#i like writing stories way too much to not be a future author ugh

[incorrect-lord-of-the-rings]

every once in a while... I just think... What if Rings of Power wasn't a Silmarillion adaptation, but just... Original characters having adventures and struggles and stuff in Middle-Earth? Or if they had changed just a few things.... It could have been so much better. This is mostly coming from my thoughts on the things I loved in the show. I liked the original characters (mostly) (aside from the Harfoots being... slightly sociopathic at times). I really liked Arondir and basically all his scenes. I love the idea of a bunch of hobbit children stumbling across something new and trying to solve the problem by themselves in their own hobbit way. I loved the way they explored a friendship between a dwarf and an elf, and how the elf didn't realize how fast time was passing by for other races. There were so many aspects that could have worked so much better if they had just had a cast of almost only original characters, with established characters few and far between, or had just focused on a more original story.

This is very long so you have been warned.

Like imagine instead of Galadriel, it was a young elf warrior who'd only been alive for some time (maybe less than a thousand years or so idk lol) and was still considered childish for her age, but she had witnessed horrors of battle, or her family were slain by orcs in battle, or she was like a warrior scholar who searched for more information about Sauron and Morgoth against everyone's wishes (better yet if she's autism coded). If they had done that instead of having her be Galadriel, her behavior and actions would have been far better received.

Or like... I'd even liked it if they kept Galadriel as she was in the show (eh) but changed it so Halbrand wasn't fucking Sauron in disguise (do not get me started on this). Like I said during the airing of the show, I really wanted him to be a future ringwraith. Imagine getting so close to a character, seeing him be upon his throne in the Southlands, and then being given eventually a marvelous ring. We all know what's coming, it's one of the first things we learn in the original stories, but he and all the other characters (minus the mysterious and sexy Annatar) are oblivious.

We could even keep the entire cast of elf characters in Eregion and had a lot of political intrigue with them and Annatar. Okay? He mysteriously appears, or the showrunners make a new way they meet him or something that makes sense in the TV show medium, and we get to see how others react to him. To some he's trustworthy upon first meeting him, to others he's suspicious and not to be trusted. However, those who have more influence have deemed him trustworthy, so we could see the brewing animosity between Annatar and those who suspect him (a very wary Galadriel, for example).

In this case, we could have a lot of nice politics and dynamics of the characters. The original characters gang up together and take back the Southlands from the orcs, or some other land, and rebuild a prosperous kingdom. Then one day, the last episode of season one, King Halbrand is given a ring forged by Celebrimbor, the famous elven smith, and his new partner in crime (heh), Annatar.

The second season shows the slow and steady corruption of the good King Halbrand, and the others' reactions to his slow turn. Little things. Like fidgeting with it when kingly duties get stressful, eventually relying only on the ring for comfort and pushing away all others who love him. Like getting injured in a small attack, and when they treat his wounds while he's unconscious, they remove his ring, and then he wakes up later and nearly attacks the healers helping him because he thinks they stole it. He gets in contact with the other kings of Men and receives a letter from another king about how he is always thinking about his magic ring. About how he feels it is being pulled by something. Halbrand responds in a letter detailing similar experiences. He becomes greedy and reclusive, and then he slowly realizes everyone else around him is aging faster than he is. His son, who he had seemingly just seen as a boy, is now nearly a man. His wife is suddenly more tired than usual. One of his friends and mentors dies of old age and he was barely there to witness his last days.

Eventually, he is fully corrupted as the arc completes and Sauron is revealed and everything. God, this could have been so much fun to see...

For this version of the show, there are no explicit hints as to who Annatar really is, but there are little clues dropped. If anyone knows the story already, they'll catch every little piece of information that's given, whether subtle or not. The new viewers going in blind would see the twist and then have to go back and watch it a second time to notice and point out every single sign they should have seen coming. Like the way he acts, the way he says certain things, the things he knows, the way others react to him. It all could have been so intriguing to see.

Amazon, hire me. And pay your writers.

[chaniis-atlantis]

Writing interview tag game!!

Tagged by @bagheerita love this!! I love talking about my writing!

About me

When did you start writing?

I would say I started writing as soon as I knew how, but I started in earnest in middle school. My sixth grade English teacher was incredibly encouraging of the work I showed her (as were my parents), and that really helped me to feel confident in just keeping going

Are there different genres or themes you enjoy reading other than the ones you write?

Yeah lol. So I write super long fics, but I have OCD and a big part of that is that, as I've gotten older, I struggle to read words on a page with any sort of speed. So I have a lot of trouble reading long form stuff because of the stress it causes. I get around this with original work by listening to audio books, but for fic, there really isn't much I can do about it besides try.

Is there an author you want to emulate, or are compared to often?

Not ever compared to anyone, and I also wouldn't say I emulate anyone in particular. Though for my og works I take inspiration from Samatha Shannon and Madeline Miller in regard to writing style

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

So I can't really work at home, so my space is coffee shops! There is a particular one where I live where the music isn't too loud, the lighting is warm and the tea is fantastic. I wrote my senior thesis there :)

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Ugh, time. When I'm in a rut I'm in a rut and there isn't much I can do about it tbh. Though sometimes if I talk to friends about it for long enough, something comes clear.

If I'm not in a rut, my muses come through music

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and/or places you write about?

Yes and no. I write high fantasy and horror, so I tend to pull away from where I grew up and go toward places I dream of. However, I write almost exclusively queer stories and that I owe to 1) being queer and 2) growing up in Florida and around queer people like myself whose family/wider community did not support them. Everything I write is a love letter to queer people, especially the ones who have been pushed away for being who they are.

Are there any reoccurring themes in your writing? If so, do they surprise you?

Oh yeah. In both fic and og work I think I write a lot about loss and grief, finding identity, found family and how it heals. I write about people from opposite worlds falling in love or in friendship. I tend to center characters who are other from the world they live in, whether that's because of a physical aspect or an emotional/personality one.

Not surprised at all since those themes come from personal experience and the feelings I have about life and it's meaning

Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character?

This will surprise no one but, Todd! I love him! Probably because it's so easy for me to write the Wraith with one of those themes in mind. I'm obsessed with monsters (I think because of the queerness) and especially how societies in these stories treat them. I love basically forcing Stargate to treat the Wraith as the interesting characters they are.

Todd is so perfect because he's so old and so weird for a Wraith. He's just begging to be put under a microscope. And I do, I do

I'll also say that in my behemoth "Across the Universe," I have several original characters. My fav of them is a character I haven't shown yet, but I've mentioned, and that is Todd's dad. This guy is kind of insane and also my darling. He's got, I guess just as much backstory and baggage as I've given Todd in that fic and (my favorite) a fic-canon altering twist in his arsenal. I also like to pair him with Ronan in my mind palace, which sounds batshit (and is), but you can blame my proclivity for enemies to lovers as trope for that. But that is so far into the future of that universe that it might as well not even exist (FirstLight, the Wraith you are)

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

I would want to be Todd's friend, but I don't think he'd want to be mine lol.

I'd love to be friends with the entire core SGA group but it's a little hard to imagine how.

I think Teyla and I would get along, and I would love to be her friend. Ronan and I might get along too, but I'm not very active, so we wouldn't have many hobbies in common. But I think I could vibe with him in the mess hall.

Same situation for someone like Weir. Not a lot in common.

In my dream world, Sheppard and I would be besties, but I'm not sure he could handle how emotional I get, and I don't know if I could handle how closed off he is. I think the person I would actually get along with most is McKay because, tbh I yap that much too and am also a bit of an insecure mess. I would like listening to him talk about his ideas and I think he would appreciate that.

Of course, I wouldn't be able to get past the war crimes these people commit, so actually none of them haha

Jumping to another fandom: I think Aziraphale and me could be friends. We both like reading and food and I think we could have some fun conversations about literature.

Which characters would you dislike the most of you met them?

Hmm...okay so obviously Kolya.

I love Micheal as a character, but he would terrify me in real life.

Kavanaugh is pretty obvious

I wouldn't want anything to do with a single person from Hannibal in real life. Maybe season 1 Will.

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

Honestly, I couldn't tell you. They spawn out of nowhere as I imagine scenes. I guess they develop that way too. I think about them in the scene, and their personalities and traits reveal themselves to me.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

Oh yeah. They tend to be outcasts, they tend to be queer. They also tend to be magical or have some extra trait to what is typically human. I also really enjoy writing morally grey characters and sympathetic villians

How do you picture your characters?

I can see stuff pretty clearly in my head, but I also use Picrew and Sims to make them sometime

My writing

What’s your reason for writing?

It's everything to me. Really, it's nothing specific. My life would be empty without writing. It's my passion.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment from readers that you find particularly motivating?

I love comments that talk about moments from the story they enjoyed. It makes me feel good about my ideas🥰

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I've never thought about this specifically. I don't know if I want anything really other for them to enjoy it. Maybe in a fantasy, they'd think I was clever or inspiring, but I just want what I write to give people joy.

For my original writing, I do hope that my writing can speak to my queer community.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I think I'm the best at characters. I like my prose itself (for what it is right now) but I think that my character creation skills, and specifically how they blend into the plot and work with each other, are what I'm doing right the most. World building is also a strength

Have you been told is your greatest strength as a writer is by others?

Characters and world building! Lol

How do you feel about your own writing?

I'm at a place in my life where I don't think I suck. I also don't think I'm the best ever. I think that I can improve and that great is finally a visible goal.

If you were the last person on earth, would you still write?

Yes. I need to write like I need to breath. It would suck to not be able to share it, but that wouldn't stop me from creating.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, do you write purely for yourself, or is it a mix of both?

Eh I'm not really sure. I think I lean more towards writing for myself. Sometimes I tamp down my ideas if they are something I know wouldn't fit the story (if I'm already writing it) or wouldn't really fit the world as much as I'd like them to.

Whew! I'm doing laundry at my hostel right now so this was a good distraction

Npt: @annwayne @sga-owns-my-soul @adriankyte-writes @aintgonnatakethis @mx-seraph @original-asteria @trainofcommand @anonmadsci @spurious

[blossom-hwa]

✍️ Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to other writers you know. Let's spread some self-love!

shawNAAA it's so good to hear from you <3 thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about myself because I will do it any chance I get :D

A Yellow Scarf in Winter - I think this is probably the best thing I've ever written. This story was the first time I really felt like I succeeded in achieving my goals with a story - writing emotion is something I really try to do correctly, and because music has always made me feel so deeply, I wanted to be able to capture the subtle emotion of one of my favorite pieces in this work. I'm very happy with how it turned out, and honestly, I just love this story even more every time I rewrite it (it's gone through over four iterations at this point).

the things we lost along the way - this story...ugh. I have so many feelings about it, both good and bad (mostly because I'm trying to expand it now and I love it but I hate it 🥲). But it genuinely means so much to me. As I was writing my second or third iteration of this story (the latest one that was posted), I was working through grief in a way I'd never had to before, and I think this story carried it through in a really beautiful but heartbreaking way. I'm very proud of this story, and I look forward to posting a new version of it in the near future :)

If You'll Have Me - sometimes stories just bounce out of me and this was one of them. My summer 2022 baby <3 Bridgerton got me FUCKED UP for regency era aus (s3 is about to do it again) and I loved the result. It was just so much fun to write and I was very happy with the result :D

Look at the Butterflies - I'm not convinced I know where this story came from, but as ursa said...my love language is safe spaces, and this is just a manifestation of it. I've outed myself but eh. Whatever. The poem that inspired it was beautiful too <3

Swing! - man...this was the fucking HEIGHT of my marvel fixation and I still have no regrets. I love mark and my mc....my babies....this story was like the first time I felt like I really wrote actual 3D characters?? man I just love mark and mc so much they're my literal babies <3

Honorable mentions: Worn-Out Soles / Light the Pyres / Purple Sky / Forever, and Always

[stitchlingbelle]

Episode 2

And we’re back! Rereading what I just typed out, I found this episode kind of frustrating. It's good, but all these plotlines could be So. Much. Better. if they just cared about making this a good show and gave it the time it needed to be one.

Ah, Halsey my beloathed. Since last we saw her apparently making her escape clean, she… apparently got captured by some mysterious person? Who? Why? What planet is she on? How was she captured? Did Keyes sell her out? She’s certainly being well-treated. All last season’s stuff didn’t teach her anything, as most of what we see is her manipulating a girl to try and get answers, causing her to promptly drop dead. Conclusion: Halsey may suck, but so do the people holding her.

Meanwhile, Riz is doing training stuff, and clearly suffering. Kai checks in with her, obviously concerned, and pushes her to work on healing. Riz blows her off. Kai, oddly to me, suggests Riz put the emotional-suppression pellet back in if she needs to deal with the pain. Riz flatly refuses: “You’ll have to put a bullet in me first.” (Same, girl.) There’s a lot going on here—Riz’s feelings towards what was done to them, why she chose to remove the pellet and who she is now that it's gone, her near-death and the struggle to rebuild herself… the team’s relationships now that they’re unprogrammed and developing personalities…

(Again, we are missing SO MUCH by rushing in this show. Fuck catering to all the old hands who bitch about every episode that isn’t 95% shoot-em-up fight scenes. Go replay the games on God mode or w/e if that’s all you care about. What’s the point of making this show at all if not to tell the parts of the stories you can’t in the game medium?!)

Speaking of Kai, John tells her that Ackerson doesn’t trust him. He also drops his… vision? Memory? Of Makee on Sanctuary. Kai: “She’s dead. I shot her myself.” Uhhhh, maybe don’t remind him of that? (I honestly thought they were going to open this season with John and Kai estranged over that, actually. My sweet baby Kai loves people, but she doesn’t yet have the ability to be wise or tactful for them…) John’s obsessively checking up on Cobalt Team, and they’re MIA (or something). I pity the poor sign kid just trying to update the board with no actual info. Bring it down, Chief.

Back on Rubble with Kwan, and things are tense. Some shifty guy goes after her—why? Because she's a known associate of Soren’s? Wait, why is she tagged?? Ripping it out looked painful. Daaaamn, apparently Soren found time to teach her some moves, she’s a badass now. I was afraid they’d go the Rose Tico route and just write her out since she was unpopular, but I guess they decided to level her up instead. We’ll see if that shuts the haters up. “Ruby Ann bought Soren’s crew, he’s not coming back”—ah, so the tag was Soren’s way of protecting her? Aaaaand Kwan spaces a guy and kills the other by stabbing him with the tag. I’m still left with a lot of questions—how come Laera didn’t inherit/ take over the crew? Did she authorize the sale to Ruby Ann? Where are she and Kessler, and are they all right?

Riz is back to working out, pushing herself too hard. She has a spotter/ trainer who’s an absolute sweetie. He’s pushing her to think about her future—what options do Spartans even have, if they don’t go rogue like Soren? And what’s the trainer’s (Louis?) story?

