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drvmekoo · 1 year

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regroup | jeon jungkook [part one]

summary: drifting away from your best friend is never an easy thing to deal with. its a good thing a very important project is forcing you both to regroup

➳ pairing: jungkook x reader (f)

➳ genre: college au, fluff, angst, smut (eventually)

➳ rating: 18+

➳ warnings: just some swearing!

➳ wc: 1.3k+

➳ author's notes: part one is now here! let me know what you think of it so far! I love all the feedback!

PROLOGUE | PART ONE | PART TWO

“You got WHO?” Namjoon covered his mouth in shock. “I’m sorry to say this Y/n but… you’re royally fucked.”

You groaned “Please don’t tell me what I already know Joon! I mean Jeon Jungkook! Are you serious? It’s like I’m being punished for something!”

It was a new and sunny day on campus, students all over the grounds were talking and laughing, some rushing through small crowds to make it to their classes on time. You and Namjoon decided to join the many people already there and sit on the grass, taking advantage of no lectures, blue skies and missed sunshine. At Namjoon’s continuing criticisms of your new project partner, you fell on your back in the soft grass and covered your face with your arms

“What am I gonna do?” you sighed “I didn’t reply to his text yesterday because there’s no way I’m gonna succeed going through with this! I need to get my partner changed.”

Namjoon too sat back on his arms “Look…maybe this’ll be a good thing! You said you haven’t spoken since school started right? Maybe this can be a fresh new start for you two?”

“Have you seen the people he hangs out with now? He’s in Jimins’ assemble! You know that little posse better than anyone!” You took your hands away from your face “We have nothing in common besides our parents anymore. It’s better if we just….avoid each other altogether!”

Namjoon smiled sympathetically before looking over your shoulder and widening his eyes “Uh well... You better think of a plan to put that idea in motion because guess who’s heading our way right now.”

Before you could turn around to get a glimpse yourself, you heard him first

“You know, ignoring my texts really hurt my ego last night Y/n!”

“Oh boy,” you said under your breath before turning around to greet him. “What do you want Jungkook.”

Beside him, Jimin smirked as Jungkook chuckled at your dry response “Oh come on, don’t be like that! You’ve known me forever!”

He pouted teasingly. Then his eyes travelled to Namjoon.

“Who’s your friend?” His cocky grin faltered a little. What was that all about?

“This is my friend Namjoon if it’s any of your business.”

“Oh yeah!” Jungkook waved at Jimin beside him as his gaze was still locked on Namjoon “Jimin told me about the quiet kid on the floor below.”

Namjoon blandly stared at Jimin, greeting him with a slight nod.

“Look.” You sighed, tired of the weird tension that was forming. “I knew you, let's get that straight. Now, why do you need me?”

Jungkook finally tore his attention away from your friend beside you at your interruption. “You know exactly why I need you Y/n. You and I have a project to work on and…times ticking!” He cockily pointed at his wrist to stimulate a watch.

You sighed loudly. Before, you were hell-bent on switching partners. No way were you ruining your perfect grades for Jeon Jungkook. But now, standing in front of him, your mind had stopped being so critical. Maybe Joon was right, maybe this was a way of getting back in touch with your best friend that you once cherished and loved.

Looking at Namjoon for confirmation, he nodded slightly in comfort.

“Fine.” your fists clenched at your acceptance “If we’re gonna do this, you have to be fully committed. You have to be on time at ALL of our meetings. I’m deadly serious Jungkook.

“It’s very cute how much you don’t trust me but I think I can handle being on time!”

You blushed at the sudden compliment before coming back to reality ‘Oh yeah like you ‘handled’ making it to class yesterday?”

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “Are we doing this or not? When do you wanna meet? Whenever is good for me.”

“Ummm…how about tonight? 6 pm at my dorm?”

He smirked “A little intimate don’t you think?”

Panicking slightly, you replied. “We can go to the communal space if you want!”

“Relax, I'm teasing you.’ He laughed openly. “Your dorm is fine. You live on the East block, right?”

You nodded “Room 218.”

“See you there.” He was already walking away before you could respond. Namjoon uttered a dull “Jimin.” as he too walked off alongside Jungkook, repeating in the same tone a “Namjoon” as a goodbye.

After they were out of sight, Namjoon turned to you “Yeah you’re still fucked.”

Damn, right you were absolutely fucked.

The time was 7:30 pm. And there was no sign of Jungkook anywhere.

You scrolled through all the notes you had individually made for yourself about the project, eager to share with Jungkook to make the whole process a lot easier. But after a while, it looked like he wasn’t even coming.

Closing down all your tabs, you decided to finally put your stuff away when suddenly there was a frantic knock on your door.

You froze, knowing exactly who that was.

“Y/n. I know you’re in there, I can see the light coming from under the door.” The well-known voice said.

You cursed under your breath before opening the door slowly. “I thought we said 6 pm, Jeon?”

“Hey, you’re lucky I turned up!” He invited himself in, brushing past you and taking his jacket off “So, let’s hear the ideas!”

You scoffed, gobsmacked at his entrance. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? You need to get out.”

“Wow, you curse now? Never used to when we were younger?” he chuckled under his breath, flopping onto your bed. “Anyways why are you in such a rush to get me out? Your boyfriend Namjoon coming over?”

Rolling your eyes, you spat “Namjoon isn't my boyfriend? And anyways what's it to you?”

He stared at you as he sat back on your bed. “Wait, he’s not?” His entire demeanour had changed, his cocky attitude sunny disintegrating.

“No. He’s just a friend..”

Jungkook nodded slightly, seemingly in deep thought.

After a while of silence, you decided to break it “Jungkook, is there something you needed? I’ve waited for you all evening and I’m actually very tired so-”

“I can’t believe you still kept that thing.” He interrupted.

“...What thing?”

He pointed over to the dangling key chain attached to your keys laid across your desk. Both of you had made each other key chains during the summer before last. Each of them had a mini photo of you and him together when you were younger, both of your faces exploded in a massive grins.

“Oh…well…yeah, of course, I did. Part of the promise remember?”

Jungkook was instantly transported to that very summer. You and he made a pact to keep it forever otherwise your friendship was classed as ‘bogus’ He smiled at the simplicity of your minds back then. Although the promise was very stupid, his heart grew at the fcat that you still kept yours.

“How have you been Y/n?”

“What?”

“How has everything been?” He repeated, his wide eyes staring at you deeply.

Your brows furrowed, “I-I've been…okay? Kook…what are you doing?” you continued lightly

He smiled sweetly “I’ve missed that little nickname.” He got up from the bed and strode over to you. “I’ve missed you.”

The proximity of your bodies so close together made you weary. What was happening right now? Why all of a sudden was this happening? You couldn’t get your head straight right now. You needed space.

“I think…” you stepped away from him “I think you should go.”

“Y/n-”

“We’ll reschedule for tomorrow… 3 pm in the library.” Opening the door for him, you beckoned him out “Don’t be late.”

He stared at you a while longer, before getting his coat and walking out. Quietly, he turned around to face you again “I’ll be there.”

He started to walk away but then doubled back again

“Y/n.” He caught the door before you could close it shut.

“For what it’s worth…..I kept mine too.”

@thvkives @sugaminh @kooromiwrld @no-regrets-just-confusion @leethvjkk @petalsofink @secretlypg95 @bangtans-momma @ane102 @v-taeunofficial @kc204 @jjeonjjk7 @toraluvs

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bao3bei4 · 1 year

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tshirt’s top 10 arguments for ignoring racism

hi everyone! i’ve heard that some of you really dislike contending with racism in your communities, so i’ve thoughtfully put together some excuses that will help you continue to ignore it. mix and match them as needed!

1. the person criticizing me has less followers than me.

they're a hater. they can also be safely ignored without experiencing any consequences. do not acknowledge the criticism.

2. the person criticizing me has more followers than me.

they're harassing you. they cannot be safely ignored, but thankfully, they're not a person. they're a public figure, and as such, cannot criticize things.

of course, real haters and harassment exist. that’s why this is so powerful an excuse! it helps you deflect criticism and shift the goalposts such that the subject of criticism (that is, the racist) cannot be addressed directly or publicly, ever. they have to enter your dms. which are closed.

ideally, people just have to make vague posts about you. and then you have plausible deniability, and also you can call them toxic now. ideally if you name a racist, you WILL go to hell instantly.

3. compare that person to proship/anti shit.

now it’s not racism, it’s discourse. and the person criticizing you is intellectually unserious and their arguments can be dismissed out of hand. this is the most effective strawman in fandom. use it wisely!

4. i’m just a white westerner trying my best, so there will be mistakes.

this one works best if you use it preemptively. like as an author’s note on your fic! it’s really effective because it means you don’t have to try. and on the off chance you did, well. now they're double not allowed to be mad at you, because you worked so hard.

now, this alone isn’t enough. it’s important to ask for feedback, but only accept it if it’s minor nitpicks, or exotic new vocabulary words that will help you make your work more ~authentic.~

thankfully, because this is fandom, that’s all you will ever get. everyone knows you’re not interested in suggestions like “this is harmful” or “please reevaluate your work.” but you were open to feedback!

there’s also a 4.5 corollary where because you’re NOT a white westerner you haven’t heard about the western import of antiblack racism despite doing a great job perpetuating it.

5. we all make mistakes. mistakes are inevitable.

this one is subtly different. now people who are upset are naive. they're silly for expecting not to be hurt. after all, their hurt is a normal part of other people’s growing process. (hurting other people does not get to be a normal part of theirs though. don’t worry.)

what’s important is that you imply that because mistakes are inevitable, no one has to do anything about them. you know what isn’t inevitable? actually doing better.

6. i think it’s important that this discussion be productive.

this one’s 4d chess. you need to portray yourself as the reasonable person who has reasonable solutions. implicitly, of course, everyone else does not have them. so now anyone complaining is unreasonable, and you have the monopoly on talking about racism.

it is the sad truth of the matter that no one is adult enough to have these conversations. except for you.

are your solutions reasonable? who cares. are the people whose criticisms you’re stifling already doing those things? who cares. do other people have solutions that you’re not aware of? who cares. you are the moral authority now.

7. i think harassment needs to stop.

harassment is, indeed, bad. online dogpiles are unproductive and rarely proportional. but when you commit yourself to linking anti-racism and harassment, the rhetorical effect it produces is transparent.

note that you do NOT need to stand in defense of anti-racists who are regularly harassed. that’s sad but inevitable. rather, it’s important to vocally draw awareness to the plight of white people who make mistakes. there are the seething masses of people of color suibaiting them around every corner. because harassment is a one-sided issue.

8. i’m a queer artist.

being queer is about being transgressive. creative. marginalized. if people are uncomfortable with your work for any reason, it just means you’re even more queer for it.

btw queer people aren’t allowed to criticize each other because we’re a family.

9. i don’t know what you’re talking about.

are you not a part of ongoing conversations about racism in your community? if so, hearing about it may surprise you. that is OK! participate in the conversation anyway.

you may derail it, but more importantly, you are part of something big <3 and important <3 like derailing conversations on race.

10. have you considered this edge case?

this is a very helpful contribution to make. it improves the conversation a lot to bring up something your cousin’s friend’s brother’s coworker said once.

beware! do NOT accidentally bring up a nuanced point. rather, you want to waste everyone’s time. that’s why it’s best to bring up a case which is the complete opposite of how structural power works.

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now here is a listicle for my listicle <3

1. these are normal things to say.

see #9. this is a conversation you have not been paying attention to. people routinely use these excuses, and regardless of their intentions, IN CONTEXT, the end effect is shaming people who talk about racism, and derailing the conversation.

in a vacuum, these things can be said normally. like these things almost always are technically true. but they are regularly deployed to minimize the speaker’s complicity in racism and responsibility to do anything about it. so i am deliberately trying to problematize their normalcy and reasonability.

whatever. even if i’m wrong, and these AREN’T harmful things to say. i want you to know that if you say them, this is what at least some people think you’re trying to do. worry about that.

2. i don’t recognize these arguments

okay well. #9 again.

3. i say these things and i’m a person of color.

okay well then stop.

4. you have so much hate in your heart

yeah people said these things to me too many times. now i’m the joker.

5. these arguments sound like these other kind of arguments. why are you defending that

i am begging you. reread #3. i am literally just talking about racism here. please don’t avoid that.

6. are these arguments about a specific person?

well. i’m trying to avoid dealing with #1 and #2. but also these are very common. if you think someone in particular uses these arguments, they probably do lol. i have adapted these thoughts to a fandom context because that’s what i have a blog in/audience in. but like. this is an irl thing too.

7. what if i say these things? what next?

well stop. i’m not writing this post for my own enjoyment. i’m trying to make visible how seemingly innocuous statements protect the status quo: a status quo in which people of color are being hurt by racism. i strongly encourage you to think about how your rhetoric functions within these conversations.

even if (especially if) you are well-meaning, please consider the context in which people are trying to talk about the cruel shit they see and the repeated harassment they face… and the most common reaction is endless repetitions of these statements and defensiveness about them trying to spoil everyone else’s fun. whatever. i’m ruining your fun now. now no one’s happy and we have no excuse not to talk about racism.

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i wrote this ~1 year ago and shelved it. but i got tired of not having a handy bingo card when getting pissed off online. so now we all have one.

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ifhymona · 4 months

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٭* Not Too Late *٭

chino moreno x reader

Summary: Desperate for a job, you go out into the streets of Sacramento hoping at least one place will consider you. You come across a paper looking for a band’s new assistant. Little did you know, the band’s lead singer was your old best friend and ultimate back stabber.

chapter 2 ~ chapter 3

1k words

a/n: thank you guys so much for choosing my story to read ! i have been working on this story for months now and am passionate about it so any criticism is needed and accepted ! authors note’s are going to be a crucial part for understanding the story so please read them when you can ! also posted on my ao3 @romantic_daydream i hope you guys enjoy !

it was the summer of 1997. a month ago i had gotten fired from my job at a flower arrangement company and hadn’t had the motivation to get back up and look for work. i’m 20 years old still living with my parents because i dropped out of college.

mom and dad hated that i dropped out. they were already pissed that i had taken a gap year and started college at 19. i don’t know why though.

my dad barged into my room. “y/n! what do you think you’re doing?” he pulled my blanket that was covering me and opened the blinds.

“you can’t just be cooped up in your room all day! get up and go do something productive for once.” he yelled at me.

i groaned. “dad, it’s summer. i don’t wanna do anything.”

