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neonovember · 1 year

Note

Hi babes!

Could you possibly write a battinson x sunshine vigilante!reader where the reader is just an absolute sweetheart in and out of the suit. Like she's super sweet to literally everyone she meets but she's also a badass vigilante. Maybe her and Gordon are close friends and that's how Pattinson meets her and he is just absolutely lovestruck when he meets her for the first time. Like a love at first site kind of thing, he's just absolutely whipped and enamored by the reader. Maybe written from Batsy's pov.

Much love babes

thank you so much anon for sending this prompt! I know this is super duper late, but it was a wonderful idea I truly wanted to do it justice. I made the reader a little morally grey cause I think it would be a little different, so I hope you enjoy darling! Feel free to send in any of your requests and asks and even if it takes time I’ll make sure it's done. (who I write for)

Carved in stone

pairings: bruce wayne x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of drug trafficking, morally grey!characters, Gotham itself (its a warning alright), mentions of loss and grief, and a hint of touch!starved bruce if you turn it upside down and squint.

word count: 4.6K

The darkness that surrounds Bruce as he steps into his cave is one that he embraces like an old friend. The light that shines from every frosted window of the Manor stabs his eyes with an insistent twinge akin to a razor blade that had been left to rot on a windowsill during one of Gotham's thunderstorms.

There is a child-like fear in the air of the glacier cave sheathed in its darkness, the kind that materialises into green monsters and pale ghosts in the thin veil of nightmares. The kind that causes your parents to check under your bed, behind your clothing rack, in your closet.

Places where shadows and darkness would settle and make a home for itself. For most children, that gripping fear would outgrow itself over the years, replaced instead with reaching the 5th bar on the playground, failing driving tests, and falling in love for the first time. That was life, but Bruce Wayne was hardly a normal child. He had surpassed his pupils years before they had even begun to walk on two feet, and yet, that gripping fear of the dark still sprouted open deep within his stomach every time.

He has to shake it off of himself, as he reaches for his seat in front of the blaring screens projected from his desk. What he had found was too important to be tainted by the pathetic fears he allowed into his mind. Placing the contacts into the surveillance reader, Bruce combs through the hours of footage captured by the camera placed over his pupil.

He had been trailing a shipment of drugs and armed artillery that was masked as a children's book delivery that had frequently made its route through Gotham's city streets. You didn't need to be Batman to know that it wasn’t the next edition of Captain fuckin’ Underpants being delivered to the underfunded children's orphanage. No, greed had taken over any sliver of humanity within Gotham governors long before the barrel of murders rocked through the suburban neighbourhoods and left hundreds orphaned.

He could hunt those killers down, but the crooked thug that had massacred his family was something Bruce would never be able to make it right.

The irony burnt a hole through the veil of what was left of him.

Gordon had been no help in tracking those marked vans down, whispering under the guise of the moonlight one night atop Gotham PD’S rooftop that it made his officers nervous. ‘Jittery and anxious’. Especially after so many of their dear brothers in blue ended up neck-deep in the underground crime syndicate they were meant to investigate, only to have their heads on a stick at the bottom of Miller Harbour.

Oh yes, Bruce knew all too well how greed had the habit of seeping into the morals of even the most respectable men, corruption had a way of appealing like salvation when you had no choice. That's what Gordan had said, and Batman laughed at that, shook his head and spit out in venom,

“There is always a choice, Gordon”

So it was up to Bruce now, the vigilante sheathed in darkness to uncover every small detail that could lead him to where these vans were heading too. This was different however, there was an unsettling itch behind his eyes, something pressing into his mind, begging him to see. And it isn't until he catches the flash of silver from the corner of the warehouse that he notices that someone else has been watching them too. Clicking on the magnified frame, Bruce leans in to try and decipher the glimpse of a face turned to the side, obscured by a black hooded cape that seemed to camouflage them into the darkness. The facial recognition software embedded in Bruce's computer pulled up nothing, not even a single trace of a face like theirs, obscured as it was.

Someone that lived in the shadows as Bruce did, someone who made it a home for themselves.

Bruce needed to find out who they were.

Now suddenly, Bruce has an actual reason to go to Gordan.

You rip off the latex body suit that enabled you to glide through the air, and shove your face into a navy hoodie in the backseat of your car parked outside the GCPD parking lot. It wasn’t safe but you had no choice, anonymity wasn’t pretty, and it sure isn’t easy.

But what you had found tonight, trailing after those marked vans that drove down the streets of Gotham like they fucking owned the place, was too sensitive to hold onto any longer than you had to.

Your eyes strain and survey the dark city streets filled with drop heads stumbling around and the thugs that fucked with them, for that same marked van charging towards you. You knew they wouldn’t dare come within the vicinity of the police department, and most importantly, you were smart enough to not leave even a hint of a trail.

It was irrational, but you knew enough of this life to know not to bet on rationality to keep you alive. You have to force yourself to shake it off before slamming the car door behind you and marching towards Gordan's office.

Officers decked out in uniform, glance at you twice before recognition fills their features, barking out hushed hellos and waves of acknowledgement towards you with confused faces as you walk through the department walls. You couldn’t blame them, your dark makeup had smudged from the humid air of rainfall and fog, and the incessant itch of your eye didn’t make it any better, even your cover outfit was washed in a deep midnight black.

They were used to seeing you in bright colours and skirts every time you met with Gordan to transfer any knowledge you had gathered the night before during your vigilance. Usually, you would wait until the next morning, when the mask of your pedestrian outfit and a sunshine smile would keep any questioning looks from the Officers around you at bay. To them, you were just a friend of Gordan who happened to actually like the last few pieces of Old Gotham.

It wasn’t like you were putting on a facade, despite the incriminating outfit you wore now, you loved the colour as much as a child loves colouring outside the lines, your home itself was true to that. A true reflection of the warmth and sunshine you radiated, filled with potted plants hanging from ceilings and in corners, dyed pane windows that reflected warm hues of orange and yellow when the sun set over your studio apartment.

But that didn't mean you would let crime syndicates tear through your home, and this couldn’t wait until the next morning, no, no it was too personal, and oh how you loved mixing pleasure and business.

You couldn’t wait until you got their jaws crushed beneath your boot, watch their blood run through the city streets until it washed away all the crime, and the filth was clean.

You had a special hatred for people who exploited children, using them as a cover to transport drugs and arms had motivated you enough to spend the entire 3 nights straight documenting their every move, where their vans lead to and from when they would start their daily route of drug trafficking. It was imprinted into your brain, an obsession you would have to pretend was for the good of peace to Gordon, and not for your own twisted vengeance.

You don’t knock as you charge through the office doors of Gordon's chief floor, your connection to Gotham City’s Police commissioner gives you free clearance of the department, and your baked honey biscuits were good enough to bribe even the stone-cold assistant parked outside Gordan's office anyway.

You shut the door with an even loud ruckus, causing Gordan to sigh as he rummaged through papers stained with smoke scattered across his desk.

“Now what do I owe the pleasure of having Ms Sunshine in my office this goddamn late in the night?” Gordan says, not even having to look up to know it’s your loud boots against the hallway floors.

“Gordan” You reply, marching towards his desk until you are standing across from him.

“Yes?” Gordan replies, still skimming through the backlog of case files and police reports that seemed to double every night.

“Gordan.” You reply again, this time with an edge of urgency in your tone, and it’s sharp enough to cause Gordan to flicker his focus towards you.

“Those vans I was telling you about? The ones I’ve been trailing since August? I’ve finally found something, the cold must have loosened them up a bit because they got pretty fucking lazy” You start before Gordan cuts you off with a half-hearted sigh.

“You’ve been on them for months now Sunny, every bit of information you’ve squeezed out of them has led us to dead ends. Every time we’ve found a trail to their hideouts it’s packed up and shut down by the time we arrive.” Gordan replies before you shake your head quickly

“No, listen, Gordan, we’ve been looking at it the wrong way” You press on, but Gordan shakes his head

“I can’t afford the manpower Sunny, you know how my men have been feeling lately, the whole department is just holding their breath. Fucking restless, you damn near scared me marching in like that”.

You grit your teeth as you mutter under your breath, Gordan wasn’t listening to you, you didn’t need his men, they were all cowardly corrupt assholes on a power trip anyway. You just needed him, and he wasn’t listening.

“Sometimes you won’t always get to win every battle alright? It doesn’t work that way for us, you gotta save it for the big ones, the ones that are so bad you can’t even see them yet. You start putting your heart into it like you're doing right now? You’re gonna lose yourself along the way”

“They’re using fucking kids Gordan” You bark out when he begins another speech, you can’t help it. Gordans acting as if this is some small drug bust in a crack house. It’s way bigger than that, more sinister, it always is.

Gordan looks towards you wide-eyed, eyebrows furrowing as he opens his mouth to talk before closing it again.

You see that as a guide to continue,

“We’ve been seein’ those vans' as transporting the drugs through the cover of the orphanage, but they’re only using it to get to the warehouse. We can never find the drugs on them because it never was, they’re using the goddamn kids to traffick it, Gordan, fucking middle schoolers”.

“Jesus Christ”

“Okay, alright-uh” Gordon mutters under his breath as he gathers the paperwork strewn in front of him. He reaches into an unmarked drawer, pulls out a white card, and scribbles a mix of numbers onto it you had never seen before.

“Take this-” Gordon begins, motioning to hand you the card before you shake your head

“Gordan-”

“Take this, and meet me tomorrow, please” Gordon pleads, looking up at you, you wait a bit before nodding and taking the card from his palm.

“Come at the same time, but maybe next time you come barging in you at least change first” Gordon groans, knowing the litany of questions he was bound to get hounded for the second you left.

You roll your eyes, “I did” You mutter under your breath before saying Gordan's name again

“Thank you, Gordon, seriously, you're the only hope I have left in Gotham you know, the only one who actually cares what happens to this goddamn city,” You say

“I’m sure that’ll change soon Sunny” Gordan hides a smile, nodding towards you, before you leave his office quickly. You are too absorbed with the hidden message Gordan had said just before you left, to notice Gordans secretary staring into your back, what did he mean?

You ruminate over it as you pass the officers and down the precinct stairs, piling into your car and driving through backlit streets illuminated by just the moon in the sky and the sound of bats.

The visions of the cries of children fill your nights and leave you restless in the morning. You know you shouldn't, but you spend the break of dawn surveying the barren city streets for any sign of their presence, and when your obsession leaves you coming up empty you pull over and step out into the harbour bay.

You stare off into the Miller manor, watching the violent waves of the river crash into each other. Some people had an unrelenting fear of the ocean, of what may lay in its depths, but you had grown to fall in love with its beauty.

It was simple in its destruction, washing away the dirt and filth of the world. You had wished to escape in it, swim down to the bottom where you would lay for eternity, let the waves crash into you and take you away from it all.

