#This one actually was so difficult to brainstorm

[jetlaggedjetslag]

Happy JLTG day for my fellow slags. Heres a tag 1 for your troubles. Enjoy episode 3 (or 4 for nebula). Yipee!!!

[poisonedfate]

it very much hasn’t healed yet but! here’s the merlin tattoo i’ve been talking about:

bit of an odd angle on this (who knew that taking a pic of my knee would be so hard), so it looks a little wonkier than it actually is, though the reference i chose was like an older looking coin, one that didn’t necessarily resemble a real one, especially not one you would see now, since it wouldn’t have matched my style.

we ended up going for an ‘ornament’, or rather a variation of one, seen in architecture and one that remind me of spears and sword ends etc. for the other side we chose to reference butterfly wings, but, because i wanted it to match/mirror the other, it ended up looking more like a flower in my opinion, which i think is quite cool (nothing if not a big sucker for things that can be seen in different ways).

(overall very happy with it and am still seriously considering just getting a dragon tattoo on its own, i have half a zoo on my body at this point, i might as well continue the theme)

[crees-a]

Eclipse redesign/headcanons

This one… there’s A LOT I wanna talk about

It might not seem like it but this design was actually the most difficult of them all. At first I had no idea what to do with Eclipse because it’s much easier for me to work on designs when they have a certain theme/aesthetic like steampunk for Solar, weirdcore for KC, etc. So a couple of brainstorms later I realized I wanna make him look like a zombie. He is basically a walking dead at this point lmao. I took inspiration from mlp infection AUs, pics of abandoned dolls, even watched a horror movie to catch this vibe. The biggest problem was that I couldn’t make it too obvious: no ripped clothes or broken limbs and visible teeth because his body is new and I doubt his creator would make him look like an actual zombie for whatever reason. So I decided to play with shapes instead: make him look like a distorted version of Solar as if creator has a very vague idea on how dca models look.

I think I managed to do that. I hope so

[sleepingdeath-light]

relationship hcs ; black sapphire cookie

requested by ; anonymous (13/02/25), anonymous (16/02/25) & anonymous (20/02/25)

fandom(s) ; cookie run

fandom masterlist(s) ; hub | specific

character(s) ; black sapphire cookie

outline ; “is it possible to ask for anything with Black Sapphire Cookie with a gn!reader? ik he came out very recently but I've been obsessed with him lately and can't get him out of my mind.”

&

“Would it be ok to request general (sfw) relationship headcanons for Black Sapphire Cookie?”

&

“I absolutely love your work and I’m so hype to finally catch the requests open!

Black Sapphire Cookie w/ gender neutral S/O headcanons? (Relationship/Fluff + Smut) I’m 19!

Thank you for considering mine!

Also if I could stay anonymous ty!! ^^”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

being black sapphire cookie’s partner means accepting that your life is going to be filled with a whole lot of mischief courtesy of your loving boyfriend. and while he’s mindful to never actually cross the line from ‘harmless but annoying’ to ‘malicious and harmful’, his love for you doesn’t make him any less likely to joke around with, prank, or tease you… it just makes him unlikely to be mean about it

quality time is one of his big love languages so whenever he’s not busy helping out his master or annoying the life out of candy apple cookie, you can guarantee he’s never too far from your side. whether that means floating a few feet away while you run some errands, putting on a whole performance for you while you do your chores at home, taking you out on a date, cooking with you, or just hanging with you when you do your thing, he doesn’t mind — as long as he gets to be around you he’s not particularly picky

this may not be immediately obvious, but black sapphire cookie is an extremely supportive partner — like he’ll listen to you rant, help you brainstorm solutions to any of your problems, join you in crap-talking people you hate (and offer his help in messing with them on your behalf), show up to all of your important events, and offer you a helping hand if you need to practise or rehearse anything — but he does it all in such a way that it’s difficult to notice just how devoted he is to you and your happiness unless you’re extremely good at reading him

he’s very protective over you but he also generally manages to play his efforts and actions off as much more casual than they really are. like the second an outsider gets into the vicinity of you or your home he’s on high alert, keeping a close eye on you and them to ensure your paths never cross and you never get anywhere near the line of fire (or anywhere near his master when the beast is particularly aggravated for whatever reason)

dates with black sapphire cookie tend to be something of a mixed bag — sometimes they’re more thoughtful and planned out, other times they’re more spontaneous and surprising, and on very rare occasions they’ll be weirdly sedate and intimate (like a quiet night in or something like that). more often than not they start with him telling you to get changed into the clothes he picked out for you before carrying you off to wherever your date is going to take place, and he’ll refuse to tell you what he’s got planned and insisting that you need to be more patient. and more often than not they end with the two of you fleeing the scene after causing some sort of trouble for the other people there. but no matter what you’ll end up grinning and giggling until your sides and cheeks ache, and he’ll be right there with you laughing at everyone else’s expense

he’s very physically affectionate with you, but the way he goes about it isn’t the most traditional. sure he still does all of the usual stuff (kissing, cuddling, hand holding, playing with your hair and letting you play with his, etc.) but he also goes a bit further beyond that: biting at your cheeks and wrists and fingertips, picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder at random, going in to hug you from behind and then leaning his full weight on you until you inevitably fall over, pinching at your cheeks and the tip of your nose when you’re flushed, poking at and tickling your sides, and so on

his favourite places to kiss you are your eyelids and the top of your head. his favourite places to be kissed are his jaw and his wrists

thinks the idea of matching with his partner to be pretty cute but wouldn’t do it with you unless you were the one to propose it. ideally he’d prefer to get matching earrings, or some other form of jewellery, but if you wanted to match with something bigger or more blatant than he won’t complain… though he will tease you for being so possessive

the pet names he use for you tend to be traditional and sweet (like ‘darling’ or ‘my love’), weird enough to catch you off guard (think along the lines of ‘my little [random inanimate object that isn’t traditionally ‘cute’]’), or based on some inside joke between the two of you and thus completely random/nonsensical to anyone else who might hear him refer to you that way. nine times out ten he chooses the weirder terms of endearment, which means that he’s still able to catch you completely off guard whenever he chooses to use a more traditional pet name for you

he does generally hide it very well, but black sapphire cookie is an extremely jealous and possessive partner. he’d never take his jealousy out on you, nor would he ever expose the extent of his jealousy in front of you, but whenever anyone other than him starts taking up too much of your time his blood starts boiling and he starts to get snippy as all hell towards the other party. he degrades them, belittles them, humiliates them, starts rumours about them that range from mildly embarrassing to things they should get arrested for, and does everything in his power to keep them as far away from you as possible in the future (all the while playing at ignorance and distraction whenever you bring it up to him)

black sapphire cookie absolutely excels at lifting your mood whenever you’re upset or annoyed — either leaning into his performing persona to keep you entertained, or distracting you from your low mood by taking you out to annoy and/or terrorise the people you both dislike (bonus points if you let him target anyone who has been giving you a hard time lately, but as long as you’re laughing and in a visibly better mood he doesn’t care who you end up targeting)

whenever you’re sick or injured, he overcompensates for his anxieties about your health by refusing to let you do anything on your own. he plays it off as teasing you for being so weak and reckless, but know that him snatching the jar out of your hand to open it himself and his refusal to get out of your personal bubble for more than a few seconds at a time are just how he shows his concern for you… which is certainly endearing in its own way, but no less annoying or frustrating because of it

[ezlo-x]

Hoohhhhhg hang on let me be ill for a moment

I wanna talk abt them more SO bad 😭😭😭 but it is difficult for no reason idk why 😔 Sooraj and Yue my beloveds

Its so difficult cause like in one hand its still mystic flour and burning spice but ofher hand you love these characters sm you want to take them as ur own so it becomes this au/oc thing so just know for new comers that Sooraj is burning spice and Yue is mysic flour lol ANYWAYZ.

