#i suggest rereading it all

[allfortzu]

the first draft of can we get closer (let's get closer) -- i couldn't bear not posting it, since it is completed :)

(expect similarities, though it's quite different!)

jihyo / tzuyu, 2k. suggestive (basically smut) // MEN DNI

tzuyu has never liked tattoos. 

she's never liked the idea of pain leaving a permanent mark, created by someone else, no less. 

perhaps if she were a little more artistic, had a little more in way of creative self-expression. perhaps then she would learn to fully appreciate them, like how chaeyoung did. 

she liked them on other people, though, enjoyed looking at all of chaeyoung's little works. 

but for now, tzuyu is content without any of her own. 

confidently so, she's always thought. 

yet here she is, eyes fixated on one park jihyo, suddenly intrigued.

jihyo was, by no means, a close friend. a mutual contact at best and one tzuyu has never really thought much past her profession.

but it's this exact thought that has tzuyu hooked, curiosity piqued. what does park jihyo's tattoos look like?

chaeyoung has fallen asleep on the couch by now, their planning session definitely lasting longer than expected, but jihyo hasn't left, and tzuyu is too distracted to want to leave. 

she's too distracted by jihyo. 

she can't stop looking at the edges of faded black beneath the sleeves of jihyo's tee, can’t stop catching glimpses of carefully lined maroon when jihyo's lifts her arms just so, stretching languidly from sketching too long. the hem of her crop rises slightly to reveal more ink, right around her ribcage. 

tzuyu tilts her head subconsciously, entranced. 

unfortunately for her, jihyo is perceptive – and bold. 

"checking me out?" she chuckles, throwing tzuyu a playful wink. sets her pen down, happy for an excuse to talk to this friend of chaeyoung she's always seen around, but never got the chance to know. it's casual, flirty. 

but tzuyu isn't so easily shaken. "yeah, just… curious." they've interacted enough for her to be honest, she thinks.

jihyo smiles, slightly amused, how tzuyu cuts to the chase so quickly. "see anything you like?" 

"okay, i'm not checking you out, just curious." 

"sorry, sorry," jihyo laughs, somehow enjoying tzuyu's deadpan way of banter. "pretty girls make me say stupid things."

she pushes herself off the ground and joins tzuyu, the leather couch sinking gently under her. "curious about what?" 

it's the most they've talked ever; the most she's heard tzuyu talk, so jihyo naturally wants to keep the conversation going, if only to hear tzuyu's voice more. 

"your…," tzuyu says, unexpectedly sheepish at the suddenly very real prospect of jihyo flirting. 

"um… your tattoos?" she words it as a question, just so it doesn't come off too imposing – also because she'd been snapped out of her thoughts and in that moment, wasn't thinking of anything but is she flirting?

jihyo doesn't seem to mind her uncertainty at all.

"oh, you saw?" she looks down at her exposed abdomen, before lifting her cropped tee just a little more, and tzuyu gets her first taste of what exactly she hasn't seen. 

"they're a bit hidden, but i promise i'm not a tattoo artist who hasn't experienced a tattoo before," jihyo says, like tzuyu was a potential customer expressing her worries. "don't worry." 

except that wasn't really what tzuyu was asking for, so she bites her tongue. 

but it's like jihyo reads her mind, or maybe tzuyu isn't very good at hiding her emotions, because she asks, "wanna see more?" 

"really?" tzuyu perks up, brows raising in anticipation. "do you have pictures?" 

"no, but i can show you now," jihyo offers, and tzuyu practically beams. 

if tzuyu had a tail, jihyo thinks it would definitely be wagging right now, because she nods so quickly that jihyo can't help but let the excitement rub off her. 

she thought tzuyu was shy at first, because they'd never talked much; then, a little stoic in the way she spoke – 

but now, tzuyu's just cute. 

jihyo lifts the hem of her tee, wisps of red and black revealed. tzuyu leans in, and she makes out a fragment of a flame, curving right below the underside of jihyo's chest. it's elegant in its form, less patchwork like chaeyoung’s and more cohesive. 