You spent the entire morning standing there, blinking back hot tears and the brick that formed in your throat when you began to think too much of what you had lost.

You went home, for the first time since yesterday, and slept until you forgot.

-- -

Decked out in a light-coloured skirt and your face free from the dark black eyeshadow streaming down your face, you marched into the police department once again.

This time the officers greeted you with a genuine smile, seeming to forget about the events of yesterday, and were even more elated when you uncovered the Tupperware filled with the cookies you had made. You figured food would make them forget about it all but it seemed Gordan had beat you to it.

Opening the door to Gordan's office, you can't help but let out a chuckle when you see the commissioner in the same position you had stormed into last night. Gordon perks up at the noise, rolling his eyes before collecting the papers into a neat file and walking towards you.

Gordan begins to say something before a loud commotion muffled his reply, you reach for your gun fitted into the holster on your waist, and shift your body to point it towards the door of Gordan’s office.

It begins to shake as the loud sound of metal on wood gets increasingly closer and you can't decipher it until it stops at the front of Gordans office to understand what it is.

Footsteps.

Your eyes catch the door handle and begin to turn slowly, and you take a tentative step closer to the door, forming into a defensive stance with your gun pointed straight ahead and your finger dangerously close to the trigger.

The door opens much like it had before, with a loud bang, and you aim your gun towards the darkness that follows.

“Wait!” Gordon screams towards you, but you don't dare to take your eyes off the dark figure missing your perfect shots. There is a release of compartments before the figure uncovers itself, and there he is, in all his beautiful and dark glory:

Batman.

Batman’s POV

“What the hell Gordon?” You murmur, the glow of the table lamp illuminates your features, highlighting every dip and curve and line and Bruce can’t help but stare.

“Listen, please put your gun down Sunny, I invited him alright? Because there is no one in this precinct who can help you half as much as he could'' Gordon says, and Bruce catches your scrutinising gaze that seems to penetrate him through his cowl.

He raises his eyebrows as if testing the waters to see if you'll really do it, but you sheath your gun back into the holster hidden under that patterned skirt that's got Bruce thinking thoughts he shouldn’t.

“Uh, I think this conversation is better equipped somewhere more..discrete. Follow me” Gordon coughs, before opening the office doors. Bruce follows the dark patterned shirt of Gordon back from a short distance, you by his side, the heat emanating from you causes Bruce to step further away.

Bruce moves like he knows the ins and outs of the building, his shoulders tense, and his eyes always searching, but his body moves fluidly through the halls like muscle memory etched into him and you can't stop staring. Bruce catches your eyes once, his cobalt blues stare right back at you with no hesitation, a flicker of recognition flashes over his eyes and Bruce begins to piece the face that's got his heart stopping and his hands reaching all at once.

You shift your eyes to the wainscotting lining the walls of the precinct, and Bruce's chest burns with a desperate need to see you seeing him. Bruce didn't know what overcame him, it seemed like the fear of the dark was replaced with the fear of never seeing you again. Bruce didn't even know your name, just Sunny. Bruce wanted to see how it would taste on his tongue, speaking your name and having your reply.

“You sure you know your way ‘round this building Gordan?” You sigh, as it seemed you both were through endless hallways

“We’re here” Gordon replies, before pushing a lever door that opens into the precinct rooftop.

Bruce steps out into the rooftop courtyard, the cold chill of the night breeze does nothing to the burning hot in his stomach, but your visibility shivers and Bruce has to stop himself from covering you with his own damn cape.

Gordan passes you his worn-out leather jacket and you take it gingerly before he nods to Bruce in understanding moving to the far end of the roof.

You step towards the edge of the roof, knuckles turning white as you grip the handrail and Bruce watches you gaze out into the sky-scraping towers of Gotham City, glistening under the pale moonlit sky.

“It doesn't look so bad from up here you know?” You murmur, and Bruce's eyes flicker from the city streets below to your gaze.

Bruce shakes his head “No, no it doesn't”

“But then, doesn't everything get uglier up close?” You continue, your gaze flickering back to the city skyline

“No, not everything” Bruce replies in a whisper, but it's loud enough to hear and you shift your gaze back to Bruce

“You were there, weren't you?” Bruce says, the recognition hit him the second you stared off into the city, that same dip in the cheek, that same mark on your jaw. You were sheathed in the cover of the warehouse darkness then, and adorned an outfit akin to what Bruce was wearing now, but it was you the entire time.

“I suppose it was, but how were you there, Batman?” You reply, eyes flickering down to Bruce's tall stature,

“Been trailing them for weeks, but every single thread of their trail-” Bruce says

“Is a loose end” You murmur, and Bruce nods in agreement.

“I know it may look like it isn't, but I've been after them for even longer, and it’s like this has become my entire life now you know? If they can’t be stopped, if I can't stop them then’”

“What’s the point” Bruce replies

You nod thoughtfully, it was why you had barely slept in the last month, barely ate, this vengeance, this thirst for justice, it consumed you. And now it seemed you had met someone who was consumed by it too.

“How did this” You gesture between Bruce and Gordan “alliance even form” You question, it didn't really hit you then but this was the known vigilante that had been plastered on the front of newspapers across Gotham, now standing, comfortably on GCPD’s rooftop.

Bruce hides a chuckle, shaking his head “It’s a long story, but you see that light projector there” Bruce gestures his chin to the signal hidden near the edge of the rooftop, tilted to the sky.

“It’s a distress signal, carved out in a bat wing, and whenever Gordan turns it on, I always come, no matter what”. Bruce says

“I’m not foolish, these people we're both after, aren't the normal crooks and pickpocketing gangs, and together we can put an end to all of this, and I know you I haven’t made the best defence compared to the hundreds of newspapers calling for my head, but I care, I care about Gotham-

“I know, Batman” You stop Bruce mid-way through his erratic tangent, reigning him back in with that heavenly voice of yours.

“Bruce” He replies, after a heated silence, and a flash of recognition fills you.

How could you not have pieced it before? You don’t know if Bruce sees the surprise in your eyes but it dissolves right back into the space between you.

“Bruce” You nod, his name taste sweet on you tongue and it has him yearning to hear it again.

“I thought I would be scared if I ever came face to face with Batman, but, all I feel, all I really feel is understanding. I know you, Bruce, I know you because I see myself in you. This long life of fighting, of putting your everything in your purpose. It gives you a reason to survive in this hellscape, but it also fucking destroys you.” You say, eyes searching Bruce’s .

“How did you get into this life?” Bruce says

“I know from this darn skirt that is yellow of all things it may not look like it but I’ve been fighting the plague of crime and greed that had taken over this city for years”

“First with the power of books that could lead me to become something those rich fucks needed and then with my fists after this city took something from me it had no right to. And honestly? I’m surprised I hadn’t run into you sooner”

“Don't say sorry because I’ve hated that word ever since it happened” You reply

Bruce nods, his grip on the rooftop rial tightening as he stares off into the city skyline, Bruce wore his loss like a tattoo imprinted on his forehead, anyone could see what the violence of this city had done to him without having to read the hundreds of newspapers detailing his parent's gruesome death.

But you, at first glance seemed like a damn tourist in this city, unfazed by the crime and death that seems suffocating to Bruce, radiating a kind of glow and kindness Bruce had long forgotten exists.

“And for the record, I don’t read the newspaper” You reply, causing Bruce to let out a chuckle

“Oh yeah? You’re too prestigious for ink on paper?” Bruce replies

“No, not really, I just like to get my news first hand, as an observer. My uniform may not be as prestigious as yours, but it gets the job done and is a hell of a lot more discreet” You reply, a smile pulling at your cheek.

“Discreet is definitely the word to call it, couldn't even decipher your face in a damn near million-dollar computer” Bruce replies

You look at him in confusion, but he simply shrugs in response and before you can let out a reply, Gordon comes back into view from whatever dark corner he had ventured to.

“Now that you have acquainted yourselves, why don't we find a way to take those sick fuckers down” Gordan replies, and Bruce catches the delighted expression that forms over your features. You nod enthusiastically towards Gordon's words, interjecting pieces of information that even Bruce himself had not acquired. Bruce watches you in your element, formulating a plan with a million other plans B’s, that same unstoppable desire to protect this city that drives Bruce to put on that cape each day, and it’s like Bruce is falling in love.

“So we’ll hit them from the orphanage rather than from it, hopefully, their lack of diligence continues in our favour, Batsy, you okay?” You reply, eyeing him in worry as Bruce stares back with a glazed expression before snapping back at the sound of your nickname.

“Batsy? Now that's a good one” Gordon chuckles

Batman eyes you in question to which you reply with a shrug

“Batman is too long, and I figured if you're gonna be callin’ me Sunny, I’ve got to give you a nickname too, right?” You justify, and Bruce fails to hide the smile that erupts across his face at the mention of him calling you Sunny.

“He’s smiling Gordan!” I made Batman smile!” You giggle, shaking Gordan's shoulders, and if Bruce could he would bottle that sound and keep it forever.

“That's definitely a first, isn't it Batsy” Gordon replies, and Bruce simply shakes his head

“Can we get back to what’s important here?” Bruce replies, but the smile in his voice is clear as ever, and you don’t know why but it fills you with a burst of joy in a place that had remained empty ever since your sister had left.

“Mhm” You reply, and Gordan shares a knowing look towards Bruce as if to say “I’ve found you out”, and for some strange reason Bruce wants him to, he wants the entire world to know he's completely enamoured and enthralled by you the second he stepped into Gordan's office.

“Alright, whilst you both were arguing over costumes, I got a distress alert from one of the squad cars surveying the area near the orphanage. One of the vans seems to be making some sort of detour, we’ve got to hit them now, I don't know when they will be this unprotected” Gordon replies.

“I’ve got a car waiting for me, so Sunny, you’ll ride with Batsy” Gordon replies, and Bruce doesn't have a hard time seeing the smile hidden behind Gordan's stern face.

Bruce bristles at the mention of having you so close to him in such an enclosed space, fearing you would protest out of fear of him and all the other insecurities Bruce had burdened. But you nod and smile towards him, and it's like every doubt, every worry is dissipated, and every anxious thought sounds so stupid because nothing else matters but you.

And so, just like moments before Bruce walks side by side with you down the endless corridors of the Gotham Police precinct, but now, with the heart scorching desire to follow you down a hundred endless corridors, to dampen the burn in his chest with your silken soft voice.

Bruce didn't believe in prophecies, or soulmates that transcended time and space, but right now it was as if you both were meant to be. A sacred bond that was carved into stone long before Bruce had started to lose himself in his own purpose, long before the fear of darkness had seized him all those years ago.

Bruce had thought you made a home in the darkness within you, but it was so different now. You embraced this darkness, this thirst like a mother embracing a child, carved it into you like a relic, until it transformed within you to become the light Bruce had been blinding himself to.

