#as always thank you for enabling me

[cyberllfe]

I spun the wheel o' doom and got...500 words. YES. In 500 words, perhaps you might describe Nines and Reader on a stakeout. The tension has been ratcheting up between them, and it suddenly breaks...but can they also keep their eyes on the (criminal) prize?

one RK900, packed into his little to-go container. he's only a little spicy. 😏✨ 500 words, rated M.

want a turn? prompt me.

“Is that them?”

“No.”

You sneak a glance at him, but he catches you looking. “And you’re avoiding the question. Are you embarrassed?”

Faking exasperation, you go back to scanning the windows and doors for light and signs of movement.

“I’m fine. It’s just getting warm in here.”

Nines leans marginally closer and for a moment you fool yourself that he’s aiming for a better view of the building.

“The temperature has been stable for the past thirty-six minutes.” You spear him with an annoyed look, undercut by the heat in your cheeks. He’s almost certainly able to spot it; you’re probably glowing in the dark in his vision.

This time when he leans closer, he holds your gaze. You hold your breath. His eyes reflect the distant streetlights as he studies your expression.

“Aren’t you supposed to be watching the building, Nines?”

“I am more than capable of multitasking.” His eyes travel down your face without shame. He’s trying to unnerve you on purpose—of course he’d wait until you were confined somewhere intimate to interrogate you. “Explain for me.”

Where you sit, leaned forward in the front passenger seat, you have a perfect view of the old apartment complex. Nines encroaches a little every time you refuse to answer a question; your space shrinks.

“I think we should focus on the case.”

You’re slowly dragging your gaze across the dark, empty windows when Nines’ fingers grab your jaw and turn you back to face him.

“I think you should focus on me.”

He’s no closer than before, but he’s looming in your view, broad and imposing without even having to move. Your breath has caught, your mind occupied solely with the firm press of his fingertips and the intensity of his attention.

“When you told Officer Chen you knew exactly what you’d do for me, what did you mean, detective?”

“Whatever she told you is an exaggeration,” you breathe, willing your heartbeat to slow. “You know what she’s like, she—”

“I heard you myself.”

“Oh fuck, I—”

“Is that what you had in mind?”

His thumb moves to brush the fullest part of your lips, fingers curling under your chin to tilt it towards him. He’s frustrating, he’s arrogant, but more annoying than that is he’s right.

No fucking way you let him have the last word.

“Put your seat back.”

You’ve lowered your voice and thrown every ounce of confidence you have into it as you stare him down. There’s the faintest curve to his mouth when he watches you, presuming defiance.

“Feeling confined, detective?”

As best you can with his fingers holding your face, you shake your head.

“No.” You take a breath and lean closer, your rush of bravery fuelled by adrenaline. “You want to multitask? Push your chair back. I’ll show you what I had in mind.”

A flash in the window.

Nines’ irritated grunt is sweeter than music, but he doesn’t let go.

“I’ll get my demonstration eventually.”

You grin wide.

“Yes, sir.”

[allgremlinart]

for the atla/lok requests! old man zukka going stargazing....

this one kind of got away from me...

[shararan]

I love me some post canon Liu Qingge not recognizing Bingqiu's signals for him to join them because he's too caught up assigning himself as their third wheel

[smalltimidbean]

I would bet

A Bruno clone

With

Koala dna!

World's Eepiest Fella.............. (s)

[llumimoon]

Hi there, lovebird! May I request one (1) Lincoln Li-Wilson with g10 and the cheers palette, please (alternatively a Dot with b2 and yo-yo if someone already sent that req in)? (also your response to my ask had me smiling SO BIG omg thank you sm you're so sweet and cool skdbfkhavfkhavskhvfvsvs 🥰🥰🥰)

Just two little guys having an equally fun time mhmm

[good-beans]

(Milgram self-insert oc masterpost hehe)

Name: For the sake of posting online I’ll call her Rose!

Color: #E7355B [the pink in the art]

Age: I guess she’d be 20 given when Milgram started huh.

Status: Milgram Staff, Machine Technician

Symbols/imagery: ballet/musical theater, science experiments

Song genre: very similar to Mahiru's, something upbeat and extra pop-y

Tentatively she's number 011? She's not really prisoner but she's also not free to come and go, so I'm not actually sure if she'd get a number (Edit: I've decided she'll actually be 012. Staff is given the 01X range, and even though Es doesn't actively have a number they'd be staff member 011, making her 012.)