“y/n, you’re 20 years old with no job! i don’t wanna hear that there’s nothing to do when you can easily go out and get a job! now stop being a slob and go!” he slammed my door.

i sat up and looked around. my room was a mess and so was i. i will admit, ever since i lost my job, life has been shitty. my parents keep reminding me that i’m a nobody. i already know that. they think that telling me that will motivate me to get up and do something with myself. when i do, it’s always “wow you’re finally doing this for once?”

i shake off my thoughts and go take a shower and brush my teeth. i go to fix myself a cup of coffee and noticed my dad had left. i started thinking back to what he had said while i was making myself coffee. i hate to admit it but dad was right. i’m tired of feeling like a slob and a nobody and it was time i did something about it.

i was walking around town looking for work. i was able to apply at a handful of places already. i didn’t care what the job was, if i seen they were hiring on their door, i would walk in and apply. i noticed on a light post a big orange paper that stated “LOCAL BAND THE DEFTONES IN NEED OF AN ASSISTANT TAKE NUMBER BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS”

the deftones? i had never heard of them before but i do need a job. i ripped off one of the paper slips and went on with my day.

when i got home, i had called the number and i was told i would help the band with setting up venues and going out and getting whatever they needed last minute. they said to just show up at the address they gave me on saturday noon aka now today.

i was standing in front of what seemed to be an abandoned mechanics garage. there was a line of people standing outside of the door. i wasn’t expecting that much people to be here.

after around 40 minutes of waiting, i heard my name being called. i walked into the garage i had originally seen outside. i could tell that this was where they practiced since all of their instruments were here.

as i was looking around, i seen someone walking up to me.

“y/n l/n?” he read off a paper not paying attention to me. i recognized him though.

“camillo?”

he looked up. i seen him tense up when he realized who i was.

“oh great. i didn’t realize it was that y/n.” somebody walked up behind camillo and flicked his ear.

“what’s got your panties in a twist ?” he shaked my hand. “hello, my name is chi, i’m the bassist of the band.”

“nice to meet you, chi. i’m y/n.” i seen two people chatting together a few feet behind us. “and who are those people?”

chi shouted at them to come over. when my attention was on the two guys, i felt eyes on me. i looked over at camillo and he looked down at his paper. my attention was turned back to the two guys as they introduced themselves.

“i’m stephen, the lead guitarist.”

“and i’m abe the coolest drummer you’ll meet.” he winked at me. i chuckled.

“look guys, i can already tell, she doesn’t know what she’s doing. you need to leave.” camillo grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the door. but my other arm was grabbed by chi.

“now hold on chino, you haven’t even given the girl a chance yet.”

“i don’t need to. i know her type.”

i pulled my arm out of camilo’s hand. “trust me, you don’t.” i glared at him. “if you don’t want me here then i’m completely fine with leaving.” i crossed my arms.

“there’s no need for that. come, sit.” chi pulled me and sat me down at the couch they had in their garage.

they all surrounded me and started asking me questions. i felt like i was being interrogated. they asked me questions about my favorite bands and if i had any previous experience in the music industry.

after around 20 questions or so, they all went to the corner of the room and whispered to each other while looking back to me. i tried to eavesdrop.

“guys, no. she cant be our assistant!” camillo exclaimed.

“why not? just because you’re the front man doesn’t mean you make all the decisions for the band.” abe told him.

“yeah and she’s basically perfect dude. you know it, i know it, we all know it! the chemistry is there! it feels like we’ve known her our whole lives and let’s be honest, everybody else who was here either was just a fan, here to meet us or genuinely kinda sucked.” chi explained.

stephen chimed in. “he probably doesn’t want her in because he can’t keep it in his pants.” they all started laughing while camillo’s face turned a bright red.

“you know what fine. you guys win this time.”

i turned my head to make it seem like i didn’t hear anything when they walked my way.

“you’re in.” they all said.

a/n: i hope you guys liked the first chapter ! i’m only posting this just to see how it does so if you guys want chapter 2, just comment it and i’ll post ! lots of love <3

#deftones #chino moreno #chino moreno x reader #chino x reader #fem!reader #chi cheng #abe cunningham #stephen carpenter #nu metal #mall goth #emo #alternative #grunge #goth #metalhead #1990s #1990s nu metal #bands #korn

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inourtownofhawkins · 1 year

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Would you do a Eddie+K-Pop Fan!Female? I would like to see or find this type of plot more often.I would like it to be fluff

P.S: I LOVE YOUR STUFF

𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹.

Summary: You and Eddie meet up for your first date and naturally, the the topic gets to music and Eddie unexpectedly shows an interest in your favourite genre.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this, thank you so much for loving my work! Not gonna lie, got a bit emotional getting my first request but I think it turned out okay! I’m so happy to be able to combine my two loves: K-Pop and Eddie into a fic! The title is of course a reference to the iconic song by SNSD.

CW: Lots of fluff, reader is a K-Pop fan, Eddie is an adorable cinnamon roll, reader shows some signs of having an ASD/ASC, slightly implied that reader is short.

Word count: 1.5k

Any hate will not be tolerated, constructive criticism is welcomed.

Being sat at a bench in the park wasn’t an unusual activity for you, you’d often come here with music playing to just escape the world for a little bit and observe the world. Always the same bench, too, the one facing the lake and water fountain. It was one of the only places in the world where you felt peace; the world was always too loud, too fast, too demanding. It was far too easy for you to get overwhelmed.

What was unusual this time, however, was that you were waiting for someone instead of being alone. You’d invited your boyfriend, Eddie, to walk take a walk with you in the park. It was the first clear day in almost three weeks and although the February chill was still very much apparent, you wanted to take the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air.

You and Eddie hadn’t been dating long, it had been so short in fact, you weren’t even sure if you could officially call him your boyfriend yet. You’d been on a couple of dates together, and there were definitely sparks flying but he hadn’t asked you to formally be his girlfriend yet and this being your first proper relationship, you weren’t sure if you had to ask or if he would or even when it would happen.

Looking out at the pond, you couldn’t help but smile while watching the ducks, you would’ve heard their quacking if your music wasn’t blaring through your headphones, but you didn’t mind it, music helped you take in and understand the world. Even if people would say you would go deaf one day from the constant music playing.

Taking out your phone, you checked the time. He was late, not massively but he was still late. You took a shaky breath as you nervously played with your fingers, the dark thoughts of him not turning up at all clouding your mind. You knew it was best to ignore those thoughts and you did for the most part, but there were times when they got so loud and so frequent, there was nothing you could do.

You looked away from the pond and towards the path to your left, and then to your right, finally seeing Eddie make his way towards you. You couldn’t help the wide smile that came across your lips as you stood up to greet him, slipping off your headphones to let them rest around your neck to give him a hug.

While both of your arms wrapped around his middle, one of his arms wrapped around you while he used the other to comfortingly scratch the top of your head for a few moments before wrapping it around you as well. “Hey, sweetheart. I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

You shake your head, smiling up at him. “It’s okay, I wasn’t waiting too long.”

Eddie smiled, releasing his arms to offer you his hand, which you happily accepted, your hand wrapping itself around his pointer and middle fingers. With your free hand, you disconnected the wire from your headphones to stop your music from distracting you as the pair of you walked through the park.

Despite the cold biting at any exposed skin the pair of you had and through the thin parts of the material in your clothes, both of you felt warm just being in each other’s presence.

As you walked, you caught each other giving quick glances towards each other, both of you blushing when you were eventually caught. Although the pair of you didn’t say anything, it never felt awkward, it just felt right.

Eddie reached down and played with the wire on your headphones for a moment before licking his lips. “What kind of music were you listening to?”

You blushed as you looked down, nervous to tell him. “I, uh, I listen to K-Pop a lot, it’s my favourite genre.”

He couldn’t help but smile at your blushing, wanting to tell you that it made you look adorable but he knew it would just make you more flustered. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a K-Pop song, mind if I listen?”

You shook your head, connecting your headphones again before passing them to Eddie, grabbing your phone from out of your pocket to play a song for him. After scrolling through your playlist, you selected Save Me, Save You by WJSN – one of your current favourites.

As the song played through the headphones, you watched Eddie’s face. He didn’t show a lot, clearly completely focused on the song and taking it all in. You were worried at any moment, a look of disgust on his face would appear but it never happened, not once did he show any sign of disinterest or hatred.

A wave of relief washed over you as you waited; the years of being bullied and ridiculed for liking K-Pop had unfortunately, conditioned you to think that anyone and everyone hated it, and you were the only person in the universe to like it. But yet, here he was; Eddie Munson, the metalhead who only listened to Metallica and Dio, listening to K-Pop and not cringing his face off.

Once the song was over, he took off the headphones and gave them back to you. “It’s interesting, I couldn’t understand most of it but it’s nice. It suits you.”

You felt the warm glow in the pit of your stomach as you placed your headphones back around your neck, leaning into Eddie’s arm as your hands snaked around it. “I’m surprised you didn’t say you hated it.”

He shook his head, continuing to walk down the path. “Nah, I wouldn’t want you to judge my music, so why should I judge yours?”

You couldn’t help but silently agree before changing the subject, the rest of the walk being pleasant and filled with a lot of stolen glances.

A couple of months later, the pair of you went for a walk in the park again, enjoying the warmer weather. After walking around the park, the pair of you walked back to Eddie’s truck. While you had walked there since you lived around the corner, Eddie had drove and you’d both decided to go back to his for a movie.

Opening the passenger side door, Eddie held out a hand to help you inside. “You make yourself comfortable, angel, I’ll get us some ice creams.” He gave you a quick kiss on your cheek before closing the door and racing over to the other side of the parking lot, towards the ice cream truck.

You happily sat in the front of Eddie’s truck, turning on the radio as you waited for him to return with ice cream. Music filled the once silent truck and it didn’t hit you at first but a few seconds into the song, you recognised it. How could you not know What by Dreamcatcher?

Frowning, you skipped the song. Another K-Pop song. Again, skipped. K-Pop. You must’ve skipped ten or fifteen songs, everything was K-Pop. Then you noticed the books in the side compartments, picking one up; you saw it was Korean For Dummies. You picked up another, The Beginners Guide to Korean. Realising the implications, you felt tears prick your eyes with one even falling onto the book cover.

The driver’s side door opening made you jump, dropping the book as Eddie jumped back into the car with the ice creams in his hand, his wide grin falling instantly once he saw you were crying. He placed the two cones down on the dashboard before cradling your face in his hands. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

You struggled for a few moments to find the words you wanted to say. “The music… the books,” was all you could manage out.

Eddie blushed, looking down as he chuckled a little to himself. “Oh, those. I guess you found my secret. Well, not quite secret but I wasn’t ready to tell you.”

“But why?” You whispered.

“Because I know you love it and I wanted to know why you liked it; and since I couldn’t understand Korean, I decided to try to learn it so I could know what they were saying.”

You frowned, shaking your head a little. “Again, Eddie, why? Why go through all this effort for me?”

“Because you’re worth it,” he whispered and gently kissed you before handing you your slightly melted ice cream. “Have your ice cream and then I can properly show you how deep the rabbit hole you’ve made me go down.”

You laughed softly as you began eating it, Eddie laughing along with you. “As long as you don’t have an entire room dedicated to an idol, I think we’ll be fine.”

Eddie’s relaxed laughter turned into nervous laughter, trying to shove as much ice cream into his mouth so he wouldn’t be able to laugh.

“Please say you didn’t.”

A muffled reply left his lips but nothing could truly be understood.

You gave him a playful glare. “Eddie!”

He swallowed his mouthful, giving you a wide forced smile. “You still love me, right?”

Shaking your head, you playfully nudge his arm. “We’ll have to see after the state of your room.”

#spilled ink #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson #eddie x reader #stranger things fanfiction #requests

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marnz · 13 days

Note

hello friend!! i was wondering since you both read and write a lot if you had any recs for books that are narrated by death?

also! how is your original novel writing going? you posted a snippet to tumblr once of the opening scene i think and i still think about it because your writing was so descriptive and lush

friend!! please accept my apologies in this delayed answering, your message was so kind that every time I thought about it I got overwhelmed 🥰

Okay books narrated by death! The only one I’ve read is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and it is gorgeous, I was so obsessed with it as a kid however it is about wwii in germany so ymmv.

however! I did some research and Mort by Terry Pratchett comes highly recommended (it is part of discworld). I enjoy Pratchett, he’s very fun. Death is also a big character in the Sandman Comics by N*il G*iman. I do not enjoy G*iman but ymmv!

I also am duty bound to recommend In the Woods by Tana French, a gorgeous, atmospheric murder mystery that is deeply spooky and unsettling. Death is not the narrator…but I do believe it is a character (many many interpretations!)

I feel quite bad sending you away with like 3 recs so here’s what I’ve been reading

- Exordia by Seth Dickinson - I’m not done with this yet but so far it’s like, what if every sci fi first contact military propaganda action movie…got lost and ended up being about the moral quandary of the trolley problem, Kurdistan, pink noise, and prime numbers? what if an author who hates imperialism and loves math decided to write a book length call out of Barack Obama’s drone warfare program with body horror? what if you were a cringe fail elder millennial in nyc that rescued a sexy alien with 8 snake heads instead of only one and every time you physically touched it was a sex scene? And this made the savior of the world? this book is for: homestuck fans, people who were in tragic situationships with their wife and their bestie, pilots, people who like their sci fi hard

- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin - okay if you haven’t read this stop everything and read it immediately. This book is for: tragedy lovers!!!! Gay people!!!!! Francophiles. Marxists. People who were into the social network rpf in 2013 and read that one fanfic where Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg get cast in a Giovanni’s Room adaption and finally fuck. Anyway. Earlier this year (or possibly last year?) I read a memoir about toxic masculinity and how it demands emotional alienation of the self and I was like “okay. I mean. Obviously?” And buddy. Baldwin says more about this topic in chapter one than that author did in his whole book. And it’s sooooooooooo beautiful god like every paragraph has a life ending sentence.

- the Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - the year is 1985 and the location is Boystown, the Chicago gayborhood. Our hero? Yale, art lover, is trying to pull off an insane deal at work and survive the devastation of the AIDs epidemic. But actually the year is 2015 and our heroine is Fiona, Yale’s best friend, who travels to Paris to track down her estranged daughter and then her emotional repression stops working! I know this book sounds devastating and it REALLY is, like at one point I was sobbing so hard my husband got really worried and I was like, no, it’s all good, thumbs up! But ALSO this book is very funny and very joyful. This book is for: people who love to laugh. People who love to cry. Art lovers. People who love emotionally messy families.

