#oh also excuse the hyphens as em dashes i normally fix that in the final edit

[mockiery]

what's a line (or just a piece of writing/paragraph) from your wips or finished works that you 1) really enjoyed writing, and/or 2) are really proud of?

ooooo yes ur giving me a free reign question here set, love that. ok hmmm

I find some of my favorite bits to write are character interactions, especially ones with complex feelings/motivations and/or conflicts on either side, EXTRA NICE if it's a very early interaction in the characters' relationship or a specific conflict. The dialogue and the insight into the POV character's thought process and emotions is my favorite shit in the world, extra spicy if I can pull off some cool metaphors and imagery in the process.

In "carving out", it's Jake and Layla's 4d chess of a conversation, and in "grounding touch", it's Marc and Steven in the plane's bathroom mirror, most especially the moments around the switch, the transition of POV and emotional transference and all.

Anyway. Here's a taste of Steven trying to reach out to a certain someone, taken from my Post-Cairo #3: Flat wip:

-

With a final deep breath, steadying his gaze into the mirror, he begins; "Listen, I … I don't know if you can hear me, I'm still not sure how all of this works for us, but --- I'm talking to you. Not Marc. You."

Steven feels the blurring on the edge of his mind, a familiar feeling he's only just begun to notice, let alone recognize for what it is. He's gotten better at being in tune with the ebbs and flows of their dissociation, and he thinks ... He thinks he has their "Number 3's" attention.

"I'd like to have a proper chat if possible, but at the very least I'd like you to listen, yeah? I'm new to this, but Marc's even more new to it. This part, I mean. The not-knowing. And he's not going to admit it, to himself even, but he's scared."

And you're not? He doesn't hear it so much as feel it, in his chest. Wordless, like before your mind finds the language to give the thought form.

"No… Well, a bit, sure, but that's nothing out of the ordinary." At Steven's response, whoever he felt on the edges must've pulled back, a shift inside he only notices after he's paused. He grips the sink and steadies his gaze into the eyes of his reflection. "But I'm not scared of you, if that's what you're getting at."

Steven stays open to his feelings. Their feelings. There's a sense of … irritation? Exasperation? Not quite full anger, he doesn't think, but he reaches further. He knows it isn't his, and it isn't Marc's. He knows Marc's by now. Marc's is building, uncontrollable pressure, thrashing against the seams until it bursts through. This? This, deep down within? This is … subdued. Steady. Pointed. Anger with purpose.

"If that's what you're worried about. You're not going to be able to scare me off, Marc tried that himself and it didn't work out, did it? No. So if that's your plan, you may as well toss it out here and now."

ask me about my wips