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The Top 10 Writing Posts From April 2020

Every month, we look at the posts that people read the most. These were the new Writers Write posts you enjoyed in April 2020:

5 Screenwriting Techniques To Write A Better Novel

5 Great Characters From Terry Pratchett

5 Essential Exercises For Creating Characters

30 Writing Prompts For April 2020

5 Essential Exercises For Plotting

Barbara Kingsolver’s Top 8 Writing Tips

23 Common Phrases You Could be Using Wrong

5 Powerful Examples of Disguise As A Device In Fiction

Vladimir Nabokov’s 3 Qualities For A Major Writer

What Is Dramatic Irony & Why Should I Use It?

Previous Posts

The Top 10 Writing Posts From March 2020

The Top 10 Writing Posts From February 2020

The Top 10 Writing Posts From January 2020

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How would one write a realistic argument?

How to Write a Realistic Argument

Everyone argues.

Whether it be with a friend, sibling, parent, or coworker—arguments usually break out whenever there’s a stark contrast in opinion over certain things, which can happen a lot.

There are a variety of different kinds of arguments involving a wide range of people with different tempers. Because of this, writing arguments can be a bit difficult, but fear not, for this post is here to help!

1. Know The Writing Style of an Argument

For a very serious argument, the characters probably won’t stop and listen to what their opponent has to say.

It’s quick, choppy, and broken—each character shoving their emotions at one another and trying to get their point across without bothering to understand the other side’s opinions.

There should be a lot of em-dashes and italicized words for emphasis, and if it’s between two people, you want as few speech tags as possible; because there’s going to be a lot of back and forth, speech tags can serve to trip up the flow of the argument rather than help them.

When you do want speech tags or if there are multiple people arguing at once here’s some examples you can use:

Roared

Screamed

Yelled

Bellowed

Barked

Hissed

Shouted

Accused

Interrupted

Growled

Snarled

Spat

Screeched

Shrilled

But you also must know that your characters won’t just be standing stock still and yelling at one another; they’re going to be moving around, so here are some things you can describe your character doing during an argument

Expression contorting

Eyes narrowing

Speaking through clenched teeth

Baring their teeth

Lips twisting (into a sneer/into a snarl)

Hands balling into fists

Trembling

Breaking things/knocking stuff over

Pointing accusingly

Shoving

Spittle flying from their mouth

Stamping their feet

Face getting hot

Vein in forehead popping

Blood roaring in their ears/heart pounding

And if you want, to build tension you can put it in a dangerous place, like at the edge of a cliff or something—so you know fully well that if one of them goes too far it may end up with the other’s accidental death.

Keep reading

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Something told me you guys liked the first post I did of this meme so I thought I might as well draw more mwahahaha

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I really love your artstyle! Could I maybe get some tips on how to give variety to faces? My style has a little same face syndrome unfortunately.

personally i found that when i used to sameface its because i was afraid of making an ‘ugly’ face but!! imo an ugly but interesting face is more fun than a good-looking but boring face. go forth

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You: when’s the next fic update

Me:

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Myths, Creatures, and Folklore

Want to create a religion for your fictional world? Here are some references and resources!

General:

General Folklore

Various Folktales

Heroes

Weather Folklore

Trees in Mythology

Animals in Mythology

Birds in Mythology

Flowers in Mythology

Fruit in Mythology

Plants in Mythology

Folktales from Around the World

Africa:

Egyptian Mythology

African Mythology

More African Mythology

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Gods of Africa

Even More African Mythology

West African Mythology

All About African Mythology

African Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

The Americas:

Aztec Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Inca Mythology

Maya Mythology

Native American Mythology

More Inca Mythology

More Native American Mythology

South American Mythical Creatures

North American Mythical Creatures

Aztec Gods and Goddesses

Asia:

Chinese Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

More Japanese Mythology

Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures

Indian Mythical Creatures

Chinese Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Korean Gods and Goddesses

Europe:

Basque Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Etruscan Mythology

Greek Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Mythology

Roman Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Bestiary

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands

Finnish Mythology

Celtic Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Middle East:

Islamic Mythology

Judaic Mythology

Mesopotamian Mythology

Persian Mythology

Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures

Oceania:

