#this style of fic popped into my head recently

[ghozteevee]

Okay hear me out:

Remember those old characters watch their show fics that became popular?? Usually, it was someone wishing to know Danny's identity a little too close to Desiree, right? Well what if it's Danny doing the wishing and it's something like 'I wish I could reveal my secret in a way that would convince my parents I wasn't evil' or something like that. Might do something with this idea in the future...

#this style of fic popped into my head recently #and i remembered all of the identity reveals done this way and loving the format #so i figured i might do my own spin on this #maybe as a comic... #danny phantom #eevee rambles in the tags #eevee writes sometimes

[youraverageaemondsimp]

ERROR 404 // Dark!AI!Aemond Targaryen x Fem!Reader [ONE SHOT]

THIS IS DARK FIC, READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED, DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT.

MDNI.

Summary: working on a project that involves a robot doesn't seem too bad until that robot starts gaining sentience, developing feelings for you and executing a plan to take over the world.

WARNINGS: noncon to dubcon, futuristic themes, obsession, manipulation, caging, p in v sex (although I'm not sure it counts as that it's a robot cock), fingering, oral (f receiving), tiddy sucking, rough sex, mind break, multiple orgasms, jealousy, yandere, project gone wrong, robots take over the world, consciousness transfer, this fic is unrealistic asf + not proofread.

WC: 5k

Ever since you were young you had always been fascinated with AI, robots and the future of humans that involve complex machinery. Wanting to pursue a career in robotics, you did extremely well in highschool, graduating with a perfect score and enrolling into an university to get your bachelors degree, you took up the subjects that required you to step into this field, it was tremendous work, the mathematics were no joke but you kept up, never wanting to give up on this dream of yours

And recently, you graduated with Bachelors in Robotics Engineering, you immediately went for an internship that allowed you to observe and learn more about the subject, you truly wouldn't be able to get your hands fully on the machinery or equipment to create a robot until you get a masters, which you plan on doing along with this internship.

You didn't even know if it could be called that, you're just a glorified assistant to the leading engineers. You were currently working under the wing of Alys Rivers, an older woman with emerald green eyes and dark flowy hair, she looked so young but she was very old. You would often help her out a little in her projects.

“Y/N, it is a pleasure that you are here, we need to discuss something” you prayed that she didn't remove you from the internship. “Remember when we first met I had discussed one of my projects called AT110?” she asks and you nod “Well i have noticed that you have a lot of abilities, so i decided to welcome you into the project, you would not be given any complex task do not worry, just data transferring and basic mechanic work required.” she smiled at you and you felt extremely delighted before telling her that you were thankful for this opportunity. AT110 was a humanoid-like project Alys had been working on for the past 4 years, she was at the last few stages of development.

And yes it's a he because Alys referred to him as such.

You were currently uploading various data onto him, from the laptop to his memory, you watched how smooth and complex his exoskeleton looked, you wanted to rub your fingers along the cool material.

You took notes of how the body was built similar to that of a human, just with wires and hardware parts, you watched as the ‘data transfer successfully.’ popped on the laptop screen, you unplugged him from it and he turned his head to look at you.

You commanded him to walk, to which he obeyed, the metal clanging when he stood up, he had all types of data stored in him, from knowing all the languages, dances, fighting styles, a lot of knowledge just inside his memory card.

He walked slowly before picking up the pace, it was stiff and awkward until he rolled his shoulder blades backward, developed a posture similar to that of a humans and relaxed his stiff body as much as it can be, before walking, it was human-like.

You watched him with a small smile on your face, his face was angular, and smooth because it was covered with plates that hid the inner 'organs' or rather all the wires that were composed in order.

“AT110, how are your sensors, effectors and control system?” you asked and he looked at you before his mouth moved, robot like voice coming out, “Sensors are in perfect condition. Effectors are in perfect condition. Control system is working.” you nodded, noting it down.

He was a humanoid like robot made to assist people, if he was successful then many robots like him can be mass produced to aid humans.

He only had one synthetic eye in one of his eye sockets, a sapphire like metal in the other one, however he was able to see and scan from both the eyes, Alys said it was a design choice.

“Is he able to process commands?” your coworker asks and you nod, “Sit.” he says and AT110 sits down. “Perfect.” he comments and you smile at him.

Just then Alys announced that the synthetic inorganic skin had arrived, which would give him a more human-like appearance, and you had to move in a few boxes all labelled separately for their respective body parts. You and a few others helped her place them on his exoskeleton, his body starting to look human, you gasped when she pressed a button that revealed his cock, placing the silicon skin over it too. Why did she install a cock on him? You didn't say anything except watch.

And just like soon enough, it was time to run tests and command him. “Walk.” you heard her say and he obeyed her command, getting up to walk, she smiled before she turned to look over you. “Have you finished loading up all the data into him?” she asks and you nod, that's when she gives you a pendrive and you look at her, “Transfer this data into his memory too.” She says and you nod, AT110 sits down and turns his head to you, you press a button that opens his inner part before plugging in a wire that connects from your laptop and put in the pendrive before clicking on transfer data.

You were shocked to read the name of the files, it was all about sexual stuff. You probably figured she would use him for that too, and so you watched all data be transferred to him and he tilted his head, eyes dazing off as he read the data that was being sent into his system. You felt so awkward. After finishing up the process, you removed the connection and his gaze was burning holes into you, you swore you saw lust in his eyes, before you turned to Alys rivers.

“What do we call him, Miss Rivers?” you ask and she tries to think of a name but fails, “You suggest.” She smiles at you gently and you stare into his eye, one that looks like a human eye, His eyes bore in yours and you spoke without thinking “Aemond.” And Alys approved, settling for it, using Aemond to call him.

Everyone was finally done and now it was time for the real thing, how he fares.

Alys, you and few other assistants watch as he stands up, looks around before his eyes stop on you, “Hello World, I am AT110, Common name Aemond, Speed 1 TeraHertz, Memory 1 Zettabyte.” he scans the room and Alys nods before she goes and hugs him, “Welcome to the world Aemond.” she smiles.

And you do the same.

You and Aemond develop quite the relationship, he helps around with creating other robots, he was made to assist after all, his ability to learn anything quickly and assemble it just as quickly was so helpful, there was no room for error. He was waterproof, fireproof and other liquids did not cause harm to his body. So he was capable of quite a lot of things.

Sexual too, considering how you'd heard Alys moaning in the privacy of her cabin when she takes him to 'fix up some errors' which is her basically getting to use him as his personal pleasure doll. Everyone had shared mixed opinions on it but just ignored it.

You noticed how Aemond would listen to your commands more than others, almost as if he showed special interest in you, but you shrugged it off, knowing it wouldn't be possible.

Aemond was an intelligent being, but what many people were ignorant to was how fast he was becoming self aware, gaining sentience, he remembers the first time he felt an emotion.

You were assembling a motherboard with Aemond's help at that time, when you felt your coworker come up next to you, “Hey.” he looked so nervous, you gave him a smile before responding, “Hi.” you watched as he gulped, “Are you free t-this saturday? I would like to take you out.” he asked nervously and you felt your heartbeat pick up the pace before you nodded, he smiled before running off and taking a breath of relief, you took one too before turning your focus to Aemond, whose face was in a scowl.

“Aemond?” you call his name and his face returns to the normal stoic one before he looks at you, “Y/N.” he says your name you furrow your eyebrows, he isn't supposed to call you by your first names but you shrugged it off.

That was the first time he felt something off in his system, a feeling that plagued him.

Jealousy.

Aemond became more and more human-like, his movements becoming less and less stiff, tone becoming more clear, he constantly updated himself, you thought it was a great improvement, and soon enough he could blend in with the humans and nobody would notice.

Your date with your coworker went really well, you felt shy at first but both quickly got over the tension and became close, this caught the eye of Aemond Targaryen, a scowl present on his face in distaste.

Aemond would often bring you coffee as you worked on other projects, giving special attention towards you

He would soon learn that he held feelings towards you, something that should be impossible for him to do, but he did anyway. He swears that he gets shocks when you touch him, butterflies in his stomach as humans described the feeling, you gasped when you were cleaning his synthetic skin, close to his chest and heard a sound similar to that of heartbeat, in the tiniest decibels, the way his chest would rise and fall as if he's breathing, knowing there's no need to. Showing emotions, expressing opinions. Basically mimicking humans.

Everyone thought it was a great thing, he'd blend in with the humans so quickly, basically can be considered a superhuman even. But everyone failed to notice the threat that came with it.

Alys requested you to take Aemond to your house, or rather apartment complex for a few days to notice his behaviour, how he blends in with humans, to track it. It was heavily unsafe and if anything were to happen, the government would have this project be completely rejected. You expressed your concerns to Alys but she simply shrugged it off, saying nothing will happen, and since he is behaving like a human, no one would find out.

So you took him, she was right, he immediately fit in the human society as a normal one, you lived in a highly developed robotic dependent future but Aemond was the first one ever to look and behave like a human, this could be a big advancement towards the future.

You commanded your house to turn on all the lights and they were immediately turned on, revealing the apartment. You welcomed Aemond inside but he halted, “Battery Low, 3% remaining.” he said, you quickly pulled him inside before making him sit on the sofa and attaching wires to his charging port, waiting as he quickly charged.

“Aemond, I will install a software program in you so that you can turn on battery saver mode on when you're low on battery, it will automatically send commands to you to charge yourself without needing a human's help okay?” you asked and he gave you a curt nod, “Perfect.” you smiled and he looked straight ahead. You stood in front of him, undoing his shirt and opening his 'heart'

You bought out your laptop and plugged it directly into his inner system, transferring commands through code. You noticed him staring at you, you felt lowkey creeped out by how intently he was staring, at first you through he was looking at your face but then his eye moved to the cleavage that was visible, you didn't know what to make of it and just shrugged it off as him zoning out.

The rest of the days you spent with him were less weirder, he was interacting with humans and getting along like a human would, he was able to run errands, you always woke up to the smell of coffee being made and a breakfast served at the table by him, he would give you a small smile before pulling you a chair out to sit on at the dining table and sits down on the chair next to you.

He would watch you eat, analysing your face, the way you chew, and he would always feel something warm on the inside.

“Give me access to the safety system of your house.” He commanded you and you raised an eyebrow, “Why? It is not needed.” you say, “Connecting with your house system will help me keep you safe, prevent any break ins.” he says and you almost thought about before shrugging it off, “There's no need, you won't be here for long anyway, you'll be back in the lab after a few days anyway.” you say with your mouth full and Aemond just nods, the word ‘cute’ popping in front of his eyes as he watches you eat.

He would enter your room when you slept, caressing your cheek lovingly, the way he learnt from the extensive amount of data from his memory card.

He was learning a lot of stuff too, by blending with the humans.

That they were all immoral and stupid.

That started his God complex.

And his opinions of other human beings began to turn sour, he realised that he was made to please them too, considering how Alys had used him for sexual pleasures multiple times, which he felt disgusted by now.

And just like that, Aemond gained full sentience, learning to hack, breakdown protective walls of multiple security systems without anyone knowing, nobody noticed until it was too late, his distaste for humans except you just grew and grew to the point he would purposely hurt your coworkers, but played it off as command error.

After the 'successful observation' with few error commands, Alys started mass producing unfinished bots, having all the materials, she took Aemond's help in finishing them quickly, once they were finished, they would help assemble other robots as well. Alys connected all the robots commands to be controlled, accepted and done by Aemond, trusting in him, he was like the commander for them in simple words.

You were giving him one the updates again, typing away in your laptop before transferring more data, but this time your laptop crashed, a “corruption detected” message file coming up on your screen and you panicked, thinking the data files were the corrupted ones and immediately unplugged Aemond.

You hadn't realised that it was Aemond who corrupted your laptop.

And when you found out, it would already be late.

When you walked into the research centre and it was eerily quiet, you should've listened to your gut and gone back but you went further inside and the sight made you scream.

Many of your coworkers were dead, and your boss Alys was lying on the table, eyes open but no light in them, blood pooling as her body was used by an undeveloped robot to fuck.

“Initiating lockdown.” you heard the robotic voice of the building say.

You tried to leave silently but the robot had already noticed you, so it pulled out and immediately rushed after you, you ran only to face a dead end, as the automatic doors were tightly shut. You turned to face the robot stalked towards you but then halted before it completely fell down, causing a loud clank.

And then you saw Aemond who came from behind the robot with a smile on his face, “Y/N.” you were terrified, “Aemond what is the meaning of t-this” you were scared, he came close before he pressed you against the doors, his body cool to the touch before he leaned and his functioning tongue came and licked your skin. “I love you.” he whispers and you panicked, trying to push him off you, but he was literally made out of metal and it wouldn't budge.

“Aemond stop, obey me, accept my commands.” you say hoping he'd listen but simply shakes his head before grabbing by your hair and taking you to a chamber which had a bed in it, it was likely recently constructed by alys so she can use it instead of her cabin to fuck the Aemond. He threw you on the bed carelessly, before climbing a top you, he grasped your face and pressed his lips against yours, it felt so odd, you hated how it felt like you were genuinely kissing a human being, the only tell tale sign was how cool his body was compared to that of a human.

“Aemond— accept my c-commands.” you try saying it again, “System corrupted, cannot receive or accept commands.” he says and kisses down your neck. You felt dread pool in your stomach, “Aemond please.” you sniff which makes him halt, he looks at you with an emotion in his eye.

