#ciara’s guides | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ciaraloves · 2 years

Text

how to "get shit done": uni work addition

hi loveliest people so this is a sort of guide to how i get through uni work without going completely insane (make no mistake there is still some insanity present). I hope you find it helpful, or at least entertaining,

(disclaimer cause this is the internet: these work for me, they may not work for you)

table of contents:

a. date it

b. set reminders

c. how to stay on top of it

d. how to get on top of it if you aren't already

e. learn when your brain needs a break

f. uni is a full time job, treat it as such

A. date it

okay the first thing i do at the beginning of every semester is put uni dates in my calendar.

Term dates: when your term starts, when it ends, and your holidays. this is not just for information purposes but also so you have something to look forward to. additionally, it helps later on when you have to plan out assignment and test dates.

Assignment/ test dates: scour through the course outlines of all your courses and put every single date into your calendar. every assignment, every test, anything you have to submit goes in. that includes things like "weekly quizzes". make it a recurring date and chuck it in there.

B. set reminders

so i usually do this in my calendar but if you have a reminders app, or prefer other ways to set reminders then use that.

these reminders are not to make you feel bad for not doing work, it's to hold you responsible for your work. if you know you spiral at the idea of seeing a reminder when you haven't done work, this strategy may not work for you. don't give up, something will work. keep trying and have patience with yourself

if you know something is approaching it's easier to plan your life and your tasks around it. if you never know how long you have or you're always scrambling to figure out when something is due your mind is so focused on the dates it has no time for the work

Assignment reminders:

2 weeks before // 1 week before // 3 days before // 1 day before // 10 minutes before // on time of event

Test reminders:

1 week before // 3 days before // 1 day before // 1 hour before // on time of event

I know this may be excessive but if you're someone like me who constantly forgets things, it is very helpful to keep yourself on track

okay trust me you got this! i promise it's not as bad as it looks. right onto readings and assignments.

C. how to stay on top of it

do one reading per course per day: this is non-negotiable. trust me it is the easiest way to get through readings for a week.

if you have four courses of five readings each you will end up doing four readings a day from Monday to Friday. it is workable and you can do it. uni is fucking difficult and everyone has a story about why they're there but i promise you if you're there, the selection processes decided you were capable enough to handle it. and you are. if you can, start a week earlier so you're a little ahead otherwise it's totally okay.

2. start research for assignments 2 weeks before it is due. this will give you time and space to sort through what is relevant, useful, or should be discarded.

i have a folder for each assignment where all my research goes. within this folder there are three other folders: a. done and dusted b. too long/ not relevant c. could be helpful if i cared enough

and as i go through each paper/article/etc. i sort it into one of the three folders

while i am doing my research i also have a google doc open (shortcut that saved my life btdubs: "doc.new" directly into the browser search bar) that i write notes on.

a. things i think will help support my arguments b. things i found interesting c. themes that keep cropping up in the literature (advantages, disadvantages, limitations, concepts, theories, future directions) d. things i disagree with and will either argue against or find some way to bitch about (seriously have fun with your assignments) e. statistics

3. study notes should be your understanding of the topic:

it is beneficial to write the heading and then write as much as you can on what you know even if it's random words muddled on a page. then fill in using lecture notes, anything in your readings you found helpful, and obviously your course sources like textbooks.

the most important piece of advice i can give you for study notes is: MAKE THEM FUNNY AND WITHOUT FILTER you do not have to sound professional, you do not have to sound like you're writing a textbook. i am dead serious:

here's an excerpt from my clinical psychology study notes in 3rd year: Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder: set a boundary between what we would consider to be normal and appropriate grieving behaviour and what we could consider to be disordered or inappropriate grieving behaviour. (literally the dumbest thing i've ever heard? Who are we to tell people they’re grieving wrong????)

D. how to get on top of it if you aren't already

If you’re already behind but you’re attending class, leave the work you’re behind on in the past. (yes that was meant to rhyme).

Spend one weekend going through lecture slides and lecture content only. Don’t worry about the readings for the lectures, just leave those. If you don’t understand what’s happening then go and do readings. Skim the abstracts of those readings and if they look like they’re not going to help you don’t do them.

Reach out to your lecturer or tutor or supervisor and say:

“Good day [name/honorific] I am struggling to understand [this topic] despite working through the lecture notes and readings on it. Please may I have some guidance as to how I can better understand this. (alternative: please can I see you during your office hours for a brief explanation and further resources to help me better understand the topic) Hope to hear back soon! [sign off]”

then apply all this to the above on assignments and study notes.

E. learn when your brain needs a break

sometimes you really just have to shut down. sometimes your brain is saying "if you don't give me a break right now i am going to do it for us and it is going to get ugly". please listen. do whatever you need to.

a. sleep for an entire day, hell an entire weekend.

b. binge watch something

c. read something

d. go out

e. go on a hike

f. stay with a friend

g. visit your parents

F. uni is a full time job, treat it as such

i cannot stress enough that uni literally is a large, possibly the biggest part, of your life. it is very difficult to sideline it without getting overwhelmed.

however, that doesn't mean you don't deserve time off. give yourself insurance, free healthcare, an understanding boss. you are not a robot. you are living, and alive, and you need many things to keep you that way. work alone is not going to help. but play alone is not going to help either. find the balance that works for you by listening to yourself. and then stick to the balance.

goodluck beautiful beans. i believe in you wholeheartedly <3

if you have any questions my ask box is always open. and if you want more detail for anything let me know!

#ciara’s convos #university #uni #university advice #academic advice #academics #ciara’s guides

401 notes · View notes

tacticalhimbo · 3 months

Text

—OCS and CORE THEMES

tagged by the gorgeous @perpetuagf , who also made the banner in this post and has me STILL cryin over them 🩷 anyway, putting the oc(s) through this uquiz [ link ] ! i'm gonna steal the tag list from my last few posts so sorry for the spam! these are always no pressure tags, so dw if you wanna skip over any 🩷 @vendettavalor (always love tagging ur rp blog for these hehe) , @ollierachnid , @alexxmason , @kourumi , @carlosoliveiraa , @scarfacemarston , @bbrocklesnar , and anybody else who wants to hop on!

this is the last post i had drafted so yippee! also last one i'll do tonight because i'm too lazy to format anything else—

THE FRIEND

you love to feel the warmth of a friend's hand in yours. food tastes better when it is made by a friend. you are kind and forgiving, and you treat your friends with ultimate compassion. you love your friends. you are grateful for every friend that comes and goes in your life. you miss many friends. you wish more friends kept in contact with you. you wish that you were not so forgiving sometimes but everyone has their vices. your friends take precedence over everyone. you would not be anywhere without them. you want to, one day, hold them up, too. you want to be someone depended on - someone needed. you want to be needed by somebody. you want to be wanted in the same way you want.

your painting is "the three friends" by sebastian straub.

#txt #pic #my ocs #heather 💕#OUGHHH.... this one hits #esp. when you consider the dynamic she has with mortimer #which is. hm. not great.#grooming her to step up and take the place of marjorie if/when she rejects his notion to return the white gloves to tradition (cannibalism)#placing ciara as his most trusted confidante and putting the burden of responsibility on her #to a degree that the closeness those two have has been designed from the start #him guiding her for his own motives versus her genuinely feeling wanted/cared for and all #that last line especially just. OUGH.

4 notes · View notes

the100thballoon · 11 months

Text

the best YA sapphic books i've read, aka some fluffy book recs

The Gay Girl's Guide to Ruining Prom by Siera Maley

When Zoey's friend Skylar gets stood up at prom, Skylar sends her on a mission: revenge. Zoey sets out to find Chelsea, capture her heart, and then abandon her. The only problem is, Chelsea and Zoey have history.

I LOVED this book. It's one of my top comfort reads; it's well-written, neatly paced, ✨fun✨ at some points and heart-melty at others. 6/5 give it a read!

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

Ruby is a cheerleader, slated to cheer for (and by extension, seduce) the new quarterback, Jack, who's just transferred from a nearby school for senior year. Only, Jack is short for Jaclyn. Homophobia, misplaced grief, and keeping up appearances pose a serious threat to Ruby and Jack's budding relationship.

Another comfort read. Dahlia Adler is such a talented author, and this is for sure one of her best works.

The Falling-in-Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

TBH, I don't remember a lot about this book- it's been a minute and I'm too lazy to look up the synopsis. Basically a girl meets her best friend's swoony cousin and they make a pact to act out all the romcom tropes- without the falling-in-love part. Obviously.

Like I said, it's been a hot minute since I read this, but it was one of the first WLW romances I read, and it has a special place in my heart. It's also fucking HILARIOUS.

