#daily snippet

[ria-writes-stuff]

Daily snippets - day two

Welcome to my series where I try and hit a word goal every day on one of my fics!!

Words - 3095/500

Well over my goal today!!

518 words on ‘I will live a thousand million lives (ITE oneshot)

2577 words on ‘as of yet untitled vampire techquackza fic, where techno accidentally convinces quackity he’s a new vampire, and then manages to date him; while his vampire husband Phil is mountain climbing and making fun of him for accidentally becoming domestic, and then oh no the angst train’

Yeah I need to work on that title

But snippet time!!!

———

And then he blinked, and it was four years, and they were standing in their kitchen, Techno doing the dishes, and Alexis holding him from behind, one hand on his waist, the other scrolling through the website of a local animal shelter.

"Look, all I'm saying, is that orange cats are dumb as fuck, and we're already sharing like three braincells between us. We can't afford to donate one to the cat!"

———

Let me know if you wanted to be added to the tag list to join in with your own writing!!!!

[reneesbooks]

daily lacuna snippets

yeah u heard that right. i have so much lacuna saved up and i'm actually moving on to the rest of the raedoran cycle (!!!). so this week while i am not tripping over children at work i'm going to post a snippet (snippet is a moving target w me as y'all should know by now) from each remaining lacuna chapter every day. i've posted chapters 2,3,4 and chapter 1 is a retcon of some things that happened in chapter 2 so I'll leave it for later.

to recap lacuna so far:

The Winemaker's Son - mostly just detailing Keelan's journey to the capital + the massacre of Leyne, short sequence of his training to be a royal guard + his oath to the royal family.

2. The Soldier--Keelan becoming Maura's shield, adjusting to life at the castle.

3. The Silver Moon--before it had a real name this chapter was called "everything goes to shit" and i stand by that as an accurate descriptor.

4. The Witch Trials--Proteus outlaws witchcraft while Maura continues to practice it behind his back. Keelan starts his journey towards becoming a Proper War Criminal.

5. The Coronation--Maura is crowned queen.

6. The Guildin Empire

7. The Dragon Purges

8. The Fire

9. The City Guard

10. The Thief

11. The Princess

you'll find out what happens in the later chapters as i post snippets :)))

starting w 2 today since i was going to start this yesterday but a migraine put me out of commission at 2pm and that didn't happen. going to give them their own post for neatness's sake :)

lacuna taglist: @serenanymph @lyssa-ink @oh-no-another-idea @lena-rambles @ashen-crest @tragicbackstoryenjoyer @serpentarii @allianaavelinjackson

[wayfaringauthorofficial]

WIP EXCERPT!!

The sun beat down hard on her as she pulled that basket along, placing peaches inside with delicate hands. Frances did her best to stay focused and determined, knowing the level of excellence that was required of such a woman in her position. What would Mr. Deveaux do to her, should she dare to stray from the path that had been laid for her? Would she end up in a cell, like all the other girls, or would she be dealt a worse, more permanent fate, like that of her brother? The thought sent chills down her spine, sent her head deep into a pit she was almost certain was an early grave, waiting to bury her alive.

She tried not to think of those things during her everyday life, but the fear ebbed at the front of her mind anyway. Frances knew by now that pleasing the men in this place was no easy feat. There were nights where she sat in her room alone for hours, wondering how she had made it this far, and what she might have to do to keep her place here, to keep her little bit of freedom, if she could call it that. She never got an answer, and sure as hell wasn’t going to muster up enough strength to voice her concerns. Women in this place were better obedient, seen and not heard. She knew that.

One, two, three, four. Drop. Again, then again. Her back screamed for relief, sweat raining from every pore on her body. Frances craved a moment’s rest, a drink of water. But she would have to show her elders that she deserved it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mrs. Hadlon, hair pulled back into a tight bun with not a strand out of place. Frances remembered when she was younger, when all of these women seemed strong and beautiful, when she looked up to them. That was before she came of age, before she knew the truth about it all. Now, she could only look at her elders with fear or anger. What else did they deserve?

The light was almost gone when she finished loading up the wagon, then locked eyes on Mr. Price. He cocked his head for her to join him in their walk home. Knowing she couldn’t say no, Frances put up her skirts and broke into a jog until they were side by side. His hand was cold as it gripped her waist, sending Frances’ heart into her throat. “Did you work hard today?” It sounded like a threat, as if he was looking for a reason to take his anger out on her.