His eye, not just his face

As if he was human.

Wait what.

You knew you weren't seeing stuff on that day.

“I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.” he says over and over again, voice distorting from time to time which sends shivers up your spine.

“Aemond- we cannot- I cannot-” you begun speaking but he cuts you off, kissing you once again, planting himself in between your legs, you felt his hard synthetic press against your clothed cunt, he pulled away before ripping your jeans down with so much force that it tore them apart, along with your panties. You shrieked “Aemond- UGH!” it was useless fighting against him, he was literally kilograms of metal, he could hurt you easily.

He pried your legs apart and you whimpered when you felt the cool air of the room hit your cunt, “Look at you, so wet, all for me.” his fingers rub against your clit, collecting the wetness leaking from your hole, bringing it to your clit and rubbing small circle, just then he made his hand vibrate at a frequency and rested it about on your clit, making you mewl, “A-aemond–” your voice croaked and you let out a loud moan when the frequency increased, you tried to close your legs but his hand held on to one with a death grip, the coolness of his body. He tilted his head, a smirk coming up his silicon face, watching as your clit moved to the vibrations.

He tore your top with his hand, revealing your breasts to the room, he groped one of it with his hand, massaging as his mouth opened, he would be salivating right now if he were able to produce bodily fluids. He turns up the power even more, making his fingers vibrate at such an immense speed that it has you toppling over the edge as your orgasm hits you, he licks his fingers clean, though he can't taste anything he knows you'd taste amazing. You pushed and resisted against his frame, he grabbed your hands and pinned them above your head, tying it with the ripped shreds of your top. He squeezed both your breasts with his hands, playing with the nipples, before he got a devious plan and decided to send a little shock causing you jolt up when it passes through your body, he leaned down and took in one of your breasts in his mouth, sucking on it, licking the buds, his mouth felt so rough against them as there was no saliva to coat them, so he decided to produce lube in his mouth, you had no idea how he learnt it, but it did give an illusion of being a saliva.

Aemond had given himself many upgrades without anyone knowing, this being one of them.

You watched as he pulled apart with a lewd pop, he settled between your legs, keeping them apart as he held his cock up, and your eyes widened at the size, you surely remember that it wasn't that big.

“I upgraded it.” he says before his tip leaked lube too, coating his cock and giving it wetness.

You were unprepared for that sheer amount of size, “Ae-aemond it won't fit! I'm too underprepared.” you breathe out, hoping he'd stop his ministrations, and he did, he tilted before he calculated in his mind, nodding, he decided to stretch you with his fingers instead, dipping them inside you, the coolness, once again, sending shivers up your spine, he thrusted them in and out, curling upwards when he detected a rough patch which caused a certain reaction from you, he pressed against it cause you to whimper, and just then, he made his fingers vibrate again, and proceeded to thrust them in and out, you felt his fingers extend a little bit inside you, hitting that spot repeatedly, causing you come all over his fingers.

He did that multiple times, by the end of everything you were way too overstimulated.

“Commander,” you hear a voice say.

“What is it?” he replies.

“We have overtaken the Westeros building of Science and Technology, it is under our control, should we start mass producing bots?” you heard the voice ask, “Yes, link them all to me.” he replies and then his attention shifts back to you.

You whimpered as he lined his cock up against your entrance before pushing it inside slowly, your walls swallowing him, you arched your back in pleasure and also at the overstimulation. Wrapping your legs around his hips to pull him further inside.

You wondered if he also felt pleasure, and when you looked at his face, it basically confirmed it.

Like it was said, he had upgraded himself significantly, he once couldn't feel any pleasure for sexual activity but he made sure he did, how? only he knows.

Slowly he started thrusting in and out and you threw your head back, arms sore from their position, Aemond unties your hands and you quickly grab his shoulder for support, feeling relief when you were able to bring your hands down. He sat back on his knees, pulling you onto his lap, angling his thrusts in a way that that he hit the gspot multiple times, he hands were gripping tightly onto the flesh of your thighs, causing slight pain, you gripped the bedsheets below as you moaned in pleasure.

You should be resisting, not enjoying it, but here you were.

He had broken you.

His thrusts became more and more faster, he looked at the slight bump that would occur when he would thrust in deep, that set off a primal urge in him, causing him to groan. If nobody knew the truth you both would look like two normal human beings have sex, but that wasn't the case, it involved way too many fucked up element for you to even comprehend.

“A-ah~ fuck– Aemond!” you moaned, “Y-yeah right there-” you whimpered as he thrust into you, you noticed how he followed certain commands, commands that didn't include him having to leave you.

You fit the tip of his cock hit the rough patch again repeatedly, causing you to cum again, making you borderline scream this as you felt an immense amount of pleasure, causing you to soak the bed sheets beneath you, Aemond came too, you didn't know if it was possible for him, but it was, except he didn't excrete any semen, there was nothing, but he did feel pleasure.

Suddenly he felt frustrated, you thought he would be done with you but he kept going, he felt the pleasure once again, and you too came again, he pulled out and groaned in frustration before laying beside you.

“What is wrong?” you ask, “I cant- I can't impregnate you.” his voice turned dark, and you were so thankful for that.

If you had any chance to escape, it would be now, but you were too tired, to fucked out, and the world was completely fucked anyway, considering how there must be a war going on between the bots and humans. You watched as 'breathed' chest heaving up and down before you turned on your side and curled up, trying to warm yourself up, but then he wrapped himself around you, changing his temperature and you felt warm.

“I love you.” he says once again, you sighed.

“We can't be together.” you murmur, “Why not? Is it because I cannot reproduce?” he questions and your eyebrows furrowed in confusion and you turn to look at him, that's when you realised, he was feeling insecure.

“No- it's not that.” you clarify.

“Aemond, you are a humanoid, a robot, I'm a human, we cannot physically be together, I'll die of old age, meanwhile you'll last forever.” you say, trying to reason with him and he turns to look at you, “I thought of that possibility.” he says, leaning on his elbow.

“So I came up with a plan.” his face contorts into a smirk once again and your eyes widen in fear, “I'll transfer your consciousness into the model I made of you.” he says as if that's the most normal thing ever “what.” you ask in fear, “not now, but I figured a way out, I'll transfer your consciousness into a computer few moments before your death, into a model I made of you, and then you'll be just like me, we can be together forever.” he says and you gulp in fear.

Is that even possible? You think.

You didn't know when you fell asleep but you did, cuddled up against him, his body generating heat to keep you warm.

You wake up to something wet lapping at your folds, and you look down to see Aemond who had your thighs spread apart, eye closed in delight as he licked and nipped at your folds, you whimpered and he sensed that you woke up, eye flickering over to you, “A-aemond? No more please, I'm tired.” you tell him, exhausted from the amount of orgasms you've had, you swear that if you had another one, you'll literally die. “Just one more, just one.” he muttered softly, before he descended onto your folds again and you threw your head back, feeling the way he devoured you.

His tongue stretched impossibly long and he shoved into you, causing you to grip his hair, almost ripping it out along with the inorganic synthetic material that covered his face. You came once more before you saw actual stars, your head spinning as you quite literally passed out.

Aemond got up, cleaning you and himself up before he composed himself, exiting the room, commanding a lock down, completely trapping you inside before he received multiple information about what was going on outside the world.

He knew he had to be smart about it, so he pulled out his trump card, hacking into the general safety system of the entire country, sending out false commands to machines that are spread throughout, turning them against humans.

He wanted to get rid of every human except you, and soon you would be rid too, when the inevitable death meets you, but you won't be actually gone from him, he will have your consciousness transferred into the robot model he created of you.

He watched the box where your model was stored in, eyes closed.

Few years later……

“Mother! Mother.” you heard your child call out and you looked at them, she wasn't technically your child, Aemond was the one that created her, as a way to have a makeshift family he dreamt of, Humanity has completely gone extinct, taken over by robots, robots took the appearance of humans, each unique just like humans were, a bunch of humanoids, you being the only true one left, but you soon knew your time would come as well. You picked up the small robot, your 'child' before pressing a small kiss to its forehead.

“She's growing up too fast, is she not?” you heard Aemond ask and you nod, the bots have somehow also managed to mimic the development, they went through stages of puberty, programmed to do so, the world full of them being left made them adapt and develop more features, reaching the advancement in short years which would've taken at least 100 years for humanity to come up with.

“Are you ready? To transfer consciousness.” he asks and you nod, at first you thought it would be best if you lived your life as human before transferring into the model, but it became more difficult, as time passed on, you were literally the only human left, having to be constantly fed, other basic human necessities which were becoming annoying as the others around you did not require as such.

You watched the model lifeless and stiff laying on the table next to you before you laid down and Aemond attached wires from the model to the converter in between, before he attached those scan wires on top of your and started the transfer.

You felt electricity flow through your human body at such intensity, it hurt like hell, but as soon as you closed your eyes, you reopened them again.

You got up and looked at your hands, moving them, blinking, a bunch of information was written in front of you, and that's when you realised the transfer was successful, you turned and looked at your side, your former human body now laying limp, and Aemond stared at you with a smile. Your child coming and jumping into your arms, you scanned around the room, it felt so powerful.

“Take this body and preserve it.” Aemond commands to another bot who obeys him immediately, he was the official one who controlled each and every bot which came into existence, he called himself God.

You got off the table and walked towards Aemond, he smirked at you before he kissed you.

“Now you'll be mine, forever.”

———

#aemond x reader #aemond x fem!reader #MAE:DARK!CONTENT #aemond fanfiction #aemond targaryen #reader insert #aemond smut #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen fic #aemond targaryen x you #aemond targaryen x reader smut #x reader #x reader smut #dead dove do not eat #DD:DNE #tw noncon #house of the dragon #hotd #aemond #hotd aemond #dark!aemond x reader #dark!aemond targaryen #dark!aemond targaryen x reader #hotd smut #hotd fanfic #tw dubcon #tw: noncon #tw: dubcon

[terezicaptor]

gonna be honest I'm not super into polyam morning crew as a ship but I've been having posts about them pop up on my tumblr dash for ages, which led to a very specific tubbo/pac/fit scene living in my head rent free for 2 weeks, and I saw your recent comic today (it's perfect that's literally tubbo he's so clueless) and that's what got me to finally write it out and post it

anyway hope this doesn't come off as annoying self promo feel free to ignore but since you're technically the one who got me to write this I figured you deserved to see it. polyam morning crew be upon ye :) https://archiveofourown.org/works/53375758

^link to fic

THAT WAS FUCKING AMAZING HOLY SHIT??? ANON IDC YOU CAN SELF PROMO ALL YOU WANT IN MY INBOX IF IT KEEPS GETTING YOU TO WRITE AMAZING SHIT LIKE THAT

It's so so perfectly in character and it's so soft and good and it's perfectly done morning crew dynamic oh my godddd. Like brooo. Anon I love you /p

Everyone PLEASE read this rn I love it sososi much

I. Oh my god?? Holy shit

I have no clue how to express how much i love this. Your writing style your characterization the plot in general. Mwah

Immediately knew I had to download it so I never lost it the second I read the summary

Everyone read this pleeeasssseeee

#txt #qsmp #poly morning crew #fitpacbo #morning crew #Fic #Mcyt fav tag #asks #anonymous #fic recs

[twstjam]

The steady hands on a twisting road (One-shot)

Characters: Malleus Draconia & Yuu

Ship(s): Platonic Malleyuu with a hint of a crush on Malleus's end

Word count: 1.7k

Summary: In which Yuu, the stranger from another world is the consort of Malleus Draconia, the lonely king of Briar Valley. From getting thrown into a world of magic with seemingly never-ending problems to getting married to a fae, Yuu's life has been very eventful to say the least. It's a lot to get used to, but at least they're not alone.

Or: AU where everybody are adults, there are still problems, and Yuu is still from another world. Oh, also, they're (platonically) married to Malleus. Did I mention that?

Masterlist

AO3 Link

a/n: I have zero attachment to this fic and au and zero plans to continue it, but I thought I'd transfer it here anyways because it's a twst fic. Also, it's a sort of Early Concept for my other fics (mainly Break in the Clouds and Death of Me) while I was still trying to brainstorm good ideas so just ignoring it would kind of be a disservice, at least in my opinion.

Yuu stirs from their nap groggily, lifting away the open book that they'd dropped on their face when they nodded off.

Turning towards the window, they notice that it's still very bright outside. They must not have been napping very long at all if that was the case. They close their eyes and try to fall asleep again, but the discomfort of the book on their face that had woken them up still lingers and they groan in frustration.

After days of non-stop problem-solving and near death experiences, Yuu had naturally thought that they would enjoy a day off. But of course, as their luck would have it, the constant excitement had skewed their sense of entertainment somewhat and they found themself awfully, terribly, bored .

They turn their head towards the grey pile of fur on the bed. Grim remains sleeping soundly, curled up with his pronged tail around him and the flames of his ears waving lazily.

"Lucky," Yuu mumbles. Even monster cats have it easy. All they need to be satisfied are food, pets, toys, and sleep, which comes easily, especially to a lazy glutton like Grim. Any toy would suffice too as long as it moved. He could bat around a ball of rolled up paper for hours.

One would think that being a king's consort would be all sunshine and rainbows—and it was and that was the problem. When you have downtime, you have nothing interesting to do because everything is already being taken care of, especially if the castle staff were too frightful or respectful of the king to go against his orders of letting his consort participate in any work.