#dahlia adler #siera maley #ciara smyth #the gay girl's guide to ruining prom #home field advantage #the falling in love montage #sapphic #wlw #lgbtq #sapphic books #book recs

3 notes · View notes

shy-sapphic-ace · 5 months

Text

List of queer books I read, loved & recommend!

(There isn't any particular order, I wrote these as I remembered them)

Master Of One - Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett (mlm, fantasy, very cool worldbuilding and magic system, funny, cool characters)

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree (wlw, fantasy, very soft & chill vibes)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw, high fantasy, cool worldbuilding, kinda reminds me of LOTR but with more dragons and feminism and lesbians)

Even Though I Knew The End - C.L. Polk (wlw, supernatural noir, cool 1930s detective story with angels & demons, I loved this one!)

The Love Interest - Cale Dietrich (mlm, science fiction, very cool concept)

The Darkest Part Of The Forest - Holly Black (side mlm, fantasy, cool fae lore)

The Weight Of The Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw, not quite science fiction but space stuff is involved, lovely and complex characters)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz (mlm, fiction, very nice in general, there is also a sequel)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee (mlm, historical and vaguely fantasy, nice story but I preferred the sequel honestly)

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (wlw, the sequel to the one before, more fantasy elements than the first, asexual main character!!)

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (no romance, but in the background one of the characters(?) uses they/them pronouns, very cool dark fantasy vibe)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (gay main character, trans main character, coming-of-age, nice book)

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (yes it's the Love, Simon book, mlm, fiction, pretty nice)

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm, sci-fi ish but mostly fiction, cool ideas, but the ending is sad! Very amazing book though, I haven't read the prequel yet)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw, bi main character, historical fiction, cool story, just a neat book in general)

This Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (wlw, sci-fi, very cool time travel stuff!! and very beautiful, it felt like reading poetry most of the time)

One Last Stop - Casey McQuinston (wlw, background trans & pan & queer characters, sci-fi or fantasy idk, but time travel, I loooved this book, great)

The House In The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, THIS BOOK oh my gosh you should read it!!, just cute and lovely and good)

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, this book is also sooo amazing, great character development and awesome relationships and stuff, it's been a while since I read it but it was so good)

And They Lived... - Steven Salvatore (nblm, fiction, about gender identity and learning to love yourself, read it a while ago but it was very nice)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nblm, fiction, about finding your identity and people who care about you, very cute and sweet)

The Song Of Achilles - Madeleine Miller (mlm, historical, very good in general)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm, background wlw in the third book, fantasy, it's a trilogy, basically Harry Potter if it was gay and also better)

Silver In The Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm, fantasy, very pretty, lots of fae stuff and lovely descriptions, it has a really good sequel too)

Pretty much anything by Alice Oseman (all cute and lovely and great, though I've only read Radio Silence so far I hear only good things, Solitaire is on my to-read list)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuinston (wlw, fiction, it's been a while but I liked this book)

The Falling In Love Montage - Ciara Smyth (wlw, fiction, this book was so cute and funny and deeply emotional it made me Feel way too many things, I'd definitely recommend it)

What Big Teeth - Rose Szabo (a bit of queerness all around, fantasy, werewolves and monsters, this one was pretty cool!, lots of original ideas for the world/character building)

244 notes · View notes

commanderbuffy · 10 months

Text

Sapphic Books Reccs

Here is my list of recommended sapphic books! There’s a lot of YA here since that’s a lot of what I read. Everything on this list I have personally read and can recommend. I’m sure there’s a TON out there I haven’t read or ones I have read and have just forgotten!

Contemporary

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake (Adult)

My favorite of Blake’s! Enemies to lovers. SO good.

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake (Adult)

A woman falls for her step-sister’s best friend. Oh, and there’s a kiddo in the mix as well.

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth (YA)

Two girls promise a summer of fun full of rom-com worthy dates. The only rule, no relationships. Just one summer, nothing more. Sure....

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick (YA)

Amnesia fic where a girl forgets she ever met her secret girlfriend in their ultra-conservative town.

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA)

Fake dating between the girl who wants to validate her bisexuality to her friends and the girl who doesn’t mind the popularity boost.

Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen (YA)

Best friends to lovers! A big piece of this is also the friend group involved.

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (YA)

Imogen thinks she’s just an Ally. Spoiler alert: she’s not. I loved the way friendship was explored in this. You see some really solid friendships as well as a subtly toxic one (that’s acknowledged as such).

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen (YA)

An ode to late bloomers and a journey to self-acceptance. A girl goes to her first party, befriends a gay guy who introduces her to new group of friends and one really cute girl

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum (YA)

Super fun involving a girl asking another girl fo “Queer 101″ lessons. Bi and Autistic rep too!

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (YA)

A girl gives anonymous love advice and gets hired by a hot guy to help him get his ex back. Really FANTASTIC bi rep!

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (Adult)

A sexy time-bendy romance with so much heart

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (YA)

My FAVORITE rom-com. I reread it constantly. Fake dating, enemies-to-lovers between the cheer captain and basketball star!!

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick (YA)

Two girl team up to get their crushes to fall for them and start developing feelings for each other along the way.

Six Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe (YA)

Childhood frenemies forced to move in together for their best friend moms’ sake. Trauma filled and SO SO good.

Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan (YA)

A fun rom-com between an out queer athlete and the local beauty pageant queen.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (YA)

One of my favorite books of all time. A story about grief and friendship and love. A soft, quiet story.

Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall (YA)

A girl’s secret girlfriend dies and she is left to grieve alone until she finds herself turning to her girlfriend’s ex.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Crier’s War by Nina Varela (YA)

A romance that leads to revolution by between two girls: one human, one Made

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (Adult)

This is historical and fantasy! Suffragette witches! Another one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time. Three sisters, one of them has a WLW romance

Thriller/Horror

Hide by Kiersten White (Adult)

A high-stakes hide and seek competition in an abandoned amusement park. One of my all-over favorite books of 2022.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (YA)

No wlw romance in this one, but the main character and her sister are both wlw. My absolute favorite book of 2021. What I would pay to read this for the first time again.

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe (YA)

The daughter of a con artist is finally allowed to stop running and faking her identity, only to get stuck in a bank heist with her ex-boyfriend and current girlfriend.

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (YA)

Three girls who shouldn’t have a reason to team up together against an ancient evil. The new girl, the pariah, and the queen bee who’s been helping the evil all along. I have reread this book easy a dozen times.

Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos (YA)

When a girl goes searching for her missing best friend, she finds a trail of other missing girls and battles with heartbreak after her girlfriend leaves her for California.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (YA)

Quarantined at her girl’s school after a gruseome Tox breaks out, a girl must find what happened to her best friend who’s gone missing

Historical

Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood (YA)

The queer Little Women retelling we all deserve with a SAPPHIC JO! Set in 1942. Beth’s POV still haunts my heart

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (YA)

Two of the major supporting characters are WLW. This becomes more important and on the page in the later books in this series, but this is the first one.

Music from Another World by Robin Talley (YA)

1970s California. Two girls become penpals and bond over music.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Adult)

Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo famously had seven husbands. This is the story of her wife.

#sapphic books #wlw books #Book Recommendations #book reccs #book list

254 notes · View notes

mingisaddctn · 8 months

Note

hiii 😋😋 i just wanted to say that you are my fav writer tbh and i love your writing style. YOURE SO AMAZINGGGGG

i wanted to request a yunho smut based off the song body party by ciara? maybe the reader showing him how much they love him or something 😭 i’ve been dying for smtg like thissss..

if you don’t take requests like this i understanddd buttt other than that ilysm and your posts make my day LMAO

omg thank you so so so much ;-; this is too sweet im dying, im so glad you like my writing style. also ive been having yunho brainrot lately so im gonna try a lil something here for you

even though he had the height to be a scary human pole, you couldn't see him in a way other than a giant baby. yunho had this thing about him, a feeling, a pheromone, something that brought you closer to his sweetest self, and made you want to nestle yourself in his scent, engulfed in his being.

oh, you loved him. and you loved him bad — that's why you were milking him dry with your mouth.

kneeling in between his muscular thighs, the ones where your fingernails dug themselves into, you lowered your head over and over on his cock, feeling every little vein on the tip of your tongue, saliva pooling around the corners of your lips and falling to your chin. your jaw almost fell asleep, but the way he laid, hands behind him into the sheets of your shared bed as his head was thrown back, and you could only stare at his adam's apple bobbing from the grunts that left his body with full force.

your pretty, sweet, whiny boy.

he was your whole world, and you were his, and the best way to let him know about that was to be on top of him, taking every last drop of cum like a hungry devil, in a greed of pure sin.

