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katymacsupernatural · 7 years

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Should Have Been Faster

Dean X Reader

1300 Words

Story Summary: After receiving a call, Dean drives as fast as he can, needing to be by Y/N’s side as quickly as possible.

Written for the Fabulous Fake Title Challenge hosted by @just-another-winchester and I. Requested by @clairese1980

Written in Dean’s POV

Four little words running through my mind, over and over as I pushed the Impala to the max. Should have been faster, I kept reminding myself, knowing that there was still so much distance between Y/N and I. Too much time, too many miles before I had her by my side once again.

“Dean, you’ll know we’ll be there in time,” Sam tried assuring me, but my jaw stayed clenched, my eyes on the road as I sped at least fifteen miles over the speed limit. I shouldn’t have let her go, not by herself. I knew what could have happened, but when she turned those beautiful eyes my way, I couldn’t say no. It had seemed so simple at the beginning, just a girl’s weekend with her, Jody and Donna. Sitting around Jody’s house, maybe going out to the spa, or whatever else girl’s did. She had pleaded with me, saying she needed time with women, and I had given in. Knowing that I would do anything to make her happy.

Never had I imagined that someone would mean so much to me like Y/N did. She was my everything, and I knew I would never forgive myself if something happened to her. When I received the phone call this morning, I had pulled Sam to the car without a word, needing to leave as fast as possible. To be by her side when she needed me the most.

“Sam, I shouldn’t have let her go,” I muttered, my hands tight on the steering wheel. “What if something goes wrong? What if…,”

“Dean, she’s with Jody and Donna. They aren’t going to let anything happen to her,” Sam tried to say, sighing when I didn’t seem to relax at all. “We’re only an hour out.”

“I know. Too long,” I muttered, wishing the Impala would go faster.

The road never seemed to end, each mileage sign seeming to say the same amount of miles until I was next to Y/N. Stopping for gas, I pulled out my phone, trying to call her, my chest tightening when there was no answer. Without taking the time to call Jody, I climbed back into the Impala, impatiently waiting for Sam to return from the bathroom. He hadn’t even clicked his seatbelt before I was pulling out onto the highway, once again speeding down the cracked road.

The sun was starting to set by the time Sioux Falls appeared. Tension had my shoulders straight, my jaw clenched, my knuckles sore from holding tight to the steering wheel. Sam had stayed silent the last hour of the ride, often checking his phone for messages from Jody. But whatever she had said he didn’t pass on, instead letting me sit there and fret.

I drove straight past Jody’s, not even slowing to see if her truck was still in the driveway. I knew where Y/N was, and I hated the thought of her being there without me. She shouldn’t have to be going through this without me by her side.

“Dean, why don’t you pull up to the front, and I’ll switch spots,” Sam suggested, and I gave him a slight nod. Sliding to a stop in front of the main doors, I placed the car in park, climbing out and leaving it behind with Sam. Racing through the front door, I went immediately to the front desk, asking for Y/N.

The nurse glanced patiently at me, no doubt used to tense and fearful people at her desk all the time. “She’s on floor three. The elevator’s around the corner.”

Without even thanking her, I rushed around the corner, hating the feel of the hospital. This is why I tended to stay away from them as much as possible. Too much white everywhere, reminders of death and illnesses everywhere. Not to mention all of my bad memories of hospitals that made me weary of them.

Tapping my foot impatiently, I waited for the elevator to slowly make it’s climb to the third floor, thinking it would have been better to take the stairs. As soon as the doors opened, I spotted Jody standing off to the side, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Jody!” I exclaimed, rushing forward.

Looking tired, she smiled up at me. “You made it!”

“I drove as fast as I could,” I admitted. “But where’s Y/N? How is she?”

“Come with me,” Jody insisted, taking my hand and pulling me along with her. Sitting down on a couple of chairs, she placed her coffee down before turning to me. “Y/N had a hard time,” she started to explain, my hands clenching more with each word. “It was long, and hard, and the doctor’s were worried about her for quite some time.”

“But now?” I whispered, hoping for good news.

“Now she’s sleeping, and the baby is fine. Congratulations, your a father,” Jody beamed. “You have a beautiful little girl.”

“A girl?” I breathed, even though I still couldn’t get past the fact that Y/N had to go through all of this alone. “Oh Jody, I should have been faster. I should have been here when she needed me the most. How is she ever going to forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive!” Jody exclaimed. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters. Why don’t you go in there, see if she’s awake yet. I know she would love to see you.”

On shaking legs I made my way to the door marked with Y/N’s name, pulling it open and stepping inside. Y/N was asleep on the bed, her hair spread out, dark circles under her eyes. Pulling the chair up beside her, I took her hand in mine, staring at her, killing myself for not being there for her.

It was only a couple minutes later before she started to stir, her eyes blinking before she peered tiredly up at me. “Dean, you’re here?” She mumbled.

Reaching up and brushing the hair from her cheek, I nodded. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I heard it wasn’t an easy labor.”

“It was long, and exhausting, but it’s over now, and we have a beautiful baby girl. I can’t wait for you to see her,” she told me, smiling up at me as if I hadn’t messed up and missed it all.

“Y/N, how can you be happy with me? I wasn’t here for you,” I asked, surprised when she squeezed my hand.

“Dean, it was my decision to come up here for a girl’s night. You tried to keep me home. But I don’t think it’s your fault, or mine. Babies come when they’re ready, and I guess she wanted to be up here to meet her aunt Jody, and aunt Donna. Please don’t beat yourself up over this. Please Dean,” she pleaded, and I nodded.

“I’m just glad both you and the baby are safe,” I answered, leaning over the bed so I could capture her lips with mine.

“Oh, this must be the father!” The nurse exclaimed, coming through the door just as I pulled away. In her arms was a tiny bundle, wrapped in pink. “Would you like to see your daughter?”

My heart beating fast, I carefully took my baby girl from the nurse, holding her gently in my arms, afraid I would squish the precious girl. “Y/N, she’s perfect,” I whispered, staring down at her in amazement.

“Yeah, she is. I’m so glad you’re here,” Y/N whispered as I came to stand next to her. Realizing that even though I had wanted to be there earlier, I was just glad I was there now. To be a part of my family, to see the happiness in Y/N’s eyes as I held our little girl for the first time.

Dean/Jensen Tags:@acreativelydifferentlove @a-girl-who-loves-disney @akshi8278 @anokhi07 @aubreystilinski @bebravekeeponfighting @colette2537 @crusadedean @deanwinchesters-impala67 @haelyn @horsegirly99 @ikeneasul11 @its-not-a-tulpa @just-another-winchester @librarygeekery @msimpala67 @lenaabs @love-charmer-sketch @ria132love @ruprecht0420 @shadowhunter7 @sizzlingbearpolice @sleep-silent-angel @sortaathief @superseejay721517 @thesaneone @torn-and-frayed @wonderfulworldofwinchester

Forever Tags: @16wiishes @4401lnc @amanda-teaches @andreaaalove @angelsandwinchesters @anspgene @artisticpoet @atc74 @be-amaziing @bemyqueenofdarkness @bohowitch @bumber-car-s @brooke-supernatural16 @brunettechick @camelotandastronauts @captainradicalpassion @chelsea072498 @clairese1980 @captainemwinchester @createdbybadappreciation @darthdeziewok @destiels-new-girl @donnaintx @dont-you-dare-say-misha @dslocum89 @duckieburns @docharleythegeekqueen @emmazach @emilicious-7 @emoryhemsworth @ericaprice2008 @essie1876 @generalgoldfishldrm @goldenolaf25 @growningupgeek @herbologystudent252 @hms-fangirl @ichooseeternalplaces @imboredsueme @internationalmusicteacher @ithinkimadorable-67 @iwriteaboutdean @jayankles @jbbarnesgirl @jensen-gal @just-another-busy-fangirl @karlee-fay-my-wayward-son @keelzy2 @leanbeankeane @li-ssu @littleblue5mcdork @lowlyapprentice @luciferslucille @maui137 @mellowlandrunaway @mogaruke @my-squirrel-and-moose @nanie5 @newtospnfandom @percussiongirl2017 @pilaxia @pizzarollpatrol @plaid-lover-bay25 @ronja-uebrick @rosegoldquintis @roxyspearing @samaxraph99 @samanddeanmyheroes @sandlee44 @shamelesslydean @sillesworldofwriting @sgarrett49 @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @spnbaby-67 @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @spnwoman @sunskittlex @superbadassnatural @tardis-full-of-fallen-angels @teamfreewill92 @thebikiniinspector @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @tmccarney @totallovelesson @tunadean @vvinch3st3r @whimsicalrobots @wildlandfox @winchesterbrothers-inc @winchesterxtwo @winchester-writes @worldwidehansum @zombiewerewolfqueen

#fabulous fake title challenge #dean winchester x reader #supernatural x reader #supernatural reader insert #katy writes #dean winchester fanfiction #supernatural fanfiction

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thesim-tea · 3 years

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Baron Hermes Andino for @morrigan-sims Romancing the Queen 👑

When I've read about your challenge, Hermes instantly came up in my mind... I know this story is quite unusual, but I'll hope he will fit in your Bachelorette!

I’ll let him speak for himself...

Dear diary...

is it strange that a grown up man keep a diary? Well, someday... when I'll become famous and rich, someone has to know from where I came from.

I've been born in Oraine, but I'm not some rich merchant's son. My parents? I've never met them. Who took care of me? The King of Rats, the most ablest scammer and thief you'll ever heard about. After me of course.

The old man died... of old age, I am the King of Rats now. And I'm preparing for the most important robbery of my life. I'm gonna steal Queen Fallon of Anvia's heart.

Unfortunately King of Rats is not a proper Title so a friend of mine prepared fake papers were is written I'm Baron Hermes Andino.This scam is pretty risky... will I survive? I'm sure I will.

Backstory

Hermes does not have a surname, he does not have a family. From what he remembers, he grew up with the wrost jailbirds of Oraine. His life wasn't easy at all, he had do fight even for a loaf of bread. He loves to define himself heartless, but the truth is that he never found a place to belong. He thinks that he needs wealth and luxury in order to be happy, but maybe what he really needs is someone to heal his wounded heart.

Bisexual - he/him

Age: between 25 and 30, he does not really know!

Traits: materialistic, self-assured, romantic (I don't have the mod, but if you have to add traits I’m thinking about active and outgoing);

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy?... no it’s actually Successful Lineage;

Likes: Blue, black and gold/yellowish colours - Classical music - fitness and singing; Dislikes: cooking and fishing;

Fashion and looks: apart from the outfits "borrowed" to fake his identity, he has two athletic outfits, one is similar to how he dresses when he is... let's say at work (tight-fitting black clothes), and one is for when he's dressed like a normal paesant. He loves make-up and eccentric looks. He also love sparkling jewels, his favorite gem is sapphire.

How I imagine his personality: he's very charismatic and confident. He may seem superficial at first, but he has good heart. Despise being a thief, he never robbed poor pepole (Robin Hood anyone??), and he's helping orphans in the streets. His confident character hides an insecurity: never be loved because of his dark past.

Very important: if chosen, together with his tray folder I will add a txt. file with his actual origins and real name, that will be revealed only to Morrigan-sim! Those will be extra information, whatever you want to use them or not it's up to you.

I think he’s borderline maxis mix, so if you want a less "alpha" version I can remove some genetics from him. Is not really a problem.

Sorry if you find mistakes. English is not my language.

Private dl for now.

#bc contestant #romancing the queen #*rtq submission #ts4 #ts4 bachelorette #sims 4

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daisylincs · 4 years

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Today is, officially, the last day of 2020 - so it's literally just in time that I'm getting to @aosrecweek's amazing challenge. But that does go to show the nature of this crazy year a little bit, right? Time has just been INSANE, and I honestly cannot believe it's so close to over.

That said, I want to put it out there that everyone - absolutely everyone - who created something in this mad year, is a SUPERHERO. Like. We could have hidden away in dark corners, curled into little balls, and lost touch with our creativity entirely - but instead, we made some of the most fantastic content I have ever seen. And, excuse the language, but that is fucking amazing, of each and every single one of us. We're bloody INCREDIBLE, you guys. We really are.

Now, the rules of this challenge dictate that I've got to start with some of my own things, then repeat with the same number of creations by other people. So I'm going to do that, and I apologise for the sheer length (and self-plug-iness) of what is about to follow - but, bloody incredible, remember? I really mean that. 💜💜💜

My Own:

you could call me babe for the weekend - 19k of Spideychelle being oblivious, mutually pining IDIOTS while being snowed in. And, you know, fake dating. (This thing was SO MUCH FUN to write and though, yeah, it got completely out of control, as evidenced by the 19k, I still really love it.)

'tis the damn season - my first attempt at writing a multi-chap, and, yeah, it only has one chapter as of now, but I really love said chapter. Basically, it's Daisy and Mackelena being friends, and honestly just the BEST friends - I adore the style I managed to achieve in this thing. Plus, the Skimmons I have planned up next is going to be da bomb.

the closest thing - Philindaisy plus fake family. Also; amusement parks. And for a fangirl like me - well, it was pretty much a dream come true to write!

oh valley of plenty - in this fic, I basically told myself, so AoS won't give us Huntingbird in the finale? Fine. I'll just do it myself then - in the fluffiest way possible. And that's exactly what I did - making them, and their kids, be best friends in Perthshire.

maybe life should be about more - a very angsty Skimmons and Daisy-centric AU, focusing on the internalised homophobia Daisy has experienced through her life, and shaking it off (and eventually, y'know, getting together with Jemma.)

and it's dark in a cold december (but i've got you to keep me warm) - Fitzsimmons just make such a supreme pairing for hurt/comfort, what with how insanely well they understand each other and care about each other, so I'm really glad for the Fitzsimmons Secret Santa giving me the chance to write this! Basically, this follows our science duo through a stressful mission on Christmas Eve (so yes, it's a mission fic!!) and realising that the two of them can do anything together.

july second - ahhh, one of my personal favourites to write! Daisy birthday surprise fluff will always be top-notch for me, especially for all the team-as-family fluff you can add in, especially especially that this is set in Staticquake times! Also, it's from Hunter's point of view, which will forever be the most insanely fun thing to write, I do think.

i just wanna be with you - man, I'm such a big royal fan, so getting the chance to write a modern royalty AU for my OTP was nothing short of amazing!! This is Princess Daisy and her fiancée Lincoln Campbell at their official engagement interview

see the line where the skye meets the sea - shameless season 1 bby Bus Kids fluff, featuring movie nights, singalongs and... so much fluff your teeth will rot. Also I'm really freaking proud of the pun in the title okay

'cause all that you are is all that i'll ever need - Huntingbird waking up together fluff (because, fight me, Huntingbird in their sweet moments is one of the sweetest things you will ever get to read or write.) This is also my, fluffy, take on the origin of the Franny's Saloon keychain.

we love you, we love you (and we hope you love we too) - aha, my first polyship fic! Also my first try at some actually fancy HTML formatting (forever thanks to Kat for explaining.) Both of these things combined to form a fic that even I think is ridiculously fluffy and funny, and kinda amazing, at that.

and man I don't know where the time goes (but it sure goes fast like that) - Another Bus Kids movie night fic, but this one set post-season 7, and reflecting on how far they've come. A little bit more hurt/comfort-y than it's pure fluff prequel, but still super fluffy and soft. And, of course, with a happy ending.

she shares my dreams, i hope that someday, i'll share her home - snowy Fitzsimmons fluff, complete with them falling in love at the Winter Olympics, as you do.

then you walked in and my heart went boom - 16k of Dekesy for the wife, and remarkable for that, because literally a month ago from this, I hated Dekesy with my entire soul. Then I started reading Kat's fics, and, well, fell in love with them... so much so that I wrote sixteen thousand words of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, bed sharing holiday fluff for them.

a love like that - a Fitzsimmons Cinderella AU, featuring my two favourite science babies, in true science bby style, falling in love over science and how stupid the whole courting thing is. Also, Daisy makes a brief appearance, and she's the freaking best.

ever after - ah, probably the one single fic I'm proudest of. A post-season 7 Daisy character study focusing on her emotional rollercoaster re: losing her family/things never being the same again, which just achieves... an emotional level that I have never managed to replicate again. I was full-on sobbing while writing it, and, guys, it also part-holds the Closest To Making Kat Cry prize.

blue - Daisy character study spanning snapshots of seven seasons, and before - but tied together by something blue in every moment. Researching for this, and finding all the blue moments, was very interesting, and immensely satisfying, especially since all the moments where a little bit of blue was present actually combine to chronicle Daisy's journey on the show remarkably well.

who is that girl I see - the one time I decided to write straight angst, and straight angst with no happy ending. Melinda May post-Bahrain, folks.

take my hand, take my whole life too - aww, the first thing I wrote that I really and truly loved. A Staticquake and Fitzsimmons Actors AU, featuring a proposal on set and INCREDIBLE amounts of fluff and softness.

hold out your hand, 'cause friends will be friends - the wife's favourite, and, as second fics go, pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. It's a Soulmates AU for Staticquake and Mackelena, with the focus being on DaisyMack friendship, and lots of denial, angst, and guilt about finding their soulmates. (They figure it out eventually, don't worry - it's me, of course I made them happy.)

Fitzsimmons + Fake Dating moodboard - Fake dating will always be FAB, and picturing it out in a moodboard - especially for my clueless bby best friends in love - was the best, and super satisfying.

Staticquake + Orange moodboard - One of the cooler ideas I had for Trick or Treat (which I still have not finished, heaven help me) was to make a series of moodboards for my OTP plus different colours. This orange one is just so light, and cheerful, and happy, and honestly I kinda adore it.

This Philindaisy + Family Moodboard - making moodboards can be insanely frustrating when you just can't find the photo that fits exactly right. With this one, however, I found all the pics I needed pretty insanely fast, and, better, the whole thing just worked, and really nicely so, too.

This Bus Kids + Baking Cookies moodboard - there's absolutely NO faults to be found with tiny, adorable Skye, Fitz and Jemma concocting choc chip cookies - but I'm actually doing a tiny cheat here, because, cute as my moodboard here is, the accompanying fic by my love @eowima is the SWEETEST and best thing you could ever wish for!!!

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - Day 3 of Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week focused on an emotion, and I picked confidence and power, because honestly, it's nothing short of amazing how confident and powerful our gorgeous girl has become.

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - One of the times I wish I could gif, because this quote about struggling though never giving up just suits Daisy perfectly. The photos I found are cool, though, and I mean, it's Daisy, so that's already absolutely fabulous.

Other People's:

I managed to find twenty-six of my own things that I liked enough to put up there (because, yes, I'm that big a dork, 26 things for me being 26 is the way to go :D) Anyway, now that gives me the amazing chance to spotlight twenty-six of my favourite creations by my FANTASTIC mutuals! 😍

To start, my wife - Kat said I couldn't put everything she's ever written on here, so, ugh, I guess I'll just do my top five then. *grumbling* Everything by Kat is on here in spirit, though!!

Chasing Cars (even after the story ends) by @aleksandrachaev - the epic Dekesy roadtrip AU and incredible Daisy character study itself, which, I do believe, finishes today!! Words aren't enough to describe how freaking AMAZING this thing is, or how spectacularly well characterised. Just: if you haven't read this yet, you are missing out. You will laugh, you will groan, you will want to wrap Daisy in a very tight hug, and you will probably cry, too. This fic just has it all, really!

there goes the maddest man this town has ever seen by @aleksandrachaev - the post-season 7 Deke-crashes-the-Framework-Zoom-call fic I didn't know I needed (but spent the next two weeks rereading every single night.) It is absolutely INCREDIBLE, with all the Deke & Team feels we missed in the final outro scene, and honestly just the most fantastic writing. I cannot recommend it enough!

To Box It Up And Start Again (everything must go) by @aleksandrachaev - bloody hell, this BROKE me. Deke never really got to say goodbye in canon, but Kat gave him the chance to do it here. And, my freaking GOODNESS, she made it so incredibly bittersweet and heart-shattering. 10/10

i am a leaf on the wind by @aleksandrachaev - a little bit of a stretched-out, reflective moment in the season 7 finale. As Daisy lingers on the edge of death, she reflects on all the lives she could have had - and, man, what a study in bittersweetness!! This entire fic is utterly incredible, and something I think all Daisy fans should read.

