#the premise is also so fun and fanfic-y

[candysharkart]

Man that scene in the Oddisey trailer had me shocked. I don't care if the game ends up being bad just for that scene alone.

aaaaa yeah!! the marineford stuff looks fun/painful too......... I'm also looking forward to the walking around and hearing characters thoughts on stuff so as long as the combat is at least playable ill be happy lol

[avelera]

I definitely don't need more WIPs right not for Dreamling, but sometimes it is fun to brainstorm a total nonsense fanfic-y premise played totally straight, which is why I'm fondly remembering the Cinderella Dreamling AU I brainstormed on one of the servers.

(Canon Divergence AU, because that's how I roll)

2022 rolls around and Hob and Dream are friends. Just... friends. Hob would love there to be more. He sometimes suspects, more like wishes really hard, that Dream would like more but, as usual, the guy isn't talking if he does. And Hob is too chicken to ruin the friendship they finally achieved to do something so uncouth as proposition his oldest friend.

He comes to the sad and perhaps inevitable conclusion that Dream has had all the chances in the world to say something so the only conclusion is that Hob's just not that interesting to him in that way. Stands to reason. The more Hob learns about the Dreaming and Dream's fantastical realm and all his adventures, the more Hob's almost single-minded dedication to living a normal life despite his immortality seems a bit... dull.

Enter Desire. Or Death. Or both. This is fanfic-y nonsense, after all, the point is there is a device and the device is our fairy god-person who is also sick to death of watching Dream pine from afar but is also a huge fan of chaos.

They (let's go with Desire for now, even if the trope is a bit overplayed, because it seems like their sort of thing) offer Hob a proposal. The chance to go into the Dreaming each night to woo Dream. Best of all, it will be with Desire's protection of his identity and a small amount of magic to create a persona for wooing Dream that won't be immediately obvious.

Oh, also, Dream is throwing a big fuck-off bash for Faerie or some other Dreaming ally so there's gonna be a party for weeks up there. Perfect place to slip in a new stranger. (Hob is a little charmed by the idea that he gets to be the stranger for once.)

Enter: the Knight of Roses.

Basically, Hob creates a persona into which he pours all of charm, wit, and courtier's polish from 600s years of life. If nothing else, he's having the time of his life at what is essentially a fancy magical masquerade ball where he gets to try his damndest to sweep Dream off his feet.

And it seems to be working. Hard to tell with Dream. But each night, Dream seems excited to see the Knight of Roses again.

(It is working. It's working very very well. The Dreaming is awash in flowers. Dream spends every waking moment he's not at the ball pacing his quarters, interrogating his subjects as to how in the world he can't get to the bottom of who this is, and every person who could nominally be considered his friend including his siblings and subjects are tearing their hair out with how sick they are of hearing about the Knight of Roses.

Hob doesn't hear about it though in the waking because Dream is in love with him and doesn't want to ruin any chance they might have together someday by agonizing over a mysterious guest who is probably some trick sent by Desire or Lucifer or someone to mess with Dream. He has no idea how right he is and how wrong he is not to bring it up to Hob.)

Secret Identity shenanigans ensue, of course, until we hit a breaking point with drama, tears, etc etc the usual for the trope because of course (gasp!) Hob is the Knight of Roses and there never was any need to create a separate persona because Dream was also agonizing over whether Hob was interested and Hob was so chill around him he assumed he was misreading all the signs. (Hob was working so, so hard to appear that chill around Dream.) Identities are unmasked and everyone lives happily ever after.

(But Hob is keeping the outfit once they're officially together, because Dream really, really liked the romance of the whole Knight of Roses identity but he likes it even more now that he knows it's Hob and not an evil trap laid by one of his enemies.)

[exouniverse]

Band’s Cut

Pairing: jaehyeong x gn reader

Genre: fluff, birthday fic

Warnings: none, but if any please tell me and I’ll add it.

Summary: The Rose members have seen the subtle sparks flying between Jaehyeong and his acting classmate, but their slow-burn romance only drives them to meddle further and play matchmaker. Will a chance for a confession finally arise at the surprise birthday party that they’ve planned?

Word count: 5.1K+

A/N: I haven’t seen much of The Rose fanfic around, so I hope this reaches as many Black Roses as it can. Also, I have come to accept that the birthday fics will no longer have a limit of words… they simply flow so easily each time that they become longer and longer. Perhaps some will be short, but that will depend on the premise. So, I hope you like this! Happy birthday Jaehyeong!

A little fun fact, “Band’s Cut” refers to the “Director’s Cut” version of a film, but in this case is the members version of how the romance happened (or more like how they “made it happen.”)

Banner template by @kithsune/@cafekitsune

MASTERLIST | MOODBOARD

The members gathered around Woosung's laptop with coffee and water in hand, about to embark on hours of reviewing audition tapes after their casting director's preliminary cuts.

As Woosung hit play on the first file, they settled in for a video marathon. Dojoon diligently took notes on the potential candidates, carefully analyzing their skills and talents. Meanwhile, Hajoon closely observed the performance nuances, paying attention to the finer details.

The casting director did an excellent job selecting the finest dancers, evident from their clean lines and exceptional technique. The actors showcased remarkable skills in delivering emotions and portraying mannerisms. Some triple-threat performers showed great promise and made it onto the list. However, none of them had managed to captivate all the members with an overwhelming sense of fascination.

Jaehyeong doodled absently, almost lost in the poodle dog playing with a ball that he drew in the corner of his notes. It was the first word you spoke that made him look back up at the laptop, the words melting in his ears.

The members were deeply moved by every gesture and glance throughout your audition. Every minute of your performance left a lasting impact, and even after it was over, the essence of your talent lingered in their minds, preventing them from even moving on to the next audition tape.

"Y/N, was it? Really connects to the heart of the song," Hajoon remarked in awe. Murmurs of agreement echoed among the members, making it clear that, despite having some more entries left to review, Y/N must be considered for the lead. But little did they know this match-up held promise beyond just professional prospects.

The dialogue was almost turning into doodles on the pages. Jaehyeong was having a hard time deciphering his lines for the scene they were studying in his acting class.

He sighed, putting his script down. The line caught in an endless loop within his mind, making him feel dizzy. Suddenly, a voice brought him down to earth. "Need any help with your lines?" you offered.

Jaehyeong looked at you, contemplating and mirroring your kind smile. "This part," he said, and pointed at Captain Wentworth's line, "‘half agony, half hope'...what do you think it means?"

You grabbed the script from his hand to analyze the dialogue. "For Wentworth, I think it's the fear of getting rejected once again after what happened with them in the past, but he's still holding onto a little hope in his momentary jump of faith to confess his feelings to Anne. It's all of the excitement and uncertainty tangled up."

When you looked up at him, he somehow looked even more confused. His eyes were locked on yours as if looking for a deeper answer, so you said, "in a more general sense... it's just how complex and contradictory love is. Like when your emotions for another person change from friendship to love. The agony will be in the fear of your feelings not being returned, while the hope will be in the possibility that that love will be reciprocated."

As Jaehyeong assimilated your perspective on Wentworth's complex emotions, your explanation resonated with him on a deeper level. A clarity emerged through your guidance, breaking the haze around the lines that now reflected his own awakening feelings. Up until now, he had thought his admiration for you was only due to your artistic abilities, but now he could understand Wentworth's words towards Anne.

Words were hard to find, so he hoped his gaze spoke for him, and he offered a complimentary smile as a thank you for your thorough description that shaped his performance as well as his newfound emotions.

Dojoon walked with Jaehyeong towards the dressing rooms to get ready for the music video shoot. They were just chatting about the last TikTok they posted when Dojoon noticed Jaehyeong was a little distracted. Following his gaze, Dojoon spotted you entering the hall accompanied by a group of staff members.

Smirking knowingly, Dojoon was aware of Jaehyeong's fondness for you. He had seen it ever since the call-back auditions, when the selection process for the lead and the ensemble dancers began. Among the three actors being considered, it was evident that Jaehyeong had a stronger bias towards you compared to the rest of the members. His smile would widen every time your name was mentioned. When the decision was made to cast you as the lead in their music video, Jaehyeong passionately advocated for you, leaving the rest of the team exchanging meaningful glances.