They make feel fuzzy i feel like a cat grabbing their toy and start kicking it with their hind legs when i think of em but at the same time its hard to come up with a character of them? If that makes sense? Same goes to their tloz oc counterparts (tho I believe i am actually cooking smth with Yueru i just need more time to brainstorm)

Anyways im tired and sleepy but im thinking of them and I have a few things of them

They both play instruments Yue a Guzheng and Sooraj a Pakhawaj and they both at time do play sessions

Yue is an expert player when it comes to board games she loves playing em, Sooraj is not as great and likes to cheat to tease her

They for sure both have tea time together they probably share each other herbs to test em out and just have a peaceful conversation

This falls on the suggestive end of it but they bathe together. Yue takes the time to wash Sooraj’s mane which Sooraj finds incredibly relaxing. Yue probably misses her extra pair of arms to help her but she also finds it meditative bathing Sooraj’s mane. Sooraj pays her back by giving her a back massage

Yue is the big spoon of the relationship funnily enough. Yue’s body is stone cold making her into a nice cool pillow for Sooraj. While Sooraj is like a warm weighted blanket for Yue.

SOORAJ DEF PURRS she’s a little kittie tiger after all,, he only does it when cuddling with Yue.

Both of them have an expansive wardrobe though Sooraj just likes to stick with his dhoti pants. But does wear his fancier gowns whenever its a special occasion (to him tho he dgaf lol). Yue does love go through his wardrobe and make her wear her gown like a little fashion doll

[hazbin-writings-and-musings]

Lucifer Morningstar x Pregnant!Reader Headcanons Part 3

Keeping the ball rolling after part two, here's Lucifer and reader headcanons as baby gets ever closer to arrival. I think I'll do two more, with the last one detailing the actual birth and dear Lucy welcoming his second child. Thank you for reading and please enjoy!

Warnings: Pregnancy Mention, Smut

- His dedication to soothing your aches and pains grows even faster than they do as you get further along. The wealth of information now available about pregnancy (albeit not of the supernatural variety) initially overwhelms him, but he manages to find what he needs in books about prenatal massage. It doesn't matter where or when pain strikes, he'll be there to roll up his sleeves and work as long as he needs to make sure you're better. He's happy to have a professional masseuse join the palace staff to provide the help you need, but he also just enjoys doing it himself. There's a kind of intimacy he can't explain when it comes to tending his beloved and the body you're growing his child with. It doesn't hurt that his fingers are literally magical.

- He wants the FULL stereotypical expecting-a-baby experience, so yes, he'd love to do some breathing classes with you! The King of Hell might struggle to do anything in public without attracting attention, but he manages to locate a relaxed enough class that the two of you can attend without fear of paparazzi, and he is beyond thrilled from the very first session. There's not much he can offer now and through delivery beyond support, but he intends to give 110%. Pregnant yoga is also not off the table, nor is any activity that lets the two of you bond and enjoy the experience. To a very small extent, he enjoys these sessions because he gets to be seen with you. The Sinners and Hellborn just can't help sneaking an extra look at the King and his expecting lover. He doesn't need to say a word whenever he meets the gaze of someone looking the two of you over, the proud puff of his chest says it all as he lovingly splays a hand on your belly; that's right, I pulled this.

- He wants to brainstorm names right away, and because the two of you elect to be surprised by the birth sex, a very long list of potential selections is drafted for any outcome. His tastes tend to be a bit more old fashioned, but he has a knack for choosing those whose beauty has passed the test of time. His selections are also based on humans that have caught his attention through the ages, for good and bad reasons. Charlie was named after an ancient king, for example, who stood out most to Lucifer because he managed change on a scale few can ever hope to achieve, and change was what he desired for his child above all else. As he follows the naming rule of "two yesses, one no" he listens to all of your suggestions just as eagerly, which over the months results in an increasing long piece of parchment covered in names and notes. Vetoed suggestions are crossed out and he makes a point to note any potential issues with a name in great detail, and while the process is far from streamlined, the two of you have a great deal of fun selecting a final list of favorites.

- Out of everything required to prepare the nursery, selecting baby clothes tends to get him crying from the cuteness most often. He'll hold up potential outfits and try to imagine the baby in them, and while he's got a fantastic sense of fashion, the fabulousity doesn't detract from the adorableness before him. The itty bitty booties, the tiny socks, the cute little onesies... Stars, he's going to have another perfect baby, and since they'll no doubt be as precious as Charlie was... You'll often find him tearing up but beaming in silent thought as he looks over your future child's wardrobe, and he'll always explain himself honestly; he just can't wait to enjoy another round of baby days. If only they didn't go by so quickly...

- Lots of things grow increasingly difficult as you get further along, but he's always up for the challenge of making life easier for you, especially in regards to the bedroom. A baby bump will make certain positions impossible, but that's of little consequence for a man that can bend reality and his own physical form with ease. His capacity for effortless flight makes gravity a non-issue, and where his magic hits its limit, his creativity takes over. Whatever position results in comfort and satisfaction for you will be achieved, and he thinks of plenty to be offered. With his long, forked tongue added to the mix, you need not worry about missing out, no matter how much your middle swells. If anything, he rather enjoys being on the bottom...

[telvess]

Reader using pick-up lines on them

chaotic writing for the fun

Hades

“You should be arrested for stealing my heart!”

Pick-up lines, hmm? Alright, fine, but did you have to use the most pathetic, the cheesiest one? Hades is way too elegant for such a poor tasted attempt, he actually feels offended by your words.

Your first impression is horrible. Hades silently judges you. Of course, he is too classy to make any snarky comments, but you can tell by his cold, indifferent look that he has lost all interest in your company. At this point, he is more of a Poseidon than his brother himself.

If you aren’t the type of person who gives up easily and still tries to flirt… just stop. The best you can get from him would be „yes”, „no” or a nod of the head.

Buddha

“You see my friend over there? She want to know if you think I'm cute.”

Buddha stares at you for a long moment, then looks over your shoulder to check out your friend (who you obviously made up), then then returns to you. His expression is blunt, maybe slightly bored. Totally makes you lose the confidence you had a moment ago as you watch him lazily suck a lollipop and pierce you through with his unimpressed glare.

The worst he can say is „no”, right? Well, who would have thought that the enlightened mind of Buddha would prove otherwise. A drawn-out silence makes you uncomfortable and you start to squirm under his gaze, not ready for that unfazed attitude of his…

Once the confidence you felt approached him vanished and you are ready to leave as quickly as possible, Buddha begins to laugh historically. You jump up a little and stare at him confused. It takes him a while to calm down, but when he does, he looks at you seriously again and says „tell your friend I find ya cute” with the most annoying smirk in the entire universe.

Susanoo

“Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?”

Susanoo watches you with harsh expression, his eyebrows raising as your attitude doesn’t change. You just stand in front of him and wait for his answer. Kinda hot, he has to admit.

He is amused by this shitty attempt, but still has to admit that it takes some balls to say something so crappy to his face. You’re bold, stupid and definitely not in your right mind.

He would definitely address all of the above and then… respond to you with an even cheaper pickup line that he thinks sounds good. He is very proud of himself and oblivious to the point that it matches his intimidating aura.

Susanoo likes a person who isn’t concerned with what everyone think of them, but he is also a person who expects others to submit to his will, which makes him rather difficult person to flirt with, demanding from you to adapt to his confusing preferences.

Nikola

“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.”

BUAHAHAHAHA! HE WOULDN’T GET IT 100%!

He looks at you very confused at first, then he puts to work all of his braincells trying to figure out what you meant. Is this some kind of puzzle? Mystery? It’s clearly impressive, because he struggles to solve it!

Please, stop the brainstorming session before he starts writing his thought on the board and calls members of the science crew asking for the consultations.

After yours short explanation (which probably burnt your soul to the bones with embarrassment) Nikola nods, compliments your clever attempt and… continues what he was doing before this whole masquerade started, oblivious to the fact you just hit on him. So you just stand there and wait for something, but you last barely several dozen seconds before you run away to hide somewhere far, far away.

Much to your surprise, Nikola visits you the next day and invites you for coffee, bluntly.

Hermes

“Can I put my hand on your thigh, where it belongs?”

You sit next to him and get straight to the point. No hesitation, no shame in your eyes. Hermes’ eyes widen for a millisecond as the words leave your lips. Oh? Oh? Oh? He couldn’t help but let his lips stretch into a wide smile, trying to cover his mouth with his hand as a single chuckle escapes his lips.

When he pulls himself together, Hermes lets his playful nature take over. So you thought you were flirty? Hermes is too smart and too cunning to allow you triumph for long. Even if he isn’t interested, he will leave you with a dry mouth and wet panties. Hermes uses the tongue as smoothly as he uses the violin.

Apollo

“I'm sorry, were you talking to me?” He denies, “Well, would you like to?”