And Bruce pleaded for the first time, he begged to the midnight sky for the first time since he cried out for God to will the loss of his parents to be erased. Bruce was left with the bitter taste of a silent sky then, but now he’s on his knees, begging that you would make a home for him too.

Bruce wanted to take the darkness you carried, wanted to uncover it from your skin and bones until all that was left was the illuminating glow Bruce knew he would ruin. But he didn't care, for the second first time today, Bruce wanted to be selfish, and have you all to himself.

Wanted to feel your touch hold him until the burn of your absence was stamped away, wanted you to uncover his cowl and run your fingers through his hair, wanted to curl into your body and under your skin at night, wanted everything.

Bruce wanted it all.

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sunnylands-world · 1 year

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More stories with hopper, love your writing🫶

Down the hall

Pairing: Jim Hopper x fem reader

Summary: tonight is the night of graduation sleepover, and the start of many new things…

Word count: 1'747

Warning: shower sex, oral [male receiving], degrading kink, pet names, dirty talk, feelings because I couldn't help myself, age gap, EVERYONE IS OF AGE, I was going for a loving and fake hating type thing with hopper, I think that's it let me know if I missed anything.

I don't have an age restriction since I know people underage are reading "certain" content with that being said what you consume is your choice! I will not be held responsible for any of it .

Universe: best friend's dad

A/n: this was meant to be done a lot sooner but I wasn't finished with it then when I was I edited some things.

Nice thought, reblogs, and inboxing is appreciated and motivational ❤️

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School was out. you had just graduated and honestly you were surprised you did since you ditched so much [and failed a few times] but nevertheless you made it out of the hell you called school. you flipped your teachers off as you grabbed your diploma making your way to a giggling eleven and her dad. Hopper the chief of police. it was obvious he hadn't been home yet, a box of sugar donuts in his arm and a smile on his face as you got closer. you bite your lip looking over the older man.

It was moments like this you were glad El couldn't understand certain things because if she could you two would not still be friends, having become close after she arrived. You were one of the only friends she had that wasn't part of Mike's group. you had been to her house before but tonight was a different type of hang out; it was a celebration for you two because you graduated and during this celebration you'd eat junk, watch TV maybe Dance or whatever and you'd be spending the night.

"You know it's not good to flip off your teachers." Hopper smirked, opening the passenger door for you, el hopping in the back as he walked around and got in.

"You gonna arrest me chief," you teased, taking a donut from the box. Hopper chuckled, shaking his head. He couldn't deny that he liked the fire that you had.

The ride back consists of plan making for tonight and you trying to get under Hopper's skin. you sat back sucking the sugar coat from your fingers, moaning in satisfaction. El was fast asleep in the back leaving you awake with him. He would glance your way occasionally before straightening up in his seat.

"So um– I'll be in my room while you two have fun. I'll be just down the hall" he states, breaking the tension. you pout looking over at him and he looks your way confused.

"You're not gonna play with me while I'm here tonight? I was hoping we'd have some fun too."

your hand sneaks across the console brushing over him in his uniform pants. He slaps your hand away shooting you a glare.

Fire burns a little to bright if given the fuel

"I'm your best friend's dad, this isn't appropriate" he scowled and you only grinned in response. He scoffs parking in the drive thru. He's headed for the door, going in quickly without turning to look your way.

You pull the handle for your door, sending it open as you jump to your feet.

You pull El's door open, waking her.

She sits up with a dopey smile rubbing her eyes and you smile back, grabbing her wrist to take her into the house for the night. Tonight would be one to remember.

It's about nine.

Eleven and you are in your PJs, a bowl of half eaten lays and wrappers littered around the floor as you both giggle at the screen.

You have the sudden urge to go pay Hopper a visit so you sit up from the bed telling her you need to go do something, she waves you off engrossed in the show.

You crept down the hall looking for his door, finding it ajar. you enter, feet taking slow and small steps, halting in place when you hear the shower running.

Would he have left the door open as an invitation if he didn't want you to come find your way in?

You take this as your opportunity to look him over in all his glory. In one hand he had the cloth, soapy and wet and the other was running through his soaked hair as the shower ran over him. You let your tongue run over your lips nervously before pulling your shorts and top away.

The Door sliding open alerts him from his thoughts. His eyes wide as he takes in your appearance before they quickly meet yours with what you'd describe as hatred and lust but you swear it's a facade.

"What the fuck are you doing kid!" He whispered. He didn't need to ask though, he knew what you were here for and he can't lie to himself and say he wasn't hoping you'd show up.

"I'm just here to shower with you" you bat your lashes not missing the glance he shoots towards your bare breast. He groans in frustration before he's got you by the arm pulling you in.

He immediately turns you around so your backs against the wall causing you to gasp at the force you hit it with.

"You're a little whore you know that," he began moving his hands to the slope at your waist. You nod with a grin. He scoffed, pushing you to your knees. Your face to face with his hardened length, lips parting slightly in awe.

"Well, go on then. Suck it" he snapped, taking you out of your gaze. Hopper wasn't going to be gentle and nice with you, he was going to be mean and you loved that feeling when your heart tugged in hurt and Desire, you hoped his was something similar just with different words.

You don't need to be told twice, taking him in your small hand working in a back and forth motion as your lips wrap around him. You hollow your cheeks, sucking till he's engulfed as deep as you can take him, Loving the sickening burn and taste of him. He grunts, taking your hair and forcing you further till you gag.

I can take him, I can take every inch.

"Yeah that's it," he blurted, thrusting forward as your hands brace themselves on his thighs, fingernails leaving crescent moons for later. He tries to stop the quack in his thighs and the roll of his eyes but he's far from in control with the warm heat of your mouth and the slippery feeling of your saliva as you pull back giving his cock that pretty shine. Your eyes flutter dazed, a low moan muffled by his cock as you let yourself relax.

"I knew it. you dirty girl, You're a terrible influence on my daughter. Should I tell your parents you're taking my cock like a slut while your best friend lays in her room?" He pulled you from him, a slap coming to your cheek as you caught your breath, thighs pressed together for friction.

"Answer me. I haven't even stuck it in you yet and you've already gone dumb," he tsked, getting no response as you sat there pathetically peering up at him. He swears he could cum just looking at you like that.

The water only drips lightly on you as Hopper blocks it with his larger frame hair wet on the top of his head.

"Or is that what you need to get you talking?" He asked, receiving a nod from you.

Pathetic and beautiful

"please," you begged, only for him to grab you from the floor like you weighed nothing. Hopper was strong compared to anyone you'd ever been with, and you wondered about all the other ways he could toss you around.

"Put your legs around my waist" he commanded, one arm around you while his other slapped his cock against you, playing with your wetness to make sure you could take all of him.

You did as you were told, wrapping your legs around him so they'd hold you close to him. Your breast against the hairs on his chest has your nipples hardening as he angles his hips so he can thrust up into you. Your back hits the cold tile, sending a chill over you with a faint gasp.

His hands are on either side of your head letting you catch every pleasurable sound falling from his lips with his head in the crook of your neck. The wall and your legs support you while he slams his hips to your ass causing your soft moans to blend with the warm pressure of the shower.

You try to brace yourself for his length as it slides into places that have you greeting the stars as you levitate with pleasure. Nothing could have prepared you for this. The shallow breaths on your skin, the easy glide of his cock like you had just given yourself to him mind, body, and soul and you guess you did because you changed his name like prayers.

He wasn't sure if he could hold on much longer. Not like this, not when you were whimpering and shuddering as if you were possessed with your walls clenching around him like he'd leave you but he knew he'd never be able to do that.

He moved his hands from the wall gripping your thighs and he hoped he'd bruised your skin so anyone who saw would know you belonged to someone. He knew el was down the hall probably wondering where you were so he picked up the pace; going harder, faster and deeper if that was possible because he already felt like he'd pushed himself deep enough to have your poor cunt burning tomorrow but he didn't really care.

he'd lost all control when he let you in the shower with him so he wasn't going to hold back because you knew what you got into when Came to him.

Your voice was practically gone leaving behind nothing but pathetic yelps as he repeatedly hit that spot inside you to have you holding on to him weakly. Your toes curled and your eyes rolled. you'd never felt anything like it, like him and you were sure you never would do this again and that brought sobs from you.

Hopper pulled out of your neck his eyes meeting yours in confusion thinking he might have hurt you.

"Baby what's–"

"I don't want you to stop, I don't ever want you to, please," you begged with glossy eyes.

He sighed, kissing your cheek before an almost endearing smile came across his face.

"I won't baby, I won't. I'll just keep ruining this pussy for you," he groaned, feeling you clamp down on him.

Now being realistic here he knew that he'd have to stop but he'd keep going as long as he could and when he did stop, you came around him with your lips on his, tongue tasting his canned beer and cigarettes and he knew in the back of his mind even as he washed you and himself clean with affection kisses like it was the last time,

That you'd always be over, just down the hall…

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

#jim hopper x you #jim hopper x oc #jim hopper x reader #jim x reader #jim hopper #jim hopper x y/n #stranger things series #stranger things #stranger things smut #david harbour #smut

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gaypirate420 · 9 months

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Curiosity here: {Discussion}

If you could re-write Jasper but keep 2 things about him, what would you keep? Besides appearance and gift! How would you explore this new version of Jasper?

For me, I'd keep his army past and Alice. But I'd explore how he changes over time and comes to realize how bad being on the Confederate side & being racist is. (I think you get it I'm trying to keep this short.)

Such as what makes him change and how he copes with his new understanding, and y'know the whole process of that.

Ofc, she comes into play too, maybe she's the catalyst that gets him to thinkin' about the topic at the surface, but it eventually goes deeper as she overtime explains things to him, and he thinks further on his own. IDK BRO I'm just thinking and wanted to read what you'd do. {Have a discussion.}

I'd change him shacking up w/ the Cullens though...or maybe their relationships with each other. I'd love to explore everything basically around canon while still being divergent to an extent. (Canon Related?)

He'd be the main character, but I think you already knew that if you read or at least skimmed this. But I have a terrible fear of people misunderstanding me. (⊙﹏⊙)

But yeah, I was just curious! I know a lot of people have done all sorts of things with him in Fics regarding his past and such, but I do always enjoy reading your responses to things.

This is just a purely hypothetical discussion. {If this was ever made that would be ambitious as hell cause like mf is like... 150 years old!}

I don't even want to think about all that time, and they never sleep either so like holy hell. So many moments of introspection and guilt and etc. to write I'd have a mental collapse. {But that's me when I write anything but also editing sucks ass.}

But not to mention ofc the huge amounts of research everything would take, and I am a huge perfectionist.

-Sincerely a mutual who tried to ask a few questions then freaked out over my own questions.

I'm making this anon now because I fear this ask now.

I think we have the same idea dear mutual!

(this is so fucking long omg I went off the rails, let me know what y'all think.)

I wouldn't rewrite anything, I'll just play it differently, I'll give it a nice depth.