Aboriginal Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

More Polynesian Mythology

Mythology of the Polynesian Islands

Melanesian Mythology

Massive Polynesian Mythology Post

Maori Mythical Creatures

Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses

Hawaiian Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses

Creating a Fantasy Religion:

Creating Part 1

Creating Part 2

Creating Part 3

Creating Part 4

Fantasy Religion Design Guide

Using Religion in Fantasy

Religion in Fantasy

Creating Fantasy Worlds

Beliefs in Fantasy

Some superstitions:

Read More

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Don’t be afraid to dream

This beloved Cartoon series

started as this webcomic

This best seller Manga

and critically acclaimed hit animated series

started out as this webcomic

And this best seller novel

And award winning blockbuster movie

started out as a serialized free story on somebody’s website.

Don’t be afraid to write big even if you start small.

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Character Details to Hide from Your Readers

Hiding information from your readers on purpose will help you create tension in your novel. I know this doesn’t work for every novel, but if you’re writing something with elements of suspense and mystery, hiding details and revealing them later will improve your story. This also helps add dimensions to your characters and explore their motivations on a deeper level.

Here are a few things to hide about your characters to create tension:

Whether or not your protagonist is lying

Even good characters lie, especially if they feel like it will protect other people in the long run. There are ways to hint that your character is hiding the truth without actually revealing what the truth is. If your protagonist gets nervous or changes the subject when they’re asked about a specific detail, this will help show your readers that something isn’t quite right. If your character’s deception is hidden and then revealed at the right time, you’ll be able to add exciting tension and shock value to your story.

Who the real villain is

Some of the best tension is created when we’re uncertain about who the real villain is. In mystery/crime novels, for example, there’s often evidence that points to one person who ends up not really being the one we need to worry about. If you hide this information from your readers, you keep them guessing throughout the course of your novel and this will aid in creating suspense.

The truth about their past

When you hide your character’s past from your readers, you have the ability to use it as an explanation for something important later on. For example, if you character has these mysterious powers they can’t explain, you can use their parents and back story in order to reveal later on why it’s happening. Revealing past details slowly over the course of your novel helps build the mystery.

What their secondary goals are

Sometimes characters will have goals no one else knows about but them OR they will have a false goal that their using to cover up their real goal. For example, a character might say they’re rescuing another character because they want to help, but it really might be all about finding some hidden treasure along the way. There are many reasons why a character might want to hide their goals. Explore character motivations on a deeper level and you’ll be able to realistically include this type of deception in your story.

-Kris Noel 

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Just like a prince

AO3

“I’m going to fix everything, Chat Noir! I promise!” Ladybug exclaimed, hugging him quickly before heading back to the portal where Bunnyx was waiting for her.

“Wait!” Chat Noir called out to the red heroine, reaching out to her as she stepped just out of range. His hand dropped to his side as Ladybug turned, her earrings sounding out another reminder. Bunnyx let out a sigh of impatience. “I want you to know, if… if I had a chance to go back again and change what happened here…”

“Chat” Bunnyx let out as a warning. Chat ignored her, keeping unwavering focus on Ladybug. She gave her partner her full attention, as the destruction of Paris laid at their feet. Her heart beat faster and harder than she let on. She hoped he would break the growing tension with a signature pun, but knew the chances were slim. Chat chose his next words carefully, whispering them for only Ladybug’s ears.

“The only thing in this life that I wouldn’t change is you. I don’t regret us. Being together… you made me happier than I’ve been in a very long time. And I understand that you might have to undo it but… I just needed you to know, even if I won’t.” Chat Noir tried to smile to reassure her but as memories of the last few months passed through his head, he just felt – defeated. His head drooped down, and his cat ears deflated as he felt a watery pressure reach his eyes. Ladybug reached out slightly before hesitating. Bunnyx’s call out to them went unheard.

“Chat” She softly called out to him, taking a cautious step towards him. He doesn’t show any sign of responding so she continued. “I don’t know what happened here… but no matter what timeline we’re in, we can always count on one thing.” One of his ears perked up in curiosity. “You and me against the world, right?” Ladybug tightened her left hand to make a fist as she held it out to him. For him, I’ll be as strong as I need to be. “Please don’t leave me hanging, Chaton.”