"i have these, another just halfway down my shoulder, and one more on my back," jihyo explains, eager to share. "it's a big one, but not too big." 

she takes off her shirt, and tzuyu jolts back in surprise, heart in her throat. 

"oh, you– " you don't have to, is what she means to say, but the moment she sees the tattoo on jihyo's back, she forgets.

it's a breathtaking tattoo, brushstroke-like details, similar to the ones on her ribcage. the red and blacks are a constant theme, and they flow down the dip of her spine, spreading over her shoulder blades and fading off in the edges. 

"did it hurt?" tzuyu asks, voice softer, like jihyo's delicately drawn tattoos simply warranted something more gentle. she reaches out to touch, a curious moth to a flame; traces her fingers over the lines. "it's beautiful." 

jihyo feels goosebumps rise in the wake of tzuyu's touch, but her chest swells with pride at tzuyu's comment. "it hurt, but it was worth it, so they cancel out, yeah?” she reasons. “are you thinking of getting one?" 

"definitely worth it," tzuyu agrees. she didn't know she had a preference for tattoos, but she thinks she might have one now. they looked incredibly good on others, namely jihyo. "but no, i don't like pain." 

"didn't think you were a scaredy cat," jihyo teases, grin sly. 

the jibe is enough to snap tzuyu out of her trance, and she folds her arms back into her chest with a huff. "not liking pain doesn't mean i'm scared of it," she scoffs. "i would just rather not experience it." 

jihyo laughs at tzuyu's silly workaround, a light chuckle leaving her lips that, if not for the fact they were the only ones talking, tzuyu would not have heard. 

"who says pain has to be bad?" jihyo muses, leaning into where tzuyu had leaned back. "won't know until you try, right?"

at this point, tzuyu isn't sure if jihyo's still joking or not. it's the same laid back expression, the one she had when she'd called tzuyu pretty, but the words here don't feel quite the same. 

"what do you mean?" tzuyu asks.

"you know, like how people talk about mixing pain with pleasure," jihyo says, taking tzuyu's hand in hers. 

"like how… if i do this – " she tugs hard, and tzuyu falls forward with a yelp. " –the suspense hurts," jihyo giggles. "but then there're also these butterflies in your tummy."

yeah, there're butterflies in her tummy, but she can't say they're from the pain of her hitched breaths – can't say they're not from jihyo's proximity. 

tzuyu is suddenly acutely aware that jihyo is topless, and the only reason she isn't all over jihyo is because she's holding herself up. 

"this is– this is different," tzuyu denies resolutely, but she sounds a little out of breath. "not the same as… a tattoo." 

"it's about the feeling, tzuyu," jihyo says, eyes fleeting down to tzuyu's lips, then back up. 

tzuyu's chest tightens, and she doesn't know if it's the butterflies, or whatever it is jihyo is making her feel. 

but isn't that how it always goes – flame burning moth the moment they touch. 

there's a beat. 

a short one, but a thousand thoughts run through tzuyu's mind in that fraction of a second. 

jihyo's eyes bore into hers, and all of tzuyu's thoughts condense into a single sentence –

she’s so pretty. 

tzuyu stops breathing.  

"can i kiss you?" 

it's jihyo who asks. 

she's quiet. 

can i kiss you?

there's the soft exhale of their breaths, anticipation palpable. a tiny spark. 

"you’re really pretty," tzuyu whispers. 

all the butterflies come back. 

the spark bursts like wildfire, the moment jihyo leans in to press her lips into hers. 

jihyo tastes warm, so warm it spreads down tzuyu's neck, into her chest, and she hates that they're in this position now, because she wants her hands on jihyo; wants to feel all that warmth in its entirety.

she doesn’t really know how they’ve gotten here, how they’ve moved so quickly, but doesn’t really care. 

the only place tzuyu can reach is jihyo's ribcage, so she does just that, thumbs pressing into ink, fingers curving into her sides. "i really like your tattoos," she murmurs in between kisses. 