Story: Since the project is supposed to be realistic/present day, the mv machine would be brand new and unpredictable tech, so they’d want someone keeping up on maintenance and making sure the brain-invasive process won’t cause any harm to the prisoners. Rose was studying abroad in Japan working on some cool neuroscience tech (irl I know nothing about technology or brains but shh) and she stumbled upon some secret tech/plans from Milgram. Long story short, she was dragged into the experiment to make sure things ran smoothly.

Writer's Reasoning: She’s really fun for me to play around with, as she allows me to work with a character who has a tiny bit of pull over Es’ mindset in conversation but not the final decision (aka mirroring the voting system), and someone who is simultaneously trapped in the prison but has a reason to see all the canon content.* I really enjoy the character interactions and dynamics Milgram has set up so far, so it’s been super fun seeing how things change for better and worse when someone not quite aligned with either Milgram/the prisoners is thrown into the mix!

*As much as I love dramatic irony in fiction, it would drive me crazy if I knew every detail of of the vds/mvs but Rose didn't – and every single Milgram character is The Worst Communicator Ever so I couldn’t justify that she’d hear it secondhand from them...

Story roles:

She’s a bit conflicted -- she’s officially Milgram staff and knows she should remain neutral on the prisoners, since she won’t be allowed to interfere with the process/executions. At the same time, her job description is literally “make sure the machine doesn't hurt them and everyone's safe :)” and she's way too emotional to avoid getting hopelessly attached to everyone 😅

I really enjoy the theory that the machine extracts videos based off of priming, so one of Rose’s duties involves listening in on the interrogation and making sure there’s been enough material discussed/not too much time has passed overall (hence the ringing of the bell happening at different lengths for each vd -- That's her ringing it :3). She then watches the mvs along with Es to make sure there are no machine glitches, and know how to calibrate it better for next time.

(IEdit: I've since decided to add in official trial mvs, but before when I wasn't ready to tackle that:) She has to run some tests on the machine to make sure things are calibrated correctly, so she'd extract little things here and there. It gives me the opportunity to think up lyric snippets and recurring symbols for her without worrying about full encompassing music videos.

I'm not afraid to admit she can fall into Mary Sue territory every so often by being everyone's friend, because it's less about "aw everyone likes her" and more about "canon is too painful rn and I need a fix-it tool to take care of these guys and give them hugs and tell them someone forgives them and cares about them and unfortunately these characters wouldn't let anyone less than a friend do that." Rest assured she's definitely not perfect and will fuck everything up on occasion :3

Miscellaneous: Whenever I play around with normal au ideas she's still working on the machine (but in a public, more ethical setting), and she's Mahiru's roommate :) Her character isn't super focused on love, but if I had to pick a cover song it'd be Stickybug II. It's very much my vibe, the lyrics fit well enough (better than most songs, at least lol) and it's one of my favorites out of my limited knowledge of unchosen Deco songs! (Edit, I've actually given her non-deco cover songs hehe)

So yeah, I hope she's not too boring without a cool crime to decipher, but I wanted to share since I was really proud of her! It took a bit of tinkering to find a way to fit her into a perfect secret-third-thing role that runs very smoothly with all of canon, so I was very excited!

[youssefguedira]

behold, the product of yesterday's lotr au discussion (for @spacegirlsgang)

Nicolò has not spoken to him in days.

He hasn't spoken to anyone. He walks silently at Yusuf's side, hand always on his sword, eyes always on the horizon. When there are people who need it, he helps, tends wounds and lifts the younger ones onto horses and hands out food. He still does not speak, and Yusuf worries for him.

They have already lost Quynh, and Sebastien. Dizzy and Jay may well be dead by now for all they know, and Nile and Lykon… he does not really want to think about it for long. He only hopes they are alive. And now Andromache, too, is gone, and Nicolò will not speak, and Yusuf cannot help feeling very, very alone without him. It is strange: Yusuf would have thought, just a week or two ago, that he would have been glad never to see Nicolò again. Now, the thought terrifies him.

When they make camp that night, Yusuf takes his place by the fire with his sword across his lap and prepares to keep watch. Nicolò joins him, after a while, but instead of taking a seat and silently watching the horizon as Yusuf has come to expect him to, he speaks.

"You should rest," he says, voice hoarse as if – well, as if he hasn't used it in days. He carries two bowls of stew, one of which he passes to Yusuf.

"So should you," Yusuf responds. He's exhausted, but neither of them have slept much – he's not sure Nicolò has slept at all since they lost Andromache.

"I do not need to sleep like you do," Nicolò says, which almost makes Yusuf laugh.

