#just the little snippet you shared of this complex world in your mind is drawing me in

[blissents]

Devlog #1

Hi hi! ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ I don't really post often, but I told myself that starting in 2024, I wanted to share what I've been working on! I'm a solo game dev who has been developing a game called Visionaries. It's a romance visual novel that explores grief and loss.

༺✧ STORY ✧༻

"Visionaries": Special individuals with the ability to look into the past. There are a select handful of Visionaries who can also see into the future.

"What happens after we die?" The age-old question with no definitive answer. Many have constructed their own complex theories and stories to try and explain this mystery.

~~~~~

Explore the world of Visionaries as you wake up in an unfamiliar room, unable to speak and move. You're faced with unusual people (who tend to bicker any opportunity they get) only to later discover that they are your assigned Visionaries. These Visionaries have only one task; they intend on looking into your memories.

What is the purpose of Visionaries existing, and why do they insist on looking into your mind?

If you want to read more about the progress I've made on Visionaries, please continue reading below the cut! ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ

༺✧ ART ✧༻

Most of my time has been spent working on the art! (I can't feel my hand) My main focus is to finish drawing all of the character sprites as well as finish rendering the backgrounds. I've already come up with all the designs and expressions for the characters, they just need to be rendered :,)

I still need to create their little character info sheets (I have no idea what the word is, haha), where you'll learn their names, ages, and all of that fun stuff ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ

Below are some of the sprites :-)

The first two are fully rendered, while the other three need to be finished :,)

As for backgrounds, I have 1 that is fully rendered and 3 that still need to be finished! I'll only be sharing 3/4 today since I'm unsure if I'll be including the one background in the demo.

To be honest, I struggled quite a bit when drawing the backgrounds D: There were a lot of things I envisioned, but unfortunately, I didn't know how to fully portray them. I had some trial and error while coming up with the original designs. That being said, I'm glad I was able to come up with something I felt satisfied with! I'm planning for the rest of the backgrounds to follow the red/brown colored theme as seen in the first photo ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ

Of course, there will be more backgrounds than the ones I'm currently showing! I already have some ideas/drafts for those, but they might change depending on the way the story plays out.

༺✧ WRITING ✧༻

So far, I've planned for the demo to have a little less than 9k words. I'm unsure if I'll keep it at 9k words, or if I'll expand it some more so that there will be more content in the demo :-) We'll see!

As for the overall game, there will be at least 2 routes. There will also be 2 romanceable options (one being he/him, the other being she/they). I'm still figuring out how I want to script all of this, so these aspects may change in the future!

The game will also have options where you can choose your pronouns and name!

Here's a small snippet of the script!

I wanted to show the dynamic between two of the characters :-)

༺✧ OTHER ✧༻

Besides writing and coding, I've been coming up with some ideas for the GUI! I don't have any current drafts of that to share, but I'll hopefully include them in a future devlog ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ I also have plans on creating the cover art for the game, cgs, more backgrounds, and possibly some promotional art (rip my hand, there's so much I need to draw (╥_╥))

I was thinking about composing the music for the game, but I realized I know absolutely nothing about music and wouldn't even know where to start if I had tried :,) So instead, I've compiled a list of some soundtracks and sound effects I might use! Hopefully, I can share that in the future once I've narrowed down which soundtracks I know I'll be using.

༺✧ CONCLUSION ✧༻

My overall goal is to release the demo sometime during this year! Because I'm doing everything myself (art, script, writing, etc.), it might take me a bit longer to get everything done. My apologies for that! (╥_╥)

Besides that, I really just want to start creating and sharing more of my art. Getting over the mental hurdle of being afraid to show my work is honestly pretty terrifying for me. I normally only share the things I create with close friends, but I think it's time to get over this fear of mine! ᕦ(ò_ó)ᕤ

I was able to make significant progress within these past few weeks since I'm currently on my winter break. Classes start back up soon, though, and I'm going to be internship-hunting as well as planning on a big move. I'm still going to try my best to juggle everything so that I can make even more progress on the game! ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ

At the end of the day, all of this is a fun little project I've always wanted to do. As a little kid, I absolutely loved playing VNs (and I still do!). Creating my own game felt like an unreachable goal, but with enough effort, I think it's something obtainable ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ I really just want to create something that others can enjoy!

As a side note, I have some plans to create a little blog (not even sure if it's considered a blog, haha) about the games I've played/want to play! That will be coming very soon!

