#don't mind the last tag. i'm just organising

[russellsppttemplates]

Love notes (Charles Leclerc)

A look into Charles' notebook allows words and feelings to be exposed

Note: english is not my first language. The request didn't specify this, but friends to lovers was the first thing that popped into my mind and I know I'm not the only one whose favourite trope is that one so I did it ✨️

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Cw: mentions Charles' father and his passing and implications of the loss of someone close to the reader

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog @hiireadstuff @c-losur3

"And you want me to tell you that code?", you asked Charles over the phone.

Your boyfriend needed to go to the bank to sort a few errands out, and since you had finished moving the last boxes of your belongings to his apartment, you stayed back to tidy them and organise them within the apartment. As it turns out, he forgot to take the documents with the codes.

"Yes, please amour - it's in my notebook on my desk on the office", Charles asked, "I think I went as far as taking the paper out a little so it peeks out but I forgot to take it with me", you could hear the smile and blush on his face.

"Let me go there - don't you mind me looking on your notebook though?", you said as you moved through the apartment, "by the way, I have already found some space in the kitchen for mug collection - yay! Okay, found the notebook - is it the document with your signature or the one that has the details?", you questioned.

"The one with the signature, at the end, left side", Charles repeated what the bank assistant was telling him so he could help you find what he wanted, "and it's the third and fifth number on the Mobile Key".

"Okay, I have it - it's 4 and 1", you informed him, "those are the third and fifth numbers".

"Merci amour, I don't think I need anything else! Once I finish up here, I'll head home to you, I love you! And Y/N, I trust you with everything I have - I have nothing to hide", he offered, making you bid him goodbye before ending the call.

His words ressonated with you as you flickered through the pages, noticing some doddles and racing notes before you decided to look at it from the beggining.

The first page had what looked like a poem and it dated back to the end of 2016.

My father told me to be careful

- Try to slow down a little

You don't ponder nor stay still

You don't belong or give yourself to anywhere

He said - my boy, you know what you're capable of

The world awaits you, go ahead and smile

You don't want to be left behind

It's not been easy dealing with everything. There's hope and there's the want to do more to prove everyone that I belong in Formula One. Still, I'm happy that Prema decided to have me race for them next year in Formula Two and things should go up from there. Time and patience, work and rest. Spending time with the people I love most and care about me the most.

Y/N also progressed on her studies and she's doing really well - she makes our friend group very proud! The guys are investing on their careers too and it's nice to see that, in a way, we're all growing up.

The page went on about all the whereabouts of the group, who had gotten together with someone, who had moved out of their parents' house and the ones who got work offers. There were jotted up plans for the summer holidays that, in hindsight, were mostly realized.

When you turned it to the next one, the poem continued with the same tone.

My mother said to me

- You have to see what's happening

That girl is much more than a friend

And you don't want to lose her

She reads it in my eyes

Or in my open soul

I don't know how she does it

But no matter how much I deny it

My mother is always right

I really like Y/N. Not just as a friend, but also as someone who I want to share my life with.

Whenever someone wonders how I think my life will be like in five, ten, fifteen years, she's always there. There's racing - me climbing up the ladder to points, podiums, wins and championships -, and there is my family.

Y/N and our own family.

Mum claims she noticed it since we were kids and that right now is the right time. Y/N is single again and I can't afford to lose her. Lose her as a friend or lose the opportunity to confess my feelings, or the worst one: lose her because she doesn't feel the same or feel like being in a relationship right now?

It's funny how this works, how much I care about her and how it hurts me when she isn't feeling well. Or how bad I feel because I keep missing some of her university milestones because I'm racing somewhere in the world but she always call me and I'm right in her hand while her family and our friends are in the stands or waiting area.

Even though I'm the one that's furthest away, she keeps me close.

Charles had notes about you? He always carried the little notebook around but you assumed it was because of important information he wrote there. You didn't expect this.

His words rang in your ears as, while your boyfriend had told you he had been crushing on you for a while, he had never admitted feeling this doubt. Not to this extent.

Suddenly, it felt like you were taking a look from a different angle at Charles' soul. The intimacy and vulnerability wasn't foreign and you fell in love with him a little bit more.

Today is the day to get closer

To face her and see what she says

And if luck follows me

As I'm writing this, I hope Y/N is getting ready to meet me in the park. She looks beautiful in anything, but I'm hoping she wears one of her dresses that make her look like a real life princess.

Maybe we will be happy

What I have planned isn't elaborate, because I don't think she would like a big production, and I hope it's enough to show her where I stand.

I asked maman for some help with the cakes and cookies and got the rest from the shop, we're going to have a picnic and I've decided today is the day where I tell her how I fell about her.

There is no point in hiding it, and Joris and Riccardo seem so sure that she shares the same affection.

Today is the day to grab her

I hope she does.

To be with the one I always wanted

And if the nervous voice doesn't fail

Y/N said yes to being my girlfriend!!! As it turns out, she does feel the same and we both agree that it was a mixture of stubbornness and bad timing for eachother. Now, it's the right place and the right time.

I hope we will be happy

The memory is clear as day on your mind.

I confessed how much I love her and she reciprocated it.

Charles asked you to meet up with him at the park because he wanted to talk to you. The seriousness of the text was confirmed when you arrived, Charles pacing around the picnic blanket until his eyes found yours.

"I can't pretend anymore", he said, "you're the first person I look for when I get somewhere I know you will be too, I can't stand to see you hurt or upset and I will kick myself every day if I'm ever the reason you hurt, which I hope I'll never be. You deserve the world, Y/N, the moon and the stars, and I'm going to get them for you because I love you", he offered.

You had been so dumbfounded that you could only approach him and kiss his lips, cupping his face closer to yours, "I've been in love with you for so long, Charles", you whispered back.

It was the day where your love story truly began despite having existed for all of your childhood. You were his and he was yours.

Come with me, love is not time

Continuing to look through the notebook, you spotted some racing notes with numbers and acronyms you weren't sure that they meant, taking a while to find another page that had similar writing.

It's not even time that does it

Come with me, love is the moment

In which I give myself

Y/N is asleep right now as we fly back home after the race. She hasn't left my side and I think this is the first time she's sleeping since we got the news. We knew it was coming, but it doesn't mean that it hurts any less.

In which you give yourself

The feeling is unbearable. Someone who gives you so much also takes so much away from you when they go away. There's so much to go through, and all of the feelings haven't come up yet.

Maman is waiting for us with Lorenzo and Arthur, and I hope we will all find peace with this heavy feeling together.

Y/N told me the feeling may never leave, it creeps up when you least expect it and there are no rules to it.

Time is precious and I want to spend as much time as I can with the ones I love. God knows I did that with papa and it still feels like it wasn't enough.

The creak of the floorboards alerted you that someone else was inside the apartment before Charles' head peeked, "Hello, mon ange", he smiled, coming up to kiss your forehead.

It's these moments where we're not doing anything particular or special that mean the most. Y/N has given me all she's got and I've given her all of me, at the end it's the most human thing to do. Be there. Be present. Allow the other to feel everything they need to feel and protect them. Y/N has protected me and she's never let me doubt that we are for each other.

"I looked through these - I didn't mean to invade your privacy but I got curious", you admitted. It would be no use to lie about it or try to hide it away.

Time will wait, stop there

"Did you like what you found?", Charles asked, pulling the other office chair to sit at the table with you, "I have this one here that I really like actually", he flickered through the pages.

So I can stay like this looking at you

Time knows well, even time understands

That someone doesn't rush

"I wrote this one when we were on holiday, it the boat", Charles tapped the page, "you looked so beautiful that day and I felt like I was running out of time to appreciate you. Then I spent the whole afternoon watching you and I felt like time slowed down a little bit because it knew I was appreciating you", he charmed.

That looks at you like I do

"These are very beautiful, Charles - this one is so beautiful", you smiled, kissing his cheek and cuddling up to his arm as he continued to leaf through the notebook.

Call me an adventure and come and have an adventure

There were also drawings and loose poems along with some photos he kept of you two. One of the hike you had done in Ibiza last year caught your eye. You stood on top of the rock and by the way your arms were positioned, you were calling Charles to join you in there while he snapped the picture.

Change my plans and I promise I'll believe

That I'm the only one you want to see when you wake up

Your haven if the world collapses

Come and deceive me with that look of yours

The sweet way that trips me and without counting

Quench my thirst with a kiss to shut me up

Make me a poem and let me stay

I do not forget

But I want to hear from your mouth all the words that make me blush

Speak softly in my ear

And grab my hand

"This was last year, one of the seasons where I had to deal with so much disappointment in racing, and you never let go. You were there to hold me everytime things didn't go well, to celebrate my achievements and my podiums, and you still make it feel like an adventure every single day", Charles mused, "being loved by you is assuring, comforting, liberating, soothing, amazing, incredible and the best feeling I have on the world! Loving you? It's as incredible as it is a big responsibility because I have to make sure the adventure is still there and that we're both in it", Charles admitted.

Before the night is over

"Being loved by you makes me feel like the only other person in the world", you looked up at him.

"Loving you is making sure the time stops when you're with me so I can tell you all the silly stories I know just to make you smile, all of this to make sure you know you're the reason behind my happiness and the one behind the longing that never lies when you're not there. It's hugging you back tight and have my heart wide open because it's yours to take", he sighed with a smile on his face.

"I love you, Charles - being loved by you is the best thing I get to experience in this life", you smiled before kissing his lips.

"This helps me a lot when you're not with me, it's like I can talk to you", Charles muttered, "and I get to have the memories written out too, you never know when this can come in handy".

"You have no excuse if your speech in our wedding feels impersonal or doesn't have any memories then", you joked as Charles' finger lightly pressed down on the remaining pages of the notebook, making sure you don't get the idea to flicker through the random pages he has used to doodle the perfect engagement ring for you, smiling at the thought of having you be his forever.

"I definitely don't, amour - I'll make sure it's a good one when the time comes", he smiled.

[oops-all-concrete]

Hello lovelies, 💘HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!💘

I'm back with more BG3 headcanons! Today's prompt is;

💕Modern AU; Ways the BG3 (romanced) companions are idyllicly sweet with Tav!💕

No spoilers! Tags are; A whole heckin lot of fluff and cuteness!

Lae'zel -

You have to be careful with what you say around Lae'zel. Made a minor comment 3 months ago that you wanted to revisit somewhere in the Sword Coast? Get packing, you guys are all booked to go. Asked Lae'zel to get you candy on the way home? She has 3 full bags. Say that comment her folks made last time you visited made you uncomfortable- you have a paragraph text apology from all of them the next day. She's not just someone who wants to spoil Tav, she fucking will. (If Tav manages to talk her out of going nuts with the pampering, she's surprisingly sentimental. You bet she keeps a rock in her pocket that reminds her of Tav)

Shadowheart -

She is so excited to post you. She doesn't like social media and tends to keep to herself, but after watching Tav post pictures of them both, she wanted to do the same. The minute she gets even the smallest romantic gesture, she's scrapbooking, she has a wall of Polaroids joined by a horde of hand made sketches, she's putting together little snack baskets and mailing them to Tav, she's about as obviously head over heels as a person can be, really. She's always got a camera aimed at Tav, even if they're just for her. (A good 90% are just for her eyes)

Wyll -

This man never plays games/gets online with both sides of the headphones in. It doesn't matter if the game is online, offline, urgent, time sensitive, dependent on his concentration- if Tav so much as makes a peep, he's out of his seat and across the room. Hells, he takes every chance he gets to go give Tav some attention. In the drift of leaving the waking world, Tav will definitely hear a little "One minute, Tav needs me" despite them not asking. Some footsteps. And then moments later, the warmth of the duvet being tucked all over their body and a gentle kiss to the cheek. Whispered "I love you"s and then a quiet. "I'm going to hop off for a few hours." So you can have some quiet.

Karlach -

She's one of those people that really makes you realise you have good taste in other people. Like, you can't think of a time you went on a walk and she didn't pick up some trash, help an elderly person across the street, immediately offer her seat to a pregnant woman. No matter how prideful Tav might be or not, there's a pride in the admiring looks other people give her. Little girls pass in the street and say "mum, I want to be like her when I grow up!" Everything she does makes Tav proud to be with her, yet somehow Tav is always the one under a spotlight to her. "Oh, me and my partner-" this. "Oh, my partner-" that. "I'm so proud of my Tav. Ugh, I am so lucky" she insists at every turn.

Gale -

He's a night owl, much to Tara's dismay. Wether that's because he can't sleep, he likes being awake in the dark hours or- his brain won't stop nattering at him for a gods damned minute, but either way. He's probably working, quietly cleaning, organising Tavs things so they don't have to worry. In quiet moments, between possibly making them breakfast because of course he's up that early- he's just kissing Tav on the forehead, gently, trying not to wake them. He needs them to sleep but there is not a moment in his day where he doesn't think: "Does Tav know I love them? Can I remind them once more? Even if its just for my peace of mind?" Because he will not rest if he has an inkling his live for Tav isn't at the forefront of their mind.

Astarion -

If you even suggest to this man that you should do matching outfits, he's excited. He always wants to take the wheel, but also wants Tav to have a foot in the idea. He will give ideas left and right, opinions up and down. He doesn't care if it's a date or not, cringe solstice photos, or just gym clothes, he's all for it. If you guys didn't have matching pyjamas already, you have them now, congrats. (If he's still a bloodsucker, he'll definitely still go out of his way to learn how to cook for Tav. Tokyo Ghoul rules though, so Tav gets to taste test a lot. Only the best for his little capri-sun) Overall he's just unashamed and excited to be with someone who very obviously wants to be his, visibly as possible.