Another scene with John going up against Ackerson, and seriously, the hell with that guy, ugh. He claims no one can back up John’s story about Sanctuary (do these suits of armor seriously not have bodycams? After all the surveillance tech on their ships that we saw in season 1?) Ugh, I had worried about Perez not backing John up. Does she have a concussion/ brain injury? Or is she being leaned on?

Kwan and Kessler have a moment where Kwan smashes Kessler’s faith that his dad is coming back. Laera has a tense moment with the ranking remaining members of Soren’s crew. They’re stalling on the ship repairs for some reason. I think they’ll end up regretting that they underestimated Laera.

We go back to Riz, apparently doing some sort of terrain/ environment training? Yep, and Master Chief nails her. The team banters a bit. Kai is worried, but Master Chief sends Riz up again. It’s a very grim scene as Riz struggles and eventually goes down. She’s not ok. John keeps pushing and pushing. He wants to go after Cobalt Team. Kai is getting more concerned about not just Riz, but John—you can feel how out-of-true the team is right now. Riz taps out.

Another day with Halsey, another (clone?) girl (Julia?) serving her tea and dropping dead during questioning. I suppose if they’re flash clones it would explain why Halsey’s so willing to treat them like they’re disposable to get the info she wants—to her mind, that’s what flash clones are. Poor girls.

We get a rapid series of bits: Riz and Louis talking as they wait—at a doctor’s? A church? Something Riz hopes will help her, somehow. Ackerson trying to manipulate Kai, whose loyalty to John keeps her from falling for it, but her naiveté means she still says a few things I think he’ll use. Damn. Don’t give him anything, Kai! John shows up at Perez’s place and would have lost that bet if her Abuela hadn’t stepped in. Good life advice, John: no one crosses Abuela. Any abuela. Abuela always wins.

(Sidenote: I notice we’re getting a lot more glimpses of civilian life here—Louis, Perez’s family… I can only assume they’re setting us up to ugly cry watching all these people die horribly.)

Back to Riz, who’s meeting with ??? What? A freakin’ psychic? What is going on here? (I keep forgetting this mystical stuff is a part of this universe…)

John’s dinner with Perez’s family is just as awkward as you’d expect. Abuela and Mamá are the MVPs for trying to keep the boys under wraps here. LOL forever at the gamer quizzing Master Chief John-117 with “C’mon, man, you don’t play Spartan Attack?” Babe, he plays all of them. I’m dying, Perez is having a heart attack, where’s Kai’s charisma when you need it. Aaaand then they figure it out, gracias a Dios for Mamá keeping them from losing their minds. Perez eventually loses it and leaves, and John gets to question her at last: she didn’t tell Ackerson because of the trauma and uncertainty. Master Chief’s pep talk could use some work, even if somewhat accurate.

Back to Halsey and OMG, WTF the person holding her is ACKERSON??? (Don’t you people DARE try to rehabilitate Halsey with me by contrasting her with Ackerson. I promise, I can and will hate them both.) Where are they? Does anyone know he’s holding her here? I assume she’s still on Reach, and never made it off-planet? How did he catch her? She tells Ackerson a story about a pomegranate tree that she’s never told anyone, saying he must have Cortana since he knows about it. So Cortana does have all Halsey’s memories after all??? (Up to the point of the flash clone’s creation, anyway.) (There’s a MILLION implications to unpack here.) (Also, on a personal level, the story about Halsey rebelling against the garden/ pomegranate tree made me unbearably smug. I just KNEW when I wrote that fic that Halsey hated working under other people.) Also, where IS Cortana? Ah, so it turns out Halsey’s in some sort of holodeck prison thing. Hopefully that means all these Julias aren’t real and haven’t been dying after all.

Ah, here’s Cortana! Stuck in a Faraday cage. I don’t love her new look. Whatever project he had her working on, he was NOT pleased to hear the results: 97% chance of failure/ disaster/ etc. Cortana presses him on the truth that he won’t be coming back to see her again, and he agrees. (Apparently he’s not planning on bringing her along? IS this man a complete idiot?) As usual, the show gives us the bones (here’s where Cortana is) but no meat: how much does Cortana remember? Does she miss John (or anything else?) Does she know what’s going on now? Is she actively trying to escape? What does she want?

I assume the doom and gloom are about the famous Fall of Reach, which I have heard of, and I wonder how this plays with a completely unspoiled audience. How coherent is this without it? It seems to me that the show is relying on the audience’s foreknowledge both to make sense of some of this, and to do the work of building the appropriate level of dread for them.

Back in Spartan-land, John figures out that Cobalt Team never left Reach, and Silver Team goes after them. Kai presses him on the authorization and the nature of the mission. John lies about the first, but answers the second: “The Covenant’s on Reach.” It’s a great WHAM LINE.

Finally, we see how right he is: Marines fighting monsters in the dark, the glowing blade weapons going on and off to great effect. At last, we see Makee! Our toxic girl is back! And I love her outfit—anyway, Makee is back and stealing the artifact, again. (Where was it being held that no one is noticing this? Clearly not on the main base anymore.) She’s also bossing aliens around, which tells me she didn’t suffer too many consequences for deciding to flatten the whole plateau to save John at the end of last season. (This ties in to some thoughts I have about how everyone views those events, which I’ll save for next episode.)

I’ll end with this note: the alien Makee addresses pushes back slightly with the comment that “there is no honor in this fight” against the marines. It’s the first I’ve seen any such sentiments from the Covenant. Why the concern now? Is it the stealth nature of the mission? The theft without an honest battle? I seriously doubt it has anything to do with unfair advantages or killing weaker combatants/ the innocent. I mean, these people destroy whole planets. Maybe they’ll take some time to start developing the Covenant’s (various) cultures.

Or, you know, that would be a great thing to do in a show that had the time to be a fully fleshed-out story… instead of what it feels like this season: a new high-res montage of cut scenes and fight playthroughs. I guess they got tired of people watching the real thing on Youtube.

[rollercoasterwords]

*look away now if you don’t want spoilers for the feverwake series*

OKAY I OFFICIALLY FINISHED THE ELECTRIC HEIR and I have. so many thoughts about it and I don’t know where to start but!!!!!! Oh my god I have never been so stressed in my LIFE. I was VERY VERY convinced someone was gonna die AND WHEN NOAM STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE STUPID (lovely) FUCKING HOUSE AND THEIR STUPID (lovely) FUTURE LIFE!!!!!!!!!! RAE!!!!! The way I was SCREAMING. Because I was just like “okay, well he’s dead now isn’t he 😐” BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS WHEN A CHARACTER SAYS SHIT LIKE THAT THEY THEN DIE!!!!! so I was BEGGING him to shut! up! And then!! Then! When Dara started talking about how HE really wanted that life too….. and how he actually wanted to LIVE now…….. really did think they were building up to tear one of them away from me AND I WAS IN ABSOLUTE AGONY 🤡 so the actual ending was a nice breathe of relief oh my god. Although!!!!! Little bit stressed that leher isn’t actually dead…….. or locked up? They didn’t really clarify and I feel. A lot of fear about that actually. It makes my skin CRAWL to think about… which I guess is maybe the point? It’s a happy ending technically but there’s still that little nagging uncomfortableness in your brain lingering after the last page bc YOU DONT KNOW. Which is actually so insane of the author if that was intentional I AM OBSESSED WITH THAT.

Anyway! Final review! I had a very very fun time with this (pain + stress + fucked up plots + moral complexity + politics are my favourite story ingredients so I went so so so incredibly insane for this <33). I literally have NO WORDS for it I just. !!!!!!!!!!!!. I feel like my guts have been scooped out. Rearranged. And I just need to…. Lie here for a bit. And rest…

I just. There were so many scenes and lines that left me TORN OPEN, I am utterly OBSESSED with the writers writing style!!!! Everything was so clever and intense and HEARTWRENCHING and I really enjoyed the refugee politics and discussions about consent and SA and power imbalances and just. IT WAS SO SO SO GOOD THANK U FOR RECOMMENDING IT I am now going to go crawl under my blanket and be consumed by my thoughts xoxoxoxo

ahhhh hello THANK u 4 giving me the final thoughts!!! i understand the stress whenever a character in a dangerous situation starts talking about their future i'm like no aha don't do that....haven't u read a book....watched a movie, perhaps....

and UGH dara's arc in the second book. like the way he starts the story literally walking to his death and then ends it fighting for his life....makes me crazyinsane every time i read it i love that boy!! and i was also relieved by the happy ending lol tbf i do think i would have enjoyed a bit of death but it was like being wrapped up in a nice warm blanket at the end so...can't complain

anyway SO happy u enjoyed xx have v much enjoyed getting to vicariously live the experience of reading the series 4 the first time thru u <3

[taegularities]

rid. rid! RID!!

I just read the drabble and ugh i hate you so much (im jk i love you with my whole heart 🫶) but MY GOD! i was put through so many emotions for such a short drabble 🫡 first of all, jungkook is so hot, its actually a crime 😔 i can just imagine his fboy, cocky aura LOL (rip to hoseok's bathroom 🤭)

second, the fireworks scene was actually so heartbreakingly sweet in such a unique way. i kept having to remind myself that the drabble takes place in the past and that they aren't as deeply attached and close yet 💀 but this specific line rid... “I think you’re the only person who’s bearable enough tonight.” 🫡🔫 LIKE HELLO?? its such a small thing, but it actually melted my whole girlboss, anti-men aura 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️esp knowing how closed off and reserved he was during that era UGH 🧎‍♀️

also, im so glad you set the drabble in the past! i think as the story progresses, you kind of grow with the characters and fall so deeply in love with their current situation. so the flashback drabble really opened my eyes as to how much the cmi couple grew. bc honestly their character development is unreal! (i just know jk would give her a new year's kiss now) im so excited for the future chapters ❤️

lastly, ur note at the end of the drabble, omg. i totally understand being scared to return to tumblr, esp after being gone for a while. ive seen so many other authors lose their support or hype bc they took a hiatus. but im beyond glad you returned! i cant imagine not seeing your reblogs and interactions on my timeline ❤️ you are truly loved here and have absolutely nothing to worry about!

im beyond proud of you and cant wait to see what else you produce! 🫶🫶

-wife from war anon 💂‍♀️

HEHEHE HELLO !!!

oh my god, yeah, his cocky aura was a lot more tangible when he wasn't soft as hell for oc just yet. you know, as the story progressed, i noticed how their banter got a lot less, since they're so into each other now and focus on making each other happy. but to go back to their roots and the bickering was so refreshing, so 🥺

girlboss, anti-men aura lmfaooo 😭 but yeah, definitely need to keep in mind how much his words mean, considering they weren't that close back then and that jk really was very closed off (after his break up with you know who and all...). i'm so so happy you're digging the character development omg that's always such a huge compliment 🥺 i'd definitely love to write more flashback drabbles.

and yeah, i did notice that a lot of people i used to talk to here are gone... like, the vibe was definitely a little different during cmi4 than it is now :( but so many of you lovely people are still here, and i focus on that 💕 so thank you for your support. it means so much, and i love you, too, really 🤍 ty ty ty <333

[mr-awesome-balls]

The 10 Novels I Read on May (+1 bonus cuz it's that good)

Just wanted to say that @thedollymaker and @hippo141 are angels and this post is for you guys! Hope y’all find it useful <3 

I’ll be rating and ranking the novels I’ve read from best to worst. Most (more like all) are romance novels which are also popular on BookTok. Writing the tl’dr non-spoiler ver here with more in-depth review on an upcoming post (bc tumblr deleted my half completed in-depth review and it’s nearing 1 am rn so yeah):

1. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren - 5.1/5 🌟

I have to admit I read this on June 2022, and have read 4 more books since too but I just HAD to put this here because it's that good.

It tells the story of 2 best friends (who are almost soulmate-like imo) who have recently met again after years of losing contact. They had a falling out, but when they met everything just falls so perfectly. And we find out what happened in the past. It had the craziest twist (that i kinda knew was coming but oh my lord let me tell you that I BAWLED). BIG hurt/comfort theme. It reminds me of a warm hug and just - of Home. Home's embrace/warmth if you will.

2. It Ends With Us by Collen Hoover - 5/5 🌟

Girl meets the perfect Boy, but maybe there’s something more than meets the eye. Major page turner, this books makes me feel so much and at the same time left me feeling empty. I learnt valuable real life lessons from this book and you won’t regret picking this up. Hurt/Comfort piece. Also also, read the Author’s Note after ending the novel cuz it provided much needed clarity/resolution/peace.

3. All Your Perfects by Colleen Hover - 5/5 🌟

If you’ve read it ends with us and it left you feeling “it could’ve worked” ((not gonna spoil more but if you know, you know)), then boy is this the perfect one for you. It tells a story of this couple’s journey of overcoming terrible stuff ((think It’s Quiet Uptown, Hamilton)). And also, Best. Coho. Male. Lead. Ever. ((Graham my man, UGH)) So so Romantic.

4. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood - 5/5 🌟

THIS IS THE CUTEST ROM-COM, way more lighthearted than the previous 2. Fake dating, ball of sunshine x broody/grumpy trope, age gap. It’s so cute and the banter is so amazing. I recommend.

5. Funny You Should Ask by Elisse Sussman - 4.6/5 🌟

This novel to me feels comforting. It’s a slow burn but in a comfortable sense? Journalist and Movie star had an unforgettable weekend that left much needed resolution. A decade later, they met again but both changed and grew for better or for worse. Sometimes, stories don’t have to be dramatic. And this novel feels genuine in a sense - a genuine adoration.

6. Verity by Colleen Hoover - 4.5/5 🌟

Murder-mystery, very suspenseful, very exciting, but leaves you mind fucked. Like after ending this, I was just like what the fuuuuck. This novels fucks with your head like ngl. Best opening scene. Young writer was tasked to finish another successful writer’s novel series after she is left incapacitated. But she found a manuscript that perhaps reveals so many terrible truths, or is it?

7. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover - 4.1/5 🌟

This book is spicy, hot and romantic. It’s cute. Started a bit slow but it has quite a strong ending. Friends with benefits to lovers. Brother’s best friend. Pining. The my life is too much of a mess to love again trope. ((read this before november 9 for cameos)) 

8. November 9 by Colleen Hoover - 4/5 🌟

This book is fun and exciting. Boy and girl meets once a year, over a span of 5 (or 6?) years as their relationship grow. It’s endearing, how Ben (main guy) just encourages Fallon (the MC) to love herself more. 

9. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle - 3.7/5 🌟

This perfectionistic, planning and success obsessed lawyer saw a vision 5 years into the future to find her planned life so different than it is now. I’d say that this book is not what you think it is. Imo this is not a romance novel, but more on friendship and learning to letting go. Life happens, it still goes on.

10. Confess by Colleen Hoover - 3.3/5 🌟

To love is to sacrifice is the essence of this book. It’s about 2 people who is sacrificing so much to love the people they love. But maybe, they need to learn to value themselves - to not discount themselves too much. And in finding that in each other. 

11. Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood - 3.2/5 🌟

Environmental engineer inherited a house from her mentor. But what said mentor forgot to mention was that half of the ownership of the house belonged to her nephew (who’s this lawyer at this BP-esque unethical capitalistic giga corporation). Enemies to friends to lovers. The stuck under one roof (thus the title) and the oh my god they were roommates trope. It’s short, it’s cute, it’s sweet.

----

Just wanted to say that Colleen Hoover is an amazing writer and reading it ends with you got me out of my reading slump. TikTok is a great place to find recommendations <3 Technically I read like 10 books in 2 weeks and it’s more books I’ve read in the past like what, decade? ((well maybe but like i’ve probably poured those energy into fanfics which could easily quadruple the number but eh)). What I’m trying to say is that this is fun, reading is amazing hahaha.

I’m planning on reading unhoneymooners, hopeless, maybe someday and some other more soon but let’s seee, feel free to drop recs on my askbox~

**EDIT** Ok y'all, Imma do a quick update on the ranks because I read 1 wonderful book that just OOFT.

[ggukkiereads]

Hewwooo!!! Do you have any fic recs where the boy is the piner one? and oblivious!oc or something like that... it's always the other way around 😣😣 thank you so much!

🌷 Hello anon! These are what I remember.. Strangely most of them are part of my #holygrailfics which I marked with a carrot 🥕 But, everything is a must read 🥰

UNREQUITED LOVE AUs - Member!Pining

💔 Most of the stories will eventually achieve redamancy. There are just few fics here where it’s unrequited all throughout

Re: Untitled @to-star-lake - Jungkook  🥕

↳ Arranged Marriage, Childhood Acquaintances, Enemies to Lovers, CEO/Executives, Angst, Smut, Fluff [4/4][

This is really one of my favorite discoveries 🥰 At that time there wasn’t much info or even comments on the fic so if you’re not as daring to try fics out, it’s easy to assume it’ll be just a regular story. But I'm glad my curiousity won because this is such a gem. It was painful and lovely unpacking all the discoveries in their relationship (or lack of) per chapter 🥰. I swear the plot “twists” per episode made the fic extra memorable.

Frost Impressions @fortunexkookie - Jungkook 🥕

↳  Teacher AU, Gamer AU, Simultaneous (One-Sided) Enemies to Lovers,  Best Friends to Lovers, Idiots to Lovers AU, Humor, Tooth-rotting Fluff, Smut, Heavy Pining, Slight Angst [one shot]

ugh this just puts a smile on my face every time I remember this. I was just thinking about this Jungkook the other day. OC is oblivious because, well, they have this E2L thing going on. Plus he didn’t exactly give a great FIRST IMPRESSION. So many AUs thrown in but author was able to squeeze it all and produce this masterpiece. It’s just a feel-good fic 🥰

Love So Shallow @jimlingss - Taehyung 🥕

↳ Best Friend AU, College AU, eventual Roommate AU, eventual Pining [3/3]

also one of the best written OCs in fic land. Please read this gem. I still gush over how their relationship developed and you’ll see how the “pining” develops too. It’s a great Love Yourself theme too!

Paper Cranes @aquaminwrites - Taehyung  🥕

↳ Slice of Life, Childhood Friends, Best Friend AU, College [one shot]

Ugh my heart ached for this Taehyung. I don’t know why I feel bad for him (I mean, it wasn’t as if he was to be pitied) but the way author wrote his story is guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings. 

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The Key to My Drawer @jjungkookislife - Taehyung  🥰

↳ Best Friend AU, Childhood Friends, Epistolary (letter form, some parts), Angst, Smut [12/12]

I was just thinking about this the other day because we’re just waiting for the last chapter/epilogue and then I saw the notif on ao3 that it got updated. What do you do when you get hold of a key to a drawer and discover unsent letters from your best friend? All addressed to you?  It’s such a creative way to tell a story and I enjoyed this very much 🥰

(please access the rest of the chapters through the author’s masterlist)

Please Be Naked @floralseokjin  - Yoongi 🥕

↳ Rebound AU, OC is Namjoon’s Ex, Namjoon is Yoongi’s ex-friend [8/8]

“you were still a little unsure why he and your ex....had bad blood.” of course we all want to tell OC why!  Seriously, this is a classic if you haven’t read this yet.  Yoongi’s just top-tier in this. Unforgettable characterization. Even if you are not into Yoongi fics, this is a must read for bts fics in general. The angst/smut is just 👌; then read the drabbles for the fluffy future

One Thing Right by hobios - Jungkook  🥕

↳   Arranged Marriage AU, Fake Marriage AU, Childhood Friends AU, Enemies to Lovers, Police Office AU, slow burn [8/8]

So I am adding this to every fic rec list because like RE: Untitled, there’s a lot of discoveries in this fic. It’s always a question why Sheriff Jeon will agree to a marriage of convenience (I mean he’s committing fraud in a way). So it’s wonderful to discover a lot things about their story since they had a falling out.

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Roses, Poetry, and Jeon @seraphimguks - Jungkook ⭐☕💌

↳ bookstore au, enemies to lovers-ish?, fluff, slight angst [one shot]

This is just so beautiful and it is like curling up by the window on a rainy day with a warm hot chocolate. I think in my review I said the shift to Jungkook’s POV is like seeing poetry in action. Must read and instantly a favorite of mine

Tinder 2.0 @tayegi - Jungkook 🥕 🔥

↳ sex app/room, Coworker, Enemies to Lovers, Crack, Smut [one shot]

This is kind of different from the rest of this list because it’s more crack and smuttier. The pining is not as intense but it’s there. Please give this a read too. 

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Fluff and Smut @jinggabitch  - Jungkook 

↳ smut, porn star JK, OC is a fluffer, one-sided pining [drabble]

Porn star JK is in love with his fluffer. - I remember reading this months ago and I found it so cute. Though it’s just a drabble, which means the story didn’t continue on, I got invested in this JK and hoped he gets what he wants.

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Bad Influence Collection @noteguk - Jungkook  ⭐🔥

↳ FWB AU, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies with Benefits, College, Bad Boy AU, Smut [4/?]

please click the link to the masterpost so you’ll access the very first story. Maybe it didn’t start out pining at first but the recent chapters we see Jungkook getting so affected over OC (it’s mutual but I feel at this point its more JK trying so hard not to show heart eyes 😍). Ugh, the joy I feel whenever this gets updated. Still ongoing but better start on this since some chapters are over 10k+ wc.

Hot Enough @soft-sarcasm - Yoongi  ⭐🔥

↳ College AU, Fuckboy AU, FWB AU, Yoongi caught feelings (kind of Unrequited AU), Smut, Angst [one shot]

I’ve read years this years ago and when I decided to officially have a blog, it took me months to find this. It’s just memorable because usually it’s the female catching feelings in a friends-with-benefits scenario. But here, OC actually rejected him (that’s the start of the story). Please read and find out what happens next. 

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First Love @jungnoir - Yoongi 

↳ bestfriend au, OC about to get married 

so this is sad at first because it’s only hours away from her wedding but read until the end 😍

Not Yet + Almost  @bratkook - Jungkook

↳ neighbor AU, kinda fake boyfriend (on the spot) to annoy OC’s Ex [2/?]

ahh this is cute. I shouldn’t be smiling at Jungkook’s pain but it was just so cute. It’s more of mutual pining though. The first drabble is more on JK’s while Almost we get to see OC’s thoughts. So, I guess in the third???

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Pining 101 @guklvr - Jungkook 

↳ hospital au, friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, humor, fluff [drabble series] 

a collection of drabbles based on pediatricsurgeon!jk dealing with his crush on generalsurgeon!reader. Read if you’re looking for something light and humorous. 

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Sidekick @bananagukkie - Jungkook 

↳  superhero au, best friend au, fluff [one shot]

You didn’t realize that your best friend was in love with you or the fact that he was Busan’s “newest” hero.

Lifting the Veil @/fortunekookie - Jungkook 😭

↳ real unrequited love/pining, friends to lovers, smut, angst [one shot] 

so yeah I guess read this first because it sure is angsty then read other fluffy fics (like Pining 101 or Frost Impressions)

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Requiem @cinnaminsvga - Jungkook 

↳ pretend confession!au, angst [drabble]

Jeon Jungkook loves you. You love someone else. He lets you say “I love you” to him, if only so that he gets to hear it once in his life. - so yeah, let’s cry about it  😭

Unveil @nijoonie - Jimin 

↳ Arranged Marriage, Childhood Friends to Lovers

angsty tones in the beginning. Jimin is such a dear 🥺

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Best of Me @/floralseokjin - Jimin

↳ Best Friend AU, OC just got heartbroken, angst

ugh just angst all over. The ending is hopeful but still sad?

Piece by Piece @underthejoon - Seokjin x Reader x Hoseok ⭐

↳ bestfriend au, fwb au, love triange, a collection of drabbles where your love life is muddied up by two men – the one you love and the one that loves you. Smut, Angst [drabble series]

if you are not into love triangles, I think this will, well not change your mind because some people strongly dislike love triangle themes, but it’ll make the LT themes bearable. The writing is just beautiful and actually I’ve reblogged this for Hobiuary Day (one day I was on Hobi lockdown just reblogging purely favorite Hoseok fics) but I haven’t written a review or reaction yet. Read and explore their relationship dynamics 😭🥰

🌷  so, I don’ recall a Namjoon fic where he’s the one pining (usually it’s the OC). 

I had a great time recalling scenes from each fic (and what made the pining so angsty) 🥰. So, please enjoy!

.

[saintobio]

Hi saint! I just wanted to tell you how much i love your story, and it makes me sad to hear you’re having a bad time :( writing should be fun for the author! We’d be so sad if you dropped SY but we’d understand! Take care of yourself! But also while there’s the negative Nancys out there, I’m sure there’s much more positive interactions out there! I include myself! I’ve been having a rough time and reading SN/SY has seriously made my days better event though it’s full of angst haha. Thank you for making a difference to those of us that appreciate your writing, and regardless if I agree with a character or not, they’re YOUR characters who you’ve thought about and created these stories for. And besides the 20k+ word count? I LOVE IT, it sometimes feels like 2k words and not enough 😣

I loved the latest chapter and I heard happier as I believe one of your posts had recommended? I’ve listened to that song before but after reading chapter 8, MY GOD. the song broke my heart 🥲 I understand that y/n told Satoru to move on and utahime was there for him in his lowest times, so it makes sense their relationship evolved to that but I STILL will root for y/n and Satoru be together in the end 😭 “and I thought my heart was detached from all the sunlight of our past” like… this line? I want to believe she still has intense feelings for him, based on this song and all the character interviews but IDK 😭 I’m hoping time apart, being with other people, a coparenting relationship for sachiro will help them grow, heal and find their way back to each other 😍

@ao-minecchi said

ugh my poor saint, all i wanna do is give you the biggest hug ever, i swear. honestly, whatever you choose to do with this series and the future, you have my support 10000000%. I try not to send any asks that may come off as offensive to others, but it really annoys me to see the audacity and absolute ignorance that people can show towards your complex and beautiful writing, and extremely hard work. this is something we get to read FOR FREE, and something you dedicate yourself to all while having a job, and trying to live your personal life, too. i wish i could put my frustration into my words but i’m such a dunce when it comes to that but,i really, really want you to know i’ll always support you. :,) i always look forward to your posts, whatever they may be, or whatever you want to discuss because you’re truly one of my favorite people on tumblr. i hope you know so many of us will always be in your corner and are always here to give you all the extra love and support you may need. sending all my love and support as well. <33 (sorry if this made no sense, my head is so scrambled. T_T)

Anonymous said

i’m sorry that people are making you not want to continue this story! i hate that they can’t comprehend that this story is complex and full of angst with characters who are just as complex and who might not make decisions that would make everything instantly better. but that’s why this story is sooo amazing, bc it’s realistic in the fact that not everything is always going good, some things don’t have a happy ending. it’s a beautiful story! it’s raw, complex, broken but so well written. like if this was a book in a store i would buy it in a heartbeat. hope you don’t let them get to you but if you do decide to stop writing it, i support you 100%. <3

Anonymous said

saint, i beg you not give up on us as your readers. we love what you are writing and through it we would know how sy ending going to be. that one anon who blames you just got no akhlaq. so girl keep doing what you’re doing!!! saint best author <33

Anonymous said

Saint

Some of actually love your work and we love you tbh.. so we need you to prioritize your emotional well-being..♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

@sagekko said

hey saint,

not a question again 😂 sorry for wasting ur time(maybee), but I just wanna say thank u for ur astonishing unparallel creativity, whenever u release a new chapter of sy I prepare myself beforehand to not get a heart attack but u always manage to kill me, give me anxiety for days and make me tear up!!!! im just in awee, u're amazing istg, I talk about how brilliant u are to all of my friends and they're like shut up we get it but i'm like nooo 😂😭 that's not even the half of it, I have more to tell u about herrrr

& I saw that u're thinking of quitting and I just wanted to say that ur work is so special, rare and original, people like to tear others down, I'm sorry if u received any kind of hate🥺 and no matter what decision u'll make, I'll, alongside every other reader of urs; support you 4evaa.

sending u lots of love and positivity 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍.

Anonymous said

tbh is you feel the need to drop SY or put it on hiatus you should. your mental health is more important than a fan fiction. the haters can suck my non-existent dick.

Anonymous said

TO MY FELLOW READERS, this is a friendly reminders that writers/authors are the god of their own work. They write what they want and they get to decide what the characters’ fate CAUSE IT’S THEIR STORY and we’re not to dictate them of what we want them to write just to match our feelings and emotions.

IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE STORY OR YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE SCENARIOS YOU WANTED DIDN’T HAPPEN THEN DROP IT OR WRITE YOUR OWN.

I’m so pissed. Saint, I love your works huhu please don’t stop writing😭 always take care.

Anonymous said

hey saint! sorry you are feeling bad and frustrated, its totally valid. some of these anons need to realize it is not that deep. they are not yn. as a recommendation turn off the anon option like you did in your main (I saw another reader with this idea) at least just for a few chapters. if you still get this insane hate and stupid asks, you can block the people since they won't be anon

Anonymous said

I some how feel with the influx of bullshit your receiving, that people dropped your story on tiktok or something. The vile things people are spouting even in comments regarding Hime’s infertility is disgusting. In Hime’s case, her infertility isn’t permanent and we all know Gojou has super swimmers. If i knew POS wouldn’t make miscarriage comments, i’d enjoy Hime being pregnant even if it physically sickens me because of pure spite for the people who can’t handle MATURE, fictional works of art.

Anonymous said

Lmao people should really think like a writer.

As a reader I'm bias to certain characters but when I'm in writing mode i have to be neutral and give some "fairness" to all characters. I feel like discussions like these should be among the readers and not directly to you saint.

