#if you've read this on ao3 don't worry it's me lmao

[rafyki]

[Percico fanfic]

*Throws more percico smut at you* (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

You know I really can't stop thinking about percico smut lately asdgsdfkas (might be also because me and @neo-kid-funk have been talking about it so much, throwing ideas at each other lmao and also her beautiful spicy art is a constant inspiration)

So anyway, have some Nico calling Percy pet names and Percy with kind of a praise kink - this is very extremely sappy, btw, you've been warned (because of course I can't help but writing them absolutely in love with each other)

You can also read it on AO3!

~~~

Nico came back at exactly eleven minutes past two a.m.. Percy knew that with certainty because he had been alternating between staring at the door and at the clock for the most part of the day, since the moment Nico had contacted him via Iris Message to tell him he would come home today.

He had looked so tired, smiling softly at Percy when he told him he missed him, and Percy wanted nothing more than to cradle him into his arms, kiss him wherever he could reach, and make sure he was really okay.

Of course, he knew that Nico wouldn't use the door to get inside the house. Instead, like every good son of Hades, he materialized in the shadows in a way that would have scared anyone who didn't know him. Percy was used to it though, and he did expect to see him stumble into the room from the shadows - he had kept the room dark enough precisely because of that.

What he did not expect was for Nico to choose the shadow on the ceiling and to literally fall into the room. But it didn't really matter, because Percy's senses were so used to be tuned on Nico's presence and his every movement that his body moved before he even registered it, catching the falling man easily into his arms.

“Welcome back”, Percy said. He didn't let Nico go, holding him close to himself, bridal style - the weight in his arms was familiar and welcome, as was the beautiful eyes looking into his own.

“I'm home”, Nico murmured back. There was mirth in his smile as he looked at Percy, hugging him around the neck, head resting against his shoulder. He looked as happy to stay there as Percy felt. “You caught me”.

“Of course”, Percy said. “Was it a test?”

Nico hummed in assent. “You passed”.

“Of course I did”.

“I knew you would”.

Oh, Percy had missed him so much. Here, standing in the middle of the room with the man he loved in his arms, Percy thought that this was what home felt like. As dramatic as it might have seemed, he had been feeling like a part of himself was missing for the whole three weeks Nico had been away. They had kept in contact through Iris Message as frequently as they could, but it wasn't the same; it wasn't enough to lighten the burden weighting on Percy's heart, a weight he knew Nico shared. 

Nico seemed to read his mind. He hugged Percy closer, hiding his face in the crook of Percy's neck, leaving a feather soft kiss there.

“I missed you”.

“Me too”, Percy said. “So much. I'm never letting you go again”.

Nico let out a soft laugh at that, and Percy felt it tickling on his skin. “I don't think my father would agree with that”.

“I have some experience in defying you father, I think I can manage”.

Another laugh. Oh, how Percy had missed the sound.

A beat, a moment of silence. Percy buried his nose in Nico’s messy hair, breathing him in. 

“I really really missed you, Neeks”. 

He had been worried, too, but he didn’t say that out loud. It wouldn’t be fair, not when Nico had his job as the ambassador of Pluto to do, not when Percy himself sometimes had quests to participate in to help the Camps - it was their job, and being worried about each other came together with it, it was a given in a demigod’s life; they couldn’t help it and they both knew, but it didn’t make it any easier. 

When their eyes met, Percy knew Nico was thinking the same thing.

When they kissed, they could taste relief on each other’s lips.

They had been together for long enough that kissing and being into each other’s arms should have probably lost its magic; it should have been familiar like something that you have always there, that is such a huge part of your everyday life that it becomes an afterthought. It wasn’t. Instead, it was familiar in a way that made it impossible to take it for granted, it was familiar in a way that Percy needed, in the way that made their everyday life worth living. They kissed, and every time Percy thought this is why I survived everything I have. To have this. 

Percy kissed him now, and thought that he would never get tired of doing it, even in a million years spent together.

Nico melted into his arms, lips spontaneously opening against his. The sound of a content sigh got lost in between them, and Percy wasn’t sure if it was his or Nico’s. It didn’t matter, they were breathing into each other’s mouths anyway, the sound swallowed in between them.

They stood there in the middle of the room, Nico still cradled in Percy’s arms, kissing and kissing and kissing until they had no breath left in their lungs. 

“You can put me down now, you know”, Nico said after a moment of silence.

Percy just adjusted his hold on him, hugged him closer. He would probably need to do it in a short while when his arms would inevitably start to complain, but for now he was perfectly happy and comfortable like this. “Don’t wanna”.

Nico looked at him, smiled, and kissed him again. Percy knew what the light in his eyes meant, felt it in the heated way their lips met this time, in the way Nico was holding onto him almost desperately, the way he pushed his tongue into Percy’s mouth like he wanted nothing more than to devour him. 

It was different from the languid sweet kiss from just a few moments before. This was a different kind of I missed you, a different kind of I need you, another face of their I love you.

It was the kind of kiss that made Percy feel like Nico was touching him everywhere all at once, that demanded everything from him, every bit of attention, every bit of his soul.

When Nico kissed him like that, it made Percy want to give up everything just to fall on his knees and worship Nico like he deserved.

He kissed back, just as hungry, just as desperate, giving Nico everything he was asking for. 

It had always been like that, between them - one single glance, one single word, and things escalated. That was how they had found themselves falling into bed together even before confessing and getting together properly; it had caused problems, back then, but now they could allow themselves to give in to it without a second thought, could get lost in the feeling of want eating them up without worrying about what waited for them on the other side of it.

Percy only forced himself to move back when he remembered, amidst the haze that was filling his mind, that Nico had just come back after a three weeks long job. Nico whined at the loss of contact. 

Percy took a moment to catch his breath. 

“Wait”, he said. “Have you eaten?”

Nico nodded. The way he was clearly a little annoyed made Percy smile. 

“You sure?”

This time Nico rolled his eyes fondly at him. “Hazel was with me, you know what that means”.

“Mh, yeah, I can trust her to take care of you”.

“You should trust me”, Nico said. Anyone else would have thought that his frown meant he was seriously mad, but Percy knew him too well. 

“I do, with everything”, he said, kissing his nose gently. “But I also know how quests can go, and how they can distract you”.

Another kiss, long and sweet. The heat from before was still there, boiling just underneath the surface. Honestly Percy just wanted to give in to it.

“You sure you’re not tired?”, he asked, in between shared breaths. He could feel the heaviness of Nico’s tired bones, had noticed the way his eyelids had looked heavy earlier when he had just arrived; and he knew how tiring a quest could be, especially such a long one. Nico could sleep, and they could just start again the next morning.

“I am, a little”, Nico replied, and Percy was about to put him down and let him get some well deserved rest. He stopped when Nico held onto him tighter, got his lips close to Percy’s ear, and murmured, “So, take care of me tonight?”

And it was like a fire was lit inside of Percy.

How could he deny him?

Just those words were enough to make arousal fill every inch of his body, strong and prepotent and impossible to ignore. Nico knew the effects it would have on him, of course, knew exactly what to say and do to make Percy do whatever he wanted. And Percy loved it.

Barely suppressing a groan he changed his hold on Nico, moving his hands under his thighs as Nico wrapped his legs around him. Kissing him was easier like this, the new angle making their lips fit perfectly together, the higher position allowing Nico to push for more as Percy opened up against him. Hands were buried in Percy's hair, touching and pulling on it impatient and demanding.

Without breaking apart, with his eyes still closed and lost in the malestorm that was Nico, Percy started walking towards their bedroom. He didn't need to see to know where he was going, and the house was coated in shadows anyway - still he was too busy to worry about bumping into anything. There wasn't anything that could make him separate from Nico right now.

Only when they did reach the bedroom Percy moved back, putting just enough space between their lips that he could catch his breath. He could feel Nico's hard breaths mixing with his own.

Gently he let him down, resting him on the bed. Their bed, sometimes it was still hard to believe it. But there they were now, in their home, on their bed, hands still touching each other like they couldn't bear to separate even for one instant - and Nico was looking up at him, looking beautiful and ethereal in the moonlight coming in from the window. There was lust and anticipation in his eyes, and so much love Percy felt himself drown in it.

Under that stare he took a moment to take off his shirt, then his trousers, and finally his underwear, leaving himself naked and bare for Nico to see. Oh how he loved this, how he loved to be the only object of those eyes, the only one who had the privilege of being at the receiving end of that passionate and devoted look. He could feel himself grow harder just by the weight of it.

Nico reached out, and Percy joined him on the bed. He helped him out of his clothes, slow and gentle, as he could feel the weight of Nico's weary bones, the tiredness of his every move mixed with the need for this, the need for the contact and the touch.

It was a familiar thing, that of taking off each other’s clothes, slowly getting bare before one another, as familiar was the sight of Nico’s beautiful scarred pale skin - yet it never failed to make Percy’s breath stop in his throat, his heart beating like crazy in his chest and blood boiling in his veins. Even in the heat of the moment he could never deny himself a few moments just to look, hungry eyes caressing every inch of skin they could reach, hands following behind shortly after on the same path. He pulled Nico in closer, and the kiss that followed was heated and slow at the same time. Nico’s hands left a burning trail where they moved along on Percy’s skin. They moved on the bed until Nico was on his back and Percy on top of him.

It never failed to amaze Percy how perfectly they fitted together, skin against skin, bodies finding where they belonged against each other. Nico was still smaller than him, and Percy loved that he could cover him like that, having him underneath himself, swallow him whole. He loved that despite this, Nico almost always had the reins of the situation anyway.

They broke the kiss in a moan when their half hard lengths pressed together, leaving them panting into each other’s mouth.

“Are you going to show me just how much you missed me?”, Nico said, whispering the words directly into Percy’s soul.

Percy could feel his pleased smirk against his own lips. Even in his tired state, Nico knew perfectly well how to push every one of Percy’s buttons.

“As if I could ever deny you”, Percy replied, blood rushing into his veins. “Whatever you want”.

“I want you”.

It was such a simple thing to say, such an obvious truth that Percy knew already, had known for years, and it had been so long since the last time he had doubted it. But it still got his heart running, jumping into his throat like it wanted to escape and leap into Nico’s waiting hands.

Percy moved back enough to look into Nico’s eyes. He couldn’t see him properly, as he was coated in the shadows casted by Percy’s own body; it didn’t matter, Percy could see the look in his eyes even in the dark, would see it in his dreams and with his own eyes closed. “You have me”, he said. “Always”.

Another kiss. Nico tasted like everything Percy wanted, now and forever. 

He moved his lips to Nico’s neck, sucking on the sensitive skin, taking it in between his teeth, soothing the bruise with his tongue. Every little sound that was coming out of Nico’s mouth pushed him to bite a little harder, to leave a more permanent mark. Bite marks looked especially pretty on Nico’s neck, their color a stark contrast against the pale skin.

Nico moved to give him better access, one of his hands buried in Percy’s hair, keeping him in place, his legs around Percy’s waist, pulling him closer. Percy could feel the breath catching in his throat every time a movement made their hard cocks slid between their bodies, the pressure and friction so good and not nearly enough at the same time.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good”, he said into Nico’s ear, before taking the lobe in between his lips.

“I- ah, I know you will, baby”.

Percy couldn't help it - he preened at the word,  an unintentional pleased sound escaping from his throat. There was just something about Nico calling him that, something that made Percy lose himself a little more every time. He loved getting lost in Nico, forgetting himself for a little while and just focusing on him, on how to give him pleasure, how to make him feel good.

And so he moved from his neck to his collarbone to his chest, kissing and biting every inch of skin he could reach, letting himself get lost in the taste under his tongue and the sweet sounds coming from Nico and filling his ears. Tomorrow Nico's skin would be a beautiful map of every heated touch, and Percy would wake up and trace it with his fingers, marveling at how beautiful he was.

Down, and he took a pink hard nipple between his lips, sucking and biting just hard enough, just how Nico liked - and he was rewarded with a high moan and a hand gripping his hair so tight it almost hurt.

Few things felt as good as having Nico underneath himself like that, all bare and waiting for him, all for Percy to taste and touch and give pleasure to; tired and exhausted and yet waiting and wanting nothing but Percy. Percy wanted nothing more than to be good for him, to give him pleasure to the point he couldn't take it anymore, to make him arch under his touch at the plea of his name.