I've always been on the side that just rewrite or ignore Jasper's confederate past is- not ideal. Yeah it's okay for a silly little comfort fic with your favorite vampire but not when talking about his actual canon characterization.

I would keep him serving for the Confederate army. I know a lot of people don't like that about him, but, I think it's a huge part of his character but there was something lacking there.

And what was missing is guilt.

Jasper, as to how he is written, and how we see the scenes of his past are played on both the book and the movie makes him look like he wasn't ashamed of his racist past or that he was even still prideful for it.

And it's so weird for me, how could this man who spent a century long depression, a self described "monster" a "nightmare" that just floods with self loathing couldn't feel guilty for not only taking someone's life but their freedom?

How could he feel guilty over killing the newborns but not black people? It doesn't make sense and it makes it worse, it makes you think that he, in modern times, it's still a confederate and also because vampires are "mentally frozen." He's not changed that much really then.

(I think Jasper lacking guilt and remorse about these fact about him is because of SM and her own views she not so subtlety spread all over her books though.)

So yes, I am keeping him as an ex-confederate soldier. Jasper was 17 so we are just to assume he was ignorant, and that's okay, we can live with an ignorant white boy for now. I cannot stress enough about how there is no need to make mental flips and splits to justify this choice of thinking in a 17 y/o southern boy from the 1840's. But, he gets to change, he, after the first years of him killing the newborns reflects about this, he might not be completely educated but he has the spirit.

Now let's talk about Alice.

I love her, but, if we are really analysing this then her and therefore the rest of the Cullens (because they welcome her and Jasper on their family) are okay with Jasper serving for the confederacy and I don't like that.

Why did Alice make him feel hope and all this shit and get him to change and learn a new life but didn't make him reflect on that maybe, perhaps, fighting for the enslavement of an entire race wasn't a good thing to do.

She says "you'll never be that again." referring to him being a vampire killing machine, not a racist, may I remind y'all.

So, I think the change would be about Alice teaching him things, Jasper spent so much time with Maria and then he was seriously depressed, I get the idea he wasn't interested on- going outside besides to feed from humans.

I think there are two types of vampires, those who love seeing humanity grow and change and come up with all these little inventions and then the ones who just see humans as prey.

Alice being the first and Jasper the second, but not for long after he meets her.

I think Alice could update him about the modern world that was the 50's, she would educate her that yes, Jasper's gentlemanly ways are charming and make her blush and giggle but there are some comments that aren't okay, just because in "his time" it was "okay", "funny" or "right", to say these things doesn't make them less offensive, dismissive and hurtful.

Alice would ask Jasper what did he felt while serving? And why? Was he even fully aware of what he was fighting for? Did the years of him seeing countless human's fight and go to wars that got bloodier and more destructive made him stop and think about the damage of his own army career?

Make the man reflect. Make him think for days and days about these questions he asked himself but never truly took the time to answer them. I need Jasper to have a slight mental breakdown before he gets to know the more peaceful life with the Cullens and Alice.

Alice asked these questions in her endless curiosity, not in innocence, but rather to know Jasper, really know him and understand him.

I want him to feel disgusted about having to feed from humans now that he realizes how much harm he did, and that's were the Cullens come in, Alice knows about her new family of course and it's more than excited to know her mate wants this life too, not because oh he's so in love with her he'll do anything (he is) but because he wants to change.

Carlisle let's him stay because he knows this, he understands in a way and he can't help but sympathize with him and Alice wanting to change herself and help her partner.

But Jasper can't fully because his body is asking him to kill constantly. He doesn't want to keep harming people, but his body can't forget, not only his body it's scarred as a reminder, but there's this annoying bloodlust that doesn't want to go away just yet.

But he has Alice, holding his hand and make him feel like everything will be alright.

Jasper is struggling but he is changing, he is getting more and more mental peace, finally, after a century and a half. It's slow, it's painful but it's there, self forgiveness and change.

One of the things that I love, a concept, Jasper being into philosophy, history and just literature, him loving to learn.

I love that in Breaking Dawn Jasper wanted to help Bella with her thirst. And of course I love him being hurt when she's way more successful than he is after so many years.

Seeing someone who you share the same experiences is so amazing, it helps you, but seeing them overcome this challenges that you also endure it brings you down on such a horrible way, it hurts you, but it makes you think of who you were before and how much you have accomplished. How much you've changed and that's my take on Jasper Hale.

I am not normal about him.

Also, I think I would change vampires not being able to sleep or cry, I think Jasper deserves both, as a treat :). I love him.

#i could go on #but I won't because I think I got the right thing #jasper whitlock x reader #jasper hale x reader #jasper whitlock hale #jasper whitlock #jasper hale #the twilight saga #twilight headcanon #twilight saga #twilight renaissance #effervescent

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a-non-ymouswriter · 5 months

Text

Alright, let's talk Rewind (or my MCYT fics)

i think it's time to finally talk about rewind/remix.

or generally, just my mcyt fics in general.

it's been a while since i updated any of them and trust me, i am very much FILLED WITH GUILT over not updating or continuing them- problem is; i just don't have any motivation in them at the moment. my interest and motivation for them have waned, wilted and withered. the three unfortunate ws that arent wins.

i dont want to say i abandoned them, i hate the thought of abandoning ANY STORY and i like the thought of getting back to them at some point. maybe my motivation will come back, it has in the past and that's a great hope to have.

however i am aware that these stories have been gathering dust and it's possible that motivation will never come back and i hate that.

i know partially why i'm no longer interested? partially- it mainly started with techno's death. it just didn't feel the same anymore now that cc!techno was gone, but if things went differently then maybe i could've continued just as normal. but i'm pretty sure my motivation took a great hit when techno died.

another great hit to my motivation is the whole... thing with cc!dream??? WHICH I WILL NEVER EVEN POKE ABOUT, YOU CANNOT MAKE ME, I WILL IGNORE EVERY ATTEMPT. it felt weird writing about c!dream even though i should REALLY be able to separate the two, cc!s are different from fictional c!s and all that but for some reason i just don't feel too comfy writing him right now.

and since my main series of rewind and remix is MAINLY RELATED TO DREAM- you can see my problem here.

the dream smp is done, over, there is no season 2 and my interest in this fandom is only tethered by the occasional fanfic that i stumble upon and the numerous fanarts that come and go. that interest isn't enough to motivate my writing.

a funny thought though, is that i think i spent a LOT of motivation and kind of burnt myself out in the future back when i was DAILY UPDATING REWIND- like i don't know if you readers remember but i was updating DAILY on rewind. every day, FOR ALMOST A MONTH- something that might never happen again really and i'm still kind of proud of that.

but i'm pretty sure it was very unhealthy of me to do daily updates the way i did- it took A POWER OUTAGE to make me stop doing daily updates and i remember STRESSING OVER NOT UPDATING while the power was out. so yeah, i'm pretty sure i set myself up for failure there XD

but i'm so glad that i was able to at least finish rewind. my very first story that i completed. unfortunately i'm not too confident about finishing the rest of the series (and some other fics).

a friend of mine actually suggested something that i've been thinking about from time to time; i give you guys the outline of what COULD have happened. what i was planning on writing and then completing my works.

it sounds like a good idea but i didn't want to let you guys down in just, giving up like that. but nowadays, it sounds like a better and better alternative than to just wait for my motivation and interest to come back. it's almost been a year already for wishes and family, and remix, i managed to update stream labs a few months ago so that's hopeful but the others...

okay, i'm going to give YOU GUYS the choice here. i'll tell the ao3 readers about it as an important update author's note, but im going to make a poll about this choice soon and i'll even pin it on my tumblr.

it'll last- maybe two weeks? but yeah, it's the least i can do to see what you guys want.

EDIT: polls apparently only last a week, so it'll be up a week.

#non post #dsmp rewind #stream labs live #wishes and family #this is a long time coming tbh #should have done this sooner but i just kept procrastinating

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c0usingreg · 2 years

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Theory Time

I am saying this now because I haven't heard anyone else put two theories together and it just makes so much sense to me.

We all know the theory of Mike keeping a letter to Will in his jacket pocket. There isn't really evidence so much as there is foreshadowing of the fact. I will link a more in depth analysis here (by @bylercloud )

"Letter to Willy" - The song that plays in Dear Billy.

Joyce finding Hopper's letter in a shirt pocket while packing for California. It's a meaningful heart to heart type letter. Which, after reading, El folds and place in her own shirt pocket.

Jonathon keeping his community college letter in his shirt pocket as well. Much of his storyline in S4 revolves around him hiding the existence of this letter from everyone but Argyle. Even Joyce.

The cryptic post on from the Stranger Writers twitter.

The letters aren't kept in the pockets of their jeans or anywhere else. They are kept close to their hearts. Possibly signifying their emotion significance as well as the fact that the characters what to keep them guarded, protected, where no one else can see or get to them them.

We also know the theory that the Duffer Brother's did not actually forget Will's birthday. See these two posts by @chirpsythismorning for more in depth evidence. But the gist is:

The Duffer's claiming they haven't rewatched season 2 in ages, which is clearly not true going by the parallels. They are sticklers for their timelines and dates, mentioning mutiple times the different ways they made specific choices in order to make things work and that they have calculated Vecna's age and so on. NOt to mention that Will has always been a central part of the ST story, do we really think the creators would forget one of their main character's birthdays? As well as them saying they would edit the S2 episode that mentions his birthday, but also saying they wouldn't and haven't edited any past seasons.

Birthdays being referenced mutliple times throughout S4, most notably Suzie knowing Dustin's birthday down to the hour.

The simple fact that they even decided to add a guy with a camera to the scene, purposefully showing a segment through the lense in order to give us this time stamp in the first place. March 22nd being specifically chosen as the date.

So my thoughts? What if it's not just a letter in Mike's pocket, what if it's a birthday card? What if no one actually forgot Will's birthday?

Mike writes a letter/birthday card for Will. Possibly even making him something -- my thoughts being he wrote a DnD campaign, something he's been known to do as dungeon master of their friend group as well as the the pic from the Stanger Writers twitter reading "I think you'll--" [like it] "sorry I couldn't get it done--" [in time for your birthday] "but you mean--" [so much to me] and it's been [so long since we played]. "Hope this is--" [good enough to] "last until--" [ 1) next time? or: 2) I finish the campaign.] "Love--" [Mike].

I like to point out the fact that in one of the ST comics Mike actually tries writing a DnD campaign for just Will, wanting to make it so that Will, and only Will, would be able to save them and eventually win the campaign. Link

I could even go as far as to say that it's a possibility that Joyce ad Johnathon didn't forget Will's birthday. Make come's to see them on that day specifically. Perhaps the Byer's were the one's to make this happen, maybe paid for the ticket, as a birthday present for Will?

There isn't much evidence either way, but I do think it's curious how Jonathon stops Will at Rink-o-Mania and tells him to have fun. He doesn't say this to anyone else. It gives off the vibes that maybe this was supposed supposed to be more of Will's day, but that Mike was ruining it with his stand-offish behavior.