Anonymous said

To that one anon,

Please just step out for a bit. If you don't like how the story is going right now so much, just get out. You obviously can't handle rising actions. You don't get the point and the meaning behind the events in the story. Just wait for it to end, then read it. Just don't comment anything. It's not even finished yet. You're acting as if the fates of the characters have already been announced. And to accuse the author of being biased, how dare you

Anonymous said

THE AUDACITY OF THAT ANON OH MYGOD! They obviously doesn't understand the story and it's point. Please don't get bothered by people like them Saint. You have lots of supporters who trusts you and we all know that you know what you're doing. Shake them off, Saint. You're doing great.

Anonymous said

To that anon who basically called Saint biased:

what the fuck? we're only in episode 7 why are acting like as if it's already decided for the characters? You think Saint is being biased because Utahime's character got things going her way right now, but do you think it will be like that for the rest of story? The author knows what she's doing, sit down and wait for the story to unfold. y'all frustrating.

Anonymous said

Saint I'm so sorry that some readers get exhausting here 😔 Like yeah I'm mad at Gojohime too, but so was I at Sera&Gojo, Sophia etc... As long as YN gets her justice and happiness at the end I'll keep my sanity 💆🏻‍♀️... People really need to lay back and look forward for YN taking care of things, girl still needs to understand wtf is just happening. I really hope that you'll stop getting asks, that make you uncomfortable. Take care of yourself and thank you for your hard work 🛐🌻💐💓

@femhades said

hello! im so sorry that some anons are making you feel emotionally exhausted. sometimes i do feel annoyed too when you have to repeat your stance again and again, when people disregard the characters development in the series again and again, when people are rude in your asks/comments section and you entertain them anyways again and again. there's nothing much else i can say other than that if you feel that dropping sy would end this mess and make yourself happier, do it. by the end of the day, it's your story and efforts, so why should you listen to other people? there's seriously no reason for you to put your concerns on the back burner. do whatever that makes you happy (: every 50 hateful anons on this blog, there will be another 100 anons that are here to support you and i am one of them.

go read some manhwas, have a good meal and rest. you deserve it the most right now ((:

Anonymous said

They seem to lack reading comprehension… I’m so sorry, Saint. You’ve done an excellent job with this story.

I feel that your DEVOTION is overlooked by these unneeded comments. Your writing is compelling, dimensional and knotty (in the best way possible), the way you layered things attentively. You’ve given so much color and flavor to your work!

You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. You’ve only made smart, considerate decisions.

🤍

Anonymous said

This is for you

Honestly I'm very thankful that you wrote sy and sn I hope you don't drop it. But if you ever feel stressed out you deserve a break at any time you want it's your book your rules. Sn and sy are amazing books and I hope you don't pay attention to all the negativity that you get and of course stay happy and healthy.

I wish you the best and I love your book and thank you for writing it again ❤️❤️❤️

Really this is the only book that's keeping me happy during my depression

(sorry for the bad grammar and spelling mistakes)

hello hello hellooo i’m sorry i can’t respond to everyone but i do appreciate these words of encouragement :’( i’m just very, very disappointed this weekend bc i was rly looking forward to write sy8 and interact w u guys, but the moment i opened my askbox, there’s just so much unnecessary discourse and negativity. i guess it was a cherry on top on an already stressful week and i felt like i had no space to breathe. the fact that some asks i receive are just plain ridiculous too.

ngl it’s been making me think twice abt continuing the series bc i feel like i’m giving u guys my 101% pumping out 15-20k words a chapter and yet some people can be so entitled and ungrateful and just rude. but i know many of u aren’t like that so i guess that’s what’s really keeping me going T^T

[nextinline-if]

hiiii <3

i played the demo just now, and i gotta say i loved it! i was so pleasantly surprised to see separate choices for gender and pronouns in character customisation - it's something I sadly don't see that often even in very inclusive IFs and it's also something that's making my whole experience a fair bit more comfortable. i identify as nb but i prefer she/her pronouns, even if pretty much any and every pronouns are ok for me - so i really wanted to say i appreciate that little detail!

i also liked the harbinger's oath - it's very cool how it stresses the importance of leadership and making a way when there is none, and not just, you know, staying faithful and loyal and stuff. the overall style, fashion and atmosphere are all very nice, the mix of ancient greek and victorian and original ideas is both familiar and new so it's hard to get bored!

oh, i loved the gods too. there isn't so many that either the author or the reader can get lost trying to untangle the threads of mythology, and you don't risk any of them being forgotten or becoming less prominent - it's nice! i loved the myths we've seen, the twins are charming! i thought I'd like to follow aurora since i usually go for sun aesthetic, but in this case i didn't really vibe with her. maybe it's because the 2 myths were mostly about euribia or at least her side of the story, so i just don't have enough info. so, here's hoping for some more mythology lessons in the future! ah, i also liked that fertility and love and marriage belong to different gods domains.

james and anna are dears, gotta tease them to marriage and (hopefully not) back :3

the ROs are... prominent, i guess? at this point i don't feel like the pc knows enough about them to see them for what they are, and i mostly used what i read from your blog to choose between them and orient myself. tbh I didn't quite like most of the flirting options (though it can be the case that I'm just picky lmao, don't take it to heart). i think i liked what you did with constantine - that some options aren't marked as flirting or anything but... they get a reaction from him, and in return the pc also reacts somehow. dialogues with him also feel less "cheap" - unlike some of the scenes where the so called flirting is just ogling or blushing and tripping over your words because of someone calling you lovely or something. constantine's scene also have this stuff but... to less extant? i think? i know it's some kind of imaginary world, but it's still hard for me to comprehend how a literal royal, a year before becoming the monarch, minutes after thinking "everyone is judging me i must be perfect" now goes around and makes a fool of themselves... but i still want to flirt! ugh! such dilemma! i loved margaret's first flirting option though - the one where pc asks anna to bring her another glass, now that was fun.

the "cold" options of dealing with f. were very nice too, i really enjoyed the balcony scene in the prologue!

anyway, sorry for ranting, and thank you for sharing the demo with us! wish you the smoothest progress and good inspiration and much free time to write! good luck 🍀💙

i was so pleasantly surprised to see separate choices for gender and pronouns in character customisation - it's something I sadly don't see that often even in very inclusive IFs and it's also something that's making my whole experience a fair bit more comfortable.

I'm so glad to hear this! I've found that it's really not much extra work on the coding side so I didn't think there was a reason not to add it.

the mix of ancient greek and victorian and original ideas is both familiar and new so it's hard to get bored!

yay! the last thing I want is for anyone to get bored playing my game aha I know it's a bit different and some people like things more traditional.

here's hoping for some more mythology lessons in the future!

there will definitely be additional myths.

the ROs are... prominent, i guess? at this point i don't feel like the pc knows enough about them to see them for what they are

The current demo is only a taste but the MC will be able to learn more as the story progresses and build friendship or romance as wanted. There are no straight "routes", as all characters have their own role to play in this story. I hope you will enjoy learning more about them. The rest of the chapters cover around a month of events each.

tbh I didn't quite like most of the flirting options (though it can be the case that I'm just picky lmao, don't take it to heart).

No worries, the flirting is something I added more shy options for because when I first released the demo, the feedback I received was that there weren't enough of those options. Also, flirting is the hardest for me to write about. But, my hope is that it will more natural and worthwhile in the rest of the game. :D

I may consider revamping the flirting that is available now but only after I get chapter 2 released.

Thanks for your feedback and thoughts! It sounds like you enjoyed it overall. I appreciate you giving it a go. I'm always open to feedback, whether I'm able to implement or change things depends but I'm eager to learn where I can improve.

Hope you have a great day!

Discord | itch.io | Ko-fi | Tag List | 1K Giveaway Rules + Entry

[queer-and-dear-books]

Title: Sometime After Midnight

Author: L. Philips

Genre: YA Fiction | Romance | Drama | LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Death | Suicide

Overall Rating: 9.8/10

Personal Opinion: A gay love story inspired by the classic fairy tale, Cinderella, what more could you possibly want? What makes this a fairy tale, you might ask? Simple. Nate and Cam are perfect for each other. They met once and yet they seemed to understand each other perfectly. However, when Nate finds out that Cam is a Pierce, things go downhill from there. Will Cam be able to find his Cinderfella or were they doomed from the start?

Couple Classification: Nathan Mitchell Grisheimer X Richard Cameron Pierce Jr. = Artist X Artist/Prep

Do I Own This Book? Nope.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- This is one of those books that have a saccharine ending that rots teeth. I love it. Firstly, this story takes inspiration from Cinderella so it’s no surprise that it has a fairy tale feel to it. The way Cameron and Nate just feel perfect for each other is that fairy tale aspect. Their love is  perfect. Secondly, there’s no homophobia. At least none that is significant to the story. Cam seems totally secure in his sexuality and his dad never references it in a negative light. Instead, Nate and Cam are out here boldly kissing in front of the paparazzi in the final chapter. Fairy tale love indeed. Thirdly, the “evil stepmother” turned out not to be so evil. Because Tonya was only 21 when she married Mick and suddenly became the sole guardian of Nate. She was just as lost as he was. It’s really no wonder she struggled to be a parent but I think she did well in the end, apologizing for not doing better and promising to do better from then on.

- I mentioned Cameron and Nate being perfect together, didn’t I? Well they are. They seem to get each other on an almost spiritual level where they complete each other’s sentences and fill in the blanks for each other’s songs. It’s so sweet how much Cam cares for Nate even when Nate was angry at Cam. It’s so sweet how Nate was touched by Cameron’s song for him. It’s so sweet that Cam wrote a song about Nate that was apparently sexy and powerful. I just, ugh, I wish more couples were like them. Actual communication, treating each other like equals, being on the same wavelength on something they love: music.

- Victor is such a great friend and hilariously, not-so-subtly, possibly repressed bisexual. He is Nate’s ride-or-die. When the paparazzi hounded Nate, Vic (and his family) offered his home to Nate to hide out. He then helped Nate go on the run by getting him a dream gig being a roadie for his favorite band, Liquid. He’s constantly ready to be Nate’s ride almost anywhere and he pushes Nate to pursue his dreams.

- Tess is the same in that last aspect for Cam. Cameron was so insecure in his singing and Tess, his twin, was constantly pushing him to pursue that dream. She’s also great as an individual as well. I mean, making a foundation that helps women achieve greatness? Iconic. Her eye and skill for business are so impressive too and honestly? She’s just a queen and we stan.

- I’m not done talking about how sweet Nate and Cam are. They stayed up until like four in the morning just writing songs! They noted how the other like to take coffee for reference in the future! Cam cooked for Nate and helped Nate write a song about his dad! Nate encouraged Cam to open up about his insecurities about his father and helped him stand up to him too! Like that is a power couple right there. When they truly bring out the best in each other. Cam really is the most unselfish person too somehow.

Dislikes:

- Bruh, Nate got doxxed by Tess’s fans. That is so fucked up. The people that put his address on the internet should be punished because I feel like we glossed over that. And Tess really should have known better.

- I have my issues with Cam’s dad but honestly, that’s sort of irrelevant? Shockingly. I don’t know, for a guy that’s so busy, he tries for his family and he even cares about his artists. I honestly can’t be too mad at him.

- The dialogue feels contrived sometimes. Like half the time, the characters were giving whole ass monologues that seemed way too scripted. But again, I’m not too mad at it because there is the fairy tale aspect to take into account here.

- Also, Cam describes Nate as having a muscled back but Nate spends at least 10% of the book stress eating unhealthy foods. There is no way. I know that this is fiction and everyone can be pretty in fiction but after reading so many books with plus-sized characters that are still written as attractive, I just feel like the same could have been done with Nate.

[grittyreadsfic]

hello my friends, one singular person asked for this weeks ago so i’m here with my most unhinged rec list yet: tk and nolan.

now, this one was hard to reign in, so i really didn’t. this pairing had maybe 230 fics in the tag when i first started reading hockey fic, and it’s now over 900, and i’ve read far too many of them, and that makes it so hard to parse it down. so i just...didn't!

so with that said, please enjoy so you want to get into tknp: a beginners guide to a classic case of idiots to lovers

i told myself that i couldn’t rec an author’s entire body of work but then i remembered this is my blog and i do what i want, so i did some consolidating. here’s a list of the quintessential authors for this pairing, you can start at any of their profiles and pick any of their fics at random, and it’ll be one of the best ones for the pairing, hands down.

therainbowsedge: i’d start with the summer camp fic, or the sex toys one, as both beautifully capture the true idiots to lovers nature of this pairing, but just top tier writing all around

manybumblebees: the wedding fic is so tender and port stanley is a classic, but literally pick any single fic and you’ll have a perfect tknp fic. i’m not kidding

jamesvanriemsdick: their tknp fics in their series are some of the hidden gems of this pairing (the tk heartbeat fic makes me LOSE it) but the delaware fic or the seattle fic…..there’s really something for every mood

catchascatchcan: start with era of gods because i could write literal essays on how it’s some of the best fantasy worldbuilding i’ve ever read, but then just read everything else on their account, including non tknp fics. you won’t regret it

hackysack: ao3 user hackysack has written one of two timeloop fics that i absolutely adore, and i thought about just calling that one out in particular, but all of their work deserves the attention

canary: nothing to prove was the first tknp fic i ever read and i was immediately hooked. all of their fics are a good starting place for the pairing, and just really give you a feeling for the pairing

and now, for the fic recs!

to be, despite it all by smudgedfreckles

summary: or, nolan patrick’s gender thesis, by travis konecny.

why i love it: there’s not a lot ofo nonbinary characters in media, even in fic, but this fic’s treatment of nolan and their path to figuring out their gender just feels so real and made me feel so seen. tk’s characterization is also just top notch, and it’s just a super sweet story about two people who love each other

last ones standing by makeit_takeit

summary: If you���re committed to finding your future spouse, reads the last line of the ad, and are ready to look at yourself and your love life in a whole new way, apply now.

At the bottom of the ad there’s a link, and Travis finds his finger hovering over the screen, lip still caught between his teeth.

“I mean,” he says very reasonably, speaking out loud to his empty apartment like some sort of possibly-crazy person, “just applying doesn’t mean anything. Maybe I just fill it out, and see what happens. It’s not like I’m really gonna get picked to be on TV, come on.”

He snorts out loud, just to show his apartment he hasn’t lost his grip on reality or anything; he fully understands how ludicrous that would be.