Dojoon nudged Jaehyeong playfully. "Look who can't take his eyes off our new lead."

Jaehyeong looked back at Dojoon as he smiled nervously. "What? Was I that obvious?"

The members, as it was too obvious, had managed to get a confession out of him that day after the selection was made. He told them all about you and how much he admired your talent. He truly enjoyed working with you on the class assignments.

Dojoon chuckled and whispered, "only if anyone was paying close attention, like me."

Both of them entered their dressing room. It was just the two of them, so Dojoon dared to say, "you should tell Y/N, about how you feel." He stopped as he checked his wardrobe, making Jaehyeong linger on his words.

"No pressure though," he offered with a kind smile. Dojoon suspected that you also had feelings for their maknae. You had been smiling too wide and giggling so much around Jaehyeong after the call-back auditions. Even more so when you two got some time to catch up and Jaehyeong introduced you to the band.

Hajoon entered before Jaehyeong could say anything, his cheeky smile giving away his thoughts. "Jeff, Jeff!" Hajoon shouted.

"Know who is here?" Woosung whispered excitedly as he came in behind Hajoon.

Dojoon smiled at them knowingly. Jaehyeong seemed like a mouse caught in a trap; his sweat around his eyebrows was evident. "Hajoon and Woosung!" Dojoon replied to Woosung's question as he gave them a warning look.

Woosung looked back at their lovely maknae and nodded. Hajoon mouthed an "oh" in understanding, acknowledging the unspoken sentiment.

Jaehyeong was pensive throughout their glam session for the shooting. He appreciated Dojoon's encouragement; he really could've said something long ago, but the moment he found out about his feelings slipped away too quickly, and his hectic schedule distracted him too much. It also felt too weird to say it during class or now at the shooting of their music video since they haven't had much time out of those restricted spaces.

The whole crew planned to gather after everyone was ready for the first scenes to start off the shoot with the best energy. As soon as you saw Jaehyeong coming out of his dressing room, you approached to greet him, "Jaehyeong-ah! Thought I missed you, but it's nice to see you before we start."

Jaehyeong eased up into a bright smile when he saw you. "Y/N! I'm so glad to have you around for this music video; you're the best."

You could've missed it, but you caught a glimpse of the rest of the band rushing to get back inside their dressing room. You were a little confused but decided to ignore it and continue to chat with Jaehyeong. "You are great yourself. Wanna go to set together? Are you waiting for the members?"

Jaehyeong clearly heard Woosung's giggle and Hajoon whispering "go." He smiled at you, trying to contain his own laugh at his hyung's antics. "We can go together; they are too slow, too slow," he joked, scrunching his nose, and walked along with you as you two chuckled.

The members giggled silently once the two of you had left. Dojoon looked at his friends, already plotting something cheeky in his mind.

"Do you guys think he will say something today or tomorrow?" Dojoon asked them.

"I hope so! They're so cute and so into each other," Woosung expressed.

"Jaehyeong has been overthinking this too much; he must," Hajoon agreed. "However, he's always moving at the beat of his own drum, so perhaps he will take some more time."

"Okay, drummer cliché, don't turn the mood down," Dojoon joked. "But you're right..." he admitted.

Woosung nodded and shared, "I heard Jaehyeong say he wishes he could hang out with Y/N more. That they have barely seen each other outside of class."

They took a moment to consider a way to help their maknae, but their manager came looking for them as they were supposed to be at the set long ago.

The three of them arrived fashionably late, thankfully while some staff crew were still settling equipment for the scenes, so they were not noticed by everyone. Especially Jaehyeong and you, who were caught up in a seemingly smooth conversation as you laughed at whatever Jaehyeong was saying.

"Oh oh oh, look at Y/N's hand!" Dojoon emphasized as you placed your hand on Jaehyeong's while laughing with him.

"Jaehyeongie!" Woosung exclaimed.

"He probably doesn't need much of our help," Hajoon commented.

The music video shoot went incredibly well, with everything flowing smoothly. As the day came to a close, Woosung extended an invitation for the cast to join the band for some drinks. Everyone appreciated the opportunity to unwind and cherish the quality time spent together, further strengthening their bonds.

The following day of shooting unfolded much like the previous one, with Jaehyeong still hesitant to confess his feelings. The other members opted not to intervene too much, instead choosing to support Jaehyeong whenever possible. They offered advice and encouragement whenever they sensed the need. Jaehyeong's hyung cheering crew discreetly arranged situations for the two of them to spend more time together. Nevertheless, it seemed that Jaehyeong was taking his time quite slowly.

After the celebration with the entire crew, the members gathered to discuss their observations and analyze if there was anything else they could do to support Jaehyeong. They contemplated whether it was best to continue their efforts or step away completely, respecting Jaehyeong's pace.

"Guys, I think we've done enough," Hajoon remarked.

"Yeah, I think they're okay," Woosung echoed Hajoon's opinion.

Dojoon took a deep breath and dramatically set his coffee on the table. "No, they're not," he looked back at his friends and continued, "Jaehyeong said he wanted to spend more time out of work with Y/N. So far, everything has been about work—the music video, lunchtime, the after-work celebrations included. I don't think he's saying anything any time soon."

"Dojoon-ah, it's still not our place to meddle too much, though," Woosung pointed out.

"I know, I know..." he said, taking another sip of his coffee. "But, should we try one more thing?"

Woosung and Hajoon looked at him almost uninterested, only to entertain him a little bit more since it had been mostly him orchestrating the moments for Jaehyeong to confess his feelings. They wanted to help too; they had been excited to take part in the scheme, but seeing how Jaehyeong was taking his time made them think it was better to step away for a while. Contrary to Dojoon, who seemed even more committed to the cause, "one last try," Dojoon restated.

"Okay, what do you suggest?"

"Nothing too crazy, please!" Hajoon stepped in, limiting Woosung's encouragement.

"Let's invite Y/N to Jaehyeong's surprise birthday party next week!" He exclaimed, "that would be completely out of work. We give Jaehyeong a week to try to make a move if he wants to, but we still secure another moment together for them no matter if they end up coming as a couple or singles ready to mingle...between them, I—"

"Okay, we got it!" Hajoon interrupted.

"That's genius!" Woosung regained his enthusiasm. "I'm in! One more nosy try won't hurt."

"I knew you were going to agree!" Dojoon looked back at Hajoon, "Joon-ah! C'mon, get in, please," he begged.

Hajoon rolled his eyes before he said, "alright, one more try."

The final day of shooting was with a reduced cast since it was mostly the band and the lead who were supposed to film. The perfect setting for a little surprise invitation to a surprise birthday party.

Woosung managed to grab a moment with Jaehyeong gone from your side; it seemed almost impossible with time to separate the both of you. He casually made conversation about the music video and how incredible it was to have found you for it. He needed to be fast, though, before Jaehyeong came and heard about what they had been planning for his birthday for a month already.

"What's best is that you were already familiarized with our band, especially Jaehyeong, at your acting classes," Woosung said.

"That helped a lot!" You exclaimed, smiling widely. "When I saw the casting call, I immediately thought of Jaehyeong and did my best to get it since working with him is super fun. He's a great friend, so I knew it was definitely going to be so easy to navigate."

"Right, you're super close. You've been glued to each other this whole time," he threw in a little tease, "but it's cool to see our maknae happy having friends around that share such cool creative drives between them," he smoothly added.

You nodded. Woosung caught a little shyness in your gesture, so he continued, "hey! Actually, it's awesome that we got to know you properly. Jaehyeong talks about you a lot, and we wanted to contact you for a little surprise we're throwing for him for his birthday."

"Oh, really? I was actually thinking of calling him and inviting him for some treat or something, but that is even better."

Woosung had to contain his excitement hearing you talk so enthusiastically, confirming even more how into each other the two of you were. He succeeded; Dojoon's plan was taking off steadily.

"Awesome! I'll tell Dojoon to send you all of the details."

“Hey, Y/N!”

"Hey, Y/N!" You heard Jaehyeong call you from inside the class.