My, my, look at you! Approaching the Sun God just like this? Apollo is impressed. In fact, because of how intimidating he is, it's not often that others surprise him with such bravado. Usually they just treat him as something as intangible as the rays of the sun, bathing in his glory, praising him as a celestial being, not as a person. You - on the other hand - are a breath of fresh air.

Once the first shock wears off, his entire figure begins to glow and he gives you the most breathtaking smile you will ever see. From that point on, everything he does comes so naturally that it makes you lose yourself. After making great first impression, you end up like everyone else: Apollo wraps you around his little finger and before you know it, you just sit there and listen to his melodious voice as if you are bewitched. The man is too charming.

Poseidon

“Are you a magician? Because when I look at you, everyone else disappears.”

Peasant. Get out.

You aren’t clever. You aren’t brave. You aren’t impressive. The only person that will disappear is gonna be you, if you don’t remove yourself in the next 3 seconds.

Whoever didn’t stop you from approaching Poseidon like this, definitely doesn’t wish you well.

Kojirō

“Aren't you tired? From running through my mind all day?”

The man gives you surprised look, and moment later he presents you his widest smile. Sasaki has no clue what to say, so he just stands before you, rubbing his neck and blushing like teenage girl. He may stammers out a few words of thanks, but you really shouldn’t hope for more. Kojirō is simply not used to compliments, so even the simplest pick-up line can rock his world.

Please, ask him about swordsmanship, because it’s probably the only thing he can talk about while his brain fries in the skull.

Once Kojirō pulls himself together, he turns out to be exactly as carefree and friendly as you expected. The longer you two interact, the more open and less awkward he becomes.

Ares

“Do you have a name, or can I just call you 'mine'?”

Did you just? Huh???

Ares blinks a few times before his brain process information. He can’t believe you said something like that! Do you even know who you are talking to? He is Ares, the God of War! One of the twelve Gods of Olympus and son of Zeus! He deserves more respect, not some pathetic, human-alike attempt at flirting. He shouts all this in your face, making a big scene and ridiculing you in front of the others gods. For a moment he’s proud of himself, but your teary eyes quickly put him in a less mighty state.

To make things worse, you literally run away. At first Ares tries to ignore the feeling of guilt in his chest, pretending that your reaction was childish and exaggerated, but all he needs is Hermes to make a little remark (“Poor thing, it seems she gave her all to speak up.”) to make Ares’ face red.

He mutters some lame excuse to leave and starts looking for you. He still thinks your attempt was awful, but maybe - just maybe - his heart skips a beat knowing that some pretty miss thinks so highly of him.

Jack

“If music be the food of love, let’s have a feast together.”

Okay, this man isn’t used to hearing compliments, let alone hitting on him. Jack is a little shocked, not because he doesn’t understand you, but because you actually chose him. He doesn’t recognize you, but to his great surprise you seem to know a little about him. After all, you referred to Shakespeare. It couldn't have been an accident, right?

“Pardon me, lady?” is probably the first thing out of Jack's mouth as he’s still processing what you’ve said, but he quickly snaps out of his surprise, “Forgive me, where are my manners?”

Jack introduces himself properly, takes off the hat and bows like a gentleman. He then politely asks for your name, still fluttered that you gave him a chance.

Thor

“Did you do something to my eyes? I can't seem to take them off you.”

“…”

Neither Thor nor Mjölnir budge. Well, this is definitely something new; no one has ever approached Thor this way before, so he has to give you some points for creativity. However, don’t expect anything as Thor isn’t interested in continuing the conversation, so it’s up to you if you are interested in one-sided interaction.

Loki

“Well, here I am! What are your other two wishes?”

Loki stares at you without the slightest sign of interest, twirling strand of hair around his finger. He seems distant, almost like he didn’t hear you. Then he flinches, as if snapped out of trance. His face changes in a split second: a wide, forced smile and squinting eyes screaming at you to evacuate, because you’ve hit on the wrong guy. “Do you have a death wish, woman?” Loki asks, his voice has the sweetest tone that tickles your ears, but his words spew poison…

Loki is capricious. I don’t think it’s a matter of wrong pick-up line, it's rather more a matter of right timing. But even if you choose a bad moment to approach him, he probably wouldn’t hurt you (physically) - he prefers to scare others, toy with their fear than kill them.

On the other hand, if your timing is right, then you would still bounce off the wall, because Loki doesn’t intent to give you a straightforward answer; he would like to play with you, confuse you with the mixed signals he sends. He wants a reaction from you, entertain him. If you are cocky - his goal is to crush your self-confidence. Shy? Prepare for blushing, squealing and stuttering. Ah, you think you’re being funny here? Loki will gladly turn your smile into tears.

[byoldervine]

Why No Writing Advice Seems To Work

There’s millions of tips out there for writers, but so much of it just doesn’t apply, and it often feels like nothing ever works because you have to wade through a million failures before you find a success. But why is that, exactly?

1. Implicit phasing. Seeking advice while in the drafting phase of your writing can be difficult when many popular tips are more important during the editing phase. It can build on perfectionism struggles that a lot of writers have, but a lot of people genuinely don’t realise that this advice will suit them better for editing rather than drafting. If it’s about improving what you’ve already got, or just improvements in general, don’t touch it until you’re editing; you can’t improve on something that doesn’t exist, so you’ll just be going over the same draft a gazillion times without making progress. What you need to look for are tips for brainstorming, getting out of a funk, etc

2. Concept to blueprint. For me, literal thinking has kept me from understanding a lot of writing advice and, even when I’ve got the gist of it, I struggle to figure out how to take it from a general phrase (e.g. “Show don’t tell”, “Make it a habit”) to something actionable that tells me what I need to do. If you’re misunderstanding what the advice is saying, or you don’t know what actions it’s implying that you take, of course it’s not going to be helpful. Sitting down and dedicating a minute or two to considering it can really help, and if you’re still unsure then always feel free to ask other writers; there’s bound to be others who were in the same boat that can share their own interpretations and the actions they took that helped them

3. Hobbyist approach. If you’re only writing for fun, and especially if you don’t consider yourself a ‘real writer’, it’s easy to think that some of the advice doesn’t apply to you. For me, I always thought that the whole “Write every day, make writing a habit” thing was just for people who were super serious about it or on a schedule, not for people who were just writing for fun and didn’t mind it taking forever. But after trying out NaNoWriMo, I realised I actually quite enjoy having a set routine that allows me to see consistent improvement, and even after NaNoWriMo I experimented to see how often I could write without it feeling more like a chore than a fun activity. It’s definitely worth it to at least try out tips that you think may not apply to a hobbyist just working for fun; sometimes you might learn something else about your writing style, even if the tip doesn’t work for you

4. Unique takes. Ultimately, we’re all different people with different experiences, habits, interests, styles, physical abilities and neurotypes; not everything will work for everyone. And that’s a good thing! Yes, it’s frustrating when we try a popular tip and it just doesn’t work for us like it does others, but that’s one more thing we know about ourselves and how we work, and maybe it’ll lead us to a new discovery that makes it easier going forward. If everyone was the same, all our writing would be the same, and that would be boring. You’ll stand out as a writer by working differently to achieve unique results. And if you find something that works for you, make sure you share it in case others benefit, too!

5. Customise. Finding your own tips and sharing them can lead others to you, and it all starts with experimentation; try new things, mix and match existing tips you’ve tried and figure out what can be adjusted to make your writing process better. I can’t keep to NaNoWriMo’s 1667 words per day demands, it’s too much work in too little time, but I can do 1000 words every week and be much more consistent than I used to be. Or maybe watching your word count all the time demotivates you? Try changing your measurement from X words to writing for Y amount of time - or you could even try both and say you’ll write for a max of Y minutes unless you can reach X amount of words beforehand. Even if it’s not something that was originally intended by the tip, can you find a way to customise it to work better for you?

[unhappy-sometimes]

a 2024 writing retrospective (for sxf fanfic)

ignore the fact that i’m a few days late. i’ve been unbelievably busy the past couple weeks.

in this post i’ll go over the fics i wrote in 2024 think of it as an extremely extended author’s notes. i love to talk and will do so when given the chance.

i’ll start from my latest fic and work my way backwards. spoilers for everything i’ve written in 2024.

