#and 30k for other story

[moonshine-nightlight]

Should we expect another chapter of Dale this weekend, or is it next weekend?

@roolsilver

this coming weekend is officially a Dale weekend. i should have put up the next Free Piano chapter this past sunday, but i'm behind (which is why Dale basically posted an entire week late).

work is still really busy (i'm at the office right now)

my plan though is that i'm gonna prioritize Dale and then post a few off sunday Free Piano parts to get back to my original schedule for that story, hopefully within a week or two cuz i'm also trying to do nanowrimo? which is probably a mistake? and work likely isn't gonna slow down, though i'm trying to catch back up with that too

i just don't want to get behind on Dale because January-March is The Busy Season for my work and i will be on hiatus for probably all writing during those months (which i did last year and is why there was that big gap between Part 3 and Part 4 lol) it might be more mid-Jan to mid-April but still a three month hiatus

[shhhhimwatchingthis]

You want to know why Inigo Montoya remains such an iconic and beloved character even 35 years after the Princess Bride came out?

It's because he's one of the few characters in fiction who has a story where he has dedicated his life to revenge, his whole motivation is about getting revenge....and he gets it! and then he isn't empty or despairing! he doesn't regret it! he's totally satisfied!

because so many stories about revenge or rage are about characters "seeing the futility of their actions" or learning "their desire for revenge has only made them the monsters they hated" FUCK THAT.

Inigo Montoya kills the man who kills his father, is allowed to live in the narrative after and be happy about it and it is so satisfying. it's fantastic. it's iconic.

let more characters rage against the world, bring it down with bloodied hands, and let them be FUCKING RIGHT about it. Let them celebrate their success with sharp grins, and let them live happy, full lives where they always remain proud/fulfilled for what they've done

[leejihoonownsmyheart]

Lavender Haze

Summary:

Is there anything better than a meet-cute in a coffee shop? (Yes, the coffee shop is Starbucks).

Coming to you live thanks to: “just write a fic abt it to cope” –JJ of @rubyreduji If the story I told in that post was a blank page in a coloring book I colored it in and added detail.

-

You took a brief sigh of relief as you walked into the doors of the Starbucks you had stumbled upon with your friends. All day you had all been walking and touristing and despite having been in a coffee shop already today the green circular sign had come to a relief to you when you had spotted it at four in the afternoon from across a picturesque cobblestone street.

Sometimes it was nice to be able to step into a coffee shop that you knew like the back of your hand. The kind of coffee shop where your order could be as complicated as you wanted it to be, and you knew that the employees would still be nice to you. At local coffee shops employees weren’t always as nice as the baristas that wore green aprons.

Besides, as great as a unique drink at a local shop could be (after all where else could you get a maple cortado- What a cortado even was you still didn’t know) you were a sucker for a shop with a good member rewards system.

“I can serve you right here.”

You looked up from the barcode on your phone and the focused expression that had surely been your face as you loaded more money on your app was replaced by an even worse expression: Mouth gaped, eyebrows raised, eyes wide. Dumb- you looked dumb.

The person standing before you was possibly one of the most attractive men you had ever seen before in your life.

He had dark hair, wide dark eyes, lips curled up in half a smile- one that was inviting but clearly just an expression he gave customers. You couldn’t help the way your eyes trailed down his body, noting the way that his shirt was somehow managing to wear him despite the way that his muscles were so large you thought that the shirt should be tight on him.

But that was just it wasn’t it? The big shirt, the loose way his apron was tied around his waist, his messy hair and those big eyes.  

“Uh, whenever you’re ready, that is,” the man said. You cleared your throat, your eyes flickering back down to your phone screen as warmth flooded your cheeks. You screamed at yourself to stay focused. You couldn’t leave the coffee shop just because the barista was so-

You looked up again, catching one of his coworkers walking behind him. You sucked in a sharp breath.

His height.

How was anyone this cute?

You forced yourself to walk up to the counter, pressing a smile on your lips as you looked at him. In the back of your mind you heard the sound of soft music drifting through the lobby, lyrics that itched the back of your brain: I feel the lavender haze creep up on me. Surreal.

