#easy text reader

[stunie]

it’s so easy to forget that you can literally write whatever you want

[cryinginmyroomsposts]

Easy - Seo Changbin

Pairing: Seo Changbin x Reader

tags: fluff, just pure fluff, boyfriend Changbin, oc overthinks a bit, subtle mentions of trauma ig, oc gender not specifically mentioned

a/n: not proofread, kind of a ramble, desperately needed to write cuz grad school has been kicking my ass

masterlist

The pitter-patter of rain keeps you awake through the night. You stare at the ceiling and then turn around to see your boyfriend lying on the bed next to you.

It was wild how quickly life can change. Just less than a month ago you were sleeping on this bed, in your new apartment, alone and cold. And now there is this beautiful boy right next to you, the warmth emanating from him lighting up your soul from within.

Changbin had come into your life like a whirlwind that calmed your soul. One moment he was a stranger giving you a kind smile when you dropped your books on the floor of the library staircase and the next he was a friend holding your hand through a tough evening. And now he is yours, in every waking and sleeping moment.

You watch as he breathes peacefully in his sleep, his chest rising and falling calmly. You trace mindless patterns on his arm that lay across your midriff. He stirs in his sleep and holds you tighter.

A year ago you would've absolutely despised the ides of going to sleep with someone because you're hyper independent brain could never fathom the idea of letting yourself be this vulnerable and close to someone. Your bed had been your refuge for a decade, no matter how incorrigible life became you could always come back to your bed and breathe peacefully in the comfort of the dark and let the acidic feelings out into the ever-absorbant pillows.

As you stare into the peaceful sleeping face of Changbin you realise that you haven't struggled to breathe in a while now. You could breathe freely around him, even on days when the whole world was weighing down on you. And especially on the days you got exhausted of him and yourself... you could still breathe freely and express yourself around him.

It all seemed like magic. Yet it felt like the most normal order of things. For this exuberant, softie of a boy to come into your life and turn it around the way the leaves turned orange all around you. During the summer you had taken all measures to spend the winter in your own comfortable company- even buying extra heating to stay warm as the snow falls. And yet, months later, you can see the snow fall out the window and warmth spreads around you from Changbin's soft breaths.

Changbin made it seem like loving you was the easiest thing in his life and for once you had someone to lean on without feeling inferior.

He was everything you didn't know you needed. He matched your loudness, played along with your childishness, and held you softly like a rare flower blooming only under his touch. Changbin showed his love loudly, proudly and ardently but understood that you express it in the little things. Sure the understanding hadn't come in a day, it had taken work.

You still remember the hurt on his face as he watched you ruin yourself because it felt impossible for you to let yourself be loved or taken care of. You remember the tears that rolled down your eyes on a chilly fall night as the both of you let your frustration at work get into your relationship.

It is that very pain, those salty tears and nights of apologies and condolences that made this very moment rewarding. Without the bad times, you would never know how valuable having Changbin by your side is.

"Slee-eep... babbyyyy..."

Your very erratic train of thought has been interrupted by a low grumble from your boyfriend. You titled your head away from the window on the other side to face him. His eyes were closed but you knew he was awake by the way he scrunched his nose and immediately snuggled into your neck when you turned to face him.

"Huh?" You mumbled back soft enough for him to hear but not wake up entirely.

Changbin's pretty eyes opened up slightly and he smiled softly at your face before leaning in and leaving a soft peck on your forehead (that never got old) before pulling back to see you.

"It's too early for your brain to be whirring." His morning voice was deep and his face was soft like a baby. This man was a living juxtaposition most of the time, but that's what made him special.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" You ask tracing your fingers along his cheeks and nose.

"The noise from your brain running woke me." He said and nuzzled right back into your neck making you snuggle closer into his embrace.

"Sorry..." was all you could say before he gave a light peck on your lips and pulled you into a tight embrace against his chest.

"No need. just rest."