(Very) Stupid

Something that I try really really hard to maintain in my writing is believability, specifically when it comes to writing characters. Characters acting out of character is one of my biggest fanfic pet peeves: if I wanted to read about someone’s oc, then I would’ve read a regular book. That being said, I think a lot about how Twilight would actually act like if he were in love. I had an interesting conversation with @cantareincminor forever ago about how he’s so emotionally constipated that it’s kind of difficult to write Twilight in love without making him a bit ooc. Right now in canon it’s hard to imagine him falling head over heels for anyone (in my opinion, anyway).

That being said there are moments in canon where he acts flustered in situations that could be interpreted as romantic. So, for right now, my hypothesis is this: if and when Twilight falls in love, he’s going to be an absolute fool. He’s going to do his usual overthinking and overanalyizing, so much to the point that he starts hesitating over the smallest things.

(Very) Stupid is how I imagine all of that unfolding, although for the sake of comedy I did push things to the absurd. Sometimes Twilight does things in canon with such certainty of “Yes, of course normal people do this, I’m nailing this normalcy thing” that he fails to realize he’s being kinda ridiculous. I also wanted to take that element and incorporate it into a fic.

I also wanted to try subverting expectations (ooh fancy literary term) by having them do romantic things that lead them nowhere. I tried to cram in as many tropes as I could—feeding each other with a fork, only one bed, first kiss—but do so under the guise of Twilight completely missing how dumb he’s being the entire time. He only realizes his feelings until after their first kiss, specifically when Yor surprises him with a quick peck on the cheek. This, of course, was deliberate. I figured that it’d make the most sense if Twilight would only realize his feelings in a situation where he wasn’t the one initiating a (somewhat) romantic gesture because he theoretically wouldn’t be overthinking it. Instead, Yor just sneaks in when his guard is down <3

Endings are usually the hardest things for me to write and (Very) Stupid was no exception. I almost had Twilight pass out at the breakfast table when he kisses Yor but then I realized I’d made him faint in almost every fic I’ve written this year and that felt like a cop out. But I figured it out and I don’t mind the way the ending turned out :D

Also, kind of a random reference, but the title is slightly inspired by VERY NICE by Seventeen lol

Holy crap I’ve written so much for only one fic so far. My apologies in advance.

21 Eden Street

I won’t go into too much detail for 21 Eden Street because it’s still ongoing, but I just wanna brag about how fun it is to write hehe. It’s really enjoyable to write pure crack and come up with stupid and insane ideas with Cantare. You don’t need to have seen either iteration of 21 Jump Street to understand what’s going on. Honestly, we’ve taken very little from the source material and treated it more like a loose guide and a basis for brainstorming.

Don’t worry, we haven’t abandoned it! Cantare is waiting on me to finish writing my chapter (hehe sorry, Cantare!) and soon it’ll be back up and running.

Seeing things

Ah, Seeing Things, my beloved <3

This fic has the least amount of hits out of everything I’ve written (which is not surprising to me) but I hold it very dear to my heart. There’s not a specific reason why other than I just really enjoyed writing it. I also spent a ton of time making supplementary drawings and a whole hype campaign for it, too, so I kinda am obligated to feel some sorta way about it.

Anyway, the way this fic came about is simple; I just had the things I am most afraid of happen to Twilight. Yes, I’m scared of serial killers and my loved ones dying like everyone else, but something I am absolutely terrified of are hallucinations. That and doppelgangers.

Not being able to tell reality apart from fiction activates the flight or fight senses in me. Real life can be scary, yes, but reality is bound by the rules of reality. Literally anything can happen in fiction. The most horrific, awful things are possible in fiction and if those things suddenly become possible in reality???? Girl I am GONE. Passing away. Curling up in a fetal position in the nearest corner. I don’t know if that makes any sense. If I ever start seeing things that I can’t be sure are actually happening or not, I am choosing to die right then and there. Doppelgangers as a concept are also really scary to me. It’s like stranger danger but times a thousand because you can’t tell who the strangers are anymore.

In my initial draft, there wasn’t nearly as much of a tension between Twilight and Yor. If I recall correctly, by then I’d written to nearly the end and realized that for Yor this whole experience has been Loid acting just a little more weird than usual. It might’ve been Cantare’s suggestion (just assume everything after Guy’s Night has been beta’d by Cantare and you’ll be mostly right) but I realized that Twilight probably would start to suspect the people around him were screwing with him. I added the scene where his room was messed up and it all fell into place hehe.

I don’t like writing gore or the like because I feel like typical gore quickly starts escalating into levels of pain that the average reader has no possibility of comprehending and it loses its efficacy. Instead I tried feeding into Twilight’s paranoia, adding things that in isolation are just weird but when put together are unsettling. I shamelessly stole the fourth room hallway from Impossible Landscapes, a Delta Green campaign that I highly recommend you check out if you enjoy surreal horror. I purposefully kept some things vague, like the things Anya sees in Twilight’s mind, the way Handler’s face gets warped, or the description of “the watchers” because I felt like going into detail would lose the unknown-ness of it all. That and I’m lazy heehee.

In some way, canon Spy x Family does deal with ideas of doppelgangers and paranoia. Spies are constantly afraid of being listened in on, they don’t know if they can trust anyone, and they always have to keep an eye over their shoulder. For someone who is always a little scared of being spied on (I cover my phone and laptop cameras for that exact reason), that kinda sounds like torture. Seeing Things was a fun way to crank that paranoia up to a hundred. It was especially fun writing the museum scene because I tried thinking of things that are just ever so slightly off, things that theoretically could exist but clearly don’t.

I also threw in other things I’m scared of, like being watched, being followed, the dark, and the bathroom at night just to be extra mean to Twilight <3

Anyway, I’m rambling and this analysis post will be a novel if I keep this up.

Guy’s Night

I do recognize the insane tone shift going from Seeing Things to Guy’s Night.

What is there to even say about Guy’s Night? I got the idea from Psych (the Last Night Gus episode) who got the general basic from the Hangover movies. I wrote it all out in a few days, one of which I was sick in bed. I don’t know what to say.

Looking back on it, I don’t love the way it turned out. I’m glad I wrote it but where I usually don’t mind rereading my stuff for fun I do kinda cringe at Guy’s Night. It relies on a lot of contrivances which I tried masking with humor but it’s still a bit obvious. If you make a timeline of the previous night’s events, it only kinda makes sense.

It doesn’t help that I went into it with no plan whatsoever. I just sat down and said what happens happens. When I wrote in chapter one that something had happened between Loid and Yor, I didn’t know what that was. When I wrote Loid saying “we need to see what’s on that camera film” I was right there next to him saying “buddy, so do I because I have no idea.” When wrote Franky saying that his friend Marko might have answers, I was hoping he would too because I, like everyone else, didn’t know what was going on either.

The ONE thing I DID know was that Twilight got a tattoo the night before. That was it. That’s all.

I don’t typically plan out everything when I write but I usually have a good idea. For Guy’s Night, I had a bad idea in that I had no idea. It kinda shows. Sorry.

That being said, it was incredibly fun writing their drunk shenanigans and banter. The dynamic between Twilight, Franky, and Yuri was so goofy that I’ve seriously debated writing a sequel of sorts. However that’s incredibly unlikely. If I ever do write a sequel, it’d be a Girl’s Night with Yor and a combination of female characters, probably Sylvia and Fiona.

After Peace (and Glimpses of Happiness)

A quick heads up: I don’t go into detail but I do discuss mental illness in this segment.

I am incredibly proud of how After Peace turned out. Not only did it receive a really good reception for being my first fic ever, but it also helped me work through some things in my own life. It’s important to give some context.

I wrote After Peace shortly after graduating college. I won’t go into specifics, but college was really, really difficult for me. I had been so excited for this next step in my life after graduating high school but instead it turned out to be one of the hardest experiences of my life. Depression came out of nowhere and stomped me into the ground.

I used to have very high expectations for myself; I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do with my life and I was taking steps to work towards those goals. Then my mental health tanked and suddenly everything just felt so difficult and pointless. I’d sleep all day and then hate myself when the sun started to set because that meant I’d wasted an entire day doing nothing when I was supposed to be working towards something. But I just couldn’t do it anymore.