- I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai - a film studies professor & podcaster returns to her elite high school boarding school 20 years after graduating and find herself getting sucked into investigating the murder of her junior year roommate, who was murdered senior year and is now the internet’s favorite cold case. Please note this book is a response to #MeToo. This book is for: people who love True Crime but are also critical of it. People who love twitter drama. People who were losers in high school. People who devotedly at watch YouTube essays. Hot divorcées. Angry women.

I have also read a lot of excellent non fiction, the Murderbot diaries (just read themmmmm! Worth it), the entire Kate Daniels series (again.), the new SJM book, and some mid to bad books.

#answered #ummide #also to answer your question I figured out why my old draft wasn’t working. decided to start over. worth it #thanks so much for asking 🥺#I did do the whole normal epic fantasy thing where I wrote it like that. and now I have decided to approach it like #it’s a true crime investigation memoir that uncovers more than Luka bargained for. I’m loving it.#💜💜💜💜#the new SJM book is. her tortured poets department. which really could mean anything.

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dark-nimbus · 6 months

Text

Welcome to the Void!

About Me

I’m Nimbus (they/them), but I’ll answer to any of my other names and users. I’m just a giant fuckin nerd with no idea how I ended up here. Also a broke sleep-deprived college student with raging ADHD but we vibin’ ✌🏽

Enby Panromantic/Demisexual (if you’re bothered by that statement this blog is not safe for you)

Polytheistic pagan witch

East Asian transracial adoptee (transracial as in adopted and raised by people of a different race)

Aspiring artist and writer

If it wasn’t already clear from the college student mention, I am indeed an adult. No age number because 1.) I don’t actually know it and 2.) people for whatever reason act creepier when I do put a number

General Blog Info

You know how some people have an art dump account? This is my nerd dump account. Enjoy this dumpster-fire of a blog lmao, I post what I please without rhyme or reason

Possible content you can expect to see:

ThePandaRedd memes

Nerdy fanart

Essay rants on nerd shit and mainstream media

Fics? Maybe? Eventually? Idk y’all are gonna need to request shit I already got my hands full with my own writing projects

Blog Warnings

I am. The most inconsistent bitch on this Earth. I’ll more often than not appear for a time then randomly dip. I promise I didn’t abandon this blog I just have ADHD 💀

While I’ll never go into sexually explicit content on this blog, I do talk about other controversial, mature, and potentially dark topics. I’ll always have content warnings at the top of those posts, but please be aware of your own triggers and mental health

Minors are welcome here, but keep the above note in mind and be respectful

DO NOT INTERACT IF YOU ARE:

Antisemitic

Racist

RCTA/ECTA (aka the racist/misappropriated kind of transracial)

Xenophobic

Zionist

Queerphobic (including transphobia, homophobia, biphobia, acephobia, etc)

A TERF

Sexist

Misogynistic

Fatphobic

A “MAP”

Pro-life/anti-choice

A trump supporter

Ableist

Anti-vaxx

Islamophobic

Antiziganic

Support cultural appropriation

Support AI

Publicly advocate for piracy

Tags

To be added

Notes About Rant Essays

I try to choose my topics based on what problems I notice and what I have a deep understanding of or affects me directly. If I myself don’t experience it I speak based on the communities I’ve surrounded myself with and my own in-depth research. That being said while I am many things, being omniscient and having every experience in the world is not one of them. If I speak on something directly relating to you that isn’t completely factually accurate or is offensive/insensitive to that community you’re a part of, please let me know. I have an ask box and my DMs are open, and I’m open to conversation and criticism as long as you’re respectful and have constructive intentions. I try to educate myself as best I can, but I am still human and still learning. However I will not accept any conversation that vehemently insists on defending anything or anyone listed in the DNI section above. There’s no excuse for bigotry, ever

Nerdy Interests

More will be added to this list as I remember them or find more interests. If you don’t see something but want to know if I enjoy or will make content regarding it, feel free to leave something in my ask box

Also: if there’s anything problematic about any authors or things listed, please let me know. I try to ensure what I enjoy has no negative content within or attached to it, but my awareness of such issues is nowhere near perfect

D&D

Critical Role

DC Comics

Batfamily

Mr. Miracle

Titans (not HBO)

Young Justice League

Marvel Comics

Cosplay

Video games

Assassin’s Creed

Skyrim

Overwatch

Until Dawn

Manga/Anime

Arslan Senki

Boku no Hero Academia

Shingeki no Kyojin

Studio Ghibli

Books/Authors

Ranger’s Apprentice

Adrienne Young

Margaret Rogerson

Ready Player One

Lord of the Rings

Not Even Bones

The Witcher

Webtoons

Purple Hyacinth

Subzero

Cape of Spirits

Reunion

Midnight Poppyland

Loving Reaper

Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell

Third Shift Society

Crumbs

Wolfsbane

Movies

To be added

TV shows

Castlevania

Arcane

Avatar: the Last Airbender

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

#nerd shit #intro post #welcome to my blog #dark nimbus

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darklydeliciousdesires · 1 year

Note

Your fics have inspired me to write some of my own! So I was wondering if you have any tips for aspiring writers? Asking anonymously, because I'm terrified my writing is terrible and I'm shy

Hello love!

Oh, well done for wanting to make a start, I’m proud of you! Also, I’m super flattered that I could serve as inspiration for that 😊

The best advice I could give would be the following notes -

1. Remember your grammar and punctuation and try to use correctly to the best of your ability. It’s very difficult to read a story where, no matter how much storytelling ability I see within an author, the spelling and grammar are sloppy. Most people don’t expect perfection and goodness knows I still make silly mistakes even after writing for 20 years, but doing this shows a level of care for your work. Use tools such as Grammarly, or just write using Microsoft Word as it’s built in and will correct for you as you write.

2. Have a clear start and end point for your story. Without such, you will struggle. Make notes about your idea prior to beginning it, set the tone of the world you will be creating. If you’re penning an OC, this is where you begin in creating them, too! Who are they? What are their likes and dislikes, and how do such things play into the story and eventual narrative you will be creating? Notes are an imperative part of building those first foundations.

3. When you begin to write, make sure you make clear breaks for character dialogue, use properly structured paragraphs, try not to run too long on sentences (I need to take my own advice here as I do this ALL the bloody time 😂 me and my emotional support commas!) or the reader will become frustrated at wondering who is speaking and when, and huge blocks of text are also much harder to read.

4. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone and ask them to beta read for you. Just make sure that if you are opening yourself up to constructive criticism, you’re open to listening to their critique. They’re there to help you.

5. When you begin writing your characters, make sure to make them human. A trap I have seen a lot of people fall into with characterisation is making their lead faultless. Don’t do this! Show their flaws, it will make for a much more interesting read. It’s the same for if you are writing pre-existing characters not of your creation in fanfiction. Yes, essentially you are writing your own version of them, but try to remain loyal to the character they are, flaws and all.

6. Have fun with it! Befriend authors, ask for advice, find yourself a little community to be a part of. Be warned, some fandoms can be very hostile towards new people coming in, some people are very much part of a clique and they will not accept you (I’ve found that in some fandoms, and there’s people I try and engage with in the current ones that I write for who will engage with mutuals but not me) but that, my darling, is on them, not you!

7. Be prepared to put in a lot of effort to succeed. It takes time and practice, lots of self-promotion as well. If you want it enough, though, you’ll achieve. Ask, believe and receive. Believing in yourself is paramount. Again, I need to take my own advice here as I do struggle and have moments where I think I suck, but if you have faith, are willing to listen and always allow yourself the grace to improve while having faith that you can and will become better, you’re on the right path.

If you ever want any further advice, please reach out to me, babe. Or DM me if you feel brave enough to contact me without using the anon feature. I hope you do as I would love to read something you write someday! Wishing you the very best of luck here at the beginning of your literary journey 💕💕

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comradesbooks · 11 months

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Fanfiction is underrated tbh

Fanfiction is a written story based off of an existing media, consisting of new takes on the original work, whether it’s meta commentary through characters, alternate universes with different plot beats than the original, or material that is used for the shameless entertainment of reader and writer alike. Producers and consumers of this material know who they are. It’s not necessarily a genre in and of itself, and there is some stigma over fan works as a whole. Personally, I, an active writer of fanfiction, approve of it, and I’m gonna go on a tangent as to why, even though no one asked for it.

My points will mainly boil down to one umbrella concept; that fanfiction is excellent practice for newer storytellers.

The best part about fanfiction is that it’s low pressure. It’s not graded, there aren’t deadlines, there are only basic guidelines provided by the original work, and, most importantly, it’s (mostly) anonymous. Unpublished fanfiction authors, such as those on Fanfiction.net or Archive of Our Own, use pen names to protect their identities. An adult writer’s real name doesn’t have to be traced back to the cringey Self-Insert/Levi Ackerman one shot they wrote when they were twelve. Because of that low pressure and lack of deadlines, a newer writer ought to feel more comfortable in getting their feet wet in the writing community.

When it comes down to it, fanfictions, whether they are 2,000 word one-shots or 300,000 word epics, are just works of fiction, and like any work of fiction, need framework. The key difference in the framework between original fiction and fanfiction is that the fanfiction already has the basic framework done. All the fanfic author needs to do is alter and add what they like to the existing template, which is (usually, hopefully) a strong foundation to be built upon. It’s not unlike an artist tracing the contours of a portrait in order to learn how to render colors for a more realistic style. It should never be treated as an original work, but a template for sake of self-improvement, which is perfectly acceptable. Original works of fiction all begin as a blank slates, and it can take a long time to do the worldbuilding necessary to tell a good story. To give a quick and well-known example, J.K. Rowling took over a year just plotting out the foundation for the Harry Potter series, and went on unemployment to do it. In fanfiction, newer writers have the ability to skip the lengthy worldbuilding process, learning by example as they utilize the world that has already been built to their advantage.

One of my favorite parts of writing fanfiction, especially for a larger fandom, is that there is no shortage of critique, if one knows how to look and ask for it. In this age of the interwebs, ignorance is a choice. Writers of fanfiction don’t have to worry about building a fanbase before they can get any commentary because the creator of the original work already did the heavy labor. All the writer has to do is write their original work, tag it appropriately, and ask for critique, and they’ll eventually get some, sooner or later. With access to so many different viewpoints, thanks to the internet, constructive criticism couldn’t be more accessible. (I will note that some fandoms have some individuals who are absolutely monstrous for a variety of reasons and may not be the most wholesome or supportive sources of criticism.) Critique can be a hot take, especially in the art and writing community where people are known to be a tad sensitive, but no one can improve themselves without a little criticism. Not only do internet-based writers have virtually unlimited access to good, constructive criticism, but they also have access to negative opinions and comments, which will harden them to the real world. Let’s be real here, if you publish a book anywhere, I don’t care how perfect it is. Someone will find something wrong with it and will try to cancel it.

And that is my extremely informal, blunt, and unstructured opinion on fanfiction that is completely correct in every way. If anyone wants me to elaborate on a specific point, I have no issue with that. I like standing on my soap box because who doesn’t love an inflated sense of importance?

#i wrote this at like 1 am #writeblr #fanfiction #writer's thoughts #opinion

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writteninsunshine · 2 years

Text

Getting A Foot In The Door - Estella Havisham/Lizzy - SFW

Title: Getting A Foot In The Door

Author: Keith

Fandom: South Park

Setting: Havisham Dance Academy

Pairing: Estella Havisham/Lizzy

Characters: Estella Havisham, Lizzy (Cartman’s Silly Hate Crime 2000)

Genre: General/Light Romance

Rating: K

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: 988

Type Of Work: One-Shot, Part Two of the Writer’s Month 2022 Collection

Status: Complete

Warnings: Preslash, Femslash, AU - Ballet School, AU - Canon Divergent, Lizzy isn’t dead/missing, Classism

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except the concept.

Summary: Estella Havisham was not an easy woman to impress, but that didn't stop Lizzy from trying.

AN: Hey guys, it’s me again! Just thought I ought to say, if you want vague updates and to talk to me more, I have a writing Tumblr, too! Twitter is Sunshinecackle, and Tumblr is Writteninsunshine! I also have a writing Discord that is currently pretty dead. xD If you want it, please contact me on Tumblr/Twitter!

I’m trying to do Writer’s Month this month and to keep myself working on these to hopefully get all of them done, I’m going to aim for 500 words or less.

I had some help from Perennex (Twitter)/Gozar (Ao3) to get the terminology and critiques correct, and I really appreciate it. I think it really added to the fic, because I was honestly at a loss for how to describe things. As I’ve never really interacted with ballet a whole bunch without being a spectator, I really didn’t know what I was doing.

Writer’s Month Fic Masterlist

Getting A Foot In The Door

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Estella Havisham was one of the largest critics of ballet, possibly in the entire world, only dwarfed by her mother’s apparent ire for the practitioners. She was hard to please, and the school of dance she inherited was incredibly prestigious and one might even say downright pretentious. Not just anyone could get in, she only accepted the best. There would be no rewards for underdogs in her establishment, and that was just what everyone had to accept.

She rewarded nothing but perfection.

That was the entire reason that Lizzy Masters was nervous. Her ballet was good, but was it good enough? It didn’t help that the second she saw Estella in her smart pencil skirt, the painted-on white shirt cupping her breasts, and the dark, open suit top, she just about fell over. The pristine, prim but practical black heels on her feet clicked against the cement floor of the auditorium as she found her seat, and Lizzy’s heart began to hammer in her chest. Oh, oh she was exquisite, and seeing her in person was not helping the dancer’s focus.

Sitting straight-backed and proper, the picture of poise, Estella placed her gold-framed glasses over her nose, peering over them at the first hopeful on stage. Lizzy was willing to bet that those glasses were twenty-four carat, but she kept the thought to herself. Such frivolous notions weren’t helping her right now. No, she needed to concentrate, she needed the tunnel vision she had during practice, she had to get herself together.

The music began for the man ahead of her, and she turned her attention to him, watching his technique. While Lizzy could pick apart a few of his positions, noticing a couple of scant complaints, her eyes traveled back to Estella and her breath caught in her throat.