(Bonus Halsin!)

Halsin -

This man lives for shared activity. He's quite alright on his own and can allow Tav their space, but going to get massages, haircuts/styles, wine tasting is his total vibe. Just relaxed gatherings together. Nobody lives a spa day like this man. It allows a level of intimacy that nature intends. Cleansing. Careful. Close. He will learn how to do Tavs hair and makeup if asked. Will take pleasure in being able to undress them and put them to bed at the end of a long day. Go on hikes and camping trips, walks through the woods, carving names into rocks and bringing back souvenirs to press into a book that's only getting thicker.

[velvetydream]

꒰ :🥀 [ The harsh daily life - Welcome to Aurora ] ”♡ᵎ꒱ˀˀ ↷ ⋯

Part 4 - The harsh daily life

Summary : Finally having found the perfect job for you on the ship, a new mistery arose. The name of a mysterious woman slipping past the sleeping captains lips.

Pairing : Pirate! Hongjoong x Fem! Reader

Word count : 1883 Words

Genre : Genre : Fluff, Romance, Slow Burn

Warnings ➵ None??

a/n : Still so sorry for not posting this last week! Just been rly caught of with my exam this week and also just overall being stressed by school! I'll tr to write next 2 or 3 chapters this weekend tho so I got a lil puffer for the next weeks!♡

《 Masterlist 》

┌───────────────────────── ·  ·  ·  · ♡

Your day wasn't over after the quick meal you had with Wooyoung and Seonghwa. Right now you were sitting in the crows nest with Wooyoung, him explaining his job to you, you were quit glad that you were with Wooyoung right now and didn't had to train with Jongho again.

"I'm glad that you decided to tag along with us, it's gonna be a lot of fun." You were just as glad as Wooyoung, was he the one you should be the most thankful to, he was the one to help you stay on this ship, with this crew.

"What did you want to tell me while we were eating? About the captain?" Curiosity getting the better of you like always, now looking at Wooyoung who shifts a bit uncomfortably by your question. "I can't tell you, Seonghwa was right, it's Hongjoongs secret, either he tells you himself or you won't know, I'm sorry." His answer made you pout slightly but you could also understand, you probably wouldn't want your secrets spilled out to everyone either. "It's okay, maybe I will know someday." Looking out of the crows nest again, you look to the horizon where the sea meets the sky. It's still not late, maybe the middle of the day, the sun was standing high above the two of you, making it quit hot up in the crows nest.

"Hey Wooyoung! Mind giving away the princess for a bit?" Mingis voice was heard suddenly, looking up at the two of you with a smile on his face. "Sure! See you later." Wooyoung tells you, as you make your way town carefully, Mingi still staying at the bottom of the net, in case you needed help or need to be caught im case you slipped. "Thank you for agreeing to helping me, I really need the help. You can read right?" Mingi asks, following him into the captains cabin, Hongjoong not in sight. With a yes to his question, Mingi gets out a box from a cabinet and pulls up a second chair. "I'm in charge of keeping the maps organised and also having a protocol of the kingdoms and islands we visited by now." Mingi explains, sitting down on Hongjoongs chair, he probably did this in his room, as it had the biggest desk and also wouldn't have any disturbances. "You can sort the maps alphabetical for now." Mingi explains, getting out a pencil to start drawing on the map, probably adding islands they recently discovered.

Now sorting the maps, you sometimes look at the few books on the desk, on each one of them was written the word 'Ateez' and Aurora, looking up at Mingi now you speak up again, : "On the books, the word Ateez, what is that?" Immediately after finishing your sentence Mingi let's out a chuckle, laying down his pencil. "You are currently on the ship Aurora with the crew Ateez, Ateez is our Crew name." Mingi explains to you, before going back to sketching the map.

After a while the door opens and closes, in walks the captain, taking of his coat and hat and laying down on his bed, eyeing the two of you.

"Is she good help Mingi?" The captain speaks up now, closing his eyes, your eyes stay fixated on the maps you were sorting though. "Definitely, it was getting a bit to much for myself, so I'm glad for her help." He praises you, making a smile appear on your face. "I see, well don't be to loud please, I want to take a nap." Putting his hat over his face now, the captain trys to fall asleep, while you and Mingi go on with your work.

After probably two hours you and Mingi finished, standing up and leaving the room carefully so you won't wake up the captain.

"You seem to get along with everyone quit fine, it's nice to see that you're getting used to being on here." Mingi talks while walking around the deck with you, nodding when someone greets the both of you. "Everyone is quit nice, so it's really easy to adapt to the crew and get used to them." A nod was seen from Mingi as you two continue your little stroll along the ship. "Just wishing everyone would start to call me by my name, Y/N, and not princess, I'm not a princess anymore." Explaining this to Mingi, he send a sympathetic glance towards you. "You just have to tell us and we will gladly call you that Y/N." A relieved sigh leaves your lips, hoping that all of them would call you that soon.

"But you can't expect all of us to call you that, you're the princess of our crew now, isn't that right Wooyoung?" San smirks, while approaching you and Mingi, Wooyoung following and speaking up now, : "You're right, she'll stay the princess of this ship." Rolling your eyes slightly, you still couldn't suppress a laugh. "That's okay then, as long as you two still know my name." Now it was the turn of the two man to laugh, telling you they would never forget your name ever.

After talking with the three man a while, Seonghwa soon approaches you with two plates in his hands, by now the sun was starting to go down, painting the sky and sea in a beautiful orange and pink sky.

"You should eat enough, tomorrow the training will continue." Handing you the plate, Seonghwa sits down on the railing, followed by you.

"San told me about a few of the memebers, how long have the others been here?" Seonghwa looks your way now, laying his fork down on his plate. "Me and Hongjoong started this, a small boat, we ran away from our homes and never returned. Yunho joined us shortly after that, a few other man joining too, the ship always getting bigger to have more place. Yeosang and Wooyoung joined us together, we found them stranded on an island, no one knowing where they're from or who their family is. San is a runaway, like me and Hongjoong, that's why we took him in, we saw ourselves in him. Mingi joined shortly after him, his father was a knight, but he didn't want to live that life, so he joined us. Jongho has been here the shortest, he sneaked onto our ship one night and the next after we sat sail we found him, Hongjoong was mad I tell you, but after noticing his abilitys he made him part of the main crew quickly." Glancing at you a few times, you take the information in. It was quit a lot of information to take in.

"It's a lot of information I know, but everyone on this ship has their own story, past and secrets." At the word secrets you had to think back to Hongjoong, what secret did Wooyoung want to tell you.

"Eat up, the captain want's to have a little talk with you." Bidding his goodbye, Seonghwa takes his now empty plate and walks away, probably to bring it into the kitchen.

You finished quickly, bringing your plate away and making your way to the captains cabin, knocking once and then twice. It was quiet. So you slowly opened the door, walking in and closing the door again.

Hongjoong was layed on his bed, his hat still over his face, his right leg over the other one. Walking closer, you ask yourself if the captain was sleeping or awake and already noticed you.

Reaching out a hand hesitatingly, you take of the hat and to your surprise, was the captain still asleep. His eyes closes, just now did you notice his long lashes, his face for once looked soft and relaxed, much different to the either scowling or smirking face. Placing the hat on his desk, you walk over to him again reaching out again to wake him up, but stopping midway, as a word or more like, a name slips past his lips.

Jiwon

Confused you now place your hand on the captains shoulder, shaking him awake slightly. Said man opens his eyes and looks up at you, as he sits up with a groan and stretches his arms out.

"Seonghwa said you wanted to talk to me." You explain why you were disturbing the captains sleep, the female name however still on your mind. "Ah yes, I wanted to see how you're holding up, Mingi praised you a lot today and even Yunho was pleased with how fast you are learning." His voice sounded rough from sleep, as he now sits at the edge of his bed and starts putting on his boots again. "Ah I'm just glad and happy that I can be of help on this ship." Hongjoong glances your way shortly, before continuing to tie his boots. "You will be helping Mingi from now on, study our books and read some others too, you're one of the few people that can read, we need every help that we can get with the books." He now stands up, stretching again. You just agree and are now send out again, still wanting to know who that name belonged to and the best person to ask was Wooyoung.

Making your way over to the quarter deck where Wooyoung was leaning on the railing, talking to San.

"Wooyoung! Can I talk to you for a moment?" He send you a nod, guiding you further to the back of the quarter deck, asking you what you wanted to talk about.

"I have a question about the ship, did you ever have a woman called Jiwon on board?" As soon as Wooyoung heard that name, he went pale, looking around. "Where did you hear that name? No one is even allowed to mention that name!" Speaking in a hushed tone now, Wooyoung looks at you with furrowed brows and a serious look on his face. "Hongjoong was talking in his sleep when I wanted to wake him up." A slightly scared look on your face now, caused by his reaction. "Okay, you're not allowed to speak to anyone about that name do you understand me? No one. Tell no one that you heard that name, especially not the captain, got that?" Wooyoung makes sure to make you promise you this, which you did.

Of course his reaction to that name made the question mark in your head just grow bigger.

Who was that woman? Was she a crew member? Was the captain close to her? Where was she now?

Walking away from a visibly disturbed Wooyoung, you make your way to your room, a lot of the people already under the deck sleeping. Upon arriving in the room, you start to change into the dress shirt from Seonghwa again and lay down on the bed, facing the ceiling again, which was painted a night blue and had lots of stars painted on there.

This crew may be your new family, but you still didn't get a lot of their doings or opinions.

The most questionable one was definitely Hongjoong, followed by Jongho, even Wooyoung seemed weird after the last talk you had with him not long ago. Maybe you should just ignore and forget it for now, sooner or later you'll probably hear and understand their motives.

[itwasthereaminuteago]

|| Lost and Found ||

Frank Castle x female reader

Tags/warnings: meetcute! With dogs!

Oral (f rec), beardburn, coming in pants (m) 😍, written for the @bernthirst-events #beardthalbash, thanks to @darlingshane and @anna-hawk for organising!

"Midge! Miiiidge!" Your voice echoes through the endless trees as you call out again and again, listening hopefully for the familiar thunder of paws on the leafy undergrowth coming back toward you, but there was nothing but the muted twitter of birds. "Midge, come!" You shout again, your voice starting to tremble with worry as you walk hurriedly along the forestry path. The light was beginning to fade earlier in these shortening autumn evenings, and it would soon be impossible to find your runaway pup. You take out your phone, dismayed to see the signal nonexistent out this deep in the woods.

"C'mon Midge! Midge, please come back!" The back of your throat is rough from yelling and your eyes are glistening with tears. You couldn't go home, you had to keep looking for her.

"Miiiidge?!" You tried again, and stopped in your tracks as you heard a rustling nearby, but it was just a blackbird rummaging in the leaf litter.

"Oh Midge…" you croak out more quietly, still holding her broken lead tightly in your fist. You cursed yourself for not replacing it sooner after she had been chewing it, for not buying a stronger one. You were so wrapped up in your own admonishment that you jumped out of your skin when someone walked up the track behind you.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind me askin', are you alright?"

You turned and were met with the figure of a large bearded man. He kept his distance when he realised he had given you a bit of a fright, giving you time to take in the fact that he was wearing a dark green shirt with the park ranger logo embroidered on it along with utility pants and sturdy walking boots. His eyes were dark and he was looking at you kindly.

"I'm Frank, I'm a ranger. I heard you yelling, can I help?" He asks, and you find yourself stuttering over your words, partly in relief that someone else was around, and someone who hopefully knew these woods a lot better than you.

"It's- it's my dog, she… oh, I've been searching and calling for her for hours, she broke her lead when she saw a squirrel and bolted after it! I couldn't catch her in time and she's just- she's just a pup!" You sniffle as your eyes keep flitting around to look through the trees. "I can't find her, she doesn't know this part of the woods that well, I can't leave her alone out there."

The ranger nods and steps a little bit closer. "Alright, I know that you're worried about her, but this sorta thing happens a lot. I'm gonna help you to find her best I can. Can you give me a description? An' I heard you callin' out 'Midge', s'that right?"

You wipe at your damp eyes, nodding. "She's a border collie, black and white. She's 8 months but she's small for her age."

"Okay ma'am, do you remember when and where you last saw her? I'll radio my team and we'll be able to have more eyes and ears lookin' out for Midge okay?" His voice is low and authoritative but soft with it, and your tears soon stop as you're distracted by the way he goes straight into action.

"Back over the ridge near the fire pass, I think it was about two hours ago…" you tell him.

Frank unclips his radio from his belt and relays all the information, getting confirmation from a variety of voices shortly after.

"Okay, let's take a walk back that way huh? You got some treats or somethin' with you?"

You fall into step beside him, grasping the bag of mini bone biscuits from your pocket. "Yeah."

He smiles. "That's good. Those her favourite, huh?"

"Yeah. But she just loves any food really."

You pick a few out hoping that Midge might be able to smell them from wherever she is and her greedy stomach might lead her back to you.

Frank nods. "Is she alright with guys? I know some dogs don't like a man with a beard, can scare em sometimes."

You soon dismiss Frank's concern. "No not at all, actually she'd likely love you. I mean, our postman is quite a big guy and she's always happy to see him at the house. Though I guess he does bring treats for a lot of the dogs."

