#my favorite cafes are crossover cafes

[oliviawhen]

I've been trying to visit every cafe where I live for several years, and I recently hit 200! Here are a couple paintings of Ikon and Marigold Cafe in sf.

#gouache #cafe #coffee #painting #my favorite cafes are crossover cafes #cafe in a bike store or florist cafe #art

[porcelainseashore]

Into the Ether (1)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Vampire! Toreador! Leon Kennedy x Fem! Reader

Summary: At the all-night events cafe you run, you’ve become acquainted with an elusive patron, Leon, though you can never remember the last moments of your interactions together. After a harrowing encounter, a love-hate relationship develops between the two of you as you grapple with your newfound status in a world of darkness and investigate the reasons behind the untimely attacks.

Content & Warnings: 18+ Resident Evil x Vampire: The Masquerade crossover, horror, mystery, romance, slow burn, strangers to enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, eventual smut, swearing, smoking, non consensual blood drinking, blood bond, vampire turning, violence, injury, mild gore, torture, religious themes, minor character death, RE ensemble, VtM concepts.

Authors' Note: Super excited for this crossover series! I’ll try to keep a regular update schedule on Wednesdays. I might take some liberties with VtM lore and mechanics to fit the story, but hope to stay as true as I can to the source material. Finally, I imagined RE2R Leon (my favorite!) in this role 🫶

AO3 Link

Chapter 1: RC By Night

You first saw him in summer, when the days were long and the nights were short, and the streets came to life again. There was the heady smell of pollen in the air and the humidity was sweltering. Just a couple of months after you and a bunch of idealistic friends from your theater school days had taken the plunge, and opened an all-night cafe in one of the cheaper, grittier areas of town, east of the river of Raccoon City.

It had been a scrappy little project, one you didn’t expect to receive a cult following and gain in popularity amongst the intellectuals and counterculture crowd. But then again, there was also the City College nearby and the events program you’d lined up each week drew them in. From comedy nights and disco fevers to site-specific and performance art, you knew what people liked and how they wanted to be entertained. A bit of kitsch, a sprinkle of avant-garde and a generous dose of unpretentious social drinking. It pulled him in too.

Him. You didn’t even know his name. The first thing you had noticed were his striking blue eyes that seemed to glow from the shadows of the dimly lit space, peering out at you. Always observing, always watching, never speaking. Sometimes he’d glance over across the opposite end of the room at another pair of companions — a rugged, broad-shouldered man with a dark crew cut bumping shoulders with a younger, spunky redhead in a matching biker jacket. They’d exchange subtle looks of recognition and mild suspicion before returning to whatever they were doing. Though they never uttered a single word to each other.

He came back week after week, ordering the same drink each time, but never touching it. One Manhattan, please. You obliged. A waitress you had sent over to pry on your behalf told you he enjoyed the cocktail, but couldn’t tolerate much alcohol. You saw him lift the drink to his nose, sniffing it as the corners of his mouth turned upwards, silently smiling to himself before he placed it back down on the table again. Strange. You shook your head and prepared a cup of black coffee, taking it over to him as his eyes lit up in surprise with your approach.

“On the house,” you explained, plonking it down on the table. He raised an eyebrow but remained tight-lipped.

Maybe he didn’t like coffee? Or how did he usually take it? “Uh—” you turned back towards the service area, as if to check that the condiments were still in place. “Would you like some creamer or sugar to go with it?”

He raised his hand to indicate it wasn’t necessary and his jaw clenched, before fixing it into an awkward smile. “Thank you.”

Those were the first words he had spoken to you. It rolled off his tongue like a swirl of mist, a sliver of a dream you couldn’t quite remember when waking up. You took another step forward to get a better look at him. He had a baby face, angelic almost, with that typical, boy next door charm your mom would have gushed at, and you imagined he couldn’t be older than his early twenties. Upon closer inspection, he seemed slightly pale, faint dark circles around his eyes that had seen more than his fair share for his age. There was a sense of weariness and jadedness behind them that made him appear older than he was.

Bringing the cup to his lips, he sipped a small mouthful, letting it sit for a moment, before swallowing it down languidly. You admired the curve of his Adam’s apple, bobbing as the liquid poured down his throat, littered with freckles and specks of moles. Something about his very presence mesmerized you, even more so than earlier. It was hard to place a finger on what it was exactly, and why this feeling seemed to grow with every second you were lingering near him.

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tapping it on the table before offering one to you. Why not? You were a social smoker and took it as a sign to join him. In fact, there was no other place you’d rather be at the moment. You were confused, but did not question it as you took a seat beside him, noticing that he flinched each time he flicked open his lighter to ignite a flame.

His fingertips brushed across your wrist as he lit your cigarette, causing you to shiver in response, while his jaw tensed again, as if trying to rein something in. Licking his lips, he took a puff from his own, exhaling the smoke as it billowed around him and for a second you thought you’d lost him to a wall of fog. Both of you continued smoking in silence, checking in with each other through furtive glances, even though there was nothing to be ashamed about.

At some point, you followed the direction of his gaze and saw that same pair of companions he often regarded from the corner of his eye. They were frowning, giving him dirty looks as he shrugged nonchalantly in return.

“Not much of a talker, are you?” you broke through the thick stillness of the air that surrounded the both of you like a bubble, separated from the rest of the evening revelers.

“You’re observant,” he teased, his eyes crinkling as he stubbed out the leftovers of his cigarette in the ashtray. You followed suit.

“So, what brings you here?” you asked, gesturing to the suit attire sans tie that he was wearing. “Don’t get me wrong, but this place doesn’t exactly seem like the kind you types hang out at.”

“Hm,” he huffed, though your question didn’t phase him. “And what exactly is my type?”

“I’d say you were a yuppie,” you blurted out, your mouth rarely had a filter on these days. “But I can’t be sure, something about you seems…”

“Off?” he offered, smirking, yet his expression carried a hint of somberness.

“Different,” you corrected, but mumbled out a quick apology nonetheless soon after.

“Don’t be,” he grazed your hand again as he adjusted himself in his chair, and you felt like he was doing this on purpose. “At least you’re honest. It’s a rare quality to find these days.” Though the way he said the last sentence sounded loaded with a double meaning.

“These days?” you guffawed. “You’re speaking like an old man.”

He joined in your laughter though that was the end of your conversation for that night. The rest of the evening went by in a blind haze, and you found yourself in a dazed state later on in the wee hours of the morning, still sitting at the same table, but your newfound friend gone without a trace. None of your colleagues had noticed a thing. You didn’t even get his name, but you shook yourself, commanding your limbs to get back to business and clean up after the customers that had left.

The next time you saw him was when you were hosting the karaoke night of the month. Decked out in a shimmery mermaid glitter jumpsuit, hair tied up in pigtails and face caked with extravagant make up, you hopped onto the stage, only to nearly stumble on your flimsy heels when those piercing blue eyes landed on you from the all the way back. Of all the nights he could have dropped in, he chose this one.

You suppressed your embarrassment and warmed up the audience with a couple of well-placed jokes before kicking the event off with those who had registered to participate. It appeared to be a tough crowd as you only had a handful of sign ups, and would need to potentially seek out volunteers when they were done. You hoped the rackety sound system would hold up till then too.

Fortunately, when it came to the crunch — which it did — you always had an ace up your sleeve. “You there,” you called out, pointing towards the back of the room. “Yeah, blue eyes, you.” Crooking your finger, you beckoned him over, waiting in anticipation to see what he would do.

To your surprise, he bowed his head, accepting the challenge, before slowly weaving his way through the crowd, who were cheering him on with your prompting, towards the stage. He flashed you his pearly whites as he climbed up the short stairs, his floppy bangs bouncing with each step. For a moment, you thought you caught something feral in his gaze, but it dissipated when he reached out for the mic from you, his hands sweeping over yours with an electric touch.

You were in awe of him, like almost everyone else in the cafe, when he broke out in a rich tenor voice, effortlessly floating through the notes of the gentle melody, that you felt as though you were being wrapped in a serene, velvet cocoon. Enthusiastic claps and hoots filled the space when he finished. The only two people in the room who were scowling were the same pair of companions he knew from before.

“Will you join me after the show?” he whispered in your ear as he handed you back the mic. Nodding was the only appropriate response.

You were rushed off your feet for the next couple of hours and it was late by the time you called the event to a close, but he was still there, by his usual table, waiting patiently for you.

“So you decided to push me into the spotlight,” he accused with a wry smile.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy it,” you shot back. “Here.” You set a cup of black coffee down in front of him. “My treat.”

“You’re too kind.” It sounded flat, like a game that had become routine between the two of you. He took a sip from it, nothing more, nothing less.

That was all you could recall from your conversation. You didn’t get his name until a few nights after.

“Hey, blue eyes,” you acknowledged as he strolled in.

“Leon,” he disclosed sharply. “It’s Leon.”

That was the night of exchanging introductions. You named all the nights you’d spent with him under various labels, so you wouldn’t forget.

Another night, he had whipped out a flip phone and you nearly choked on your drink. “They still make those?” You stared in disbelief.

He turned to face you in amusement.

“Bet you don’t have a—”

You didn’t even need to finish your sentence for him to fish out his pager, dangling it in front of you like a toy.

“Fuck off,” you laughed. “No fucking way.”

He grinned at your outburst and it was one of those times, few and far between, where you experienced a glimpse of that youthful energy he often hid behind a calm, matured facade.

“You’re still living in the 90s dude?” you jested, grabbing the pager as you flipped it over, trying to determine if it was real. It was.

His lips curled up into a playful smirk. “Something like that.”

“Healthcare,” you guessed, squinting at him. “I heard people there still have them. You’re a doctor?”

“I wish.” He coughed out a self-deprecating laugh, before rummaging through his wallet for a sleek white card, sliding over to you. “PI, actually.”

“Private Investigator Leon S. Kennedy,” you read the title out loud, deliberately emphasizing each word.

“Go ahead, shout it from the rooftops,” he joked.

“Don’t tempt me.” You gave what you hoped was a cheeky wink, not flirty, definitely not flirty.

A lopsided smile spread across his face, and you wondered if you were finally beginning to unravel the mystery of this man, one that he seemed to carry around like a burden.