That’s something I’ve noticed that a lot of media gets wrong about depression sometimes. It doesn’t always make you feel sad. Sometimes it just sucks everything out of you—sadness, happiness, anger, everything. I stopped drawing, stopped listening to music, stopped eating, stopped exercising, stopped doing everything that I enjoyed because it felt like the equivalent of doing the dishes. Everything was a chore, even the things that I liked.

What really changed things around was when my poor roommate, who was sick of me sleeping for twenty hours a day, dragged my sorry self to the free counseling services on campus. It’s doesn’t fix everything, but having someone who cares about you and you care about can really help your mental health.

Anyway, let’s not forget I’m talking about an anime fanfiction here haha.

After Peace really did start out as a couple of doodles but as I started to write it, I noticed that there were a lot of similarities between myself and Loid. No, I am not a former spy turned grumpy hermit, but I did once have great aspirations and now have to settle for what reality offers me. Realizing that worth comes from simply existing was something that I had to understand in order to begin my recovery process.

I’ve always found it kind of sad that if you took away the goal of world peace from Twilight that you’re basically left with nothing. He doesn’t really have hobbies, no real friends, and he never takes a day off. That’s hardly sustainable. Would he really be happy when there’s nothing left to do? I’d like to think so, but I wanted to see what would happen if he wasn’t.

I mentioned this in the end note, but After Peace was also influenced by this comic I was working on years ago that had the similar premise of “grumpy man learns to enjoy life with the help of a young girl” (very original, I know). I doubt that I’ll ever release that comic in the capacity I once intended, but it does live on in my secret second tumblr account of you ever manage to find it.

Anyway, I was worried about writing After Piece because Anya plays a big role and I am Not Good at writing children. It was hard striking a balance between making Anya likeable but still realistic. I don’t interact with children often and, as a youngest sibling, I don’t have much experience with them. Anya has so many layers—being a test subject, being a telepath, being a child—that it was hard managing them all. But I’m okay with how she turned out.

There is a slight problem in that she basically disappears once Yor shows up D:

I debated having Yor in the fic at all but then I realized that without her the emotional climax would have to rely on a four year old’s emotional intelligence and then decided right then and there that Yor had to be in it haha.

Yor’s whole deal with accidentally killing the wrong person was kind of a last minute addition. I do wish I was able to explore that more, but I also feel like she’s emotionally mature enough to forgive herself more quickly than Twilight would. She ends up serving a bit of a role model to him. It was also nice to be able to write them interacting with the truth out on the table and for them to be honest with each other.

Pacing was something that I was very concerned with. Looking back on it now, I’m still worried that things move along a bit quickly. However, I am reminded of some advice my graphic design professors gave me: “Good design is when nothing more can be take away.” And, because I was writing this as fast as possible, you best believe I was taking things away if I didn’t need them. I didn’t want to fall into the trap of dwelling on Twilight’s thoughts for too long so I instead opted for showing him progressing through experiences instead. I think it worked out.

However because I took so many things out I decided to start Glimpses of Happiness, a supplementary fic to After Peace that fills in the cracks, so to speak. I wanted to have more moments between Twilight and the other characters, like stargazing with Anya and growing close to Yor. Right now there’s only one chapter, but I have plans for at least a few more. I also thought it was important to highlight that mental health recovery never truly ends. Just because Yor and Twilight had a nice chat on the roof doesn’t mean that things are suddenly okay. It’s a long process that sometimes never ends and I wanted to show that.

Of course, I can’t talk about After Peace without addressing the Midwest allegations. As I said, yes, this fic was inspired by my childhood in the American Midwest, even though I was nowhere near any mountains. The Midwest is a silly place full of nothing to do but go to your local Walmart for fun, but I think it served a good enough setting for Twilight to chill out and slow down. If I really wanted to do full Midwest, I’d have Twilight watch a tornado touch down on a cornfield from his truckbed, but that feels sort of out of place.

I feel like there’s more to say but I can’t think of anything and I doubt anyone’s actually gonna read all the way down here anyway. But yeah, that’s After Peace.

Oh, and the A.M. AM by Damien Jurado Youtube video currently has nine comments that mentjon falling from a five story building, which I think is really funny.

So now what?

Against my better judgement, I’m still writing. I have a couple projects in the works, especially one big big big one that hopefully I can start publishing soon. Keep an eye out for that.

In the meantime, thanks for a great year! I hope 2025 holds more great things in store for us all!

-unso ^. .^<

[allyallyorange]

The End of The Beast

AT AU Master Post

Shall I lore dump a bit?

CW // description of violence

Basically during the time Yeosang and 2ho are dimension hopping, Mingi’s fire powers start really getting out of control. He gets in an argument with Wooyoung and he realizes that he is getting too dangerous to be around his friends, he can’t guarantee he’ll be able to stop himself from turning into the beast and like setting the house on fire. So he decides to leave.

Hongjoong and Woosan try to bring him back but they always seem to be a step behind. It’s easy to find where he’s been cus he leaves a trail of destruction but they can never catch up.

One night when brainstorming how they could get Mingi to wake up/break the curse Wooyoung says they should just cut off Mingi’s hand at this point. When Hongjoong starts actually considering it San shuts it down cus he’s absolutely not willing to go that far and severely injure their friend.

Hongjoong doesn’t like the idea of hurting Mingi but he’s tried Everything he could possibly think of to break Mingi’s curse, he’s spent like 600 years looking for a way to break it. He tells Wooyoung that when they find Mingi, he’s got a plan, and he needs Wooyoung to just trust him on this. Wooyoung agrees.

Team Yeosang return home. They were away for about a month and a half Universe A time. Hongjoong announces that they’re all gonna go out to hunt for Mingi now that they’re all together, and hey Mingi’s always had a special connection with 2Ho maybe they’ll be able to snap him out of it (this is not the real plan).

Wooyoung tells Yeosang secretly that Joong has an idea that everyone may or may not seriously disagree with but they might need Yeosang’s help to make it work. Yeosang feels a little bad when he looks back on how he’d acted towards the others after Seonghwa’s death, so he agrees to please Wooyoung.

They find Mingi and the plan goes like this

1) fight him like usual and see if he just wakes up on his own (does not work)

2) tire him out with San’s ice, shrink the flames down

3) Hongjoong takes control of San’s body. Hongjoong has always had this ability but he avoids using it since it’s kinda messed up to do to someone. But basically both San and Hongjoong are fully conscious but Hongjoong is controlling San’s movements and San can basically see everything and react and talk but he can only try his best to get control back. Hongjoong is a lot more powerful than San though so although San makes it difficult, and throws off the accuracy of Joong’s movements, he can’t get him out of his head.

Usually the plan is to diminish The Beast’s flames and hope when there aren’t any left that Mingi just snaps out of it, but this time the goal is to get straight to Mingi.

Wooyoung holds 2Ho back in a cage of vines, they are very unhappy with this, they can’t see what’s going on but they can hear San screaming at Hongjoong to stop whatever it is he’s doing.

Hongjoong struggles to get San to fight Mingi all the way down, so Woo calls for Yeosang to knock him down, which he does. Mingi’s still The Beast so he’s very much still on fire, Yeosang is a vampire so he heals quickly, but the fire still hurts. He still manages to get close enough to bring Mingi down.

Hongjoong makes a move and stabs Mingi, truthfully he’d been aiming for maybe forearm but struck all the way up at the shoulder. San fighting back made Joong’s aim truly horrible, but it was too late to take it back atp. So Joong commits to taking Mingi’s whole right arm off.

Mingi’s screaming and thrashing around and San is screaming for Hongjoong to stop it. As soon as Mingi’s arm is fully detached the fire stops. Hongjoong leaves San’s head immediately after.

That’s enough I think! It’s kind of a lot of info but the AU has a LOT of info!!!

I hope you enjoyed!!

[wistfulnightingale]

Finding Forgiveness (or, Text Barrages and Apology Dances)

Mini Meta-Musing #8

Forgiveness after a disagreement or an argument is such a simple yet complicated thing. In even the closest, most intimate relationships, it requires a great deal of trust and love. The person who caused the hurt must surrender some of their pride for the sake the loved one. They must also trust that it is safe to do so. The person who was hurt must be willing to let go of their anger or resentment, and open themselves up to the relationship again.

In the first episode of Season 2 of Good Omens, we are presented with two relationships in conflict. One uses words and words and more words... but there is no listening, no trust. The other settles the conflict with very few words at all. With a dance, in fact. Yet the trust and love there is deep and obvious.