"mhm," jihyo hums, searching for tzuyu's lips again. "i like you.”

she gives tzuyu another peck, and tzuyu can’t really reply, especially not with jihyo nipping. her teeth close gently with tzuyu’s lips in between, tugging until it hurts ever so slightly, enough to make tzuyu suck in a breath. 

“unnie– “ tzuyu mewls, tasting copper on her tongue and digging her fingers into jihyo’s sides. the sensation is odd, but jihyo kisses the pain away.

“that hurt,” tzuyu murmurs.

“that was the goal,” jihyo says, nosing the underside of tzuyu’s jaw before placing another kiss there. 

she sucks lightly, and tzuyu feels teeth again, probing. she notes jihyo’s penchant for biting, and is about to reprimand her again for the pain, but then jihyo sucks where she’s bitten, and all tzuyu can do is squirm and instinctively cant her head upward, the buzz that crawls down her neck suddenly addicting. 

jihyo pulls back then, licking her lips at the sight of the reddening mark under tzuyu’s jaw. “you look so pretty, all marked up.” 

tzuyu barely has a second to respond before jihyo dives in again, this time to the base of her neck, right at the edge of her collarbone. she does the same thing over – sucking, biting, licking – painful, but less so now that tzuyu has experienced it, and there’s such a pleasant hum that follows, making her stomach curl deliciously, choking back her whimpers. 

“unnie,” tzuyu breathes out, a silent request she can’t find the words for in her current state of mind. 

she wants jihyo to touch her properly, to sate that heat in her tummy, maybe mark her up there, and jihyo can see it in the way tzuyu has unconsciously started moving her hips against her thighs too, grinding with evident desperation. 

but she can also hear chaeyoung shuffling, the telltale shifting of someone on the verge of waking up, so jihyo licks at tzuyu’s collarbone a final time, and pulls back. 

“not now,” jihyo whispers, hands finding purchase on tzuyu’s waist to stop her from getting off completely on jihyo’s thigh. “chaeyoung."  

a short, high pitched sound escapes tzuyu’s throat, a meek whine that encapsulates all her frustration perfectly. it's like her entire vocabulary has dwindled down to nothing, and it's embarrassing the way she even thinks of begging. "unnie…" 

"you're so cute, tzuyu," jihyo muses. she bites at tzuyu's neck again, and the sting is warm and insistent. 

but tzuyu's also uncomfortably wet now, soaked through with nothing to satiate her. "i still… don't like pain," she huffs, just to annoy jihyo. 

"hey, i haven’t shown you what that really is yet,” jihyo teases. “give me an answer the next time i come over.”

the promise of next time makes tzuyu’s tummy flutter; those stupid butterflies jihyo keeps giving her.

she doesn’t entertain jihyo with a response, sitting up and untangling their legs. jihyo laughs, tzuyu’s tantrum terribly endearing, and she’s about to tease a little more before chaeyoung lets out an audible groan. 

tzuyu’s eyes widen, and jihyo quickly slips on her shirt. they hold their breath when chaeyoung starts rubbing the sleep out her eyes, groaning again. “this fucking couch… i’m moving to my bed.” 

she doesn’t even spare them a glance, trudging to her bedroom in muted thuds. 

tzuyu and jihyo exchange looks, before they start giggling uncontrollably.

“i think that’s my cue to leave,” jihyo laughs, trying to regain her composure. 

she leans in, puckering her lips, as if asking for a goodbye kiss. 

tzuyu taps her cheeks lightly. “next time.”

jihyo narrows her eyes. tzuyu smiles slyly. 