“Well, now you know where to find me.” He winked back, taking a tiny sip of his free coffee.

That was the night of P.I. Kennedy. Soon, these nights blurred into each other. You felt like you were getting a step closer, but yet you weren’t. He always had you at an arm’s length for some reason, even though he seemed to want more. Why did he keep coming back?

He also appeared to care about what you thought of him. At some point forth, he started dressing down, exchanging his usual formal attire for a shirt with no blazer, and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A fine gold chain necklace peeked out from underneath his top collar, which was left unbuttoned. “Better like this?” he asked with no context. You had to pause and consider what he meant for a while before you understood.

“If you’d like to fit in.” You shrugged indifferently. “But I don’t think you want to.”

“You know me well,” he murmured fondly. The back of his fingers caressed the side of your neck, just under your jawline, along a pulse point. You closed your eyes and sighed. It felt sensitive and tender.

“And how well do you know me?” you asked. 

There was no reply, but somehow you already knew the answer.

Another thing you were vaguely aware of was that you kept missing the tail end of your interactions with him. It was as though after a certain point in the night, you would come to, like waking up from a daydream, and he would have disappeared by then.

Your colleagues asked if you were seeing each other. Were you? You were only chatting, you surmised. Nothing had gone that far yet, at least from what you had gathered. But you liked him more than you would’ve liked to admit.

He walked you home one night, and when you reached your doorstep, you were about to invite him in, but he interrupted you. “There’s something I need to tell you…”

Guilt clouded his eyes, unmistakable and heavy. But as he was about to say more, he held back, as if pulled by an invisible thread. Then, you felt yourself overcome with tiredness, but it was pleasant and comforting. “Can you help me to bed?” Your voice sounded far away.

All at once, you felt yourself being propped up under his arm and your weight shifting under your feet, until your head touched a feather-soft pillow. He draped a blanket over your unmoving body. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I never should have—” Even in your state, you could tell it pained him.

“I won’t do it again, unless you let me.” 

That was the last you heard from him for a while.

━━━━━━━━━━━

Leon couldn’t get enough of you. Believe him, he tried countless times, but it didn’t work. From the moment he had set foot into that establishment, he had damned himself. He knew it when he spotted you and smelled your sanguine resonance from afar. It was the humor of your blood, and it was stronger and more consistent than he was used to. You were just so full of life, and enjoying it to the point where he was envious. You signified all the hopes and dreams that had been dashed spectacularly to the ground, ever since becoming… what he was now.

He had to have a taste of you. A little drop wouldn’t hurt, would it? He’d been taught ages ago, by Ada, his sire, that he needed people like you to survive. If one ignored their hunger for too long, things would get worse, so much worse, and not just for himself, but for everyone else around him. It was simply the lesser of two evils to feed, and he’d never actually killed anyone by doing so. Then, why did it feel so wrong? He had gotten good at pushing down these thoughts, until they were reduced to an inaudible hum at the back of his mind. Just like many other things, he learnt to compromise. But compromising meant that sometimes, he’d lose a piece of himself. If there was an equivalent of a soul within the monster he had become, then it was fragmented, and he’d never get back the ones that had dissolved into the ether, due to the bad decisions he had made. Like the ones he would soon make with you.

Taste. Taste was something he had acquired since young. In his human life, he always had an eye for detail, an eye for what fit, what worked, and what didn’t. It certainly helped when he became a cold case detective with the police force, filled with unbridled potential, only to have that overturned, when he decided to chase after love instead of missing people and puzzle pieces. For years, he would’ve done anything for her, only for it to amount to wasted time and regret when the inevitable boredom that came with time struck, and he was tossed aside over something exciting and new. Still, he knew a delicious vessel when he saw one. You were just meant to be a special curiosity that he could pass on to the older vampire for a favor or two. At least, that was what he told himself, when you took the initial bait and he beckoned you to stay through unnatural means. That was the first lie.

When he bit into you, he was met with a burst of color, vibrant shades of all kinds of red. The flavor saturated his mouth: sweet roses, his favorite kind, their scent carried on a gentle zephyr; warm light that enveloped him but didn’t hurt; traces of nicotine coursing through your veins; and the familiar iron tang that gave it its kick. Your face, your voice, your very essence haunted him in that taste. He could see you like a will-o'-the-wisp performing on stage in one of your many plays across a lifetime, laughing with your friends in the back of a car speeding down the highway, crying into a pillow when you had your heart broken by your first love… How was this possible? Your memories came flooding through him and you were blissfully unaware of it all. He felt like a spy, listening in to all your secrets and desires, and his blatant invasion of your privacy disgusted him.

This was wrong. He shouldn’t have gotten so close. He should’ve heeded the warning glances the Redfield siblings were throwing his way. So, he tried his best to stay away, but like an addict, he kept crawling back, seeking you out like a dog with its tail between its legs. How could a mere mortal have such an effect on him? Did he taste this way to Ada when she turned him? He laughed sardonically. If only she could see him now, being so torn up over a woman he had just met.

He tried to erase you from his mind, but you were always meant to be something more. You reminded him of all the things he missed when he was living. You were the best he had ever tasted, but he didn’t want to turn you over to her, not yet. After all, he could afford to enjoy you for just one more time. The second lie had spun its thick, dark webs throughout his head. Truth be told, he would never share you with anyone else.

The third lie came when he resolved to tell you what he really was. He couldn’t keep going on like this and deceiving you, but his sire’s words bore down on him. “You don’t get attached to a vessel,” she scoffed. Wait, wasn’t he one too at some point? Her contradictory words replayed in his ears like a broken record. In any case, he wasn’t attached. He was being brave and honest, which was how he liked to think of himself. But when it came to the crunch outside your doorstep, he was a coward, finding himself unable to breach the rules of the Masquerade and gave in to his urges instead. It was then that he realized deep down, he was truly a despicable and hateful low-life.

Thump! He felt his body slam against a solid wall, as he entered a secluded alleyway round the corner from your apartment. A dull ache bloomed across his skin. After the events that had happened that night, he didn’t even bother putting up a fight. He slumped down until the brawny, older male sibling, Chris, lifted him by his collar and pinned him in place. At the same time, the slender redhead, Claire, Chris’ female counterpart, spoke, “Where the hell are you going with this, Leon?”

“Why do you care?” he spat, blood coating his teeth. “The cafe’s in neutral ground, no one’s claimed domain over it yet. I can feed on whoever I like.”

“Listen, you’re Cam scum, but you saved my brother back then, and you used to hang with us,” she hissed, jabbing her finger into his shoulder to emphasize each point. “So, I’m gonna give you a tip, but just this once.”

She brought her mouth to his ear. “There’s interest in the domain… and you’re not the only suitor vying for her attention.”

His eyes widened at the threat.

“Whatever you do, do it fast.”

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy angst #leon kennedy fluff #resident evil #vampire au #vampire the masquerade #vtm #crossover #porcelainscribbles

[writing-till-i-am-dead]

Taygan oneshot

Logan and Taylor were hanging out at their favorite cafe. It was a nice, relaxing place with couches and a tv playing music. 

They were hanging out on one of the couches, Taylor sipping from her lavender lemonade as she leaned on Logan and scrolled through her phone and Logan was reading through a book on astronomy. 

Taylor was humming to herself and looked at Logan. 

“Hey, when’s your birthday?”

“Huh? Oh. December 18.”

Taylor nodded and rapidly typed something into her phone. 

“Huh? What are you doing?” he asked, leaning over her shoulder curiously. 

She was on some website he didn’t recognize. She cleared her throat and read out, “Your horoscope for today says that you-“

“Oh no,” he says, cutting her off. He reached out and grabbed her phone. 

“Ah! Hey-!” she said, laughing, only because Logan was also laughing. She knew he was playing with her. 

“No way am I letting you read my horoscope,” he said in a matter of fact voice. 

“Why not?”

He laughed and gently bopped her head. “Because that stuff is baloney.”

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “To you, maybe. You’re just too logical,” she said as Logan handed her phone back. 

He sighed dramatically and leaned onto her shoulder. “I just know there’s no logical reason to explain something like that.”

She laughs and he laughs too. That’s one thing they liked about each other. They could laugh so freely together. They may disagree on so many things they’re passionate about, but in the end, they know it’d be ridiculous to really get mad about it. So, instead, they bond on other things. 

“Did you hear about the crafts they’re sending to Mars?” Logan asked. 

“Oh ya! I’ve seen photos of it! The craftsmanship! I can only imagine how much work went into building it!”

This was what they could bond over. A crossover between space and engineering. 

“Do you plan to go to NASA after you go to engineering school?” he asks, wrapping his arm around her as he looked back at his book. 

Taylor hesitated, sipping from her lemonade awkwardly. “I dunno.. I’m not sure if I’m even going to engineering school..”

“Huh? Why not. You love mechanical engineering.”

“I know. It’s a money thing..”

“Ah..” That was one thing Logan understood all too well. He lived with his grandparents, who were florists. He threw out ideas of going to his dream schools a long time ago. 

But, still.. Taylor of all people deserved to go to whatever school she wanted. She’s such a dedicated and hard worker, and super passionate too. 

It’s what Logan admired so much about her. 

“I think you should try for a scholarship,” he said, resting his cheek on the top of her head. 

“You think so?”

“Ya.. You’re definitely smart enough for it.” He gave her a jovial smile. “Even if you do believe in horoscopes.”

She snorted out a laugh. Her snorting always caught him off guard and caused him to laugh and snort too, and soon they’d just be giggling messes. 

No one ever brought out this side of Logan. He was too shy, too boring. And yet Taylor made him fun, made him playful and teasing. 

She was so much like him, yet so different. Maybe that’s why he likes her so much. 

And Taylor admired Logan’s quiet nature. The way he could just listen, be such a gentle shoulder to cry on. Taylor had such a bad habit of trying to always find solutions, something she picked up from Tyler growing up, that she never actually pays attention to her emotional needs. Logan’s presence always felt like a gentle reminder to think about that sort of stuff.

They were still giggling like a couple of schoolchildren when one of the people working went up to them. 

