#to share a line from a published work instead of a wip

[reitziluz]

last line game

rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or however many you like).

@creativenicocorner tagged me, thanks!

funny enough, the last line i worked on is actually the opening line of a short standalone thing about the first time kimon and vaal met:

"The monster that had yet to remember its name came to in a field of ash."

i think there's something off about it, but it works for now. i first wrote about this scene in finnish, so there's lots of weirdness related to translation to english that i'm contending with.

for tagging, i'm going to just leave sn open invitation this time. tag me back anyway, it's fun to see what others are working on!

[fistfuloflightning]

I am very curious about the bingfan wips if you don't mind me asking about them :)

By all means—I love gushing about these two idiots with you (and now that the SVSSS muse has returned from its unauthorized vacay I think there might be more down the line 😉 ) So thanks @pr0cyon-lotor for getting this jump started again!

The Hungry Ghost cafe wip is a modern au where high schooler LBH gets a job at a sketchy rundown restaurant that he learns caters to hungry ghosts in an effort to keep them satiated and away from living humans. Unfortunately one of his coworkers is Ming Fan, who sometimes bullies him in school but now is horrified that LBH now has something over him. But they’re forced to work together and slowly start to rely on each other and see each other in a different light. The restaurant is owned by married JiuYuan (ofc 😝), (…there’s a betting pool among the employees that one of them is a ghost but no one’s sure who). It’s kind of a slice of life type fic which is prob why it’s so disjointed and nowhere near publishing lol, it’s mostly a fun thing to play around with.

As for the BingFan teen parents fic… Pretty much what it says on the tin! On a mission, Ming Fan and Luo Binghe get caught in a patch of Airplane’s ubiquitous fuck-or-die flowers and end up having weirdly cathartic hatesex. Unbeknownst to them, the flowers share a symbiotic relationship with a special vine that always grows with it, which they only find out about after they’ve recovered…

He was still groggy from the forced sleep that had dragged him down, and he wanted to scour himself clean from the evidence of their… mishap. He glanced to the side to see if Luo Binghe was of the same mind, but he realized his shidi was not lying next to him. Luo Binghe was a few feet away, crouched over a patch of flattened, stained flora. Ming Fan realized belatedly why it looked that way and turned his head so his hair could hide his burning face. But Luo Binghe wasn’t even looking at him. Instead, he was making a concerning stuttering sound. Alarm lanced through Ming Fan. “What’s wrong?” he blurted, scrambling to his feet and darting to Luo Binghe’s side. The plant his shidi was hunched over was more of a thick net of vines twisted into one larger stem. And there was something moving in the tangled nest at the heart. Ming again frowned, wondering if his talismans were still in his ruined robes. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t. There was something… wrong. And then an infant’s cry shattered the pensive stillness. Ming Fan stared wide-eyed at the plant. “I recognize this vine,” Luo Binghe said slowly. “A couple who lived in the village I grew up in  were unable to have children.” Ming Fan was dreading where this was going. He flinched at another infantile cry and Luo Binghe began gingerly peeling the leaves away from the tangled nest of vines. “…They spent a night on the mountain and returned to the village the next morning with a baby of their own. Not one they had adopted or stolen, but their own flesh and blood. They said there was a plant that if two partners water it with their spend, it will grow a child.” Ming Fan pressed his eyes shut but that didn’t keep out the words. Fuck fuck fuck. Please let this plant be a man-eater that attracts prey with the sounds of a baby, he prayed. But the universe seemed to have it out for Ming Fan in particular, because Luo Binghe’s soft gasp was confirmation enough. Ming Fan’s eyes sprang open just in time for the last thin vine to be peeled away from the tiny, squirming body of a baby.

They bring it back to the sect and try to pass the baby off as an orphan to be raised by one of the other peaks but MQF recognizes a plant-baby when he sees one and gets excited about studying it (while also giving BingFan a crash course in parenting). SQQ is excited for a whole ‘nother reason: he’s shocked Ming Fan was the one to fall into that particular wife plot but is delighted to be a surrogate grandfather to the Protagonist’s first child, no matter how unorthodox.

They can’t live in the dorms with a baby so SQQ gives them an empty hallmaster’s house (marriages happen among disciples i.e. LBH/NYY in PIDW so it’s not that uncommon) Domesticity ensues.

Soon the entire sect knows Ming Fan and Luo Binghe had a child together despite them trying to keep it a secret and everyone thinks the best congratulation gift is unsolicited advise from all Peaks.

It takes a sect to raise a child, and this one’s no different.

[lori0018]

First fanfic line tag meme. I was tagged by @snickerdoodlles 😘 thank you lovely 😊

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your latest fanfics (or up to if you have less!) & tag 10 people.

You're the One that I Want - "Wow. They really cranked up the AC in here," Chay mutters as he watches his favorite singer—who Chay will swear made eye contact with him just a moment ago—answer some prepared questions in front of the mix of university and hopeful high school students.

The Remote Debacle - "P'Kim, I can't find the remote," Chay whines from the couch.

Robot Boy - It's been a few months now since Porsche disappeared with only a letter left behind.

Dawn Dreaming - Chay wakes up feeling warm in a way that has nothing to do with the muggy heat he has come to associate with their air-conditioning breaking down again.

Fake Dating for Dummies - After waiting a few weeks for Porchay to respond to the song he sent him, Kim realized it wasn't going to happen, got completely drunk off his ass in the security of his own apartment, and then got back to work.

Just you lying close - It's been months since Chay decided to forgive Kim for the heartbreak he put him through.

Message Failed to Send. Please Retry. - Porchay's introduction to the mafia world was done through his first kidnapping.

Kim's horrible, no good, very weird day - Kim watches the other who looks like him, the one who is living in Kim's apartment—his hard won symbol of independence from his father—and seethes.

Kim's Flower Problem - Kim has had that itch in his throat since he moved out of the main family house.

Cook with the Stars - When Chay signed up for the new show Cook With The Stars, he expected it to be an easy way to get some exposure for his struggling restaurant.

In a turn of events that will surprise exactly no one, most of these are KimChay 😅 (the only exception is n°8 which is Kim centric and only briefly mentions KimChay being a thing).

Bonus: cookie did wips instead of published fics. I decided to do the regular one with bonus wip 😋 so, in alphabetical order of the files on my drive:

Chay! On Ice (YOI AU) - "Hey, Mae," Chay greets her as soon as she picks up the video call.

Crow's nest (witch!Chay AU) - Chay isn't sure how long Uncle has been gone.

Untitled KimChay vampire AU - The boy sitting at the bar can't be much older than eighteen, if that.

Tsurugi (FF7 AU) - Porsche is an orphan.

no way back (part 10 of the "need you to believe" 'verse) - Porsche walks into the ginormous fucking tower masquerading as a house that is going to be his new place of employment.

take me inside (and let me live in your mind) (FF16*) - He curves his body over Jill's as best as he can, hoping to spare her the worst of the blows that the horde of Ironblood heading towards them is sure to rain down on them.

Marriage, Magic, and Mayhem (Arranged Marriage AU) - "I'm sorry, baby, I wish there was another way."

