#i have a soft spot for good prose honestly

[dailykugisaki]

Day 114 | id in alt

Kugisaki is horrid at English and honestly? Don't blame her. It's not too worth it.

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #17 – Terra Incognita by Connie Willis

Connie Willis is a name I have heard come up a lot with regard to late 20th century American Science Fiction, but in a slightly odd way. The only thing she’s actually written that I’ve ever heard of is To Say Nothing of the Dog (a delightful-sounding book that tragically has a multimonth hold list at my library). Instead, I mostly know her from other books’ acknowledgement sections, or semi-mythologized folklore and anecdotes about the culture and community of the era. So I really picked this up as a matter of curiosity, to get a sense of what Willis’ whole deal is.

The book is a collection of three novellas, each basically totally unrelated with only the faintest attempt at a unifying theme to justify bundling the three of them together. Each work is pretty different from the others in everything from length (the longest is something like 3x the length of the shortest), tone, setting and subject matter, the works really. The first is a sort of romcom farce about surveyors charting an alien world that has, well, aged. The second and longest a love letter to classic classic hollywood and movie musicals as told from the POV of a self-hating drunk who pays the bills going through and retroactively editing the studio’s back catalogue to meet the whims of the executive of the day. The third and by far shortest is a lighthearted and very fannish comedy about a teenager getting conscripted to be a space cadet against her own ferocious objections.

The stories are all perfectly modern in, like, structure and pacing, but they still absolutely feel like they were written last century. Part of that is just word choice (the only thing that ages worse than old euphemisms for sex is old attempts to create futuristic slang), but it’s also just a general sensibility. Which is most cringe-inducing in the first story, both for its portrayal of the native species of the planet being surveyed (directly compared to native americans a few different times, characterized as relentlessly opportunistic penny-wise but pound-foolish hucksters leaping at the chance to sell their land for cheap imported consumer goods), and also just for a handling of gender and sexuality it’d take more time than I’ve got to really dig into. (I have a sense of where all those tomboy versus girly girl memes ultimately descend from now, though.) The other two more just felt out of time than actually wince-inducing, with the third story especially feeling like an affectionate nod to the fan culture of a different era. That said, the second one’s whole horrified preoccupation with a Hollywood that refuses to make anything new instead of just remaking the same sure things from its back catalog forevermore either never stopped or has looped back around to feeling real topical.

Insofar as I’m already reading romances, I admit I do have a real soft spot for the whole ‘idiots compensate for total refusal to communicate feelings with grand romantic gestures and hoping the object of their desires will get the idea. It doesn’t work.’ thing that’s a bit of a recurring beat in two of the novellas though.

Prose and characterization wise, all three were pretty well done – though riffing off tropes and archetypes that I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve seen played sincerely and unironically, which did always leave me feeling I was missing context on how to read them. Which is pretty much what I was hoping for going in, to be clear – what’s the point of reading older stories, otherwise? Which is nice, because the actual reading experience of going through it was a bit of a slog. The first one was the real trial, but just overall I’d say the book’s more interesting as a cultural artifact than an artistic work. Oh well, c’est la vie.

[firein-thesky]

hi cielo! do you have any recommendations for people trying to get into the more literary world of greek mythos, poetry or prose? thanku!

hi anon!! i do have a couple of recs!!

i always recommend anne carson; she's a poet, playwright, and translator who often translates and transforms greek myth stories/tragedies. she has some poems and some plays, i've read both and think her work is really special. i also always recommend ellen mclaughlin who is another playwright that does feminist interpretations of the greek tragedies. i actually recommend diving into the greek plays in general, if you're looking for poetry and prose. much of the dialogue is written like poetry/prose.

as for learning more about greek mythos in general, i honestly learned a great deal of mine googling and online. they'd show up in a PJO book when i was a kid, or as i got older, reading plays or poetry and i'd look them up. i don't have any books i could point you to in this case but i know there are tons of retellings being published nowadays (think song of achilles, retellings of persephone and hades, or orpheus and eurydice, etc. etc.).

for poetry, some of my personal favorite poets are audre lorde, anne carson (as mentioned above), sappho (if you can find a good translation--i recommend carson's translation "if not, winter"), threa almontaser, adrienne rich, and i have a soft spot for keats, yeats, dickenson, t.s. eliot, shakespeare and many many others

in general i just recommend reading. going to the poetry section of the book story and grabbing what looks interesting to you, doing some research if you like one writer and seeing if they or their contemporaries have other work you might like. and don't be afraid of plays/theater! it's where a lot of our greek mythos comes from! and if you don't recognize a greek name, whether in a poem, play, or what have you, google it! you'll get to know them quicker than you think! in poetry, their names are often symbolic.

i hope this was helpful it was just me rambling about what i enjoy fjkdlsfdks but i wish you luck in learning more! let me know if you read anything i recommended or otherwise—would love to hear your thoughts on any of it!!

[zahri-melitor]

as someone who isn't into zdarsky's run, i mostly agree with your points about why people don't care for it, and i think that the comparison with ram v's current run holds a lot of insight into why i feel it falls flat on a lot of points. ram v's run has also sidelined most of the batfamily, it's also drawing on Batman R.I.P. with its use of Dr. Hurt, its choice of cast and use of b-plots feels very NML… but i like what ram v's run has to say about batman through the lens of cassbats vs azbats, and the prose + artwork + pacing is excellent so i enjoy reading it even when i think it's getting a little caught up in morrison thoughts. meanwhile zdarsky's run is tripped up by a lot of weird event pacing in a way i think is very similar to fear state and keeps overtly reminding me of other stories with art styles and theses about batman that i like more.

I have no problem with people liking one run more than another: honestly I think it's healthy and good marketing to have runs catering to different segments of the fandom. There are occasional glorious periods where it feels like everyone is getting fed, but most of the time, what most fans realistically want is to pick up a title that they are enjoying and not want to throw it across the room.

I...don't expect every run I read to be glorious. I hope it's steady, competent writing with something for me to enjoy in it. And that's what I'm largely getting from Zdarsky. I do think it's a run that helps to have a fair amount of back history on, in that Zdarsky loves a reference, but one of the things I actually really enjoy in comics is the way stories layer on top of each other and become more interesting and complex via those layers, even if any one story may not be 'brilliant', or it might seem derivative pointing to a better written earlier story.

Zdarsky's use of ZEA feels so much clearer in terms of shaping how the concept works than say Batman RIP. And I've got a soft spot for all the Brother-Eye and OMAC references going on, and for Bruce being a freak with a memory palace who's inflicted all sorts of experimental psychological experiments on himself over the years in the pursuit of being BETTER. ZEA as a concept is about things Bruce has done to himself, while Barbatos is something external that is fascinated with Bruce.

I suspect I'm really going to enjoy Ram V's 'Tec run, especially as from all accounts he's got a very structured plot and is being allowed the space to tell it (something I'm fond of), but given I'm currently also on my long range read of Batbooks in order I'm actually trying not to be across current Bat books too much so I can keep everything organised in my head. I'm reading Batman partly because it's Tim's current book and partly because it's where the narrative is revolving at the moment, meaning I can discuss it with other people.

[peachpety]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged 230943 years ago by @schmem14 [x] @vukovich [x] @mintawasalreadytaken [x]

check out fics from these lovely, brilliant, fantastic, stellar, amazing [*insert lady gaga meme here*] writers:

schmem14 [some truly wonderful & witty rarepair gems y'all] vukovich [off-the wall, peculiar delivered in amazing prose] mintaminta [insightful angst/dead dove & hot kinky smut]

tagging @mystickitten42 @citrusses @kittycargo @lumosatnight @xanthippe74 @rockingrobin69 @stavromulabetaaa @bubble-gumhead @porcelainheart3 @roseharpermaxwell @curlyy-hair-dont-care

me, myself & i

How many works do you have on AO3?