The first is Nina and her partner Lindsay. Lindsay has assumed that Nina broke her trust by not calling when she was locked in the coffee shop with her phone out. Sure, the situation sounds a bit implausible... but Lindsay sends a barrage of accusatory texts before she knows any of the facts. As the days go by, we learn that not only is Lindsay controlling, but she also has no faith in her partner. She dumps words and accusations and guilt trips, never believing or listening or trusting, until finally breaking up with Nina in a resentment-filled text message.

After seeing that first deluge of text messages when Crowley restores power to the coffee shop, we are immediately shown a far different way to resolve conflict. The next scene is Crowley's melodramatic return to the bookshop. Aziraphale and Crowley have a lasting, deeply rooted relationship. Although some argue that they don't communicate enough, especially in this resolution, I propose that they have found a lovely and mature way to resolve serious conflicts.

Everytime I watch this scene, and see how intensely difficult it is for Crowley to accept doing this, I'm actually a little in awe. Crowley HATES DOING THIS DANCE!!! But as much as he hates humbling himself like this, he Loves Aziraphale MORE. It is far more important to him to fix their conflict quickly, be back on good terms, and help his Angel solve this Gabriel problem. Although his face looks fierce and his tone is irritated, his eyes never leave Azi's. I think they look a bit imploring. The apology is in his golden eyes.

" 'Kay?" is not just, "Are we okay now?" It's also a trust, a gift. "You understand how much I care about you, right? I really do accept how stubborn and thoughtless I was earlier, and you see that I'm very sorry, even though it's hard for me to say the words, yeh?"

Aziraphale is of course, deep down, just a bit of a bastard, so he does take a bit of a comeuppance in his "Very nice." Many of us read a bit more in that look... Crowley looks very elegant in that deep bow! Nonetheless, Azi is happy to be reconnected with his demon, and he eagerly engages with Crowley's brainstorming about their "tiny miracle."

They don't need to verbally process what the fight was about. They've had this fight before, in varying contexts, and they'll surely have it again. But they're working on it, each of them. They know each other's faults, and they love and forgive each other anyway.

I love these moments (in the above photo) after Jimbriel toddles down the stairs. Crowley has just scolded Jimbriel to stay inside. Meanwhile, behind him, Aziraphale steps in closer with an idea. Without even looking back, Crowley steps backwards into that familiar spot where he will be perfectly paired and facing his angel once he turns towards him. Like magnets. Like a couple who is completely synchronized, as long as they are open and trusting each other.

And the familiar excited exchange of ideas begins again!

Oh yes indeed... This is definitely An Old Married Couple (I wrote a meta on it!). They know how to communicate, how to trust each other, and how to forgive. At least as well as many of us do...!

And, although we don't really NEED to see it here, I'm including a gif of Crowley's Apology Dance. It's beautiful, it's graceful... Aw, heck, we all just LIKE to see it again!

[thewertsearch]

[Dave] goes underground and discovers gold ruins. Before entering, he's interrupted by Karkat who uses a memo to warn both him and John about their involvement with Terezi and Vriska, telling them the scourge sisters are partaking in a dangerous game of rivalry fueled flirtation which has gotten both him and John killed at least once each.

Initially, I wasn’t sure we’d seen all four of these deaths - but on reflection, I think I can actually list them.

John was manipulated to his death by Terezi, creating Davesprite’s timeline.

He was also killed by Jack, as part of Vriska’s plan to turn him into a god.

Green-Suit Dave was killed as the result of Terezi’s game/experiment.

Red-Suit Dave was killed by DD, who was acting on Vriska’s suggestion to create Bec.

Bro is slain by his own sword, and the body is discovered by Dave later, who can't bring himself to retrieve the sword.

Bro's death is canon - but, at least for now, Davesprite's death is not. Hope is the thing with feathers.

[Dave] then goes on to make all the money needed, to buy all the fraymotifs, which are powerful battle techniques purchased from consorts, and to reach the top of his echeladder.

I’m interested in seeing these Fraymotifs in action – particularly the combined ones that we saw in John’s walkaround.

John appears to be getting a combination attack with each of his co-players. Based on what we know of their respective Aspects, I'll brainstorm some hypothetical techniques that match these names.

Ivories in the Fire [Breath/Time]: I'm picturing John and Dave's combination attack as a time-accelerated hurricane. The main problem with weather manipulation is that it tends to be rather slow; John's storms come out relatively fast, but Dave's help, he can bring them out instantly, firing gales off with the speed and precision of lasers.

Mixolydian Maelstrom [Breath/Light]: A maelstrom of light and wind sounds like something John and Rose would use to distract foes, rather than directly harm them. I think this could be a smoke-and-mirrors technique, summoning strobe lights and clouds of dust to confuse and disrupt large groups of enemies.

Fantasia’s Inhale [Breath/Space]: This sounds like some reality-bending shit. Maybe the Prospit siblings can warp space in a way that synergizes with John's normal fighting style. For example, they could lower the mass of any objects in their vicinity, allowing John's wind to launch much larger objects than normal.

With [Dave’s] massive reserve of grist accumulated in his travels and his more advanced torrenting capabilities, he allows Jade to alchemize some sophisticated equipment right away.

This is a good point that I didn’t catch at the time. The GristTorrent we saw in the comic has an extremely slow download speed, but Jade quickly had millions of grist to spare. Dave had to have a way to speed up the transfer.

[Jade] makes her entry item from the pre-punched card. A tree sprouts from the alchemiter, and a green Bec-shaped pinata dangles from a branch.

Oddly enough, Jade’s entry item spawned the same tree that John’s did. Rose and Dave’s items didn’t have anything in common, so it's just the Prospit siblings whose items share traits.

How typical is this phenomenon? Does it mean anything? With this comic, it's often difficult to tell.

As the clock ticks down to the CRITICAL EVENT, the most important character in Homestuck sits and watches this pandemonium ensue. And then, the second most important character in Homestuck positions a shitty drawing of himself in front of a typewriter and writes this recap.

Gamzee is now more important than Hussie, for whatever that’s worth. What the hell is going on with this guy?

[moons-and-mobility-aids]

Alone

Pairings: Poly!marauders x disabled!reader Summary: The quidditch stands are inaccessible, and parties in the common room are a nightmare for you, so you sit in your room, waiting for it to be over. Tags: disabled!reader, fem!reader, depictions of chronic pain, feelings of exclusion, loneliness and longing, reader internalizing ableism, emotionally resilient!reader, established relationship, hurt/comfort, fluff, james being the best boyfriend actually, remus and sirius showing up right when you need them, reader retreating from the crowd, party avoidance, reader left out of quidditch life, wheelchair user, no use of y/n, emotionally supportive marauders, comfort in shared silence, quiet intimacy, you’re not alone even when you feel like it Word count: 1.9k words Series Masterlist

The sound of the crowd from the Quidditch field reverberates through the thick stone walls of Hogwarts, a distant roar punctuated by cheers and chants. The castle itself seems to pulse with the excitement of the match, the energy permeating every corner, reaching even the solitude of your room.

While you are accustomed to this routine—sitting out while James soars on his broomstick, the echo of the game reaching you only as a secondary spectator—it doesn't make the reality any easier. The Quidditch stands, high and inaccessible, have been the bane of many a brainstorming session. No matter how much you and the boys puzzle over it, the outcome remains the same: you, far removed from the action, alone with your thoughts.

James had insisted, of course, that you should be there, promising to carry you up the stairs himself if necessary. But you'd refused, knowing the practicalities all too well. The stands are narrow, the seating cramped. You would spend the entire game uncomfortable and confined, and getting down afterwards? A logistical nightmare best avoided.

So you’d stayed behind. Again.

The cheers from the Gryffindor common room are almost deafening as the team returns from the match. From the sounds of it, they've won. You can almost picture it—the triumphant grin on James's face, his hair even messier than usual from the wind; Sirius throwing an arm around him, their laughter ringing through the hallways; and Remus, standing a little apart but smiling nonetheless, his quiet pride radiating warmth. A pang of longing hits you, but you push it down, reminding yourself of what comes next.

A party. A crowded, chaotic celebration in the common room where everyone is too preoccupied with their victory to notice how difficult it is for you to navigate in your wheelchair. You've been there before, stuck on the outskirts while life goes on around you, a reminder of what you don't get to have.