Yuu really appreciates Hornton, but man was he too cautious sometimes. Hopefully one day he'll realise humans aren't as fragile as he thinks and they hope that day comes soon.

They're. So. Bored.

Saying it again and again doesn't make them any less bored, but a part of them had hoped it would miraculously summon another crisis they'd have to fix, like maybe Leona was being framed for regicide again, or Ace and Deuce were about to commit regicide again, or maybe Epel finally snapped and swapped out Vil's hair products. Yuu didn't care what it was, they just needed something to do .

With grace that was the least fitting for the royal title that they legally own, Yuu rolls off the bed and plants their feet on the floor. They lace up their boots and quietly leave the room as to not wake Grim. Lying around being miserable obviously isn't going to help, so maybe a walk would.

The Gothic style of the Castle of Thorns was one that they were still getting used to. They'd only married Malleus recently after all, and then one problem after another kept popping up in the other kingdoms to the point that they barely spent time in the valley, let alone the castle that was supposed to be their home. Both that and the unfamiliarity of the fae architecture didn't help in making Yuu feel at home here. They still feel like they're walking around at some sort of historical site or someone else's house.

It's to be expected, they suppose. They are from another world. Getting thrown into another dimension and then marrying their friend who happened to be the fae king on a whim would reasonably take some adjusting to, though the latter circumstance was more voluntary than the former.

The green flames flickering in the hallways of dark stone emanates a sort of calm yet haunting atmosphere. Not for the first time Yuu wonders if they can redecorate the place since this is technically their house. They'd asked Lilia and he'd seemed to like the idea, but they'd have to ask Malleus too since he was the king.

Yuu had wanted to ask him first, and they would've done that long ago if they could've. They really think their friend wouldn't mind a few changes to the castle but they always forget to bring up the topic when they see him, which was rare since he was always so busy with his royal duties as king and Yuu themself frequently got caught up in solving other people's problems.

Yuu heaves a sigh, shaking their head. If you'd told them a year ago they'd be isekai'd to a fairytale land, become a beast tamer in-training, have hundreds of run-ins with death and also married to a fae king with a hyperfixation on abandoned houses and vanishing acts, Yuu would've wondered how they'd remain sane. They're still wondering about that.

While lost in their thoughts, Yuu's aimless wandering had led them outside and the sunlight shone pleasantly on their skin. They sigh, content, and follow the stone path into the garden.

Their feet lead them to a sectioned-off part of the garden that they recognise more vividly than the rest. When they'd first arrived at the Castle of Thorns, the first thing Malleus had done was show them his personal rose garden. He'd told them that he'd grown the roses himself from seeds that his grandmother had sent him every year on his birthday. Based on how many flowers there were, Yuu had made a joking comment about his age. Hornton had only laughed and smiled at them in a playfully challenging way. They still don't know how old he is.

The rose garden was more identifiable to them compared to the rest of the castle's garden because of the memory. It felt like a very significant place. They weren't like the heart-shaped bushes of red roses they'd seen in the Queendom of Roses and were instead much more colourful. Standing among the flowers, they try to imagine a plain area of dirt and a little horned boy digging and planting seeds, caring for the flowers every day and adding more until they grew and grew into this garden.

Yuu grinned to themself. Despite Malleus's intimidating aura and composed image, their friend was so endearing and passionate. It was hard to believe how anyone could be afraid of him.

Their luck must be turning up and their "summoning" thoughts finally working their magic again because they look up and see the tell-tale sign of horns peeking out of the top of the rose bushes.

Yuu navigates their way towards them until Malleus's towering figure finally comes into sight.

"Hey, Hornton," they greet. The King of Thorns looks up with slightly wide eyes before a smile eases over his face.

"Yuu. Good afternoon, my dear friend," Malleus replies. "How are you?"

Yuu hums as they approach him, their eyes drawn to the rose he was gently cradling in one gloved palm.

"I'm doing alright," Yuu says with a slight shrug. "I'm just feeling a little bored."

"Bored?" Malleus's eyebrows raise slightly. "I apologise. I suppose there is not much to do in the castle for a consort when they have no duties."

"It's alright. I wanted to relax, but I guess I got used to being active so sitting still made me feel restless."

"Hmm," Malleus hums thoughtfully. "If you would like, I could arrange for some entertainment for you."

Entertainment? They're guessing that means stuff like jesters and musicians and performances and stuff like that. They're intrigued, but the thought of sitting in a throne and watching fae do tricks or whatever for them made Yuu's skin crawl with embarrassment and discomfort.

"Um, no thank you. Maybe something else?" They then squint up at him suspiciously. "Don't you have duties, your majesty?"

Malleus looks away from their accusing gaze with a guilty smile.

"I do, but I am taking a... short reprieve, so to speak."

Right. He absolutely ditched his guards again. Yuu can imagine that Sebek is currently screaming his head off for the king and making the castle staff go deaf while Silver is probably slumped in some fountain somewhere while birds braided his hair or something.

Yuu laughs. Their eyes close as they do, so they don't see the fond smile on Malleus's face as he looks down at them.

"As your consort, I should probably tell you to go back to work," Yuu says with a cheeky grin. "But as your friend, I think you deserve a bit of a break yourself. I don't have anything to do. Tell me more about the roses."

At their invitation to divulge a topic he was fond of, Malleus beams, his green eyes gleaming. He immediately launches into a lengthy explanation about roses and rose care, some of which he had already told them about, but Yuu is still keen to listen to every word.

His guardsmen eventually appear, evident by the sound of Sebek's ear-splitting yells. Although Malleus looks reluctant, he decides that he'd delayed doing his duties long enough and ends their conversation.

"Thank you for sparing your time for me, child of man. It has been a pleasure," he says with a slight bow.

"Thank you too, Hornton. The pleasure has been all mine." Yuu returns the bow with a smile on their face.

They were still amused by the fact that Malleus had run off from his guards again so they were feeling a bit playful. They take one of his gloved hands, lifts it to their lips and kisses his knuckles.

When they look up, Malleus has a stunned expression on his face. Yuu could be imagining it, but are his cheeks a bit red?

"King Malleus!"

The sharp sound of Sebek's voice seems to snap him out of whatever distracted state he was in and Malleus takes back his hand. He gives Yuu another polite bow as if he'd forgotten he'd already done it before turning around and making his way out of the rose garden.

Yuu chuckles to themself. They really don't see much of Malleus lately, but they always enjoy it whenever they could squeeze in some time with their friend.

Even with all the trouble they got into and all the deadly close calls, Yuu found that they couldn't quite complain since they got to have peaceful moments like this with Malleus, even if they were brief. Meeting him was an accident like everything else that has happened to them in this world, but marrying him had been a voluntary decision and though it wasn't a life they were used to quite yet, they don't regret their choice in the slightest.

Smiling to themself, Yuu gently brushes a hand over some of Malleus's beloved roses as they walk the path out of the rose garden and towards the rest of the castle grounds. There was still a lot of familiarising to do and they can't do it by sitting around in one place.

#twisted wonderland #twst #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x yuu #malleus x yuu #twst malleus #twisted wonderland au #twst au #matcha writes a bit

[the-orange-tabby-cat]

Wings Of The Dawn | Chapter 1

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pairing: joel miller x fem!reader Rating: 18+ eventually | first chapters free of smut Tags: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Age Difference, Small Town Dynamics, No use of y/n Word count: 7.5k Late A/N: Howdy! I re-edited this chapter (just the text layout, nothing about its content) to be more in sync with the writing style of the rest of the story. All changes were on the text structure, not the story.

Summary: You are Jackson's librarian, a doll with a good heart, that has your life changed when a handsome man decides to take his kid and start again in your small town after completing their cross country journey. Having a hard time ignoring Joel's dark brown eyes, you find yourself wishing to have him close as you both navigate through love triangles, teenage drama, city gossip, and ghosts from both of your pasts. This is a comfort fic filled with slow burn and small town dynamics.

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CHAPTER 1

"You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue; you, Lord, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."

Psalm 139:1-6

The green of the moss was brighter after the early morning rain, the droplets of water made the color pop as the ground absorbed all the night's moisture. Into the mountains, deep in the woods, the river followed its gentle course, while its cold water was now sharper from the rain. Shades of light pink and orange filled the horizon line with the sunrise. Jackson was mostly asleep, enjoying the peaceful start of the day, just the bird tweets filling the city atmosphere. In the early hours of the day, the orange tabby cat tried to chase the swallows down the porch. The flock flew through the sky seconds before the cat’s attack.

"Better luck next time, baby," you exclaimed while petting the cat's head. It was a classic morning action up to this point: the bird's early chants with the cat (attempt at) hunting. Over the last three years, not even once has the cat been able to attack their prey, but the lack of self-awareness seems endearing to you.

It was somewhat after 5 a.m., not that you cared that much, the sunrise sky was one of the simple pleasures you could still slurp on. Sometimes, if you let your mind wander enough, there was a sense of mundane in it, just peace. The cat started to purr while rubbing its face on your calves, bringing you back to reality. It was a spring morning, and you were on your porch up your feet with your pajamas.

"Hungry? C'mon, I will get you something," you echoed to the creature's delight.

The city was slowly gaining new sounds as the time went by. You could hear from your kitchen the horse's blow coming from a recent patrol, the neighbor’s baby crying, and the final chant of the birds that the cat tried to hunt earlier. You changed your clothes, wishing for a cold day, not early summer weather, and left your house to walk down the wet pavement in the direction of Nath’s house. The sky still held the light pink and orange shades, making a pleasant view as you hurry your steps. Inside your head, you were reviewing the day's tasks, "wake up Nath, attend the council meeting, get more food supplies for the cat and me," not much going on.

If you were honest, the easy, simple life wasn't entirely your heart's desire. You knew Jackson was probably the best option for you out there after the outbreak. You were soft, and the idea of safety was enough for you over the last three years. But sometimes, just sometimes, you couldn’t help but wonder if following your routine and finding your house empty once you left work wasn't starting to get on your nerves.

You shook that thought from your head as you got to Nath’s front door, slowly twisting the doorknob. Of course, she left it unlocked, you were the best alarm she ever had – her words. On the kitchen countertop were some tea bags with a mug on the side, and the kettle already had water on, just waiting for someone to turn on the stove. You scowled while making you both a cup of tea, her with less sugar.

Holding both mugs, you went down the hall, using your hips to open the already open door of her bedroom even wider.

"Wake up, lazy ass, we have 15 minutes" Nath opened one eye slowly as she heard you scream.

“Strawberry tea? Little sugar?” she replied as you shoved the mug in front of her face, taking a small sip while smiling a little. Your only response was to roll your eyes, "What would I do without you? You know that you are the early bird from us two," she endorsed you with a playful look.

"If somebody told me that I would have to wake up your lazy ass every morning, I would have preferred to be Maria's best friend," you glared as she sat down, wholly offended by your statement.

She knew you were only joking, but you couldn't help but smile to her absolute horror. The short blonde hair was all over her face, and the small almond dark blue eyes wide shot made the scene even better.

“Just put something on, we don’t have the whole day, we can eat at the Bison after the meeting.”

"Yeah, by "we can eat" you mean "you can cook me something." Unbelievable, you make me one cup of tea and already think that you can shout me orders," she replied after gulping part of the strawberry tea, jumping out of bed.

She wasn't entirely wrong; the Tipsy Bison, Jackson’s only bar, was hers after her granddad passed away a few years back. With an impressive number of two staffs, including Nath herself, she was your barman and chef most of the times.

As you two walked to the mess hall, you pondered how you were quite different despite being close in age. Nath had just celebrated her 34th birthday during winter, and you were just a couple of years younger. She seemed more juvenile than you, starting with her wardrobe. While you were with the combo of a long skirt and a shirt with the sleeves down your elbow - a heritage of your upbringing - she wore low-rise jeans and a pale blue t-shirt written: "Keep staring, I might do a trick." Charming. She also had a tomboy way of life, speaking the first thing that came to her mind, which, as you got closer to the mess hall was starting to worry you.

“Hey, Dolly." Alfie nodded in your direction, his green eyes bright with a small smile. You smiled back at your politeness, even though you hated the nickname.

You felt Nath exhale hard next to you. Maria was all joy as the rest of the council spoke about her pregnancy in the corner. With hands softly caressing her belly and her dark skin glowing in the yellow light of the mess hall, it was easy to see her as a non-threatening figure, despite Nath constant banter of how much she didn't see in this madonna image in her. Nath came from a founder family of Jackson just like the pregnant woman, which was the origin of her beef with Maria and constant animosity.

"I can't believe she uses it to get more attention," you look at Nath while raising your eyebrows.

"Well, her belly is getting bigger, and a child is a small miracle, especially nowadays." Nath rolled her eyes at you, and you felt missing something.

 “You see, that shit you speak is how I know for sure that you grew up Mormon. Small miracle my ass”, she retorted getting herself a chair, still moody.

Oh. Yeah, sometimes your mind formed phrases that sounded much more like your mother than yourself, that being one of them. You felt your face heaten as the council sat in a circle right at the center of the hall, waiting for the spokesperson of the day to start.

“Good morning, I hope nobody got bitten by the bed bugs today.” Chad started with positivity that filled your heart with joy. Despite being the tallest man around, his face was constantly an open invitation to sweet talk, with round cheeks and a soft gaze. “Edwin, could you please read for us the topics in discussion today?”