76 + 1 in anon, to be revealed soon!

What's your total AO3 wordcount?

149,896

What fandoms do you write for?

HP, with emphasis on Drarry.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Come as You Are (3.8k) Sun Stroke (3.8k) Laundry Day (2.7k) 10 Easy Steps (1.8k) It's Called Fashion, Potter (2.1k)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

listen. yes. i try. and i am so far behind atm. honestly, i get the most wonderful comments from lovely readers. and i want them to know how appreciative i am that they took time to read(!) and let me know their thoughts(!!). even if it's just an emoji(!!!). i don't care, i love it.

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

if you read me, you know...i do not write angst. i have one (1) fic where i stepped out of my lane and wrote angst-lite. it's not even really angst, but more moody atmospheric. and interestingly enough, the most purple i've prosed. my beta was like, peach, what? the weed which strings the hangman's bag

What is a fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

pfft, all my fics have the happiest endings.

Do you get hate on fics?

nope. i did get hate on a supportive/love comment i left on a friend's fic once. that's, like, 7th circle of hell troll behavior to be hating on a comment.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i do write smut, yes. my smut has been described as [insert various descriptors like "inferno", "blazing", "scorching", and lots of🔥] hot paired with soft/romantic/sweet. i.e. fluffy smut. smuff.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

nope. the closest i've come is inserting HP characters into a magical version of The Breakfast Club.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i'm aware of, but i do have a blanket statement in my AO3 profile that allows it, so who knows?

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

drarry, easily.

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

i have a fic inspired by a movie and idk if i'll ever get it written. I COULD mention my xmas advent fic from 2020 but i'm determined to finish it this year. DETERMINED. 🦔

What are your writing strengths?

i'm good at characterizations & writing banter. and i'm good at writing lean.

What are your writing weaknesses?

recently, i've had the immense pleasure of listening to my fics read aloud in published podfics. and let me say, this is a brilliant way to spot weaknesses. and while my banter may be good, sometimes i maybe inject too much action into my conversations. it disrupts the flow. also, long, plotty fics ellude me. i'm a pantser/gardner style writer and plotting/outlining makes me hyperventilate.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

yes, if used sparingly, and in such a way that i (as an english only speaker) can intuit what is being said. and also if translations are provided as a footnote. i've got a french-speaking Draco in my Dron fics [1] [2], where he lapses in the heat of passion.

First fandom you wrote for?

drarry, baby.

Favorite fic you've written?

if i may, i have two: Deadheading the Odd Dahlia, inspired by the incredible art of @beyondtheclose Birds Behaving Badly (my longest drarry to date! 10k!)

[bi-bats]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @kieran-granola and @waffleinator-inator!!! Thank you both for the tags omg I appreciate it dearly 💚💚💚

How many works do you have on AO3?

20! (Woah!!)

What’s your total A03 word count?

309,119

What fandoms do you write for?

I have only ever written DC fic. Literally ever. I've never written fic that wasn't for DC.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Now Kiss (Which on the one hand is very surprising to me, but on the other hand is a blessing moreso than a curse? I'm trying to look at it as a reminder that people love what I write even when I don't think it's perfect)

Know Yourself (GOD I really want to get back to this one. I want to finish it so bad, the plot of it is still mocking me from The Corkboard and I know I'm just stuck in the mud of the middle right now, which I will get through eventually)

Rooftops & Bookshops (Honestly, not that surprising to me considering it's one of my oldest and it's finished, even though I don't love the writing so much anymore and personally think I've improved significantly since writing it. That said, I do still love the plot of it and if I went back to edit, it would only be prose that I changed. But I'm NOT DOING THAT FOR THE RECORD. Also I have a soft spot for this fic bc I met one of my besties bc of it 💚)

Pieces of Me (Pieces of You) (I'm super proud of my additions to this piece. Not much more to say. @chibinightowl was wonderful to work with and gave me some incredibly helpful advice that I really think helped me improve massively as a writer)

Subtle (This is so surprising to me actually?? Like, huh?? It's one of my oldest and it's pretty fluffy, so maybe that's why?)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I love to respond to comments, I love to receive comments, but I am currently so so so far behind on responding that I'm actively stressed about it when I think about it which is not helping me with the writer's block I am currently experiencing 😭

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably You Hear His Voice Once and You Know It Again. Like, the ending is horny, but also it's fucked up so I'd call it the angstiest.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Maybe Good Morning? That fic is SO fluffy

Do you get hate on your fic?

No, I've never gotten hate on a fic. I've occasionally gotten a few comments that were clearly people trying to be helpful by offering unsolicited advice or saying what they want to see in a story, but I disregard those because they don't bother me.

That said, I have gotten a weird amount of comments on Now Kiss that referred to the city with gendered terms despite my adamant and intentional refusal to do so in the fic, because sentient cities do not have genders and I am non-binary. I'm assuming most of these were innocuous/from people who just are used to referring to a city in female terms, but I have also gotten some feedback specifically from people who wanted me to gender the city in female terms and mentioned that it had a negative impact on their reading, which frustrated me as a person who doesn't ascribe to the gender binary, but I am not going to go on a rant abt right now because this is supposed to be a fun thing :))

Do you write smut?

Yep! Takes me like 25 years, but yeah

Do you write crossovers?

No, I also don't particularly like crossovers

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

If I have, I don't know about it!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

If I have, I also don't know about it! Open invitation, though. Just let me know if you want to so we can both be listed as authors!!

Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yeah! I wrote Pieces of Me (Pieces of You) with Chibi for the jaytim WIP exchange, and I have a few other fics that I want to write with people, one of which is like. It's not not in the works, we've just been distracted from it 😂

What‘s your all-time favorite ship?

Okay look it CHANGES. I go through phases. That said, probably a tie between JayTim and DamiTim. The scales tip with them pretty often though, sometimes one will win over, sometimes the other will. Currently I'm in my damitim era.

What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oh, don't even ask me that. I don't doubt my ability to finish ANY of them on principle that if I start doubting, I've already given up. That said, the most complicated/on the backburner one of them right now is What Are You Waiting For? (which is a bummer because I really am excited about it, but I try to just write what I'm feeling inspired to write in any given moment, which right now is nothing fandom related unfortunately)

What’s your writing strengths?

Hurt/comfort and angst, or so I have been told. Also, dialogue.

What’s your writing weaknesses?

Probably over-editing and being too hard on myself when it comes to my writing in the first place. Also, I really struggle with descriptions of places.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

If I did, I'd need someone to double check that everything was correct, but as long as someone else was willing and able to make sure it was right, I would!

First fandom you wrote for?

DC lmao, but the fic I wrote had no plot and shall never see the light of day

Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I Know What My Brother Is, hands down. I love the prose SO much it's just. akdfjakl. I'm REALLY happy with it.

Okay! No pressure tagging (and sorry if any of y'all have already done this) @chipmunkery @this-was-a-terrible-idea @ragnarokhound @cheetahleopard @deepwithintheabyss @zeroducks-2

[wolfpants]

one year in fandom? surely not?

But yes, technically, that's what today is for me! A year since I posted my first fic, a year since coming out of the murky shadows and into somewhere a bit less shadowed (I'm a soft goth, it's a lifestyle)? In that time, I've published 21 fics, and almost half a million words, something I never thought I'd be able to accomplish this time last year when I shyly asked my friend if my writing was decent enough to post online. Those first few months were so tentative, so quiet honestly, and I can't believe where I am today, but the most rewarding thing, besides sharing all of those words, has been meeting all of you talented folk! I wanted to pay tribute to those who have helped lift me up, who have welcomed me into this sprawling corner of the internet with open arms, who have encouraged me to do more, to be more me, to grow as a writer and as a participator in fandom. You have my eternal love and gratitude. My confidence only began as a tiniest seed - you all have helped it grow. 