Then, with everything that ends up happening -- El assaulting Angela, the cops being called, Mike being in a mood, Jonathon getting high, the Russian doll and Murray showing up -- it's very possible that his birthday was swept under the rug, put on the back burner, or forgotten about because there was so much drama going on.

Lastly, they return to Hawkins around the end of March and Mike's birthday is April 7th. It would be a perfect opportunity to bring up the secret letter/card Mike has for Will when Will inevitably gives/says/does something for Mike's birthday.

This all being said, when it comes to Will's birthday and how it was handled vs how it will play out in the next season, I believe the Duffers know what they are doing, and they might be the only ones who know the significance of it. They may have kept the actors in the dark on this.

All of this, of course is just speculation! Some parts could be right, others completely wrong, but I think it's a compelling theory, or at least a sensible way to marry these two theories together. If you made it this far, thank you for staying with me and I would love to hear your thoughts/opinions on this!

#this ended up being much longer than I anticipated #oof #thanks for coming to my ted talk #stranger things #will byers #byler headcanon #mike x will #byler s4 #byler script #byler is canon #byler nation #mike wheeler #byler #stranger things theory #stranger things analysis

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seeingteacupsindragons · 6 months

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Lmao here, have the most ridiculously broad and all-encompassing writer ask ever to distract you:

How in the hell do you make a plot?

Jk, mostly. 😅 This is more a ramble than an ask I guess. I keep tinkering with the idea of actually writing A Story, but I just. I don't know. I get so bored so fast with the process of moving characters from Point A to Point B. I just want to stick people in a room and make them talk. (Or possibly make out, depending on the scenario.) Or I want to spend thousands of words just going on and on about a character's thoughts and emotions. That all works well for oneshot fanfics, but it's awful for doing longer fics or attempting something original. I just don't know how to make characters Go Places and Do Things and Have Goals. Which like...obviously you're not going to be able to magically solve that problem for me in a single post, but...any tips to get started that don't involve falling into the inescapable dungeon of Outlining?

Plot has always been an issue for me. Many moons ago, an agent told me that my book had a great voice but nothing actually happened in it: it was like one of those narrators you'd say you'd listen to read a phone book. Except, you know. Maybe it'd be nice if it wasn't a phone book.

I've had a tendency in the past to, ah...just have a series of things happen. Which is not actually a plot. It's a katamari ball. You can't just write things happening for several thousand words and then be like "ta-da!"

Well, I mean, you can. But it sure wasn't gettin' me an agent.

I'm getting better at this, I think, and structuring stories in general. Tiadane's book was the first book I got notes back from a CP that didn't basically say "the pacing and structure of this is fucked."

(Of course, I'm changing some of that anyway, but it's more incidental to other things I'm fixing than the major concern)

That said, it usually takes me a zero draft (first draft) to really figure out what the story is about and how to take it there. Every single ending for a story I had in mind before I got there has had to be ripped out. Every. Single. One. For ever novel I've ever edited. I'm so bad at getting to an ending I envisioned, because if I actually let the characters develop and change and the world build around them and the themes come through, where I wanted them to end up and the scenes I envisioned, is never really the culmination of how to do it.

A plot is really how a story develops. For me, this is generally character-based. For some people it's the world, for some people it's the actual events.

For a character story, the plot is basically what events are the catalyst that bring them to where they're going. How do they get there, and what happens to them to push them there? How did they react, and to what?

For a world story, the plot is generally focused on unfolding events around the world. I've seen this done with characters in different areas and or characters traveling, or even just in a kind of Epicenter. The plot will be how the world is changing, or how the world is being revealed to the reader, and what that means.

For a story of events, the plot is generally encircled around how things happen, who caused them and why, and what they do when they do happen, and what else they cause to happen.

I usually have a good strong start for about 10k words, and then the plot fizzles out as the initial concept I was running with has sort of been fulfilled and something needs to happen from it.

The way this happened in Tiadane's book was that he basically jumped into a goal, he completed the steps he set out to do, but it all went very wrong. And while he managed to get out of that disaster and take a breather, he had a couple choices: he could give up, or he could try something else to accomplish the goal (and what), or he could clean up the mess he accidentally made, etc.

Each of those would have been a very different Character, obviously. But what the important part of this character story was, was that he made a choice based on who he is as a character, but that he was the one reacting and doing something. There's characters stories about passive characters who don't do much, but they're not especially common because when a character isn't making choices (or perceived not to be), it gets really hard to reveal a character and the story doesn't go anywhere.

Sure, you could keep throwing things at them. But if those Various Things That Are Happening don't feel tied to something before (the character or other events), you have a string of events, not a nicely rising tide of story.

So it's not a matter of "things happening" but "which things going to happen to them after they did that?" and "what things are they going to do now?" and "what things are going to tell you what you want readers to know about the character?"

Sub character with world or events, as necessary.

Okay NOW I'm done, for now.

#writing #writing advice #kind of #Marr talks about plot in a very meandering fashion

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addisonacres · 4 months

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That's a wrap.

2023 is on its death bed and I'm both happy and sad about that. Personally, this year has sucked on so many levels and for so many of my loved ones. But four months ago I published my first title under Addison Acres and so my foray into the world of M/M publishing began.

It has not been easy. It was a hell of a learning curve, and I still feel out of my depth some days. It's hard bloody work. I work full-time and I also study part-time so it's not like I can sit and write all day (as much as I wish I could). I needed to take the leap though because if I kept on saying 'I just don't have the time' then it was never going to happen.

I've published 2 shorts and a novella on Smashwords and I think I've done okay with them. To date I've sold 768 copies. Yes, some of them have been freebies (Draft2Digital counts those in total books sold) but hey, I'm pretty happy with those numbers. Have I made millions of dollars? Pfft, no. Have I made thousands? Yeah, nah. But I've made a about $700USD so far.

Yeah, I don't have a problem talking about stuff like this. I know a lot of people are very hush hush about money but one thing I've discovered coming into this gig is that there's very little data to measure against. Who knows if this means I've been successful? I fucking don't! But maybe another indie author will see this and go 'Hey, that's similar to what I managed' or 'I made more than that so I'm doing really well!'. So yeah, I'm happy to throw out my figures if it'll help someone else. I'm not raking in the cash, and I haven't had my first title become a crazy best-seller and I'm suddenly playing with the big kids. I'm still very much a baby in this industry, finding my way.

Ultimately, yes I got into this publishing gig to make a few extra bucks. The cost of living has sky-rocketed and my job does not pay well. I adore it though so I needed to do something to supplement what I make. This isn't going to pay off my mortgage but it's paid for a new water pump for our rainwater tank and a delivery of hay for the alpacas. I've also re-invested some of my royalties into my writing. I've purchased the Atticus software and I got a bundle of photos from Depositphotos to use for book covers.

There's still a lot I need to do. I have yet to set up a newsletter, which is much to my detriment. I feel like I need to have a NL magnet first (which is the term used for a free story readers get when they sign up for your newsletter). I feel like no one will sign up for nothing so I've not set one up yet, but I have no idea what to write for the magnet...

I've been doing a lot of promo work on FB with joining release parties and giveaways but it's hard work. The marketing side of things takes up a lot of time, which yeah, I don't have a lot of. I did set up an Instagram account but I've hardly used it as it's very, very full on and I haven't really had the spoons. I know I need to invest more time in that, and I will try in the New Year but we'll see how full the cutlery drawer is first.

I also made the choice to do Tumblr instead of Tik Tok. Probably a very stupid choice since BookTok is huge and people get a lot of exposure on there. Why didn't I? Well, firstly, I'm really not very good at making videos and editing them. It's so very time consuming. Secondly, I like Tumblr. Is it a dumpster fire? Yes. Am I a bin chicken masquerading as a human? You betcha. So, yeah, I feel comfortable here. But I know I need to invest in more time here also.

Anyway, next year is a new year. I am currently working on a project that I've told no one about because I feel if I do, I will jinx myself and my motivation will fuck off to the moon. So, there is something in the works for publishing maybe in February. I'll be looking for beta readers once I've gotten it finished so if you're interested, hit me up.

I've also created a new logo because I haven't really done that and I figured I really should. I've made 4 variations to use for different situations and I really like it. It's pretty.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. Just wanted to do a little wrap up for the year and to prove that I'm not dead lol

Enjoy the final days of 2023 and I shall catch you all on the flip side.

#addison acres author #mm romance #writing #2023 wrap up #author

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thavron · 5 months

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Oh good Lord, I'm going to write about the Nightingale thing again. And whilst I’m at work no less. I’m not going to try and interpret the scene again. I’ve done that already, and honestly I’m not sure if I even agree with my own points, it just made sense to me at the time of writing. But I’ve been having some thoughts as to why that line of dialogue sticks out like a sore thumb. Because it does, it feels alien in the moment.

Currently, because I am a huge nerd, I’ve been putting together a table of what Crowley knows and what Aziraphale knows, because it was quite correctly pointed out in a meta that I read yesterday, that they actually don’t have the same information. That means they are going to react very differently to the same situation (I may or may not use that to write another post about the final fifteen, maybe I won't, I'm obsessed. I think I’m just in denial honestly…). And that’s when it occurred to me, the nightingale reference does not exist within the narrative. Or not for us as an audience, not yet anyway.

So, Nightingales are referenced in series one directly by God, where she says:

"While they were eating, for the first time ever, a nightingale actually did sing in Berkeley Square. Nobody heard it over the noise of the traffic. But it was there, right enough."

This is actually a joke, a reference to the song which is playing over the scene "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” which contains the line “There were angels dining at the Ritz.” Which is funny because there is, but obviously no one knows that either.

Edit to add: It also means that impossible things do sometimes happen. We have two impossible things happening at once right now. (like and angel and demon falling in love *cough*)

But it’s also a wonderfully romantic song and that scene is just beautiful, you can not convince me that that was not intended as a date.

The song becomes synonymous with their romantic/domestic interlude, and little references pop up during series 2.

But the references are kind of like Bad Wolf in Doctor Who, they’re in the background or in the soundtrack, and not meaningful to the characters within the flow of the narrative. We notice, if we’re paying attention and gigglesnort at the implications, but it is not actually something that means anything to Crowley and Aziraphale, or it doesn’t from our view point. The only instance really I can think of where the song is actually being used diegetically, is in the Ritz scene is series one. But it’s background music at a restaurant, it isn’t meaningful unless there was more to that scene. (which might be the case, in a flashback.)

