#i keep bouncing from wip to wip hoping to finish SOMETHING

[lunarmoves]

writing is so much fun i sure wish i could do it again someday

[burnedwriter]

‘’mouthfull’’

A/n:here are some small drabbles that didnt make it into full fic.

warnings:smut,!Gender-neutral reader,69,a little bit of !dom reader in kaveh part,handjob,bj,teasing,slight exhibitionism,vibrator,bondage.

characters:kaveh,kaeya,cyno,neuvillette,wriothesley.

kaveh

kaveh sitting up on the edge of the bed as you kneel right infront of him,placing your hand on his inner thigh pushing them open into a spreading position,as your hand went towards his clothed cock.

‘‘you dont have to do this’‘kaveh said looking down at you.

‘‘i just want to do something nice for you kaveh,you dont have to worry~’‘you said looking up at him with a reassuring yet sly smile,you could see a small blush run across his cheeks.

Your hand now on his cock,fidgeting with the buttons on his pants before freeing his half hard cock,giving him a few pumps.The head of his cock already leaking precum.Grabbing his cock softly,moving your hand up and down,teasing the head in the process.Moving your mouth to the head,wrapping your mouth around it,giving kitten licks,now you could taste the precum.

Continuing to pump his cock with your hand while you swirled your tongue around the head,kaveh leaned back as he jolted his hips into your mouth from time to time and being unable to keep himself still,you could hear him being more vocal than usual,grunting and maning loudly at your actions.

kaveh throbed against your hand as the head flashed red,his abs flexing as well as his breathing became heavier.With one last pump xiao  finished,covering your face with his cum.

‘‘sorry’‘He apologised as he saw the mess he created,wipping your eyes so you could see.

kaeya

Feeling desperate you decide to get under his desk you decided to tease him a bit knowing anybody could walk in on you.

sneaking under kaeya’s desk,hastily taking ou this cock,earning a teasing remark from kaeya.

‘‘you couldnt wait until we got home hmm~’‘kaeya purred a sly smile at your desperation as you didnt waste a second.

wasting no time,you freed his cock from his pants,his teasing only making you more eager to continue.Kaeya taking his cock from your hand,giving you a light smacks on your cheek before he pushed himself into your mouth.

kaeya keeping his hips still so he doesnt gag you as you slowly took him deeper and deeper into your mouth,hitting the back of your throat.Waiting for a bit to get adjusted to his thick cock.You start bopping your head,hitting the back of your throat each time.

‘‘your fucking mouth’‘kaeya let out a breathy moan at your action.

Picking up the speed of your mouth,moving into a faster pace,making you choke on his cock as you drooled all over it.Rubbing your own thighs together  trying to get any form of friction as your own arousal started to build up.

‘‘you are doing so great,dear’‘choked praises coming from the man above,never taking his eyes off of you.

the sound of gagging bouncing off of the walls of his office before coming to a halt,as you took kaeya in your mouth fully one last time as he finishes.He slipped his hand under your chin,lifting your head up to look at him.

‘‘swallow it,i dont want to see you one drop leaving your mouth’‘

Wriothesley

Wriothesley trying to keep focus on his paper work,trying his best not to get distracted but his growing bulge that started to form in his pants,as images of you flashed in his mind from your previous encounters.

his grip on the paper tightened causing the paper to curl on the sides.Placing it down on the table his hand immediatly traveling down his pants,unbuttoning them quickly before taking his aching cock in his hand.He imagined how your lips will be around his cock,with a needy look in your eyes as you looked up at him.

His hand moving faster on his cock as he used his thumb to tease the head,thinking it was your tongue,making him groan softly.The images of you continued to flash through his mind,hoping that you were there with him,hearing you pleading to take you right here.

Fisting his cock, Wriothesley moved his hand up and down his cock in a frenzied pace,throwing his head back,as he groaned and moaned into the air.His cock throbing in his hand before he finishes all over it while some of it stained the floor.

cyno

as the night went on and the tension between you started to grow since you thought it was agood idea to tease cyno throught the day just to see how he reacts

as the both of you laid on your makeshift beds you noticed cyno’s heavy breathing along with how painfully hard he was.

crawling into his lap,you took him into your mouth.Cyno not wanting to leave you untouched and not wanting the pleasure to be one sided,he lifted your hips placing you on top of his face.His tongue skillfully  moving to where you wanted him the most, he sucked and nipped at all the right places, earning whimpers from you.The vibration of your sounds sending waves of pleasure on his cock,making him thrust into your mouth in response.You gagged against his cock as he started fucking your mouth while he used his skilled tongue brought you closer to your own climax

Afterawhile cyno twitched inside your mouth while your own pleasure was close to the finish line.With one last thrust cyno finished inside your mouth and close after a few licks  and swirls from him he made you reach your own climax.

Neuvillette

‘‘go on you know what to do’‘his voice cold and commanding as Neuvellitte placed his cock right infront of your mouth,touching your lips.Placing his hand on your head,guiding your mouth since a blindfold blocked your vision and your hands were tied behind your back.

Parting your lips,he slowly pushed himself inside your mouth.You start to move your mouth up and down his cock,you hear a click with Neuvillette pressing a button starting the vibrator that you had inside you.the sudden sensation send shivers down your spine,making you moan against his cock.

Feeling satisfied about well you were doing,Neuvillette clicked the button again turning the vibrator into a higher setting,making you releasing a louder moan this time.You could feel the warm feeling in your lower abdomen ready to snap at any moment.He took  notice of that as you bucked your hips desperetly,with another click the vibrator now was at the highest setting sending you over the edge.Your body feeling overstimulated as you just have finished,he continued to have the vibrator active making your whole body jolt violently,your mind going blank.

‘‘im close’‘Neuvillette said with a low grunt,it was what felt like hours of you trying your best to bring him close, he finally reached his first climax,unlike you that had already finished one time.Your body feeling shore and tired from your orgasm.Neuvillette placed his hand on your hair taking control over the pace into a fractic one.Making you choke on his cock before pushing your head down,he cumming inside your  throat.

[geminiwritten]

what is your writing process like? how do you write so much so fast and how do you not lose steam? (i love everything you write and tbh you’re inspiring me to finish one of my wips)

AH OMG THANK YOU!!! i am inspiring you??? gah, that makes me so happy 🖤

ooh, okay... my process haha WELL once i have an idea or outline, i'll usually info dump into a word doc or notes app. it's absolute nonsense, but it gets me excited and sometimes forcing myself to write through the whole summary will help me discover all the little bits that tie everything together.

then once i've done that, i'll (usually just in my head or notes app) break it up into scenes / moments (this is the part that REALLY helps me stay on track and not burn out, because each scene or moment is exciting so i look forward to the next)

e.g., let's look at my fic 'the plan' (this is literally how i planned it) 1. apartment with phoenix, payback, and fanboy: introduce reader's crush on bob and come up with "the plan" 2. the run where he sees her underwear 3. the sleepover: tension (games), cream pies, borrowed clothes 4. in the kitchen (almost kiss) 5. brief intermission to revamp "the plan" 6. montage of jealous moments 7. group setting to tease bob and get his pov 8. the beach / the finale

so you can kind of see that each scene or moment has something delicious or tense that happens between reader x bob.