Thank you to anyone who read this far! You have my eternal gratitude <3

~ bliss ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ

[bookwyrminspiration]

HI YES WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO LEAVE SUCH A NICE COMMENT??? i may be. becoming a little unhinged bc!!!! and ok so like not many people...actually ever ask about all my ideas so i apologize if i just infodumped a TON completely unprompted bc i just got. very excited. obviously i couldnt recount every event in bronte's life leading up to that point but!!!! i hope my answers are either enough to quench your curiosity or to stoke the fires even more bc i have been thinking about all of these ideas for so long. and OH WOW this ask is getting away from me but thank you and ive replied to your comment and you are amazing and i am so glad to be your friend and ily!!!!!!

- pyro

me! I gave me the right! Also you're fully welcome to become more than a little unhinged. Go wild, if you'd like! I think leaving nice, thought out comments is really fun, especially when I get to engage with the writer and listen to them talk about the thought behind their work. Also I like receiving nice comments, so I try to make time to write out a full comment whenever I do leave one--like when people send me art!!

"not many people...actually ever ask about all my ideas" well, guess what! questions are literally a major aspect of how I communicate! Give me any topic and I will undoubtedly have dozens of questions spiraling off of one another. The number of times people have been stumped with how to interact with me or do an activity with me because I ask so many questions...so many. And even more so when its a topic I'm interested in, like your fic. There's clearly a lot about it going on in your mind that you've channeled into your writing, so I want to know more about it! The motivations, the explanations, what approach you're taking, what key elements of the characters you've decided to focus on, how that leads to later understandings of the characters, everything!

and you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. everyone is welcome to infodump about anything and everything (including topics outside of kotlc) they're interested in whenever they want, regardless of whether or not its prompted! your excitement is infectious! I may not fully understand everything you're saying about the character or why, but I can tell at the very least that it's captivating to you, and that makes me want to learn more--hence the comment and all the questions.

and your answers were wonderful to read through! If I have time later I will go back and respond to that, but I do have a class in a couple hours so please be patient with me! This is the first week in a while where there isn't something extra or really time consuming going on, so I'm trying to get back to my preferred schedule and answer asks more regularly (the past two weeks have been...so busy). Also I thought your comment about me finally learning what its like to not hold all the cards was hilarious. and also entirely fair! you can get back at me all you'd like for the secrets i've kept about the wings au!! (I don't even think you're aware of all the secrets I'm planning rn...)

I am also glad to be your friend!! I wish we were closer together in the world so I could give you a hug. you're amazing as well and I'm very pleased you enjoyed my comment because I loved your fic!! I love you too!!

[writing-refs-junkpile]

Summary writing dos and don’ts

It’s a truth universally accepted that one of the most difficult parts of writing and posting a story is writing an engaging summary. Let’s be honest with each other: we all suck at it, think we suck at it, or lack the confidence to say we don’t suck at it. There’s no easy answer or formula to share but I do have a few observations from many years of voracious reading to share. Take what you will, add what you wish, and best of luck to all.

Do

Ask pressing and thought-provoking questions with complex answers. Readers tend to be the curious sort, especially when they don’t have all the answers.

Drop hints about future conflict, major plot points, and crises. A little seed of concern and excitement can lure readers, and when it’s planted, it can grow into something that will draw readers like corpse flowers draw flies.

Use proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar, and do a decent job of spelling/grammar checking. If your summary is full of uncapitalized i’s, lacks any periods whatsoever, and has several misspelled words, discerning readers won’t even bother.

Tempt with bits of engaging dialogue, snippets of narration, or poignant lines from your story. What better to hook readers on your story than the story itself?

Be vague enough to leave them wondering, but open enough to inspire curiosity. Being too vague is like fishing without bait; being too detailed is like throwing a baited hook in a pond full of fresh chum. It’s important to find a good balance if you want to catch readers.

Read more than you write - and I don’t mean reading fanfiction. Aim high, explore new genres, and pay attention to what you enjoy about the stories. When you find something you enjoy, study it, take note of what you like about it, and put your own spin on it.

Practice summarizing books and stories you’ve read, then ‘grade’ those summaries. When you’re writing summaries for your own stories, write several drafts before posting so you can work out the kinks ahead of time. Few people are effective writers when put on the spot, and practice makes perfect.

Don’t

Ask questions that can be answered with yes/no or anything less than a few sentences. Instead of “Will they get together?” try “How can they move past ___ and ___?” or “What will it take to get these two idiots together?”