Frank smiles again and starts calling out for Midge as you come near to the spot where she ran off and you join him, shaking the bag of treats. He takes out a flashlight and starts a sweep. "Which way did she head, do you remember?" He asks.

You point down the slope in front of you and he starts making his way through the trees with you following behind and both calling. After a little while walking down the hill he holds up his hand in a signal to stop and you stay quiet. He listens and you strain your ears too, eventually hearing a distant whimper.

"Oh! Oh it's Midge!" You're suddenly sick with fear that she's seriously hurt and start running towards the sound, the thick branches scraping against your face and arms. Frank catches up to you quickly and urges you to slow down.

"Hey, hey! Watch yourself now, there's a ton of burrows and shit you could break your ankle in if you're not careful. Just hold back with me. It's alright, we'll get to her."

You reluctantly slow your pace as he's right after all, he does know these woods better than you and very soon he's crouching down at the roots of a big tree. As you round it you see little Midge on the ground whining and wagging her tail as she sees you. Her back paw is caught between two roots and she's clearly in some pain.

"Hey, hey Midgey, shhh it's okay, just stay nice and still." You try to calm her, holding her collar as Frank is extremely gentle as he carefully moves the roots to work her paw free and lift her up.

"There we go," he says as he holds her.

Both of you look the pup over for any other injuries before he radios that you'd found her to his colleagues. As you feel her ankle joint there's a little bruising but she doesn't seem to be in any great distress and when you hold out one of her treats she's more than eager to gobble it up.

"Oh Midge, it's alright baby, you're gonna be alright!" You stroke her soft fur in comfort, more for you, lifting your head to look at the ranger, your eyes shining slightly with tears. Just then Midge tilts her head up and licks Frank's face so sweetly and he cracks a smile. "Heh, that's a good sign."

You're so relieved and the rich sound of his laugh as Midge keeps on lavishing him with licks is infectious, making you chuckle too. It makes you feel so much better after all the worry.

"I can't thank you enough, Frank. I was so scared it would be so much worse!" You tell him as you all walk back to the park entrance.

"Hey no worries, it's all just part of the job." He replies as you reach the gate. It was almost completely dark now and the rain was starting to come down in a drizzly mist. "You local? Do you need a ride home?" He asks.

You glance down the road. It was only about a mile and a half walk away but you didn't want to risk Midge getting away from you again as she might manage to wriggle out of your arms on the road.

"Um, actually that would be really great if it wouldn't be too much trouble? We're not far."

"Not at all ma'am, best make sure this lil lady doesn't have another chance to get into trouble again, I know what they can be like!" He jibes, booping Midge gently on her nose which she licks afterwards.

When you reach the outside of your little lodge house after the short ride, you thank Frank again. In the light from the porch his dark eyes are twinkling as he bids you both goodnight.

"I'm sure she'll be back out and about in no time, just keep an eye out for those darn squirrels yeah?"

You laugh a little now that your worry is mostly over, and you notice how handsome he is as well as the kindness and trust that seemed to just emanate from him effortlessly, putting you at ease. "I certainly will! I'm so glad you found us, thank you. Once she's rested and recovered from her ordeal maybe we'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I sure hope so." He replies giving you a gorgeous smile as he gets back into his truck.

-

Frank is just signing off an email when he hears a familiar bark from outside the office. Lady, his own dog, responds with her own short huff, excited to see her playmate again.

It's been a couple of months since Midge's incident and maybe him carrying treats in his pocket might have had something to do with it, but she always ran up to the ranger station and let her arrival be known every time you walk her. And Frank sure as hell doesn't mind as it means he gets to see you.

It had started with polite, friendly waves and a big pet for Midge whenever you happened upon each other in the park. Then, you would frequently stop to chat to him, ask him about his day and he about yours, and then you had started to drop by after his shift finished so you could all go on a walk together. There was nothing Frank loved more than being in the outdoors, except now he got to share that with someone, and he found himself increasingly glad that it was you.

Frank always made you laugh with the way he would run around playing with Midge and Lady, even after a long day's work. You showed him the tricks you had been teaching your pup, and on your regular hikes you also started to learn more about each other. Frank started looking forward to the times he would see you, your easy and generous smile lighting up his world and maybe even pushing to broaden the boundaries of it, maybe let someone like you to become something more. It had been a long while since he thought he felt something more than friendship blossoming, and gradually opening up to you felt right.

Still, right now he was so damn nervous. He had been trying to work up the courage to ask you out for days and then he'd inevitably chicken out, but he promised himself he'd do it tonight. And even if you turned him down, there'd be no regrets.

"Hey big bear!" You say as you greet him. "Which route do you wanna take this evening Frankie? It's your turn to pick." You ask him as Frank steps out with Lady and locks up the office. He almost loses his nerve when he turns and sees your pretty face and your sweet voice calling his nickname caresses his ears.

"Uh, I was thinkin' up by the creek," he suggests as the four of you start walking up the trailhead. Frank scratches at the back of his shirt collar. "Can't remember if I mentioned before but our place is up that way."

You turn to look at him wide eyed after you throw the ball for the dogs as they run ahead. "It is? Wow, it's so gorgeous up there. You're so damn lucky Frank, a perfect job and an amazing commute!"

He can't help beaming back, you seemed to see the positive in almost everything, he guessed he was pretty lucky.

Okay, he decides, now is the time to do it. Just put it out there. Just ask. What's the worst that could happen?

He clears his throat. "Was wonderin' actually, if you'd… uh, maybe you might wanna-" He couldn't believe he was stuttering over such a simple question. Fuck, was it supposed to be this hard? Thankfully, you stepped in and saved both of you from any more of his awkwardness.

"Frank, are you inviting me to your place?" You ask.

The light rain that's falling makes the longer strands of his hair lie in curls against his forehead. He runs a hand through it pushing it back, nodding. "Yeah, I mean, no pressure or anything. Just, if you wanna maybe have a drink with… me?"

You smile at him again. "Yeah, I'd love to."

By the time you reached his lodge you were both slightly soaked by the autumn drizzle. Frank stacks up the wood burner as soon as he lets you in, giving you and the dogs a towel to dry off with as he gets the fire going.

Once you dry off your hair and the dogs, you look around his home in awe. It's so beautiful, hewn from trees from this very forest, nothing too big and grand, just perfectly cosy. He had a neat but well stocked kitchen area, with a solid oak table and chairs by the window. A set of natural carved steps led up to a mezzanine with shelves stacked with all sorts of books and what you assumed was his bedroom.

There were glazed double doors that opened out the back onto a wooden porch and the mossy lawn behind bordered by the trees. And beside the wood burning stove was a tired but comfy looking sofa with a massive thick rug in front of it where Frank gestured to you to make yourself at home.

You kick off your shoes and hang your coat up on a hook near the door beside his next to the dog leads, and settle on the couch.

"This is magic, Frank," you tell him as he opens the fridge taking out a couple of beers.

He shakes his head, dipping his face a little like he's embarrassed or something as he walks over and hands you a bottle. "It's alright. You hungry?" He asks.

"I'm alright just now, just thirsty!" You smile, clinking your bottle against his as he sits down across from you after placing a couple of logs onto the now steadily blazing pile of kindling.

"Did it come with the job?"

He shrugs, fingers stroking his thick beard. "Uh, kinda." He takes a swig of beer and smiles as he notices Lady bringing out one of her favourite toys and letting Midge play with it without a gripe.

"Heh, look at that. S'good they're gettin' on so well." He remarks, and you hum in agreement as you watch them play.

"Yeah, I'm so glad," You say as you turn your gaze back to him. "It means we can spend more time together."

The corners of Frank's mouth pull up just a little. "S'that so? Cos I've been thinking I'd like that." He admits, the nerves rapidly melting away.

You move just a little bit closer to him on the couch, turning your body to face his. "I know I'd like that…" you confess. As you put your beer down on the side table, your hand brushes his knee and you decide to leave it there. He gazes directly at you and you feel your body temperature rise but it's not because of the fire that's burning nearby...

His fingers lightly stroke over yours and when you look back up he's so focused on you, the brown of his eyes seems so deep and dark and soft you could get lost in them. He's searching your expression for permission.

"Can I kiss you?"

His voice melts like thick honey in your ears and you're leaning in with a whispered yes instantly, almost before he can get all the words out. He raises a hand to cup your face stroking his thumb softly over your cheek and you close your eyes as he slowly leans in and gently captures your lips with his own. He's so very tender but you can feel the control he possesses as you eagerly kiss him back, the captivating strength and power held in check only by a hair trigger. Your fingers thread through his beard, guiding him to you and right now he'll go wherever you want him. He thinks maybe he should stop, a gentleman would stop and let you take the lead, dictate the pace, but you already are.

Under the light tang of beer you taste sweeter than he could imagine as your tongue slips in so softly, so teasingly between his parted lips against his own and he can't help the low moan he lets out as you surprise him by shifting to climb into his lap.

You gently pull away for a second, and your words are laced with a barely concealed urgency that has him struggling against that fucking gentlemanly conscience he had just a minute ago.

"Tell me if this is too fast?" You probe, looking down at him, your pupils already blown out. You'd been waiting for this. You'd given him all the signals for a little while now, hoping he'd maybe feel the same, waiting for him to be ready.

Frank's eyes dart from yours, down to your mouth and back up again. "Don't feel too fast to me," his words almost vibrate through you with his low tone. "Just feels right."

He moves to kiss you again and it's bliss. His lips are so soft, as is his beard although slightly tickly against your skin. You sigh and smile making a contented sound and he shows you some more of that control, his hands running up the sides of your thighs to rest on your waist, just lightly holding you. He still lets you set the speed, what you want and you let him know as your fingers slide up the shirt covering his broad chest weaving into his hair. His kiss goes deeper as you move in his lap, slowly shifting forward, pressing your hips against his and he makes his reaction to that known with the sexiest noise you've heard him make so far. You want so desperately to hear more.

"Been goin' crazy over you, you know that sweetheart?" He reveals, as you both pull away momentarily, still just inches away from each other's mouths. Your breaths are shallow, you've not felt this excited in a long while.

"You think I haven't felt the same?" You smirk.

In the days after Midge's rescue and recovery, you had found yourself thinking about Frank a lot. About his kindness, competency, and yeah maybe sometimes about how handsome he is… still you never thought he'd take a second look at you, but now you had both arrived here, feeling Frank's fingers twitch against you desperate to touch and you eager for him to do so.

You urge him to continue to explore as your lips meet again, the sensation of his fingertips so tentatively sliding up under your sweater and chasing the goosebumps away as they glide over your bare skin. You nip teasingly at his lower lip and he rewards you with a small grunt before his tongue delves back deeper into your mouth as you move your core over the now obvious bulge in his pants. He trails hot kisses down the side of your neck, pulling at the neckline of your top and you peel it off so his lips can access more of you.

"You're so gorgeous darlin'," he speaks into your skin as he places every kiss with care and attention, his eyes flicking up to meet yours as he mouths around the swell of your breasts still held captive by your bra. You tug at the hem of his shirt, leaning back for a moment so he can move to take it off. Your hands are back on him instantly, tracing over his muscular torso, fingers excitedly running over every dip and rise, appreciating every rough line of his varied scars now bared to you. You're both almost panting for breath, and he's struck dumb as you claw at his belt buckle but he gently puts his hands over yours, halting them.

You glance up. "Oh, if you don't want to-"

Frank chuckles, bumping his nose against yours. "I do. God, I really do… I just need to make sure it's what you want."

You can't believe this guy, he's almost perfect. Frustratingly so.

"Frank, I really want you." You tell him in all lucidity.

He licks across his lips at your confirmation, making the damp spot in your panties grow as he lets his eyes rove over you.

"Well, I'm gonna take you to bed then. C'mon." He says as he encourages you to your feet and guides you up the stairs.

You shimmy off your pants and socks in between more fervent kisses before he lays you down on his bed, leaving his own on as he lifts your foot and starts kissing his way up the inside of your ankle and calf. You part your legs wider to make space for him and his broad shoulders, your heart rate increasing by bounds as you anticipate his next move.

"Mm, s'this okay sweetheart?" He checks in as he nears the juncture of your thighs, his beard brushing the sensitive skin there, "Can I take these off?" He adds, and you hum in the affirmative as his dark eyes meet yours and he smiles. "Been just dyin' to taste you..." You flush with heat at his purred confession and lift your hips as he hooks his fingers around the waistband so he can pull your underwear down. He kisses your mound softly when he returns, taking his time.

"Anytime you want me to stop," he says before lightly kissing your clit and you let out a shuddered breath. "You just tell me baby, okay?" You nod and moan out loud when he begins to lap his tongue right between your glistening folds. You know you'll never want him to stop.

Your body writhes as he continues with wide slow licks between your thighs, relaxing as it's clear he more than knows what he's doing. You whimper, jolting unexpectedly as he begins flicking the hardened tip of his tongue over your clit before softening it again and repeating, swirling, sucking and worshiping your almost steadily dripping cunt like it's a fountain in the desert. When your thighs press in bracketing his head at a particularly sensitive touch, he wraps his big paws around you, fingers greedily switching between kneading the soft flesh of your legs and cupping around your ass as he devours you.

The hair of his beard rubs against your skin and the sensation is addictive. You move your hips against his rhythm and he reaches up to take one of your hands that is currently fisting in the sheets to position it on his head, to make you grab his hair and show him exactly what you want.