It took you a second to realize he had been calling you, but as you turned around, a smile graced your lips. You watched as he maneuvered through the small crowd that had formed around your classmates near the entrance, causing you to giggle. After apologizing to Haeyoung, the class assistant, for accidentally bumping into her, he finally reached you.

"I thought I missed you," he blurted, a little out of breath. "So, I was thinking, do you wanna go grab a coffee?"

His smile was contagious. "Sure! Coffee would be nice," you agreed as enthusiastically as you could.

"It seems it might rain; we could go to your favorite just a couple of blocks away from here."

You simply nodded in response and followed him. Jaehyeong was undoubtedly the top highlight of acting classes. When you first saw him in that initial class, you couldn't help but feel a bit starstruck. However, he quickly showed how down-to-earth and kind he was, quickly erasing any notion of him being a celebrity from your mind. If you were to describe him in a single word, it would be "comfort." Whenever your best friend was absent from class, it was Jaehyeong that you would always gravitate towards, or sometimes the both of you if Hanna was also present.

"Are you in the mood for something sweeter today? Or just your regular Americano?" Jaehyeong asked once you entered the coffee shop.

"Oh, uh..." he caught you a little off guard. "Something sweeter sounds good today," you agreed.

"Find us a spot; I'll go and order," he suggested, anticipating your protest as he often did when he planned to pay for everything. "Please, just let me," he quickly interjected, flashing a genuine smile, hoping you would agree and allow him to treat you to coffee.

"Okay, but you will let me pay next time."

"Yeah, maybe," he joked, effortlessly bringing out a small laugh from you.

You went to look for a good spot so you could enjoy your coffee calmly. There was a corner near the window where not many people were around, so you sat there to wait for Jaehyeong. He had been right. As you stared outside the window, you noticed the raindrops starting to fall. You contemplated the weather, trying not to think about anything.

"Nice spot!" You heard him say as he sat down in front of you. "It did rain! Am I a psychic?" he joked, looking at the rain and giving you your drink.

"That is sweet," you said, and suddenly realized you might not have just meant it to describe the drink he chose for you. His eyes were so sparkly and full of joy, making you laugh again. "Seems you know me quite well; this seems delicious, or you really are a psychic," you said as you raised your eyebrows playfully.

"I will look into auditions for psychics; it might just come natural."

You were not surprised at how easily he could make you laugh, but the blossoming affection within you piqued your curiosity once again. All of your emotions collapsing caused you to retreat inward, contemplating and reflecting on them more deeply.

You would normally be aware of your surroundings, as you swear by the "here and now" perspective, but it was becoming more evident that something was on your mind.

Jaehyeong tried to study your expression. "So you got an interesting scene for the assignment?" he asked casually.

It was only natural for him to ask such a question, but what he understandably failed to anticipate was the extent of your concern since you first read it. He did notice the way you sighed and gazed at your coffee, absentmindedly playing with the whipped cream on top.

"Is everything okay?"

You looked up at him; his eyes expressed so much concern, and you felt so comfortable that you even managed to pull off a small smile. "It's a tough one," you admitted. "I read it, and it just feels so real. I'm concerned about not being able to even start with it; I think I—I, uh..."

Jaehyeong allowed the silence to linger, giving you the space and time you needed. Finally, you spoke up again, expressing your worries, "I don't know how I will manage to separate my own feelings from the character's." You glanced back at your coffee. "Actor's problems, huh?" you added, trying to lighten the mood with your self-deprecating comment.

Jaehyeong chuckled softly and met your eyes. "No need for jokes; your feelings are valid." He considered his words, "that is definitely a challenge, but you have a gift for channeling emotions authentically while keeping yourself protected."

He pondered for a moment. "You can perhaps resort to a simple technique...breath in and out, stay calm so the tears flow naturally once you relax," he suggested, offering a potential solution for the challenging assignment you had to prepare for next class, where you had to cry on cue. "But you can always talk to the professor and see if he can change your scene. I'm sure he will understand. Your learning process doesn't have to come at the expense of your suffering."

You finally smiled truthfully; his understanding and advice moved you deeply. He really saw through you and realized how deeply it was affecting you.

"And you're not alone," he added, smiling back. "I'm here if you need someone to talk to; I'll listen and provide my psychic powers, no charge."

The way he brought out your most genuine laugh of the day spoke volumes. He was a special one, no doubt. You felt so grateful towards him, and just having him around felt like a blessing. The emotions were finally clear as you saw into his eyes, expressing your heartfelt gratitude. There was a deep care for him that made you feel excited and frightened all at the same time.

“Oh, hi Y/N!” Dojoon exclaimed with a smile as he saw you entering the venue. He walked over to greet you properly and led you to where Woosung and Hajoon were busy setting up some fairy lights. They greeted you as warmly as Dojoon had and happily welcomed your offer to help with the preparations for Jaehyeong’s surprise.

“Thank you for lending us a hand; Jaehyeong would love to know that,” Woosung said, winking playfully. It seemed he had caught you off guard; your nervous smile was the giveaway. He let it rest but exchanged a look with Hajoon, who was trying to hide a knowing smile from you.

It was getting more obvious as time went by just how much you were into each other. The members didn’t want to meddle much anymore, but they still had some tricks up their sleeves if they didn’t see much interaction. Just one final push.

More guests began to arrive once the early crew finished decorating, filling the venue with an air of excitement and joy as the hour drew near. Smiles adorned everyone's faces as they eagerly anticipated Jaehyeong's arrival, but it was a certain starry-eyed face that kept the members eager to witness their youngest member's reaction.

The plan was set in motion. Hajoon received Jaehyeong's message, expressing concern as he found no one around in the building. Hajoon quickly reassured him that he was in no trouble but urged him to hurry since the crew needed to begin filming the promotional video for the tour earlier than planned, mentioning a logistical issue with the venue—all of this a white lie concocted to ensure Jaehyeong arrived alone at his surprise birthday party.

Jaehyeong's face showed a whirlwind of emotions as he stepped through the door. The lights out momentarily masked his concern, but it flickered across his face for a brief moment before he comprehended the situation. The sudden burst of lights, music, and chants of birthday wishes took him completely by surprise.

A particular someone captured his gaze, and all that his face revealed was enchantment. The members nudged each other, beaming at Jaehyeong‘s perfect reaction to realizing you were here. The birthday party be damned—almost—this is what they lived for, just witnessing their maknae being truthfully happy.

The band energetically embraced Jaehyeong in a group hug, messing with his neatly styled hair that his style crew had meticulously managed to tame. He had already thought that his sort of laid-back outfit didn’t match the tidy hairstyle much, so he felt more comfortable as he let them ruffle his hair. If only he could have guessed it was just to make him think he had to be at least half ready to only change his outfit once he arrived at the promotional video set.

Jaehyeong’s smile remained on his lips as the members pulled back, filled with gratitude for his friends. But his eyes suddenly searched past them, landing on yours across the room as he heard the beats of his yearning heart echo inside his ears.

There you stood, smiling shyly. The party buzz faded into background noise as your gazes met and held. Before he could second-guess himself, Jaehyeong started walking towards you. His heart pounded faster as your smile grew, mirroring the hope in his own eyes.

Time seemed to pass slower than it really was, but as Jaehyeong reached you under the colorful lights, he softly spoke your name, bringing you back from your slow-motion imagination.

“Y/N, I’m so happy you’re here.”

You shook your head slightly as you scrunched your nose. “It’s not hard to show up for you. Your hair...” you said, noticing the disheveled locks that his friends had left. Gently giggling, you ran your fingers through his hair, fixing it back into place. Jaehyeong didn’t have much time to react since the crowd approached to congratulate him. You stayed behind, trying to slow your heartbeat as you greeted a couple of acquaintances.

The party started right away, with people taking Jaehyeong from one place to another. Dojoon kept an eye out between mingling, ensuring everyone felt included in the revelry. He noticed you and Jaehyeong gravitating naturally together amidst chaos, even stealing shy glances when thinking no one saw while you were not within the same group of people. Trusting the magic of moments, Dojoon gave you space, engaging others enthusiastically.

In a brief moment, he found Woosung awaiting karaoke's start. Woosung nodded discreetly towards the balcony as he drew Hajoon in, who was busy setting the microphones. They watched in awe as Jaehyeong led you outside while holding your hand.