“I’m sorry..” she said with the most passive aggressive smile the two of them had ever seen. “Could you two pipe down or leave? You’re causing disturbance to everyone else in the cafe.”

The two exchanged embarrassed glances and stood up. 

“Right, sorry,” said Taylor. “We’ll head on out…”

The two left the shop and once they were standing outside the door, they looked over at each other, paused, and burst out laughing. 

“Oh my gosh,” Logan said. “That’s my first time getting kicked out of anywhere.”

“Me too! Haha!!”

The two linked arms and began to walk off. 

“Wanna go to my grandparents’ flower shop?”

“Ya. Sounds good.”

They walked together in comfortable silence, calming down from their laughing fit. 

“Hey. Logan?”

“Ya?”

“You really think I could get into engineering school on a scholarship?”

“Yes,” he said confidently. 

She looked down and smiled. “And you think I could really work at NASA?”

“Yes,” he said again, full confidence. 

“…Maybe I will.. as long as you come with me.”

“Where?”

“To NASA.. let’s see the stars together.”

He paused and smiled at her. Logan wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do with his life. He had never been sure. But Taylor’s confidence, her request.. it was so tempting that he, for the first time, felt confident about what he wanted to do after high school. 

“NASA..? Maybe.”

That’s probably why they got along, really. 

They both reached to their dreams. 

Taylor trusted in hopes, Logan trusted in facts. 

But their trusts tied together in their love for the stars. 

#platonic or romantic #school bus graveyard #Sbg #logan sbg #tyler hernandez #taylor sbg #taylor hernandez #Taygan #Oneshot #fanfic

[munv]

any chance you could write a kurapika!reader x gojo?? i know it’s a weird crossover but those are my two favorites rn 😭😭

love your work, keep it up!

𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗨𝗘𝗦

Took me a hot week or so to get back into my request groove. Also ty <33

I didn’t put in as much as I wanted to for this but I hope you enjoyed either way!

Gojo would find you like a second Nanaimo but a bit more sense of fun, so taking it upon himself he decided to find out more about you.

He wouldn’t admit he was wary at first but hell is he such a nuisance.

He’s the most annoying thing to ever exist. You’re in a cafe? Nah he’s actually been waiting for you there around 8.

On a mission? Actually, according to the higher ups he was sent to “monitor you”. On your way home? Let him walk you there! At some point he even developed a crush on you along the way and it was way more quicker than he would’ve liked.

Initially he was just going to find out more about you to satisfy his curiosity, look where that got him.

If you started dating he would most likely, 100%, making you match in blindfolds. Unlike him you don’t actually need them like that since you do fairly well when it comes to your eyes glowing. However, it’s still a bit scary to some so he indulged in it a bit.

Not the blindfold, but the little glasses. The only catch is that they aren’t the ones that you can’t see out of at all. Still stylish though.

Chains? He find them hot on you. He’s being blunt with it, no beating around the bush. He deadass inquired maybe you could “teach him how the chains work at his place” he definitely received a beating for that one. But other than that? Trauma buddies

One has the world in his hands and only by being alone the strongest one does he find true loneliness. Lost most of his closest friends at the price of protecting people he finds beyond weak. People that probably don’t even deserve saving.

The other has sworn to taken revenge on those who has taken their loved ones no matter the cost, even at the price of their own life.

Gojo probably likes to get you angry on PURPOSE just so he could see your eyes change color. Quite the freaky guy but he how could he help it? Your eyes are so pretty!

I feel like you and Nanami have a truce on drowning gojo one day

Either way he loves it when you take care of his students! He finds you all such an adorable bundle.

Imagines a future with you in the shower where you both don’t have to deal with curses at all

#{-muxis writes #x reader #x y/n #headcanons #headcanon #oneshots #hxh kurapika #kurapika reader #kurapika x reader #jjk x reader #jjk headcanons #gojo x reader #gojo satoru #kurapika kurta #hxh x reader #hxh #hxh headcanons #jjk oneshot #gojo x you #satoru jjk #satoru gojo x reader #jjk gojo #jjk small spoilers

[shellbells-things]

So, I was chatting with some friends and we were discussing how, lately, the ASKS on Tumblr have been plagued with a bunch of “people” coming into our space, trying desperately to convince us that Jikook are basically estranged. It’s crazy how all over the place these ASKS are!

For example: “They have always hated each other and now they don’t have to hang out anymore. They are brothers and work friends only. They used to be a thing, but they aren’t anymore. They are cover for a real relationship. The company forces them to mention each other on social media. And my personal favorite….They’ve only seen each other a couple of times this year, they just aren’t close”.

What?! Are they stupid or something? Do they honestly think that they ONLY time Jikook (or any of the members actually) see each other is when they talk about it or post about it on social media? The rest of the time, nothing? Oh Lordy, I need something pretty to calm my nerves.

Thats better! Do these people really live in such an isolated world that they believe that the litmus test for a relationship is the number of posts on Instagram? Because that’s the standard they are holding Jikook to. Heck, I checked my own personal social media pages and saw that I’ve posted things about the people I actually LIVE WITH or that I see every single day…only a handful of times this year. So clearly, social media posts aren’t necessary for maintaining (or proving) a relationship.

We all know why that specific group of people are here. They NEED to try and disprove Jikook because if Jikook exists as a couple, then their fantasy is just that, a fantasy. And listen, they KNOW. They see it. Images of Jikook, in all of their Jikook glory, are burned on their retinas. They wouldn’t take Jikook moments and alter them (badly…oh so badly) by replacing Jimin’s face with, well, someone else’s, if they didn’t see the moments as romantic. Oh the second-hand embarrassment I get when I see those edits. Yeeeeshhh.

As for the so called “insecure Jikooker”, I can see how it happens. Listen, we used to basically LIVE with BTS. We saw them during practice, at concerts, eating together, backstage, on RUN BTS, Bon Voyage, Bangtan Bombs, In the Soop (1&2), during special content, at music shows and awards shows, photoshoots, commercials. They were much more active on social media, posting selfies on Twitter, talking in Fan Cafes, doing vLives regularly. I mean dang! It was constant. During all of that, from day ONE, we saw Jikook together. Sometimes they were quiet, sometimes they were loud. Regardless, they were always together (Satellite Jeon saw to that). Now, during solo era, we rarely see any of them together. And there is no “natural reason” for Jikook to be joined at the hip in the public eye. Before, they had reason, they had “cover” so to speak. But now? Suddenly, they share very very little about themselves. It’s quite the adjustment for fans to make and I can see how it leads to “discomfort”.

So now, I’m finally to my point! Jikook has been close for 10+ years, closer than close. They’ve risked a LOT to be together, worked through tough and scary times together. After all of the risk, hard work, and commitment, do we really, really think that different schedules would cause them to throw in the towel? Do we really think that having different work priorities would make them suddenly fall out? Really? I call BS on that. Out here in Normalville, people in relationships manage to go to different jobs daily, have sets of friends that do not crossover, even go on work or pleasure trips without each other, and still maintain a healthy, happy relationship. Couples in Normalville don’t have to post about each other regularly on social media, nor must they FaceTime all of their family, friends, and coworkers just to give them an update or their relationship status. Yet, this is the standard people are holding Jikook to. If they don’t prove themselves, they aren’t real? Wow. Harsh.

I saw this tweet and I thought it went well with my Ted Talk today. All you have to do is look at them and you know they have something special. And just because we can no longer see them as often, it doesn’t change the fact that their special relationship still exists. Just look at them. LOOK AT THEM. I feel confident, based on what we HAVE seen during this solo era, that Jikook are the same as ever. They are just having to travel down a new path together. And an actual BONUS for them, I think, is that they are getting to have a lot more privacy than they have had in the past. Anybody who says different has their own agenda and I, for one, don’t plan to give them any of my attention.

#jimin #jungkook #jikook #kookmin #minkook #same as always

[liminalmemories21]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to @cha-melodius for the tag!

How many works do you have on ao3?

33

What's your total ao3 word count?

491,391 (but I'm going to tick over to over 500,000 on Saturday or Sunday - spoilers!)

What fandoms do you write for?

911: Lonestar, and I dabble in the idea of 911 (OG)

Top five fics by kudos:

Long Story Short (series)

A home isn't always the house we live in

It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!

Always Wear Your Invisible Crown

When the sun came up you were looking at me

Do you respond to comments?

I try to.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

None of them? I am really not here for the angst.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them?

I don't know, maybe a toss up between It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags! and Once Upon a Bus

Do you get hate on fics?

So far I've gotten lucky, and I haven't really. I appreciate it.

Do you write smut?

More so lately than at the beginning.

Craziest crossover:

Not strictly speaking a crossover, but knave-verse is an unhinged White Collar AU.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not so far.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not one that's been posted. I've co-written with a IRL friend, but we've never really actually finished anything.

All time favorite ship?

Do not make me pick a favorite child. I've been around fandom too long to pick one, or even five (or ten).

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There's the kid-fic that I want to finish, but cannot find the right hook.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue. Apparently (mysteriously) heist plots. Emotional descriptives.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Any scene that involves more than two people. Maybe I can manage three people at the outside. More than that and I lose track of the choreography, and I keep forgetting which people have arrived and which have left.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

If it's appropriate - like Carlos (and his family) think in/speak Spanish, so having them use that make sense. That being said, I do not speak Spanish, so finding colloquialisms and making them feel organic can be hard.

First fandom you wrote in?

Published? Lonestar

Unpublished? There's an unholy Smallville story that will never see the light of day. And, a Merlin fic that I co-wrote and falls apart about halfway through.

Favorite fic you've written?

Stealing Nina's idea and doing one in each of my main fandoms I've written in because it's hard to pick (even then this was rough).