THAT is what keeps me going. breaking it into 'moments' where i know something fun is going to happen. sometimes the in betweens and bridging bits are unexpectedly good (when hangman joins in on 'the plan') OR sometimes they're boring... and sometimes (a lot of the time) i just put a dash (-) and cut to the next moment because i feel like a bridging bit will make the fic too long.

and that's pretty much it! i struggle big time when i don't know what's coming next, which used to happen a lot. i used to just start writing and see where it went, but now i feel like i've got the rhythm down!

i know 'planning it' sounds like... duh. but planning out moments is what works. moments that lead up to the BIG moment. and making each little moment delicious is the best part!

other tips and tricks! (that help me, so maybe they might help others)

TALK DIALOGUE TO YOURSELF (i do this when i walk my dog or clean the house or shower, it helps SO much especially with fight scenes or big confession scenes where characters need to bounce off each other, because you can naturally respond without thinking too much which is what would happen with the characters if they were real! then don't forget to write it in your notes or something)

if you're not sure about your 'moments' use headcanons / tropes!!! or watch movies / shows with two love interests who have a similar dynamic to your characters (i get lots of cute moments from friends, b99, the office) even small bits of dialogue that you could build a moment around!

WRITE A FULL SCENE OR MOMENT, THEN READ IT BACK / EDIT. don't lose the momentum to edit as you go, but also i like to edit each section before i move on so i know it's flowing well. then i do an overall re-read / edit a day or so AFTER finishing.

take breaks! watch edits! go for a short walk! it all helps, because once you're not staring at the screen, it'll probably come to you

in saying that though... i write BEST when i'm at a desk, in my study, no noise. so if you're struggling on the couch with a movie playing and someone talking in your ear... i'd say give the quiet a go! (although, i'm a bit of a hermit and i talk to myself so much while writing, i can't possible be in the company of other people)

I'M SO SORRY THIS WAS WAY LONGER THAN IT NEEDED TO BE BUT I LOVE SHARING AND I LOVE HELPING OTHER PEOPLE TO WRITE WHEN I CAN SO I HOPE SOME OR ANY OF THIS IS HELPFUL 🖤🖤🖤

[districtunrest]

wip whenever

tagged by @waywardangel-wilds & @thelettersfromnoone - thank you both!! 💕

wanted to share a scene from For Better or For Worse, where I revisit the AU of Haymitch's family surviving through the perspective of his girl (not Lenore Dove). as always, it's subject to change and may not even appear in the finished story - but I hope it does :)

🏓🧩🤖📻

The recreation room in the Community Home is one of her favorite places. It’s not until Haymitch is standing in it, looking around with mild curiosity, that Mollie realizes it’s sort of pathetic. 

The carpet is stained and matted, and most of the wallpaper peeled away well before the Dark Days, probably. The musty board games have too many pieces missing to play in full, and the jigsaw puzzles hardly fit together anymore. There’s an ancient table that used to be for a game with paddles and balls but those are long gone, too. 

Instead, Mollie and Haymitch roll marbles across it and try to catch them before they hit the ground. Some kids have gotten in trouble for doing other stuff underneath the table. But that won't be them today.

Another thing: the recreation room has a window with a broken lock. Mollie didn’t want to sign Haymitch in as a guest. It would invite questions, and she’d rather they just hang out than have to answer questions.

“Where is everybody?” Haymitch asks her, lazily rolling a marble her way.

She cups it with her hand and sends it back toward the far corner, where he has to lurch to catch it. Now he’s getting it.

“Lunch,” she answers. 

He gives her a disbelieving look. “You’re skipping lunch?”

She shakes her head. “I’m still in trouble, too. For spitting on Essie Lincon.”

He frowns, which looks worse with the split lip. He looks like he has more to say but doesn’t. 

Her hair tickles her ears; Mollie tosses her head out of habit but it’s not long enough to do anything. She’d cried in anger when the matron Darla shaved it off. She hadn’t even had lice this time. Mollie likes her hair short but it’s too short, and she swears to herself that nobody but her will cut it ever again once she gets out of here.

“My dad lived here for a time,” Haymitch says out of nowhere, not looking up from the marbles on the table. She thinks he thinks he’s being charitable. “He was an orphan, too.”

“I’m not an orphan,” she tells him. “My dad’s still around.”

He seems to agree that was a dumb thing for him to say. Still, he grumbles, “Same difference, if you’re here.”

Mollie tosses a marble onto the table and it bounces to him with a big clack. He’s right but she resents how he thinks he knows more than he does about it. 

They have ten minutes before lunch ends. Mollie takes him to the radio in the corner. The others might hear it and find them in here together. But she wants to show it to him.

Upbeat, electronic music blares from its tinny speakers when Mollie turns it on. They both startle, and she hurriedly dials down the volume. Nobody comes to yell at her.

“This is what they dance to in the city. It’s cool,” she assures him.

Haymitch is still making a face but he does listen for a few seconds. “Sounds like robots made it.”

Mollie ignores him, bobbing her head and swaying her shoulders in time to the song. He raises a brow at her but that only makes her double down. By the chorus, she’s jumping in place and waving her arms to the beat. It’s not how she'd dance at a festival but it feels right for this kind of music. More like how grownups on television dance at parties.

Something loosens in Haymitch and he starts to laugh. “No, no. Like this.” He bends his arms and keeps them in place as he moves them about at the shoulder, all while twisting at the waist in jerky quarter-turns. His eyes are wide and blank, ostensibly like that of a robot. 

Mollie bursts out laughing over the music, doubling over.

At this, Haymitch cringes to himself and covers his face. “Yeah, all right. Pretend you didn’t see that.”

But she’s already trying it out for herself. She mirrors his expression and adds bending herself at the hips as if on a hinge. 

“Beep, boop,” she adds in a buzzy monotone, which gets him cracking up again. 

She’s been doing a lot of things to make Haymitch laugh and smile. She imagines if her mom was around, she’d warn her against getting too carried away, trying to impress a boy. Mollie promises to keep that in mind.

For now, though, they dance like robots that can grin at each other and break their rigid form to laugh.

🏓🧩🤖📻

tagging @mollywog @ongreenergrasses @thetwinandpinleftbehind @atleastmymomlikesme @thefloatingwriter @kipperlillycopperkettle @districtfourmermaid and any other writer who'd like to!!

[xuune]

Unprompted loving art ask this afternoon, what keeps you going with your art, about the creation aspect more than the finished piece? What’s fun about the pursuit of improvement or the community you get from being an artist? Is there any certain part (linework, sketching, conceptualizing, etc) of the art process that you consider your favorite or most fulfilling, even and especially if it’s not the easiest part for you or the one you’re best at?

Love your art always, Kai 🙂

hey jeremy! what an incredibly loaded question LMAO??? it took me awhile to think about how i wanted to answer this, sorry for replying so late!:

1. What keeps you going with your art, about the creation aspect more than the finished piece?

tbh i bounce back and forth between enjoying the creation aspect compared to the finished piece and vice versa. with what you're asking, its mainly when i'm figuring things out in my work and then seeing the vision come together in the bigger picture. its basically the kronk meme with him saying "it's all coming together" for me, lmao. but in terms of what keeps me going in general, it's mainly bc i'm personally driven to make art for myself first and foremost, so i like seeing my works being finished through to the end, even if it may take awhile. other circumstances, i end up abandoning certain ideas/wips if i cant see the vision for it anymore.

2. What’s fun about the pursuit of improvement or the community you get from being an artist?

there's no deep answer for this one, i just like knowing that im learning and improving my skills. there's always something to learn from art that exists around you and i like taking that opportunity rather than keeping my skill set and visual library limited. in terms of the community, when it comes to online spaces i'm actually really bad at that lol. im hella introverted and being on social media overwhelms me a lot. i'm bad at keeping up with other people's posts and commenting all the time. busy with my own life and all that, yknow. but in the rare chances that i do engage with communities i'm involved with, its enjoyable to see whenever my art successfully connects with someone else and engaging in conversations whenever someone's art speaks out to me.