Woosung smiled knowingly. "Our work here is done. All that's left is for them to follow their hearts."

As you walked out onto the balcony, the sounds of the party gradually faded into the background, merging with the bustling city below like distant background music. You both took in the view, and for a moment, nothing was said.

You took the opportunity to reach for the small birthday present you brought. You were not planning anything specific to gift him, but when you saw it, you immediately thought of Jaehyeong, and you bought it right away.

“I got you something,” you announced.

Jaehyeong looked at you, surprised. “What? You didn’t have to,” he chuckled nervously.

“How could I not? It’s small, but I really hope you like it.” You took a deep breath and handed him the small box.

The gentle touch of his fingers sent thrills down your arm, so you tried to hide the sudden nervous smile that grew on your face. You stared as he opened his present and were moved by his growing smile.

“I’m a psychic… this is so cool. Where did you get it?”

He discovered the reason why, and you couldn’t help but laugh. “I was just window shopping and saw it; it was meant to be yours.”

“You…” he searched for your eyes. “I love it. Could you?” he asked you, offering to put the subtle crystal ball necklace around his neck.

There was no possible way to hide your smile anymore; he had you hooked. You stepped close enough to grab the necklace and softly rested your arms on his shoulders to fasten it. Once the necklace was secured around his neck, you took a second to admire it on him. It was perfect; it wasn’t extravagant, and it fit so well with him. Before he could read the emotions that your eyes expressed, you looked back at the city.

“Thank you,” he simply said.

“Welcome.”

Jaehyeong's heart raced with anticipation, but he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He reminded himself that there was nothing to worry about when he was with you. Being around you brought him a sense of tranquility that he had never experienced elsewhere. Just by gazing at you and witnessing how your smile mirrored the radiance of the moon in the night sky, he felt at ease.

“Thank you for coming; seeing you made this surprise even better,” Jaehyeong softly said. You turned to face him, and the full sight of your smile melted his worries away.

“There was no reason not to be here.” Something in your voice gave him courage.

“I’ve loved to have you around the past week; we hadn’t seen each other in so long since I was too busy to attend classes.” Jaehyeong stepped closer, slowly, almost without being noticed. “I’ve missed asking you for help; I’ve missed our talks—“

“I’ve missed you too,” you interrupted, summarizing what you’d both felt before you could see each other again.

A fondness entered his eyes, and he nodded. “Y/N,” he started and gently reached for your hand, brushing his thumb over your skin. Your fingers curled around his, igniting sparks in both of your hearts. “I’ve been wanting to tell you something,” he paused for a second. “I’ve felt the agony for so long, but now I’m taking my leap of faith, letting hope lead me. What I’m trying to say is... I like you, Y/N. Not just as a friend. Every time we’re together, you become the highlight of my day.”

A tender smile broke across your face, accompanied by sparkling eyes that searched for his, easing the last of his nerves. “Jaehyeong, I like you too. I have for a while.”

It was your heart´s turn to settle into joy and calmness. You also lived through the agony and hope that Jaehyeong mentioned, making you remember about that small moment you shared in class once. It was almost poetic how he brought it up. He eased you up in ways you hadn’t known before, and that is why you stepped even closer and lifted your free hand to cradle his cheek. Jaehyeong’s eyes fluttered shut at your warm touch, savoring it.

Slowly, you leaned in, giving him every opportunity to pull back if unwanted. But all he wanted was you. He searched for you with his eyes still shut, until both of your lips met in a tender, lingering kiss. His lips were impossibly sweet and soft against yours, weakening your knees, but you stayed strong and continued to kiss him.

You both pulled away, driven by a gentle laugh that started without even thinking much about it all. You rested your forehead on his, keeping your eyes closed as you kept your hand on his cheek. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” you whispered, your thumb stroking his cheek soothingly.

Jaehyeong smiled with ease when your eyes met, both sharing radiant gazes equally filled with care and desire. “You make me so happy,” he shared while his cheeks heated up.

You giggled softly and pulled back to appreciate his face. “I am the lucky one,” you admitted.

“Should we stay out here for the rest of the night?” Jaehyeong asked, almost suggesting.

“You are the star of the party; it’s your birthday.” You giggled even more. “Even though, that sounds nice. No matter how cold it is out here, I feel warm being this close to you,” you confessed.

Jaehyeong’s protectiveness heightened and embraced you, drawing you even closer. “Then let’s get inside. The guys would also probably want to know what happened,” he chuckled. “Did you catch up on their meddling?” he asked, amused.

“I did!” you exclaimed. “I admit they helped quite a bit, though.”

“Yeah, they did.” Jaehyeong searched for your hand and tilted his head towards the door. You squeezed his hand and followed him inside.

You stepped in even closer than you had been when you went out to the balcony. Hajoon noticed the smiles on your faces and whispered at Dojoon to look back, and in a chain reaction, he pulled Woosung from where he was talking to a couple of their friends. They looked at you both in awe, full of joy for what seemed to have been a successful confession. No matter who initiated it or what was said and done, they were just happy for the both of you and how easily everything fell into place.

[nurseysbeanie]

Madison & More Bingo 🏖🏕🏝

Here are some of my fave (so far) fics and art from the @madisonandmore summer prompt challenge!

Well, the start of September makes it feel like summer is fading. But don't worry, fearless reader! These summery fanfics will make you feel the sun on your face, the sand under your feet, and the scent of fresh-cut grass on the breeze!

Unnameable Truth (M) @thefiveboxingwizards | vacation, less than 5000 words, one-shot

I liked that this was a less sunny/happy/vacation-y story about repression and self-discovery. The summer's not happy and carefree for everyone. But there is hope at the end of this one.

Wasteland Baby (M) @checkdeezpucks | AU, one-shot

This surprised me! Despite the premise sounding a bit incongruous with Check Please, this was a great read. Mad Max Tater/Parse was a longshot for me but you proved me wrong, op. Would definitely not be mad if we got another chapter or two of this 👀

Hot-lanta (G) @justlookfrightened | Zimbits, vacation, one-shot

I keep thinking about this one, and Bitty/Jack's meet-cute and Bitty rollerblading. And quiches. And Tater being wingman!

suddenly this summer it's clear (T) @dessertwaffles | favourite ship, a work that made me laugh, one-shot

I actually snorted out loud while reading this standing out on the sidewalk in a crowd of people while waiting for the streetcar. I have no shame. It's funny and cute, read it!

like an ice cream cone (T) @wrathofthestag | SHITTY KNIGHT!!, food or baking, one-shot

Shitty's backstory is important to me (!!!) and this was great. Discussion question: Is the origin of Shitty's porn-stache tied to the memory of a moustachioed ice cream vendor he idolizes from his youth? You tell me. It was hard to see tiny Shitty going through family problems but his au pair seems like the coolest!

amphibious creatures (T) HowOldAreWe | fave ship, mermaids, frogs 🐸 , multi-chapter

I don't generally go for mermaid AUs but this was juuuust lovely! The frogs are wonderful here, and I really liked the setup and follow-through. And I'm not going to say any more than that Chowder makes a great appearance here :)

Making My Head Spin (E) @justlookfrightened | summer camp, zimbits, multi-chapter

Turns out I like fics where Bitty makes a go of it for the NHL! Loved seeing Jack and Bitty letting down their guard and risking being hurt in this one. Super sweet and a little spicy at the end :) Nothing better than that.

Heard The Mermaids Singing (M) @checkdeezpucks | rarepair, mermaids, one-shot

This was another work that wasn't sun-drenched and happy. I loved to see the gritty, almost gothic setting; loved to see some CP femmeslash. Loved to see the teeth and the texture here. Short and... piquant.

The Way Way North (T) by @mcbangle | zimbits, SHITTY KNIGHT!!, vacation, the beach, work that made me smile, frogs, multi-chapter

I keep thinking about this one. Listen, Shitty Knight is... essential. He is the GLUE that holds together CP Year One for me, okay? I know that this fic is primarily about Bitty and his parents' relationship, and his crush on Jack, and that is all done deftly and wonderfully. But Shitty is the standout for me here. (Also I now need to see the movie this is based on.)

