starsscarmyceiling · 2 years ago
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😏😏😏
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sundrop-writes · 6 months ago
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One Moment Per Episode With Dick Grayson
Season One, Episode One: "Titans"
Summary:
You and Dick haven't spoken since the Titans parted ways in San Francisco five years ago.
Even though you used to be as close as two people can be, both of you are doing just fine leading your own separate lives - until your psychic powers cause you to have a vision of the end of the world, and you have to turn to him for help. As much as Dick doesn't want to get involved, you know that him leading The Raven on the path she needs to travel is the only way to stop the terrible fate you saw.
He wants to deny it, and stay as far away from you as possible - but he can't avoid you or the truth that you have told him when he runs into that very Raven you speak of in an interrogation room later that night. He has to face a simple truth he has always known: you're always right.
Dick Grayson x Fem!Powered!Reader. Childhood Friends/Exes to Lovers. Emotional Angst and Bantering/Humor. Set during Season 1, Episode 1.
Word Count: 2,300
DC Titans Masterlist | AO3 Link | Series Masterlist
Detailed warnings and author's notes below the cut.
Warnings: the reader uses she/her pronouns (some people might accuse the reader character in this story of being more of an OC and I am okay with that - I try to make all the reader characters in my other stories as blank and open as possible and every now and then I let myself have a little bit of a treat) - but as usual with my stories, the majority of pronouns used in the fic are you/yours; other than clothing style and a scar that informs her backstory, the reader's looks are not described and are left vague (as far as race, body type, hair colour, etc. - those things are not described); the reader character does have powers - I might make a separate post detailing the reader's entire backstory and power set (or I might just let it be spelled out slowly through the chapters) - but for now, I will tell you that the reader character is psychic and can see glimpses of the future in dream-like visions; the reader and Dick are 'exes' - their relationship was never official (they never explicitly called each other boyfriend/girlfriend), but they used to have sex often (and they both have feelings for each other that they never openly spoke about), and they are childhood friends, so there is a lot of emotional history there; mentions of canon-typical violence; this fic does use Y/N; mentions of the reader being shot during a past undescribed incident; there is references to sex and discussions of sex, but no explicit smut (but there might be some later in the story? idk yet); emotionally constipated Dick Grayson; idk what else ? - pining, emotional angst, using humor to deflect emotional tension, banter. I just really like the vibes of this. there is not a lot of big content warnings for this fic (yet).
A/N: Honestly, I am really excited about this one. I have a lot of ideas for future episodes (especially the episode where Dick loses it emotionally and just gets followed around by a hallucination of Bruce for the entire episode - but that's not until Season 2, oop). Titans is one of my favourite series ever - if you couldn't tell - so getting to examine each episode closer and appreciate each individual episode as a unique piece of art while writing this instead of binging a whole season gives me a whole new appreciation for the show. I hope you guys enjoy these as they come out - especially because I do have an idea of where this fic is going, but I don't know where I want these characters to go in Season 4. (I kind of want to do a secret surprise reveal of two of the characters being related and being siblings, but... idk. Sometimes people don't like that.) But this is definitely a good opportunity to send me ideas of where you want this story to go/how you want it to end up. Anyway - please enjoy!!!
....
Dick needed some fucking air. 
He could barely fucking handle today. He had to compose himself before he lost it and started breaking things. It was all such a shitshow - the department pushing a new partner on him, footage of Robin all over the news, every other half-cocked beat cop making comments about how Robin was just another masked psychopath who wasn’t that different from The Joker. 
Fuck them. 
If they only knew what Gotham was like - if only they had to deal with a department full of asshole’s on the Joker’s payroll. If only they had to watch criminals walk away because they made bail on the decision of a corrupt judge. If only they had to sit behind a desk and listen to a mother’s sobs as she begged for him to find her missing child - knowing how many people elbow to elbow with him would laugh at her tears rather than start looking. 
If they only spent one night tending to civilians while the smell of burning flesh permeated the air, with the Joker’s screaming laugh stuck in their ears because he thought that bombing a low-income housing complex was just that funny. 
Fuck all of them. 
Dick clenched his fist tight - his knuckles aching as he resisted the urge to drive his arm right through the glass at the front of the precinct. He just - he really needed some air. 
Dick walked out the front doors (rather than smashing the glass), and took a deep breath of the cool night air, trying his best to calm down. It was getting late, and things were relatively slow, even for it being a Tuesday. No influx of late-night chaos yet. He had some time to collect himself before- 
“So - Robin’s in Detroit now, huh?” 
That voice. 
Dick felt the sting of familiarity pluck at his spine, and he whipped his head around at lightning speed, looking in the direction of the voice. Surely enough - you were the one standing there. It hadn’t been some kind of auditory hallucination on his part. 
So much for time to calm himself down. 
He was immediately met with a confliction - lust and annoyance bubbling up inside of him. He didn’t want to see you again, he didn’t want you to be here, especially not without warning. But you looked so damn good - it was a distraction from that fact. 
That was always the thing about exes, wasn’t it? 
(If Dick could even call you his ‘ex’ - the two of you had slept together more times than he could count, both metaphorically and literally, but the two of you had never put an official label on the relationship like he had with Dawn or Barbara. He cared for you like a friend, and like a lover in a way that he was never willing to admit - but did that make you his ex? Especially if he never stopped caring about you?) 
That thing about exes being: they always look so fucking good when you see them after a long time of being apart. The universe dangling something in front of you that you’re not allowed to have and technically, should no longer want. 
But oh - Dick found himself wanting so very badly. (And he tried his hardest to hide that fact as he continued to carefully stare you down.) 
Because you looked so good. 
You were wearing something of your usual style - an outfit of many confusing layers that somehow showed off the natural curves of your body and hid you all at the same time. 
A long skirt with a ruffled hemline and bold, colorful pattern. A pair of boots that you had probably gotten from some vintage store that were likely older than both you and Dick, leathery and well worn in. Your jacket was much the same - a supple brown leather with a soft fur lining that made you look very warm and cozy. 
Topped off with a pair of the largest, gaudiest dangling earrings that Dick had ever seen - the kind that would have gotten snagged on one of his nice shirts and gotten the two of you tangled up during one of your hook-ups. A pair of earrings that he would have scolded you for wearing - but he would have delighted in finding them on his bedroom floor after you left because it meant having a piece of you still with him. And it would mean having an excuse to visit you later because he had something of yours to return. 
Those earrings glistened in the light of the street lamps, just as your eyes did while you stared him down with those inquisitive, knowing eyes. Looking at him with that same expression you always wore - the one that seemed to say you knew everything that he never would. It equally fascinated him and infuriated him. 
He hated the fact that you had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, causing his heart to race - had you snuck up on him on purpose? Did you find it funny? 
“Y/N,” Dick said your name curtly, still feeling a slight twinge of shock that you were standing in front of him at all. “What the fuck are you doing here?” 
You let out a dry chuckle, and stepped closer to him, making his whole body stiff. His first instinct was to step backward - to gain more distance from you. But he didn’t want to seem like he was afraid of you - afraid of that closeness. So he forcefully locked his legs and stayed in place as you drifted closer, and you idly conversed back. 
“Oh, Dickie.” You sighed in return, using his childhood nickname. “A warm welcome as always.” 
Dick rolled his eyes at this. Did he really need to bother with manners and formalities? The two of you had known each other for so long, he guessed that you were both well over stuff like that. 
“Do I need a reason to be here? Can’t I just visit an old friend?” You posed, a humorous tone still running through your voice. 
He shoved his hands into his pockets as he took a more defensive stance. He quickly went from shock then to annoyance. 
The two of you were old friends - you had known each other since you were in diapers together. The two of you had grown up together, raised by a unique circus family. And that meant that Dick knew you well enough to know that if you were here, you had a good reason to be. 
(If you had wanted to chase him when he first left Gotham, you likely would have camped out in the trunk of his car, or you would have shown up at his new apartment the day after he moved in. You wouldn’t have waited this long to contact him.) 
“Do us both a favor and cut the bullshit, please.” Dick replied sternly. “Why are you here?” 
“Grumpy.” You sighed, sounding defeated. 
He waited for a moment, and surely enough - you folded, now willing to directly explain your reason for showing up in Detroit so suddenly. 
“I had a vision.” You explained. “A girl. The Raven. A lot of others consider her to be the eater of worlds, but she is the one who is going to save us all, Dick.” 
He let out a harsh puff of air, reaching up and running fingers roughly over his temple. Yup, there it was - the headache had fully set in now. He really didn’t need this. Not tonight. 
He had known about your visions for a long time. When he was younger, he had been shocked to find out that you had inherited your mother’s ‘gift’. He previously had no clue that her set-up as a sideshow fortune teller with Tarot cards and a large crystal ball wasn’t all psychology tricks and half-guesses she put on for tourists - but in fact, it was actually something informed by larger supernatural forces at play. And it was something you could do as well. 
So he was inclined to believe you when you told him about this vague vision, but he also didn’t want to be involved. He had a lot on his plate right now - he didn’t need this. 
“Look, I’m sure that whatever you saw was important, but-” He began. 
You sighed and shook your head harshly at this ‘but’. 
“Why don’t you just take it to New York instead? This kind of thing is way more Donna’s speed, anyway. I’m sure she can help you find this girl, and-” 
“That won’t help.” You told him. “The girl is already on her way here.” 
You spoke the words with such utter certainty, and it sent shivers up Dick’s spine. The calm, tranquil look on your face - the ominous wiseness you held: it reminded Dick so much of your mother. The other-worldly authority she held that had ultimately gotten her killed. It was strangely creepy. 
“Just so you know, I hate it when you say ominous shit like that.” Dick told you, gesturing to your person with stiff offense in his body. “Just because your mother played the creepy voodoo witch for tourists doesn’t mean you have to.” 
“I’m not playing.” You replied, exasperated. 
You knew that Dick could be frightened of your powers at times. He was someone very logic-based - he built his beliefs around facts. So having you follow your visions and your ‘gut feelings’ when they were never concrete, changing on a dime - he hated the uncertainty and chaos that came with it all. But you had learned to trust yourself and your feelings over time, even if he didn’t. 
“And you know, you’re involved in this whether you want to be or not.” You told him, trying to get the conversation back on track. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Robin made his first appearance in months last night.” 
Dick became stiff at this, and quickly glanced around - as though waiting for someone to appear out of nowhere and point an accusing finger at him, screaming out that he was Robin and he had been caught. 
“You can’t help it, Dick Grasyon.” You declared with intense certainty. “You need to save people, you need to feel like you’re making a difference, you-” 
“So what, now you expect me to save the whole fucking world?” Dick snapped back. 
“She does.” You corrected. 
“Who?” He replied - confused and once again annoyed at your mysticism and bold confidence in your visions. 
“The Raven.” You told him. “She needs you. And whether you like it or not, you need her.” 
You shifted your stance then, waiting for him to tell you that you were right - which was how most of your arguments ended. 
But then, as a sick reminder, the lapel of your jacket opened enough for Dick to get a glance at your chest. The neckline of your blouse was wide open, but his eyes weren’t drawn to your cleavage - instead, he became focused on a large scar that you had sitting over your heart. A place where a bullet had ripped through you, leaving you barely alive. 
He still remembered the feeling of your blood warm under his hands while you looked up at him with tears in your eyes, begging him to save you. He remembered sitting at your bedside, believing that you would never wake up again. 
He couldn’t help but to reach up and gently skim his thumb across the roughness of the scarred skin as he glared at it with a stiff jaw. The touch sent shivers through you - it was the first time he had touched you since that last night in Gotham, when you had woken up to an empty bed and absolutely no explanation as to where he had gone. 
Dick felt rage boil inside of him. 
How could you ask him to save the world when he had been responsible for this? 
This - this was why he was no fucking savior. 
“You shouldn’t be here.” He said, choking on the words slightly as he took his hand down, shoving it back into his pocket once again. He had to avoid the temptation of touching you any further. 
If you weren’t safe around him, why would some little girl from your visions be? 
“This isn’t about me.” You scoffed. “Or-” 
‘Or us.’ 
You held back, knowing how dangerous it was to mention the royal Us around flighty Dick Grayson. For a bird without wings, he was absolutely capable of taking off in a quick moment when he wanted to. 
“This is about something so much bigger.” You pressed. “She’ll be here soon.” 
Dick let out another strained sigh at you using such ominous words again. 