But, Crowley references Nightingales directly. Which means it must mean something to them. For us it is shorthand to refer to their blossoming relationship, but to them it could mean something quite different. But until we know the context, there is no way to interpret what he means. But that line does stand out, and the reason I think it does, is right now it feels like a fourth wall break. Like Crowley is turning to the camera to say “don’t worry kids, this kiss isn’t the romantic kiss.” I’m not quite sure what to make of that really. It’s like they put a little mystery in a box and left it in full view next to one of the most harrowing moments in TV history. How am I meant to look at that and not go feral? It makes it difficult to take that entire scene at face value because of the question mark hanging over that line (and also some of Michael's acting choices, which have been spot on throughout so again makes me feel like there is more to the scene than meets the eye). I would imagine it's meant to be that way, and when we finally see the context that scene will have us in tears all over again. I should just sit back and wait and see, because I am sure that whatever Neil has planned is better than anything I can come up with, but my God has he put an itch in my brain that I can’t scratch.

#good omens #good omens meta #I'm going to stop obsessing now #and just feel sad #and fix it with fanfic

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intuitive-revelations · 5 months

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Hey! So watching through The Daleks in Colour now, and thought I'd note down my thoughts, as someone who very much likes advocating for and discussing the idea of colourisation, re-edits etc. Comments not in order, as I'll be popping back and forth between sections with my notes.

The colouring is pretty impressive. There's some tone choices I would have done differently, and I have spotted a couple places where its a bit off (eg. colour not aligning perfectly - see One speaking when they discover the environomental radiation for example, there's a bit of odd yellow colouring around his upper lip - maybe a side effect of the chromatic abberation?).

However overall I think stuff like the faces and hair were done extremely well, which is pretty impresive since that can often be the hardest thing to do. And while I do disagree with some of the environmental colours etc., they do capture the 60s adventure tv aesthetic fairly well. I would just probably have leaned a little more modern/cinematic personally. I do wonder how many of the colours used are taken from colour set photos, as that might explain some of the choices. On the other hand, they're clearly not strictly using those colours, as the TARDIS clearly differs in colour from the set as we've seen it behind the scenes and in AAiSaT.

The lighting was pretty well done too, as is some of the chromatic abberation, though like I said I think it does have some detrimental effects in some places.

Editing feels ok, and keeps the pace up quite well. It does lose some importance bits though. I would probably have gone for a longer runtime, maybe 90 mins, rather than the 75.

I think it could have done with an extra beat when Barbara gets lost within the city, as it makes the others reuniting and searching around feel a bit too quick. Also a little bit of an edit-induced plot hole with Susan remarking how "there WAS someone outsidfe last night" when we completely skipped over that scene. Cutting that scene out does make her seem a bit less 'hysterical' though, which isn't the worse edit-based change in characterisation. That being said, the way they didn't directly show the Doctor sabotaging the fluid link, but left just enough to imply it was pretty clever.

Oh! I realise one reason why they chose to use this story. There's a LOT of cuts they can get away with just by dubbing the Daleks and adding flashing lights. I haven't seen the original serial enough times to notice them all, but I did pick up on the slightly hasty one as they interrogate the Doctor. Interestingly it also sounds to me like they tried to edit/redub the line about "Dalek forefathers" to say "Kaled forefathers" as it sounds different to me from the original, but is quite ambiguous. The subtitles still say Dalek, so maybe I'm just hearing things.

Some of the cross-edits work quite well, but the flashbacks are way too much, especially with a shortened runtime. Feels like some of that time could definitely have been better used giving the pacing some room to breath. Not showing Susan writing the letter is kinda ok, but does make you question why the Daleks are continuing to keep them prisoner. You kind of have to rely on the Dalek giving the plan idea earlier, which kind of just results in breaking 'show don't tell'. Another edit I wouldn't have made: they cut out the cell camera being broken. This one feels kinda major imo, so it's a surprising choice. I definitely would have left it in. Using the Daleks monitoring recordings of the scenes with the Thals for quick cuts is kind of clever again, but does feel too much like a cut-down recap video. There really needs to be a bit more room to breath here. It also makes Ian encouraging the Thals to fight back feel a bit too sudden and his scheme kinda seems insane.

While I liked seeing the classic city reproduced in CGI for that opening shot, doing something so dynamic did feel a little gratuitous. CGI TARDIS shots as it tries to dematerialise were also an odd choice, as they were very blatant, looking more like animation than anything, and I imagine it could be done more convincingly. The zaps (and sound effect) as the Daleks fire is a very good addition though - exactly the sort of added effect that I reckon is justified, given it's quite simple but adds a lot.

As for the music, I think they did a pretty good job overall in keeping the correct tone while expanding on the score. I'm maybe not enough of an expert on the classic soundtracks to comment really. Maybe a tad overactive when the Daleks first appear - it could have quietened down a bit after they tell the Doctor, Ian and Susan to move. Oh my god, I just got to the bit where Dalek!Ian is leading them through the corridors. The music and editing is certainly... a choice. On one hand, it's very fun. On the other hand... wtf...? With Susan guiding them it kind of feels like all those 'memelord' Susan jokes come to life. The whiplash going into them having to leave Ian behind kinda breaks it though.

Speaking about the Ian and Thals scene again, the music is a bit too much. Again it kind of makes it sound like Ian's talk is serious, even though he's just trying to encourage the Thals to defend themselves. Hmm, yeah I think the music was pretty good in the first half, but it's definitely trying a bit too hard in the second. Actually, in general the second half does feel a bit weak compared to the first half, but I suppose that can also be said with regards to the original serial.

Sound effects were well done. Cloister bell sounding as the TARDIS tries to dematerialise is a fun addition. I do feel it's overused a bit nowadays, but it's placement here seems reasonable, if you assume continuing to try and dematerialise would have put the TARDIS in actual danger.

I might have sounded quite negative with some of my nitpicks, but overall I did really quite like this! It feels like a good proof of concept for further re-releases anyway, but there were some odd choices throughout. A less aggressive runtime edit would probably have done wonders for it. As I mentioned above, I do also feel the first half was a lot stronger than the second.

If I had the time (which I definitely don't right now, between work, my PhD/thesis, Class Ongoing, Galliversary contribution, and other secret exciting stuff), I'd love to go through and attempt a re-edit, colourising and sticking some of the shots/scenes I think ought to have been kept, and tweaking some of the colour choices. Maybe attempt a widescreen expansion too, since most of the colour work is already done.

#Doctor Who #Classic Who #The Daleks in Colour #The Daleks #First Doctor #Doctor Who 60th Anniversary #Doctor Who Regenerated #(kind of)

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mareenavee · 11 months

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Been meaning to pick your professional brain a bit, so... Tell us about rewriting/drafting/editorial pass! What happens when you read to edit? How is it different when you read someone else's work vs your own? What do you look for, what do you notice differently from when you're in writing mode? Any advice to get better at the whole editing thing, and what typical advice that we often see (kill your darlings, never do x, always do x, write for yourself, know your audience...) do you think could use some nuance or explanation? And maybe most importantly, what advice would you give a starting beta reader? What makes for a good beta reader and/or editor, especially when there's no monetary transaction involved and it's all donated labor? What are some of the essential skills?

Hello my friend!! Thank you so, so much for asking me about editing!! I am over the moon. I love this part.

I'm lucky because while it's been my job for quite a long while now (often among other responsibilities) work hasn't ground out the joy of it. I prefer to edit fiction, of course, over corporate copy and advertising, but am honestly happy to dig into either kind of project. The point of it is to bring the right words to the forefront of whatever the written material is, I think. To make the piece the best it can be, and at the same time show the writers how capable they really are. (: So let me dive right in! (THIS IS LONG, by the way, so under the cut! The irony is not lost on me about wordiness and editing and then producing this LOL but it's alright. I'm a chatty person online and this is more or less conversational.)

What is an editorial pass?

There's several kinds of editing. What I do most for paid corporate work is proofreading -- which is catching typos and grammar mistakes and correcting them. This is usually a first pass of any given project. This pass doesn't usually suggest changes -- things are left as is except typos and grammar mistakes. This is sometimes also called copyediting, though copyediting is the next step up and also checks for style consistency, among a few other things, especially in academic and corporate work.

Next is line editing -- this is more checking for word choice at the sentence level. We're looking to make sure things flow together nicely, and that we're cutting the fluff out when necessary. When things get too wordy and there are cleaner ways to phrase something, a line edit pass will catch these things.

Next past that is content editing -- this is done on a full manuscript or story to check that the ideas are complete and the story flows together logically. This should be paragraph and chapter level and should also check for consistency in tone and authorial voice.

After that is my personal favorite, which is structural editing. This is actually technically what you should start with if your manuscript is already complete. But we'll get into the difference between having work beta read and having work edited below. Anyway structural editing is going to check for, well, structure -- organization, flow and quality of the book in its entirety.

There will be notes regarding concerns and big picture issues with the story. These usually won't include detail-level edits, though some professional editors do offer multiple passes on the same manuscript. If your structural edit is mostly glowing praise with few key concerns or suggestions, you can move onto more detail oriented edits to address those specific concerns.

And an even higher level editing that can happen even before a manuscript is complete is Developmental Editing. I like to think of this as an outline critique or consultation more so, as this pass won't be rewriting or doing any sort of detail work. The editor takes your idea and helps ask the right questions to make sure you're organizing your ideas to the best of your ability. They help an author to see the book as a reader would see it.

What happens when you read to edit?

Reading for enjoyment is actually as important to editing as it is for writing. The key takeaway is that an for either, you need to have a extremely solid grasp on the components that make a good story. For an editor, especially so when the 'rules' might be broken purposefully by an author. Honestly, a lot of it is still opinion based. Two different editors, generally, will have different insights for you reading the same manuscript, biased by how much they read and what their specialties are. Most editors, too, will have an ear for grammar which nobody wants to talk about but it's true. You don't need to memorize every single tiny little grammatical detail to explain in full to your authors when you edit and catch errors. But an editor usually can hear when things are off more or less and can provide resources if a mistake is noticed as a consistent issue.

Mostly when you're reading to edit and I'll use structural editing for an example here, you're always thinking of how things flow together and how the story threads intertwine and connect. You're thinking through how the story will land for a casual reader. There's a lot of work in the background in this case, and it takes practice to be able to point out when elements fall flat. You as an editor should also be able to suggest ways to fix the flat parts of the story -- and to do that you need to have read widely in many genres. Read for the sake of understanding how stories come together. Read while taking extensive mental notes as you go. Each book is a learning opportunity.

How is it different when you read someone else's work vs your own?

I actually just reblogged a post about this that sums it up pretty nicely. When you're writing you're so close to your own work it can be hard not only to spot errors but to let go of work you've written. It can also be difficult to see where your work shines because it's not how you envisioned it in your head. Writing is an entirely different process, even if you can go back in with good editing eyes, again it comes down to perspective. You're too close to your own work. You've spent so much more time with it. You know every detail (presumably) and might not be able to see beyond that. The editor, on the other hand, and also a beta reader, will be able to shift perspectives a bit based on their own biases and specialties and help spot things that weren't obvious in the thick of the project.

