#gemstar24

[engagemachine]

Do Taylor and Mr J text very often? Would you want to show us what a typical texting exchange might look like?

omg. YES.

Okay so, at first, Mr. J makes it very clear that texting is only for emergencies... but Taylor can't help wanting to talk to him throughout her day. She HAS to.

A typical text exchange might go like this:

[Taylor sends photo]

[jokerfic]

Let’s say the Joker realized he was wrong about something. Rare, I know. But maybe Harley knew better and he was cocky and assumed he was in the right. Do you think he would apologize in his own way?

probably not, lmao

like knowing him he’d just effortlessly reframe it in his mind so that it was a Good Thing That He Was Wrong, Actually and then just go about his merry business as usual

[paopu-moo]

7, 31, and 36 for the kh asks!

7. when did you first start playing kh

Back in 2009 when 358/2 days came out, it was my christmas present that year. I was 10 :)

31.favourite keyblade

hnnng i don’t wanna sound cliche but definitely the ultima weapon (all variations tbh) and the kingdom key

36.favourite song

It’s so hard to pick just one! Aaaah! Everything Yoko and Utada write just SLAPS

The Other Promise, Dearly Beloved, and Rage Awakened are some of my favs. Though tbh I love all the music

KH Ask meme!

[knit-wear-it]

The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 5

Theme 👇🎧

Read Chapter 5 on AO3 or FFN

Master List Here



Please Review 😘

(Guest starring @pretty-shimmie, @gemstar24 & @mariposanoir)

+ Plus…

+ And…

[gemstar24]

Hey there,

I am planning on rebooting The Reflection Series that I started almost 4 years ago. While the trajectory of the story will be the same, it will be cleaned up, more cohesive, and have more character development!

I don’t think I will be posting any chapters until I’m much further along in the writing process. My husband is a huge help to me when it comes to making my vision come to life so a lot of my progress depends on our ability to actually sit down and hash this thing out.

I am planning on leaving the original versions posted. There are so many kind comments and likes on those stories which are very special to me. If you’ve read the original, unfinished version of my series - thank you so much for supporting me throughout it!

I may eventually go back and polish up “It’s a Fine Line” as well. It’s a stand alone fic and I really love that story. If you haven’t read that one, I’d love you to check it out and leave feedback for me, positive or negative so that I can maybe make an even better version in the future.

You can find me at ff.net or AO3 under Gemstar24

[engagemachine]

Can we get another sneak peek? 🫣🙏🥰 Is it too soon to ask?

Hey girl! It's definitely not too soon -- especially since the chapter is close to completion.

Spoilers for Chapter Thirteen below the cut:

It’s quiet for a few moments after that, and Taylor’s drawn a complicated-looking tangle of leafy vines in the naked outer margins of the paper, complete with thorns and all. She turns the paper horizontally to fill in the next margin and add some more roses. With his arm still draped over the back of the booth, he lowers his hand, reaches for one of her French braids and gives it a little tug before looping it around his loose fist. Then he leans closer, and goose bumps flood over her arms and legs when she hears him lick his lips right next to her ear.

“Look at you,” he murmurs, “so pretty in your outfit today, aren’t you?”

Taylor’s crayon strokes slow, heart beating loud and slow as his words sink in. Her mouth goes dry, tongue tangling around a reply that her brain hasn’t even had a chance to fully formulate yet. She’s not sure why he says it—she’s just wearing jean shorts and a tank top—but the compliment thrills her all the same, temporarily lays to rest her mountain of teenage insecurities.

Mr. J thinks she’s pretty, and that’s all that matters.

[engagemachine]

Can I be greedy and ask for a chapter 13 sneaky peek? 😅 I hope you’re having a nice day 🥰

Of course you can! This actually the opening scene for Chapter Thirteen.

Spoilers below the cut!