“Yes, sir,” she gulped, doing her best not to let her gaze or mind wander as he led her to their so-called home. Lights were switched on as families started to spend their leisure time together, cooking dinner and preparing for bed. What she wouldn’t give to see the world, to be able to spend time with her family on her own terms, no one else’s. In the back of her mind, she was sitting on the floor with Elias, laughing as he made up a magical land, free of harsh rules and even sterner masters, a place where she was free to do and love the things and people she pleased. At night, Frances often fell asleep wondering if such a future would ever be possible for her, for any of them.

Mr. Price didn’t respond, instead just stepped into the mansion and dropped his hat on the table. He didn’t have to tell her to hang it up, didn’t have to order Frances to pour him a drink. She knew what he wanted; maybe that was the only reason she was still walking free, still alive. But no matter what his reasons were, no one in this twisted place would ever dare to ask. The punishment for forgetting their place wasn’t a pleasant one. Cold, dirt cells, with more rodents than people. Only a few rays of light would grace the prison every day, otherwise you were cloaked in darkness. Just walking by the place sent shivers down Frances’ spine, sending tears to her eyes thinking of what August might be going through. Bile rose in her throat as she remembered just what the prison guards were capable of. The brutality they could deal at the drop of a hat.

What would their relationship be, if he was different? If this was a different place, a different reality? Maybe they could be happy, have a more familial relationship, rather than this nightmare. Maybe, Frances thought, he would approve of her choices rather than punish everyone she loved for being young, for falling for who he and Mr. Deveaux deemed was the wrong man. She would be able to live with her family, could still see her brother smile as she danced around in the meadows. Tears sprung in her eyes, a lump throbbing in her throat, as the memories came flooding in. And they stayed, pressing on her, making her want to explode. Each pulse was stronger, more earth-shattering than the one before, no matter how many times she willed it to stop.

Mr. Price nodded at other residents or children as they walked, Frances making sure to keep her face composed, eyes on the ground. No one could question her pain if they couldn’t see it. No one would notice her breaking if she remembered her role in the game. And that was all he asked of her, wasn’t it? All he had ever wanted from her was for her to play the dedicated wife, whether the role was true or not. He wanted Frances to provide, to nurture the young. This was all practice, he would tell her some nights as he locked the front door and trapping her along with it, for the long, inevitable future they would spend together. Maybe it sent shivers down her spine, made Frances want to scream and tear the very skin off of her bones, but she couldn’t react. She couldn't say yes, or no. So she would smile, barely. She would show little to no emotion in her eyes, as was expected of her. He wouldn’t hate her for that. He couldn’t.

[catamount-collections]

Daily Snippet #4

TW: None applicable

Words like vines pruned

Choking roots, heavy leaves

Sentences stifled before fully bloomed

[justnerdy15]

daily snippet/NaNoWriMo progress

wip: Daisy Chains

first ~400 words of chapter one!

Most days Mara can say that she likes her job. That she takes pleasure in the work she does and there is always something interesting going on that keeps her interest firmly within the stacks of the archive. Some days, though, it was torture. Like watching paint dry while the same song looped over and over again in her ears. Or watching the clock tick down the minutes until it was time to go home. Or waiting for the traffic light to turn green when you’re about ten seconds from peeing your pants. That kind of torture. Today was a torture day. As the newly minted, hot-off-the-presses graduate, Mara gets the bottom of the barrel shit no one else wants to do. Like digitizing public records where the most interesting thing is some kind of land deed from the 1830’s. How fun. Mara groans, leaning back in her chair in a futile attempt to stretch, and rubs one hand roughly across her eyes, jostling the glasses on her face. Sighing, she slumps down, staring up at the tile ceiling, and wonders how many more times she can type Grenville Local Council before her fingers finally fall off. She straightens back up, pushing her glasses back to their proper place, looks through the tag information once last time before saving it to the larger file. Mara opens the next document — another land grant — and rolls her eyes, already opening up the attributions. Tapping rapidly on the keyboard, she fills in the fields quickly, barely looking at the document itself, mind drifting to potential dinner plans when someone clears their throat behind her. Startling hard enough to bang her knee against the underside of her desk, Mara whips around to face the stranger. Dammit, Ernie. Why can’t he do his damn job? “Um, hello?” she says, standing up from her chair. “I’m sorry but non-employees aren’t allowed back here.” The stranger, a young man, smiles at her. “Oh, it’s alright. I have an appointment.” Mara can’t help it. “Really?” she asks, bracing her hands on her hips. “The archive hasn’t reopened to the public yet, Mister —?” His smile widens, teeth shockingly white. “Wyn. And I have a special arrangement with Doris. Usually, I just meet with her, but I’m afraid I couldn’t find anyone in the front.” Great. Another thing they hadn’t told her. And where the hell are they?