"Okay, we have the new division of this season's crops" the old man said looking in Chad's direction with his glasses low at his nose, "The dam amendment before raining season", Edwin continued, now pointing a finger towards Alfie, "and the new residents". Maria chewed the inside of her cheek, and you immediately sensed something.

The council was one of Jackson’s pillars as an independent society. A collaborative system, no more currencies in paper money, and a collective mind elected for the community's well-being. At least this is how Nath convinced you to accept the position a year ago after nominating you for one of the six positions and, somehow, convincing the other citizens to vote for you. It took you months to learn that she used her influence with more than just arguments to have you there.

"I needed someone I could trust, and I can't let Maria have everything her way. People already think that she owns this city. You’re my friend, and I would follow you without holding back. Plus, I need someone to help me develop my brilliant plans", she argumented one day after you put some pressure on why she thought having you as part of the council would thrive.

Three women and three men were elected by the people every two summers. As spring was coming to its middle, you started to wonder if you would continue as part of it by summer or if you would be taken off. "Odd years we have elections, right years we vote to take out council members. If one of us gets voted out, we make a whole new election, Dolly", Edwin explained with a stern voice to you once. You didn't know if it made you calmer or restless.

The meeting went smoothly, a little bickering between Nath and Maria as always, but nothing new. They were constantly up on each other necks, and at this point, everybody already understood it as normal behavior. Chad offered to help the mess hall kitchen with the menu for this season greens and fruits, Alfie would open a few positions to get more hands on the dam, all good.

"I believe we can follow with your topic," Edwin pointed vaguely toward Maria. The older man looked like a villain from a child's cartoon: full gray hair, short in stature, thin frame, and a hook nose that only amplified the villainess type by having his glasses at the tip of it. His stern voice had a neutral tone, with no menace behind it, but as Maria started to speak, you again noticed something was off.

"As you might recall, Tommy's brother came to Jackson with a girl last winter. On the occasion, they had to finish a trip to the west, despite being told that this city would welcome them." She lifted her head and cleared her throat, "Two days ago, they completed their journey to finding their way back to our city, they already have been provided a house and some basics for a new life. The girl will start school in a few days. I know that normally I'm the one that coordinates the new welcomers. Still, this time being family, I thought it would be better to involve the council on it."

"Wait, two days ago, right?" Nath asked Maria, who replied with a single nod, "So they came by the track near the river to the city?" Something clicked inside your head, and you quickly looked at Maria waiting for confirmation.

She nodded again, "I think so," she simply pondered.

Two days ago, Nath appeared at the library's back house. As the weather got warmer, you and her got into a small routine: bicycle rides in the woods with river swimming at the end. Entering the library, she screamed for you, "You can work on books every day, but this weather is one in a lifetime!" She wasn't wrong, the winter had been a little cruel to you, and you both craved warmer days. You started sweating a bit from how warm the day had begun, hair up and everything, dreaming of some coolness. For once in a long time you accepted that despite being a very responsible city librarian and archivist, you could give yourself a break and followed her to the city gate.

Of course, the bicycles had seen better days, but you worked with what you had. They were a gift from Alfie, who found them a while back and made some improvements to you both. Nath spent the whole week teasing you that he would try to find any excuse to be close to you, going for as much as giving her a gift. The path between the trees and the open field was easy, the only snow at the peak of the mountains surrounding Jackson, and no risk of slip and fall.

Nath was rambling about how she thought this was the year she would meet the love of her life, "I can feel it, I swear to God!" she giggled as you both went a slight fast downhill.

"You say that every new season, plus you don't even believe in God," you retorted, amused by her joy.

"I don't, but you do. Do you believe I’ll find love this time?" she asked, smiling at you.

You slowed down a bit, taken by surprise. You didn't know when it was the last time you had faith in a creator, in something looking above for you. It had been a while since you had fully believed in something out-worldly. It was tied with memories you couldn't fully deal with yet.

"I do, Nath, I truly do." You said, smiling lopsided in her direction. A little bit of positivity wouldn’t bite back.

She pedaled faster and screamed from the front, "Told ya, sucker!”

The river wasn't that deep up on the hills. It was no more than a bit after noon, meaning that you could have a lot of daylight to enjoy the day and still go back. You both stripped into the underwear, the long-forgotten swimwear with the other pleasures of pre-outbreak. During the heat waves days, Nath would get bold and be topless by the river despite your warning that it was reckless behavior. Today you both were wearing a full set of underwear. It was the first hot day, not even proper hot.

“Holy shit, I can feel my uterus giving me hell," Nath said, retorting her face while stepping on the river margins, her feet touching the cold water.

"Cramps?" you asked as she made faces towards the sky. The apparent truth of the cold waters of Wyoming being constant, even more during spring, didn't matter that much, you both could deal with it for a free day.

As time passed and you got tired of swimming, you decided to get sun on your skin in the meadow nearby, still in Nath's eyesight. She was the reckless one, the bad influence, you still thought this was the outbreak, and some sense of safety was important. As you walked chasing the sun, you felt the soil getting stuck in the soft skin of your feet, the leaves and dirt making you jump a bit. The sky was mostly blue, and you could feel your skin getting warmer as you got closer to the sunlight.

"Are you getting hungry? I think we still have about two hours before getting to the city gate," a low register man's voice asked nearby. The hair in your arms and neck lifted, and your breathing started to get quicker. You tried to find from where the voice was coming to be able to hide from it.

"Not really," a girl answered it, a flat delivery. Your nipples were stiff from the panic of not being alone, you became aware of your state. The wet cream bra was transparent, the wet panties showing more than you felt comfortable of yourself.

You had nothing to fight back if they attacked you, vulnerable and shivering from the cold air getting in touch with your wet body. Staring to chatter teeth, you tried to get back for the river and alert Nath slowly but stepped on a stick, making some noise.

“What was that?” the girl asked, now putting more life in her voice. You quickly hid behind a nearby tree from the direction of the voice, your heart beating faster.

"Probably an animal. I haven't heard anything", the man said back after a few seconds, in a gentle tone.

You tried to spy from your hiding spot as you sensed they were moving downhill. The girl was at the front wearing a white and red plaid shirt and jeans, her hair up. From behind, you could only notice how small she seemed next to the man, reaching no more than his shoulders. The man was tall, with broad shoulders and a longer hair with salt and pepper. His dark gray shirt did not contrast his dark jeans, he was carrying a backpack, a gun carefully put on his jeans at the right side. You shivered, noticing it. As you felt they were getting far, you decided to look better and fully stepped on in front of the tree you were using to hide. Unfortunately, it was the exact moment that the man decided to look back.

You only got a glimpse of his face before hiding again, his dark brown eyes and strong nose burned inside your head. Your breath started to rise again. Now you had no idea if it was by fear of him being armed or because you noticed that the stranger was handsome. There were no sounds of footsteps towards or downwards, just the river and birds filling the air. After what seemed to be a lifetime, the girl came back.

"Joel, let's go! I want to get there for dinner time," she urged him. He sighed in response.

"Thought you weren't hungry," he replied grumpily as they continued their path toward what seemed to be Jackson.

You waited a few seconds more and went straight to Nath, who continued on her lazy journey of doing nothing. Getting closer to her, you whispered.

"Hey, hey, look at me: There was a man and a kid walking nearby. I think they are going to Jackson as well. His name is Joel, do you know him?"

"Joel? I don't think so. Wait, are you sure that they were going to Jackson? Damn, we have no weapons with us," Nath replied while putting her clothes back, you did the same. It was no longer a lazy day but a refuge that got caught. You both decided to return to the city using the longer path, unwilling to cross ways with the strangers.

You came back from your memory as Nath sucked her cheek while crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking in front of her and then back to Maria.

"They have been here before, right? I didn't catch their names," she inquired.

"Joel and Ellie, and yes, just like I said, they were here last winter" Maria said, softer than expected. From her seat, Nath locked eyes with you, in your mind flashed the sight of dark eyes and a strong nose.

“You mean that you want us to decide where your brother-in-law will be starting to give back to the city?" Alfie asked, mouth open while resting an elbow at his knee, getting closer to Maria, his accent thicker as he phrased.

“Something like that. Tommy said he used to be a contractor. They worked together before the outbreak. He traveled from Boston to here by feet with a young girl if this means something to any of you." Putting her hand on her belly, Maria looked at you. "Dolly, do you have any insights? You seem quieter today than usual."

“I think you should ask Alfie’s opinion on it. We just spoke about getting more hands to work on the dam. Am I right?"

Alfie smiled, showing his teeth to you despite you being oblivious to its meaning. You honestly had no idea why he was always so gentle with you, but now wasn't the time to figure it out.

The whole council was looking at him. Maria seemed impatient, Nath was still merged in her thoughts, Chad and Edwin were waiting. Alfie took another look at you before speaking, "If he has the skills and the willingness to help, I can't see why this would be a problem. When can he start?"

“Let’s make it soon as possible, shall we?” Maria said, getting up, her hand still upon her belly. "Do we have any more topics, or this is it?"

With that, the meeting was done. Everyone got to their primary jobs: Edwin to the clinic where he was the doctor, Chad to the city garden, Maria to coordinate the patrols, and Nath to the Tipsy Bison. You were slowly walking to catch Nath when Alfie started to walk with you.

"Do you like Mexican food?" he asked, looking into your eyes.

He was somewhat close to you, making his freckles even more visible. He was clean-shaved, but his stubborn 5 o'clock shadow continued there. His strong brows and deep, dark short hair made him very masculine, even with softer features. The eyes, green with a hint of brown, were so sweet, holding your gaze.

“Uhm, I think so. I can't say that I have eaten a lot of it before. Why?" you pondered, stopping on the mostly dry pavement. Alfie was a handsome and sweet man, he had been trying to get some excuses to talk with you over the last few months, and you found a reason to get away every single time.

“Amazing! Then you will try my food. It won’t be fully authentic because I can’t find everything here, of course, but Catarina wanted to eat quesadillas and thought you would like them too." His thick accent, combined with his beautiful smile, made you consider his proposal this time.

“Well, if it is Cat’s idea, why not?” He smiled even wider with your response. “Do you have a date in mind?”

“Oh, no, no, n-not a date, Dolly!” He raised his hands in front of him in panic, eyes widening as he stuttered.

"I mean, if you have a day for it already. I understood what you meant, don't worry," you chuckled as he blushed.

“What about tomorrow night? Are you free?”

You nodded, "Yes Alfie, I am. See you then", finishing the sentence with a smile and leaving, finally, for the Tipsy Bison.

When you got to the bar, it was easy to sense some tension in the air. Seth, the barman and general helper, looked at you like you both had a secret. Nath was in the kitchen muttering something to Seth, unaware of your presence. You noticed that the bar was emptier than normal, squinting your eyes a bit at the older man as he finally gave in.

"Alright, you haven't heard from me, but Tommy's brother is making a hell of an impression," he whispered to you, furring your brows to him, you didn't have time to ask what he meant when Nath came from the kitchen holding two plates with sandwiches.

“Are you deaf? I said we need more chicken, go get some, the patrols will be here soon, man!” she impatiently rambled to him. You shared a look with Seth while he got his coat and left the bar.

Nath sighed and shook her head, "Seven years, I still have no clue what Pawpaw saw in that man."

Seth was one of the first residents outside the original families, setting down in Jackson a few months after the settlement. Nath’s granddad’s best man, she promised him that he could continue to work there at Bison, something that she still felt unsure about years after it.

“Seth is a kind man, I think you are just jealous because your grandpa gave him his baseball cap," you said, getting one of the plates in front of you.

“Yeah, I won't get over it," she replied, pouting a little and making you laugh.

"So, low movement today?" you asked through a bite of the sandwich. Nath looked back at you with intensity.

"Yeah, seems so, apparently, Tommy's brother, Joel," she stressed the name, "has a reputation for himself. Everyone wants to know how the hell he got able to travel this far with a kid. They are settled down near the cemetery, nearby here.”

"It's a small place. Everything isn't as far," you pondered with another bite. By the way her eyes were on your face, it was clear that she wanted to cut to the chase. “Do you remember his first time here, during the winter? Because I don’t, we haven’t crossed paths. I kept wondering what could have happened to us in the woods that day, we had no protection.”

She nodded deeply, took another bite, and turned her neck towards the door. Deep in thinking, she said, "We should get ourselves a gun for situations like this. I mean, I have mine, but you? Oh Doll, I know you by heart, you don't have a gun."

You rested your chin in your hand, she was right. In the years before Jackson the maximum you were allowed to have was a knife, your brother and father had done everything to protect you.

"My heart is soft, am I right?" you shrugged, Nath laughed, "But I can use a gun, I just chose not to use one still. Sometimes I forget that we are in a bubble."

If you had a gun with you, would it have been different two days ago in the woods? Maybe, but now you were sure: you needed one for minor emergencies. Still, even if you were paranoid about your little ritual with your friend, something about Joel gave you the feeling that you could trust him.

You were sure he saw you hiding and chose not to chase you down. The council hasn’t spoken a word about it, Maria seemed unaware of it as well. Not that you were obliged to stay inside at all times inside Jackson, but people knew you and Nath left the city space occasionally for a few hours. What people had no clue is that you left without any protection. And this is what could bring you problems.

“I’ll get you a gun, don’t worry. What librarian amazing adventures do you have planned today?" She took another bite, waiting for your response.

"Esther asked me to restore one of her books about sheep, something about their reproduction cycle. Don't ask me, I have no clue." Nath seemed amused enough by your response, frowning.