Oh, don't make me pick. Okay. I love Knave2, I think it's the best thing I've written. But, I love some of the early fic I wrote that are less plot based and more almost character studies, like stitched with it's color and through sames of am through haves of give

hmm, tagging @freneticfloetry, @bonheur-cafe, @paperstorm and @heartstringsduet

#writing meta #contains me

[carlos-in-glasses]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for the tag @chicgeekgirl89 @theghostofashton @sugdenlovesdingle @ladytessa74 @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @lemonlyman-dotcom @bonheur-cafe @reyesstrand @orchidscript @alrightbuckaroo @liminalmemories21 @strandnreyes @welcometololaland @rmd-writes @jesuisici33 ❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Twenty! <- Linking to the masterlist I recently made because I love the banner! -> This is a direct link to my Ao3.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

270,729

3. What fandoms do you write for

Only 9-1-1 Lonestar. It’s hard to imagine writing for anything else, but time shall tell.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Chasers 🏃🏽 When Soulmates Swim 💦 Afterglow of a Supernova ⭐ The Heart Behind the Shield ❤️‍🩹 The Light of Our Life 🦎

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I sure do. The idea of not responding breaks my heart a little, and I always feel bad for keeping people waiting, although I do. I like to respond chattily if it matches the commenter’s energy, and with a lot of gratitude, but on weekdays I usually end up in a headachy stupor so end up pushing responses until I feel awake. I’m so grateful that people take the time to read and comment. I have to tell them. I don’t even know how to explain how it feels to receive positive comments on my writing after writing into the void for so long before I tried my hand at fanfic. 

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don’t think any of them are truly angsty because they all end on a note of TK and Carlos loving each other through anything, but it’s probably Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines because it’s a 3x08 coda and TK is grieving. Or The Center of the Maze because the last chapter is partly a 4x18 coda Carlos is grieving for Gabriel. These boys have been through a lot!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

With Infinity Folded into it – plot being that right after TK proposes, Carlos reflects on the first time they said ‘I love you’. It’s fluff all the way down. But I also want to throw The Ruins of Wonderland (breakup/reconciliation AU) and Release the Hand to Relax the Animal (smut city) into the mix.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I was recently visited by the Carlos-hater fairy, as a few of us have been. It stung. But mainly I came away feeling really sad for the person behind that account.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

The kind where Carlos faceplants the headboard. The kind where they break the bed. The kind where they have tantric sex for hours. The kind where things are inside Carlos while he’s inside TK. The kind where they frot despite potentially being overlooked by ghosts (not as dumb as it sounds).

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven’t, but I’d love to write a Tarlos fic that heavily involves Kevin and Captain Holt from B99. I’d find it challenging to get Kevin and Holt’s voices right, so inspiration will really need to grip me.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes – I was alerted by a lovely reader that portions of one of my fics had been plagiarised. I had to contact Ao3. A lot of people in the fandom really rallied and helped in various ways when it happened and I was lost at what to do. I want to say a big thank you because you shone like a beautiful bright light. It’s not at all flattering to be plagiarised – it feels absolutely terrible.   

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No but I’d like to! It’s a question of finding the time (and agreeing ideas and how to go about it) so as to not let the collaborator down.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Tarlos. And may it never find land.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I typically only work on one thing at a time – so I don’t have an unfinished WIP gathering dust. I hope I’m able to write and post all the ideas I have eventually.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I’ve been told more than once: Imagery, dialogue, characterisation, and carrying themes through.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plotting and the more technical stuff. Being a good creative writer doesn’t necessarily translate to perfect grammar and syntax and all that jazz (I did very poorly in school across the board, which I’m sure is a surprise to nobody). I spend a long time editing my fics and fixing things post-production. What gets uploaded to Ao3 is the result of many rethinks and rescue missions. 

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I would like to work some Spanish into my current WIP (and in fact I’m planning for it to have a Spanish title) I think it’s completely fine to include other languages within fics. If anything it can provide context.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

9-1-1 Lonestar – my beloved, my first and only.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

The 90k story known as Flashback Fic (for now), which I’ll start posting in November, is my favourite fic because I genuinely think it’s the best thing I’ve written ever and I can’t wait to share it. I’ve been exploring the pasts of TK and Carlos in a way I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and linking it to the present, wherein Carlos is has been seeking Gabriel’s killer and floundering. For posted fics, When Soulmates Swim was the most fun I’ve had with characterisation and I loved spending time with TK and Carlos in my head throughout. Chapter 4, Lover’s Leap, was challenging to write but I love how it came out. Feedback on the ‘big moment’ in that chapter has been amazing. But I’m also really proud of The Center of the Maze, which I think is the most ‘beautiful’ and consistently so. I feel weird saying that about my own writing, but I felt really good about it during a re-read (I don’t often re-read them).

I'm not entirely sure who has/hasn't done this so open tag (please tag me back!) and if you haven't done it already/want to: @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @taralaurel @heartstringsduet @paperstorm @rosedavid @chaotictarlos @catanisspicy @noxsoulmate @three-drink-amy @sanjuwrites @lightningboltreader @goodways @wandering-night19 @mikibwrites - no pressure/ignore at your leisure 💘

#20 questions for fic writers #cig tagged #cig fic #my fics

[sailingmakai]

Do you have favourite blogs?

Do you have favourite ships?

Do you have favourite blogs?

(( Yes~ As guilty as that statement makes me feel ;w; @tres-fidelis, @revclver-jesus, @oraclememehacker, @webbedphantom, and @trickstersshadow are a few of them! Probably others, but tumblr's being a POS to me right now and not letting me see all the people I follow OR that follow me so those are off the top of my head.

In general I love all the blogs I follow though so picking specific ones is haaard- D:

Do you have favourite ships?

Cutting this, because this one got a bit long lmao. I like talking about my favorite ships and I don't get to that often I value your ease of scrolling, so - it gets cut.

Anyway - also yes! :D

In Persona 5, my two favorite ships are

-> Akiren+Haru; she wants to make a cafe and he can cook, and they're cute as HELL together. I love the thought of them opening a cafe together~ Plus, Haru can be TERRIFYING when she wants to be, and I love the thought of her being sweet on her man one moment, then sweetly threatening to gut his enemies, the next. :D

-> Akiren+Akechi; I can't help it, they vibe so well with each other. I doubt they'd have the healthiest relationship, though. Not toxic, but it'd be toeing the line something fierce, I think. I think their flirting would look almost exactly like their fighting. And vice versa. You'd never be able to tell from the outside if they're mad at each other or not.

I'm also partial to PolyThieves, because it can be very cute when written well~

If I may offer some bonus ships;

-> FF7 / Cloud+Tifa; Come on that max-rank Gold Saucer date in 7R is ADORABLE as hell, and watching Tifa draw Cloud out of his shell the way she does in Rebirth now and again is just... ugh. I need Remake Finale asap, man. Also if it's not called Reunion I'm gonna be SO mad at Squenix I swear

-> HSR / Caelus+Aventurine; This is a bit of a weird one and I'm anxious as fuck mentioning it because my knowledge of Hoyoverse fandoms is that they can be toxic as fuck, but I just think these two would be really cute together once Aventurine lets his hair/guard down a little. There's some good potential for softness from these two - two guys that never really had a childhood just being soft with each other cause neither really belongs anywhere. Say what you will about Caelus/Trailblazer having the Express Crew, he's still kind of a sore thumb everywhere he goes, just like Aventurine.

And! a Super-Bonus!

-> Akiren+Korra+Asami! (P5+TLOK) This is a crossover ship me and a friend of mine stumbled into liking over on Discord. The idea of Akira meeting Korra is something we really liked, and then we realized they were actually... super cute together? I felt like Akira (at least MY Akira) would just turn to mush over seeing this really fit, really athletic girl with super cool Bending powers that could bench-press him with ease. We also didn't wanna seperate Korra and Asami, so we ultimately decided that all involved parties have more than one hand to hold. So now they're a trio of soft idiots being soft idiots together~ It's silly and probably dumb but I just think they're all super cute together~ ))

#pt; anchors weighed #lastflowerpetal #I get rambly as FUCK on the ships one! #I like my ships! Noone ever asks me about them! #I've never talked about them before! #so theres uh... a Couple Under There #gonna go hide now cause anxiety be yelling now

[porcelainseashore]

Into the Ether (9)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Vampire! Toreador! Leon Kennedy x Fem! Reader

Summary: At the all-night events cafe you run, you’ve become acquainted with an elusive patron, Leon, though you can never remember the last moments of your interactions together. After a harrowing encounter, a love-hate relationship develops between the two of you as you grapple with your newfound status in a world of darkness and investigate the reasons behind the untimely attacks.

Content & Warnings: 18+ Resident Evil x Vampire: The Masquerade crossover, horror, mystery, romance, slow burn, strangers to enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, eventual smut, swearing, smoking, non consensual blood drinking, blood bond, vampire turning, violence, injury, mild gore, torture, religious themes, minor character death, RE ensemble, VtM concepts.

Authors' Note: Implied child kidnapping ahead.

Taglist: @admirxation @angelstargel @miss-oranje-disco-dancer ❤️‍🔥

AO3 Link

Chapter 9: Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Another night, another part of the mystery to solve. But first, you had agreed to go into work. Nothing was going to stop you, not even the ‘Prince’s orders’. Something about having a nightly routine kept you sane and grounded you in reality. Not that what you were experiencing wasn’t real, but you didn’t want to lose touch with the living. You didn’t want to become like… Leon?

You heaved a disheartened sigh thinking about it. You’d been giving the man the silent treatment ever since returning from the Spencer Mansion, and you didn’t like it one bit. Hurting people wasn’t something you enjoyed — be it ignoring them out of spite or acting in a way that would lead to someone’s unfair demise. It didn’t help that you were constantly being reminded of how powerless and insignificant you were. Was this the best you could do when taking a stand? Or was there something more?

Working felt like walking. You went through the motions: socializing with your colleagues, pandering to customers, planning out the next month’s events program, making a couple of calls along the way, and your personal favorite — sorting out the cafe’s finances. Even the Redfields showed up, informing you and by extension, Leon, that they were still on the suitor’s case and would have something juicy for you soon.

“Do you ever miss the sun?” you wondered out loud. 

It had barely been a week since you turned, but you were already bemoaning the fact that you wouldn’t be able to live to see it. Although the nights were longer now that the year had entered into its colder period, you had thought ahead, speculating how it would be like when summer returned again. That was depressing.

“Always,” Claire responded, patting your shoulder empathetically.

“Best not to think about it,” Chris chimed in, taking a swig from his beer bottle. “You’ll get used to it at some point, and besides, there’s always YouTube.”