You gasp as he very quickly and easily hits a pressure and tempo that has you arching your back right off the mattress. Frank groans as you guide him, squeezing your legs around him almost rutting against his face, moaning so deep into your pussy you can feel the vibrations go through you. And just like that every focused movement he makes brings you further pleasure, taking you higher and higher, and seeing and feeling your reaction just keeps him going.

"Attagirl," he praises, briefly raising his head to look at you. Your juices shine on his lips, spread all around his mouth and wetting some of his beard. The sight just makes him look even hotter to you.

"Frank- mmn! God that's so good, please don't stop…"

He would never, diving right back between your quivering thighs and working you up to and over the edge like it's his only purpose. He can't help himself, you're so fucking sexy like this he's almost humping the bed trying to ease the throbbing need that's barely contained in his jeans. He might have thought about you like this before, how you'd sound, how you'd look, but nothing has prepared him for the reality.

He groans long and low as you clamp your legs hard to his head, you're trying not to but you can't stop your hips from rising, can't help fucking yourself hard against his face, but he wants it, encouraging you until your orgasm explodes from within. The intensity shakes you from your very core, rippling through your body in multiple waves as Frank still holds you firmly to him, licking you through it devotedly as he ruts his own hips into the mattress with another sexy moan. He slows down as he feels your tight grip in his hair easing off, his now near-black eyes meeting yours as he pants and licks his lips.

"You okay there darlin'?" His question is sincere but you almost snort with laughter with how fucking good he's made you feel. He can't be real.

"I'm-" you giggle and throw your arm up over your face as you feel nothing but euphoria.

"god, I'm… yeah, yeah I'm okay! Oh… shit. Wow!"

He grins and wipes his face on the sheets before crawling up the bed to lie next to you, and you turn on your side to face him, drawing him into a kiss as you reach for his pants for a second time.

He catches your hands yet again, shaking his head apologetically. "Uh, it was kinda 'oh shit wow' f'me too y'know? It's… been a while."

It takes you a brain-melted second to get his meaning and then a satisfied smile spreads across your lips. "Frankie, you know that's hot, right?"

He laughs falling back on the sheets, a slight blush dusting his cheekbones. "Hmm I dunno bout that, kinda feel like a teenager again, but as long as you're satisfied for now darlin'."

"I think that'll keep me going for a long while!"

"Not too long though, yeah?" Frank turns his head to look your way and try to gauge your meaning, the faintest hint of concern in his tone. This wasn't a one time thing right? It didn't feel like it was.

The corners of your mouth hook upward yet again. "Definitely not too long." you assure him.

Your eyes track up to the large skylight in the roof above the bed as you catch your breath back, watching the moody, inky clouds gently rolling past.

"Must be a fantastic view of the stars when it's clear." You muse, still gazing up as you feel the warmth of Frank's hand slide over your stomach to hold you close to him in the afterglow.

He follows the line of your sight. "Yeah, it was a pain in the ass to install but worth it for sure."

You turn in his arms to face him. "You put that in yourself? Wow, that's something."

He gives a shrug. "Well I always planned for it when I built the place."

You're incredulous. "What? You built this place?!"

Frank just chuckles, smoothing a couple of stray strands of hair out of your face.

"Yeah, haven't always been a ranger. Used to do logging, bit of carpentry. Just thought how hard can it be? Had the idea in my head for a good long while before I had the means and the land to make it happen."

"Frank Castle… I'm officially stunned. That's incredible!" He has the audacity to shrug again like it's nothing and then laughs out loud as he watches your brows draw together.

"Hey, I'm serious! That kinda skill, that's rare. And, I guess it explains this…" you run your fingers over his large biceps, giving them a quick squeeze before smoothing them over his chest.

He hums. "Yeah, only some of it, have to thank the gym for the rest."

You grin as he pushes up on an elbow, leaning his head on his hand as he traces slightly ticklish patterns over your skin as he regards you as if you're a goddess.

"And what about all this darlin'? What about you? You're somethin' special."

You shake your head but he's determined to make his feelings known to you.

"M'serious. Y'know I was totally shittin' it thinking about askin' you here, askin' you out? Was too damn scared you might not say yes."

You can't imagine Frank being scared of much, and you don't know how you could ever say no. Even before the sex.

"Well, I did say yes," you point out as you lean over to kiss him. He still tastes of you and the memory of the intimacy you'd shared is fresh in your mind. "...and I'm really glad that I did."

"Hm, well I better give the dogs their dinners," Frank muses as he strokes at your side, "and make ours too I guess..." he adds with a smile as your stomach chooses that moment to grumble loudly.

"Oh, yeah, I didn't think I was that hungry until you mentioned dinner!"

Frank grins as he pushes himself up, grabbing a couple of clean towels from the cupboard near the bed. "Alright, m'gonna clean up real quick and make us somethin'. If you wanna have a long shower while I cook you go right on ahead darlin', there's plenty of hot water."

You smile as you stretch out under his ridiculously comfortable covers, watching his gorgeous ass disappearing into the bathroom as you call after him. "I'm loving the sound of that idea!"

[deerspherestudios]

How do you organise the process of creating a character? like, to me its too confusing, i dont know what i do first because there are TOO MANY THINGS TO DO, like backstory, personality, looks, what they like, so what would be the “steps” to make them?

(Since @isabellaswork asked the same thing recently I'm tagging you here, hope that's okay!) Omg I'm flattered I'm the person you'd wanna ask such a big question ;v;!!? Honestly the process is different for everyone, but I'll give it a go <3 This is how my process usually goes:

Personality first, backstory later. Flesh out the concept of the character before deciding their origin story if that makes sense.

Build a moodboard for your character! The more ideas the better!

Time for visuals! Sketch out multiple iterations, looking at the moodboard for inspiration. Colors go last.

Finalize! Once you've got your final sketch + colors, draw a proper illustration and see if you vibe with the design. Repeat previous steps if necessary <3

Extra: Since you've got the design and story down, add some fun facts. This is where interests, likes and dislikes go!

I'll use my VN characters as examples below in case someone wants it in more detail! Mychael (Mushroom Oasis) and Alma (Lift Your Spirits spoilers!! + horror imagery) process ideation under cut:

Usually I start with personality first. Because for me, when you first meet someone, you see what they're like in the present; their past doesn't matter as much until you get to know them. I can decide the backstory later so it doesn't limit the personalities I'm playing around with. Of course I must have gotten the idea from somewhere so these two things work in tandem most of the time.

Then it's just a matter of how they look!

After deciding on personality traits, I start by collecting references from everywhere, even the smallest of things. I think of how I want them to look plus how they would dress. Anything goes at this stage, so just go buck-wild gathering ideas!

Here's a moodboard for Mychael:

This one was for Alma, from their normal self to their monstrous self:

Then it's time for drawing and doodles. As I sketch, I look back at the moodboard I've made and pick out things I like, while drawing things really loose. Copy paste if I need to!

I've shared the ones for Mychael here, here and here! Here's some sketches for Alma from last year:

This part takes the longest but is always the most fun! Don't feel limited by what you had initially, just test out ideas! Here are the final designs!

Mychael(s):

Alma(s):

Then once I'm happy with the design I can flesh out the backstory as much as I like!!! so long as it fits the presentation of the character in current time. Of course this process can differ when you already have a story in mind and need characters to carry out the plot, but I'm definitely not big-brain enough to make an all-out story like that </3 I just enjoy designing characters visually haha

Oh and just for fun, I like to sprinkle in some extra (but kinda unnecessary) background info. It can be the most mundane thing but it gives them more life (to me at least!) Maybe they drink flat orange soda, or enjoy riding trains at night, or hate the smell of french fries, or think apples are disgusting etcetcetc.

Of course there's like, tips for professional character designing like silhouette, shapes, proportions but I assume this ask was for a more casual approach <3 That's all I could think of if I were to describe my process,,, I hope that answers your question!

To recap:

Start with personality traits and decide backstory later. Or work them together as one. It's more concept than visuals at this stage.

Assemble a moodboard for inspiration. The more ideas the better! Look up anything that might relate to your character if it helps.

Sketch, sketch and sketch again! Keep things loose and free. I usually start from the face, to clothes to accessories. Colors go last.

Finalize! Put everything together in one rendered drawing, and see if you vibe with it. You can always go back to previous steps if you're still not happy with it.

And you're done! :-)

[joannerowling]

Man PinkNews really can't stay away from Jo for too long lol, they're back at it again with more slander, this time with a supposed like of a pretty offensive tweet. And as always people are eating it all up.

Now I went to check and that supposed like wasn't there which makes me think it's fake(either that or much like few years ago when she liked and then unliked that one tweet-I forget what was it about, and if her like was real then it could be the same case again, an acidental like).

But like, I really don't get these people...I get it, they hate her, but why make up stuff? Is it cause perhaps normies are waking up and seeing that Jo isn't this evil person the likes of PinkNews and TRAs are trying to paint her as...it's so weird.

Well they can't exactly go and talk about anything wrong she would have actually done, can they, since when you look up what Jo really does with her money it's all charity and paying her taxes. We're still waiting on that list of anti-trans organisations she would have supposedly funded or donated to - you'd think they would line up to claim her patronage, and yet! Crickets! Strange, isn't it?

So they are reduced to this: dishonesty, defamation, and just making shit up when they run out of ideas. Take this week's example of what has the gendiboos shitting themselves: Jo liking a darkly humourous tweet saying "at least the Talibans know what a woman is". Someone tried to paint that as a) original tweeter was supporting the Talibans (yes, in this era where people can just say "kill yourself" to a celebrity over them claiming to like raisins); b) JKR herself implicitly supports the Talibans by proxy because she liked the tweet. Now, the person who said that claims to have received a cease and desist order. Gee, why would that ever happen??

… Yeah, i guess Jo's a little sensitive about that particular brand of defamation of her character. It's almost like, unlike these bozos, she actually cares about hate crimes against women.

Honestly i wish she'd actually take them to court, just once. She would absolutely wipe the floor with them and that would set the record straight for any more who wants to try her. And i'm not even saying that with her sake in mind tbh.

But for the sake of the ACTUAL WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUFFERING THROUGH ISLAMIC REGIMES RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.

Like hey!! guys, gals and nonbinary pals! Maybe… just maybe?? we shouldn't use victims of horrible religious tyranny as pawns in some stupid gender wars?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I know we're all convinced in our heart of hearts that JK Rowling is a big bad meanie, but maybe we could act like the better people we pretend to be for once and treat this topic with the seriousness it warrants?? ufuckingwu!

And since i had the unpleasant surprise to see that in the tag this morning: same thing with Ukraine. No, JK Rowling is not friend with Putin, she has actually helped Ukrainian refugees since the start of the war, and the fucking Harry Potter store being maybe still up in Moscow on Google Maps is the last of Ukraine's problems even if she had the actual power to shut it down (assuming GM's infos are even actualised).

Like, i can sort of laugh it out when these idiots make up bullshit about the Goblins being antisemitic caricatures. (Except, it's not actually funny, not when you take two seconds to think about the implications that a whole generation of people apparently think that this is what antisemitism is, OR, care so little about antisemitism that they are happy to pretend that this is it.) It's a whole 'nother business to pick victims of current wars and religious extremism and make up a story about how it's all some writer you don't like's fault. Those are real people ffs. Whom JKR is tangibly helping. What the fuck is Pink News doing for them, hmm? Not even showing them an OUNCE of decency and respect, that's what.

Anyways, apologies for this outburst. To answer your question : why do they do it? Hatred. Hatred is the point. It goes nowhere deeper than this i'm afraid.

[songliili]

2023 writing roundup

i was tagged by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf and @rockyroadkylers!

i feel like i've spent my whole year writing, but i also know that i've spent months without doing it so i can't say how much it was month by month. but i posted three fics this year so like. that's an achievement!

let's see what we got.

January:

the great dean court off - Supernatural, 21.8k, M (chapter update) [someday i will finish it, i promise]

Of all the things Dean expected to find when he came back from the bathroom break, a folded piece of paper with "hey, if you’re not gay, my friend thinks you’re cute. here’s her number 316-557-9608 (and if you’re gay, here’s mine 316-997-2018)" written on, was not it. - Or the one where Dean organises a dating contest because he's bi and can't decide between two options.

September:

I Had Some Time (With You) - Supernatural, 23.9k, E

It's 2005 when things go to hell. Well. They go to hell for everyone except Dean, ‘cause he was ready for it. Well. He was ready for the apocalypse, not for the gorgeous man who fell into his life, quite literally. OR A Destiel rewrite of Bill and Frank's love story as shown on HBO's The Last of Us episode 3: Long Long Time that uses elements of both universes.

November:

we all have a hunger - RWRB, 22.9k, E

Alex’s journey of self discovery started one random night five years ago, when he was scrolling his favorite porn website to relax after midterms. He chose a video with the preview of two guys in the threesome category, thinking nothing of it, and came so hard he thought he was going to pass out. The threesome didn’t happen, the girl just sat there looking at the two guys going at it, just like Alex did. After that night, saying that the tall, blond and gorgeous actor with a fucking sinful shoulder to waist ratio didn’t do it for him was a complete lie, so maybe, maybe, Alex could be excused when he freezes up when said man - even more tall, blond and gorgeous in real life - stretches a hand toward him and says “I’m Henry, Pez’s ‘best mate of honor’, as he says.” with his perfectly infuriating British accent. — OR: Henry is a porn star, Alex is a fan.