They stay in and watch TV for the rest of the night. Order takeout. Their little room is starting to feel like home to her, and she’s comforted the moment they step inside. She feels safe here, surrounded by all of their things, the memories they’ve made. Even the mussed sheets bring her a level of comfort she hadn’t ever taken the time to consider before now. There’s an indentation leftover on their pillows from where their heads had been, and it warms her to see it, to remember the way they had laid together in bed that morning—and every morning—with her spooned inside of him, his warm breath on the back of her neck and his arm curled around her waist, sometimes her chest. She likes that best, she thinks, when his arm is snaked between her breasts. It’s especially difficult to slip away from him in the mornings when he’s holding her like that, and it is its own little thrill, trying to squirm out of his grip when he’s so intent on keeping her close.

Just that morning, she’d begged him to let go through a series of giggles, trying to wriggle free in a way that had made the space between her thighs throb with heat. “Mr. J, please, I have to pee!”

He’d grunted in response. She could feel him tighten his hold on her, then the bump of his nose when he skated it through the tendrils of her hair. She giggled because it tickled, but then she felt the mangled flesh of his right cheek against the side of her neck, pressed against the pulse there, and it made her still just to feel it, to feel that ropey, bulging skin against hers.

[engagemachine]

Why do you think Ressling is as loyal as he is? How has he gotten to be J’s “right hand man”? I’d love to get more background on how he’s made it this far! Forgive me if you’ve touched on this before.

So glad you asked and you will be finding out in Chapter Fourteen!!!!!!!!!! That's all I can say about it. Stay tuned. 👀

[engagemachine]

Is Taylor ever tempted to ask Mr J about his past? Does she wonder about things like who his mother was or how he liked school?

Hi! I'm so sorry this has taken me so long to answer!

So, Taylor hasn't wondered about these things yet... but she will. I know that quite a bit of time has passed since the Joker first took Taylor under his wing, so to speak, but to me they are still in the very early stages of their relationship. Like, when I think about all the things I have planned for them, there is still so much I have yet to explore between the two of them. So to answer your question, she hasn't really spent a lot of time thinking about these kinds of questions yet, but she definitely will start questing him more about his past, especially as their bond deepens and they grow closer physically.

There's actually a scene in the upcoming chapter where Taylor asks Mr. J if he thinks he would've liked her if they were the same age and he had gone to her school... lol. It's kind of her insecure way of asking if she's his 'type', lol.

Thanks for your ask!

[engagemachine]

Omg! Happy Birthday, Haley!! 🐱🍰🎉

Hey girl! I’m so sorry I’m answering this late, but thank you so much for the birthday wishes! ❤️❤️❤️ I had a great day!

[engagemachine]

Just checking in on you and hoping you’re having a great summer 🥰💕

Hey, girl! It's been great so far! I took a break from work for a MONTH and I think that's the longest I've ever been away! It was wonderful. Did a lot of traveling and also saw Hans Zimmer in concert (which was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I came home this past Monday to some flooding in my apartment (it's always something with this place) but other than that I have been enjoying being home and I feel really blessed to have seen so many family and friends recently! Now I'm missing everybody terribly though. :'(

I hope you have been having a great summer, too!

[engagemachine]

In regards to your post asking readers if knowing more about your personal life changes how we view your story… I just have to say how interesting it is, the Joker fandom… specifically the Ledger version, how the authors I’ve made connections with can write some of the darkest, most disturbing content I’ve had the pleasure of reading but they are the such kind and thoughtful people. What it’s really shown me is just how deep people are. I don’t tell people I know personally about the writing I’ve don’t because I know they would think differently of me. I’d be interested to hear if the people you know “IRL” know about your writing? I love hearing about your personal life on your blog. I’m always very interested in knowing more about the author because it gives me a fuller idea of where they’re coming from if that makes sense.