“fine,” jihyo pouts. “try not to dream about me.” 

with a flirtatious wink, she’s out the door. 

tzuyu lets it simmer for a bit, burning the memory of jihyo’s tattoos into her mind. red, black, and flowy. the ones on her ribs curve into her sides, another on her shoulders inching down to her collarbones. and then her back, following the dip of her spine, over her shoulder blades. 

a trail of red is scattered down tzuyu’s neck, jihyo’s marks etched into her skin. 

[themoonking]

it’s not actually that weird that people are saying “harry potter was never good, actually” after joanne went full mask off, and no it doesn’t mean that we all secretly think harry potter is amazing but don’t want to admit it. it’s pretty simple actually: most people read harry potter when they were children, when they hadn’t read a lot of other books and therefore didn’t have a lot to compare it to. then every time you reread it as an adult, you’re looking through pretty hefty nostalgia goggles. then, after you’ve realized that joanne is a violent bigot that wants you and / or people you love and care for dead, those goggles are broken and when you attempt to look at hp again you’re more likely to see it’s flaws. it’s not rocket science.

[1990jeevas]

dropping my stuilly playlist bc why not (still a wip)

[theotherrichardpapen]

Reading List 2023-2024 📚

The Secret History - Donna Tartt

The Song or Achilles - Madeline Miller

The Myth of the Wrong Body - Miquel Missé

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Remainder - Tom McCarthy

If We Were Villains - M. L. Rio

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

Bones and All - Camille DeAngelis

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Beyond Good and Evil - Friedrich Nietzsche

Diaries - Franz Kafka

Frankenstein - Mary Shelly

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales - H. P. Lovecraft

The Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri

1984 - George Orwell

The Iliad and The Odyssey - Homer

Unnatural Causes - Dr Richard Shepherd

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes - Eric LaRocca

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson

The Trial of the Templars - Malcolm Barber

Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco

Demian - Hermann Hesse

Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

The Atlas Six - Olivie Blake

Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reids

Ninth House - Leigh Bardugo

Vita Nostra - Maryna & Serhiy Dyachenko

Pageboy: A Memoir - Elliot Page

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut

The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodr Dostoevsky

(updated: 03/01/24)

[aeide-thea]

like, someone posted an article recently that was like 'i didn't like these books because the main characters were women who slept with women but weren't sufficiently enlightened about it for me as a queer woman to feel Represented,' and i just felt like. i bet i wouldn't enjoy those books either, judging from the reviewer's description! but faced with a review that's like 'these characters had attitudes i found unpleasant'—iirc a tendency to ironic detachment and internalized fatphobia respectively, which, to be clear, i expect i would also find unpleasant! but those are attitudes that plenty of real young women do have; are we arguing it's only acceptable to tell stories about the sort of people we'd personally want to befriend?—'so i didn't find their stories nourishing,' it's hard for me not to think, okay, fair enough, but—should 'nourishing' really be the definitive metric for art? should 'savory'? an author's job is, after all, to make art, not food…

[vimceite]

Y'know, i'd say that i'm currently "re-reading Demian" but frankly i just wanted to read Eva's chapter again

[takearisk-xo]

I never understood hinny. I mean clearly Ginny is a lot more passionate than Harry. Sex for them must be like Ginny humping on the wet noodle that is Harry!

[kuroosweakness]

THIS !!! dw . i have been working on a fic like this for awhile so when it drops i’ll let you know asap 🤭 i was giggling over these tags pls ur so RIGHT !!! he would shake his hair like a dog and just splash water everywhere LMAO then have the audacity to smirk when the droplets hit you >_< !!! he’s a menace <3

hehehe i’ll be refreshing your page 24/7 for the fic 🤭 can’t waittt!! (no pressure ofc, and it’s totally fine if you abandon it later i’ve abandoned so many fics that ived started 😭)

aaaaah but imagine the droplets from his hair getting in your eye, and you scrunch up your face. he notices so he’s like “let me get that for, baby” and uses his thumb to wipe off the water on your face as if he wasn’t the one that got it on there in the first place!! ugh he’s so frustratingly hot

heheheeheh this scenario has me giggling nonstop!!