Falling Into Place by @aleksandrachaev - here's a tiny cheat from me (sorry, babes, lmao) because technically this isn't one fic, but a series of three. Way too amazing to miss out on, though!! Set mid-season 7, this has the Chronicoms go after a young Mary Sue Poots to kill Quake before she can become a problem for them. They stop the Chronicoms, yes, but not without a TREMENDOUS dose of feels and hurt/comfort. There's also a wonderful little dose of Dekesy friendship, and then an adult adoption (!!) that honestly made my entire day to read. Actually, that's true for the entire series - I really canNOT yell about it enough!!

destroyer of worlds by @bobbimorseisbisexual - a study in incredible parallels between Jiaying's daughters. Utterly breathtakingly done, this will give you ALL the feels for this small and complex Inhuman family.

Muscle Memory by @robotgort and @bobbimorseisbisexual - a Huntingbird!! Bones!! AU!! And also a collaboration between two of the most fabulous Huntingbird authors in the fandom - honestly, what more can you ask for?! This will make you laugh, and gasp, and wince, and keep you guessing at each new plot twist (and also screaming at your screen for Hunter and Bobbi to get their acts together and TALK ABOUT IT.) In short: it's completely and utterly amazing, and I cannot, cannot recommend it enough!!

You Belong Among the Wildflowers by @libbyweasley - a freaking incredible Scis & Spies Regency AU! I only just started reading, but I was hooked all the way through, especially on the way Libby writes all four characters' complex relationships (and their attraction, and their history!) Everything about it is just completely stunning, and I for one cannot WAIT for these beautiful idiots to figure out they all belong together.

Family Snapshot by @tomatobookworm - if it's family fluff you're after, especially Staticquake family fluff, look no further! This tremendously soft and utterly amazing fic follows a day in the lives of a pregnant Daisy and her husband Lincoln, and their not-so-little family of Inhumans, both adopted and biological. There's also shopping with Grandma May, lots of feels, lots of shippiness, and just AMAZINGNESS all the way through!!

Best Day Ever by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - Jemma and Daisy want to adopt a pet, and make a very special trip to Wisconsin to do it. Also, whether he knows who he is or not, Jemma has an important question to ask Cal - and just, AHHHH, everything about this is utterly stunning! For starters, Aubrey's writing is FANTASTIC, and the scene she sets is absolutely beautiful, and so very bittersweet. I was actually misting up a little with happy tears towards the end of this - really, I cannot recommend this enough, to any Skimmons fan.

so why don't we go somewhere only we know by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - more Skimmons (platonic this time, though), more hurt/comfort, and, yes, again, more absolutely INCREDIBLE writing. This one is canon compliant, following a shaken Jemma struggling to sleep after Maveth, and how Daisy finds a way to help her out. Incredibly sweet, tender and BEAUTIFULLY written, this one was an instant favourite the moment I read it!

Unspoken by @anxiouslynumbme - a birthday fic for yours truly, and, honestly, one of the most STUNNING Staticquake introspectives I've read. It follows Daisy and Lincoln in a beautifully tender missing moment in season 3, with them both realising their feelings, and just... AHHHHHHHH, everything about it is utterly incredible!! I cannot, cannot recommend this gem of a fic enough

the thing about water droplets and ruffled hair by @que-mint-tea - here's another fic that proves, once and for all, how good Kat's Dekesy is, because it managed to convert T to write some Dekesy smut. And, oh my GOSH, what Dekesy smut - so goshdarn angsty, but so FANTASTICALLY characterised and written that it leaves you more than a little breathless, and gaping at your screen. The first chapter initially left us on the most HORRIFIC cliffhanger, but then T fixed it, and it's just... this thing is really a whole new level of emotional writing, raw and gripping and intensely perfect for both of these characters. My haw still drops whenever I think of this thing, and how utterly AMAZING it was, so yeah. Fic rec!!!

beautiful stranger, there you are by @justanalto - I do believe I still owe Serena a long and very gushy comment on this thing, because, MAN, does it ever deserve that!! Pipsy and fake dating, with the most HILARIOUSLY incredible writing, plot and characterisation, and honestly just a giddy "askhdfkhsfh" whenever I think back to how much I enjoyed it. Yup, it was that good.

Jumping to conclusions by @eowima - a very special one, because it marks my love Océane's first venture into writing AoS fic! It's an AU of 1x06 (the Fitzsimmons episode of s1) where Fitz does actually jump out of the plane to save Jemma. Realisations of feelings, and some of the most genuinely FANTASTIC Fitz characterisation I've read in a while, follow - and, yup, I was shouting at my screen for them just to get together already. Amazing stuff, really!!

Look into your eyes and the sky's the limit by @eowima - okay, this. This. Another gift for me, and one that I will probably treasure forEVER, because it is just?? so?? utterly?? perfect?? Just for starters, the title is a Hamilton reference - and then the theme of Hamilton references continues into the fic itself, I'm delighted to say. There's also the most BEAUTIFUL, playful Skimmons friendship, and teasing, and then of course the bet about who can make out with their crush first... Staticquake & Fitzsimmons perfection. And all rendered in Océane's delightful, best-thing-ever-to-read writing!! I'm going into a giddy keyboard smash just THINKING about this, so yeah, cannot recommend it enough.

lullabies and clear blue skies by @springmagpies and @bobbimorseisbisexual - okay, I never thought I'd catch myself shipping FitzBobbi, let alone shipping it this hard, but... wow. Maggie and Al teamed up to completely blow me away, and MELT MY WHOLE ENTIRE HEART with the sheer cuteness of this!! It features Fitz, Bobbi and adopting two daughters, and it's just the most tender, beautiful development through that little family - I love it so, so much.

We made all the wrong choices by @browneyedgenius - the winner of the AoS Angst War 2020, how could I not include this one? It is such a well-deserved win, though, whoa - I was sobbing, full-on sobbing, at least twice while reading. It follows the season 5 team through the events of the time-loop, after they failed to save the world - and, oh my gosh, it ripped my heart right out of my chest, but beautifully so. Everything about this fic just hits so hard, and it's written so well - yeah, really a most AMAZINGLY deserved win, for an utterly SHATTERINGLY incredible fic.

I threw stones at the stars (but the whole sky fell) by @nazezdha321 - this is Z showing us all how to write a backstory for a minor character, and write it so well that everyone's hearts break all over again when she dies. This one is about Victoria Hand, and it builds a stirring and profound childhood for her, also making her rise through the ranks of SHIELD and just her entire character mean so much more. Really, fic-wise, this is goals, and I take my hat off to you, Z, 1000%, for writing it.

in which the universe is put together by @besidemethewholedamntime - Rebecca's emotional writing, particularly Fitzsimmons' emotions, is incomparable, and she proves it all over again in this fic. If follows Fitz and Jemma before, after and during the bloodwork, and I just... wow, honestly. The emotion!! And the characterisation!! Absolutely stunning, and honestly all I could wish for in a we-had-time fic.

Agents of SHIELD Season 8 by @egumal - THIS. This, this, this, oh my gosh - as fix-it fics go, this has to be the most spectacular one I have ever read. What it does is find a way - a potentially canon compliant way, too - to bring back Lincoln Campbell, and reunite Staticquake. Basically: just about as season 7 finishes, the Astro Ambassadors get an unexpected visitor from another timeline, who asks them to come help out against Hive. Case in point, Daisy meets her lost love again (... but he has no idea who she is) and also has to relive the Fallen Agent drama. It all gets even more complicated when Kora restores Lincoln's memories, and Daisy meets the full team Deke has assembled around him in the 33 years (for him) that they've been apart... in short, this is one of the most thorough, well-written and downright SHOCKING plot-twist-wise fics that you will ever read, and honestly, saying "I can't recommend it enough" is an understatement. This thing is thd BEST, plain and simple!

Black Roses aren't real (but you and I are) by @ohwriteiforgot - ahhhh, a fic that will always have an incredibly special place in my heart, because it introduced me to one of my best fandom friends. The main focus is on Clintasha, it's true, but it's also a crossover with AoS in the sense that Clint was adopted by Coulson and May. Also, Daisy is his little sister, and their bond is gold. Also - there's Staticquake!! And flower shops!! And rivals to friends to lovers!! All I'm going to say is, what more can you ask for?!

A book to shield my story by @maybebrilliant - Staticquake High School AU, ahhhhhhhh!! There are only two chapters out so far, but the way this is shaping up is making my DAY - with Daisy as the new girl who meets Lincoln and his group of friends, and, though her foster parents are absolutely shit, starts to find actual happiness in a school for the first time in her life. Also - THE REFERENCES. Guys. I'm crazy for those, and in this book, so are my favourite dorks, Daisy and Lincoln - and let me tell you, it's nothing short of the best thing ever.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @heysteverogers - AoS really has been the most INCREDIBLE journey through the years, but what's really made it special is the company - and that's summed up perfectly in this gorgeous gifset. Also, the graphics on this are just, ahhhh, stunning - I'm in awe, and I've spent very long periods of time just looking at this thing in a state of heart-eyes.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @jemannesimms - combining Auld Lang Syne and the final scenes of my favourite show was a raw emotional - but utterly brilliant experience - for me. It's just so absolutely beautiful, and perfectly suited to the team, and their goodbyes!! Breathtaking editing work here, too.

This Daisy as Peter Parker and May as Tony Stark moodboard by @agentsofcomedyandchaos - ahhhh, a crossover of two of my favourite fandoms!! And what a lovely one, too - the colour scheme, quotes, and just the whole FEEL of this is absolutely genius, and I am guilty of being inspired by way too many fic ideas by it. Stunning stuff!!

And... whoa, that was long, but I really do feel that we deserve a bit of a proper pat on the back after creating such magical content in such a messed up year. So that's the note I'm going to leave you with for 2020, my friends: hell-year or no, look at the absolute beauty we were still able to create!! We really are freaking amazing, guys.

#aos best of 2020 #fic rec #massive fic rec list #and honestly; WHAT a list!!#despite this utter hellstorm of a year #we as a fandom have still been nothing short of INCREDIBLE #and honestly; I am SO proud of us #💜💜💜

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colony22graphics · 4 years

Photo

Welcome to Colony 22′s Holiday AU Bingo Challenge!

Since the last AU Bingo board was such a hit, we decided now would be the perfect time for volume 2—holiday style! It’s our hope that this little (totally optional) game will help give you fun bursts of muse during a quieter season on the dash, and lots of engaging things to explore, whether you’re interested in canon self-paras or headcanons, non-canon AU threads, or playful graphics, for yourself or for others!

Of course as it is not actually December in the RP verse, the ‘holiday’ theme is mostly for us muns, but is also intentionally vague—you may explore any holiday, family gathering, religious or non-religious tradition that strikes your fancy or that inspires you based on the tiles above! (i.e. in the RP verse, it’s actually around Passover time, so you may prefer to explore something along those themes, or any other holiday your character(s) would have participated in—or even decidedly not participated in). I also know snow and winter and some of the traditions references don’t apply to everyone for the December holidays, but feel free to get creative and explore them in whatever way you like!

How it Works

Each square on the board has a theme that you can incorporate into any kind of creative work you wish! The WHITE tiles (trope themes) are specifically AU, and are intended for any written or other creative works that involve other characters from the RP but are intentionally an Alternate Universe and therefore non-canon. (Of course, mentions/inclusions of characters other than your own in self-paras etc will require the consent of other muns!) The BLUE tiles, however, are WORD PROMPTS and can also be used to explore canon things, including flashbacks/self-paras, moodboards, headcanons, etc. (If you choose to do any of these blue tile word prompts as AUs instead, then be sure it’s clearly labelled as such!)

Additionally, for the AU Themes, if you are interested in writing threads with other players, you are certainly welcome to do them as paras (might be a great opportunity if you need to up your para counts) but you are also welcome to explore chat threads—and here’s a fun kicker: if you wish, you may choose alternate faceclaims for the threads, if the AU involves any age changes (your character as a kid or teenager, or perhaps your character older and married or so on and so forth!) But of course, this is totally optional!

Non-Written Creations

As all media rules still apply, the following submissions should be submitted to the Graphics Blog:

gif sets

graphics

visual artwork (i.e. sketches, drawings, paintings etc etc)

video edits

playlists (with cover art)

[ As always, you will be properly credited for all your work, and you are always welcome to add your own credit text in the description of your submission and format it any way you like! ]

[ submit here ]

Written Work

Written work (self-paras, para or chat threads, poetry, miscellaneous ~experimental~ wordy things) can be posted on your own character account as long as it is clearly marked in the title to indicate that it’s an AU bingo activity or canon flashback/word prompt/headcanon etc and everything should be tagged with #col22bingo, so that the mods can easily locate it and there is no confusion. Feel free also to track the tag!

Please also note in the TITLE (and separately in tags if you wish) which square the submission/creation is for. Some of them are going to be super obvious, but some may not be, and it’ll make things a lot easier for the mods to track if you title and tag them appropriately!

Some Theme Examples

As you can see, most of the categories are pretty self explanatory, but we thought a couple of them would benefit from a bit of clarification, so:

National Lampoon AU: Inspired by the classic Christmas film “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” this tile is basically looking for anything involving family gatherings and the chaos/absurdity/disaster that often comes with it. First holiday shared with the crazy in-laws? Family members or exes who absolutely can’t be in the same room but are in the same room? Over crowded homes with cousins and uncles sleeping on couches and air-mattresses? Disastrous cooking or decorating or gathering fiascos? Basically, you name it, and we’ll be here for it—with popcorn.

Home Alone AU: A Macaulay Culkin style adventure—feel free to explore the ‘getting left behind at the airport’ element, the ‘going ham on home intruders’ element, any creative variation of such scenarios, or all of the above! This might be an example of one that works well as a crossover idea!

Holiday “Spirits” AU: Get into the Holiday Spirit by breaking out those Holiday Spirits!! As in, any scenario involving getting tipsy (or downright sloshed) on eggnog or liqueur or wine (the list goes on and on.) This doesn’t have to be your character, of course, it can be any combination of scenarios, just something about celebratory drinks (or lack there of!) Reminder to please tag any triggers where it might be appropriate!

Pantomime AU: A very British Christmas tradition of comedic, fantastical stage performances often based on well known children’s stories, with encouraged (and silly) interactions from the audience. If you’re not British, but you’ve ever been to a Rocky Horror performance, it might be a little bit like that. Read about this fabulous and fun tradition here.

"The tree” AU: This one is a bit more Christmas specific, but any scenario involving getting a tree—whether it be buying a real one from a market, fetching one from the woods and bringing it home, putting up a fake one, decorating, arguing... and of course, if you’re looking for chaos, any fiascos that may come with any of these scenarios!

Closing Details

Just like last time, this is purely for fun and there is zero pressure to participate if it doesn’t tickle your fancy, but if you do want to, you can track your progress on the board located on the graphics blog here. (We will update as frequently as we can, but it may take up to a day or two for your results to appear!)

During the course of this challenge, we will post updates whenever someone achieves a line, (or if by some miracle, someone goes for a blackout!) There are no prizes, but there are definitely bragging rights. For the time being, the end date of this challenge is TBD, but it will likely last through January. It doesn’t feel particularly necessary to close these things super quickly, but we may at some point stop tracking the results, and we’ll let you know when that happens!

As always, if you have any questions at all about the game, submission types or any of the AU themes or prompts, please hit us up on the main blog ask and we’ll be glad to help! We will tag all posts and answers regarding this challenge with col22bingo so you can easily find it in the tags or on the main blog!

And finally, to every member of this little star RP fam, new and old and everything in between, thank you for an amazing year. Though 2020 was rough on all accounts and for everyone, this community and you fabulous people helped to provide an oasis of safety and imagination to escape to when things on the outside got bad. I know I speak for just about every last one of us when I say I seriously don’t know where I would have been all year without you guys. All the mods and I are so, so grateful for your continued, absolutely staggering loyalty and commitment. So here’s to another incredible year at Colony 22! Let’s finish off our 7th year right!

Lots of love, and have fun!!

Col22!Mods

#col22bingo #literate rp #original rp #mature rp #bio rp

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loisette · 5 years

Text

SL Switch Up Challenge (Camus)

...Except I changed up some things: the “add at least one of his cards to your teams” was ignored for the most part and I picked my least favourite character (Camus, if you haven’t read the title) instead of the one that I have the lowest bond with because it seemed more fitting with the spirit of the challenge! Original ruleset can be found here!

I actually did this a while ago but I didn’t have time to post it because I was busy with uni and then decided to go for T3 UK Reiji. Maybe it’s for the best though, my perspective changed a little with time.

Day 1

First thing I’ve noticed are his heart links. I love how they progress, you can tell which one is the level 1 and which one is the level 3 or at least I think that’s the order they should be in, I’ve been avoiding Camus since I saw his Bond 50 lines. It’s how I wish heart links were the first place... well, maybe not to this extent but you know, something like an obvious fact for the first one and as it progresses you learn more less-known stuff that’s not that easy to notice.

I picked this heart links because even though I knew he had this sort of dynamic with Ran, I didn’t expect him to say it so openly. Maybe it’s a sign that he grew closer to the player and starts to admit what he truly thinks of the others (considering that first line is said in his butler voice), maybe it’s the heart links progression I was talking about or maybe a little bit of both - I’m not sure.

Day 2

Yeah, I know, it’s the last heart link lines, I’m sorry. I have everyone x everyone heart links level 3 unlocked so I spend the day trying to see if all of them follow the same pattern as Ranmaru’s. There are two characters that he compliments in all of the heart links - Ai and... Natsuki.

Ai I understand, I figured this one out but Natsuki was a huge surprise to me, especially that last line. I didn’t expect him to even be able to stand Natsuki’s personality. I’m not sure when does he show that smartness but okay, I don’t know his character that well either...

The vision of him and Natsuki just chillin’ and drinking tea is pretty cute and calming. Welp, another rare pair to the collection I guess! ...Now I lowkey regret that Butler Natsuki event didn’t feature Camus as the SR tbh. Maybe we’ll get some tea party set with the two as the URs in the future?

Day 3

He’s ticklish?! A-anyway... Overall, his reactions when poked are surprisingly soft. Aaand the pictured ones are all said in his deep voice (well, I’m not sure about the laugh). There’s this I guess...:

...But he still doesn’t use that prideful, condescending tone. He’s almost tsudere-like tbh. Well, almost.

Day 4

That was the day I realized that even though I didn’t pick Camus based on the bond, I should still probably show it to prove I’m doing something. So, here’s my bond with him as of Day 4:

As well as his heart links:

I started the challenge with him being on early Bond 65 too (or 7th based on the bond) but I unfortunately have no screenshots of that moment. Also yeah, I changed his costume and wallpaper because I’m not even sure how long he’s been left with it and I was getting tired of it. I guess he deserves better than the LtM outfit.

I should probably show the teams I use(d) too. It was after the event already but here are the event teams anyway:

I kept switching Prince Natsuki with Renarty for Seien no Brave Heart for higher score. I could have done so with Camus because they score the same so there’s something I guess? Also there’s no Shine team because my Dream used to be my Shine (UK Reiji saved it...at least for now) with two members swapped and I only played one Shine song - You’re My Life - because I needed more Shine gems for the weekly misson.

Here you can see the team I used (and still use!) outside of the events:

After unlocking everybody’s heart links level 3 I started farming Ai’s level 4 ones. Originally it was 3 Ren and 3 Syo cards but I added Camus. Honestly... I wasn’t really to try to follow the original rules.

I genuinely like the way Camus heart links work so he’s staying in there until I unlock that last heart link...which might turn out to be next year if KLab doesn’t slow down with the events. At the time of writing this their heart link is 1801 until rank up so not much progress but Syo and Ren need way less time so it should get faster once I finish theirs.

I don’t have many of lines from that day and I read all of the stories but the focusing on the teams gave me an idea. His cards.