Eelgrass (T) by @perhapsajacket | fave ship, the beach, vacation, multi-chapter (pending)

Just a nice AU where Dex is ho-humming through his vacation until he chances upon the cute local bookshop owner (enter Nursey) who has fallen into a tidepool and needs a hand. What could be more adorable than that? I liked seeing some of Dex's family and backstory here. And I would live to see more 👀

Cowabunga (G) @zimbits-my-love | art, surfing, the beach

This is super cute art and I loved the colour scheme. I can so imagine Bitty and Jack surfing together on vacation!

This was a fun summer challenge, thanks to all the organizers! I will be updating my own work, Summer Gothic, soon with a new chapter. (Sorry, I write slow. 🐌)

[myfaveisfuckable]

Rants!

Setsu/Yuriko/Raqio (Gnosia): if remraq was rare this combo is legendary +1. they are BOTH a crackship and a rarepair:

1) although they are all affected by the premise-induced timefuckery at some point, likely all come from extremely fucked up backgrounds (no way setsu isn't a child soldier + yuriko did extremely messed up neurological operations as a teen and is on the run from the shadow government AND has a bounty on her head + raqio is from a hypermeritocratic caste society where if you aren't smart enough you aren't considered a human being. every single one of them should get a 50% off therapy coupon) they never get a story cutscene together. diversity loss

2) in all my 1.5 years in this fandom i have met ONE (1) person who also shipped this. one. this isn't a shippy fandom in general tbh but i've seen more people draw a character hitting a boof than saying a peep about s/y/r

additional arguments:

3) it's nonbinary yuri (nb/f/nb) come ON there is nothing better than nonbinary poly yuri

4) i want to see them get into an argument

5) setsu can defo easily bench press the other two (please)

6) they look niceys together even though their designs are pretty different and not in the "intentional contrast" way

7) the aforementioned timefuckery makes this an uniquely delicious bond

8) if this gets in people will hear about this ship and these 3 deserve so much more :)

They made it past the preliminaries of @unpopularshipbracket but got curb stomped by some magnus archive guys.

So I'll just repeat my initial propaganda for it (and add more):

FNAF 2 guard shipping is an art that has been drowned out by people forgetting that the FNAF 2 guards exist because some of the MCI kids share the same forenames. FNAF 2 guard shipping is fun; two adults in the same situation with completely different survival strategies. I love it.

They are like two sides of a coin; One survives the long haul, facing increasingly difficult challenges. The other gets tossed into the thick of it and somehow crawls out the other side despite no training or preparation. Honed skill / dumb luck. They make a brilliant dynamic.

Cecil Gershwin Palmer/Carlos Ramirez: I have seen *one* crossover fanfic with this pairing and it is absolutely genius.

So, Welcome To Night Vale (WTNV) has a main canon pairing, darling Eldritch radio host Cecil and lovable scientist Carlos. For the longest time, Carlos didn't have a last name and backstory. Also, as a STEM girl, let me tell you, his 'science' doesn't make sense.

So the genius author decided: okay, let me just grab a random Carlos from a different medium and put him in there. Except it's not random, and works super well! Enter: Carlos Ramirez, from the Dresden Files, and urban fantasy novel. This Carlos is a wizard. Who now has to somehow pretend he's a scientist. While secretly battling the Eldritch horros lurking in Night Vale.

The two of them are super cute and happy together, and it just makes waaay too much sense, the worlds and characters mesh super well. I can never unsee it. There is literally No content besides that one fic. It is perfect.

[10holmes]

Thanks for the fanfic ask game qs, now it's your turn! :D

I hope these aren't too many qs, but I'd love to know your thoughts:

C, K, M, S, T, V, Y

Thank you :)

Yay! Thanks so much for asking! So excited to answer these questions 😍🙏🏼🎉

The full (very long - sorry!) answer to be found below the cut! 😁

C: What character do you identify with most?

Oooh that's a tricky question... I think I can't boil it down to just one character but a blend of characters? I think the characters I tend to stan and ship are a good indicator bc I usually fixate most on ships and characters that somehow speak to me or that I relate to.

For example with XueXiao, I really identify with Xiao Xingchen in the way that he is kind and helpful to others and follows this ideal of wanting to make the world a better place and leaving the mountain for that, aka a place he could stay placid and content in, to instead do something about the injustices he knows about in the "real world", even if that means facing hardships and pain and struggles.

As for Xue Yang, I really relate to him and see him as my deepest darkest side if I could throw my morality over board. I am someone who whole-heartedly proclaims "eat the rich" and means it, so if I was any more like Xue Yang in the way not to give a fuck, I'd also just kill the people that hurt me or others and go unhinged... 😅🙈 Slight difference between us being I would not kill indiscriminately and for the fun of it or for the slightest offense but really only target corrupt rich people and super capitalists and fascists that have it coming for them 🤭

K: What's the angstiest idea you've ever come up with?

I really don't want to spoil anything, but it has to do with an alternative chapter / ending I came up with for my LiuJiu A/B/O fic. I love happy endings as much as the next fanfic reader but sometimes I just want to make myself and others hurt. And this one will hopefully make my readers scream.

Also there's a XueXiao reincarnation fic WIP I can't wait to post. It's nearly finished and I wrote it while listening to Tom Odell's "Another Love" on repeat - which should give you enough of a vibe to imagine the angst level of this fic. I'll just say this much: unrequited love 🤭👍🏼

Sorry I can't be more specific but I really don't want to spoil anything more😅🙈

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you'd like to share?

Maybe it's because I'm too young to know that phrasing or maybe it's a native speaker thing but I had to google what this meant first and hope Google got it right 😅🤣

My WIP file is massive... To give you a glimpse: Next to the ones mentioned above I've also started:

- an angsty post-canon Beefleaf fic, where SQX is haunted by a hanging ghost and made to kill herself but HX intervenes and they start their journey of reconciling, don't know if I'll ever finish it...

- a VegasPete vampire / vampire hunter AU based on a Tumblr prompt and gif-set post but I'll very likely never continue that...

- a LiuJiu AU where SJ is present during the events of SVSSS and LQQ knows SY is an imposter and now tries to bring back SJ into his former body. This has angst and hurt written into every line. Sadly it's merely all in my head...

S: Any fandom tropes you can't resist?

Enemies to Lovers always hits! It's my jam!

Also the angstier the merrier! Hit me with the feels, the pain, the hurt, the agony! Doesn't even have to have a happy ending, I'm a sucker for being emotionally destroyed and also emotionally destroying my readers (though I tend to give them a happy ending at least) 😈🤣👍🏼

And, like you, omegaverse is my guilty pleasure - the smuttier the better 😏

And speaking of guilty pleasures I also have to say monster-fuck AUs are on the menu as well... There have been some really good SongXueXiao ones, I've read. Didn't know that was something I'd ever be into - my 14 year old self would probably be appalled. But here we are 🤣🤣

Soulmate and Fated Pair AUs are something I like to dig into as well.

And I'm also really into mermaid AUs. Especially when one is human and the fic gives off The Little Mermaid vibes.

T: Any fandom tropes you can't stand?

I don't know why but any modern day AUs especially High School AUs... I just can't read it. The most I will do is mob boss / mafia or reincarnation where they slowly uncover their past, but if canon events are set in modern times/contexts I don't really like it for some reason 😅

But I'm actually quite open to a lot of fics and it's mostly not the tropes I can't stand but characterisation or writing style 😅🙈

V: If you could write the sequel/prequel to any fanfic out there (not you own) which would it be?

Bruh... What a difficult question... I haven't ever thought about writing continuations or pre-quels for existing fic as I love them the way they are and mostly just in between imagine possible canon-divergences if the characters had made different choices...

But I guess, from the top of my head, I'd like to write a sequel to "Mark of Jasmine" to give LiuJiu an alternative or reincarnation happy ending because they've really been played in that one... 🙈😅

Y: A character you want to protect?