“Well, next time you’re gonna come here and be all ominous and creepy, you should at least bring some coffee.” He told you, sarcasm tight on his lips. 
You made a mocking face in return. 
“Well, you could be more polite.” You scoffed. 
Before Dick could recommend that the two of you go and get a coffee in order to truly catch up, someone called out his name, drawing his attention away from you for a moment. 
“Hey, Grayson!” Someone called, sticking their head out the front door. “Prentiss is looking for you!” 
When he turned back, you were gone. He tried not to linger on it too much - how creepy it was. You were silent and quick like a ghost - he thought that your ominous jewelry might jingle like a house cat’s bell. 
But - he would call you later. Hopefully you still had the same number. 
Dick walked into the interrogation room, trying to clear his mind of the interaction with you. When he saw a small, scared girl, he thought it best to lighten the mood with a joke. 
“Hi, I’m Detective Grayson.” He said, introducing himself. “I hear you like to play baseball with bricks and cop cars. You wanna tell me what happened?” 
“You’re him.” She said, whimpering and tearful. “You’re the boy from the Circus.” 
At first, Dick thought that everyone was simply being ominous and creepy today. But then he realized:
‘Oh fuck. You were right.’
...
A/N: Please do not ask me when this fic will be updated - this fic does not have a schedule.
While this is technically the first chapter in a 'series', each chapter is meant to be enjoyed on its own. The overarching plot of the series is still that of the original Titans show, and I won't be making any major changes to the canon of the show - I just intend to showcase smaller emotional moments between the reader character and the canon characters. This is something I want to work on casually in the background between working on other things. This fic is not my main focus, and I will not be rushing to update it or complete it.
Comments and reblogs are encouraged, and I am thankful for them - but please keep those comments focused on the actual content of the series (it's plot, the characters, their dynamics, etc.). Please do not spam me asking me to update this or asking me when I will update this - because I am not in a rush to do so. I have a lot of ideas for this series that I am excited about, but I want to work on it slowly and casually because I don't want to lose my enthusiasm for it and I know that rushing will take that enthusiasm away.
If you enjoyed this - great, thanks. But if you expect this to be updated weekly like a factory pumping out stuff on a clearly outlined schedule - then you are in the wrong place. If you are expecting constant updates of this fic and you will be disappointed if it doesn't get updated regularly - you should just block me now and pretend you didn't read it. But if you are a patient person - feel free to read and enjoy my other Titans works while I am working on updates for this (and working on other exciting things), and feel free to send me a message telling me what you thought of this fic or other fics in general.
Also - if you can't get Dick Grayson off your mind - my requests are open.
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navstuffs · 1 year ago
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Heart to-go
Pairing: RE2Barista!Leon x GN!Reader
Summary: You hate coffee. Of course with your luck, you end up falling in love with a cute blushing barista.
Warnings: COFFEE SHOP AU, SUPER FLUFF, blushing leon, tooth-rotting fanfic, reader DOES NOT like coffee (i could never), reader/leon are clueless and shy, sabrina and gabriel are names used in this fic, image taken from google
Author's Notes: hey, im back (sorta?kinda?). i had this fanfic saved for a while and since i haven't been able to produce new material, i decided to edit and post some of my old drafts. i plan on posting the other coffee shop au - nsfw version, but from now i hope you enjoy reading this one!
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If someone told you before that you would visit a coffee shop and actually order the same cup of coffee every day, you would laugh at their faces. You don't like coffee, period. There is something about the smell or taste you just don't like it. Warm, cold, sweet, unsweet, with chocolate, you tried it all. It just isn't your thing, which made some people look at you as an E.T. sometimes, but hey, to each its own, right?
Your co-worker Sabrina is the one who invites you out to a popular coffee shop nearby your work. Before you even attempt to say no, Sabrina explains that yes, there were other drink options and some delicious pastries, like "some of the best brownies" she had eaten her entire life.
So you agree, with the promise you wouldn't regret it.
There is no line when you enter, around 5 pm. You pass this coffee shop often going to work, the smell strong in your nose if the door is open. You never entered, of course, but now inside, you must admit it looked cozy. A lot of natural light comes from the big windows in the front, illuminating the entire space. There are tables and chairs, at this time empty, compared to how full and hectic they could get in the morning.
As Sabrina orders her long order, your eyes wander the menu, written behind the counter on a giant blackboard. They had other options, as Sabrina explained before, such as handmade Italian sodas and some juices. When Sabrina is done, you turn your attention to the very attractive cashier. The kind you see on the cover of magazines, like a model or something. And cute. He has innocent blue eyes, a soft face, and blonde hair under the black cap. Your eyes glimpse at his name tag, "Leon," as he waits for your order.
"What do you want?"
And the words come out of your mouth before you can even think, something you would never have ordered in a million years.  
"A coffee?" 
You can feel Sabrina's neck twist, shocked. You ignore her, ignore how your voice went two higher tones than it should, focused on Leon, who continues smiling, patiently waiting for the rest.
"Sure, which one?"
"Coffee?" Your eyes roam around the many, many names and sizes as if you know what all those names mean, and you decide to risk it all. "How about your favorite order?"
Leon's eyes widen briefly before a faint red tone rises to his cheeks. He chuckles, surprised, before placing the order on the computer. 
"Right, okay then, my favorite order. Anything else?"
"Nothing, that will be it."
You pay your bill without looking up. Sabrina looks semi-concerned and amused when you are done ordering, a strange smile on her face.
"Are you okay?"
"I panicked," You whisper, hoping Leon can't hear the panic in your voice as you pull her to a table before she can start asking more questions.
You sit to wait for your order, and you notice Leon and another young blonde lady behind the counter. He seems to be blushing about something she says, and you wonder if that wasn't the most adorable thing you've ever seen.
"You are staring," Sabrina warns, her voice denoting humor. Why does it sound like Sabrina is having fun with your misery? You look out the window to the traffic slowing down since it is the end of the afternoon. When your order finally arrives, you turn excited, expecting to see Leon but being greeted by Ashley's happy face.
"Enjoy!" Ashley exclaims before leaving. You grab your small cup of warm coffee with a top layer of foam on it. It smells like cinnamon and vanilla. You really, really don't want to drink it.
"Careful now, Leon is watching," Sabrina teases, making you turn to look for Leon. He is indeed staring at you, his blue eyes filled with expectation. When he catches you looking, he turns his face away, a deep blush on his cheeks, too focused on cleaning something behind him.
"I can do this." You tell yourself, taking a sip from the cup. Yeap, still bad. Still bad as the first time you tried it. You drink another small sip because Leon could still be watching before placing the cup on the table. "I don't think I can do this." You confess in a whisper to Sabrina, who doesn't answer. She giggles, drinking her coffee as water. She saves you the dignity to not tease you anymore, at least.
Noticing she wouldn't be any help, you take small sips while listening to Sabrina's news. It was easier to drink while she talked so that you could ignore the sour taste in your mouth.
When your cup is finally empty, you sigh in relief. You have done it. You are NOT disappointing any cute blushy barista today. Leon appears at the side of the table, eyes filled with expectation.
"How was it?"
"It was so good. My friend over here loved it, right? Right?" Sabrina smiles happily in your direction. You want to strangle her, but you nod, smirking instead.
"Perfect, Leon. Thank you."
Leon's eyes lock on you, and you stare back, starstruck. No one should be allowed to be this charming. His smile lights up his entire face, making him look even more special. The type you could fall in love with if you aren't careful enough.
"I will get those for you, then," He cleans the table, then leaves, nodding in your direction. When he is out of a safe distance, Sabrina sings low.
"I think he likes you!"
"Shut up, Sabrina!"
-x-
After that, you start to visit the coffee. Daily. You get to meet the rest of the employees: Luis, a handsome man with a captivating smile who constantly flirts with you. You already know Ashley, a young college student who is always excited to see you. And well, there is Leon. It is odd how you click so fast with Luis and Ashley; you could joke with them as much as you wanted, but things worked a little differently when it came to Leon. He made you nervous.
He always welcomes you with a warm smile and treats you with respect. You tried to tease Leon once, but it died in your throat when you watched his expression. He just looked so innocent, you just didn't want him to dislike something you did or said. What if he misinterpreted?
You also continue ordering the same coffee. Your newfound trick to not throw it away? Take it to work and give it to Sabrina. You know you are wasting money, but Leon's smile is worth every cent, especially when you place the money on the counter for "Leon's order". Like one morning, two weeks after your first visit, you enter the shop, and it is Luis at the register.
"Hello, pretty thing. Same order?" Luis asks, winking. 
"You know me, Luis, I am loyal." 
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Luis sighs, pretending to be disappointed. Ashley waves in your direction when she sees you, asking. "Let me guess, another Leon's order to go?"
"You know, it is my dream. One of those days, you will enter those doors and ask 'Can I get Luis's order or maybe Ashley's?" Luis teases, "No, it must always be Leon's order. I have started to wonder why."
"I like his coffee," You whisper in your defense. Luis smiles, knowing exactly what you like. He points to Leon's back, too focused on a coffee maker. "Your boyfriend is waiting."
You show off your tongue, rolling your eyes and going toward Leon. He guides a cup of steaming milk into a to-go cup, almost as if he is drawing. You don't say anything, watching his concentrated face as he finishes. Every inch of his attention to whatever he is drawing. When Leon is done, he turns toward you, opening a smile.
"H-hey. Here it is."
He puts the to-go cup in front of you, uncovered. You find it weird but don't discuss it.
"Morning. Thank you. My favorite, as always." You grab a lid nearby, closing it. Leon seems disappointed but doesn't say anything. You quickly take a sip, holding back a scowl. "Perfect as always, Leon. Thank you. I don't even know where I would be without Leon's every morning... Leon's order, I mean!"
The frown is gone, and Leon smiles timidly, blushing. Of course, you must embarrass yourself in front of him, but honestly, you don't mind. Your mornings always got much better after seeing his smile. You leave the coffee, waving bye to Ashley and Luis. When you are gone, Ashley and Luis surround Leon, too curious.
"Did they see it this time?" Luis wonders.
"No."
"Such a nice person, but so clueless," Ashley sighs, holding her chin. "Maybe you should just try writing your phone number on the cup, it would be more direct."
"Or maybe they don't like me that much..." Leon declares, making his co-workers groan.
"Not this again, Leon."
-x-
Three weeks pass like that. You go in, say hi to Ashley and Luis, get your coffee with Leon, smile at each other, and leave for work. There is some teasing here and there from Ashley and Luis, you tease back, and that is it. You wonder if you should get a different order, but Sabrina seems happy enough with the coffee, you are happy enough to see Leon, so it works.
The next morning, you enter the café to find Ashley organizing a casket of brownies. After greeting each other, you grab one from the basket. So those were the limited edition brownies Sabrina always talked about.
"Hey, Ashley, are those the famous delicious brownies?"
"Yeah. Made by an extraordinary chef, but I can't reveal his identity. It is top secret."
"Can I get one? And also a Le-"
"Leon's order? Yes, yes, I know," She groans, sounding tired. Leon appears from the back office, opening his usual smile when he sees you. You like to think it is your special smile, but it is probably how he smiles at every single client.
"Hey."
"Morning, Leon."
He starts preparing your drink the way he always does. You wonder if Leon is bored or if he can even make it with his eyes closed. Maybe you should ask him if his favorite order has even changed next time? As you watch Leon work, you give a big bite to the brownie. It is delicious. The perfect balance between chocolate and sweetness. 
"Ashley, those are so freaking good!" You exclaim, bringing her attention back to you.
"Oh really? Our chef will love to hear that!" Ashley says with a suggestive tone, giving a quick side look to Leon. You finish the brownie in a few bites as Leon puts your cup on the counter, his cheeks painted red. Again your cup is uncovered. You grab the lid and close it. It has become a ritual by now. 
"Thanks again, Leon."
When you look up at him, Leon has a different expression in his eyes. He blushes, no more than he usually does, his hand raised. Before you can ask what is wrong, he places his hand over yours on the cup lid. His hand is warm, probably normal for someone working with hot drinks all the time. You don't say anything, waiting. Leon seems to be waiting as well, for you to say anything. Neither of you does, and the moment is broken when the door opens, a huge group of women coming in.
"Sorry, I don't know—" 
"Bye!" You rush out of those doors, not looking back.