Hi girl! Merry Christmas! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thorough reply to this post I had reblogged. I completely agree with you, regarding your thoughts on those of us within the TDK fandom. My readers have been some of the kindest, gentlest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know. I think that's so fascinating, given the content they're reading about, but it just goes to show that people can be so nuanced and full of hidden depth. I think, for the most part, we all have dark corners we want to explore, and I happen to think that writing/fiction is one of the safest avenues in which to do it. I'm incredibly grateful to the people I have been introduced to through the TDK fandom, and, with only a few exceptions, I've always been pleasantly surprised by how kind, caring, and supportive everyone has been.

As far as people "IRL" knowing about my writing, very few do. It's not something I would feel comfortable sharing with most people, and to be honest, it's so dark and disturbing that I don't think most people would want to read it anyway. And I am OK with that. I know my writing is not everyone's cup of tea, and I am just fine writing specifically to that small audience who is interested in darker themes with somewhat bleak endings.

Once again, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and opinions! I'm really glad to know you're interested in learning about the author. I find that very touching. :')

[engagemachine]

Halloween is coming up! What would Taylor’s dream “couples costume” be with Mr J? Although she should probably just keep this to herself since I don’t think he would humor her.

OMG. What a question! You always have the best Q's, I swear.

Okay, so I have SO many ideas, but personally, I think Taylor would LOVE dressing up as a Disney princess for a night, and whichever one she decided on, she'd definitely make Mr. J dress up as the accompanying prince.

But also, imagine Taylor making Mr. J dress up as Woody from Toy Story, and she gets to be Bo Beep. She could carry a little stuffed lamb around with her. PLS!!!

I also think it'd be really cute if Taylor was Little Red Riding Hood... and Mr. J was the grandma. JSLKDJLASJ. AND DON'T SAY HE WOULDN'T WEAR A DRESS BECAUSE HE TOTALLY WOULD. Anyway, thematically, this one is really on the nose, but especially if he were to be the wolf. And if he did dress up as the wolf (all brown clothes + a wolf mask), realistically, I think that's probably the most likely costume Taylor would be able to get him into. So this one is probably the most solid idea out of the bunch.

Back to Disney though, there's also Tinker Bell, and Mr. J could play Captain Hook, which I would LOVE. That'd be a very detailed costume for him. But also we know that he has no qualms about playing dress up and donning wigs (nurse outfit, anyone?)

Also, after conversing with @napiersmirk, she also supplied the following ideas:

Beauty and the Beast (her reasoning for this is that she thinks Taylor LOVES seeing Mr. J all dressed up--which is true--and she'd love seeing him in a fancy suit with coattails).

She also suggested that Taylor dress up as a sausage and Mr. J as a hotdog bun, and then Taylor keeps asking him to hug her all night long, and when he refuses, she gets super whiny about it: "Mr. J, you have to, you're the bread!!"

Anyway, that's all I got. What are some of your guy's ideas? I want to know!

[engagemachine]

Has Taylor ever had to ask Mr J to help her with her homework? 🥺

Omg, yes! I answered a similar ask here a while back, where an anonymous reader left a prompt similar to your question. I was never able to fill this prompt, unfortunately, but it's plagued me for quite some time, and I think about it a lot.

I've spoken in the past about how Taylor's never been a straight-A student, and while her best subjects were always science and math, it was by no means smooth sailing for either of those topics of study, and sometimes she would struggle with homework well into the night, to the point where Mr. J would find her passed out in random spots all throughout the house: the kitchen table, with her head nestled on top of her textbook, or on the couch, with the book laid unfolded, her stomach a makeshift bookmark, and on her bedroom floor, curled up on her side with her forearm as a pillow, all her notes spread out on the floor behind her, creating a half-moon arch, as if she were a creature or some little fairy with only one wing instead of two.

Well, he muses, he supposes ten milligrams of Ambien periodically crushed into a mid-afternoon glass of juice will do that to a person....