Estella quirked a brow at him as he danced, but otherwise, her expression was unreadable. Tapping her pen against her plump red lips, she finally glanced down to write something on the clipboard expertly balanced on her thigh. Her legs were crossed, likely to prop her notes up as she sat in the viewing area of the theater. That made it easier to watch the show as well as write, and it was just one more smart decision that Lizzy noted.

Estella Havisham was nothing if not bright in everything she did, perfect in ways no other living thing could ever hope for, and Lizzy Masters was noticing.

Stupidly fixated on every little thing, each tiny movement Estella graced them with, Lizzy didn’t even notice when it was her turn. If only she’d been able to pick at the other dancer’s performance more to mitigate making the same mistakes, but at least she was leaving an impression.

“Miss Masters?” Estella finally called, her posh British accent flavoring the question and making Lizzy’s last name sound exotic and new. Her tone was commanding, and Lizzy followed her beckoning to the stage immediately, “I very much dislike being kept waiting, Miss Masters. You would do well not to make me wait again.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The reply was instantaneous, and Estella rose an eyebrow once more, adjusting her glasses on her nose.

“Very good, Miss Masters. Now, you are going to be dancing… Manon, Act I, yes?” Estella pointedly tapped her pen on the clipboard.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ve brought another dancer, as well. He isn’t trying out.” As if she had to state that. At her words, her partner sauntered onto the stage, taking up his place at one side of it in a chair. He held the feather pen prop in his hand but lacked a desk since this wasn’t a production piece.

“Begin,” Estella stated, tone devoid of emotion. The music began, somber and slow, and Lizzy started her sultry, jaunty dance forward. Her hand traveled beneath her chin and she gave a flirtatious smile, finishing her trek to the chair and leaning over it. She waxed and waned for a moment, before plucking the white plume from her partner’s hand and tossing it into the air.

The British woman regarded Lizzy’s steps, the placement of her arms and feet with a special interest in the multiple spins and leaps. There were a few things out of place that most people likely wouldn’t have noticed, or maybe even cared about, but Estella’s keen green eyes spotted every imperfection. Her mother had raised her to be cutthroat, discerning, and breviloquent, heartless in the worst way. She saw people as a way to improve herself, as tools and step ladders, and not for the living, breathing, feeling beings that they were.

Human Kindness was a tool, it could be used against the person offering it. Those who knew her well would say it in a heartbeat; If you offered gentleness, if you showed an iota of kindness, she would chew you up and spit you out without so much as a fake apology.

Anfractuous knees. The posture of a dog relieving itself on a fire hydrant. Estella’s notes were insulting and to the point in equal measure as she nitpicked the other blonde, keeping her eyes on her over the rims of her glasses. Very pulchritudinous. Graceful despite flaws.

The second set of words surprised her just the same, and her brow drew in as she gazed at what she had last written. Usually, she didn’t mind the looks of a person, but Lizzy had a petite build, and an elegant dancer’s face, and Estella didn’t much mind watching her with a keen eye.

Maybe, should no one rise above her.

The final few moves of her dance, the dramatic sliding to the floor and being drug against her partner as the music signaled the finality of the first act caught Estella’s attention. Her head tipped, curiosity piqued, and she made another quick note to herself.

Elizabeth Masters. Two strikes of three, perhaps two strikes too many. Only time will tell.

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AN: Okay, that was way too much fun to write. I’m having a lot of fun with this AU and writing these characters. I’ve never seen anything for them, and I know Lizzy is a very minor character, but I have really loved her for a long time. Until next time!

Prompt: word: chance | setting: dancer AU

#South Park Fanfic #South Park Fanfiction #Writersmonth2022 #South Park Estella #South Park Lizzy #Estella Havisham x Lizzy #cw classism

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blueprint-han · 3 years

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[Image ID: A black picture with the title “HOW TO SUPPORT FANFICTION AUTHORS” written in bold caps lock, colored with a winter forest picture. End ID.]

Well, this post has been made countless times, but I’m making one too because I’ve seen a lot of people say they’re new to tumblr and don’t know the whole “reblogging is better than liking” rule and other stuff. So without any further ado, here are ways YOU can support the fanfiction authors. Now keep in mind this applies to almost every author out there, not just the stayblr fandom, so if you’re a silent reader (or even if you aren’t), I advise you go through this post. Warning, this is a fairly long post going into detail, so yeah. I still expect you, the readers to read this, and if you’re a writer, feel free to lmk if i’ve written smth wrong or if you want me to add something! ^^

In this post I’ll go into thorough analysis of the pros and cons of each of the methods listed here and how YOU as a reader can show the authors whose fics you read more love and motivate them to produce content.

WARNING; LONG POST! GOES INTO A DECENT AMOUNT OF DETAIL. NOT EDITED, EXCUSE ANY TYPOS.

#1 : LIKING !

I think this is basic common knowledge, and a lot of people tend to do this. When you like the post, the author sees it, you see it, and if the author has their liked posts accessible (which majority of the time they don’t), and if someone deliberately goes to check it, then they see it. See why so many authors say just liking does nothing? Only liking says “Hey, I’m gonna tell you your story is not that good by simply liking it and not sharing it with other people. :D”

♯ PROS:

You’re telling the author that you've read their fic, and either you’ve enjoyed it to a certain extent, or you’re just saving it to read for later.

Likes are seen by you, the author and anyone who has access to your likes (which, most people don’t).

♯ CONS:

If you ONLY like, you’re not really helping the author’s work reach a wide audience because this site isn’t Instagram. Reblogging is the only way people can SEE our works. I’ll cover more on that in the next section.

In a nutshell, liking is good! But you should most likely use it in a combination with the other stuff I’ve listed below, because just the like itself doesn’t really do much in giving the author any feedback or interaction on their fics.

To clear shit up; I’m not talking about those people who don’t read the story or appreciate it in the first place. I’m talking about those who appreciate the fic, like it, but don’t leave any sort of feedback to show that.

#2 : REBLOGGING !

This is SO, SO important. I cannot stress on this enough. Let me explain WHY so many writers stress on reblogging content:

Tumblr’s tag system is inherently fucked up, and has grown more so over the year. I’m not kidding, at first, the fic either used to show up in the tags or it didn’t, but now, sometimes your fic can be REMOVED from the tags because of,,, idk tumblr tag shit. Anyways, as you can see, it’s very demotivating for authors at that point, because the major way for people to find their content and expand their blogs has been blocked.

Due to this reason, tumblr authors need to RELY on you, their followers to help spread their works to a wider audience. Now again, before you get me wrong, I’m not saying you ae forced to rb our works regardless of whether you like them or not. BUT, that being said, if you DO infact like the story, there’s no harm in reblogging, right? By doing this you’re indirectly telling the author — “hey! :D I liked your fic! Which is why I am gonna share it to my followers so they can read it too :D” Trust me, you’re doing nothing but helping the people who produce content for you to read. Seems like a worthy cause to hit the reblog button, right? It’s only a one, or maximum two step procedure.

Leave tags in your reblogs! Trust me, as an author myself and as much as I know from all my author friends, we oft check the tags of your reblogs to see if you found any part amazing or even if you have anything to say about the writing we put so much hard work into. Even a key smash or a “This was so [insert adjective] 🥺” is enough to leave a smile on your authors face.

♯ PROS :

You’re !! Sharing !! Your authors !! Works !! This leads to them getting more recognition, so for the content they’re so graciously providing for free, you’re promoting their blog and helping them expand it.

If the tags are being a shit, which majority of the time they are, then you’re literally making an author’s day by reblogging! You’re showing them that you, a follower and appreciator of their works are willingly sharing their content because it deserves to be seen by more people. Again before any dumb people decide to attack me, i am talking about people who like the fic but don't bother reblogging and are silent/ghost readers. I am not forcing anyone to read anybody’s work.

YOU’RE MAKING YOUR AUTHOR SO HAPPY WHAT MORE REASONS COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT !! 🥺

♯ CONS :

Literally none, because as far as I remember no author is against reblogging of their works. It’s quite literally the way this platform functions. Reblogging is IMPORTANT.

#3 : COMMENTING/SENDING FEEDBACK !

This kind of overlaps with the previous section, but THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT STEP !! When you leave feedback, you are directly giving the author something so much more valuable to them than high follower/note counts or money. Your feedback is literally our serotonin. I kid you not the number of times I’ve received a positive comment and smiled and it has made my day. There’s a reason youtubers (though not the best example, bear with me here because it was the only one I could think of) ask people to subscribe, like and COMMENT. The subscription is like a follow, the like is ofc like a heart, and the comment is equivalent to an rb with comments in the tags.

You might argue and tell me that a comment is basically like an ask so the reblogging step isn’t necessary, but I’m sure 99% of you use YouTube and you know that more comments leads to people’s videos boosted in the stream/trending charts. This is what reblogging does. Reblogging shares the piece with other people like minded, which leads to a boost in reads. You are literally helping your author grow.

It’s quite literally the same thing as youtubers. Youtubers NEED validation to keep their content creation going, so do writers, so do other ccs on this site. This post is however, focused on WRITERS, so keep that in mind.

♯ PROS :

By doing this, you’re giving author valuable feedback! It’s similar to what you do in rbing with tags. Interactivity with their fics boosts their note counts and helps expand their audience, so srsly, now think of it: your one comment is playing such a massive role to help ccs create more content.

Imagine how much of a difference the note counts will be in when every person who simply likes after reading the fic, reblogs, leaves a comment and sends an ask. the note counts would be high on each and every fic, which is validation in itself, but your comments would inspire the writer so much more! Please, don’t skip the commenting part. Even a simple one like: “this is so cute!” is wonderful.

♯ CONS :

Remember, if you’re gonna give constructive criticism (which I’m sure you all are smart enough to know if different from hate), make sure the author is okay with it. Authors need to be in a specific mindset and must be ready to accept criticism, so if you’re gonna give constructive criticism to them when they’re at a low point, it may demotivate them.

Just commenting, instead of reblogging and commenting in the tags/ reblogging and then leaving an ask in their inbox, while it gives validation in plenty, will not lead to the author’s work being spread. Therefore I suggest either reblogging and commenting in the tags or reblog and then leave an ask, or comment under the fic!

!! reminder; I am not saying that if you don’t rb and just leave feedback, your feedback has no value. We authors truly appreciate every bit of feedback, but this post is aimed to help you learn how to interact with and support authors, and make them feel more motivated, because the current scenario of liking and scrolling is taking a toll on their creative abilities. Take it from a person who’s been writing for a year.

#4 : COMMSIONING VIA THEIR KO-FI/OTHER APPS !

Before any of you attack me, let me tell you that this is not a step that is 100% necessary to do. ONLY donate if you can and if you genuinely want to, and if anyone is forcing you to pay for something against your will, you need to get yourself out of there.

Regardless, if an author has a kofi and you’re able to and you want to donate, you definitely should! It’s also a valid form of support.

#5 : ADDING THEM ON REC LISTS/ RECOMMENDING THEM TO REC BLOGS

This is such an underrated option, to be honest. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen my fic was recommended onto some rec list and it’s made me smile so hard. If you like some fics, create a rec list! They’re oft very popular amongst the fans too. Making rec posts is such a great way to share your favorite stories with others.

Rec blogs! I’ve seen a couple going around, and needless to say they are a great way to get someone else to read your favorite author’s work whilst also giving them your own feedback. These blogs oft accept recs via a form or ask box, and they leave your feedback along with their own, or else they’ll oft tag the author in the feedback post, so look! You’re basically helping your author share their fic to many more people, because you’ve given them feedback and a reblog.

♯ PROS :

Validation! Feedback! Reblogs! More exposure! Helping a blog grow! Spreading love! basically a run down of the stuff I’ve said before!

♯ CONS :

Literally no con of this. Unless, a one in a million case, this author says they don’t like receiving feedback/being tagged, and I’m sure NO person has said this before, at least none that I’ve heard of.

#6 : FINAL COMMENTS; MISC !

When an author points out about how the interactivity is drastically reducing, don’t just give them blind apologies. Yes, you feel sorry for not interacting as much, we understand, but rather show that you’ll become a better content consumer through your actions. We need to see that we’re not just throwing words into a void and that people are actually trying to be better content consumers.

Understand the fact that authors don’t get paid for this, and 99% of the time, these authors don’t take commissions either. They’re giving you novel worthy writings for free. Take Percy Jackson: You think the author would have felt motivated to write the subsequent parts, let alone two whole series based off of it if literally no one showed that they were interested? Rick Riordan has sales, he is being paid, there are millions of people and big agencies who provide him feedback. Now take that huge amount and simmer it down to an audience of maybe 10000 people This is what fanfic authors want. They don’t want your money, nor are they telling you to risk your lives for them. All they want is, a reblog, some tags, some feedback, some INTERACTIVITY. A sign that they aren’t throwing fics into the void and that people actually like them, some motivation to continue. Seems fairly easy to throw an rb with some tags, right?

Don’t bother to tell me that we do this for ourselves and we shouldn’t ask for likes and reblogs and feedback, because 1) you are consuming the content that we “write for ourselves” and 2) writers post their content here for interactivity and feedback. We could just not post and write and save our fics in our dungeon drafts for years. But we choose to post to entertain the readers, the consumers. And we aren’t even asking that much in return.

Don’t give me the whole “I’m scared that authors feel that comments are annoying” excuse either because seriously this has been DEBUNKED SO MANY TIMES. Istg, in the nicest way possible, if you still think writers are annoyed by interaction and feedback, after so many posts, long rants have been posted as to how we’re not, then you must truly be living under a rock. There, I said it. Please stop thinking this way, I’ll say it again, AUTHORS ARE NOT ANNOYED OF FEEDBACK, COMMENTS, TAGS, REBLOGS. WE LOVE IT. Saying this is like saying that the audience in a theatre play shouldn’t clap when the play ends because the actors would find it noisy. 🤡

I’ve seen some people saying they have anxiety issues and such, so pls note that I’m not invalidating your condition. If you’re trying to be more interactive, I really appreciate it! If you can’t, that’s fine too. You’re trying.

But for the people who have no reason other than feeling lazy to rb and comment, your lack of interactiveness is not excused. Please. Tumblr is a reblogging site. If you’re gonna consume content like authors are some sort of machines, I encourage you to go get some more perspective.

This site is not Instagram or the satan bird app. Your likes are appreciated but frankly speaking, they do nothing to the author except tell them “Hey i read ur fic but i'm not gonna support u :D” and honestly, that is detrimental to their creative capabilities and mental health.