So many. All my little blorbos and meow meows. On the top of that list - obviously - Xue Yang. But I'd also step in front of my best bois Loki and Shen Jiu to shield them. They deserve so much better 💕😭

Now thanks again for the ask and for reading this long-ass reply, it was my pleasure 🤣

[readinglatenights]

beach boy - jeremiah fisher

ummm first post, first fanfic, first literal EVEYTHING!!! (plz feedback in replies i also take requests dont be too mean ok love u guys)

warnings and stuff: fluff, set up for a possibly pt 2

premise: ur new at cousins beach, love at first sight, jeremiah being beautiful alert!!! ermm no use of y/n bc it takes me out sometimes idk guys let me know

Jeremiah Fisher was walking up the beach, carrying his surfboard towards the bridge that connected the shore to the pavement when he saw you. You were setting up your beach equipment, alone. He looks around to see if you were accompanied by any girlfriends, or a boyfriend. You look over and smile at the sun-kissed boy looking in your direction, and he decides to make his way over to you. You quickly throw on your swimsuit cover up and sit down, acting casual. He brushes his fingers through his dirty blonde locks, still wet with ocean water and asks, "Hey, I haven't seen you at the club. Are you new in Cousins?" You look into his piercing blue eyes and take in his beach boy tan, stunned that someone like him even approached you. "Uh, yeah," You say, suddenly aware of your appearence. "Something like that. I just moved into the New England area so now this is going to be my summer for the forseeable future." You glance back at him, "What about you? You live here?" He smiles, as you gesture for him to sit next to you in the sand. "I go here every summer." I looks at you before deciding to say, "But never have I ever seen a girl as pretty as you at the beach. Especially alone?" You blush, looking down. He paused for a second gauging your reaction, "What's your name, by the way? I'm Jeremiah, people call me Jere." You tell him your name, digging your feet into the sand. You stop for a second, wondering what to say next, "What do people do for fun around here? I'm not really accustomed to the whole 'rich-kid-beach-town' vibe yet." He smiled, laughing, ""Are you kidding me? We all have parties, every night. You just gotta find the right group. There's a party at the bonfire this Saturday. I can give you the address if you want." "Really?" You say, stunned at his willingness to invite me. "Yeah, that'd be really nice." You grin. "Do you know anyone around here? I think maybe I should start making friends or something." He looks at you and smiles, "I do. It's one of the things I love about Cousins the most, the people," He paused for a moment, making sure he was thinking of the right words and right tone. He didn't want to sound too forward. "I, uh, I'd also like to hang out more, get to know you better," He looks down at the sand. "I think you're cute." "I'd love that." You smiled, genuinely. You toss your beach waved hair and bend over to grab your phone, from your chair. You give it to him, "Put in whatever digits you so desire," you joke. He types his phone number in your phone. "I should go home and get ready for the party, but I want to see you again before then, can I take you to dinner tonight?" You blush, turning a deep pink on your already tanned skin. "Dinner? I wouldn't know where to go but... sure! You drive?" You grab your phone back and save his contact. "Of course, pick you up at seven?" He walked over to his beach bag and started packing up his swimwear and towel. "I already know where I'm gonna take you," he smirked. You start to pick up your stuff from the sand. He turns around, walking backwards as he looks at you one more time. He knew meeting you was going to alter the course of his summer.

[imagineitdearies]

Hey! I really admire your writing and seeing your answers to other anons you seem pretty approachable so I wondered if you could give me your view on an issue I got about making content.

I really want to start doing content for the bg3 fandom, I have been in fandoms befor but always just watching/reading but with bg3 I really feel like it would be cool to actually write something or post things about my tav but when I start I often feel like "Is this really worth posting? Maybe I should just not bother." I was wondering if you ever had a problem like that?

And maybe if you got any tips on actually keeping up with pushing yourself to bring all the things in your head to paper. I sometimes feel like I almost get lost in how scenes are in my head, so when I start to write I feel like I can't do it justice. Do you ever hit a roadblock like that?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to reading more of perfect slaughter!

Hi anon! I'm glad I seem friendly, I try to be 😂

I was also super nervous about writing for the bg3 fandom at first, because I'm used to writing for an established ship with two characters that anyone clicking on the tag are guaranteed to want to see together! But even if you're writing for the most popular Tav pairing (Astarion/fem!OC), it doesn't mean people care about your Tav. Really, Astarion is the only tie that binds at the start, not the other side of the ship. And that can make it super nerve-wracking and harder for people to be interested--which might be why there's a high prevalence for Y/N or reader insert pairings.

I knew readers would need to like my Tav fairly quickly or they'd click out of the fic (and I'm sure many have). With that plus the fact my story content was really dark....I wasn't surprised when I saw little interest until chapter 4, but I was definitely asking the same questions as you. Luckily the right kinds of people started to find the fic around then, however, so I felt motivated to keep sharing!

But as far as motivation to write in general, I think all great fanfics have one thing in common--they're as self-indulgent as possible. You're not getting paid for this, after all!! If you as the author aren't having the time of your life writing, worried about what other people might like, you won't have fun and you'll likely end up abandoning the story (speaking from past experience). For Perfect Slaughter, I had already written chapter 12 by the time I posted chapter 1, because it was first and foremost for me and posting it to share with others who might like it was very secondary, almost an afterthought. I wrote simply because the idea burned like a Cazador compulsion in my head, like a tadpole in my brain!!

So, to put it more succinctly, I'd recommend you find a story/premise you're passionate enough about that you want to write it whether you think someone else will end up reading it or not. That way, you're having a great time, and your story is more likely to be unique and interesting to others!

[msmargaretmurry]

LMN! XYZ!!

l. Which of your fanfics was the most emotionally challenging to write?

head above water for SURE. just kind of a weirdly lonely writing experience and i had some stuff going on that made it tough to believe in my own writing abilities sometimes! but i got through it 🫶

m. What’s the weirdest AU scenario you’ve ever come up with?  Did it turn into a story?

the two that come to mind are both apocalypse-y aus, neither of which i have turned into fic — firstly this climate apocalypse au, which i still think would be wildly fun from a worldbuilding perspective, and also the ai apocalypse au based on that weird little video the canucks posted at the beginning of the season. i don't feel like finding it rn but if you know you know. mostly it would be about quinn hughes leading his little band of survivors across the desolate and dangerous canadian prairies, trying to get back to michigan in hopes that his brothers would be there, and also pining deeply for brady the whole time.

n. Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share?

since grad school is eating all of my time and i haven't finished writing anything substantial in ages, i unfortunately have the same answer for this as the last time i talked about wips 🥴 which is: the brady/quinn haw sequel, the girl!quinn cisswap fic, and the matthew/leon edge-of-retirement futurefic. those are still my main guys!! hopefully one day i will finish all of them so i can get some new ideas to talk about, haha.

x. How would you categorize your fanfic reading?  Are you a voracious reader?  Do you carefully pick and choose?  Something in between?

i definitely go through phases where i read a lot of fic and phases where i hardly read any fic and am reading tons of published books instead. i do a LOT of fic reading off of recs from pals and rec blogs/lists because i'm lazy about going through the tags 😂😭 and i would say that i'm a little picky but open to a lot of things! pickier about long fic because it's more of a time investment, but i will forgive writing mistakes, etc, for a fun and interesting fic premise.

y - answered here!

z. Is there a story you’ve written that doesn’t seem to get much love?

honestly i don't think i can complain on any level about the amount of love my fics have gotten! people have been been very kind and generous across the board! my older fic obviously gets less attention but i am exremely fine with that because it a) is not as good as the newer stuff and b) i wrote a lot of it while deeply depressed and don't remember it well anyway LOL. so that's fine! i think maybe my most recent matthew/leon fic got a little less attention, but it's such a bite-sized little character study pwp that i really didn't expect a ton of attention, so that's also fine!

[vilevexedvixen]

Ok, so... I like Hazbin Hotel buuuuuut I was very surprised that Heaven played as big of a role as it did in season 1.

Personally, that felt like the end game and once Charlie finally got to try and talk with them directly, then the goal post would shift as her naïve view (that divine judgement is just and so good people automatically get into heaven / people can move there if they change for the better) starts to change as she's seen many sinners improve and be refused, alongside characters such as Adam prove that questionable people and actions are permitted in Heaven. It would feel tragic and frustrating after seeing our cast grow and endure hardship to do so, only for their original goal to perhaps not be attainable in the way they once thought.