Say “Sorry, I’m bad at summaries.” Honey, we’re all bad at them. What separates the accomplished from the n00bs is doing your best to improve your summaries instead of asking for a handicap outright. Fake it ‘til you make it, and with practice, you will make it.

In fanfiction: if you use OCs, make sure your summary includes important information about Canon characters. Most fanfic readers are already prejudiced against original characters in fanfiction; if your summary insinuates that the story is “all about the OC,” many readers will jump on the Mary-Sue-hate-wagon and run you down like an armadillo on Route 66.

Say “Just read the story.” Most who comply with that sort of demand are bored senseless or has no sense to begin with, and any discerning readers who give your story a try will likely flame or go in with their minds already made up.

“Use too many words to get across what can be put into a much more concise summary, or overly long run-on sentences which can be easily split into more digestible sentences, because heck, that just bores people and can really get confusing if you aren’t careful, and the last thing you want to do is bore your readers before they even hit the first chapter.” If you got lost or bored there...I rest my case.

In original fiction: assume your readers will already know or easily recognize anything about the story without being told. Vampires? Mention it. Fairies? Flaunt them. Something entirely new your readers may not have seen before? Get your readers excited with details and teasers!

Be careful with:

Phrases like “In a world where,” “in a time of,” and other cliches. If it makes you roll your eyes at the movie previews, it’ll probably make your readers roll their eyes.

Excessive slang, profanity, and ‘author-to-reader’ comments in the summary. Discerning readers can be put off by too many of these.

Excessive brevity.

We all stink at summaries, but a little mindfulness can go a long way. Best of luck in your future non-stinking!

[adore-holland]

Under Renovation |T.H.| - Chapter 1

Pairing: Tom Holland x Celeb!Reader

Warning: Swearing? Angst.. Mentions of vomit

Word Count: 2162

Disclaimer!: This was written before we found out Tom has a girlfriend. Any similarities are purely coincidental.

A/N: Hope you enjoy! This was mostly just setup, trust me you’re gonna get some Tom stuff soon enough ;)

Teaser

Chapter 1:

The ceiling above you seems to move in new patterns every second. Dark circles and stripes race across the the white paint in the pitch black room. You can make out the sounds of loud music and laughing people out on the streets of London. It’s Friday night, and you’re laying at home, in your bed, following stupid patterns on your ceiling - What has your life come to?

With a groan, you run a sweaty hand down your face. You squeeze your eyes shut, hoping for the weird patterns to go away. No luck - the insides of your eyelids take over for your ceiling. If you could just tune out, disappear for a little bit.. get some sleep. As if on queue, you let out a yawn. 

It’s the seventh night in a row, that you haven’t been able to fall asleep until the early hours of the morning, and your body is suffering from it. Large dark bags under your eyes, slumped shoulders and an almost complete loss of appetite. 

You desperately turn on your side, pulling a pillow over your head, hoping to just get some peace and quiet. You squeeze your eyes shut, welcoming sleep like an old friend. Except, sleep seems to be mad at you. Because the quiet only fills up with memories of cheerful laughs, and whispered “I love you”’s. Something in your stomach tightens at the sound of his voice. You always thought his voice was perfect. Smooth like honey, dripping in the love you thought he held for you. 

In all honesty, you had never told him how much you adored his voice. Well, he knew you loved it - and that the sound of his voice was enough to calm you down when the world was too overwhelming. What he didn’t know though, was just in what ways you loved it. 

No! No. You will not allow yourself to remember it… him. So you make a conscious decision to avoid any thought of the butterflies that went wild whenever he leaned in to whisper in your ear; or the way your heart would pick up speed for just a second whenever he said your name in whatever accent he felt like in that moment. 

Fuck.

With whatever strength you have left in your exhausted body, you throw the pillow off of you, welcoming the loud sounds of London. You turn around to lay on your stomach, listening intently to the sounds of the partygoers, chasing away his voice. There’s a group, nearing your apartment complex down below. Your condo is high up, but the deep concentration allows you to hear snippets of the conversation. 

“We should tell them…” The deep voice says with a concerned tone. You only hear the girl giggle as a reply. A conversation, so much like the ones you and Tom had so long ago. When you first got together, 3 years ago, you couldn’t figure out whether or not to announce to the world that you were a thing. Most nights discussing it were spent drunk, staring lovingly into each others eyes, forgetting the world, forgetting who there even was to tell. The two of you, together, were all that mattered in those moments.