DON’T FOLLOW AN ACC JUST TO MINDLESS RB THEIR SIGNAL BOOST POSTS AND THEIR REBLOGS OF GIFS AND NOT INTERACT WITH THEIR WRITING AT ALL ! Trust me, authors prefer a lower amount of interactive followers than a high count that doesn’t even give them any feedback. Again your follows are appreciated, but when you’re following, you know the type of content the author creates, so the author expects that the more followers, the more interactivity. These days, this is just becoming the opposite. So don’t do it! If you’re gonna follow to read, interact with their works. I promise, this will make both you and the author happy. A win-win situation.

In conclusion: SUPPORT YOUR FUCKING AUTHORS! THEY ARE NOT MACHINES THAT HAVE NO FEELINGS TO PRODUCE CONTENT FOR YOU! FICS TAKE DAYS AND DAYS OF PLANNING, PLOTTING, OUTLINING, WRITING, EDITING, MAKING TEASERS. SO JUST SHOW THEM YOU APPRECIATE THEM WITH AN RB. IT’S THE L E A S T YOU CAN DO.

I will be liking this post here written by the lovely @chaninfused and @scriptura-delirus . Please take time to read it because if you weren’t convinced by my arguments, you will see how much frustration we as writers face on a daily basis. Please, just show support. Here is the post by @stayndays about how to get more people to read your work, because it also has a note on reblogging. Please educate yourself, and put an end to this mindless consuming culutre and bring up some interactivity.

If you’ve read this far, I want you to go to two of your favorite authors and leave some feedback in their inbox, and tag me in it (either tag me yourself or ask the author to do so, they won’t mind). Show your writers that our words are taking effect and you are becoming better consumers. I mean it. I’m serious. I want every single one who reads this post to do this. besides valid reasons, if you’re lazy to do this, you’re a part of the problem. PLEASE get more perspective.

Also, feel free to add to this post! I’d love to read your thoughts too, remember to be kind though. And, if I think your rb is somehow contradicting my points and is bringing down the reason I made this post, I will politely ask you to delete your comment, because this post is about being truthful about the harsh reality of tumblr consumers and how we can change it. I’m sure none of you will let it get to that point, though. <3 love you guys. 💓

And, just a reminder, don’t just blindly like this too. Do what I said before, and while I am not forcing you, I’d appreciate your reblog, because seriously, it took me 3 whole days to write this, plus, I’m sure this will help more of your followers understand the fault in consumer culture. haha, that’s it! This post was way too long uff.

also, this is ur cue to not be stupid in my inbox. You have something to say? Think I worded smth wrongly? I’m sure it wasn’t my intention to do so, point it out with manners.

697 notes · View notes

seasonsofeverlark · 2 years

Text

The Chances We Take

Author: @jhsgf82

Prompt: Hi there! Hope you could still accept my birthday prompt for Nov. 25. Since it falls on thanksgiving day, maybe you could do something around it? I want to read on everlark thanksgiving with blended family maybe both are single parents or one of them is (really, I’m not picky). Rated T/M Thank you so much! 🧡 Love your blog!! [submitted by @imsoeverlarked]

Rating: T

Summary: Single father Peeta Mellark heads to a bookstore to learn more about camping and the outdoors, in order to please and impress his son. There, he meets a beautiful woman with a past of her own who helps him make some selections, and he falls swiftly for her. Will he have the courage to act on his new feelings, despite his past heartache? Will he get a second chance at love?

Author’s Note: Happy Birthday, @imsoeverlarked! Special thanks to @evestedic for brainstorming this with me and giving me some great ideas as well as to the poor guy on Reddit who was an inspiration for this story. He ended up pretty happy, it seems. Disclaimer: No Delly or Gale hate meant here; it is what it is, needed to use some characters for my purposes, and they fit. And well, people are only human, right? I hope you enjoy! ______________

Benjamin Cartwright-Mellark, my seven-year-old son, has recently gotten into camping and the outdoors, so I’m headed to the corner bookshop on my lunch break from the bakery to read up on the subject, in hopes I can muddle my way through a camping trip without either of us getting lost, maimed, or eaten by a bear.

I love my son with all my heart, and I’d do just about anything for him‒stand up for him, fight off a pack of rabid mutts, and yes, even go camping.

Ours isn’t a fairy tale life, but it’s a good one. And Ben and I are very much a family, even though ours is a small unit‒it’s just the two of us.

Well, my son’s mother, Delly, is in the picture, but we’re divorced. We share joint custody of Ben, and even though she annoys the crap out of me at times, we have an amicable relationship.

We’ve come a long way…

Delly Cartwright was my childhood best friend and high school sweetheart (the last two years). We were quick to marry, married young, right after high school at age 19. Maybe that was part of the problem. We apparently weren’t as compatible as I thought and struggled through the first two years of our marriage. Perhaps that’s why she started talking to Thom, her ex, again, even though he’d been emotionally abusive to her, always criticizing her for being overweight and talking too much, and had cheated on her with a girl named Bristel.

As far as her weight, Delly wasn’t heavy, just full-figured, which I never minded. She was beautiful to me, and I definitely appreciated her hourglass curves.

About two and a half years into our marriage, Thom got back in touch with Delly. She told me about it initially, and I assured her I wasn’t trying to control her or tell her what to do, but I warned her about associating with him. I didn’t trust the guy; I didn’t want him to cause her any more pain. Well, Delly had recently lost a decent amount of weight, and although I hadn’t thought it necessary for her to do so, I made sure to pay her a lot of attention and praise her for the achievement. She did look fantastic. Of course, right around that time, I noticed her acting strangely, being more secretive. Come to find out, she’d been talking to Thom behind my back for weeks. At first I was upset, even a little angry, but I stayed calm and let her explain. She insisted that they were just friends, and I believed her. She also told me that Thom said he’d sought help and was only trying to apologize and make amends for how he’d treated her in the past.

Well, of course, my antennae went up about that, especially since I knew Delly had recently posted pictures of her weight loss journey on social media. I worried Thom was trying to get Delly back, now that she was presumably a size he could tolerate, or at least sweet talk her into an affair, and well…I ended up being right.

It broke my heart when Delly cheated on me. I just couldn’t believe it. I knew people made mistakes, but I just couldn’t believe my sweet childhood friend/wife would ever hurt me that way. She apologized profusely, promised me it would never happen again, and adamantly told me how much she loved me and wanted to make this work.

But I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t look at her the same way after that.

After being betrayed, at first, I was a little crazed; it hijacked my mind a bit‒at least the worst thing I ever said to her was to ask her how she could possibly cheat on me when she knew how shitty it felt. I didn’t hate Delly, though, as much as I might have wanted to; however, I simply couldn’t be in a relationship with her anymore.

It was only a little over a month later that I found out Delly was pregnant. Delly didn’t fight me over having a DNA test done, to be sure. The paternity test revealed that it was mine.

We talked it out, decided to keep the baby, and although I still refused to get back together, I put the divorce on hold. I promised Delly I’d stay by her side, support her fully during the pregnancy and the birth, and that I’d try to be friends again. And of course, I was going to be in my-our child’s life for the rest of my days.

Benjamin Basil Cartwright-Mellark was the single most exquisite sight I’d ever seen in my life, and the moment I laid eyes on that blond mop coming out of his mother, tears came streaming down my cheeks, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would die for him.

No, I wouldn’t change having my precious son for anything in the world, though it wasn’t the ideal path to take.

—–

I push through the door, and a little bell jingles as I set foot, for the first time, in Tesserae Books. I look around. The place is charming and quaint, small but with a good selection as far as I can tell. Hopefully, they’ll have something to help me.

There’s a young woman with dark, spiky hair seated behind the front counter on her phone. She glances up, and I say hello, but she doesn’t greet me back. Thus, I figure I’m on my own. I mosey through the aisles, scanning the category titles, which look to be written in black sharpie on pieces of masking tape, until I come across the Non-Fiction section and within it, I locate the genre: Nature. Okay, that sounds right. I notice there are several sub-genres of Nature, including Outdoor Skills, Adventure Sports, and Guide Books. Seems I was right about them having a wide selection for a small bookstore; in fact, I’m a bit overwhelmed by my choices.

I look up and over toward the counter, opening my mouth in a silent, plaintive cry for help, though the employee pays me no mind. So, I begin scanning the titles, occasionally glancing up or meandering back and forth through the section. The shop girl doesn’t bother to come over and ask me if I need help, though she does look up from her phone now and then, eyeing me warily as if she thinks I’m a shoplifter plotting a heist. Sure, my whole purpose in coming here was to see how many thick, dusty books I could shove under my shirt and escape with.

While I’m perusing the selection, I hear the door bell jingle again, but I don’t pay any attention to whoever it was who entered. Instead, I pluck a particularly thick guide book off one of the shelves and after a glance at the title, turn it open to somewhere in the middle and start looking at the pictures.

I feel a presence approaching me, though I don’t look up.

“Excuse the interruption,” a quiet, melodic voice says, “but I don’t think you want that one.”

“Why not?” I ask distractedly, still without looking up. When I finally do look up, I’m stricken by the prettiest face and the loveliest set of gray eyes I’ve ever encountered.

“Well, that’s an extreme survival guide,” the young woman standing before me points out. “See?” She flips the book back to its cover, grazing my hand in the process (it tingles pleasantly) and taps the subtitle. Sure enough, she’s right.

“Uh, um, yeah, I see,” I stammer like a fool.

I don’t even know which way is up right now, and my jaw must have hit the floor. This woman is simply so…so breathtaking. Seriously, I can hardly breathe around her. She’s petite and comely with sleek dark hair pulled back into a braid and smooth, flawless olive skin. She’s dressed in a fitted, long-sleeved green shirt, black jeans and jacket, and boots. Her look is so refreshingly different from any other girl I’ve known or dated; she’s the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.

“I take it you’re a beginner,” she ventures, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips. When I say nothing, she goes on. “I mean, if you’re looking for books and all.” She pauses. “…Maybe I’m wrong, though.” She gives me a quick once-over, or possibly, I’m hallucinating right now. “You look like you’re in pretty good shape.”

My lips curl up at that, and though it’s dumb, I poke out my chest slightly.

“You appear to have strong shoulders and arms. Do you climb?” The pretty woman presses her soft pink lips together and blinks sweetly, innocently, and I think I might melt into a puddle at her feet.

“No, I bake,” I say. Good one, Peet. “Lugging 100-pound sacks of flour around all day is bound to develop the arms and shoulders.” I chuckle.

Nice one. I sound as though that’s my entire job. Is that supposed to impress her or something?

“Oh?” I think I catch a glint in her eye as if that intrigues her. Okay, so maybe she’s into baking…or feats of baking strength?

As for me, I’m totally smitten. I must have the goofiest expression on my face.

“Uh, I’m sorry,” she goes on to say, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “That was forward, what I said before. I should really learn to filter what I say.”

I chuckle in what I believe to be a good-natured way, but she must think I’m making fun of her, because her eyes narrow slightly. I stop laughing and thin out my smile. “I’m sorry, don’t apologize.” I shake my head. “I…I appreciate the compliment, actually. And you got me.” Boy, does she ever! Yeah right, Mellark! You wish! “I don’t have any outdoor experience; I’m basically a virgin.”

The gorgeous girl’s eyes go wide, then shoot away, and I think I notice a hint of pink to her cheeks. What the hell did I just say? My mouth drops open at my own idiocy, and I follow the girl’s line of sight over to the front counter. Of course, now the employee is paying attention, her small shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

“Uhh, I mean, an outdoor virgin, that is!” I palm my face and scrub my hand ultra-slowly down it.

“Oh, I see.” She glimpses me from beneath her dark eyelashes. She’s so damn adorable I can’t stand it. “Well, in that case, If you’ll allow me…I think I can help.”

I grin widely. “I’ll allow it.”

She turns around, and I follow her down the aisle like a puppy dog, doing my best to keep my eyes up and not watch her slender yet shapely hips gently sway or ogle her cute, round rear.

“So, what are you looking for?” she asks, looking back at me.

“Huh?” I’m caught off guard again. I snap my eyes, which were wavering somewhere around her low back, up to meet hers, and get my bearings. “Oh, uh, just some camping and lowkey hiking books.”

She nods. “I know just the ones.”

I stand back as she runs a finger along a row of books. I should do something other than stand here like an idiot, help or talk, or something.

Name. Name would be good.

“I’m Peeta,” I say. “Peeta Mellark.” She looks back at me. “Not like the bread.” And like a dork, I spell it for her.

“I’m Katniss. Katniss Everdeen.” She grins. “With a K, not like the animal.”

“Like the flower,” I insert.

“Yeah,” she replies, a surprised, pleased inflection to her voice.

“Wow,” I breathe. “That’s pretty.” I smile at her.

Katniss smiles shyly back and tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Then, Katniss‒God, that really is a pretty name, almost as pretty as her‒turns around again and resolutely resumes her search. She pulls two books off the shelf and hands them back to me, then looks up. She reaches for one on a higher shelf, and when she does, her shirt rides up a bit, revealing more of that gorgeous olive skin as well as ink. She has a tattoo on her low back, of flowers. I recognize them from a botanical art book I used to sketch from‒katniss flowers and evening primrose. The katniss flowers I get, since that’s her name, but is there a significance behind the primroses?

She’s struggling to get the book. I should help her, rather than make her reach. I come closer, my front barely grazing her back, and I raise my arm over her head to grab the book she’s almost got a hold of. I place my hand over hers on top of the spine. She stiffens but doesn’t move away.

After several seconds, to my chagrin, she slips her hand out from under mine.

“Sorry,” I whisper, snatching the book. “Is this the one you were going for?”

“Yes,” she squeaks. And she moves away from me and folds her arms across her chest.

Great. I’ve made her uncomfortable. She must think I’m a creep!

I consider apologizing again but think better of it; instead, I decide simply to change the subject. “I really appreciate your help,” I tell her. “My son’s really into camping and the outdoors right now, and I want to take him, and also not embarrass myself.”

“Oh, your son?” Do I detect a hint of disappointment on her face and in her tone? Nah. Probably just wishful thinking on my part.

If she was disappointed, she recovers quickly. “How old is your son?” she asks.

“Seven,” I say.

“Okay. Well, in addition to the adult guide books I just gave you, there are some great children’s books, informational and storybooks, too.”