3. Is there any certain part (linework, sketching, conceptualizing, etc) of the art process that you consider your favorite or most fulfilling, even and especially if it’s not the easiest part for you or the one you’re best at?

unfortunately all parts of the process can be a pain in the ass for me lmao. all my works have situations where i end up preferring either the conceptualization, sketch (most common), linework, or the colors (very rare). sometimes the concept was more ambitious but the execution was mediocre; sometimes the sketch has more life and energy to it than the lineart; sometimes the lineart was far more appealing compared to when colors were added in; sometimes the colors in theory was imagined better than the actual execution of it. all of those situations has happened to me before in a lot of my artworks, art is genuinely hard! but i like pulling through and seeing the end product come together despite the hardships, even if i do end up being completely unsatisfied with what i drew. it's also kind of the reason why i rarely post sketches. i like having finished works and fully realized ideas ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

anyways, thanks for sending this in! i appreciate your curiosity whenever it comes to asking how i view my relationship to art, and i'm always grateful for the support you've given me for the past years :) hope you're doing well!

[sickiesope]

Here is a (VERY) old WIP finally done!! It turned out kinda long and wasn't sure about the title lol but I hope ya'll enjoy it! Have a great weekend!!

Slow burning

Sickie: Hoseok

Caretakers: OT7

TW: emeto

Hoseok considers himself pretty resilient. He can endure a lot and pushes his body for hours doing choreo. Even if he gets sick or hurt, he bounces back fast and gets through the most grueling of schedules. But he's been having stomach problems for awhile now. A weird random pain that comes and goes. He also may have thrown up a few times; no big deal. Hoseok tries to keep that to himself.

Sometimes his stomach wakes him up at night. One minute he's alseep, next he's up cringing and silently cursing; then he's off to the bathroom. Hoseok pukes in the toilet, trying not to make retching sounds. "Ughh" he moans quietly. It's especially bad at night. He muffles another gag spurting out. Hoseok looks at the door, paranoid of waking someone. Luckily he's able to finish and sneak back to bed. But he doesn't feel any better.

****

Hoseok also has trouble at mealtimes. Sometimes food breifly helps, or it can just straight up hurt to eat. Hoseok is taking his time with this jajangmyeon. "Is something wrong, Hobi?" Seokjin asks.

"Oh, I'm okay hyung" Hoseok shoves more noodles in his mouth. It tastes good, but he swallows uneasily. His appetite fades and he already feels full. Hoseok looks down frowning. He worries he'll get sick again and can't finish it. Seokjin shakes his head.

An hour later:

Hoseok goes on with this gnawing pain inside. He believes it's indigestion. "Yeah, that's all it is.." His stomach churns and releases gastric juices, coating everything. But then it starts to burn and make him nauseous.

Where is this coming from???

Hoseok has no idea. He hates using the work bathroom to be sick but has no choice. He burps into his hand and tastes bitter reflux; the burning intensifies. "Ughh, fuck.." His stomach roils and he belches losing his dinner. It feels gross coming up half digested, not to mention the smell. Hoseok sighs dreadfully holding his middle. He bends further and throws up more mangled noodles. This is awful.

Maybe he should see a doctor.. But Hoseok shakes that thought. He's too busy and that would attract worry from the others. Hoseok just chalked it up to stress, sometimes it affects his stomach and digestion.

****

"One, two, three.. ahh!"

Hoseok's trying to dance but stops in his tracks. His stomach is flaring up again, causing a great discomfort. He gets anxious and holds his breath, keeping a poker face. He stays like that until it's over. The members watch confused and he feels their stares.

"...Just a cramp, that's all" Hoseok says through clenched teeth. He slowly exhales and reaches for the antacids in his pocket. He's been taking those with him for awhile now. They bring some relief and he's able to move again.

"Hyung, what was that? Are you okay??" Jungkook asks.

"I don't know, I've just been having these.. 'stomachaches' for awhile now."

Jungkook raised his eyebrows "how long have you had this?"

"Just a few days" Hoseok doesn't feel like talking about it.

"How bad is it? Are you gonna throw up?"

"It's not that bad Kook, I'll be fine" Hoseok says tentatively. "Okay, let's start again. Sorry about that"

After that convo, the guys keep an eye on him. Hoseok felt the vibes but kept his composure. Even though his stomach forced him to take more breaks. He didn't want to push it and ended practice early.

"Ok, that really isn't like Hobi" Namjoon said afterward. "Is he getting sick?"

"Not sure, but he barely ate at breakfast" Yoongi notes. "He should get that checked out." But they all know that's easier said than done with Hoseok.

Hoseok overhears them talking about him. But he just pretends that didn't happen. Afterall, this will get better on its own...

****

Hoseok doesn't know what to do. It's been 3 days and he's gotten worse. He always has to drop what he's doing to throw up somewhere. He's taking more and more antacids, but they're not as effective. And now his members are onto him.

Hoseok's locked away in his studio, trying to be productive. He was writing something down when his stomach grumbled "Ugh, ow!" Hoseok flinches dropping his pencil. He assumed it was from hunger as he didn't have lunch. Hoseok tries to get up but that hurt even more. "Ahh shit!" He falls back seething in pain.

Hoseok groans miserably closing his eyes. He sinks down with hands resting on his tummy. He rubs it to soothe the pain, but that doesn't work. Instead he grabbed the trash bin, hurling into it. His stomach contracts and a thick wave splashes out. Hoseok coughs wetly, his eyes tearing up. He lurches forward with hair in his face.

That gnawing pain drills into his stomach and he lets out a yelp, followed by a more productive heave. Hoseok can't stand this. He upchucks again and feels so gross. His mouth tastes like bile and he's left panting.

Hoseok looks at the dirty bin and the unfinished work scattered on the table. He sighs heavily. He's tired of his stomach running his schedule. As much as he wants to go home, Hoseok forced himself to stay and ignores the slow burning that lingers.

****

6PM:

Hoseok was in his studio all afternoon. He's been putting off seeing the others and nervous about dinner. Hoseok wants to eat but isn't sure he can trust his stomach. He's hungry and feels slightly faint from not eating for hours.

His stomach growls acutely "ughh" Hoseok groans. He knows it's not helpful leaving it empty. He hopes dinner will be something easy.

"Hyung, is your tummy still bothering you?" Jungkook asks.

Hoseok is put on the spot. "Oh, I'm..still a bit sick yeah"

"Hm, have you seen a doctor?"

Hoseok knew someone would ask that. "I mean, it's getting better I think.." *His stomach growls louder* He half winces, holding it.

"Awh, you're probably just hungry. You'll feel better with some food" Jungkook reassures. Hoseok wants to believe that. He takes the last of his antacids and hopes for the best.

At the dinner table they're having bulgogi, Hobi's favorite dish. It smells good but can he keep it down? Hoseok eats slow and cautious with a hand over his middle. But still tries listening to the convo going around.

"What do you guys think? Did I use enough spices?" Seokjin asked. Everyone nods and agrees that it's delicious.

"Hobi hyung, I haven't seen you all day. How are you feeling?" Jimin brings up.

"...I'm fine" Hoseok mumbles "just been busy." He keeps it vague but feels like they're lowkey pressing him. They all noticed the change in his behavior.

Hoseok's trying to hide the torment he's going through. He's barely half done and wants to give up. But knows Jin took forever getting the meat just right. He tries smaller pieces and takes his time chewing it. His stomach gurgles in complaint when receiving the new food. Hoseok pauses, a microexpression of pain flickered across his face.

"Hyung, are you ok?" Taehyung worries

Hoseok holds back a whine, pressing his lips together. He sqirms in his chair tensely. The spicy meat sitting in his stomach incurs painful nausea.

"Hoba, what's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Yoongi asks

Hoseok sets down his chopsticks and pushes his bowl. "I can't eat any more"

"Do you have a stomachache? Cramps?"

"Urghh, no, it.. burns" Hoseok grunts.

Yoongi's eyes widen at that."Burns??"