December:

Fill My Stocking - RWRB, 6k, E

Alex has spent the past fifteen minutes talking with David about his favourite treats. Not that the dog answered, but Alex was undeterred and kept going, uncaring that Henry had asked him to give him an hour and then he’d join him in hanging up fairy lights and mistletoe everywhere. Very well. If Alex wants Henry’s attention, he'll have it. It's probably not what Alex thought he’d accomplish with his little scheme, but it's a compromise between Henry's needs and Alex's wants, and that's all that can be done. OR: Alex wants some attention and Henry has to get creative.

Upcoming in 2024:

part 2 of the pornstar verse (title undecided):

picks up the day after the ending of part one, it's alex's first christmas in london

Like Father, Like Son:

alex is a horse trainer and has a crush on arthur fox. he's the trainer on set for arthur fox's new movie (a queer western). his son, henry fox, visits the set and well. alex is fucked.

I hope you don't mind. (part 3 of the pornstar verse):

henry's bad days and how alex helps him go through them

Other things I hope I manage to put out next year (or at least start writing):

Your body is the Sistine Chapel:

what if dean was as tattooed as he was supposed to be? which tattoos would he get? for whom would he get them?

untitled airbnb fic:

alex travels to london as a reward for finishing college, and henry is his airbnb host whose dog likes alex a little too much.

untitled mandalorian!alex fic:

alex is the mandalorian, david is grogu. that's all i have for now.

untitled scarlet witch!henry/sword agent!alex fic:

inspired by this tweet. i have nothing more than this to give you atm.

i posted 62.406 words this year, and written many more. i'm fairly new to writing, so this is a real accomplishment for me. my biggest goal was to post a fully finished chaptered fic, and i did! then i started a series, and wrote something shorter than 7k, and i have so many ideas for future fics that i genuinely don't know where to start. i hope i manage to post at least a couple next year!

tagging: @affectionatelyrs @firenati0n @absoluteaudacitywrites @gayrootvegetable @leojfitz @anincompletelist @ssmtskw @littlemisskittentoes @cactusdragon517 @read-and-write- and everyone else that wants to join!

[askcursedtales]

The several IC offers to help Daffodil in her search has inspired me to do something a little more organised! Here's the deal: Your character, if they so choose to, can help Daffodil in her search, can now join her "party"! This will allow them have a chance to appear in the background for future asks, plot posts, or even do actions to help in finding the children. (Of course, I will check over actions with you to make sure it's in character!)

So what would you need to do? 1. Send an ask where your character approaches Daffodil! Regular interaction ask stuff, just get your character to interact as they normally do. 2. Once I answer (No promises I can get to them all, but its always worth a try! Its more likely i can answer than not). Make a reply post! Please have your character offering or choosing to tag along, just so it's clear to me. Art and/or writing both welcome. Just make sure to put in effort, since the purpose here is not to get free art. 3. That's it! You're always free to continue to interaction if I manage a reply back, but I'll count your character into helping the party. Daffodil may begin acknowledge them in the posts on this blog, and fun stuff like that. Your character is also welcome to send in follow up asks as they continue to help search.

Hope this will be fun! I thought it'd be nice to establish some cross-blog relationships quicker by setting this up. I've called this a "segment" part of the blog since... I don't think this will last too long, since this is kind of a transitional event of the blog but I wanted to have fun while I had the idea. It's not supposed to be anything huge or community-event like, either, so just keep that in mind.

If anything is unclear, never be afraid to ask! My DMs are open, and I'm happy to sort out something further if it makes anybody any less nervous.

Current Search Party Members: Angel ( askteamsunshine )

Additionally, here is the current topics covered on Daffodil in my inbox right now. Just if anybody wants to avoid double ups in asks!

Who are you?

What's your name?

Do you know anything about the "Fire Demon"?

Why are you in the forest?

What's your connection to the kids?

Are you experienced in fighting?

I've not really done ask hints solely because I do feel they tunnel vision things a bit too much, plus people have generally been fantastic with what they send. If you would like a direction in sending an ask, don't be afraid to contact me!

Also, the Ninetales is still open for asks/interactions too. We'll be having multiple POVs during this part! Right now, I'm just focused on establishing Daffodil. Ninetales ask replies come next after that.

[trainsinanime]

Opening Line Patterns

Thanks for the tag @aidanchaser!

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (or however many you have) posted fics and see if there's a pattern!

I decided to take only the longer fics, not the short drabbles I first posted on Tumblr, since those feel like a whole different thing to me.

1. Attack of the Crystal Zombies

“Ladybug, definitely”, said Zoé, as her eyes followed the two superheroes into the sky. “Of these two, anyway. I want Ladybug to kiss me.”

2. The left side of her face

"Good that you took the high road, Chat Noir”

3. Hair Like Midnight

It was just a tiny speck on a roof in the Paris night sky, but somehow it caught Marinette’s eye.

4. Liar's Lips

The door of the school bathroom closed with a loud slam.

5. Kiss Confession

Kagami was sad, and Adrien knew it was his fault.

6. How do you help a good friend?

Adrien carefully set down his coffee cup and looked at Alya and Nino.

7. Marinette's Choice

"Marinette, wake up!", shouted Alya. "They're doing a school play and need someone to organise everything, and if they don't find someone soon, Chloé will do it!"

8. Elegant Cat

“Hey, Marinette, get in here“, shouted Alya. “We need your opinion. Who is better, Ladybug or Chat Noir?“

9. A Friend Like That

“I can confirm that all windows are closed and locked, including the skylights”, said Markov, floating down. “That means we are locked out.”

10. But what about Multimouse?

Ladybug stepped on the empty rooftop, to where Chat Noir already stood.

Patterns:

Not gonna lie, some of those made me cringe a little, in particular the last one is just very, very clunky. In general, I'm not big on opening lines; I tend to go more for opening paragraphs, and the opening line is often just setting the scene. I don't think that's horrible in itself, but it's definitely something I am trying to keep in mind as an opportunity for improvement for my current WIPs. I do think some of those work well, though, most notably the Adrigaminette ones.

Tagging @into-september, @chaos-has-theories, @hamsteriffic, @sizzleissues, @heartfulselkie, @flightfoot, @queen-evanlyn, @generalluxun, @panvampirething, @dammithawke, @galahadwilder

As usual, no pressure, especially since I haven't even checked whether all these users actually write fanfic. And if I haven't tagged you and you want to do this anyway, just pretend that I did. Just write in "got tagged by @trainsinanime" or something. I won't check, and in fact if anyone asks I will back you up.

[skylertheminish]

Even more inane dog water writing! Please read tags for credit... can't wait to find typos and awful grammar later on lol.

A rumor and a bad guy.

The past few days had been awful. Case after case had been springing up and all with concerning records. Considering staff had rescues to take care of after hours, such as myself, this increase of workload was worrying indication of something sinister. While there was no evidence to confirm the suspicions of my boss. There was plenty speculation among staff that an organisation was the cause.

Galar has a Team for sure. But this wasn't Team Yell's kind of thing. And sure they were a headache to deal with, sinister they were not...or cruel for that matter! And it certainly wasn't Team Rocket. They got disbanded...right?

I finished off the last bit of work I could before clocking off. My bones cracking as I rose from my chair. Heading down the hallway I met up with Kate.

"Ya look awful. Like something dead warmed up" she commented while handing me a cup of tea, rather something passing itself off as tea. Don't know what the centre got for drinks but I'd wish they'd spend a little more on tea that had greater strength than 3 tea leaves.

"Aye" I sighed along with my thanks. Taking a sip of the weak tea water tea. Weak but welcoming.

"So have ya heard?"

"Hm? Heard what?" I asked before taking another sip.

"About the rumor going about. Thought you'd of all people would know" she gave a rather confused look at me.

"If its anything about whom is behind all these new cases then I have an idea or two. But anything outside of that I dunno. Been drowning in work."

This for some reason just prompted her to give a small smile. Which only confused me even more. She clearly knew something about this rumor.

"Well I've got something for ya to think about on the drive back home! Not exactly a change of scene, but I'm sure it will catch your interest to say the least."

"Aight what's the word then?"

As per usual for these rumors. It started off with someone who knew a relative of someone else with a gammy leg or whatever. Although in this case it was true. A member of staff has a relative who fits the description, and they were the source of the rumor. Kate was on the money about it catching my interest too.

"A missing Ceruledge you say?"

"Aye. Kinda odd we'd hear about this while you have your wee ones don't 'cha think?"

"I think it's just a coincidence. Odd for sure, but nothing more than that" I finished the tea "I'd best head off before traffic gets worse. Cheers for the tea Kate!"

"Take care!" I heard her say as I made my way to collect the Ceruledge infant and her brother from the daycare in the centre. Thankfully the drive back home was calm with only moderate traffic. Perfect for mulling things over! Kate knew full well that rumor regarding the percular Ceruledge would hold my interest, and get my mind somewhat off the recent cases. The person who rescued the pokemon from the lake was set on finding out more about it and its trainer. Knowing there was someone going out of their way for this Ceruledge cheered me up somewhat.

The drive home almost flew by before I knew it. If not for the few spells of traffic it certainly would have! Arriving back home, I went to preparing my Pokemon their dinner before loading a game to play and relax and distract myself from the past few awful days.

A good hour or so had passed. And Ceru decided she wanted to watch me play the game by climbing up onto my lap. She seemed to enjoy what was being played on the tv. Or at the very least was interested. But her response to a particular npc caught me off guard.

"Rrrrrr"

Her growling prompted a chuckle from my tired self. I knew this character she was growling at. It was the main bad guy currently disguised as a rotund, joyful mayor. "You don't like that man?"

"Rrrrr!" Hissss!

Oh she really didn't like the funny round man on the tv! And her hissing got me into a fit of chuckles. "Oh we don't like that man huh?" I commented while giving Ceru pats in an attempt to calm her.

"Don't worry lass. He is the bad guy and we won't let him win!"

Ceru crossed her arms and gave a nod. This video game character wasn't going to win. Not on her watch!

The past few days had been awful. But seeing Ceru look so determined, and hearing her adorable growls cheered me up and reminded me why I do what I do. They're worth fighting for.

[fenharel-enaste]

Smiles among Scrolls || Elendil x fem!Reader

Rating: +18

Summary: You're an apprentice in the Hall of Lore and and new visitor catches your eye... and you his.

Content: Mutual pining, idiots in love, lots of feelings, unprotected sex (don't do this pls), p in v sex, fingering, smutty smut.

Word count: 5.2k

Requested by: @thetempleofthemasaigoddess (I'm so sorry for the long delay omg)

Tagging: @starlady66 , @grinkitty, @wint3r-h3art

It's also on AO3!

You had only been an apprentice at the Hall of Lore for a few months. On a daily basis, you took care of simple tasks, such as organising texts and helping visitors to find what they needed. But what you enjoyed most was studying and learning about the new (and not so new) writings that came in. The day you were accepted to study with the masters and begin a career full of learning was undoubtedly one of the most exciting days of your life. 

But you hadn't expected to find much else there besides knowledge. 

You would never forget the day you first saw him. Elendil was his name. And you could swear you had never seen a more attractive man in your life.  

You were organising the books and scrolls of the library when you heard a deep, soft voice behind you. 

“Excuse me, my lady.” A voice that almost gave you goose bumps from the very first moment. You turned to see the face of the person who was speaking to you. And you were met with such a breathtaking visage and gaze that you felt your heart had stopped beating for a moment. He was unbelievably tall and handsome. 

“I...” His gaze roamed over your face for a few seconds before he looked away and cleared his throat to speak. “I’m sorry to disturb you, my lady. My name is Elendil, I’m a captain of the sea guard. I was wondering you had any charts of the former maritime trade routes south of Númenor. I could use some from thirty or forty years ago. Would it be possible?” 

He spoke that last question looking back at you again, this time with a polite, sweet smile on his face. You felt so nervous you almost dropped the scrolls you held in your arms, but you pulled yourself together when you realised the unknown visitor was waiting for an answer. 

“Uhh yes! Yes, I think so. Please wait here, my lord, while I search for it.” 

You turned away from him more abruptly than you normally would. What was wrong with you? He was just a person. He was just a person. You hurried to the shelves where you knew all the maritime charts from the Second Age were kept, neatly arranged by geographic area and date. 

You returned to Elendil as soon as you found what you were looking for and offered it to him with a slight bow of your head, as you had been taught to do. "Thank you, my lady, you are most kind,” he said returning the gesture as he received the documents with a grateful smile. 

Elendil. That's what he said his name was. And you couldn't get it out of your mind for the days that followed, wondering if you'd ever see him again. 

---------------------------------- 

A week had passed when it seemed the Valar had finally answered your prayers. You were assisting a visitor when you saw the captain who had just entered the library. 

His eyes wandered around the room until they met yours, he nodded his head as a greeting as he gave you that same smile you hadn’t been able to get out of your head all week. You returned it shyly, for longer than you thought it seemed, because you realised too late that you had stopped listening to the woman in front of you. 

After apologising and handing her the documents she had requested, you approached Elendil, who was intently admiring one of the ancient canvases on the wall. You found him even more attractive than the last time, if that was possible. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting sir, how could I help you?” You tried to sound as professional as you could, but you felt a slight quiver in your voice betraying you. 