“Very helpful, Chris,” his sister huffed in disdain, forcefully backhanding her brother so that he choked on a bit of his beer.

“What the fuck, sis?” he groaned, wiping the beer stains off his clothes with his bare hands in annoyance. “On my nice shirt as well.”

For some reason the constant bickering between the siblings caused you to double over in laughter and they looked at you in amusement. After you recovered from your giggling fit, you pointed to Chris' bottle, asking, “So you can do that thing of actually enjoying what you eat and drink?”

“Uh huh.”

“Maybe you can teach me?” you tested the waters. “Leon was supposed to, but—” You stopped yourself in your tracks, realizing that you’d have to share a lot more than you would be comfortable with.

Unfortunately, Claire was perceptive enough. “Trouble in Paradise?” she suggested, only to continue on her train of thought when you didn’t answer, “Whatever it is, you don’t have to tell me. He may be a prick who needs a nudge in the right direction, but he’ll come around.”

She pressed her arm against the wall and leaned forward with a mischievous grin. “And I hate to say this, but he’s actually a good guy.”

The expression on your face must’ve given away how you felt when Claire had uttered those last words. She quickly peppered it with, “He must’ve screwed up pretty bad, huh?”

“Let’s just say it’s one screw up after the other,” you finally replied.

Chris gave a low chuckle, “Sounds like him alright.” He shrugged. “Can’t blame the guy for trying though.”

“Alright, I’ll let you in on something,” Claire began, only to be interrupted by her brother.

“Oh man, not again! Can’t ever keep your goddamn mouth shut, can you?” he scolded.

“Shut up, Chris! She’s cool with us, you know that,” she retorted and he conceded, though you could still hear him grumbling in the background.

Turning towards you triumphantly, she continued, “I’ll keep it short. He saved my brother's skin; I owed him a life boon, and Chris probably did too, but he turned it down in the end.”

“Yeah, said something about not wanting to take advantage,” Chris piped up, shaking his head in disbelief. “To this night, it still floors me.”

What they had said gave you some pause. It seemed as though Leon had a bunch of demons to confront, and there was always an internal battle waging. You just hadn’t been able to break through. But did you want to in the end? Or would you just leave him to rot in his own misdoings? You weren’t anyone’s savior and you didn’t want to be. You simply wanted to do what felt right to you.

“Guess there’s a lot more to him that I don’t know about,” you mused.

Chris’ wide palm met your back with a loud thump that reverberated across your chest. “Hey, chin up, kid. It’ll take a while, but you’ll get there. Us Brujahs don’t give up without a fight.” His brown eyes lit up and crinkled, fine lines of crow’s feet fanning out from the corners. “And no matter what anyone says, I still think you’re one at heart.”

“Brujah, huh? I like the sound of that.” A crooked smile played across your lips as you laid your cards out on the table. “I’ve heard you’re fierce fighters. Mind showing me a few tricks? Just so I know how to fend for myself.”

Chris stood taller, eyeing you with curiosity as a sense of pride visibly swelled in his chest.

“I could throw in a supply of beers on the house to sweeten the deal,” you added, pointing at the empty bottle he was clutching at his side.

He barked out a laugh before responding, “Well, now that you put it that way, you’ve got my hands tied.” Placing his bottle down on a table beside him, he agreed, “Sure, I’ll give you some tips, but a word of warning: I don’t go easy.”

The rest of your shift went by without event, until Leon dropped by to pick you up for the next meeting planned that night. Since neither of you had gotten any real leads on the case yet, he thought it best to visit the Bakers first before heading back to NEST, where the Primogens' offices were and where Jill would be waiting impatiently for answers. 

In the jeep, the atmosphere was thick with tension, though along the way, he tried to cut through it with some advice. “I know you’re still upset and don’t want to talk, but I need to prepare you for this.” 

He tapped on the steering wheel nervously. “As Malkavians, the Bakers all suffer from some form of affliction following their Embrace. In this case, they believe a little girl called Eveline is part of the family, except no one else can see her.”

“You mean she’s invisible?”

The car swerved off-center as Leon glanced over at you, startled by your response. It was the first time you had spoken to him in a while. You clung onto the grab handle and yelled, “Keep your fucking eyes on the road!”

“Shit, um, sorry!” He focused his attention back to his driving, quickly stabilizing the vehicle before he spoke up again. “And, uh, no. I mean, we don’t think she actually exists.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Okay, and is that going to be a problem?”

“Not if you pretend she does,” he stated plainly. “Otherwise, they’ll get really provoked if you don’t interact with Eveline.”

“Right, thanks for the heads up.” You nodded curtly. “Anything else I should know?”

“Yeah, well, uh, just be—”

“Careful. Got it,” you finished the sentence for him.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he emphasized. “These folks have always been rather isolated from the Camarilla. Last I heard, they don’t take kindly to strangers sticking their noses where they don’t belong. So, if all hell breaks loose in there, I want you to book it and run, alright?”

You frowned, shifting your gaze in his direction. If his intention was to allay your fears, he had done nothing but heighten them. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” He flashed you a reassuring smile, but you could make out the hint of unease in the curl of his lips. “Take the car keys when we reach the place, so you have your escape route if needed.”

You let his words linger in the air as you kept quiet throughout the rest of the ride.

━━━━━━━━━━━

Reaching the outskirts of Raccoon City, you were traveling along Stone-Ville Road, where there was nothing but open land. The trees had been cleared from the forest, and multiple estuaries flowed from the Raccoon Dam. The area was sparsely populated, with only a smattering of houses spread out from each other in the distance. At some point, Leon made a left turn into a side road, heading towards a decrepit-looking estate that was slightly off the beaten track. It appeared to bear some similarities to the Spencer Mansion back in Arklay Forest, causing a spine-tingling shiver to sweep through your body.

“Designed by the same architect from the Trevor & Chamberlain fame,” Leon pointed out, seemingly able to read your mind.

“That guy from New York?” You remembered reading about him in magazine articles and the mystery of his disappearance as people mourned the loss of a genius.

“Yeah, so expect surrealist stuff, including puzzles and secret passageways,” he cautioned.

You balked at the thought of having to enter yet another labyrinth like the one at the Tremere Chantry.

“It’s just for a friendly chat,” he asserted, his calming blue gaze meeting yours. “I doubt there’s any need for us to explore the house, unless they make things difficult.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” you muttered, tucking the car keys into your pocket as you stepped in front of a formidable, rusty gate.

It was unlocked, and as Leon pushed it open, it screeched on its hinges like a dead woman's wail, beckoning you towards the crumbling building before you, which was long past its heyday. The refurbished plantation house, where you assumed the Baker family lived, was part of a larger ranch estate, and it looked like something straight out of a slasher flick.

Leon pressed the doorbell, waiting to see if there was any sign of life. A light switched on, its mellow rays filtered through the window shades, and you heard hurried footsteps on the wooden floorboards until the door swung open. An older lady with her dark hair tied back in a loose ponytail peered at both of you in confusion. She wore a tattered, sweat-stained button-up blouse and a brown skirt. Her coarse and wrinkled skin still carried an unfaded tan, suggesting a life of manual labor, where she had tended to the animals and fields under the sweltering sun.

“Can I help you, miss, mister?” she asked in a heavy Southern drawl. “We weren’t expecting anyone at this time.”

“Ma’am,” he dipped his head politely in acknowledgement. “Sorry for intruding on you like this, but there wasn’t any other way to contact you.”

“Well, we don’t want no trouble, young man. Just mindin’ our own business, that’s all.” Shifting nervously from foot to foot, she fiddled with the hem of her cotton blouse, glancing over her shoulder every now and then at a blank space behind her.

Your attention was drawn to the area she kept looking at, and as you concentrated on it, the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. You had the strangest sense that someone was there, but you couldn’t make out any shape or figure, just an energy. An icy chill gripped your head, as if cold hands were feeling along the grooves of your brain. You shuddered, realizing that whoever it was knew that you were aware of its presence.

“We don’t want any trouble either,” Leon assured, raising his palms slightly to indicate a truce. “We just have some questions we could use your help on, regarding an attack a couple of nights ago.”

The woman still clutched onto the door apprehensively. “Why? Who sent you?”

“The Prince put us on the investigation,” he disclosed warily.

At that moment, a shadowy figure materialized behind the woman, taking a few seconds before you could make out his features in the dim light. He was an older man, around the same age as her, balding and wearing spectacles. Likewise, his yellow striped shirt and beige pants were worn and filthy, as though he hadn’t changed out of it for decades.

“Prince?” he questioned defensively, placing his hand on the small of the woman’s back. “What does the Prince want? We didn’t do nothing wrong, son.”

“No, you didn’t,” Leon agreed, quickly following up with an explanation to assuage the man. “We have the assailants in custody, but it appears they’ve been brainwashed and manipulated through Dementation — a skill that you’re well-versed in.”

The man eyed him like a hawk as Leon continued, treading on thin ice. “We thought we could use your expertise, and if you might’ve picked up on anything out of the ordinary in the vicinity.”

There was a pregnant pause before the man relented, “Fine, you got 5 minutes to ask us anything you wanna know, son.” Pushing the door wide open, he gestured for you to enter. “Come on in.”

As you stepped into the gloomy premises, he pointed at you, flashing a warning glance in your direction. “And no more snoopin’ around, young lady.”

Oh, right. You must’ve unwittingly activated one of your powers earlier to sense his presence, when he had relied on his Obfuscate Discipline to remain hidden. “Sorry, my bad,” you mumbled. “It was an accident.”

He nodded, turning around to make his way into the living room where a dining table was situated. “You girls can come out now,” he hollered. 

You saw a younger woman with jagged, short hair emerge in a similar fashion to how the man did before, sitting at one of the chairs at the table. Despite that, you greeted two people as Leon had instructed, and he followed suit. A round of introductions followed, where you learnt that the older couple were Jack and Marguerite and their two daughters, Zoe and Eveline, with the latter being the youngest at 10 years old.

Marguerite disappeared into the kitchen for a bit, only to return with a tray of crockery. She handed out cups to everyone and poured a red, viscous liquid from a teapot. Jack grumbled in the corner that it was meant to be a short meeting, but at the same time, couldn’t help but appreciate his wife’s hospitality. Bringing the cup to your nose, the liquid smelled musky, like earth, and you wondered where it came from.

