#it's also white text with a thin dark outline in-game to give it a bit of depth; i think that's another contributing factor

[hua-fei-hua]

truly nothing could ever hope to compare to the feeling of spending over half an hour looking through one's font collection to switch up a thing only to decide to use the font you'd been using originally will suffice

[kriss-the-writing-nerd]

11/11/11 tag game

Answer 11 questions, make 11 new questions, tag 11 persons!

I was tagged by @waterfallwritings for this! Thank you, your questions were really interesting and fun to answer! o(^▽^)o

(Sorry if I got a bit lengthy, it was just so nice to do something not university related after exams!)

1. How do you come up with ideas for your WIPs?

The heavy artillery from the get go, eh? *cracks knuckles* Okay, to be honest, I'm not sure. I've never really thought of it, they're just there, clamoring for attention (plot bunnies are my best ally and worst enemy). I definitely have bouts of very intense inspiration and days when I just,, can't. Even if I know where the scene is going, how it's going, and why, the words aren't there. Or they're all wrong. (This is when I default to writing ugly-crying emotional breakdowns or sex. Likely both.)

Working out a story is a game of association laced with concepts and core elements for me. Like this: dragons (core element) + mountains (association) + tribe/clan (concept) + shapeshifting (association/concept) + relocation/settlers (core element). And that's basically my dragon wip.

Eld's story is based on a Doctor Who quote "demons run when a good man goes to war". Ren and Kuro grew up with me; at some point they just started acting on their own - I just throw shit at them and sees what shakes loose at this point. (They have five kids! How???? did that?? happen???)

(I'm a sucker for prompts. My brain can see a single word and just, run of with it hollering in glee.)

2. How do you get past gaps in the plot?

Urrrrgh, I have to get past them??

I struggle, is what I do. Typically I let it sit, soundly on the back-burner in my mind, until I've mulled through my story to the point where the hole is gone. (This takes months, and with my sci-fi wip I ended up rewriting the dang thing completely at the third draft after eight years of working on it. Scrapping it was painful.)

Or I try a different angle. Sometimes it works.

3. What motivates you to keep writing?

I love writing. There's really no more significant reason than that. Writing allows me to express myself, create and explore worlds and characters who wouldn't exist otherwise. And it lets me just exist without any layers. When I've been hurting, writing has helped me get the pain out with no more than tears.

And I love words and languages; the way we have about 10 different words to say "snow" (partly because Swedish mesh several words into one but still) and maybe 2 (3?) for heat. That there are groups of languages with the same ancestors that are so close; how absolutely amazingly different they can be (I just learned "y" is not considered a vowel in English and I'm???? Completely blown. What. What do you mean it's not a vowel. Are you sure???). And languages with different alphabets and ones that use pictures to represent ideas instead of sounds! And sign languages!!

And idioms! It's so cool how idioms can carry words of wisdom, caution and reassurance, and rarely can be translated (classical examples from Swedish "There's no danger on the roof" and "The rain is standing like sticks in the ground") because they lose their connections to the cultures they are used in.

The universes in my head are as full of life as the real world and not nearly as anxiety-inducing. I have stories to tell. And you know that feeling when you’re in the zone and everything is flowing and you’re writing 10′000 words in a go? That.

4. Do you do any other kind of creative writing?

I dabble in poetry? Like, very sporadically and with mixed results. I have a friend into slam poetry who opened my eyes to it, too.

(Would fanfiction go here too?)

5. Do you have any other creative hobbies besides writing?

Urngh, yeah, too many. If I’m not reading, my hands need to be moving or I’m an unhappy bean. Though, writing is the only thing I never put down. Ever.

Okay, so, I draw (badly), both on paper and digitally. Mostly landscapes. I also try to make house sketches/plans. And I paint (a bit better than I draw), prefer oils or acrylics over water colors. My partner and I also paint miniature models when there is time.

I also crochet and knit, and I love origami. I roleplay (Dungeons & Dragons, whenever the DMs have time), and I play the violin (and piano) and write simple music for myself.