Instead, for season 1 at least (if not longer if possible), I feel a more Hell-centred narrative would be better. Showing how Hell normal opperates, the day to day struggles, the politics, and the aftermath of the exterminations disrupting it all. Though our care and focus will obviously be mostly on the main cast, I think it's important that we should care about sinners the way Charlie does (or at least understand why she sees them that way).

Instead of explaining the exterminations and Hell through a storybook monologue, I think a purely visual intro would set the stage better. Like a mix between the intro in the pilot and the openning scene from Arcane episode 1.

Have a relatively intact Hell be seen before the extermination. Oddly barren, with some stragglers who probably died in the last couple days so they wouldn't know about the extermination in time, along with sinners deliberately staying out in a desperate bid to leave the afterlife (maybe show a contract / chains dissipate between them an another sinner when they're killed in the extermination. Quick, but foreshadowing a. Soul contracts and b. How desperate a sinner might be to escape one, which c. Could also act as a hint to Angel's and Husk's mental state once their situation comes to light, or at least have us hope it doesn't come to that).

The extermination would be swift and cause so much destruction so quickly that the rubble would cloud the city like fog until after it's over. More like a bombing campaign (like with Adam's holy light) than an exorcist massacre alone. Then we see Pentagram city in ruins.

I also agree that having it known (especially by Charlie) that the exterminations are a means to control Hell's population from uprising against Heaven, rather than to limit Hell's OVER population makes the premise of Hazbin Hotel seem a bit redundant. Plus, having it questioned WHY so many people are ending up in Hell would be something I wished was actually brought up rather than only focussing on what it takes to get people who are already in Hell into Heaven. People stuck in Hell not sure exactly what they did wrong and leading relatively peaceful afterlives doing nothing to harm other sinners. Leading to a later revision of the more arbitrary rules in the Bible such as not wearing mixed fabrics, not being gay * (it's debated whether or not the bible actually says anything against being lbgt, however homophobia and transphobia are rampent enough in many Christian sects that it would be worth critiquing the ridiculous lengths to which Christians shun those who don't conform and twist the bible's text to suit whatever they currently believe), not eating certain foods, etc.

Those are my main points so far. Might get around to doing a fanfic-y re-writing of season 1.

Again, I love the show as is but man is it janky. I do love janky things - Pathologic and Sims my favourite games after all - but it's still fun to work with what's there and tweak it here and there.

[joelsgreys]

Was there anything in particular that inspired you want to write a fanfic where y/n is already married? I haven't seen too many fics with this premise. It's always exciting to see a writer put this massive problem in the way of the character ship and watch them slowly unravel it as the plot progresses. Also love the series, looking forward to the next installment :)

thank you lovely and thank you for the question! I appreciate it ❤️ so for this series I wanted to do something set in Jackson but I was wanted to do something different, something a bit more complicated as well versus oh Joel just meets reader and falls in love and it’s an easy happy ever after. I wanted DRAMA and tbh I blame my nana for letting me watch Spanish telenovelas at such a young age

fun fact: I was also inspired by a season of TWD, which was my first post apocalyptic love. For anyone who watched it, I’m sure you know ASH is kind of based off of the Rick x Jessie storyline but I wanted to take that idea and expand it and add depth to it. I never shipped them together but I did like the storyline idea so I borrowed it lmao

thank you so much again for the question nonnie!

[what-am-i-doing-with-my-lifee]

I posted the WIP of this a while back. Here's the finished drawing.

I believe there's an explanation needed for what's going on.

So, since I read a lot of fanfiction (like every other fangirl/fanboy), I mostly see these three outcomes.

Jack quits and later returns more evil than ever (and is sometimes immortal), imprisons everyone, practically wins (and starts dating Chase or Hannibal or one of the monks). That's the blue future Jack on the left. The evil, sometimes insane, maniac, with magic powers/magic rivalling machinery.

Jack quits and is indifferent to what's going on between the Xiaolin and Heylin, focuses on family, success, school, etc. Sometime later someone drags him into the conflict again as an adult and he's on his own neutral side and is badass. That's the one in the middle, but with my hcs instead of all those fanfic-y things. But the premise is similar enough.

Jack joins the monks and is later reviled to be the Xiaolin Dragon of Metal (if Jermain is not there). He grows up to be a respected warrior and starts dating one of the monks, but that's like the distant future so he's one mischievous motherf-er until tragedy strikes and he has to take the initiative to prove himself. That's the yellow chained one. (Or that can just be Good Jack cosplaying as a monk... There's not enough fanfic for this himbo!!)

Since I'm on the Jack is an albino train, in two of three futures, he lets his hair grow and stops dying it, so white-haired Jack!! Also, another personal hc is that he has a scar under his left eye and is applying make-up, hence the eyeliner.

It was fun few days doing this! Thanks for reading! <3

[steampunkforever]

Coming out of The Invitation (yes, I saw it in theaters) I will admit that it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be, further retrospectives really rub in how dismal and ultimately forgettable the movie really was.

in his Seminal film Get Out, Jordan Peele cast a black main character alone in a family of rich white socialites who then turn on him. It’s a poignant criticism of racism in America and a downright elegant use of horror to highlight racial inequalities. The writer and the director of The Invitation got together one night, snorted lines of whatever makes people with twitter checkmarks deserve the death penalty, and said “we can make something magnitudes worse, right?”

One striking detail was the racial politics of the film. And by that, I mean that I’ve seen Turkish propaganda with more nuanced approach to caricatured racial allegories. Y’know, from Turkey, the ethnic-cleansing-ing Neo-Fascist dictatorship.

Simply put, the racial dialog was not focused on racism, systemic or otherwise, but on a strawman concept of a “white person” that the writer decided to pummel with buzzwords harvested from a twitter antiracist. This would’ve been cutting commentary in 2015 maybe, but considering that the recently departed queen doesn’t even qualify as a colonizer, it’s simply bad writing parroting racial essentialism. Side note: If you talk like this or think like this narrative, you are likely to fall for ethno-nationalism (you know, as if we didn’t have enough fascism right now), and furthermore you are an asshole and I want nothing to do with you.

The actual racism within the film is so badly written it feels gauche even for the author of My Immortal. The writer (whose previous films garnered a 0% and a 37% on rotten tomatoes) even went so far as to trot out that treasured phrase all fanfiction authors use: “Your Kind.” Every attempt at showing a microaggression was offensive in how overdone it was. This is a genre steeped in racial anxiety since day one and all you thought to do was whitewash Dracula of all people and also make one of the maids asian? I had to stifle a laugh in several places during The Invitation, because for as much as I wanted to razz the film, laughing at what’s been set up onscreen as a Serious Racist Offense isn’t great optics, no matter how wattpad-esque the writing.

On the subject of fanfiction, this is basically what the plot of The Invitation was. The entire setup is My Parents Sold Me To 1D, except it’s just a weird abstraction of Dracula. The plot revolves around our Singular Black Character (An orphan!) finding long lost british ancestry with landed gentry who invite her out to a wedding where she, a broke college student artist with a dead end job, is whirled away to a world of lavish beauty and servants who keep disappearing (WHERE do they find replacements and are the benefits just that good?) She then falls in love with bad boy Zayn The Impaler who woos her by not being like other rich titled british moneyed heirs, only for the twist to be that he just wants her to join his vampire harem that needs three wives from three royal houses or whatever.

It gets a bit murky after that and I went to the bathroom a couple times to have a panic attack because the movie wasn’t scaring me enough I guess, but the point I’m making here is that I’ve written higher concept Nick Jonas/Shrek fanfiction. I’m surprised the script didn’t have the main character listed as “Y/N” to be quite honest.

Even as I write SO many words on a film I’m begging you not to see, (Blair Butler, if you’re reading this I want to collaborate and make your next film worse but in a fun way), I’m noticing a trend in larger B-movie cinema as of late. Marry me, The Lost City, and now The Invitation all have absolutely fanfiction-level premises and writing. I say this in a manner that is neither charitable nor pleased.

This isn’t a Netflix original, nor is it name-swapped fanfic adaptation drivel like 50 shades (unique market segment of enticing female versions of guys who think Joker and Harley are couples goals) or After (unique segment of women who already read the 1D fanfic this was based on). This is supposed to be a B movie for goodness sake, why is it this bad! “No Fighting, this is the war room!”