“It gladdens me greatly to see you again, my lady.” You felt the warmth rise to your cheeks at his words. “Do you remember those charts I requested from you last time? I'm afraid I need to have another look at them, I seem to have made a mistake in my notes...” 

“Of course, my lord, at once.” You had to force yourself to look away from his ocean blue eyes and turn around to look for the maps once more. 

When you handed them to him this time, your fingers touched briefly and you couldn't help but look away. You started to turn away so he wouldn't notice your blush, pretending to be in a hurry to get back to work, but you were interrupted by his velvety voice. "Wait." For a second, you thought you saw pleading in his eyes. “Would it be inappropriate of me to ask your name?” 

Why...? No other visitor had ever asked you that. The only questions they had were about where to find the documents they needed or if you could help them translate something. It caught you by surprise. “My name?” 

“Yes, I... you do not have to respond. I would simply like to know since I’ll have to come here quite often for a while. Matters of the sea guard. And...” He hesitated and smiled shyly before speaking further. “And I would very much like to know the name of the so kind lady who might be so helpful to me in the coming days.” 

You were speechless at his request. He was simply asking your name, but the way he did it felt... like the best compliment you had ever received. Your reply emerged from your lips timidly. 

“That’s a lovely name, my lady. It will for sure be one hard to forget,” he said before slowly walking away from you to the same table he used last time. And you returned to your work, or tried to, as you found it impossible to take your eyes off that dashing man as he closely studied his maps. At times, you had the impression that he was looking at you as well, but you were aware that these were just no more than naive delusions. 

---------------------------------- 

Days, weeks went by, and Elendil was coming more and more regularly, since his research was taking longer than he expected. Not that you were complaining, for that was what kept him coming back so often. 

You were surprised when one day he invited you to join him to keep him company while he studied his elaborate charts, but you were happy to oblige. And the same happened the next day and the next, until it became a routine for both of you. You would sit across the table from him and talk for hours. 

The captain would ask you questions about your days at the Hall of Lore with genuine curiosity on his face; what you found most interesting about that place, anecdotes about the rarest books you'd ever been requested. And also about your life; where you grew up, what had led you to become an apprentice there, what you did in your leisure time... 

You learned a lot about him too. He told you he grew in western Númenor, things were very different from the capital there. He had three wonderful children, and he shared with you what he loved most about each of them, and also what got on his nerves. 

One day, he even told you about his investigation. The sea guard had been hunting for some time now a band of pirates who were becoming a problem for trade in the city. They were supposed, or so the rumours said, to be using old trade routes for their smuggling operations, but these routes had changed significantly over the years. There were too many possible options. And these were also said to change every few days, so that one week's research work might be of no use for the next. 

Every day you woke up hoping to see him there, sometimes you would even learn about those sea routes he mentioned in order to help him. Or maybe you did it just to have a conversation with him. You loved listening to him talk about the stories he had experienced at sea, you could see passion in his eyes when you would ask him about them and you couldn't stop smiling the whole time. 

You got to know each other better as the weeks went by. Although there were days when the number of visitors made it difficult to spend too much time with Elendil. But, as always, you were unable to take your eyes off him. This time, you were fully aware that he stared back at you sometimes, and you smiled at each other knowingly. 

The attraction you felt the first few days was still there and you couldn't help but blushing every moment and getting flustered every time he was around. But you knew that attraction was evolving into something else too, and you couldn't stop thinking about it. He was charming, kind, attentive, handsome... perfect. On days when he wasn't there, you spent hours daydreaming about him and the different scenarios that could happen. 

There were times when you even wondered if he might feel the same way, but you convinced yourself that these were nothing more than fantasies. One day he would complete his work there and he'd have no reason to see you again. You had to remind yourself of that to avoid the suffering later on. 

But to hear his voice, his bad jokes and the sound of his laughter... at least you could have that for the moment. 

---------------------------------- 

It was an autumn afternoon when it began to rain heavily outside the Hall of Lore. You loved the view of the dark sea and sky from the safety of the ancient library as the torrential rain poured down. It was clear it would be a fairly quiet day, as no one in their right mind would go to that place so far from civilisation in such conditions; and it was to be assumed that Elendil wouldn’t show up that day either. 

You and the other few lore keepers who lived there finished your chores early and were allowed to take the rest of the day off. You decided to spend it at the same desk where you had grown so used to your conversations with Elendil several days a week. You read about the fascinating stories that inspired you to become an apprentice almost a year ago now. 

The sound and smell of the rain and the howling wind always helped you to relax during your reading time, and today you felt your eyelids getting heavy. You were about to fall asleep when you heard a soft, familiar voice call your name. 

You were dreaming about him again. You smiled at the thought. 

But, after a few seconds, you noticed the sound came from outside your mind. You jolted at the realisation and looked up towards where the voice was coming from. 

There he was. 

“Oh forgive me, I wasn’t aware you all were resting. Should I come back another time?” He looked genuinely concerned about having disturbing you somehow. 

“No! No, it’s no bother at all, of course. What do you need to-...?” Your words vanished into thin air when you realised that he was drenched. The rain was still falling heavily outside. “Wait, did you really ride all the way here from Armenelos with this storm?” 

He chuckled at your surprised tone. “It’d be definitely worse if I was sailing out there, believe me, I know.”  

“I see...” You then noticed the water drops falling to the ground from the hooded cloak that covered him, he must be soaked to the bone. “May I take your cloak at least?” 

He nodded and reached for his clasp to take it off. Normally you wait for visitors to hand it to you once they've removed it, but you walked over to him and placed your hands on his shoulders to help him. It was a completely impulsive act. You felt his body tense slightly at the contact. You feared you might have crossed the line with him. “I’m sorry,” you muttered with a trembling voice. 

“There’s no need to apologize, my lady. You are so kind. As always.” He was staring at you intensely but so sweetly from above. You sometimes forgot how tall and imposing he truly was. And you were very, much closer than ever before. You could feel his breath on your cheek. And he made no attempt to pull away, he just kept looking at you in that way that made your legs weak. 

You wanted, needed to kiss him right at that moment, it was the only thing on your mind. You needed all your willpower to come to your senses and break away from him. You couldn't bear the thought of crossing a boundary of his twice in the same day. But the thought of him rejecting you was even more unbearable. 

You folded the cloak in your arms and began to turn towards a nearby hanger... and you felt a grip in your arm, impeding your movement. You turned your head to see Elendil staring at you even more intensely than before. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but only a sigh escaped his lips along with a soft 'thank you' before he slowly let go of your arm. 

What on Arda was that? 

After a few seconds of bewilderment and placing the cloak on the hanger, you managed to ask him what he needed today. 

“Yes, we... we received a new rumour this time. It may be the reason why we haven’t found the smugglers yet.” He paused, sorting out the ideas in his head. “We know for sure they only use old maritime routes, which we’ve been relentlessly investigating. But we’ve only considered the ones used in this Age so far.” 

You could see what he was trying to tell you. “And you need information about the ones used in the First Age.” He nodded at your response with resolution on his face. You knew he was unlikely to find answers in those charts, but the man was persistent. 

You explained to him that you had very few maps from that time, most of them were lost long ago in wars or had worn out over time. Besides, they were from a time before Númenor, only the Eldar sailed those waters back then, so there were very few copies on the isle. The very few preserved there were in a secluded chamber, protected from sunlight, humidity and inexperienced hands. Still, he insisted. 

You led him down a dark corridor to an even darker chamber, for there was no window in order to protect the delicate archives from the changing climate. It was lit only by a few candles, and consisted of very narrow aisles of bookshelves, separated only by small desks between them. There was little room to move freely between them. 

You slipped between two shelves full of ancient books and scrolls and handed Elendil the candle you were holding in order to better examine the documents. The limited space required you to stand close together. Dangerously close, you thought. Nervousness washed over you again, and you struggled to stay focused on your task. 

You both remained silent as you searched through the scrolls, only the sound of the rain outside echoing off the walls of the room. 

“Could you lower the candle? I need to see more closely on this shelf.” There was no reaction from him. “Elendil?” You looked up and found him staring blankly, thoughtfully. But he was startled by your voice. 

“Forgive me. I was distracted.” He had been acting strangely ever since you approached him to take his cloak off. You felt him tense and unfocused. Perhaps he had become aware of your thoughts, that you had been on the verge of kissing him. Maybe he felt uncomfortable... you'd rather not dwell on it at the moment. 

“I’ll be honest, Elendil, I don't think you'll find what you need here. Only the Eldar have ever used these routes and it's unlikely pirates would have access to that information. By the Valar, it seems that not even we have access to it.” 

“I see... I thought it was worth a try, even so.” You perceived a hint of sadness in his voice, which was surprising for you. You could understand if he was disappointed, even frustrated at failing to complete his mission... but saddened? 

“I'm sorry I can't do anything more for you. Especially knowing that you came all this way in this storm just for this.” 

“It’s alright, you have done so much for me, I have no words to express how much I appreciate your help. Besides, I told you I’ve been in worse storms than this,” he said, giving you that sweet smile you'd seen so many times before, but avoiding looking you in the eye. 

“I know, but was it that necessary coming today? You've been working on it for months, why didn’t you wait unt-” 

“Because of you,” he interrupted, muttering his words.  

Because of... what? You were completely frozen, you were unable to think or react. Your heart started pounding. Maybe it was your imagination and you only heard what you wanted to hear. "What...?" You could barely utter a sound. 

“I wanted to see you,” he said it louder this time, punctuating each word clearly. There was no doubt. 

“You... you’ve come here today... to see me?” You felt your heartbeat in your ears now, heat rising to your cheeks. 

“No. Everyday. I’ve come here everyday to see you.” Your head started to spin. You must have fallen asleep earlier while reading and this was just a dream, like the many dreams you'd had before in which he confessed his love for you. But each word he spoke convinced you more and more of how real it was. 

“My first instinct was right. We found the pirates within two weeks from the first time we met. Each day from then, you’re the only reason I’ve been coming here all the way from Armenelos.”

You wanted to speak, to tell him what you had felt for him since the first time you saw him. But you couldn't find the words, you couldn't pronounce them, you could barely remember how to breathe at that moment. All you could hear was his beautiful voice saying those sweet words to you. 

“I wanted to learn more about you from the first time I saw you. That's why I kept coming here from time to time and, before I knew it, I was dreaming about you. And then seeing you was the first thing I would think of when I woke up everyday. You made me feel like a foolish, lovesick young boy again.” 

He moved even closer to you, if that was possible in the restricted space you had, and took your hand in his. It was warm in comparison to the coldness of the chamber that day. You wanted him to never let it go. 

“There were days when you were so busy that you barely had time to talk to me, but it didn't make it any less worthwhile to come here. I was content just to look at your face and be with you for just a brief few minutes. I was captivated by you.”

You couldn’t help it any longer, the warm touch of his hand on yours, his face, even more ravishing than ever by the candlelight he was holding. You could see the agonising wait for your answer in his eyes. Courage finally took over and you slowly brought your hand up to his face, tenderly brushing his beard, and then his lips. 

And you pressed your lips against his. 

He seemed taken aback, as if he wasn't expecting such a response from you. You felt the tension in his body being released before kissing you back. He placed the candle carefully on the desk next to you, which he had to do blindly, as he didn't want to leave your lips at any time. 

He then brings both hands to your waist and pushes you slowly until your back collides with the shelves behind you. Your head spins as Elendil begins to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into your mouth, caressing yours so expertly. He slides one of his hands up from your waist to the back of your head, pulling you even tighter against his mouth. Your hands cannot leave his face and his hair, which you tug gently, eliciting a soft moan from his lips. 

“I’ve been dreaming about this for so long... longer than I should admit. How would I know I’m not dreaming as well this time?” Elendil murmurs between kisses before cupping your face in his hands and staring into your eyes, brushing aside a strand of your hair. “Would it be too bold of me to say that I love you?” 

Your heart skips a beat at his words and you feel tears forming in your eyes. You were so in love with that man. “I love you too, Elendil. You have no idea how long I’ve been loving you, praying to the Valar to see you everyday.” You had never felt more liberated than at this moment, knowing you could finally say aloud the words you had always said in silence. 

Elendil sighed with relief and all he could do was smile. “Yes, this must definitely be a dream...” And he brought his lips back to yours. 

You didn't know how long you stayed like this, nearly out of breath, but you couldn't have enough of him and his taste, a taste you'd spent too long imagining what it would be like. And now you both wanted to make up for all that lost time, kissing each other once for every time you'd wanted to do so since your eyes met for the first time, even if it meant not separating your lips until the next morning. 

Your kisses and soft moans were the only sounds in the lonely chamber, hidden by the pouring rain outside, which seemed louder than before. After a while you found yourself panting and grinding eagerly against the captain while he bit and left wet kisses on your neck and cleavage. You began to inconciously tug on his clothes in desperation. You needed to see him. All of him. 

“Elendil... please, I need you.” You had never felt this aroused by anyone before, you didn't recognise yourself in your behaviour, and yet, everything you did felt more like you than ever before. 

Elendil wasted no time and pulled away from you just enough to remove the upper part of his clothes. Before he could have even finished, you already had your hands in his trousers, hastily trying to unbutton them, and the captain laughed at your eagerness. 