I garden if there's time in the spring and during summer, and I absolutely love these little fairy-gardens that have been popping up everywhere. On that note, I have more houseplants than I have space for.

I'm also thinking to start up a little thing making bracelets and bead strings for fidgeting. I needed some kind of stim toy to be able to focus and I wanted something silent with many different sensations to keep me entertained. I hunted around a bit but eventually made my own and they turned out pretty nice!

(I also like to bake, especially pies and breads.)

6. What do you do when you’re stuck on a scene and don’t know how to get it out / write it?

I slam the key words in. And then I ignore it until it stops fighting back so much.

Or I backtrack. Sometimes I've written myself into a corner unknowingly.

Sometimes I drop a wip that's giving me grief and work on another, or I use word/idea prompts to get me started.

7. How do you decide how to end your WIP?

God, please tell me because I don't hecking know. Should I do an epilogue? Should I leave it open/ambiguous? Should I just cut it off and leave the next step to the reader? Should there be a "true" ending, with goodbyes (actual or metaphorical)?

Urrrrrrrrgh. Good Lord, endings.

8. When in the process of writing do you decide how its going to end? Or do you kind of just wait til you get there?

Either I know from the start, before I write the first words, or I wait. Which tends to mean frustrating the hell out of myself. I have started to go through my wips (whether original or fanfiction) and give them all bare-bones outlines, because not having endings is a big problem for me.

9. Why did you decide to join writeblr?

Basically when I decided I had had enough of the "join to see more" button or the "sensitive material" warning. And when I realized there was a really nice writing community here I could maybe become a part of. (A major reason was actually @concerningwolves advice posts.)

10. What’s your favourite food?

(CW: Maybe skip if you’re vegetarian/vegan/you’d rather not read about meat.)

Chinese deep-fried chicken with sweet-and-sour sauce (not the spicy chili kind, the actual pineapple and tomato juice based kind) with rice. No question about it.

Mom's "blodbröd med fläsk" is a close runner up though, but we only eat it once a year, at the midwinter solstice. It's homemade Swedish tunnbröd (hard thin-bread) with blood instead of water in it that you dip in boiling water to make it soft, with white sauce, and fried, thoroughly salted pork.

(Believe me, some country-side Swedes in the northern parts are still pretty pagan about the sun coming back, me included. It's a big deal when you go between no night/darkness and then very little/no sun.)

11. If you had to kill off a character in your WIP, who would it be and why?

People are dying right and left in most of them already, since three include large-scale wars, so there's no shortage there.

But if I had to choose a main-character or a directly supporting character? (MY BABIES! NO.)

I think Ren, from the sci-fi wip, because he would be free from both responsibility and physical and mental pain. (My boi is a wreck.) It wouldn't be unlikely either. But at this point it would destroy my story! 😂 Less story-destroying would be their foster-guardian Sandra. It would still force me to write a completely new arc, but it would be do-able.

Although, regarding the fantasy wip Firestorm, Kebarock dying in their war would crush Sunling. That could be done without losing the plot entirely. Hmmm.

Puh, that was a lot of thinking! Okay, I'll be tagging.. @concerningwolves @weaver-of-fantasies-and-fables @adorhauer @focusdumbass @sleepy-and-anxious @els-writes @meteorwrites @sebastian-writer @telvivere @thescribesloft and @aceymichaelis No obligation to do this of course! <3 (And if I tagged you and you’d rather not be tagged in games, I apologize, please let me know)

And here are your questions if you want to:

1. What about your wip makes you smile?

2. What's the hardest decision you've had to make in regards to a wip?

3. What text font do you prefer writing in? Or do you write by hand?

4. Are there pets in your wip? If not, what pet might your character(s) keep?

5. What AU would you love to see/write for your wip?

6. Is there any type of music/a song in particular that you associate with your wip?

7. Are you a night owl or an early bird/When do you write?

8. Favorite beverage?

9. Where do you prefer to write? At home? In a library? On the bus/train?

10. What are your first 3 to 5 associations with the word 'writing'? Why those?

11. What do you do when you're bored?

Hope you enjoy! o(^◇^)o

[ladymacbethsspot]

Workplace Etiquette

Written for @kittyboo8015​ . Lingerie Levi. Office stuff. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Alternate title: I have a lot of ideas for the frick frack, eeeey lemme tell ya about ‘em.