* my only non-kp wip... despite the title being from wdys 😅

I have no idea who has and hasn't already been tagged in this so feel free to consider yourself tagged if you want to do it ✨

[blackberrysummerblog]

Hi all! I’m just out here being three weeks late with my 2024 Writing Round-Up, and thank you so much to @monbons, @forabeatofadrum, @confused-bi-queer, @rimeswithpurple, @nausikaaa, @prettygoododds, @ileadacharmedlife, @artsyunderstudy, @best--dress, @j-nipper-95, @roomwithanopenfire, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @imagineacoolusername, @mooncello, and @thewholelemon for tagging me! I hope I didn’t miss anyone, and thank you as well to everyone who’s been tagging me for Six Sentence Sunday and WIP Wednesday this month. Without getting too much into it, I am BURNT. OUT, and it’s making me retreat from even the things I enjoy the most, like writing and catching up on everyone’s beautiful fandom works.

But, I’m determined to make this round-up post, even if it takes me a couple of days to put together. There’s a lot here! Almost all of it was from COC, which I was hellbent on finishing this year, and did! Here’s the list, in chronological order, of all published writing for 2024:

The Field Trap, 1/2 (5272, M) This has been sitting unfinished for a bit, but I do anticipate it being completed. I discovered a real love for Watford-era fics toward the end of the past year, but it probably all began for me two years ago when I wrote Field Trip of Dreams, the prequel to Field Trap. At any rate, I haven’t forgotten the fic, and Field Trap may end up with an E rating in the second chapter.

Time Will Lie Down and Be Still (26,201, M) This is the fic I’m most proud of this year. It’s the result of my COBB collab with @rimeswithpurple, and it’s been such an inspiration to work with Arianna! I highly recommend the experience :D This fic has 3/5 chapters published so far, and I’m getting there with the 4th. I’ll share that Arianna finished the art for Chapter 4 the other day and it is STUNNING, so I need to get my part done! For anyone who doesn’t know, the fic is a retelling of the movie Practical Magic (I’ve never been able to get very far in the book, for whatever reason, so I wouldn’t count on the fic lining up with it). This one is close to my heart for many reasons, but I’ve especially enjoyed building Dev’s character and his relationship with Baz.

Absolutely everything else I published was for COC, and I’ll put it below a cut due to length. Thanks to everyone who read my work this year! As always, the output of this fandom is just incredible, and I’ve enjoyed being able to take it in as well as contribute a little myself. Happy New Year, everyone!

Something Old (1146, T) Simon finds something unexpected while clearing out space in the wardrobe.

Chosen (880, G) Agatha and Simon have just begun dating and Philippa attempts to engage her in a little friendly roommate squee. Agatha isn’t quite so sure.

I Hate You, Never Leave Me (2339, M) Simon and Baz have found a new and better way to settle their differences, by getting each other off all over campus. Will it evolve into anything more, however? (I love this one, honestly. Might have to someday write a more extensive version)

Greek (1565, T) Simon has to keep a very close eye on Baz in Greek class, for reasons.

Let Me See You (1205, T) Simon is the one to find Baz draining a deer in the forest instead of Agatha. His reaction is not what either of them was expecting.

Truth or Dare (2608, T) Does what it says on the tin—the gang play a game of Truth or Dare, and the dares reveal a little more truth than anyone expected. (Definitely not a groundbreaking take on the prompt, but I never really tire of reading truth or dare fics, and hoped readers would feel the same :P)

Gently, Gently (668, M) Simon and Baz spend the morning in bed, skiving off class and not regretting it at all. (I came to realize that an embarrassing number of fics I write either start out with the boys waking up in bed or that is the entire premise of the fic. “Waking up” is a weird fetish to have, but OK me, I guess)

Looking for Knives, Looking for You (1181, T) Baz reflects on all the wounds he and Simon have given each other over the years. (Despite the vicious sounding title and depressing summary, this one was meant to be sort of cute and sweet)

Hold You Safe (1015, G) At the start of Eighth Year, Dev and Niall’s relationship is still very new as they get some bad news from home.

Dinner (Guess Who’s Coming) (3525, T) It’s half term, and Baz’s parents want to take him to dinner. They invite him to bring a friend, but unfortunately for Malcolm, he pisses Baz off first, and Baz decides his guest will be Simon—the Mage’s heir, his family’s mortal enemy, and Baz’s undying secret crush. (As with nearly all my COC offerings this year, this fic was knocked out during my lunch break the day of, and it shows. It really could have stood to be longer and more developed, so maybe I’ll revisit it one day, since I did like the premise)

Stay with Me (878, T) It’s Eighth Year and Simon gets home late and injured from a mission. Baz arrives at a resolution. (I was a little baffled to get a comment about the Mage already being dead, since this fic takes place during the school year and makes mention of a very much alive Mage in multiple places. It was more of a statement than a criticism though, I think.)

A Charmed Life (1449, E) Baz and Simon have an utterly normal morning getting frisky in bed. (Again. Huh.)

A Horse Named Jane (736, T) Simon has that song stuck in his head again. The one Baz can’t stand. They work out a (sort of) compromise.

Sour and Sweet (3060, G) It’s Baz’s birthday and Agatha has just given Simon his walking papers. Oh no :P However, the breakup does little to lift Baz’s spirits. (This one has two chapters and filled two prompts, sour and sweet, natch. Chapter two’s summary is: Simon decides he needs to make something sweet for Baz’s birthday, even though he’s two days late and doesn’t know how to bake. Well, he’s got magic at his disposal, so things are sure to turn out just fine. :P)

Punk (828, T) Baz is making Simon join him for lunch with Fiona again, but Simon figures he’ll debut a new look & attitude. Will they actually make it to the restaurant? (I really enjoyed writing this one. Simon being frustrated with Fiona’s behavior and still being silly with Baz about it was just a happy place for me)

Surprise (733, M) Simon and Baz are engaging in one of their classic Mummers’ House tiffs. What will happen? :P (I did write a little surprise into this one, but it was very much in keeping with some of my favorite themes)

Cast in Fire (791, G) Simon comes to Watford and learns about how his roommate will be chosen.

Fluff and Nonsense (1627, T) The prompt is ‘fluff’ and did I once again take the opportunity to write a light-on-plot secret relationship fic about Watford-era Simon and Baz being cozy and silly in bed? Yeah, I might have. Simon is going home with Baz over the Christmas break. Not a lot going on here, they’re just really comfy and in love.

Pieces of Me (1557, M) Baz has been having nightmares. Simon comforts him and encourages him to open up.

The World Was Open (956, T) Agatha and Niamh attend Simon and Baz’s wedding, and Agatha overhears another guest making a snide remark.

Find Me (2374, M) Eighth year at Watford was unremarkable, and Simon and Baz last saw each other when they graduated. Seven months later, Dev and Niall drag a pining and protesting Baz out to a club for a night of drinking and dancing, but there’s a familiar face behind the bar. Simon Snow is serving drinks, and worse, he’s flirting with a Baz lookalike. What will happen :P (This was yet another fic that could have been developed a little more, but I was still happy with the result overall)

Warm Spell (1795, M) Goatherd Simon has been almost-encountering a beautiful stranger for several weeks now, but one hot summer day, they finally meet.

Lost and Found (575, G) The boys go shopping together and Baz temporarily loses Simon, but it’s all pretty plot-free :P

Truce (1101, M) Simon pesters Baz while he’s trying to study, and needs to learn a lesson. Will they be able to call a truce? (This one was where the trouble began—I changed my settings to allow comments from unregistered users, because I like to fuck around and find out, I suppose. And find out I did! Luckily, the rude comment I received took aim at some writing element that didn’t even make sense for this particular fic, and I quickly realized it was a bot. Not long after, I started getting comments on other fics as well, all very nonspecific to the fandom, characters, and genre. I’m so sorry because I know it upset a few readers who were very kind to clap back and reassure me, and I changed my settings back so that it wouldn’t happen again.)