"Bullshit," he says. "Even you can't go this long without needing to rest."

Nicolò doesn't say anything to that. Doesn't even meet Yusuf's eyes, but Yusuf can tell how tired Nicolò truly is, and suddenly he cannot bear it anymore.

"We cannot keep on like this," Yusuf says. "This is not – if we're all that's left, I cannot do this without you, Nicolò."

Nicolò is quiet, for a while. When he finally speaks, he says, "Try to rest, Yusuf. I will keep watch tonight."

Yusuf waits. Nicolò does not move, nor show any sign of conceding. Just as stubborn as Andromache – well. He doesn't let himself finish that thought.

He waits a little longer, but Nicolò remains silent.

"Wake me for the second watch, then," Yusuf says, finally. Nicolò does not nod, but Yusuf no longer has the strength in him to push. He falls asleep quickly.

When he wakes, it is morning, and Nicolò is nowhere to be seen. Yusuf can only hope he found someone else for the second watch, and that he did not stay awake all night, but he would not be surprised if the latter were true.

During the day, they keep to their regular routine – Nicolò's silence and Yusuf's attempts to find anything to do that isn't think too much – but that night, when Nicolò finds him, he sets his sword down by his side and asks, "Will you wake me for the second shift?"

Yusuf nods quickly, too quickly, and Nicolò smiles, though it is small. It's the first time Yusuf's seen him smile in days.

He wakes Nicolò for the second shift and sleeps after that, and the next night, Yusuf takes the first and Nicolò the second.

It's a start, at the very least.

–

The day after they reach Helm's Deep, Nicolò is the first to see the rider.

He does not realise who it is at first: the figure is too distant. They wear a cloak with the hood pulled low over their face, and lean heavily over their horse, as if injured.

Nicolò's first thought is that it is a scout. His second thought, which he discounts quickly, is that it is Andromache, which. It cannot be. He does not dare imagine it.

When the figure keeps approaching, he shouts a warning to the guards on the walls. Yusuf, who had fallen asleep beside him, his back against the stone, startles awake. "What is it?" he asks, still half-asleep.

"I do not know, yet," Nicolò responds. He gets to his feet. Yusuf follows a moment later.

"I see it, now," Yusuf says, furrowing his brow. Nicolò's hand goes to his bow, just in case. If it is a scout, he will deal with them quickly.

Then, suddenly, Yusuf's eyes go wide, and he curses. Taps Nicolò twice on the shoulder, and runs along the wall, down the stairs, towards the gate, shouting at the guards to open it.

Nicolò looks again, then, and realises what Yusuf has seen. The rider's weapon is just visible over their right shoulder, and Nicolò knows the carvings on its handle, knows them because they are the twin of the carvings on the hilt of his hunting dagger, because both weapons were forged by the same person.

He is moving before he truly has time to process the thought. The gates are opened far too slowly, creaking with the movement, and by the time he can see the rider again she is sitting straighter in the saddle, a wide grin on her face, urging her horse forward. It is only Yusuf's hand on his arm that keeps him from running through the gates to greet her; when Nicolò looks back at him, his smile is bright enough to rival the midday sun.

Andromache.

Finally, she is there, riding through the gates like a king returning to her kingdom, like she had planned this all along, like Nicolò hadn't seen her fall from a cliff only a few days ago. She dismounts easily, before the horse has even fully stopped, and then he is running, and she is meeting him halfway and gathering him into her arms and laughing, even as he thinks he starts crying.

Then Yusuf is there too, and Nicolò has to step back but cannot bring himself to go far, and Andromache hugs him too, while Yusuf laughs, bright and loud.

"Where have you been," he is saying, and "I thought you were dead, Andromache, I thought we had lost you," and she laughs again and cups the back of his neck with one hand and says, "I'm okay, Nico, I'm okay."

"So," Andromache says once Yusuf steps back, too, her grin sharp despite how exhausted she must be. "Tell me what I've missed."

[goldensunset]

Good luck finding your keyring thing! If you haven’t yet at least idk when you posted that and I’ve gotten day+ old posts on my feed 😭

thank you anon

[undefeatablesin]

hmmmmm another piece of art from our favorite blood drunk lesbian hmmmm

Oh, I have so many sights to show you all of our favourite vampiric lesbian, let me ASSURE YOU of that 🥰 I am very excited to finish up all these sketches and get them ready to post!! There are many Ruza-centric goodies to behold...