“Do you work here or something?” I tease, a touch of a laugh in my voice.

“No, just spend a lot of time here. I like reading.”

“That’s great.” She bobs her head, and when she turns around again, I sigh. Another good one. I’m sure I’m well on my way to sweeping this girl right off her feet, I think sarcastically.

“There’s this storybook I love…” Katniss beckons me, and once more, I immediately follow. “I enjoyed it as a kid and even as an adult. It’s a really touching story. I used to read it to my sister.”

“Sounds great.” She doesn’t say anything to that; she’s become even more quiet, and she keeps on walking. “Thank you, again, for doing this.”

“No problem,” she tosses back.

Along the way to the children’s section, she slips two more books off the shelves and hands them to me. Then she turns around to face me, explaining a few things about which sections are most useful for beginners to focus on.

“You sure know a lot about this,” I comment, giving her my friendliest smile.

She smiles faintly back. “Yeah, I have read those, and they’re good; although, I do think learning by doing is the best way. I go out into the woods regularly. At least once a week. Several times if I can. For hunting, hiking, camping, whatever.”

“I’ll bet you’re good at all that,” I say, this time cocking my head and tossing her a lopsided grin which is definitely more flirty. She blinks a few times, then glances down at her boots as she fidgets with her braid.

Ugh. Why do I feel like I’ve lost every bit of my mojo? Not like I was a Casanova, but I feel like I used to be much better at talking to women. I guess I’m out of practice, and my confidence is shot. I’ve managed to collect the broken pieces of my heart and somewhat put it back together again, but I haven’t dated much since Delly. A few feeble attempts, set-ups mostly, where I either didn’t connect with the woman or lost my nerve.

And it doesn’t help that this woman is a freaking goddess. As it is, I’m off in my head, imagining her in one of those white, flowing dresses goddesses wear. Hers would show just a hint of cleavage, but would be tasteful, as I picture her as the pure type. I see her as one of those woodland goddesses, sweet and strong and mighty, a goddess of the hunt, perhaps.

Yep, I’m definitely a goner.

At least I seem to be having some kind of impact on her, too. I think she’s shy, though. Hopefully, I’m not taking it too far.

“So, you go alone? To the woods?” I’m partially asking out of concern for her safety‒it can be dangerous being out in the wilderness alone, for anyone, man or woman‒but yeah, it’s also a shameless ploy to find out if she’s single.

“Um, yeah. I used to go with,” she hesitates, “someone…But now I go alone.”

Oh, so maybe she is single?

Do not, I repeat, do not ask her if her boyfriend worries about her going out in the woods alone or some crap like that. Absolutely do not go there.

“How’s your son at reading?” Katniss asks out of the blue. And I’m thankful she spoke up before I could do something stupid like pry into her personal life.

We’re at the Children’s section now.

“He’s average to advanced,” I say. “He’s really a smart, clever kid, and I’m not just saying that because I’m his dad and I’m biased.” I grin, and Katniss smiles at me. “Right now, he’s reading at one level past where he’s supposed to be,” I explain.

“That’s great,” she says. “So, this storybook I think he might like… It might be slightly above his level, but sounds like he could handle it, and if not, you could always read it to him. It’s about a boy named Ben…”

“Oh my god, that’s my son’s name!” I exclaim, entirely too excited. Katniss grins widely.

“Perfect,” she says. “Well, this boy, Ben, who lives on the edge of a forest, goes out into the wilderness on his own to gather medicinal herbs and berries to make medicine for his sick grandmother…the information about the plants in the book is accurate, by the way, but make sure to give your son the disclaimer about not trying it on his own‒plants, berries, and mushrooms can be toxic or even deadly, and it’s easy to get them confused.”

“Got it.” I nod.

“Well, anyway, Ben has a great adventure. There’s some danger along the way but also magic. He meets some talking animals, who help him, and of course, Ben puts his knowledge of survival skills, taught to him by his father, to good use.”

“Sounds great. I’m sure he’ll love it.” I beam at Katniss, and my eyes must sparkle with something akin to adoration for her, a feeling which is becoming nearly impossible for me to hide. She shyly glances away, nibbling enticingly on her lower lip.

“I’ll…” Katniss tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and I take a chance and step a bit closer to her. She shifts and bounces lightly on the balls of her feet. “I’ll…check and see if it’s here.” She moves away from me too speedily for my liking in search of the book. She seems to go directly to the exact spot where the book is located‒she certainly must spend a lot of time here.

“Oh, darn,” she mutters. “Looks like it’s not here.”

“It’s okay, Katniss.”

“It is very popular,” she mutters to herself, ignoring me entirely and heading up to the front desk to inquire with the spiky-haired, slightly intimidating girl. Katniss greets the employee familiarly by name‒Jo, she calls her‒and asks about the children’s book entitled: Benjamin the Brave.

I hear Jo clack at her computer keys, then tell Katniss that it’s out of stock but she can get it. I wind my way over to Katniss, catching a bit of Jo teasing Katniss about…me, I think…something about finding something else she’s looking for instead, in a suggestive manner, and I have to fight my grin. However, I can’t tell if Katniss is acting mortified because she’s shy or because she thinks I’m as attractive as a dead slug.

I clear my throat, interrupting the two, and Katniss explains the situation to me, though I’ve already heard. I tell them I plan to come back and order it for my son’s birthday.

I’ve set my books down on the counter, and I know this is a risky venture, but I ask Jo to hold them for me while I look around some more. With a smirk, she snarks that she’ll guard them with her life. I side-eye her, the corner of my lip curling, then follow Katniss to…wherever she’s going now.

I’m pretty sure I’d follow her to the ends of the earth.

Although, she’s only heading over to the Nature section again, and that’s not far.

Along the way, I see her stumble.

“Katniss?” Concerned, I quickly jog over to her, just in time for her to collapse. “Katniss!” I exclaim.

Fortunately, I’m able to reach out and catch her in my arms. I gently lower her to the floor with me and lay her head in my lap. Still conscious but peaked, she stares up at me, and if I wasn’t so concerned with her health right now, I’d be in heaven just looking in those eyes.

“Katniss!” Jo, likewise, calls out and comes rushing over.

“Uh, umm…” Katniss’s eyes dart confusedly from side to side; then she focuses back up on me. “I’m sorry…thank you.”

“It’s okay. You’re welcome.” I smile affectionately down at her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I think I just got a bit dehydrated. I’ll be fine.” Katniss goes to slide her head off my lap, but I hold onto her arms.

“No, don’t get up yet,” I say, gently but insistently. “Take your time. Go slowly.” Why do I feel like my advice is as much for my benefit as hers? Because, admittedly, I’m enjoying having this lovely lady’s head in my lap.

“I agree with Blondie.” Jo, who is kneeling down beside Katniss now, pokes her arm. “Stay down,” she hisses.

Katniss huffs. “This isn’t necessary, you two.”

Jo snorts. “It is necessary. What the hell, Brainless? Did you overdo it today? Were you on your feet all day? Did you go to the woods? Try to climb a tree?”

“I…yeah, I went to the woods, but I didn’t climb a tree,” she says.

Jo heaves a sigh, her breath spritzing me in the face. “You shouldn’t be doing that in your condition.”

In her condition?

Katniss scowls at Jo and hisses a sarcastic “Thanks a lot,” then looks up at me, her expression a mix between distressed and apologetic.

“I’m…I’m, uh, pregnant,” she says.

“Oh,” is my stupid reply. I did not expect that; I never would have guessed as there’s no visible baby bump‒her abdomen is perfectly flat. Either she’s not very far along or is just a super skinny girl.

Well, damn. There goes that dream down the toilet. She probably has a really handsome, doting husband at home who’s going to be as furious as Jo that she went to the woods today, in her condition. And to think I thought she might actually be flirting with me! Stupid! I really have lost all my skill with women.

Jo continues to rail on Katniss. “Do I need to call Gale‒?” she begins.

“No!” Katniss snaps, throwing her the filthiest look I’ve ever seen. Even though she’s clearly angry, I can’t help but find that dirty look cute, and kind of arousing…

Get it together, Peeta! This poor woman is lying in your lap on the floor, and you’re getting turned on by her scowl? What the hell’s the matter with you?

And then there’s this Gale Jo spoke of.

Gale must be her husband, or boyfriend. Well, I don’t know him, but I already hate him‒only because I’m insanely jealous.

“Gale doesn’t care about me,” she mutters.

Huh?

“Yeah, well, fuck him,” spats Jo. “Wasn’t really going to call him, unless it’s to get him down here, so I can beat his ass.”

“Don’t do that,” she mumbles weakly. She gives Jo a faint smile before squeezing her eyes shut. “I can take care of myself, anyway.”

“Then do it!” Katniss’s eyes snap open, and she looks up at her friend. “And if you won’t listen to me, maybe Blondie here can convince you…”

Jo turns to me, and I’m at a loss. I have no idea what’s going on or why I’m being implicated in this, but I suddenly realize I’ve been affectionately stroking back Katniss’s sweaty hair.

And it’s bliss.

And she doesn’t seem to mind one bit.

“Blondie, tell Brainless here that when you’re pregnant, you can’t push yourself as far as you normally would.”

Why does she think I would know anything about that? Even though, I do.

“Why would I listen to him?” Katniss snips. I’m not offended because I can tell she’s only saying it in defiance of Jo.

“Ohh, I dunno, maybe because you think he’s a fine piece of ass.”

My eyes go wide, and I blink rapidly. A stupid grin forms on my face. Really? Does she really think that? And how does Jo know? I need confirmation.

“Shut up.” Katniss glares over at Jo, then mutters half under her breath, “I hate you…”

“Love you, too, bitch.” Jo smirks impishly.

Well, I don’t like this Jo calling Katniss a bitch, but it kind of seems like their dynamic…?

Jo’s expression hardens, then, and she appears ready to go off on another tirade. Katniss seems to notice the storm brewing, too, for she looks up at me so helplessly my heart clenches in my chest.

And so, I send Jo off to fetch some water for Katniss. She could probably use it, and well, Katniss certainly seemed to want to get rid of her.

“You alright?” I ask once Jo is gone. “Feeling any better?” I continue stroking her hair. She hums contentedly at my ministrations and even shuts her eyes.

“Better, yes,” she murmurs.

Her eyes flutter open a few seconds later. “Much better now that she’s gone. What she said…” Katniss looks timidly up at me, and I smile.

“It’s okay,” I say. “No need to explain. Just relax.” She smiles softly, and her eyelashes flutter, her heavy-looking lids closing again.

Five or so minutes later, Katniss is seated in a cushy armchair in the empty Children’s section with a mug of water in her hand. I’m on the floor in front of her with my legs tucked under, looking up at her as if I’m a child and she’s about to read me a story.

Well, she is about to tell me one‒the story of her pregnancy.

Katniss takes a deep breath and begins. “My ex-boyfriend, Gale, never wanted to get married,” she tells me. “He didn’t want kids, either. Both our fathers died in a mining accident when we were young. I was 11; he was 13.”

I insert my sincere condolences, even if it is way after the fact.

She thanks me flatly and goes on to say, “My mother shut down after that, and I basically raised my younger sister, Prim. Likewise, Gale raised his two younger brothers and younger sister. His mother didn’t have a mental breakdown, or whatever you want to call it, like my mother did, but they were poor, like us, and his mother was working a lot, so he was usually the one feeding and taking care of his siblings. He and I used to go hunting to provide extra meat for our families, and when he was old enough, he went to work in the mines, too. Anyway, when I recently accidentally got pregnant, he said he didn’t want to raise another kid, said he couldn’t do it again; he wanted to focus on his life.”

“Wow, that’s‒” Selfish. Terrible… I could insert quite a few adjectives here, but I don’t know how Katniss would feel about me bashing her ex. Not only do I barely know her, but I’ve learned that no matter how bad an ex is, and even if your friend or partner is bashing them, too, it’s dangerous to join in. Sometimes they end up reconciling, and then they’re mad at you for what you said… Besides, I don’t like to judge people, or talk about them behind their backs, and what Katniss and her ex and their families went through was clearly a horrible ordeal. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that. And that you’re going through this, alone.”

“Oh, I’m not entirely alone. I’m not too far along, but I’ve already been getting help from family and friends. As you can see, some of them…have a penchant to hover and be overprotective.”

I grin. “Maybe that’s okay. Just means they care. I mean, I know I would…” I stop myself quickly.

She flushes.

“I guess so. It is nice. And I mean, even though I understood Gale’s feelings, I do kind of resent him for ditching me in this. It’s only gonna get harder.”

“Well,” I begin tentatively. “If you ever need any advice, I know a lot about pregnancy and birth. It’s only fair that I help you out the way you helped me out.”

For a second, I think I’ve gone too far, but then she gives me a smile so genuinely warm and grateful and sweet that I feel my insides liquify.

I decide to tell her my sob story, then, which is not nearly as sad as hers, though she seems troubled by it, even perturbed. While I appreciate her sympathy, I feel kind of bad‒my story is nothing compared to hers, although it’s not a comparison.

I switch gears and ask her about her pregnancy so far, if she wants to tell me. And surprisingly, she does want to talk about it.

We talk for some time while she sips at her mug of water, and I’m shocked when she asks me to join her at the coffee/tea shop next door. I practically beg her to stay before going up to order for us‒I suppose I have some abandonment issues; plus, I still can’t believe this beautiful woman is into me. Thankfully, she’s still there when I return with our tea‒a special raspberry leaf medicinal pregnancy tea she likes from there (with plenty of sugar) for her, and a green tea with no sugar for me.

We chat for a while longer; then she tells me she needs to go. I feel my stomach drop out as if I’m making the first descent on a roller coaster. This could be it. What if I never see her again? Aside from lurking around the bookstore, which would be incredibly creepy, I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to lose her, so, I take a risk and ask for her number‒you know, just in case I need more camping advice or she needs pregnancy advice. I’m fully prepared to be metaphorically shot down by her arrow, but to my great surprise, and elation, she gives it to me.

—– I’m giddy after meeting Katniss, actually giddy. I’ve never been this excited after meeting a woman, and I’ve never felt such a connection with a female since Delly. Maybe never, period. Somehow, this thing between Katniss and me feels so much more powerful than what I had with Delly. Maybe it’s simply the newness of it.

But after feeling so miserable for years, that’s a real feat. It’s such a strange sensation to feel so happy again when I never thought I could, aside from the moment my son was born and having a relationship with him, but I do. I’m hopeful. Maybe this could be real. Maybe Katniss Everdeen could even be ‘The One.’