Again! You want to scream out in frustration, but your throat is already sore from crying. You turn back around and quickly sit up. Your throat is tightening quickly, itching more and more every second. A silent yelp escapes you as you get up. Tears sting behind your eyes as you hurriedly make your way toward the bathroom. You make it to the toilet just in time, bile rises up your throat, and you throw up - pure stomach acid - you haven’t eaten enough lately to throw anything of substance up. 

:)-(:

An incessant noise wakes you up. Your head is pounding, and as you slowly blink your eyes open you realise why your back hurts so much. You’re sat next to your toilet, leaning against the tile wall. Your legs are sleeping, folded in weird angles beneath you. You sigh deeply, leaning your head back against the wall and closing your eyes for a second. The noise returns and you realize it’s your phone ringing. Slowly untangling your sore limbs you fight to get up, and walk back into your bedroom. You take it one step at a time, the pounding in your head worsening with every sudden jolt up through your body. 

“It’s y/n,” you mumble into your phone, rubbing your temple with the other hand, fruitlessly hoping to lessen the pain. 

“Hey! Hi! You’re up.” It’s Matt, your agent. “You remember that movie you turned down a few weeks ago?” You barely get to reply before he continues. “Well, exciting news, they are coming back to you with the part. They truly believe you’re the perfect fit.”

“Matt… I don’t think I’m up for a movie right now.” You eyes glance to the side. You still need to remove the picture of you and Tom on your first christmas together from your nightstand. You squeeze your eyes shut, ignoring the pain it brings and the tears that well up.

“Honey.. I know you’re in a lot of pain right now, so I’m not gonna force you to say yes to anything. I’m just telling you that I believe this movie is a good idea for you. How about we go out for lunch a little later? Talk it over, you read some of the script and then you can decide?” There’s so much concern and care in his words, that you almost want to vomit at the sound. When did you become so fragile, that even Matt’s extreme tenderness brings you to tears?

You really don’t feel like lunch, but you know you need to get out of the house. And maybe having someone watching you eat will help you actually… eat something. 

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Despite the complete lack of enthusiasm in your voice, Matt’s mood picks up all the same.

“Great! I’ll meet you at Louis’ Diner at 1 then?”

“No!” You startle yourself at your sudden outburst, but continue all the same. “Ehm… Sorry. Not Louis’ please. I’ll meet you at Little Bay.”

 :)-(:

Despite your less than excellent mood, the weather cheers you up a bit. It’s warm; even for late spring. Yourself and Matt are sat outside, at a small table under a cute red parasol. Bees hum as they busy themselves with the flowers around you. It almost feels like the week you spent hiding in your apartment made you forget the peace people and life brings you.

“So… The movie is a musical about a dancer? I haven’t danced in ages.” 3 years to be exact. Your career picked up around the same time you started dating Tom, whose career also seemed to be on the up and up, and you just didn’t have time to continue dancing that intensively anymore. You loved it though - You danced before you could run, and your heart leaped at the excuse to get back to your roots.

“See, that’s where you’re perfect for the part! Because you CAN dance! But just like Lia Morrison in this story, something is stopping you. Due to a motorcycle accident with her fiancé, she broke her left leg and hip.” Matt smiles at you, bald head shining in the sunlight. His grey top clings to his muscular torso, and his dark arms work furiously in large movements, as if whatever signs he’s making with his hands will help you understand what he’s saying. You feel a small smile tug at your lips at the sight of him. Your heart jumps slightly at the feeling of a smile after so long.. until you remember the last time your heart jumped like that.. the last time you smiled.

“Yeah, I got that part. But it’s a love story?” The summary he gave wasn’t very useful, still you feel dumb asking questions you know he already gave you the answers to.  But as much as you hate to admit it, the movie is starting to intrigue you. You had been quick to deny the part the last time Matt brought it to you. Two reasons especially made you turn it down.

1: Shooting starts in Los Angeles a few days before Tom gets off from shooting, so you wouldn’t get to spend any time with him.

2: You didn’t feel like doing a sex scene when you knew you would be attending the premiere, and watching it with Tom.

-Neither of those reasons are really a problem anymore.

“Yes! It is. So, the fiancé doesn’t get hurt. But he breaks up with Lia because she lets her injury consume her. She basically loses the will to fight for what she loves. She suddenly doesn’t wanna recover so she can dance again. She basically ends up catching herself ruining her own life, and then falls in love with her physical therapist.”