You willed yourself to stay focused, reminding yourself that you hardly looked like the kind of person that would get shy because of a cute barista at Starbucks. You needed to get a hold of yourself.

“Hi, sorry in advance, my order is kind of complicated.”

The barista just smiled at you innocently, his held tilting to the side ever-so-slightly.

“Good thing I’m good at listening,” he replied back.

You reminded yourself that normal people breathed in a pattern that wasn’t exactly erratic.

“Okay, don’t judge me. Can I have a tall pink drink with sweet cream and one scoop of matcha powder.”

The barista's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his eyes flickered down to his computer screen. His mouth opened slightly and then it closed. He glanced back up at you.

“Sorry- You said raspberry syrup?” He asked. Your smile flickered with concentration as you scrambled through your brain to figure out what you had said that sounded like raspberry syrup. You could see staring at the little screen on the register that he had gotten the drink itself right but neither sweet cream or matcha sounded like raspberry to you so instead of trying to guess which part he had gotten confused over a polite: “No.” Just tumbled out of your mouth before you could stop it.

The barista didn’t look bothered at all.

“Do you mind repeating it? I’m sorry, it’s been a long day.”

You shook your hands in front of yourself.

“No, it’s such a complicated order for no reason. Here-” You repeated it, this time slower, and the whole time the barista nodded along.

“Oh, got it, it’s not that complicated.”

You laughed at his blatant lie, but you were grateful that he was trying to make you feel better for being the absolute worst kind of person. If you could you would just order the drink on the app but it wouldn’t let you add the scoop of matcha powder to it and despite everyone’s insistence that it was awful you thought it really made the drink.

The barista told you your total and you raised your phone to the scanner. You had all of your focus zeroed in on getting your app to scan that you didn’t even realize that the barista was looking at you until the computer beeped.

Somehow you managed to keep your composure.

“Good?” You asked.

“Good,” the barista agreed with a smile. “If you just stand over there, we’ll have your drink right out to you.”

You nodded, and turned to walk away, a thank you about to leave your mouth when he caught your attention again.

“Your outfit, by the way-” He took a breath like he couldn’t figure out why he was saying this to you. You couldn’t help but notice that suddenly his cheeks were pink. “You just look amazing.”

By the time he finished the sentence his eyes weren’t on you anymore. They stayed trained on the ground for a few beats before finally flickering back up to you. Oh my god, he was shy. Talking to you, the cutest barista on the planet was shy. You smiled.

“Thank you,” you said softly, your smile meeting your eyes. “I really appreciate it.”

The barista cleared his throat and turned away from you and you took that as your chance to walk to the pick-up area. You couldn’t help but note that somehow the people around you in the little shop didn’t seem to hear just how loudly your heart was beating.

You forced yourself to stay calm, stop thinking about just how cute the barista was but you felt so awkward just staring at your phone. You looked up and trailed your eyes around the shop. It looked like any Starbucks you had ever seen.

Small, with comfy lounge chairs and a fake fireplace against the back wall. You smiled as you trailed over the Starbucks cups but just as you saw one you wanted you ripped your eyes away from it. You did not need another Starbucks cup.

You glanced away from the display, your eyes falling on a poster board with a bunch of polaroid's on it. Your eyebrows furrowed as you read the sharpie written on the top: Meet your baristas.

Your eyes widened and you looked through the pictures and polaroids until- Jihoon, Sagittarius.

Your lips spread into a smile. He even looked cute in that stupid polaroid picture.

You were ripped from your thoughts by the sound of your name being called. To your disappointment it wasn’t the adorable barista you had come to recognize as Jihoon. In fact, the shorter barista was preoccupied with getting a black coffee for the person behind you in line. You smiled at the barista who had set your drink on the counter.

“Thank you,” you said. You quickly took the drink, nodded a farewell to the barista and glanced at Jihoon one more time before leaving the coffee shop. It took your eyes a second to readjust to the bright fall sunlight, but when it did you quickly spotted your friends across the small cobblestone street. As you approached you waited for the obvious barrage of questions:

“Ew, what did you get?” Your best friend blurted, making all of your friends look at your drink.