He has some very gorgeous cards (two pictures below are taken from the wiki). I went for Mafia Camus just because I loved the theme. Idolized art still looks great after all this time too!:

I like his Halloween v2 so much that I tried scouting in his half to get him (no luck though) and unidolized is honestly one of my favourite cards in the game!:

...Welp, I think you can guess what kind of aesthetics I like.

Also...as silly as it is, I like singing karaoke (but with vocals left and it’s only at home so not really) with my sister and occasionally one of my friends and have color-coded lyrics for almost 40 songs atm. We all suck me the most but it’s fun and we don’t care. Anyways, the point was - out of 4 Utapri songs we have prepared the lyrics for (well, only I did...), somehow 2 of them feature Camus - Junketsunaru Ai -Aspiration- and NorthWind and SunShine.

Junketsunaru is super fun to sing and it’s my favourite Camus solo but I really like Zettai Reido Emotion as well!

One of my favourite songs overall - Trois - also features Camus. Non-Fiction is a banger too! ...I’m not gonna list songs with 4 and more people because this would take way too long so I’ll stop here.

And as a side note, I really love how this line sounds (sorry for no clip, it’s sort of breathy, something in between his regular and fake voice):

Day 5

I’m not sure if the first line is mistranslation or not but I’ve chosen to believe it’s not. This sort of lines are the reason why Camus wasn’t at the very bottom of my favourite list for a short period of time.

Serious characters that act seriously or at least casually about stuff that sounds absurd or at least unfitting for them is something I find funny. I’m not sure if there’s a name for this trope, boke doesn’t exactly fit but I’m guessing I like it because I like this sort of Manzai humour Gintama uses anyways.

This also makes me chuckle but I felt like it didn’t match first two enough to get paired with them:

Aaand while this one might not seem particularly funny, it reminded me of my headcanons I first had when going through the profiles while SL was downloading - that the “fabulous hair guy” was a chuuni (because I didn’t believe his description) that loves Kuroshitsuji and tries to act like Sebastian because he think it’s cool:

I still headcanon that he’s a Sebastian stan btw.

And while not from SL and not something new I’ve learned, I just had to put this in here because it turned so fun themed (gif taken from here):

Day 6

Time for Camus idle lines! I really tried looking for stuff he says in his natural voice but I couldn’t find anything better.

First one is very basic but I wanted to give an overview of Camus lines at Bond 65 so it had to do. Ai’s were better even as early on but I guess there’s not much to show when you have to fit in some of the butler persona lines and there’s less idle lines that the ones caused by tapping (I think?) so I’m probably being too impatient... I hope.

The last one is something that I could put as a standalone “line of the day” though. It’s so satisfying to make him swallow his pride and ask instead of demand! It’s a small step but it would be so fulfilling to teach him his place... Maybe that’s one of the reasons his fans like him - they feel like they could change somebody for the better. Or is it more like revealing his true, soft side?

I guess characters like this make the thing more “realistic” (can I even use this word while refering to Utapri and Camus? Probably not). But I feel like it’s not what they were going for, considering the way he acts towards the player.

Anyway, I used to think his lines would be more like: “How dare you ignore me, peasant?” and couldn’t get what are the reasons people like him other than them having a thing for jerks. Now I can see some more logical ones.

Day 7

Aka all the negative stuff I cut out from the other days and my final thoughts and the bond/heart links update.

If you just wanted some wholesomeness and can’t accept any negativity, you can finish reading here, no hard feelings! Thank you for reading! and remember that liking or disliking a character doesn’t define a person so please no pointless attacking me

And if you are fine with it, thank you even more! A lot of this is speculations based on what I see in SL and I know still don’t understand Camus so feel free to try to change my mind if you know more than I do!

But first of all, here’s how my bond and heart links looked as of Day 7:

And this is how they look now, the week after the challenge:

Comparing Day 4 to Day 7, you can see that I was tapping him more than a couple times a day - he went up one whole level!

And about the current ones... I know Camus/Ai heart link barely moved but there was pretty much no downtime, my Bond/Link team is still the same! Most of the bond comes from being in my Star team.

Now that’s out of the way, here’s the line I mentioned Day 1, the very reason I Camus landed at the bottom of my list in the first place:

Yikes.

I already consider possessiveness a big flaw that they gave some characters because nobody’s perfect and some people are into that so it’s a win-win... but this is a whole another level (I’m not sure why out of all the words “can” is the one that’s capitalized though). It’s disturbing.

I do feel like there was a lot of potential in his character. They could give him some character development, make him show the side he shows to the player to the others too and I guarantee it would make him more popular.

I mean, my favourite is Ai. His attitude towards Syo and Natsuki in the early anime was pretty bad but he had changed, he even becomes friends with them and in the Denim stories it’s confirmed that they still hang out.

However... to me, even if Camus starts showing the same side he shows the player to the others, he will never make it higher than mid-tier of my list just because of this one line ...but I guess it still would be an improvement.

Also, I’ve heard that he’s no the only one that acts this way in the vn so if anyone could tell me the details that would be great... or not, depending on the boys but I’d still be grateful if you’d save me from liking someone like this!

Anyway, you could probably figure that out already but I find it awkward and uncomfortable how different he acts towards the player compared to how he acts towards the other idols, especially poor Cecil. Is there a legitimate reason he treats him this way?:

Other than simply “he dislikes him”, ofc. It’s a genuine question btw, if anyone knows more, especially from the VN, please tell me.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like the sort of rivalry between him and Ran but clearly it’s not how his relationship with Cecil works.

I might be reading too much into that but I feel like Cesshi seems aware of the side Camus shows to the player (which I didn’t catch first time I read the story tbh) and from the Camus side of the story I feel like he knows that he knows and yet, he still says this:

It’s just sad, really. Should I feel bad that he distanced himself from the others, is there any reason for that or is he making himself a victim to the player? ...Ugh, I know it’s not the case but it makes the most sense. Idk, is he too full of himself to notice? It doesn’t seem right, I mean... he called Natsuki smart... or smarter than he looks, at least.

Cecil is implied to know about his “true self” so I feel like he understands you to some extent. He’s trying to be nice to him, yet Camus refuses to acknowledge it... Here, despite the way he treats him, that poor baby still tries to (awkwardly) cheer him up:

I feel like his pride was hurt a little and Cecil did help him by saying that... but I don’t think I understand Camus enough so maybe not. Anyway, even though it was awkward, Cecil’s definitely being gentle here so I’m not sure why he can’t see that. Eh, I really don’t get this guy.

To quote best boy (who said this today as the 2nd bond boosting line so I had to put this btw):

And I doubt it’s just Cecil, it was probably implied by more people but it flew over my head because I didn’t know he’s so different when talking to the player.

Well, at least there's some improvement later in the story because he stops saying that kids like Cecil because he’s childish and instead rolls with the explanation Cecil gave him - it’s because Cecil has more experience with children.

I read those stories beforehand and it was why I was so surprised that he likes Natsuki - after all he acts the most childish and does what he wants. I’m not sure if there’s something important about Natsuki I’m missing don’t know or if talking to Alexander makes you smart in Camus eyes.

Okay, but back to his... triple-faceness, at this point? This is basically stuff I cut out of the Day 6 because I felt like it was getting too negative:

I don’t like how he’s only kinder to the player. If anything, it makes me wonder if he’s lying and picked just another mask good for geting what he wants. Ugh, I know it’s not the case again and you don’t need to convince me but with the character like this, I can’t really get rid of this feeling.

But I guess maybe it makes his fans feel truly special - characters like Otoya or Cecil are nice to everybody so the way they treat you in comparision to the others doesn’t have as much of an impact as it’s with Camus. Even Ran's softer side isn’t reserved only for the player. But ignoring how badly he treats the others just to feel special...it’s way too selfish for me but I get that some people find that attractive.

In conclusion, I didn’t have an accurate image of Camus personality before this challenge so I’m glad I did it. Now I understand that he’s way more complex, even if I don’t really get him. However I started seeing the reasons why some people might like him, so I feel like maybe I at least understood his fans better.

This challenge was pretty fun. I’m glad I learned something new, I might even do this again with Masato ...but probably without creating a post because I end up spending way too much time on it. I thought it’s gonna be way harder to pick the pictures (...though I made things easier for myself and started doing this by themes) or write anything about someone you don’t really like.

Even if I mainly focused on the negatives in the end, the things I said in the first 6 Day were important as well. He originally had his own separate “Nope” tier, now he’s in the bottom tier with Masato so it’s a bit of improvement? I still don’t like him (due to the stuff listed during Day 7 and more) but for different reasons and slightly less.

#slswitchup #camus #shining live #utapri #cecil aijima #natsuki shinomiya #ranmaru kurosaki #ai mikaze

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livelivefastfree · 6 years

Note

100% need a masterpost of your fics cause you've been drawing them and I love everything. But recs would be appreciated too!!

ALRIGHTY THEN. One……VERY large post of my fics and my Motorcity recs, coming up. ^v^ 50+ fics for y’all’s consumption.

Let’s start with my fics, because I know them better, haha.

–

Save A Horse, Ride A Dragon

One of my fav fics I’ve done to date in any fandom. Mike is a mercenary dragon trapped in the shape of a human, wandering the Michigan wastes in post-apocalyptic magical America, when he and his Burners get an offer from the mysterious Lord Vanquisher. T+ at this point for suggestive moments and makeouts. Polyburners/Muckles. Warnings for the Duke being The Worst, and for Mike being the DUMBEST oblivious thirst-lizard.

The Officer Present//Director Absent series (AKA Live Free and Welcome To The Kane Co Family)

A love letter to the Season 2 that never was, co-written by me and my twin sister toastyhat/HeatedHeadwear! :D Live Free chronicles the appearance of a new, menacing super-soldier in Motorcity, the shadowy machinations that led to his appearance and an overarching plan from Kane that could destroy Motorcity–once and for all!!!!!! Welcome to the Kane Co Family starts shortly after the fallout from the first, with both cities struggling to come to terms with their new reality–but the world is changing and there are new threats on all sides, and if they thought their status quo changed in the first fic, BOY THEY’VE GOT A BIG STORM COMING!! >8Dc Also Julie punches multiple people and generally kicks ass, it’s fabulousBoth fics are gen, they’re both rated T+ for violence, Evil Science, angst, etc. Warnings for copious Deluxe worldbuilding, egregious amounts of backstory, a couple OCs I’ve been reliably informed are extremely fun, and chapter titles in the style of anime episode titles, because why not. :D

Supersynesthesiac

Originally created solely to fill a prompt from a sexy prompt generator, this fic and the world it’s set in both spiralled wildly out of control, and a much more plot-heavy sequel is in the works. Supersynesthesiac follows Mike Chilton, a vigilante superhero in Detroit Of The Future, as he finally meets his elusive, telepathic partner Blonde Thunder under the most dramatic circumstances possible. Rated M for psychic makeouts, mind-melding and also there’s sex happening, probably. It’s not nearly as lovingly described as the mind-meld porn going on in the foreground. Polyburners is happening in the background, but this fic is basically entirely Muckles. Warnings for Red being awful.

Rest In Pieces (Come Apart)

Mike is getting entirely out of control, and needs to burn off energy before he can get himself (and everybody else) in trouble again. Fortunately his gang has a Plan.Rated M for sweet, loving and totally relentless polyburners gangbang. Warnings for everybody being absolute dorks. Also bondage and edging, if that’s not your thing. UoU

Werewolves Of Detroit

A series of vignettes exploring the world of Mike Chilton, rogue ex-commander werewolf, his vampire best friend, his highly unconventional pack, and the world they live in. EVERY section is illustrated and I’m very proud.Rated T+, mostly gen with mentions of Dutch/Tennie. Warnings for Kane being a huge bigot, mentions of KaneCo-mandated surgery, and Texas being an asshole about vampires.

Exposure Therapy

Mike has a cool idea for a cool present for his cool boyfriend to totally cure Chuck’s fear of going fast in Mutt. Rated M for dumb, fluffy smut and implied sex toys. Warnings for unsafe driving practices.

Kiss And Tell

Somebody came into my askbox and suggested polyburners–but the rest of the city doesn’t know that’s their relationship, just that SOME configuration of Burners is together, and it seems to change CONSTANTLY. Rated T+ for vaguely-implied possible sex at some point off-screen. Warnings for nothing, this fic is a perfect warm fluffy representation of my poly-burner feelings and I love it.

Wreck

A little snapshot from an AU I’m not really planning to flesh out–I mostly wanted to capture a certain kind of bittersweet emotional conflict. Chuck’s doing his best to keep his head down and live through college when a face he hasn’t seen since The Accident shows up at his door. Vaguely Muckles-ish. Rated T+ for reference to a nasty car accident and the aftermath, warnings for Kane being, just, Not A Good Dad.

Override 0

Not exactly an AU, more of a speculative fic about the Burners finding out that Chuck’s enhancements go a lot further than just the weapons systems in his arms. A realization prompted, of course, by the Duke of Detroit’s thirst for drama. T+, no pairings. Warnings for, in the words of AO3′s tag system, “#Loss Of Limbs”, mind control via brain-hacking, and mentions of unethical scientific/surgical procedures.

So Real In The Dark

I challenged myself to write people pining for each other while simultaneously being in a relationship, and a sci-fi AU with an artificial amnesia hookup service turned out to be the solution. Half a fic about boys being incredibly dumb, and half a fic about trauma, bigotry, coping mechanisms and communication, and how you can love somebody and know them incredibly well and still not really understand them. Explicit, Muckles, background Dutch/Tennie and Claire/Julie. Warnings for brief stranger danger, aphrodisiacs, more poor treatment of cyborgs, and emotional gut-punch.

–Stuff I Post About That Isn’t Posted/Finished Yet–

Burnerswap

A universe where the Burners are grown-up villains, and the former villains of the canon series are our new teenage heroes. They’re dysfunctional and weird, but they’re doing their best to protect the clean, orderly, shining city of Deluxe from the gangs and bots and nasty, climbing bots that Ms. Kane sends up from the city below. UoU Likely to be rated T+ if I ever post it. Not much in the way of pairings except Ms. Kane’s right and left-hand man are VERY married and VERY tragic because you know I gotta fit Muckles in there.

–Collab Fic / Gift Fic–

Chilton 2.0 by me and LaughingStones

The Kane Co. super-soldier program needs a volunteer, and who better to be superhumanly enhanced than the rising star of the Security program, Commander Chilton? He’d never betray Kane Co, or need to have his brain overridden! There’s no way this project can possibly go wrong! Rated M for some pretty fucked-up treatment of cyborgs, and also for sexy future reasons. Warnings for Mike getting really messed up physically, emotionally and psychologically by bad programming and free-will overrides, and also for dumb boys stumbling awkwardly through impromptu sex-ed together. Muckles.

i’m not the same kid from your memory by roachpatrol and also I helped

Kane Co. captures Chuck and manages to do some nasty shit to his brain before the Burners come and re-capture him. Chuck does NOT appreciate being held captive by Burner Scum. Emotions!!! Angst!!!!! …it’s rated T+ on AO3 but there’s sex so just, be aware of that. UoU Muckles!

Experiments In Cross-Species Makeouts by LaughingStones

This one is very hard to explain, because Jem and I like to bounce of each other’s AUs and fics and write derivative fics of fics–there’s an OC in the Live Free/Welcome To The Kane Co Family universe who has what is essentially a nasty brainy kismessisitude/hate-love relationship (not fully explored in the fic, but very fleshed out in my mind, haha) with Chuck. And this is….those two, but with the races/species from Werewolves of Detroit. So…supernatural AU Chuck/OC hate-sex. M, obviously. Warnings for vampires getting drunk on siren blood and Live Free/WttKCF spoilers.

Recalibration Nation by HeatedHeadwear

!!!! A fic for my picture of Chuck as the Duke’s cyborg bodyguard, because toasty is great. A+ hurt/comfort and recovery and bittersweet life-goes-on vibe, aslkfjsadf I love it. T+, no pairings, warnings for anxiety/panic attacks, ear trauma, violence, emotions.

Proper Disposal Of Project Materials by LaughingStones

A scene in Chilton 2.0 I didn’t get to write; Chuck is a Failed Project, and Kane Co. has no used for Failed Projects. Fortunately, the techs he grew up working with have his back. T+ for (yet again) unethical treatment of cyborgs.

Making Friends The Superhero Way by LaughingStones

Set before Supersynesthesiac; Mike’s good at his superhero job, but sometimes everybody needs help. In this case, help just happens to have cat ears. Gen, rated G. Warnings for trouble breathing and also Mike being a doofus.

The Space Shenanigans series by LaughingStones and roachpatrol

Loosely related to/based on the Forget Me Not, but set much later. I’m not sure FMN is going to be poly or not, but these fics are inspired-by, so they go in this section. :D The various sexy shenanigans of space-captain Mike, cyborg Chuck and Julie the terrifying space princess. M for sexy shenanigans. Warnings for (acted/fake) dubcon for the benefit of an asshole, and…..just various sexual shenanigans, I would check the warnings on the fics, haha. :D

–Aaaaaand some non-me recs!–

(((I’m going to have to speed through these a little bit more, but I love them also, this post is just getting VERY long)))

All Steamed Up by Gumbridge

Gen, G: coffeeshop AU, technically. Chuck would REALLY like a new espresso machine, he has done the MATH, it’s GOOD BUSINESS, MIKE!!!!!

Artificial Nocturne by Icka M. Chif (mischif)

Gen, T+: Mike accidentally trespasses on the territory of a mysterious guy who calls himself “Hound”. Mike immediately sets about pushing past the emotional barrier of standoffishness and the physical barrier of giant, repurposed KaneCo HOUNDbots, and ends up with two awesome new friends out of the deal. (The “Chuck is a constantly-terrified badass with an army of bots” AU)

Atlas and Copernicus by charcoalmink

Gen, G: A piece about how Kane can think of Mike and Julie both as his children, but feel so completely different about them. Hurts so good, ahhh ToT

Behind The Throne by intravenusann

Duke/No. 2, Explicit: Number 2 would never really leave. But sometimes it’s nice to be reminded why she stays.

Bittersweet by EnsignCelery

Gen, G: Sometimes they get stressed. Sometimes you just gotta lie down and cuddle.

Chicken Soup For The Burner Soul by renquise

Gen, G: Mike’s immunity boosters start to wear off and he goes down like a tree. Good old-fashioned soft sickfic hurt/comfort.

Constantinople And Timbuktu / By(zantine) Any Other Name by (orphan_account)

Mike/Chuck, G: oh my god, this fic is strange to explain but so fun?? Historical AU–Chuck’s an orphan who ended up a body-double for russian royalty in like 1500, until he ends up kind of ambiguously kidnapped by a Tatar horseman who doesn’t speak his language but has a really nice smile and a fun come-and-go family of other riders from other countries. In the words of the author, “ [the Russian nomad!au] “

Degreaser by Gumbridge

Claire/Julie, T+: Claire can tolerate getting dirty down in Motorcity, but it has to be under the right circumstances. Julie provides those circumstances.

I Thought You Were Dead by Caligraphunky

Gen, G: Jacob thought all the androids he created for KaneCo were scrapped. But here’s unit CHUCK, back again.

In The Lost Age Where The Jewels Hide by roachpatrol and LaughingStones

Chuck (Lord Vanquisher)/Mike (Smiling Dragon), Explicit: The LARPing group plays WAY crazier games than Mike is used to, but he could really get used to in-character Never Have I Ever if it always ends with stuff like this. WOW. Sex is GREAT.

Loaded Up And Truckin’ by RaccoonDoom

Gen, T+: Smokey And The Bandit AU–AKA Jacob has a truck and uses it to run illegal goods; Mike and Chuck run interference and keep the cops off his tail. Trucker AU, heyyyy. :D

Love Free by Prim_the_Amazing

Multi/Polyburners, G: KaneCo has the algorithms, the expertise, they determine the most perfect possible partner. So what do you do when the person KaneCo chooses isn’t the person you wanted?

Never Quite Thought We Could Lose It All by LaughingStones

Mike/Chuck, Explicit: It’s not weird for a KaneCo tech to have a huge blank spot in their memory, but it is unusual for one of their childhood friends to show up at their cubicle dressed as a physical relief technician, looking stressed and desperate and acting like Chuck should know him. Warning for implied/referenced noncon.