Slowly, Chat Noir raised his head and was greeted with the stunning image of his lady. A fierceness in her eyes and determination in her pose as her fist was raised out to him. The sight itself brought a bittersweet smile to his face. The last reminder sounded out, but Ladybug made no effort to move away. He fist-bumped back as they let out a soft, “Pound it!” Neither stepped away from each other.

“I have to go.” Ladybug nodded over to where Bunnyx and the portal were. Chat smiled, eyes still glassy as he nodded.

“I know, milady” He breathed out. Ladybug grinned as she turned around. “I love you, Marinette. Always have.” Her heart skipped a beat at his use of her civilian name. She gripped the eraser in her right hand tighter as she took the first step away from him. Don’t look back. She ran towards the portal, as the seconds ticked down on her transformation. Don’t look back. Bunnyx questioned her on what Chat Noir said as she placed the bowl on top of her head, blocking her eyes from the what could bes and the what weres of time. Don’t look back. She began to transform back as she adjusted the bowl. Marinette lifted it only slightly as she gazed back to where she just came from, making eye contact with Chat.

“See you soon, Princess!” Chat Noir called out to her, giving her a dramatic bow and looking livelier than he did a couple seconds ago. She stifled a giggle as the movements reminded her of those fairytale stories.

Just like a prince.

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I’m Back!

Hey y’all. Quick update on Life: 

So, after I got super sick and was out of commission for like a month, I was fired from my job. I jumped head first into the job search, while my student loans slowly crushed me. During this time, I took a break from all art-related activities (Writing, Drawing, and Piano-playing), which are my self-care activities.

Then I felt guilty and stressed out because I stopped editing the Codeword storyline, so I tried to fix up the next part but found myself feeling lackluster about it. 

Flash forward three months, I got a job interview that I was almost certain that I bombed, and ended up getting a job offer. I felt happy but every time I came back to the story I felt frustrated. I told myself that I shouldn’t work on any other storylines I have in my head if I couldn’t complete this one. (Which is a bad way to cultivate creativity - Don’t do this!)

After a month of internal arguments with myself, I have come to the conclusion that I’m just going to write to write. This means that Codeword is going on a break.

I wasn’t sure if I should write this but I was talking with a friend and he told me that he feels the same way sometimes and he actually convinced me to start writing again. So here I am!

I wanted you all to know that I will be dipping into different fandoms moving forward and I’ll begin to post everything to AO3 as well so yeah.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and Happy almost New Years!

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You don’t have a Codeword (Part Eight)

Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five  Part Six  Part Seven

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Words: 2063

Author’s Note: A few things...

1) Thank you so much for being so patient and supportive with me as I worked to get back to A+ health. I really appreciate it and I hope you all can forgive me for the month-long hiatus.

2) I originally planned for this part to come out today, as I finished editing it last night. Imagine my surprise when I was finishing the final touches this morning and news about Marvel/Disney’s split with Sony broke through. I may or may not have spent most of the day between news and social media wondering what this could mean for the Holland-Spiderman storyline.

3) As we get closer to the end of this story, I wanted y’all to know that the parts will now be released further apart, instead of my original every-other-day timeline. This is because a lot of responsibilities were pushed upon my health concerns, and I reallyyyyyyyyy need to catch up on everything. Thank you for understanding!

You and Peter were running late. After landing on his apartment building, he quickly changed back into his regular clothes and began guiding you through the building. He said he would’ve lead you down the fire escape to his room, however it would just pose too many questions that he didn’t want to answer.

The building looked vaguely familiar to the building Peter took you to the night you told him the truth. You asked Peter if your suspicions were right, but he just blushed and looked away, changing the topic to how excited he was to see his friends. His smile reflected on your face until a voice in your head distracted you.

The nagging voice reminded you that you would be seeing the timers of Peter’s loved ones. It reminded you of the timer above Peter himself. The overwhelming feeling started coming back.

“(Y/N)” Peter called, waving his hands in front of you. You hadn’t noticed that he stopped in front of you, standing next to what you could assume was his apartment door. You whispered your apologizes but he frowned in response. Turning away, Peter bit his lip. After a moment, he spoke up, “Do you know why I-“

The door opened, stopping Peter mid-sentence. You turned to your father, who now stood in the doorway.

“Took you two long enough.” He teased with a small smile, grabbing both your and Peter’s shoulders and pulling the two of you into the apartment. You barely had time to glance around the home before someone was already eagerly shaking your hand.