Then he clicks the link anyway, because yolo or whatever.

why i love it: what part of a married at first sight fic doesn’t make you want to immediately dive right in? the concept is fun, the execution is absolutely flawless, and it captures their dynamic so well while letting it develop naturally

motivation by connectknee

summary: Kevin knows when to back off, the article said. He knows just when to shut up and leave Patty alone, something Travis has never known how to do.

why i love it: the thing i love about this pairing is that tk is loud and in your face, and nolan’s more reserved, a little quieter, a little harder to read. this fic does a really great job of exploring how tk could feel like maybe he’s just a bit too much and is one of my favorites in terms of miscommunication

a tenderness grows by rusesdeguerre

summary: Nolan wouldn’t say that landing a job as the Philadelphia Flyers’ psychotic and probably clinically insane mascot was a childhood dream of his. Maybe tangentially: playing pond hockey in –30°C weather and pretending to be Sidney Crosby is practically a rite of passage when you grow up in Manitoba. That, and experiencing the distinct displeasure that is thousands of mosquitoes sucking your blood out when your father drags you on a father-son camping trip into the backwoods of the northern Canadian Prairies.

why i love it: this was the first fic i recced on this blog, and i stand by that decision. a fic where nolan is not only not a hockey player, but is in fact the person in the gritty suit? absolutely perfect, and so charming from start to finish

meet me at my window by springsteen

summary: Travis has lived in Philadelphia for a few years now, long enough to know there isn’t a major city in America where superheroes don’t destroy an entire city block trying to save humanity or whatever. He can deal with all the super-shit, but Travis did not sign up for getting woken up from a deep sleep because some fucker’s trying to break in through his window.

(5 times the super-villain known as "The Cat" breaks into Travis's apartment, plus 1 time Travis invites him in.)

why i love it: there’s a lot of things to love here, but the concept is just absolutely one of my all time favorite aus ever. it’s fun and charming and the perfect glimpse into a world where heroes and villains exist, and what it’s like just to be a run of the mill kind of guy existing in it. tk and nolan’s back and forth in this make it so engaging, and it’s such a top tier fic

body’s in trouble by cloudsandpassingevents

summary: “Oh, sorry,” someone says. “Didn’t know anyone else was here.”

Nolan freezes, then turns around very slowly. When he looks up, Nicklas fucking Backstrom is standing behind him in a hoodie and baggy sweats, holding the biggest bag of Swedish Fish Nolan’s ever seen in his life in one hand.

“Uh,” Nolan says around the pop tart between his teeth. “Yeah.”

What the fuck, his brain helpfully supplies.

why i love it: from nolan’s inner voice, to the way the author explores all the dynamics within the team, to the way they write the unexpected but actually, it kind of makes sense friendship between nolan and backstrom, is just absolutely fantastic. there’s a lot of moments that circle back and build on each other in a way that really just makes it super compelling

rhizomatic foundations by lighthousetowers

summary: Twenty days after he moves in with Kevin Hayes, twenty days – three months, five months, depending on how you look at it – after not talking to TK, TK shows up at the front door with a plant the size of a basketball in his hands.

TK grins. "Patty, meet Reginald." He lifts up the plant. "Reggie, meet Patty. He's going to be your new - caretaker."

"What the fuck," says Nolan, not moving a single muscle.

Or: That Nolan can hear the plant talk might as well just happen.

why i love it: this is probably my favorite magical realism fic just about ever. it’s fun and charming and a little weird, but in the best possible way. there’s such a wonderful narrative in it, and lighthousetowers always has such beautiful writing, and it really shines in this one. the dialogue and nolan’s characterization are also part of what set it apart for me as one of the best tknp fics

in the dark of any town by mengetpegged

summary: If the voice has an accent at all, it’s a flat prairie Canadian, with none of G’s French-Canadian softness at the edges. But mostly, the accent is just ‘pissed off,’ which TK believes is a default setting for ghosts.

“Who are you?” TK asks, and he doesn’t like how strained his voice sounds, doesn’t like the tinge of anxiety tinting the rise of his question. He tries to regulate his breaths—in through his nose, hold, out through his mouth—but it feels like he’s not getting enough oxygen, which makes him panic even more.

“Someone with a fucking migraine, dickhead,” the voice says. “So keep the lights off and shut the hell up.”

(or: Nolan Patrick, Hotel X Ghost)

why i love it: i’m usually not super into ghost fics, both the spooky kind and the nonspooky kind, but this one is a rare exception. it’s charming and fun and tender and it’s got some of, in my opinion, the best characterization of tk and nolan in any fic. the way the author writes their dynamic and their dialogue is just unmatched

lets_make_this_moment_a_crime.mp3 by honeydripping

summary: Travis meets Nolan at a Midtown show in 2002 when he punches Nolan in the face. He can’t help it, “Like A Movie” just goes off.

But he does feel guilty about it.

or

TK and Patty work at a bakery together. They go to punk shows to pass the time.

why i love it: idk if anyone asked for an early 2000s emo/punk/alt au but wow! i sure am glad it exists! really the vibes of this fic, as silly as that sounds, are absolutely unmatched. i love the structure with the music, the development of their relationship, and just everything about how the author wrote the setting (there’s this whole thing with tattoos in it that makes me feel absolutely insane)

you’re ripped at every edge by you’re a masterpiece by conformityissuicide

summary: “Ugh, look, this yoga teacher has it out for me, man. And I can’t go back there without at least having some of the basics down. I’ve got to win this battle.”

“Yoga isn’t really something you win at,” Hartsy starts.

Travis cuts him off, “You can win at anything if you try hard enough.”

+++

OR that time Nolan's a grumpy yoga teacher and Travis realizes he wants to bone him and prove him wrong about Travis' non-existent yoga abilities.

why i love it: listen, if you want tknp, at least one of them has to be an idiot, and this tk absolutely captures the obliviousness i love to see in him in fic. it’s such a great characterization of them both and such a great concept (and even better execution)

you form a terror pack (and i’m aware of that) by dalmatienne

summary: “Can I help you?” TK snarks, both eyebrows hiked up in a way that has earned her many elbow checks to the ribs.

The chick looks down her nose, long thick eyelashes fluttering. Red-bitten lips part to blow a florid pink bubble and TK can smell the chemical sweetness when it pops.

“Yeah,” she says in this monotonous voice that seems almost at odds with her bubble gum and neon skates. She jams her stopper into TK’s thigh again, literally inches away from where it’d really hurt. “Tie ‘em.”

why i love it: to be honest, i generally don’t read rule 63 within hrpf, but this one is just absolutely knocks it out of the park. the concept (i fuckin’ love roller derby), the characterization of nolan, the pacing, the rituals, the tone of the entire fic, it’s just all around a perfect read from start to finish

thrills and grills by bitter_leaf

summary: Travis can’t even begin to wonder what he did in a previous life to incur the wrath of this fucking cook. Travis thinks he’s a nice person, doesn’t conduct himself in any way that could be considered particularly dickish, and unless this guy has some sort of issue with hockey bros or people from the boonies, he’s not sure how he started shit without even knowing.

__

Patty has a vendetta. Travis just wants to eat his eggs in peace.

why i love it: honestly this is the enemies to lovers fic i’ve been waiting for. i remember seeing the reddit post when it first went viral and thinking it would make such a great fic premise, so stumbling across this one was just so wonderful. super engaging and fun and so hilarious to read!

nothing but room for you by fightingfuries

summary: When his agent tells him he’s going to be traded to the Devils, Nolan isn't sure how he feels about it. Might be easier if he was going somewhere farther away, like California or fucking Florida. Somewhere sun-soaked and foreign. Someplace so different from Philadelphia that he can forget he ever played for the Flyers, forget everything that happened there.

Or Nolan fucks up, gets traded, gets his shit together and falls in love. Not necessarily in that order.

why i love it: i cannot stress to you how much i love trade fics, and this one is one of my absolute favorites. the trade to the devils-so close to philly, still, but there’s more to distance than physical miles-was such an excellent choice and the split timeline adds so much to the narrative, and the emotions are real and messy and complicated in the best way

a couple of runaways (i’m glad you stayed) by overturnedgoal

summary: The person in the video he’s watching is super annoying. Some obnoxious holier than thou granola type who keeps talking about their environmental impact as if they aren’t driving a gas guzzler around, but the basic idea of living in a van, driving around wherever, camping all the time, just going hiking and swimming and seeing the whole country? It sounds pretty dope, honestly.

why i love it: i like to watch tours and conversions of vans/buses into tiny homes as a self soothing method, and this fic has the same impact that watching those do. it’s such a fun concept, and it’s so fuckin’ soft, and the dialouge between tk and nolan is just *chef’s kiss*

all candor and style in the crook of your smile by p3trichor

summary: It’s a photo of Nolan on his knees with someones’ fingers in his mouth, lips slick with spit. Travis flicks by it almost too fast and he’s only got seconds to decide if he wants to screenshot it, if he wants to just give up the ghost right then and there. Except Travis’s phone freezes momentarily and then the group refreshes, sidcros87, Bert59 and 14 others took a screenshot!

It’s gone before Travis even has time to process it and he already wasted his replay of the day on a stupid video of a stupid fish that Hayes caught.

Can you send me that screenshot Travis texts Bertuzzi before he can overthink it, his dick already stirring in his sweats. Tuzzi sends back the cry-laughing emoji and then the screenshot before Travis can be too annoyed at him.

Or, Nolan is being weird about Travis's break-up and TK is maybe not straight.

why i love it: i genuinely don’t think i have words for the amount i love this fic. it took me forever to actually read, but it’s absolutely one of my favorite fics, and it’s an absolutely riot to read. carter’s meddling and the presence of tyler bertuzzi both make it extra fun, in my humble opinion

[devildomdoofus]

“Wheely Cool” - Part 2

“Wheely Cool” - Part 1 (brothers)

Author’s Note:

What a way to start off with the Undateables, huh?! I’m SO proud that it’s over Heelys... but also terrified because I‘m dreadful at writing things for them (well, the brothers too, come to think of it) 😣 it’s just.. my own headcanons for them clash with how I’d like for you guys to see them and both of those things clash wITH HOW/WHO THEY ACTUALLY ARE AND- sorry, I’m rambling and complaining 😅

But I hope you all can enjoy what I have for the Undateables so far and look forward to how I improve with them over the future! ❤️

Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THIS LOVE AND SUPPORT!! I’ll be sure to do something in return for such kindness ❤️

- DevildomDoofus

👹Diavolo:

Heelys, you say? How very interesting. Please, do elaborate!

If there was a unique invention from the human world and you were interested in it, he was interested. Especially when they seemed so fascinating! Shoes with wheels that pop in and out? Incredible! He had to know more!

When you were telling him about the shoes, the history behind them, their integration into ‘pop culture,’ the memes about them, etc., he was hanging on to your every word.

Yes, he knew about roller skates and rollerblades, but not Heelys. Heelys were a different ballpark. But by the three realms he was going to try them for himself!

Immediately, he had Barbatos order him Akuzon truck loads of Heelys. For himself, for you, for the demon brothers, purgatory hall, the entire school, even Barbatos. He wanted EVERYONE to give them a try.

To be certain that all would participate, he issued a mandatory, all day class on Heelys, describing it as a well needed crash course on Human History.

Sometimes it’s fun being a prince.

First time with them on, he wibbled and wobbled for a few moments before finally getting a good grasp on the technique... and now, he was about to make it everyone’s problem.

Barbatos could feel a migraine approaching..

Diavolo never walked anywhere for a very, VERY long time. It was always him rolling through the doorway with a big smile on his face or scooting up to a group of his fellow, ‘higher up’ associates as their eyes grew wide at him. If he saw you wheeling through the hallways, he’d go toes up, roll your way, and high five you with a follow up of finger guns. He felt on top of the world.

Poor Barbatos had to do the same and use Heelys as his new work shoes.

Sorry Barbatos...

Diavolo thanked you for showing him this whole new world with even more truck load of deliveries of Heelys/Heelys accessories.

⏳Barbatos:

Sincerest apologies, but what might these Heelys be?

Showing him the pair that you had, you explained what they were in full detail and hoped that such a thing didn’t come off as ridiculous to an ancient demon butler who’s probably seen some pretty strange, human inventions over the years... maybe this wouldn’t sound so strange after all?

Unfortunately, it did, but it was for the same reasons as some of the other demons. He saw no use for such a thing when his own pair of feet worked just fine and he had incredibly powerful abilities involving time... needless to say, he’s a punctual man.

except for that ONE time

Heelys serve him no purpose.

He respectfully declines using them himself but is delighted that you have such a unique hobby. Plus, he thinks you look rather charming and happy, wheeling about wherever you pleased.

It made him happy too.

However, Diavolo inevitably caught wind of your cool, new pair of shoes and wanted to be involved.

Which led to Diavolo getting himself a pair.

and that led to him forcing Barbatos to do the same.

At first, they were highly inconvenient as they certainly didn’t allow him to go about his duties as gracefully as he did before, since there were now these chunky shoes with unsteady wheels attached to his feet.

As he was getting used to the new attire, he would often falter and spill things, break objects, or cause other types of destruction while also learning how to go about his daily routines with his shoes and feet constantly betraying him. It was a bit of a nuisance but nothing he couldn’t handle.

He’s dealt with far worse.

Over time, though, he had grown accustomed to them and somewhat appreciated their convenience when he wanted to get from point A to point B a little quicker.

Still, he prefered his original pairs of shoes because they were steady and didn’t weigh his feet down as much.

He asked Diavolo if he could return to his original attire. Diavolo allowed it but with a big pout on his face.

Barbatos thanked you for teaching him about Heelys and was honored to be a part of such an experience.

Just, please... don’t ask him to do it again.

🕊Simeon:

Sorry? Heelys? What does that mean?

Ahhh, how interesting. Humans come up with some of the most strangest and fascinating things.

He observed with curious eyes and an intrigued smile on his face as you explained and then demonstrated what Heelys were. He took the pair you offered him and examined them thoroughly. Finally, he looked back to you and asked politely, “May you teach me?”

Once he laced himself up and straightened out, you took his hand and led him forward, teaching him the ways of Heelys. Whenever he’d start to wobble, he’d chuckle a bit and then apologize for gripping your fingers so tightly.

Eventually, Simeon got the hang of them and could scoot around on his own as gracefully as he walked.

Luke watched as his fellow angel rolled around with his toes up and eyed him in awe... and a little bit in jealousy.

Of course, you had to get Luke a pair and teach him.

Before long, you three could be seen scooting down hallways, up and down streets, and doing little tricks all over the place. Wherever you went, you rolled.

And it made the brothers become green with envy

Or in this case, orange.

Simeon enjoyed Heelys enough to buy all three of you a matching set that had miniature angel wings on the sides of the shoes and wheels that lit up yellow, imitating the brightness of a halo.

He appreciated that you shared something like this with him and Luke and hoped that it would bring you three closer together.

👼🏻Luke:

Huh? Is that a human thing?

Whoa, no way!!

To say that he was shaking with excitement as you demonstrated what Heelys were, would be an understatement. The way you wheeled around so effortlessly and how cool you looked doing it? It made him want a pair of his very own.

He felt and looked like a kid on Christmas.

Please, please, please, PLEASE teach him?!

He eagerly slipped on some Heelys and waited impatiently for your demonstration. You pointed your toes up on one foot and pushed off with the other, letting it follow suit once you got some speed. Luke watched and tried his best to imitate it, but slipped and fell to the ground.

Ugh! It was too hard! and you made it look so easy...

This time, you took both of his hands in yours and told him to lift his toes up enough to let the wheels do the work as you pulled him along.

Hey! He’s doing it, he’s really doing it!

After a few attempts, he was able to move on his own, for the most part, and could even do basic turns.