“Is it green?” Someone asked.

“Is that cold foam on top?” Another person asked.

“What’s that on the side?”

The last question was the one that startled you. What was on the side? You had expected the color questions, and the content questions but what was on the side...?

“Probably just the-”

You stopped when you realized that what was on the side wasn’t your name, or the small little white receipt that sometimes came on the side, it was sharpie, and it was-

You gasped and covered the sharpie with your hand, but it was too late.

“Is that a phone number?”

Next came the obvious onslaught of questions. How and why did the barista write their phone number on the side of your cup? but you were too giddy to really care.

It seemed like you were going to see Jihoon again sometime soon, and you couldn’t wait for that day.

[banhchao]

calling someone you once claimed was your brother a “bad influence” and twisting the narrative to say he abandoned you when he was forcibly kicked out of the group for doing weed (which is HARMLESS and morally fine to do) cause he was carrying YOUR and 5 others’ careers on his back and was so exhausted and stressed… even saying you felt HATRED for him instead of understanding how he ended up in that position in the first place… caring more about a squeaky clean image and purity standards than someone you claim you love’s MENTAL HEALTH!! bringing up shit from 4 years ago knowing fully well hanbin went thru a very dark time and was made to feel immense guilt and shame for something so HARMLESS! Framing said harmless thing like it’s the worst thing in the world?! u weak insecure condescending little man!!

[msfcatlover]

*squinting at the fic I’m reading* Is it poorly structured, or is this just not my thing?

[brattylikestoeat]

[gardenoflupins]

I started working on a new wip for a long fic last night and I’m already 20 thousand words in

[whichwoods]

I just reread Like the Stars that Shine for the 10th time… I- 🫡

🫡 you're really a soldier <3 nothing has even happened yet! 😭

chapter 4 is nowhere near publishable yet but here's a few lines' preview:

"Look," he tells Vhagar, nodding toward the east end of the flat. "It's your friend."

A few dozen yards away, Arrax is slowly shuffling forward, reds spikes splayed in greeting. His long neck sways from side to side, more snake than dragon, Aemond has sometimes thought. Behind him, Vhagar rumbles out a skeptical noise, the act of it shaking the ground and slapping a gust of hot, ashy air on his back.

[drlavenderpepper]

hey guess who just realized they have written over 140k words this year already

[andromeda3116]

fighting the powerful urge to just like. go ahead and post the next chapter. because i am so happy about a scene i've added and like. i know that this fic has a tiny readership but i really love this scene.

[uniformbravo]

if the nanowrimo word goal was 30,737 i simply would have won

[c-e-victor]

fifteen separate notes full of worldbuilding for a story i never intended to write

[keebwee]

oh wait i think people dont like me because im cocky . thats so crazy. anywyas im so good at reading.

[realbacchus]

I only write on my phone and so I don't realize just how long some of these docs are... 37 pages? 57? 59? Having like 10 different 25-35 page documents. Hello? I am unwell?? I scroll through all of that every night just to add some before I fall asleep...

[persephoneflouwers]

-

[deecotan]

🌱 Deeco's ZoSan Fic Rec List 🐥

Hello hello! This is going to be a slight rework for my zosan fic rec list, because I wanted to re-organize it and add some new fics while I'm at it, so this is going to be longer than the first. Feel free to check it out!

Latest update: November 2023

Because I started making this list long before August 2023, I won't add any fics that specifically take place in live-action setting because I haven't read much of them yet. I might consider updating this list to add fics with live-action setting in the future.