Although, I’m scared. I’d thought Delly was ‘The One’ once, but clearly, she wasn’t. Or, maybe it doesn’t always work out with ‘the One.’ People are only human, after all. And maybe there can even be more than one ‘One.’ I don’t really know because I’m far more cynical than I used to be. All I know is, I can’t and won’t let Katniss go, so long as she wants me, too.

I don’t call her that night, even though I’m dying to, because I don’t want to seem too eager or desperate. I do, however, tell Ben about the pretty lady I met at the bookstore‒I simply can’t contain it any longer. I need to talk about her. I’m bursting with joy and hope, which I can tell Ben picks up on‒he’s a very empathetic child and has always been very attuned to my and other’s emotions.

I don’t often do this, but I ask him to keep it a secret from his mother. She’ll be all up in my business if and when she finds out.

Surely, she’ll be finding out eventually, though, because I’m planning for Katniss to be in my life.

I call my beautiful huntress three days later, and I swear Katniss sighs into the phone when she hears my voice. She’s been waiting for my call, which I discover later, after we’ve been talking for nearly a month. She even tells me she nearly demanded to know that day why I waited so long to call. And I can’t believe my luck. It seems I do have an effect on her the same way she does on me‒perhaps not to the same extent.

Katniss and I talk on the phone or text and get to know one another, regularly meeting up for lunch or a drink: chamomile or low-caffeine teas or juice, and hot cocoa, a favorite of hers, when the weather turns cooler. We do this for about six months before taking things any further. Trust me, it hasn’t been easy to wait, but I wanted Katniss to feel ready‒I think I was ready for her from the start.

I talk frequently about my lady friend to Ben, but I don’t introduce them just yet.

Katniss and I start dating right around Thanksgiving. I certainly know what I’m thankful for this year. Every year, it’s Ben, of course, but this year, I have two.

I’m insatiable for Katniss, though, because our relationship is new, and because of our slightly complicated situation (really, only in her mind), we take things slow. Regardless, it’s incredible. She’s incredible.

When I do introduce Katniss to Ben not long after, as my girlfriend, he adores her. He’s shy and intimidated by her at first, even whispers to me about how pretty she is, but once she starts talking about the woods, he’s a goner for her‒same as I was that very first day. If that wasn’t enough, she cinches his esteem and affection by gifting him the book she told me about, Benjamin the Brave.

We give it to him together, as a birthday gift, and that night, we take turns reading it to him.

Against my better judgment, I decide to bring Katniss to my family Thanksgiving. And it’s kind of a small disaster. Delly is there with Ben, being nosy about my new girlfriend, and over a ton of food, there are whisperings (most not-so-subtle) about Katniss’s condition. It’s pretty obvious she’s pregnant.

It goes well enough for a while, though. Katniss is nuts over the food, especially the baked goods. I remind her that I come from a long line of bakers, so they should be incomparable.

The cat is finally let out of the bag when my middle brother, Rye, being the moron he is, outright asks me if my girlfriend is pregnant or if she’s just a little chubby. I nearly hurl my fork at his head.

Katniss excuses herself, then, and I follow to check on her. I catch up to her outside the bathroom. She’s a tad emotional, though not crying, just shaking a bit and wearing a sort of deer in headlights, panicked expression. I hug her tightly and promise to beat the crap out of my brother. She tells me it’s not that, that she’s just feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. I ask her if she wants to go, and she says no. I ask her what I can do to make it better, and she proceeds to tell me we should just get it over with, and tell my family everything right now.

And so, we got back, and I get everyone’s attention. I clear my throat and prepare to make a little speech…

“This is my girlfriend, Katniss,” I begin. “She’s 27 years old. She loves reading, camping, hiking, and hunting. She loves drinking herbal tea with tons of sugar and hot cocoa. She adores my cheese buns.” I smile sappily over at her, and she smiles right back at me. “Yes, she’s pregnant. No, it’s not my baby. She was pregnant when I met her, and I think she was very brave to do it without a partner for a while. But I don’t want her to be without one anymore. I won’t let her be. I’m madly in love with her, and I’m going to stay by her side through all of it.”

The last part of my statement clearly hits Delly, and I wonder what she’s thinking. From her raised brow and slack jaw, I imagine she’s shocked I’d do such a thing. She should know better, though. If I was willing to be there for the woman who cheated on me, why wouldn’t I be there for the woman I’m in love with, who’s been nothing but devoted to me? One might say, well, that was your child and this isn’t. But that doesn’t matter to me. I’m already hopelessly attached and in love with Katniss’s unborn child, same as I am with her, and maybe it’s too soon to even be thinking this, but if she’ll have me, I hope to one day call Katniss’s baby mine, too.

“Well, you sure summed that up, didn’t you?” Katniss whispers.

“I, uh…” I open my mouth, then snap it shut. “Is there…anything I need to apologize for?” I ask.

Katniss smirks slightly and shakes her head. “No, I think you said it just right. Succinct. Couldn’t have done better myself.”

I’m so relieved she’s not angry that I chuckle and lean over and kiss her cheek. I don’t care that they’re all watching. I’d plant one one her lips right now if my son weren’t watching. But Ben doesn’t say yuck or cover his eyes or look away, like most boys his age would; instead, he gives me a smile and a little thumbs-up. I always knew my son was something special.

I lean over again and whisper “I love you” in Katniss’s ear. Then I nip her earlobe, and she giggles. She looks into my eyes, and even though I’m not expecting anything, again, I’m hopeful.

“I love you, too,” she whispers back, and my heart nearly bursts from happiness.

I ask her to move in with me two weeks later, and she surprises me yet again by saying yes.

Another utterly perfect, exquisite being comes into this world on January 1st, a tiny, dark-haired girl with olive skin and gray eyes, who looks almost exactly like Katniss. We call her Serene, short for Serendipity. —– The following Thanksgiving, we’re headed to dinner with my family, this time with our 10-month-old daughter‒yes, we consider her ‘our’ daughter, even though she’s not biologically mine‒in tow.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #autumn #autumn 2021 #jhsgf82 #submission #prompt

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sapphirelycoris · 3 years

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hi, so u’re taking requests, and if it’s not much trouble, can i have an ushijima fluff? the team r surprised that his s/o is the total opposite of him and yadda, yadda.. tia :D

Author's note: Hey anon 👋🏽! Thank you so much for my first request! Also, since you didn’t specify a gender, I’ll keep it gender neutral. I hope this is what you were looking for!

Ship: Wakatoshi Ushijima x gn!reader (you, your)

Warnings: Not proofread?

Ushijima with an S/O who's the complete opposite of him.

Shiratorizawa

Alright, let’s set the scene here real quick. You and Ushijima got together at some point before your third year of high school. You just never really got around to telling people about your relationship.

So it’s not necessarily secret but it isn’t common knowledge either.

Let’s imagine that it's two/three weeks into the new year and you're wondering how your boyfriend is getting along with the new first years.

He could be pretty blunt and hard to get along with at first. You worried for the new players and how they would respond to his straightforward personality. It's just how he is.

Now you on the other hand... you're very expressive. People can tell when you're happy, sad, etc. You can get a bit rowdy and a tad bit emotional.

Sometimes you can get a little indirect and roundabout with what you're trying to say, mainly to sound less harsh and spare someone's feelings. Contrasting to Ushijima, you tend to find lots of minor meanings in a jokes someone tells.

One day after volleyball practice, you peek into the gym to see the team dynamic.

After Ushijima finishes a conversation, he waves at you and you walk over to him.

Many of the second and third years know you but your relationship to their captain is a mystery. (Due to no PDA in front of others, pet names, overall couple-y behavior.)

"Who is this?" Goshiki inquires.

"This is (Name)." Your boyfriend responds dryly, not diving into your relationship.

"Yep, I'm (Name). Wakatoshi's S/O."

I can just picture everyone who knows you just has their jaw hanging. There are some hushed "what"s "they're really dating Ushijima?"

Some of them might also finally understand why you're so close all of the time and the wheels in their head start turning.

It's kind of a light bulb moment. Like, "Ah. This explains a lot."

Your overall demeanor is completely different from Ushijima's. You're approachable and sweet. Not the least bit threatening. And you're standing next to that intimidating giant of a man.

It's almost like seeing day and night right next to each other.

Of course, you two are going to get hit with so many questions. How you met, how you got together, who asked who out. Y'know, normal things couples get asked.

"How come I never knew!?" Tendō asks in disbelief.

"We kind of just assumed you knew."

You're immediately accepted by all of the members and treat you like you're part of the team. When Ushijima gives them some harsh criticism, you can expect them to run to you for some words of encouragement.

You get the best seats at games, the players' protection 24/7.

Word kind of spreads through the school and now you're officially known to the public as Ushijima's S/O.

At the end of the day, they'd all still be quite amazed how a bright ball of energy is with a stoic and usually speechless guy like Ushijima.

But, it really doesn't matter what people thought of you two because you both would stick with each other till the end.

Everyone could see how well you worked together, what one lacked, the other one covered for. It was a healthy and wholesome relationship that proves opposites can attract.

#ushijima x you #ushijima fic #hq ushijima #ushijima x reader #ushijima imagine #ushijima scenarios #ushijima headcanons #wakatoshi ushijima #wakatoshi x y/n #wakatoshi x reader #ushijima drabble #hq x reader #wakatoshi x you

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oh-hush-its-perfect · 3 years

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do you think there is any significance that alex's colour scheme is green and pink? or do you think rr went "u know what this character needs? to look like a watermelon"

((Prefacing this by saying that I'm giving RR way too much credit here, but you shouldn't take anything an author does for granted— even a serial author who often makes blunders and mistakes.))

A while ago I saw a (pretty unfair) assumption that RR made it green and pink because blue and pink would be too obvious, but that his intention was obviously to reinforce the gender binary by using two distinctly gendered colors for a character with two distinct genders. Of course, they did not phrase it so delicately. No offense to whoever made that post, but I disagree.

Although that may have had to do with it, there's other things to consider. One of them is color symbolism. And oh. OH. I ADORE symbolism— especially flower/plant symbolism (Language of the Flowers and all that jazz), seasonal symbolism (there's a reason that evermore is my second favorite Taylor Swift album), and color symbolism.

GREEN

Let's talk about green first. Green can symbolize a lot of different things, and there are a few that can be applied to Alex's character. The most obvious thing that green often represents is jealousy— hence the expression "green with envy." But envy is not really one of Alex's character traits. Feel free to argue with me if you think that Alex is significantly envious. Just because I couldn't think of substantial textual evidence for it does not mean that there isn't any.

One of the traits that Alex does have is wealth. Green is the color of American currency, and since both RR and Alex are American, it's safe to take an American lens while looking at this color. Alex's socioeconomic background effects her in a big way. I mentioned in a previous post that I think that Alex's fatal flaw is her sense of entitlement. That kind of entitlement is a quality not exclusive to but common among the upper class. However, her distance from her wealthy background enhances the sense of irony in the story, which is a VERY big thing that we NEVER talk about within the fandom.

This is kind of a little thing, but it's worth noting that when it comes to Valhalla and everything, Alex is "green"— as in new and inexperienced.

The color green also emphasizes Alex's connection with nature. This is one of the parts of Alex's character that the fandom consistently underplays, which is an absolute shame. I don't think I have to explain why the color green is associated with all things natural. Alex's association with nature provides a few key things to her character:

It makes her a more well-rounded character. Another criticism of Alex I believe is totally unfounded is that "being genderfluid is her only personality trait because it influences her philosophy on pottery, which is her only hobby." I'm probably going to make another post in, like, a few minutes about why I find that argument a little silly, but the primary problem is that pottery is not Alex's only hobby. She also loves camping, hiking, and ice wall climbing (I bet y'all forgot about that last one!)

It gives her a connection with Magnus. I mentioned in a previous post that Magnus and Alex are foils, but I neglected to bring up why that also makes for very good chemistry between them. Of course, yes, they have different goals and philosophy, which is what makes them foils in the first place. But foil relationships function best when the characters also share some traits. As it turns out, Alex and Magnus share several hobbies, and one of them is a mutual love for nature. This is a very unexplored thing in fics. Start doing it more plz.

Finally, and this one's kind of minor, but the Alex's green gives her a connection to Natalie. I know, whenever Alex and Natalie are compared, either in canon or in fandom, everybody kind goes "eww. Oedipus complex." Which is very fair and true. But they really do have a lot of similarites. The green of Alex's hair and clothes connects her to the green of Natalie's eyes. It's worth saying, too, that Alex has one amber eye— and amber is pretty close to dirty blonde, like Natalie's hair.

If I had more faith in RR, I might bring up the concept of intextuality and how Alex wearing green is an allusion to The Great Gatsby and how Alex is elusive to Magnus, just like Daisy is to Gatsby. But I don't.

PINK

To give credit to the person who wrote the post I mentioned at the beginning of this spiel, I do believe that part of the reason pink was used was to support femininity. Please keep in mind that Alex dresses in an androgynous way— not that there is an actually "gendered" way to dress, since gender as we perceive it is mostly made up. But Alex's existence as a transfemme person (which I will maintain until my dying day) means that pink has a certain significance to her. A lot of AMAB people embrace traditionally feminine things because if they don't, they will not be accepted as genuine women or genuine nonbinary folks, since masculine dress is unisex and kind of the default. So Alex wearing pink probably had something to do with her gender, yes. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, and it's certainly not an unrealistic thing.

Speaking of Alex's gender in relation to the color pink, let's talk about pink's use as a queer rights symbol. Alex was RR's first character to be introduced as a queer character from the start. This was not an insignificant thing, especially in the year of our Lord 2016 (which, despite popular belief, seriously had an entirely different landscape of queer rep. Though it's commonplace now to include genderqueer characters, it was exceptional at the time— especially by such an accomplished and mainstream children's author.).

Let's go back in time to Nazi Germany. Some of you might know this, but for those of you don't this transition must seem jarring. I swear there's a point. In addition to Jews, Romani individuals, people with disabilities, and Poles (among others), gay men were victimized by the Nazis. If you're wondering why lesbians weren't persecuted, it's because the Nazis didn't see them as a serious political threat, or as a threat to the perpetuation of the Aryan race since they assumed gay women could be forcefully impregnated if need be. Yeah, ew. Anyway, much like the Star of David being used to mark Jewish people, gay men were forced into concentration camps and forced to wear a pink triangle. Years later, after the gay population somewhat recovered, the pink triangle was reclaimed and used as a symbol for gay men. Some people who were not gay men used it, too, but that's somewhat controversial since it wasn't their symbol to reclaim. When the first pride flag was created, it had a pink stripe at the top to signify sex (this was later dropped so flags could be more easily produced). The pink triangle (inverted) was used during the AIDs epidemic with the caption "Silence=Death."