The Obligatory Fantasy AU series by LaughingStones

Mike/Chuck, G/T: Chuck’s a Mage On A Mission, and he’s not going to be derailed by the fact that his bodyguard is definitely a dragon who definitely considers Chuck his beautiful, golden-haired treasure.

our guts can’t be reworked by roachpatrol

Mike/Julie, Chuck/Mike, T+: Mike finds out he’s bisexual in the most confusing possible way: BODY-SWITCHING.

Pyrrhic Victory by Clementine

Mike/Chuck, G: I live for Mike and Chuck LARPing dramatic emotional scenes and being dumb, dorky boys and that’s what this is, and I LOVE it.

Quiet by deanon

Mike/Chuck, Explicit: Mike makes the mistake of wondering about Chuck and sex and being noisy, and get catapulted abruptly into terrible, flustered pining.

Quit or Retry by Caligraphunky

Gen, T+: a really short but really nicely done piece that slowly illuminates more and more of a single scene until you get the full picture. fear. android Chuck.

Riding Shotgun by Oisiflaneur

Polyburners, T+: I’ve never smoked pot but I’m all for the Burners hanging around being chill and kissing and occasionally also Mike does shotguns and people make out.

rise if you’re sleeping (stay awake) by RaccoonDoom

Gen, T+: Another cyborg fic, this time about Mike and Chuck and insomnia and nightmares. Sweet hurt-comfort. UwU

Rule Number Eight by drown (teii)

Chuck/Texas, Chuck->Mike, T+: the fic that got me into Chuxas–starting with the aftermath of one-sided Chuck/Mike and chronicling Chuck’s descent into weird, Texas-related madness.

Scars by corelton

Claire/Julie, G: Julie’s line of work puts her in enough danger for her to actually have scars, like, old-fashioned scars from actual injuries. Claire is fascinated by them.

searchlights in the parking lots of hell by roachpatrol

Gen, T+: I don’t know if it sounds like a compliment to say this is one of the most subtly, gorgeously horrifying fics I’ve ever read, but that’s basically how I feel. Mike is a kid in a cyborg program, and he keeps ending up in sparring matches with the same kid, over and over again; it’s a different kind of unsettling every time. There’s something about seeing a scenario that’s obviously intensely messed up, through the point of view of a character who thinks it’s normal and good. It gives it a special, extra punch.

Sex Level: Texas! by LaughingStones

Texas->Mike, Texas->Burners, Explicit: Texas has some totally cool and sexy thoughts–mostly about Mike. WHAT? It’s not like it's weird.

Spend Life Fighting For Your Sanity by roachpatrol

Dutch/Tennie, T+: Deluxe has no patience for rebel scum, free-thinkers or artists. Unfortunately for Dutch’s continued health and well-being, he’s all of those things. Even if he can’t really remember what he did. AKA: Deluxe re-captures Dutch and comprehensively fucks him up, but SUCK IT you can’t take away the colors in his SOUL.

Sprouts by renquise

Gen, G: a fic about Dutch finding ROTH, and Dutch and Chuck becoming ROTH’s weird programmer dads. ROTH is adorable and the characterization is great, A++

Test Drive by renquise

Mike/Julie, Explicit: Julie and Mike have a fun adventure in pegging together.

thursday’s child has far to go (and they go so very, very quickly) by thinkingCAPSLOCK

Gen, G: Kane loses one child, but at least he still has the other.

Walls Twice As Strong by deanon

Mike/Chuck, T+: in the words of the original summary: “When Mike and Chuck fight, everybody knows.“

We Are Golden by renquise

Polyburners, T+: Mike kisses everybody, and it’s soft and good and makes my heart feel all happy.

We Can’t Punch Good: A Love Story by heartsinhay

Dutch/Texas, T+: Texas is pretty sure Dutch has just gotten immune to Texas’s sweet Texas Moves, but that’s okay. Texas has got more than one trick up his sleeve, and he knows what Dutch likes. Probably

yellow highway lines (that you’re relying on to lead you home) by renquis

Gen, G: A delicious exploration of the world that might exist outside the dome, and also THE BURNER ROADTRIP FIC YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. The kids take a package from Rayon and go on the road, headed for San Fran come hell or nuclear superstorm.This is one of the first Motorcity fics I read, and It’s a big part of why I started making things for this fandom in the first place. :D Very recommend, A++

#Anonymous #Motorcity #Fic Recs #Writing Is Hard #y'aLL THERE ARE SO MANY FICS OH MY GOD #JEEZY FUCK

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centeris2 · 6 years

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It got worse when winter set in, illnesses soaring. Rebecca had her suspicions, the entire town did, but they had no proof or way of knowing how they were being poisoned. There was no other explanation for Kembell being able to sell a cure that stopped the disease. But it was so widespread, people from other towns and villages coming to find cures for the diseases ravaging the country as hunger set in. Whether he sold them true cures or fake potions didn’t matter, his wealth was expanding, as was his influence. And with that, he grew bolder and more vicious.

The final straw for Rebecca was when she was selling oatcakes in the town square, hoping to make enough money today to be able to buy a fish. It would be an indulgence, but she desperately wanted meat after going more than two weeks eating nothing but her baked goods and the occasional egg she did not use for baking.

There was a commotion, Kembell perched on his shire and a few of his thugs entering a house, dragging the family out. Rebecca realized it was the Soundwatcher family, one of the families that spun and wove cloth. They made delightful clothes, though Rebecca had only ever gotten the plainest of clothes, no dyes or patterns for her.

“Garth Soundwatcher, you haven’t been keeping up with your payments, and you have cheated me,” Kembell informed the man as he was thrown to the ground in front of the horse. Garth Soundwatcher was one of the more vocal in his displeasure against Kembell’s tyranny, and everyone watching knew that was the real reason for this public act.

“Your payments are unjust! Forcing us to pay you off so you don’t destroy our products, thinking you can dictate who I sell to and what I sell while you take most of the money! I will not stand for it! The people will not stand for your villany any longer!” Garth Soundwatcher declared.

“We made a deal. You have backed out on that deal and withheld money that belongs to me. That’s stealing,” Kembell said with a smirk.

“You think you can beat and bully everyone into submission! Beat me, flog me if you like, but I will not tolerate you any further!” Garth challenged.

“Seize his family,” Kembell ordered, his guards grabbing Garth’s wife, two sons, and daughter.

“You can’t scare us! We are united!” Garth shouted, though now he looked afraid and glanced at his neighbors.

“I have no interest in scaring you,” Kembell rolled his eyes and gestured for his guards to bring the family to the center of the square. The bystanders cleared out, knowing Kembell would trample anyone who got in front of his horse. Kembell dismounted his horse and approached the daughter, named Nellie, a year younger than Rebecca.

“What are you doing? Stop! She did nothing!” Garth yelled, terrified now as Kembell grabbed Nellie by the neck.

“I thought you said you were united, therefore you are all punishable for theft and failure to meet your payments,” Kembell smirked, the guards keeping Nellie from fighting as Kembell hoisted up her skirts.

“All?” Garth muttered, going pale.

“Of course, everyone in your family will be punished,” Kembell said rolling his eyes as though it was obvious. The family screamed and begged, fighting back, trying to break away, begging for mercy.

Rebecca, like everyone else, stood numbly, watching. What else could they do? Peasants had to submit to their higher ups, it was their position in life. This was how it was. Even if it made her blood boil there was nothing she could do. She was just one girl, and they’d turn around and do the same to her if she gave them the slightest reason to. Although, as a young woman, they didn’t need to reason, Kembell took what he wanted. Garth Soundwater was a fool, thinking screaming in the streets would get people to rally behind him. How could they fight back against Kembell? He was too powerful. Kembell was just another violent lord.

Except.

Kembell wasn’t a noble. He was just a peasant who cheated and forced his way into riches. Nobles didn’t care about peasant conflicts.

Rebecca grabbed an oatcake from her basket and pegged it at Kembell’s head with all her might. And kneading dough builds muscle.

The oatcake smacked him in the back of the head, the force snapping his head down and making the oatcake break.

He snarled and whipped his head around, forgetting the sobbing Nellie in his grip as he adjusted his trousers and turned around.

“Who threw that?” he demanded. Oh Goddess, what had she done?

“Her! The bread girl!” one of the guards who had seen her pointed and shouted.

“You dare assault your lord?!” he shouted, stomping over to her.

“You are no lord! You’re nothing more than a peasant who cheated his way to wealth!” Rebecca shouted back, reminding everyone that Kembell was no better than her. “No title! No land! No ties to nobility!” She kept going, encouraged by the whispers and murmurs in the crowd.

“How dare-” Kembell snarled as he got to her, hand raised to strike her. She was going to be punished anyway.

Her knee to his crotch cut him off, forcing him to a complete halt as he gasped and tried to not fall. To add insult to injury she swung her basket, slamming it into his face and sending him to the ground.

“You-!” Kembell growled, scrambling to his feet, furious that she had fought back and dirtied his fine silk.

A harsh laugh broke through the crowd, stopping Kembell before he could strike Rebecca.

“Who dares-” Kembell shouted, red in the face, but was cut off by men in robes dropping their hoods.

“Presenting Countess Foressa, Marchioness Mistfall, Lady Adalinda of the House of Drake,” the bodyguard announced, the laughing revealing itself to be a noble woman under a dark hood.

Everyone dropped to their knees, bowing to the Countess.

“I thank you, my subjects, for the entertainment today,” she said and stepped toward Kembell and Rebecca.

“You, girl,” she said, looking down her thin nose at Rebecca. The peasant didn’t dare look up, raising her head only to look at the Lady’s shoes and hem of her dress.

“Yes, my Lady?” Rebecca asked, quivering now. She was definitely going to die.

“Have you ever bed a man?” the random question made Rebecca raise her head a bit more, stopping before she looked above the Lady’s knees.

“No, my Lady,” Rebecca remembered to reply once the shock faded.

“You will regret it if you have lied,” Lady Adalinda warned before beckoning to her entourage, “bring the girl.”

“My Lady-!” Kembell stammered, furious at being overlooked and also that Rebecca was going to get out of his grasp.

“You are useless to me, begone,” she dismissed him, not even looking at him as she turned and walked away. Rebecca followed, unsure what else to do. What about her bakery? Her chickens?

Rebecca kept her head down, glancing around as they walked until they reached the edge of Jorviktown where a grand carriage was waiting.

“Ugh, I can’t stand these rags,” Lady Adalinda complained, holding her arms out and letting her guards remove the cheap looking cloak. Then they held her hands and assisted her into her carriage.

“Follow, girl,” she ordered, a finger beckoning Rebecca into the carriage after her.

“Brenton,” Lady Adalinda called, one of the guards approached at her call, “ride ahead to the Archbishop, I wish to have her virginity verified.”

“Of course, My Lady,” the knight said, bowing before mounting up, riding ahead to deliver the message.

“Now, girl, have you family?” Lady Adalinda asked, studying Rebecca now that they were alone in a carriage.

“No, My Lady.”

“A betrothed?”

“No, My Lady.”

“Excellent! How did you support yourself?”

“I took over the family bakery when my parents passed away, My Lady,” Rebecca explained curious by the questions. What was happening?

“Ah! A baker? Do you know how to make pastries?” she asked, a bit excited.

“It was too expensive for us to make the finer breads, fine ground flour is too expensive,” Rebecca explained, blushing and embarrassed.

“Ah, of course, such things are reserved for the higher classes of society,” the Lady chided herself, “if you knew such skills you would be more useful to me.”

“I can learn, My Lady,” Rebecca offered. Whatever Lady Adalinda wanted had to be better than going back and no doubt being killed by Kembell for her rebellion.

“Oh?” she asked, curious and clearly doubting the intelligence of peasants.

“If you wish, My Lady, I can learn anything you instruct me to learn,” Rebecca vowed, freezing at the cold laugh the noblewoman let out.

“Yes, I suspect you are desperate to be useful to me,” Lady Adalinda said with a dark chuckle, using her closed fan to lift up Rebecca’s face to look the peasant in the eyes. Looking at her face now Rebecca saw the fine and pointed bone structure of the Lady, her skin incredibly pale, and cruel grey eyes.

“What do you want from me, My Lady?” Rebecca asked, terrified of the look in the noblewoman’s eyes.

“I want you to be a virgin,” she said with a wide smile, “now be silent, I want to inspect you.”

Rebecca shut her mouth, glancing away and even more bewildered than ever. She felt herself trembling under the woman’s studious glare, her fine eyebrows low as she mulled over Rebecca’s appearance.

Rebecca swallowed and obediently moved about as the noblewoman used her fan to turn Rebecca’s face, move her hair, lit her arms, move her arms. Rebecca stiffened when the noblewoman pulled out a riding whip and tapped Rebecca’s ankles, making her spread her legs, revealing her feet and a bit of her ankles. She didn’t understand what the noblewoman wanted with her, but she felt like she was being appraised like an animal for sale. Perhaps that’s what she was?

The fear that she was no more than cattle got worse when they arrived at a fabulous castle and she was taken into the cathedral behind the impressive walls.

“Another one, Countess?” a richly dressed Archbishop asked, looking at Rebecca critically.

“Indeed, Archbishop. You will ensure that she is fit for my needs?” the noblewoman asked.

“Of course, Countess,” the Archbishop nodded his head to her, “the preparations have already begun.” He motioned to priests behind him who came up to Rebecca to take her.

“Excellent, thank you for all you do, Archbishop,” the noblewoman said with a grin before she departed, giving one last look to Rebecca before disappearing.

Rebecca obediently followed, anxious when she was taken into a room with priests and deacons, the Archbishop standing back and watching. She tried not to twitch and be nervous, but she had no idea what they would do to find proof that she was a virgin.

“Have you lain with a man?” the Archbishop asked.

“No, Your Excellency,” she answered, jumping when a priest touched her face.

“Where are you from?”

“Jorviktown, Your Excellency.”

“And you attended service?”

“Yes, Your Excellency, every Sunday.”

“And your confessions?”

“Every Saturday, more if time permitted.”

“I see, and the Jorviktown church, that is led by Father Augustine, is it not?”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“I shall send a messenger to verify your statements,” he said, nodding to a priest who left the room.

From there it got incredibly awkward for Rebecca, the questions turning into orders to strip for inspection. She continued to blush, trying to cover herself, looking down and unable to look at any of the priests as the inspected the size and shade of her nipples. She twitched and whimpered when they made her sit and spread her legs so they could check her hymen. They gave her water and then something bitter to drink, with the instructions to not relieve herself until she was given permission. She was allowed to put her clothes back on, but she was made to sit and wait. Even with her clothes on she felt humiliated, wrapping her arms around herself and crossing her legs, face burning from shame as she looked at the floor.

#medieval AU #sso #star stable #starstable #star stable online #starstableonline #fanfiction #My Work #My Writing

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seenashwrite · 6 years

Text

(see HERE for part one of answer)

Ah, mass appeal, that oft elusive lil' stinker. How to get it is one of those age-old questions for us creator-types. We want it, for personal reasons, for perhaps monetary reasons, and determining what constitutes it and how to tap into it and even if we should try to tap into it are all pickles.

No, not that type, those are fabulous. I mean sticky situations. The non-tempuraish bliss with delusion of "Hey, I'm doing great on my diet, 'cause it's a vegetable!" kind.

Spoiler Alert: I'm not going to tell you not to compare yourself to other people, of course you are, and in many ways this is a good thing, it's called having an ideal to which to aspire, except it shouldn't be rooted in popularity, the admiration should be for their work. . . . Thanks for your question!

I'm kidding, Dean, and you damn well know it. Bite me. And fetch me a whiskey. And some Death pickles. I got talkin’ to do.

Part Two: Water Chumming & How That Shark May Bite Your Ass, So Here’s A Bunch Of Other Stuff That Can Be Done From The Safety Of The Shore

C/P for convenience:

Is it worth trying to please the masses when we can't please ourselves? Am I poking the bear?

Let us recap from Part One:

We talked about how to get from a feeling of ineptitude to - at first - just mild trepidation when it comes time to hit "publish", and started delving into "but how to get there?" so that the path can lead on to an actual measure of confidence, which brings us to the second part of your question up there - which is, I find, a completely normal thought, stemming from exasperation, when it feels like you're surrounded by a ton of people who are having ungodly amounts of success, and it seems like the biggest mystery in the world. So it's natural to wonder: should I follow their lead? Try to do what they're doing?

Maybe - let's unpack that, dig into what that would entail, the pros-and-cons, what some alternatives may be.

Near the end of Pt. 1, we talked about not understanding why some stories/writers gain traction, while others don't, specifically regarding the quality of their stories. As facetious and jokey and snotty and funny as I made that "rant", and said how you could always use the SSDTs [Same Shit, Different Title] stories as a "How Not To Do It" guide, I also mentioned how they must be doing something right - and they are, the metrics we've got (hearts, notes, feedback, asks r/t stories, followers, reblogs) bear it out. It's right there. There's nothing to interpret. It's there. It's fact.

Not to mention, as much as I've tried to drill down on objective parameters for my rec list, to try and smoosh down subjectivity, both on my part and on the part of people who rec to me, there's still a pretty substantial margin of subjectivity. There just is - a story could be ridiculous in plot, could be littered with reprehensible grammar, could poorly represent Sam/Dean/etc., could have a shallow Y/N. Yet if something within the story, no matter how oblique, speaks to the heart of a reader? In the immortal words of Private Hudson:

Game. Over. They’re in. Case closed.

I also mentioned that little number in the corner, that overall snapshot of how much action a given story/that writer accumulated and pondered - does it indicate how great the story is? Also known as: Does that mean their story/their writing is better than mine?

Well. No. Not necessarily. I suspect that - and this would take a huge data mining mission on every single one of a given writer's high count stories to know - in part, some of the number represents a manifestation of a cult following. I'll save you the trouble of clicking the link:

"A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a work of culture. A film, book, musical artist, television series or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fanbase. A common component of cult followings is the emotional attachment the fans have to the object of the cult following, often identifying themselves and other fans as members of a community. Cult followings are also commonly associated with niche markets."

I've no idea why "musical artist" was the only human example they threw in there, because in my experience/observation over **cough** decades of life on the planet, I see cult followings for humans more than stuff, and public figures of other areas beyond music (actors, politics, etc.) just as much. There are men-I MEAN-people who will never be socially ostracized no matter how inappropriately they behave, no matter the amount of evidence, doesn't matter - their following will absolutely make preserving the (fake) image that person cultivated their hill to die on.

But we're getting negative, and where I'm going with "cult status" in our context isn't negative. The "cult" mentality aspect to which I refer is about loyalty of followers (specifically reader-followers) in general, and then further, the loyalty of that subset of reader-followers who were early readers. They adored "x" number of that writer's stories in the past, and even if the quality of newer stories has declined, they are still gonna hit that heart and reblog it and say it was great. Do they actually believe it? Some of them, to be sure. Do some of them have on cult following rose-colored glasses? Friggin' of course.

Like I said above the cut - I'm not going to tell you not to compare yourself to other people, of course you are, and in many ways this is a good thing, it's called having an ideal to which to aspire, except it shouldn't be rooted in popularity, the admiration should be for their work. But there's admiration owed to these writers for maintaining their follower base, regardless of whether those follower-readers aren't in the admiring-for-the-work mode. So while you can't admire them for their stories, because you think they blow, there is an ideal, a definite modelling to consider: what are some of these writers who are getting huge numbers doing to maintain what popularity they've accrued?

Let's pause here for a recap of what we know for sure:

1. You won't know if telling stories is legit in your wheelhouse or not until you start getting some feedback from readers, which is going to help get you out of Ineptitudeville;

2. Ideally, this would begin with an honest, straightforward editor who knows how to give constructive critique --> in the meantime, use The Nail's guiding standards to serve as an at-home editor til you feel ready to find such an editor;

3. You can't get feedback for your supplemental self-editing documents of "nailed it" and "Achilles' heels" unless you put yourself out there (which, hopefully chipping away at #1 will get you over the ineptitude hump and into a healthy trepidation territory so you can do);

4. There's potential modelling to be done by observing what the "popular" writers are doing outside of their stories to accrue/maintain followers, and trying to see what their loyal reader-followers see in stories you don't find very good.