A kiss, just where Nico's heart was. A kiss, long and lingering.

I love you so much, he thought, and believed that Nico could feel it, hear it in the sound of his own heartbeat.

Down, again, leaving a trail of soft gentle kisses behind, on Nico's sternum, on his belly, on his hipbones. Nico's legs opened to accommodate him, and Percy moved to his thighs, beautiful and sensitive and so easily marked up. The soft skin tasted perfect under Percy's teeth and tongue. He kissed over a few scars - that was a habit they both had, that of wanting to leave marks over scars, like an attempt to rewrite with something better whatever painful moment had left a sign on their bodies.

“Percy…”, Nico called, breathless already. The name always sounded so beautiful on his lips. It was a request, and Percy understood. 

He licked his lips before finally bringing his mouth on Nico's hard length, wrapping his lips around the head, teasing with his tongue that spot he knew would help to drive Nico crazy. Just a little, not enough to make him come, but enough to make him arch under Percy, to make him moan and cry out asking for something more. 

The broken moans of Percy, and baby, went to Percy's head and groin, and he moved down a little more, taking more of Nico into his mouth, closing his eyes as he drowned in the sounds and taste filling his senses. Nico's legs were wrapped around him, his hands on the back of Percy's head, forceful yet careful at the same time.

Percy loved this, loved how he knew perfectly where to touch to make Nico come undone under him, loved that he could just do this, could love him and show it with every part of his body and every part of his soul. Loved that Nico's taste was so engraved in his senses that it almost felt like his own.

When he could feel that Nico was about to come, he moved back, letting him fall out of his mouth. A whine escaped Nico at the loss of contact, and Percy, breathless, let his tongue run over the length of his cock one last time, a final kiss lingering on the head.

Nico brought his hand under Percy's chin, pushing to make him look up at him. Fingers brushed against his lips, thumb stroking his lower lip, gentle at first then harder, pushing in between until it was inside Percy's mouth.

Nico was beautiful - there was no proper word to describe him, but beautiful was what always came up to Percy's mind whenever he tried to find the right way to describe him. Sometimes, the word was almost enough - never quite able to encompass everything that Nico was, but close, almost good enough. Now though, the sight before Percy's eyes was more - more than beautiful, more than perfect, mesmerizing in a way that the word itself couldn't catch; there were no words that could describe the way Nico looked right now, bathed in moonlight, with his sensitive skin flushed pink, white and shining with sweat, marks starting to form on it, his swollen lips parted, breathing hard. And his eyes, soft and intense at the same time, fixed on Percy, lust and love tangled together in them, and so strong Percy found himself unable to breathe. He knew that the same look was probably mirrored into his own eyes as he looked back at Nico. 

There were no words to describe Nico like this, and there was no need for them - this was a sight no one but Percy was privy to, it was his.

“Come here”, Nico said, his voice raw and breathless, and it pulled Percy out of his own dazed thoughts.

They met in a long messy kiss, mouth opened against each other, like they couldn't get enough, like they wanted, needed, to devour one another. 

“You're being so good for me”, Nico said, and Percy melted at the words. “You're so good at taking care of me”.

A whine escaped Percy and Nico swallowed it in the next kiss.

Hands were traveling all over each other, legs tangled together, every inch of their bodies pressed together. Percy couldn’t wait to be inside him, feeling Nico surrounding him completely. It didn’t matter how many times they did this, it always felt as heart-stopping and significant as the first time.

Nico always seemed to be reading his mind, because the next thing he said was, “I really need you inside me now, Percy”, with a low and clearly affected voice, speaking the words against Percy’s lips.

“Yeah”, Percy breathing, nodding.

He moved back enough to reach out and take the lube and a condom from their bedside table, opened the bottle and coated his fingers in it, then went back to kissing Nico. He really couldn’t go too long without doing it. He kept kissing him as he opened him up with his fingers, careful and slow, taking his time both because he didn’t want to hurt him and simply because he loved doing this. 

As they kissed, Percy could feel on his lips every breath broken in pleasure, every moan and every whine as he kept moving his fingers inside him. 

“I’m- ah, I’m good”, Nico said. “Come on, baby”.

One more kiss, heated in anticipation. 

Nico’s eyes were locked on him, hungrily following his every move as Percy put on the condom and coated himself in lube. The heat and weight of that stare would end up driving Percy crazy one day - crazy with need and passion and so much love that he didn’t know how he hadn’t gone mad yet; or maybe he had, and Nico with him, but as long as they were together in this nothing mattered anyway.

Nico pulled him down and Percy went willingly, putty in his hands. Their lips were made to kiss each other.

“I love you, Neeks”.

Percy had to say it. The words weren’t enough, but he needed to say them, just three little words to describe something that was so big, impossible to really put into words. Their hands found each other, fingers interlacing naturally.

“So much”, Nico replied, squeezing his hand. “So much, love”.

When he finally slid home inside of Nico, they stayed there, panting into each other's mouths for a handful of long moments, getting adjusted and just feeling each other.

“You feel so good”, Nico said, voice row and broken. “You always feel so good”.

A moan cut him off when Percy shifted a little, the movement enough to make his eyes roll back.

“Move, Percy, please”.

And Percy did. Slow at first, then harder and faster, as control started slipping from his fingers and Nico kept pulling him in with the legs wrapped around his back. They were one, joined in every possible way - this was what made Percy lose his mind. It felt impossibly good, to be with Nico like this, a gift so precious it had taken Percy a long time to believe and accept he really could have this.

Their mouths were still pressed together, the kiss broken by moans but they still kept breathing together, swallowing each other’s every sound.

Percy wrapped his free hand around Nico’s cock, and the next moment Nico was coming with a moan and a broken plea of Percy’s name.

It took barely another few thrusts, and the whisper of “come for me, baby”, from Nico, to push him over the edge, and then Percy was coming too.

Time slowed down as they caught their breaths, long moments of stasis that stretched over as the intense heat from before gave way to the slow and lazy intimity that always came after.

Slowly, gently, Percy pulled off Nico, kissing his cheek at the weak sound of protest that elicited. He tied and threw away the condom, and then he was back with Nico, pulling a blanket on top of both of them and wrapping him tight into his arms.

Nico looked content and spent, his eyes already threatening to fall shut as he looked up at Percy with a soft smile on his lips. It seemed that exhaustion was catching up to him all together, and he looked seconds away from falling asleep. Percy leaned in to kiss him again, soft and chaste. These were some of Percy’s favorite moments, the slow lazy moments in between, when time seemed to stop existing, like it was waiting for them to catch their breaths.

“I really missed you”, Nico said, the words coming out slurred. “I never want to be away for so long again”.

Percy agreed. It might have sounded dramatic and silly, but he hated it - he could be away from Nico, but he simply didn’t want to.

“Next time, I’m coming with you”.

It didn’t matter if it wasn’t easy, they would find a way.

Nico hummed happily as he got comfortable with his head pillowed on Percy’s chest, Percy’s hand on his head, caressing his hair slowly. The weight of Nico’s body on him was everything Percy needed after way too many nights spent sleeping alone.

“You should sleep now”, he said, leaving a kiss on top of Nico’s head.

Tomorrow, as time would start moving again, Percy would kiss him good morning and make him breakfast, they would stay in bed the whole morning kissing lazily, and Nico would tell him about his quest, and Percy would tell him about the little mundane things that had happened while he was away. And they both would think that that was what they wanted from life.

Tonight, Percy fell asleep thinking that this was the forever he wanted.

[jillsandwhichs]

Our Future Day's

Joel Miller x Reader series , Chap 1 , Move in day

Masterlist

Pairing: Fem!reader x Joel Miller

Summary: You officially move from oregan to texas and get to meet your very new & handsome neighbor, Joel

WC: 3.1k

Type: SFW

Some thing's you need to know before reading: this is a series, not a one shot collection! you (the reader) already have a semi premade backstory. first off, you're originally from oregon. you studied at med school and got a job offer in texas to become a doctor, which you took. you are 23 in this but if you don't like that, imagine any age (18+) and i did make joel younger 26 (until the 20 year time jump, he'll be 46) but he does still have sarah, just pretend it's not wonky LMAO! one more thing, ya have a dog in this fic, he's a boy but imagine any breed you'd like! aside from that, this is tlou game version but i included some sides from the show! a couple more things: 1. all characters from tlou1/2 will be mentioned/featured. 2. this takes place before outbreak, then eventually outbreak day, then eventually in the apocalypse. 3. this is a slow burn romance (drabbles of it in each chapter though, esp when it progresses) and does feature a decent amount of smut. 4. JOEL NEVER DIES!!!

A/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Thank you

Tapping your fingers on the steering wheel, you matched the beat of the song playing on your cars radio. It was a song by Blake Shelton. You weren't a huge fan of him but he had some classics. It has been such a long day for you. You've been driving for the past two hours, not a single break in between. You just wanted to get to your new home as soon as you could. You could tell your dog, Becker, needed to go potty as well. He'd just have to hold out.

The GPS on your phone stated you were only about ten minutes away. The center of Austin TX was busy as all hell, so that time span could get longer by the second. So many cars & people flooded the streets. "God dammit." You mumbled to yourself, rolling your eyes as you seen all the upcoming traffic ahead. This was going to be a long night. You had no clue when you'd even be able to get into bed. Then again, it was only 4:30 in the afternoon, almost evening.

Behind you, in the backseat, you could hear Becker whimpering & whining. "Don't worry boy, we're almost home, just a little bit longer." You cooed to him, reaching your right hand back and allowing him to lick you. You got Becker as a graduation gift a few weeks ago. You two have bonded ever since. You were never a cat person, dog's were more of your style. "You'll be able to go potty soon." You said to him, pulling your hand back up and holding onto the wheel.

Traffic wasn't going as slow as you intended, was traffic always going to be like this though? This ain't going to be pleasant if so. Especially working for the hospital. Imagine an emergency happens and you're needed but the roads are packed, that's going to be one helluva time. But, you wanna think positively. You missed your family too. It's going to be hard without them, especially your mom. She is your number one supporter and without her in the same home as you, it'll be a large change.

You turned the radio up, hearing the country music blast throughout your car but not loud enough to scare your dog. Dogs ears are sensitive and you didn't wanna bother him further than he already was. No doggo wants to be stuck in a car all day, especially in this heat. Despite it being early September, it was still quite warm out. That's another big change from Oregon, you imagine that back home, it's either really windy or heavily raining. The change could be nice though.

The sound of Becker panting was clear as day, it only made you feel more guilty. "Hold on baby." You muttered to him before you then rolled your window down and the window directly behind you, not a lot though, you didn't want him to jump out or something. Through your rearview mirror, you could see his slobbery tounge blowing in the wind as he stuck his head out the window. "Hah, good boy!" You giggled, turning left onto the exit, finally getting off of this miserable highway.

Finally, the road wasn't full anymore. It was a downtown rural area now, cars slowly made their way through the town. Austin is busy, yes, but this side of it, not so much. The only logical reason it was super busy on the highway and earlier roads was because people are getting/going to work. Your first day at the hospital is on Monday. You were nervous but in a great way. You have been non stop thinking about it. All of the work you've put in and you're officially where you wanted to be. Life was going good... For once...

You passed by all sorts of different places. Gas stations, fast food chains, locally owned stores & stands, it felt so honey. Back in Oregon, you lived in the center of the city, it was always so lively and never calm. Austin is like that too but not as bad, and definitely not as bad as Dallas is. You were grateful you didn't end up moving there or even somewhere that was worse. Austin was a good enough fit for you.

The GPS showed you were only a minute or two away from home, your heart was racing a bit. You've never been on your own before and you least expected it to be in a completely different state. Luckily, a week from now, you'll be going back home for the weekend. It'll be comforting. You'll definitely make sure to call your family everyday, you made sure they knew that too. They'd have to simply put up with it.

You could tell you were getting closer due to the change in scenery. There weren't any establishments around these parts, just either compact or extensive suburban homes. You actually used to make fun of those perfect American families who lived in these types of areas but look at you now. Back home, you lived in a small house, only two bedrooms but you were an only child so it was never a problem. You did wish for siblings growing up but you understand now that if you had some, things would be a whole lot different.