Something about the character, Lia, draws you in. You get the position she finds herself in, the devastation of losing something you thought you never could - brown eyes flash through your mind, a wide smile, hurried kisses. No.

You let out a small sigh, running a hand through your lose hair, searching Matt’s face for… something. “You really think I can do this?”

“Are you kidding me? Of course you can.” His smile is almost as wide as his face, and he blinks rapidly.

Old trick Matt. Instead of the usual laugh he used to lure out of you with said trick, you only huff out a small breath of air, and his smile drops immediately. His big hands find yours on the table. He holds your hands softly in his, slowly, tenderly rubbing his thumbs over the back of your hands. The feeling is comforting, familiar, and it makes your eyes sting with tears.

“Y/n.. I know what this part is asking of you is.. a lot. If you really can’t do it, no one will force you too.” His honey golden eyes hold so much care in them, that you feel your stomach coil at the sight. If only someone else were giving you that look. “But this pain.. it won’t last forever. The earth keeps rotating, and I just wanna make sure that you turn with it. This movie.. I know it brings back certain - memories -, but it isn’t about him. It feels like it is, I get that. But it’s about Lia getting more bent than ever before, but never breaking - And it’s about you, y/n, it’s about you, and the strength you and Lia share.”

Your head is spinning, everything he’s saying hits you like a stack of bricks. Not broken, but bent - but different all the same. You never subscribed to the idea of pulling your act together; the very idea would mean that you were responsible for spilling everywhere. You’re not. That doesn’t mean it isn’t still messy, or that it doesn’t drain you to clean up after someone else; even if the mess you. 

Daniel and yours conversation pop up in your head. Strength comes from tearing the muscles, letting them heal, over and over again. This role.. this movie, you already know it’s gonna tear you apart, but you need it to.

“Yeah,” you manage to croak out your answer, and Matt squeezes your suddenly freezing hands, “Yeah, I wanna do it.” The tears in your eyes disappear as you say it. You draw in a deep breath, filling your lungs, and your head clears as a result. You can do this, it’s not a matter of convincing yourself. You can do this, not doubt about it. Tom Holland took a lot from you, but he won’t take everything.

“Great, I’ll contact them right away then.” He squeezes your hands one last time before standing up, phone in hand, and walking a few steps away to call the casting director. To pass the time you pick up your own phone, scrolling through your twitter feed. Your notifications are insane, more than a thousand mentions. Your brows furrow as you start scrolling through some of them. You don’t read most of them.. Tom is tagged too, and you don’t feel like seeing your fans shipping you.

You scroll mindlessly through them, until you come across one with a photo attached. Clicking it, you almost drop your phone. Tom is very visibly on a date with someone. His hand is in her back pocket as they walk close together. They’re looking at each other, eyes shining, smiles bright.. Her blond hair glistens in the sunlight, and he looks so happy - smile showing off the creases around his mouth you always poked to make him smile when he was sad. You don’t recognize her, and in a way you’re glad because of it.

A week. He broke up with you a week ago. You finally know why.

[silentauroriamthereal]

This seems like fun! Thanks for the tag, @swissmissing! 

1. AO3 handle: SilentAuror

2. Ships I write: Johnlock. Oh, and maybe a touch of Freebatch. In the past I wrote a crapton of Harry/Draco and a few other scattered ships hither and thither, but these days it’s pretty much pure Johnlock over here. 

3. Ships I read: I don’t read much fanfic, but if I do, it’s definitely Johnlock! 

4. When I started writing: I don’t remember my first piece of fiction ever, but it was definitely sometime in childhood! My first fanfic was posted in 2002, I believe! 

5. First fic I wrote: In this fandom? Resurrection. 

6. Favorite fic I wrote: I really can’t say! 

7. Hardest fic I wrote: Again, I really can’t say. Different stories have been hard for different reasons. Against the Rest of the World comes to mind, just for sheer length and complexity & detail of plot, but Scars was very different to write for the emotional and physical abuse it contains. Some of the angst-heavy stories I’ve written have practically given me ulcers. Sometimes I make the cases so complicated that I have to keep a whole separate file just on case notes (witness The Bells of King’s College, which features not just six cold cases, but they all had to be related to: a) the murderer (obviously), b) each other, and c) a potential seventh victim, and d) Mary!). Bridging the Ravine features something like 21 named OCs, about 8 of whom have fairly major parts. And The Final Proof was hard as hell to write because it made me cry throughout, lol. Along with basically 98% of the people who have read it, which was sort of the point, but there you go. :P (See warnings!!!!!) 