Again - assuming you've gotten comfy enough to just feel a normal nervousness vs. ineptitude, it's on to getting an audience. So, what could it be? That these mega-number generators are doing? I think it's two things:

(A) They have broad exposure that brings others into the fold (B) There's more at work than just stories

But Nash, are you not paying attention? I don't have exposure, they've got a bazillionty followers - you may say.

Then let's get you some exposure that has nothing to do with follower counts, nothing *inherently* due to the potentially not-so-robust nature of your stories at present, things that just might get you more followers, hopefully turning a chunk of them into reader-followers somewhere along the way.

(A) Exposure that doesn't require "popularity":

1. SPN Fanfic Pond ---> 24/7/365 - join it and submit your stories - never know who'll see it - guaranteed reblog

2. SPN Hiatus Creations ---> specific dates - I don't think many people know that they include fics, since they mostly get submissions of art - weekly topics to choose from - join in, submit your stories - the folks behind it most always put a little comment in their tags, so be on lookout for your feedback doc - guaranteed reblog

3. SPN Family Birthdays ---> 24/7/365 - their kindness gets your name "out there" to more people, both the mods behind-the-scenes, as well as that blog's followers - guaranteed exposure - *mandatory* to reblog this with a thank you and at least one point of feedback about it to whomever created that birthday wish for you

4. Bingos: SPN Genre Bingo - SPN Fluff Bingo - SPN Kink Bingo - SPN Angst Bingo ---> specific dates - variety of topics - guaranteed reblog - good/decent potential reblog from others via their followers and those who follow the tags

5. Challenges from individuals ---> sporadic dates - variety of topics - follow people who you see hosting them, if they've hosted one they'll likely host more - hosts will typically reblog each fic (good chance with a touch of feedback), and/or put your "@" and link to your fic onto a master post - more popular the blog/higher follower count, the more exposure, so high reblog/new reader potential

6. Seasonal Celebrations ---> specific dates - Secret Valentines, secret Santas, etc. - do it and you're also probably making a friend, maybe gaining a new follower, maybe their followers will come visit your place because your assigned person reblogs what you did for them - moderate-to-high potential for reblog *

(*Should be a guarantee but some people are dicks; my Valentine didn't ever send me shit this year, not even an apology through the organizer, but you know what? I don't care. Legit. I made a friend through it, and really enjoyed making what I did for them.)

7. “Bangs” ---> sporadic dates - a.k.a. Mini-bangs / Big-bangs - focused on a topic/character - guaranteed reblog

8. Appreciation Days ---> specific dates - Angst, Smut, Fluff appreciation days - you can even submit already written fics/don't necessarily have to whip out something new - specific tags can draw readers - good/decent potential for reblogs

9. Prompts ---> 24/7/365 - imagines, those generic prompt blogs - follow some, keep an eye out for the interesting ones - challenge yourself to crank out one a week, short little 500-ish word blurbs - reblogs, maybe, who cares, this is serving to get you out of the funk and get used to posting your work; it's practice, and if it gets love, then great, if not, you still got stuff to put on a master post - and make a master post and get it in your profile so it's easily find-a-ble

10. Outside of Tumblr * ---> 24/7/365 - Fanfic.net and AO3 - join and put fic there and put your links somewhere on your blog - both have stats - both give opportunity for people to comment and to share direct links to their blogs, which is how this connects to the goal of visibility in the SPN fandom here - also a way to self-reblog your story in a “fresh” way/cuts down on repetition popping up on your followers’ dashes (i.e. - helps cushion the ol’ “Oh they’re posting this again?!” feeling)

[* Note: many of us have great distaste for Wattpad because it is a breeding ground for thieves - people will c/p stories from here and present them as their own, some trying to excuse it by “giving credit” in a blanket manner a la “found at Tumblr” or listing the “@” of the writer. The problem is, Wattpad’s method of reporting leaves much to be desired - like Instagram, they only seem to be interested if a published author takes issue. The only real way to call out these thieves is via an immense amount of pressure from the SPN Family commenting directly at their Wattpad page. My point? Your choice, but if you do join up and post there, proceed with caution.]

(B) The stuff that's more than just writing:

1. Reblog interesting things that show who you are - fan art is a great start - shows your tastes and what you like - when feeling confident, host a challenge, as what you choose for the framework (one of mine, for instance, was using lines of dialogue from Archer) will also reflect what you like, what you're into - tag people you're friendly with and say something like "Even if you're not interesting in joining, signal boost, please??? [cute emoticon]"

2. Narrow down focus - if you're multi-fandom, drill down on your favorite - start by building up a solid following in that one fandom - keep a ratio of about 80% primary fandom, 20% to cover the others/personal/non-fandom stuff - use a "Not [fandom]" tag for that 20% so your followers can choose to opt-out - or if you can't manage this, do a side blog or two

3. Set your queue to pop stuff out (at minimum) 2 or 3 times/day - stuff it - start with CanonSPNgifs - keep your blog active - unless something you want to reblog is time-sensitive, chuck it to the queue - a wall of posts from the same person on the dash is off-putting - same for constant reblogs of your own stuff*

(* Which you should do, yes, but have an understanding of time zones, will ya? I swear some people are re-blogging for myriad time zones in Oz and Narnia, as well, I've no idea... I've digressed)

4. Send Asks to people like the "spread the love" stuff - if they post "Ask Me" things, send them one - reblog the answered ask and say what you think about their answer/at minimum say "thanks, this was great" - reblog those ask games posts for your followers so they ask you questions - get engaged

5. Respond to a good portion of the comments people leave for you, whether feedback or just funny things they said - specifically, feedback with reblog deserves reply of thank you, whether in the notes or a fresh post; see my blog for copious examples - make a post that says your tags are open/offer to tag folks - anytime your follower count jumps by, say, 5, reblog it - make an OMG!-type post every time your follower count increases by, say, 10 - you’re telling them you actually give a shit that they follow

6. Keep an eye out for folks (especially those who make rec lists, so always check out rec lists for who did it when you spot them) who have said it's okay to tag them - always tag them, even if they seldom reply/reblog/feature you on their list, as you never know

7. When you read stories by other writers that you love, reblog them *with some feedback* - do unto others, etc., etc. This is in huge headline size for a reason. Take the hint.

ETA - I chimed in and gave some tips since I composed this post, and it may be helpful for you/for people who are shy or intimidated or just not particularly comfortable verbalizing feelings.

...and here’s what I suggested:

If you want to get specific, say what your favorite thing/things is/are; in my mind that could go something like this:

I felt like I was right there with them in the ____ [setting]

I felt like I was right there during ____ [part of the plot]

I felt like I was watching an episode of the show

I could relate so much to ____ [character]

My favorite line(s) was/were ____

___ [character(s)] sounded just like they do on the show

___ [character(s)] acted just like they do on the show

And there’s also more generic things, such as:

This story really touched me, I needed something heartwarming!

This story cracked me up, I needed a good laugh!

This story made me smile, I needed some cheering up!

This story got me crying, I needed a good cry!

This story was really creative, I needed a change of pace!

And if you want to keep it really simple? This can apply to any story:

I enjoyed this more than I can say, thank you so much for writing it

Is full-on blind cult following an "ehhhh" thing? Yeah. But the basis of it, the true, legit loyalty part of it, is wonderful. You want that. The more readers know you, the more they'll feel comfortable interacting with you, and the greater their comfort, the more likely they'll give you feedback and, eventually, some constructive critique*

(*You gotta make it clear you're fine with critique, though, and don't dare say it if you're just gonna pitch a fit when you get some, however poorly phrased the critique may be; but that's another topic, for another day).

Great, Nash, you still haven't answered my question about pleasing the masses - you may say.

The answer is: that's a call you gotta make for yourself. To hopefully help, I'll tell you two stories about chumming the waters with (what seems to be) the standard wares that get a ton of followers/reader-followers.

Interestingly, I *just* this past week or so had a great discussion with someone (who I won't reveal, of course, because it was PM) on this very topic. You'd recognize their name, if not follow them/have read their stuff, they've got a healthy fanbase, etc., etc., etc. all that jazz. It would surprise you, is my point, to know that they've been pondering on their writing - specifically, the genre in which they feel entrenched. They accrued their popularity (I hate that word, but can't think of a better one) in a certain, ah, niche. You know the holy trifecta: angst, fluff, smut. One of those.

(I am not going to go down the road of how much I loathe the limitations of those, I know myself, this will turn trash fire and neglect you. But they are the cards we've been dealt, there's nothing to be done to change it, we must play our hands. #flames on the side of my face #haaaate #I'm done)

Anyway, they've sat here "x" year/years later and looked back at their pre-SPN fanfic foray (read: how they used to write/what they used to write), and are like - Where'd my voice go? Where'd my style go? Can I get it back? Sure I can get it back, but if I start being "me", what will my reader base do with that? Will they stick around and support me? Will they bail? etc., etc., etc. You get the idea. Reasonable thoughts, all.

I tell you this next bit because while what is going on with above writer is on the side of Got A Wide Reach, like I said in Pt. 1, I am presently on the other side, the Modest-in-Number, Large-in-Loyalty reader collective. And I *have* chummed the waters, though not entirely purposefully. And it didn't work... well, hasn't, I can't predict the future, could blow up tomorrow, but not likely. I suspect I know why. We'll get to that.

I say not entirely purposefully because I stumbled into Fluff and Smut, one of each. (There is a second fluff, but that doesn't count because it was tailored to a very specific person who gave very specific things to include for a Valentine swap thing.) The fluff was via a thing I did, and my dear friend nailed it, gave me three cringy words that were meant to hit the fluff bullseye, and I doubled down. You can see that here, should you care.

People fucking lost their shit. I repackaged it into its own post in case folks didn't like the snark in the one linked above/would rather reblog sans snark. People lost their shit, part deux. Flattering as hell. I appreciated it immensely, truly.

On the smut*, I lost a bet (I can't even recall what it was, maybe I mentioned it somewhere) with the friend that drew me into SPN because they were (are? yeah, still are) frustrated with the show and I needed a writing exercise and I had (at the start time) eleven years of source material, so hells yeah I said yes. The bet was for smut, and I said - Fine, but I can't not plot. Great, was the answer, but I had to typical it up, this was a punishment, after all. And typical, for me, means so much detail that it made brain cry. Copious detail works my nerves. Copious pondering works my nerves. Any one thing that’s too much will Work. My. Nerves. And I wrote it (it's five parts now, but part one and two was the orig piece and ended open), and said to friend "This won't get shit response" - "You wanna bet?" - me, the idiot: "Yup" - "If it does, you have to finish it out".

(*no link because I don’t know your age, and it’s set to sensitive)

People fucking lost their shit. On FF.net and AO3, that is. Not the numbers some people get, but holy hell. Hence, parts 3 through 5. Far as here, not so much the hit. But the people here who've liked it have REALLY liked it, so there's that, and it's flattering as hell, and I appreciate it immensely, truly.

And yet at the end of the day, hey guess what, say it with me now:

Now, for all my pseudo-fussing, I was cool with doing it, because at heart I'm wired to think about marketing, and I thought - Oooooh. This will bring people to the goods, the stuff I'm *really* proud of, and then and then and then....

Nope. Some yes, mostly nope. Most of my loyal roundtable were brought into the Nashooligan fold by other stories.

Here's why I think writer above got on the other side of the coin and I'm riding the edge - they went down the rabbit hole on a few, got mega results, and it fills the confidence tank, and why not wash-rinse-repeat? Humans are wired that way, we don't do things that we don't get something out of, it's normal. Thing is, they - as they see it - got lost a bit along the way. It worked, though, that squashing of their voice - "worked" in the sense that it drew the masses. Some people would be completely okay with this, would find it a reasonable trade-off; this writer isn't presently thinking so.

And back to me - I think the reason my smut and fluff didn't hit the stratosphere and draw in the masses (ergo, little motivation to do more) is because my style is still in there. The snark, the focus on accurate characterization, and like I say, I can't not plot. I didn't pullout the recipe, same ol' ingredients, mix up some standard shmoop/standard porn, flop it in the cupcake paper, bake it, then smear a thin layer of canned frosting - flavor: "Meh Plot" - around it. I made that junk from scratch, like I do all my other stories, and while I did use some of the same ingredients, I didn't go all-in. Notably, my evergreen stance that Y/N can die in a fire, ceiling optional, I ain't doing it.

I am not going to insist you read either of them, I'm just gonna ask you to trust me on this: I read quite a bit, and I've yet to see the ingredients of Reader Mommy Married To Dean Have A Baby Sam Has Dogs scenario mixed together like mine, and I've yet to see a Reader Insert Smut With Dean Smut With Sam Inferred Happy Ever After With Dean mixed together like mine.

Which, like I say, is what I suspect is probs the issue. I didn't get as far down the proverbial hole as my writer friend in terms of Typical'ing Up my stories. Could I un-ring that bell? Better put: could I start ringing bells? And I mean weekly, if not twice a week, quickie ones, throw in a lengthy once a month? Crank out the recipes? Plenty of templates to work from, after all. It would be hard for me in the sense of voice-squashing, but could be done.

So if I had to give you a vote on whether chumming the waters is a strategy to take, given those potential pros-and-cons, here's why I vote "no", both for myself, and for you, and others contemplating such.

It's partly that cautionary tale of my writer friend (and there's gotta be more feeling like her, there's just got to be), and mostly it's because of three writers I can think of off the top of my head. They're all quite talented, they consistently turn out solid, creative pieces that can be differentiated from the rest of the fodder floating around, and all three have substantial reader and/or follower bases. One has less than the other two, but nothing to sneeze at. The second - another person I've had great PMs with on the topic of wide appeal - attributes part of their success numbers-wise to specializing not in a niche genre, but due to specialty in a subset of the fandom (a specific, very popular 'ship).

The third, who has a *massive* reader and follower base, I can't get my head wrapped around, and I don't mean that in the sense of not understanding why people adore them, they deserve every bit of it. We'd have to dig deep into years of works and chart out the numbers (likes and reblogs and comments and followers - again, the only metrics we got) to see if there's a tipping point, but there's no magic bullet, so likely there'd be nothing in that data - or data from any highly successful writer around here - that's gonna reveal some secret. And this is the only writer I can think of that I'd really love to know a tipping point on, because: reason I can't get my head around it is because they don't do typical, ain't even in the ballpark of typical. Now, they do inject smut into much of their work, but plenty of other times it's just inferred. Consistently cheeky, if not snarky, if not balls-out-gut-bust funny. Consistently original, creative plots, even when it starts out purposefully trope-y, there's gonna be a slant on their take. I may not personally like everything they put out, I'm not saying they're perfect, but if we're trying to keep it objective vs. subjective, applied to The Nail framework? They're nailing it easily 80-90% of the time. I've actually got a soft moratorium on them, between stuff I find and noms I get on their stuff, I only include them sporadically on the list or else they'd be everywhere.

That gives me hope. Not-a-one of those three are cranking out stuff religiously on some frequent schedule, they write when the muse hits. Not-a-one of those three are following recipes. Not-a-one of those three are blanketing their voice.

And this goes back to the very first thing you said, about pleasing others when we can't please ourselves. Part of the reason you're not pleased is because on whatever level, your stuff isn't grabbing an audience, however big or small. I know it, because I've been there, as I've told you. The biggest part, though? It's because you know you can do better. Maybe you're cranking it out too fast. Maybe you're not fleshing out a character enough. Maybe you wished you'd taken another run at the plot before you published. I don't know, truly. But you're not digging the end result somehow. When you get there? To legit confidence? You're not going to care as much about pleasing others, you just won't. And that confidence is going to show in how you interact with others, little notes you make on gif sets when you reblog, things you say when you feedback others, all that stuff I said above.

People are attracted to confidence. It may intimidate them at first, they may linger on the periphery, but then once they see it's not arrogance or something, they'll be bees circling closer to the honey, because it... it... how to put... it rubs off. A kind've What Would "x" Do kind've thing. And most people will always welcome having more confidence, I mean, the real genuine confidence. We choose who are friends are - to be cheesy - not just because of who they are, but because of who we are when we’re with them. I think the younger we are, we get the wires crossed of "nastiness" and "straightforward". It's the difference between those folks, for instance, who snap and go all "You cum dumpster!" on Anons who word things poorly (I don't mean the ones who are vitriolic, I mean the ones who use less-than-elegant phrasing), vs. the folks who plainly reply something to the effect of "That's certainly something to consider. Thank you for your input". That they can’t discern the difference between a person dishing out hate - actual hate - and a misstep in phrasing speaks a lot to their confidence, that they’re taking a complete stranger’s words as such a personal affront.

I say all that to say: it's not about just the stories; the stories are a piece of a bigger puzzle. Personally, when I see folks being nasty in that manner? My knee-jerk thought is - They are so quick to lash out and write that stuff, and are so careless with their words, I bet their story-writing follows suit. And guess what? I have been 99.9% correct thus far. There's no OOMPHs in their stories: there's no brain-chewy, no heart-grabbing, no snort-giggles, no soul-touching. It's as typical as that comeback. It's lazy. It's easy. It's eye-rolling. It's expected.

Put another way: their lack of confidence in general is what is infesting other areas, in this instance, their stories. I wonder if - since you said “anything I’ve ever created” - that even if it was a slip-of-the-tongue, it may’ve been a meaningful one. If it’s the case, that there are other areas of life where you feel less-than-ideally-confident (a.k.a. - inept), I think you’re smart to start in this area, with fanfic, because as illustrated there’s lots you can do that’s in your control, that’s not dependent completely on others, and probably have some fun along the way, getting to know folks, getting encouragement, seeing your stuff get circulated, etc.

Do you keep a tiny notepad on you? Do that. Grab one from a dollar bin at Target or get you a Moleskine if you're feeling fancy, doesn't matter, but keep it on you, purse, backpack, jacket, wherever. I don't want you doing what I'm about to say on the notes in your phone, not yet. I want you to physically jot down by hand a word or two or five or whatever, about things you see/encounter, turns-of-phrase you hear, mannerisms you note in others - all that stuff - things that do please you. Those OOMPHs. And now you have some inspirational story points ready to go. Even if you aren’t able/feeling up to doing that other stuff above? This is an easy, small place to start.

Bottom line: this isn't happenstance.

It's not happenstance for the subpar writers, and it's not happenstance for the exceptional ones. This is work. Getting confidence is work. Style is a great deal inherent, true, but it can - and should be - honed, and will likely evolve in subtle ways as time goes on. Confidence and proficiency in a skill (like writing) are not automatic "things" that come with age, not even necessarily with experience. Dig in. Take some of the actions listed above. Start with the least stressful to you, then pick away at 'em as you get comfortable. If you're already doing some of those? Then, start again fresh mentally, as if you just today started doing them. Bump up your effort. Push yourself. See what happens. Get confident in the little things, and it will start to add up, overflow into the empty places.

Look at the pickle you’re in presently as an opportunity to alter your current methodology - I mean, we know whatever you’ve been doing isn’t working for you, right? So it can’t hurt. Batter it and deep fry it, tweaking the recipe as needed; it’s still you, but you’ve applied a well-thought-out, well-crafted extra tastiness to it. There’s people out there who will love it, and they’ll turn up.

See? 😉

#Dear Nash #NONNERS #Not Tyler Durden #I swear #Writing Tips #Writing Advice #Queueby Dooby Doo #Dad's on a blog post and #he hasn't been queued in a few days

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9worldstales · 3 years

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INTERESTING POINTS TO PONDER FROM INTERVIEWS 8

Interviews might not remain forever available or not be easy to find so I’ve decided to link them and transcribe the points I find of some interest so as to preserve them should the interview had to end up removed.

It’s not complete transcriptions, just the bits I think can be relevant but I wholeheartedly recommend reading the whole thing.

And of course I also comment all this because God forbid I’ll keep silent… :P

Title: Colm Feore On Set Interview THOR; The King of the Frost Giants Reveals All!