You couldn't really argue when you were smack dab against his very built chest and soft belly. It felt the closest to a home and the storm in your gut settled down. You could feel Changbin's palms caressing your back and his lips pressed lightly on your head as he drifted back to sleep. His steady breath formed a nice rhythm that made your brain relax and your eyes close.

Falling asleep in the arms of a man who patched your broken pieces with love that flowed and ebbed from every part of him as the snow fell down the cold streets like diamonds from the sky was all you could've asked for. You felt lighter in years as you drifted to sleep. A small smile formed on your lips, when you realised that Changbin's lips left a smile against your head as he slept.

[obsolescent]

I saw the other anons ask sayin that Leon would want to settle down and you saying smth about h8k being protective with his daughter? What do you think would he do when a boy breaks his princess' heart? It would be so funny because he's dealt with lots of bad things and now boys are his no. 1 problems 😭

RAHHHHH BANGING MY FISTS ON THE TABLE such a complete 180° from the last anon and I’m so excited to write this up hehehe

Reader is gender neutral

Leon is a special government agent, so of course he has connections, and with those connections, he has a lot of information at his fingertips. He can easily look into someone’s history or records.

Which includes anyone who interacts with his daughter. Be that crushes or friends, he’ll ask her for their names and being Leon… he’ll do a little bit of digging. Just a small check of their backgrounds, scoping out their families. Nothing too wild.

It’s honestly a good things he does this, it helps him sleep easier at night knowing the ones that his daughter has grown close to are not there for nefarious reasons or to use her as leverage against him.

Now when it comes to relationships/her being heartbroken?

Leon would find her sobbing one day, her face red and splotchy. His heart would seize in his chest, and he’d rush over to her and fire off a hundred questions, holding her close. She’d tell him all that’s happened, confiding in you and Leon easily and without hesitation.

She had told her crush how she felt, and said crush not only turned her down but laughed at her confession. The rage would simmer in Leon’s body but he would keep his composure, knowing these are teenagers he’s dealing with and is a disheartening part of life.

He’d rub her back and let her cry into him, frustrated and apologizing that he cannot do more.

Then, an idea.

“Hey, bug, why don’t we go to the store, get some snacks, and we can all watch your favorite movie together, yeah?“ he suggests, pulling her away and wiping her tears from her face.

She gives a small smile and nods, sniffling. “Yeah, that’d be cool.” He nods, grinning down at her and helping her to her feet, before making his way through the house to explain what’s happened.

Your heart aches for your child, finding her and pulling her into an embrace. Once you’ve doted on her yourself, the three of you make the trip to the store, grabbing all sorts of confections.

Once home, you settle on the couch, your daughter between the two of you, and let her pick out her choice of media. She settles on a funny, light-hearted one.

About half way into the movie, you began to hear light snoring. Looking over to see your daughter’s head resting against Leon’s arm.

Your eyes meet and you grin at each other. You pick up the remote and pause the movie, and Leon slowly maneuvers her onto his lap before standing up and carrying her to her bedroom.

You follow behind, heart warming at the sight of them. She’ll never be too old to be his little girl. Never too old to have her scrapes and bruises kissed and bandaged.

After Leon tucks her into her bed and her door is shut, he pulls you into an embrace, kissing the top of your head.

“Let’s plan something fun for the weekend, I don’t have to be at work until Tuesday,” he whispers against your hair while stroking your back.

Enthusiastically you agree, wrapping your arms around his frame, excited for the plans ahead with the people you love most in your life.

[reshiram]

hello. 👋 i have an announcement... i usually do not post about system related matters here, however this is a somewhat major one...? calico (seer) is still around, but after much reflection and some conversations, we have discovered that he's actually two alters (aka a subsystem...?). this is oversimplifying it, but i do not wish to put too much personal information out there... regardless, i'm making myself known. i'm cymric (🐈)... i have another name, which you may use (i'm quite fond of it), but you have to find it (it's obvious). i hope this is not too confusing... just think of me and calico like two sides of the same coin. i have retained all of his memories but sometimes things are fuzzy...