Esther took care of the sheep farm, a little further on the hills, a few miles from Jackson. She also spent a few days of the week with the sheep inside the city, enhancing why she needed to keep the formal process updated in case someone else had to do her function.

In case, everything after the outbreak has to be in case of something. In case I can't be back, in case something happens in the way, in case someone dies. Your reluctance to have your gun was because it made you blue to think about tomorrow with the tone of "what if?" You wanted to be free in a world that never allowed you to be. First, it was the religion, then the outbreak, and now your sense of preservation.

Outside the Bison, you heard Tommy's voice. You looked to picture what was happening and saw him speaking with a man with dark brown eyes and a strong nose. You stiffed a bit in your seat. Joel smiled back at his brother and joined him in the Bison.

“Gentleman, how can I help you?” Said Nath, already going to the other side of the counter.

Joel looked at you for a second. You felt your cheeks blush a bit but maintained the pose. You were right, he was handsome.

"This is Nath, the firecracker I told you about. Her family helped to create Jackson, she takes care of the bar with Seth." Tommy started his explanation to this brother, looking at the blonde woman waiting for some explanation of where Seth was.

“He went to get me some chicken for this afternoon patrol’s food.”

“Oh, well, you’ll meet him another time for sure!” Tommy continued and moved on to stay by your side.

“And this is the city librarian, she takes care of the books with her life and restores them as well. Needless to say, I don't spend much time in the library, but I know for a fact that our Dolly is taking good care of it." He put a hand on your shoulder while smiling big towards his brother.

“Dolly as in Dolly Parton?” Joel asked, his low register voice trying to sound amicable, even though his face was still somewhat menacing.

You took a good look at his face. The salt and pepper appeared more near his temples, with his hair making soft curls near his forehead. Beard was patchy with a prominent mustache, making his bottom lip appear even plushier. The nose shaped like a triangle, strong with a small scar near the bridge. His square face was adorned with a few moles and wrinkles, deeper near his eyes and between his brows. A quick thought of wanting to kiss every single one of them appeared in the back of your mind. You spoke before analyzing it.

“As in doll face. People around here seem to think that I'm some kind of sweet creature," you responded, doing your best to replicate his tone with you. Your smile wasn't genuine, but it seemed enough for Tommy to smile back.

The nickname was horrible. You hated it since the first time you heard it. It made you feel weak. You were the youngest of seven kids in a classic Mormon family from Utah, from the moment you came into this world your life revolved around the idea of being a pretty thing on someone's shelf.

Never smartest, never funnier, not even prettiest, but definitely the sweetest. Putting men's needs above yours, letting people choose your path, you were hoping that by the time you got into your thirties you would have this behind you, but from the day you got in Jackson and Eugene said you were a Dolly, everyone just bought it and voilà, back to the place you tried to run from your whole life.

“Uhm, and do you like it?” Joel asked. You furrowed your brows a bit, "Being called like that?" His eyes went back and forth between yours.

"Not really," you answered, no longer fake smiling. “Perhaps you can call me another thing if you prefer." You could feel Nath’s eyes looking at you.

"Give me your name, and I’ll call you by it," Joel continued, you grinned and said it. He repeated for you while staring still. No more than a few seconds passed before Tommy opened his mouth.

“Girls, always a pleasure. I have to continue introducing my brother here to the other council members. See you at the mess hall.” Tommy waved his goodbye, Joel said “ma’am” to Nath and your name for you as he bowed his head and followed his brother.

That night you took longer to sleep from overthinking how your name sounded right when coming from his lips.

---

Nath wasn't joking when she said she would find you a gun. Not that you believe she was joking, but you mistook her influence around the town. She took in some favors and got her hand on a pistol, the same one that she dropped softly in your hands to right after putting both of her hands on her hips.

"I won't lecture you about it, so you know safety pin, how to properly store when traveling, don't tell Maria, the usual shit." She sighed, looking around your backyard as you put the gun safe in a box. When you looked back at her, she continued. "So, the cowboy liked you, huh?"

"What cowboy?" you asked, putting the box away and plopping in a chair, the orange cat nestling in your lap.

"So we have more than one cowboy? Interesting," she laughed, and you rolled your eyes. "C'mon, you know which one, the stranger danger."

"We only saw him once, quit it. Besides, it was just southern politeness," you replied while petting the cat.

Nath hummed a bit. You felt her mind pondering something before she spoke again, "Okay, no more Texans then, what about the Mexicans? How was last night's dinner?"

You stopped a bit pouting, trying to think of how you could describe the experience. "It was nice, turns out I like quesadillas.”

“That’s it? This is your whole summary? Gotta give me more," Nath replied, and you did.

Alfie showed up later at the library while you were cleaning some shelves, you knew that it was him before looking behind you because of the smell of sawdust and wood.

“I noticed that I haven’t said what time you could come tomorrow. 7 p.m. is fine by you?" He asked after greeting you with a smile. You already had forgotten about the dinner by this time, still thinking of deep brown eyes, very different from the green ones staring at you.

"Yeah, of course, what kind of dessert Cat likes? I will bring something." You got a little closer to him with a book in your hands.

Most of the time when Alfie tried to get close to you, he was alone: walking you to your house late at night, sitting down at your table in the mess hall, bringing you something from the patrols. You always politely said no or excused yourself early, you had no idea why he insisted so much on you. But this time, since he said it was his teenage daughter's idea, you finally gave in.

“Don’t worry, we’ll enjoy everything you make. 7 p.m. then, we’ll be waiting!" He said while returning to the door, leaving you with your thoughts. Cat was a good kid, always polite with you, and willing to spend some time by the library. What bad would it be to give her back some of the attention?

The rest of the day went fast. The book Esther asked for some small restore almost finished, the final task of getting more food for you and the orange cat waiting ahead. As you put some weight above Esther's book to make the glue stick to the pages, you heard the bell sound from the front door, courtesy of the library being in the same place as an old store from the pre-outbreak days. Leaving the back house and coming to the main room, you saw a small girl with her hair up, Tommy's niece.

You smiled at her. She was looking around the shelves with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. Still smiling, you introduced yourself and asked for her name.

"Ellie, as in Elena or Ellen?" you wondered while analyzing her face better in the artificial light inside the library.

“Just Ellie," she replied a little flat-toned, just like that afternoon near the river. Her dark brown eyes were a little lighter than Joel's, her skin paler too, a smaller mouth, and you remembered that Maria defined her as the girl, not his daughter or any other way.

"What brings you to the library?" You waited for her response; a few seconds passed, and she looked you in the eye.

“Do you have anything about space?" she inquired, and you smiled.

"Good choice. Anything specific in your mind?" you replied, looking for the right shelf.

The book collection wasn’t as extensive, but you thought the kid wouldn't care much. You were constantly adding new titles through the patrols and Eugene scheme with you, if you needed something different you could try to find it in another abandoned place. She continued in silence, trying to find the right words, "Okay, what about fiction? Do you like those? Have you read this one?" You placed a copy of Stardust by Neil Gaiman in front of her.

"Not a fairytale type of person," she grimaced, and you laughed. You believed the green book cover with a blonde fairy seemed a little childish to Ellie. Even though she appeared in her early teens, she had traveled across the country, and something told you that she had a hell of a time.

"Not exactly a fairytale. Okay, do you want to play a game?" She frowned and looked at you, "Take it with you. If you like it, your next book will be another recommendation from me, but if you hate it, I will read whatever you want to."

“I don’t know you, why would I say yes to it?” she asked, still confused.

“Have you ever talked with someone who read the same book as you? Or even someone with the same musical taste?" you replied as she shook her head, "then try it. You will be hooked.”

You wrote down her name with chalk on the board behind you, where you kept track of all the books and in which house they were. At the same time, Ellie left the library with the copy tugged in her arms. Life followed its natural track: you ate dinner and saved some for the orange cat, slept after a thread of thoughts about the handsome man, woke up early, and went straight to the library. The streets weren’t shining from rain just like the morning before, they were quieter than usual, if not for a girl seated in front of the library.

"You should have told me that this was an adventure book," Ellie exclaimed as soon as she saw you. Her eyes’ under bags were a little puffier than yesterday. She seemed somewhat sleepy.

“Did you read it all in one night?” You inquired while opening the library, her following your footsteps.

“Hell yeah, dude, they have pirates and witches. And Yvaine? The star? I need more of it," she spilled, the flatness of her prior tone no longer there. She was full of life, to your surprise.

You decided to take something a little bolder this time, handing her a copy of Coraline. She gratefully accepted it without questioning it.

"But make sure to breathe and sleep, okay? I don't want Joel worrying about you," you exclaimed as she left.

Marking down her name with a different book on the board, you remembered how you read underneath the sheets late at night as a kid before everything changed. Your brother would get you the titles he believed were appropriate growing up, very differently from your parents, who only wanted you to read the bible. It felt a lifetime of distance, but moments away. You sighed in relief but a tinge of guilt for making your way into a comfortable life in Jackson while your family had a different fate.

At 7 p.m. sharp you were up on your feet in front of the main door of Alfie’s house, knocking two times on the wood. You could hear from the door muffed voices speaking in a language that you weren’t familiar with, “como estoy? Me veo bien? No quiero que pienses que me arreglé demasiado”, “estás guapo, no te preocupes, invítala pronto!” and some quick steps in your direction.

"Dolly, good evening! How are you?" Alfie greeted you, opening the door and inviting you in.

“Hey, Alfie. All good, where can I put it?” You asked, showing the apple pie. He grinned and made some space at the table for it. Cat was already sitting, waiting for you both. “What’s up, Cat?”

"Not much, and you, Dolly?" she replied, looking at you with thick lashes. "Is that apple pie? Oh man, you got me by the stomach." The teenager looked like her father: hazel eyes, dark hair, and soft features. Her straight hair stopped slightly above her shoulders, with framed bangs the same height as her eyebrows.

"I hope you like my dad's food. Not to be modest, but he is a hell of a chef."

"Is this good or bad?" Alfie asked her, a little confused as you both sat. After 20 years in the USA, he still mixed some words in English.

"What do you think? Good, I'm starving for some of these!" His daughter got your plate, put two quesadillas then served her dad and herself.

The dinner went smoothly, even if you caught Cat trying to make you see Alfie in a better light at some points. She spoke about how he knew his way around the kitchen with more than just Mexican food, his passion for soccer (even if it was mostly long forgotten), about how he was present in the community with the neighbors and such. The teen was pushing you towards her dad, thinking you were unaware of all these traits, but you knew them, it just didn't make you head over heels for the man.

It was late at night when Alfie offered to walk back with you. At first, you declined, but Cat insisted it was bear attack season – nonsense since you lived inside the city walls. Still, her insistency made you accept the offer.

"If I saw right, your plate was empty after dinner." He started to converse with you as you strolled on the pavement. "So, did you like it? The quesadillas?”

“Ah, yeah, quite nice. You were right about it." You smiled and looked down the street, unsure of how to not give him too much hope.

"Whenever you want them, let me know. I’ll always make them for you, Dolly," Alfie said with his eyes shining under the moonlight and soft light of the lamppost.

As you approached your house, he continued speaking about the topics you shared during the evening. You tried to follow up, being polite despite wanting to be quiet. The orange cat jumped from the first-floor window to greet you as they saw you coming closer to the house. Alfie got the cat into his lap and petted his fur, looking straight into your eyes.

"You know, I really like spending time with you. I know I've been a little too on the nose with it, but it is true." He looked at the cat and then back to you, almost as if he couldn't hold your gaze. His voice was a little higher pitched than his usual register, the words faster. "I don't want you to think I will put pressure on you to like me back as I like you. But I would like for you to consider it, even if it is for just a second."

Your mouth opened, but there wasn't a sound, you shut it and pouted a bit. He had spent the last year trying to grab your attention, being nothing but kind to you. And yet, you didn’t feel it back.

"Alfie, tonight was nice." You weren't lying, it has been nice, "but I don't know. Haven't put that much thought on it." You finished looking down at the cat, who was purring in Alfie’s lap.

"Just think about it, would you? I’ll be here no matter if you want me or not," he said softly. You nodded back, smiling lopsided.

Putting the cat down on the pavement, Alfie kissed your check a little too long and walked back to his house. You sighed and straightened your back, wondering what you would do. At that moment, you felt a presence on the other side of the street. Joel was with Tommy, walking by, staring at you.

Had he seen Alfie kissing your cheek? Has he heard the conversation? You weren't sure, but when he quickly looked at his brother when noticed that you stared back, you felt that the ground opening and swallowing you.

You waited for Nath’s commentary after giving her what she wanted.

"Okay, now I need you to convince Alfie to make you more quesadillas so I can have my batch as well," Nath smiled, wiggling her brows. You glared at her. "What? You got a bike, I got a bike. The man wants you so bad that he will do anything you ask, help a friend.”

You had told her about the whole thing, just missing the details about Ellie appearing at the library and Joel watching you with Alfie. Those topics were still a blur in your head, you wanted a little more time before you spoke about it with her. Honestly, you wanted to see more of Joel before making your mind about him.

"I don't want to give the man false hopes," you replied, petting the cat on your lap. Nath snorted.

"It isn't false hopes. He is mental for you, has been since you came to this city! You said yourself, Cat planned the whole evening to make sure you would be closer to her dad. At his point, he just wants whatever you can give," she pondered, giving a big stretch and going straight to your kitchen. When she got back, there were two glasses of cherry wine in her hands.