As you turned left, the tracker built into your phone made a dinging noise, indicating you had arrived at your destination. It wasn't wrong. Just to the left, you could see your newly purchased home. It made your heart skip a beat. Not only were you nervous but you were also so happy. You glimmered as you pulled right into the driveway and set your car in park. You could tell Becker knew this was your guy's new home, his whimpers weren't ones of boredness but rather excitement. "One second." You sighed out before getting out of the car.

Stepping out of your car, you sighed softly as you breathed in the fresh air. The smell of outside was always so welcoming. You grabbed your purse out of your car too and swung it across your shoulder. It was a brown leather purse with an embroidered strap. You then opened up the backseat so Becker could jump on out. "Stay over here buddy." You chuckled out, scratching the top of his head a few times before closing both doors. You had quite a bit of stuff in your trunk & backseat but you hired a truck to drive all of your other belongings here. It wouldn't be there for another day or so.

Becker ran off to the side of the house to go potty ; You trusted him enough to not run off. He was a good dog. You went to the back of your car and popped open your trunk. It was a mess but everything you needed for the night was in there. You even bought an air mattress, your back would die trying to sleep on a wooden floor. You grabbed the first two boxes, they weren't very big, and set them on the concrete of your driveway. They just had toiletries in them.

You grabbed out another box, this one was a bit bigger than the other two. It had all of your kitchen appliances in it. You were excited to cook your very first dinner in your very own home. You already decided on making Pesto Pasta, one of your favorites. In your trunk, there was the air mattress box. It wasn't going to be the best way to sleep but it'd have to suffice for the night, your proper bed should be in either tomorrow or on Sunday.

Whilst grabbing out the air mattress, you heard the sound of a truck driving past and pulling into the driveway across from you. They must've been your neighbors. Your neighbors back home weren't the nicest. There were the Johnson's so were beyond uppity and thought they were better than everyone else, they lived beside you. Then there was Cassandra and Cody, they were your age and pretty kind except they were literal kleptos.

You ignored the truck behind you, just trying to get everything you needed for the night. You could hear Becker barking but you didn't know what it was he was doing it at. You figured a wild animal, maybe a bunny or a stray. Becker was actually from a shelter, you'd never buy an animal from PetSmart or whatever. "Becker, quit your barking!" You shouted at him, nudging him to come over to you. Maybe he wasn't good with new environments.

You placed the last cardboard box from your trunk on top of another one, shooting your eyes to look at Becker. He was looking at the truck across the street, barking at it. "Oh boy, quit it." You spoke out to him but he didn't listen. You went to grab onto his collar but right as you did, he bolted off into their driveway. He was a friendly dog, you didn't think he'd do anything bad, he was just inquisitive, but it was still bad of him to run off like that.

"Becker!" You yelled, jogging across the street to grab him. You watched as two men got out of the black truck. The one in the driver's seat had a mullet and lighter hair than the other man, he also seemed shorter. The other one though had short dark hair, although you couldn't tell if it was purely brown or black. He was well built, along with the other man. Were they brothers? That's the only assumption that came to mind.

Once you reached their driveway, you grabbed Becker and pulled him back to you. The man getting out of the passenger seat looked back at you and had a puzzled look before letting out a chuckle beneath his breath. "Listen, I'm so sorry, he's just curious." You sighed out. Becker was now listening as he sat down right by your feet. "Sorry, we'll be out of your hair." You giggled, beginning to turn around before you heard the man's voice speak up.

"You just move in across the street?" He asked you, his voice sounded southern and it was very deep. "Oh uhm, yeah, just got here tonight actually." You said kindly, looking back at him again. "Well, welcome then, and to your dog." He snickered out. "I'm Joel, this is Tommy." Joel spoke deeply, pointing over at the other man. You let the two men know your name before asking them whether or not they were brothers, and they were. You weren't surprised, they did share similar facial features.

"Where are you from?" Joel raised, his arms crossed. His arms were huge, he definitely has a nice body. "I'm from Oregon." You said softly, placing your slender hands onto your waist. "Damn, that's a long ways out. What made you move all the way here?" "Got a job offer at the hospital." You said with a titter, his accent was thick. "Oh, you a nurse or something?" He questioned, leaning up against his truck. "No, a doctor. Recently gradated from medschool." You explained, glancing over at his brother as he walked into the house. Maybe they lived together.

"Well how bout that? I'm just a contractor." "That's nice." You added, tucking strands of your thin hair behind your ear. "Yeah, yeah, well I'll let you continue settling in. If you need any help with uh larger furniture, me and my brother can stop by, we helped the Adler's when they first moved in." Joel said with a deep voice, pointing his index to the home beside his. "That would be great, thanks, luckily I don't have to deal with the bullshit of larger furniture today, it'll be in either tomorrow or Sunday."

"Alrighty, well, you have yourself a good evening. See you." Joel said with a sly smirk, slowly inching backwards. "You too, Joel." You gave him a slight smile before patting Becker to follow behind you. You made your way across the street, allowing Becker to run around in his new yard. You took a gander back and seen Joel looked back at you before entering his home. When you saw his eyes on you, you felt a deep pit in your stomach. Nothing bad, rather just glee or something. You couldn't pin it.

Around your neck was a lanyard, it had the key to your home, you assumed it was locked. At least you hoped, you don't want any squatters inside. You unlocked the white door and opened it, stepping inside of it. The sunset beamed in through the windows throughout the house. It was still dark though, every single light was switched on. The seller said you'd have to go to the basement to switch them all on. That sounded like a fun time!

One by one, you dragged each box into the home, keeping some on the floor and placing some on the island counter. You didn't plan on unpacking any of it tonight, you were restless and just wanted to lay down for the night, despite it only being 5 PM. The more sleep you get, the easier it'll be tomorrow. You definitely had to get a lot of sleep Sunday considering on Monday, you start your first day. Even though it's just training, you wanna be as awake as possible.

You ambled towards the front door again and away from the kitchen to call Becker in. He'd have to deal with the floor for the night. He is a cuddly dog, he loves big comfy areas but without a bed or a couch, there's no way. "Becker!" You said with a rowdy voice, "C'mon baby." He came running over to you and past your legs, going into the house and treading around like a mad man. "Oh good boy." You chuckled, petting him gently.

You walked back over to the kitchen and grabbed the air mattress, you needed to get it open and blown up. It was sealed to a T, your nails were definitely not enough to get it open. Striding towards the appliances box, you opened it up and searched through it, taking out a knife to slice it open. You are quite clumsy so you were praying you wouldn't stab the mattress on accident. It didn't help that Becker felt the need to push himself up against you, seeking attention & love as if he's starved from it.

"Back off boy." You snorted, pulling the mattress out of it's box. It was all wrinkled up and looked compact. Although it was the size of a Full. You straightened it out on the living room floor, you didn't feel like carrying it all the way up the stairs. It came with a machine to blow it up and you connected it to the black cylinder hole, turning it on and hearing the loud blowing noise it was making. You didn't have any pillows, they were all packed up in that truck but luckily, you had a blanket, it was the one you let Becker use in the backseat when you were driving.

"You stay here mister." You stated out to Becker before beginning to make your way out of the front door to take the blanket out from the car. As you went outside, you noticed a bright light was on in Joel's house, just in one room though. You could also see the shadow of a smaller person's body walking through said room. Did he have a girlfriend? Or did Tommy have one? Maybe it was Tommy's. You convinced yourself of that at least.

After grabbing the blanket, you walked back inside and seen Becker already making himself a spot on the bed, despite it barley being inflated. "You little shit." You grinned, tossing the fuzzy blanket on top of him. Guess you were going to have to share.

The bed was officially ready to be slept on, you haven't been this excited to sleep in a very long time. Back home, you dreaded it. You would stay up all night, doing different stuff. Whether it was studying, painting, reading, working out, etc.. You were always doing something new. With Becker, it's been better. You're an affectionate person and he is as a dog. It may be a rough night, it always is sleeping somewhere new, but with him it may be easier.

Pulling the machine away from the bed, you turned it off and climbed underneath the blanket, feeling immediate warmth. The Texas heat also played a part in that. Back in Oregon, you had a heater beside your bed to help, you definitely didn't need one here. "Alright." You whispered to yourself, Becker lying right beside your feet, his fur was cozy. You were originally going to turn the lights on to your home but honestly, you were scared to go down there all alone, a pitch black basement? No thanks.

Trying to sleep in a new area was hard. You felt homesick. You miss your old room, the house noises, the feeling of it. You lived there your entire life, now you're thousands of miles away. Becker probably felt that way too, especially with how he connected with your father, they bonded. A week from now though, you'd be able to see them. It'd be easier. Another thing you couldn't stop thinking about was that man - Joel.

He seemed so different. He was kind & understanding, and that's just simply based on the short conversation the two of you had together. He was so willing to help you out, no one else was like that. It was a sweet welcoming. He was also very handsome. All the men back home weren't like that. That glimmer in his eyes wasn't something to ignore. It was the way he gazed at you that had you wrapped around the thought of him.

That brother of his was good looking too, definitely not as much, but either way. Were they both contractors? It appeared as though they had just left work so maybe they work together. And who was that smaller person walking throughout his house earlier? Had to be a girlfriend. A daughter? No way, the two of them looked to young to even have children. There was still a chance though, teen pregnancies aren't uncommon. You presume you'll deal with a lot of them as a Doctor.

Your eyes felt more & more heavy. Becker's deep breathing made you weary too. The pitch blackness of the room was helpful ; White sound would've been helpful too. Sleeping in complete silence was torture. All you could really hear was your dog and your own breathing. You were completely spent for the day. And you were ready to hit the hay.

Divider Creds: animatedglittergraphics-n-more

[wispstalk]

20 questions for writers

under the cut. Thanks to @everybodyknows-everybodydies for tagging🖤

Tagging back: @nuwanders @jiubilant @ervona @ehlnofay @druidx @blossom-adventures @sylvienerevarine @throughtrialbyfire @da3drat no pressure

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Five

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

198327

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just elder scrolls. I have a feeling that's gonna be it for me. I've been tempted to write stardew valley fic lately which would perhaps be classed as "crack" (I know what that is in theory but the way people use it makes no sense to me) but I took a cursory look at the tag and I don't think the stardew valley fandom is ready for a ray fic lmao

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Well. I have five.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try 🫠 it haunts me how often I've left my beloved mutuals on read..... but if that's u and I did, I am telepathically beaming this: !!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Making out sloppy style etc etc

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

lol. lmao even

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

.....within AO3 I guess it's "Morning" but also that's set at a refugee camp? I will say the skyrim story will have a more peaceful ending but up until now fic writing has been an outlet for my thwarted rage and covid brain damage soooo

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I mean this is generally a culture of positive feedback. Someone did yell at me once for hitting martin septim with the transgender beam which is a level of no-life-havin loserdom which could be classed as "hate" but came off as pure cope and seethe

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I really bristle at the word smut sorry its too cutesy. I was a prodomme for seven years I don't do euphemisms lol. I wrote a sex scene into IITT to see how I felt about writing sex scenes. I learned that I am only interested in writing them if they serve specific functions. I have absolutely zero judgment toward anyone who wants to write about fuckin and suckin, that's just not why I'm here

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

No but recently my household watched game of thrones together and my bf and his brother were cracking jokes like what if one of these medieval characters had a gundam. Neither of them read fic so I was like don't be too entertained by yourselves. I bet that has been written. looked it up on ao3 and sure as shit

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I'm not gonna lie I did find a fic where someone very obviously ripped me off but I don't wanna call them out. One specific instance where they bit my style was so clumsily applied as to be obvious, but their prose in general was fantastic so like. who care.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not as far as I know but that would make me holler

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Nope. I'm not opposed to the idea but it's hard to imagine how I'd do this given my process. I think I'd be pretty difficult to work with

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

?!? I dunno I don't have one. I put a lot of effort into writing martinhok but I could not say that one, due to how overwhelmingly heterosexual the tag is. I'm sorry but can everyone who's not a faggot please pipe down

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

I have my moments with the skyrim wip. I've signed myself up for something pretty complicated and challenging but I also learned that I can finish things so I'm not really worried about it. The fact of the matter is: I do not care if this is good. It matters that it is done so I can move on with my life. If parts of it are boring and overlong that's yalls problem

16. What are your writing strengths?

I get a lot of compliments on my worldbuilding. I do think a lot about the minutiae of material culture and think I have a talent for incorporating detail in engaging ways

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm a cornball. This is a corny activity. I don't really care because I'm doing it for free. Enjoy the unsolicited view into an internet stranger's terrible psyche

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I try to apply with a light hand. I'm a dumbass sheltered American and I can mostly make myself understood in a Spanish-speaking country but that's about it. I like playing around with language and the idea of multilingual societies matters to me so I include it, but I'm not a linguist so I try to work within my limits. Whether I am successful at this is up to others.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Elder scrolls. Never felt compelled until i spent a winter playing oblivion and went wow this game has an incredibly bleak narrative behind a silly aesthetic. Oops now I'm in a lore pit

20. Favorite fic you've written?

The Nature of Fire is my best prose hands down. I'm gonna be real with y'all I am desperate for people to read it. It is genuinely the best I can do at this point and if you like what I've done so far, well, whatever u read sucks compared to this fic.