He doesn't dose her all the time, of course, just enough to keep her docile. Content. She fights him less when she's weary and exhausted from whatever medicinally-induced cocktail he's slipped into her drink--not that he minds her when she fights. It's just his way of keeping tabs on her when she's out of sight -- out of both of their sights. There's only so much Ressling can do, once she's enclosed within school walls, but the drugs ensure she stays sleepy -- at least, sleepy enough to want to come home right home after school. Sleepy enough to fall asleep during class. During the middle of a conversation with a classmate, or a teacher. He doesn't care if she flunks out. What does that matter?

The kitchen table is where he finds her most often, brows pinched together in studious concentration as she tries to work through her algebra equations.

She never asks for help -- not outright, anyway -- but one night she releases an exasperated groan of frustration, and there's a thunk as her head hits the table.

"Ugh! I can't do this!"

Her voice is muffled from where her face is buried in her textbook, and he almost chuckles at that. Always so dramatic. He watches her for a few more moments from where he's seated on the couch. Her blonde hair is haloed around her textbook, and the tips of her hair spill out over her spiralbound notebook and the calculator he paid one hundred and thirty dollars for. Taylor was so guilt-stricken, having to ask him for all that money.

He goes to her after a few more moments have passed, stands behind her chair and sweeps her hair aside so he can take a look at what's got her so flustered. He ends up arching a brow instead when he sees she's been doing more doodling than actual math. He smirks at a little round face she drew in the margins, a caricature of herself with her mouth stretched into the shape of an 'O', and a speech bubble above her head that says, 'WHYYYYYYYYY'.

"I hate this," she mutters. She turns her head to the side -- her right cheek smooshed against her textbook -- and tries to look up at him from the corner of her eye. "I can't do it."

He stares at her, his own eyes full of mirth. "Sure you can, baby doll," he says, perfectly cloying. "What seems to be the prolem, hm?"

Taylor huffs through her nose, briefly sending a strand of hair flying into the air.

"It's hopeless," she whines. "Why do they have to make math so hard?" The way she says "have to" sounds like half to, and he smirks again as his eyes drift back to her notebook.

"Well, maybe daddy will help you if you ask nicely."

She perks up at that, sitting upright in her chair, looking at him over her shoulder. Jesus, he likes it when her eyes get big and round like that. He wants to pluck them straight from their sockets and put them in his pocket.

"Really?" she says, "you will?"

He raises a single brow.

"I mean... will you, Mr. J? Pretty please? With cherries on top?"

He cocks his head to the side, reaching out to touch a strand of her hair, stroking it between two fingers. "And what exactly are these cherries on top of?" he asks.

Taylor scrunches up her face. "I dunno," she shrugs. Her eyes drift to where he's still stroking a stand of her soft hair between his forefinger and thumb. "Whatever you want them on, I guess."

"You?" he asks.

That makes her smile, her eyes darting back to his, a little mischievous. "I guess so," she giggles. "You can put 'em right here." She splays a hand on top of her head, grinning at him, and he licks his lips, resists the sudden urge to push her flat on her belly on the table, rip her little shorts off and tell her that the only cherry he's interested in is the one he has yet to pop between her legs.

He releases her hair and leans forward to brace his arms on the table instead, bracing them on either side of her, crowding up against her back so his chin is nestled just over her shoulder. So close, he can smell her strawberry shampoo. "Why, that sounds just good enough to eat," he says, and she beams at him.

All his innuendos are lost on her. It's a shame, really.

She turns back to her textbook with renewed vigor, seizing her pencil and tapping the rubber-tipped side against the top right corner of her textbook.

"It's this one, Mr. J," she says, all business. "I've been working on this one for like, twenty minutes! It's freaking impossible!"

That does get a chuckle out of him, and he nestles his chin a little more solidly against her shoulder.

"Freak-ing impossible, huh?"

Taylor, at least, has the decency to look sheepish over her outburst. "Sorry," she mutters, as if he's just chastised her for saying a very bad word.