8. Most research-intensive fic I wrote: That has to be a toss-up between Against the Rest of the World for the location research specifically, and Scars, for which I did extensive research (including interviewing three separate therapists who specialize in female->male abuse and gaslighting). 

9. Fic that is most dear to me: This is like asking me to pick a favourite among my children! Of which I now have 84 in this fandom alone! Really can’t say! 

10. Favourite trope to write: I mostly avoid actively writing tropes, though I’ve unapologetically used fake-couple-for-a-case twice now (once where it goes quite well for them (Bridging the Ravine) and once where it goes quite badly for them (The Bells of King’s College)), and smaller tropes like sexual coaching (Isosceles), bed-sharing (numerous), and then apparently I’ve used some accidentally, such as amnesia (The Wisteria Tree). Lol. 

11. Something I wouldn’t write: An unhappy or non-Johnlock ending, a version of Mary that doesn’t line up with her actual canon behaviour, fluffy familial sitcom that’s wholly out of character (which isn’t to say that parentlock can’t be IC, but it’s a stretch to make it fit with these two particular men, IMO). 

12. Favourite scene I ever wrote: I’ve just written too many to choose only one. :/ Sorry, I keep saying this! 

13. Where I get my inspiration: From Moftiss’ resolute determination to prevent these two from having an honest, direct, and complete conversation about their relationship, their history, and their feelings. I WILL make them talk, damn it! And then kiss. Like a lot. :) 

14. Hardest scene I ever wrote: There’s a rape scene in chapter 3 of Scars. I avoided writing it for days. Then, once I finished it, I remember literally just closing my laptop, standing up, putting on my shoes, and walking out of my apartment to clear my head. 

15. Favourite characterisation I wrote: Oooh. Okay, I’m giving this one to Sherlock in Against the Rest of the World, specifically because it’s told in first person, which means that I spent four solid months living inside this version of his head, and I found it very difficult to not be in it once the story came to its eventual finish!

In this fandom, I’ve now written in the POVs of 12 different characters (not counting the “characters” of Ben and Martin in my four Freebatch fics), and I’ve loved writing every single one of them, even if I don’t necessarily love the character themselves! The breakdown goes like this, though for the last two, it’s only single chapters/parts of stories, never a full stand-alone story: Sherlock (36 times, including both novels), John (37 times), Mycroft (3 times), Lestrade (3 times), Mary (3 times), Molly (twice), Rose (Rosie at age 19, once), Janine (once), Ella (once), Vee (Mummy) Holmes (once), Mrs Hudson (once), and Sally Donovan (once). 

My current project is one of my rare mixed-POV stories, heavily John-POV, but with contribution scenes from Sherlock, Ella, and Molly. 

16. Sequel I would write, if I had the chance: I’m actually somewhat planning, pending my muses’ inspiration and general whims, a sequel to Isosceles, where Sherlock and John visit Corey Graham in LA. :)

17. Story I want to write, but I don’t think people would enjoy reading: It’s so masochistic, but I never let that stop me! :P I did suppress my urge to write my first Freebatch fic (The A.G.R.A Complex) for about eight months before finally giving in. I fully expected to be shot for writing Scars, and I’m somewhat expecting people to hate my current project, but if the muses demand it, then I write it. What can you do. :P

18. A line from a WIP: I never do lines. It’ll have to be a snippet, lol. Not to channel Culverton Smith or anything... 

Ella thinks of the long story Sherlock told her one stormy afternoon only a few weeks ago, during one of the appointments she cannot, by dint of professional vow, acknowledge to John that are happening, and of the fact that Sherlock admitted that he’s never yet found a way to casually bring up the snipers in conversation with John, his hesitancy to rock the boat, the surface stability they’ve seemingly found in the wake of the events with Sherlock’s unbalanced sister. She sighs inwardly, but keeps her expression neutral. “You’re still angry about that,” she says. It isn’t a question; after all, she knows John rather well by this point.

John frowns, but nods, still looking down.

“And how has that anger come out?” Ella asks, conscious to keep her tone even. 

John’s mouth opens, his breath drawing in sharply and stopping in his chest.

19. A recent comment on a story that made me smile: That someone commented at all makes me smile! Unless it’s overt hate, I guess. :P 

20. A discontinued work I would love to finish: I have never, in my 2.1+ million words of Sherlock fiction, or 1.5 words of HP fiction, not finished a story that I started. 