But because I am so grateful for your interest lmao have another bonus WIP glimpse at whats to come in the sketch batch...pls enjoy Her 💙

[superbellsubways]

the people in my inbox crave flavioposting

[punkranger]

I'm about to be annoying!!!! Eros-3 Philia-3 Storge-5 Agape-5 Ludus-4 Pragma-4 Philautia-3 for the babies! For all of them (if you're a masochist); one kid per category (writer's choice?); or all for my precious kitty boo boo fuck (Densil) 😘

Grief you could never be annoying! I do however not feel like a masochist today, so it's only your precious kitty boo boo fuck (warning you though it's densil it's gonna be depressing lol)

How do they feel about public displays of romantic affection?  Does it make them uncomfortable?  How do they feel if a romantic partner kisses them in public?

Densil is not fond of public displays, but as always that doesn't mean he won't use it to make his partner blush. It's better to be on the offensive. That's also one reason he likes Chen, who is even more uncomfortable with it. Mortum is a bit more forward, but Love can handle that, or distract easily enough. A kiss in public is one of the less awkward options, affectionate words are much worse.

What qualities does your OC most value in a friend? Loyalty? Shared sense of humour? Or something else?

Loyalty. Going above and beyond is the only acceptable measure of friendship. It's never enough anymore though. Densil values friendship much higher than romantic relationships, and has much higher standards for them. Trust is also important and they never learned to do that.

(Also answered this for Antoine if you're interested in the comparison^^)

Is your OC able to love without necessarily needing or expecting reciprocation or reward?  Or are all their relationships to some extent transactional?  Have they ever loved another person unconditionally, whether a child or another adult?

Densil has definitely loved unconditionally, or thought she did. The first and last person she loved like that was her first handler. Let's just say it was not good, did not end well, and fucked her up to the point of doing a complete 180 and never considering any relationships without first counting the cost vs benefit. 

Does your OC find it easy to empathise with their enemies? Or do they see it as important to dehumanise them in order to combat them with sufficient determination? 

Now this one's fun because if you dehumanise yourself as well as your enemies, you sort of end up feeling for them. Ofc that doesn't stop Densil from killing people. Quite the opposite, seeing their own faults in others just makes it more satisfying to wipe them out.

Who was your OC's first crush?  How do they feel about it now?  

I think even Densil has had a brief crush on Ortega… did not go anywhere and he was more than fine remaining friends allies. Now he wouldn't even consider it, just another stupid idea his past self got into his head. 

After the initial fires of passion cool to some degree, what would keep your OC engaged in a relationship?  Shared goals?  Similar values?  Or contented companionship?

With Densil it's fiery passion or cold ashes, no in-between. Which might be difficult to tell, but if he's interested he pays attention and most importantly sticks around. I guess what draws him in in the first place is also what makes him stay – with both Chen and Mortum their intelligence is something he enjoys, and their ruthlessness is something he can understand. 

Does your OC judge themselves by the same standards as they apply to others?  Or are they sometimes hypocritical in condemning others for faults they also possess? Or perhaps they find it easier to forgive others for things that they cannot abide in themselves?

Hmm, in a way Densil is both hypocritical and as harsh a judge with himself as with others. A lot of minds that she sees leave much to be desired, but she can look at her own actions with the same critical eye. There's no forgiveness to be had there, and in the end all that matters is survival. 

[faggotslime]

I truly feel like I need to separate myself from being online for a while.

[davyjoneslockr]

i asked vade too, but i wanna hear about fugio and their daughter…. Pita Bread also, for funsies

YES DOMESTIC FUGIO

Okay I think she's "born" through some stand shenanigans. Like they both want a kid and consider traditional methods, but Giorno's grown adept enough at using his stand that he feels confident with trying his hand at creating a child with Gold Experience (listen, if he was that overpowered at 15, the sky's the limit a decade or two down the line).

Sure enough, he does some complicated shit, and they have a daughter. I headcanon that Fugo takes Giorno's surname when they get married, so, in true pretentious Fugio fashion, her name is Viola Fiorenza Giovanna.

When she’s a baby, Fugo is terrified that he’s going to hurt her. He’s come a long way in overcoming his self-hatred and anger issues, but there’s still a part of him that worries about snapping, or even just accidentally putting her in harm’s way. But he’s actually reassured by the way he’s been able to care for their cat, Pita Bread (please see Tony’s posts about Pita Bread if you haven’t. She is so important) - if a fussy, skittish cat like her was able to warm up to him, he must be doing something right. Still, he’s super gentle with Viola, and always keeps himself in check. He never lets her see him angry, and he knows to get space when he’s starting to feel frustrated.