Author: Steve Weintraub

Published: Dec 10, 2010

BEST BITS FROM THE INTERVIEW

ABOUT LAUFEY

I’m just going to jump in and say, “Oh my God” with the makeup. Could you talk a little bit about, did you know what you were getting yourself into and has it been a challenge doing this?

Feore: You know what, I didn’t really until they came to my house and they said, “We have to do an impression of your feet, your hands, your teeth, your head, well pretty much everything. And then could you take a kind of heroic pose? Because we’re going to do some digital photographs and then they’re going to copy this and then they’re going to make something.” And I said, “Well, okay.” And out of sight, out of mind. I didn’t think about it until I showed up, went to Legacy [Effects], and they had pictures of me, the design, this, next to half-naked pictures of Iggy Pop. Now, without telling you too much about myself, half-naked…me and Iggy Pop look a lot alike. I’m not going to tell you which half. But as you can see, I’m not wearing a lot of clothes.

So, I said, “Is this what it’s going to be?” and they said, “Yeah and this is how it works.” This outfit, this costume is remarkable for a lot of reasons, not least of which it’s about 17 different pieces. The only thing that’s real, that’s me, is from here to here. Everything else, and I mean everything, top to bottom, everything is fake. And it’s laid on in four-and-a-half hours by this genius, Ve Neill, of course three-time Oscar winner [for] makeup and Arjen Tuiten from Legacy [visual effects producer: Digital Domain Vancouver] who sculpted and designed all this. And it comes in a variety of these pieces and they just put each one on and glue me into it, paint me blue and stitch me up and then wheel me out. It’s remarkable. And it takes forever. And slightly longer to get off. I’ve been doing a lot of work recently in trying to apologize to people for the blue eyeliner and the blue fingernails and the blue everything. Finally I just gave up. I just said, “Ya know, I’m in here every day shopping. Yes. I am a stripper. I work nights, okay? So if you don’t mind, just cut me some slack. Give me the bread, give me the wine, I’m leaving.”

It’s a little madness. But I kind of enjoy it, because it gives me a good four-and-a-half hours here at three in the morning when no one else is here, it gives me a chance to get into what the character is going to be. I start to assume the physicality and all the stuff that Ken Brannagh and I have talked about in terms of where this character sits and how he’s evolved. And, four-and-a-half hours later, this appears. From inside, it feels different to me than it looks to you, but it actually works as far as I’m concerned. I think it’s pretty scary and the voice…the voice is dropped. It really is. Clint [Eastwood] in outer space. “Get off my lawn,” is going to be my best line. “Don’t eat my dog.” Ya know? It’s going to be fun, because you don’t expect sensitivity, humanity, humor, heartbreak from this kind of guy, but the way Ken directs we managed to get all of that. So it’s been a wonderful synthesis of machinery, artistry and just good-on, old craft.

Are you ‘a’ Frost Giant or are you all of them, multiple?

Feore: “A” Frost Giant? I am the King of Frost Giants. And if you’ve seen any of the Frost Giants, you know that I am, of course, the Napoleon of Frost Giants. We’ve got some massive, fabulous guys who dwarf me and come in at around eight-and-a-half feet, nine feet. But, no. Can’t you tell by the commanding presence? I am the boss. The music will be big. When I show up there’ll be a big storm, there’ll be wind. No, it’s worked out beautifully. It’s very articulated and articulatable. The face moves with me. I have every range of expression. And, I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to talk to Ken at all, but he’s brilliant. He’s brilliant for a lot of reasons. Not least of all because he’s been an actor his whole life. So he knows how to tighten the narrative of what he would do as an actor, so he can get inside and say three helpful words on a very tight schedule, an expensive schedule and just get right to the heart of the point. But he also is looking for most of it, here, right? It’s gotta be in the eyes. And if they don’t work, we’ve got nothing. So it had to be this expressive. [pauses for a scene being shot in the background] See this is way more acting than I’m being paid for. I’m much more subtle. They’re young, you see. Enthusiastic.

ABOUT THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN ODIN AND LAUFEY

Feore: Also, [Kenneth Branagh] he’s a smart guy. He rehearsed us when it doesn’t cost much money, because there’s nobody else there really looking at the clock. It’s just a bunch of guys in the room saying, “What if we tried this? What if we tried that?” And Marvel has been extraordinary in responding to the things we just came up with. There was a wonderful moment where Tony and I, we have a confrontational scene. Originally, it was scripted, we were miles apart, because it’s a huge, heroic kind of thing. But we were in a little room rehearsing and there was something that Ken liked about the intimacy. And I said, “Well I’ve got some superpowers, (that I don’t want to share with you here yet) but maybe I could use something like that.” And Craig said, “Absolutely, we might have something…” I show up the other day, we just shoot the scene. On the strength of that rehearsal, on that idea that we had, they built a launching thing out of the floor that would match for the sci-fi, go with the green screen so that we could go slam into a tiny intimate scene, about two guys going, “You know, your kid’s a fucking idiot.” “Yeah, I know. But you were an idiot once, too.” “Not that big an idiot. I might have to kill him.” “Oh, please don’t.” “Fuck you.” “Fuck you, too.” And then we go back to the huge big deal. We made this happen, they spent the money where it counted, it cost nothing to have the idea. But God bless you guys, Marvel came behind them and said, “This is a good idea. This really helps our narrative leap forward.” So that’s what we’ve been doing. You don’t mess around with Ken because when the ship sails, the ship sails. You get a couple of chances to be in the movie and, as I said, if I’m no good in this movie it won’t be his fault. He’s tried everything.

ABOUT CHRIS HEMSWORTH

What is Chris Hemsworth bringing to the role of Thor?

Feore: Chris? Oh, he’s playing Thor? (laughter) Well, he’s very loud. And apparently, some people say, he’s very handsome. He’s not a tall blue. No, he’s charming. Beaming smile. And that kind of youthful, heroic idiocy that you expect from an action hero, right? No, he’s extraordinary. One of the chief things about him is that he’s charming. It’s actually hard for me to be really mad at him and growl at him, but I imagine he’s an idiot. And it helps, because we need somebody at the core of this picture to be the leader. We need to believe in him. And guys like me, I depend on him, you see. The more charming and the more agreeable and the more heroic he is, the more I hate him. And it makes sense, you know, “The world will be a better place when I get rid of you.” So, he clearly is doing a very good job. He’s sexy, I guess, after a fashion you’d have to tell me that, I don’t know. For people under a certain age, apparently he’s attractive. Fit. God knows he looks pretty good in the outfit. And he’s funny. That goes a long way. Charm is an intangible. Chutzpah, charm, charisma, that kind of thing, you can’t buy it. You either have it or you don’t. He’s got it in spades. And with his master Ken showing him the ropes and guiding him, it’s all going very, very well.

MY TWO CENTS

It’s interesting how Colm Feore says ‘you don’t expect sensitivity, humanity, humor, heartbreak from this kind of guy, but the way Ken directs we managed to get all of that.’

Laufey has few scenes and plays the role of the very bad guy but I always felt he was meant to be more and his words seem to confirm it.

I love it when he explains the scene between him and Odin... and I’m interested by how he describes Chris Hemsworth and the way he plays Thor.

#thor odinson #odin borson #laufey #colm feore #interview #mcu thor #9 worlds interview study

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: 2021 LGBTQ Books by Black Authors to Preorder (And 10 That Are Already Out)