@academicdisasterfic - my best boy n twin flame; your writing is a revelation of authenticity, of heart, of what it is to be human in the real world and a world full of magic. You are a very special person, and I hope you know this.

@wrapped-up - one of my first connections here and my fellow beer lover! Your writing is so effortless, so beautiful, and I feel like I’m hanging with best mates whenever I read your words.

@oknowkiss - are we each other’s evil twin? Maybe. You write the most genius, sexy, witty fics all wrapped up in the most pretty, pretty words, I am in constant awe of you.

@moony-saraneth - the most dedicated cheerleader I know, you mean so much to so many people here, and I’ll never forget how you’ve helped me grow my confidence with your warm and generous encouragement.

@lou-isfake - Licurici is basically my personality these days. What an insanely beautiful fic from start to finish. Your words, like you, are brimming with so much generosity and consideration and kindness.

@nv-md - your talent blows me away every time you post something new, and what’s more, you are full of so much heart and grounded wisdom and do so much good in this fandom. We’re so lucky to have you.

@lqtraintracks- your talent needs no introduction really, your vivid characterisation and scorching smut is legendary. But you also welcome everyone here with such open arms, you give incredible advice and support (all of which has been invaluable to me), and your force in this little corner of the internet is unparalleled. Thank you for being so kind to me.

@coffeedrgn87 - a fellow caffeine fiend and one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met! I love our chats about Dronarry and all of the possibilities and scenarios these three boys can end up in. Thank you for being so lovely.

@the-starryknight - I am so in awe of your masterful prose. You write so stunningly, so thoughtfully, so lovingly. I still pinch myself every time I see a comment from you on ao3. I feel so lucky to have met you here.

@getawayfox - you are such a ray of gorgeous sunshine. Your art is so stunning and I still pinch myself every time I remember that you were inspired to make art from my fic! I’m not worthy. 

@krah18 - I have so much enjoyed all of our book chats and reminiscing over early MLM, Blockbuster and old movies! I can’t wait for another year of nostalgia and chatting fic!

@sitp-recs - your rec lists are so thoughtful and so carefully curated. You bring so much community not only to Drarry, but all of the rarepair readers, writers, and fans that you lift up. I am so thankful to you for giving The Hollow a platform and a spot on your blog.

My discord sprinters, banterers, and all round good eggs with talent overflowing from you all in waves - @tackytigerfic you are an absolute legend and your words have literally kept me up to the wee hours; @sweet-s0rr0w my fellow Ron stan and crafter of such evocative fics that stay with me for weeks after reading them; @skeptiquewrites you write romance like no other, my good lord; @sorrybutblog you paint such vivid and gorgeous pictures with your prose, I could live in every world you create; @corvuscrowned, the spooky storyscapes you cook up are absolutely out of this world, and your characterisation is always so insanely good; @m0srael, it’s been an absolute joy being in your orbit, your writing is so incredibly delicate and expressive; @ghaniblue Human made me breathless, absolutely one of the best fics I’ve ever read; @basicallyahedgehog whenever I see you pop up on my feed or in my comments my heart swells with joy, you are the best cheerleader ever; @phoebe-delia what can I say - you are one of the most beautiful souls I’ve ever met, so sweet, so charming, so willing to go full caps on comments, you absolute legend; @phd-mama you are a master of sweet fluff and hot smut; @pineau-noir your characterisation is always so full of heart and authenticity; @maesterchill - what can I say? Your fics haunt me (in the best possible way), your writing is so soulful and romantic; @thebooktopus- your reclists literally got me through the year, so thoughtful and full of dedication - you are so dearly loved here; @makeitp1nk- I adore seeing your cleverly crafted microfics pop up on my feed!; @teacup-tai- a kind soul and a champion of rarepairs and incredible femslash, I’ve loved getting to know you!

To the artists who brighten up my feed, @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm, @bluebutter-art @short666bread - every time you post something new my heart sings. I am blown over, constantly, by your talents, and the way you can bring to life images only I could have dreamt of before.

I am missing people. I know. But just know that, if we’ve interacted here - squealed over fic, over headcanons, art, or music (!!) - please know that I appreciate you, I cherish you. Thank you for a year of joy.

[bonesandthebees]

*slams door open*

OH MY FUCKING GOD-

STARS SANDDUO STARS SANDDUO STARS SANDDUO STARS SANDDUO [SCREAMS]

I woke up and I was debating going back to bed or not when i saw a notif of my friend yelling at me that youd posted sandduo and ohmugod i have never unlocked my phone faster in my life

I MISSED STARS SO MUCH OHMYGODDDD

THERE IS SO MUCH TO SAY BUT MY BRAIN HAS KINDA MALFUNCTIONED IN THE SHEER SANDDUONESS OF THE NEW ONESHOT

I reread the og chapter and mannnn i remember just how much fun the sandduo scenes were, all the power plays it was SO good, and goddd poor crimeboys bro, they were both struggling so much

THE FUCKING PHIL POV THO--

HOLYYY SHIT

THE FIRST TIME HE SAID LITTLE BIRD WAS AN ACCIDENT?!?@?#?$ THAT WHOLE INTERNAL MONOLOGUE... HE VIEWED HIM AS A CHICK, A SON, IM GOING TO SCREAMMM I MUST REREAD THE END OF STARS TO COPE WITH THIS OOOHMYGODDD

phil pov of stars is the greatest thing to ever happen to me what the fuck ohmygod, he was SO FOND... HE WAS SO PROUD OF WILBUR WTF... i was eating breakfast while reading and i feltnSICKLKK ooohhmygoddd

Too much ITS ALL TOO MUCH... ohmygODDDDD

Stars is genuinely such an impressive fic though, all the complicated layers you mustve been thinking about while writing it?? Impressive holyyy shittt. All the different characters and motivations, it blows me away everytime I think about it. Stars is so incredible man RAHSSS

Godddd, adds this one shot to the growing list of comfort chapters/oneshots (i have so many of ur fics on that list LMFAOOO number one being Dusty Tomb, god i love that fic)

This is so random but did u know that on android/through the firefox app you can add a widget on ur homescreen that takes u directly to the link? Well I have like 3 of ur fics just sitting on my homescreen LMFAOOO adding this on to it rn ohmygoddd

Anyways STARS SANDDUO R THE ONLY ONES EVER 👆 AMAZIGN FIC BEE, IF U EVER WRITE MORE PHIL POV KNOW THAT I WILL CONSUME IT FASTER THAN I CONSUME WATER

Does that even make sense LMFAOO-

okay icyfox lets take some deep breaths together ready on the count of three-

ok but seriously tysm I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! yes phil saying little bird for the first time was an accident :) he was very fond but fully did not realize it because that man is horrible at recognizing his own emotions

aaa thank you!! i'm so so proud of stars especially because of how complicated it was. one of the frustrating parts about writing it though was that because of how complex it was with the different characters and motivations and the prose I tried to establish I had to be fully awake and focused to write it. I couldn't write it if i was sleepy or just not in the right headspace or else the story would suffer, so that was very annoying to me. still, worth it in the end though because the story gained so much from that.

(dusty tomb!! love that one sm I have such a soft spot for it <3)

god that's wild that you have 3 of my fics just on your homescreen for easy access. makes me so happy to hear things like that

honestly I hope I come up with more things to write in phil's pov from stars because I really miss the world of stars!! we'll have to see though no promises

[phoenixrisesoncemore]

B, C, I and S for the ask game?💖💖💖

Thank you so much, Mathi! 🧡 I'm sorry it has taken me so long to reply.