“Glad to know I'm not the most impatient one here,” he said playfully, bringing his hands to your dress and unfastening it to expose your breasts to him. After lustfully staring at them for a moment, he cupped them in his large, rough hands and squeezed them gently, bringing his mouth to them and sucking, circling your so sensitive nipples with his warm tongue and caressing and tugging on them with his fingers. You have to cover your mouth with your hand to keep from moaning too loudly It's unlikely anyone would walk in there, but that would change if someone heard what was going on in that chamber. 

The captain's caresses and mouth on your breasts made you feel your underwear quickly dampen and you brought your hands back to his trousers to finish unbuttoning them and free his member. You felt it hard and throbbing in your hand when you grabbed it. It was... definitely thicker than you expected. It made you feel a tingle between your legs, and you began to move your hips involuntarily towards it as you stroked it slowly. 

“Fuck, love,” Elendil shuddered at the contact and ceased playing with your breasts to completely remove your dress along with your underwear. He took your hands and wrapped your arms around his neck. You whined as he pulled your hand away from his length, you wanted to please him so badly. 

“I know you want it, pretty one, but I have to make you ready for me first.” And you soon realised why he had made you cling to him when he grabbed one of your thighs and lifted it, placing your leg against his hip. He then reached between your legs with his other hand and gently brushed your clit and folds before sliding a finger into your soaking entrance. 

“Oh fu-” you blurted out too loudly and Elendil silenced you with his mouth on yours. “Shhh, it’s alright, love. But remember we have to remain quiet.” You nodded your head in obedience and he resumed his strokes inside you. You were so wet he found you prepared for a second finger, which slid in easily, and he continued kissing you deeply to muffle your moans as he worked his fingers inside you, stretching open your tight walls for what was to come. It felt so good it was hard to keep your balance if it wasn't for your arms around his neck and the shelves the captain had you pinned against. 

Your moans in his mouth were driving him insane, so he instinctively pressed his hard cock against your hips and began to rub it against you. “I’ve wanted this for so long, my dear. Tell me, have you ever imagined me doing this to you?” he inquired in your ear in a low voice and in an even lower register than you'd ever heard him before. It made you shiver. 

“Yes! Yes, so many times...” And you told him about the times you had pleasured yourself in sleepless nights, covering your mouth with your hand so you wouldn't wake the other apprentices, thinking about the things you wanted him to do to you. Or those times when you excused yourself and disappeared during his visits; you told him exactly what you were doing. 

It was becoming increasingly difficult for you to speak, for as you related your fantasies to him, his fingers gained speed inside you. You were a panting mess after a few minutes. 

Your words seemed to have an effect on him, as he groaned with arousal and withdrew his fingers from you to lift you off the floor and onto the small desk beside you. “I need to take you know, sweetheart, do you want it?” he asked, teasing you with his throbbing cock. 

“Yes, please! Please!” You were soaking wet, so ready for him. 

“Look at me.” He lifted your face with one hand while he brought the other to the small of your back. You were leering at each other's eyes as Elendil slid his cock slowly through your entrance. You struggled not to whine too loudly, his size made you feel some discomfort, but that just turned you on even more; it felt incredibly good. 

“It’s alright, love. I have you.” He drove himself as deep as he could and allowed you to get used to his size before slowly but steadily thrusting himself deep inside you. You ran your hands all over his tonned chest, leaving kisses and little bites everywhere you could, taking them higher and higher until you reached his neck. Elendil shuddered at the touch of your lips in that sensitive spot and pulled you even tighter against him, cherishing every inch of your body with his warm hands. You wrapped your legs around his hips, encouraging him to fuck you even deeper. It felt like you were never close enough, even though there was hardly any space between the two of you. 

You can't stop caressing, kissing and biting each other to muffle your whimpers and groans. Your whole body was on fire despite the cold temperature of the room. “Say my name, my love. I need to hear you say it,” he whispered in your ear as he increased the pace of his pounding, hitting exactly where you needed him the most. You felt so full of him and you knew you weren't going to last much longer, and you could see he was close as well. But you wanted even more of him... 

“Elendil... captain, harder... please...” you begged desperately. The way you said his name, the title you used on him, your watering pleading eyes looking at his... he couldn’t hold himself any longer. 

“As you wish, my lady,” he groaned and grabbed your ass tightly to hold you in place as he began to brutally ram into you. You had to hold on to his strong arms and shoulders to keep your balance, clinging on so tightly you'd probably leave marks, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he appeared to enjoy the effect he was having on you, forcing you to use all your willpower to keep your loud cries from coming out of your mouth. 

“Next time, pretty one, I’ll make sure to take you somewhere where I can hear your lovely cries. And believe me, I will hear them...” His promise made the pressure in your belly grow stronger, you were so, so close, and your captain knew it by the tears that began to fall from your eyes. It only took a few more thrusts in your so sensitive spot to bring you over the edge. It was amazingly intense; your orgasms you had over the past few months imagining he was the one giving them to you were nothing in comparison. He kept his relentless rhythm even then, wanting to prolong your climax as long as possible, balls slapping hard against you as your body was hit by waves after waves of pleasure. 

Even before your orgasm faded at all, you heard Elendil's grunts of pleasure against your shoulder as he slowed the pace of his thrusts, though not the depth. His hands gripped your ass even tighter than before as he rode his orgasm. 

Your hands remained tangled in his hair until his movements ceased completely. You were both spent and sated, with sweat all over your bodies, shivering a slightly from the intensity of what had happened. Elendil didn't want to remove his length from you just yet, he wanted to stay that close to you for a bit longer. 

You spent the next few minutes like that, showering each other in kisses and whispering sweet nothings and words of love. 

“I’ve been such a fool for not telling you sooner,” you admitted. “We could have done this a long time ago if it hadn't been for my fear of you rejecting me.” 

Elendil took the hand you had against his cheek and pressed his lips against it. “I’m afraid I have been even more foolish, my stars. Asking you day after day for all those charts... with you around I wasn’t even paying attention to them at all.” You both laughed in disbelief at how ridiculous this whole situation had been. 

“Just so you know, my love; I would’ve had to be the most insane man on earth to reject you.”

[tintagel-or-cockleshells]

Nine Favourite Books

Gor bless you @clottedcreamfudge for the tag even though I know my bookshelves physically pain you <3. (I don't organise them or code them in any way. When I had an operation in 2021 and had to be away from home for two weeks my partner said they would miss me but would use the time to eat all the stuff I can't, and put the bookshelves to rights).

Gossip from the Forest by Sara Maitland The book I picked for my Waterstones interview, where the task was 'find your favourite book in the shop and tell us why it's your favourite'. I am a big folklore gal, and this reimagines fairytales with a particular emphasis on the natural woods of the UK and elsewhere in Europe. She has an intriguing take on the themes of getting lost in German and English folktales.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke I was going to say Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell for this, but I think Piranesi is a superior plot. It gives you the world and no guidebook. I adore the entries, I love the mystery.

Watching the English by Kate Fox Kate Fox is an anthropologist and the quirks of British life are wonderfully explained in this non-fiction guide to the strange island I call home. I like having social norms spelled out, too. (It's the autism).

Persuasion by Jane Austen "She was only Anne". I love a bit of second chance romance, the letter is one of the most beautifully grovelly things I've read, I'm absolutely here for a spinster being allowed to have another shot at the kind of life she wants.

Circe by Madeline Miller The book so beautiful I wanted to have the part about Daedalus as a reading at my wedding. Alas, it's way too short.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell I've never met a book before or since which so accurately describes what it's like to be in fandom and a fic-writer. Kept having to stop reading it to calm down.

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett This book has everything. Time travel. Chocolate. A budding romance. Death. All Death and Witches books count for this, just so you know.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston More time-travel! Living in a shitty place in New York but with found family. The magic of city travel. Finding love in unexpected places, decades apart. Their best book to my mind, even though RWRB gets all the love.

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman Cheating to have a series, fully don't give a shit. Death influenced my personal style for a long, long time. It's so layered - you can read it time after time and go 'oh, underneath the thing about Shakespeare and Fae and child death there's Hobbesian philosophy'. I had quotes from this painted on my bedroom wall.

What are yours? Tagging @daisymae-12 @cheesecurdsgravyandfries @actual-sleeping-beauty @cha-melodius @14carrotghoul @rmd-writes @celaestis1 @orchidscript @savethepinecones @gloriousclio @dumbpeachjuice

[links-in-time]

Link Fanfic - The Beginning of Something

Part 2

The next part or chapter of my Link Fanfic. Please enjoy and don't tag as Linked Universe.

Maari stayed awake all night, observing the boys as they changed watch shifts through the darkness. Each taking turns to tend the fire and keep a look out for monsters in the woods.

Dawn was just becoming visible in the inky sky and Maari sat up and stretched. Link and the youngest member of the group (Link referred to him at Wind) were on watch together. Maari's movement caught Link's attention from where he sat near the fire.

"Morning," he said quietly, poking some of the flickering ashes with a stick.

"Good morning." Maari shuddered slightly at the feeling of the morning chill. The fire was beginning to die down and the last of the cold night had started to creep into the camp. Maari shuffled a little closer to the fire and warmed her hands over the flames. She glanced up at Link and cleared her throat.

"I feel I should apologise for last night, if I had known it was you guiding this group I wouldn't have been spying."

Link shook his head and gave Maari a half smile.

"No need. I should have guessed the portal would have drawn attention. But we were more concerned about monsters than possible friends."

"Maari nodded, that makes sense." She glanced around the camp at the sleeping forms on the ground. "Who are your companions? I don't recognise their faces."

"Dont you?" Link asked, in an almost playful way.

Maari considered what she had observed last night. She had to admit there were striking similarities between most of the young men and boys travelling with Link. She thought the young man who wore the scarf, the dark haired boy and the eldest shared many features. Again she wondered if they were relatives of Link.

"Are they relatives of yours? Cousins maybe?" Maari asked.

"You could say that. In fact, I'm fairly certain Twi and Time are directly related somehow. But the rest of us, our connection goes beyond blood."

"I think I am starting to understand," Maari said slowly, the cogs of her quick mind turning. Each if the boys were fighters, that much was obvious. And if they were following Link.

"They all share the Hero's spirit, don't they." she said, turning her gaze back at Link, who sat across from her. The fire crackled between them, sending sparks dancing up into the slowly brightening sky.

Link smiled warmly and the two passed the rest of his watch in silence as dawn broke around them.

***

Maari was surprised by how organised the boys were when time came to pack up their little camp. Bed rolls were packed away, the remains of the fire doused and biscuits passed around as a quick breakfast. They all travelled light, carrying small packs and their own range of weapons. Maari had nothing of her own to carry save for the clothes on her back and her own weapons. She kept her mask lowered as she was now in good company.

The boys introduced themselves to Maari one after the other as they broke camp, and started to make their way through the woods towards the Dueling Peaks. She was surprised to learn they were all called Link. Every one of them. However they had give each other nicknames. The youngest gave her a deep bow and said his nickname was Wind. He had a bright energetic way about him that Maari found endearing. But even though he was the smallest and clearly the youngest, he always insisted he carry his own weight and the others rarely offered to help him.

Then there was Legend, the boy who wore the scarlet tunic. Hyrule, who was sweet and a little shy. Sky, who wore a beautiful hand sewn cloak with the royal emblem emblazoned on the back. Four, whose tunic bore four different colours, and a face which always appeared inquisitive. Twilight, who Maari had had the pleasure of meeting in the woods in his other form. Warriors, the scarf wearer. And finally Time, the eldest. The marks on his face reminded Maari of an illustration she had seen in a very old text in the castle library. But she could not remember the legend that accompanied it. Time was the quietest of the group, besides Link (or Wild, as his companions called him) he looked out for the others and walked at the back of the group to guard against them being approached from behind.

They passed the Dueling Peaks and the stable without incident. However, once they crossed Kakariko bridge Warriors and Time appeared on edge. Maari guessed it was the lack of cover provided by the canyon walls which troubled them. Though she knew the path well, a few monsters still clung to the dark places of Hyrule. They were right to be on their guard, and she urged the others to keep their eyes open as well.

"You know," said Warriors as he fell into step with Maari. She noted how even though his sword was drawn, he seemed fairly relaxed. "In my time the Princess had a Sheikah protector named Impa. She bore the same insignia you have on your clothes. The red weeping eye."

"That does not surprise me. The Sheikah have always had ties to the crown and offen served as advisors or protectors of the royal family." Maari replied, wondering how far back in Hyrule's history Warrior's time was.

"She even trained the Princess in the ways of the Sheikah. She used to fight in disguise as a soldier called Sheik." Warriors continued.

"I would have loved to have met such a woman. Our Princess, Zelda, is more of a scientist than a warrior, but she holds the Sheikah in high regard." Maari explained. "She did much for the people of Hyrule after the upheaval. Helping to rebuild and educate people."

Warriors was fascinated by Maari's words and listened intently as she spoke of Wild's Zelda. He had mentioned her on a few occasions, however he always gave the distinct impression that their relationship was complicated. It was nice to get a different perspective. He was about to open his mouth to ask another question, when they all heard the scream.

Two bokoblins dropped down from a high ledge, their wailing screeches echoing off the canon walls. Time was the first to defend the group. His long sword cracked the head of the red bokoblin in one quick movement. Maari had just enough time to be impressed before two more appeared ahead of them, blocking their path. Wild and Legend, who had been at the front of the group, held them back with practiced ease.

Maari scanned around, quickly finding a route up a pile of fallen boulders. She moved with unearthly speed, sure footed, barely touching the ground as she skipped up the rockface.