You let out a long sigh and settle deeper into the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The muffled sounds of laughter and chatter from the other side of the wall serve as a cruel reminder of what you're missing. You can almost see it—the flickering candlelight illuminating flushed faces, the clinking of glasses as students toast to another successful day, the way they all seem to gravitate toward one another, leaving no room for someone like you.

Even if you were to gather the courage to step outside your door, you know the scene that awaits. You've tried before, attempted to blend into the warmth of their camaraderie, but each time you've felt more like a ghost than a participant. Invisible until someone bumps into you, their eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, sorry," they'd mutter before turning away, their attention already drawn back to the lively conversation you're not a part of.

Or worse, the well-meaning ones who try too hard. Their voices are always a touch too loud, their smiles a little too wide as they ask if you need help with anything. As if your presence is a problem to be solved rather than just accepted. On nights like this, it's easier to stay hidden away, even if the loneliness gnaws at your insides, even if the exclusion stings more than you care to admit.

Time lingers, stretching out into what feels like hours. The ache in your bones is a constant reminder of the life you used to have, the one where you could move freely without the spectre of pain constantly hovering. You shift in bed, trying to find a comfortable position, but each movement sends a jolt through your limbs, a harsh contrast to the silence that surrounds you.

The thought of rising, of navigating through the boisterous throng of students celebrating below, seems impossible. How can you be expected to put on a brave face when every fibre of your being screams in protest?

And yet, despite the hurt, a small smile pulls at your lips as you picture the scene unfolding below. James's grin would be infectious, his hazel eyes alight with the thrill of victory. He'd sling his broom over his shoulder with a nonchalance that belied the skill he possessed, sharing in the joyous cacophony with Sirius at his side. You want him to have this moment, to bask in the glory that Quidditch brings him. It wouldn't be fair to darken his day with your troubles.

But acknowledging his happiness doesn't chase away the sadness that clings to you, an unwanted shroud. There's a hollow space within you that their laughter can't reach, a void that amplifies the silence. The loneliness is a familiar companion by now, yet it never ceases to sting.

The door to your room opens with a creak, and you sit up, surprised. The party is in full swing; you didn't expect anyone to come looking for you just yet. But there, silhouetted against the light of the hallway is James, his hair still dishevelled from the game, his face flushed with excitement.

His eyes soften as they meet yours. He's still in his Quidditch uniform, the scarlet and gold making him look amazing. The sight of him, so vibrant and alive, stirs a feeling deep within you.

"Hey," he says quietly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. His voice is low, threaded with concern. "I missed you out there."

You force a smile, the corners of your mouth barely twitching upwards. It's a weak attempt at humour, but your heart isn't in it. "Yeah, well, the stands aren't exactly wheelchair accessible."

James' frown deepens, and he crosses the room to sit on the edge of your bed, his weight causing the mattress to dip slightly. "I know," he says quietly, reaching out to take your hand. His grip is firm, grounding—a stark contrast to the uncertainty churning within you.

"I hate that," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper.

You shrug, trying to seem nonchalant despite the bitterness creeping into your voice. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

But James doesn't let go of your hand, instead squeezing it gently as if to offer some semblance of comfort. He looks at you, those earnest eyes seeming to see right through your forced indifference. "No, it's not fine," he insists. "And I hate that you're missing out because of this."

You let out a small sigh, your fingers tightening around his in response. "It's just how it is, James. But I'm happy for you guys. You did win, didn't you?"

This time, when James grins, the joy reaches his eyes, chasing away the shadows—if only for a moment. "We did. It was brilliant." He leans back, his free hand gesturing animatedly as he recounts the match, painting a picture of daring dives and spectacular saves, of the scores he made. You can see the pride swelling in him with each word, and for a brief second, it's almost enough to take your mind off the sting of being left behind.

"But..." His voice trails off, the energy draining from him as reality sets back in. He looks at you, concern etching lines into his young face. "I just wish you could've been there, too, sweetheart. And that you weren't stuck here while the rest of us are out there."

"It's all right," you whisper, knowing the lie hangs heavy between you both. "I'd just be in the way. It's too crowded."

James's expression crumples, and he shakes his head vehemently. "You'd never be in the way." He glances towards the door. "I was going to go to the party, but I think I'd rather stay here with you."

You blink, taken aback by his words. "James, you should go celebrate with the team. This is your night.”

"I don't care about the party," James murmurs, his voice barely more than a breath against your skin. He brushes a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his touch light and reassuring. "I care about you. I don't want you to feel left out while everyone else is laughing and celebrating. I want to be here with you."

A lump forms in your throat, hard and painful. You turn away quickly, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. "I don't want to ruin your night," you manage to whisper, your voice shaky.

James's hand gently lifts your chin, turning your face back towards him. His eyes are soft, filled with an affection that sends warmth spreading through your chest. He smiles at you, and it feels like a promise. "Y/N, you could never ruin my night."

Before you can respond, the door creaks open, and two familiar figures step inside. Sirius leans against the doorframe, his usual grin softened around the edges. Remus follows closely behind him, pulling up a chair on the other side of you.

"Thought we'd find you here," Remus says softly, his hand reaching out to touch your arm—a silent promise that you're not alone.

"Feels like I'm missing the party," you reply, attempting a weak smile as you glance between them both. "You should be out there celebrating."

Sirius snorts and drops into a chair next to James, crossing his arms over his chest. "Like we want to be out there with all those people when we could be here with you."

Remus lifts an eyebrow at Sirius's blunt remark, but his hand finds yours, warm and reassuring. "We wanted to check on you. Make sure you're holding up."

"Same old story." You shrug, the frustration of it all seeping into your voice. "Couldn't go to the match, and now I can't even make it through the common room with the party in full swing." Your gaze drops to your lap, voice barely above a whisper. "Not exactly my best day."

James leans closer, his lips brushing against your temple in a feather-light kiss of reassurance. "But we're here now."

"Right," Sirius agree, his hand giving your shoulder a comforting squeeze. "We'll have our own party here. Who needs the common room anyway?"

You manage a small smile at their words, and while it doesn't erase the sting completely, it lessens the ache just a little. You're not alone, not when you have them, and that thought is enough to keep the darkness at bay.

"Thank you," you whisper, voice breaking on the words, but they hear it all the same. The gratitude lingers in the air, a testament to bonds that run deeper than blood.

"We will always be here for you," Remus says, his voice soft but resolute. He leans back against the headboard, still holding your hand as if it's a lifeline. "No matter what."

James shifts on the bed, settling next to you. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in closer until you can feel the steady rhythm of his heart beating against your back—a solid reminder that you're not alone.

Sirius grins, his grey eyes twinkling with mischief despite the gravity of the situation. "And after the party," he whispers, leaning in close so only you can hear, "we'll sneak some food up here. Maybe even a bottle or two of butterbeer."

A quiet laugh bubbles up from your chest, the first genuine one of the day. The heaviness inside you lifts ever so slightly, replaced by a warmth that has nothing to do with the fire crackling in the hearth. With them, you think, maybe solitude doesn't have to mean loneliness.

[the-wip-project]

January 26

Hello writerly friends!

I hope you are deep in your story and got a first grasp of what your story wants to be. Maybe it even surprised you, developed in a way you didn't expect. 

Your most important trait as a writer is perseverance. You have to stick to it, you have to keep going, because you cannot discover your story if you don't write it. But there will come a point where you get stuck. Writer's block is extremely difficult for discovery writer, because we don't have an outline to guide us forward. We're stuck and we don't know where to go next.

Maybe you've already run into that kind of wall, so let's return to Patricia McLinn's book "Survival Kit For Writers" to find some advice about how to deal with writer's block as a discovery writer.

Patricia McLinn turns to brainstorming when she gets stuck. She advises to leave the actual story, but work inside the world you've created. Take your characters and ask them questions. Specific questions. This is not a friendly interview, grab your character and ask them "What the fuck was that about?" and then write down everything you'll find. Be demanding, make it an argument. Poke your subconscious until it spills the beans. These are not words that will end up in your story, but they will show you where your story is headed.

Another piece of advice you'll always hear around writer's block and its remedies, is to "refill the creative well". Meaning: reading and watching stories. McLinn specifies this more, she recommends that you read specific chunks of other books for inspiration. If you're stuck on a fight scene, find fight scenes in other books and analyse what you like and dislike about them. 