I'm gonna focus mostly on Wangxian since they are the only pairing I've actually published anything for, but aspects of the neverending (unpublished) Tolkien fic are likely to creep in here, too.

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?

The fic as of yet only titled "Wangxian 1929" has many aspects that are inspired by stories I was told as a child about the lives of my maternal grandparents, including how they met. There are also a number of details inspired by events from my own childhood and young adulthood and Wei Wuxian's love of astronomy and cosmology is really just an echo of my own interests. I probably can't talk about much of it here because only one chapter has been published (though many more have been partly written), but in that story it is really Lan Wangji's often quite isolated and lonely day-to-day experiences, ones characterized more by his inner life than his interactions with others in the world outside of him, that most reflect my own experiences.

The neverending and unpublished Tolkien fic, if I were to honestly strip it down, is probably really just a very self-indulgent dialog with myself about theodicy and the frustration that comes with perfectionism as an artist, particularly when they are tied together so as to ask: how can a thing be both good and not perfect?

C: What character do you identify with most?

Regarding Wangxian I can see in myself almost equal parts of WWX and LWJ. I greatly identify with many of the quirks of WWX's brain as well as his very intense internal sense of justice (and admittedly his enjoyment of being the center of attention), but I also greatly identify with LWJ's stubborness, his idealism, his introversion, and his social akwardness.

I probably shouldn't tell anyone who I identify most with in my Tolkien fic…

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

Purple prose.

…

I'm sorry.

S: Any fandom tropes you can't resist?

I have a real soft spot for the sunshine/grumpy pairing. This doesn't necessarily apply to Wangxian--or at least not to older Wangxian--but I think there can be some similar dynamics at play, especially when they first meet and are young and LWJ is so angry at himself for feeling what he feels. But the waiting for them to get together angst, the long slow ratcheting up of yearning. That's just chef's kiss and I don't think I can ever read enough of it. You know that comic where the creator talks about the joy of seeing their OTP fall in love and get together 1000 times in 1000 different ways thanks to fanfiction? That's me with Wangxian.

[sophiapatrizia]

All About Me!

What’s up, aspiring writers and theatrical dreamers! The name’s Sophia and welcome to my humble little pocket realm! Its an honor to receive such an esteemed guest, so let me tell you about myself!  

For starters, I’m 18 years young and fresh into adulthood. Though honestly, sometimes I wish I never grew up! My favorite color is purple, I love its rare and regal feel! My birthday is on December 18, so be sure to mark your calendar! I’m a sagittarius, and  my MBTI’s an INTJ-A, so I’m apparently super decisive and free-spirited, though the former’s should definitely be up for debate!

I don’t have a particular favorite dish, but I love spicy food! To me, it adds a little kick to the flavor, and the food just kinda feels boring without it! Though, I have a massive sweet tooth for ice cream and chocolate, and of course chocolate ice cream! Though I also have a soft spot for ube as well! Also, I love drinking frappucinos, particularly mocha! I’m not much of a caffeine girlie but I even I appreciate a little nudger when I’m up at night! 

For my music taste, I’m a definite sucker for anything orchestra, I am a firm believer that music tells its story through the medium of instruments, so hearing the various dimensions and observing the various intricacies of every sound played really helps my mind get creative! 

For hobbies, I enjoy drawing from time to time! I usually do it traditionally with a pencil and a piece of paper, but if I could, I would definitely try drawing digitally! I’ve seen so many cool illustrations done using that medium, and it would be exhilarating to hone my skills to those of my favorite artists!

Two things I’m definitely getting into this 2024 are reading and painting! I don’t like moping in bed to pass the time, so I’ve been getting myself into a lot of hobbies. I’ve really been getting into romance novels and so far I’ve read 9 books! As for painting, I enjoy the feeling it out on the canvas and just letting the brush guide me, its a good way to emotionally destress and vent out your feelings!

Other things I like to do in my free time are writing poetry and short proses, hanging out with my friends, playing tabletop games like Coup: Rebellion, Splendor and Exploding Kittens, dabbling into photography every now and then, and roaming around the city! I enjoy moving around a lot, and it helps to walk off after any tumultuous day!

Thanks for getting to know me readers! If you wish to get to know me further, feel free to explore my travel memoirs, experiences, and thoughts! See you then!

[eulaties]

GENSHIN IMPACT FIC RECS ★ XINGYUN ★ #22

fics that have an asterisk (*) in front of them are my personal favorites! also, all of the fics listed are completed unless otherwise stated.

this list was last updated on 4/17/21.

NOTE: these fic recs contain the ship xingqiu/chongyun.

if you want general genshin impact fic recs click here

if you want xiaoven fic recs click here

if you want zhongchi fic recs click here

if you want inazuma arc fic recs click here

*heart of clear water • one-shot, (1/?) of a series

SUMMARY: “xingqiu tries cheering up his bestie but just ends up flustered and embarrassed.”

TAGS: fluff, pining & flustered xingqiu, oblivious chongyun, friends to lovers, slow burn, wow they’re so cute, soft fic!!

NOTES: i highly recommend this series! it’s so good and i honestly consider all of this to be canon ^^ but please note that the series is currently a wip!

*strength in numbers • one-shot, (2/?) of a series

SUMMARY: “after the events of last week, xingqiu tries getting back at his dearest friend chongyun, aiming to trick and scare him a bit. little does he know that it ends up going very, very wrong.”

TAGS: fluff, humor, xingqiu tries pranking chongyun but it backfires, but in a good way, flustered & pining xingqiu, soft,,,,

NOTES: read after “heart of clear water”!

*weaver of verses • one-shot, (3/?) of a series

SUMMARY: “in which xiangling tries to get xingqiu to confess to chongyun.”

TAGS: fluff, humor, xingqiu is whipped for chongyun, attempts at confessions, this time chongyun is flustered, no actual confessions though :(

NOTES: read after “strength in numbers”!

*evilsoother • one-shot, (4/?) of a series

SUMMARY: “when chongyun finds out that xingqiu has come to fall ill after all, he makes sure to look after his friend as much as possible. but who would’ve thought that looking after a sick xingqiu would be this unpredictable?”

TAGS: sickfic, fluff, light angst, some misunderstandings, cuddling, xingqiu being very very affectionate, chongyun pining, unresolved romantic tension, wild hu tao cameo at the end

NOTES: read after “weaver of verses”!

*frozen skies • one-shot, (5/?) of a series

SUMMARY: “he doesn’t want to assume, doesn’t want to make up assumptions, but he truthfully can’t stop his own mind from doing so.”

TAGS: angst, misunderstandings, arguments, hurt no comfort, seemingly unrequited love, pining, confessions

NOTES: read after “evilsoother”!

*xiangling, local expert in all things love and spice • one-shot

SUMMARY: “xiangling takes it upon herself to offer romantic advice to two clueless boys. luckily, xingqiu knows better than to take the food enthusiast at face value. chongyun, unfortunately, is a tad too gullible.”

TAGS: xiangling is the #1 xingyun stan, xiangling also gives questionable advice, fluff, humor, mutual pining, chongyun’s congenital positivity, kisses

*like all the stories you’ve read before • one-shot

SUMMARY: “six years ago, chongyun sat with xingqiu in the fields off the beaten path to the north of liyue. from where they sat, they could see the entire harbor. it had become a favorite destination spot for them. they met there often; sometimes they brought a picnic, sometimes just books, sometimes nothing at all. that day, chongyun had news that he'd be setting off to travel teyvat with aether. that was the last time they'd seen each other.”

TAGS: time-skip, reunion after 6 years, mutual pining, fluff, angst, childhood friends, friends to lovers, misunderstandings, confessions, first kiss, prose, bisexual!xingqiu, background chili

NOTES: words cannot describe how much i love this fic,,,,like the writing is so poetic im??? and the way the author conveyed xingqiu’s yearning and anxiety is just so well-written!