Hoseok pushes his chair back and leans forward, arms crossed over his abdomen. His breathing slowed down and strained. A jolt of searing pain extends through his system. He wails out, unable to hide it.

The members watch Hoseok get up and run to the sink. He hunches over and then projectile vomits, making them all gasp. His dinner pouring out, one horrid retch after another. Hoseok moans in anguish as his stomach twists and the acidity worsens. "Ughh, fuck!.." His arms tremble as he tries to stay balanced.

The others rush over to help. "Oh gosh, hyung, you're really sick!" Jungkook frets.

Hoseok coughs and his stomach contracts forcefully, shooting out more. He recoils and gasps for breath, his whole body shaking.

"Hyung, do you need to go to the hospital??"

Hoseok shakes his head but gives one more scratchy retch. Then starts to feel dizzy and sinks to the floor. He curls up in a ball, clutching his stomach desperately. "Owwww!!" He shrieks with teary eyes. The pain is unbearable and his insides feel like they're on fire. Hoseok gets ringing in his ears and his head spinning. Before he knows it, he passes out.

****

Hoseok doesn't know how, but he finds himself at the hospital. He slowly shifts in bed, putting a hand on his stomach. It still hurts a little and he moans tiredly. Now he wishes he saw a doctor.

"Hey there" Seokjin murmurs "how you feeling?" Hoseok's face says it all. The older rubs his arm gently. "You gave us quite a scare yesterday" The members all nod. "We're just glad you're ok"

When the doctor came, he explained that Hobi has an ulcer from H pylori infection, but he's going to be just fine.

His doctor prescribes him antibiotics and medication to reduce his stomach acid while he heals. And of course, get plenty of rest. His members stay close by, and that makes it that much better.

[anxious-acorn]

It’s WIP Wednesday and I finally have something to share! 🎉

I should have this out by tomorrow but we’ll see what the brain says 😂

I hope you enjoy! ❤️

La Folie de Toi

Ch. 1 Snipet:

There was a gentle tinkling as you entered and made your way to the corner office, where one of your favorite owned souls sat, reading through something on her computer. Knocking gently on the open door, you gave a small smile as the ram looked up to you.

“Looks like someone’s had a long day,” she commented, sliding her large red glasses back up her nose as she swiveled her chair to face you. Your face fell as you blew out a large breath, your posture deflating.

“Six therapy fox sessions in a row. That’s the busiest I’ve been in this industry in a while. How was your day, Nita?”

Anita leaned back in her chair to stretch her limbs with a yawn. “Not too bad. Had a couple of appointments, but mostly catching up on paperwork. It looks like there’s a turf war brewing, so we may need to move, but I’ve got Louis and Nipper keeping their eyes and ears on the situation. Hopefully it will settle soon,” she said. “Do you need a session?”

You took a moment to take stock of your body before shaking your head. “Nah, I’m doing good right now. Definitely still on for my regular next week though,” you replied. “I was actually wanting to see if we could arrange a provider meeting soon. I want to run an idea by everyone and see if anyone would be up for it.”

Anita cocked her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “Another pet project, dear?” You chuckled in reply, leaning on the doorframe. “Maaaaayybe,” you teased playfully.

“Can I get a sneak peek?”

“I don’t know how exciting it will be, but depending on if there’s anyone willing to do it, I will be approaching Charlie to offer our services in house. I’m thinking since the renovation of the hotel, and with the presence of King Morningstar helping to protect the property, that we could take up residence on one of the floors there. We can always maintain our regular arrangements, but it would be so nice to just have one permanent spot to stay in. They would get our professional services to support their residents, and we would get a permanent place to live and work. Well, living there would need to just be an option, not requirement, but free room and board is a pretty picture. It would be a win-win!”

Anita’s golden eyes widened as you finished your proposal, dropping the pen she’d been playing with. “Are you serious? You think they’d go for it?!” It would seem you had at least one volunteer already. Chuckling, you gave a nod in affirmation.

“I think so. From what I’ve seen of the princess, she’s an absolute sweetheart who genuinely wants to help her people, she just needs a little help figuring out the recovery process. I think you’d really like her, she’s even bouncier than you.”

Anita gave an excited bleat, clapping her hands as she bounced in her chair. “Well, if you can’t tell, I’m definitely down! My landlord has been propositioning me since I moved in,” she groaned.

Your smile twitched at that- demons like her were often seen as easy prey. Hell, even you had trouble, and you were technically a predator! Cruel people saw a small, vulnerable looking creature and they wanted to crush them. “Do you need some help? My service is yours, Nita. What’s the point of our deal if you just end up putting up with the same shit?”

You kept your voice soft, not wanting to push her away, and she shook her head.

“I’m good, sweetheart. He’s all talk,” she waved the notion off.

“Well, don’t be too nervous if he somehow disappears,” you replied with a wicked grin.

Anita gave an exaggerated sigh, “just wait until we’re sure we get to shack up with the royals, yeah?”

[starsnores]

Ok so. I wanted to share a wip of what I was working on for the prisoner au fic. I do really wanna write more for it, I’m just. Very stuck. Writing things and then deleting them, really chasing my own tail. Writers block? I feel like I’m very bad at stringing the little scenes or ideas I have together into something bigger. But I do like how this next part was coming out and idk. Part of me hopes that talking about it more will encourage me to work on it. Bc I liked talking about my aus and stuff and I haven’t in a while. This is supposed to be a very, very rough start to the next chapter.

Rough fabric chafed his chitin. The clothes he’d been given were almost as threadbare as the old tshirt now lying on the floor at his feet. He had scrambled away from the clown, locking himself in the ablution chamber. He didn’t know how long he’d been standing there. Rummaging through the drawers and cabinets hadn’t turned up anything useful, would have no way to hide it if he had, didn’t even have underwear to tuck something into. Karkat wondered if they still had his things or if it had all been incinerated already. He could hear gamzee on the other side of the door, moving with slow heavy steps, evidently not worried about him, at all. How long could he stay in here, avoiding the inevitable. He couldn’t stop the clown from dragging him out if he wanted.

The door hissed as it slid open, and the first thing he saw was Gamzee perched on the back of the couch. In the time that Karkat had locked himself in the abultion chamber he had changed, dressed in an initiate subjugglator uniform, boldly patterned but far less ostentatious then other branches of the cult. It made the sharp angles of his body appear that much more dangerous.

Gamzes eyes flicked toward him, and the fine hairs on his neck stood on end.

"You done, motherfucker?"

Karkat crossed his arms over his chest, still feeling naked, "Yeah. You’re r leaving?”

"We got shit to do. C'mere."

"What do you mean ‘we’?”

Gamzee was already stalking forward something in his hand. Karkat flinched back but Gamzee moved faster, dropping onto a knee and grabbing his foot, throwing him off balance. Karkat reached to steady himself on the first thing his hands could find, tangling his fingers in Gamzee’s wild hair.

He was gently laced into a pair of sandals, and he tried not to shiver at the feeling if cold calloused hands cupping his ankle.

"Never knew they made fuckers as tiny as you."

Karkat thought about ripping the curls from his head.

When he finished he herded Karkat out of the front door. The door clicked as it slid shut behind them. “That’s it? You’re not going to put me on a leash or something?”

The clown shrugged. “Ain’t really got to. You can wander off if you’d like, just don’t think most juggalos would take to kindly to a mutant poking around where he shouldn’t be.” He turned down the corridor and, after a moment, Karkat followed.

The further Gamzee took him out of the hab blocks the more crowded it became. He had never seen so many of the cult in one place, had avoided seeing this many at all costs. Most didn’t seem to notice him. Something less than not caring, their eyes bouncing off of him as he trailed behind gamzee. A few, though, stared openly. Like they were trying to peel back his skin.

Hiding his blood color was habit, but he hadn’t felt this conscious of it in perigrees. Too much time spent alone, maybe.