My point is that this is a very important color to queer folks. Having one of the first genderfluid characters in kid's lit wear pink...... I mean, it makes sense.

The last and final thing that pink represents, in this context and in general, is innocence. Granted, this kind of connects to feminitity since women (especially white women) are often infantalized and seen as innocent— which is another issue. In any case, the use of pink to represent innocence in Alex's dress is ironic. Alex has been robbed of her childhood innocence, first by her abusive parents, then by her life on the streets, and then by her eventual death at age sixteen. But then she actually regains her innocence. At the beginning of the—

Hold on. I just had a revelation. I'll make a post about it soon.

At the beginning of SotD, Alex is acting a little childish. The most obvious example is him jumping on Randolph's bed to "make noise." Alex's life is stable and relatively healthy for the first time in the years, and she experiences something that a lot of queer folks experience: a re-emergence of childhood at a late stage.

I imagine you didn't expect a post this long. I either make essay responses to asks or I add on one sentence and post it. Oops. Anyway, I believe the mcga fandom can be more creative than calling Alex a watermelon. Here are some other (kinda romantic) pink-and-green alternatives:

Roses

Dragonfruit

Grapefruit

Cherry blossom trees

#mcga #magnus chase #alex fierro #mcatgoa #magnus chase and the gods of asgard #sorry for the long response lol #thanks for the ask! I had a go of it!

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shiroganeryo · 3 years

Text

Komui's Discussion Room content (DGM 27)

Volume 27 has been released recently here in Brazil and I realized the remaining of Komui’s Discussion Room were nowhere to be found in English, but after reading all of it, I thought there are very interesting things hence why I wanted to share!

Please bear in mind this is not a direct translation, but a summary.

I have a lot of criticism when it comes to Viz Media’s release (official English), but I’m quite content with the work Panini, the distributor of D.Gray-Man in Brazil, has done so far with the official Portuguese release. If there are any mistakes, please bear in mind I translated the information directly from their version.

There are 11 questions covered in this summary. For the others, please check Jeidafei’s translations on them (totally recommend it!): Part 1 | Part 2 | Author's note & Thanks Corner | Extra

Without further ado, let’s get into it! This got very long.

≫ Kanda hasn’t reached the “critical point” in synchronization yet (+ why Allen isn’t a General)

In the question “How did Kanda hide having gone past the critical point”, Tiedoll answers that he actually has the potential it takes to do it but hasn’t done it yet. Still on the same question, they answer a related question about Allen’s critical point: “If Allen has reached the critical point, why wasn’t he appointed to become a general during the Order’s reconstruction?”

Allen replies that it was impossible at that time since Central was keeping watch over him. Tiedoll adds that he’s also too young and the only one able to operate the Ark, the latter making Central even more suspicious of him. General Cross’s reputation also seems to have played a part in this, having the higher-ups deem Allen as someone they couldn’t trust enough.

Ryo’s note: Allen thanks Tiedoll for putting his thoughts about Cross into words and Cross simply laughs it off. XD

≫ Sleeping positions

They get asked about their sleeping positions. Tiedoll describes how Kanda sleeps with detail (when younger, in fetal position; nowadays, he sleeps lying on his side, preferentially the right side).

Allen comments that Johnny sleeps sprawled on the floor or the desk and that everyone in the Science Division sleeps like this; when he first saw it, he got concerned thinking something tragic had happened. Johnny says it’s comfortable to sleep like this, but Allen isn’t so sure.

Cross comments on how Allen sleeps; he mentions he likes to sleep hugging something and when he can’t do it, he complains until falling asleep. Allen gets flustered and claims that he got used to sleeping with Tim because he used to be big, but is over it nowadays. Johnny remembers Link used to tell him not to sleep with the piggy-bank, to which Allen replies that it was “not a sleeping position, but survival instincts”.

Kanda comments on how he brought a ton of food to the infirmary one time and says it was annoying to listen to him eating nonstop. Allen replies with sarcasm (“sorry for needing to eat to recover my energies”).

Cross sleeps naked, with his arms open (according to Allen).

Tiedoll sleeps on his stomach, blanket over his face.

Ryo’s note: The time Kanda is referring to is in Chapter 135 (135th Night: Repose, Partly Cloudly).

≫ The symbol on the CROWs' foreheads

Cross replies that it’s probably the compulsory mark of the procedure that transforms regular people in CROWs. Tiedoll says that Cross knows a lot, as expected of someone who’s able to use magic –he shrugs off the compliment – and Kanda asks when and how exactly someone like him learned it. He angrily says he didn’t learn it anywhere and ends the question at Allen’s remark that he always gets angry when people ask.

Ryo’s note: This is interesting. Could imply he was the one to teach magic to Nea (and the Earl himself?), and not the other way around. But, it’s also possible he just didn’t want to answer.

≫ “What is something you find impressive on the other, but have never admitted?”

Johnny decides to start with Kanda and Allen, and the two exchange insults for several lines.

Johnny then passes the baton to the Generals, who do the exact same as their apprentices.

Johnny ends the question with a thank you and sweating nervously.

Ryo’s note: By “insults”, I mean things like Kanda calling Allen a crybaby, and Allen saying Kanda’s dumb. Tiedoll calls Cross a delinquent; Cross calls him “doting dad”. The list goes on…

≫ The time Kanda spent with General Tiedoll right after becoming his apprentice (+ Allen’s time with Cross)

They are asked what was the most outstanding episode from such a time, and Kanda absentmindedly says he forgot. Tiedoll seems disappointed, stating they had made so many marvelous memories together, to which Kanda replies “please stop talking in this weird way”.

Allen asks how the travels were, and Tiedoll says the most important at that time was to take care of mending Kanda’s heart. They spent much time talking about amenities, having contact with plants and animals and admiring beautiful landscapes. Tiedoll believes that getting in touch with beautiful things can help to connect with the world, despite carrying the burden of being a Second; he wanted Kanda to feel like regular people feel about the world.

Johnny and Allen are touched, and the latter comments how jealous he is. Cross then reminds Allen of how many bedsheets he had to wash because of him, making him flustered. He then goes on to remind how not only he did that but also had to feed him – Tiedoll comments on how it seems impossible to imagine Cross doing all that – and even help him change many times.

Allen’s embarrassment reaches the maximum and he threatens to beat Cross if he keeps talking about that.

≫ Stories of when Kanda and Lenalee were little

Kanda tries to shrug the question off, but Johnny insists they answer. Tiedoll says that the two of them were really cute, just like two lilies that bloomed inside the gray scenery of the Order; Kanda tells him to stop.

Allen is uninterested in Kanda, but wants to hear about Lenalee. Cross asks him if he likes her, and says he thought he had a girlfriend in the Asian Branch already. Allen denies it and says both LouFa and Lenalee are his friends; Cross laughs, saying he doesn’t judge, and Allen nearly snaps in irritation (again).

Johnny moves on to answer the question; Kanda is against it, but Tiedoll holds him in place. Johnny tells that Jiji told him that at first, Kanda would be asked if Lenalee could train with him, but he would shrug her off saying he didn’t want to train with a girl, which would make her cry.

Every time Kanda made Lenalee cry, she would run off to Reever. In reality, Johnny thinks she wanted to talk to Komui instead, but she thought he was busy and didn’t want to bother him, resulting in her crying at Reever’s desk. Tiedoll and Allen are weeping at it (they thought it’s cute).

While Reever comforted Lenalee, Marie would appear bringing Kanda along, who had no idea how to apologize, while Lenalee would bashfully hide inside Reever’s lab coat. This kept happening until he eventually accepted to train with her.

Johnny starts telling another story involving Kanda’s meditation and Lenalee coming back tired from a mission, but Kanda interrupts him. Allen says it’s being fun and tells him not to bother.

Kanda tells him to shut up, calling him a bedwetter. Allen snaps (again).

Ryo’s note: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

≫ “Who amongst the Noah would Allen best go along with? Hypothetically speaking.”

Allen and Kanda are worn out from fighting (see the previous question); Johnny is giving them calming tea. Tiedoll says that it seems Allen and Tyki Mikk looked friendly when talking to each other, and Allen interjects saying they’re not friends and that Tyki doesn’t respect the notion of personal space.

He then goes on to say he doesn’t imagine himself being friends with any Noah because they lack common sense. Cross mentions Road and how she’s always being flirty with him, which makes Allen tell him to stop implying things, while sounding unsure about being friends with her or not.

Johnny asks if Allen is embarrassed and reminds Road kissed him. He denies being embarrassed and says that kissing is just a form of greeting for her (he’s sweating nervously while saying so). He adds that, on top of that, he feels like Road sees someone else when she looks at him.

Cross seems amused.

Ryo’s note: This answer is very interesting. It seems to confirm the theory that Road had some kind of connection with past!Allen. We won’t know for sure until it’s revealed, but it does seem to imply such a thing.

≫ The taste of Innocence + the Crystal Type Innocence + Exorcist supplies + Cross suspiciously knowing about the Bookman clan

A reader asks how did Innocence taste like when liquefied; Kanda says it tastes like nothing, similar to water.

Johnny points out the wounds that formed after their Innocence became Crystal types and if they don’t hurt. Kanda says that at the time they don’t, but such wounds won’t heal even with his healing ability – which he concludes makes sense since it’s from where the blood comes out to form the weapons.

Johnny mentions that the Science Division (Komui, more specifically) made Lenalee pills that will prevent anemia. Still on that subject, Allen remembers people had asked what goes inside the bags the Exorcists carry on their uniforms. Johnny says they carry first-aid kits, disinfectants, anti-hemorrhagic meds, and things of the sort. Miranda and Timothy carry sweets with a high intake of calories, Krory carries Akuma blood sweets and Lavi and Bookman asked for migraine meds.

Tiedoll says they are nothing without the support of the Science Division and thanks them. Allen asks about Lavi and Bookman getting migraines. Cross mentions it’s probably from an occupational disease because storing that much information and memories can wreck your head over time.

Allen comments again that he seems to know a lot about the Bookman Clan, and that it’s very suspicious. Cross magnificently shrugs off the question.

≫ Allen’s cheating

Allen gets asked if he becomes bad at luck games (i.e gambling) in case he doesn’t cheat. He says that a bet on luck always rewards something even if gains are small, but Johnny says he’s really bad at things like rock-paper-scissors. Kanda thinks he was just in denial about admitting he’s unlucky.

When scolded by Kanda, Allen says it was a matter of survival and that he never cheated good people on; just bad people.

Johnny says living like this is dangerous and that he should stop; Allen apologizes and says he needs money, and if anything, he can use his Innocence.

Cross is amused and sounds proud. Tiedoll regrets Cross’s influence on Allen.

≫ About Link

Allen gets asked if he has ever seen Link smile, to which he responds he has tried making him laugh/smile, but never could do it. Johnny says that everyone from Central is very serious, especially Link. Tiedoll thinks that it might be forbidden to smile when their superior is Director Lvellie.

Allen goes on to ramble about how Link complained about everything: when he had food on his face after or during eating, asking him to redo reports because they were illegible despite Reever being able to read, scolding him for not drying his hair after going out of the bath because he could get a cold, and how he was a shame for not folding his uniform properly before putting it away.

Cross asks him, “what was he? Your mother?” and Allen says he didn’t get annoyed at him. He wonders if all moms are like this.

Johnny says people were worried when he was assigned to watch Allen, but in the end, Link went along well with everyone and confirms that Allen liked him as well. He also states that Allen’s reports became a lot easier to read thanks to him.

Ryo’s note: Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary folks: it’s Link appreciation time! *tips hat* Also Allen wondering about how mothers treat their children was just precious, even if it’s a throwaway comment.

≫ The vibe at the Black Order

In the question “Who runs faster, Komui or Reever?”, Johnny says that he thinks Reever is faster; Allen adds that Komui cheats by using Komurin, though. Kanda gets annoyed and tells them they (at the Science Division) should make Komui behave accordingly to his role. Johnny sniffs and says that they try.

Tiedoll says that it’s actually good that Komui is cheerful because the Order used to be a very different place until he took over the post, and that he (Tiedoll) disliked the gloomy aura it used to have. Allen remembers Lenalee commented about it once and asks if the Order was really this different back then. Tiedoll says that even if it’s been built with a noble purpose, human beings aren’t perfect and a lot of things get distorted over a hundred years. He recommends Allen to ask For about it, as she has existed ever since the Order was founded and protects it to this day.

Allen is sad and comments he wants to visit the Asian Branch again someday. Johnny says he’ll go with Allen, but the latter says he would want to eat Jeryy’s food again before that. Cross sneers and wishes good luck.

They wrap it up at this, and both Kanda and Allen look very happy about being done with the Discussion Corner (as noted by Johnny). Tiedoll bids Cross adieu, and says “rest in peace, Marian” – to which he replies “don’t treat me like a ghost”.

Allen says he knows Cross is an illusion created by his weakness, but that he was happy to see him (in reference to the 222nd Night: Searching for A.W - Hypokrisis). Cross tells him not to exaggerate.

Johnny is content that they could finally keep it to the ideal number of pages – something the Discussion Corner is known to usually have trouble with. Tiedoll says that if they had gone overboard, the next issue’s Discussion Corner would be canceled, and wraps up thanking everyone who has cared about Yu so far and asks that people keep cheering for him.

Johnny thanks the readers for sending their questions. Allen and Kanda are relieved it’s over.

Ryo’s note: And that’s it! Man, this got LONG. Thank you very much for reading until the end. Can’t wait for the next Discussion Room, the way Tiedoll worded it makes it seem like it’ll be on the next volume, 28. I’m excited!

If you're interested in seeing more DGM content from me, feel free to check my masterlist here.

#d.gray-man #d.gray man #komui's discussion corner #komui's lounge #Allen Walker #Johnny Gill #Kanda Yuu #Cross Marian #Froi Tiedoll #DGM #I sure hope I didn't count wrong the number of questions #math isn't my forte at all #as for the palette requests: I'm currently working on them!

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