thinking of that line from coraline, you know, "coraline, you are in terrible danger" was just running through my mind in this scene. Like girl, run.

[bookished]

( a collection of fun and adventurous dialogue prompts. adjust phrasing as necessary.) feel free to make edits to better suit your muse, but please don’t edit or add on to the original post <𝟑 if you like, please consider supporting me through tips, it's highly appreciated.

"Want to try sneaking into the movie theater?"

"There's this exclusive sky bar on the top floor. I bet if we act confident enough, we could just walk right in. Ready to blend in with the high rollers?"

"You know the 'Staff Only' areas in aquariums always look so intriguing. I've got an idea involving lab coats and clipboards. Interested?"

"There's a secret passage in this art gallery that leads to a hidden exhibit. I overheard the curator talking about it. Shall we go exploring?"

"I've always wanted to see a movie from the theater's projection room. I've got a friend who works here – you get what I mean?"

"So, that exclusive restaurant is fully booked for months, but I may have 'borrowed' a couple of names from the reservation list. Feeling adventurous?"

"The old amusement park's been closed for years, but I know a way in. Imagine having all those rides to ourselves under the moonlight."

"I heard there's an underground speakeasy in this library. Apparently, you need to whisper a password to the librarian. Wanna try our luck?"

"Remember that fancy pool party we weren't invited to? I've got two waiter uniforms and a brilliant plan. You in?"

"There's a secret rooftop garden on top of that skyscraper. I bet we could talk our way past security if we pretend to be lost interns."

"I know this sounds crazy, but I found a hidden door behind the museum. Want to see where it leads after closing time?"

"The local TV station does live broadcasts from that studio. I bet with the right timing, we could sneak onto a set during a commercial break. Ready for your 15 seconds of fame?"

"I discovered a hidden hot spring in the woods just outside town. It's a bit of a hike, but imagine a midnight dip under the stars."

"There's a secret room in the library that's usually locked. I copied the key while volunteering. Want to see what forbidden books they're hiding?"

"Remember that fancy cooking class that was full? Well, I may have found a way for us to observe from the kitchen's back entrance. Hungry for some culinary espionage?"

"I know how to get onto the roof of the tallest building downtown. The view of the sunset from up there is incredible. Shall we?"

"There's a masquerade ball at the governor's mansion tonight. I've got two masks and a wild idea. Care to crash a high-society party?"

"My friend works at the zoo and says we could help feed the penguins after closing time. Interested in a secret animal encounter?"

"I heard this old theater is supposedly haunted. Want to sneak in after hours and do some ghost hunting?"

"There's a secret beach hidden behind those cliffs. The catch? We'll have to climb down a rope ladder to reach it. You up for it?"

"I found an old map of the city's underground tunnels. Fancy a subterranean adventure date?"

[starstrider-productions]

Script Snippet no.3!

Thank you for 100 followers on Bluesky! Our next snippet will be revealed tomorrow (10th April) as a reward for 300 followers on Tumblr.

If you'd like us to release another script snippet, please do persuade/coerce/blackmail your friends/family/colleagues/nemeses into following us! For every hundred followers we gain, we will entertain you!

Additionally, if you are able, please consider donating to our crowdfunding campaign! Link here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dracula-2004#/

[buildoblivion]

listen dracula is my favourite gothic novel for many MANY reasons, but the winner has to be the literal ghost ship with a desperate dead man tied to the wheel in eternal prayer

[setmeatopthepyre]

Hostage [@118dailydrabble day 41] [part of antarct-fic | bucktommy | 118 words] [precedes this]

Lucy likes Tommy, she really does. He's a good guy, an excellent pilot. His gallows humor plays well with hers. Even better, he never objects to a risky rappel, encourages it, in fact, if it means he gets to try an obscure maneuver with a name like aft skid cobra. He holds his own at karaoke.