Stopping was a different story but who’s counting?

Every once in a while he’d slip or bump into things because he was going way too fast and couldn’t stop, but he was far too excited to stop.

Immediately he scooted off in a wobbly fashion to show Simeon how cool he looked.

He ended up running into him, knocking them both to the floor. Simeon just laughed because Luke looked way too adorable when he was this happy and excited.

From then on, Luke would roll wherever he wanted to go, with Simeon being close by to catch him just in case he was about to crash into something or someone.

If Simeon couldn’t be around, you were in charge of ‘Puppy Duty’. But whenever Luke would look at you with those sparkling eyes filled with pure joy because of the gift you had given him of Heelys and wouldn’t stop thanking you for them, it didn’t seem like so much of a chore anymore.

🔮Solomon:

Ahhh, a person of culture. You have Heelys too?

In that case, what would you say to a little friendly competition?

Maybe it was the sophisticated way that Solomon carried himself or the insightful way that he spoke but... you didn’t really picture Solomon as a Heelys kind of guy?

Then again, this is Solomon we’re talking about. He probably has a Skipit, a Furby, Moon Shoes, and who knows what else, hidden away somewhere... you bet he had a Nokia, for sure!

Still, how did he know about Heelys in the first place?

The more you came to know of Solomon, the less it felt like you actually did.

So about that competition...

Fine, but what of the wager?

Solomon smirked and suddenly a feeling of uneasiness settled in your stomach.The words left his lips and you went stiff.

A date?!

Whatever could the counter wager be?!

A week with unlimited use of all of Solomon’s powers, huh?

DEAL.

You two stationed yourselves at one end of a very long hall with Asmo standing just ahead, two silk clothes in his hands, held above his head to imitate the ‘initiator’ at a drag race. The brothers, Simeon and Luke, even Diavolo and Barbatos showed up to watch how the race would unfurl.

Asmo gave the signal and off you went, making your way towards the finish line. Within seconds, Solomon started catching up to you and soon got a few feet ahead.

A date with the sorcerer was a couple of meters away and you were getting nervous.

That’s when a jealous Mammon panicked and pretended to faint, falling right onto Solomon’s side of the hall and dragging an angry Levi along with him. Solomon was about to hop over them with ease until he saw Beelzebub reaching for a piece of candy that was tossed out by Belphegor and had to put on the breaks to swerve around, slowing him down.

You were now catching up.

Still ahead of you, though, and getting closer to the finish line, Solomon was making headway...

Until Satan feigned anger towards his meddling brothers and punched a giant, gaping hole in the floor, right in Solomon’s way. Having taken notice, Lucifer leaped to shield Solomon from Satan’s wrath by flying in between them and using his wings from his demon form to block Solomon’s path..for ‘protection’, of course. Solomon had no choice but to stop as quickly as he could, taking a hard tumble to the floor and letting you zoom past him.

You made it over the finish line and from the other side of the hall, Asmo shouted “MC is the winner!”

For a moment, Solomon thought he could hear all of the brothers simultaneously sigh with relief.

Well... a deal was a deal.

But that didn’t stop Solomon from wanting rematch after rematch, just waiting for the day that he wins and gets a chance at what he’s wanted for a long time...

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket, Se3, ep11 (part 1)

Breaking toxic bonds & accepting healthy ones isn’t a miracle. A bond that started with love could end up chained & toxic, another that started wrong could’ve become the joy of a life time. You can do it. Break the cycle of abuse & stand up for yourself, it is easy yet so difficult, you aren’t alone, tho, loved ones stand nearby cheering. Be kind on yourself, otherwise you’ll throw your life away. Life isn’t just happiness & joy, it’s also sadness & loneliness. Break free from the shackles that held you down. Embrace life & Live.

-Tohru’s “ I’m okay” mask is finally shattered! (the Importance of kyo’s rejection for her development):

This is the last part of tohru’s character development! The last few eps were abt her role in Akito’s redemption & their similarities. she staood up for herself & choose a path away from her mom while keeping her mom’s memory in a healthy manner. No more planning my life according to mom’s wishes, no more talking to mom ‘s picture 24/7. Now, I’ll plan my life & move forward even if it is with the guy mom said she cant forgive. even If it is without him, I’ll move forward. I love him so much, yet I won’t force our bond & let go. So easy yet so difficult!. tohru doesnt know anything abt kyo after her fall. All she remembers is his heart-broken face as he wept beside her. Those tears on his face, she caused them. He cried cuz it is too painful to see her hurt. She was a burden to him! tohru restored to her old coping mechanism of pretending “ i’m Okay” & smiling. She did so numerous times before. Always worked. No one noticed. Except him. Se02, ep7. he urged her to show her true fears. Now, she’s faced with a pain so big she can’t pretend no more. the pain of loosing him. She cried in front of yuki! The smile & chatting abt chores couldn’t conceal the running tears! Yuki’s first time seeing her like that. Se01, ep14, yuki wondered how could tohru smile after her mom’s death. She can’t pretend no more! She’ll have to wear her feelings on her sleeve! cuz it IS ok to do so! She tells kyo to give her a moment to compose herself. She couldn’t lie & pretend like she did with yuki. Here she either run away or just try to compose myself! I LOVE THAT! This way, whenever kyo/tohru fight or have any misunderstanding in the future as a couple, you’ll know tohru won’t just bear it & pretend, “ i;m okay” No! she’ll talk to kyo & express herself! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! It gives her so much strength as a human & I’m happy all the obstacles & set backs in kyo/tohru’s romantic journey has led them to be better ppl little by little to build healthier & more realistic love! 

-The mechanics of writing a compelling slow-burn romance:

1. Igniting the romantic feelings slowly: Slow burns don’t work with love at 1st sight. It must first sparkle naturally, slowly & subtly. Both kyo & tohru repeatedly stated they don’t know exactly when they first fell in love. The author’s decision to create an environment where the two live together is a genius way to start & nurture their romance quietly & subtly. Kyo was tricked to stay in shigure’s house while tohru had to stay cuz she had no home, Natural reasons that force the two to spend days together & get to know each other gradually.

2. Dynamics of their personalities: For slow burns to work, the two characters need to be similar yet opposites! Kyo & tohru are both kind, endearing, innocent, good at chores, independent & hardworking. They both have history with their mothers that is filled with love yet traumas. However, tohru is calm yet prefer maneuvering around subjects, can’t stand up for herself, reads ppl easily, tends to trust ppl easily & disregard herself. Kyo is fierce, strong, tends to distrust ppl, despite ppl loving his spontaneous character, he has hard time figuring out if they’re mocking him or teasing him, very straightforward with his words & actions. The similarities helps them understand each other, however, the differences creates chances to clash & come even closer thro various situation. Ex, se01, ep2, kyo apologizing for hitting her head with the table which created the situation where she needed to confess she always loved the cat zodiac! It is HER gush of emotions that struck kyo. ppl really want my friendship? the cat is loved? Thro those difference they learned to better themselves so they won’t hurt the other, kyo toning down his anger for her, tohru desiring to know him even more as he becomes even more awkward.

3. Creating natural, realistic  & convincing obstacles that prevents them from being together:  This is the most important part! Slow-burn is two characters in love & cant be together despite everyone wanting them to be! if the reason that stops them from uniting is trivial, stupid, one-sided, can easily be solved, then the slow-burn would be a fillery & no one would cheer for it! Takaya-san is a genius!

Kyo can’t be with tohru cuz he thinks (a) he killed her mom! we saw thr flashback, he could’ve saved her & couldn’t save her. It was a split of a second difference & he hates himsef for NOT trying! that split of a second also prevented from thinking of better ways to save her than holding her! it happened to fast, he couldn't think of a better alternative cuz this was his 2nd time loosing someone (b) his mom’s sucide being pinned as his fault created this immense guilt & defeated feeling that “ no matter what, I just cause death & misery! There’s (c) too!, he knew tohru! thinks she deserves the world & cuz he didnt save her mom, he watched tohru talk to a freaking picture for two years! heck! he is the only one who can see thro tohru’s “ i;m okay” mask, so in se01, ep 14 in the grave yard! kyo wasnt the only one who is sad! tohru was too! & kyo could tell! (d) her mom’s death is the reason tohru is accepting shigure’s offer to stay with them rent-free in exchange of doing housework! (e)? he saw her confess crying her heart out abt missing her mom so much that she imitated her dad! so tragicly sad! (f) he saw her die in his nightmare!! how can he accept her love,now? Perfectly orchestrated obstacles! 

Tohru, unfortunately, in the anime it wasn't that clear due to shortening her backstories & trauma in se03, ep6. But she too couldn’t see herself confessing love to kyo. Tohru is has low self-esteem, always thinks she’s a burden to others, an orphan who just wants her mom, so scared, lonely & sad! we the audience believed the mask! we saw her work her motherly charm yuki, isusuz, kisa & believe her issues are not that deep.  tohru wont cry for herself but shed rivers for others! grief is so ugly it broke her! I cant let go of mom, must keep her always in my heart, such a hard emotions to write & I believe 100% the director couldn’t understand her grief & decided to split ep6 between her, kyo, isuzu & shigure. But Tohru struggling to confess to kyo is no laughing matter. ppl who are grieving find it the hardest to live after the loved ones die. they wont mostly commit suicide, they are alive, but they arent living. they just go thro the motions & live for the sake of those around them but not themselves. Tohru deciding to confess to kyo is her deciding to live for herself.

4. Writing a perfect psychologically & emotionally packed climax: I dont need to explain how perfect kyo’s rejection of tohru in se03 ep9 was. How much we felt for him yet were mad at him. He we were “ ugh! kyo no!!!! I mean I get why you do that , but you idiot no! come back! poor kyo! He was just so sad & broken! OMG he’ll kill himself after finding tohru’s injured body!! he totally would! his nightmare came true! But Tohru reached him! she wanted him to be okay! he wont kill himself but still feels hella guilty! but so utterly in love with her that his instinct upon seeing her come to life after near death is kiss her! Perfect display of psychology & emotions! filled with right, wrong, sad, happy, guilty, innocent! basically so human~ As the audience you MUST have this mixture of feelings of wanting to hug him so bad cuz this boy has been killing himself for years now yet want him to stop & just see that he was a good boy afterall. Tohru is THE best girl & if the audience are cheering for kyo to be with her, kyo really deserves her! The only problem is for kyo to see that now.

5. The Perfect wrap up of all romance: If you make your audience suffer the slow-burn this long, you gotta reward them good! & Takaya-san delivered! Just like how the entire romantic story is realistic, the reunion must be as realistic too! Tohru is hurt by kyo;s words. Facts remain his words were hurtful to her. I love that was addressed! tohru gets to tell her side, too! If you love someone, you are bound to be hurt by them as much as be happy with them. Simply cuz they matter so much to you! you arent one person, but two ppl coming together. Kyo must work hard for this confession. Must run & chase her. Must earn her proper! He gets on his knees, I cant express how important that is! he is way taller than her, Imagine apologizing while she looks way up & he looks down? He gets on his knees & apologize like a man, for every mistake, all while not loathing himself. He aint going back to that deep abyss again. He did wrong by her & he is owning up to his mistakes. Give me one chance. I’m not gonna force you with persistence or guilt you into taking me. Give me ONE chance cuz i deserve it & no more. The choice is yours. She asks to confirm, he shows her, they kiss, they hug, they are rewarded with a blessing from the heavens! One of the most simple yet emotionally fulfilling confessions in anime!

- Hugs over kisses: (And her kiss hugs her & the curse was lifted):

Prince charming kisses the princess & she wakes up~ they live ever after~ except furuba is all abt “ eternal ever after is not true, real life is where the real love is”

Kyo kissed tohru once, she didnt wake up, she didnt even think he loved her back. didnt even remember the kiss.

Kyo hugged tohru once. se01, e024, He initiated it, tohru was all in tears, surprised, happy & so utterly in love. he called her name for the first time ever, for a brief moment, they both connected, they both comforted each other. The rain stopped, he became a man not a monster, she got him back. She got her kyo that she fought for with none other than kyo himself.

kyo hugged her again, se03, ep6. They both initiated it. He made the first move, pulling her just a little closer, she made the second move & hugged him hard, he transformed, it was a moment were they both connected, both so sad & broken, both feeling needy for the other, both desperate for the other, both just living the moment. the result is them coming closer, her wanting him more, him realizing her love, there is no escape. Admit it. she loves you. You can tell.

Kyo hugs her again today. He asks permission. No spur of the moment feeling. But a long lasting permission to be together. To hug. He wants to hear her acceptance of his cursed body. “ is ok to hug you? this body will cause you pain as it wont be able to fulfill your wishes of constant hugs & intimacy”. She responds, permission granted, for love, for hugs, for a life long acceptance of you as a whole. weakness & strength, sadness & happiness. I accept you all in better & worse! we’re invincible. Why? cuz we understand love isnt magic. It is a path for us to walk together~~~ reward curse break!

Every time kyoru are closer it is a hug. The one thing the zodiacs cant do. A hug. They can kiss. But cant hug. comes this Zodiac Ruler girl so lonely, away from ppl, so sad, meets a cat boy who comes to the house she’s living in, a house away from ppl, the boy is drawn to the girl, However, when the boy needed to leave, the girl was able to let go despite loving him, the boy comes again, this time wanting to stay, the girl accepts the boy. They both accept the realistic reality of life. Embrace the obstacles & the achievements, celebrates the weakness above the strength. Both so imperfect. Both so endearingly dumb! that’s why the girl’s hug broke the boy’s curse. The girl’s acceptance of the cat broke all curses.

Side Note:

Kyo’s confession is so kyo! so straightforward, so direct, & so physical. He’s on his knees, holding her hands, looking at her eyes. “ i want to be WITH you. If I’m gona live, I want to to do it with you & no one else! cuz I love you” that’s it. That’s all.  So sincere & so romantic!

it is crazy how different tohru & kyo are now after the confession! she stood confidently & happily & said “dont you know, I love you!” all while teasing him, her giggle is so girlish & cute! my girl is a happy woman in love! long buried the angelic mother image of se02! YES! also, kyo’s happy face is love! Dude! when was the last time he smiled so freely? Did he ever do that? He smiled in se01, ep4 with kazmua, but not like this! T_T. my son is healing~

Kyo’s “ i wont ever feel afraid if you’re with me” is a huge growth from his “ I want to protect her” mindset. Now he realizes it is two-sided mutual desire. She gives him strength as much as he does! <3

I dont like open eye while kissing, but here it is so perfect for tohru in this moment! cuz she spent days thinking kyo rejected her & even ran away as soon as she saw him, now he’s not only confessing, apologizing, admitting she is his life, but also kissing her signaling they’re romantic couple. kissing on lips is so personal, what more evidence she needs? still, her thoughts? “ it’s like a dream?” aww~~~ tohru~~~ my precious girl! she just cant believe all her suffering is over, now? She was just practicing “ i’m okay” smile & now she’s an official girlfriend to the man of her dreams? He just bent da kneeee~ go for it queen!

yuki’s face when tohru cried is exactly what I meant of “ allowing yuki to have strong facial expressions”! XD these types of faces humanize yuki so much into the teenage boy he is! Unfortunately the anime team only sees him as the pretty prince in most times. That’s why fave yuki is when he’s with kakeru. He becomes so un-princly as he should be.