~3k. smut. all here below cut, also on AO3. 

It was that time of year again. The time when work morphed into endless meetings, when Levi was forced to make decisions that left people cursing, and when caffeine slowly but surely replaced his blood.

Auditing season.

It was never pretty.

He’d already gotten a small department in their Cleveland branch into trouble, probably leading to at least one person getting the axe. Excuse him, they were “let go”. What a bunch of grade A bullshit. It was like this every year, when would people learn to just do their fucking paperwork properly?

Levi massaged his forehead, frowning into the rapidly-cooling, flavorless Lipton tea in his Styrofoam cup. Just one more day. Just six more meetings. He could do this.

Besides, Levi thought as he began his morning staring down the unfortunate boy from finance trying to clarify the worst spreadsheet he’d ever seen, this will be a good day.

Levi knew, because he’d dressed for success.

On this, the final day of auditing season, Levi shifted in his chair, feeling his dark grey slacks slip between the seat and the silk stockings he wore underneath. Feeling the garter belt tug at their tops gently as he moved. Suppressing a smile, Levi leaned forward as the boy finished his explanation and laid into him.

Sloppy spreadsheets were the absolute worst enemy of good record-keeping.

When the meeting ended Levi lingered, having checked the room schedule. In a few moments’ time he knew exactly who would be arriving. He stood, arranging his notes carefully and underlining a few things he needed to follow up on. The door opened, and he turned to see the first of the next meeting’s participants come in, Erwin Smith.

Erwin gave him a mild nod, and a casual “Good morning, Levi.” It was a game they had agreed to play at work, where neither of them was too keen on everyone knowing about their relationship. Levi nodded back, picking up his things and walking past Erwin with a quick, “Morning”. As he left, he reached back, adjusting the lace panties he wore under his slacks with a crooked finger, something halfway between picking a wedgie and showing off.

He heard a quiet intake of breath, and shot a meaningful look over his shoulder as he sashayed from the room. With extra hip. On to his next meeting.

Now that the idea had been planted, Levi knew exactly what to do.

They “just happened” to use the restroom at the same time and he bent down to re-tie a leather shoelace as Erwin washed his hands. His slacks rode up, exposing a few inches of black silk between their hem and his shoes. Staring up demurely through the fall of his bangs, he blinked innocently at Erwin, whose blue eyes burned into him as a predatory grin spread over his features. Before Erwin could approach he straightened, darting into a stall and locking it while Erwin sighed.

When Erwin began texting him he ignored the messages. They were at work. It was inappropriate. Levi took his job seriously, and he was expected to focus. Besides, good things come to those who wait, and Erwin hadn’t earned this yet- he had at least four more hours to work himself up.

In a break between afternoon meetings, Levi walked over to the large bank of windows to stretch his legs. The fact that it was in front of Erwin’s open office door had nothing to do with it. The fact that Erwin was staring at him instead of his computer screen certainly had nothing to do with it. And the fact that the straps of his tight lace bralet might have been visible, as Levi stretched in the sun, rolling his neck and tugging at his open collar to get some air- well, that absolutely had nothing to do with it. As he re-tied his tie, adjusting everything in the window’s reflection, he grinned. Nothing at all to do with it, and, judging by the glimpse Levi caught of Erwin licking his lips, this was shaping up to be an excellent afternoon.

The final meeting of the day was his pièce de résistance. He sat in the middle of the long table, directly across from Mr. Erwin Smith. His Mr. Erwin Smith- the tall, blonde, built bastard. The lights were dimmed and the presentation began. Levi had asked one of his most promising employees, Petra, to present the findings of the auditors and outline the revised guidelines for the other departments. To anyone else, it looked like a magnanimous gesture- giving his junior employee the stage.