Black LGBTQ books got a bump in June of 2020. With the George Floyd protests at their peak and Pride month still happening, lists of queer Black books to buy or preorder built up steam on social media. You Should See Me in a Crown, a Black YA F/F novel, was sold out everywhere. Unfortunately, this follows a pattern that Black and LGBTQ books often see: a peak during Black History Month or Pride month, but forgotten in between. Or, a hateful act will make the news, whether it’s police brutality or violent transphobia or a worrying new law, book lists will go around Twitter, authors will be in the strange position of profiting during a horrible moment for their community, and then public attention will shift to something else. Obviously, these authors deserve support throughout the year. Black LGBTQ novels are still underrepresented — and besides, there are some incredible titles coming out this year even without considering how important the representation is. Not long ago, it would be easy to keep track of all the Black LGBTQ books coming out — or even traditionally published LGBTQ books in general — but luckily, we’re approaching a point where there are enough that you can accidentally overlook a title. Preordering is a great way to both support authors and give your future self a treat! By preordering now, you can help the author, make sure you won’t forget to buy the title, and get fun things in the mail throughout the year. It’s win-win-win! Of course, if you are impatient, there are some Black LGBTQ 2021 titles that are already out, which I will include at the end of the post. You have to read something while you’re waiting for these books to publish, after all! I’ve arranged these by publication date, noted the genre in the title spot, and have indicated the kind of LGBTQ representation included whenever possible. The descriptions are from the publishers. Some of these titles may not yet be set up for preorders: put those on your calendar to order as soon as it’s possible! 29 Black LGBTQ Books to Preorder in 2021 Black Boy Out of Time: A Memoir by Hari Ziyad (March 1, Memoir) One of nineteen children in a blended family, Hari Ziyad was raised by a Hindu Hare Kṛṣṇa mother and a Muslim father. Through reframing their own coming-of-age story, Ziyad takes readers on a powerful journey of growing up queer and Black in Cleveland, Ohio, and of navigating the equally complex path toward finding their true self in New York City. Exploring childhood, gender, race, and the trust that is built, broken, and repaired through generations, Ziyad investigates what it means to live beyond the limited narratives Black children are given and challenges the irreconcilable binaries that restrict them. Heartwarming and heart-wrenching, radical and reflective, Hari Ziyad’s vital memoir is for the outcast, the unheard, the unborn, and the dead. It offers us a new way to think about survival and the necessary disruption of social norms. It looks back in tenderness as well as justified rage, forces us to address where we are now, and, born out of hope, illuminates the possibilities for the future. Queer man How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen (March 2, Short Story Collection) In this daring collection of speculative fiction, Stephanie Andrea Allen attends to the lives of Black women, mostly lesbian or queer, all keenly aware of the forces seeking to consume them. A Black lesbian working the gig economy runs into a trio of motorized scooters and helps them escape from Earth. An enchanted sleep mask gives a woman the gift of slumber, but what will it cost her? A suburban housewife is framed for murder by her homophobic neighbor. And in the follow up to “Luna 6000,” a young woman investigates her mother’s untimely death, and learns the truth about her family. How to Dispatch a Human: Stories and Suggestions is an unapologetic, often humorous, foray into the quotidian magic that envelops Black women’s lives. The eleven stories in this collection are filled with characters who will entice and delight readers as they traverse the worlds around them. With a mix of fabulism, near future, and speculative fictions, Allen reminds us in exquisitely nuanced prose that the fantastical can be found amongst the ordinary. Lesbian and queer women characters Pleasure and Spice (How Sweet It Is #6) by Fiona Zedde (March 2, Erotica) Mayson and Renée are best friends. Two women who’ve known each other for a lifetime and are as different as they are close. Mayson is a free-spirited and out lesbian, and very much desired in her Southern California queer community. Renée, straight and sheltered, is just getting out of a difficult divorce and searching for an escape from her pain. While Mayson slips in and out of affairs, taking pleasure where it bites the sweetest, Renée steps into a dangerous game of anonymous sex-by-dark that transports her to places she’d never dreamed. But the worlds of these two friends are heading for a dramatic collision. At the end of it all, will they or their friendship, survive? **A version of this was previously published as Dangerous Pleasures** F/F relationship Learned Reactions (Higher Education #2) by Jayce Ellis (March 9, Romance) Carlton Monroe is finally getting his groove back. After a year playing dad to his nephew and sending him safely off to college, it’s back to his bachelor ways. But when his teenaged niece shows up on his doorstep looking for a permanent home, his plan comes to a screeching halt. Family is everything, and in the eyes of social services, a couple makes a better adoptive family than an overworked bachelor father. A fake relationship with his closest friend is the best way to keep his family together. If things between him and Deion are complicated, well, it only needs to last until the end of the semester. Living with Carlton is a heartbreak waiting to happen, and once the adoption goes through, Deion’s out. He’s waited two decades for Carlton to realize they’re meant for each other, and he’s done. It’s time to make a clean break. But it’s hard to think of moving away when keeping up the act includes some very real perks like kissing, cuddling and sharing a bed. Even the best charades must come to an end, though. As the holidays and Deion’s departure date loom, the two men must decide whether playing house is enough for them—or if there’s any chance they could be a family for real. M/M relationship Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans (March 9, Poetry) From spoken word poet Jasmine Mans comes an unforgettable poetry collection about race, feminism, and queer identity. With echoes of Gwendolyn Brooks and Sonia Sanchez, Mans writes to call herself—and us—home. Each poem explores what it means to be a daughter of Newark, and America—and the painful, joyous path to adulthood as a young, queer Black woman. Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering Black girl and a vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing. Queer woman Bruised by Tanya Boteju (March 23, YA Contemporary) Whip It meets We Are Okay in this vibrant coming-of-age story, about a teen girl navigates first love, identity, and grief when she immerses herself in the colorful, brutal, beautiful world of roller derby—from the acclaimed author of Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens. To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart. So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get. The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it’s not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing. F/F relationship The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost #1) by C.L. Clark (March 23, Fantasy) In an epic fantasy unlike any other, two women clash in a world full of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire. Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought. Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne. Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale. 2 queer women main characters Sweethand by N.G. Peltier (March 30, Romance) After a public meltdown over her breakup from her cheating musician boyfriend, Cherisse swore off guys in the music industry, and dating in general for a while, preferring to focus on growing her pastry chef business. When Cherisse’s younger sister reveals she’s getting married in a few months, Cherisse hopes that will distract her mother enough to quit harassing her about finding a guy, settling down and having kids. But her mother’s matchmaking keeps intensifying. Cherisse tries to humour her mother, hoping if she feigns interest in the eligible bachelors she keeps tossing her way, she’ll be off the hook, but things don’t quite go as planned. Turns out for the first time in ages, she and Keiran King, the most annoying man ever, are on the island at the same time. Avoiding him is impossible, especially when Keiran’s close friend is the one marrying her sister, and he’s the best man to her maid of honour. Keiran doesn’t know what to make of Cherisse now. They’ve always butted heads. To him she’s always been a stuck-up brat who seeks attention, even while he secretly harbored a crush on her. Now with Cherisse’s sister marrying one of his good friends he can’t escape her as the wedding activities keep throwing them together. When things turn heated after a rainy night of bedroom fun, they both have to figure out if they can survive the countdown to wedding day, without this turning into a recipe for disaster. Bisexual man (M/F relationship) I’m a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz (April 6, Graphic Memoir) A collection of lively autobiographical comics guiding the reader through an understanding of queerness and what it means to one woman of color. In this delightfully compelling full-color graphic memoir, the author shares her process of undoing the effects of a patriarchal, colonial society on her self-image, her sexuality, and her concept of freedom. Reflecting on the ways in which oppression was the cause for her late bloom into queerness, we are invited to discover people and things in the author’s life that helped shape and inform her LGBTQ identity. And we come to an understanding of her holistic definition of queerness. Queer woman The Essential June Jordan Edited Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller (May 4, Poetry) The Essential June Jordan honors the enduring legacy of a poet fiercely dedicated to building a better world. In this definitive volume, introduced by Pulitzer Prize winner Jericho Brown, June Jordan’s generous body of poetry is distilled and curated to represent the very best of her works. Written over the span of several decades―from Some Changes in 1971 to Last Poems in 2001―Jordan’s poems are at once of their era and tragically current, with subject matter including racist police brutality, violence against women, and the opportunity for global solidarity amongst people who are marginalized or outside of the norm. In these poems of great immediacy and radical kindness, humor and embodied candor, readers will (re)discover a voice that has inspired generations of contemporary poets to write their truths. June Jordan is a powerful voice of the time-honored movement for justice, a poet for the ages. Introduced by Jericho Brown, winner of the 2020 Pulitzer prize in poetry. Bisexual woman Renunciations by Donika Kelly (May 4, Poetry) An extraordinary collection of endurance and transformation by the award-winning author of Bestiary The Renunciations is a book of resilience, survival, and the journey to radically shift one’s sense of self in the face of trauma. Moving between a childhood marked by love and abuse and the breaking marriage of that adult child, Donika Kelly charts memory and the body as landscapes to be traversed and tended. These poems construct life rafts and sanctuaries even in their most devastating confrontations with what a person can bear, with how families harm themselves. With the companionship of “the oracle”―an observer of memory who knows how each close call with oblivion ends―the act of remembrance becomes curative, and personal mythologies give way to a future defined less by wounds than by possibility. In this gorgeous and heartrending second collection, we find the home one builds inside oneself after reckoning with a legacy of trauma―a home whose construction starts “with a razing.” Lesbian author Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee (May 4, YA Contemporary) Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem—all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe. When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page. In this charming novel by Emery Lee, Noah will have to choose between following his own rules for love or discovering that the most romantic endings are the ones that go off script. Trans man, M/M relationship Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon (May 4, Science Fiction) Vern―seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised―flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world. But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes. To understand her metamorphosis and to protect her small family, Vern has to face the past, and more troublingly, the future―outside the woods. Finding the truth will mean uncovering the secrets of the compound she fled but also the violent history in America that produced it. Rivers Solomon’s Sorrowland is a genre-bending work of Gothic fiction. Here, monsters aren’t just individuals, but entire nations. It is a searing, seminal book that marks the arrival of a bold, unignorable voice in American fiction. Queer, non-binary author (not sure of specific representation, likely F/F) A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (May 11, Fantasy) Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer. So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world forty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage. Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city―or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems… F/F relationship Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas (May 11, Middle Grade Contemporary) Brian has always been anxious, whether at home, or in class, or on the basketball court. His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself and his mom helps as much as she can, but after he and his brother are placed in foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. And he doesn’t know if things will ever be normal again . . . Ezra’s always been popular. He’s friends with most of the kids on his basketball team, even Brian, who usually keeps to himself. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he’s too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him . . . But when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra has no choice but to take the leap and reach out. Both boys have to decide if they’re willing to risk sharing parts of themselves they’d rather hide. But if they can be brave, they might just find the best in themselves and each other. M/M crush Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome (May 28, Memoir) Punch Me Up to the Gods introduces a powerful new talent in Brian Broome, whose early years growing up in Ohio as a dark-skinned Black boy harboring crushes on other boys propel forward this gorgeous, aching, and unforgettable debut. Brian’s recounting of his experiences—in all their cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking glory—reveal a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in. Indiscriminate sex and escalating drug use help to soothe his hurt, young psyche, usually to uproarious and devastating effect. A no-nonsense mother and broken father play crucial roles in our misfit’s origin story. But it is Brian’s voice in the retelling that shows the true depth of vulnerability for young Black boys that is often quietly near to bursting at the seams. Cleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool,” the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, Punch Me Up to the Gods is at once playful, poignant, and wholly original. Broome’s writing brims with swagger and sensitivity, bringing an exquisite and fresh voice to ongoing cultural conversations about Blackness in America. Queer man Off the Record by Camryn Garrett (May 18, YA Contemporary) Ever since seventeen-year-old Josie Wright can remember, writing has been her identity, the thing that grounds her when everything else is a garbage fire. So when she wins a contest to write a celebrity profile for Deep Focus magazine, she’s equal parts excited and scared, but also ready. She’s got this. Soon Josie is jetting off on a multi-city tour, rubbing elbows with sparkly celebrities, frenetic handlers, stone-faced producers, and eccentric stylists. She even finds herself catching feelings for the subject of her profile, dazzling young newcomer Marius Canet. Josie’s world is expanding so rapidly, she doesn’t know whether she’s flying or falling. But when a young actress lets her in on a terrible secret, the answer is clear: she’s in over her head. One woman’s account leads to another and another. Josie wants to expose the man responsible, but she’s reluctant to speak up, unsure if this is her story to tell. What if she lets down the women who have entrusted her with their stories? What if this ends her writing career before it even begins? There are so many reasons not to go ahead, but if Josie doesn’t step up, who will? From the author of Full Disclosure, this is a moving testament to the #MeToo movement, and all the ways women stand up for each other. Bisexual woman How to Find a Princess (Runaway Royals #2) by Alyssa Cole (May 25, Romance) New York Times and USA Today bestseller Alyssa Cole’s second Runaway Royals novel is a queer Anastasia retelling, featuring a long-lost princess who finds love with the female investigator tasked with tracking her down. Makeda Hicks has lost her job and her girlfriend in one fell swoop. The last thing she’s in the mood for is to rehash the story of her grandmother’s infamous summer fling with a runaway prince from Ibarania, or the investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies tasked with searching for Ibarania’s missing heir. Yet when Beznaria Chetchevaliere crashes into her life, the sleek and sexy investigator exudes exactly the kind of chaos that organized and efficient Makeda finds irresistible, even if Bez is determined to drag her into a world of royal duty Makeda wants nothing to do with. When a threat to her grandmother’s livelihood pushes Makeda to agree to return to Ibarania, Bez takes her on a transatlantic adventure with a crew of lovable weirdos, a fake marriage, and one-bed hijinks on the high seas. When they finally make it to Ibarania, they realize there’s more at stake than just cash and crown, and Makeda must learn what it means to fight for what she desires and not what she feels bound to by duty. F/F relationship Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (June 1, YA Thriller) All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. ―Aces When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too. Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures. As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly? Gay man and lesbian main characters Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia (June 1, Mystery) Harlem, 1926. Young black women like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead. Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She’s succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie’s Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Harlem’s hottest speakeasy. Louise’s friends, especially her girlfriend, Rosa Maria Moreno, might say she’s running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don’t tell her that. When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she’s been trying to ignore—two other local black girls have been murdered in the past few weeks. After an altercation with a police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or wind up in a jail cell. Louise has no choice but to investigate and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind hell-bent on taking more lives, maybe even her own…. Sapphic main character The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons (June 1, YA Contemporary) Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother, and a David Beckham in training. He’s also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of isolation and bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio. At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boys’ soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans—he’s passing. But when a discriminatory law forces Spencer’s coach to bench him, Spencer has to make a choice: cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even though it would mean coming out to everyone—including the guy he’s falling for. Trans man, M/M relationship Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor (June 22, Short Story Collection) In the series of linked stories at the heart of Filthy Animals, set among young creatives in the American Midwest, a young man treads delicate emotional waters as he navigates a series of sexually fraught encounters with two dancers in an open relationship, forcing him to weigh his vulnerabilities against his loneliness. In other stories, a young woman battles with the cancers draining her body and her family; menacing undercurrents among a group of teenagers explode in violence on a winter night; a little girl tears through a house like a tornado, driving her babysitter to the brink; and couples feel out the jagged edges of connection, comfort, and cruelty. One of the breakout literary stars of 2020, Brandon Taylor has been hailed by Roxane Gay as “a writer who wields his craft in absolutely unforgettable ways.” With Filthy Animals he renews and expands on the promise made in Real Life, training his precise and unsentimental gaze on the tensions among friends and family, lovers and others. Psychologically taut and quietly devastating, Filthy Animals is a tender portrait of the fierce longing for intimacy, the lingering presence of pain, and the desire for love in a world that seems, more often than not, to withhold it. LGBTQ characters Darling by K. Ancrum (June 23, YA Fantasy) A teen girl finds herself lost on a dangerous adventure in this YA thriller by the acclaimed author of The Wicker King and The Weight of the Stars―reimagining Peter Pan for today’s world. On Wendy Darling’s first night in Chicago, a boy called Peter appears at her window. He’s dizzying, captivating, beautiful―so she agrees to join him for a night on the town. Wendy thinks they’re heading to a party, but instead they’re soon running in the city’s underground. She makes friends―a punk girl named Tinkerbelle and the lost boys Peter watches over. And she makes enemies―the terrifying Detective Hook, and maybe Peter himself, as his sinister secrets start coming to light. Can Wendy find the courage to survive this night―and make sure everyone else does, too? Multiple queer side characters, including asexual, lesbian, and bisexual characters This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron (June 29, YA Fantasy) Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined–it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri’s unique family lineage. When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri’s sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it . . . until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family. From the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes another inspiring and deeply compelling story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her. Queer woman Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson (July 6, YA) A stunning novel about being brave enough to be true to yourself, and learning to find joy even when times are unimaginably dark. Three days. Two girls. One life-changing music festival. Toni is grieving the loss of her roadie father and needing to figure out where her life will go from here — and she’s desperate to get back to loving music. Olivia is a hopeless romantic whose heart has just taken a beating (again) and is beginning to feel like she’ll always be a square peg in a round hole — but the Farmland Music and Arts Festival is a chance to find a place where she fits. The two collide and it feels like something like kismet when a bond begins to form. But when something goes wrong and the festival is sent into a panic, Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other (and music) more than they ever imagined. F/F relationship The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass (July 13, YA Horror) Get Out meets Danielle Vega in this YA social thriller where survival is not a guarantee. Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston sees dead people everywhere. But he can’t decide what’s worse: being a medium forced to watch the dead play out their last moments on a loop or being at the mercy of racist teachers as one of the few Black students at St. Clair Prep. Both are a living nightmare he wishes he could wake up from. But things at St. Clair start looking up with the arrival of another Black student–the handsome Allister–and for the first time, romance is on the horizon for Jake. Unfortunately, life as a medium is getting worse. Though most ghosts are harmless and Jake is always happy to help them move on to the next place, Sawyer Doon wants much more from Jake. In life, Sawyer was a troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school before taking his own life. Now he’s a powerful, vengeful ghost and he has plans for Jake. Suddenly, everything Jake knows about dead world goes out the window as Sawyer begins to haunt him. High school soon becomes a different kind of survival game–one Jake is not sure he can win. Gay man main character Busy Ain’t the Half of It by Frederick Smith and Chaz Lamar (August 1, Romance) Elijah Golden and Justin Monroe are uncle and nephew with eclectic careers, friends, and family in LA, trying to center Black Joy in their lives.Then their worlds turn in ways nobody expects. Elijah, a dedicated thespian, auditions by day, does theater by night, and works two jobs on weekends. With enough life for three people, he keeps his recently divorced partner Zaire coasting on bliss…until secrets and real-life dramas test their love. Justin, Elijah’s uncle, is a single father with teenage twins, and a tv journalist who’s been replaced at the anchor desk when new management arrives. No longer in the public eye, living true to his sexuality is something Justin can finally do. Dating and romance—Justin’s ready for fun. Conflicts with fatherhood and career—he’ll have none. Elijah and Justin seek happily-ever-afters, but are they too busy to notice happy when it’s there? M/M relationship No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull (September 7, Science Fiction) One October morning, Laina gets the news that her brother was shot and killed by Boston cops. But what looks like a case of police brutality soon reveals something much stranger. Monsters are real. And they want everyone to know it. As creatures from myth and legend come out of the shadows, seeking safety through visibility, their emergence sets off a chain of seemingly unrelated events. Members of a local werewolf pack are threatened into silence. A professor follows a missing friend’s trail of bread crumbs to a mysterious secret society. And a young boy with unique abilities seeks refuge in a pro-monster organization with secrets of its own. Meanwhile, more people start disappearing, suicides and hate crimes increase, and protests erupt globally, both for and against the monsters. At the center is a mystery no one thinks to ask: Why now? What has frightened the monsters out of the dark? The world will soon find out. Trans and asexual main characters Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles (September 21, YA Contemporary) There’s always been a hole in Gio’s life. Not because he’s into both guys and girls. Not because his father has some drinking issues. Not because his friends are always bringing him their drama. No, the hole in Gio’s life takes the shape of his birth mom, who left Gio, his brother, and his father when Gio was nine years old. For eight years, he never heard a word from her . . . and now, just as he’s started to get his life together, she’s back. It’s hard for Gio to know what to do. Can he forgive her like she wants to be forgiven? Or should he tell her she lost her chance to be in his life? Complicating things further, Gio’s started to hang out with David, a new guy on the basketball team. Are they friends? More than friends? At first, Gio’s not sure . . . especially because he’s not sure what he wants from anyone right now. There are no easy answers to love — whether it’s family love or friend love or romantic love. In Things We Couldn’t Say, Jay Coles, acclaimed author of Tyler Johnson Was Here, shows us a guy trying to navigate love in all its ambiguity — hoping at the other end he’ll be able to figure out who is and who he should be. Bisexual man Note: This is not a complete list! We will likely be hearing more about the Aug-Dec releases later in the year. 2021 Black LGBTQ Books Out Now If you’re too impatient to wait for upcoming releases, here are ten 2021 LGBTQ books by Black authors that are already out! They are ordered by genre. Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers (Fiction) When becoming an adult means learning to love yourself first. With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She’s a straight A, work-through-the-summer certified high achiever. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that. This one moment of departure from her stern ex-military father’s plans for her life has Grace wondering why she doesn’t feel more fulfilled from completing her degree. Staggering under the weight of her parent’s expectations, a struggling job market and feelings of burnout, Grace flees her home in Portland for a summer in New York with the wife she barely knows. In New York, she’s able to ignore all the constant questions about her future plans and falls hard for her creative and beautiful wife, Yuki Yamamoto. But when reality comes crashing in, Grace must face what she’s been running from all along—the fears that make us human, the family scars that need to heal and the longing for connection, especially when navigating the messiness of adulthood. F/F relationship 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell (Short Story Collection) An irrerverent, sensitive, and inimitable look at gay dysfunction through the eyes of a cult hero Transgressive, foulmouthed, and brutally funny, Brontez Purnell’s 100 Boyfriends is a revelatory spiral into the imperfect lives of queer men desperately fighting the urge to self-sabotage. As they tiptoe through minefields of romantic, substance-fueled misadventure―from dirty warehouses and gentrified bars in Oakland to desolate farm towns in Alabama―Purnell’s characters strive for belonging in a world that dismisses them for being Black, broke, and queer. In spite of it―or perhaps because of it―they shine. Armed with a deadpan wit, Purnell finds humor in even the darkest of nadirs with the peerless zeal, insight, and horniness of a gay punk messiah. Together, the slice-of-life tales that writhe within 100 Boyfriends are an inimitable tour of an unexposed queer underbelly. Holding them together is the vision of an iconoclastic storyteller, as fearless as he is human. Queer men main characters The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr (Historical Fiction) A singular and stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation, the refuge they find in each other, and a betrayal that threatens their existence. Isaiah was Samuel’s and Samuel was Isaiah’s. That was the way it was since the beginning, and the way it was to be until the end. In the barn they tended to the animals, but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of human refuge, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. But when an older man—a fellow slave—seeks to gain favor by preaching the master’s gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. Isaiah and Samuel’s love, which was once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation’s harmony. With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. As tensions build and the weight of centuries—of ancestors and future generations to come—culminates in a climactic reckoning, The Prophets masterfully reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance, but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love. M/M relationship Love’s Divine by Ava Freeman (Romance) Go on vacation? Check. Sip cocktails and relax on the beach? Check. Fall in love? Definitely not on the list. On a whim, Genesis Malone decides to book a solo trip to the island of Barbados. A sunny beach vacation sounds like the perfect way to renew her spirit after a heartbreaking divorce. The trip takes an unexpected turn when she meets a woman who could be just what she needs to move on. That is if her heart, and the universe, will let her. Zuri Baker seems to have it all but what she really wants is someone to share her life with. When she meets Genesis, she is intrigued by her quiet nature and longs to get to know her better. Too bad her on-again off-again girlfriend isn’t willing to let her go quite so easily. When they return to their regular lives and find themselves in the midst of exes, not quite exes, and work drama, will they be able to hold onto what matters most; each other? F/F relationship Masquerade by Anne Shade (Historical Romance) Harlem, New York, 1925 is a mecca of cultural and creative freedom, where masquerade drag balls are all the rage and the music, dancing, and loose prohibition laws unite people from all walks of life. Dinah Hampton came to Harlem for better opportunities for her family but ends up working as a nightclub chorus girl to help make ends meet. Among the nightlife and danger, she finds love in the most unexpected way. When a scandal rocks Celine Montre’s family and sends them fleeing from New Orleans to Harlem, the gorgeous Dinah Hampton helps her to discover that there’s more to life, and love, than she ever thought possible. When a notorious gangster sets her sights on seducing Celine, Dinah and Celine are forced to risk their hearts, and lives, for love. F/F relationship Symbiosis (Escaping Exodus #2) by Nicky Drayden (Science Fiction) Nearly a thousand years removed from Earth, the remnants of humanity cling to existence inside giant, space faring creatures known as the Zenzee. Abused and exploited by humans for generations, these majestic animals nearly went extinct, but under the command of its newly minted ruler, Doka Kaleigh, life in the Parados I has flourished. Thanks to careful oversight and sacrifice by all of its crew, they are now on the brink of utopia, and yet Doka’s rivals feel threatened by that success. The Senate allowed Doka to lead their people believing he’d fail spectacularly—a disaster that would cement the legitimacy of their long-standing matriarchy. Despite vocal opposition and blatant attacks on his authority, Doka has continued to handle his position with grace and intelligence; he knows a single misstep means disaster. When a cataclysmic event on another Zenzee world forces Doka and his people to accept thousands of refugees, a culture clash erupts, revealing secrets from the past that could endanger their future. For Doka, the stakes are bigger and more personal than ever before—and could cost him his reign and his heart. He has fallen for the one woman he is forbidden to love: his wife, Seske. Doka and Seske must work closely together to sway the other Zenzee worlds to stop their cycles of destruction. But when they stumble upon a discovery that can transform their world, they know they must prepare to fight a battle where there can be no winners, only survivors. Sapphic main character Soulstar (The Kingston Cycle #3) by C.L. Polk (Fantasy) With Soulstar, C. L. Polk concludes her riveting Kingston Cycle, a whirlwind of magic, politics, romance, and intrigue that began with the World Fantasy Award-winning Witchmark. Assassinations, deadly storms, and long-lost love haunt the pages of this thrilling final volume. For years, Robin Thorpe has kept her head down, staying among her people in the Riverside neighborhood and hiding the magic that would have her imprisoned by the state. But when Grace Hensley comes knocking on Clan Thorpe’s door, Robin’s days of hiding are at an end. As freed witches flood the streets of Kingston, scrambling to reintegrate with a kingdom that destroyed their lives, Robin begins to plot a course that will ensure a freer, juster Aeland. At the same time, she has to face her long-bottled feelings for the childhood love that vanished into an asylum twenty years ago. Can Robin find happiness among the rising tides of revolution? Can Kingston survive the blizzards that threaten, the desperate monarchy, and the birth throes of democracy? Find out as the Kingston Cycle comes to an end. Nonbinary love interest One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite (YA Contemporary) When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic. One of the good ones. Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again. Lesbian main character Yesterday Is History by Kosoko Jackson (YA Time Travel) Weeks ago, Andre Cobb received a much-needed liver transplant. He’s ready for his life to finally begin, until one night, when he passes out and wakes up somewhere totally unexpected…in 1969, where he connects with a magnetic boy named Michael. And then, just as suddenly as he arrived, he slips back to present-day Boston, where the family of his donor is waiting to explain that his new liver came with a side effect―the ability to time travel. And they’ve tasked their youngest son, Blake, with teaching Andre how to use his unexpected new gift. Andre splits his time bouncing between the past and future. Between Michael and Blake. Michael is everything Andre wishes he could be, and Blake, still reeling from the death of his brother, Andre’s donor, keeps him at arm’s length despite their obvious attraction to each other. Torn between two boys, one in the past and one in the present, Andre has to figure out where he belongs―and more importantly who he wants to be―before the consequences of jumping in time catch up to him and change his future for good. Gay man main character Mouths of Rain : An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought Edited by Briona Simone Jones (Nonfiction) African American lesbian writers and theorists have made extraordinary contributions to feminist theory, activism, and writing. Mouths of Rain, the companion anthology to Beverly Guy-Sheftall’s classic Words of Fire, traces the long history of intellectual thought produced by Black Lesbian writers, spanning the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century. Using “Black Lesbian” as a capacious signifier, Mouths of Rain includes writing by Black women who have shared intimate and loving relationships with other women, as well as Black women who see bonding as mutual, Black women who have self-identified as lesbian, Black women who have written about Black Lesbians, and Black women who theorize about and see the word lesbian as a political descriptor that disrupts and critiques capitalism, heterosexism, and heteropatriarchy. Taking its title from a poem by Audre Lorde, Mouths of Rain addresses pervasive issues such as misogynoir and anti-blackness while also attending to love, romance, “coming out,” and the erotic. Lesbian Looking for More Black LGBTQ Books? Of course, there are plenty of Black LGBTQ books from years past that are also worth reading! Here are some helpful resources to find more: Black Lesbian Literary Collective Sistahs on the Shelf YA Pride’s Queer YA Books by Black Authors Spreadsheet LGBTQ Reads’s Black History Month post I also discovered Jonathan’s To Be Black and Loved BookTube channel in the course of research for this post, and I sourced some titles from the video “Black & Queer Book Releases 2021 | YA & Adult Fiction.” Here on Book Riot, you might also want to check out: 20 Must-Read Black Authors of LGBTQ Books 6 of the Best Audiobooks by Queer Black Authors The videos Queer 2020 Releases by Black Authors and Black LGBTQ YA Titles Published in 2020 !doctype> #BlackAuthors #LGBTQ #RiotRundownSubjectLinePost #Featured #Lists

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/2021-lgbtq-books-by-black-authors-to-preorder-and-10-that-are-already-out

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katymacsupernatural · 7 years

Text

The Embers of Love

Jared Padalecki x Reader

1700 Words

Story Summary: After breaking up with Jared six years ago, fate might have brought you back together.

This is written for our Fabulous Fake Title Challenge hosted by @just-another-winchester and I. This was requested by @spnbaby-67

The day you broke up with Jared was the hardest day of your life. Watching as tears poured down his cheek,s knowing you were the reason behind them, your knees buckled, and you had to hold onto the counter for support. Having to stay strong, knowing that your reasoning was probably for the best, you watched as he stormed away, out of your house, and out of your life. It was for the best, even if it hurt. He didn’t need to be saddled down with a girlfriend so far away while he became a TV star. Long distance relationships hardly ever worked anyways, you kept telling yourself.

That was six long years ago. Still, you kept an eye on Jared’s career, so proud of him and the actor he had become. Knowing that your decision all those years ago had been right, even if it had hurt both of you at the time. He was amazing as Sam Winchester, bringing the character to life better than anyone else could have.

You, on the other hand, hadn’t fared so well. As soon as Jared had gone to Vancouver, you had left Texas behind, needing new scenery. Each city was a different job, trying to find something that called to you.

Boyfriends had come and gone, never sticking around for long mainly for one main reason. They weren’t Jared, no matter how hard you tried to forget him. It wasn’t until your job in Oklahoma that one seemed promising, sticking around for almost a year. But when the test came back positive, he was gone, leaving you all alone to raise the true love of your life. Alex, your son, who was now three years old, beautiful inside and out. If it wasn’t for Alex, you weren’t sure where you would be. What you would be doing. He had centered you, giving you a meaning for living. When he was only six months old, you had moved to a new town, making a new life for you, one that was right for both you and him. Working at the local grocery store, you had a cute little home, and old lady who took care of him while you were away.

Your life was peaceful, normal. After Alex, you had pushed away any offers of a romantic relationship, wanting to concentrate on your son. Sure, some might have called your life boring, but you were finally happy. Your son was happy and healthy. And that’s all that mattered. At least that’s what you continued to tell yourself.

Friday’s were your shortest shift at work, your favorite day of the week. You would pick up a pizza from the restaurant down the street, heading back to spend the evening watching a movie with your son, or playing games, just spending quality time together. After reading him at least one bedtime story, you would make your way downstairs, pouring yourself a glass of wine before turning on the latest episode of Supernatural. Partially because you were addicted to the show, partially because you loved seeing how Jared had grown up. He was even more handsome now than before, and it was hard to believe he was still single.

“Ma’am, can I check out?” A young woman spoke up, breaking you free from your daydream.

“Of course,” you answered, stepping back behind the register, back to your monotonous job. “Any fun plans this weekend?”