Well, that was certainly odd, you think. Leon has never touched you before. It seems that he wanted to tell you something, but at the same time, he was waiting for you to say something? When you get to work ten minutes later, the cup still warm in your hands, you search for Sabrina, not finding her. Gabriel, your other co-worker, explains she is sick.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Nasty flu."
"Oh, okay. I will message her later then."
You look at the cup in your hands to her empty table before asking Gabriel.
"Hey, do you want some coffee?"
"Free? Don't mind if I do! What has on it?"
"I guess coffee, milk, cinnamon? I don't really know."
"You don't know?" Gabriel asks, grabbing the cup from you. "You don't know what is in your cup? Here, let me smell it, I have an excellent sense of smell." He opens the lid to smell it and exclaims, "Awn, this is cute."
"What?"
"The heart."
"What heart?"
Gabriel carefully gets the cup to show you a heart drawing on top. You want to hit yourself in the head; is that what Leon has been doing? That's why he held your hand this morning to show the heart? No, it couldn't be. When Gabriel starts taking the cup to his mouth, you pull the cup back, placing the lid.
"Sorry, Gabriel, gotta go! I will return with another one!"
You rush back to the store, holding the cup firmly. Maybe, just maybe, Leon has been drawing those for you only, and you always close the lid? Maybe this is what he was trying to tell you this morning. What if Leon draws a heart for everyone? Shouldn't you be paying for that? What if—? No, no time to think of that. Perhaps this is your chance. You enter the shop, gasping for air. Ashley is nowhere around, and Leon is dusting around the table. When he sees you, his brows furrow, but he doesn't hesitate to get close to you.
"Are you okay? Something wrong?" Leon sounds concerned, his eyes scanning you.
You try to speak, still catching your breath. You pull the lid, triumphant.
"What does this mean?" 
When you two look at the cup, the drawing is gone. There is just a mess of brown liquid, smelling like vanilla and cinnamon. You can't believe it. You turn to Leon, pointing at the cup and him, your mouth opening and closing.
"Have you been drawing hearts in my cup this whole time?"
"I have." He admits, blushing. 
"Thanks?" Jeez, you couldn't come with something better. Leon nods as if understanding before starting to turn away. "No, wait, please, I mean, I like them. A lot."
His face lights up, and you wonder how someone can look so adorable. It is so unfair for you poor heart.
"Tha-that's good, then. I was wondering when you would see them."
"Well, 'cause the lady who drinks my coffee doesn't open the cups!" You try to explain to him, biting your tongue. Leon waits, confused. "Yeah, I don't like coffee," You finally confess your secret somberly, like a sinner talking to a priest.
"So wait. You don't like coffee and keep ordering it? Why?"
Well, now it is your turn to feel your face burning. Realization passes through Leon's face, and he starts stuttering something before three older ladies walk in, going directly to the cashier. He grabs your cup, his heart thumping as he rushes to write something. When Leon gives you back, you see his number written in black ink.
"Ca-can we discuss this better later tonight? If you want to, of course," Leon asks. You nod. "Then you can tell me all about your hate for coffee."
"I would love to."
429 notes · View notes
willalove75 · 10 months ago
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The Estate | Lady Dimitrescu x Fem!oc Chapter 5
Summary: You have a relaxing weekend with your daughter before your first full week of work begins - and it begins with a surprise visitor and a spontaneous conversation with your new boss.
Warnings: 18+ minors DNI
Tags: fluff, angst if you squint, plot development
I'll add more tags as needed!
Notes: Chapter 5! In reference to the gif: if you know. You know. BECSPK gang 4 lyfeee💕 (Although my go-to is egg whites and bacon on a seedless🤤)
I want to SO apologize for not updating this fic in MONTHS! For those of you who haven't seen my Alcina's New Maid update (or my Tumblr post update) the reason for my lack of writing has been because I'm pregnant! I'm officially 20 weeks (halfway! WOO!) and have been trying to get myself back into a regular writing schedule. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the update!
Ik slow burns can be boring and I'm trying my hardest to keep it entertaining while also not rushing too much!! I have a LOT planned for this fic and I'm excited to get into the meat and potatoes of it!
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Gif source
Saturday mornings are your favorite. They're usually relatively quiet, not a lot goes on and you get to spend some lazy quality time with Emma. Just as you're clipping her into her booster seat your phone dings with a text message.
Open the door, bitch
Rolling your eyes, you walk to the door and open it to find your sister, Sam, standing in front of you with a brown paper bag in her hands.
"Finally!" She says as she walks into the apartment.
"How long were you standing out there for? Thirty seconds?"
"Thirty seconds too long!" She says over her shoulder as she drops the bag onto the table and leans down to kiss Emma. "Hello my sweet little angel, how are you this morning?"
"Auntie! I'm hungry!"
"You didn't eat yet, did you?" She asks you as she opens the paper bag.
The smell of bacon immediately fills the kitchen and it makes your mouth water. The signature scent of an egg sandwich causes your stomach to growl in response.
"No, I was just about to make Emma something. Fuck that smells so good." You say under your breath. "Where are the kids?"
"Good, I got you a sandwich. And Tyler has them today. It's his weekend." Sam says.
"Ah, gotcha."
Sam hands you a sandwich from the bag and you eagerly take it from her.
"I don't think I've ever loved you more in my life."
"Ha ha" Sam sarcastically laughs. "Yeah I'm sure."
After whipping up Emma eggs of her own you sit at the table with Sam and dig into your sandwich.
"God I haven't had one of these in a minute."
"Consider this a 'congratulations on getting a job' gift." She says and you laugh in response. "How was it?"
"It was good, I keep saying this but it's really great to be back working and doing my thing. I missed it."
"Well I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. How are the people?"
"They're good, my boss is really nice, her kids for the most part are nice too. The CFO is kind of an ass, at least that's how he comes off."
"That sounds about right. Your boss' kids work there?"
"Yeah." You tell her about Bela, Cassandra and Daniela and she chuckles at Cassandra's attitude towards you.
"She sounds like a ray of sunshine." Sam says.
"You have no idea."
"Mommy! I want out!" Emma says.
"Okay baby, let's get you out."
You take Emma out of her booster seat and set her on the ground.
"Can I go play?"
"Yes baby, go ahead."
"YAY!" Emma screams as she runs into her room. You chuckle and shake your head at her.
"Well I'm glad you're liking it so far and that your boss is pretty cool. Have you told her about...?"
"No, not yet. It's too soon."
"She hasn't questioned why you've been out of work for two years?"
"Oh no, she has. But I danced around it. I'm not ready to talk about it in the office yet. It's nice not having people look at me the way they do once they find out, you know?"
"Not really, but I can understand. Is she at least understanding that you're a single mom?"
"Well, she just found that out yesterday, on accident really. Bela asked if Em was a mommy or daddy's girl."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. But I think I played it off well enough. And Bela definitely felt bad for asking because she blurted out that Alcina is a single mother too."
"Oh shit, really?"
"Yeah. Alcina shot her a look. A 'don't tell people about our personal lives' kind of look. Then before I left for the day she thanked me for being so kind to her daughters, especially the youngest one. It was really sweet."
"From what you've said she doesn't seem like the type to get sentimental with her employees like that."
"She isn't. I honestly don't know if she's ever showed anyone else in the office that side of her before. Everything is always strictly business with her, at least from what I've seen so far. But it was nice seeing that softer side of her."
"What does she look like?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm nosey and want to know!"
"I don't know, she's tall, like six feet tall and she wears heels."
"Holy shit she must be a giant."
"She is. She has short curly hair, really pretty blue-grey eyes. I've never seen eyes like hers before, they're beautiful. And she has the best figure I've ever seen, it's almost fake but you know it isn't."
"How so?"
"She has like, massive tits." You say as you imitate the size of her breasts with your hands. "And a small waist, but not like, too small? Nothing about this woman is small honestly. She has a like, perfect hour glass figure. But you can tell it's all natural. And she dresses like she walked out of the 1950s."
"Sounds like you've looked her over on more than one occasion." Sam says as she smirks at you.
"You would too if you saw her! Practically everyone does. She gives off this crazy alpha energy."
"You're single, right?"
"Oh god Sam stop. She's my boss!" You say as your cheeks turn pink.
"That hasn't stopped people before!"
"You're ridiculous. No."
"You're turning red!"
"I've been there three days! I can't have a crush on my boss! Plus, just because she's a single parent doesn't mean she isn't seeing anyone. And I doubt she's into women and she's. My. Boss."
"Whatever you say." Sam says with a smirk as she cleans up the table.
"You are a pain in my ass."
"Yet you love me anyway. So how's sassy pants downstairs?"
"Margie? She's fine, same as usual. She finally gave up driving, thank god."
"Oh fucking finally. Deb's been trying to convince her mother to stop driving for years. What made her finally give in?"
"Well, a few months ago she ran into the garage door."
"Oh Jesus."
"So she bargained. She said she would stop driving if she could start smoking again."
Sam laughs out loud and shakes her head. "She is stubborn as fuck."
"The most stubborn woman I know."
Sam hangs out with you and Emma for a few more hours before heading out. Around one in the afternoon you put Emma down for a nap and you decide to jump in the shower. After your shower you get dressed and clean the house a little. Emma only naps for an hour and a half before you go in and wake her up.
The weather is finally warming up so you decide it's the perfect day to head to the park nearby. Emma squeals with excitement when you pull up and you can barely keep up with her as she runs to the slide. There's a few other kids at the park with their parents watching close by. You keep an eye on Emma as she goes up and down the slide a few times before growing bored of it and moving to play on the jungle gym.
Kids and their parents come and go as you sit on the bench watching your daughter. Dinner time is slowly arriving so you tell Emma she can go on the slide three more times before it's time to go home. After the third time she puts up a little bit of a fight but the moment you suggest going and getting dinner from her favorite place, she's more than eager to leave.
After pulling into the parking lot you and Emma enter the 1950's-style diner. The hostess seats the two of you and when your waitress comes you place your order. Not long after the food comes out and you start on your sandwich as Emma munches on her chicken fingers. Emma squeals with excitement when you tell her that she's allowed to get an ice cream and she happily orders a vanilla sundae, you of course also order one for yourself.
As usual, Emma is wearing her ice cream by the time she's finished with it but truthfully, you couldn't care less. After getting the check and paying at the register you and Emma head home.
Once Emma is bathed and dressed in her pajamas, the two of you pick out a book, as you do every night, and you read her the story as she falls asleep.
The rest of the weekend flies by and before you know it, Monday is back again. After dropping Emma off at your in-laws house you make your way to the estate.
Walking inside you see Cassandra and one of the other bartenders prepping the bar for the day. You wave at them, Cassandra as per usual ignores you but the other bartender, Dave, waves at you with a smile and a pleasant "good morning!"
Rounding the corner towards the offices you spot Chris and Alcina talking in the hallway. Alcina is leaning up against the wall inspecting her fresh manicure, looking like she couldn't be more uninterested in whatever Chris was talking about if she tried.
When the sound of your shoes against the floor reaches her ears her eyes flick up towards you. A bright smile stretches across her lips and she pushes herself off of the wall and steps towards you.
Chris stops speaking mid-sentence and gives Alcina a look. She returns the look and says to him "I already told you you can go ahead with the project, I don't need you to continue to bore me with details that are irrelevant." before turning away.
"Good morning." You say.
"Good morning Kathleen. How was your weekend?"
"It was good, quiet but relaxing. How was yours?"
"Excellent. My weekend was busy, as usual, but pleasant."
Just as you go to speak you're interrupted by the sound of a door being slammed open in the tasting room. A second later a voice rings through the tasting room and down the hall.
"DELIVERY FOR HER HIGHNESS!"
Alcina's head snaps in the direction of the room, her eyes narrow and you hear a low growl rumble in her chest.
"If you'll excuse me." She says through gritted teeth. You notice a vein in her neck begin to pulse and she storms towards the noise.
"Oh this will be good." Chris says with a little excitement in his voice.
"What? What was that?"
"You're gonna want to see this." He says with a smile as he walks in the direction Alcina took off in. You drop your bag at your desk and head towards the direction Chris and Alcina went off to.
Alcina opens the doors to the tasting room and her vision turns red. Waltzing into the room is her brother, Karl, making his way towards the bar.
"Cassie, hook your uncle up will ya?" He says, taking a seat.
"Heisenberg." Alcina hisses.