To Levi, it was a chance to enact the rest of his plan unhindered.

As Petra went through the outline, he toed off a shoe.

As she fielded a complicated question from the head of sales, he inched his stocking-clad foot slowly up Erwin’s leg.

As the guidelines were read with exceptional clarity, his foot found its way into Erwin’s lap.

He pressed firmly between Erwin’s legs, watching him with a bored expression. Erwin sat up straighter.

Levi wiggled his toes, feeling the warmth of the growing bulge beneath his foot. Erwin adjusted his tie, a hint of color beginning to show on his cheekbones.

And Levi rolled the ball of his foot over the hot hardness he felt, stoking Erwin’s length through the thin suit pants.

Petra continued, commanding everyone’s attention as she went through the guidelines, succinct but clear in her explanation. Everyone’s attention except Levi’s. And Erwin’s.

No, Levi was too focused on pushing his foot harder into Erwin’s groin. And Erwin was too focused on breathing from the looks of it. As Levi’s toes curled over the head of Erwin’s bulge, Erwin shot him a warning glance. Levi merely blinked, feigning innocence as he cocked his head to the side in a question and stroked up and down once again with his foot.

Erwin shifted in his seat, and slipped a hand under the table. Levi felt thick fingers catch him, curling around his ankle. Then they paused, no longer intent on stopping his motion, instead distracted by stroking the slick silk stockings. Levi let a smile steal onto his face as he watched a far-off look take over Erwin’s eyes, lips parting ever so slightly.

Mission accomplished.

As the meeting ended, Levi fielded questions. One small foot still sat cradled in Erwin’s large hand, fingers still stroking it adoringly, Erwin’s breathing a little more obvious each time it was pressed gently against his crotch.

Levi was one of the last people to leave the room. He stood, adjusting the shoe he’d just slipped back on, and approached the door.

“Levi.” He turned at Erwin’s voice. It was low and a little rough, its deep tone sending a pleasant shiver through him. “I still have some questions. Can you meet me in my office in ten minutes? I’d like to go over a few things.”

“Of course,” Levi answered, turning on his heel and exiting without a second look back.

Ten minutes didn’t seem quite long enough, so Levi let Erwin wait fifteen.

He stepped into Erwin’s office, closing the door quietly behind him.

“You’re late.” Erwin sat at his desk, hands folded, eyes burning holes through Levi’s clothing. The drapes had been pulled closed on every window. Levi shrugged, and locked the door. This was his game.

Levi undid his tie, took off his cufflinks, and slowly began unbuttoning his burgundy dress shirt. With each button he popped open, Erwin’s eyes grew darker, their focus on his body sharper. Tugging the shirt from where it was tucked in, Levi removed the garment before carefully folding and placing it on a vacant chair.

He moved slowly, unhurried by the urgency in Erwin’s gaze, unbothered by the way Erwin’s hands clenched, unmoved by the lower lip Erwin worried between impossibly white teeth. Unaffected outwardly, even as his pulse beat harder and heat pooled in his groin.

Trailing his fingers lazily down his chest, pausing to stroke the snug lace of the bralet over his peaked nipples, he looked over at Erwin with a sly smile. Erwin’s hands flexed, then flew to the arms of his chair as he pushed against them to stand.

“Oh no,” Levi purred, holding up a warning finger. “You’re going to sit your ass down in that chair. You’re going to keep that pretty mouth of yours shut until I say so. And you’re going to like it, Mr. Erwin Smith.” Letting out a strangled groan, Erwin sank back down.

Levi bent down, untying the laces on his leather dress shoes. Standing, he toed them off and undid his belt. Slacks unbuttoned and unzipped, he slid them down, staring directly at Erwin. Not missing a single twitch of Erwin’s fingers, a single quick-pulled breath.