—GEN/T FICS

Sketches of Life (and Love) by Fledgling (Teen, 2.9k)

An exploration of a headcanon where Sanji likes to draw in his free time. This fic always leaves me with a warm feeling every time I read it because how endearingly sweet it is. It’s basically a domestic fluff story about both ZoSan and the Strawhats crew in general.

green with envy blues by adietxt (Gen, 1.5k)

A cute fic about Zoro being jealous. Jealous!Zoro has been one of those tropes that make me screech like a feral animal every time I come across it and this fic does exactly that. It’s pretty short and simple but it captures the characters very well. It’s set during pre-timeskip which makes it even better to me because pre-TS Zoro possesses that boyish quality that post-TS Zoro doesn’t necessarily have anymore.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Fuck, Marry, Kill (or, how Usopp becomes the best matchmaker of the sea without really trying) (Teen, 4.8k) — Usopp introduces the Strawhats to a game that ends up causing Sanji to overthink things - a lot of things.

Old Men Blues by postmoderne (Gen, 2k)

Quoting directly from the fic’s summary, “Sanji and Zoro: two ancient fucks (in love).” because this is exactly that, a story about old men ZoSan. Old Zoro and old Sanji are both still as stubborn as ever and it’s endearing. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Something Golden (Teen, 1.6k) — Canon reimagining where Zoro met Sanji at the Baratie pre-series.

Meet me under the orange tree by candelina (Gen, 3.9k)

A canon divergence AU where Zoro and Sanji met as kids, as Zeff opened up Baratie in Zoro’s hometown. It’s an adorable and heartwarming story of little Zoro and little Sanji’s friendship. There’s also a part two which is also worth reading. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The whole world will know (2.3k) — Old men ZoSan fic, this one involves Zoro deliberately showing himself to the Marines for god knows what. It’s sweet, it’s beautiful, and it shows that Zoro is as reckless and idiotic as he is a loving, devoted husband.

Zoro’s Boyfriend, Who Lives In Canada by donutsandcoffee (Gen, 2.6k)

Modern AU, where Zoro’s friends try to stop him from believing that his imaginary, totally made-up boyfriend actually exists. Of course Zoro’s boyfriend doesn’t actually exist, because with the way Zoro describes him he’s way too perfect to exist and how can anyone so perfect actually exist? A hilarious story of misunderstandings.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Prison Blues (Teen, 2.8k) and it’s a long way forward (Teen, 5k) — serve as both a ZoSan story and a great Sanji character study. 

The Three of Swords by 8ball (Teen, 30k, multi-chapters & completed)

A medieval AU with knight Zoro and prince Sanji, a concept that starts to really grow on me after I begin to read this fic. In this story, Zoro is a cursed knight appointed to serve Sanji, a kind-hearted prince whom Zoro eventually pines over. It’s a beautiful take of prince and knight AU; devoted knight Zoro is something that I didn’t know I need. It also has a sequel.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Ocean's Child series — a canon-divergence mermaid!Sanji AU

(I Want) Someone to Love Me by three_days_late (Teen, 7.9k)

Sanji is about to turn 17, so he hopes that he can get his first kiss before that. A cute high school AU that involves everyone wanting to kiss Sanji (honestly, who doesn’t) but only one person gets to actually do it.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Blood Red (Teen, 400 words) — this might be a little biased because this fic is inspired by my comic, but it’s also a perfectly good reason why I must add it here; this fic is able to capture the spirit of the comic perfectly. If you want to read a short exposition of Zoro showing his darker, yet protective side, then this fic is worth the read. Warning for blood & hints of violence. The Christmas Swap (Teen, 37k, multi-chapters & completed) — a modern AU in which Sanji and Reiju switch partners during Christmas so they can attend their family gathering without having to come out as queer. It’s a wonderful story about family, relationships, and the struggles of maintaining those things as a queer person. The Only Way Out (Is Through) (Teen, 4.8k) — a beautiful Prince Sanji and Knight Zoro story, where circumstances forced them to separate & unable to be together. It also has a side Nami/Vivi. I Have Loved You for 1000 Years (I'll Love You for 1000 More) (Teen, 8.9k) — Another Prince Sanji & Knight Zoro AU involving time travel & the sacrifices you go through for the ones you love.

Curly Angel by APTX & translated to English by NMTD (Teen, 9.4k, two chapters & completed)

In this alternative canon universe, everyone has a guardian angel, and Zoro’s just happened to be Sanji. Hilarity ensues.