"please" he placed his palm on your cheek, cupping your face and guiding your mouth off of him, leaving a trail of saliva behind. his eyes were two chocolaty irises that stared at you with utter devotion. "I need to be inside you."

and his wish were your orders. you stood from where you were kneeling, with the help of his arms and lowered your panties, sitting on his damp boxers—with the mixture of precum and your drool—and lowered yourself on him, arms holding his neck so dearly, so scared of leaving a mark on his perfectness.

he moaned, mouth open against yours and eyes burning into your mind. no thoughts to be perceived, just the two of you enjoying the moment, feeling pleasure out of this world, fucked out and fucked dumb.

rolling your hips with the help of his big hands, you moaned loud, not minding anything other than the need to bear him all, to lead him to his glory. yunho grabbed your body, enveloping you into a tight embrace, burying his face in the crook of your neck as he helped your moves by pounding upwards.

your motions were made out of pure desperation that turned into primal urges, connecting with the side of your mind that you could never access if it wasn't when you were fucking yourself on his cock, drooling with eyes rolling to the back of your head.

"I love you" you whimpered and babbled and sang into his ear. "I love you—I love you"

he kept on pounding, moans becoming groans and burning against his throat.

"I love you" he moaned back, his words slurred against your skin, but engraving themselves like a thick tattoo, so you wouldn't ever forget.

he was reaching his finishing point when his movements became sharper and you dove into the scent of his sweat mixed with the faint cologne, everything that made him smell like him, leaving the imprint of his wholeness in you, claiming you in every way he could.

his teeth nursed themselves into the skin of your neck, not hard enough to draw blood, but just the right amount to let any wandering eye see who you belonged to. with a deep groan, and the rumbling of his chest trembling against yours, you felt his thighs twitching, and he came into your walls, feeding them what they truly needed all this time.

the only way you could show how much you loved him, was if he allowed you by loving you even more. if it was ever possible at all.

#ateez #ateez smut #yunho #yunho smut

87 notes · View notes

noahsbookishcorner · 2 years

Text

Time for some queer book recommendations!!

The Falling In Love Montage - Ciara Smyth

Not My Problem - Ciara Smyth

Here The Whole Time - Vitor Martins

Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas

Some Girls Do - Jennifer Dugan

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating - Adiba Jaigirdar

Gender Queer: A Memoir - Maia Kobabe (graphic novel)

The Prince and the Dressmaker - Jen Wang (graphic novel)

On A Sunbeam - Tillie Walden (graphic novel)

The Black Flamingo - Dean Atta

Only On The Weekends - Dean Atta

Nimona - ND Stevenson (graphic novel)

If You Still Recognise Me - Cynthia So

Sasha Masha - Agnes Borinsky

The Tea Dragon Society - Katie O'Neill (graphic novel)

Darius the Great is Not Okay - Adib Khorram

Red White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

The Passing Playbook - Isaac Fitzgerald

The Prom - Saundra Mitchell (watch the musical first!!)

I Think I Love You - Auriane Desombre

The Song Of Achilles - Madeline Miller

Felix Ever After - Kacen Callendar

I Was Born For This - Alice Oseman

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman

Solitaire - Alice Oseman

Heartstopper - Alice Oseman (graphic novel)

Loveless - Alice Oseman

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

This Is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera

History is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera

Girls of Paper and Fire - Natasha Ngan

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong

Mooncakes - Suzanne Walker (graphic novel)

Simon Vs The Homosapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli

The Avant-Guards - Carly Usdin (graphic novel)

Fence - C.S. Pacat (graphic novel)

The Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater (book 3&4)

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space - Shaun David Hutchinson

Out of the Blue - Jason June

Meet Cute Diary - Emery Lee

These Witches Don't Burn - Isabel Sterling

I'll Give You The Sun - Jandy Nelson

Stay Gold - Tobly McSmith

Melt With You - Jennifer Dugan

The Sun and the Star - Rick Riordan

Under the Whispering Door - TJ Klune

Some Dutch book recs as well:

Confettiregen - Splinter Chabot

Gebr. - Ted van Lieshouten

Feel free to add your own recommendations! I'll update the list as I read more LGBTQ+ books!!!

#lgbtq books #lgbtq #heartstopper #casey mcquiston #i kissed shara wheeler #lgbtqia #one last stop #red white and royal blue #the prom #queer books #gay book #book recommendations #book #books #book recs #queer book recs #queer representation

417 notes · View notes

brooklynislandgirl · 5 months

Text

TAG NINE PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER! I. Favourite Colours: Any shade of green {forest and emerald in particular}, black, silver, garnet. II. Favourite Flavours: Good coffee, deeply brewed tea, dark chocolate, coconut, and a 'scent flavour'... it's gonna either be beef being cooked on a fire, or specific to New Mexico... a crisp/cool afternoon when the sun is bright but not hot and you smell it...smoke, something earthy and green with an almost acidic bite if you breath it in just right. It's chile season, and it's being open roasted in giant metal roasters. And lastly, pinon. III. Favourite Genres: Most fantasy though with a penchant for High Fantasy. True Noir/ Mystery, Horror, History/Alternative History. I do enjoy Romance and Sci-Fi {typically golden and silver age are most often forgotten but truly a guilty pleasure} but tend to prefer them blended with a different genre. Poetry is entirely different and for me it's more like music than narrative fiction, though I do have a soft spot for the Romantics, and the Beat Generation. {You can have my Kerouac and my Ginsberg whence you've pried them from my cold, dead, yaddah yaddah}. And because I am a bastard, I'm going to ruin it all for you: Literally almost any Emily Dickinson poem can be read/sung to the tune of the Yellow Rose of Texas, or the theme to Gilligan's Island. You're welcome. IV. Favourite Music: Classical, Tribal Trap, Country, Grunge, Classic Rock {stfu, G-N-R and them are not YET classic rock}, 80s Rock/Metal. Broadway Musicals, Rap/R&B, really just about anything. Probably my favourite singers are Eddie Vedder {yes, I know}, Geoff Tate who's is utterly incredible even after 40 years. And honestly? Garth Brooks. V. Favourite Movies: SW: The Empire Strikes Back, Tombstone, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Strange Days, Highlander, CA:TWS, Doctor Strange, ST: The Undiscovered Country and just so so so many more. VI. Favourite Series: Constantine, Doom Patrol, Legends of Tomorrow, Supernatural, Babylon 5, Farscape, Loki, ST: DS9/TNG/TOS/SNW {Really all of them except Voyager and Discovery}, Salem, Original Charmed, Witches of East End, Burn Notice, Fargo, Resident Alien, Res Dogs, Longmire, Justified, Dallas {Original and Revival} and Dark Shadows {Original AND Revival}. Family Guy, Bob's Burgers {and Archer}. Robot Chicken. Lastly I'm also going to say the Orville, which yes is a sort of parody of Star Trek, but also an homage, and a surprisingly well written one. VII. Last Song: Paint it Black ~ Ciara cover, Superhero ~ Johnny Hollow VIII. Last Series: Loki Episode 1-Season 2 or American Gigolo Episode 1. IX. Last Movie: The Noel Diary, The Dark Knight trilogy X. Currently Reading: Ten Little Indians anthology by Sherman Alexie, Digitisation and Digital Archiving: A Practical Guide for Librarians {second ed.} by Elizabeth R Leggett, ¡Sin resolver! Misterios de la historia by Dona Herwick Rice. XI. Currently Watching: The Fall of the House of Usher, Loki, Resident Alien XII. Currently Working On: The 500 or so posts I owe across my blogs. I am so sorry for being absolute fail.

~*~ Tagged by: @nightmarefuele my sweet and disturbing C. Tagging: @fasciinating, @respondedinkind, @chiefofstafftanner, @smolcuriouskitten, @rhodestoruin, @lalamoon, @mouthoftheocean, @ifyoucatchacriminal, @morgansmornings and anyone who would like to do this!

13 notes · View notes

ciaraloves · 1 year

Note

hello ciara!! i have a bit of an...issue in fanfic writing. See, when i write i kind of have to immerse myself in the pov character' head. (does everyone do this?) and cannot write if I'm in my head (eg. during college hours, college days - where my head cannot be in anyone else's) any suggestions on how to deal with this? it isn't entirely a bad thing but it does prevent me from balancing fic and studies and that...sucks. so any suggestions from you or your followers?

hiiiiii!! I am so so so sorry for taking a thousand years to get back to you

honestly lovely anon, I cannot speak on this too much because I write in bursts and don’t hold myself to any kind of schedule or discipline when it comes to writing

some things I’ve heard work for writing consistency are:

1. dedicate time in your day to write. the same time every day. whether that be in the evening, or early morning, or midday. train yourself to associate writing with a certain time and you might be able to slip in and out of your writing headspace with more ease

2. don’t set unrealistic goals when it comes to writing. if you know you cannot write 1000 words every day (simply because you don’t have the mental energy, time or motivation) then don’t hold yourself to those standards. it’s easy to lose motivation for writing simply because you aren’t doing what you thought you could do. if all you can manage one day is 10 words then that’s enough. if you can’t manage any words that’s also fine.

consistency is important but enjoying the process is more important. that’s really what keeps the writing motivation going.