He tried to keep pace with Gamzee, his long strides carried him far even at his leisurely pace, and karkat was still fatigued by his injuries. He felt like he was chasing after his lusus again. He hated it.

[sangrefae]

🌷 Writing Patterns 🌷

i was tagged by my bff @sangrientojoe tysm..... 💖💖💖

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

i only have 8 published works, discounting the two fics that are a collection of scattered drabbles, so i'll include two exclusive wip lines to make it 10 dfhbfjkdbfg

"'It's this challenge, apparently, a test of your restraint or some such bullshite...'" (FFXIV: in the purgatory of my hips [18+], unfortunately indefinitely TBC until i feel motivation again ghjkl;)

"Though having only closed them for a fraction of a heartbeat, Elinor opens his eyes to an entirely unfamiliar world." (FFXIV: a bit of chemical haze)

"Elinor stares at his hands as he sits in the grass outside Stillglade Fane, waiting." (FFXIV: i love you for psychological reasons)

"The wind around them howls, buffeting Shrimme and making it that much more difficult to find her quarry. A moment longer, though, and she quickly spots it; a victorious noise in the back of her throat, she reaches to grab the last frosty stalks left behind by the icetrap she'd hit with the aetheromatic auger and dutifully stuffs them into her bag." (FFXIV: a fever you can't sweat out, a comm'ed fic for @radicrow [18+])

"The large double doors that stand as the entrance to Skysteel Manufactory close behind Aymeric with a clatter, briefly overtaking the rhythmic racket of machinery that near constantly fill the air. It's a distinctive enough sound around the western parts of Foundation, enough so that some residents complain of the incessant clatter, but Aymeric has never found reason to draw close enough for it to have any effect on him." (FFXIV: wine and dine [18+])

"Stephanivien woke again to the sound of crying." (FFXIV: and i believe that you will see a better day)

"The steady bounce of the chocobo's running gait soothes something within F'toren, the rocking sensation steeling his nerves. Behind him, he can hear Haurchefant's chocobo keeping up the pushed pace, his love's voice still clear through the cleaving wind of the approaching storm. Toren shivers, his shoulders raising and ears flattening against his head as if to protect himself from the biting chill, and urges the bird forward." (FFXIV: acts of servitude, a gift fic for elliekat on ao3 [18+])

"For all his years being the Ishgardian Prince’s personal guard, Aymeric had never been able to see Ser Estinien Wyrmblood’s face." (FFXIV: steel blue, a gift fic for petrarchanconceit on ao3)

"Falin smiles softly at the older kobold woman as she approaches the worn counter, key in hand and bags slung carelessly over her shoulder. It's still early, but the dim space of the tavern is marked by the bustle of activity; carefully, Falin makes her way across the floor, murmuring apologies and excusing herself as she pushes past bodies." (dungeon meshi: unnamed WIP, centered around Falin during her travels after the manga finishes)

"For all intents and purposes, it's a perfectly normal omelet. The egg is nice and fluffy, rolled expertly into bite-sized portions easy to pick up. Beyond the dubious sourcing of the eggs themselves, the plate is clean, the pot they had been cooked on as sanitary as he could hope for, and nothing looks especially suspicious or threatening." (dungeon meshi: i'm sick of swallowing stones, a kabru-centric WIP focused on his issues w food and eating)

as for patterns...... i either go with a one-liner to try and get over the hurdle of Starting the story OR i do a little scene description. i kind of just. jump straight into the action no matter what though bc otherwise i'll get too off-track LMAO

i tag @scriberat @vesperaevis @lavampira @athina-blaine @solibrie and anyone else who wants to do this ehehe

[moremysteries]

Writing Update 5/29/2025

Still working on my WIP with heroes (entities made out of people's hope and dreams) and villains (entities made out of people's fears and nightmares). Here's a little snippet from Tipsy's bio, a q-tip headed villain who represents the idea of sleep paralysis. 

He's what some may call a fast operator. He's the type of person that can just memorize something with a few glances, granted he can get it to keep still, and bounces from interest to interest. He stares at a lot of things, actually, giving it a once over before deciding his entire opinion of it based on that single glance, moving on shortly after.

I am almost finished with all the character bios, and it will be smooth sailing from there. However, the going has been slow due to burnout and internet struggles.

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

Fanfiction Writing Asks! 4, 6, 7, 8, 24, 39, 42, 61 for "Save a horse, ride a cowboy", 63 for "Eden revives in the first kiss of love", 65 for "You are the ghost behind my eyes", 67 for "Learned to walk alone".

4. How do you choose which fics to write?

Usually, it's whichever characters or storyline is speaking louder in my head with actual complete sentences that I can then write down. Anymore, I pull up multiple WIPs at once and sometimes even bounce around between them if that's how they want to play. Otherwise, the one getting written on is usually the one with the louder characters/story.

6. What’s the last line you wrote?

From the untitled multi-ship Pride collabfic with @scottxlogan. I haven't finished my part yet, but this was the last bit I wrote last night before going to bed:

“Great! Then it’s all settled,” Tony crowed and hip-bumped both Bucky and Steve on either side of him. “Hey…Maguna, you and Laura come over here for a second,” he called out to the two little girls, who just barely heard him over the music they were still swaying and bouncing to.

7. Post a snippet from a wip.

From Too weird to live, too rare to die, a Justin Hammer/Loki canon divergent fic for @kleenexwoman

“Everyone thinks that?” Loki hummed low, his thoughts as veiled as his irises. 

“No, hey...no no no.  Loki, no.  No one thinks that at all.  I was...I was just fuckin’ with you,” Justin backpedaled.  Out of instinct, he reached out, intending to pat Loki’s hand or something, just to calm and comfort him, but with his back to the door, his hands were just out of reach.  So Justin’s hand fell onto Loki’s knee.  Loki’s very bare knee as the trickster-prince had chosen, like Justin, to wear shorts on the almost five hour trek across the desert. 

He was about to pull over.  If Loki was still having some sort of crisis of friendship over his dumb quip, Justin would totally pull over to focus on fixing shit with his mission partner so they didn’t go pear-shaped from their goal. 

Then Loki’s hand fell on top of Justin’s. 

“You’re fine.  And I know you were just fucking with me,” he replied, letting Justin off the hook.  “I am well aware of where I stand with the Avengers now, and as such they consider me one of them.  Oh dear, you really will need to get used to me, won’t you?” 

It took a moment for Loki’s words to really wrap around Justin’s mind.  First off, he was intensely focused on the road and keeping all possibility of crashing Tony’s pretty baby into a sign post or something.  Second...well, second...

Loki’s hand is really warm.  Like yeah, it’s super cool to the touch, too, but it’s warm.  Or maybe I’m warm and he’s cool, but my stupid inconvenient attraction is making me warm, and I canNOT wreck this car holy fuck this mission is so important and are we even making good time?

Justin cleared his throat and shifted a little in the driver’s seat, hoping he didn’t look too much like he was fidgeting and nervous.  His hand remained sandwiched between Loki’s thigh and his hand for three, four, five breaths longer before he felt the road breeze blow across it and realized that Loki had moved his hand away.  When he glanced over, hoping that the guy wasn’t pissed at him – for what, he had no idea, but Justin had gotten so used to his day to day world being filled with people pissed off at him that he was always more surprised when they weren’t – but what he saw, namely Loki with his arms stretched up and his hands tucked behind his head like he was Tuggle Carpenter in Where the Boys Are, and yeah, Justin could be TV Thompson if asked just right. 

Wait, did I lose the metaphor somewhere along the way?

Another burst of nervous chuckles tumbled out of Justin while he clutched the wheel again.  They’d just made it out of Barstow without even noticing the city itself, though Justin had managed to keep to the proper speed limit. 