Let me be your Inspiration by TheWanderers (Teen, 19.8k)

College AU where Sanji is an artist/painter - another fic that explores Sanji as someone with an artistic streak, but also so much more. It’s a beautiful story that starts out with Zoro having to model for Sanji’s painting but ends up falling in love with him. I love the way the author adapts the characters’ canon backstory into this universe.

Retrogade by Hazel_Athena (Teen, 21.9k, two-chapters & completed)

Sanji got badly injured after a fight, and ends up losing a big chunk of memories - it doesn’t bother him too much until he notices how weird Zoro starts to act around him. A really good temporary amnesia fic with some really delicious pining!Zoro material. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Medieval ZoSan series — a medieval arranged marriage AU. Renegade Queen (Teen, 76k, multi-chapters & completed) — a canon divergent AU where Sora lives and takes all her children with her - it's more of a Vinsmoke family story with ZoSan on the side.

Nothing Happened (Gen, 16k, multi-chapters & completed)

An angsty survival story where the Strawhats get stranded in a middle of the seas with no means to escape and rapidly declining food stock. This fic does a really good job at keeping you in suspense, and the way it handles Zoro and Sanji's relationship destroyed me emotionally. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Each A Love Song (Gen, 8.6k) — Sanji is frustrated because Zoro’s surprisingly popular with women when he doesn’t even like them back. A story of a confused Sanji trying to find love and being the World’s Most Oblivious Man. Three Blades (Gen, 5k) — a Western AU where Sanji is a saloon owner and Zoro is a bounty hunter.

The Melody of Missing You by BleuReivers (Teen, 11k)

Zoro is forced to confront his feelings in the aftermath of Sanji's departure during the Whole Cake Island arc. I love the way this story examines Zoro's softer, more vulnerable side in a painfully beautiful way, and the whole fic has this hazy, dream-like vibe that really fits with the plot.

Sick Day by Styx_in_the_mud (Teen, 1.3k)

Zoro gets sick, and Sanji takes care of him. A short sick!fic with a simple premise but very cute nonetheless.

—MATURE/EXPLICIT FICS

Deep by CharlieNozaki (Mature, 171k, multi-chapters & completed)

This is There Are Many Benefits to Being A Marine Biologist: The Fic. Okay jokes aside, this is a modern fantasy AU fic where merpeople exist and it mainly tells about marine biologist Sanji and merman Zoro. It has an interesting premise and deals with some heavy subjects in later chapters, hence the Mature tag. It has a sequel, though it's currently ongoing. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Game — a Modern AU with slight fantasy-ish element, where Zoro and Sanji are young orphans who find a mysterious game that might be able to change their lives.

Delphinium by toastie_bread (Mature, 39k, multi-chapters & completed)

Set in modern AU, stylist Sanji meets with police detective Zoro after his beauty salon got robbed; a cute rom-com story. There's also a side LawLu.

Steady, As She Goes by auspizien (Explicit, 155k, multi-chapters & completed)

I’ve always loved auspizien’s fics and this is the one fic that made me fall in love with their writing. This is a modern AU story where Zoro is an ex-agent with PTSD who meets and befriends Sanji, a paramedic. It’s a multi-chapter fic filled with humor, angst, pining, action, and good ol’ slow-burn.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Android Acquaintance (Explicit, 10k) — dystopian cyberpunk AU with android Sanji and bounty hunter Zoro. This fic partly inspires me to make the Blade Runner 2049 ZoSan art!

The Tribulations of Temptation by SweetyGreeny (Explicit, 18.5k)

Zoro accidentally sees Ace and Sanji doing… the do, and then spends days after that feeling shocked, confused, angry, and disappointed.  A delicious story of pining and jealous Zoro. There’s a slight AceSan in the beginning but the endgame is still ZoSan.   OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: A Siren’s Sinking Song (Teen, 12k) — a canon-divergent AU where Sanji is a siren who one day meets a peculiar swordsman from a wandering ship; this story is beautiful and I love the idea of siren!Sanji, but please note the major character death TW.  The Burden of Blondes (Explicit, 11k) — Sanji finds out that Zoro has a thing for blondes, and for some reason he feels uneasy. A fun story with some good smut, and inspired me to make an art loosely based on it.