The problem is that Tommy is also a dramatic son of a bitch who would rather eat glass than admit he's struggling.

...unless he's had a drink or two.

Hungry Heart appears in the up next-box on screen. Lucy lunges.

She gets his arm. “Aaand you're done holding everyone hostage with Springsteen. Time to talk about feelings like a grown-up. C'mon.”

-

this drabble was made possible by @frogsinflannel (for sending me the kindest message ever and reminding me how fun writing tommy+lucy banter is) and @rcmclachlan's tommy is batshit insane actually post (that is 100% canon to me)

[actuallyrandompersondaily]

The first time Eddie saw Buck take care of Jee-Yun, he slightly lost his mind.

It shouldn't have been a surprise. He knew Buck was good with kids — he was Christopher's best friend for a reason — and had seen Buck handling babies and toddlers plenty of times on the job. But something about seeing him with a baby that he didn't have to immediately hand off reached deep within Eddie's psyche and made it clear that yeah, he was definitely interested in guys.

Buck hadn't noticed, thank god. Eddie wasn't sure how. He didn't think he'd been particularly subtle about his reaction to the sight of a small baby cradled within Buck's (unfairly large) arms. And he definitely wasn't subtle about practically swallowing his own tongue the first time he entered the loft to find Buck rolling around the floor with her, nor the bright grin Buck had shot his way as Jee babbled a hello.

"Gotta beat Albert for that 'favourite uncle' title somehow, right?" Buck had said, still grinning, and Eddie could only nod in response.

[nyoomfruits]

ellie nyoomfruits writing choscar 👀👀👀

HEHEHEHE

“Oscar!” Charles exclaims, when Oscar wanders through the door the next morning, impressive levels of zombie state. He startles when Charles says his name, like he forgot he was actually out and about for a moment.

“Morning,” Oscar mumbles, a rosy blush on his cheeks. It must be getting cold out, the last wisps of summer finally officially melting into autumn. “Can I just get a blueberry muffin this time?”

“And your drink?” Charles says, leaning on the counter, fluttering his lashes in the way he’s seen Lando successfully do before, whenever he needed Carlos to do shit for him.

“Uh,” Oscar says. “Oh, uh…” He pauses. “Are you okay? Do you have something in your eye?”

“What?” Charles asks, stops fluttering.

“No, just, you were like. All twitchy?” Oscar’s flush has returned, coloring his cheeks and creeping down to his neck.

“No, I’m,” Charles sighs. “I’m okay. But, your drink? We have an absolutely delicious Apple Pie Frappuccino on the board today.” He throws in a wink for good measure.

“Are you sure your eye is okay?” Oscar asks.

Charles suppresses the urge to thunk his head down onto the counter. This is not going how he envisioned it. “My eye is fine,” he grits out. “Drink?”

“Oh,” Oscar says. “Small Americano?”

Goddamnit.

[wenttotheairport]

wip wednesday <3

thanks hugh @tanktopdiaz for the tagging the world @ large & giving me an excuse to post this lil mayravi secret relationship snippet :D

“Twist my arm, why don’t you,” he mutters, chasing after her mouth, then looking up at her through his lashes when she stays out of reach. “Finally gives me a good reason to turn down the matchmaking services of the 118.”

May’s nails dig into his neck, involuntary. Ravi is smiling crookedly, like he knows exactly what he’s asking for and expects to get it. 

“Oh, really?”

“Uh-huh.”

He’s really almost unbearably sexy when he’s all self-satisfied like this, sprawled out underneath her and grinning lazily, her pastel rainbow French tips pressing little crescent notches into his skin.  

“The matchmaking services,” May says with a tone of faux-consideration. “Interesting. Guess they should probably know you already belong to somebody, shouldn’t they?” 

“They really should,” Ravi says dreamily, and May gets to work affectionately mauling the side of his throat. 

He locks himself in the bathroom for nearly twenty minutes the next morning and emerges with her peach-toned color corrector smeared all over his neck, looking hunted. 