“Once again, Loki, you’re right.  I do need to get used to you.  I kinda need to do that with everyone.  Been running on first impressions and rumors and hearsay cuz I didn’t think any of you wanted me in your space,” he conceded, stepping on the gas a little more to push back up to highway limits. 

“You hide from everyone first because you don’t expect them to take to you.  To want you around,” Loki surmised. 

“You do that when you first joined up?  Though as I understand it, you were pretty banged up at first.” 

8. Post an out-of-context spoiler from a wip.

From The House in the Mist, a Scogan Lovecraftian horror fic, spoiler:

Logan really just wants to set fire to all those weird fucking mushrooms - eyes? They have eyes?

24. How do you choose whose POV to write in?

Usually I don't choose a POV for most fics as the thoughts will bounce back and forth between characters, but like in the Justin/Loki fic I mentioned above, while it's that all seeing eye sort of POV, there's a lot of Justin's inner thoughts and dialogue, and that's just because he's the one pushing those thoughts out louder right now. So yeah, it's whomever is the loudest who gets their POV emphasized and when.

39. What’s your most self-indulgent wip?

I was about to say Too weird to live, too rare to die because I'm hammering the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas references a little hard in certain areas (and I mean, how is it not utterly self-indulgent? I'm writing Justin/Loki ffs, and given that the only other person on the planet right now that ships them is @kleenexwoman not to mention that the relationship tag on AO3 only has my two fics in it so far), but the more I thought about it, I think my most self-indulgent WIP is Hemipheres, a Frostiron fic that is a huge fix-it for so many things. Or will be even further into it I get. And it's also self-indulgent because I'm taking my time with it, which has naturally gotten me a comment about abandoning the fic. *eyeroll*

42. What’s your favorite title that you’ve come up with?

Of titles that I actually came up with (and not just borrowed song lyrics or lines of poetry), there's two:

Never Piss Off a Telepath; Or How Logan Opened His Mouth and Said a Stupid Thing

and

The Deflowering of Ferret Face (my one and only M*A*S*H fanfic)

61. In Save a horse, ride a cowboy, what’s your favorite scene that you wrote?

A toss-up between Scene 3, where Loki (on Steve's request) rescues a stranded Bucky and Tony at an inopportune moment, and Scene +1 where Bucky and Tony finally get their uninterrupted time together.

63. What was the hardest part of writing Eden revives in the first kiss of love?

There wasn't really much that was hard to write in this one. I think I'd decided before I even started that Emma was going to have replaced Charles in helping Scott to run the school and that she'd be one of the first reveals (after trans Kit Pryde). No, this one was pretty smooth sailing from the start.

65. If you wrote a sequel to You are the ghost behind my eyes, what would happen in it?

I don't know. This would be a weird one to do a sequel to given that two of the main players are dead. Well, one of them was already dead and a ghost. But maybe the sequel would be Tony getting Steve to Valhalla where Loki and Nat are waiting for them, so it'd be a really self-indulgent fic of just one big sweet reunion between those four and maybe them gossiping on what everyone else is doing if they ever 'visit'. LOL

67. If a fic was titled "Learned to walk alone", what would this story be about/how would you write it?

This feels like a Frostiron fic with parallel views of Tony's early life and Loki's early life and where (while they obviously had some people in their lives helping them - Tony had Edwin and Ana Jarvis, and Loki had Frigga) they both had to learn to be self-reliant because the people they should've been able to lean on, to learn from, to have as guides (Howard, Maria, Odin, Thor, etc) were never there for them. But how that path they'd chosen to be self-reliant led them to each other where they could both rest, relax and trust and rely on each other.

Thanks for the asks!

Fanfiction Writing Asks.

[manonamora-if]

June Check-In

My time as a benevolent tropical dictator has ended... time for some resource management retirement.

Bouncing for the summer. ✌️ I may or may not be online during that time. I'm not going in too much details, because it is IRL stuff that doesn't involve just me. I should still have some free time, but not as much as now. You may (probably will) catch random drops on itch.

Onto the usual index:

Recap of last month’s progress

Plan for the next month

The mega to-do-list tm that hasn't really changed.

Still long post under the break. If you want a mini version, head on over to itch.io as usual!

May Progress

Pulling out THE LIST from last month and checking the progress:

Play more games ✅

It's always a check because... there's always a jam we're doing with the @neointeractives, so there's always something to play. Anyways... this month fed be real good. Between the SpringThing (still not done reviewing), the Text Adventure Literacy Jam (have to queue my reviews - I placed third!!), the Dialogue Jam (you can read my thoughts here), the Locus Jam (lookie here), and the REALLY BAD IF jam (it's going to take me a while still)... there was a lot! But also a lot of fun!it also, unfortunately, gave me way too many new ideas...

Oh. It's also been one full year since I started writing reviews! And I've reached the 2nd spot on the IFDB ranking! Over 500 reviews to get there...

Code Chapter 6/Endings❌

MelS is still working on those, chipping away at the pages bit by bit, trying make that last chapter the best final chapter possible. But there are a lot of pages to go through... he's doing his best!

Fixing an older games. ❌

I mean, I bug-fixed my TALP entry, but I don't think that count (and there's some more stuff I could edit too). I've been too busy/all over the place to sit down and go back at it.

Write the next Chapter/Scene of a WIP✅❌

Well, yes and no. I've been revisiting Exquisite Cadaver in the hope of finishing it for real (but I got distracted...), and re-reading it... I've CRINGED SO HARD AT THE WRITING. Like :/ it's so not great.

So before we can make substantial progress in the missing rounds, I will:

re-write the already coded rounds (and fix the insane amount of typos

re-code them (duh)

edit the Interface (the template is a bit all over the place)

fix some other code

other stuff I'm forgetting for sure.

The prologue is completely done, and I've started on the rounds. I think I'll update the game when the re-writes are done. Then do an Interface/code uphaul. Then add more rounds (or switch 1 and 2).

I'm trying to keep this for this summer. That would be good. I think I could even finish it (knock on wood and what not).

What else happened this month????

Well, the organisation of the Locus Jam and the REALLY BAD IF, and setting up Neo-Twiny once again (@neo-twiny-jam). That's... a lot more work than just pressing some buttons 😅

On the writing side, I've written a novel as a Post-Mortem for Jeangille. You can find it here.

More writing... Well, I've mentioned being distracted a few times already this month? That's because... I've gone a bit overboard with tiny stuff. Here's what you may have missed:

I PROMISE I AM WORKING ON THE GAME (Locus/RBIF - binksi)

the 500 rooms game (RBIF - Inform)

Tomato Tomato (RBVN/bitsy jam - binksi - will be made better)

Cloak of Darkness (porting to multiple IF programs -> source code included to see how an engine works)

So hum... yeah. Not super great on the plan. The more I push it, the less I manage... But also I made fun stuff so...

Maybe on really cool thing coming out of this month is... GETTING THIRD PLACE FOR Lysidice and the Minotaur! With a strong average of 4!!! Which is SO MUCH BETTER THAN LAST YEAR!!!

The PLANtm for June

I won't have Tropico or most of my Steam Library to distract me in the next month. I actually will have a lot of IRL stuff to deal with. Aside from dealing with the Neo-Twiny Jam and Anti-Romance Jam organisation, you will probably not hear much from me.

Still, during down time, I would try to:

Play more games: I need to finish my RBIF thread, and start the Neo-Twiny one (if it's like last year, better start early!). And finish the reviews to the previous comps too.

Code Chapter 6/Endings: Still on MelS. Though I still could do some stuff... I've been putting it off since he's not made as much progress as we'd hoped.

Fixing an older games. Well, I'm re-writing Exquisite Cadaver, if I manage that and the Interface, that goal will be filled. Or the Tomato Tomato one.