[olderthannetfic]

I've read through the End Racism posts (not all, but a good part of them) and think the people behind it do have good and honest intentions, and that a lot of things are being blown out of proportion. I don't necessarily agree with some of the ideas regarding out of archive harassment and AO3's responsibility, but I can see the thought process. Same with a lot of other things. I'm very wary of Stitch being cited, but can likewise understand why people may not fully clue into why there are.... so so so many issues with that. If you haven't been hyper involved in fandom (included those you're not in) you miss things. Which is a whole other issue lmao. But overall, I don't think anyone is being malicious

That being said, there's a lot that seems.... overly optimistic? Or perhaps very central to where the creators behind End Racism are from and their own biases and education. People have brought up HOW on earth what is or is not racist (beyond the incredibly obvious examples) can be decided, or how you can know who's writing a fic and why (is it a racist bigot, someone writing about their own experience as a POC, or someone who doesn't know something?) and the answer, as another anon mentioned, is never really stated. Because there isn't an answer in many cases, but that hasn't been acknowledged

I also worry about the insistence (in some responses to questions and in notes I've seen even in the asks you've received) that a diversity consultant will help as much as people seem to think. Yes, it's a step forwards.... but a diversity consultant cannot be an expert in EVERYTHING. I suppose the argument is "get more diversity consultants to volunteer" but that still causes it's own issues. I was in a server with someone who frequently read over fics as a sensitivity reader, and was extremely well educated and respectful. But even they flat out said they made a hell of a lot of mistakes once they stepped out of what they knew, and wouldn't give feedback on certain things. I worry a diversity consultant would be, well, very american centric, and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, people have brought up how it could be, and those concerns are being completely brushed to the side.

I think there's just SO much to this, and so much more complexity than they're willing to admit. Again, other anons have brought this up, but there's a ton nuance in this. We're talking international views on majorly complex issues, with endless cultural lenses, people writing and reading from countless backgrounds, and so on. It really just feels like they don't want to even acknowledge that

I don't think most behind it are trying to actively push for censorship, or are operating in bad faith. That's my impression from reading on my own. There have been some individuals around tumblr that have been horrific about it (the anti-semitism that came out is.... something), but overall I think there are good intentions. But so many pertinent questions aren't being answered, and the very valid concerns people have brought up have been ignored.

I support the idea behind it, and having a diversity consultant on staff certainly isn't a bad idea, but the way in which they're going about things, the concerns they're ignoring, and the dismissal of people who are raising said concerns as racists is. huh. Well, it makes me wary to actively support.

--

[cryptids]

I think it's been about like 3-4 years now since I resolved to try and leave a comment on every fic I enjoy enough to read all the way through to the end, and I do pretty much all of them (the few exceptions are always when I'm reading before bed and accidentally fall asleep then forget to do it lmao) So uhhh.... for no particular reason, here are some things I've learned over time? This is just me personally though so ymmv of course.

It becomes a lot easier to think of what to say after you've been doing it for a while. At first I used to really struggle with what to write and putting stuff into words?? But is easy for me now.

The commenting itself also becomes a habit after some time and stops feeling like something that takes significant extra effort. It's just second nature now and really does feel easier.

I only get a response from the authors on maybe like.... 1/5th?? Of the comments I leave. It can be disheartening at first (especially when it's a really long or heartfelt comment that took you ages to write) bc it feels like the writer isn't seeing it and you're just posting into the void lmao. My only advice is just to try not to let it discourage you... I know a lot of writers don't reply bc they're shy or aren't sure what to say, or they intend to and forget, or they just haven't checked that account in years. Tbh I just figured there's no way to know if my comment will be seen, but it's worth leaving them anyway bc the times they are appreciated always makes up for it like tenfold.

If you can't think of much to say or don't have the energy, simple stuff like "I loved this" or even just some heart emojis still seem to be appreciated in my experience.

Please don't feel too embarassed to leave comments on super old fics!! I've commented on some fics from 10+ years ago, and gotten delighted responses from their authors who were super happy to know people still enjoyed them.

Please don't feel embarassed to be the first commenter on a fic either. This could just be bc I'm always in rarepair hell but I can't even tell you how many fics I'm the singular comment under, even ones that have a lot of kudos and bookmarks. I promise its not weird to be the only person in a comment section, and yours might encourage others.

Making an account makes things quicker and easier than having to put your info in for anon comments each time. I have an empty ao3 account I use only for commenting and bookmarking, I recommend that for anyone else like me who is not a writer themselves.

I'm not bothering with "don't comment rude or entitled things" type of points or "how to write/structure a comment" bc there's already a lot of posts like that from fic writers, this is just some things from the pov of a regular commenter that I learned through my experience.

I think my final thing worth saying is that if you have any anxiety issues with feeling self conscious like I do, you might worry a lot that you're "being annoying" by leaving comments (especially if you end up leaving multiple by commenting on different chapters). But I've expressed this worry to a number of writers over the years and all of them have told me that its actually the opposite to annoying and they love it. So please let their words reassure you as well gsjshdjs

[amalgamateofficial]

Hey! I probably should’ve said this on the archive, but I didn’t really think it through (as per usual)

Anyway, I’m in love with your fic! I was looking for something just like this (I think that’s a song somewhere ¯\_(ツ)_/) I mean I think I commented on one chapter saying how it was an extreme sick fic, but I don’t know anymore. I think I read it in like 2-4 days, but time gets away from me! I really liked the long chapters and how you wrote the characters! If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was written by the people who made the game!

And if you felt like somebody was watching you (hey I think that’s another song), well, your blog, but I can’t be funny unless I’m deliberate; that person was probably me! I’ve been stalking your blog (that sounds creepy, sorry) like somebody you used to know (that’s another song. I need to stop)

I’m gonna stop before I get off track again. Anyway, what I was trying to say (that could have been a lot shorter) is that you are a fantastic writer and I look forward to the next chapter! Also, this better become a classic fic in this fandom like ATUS in the Hermitcraft fandom, because if not, I’m gonna take up the problem with the people in the castle on the hill. (Also, maybe a song) With the sheer amount of work you put into this, it deserves nothing less than that.

Again, sorry for my probably terrible grammar, it’s late and I’ve got Exams in the morning. So I’m gonna use that as an excuse and say I’m just trying to save my brainpower.

Also, I really wanted Kokichi to survive, so I really liked this! (It healed something in me). I should have typed that earlier, but why would I think something like that through?

Aaaa thank you SO MUCH!!! I'm so happy to hear that you've been enjoying Amalgamate (including its super long chapters lmao)!! I definitely remember the AO3 comment about Amalgamate being an "extreme sickfic" cuz where is the lie? XD I don't think I could've made those poor kids any sicker without just straight-up ending them XDDD /hj Although now I'm imagining Kokichi popping up outta nowhere and shouting, "Yeah, made us 'sick' as in 'awesome!'"

And hey, no worries about stalking any of my blogs, that's what they're there for ^^ I'm just glad you're enjoying all the content :D

As for whether or not Amalgamate is or will become a classic in the fandom, I have no clue, but I do know that as of right now, Amalgamate has the 4th most hits of any V3 fic on AO3, and it's also #7 in kudos, #3 in comments, and #4 in bookmarks. So that's pretty cool! :D

Also, I hope your exams went well!!!

[woodchoc-magnum]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @cinematicnomad (❤️❤️❤️)

How many works do you have on ao3? 75

What's your total ao3 word count? 2,194,345

What fandoms do you write for? literally only 911

Top five fics by kudos 01. the dream you wish will come true 02. try to love me if you can 03. alone again tonight with you 04. when things fall into place 05. let me roll it to you

Do you respond to comments? i try to - sometimes on a multi-chapter fic I might skip some, but on the last chapter I try to thank everyone.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? lmao none of them, I only write happy endings (and that's the way it will stay!)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? almost all of them end up in a flash forward to buck and eddie being happily married so... yeah. pick one!

Do you get hate on fics? okay so we all remember how chim punched buck right? well I covered that in you were never mine and oh my fucking god did people use my comment section as an excuse to debate whether it was right or wrong.

Do you write smut? Yep 😏

Craziest crossover my only crossover is with 911 Lone Star

Have you ever had a fic stolen? i really, really hope not

Have you ever had a fic translated? no i don't think so

Have you ever cowritten a fic before? once upon a long, long time ago in a fandom far, far away

All time favourite ship? buddie, they literally infected my brain FOUR YEARS AGO THIS MONTH and i'm still not over it. i don't know if i ever will be.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? i started one that's an alternate take on season 2 and 3, like what if eddie joined the other station instead of the 118. I hit a wall writing it so I focused on other things, and then the show came back on and started inspiring me again, so it's on the backburner - FOR NOW.

What are your writing strengths? dialogue, plot e.g. keeping things moving along, so much drama, dinner parties with lots of drama especially, oh and any kind of awkward situation. and CLIFFHANGERS (my favourite)

What are your writing weaknesses? i'm not as descriptive as other people. when i write the first draft it's usually like bare bones and then i go back in to describe things in more detail. i always focus on the dialogue first and try to flesh it out later. i also worry that i get stuck in a rut and use the same words over and over again, so when i go back through and edit i'm always fixing that up

Thoughts on dialogue in another language? i have no strong feelings either way. i hardly ever write eddie speaking spanish but that's just a personal thing

First fandom you wrote in? yeah... so it was something and then it was criminal minds and i'm keeping the "something" part a secret. it was 20 years ago it literally does not matter anymore

Favorite fic you've written? my favourite one is light me and i'll burn for you - it was just so easy to write and every time i re-read it i'm like, damn, this is pretty good! i think it's just a fun fic. i also like my christopher POV fics because I just love writing him, but especially your heart of gold. i have a lot more favourite scenes than fics, so i'll go back and just re-read specific stuff. i write for myself first and foremost!

tagging!! @tripleaxeldiaz, @tawaifeddiediaz, @sevensoulmates, @fiona-fififi and anyone else!

[yeyinde]

I found your COD works on ao3 and there is quite literally NOTHING else that makes me ascend higher than your writing AAAAHHH your prose is incredibly seamless and blends so beautifully together that i find myself on the ground afterwards because EXCUSE ME?? They didn't tell us you could do that with words?? (youre the reason im researching a game ive never played before in my life at 3 am) how you are real

Anyway!!! I dont know if this was already asked, but i wanted to know about your writing process and how you got to where you are now

Thank you for always giving us your best work!! 🩷🩷🩷

it's only Thursday and here i am. just bawling my eyes out. this is incredibly sweet, and you are being way too nice to me, honestly!!! 😭 thank you so much!! and i'm so glad you've been enjoying what i write so far 🖤

i did my best to actually answer this in a way that was somewhat coherent but it's really hard to type through the tears.

i don't have much of a writing process, tbh! i mostly just shape things around a concept or a scene i want to write about, or one that i kinda picture in my head. the rest is mostly just filler to get us there.