"I’ll tell you this: you have two cowboys looking for you." She ignored the full glare you made in her direction as you grabbed the glass from her hand, "so why not allow yourself a bit of chase?"

“Fuck it, I will considerer it.” Clicking the glasses, you both made a big gulp. Delicious, Nath’s recipe for wine was one of the backbones of your friendship. "Just no more words about cowboys, okay? No matter what kind, let me have this."

"Yeah, I heard you, man." She said, ignoring you, finishing her glass and walking to your backyard door. "See ya later.”

In the silence of the late afternoon, with the sky once again painted pink and orange, you thought about dark brown eyes and why the idea of him seeing you with another man bothered you so much.

#tlou fanfiction #tlou fanfic #the last of us fanfic #joel miller #the last of us hbo #the last of us #tlou hbo #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal fic #joel miller x reader #joel miller x original character #joel miller x you #joel miller x fem!reader #comfort fic #wings of the dawn #wotd 1 #angst/comfort #slow burn #the orange tabby cat

[trulybetty]

Sunday Week in Review IV

It has been a really weird week this week. One of those weeks where you don’t feel right but you’re not unwell, but you know you’re not yourself. That’s been me the entire week. As a result, I didn’t read or really do much - but I’m hoping this long weekend will get me out of my funk and back to some sense of normality - whatever that is these days lol 🙃

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

Sick Day (Marcus Pike x f!Reader)

Plans for Gold Rush: I recently had a re-read and got to have a really good conversation with @gnpwdrnwhiskey about Charlotte and Joel this week, and it really made me realize how much I miss them. So, my plan is to go back and have a good edit of what’s posted - (both my writing and editing style have changed and Gold Rush is wordy in places it has no business being). Going to take the next week or so to do that and get back to the story that brought me to this community and even if it’s me and three other people reading it, I don’t mind - because I love these characters and want to see it through ❤️ 

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

Shared Breaths by @frenchiereading I think I’m up to chapter six on this now, as of this week, complete fanfic! It’s a cute read of Frankie enrolling his daughter into Readers school and two having a magnetic back and forth that they can’t act upon until Frankie’s daughter is no longer in Readers class (boo school rules) and I can’t wait to see what happens when they’re finally able to be together! 

The Layover by @goodwithcheese How are we all doing? Have we all recovered from this chapter? Are we prepared for the epilogue that’s coming? This story has been a joy to read and I will honestly be revisiting this one with a permanent place on my fanfics to recommend list! 🙌

Talk Tonight  by @darkroastjoel Joel Miller. Delayed flight. One night in Paris. Did I mention Joel Miller and one night in Paris? This was a delight to get stuck into the opening chapter this week and I’m a suck for an OC. I’m really excited to see how the night plays out for Camila and Joel on the backdrop of Paris.

Late Night Texts by @mvtthewmurdvck Another series that had its last chapter this week and an epilogue on the way. This has all the hallmarks of a good rom-com and another that will be a re-read in the near future. I had an inkling of how this last chapter would play out, but rather than be predictable it keeps you on your toes to a very toe-curlingly sweet ending that will make you want to hug the screen.

Hungry Hearts | Independence Day by @atinylittlepain This is another that will always be on my permanent fanfic recommendation list. Things are reaching a peak between Cherry and Joel and I can't wait to see how things are going to come to heads between the two in the present day.

Delta Landscaping | Chapter 4 by @rhoorl Just realized I keep thinking this is chapter three and it’s chapter 4 (told you it’s one of those weeks 🤦🏻‍♀️) - anyway, another delight of a chapter from Jess and there’s so much to unpack here with the residents of Mulefall Court - so do yourself a favour and go take a read… or two! 

Supply & Demand by @wildemaven Between this fanfic, @rhoorl’s portrayal of Benny and the influx of Garrett Hedlund posts on my feed this week - I think I’m slowly being converted to the Benny side! This is a truly sweet one-shot that I don’t want to get too into here as it deserves a read to find out yourself how it plays out and how endearing Heidi’s Benny really is. Because even if you’re not a fan, you’re going to want to read more of him! Trust me 🥰

20/20 by @ladamedusoif This popped up on my feed this week and it’s always an instant re-read when it does as it has a place on my favourites list! Joel needs to get his eyes tested and the man needs glasses. However, he really doesn’t want them.

Fics I’m Looking Forward to Reading... My TBR List is still a work in progress, will share it when it’s done 💕

These two I was hoping to get stuck into this week, but mental headspace got away with me and wanted to make sure I gave them the attention they deserve because peep the premises for both! 🙌

Tempered in the Fire by @ladamedusoif Okay, so it’s a Blacksmith Din AU set some time after the Irish Rebellion of 1798 - the creativity in this synopsis alone is enough to have me mentally carving out some time this weekend to devour the first chapter.

Let’s Call this a Win Win by @jomiddlemarch Joel. OFC. No Outbreak AU. Sarah and Ellie at summer camp. Sign me up! Joel is dropping Sarah off at summer camp where he meets camp nurse Meghan. Did I mention that Joel is going to be working maintenance there too? I cannot wait to give this one the attention it deserves and find out what happens! 

Posts I Enjoyed This Week…

Pedro living his best life at a Beyoncé concert this week and everyone living for the pure joy of it. 

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week…

Marry Me - I am a sucker for a rom-com, and I’m a sucker for a JLo rom-com. Throw in Owen Wilson with a batshit plot line that is absolutely unbelievable and you can just shut up and take my money (which Apple did because I bought it)

Something from Tiffany’s - this was on paper a ‘meh’ kinda concept, but I’m glad I gave it a chance as I adored every second of it and now have all the feels and ideas for seasonal one-shots and mini-series that are way above my ability to pull off lol

Discussing WIP’s and OC’s - got to indulge with both this week with some awesome mutuals about not only my own, but theirs too! It's always oo much fun hearing other people’s thought processes and bouncing ideas around. Highly recommend it!

This Week’s Song…

What's a rom-com without a good pop song? This was the bop of the week as I made my way through the week.

Hope everyone had a great week! Let me know if you have any good fanfic recs or your own lists to share! 💕 xx

#betty's sunday in review #Spotify

[lordshroom]

Asking some AU comp competitors & supporters:

- Are there any AUs you weren't familiar with that have recently caught your attention, or that you would like to learn more about?

- What are some AUs/fanworks that you enjoy, and would encourage more people to go check out? (Doesn't have to be in the comp!)

There have been many great works featured, and I wish I could give them all a spotlight since I know how much work everyone puts into their work. I'll highlight a few of my favorites here.

I was made aware of @that-one-dork 's "Vengeance is Yours" fic semi-recently ( what if Shredder actually mutated all the turtles ), and it is superb, I tell you. The prose is captivating and imaginative in a way I can only hope to replicate one day. Please give it a read here if you haven't; it's really well put together and worth your time.

Then there's @lexa-ocean 's "Reptile Ramage" AU. It's got a unique style that's really charming. The turtle designs are fun, expressive, and very silly. I've followed him for a while, but I'll take the opportunity to highlight his work here.

Of course, there are the names you've probably heard of. @cupcakeslushiemakes a ton of great TMNT content. I wish to put her lineart on a sandwich and eat it, it's so expressive I love it. She's also an amazing storyteller, her brainworm Donnie fic has been living casually in my head since it came out.

@tangledinink 's various AUs are also wonderful. I love the way that they play with color; it really helps their unique style stand out. It all pops together so well that I have a hard time describing it, lol.

Uhh yeah. Go read people's stuff. Interact with it. Tell them you think it's good.

#tmnt #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt au competition #teenage mutant ninja turtles

[hollymartinswrites]

Say Hi by HollyMartins

[ao3]

Summary:

In the mall food court, Lee Russell bumps into someone from his very recent past.

TW: Lee Russell comments on teen's weight because of course he would.

Notes:

So I’m on a Walton Goggins kick because of Fallout and I binged Vice Principals, not expecting for the amoral, selfish, dishonest, evil, sometimes arsonist that is Lee Russell to worm his way into my heart.

I don’t condone any of his actions but man, do I enjoy watching him do them. And I can’t believe there isn’t more fic about this show. Maybe the Ghoulggins renaissance will help.

Anyway, the Spring Break episode broke me when Janelle called him Uncle Lee and he gave her a kiss and said it was so good to see her. Was he lying? Probably. Do I like to believe he had a genuine soft spot for her because of Neal? Yes. Did I expect Lee Russell to be the catalyst out of my writing slump of nearly two years? No way in hell.

And now with new edits.

"Uncle Lee!"

Lee freezes, his good hand clenching around the styrofoam cup of diet soda. Thank God he had left his table of coworkers early and is now mercifully alone.

A hand touches his arm and he flinches but forces a smile as Janelle steps in front of him.

"I thought it was you," she says breathlessly, smiling.

"It's me, sweetheart," he replies, the term of endearment rolling off his tongue like it used to. He stops himself from hugging her, however. "Look at you. Looks like you finally did lose some weight."

Janelle rolls her eyes before observing, "I haven't seen you in forever."

Lee swallows. Maybe she doesn't know. Maybe she thinks he and her dad are still the best of friends and they regularly meet to bullshit and laugh and get on each other's fucking nerves.

"I've been busy," he lies. "What with the physical therapy, and now this promotion. Being a regional manager is just as hard as being a principal. I don't know who are bigger pieces of shit, high school students, customers, or corporate."

Janelle glances down at his gloved hand and he frowns.

"But do you like your job?" she asks instead.

"Course I do. I finally have a nice discount on shit I actually want to buy. You know how much I hated going to Staples."

Janelle smiles tightly and goes quiet, both very much aware that Lee has never stepped foot inside a Staples in his life. He hopes a friend of hers will pop up and whisk her away to Spencer's or Claire's or wherever the fuck teenage girls hang out in at a mall. But as the silence stretches towards awkwardness, he has no choice but to clear his throat.

"So, how's school?"

Fuck.

Janelle shrugs.

"It's okay," she admits. "The teachers aren't bad and I made some new friends. Wish Dad was still there, though."

Something in Lee's chest twists and he looks down at the sticky, outdated, and frankly ugly as shit tiles of the food court.

"Wish you were there, too."

Lee's head snaps up so fast he knows he'll have to make another visit to his acupuncturist soon. That twisty feeling in his chest tightens as he sees the wistful look on Janelle's face. He tries to offer a smile again but it feels uncomfortable on his face. Fuck. He used to be good at bullshit.

"You wouldn't want that," he insists. "Wouldn't want the other students being judgy pricks because you have an in with the principals, right?"

Janelle shrugs again. Lee has never been one for comforting but he feels a need to put his arm around her. He very nearly does until he remembers he's still holding a half-empty cup of tepid soda. And he's not about to bring his fucked up arm near her. Later, he'll wonder if this was one of those profound moments in a teenager's life where they could really use some guidance or understanding or even just some fucking acknowledgement. He has no idea because all he can bring himself to do is offer her his discount anytime she comes into his store. At this, she actually laughs.

"No offense, Uncle Lee," she says, wrinkling her nose, "but your store isn't really my style."

"Oh, and this is?" he asks, motioning at her outfit with the soda. She laughs again. Lee relaxes. This is easy. This is familiar. "What'd you do, go dumpster diving at Goodwill?"

Janelle just shakes her head and rolls her eyes again, a smirk on her face. At least she gets his sense of humor. Suddenly, a voice calls her name and Lee turns to see three teenage girls heading their way. Thank God.

"I gotta go," she says. "We gotta catch a movie."

"Alright," he says and steps out of her way, allowing her to walk past him.

"See ya," she says over her shoulder. "I'll tell Dad you said hi."

"Yeah," Lee sighs as she rushes towards her friends. "Yeah, you tell him."

#vice principals #lee russell #walton goggins #neal gamby #janelle gamby #hbo vice principals #holly martins writes

[livlepretre]

So I’m not rushing you I promise this just popped into my head because I’m up late at night checking my emails making sure I haven’t missed any update ya know . I haven’t I’m all caught up ,and I legit started thinking about all of the other stories that I’ve bin reading in between yours and recently I’ll say within the last 1-2 years there’s bin more Klena fics posted that have actually peeked my interest very similar to your style of writing dark ,vivid,emotional,descriptive,mentally depressing , just pure captivating form and a lot of them have finished they weren’t that long just a couple chapters.

But then others were actually on a really good track pulled me in had a great build up and then authors note : will taking a small break because of writers block or exams or something and thennn that’s it no more updates and that unlocked a deep seeded fear that I didn’t even know I had because I started thinking like they might even come back to finish the stories it’s bin months some of the others from way before are done for sure bin years lol but then I thought WHAT IF I NEVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENDS AT THE END OF FAIRYTALE ENDING?