Oh yes, this is about vampires. Sunlight doesn’t hurt them but they still sleep during the day. Also your dracula needs to be married to three of them for some reason. It keeps the houses of parliament balanced or something. Racism stops mattering at some point here, probably around the fifth keybump or so, but one of the vampire wives is Slavic Elvira and the other is implied to be Lucy Westrena. The Harkers show up as an older couple devoted to Dracula’s service--a little fanfic-style cameo--and I laughed louder than I should’ve at the pure hackery of it all. I once wrote a steampunk avengers fanfic on the Lego Dot Com Message Boards with more nuance than that.

This whole movie had such a promising basic framework (old world vampires force an inexperienced American woman into a shotgun/stakepoint wedding at an isolated estate, commentary on systemic issues to follow) and fell so hard and disappointed me more that any B movie should.

One thing this movie did, even with flat and uninspiring camerawork, was manage to look very pretty. Partly set design and partly gorgeous colorwork, I think we’ve finally hit the point that B movies of the past did, where they can end up very pretty even with no artistic ambition, but this time it’s not the natural beauty of film stock, it’s a top notch colorist. I really hope this trend continues, but not the careers of the director and writer. Go see Nope instead, I think it’s still in theaters.

[volturialice]

C, M, R, S, T and X for the ask game thing. I could have gave you more but I feel like it wouldn't give much choice for others to ask.

ooooh thanks anon this is so many!

C: What character do you identify with most?

from twilight? none of them, really. I guess I'm reserved and well-read like bella, and identified with her kind of empty shell "white teen girls project self here" characterization when I first read the books, but eh...nah. I'm way more fun, interesting, and assertive than she is, and I have like a shred of dignity and self-esteem lol get wrecked bella

from my own fic? usually jasper, because I write him as very introverted, level-headed, and calculating—but really I'm far less practical/grounded and more outspoken/impatient than he is.

in general? that gif of rosa diaz climbing out the window rather than being emotionally honest. in YA, risa from the Unwind books and katniss from thg (book one only) are some characters I can remember identifying with as a teen because their decisions actually made sense to me, which was rare. ya heroines get on young!G’s level challenge

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you'd care to share?

I think I've mentioned it briefly before but I would love love love to actually write my james/alice-y three-shot Laurel Tree one of these days. I also woke up a few weeks ago with an absolutely killer idea for cyborg!jasper that I will continue to let marinate and see if it's any good

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

growing up, I reread her books so often that my writing was definitely influenced by libba bray's (and maybe charles de lint's?) now idk if I have any real specific influences but I do sometimes try to make my writing "carter-esque" if it fits a particular piece, and The Bloody Chamber is forever my go-to thing to read to Inspire Me (I also read poetry, often random bits of baudelaire or keats or something.) I'm also completely floored by every single sentence of tamsyn muir's works but idk if that influence ever trickles down enough for me to even TOUCH her level

S: Any fandom tropes you can't resist? / T: Any fandom tropes you can't stand?

answered!

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

yeah it's jasper. he's so societally privileged, physically tough, and logic-driven that he's just kind of perfect for it, you know? I wish all brooding stoics a very lose their shit emotionally

lol I love that I just said I identify with him AND enjoy making him suffer. I'm such a sick masochistic lion

fanfic ask game

[griffsursparker]

if I'm gonna go on a rant about how much good YA is out there I figure I should also probably give some examples, so here is a non-comprehensive list of YA I love and think are really well written

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie - really heartfelt coming of age story about a girl realizing she likes girls but also coming to terms with the fact that she doesn't need a romance to complete her

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda - y'all this book. this fucking book. alongside character dynamics that make me go completely feral, Fireborne also has some of the best political and philosophical and thematic shit in any fantasy book I have ever read. it's so fucking thought provoking and cool and I almost analyzed it for communications class except I didn't have the braincells. also dragons

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf - about a girl with ocd during the race riots in Malaysia in 1969. literally made me bawl

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown - okay first of all the world building in this is so fucking good. second of all the family dynamics are so fucking good and !! third of all it subverts a lot of cheesy YA romance tropes. fourth of all the way it portrays anxiety makes me so fucking happy and emotional it's very good

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman - this is one of the older ones on this list but like y'all it's so fucking good. the characters are incredible, and it's a really intense portrayal of like mental health and shit but also friendships and gahh it's so good I need to reread it

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender - I'm not going to lie I forget most of this except that there was blackmail and art and trans rep but. it was phenomenal lmao

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow - look some people think this one is too weird but personally I'm obsessed with how it's such a quiet book despite the impossibly large stakes and . . . ahh I just love how she writes!!

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales - the common complaints about YA are mostly about the cheesy romance-y ones but you know what YA has some cheesy romcoms that are goddamn good so 10/10 recommend this one if you want a fun romcom with great family dynamics and a super fun premise

The One True Me and You by M.K. England - again on my "YA actually has good romcoms" agenda, this one is so fucking fun. yes it reads like a fanfic but in a good way. it's so nerdy and lovely. if you don't wanna read about teens falling in love obviously don't read these ones but they're fun as hell if you like romcoms

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine - y'all these are some of the best dystopians I've ever read and the found family and hijinks in them are so fucking good <33

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - this is such a fun fast-pasted fantasy and it's delightful. it's feminist in a way that manages not to be weird and terfy, and the character dynamics are great, and it's just so unhinged and I love it

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum - weird book about lesbians and outer space. literally no other way I can describe it but it's very good

I could go on and on and on but anyways actually read YA books before you diss YA <33

[monocotyledons]

so reblogs have been turned off in this post but i encourage people to read it, because it is such an interesting and almost anthropological discussion on fanfiction. tl:dr - fanfic is incredibly different from published literary fiction because it serves a different purpose and has a different audience and has thus developed its own set of norms and tropes. it's like a "species" of literature that evolved separately from other genres.

recently i've been reading less fanfic and more published books and i think this discussion hit the nail on the head about why i've been craving published fiction - sometimes i want a break from the tropes and patterns common in modern fanfic. i'm not saying that the tropes themselves are bad, and i'm not saying that ALL fanfics are trope-y and follow a pattern. it's more like a change of pace: if one immerses oneself so much in one mode of writing, it's good to take a break and try out other modes so that one doesn't get bored or frustrated.

the discussion on inter-fandom differences was so fascinating as well! this is something i observed when i was still actively reading and writing for touken ranbu, a franchise that has no unified canon apart from the basic premise and rules. i've read dense character studies steeped in japanese history and culture, but i've also read light fics that are just citadel shenanigans or narrative interpretations of in-game events. those reflect the "anything goes" nature of the parent franchise: you've got the stage plays and musicals, which ruminate heavily on the swords' past and the significance of history, and then you've got something like hanamaru, which pokes fun at the characters and in-game events in a slice-of-life setting. and fics are going to have different modes too depending on what the central relationship is: sword/sword and sword/saniwa read differently, in the same way that character/character and character/reader fics for the same fandom have completely different styles.

a lot of the reblogs also added plenty of interesting points (and i encourage people to go through them!!) - one i found particularly fascinating has to do with the medium of the parent franchise. lots of fanfics sound like stage scripts or screenplays because the parent franchise is a film or tv/streaming series or manga - it's already primarily visual in nature, so writers extending that world into their fics tend to adopt a more cinematic mode of writing as well. and that made perfect sense to me, because when i wrote fics for anime / manga franchises i would imagine my fics in that mode too. hell, when i wrote dialogue i would try to imagine it in the character's voice or what it would look like in a fan scanlation speech bubble.

also i'm glad that the discussion was largely value-neutral! fanfic isn't bad because it doesn't sound "literary"; a more literary mode would serve its function and target audience poorly. (and insert discussion here on what powers and institutions decide what "literary" is in the first place, etc.) but yeah if you want to read some fascinating meta on fanfic please check out the original post and its reblogs!

other reblogs that i found particularly interesting:

on writing for an audience + when description is skippable

fanfic evolved separately from other lit genres

fanfic sounds like scripts bc the parent franchise is visual