Stepping carefully from the pants, Levi folded them neatly before padding, stocking-quiet, up to Erwin. He stopped short, just out of reach, and placed a hand on his hip, standing relaxed as he watched his lover.

Erwin’s eyes travelled up from his feet, over silk stockings, over lace panties, over the thin straps of the garter belt, over the matching bralet, to finally meet his eyes before sweeping back down. Drawn to the dark lines, devouring every inch of silk and lace, every bit of black against his pale skin. Turning in a slow circle, Levi allowed himself to be admired. Just out of reach of Erwin’s hands, but not out of the eyes that burnt over him, scalding through the delicate garments. Erwin’s eyes. On him. Only him. Commanding such attention made him thrill.

When he’d waited long enough, too long for Erwin from the looks of the bulge straining at navy suit pants, Levi closed the distance between them, sliding himself onto Erwin’s lap. Large hands were immediately on him, stroking the silk stretched over his thighs, trailing up their sides until the silk ran out and nothing but warm skin and a dusting of dark hair remained. Eagerly, Erwin leaned forward, only to be pressed roughly back into the chair by hands splayed over his chest. Opening his mouth to speak, Levi met him with greedy lips, kissing the words from him.

Their hands wandered, Levi’s twining into Erwin’s hair, while Erwin’s continued exploring the sensitive regions between silk and lace. Rushed and urgent, they chased each other’s kisses with pants and sighs. The tension of the day channeled into each fiery point of contact, static built by all their earlier teases firing off in uncontained sparks of passion. It wasn’t anywhere near enough, and Levi pressed himself closer, ever closer in a vain effort to satisfy his pent-up need. With lips, with fingers, with stolen glances between hurried breaths at the man before him.

He rocked against Erwin’s body, feeling the other man’s hardness. Repeating the action when large hands squeezed his ass, kneading it roughly and pulling him forward. Their kisses grew deeper, tongues interlacing in an effort to bring each other ever closer. To quench the thirst built by the friction between them.

Finally pulling away, Levi surveyed the man before him. Heavy lids on darkened eyes, a flush decorating sharp cheekbones, Levi held Erwin’s head steady, keeping their gazes locked.

“There’s no time,” Levi said. A double edged sword: the rush brought excitement, but they could only remain hidden in Erwin’s office so long. It would be enough. It had to be. He’d waited too fucking long for this. He reached for Erwin’s belt, tugging it open while the larger man’s hips moved, accommodating Levi’s nimble fingers.

“What’s your plan?” Erwin asked, his hands stroking back down Levi’s thighs, finger pads drawing patterns in silk to match the hairs underneath, squeezing as they went. The fabric of Erwin’s pants and underwear pushed and pulled aside, Levi freed his cock.

“Didn’t plan this far.” The admission was quick, hardly leaving before Levi’s fingers wrapped around Erwin’s length, stroking a gasp from the man.

Erwin’s fingers travelling back up to stroke the black lace at Levi’s crotch, accentuating Levi’s excitement as in vain efforts to contain it. Erwin’s hips bucked into Levi’s hand. He squeezed the head Levi’s cock straining against the lace, prompting a gasp that made his hips roll harder. They let themselves sigh and rut, hands never covering quite enough of each other in their desperation. Until Erwin squeezed Levi hard through the lace, his large fingers covering as much as he could in a firm grasp.

“Wait,” Erwin paused, his words stilling the motion of Levi’s hand. “I want to enjoy this. Enjoy you. Wearing this.” His fingers left Levi’s cock, following the delicate designs upwards. They slid under the top edge of the lace, tracing over Levi’s hipbone. They continued along the dark line across the muscles of his abdomen, their measured pace making the moment hang. They slid into the tight space where Levi’s cock now stuck out from the top of the panties, between flushed skin and a trail of dark hair.