Thy Fearful Symmetry by Harubo (Explicit, 14.3k)

A modern AU where Sanji is a tourist visiting a tiger reserve during a family vacation and Zoro is a detective investigating a poaching ring. All of Harubo’s fics are godsend but I particularly love this one because the setting reads like a perfect rom-com drama movie about a stressed, overworked chef meeting a handsome detective. There’s also a nice tidbit where the Vinsmoke siblings are trying to get along with each other.

Done Dirt Cheap by Balderdashfromafool (Explicit, 99.7k, multi-chapters & completed)

A Western ZoSan AU, where Zoro is an outlaw and Sanji is a small town chef. This one is fun and lovely, and as someone who doesn’t read a lot of Western-themed stories, I love the way the author describes the Western setting in this fic. 

The Fox's Heart by Shadowcatxx (Explicit, 32k, multi-chapters & completed)

Historical/mythological AU where fox spirit Sanji falls in love with human samurai Zoro. A pretty heavy story about forbidden romance but ends with a happy ending. The fic deals with some period-typical issues like homophobia, misogyny, sexism, and transphobia, as well as some depictions of violence and (slight) animal abuse, so please be aware of that.

Mine by burnwaywardbird (Explicit, 4k)

A pure PWP fic of Zoro “punishing” Sanji for flirting with strangers. Super kinky and involves slight dom/sub undertones. Also, while this is mostly pure PWP, this fic is technically part of a series and while can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend to read the other parts as well (especially the ones preceding this fic).

pretty sanji series (Pretty & Surprise) by kickingsanji (12.6k in total)

A series of fics exploring Sanji's femininity and Zoro discovering that he has a thing for Sanji being pretty & wearing pretty things. As a Pretty Sanji truther, I love these fics to bits, not only because it handles Sanji dealing with his insecurities when it comes to his gender expression in a gentle, respectful way, but also because the smut is very good.

All Will be Well by thecrownofclowns (Explicit, 17k)

An incredibly sad but sweet zombie apocalypse AU about Sanji trying to survive the zombie outbreak all by himself, before eventually meeting Zoro. One of my favorite hurt/comfort fics.

—OMEGAVERSE (ALPHA/BETA/OMEGA) FICS

Onigiri by himaaneko (Teen, 2.3k)

Very cute domestic family fic of Zoro, Sanji, and their son. For those who prefers a softer omegaverse with family/love-children fluff on the side, this fic is for you.

Bite Me by Shadowcatxxx (Mature, 15k, two-chapters & completed)

Sanji got attacked while he was alone on the ship, causing him to go into heat. Zoro tries to help, but not without consequences. An exposition on how Zoro and Sanji handle their dynamics, and their feelings towards each other. Please mind the tags with this one.

fever by adietxt (Explicit, 6.4k, multi-chapters & completed)

I'm pretty sure that this is the first omegaverse ZoSan story that I have ever read, and one of the best ones I've ever read for a good reason. It involves Sanji, who suddenly got into his heat, and Zoro, the first one to discover Sanji in heat and learns for the first time he's an omega. I won't spoil anything, but I can say that the ending is great, the porn is delicious, and Zoro being possessive is exquisite.

Steps of Calidity by auspizien (Explicit, 42k, multi-chapters & completed)

I'm gonna preface this by saying that the smut here is ungodly good and very, very hot - and to be perfectly honest, one of the main reasons why I like this fic so much. But the plot is just as good and has an interesting take of how omegaverse dynamics might work in a modern world. Don't forget to mind the tags as well.

Sweet by ElAlmaDelMar (Explicit, 1.8k)

Sanji starts lactating during his pregnancy; Zoro finds it very hot. This one is just straight up kinky. It's a sequel to another story but can be read as a standalone.