“It’s the best I can offer at such last minute notice,” she apologized, wiping her hands on her blouse as she sat herself down. Twisting her head in the direction of the empty seat next to Zoe, she cooed, “But Evie likes it, don’t ya, sweetheart? That’s it, drink up now. Little piggy’s blood is good for you.”

You watched as the cup on the table remained motionless, while Marguerite bombarded the invisible entity with sweet words of encouragement. Trying to ease the awkwardness in such a situation, you took a mouthful of the liquid from your cup. It was the first time you tasted animal blood and as much as you hated to admit it, it was incredibly bland compared to human blood. Like a simple gruel versus a gourmet meal. Then again, neither could bagged blood beat the real thing, though you tried not to dwell on it. You smiled politely over at Zoe, who threw you a sympathetic look.

“You’re new, huh?” she asked shyly, cocking her head as she gazed at you.

“Mm hm, about a week.” You took another sip and pursed your lips, swallowing the liquid like a chore that had to be done.

“Ooh, a baby!” Marguerite interjected, suddenly interested in the conversation between you and Zoe. You imagined she was the social butterfly of the group. “Maybe Evie can show you a few tricks.”

At this, Leon rested his hand over your arm protectively, forcing a strained smile. “Perhaps another time? We really should get down to business.”

“Ah, city boys and their ‘business’,” Jack remarked, stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “Well, what can we do for ya?”

You heard Leon speak, but his voice seemed to drone on with the others, and out of nowhere you started to enter a tunnel vision. In your line of sight, you spotted a framed photo of the Baker family, though something was amiss. There was a young man in the picture you hadn’t met yet. He was thin and lanky, and had a hoodie on that obscured part of his face. Leaning back on the couch, he stared directly back at you with a bored look in his hollowed eyes.

It took you a while, but you managed to snap out of it, uttering the first thought that came to your mind, “Is that your son, mister?”

All at once, the mood in the room shifted, taking a dramatic turn for the worse. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on you as Jack ordered ominously, “Get the hell out.”

You opened your mouth in protest, but Leon beat you to it, rising up from his seat as he contended, “Look, she didn’t mean anything by it. We’re sorry, alright? Could we just—”

“Shut your goddamn mouth, boy!” Jack bellowed, his command resonating across the room.

Leon’s body grew rigid and he remained mute. Dread seeped into your bones as you observed the previous scene of peace and tranquility descend into an utter nightmare.

“Mama, Evie’s getting upset,” Zoe announced in a tiny voice.

“Argh! See what you’ve done now?” Marguerite shrieked as she stomped around the room in a temper tantrum. “This is your fault!” she accused, glaring at you and Leon.

“You barge into our house and threaten my family? This won’t do!” Jack shook his head menacingly as his eyes glowered. “I’m just gonna have to teach you a lesson.”

His eyes changed into an otherworldly shade and Marguerite joined him, speaking in tongues. They gazed at Leon as if engaged in a séance. However, Zoe remained separate from their antics, looking on in fright. You stood rooted to where you were, bracing for the worst, but nothing happened. It was only when you saw Leon sink to the ground on his knees, his face pale as a sheet, that you realized he was bearing the brunt of your transgression.

He was taken back to years ago, at the height of his blood bond, where he would do anything to win Ada’s affection. Her interest in him had begun to wane and he was sure she was seeing another lover. But this time, he would bring her the vessel that would change her mind about him and guarantee her everlasting love.

There he was, at that godforsaken group home, the one linked to the Catholic church he had frequented when he was still alive, and where he would sell his damned soul for a second time to the Devil. All it took was a flash of his police credentials and a charm or two from his arsenal of skills he had honed to entrance the nuns keeping watch over the children.

“Sherry, are you ready to go?” He extended a hand towards her. 

This wasn’t his first rodeo. Ada and him had been noticing the little girl for a while, testing to see if she would be a worthy vessel for the Prince himself. After all, Ventrues were extremely fussy drinkers and Wesker expected a Michelin star meal every single time. The only thing stopping him from delivering the girl over was a vague sense of morality he still had within him. But he was desperate enough now to dash it to the ground for a chance at his sire’s approval again.

The girl had dressed into her school uniform, a hairband holding her blond tresses out of her face as she peered up excitedly at him. “Yes, let’s go!”

She would have done anything to get away from the home where she never slept well and felt alone despite being in a room full of kids around her age. Where Leon was taking her sounded like a glorious fairytale. A palace with a prince, she imagined, a place where she would be treated to all the luxuries her current life could never afford her.

“Oh god, no!” he cried out, doubling over on the grimy floor of the Baker House. 

Sherry was haunting him again. Everywhere he looked, he saw multiple copies of her like a cracked mirror reflecting her ghost on its uneven surface. He heard layer upon layer of her laughter, jumbled and out of sync, mocking and taunting him. Paranoia sank in and he curled himself into a fetal position, pleading for no one in particular to forgive him.

“Sherry, please, we have to go!” he urged. 

This was years later, when he had some sense knocked into him from the time he hung out with the Anarchs. He wanted to right his wrongs, and free the girl who was never meant to be trapped in the underworld in the first place.

But she had changed. She was older and wiser, and knew exactly what she wanted — it was definitely not to leave.

Yanking her hand back, she kicked her feet, stamping on the ground as she yelled, “No! I want to stay!”

He was shocked by her absolute conviction in remaining within the prison where she was held, like a pretty songbird for the rest of the Kindred to gawk at. “But…”

“You can’t make me!” she screamed, red in the face.

Rendered speechless, he didn’t know what else to do than stare at the crying child before him with his jaw hanging open. He thought he was saving her, like a knight in shining armor, but she didn’t need any saving. She was perfectly happy where she was.

“One day, I’ll get you out of there. I promise,” he babbled on repeatedly, reduced to nothing but a trembling mess before the Malkavians.

During the entire period when Leon appeared to be suffering from a mental breakdown, you were torn about what to do. He had told you to bolt the minute something like this took place, but you couldn’t leave him to fend for himself in this state. You didn’t understand what he was blabbering on about. Was Sherry his sister? Where was she? What happened to her?

A million thoughts raced through your mind, but you shut them down. You needed to pry Leon away from the family’s cold clutches and keep him safe. Mustering your courage, you approached the one who seemed to be the most reasonable of the lot. She still sat in her chair, gazing upon the scene with a vacant yet troubled expression.

“Zoe?” you called out softly, hoping it wouldn’t escalate the situation. “Please, we don’t mean any harm.”

Her eyes darted towards you.

“I know you’re just trying to protect your family,” you deduced, especially from the way they had been on edge the moment you stepped onto their property and inadvertently brought up one of their own.

“We need the information, but I swear to you we will keep whoever it is you’re trying to protect safe,” you promised.

Her breath hitched, and she looked at you with glassy eyes. In the background, you could hear Leon’s gut-wrenching whines of pain.

“Zoe, please!” you begged, your brows furrowing and tears on the verge of spilling from your eyes. You couldn’t bear to witness him in such agony any longer. It felt like your heart was shattering into pieces, though you couldn’t explain why.

“Eveline, stop,” her calm voice sliced through the air and the buzzing energy died down. 

Her parents came out of their hypnotic state and Leon stopped shaking uncontrollably, though he backed himself into a corner in fear. You rushed to his side, holding him in your arms as you checked his eyes to see if he had fully returned to the present.

“You stayed…” he whispered, reaching out to touch your face, as though he was trying to ascertain if you were real.

In an instant, you pulled him into an embrace, rocking him gently as you stroked his hair. “You’re okay, Leon. You’re safe.”

After a while, he relaxed into your arms and his breathing returned to its normal tempo. The Bakers exchanged worried looks but said nothing as they gave him time to recover. Finally, Jack broke the silence. “I-I’m sorry about what happened there, son. Just been a lot going on these days.”

You turned around, deciding to take the reins as you spoke for the two of you, “I understand, and as I promised your daughter, we’ll make sure that, um—”

“Lucas,” Marguerite offered.

“—Lucas won’t get hurt.”

Jack nodded, taking off his glasses as he wiped the sweat off his brow. “You see, how we work is through what others call premonitions or clairvoyance, and all that mumbo-jumbo.” 

Clearing his throat, he continued, “Well, lately we’ve been sensing a bunch of Sabbat activity in the city. Their symbols are everywhere, like little red hotspots across the center. They’re planning more of these attacks for sure, just heading down along the river.”

“Circular River?” you probed.

“Uh huh, the one closest to town,” he concurred. “And, uh, I’m guessing you were also here about the Cobweb?”

“Yeah.”

He swallowed anxiously as Marguerite took over. “It don’t always speak to us, and sometimes it’s hard to make out what it says. But we heard somethin’ the other night.”

She paused, adjusting her hair restlessly before she divulged, “It was Lucas’ voice, carried like a wave by a thousand voices, saying his name is nobody. That stood out, but we don’t know why.”

Nobody said they were nobody…

You caught a flicker of recognition in Leon’s eyes as you recalled what the man had said during Jill’s interrogation. Was Lucas responsible for all of this?

“Where’s Lucas now?” Leon asked, his voice still a little unsteady.

“He don’t want to be found.” Jack shrugged dejectedly. “My boy’s always been a real firecracker. Left home one day and never came back. We think he’s with them — the Sabbat.”

“But he’s a good boy,” his wife insisted. “Please don’t hurt him.”

“We just want him to come home,” Zoe added. “Evie wants her big brother back.”

The joy and curse of familial bonds. You could get behind that.

“We won’t breathe a word about Lucas,” you pledged, overriding your sire’s authority as you answered on behalf of him as well. “Right, Leon?”

You could see the discomfort in his expression, though he grunted an affirmative reply.

As Jack showed you out of the house, you thanked him and his family for their assistance, though a final question came to your mind. “Can Dementation have long-lasting effects?”

“With the right choice of words, it can.”

━━━━━━━━━━━

To play it safe, you took over the driving on the way back as you and Leon discussed the information you had gleaned from the Bakers.