3. experiment with different characters and different situations. if you love to write coffee shop aus for a specific fandom try writing them for another. or try putting your favourite characters into a completely different genre. if you’re switching up your writing style just a little to suit the genre you have a sort of goal to work towards and a change of scenery (so to speak)

I’m not saying don’t write what you want or what you’re comfortable writing, I’m just saying keep trying to find more things to write about and more ways to write it. a big part of writing (much like drawing) is continually changing and prodding and poking at unfamiliar things to see what changes and how it works with what you already know.

chocolate cake is delicious, but adding a little coffee makes it that much better, you know?

beyond this I don’t have much for you. I hope you find your sweet spot and learn for yourself how to keep school and writing and anything else you like in the juggling pool :)

again I am forever sorry for taking so long to respond to this :( it’s been sitting in my drafts for eons and I just hadn’t had the chance to catch it

anyway, if any of my lovely humans have advice tor anon please do add it here ! it’s always wonderful to spread good writing mojo around

mwah! stay bright, stay well sweet anon <3

#anon loves #when I say this has been here for like 8 months :(((((#I’m sorrryyyyy #ciara’s convos #writing #ciara’s guides

3 notes · View notes

moodymelanist · 1 year

Text

Where The Light Won’t Find You Chapter Five

Happy Saturday (and free day for @nestaarcheronweek) everyone! This will probably be my last update of this fic for a little bit since it’s finals season for me now. Hopefully this will tide you over until the next update 🖤

Read on AO3 here!

Chapter Five

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Nesta

Planning a coronation was surprisingly easy once Nesta put her mind to it. Caolán returned with several of the nearest handmaidens — thankfully including Eislyn — and once they guided Nesta to the nearest study, they immediately set to work. Within a few hours, they’d gotten the word out to the Hewn City that they had a new ruler, the festivities had been planned, and Nesta’s measurements had been taken so someone could sew her a gown fit for a queen.

For once, she didn’t have to worry about money. She’d seized Keir’s considerable accounts after his untimely death, and no one dared question her using them without his express permission. She could order a hundred of the same gown for all it would affect her resources.

“My queen,” Eislyn said once the other handmaidens began to file out. “May I speak with you alone?”

“Of course,” Nesta agreed. She motioned for everyone to leave, including the ghosts, and turned to Eislyn expectantly. “What is it?”

“I wanted to offer my… advice about some of the males at court,” Eislyn answered, her brown fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her dress. “I wouldn’t presume you would need my advice, of course, but—”

“I’d be glad to take it,” Nesta gently interrupted. “I don’t know much about the Hewn City. You’ve lived here all your life. Anything you have to tell me will be valuable.”

“Thank you.” Eislyn took a deep breath and forced herself to relax before continuing. “All of the courtiers Lord Keir kept around him were… awful. We knew never to be caught alone with them, especially the younger females. I know you can protect yourself, but I wouldn’t feel right leaving you with any of them.”

“What would you have me do to them?” Nesta asked seriously. At Eislyn’s confused expression, Nesta quickly elaborated. “I won’t have those kinds of males in this court, but I leave it to you to decide their fates. Would you have me take their heads?”

“Yes,” Eislyn said flatly. “They don’t deserve to live after the things Lord Keir let them get away with.”

“I’m sure he wasn’t the only one letting them get away with it,” Nesta replied, her tone just as dark. “Thank you for telling me about this. I’ll handle it.”

Eislyn nodded before letting out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Nesta moved the topic to other, more pleasant things, including getting Eislyn’s opinion about some of the other happenings at court. Servants overheard plenty because of how ignored they usually went, and Eislyn’s experience proved no different. They talked for so long that Nesta had dinner brought up for both of them to share, and invited the handmaiden who brought the plates to sit down and join the conversation.

By the end of the evening, Nesta felt much better about the plans she’d made for the Hewn City. Things were going to be different, and judging by Eislyn and Ciara’s tentative smiles, they were hopeful, too.

Nesta eventually saw them off and handled the question of where she was going to lay her head. She absolutely refused to sleep in Keir’s chambers, so she found herself in one of the hidden guest chambers in the higher levels of the mountain. The room was done up in black and silver, the furniture casting strange shadows in the faint fae light, and she made sure to summon a few spirits to guard her in her sleep.

“Thank you,” she murmured right before they glided through the door. The last one turned and bowed to her before disappearing from her line of sight, but she didn’t need to have eyes on any of them to sense their presence.

She’d been so afraid of using these powers, but now she didn’t know how she’d be able to live without them. Funny, how quickly things changed.

The next morning, Nesta woke just in time for one of the handmaidens to bring her breakfast. She quickly scarfed down her meal before the pampering was set to begin, and once she’d put herself through the bath, the rest of it didn’t seem so awful. Her hair was washed and brushed into a braided style with multiple braids crossing around her head and the majority of her hair down. It felt strange having so much of her hair free, but she embraced the change; she trusted that it was a Hewn City style, and she wanted to show the people that she wasn’t going to completely throw away everything they’d ever known.

Once her hair was finished, one of the handmaidens worked on painting her face, while several others worked to pluck any unwanted body hairs. Nesta was more than familiar with this process, so she bore it as stoically as she could. When she was finally deemed ready to get dressed, she heaved a sigh of relief and followed the group of females back into the chambers she’d slept in.

An absolutely stunning black dress was waiting for her. Nesta was floored by the details, from the corset style of the top half to the intricate beading across the neckline and matching cloak that accompanied the dress. It was everything she’d ever dreamed for this moment, and she couldn’t believe it had been accomplished on such short notice.

“Is it to your liking, my queen?” Fiona, one of the handmaidens who’d helped make the dress, asked nervously. Despite the hours of work she must have put into the dress last night, not a blonde hair was out of place from her braid and her pale skin looked clean.

“It’s wonderful,” Nesta replied honestly, running a hand gently over the fabric. “You’ve outdone yourselves. Thank you.”

Fiona’s cheeks went slightly pink at the praise. “Thank you, my queen. I’m honored to have worked on it.”

They moved as a team to get Nesta into the gown. It fit perfectly, and she’d never felt more powerful than in a dress like this. She caught a glimpse of herself in one of the mirrors and couldn’t stop herself from smiling, finally liking what she saw before her. Her eyes were lined with kohl, her skin looked healthier than it had in months, and her lips were painted a red so dark it nearly looked black.

For once, she didn’t feel like a doll made up to be played with whenever her mother deemed it appropriate. She wasn’t a pawn to be used whenever her sister felt like moving her around a chess board she barely understood the rules to. She was her own weapon now, every bit as dangerous as they’d feared, and never again would she file down her claws for someone else’s games.

The only thing left to put on were shoes, and Nesta let herself be guided into a pair of heeled sandals. She’d always liked the sound they made against the floor, an especially useful noise growing up when she was trying to hide from her own mother, so she figured she could do the same for the fae waiting for her inside the throne room.

She cast one last look at the bone crown she’d made for herself. Wearing it had been the first step in this wild plan of hers, but it had served its purpose. She didn’t want to scare her new subjects — that privilege had just been for Cassian and Morrigan — and the new crown she had waiting for her would be far more impressive anyways.

“Let’s go,” Nesta declared once she felt ready. The handmaidens rushed to clean up the room around her, and within a few minutes they were on their way to the throne room. The ghostly guards she’d summoned last night silently fell into step behind them, ensuring their safety from behind, and they made quick time to the familiar stone doors outside the throne room.

Nesta motioned for the doors to be opened and the guards standing outside didn’t hesitate to follow her instructions. A hush fell over the assembled crowd as she walked inside and slowly made her way toward the raised dias. A priestess and several acolytes were waiting for her, one of whom was holding a satin pillow where Nesta’s new crown sat. It reminded her of Helion’s crown, but where his was all gold, hers was dark as night and adorned with onyx and emerald jewels. It wasn’t the one she’d wear every day, but it certainly made a statement.

Nesta stood silently next to the priestess as she began to speak, tuning out the words until it was time for her to respond to the questions asked of her.

“Are you willing to take the Oaths to tie yourself to this Court?” the priestess asked.

“I am,” Nesta replied, her voice thankfully steady.

“Do you swear to govern the Court of Nightmares according to our laws and customs?”

“I swear.”

“Do you promise to protect the people of the Hewn City against all enemies, both native and alien?”

“I promise.”

“Will you rule justly, with fairness and honor, to the best of your ability?”

“I will.”