“May,” he tells her very seriously while she fixes it for him. “They’re going to kill me. One time, Buck nearly took my head off with a chainsaw and that was before he knew we were having sex.”

“I don’t even want to imagine what Hen’s gonna do to you,” she agrees easily, wiping off the last of the concealer. “Babe, I don’t really have anything for this in your shade, I think you’re just gonna have to deal.”

“Not even contour?” He asks with such real distress that May shakes apart with helpless giggles. She loves how big and sparkly his eyes get, and in the full rainbow of feelings, too. Love and happiness, usually. Today: fear!

She smacks kisses all over his face and says, “Not even contour. Come on, I’ll take one last shower with you before Buck kills you with a chainsaw.” 

“Maybe I’ll just crack my head open and die in the shower instead,” Ravi muses, dutifully following her back into the bathroom. “Now that would be the way to go.”

[reneesbooks]

daily lacuna snippet day 4

yes I’m a day late but I make the rules so whatever. this is the last scene of chapter 8, the fire. no context allowed. major cw for blood and gore.

He lifts his head from his knees as the door opens. There's no way to tell how long it's been—he didn't eat no matter how many times they pushed in the tray. The captain of the royal guard stands there, a grim expression on her face.

“Here we are again, O'Leyne,” she says, offering him a hand up. She hands him the keys to his shackles and he unlocks them from the Black Cell floor, then relocks them together in front of himself. He tosses the keys back to the captain, who chuckles. “Any other man would have run. Never fail to impress, do you?”

“I don't run.” He follows her through the dungeons, ignoring the whoops and jeers of the other prisoners. “Not from her.”

The captain shakes her head. “I will miss you, Keelan,” she says sadly. “You're a good man.”

Not that it did him any good in the end.

When the throne room doors swing open and Keelan is led forward, the court goes silent. Maura's spine is ramrod-straight in her throne, her eyes twin silver mirrors that betray nothing. They unlock his shackles and the guards don't have to push him; he kneels at the base of the steps and bows his head.

“I submit to you,” he says softly, his voice carrying through the silent room, “and whatever fate awaits me.”

The catch in her breath is tiny. Anyone else might have missed it, but it's there.

“Sir Keelan of Leyne,” she says, and he hears only the polished and ruthless queen that was born of the witch trials. “You stand accused of treason.”

The court gasps, whispers flying before Maura's voice silences them.

“How do you plead?”

Keelan raises his gaze to meet hers, unforgiving steel. “Innocent, my queen. I would never betray you.”

Her lip trembles. “You have proven yourself to be a liar, Sir Keelan. I cannot trust you.”

“I would never lie to you,” he says. Her jaw clenches.

“You would lie to me here and now,” she says, angry tears glistening in her eyes. “You are a traitor and a liar. I will not have you at my side.”

He holds her gaze and asks quietly, the memory of his sword resting against his throat, “Are you going to kill me?”

She looks away first, her eyes darting to a spot over his head, to the royal seal hidden in the stonework. “I have decided to show you mercy,” she says measuredly. She waves her hand and a scribe begins recording. “From this day forward, Sir Keelan of Leyne is banished from the castle grounds. If he is found on them after this day, he will be executed.”

Keelan's lungs are still taking in air, but it doesn't feel right. He will live, but never see her again.

“Now,” Maura says, cutting off the hesitant applause of the court. “There is the matter of your second crime.”

He inhales sharply but doesn't move. She is still staring above his head, at the stonework seal.

“For the crime of an unwanted gaze,” she says, and someone gasps loudly, the court breaking into whispers. Keelan has the odd sensation of falling while standing completely still. Maura has to pause to take a breath and Keelan's eyes dart down to her empty hands. “For this crime, payment is demanded.” Her gaze returns to him. “One of your eyes.”

There is no knight at her side to step forward and collect her payment, but Keelan doesn't wait to meet his replacement. He draws the knife from his belt and stands. The guards all draw their swords, a few even stepping forward. Maura's eyes widen by a hair.

Keelan lifts the knife to his face, the tip resting on his cheekbone. The court is deathly silent. A tear slips from his eye, a final tribute, but he never looks away from Maura. “Yes, my queen.”

He doesn't scream. Doesn't cry out. He's done it enough on Maura's orders; he knows how to make it quick, clean.