One night, when she’s little, she gets scared over something minor, as kids do - a nightmare, or the monster under under the bed, or the shadows on the wall. Fugo comes to her room to comfort her, and she asks him to stay with her until she falls asleep. According to her, “I know I’m safe if Papa’s here.” When she does eventually drift off, Giorno finds him sitting at the end of her bed, a hand covering his mouth, uncontrollably sobbing.

Knowing his child trusts him, will never see him as the dangerous, cruel person he’d regarded himself as for so long, means more to him than anything.

Giorno is an unorthodox dad in a lot of ways, but a good one. He refuses to do baby talk with her, and he’ll have completely normal conversations with her, even if her only responses are babbling. He’ll just sit on the living room floor with her and go “That’s an incredible building you’ve created with your Legos. Very avant-garde. Your father knows all about the history of architecture, Viola. You really should ask him about it sometime. It’s fascinating. Anyhow, would you like to hear about the stock market?” And she stares at him with wide eyes, comprehending absolutely nothing. This does give her a very advanced vocabulary at a young age, though.

He also gets really anxious at the idea of leaving her alone. He never wants her to feel neglected, so he spends a lot of time carrying her around, listening to her rambling when she’s old enough to speak, and even just sitting and parallel playing with her. When she gets older, it gets a bit stifling, but she never feels like she’s alone - if she needs to talk about something, or just have someone by her side for a while, she can always trust Giorno to be there.

Like her dad, she has a way with animals, and she and Pita Bread are besties. She carries her around in the haphazard way kids do, and Pita Bread doesn’t care at all. They go explore in the backyard and find cool bugs together. She sneaks her scraps off the table, even when Fugo nags her about it. I think Pita Bread has a stand, so maybe, when Viola gets hers, they use their stands to communicate.

Speaking of, Viola takes after Giorno and is a natural-born stand user. This means she gets sick before her stand manifests. It probably happens when Giorno’s out of town on a mission, and Fugo, who never went through this, absolutely freaks out. He full-on panics on the phone with Giorno, wondering what he could’ve possibly done wrong, why her illness just keeps getting worse, and Giorno is equally in shambles as he drops everything and rushes home as fast as he can.

Thankfully, she pulls through and obtains her stand (still figuring out what that’s going to be), but it’s an awful, painful memory for both Giorno and Fugo.

As far as random little happier things though. Fugo sings to her when she’s asleep, and she’s always delighted on the rare occasion that he sings while he’s making dinner or something. When she’s old enough, he teaches her how to play piano, and he’ll sing more frequently then. She’s just as interested in bugs and frogs and plants as Giorno is, and he’ll use Gold Experience to make real ones for her to observe. She has Fugo’s strawberry blond hair, nose, and long limbs/fingers, and Giorno’s eyes, height, birthmarks, tiny fangs, and ability to fit her entire ear in her ear canal face shape. She’s super spoiled from having two mafia dads. Narancia, Mista, Sheila, and Trish are her cool uncles and aunts who take her on fun day trips and get her the best birthday gifts. She’s definitely slipped and called both Bucciarati and Abbacchio “Grandpa” before, and she hangs out with the kids at the orphanage they run a lot. I’m basing her adult design off of Stevie Nicks on the cover of Rumours. More info to come on her and Naramis son :]

[agerefandom]

would u ever concider writing an agere iwtv fic............

Yessssss the only thing I know is the 2022 S1 although I'm going to watch the movie soon(ish) as well but absolutely, I have many thoughts and there are so many wonderfully terrible dynamics and that is my favourite (*insert elmo meme w the fire*)

[respondedinkind]

🟣 - what is your muse’s favorite color? What does this say about them?

🍕- what is your muse’s favorite junk food?

⛰️ - would your muse live in a remote location? If so, where?

🛁 - does your muse prefer a bath or shower? ( vega will join him in either i mean what )

🏹 - does your muse have any cool hobbies or special skills?

[Headcanon Meme] | always accepting

🟣 - what is your muse’s favorite color? What does this say about them?

One of Khan's favorite colors is black - especially when it comes to clothing items and accessoires. It might be a remnant of his upbringing; He's always worn black and got comfortable with it, despite it being a part of his difficult past, yet he mostly just thinks that black looks cool on him and works best with how he perceives himself. Besides black, however, he also enjoys other (dark) colors on him - mostly dark gray or dark blue shades. That being said, he has other 'favorite colors' he simply likes to take in the sight of - like the evening sky with its purples, oranges and reds, or the bright blue sky during a sunny day.