“With the Mother’s blessing, I now crown you queen,” the priestess announced with an air of finality to her voice. The crowd went silent as Nesta bowed her head long enough for the priestess to gently place the crown between the braids in her hair. It was lighter than she’d expected, but she could feel the weight of everyone’s gazes upon her once she stood. “All hail Nesta Archeron, Queen of the Court of Nightmares.”

“All hail the queen!” someone in the crowd shouted. More and more joined in until the shouts were nearly deafening, and Nesta was awed at how quickly they’d accepted her as their new ruler. Did they know about what happened to Keir, or had they simply hated the old regime so much that they’d accept anyone different?

Nesta allowed a few more chants of all hail the queen and long may she reign before raising her hand to silence the crowd. They fell quiet quickly, a strange hush falling over the room as they all watched her stride to the edge of the raised dais.

“Thank you all for gathering here today,” Nesta began, magic helping her voice to echo across the large room. “For too long, Rhysand and his Court of Dreams have allowed you to suffer in the dark. That ends now. I’ve come to offer you a choice instead.”

Nesta could hear the whispers explode across the crown even from her throne. So many pale, confused faces as they wondered whether they should dare to hope.

“Either you swear fealty to me, or you have a day’s time to leave this court and never return.” Nesta descended from the platform of her throne and walked toward the closest group of soldiers. “Do you swear your loyalty to me? To follow my commands, to strike down our enemies, to usher in a new era for the Hewn City?”

As she slowly walked along the edges of the crowd, common folk and soldiers dropped to their knees alike without hesitation. It was strange having so many promise their loyalty to her at once, but she wouldn’t lie to herself; it was exhilarating, too.

When she reached the small legion of Darksingers present for her coronation, she paused to look their commanding general in the eye. “Will you bend the knee, Ser Darragh?”

Darragh looked around at his fellow soldiers before meeting Nesta’s gaze with a sharp nod. Once he made it obvious he was going to bend the knee, the rest of the Darksingers followed suit, moving as one to follow their general’s command. “All hail the queen.”

Satisfied, Nesta eventually moved on to the group of Keir’s courtiers who’d dared to show their faces. She knew some of them had already fled, but those remaining must have been dimmer than she’d already assumed by showing their faces here.

“I’m afraid some of you won’t get the choice to leave,” Nesta said casually. One of the courtiers on the farther edge of the group tried to edge out of her sight, but one cold look in his direction and he stopped where he stood. “I know what you’ve done. I know how some of you terrorized the servants in this place, and how the rest of you stood by and did nothing. There is no place for that kind of male — that kind of person — in my court.”

Gasps and screams rung out as Nesta swung her hand through the air in a chopping motion and took all of their heads at once. The fire instantly stopped any blood flow, thankfully saving her from being covered in blood and gore on her coronation day, but seeing so many heads hit the floor at once was no less gruesome, especially for those who hadn’t been expecting it.

“Would one of you mind taking care of that?” Nesta asked the Darksingers. The one standing closest to her nodded, and she turned on her heel to walk back toward her throne.

“Anyone who forces themselves on someone else will lose their head,” she announced once she was standing before her throne once more. “Regardless of whether you are successful. If something like that comes to my attention, your fates will be the same as those males. I will show no mercy.”

More whispers erupted after that proclamation, but Nesta didn’t care. “This is a chance at redemption for all of us. Let us use it wisely.”

Feeling she’d made enough of a statement today, Nesta descended from the platform and began moving toward the entryway. Her handmaidens rushed to follow her, but she didn’t summon any ghosts to trail after her for protection. She could see the reverence already mixing in with the shock on her new subjects’ faces, and from the way some of them were reaching out to touch her hand as she passed, she knew she wouldn’t need defending from them.

Rhysand and Morrigan had had their fun ruling with fear. Nesta was going to do things much differently.

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Nesta knew it would only be a matter of time until something unexpected happened. She just didn’t think it would be so soon.

“Your Grace,” one of the guards said as she entered the throne room the next morning. She’d intended to start speaking to the common folk who lived here, to hear their input about the changes she planned on making, but from the tone of the guard’s voice she knew that would have to be postponed. “Lord Eris Vanserra is requesting entrance to the Hewn City.”

Nesta sighed heavily as she corrected her course toward one of the hallways leading back inside the labyrinth. “Have him meet me in the study with windows. I suppose I’ll schedule the testimonials for tomorrow.”

By the time she made her way to the study, Eris was already waiting for her. He stood once she entered the room, those amber eyes lingering on her dark crown, and she gave him a cursory once over in return. He looked just as handsome as the last time she’d seen him — considerably cleaner, of course — and today he was wearing a deep green jacket that reminded her of one she’d seen Lucien wear.

“So it’s true,” Eris said once he’d finished his inspection. “All hail Nesta Archeron, Queen of the Court of Nightmares.”

Nesta just blankly stared at him for a few moments before responding. “Thank you. What do you want?”

“That’s no way to talk to a potential ally, my lady,” he teased. He quickly grew serious once he noticed how unamused she was. “We have much to discuss.”

“Do we?” she asked. She strode to the head of the table and sat down, motioning for him to do the same. “I don’t recall inviting you here. What do you want?”

“I came here for my regularly scheduled meeting with Lord Keir,” Eris finally answered after taking the chair to her left. “Imagine my surprise when I heard he’d been deposed.”

“An unfortunate accident,” she replied with a sharp smile. “What were you meeting with him about?”

Eris launched into a hasty explanation behind his meetings with Keir. Apparently he’d been meeting with Keir — and apparently the occasional meeting with Rhysand, too — about pledging support to his eventual bid for the Autumn throne in exchange for keeping them updated about Beron’s comings and goings as best he could. Nesta knew the High Lord was dangerous; she could certainly see the sense in wanting someone else on the throne and keeping an eye on him until that happened.

“But in the meantime, I have a proposition for you,” Eris said once he was done speaking. “I of course noticed Lady Elain wasn’t by your side. Am I correct in presuming you’d like her here?”

Nesta tilted her head, curious at where he was going with this. “Perhaps. But nothing is stopping me from collecting her myself.”

“I’m sure the High Lady has heard about your… exploits, by this point,” he countered. “Would you truly risk everything you’ve built here to go to Velaris?”

“What are you suggesting, then?” she asked warily. He was raising important points, but she wasn’t sure how much she could trust him.

Then again, she knew how much Feyre and new family hated him, so perhaps a potential alliance between them was a good sign.

“I can bring Lady Elain to you,” Eris said, cutting straight to the point. “I have my own spies in Velaris. It could be done without fuss, assuming you decide quickly.”

Both of Nesta’s eyebrows flew up toward her hairline. Would she really entrust her sister’s safety with someone other than her? Could that person truly be Eris? “And what are you asking for in exchange?”

“Formally?” He leaned forward in his chair. “Your support when Autumn goes through… similar changes. The Darkbringers are yours to command now, and I wouldn’t be foolish enough to presume you’d agree to any arrangements I may have had with your predecessor.”

“I’m sensing there’s more to these arrangements than you’re letting on,” she responded. It was no secret that Eris coveted his father’s throne, but there was no telling when he would finally decide to strike.

“You’re right,” he agreed. “I want you to convince Lucien to become a member of your council. He’s never been truly safe in Velaris, but especially not once his mate is gone.”

Eris had clearly thought this through. Even if Lucien wouldn’t be the one to take Elain, all the suspicion would naturally fall on him. It certainly didn’t help matters that Lucien hadn’t been treated well at Solstice — at least, according to what she’d heard during her own brief visit to Feyre’s home.

“Wouldn’t it be within his rights to take her, though?” Nesta questioned. She knew little about how the mating bond worked, but she would be working to rectify that quickly.

“Only if she accepts the bond,” Eris answered. “And judging by how much time my brother spends in the mortal lands, she hasn't.”

“Not everyone wants a mating bond,” she told him with a wry tilt of her mouth.

“No, but things would certainly be different if they did,” he responded, snorting. “But I didn’t come here to debate the merits of the mating bond.”

Nesta stared at him for a few minutes as she debated the merits of this new agreement. She didn’t have any allies, and while choosing Eris might alienate her from potential ones, she knew it was more than worth it to have her sister by her side. Elain’s safety was paramount, especially considering her own powers from the Cauldron.

“Fine,” she eventually agreed. “Bring me my sister, and I’ll see what I can do about your brother.”

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Eris made his way out of the Hewn City rather quickly after they finished discussing the details, not wanting to risk any more time away from Autumn than necessary. Nesta promised to let him know once she’d talked to Lucien, and Eris assured her she’d know once he managed to secure Elain’s safety.

Nesta sighed as she strode out of the study, heading toward one of the dining rooms so she could eat something before she got lightheaded. She massaged her temples as she waited for her meal, but a burst of light had her opening them in a flash. A letter sat before her, and she tore open the envelope the moment she recognized Elain’s delicate script.