“It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Ned. I’m Peter’s best friend!” The boy greeted, still shaking your hand. You smiled at him as you tried not to glance up at the numbers that danced above his head. You looked beside you, however Peter was no longer there. You fought the urge to bite your lip and cross your arms as you responded to his best friend.

“Hi Ned. I’m (Y/N)” If he noticed the nervousness in your voice, he didn’t comment on it because he quickly began asking you about what it was like living around the Avengers. You responded to every question he had and took this time to look around the apartment. It was small but comforting. Your eyes traced the walls that were decorated with pictures of Peter’s family. Ned’s questioning was soon interrupted by another voice, one you didn’t recognize. Your eyes met with an older woman.

“Ned, sweetie? Can you help MJ and Peter bring the food to the table?” The woman gently asked. Ned looked at her abruptly, nodding his head, taking one more glance at you, before disappearing to the kitchen. “So you’re (Y/N). I’m Peter’s aunt, you can call me May.” She smiled down at you, as you looked at her gratefully. It was nice to have peace from the questions.

“Hey there, Sleepy” A voice came from behind you. A smile quickly found its way onto your face upon hearing it. Turning around, you came face to face with the Happy Hogan. Before Happy was in charge of Spiderman’s development, he was tasked with checking in on you. Although, you mostly stayed in your room- giving you the nickname ‘Sleepy’. A smile was returned to you as he ruffled your hair. You feigned annoyance as you tried to fix your hair back. He chuckled as he walked around you to stand next to May.

“It’s very nice to meet you May.” You politely greeted, feeling a lot more at ease with a familiar face around. You slightly turned your head to look at Happy, your voice taking more of a playful tone to it “Long time no see, Grumpy”

“Grumpy?” Asked May, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, turning to Happy. His cheeks grew a light pink shade, flustering when her eyes landed on him. You looked at him questioning. Was he blushing? Should you help?

“When I was younger, I was really into Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. And…” You trailed off, hoping she understood the reference. You were more interested in Happy’s response, however. May softly laughed as she nodded in understanding, her eyes twinkling as they met Happy’s.

“Why Grumpy?” She wondered. You smiled in memory as Happy looked at you, shaking his head slightly as the corners of his mouth took a slight upturn.

“He can’t help but get grumpy around me. One time, when he was especially wound up, the kid heard him grumbling to himself in front of the mirror about how ‘one of these days, I’m going to put Tony Stark in his place’” Your dad chimed in, putting his arm around your shoulders. He quickly looked between May and Happy, “But I think you might need to change it to Bashful, with that look” He joked. Happy choked on air as you nudged your dad in the ribs. “What?” Happy grew a deeper shade of red, so you quickly changed the subject, asking May about her life. He looked over to you, grateful for the change in topic, while your dad snickered beside you.

“Dinner is ready!” Peter called out from another room. May lead the three of you to where Peter and his two friends set up for dinner. The table held 6 chairs, and it looked like they grabbed a random chair from a different room to fit the 7 of you. Almost immediately, May took the head of the table. Happy took the seat to the right of May and Tony next to him. Peter took the other head of the table with Tony to his left and MJ to his right. Ned sat next to her and you went to sit between him and May.

The dinner was delicious but otherwise uneventful. Peter was speaking to his friends and family with ease and you couldn’t help but rest your eyes on him for the majority of the time. You justified it by explaining to yourself that he did say it was okay to do so when you were feeling overwhelmed and you were. He surrounded by his loved ones, and unbeknownst to them, his time was running out.

Peter’s time shortening was your fault even if you didn’t want to acknowledge it. And here you were surrounded by the people who loved him and who may have to live without him because of you. You could only hope that you were wrong. Taking a deep breath, you focused on your almost empty plate. You were full and awkwardly pushed the food around on your plate.

Throughout the dinner, Ned engaged in different conversations from TV shows to movies with you. You were trying your best to keep up, however you were easily distracted by Peter and MJ in their own private conversation. You tried not to let the sour taste in your mouth change how you behaved, slightly wishing that it was you that was having private conversations with the boy sitting on the other side of the table.

The wish only grew when you heard Peter laugh at something she said as she pushed his shoulder in mock anger. Ned stopped talking upon noticing your attention was elsewhere.