"Ah, there she is!" He says as he puts his feet up on the bar.
Alcina smacks his feet off and glares down at him.
"Do you not have any manners?" She says as her eyes flash with rage.
"What? I'd think you'd be more appreciative that I worked so hard to finish whatever the hell it was you asked me to make."
You walk into the tasting room behind Chris and watch as Alcina stands next to a slightly disheveled man. He's wearing a stained t-shirt with baggy pants and boots. A hat, sunglasses, and a trench coat.
He goes to grab the drink that was set in front of him, ignoring the fact that Alcina is practically shaking with anger. He takes a long sip of the beer he was given and pulls out a cigar, sticking it between his chapped lips. As he goes to grab a lighter from his pocket, Alcina snatches the cigar from his mouth and breaks it in half, dumping it onto the counter in front of him.
"The fuck was that for?!"
"You cannot smoke in here!"
"You're such a fucking buzzkill." He mutters, rolling his eyes and taking another drink from the bottle. "Cassie I don't know how the fuck you put up with this shit every goddamn day."
Cassandra snickers and Alcina shoots daggers at her. Rolling her eyes at her mother, Cassandra turns around and continues putting away the glasses.
Karl finishes off his beer and lets out an obnoxiously loud burp. Alcina scrunches her face in disgust and wafts the air between them away from her.
"You are a truly vile human being." She says.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry I don't meet your standards, princess." He replies. "Hey Cass, get me another round will ya?" He says, slapping his hand down on the bar.
"Absolutely not." Alcina says. "I will not have you come in here, make a scene, drink all of our imported beers and pay not as much as a dime for them. Up! Go," she says, shooing him away from the bar. "get the table and get the hell out of my establishment!"
"Someone's in a great fuckin' mood this morning. What happened, woke up on the wrong side of your coffin?"
"Karl you are testing the very little patience I have left." She says through her teeth.
"Hah! You? Having patience? I didn't know you were a comedian."
Alcina squeezes her eyes shut and rubs at her temples as Karl gets up and starts to head towards the door. As he turns around he sees you and Chris standing near the door leading to the offices.
"Ho shit! If it ain't the fancy CFO himself!" Karl belts across the tasting room before meeting Chris halfway. "Howya doin' ya son of a bitch?" He says, shaking his hand.
"Karl my man!" Chris says. "I've been good, keepin' busy. How about yourself?"
"Hope slenderwoman hasn't been too rough on ya!" He says before laughing too loud, earning another eye roll from Alcina. "And not bad, not bad. Your boss here commissioned some kind of table from me so I'm just droppin' it off. Nice excuse to ruffle a few feathers too if you know what I mean." He says, nudging Chris in the ribs and laughing. "And who is this little lady here?" He says, looking over at you.
Not a second later you hear Alcina's heels stomping in your direction, looking up you see her eyes narrowed at the back of his head.
"I'm Katie, the new marketing and social media strategist."
"Karl Heisenberg," he says, taking your hand in his. "the pleasure is all mine." He gives you a small bow before kissing the back of your hand and letting it go.
The action took you by surprise a bit and you swore you saw steam come out of Alcina's ears as she walks up behind him. Karl lets your hand go and Alcina grabs him by the back of his jacket and begins to pull him away.
"Will you keep your filthy hands off of my staff? God only knows when the last time you washed them!" She hisses before whipping him around and pushing him towards the door. "Go!"
"What?! Is this how you treat family here?! What kind of establishment is this?!"
"One I will have you removed from if you don't get that table this instant!"
"Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm going, I'm going!"
Alcina lets out a huff and brings her fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose. After gathering herself she turns back towards you and Chris and makes her way over.
"I do apologize for my little brother, he is quite feral."
"Ah come on Alci, he isn't so bad!" Chris says and Alcina shoots him a glare.
"I told you, do not call me that. And that man is insufferable at best." She turns towards you. "I do apologize for his behavior."
"Don't worry about it, really, it's okay." You say with a smile.
The doors open once more and you can hear Karl barking orders to the guys lugging the table in. Alcina physically cringes as they bang into the doorframe while trying to get it inside.
"Ay! Watch it! That table is worth more than what you get paid in a month!" Karl yells.
"If you will excuse me." Alcina says before making her way over to the men and directs them where to go.
Both you and Chris take that as your cue to leave so the two of you head back to your offices.
"Told ya you'd wanna see that." He says with a satisfied smirk.
"See what? Ms. Dimitrescu and her brother?"
"Yeah! I've never seen anyone else be able to get her riled up so easily. Just his presence is enough to make the woman lose her shit."
"I guess." You say
It aggravated you a little seeing Chris find so much enjoyment from watching Alcina get frustrated and riled up. If anything, you felt bad for the woman. Luckily you and your sister got along great but it would probably piss you off too if you had a sibling that was to blatantly rude and dismissive in your place of work. If anything it's probably as embarrassing as it is annoying.
The rest of the walk back to your office was quiet, much to your surprise Chris seemed to get the hint that you weren't in the mood to revel in Alcina's misery and didn't say anything else. When you sat down at your desk you finally able to get started on today's work.
A few minutes later you hear heels on the tiled floor and see Alcina walk past your office. She looked less than thrilled for the couple of seconds you were able to see her. The door to her office opens and a minute later you hear it close and she walks past you again. Thinking nothing of it, you dive back into answering emails.
Once your inbox was taken care of you go to check your to-do list to see what you needed to prioritize for the day. Digging through your bag you realize you must have left your notebook in the car so you grab your keys and head out the side door towards the parking lot.
As you open the door the smell of fresh air quickly changes into the smell of cigarette smoke. Looking over, you see Alcina leaning up against the brick wall with a cigarette perched between two fingers.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were out here." You say as you close the door behind you.
"No need to apologize. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I just left my notebook in my car." You reply.
Alcina brings the cigarette to her perfectly painted red lips and takes a long drag before pulling it away. She turns her head away from you and exhales the smoke. Usually you found smoking to be unattractive but somehow every single thing this woman does is attractive as hell. You'd put money on the fact that she could shovel a pile of shit and still look good while doing it.
You make your way to your car and find your notebook on the floor of the passenger side. Walking back over to Alcina you notice her eyes are still on you.
"I didn't know you smoked." You say as you walk up to her and immediately wish you kept your mouth shut. Why would you say that? What a stupid thing to say.
Alcina chuckles as she takes another drag before exhaling again.
"Yes, it's truly a disgusting habit I've yet to break. I had been doing well, however, my brother certainly knows how to get under my skin."
"I get that, siblings definitely know how to rile each other up."
"He is a man-child. A petulant fool." She grumbles.
As you chuckle a van drives by and slows down. In the drivers seat you see Karl. He blares on his horn a few times as he drives by, causing both you and Alcina to jump. Your hands fly up to your ears and Alcina visibly winces at the noise.
"Nenorocitul acela." Alcina grumbles under her breath as she sticks her pinky in her ear. (That fucking moron).
She takes another drag from her cigarette and looks over at you.
"You said your daughter is starting daycare this week?"
Her question took you by surprise for a second, you definitely weren't expecting Alcina to remember that from the conversation you had last week.
"Yes! She starts tomorrow." You say with a smile that doesn't reach your eyes. Truthfully, you were excited that Emma was going to spend time with other children her age and be able to socialize more, but the thought of sending her to daycare also gave you a lot of anxiety.
Alcina notices your apprehension even though you hide it well in your voice. It brought her back to when the girls were little and she sent them off to daycare for the first time. Granted, it was more of a private school than daycare, but leaving the girls behind and going to work was still anxiety-inducing for her.
"Nervous?" She asks before taking another drag of her cigarette.
Knowing Alcina was asking about you, you decide to divert your answer.
"Oh Emma is really excited. She wasn't sure at first but as soon as she saw all of the toys they had she was thrilled. She was very upset that she wasn't able to stay the day we did the tour."
"I was asking about you." She said with a smile.
"Oh."
"I remember when I dropped the girls off at daycare for the first time. I think I cried more than they did." She says with a chuckle. You notice a faraway look in her eye as she thinks back on the memory.
Alcina walked down the large, ornate hallway with Cassandra's tiny had in hers. In Cassandra's other hand, Bela clung tightly to her. When they arrived to the classroom the girls' daycare teacher greeted them at the door.
"Good morning! You two must be Cassandra and Bela." She says with a warm smile.
Bela and Cassandra clung to each other tighter, staring between Alcina and their new teacher. Alcina bends down and runs her fingers through Cassandra's dark hair.
"Girls, do you remember your teacher? Ms. Jackson?"
Bela's blue eyes scan the room as she holds onto her sister.
"Eu vreau sa merg acasa." She says quietly as tears begin to fill her eyes. (I want to go home).
"It will only be for a little while, draga. I'll be back before you know it." Alcina says, turning both girls to face her. She wipes the tears from Bela's cheeks and shushes her. "Nu plânge, e în regulă draga mea." (Don't cry, it's alright my darling).
"Vreau să merg acasă, te rog." Bela says as her voice trembles. (I want to go home, please).
"How about you give it a try? I have to go to work, but then we will go back home and we can play with your toys." Alcina says.
"No!" Bela yells, taking Alcina by surprise. "Vreau să merg acasă la mami! O vreau pe mama mea!" She cries. (I want to go home to mommy! I want my mommy!).
Alcina can feel her heart breaking in her chest. Cassandra's eyes begin to fill with tears as she watches her big sister cry. Even though she's only a year younger than Bela, she still understands that so much has changed and that they're no longer with their mother.
"O vreau pe mama mea." Cassandra whimpers before she starts to cry as well. (I want my mommy).
Wrapping her arms around the two little girls, Alcina pulls them into her and they grab onto her shirt and jacket as they cry.
"Shh, shh. Nu plânge fetele mele dragi, nu plânge. Va fi bine, doar respira, totul va fi bine." She says softly as she rubs circles across their backs as she tries to soothe them. (Don't cry my sweet girls, don't cry. It's going to be alright, just breathe, everything is going to be alright).
Their small cries chip away at Alcina's already fragile heart. She squeezes her eyes shut, refusing to shed a tear, refusing to let the girls - or anyone else for that matter - see her cry.
After taking a few deep breaths, Alcina begins to quietly hum the girls' favorite lullaby. She may still be brand new to parenting, but the one thing she figured out that works was singing to the girls in their native language. It was one of the few things that have been able to calm them when they were upset or scared. Alcina's mother would sing it to her and her sister when they were young. One night when she was at her wits end, she began singing it for Bela and Cassandra and they immediately began to calm down. It's been her go-to ever since.
The girls finally stop crying and Alcina pulls away enough to look at the two of them. As heartbreaking as it was, she couldn't help but think of how cute they looked. Bela's blue eyes and Cassandra's hazel eyes always looked brighter after they cried. Even their flushed cheeks and runny noses made them look cute. Alcina cupped each of their faces and wiped away their tears before placing a kiss in the center of each of their foreheads.
The girls looked up at her and it was almost pitiful. So much of her wanted to just take them home but she had to go to work and she had to let them go. Taking both of their small hands into each of hers, she looked both girls in the eye.
"I know it's frightening, I know you girls are scared, but I am coming back. I promise, I will be back and we will all go home together, okay?" The both nodded at her as tears began to fill their eyes once more. "No more tears my darlings, alright? No more tears." She says as she wipes away the stray tears from their cheeks. "I need both of you to be brave? Okay? Bela, I need you to look after your sister, to be protect her, alright?" Bela looks at Cassandra and back at Alcina and nods. "Cassandra, I need you to look after your sister, to be brave for her, can you do that for me?" Cassandra wipes her nose and nods at Alcina.
She strokes their hair before pulling the girls back in for a tight hug.
"Vă iubesc, vă iubesc atât de mult fetelor. Mă întorc, promit dragilor mei. Mă voi întoarce după tine. Nu te voi lăsa." Alcina whispers to them before giving them one last squeeze and letting go. (I love you, I love you girls so much. I'm coming back, I promise my darlings. I'll come back for you. I will never leave you).
Alcina stands up and straightens out her shirt and jacket. She takes the girls hands in each of hers and guides them to their teacher. Ms. Jackson smiles down at the girls and points out all of the toys scattered around the room. Cassandra eyes a baby doll and another little girl picks it up. The girl sees Cassandra and walks over to her.
"Play?" The little girl asks.
Cassandra looks up at Alcina and Alcina smiles down at her.