Savour (1189, T) Simon has been away on one of his missions for the Mage, and Baz has been awaiting his return by leaving out plates of food in their room every night. (Bot’s review: “the worst fic in the fandom”. It’s not even the worst fic in my own oeuvre, so joke’s on you, guy XD)

We Were Always Together (2239, T) During cotillion class, Simon is forced to dance with Baz. The horror! (I flipping loved writing this. Full on had a blast and Would Write Again)

Let It Snow (925, M) It’s almost time for Christmas break at Watford, and it may not turn out as the boys planned. However, thanks to a spell gone wrong (or very right) it may yet work out for the best :P

Always (551, G) It’s Christmas Eve and Baz has just finished putting the kids to bed. Simon is putting the finishing touches on the Christmas tree.

Something New (990, T) Simon and Baz have a little tiff near the end of eighth year, but it’s not fated to last long. I’ve written a lot of secret!relationship Watford era fics for COC this year, some that could go together and some that were in separate universes. It’s been so much fun to write about the boys sneaking around, but this is…something new. :P (In which I was very pleased with myself for how I wrapped things up in accordance with the prompt. I really, really enjoyed COC this year :D)

Thanks for reading! I’m sure most everyone has already made their own round-up posts, but consider these no-pressure tags and hellos: @valeffelees @stardustasincocaine @bookish-bogwitch @facewithoutheart @c0nsumemy5oul @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists @tender-ministrations @basiltonbutliketheherb @ghostpepperworld @larkral @letraspal @cows4247 @fiend-for-culture @palimpsessed @hushed-chorus @shrekgogurt @raenestee @cutestkilla @drowninginships @youarenevertooold @iamamythologicalcreature @beastmonstertitan @ic3-que3n @supercutedinosaurs @stitchy-queerista @alexalexinii @asocialpessimist @shutup-andletme-go @prettygoododds @ivelovedhimthroughworse @j-nipper-95 @wellbelesbian @bookishbroadwayandblind @orange-peony @papierhaikuphoto @martsonmars

[mi-i-zori]

Run, Boy, Run (Unfinished)

CoD - König

SYNOPSIS : Despite the gruesome news flashing on his television screen, König goes on a walk in the middle of the night. Surely, nothing could go wrong.

WARNINGS : König’s past (bullying), anxiety. This isn’t a good mental health night for the guy, so maybe don’t read if it’s the same for you.

Author’s Note : I wanted to write this for @ghouljams ‘ King Killer Challenge, but got stuck in a writing stump not long after, and I’ve been having a hard time getting out of it. I don’t think I’ll ever finish this, but I guess it’d be sad to simply leave it in a dusty corner of my WIPs. Hope you like it !

I do not allow anyone to re-publish, re-use and/or translate my works, be it here or on any other platform, including AI.

In König’s mind, winter nights possess a charm he has never been able to describe.

When the world slows down, lit up only by artificial lights of which the colours fail to compare to the natural glow of the moon, his heart finds a rhythm even his subconscious tends to forget. The wind seems to freeze every single thing it touches, and it’s as if time itself had decided to slow down, mesmerised by the very idea of resting. König has always struggled to do the same. Instead, he fights constantly against a choir of ghostly laughs, so similar to the cold lingering outside his window. As a whole, it is all somber and strange ; not unlike the ice that keeps devouring the foundations of his being.

It’s familiar, almost. Frighteningly so.

Yet he finds himself unable to find even an ounce of comfort on such a stage of déjà-vu. The spectres’ wails, lost in the invisible abyss hidden behind his own carcass, refuse to cease. The dark circles lining his face keep getting deeper as his eyes fall onto the semi-darkness of his apartment ; the cacophony of his thoughts is so dense it has become impossible to decipher.

He barely has the courage to turn on the lamp standing next to his couch, the light defining his tired profile so bright despite the thick lampshade muffling its glow. A small table holds a box of pills in front his silent judgment, akin to a frightened servant bowing in front of their beloved king.

A bitter taste coats König’s tongue, and he can’t seem to pinpoint its source - the infusion he drank a few moments ago, or the nauseating sight standing in front of him.

His gaze is heavy as he focuses on the sleeping pills. The very idea of ingesting one of them in order to spend a peaceful night is tempting ; he already did it multiples times before, although the nature of the pills he once used to take was much different. He would do anything to tame his nightmares ; but his time in the army changed him. He can no longer stand the feeling of vulnerability gnawing at his insides whenever he wakes up after following his doctor’s orders. The need to keep a hand in every single aspect of his existence only gets stronger each time, ruining the few hours of rest he accumulated while unconscious. What was meant to appease his mind only made things worse, and he can’t afford to succumb to the loss of control looming over his horizon.

The memory of his trembling reflection in the mirror, of the stranger sharing his face looking back at him with eyes painted red with fear, anger and exhaustion, launches a trembling assault down his spine - a series of painful shivers he only suffers from when lost on the battlefield of his thoughts. The little pills are crushed under the iron of his grasp, only finding their salvation at the bottom of the trash can.

A new weight falls upon his chest at the thought, tearing a sign from his lips. He raises a hand to the back of his neck, hoping to find a little bit of clean air among the pollution of his mind and lungs. His memories bounce around the walls of his skull, set free by an endless asthaenia. Akin to a crowd of gladiators thrown in their favourite arena, they lunge towards him, ready to bring him down in order to save their own lives. Usually, he would face them with ice in his eyes and steel in his veins - but not now.

The midnight news ramble once more about a peculiar and terrifying series of accidents haunting the streets of the neighbourhood. But König doesn’t care about the wide fatal wounds found on the victims of what only seems to be a monster, nor about the wild thoughts of Pale Crawlers a bunch of idiots like to spread on the internet. To him, this only sounds like a bunch of gang fights, or robberies that turned badly, hidden behind a crude story for children. So, without even thinking about it twice, he throws a simple leather jacket on his shoulders, in the pockets of which he stores his keys and phone. As if anyone would be suicidal enough to even try to corner someone of his stature.

They did, though, a fearful voice in his head rumbles, multiple times. The memory of his school years is littered with mockeries and hits ; bruises and broken bones ; whispers and side glances. Though reaching his current height also came with a small share of admiration, it didn’t stop the usual bullies - it even encouraged them instead, prompting them to rally more people to their « monster hunt ».

The front door of the building quickly makes way for the usual chill coating the city’s winter nights, pushing the hurtful visions aside. The soldier shivers behind his black surgical mask, mumbling about how he will never get used to his civilian clothes. The small rectangle of polypropylene leaves him feeling naked against a world of which he only wishes to avoid the gaze ; but he still decides to make his way down the barely lit street, silent under the glow of the moon.

If his own mind keeps threatening to break the ice on which he tries to find shelter, perhaps a cold winter night could help him strengthen it.

He doesn’t really have a destination in mind. Instead, he lets his legs carry him slowly while he focuses on his surroundings. If he happens to cross paths with a few cars, the majority of the streets is still empty. His heartbeat echoes in their silence, and he can’t help but notice how different they sound from the usual noise crowding the corridors of a military base. He starts counting the lights paving his way, but quickly decides to stop as the shadows they create play with his tired eyes, each one following an unexpected dance on the sides of his vision. He fights himself to ignore them, and it’s only when his jaw starts aching that he realises how tense he is, his demons immediately laughing at his pitiful state.

You’re such a big guy, they cackle, an erratic choir in the back of his head, yet you’re afraid of a few shadows ?

- Pathetic, he mumbles, and hisses once noticing how easily their voices mix with his.