[sysig]

Spin cycle hugs (Patreon)

[myriadsystem]

Fuck it on the odd occasion someone votes ima start using polls for personal decision making reasons

The first three i have not read (i attempted to read one of the Lovecrafts and it was. So hard to get through.)

The Goosebumps i have read but found my collection when unpacking in my new house and have not read for since i was like 11, (books #8-#61 with a couple odd missing and a few newer series ones and choose your owns)

Unfortunate Events i have also read but my partner has never so I plan to watch the show with them soon

[adozentothedawn]

You know, I still think that women that are actually written in Riyaria are well written, but man this guy has a problem with fridging female characters. The amoun of women who die in these books simply for plot of specifically the male characters is eeeeehhhhhhh. Which is a real shame honestly, because Arista, Amilia, and Thrace are such good characters, I love them. He does unfortunately also have a lack of buff women. So, to remedy these problems I suggest one main fix: make Hadrian a woman. You can even leave the name, I am perfectly happy having a woman called Hadrian run around. You also have to change nothing about his plot or character. Leave it as it is. This would give us a buff female himbo knight, it would mean that for once the male and female protagonist are not in a relationship, and it would make Hadrian’s and Arista’s romance immediatly 10 times more compelling. Give me knight/princess leasbians! And from there you could totally genderflip a few more characters, Esrahaddon would be a prime example. Merrick is another one. Literally the only character that you can’t just genderflip or it would break part of the plot is Royce. Everyone else is fair game.

also give Thrace a half elf bard girlfriend i dare you

just kidding I’ll do it myself

[meteodrives]

thinking about the rebuilt seventh heaven & how smart of a business move it was to offer trade for those who couldn't afford a meal / drink.

[booksinmythorax]

If you buy a lot of books and end up not liking some of them very much, can I suggest checking them out from your library first?

I worked in bookstores for a long time, and of course lots of my paycheck went directly back into the store. I've ended up "weeding" a lot of those books and donating them to different places just because I knew I wasn't ever going to read them again.

Now I'm a librarian, and I'm realizing just how much money I'm saving by checking books out FIRST. Maybe I check something out and I end up DNF'ing it within 50 pages. Maybe I check something out and I enjoy it, but not enough to read it again. Maybe I check something out and I really love it, but it freaked me out so bad it's tattooed on the inside of my eyeballs and I won't need to read it again (Drew Magary's The Hike, I'm looking in your direction).

Or maybe I check something out and I love it! And then I go buy a copy to own because I know I'll reread it, probably with a pen to mark up the margins in a way I know I can't with a library book!

Idk man. If you want to be more intentional with the way you spend your money, if you want to combat the commercialization of the publishing industry, if you hate that authors are being forced to do all their own marketing on TikTok and that readers are feeling shame about not purchasing and finishing literal hundreds of books per year... Maybe start by going to your local library. You can still post haul photos of library books without spending a dime.

[dreamingonfilm]

✧˖*°࿐ Love Letters | d.m

Draco Malfoy x f!reader, fluff

Summary: In which Draco tries to find the girl who sends him love letters, unaware to the fact that it’s you.

W/C: 1.5k

Draco’s fingers traced over the writing on the pink envelope once again. His mind was not able to rest as he tried to piece together who left the note on his bedside in the middle of the night. Delicately opening it once more, he reread the words inside;

Draco, 

I hope you can learn to see yourself the way that I see you, with love and acceptance. You are what makes everyday worth it. Constellations are named after you, and each day I can’t help but to be thankful for the sun breathing on you once more. You are my light.

He carefully closed the envelope and placed it inside his bag. ‘They like me.’ the boy thought to himself, ‘someone actually likes me.’ 