(also i am here to push my long-haired adult!xingyun agenda)

*chonghua’s layered frost • one-shot

SUMMARY: “in modern liyue, the age of the adepti has long passed; even the archons are growing obsolete. they live on only in dilapidated shrines of worship, few and far between -- or otherwise, fantasy novels. fortunately, despite being an avid atheist, it so happens that xingqiu is as avid of a reader.”

TAGS: modern au, adeptus!chongyun, reincarnated xingqiu but he has no memories of his past life, they meet again in this lifetime, flustered xingqiu, xingqiu is also a closet fanboy, fluff, humor, bittersweet ending

NOTES: i love this au so much...omg...

*the world doesn’t end in liyue harbor • one-shot

SUMMARY: “xingqiu is smart, can hold his own in battle, and has his wits about—which is another way of saying he’s smart, but besides being a huge book nerd and a martial arts enthusiast, chongyun can’t really think of any other words he can use to describe him right now. but, well, the fact still stands that xingqiu is someone he could rely on. xingqiu is, after all, the son of the owner of the feiyun commerce guild. of course he could navigate any sort of situation. so in case anything does go wrong like his gut feeling is very eagerly telling him it would, he has xingqiu. what more could he possibly ask for?”

TAGS: xingyun going on a missions together, friendship, xingyun very obviously pining for each other, shit goes down bc of childe, attempted love confessions in the face of death, smug chongyun, flustered xingqiu

*an exercise in luck • one-shot

SUMMARY: “chongyun winds up teaching xingqiu his exorcism practices after it becomes his newest fixation. they inevitably get into some shenanigans that push them a little closer to love each time.”

TAGS: sparring, friendship, xingqiu being a little shit, falling in love, pining, fluff, first kiss, getting together

*imperial matters • one-shot

SUMMARY: “xingqiu stared at him, eyes roaming over his face, down the sculpted line of his cheeks, over the bridge of his nose. god, he was so beautiful. he wanted to kiss him.” or: a prince and a scholar, brought together by the fates (or lack thereof), and how they find joy in each other.

TAGS: royalty au in which xingqiu is a prince and chongyun is a scholar, fluff, pining, xingqiu is a little shit, happy ending, first kiss, i am here to push my long-haired xingyun agenda...

*5 times that xingqiu kissed chongyun • one-shot

SUMMARY: “xingqiu keeps coming up with more and more ludicrous reasons to kiss chongyun.”

TAGS: 5+1 fic, xingqiu making up the most bs excuses, chongyun is just like yeah that totally makes sense, mutual pining, happy ending, fluff, humor, kisses, getting together but make it stupid, xiangling is like how are you two NOT already dating????

NOTES: this fic is so cute and funny everyone should read it!! also the extra at the end is just *chefs kiss*

*turnabout is fair play • one-shot

TAGS: serious chongyun, flustered xingqiu, congenital positivity, supposedly unrequited love, read to find out more yall

frozen glimpses • multi-chapter (16/16)

TAGS: anthology of drabbles for xingyun month, lots of fluff, relationship study, they’re so soft, featuring flustered xingqiu + whipped chongyun

i’m no fictional parallel • multi-chapter (4/?)

SUMMARY: “after taking a hit from an unusual abyss mage, chongyun finds himself in a liyue he doesn’t recognize. as he struggles to navigate the modern world while looking for clues back to his own, xingqiu meanwhile couldn’t help but wonder what sort of budget fiction he’s become a part of.”

TAGS: reverse isekai, fluff, humor, angst, hurt/comfort, modern au, chongyun lands in a parallel universe, modern!xingqiu is just like ???? what is happening

NOTES: this fic is currently a wip!

heartburn • one-shot

SUMMARY: “chongyun notices that he's been running warm of late, especially when he's near xingqiu. naturally, this raises a few concerns with relation to his congenital positivity, so he sets out to determine the root of his problem...which turns out to be much easier said than done.”

TAGS: developing relationship, friendship, fluff, flustered chongyun, mutual pining, comfort, chongyun’s congenital positivity, soft fic!!

roundabout methods • one-shot

SUMMARY: “xingqiu goes great lengths to arrange a one-on-one with his friend.”

TAGS: xingyun going on adventures together, humor, fluff, hand holding, xingqiu’s cave shenanigans, both of them running for their lives, friendship, developing relationship, flustered xingqiu

you’re beautiful • one-shot

SUMMARY: “in which chongyun accidentally speaks what’s on his mind.”

TAGS: mutual pining, both xingqiu and chongyun getting flustered, idiots in love, they’re so cutee

go with the flow • one-shot

SUMMARY: “in which being chongyun is suffering, it wasn't actually xingqiu's fault for once, and things get a bit heated.”

TAGS: chongyun’s congenital positivity, bold chongyun, mutual pining, humor, first kiss

NOTES: despite how the summary may sound, nothing explicit happens in this fic!! they just make out lol

straight to the heart • one-shot

SUMMARY: "recently, chongyun has begun to notice that his congenital positivity would act up whenever he was around xingqiu, no matter whether xingqiu was fighting enemies, or engrossing himself in his newest book, or just laughing at something he said. it would make his face feel hot and his chest would start to have a tingling feeling. chongyun really hopes it isn’t something to be worried about, because he enjoys being around his best friend, even when said best friend enjoys teasing him a bit too much.

TAGS: xingqiu taking chongyun on a date but chongyun doesn’t find out until the end, oblivious chongyun, obviously pining xingqiu, both of them get flustered, fluff, confessions, dates, soft fic!!

you’re like gold in my eyes • one-shot

SUMMARY: “as if destiny listened close, a flicker of gold and white struck the sky in a line and quickly vanished. chongyun opened his mouth and closed it again, not able to muster up what he wanted to say. he wanted to say his feelings perfectly, wanted to make sure that instead out of impulse from the rising heat in his face, it came from his heart.”

TAGS: its chongyuns birthday and xingqiu wants to make the most of it, mutual pining, confessions, first kiss, fluff, light angst

glaze lilies in moonlight • one-shot

SUMMARY: “chongyun thinks xingqiu is really, unbelievably cute. xingqiu thinks chongyun is much, much cuter.”

TAGS: secret/established relationship, friendship, they’re literally so sweet to each other omg, fluff, they’re soulmates your honor!

the little things • one-shot

TAGS: short drabble, fluff, friendship, xingqiu realizes he’s in love

heart be pure, evil be erased • one-shot

SUMMARY: “chongyun just cares about his boyfriend a lot and always protects him, when the situation calls for it. he would never use that as a cover up for his actions, either. (just ignore the blush dusting his cheeks, it was never there.)”

TAGS: 5+1 fic, established relationship, lots of fluff, humor, hurt/comfort

still beautiful • one-shot

SUMMARY: “three years ago, chongyun left liyue harbor to travel the world. three years later, xingqiu is still as beautiful as he remembers.”

TAGS: timeskip, both xingyun are adults now, separation and reunion, fluff, yearning, kisses

CW: implied sex but nothing explicit

coffee and serendipity • one-shot

TAGS: coffee shop au, modern college au, lots of fluff, mutual pining, getting together, super cute!

my heart is buried in venice • one-shot

SUMMARY: "could you kiss me? i need it for writing purposes."

TAGS: modern au, flustered chongyun, pining xingqiu, seemingly unrequited love (unless...? 👀)

[robert-de-niro-only-fans]

Dewey Decimal System

Max Cady x Reader in the library, no plot, just smut

Dedicating this little work to @droogiesanddiscourse who just today found out she's graduating with honors!!! I'm so proud of you bb!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

TW: smut, public sex, explicit/raunchy dialogue, Max Cady in general?