He sighed, envy etched onto his face, “Yeah, young love…” The sour taste returned, this time paired with a sinking feeling filling your chest. You looked down at your plate once more, trying to think of something- anything- to change the topic to. Your hopes were dashed as Ned continued, “Honestly, sometimes I think they were probably made for each. They are both into the weirdest things, you know?“  

No, you didn’t know. From all your talks with Peter, he never mentioned anything that you would consider weird. Did that mean he did not feel comfortable sharing with you? You felt yourself sinking in your chair as emotions you never felt before over took you. It felt like there was a weight pushing down on your chest and you couldn’t focus on anything else that came out of Ned’s mouth. You wondered if you even had a right to feel the way you did. You’ve only just met Peter, but the anchor in the pit of your stomach didn’t lighten the load you felt in your throat.

“The fair is in town. (Y/N), have you been before?” May interjected as you felt Happy’s and your dad’s eyes land on you, softly trying to provide comfort. Your dad’s eyes then flitted over to Ned, narrowing slightly. Guilt seeped into your heart. It wasn’t Ned’s fault. MJ and Peter stopped their conversation at the question, turning towards you. You felt the tips of your ears burn as you straightened up in your chair.

“No, I didn’t even realize there was one that came to town.” You shook out, your voice a little uneven from the added attention on you. You coughed, trying to clear your throat as May smiled gently.

“Oh! You should go then, you should all go. I’m not sure how much longer they’ll be in town.” Your stomach tied in knots. You’ve always wanted to go, however the sight of timers made it almost impossible. But this time would be different, you thought, this time you would have a distraction. The knots started to loosen as you grew giddy at the thought of being able to attend and see what it was all about.

Before you could give your response, you remembered… Today wasn’t about you. You turned to look at Peter, biting your lip in hopes that he would be okay with going. He tilted his head as his eyes scanned your face. You weren’t sure what he was looking for but whatever it was he found, because after a moment he smiled and gave you a nod. You felt the smile return to your face as you turned back to May.

“I would love to” You responded, feeling the tension leave your body. Ned beamed next to you.

“Oh my gosh, you’re going to love it! I go every year. Peter, MJ, and I are going to go next weekend, if you wanted to wait until then.” He rushed out. Your eyes widened, swiftly glancing over to Peter. He made no effort to look away from you, taking a moment to himself, before turning back at Ned with a small smile, wavering in its portrayal.

“How about we go tonight instead?” He asked, slowly and purposefully looking around the table at Tony, you, Ned, and then MJ. Ned pursued his lips, mulling it over in his head. You held your breath, not sure what the response to the change of plans would be. MJ was the first to speak up.

“Ned, it’s not like we were going to do anything tonight anyways. We don’t have lives like that. Let’s just go.” She deadpanned, with a slight roll of her eyes. The harshness of the comment was undercut by the small curl at the edges of her lips. Nevertheless, your jaw dropped at what she said, as Ned and Peter laughed. The adults, other than your father who joined in the laughter, looked slightly uncomfortable at the jab. You rapidly blinked as you looked around the table with wide eyes, not sure how to proceed from the comment. Thankfully, Ned was able to continue.

“Wow, you can’t even let me have my moment in front of the Tony Stark.” He got out in between laughs. He was able to calm down a bit after checking the time, “We should head out soon. I’d rather not stay out ‘til midnight.”

“Heaven forbid you miss your bedtime” MJ loudly whispered. Ned stuck out his tongue at her as more laughs came out. Peter grinned at his friends, eyes softening as he looked between them. You took this chance to observe him. He looked so carefree with them, so happy. You wondered if you would be able to make him laugh as hard as MJ did. You wondered if he would ever look at you with as much ease as he did with Ned. You wondered if his heart pounded in his chest when he looked at you, like yours did.

Peter turned back at you, his grin widening as a soft pink filled his cheeks. 

A warmth replaced the sour taste in your mouth as you grinned back.

Part Nine  (coming soon)

Taglist: @shaydeevee33, @peter-spider-parker-man, @savedbystark, @antisocialprincessxox, @mxxkscreate-write, @stuckonpeterparker, @roserrys, @00midnight-thoughts00, @ironspider-girl, @mikariell95, @sailorcrescentpotter1, @spideykiks

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How many parts are you planning to write for “you don’t have a code word”? Love the series!