The pain is excruciating. None more so than the sight of Maura closing her eyes.

He sheathes the knife when he's done, blood and bits of gore dripping from his fingers. He can hear every little splat as it hits the ground, no other noise in the room contesting it. Maura opens her eyes slowly, her gaze fixed over his head again.

“Is there anything else, my queen?” he asks softly.

Her fingers touch the empty space on her left finger and a lone tear rolls down her cheek. “Get out of my sight.”

lacuna taglist: @serenanymph @lyssa-ink @oh-no-another-idea @lena-rambles @ashen-crest @tragicbackstoryenjoyer @serpentarii @allianaavelinjackson

[bedlamsbard]

750 words written today. (Yes, "productivity skyrockets the instant the semester ends" continues to hold true.) Stressed out over work stuff that's out of my hands -- it's something I'm going to have to deal with, but I don't know yet how I'm going to have to deal with it. Plus the world's worst-timed conference this week, so I am also very stressed about that. I'll be fine once I'm there but the entire build-up process is excruciating.

Snippet from Of Home Near chapter 21.

Steve grinned, though there was an edge to it.  “You ever heard of a dumbbell tenement?” “No,” Natasha said warily. He traced a rough outline in mid-air with one finger and said, “State law said that every room had to have a window opening to plain air, so they started building the apartments with these little slitty air shafts between them in order to put exterior windows into every room.  Not a courtyard, you couldn’t get in there, but it opened to the air.  People used them to dump garbage in, so you can imagine the smell in summer.”  His mouth worked briefly, but all he said was, “They changed that law later.” “So not somewhere you want to live now,” Natasha said. “Well, they haven’t made them like that since before I was born,” Steve said. “The state changed the law again.  And now everything in that neighborhood costs about a billion dollars a month in rent, so…”  He shrugged matter-of-factly.  “Why?” “I was just thinking.  You don’t want to move to Ohio, do you?” Steve’s eyebrows shot upwards and he said, his voice very grave, “I’d rather be dead.  Or in New Jersey.” Natasha punched him gently in the arm and teased, “I thought that was your fate worse than death.” “Guilty as charged.  Remember when Wheaton – where Camp Lehigh was – put up that big ‘Home of Captain America’ banner?”  “Yeah, and you almost cried and the Brooklyn Borough Board sued them?” Steve grinned wryly. “That’s the one.”  He dropped his head and touched his lips lightly to hers.  “I went through Ohio when I was with the USO back in ’43.  It seemed nice.” “I don’t really want to live in Ohio,” Natasha admitted.  “I just miss the way I felt when I lived there.  Also, if we moved there then aliens would probably attack.”

[catamount-collections]

Daily snippet #3

TW: None applicable

It's worse than me wanting things from him he isn't willing to give.

I want things he doesn't even seem to think to offer.

[justnerdy15]

daily snippet 8.23.23

wip: Heiress of the Night

Evangeline laughs, leaning onto the high-top, and smiles at siblings. “So how is everything going?” Mari makes a face, sighing, and flexes her fingers out on the table. “As well as it can be.” She glances over Evangeline’s shoulder. “Dad’s getting frustrated with Imani,” she says in a low voice, eyes flicking over to Isaiah, “We’ve been playing peace keepers.” Evangeline frowns, leaning in, a futile attempt at privacy. “What’s going on?” “Honestly, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Isaiah says, looking down at his hands, brushing some invisible dirt off. “It’s just that she’s —“ he pauses, searching for the right word “— a little lost right now. She doesn’t know what she wants to do.” “Frankly, I thought it didn’t really matter?” Evangeline asks. “You know, given the fact,” she gestures at the two of them. “It’s not like she’s in line for anything.” At least, that’s how Imani always made it seem. Three older siblings and all. “Thank you, that’s what I’m saying,” Isaiah exclaims. “But, of course, dad doesn’t want to hear that.” Mari purses her lips and shakes her head. “And he shouldn’t. She needs to figure out what the hell she wants to do.” Shit. Not again. “Listen, I didn’t mean,” she starts to say, wanting to drag the conversation away from an obvious sore spot, when she spots the perfect distract. “Lupe,” Evangeline calls out, interrupting herself. “Come join us!”