Word Count: 2.2k

“My baby’s so smart, knowing how to find any book in the library,” your boyfriend, Max, coos quietly to you as you saunter through the aisles and aisles of books, softly leading him with his hand in yours. “You know I didn’t learn to read until my stay in the big house, but I never did learn numbers all that well. I’m glad my little princess can navigate this, uh, what do you call it? Dew something?’

“The Dewey Decimal System!” you whisper in a giggle.

“The Dewey Decimal System...” he tried the words out on his tongue, “Well, I’m glad you can lead me in the right direction, angel.”

“Oop, right here!!” you point up at a tall shelf. Max’s body crashes into yours, nearly landing you both on the floor, as you stopped so suddenly.

“Goodness gracious, girlie, you must be excited to do some reading, huh?” his voice rumbles lowly next to your ear. His muscular arms wrap tightly around your midsection, pressing your backside against him. You can feel his arousal stirring already; he really has no qualms about doing nasty things to you, any time, anywhere. “Oh, baby, I’m already thinking about you reading to me... Hearing that sweet little voice say such naughty things, those pretty little lips forming unholy syllables...” And in true Max Cady fashion, his fingertips are already teasing at the edge of your skirt, threatening for his rough palms to attack your delicate thighs.

You feel a single finger creep up to your hip, teasing at the waistband of your panties, “I hope you aren’t particularly fond of these, ‘cuz they’re coming off now, honey.” And with that, his other hand quickly follows the first one up your skirt and before you could even protest, the man is on his knees and the lacy underwear around your ankles. He helps you out of them as is you were a toddler, getting them over your shoes.

He quickly snatches a book from the bottom shelf and flips it open to a random page before stuffing your panties in it and shoving it back on the shelf. “Max!!!” you whisper-yell.

“What?” he plays dumb, standing back up to press himself into your backside again. “You don’t want someone findin’ your panties? Knowin’ what we did in here? Mmm, well I wanna spread the word about you, baby... Besides, they can use it as a bookmark.” His hands grip your hipbones and he gives you a sloppy kiss on your neck, making a loud slurping noise.

“Max! Shhh!!”

“You’re so cute, all worried about getting caught. You think we’ll get in trouble if someone sees us, or god forbid if someone hears us in this quiet place?”

“Maaaaxxx...” you whine.

“Mm, yeah? You like that idea? Someone hearing the way I turn you into a whore for me? You don’t sound as innocent as you look once I get you goin’.” His hand slides around to your sex, teasing you roughly through the smooth fabric of your skirt, and when you let out a little whimper, it only proves his point.

"Alright, princess, why don't you grab us that book we're looking for?" Following his question, Max's strong arms easily hoist you off the ground, lifting you up, up, up to reach that top shelf and pull down one of Max's favorite books: 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳. Oh, and don't think that he missed the opportunity to peak under that skirt...

• • •

As you and Max relax in two adjacent armchairs that he scooted close together, you recite prose from your boyfriend's favorite author. Just a few pages in, you're already at one of his favorite parts. You can read the sheer excitement on Max's face when he says, "Alright, darlin', you better speak up for this next part, you know how much I like the dirty bits."

You look around, making sure no one is nearby, and you start, "'At night when I look at Boris' goatee lying on the pillow I get hysterical.'"

"Louder," Max tilts his head forward, looking at you from under his brow bone.

You raise your voice only slightly, "'O Tania, where now is that warm cunt of yours, those fat, heavy garters, those soft, bulging thighs?'"

"I can't hear you..." he chimes devilishly.

"'There is a bone in my prick six inches long...'"

"And what's he gonna do with it?" Like he doesn't already know.

"'I will ream out every wrinkle in your cunt, Tania, big with seed,'" you look around again, checking for any poor passersby, "'I will send you home to your Sylvester with an ache in your belly and your womb turned inside out.'"

Max let's out a low whistle, "That Henry Miller suuuure knew what he was talking about, huh?" He leans forwards and rather directly slides his hand under your skirt, thumb quickly parting your lips to find that special little bundle of nerves.

You gasp loudly, and Max continues, "Yeah? You want me to turn your womb inside out like he did to Tania? Make that little cunt smooth with my big cock?" His voice is just loud enough that it still sounds intimate but anyone walking by could easily hear.

In an attempt to quiet your moans, you press on reading, "’Your Sylvester! Yes, he knows how to build a fire-‘"

"’But I know how to inflame a cunt!’" Max finishes your sentence for you before pulling you up out of your chair and into his lap, where his fingers quickly find their place between your thighs as if it is the most natural thing in the world to him. "Keep reading, princess," he whispers softly in your ear.

You become aware of his hard length pressing into your thigh, as you read the line, "’I shoot hot bolts into you, Tania, I make your ovaries incandescent.’”

Max lets out a deep moan that rumbles your eardrums and presses some kisses to your cheek and jawline.

“‘Your Sylvester is a little jealous now? He feels something, does he? He feels the remnants of my big prick. I have set the shores a little wider. I have ironed out the wrinkles,’” Max starts to rut against you in his lap. His hands take a firm grip on your hips and slide you back and forth against the erection trapped in his pants. You keep going, “‘After me you can take on stallions, bulls, rams, drakes, St. Bernards. You can stuff toads, bats, lizards up your rectum. You can shit arpeggios if you like, or string a zither across your navel.’”

His moans become quite noisy and his hands search for your flesh; one hand slipping under the edge of your shirt to feel the soft skin of your tummy, the other getting an anchor hold on your hair and giving it a rough tug. You inhale sharply wincing at the pain. You can tell Max is getting needy for you; it would never cease to fascinate you how some little girl (anyone is small next to his towering muscular frame) could have so much control over him.

“‘I am fucking you, Tania, so that you'll stay fucked. And if you are afraid of being fucked publicly I will fuck you privately-‘“

“Damn, that sounds like a good idea,” Max grunts out and unzips his pants, “I sure hope you aren’t afraid of being fucked publicly.”

His next few actions only take a few seconds, and before you can even realize it, you’ve been hoisted up and swiftly dropped down onto your boyfriend’s thick cock. You somehow let out a gasp and a squeal at the same time, and Max claps his hand over your mouth. The only other sound is the thud of the book hitting the floor and closing. Where Max wanted you to speak up before, now it’s time for the quiet game...

“How’s that feel? Daddy’s big cock stretching out those tight walls, huh?” Clearly, it’s a rhetorical question since his hand stays clasped over your mouth. It’s Max’s turn to tease you with his words. “You always take me so well, my little princess. You think if anyone walked by they would know that you’re filled to the brim with my prick? You’ve been trained well, baby girl, you can take me and no one knows I’m inside you, but I know how turned on you are, I felt how wet you were when I was touching you. You wanted this, and I bet everyone knows how much you wanted it, I bet that librarian in the next room knows you have your pussy stuffed right now.”

In all honestly, this guy Ryan had just started working at the library; he had hoped it would be more a bit more relaxing than his job at the local drive-in movie theatre. But Ryan recognized you and Max when you came in, and he really, REALLY doesn’t want another awkward interaction with your boyfriend, so he’s gonna leave you to do whatever you want in the back room of the library...

His hand still covers your mouth as you lean your head back onto his shoulder, looking at him out the corner of your eye. His other arm braces your hips, keeping you flush to him so you can feel every time his member twitches. “You feel me, princess? Feel that ‘bone in my prick’ and how bad I want you?”

You nod your head as much as his grip will allow, eyes never leaving his.

“If I can be frank, sweetheart, Daddy’s never been good at this whole cockwarming thing like you are. It always leaves me wanting more, and you know Daddy can’t resist having more of you... Whaddaya say we play horsey instead? I’ll bounce you on my lap like the dumb little baby doll you are, just like your old man did for you when you were a kid."