For me I know I am not as strong a writer as I am an editor for this exact reason. (Regardless of what others think of my writing, this is still true lol) I get a sort of tunnel vision on what I'm attempting to get on paper. A second set of eyes helps point out what needs more attention. An editor should be a project's biggest cheerleader because our goal is to bring out the best an author can do. We can see the threads of greatness as we go through a piece. When we suggest things, it's always to make the piece stronger and for the story beats to hit harder. So this piece really comes down to perspective. When I read my own work, I still am very much mired in it. When I read someone else's work, I get to experience it without it having lived in my head for x amount of time. It's a fresh view of the text, and that can often be invaluable.

What do you look for, what do you notice differently from when you're in writing mode?

This kind of plays off the last few questions, more or less but here I'll switch to self-editing. It really is a mindset change and it's incredibly difficult on one's own writing. Usually I need to take a day or two to let the chapter (for instance) I'm working on simmer and move on to the next thing to get my mind out of the weeds about it more or less. Then I go back in with the goal to proofread and do line level editing.

Because I am the author, I'm always trying to keep in mind overarching structures and plots. (I'm a planner rather than a pantser/discovery writer normally though there are exceptions when I add to the plan later.) This does make "editing mode" a little bit easier for me, besides being a professional editor. I'm actively trying to keep the threads together in editing mode, and actively looking for accidental repetition, places where fluff can be cut out, areas where the words sound off/discordant and can be improved, and personally I am always trying to be sure each line of dialogue or inner monologue SOUNDS like the point of view character I'm working with. This comes from asking the right questions of your work -- "Why would x character respond this way?" But that's a whole other topic. Someone could ask me about how I handle character building another time if they'd like (: But it's all part of the editing process.

In writing mode the goal, at least for me, is to get the idea out of my head and into a draft / on paper. I have the bones of the story in my outline and now I need to get the words out. First drafts are incredibly important and are not -- I repeat -- are NOT garbage. These are the rough foundations and the effort is not wasted. You can't refine anything if there's nothing on the page. The first draft is gold. It is the authentic creative writing experience. The rest is editing. (: And the revision process, the editing, helps bring forward the gem of an idea you had to begin with.

Any advice to get better at the whole editing thing?

The two biggest pieces of advice I have for this is to read widely and to come to your work with fresh eyes before you attempt to edit.

Reading widely means to read outside of your preferred genre as often as you can. This can also mean reading craft books -- ie things that talk about the writing process or even the editing process -- and it can mean consuming other kinds of media with a focus on storytelling like video games, ttrpgs or movies etc. It also means paying attention while reading, always keeping an eye on your own answer to the question: "Why does this work so well?" or conversely "why do I hate this?" (: Reading critically is a habit that not a lot of us innately have. You do have to put in the work just like with writing to read closely in a way that benefits you as a writer and an editor.

Now for the next part -- walking away from your draft entails two things. One, that you've written all you could before you turned on editing mode and two you've given yourself a day or two to do something else (or continue writing) before you return to what you want to edit. It's so much harder to catch what you're missing when you immediately turn back and edit what you've just written. (With exception.) You can catch more typos, and fix the fluff or underwriting when you've given your mind a second to rest.

Improvement comes with practice, too. So purposefully trying to edit, and purposefully trying to read critically and building a habit out of these things will lead to a better understanding of the craft in general. All of it translates to writing strong first drafts and being able to revise more effectively. It's cumulative. Nobody is born a perfect writer or a perfect editor.

One last tip that might be a little impractical depending on your circumstances is -- if you want to get better at editing quickly, read your work out loud. It's easier to find clunky areas as you verbalize them.

What typical advice that we often see (kill your darlings, never do x, always do x, write for yourself, know your audience...) do you think could use some nuance or explanation?

I could write about each of these but this post is already long! So I'll pick my favorite. "Write what you know" doesn't mean "Stay in your lane and write about your retail job" for example. To me, it's more like even in a fantasy world, you can bring in things you've experienced and give them to your characters.

Not a single one of us is as boring as we think we are (: I learned this when I was going through the Creative Nonfiction track in my undergrad creative writing degree program. Even something so average told from your perspective can be fascinating to someone else. So apply it to your story -- all your experiences, your emotions, whatever you can throw at the canvas so to speak.

Your character isn't a reflection of you if you don't want them to be. But they can still go through a fantasy version of troubles that evoke the same kind of big emotions that you've been through. It can be kind of cathartic -- at least in my experience, it can be.

What advice would you give a starting beta reader? What makes for a good beta reader and/or editor, especially when there's no monetary transaction involved and it's all donated labor? What are some of the essential skills?

So first, the difference between a beta reader and editor does come down to the donation of time. You're going to get different responses based on the skill of your beta reader and how much attention and time they have to donate. The ideal beta reader will be someone who is in your intended audience and is generally a close reader, even if they're not there looking for grammar mistakes or anything like that. They'll have a working idea of their own personal answers to what they feel works well and what doesn't when they read in general.

Generally a beta reader will be a set of eyes that will catch your grammar mistakes and typos but probably won't be providing line level suggestions. They'll function as a light structural editor or work more or less on a chapter level. Some beta readers (like myself because I am also a editor) might donate more time and effort to the project than others and be able to make professional suggestions, but this is not to be expected or requested.

If you're just starting out as a beta reader, it might be good to practice on maybe a published novella or short story first, low stakes because the author can't see your comments. Begin the process of reading widely and asking yourself "Why (or why not) does this work for me as a reader?" "What makes this enjoyable (or not?)" "What is it about this piece that is done well (or not?)" The grammar practice can come later -- refresh on the rules, but again don't worry about being perfect. The biggest skill you can build is reading critically. Practice, practice, practice. And when you offer your skills as a beta reader, let your author know if it's your first piece. Sometimes a very fresh set of eyes are just the thing a project needs, so don't be shy about saying so.

On the skills needed -- beta readers should not be shy to say exactly what they're thinking in a kind, constructive way. This can take some practice. But if you're going to point out something that's not working, it's good to have an idea as to why and be able to convey that. It doesn't have to be to the level of a suggestion and certainly not to the level of a rewrite or being able to provide comps/resources.

Being able to provide comments of your thoughts in a structured and logical way based on your opinion of what you've read comes with practice, of course. It's essential because an author is generally looking for specific feedback when they're asking you to beta read their work to make sure their story is hitting as intended for their intended audience.

Again having a good ear for grammar is going to be important here, too. You don't have to be perfect about it, either, or memorize every tiny technical detail. But being able to hear when something is off is useful again because while writing, an author is very close to their work and might not catch it.

And last -- remind yourself you are human. You aren't going to be able to catch every error. You aren't going to be perfect. (listen, not even every editor is going to catch every single mistake. Again, we're human!) You are not a machine. The act of being a close reader for an author and donating your time to assist them is selfless. Nobody should be expecting perfection. This is a collaborative effort between audience and author in this case. You get to make suggestions and perhaps change an author's mind about the direction of some things in their stories. Authors can choose not to take advice, too, without needing to explain anything at all. It doesn't mean the effort is wasted. It comes down to having a second set of eyes on the project with the intent to bring out the best.

Beta reader or editor, your job is mostly to be the work's cheerleader and see past the rough edges to the gem underneath, and then show the author how truly talented they are when they've forgotten in the thick of it. These are simply two different levels of the same kinds of tasks (:

#AskMareena #MareenaWrites #writing tips #writing advice #writeblr #fanficblr #editing #editor #book editing #book editor

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landwriter · 1 year

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For the fic ask: 1, 6 and 13 if you haven't answered them already! For Oaths, my most beloved fic with the best setting and premise and gorgeous writing ✨ thank you!

Ahhh you're making me blush!! Thank you Haz!

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way? 'This way' could have a lot of connotations here, i.e. 'insane', 'with too much apple research', 'given to sporadic bouts of verse' -- but I think the answer for all of them is sort of the same:

I got brainworms over Tam Lin + Dreamling, which were blessedly contagious and caught by @that-banhus, who did And Ask Not Leave Of Any (read it! it's SO good!!). Those brainworms plus that Brand New To Fandom Energy plus having just (entirely unintentionally) been in that part of the world a couple months prior, and listened to approximately 20 hours of the Stories of Scotland podcast whilst driving around said part of the world -- including a history of Border Reivers -- left me frankly no other choice but to be super extra about it all and decide to myself that I would try and do a Tam Lin x historic Borders retelling that was Poetic And True And Beautiful. By then I was already innoculated with the gateway drug of Middle English from works like @moorishflower's gorgeous Maybe sprout wings, so I had also become aware that a) I loved stories that borrowed from older language, and b) there's actually fabulous dictionaries out there that will let you find said words and when they're from and how they were used. Which is to say: when I started Oaths, I don't think I was capable of writing in any other way.

It was really just this like, perfect storm of thirst for research, existing knowledge, energy and time, and some slightly unhinged convictions about making it Feel Real. Wiser people than me have advised that it's generally helpful to not be precious about ideas, but the fact I was just hopelessly, helplessly fuckin' precious about it undeniably shaped how I wrote Oaths.

6: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics? Oh thank god, I've answered that above, I think, so this doesn't have to be TOO long hahaha. Just the sheer level of madness, geographic and historic detail, verse, etc. Also maybe something that's not in any of my other fics: describing my absolutely gut-aching love for land. One of my favourite compliments is that it's got a sense of place as a story, because it does, and I want it to be FELT. I want to evoke emotions not just from relationship angst or tender friendships, but from descriptions of landscape and how we move among it. I want everyone else to feel BODIED by a sunrise or a walk in the woods in early spring. I'm insane about it, in truth. There's lines in Chapter 2 taken directly from my journal when I was traveling in Scotland earlier that summer hahaha.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading? While I don't listen to music while writing, I actually DID make a playlist (first and only time I've done so) for the mood of it; it's a lot of folk song, ballad, and oral histories from both English and Scottish sides of the borders. I would also be remiss not to mention @mathomhouse-e's INCREDIBLE and beautiful Oaths playlist. There's some songs on there I think I listened to like 20 times in a row while editing scenes!

(behind-the-scenes fic asks)

#asks #behind-the-scenes fic asks #oaths #the sandman #dreamling #god this is NOT making me want to finish it hahaa - i feel so soft and fond now - i don't wanna let it go and be done!

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hpowellsmith · 1 year

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Would you ever write a game that follows one of your pre-existing characters exclusively?

Do you mean the same MC as one of my previous games? If not do let me know and I'd be happy to answer more accurately - if so here's an essay!

I wouldn't rule it out! but it's not super likely because of how varied the endings are. I think IF sequels work best when they can have full continuity with the earlier story - some of my games' endings might work to carry through to a sequel and others wouldn't.