[serenit-teas]

Me, riddled with delusion <- (is a 6'3 P enjoyer and believer)

I just!!! I know everyone has commented on it in some way shape or form and I guess it's my turn to throw my two cents in😔 god I should not have the freedom to ramble on this app

Like!! This guy, this one man battalion is terrifying in concept. A puppet with an incredibly rare (and deadly) ability to lie, with advanced combat skills and power that only seems to enhance thanks to the Ergo that can be encountered in his ventures, and an imposing figure to round it all out. In theory it screams threat, danger.

But then you meet him, see how meek and gentle he is with everyone in Hotel Krat. Once, witnessing Spring recoil at his advance, hissing and all but swatting at him. Though being able to emote was one of the few things he could not yet do, you swear he seemed to wilt after the encounter with the feline. During the rockier moments of becoming acquainted with the cat, he would never grow frustrated after the failed attempts, understanding and respecting that she's not comfortable around him. He would simply leave her be, and try again later.

He rarely speaks, and if he does it's one word or a clipped phrase, not out of rudeness or anything of the sort, it's new and quite frankly, there's a high chance that he simply wouldn't know what to say.

There's something of a quite excitement and giddiness in P when he brings a new record back to the Hotel, not only does it mean that he gets to experience what this recent find has to offer, but also that any of the other residents of the Hotel can enjoy the spoils of his journey.

He listens and takes heed in what people say, no matter if it's critical information in regards to his outings, passing comments of bygone days, or just ramblings in any variety, he listens, makes the people around him feel heard and understood. (Even if some things go over his head)

He'll realise some time or later that he LIKES making the people he's met happy*, seeing their faces light up in glee or relief.

It's a small victory in the hell they're all surviving.

Every time I think of P I imagine this gentle giant who is so achingly soft spoken and sweet, who is aware of his immense strength and takes care to never harm those he treasures. And in turn that leads to the BEST juxtaposition of the raw carnage he's capable of! This guy can rip through sturdy puppets and manmade horrors like they're wet tissue paper, has stared down monstrosities and come out on top, can bounce back from injuries that would leave others utterly mangled at best.

He is a terrifying concept and there's no denying what he can easily do if he so chose, but his conscious effort to exhibit the utmost care when surrounded by fragility makes my heart MELT. Soft boy P will forever have me hooked no matter what, but there's something about a tall boy with a heart of gold (literally) who, despite still learning how to live and experience, understands his presence around others.🥺

*(Not that he would want to see them upset, I think at first there would be a nuetral understanding of "What happens here affects me and my progress." Just a thought though!)

[sunfoxfic]

Hello! I know you’ve posted about ao3 skins and coding before, so I’d like to ask a question about that kind of thing. Do you know of a way to create a pretty divider to use in fics? Like the more complicated swirls used in physical books, not just a colored line?

This tutorial goes over it in really good detail

[lokh]

i was of the understanding that the preferred form of image description was in the alt text

[wyrmst]

[theodysseyofhomer]

suffering from, mumble mumble, something something, more fandomy approach to homer than the classicists in my circle, less fandomy approach than 90% of the webbed site

[goodlovecapture]

I want to read more this year! Send your book suggestions if you're a reader! I'm starting with The House in The Cerulean Sea and I'm very much enjoying it so far! I've not been a big reader in so long I need to ease back in with something light hearted and easy to read.

Most books I've seen that look and sound interesting have been gay, gay potion sellers, gay friends and gay witches etc, I'm not complaining tho.

[autistic-katara]

idk why some of u guys cant be bothered to put image descriptions over simple text screenshots its literally the easiest thing ever (especially if u have the text right there in a copy/pasteable place)

[sketchy-tour]

You were asking writers but I wanted to give my perspective as one of the readers

For me when I read x reader, I enjoy seeing y/n as almost their own character! Not everyone will be the same but I like seeing the different personalities and when it's similar to me it's a bonus. I can indulge with different personality y/n's romances' even if the y/n isn't always one to one with me

oH! This is still absolutely helpful to know honestly! Here I was like "I can't give y/n a favorite tea or else the reader will feel disconnected because it will probably not be their actual favorite tea!!"