It’s not that the boy was a stranger when it comes to love, but never once has he been perceived as something more than what he truly is. He’s always been Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy throne, son of Lucius, and most importantly a Slytherin. For this reason, he constantly rejected any advances that came from the female students around him. While his rejections came off as rude and cold-hearted, the other students failed to see that Draco, just like everyone else around him, was human too. He was scared of being hurt by the one feeling that he craved the most. 

The walk to class was almost unbearable, he couldn’t stop thinking about the letter. He wanted to know the poet behind those beautiful words, the ones that kept repeating over and over in his head as he tried stirring potions or taking notes. You are what makes everyday worth it. He became hyper aware of his surroundings, assuming that he would know when he sees her, but he failed to realize that she was not someone that could be so easily spotted. She came exactly when you needed her to, not by desire alone.

—-

“Draco,” his friend Blaise called to him, “focus.”

“Oh, right.” Draco replied, trying to get his thoughts together as he walked back to his seat. It was the middle of the school week and his mind was only getting more crowded with the thoughts of her. As he sat back down, his friends swarmed him with questions as to what it was that he smelled in his amortentia, assuming that this would be the first step to finding her.

“I can’t describe it.” He sighed, running a hand through his platinum hair in defeat. “She has me going crazy and I don’t even know her.” 

“Well,” Pansy spoke up, “I suggest maybe moving on? I mean, if she wants to be anonymous it may be for a reason. Plus, you have hundreds of other girls that would kill to be with you, Draco. Maybe try your luck somewhere else.” She flashed him a sincere smile before going in to hold his hand, but her efforts were cut short as the boy suddenly stood up. 

“I don’t want to be with anyone unless it’s her.” He sneered, shaking his head as he turned around and started heading straight to the door. He said a hushed goodbye to his friends before exiting into the crowded hall.

Why couldn’t his friends see that he didn’t want anyone else? He didn’t care about her wealth, status, or looks, all that he wanted was someone that could love him in full. Love him in a way that can’t be tamed, a love that lives long after they do. This was something that he knew he wasn’t going to find any time soon, for as long as he was at Hogwarts he could only be Draco Malfoy.

His hopes were on her.

He walked through the hall, pushing through students that stood in his way as he asserted dominance with a ray of confidence and high ego. Students glared at him but none had the guts to say anything, this fear that Draco instilled was not one that was going to go away any time soon. It was one that he brought upon himself and now had to live with. Somewhere in between his daydreams and the crowded corridor, he felt someone bump into him. Their shoulders collided as his books fell to the floor. The stranger mumbled a quick apology before running off.

In the midst of his anger, he froze. He smelt it. That same scent that clouded him only a few minutes before. There it was, it was her, but just as quickly as he smelled it, she was gone. Only seeing her hair as she turned at the corner of the hallway. 

He quickly got up and chased after her, pushing and shoving anyone that got in his way. This was his chance, he was finally going to meet the girl that’s been making him mad, the one that he’s been dreaming of. His heart was pounding as he ran faster and faster down the hall, students staring at him in confusion as he was passing them by, quills and journals flying out of his bag –  but he didn't care, he couldn’t let her get away.

Once he turned the corner, he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sensation of defeat. His heart crushed as he stared into the empty hallway.

—- 

Two weeks have passed since the day that Draco and her collided. He sat in his bed, holding a brand new letter. The same shade of pink as the one before, with the handwriting that he’s fallen in love with. 

“Draco, 

I’m sorry for not writing to you. I’ve been thinking of you every day, and I just can’t bear to keep dreaming of you without letting you know that I’m sorry for bumping into you in the hallway. The truth is, I’m scared, Draco.

I’m scared you aren’t going to like me for who I am. I’m scared that writing to you was a mistake. I’m scared that the only way you will ever see me is through these letters. I see you every day, why can’t you see me? 

You’re always in my heart, shining above me every night, my constellation. If we remain strangers forever, just know that I’ve never come to love someone like how I love you.”