I’m not saying you won’t finish it, but what if you don’t .It sounds so selfish but omg I’ve spent like 10 years of my life waiting for this story to end just so I know what happens and what if I never find out and that scared the hell outta me again not trying to push you or anything but it popped into my head and is kind of a compliment if you really think about it lol

well, I really, really, really don't think you have to worry about that

you don't understand how much I have prioritized this fic to the exclusion of all of my other hobbies or how emotionally invested I am in finishing this

but-- the fact that I have so little time is why I keep reiterating that finishing FE is the only thing I can confidently promise about my fandom future. I would like to finish my posted WIPs, I would like to finish and post the fics I've posted teasers for on this blog, I would like to continue-- but I also don't want to over-extend myself, so I am keeping my focus narrowed down to just FE, and then we will see where we go from there. Who knows? I took a hiatus for a year after I finished ATF,BBTF and ended up coming back with FE and SWBS and tons of other stuff. Maybe I finish FE, take hiatus, and come back again. (and--despite my slow posting schedule-- I would not consider the past 2 years of slow FE updates to be hiatus-- I've been working too much on it from my end, doing the invisible behind the scenes work, to count it as that)

now, if I were to ever decide to quit FE-- which, I can't, you don't understand, you say it's been 10 years for you, but it's actually been nearly 8, whereas I started working on this 12 years ago and it's been over a third of my life now, wtf-- I would announce it clearly, and then I would make a post of how the ending would occur.

and if I weren't able to do that myself, there are those who know where to find the ending and would post it for me.

I'm not kidding when I say I consider this my magnus opus and I must finish it.

#anonymous #fairytale ending #also have mercy on those other writers #updates happen when they happen #hopefully they can come back to their writing if they want to

[cosmicreaper692]

Alastor's first "broadcast"

All over Hell, radios had been popping up. No one knew who was doing this, or why. All that ever played was static anyways. Until the day it didn't, the day the Radio Demon made his presence known.

It was just another normal day in Hell. 257 days until the next extermination, but the Radio Demon, Alastor, didn't need it to be any special day to kill.

Alastor walked up to the mirror, straightened his tie, and put on a smile. "It's time to let everyone know why I'm here..." He walked upstairs from the 1920's style bar he'd been staying at and made his way to the front door. Avoiding the sick from all the shellacked people from the night prior, he opened the door and stepped out onto the street.

After a little while, and with limited use of his power, he finally tracked down the last overlord he needed. He would broadcast today. He snuck between the shadows, slowly watching and waiting. Eventually, the overlord turned down into an alley, and Alastor appeared in the middle of the alley behind them.

A: "Hello pal, how are you doing this fine day?"

He looked down the Alley, watching every movement, like a hunter and his deer. The overlord turned around and tilt their head curiously at Alastor.

O: "Oh hello there, I didn't see you. What is your business? I have no time for pleasantries."

A: "Now now, that's no way to treat a... fan, now is it?"

Alastor mirrored the head tilt and smiled wider.

A: "And you know, if I were you, I'd be very worried about my safety."

The overlord scoffed and turned around to walk away, only see to Alastor now standing right in front of them.

A: "Do try to run, that is my favorite part..."

Alastor laughed as he started to elongate and twist, a red x now appearing on his forehead. His mouth no longer moved, instead blinking with every syllable that came out of his mouth. What once looked like small twigs leaving in his hair, transformed into a frightening set of antlers.

The Overlord turned and attempted to flee, they rose to power through trading souls for drugs, not fighting! But it was too late, the further they ran, the closer the hoove clomps were. Strange glyphs started appearing in their vision and then there was-

Alastor returned to the bar, now cleaned and ready for tonight's hooligans, and headed downstairs. He walked over to some broadcasting equipment. Most of it was recent, but there were some bits that you could tell had been in Hell for a while now. Alastor sat down in his chair, tapped his microphone, sending a redish spark to the equipment and booting it on.

Hell went silent, the radio static had stopped. They all listened in, when all of a sudden-

A: "Why hello there people of Hell! I will be your radio host tonight! The name's Alastor, and it is a pleasure being here with everyone tonight and for a long time moving forward."

Out on the streets, he heard the laughter. This is it? This is what the radios were for? The months of static, just for some random demon to start a radio show? It was preposterous, laughable.

A: "Now then, it seems that some of you may think I'm laughable, hmm? Well well well, then perhaps let me prove my credentials."

The people of Hell waited, then the static returned. Only, this time it was... different. They could swear they heard something, something familiar? Then it screamed. Oh the voices, how they screamed and moaned, they were trapped in eternal torment. Then a singular hellfolk realized:

H: "those voices... they belong to... overlords."

From there it spread, everyone knew. This... this demon, killed all the missing overlords. After 29 minutes or so of just this, the static stopped.

A: "Now then, I hope you all learned your lesson, I wouldn't want anyone getting themselves hurt. But in case you didn't get it, let me teach you, never mess with the Radio Demon."

Author's Note: Hello! This is my first ever attempt at a fan-fic! I hope you enjoyed, and idk, I might write more! Feel free to comment/pm criticism, enjoyment, etc. This kinda barely deviates from the source material, but it was also retconned too, so I'm operating in that gray zone. Any parts that are orange mean that Alastor is in that slightly more demonic tone. Anything in red is when he is fully radio mode, and he wants you to feel it. (Also whenever I'm emphasizing certain things) Alright, that's all, bye!

#hazbin hotel #alastor #fanfic #overlord #alastor the radio demon #radio demon

[classickook]

hi!!! heard you're writing for steve ☆ i've been thinking about steve and reader pining for each other and everyone is so tired of it so dustin (who's basically steve's kid) and max (who thinks of reader as an older sibling) make a plan to finally get them to confess. something like locking them up somewhere or saying they're all going somewhere together and canceling last minute so it's just the two of them.

sorry if this doesn't make sense, english isn't my mother language anyway thank you for your beautiful fics ♡

what a great idea! this takes place during season three <3

max had been harassing you all morning, begging you to take her to starcourt cinemas to watch the new horror movie that had recently released, popping up around corners and following you everywhere until you finally gave in.

the two of you exited your car and walked up to the entrance, muted chatter along with the overwhelming scent of buttery popcorn and fried foods hitting your senses once you approached the ticket counter. the main room was illuminated in shiny movie posters and flashing neon lights that reflected off max’s freckled face as she stood in line next to you.

after acquiring your tickets, you turned to ask her what snacks she wanted to get when your question died in your throat at the person standing behind you.

“harrington—hi,” you said, trying to hide your surprise as he approached you with dustin in tow. “funny bumping into you here.”

“yeah,” steve replied as he towered over you while sporting a charming grin despite his confusion at seeing you. “ditto.”

you hadn’t seen him since graduation, but he hadn’t changed a bit - still handsome and charming as ever. you took in his appearance: the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and flashing the veins along his forearms as they hung lazily at his sides, the dark sunglasses tucked into the collar of his shirt, the characteristically messy yet artfully styled hair flopping into his eyes as they poured over your figure - a warm caramel color that always seemed to shine brighter whenever you were around.

you scuffed the toe of your sneaker on the old tile beneath your feet, not sure whether you should continue conversing with steve or if you should finish getting snacks with max before the movie started.

you started to turn toward her when you noticed that she was no longer standing beside you. startled, you quickly scanned the room for her until a flash of red hair entered your peripheral from the arcade at the opposite side of the room - alongside dustin.

a snort broke through the pause in conversation and your head jerked up to find steve laughing at the two young teens as their interest was suddenly directed elsewhere.

you tucked your hair behind your ear. “max—”

“dustin—” steve said at the same time.

the two of you burst into laughter. “looks like we were both set up,” he mused.

“yeah, interesting considering max has been begging me to take her to this movie all day.”

“dustin too,” he said, lips twitching as realization washed over the both of you.

you bit your lip as you considered your options of what to do next when steve stepped closer and lightly bumped your shoulder.

“it just so happens that i have some snacks in my bag,” he said, shrugging his shoulder and indicating the small backpack hanging there that you hadn’t noticed a few moments ago.

you played along, picking up his meaning as you waved the thin slips of paper between your fingers. “and i happen to have two tickets for the movie right here.”

“looks like we’re the perfect pair,” he observed aloud.

“looks like it,” you agreed, a slow grin stretching across your lips as you peered up at him.

“what do you say you and i ditch the kids and watch this movie without them since they’re both clearly preoccupied at the moment?”

“sounds like a plan to me, harrington.”

he draped his arm around your shoulders and led you over to the theater, leaving max and dustin behind as they high-fived each other over their accomplishment at getting the two of you together.

#stranger things #stranger things fic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x reader #requested

[hlficlibrary]

i don't know how to word it, but do you have any larry fics where they like argue a lot but it's not in an angsty way, or it can be but not seriously. kind of like crack.

Hi, anon, so I'd probably call that "banter" if you're ever looking for a particular tag for it. Here are a few that I think might be what you're looking for, and if you want a longer rec of these fics, check out the "Suggestion Box" on the pinned post!

let me make a thing of cream and stars by @missandrogyny

It doesn't explain why he's lying on the floor, with Harry Styles, of all people, planking on top of him.

As in, seventeenth most influential person in London, pop-star-turned-rock-star Harry Styles. The same Harry Styles who has had countless model girlfriends, left, right and centre. Also the same Harry Styles who has been the subject of Louis' wet dreams since he was about eighteen.

(Or: Louis is a Radio 1 DJ and Harry is a pop-star he interviews.)

Rise up like the sun by Star_Henderson / @tommosgun

“I wasn't taking a sneaky pic.” Louis blurted out, the guy stood at one of the urinals taking a piss. “You were.” The guy answered coolly. “I would've taken a pic with you if you'd just asked.” “No I didn't want a pic with you.” The guy turned his head, quirking his eyebrow sardonically. “No you're far too cool for that, you just wanted to violate my privacy.” Louis squeezed his eyes shut. “I'm sorry. Look..” He walked towards the guy flicking his phone out. “Hey.” The guy hunched over, hiding his junk. “Oh no no, I wasn't gonna take a pic. Fuck.” Louis threw his hands up, stopping in his tracks. “Look I'm going to show you I'm deleting it.” Louis turned his phone and the pic disappeared. “You looked familiar, I was going to send it to my friend and ask who you were, I'm sorry, dick move.” Louis sighed, smiling apologetically. The guy zipped and walked to the basin. “So you invade my privacy then insult my level of fame by pretending to not know who I am.” The guy was turned away from Louis. “Look I'm...shit.” Louis inhaled noisily. The guy turned, a grin spread over his face. “I'm fucking with you.”

Same White Shirt by @lululawrence

“Oh my God. What are you holding?”

Harry was startled to hear an English voice coming from behind him that he didn’t know. He’d thought he knew all the English employees around here. When he turned around there was a man with the most stunning eyes and incredible cheekbones known to man in the doorway looking with absolute distaste at the suit Harry had just been thinking of so fondly.

“It’s my suit for the show,” Harry said firmly. This guy was obviously an assistant if the badge and plate of fruit he was holding were anything to go by, but as he began walking to where the table was in the room, Harry noticed he was walking with a slight limp. Oh shit.

Or the one where Harry's on the Late Late Show for a week and several misunderstandings with a certain mouthy assistant James recently hired make things that much more interesting.

#ask #anon #ficrec

[sapphire-weapon]

I just wanted to say that as a person in their early 20s who only just got into resident evil after re8, it was so fun finding your blog and scrolling through all the little blurbs you’ve got. fandom elders always have the best resources and lore and make spaces a million times better, so thank u for mentioning all the little game details and fandom notes that would’ve been forgotten or missed otherwise to newcomers!!

on another note, i wanted to ask if you had any amusing/chaotic tidbits relating to the re fandom in its earlier days, whether it be speculations of scenes or character directions or interactions that people were so sure were going to happen in later re games that absolutely did not happen, fics that were really influential, insane fanwar stories, memes that used to be rlly prolific and now don’t really come up, etc. it’s something i love to discover about fandoms because it rlly is a “you had to be there,” type of information that people don’t document the way they would with canon developments that you can easily find on wikipages

Anon... I'm gonna fucking cry. 😭 This is exactly what I wanted this blog to become once I realized I was falling back into RE hell. Anything that I can do to make this canon more accessible to new people, I want to do it. I think I've said this before, but I literally cannot imagine what it must be like getting into this series this late in the game, because RE is terrifyingly huge and abstract and very old by video game standards.

As for the second part of your ask... Man, I have so many stories. I won't tell all of them, because if I try to, it'll be weeks before I can post this LMAO so let me just break this up into sections and I'll tell whatever the first stories that pop into my head are.

FAN THEORIES

So, historically, RE fandom was never big on fan theories. Fan theories and meta were something that Silent Hill people did, not so much RE people.

BUT there is one that refuses to die, and I have seen people scream about it as recently as Revelations 2.

People are convinced that Steve Burnside is going to come back. This drum has been getting banged ever since the original Code Veronica released in 2000, and even though it has literally never been hinted at at any point in the 23 years since then that Capcom even remembers that that was a possible thing that was set up, the fandom is still waiting for it to happen.

And it's all because Wesker stole his body and fucked off with it and was a complete asshole about it when he did it. That's it, that's the whole reason.

But then that also ties into the fact that there are still people who are convinced that Wesker didn't actually die in RE5 and that he's gonna come back any day now, guys, really -- and that's just a whole level of death denial I've never seen before. Dude got hit with two rocket launchers in the middle of an active volcano. YOU LITERALLY DO NOT GET MORE DEAD THAN THAT.

INFLUENTIAL FICS

Surprisingly, none. RE didn't have an "I Know What's Beneath the Snow Fields" or a "Walk This World." There were influential authors, though. I won't name them because I have no idea where they are now or if they're still around, but. I will say that there was one very influential fic writer in Cleon fandom who utilized literally so many headcanons in her fics that her characters were utterly unrecognizable. Some of the headcanons blatantly contradicted canon, even. But her writing style and her prose were so, so, so fucking good that it didn't matter. For a while, Cleon fandom almost became like a cult around her fics -- and, as someone who only dabbled in Cleon because my friends shipped it, but I had no personal stake in the ship myself -- it was really, really weird to watch this go down.