You let out an excited little whimper, and Max moves his hands to your hips. "Now I can't keep a hand on your mouth anymore. Think you can keep quiet for me?"

You nod your head excitedly and whisper as quietly as you can, "Yes, sir, Daddy. Can I have a kiss?"

"Aww, of course you can, angel," his lips meet yours in a wet, unrefined fashion, giving you the rough kind of kiss you need. Max also takes this moment to start bouncing you in his lap, just like horsey. With your lips pressed to his, it muffles any sounds that escape the two of you.

His thrusts are small and quick, but actually really satisfying at this angle. The girth of him presses against that special spot inside you. That combined with the thrill of possibly getting caught already has that feeling creeping up in your belly. Your nails dig into his hips looking for something to ground you as you find ecstasy in your orgasm.

But your climax isn't gonna stop Max from what he's doing. He continues to bounce you on his lap, whispering, "Mmm, finished so soon? You must like bouncing on my cock. Bouncy, bouncy..."

You bite your lip, still riding out your orgasm as he continually slams into your g-spot. When a drawn out little whine hums out of you, Max shushes you with a "Shhhh, shhh, baby. You're doing so good, such a good girl for Daddy. Just a little longer, I'm so close, princess."

With your brows furrowed and eyes closed tight, you brave yourself on the arms of the chair. You feel two calloused fingertips at your bottom lip, and you open your mouth, taking them in.

"There that'll keep you quiet for this next part," Max warns before absolutely plowing his hips up into you as fast as he can. His other hand maintains such a firm grip on your side, you think he'll probably leave bruises.

Max chokes back a deep grunt and pulls you down into his lap to spill his seed inside you. You feel his length jolting and that warm gooey liquid. You both sit there catching your breath, and Max wraps his arms around you in a loving embrace.

He gets you to look at him, placing another dirty kiss to your mouth. Then he pulls you off of him, stand up, places you back down on the chair, and gets his pants zipped up.

"Um. Max?" you whisper, a little tense.

"What is it, little darlin'?" He gets on his knees in front of you, placing his big hands on your thighs.

"Uhhh... I think there's gonna be a little mess on this chair," you get right next to his ear and oh so quietly tell him, "it's, uh, leaking."

"Aww, are you worried about leaving some of my cum on the chair?" he places a hand on your chin, "That was the point, baby. The librarian can handle it." Max gives you a wink before taking you by the hand and leading you out of the library.

Poor Ryan.... Scarred again by Max and his girl, and now he has to clean up after them.

[therenlover]

The Bay (A Helmut Zemo x GN!Reader Drabble)

A/N: I wrote this on vacation while I was getting emotional about Lake Michigan and completely forgot about it... oops! Enjoy this shitty rushed love letter from my heart to both Helmut and my great state <3

Synopsis: You and Helmut enjoy the final evening of your vacation on the dock overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. 

Tags: Tooth Rotting Fluff, Kisses, General Pretentious Michigan/Great Lakes Experiences, Overly Floral Prose, Mosquito Bites

Rating: T

Warnings: Minor Mentions Of Casual Drinking, Slapping Mosquitos But Like... Not In A Violent Way

Word Count: 1100~

“Have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your entire life?” 

Your question was rhetorical at best. Of course, Helmut had seen things far more beautiful than the sight you’d set before him. He was rich and affluent, a man with ties to royalty and a private jet that would happily take him wherever he wanted to go, but still, you hoped he could humor your small-town sensibilities a bit longer as you enjoyed the final evening of your spur-of-the-moment weekend holiday. 

Before you, the Grand Traverse bay stretched out into the distance, glassy and still save for the gentle ripples made by your dangling, frozen toes. 

The sun was still relatively high up in the sky, nowhere near the horizon, but you could just begin to see purple streaking through the sky. Soon the sky would be filled with colors; red, yellow, orange, purple… a sunset more spectacular than anywhere else in the world. For the moment, though, the sky was still its usual cornflower blue. You wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Helmut hummed from his spot on the dock, reclined on a colorful beach chair, his latest book in hand. “It is… unique, in the best of ways,” Then, he grinned. “What’s so funny?” 

He chuckled a bit to himself before lifting up his sunglasses and smiling down at you. “I am simply enjoying the view,” 

“I thought you said it was unique,” 

“Perhaps, but I was only referring to the scenery. When I include you in the picture, though, any view automatically becomes the most beautiful I have ever seen,”

Despite the fact that you’d known Helmut for years, your cheeks still heated at his endless flattery. “Stop that, you know I was talking about the lake!” 

With little more than a thoughtful hum he slipped from his seat and kissed you softly, the knees of his pants scuffing against the wood of the dock as the pages of his book, abandoned beside his glass of white wine on a small folding table, fluttered softly in the cool, late-afternoon breeze. 

Your combined laughter carried all the way up to the rental house.

You stayed that way for a good, long time. In fact, by the time you thought about anything besides the feel of his plush lips on your own, the mosquitos were out in full force, and a soft purple dusk was settling over the sky. 

The pair of you were squeezed onto the colorful beach chair as the sun descended, falling below the treeline across the water. Neither of you really knew how you’d gotten there exactly, not that you minded the closeness. His natural warmth meant you didn’t have to break away and retrieve your sweater from inside. He definitely wasn’t objecting either if the way his arms snaked around your waist was a good indicator. 

You broke the silence after pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, voice joining the chorus of frogs and grasshoppers alike. “I think I’ll swim tonight before we sleep. You can join me if you want to, but I get it if you’d rather stay inside,”

“I’ll consider it.” His hand fell away from the meat of your side after giving it a soft squeeze, reaching for his glass. “I don’t quite understand your obsession with torturing yourself in 45-degree water, but if it’s important to you, you know I will partake,”

That earned him a soft snuffle of your face against the warmth of his pulse. As he leaned into the touch, the last of his wine slipped sweet and cool down his throat. When you lifted yourself up to kiss him once more you could taste the last of it wet on his lips. 

“Should we turn in for the moment?” Helmut’s voice was soft, almost reverent against your flesh.

“Why would we? It’s gorgeous out here,” 

“Schatz,” a light smack against your flesh punctuated his sharp words, “you’re practically being eaten alive,” Sure enough, a quick glance at your stinging skin revealed a tiny crumpled mosquito, crushed beneath the weight of his palm. A sheepish sigh was the most you could offer in retaliation.

“Alright, alright! You’ve got a point. I just… five more minutes?” 

Helmut tensed, prepared to put his foot down in the very special, gentle way that only he could, but, unlike almost every other moment in your whole relationship where he insisted to know what was good for you, he relented, settling back down into his chair with little more than a smile and an apathetic shrug. “Five more minutes. Then we’ll find some bug repellant and we can get ready for our evening swim,”

Your eyebrow raised slightly. “Our?” 

“Did you think I’d allow you to be alone out here in the dark, falling prey to these blood-sucking fiends?” 

Once again, Helmut slapped your flesh and his hand came away with the telltale red smear of an unlucky bug. You were already starting to itch despite the relatively early hour, which was honestly to be expected so close to the still, marshy water’s edge the swarms of irritating monsters called home. Perhaps, if you were lucky, the chilly waters would numb your senses to what was sure to be an unpleasant amount of bites. 

Even if they didn’t heal your ills, there was something captivating about the seemingly endless waters that awaited you. The curved trees that drooped and swayed above and the blooming lilies that cradled the sunset below and all the endless ebbing, flowing waves that crashed against the pebbled shore in a whisper singing sweetly no matter where you rest- Come home to me! I waited for you! Do you recognize me? You’ve grown!

You’re home. 

The realization doesn’t come all at once. No, it’s a slow thing. The waves crash and the mosquitos hum and Helmut rubs his hands, cold with condensation from his glass, down the soft exposed flesh of your arms. Ever so slowly but all at once, the final piece clicks, and you smile. 