Write the next Chapter/Scene of a WIP. And if I could manage to write one more game round for EC, we'll be golden!

Let's have a boring month! For realsies.

I'm also planning on just... logging off from the internet for long periods of time (the IRL stuff).

~

The 2024 To-Do List:

And now we're back at the start... SIGH

The hopefully maybe easy to handle To-Do:

fix the bugs in EDOC + overall the French version to match (waiting for Adventuron to get the French language)

fix the bugs of TRNT + find a way to add the missing pieces (giving up on the translation)

fixing the interface of LPM and the popups + check animal interactions

figure out the One-Button JavaScrip/jQuery issue...

edit the loading screens of the completed tiny games to include the program/format logo at least.

The 'Need a Bunch of Content to update but it's planned!' To-Do:

Update my website (bunch new title - also I don't think the logo clicky thing work...) + redo my itch page (un-stricking cause I need to update it)

Finish TTATEH (MelS dependent)

Finish Exquisite Cadaver (half-way mark by this summer - manif)

Finish P-Rix - Space Trucker (main path at least)

Update CRWL (it's been almost two years... I'm ashamed)

The Unlikely But it Would be Dope To-Do

Finish The Dinner as it was planned (and translate)

Finish In the Blink of an Eye as it was planned (and retranslate)

Finish The Rye in the Dark City

Fixing TTTT (at least fixing, maybe try adding some storylets)

And finally The 'It's impossible, but one can wish' TO-DO:

Remaster SPS IH (if I managed to start this after completing the rest... I'm going to eat a whole sheet cake).

Start the IFComp project (2025? Might end up being a ST?)

[j-trow-95]

An ask game for writers to procrastinate working on your WIP(s)

Thank you for the tags @artsyunderstudy @iamamythologicalcreature @aristocratic-otter @shrekgogurt @wellbelesbian @theearlgreymage and @ic3-que3n

I am definitely procrastinating on both my WIPs at the moment. Trails is back in limbo, and ASR has taken up permanent residence there recently, and I desperately want to get back to both of them. Here's hoping this will kick start something in my brain! I do love a good Q&A, so let's dive in!

1. 🦈 Tell us the name of your/one of your WIP(s):

I have two WIPs I am actively writing, and one I haven't started on yet, but desperately want to. The Trails We Blaze was my Carry On Through the Ages 2023 fic, and is a The Road to El Dorado!au. Then there's my original novel, A Survivor's Revenge, which I've been writing for far too long and it definitely needs to be published soon!

2. 🍄 Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of "___ + ___ = ___"

Ok, this is much harder than I thought it would be, there's so many elements to each of these WIPs, so bare with me.

Trails: con men in 1920s London find map to Atlantis + WW1 trauma + gang warfare + repressed romantic feelings = friends to lovers action, adventure, and chaos across western Europe that's probably been too intensely researched for the sake of historical accuracy

(Side note: this isn't how I thought I'd use my degrees in history and archaeology, but here we are!)

A Survivor's Revenge: marvel cinematic universe + James Bond = ASR

or - what would happen if Bucky wasn't brainwashed by Hydra and sought revenge on the scientists who experimented on him, was a 14 year old school girl instead of a grown man, and had elemental powers + MI6 super spies and the general aesthetic of a Bond movie = a stab first/ask questions later FMC willing to do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe (and I do mean whatever it takes - Lauren hasn't baulked at anything I've thrown at her yet).

3. 🌍 What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it.

ASR will definitely need some trigger warnings for violence (if only because of Lauren's penchant for it), and if it were being posted to AO3 the series as a whole would probably require a 'main character death' warning. This is your formal warning, no one is safe in my writing.

Trails is rated M, so there's not going to be anything too graphic or explicit, but it does have a PTSD tag, as the fic tackles both Baz and Simon's trauma from living through the First World War, and specifically Baz's claustrophobia. So I would probably warn about the panic attacks and discussion of how Baz became claustrophobic.

4. 🧭 An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

Neither of these had alternative titles other than my save names (Spy Novel and SnowBaz fanfic) before I decided on anything. I'm useless at coming up with titles, and I can't really claim full credit for either. A friend from uni came up with A Survivor's Revenge, which is really fitting, as revenge is a major theme in the book. And The Trails We Blaze is a reference to one of the songs from the movie The Road to El Dorado, and was Ashton's suggestion when we were bouncing ideas back and forth last year.

5. ⚠️ Which WIP you're most likely to finish or update next?

Trails will definitely be finished before ASR, purely because ASR is going to be published as a proper book, and I don't have the cash to do this independently, or the publishing deal to do it traditionally. So I know this will take time. But I am currently working on the next chapter of Trails, so hopefully it won't be too long before I can post it.

6. 💾 What is your document of your WIP/a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you've saved it as)

I have so many variations of both WIPs it's ridiculous. I swear there's been 100+ iterations of ASR over the years, all with variations on either A Survivor's Revenge/ASR or Spy Novel as their title.

With Trails I have my base document, which is where the rough first draft happens, in Scrivener: the trails we blaze - draft copy. And then I also have my final document in pages, where I fix the formatting ahead of exporting to AO3 (because AO3 hates it when I do it straight from scrivener and gets rid of all my italics!): the trails we blaze upload copy.

7. 🖍 Post any sentence(s) from your WIP.

This is probably one of my favourite exchanges in the first ASR book.

“Just like old times,” Lauren said. “Tell me, did you consciously decide to make my PTSD worse by assigning him to me, or was that a happy accident?” “What’s the diagnosis?” Vanessa asked, ignoring Lauren. “Fractured ribs, minor internal abdominal bleeding, concussion, and three broken fingers. She needs to rest for at least a week,” Todd said. “She has a name,” Lauren muttered. “The internal bleeding is minor for the moment, but won’t be if she doesn’t rest.” “Who’s ‘she’ in this, the cat’s mother? I am here, you know.” “Yes, and whilst I would love to trade witticisms with you, I do actually have a job to do. Part of which involves divulging a diagnosis, and pardon me if I feel certain people in this room are going to be more receptive and actually take my advice when I give it.” Lauren glanced at Vanessa. “Is he always like this?” “Just with patients. And most of the people who work here.” “So, everyone?” Vanessa thought for a moment, then bobbed her head from side to side in a movement that said Pretty much, yeah. “If we’re quite done discussing my conduct, I do actually have other patients who need my attention.” “Poor sods.” “Yes, of course,” Vanessa said, ignoring Lauren’s comments. “Have you got a treatment plan sorted?” “I’m nothing if not professional.” “Did someone switch the definition of ‘sarcastic asshat’ and ‘professional’ in the dictionary when I wasn’t looking?” Todd twisted ever so slightly away from Lauren, instead focusing entirely on Vanessa.

8. ♻️ A scrapped idea for your current WIP.

Initially in ASR Lauren was framed for the murder of a student, alongside releasing the main villain from prison (not a spoiler, it's literally in my synopsis, no worries there!), and afterward she was forced to go on the run. Essentially, it made the heads of MI6 and Lauren's best friends into her enemies for a few chapters of my drafts a couple of years back. I loved this idea, and genuinely want to implement something along these lines again, because it was an interesting position to put the characters in, but I also really love where the plot is taking them currently, so we'll see if it truly ends up remaining scrapped or not.

9. 🤔 What's a story you'd love to write but haven't even started yet?

Another original novel, this time firmly rooted in science fiction (no superhero/light fantasy elements here), where time travel is possible, but the super anxious MC refuses to use his powers to travel back in time because of the side effects of said power. Gay romance, anxiety, angst, all the good stuff!

10. 🤡 How many WIPs are you actively working on?

I'm not too active on either of my WIPs at the moment. Work's been crazy lately, and I flip between feeling super burnt out creatively and being too tired to do much. But Trails and ASR continue to be my most active WIPs.