That's also a general point regarding the books we read. What stands out to you? What do you find important in the stories you read? What speaks to you about a specific scene? I'm usually too lazy to write that down, but it probably makes sense to write those sort of findings down. Don't be lazy like me, be smarter.

As always, accountability and writing sprints are good tools that work well. Posting here on tumblr how you write and how it's going, may look like nothing important now, but you will look back on this one day and be amazed at what you did. It means something to say "look, I did that".

We have a check-in channel on our discord, where we post our wordcounts for accountability. It's just a little thing, but I look into the channel every day and it makes me so happy to see all those numbers. Someone follows this project on bluesky and posts daily (very impressive) wordcounts, and really tickles me to see that. 

Our sprint bot died, so there aren't any sprints right now, but you can always use a focus app on your phone and set it to 20 minutes, or you can use a site like OhWrite (https://ohwrite.co/) to sprint with other people. These things work, honestly. I know it's annoying but these are like the easiest tools in the box and it would be stupid not to use them. 

So in that spirit, let's see your accountability!

@creativelyfueled @wildswrites @pheita @koiwrites @wickedwitchofthewilds @theburnedoutnerd @fontainebleau22 @illegalcerebral @incognitajones @theglitchywriterboi @sashakielman @satashiiwrites @lilliebellfanfics @jeaniefranklins @iressails @lastelle21 @sgam76 @tryingtimi @randomquadballpun @dragonnan @mclavellan @bisexualdawnsummers @hiraethwritings @523rdrebel @thebonesongs @gewhanaa @broodwolf221 @batteredrugosa @quilleth @exceedinglyfilledwithfolly @vigilskept @drowsy-quill @i-had-bucky @direquail @jacqueswriteblrlibrary @bogunicorn

[choccy-milky]

A few months back, I asked if it was okay to write using Clora and Seb. Finished the work - thought I'd lost it on my hard drive and a virus scan located it.

Not sure if it's sad or happy, but the basic premise of it is Clora getting frustrated/upset at Sebastian and Sebastian comforting her, Sebastian getting upset at a predicament Clora's in and Clora comforting him, and them both getting frustrated/upset and having to comfort each other.

If you'd rather I didn't post it, that's fine too, but just wanted to test the waters and double check that you'd be okay with it if I gifted it to you via AO3, or see if you wanted a sneak peak of it before posting it.

OMG im so happy you were able to find it and recover the work you did!!😭🙏 AND YES OF COURSE YOU CAN POST IT AAA I CANT WAIT TO READ IT!! you can DM it to me first if you want, but i also dont mind if you post it straight away on ao3!! IM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT SM AAARGHHHA💖💖💖IT SOUNDS ANGSTY WE LOVE THE HURT/COMFORT I HOPE MY HEART CAN HANDLE IT🥺💖💖TY AGAIN FOR USING CLORA AND SEB AND TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT THEM😭

@sunshine-goblin AAA THANK YOU!!! im honoured its your fav fanfic AND ALSO THE LONGEST YOUVE READ BAHAHAA fr, when you say its as long as four books in lotr it rly makes me realize how insane i am😃👍 aw IM GLAD I COULD INSPIRE YOU TO DRAW MORE AND WRITE AS WELL😭 I was curious so i creeped you and everyone go look at their HL blog @sunshines-legacy your MC is so cute and so is your art🥹💖 as for tips on writing a longfic and brainstorming and motivation and stuff, my motivation was my brainrot and unhappiness with the canon story/ending LMAOO, and looking at the story of the game and playing around with what i was unhappy with/what i WISHED could have happened instead, was a lot easier than just coming up with plotlines from scratch. but something i highly recommend is just OUTLINING and making a timeline, one of my fav parts of writing was just putting on some cafe ambience in the background and doing stream of conscious type word documents where id just barf ideas and then worry about making it pretty later....like look at how many versions of the same chapter i have BAHAHA or like different renditions bc i couldnt decide if id wanna keep a scene/what order, so id make a timeline and keep smoothing things out until i was happy with it and whatnot

brainstorming is defs my fav part of the process and the most helpful part to me. just getting a blank document and writing stuff you want to happen without worrying about how it connects to the story, and then a lot of the times as i was doing that id just keep going and it would kinda tie itself together/id come up with a solution as i was writing / once the ideas kept flowing. so basically : TIMELINES AND OUTLINES I VERY MUCH RECOMMEND, but very low pressure and barebones ones. for example, this is what my outlines/brainstorming look like

its honestly just me talking to myself LMAO, and a lot of the time ill interject and be like "OH YEAH AND THEN THIS CAN HAPPEN" as the ideas come while im writing BAHAHA. its a super fun process and honestly nothing feels better than just getting hit with that flash of inspo, and since its all very low effort theres no pressure to actually write well and its just a chill fun time AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR OWN PROCESS / WRITING💖💖💖it can be difficult but HOPE U HAVE FUN TOO💖💖

@a-little-lysdexic WAIT REALLY?? LMFAOO OMG THATS CRAZY....SAME BRAIN...🤝🤝...that would trip me up so much if i were you omg BAHHAHA but aside from having similar tastes in names, IM GLAD YOU LIKE MY ART AS WELL, TYY💖💖💖

THANK YOUUU im glad you're liking it!!! and that its taking over your life BAHAHA💖💖 the video you're thinking of was by @silverxstardust for chapter 13 of my fic, and you can watch the video here! (AND TY AGAIN TO SILVERXSTARDUST FOR DOING THIS!)

[sanjoongie]

Fanboys~ Part Five

can we please please please cream over the teaser????

❧Starring: Fan Artist! Hongjoong, Fanfic Writer! Wooyoung, Fanboy! San, Idol Member! Reader

❧Summary: In which GRL has a pending comeback and Hongjoong can't shake the feeling that Mingi is not who he says he is

❧Rating: 18+ MDNI

❧Genre/Au: SMAU, crack, idol reader! x non idol members au, smut

❧Word Count: 430

❧Warnings: wooyoung smut talk= mommy kink, bukake ; hongjoong nsfw art talk= nipples

❧A/N: playing around in this world without getting the fanboys offended or fleur fully caught is getting difficult! 😂

❧Part 4 here | Mini Master List here

Dms

written part

Preparing for your comeback was taking up so much of your time but you knew your dms were blowing up from the brainstorming group chat.

You had slapped yourself when you dropped the fact about your hair change in the midst of your jealous rage. It was silly, right? What right did you have over getting angry at Hongjoong for making such a lovely fanart of Cherry.

But it had struck a chord. You didn't have the charisma that Cherry had and you often worried you only had fans because of your friendship with Cherry. You would never say this to Cherry of course, because Cherry would be the first one to fight everyone who did this.

You sighed, deciding to put your phone away. You most definitely didn't have time to address your group chat right now.

"You okay?" Yulia elbowed you in the ribs while on set.

All you could manage was a pained smile. You could never lie to Yulia. The younger girl sighed. "It's gonna be a long day today. You can't already be emotional drained."

You scuffed your slippered toe against the ground. "I'm doing my best, Yulia."

"Cherry!" Yulia suddenly yelled at your third. "Get over here. Unni is depressed again!"

You winced. "You didn't need to announce it to the whole staff."

Mingi looked over at you, water bottle already in hand. You waved him away. If Cherry got over here and started talking about stan twitter, you wanted him as far away as possible.

Cherry skipped over, and you full well knew she was about to cause havoc.

"Did you see--?"

A week or so went by before you actually had some pre-comeback lull to check back into the group chat. And you had some explaining to do. Luckily, you had a decent cover story--your older brother's life.

dms

Written part

You left the squabbling to Wooyoung and Hongjoong. Everything seemed somewhat back to normal.

Your gut told you Hongjoong wasn't completely convinced, however. You just needed to not fuck up again and perhaps Hongjoong would stop accusing you of exactly what you were up to.

You didn't even want to think what they might do if they figured out Mingi wasn't just a normal guy, let along that he was Fleur.

"Fleur, I need to make some alterations to your skirt!" Your stylist shouted at you from the door to your group's changing room.

"Coming!" You shouted back.

Hopefully, all you had to worry about for now was that your skirt was long enough for broadcasting standards but short enough to get Wooyoung barking.

Hongjoong, San and Wooyoung dms

Twitter posts shenanigans