“You think Lucas is the one?” you asked as you stopped at a red light.

“No, I don’t think he worked alone,” he opined. “It took two of the Bakers to bring me to my knees.”

There was a momentary pause as he clenched his fist at the memory, exhaling another deep breath of air. “I know we are talking about manipulating a group of lesser vampires, but unless he’s a prodigy we’ve never discovered, there were most likely others involved at the same time.”

“Makes sense,” you agreed, easing off on the brake pedal to switch over to the accelerator as the lights went green again.

“You still want to protect the guy, even after what he did?”

Your grip tightened on the steering wheel, causing your knuckles to turn white. A promise was a promise, and there was more than enough bloodshed these nights.

“Yes,” you forced the answer out through gritted teeth. “Got a problem with that?”

“I admire you,” he murmured, dispelling your misgivings. “Your compassion.”

You felt your anger dissolve as you followed up with a suggestion. “It’s never too late, you know?”

He gave you a weak smile but remained silent for the ride home.

Back at his apartment, you noticed that he still seemed shaken by the night's events as he kicked off his shoes and sat on the couch, gazing blankly into space. Was he going to doze off in that position? You had already changed into a loose muslin nightdress and gone through the usual bedtime preparations.

Strolling over, you sat down beside him, trying to strike up a conversation. “They spooked you real bad, huh?”

He didn’t laugh at your joke, though he acknowledged it. “You can say that again.”

This wasn’t like him at all. You grabbed his shoulder in concern. “Hey, you don't seem okay.”

“I’ll be fine,” he sighed, looking away from you to his lap. “And… thank you for back there.”

“I would never abandon you like that,” you stressed, even if you hadn’t forgiven him for turning you… yet. 

He glanced at you with his watery blue eyes in appreciation, but you could tell that his mind was in a distant place elsewhere. Even though he tried to hide it, you saw his hands quivering, and you hoped that what the Bakers had done wasn’t permanent. You knew he was trying to put on a brave front, but a part of you felt uneasy about leaving him on his own.

“Um, why don’t you sleep next to me today?” you offered hesitantly.

He peered at you quizzically. “You sure?”

“Yeah, just get dressed, alright?” You made your way up the stairs and waited for him by the bed before he could argue any further.

He joined you later, clad in a plain t-shirt and sweatpants, keeping a respectable distance as he lay beside you. There was a nervous energy to him.

You drew nearer, caressing his arm tenderly. “We don’t have to talk about whatever you saw in there,” you affirmed. “I’m here if you need me.”

He tucked your hair behind your ear as a stray tear fell onto his face. Wrapping your arms around him, you closed the gap, breathing in his scent as you felt his hands along your waist. It seemed as if an eternity had passed before you released each other. His nose nudged against yours as his warm breath grazed your cheek. When his gaze lowered to your lips, you didn’t have to think or doubt what would come next. 

Leaning in, he placed his soft lips over your own, kissing you intimately as he savored your taste in his mouth. Instinctively, you kissed back, running your fingers through his messy locks as your tongue licked across the seam of his lips. A low moan escaped his throat as he pressed up against you, claiming your lips again and again. It was the last thing you remembered as daysleep enveloped you like a cocoon, lulling you into a temporary hibernation.

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy angst #leon kennedy fluff #resident evil #vampire au #vampire the masquerade #vtm #crossover #porcelainscribbles

[jesuisici33]

20 questions for fic writers!

tagged by @monsterrae1 <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

18

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

79,614

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Buddie and Tarlos atm, but I also wrote fics for Schitt's Creek and one for Spies Are Forever

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

cause i believe that we were supposed to find this (Tarlos) (194 kudos)

It's Photoshop (Tarlos) (133 kudos)

A Lesson in Flirting (Schitt's Creek) (129 kudos)

Public Relations (Schitt's Creek) (128 kudos)

Sunshine (Schitt's Creek) (85 kudos)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

YES! i love getting comments and i always try to respond back because seeing your comments makes me feel giddy and loved so i always try to thank you guys <3<3<3<3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oh EASILY it would have to be yes i know that he's my ex but can't two people reconnect? (Tarlos) i've gotten yelled at by so many people thanks to the end of the fic

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

perhaps Sunshine? it's a cute little one shot of David and Patrick softness.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

If there are people that hate on my fics, they haven't done it where i can see it. although there was that drama over a bunch of people hating schitt's creek drabbles but i won't get into it

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes lol. basically just what i like to read in fics and also what i would like to see more in fics. (so kinky i guess?)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

no, but i thought about doing various aus (like insert movie!au or book!au or something like that) a spies are forever au has been in the back of my head for buddie

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

as far as i know, no

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

if there's someone that wants to translate a fic of mine, let me know! i'd be truly honored!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no, but i think that would be fun!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

atm buddie truly has rotted my brain. although i also love curtwen from spies are forever and also joe/nicky from the old guard (i guess i have a thing for murder/spy husbands)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i think my buddie tinder au. though some snippets of those might get reworked into a new idea.

16. What are your writing strengths?

dialogue! i can have the characters talk for pages!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

inner monologue/feelings. though i'm getting better at that

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

as long as it's not ooc and it makes sense, and i have someone who can make sure the other language i'm writing in is accurate, i'm all for it!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

A:TLA

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

yes i know that he's my ex - just because i think it's my best written fic i've written

tagging @hippolotamus @rmd-writes @eddiebabygirldiaz @thewolvesof1998 @forthewolves @liminalmemories21 @wikiangela @disasterbuckdiaz @loserdiaz @spotsandsocks @bonheur-cafe @carlos-in-glasses @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @honestlydarkprincess @lightningboltreader @callmenewbie @apothecarose @mammameesh @giddyupbuck @wandering-night19 @alrightbuckaroo

[chicgeekgirl89]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to @saybiwithme, @sznofthesticks, @bonheur-cafe, and @strandnreyes for the tags!

How many works do you have on ao3?

107 Works

What's your total ao3 word count?

414,110

What fandoms do you write for?

911 Lone Star right now. But I have also written NCIS LA, SEAL Team, Heartstopper, 911, NCIS, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Teen Wolf, Numb3rs, Power Rangers, Sea Patrol, and I think one random Chicago Fire fic lol.

Top five fics by kudos:

The House in the Pines Where the Road Ends

The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly

Shiner

Hold Onto Me

The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival

Do you respond to comments?

Almost always on new fics and I try to remember to respond when people comment on old fics because I am SUPER grateful to anyone who ever says anything nice to me about my work!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I Could Have Loved You- It's a SEAL Team fic where Sonny and Lisa spend six weeks together before she heads off to Officer training. It's a divergence from what ended up happening on the show and the ending is super sad because they basically say that if they'd had more time they could have really fallen in love and built a life together, but their careers are taking them in different directions.

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?'

Oh, basically all the rest? I prefer a happy ending.

Do you get hate on fics?

When I posted on ff.net I got some really nasty stuff. Most people on AO3 have been lovely!

Do you write smut?

No...not like SMUT smut. Like...heavy sexiness verging on smut I guess...It's not explicit.

Craziest crossover:

I wrote a Lone Star/Rookie crossover for @bluenet13 that I posted on Tumblr but I don't think I ever added to my AO3. Maybe I should...

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet!

All time favorite ship:

Ah! I don't know! Probably Tarlos and Nick/Charlie.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a fic about T.K. wanting to have sex everywhere and Carlos being like, "ABSOLUTELY NOT" but it is barely more than an idea and I don't know if I'll ever really get it off the ground.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue!! Banter!

What are your writing weaknesses?

Ugh freaking world building. Scenic description. Yikes.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I do my best if it's needed for the fic!

First fandom you wrote in:

I hand wrote Star Wars FanFiction in notebooks when I was like twelve years old.

Favorite fic you've written:

I'm very proud of my one little Heartstopper fic Rugby King because I think it turned out very cute and Nick and Charlie are super in character. But I also really love You Have the Right to Remain Silent (But I Know You Won't) because it's super silly and I think I got everyone's voices just right!

Tagging @lemonlyman-dotcom, @ladytessa74, @liminalmemories21, @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad, and @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut.

#20 Questions #Tarlos #Heartstopper #Nick and Charlie #911 Lone Star #SEAL Team #Savis

[lesmiserablol]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @satans-poptarts thank you!! <3

1. how many works do you have on Ao3? 84

2. what's your total Ao3 word count? 378,809

3. what fandoms do you write for? atla/lok, les mis, marvel, and ofmd

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

gone fishin'

emergency boyfriend

the strategy of harmony

just say yes

a brush of fingers, a kick of shins

5. do you respond to comments? usually! sometimes it takes me a while but i try to

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? HAHA i would say yours

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? hmm most of them have happy endings and they are fairly similar, though i would say every fic ending in the cat cafe au series was written for maximum sweetness

8. Do you get hate on fics? no but i love the insane reactions to the angsty ones lmaooo

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? nope

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? no lmao

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? yes -_-

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? yes! i have a fic translated into Ukrainian and i translated my first zukka fic into spanish. i also have had six fics made into podfics which makes me happy

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? yes!! (this love is) a long time coming it was sooo much fun i would love to do it again (and almost did) but i just do not really have time for writing these days

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? zukka is in my top three all time favorites but they are my number one favorite to write

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? ugh this one fic that i wrote in the very early days of zukka that is very divorcedzukka coded.....zuko had abolished the monarchy and iroh fired him from the jasmine dragon because he knew zuko could be happier so zuko left to visit the swt and see his friends (and his former lover) and at first things are awkward but then they become friends again quickly and katara says something about sokka's letters and zuko is like uhhh sokka hasnt sent me a letter in years and katara is like wtf and zuko thinks he must have been writing another lover or something but then he finds a bunch of heartfelt unsent letters sokka had written for zuko!!! anyway there is also mention of a failed proposal and other things and bed sharing and i really love it but it is just a bunch of random scenes thrown together without any cohesion so it needs a lot of work. i really want to finish it one day but i just dont think i will

16. What are your writing strengths? ahhh the most frequent compliments in comments i get are about solid characterizations and good dialogue and making my readers feel things (mainly angst lol)

17. What are your writing weaknesses? i have a hard time with exposition or writing action sometimes because i will be so focused on the dialogue that everything else isnt as fun to write. idk if that comes across to readers at all but its something i work on a lot in the editing stages

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? just dont be a dumbass about it

19. First fandom you wrote for? h*rry p*tter unfortunately

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

easily my baby my love my precious my child zukka tangled au now that i see you...i love tangled more than anything and i really worked my ass off making sure it was faithful to the characters and the story of tangled while also very much making it fit the most important aspects of the atla world. i have reread it a few times and i am just sooooo proud of it and happy with how it turned out. close second is no love like your love

tagging @zukkaoru @backhurtyy @that-was-anticlimactic @sokkalore @goldrushzukka @marriedzukka only if you want mwah <3

#tag game

[three-drink-amy]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you for the tag @rmd-writes @orchidscript @welcometololaland @cha-melodius!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 99 works and am actively plotting 100. Hoping to hit that milestone soon!

