shrugged. “You. And the rest of our friends.”

“Well, I’m happy for you, so you don’t need to worry about that. And none of our friends have a problem with Alex and Willie – why would they have a problem with you and Flynn?”

She didn’t have an answer for that. A single tear slipped down her cheek and Nick pulled a fresh pack of tissues from his pocket. Gratefully, she took one and dabbed it away.

“It’s scary,” he said. “Of course it’s scary. But at the end of the day, it’s just you and the girl you care about being who you are. And that’s such a great thing. I guarantee that once you see Flynn tonight you’ll forget you were nervous at all in the first place.”

“You think so?” she asked weakly.

“I know so,” he replied, smiling.

There was a quiet pause in which Carrie wondered how she’d ever got lucky enough to have such wonderful people in her life.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

Nick playfully punched her arm, lightening the mood just like that. “Don’t even mention it. And hey – thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. I’m always here for you, you know that, right?”

She nodded. Of course she knew that.

“So,” Nick continued, “you like girls?”

Carrie giggled, still dabbing at her eyes, now more focused on not ruining her makeup than not crying. “Yes, I like girls.”

“And boys?” Nick asked hesitantly. Carrie shook her head. “Did you know that when we were dating?”

“No,” Carrie said. “I only figured it out a few months ago. Because of Flynn.”

To Carrie’s surprise, Nick beamed. She had expected him to be a little put out for reasons she couldn’t quite place, but if anything he looked happy.

“I’m glad you get to be yourself now,” he said.

Carrie pushed him playfully because her two options were joke about the situation or burst into tears, and she knew which one she would rather do.

She checked the time and realised that they definitely needed to leave sooner rather than later, so stood up and slipped her shoes on, putting the final touches to her outfit as Nick asked careful questions about her and Flynn. It was nice, finally being able to gush about her girlfriend without the fear of accidentally outing herself. As she was talking to Nick, she realised she should probably have told Flynn that Nick knew.

She sent her a quick text: I was nervous so I told Nick about us, sorry if that ruins things? Xx

To her relief, Flynn replied almost instantly with: lol it’s fine, I told Julie xx

Carrie couldn’t help but laugh to herself, mingled with a sigh of relief. At least Flynn was seemingly nervous too.

Luckily, Carrie’s house wasn’t too far away from Los Feliz. She and Nick took the short walk there, easy banter flowing between them – most of Carrie’s nerves had subsided, but there was still a nagging doubt at the back of her mind that maybe this was all a mistake. She tried to distract from it by focusing on her chat with Nick, making herself laugh a little louder than was perhaps natural, forcing smiles too wide. As they neared the entrance to the school, she couldn’t keep the act up anymore and let her smile fall.

Nick softly laid his hand on her back and Carrie took a deep breath.

“You got this,” he said encouragingly, smiling gently. “You’re Carrie Wilson – you can do anything you put your mind to.”

Hardly realising she was doing it, Carrie slipped her hand into Nick’s, some old comforting reminder of the unbreakable bond they had. It grounded her, even if it didn’t still her nerves.

Together they entered the school and made their way towards the hall where the pulsing music rocked the building’s foundations, blue and pink lights streaked into the hallway, and the vibrant cheers and chatter from the students of Los Feliz echoed like thunder. In some last-ditch grab for calm, Carrie stepped in ahead of Nick.

The hall had been decorated marvellously, but Carrie hardly saw it. The second she had walked in, her eyes had trained on the stage where Flynn was stood behind the DJ set. She looked radiant, her hair pulled away from her face with butterfly clips, her dress every shade of the sunset glowing in the fluorescent lights, her smile bright and gleeful. She looked distracted though – Carrie watched as Flynn’s eyes scanned the room, searching for something.

Or someone.

Searching for Carrie.

Her nerves were suddenly long gone. Her hand fell from Nick’s and she pushed her way through the crowd, ending up in front of the stage, directly in front of Flynn. Their eyes met, and Carrie knew that the happiness in Flynn’s eyes was mirrored in her own. Nick had been right; just seeing Flynn being her beautiful self had melted Carrie’s worries away.

“You made it!” Flynn called, moving her headphones away from her ears, yelling over the music. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now I’m with you,” Carrie called back. She was aware of how soppy the line was, how cheesy and predictable, but it was true. Seeing Flynn had made everything feel alright.

“I’ll come and catch up with you after I finish my set,” Flynn told her. “The others are sat over there, I’ll be as quick as I can!”

Waving goodbye, Carrie hurried over to where Flynn had pointed. Julie and Luke were sat close beside each other in their matching outfits, Luke talking Julie’s ear off as she watched him with a fond expression; Alex and Willie were with each other, hands clasped firmly together, heads bowed in private conversation; Nick had joined Reggie and the two were already wrapped up in an animated conversation. Carrie smiled to herself and sat down beside Julie.

Julie turned away from Luke momentarily, just long enough to give Carrie a smile that said a thousand things in just one second. There was one overwhelming message in it though: I’m happy for you both.

Carrie gave a tiny smile back, then turned to watch as Flynn wrapped up her set and left the stage empty, bounding over to the group. It was at that moment that Carrie realised they hadn’t exactly worked out how they were going to reveal to their friends that they were an item – this whole thing could turn incredibly awkward very quickly if neither of them knew what they were doing.

Thankfully, it seemed Flynn wasn’t as worried.