The war machine he has become is not made for living in such a normal, peaceful environment. If there once was a time when he saw silence as a form of salvation, he now only sees it as the calm before the storm, a veil hiding an inevitable danger. The gruesome news reports spewed by his TV monitor suddenly make an appearance in his mind, as if trying to mock him further. He forces himself to burn them over and over, ignoring the way the shadows seem to erratically creep closer to his own.

Through the barred up display window of a nearby store, a clock strikes two in the morning. König stops for a moment to read it, blinded by the eclectic signals of a neon sign. The light assaults his eyes like a wildfire raging in a forest during summer, and he only looks away once it drags a tear along his cheek. It burns only for a second before dying on the synthetic fabric covering his face - but the frost comes back quickly, and a part of him regrets not thinking about wearing a scarf.

He tends to forget more and more about such things, he realises. As if he didn’t have the strength to care for himself anymore.

He stays here for a moment, blinking the light away in the middle of the sidewalk, before finally resuming his walk.

[carlos-in-glasses]

Fic Pride Friday - on a Saturday!

Thank you for the tag @freneticfloetry @lemonlyman-dotcom @bonheur-cafe

@literateowl @ladytessa74 @liminalmemories21 🧡 And for giving me a reason to create a banner for non-WIP tag games.

Rules: Post your favourite line or passage from as many of your published works as you’d like. Let yourself feel proud of your creations! Tag as many people as you post snippets, so your fellow fic friends can be proud, too.

I've opted to share from three fics- Suddenly in the Silence, Where All This Love Comes From, and Wrestling Angels:

Suddenly, in the Silence:

"I think the closet is haunted," TK says, fumbling the buttons of his lapelled pajama shirt. Carlos faces the opposite side of the room. "But it's from Ikea." "Not that one." TK throws an arm towards the white pre-fab nothingy unit that had housed their pajamas. "I mean the old Reyes relic." "My dad's tatarabuelo built that," Carlos says defensively. And occupies it now, TK thinks but does not say. Instead, he opts for, "It might be fun to sleep in your old bedroom like we did that time before. Snuggled up in that creaky twin with your adorable horse comforter over us." "My old room," Carlos breathes a laugh, "Is the most haunted in this house." "With memories, though, not ghosts."

Where All This Love Comes From

A single tear slips from Carlos' eye. Years ago, there was a young man in New York City called TK Strand and he had no idea that in Austin, Texas, a stranger called Carlos Reyes was aching, yearning, pining for exactly him. He had no idea how loved he was going to be by someone he had yet to meet. He had no idea how wonderful he was as a person with or without a partner – but he was about to find out. That's why you have to keep living, Carlos thinks, so you can find out.

Wrestling Angels

But love is going to come into his life, and it won’t be what he’ll expect, because it’s going to be TK Strand, a firefighter who shows up in Austin from Manhattan following a relapse. He’s a little fierce and rough and moody and funny. He’ll bring disorder to the orderly life he’s about to work so hard to create for himself and himself alone. TK will cause him pain, and he’ll push TK’s buttons, and then it’s going to work out, and he’s going to marry him. And TK is going to be the one to ask. Love is going to be powerful, runaway, gutting, enormous – yet weirdly and utterly defined by the small moments as much as the major events. It’s going to feel physical and invisible, like storm winds that take his breath and knock him off his feet. He’s going to have sex. He’ll have it with a few guys before TK, and every time with each of those guys, it will be somewhere on a sliding scale of outright bad, awkward, embarrassing, mediocre, good, better, great, fantastic. With TK it will be different. Supercharged, mind-blowing, right from the start, and it will also be gentle, romantic, connective in a new way. It will always be a deeper experience than with anyone else. It’s going to mean something real every time, even from the beginning when TK insists that it’s not going to, and Carlos will pretend as much as he can that he doesn’t mind.

I know I'm late so might have missed things but open tag and tags below:

@reyesstrand @paperstorm @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @heartstringsduet

@vineofroses @theghostofashton @lightningboltreader @chaotictarlos

@goodways @welcometololaland @orchidscript @rmd-writes

@strandnreyes @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @chicgeekgirl89

@sznofthesticks @nancygillianmvp @safeaswrites @my-little-tilly

@sugdenlovesdingle @carlos-tk @honeybee-taskforce @sanjuwrites

@alrightbuckaroo @never-blooms

@fallout-mars - If you want to share/haven't already! No pressure ever! ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

[risuola]

This one is a little review, a recap if you will, because I think it's important to sometimes just sit and appreciate your own achievements. It's that time of the year when something's ending and something's beginning. I think the best way to start a new year is to look back a little, so... let's do it!

Inspiration for this post came from this post by @vagabond-umlaut - it's a self-appreciation post. I really love the idea of sharing the favorite pieces I wrote with you and I indulge everyone interested to do a little recap of your work yourself so see how far you've come! 🩷

Let's begin with a little summary, shall we?

▷ I joined tumblr around 10 years ago, but it's that year, 2023, when I posted my first work in here. Before I was just a reader. Can you believe it? Ten years I didn't post a single thing in here!

▷ I published my first fic on 31st april. It was short and filthy, can you guess what is it? You cryin', with our beloved Satoru Gojo. Fun fact is, that up until that day it's still my most liked piece. So many of you loved it, so many saved and interacted. It was a blast to know that my writing is enjoyed. Without your love towards it, I'm not sure if I would be posting still. It really encouraged me to share more.

▷ Since my first post, I published 49 pieces. I created 2 series (Politically Loveless, starring Tobirama Senju & Deadly Attraction, starring Sukuna Ryomen) and wrote for two anime series (JJK + Naruto)

▷ Just in these few months I hosted two events - the filthy Kinktober and the sweet Kissmas

▷ That year I mostly explored the angsty territory, I wrote some smut and fluffs as well. I wrote short and long, sweet and sad. I learned so much while writing, I'm not a native english speaker and through creating the pieces, I taught myself so many new language bits.

Now, let's get to my favorites!

🩵 You cryin'? — starring Satoru Gojo (smut)

This one will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was short and straight to the point, purely inspired by the amazing JJK dub and the iconic line that melted the entire me. It's smut, nothing else, little to no plot, and yet I just love it.

🩵 Lost cause — starring Satoru Gojo & Suguru Geto (heavy angst)

It was a request by one of you, my readers. An exploration of an alternative universe where Suguru doesn't go the death path and instead, the way is chosen by their close friend. It follows the manga plot and I touched the topic of dea*h in here. An emotional rollercoaster that I really loved writing and you all seemed to like it too. A second part to it might come someday.

🩵 Catoru — starring Satoru Gojo & Suguru Geto (fluff)

Pure fluff. Testing of waters, if you will. It gently introduced you all to the universe that I'm creating in my head for a long time. I'm really weak for SatoSugu, what can I say?

🩵 Say my name — starring Satoru Gojo (smut)

This one... damn, I wrote it and still I read it myself few times. I just like this piece so much, I like how it flows, I love the way plot goes over the doubt and fear, leading into the outburst of lust and desire. This piece opened the first event I ever hosted, a kinktober 2023 and I don't think I'll ever get over this Gojo.

🩵 Strangers — starring Suguru Geto (angst)

Inspired by the song I was really into at the time. I like the flow of it and the heavy atmosphere of something precious burning out in front of the reader's eyes.

🩵 Face massage — starring Sukuna Ryomen (fluff)

I love fluffy Sukuna. I really do. It's one of my favorite things to write and I have a characterisation of him in my head that I really love to show you all. You seem to like it! I have a request in my ask-box to create a part two to this one and it's in wips for so long now. I might need to finish it.