"Typical Sheikah," Time muttered under his breath as he shook his head.

"She moves like an Ordonian Goat!" Twilight proclaimed, half watching Maari as he blocked the swing of a bokoblin club with his sword. The bokoblin roared in his face and Twilight growled back at it.

Maari gripped a ledge with her fingertips, looking down on the canyon from 12 feet in the air. The first two bokoblins were dead, the second two were being dealt with, but three more were approaching from the bottom of the path. She swung herself forwards, rolled in the air over the heads of the men below and landed on the path a little way ahead of the advancing bokoblins. She drew her daggers and replaced her mask.

The first monster had no time to react to her appearance and walked straight into the path of her twirling daggers. She stabbed it in the eye and the throat for good measure. The other two continued charging towards the group. One jumped on Time, the other began attacking Four and Wind. Maari threw her daggers one after the other. Both found their targets, lodging in the heads of both monsters. The first collapsed over Time's body and the second keeled over just as Four struck it in the side.

Quiet settled over the canyon once more and Maari sighed, recovering her stance and lowering her mask. As she walked past Time back towards the group she looked down. He pushed the dead bokoblin off his body with a heave and looked up.

"Typical Sheikah ey?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

Time chuckled and shook his head.

Maari checked on some of the others. Wild was going through the bokoblins pockets, Legend was nursing a bruise on his head, but the others appeared none the worse after the encounter.

"Everyone sound off!" Warriors called, though not so loud as to make an echo. The boys all called out their nicknames to Warrior's satisfaction.

"This region was cleared of monsters before I left this Hyrule," Wild said to Maari as they started to move along the road once more. "I made sure of that."

"I have seen a few here and there over the last few months. We believed they had all perished after the death of the Deamon King, but this proves otherwise. Impa has been concerned and after the portal appeared, she feared the worst." Maari explained, as she pulled her daggers out of the dead bokoblins." We should keep moving on towards the village. I'm sure the scouts have spotted us. Impa and Paya will be expecting us by now."

< Part 1 : Part 3 >

[korgbelmont]

Male MC (Nick Taylor) x Stacy Green

A Valentine's Special

After everything that's happened with the Shadows and facing death as a Nighthunter, Nick has reflected on the kind of life he wants to live, which leads to a big decision...

Written in the present tense

Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations, @jerzwriter

Warnings: None

Word Count: 937

Notes: I don’t own these characters, they are the property of Pixelberry Studios.

A New Chapter made on cooltext.com

Sat at his desk, Nick writes an entry in his journal.

'I thought once the Blade of Morella was gone, the Shadows that messed with me were gone, but I was wrong. Turns out that a piece of that darkness remained within me.

I travelled to New Orleans with Stacy by request of Ivy and Ava to meet with a woman known as Valax. Like the blade, she too was from Morella, and she was able to remove the last piece of shadow that was being used as some kind of signal by something from her realm. I wasn't given the specific details, but it I do know that that small piece of shadow was dangerous.

Once this was all dealt with, she took some of the light and shadow that was already part of me and used it to create a sword before she returned home. But before she did, she told me that I was balanced between the light and dark.

I admit I don't know what this means going forward. But I have been left to question my role as Nighthunter, and if it is still the path I should walk. The thought of walking away from it all and living a quiet, peaceful life is very tempting, but I know it is not just my decision to make.'

Leaning back in his chair, Nick checks the time before getting to his feet and heading out to the kitchen. Shadow sleeps on the chair, and Nick gives her a quick stroke before switching the oven on and getting a few things out.

Getting out of her car, Stacy is hit by the smell of something cooking the moment she gets to the door.

Stacy - Wait, is he...?

Opening up, she finds Nick working in the kitchen and walks over, keeping to the doorway.

Nick - Hey you.

He gives her a quick kiss as he walks past.

Stacy - I thought you said you had something booked for us.

Nick - Yeah, I didn't book. This was my plan all along.

Stacy smiles, rolling her eyes slightly.

Stacy - Anything I can do to help?

Nick - No, I'm all good, thanks. You sit and relax, it'll be ready in about ten minutes.

Stacy - Alright, well I'm going to go change into something less professional and more comfortable.

She leaves Nick to his organised kitchen chaos, heading to the bedroom, but as she walks past, she notices a drawing of Valax and the Blade of Morella in his journal and looks them over. Her smile turns to shock as she reads the latest entry, batting a glance over at the kitchen.

Stacy - (I wonder where his mind is at with it...)

After changing, Stacy exits to find Nick setting two plates down and lighting some candles.

Stacy - Smells amazing.

Nick - Hope you like it.

He chucks a few bits on the kitchen surface before switching the light off and they both take a seat, digging in.

Stacy - Oh wow, that's delicious!

Nick smiles as they continue to eat.

Nick - Happy Valentine's day, Stacy.

They both lean in, sharing a soft kiss. When they part, Stacy touches her forehead to his.

Stacy - I love you.

Nick - Love you too.

After, they relax on the sofa under a blanket with one of Stacy's favourite movies, but she grabs the remote and pauses, sitting up.

Nick - You okay?

Stacy - That's what I was going to ask you.

Nick - I don't follow.

Stacy - I saw your latest entry in your book. About walking away from your life as a Nighthunter.

Nick leans forward, taking a deep breath.

Nick - It's felt strange these past few weeks, after the whole Sword and Valax thing, I just don't if I can continue.

Stacy - I know I said I wanted to keep all that separate from our relationship, but that's not the case anymore. Look, you face the possibility of not coming home every job you take, what is it about this that has you spooked?

Nick - It's because there's always the chance of not coming back. It's one thing dealing with some zombies or a ghost, but this... being used by something I don't even know to invade, it scared me.

Stacy - Nick... Things aren't as they were. But no matter what, whatever decision you make, I'll back you.

Nick nods and she moves to wrap him up from behind. Resting his hand on her arm, Nick closes his eyes for a moment, enjoying her warmth, making him more sure than ever.

Nick - That's not all I've been thinking about.

Stacy -What else is going on in that head of yours?

Chuckling, Nick goes to stand before reaching into his pocket and turning to face Stacy, getting down on one knee. He opens up the box, revealing a ring. Stacy's eyes widen, realising what is happening.

Nick - Stacy Green, will you marry me?

She nods, pulling him to her.

Stacy - Yes.

She captures his lips with hers in a deep kiss. Both only able to smile when they part. Nick places the ring on her finger, holding her.

Nick - I know there's a lot I'm questioning right now. But being with you isn't one of them.

Stacy - Good. Because neither am I.

She goes to stand, taking both his hands in hers and quickly switches the TV off before taking Nick to the bedroom to celebrate their engagement and the beginning of the next chapter in their lives.

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

may i ask how long u've been on tumblr/how you reached 10,000 followers? it seems like quite a feat and i've been trying to post my own stuff (aesthetics, themes, moodboards, etc) for while now almost regularly and i've been stuck at 59, 60, or 61 followers for that entire time. it only ever fluctuates between those three numbers and my most recent followers have been bots. i guess i'm asking if you have any advice? 😅

i’ve been on tumblr for exactly two years, but in october 2022 i accidentally deleted the account and had to start over (kids, the lesson is to never try to delete a sideblog on your phone, do it on the pc, that’s the only place you can do it, because if you try on the phone it’ll delete everything, all of your blogs, including your main) so, it’s taken me 1 and a half years.

well, i have tons of advice about all manner of things, but this specifically, how to get more followers? it’s a little more loosey goosey and based on luck and stuff. but here are a few of the advice i can give:

well, first of all i believe that kindness goes a long way, certainly with getting your followers to stick with you.

ALWAYS check the tags when you post stuff you want people to find, make sure you aren't using any tags that are broken or anything. this is part of the routine i have whenever i post a new fic, always always check that it's showing up in the tags. i'm also always that anon for my moots whenever i notice that their stuff isn't showing up and they either didn't know or needs a bit of help. if you don't know your way around tumblr tags, then this post right here is very very helpful. also just use the proper and appropriate tags, but i'd think that was a given.

you say that you post stuff like moodboards and such? to be honest, i don't know how many of my followers follow me exclusively for that genre of my content, i don't know how many followers are normal when that is your blog's thing.

some people like to spam post a ton of stuff, some people like their dash extremely active, i personally don't. i've unfollowed/just not followed people who i like just fine, but who post an overwhelming amount. i might not be the only one who's like this. i personally have some posts queued, i have a bit of a schedule of regular posts that i trickle out. like stuff that i reblog, there is a pattern to how i do it, just to spread it out and to keep it organised (because everything in my life is meticulously organised). like i always have a comforting little thing to reblog between 5 and 6 in the morning for me, because then it'll be one of the first things people in my timezone sees and one of the last things a nightowl might see.

also try and keep your blog organised, have tags for things so that it's easy for people to filter (and also easy for you to find stuff), have a pinned post that's kind of a gentle welcome/intro/guide to whoever clicks on your blog, that kind of stuff, also just try and make the blog pretty and inviting, not just the default tumblr icon and stuff (those lowkey scare me)

keeping timezones in mind when you post. think about if it's a good time for most people, is it a time of day where one could be looking at their phone, taking a little break.

reblog stuff! interact with people! support others that you like and maybe that someone will support you!

i've never posted stuff "in order to get lots of followers," or anything. i just personally really like my writing, and since i do, then there must be someone else that does as well. turns out i was right.

learn that your blog is like your little house. you make the rules, you decide who gets to stay, you get to do whatever makes you happy and no one can tell you that you are wrong.

at the end of the day, everyone is gonna like something different, you can't please everyone, so just make your blog, your content, exactly how you like it, just be your wonderful weird beautiful self and no one else.

「 come join my 10k celebration 」

[factorialsotherfandoms]

Screaming again don't mind me, just I usually realise the tags are going to be trashfires but I went to bed before the inciting incident last night and oh boy are my blocked tags insufficient huh.

This should be taken in the context of I've had a long week, I'm literally ill, and I just want thoughts out my head so I can enjoy the streams tonight please thank you love you all <3

I'm sat here like on the one hand Sunny being upset about last night is COMPLETELY legit. Like I think I know where Philza was coming from - Tubbo and Slime both respawn when killed, which 'real' eggs don't - but many of the words he said while his usual teasing were out of line, especially when Tubbo wasn't there to defend himself. And like a kid isn't going to see that so fine its cool if I thought it was ever going to get resolved yeah no perfect sense here. And even with that logic in mind it's a fucking dick thing to say. There were only bad answers. It was a question designed to have only bad answers. The least bad answer was probably honestly Trump as not only is he dead all his parents are too, but that suuuucks.

On the other hand, I know where this started and what it started with is with ccPhilza's tone of voice and phrasing (because those are the same as qPhilza's in many of the instances), and I do not think it was ever appropriate to have this come up as a thing in the first place. I don't care about the IC-ness or whatever right now, I mean pure simple if this should ever have been a plot point in the first place. And the longer it goes on without anyone fucking telling Phil so he can fix it the more certain I am it was a fucking awful move that never should have started - and if Sunny didn't already think Phil hated her, maybe this would be more interesting! The whole thing with the Tubbo and Gegg.

Anyway point. QSMP is supposed to be about cultural exchange and communication over differences and language and stuff, but what's being done here is reinforcing genuinely harmful with real life consequences stereotypes about English Northerners - the sorts of which have things like people being put on blacklists by their own home insurance providers due to being 'difficult customers', and having the cops called on them for 'being aggressive' when they said fuck a bit and laughed too loud, and being failed in class for talking wrong, and I just... The one thing from last night is completely legit. That's entirely and perfectly legit and all that, but the fact is it's not in isolation and whether intentionally or not every time Sunny and Philza are in a room together no matter what I blacklist if I look in the tags for my primary PoV it becomes a fucktonne of classist microagressions.

And like ccPhilza may well be fine with it! And that's cool and all! (Though I'm honestly not convinced he's entirely aware ooc Sunny's afraid of him) But much like any of these things, it's not /only/ the cc who stands to be hurt by it.

Which is to say I think Sunny's admin is a good roleplayer but not so good at being an NPC and is - probably accidentally, and only in a minor way god knows the rest of the media joins in - contributing to genuine and actual harm with their choices here. Calling Philza aggressive or scary based on his accent, phrasing, and tone of voice (and like this is outside of last night - this is how it /started/ not where it is now) is in a similar if smaller vein to saying the French players are stuck up, entitled, prissy, flirtatious, etc for having French accents. Or the Mexicans are stupid for their accents. And when he's the only northerner and he genuinely isn't being aggressive when he's being accused of it it's... uncomfy. ESPECIALLY as it's not from another player, it's from a fucking admin('s character) who should be being held to a higher standard on shit like this as the admin's are part of the organisation team.

It'd be less bad if there were more regularly playing northerners, or if tubbo wasn't a southerner, or if she was afraid and people were yelling about her being afraid of other characters too, but it's /so/ noticably Philza.

And it's not intentional, there's very little chance it's intentional, but it's still why I have to put on a fake accent to call the DWP else I get blacklisted and treated significantly worse. One time I rang up, usual accent, after 40 minutes of being bounced around was told no. Rang back, spoke to someone else, put on my other accent, was treated significantly nicer and got told yes. And this shit happens regularly in my life. Northern is more natural to me but I can also do southern. And my sort of northern is considered more acceptable than ccPhil's!

I don't really want to talk about it, I just want to scream.