Somehow, you know you’re where you’re meant to be. 

The world would turn, that you were sure of. You’d wake in the morning and pack up your bags before running to wherever Helmut saw fit for your next worldly excursion, and that was fine. You couldn’t stay rooted in one place forever. Still, though, at that moment, you were sure you had found the path you were always meant to find. 

With that in your mind and heart, you leaned closer to Helmut and drew him in for one more soft kiss. Neither of you tried to pull away for a good long while. 

You wouldn’t have had it any other way.  

[oonajaeadira]

Sunday Seven: September 5

In an effort to read more fic and support more fic and get through my massive to-read list, I wanted to do a post once a week to hype some stuff I’m liking.

And, because I like a theme and want to love up all my boys, each Sunday will list one fic featuring each of my favorite boys--Din, Ez, Pero, Jack, Javi, and Frankie. I know there are amazing fics out there featuring other characters, (which is why I’ll keep the seventh spot open for wild card), these are just the boys I love reading the most and occupying the most real estate on my to-read list.

💖indicates love for soft 

DIN: T’ad nayc or’atu (Two No More) by @something-tofightfor Taking place very shortly after the season two finale, this is a look into Din’s attachment to Grogu and the hole that his absence leaves in his heart.

EZRA: Night Prose by @honestly-shite 💖 This fic. Blew me away with its softness. Ezra talking in his sleep or talking in your ear as you fall asleep, chattering on about the things he loves about you...it’s just the softest perfection and just melted me. I can’t praise it highly enough. I love a soft Ez.

PERO: Hung by @blueeyesatnight The foreboding. The worry. The absolute love that he has for his wife and child. this put my heart through its paces. I absolutely love this depiction of Tovar. 

JACK: whiskey cuddling/big spoon headcanons by @fleetwoodmactshirt A Whiskey spooning headcanon that begins with “he’s a big spoon and an asshole about it,,,,let’s discuss this.” This is definitely something I can get behind. Or--since Jack likes to be the big spoon--in front of.

JAVI: Living Ghosts by  @kesskirata There’s a beautiful foreboding in this piece, a really nice look into Javi’s thought and worry process that feels very real--his veiled concern for others taking the spotlight here. The action is good, it feels very of its world, and there’s a hazy Freudian redirect of feeling here that I found super intriguing.  

FRANKIE: untitled drabble by @softpedropascal 💖 This. This made me well up in tears. This is Frankie, standing in front of the mirror and trying to see himself like you see him, trying to love himself like you do, trying to see his flaws as wonders. And it’s everything I want for him and it just causes my heart to sing.

WILD CARD -- MAX PHILLIPS: Flicker by @unhinged-summer-fun As Max’s assistant, you have to stave off your attraction to him, made worse by his constant flirtatious nature. I’m not a fan of Max, but I liked this version of him. He’s still full of himself, but he cares enough to be good to his human and comes off as wonderfully endearing. This was my first time reading Max, and now I’m kinda wanting soft Max all the time.

[silver9mm]

24, 30, & 33 for the writing asks:)

BESTIE

Thoughts on flashbacks/flashforwards. love me some flashbacks!!! yass fill me IN gimme all the goods back before our hero was so burnt and crunchy, show me them soft and about to be traumatised, give me a sweet spot in their life just so i can see what they've lost, or prove to me how far out of the trash they've crawled or why they carry all that trash around in the first place!!!!!!!!! flashforwards not so much bc i wanna KNOW i'm INVESTED i want to see my babies FLOURISH OR FAIL and i want all the details of how they got there don't just show me some wrapped up shit with some vague---oh shit i've totally done this in my fics haven't i XD

Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't. Listen i'm feeling so attacked right now, i woke up wanted to have a good time!!!!!!!!! no for reals tho, nothing i have is in danger of never happening for any reason other than i just might never get to it, but not because it couldn't be done or i changed my mind, i'm just an asshole and an idiot :) Wait no i found one,,, I was secretly writing RPF about someone i knew in like 2006, I wrote a good 20 pages of it and somewhere over the years lost about half of it and I thought about turning it into a J2 fic but I think it's honestly too personal (says the girl who has put literally everything out there) but it'd be like, baby-dom Jensen and baby-brat Jared, Jensen basically buys him for a summer and they fumble about, fuck around and find out, but then Jensen's actual dom comes back to town and takes over the show and Jared reacts p badly bc it's a weird mind-fuck and it almost ends tragically but Jared pulls his bratty jealous broken hearted self together and lays himself at their feet; another ambiguous ending and it'd all be rather violent and non-con and bad communication and all that but mostly i don't really want to revisit how bad i wanted to own and destroy this person in real life :) :) :) (he actually read the story and we became very important friends for several years, life-changing soulmates we know each other gnostically;)

Give your writing a compliment. THIS BITCH WRITES EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO READ <3 <3 <3 i LOVE reading my own writing, i love the ebb and flow from thoughts to action to dialog, i think i'm p okay at all that, i love my purple prose and unreliable narration, and i fucking love it when ppl tell me they have to slow down to read my stuff like YES i LOVE being COMPLICATED XD obvs my writing doesn't appeal to most ppl but knowing ppl actually want to stop and take the time to read all the words in a sentence I WROTE like wow yeah i did that on purpose actually ^.^

you are so the moon <3333

Yet another writing ask

[mystery-moose]

book meme! 1, 2, 5

book asks!

I answered 1! Rambled a lot about it, actually!

2: top 5 books of all time?

How

dare you

come into my house with this question.

UGHHHHH okay. Okay. Let's try and work this out.

Dune has to be on there somewhere, I know that. It was too big and too cool and too interesting, even at thirteen years old, and even not being able to pick up the sequels for years afterward! Neuromancer, too, because cyberpunk is too important to me, and I still regularly think about lines from this book just in my day to day. Memory Called Empire probably makes it on here because it's just too much of My Shit in too good a package. I'd like a fantasy novel on there somewhere... but while I remember loving a lot about Name of the Wind and that prose still absolutely slaps, it's been a long time since I read it. I really really loved Leckie's The Raven Tower like a LOT, so honestly that might be up there -- it ticks a lot of boxes for me, in terms of structure, and perspective work. And I thiiiiiink I gotta throw The Long Goodbye on there too. I gotta go through all of Chandler's books at some point, honestly I barely tapped the surface, but there are moments in Goodbye that I remember hitting me like a truck, and I can't set that aside.

But then Caves of Steel doesn't have a spot, and that's... well, it has its problems, but I loved that fucking book, right? That was the basis for everything I thought was cool for like ten years! And I have a real soft spot for Voice in the Whirlwind too, I rarely talk about it, but parts of it live rent-free in my head at almost all times. When he finds out where his training comes from? And then when he takes that shot in the crowd?! Holy shit.

FUCK YOU JADE THIS QUESTION SUCKS I QUIT >:(

5: where do you buy books?

Digitally? Wherever. It used to be Amazon, before they took away my account (don't ask) and these days it's usually Google Books or Kobo, and I transfer them to my now-ancient Kindle Paperwhite if I'm feeling spicy.

Physically? For common editions, just wherever I can find 'em online. Barnes and Noble is nice but they tend to overcharge.

For the really nice editions? The Folio Society. I've gotten four or five editions from them, including an old one from years ago long out of print, and they are exceptionally beautiful, well-crafted pieces of art. Solid bindings, elegant designs, great artists. I like how they handle t their typography. And they're on the cheaper end of "nice" too -- you can pick up one of their cheaper editions for between fifty and eighty bucks, and those are absolutely no slouch!

God help you if you want to get a hold of their more expensive editions, though. I've never gone there, I probably never will. But they look real cool.