"Let's see here," he says, plucking the pencil from her fingers. He scans quickly over the work she's already done, finds the mistake (she'd omitted a negative symbol) and instructs her to start the problem over again. He glances at her from the corner of his eyes as she works, tongue poking out from between her lips, eyes narrowed in studious concentration. He almost laughs. But then, he also almost leans forward and bites her tongue instead. The desire to viscously yank that wet, fleshy muscle into his own mouth is a temptation almost too good to ignore. He settles for gripping the table a little tighter instead.

"I did it!" she crows. She turns to beam at him, and he raises his brows.

"See? Knew my girl could do it." He straightens behind her. "Now do the rest."

"Wait!" she says. She spins in her seat, grips his forearm with both hands. "You have to stay! You're my lucky charm."

He looks down at her, his little octopus, clinging to his arm as if it were her very lifeline, and, well, she's not exactly wrong, is she?

He decides he'll give her this indulgence -- after all, he's certain he'll be tossing her over his shoulder and carting her off to bed fairly soon, if her drooping eyes are any indication -- and grins at her.

"Promise me more cherries," he says, leaning down low, so close their noses almost brush, "and I might be more inclined to say yes."

[engagemachine]

Maybe a teeny tiny sneak peek because today is my birthday? 😇

OMG.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KELLY!

I hope your day is fabulous and wonderful and filled with many sweets!

And of course you can have a tiny sneak peek for your birthday. :')

“I’m just gonna put on some more sunblock,” she says, and then she gets up, kneels in front of her beach bag. He cocks his head as he stares at her. Something about the image of her kneeling like that feels familiar—recalling to mind a memory of a much smaller Taylor, not long after he had first discovered her in that rotting corpse of a building where she had been abandoned.  

He had just informed her that the two of them would be going on a “trip”, which was rather significant in and of itself; it was the moment he had decided he wasn't going to leave her to die. She couldn’t know this, of course, as she still clung to the belief that her mother would come back for her. She had been so reluctant to agree to his plans because of it, but with a little convincing, it hadn’t taken much. Even despite her reservations, she liked him too much to say no—and she was scared of being left alone.

He had watched her race up the stairs to her bedroom, where he had slowly trailed after her, stairs creaking under his weight, thinking, I can leave. He could’ve done it right then, and she would’ve returned downstairs to an empty room, his meager belongs gone, the car out front nowhere to be found.

But something had pressed him forward, some foreign desire unspooling in his belly, like nothing he’d ever felt before.

He had lumbered up those stairs, then slouched against the doorframe to her bedroom, arms crossed, watching her as she attempted to stuff her most precious belongings into that ratty yellow backpack she liked so much. It was sitting upright on the floor, and she was knelt next to it, her teddy bear poking out of the top. When she had turned to look at him, laying those big, innocent green eyes on him, he could only stare at her.

“Mr. J, will I need my baby suit?”

“Your what?”

“My baby suit.”

He had frowned, looked at her dubiously. “You mean your… bathing suit?”

And the way she had huffed at him then, folding her arms across her belly in a picture-perfect example of toddler exasperation, her tiny brows drawn together in annoyance. “That’s what I said!”

[engagemachine]

I’m really big on visualizing while I’m reading. It plays a huge part in how I’m able to enjoy a story. I have trouble visualizing people, so I really focus on the setting. Would you ever put together a collage or mood board for the house that J and Taylor live in during Burn?

Okay, so full disclaimer: I'm not an artist, and I really half-assed this. If I were at home I would have used all my fancy pencils and markers, but, as it is, I'm away from home for the holidays so I only have some highlighters.

Second disclaimer: the living room is NOT to scale. 😆 It really looks massive here, but I swear the TV is NOT that far away from the couch, lol.

Anyway, here's my attempt! Blue is for doorways, green are windows! Sorry for my absolutely sloppy handwriting. 😭

(Turn your phone sideways to see the front of the house)