🩵 Not yet — starring Sukuna Ryomen (smut)

This one! I explored the mafia boss Sukuna through this piece, yet again inspired by the amazing line he said. Mada... mada mada~ the menace! And you guys loved it so, so much. So much, in fact, that it turned out into a series >> Deadly attraction and I'll be forever grateful because it shows that you really enjoy my babbling.

🩵 I don't need a mistletoe to kiss you — starring Sukuna Ryomen (suggestive fluff)

A fluffy Sukuna yet again. What can I say? I love putting him in awkward situations. Kissmas entry.

🩵 Breathe through your nose — starring Choso Kamo (smut)

The introduction of Choso into my blog. My emo boy, my depressed pookie... This was a part of kinktober 2023 as well.

🩵 Thank you, mom — starring Megumi Fushiguro (fluff)

It's self-indulgent, really. I just love the thought of giving this boy parents.

🩵 Wine stains — starring Nanami Kento (angst + smut)

It's angsty, just how I like it. And it revolves around Nanami. That's enough for me to love this piece.

That's it!

These are my favorite works from this year and I'm looking forward to see if I make it till the end of the next one!

Now, a little fun fact! There is a little fight between two of my fics that I find funny, considering what a happened in the jjk manga this year.

You cryin' vs Not yet. Satoru vs. Sukuna. Ever since I began posting, Satoru's little fic was my most liked, most reblogged, most loved piece and now, Sukuna is that close from beating the numbers! I watch it with my breath hitching, the emotions are real!

Some of my favorite people in here:

▷ During these few months of my writing, I got few mutuals. I really, really love their creations and turned out, they like mine too, so I'm especially thankful to @chuluoyi, @ponderingmoonlight, @staryukis & @poe-daydreams

▷ Through tumblr I also discovered so many talented people! @gojos-thot-patrol - an amazing writer of smutty materials, perfect usage of musical knowledge in writing, @tender-rosiey - an absolute queen of fluffs, @osaemu - such a great humor and an amazing writing style (the serial killer Gojo? oof), @awearywritersworld - the Men are so quick to blame the gods series with Sukuna... damn, I've read it three times already - here we have an amazing usage of literature!, mentioned before @chuluoyi - the Married on purpose fic lives in my head rent free

▷ and artists! @3-aem (the most gorgeous Satoru that ever existed), @wacuoms (the beauty and the aesthetics of it is just otherworldly), @lightningstrikes-art (the jjk cubs!) @ipostmysimpingstuffanonymously (the SatoSho arts that make me feel things), @innaillus (the ceo of making me cry and not from my eyes), @polariae (also... screaming), @diosaurr (Geto in this artstyle is my beloved babygirl), @to00fu (just love it. SatoSugu arts, the female versions... awww) and @blackwhitefeatherart (damn, the art style... chef's kiss)

And lastly... to anyone who supported my fics, who read it and left a heart, reblogged or commented - thank you so, so, so much. To anyone who sent me a message through ask box, to anyone who left any kind of mark behind themselves on my blog. More than 2000 people joined me in here, thank you to every single one of you. I'm forever grateful and I really hope you will enjoy the time with me for the future 🖤🥰

xo's — Risu

[lord-aldhelm]

𝓦𝓘𝓟 𝓦𝓮𝓭𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓭𝓪𝔂

Another week, another tag game! Please share your last sentence; or, if you don’t have one, share a plot bunny or idea! (OR sketch for your artwork!)

I have not been tagged so I get to start!

I have SO MANY THINGS ongoing right now. First, here is a bit from Chapter 14 of Darkest Before the Dawn:

The air was tense, thick with fear and anticipation. She could see Aldhelm readying his men for the battle, locking their shields together in the wall while the spearmen waited just behind the front line. The banner of Mercia flew high above his troops, a white dragon on a field of dark green. Beside it flew Aldhelm’s own banner: a white wolf courant with gold eyes and a gold border, on a field of dark forest green. It was a bold choice for him to fly his own banner at the battle, and sent a clear signal that he was the one in charge. It was considered treasonous for an ealdorman to fly his own flag instead of the flag of Mercia in the presence of the King, and he was doing so at great risk, although he knew Aethelred would not be made aware of it and even if he was, he would do nothing about it.

Other Stuff:

I have my first One-shot finished and ready to publish in a few days once it is edited and the moodboard is finished. I will not share anything about it here so you get to read it in a few days when I post it!

I have *at least* two more oneshots to finish (they are chapters of Springtime that never made it into the final cut) as well as my original story for Springtime before I cannibalized it and changed it to be the version that I posted. There is still enough left of the original story to perhaps publish a short fic (maybe 10K-ish) so I will work on that too.

Once Darkest Before the Dawn is complete (it is at 50k words, 14 chapters and I still have a lot left!!) I want to go back and edit Springtime in Saltwic. I love the story to bits but I have learned a lot in writing over the years and want to add some more descriptive stuff that was really missing from the original story, and also some better transitions between the chapters so it is not so jarring. I will not be deleting or changing anything, just adding to it and maybe fixing some words here and there for more eloquent ones.

I just made two gifsets for my James blog last night, which are sitting in the queue to post. I have one more short film and two feature length films of his to watch and gif, and then all of his old stuff will be done (unless I can find the two indie films of his that are MIA). Once Marie Antoinette is released in mid-March I will add that to my watch/gif list as well.

I am working on giffing Aldhelm's scenes from 4.07 as well, and those will be added to my queue. I am scheduled out into May at this point. I also need to fill up my queue with more BTS photos; I have hundreds and hundreds!

I also have a bunch of BTS videos and interviews and stuff with Aldhelm/James that I am planning on giffing.

Last but certainly not least is I am finally working on the King Aldhelm painting once more! I am working on his hands rn, which is giving me absolute fits! But I hope to be done with that part and move onto the rest of it by the end of the week. And maybe next week I have some nice WIP of that to post as well.

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99

@bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard

@waterfallsilverberrywrites @holy3cake @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd

@grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie

[liberalk1tsch]

10 first lines

rules: share the first line(s) of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

ty @adsosfraser for the tag lol

seeing as many of my published fics have been scrubbed from the internet due to my mother stumbling across my wattpad in 2014 and forcing me to deactivate my account (i can’t blame her — i was 12 and hoping i’d get sold to one direction), i don’t have many that are actually public🫣🤗

so here’s a few published mixed in with unpublished/wips

1. Sparks Fly: (everlark, published, finished)

The frosty air around me has long since stolen the warmth from my hands and the once-steamy flask of tea they grip tight. My body is stiff all over, as if my muscles themselves have frozen in the harsh January weather. If a predator were to attack me now, the odds of me walking away unscathed are miniscule. I should get up, get the blood flowing through my veins. I should do so many things. Say so many things . . . But instead I sit, still and silent as the first rays of dawn begin to break over the horizon and the calls of birds begin to split through the trees.

2. Made of Ashes: (everlark, published, wip)

I slide a hand down to my swollen belly and stare at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather of my boots. A few yards away is where the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood. Over there was the kitchen table. The bricks of the chimney, which collapsed in a charred heap, provide a point of reference for the rest of the house. How else could I orient myself in this sea of gray?

3. Cruel Summer: (everlark, published, wip)

I try to scream, but no sound escapes my throat as my head is shoved under the surface of the slimy, foul-smelling water of the Capitol’s underground tunnels. I thrash against the two sets of hands holding me down, but it’s no use as the eerie, smiling faces of Coin and Snow swim into my vision.