"Go ahead darling, go play."
Cassandra hesitantly releases Alcina's hand and looks at Bela, reaching out towards her. Bela's grip on Alcina tightens and Alcina strokes her hair.
"It's alright love, go play with them."
Bela looks up at Alcina who nods. After contemplating for a moment, Bela takes Cassandra's hand and the three little girls make their way over to the rug and begin playing with the toys.
Alcina takes the opportunity while they are distracted to thank the teacher and leave before they see her again. With her heart still breaking in her chest, Alcina makes it to her car and starts the engine.
Before she can pull away, the floodgates open. She grips the steering wheel and rests her forehead against her hands as she cries. Different emotions bubble up, but the strongest one is anger.
She's angry that the girls were put through so much at such a young age. She's angry at how unfair the last few months have been for them. Angry at the situation she herself was put in.
Alcina slams her fist against the steering wheel before pulling herself together. She takes her makeup bag from her purse and fixes her makeup before taking one last deep breath and driving away.
You can see memories flash across Alcina's eyes, memories you know nothing about. But you can see the emotions in her eyes, worry, sadness, and anger. Alcina snaps out of it and takes another drag of her cigarette and exhales.
"It's certainly not easy," she says. "the first few times are the most difficult, but eventually they were so excited the girls didn't even say goodbye when they ran through the doors." She says with a laugh.
"I'm sure we'll get there, but like you said, the first few times are gonna be rough."
"I have no doubts that the two of you will do great." She says with a smile.
With one last drag of her cigarette, Alcina puts the butt into the cigarette receptacle.
"Shall we?" She asks, nodding towards the door.
"Oh! Yeah." You say sheepishly.
Alcina opens the door and holds it for you. "After you."
"Thank you." You say with a smile before the two of you head back in.
108 notes · View notes
simplepotatofarmer · 1 year ago
Text
Blog Update:
Hi, it's me, Loyal.
I just want to say first and foremost, I really do love (parts of) the fandom and I'm not going anywhere.
I will, however, not be around as much. One, I'm about to enter an all day intensive treatment plan so I'll literally just be on in the evening. Two, as much as I'm going to keep writing and creating, I have no intention of interacting publicly with fandom as much as I have.
I can't. It's actually fucking insane that it's gotten to this point. I made tribute post and because I used lyrics from Dream's song, I got harassed. The people doing this, acting like this, thinking this way are insane.
So in case it's not clear: Based on my personal lived experience and some information that's come to light, I still enjoy Dream's content. You can approach me personally, off anon, if you want to know my reasoning. If you dislike me for this, that's fine. But I'm done trying to walk this fine line just so I don't get people threatening me, my kids, and my pets. Just so people stop sending me the city I live in, so they stop digging up twelve year old tweets, so they stop calling me slurs and suicide baiting me.
That's absolutely insane. It's horrible. It's disgusting and I was honestly just sitting here, taking it, because I'm terrified of upsetting people and losing friends if I say 'yeah, I'm excited for a new manhunt and I also this song helped me and my kids process my grief'. And the worst part is, it's not an unfounded fear. People have done the most vile shit to me. People I thought were friends jumped on me instead of those harassing me.
I just want to post about Techno and c!Rivals duo and not worry about whether or not this post is going to get me hate. I don't want to worry about how random discord servers are talking about me.
Because that's fucking batshit. Not the worrying, but what these people are doing and I'm tired of letting this effect me. I have enough going on in my personal life. My partner of 15 years almost died. We almost lost our house. I should be able to come online and post about the silly minecraft guys I like and their RP and lore without censoring myself out of fear of literally being doxxed and cyber stalked. I should be able to talk about the racism that effects me without being afraid people will make it about cc drama or calling me slurs or erasing my identity as an Ojibwe person.
The people doing this are the problem. It hurts that so many people are part of this, it really does. But I can't keep letting it get to me. I've always done my best to be kind. I haven't been perfect, especially not lately, because all this hate and stress has gotten to me. I've lashed out. I shouldn't have.
And I shouldn't have had to deal with all that shit in the first place. I hope no one else does. It's terrifying and draining and I'm done.
So I intend to post the things I enjoy, I intend to reblog my friends' art, write the Emerald duo and Rivals duo fics I want to. I want to post about the Syndicate and the new manhunt when it comes out. That's what I'm going to do.
Asks are staying off for the moment because people are too happy to make burner blogs but I'll probably turn them back on at some point as I love answering lore and headcanon questions and, again, it's fucked up I can't enjoy an aspect of the site and fandom because people can't just leave me alone.
To those people: Get help. You're harassing someone because you think they deserve it and that's the most fucked up thing.
To everyone else: So so many of you have been amazing. You've been supportive, you've been kind. That kindness and support speaks volumes and I love you all. I genuinely love you. Dreblr, you've been here for me for over a year at this point and I cannot thank you enough. You are the best part of fandom as far as I'm concerned. And to Dtblr, y'all have come to support me countless times and that means the world to me, it really does. As for all my fellow Rivals duo fans, you people are worth your weight in gold for the joy you bring. A special shout-out to @vpofcookies because you've been here since the beginning, practically, and I love you. There's more but you know who you are.
Anyway, I've been carrying this for awhile and I'm tired. I'm no longer going to give any amount of thought to the people determined to drag me down and harass me constantly.
My best advice is stop focusing on the things and people you hate and instead focus on what you love. That's what I plan to do, from here on out.
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kopfkino-o · 8 months ago
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The Seer's Stone - Chapter 6 (Az POV)
Summary: Azriel is being pushed to his limits, driven half-mad by his increased workload, Koschei’s recent movements, and the unaddressed feelings still hanging between him and Elain. His mind is at war with himself, thoughts and regrets constantly battling with him, but when an old acquaintance comes calling he feels compelled to answer, bound by loyalty and duty he sets off to find what very well might be his own damnation.
Pairing: Elain x Azriel 
Timeline: Post-ACOSF
Wordcount: 1970
Read:
Chapter One | The Crone’s Trade
Chapter Two | The Oracle of Seraphyros 
Chapter Three | Last of Our Kind (Azriel)
Chapter Four | An Empty Seat
Chapter Five | Death and the Lovely Fawn - UPDATED
Author’s Note: Hope you all enjoy! More below 💋
PHEW! After several months of insanity (see: moving to a new city, taking on several new projects at my day job as a graphic designer, getting engaged, traveling to Europe to be in a friend's wedding, hurting my knee again (rip lmao), and the general chaos of being alive) I am so excited to be back writing again. And even more excited to share this latest chapter of the Seer's Stone with the world.
Writing took a back seat within my life last year, due impart to the aforementioned chaos, but also due to some personal anxieties I had about sharing my work. It's irrational, I know, writing is writing, art is art! But still, I found myself lacking confidence and facing a ton of writer's block, but I found some new inspiration through my professional creative work, had a few friends that really helped to cheer me on, and had a lot of downtime after my knee surgery to think about and play around with my craft. All that being said, I'm really really glad to be back at it and revisiting this story, and learning through writing fanfiction.
My plans for the fic haven't changed (too much), but I do think I ought to note that I made some edits to the last update, Chapter Five | Death and the Lovely Fawn, that I feel like I just needed to make to provide clarity/build up for the direction of the story.
Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you to the folks who reached to me about this fic even when I wasn't actively updating it and offered me support/encouragement. This meant so so much to me, more than you all probably know, and I just wanted to say thanks for that.
This one's for you guys.
xoxo, Court
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There was a building headache in Azriel's temples.
Every beat of his heart reverberated through his skull like a war drum. Azriel worked his jaw, grinding his teeth. There had always been something about the dank darkness of the Hewn City that pressed down on him like a fist, but the hateful place was particularly grating tonight.
Wrong, his shadows murmured, this place is wrong
"Hush," he snapped back at them, in no mood for their whisperings.
The floor shifted underfoot, and the long, stone passageway changed before his eyes, writhing as if it were a living thing. To anyone else, the illusion might have been nauseating, but these tunnels and their strange enchantments had become second nature to him during the time he served beneath Rhysand's father.
The old High Lord had personally keyed the spells into the oily stone walls to prevent his captives from ever learning the true layout of the tunnel system. And, perhaps, to also remind them they were so far beneath the earth they could only dream of feeling the warmth of the sun on their faces again.
He had been cruel like that.
Azriel rounded a bend in the stone and found himself in another long hallway carved directly into the mountain. Only this hallway was lined with ancient, half-rusted cell doors—cells that housed the worst of the Night Court's filth. Or at least, what was left of them.
Halfway down the corridor, Feyre and Amren were waiting for him outside one of those cells, the High Lady and her second-in-command half-concealed in shadow, their whispered voices echoing queerly off the rock walls.
Both females fell silent when they caught sight of him. Something twisted in Azriel’s gut. For them both to be here, in the dead of the night, with Nyx still so young and Varian here in Velaris on a short respite from Adriata, meant something was wrong. The look on Feyre’s beautiful face only confirmed that. Something was very, very wrong.
“You’re late,” Amren snapped. It was as much a greeting as he’d get from her.
Azriel matched the second’s same cool indifference. “I was in the middle of something when you sent for me. I came as soon as I could.”
“Off again, doing only the Mother knows what? You don’t fool me, boy. I can smell the Continent on you.”
“I come, I go. So is the nature of my work.”
“Is it, now?”
“If you intend to suggest I’m up to something you disapprove of, then by all means, Amren, do so now and let us be done with it. I’m not here to indulge in idle banter.”
The second-in-command bared her teeth, smoke-gray eyes glowing like two torches amidst the gloom, and for half a heartbeat, Azriel thought she might press the matter.
Then Feyre stepped forward and cleared her throat. There were dark smudges of exhaustion beneath the High Lady’s eyes, but she still looked as regal as ever in her Illyrian leathers, her carved ashwood bow and a matching quiver of arrows peeking up over her armored shoulders.
“Enough, you two,” Feyre said, voice laced with nothing but command. She shot both Azriel and Amren a warning look before folding her tattooed hands behind her back, taking up the position of authority fitting of both a war commander and a queen. “We have bigger matters at hand, and I didn’t leave my infant son asleep at home with a nanny just to come here and listen to you bicker.” She nudged Amren with an armored elbow. “So, won't you be a dear and update our lovely Spymaster on the situation at hand?”
Amren shot him one last distrustful look before answering their High Lady's command. "We picked up two...stragglers...trying to make their way to the Prison Isle. From what we've been able to gather, it appears they were attempting to make their way inside the Prison itself."
Azriel's brows rose. Sneak onto the Prison Isle? That was not only impossible, but it was complete and utter madness. A sick, sudden realization shuddered through him, so fierce it cut through the pounding in his head.
Elain.
Elain was trying to get access to the Prison for reasons still unknown to him. Her and the spellspinner she'd tried so diligently to keep hidden in the Library.
Azriel's shadows had brought him word of their machinations weeks ago, initially tipped off by the arrival of the young spellspinner, and catching Elain in his bedroom yesterday had only confirmed his suspicions, but surely she hadn't gone against his warnings. Surely she hadn't...
"Something wrong, boy?" Amren crooned.
He ignored her. "Tell me everything," he said to Feyre.
"One male, one female. Both don't seem to hold any particular court alliance, but they were...dressed strangely. Almost as if they were trying to blend in with the Library's priestesses. Only their robes were gray, not white, and they carried no invoking stones." Feyre scrubbed a hand down her face. "Rhys caught the male on the beaches; I found the female still on the boat they'd used to reach the Isle."
Azriel might have sighed his relief if only Feyre's words weren't too much to stomach. Elain and her friends, and whatever wild plan they'd concocted, might be safe for now, but an unwelcome stranger trying to land on the Prison Isle was nothing to take lightly. And the fact Azriel, nor his shadows, had seen it coming rankled him.
"I tried to talk to her, wanted to know who she was, why she was there," the High Lady continued. "But she pulled a knife before I could get to her. I watched her open her own throat. Tried to heal her, but to no avail, little thanks to the poison on her blade." Feyre shook her head then tossed a thumb towards the cell door. "Rhys is inside with the male. He won't speak, though. He just keeps... singing."
"Singing?" Azriel echoed.
"He means to mock us," Amren murmured.
It was Feyre who ignored the second-in-command now. The High Lady tipped her head towards the cell door. "You'll see." She said. "We'll be waiting at the Riverhouse for your report."