i think i spend the most time on words—the placement, the meaning, the sound, and the way it looks/flows with everything else. i'm very particular about the ones i pick. i know a lot of it might seem like regurgitating a thesaurus (which it def is, tbh!!!), but i really love etymology. everything has a purpose. even though a lot of what i write is just gratuitous smut lmao

i also really love scripts. i don't write multiple drafts. what i end up posting is usually the first draft with minimal editing (because i am egregiously lazy and also hate re-reading my own work), but as i write, i like to make the outlines for scenes in the same style as a script. i think it gives me more flexibility to really dig down into what i want from a particular moment by framing it like a beat from a movie or play. it might not be for everyone, but it helps me focus on what i need to do—especially with dialogue.

as for how i got to where i am now: i definitely got much more confident in my particular style, which i think is obvious if you read my earlier stuff to now. i was very worried about how i came across in writing (like using rare words, dabbling in wordplay, going on very obscure tangents and making strange metaphors), but i'm a lot more willing to experiment with things than i was before. i also don't take myself seriously at all. everything i do is for the fun of it, so i've never felt pressured to stay within a certain genre or style. i just do what i want, mostly!

[gyusimp]

2024 UPDATE!

⚠️This is not a post about Gyutaro, I'll just be making some quick updates! (And venting lol)

1.) Hello everyone, I hope you are well. I know I didn't appear to wish you Merry Christmas or Happy New Year but I sincerely hope that 2024 is full of success for all of you and thank you for the support and love you gave me in 2023 💖✨ I appreciate you so much.

2.) I also want to apologize for having forgotten the requests, I know they were open (and I was on vacation) but between the Holidays and things in my head I couldn't complete them all and honestly, I don't feel strong enough to finish them so I'm very, very sorry about that. I chose 3 so as not to be so bad with you and to post them at a certain time, please don't hate me, but it turns out that the situation I am in now emotionally is not the best and if I want to write something, I will write something that occurs to me on my own.

3.) Turns out my new crush is Muzan lmao, and blame the most beautiful fic I've ever read ❤ ("Foolish" by getreadysinner on AO3)

4. The current situation at my job sucks. It was already shit about 5 or 6 months ago but now it's worse because of my damn boss who took it upon himself to ruin everything for me and my friends at the office. I can't quit because I need the damn money and other things but I'm looking for a new job so that keeps me very anxious and worried because in a couple of weeks there will also be another change in my job and everything is so uncertain! The insomnia came back and the migraines are more and more constant, I want to cry a lot and all that shit.

5. One of my 3 best friends at the office is quitting. He found an amazing new job and I'm happy for his success but it really makes my chest tight to think that he won't be with me anymore. They are such fucking amazing people and I love them so much and because of my boss he had to quit. I still don't know when he will leave but that makes me very sad and depressed, I still have my other 2 friends but it won't be the same. He was part of my routine and it is very strange that I feel affection for someone because I am very asocial and introverted so that has my battery very low.

6. Also, this week I will start university again. I'm happy because it's another new year and I'm making more and more progress in a career that I love but honestly hate going to. (I hate having to go, not the fact of studying) I don't have any friends there and everyone is so irritable and immature, there is no one I feel comfortable with so that makes me uneasy too.

I don't want to seem like someone who is complaining or stupid complaining about common things, I know there are people with much more serious problems but I just wanted to "get out" of all this a little. I need to talk to someone but I don't know who because something that's spinning around in my head makes me feel very bad, so if you've read this far, let me stick a gold star sticker on your forehead and say thank you very much. I don't feel bad 24/7 and I've had some ideas to write so when I find a bit of encouragement to do it I'll write it down and post it here as quickly as I can.

We all love Gyutaro so don't be afraid I won't stop writing because it's something I really love, just be a little patient and thank you for your understanding 💖

(I bought a new figure of Gyutaro so that made me very happy a few days ago lol)

[vivi-scera]

ohhhh i have so many questions to ask now that i apologize beforehand for throwing you questions instead of actually giving a response-reply to your ask 😭

1) “i like thinking about jason-robin's relationship with bruce the most but i like tim as robin best” plss if u could pls elaborate on this? this is so interesting bcs for a second i thought it would be jason robin or even dick robin since hes the first one!

2) ”i think i was mostly thinking bruce/jason since i was talking about johndean” this is interesting too bcs i was hyperfocused on comparing dean’s devotion to dick’s, hence my ask & why i bring dick robin specifically, and now im curious abt your comparison :D

3) “i'm going to be actively problematic and say that bruce sees dick as something less than his partner and something more than his son” is it like what i think it is is it more in line with smth smth owning smth smth *eyes emoji*

4) your tags!! thats interesting too that you prefer jaytim as batcest, instead of like timdick whos more like brothers or jaydick with jason’s “envy” (to simplify it) at dick’s golden boy ness (also to simplify it) which could be a source of conflict between jason & bruce

haha no worries, i did totally set you up.

1.yeah so tim is my favorite robin <3 relatively unpopular opinion to have in my immediate circle apparently. though probably not as unpopular as saying damian is your favorite. but like, tim's the underdog! the odd one out!! he understands the meta-narrative role that robin plays in batman's life and tries to fulfill it. he's such a deeply interesting character not only in how he views himself as the weakest robin/the robin batman didn't choose, but also in how the other robins, canonically, view tim as the best out of them (because he's the most like daddy). i don't mind as much when fanon obfuscates his characterization because he really can be such a blank slate, more or less. as in, meta-narratively, tim decides to be whatever/whoever is best for batman, erasing the part of himself that is tim drake in favor of coalescing with "robin". he's the only robin who really is robin. which is really very tragic if you think about it. but also makes for fantastic bruce/tim fodder :) i would expand more on my love for tim but this ask would get WAY too long. read Liminal Space by Calamityjim on ao3 if you've watched young justice and have read the red robin 2009 run (an EXCELLENT read btw) if you want the gist of the angst.

as for the others, i think jason has had the best character evolution —not just in the batman storyline but as a comic character in general. i really think his death, and to a much lesser extent his rebirth, is the best/most impactful development in all of superhero comic history. superheroes as we know them today would largely not exist without his character. dick is fine, i like him third best. just because he was the first doesn't make him special to me lmao. the fact that others came after him is what makes him interesting to me, in addition to his relationship with batman— which is currently the most interesting batman-robin romantic relationship to me rn. i've seen some insane meta about him around but mostly based on somewhat outdated runs, which really doesn't mean anything when it comes to comics i guess. i don't think he's been in anything interesting/good in over a decade. i also wish i could mail tom taylor anthrax <3 damian is... my least favorite (skipping steph, sorryy i do love her but there's not enough canon for me to have an actual opinion). i think damian's interesting but only as a source of conflict (and ofc his dynamic with dick-batman). he doesn't really stand on his own and he's annoying.

2. i don't necessarily think that bruce/jason is closer to johndean than bruce/dick is (i actually think bruce/tim is closer relatively, but there's not a comparable pairing imo. i also just don't think dick is necessarily "devoted" to batman as much as tim is. his goals, like mentioned, align more with being able to call himself bruce's equal, which could be conflated with desire i.e. in bruce/dick). but there are a lot of functional aspects of the jason-robin & batman dynamic that is parallel to the relationship between dean and john as hunters imo— mostly having to do with consensual practices. is dean/jason-robin in control of his narrative purpose as a hunter/sidekick or are they doing what is necessary to survive? what does it mean for either of them when duty and pleasure are conflated? etc. i really love the headcanon that jason was a child-prostitute, which would be a functional role that carried over in being robin for another older man, so that was mostly where i was coming from. child soldiers... can't get enough of em.

3. haha i don't really know what the "something" is that i was referring to, just some vague middle ground that's gonna go undefined because where's the fun in defining the relationship that a man shares with the preteen ward in his possession who he may or may not want to be his son but who he treats like a spouse because mentally & emotionally he hasn't moved on from the day he was 9 years old and his parents died. maybe dick grows up but bruce never will :'). well, maybe he grows up a little when each robin leaves him

4. and yaaaa jaytim, favorite pairing of all time. they can be enemies to lovers. the ghost and the haunted. rebecca and the narrator. brother-rivals trying to become their father but who are held back by the lack of a quality that the other possesses (see nearmello death note). i'm gonna go the fanon route and say jason was tim's robin (even though, timeline wise, it could totally have been dick). so there is that adoration-envy (that tim would have for jason) that jason would have for dick in jaydick (which is a pairing i also like, don't get me wrong! i just maybe like it as a one-sided thing. or we could have the worst love triangle in the world with damian->tim->jason->dick->bruce all unrequited lmao). but in jaytim there's the addition of the danger element— jason at one point or another did want to kill tim. and not only was jason tim's robin, he was also his ghost story! an example of what would happen to tim if something went wrong. so adoration-envy-fear which transmutes to sexual interest. very sadomasochistic route we could take there. and for jason, tim is the kid who replaced him! who's evidently better at being daddy's favorite! he can die psychosexually mad about it. neither timdick or jaydick have that enemies/lovers edge that i really like (see kurokura hunter x hunter). they also just have some interesting canon history that writers never get into— like batman-jason trying to conscript tim as his robin during battle for the cowl. i am TRYING to write a jaytim fic but i keep getting distracted by other pairings. i thought i was gonna get to it after finishing the one i'm working on but i might just do brudick next so we'll see. send more questions/responses if you have them <3

[neopuppy]

Your writing is perfect and keeps inspiring me to write my own dark nct fics 😫 Do you have any writing tips? How do you get ideas for fics? because I must say you are extremely creative. And lastly any tips for running a tumblr fanfic blog? Sincerest apologies if you've been asked any of this before - I'm new and obsessed with your writing. I really want to write and put my stuff out there but also the thought of a kpop idol finding it scares me even though it probs won't happen. I don't want any male idol to have a big ego cause we write horny shit yk. Anyways hope 2024 is kind to you!

omg thank you!!! my writing is nowhere near perfect!!!!! but who’s is right? what would be perfect writing anyway…(sunnyjinx on ao3 lol😅😅😅 my mother fucking QUEEN🧎🏻‍♀️)

as for writing tips, you gotta just write. like if you’re inspired and have your own ideas, you gotta just go for it! that’s how I started on here, I was bored during lockdown and wanted to desperately read an Alpha Jeno fic and couldn’t find any(to my utter shock..) so I was like alright fuck it, and I wrote my own. now here I am💀

I literally had no idea what I was doing, I love reading fics tho so I at least knew *what* I wanted to put out. when I was posting on here at first no one was writing omegaverse or hybrids or stepcest or darker fics for nct really, and that’s what *I* wanted to read. I thought it was weird at first how everyone acted like I was doing something terrible and wrong and writing ‘really filthy smut’ but then I started reading some fics on here and I was like lmao. wtf. my advice would be to read on ao3 if you enjoy darker genres too, READ A LOT, don’t read on here, and don’t only read my dark stuff bc I’m actually very mediocre lol. read all the dead dove stuff on ao3……even if you’re not a part of the fandom, if it has a high number of kudos theres likely chance u will enjoy the fic regardless. BTW ITS FINE TO READ ON HERE AND WATTPADD(?) IF UR LOOKING FOR ANYTHING NOT DEEMED ‘dark’. as for what I’ve found on here mostly anime fandoms write the decent darker genres. kpop mehhhh.

I get ideas from reading, consistently reading, and music, and content I absorb. like if I’m listening to a song, 9 times out of 10 an idea for a fic will come to mind. I am definitely more the type that thinks with my creative brain than anything though. its a curse bc I end up writing whatever my heads stuck on instead of touching my rotting wips lol.

as for running a fanfic blog- don’t take it serious. people don’t pay us for this shit, this is NOT a job- do not treat it like one. don’t let anyone give you shit either, BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK!!!! I think it’s better to not get close to other writers in your fandom either…..they’re almost always going to be hateful and weird. if people enjoy your writing, your community of readers will be all that matters. don’t worry about the social aspect as much or engagement… it will come as long as you’re consistent and have fun with what you’re writing. so basically- don’t get caught up in drama. its hard believe me, I’ve tried not to but 🤷🏻‍♀️ just do your thing, block weird loser anons, block anyone who comments your shit being unnecessarily rude, etc. your blog is YOUR safe space first and foremost!!!!!

lmao also don’t worry about male idols growing egos😭😭😭 they literally have women stalking them 24/7, invading their childhood homes, sitting next to them in first class, poisoning their food, bugging their phones. fanfic blogs are the LEAST of their concerns im sure😭😭😭 those egos are enormous with or without us.