4. The Loneliest: (everlark, temporarily re-unpublished, needs reworking and planning)

I grip my father’s hand tightly, dreading the moment I know he’s going to let go and push me towards the line of all the other 5-year-olds already forming outside the classroom door. It’s my first day of school, and I know I should be excited, but all I feel is an anxious pit in my stomach.

5. Exuent: (mrs. everdeen x mr. everdeen origin, unpublished)

I slump my head in my hands, the scorching summer heat starting to get the better of me as I shift uncomfortably in the apothecary stall. I hate summer. Really, truly hate summer.

6. untitled gtb (unpublished, NOT sparks fly related, peeta’s pov)

I find her laying on the sofa for the fourth morning in a row. Not eating. Not sleeping. Just . . . staring. At what, I have no idea. But her gaze is fixed on something outside the window.

7. untitled victory tour wip (playing with calling it temporary fix) (yes i have a fixation on them getting caught sneaking away and the whole «nights on the train» thing, idc) (unpublished, peeta’s pov)

“You wanna get away for a bit?” I whisper softly into her ear as the song we’ve been dancing to fades into another. She has that artificial, inauthentic smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes. The same one she always uses whenever we have an audience. The same one that’s fallen ever so slightly with each question she’s had to respond to, every congratulating compliment she’s unwittingly received.

8. untitled random wip i started and never finished for my friends: (everlark, smut)

I wake with a start, but it's not the usual nightmares plaguing me tonight. The symptoms of a nightmare are all there — my thundering heart, my body breaking out in a sweat, shaking uncontrollably, my throat hoarse from crying out. But then there's the heat in my stomach I connect only with those kisses with Peeta in the cave.

9 and 10 are 5sos and 1d fics that somehow survived the wattpad purge by hiding in my google docs but will be remaining nameless and sentence-less bc i should not have been writing those things as a 12 y/o💀

anyways, they’re unnecessary — the common denominator is that i’m a Certified Yapper who might enjoy narrating a little too much

tagging: literally anyone who feels like it😅 i’m tired and can’t think of anyone rn

[meadow-roses]

ooo your characters look reeeaaallllyy interesting. Tho I'd like to know a little bit more about keepers. Have you written much? If so, where can I read it in order?

Thank you so much! I am SO glad to hear that!!! :D The keepers have pretty much consumed my brain for the last four years hahaha

Basically this story happened because my sister said one day "what if instead of goofing around making crossovers/aus of stories we like, we made up brand new stories and then made them crossover." Then we started the hard work of creating a whole bunch of co-universal plots so we could send the main characters on crossover adventures together and have it be 100% canon 😂

To enhance this crossover aspect, we're trying to make each of the main stories a different genre- Ketsler is from a second-world fantasy, Skylar from an intrusive fantasy/fairytale setting, Betty mystery thriller, and Felix sci-fi superheroes!

@wednesday-chicken is a great resource if you're looking to learn more, it's a blog specifically for the keepers wip containing all the posts made both by me and @masterfuldoodler (of course you can always send an ask or dm!)

Since the keepers is a collection of stories that all come together to tell a single narrative, (for example "Dauntless" is a four season long show but it's the first installment in the keepers series) it's kinda messy and all over the place lol We're still trying to come up with the perfect publishing order, but here's a timeline August put together that covers each of the separate storylines and how they line up chronologically:

I'm hoping to get things organized better once I've got a website up, but I have no idea when that will be lol

I use my personal blog as a place to share art, but also to make it easy for me to reference past drawings without having to dig through a heap of paper, so the tagging system should help if you're willing to hunt around a little lol

#keepers written will take you to all of the writing I've posted for the wip, but uh. I'm really bad at actually posting my writing lol

#keepers universe is for ALL posts for the keepers wip (a recent addition to the system so it doesn't Actually include everything right now, sorry 😂)

#dauntless wip will take you to JUST posts for Felix's backstory.

#keepers will take you to the posts for the keepers plotline, except for the posts exclusively for the dauntless wip

For anything else all I've got for you is character tags 😅

Here's direct links to the main cast on the keepers blog:

#ketsler . #rhyin . #felix . #skylar . #gigi . #betty . #haru

There are quite a few other characters. They will all have their names tagged as well, so feel absolutely free to poke around!

If you have any questions, or are curious about something specific, feel free to send an ask to here, to @masterfuldoodler or @wednesday-chicken! :D

(also, just a tip. the search bar on blogs will search the blog for posts with the phrase in the post, if you click a tag that will bring up all posts tagged that sorted newest to oldest)

[judasiskariot]

🎉 Time for some Self-Positivity! 🎉 

🌟 What's a scene or line you wrote that still makes you smile when you reread it? ✍️ What's something you've improved on in your writing journey? 👀 Share a link to a fic of yours that you think deserves more love!

Answer these questions, and send this to 5 writers who inspire you ❤️

Awww 🥰🥹🥰 Thank you for this! 💗 Self Positivity and Self Love is really important, because we can really be a bit too hard on ourselves.

🌟 What's a scene or line you wrote that still makes you smile when you reread it?

The beginning scene of Fangtastic days of our lives with the cameos of the Tavs of my mutuals. I still think it is pretty sweet and I did the best I could to bring all in so hidden but also best recognizable as possible. It was a fun go trying to this idea 🙂

✍️ What's something you've improved on in your writing journey?

I wanted to write and publish more consistently. And thanks to the BG32025 prompts/challenges from @tavyliasin I'm really sticking to it. I'm very happy about that. (Nevertheless, the largest percentage will probably just stay in my head and not be written down. There will still be many WIPs that never make it into a finished story. But it's gotten much better, not just pointlessly hoarding WIPs without ever doing anything with them)

👀 Share a link to a fic of yours that you think deserves more love!

More love from myself deserves my RE long fic Umbrella Asylum . I am so on the BG3 train; I don't have the headspace for the biochemistry and soul torture. So no translation and no more writing at all at the moment, even though I wanted to finish it in March last year. So fail and shame on me 😅 But shameless Wesker smut will come! Maybe then shameless out of context? 🤔 Maybe? Do I need a backstory fanfic to justify shameless smut? 🤣 Well, me for I need it.

I can't influence the love and appreciation from others. I try to stop minding about that. I managed to create something, I should be proud of that.

I'm way behind on all the tags and won't be able to catch up on everything because it's been so long. So every one of my writing moots has probably already done this. Many have as I were able to see so far.

But can I make tags instead, especially free tags? So please, every author, say a few words about yourself. Your work is worth it! I think of: @pinkberrytea @whiskeyskin @damadisangue @nihilistikal and @alpydk

[corviiids]

8, 18, 23, and all the other numbers you haven't answered yet

ooohoho really enabling me there thank you very much. answered 23 in the last one! i wont do all of them or this'll get super long but ill put a few more under the cut!!

8. if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you’d write one for…

tbh ive been contemplating a silly oneshot sequel to as you like it but i do have to actually finish the damn thing before i even think about that so ill leave it there.

18. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

im actually notoriously bad at killing my darlings so i didn't think i'd have that many deleted scenes, but i did find a few older versions of the makoto&ren scene in chapter 6 of as you like it that i had completely forgotten about. looking back on these i actually still like them

v1.0 of the grounding sequence ren goes through after his nightmares. i think i cut this because it was too long and didn't flow well in context, but im sort of fond of it in isolation:

this was from an alternate version of the scene altogether, where they go to harajuku instead of inokashira so ren can find some featherman merch futaba wanted. i dont like this version as much as the final but i am fond of the extremely long spiralled potato:

then a completely unrelated ren/akc date that i cut because it wasn't doing any work and i didn't think it was fun enough to be kept in:

...

a few more answers for fun (1-5)

writer asks

the last sentence you wrote

i cant remember which line i actually last wrote so here's the last line in current wip

He laughs again. In the silence where Ren tries to re-examine his own complexes, Akechi draws ahead on the wall.

2. a character whose POV you’re currently exploring

ren! i think he's fun because he's the player character and the protags are generally designed to be pretty malleable (or personalityless if you're feeling uncharitable... or wrong) so obviously there's a temptation to just make him whatever your story needs him to be, but i think he's a really tempting and interesting opportunity to really get your claws into a guy who has a personality but refuses to show it and have that be one of his character traits. he's so adaptable to every situation but there are so many moments where his stubbornness and inner values shine through in his limited dialogue, so the challenge becomes like, how do you deduce the rest of a character's hidden personality based on the little they show you? how do you unpack someone whose character is that he wants to be whoever you want him to be? what's going on in his mind? how do you understand him and fill in the gaps in a way that's consistent with what he does in canon when he gives you so little to work with? this is an irresistible challenge to me so he just lives in my brain. he's not even renting he owns the place and he doesnt have a mortgage

3. how you feel about your current WIP

i think palacefic is the project that ignites the most personal passion and excitement in me so im really so excited to finish writing it so i can share it and also so i can read it instead of reading my own chickenscratch notes and think about how excited i am to write it

4. a story idea you haven’t written yet

i keep coming back to circle this idea of postcanon akeshu and how they navigate a relationship (word used free of connotation) where they are constantly circling each other and obviously cant do without each other but also like. are so codependent and not at all functional enough to really have a normal romantic relationship or even friendship. i wrote like a short scene of this which i put on twitter a while back i might actually post it here. and i also started a short fic just to get some thoughts down but never had any plans for how to continue it

5. first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unpublished WIP

im self conscious about how much of this has been about palacefic, so have a line from my death note longfic instead (i cheated this is like the tenth paragraph because the first paragraph is introductory and none of the lines make sense in isolation or they're too spoilery)

Well, when you eliminate the impossible.

[thevikingwoman]

15 Lines of Dialogue Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

Thank you for the tag @coldshrugs and @impossible-rat-babies!

tagging: @myreia @roguelioness @janzoo @consulaaris @scionshtola

@ubejamjar @gatheredfates @bearlytolerant @gefiltefished and everyone else who wants to!

(sorry for the many paragraphs attempting to working around tumblr's new limit)

These are all Meryta / ffxiv, from published fics and WIPs, you also get a peak at my awful wip naming (contrasted with my struggles with fic naming 😂). This was more picking lines I liked and it's good to see your OCs voice? Actually helpful!

“I should have foreseen the danger. The beastmen, the Primal... those are not simple problems.” She can hardly forget it, leaping through the sky. She does not want to think of it, but if the time comes, she will deal with it. She folds her hand in his and reaches to kiss him. “I doubt your father expected you to deal with a Primal, Emmanellain.” - Reprieve

 Here we go again, she thinks, do you really want to do this again? “You should invite him to dinner,” she says out loud instead. - Distance

“Sorry, that was unjust of me. I’m just very worried about my friend. I spend a long time worried about where she was and if she even was alive and now – now I worry more.” - Wrong

“Emmanellain. You're handsome enough on your own. Stop it.” - The Perils of Ishgard Publishing

“You’re injured,” she murmurs. - Under Familiar Stars

“I wouldn’t say no to a game,” she says, tilting her head towards the cardplayers, and winks. “Here I thought I could offer your something better, in ways of entertainment.” “And what may that be, Tansui?” - Passing Through

“I wish I could stay,” she says, when she’s done with the second portion, “but – and I should help with cleanup,” she continues as she puts her dish in the sink, and he waves her off. - Solace and Breakfast

“I wanted to write this letter, but – words are eluding me.” “A letter? For whom?” [Alisaie asks] “It’s not important.” - Letters and Longing

“Yes. No. I am not.” - wip (relationship talk)

“I want – Tansui.” He bucks his hips into her hand and sucks [er nipple]. His hand on her hip, holding her in a bruising grip. She sinks her nails into his shoulders. “I can’t wait. I need you.” - wip (relationship talk)

“Come,” she says and grabs both Yugiri’s and Lyse’s arms. “We should have time enough to taste some food, and we can ask the trader all the same. If he doesn’t know him, we can spilt up after.” - wip (the steppe)

“I know how babies are made, if that is what you ask, Alphinaud.” - wip (after roadtrip)

“I am. What are you going to do about it?” - wip (another Tansui tryst)

“It was – “ meant for me, but she can’t voice it. Not now, and perhaps never. “—heroic,” she settles on. “He saved us all.” - wip (emmy grief)

“Maybe I’m not telling.” Tansui chuckles. “Well, if you’re so stuck on pirates, perhaps a handsome pirate has rescued a beautiful princess.” “And what will the pirate ask for in return for such a dashing rescue?” - wip (tansui roleplay) good bye we're never talking about this wip again

[heartstringsduet]

Thanks for creating this Weekend WIP ask @welcometololaland . Guess who's not just wide awake at 5 am and half-blindly misunderstanding this is not a ask game but a fill-in thing? OOPS. SORRY thanks for tagging me @rmd-writes @alrightbuckaroo @lemonlyman-dotcom For Writers

1. WIP List: First Aid (Lying fools trying to fix the other)

Let Me Part 5 (D/s verse) TK turning 30 collab with @strandnreyes New Year's Day (meeting over and over on new years) Fathers (daddy issues the fic) 5 things Carlos isn't good at Christmassy short?

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest? First Aid. 120k that might be cut down or...expanded? but like 100k for sure will end up published.

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest? See above. Want to take some time away from more than 50k projects after this. Good luck Michelle.

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

Right now TK turning 30 is a wonderful reprieve because it doesn't really have a plot and I love written character deep-dives. But also, seeing the finish line of First Aid really made me sit down and enjoy writing it again.

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Ugh don't want to be a one-trick pony but First Aid has a lot of things that intimidate me. Like making both of them recognizable despite some very different circumstances for them. But also keeping all plot-points and the pacing and the OCs consistent and in line? UGH.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why? See above. Added pressure for me thinking no one will like it because it really does have flawed characters and a lot of lying and back and forth and drama baby drama. Maybe people won't like the finished thing as much as the snippets. Maybe I will be disappointed by the response.. Maybe maybe maybe

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why? For longer fics or fics that mean much to me I do ask betas and they are TREMENDOUS helps and just a joy to me. I am in awe of all of you, taking the time to help make something shine more. <3 Still considering asking someone to sensitivity read First Aid but feel like 120k might a bit too much to ask of someone. So maybe I will ask for feedback once I update instead and hope I don't offend anyone and am open to criticism. Or maybe if you read this and want to be a sensitivity reader particularly for representation of Latino characters, would love that <3

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block? Oh some have been on hiatus more like. like the 5 things Carlos can't do or the Fathers one. I really like what I have there so far but then other projects get in the way. First Aid definitely had some writer's block moments so I wrote other things like Let Me in between.