And with that, Feyre reached a hand for Amren and winnowed them both away, leaving Azriel alone with his pounding head, the ancient black stone, and the iron door looming before him.
Azriel drew in a breath. Down, down, down he sank into himself before he strode for the cell door and shoved it open.
The sharp smell of blood and piss and fear arrested his senses as soon as he stepped into the dimly lit cell.
Old memories reared their ugly heads, taking him back to a different time where he came to these very cells to serve a far different lord. Truth-Teller warmed at his side, steadying him. Azriel wrapped a hand around the dagger's familiar hilt and shoved the memories back inside their iron cages to rot.
He made a quick sweep of the room when his eyes finally adjusted. Shadows clung to the corners of the narrow cell, dark enough to conceal his brother's powerful form hidden within them. Rhys was the darkness here. Anyone else might have missed him, but Azriel knew his brother's scent, the sound of his breathing, and marked where he stood in one of the shadowy corners.
In the center of the cell, bound and blindfolded, sat the captive. His gray robes were bloody, his lip split and broken, but he was singing just as Feyre had promised. Singing some horrible old song.
"...blue blood, red blood, blood black as a moonless night," the captive's voice echoed off the cell walls, garbled and made watery by his mouthful of broken teeth. "A pound of flesh, a pound of bone, a gift for a maiden made of light..."
Azriel's shadows swarmed. They flowed across the old stone floors to circle the captive like a pack of hungry dogs, writhing and twisting as they tried to make sense of him and his strange song. Almost as if the song had offended them. As if it scared them.
The darkness melted, and Rhys appeared from within it, arms crossed and brow furrowed, the mask of the High Lord in perfect place. Stars were dancing in his violet eyes, cold and unyielding, burning with a hunger Azriel himself knew all too well.
"He's been at it all night," Rhys said softly. "The same two verses of the same song, over and over again. It's driving me fucking mad."
"You scramble his brains or something?" Azriel asked.
"Would that I could. His mind is impenetrable. Practically walled off with solid obsidian. I've never seen anything like it."
"He's been prepped on how to face a Daemati, then."
"Or spelled to keep one out of his mind."
The words rose a chill within him, and Azriel found himself watching his brother more closely. Rhys worked a tick in his jaw, violet eyes churning as he assessed the battered man babbling his strange song.
"...away, away, at the crown of midnight..."
Azriel had never heard the tune before. Yet, it rankled him somehow. Dragged cold talons through his guts as if it were trying to make a home there.
Pain pricked behind his eyes, blooming like a thousand burning stars.
Azriel rolled his shoulders, fighting the headache, and drew in a deep breath of the rank air, descending deeper into that inside, readying himself for what was to come.
"He'll break," he said softly.
Rhys did not look at him as he replied. "I know."
Eventually, they exchanged the briefest, most fleeting of looks, but the silent words that passed between them meant everything. Rhys's eyes reminded him that Azriel did not have to do this. That he was, in fact, not his father's son. That this Night Court was a court of dreamers, of sons who were forgiven of the sins of their fathers, of daughters free to live as they pleased.
But the weight of duty had been taught to Azriel decades ago. And it was not a lesson so easily forgotten.
Skin slips easier off the smaller bones, blood congeals at the joints, and the mind always, always fractures first.
The old High Lord had taught him those things. Had made sure Azriel knew them, committed them to his memory so he might never forget his purpose. His worth. The thing he'd been made for.
Azriel slid Truth-Teller from its sheath. "Leave us," he said to his brother, voice soft as night. "I'll bring my report to the Riverhouse."
Rhysand put a gentle hand on his shoulder, the gesture made as if it might spare him, as if it might change what he was and the things he was born to do.
It wouldn't.
Azriel had stopped telling himself such follies a long, long time ago.
So he waited until his brother closed the cell door behind him. Waited until his shadows drank the last bit of light from the dank cell. Waited and listened as the prisoner whimpered the last verses of his swan song.
"...a sword for the son, a horn for the Queen, and dagger for their fool..."
Once, when he was just a boy, the shadows had taught him there was a place he could go, somewhere he could hide from his father's wrath, from his brothers' hate. Somewhere deep within himself. A place where he felt nothing, saw nothing.
Was nothing.
Azriel went to that place now, hiding somewhere deep within himself. He thought of roses as he raised Truth-Teller to the pale flesh of the prisoner's chest and began to cut.
Blood bloomed and the ache in Azriel's head erupted like a thunderclap.
And a dagger for the fool.
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shaperaverse-brainrot · 2 months ago
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Can you do the character ask thing for Raven?
Thank you for the ask!!!
First impression
Oh good lord. Right. Confession time. I gave myself so many spoilers as I was listening to the albums. I was scrolling the New Albion tag for months before getting into Shaperaverse looking for exclusively DoNA posts, because I was struggling to find any ones I hadn't seen before, and of course I discover the "weird narrator named Kate" had a whole backstory thing. And when I eventually listened to radio hour and had a Lloyd Allen moment of course I stalked his tag and found the Lloydven stuff.
So I kind of knew him as a fan favourite character, and was pretty excited to get to the carnival album on my listen through, to see why everyone seemed to like him so much. And. Uh. Yeah I immediately knew why. Silly clown man who was also a bit of a villain?? Absolutely sign me up.
Impression now
He's my favourite little guy to write about I love him so much. Definitely in my top three favourite Shaperaverse characters if not my absolute favourite of all time. It's really interesting to see how my perception of him has changed in the almost three years (HOW HAS IT BEEN THAT LONG) since I first listened to BotLH, but I think now it's just settled on "Fucked up human being who should probably go to therapy but is trying his very best with what he's got"
Favourite Moment
THE SHOW MUST GO OOOOON THE SHOW MUST GO OOOOON OH DAVID I AM LOSING AND WE NOT NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING BUT MY SMILE GOES NEVER WRONG
Idk if I got the lyrics right but. Honestly that bit in Raven's storytime theatre hits me like a damn truck every single time. Screaming crying doubled over in pain the vocals the vibes the everything.
Second favourite honourable mention has to be the pursuit with Sarah. Because oh. My. God. Being forced to give up your past self as you push harder and harder to save the family you have now. Aushshs
Idea for a story
I am a fanfic writer through and through how dare you make me choose between my babies-
If it counts I really want to finish my WIP on David running into William in level 5 instead of the August Sky Playhouse, and he gets to adjust in a somewhat healthy way and loosening the dam on his powers and doesn't lose his sense of self in the progress
If we're talking about ideas that aren't even wips I have an urban fantasy au where the whole Raven/David identity crisis is that he's a weird demon thing that has to unlearn a bunch of repression to like. Be able to use weird powers and not die.
And as a bonus I have to admit Fayz your Lloydven Cinderella au are some of my absolute favourite Shaperaverse fics of all time I love the way you write David/Raven in them.
Unpopular Opinion
I am. Unfortunately. So basic with most of my Shaperaverse interpretations. The only thing I can think of that relates to him at all is that I wish there was less linear time? Like the whole "Marjolein being with them for two years" and "Lloyd leavimg in a year" and, tying into Raven, him (well, Paul in the cabaret) explaining to Asha in the cabaret that Lloyd's been a doll longer than human, and later to the audience that Lloyd has been in the doll and he in the CU for a hundred years. Just... Not in my head. Nope. Time is fluid. Lloyd may have been a doll for a century but in my head he was like... Both centuries old when he died yet also only like 41. Time doesn't exist. They're immortal yet so breakable mortal at the same time. Raven was in the CU for both a week and until the universe was ripped apart by the chaostrophe. There's such an emphasis on time not making sense and then- (I'll shut up now.)
Favourite Relationship
It has to be Raven and Han Mi. I don't think much more needs to be said. If you haven't already you should check out the twitter tales wiki page and you'll fall in love with Raven and Han's relationship I promise.
Little child sleeping in my arms so soft and safe are you the only truly real I can aspire to create-
Favourite Headcanon
CANE USER RAVEN. It mentions in the podcast he takes to carrying a cane around for pizzazz but in my head he carries it around both for pizzazz and because he needs it to walk. Depending on mood and context it can be because he needed it as David and overcame internalised ableism while getting through his other issues and started using one, because he got injured by Sarah in the postie war and it was an injury that resulted in him using a cane, or simply because he gaslit himself into needing one as part of the Raven persona, starting as pizzazz and then solidifying itself as something Raven Always Used, to the point that if he doesn't have one he will struggle.
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bearsbeetsbeskar · 7 months ago
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personal updates (and where tf I've been basically the last month and a half - nothing crazy)
hello beauties
i feel like it's been a hot MINUTE since I've consistently posted on my blog here and that's due to many reasons, the main one being school. I'm in the final two weeks of my masters program and everything is due at once, and shit is hitting the fan basically as I hunker down to get these assignments done over the next two days (pray for me y'all)
also I started a little nsfw side blog for the horny thoughts (and maybe some pictures🌚) that kind of took off and went rampant (which I was not anticipating whatsoever), and I've found myself spending more time on there, than here. I won't lie, the stress of school and other shit going on in my life, made it a nice fun outlet for the time being, but's a lot more lonely than the fandom side of tumblr.
if i am being honest though, it's been hard to still be engaged with fandom stuff, be excited about new content, and I honestly can't remember for the life of me the last time I read any sort of pedro fic. I haven't had the desire to read anything or even write anything as of late cause I just don't feel as connected to this blog lately, compared to how often I was posting in the beginning of the new year. I feel like the lack of new pedro content has also contributed to that, and I also wonder if maybe taking a small break from it in the last month or so (and touching grass) kind of made me hyper aware of how much time I was spending online.
I'm not taking a break, but i think it will be better for me to return to posting consistently once I am finally fucking done school after April 5th. and that goes for the fics and WIPs I had on the go, they are definitely not abandoned and I will return to finish them, once I'm wrapped up with this program.
anyways, I love you all so freaking much and I am still so grateful for this lil corner of the internet where we can be feral and hyperfixate over a middle aged man ❤️
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mcytblraufest · 8 months ago
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Hi hi!! I'm very excited to see a reverse-bang is happening! I'm already in way too many fandom events but oh well what's more lmao
ANyway! I wanted to ask, for the artists, does the AU we draw have to be something completly new, or can it be one we've drawn for before? If we've drawn it before does it matter if those drawings have been posted elsewhere? (I just want to be sure 'cos I have a few ideas and some are for AUs I've played with in the past and others are for AUs I haven't really touched yet)
Also! Once we're paired with our writer, can the artist share ideas for story or whatever that they might have had for the au? Or is it just like 'here's my art, good luck!', giving the writer free-reign. And can we do more art for our writer than just the original drawing?
Okay I think that's everything, sorry for the rambly questions😅
Hello! No problem, we're happy people are excited!
The question of if you've posted about the AU before hits two snags, kind of.
The first one is anonymity. If you think that anyone who sees this AU will automatically know who submitted it, because it's a famous named au that people know from your blog— that would probably not be best to submit. I know art styles are often identifiable, but sign ups are still supposed to be reasonably anonymous. But if you've barely talked about it, go for it!
And the second one is the question about if a person has to consume like fifteen pieces and an essay to understand your art— that's not gonna work. The art pieces have to stand alone, whatever piece(s) you submitted. So if you have fifteen sketches in your drafts about this, but you can just make an awesome finished piece, then again, go for it!
So as long as your art will not immediately de-anon you and can stand along, submit away!
Once you're paired with the writer, you can share more ideas for story and brainstorming if you want, that would be awesome, but from a modly stance they're considered non-binding. The only information the person has to work with is the submitted information on the sign-up form. We want to make sure that the writer is jumping off of the art the artist provided, and any work they do is following from it and inspired by it, but after that point the writer does still have creative control over their own work. In the same way that last year we didn't want writers to be doing like— art orders that they'd only be happy with specific art— we want to make sure that artists are not doing fic commissions where they're basically ordering a fic to their specifications.
Which is way out beyond the edge of what you asked, I know you were just like "omg if I have extra ideas can I share them", and the answer to that is yes, but I just wanted to share the like end point rule of that from a mod standpoint, if you have creative differences. While you are absolutely free to share the ideas, we love the idea of collaborative brainstorming and that's one of the purposes of a big bang and the joys of working in teams, the writer can come up with their own ideas too if they want to, cause they're the one posting the work. So like in practice probably your writer will love to hear more ideas and work with them, in the same way that artists working with writers were happy to get extra details about what people looked like and what they were wearing (that happens with most events that I've seen). But at the end of it the person posting the fic gets final call about what goes into the fic, as long as they're adhering to the information posted in the sign-up. So yes absolutely you can be a brainstorming partner— but you're not a creative director— but being a brainstorming partner is awesome, go for it! Any amount of extra collaboration you can do with your partner rocks.