Nesta, her sister had written. I had a vision. Tell Lucien to take something from your apartment when he goes to Velaris. It doesn’t matter what it is, but it will set the necessary wheels in motion.

I know what’s coming for me, and I’ll see you soon.

All my love,

Elain

Nesta sighed in relief. Elain seemed fine enough, especially if she’d managed to send Nesta a message. She didn’t necessarily know what it meant , but Elain trusted her visions, so Nesta would too. She hastily scribbled back a short reply on the back of Elain’s letter and sent it off.

Once she had something to eat, tracking Lucien down was surprisingly easy. Nesta knew he spent most of his time these days with Jurian and Vaasa in the mortal lands, but she couldn’t risk leaving the Hewn City to go looking for him. Instead, she just had a few of her spirits make the journey; Caolàn assured her the dead had their own ways of travel, and it would be easier for them to look for Lucien.

True to their word, within a few hours Lucien was strolling into the same study his brother had been in mere hours before, shock written all over his handsome face as he took her in.

“Lord Vanserra here to see you, Your Grace,” one of the guards announced after he opened the door.

“I almost didn’t believe it when they showed up for me,” Lucien said once he was close enough. His hair was braided neatly out of his face, and he had on a comfortable-looking white shirt tucked into dark brown pants. “But I guess I have no choice now.”

“You always have a choice in what to believe,” Nesta replied. She motioned for him to sit and waved the spirits off. “Thank you for coming. I wanted to… apologize for how I treated you when we first came to Velaris.”

His eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline. “You expect me to believe you summoned me all the way here just for an apology.”

“Of course not,” she replied with a snort. “But that doesn’t mean you aren’t owed one.”

“I appreciate that,” he told her. “But I know you were just trying to protect your sister in any way you could. I’ve let it go.”

“Alright.” Nesta smoothed the fabric of her dress just for something to do. “Did you know Feyre had me locked away?”

“What?” Lucien asked, clearly surprised. “Why?”

“I wasn’t… myself, after the battle,” she answered, looking away for a few moments. “You saw me at Solstice, so I don’t think I need to explain further. But she and her husband eventually had enough and told me she was destroying my building. I could either move into the House of Wind or be returned to the mortal lands.”

“That’s not much of a choice,” he eventually responded. “I assume you went with the first one?”

“Yes. I was to train with Cassian in the mornings and work in the library in the afternoons.”

“And how did that work out for you?”

“The first week I was fighting just to stay on my feet. The second week I decided I wouldn’t be playing along anymore, so I asked Morrigan to take me here instead.”

Lucien huffed a laugh. “I’m sure she didn’t expect all this to happen.”

“Certainly not,” Nesta replied with her own little chuckle. “I couldn’t even leave the House on my own. I was too weak to walk down a thousand steps, let alone ten thousand, and all the choices I had made for myself had been taken away.”

“So how did you go from that to wearing that crown?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

“I wanted to make them pay,” she told him simply. “Rhysand and Feyre only care about Velaris, and Morrigan is too focused on vengeance to rule this place effectively. I didn’t have to worry about where the magic would go once Keir was taken care of, so I decided I’d be the one making the choices here.”

“I can certainly understand wanting to make them pay,” he responded diplomatically. “But this is one hell of a way to get your revenge. One that they’d be entitled to treat as an act of aggression.”

“I know,” she said. She had no doubts Rhysand and Morrigan were planning a multitude of ways to depose her as she spoke. “But if I was going to do something, I wanted to make them pay while showing them up at the same time. There were people suffering here and they didn’t even care, Lucien. What better way to teach them a lesson than by proving they were the monsters, not me?”

“So you’re turning yourself into a martyr?” he questioned.

“I never asked to be here,” she said flatly. “I never wanted these powers. I’m just using them the way I see fit, and if that hurts my sister and her insufferable husband, all the better.”

“I see.” Lucien folded his hands and sat back in his seat. “So where do I fit into this?”

“I want to give you a choice,” Nesta said. She knew mentioning Eris wouldn’t be wise, so she decided to appeal to Lucien another way. “Elain will be leaving Velaris shortly, and suspicion will naturally fall to you once Rhysand and Feyre notice her absence.”

“What are you offering me?” he asked shrewdly.

“Come sit on my council,” she told him. “I know very little about the other courts, and I don’t want to make avoidable mistakes. I’ve already given the people here hope, and I don’t want to take that away from them because I wasn’t adequately prepared.”

He was silent for a few moments as he considered. “And if I say no?”

“Then you’d be free to go,” she answered with a shrug. He hadn’t seen anything vital, and if he did remain with the Inner Circle, it was no secret how much she cared about Elain. “You wouldn’t necessarily be free to return, though.”

“Understandably so.” Lucien nodded to himself before standing. “I’ll consider it, but I have a few loose ends to tie up in Velaris regardless of whatever I decide. I’ll tell you my answer within a few days.”

Nesta stood as well, the two of them walking toward the door. “Of course. I look forward to hearing from you.”

They walked through the halls of the Hewn City, and Nesta made sure to say hello to everyone she passed, even if it was just a silent nod. They eventually made their way to what she privately referred to as the winnowing room — it seemed to be the point where outsiders winnowed to, anyway.

“Before you go,” Nesta said, momentarily putting her hand on Lucien’s arm to grab his attention. “Would you mind stopping by my apartment to grab something for me?”

“I thought it was being demolished,” Lucien said, tilting his head.

“Last I heard, that hadn’t happened yet,” she replied with a shrug. “Either way, there’s a book I hid in one of the walls I would appreciate you grabbing for me.”

Nesta didn’t care about the book — she’d stashed the romance novel there one day after Cassian had come to harass her into eating something — but she took Elain’s warnings seriously. She didn’t know how this would play into things, but no matter what, she trusted her sister.

“Sure,” Lucien agreed with a shrug of his own. “I’ll see what I can do.”

He’d barely winnowed away when Nesta sent a message to Eris letting him know she’d done what she could.

Thank you, came his swift reply. Now it’s my turn.

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Nesta had just slipped out of the bath and into her nightgown when she could sense the spirits becoming agitated. Sighing, she reached for one of her newly-sewn robes and pulled it over her shoulders.

“What’s happening?” she asked once Caolàn appeared at her side.

Lady Elain, was all he managed before Nesta was running.

Elain was standing by herself when Nesta reached her. She wasn’t wearing one of the pretty, pale gowns she typically favored; instead she had on a loosely-fitting black tunic tucked into pants. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and hidden under a dark scarf, but her eyes lit up the moment she saw Nesta running at her.

“Nesta,” Elain sighed. Nesta barely had time to process that her sister was really here before she’d flung herself into Nesta’s arms. “Nesta. ”

“Elain,” Nesta said, squeezing her sister’s shorter frame against her as tightly as she could bear. “Oh, thank the Mother.”

“I think you’re the one I should be thanking,” Elain responded wryly.

Nesta pulled back so Elain could see her roll her eyes. “Did they turn you into a jester since the last time I saw you?”

“No, just their happy little prisoner.” Elain pulled off her scarf and released her hair, rubbing at her scalp. “Ugh, that was tight.”

“Let’s get you into something more… yourself,” Nesta told her. She threaded her arm through Elain’s as she began steering her sister toward the part of the Hewn City she’d been staying in. “What are you wearing?”

“I stole one of Feyre’s outfits,” Elain answered with a wry smile. “I couldn’t exactly sneak out in one of my pink dresses, could I?”

“I left in a dress.”

“Well, you’ve always been the dramatic one.”

“Enough of that. Tell me how you got out.”

“I told you — I had a vision, so I knew where to go and what to say. I knew I had to be gone before Lucien came, so I snuck onto one of the fishing boats that trades with the Day Court last night.”

“You couldn’t winnow here?”

“I don’t know how to do that, but even if I did, I was scared I’d set off the wards. Feyre and Rhys were gone for hours making them stronger to try and keep you out.”

“So you snuck out while they were making them stronger?” Nesta gave Elain an appraising look. “Look at you.”

Elain rolled her eyes before letting Nesta guide her inside one of the empty rooms across the hall from Nesta’s own chambers. “I’m not just some doll. You know that.”

“I know,” Nesta told her. She opened the door and presented Elain with the chambers she’d be sleeping in for tonight. “So you snuck on a boat and…?”

“I snuck off at the docks in Mehrnaz, and one of Eris’ people was waiting for me,” Elain answered. She bent down to take off the heavy boots she had on before continuing. “Arina winnowed me as close to the entrance as she could, and here I am.”

“And here you are,” Nesta repeated. She briefly returned to her own room to grab something for her sister to sleep in. “You should get ready for bed. We can talk in the morning.”