Speaking of yuki, I see you anime team~ postponing his moment into next ep so him & machi wont be overshadowed by the long awaited kyoru!! While this defies the perfection of all cursed zodiacs breaking on the same ep making akito’s breakdown less perfect & poetic, I take it as the anime team admitting they underdeveloped yuchi & decided let’s give them more screen time & not putting them in close distance from any couple. A week later ep is enough with lots of time. I dont mind at all, I’m just saying more time after/while confession is not what i was hoping for~~ sigh~ At least I hope yuki would say sth along the lines” all this time I was looking at you, i realized i love you” to imply he was thinking of her as a lover not his kindness for someone he helped. I just dont want their love to be sudden simply cuz yuki needs happy ending. oh well~ I’m sure whatever it will be, the anime will give it utmost attention.

That sad moment when kagura wasnt allowed a moving image. lol. girl was given a still image that didnt even move with the breeze! T_T

Not gonna lie... the scene with kazuma & kyo was underwhelming. Why the wide shot? I mean you dont need budget for that. Just give me a closeup from the waist up with kyo head buried in kazuma’s chest. Dont need to waste budget on kazuma’s face, either.... do the old trick of hair covering eyes & show me glittery tears~  why the awkward shot of kazma towering in his own house! how tall is this man & why cant he he fix his roof?...lol

Also, shigure, you got scars man... who can hurt shigure? akito? gotta be her. I dont think hatori scratches...lol.. Aya? nah~ too busy with Mine! yup, akito... another steamy night? could be, she’s changed as he wish now. But scratching a face is weird while..um..kissing? a quarrel? but why? I bet she wants him now & we know he wants her....

More on part 2! especially abt the curse’s lore~

[uwua3]

if it's ok 😳👉👈 i really love your writing and i've had this idea in my head for awhile but i can't get myself to write it on my own 🤔 i wanted to see how your spin would be on it- so can i request a prompt where reader gets jealous of tenma's co-actress in a romance and tries to mimic what she does to him in a show they're in?? ty!!! 💕💕💕 i look forward to your interpretation

thank you so much for requesting~ ♡ i love you sososo much; i hope this lives up to everything you’ve dreamed of! ♡ ～('▽^人) i LOVE YOU!!! <333

summary: when tenma lands a role in your favorite drama, he had one goal: to become your favorite actor

warnings: envy/jealousy, food mentions, rivalry (all covered briefly!)

author’s note: after learning everything there is to know about the k-drama, true beauty, on tik tok, i’ve decided to write this! for context, the only thing i recommend watching before reading this is watching the “roar” scene!

this is also the first time i’ve introduced made-up characters with names! please enjoy jun, the first character who isn’t canon to the a3!verse :D

word count: 3,768

music: like a movie – b1a4

pretty u!

🌻☀️ sumeragi tenma

what the heck was love, and why did he have to be in it?

sumeragi tenma, future “world’s best actor”, was suddenly... seeing why he hadn’t won that award yet. with a script in his hand and confusion in another, tenma read the title of the next drama he landed the role for

“PRETTY U...” it was japan’s next major love story, advertised on every social media platform possible with the all-star cast in the spotlight already. although it had already been out for a season, tenma was entering as the up-and-coming newest character of the series

tenma was boyish, young, and much too confident for his age—perfect for the role of a second-lead bad boy who was going to steal the heart and test the protagonist’s commitment

except... he didn’t actually want to take up a new project so soon. he only did because—

“what?! you’re going to be chan on PRETTY U?!” he proudly nodded and watched as you began ranting about how much you loved this show. there was only one reason he came to the audition: tenma wanted to star in your favorite television series

you always went on and on about how great everything about PRETTY U was. after hearing so much and pretending not to listen (even if he could practically explain the entire plotline now without watching it), tenma let himself become a fan, too

after all, how could he not be a fan when you loved PRETTY U so much?

tenma didn’t respond to his manager’s pleas until one day, you revealed another reason why PRETTY U was your favorite production: the main lead

“he’s so handsome~ i love him so much!” “do you know him? could you get me his number?” “look at him... he’s the most perfect actor in the business right now—ah, sorry ten!”

tenma scoffed every time, claiming he could most certainly do better than that hotshot. although the boys typically didn’t do the same type of television, he had become tenma’s #1 rival without even knowing it

besides... what did that guy have that tenma didn’t? he was just nice! sure, he held open the door for the lead, bent down to tie her shoes, bended over backwards just to be the perfect boy-next-door. yeah... even he couldn’t pretend anymore

tenma pouted at the thought, skimming over his next pilot episode for rehearsal tomorrow. he was too good to be real, after all, he was meant to end up with the lead girl anyways (spoiler alert!)

but, it didn’t matter how perfect that actor was! because tenma had gotten the role of “chan”, the leather-jacket wearing mystery with an actual heart of gold, and he was going to make the entire audience swoon

(though, tenma just wanted to make your heart skip a beat when he ended up on the big screen)

tenma would never admit how fast he checked his phone when he felt it buzz in his pocket. sure, it was unprofessional during rehearsal but he knew it was you. however, his smile dropped the moment he read what you sent

you: remember to tell him how much i love him!

tenma: hah... no good luck for your new bad boy?

you: you know i’ll always root for you, ten!

tenma: but, i’m better than that actor, right?

tenma watched his message get delivered and was about to keep bothering you until someone called his name like they were friends. speak of the devil...

that actor’s straight, white toothy smile made tenma stand a little straighter (damn it, tenma was shorter), eyes wide as the actor gracefully introduced himself as his co-star for the next month or so (how did his voice sound even better in person?!)

“good morning, tenma! my name is jun, i��m so honored to meet a fellow actor on set! let’s work together well!” were they... really the same age? tenma barely registered the fact he was suddenly shaking jun’s (right, that’s his name) hand. why did he have such a manly grip?

tenma quickly (to his dismay) found out that him & jun had entered the industry around the same time but often had different projects, so they were never featured in the same production before. apparently, that was creating quite a buzz in the media that two childhood stars were competing against one another

a competition that tenma couldn’t lose. he was going to be your favorite actor, not his rival!

jun, like the perfect gentleman everyone described him to be, showed tenma around the PRETTY U set. jun had nothing but good things to say about the crew and vise versa. that only reinforced how tenma was oddly much more quiet than he usually was. luckily, one of the talents of being an actor was improvising, so jun was doing just fine

when they had reached the dressing rooms, jun shot a bright smile at tenma and gestured to the rather large room

“we’ll be sharing a dressing room together, tenma! we’ll be spending a lot of time together!”

tenma suddenly regretted his decision to become chan of PRETTY U. you couldn’t have had a different favorite show?! anything but... this

there were now three main characters for PRETTY U: hoshi, yuri, and chan, creating a love triangle for millions of viewers to watch every week

nakamura jun, leading role, played “hoshi”, the boy-next-door. this is the popular boy at school with the best grades and an even greater reputation amongst everyone. next, uedo ren, one of japan’s rising female actresses of this generation. she is adored as “yuri”, the perfect girl. she is the typical nerd who suddenly transformed into the prettiest girl at school from learning make-up

last (but definitely not least!) is sumeragi tenma, playing “chan”, the bad boy. it was nothing like tenma’s done before, since the character was much less expressive than he was used to. chan is a traditional rebel who is revealed to have a soft side for yuri. but, chan (ironically enough) has a secret history with hoshi, causing tension in this already confusing love triangle

(embarrassingly enough, jun had to explain to tenma the complications and ties between each character. tenma, unfortunately, found it to be extremely helpful)

even with this newfound knowledge of the characters in season 2, tenma couldn’t help but absolutely ruin the first day of rehearsals. even with a decade or so of acting as his experience, one thing kept him from being chan: his lack of chemistry with “yuri”

“cut!” the director called out again for the nth time, sighing as their eyes landed on tenma, who was not enjoying being the center of attention this time, surprisingly

“take 5, kid. once you come back, i expect you to actually go through this scene without messing up your lines.” tenma nodded and exited quickly, feeling flustered from the looks of sympathy directed his way. usually, it was one-and-done. it didn’t take a hundred tries just to do another romantic and cliché scene

tenma exhaled loudly once he felt the fresh air upon his face. without the fear of cameras in his face anymore, tenma ran his hand through his hair with a frustrated kick at the concrete. come on! he was renown child actor sumeragi tenma, why was he so in his head now?

tenma was about to yell into the sky before he heard someone close the door, standing beside him with their usual silence. tenma didn’t even have to look to know it was jun (probably with the most pitiful look ever)

“tenma? are you okay?” jun waited as tenma tried to not say anything he’d regret, shifting his weight on his foot back and forth before relenting, shrugging as if it couldn’t be helped

“i don’t know... i just, i can’t see yuri that way. how am i supposed to flirt with someone i don’t even like?”

jun pondered the thought for a moment, before tilting his head, a boyish smile overtaking his features. tenma unwillingly relaxed; jun finally looked his age

“who do you like then?”

tenma froze, a blush even foundation couldn’t hide blossoming on his cheeks. jun let out a teasing “oooh!” as he nudged tenma with his shoulder, who pushed back with an eye-roll

“i-it’s not like that! don’t be so—ugh!” tenma cut himself off, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding jun’s knowing eyes. damn it, they barely knew each other. why was he getting so comfortable with his enemy?!

“well, whoever you thought of, imagine yuri as them.”

“is that what you do?”

jun shrugged, not giving a clear answer for once. before tenma could ask for more information, their break was over

when tenma returned to the scene, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. when he opened them again, he watched as yuri transformed into the one person he’s been trying to impress this entire time: you

when “you” smiled, tenma couldn’t help but follow along. his first-take after break made the cut for the final product

“you must really like them, tenma~” — “stop!!!”

filiming afterwards became easy, especially when he imagined all his romantic words were directed towards you. he could feel the clamminess of his hands, the rapid beat of his heart, the intense blush across his face, all at the thought of you

(the only time he had to start over was when he accidentally said your name instead of yuri’s)

tenma was sure he’d become your favorite actor now! after all, you were his favorite person

“will you watch the first episode of PRETTY U’s season 2 with me?”

you had never said yes so fast in your entire life. when tenma learned there’d be a cast-viewing of episode 1 after finishing the season, he knew his +1 invite could only go to the biggest fan of the show

throughout filming, you were always the person who got him in trouble when the text tone wasn’t put on silent. you liked spamming tenma with a bunch of supportive and encouraging messages when you were available, meaning tenma always had something to look forward to after each scene

in return, tenma would send a selfie of him with his castmates or the set (or, what he was allowed to show under his contract). yet, despite your constant pleas, there was one co-star he’d never take a photograph with: jun

(“tenma! we’ve worked together for months~ shouldn’t i be called your friend now?” “no—” “huh?! don’t pretend you don’t like me!” “who said i was pretending?” “tenma!”)

at first, tenma was apprehensive about inviting you to an event where jun’s picture-perfect face would be on display everywhere. but, whenever he saw you, the weight of the tickets suddenly felt much heavier in his pocket. he couldn’t deprieve you of such an exclusive event just because of his jealousy (even if he was this close to doing so)

when tenma impulsively asked three days before, it felt worth it when you threw your arms around him (he hugged you back and pretended this meant something to you)

“i love you, ten!”

tenma felt like he was on set again, with yuri’s arms tightly holding onto his heart

“i love you, too.”

even after saying it so many times, tenma meant it even if he didn’t say it to your face every time

you looked like the star of the show

tenma fixed his tie as his blazer suddenly felt too tight. you appeared in your most formal attire, looking like a million bucks as you two sat across each other in the limo

“ten, look at all of this!” you pointed out every little thing of preparing for a professional event. the little glasses of champagne neither of you two could drink sat to the side as the leather seats molded to fit your posture. as the night lights of tokyo blurred by, tenma couldn’t help but think you sparkled more than this diamond of a city

“i can’t wait to go see the first episode! thank you for inviting me.” you bowed your head, as if suddenly overcome with gratefulness. tenma lightly kicked your shoe with his, fondly rolling his eyes as he tried not to smile (mission failed)

“don’t worry about it, who else would i bring? you’re my favorite pe—friend. friend, yeah...” tenma trailed off, suddenly finding something very interesting outside of the window. you only nodded, seemingly more interested in the fact there was enough room to walk around

when tenma caught sight of the infamous red carpet laid out in front of the theatre, he cleared his throat and put on his best face for the cameras. after stepping out of the car with his bodyguards nearby, tenma turned and gave you a genuine smile. not his typical arrogant smirk the news source ate up, but a type of smile only reserved for you

when he held out his hand, the flashing lights behind him seemed like a real celebrity, something you had never considered him to be before. it was like seeing tenma in a new light (both literally and figuratively)

“shall we?” you took his hand and wondered if you could ever have your own j-drama. perhaps, tenma could even be the main lead...

before you could step off to the side, tenma already had his arm wrapped around your waist with his unchanging expression (however, underneath it all, he was internally freaking out. what was he going to do now?!)

“you’re my date, right? walk the red carpet with me.” tenma winked (you swore it sparkled) as he gestured towards the carpet ahead. suddenly, the line seemed much longer

“t-ten... you’ve never brought a date before...” you mumbled, acutely aware of how soon it was to walk down together. tenma’s arm stiffened, but nothing else exposed the revelation as he looked down at you

“you’re my first, then.” and my last, tenma thought to himself. before you could change your mind, it was showtime. tenma put on his movie star face and introduced you to familiar interviewers, smiling away as if you two weren’t panicking on the inside

while you were focusing on the fact you were going to be going viral as tenma’s first “date” to the event, tenma was trying not to blush from how close you were. you felt... right besides him

tenma was a natural in front of an audience waiting for him to make a mistake. he flawlessly answered every question with swaggering confidence, his stride easy and poses photogenic

you did your best to follow his lead but it all ended when tenma took you into the theatre, staring down at you with a bright smile

“we did it! see, told you we’d be just fine.” tenma let out an exhale of relief, glowing with joy from the adrenaline of everything that came with being a superstar. as you looked up into his excited eyes, you saw him lean down before—

“your arm is still around me.”

silence, then a hurried separation as tenma put too many feet between you two. it was suddenly as if you two were strangers. you regretted the words the moment they left your mouth; you didn’t mind at all... why did you say something?!