And absolutely you can do more art for your writer than your original piece! I know I've heard some artists talking already about how they intend to submit art, get matched to a writer, and then draw art based on the fic based on their art. We're gonna get nested art. Which absolutely rocks. If you want to do something like that, fill your boots, I can't wait to see what you come up with.
The baseline is that a big bang is about collaboration and working together with people. If you want to do *more* collaboration and working together with people, that's absolutely awesome and go for it.
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readreactrant · 8 months ago
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So does it mean, you're exciting for next month new season of Black Butler? So, Sebastian/Ciel, Gojo/Yuuji and Mustang/Edward are my otps.
Do you know how hard it is to find other people that ship Roy and Ed from FMA? Like, sorry but I don't ship them with either Riza or Winry (even if I love the female cast in FMA) and in FMA fandom, mostly must have ship Mustang/Riza & Ed/Winry....And Sebastian/ Ciel is just the best.... The same I can say for GoYuu, oh boy, when I found your blog, it feels like I get a suprise present....So hard to find GoYuu fan in JJK fandom....
So thanks for your blog 🌷🌻
That's coming out NEXT MONTH?!!?!! I had no idea especially bc I haven't heard much news since last year (✷‿✷) I'm so happy we'll get to see them soon either way, I'd wait a hundred years if I had to!!!
I in fact did not know lol!! I love and ship them but aside spending two weeks in the tags and an ungodly amount of energy searching up doujins I didn't think it was a ship lacking for content. But it's understandable nonetheless and it's nice to meet another fan, writing the list made me consider going back to explore without the weight of school on my shoulders.
As for Goyuu I really wouldn't have guessed it was a kinda niche ship given the sheer amount of fics and doujins I've seen. Then I remember a decent number are written by the Asian fandom and it makes sense. I just wish the western fans were more accepting instead of stalking under any kind of post to go "erm that's his teacher 🤓☝️"
Like thanks rengokufuckboi2012 on twitter I definitely didn't know that.
(kinda unrelated but like yesterday I saw this super cool art of Gojo and Yuuji falling toward the prison realm from opposite sides and I so wanted to comment but I was also afraid of taking the artists message wrong so I just went "🔥🔥🔥")
Anyway I'm happy we have so much in common anon, your ship taste is just excellent and I hope you like my answer. Feel free to reach out once more and I'll see you around 💕
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merrivia · 1 year ago
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Hi, do you have any head cannons for post kings rising Laurent and Damen? Your posts are always so interesting!
Hi! This is such a nice question to ask me, thank you!
Did you also know I’m so new to fandom I had to double-check what a headcanon was before I posted this lol.
Okay so specifically post-KR ideas….I have so many! I want to weave some into some fic ideas into the future I think.
Here's a small selection though 😊
Laurent is going to meet more of Damen's friends/supporters, because Damen is so likeable and Nikandros might be his best friend but there's bound to be more of them, right? Of the ones who survived Kastor's reign :( I feel one or two actually might get released from where the dungeons they had been imprisoned with Damen becoming king. Anyway, cue Laurent having to socialise with a bunch of his Akielon childhood friends, that are kind of the equivalent of a rambunctious Olympics sports team (bear in mind some will be highly intelligent, but that's the general vibe). This is going to worry Damen a lot, because our little Laurie isn't the best with people, but by the end, they will all platonically adore him and be arguing over who should help him down from his horse and coming to him for relationship advice, aka the vibe of this kind of photo, only with them not touching him. Or Laurent smiling. They'll just be standing near him, but the vibe will be similar, okay? Nikandros will be rolling his eyes a lot through this, in case you were wondering, but will also refuse to let anyone else teach Laurent to wrestle but him.
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And when Damen is like to Laurent, aren't there any friends you want to introduce me to at all? And Laurent is like actually, yes but my uncle had them exiled, I'm inviting them back to Vere and they'll arrive soon. And Damen gets excited, though a bit jealous, and on the day Laurent is like, here he is 😊 and Damen turns...and it's this tiny wizened old man called Scolace who was Laurent's natural philosophy tutor , and Damen is like oh... but gamely tries to get to know him anyway, even though he is very deaf and keeps mistaking Damen for a servant and calling him by outdated Veretian slurs for Akielons.
What else...
Well, on a more serious note, on the slave ship in Captive Prince, one of the consignment of slaves tries to raise the fact that they don't have access to "the usual means of preventing pregnancy"; as a result she is given what sounds like poisonous herbs intended as an abortifacient and her stomach is "beaten with rocks" 😔 I could be wrong, but I think Akielons have better contraceptives, or Vere is refusing to trade in them? I wonder if it's possibly, some version of the herb silphium!
Which if you haven't read about is actually so interesting (here is an article) as it was a tasty herb AND possibly the first ever effective form of birth control (though probably not also). It basically became extinct (but they might have found it again!).
So I think that will spread and will be one of the steps in destabilising the taboo against heterosexual relations amongst Veretians, along with access to/mingling with Akielons who don't understand the taboo- but it will take time to disappear. I don’t think that bisexuality as a norm will ever change but there will start to be more flexibility around heterosexuality/homosexuality as a choice. Eventually the taboo around bastardry might become less intense too, as a result.
I think that Laurent will pass a law, and sixteen will become the new age of consent for pets. There’ll be new protections in place for children, with greater punishments attached for child based crimes. Laurent will also raise a statue for Nicaise, to honour what he did 🥺
The culture around pets will change in few years, too. No more rings, or public sexual entertainment. Laurent won't explicitly ban it, but there won't be one at his palace with Damen, so it falls out of fashion as the Veretian courtiers, after the worst of the Regent’s supporters are weeded out, will be looking to Laurent and Damen for the latest trends and in an attempt to curry favour. It’ll affect clothing and food etc, but I actually think the model of Damen and Laurent’s monogamous same-sex relationship will be the thing that influences many the most, long term. I also think there will be short-lived trend of Veretians hiring Akielon-looking pets, as a kind of tawdry celebration of the unification and a few will even go for big, dark muscular men and put them in chitons. Damen will find it very disconcerting and annoying to keep bumping into these fake-Damens all over the place, though Laurent will secretly find it quite amusing.
Eventually, I think the use of pets or high class prostitutes will become less public and more discreet. I wonder if the use of surrogates will become more common or of adoption, when it comes to the issue of heirs also.
Ooh and I also think Ancel will approach Laurent out of the blue and basically demand that everyone in society ought to be taught how to read and it’ll turn out that Laurent and Damen have already started to work on how to spread free education/schools across the unified country! Yay for universal literacy! On that theme, I think that after a while, as Akielos-Vere becomes a more peaceful nation, there will be less emphasis on militarism in both places and more on education and philosophy, and this will lead to the establishment of more/universities and a new flourishing of art and literature. Paintings might start to gain artistic ascendancy over tapestries and sculptures.
There will be definitely be a new currency, with a twinned portrait of Lamen on one side, and a new herald of a lion and a starburst, on the other.
Oh and lastly, I do believe (like a lot of readers) that Laurent will eventually top Damen! *throws the glitter of sexual satisfaction up into the air*
I think that it will go like this:
Damen will have been mulling it over for a long long time, and some conversations with Akielons like Pallas will have him brooding over it. I think in the beginning, it will be out of a want to give Laurent anything he wants and a fierce desire to be Laurent’s first in that way and to erase any memory of the Regent if he can, as opposed to out of a true sexual curiosity or want to do it. He’ll be deeply uncomfortable but sees it as a self-sacrifice.
I think Laurent will rightly absolutely refuse the first time he raises it, based on that. But over time, with research and reflection, Damen will start to undo certain mores and patterns within himself and together with Laurent, discover something he’s going to find new and liberating- and another dimension to his love for Laurent.
And that's it for now! Thanks for asking :)
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citrus-cactus · 10 months ago
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Howdy, all! I can't post my art summary quite yet because it contains part of someone's Secret Santa gift, so I thought I would fill out the fic summary template created by @reliablejoukido (see her original post here!). Even though I didn't publish (or finish!) much, I did start writing again this year, and that feels like a huge accomplishment, so it seemed like it would be fun to look back and talk a little bit about what I have in the works.
First, the finished fic!
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My er... grand return to writing (I wouldn't call it that, but I did have a lot of fun writing and drawing for it, even if it took 6+ months from start to finish ^^;). I love these three characters as a trio so much. It was really hard to pull out a quote I liked and have it make sense in context, so I put the summary in there... but since I brought it up in another post, I thought I'd share what one of my editing drafts looks like:
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(ok, so maybe not the tiniest font imaginable, but sometimes there are cross-outs to the cross-outs and sometimes I DO run out of room near troublesome paragraphs and in the margins!)
Now, onto WIPs!
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Hmm, well! That sure is a title, isn't it? ;) I wanted to write Junzumi and came up with this idea late last year, and finally started trying to figure it out. It's meant to be fun and flirty and a bit awkward, but the ultimate goal is to be kind to JP, because he (and his body) are given so little love overall. And even though JP and Zoe are not actually hooking up in this fic, it is meant to show the relationship between the two of them in college, and how they could start going from friendship to dating. There IS nudity, but it's meant to be tasteful and respectful, I promise!
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Oof. I haven't forgotten this fic, I swear (even though I published Chapter 4 three years ago!). I got really excited to work on it earlier this year (flush with success from actually publishing something, rotfl!) and then let it continue to languish (orz). Upon reflection, the reason it's been stalled is I was having a hard time figuring out the flow of action, but after re-outlining it in September I think I know now what Maki needs to be doing in order to experience the emotions I always meant her to be feeling in this chapter. And yes, she and Meiko meet (yay!).
Chapter 6 has been done for YEARS, and Chapter 7's probably pretty close to done as well, so it really is just this chapter being the hold-up.
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AKA, Garg Fic #1. Been mulling over ideas for fic for this fandom all summer, and finally decided to write one based on some minor characters from the SLG comics (that I didn't even read, and can't read now because they're out of print). But I AM reading the new Dark Ages comics, and I'm proving to be a really good guesser about certain details, so actually, I feel INCREDIBLY validated about my original vision and characterization, ahaha.
As you may be able to tell from the quote selection, this is not a happy story. But I believe it's a story worth telling. It's about preserving customs in the face of tragedy, and mourning, and extinction, and love.
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AKA, the thing that pulled me away from writing Garg Fic #1. I was possessed. I was writing something in my head about Macbeth's relationship with Demona this summer, and suddenly (VERY suddenly) it morphed into this. Dang, but they're fun to think about. This fic is weird, it will contain one MAJOR narrative trope/cliche, and it's definitely going to be NSFW if I end up getting that far. But I reeeeeeally like this paragraph I wrote for it XD
Thanks for the template Zuz, and thanks to everyone else for letting me ramble about writing! See you again for the art roundup!
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zarvasace · 11 months ago
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PROGRESS POST
(12/18/23)
If you're interested in what I've done recently, the state of my projects, and what I plan on doing in the new year, read on! :)
By Fandom
Linked Universe Projects
Shatterproof: I have more backstories cooking, and a half-finished fic or two, but that's about it. I plan on updating a story at least once before January
Council (1931 AU): backburner, haven't really had inspiration. Still on my radar though, and it spins through my head on occasion!
Marvelous Misadventures: been plucking away at this! I recently had an epiphany regarding the next part of the plot, so hopefully that gets me more excited to work on it
Considering expanding the coloring pages I made into a whole series, that could be cool
Misc stuff includes a couple half-abandoned oneshots, a few drawing ideas, and a major art project that probably won't happen because I'm trying not to burn myself out 😅
Four Swords Projects
Fairytale AU: recently gained fire for this again. Reread and organized all my existing material, edited the outline, and I desperately want to finish it soon. Hesitantly scheduling for before the new year. Draft currently maybe about 30% of the way, at 8k.
Isekai AU: I don't think I've mentioned this to anyone outside discord, but ta da I'm deep in this. I'm probably 90% done, about 30k. This will be a Christmas fic, I hope!!