Elain took the clothes and placed them on the bed. “We can talk more tomorrow, but I have something to say first.”

“Anything,” Nesta said.

“I owe you an apology,” Elain began. “I know things were… difficult for both of us when we first got here, but that was no excuse to abandon you after all that you’d done for me. I’m so sorry, Nesta.”

“I forgive you,” Nesta told her after a few beats of silence. She strode forward and took Elain’s smaller hands into her own. “Things were difficult. Neither of us were ourselves. It’s in the past.”

“And I wanted to apologize for not intervening when Feyre locked you away,” Elain continued quickly, as though she were nervous Nesta would interrupt her. “I knew what was going to happen, and I was scared that if I tried to change things, something awful would happen—”

“It’s alright, Lainey,” Nesta gently interrupted. She squeezed her sister’s hands in reassurance. “I needed that time to realize my own path. We’re together now anyway, right?”

“Right.” Elain squeezed back before they let go of one another. “I should get ready for bed. We can talk more tomorrow.”

Nesta took a few steps back and pointed out the bathroom, promising to arrange for Elain to get her own wardrobe and a proper room of her own once they got settled. She wasn’t sure if they’d be staying in the Hewn City for much longer — perhaps they’d move to Rhysand’s moonstone palace he loved so much — but for now, they’d make arrangements to stay here.

After one last hug, Nesta summoned two guards to stand watch at Elain’s door before bidding her sister goodnight. It had been a long day, and she was more than ready to get some rest.

“Oh, and Nesta?” Nesta turned at the door at the sound of her sister’s voice. “If you’re queen, does that make me princess?”

Nesta just laughed and gave Elain the first true smile she could remember giving in months. “Whatever you like, my lady.”

Read Chapter 6 here!

#acotar #acosf #nestaweek2022 #Nessian #nesta Archeron #Cassian #moodymelanistwrites #where the light won’t find you #evil!nessian #evil!nesta

61 notes · View notes

aswho1estuff · 8 months

Text

Thee Other women

Ep. 3 wo-men: defined

-wo: woes or worries

-men: caused by and or having involvement with more than one man even unintentionally

Plot: May had life all planned out she was successful, comfortable, and about to get married to the man of her dreams until she answers his phone. Out of all things she never expected another woman and she certainly never expected to meet jungwoo through it.

Ep.3 Overview: "..what kinda plans do you have?"

"We're gonna send him to hell inna hand basket"

Masterlist

Playlist

May pov:

"In the most respectful way you have a perfectly acceptable reason for revenge and even if you don't want revenge you're gonna need evidence in case to be safe" the girl I've found to be named Ciara says leaning in from over her milkshake.

I can't even eat my stomach was filled with the bitter aftertaste of 'love' a feeling familiar to acid. I want to handle this like an adult but...I was planning our forever.

"You don't have to plan a revenge plot but anything you do, if you'll allow us we'd love to help. Unless your friends are we don't want overstep even more" Jungwoo says making me shake and from the side of me he reaches out to grab my hand cradling it.

Tears expand in my waterline from the comfort, I don't even remember having any lasting friendships the only friend I had was him. All his preaching of only needing each other but going to drink with his friends or what he quotes as 'coworkers' hell they probably were love interest.

I double over trying to hide my face as tears prick both sides of my face. Ciara joins my side to rub my back and cradles me with the other arm. I haven't had anyone in a while to just let me cry in peace.

"..what kinda plans do you have?"

"We're gonna send him to hell inna hand basket"

"he shall be forced to dance until he perishes"

"..with gasoline draws"

"ohh great minds think so alike"

"so that's a real saying, thought you were lying"

"Okay let's go over the plan one more time" I tell Ciara smoothing my dress over. "So we head to this club snap some pictures even videos for evidence, and it's full proof because Jungwoo said he talked about this club lots" Ciara finishes her grand speech that almost relieves the nerve in my stomach.

"If he's not bothering y'all who's he entertaining?, The answers bound to be in there based on pattern" Ciara says grabbing the phones from her purse on the sink. "First things first take a big deep breath in, now deep breath out" she gives me the phone cradling it "and repeat" she says resuming the breathing practice with me.

"I already spotted, do you want me to show you?" Jungwoo asks each words feathering off from the other side of the door walking out I face him with "I'm completely sure" I nod more for myself than him.

Jungwoo pov:

"...Alright I'll lead....I like.. your dress, a lot" I can't help but tell her "oh thank you" she replies silence now taking over as we all collectively find him. "Let's sit here and pretend to take a pictures" Ciara says guiding us to a booth "I'll record him on mine" I join in pulling my phone out.

"Okay I think that's enough, what would you like to do now ?" Ciara asks "I think I'm gonna head for the ladies room then a drink honestly" may responds getting up I join her "I'll join you for that drink if you don't mind, but Ciara can't stay you've got work" I finish pulling Ciara up.

"Thank y'all lots, really"

"of course"

"not a problem"

May pov :

I finish blowing my nose dumping the tissues down the toilet. Opening the stall door i come face to face with the mirror and suddenly I'm now hunched over the toilet hands stabbing into my knees to stabilize myself.

Getting up I wash out my mouth and finish cleaning my hands. "I need a drink and some food" I say to myself pushing the bathroom door opens.

"that sounds good to me" turning quickly I expect to find Jungwoo but instead find an unknown male covered head to toe in black. "I didn't mean to scare thought you'd be braver mouse, you did take pictures of me after all".

"Oh that i- it's a long story really,umm"

"There you are May, what's going on ?"

"I endorse that question also"

"Well... that's something that can be explained at a diner so"

Yuta pov:

"how do you know James" the man sitting across from me says.

"I was really using him for money I think everyone does really" i say bluntly picking up some fruit, honestly everyone in the club thinks he's like a cash cow but I digress.

"so he's a serial cheater" may says making me audible gasp the pictures make sense now "damn you're with him you're too pretty, what's he giving you ?" I twist my head in confusion biting into the waffles now.

"We're married" I gasp again now choking on the waffle piece she hands me my drink "you alright?" "Yeah just wasn't thinking that" facing her she looks so unhappy.

"damn what's he doing that's got you stuck, and is there any room for me?"

"What?"

"Total pig move" she says bluntly and for a minute I think she's gonna stab me with my fork "gosh" she starts laughing "and and..I don't think I can be with a guy who eats waffles".

"their not that bad" laughing i offer her my fork that she avoids like the plague.

Jungwoo joins picking up her hand to take the fork making her laugh louder "ewww".

She looks better like this .... smiling, everyone does.

Masterlist

<- Rewind ⏪ ⏸️ ⏯️ Fast Forward ->

Thank you for reading

9 notes · View notes

breaniebree · 1 year

Text

SNEAK PEEK

10 chapters to go!

Chapter 350 -- The One With the Polka Dot Tie

Fleur appeared next to her, startling her as she took her arm in hers.

“Come with me, Ginny. Maintenant.”

“What’s wrong?” Ginny asked, her heart moving into her throat. “What happened, Fleur? Is Bill all right?”

Fleur didn’t say anything, she only kept Ginny’s arm tucked in hers and guided her around to the far side of the Great Hall where Ginny could see the bright red hair of her family. Fiadh, Angelina, Audrey, and Hermione were standing there as well, but the closer she got, she realized that all of them were looking devastated and shocked. She started to ask what happened again, but Bill moved and she found herself looking down at the still body of her father. If Fleur hadn’t been holding onto her, she was certain that she would have fallen to the ground.

“No,” she whispered. “No.”

Bill took a step forwards her first, but Fred beat him to it. His arms wrapped around Ginny, pulling her close to his side and he pressed his lips to her hair.

“Dad’s gone, Gem.”

“No!” Ginny shouted, shaking her head in denial despite the sight before her. “No, no, please! Not Daddy, no!”

But when she looked into her mother’s eyes, she knew that it wasn’t a lie.

The sound of a loud and rather sudden sob had Ginny turning; her heart broke when she realized that it was Charlie. He was holding onto their father’s hand, tears raining down his face. Bill moved to sit next to him, one hand on Arthur’s arm and the other squeezing the back of Charlie’s neck as he turned him towards his own shoulder. Charlie let his face fall into the crook of Bill’s neck as he cried and for some reason, the sight of Charlie of all people, losing it, was too much for her.

Brother reached for brother as Fleur, Angelina, Audrey, Hermione, and Fiadh banded around them to offer support. Ginny and Molly sat in the centre, crying. No one seemed to know what to do or what to say.

Ginny noticed that Fiadh was crying as well while Fred kept his arms around her. Tiernan and another fae — who Ginny couldn’t name — were standing nearby; it was only then that Ginny noticed Ciara Casey was lying among the dead. The little girl whom Theo loved so much. That was Fiadh’s niece, she realized. Merlin, did Theo know?