He was getting restless. Constant possibilities of who it could be running through him, he even considered the possibility that this could be a prank, but no amount of doubt could prevent him from finding her, his hope overpowered all the fear that he had.

Draco sat up once more and started getting ready for dinner. Brushing his hair and straightening out his tie, he needed to look presentable for the off chance that he could be meeting her today. 

He headed down into the Great Hall and that’s when he saw it. A pink envelope in the hands of a girl he’s never talked to, but not just any girl, it was you.

He shouted out into the void, but he wasn’t quick enough. “Hey wait!” he called out, as you quickly grabbed your things and ran off once more. He couldn’t see you like this, it wasn’t the right time. Your face flushed red as you ran, your breathing quickening as your legs started to grow tired, but you could not let him find you. 

Draco chased after you, he was only a few feet behind but with enough determination you knew you could lose him. As you sprinted through the maze of halls, you started to grow light headed, you knew that if you didn’t stop soon you would faint. 

But it’s not the right time 

You stopped in front of a random classroom, rushing to open the door before he could catch up to you, but it was too late. He crashed into you, both of you falling to the ground with a loud thump, his hands landing on either sides of you as you laid in between him.

He finally found you. 

“Who are you?” He asked, not wasting any more time to get to know the girl who stole his heart. You stared into his eyes, feeling a frog in your throat as you mustered up the courage to finally talk to him.

“M-my name is (Y/N).” You whispered, neither of you breaking eye contact. He smiled, grabbing hold of your hands as he went to pick you both up. You were both nervous, too scared of saying the wrong things, but wanting to say them all regardless.

“(Y/N),” he repeated, looking at you with a face full of love and adoration, “I’m Draco.” 

He brushed your hair with his fingers and went to pat the dust off your shoulders. You didn’t know what to say or do, but you didn’t have to.

This was the right time.

 “Come along then (Y/N),” Draco smiled, interlocking his hand in yours before leading you back down to the Great Hall, “we have a lot of catching up to do.”

[ao3commentoftheday]

how to enjoy reading WIPs

(if you always read complete works only)

Reading along while an author is actively posting their fic can be a great experience. Much like watching a show or series that airs weekly, reading a fic that posts a new chapter every few days or twice a month etc. can be a lot of fun. Here are some ideas of things you can do to enjoy the experience, if it's new to you:

get intrigued - where is the author going with this? How are they going to roll out the plot that they described in their summary/tags? what tone are they setting in their first chapter(s) and how do you think that will carry through the story? So much is possible, and you'll get to find out!

read the author's notes - are there hints of what's to come? are they looking for suggestions? maybe you get to know the author a little bit or connect with their social media.

read the comments - You'll often see some back and forth in the comments section between readers and the author, especially if they are friends. You might also see some speculation about what's upcoming in the fic or some references to fanon or canon that might interest you.

leave a comment - this can become an enthusiasm loop where you shout your enjoyment at the author and they shout their joy at your comment back at you. It might even lead to friendship - either with the author or with other commenters. Even if the author isn't the type of person to reply, your comment will likely encourage them to keep updating the story.

subscribe - at the top of the fic, you'll find a subscribe button (if you're a logged in user). If you hit that, AO3 will send you an email every time that fic updates. You'll be able to read the fic soon after it's posted or save it as a treat or to reward yourself later.

get a friend to read it too - then you'll have someone to theorize with and squee with when a new chapter is posted. Having someone to talk to about things always makes them more fun.

if the fic goes on hiatus - you still had all the fun of reading it while it was still posting, and now you get to imagine what might happen next. You can still reread (and even comment, if you'd like) as often as you like until that new chapter drops, and if you're subscribed, you'll find out about it - even if it takes years.

Reading works in progress isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I think it can be a lot of fun - especially if you know someone else who's reading it too.

If you're someone who already reads works in progress, tell us why in the notes ❤️