2. What’s your AO3 total word count?

My word count sits at 1,850,826. Kind of astounded by that, not gonna lie.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I write for rwrb and 911 lone star!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

They are all rwrb fics:

What Do I Know?

Best Kept Secrets

Aged Like a Fine Wine

Someday We’ll Know if Love Can Move a Mountain

Boy, I Fancy You

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Look, here’s the thing, I always mean to reply, but I also end up forgetting. I will stare at comments and reread them over and over, but far too many times, I forget to actually reply.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don’t do that. Happy ending or it’s not over yet.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I guess all of them??

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Sometimes.

9. Do you write smut, if so what kind?

Yes, I do. Usually it’s smut with feelings.

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No, I don’t. Though I did have the idea to make my 100th fic a crossover of all the fandoms I’ve written for. But I couldn’t make it work.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I mean, I don’t think so? I hope not.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also, no.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Once, with @everwitch-magiks and it was a truly wonderful time! I was really nervous about writing with someone else and it was an awesome experience!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Do I have one? No, couldn’t possibly choose. But also, I have 45 firstprince fics which is more than double any other ship I’ve ever written for. So maybe I do…

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Uh, probably the TK is at work during the townhouse fire fic.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hmm. I think emotions and dialogue. I agonize over it and put a lot of thought into both aspects. A fic isn’t really going to land if the feeling isn’t there, so I work really hard on that and I do think I usually manage it.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Well, Lola already called me out on this for sure. Overwriting. It’s nearly crippling. The times I manage to keep a fic under 5k, I’m like so proud of myself.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I really only do if it’s a word or a nickname or a phrase already used in canon. I am not bilingual, so I do not want to butcher anything.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Mindy Project

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I could never pick a favorite! It’s probably aged like a fine wine linked above.

Who wants to answer questions? @everwitch-magiks @clottedcreamfudge @indomitable-love @fuckingyrs @walkinginland @liminalmemories21 @strandnreyes @celaestis1 @celeritas2997 @actual-sleeping-beauty @cricketnationrise @dumbpeachjuice @alrightbuckaroo @bonheur-cafe @lightningboltreader @rosedavid @catanisspicy

#fic games #my writing

[liminalmemories21]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

tagged by @rmd-writes. Thank you!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

31 (apparently? seriously? it doesn't feel like that many)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

451,541 - which is an oddly pleasing number.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

911 Lonestar

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Long Story Short (5 Ways Carlos's Family Could Have Met TK + 1 he met TK's)

a home isn't always the house we live in (Judd's POV on TK and Carlos)

It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags! (Christmas (and Hanukkah) fic)

Always Wear Your Invisible Crown (high school reunion fic - also one of the only stories I've ever written from TK's POV)

When the sun came up you were looking at me (S2 Interstitials)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I love comments, and I try hard to respond to all of them.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't think I've written anything with an ambiguous ending, or an angsty ending. Although @wtfuckevenknows says the end of Knave 3 made her cry (it has a happy ending, I promise. But, apparently it's happy with a side of emotion?)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them. No really. All of them.

I guess maybe It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags! has the schmoopiest ending.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Only once so far. [fingers crossed, knock on wood] Not looking forward to more.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes. It took a while, but I got there.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't ever written a crossover! I do kind of want to do a 911/Lonestar crossover, but that is just so many characters.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I'm aware

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a posted one. I have co-written with a friend before for The Old Guard, but we never actually finished and posted it.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Nope, nope, nope. I have been around waaaay too long to pick a favorite. I can give you a historical selection.

Fraser/Ray K (Due South), McKay/Sheppard (SGA), Arthur/Merlin (Merlin), Arthur/Eames (Inception), Buck/Eddie (911), TK/Carlos (Lonestar), and a lot of others unnamed

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

a bunch of them. I do tend to cannibalize though, and bits of abandoned fics end up in other places.

16. What are your writing strengths?

dialogue? descriptions of internal emotional processing (?) someone else tell me.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm going to say plot, and you are all going to laugh at me after 150K of Knave-verse. But, honestly, plot.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've included words here and there of Spanish, but it's not one of my languages so I'm always hesitant to try and be colloquial.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Published? Lonestar. Unpublished? Merlin

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Knave 2 (The Knave of Hearts . . . he said he'd steal no more). I think that's easily the best thing I've ever written.

tagging @freneticfloetry, @cha-melodius, @bonheur-cafe, and @carlos-in-glasses in return

#asked and answered

[gneebee]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @pipergirl17- thank you my friend!❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 92 works on AO3!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

2,556,425 -- Holy Mole!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I write for The Walking Dead with plans to write for TWD Daryl Dixon soon. I write for several different pairings / ships within the fandom

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Place Called Heavenly (Daryl Dixon/Beth Greene)

Just Playin' (Rick Grimes/Beth Greene)

Two Doors Down (Rick Grimes/Beth Greene)

The Wonder of Christmas (Rick Grimes/Beth Greene)

Love's Long Road (Daryl Dixon/Beth Greene)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always - if I didn't it's because I somehow missed it. Fic writers live for comments and I believe in acknowledging those who leave them.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have fics with plenty of angst, but not at the end

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All my stories have happiness at the end - there's enough bad crap going on in the real world.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, but I have had people trying to start fights about content that didn't even exist in my story, and I've had the occasional meanness, I just wonder why the hell they read it if they don't like it, then move on

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do, not in every story, but in some. I've only written F/M and no kinks.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not as a rule, however, I did write a two chapter Bethyl Comedy called The Makeover where Daryl gets a visit from the fellows at Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Oh yes. I have had my dialog copied verbatim, the plot and characterizations used, even nicknames I gave characters. By far, the worst was my entire story "Love's Highway" was stolen. "Only the names were changed" . It was made into a novel and was for sale on Amazon and Goodreads. A reader advised me and I got it removed quickly enough. I was not the only writer this happened to at the time, it was several writers who had works stolen

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, I have co-written three, although I no longer credit my co writer because she asked me not to. She chose to give up writing and didn't want anyone to ever know she once been involved in writing FF

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Daryl Dixon and Beth Greene - by a mile

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

All my stories are complete except my current WIP Love at the Solo Cafe, and a couple of others I am working on behind the scenes

16. What are your writing strengths?

In the fan fiction world I would say my biggest strength is I have extreme OCD and so I always finish what I start.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm easily distracted haha Also, I have no patience with my characters. I want them to get together and quit dancing around their attraction to one another.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I have written sign language - ASL - for TWD Connie, but other than that, I just haven't done it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

TWD

20. Favorite fic you've written?

That's an incredibly difficult question to answer. I have a great personal closeness to several. I'll say Love's Highway because it's closest to home for me and the hub.

Thank you again @pipergirl17 I will tag @rckyfrk @sasusc @mistressheroine @roksolanna77 and whoever else who wants to participate

#dash games

#the walking dead #fanfiction #writers

[theghostofashton]

20 questions for fic writers

thank you to @welcometololaland @strandnreyes @reyesstrand @bonheur-cafe and @lemonlyman-dotcom for the tags!!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

49

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

939,655 (might also be gunning for a million by the end of the year damn)

3. what fandoms do you write for?

rn it's just lone star!

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

gonna cheat a little bc i have had my ao3 for too long and it's technically stuff i wrote when i was like 15 (that i'm on the verge of privating)

you saw the truth in me (911 ls) tryna catch my breath some way (somehow) (merlin) trigger my nightmare once again (merlin) the hiding out is done (911 ls) i'll teach you to love (merlin)

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

i try to! i am kinda behind on it atm because life has been so busy lately but i will catch up

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i can't do angsty endings tbh, my one guarantee with all my fics is that they end happy

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i think you saw the truth in me wraps up pretty happy, esp compared to how heavy it started. possibly unrealistically so, but i wanted to give tk everything by the end

8. do you get hate on fics?

nothing big, maybe a couple rude comments over the years

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

as of pretty recently, yes. the smut in you saw the truth in me was my first time writing it and i was so nervous lol

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

i have but not really anymore lol

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

i've had an idea and scenes stolen before

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but i'd love that!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope. it's something i'd definitely consider tho

14. what’s your all time favourite ship?

....probably tarlos. they've consumed me in a way not many other ships have

15. what’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i started brainstorming and writing another 4x18 coda but with everything else i want to work on, i don't think it'll ever get finished

16. what are your writing strengths?

i think i'm good at characterization, i feel like getting into characters' heads is something that comes pretty easy to me and it's definitely my favorite part.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

describing setting / place is hard for me. i get so wrapped up in exploring what everyone is feeling that i don't spend enough time orienting the story. i've been trying to get better at it, because i think it adds another layer of depth and i love reading it, so here's to that lol

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i've never done it, but i enjoy it sometimes, when it suits the character and the scene. if i ever did it i'd want a fluent speaker to read things over to make sure i'm doing it properly and respectfully.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

big time rush

20. favorite fic you’ve written?

made up of a thousand scars. it truly happened on a whim, the idea came to me on a lunchtime walk, passing by this house in my neighborhood that i imagined tk staying in. i had no idea it would turn into such a deep exploration of his recovery, but i'm so proud of how it turned out.

tagging @carlos-in-glasses @sanjuwrites @heartstringsduet @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @paperstorm and leaving an open tag for anyone else who wants to share!

#tag game #my fic