Definitely been overthinking it, I realize. I'll try and be more lenient with myself and let myself create a sort of character for y/n. You'd think as someone who READS x reader, I'd know that it's fine to write like that but alas. Brain doesn't work.

[nevermore-ocs]

Kinda wanna write headcanons for my less talked about Villanos characters, like Seth and Mongrel, just to name a few, so! Maybe send in some ideas in the asks and I'll jot down some x a certain type of S/O, and I'll write em down!

[archaeren]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

[maskedbyghost]

cw: manipulation, possessive reader, suggestive language

You told him you didn’t do casual.

You didn’t make it a big deal. You just said it like you meant it, not trying to sound dramatic or emotional about it. Just honest.

“I don’t do casual,” you said, eyes on your drink. “It always ends up messy, and I’m not built for that.”

Simon leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “That’s alright,” he said eventually. “I’m not looking for anything serious.”

You nodded. No reaction on your face, no shift in tone. “Then we can just be friends.”

He raised an eyebrow like he was trying to figure you out. “You sure?”

You smiled a little. “Yeah. I like hanging out with you. We don’t have to fuck.”

“…Alright,” he said, after a pause. “Friends.”

And that was the start.

Except friends don’t show up to his gym when he’s meeting a girl for a workout date.

Friends don’t slip him a text during his Tinder dinner like,

“you left your hoodie here again. i’m wearing it. smells like you.”

Friends don’t show up to the pub when he’s got plans with someone, all dolled up like you just rolled out of a damn music video, giving his date a once-over and offering a tight smile that says run, babe.

You’d always act surprised when things didn’t work out. “Oh no, she ghosted you? That’s so weird.”

And Simon? He wasn’t completely oblivious. But he was tired, and lonely, and honestly kind of lazy when it came to trying to figure women out, and you were just so easy to be around, so warm and funny and low-maintenance and somehow always around when he needed someone.

So when he started seeing you more than anyone else, it didn’t feel weird. It felt right.

He told himself it was just friendship.

Even when you leaned against him on the couch. Even when you started sleeping over. Even when he started feeling a little sick thinking about you with anyone else.

The night it finally changed, he had just come back from a shit deployment — nothing too dangerous, just long and annoying and cold, and you’d been waiting at his place (with your own key, because somehow that had happened), and you were in his clothes, curled up in his bed with takeout, and when he saw you like that he just… stopped thinking.

“You’re perfect for me,” he said quietly, almost like he was talking to himself.

You blinked, looking up from your phone. “What?”

“I was so fucking stupid,” he muttered, dropping his bag, walking toward you like something magnetic was pulling him in. “I didn’t see it. I don’t know why.”

You didn’t say anything right away. You just looked at him for a second, then smiled, slow and easy, like you’d been waiting for him to finally figure it out, like none of it really surprised you, but you were still happy to hear it out loud.

From there, it was easy.

The relationship happened fast. Slipped into place like it had always been there. He’d gone from “I don’t do serious” to leaving his toothbrush at your place, to falling asleep with his face buried in your neck, to holding your hand in public without even realizing he was doing it.

He was happy. Stupidly happy. The kind that made his friends suspicious and his coworkers tease him. The kind that made you look like the hero of some cozy domestic fantasy where nothing ever goes wrong and love is enough.

It wasn’t one big moment. It was a bunch of little ones that slowly added up until he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Like how you always just showed up when he had plans, how his phone would buzz with a text from you right before he left for a date. Or how you’d casually mention how certain girls “weren’t his type,” even when he never brought them up to you.

And then one day, while you were going through an old playlist together, you said, “God, I remember this song. I used to listen to it every time I thought about you with someone else.” And you didn’t even blink after saying it.

And the more he thinks about it, the more it starts adding up.

You’d played him. You’d baited him.