It’s funny you ask because its been a consistent question on my mind as well. Originally it was nine. When I started editing them, that number increased to ten, then to twelve, then back to ten, then to eleven... Hahaha

Anyways, I haven’t edited the last few chapters but if I had to guesstimate, I would say somewhere between 11-13. Thank you for the question and for the praise! <3

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Love your work ! I hope you're okay and taking care of yourself, lots of love

Thank you so much. I’m getting off the antibiotics in 3 days so I’m super hyped to jump back into the story. I really appreciate the concern and the love! <3 <3 Much love!

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You don't have a Codeword (Update)

I am very much motivated to get the next part out, but since Sunday, I've been bed ridden with bronchitis so it's gonna be a hot minute. Thank you for bearing with me!

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You don’t have a Codeword (Part Seven)

Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five  Part Six

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Words: 1388

“I want you…” Peter trailed off, rethinking his word choice. Your breath caught in your throat, causing you to cough. Peter’s eyes grew wide and he took two steps back. “Not like that! I mean not, not like…  It’s just that… when you notice the timers you… distance yourself. I can’t help you not see them, but… I can help distract you, so you see them less. Did that make sense? I feel like that didn’t make sense.” Peter continued to ramble. You were speechless. Did it make sense? Noticing that you were not going to reply, Peter carefully clarified, ”I want you to let me know when you start to feel overwhelmed and I’ll help distract you.”

“How would you distract me?” You asked, finding your words. He grinned, licking his lips. 

“I guess you’re just going to have to find out.” And just like that, he turned and walked out of the alley. You started lightly chuckling at the way his cheeks reddened right before turning away from you. You followed him out, catching up to walk beside him. The smile that graced your face didn’t leave. If anything, it grew with each glance Peter threw at you. 

“Do you like art?” He asked out of the blue. You were getting used the comfortable silence during your walk to nowhere in particular. You didn’t have to think about the question to know your answer.

“Absolutely” You tried not to gush. It was your favorite subject at school and your love of it only grew as you found yourself separating from the outside world. Art replicated reality in such a way that it made you forget all you could see was death. Art never dies, forever captured in the medium of the artist’s choice. Peter’s eyes brightened at your response and he proceeded to motion you to follow him as he sped down the block, turning suddenly into another alley.

“Another alley? Where are we going?” You asked following him to an area between two dumpsters. The smell of old pizza and sewage hit your nose. You crinkled your nose in disgust. Peter on the other hand didn’t look too affected, currently changing into his Spider suit. “Are we fighting crime?” Peter chuckled, before motioning you to place his web shooters on.

“Not yet, I just figured we would get around a lot faster via web” He teased, “Follow me!” He called as he jumped and swung away. You smiled and swung towards the direction he did. 

“Are we going to a museum?” You guessed, yelling out to him, not knowing if he would hear you over the wind hitting your faces. You know he did though, because he suddenly slowed making you side-swing around him to keep from swinging into him. You turned back to look at him in question. He looked at you with his head tilted, as if a museum never even crossed his mind. He shook his head after a moment and replied back to you.

“No, even better” With that, he continued to speed away, passing you once more. You laughed, enjoying the mystery. You felt that every moment spent with the boy eagerly swinging away from you was an adventure. You felt your worries disappearing as the two of you rushed pass the buildings of New York. Peter landed on a nearby building after a couple of minutes, and you quickly followed suit.

“Welcome to Harlem” He stated, with a smile. 

“Harlem?” You asked, not seeing anything particularly eye catching. He laughed and asked you to turn around. Upon doing so, you understood. You gawked at the sight. It was three-dimensional mural of a black and white tunnel heading towards a light. It displayed the interweaving of geometrical shapes that encompassed the entirety of the eastern-side of this four-story apartment building. The light at the end of the tunnel lit up the path leading to it, while the tunnel itself, walls and all, was progressively getting darker as your eyes got closer to the light.

“A museum is a great way to see the best art in the eyes of a curator, but street art? No, street art is the way to see the best art in the eyes of people who just want to express themselves” Peter whispered to you, as his eyes sought out every inch of the artwork in front of you.