21. Fic writers I admire: Honestly, for these last two, I just don’t read enough to be able to comment well on this! I also know that if I list anyone, I’ll leave out someone who really, really should be mentioned. I’ll just say this: anyone who is actively working at the craft of writing and putting themselves out there deserves all the praise and admiration in the world. Same goes for artists! You’re putting a naked little piece of your soul out there for the world to see, criticize, hopefully (but not necessarily) love, and that is SO brave! So the truest answer here is: all of you! 

22. A story I recommend: Same answer as above! I would recommend @swissmissficrecs for recs! 

Tagging: anyone who reads this post and writes. You’re tagged. :)

[gilbirda]

Human courting is confusing. Chapter 28

So. It has been almost a year.

I’m sorry.

[FF.net][Ao3]

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Chapter 28: Doing something ridiculous     

“You look delicious,” was the demon’s first comment.

Yako forced the blush down and focused on her hands’ position, one above her head on the frame of the door and the other on her hip, which was cocked to a side in a desperate attempt to look sexy and desirable. She felt ridiculous and the tiny smile on Neuro’s face told her that her bold movement didn’t have the effect she expected.

Welp, she was just trying to calm her nerves.

“Come here,” he ordered, his emerald eyes shining like they never did, a predatory glint in them that instead of invoking fear in her body gave her shivers that had little to do with the cold. Yako approached him with a slow pace, looking at him straight in the eyes, not knowing that in her own brown eyes a demonic shine appeared on them.

Neuro chuckled.

“As you can see,” he started as he made a gesture over everything placed on the bed, “I have come prepared. Rejoice, Yako.”

She slowly blinked and looked at the stuff her husband had brought from the human world. She recognized plenty of those things but she had never see one in real life, only pictures on the Internet. She would be lying to herself if she said that she had never browsed on the internet about BDSM and all the mechanics and complexity around that world. She was aware that what her demon did with her body was not different from the usual techniques and the fact that she had survived some of the catalogued as “hardcore” ones made her laugh once upon a time.

At first it was a scary thought. Doing that in a sexual manner, that is. She was used to punishment and painful treatment, but she never felt aroused when Neuro did those things to her. It was simply the usual thing they did and even if she didn’t like it, it was normal .

But they had slowly got used to the idea of including more of that into their private moments, little snippets of controlled pain and getting her movements restricted. She found out that she did like it and that the feeling was very different from when Neuro punished her for whatever other reason. She didn’t know if it was the look on his face or the way her skin seemed to be over-sensitive when they were doing it, but her body responded in a very different manner when she got tied up and vulnerable and at her - by then - boyfriend’s will.

It was probably around a week before the wedding when she discovered she was a hopeless submissive person.

There was little she didn’t enjoy, but she suspected that it was because she trusted her now husband not to do anything potentially dangerous or fatal to her. He never did, not even when he was really angry, so she didn’t have any reason to start fearing him now. But he did like to tease, and a lot. It was in that border between letting himself go full demon mode and reminding himself that she was only human what usually took her to her limit.

The idea of testing where those limits were with the new arrangement of her condition (and his) excited her so much that she felt the familiar tingling sensation between her legs. The broadening smile on her demon’s face told her that he knew what she was thinking, arousing her even more than before.

She still was a bit nervous, so her voice came a little strangled when she finally spoke.

“So…” she stopped to clear her throat and realized that she didn’t know where to put her hands now. Yako stepped closer to Neuro until her naked legs touched his crossed ones, and as sexily as she could she leaned down and put her hands on his bare shoulders. He had taken off the traditional kimono and put back his usual blue pants and white undershirt, she noticed. “Ready?” she whispered looking at him straight in the eye.

The demon smirked just in time to have his lips claimed by the not-quite-human-anymore Yako. The kiss was soft and tame, something that may be out of place in a mating night. Usually those were full of raw passion and rough sex, barely any words and a lot of skin to skin contact. But, of course, with Yako everything was different. She made everything unique with her human nature and her quick thinking mind. She was, after all, his mate and he wouldn't settle for less.

He let her push him into the soft mattress, even if it was only to see what she was going to do. He had to admit, it was interesting letting her take the initiative from time to time, letting himself just feel her small hands undress him, just like they were doing now. Her smaller hands undoing the buttons of his inner shirt, ceremoniously caressing the skin beneath with the tips of her blunt nails as it was being uncovered.

“My my, aren’t we in a rush?”