And now he’s sitting on the couch, watching you walk into the room in one of his old T-shirts, holding a bowl of snacks, looking like home, and he honestly doesn’t know whether to laugh or be pissed off or bend you over the arm of the sofa and remind you who he is.

You plop into his lap like you do it every day (because you do), nestling in like you’re settling into your rightful throne, and he wraps his arms around your waist automatically, pressing a kiss to your bare shoulder.

“You know what I realized today?” he asks, voice low.

You hum. “What?”

He tilts his head like he’s thinking it through. “We’re together because you manipulated me.”

You pause for like… half a second. Then?

“Yeah,” you say, nonchalant. “And?”

He squints at you, mouth twitching like he can’t decide if he wants to smile or frown. “You sabotaged every girl I tried to hook up with.”

“I did,” you say, and lean forward to grab the remote. “Most of them were trash anyway.”

“You tricked me into thinking you weren’t interested.”

“Mhm.” You don’t even look at him. “Worked, didn’t it?”

There’s this long silence, and then Simon groans and lets his head fall back on the couch dramatically.

“I should be mad,” he mutters.

“You’re not,” you say, smiling down at him like he’s your prize. “You love me.”

“Fuck, woman,” he breathes, eyes locked on yours. “That turns me on.”

You grin, shifting your weight so you’re straddling him properly, hands sliding up his chest slowly until your fingers curl around the back of his neck. You squeeze—not hard, just enough to make him feel it.

“You belong to me,” you whisper against his ear. “Always have.”

He shivers. Actually shivers.

“…Jesus.”

You kiss his jaw, slow and smug. “Say it.”

“…Yours.”

“Good boy.”

And yeah. He is.

PART 2

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@daydreamerwoah @kylies-love-letter @ghostslollipop @kittygonap @alfiestreacle @identity2212 @farylfordaryl @rafaelacallinybbay @akkahelenaa @lovelovelovelovelove987654321 @wraith-bravo6

[bookcub]

Cozy Fantasy and Why It Doesn't Work

I think I am among many who feel like they should love cozy fantasy and have found it an incredibly lacking genre.

This newly branded "cozy fantasy" genre that has taken readers by storm since 2020 and while it is new that books are now marketed as cozy, the genre itself isn't new. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a great example of the genre before it was labeled and also how to make it work.

Cozy fantasy is defined by many as fantasy with low stakes. Fantasy aesthetic but less sword fights. On paper, it sounds great. But the execution has been less than stellar for readers like me. The lack of physical stakes has also impacted the emotional stakes of these books, creating forgettable characters with boring problems. As a romance reader, I find this frustrating. Romance is known for being a predictable and formulaic genre, the now defunct Romance Writers of America defined romances as needing happy endings, a term romances have continued to follow. Yet these romance texts manage to have low physical stakes (how to date your neighbor, how to confront your toxic friends, etc) while still maintaining high personal stakes that keep readers invested and begging for more. So I was initially confused why cozy fantasy authors struggle to write texts that connect to readers like me.

I think I have found the answer which is the genre is just here for vibes. It is all about aesthetic, not even worldbuilding that fantasy is known for as most cozy fantasy I read have so many problems as soon as you ask one question. It is hard to acknowledge that a genre that is pitched to work for readers like me doesn't work for many of us. Especially because occasionally there is one that works beautifully to my taste.

I often say my favorite cozy fantasies that are more contemporary are short and visual, which I plays into the idea of the genre being an aesthetic. The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz is a good example because it is a simple story that is given the perfect amount of pages and gorgeous visuals without dragging on when the message is very clear and easy to understand. Books like The Phoenix Keeper and Legends and Lattes have absolutely nothing for me, their very clear message hitting the reader over and over so the readers don't miss it and focusing on the aesthetic of worldbuilding rather than the reality of the fantastic elements within the world.

I guess my point is. . . I realize this genre isn't for me since I have realized it is more of an aesthetic than anything. .. .but I want it to be. Should I let it go and put my efforts elsewhere? Or should I keep exploring this new trend and find the hidden gems?