“Some people become heroes because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better-looking place.” You quoted, turning softly so Peter was still visible in the corner of your eye as you took in the art piece. He glanced at you. “Banksy said that, I think” You supplied in response to his questioning look. He softly laughed before leading you on a tour through Harlem, viewing some of his favorite pieces and some new ones that had popped up since he’d last been there. 

You weren’t sure how much time had passed before the two of you sat on the edge of a high-rise that over viewed the neighborhood. He was in the middle of talking about the different movements that inspired groups to take to the walls in their support.

“You really love them, don’t you?” You asked, a ghost of a smile on your face as you stared at him. He was staring out at the hustle below as people began to get off work.

“Who?” He asked, turning to look at you. A smile made its way onto his face as your eyes met. For a moment, you forgot what you were talking about, feeling lost in the chocolate waves rolling in his eyes. You turned away, looking out at the people below as you tried to remember.

“People.” You clarified, glancing back at him. He furrowed his brow as he nodded. “What do you love about them?” You asked. It’s not like you didn’t love people too, you just wanted to understand Peter more. The last four and a half hours were dedicated to others, and while you had more fun than you ever had in the last decade combined, you wanted to know why.

“You, me, everyone- We’re amazing.” He simply stated. You pursued your lips at him, not satisfied with his answer. He laughed at you before trying to explain, “Have you ever seen someone talk about what they love?” After thinking it over, you nodded. “Their eyes light up, and its almost as if their thoughts are moving faster than their mouth. Have you seen someone laugh so hard that they just sort of bounce around breathlessly?” He didn’t wait for you to respond. His eyes darting from person to person below.

“People feel so intensely. I mean, we have favorite colors, movies, foods- Imagine someone just telling you that a story they read made them feel so much that it was now the best story in their eyes: their favorite story.” You bit your lip, listening to Peter’s passion leaving his lips, seeing the way his eyes lit up for others. 

“And they create so much through these emotions. They create those favorite stories, they create the art on these walls, they create music, shows, games. And in turn create more feelings into the world so others can feel what they did when they were creating or feel something totally different.” Peter took a deep breath before finishing. “People feel. All of them do, whether they are good, bad, or somewhere in between. I love people because it makes me feel when I see them feel.”

You were speechless, trying to find the words that could express what you were feeling. Adoration? Affection? You weren’t sure. Your heart ached as you fought the urge to close the distance between you and the boy who infiltrated your life. 

“We should head out before we’re late to dinner” Peter broke the silence. You opened your mouth, wanting to say how you felt. But words that you didn’t know caught in your throat and died on your lips. He gave you a small smile and only one word was able to escape. It wasn’t the one you wanted, or even one you realized was coming out, but it was the only one that could at this moment.

“Okay”

Part Eight 

Author’s Note: Two things: 1) Yes, I changed Banksy’s quote just a little to better fit the story and 2) The piece that I used for the mural can be found here. It’s important to me that when I use certain pieces in works, that I do them justice so I just wanted you all to know that this piece can actually be found in Harlem and was created by the French artist Astro. It depicts the famous gates of Tehran University in Iran in an effort to highlight the #EducationIsNotACrime movement. 

Taglist: @shaydeevee33, @peter-spider-parker-man, @savedbystark, @antisocialprincessxox, @mxxkscreate-write, @stuckonpeterparker, @roserrys, @00midnight-thoughts00, @ironspider-girl

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@ironspider-girl 

You don’t have a Codeword (Part Six)

Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Words: 2594

Author’s Note: I definitely tried to get this out yesterday, however the original Part Six was just too darn long and not fluffy enough so I’ve been working on rewriting and separating it into individual parts.

Ripping your gaze from Peter’s timer, you met his eyes. This was it. You held your breath as you gave your answer.

“Peter, I…” You snuck a peek at Tony before continuing, “…don’t think I should tell you. I trust that we’ll get your time back, I really do. And when we do, I don’t want you to live your life with the thought of your timer counting down on you.” You finished, nervously fidgeting your fingers. Silence filled the room as Peter looked away in thought.

“Okay” He accepted after what felt like hours, straightening his back.

“Okay?” You questioned, frowning slightly. You were glad that he respected your decision, however a part of you was disappointed that he didn’t try to push it. He looked back towards you and gave a slight smile.

“Okay. I trust you, both of you.” He confirmed, the slight tremor in his hands betraying the confidence of his eye contact.

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