“um... so, food?” tenma spoke up after an eternity of making excuses. you two quickly moved to the line of movie snacks, using candy and popcorn to substitue the suddenly awkward silence

when tenma ordered all your favorites without even asking, he turned around with the selection only to close his eyes and internalize every single thing he was feeling because there he was, his worst enemy

jun entered from a side door, most likely finishing up helping the crew with set-up (and 30 minutes early as usual) before catching tenma’s iconic bright orange hair, a grin lighting up his face

“tenma! it’s me, jun!” he said, as if they weren’t the two main leads of japan’s most famous drama so far. immediately, your smile matched jun’s as you watched as your favorite actor of all time make his way towards you two

“jun... of course you’d be here.” tenma said through gritted teeth, forcing a pleasant smile even with an armful of junk

“ah, still keeping the bad boy attitude? we’re off set now, you can stop method acting now.” jun joked, bringing his attention to you with a dazzling smile that would absolutely make any fansite’s career

“oh? who is this, a friend of yours?” tenma tried not to sigh so loud when you couldn’t help yourself and burst into a long rant about how amazing jun was. tenma waited until you reached your midpoint and stopped you with a quick nudge, trying not to scream (could jun stop being so... perfect? could you stop being so cute?!)

when tenma introduced you, he stood a little closer as he tried to maintain his jealousy. “they’re my date, by the way.” no one had asked, but tenma was clearly telling anyone who was around you two had gone together

jun’s eyes lit up in recognition as he let out a noise of surprise. “ah~ so this is who you—”

tenma didn’t regret losing his giant popcorn so fast to a co-star who could only be silenced with food. his wallet could afford another one, anyways. his pride on the other hand? could not let you know his acting secret already

“what was jun going to say?” you asked after you two departed for the viewing room. tenma nonchalantly pretended like everything was okay as he guided you to front row

“probably something about the fact you’re the one who always interrupts our scenes.”

“hey! my texts make your day, don’t lie!”

“go sit down and eat already, jeez.”

when it began, your eyes couldn’t leave the screen. it was better than you could have imagined. everything was perfect, it exceeded the standards of even the toughest fans out there. you loved every second of it... except...

tenma was too good at being chan. even with his bright hair, the dark clothes he wore made him appear intimidating, with his sharp eyes and even sharper smirk. chan’s appearance was tough, rough, and mean, everything tenma wasn’t

yet, you still couldn’t help but feel your heart sink when chan was clearly in love with yuri. yuri was one of your favorite characters by far, but she ended up bothering you for the entireity of the episode

especially every time she shared a scene (which were many times) with chan. chan was revealed to be a bad boy with a heart of gold, all with a special soft side for yuri

what was this feeling? were you... no, you couldn’t be! after all, you had never seen tenma that way before, right? yet, every time chan made an exception for yuri, you felt sick to your stomach

was it possible that tenma liked the actress who played yuri? you snuck a glance at tenma, only to see he was looking at you already (he’d never admit it, but he was watching your reactions to see if he made you proud. yet, every time you saw him, you subconsciously frowned)

were you not proud of him? did you not like his performance as chan?

before tenma could ask you, the scene changed into one of chan’s. he was standing outside in the school uniform, his head ducked as he swiped through yuri’s social media. before he could look up, yuri jumped in front of him with a teasing smile

“roar!” she called out, referring to their inside joke earlier in the episode. yuri cutely bounced back with another roar, holding her hands up like paws. chan watched, his typical rock-hard expression breaking to reveal his developing feelings for yuri

later on, chan stopped yuri in the hallway, other students watching as the school’s bad boy and goddess interact

“do that again.” chan demanded to which yuri innocently tilted her head, confused like a little puppy. “do what?” “that... that thing.” when chan roared, tenma sunk into his seat with an embarrassed defense and explanation ready. but, when he looked, you finally cracked a laugh at his little roar

your smile only fell when yuri roared again as a joke, but chan smiled for once. tenma wondered why... he thought you would be so happy to be here with him. maybe, he’d never be better than jun...

when the episode ended, it took a moment before you stood up and clapped. tenma followed along, but all he could think about was how he let you down. not only as chan, but as your boy, too

when you two left the room, you two hung back to watch as everyone congratulated one another on the success of the production. in the midst of the cheer and celebration, tenma felt small as he watched your blank expression

what did he do wrong? he put his best efforts into every scene; he might even say it was his best work yet. before he could apologize, you did the unthinkable: you roared

you jumped up into his face, holding your hands up like yuri did. when yuri did it, tenma didn’t feel a thing. but, when you did, tenma felt it. the butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he stared at you, frozen in place

“this is the part where you ask me to do it again.” you shyly trailed off, about to put your hands down before tenma weakly put his hands up, knowing he was about to regret his next move (if the embarrassment didn’t kill him, he didn’t know what would)

“roar!”

that was too loud, wasn’t it? the room suddenly went a lot more quiet as they turned their attention towards a teen actor roaring at his date

“yah! why didn’t you ask me the next line?”

“b-because... i know i like you even without you doing, that, again.”

you paused, taken back by his honesty. as tenma contemplated just falling onto the floor right then and there, you suddenly hardened your expression, standing up straighter with your arms crossed

“do that again.”

“do what?”

“that thing.”

when tenma roared again, much quieter this time, you nodded as you finally smiled genuinely for the first time ever since that episode started

“good, i know how chan feels now. i like you, too.”

“does that mean i’m your favorite actor now?”

(when jun released a video of tenma roaring online, he captioned it with “ROAR = ILY!!!” tenma realized maybe he wasn’t all that bad, but still)

[naktergalen]

Rivamika Fic Suggestions List 2

Hey there again! It’s been a while since my last rivamika post and I apologies for that. I caught the reading bug and have just been hitting book after book. I might be doing a book of the month suggestion starting in March. I’m still thinking about it but if that is something your interested in let me know. Or if you just want book suggestions just message or ask me. But for now, I’m back with my second Rivamika Fic Suggestions List.

First of all, I want to thank you for all the comments and messages I received from my first list! I think it has over 150 notes now which is crazy for me. I was going to be ecstatic if it got like 10 likes or something hahaha! I’ve enjoyed talking to some of you about fics and other snk stuff. Feel free to do the same after this post! I know I take awhile to respond but swear I get there eventually.

Same rules as last time. I’ve split this list up into four categories. I wanted to let people know the status of some of these fics in case they did not want to start an incomplete or in progress story. All of these fics can be found on AO3. I’m going to try to link them but we will see how tumblr acts today. If you have any fic suggestions for me, feel free to message me with them and I can add them on to the next list. If any author sees their story on here and wants me to take it off the list, please let me know I don’t wish to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Also, last thing, I highly recommend leaving comments and kudos to the authors. I know that they greatly appreciate it and it helps them with improving their writing through feedback. Okay shutting up now, ON WITH THE LIST!

DISCLAIMER: I know that not all of these stories are not for everyone, these are just my opinions and suggestions.

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Completed:

- Thunder Clouds

Author: K_Lionheart

Rating: Mature

Sometimes I like to go to the very back of the Rivamika archive on AO3 and look for fics that have gotten buried over time. Low and behold what I have found lol! I enjoyed the emotional roller coaster when I was reading this fic, though sometimes I wanted to pull my hair out. Set after the titans are gone, humanity has to repopulate so arranged couples by the monarch are made to be wed. While this new order is being enforced, Mikasa and Levi are trying to work out their strained relationship. A slow burn with angst that will have you staying up till 3am dying to know what happens next. I know that there is a sequel to this fic called Nimbus and I’m slowly working my way through that one. Honestly, it will probably go on my next list.

- Red is the Only Colour

Author: mongoose_bite

Rating: Mature

A cute fic that was a quick but wild ride. A Little Red Riding Hood type of AU where Mikasa is a hunter of some sorts traveling through a town. I don’t want to say how Levi plays into all of this since it gets border line spoilers but just know that he is there. It is an opening ending fic for the author to come back if they plan on doing so but it can be interpreted in different ways. All in all, a fic worth of the quick read.

- Sing Me a Song

Author: LazyTrash

Rating: Mature

First I have to get this off my chest, I love the author’s name hahaha! I freakin wished I would have thought of that for mine! Anyway, this fic is wonderful but I will warn you that its a gut punch. If you like hurt and angst put together, then this is the story for you. I love these types of fics because I adore them so much but they hurt me in my soul. I don’t know what that says about me but whatever. I don’t want to delve into the story too much for spoilers but I would suggest rivamika fans to check this one out.

- Midnight Musings

Author: Raewyll

Rating: Teen

I just started to read Raewyll’s fics so I’m slowly working my way through all her works. This one caught my eye and I had to read it. This is a cute take on a chance meeting through texting the wrong number. I love the way Levi and Mikasa’s relationship blossoms into something more serious after causally texting back and forth. It’s one of those stories that I can only describe as being cute as shit! I’m definitely going to be checking out more of Raewyll’s fic in the future.

Ongoing:

- Beyond the Walls

Author: helena3190

Rating: Matue

If you love RIvamika angst, then look no further than this baby right here. This is currently my favorite ongoing fic. It was supposed to be a shorter story, but the author keeps adding more chapters so I’m not complaining hahaha! This fic is pretty much how I would *personally* picture canon Mikasa on how she would deal with realizing that she’s falling in love with someone. Its mostly told in the perspective of Mikasa as she is dealing with the after effects of war and trying to figure out what should she do with her life now that she is no longer a solider. Her feeling for Levi come with a lot of confusion as she’s discovering emotions that she has never felt before. She has a hard time pinpointing on what exactly describes her relationship with him. I’m anxiously waiting for the final chapter for this fic and dying to see how it will end for Mikasa and Levi.

- After the War

Author: loneackerman

Rating: Mature

I am loving this rivamika slow burn fic right here. Its similar to Beyond the Walls but I think the author adds their own taste of the 1920s into it. Set after the war is over (obviously), Mikasa and Levi have to figure out what they are going to do the rest of their lives. It has great tension, a perfectly paced gradual romance and just the right amount of humor to combat the emotional turmoil it puts you through. Again in my opinion, this is close to how I would realistically perceive Levi and Mikasa’s relationship evolving. I’m really enjoying this story and I’m looking forward to more updates to come!

- The Sound of Lightning

Author: LycheeGreenTea

Rating: Mature

A new fic that is just getting started but I can tell that what the author has in store is going to be interesting. Set several years after the end of the war, Levi and Mikasa are loving parents to a single child. Their peaceful life comes to an end when the family has a threat against them. There are not many long fics about Mikasa and Levi being parent so I was very happy when this one popped up on the AO3 feed. An exciting adventure awaits the Ackerman family now and I can’t wait to see where this fic goes in the future. There are three chapters as of now so head over there and check it out.

Incomplete:

- Home

Author: MissErikaCourt

Rating: Mature

One of the gems I found when diving back into the Rivamika archive. Ugh I HATE that this fic is incomplete!!! Its a good long fic but I’m greedy and I need more! I will give a warning first that this fic does contain heavy themes. Mikasa and Levi are in the underground to fight against a criminal ring. This story is a slow burn with action and emotional trauma. There is a wonderfully written OC that you easily get attached to its not even funny. Even though its not completed, I would highly recommend checking it out. I still have three more chapters to finish but I had to put it on this list. I know that I’m going to be pissed once I reach the last chapter written. If someone know MissErikaCourt, let her know that she needs to comeback to finish this masterpiece!

- Shiver

Author: bornsinner

Rating: Mature

Another one that I DISPISE its incomplete!!! Ugh such a great Office AU. It’s everything that I would want in an Office AU setting. Mikasa struggles between her committed long term relationship and her growing attraction (which starts to develop into some feelings) to her boss, Levi. Its hot, sexy and intriguing and it pisses me off that its not finished! The author writes each chapter as a one-shot but collectively together they tell the whole story. Highly recommend even though its so short. BORNSINNER where ever you are in the universe I hope you come back to finish this!!!

- Two Lines

Author: Crejhov

Rating: Mature

When this was getting updated it was my favorite on-going Rivamika fic. I would find myself checking to see if the author updated with a new chapter every week! The unplanned pregnancy trope is a classic one, but Crejhov does a fantastic job on keeping readers enthralled with soo many anticipated character meet up that are bound to cause hurdles for our expecting parents. This story is told from the perspectives of Mikasa and Levi in order for us to understand where their mindsets are as they plan for their expecting child and deal with their relationship. AHHHHH I want more of this!!! I was soo excited to see where this awkward journey was going to take Mikasa and Levi. CREJHOV COME BACK PLEASE I KNOW YOU HAVE WORK BUT PLEAAASEEEE! I NEEEEEEDDDD!!!

- Cabin Fever

Author: AmayaOkami

Rating: Mature

All I should have to say about this is that its written by AmayaOkami and that should explain it. Amaya is the one that gave us the beautiful incomplete rivamika fic Romance and Rivalry. I just adore her writing. Levi and Mikasa relationship evolves as they are standing guard over the arrested Kenny Ackerman. Secrets are discover about the Ackermans and it gets pretty steamy between our two favs. Great fluff and great sexual tension that leaves you wanting more chapters! Again AmayaOkami where ever you went I hope for some miracle that you come back and complete this one too!

One-Shot:

- Jade

Author: shulkie

Rating: Mature

This one-shot feels like I read a novel, it has such a great storyline. An arranged marriage between Mikasa and Levi leaves the relationship strained in the beginning. Their relationship evolves over time as Levi patiently brings down Mikasa’s wall. With smut added for all of your one-shot needs. Definitely worth the read in my opinion.

- What Remains

Author: Mirime

Rating: Mature

This one-shot gives us a glimpse into the secret relationship that Levi and Mikasa have been having while there are still scouts. This fic is sad but I would say it has a bittersweet ending. I think this was supposed to be part of a collection but I can’t find the rest of them. Still a great read by itself.

- Agape

Author: alienheartattack (Sanneke)

Rating: Mature

This fic is cute as shit! A College AU where Mikasa and Levi are childhood friends. Levi has to deal with Mikasa being at the same college as him while he is struggling with his changing feelings towards a grown up Mikasa. Worth the read as I said cute as shit, leaves you all warm and fuzzy lol!

- As Seen in Shadows

Author: MoraLeeWright

Rating: Explicit

FUCKING MORA! LEE! WRIGHT! UFFFFGGHHH Fuck I’m in love with her writing style. I really have nothing to say more that just go read it! Its hot and sexy and the sexual tension is off the fucking charts in this one. Its just MoraLeeWright smut thats all I can say. It’s great! JUST READ IT LMAO!

- Remedy

Author: NSummer

Rating: Mature

Another hot smut one-shot coming your way! Levi and Mikasa have had an ongoing affair and this just recounts their first time together. Its just some good ol’ Rivamika smut that I think that everyone in this community would enjoy.

- Nutty: Drunk in Love

Author: Hallow17

Rating: Mature

A fun smut to read about Mikasa getting “revenge” on her asshole boss, Levi. Things don’t go the way she plans as things get a little heated in the sexy way. A quick smut that I think is perfect for a little Rivamika crave.

- Spicy: Jalapeno

Author: Hallow17

Rating: Explicit

Another fun smut to read by Hallow17. Levi has been stressed out at work and Mikasa finds a way to help him get his mind off it (if you know what i mean). Again perfect for a Rivamika quick fix.