good luck if you decided to start posting!💚

[nowoyas]

Edible Arrangements: Twenty-Sixth Bite: Vampire Kitten

First - Prev - Next - M.list - Read on Ao3

A/N: YEAH BITCHES I LIED A BIT updates will be every other sunday if I can stay on a schedule because I like it more than Monday updates even if it would've been neater dates this month. Here's where shit gets high stakes (trying to update on a schedule but also I don't have three chapters banked in advance to update with lmao). Let's see if I can actually make it happen!

Chapter Summary: You and Izuku acclimate Sbeve to the house. The day of presenting finally arrives, and then you work on your OTHER group project.

Warnings: blood and biting and vampire things

Word Count: ~4300

"So, you're positive." Izuku's eyes dart to you, knuckles whitening rhythmically on the steering wheel as he takes in your little theory. Sbeve is silent in his crate. It's funny how much like a cat he isn't.

"Absolutely."

"What makes you think he's a vampire?"

"Teeth," you say, "and reflection. He fails the old mirror test outright. Besides that, he doesn't come for food, and he literally is infamous for biting his handlers. It’s not like he can survive on nothing. And then he sets off my bite marks.”

Izuku opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again. "Fair point. But how are we going to feed him?"

"He can hunt. Or we can feed him the way I feed you."

He cringes. "Are you sure? The ankle isn't exactly the best place to be sacrificing for someone’s meals. It'd be uncomfortable, and I don't want you giving up all your blood to vampires."

"I think it'd be fine."

He's quiet for a bit. "Maybe not all the time. I'll work something out so we have something proper to feed him, too."

"Oh, so it's good enough for you, but I'm not good enough for Sbeve?" You cross your arms. "Rude."

"N-no! That's not what I meant! He's just… I'm worried about you being fed on by multiple vampires at once. What if it's making it harder for you to break out of the thrall, that you keep coming into contact with vampires?"

You shrug. "I don't think that's the case. I mean, it kinda feels like it's getting weaker, and you've been feeding on me for a while now."

"There's just too many possibilities. I mean, we already know so little about vampires as it is, and some of the information even seems to contradict itself. Repeated contact with vampires could be strengthening the thrall, but also, contact with unrelated vampires may be actually causing it to weaken… And then there's the attack, and how your mark reacted…"

"Hands on the wheel, Broccula," you say with a giggle, thumping his shoulder, "and eyes on the road. Let's make it home, and then you can think out loud all you want about this cat and the other thing."

He smiles, re-focusing his attention. "Sorry. Yeah, let's get home."

~

When you arrive home, you find little difficulty in introducing Sbeve to the house. The front door’s secure, the doors to the other rooms are closed for now, and you and Izuku crouch on either side of the crate.

Izuku does the honors, swinging the crate door open and waiting for Sbeve to come out to investigate. His first steps onto the carpet are slow and tentative, and before he gets very far, he turns around and blinks at both of you in turn.

Briefly, you wonder when the last time he bit someone was. He pads up to you, nosing at your blistered hand and giving you two tentative licks.

"Are you thirsty, baby?" you coo at him, turning your hand over to run a thumb over Sbeve's cheek. He purrs into it, continuing to sniff at your palm. "You don't really act much like a cat, do you?"

You offer him your other hand, the one not covered in bandages.

He sniffs that one, too…

And bites it.

His teeth pierce your skin easily, and you will yourself as best you can not to flinch. Izuku moves, but you shoot him a meaningful look at Sbeve drinks his fill. When he's done, he presses a rough tongue to your bleeding finger and purrs as he turns back around to explore the house.

"I told you," you say as Izuku finds the first aid kit to bandage up your finger, "vampire kitten."

"You're ridiculous," he says. Despite his words, a smile rests on his lips.

~

If you're being totally honest, the prospect of giving this presentation after everything that's happened is less than appealing to you. More so by the fact that you feel totally blindsided by the presentation date actually arriving—trauma and Halloween and kittens overwrite all your thought processes until something like a film class presentation feels so unbelievably stupid in comparison. Who gives a shit about presenting? Tenya could be dead right now, your arm looks like you've been paid to be the test dummy for a SFX makeup artist, and you’ve got a kitten at home who might miss you.

But the presentation day comes, and Hitoshi shows up on time with an easy, tired smile on his face, and asks how you've been doing like he doesn't know what your past few weeks have been like. You give him one of those non-committal non-answers that people give when their response isn't what anyone wants to hear, and he accepts it with that look you give people when you want them to know that you hear what they're really saying, and you leave it at that.

When your group's turn comes up, you take your place at the computer to run the slides, let Hitoshi run his racket, then switch seamlessly. You're not a fan of standing up in front of everyone, not on the first day Izuku has recommended you leave your arm unbandaged, but you swallow down the feeling and follow through on your bit of unraveling Yagi Toshinori's life. By the end of it, as you're both answering the begrudging questions offered up by students who don't really want to care but who are being graded on whether they ask questions, you've almost managed to detach yourself from who the man you're talking about was.

Almost, however, is never quite the same as good enough.

Though you receive ambiguous praise from your professor when the two of you take your seats, you have a bad, near-metallic, taste in your mouth between the thought of Izuku's dad and the pain and discomfort that comes with your arm being visible and in the state it's in. As the next group sets up, Hitoshi leans over to speak to you.

"How's your arm feel?"

"Stiff," you grumble back, "and thoroughly gawked at. Good job on your part, though."

He nods back. "You too." He shifts a little in his seat, fidgets with something on his bag. Eventually, you can't ignore the sense that perhaps there's words in his mouth, waiting to be said.

"Did you want to say something?" you whisper.

He shakes his head. In this classroom, where the lights are dimmed to let the projector shine, he gives off a faint glow.

~

Two hours of sitting in variably-lit classrooms and staring at people’s under-designed PowerPoint slides can’t be over soon enough. The sunlight afterwards is a welcome hug, even with the November cold wrapping around you. You cut across the quad at a leisurely pace, reveling in the feel of the cold air on your arm.

And then, across the quad, you spot Tenya, and the energy whipping up in you from finally being able to move around in the fresh air has you breaking into a run to catch up with him. You’ve barely seen him since he left Izuku’s care.

Your heart sinks a little once you're close enough to really see him. It's almost funny, in a sick sort of way, the way both of you sport matching burns winding around your arms. He's come to the same conclusion as you—long sleeves hurt worse than the looks you receive with the short ones. You’d compensated with a tank top and a zip hoodie, worn open and with only one sleeve actually on. Tenya seems to have opted instead for short sleeves. You imagine neither of you are fully comfortable, regardless.

"Tenya," you say between labored breaths as you finally catch up to him. "I didn't expect to see you here."

He looks you over, mouth slightly agape as his eyes roam over your own exposed burns. They've become quite the sight—in many ways, it looks worse than when it happened, colors all dark and pestilent on your skin, and it certainly draws some unwanted attention. From Tenya, though, despite the way his gaze makes your skin itch, you don't mind the looks. It's not like you're not looking over his arm in turn.

"How are you holding up?" he asks.

"Oh, you know." You throw your free arm behind your head, rubbing the back of your neck. Textures feel so weird beneath your fingertips now. "I'm keeping with the routine Izuku prescribed, but he insisted the bandages come off today, and I'm not liking the looks I'm getting."

He drags his eyes away, a frown on his face. "I apologize."

"Oh, no, you don't need to worry. I know you're not, like, gawking at me. You're about the only person I can stand looking at my arm at this point, actually. Well, you and the doctor, obviously."

If he realizes you mean Izuku, he seems to appreciate that you chose to obscure that fact as he slows his pace to walk alongside you.

"Are you healing alright? I know it hurts. The pain's been excruciating for me."

He nods. "Your landlord sent me home with a list and some medication to keep my own burns on track. The healing process has been exhausting, but I'm glad to be back in classes, at least."

You hum, nodding along. Your brows draw together as you form your next sentence. "You don't have classes right now, do you? I'm done for the day. I thought we could eat together, if you're okay with it. See how we're holding up, spend some time together again."

There's that smile. He seems so much younger whenever he smiles at you, the same way he always has, ever since…

Well, that's not important.

His text tone sounds from his hand, and he glances down at whatever notification. Your own phone isn't buzzing, so you can assume it's not the group chat. His eyes scan the screen, and another text tone chimes as they do. Tenya's face darkens, and he shoves his phone in his pocket roughly.

"Sorry, [name]," he says. "Something's come up."

"Oh." Your face falls. You cast your eyes to your hands, clasped in front of you as they are. "Hey, no worries." A faint glow envelops you as you speak, and not for the first time, you’re glad this quirk belongs to you and no one else.

A heavy arm pulls you close, a gentle, awkward hug that carefully avoids rubbing either of your burns in the process. When Tenya pulls back, he has a forced smile on his face. "I'll see whether I have time tomorrow, alright? I'll text you."

As he leaves you to head home by yourself, your only comfort is that he isn't glowing.

~

Mina has added Tenya to the group text '[name] protection squad'.

Unknown Number to NPS at 10:58AM

Unknown Number: Tenya, this is Izuku. I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but this is really important. Hitoshi ([name]'s friend from class that's also a vampire) and I have been working really hard, but we could use your help. Mina and Tsuyu are helping as well.

Unknown Number 2: This is Hitoshi. I'll make it quick. We know that [name]'s enthrallment involves you, somehow, and we want to lift it.

Tenya has left the group text '[name] protection squad'.

Tsuyu: well.

Tsuyu: that didn't work.

Tsuyu: let me try talking to him.

~

Tsuyu to Tenya at 11:14 AM

Tsuyu: hey.

Tenya is typing…

~

Tenya to Tsuyu at 11:32AM

Tenya: What do you need?

Tsuyu: I think you know already.

Tsuyu: why did you leave the group chat we added you to?

Tenya: I don't intend to get involved with any of that.

Tsuyu: why not?

Tsuyu: I don't want to force you, but…

Tsuyu: Izuku and Hitoshi seem to think you'd be a really big help to [name]

Tenya: It can't be done. I spent years trying.

Tsuyu: I know it hurts, but I think you should hear them out.

Tsuyu: maybe tell them what you tried that didn't work, if you don't want to be directly involved?

Tsuyu: I know you care about [name]. we all do.

Tsuyu: and I for one miss the version of my friend who acted like their full self

Tenya: Truthfully, I don't see a point to any of this.

Tenya: As I said, this isn't something that can be fixed.

Tsuyu: the least you can do is hear them out.

Tsuyu: we’d all like to try, even if you won’t.

Tenya: …

~

Tsuyu added Tenya to the group text '[name] protection squad'.

Tenya to [name] protection squad at 12:57 PM

Tenya: Let me make this clear.

Tenya: What you are trying to do can't be done.

Tenya: I have tried for years to get them back after the enthrallment.

Tenya: Even if you were to lift the enthrallment, the memories they've lost aren't likely to return after being gone for two years.

Izuku: I'd still like to try.

Mina: ^

Tsuyu: ^

Hitoshi: ^

Tenya: Maybe it isn't as painful for the rest of you, but if it's all the same, I don't want to be involved.

Tenya: I've tried reverse-enthralling them. I've reminded them of what they've forgotten. I died and returned and it didn't fix them. They were shot with holy water right on the mark and they don't remember a thing.

Tenya: The only thing I can think of would be to let me die fully, but there would be no point.

Tenya: They would remember me and our past, and I would be too dead to remember with them.

Hitoshi: I don't think their memories are gone entirely.

Hitoshi: the way they talk sometimes, it's clear they're remembering things that they then can't seem to hold onto.

Izuku: They’ll start talking, say something “off”, and then halfway through, they lose their sentence and refuse to entertain the thought of what they had been saying.

Izuku: The memories are there, they just can't look at them directly.

Tenya: …you'll get some information from me. A list detailing what I’ve tried, and the basics of what they've forgotten. That's all.

Tenya: I can't take part in trying to save them anymore. I don’t have the mental fortitude for that.

Hitoshi: alright

Hitoshi: we're listening.