She reached the group, ignored their friends exclamations of, “Nice job, Flynn,” and, “You killed it,” in favour of cupping Carrie’s face in her hands and pressing a firm but loving kiss to her lips. Out of surprise, Carrie didn’t react, but Flynn pulled away quickly anyway, an ecstatic smile on her face. She pulled a chair up, sat beside Carrie, and gripped her hand tightly.

“Did you like my set?” Flynn asked, clearly knowing the answer.

“It was amazing,” Carrie gushed, fiddling with Flynn’s fingers between her own. “You were amazing.”

Flynn smiled and flicked her hair over her shoulder, proud of herself.

“Is this a thing now?”

Luke had interrupted their moment without a moment’s hesitation. He was leaned over the table past Julie (who was smirking knowingly), and it was only then that Carrie noticed she and Flynn had Alex, Willie, Reggie, and Nick’s eyes on them too. She looked in the only direction that felt safe – towards Flynn. Flynn smiled, pulled Carrie closer by her hand, and shrugged.

“Of course it’s a thing,” she said like it was obvious, like it was common knowledge.

There was no awkward pause, no judgemental looks, no hint that anyone might not have reacted positively. In fact, it was quite the opposite – Alex was out of his seat in a moment, catching Carrie in a hug and telling her in no uncertain terms that he was proud of her; Willie and Reggie reached over to Flynn and the three of them quickly performed the secret handshake they’d made a few months prior; Luke looked utterly dumbfounded, like he hadn’t seen this coming in the slightest, but he was grinning; and Julie and Nick were both watching Flynn and Carrie with private, kind smiles.

Carrie had never felt so loved.

The night flew past. It was a whirlwind of colour and smiles and laughter and dancing and food and drink and joy and love. Carrie had howled with laughter as Alex, Luke, and Reggie had attempted the lift from Dirty Dancing but failed miserably; she had danced along with Flynn, Willie, and Nick as Julie and the Phantoms performed their set; she pulled Flynn to sit in her lap when they both got too tired to carry on dancing.

Eventually, Carrie and Nick broke away from the group to get everyone drinks. While they were over at the refreshment table, Nick nudged Carrie with his shoulder.

“What?” she said.

He smiled and threw an arm around her shoulders. “I’m proud of you. And I love you.”

She rolled her eyes, supressing a smile. “Shut up.”

A moment later though, she added a quiet, “I love you too.”

The night began to draw to a close and the final songs started playing. Carrie was brimming with giddy excitement still, but it had dulled as exhaustion began to weigh her down. The room felt hazy and dizzy as everyone grew tired, but still Carrie wanted to stay there forever, beside Flynn (who somehow still looked full of energy), holding her hand and simply existing with her.

Until a slow song began to play and couples flooded the dance floor.

Julie and Luke were the first of their group to gravitate towards the gathering crowd, Alex and Willie hot on their heels. Reggie tugged Nick to the dance floor, telling him he didn’t want to be left out and they could dance together even if they weren’t a couple. So Flynn and Carrie were left together, hand in hand by the edge of the dance floor.

Flynn looked to Carrie, something sentimental and sweet in her depthless brown eyes. Carrie thought that if she looked into them for too long she’d never be able to look away – Flynn had that effect on her, always pulling her closer, drawing her in. She loved it more than words could say.

“May I have this dance?” Flynn offered, tone light and joking. It didn’t mean that Carrie missed the underlying nerves – it seemed that this was the first thing all night to really rattle Flynn. Something as simple as a slow dance.

So Carrie decided to be brave.

“You never have to ask to dance with me,” she said, beaming, and pulled Flynn onto the dance floor.

They fell into a soft rhythm naturally, in the centre of the floor, swaying in tandem with each other. Flynn’s arms were linked around Carrie’s neck, and Carrie planted her hands gently on Flynn’s waist. For a while, they simply looked at each other, the silence between them too meaningful to be broken by anything other than the slow song that played in the background. But after a while, Flynn rested her head on Carrie’s shoulder. Carrie felt Flynn’s eyes flutter shut against her skin, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m glad we did this,” she whispered, her own eyes falling shut as they swayed together. She wasn’t taking any notice of what she was saying, but she knew she meant every word. “This feels right. I’m so happy I get to be with you – you mean everything to me.”

“I love you,” Flynn said, her breath warm on Carrie’s neck and collarbone.

“I love you too,” she breathed.

That night, Flynn stayed at Carrie’s house because it was just that little bit closer to school than her own. By the time they arrived there, Carrie’s dad had gone to bed and the house was quiet and calm, only lit by the light of the moon, washing in through the large windows. Carrie led Flynn upstairs to her bedroom – both of them were so tired that they fell into Carrie’s bed without bothering to put their pyjamas on or get ready for bed in any way.

Carrie shuffled about, folding herself around Flynn, her face tucked into Flynn’s hair. Not for the first time, she thought about how lucky she was to have Flynn, this wonderful girl who was all hers, who loved her and was loved by her in return.

“Hey,” she whispered, half asleep already, “thank you for tonight.”

“Thank you,” Flynn yawned, eyes opening just enough to look at Carrie, a small smile on her face. “You’re the one who made it special, Care Bear. I’m proud of us.”

Carrie kissed her, just once, gently. It was the kind of soft kiss that felt like it would shatter the Earth if it ever stopped, or like Carrie’s heart would stop beating if Flynn ever stopped touching her.

“I’m proud of us too,” she whispered.

It was impossible to imagine that it was in this very room just hours before that Carrie had been dreading going to the dance. Now she was glad she had gone because it hadn’t been just another party, just another dance, and there certainly wouldn’t be another one like it for as long as she lived.

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