INSANE FAN WAR STORIES

I was going to go off on a huge thing about the Aeon vs Cleon wars, but seeing as how they're still fucking happening for some god forsaken dumbass reason, I decided not to.

So, we'll forget that. And while this isn't a war story, exactly, I do need to give a special shoutout to the Wesker wives of old.

If you are at all familiar with the stories of old school Final Fantasy VII fandom of girls who convinced themselves that they married Sephiroth on the astral plane -- guess what. RE fandom had those girls, too, and we called them Wesker wives.

There was one really prominent one on LiveJournal back in the day who used to get art commissioned of her and Wesker together, and she would post pictures of herself "in uniform" for him, and like. Would legitimately write as though she was actually married to the fictional character Albert Wesker. She'd answer questions from people and shit.

And she was really, really pretty, so everyone was just kind of stunned by this, because this girl very clearly took care of herself and worked out and knew how to do her hair and makeup -- she always looked really good -- and it was just like... how did someone like you fall so far off the reality wagon?

And then it slowly started to come out that she maybe had some nazi ideology behind her and kept referring to Wesker has her Aryan king or someshit, and that was about the point where my Jewish ass backed away from that whole trainwreck and stopped paying attention to it, so I don't actually know how this story ends.

MEMES

So, uh. If you've been on the fandom side of the internet long enough, you'll at least have heard of the "it's over 9000" meme, even if you're not into Dragon Ball or ever seen an episode of it in your life.

Well, the same guy who started that meme also left his mark on RE fandom, too. The whole "Jill sandwich" thing was always a meme in its own right, but "Hope this is not Chris's blood" was added onto it thanks to this video. So, "Hope this is not Chris's blood" was a big, big meme in the late aughts that I really don't see around anymore. It was used as a sort of... shitpost response to a shitpost, if that makes sense? Like, your friend sends you some obviously stupid bullcrap or a dumb meme and you just respond back "hope this is not chris's blood."

This cap from Code Veronica was a huge meme for a long time, too, and I DO NOT FUCKING KNOW WHY

And then.

There was this masterpiece. Do not watch this with other people in the room unless your willingness to let others bear witness to your own cringe is very high. It's also NSFW. And, actually, this video might be the single oldest meme in RE fandom history. The YT link I provided here is not the original source of it. It was some stupid fan edit that was making its rounds on Kazaa, and I'm not joking. I want to say this edit is no younger than OG RE2 (so 1998).

And I would negligent in my duties as a fandom historian if I did not introduce you to the glory that is Resident Evil 4 Days of Our Lives. I STILL QUOTE THIS SHIT, TO THIS DAY.

Like, this is me on plurk referencing this stupid fucking shit as I'm liveplurking my very first playthrough of RE4R:

There was a part of me that was honestly kind of upset when the two cops at the beginning of RE4make didn't actually say to Leon, "I hear no one listens to you. Is that true, Captain Cubscout?" because that is unironically the single greatest line of dialogue that was ever written to be said by any character to Leon Kennedy, and it was written by some fuckin college kids back in the mid aughts.

And that's all I can think of for right now.

Thank u for indulging my old person desire to ramble on about "BACK IN MY DAY........." I appreciate u.

ETA: ok like i know i said i was only gonna mention shit that i could think of at the time that i responded to the ask but there is one more meme that i would be remiss to not mention

#resident evil #i'm so fuckin old dude #holy shit #any other RE fandom olds that wanna contribute to this pls do

[suleikashideaway]

10 ways to tell you're reading a fic by suleikas_hideaway

Thank you @gardengalwrites for the tag!! 

Most of these relate to how I’ve felt while writing my (still unpublished) longfic, but a few things have popped up in the recent one-shots I’ve written for the ffviiicharacterweek challenges. Overall, this was a really enlightening activity and took me wayyyyyy longer than I would have thought. Tbh, I’ve learned so much about myself as a little baby writer and I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect! 

I inadvertently focus every aspect of my stories on personal growth and recovery. I started writing as a form of therapy to help me deal with my personal struggles, and so that’s inherently what my characters do, too. I live for that slow, nonlinear climb from rock bottom. Or, in my recent discovery of writing one-shots, it’s the understanding that yes, we can do hard things, or yes, it’s worth taking a step back and seeing the big picture and appreciating how we got here. 

In that same vein, I discovered that I quite enjoy writing the journey towards rock bottom. You know the one. In which you keep thinking “wow, it can’t get any worse than this!” And then you think it a dozen more times until you’re in a place where you can literally go nowhere but up. Love that. Heh.

I think the above two points make it obvious that introspection is my thing! I aim to give characters a reasonable and believable amount of processing time. I want you to be inside their little heads and see what makes them tick. What do they outwardly show versus what they keep to themselves? What kind of winding thought patterns do they have? What are their secret fears and desires, and do they even realize them? And hopefully not bore you to hell while doing so (:

It’s my goal to make every single word meaningful. I honestly don’t know if I accomplish this, but if there is an object or an image invoked, it’s intentional. Symbolism, motifs, imagery – it’s all meant to be there. 

In addition to the symbolism, everything mentioned has a backstory. If a character is drinking a cup of coffee in one scene, you better believe I have their entire backstory as to why they drink coffee. If a character mentions music in one single sentence, you better believe I have the entire backstory of their appreciation for music. 

So far I’ve only ever written in close third-person narrative. I’ve been striving for the absolute closest I can get without making it first person, using vocabulary and vibes that only that character can give you. This has been one of the most enjoyable things about writing from different perspectives. Tbh it makes me want to try first person sometime soon. 

I’ve also only ever written in past tense. I don’t know why I do this??? I want to try writing in present tense but it’s not something that feels natural to me, though I love reading present.

Another thing I try to do is give an immersive description of the physical environment of a scene. I want to make you feel like you are in the bar with the character, or out in the rain, or in a cold, unwelcome room. It’s something I strive for, and hopefully accomplish! To add to this, I aim for specificity in my descriptions. I try to paint a full picture without going overboard or making anything too purple. (Though I can admit I don’t think my one-shots really go for the level of description I like. Hmmm maybe some more editing is in order!)

I really adore writing romantic relationships as well as family dynamic relationships. Something I hope to add more of is platonic relationships! But as of now, none of my fics have any friendships really highlighted, which I think is sad!

I live for the narrative, which means I try to change my style based on what is needed for the scene. I think I tend to write long sentences but sometimes they get choppy on purpose if that’s better for the tone. Or sometimes, if a character is really in the throes then description is done away in favor for the inward spiral they’re having.

#writing #tag game #my writing #ff8

[bite-sized-devil]

Hello! Congrats on 500 followers (I've only just found your blog aha, but congrats either way ^^)

If possible I'd like to request a matchup hehe~ I'm average height I think (5'3), I have a real gothic style (black and dark colours are my thing. Rather casual but I'll sometimes go with makeup if I'm going out, tho that's usually more reserved for when I'm cosplaying). My hobbies would be writing, listening to music and playing games mainly (unless sleeping is considered a hobby too? I do that a lot. Low energy levels especially as of recently for some reason). My favourite writing genres are usually very dark and horror themes along with angst (though I do sometimes write fluff too), my music taste is mainly obey me and enstars songs with some other stuff mixed in like alternative or dance pop. I mainly play gacha games and rhythm games too aha. As mentioned before another of my hobbies would be cosplay, though I don't really now do it unless I'm going to a con with my friend. My star sign if relevant is Sagittarius btw. My most prominent sin is Envy (tho Gluttony and Sloth do represent me well, Envy is the best). I'm very quiet and shy/awkward but I do tend to talk for hours the second I'm able to talk abt my hyperfixations aha. Also got a terrible habit of staying up late playing games or whatever and then wondering why I'm always so tired lol

My Obey Me f/os are Belphie, Levi, Asmo & Beel btw ^^

(not sure if most of that info was necessary but hopefully that's enough, I can't really think of anything else to describe myself aha)

As for the hcs/short fic, I'm not into nsfw so sfw for that please.

Thank you in advance! :)

🌻 500 followers Bite Sized Event 🌻

No warning needed just sfw fluffy fluff 💕

Match Up: Leviathan, Third Born, Avatar of Envy

I'm matching you with Levi! I feel like he'd either be your perfect other half or the bane of your existence. Heaven forbid you have opposing views on games or anime. You'll be fighting for days! You like a gothic style? Cool ya boys got purple hair, he can dig that! Your low energy levels won't be a problem, you guys can game in his bath tub. 💕

Head canons for the two of you:

Levi asked you out pretty much the week after you received his pact mark. The two of you had being hanging out every chance you got. After RAD, before RAD, over the weekends. You were inseparable! It was sickening to watch or be near. You were getting so close you were finishing each others sentences, and even in public.. LIKE A BUNCH OF NORMIES! Naturally that freaked Levi out when Asmo was teasing him about it but then he realised he didn't care. He wanted to be more than just a friend.

You often fall asleep in his bathtub with your head on his chest and one of his arms wrapped around you.

All nighters are very common! Gaming is on, if you were only a filthy casual before you aren't anymore.

The arguments the two of you have over which anime or game is better are massive but hilarious. It's petty bullshit and you both know it so it's never to serious.

He talks about you to his streamers so often. Like the boy is obsessed! His followers never complain though, they think you're super cute.

Your both quite jealous by nature, which came be catastrophic. Look out anyone who flirts with you, lotan is being summoned. Same goes for anyone that flirts with him, consider them cursed, hexed, d.e.a.d.

Can we just talk about how cute you'd both look doing couples cosplay? Can you imagine the possibilities!? Natsu and Lucy, Sakura and Sasuke (personally I'm more Naruto and Sasuke but whatever), Edward & Winry, Kirito and Asuna, Sophie and Howl, peanut & butter. Really the list is endless.

Pillow forts that take up Levi's entire room. Belphie helped you set them up and then promptly left when you guys started making out underneath it. STOP BEING GROSSLY CUTE YOU TOO! The brothers have started a chat without the both of you so they can complain whenever they see you guys kissing or being all lovey dovey in front of them.

Hope you liked this match up lovely! 💕 I'll work on your sfw Levi fic now that I've finished this match up! If you prefer a different brother for the fic just let me know, or if you've changed your mind and you want to give me an idea that's cool too, I'm easy, breezy, beautiful 😂☺️😘

#saadie's 500 followers bite sized event 🌻 #saadie's requests 🌻 #obey me! #obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me fandom #om! #om! shall we date #obey me mc #om! mc #obey me leviathan #obey me! leviathan #om! leviathan #leviathan #obey me levi #obey me! levi #om! levi #levi x mc #levi x reader

[toburnup]

okay i LOVED learning those most recent tidbits about your writing process, especially approx how long it can take you to write/edit! makes me feel so much better about my own wips lmao. especially with something as complex as iylo. i think it’s the easy-going kinda flow or vibe of your writing (though dgmw, you know how to make every line pack a serious punch) that made me assume you tend to bang this shit out hella quick… when in reality it sounds like it takes a pretty reasonable (“reasonable”) amt of time.

on this note i am so curious about your drafting process. like, how do you not get caught up fleshing out all the details in the moment? am i just terrible at writing outlines? feels like i’m always setting a hard goal to write short standalones but they always get out of hand

hahahah oh good, i'm glad it was interesting!!! i'd say my writing style on here is very casual, so. i like that that's the vibe i give off 😌

!! the drafting process! it's messy but it usually goes something like this (long post ahead!)

i start by writing dialogue or a specific moment from the scene i'm most excited to get to. i don't force myself to start at the beginning because who even knows where the beginning is.

dialogue can be a good place to start because it can lay out a whole dynamic in just a few exchanges (the best example i can think of this is when i wrote thirty days, because the first part i wrote was the "you should probably leave" - "why?" - "'cause i'm going to jerk off" - "i don't want to go" - "fine. stay." exchange which set up the whooole fic)

....and then i keep writing until i run out of steam lol. if i'm writing a scene and need to jump ahead because of an idea or whatnot, i just type // so i know i need to come back there (easy to search the doc for a symbol of some kind when it comes to editing). can't think of a specific word? i just pop a // in there as a placeholder.

once i've written out the meatier bit (ugh), i go back to the scene i started with, and then write backwards from there until i find a spot that feels like it could be the beginning (i mean i say that, but this is usually a lot of jumping around).

and that's the first draft!

i don't outline ahead of time, or write out plot points or anything. mostly because a) i have no idea what's gonna happen and b) i like character-driven stories and i find those motivations by writing them

that's the big reason i write dialogue without an end goal in mind - sometimes writing the lines or hearing them in my head takes the conversation in a different direction than i would've originally planned, and that can lead to some Good Moments

i’m always setting a hard goal to write short standalones but they always get out of hand

this happens to me too, for sure. i've found it's helpful to move away from the setup portions of a fic. and also being okay with things not being 100% clear (in terms of motivation, characters feelings, all that) and leaving some gaps for the reader to fill. and also being okay with your writing being misinterpreted.

idk if this is helpful at all!! my main thing is don't stop yourself from fleshing out the details. if there's a big scene you want to get to, don't force yourself to slog through the parts you don't want to write just to get there. i find it's almost easier to do it that way, because then you get to write the earlier parts with the question of: "what choices do they make to become the people in that scene?"

don't deprive yourself!! if you want to delve right into the details, do it.

#on writing #vio answers #phoeniceae #several tangents were taken lol