Levi’s lips tugged down, and he rolled his hips, urging Erwin’s fingers back onto his cock. “We don’t have time.” Erwin sighed, nodding. He pulled Levi closer in his lap, until their cocks almost touched, separated only by lace. Giving in, unable to resist any longer, he leaned forward, and Levi’s mouth found his easily. The heat of the moments flooded back, flaring up as the softness of lips turned to slick tongues. Levi pressed himself close, grabbing at  Erwin’s shoulders and the front of his shirt, their hips rubbing together. Erwin’s hand stole between them as their mouths clashed and Levi’s teeth tugged at his lower lip. It pressed their cocks together as well as he could, the lace making Erwin’s efforts difficult and awkward between haphazard thrusts.

Levi felt Erwin’s fingers leave their cocks and gasped when they hooked under the lace at the leg hole of his panties. He moaned into Erwin’s mouth as they stroked over his balls. He sucked greedily at Erwin’s tongue as they tugged the lace. The heat of Erwin’s cock pressed against his groin, and its firm length shoved up the leg of the panties only added to the tightness. The tightness of the chair, squeezing them into each other, the tightness of the lace now confining both their arousals, the tightness curling in Levi’s belly each time their skin touched.

“You’ll ruin them,” Levi accused, his voice ragged.

Only grunting in response, Erwin’s hand wrapped around them both over the thin fabric. Their cocks pressed together as they thrust against each other, Erwin’s large hand near the tops joined by Levi’s smaller one by their bases. An awkward position, cramped and strained. But the thought that anyone could knock on Erwin’s door at any second only made them press closer together. The lace rubbed friction while their desire provided heat. The panties, damp with sweat and precum, barely able to hold them both.

Erwin’s cock rubbing his own, Erwin’s hand wrapped around them, Erwin’s disheveled appearance beneath him- it filled Levi’s senses beyond capacity. He’d waited so fucking long, and it felt so fucking good to be bad. The tightness of the strained underwear barely covering them amplified every motion and every heartbeat, his pulse making his cock throb. With bucking rolls of their hips, the angles all strange, the squeeze and rush and thrill that pooled in his groin turned to jolts of pleasure.

Their thrusts grew sloppy, no longer moving in time as they both chased release. The fabric strained, delicate cloth stretched and pulled to its limit. As the heat built in Levi’s body, driving him forward, driving his hips into Erwin’s hand, the lace began to give. Unable to withstand the force or friction it frayed a little more as Erwin’s cock pushed against his own. With a shared groan their fists squeezed around their cocks. Their hips stuttered and shook. Levi gave one final thrust. The lace tore. The tension released. Warmth coated Erwin’s hand, both collapsing into the chair as they came together, twitching and gasping.

They came down slowly from their high, their hands still stroking at their cocks through the ruined lace. Urging every last bit of pleasure out in shudders that grew longer and more relaxed as their hearts slowed and their muscles unwound.

With a groan, Levi sat up, staring down at the mess between them. The panties were torn, covered in cum and sweat, their softening cocks trapped in the remnants of once fancy lingerie. Defiled. Perfectly so.

Levi extracted himself from Erwin’s lap carefully, grumbling as he stood. He tugged what was left of the garment off, using the cleaner areas to wipe the cooling, sticky remains of their release from Erwin and himself. “Well that was a total disaster,” he complained, tossing the destroyed panties into Erwin’s trash bin.

He walked over to his neatly folded clothing and began dressing.

“Really?” Levi heard from behind himself as he slid his dress shirt on and buttoned it up. “I thought it was pretty amazing.”

A small smile played around Levi’s lips as he adjusted his collar over his tie and bent down to re-tie his shoelaces. “You thought that was amazing?” He looked up at Erwin, a question in his face.

Erwin had already fixed his clothing and was looking for his shoulder bag to leave the office for the evening. “Yes, besides, you’re still wearing the stockings and that bra thing. I’m hoping I’ll have more time to savor those at home tonight.”

Levi stood: dressed and ready to leave.

“Oh, you will,” he answered. As Erwin joined him at the door, opening it for both of them, he tugged the taller man down by the sleeve, and added in a low whisper, “and I’ve got another pair of panties waiting too.”