11. 🛠 Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

In Trails I've hit an intimate scene, and my little ace brain doesn't know how to approach it! Plus, I don't know how far I can stretch the M rating before we enter E territory.

12. ❤️ Not a question, just a second Kudos to send.

All of the kudos to everyone! I wish there was a way to leave it more than once, because seriously, the CO fandom is so unbelievably talented, my God!!

Tagging (sorry if you’ve already done this):

@blackberrysummerblog

@orange-peony

@you-remind-me-of-the-babe

@palimpsessed

[oh-snapperss]

hi!! do you have any advice for starting and writing longfics/multichaps? i tend to have a good idea but it almost always ends up being too two-dimensional, or i can't seem to find a conflict or obstacle for ~plot~ that isnt cringe or overused. i love the way you structure your fics (especially in can you see me) and was wondering if you had any tips or tricks that help you get into the swing of a big project without getting bored or burnt out :(

<3

hi hello!! i'm so sorry for not answering this sooner, i was honestly just thinking about the best way of answering this and had to mull it over:)

first of all, thank you so much!! can you see me will always be one of my favorite projects i've ever done and i could ramble about the behind the scenes of it for weeks, but i'll spare you that LMAOO

when it comes to searching for a conflict, i often structure it around whatever the character is going through. in CYSM, the conflict at hand came naturally after the idea of "what if etho's stranded in space and bdubs is trying to get to him", because i more considered how each character would react in a situation like that than trying to find something just to make the fic longer. typically for my fics i try not to focus on wordcount or the length of a fic, and just let the project be what it will be as naturally as possible.

for conflict, if you're trying to find something that will give your fic more depth, you can probably consider the characters and their personalities, and just think about where they might disagree, or what it might take for their to be an issue. really most of what i write comes from me just thinking about the characters and what makes sense for them, or if i have a point i'm trying to get across the events often are in there to push the narrative i'm crafting forward if that makes sense?

BIG PROJECTS! to make you feel better, i can confirm i have a wip graveyard with probably.... god, like 50-60 abandoned ideas or projects? the ones i do finish, the #1 thing that drives me forward is the point i'm trying to make within the story. to keep from burning out, i kind of take that day by day, cause i don't believe in one formula that magically fixes that, but i try to keep attuned to where my brain is, and i don't let myself look at the numbers (kudos, hits, comments, etc.) as a motivator to keep going. the main process i follow for burnout is frequent breaks and not letting myself worry about word count or whether a fic is long or short enough in my eyes.

something that may help you is having someone to bounce ideas back and forth with! when i get stuck on something plot wise, i'll often take it to a friend to talk it out. another method i use (especially with CYSM) is to write the fic out of order. CYSM was written in such a way that almost every addition was added as i felt ready to write it out, and if i got stuck i immediately stopped and moved to another section of the fic and came back to it later. that let me worry less about the fic as a whole.

be kind to yourself when it comes to your brainstorming! i've found that insulting myself on my "lack of originality" or whatever i'm worried about usually makes it harder for me to enjoy writing. if you can worry less about that and instead find what makes you enjoy the writing, even if that means a conflict that you think is overused, the writing will probably look better to you:)

i hope that that helps some! let me know if there's anything else i can help with, and good luck!

[studynxiety]

06/09/2023

Lately, I have been tired. I am not sure if it's burnout, a random depressive episode or executive dysfunction. All I know is I haven't been really doing as much as I could be. I didn't want to admit it since I was still doing enough to get 80% on most tests and things could be worse.

Looking back, however, I haven't really done much that enjoy lately. I don't remember the last time I turned on some good music and wrote away, burning the midnight candle for something that made me alive. And there has been this constant knot of anxiety at the bottom of my stomach. So, things haven't been vibrant but things aren't exactly bad. It's like waking up on the wrong side of the bad; nothing's horrible but everything's off nonetheless.

All this is to say, I think I need to bounce back and I'm done being passive for this year. I've always been ambitious and I'm going to start pursuing things I want again. I woke up today feeling weirdly motivated so I've decided to start the 100 days of productivity challenge!

Things I hope to achieve from this challenge:

Become good enough in Physics that I can enjoy it again

Finish at least half of the CS50 course

Study for SATS

Make a complete compilation of which Unis to apply to

Finish at least two WIPs

Get better at French

Extra/Less-prioritized goals:

Get abs

learn to cook

Sketch/Draw more often

I think there will be two main obstacles in the way of me accomplishing these things. The first will be finding time. Most of the goals I've mentioned are things I have been putting off for more immediate concerns or just, generally, people needing me for things in the present that need to be dealt with but don't have much of an impact in the future.

The second problem is my undeniable internet addiction. Okay, I feel like internet addiction is too broad; my addiction to constantly consume some form of creative media, be it in the form of books, movies, TV shows, anime, cartoon, comics, or fanfiction. I really need to cut down on that. I think this will be the most difficult part. I'll try cutting out serialized content and instead explore more indie books and movies again. They're usually less addictive but fulfilling in the same.

As always, I'll be ending this post with some talk about the most recent shows that I have been enjoying, which is kind of ironic given the previous paragraph is me just complaining about my inability to stay away from them. Lately, I have been into the ongoing Kdrama "My Lovely Liar." I think the chemistry between the main characters is great and the mystery is alluring. An 8/10 in my books.

Other than that, I've been watching "The Boys." Currently, in season three. It's one heck of a show and it's just so believable and feels like a mirror to reality. The corporate greed of pharmaceutical firms, the corruption among the people who have sworn to protect us, and how hard the world works ... only to maintain the status quo. I think it's very interesting and directly draws parallels to the real world. It's definitely a 10/10 for me. The world building, characters, humour; everything hits just right.

That's all for today. I'll do some chemistry, look over the CS50 course and fill out some forms for some official stuff today and kickstart the productivity challenge tomorrow. I'll try to be more active on tumblr during the 100 days as I need something to keep me accountable. Here is to hoping for better me's and better days and better outcomes.

[welcometoteyvat]

whagghh can we see that hu tao xingqiu snippet wip?

Xingqiu slumps onto his desk, defeated. The deadline for a special volume of A Legend of Sword is scarcely three nights away, and yet he still hasn’t progressed past the first fight sequence. Every word he pens is inadequate, and the brush in his hand is crooked and sluggish, and another colorless midnight has almost passed, and still, he has nothing to show for it. His valiant unnamed hero claims a narrow victory against the Tai-Shogun’s cyborg samurai, and then—and then…

When Xingqiu’s eyelids flutter open again, the lantern by his window has dimmed considerably… He cannot have dozed off for that long, can he?

At least his father and brother are asleep. It would be best if they never find out about his sleeping schedule.

The shadow of his hand is so sharp against his lantern-lit draft. Xingqiu traces the ridges of his knuckles, a flickering black silhouette on the page beneath it. From this angle, it almost looks like a dragon’s mouth, one of the Natlan kinds… maybe he’ll be able to see one in person someday…

His eyes shut slowly.

———

ermmmmm embarrassing... this was supposed to be published with the snippet (so i could've just given you the full snippet since it isn't long anyways) but it's ballooned rather fast and I don't want to wait. also yeah this has no hu tao mentioned because unfortunately she comes in right after this lmao. also the hu tao xingqiu dialogue inspiration that struck me at 2 am yesterday left so now i have to reinvent the wheel (<- bad at banter). anyways i hope you enjoy <3 this idea was kinda random haha, i just wanted to write something from xingqiu's perspective and show how they bounce off each other really well LOL nothing much to it. I was going to change it into xingqiu + venti writers block (venti is one of the muses fr) but i haven't watched irodori thoroughly and decided to keep hu tao. anyways yeah hopefully i finish this thing soon lol