🍕- what is your muse’s favorite junk food?

Ever since coming to earth, Khan hasn't really been allowed to explore his surroundings too much - yet, because of a certain someone wanting to keep him alive and healthy, he was offered a wide array of foods, simply to try and figure out which would suit his needs and serve his body best. Yes, junk food was part of the selction; It was never offered to him from a 'real' fast food place, however, but Section 31's own canteen - regularly serving whoever worked there - did a rather good job in preparing most kinds of dishes. Khan ended up enjoying Pizza a lot; His favorite is the 'classic' one with pepperoni topping and cheese.

⛰️ - would your muse live in a remote location? If so, where?

Absolutely. With everything he's experienced in his life so far, he'd seek out a place that's a bit further away and surrounded by peace - perhaps somewhere within nature, close to a body of water where he could sit and just stare at the surface rippling away in the evening sky. It doesn't need to be earth, though - he's happy to be literally anywhere, any planet, as long as the air is breathable and the enviroment able to sustain life.

🛁 - does your muse prefer a bath or shower? ( vega will join him in either i mean what )

Khan usually takes showers, simply because taking a shower is quick and efficient. However, he's certainly not one to turn down a nice bath, especially when his body hurts and feels sore all over; He's only taken baths a few times in his life, and most of them after having suffered before (both physically and mentally) - but that's precisely why he's been enjoying them, as the hot water eases pain and helps relax his muscles. Vega is absolutely allowed to join him in both the shower or the bathtub - as both locations can be used for a lot of different purposes, after all... ;).

🏹 - does your muse have any cool hobbies or special skills?

He can solve a rubic's cube in a couple of seconds (lol). On a serious note - Khan doesn't really sing, but if he were to, he'd be a great singer. Due to his increased lung volume and the low tone of his voice, it sounds deep and full when he sings - especially since he's got an easy time striking the right note for whatever song he sings, and he's quick to take in lyrics and remember those effortlessly. Other than that, the only 'real' experience he has with hobbies / skills is that one single game he's been allowed to play back at his home planet - an incredibly difficult strategy game, meant to sharpen soldier's minds and prepare them for their education. His kin often plays those games in groups, especially while spending their (almost nonexistent) spare-time, as it is one of the rare things that allows them to have some fun and socialise with each other. The game is entirely randomized and based on both math and pure chance alone; A hologram of a rectangular prism constructed by cubes, lines, numbers and letters, the players have to defeat the computer-based antagonist acting against them by solving (and constructing) complex (alien)mathematical-experimental equations while also being forced to make quick decisions that leave them no time to think of a strategy. Many of those chance-based, randomized sessions cannot even be won by a living being, which is part of the experience. Yet, despite the fact that Khan always struggled with keeping up, having had to retake tests, being classified as 'below average' amongst his own species, he'd actually, surprisingly so, been known as one of the best players of that game.

[wanderingblindly]

hello beloved!!! ☉ and ✦ for the fic ask game please

EMMYYYYY MY ANGEL!!!!!!!! Thank you for asking, you're the best and I adore you

☉ What do you do when you get stuck writing?

If it's daylight, I'll go for a walk to CVS to get a treat; if it's dark/cold I'll go take a shower and talk out loud to myself until I crack the code. If all else fails, I just end up word vomiting to my captive audience (aka u, Lima, and Latte) until SOMETHING clicks. Though, that's mostly if I'm stuck on a concept. If I just can't get my brain to sink into the universe, I let the WIP sit until my braincell cooperates lol.

✦ Easiest and hardest fics to write?

Easiest: I think a tie between Rules of Engagement and Hot Pink Ring Pops, for similar reasons. Both of them were concepts where the entire plot came to me at once -- the beginning, middle, and end were all super clear right away. After that, it's all about connecting the dots. Rules of Engagement let me use a bunch of little personal details to fill in the gaps, and Hot Pink Ring Pops naturally allowed for stupid comedy that I didn't need to think too hard about. Hardest: I've talked about how much I struggled with Chapter 2 of Is It Gay To Watch Your Teammate on Tiktok, and I stand by that. That said, I struggled a lot with my first fic: Origins of Want. I hadn't written in a decade, and all I had was a quote that wouldn't stop bouncing around in my head. I spent so long just trying to remember how to write in a way that felt expressive rather than strictly descriptive (shoutout to my business degree for ruining that), and the pacing never quite felt right. I'm still glad I put it out there, but man was it harder than the output would indicate hahahah