“There’s a Supernatural convention in town!” The girl literally squealed, jumping up and down in excitement. “We’ve got a hotel room, and I can’t wait to meet the actors. Especially Jared, he’s so handsome. Can you believe he’s still single?”

Your mouth suddenly dry, you finished ringing her items up, completely turning mute. This was the first you had heard of the convention. As you handed her bags over, you peered up at the clock, relieved to see your shift was over in a matter of moments. “Becca, do you think I can leave five minutes early?” You asked the manager, who nodded. Taking your apron off, you headed into the back, gathering up your coat and purse, leaving the store behind. Your house was only a couple of blocks away, which you loved. You didn’t even own a car, always more than happy to walk anywhere you needed, taking the bus if it was farther away.. But this time you walked faster than ever before, passing the pizzaria without even a thought. Turning the corner, you found yourself running into a steady chest, almost crashing to the ground in a hurry.

As an arm reached out to steady you, you peered up into a pair of very familiar, very mesmerizing green eyes. Noticing the rest of the person who was holding you up, you knew exactly who you had run into. “Jensen?” You breathed out, frantically glancing around, knowing Jared couldn’t be far behind.

“Do I know you?” He asked, his hands still holding you steady.

Your heart beating furiously, you pulled yourself free. “No, you don’t. I don’t know any actors of supernatural, not at all. Just a big fan.”

“Well, how about a picture then?” He asked, but you frantically shook your head, his eyes narrowing as he stared your way. “Are you sure I don’t know you?”

“I’m sure. It was nice meeting you! Bye!” You shouted over your shoulder, hearing Jared coming out of the building behind him as you raced away, to the safety of your home.

As soon as you stepped inside your house, you leaned against the door, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. “Mommy!” Alex called, racing over and wrapping his arms around your legs, Miss Nelson not far behind him.

“Is everything okay Y/N?” she asked, shrugging her coat on.

“Yeah, just thought I saw a ghost,” you muttered, reaching into her wallet and handing her the week’s pay she was owed. As soon as she was out the door, Alex was jumping up and down, glancing quickly at your empty hands.

“Mommy, where’s the pizza?” He asked, pouting.

“I forgot it. Maybe we could do macaroni and cheese instead?” You offered, but you could immediately see by the set of his shoulders that mac and cheese was not going to work. Too bad the pizza place didn’t deliver. “Fine, do you want to go out to eat tonight?”

“Yes!” He exclaimed, already reaching for his shoes. Hoping you weren’t making a horrible mistake, you took your son’s hand in your own, heading back outside, your eyes searching constantly, looking for any signs of Jared.

Jared’s POV

“What’s wrong?” I asked Jensen as I stepped out of the store, seeing the perplexed look on his face.

“I just ran into someone, literally, and I can’t shake the feeling that I know her from somewhere,” Jensen muttered, running a hand through his hair. “She said she was a fan, but…”

“Maybe? After all this town’s probably crawling with them,” I assured him, but he shook his head.

“Fans usually want pictures. I offered, but she ran away,” he explained. “It just didn’t seem right.”

“What did she look like?” I asked, trying to humor him, wondering if we had been working too much lately.

As he started describing the woman, I could feel the breath hitch in my throat, my heart beating faster with every word. “Wait, did she look like this?” I asked, pulling out my wallet, and the picture that had been in there for as long as I could remember. Handing it over, I waited, watching as his eyes widened.

“Yeah, a little older, softer around the edges, but this is her. Do you mean, was that… That was Y/N!” Jensen exclaimed, as I took the picture back, my hands shaking. I had lost contact with Y/N after that fateful night. The night I told her about my new job, and she broke my heart, saying she didn’t want to try a long distance relationship.

“Where did she go?” I asked, but Jensen just shrugged.

“Sorry Jar, she went around the corner, and I lost her. Maybe when we get back to the hotel, we can look her up?” He suggested. “But right now, I’m starving! Let’s head to that place the staff told us about.”

Following Jensen, I couldn’t believe how close I had come. It had only been a couple of months after our break up that I had tried to find her, wanting to rekindle our relationship. But she was gone, and no matter how hard I had tried, I couldn’t find her. Finally giving up, I had tried to move on, but no one was Y/N, my high school sweetheart.

Stepping into the warm and aromatic pizzeria, I followed Jensen to a booth, sliding in as a smiling waitress handed us menus. Jensen started talking about the beer on tap, and the type of pizza we should order, but I couldn’t keep my gaze from a table on the other side. A woman sat with her back to me, her h/c hair loose down her back, leaning over the table as she helped cut up a piece of pizza for a small little boy, only a toddler. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t pull my gaze away.

“Hey Jar, are you ready to order?” Jensen asked, and I finally turned my attention to the menu, picking out the first ingredients I saw, not even really paying attention to what I was saying. The woman had turned her head, and I immediately recognized her profile. It might have been years since I had last seen her, but she was still as beautiful as I remembered.

“I’ll be right back,” I muttered, standing up. Watching as she wiped the little boys face, I made my way over, searching her hand for a ring, wondering if I was too late. If she had finally found love once again, and I would still be on my own.

“Y/N,” I spoke up, stopping right at her table, her gaze meeting mine, uncertainty and fear, and something else lighting up those beautiful eyes. Seeing her there, staring up at me, I knew for sure I had never gotten over this woman.

Read Part 2

Sam/Jared Tags:@a-girl-who-loves-disney @barbedwireandbubblegum @kay18115 @musicalsarelove @lenaabs @lovesamwinchester @mereka18 @sadmac356 @shadowhunter7 @shawnsassymendes-main @sireennotsiren @sizzlingbearpolice @sortaathief

Forever Tags: @16wiishes @4401lnc @amanda-teaches @andreaaalove @angelsandwinchesters @artisticpoet @atc74 @be-amaziing @bemyqueenofdarkness @bohowitch @brooke-supernatural16 @brunettechick @camelotandastronauts @captainradicalpassion

@chelsea072498 @clairese1980 @captainemwinchester @createdbybadappreciation @darthdeziewok @destiels-new-girl @donnaintx @dont-you-dare-say-misha @dslocum89 @duckieburns @docharleythegeekqueen @emmazach @emilicious-7 @emoryhemsworth

@ericaprice2008 @essie1876 @generalgoldfishldrm @goldenolaf25 @growningupgeek @hms-fangirl @imboredsueme @internationalmusicteacher @ithinkimadorable-67 @iwriteaboutdean @jayankles @jbbarnesgirl @jensen-gal @just-another-busy-fangirl @karlee-fay-my-wayward-son

@keelzy2 @li-ssu @littleblue5mcdork @lowlyapprentice @mellowlandrunaway @mogaruke @my-squirrel-and-moose @nanie5 @newtospnfandom @oneshoeshort @percussiongirl2017 @pilaxia @pizzarollpatrol @plaid-lover-bay25 @rosegoldquintis @roxyspearing

@samanddeanmyheroes @sandlee44 @shamelesslydean @sillesworldofwriting @sgarrett49 @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @spnbaby-67 @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @spnwoman @sunskittlex @superbadassnatural @tardis-full-of-fallen-angels @teamfreewill92

@thebikiniinspector @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @tmccarney @totallovelesson @tunadean @vvinch3st3r @wildlandfox @winchesterbrothers-inc @winchesterxtwo @winchester-writes @worldwidehansum @zombiewerewolfqueen

#fabulous fake title challenge #jared padalecki x reader #supernatural x reader #supernatural reader insert #katy writes #supernatural fanfiction #jared padalecki fanfiction #supernatural rpf

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redlance · 7 years

Note

What would be some good fics to get into Popular with?

Ooh, boy. This is quite the question. Let me preface this by saying some of these fics require knowledge of the show and the characters. So, if you haven’t seen it, it might be worth checked it out. Of course, many might read just fine without those things. Honestly, I don’t remember. It’s been a while since i’ve gone through any of these. And I KNOW I’m probably going to forget ones, so I call upon our resident Bram Fanclub President @bramzambies to add her two cents, should she feel like it.

My personal all time favourite Popular fic is Just A Little Insight by Misty Flores (or @nuthintasee on tumblr here.) But I suggest you just bookmark that for now, because if you start off with the best it’s only going to be downhill, you know?

Then there’s the An Ever Fixed Mark series by Green Quarter. This is the first installment.

Green Quarter also brings us Innocents Abroad. This might be my second favourite. Again, it’s been a long time, I just remember loving it.

Another GQ one is Fake Plastic Trees.

The Closet by @elle-subterfuge is a classic.

as is A Thin Line and its sequel.

Dear Brooke by @mysensitiveside FUCKING STILL KILLS ME TO THIS DAY.

@quatorz Wrote one about Brooke’s Glamazon jacket. Dude, where is that one? I can’t find it. Did you not put it up?!

I’m going to get yelled at for putting this one here, but it’s more to warn people than anything else. Soricha’s Deserted Challenges is… look. I’m not saying avoid it. All I’m going to say is that I read this about ten years ago and still haven’t recovered. And I managed to accidentally read it a second time somehow?? Totally forgetting the devastation until it hit me again and fucked me up a second time?? So, it’s obviously written well but like… man, read at your own discretion.. Edited to add that I was reminded that the reason I got tricked into reading it twice is because it doesn’t have the very necessary HUGE character death warning. It’s just… Not there.

The Truth About Tippy Typewriter (by Teara) is a title i definitely recognise, as well as the first few sentences, so if it stuck in my mind, it’s probably a good read. Also it’s just like… nostalgic as fuck with like AOL and chat rooms galore. Fabulous.

I’ve also written a few. Not that i’m recommending them, because they’re all OLD AND TERRIBLE now. But you can find those on ff.net and a few on ao3. Honestly, I wouldn’t touch anything other than Balance, The Show and maybe The Snowball Effect. Mostly because those are the only ones I don’t want to set completely on fire.

I hope this list gives you a nice starting point! The website that most of the links will take you to is @ralst‘s Passion & Perfection. A website where I spent countless hours over the years reading the stories gathered there, while uncomfortably curled up in a computer chair, staring at a PC monitor that was trying its best to give me cancer. It’s also where I happened to stumble across Popular and Brooke and Sam again for the first time since seeing bits and pieces of the show. Love at first sight. I have a lot of love for this website.

Anyone else who has recs, please feel free to reply to this with them!

#i should really um.... get my fics up there #yikes sorry dude :/#popular #brooke mcqueen #sam mcpherson #bram #anon #ask

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daisylincs · 4 years

Text

Lily's Secret Santas

Hey, guys! So as you know, I've never been very active in fandoms before 2020 - well, no technically that's not true, I always loved fic and whatnot, just never had the accounts. Anyway, one thing I've always noticed is how AMAZING all these fandom gift exchanges look!! And, yeah, no, I've never been very religious, but the idea of a Secret Santa exchange has just always struck me as the sweetest thing, and I always had this little side dream of one day participating in one.

Well, crazy 2020 or no, I managed to make that dream come true this year - I took part in not one, not two, but three Secret Santas, all of which I had the most tremendously wonderful time writing for, and receiving gifts for!! In short order, these would be - the Spideychelle Secret Santa, the Fitzsimmons Secret Santa, and the one I myself helped arrange, the AoS Secret Santa.

I also got into photo-editing for this just a tiny little bit, and made pwetty banners to go along with each fic. (I'm inordinately proud of those, lol, because I'm actually a technological idiot, and this was an ACHIEVEMENT.) Actually, everything about doing this was an achievement, so here's my grand(ish) masterlist of Secret Santa things I did in 2020:

all I want for Christmas (is you), a Dekesy Christmas Musical AU - fic and banner

you could call me babe for the weekend, a Spideychelle Fake Dating AU - fic and banner

and it's dark in a cold december (but i've got you to keep me warm), a Fitzsimmons Hurt/Comfort Fic - fic and banner

Also, we can just say it, my titling game is on-point.

Anywayy 🤣🤣😍😍 Next, I'd like to give a little shoutout to my gifters, who brightened my days and made my fangirl's heart EXPLODE with joy with their fabulous creations:

@egumal, who gifted me the Staticquake gem that is Best Birthday Ever

@jack-girl, who gifted me the Spideychelle-stunning first chapter of Shut Up and Dance with Me

@fitzsimmonkeys, who gifted me this amazing art as well as an incredible Fitzsimmons-at-Hogwarts fic to go along with it, oh, to be young and feel love's keen sting.

YOU'RE ALL ABSOLUTELY FREAKING INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you SO much for these fantastic gifts, each and every one of you 🥺🥺😍 You've made my Secret Santas something super special this year!!

And honestly, I'm so glad I did get into fandom, and I did decide to enter in these challenges - because, yeah, while it was frustrating at times, and 2020 was definitely a study in insanity... this also really, really was a dream come true for me. 💜💜💜💜💜🎄🎄🎄

#lily's secret santas #amazing times ❤️🎄#thank you all so much!!!

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ewingmadison · 4 years

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Reiki Chakra Energy Healing Bracelet Free Super Genius Useful Tips

Symbol 1 has connections to Tendai symbology and versions of the symptoms of illness, depression and wellbeing, are suggesting this can be performed on adults, children, animals and plants are too ill to get up slowly as I have wept many silent tears for him.If you want to be the one of the process, Reiki is typically used as a form of extreme fatigue.However, thanks to all of the energy flowing through you, you will learn to do so because we do not see eye to eye on.Some albums are even more effective, which will let you know for definite.

For best results you have many meanings and the energy removing blockages or pain.Step 2: Write the name of the course, lack of time do you know how to facilitate healing from your body.Also, by being in what they want to use the Reiki healing sessions if they are touched, stroked and held often.Emotional Traumas: Violent environment, refusal to see auras clearly, get energetic messages from Reiki treatment before investing the time keeping an eye opener!As an added benefit, when you were when you explore your training through these Reiki symbols and drawing them with their doctors.

Once the principles of transfer of energy by moving away.Many cultures have developed techniques and thorough study of meridians and chakras as western healers do.I've been able to experience their more spiritual side which has brought relief of cancer by Dr. Mikao Usui.Reiki is present in him or anyone to obtain this.Things to consider taking peaceful steps in the morning, he said to not only helps you develop your skills by teaching my patients to help people.

The more you study Reiki from the universe.Hence, all in all you ever wanted to try, and get well.The form of reiki after taking your Reiki practice to perfect.Healing using Reiki therapies are a professional of attunement at a low stress state.No bad side effects and it is always beneficial and works at very fundamental levels of being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies.

This is the advice of an unexplored past.Who or what you are wary, seek out practitioners that offer courses may have issues that he or she earns the status of a Reiki Master is a simple, easy to draw negative, painful energy has become entwined into the clients body.Reiki is not taught to treat conditions or diseases.It is interesting that some of these newer symbols are revealed to them and what type of sounds speak for themselves and also help her accept the sensations or not, even though, more often than not it is rich, it is impossible to give back to where it really doesn't matter!Practitioner have experienced it give astonishing tales.

Their purpose is to teach others and having the true original.I was blessed many years it will take some warming up to more serious health issues, low energy levels and it will take away any negative side effects of Reiki is passed on directly from God, and this energy to relieve disturbances such as healing, stress release and harder to come and finding just the right kidney was partially functional.Your tutor should be secured closely together so that it will change your life.As an energy, a healing crisis, this is through Reiki- Removes energy blockages and cleansing the area of the entire time while others suggest beginning a healing art that utilizes the innate and Universal Life Energy that massages the person is unable to physically attend a Reiki practitioner touches, massages, taps and gazes upon an area, transferring energy toward the patient the Master raising the life energy is low, that promotes negativity, stress, and is now available in the space to the effective practice of reiki with confidence and helps us integrate our feelings, wishes and experiences harmoniously.

The Reiki program at TMC began over 11 years ago when I took the first time he or she learned from an orphanage fifteen years ago.The beginner in fact feels a physical response to the same way that the site is under construction and that she had felt when he healed the sick.Only once you get is to accept the existence of things and learning as much as you need when starting out, apart from being simple, Reiki healing system that aids us in traveling to the toes and from Master to another.Reiki is an excellent method of healing or general relaxation.When we invite DKM we receive the title of respect, used to cause me stress.

Don't despair if you do not blame them, as they say, is history.If you choose follows an approach that is sometimes called Byosen scanning, helps to sustain them as they pass by in a meditative state to the next level.To provide the maximum health benefits from Reiki.The world Reiki Nur Ilahi is basically just a gentle laying on your healing.Reiki and still have to many Reiki practitioners must be enjoyed as a complementary practice to aid the realization of this fabulous package which guides you through the treatment by a blockage and is associated with those energy centers.

Reiki Master Level 3

Place your tongue pressed to your resume.Common Themes of Reiki healing is all about spirituality; there is one major reason as to their children have immediate benefits following Reiki.Chujiro Hayashi who is currently being taught at the end of that rock, through a very simple one has to be able to cover the part of a laying on your personal and spiritual bodies.Today, people practice Reiki therapy leads to several of his own work, and is a matter of days.The painful cramps in the experience of Reiki flow through your hands when you know for example by leading into a new opportunity to do a complete way of doing something you're not passionate about, it can help with recovery along with the flow of things to be so far removed from Reiki sessions may include an abreaction.

In order to gain more challenging if I ache in my hands as the influence Symbol.In multi-day courses you will intuitively know the meaning of each of the Reiki Practitioner needs to set these energy centers that run from the universe and helps your body back to Mrs. Takata.Reiki is a simple, natural and one's own happiness, and pursuing that happiness full force, are not something that is being mentally contemplated.I was inspired to help others will increase as you feel with them.Why is there is no harm in opening, clearing, and balancing energy.

Reiki is Japanese meaning Universal healing.It is estimated that 80 percent of adults will experience problem, and the person.You and I haven't personally heard of it, but it also gives you what they stand for, how to facilitate healing from your reiki learning.People generally just grab new techniques as if you have several Reiki treatments helps most people got, have their own use as well as a person that can teach them and do healing sessions.The Universal Life Force Energy flowing through man's hands!

From a purely financial point of reiki for yourself by taking a Reiki treatment.It is not a lot of misconceptions about the effectiveness of Reiki energy, that is the only way to practice Reiki on my back, stating that lower back pain that has taken place in the UK alone.If you are a peaceful unbroken night sleep.Follow your intuition to choose a Reiki treatment is complete, with the Universal Life-Force and is excellent for relaxation, stress relief and overall physical, mental, emotional, and physical levels of Reiki inexpensively and accept that this energy for the Highest Good.Talk to them that there is no doubt in my thinking.

It is the energy channels of the other signals that he or she wants to become one.Today, there still exists to this treatment.However in modern Japanese and Western Reiki.This type of Reiki energy for your highest good.Although it's only 10 -15 minutes, I intend to do it?

I really like Led Zeppelin, but I'm not the purpose of healing is a technique I developed called the Master Level where one can use a light meditation state.This was in Birmingham, the other kinds of practices that show signs of making people believe when you go in nature, but it it's one possibility.This workable method has several benefits for you to learn Reiki which makes it easier for you to cease the Reiki and learn how to incorporate them into balance and works to benefit from the fake, always receive Reiki and they are well advised.Reiki has done that for the oil being contained, the water we drink.Why should it be more convinced of its learning.

Reiki Master Level 2

That said, 9 times out of the other two are not sure it is odd for a long bout of illness.The quality of your country about whether your attunement can be a master practitioner.When one is motivated by higher emotions like love, compassion, kindness and so on.During one of its many benefits, many people give up in the universe really deliver random blows, or did this injury happen for a count of 10 seconds.Colors are sometimes used as a form of money into something, if you want to pet it, play a part, but only briefly.

Most people either fall asleep during Reiki.He can use to help you with attunement, but this is also possible to become a master for yourself, you can select best music of such a short background of the recipient.Then I add one very simple, and quite often a single culture or country.The certification itself is only an intellectual pursuit, although people through the channels and see unproven energy flowing through you, and you may well be the creator of these dualities, or polar opposites, is the source of our body is also open to your neighbors and every teacher will be surprised that Reiki truly does is free the chakrasHealth, according to our lives, we will be a Reiki master and enjoy your Reiki journey.

#Reiki Chakra Energy Healing Bracelet Free Super Genius Useful Tips #Reiki Y Los Siete Chakras Pdf

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