For example, Blood Money definitely couldn't always carry through for... reasons that will be clear from looking at the achievement list. A less dramatic but also tricky example is getting engaged to Rosario in Crème de la Crème: a game about the same MC would need to account for potentially being part of a royal family, which would restrict the type of plot that would make sense. (Maybe something smaller scale like a school reunion could work??) In Noblesse Oblige things are so branched at the end that it would be challenging to make a story that followed on while keeping screen time for characters you bonded with previously. Royal Affairs could potentially be more doable and there's always an option to return to the Royal Affairs MC where some time has passed in-universe...?? but for my next project (which I'm thinking a bit about at the moment!!) I would enjoy doing a game with a different MC in a different social situation.

To work as a direct series, the story needs to be satisfying as a single game, while growing and developing over more than one game, and exploring different elements of the setting and being fresh while feeling familiar, respecting player choices from earlier games, and giving room for organic character/relationship development over a long time without being too slow...

and whew! That's a lot!

... and on a flippant level, my CoGs have taken at least a year to make, usually longer, and by the time I'm done with all the testing and edits I've always been ready to move onto something else - a new story, dilemmas, characters, and MC. Aside from my thinking aloud about Royal Affairs, I'd probably want to plan a same-MC series right from the start, so I can include all that stuff above when I'm planning.

I greatly respect people who do sequels with the same MC/characters/ongoing story - I'd be fascinated to hear how people have done it themselves and where players feel they've worked well or not been so successful!

#interactive fiction #choice of games #creme de la creme series

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booksandwords · 1 year

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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Read time: 4 Days Rating: 5/5

The quote: As someone told me recently, they told me that my problem isn't actually stage fright. My problem is life fright. And you know what? They're fucking right. Because life is frightening, and it's frightening for a reason. — Nora Seed

I had been waiting to read this book for 5 months. That is how long it took for the hold list at my local library to make its way down to me. It was a long wait, but well worth it. The Midnight Library deserves the praise and discussion it has received. The set-up is simple enough, the concept something that many of us have thought about and the ending pleasing. That ending was slightly surprising to me, but in a good way, on reflection it likely shouldn't have but it did. Realistically this is probably a 4.5-star book. It really is worth the time to read.

Main character Nora Seed is a relatable character in quite a dark way. I can see how you get to the point Nora is at. That desperate, hopeless, beyond melancholic point that ends in suicide. Haig writes her development well. It's consistent but realistic. There are moments of one step forward two steps back. The common thread through Nora's selves is philosophy, a theme to Haig's works I believe, it is a smart choice and suits the root Nora. She remains a likeable character throughout even in her darkest moments.

The other consistent character is 'Mrs Elm'. 'Mrs Elm' is tied to the library of the title, she is not what she appears. She is a projection of Nora's consciousness, a person she felt safe with. 'Mrs Elm' really is an intriguing idea for a character. For librarians/ those in the information service industry high school libraries and their staff often hold positions in memory of fondness, the protector, the kind one and a place of sanctuary. We were so often subjected to bullying and used libraries as refuges. We want to pay the kindness forward. Mrs Elm (the real one) is such a fantastic representation of that person.

I really appreciated the alternate universe concept it is the perfect framing for a novel about self-reflection and learning. What I found The Midnight Library ended being is a novel about learning from your mistakes and your maybes. It is a novel about one woman empowerment through a process that I'm guessing many a reader wish they could experience. You will meet characters you love, you will meet characters you are indifferent to. It feels like a life on fast forward and on a small scale. You are invited to live in Nora's shoes. To ride her emotions and experiences as she tries to find her perfect life. It does acknowledge that happiness means different things to different people.

Haig makes it an accessible concept. "The quantum multiverse creates a new universe when a diversion in events occurs, as in the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics" (via Wikipedia). When it is used in novels it is often overwritten. I think most people who pick up this kind of book and start reading will understand the concept. When it is explained it is explained in context to Nora by a variety of characters (usually with their own motivations and their own takes).

The most important of these characters is Hugo. Hugo is a bit of an odd character I think he will be largely divisive depending on how you read him and his existence and a slider. There are several other characters that appear repeatedly through different timelines. Each time just a bit different. Joe in particular is a powerful character. For everyone will have a different experience while reading these characters. It depends on your personal takes on what you think makes happiness and ideal partners. That is very good.

Some quotes and comments to finish.

Given the cover on the edition I read I expected cats, or at least animals to be more prominent. Where they are used it is done well.

In every life where she has one or where it is relevant Nora asks a question "Do you believe in parallel lives?". I like it and the varying interaction that follow.

I had never heard of Dunbar's Number, the idea that we can only maintain 150 relationships at a time. The book goes over it very quickly in a conversation led by Hugo. But I really like it and I think it does explain so much about modern society

"And... and the thing is... the thing is... what we consider to be the most successful route for us to take, actually isn't. Because too often our view of success is about some external bullshit idea of achievement — an Olympic medal, the ideal husband, a good salary. Ans we have all these metrics that we try and reach. When really success isn't something you measure, and life isn't a race you can win. It's all... bollocks actually..." — (Nora) This is a lovely quote. It is a powerful moment and a powerful message.

"Librarians have knowledge. They guide you to the right books. The right words. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines." — (Nora) This quote makes my inner librarian's heart sing. I will be spreading this as much as I can.

Howl has fantastic lyrics. Especially once you find out the context. In quite a lot of lives Nora is a writer of some form. Howl comes from what is potentially the most painful life.

Every life contains millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ. An irreversible variation occurs, which in turn leads to further variations. These books are portals to all the lives you could be living. — (Mrs Elm) This is quite possibly one of the key quotes in the book. It's key to the whole concept,

Named chapters feel unusual in this day and age, especially for the intended adult audience. The chapters are also quite short. Some are longer than others though I think the longest is less than 10 pages. The short chapters make it very easy to come and go from.

#book dragon #the midnight library #matt haig #book review #ktreviews #read 2021 #multiverse theory #spoilers on goodreads #bookdragon #booklr

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acefaun · 11 months

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Which stories are you currently working on? 🙂

Leeets see… 👀 Let me give you a peek into my fanfic world right now.

I have a few that I'm currently working on(drafts and rough drafts and final drafts and a couple things that need grammar and spelling checks).

And the one's in the screenshots don't count the other 40 requests that I've had waiting since January that I haven't touched yet. Something happened in January where I think the same person was sending me multiple requests a day and my inbox got overwhelmed. they were pretty good though, so I'm definitely interested in getting to them sometime. I just wanna make sure everyone gets turns and that I'm not just writing for the same person all the time, so I try and focus first on answering the requests I get out of anon-mode since I can have the tangible evidence that they're a different person. I'm trying my best, there's just so many anon requests that I can't tell anyone apart.

It's all organized in my head despite how things look here, I promise. Tomorrow I'm posting that Leo~ Human Love looking thing. That's random little thing I wrote sometime last year and forgot about it in my various folders because I didn't realize there was a LEO SIMP TO SHARE IT WITH. I'M HERE FOR YOU. That one's basically about a human who was secretly raised by the dept. of punishments and she has this crush on Leo and there's a whole situation there.

Then early next week (heck, maybe Tuesday if I feel like editing it), I'll post Lou~ Exam. That's about an MC who's stressed about an exam and Lou's doing his best to support her.

After that, I have another Leo fic called Heir where the zodiac gods are taking care of the King's daughter who by all means does not want to work in the palace and listen to Zyglavis' nagging. All the gods are basically telling her how she's supposed to act and who she's supposed to be. So Leo helps her out by sneaking her off to Earth where she can learn more about herself and not this fake vision of what she's "supposed" to be.

The rest in my "requests" folder are still in progress! But I'll give you a run down of what to expect from there.

Heir to the Throne: Your zodiac god is in love with you, the King's daughter, and he declares his love to you, deciding it's completely worth his time to try and win you over. The only problem is that he has to seek the approval of the King regardless of her feelings for him. The wishes gods have the approval of the King much easier than the punishments gods.

Moving On: Your god breaks up with you and you turn to your childhood best friend for love and support, only to later end up in a tragic accident that could have been avoided had your zodiac god been there. So he shows up with a letter… Only, what does it say?

Zodiac Swim House: A crossover between SCM and Free!Iwatobi Swim Club. Teen!MC admires the iwatobi swim club and wants to be a member. It's winter so her only choice to join them is by asking her zodiac dads for a competition pool in their back yard. Surely that would impress her new swim mates! (I might add various scenarios to this one where MC ends up with different swimmers and her zodiac dads react to her human boyfriend/girlfriend.)

Lou~ The Outcome: The second part to the Yandere Lou fic after MC is rescued and Lou is arrested. In this part, we look at his broken aftermath. We really see things from his perspective and everyone's reactions to what Lou's done. (This one is mega angsty and I'm definitely looking forward to it.)

NSWF Scorpio~ Nice Thighs: Where you only want to spend a nice day nuzzling into Scorpio's very lovely thighs. It's not like he can say no to his happy girlfriend… What's the worst that can happen? You end up… squished between his thighs…? Pfft… That's fine. (THIS ONE MIGHT ACTUALLY COME OUT SOME TIME AFTER MY LEON FICS OR MAYBE EVEN BEFORE BECAUSE IT'S COMING ALONG SO NICELY AND I REALLY TORTURED SCORPIO IN THIS ONE AND I'M HAVING FEELINGS FOR SWITCH SCORPIO RIGHT NOW. AND I LOVE YOU FOR ASKING FOR THIS, AND I WANNA GIVE YOU YOUR GOOD BOY.)

NSFW Lou~ The Sincerest Apology: Where you, Lou's goddess girlfriend, gets jealous over Lou being polite to another goddess. Lou is extremely submissive in this story and finally gets a taste of his own medicine as far as teasing you goes. Of course, you're not really mad at him… but an apology for sweet talking another goddess would be nice.

Road Trips: This was based on a simple question I got about if the gods liked to travel but I had a lot of art I wanted to make with it, but never had time to draw. I'm super frustrated that I don't have time to draw all the art I want for this because the ideas are soooo cute, so I might just rewrite it to where all I'll need is my main drawing and I can just describe the rest. It won't be as cute, but… the question will be answered. (the answer is yes, by the way…)

Spilling Tea: This is basically my personal thoughts on each of the gods and I feel like I'm shit talking behind their backs so I decided to call it "Spilling Tea". You'd think this would be a quick and easy thing to write and post, but I have opinions and opinions take time. (plus, I forget I'm writing this sometimes….) I only wrote about Leon, Karno, and Huedhaut so far, so I have quite the ways to go. I mean, it's not all bad… I hardly had anything to complain about with Hue, and Karno was also very little. You could imagine the shit I said about season 1 Leo though. BUT I HAVE GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM TOO. Still, I think Lou might be the only one I don't have any complaints ready for. He has yet to do me wrong that I can instinctively remember. Partheno's gonna have a novel of things; I love him, but he did me so dirty.

#my asks #star crossed myth #department of punishments #department of wishes #zodiac gods #fanfiction

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