~

Each meeting with Neito brings you a new companion to work with. Mina had been first, then began the revolving door: Tsuyu for the next meeting, Hitoshi for the one after that. Then, again, Mina. It’s really a torturous amount of work for two people to complete in such a short timeframe, necessitating digging through plenty of heavy texts that repeatedly have your eyes glazing over and dissecting winding, un-edited tangles no self-respecting writer would call a “paragraph”, all to glean the very beginning of an idea that you’ll inevitably find no use for when it comes to actually writing the paper.

Twice a week, you’ve scheduled to slog through the dullest readings you’ve ever laid eyes on in hopes of outlining the life and ideas of some long-dead Greek man who never even could have conceived of the world you now live in. And now, on the fourth session, you drop your forehead onto your laptop keyboard with a frustrated groan.

Hitoshi’s sat next to you, working on his own studying, occasionally glancing up from his work to make sure Neito hasn’t attempted murder in the past some minutes.

He pretends not to look disappointed when, once again, he proves that he hasn’t.

Neito looks up from his own laptop, blinking the glaze from his eyes. “Having fun yet?”

“I hate philosophy,” you grumble back. “Why should some guy who died before the world as we know it could ever have existed be the one we look to to decide what’s ‘moral’?”

“You say that word like it’s dirty.”

“What?”

“’Moral’. You act like it’s some made-up concept.”

“Everything’s made up, Junior Socrates. Especially concepts that rely on the ideas of men whose brains would implode the moment they were forced to contemplate a lightbulb.”

“And yet, it’s necessary to create an understanding of where the field is now.”

“And why do I need to know that? What purpose does studying these men serve?” You arch a dangerous eyebrow his way. He’s probably going to say some bullshit about how they were foundational to the study, as though foundations never need to be rebuilt or renewed, as though every foundation is a permanent part of existence—

“To get a passing grade and be taken seriously when you argue with people.”

Heavens above, he actually didn’t say the usual bullshit.

“Okay, fine, you get the faintest idea of respect from me.” You lift your head off your keyboard, position yourself for a healthy helping of CTRL + Z to undo the wise words of wisdom your forehead added to your notes document.

“Maybe if you’re getting this dead-headed over it, we should take a break.”

“And what do you propose?” you say, voice dry.

Hitoshi doesn’t look up from his own laptop. “Have you had any weird dreams lately that felt like memories?”

You open your mouth, close it, then open it again, a strangled laugh leaving your throat. “What?”

“There’s not really an easy way to work around the question. I’m asking about whether you think the attack jogged anything loose from your enthrallment.”

You shrug. “I don’t know. I can’t really think directly at that stuff. Why? Not like it’s—“ You catch yourself before the last word leaves you. Important. “It’s all stuff that just gets passed off as unimportant. Water off a duck, memories off my brain.”

“The edges, then,” Neito mumbles.

“What?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing important.”

You ignore the glow, dropping your head next to the laptop this time. “I’ll accept that break now.”

~

Neito to [name] protection squad at 11:47 AM

Neito: So, strategy: we need to tackle the edges of the enthrallment.

Neito: Think of it like a really, really well-adhered sticker.

Hitoshi: what’s the ‘edge’ of a memory wipe and replacement?

Neito: Depends on what all they lost, I’d guess. Is Tenya still preparing the document?

Tenya: It takes time. It’s not just a statement of facts for me.

Tenya: You’ll get it soon. Just… give me time.

Neito: We should still try the other methods, but I think it would be useful to figure out where their replaced memories are at their weakest and try to pry at those.

Izuku: In other words, try to get them to keep their mind on it for as long as we can?

Neito: More or less exactly. Which means we need to start probing them for information.

Neito: in the meantime, now that I’ve seen how they react to holy water, I do have several theories on things that could possibly lift the thrall.

Izuku: We can give it a shot, but it seems… risky. I mean, they start getting agitated about it pretty quickly once they get onto the topic of things within the scope of the thrall, and they’re not exactly in on this at this point, so perhaps it’s better for us to tread lightly when it comes to pressing on weak memories? And how would we go about figuring out which memories are weak? Even knowing what’s real and what’s fake doesn’t guarantee that we’ll be able to find the “edges” of their thrall to pick at. Unless…

Izuku: Maybe it has to do with how quickly they change the subject? Maybe the stronger the thrall is over a particular memory, the more likely it is that they immediately get frustrated and change the subject, rather than talk about it for a little bit first. And occasionally they do say things and then get confused about what they were saying. Maybe when they get onto a topic like that, we should press it?

Izuku: There’s just too much information we don’t have when it comes to enthrallment.

Mina: woah dude

Mina: that’s a lot of words, but I think I get it!

Tsuyu: so we just need to start paying attention to how quickly [name] decides they don’t want to talk about something?

Izuku: Yeah! Exactly!

Hitoshi: alright. then we should probably keep some kind of notes on what they respond to to make sure that we’re on the same page. it might be better if we take an organized approach

Neito: Except they’ll certainly notice if we all start talking about one particular thing they ALMOST remember separately of each other.

Izuku: Hmm. Would it be bad if they knew we were trying to lift it? I mean, it’s [name]. I’m pretty sure no one wants them to be their forgotten self more than they do.

Tsuyu: I don’t know if YOU really want [name] to be that person again honestly

Mina: yeah. I mean… the [name] that [name] forgot was…

Izuku: ?

Tsuyu: I’m not trying to put you off of it

Tsuyu: but I’m just saying, it might suck. They had a boyfriend, after all. And they were pretty close right up until the moment their memories were rewritten.

Mina: no problems between them or anything, and [name] would have told me

Izuku: right…

Izuku: We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it, alright? That’s all questions that can be dealt with when [name] gets their memories back

Tsuyu: as long as you’re sure.

~

Izuku greets you when you come home. Every day, he does. But today, it’s just Sbeve, barreling down a staircase too large for his diminutive size and meowing the whole way down. You scoop him up, put a little kiss on top of his little head. He’s grown so affectionate in just about a week.

“Hey Sbeve. Where’s ‘Zuku?”

A tiny meow in response.

“Are you gonna stay this small forever?” you coo, cuddling the cat to your chest as you begin peeking in various rooms throughout the house. Where is Izuku?

Not in the kitchen. No response from the basement, which you’ve yet to have any interest in venturing into. You don’t see him in the backyard, or the library, or either bedroom. You frown as you wander back into the hall.

Sbeve meows again as you pass the secret room’s hall door.

“What’s that, Sbeve?”

Another meow. You glance at the door, see the sliver of light beneath, the way the door is cracked just slightly open. Just enough for Sbeve to have slipped out to greet you.

“Ohh. Thank you, baby!”

But then, you hesitate. As good of a cat as Sbeve is, patiently curled up in your arms while you carry him around two floors and baby him despite the fact that he could be anywhere from a few weeks to a hundred years old with no way of knowing, as much as you don’t want to waste his attentive meowing, that room is…

Sbeve looks up at you. You exhale, peek in. You’ll just see what kind of mood he’s in first, make sure it’s nothing you need to worry about. Maybe he’s just working, just likes the space.

Izuku sits inside, desk lamp casting him in a silhouette as he leans back in his computer chair, an arm over his face, lips moving almost silently as he mutters to himself. You can’t catch the words, though you’re sure they’re there, what little pauses between them betraying a frown. And then, you notice he’s glowing.

Lying to himself. Imagine that.

Curiosity burns within you. If you trusted yourself to be stealthy, if you didn't have the suspicion that the vampirism had improved his hearing, you'd try to sneak in, hear a little better. But for now, all you can do is watch and consider your approach. Like this, despite the knowledge that the halo around his form comes from the fact that whatever he's saying to himself is all lies, however small, you can't help but appreciate just how pretty he is. The lighting, too, accentuates him, casts shadows over his muscles and neck that have you swallowing harshly.

Nevertheless, you should say something.

“’Zuku?”

He lets out a squawk, arms flailing as the chair goes out from underneath him. He hits the ground hard, but you don't hear any crunching or anything indicating he's hurt himself, just a quiet 'oof' and a clatter as he and the chair both hit the floor. Another thing, a growl, tears from his throat in the moment before he realizes who's startled him so, and then he's looking up at you from across the room, mouth slightly agape, cheeks red. "[n-name]! Welcome home! I didn't hear you come in, I'm sorry!"

You shake your head, a little smirk finding your lips as you cross the room and offer your free hand to him. His hand in yours, and you pull him up, a curious tilt of the head aimed his way. "No worries. Is everything okay?"

This close, you can see the tears in the corners of his eyes. You don't think he's been crying, not as such, given the lack of tear tracks and the clarity of his voice, but he may have been about to. That, or his eyes started watering from the force of suddenly hitting the floor. "Y-yeah! I'm fine. The chair's okay, too. I think."

You laugh, shake your head again. "I'm not worried about the chair. You seemed pretty lost in thought, there. I was wondering if something was wrong."

He waves it off immediately. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

"You're lying," you say automatically, then pull an awkward smile to soften the blow. "Sorry, I just mean… Well, you know. You can’t lie to me.”

Izuku pulls a weak smile, one that has your heart cracking just a little. “I’m not really up for talking about it. I’m sorry.”

That, at least, is truth enough. You take it for what it is.

Tags: @tooloudarts​ @sapid-rose​ @xxangelpridexx​ @warmchoccymilk​ @lirinstaalem​ @izoodles​ @my-bnha-things​ @denise-the-death-goddess​ @themerpenguin​ @sincerelybubbles​ @fudobaby​ @imabootywarrior​ @chickynn​ @fuc-kingmonkey​ @vinumumbra​ @the-secret-thief​ @lianatriestosurvive​ @kc-korra​ @kiliakit​ @hay-leeeah​ @meowkid1000​ @mha-baku-todo-deku-kiri​ @jojo-buttercup​ @starfishlovingbnha​ @neomuxuxi​ @lollawindsay​ @mrsreina​ @anime-simps-blog​ @wwwwyamd​ @omiwashere​ @emilytheeggy​ @subwayslander​ @thelittle-witch​ @sparkexplosive​ @shoutaaizawas​ @vanilladyfics​ @stargazerunlimited​ @luigisdivorcelawyer​ @chaoticevilbakugo​ @deadmans-toe @ainatsukashii @deeplightgarden @stxrrielle @idonthaveanameideayet

If your name is in the list but not underlined, I was unable to tag you! If your name is on the list and in bold, this is my second attempt to tag you. You will be removed from the taglist after a third attempt. Please ensure that your blog is set to appear in search results to be able to be tagged on the taglist! If you would like to be added or removed from the taglist, please fill out this form! No hard feelings if you want yourself removed for any reason! <3

[ashilrak]

20 Questions Writer Meme

I was tagged by @skywalking-through-life! This is super fun omg, thank you!!

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

210!

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

1,670,384 words, which feels insane

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, Percy Jackson! I tend to be pretty one fandom at a time, but in the past I've written for Hamilton, Harry Potter, and Marvel to name a few.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Electing Strange Perfections (1,951)

If You Ask Me For My Fire (1,842)

See The Beast You've Made Of Me (1,769)

On Each Other's Team (1,656)

Come Loaded With The Safety Switched Off (1,604)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I'm a huge believe in fandom as a community, and fanfiction as an avenue for that community vs just 'content'. I love answering questions and talking about the fics, and I've honestly made some amazing fandom friends in comments on fics. I think commenting is a really valuable part of community-building in fandom, and I think that replying to comments helps with that :)

6. What's the fic you wrote that has the angstiest ending?

I think this is all a matter of perspective, but I definitely have a few that are regarded as angsty even if I don't necessarily see them that way? Picking one, I might have to say See The Beast You've Made of Me.