Vampire lords AU: rambly vampire plot is going. Somewhat slowly. I've been trying to not overload myself with too much, so this has been demoted slightly. :) Bite fics happen spontaneously, though, and there might be another coming.
Rinthia AU: my original world, the one seen in Nothing New Under the Sun. This is kind of a passing thought, definitely in planning stages, but I would kind of like to expand this—see where the other characters are, give y'all some answers, because the answers are there
Non-fandom
I want to do more traditional art, graphite and watercolors mostly, and that usually means using photos or life instead of fandom stuff. Makes it a bit less exciting, but maybe I can find a way of doing that. I miss my lil oil paint studio area but I can work with what I have
I'm crafting a few Christmas presents instead of buying them because I do not have much money. That is something I need to spend like, this next week doing
Sanderson merch: I have a goal of getting a booth at Dragonsteel next December, and selling some small souvenir stuff. My plans involve making more pins (I ordered a couple already, and they're very nice), drawing some coloring pages, and maybe advertising here a little once I actually have some stuff I'm proud of up. This will ideally take a year to get together, though, so no rush.
By Month
November
I spent most of November working on The Worst Thing About Earth, kind of an impulse fic that spiraled out of control. I think I burned myself out a little on this, so I've been taking it slowly. Trying to, anyway.
December
So far, I've mostly worked on holiday gift exchanges and some backburner stuff. Like I said, I've been taking it kind of gently. I plan on finishing the FS isekai AU this month, and getting most of the way through the fairytale AU. Getting those off my plate will free me up to think about other things, I think. I also plan on maybe one more bite fic and one more LU disability AU thing before the new year.
January On
I'm not sure what the next month will bring! Ideally, I'll be wrapping up the fairytale AU and intermittently posting a few little things. I'm hoping to return to a couple of my older projects soon, mostly Marvelous Misadventures, because I've left that thing unfinished for LONG ENOUGH.
This next year, I want to try to devote more time to doing things for myself that aren't fandom things. I'd like to reread Stormlight Archive before #5 comes out in December, play more video games, and do more painting. I would like to establish a better habit of making and eating food. I want to play board games a little more often.
Still, the muse can be fickle, and as you probably know by now, I am very good at chasing my inspiration!!
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astriiformes · 2 years ago
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Someone reblogged the Lilith playlist with a tag saying it had 2014 8tracks vibes (as a compliment, to be clear) and I'm having a bit of a moment about it
Because not only is that exactly the era I cut my teeth as a little baby fanmixer back in the day, but also, two of the very first playlists I ever posted on there were aro/ace Mako Mori and Newt Geiszler ones for Ace Week in October 2014 (one specifically on a day for making aro fanworks, because this was before the ace and aro awareness events had totally diverged). Long enough ago that one of them has the old black-and-grey-and-yellow-and-green aro flag on it, which at this point is even more of a relic than 8tracks itself.
And now I'm just thinking about like.... obviously I haven't stoppped making ace and aro fanworks based off headcanons, but back then, it was because I didn't have anything other than headcanons and couldn't have made one for a canon character if I'd wanted to (and I really, really wanted to).
I vividly remember reading the same two or three aro Pacific Rim headcanon fics over and over again around that same time, and one in particular that centered on my favorite character being in a queerplatonic relationship. I was just a little baby aro/ace back then, too, and had only just started identifying as both the year before. And of course being in high school there were a lot of things I couldn't envision about the future, but I knew I was still looking for some version of it in those stories, even though there weren't very many of them. To the point that I started saving them for the nights I was feeling the loneliest and saddest about my future, because I didn't want them to lose their impact. Except even with their help, it was still hard to picture ever finding someone who wanted the same sort of thing as me.
So now I'm sitting here feeling some kind of way about being 26 instead of 17, and the community history stretching between then and now and those playlists and this one (the new/current flag design, ASAW being a thing at all), and sitting on the couch last year listening to the TOH charity stream and shouting across the room at Scribe when they played the reading of Lilith's letter, and the handful of other aro/ace characters I get to hold onto these days, and also about living with Scribe at all -- years and years after I met her because she got excited about another playlist I posted to 8tracks.
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oloreandil · 1 year ago
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20 Q's for Fic Writers
tagged by: @chameliyun, thank you so much <33
1 - How many works do you have on ao3?
131 works so far ! 97 of them are for haikyuu!! and i cannot wait to celebrate my 100 hq fics hehe
2 - What's your total ao3 word count?
323,624 words :0 i didn't think it'd be that much, i tend to write short things, i'm excited to have written so many words !!!
3 - What fandoms do you write for?
i have posted for haikyuu, death note, bnha, yuri on ice, free, breath of fire iv, and fairy tale for some unknown reason XD but i have unposted / unfinished fanfic for a bunch of other things like hunter x hunter or fma
4 - What are your top five fics by kudos?
chat me up has always been my most popular fic and tbh ? yeah i see why XD it is one of the most fun and chatfics were popular at the time. after that come ...or not, blue like the sky, silent trust and saw my momma dad cheese
5 - Do you respond to comments?
yes !! fandom is a community first and foremost for me, and posting is also a way to interact. comments are immensely lovely to get and answer !!
6 - What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
ooh probably love me right ?? it's kinda the angstiest i've written... ever. but some nights is also. bad end. solely by virtue of being post apo and not very optimistic about it. i wanna rewrite it someday because i actually really liked that AU and it's not the best right now hmmm
7 - What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
honestly hasetsu tour guides (which is a series but shhh) is the happiest thing i've written ?? it's not the most fun in terms of plot but everyone is content with their life in a way i've not really written a lot
8 - Do you get hate on fics?
nope, not well known enough XD and i'm not complaining about it
9 - Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
i do ! i have no clue if there's a specific kind i stick to though, most of it isn't even posted or even written past heavy planning. trans cyborg smut is on its way though @notsuchasecret :3
10 - Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
i have written or co-written a NUMBER of crossovers. most are not on ao3 yet (or... ever...) but i have posted death note x snow white and hxh x little red riding hood, so. however i do think that owari no seraph x the frog princess (the russian fairy tale) is the wildest one so far !
11 - Have you ever had a fic stolen?
not to my knowledge, but that'd be kinda funny tbh ? imagine coming across your own obscure niche things in the wild. i'd almost be more disappointed it's not a new fic for my teeny fandom corner lmao
12 - What's the longest you've spent working on one fic? And the shortest?
the shortest would probably be a couple hours, for guardian of his king (written in a fugue state at like 3am, after Syb shared the drawing that inspired it. two of us fell in a trance btw, this was a POTENT artwork). the longest... i don't dare calculate... but it is measured in years and i haven't even started writing yet <3
13 - Have you ever co-written a fic before?
if you count detailed planning and extensive oral storytelling, many !! my best friend and i are very prolific behind the scenes, to her dismay XD. i thiiiiiink she is the only co-writer i have had ? but i LOVE doing group fics and i'd love to do it with other people
14 - What's your all-time favorite ship? From all fandoms?
"you ask questions i have no answers to" is what i was gonna say and then my brain went "well apart from bokuaka which has to be out of the competition-" so i may have an answer actually hahaha
15 - What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
oooh my god that naruto fountain of youth AU is never gonna be written. i have so so so much planned and i sift through and add more from time to time, but like... i pick my battles a little more wisely than this behemoth
16 - What are your writing strengths?
i'm not sure ! i do think writing dialogue is easier for me than most other things, and i love doing fun formatting / narrative constraints
17 - What are your writing weaknesses?
i forget to put down half of the words on the paper so my sentences make no sense and it's horrible to edit <- loves editing. doesn't love when i reread myself and every five sentences i have to think "who tf wrote this and what the hell does it mean. how do you go from here to there ??? oh wait i forgot a sentence again"
18 - Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
english isn't my first language. i write dialogue in another language 99% of the time. i don't think this question really takes into account the amount of ESL writers who are basically always doing this
to stay closer to what the question was meant to ask though, i have written sentences, in the middle of english fics, in languages that me or most readers don't speak. it is usually either a LONG process of looking up grammar rules, vocabulary, existing sentences etc... or what i did once, "write with mistakes because the person is learning the language still"
it is good imo to have characters speak their native tongue, or to add your own HCs onto characters and make them speak in their new native tongue, but it can be done more or less respectfully and more or less clearly. how do you include a translation, if at all ? is it jarring in the flow of your fic ? what about inserting song lyrics in another language ? it's a case by case basis for me tbh, and as a reference i really love how yuri on ice did it during the anime
19 - First fandom you wrote for?
i don't recall what i first wrote for exactly but i first posted for death note in 2015 :0 a while back !!
20 - Favourite fic you've written?
i don't have one at the moment, my criteria isn't defined enough these days. maybe some will jump out more later as they did in the past but for now i can say i love most of my children equally lmao
it took me a while to answer, sorry, and i'm too tired to tag anyone but DO feel free to say i tagged you if you wanna do it !!!!!!!
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genyathefirebird · 10 months ago
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⭐️ End of year questions ⭐️
Thank you to @mekana47 for tagging me in. I was feeling a little down-in-the-dumps since I haven't written a lot (arbitrary I know, but compared to the last few years), but these questions were nice and turns out I am proud of what I've done.
Tagging in @ongreenergrasses @strangesmallbard @melodious-madrigals @aphroditestummyrolls @lttrsfrmlnrrgby if you want to play and anyone else who has been writing and arting and crafting!
What is your favourite thing you created?
the ties that bind us - my first fic of the year and a fun splash around in magic realism in the world of The English where Cornelian Whipp sees threads of destiny and we follow as she finds love and revenge. There was a lot in the show’s costume design and fashion at the time that I got to read around but it was really sparked by Emily Blunt's delivery on her lines about there being magic.
Which work are you proudest of?
I try to sing a melody (your way) - a Piranesi fic in the voice of the House. I wanted to play with a setting-voice for a long time and the House was the perfect sandbox and I got to walk a few more halls and staircases before reaching the roof to look down on all its infinite kindness
Is there anything you are proud of that you achieved this year?
love, the armour saints wear - this one is a Grishaverse fic. Genya is a fascinating character and this is where I got to put the young Tailor under a microscope and explore her as the asset others view her as. As a treat I also threw in a splash of the ongoing tussle between the verse's most dysfunctional mother and son. Baghra is hilariously fun to write.
Did you explore anything new this year? (A new way to be creative, a trope you didn’t write before, or an idea you hadn’t thought of earlier, etc.)
I committed to submitting an original short story to a lit magazine (which has now shut down). Touch Of The Sun was a coming-of-age sci-fi about a young girl Asha and life living underground on a sun-scorched Earth. It was fun to write for a different purpose, but now I'm not too sure what to do with it. I will be writing more original pieces though.
Which work gave you the most difficulty?
keep me searching for a heart of gold - La'an, oh La'an, you know sometimes you come across a character you share a little facet of personality with, or more than a few? Anyway, this has stalled a little both because of its angst and also because of writer's block, so I guess we're both in this time loop.
What was your biggest creative challenge this year?
Boring, but I've not been well so trying to find some free time to sit down where I have motivation and energy to write has been The Challenge. It's meant I've had to change my habits (easier than I thought) and also try to be kinder to myself about not-writing (harder than it should be).
Which work brought you the most joy?
we can't keep meeting like this - funnily enough, it's a bit of a mirror to I will share your road, the Andy and The Doctor fic I wrote a while back, in that she repeatedly meets another long-lived acquaintance… Death. Bashed this one out fairly quick and I like the way I wrote their recognition-to-friendship. It was also fun plotting out their meeting points across time and a map.
Which of your works do you think people should check out?
Anything you want! The mix of fandoms and genres and concepts continues to grow.
Do you have creative plans for next year? Is there anything exciting you’re currently working on?
I have two upcoming fics in my Genya the Firebird series. One is the multichaptered story and a twist on the Firebird tale, and the second is a tooth rottingly sweet but angsty one shot. I want to write the first draft in full before I post anything which is why it may be some more months.
Lastly, any words of wisdom or anything else you would like to share?
Nothing revelatory but 3 things that have helped me this year…
1) If you're not happy with your writing or fic goals, change them!
2) If you want to write something, write it because your first audience is you!
3) If there's a story type or a trope that you enjoy, remember you're never limited to writing it once!
Happy New Year and hope 2024 brings you much enjoyment for whatever you're working on! 💜💜💜
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