Yako blushed but stuck her tongue at him. What she didn’t expect was his sudden attack to her person.

“Ouch!” the detective complained, tasting the blood on her mouth coming from her bitten tongue. “Please, be careful with your teeth.”

“I think that’s exactly what you don’t want me to be tonight,” he smirked.

“Well…,” she looked anywhere but the gorgeous demon under her, a tiny smile on her blood-stained lips.

“Naughty girl.”

He flipped them over and pinned his mate against the soft mattress, personally enjoying how her legs parted to make room for one of his, which settled teasingly near her core. He smirked when she let out a tiny gasp that obviously wasn’t meant to be heard.

“Thankfully, as I have said before, I came prepared to punish little servants that misbehave.”

“Oh, I see,” she smirked, her face red but determined, “so you are used to punish servants that are also your mate. I’m hurt, Neuro. I thought demons mated for life.”

“But we do, my dear slug,” the demon let go one of her arms and cupped her cheek with his hand, caressing her skin softly and earning a sigh full of desire from his mate. “I wouldn’t do this to anyone else.”

As he spoke, his hand make its way down to the exposed skin of her throat and the top or her cleavage. The piece of sexy lingerie that she wore wasn’t new to him; in fact, it was the one he said he liked when she did a silly runway two weeks before the wedding. She had insisted on asking his opinion on her stuff and while it was silly he gained the promise of more smooching after that. Both were pretty distracted the whole show and it surprised him that she remembered which one gained a legit response from him.

“I hope so, because if I ever learn that you cheated on me, I’ll kill you,” Yako lifted her freed arm to gently caress his cheek as the demon laughed pretty loudly.

“You can try.” His eyes sparkled when they crossed paths with hers, which were again shining with that inhuman glint that gave away her current status.

Yako licked her lips, cleaning them of any remaining blood from before.

He suddenly grabbed her left boob in a rough movement that she didn’t see coming, the gasp of pain dying in her throat when the sensation burned all the way down to the place between her legs. The demon squeezed softly, pinching her covered and hardening nipple between gloved fingers, making her bite her lower lip and close her eyes. She liked this but the amount of pleasure that this simple thing gave her was absurd. Was it because of the bond they now shared that her body was so sensitive and turned on?

Neuro squeezed again and captured her lips in a rough and open mouthed kiss, licking the trapped lip under her teeth.

“Don’t silence your pretty sounds, Yako. I like hearing you beg and squirm.”

“Someone might hear-”

“Then let them,” he grumbled, his lips somewhere near the mating mark. “This is our mating night. Let them be reminded of that.”

A shiver went down her body and not because she was cold (which she wasn’t) and she closed her eyes, letting herself just feel her mate’s administrations to her body. He was being slow and gentle, or at least as much as he could be, compared to other intimate moments they had shared before. She wondered if he was feeling as weird as she was, but maybe it was just her marveling at the power that entailed big amounts of demon energy. Was this how he felt all the time? Like he could do practically anything without breaking a sweat? No wonder he was always so full of himself.

She felt the bites go down her neck and all the way to her shoulder, his sharp teeth leaving marks and drawing blood before he licked the bitten skin to close the wound quickly. It didn’t hurt as much as she expected, her mind too full of information to focus on the pain anymore.

“Stand up,” he commanded, his voice husky and seductive. Just as she liked it. “I want to try my new toys.”

She did as was told, shuffling until she was on her knees on the comfy bed, her cute piece of lingerie pushed down and barely covering her breasts and her uncomfortably soaked panties. She rubbed her thighs together trying to ease the sensation.

Yako looked at the stuff he placed on the bed and wondered what he had planned for today’s session. She wondered if it’d hurt. She wondered how much she would like it.

“Hands,” Neuro said, standing up and going to the other side of the bed to pick up something from there. Ropes. How original.

“Really?” she asked, one eyebrow cocked.

“Nu-uh,” the demon shook his head. “Slaves don’t talk back, Yako. I thought you would have learned your lesson by now.”

She smirked and bit her lip, the ‘Then I guess I need a reminder ’ on the tip of her tongue. Somehow he read her thoughts, because he smirked, flashing those perfectly pointed teeth to her, and approached her again. He took her small wrists in one hand and pulled her to him, his lips ending so close to hers that she could almost taste the sweet and smokey flavour of her mate.

“My sweet, sweet Yako,” he purred teasingly. “ So predictable. ”

As she leaned in to finally kiss him, he pulled back with a deep chuckle.