7. What's the fic you wrote that has the happiest ending?

This is harder to answer lol, a lot of my happier fics are more moments, rather than a having an ending with build-up. But, Love Has A Way To Find Ya (Sneaks Up Right Behind Ya) is the first one that comes to mind!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have actually been very fortunate in this regard! I've had a few negative comments for sure, but most are more along the lines of "stopping reading here" or just poorly worded. I have several fics I've been more worried about, but locking the fics has seemed to discourage anyone who wants to be senselessly cruel! A lot of what I write isn't to everyone's taste, so some less than perfect comments come with that territory.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I absolutely have lmao. I haven't been in the mood for it recently, but I have my fair share. As for what kind, it depends on the ship and dynamic, and how seriously I'm treating it lol. I've written daddy kink to casual pegging to sweet losses of virginity.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Not really? I have a few ideas that have broached crossover territory, but I don't make a habit or it!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, though not recently. I'm sure there's a lot more out there in all honesty, but I've only stumbled across it once or twice on random websites when I've had the thought to google my username.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I've been fortunate to have a couple translated, and it's always the most amazing feeling ever.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, I've co-written quite a few! I've done round-robins as well as more formal collabs where both authors are working together and writing together throughout the process. I really enjoy doing them and have written some of my favorite fics with others! They're definitely challenging, but I think I have the benefit of being pretty adaptable.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

So one thing you need to know about me is that I'm really bad at favorites. I think my favorite canon ship amongst my fandoms would be Percabeth, but my favorite ship for reading fanfiction for would, historically, be Tomarry/Harrymort/whatever you want to call it.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but don't think you ever will?

I am actively determined to finish the ones first coming to mind, but honestly the one I doubt I'll ever do anything with is the AU lovingly referred to as Percy French Whore lmfao

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think my adaptability is my greatest strength. I definitely have themes and patterns I fall into, but overall I try to keep an open-mind to ships, aus, and more. I've gone back and forth between past and present tense, I've written over 25 ships for PJO alone. There's very little I look at and think I can't write, even if it takes some time to come around to it/make it work for me.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I think my biggest weaknesses have to do with managing a story as a whole. I have these grand ideas, but I struggle to bring them to Completeness. I'll have dreams of showing a realistic development of a character from the one we know and love to something twisted and taken advantage of and miss a few beats, and drop a few characters and plot points along the way. I'm also not the best at worldbuilding. I'm a pretty low-context type of person, and it's highlighted in a fanfction type of environment. I'll get questions about worldbuilding in fics--and they'll be GOOD questions--and I'll sit there with my head tilted at the screen wondering why anyone would think of that 😭

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I like the idea of it, but would definitely need help from a native speaker. I got overly confident with my high school Spanish classes and made an attempt and I will never be doing that again.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Twilight. First fandom I read for, first fandom I posted for. Twilight was how I discovered fanfiction.net and started me down this path.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

This is almost impossible to answer just because there are so many factors at play, but the first two (very, very different fics) coming to mind are both collabs: HAUNT ME, THEN— with @mrthology and The Murder Monologues with @theinevitablesense

I tag @sappho-of-space 💛

[warpedlegacy]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @dreadfutures! Tagging @effelants and @kiastirling-fanfic.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 47

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 739,512

3. What fandoms do you write for? Resident Evil/Biohazard, Dragon Age, Mass Effect

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Recovery, a post-RE2 Remake Leon/Claire smut (340) The Rise, part 1 of my DAI-timeline series that starts with the prologue and ends with the arrival at Skyhold (140) Bracing, a 350-word drabble for Dorian/Bull (71) A Terrible Bore (350-word Cullen/Theresa drabble) and An Evening In (one-shot Cullen/Theresa fluff) are tied for fourth (64) Fiercely Perish, which is essentially Die Hard in Thedas, with Bull as John McClain (56)

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I try to respond to everyone and try not to be overwhelming in my gratitude lol. I so rarely get comments that each one feels like Christmas Morning to me and I want to cherish it forever.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? The Black City - the second part of my post-Trespasser Cullen/Theresa series, which ends with their relationship in tatters and them coming to the conclusion that the only way they can heal from their grief is apart. One of the hardest things I've ever written. T_T

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Swept Away - my super indulgent Josephine/Isabela adventure romance. I wrote it as a combination of Pirates of the Caribbean meets Jane Austen. I adore them!

8. Do you get hate on fics? No, never! I've been very lucky.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yup! I've written one-shots as well as scenes incorporated into longer stories. It's almost never PWP though - I have tried and literally can't. For some reason it always ends up at least partly a character study lmao. And because it's me, there's also usually some angst worming its way in there. I am hopeless. ^_^;

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Nope. The closest I've ever come was D&DA Effect, which was me just taking the idea of "what if the plot of DA was actually just the crew of the Normandy playing D&D?" and cranking out a short dialogue-only scene. It reads like a transcript lol. It was definitely fun, but overall I don't have much interest in crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I've had a couple people ask if they can translate one or two of my fics, and I've always granted permission. If they ever completed the translations, I was never tagged in them.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? A couple times, yes. I've participated in a couple round robins with my fellow server members, and did a pinch hit on an exchange event with another writer.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? Oh gosh I have so many.... My favorite to write for is definitely Cullen/Theresa, Theresa being my OC Trevelyan Inquisitor.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Look. I really, REALLY wanna finish my Reprises & Reprisals series. I promise!!! I'm about to pick it back up in fact. But my worry is that once the fourth game comes out I may lose interest in writing for Inquisition for a while. And who knows when it'll come back. So I'm hoping to at least finish MOST of book two, which will at least get me to the end of the base game and the big revelation I've been sitting on for literal YEARS.

16. What are your writing strengths? Character and dialogue, and I've also been told that I write action well

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Repetition. Descriptive prose and scene blocking. Every time I have to describe what a character is physically doing in a scene, I immediately forget how to exist in a body or how to move one lol.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? If you are fluent enough to write in that language, write it out. Or if not, at least run it by someone who is. The more often languages other than English are included in stories shown to a primarily English-speaking readership, the less "other" it will become. Otherwise, it's best just to write it in English (WITHOUT writing the accent) and describe what language it's being spoken in. Conlangs and ciphers are definitely trickier, and I try my best not to lean too heavily on them, just because I don't feel I'm well enough versed in linguistics to really parse the nuances of such use without accidentally falling into unfortunate implications or stereotypes.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Mass Effect

20. Favorite fic you've written? As much as I love my Cullen/Theresa stories, I have a deep fondness and love for Swept Away. I poured a lot of time and effort into its writing, and it remains, in my opinion, one of my best-paced, best-written, and most engaging stories.

Blank form under the cut

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

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

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

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

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favorite fic you've written?

[uhoh-but-yeah-alright]

🧃 ❄️ ☁️ 🧩 please!! You may also answer any question that appeals to you if you've already answered one of those :)

MEGAN 💖💖 thank you for sending me these days ago! I was intimidated by the first question which is why it's taken me so long to answer lmao but I appreciate you!

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

I have been a TSA agent and a telemarketer, both during the same summer - right after high school lol does this count?

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

I think this has to do with my indecisiveness but I don't really ever think things like, "I wish I could read x thing." When I'm in the mood for a fic, I just go to my (terrifyingly long) marked for later list and pick the first one that looks good that's around the length I'm up for at the moment. I *DO* think about fics I want to write, and the biggest one I dream of having the brain space and patience for is a long poly zourry that somehow incorporates fake AND secret relationship and is dreamy and loving and sexy and also has enough angst to make readers sweat a little.

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

My original username from a million years ago was a play on my last name and the old Uh Oh...Spaghettios! jingle/slogan. After I'd been writing fan fic for a while it occurred to me it'd be a good idea to remove my whole ass actual last name from my url and while I was at it, to at least partially match my ao3 name, yeah_alright. Keeping the uhoh was a nod to my original url and the phrase combined nicely encapsulates the great behavior pattern of my life: realizing I'm about to be consumed by some pop culture thing, worrying/resisting for a bit, and then eventually shrugging at the inevitability and jumping in.

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

If you mean like what tags will generally keep me from reading in the first place, mpreg (or any preg honestly I'm just not into it), abo, and any of the boys being any flavor of cop. I've made exceptions for all of the above, both because I love the author or just to try things out, but at this point those are mostly No Thank Yous for me. If you mean, once I've started reading, what will make me Nope out, honestly not much. I'm up for at least giving a chance to most things. Some things like certain types of phrases or certain physical descriptions might make me roll my eyes a little but only super out of character (in an obnoxious, not fun way) depictions usually actually make me bounce unless I'm just all around not enjoying the story or writing style anyway.

Writer Truth or Dare Asks

[genericpuff]

Do you have any current voice claims for the Lore Olympus : Rekindled characters you've introduced so far?

Also, kinda just curious, you can ignore this one: Are you slightly worried about Rachel finding out you're reworking her story, seeing how she doesn't take criticism well?(genuine q)

LOVE your art work, btw!

Fun question, but unfortunately I don't really have any sort of neat answer to it. I don't tend to think in the realm of voice acting/live action when I think of the characters I write, it's just not really where my brain goes. When I read scripts internally to myself, they tend to just be default imaginary voices that I use. The technical sound of the voice itself isn't so much important to me as the line delivery and how they communicate (so like, 'voice' in the sense of writing rather than auditory). So like, how often do they pause, do they use lots of filler words, do they breathe heavily in between sentences, do they speak in short or long sentences, do they get to the point or speak in run-on sentences, do they speak eloquently with bigger words or do they prefer fast-paced conversation with slang, do they have a stutter or any other vocal block/impediment, do they approach conversations with cockiness or modesty, that sort of thing.

More often than not my inner voice when reading dialogue to myself just tends to be variations of my own voice lmao My brain doesn't have much imagination in that department unless I'm imagining a specific person from the very beginning (so if you ask me to imagine Will Smith's voice in my head while reading dialogue, yeah, I can do that just fine, but if you ask me to do it in reverse by assigning a specific person's voice to the characters I write, I'm just gonna draw a blank LMAO) The only other voice that pitches in on the reading process is my husband when he's doing dialogue exchanges with me (so basically I'll read a few lines of dialogue to him, which will turn into him going "lol imagine if it went like this..." which then turns into us doing casual improv, it makes for a great way to come up with organic conversation or re-write punchlines). But my husband's voice definitely doesn't pop into my head when I'm reading my dialogue to myself, again my brain just automatically defaults to my own mind voice.

If there's a specific actor you imagine when you read Rekindled, though, I'd love to hear it!

Regarding question #2, yes and no? I'm less worried about her (because legally there's nothing she can do about it, it's literally just fanfiction lol) and more worried about her fanbase, people call ULO toxic all the time and yet it's the fanbase who have historically done all the shitty things like doxxing people, witch-hunting, dogpiling, bullying, etc. so I'm basically just waiting for the day that I get a flurry of asks or hate directed my way and I can go "yep, they found out about Rekindled" LMAOOO

But on the other hand, it is just on Tumblr and it's not even really parodying LO, it's basically any other AU fic with the exception of it being in comic form. Like, if someone found an excuse to bully Rekindled on the basis of it just existing, it would be pretty hypocritical (and hilarious) when AO3 is full of LO AU's from people who detest what LO has become just as much as I do. As much as Rekindled was born out of criticism, the comic itself is still just its own thing, telling its own story, none of what's in it is meant to directly mock LO or even outright criticize it - it's just aiming to take things in a different direction than the one LO took, with the motivation of giving the fans who have dropped off LO due to its lowering quality some catharsis (and a new reason to look forward to Saturdays). I think the pettiest thing about Rekindled on its own is that it updates 15 minutes before LO does LMAO

Of course, all that stuff about Rekindled not generating hate will only last if I stick the landing. So far so good, but we'll see how it goes as it diverges further away from OG LO (mostly with the plot as it drops a lot of the things that seemed to be used as distractions especially in S2 onwards, and we're not even really tackling S3 because of how much of a mess it is; we're still very much in the 'prologue' section of it where a lot of it is closer to the OG version, but we'll start seeing more diversions as it goes on).

So, yeah, I am a little worried sometimes about the "what ifs", but it's not a constant fear that lives in my head rent-free. I was definitely more anxious about it when I started, but so far it's been great and I know ultimately that when people do act out in my inbox, often times they're just fundamentally misunderstanding what my intentions are or the fact that I'm not trying to make them hate LO or "dethrone Rachel" (though I do make jokes about that LOL) I'm just doing what many artists have done before me - expressing myself and doing something in my own way with the disappointment I've felt over the past year due to LO.

Frankly, I also don't think any of the problematic stans of LO are even on Tumblr. I find most of the toxicity so far has been on reddit and Facebook (°ー°〃) So I think Tumblr has made for a very safe platform to post it to. I think if it were on Webtoons it would ABSOLUTELY generate a lot more hate, there are other H x P comics that have nothing to do with LO that get harassed by the LO fans just because it exists and happens to be about H x P (as if Rachel herself invented the myth).