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

Well, First Aid has a few OCs actually and none of them totally the ones everyone will love. But I do like writing Arturo, as a cousin to Carlos, even if he definitely won't be liked much.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Let Me series for sure. That's just where the 5% sexual frustration I feel a year goes lol.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

First Aid is like a dark pool of angst. Whoops. Let Me isn't without its fair share of hurt/comfort though.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)? Fathers. I try to be very close to the source material to explore the relationship of TK and his father and Carlos and Owen through the lense of Carlos and how it changes over time.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)? My weaknessss. I guess First Aid though. Trying to do some of New York justic,e but ultimately won't probably.

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Well for the sheer length and plot and time: First Aid.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why? See above and see my doubts about First Aid. 😶

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

I WISH. I wish I dreamt about people other than my former high school friends?

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't? The new part of the Let Me series deals with grief and self-harm in a very specific scenario of being in a relationship with Dom/sub dynamics. I think that's fascinating and I wanted to write that part for a while.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour? Did i mention the angst part? But I guess 5 things Carlos isn't good at

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process? Yes! TK turns 30 is actually about so many relationships TK has outside of the romantic one. I LOVE that. Since I have more experience with friendships than even family ties, and deep-dive into my own psyche way too much, I think this one is really challenging and fun.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

I ave like 10k minimum of First Aid that is all different versions of the characters and scenarios that make no sense anymore. Also, coming up with 5 fun things Carlos can't do wasn't that easy. he is TALENTED. I tag @decafdino @ambiguouspenny @carlos-in-glasses @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @lightningboltreader @noxsoulmate @chaotictarlos @louis-ii-reyes-strand @carlos-tk @ladytessa74 @freneticfloetry @orchidscript

[television-overload]

Find the Word (Love Themed) tag

Ooh, I love this!! I'm gonna pull from my X-Files WIP (officially hit 60,000 words!) because I've been knee deep in working on it all weekend and am getting close to being done, I can feel it! (then I can finally get back to that NCIS project)

Thanks for the tag @hopeless-nostalgiac !

The rules are simple, find the given words in your writing (WIP, Published, a college essay - it doesn't matter) or something close enough (I think conjugating verbs and finding synonyms are both fair game) share an excerpt, and tag some friends and some new words to play too.

Words for me to find:

Date, Kiss, Bed or Bedroom, Love, Promise

Words for you to find:

Embrace, Feelings, Heart, Kiss, Gaze

Tagging: @randomfoggytiger @indestinatus @deathsbestgirl @numinousmysteries @agent-troi @skelavender @baronessblixen

All of these will be from my X-Files MSR adoption fic, so if you like what you see here... stay tuned. For some of these words, there were MANY options to choose from. That's all I'm going to say.

Date:

What had he been thinking? He asked her out without even sparing it a thought, not realizing how it would sound. To be going out on a date with your best friend who is technically your wife? Langly and Frohike were right. He is an idiot.

Kiss:

Scully is looking up at him, the only sign of her own internal turmoil being the way she bites her lip and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. He wants to kiss her, oh, does he want to kiss her. But this is where the line between real and fake goes gray.

Bed:

He re-enters the bedroom as quietly as possible, and can tell by the uneven rise and fall of her chest that she's still awake. With a boldness he doesn't quite feel, he slides onto the bed beside her, adjusting the sheets over his chest.

Love: (I'm gatekeeping all the obvious ones hehehe, have a cryptic one instead)

The question mark at the end of the sentence is written on her face, and he finally makes the connection. Do you love her? she's asking. He grabs her hand, cupping it between his own much larger ones, and stares deep into her eyes. He won't lie, not to her.

Promise: (gatekeeping on this one too)

Mulder moves to stand without another moment’s hesitation, bouncing up with far more energy than a man of his age should have. “Thank you, sir. I promise, this is the last time we ask you to cover for us.” “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Agent Mulder,” Skinner warns.

Oh, what the heck. Tagging @today-in-fic too.

[xx-vergil-xx]

god Verg I love a Structure so much, it’s gonna be “despicite, dei, gaudete” for the WIP game & I would love to hear more about the said structure if you feel like sharing it!

hello!! an excuse to talk about my project? yes please thank you <3

so it’s three “layers” which are entangled (maybe laced is a better word — i’m still ironing out final structural presentation, but the core is there)

1. sopwith, a book published in 1950 about pilots in WWI — aiming for an american modernism style, steinbeck influences (god i love steinbeck) with a dash of the faintly surreal, though i wouldn’t call it experimental. presented in standard book style, not terribly long

2. the life of sopwith’s author, who was himself a pilot in the second war, discharged after a serious plane crash — sopwith is published after his stint in the air force and he spends the last six years of his life in a new york hotel (based on the chelsea) obsessively redrafting a second edition of sopwith and filling a horde of journals, which themselves are published 50 years later as an academic text (though the second edition of sopwith never sees the light of day). told in journal passages

3. the efforts of a lit studies doctorate to piece together what it was sopwith’s revised version (never published) was really trying to say while she struggles with her own psychiatric health and her relationship to literature and the world at large. told in footnotes on sopwith, journals, and letters to her brother.

that’s the simplest sort of breakdown — the lit. studies doctorate ends up living in the same hotel the author lived in while she’s working and enters a psychological spiral where she becomes entangled with those last years of the author’s life and the thing he was trying to excise via his book, so the lines get a little blurry as the whole thing progresses. there are lots of throughlines about doubling/communication/the effort of people to corral the world with the written word/etc — inspired a lot by jorge luis borges and also house of leaves. i’m still in the glorious haze of Throw It All On The Page so i expect there’ll be some. refinements? (please god)

despicite, dei, gaudete is the first thing the author ever wrote and published — it’s a novella about an odd family myth a grandmother is telling her grandson, but taking a borges tact what we read instead of the actual novella is the lit doctorate’s essay about it, an excerpt from the middle of which i shall offer you here :)

thanks much for the ask my friend <3 <3

The seemingly obvious moral is twofold: old gods are infinitely cruel, and splitting up in strange forests is a terrible idea (a fact any B-list horror film will readily remind us of). Little chou hears this story, and when the telling of it is over, we discover that chou is now an old man, telling the tale to his granddaughter, and we have been hearing the telling of a telling, itself impressed upon by dimly-recalled circumstance and the erosion of an old man’s memory. Now we see why the impressions of intermediate narrative — a family dinner, a bedtime, a certain firelit drawing room — are so loosely sketched, so half-filled and yet so elemental. They are the memories of a child.

Most take Despicite as Witten’s first establishment of in loco, absentia on the basis of the fact that the real narrative concealed within is the life of chou, understood to us by the particularity of the details he does remember: his mother’s hand vividly recalled, posed mid-stir over a soup pot, thought by many to imply both her early death and chou’s pursuit of the culinary arts; the flames in the hearth and the strange vision chou has of the stones blackened, suggesting at one time that the house burned down; chou’s exquisite ekphrasis of the ceiling in his childhood bedroom, so vivid one cannot help but think that this is where we find him now, perhaps confined to the same quarters he slept in as a child, an old man at the end of his life. Legion readers have pointed out the obvious Biblical influences, the echoes of Cain and Abel (raised as a Protestant in his hometown of Valentine, Nebraska, it’s no small wonder that Witten’s works tend to touch on Christian themes). The first brother, killed and then dismantled by the second, plays our ready Abel, and the second our more hapless Cain, whose inciting sin is perhaps his abandonment of his brother to the dark wood in pursuit of his own reckless belief. He then attempts to “hide” his sin by rectifying it, collecting his brother in an attempt to reverse his transformation into earth. It’s no great leap. Our Cain, of course, is not condemned to wander, but instead condemned to a miserable stasis, from which he similarly does not escape.