Charlie let out another loud sob and Ginny’s bottom lip trembled. She couldn’t look over there again. She couldn’t look at her father lying there, couldn’t look at her strong brother crying. It made it too real. Percy wrapped an arm around her and tears welled up in her eyes instantly. She sat between him and Ron, trying to figure out her thoughts and trying to stop her tears.

“Ginny… come here, darling,” Molly said, beckoning her over.

Ginny’s bottom lip trembled as her tears spilled over her lashes. She let Percy lead her over to her mother and the moment that Molly wrapped her arms around her, Ginny lost it. Sobs tore through her, huge wracking sobs that shook her body as her brothers all moved in to engulf her and her mother in their strong arms.

Ginny didn’t know how long they stood like that, cradled together, holding each other close as they all cried, but when Ginny finally managed to let out a gasping breath, Molly kissed her forehead.

“He saved me,” Molly told her. “I don’t know who sent the curse, but your stubborn father pushed me out of the way. He… he shoved me right to the ground and when I turned he… he was…”

“Mum,” George began, pressing his lips to her cheek. “Of course he did. He loved you so much.”

Molly nodded, her bottom lip trembling. “I don’t… I don’t know what to do without him. I’ve loved him for over thirty years. He’s my whole world. My Arthur, my love, my… everything. He’s not going to see Aydin grow up and he won’t get to meet Fred’s twins and he… he…”

“I know,” Bill said, pulling Ginny into his arms so that Charlie and Percy could get in to hug Molly tighter. “I know, Mum.”

Ginny moved out of Bill’s arms to move closer to Arthur. Tears blurred her vision as she leaned over to look at her father’s still form. She couldn’t ever remember seeing him so still before. He always had a foot tapping or a finger moving in some way. But now… he looked like he was sleeping. Except he wasn’t sleeping, for even in sleep he’d never looked so… stagnant. His red hair, thinning at the top, had some white in it. His face had a day or two of stubble and the tie that he wore every day to work was crooked. For some reason, the sight of that ridiculous lime green tie with purple polka dots made her smile. She’d made it for him when she was seven and he wore it just because it was from her… another sob tore out as she reached out to fix it.

“Don’t,” George’s voice broke out behind her. “Leave it crooked, Nevra. He’d want it that way, wouldn’t he?”

Ginny let out a strangled breath and instead reached her hand out to touch his face. He was still warm to her touch and for some reason that made it worse somehow.

“Daddy,” she whispered. “I love you, Dad.”

When she turned, it was Ron’s arms she found waiting for her. She burrowed into her brother’s warm and safe embrace and let the tears fall over again.

#the world of asc #sneak peek asc #asc #chapter sneak peek #the kismet trilogy by breanie #the kismet trilogy part two a second chance by breanie #a second chance by breanie #harry potter fanfiction

28 notes · View notes

rosietrace · 1 year

Text

Kiara Rhys

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

“May your day be shrouded in fantasy, never to be consumed by endless winter.”

— Kiara Rhys

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

General Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Full Name — Kiara Maya Rhys

↳ Kiara(妃星): The name Kiara is a variant of the name Ciara or Chiara. However, in Japanese, there are a variety of different ways to spell the name, and the popularity of the name depends on how its kanji is pronounced. ‘妃’ (Kisaki), meaning “Princess”. And ‘星’ (Hoshi), meaning “Star”.

↳ Maya(眞和): The name is a variant of Maia, and its origins depend entirely on one's culture. Much like ‘Kiara’, the kanji of the name — as well as its popularity and usage — depends on how said kanji is pronounced. ‘眞’ (Makoto), meaning ‘True, Truthful’. And ‘和’ (Wa), meaning ‘Sum, Calm, Peace, Harmony’.

↳ Rhys(リス): A name of Welsh origin, meaning ‘Enthusiastic’ or ‘Ardent’.

Japanese ver. — 妃星眞和リス

Romaji ver. — Kiara Maya Risu

(Partially) Twisted from: The Snow Queen

❐ — The Snow Queen (雪の女王/アンデルセン)

V/A(日本語): Takahashi Rie (高橋李依)

↳ Voices Ai Hoshino, Oshi No Ko

V/A(英語/EN): Erica Mendez

↳ Voices Kamisato Ayaka, Genshin Impact

Age: 16

Birthday: October 20th

Horoscope: Libra ♎

Species: Ice Nymph

Height: 165 cm

Hair color: Light Blue

Eye color: Sky Blue

Gender/Pronouns: Female, She/Her

Sexuality: Demisexual

Dominant hand: Right

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Extra Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Homeland: Kingdom of Prophecy, Northern Region

『 Family:

Marquess Rhys — Father †

Marchioness Rhys — Mother †

Minami Rhys — Older Brother

Yona Von Monarch — Sister-in-law 』

Dormitory: Pomefiore

School Year: Second Year

Class: 2-C (seat no. 28)

Club: None

Best class(es): Practical Magic

Worst class(es): Broom Flying

Like(s): Studying, reading, honing her abilities, fencing, practicing social etiquette, spending time with her brother, mochi, the fan her brother gave her, Yona’s jewelry

Dislike(s): Blackmailing, constant teasing, belittlement, gossip, being talked behind her back, loneliness, death, being underestimated, failure

Hobbies: Fencing/Swordsmanship, reading, studying, dancing

Talent(s): Memorization, quick reflexes, practical magic, singing, dancing, sparring, swordsmanship

Flaw(s): People-pleasing, emotionally distant, clingy, codependent, self-imposing, stubborn-ish

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Personality

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Kiara's a sweetheart! A very trusting and compassionate individual who's a little behind in terms of understanding most social cues.

She cherishes the people around her, especially people she considers close friends! And as much as it's hard for her to accept, Kiara will always be happy for every choice her friends make for themselves — even if they end up leaving her behind in the process.

As the younger sister to the Marquess Rhys, it's no surprise that there's an air of poise and precision in most of the things Kiara does. Most of the students in Pomefiore often say it's because Victoria was there to guide her growing up — being in-laws, after all.

Once Kiara has a goal in mind, there's very little a person can do that can deter her from it!... Most of the time.

Sweet as she can be, Kiara's had a long-standing issue of wanting to please everyone around her. If someone close to her had an opinion on something, she'd usually agree with them even if their opinion goes against her own.

This is especially a problem concerning how she handles situations where discipline is required. Many in Pomefiore think that the only bad thing about Kiara is that she's ‘too nice’, and lets people off too easily. Hell, even Kiara herself acknowledges that and does her best to move past that habit of hers.

But old habits die hard, your honor.

And with how much Kiara yearns for something long-lasting without being deceived… Situations like that usually don't end well.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Unique Magic: Whirlwind Frost (旋風の霜)

❅ A variant of a hereditary ability that allows its user to create a whirlwind made entirely out of ice, and direct it to a specific direction.

This ability requires a great deal of magical energy from the user, and is — more or less — uncontrollable unless the user is using a specific object with a magestone inlaid on it.

❆ In Kiara's case, the object in question is the fan her brother gave her shortly after she manifested her unique magic.

Using her fan, Kiara can redirect the whirlwind to a specific direction; And only on the specific direction chosen by her.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Thoughts on them

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

“Impressive girl, she is. Compared to her less than tolerable in-law, Kiara's far less judgmental of my decisions as a housewarden. Perhaps too nonjudgmental.”

— Vil Schoenheit, housewarden of Pomefiore

“She’s a sweetheart, isn't she? My little sister's such an angel!! I don't understand how anyone could think negatively of her… Kiara's only doing the best she can, and as her older brother, I want the best for her. It's what Mother and Father would've wanted, as well.”

— Minami Rhys, Kiara's older brother

“... Endearing.”

— Victoria Shard, Kiara's in-law

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╗

Additional Trivia

╚══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╝

✑ Main Theme: Snow on the Beach by Taylor Swift (Ft. Lana Del Rey)

✑ Backstory: 『 Getting Frostbite 』

✑ OC Playlist: 『 TBA 』

༝ㅤ･ㅤ˚ㅤ。ㅤ.ㅤ⋆ㅤ꒷꒦꒷꒦ 　❆ ·. °　❅

❅ Kiara was one of the only people who knew about what Grimhilde had done to Victoria growing up.

↳ Due to certain circumstances, however, she was — and still is — unable to reveal what she knows, even after Grimhilde had died.

❆ Minami’s incredibly protective over her. Even the slightest mention of a significant other pushes Kiara's brother over the edge. She's lost count of how many times he's given her the ‘men are wolves’ speech.

❅ During ‘cousin karaoke nights’, Kiara would grimace every time it was Camilla's turn to sing. She's too nice to say anything to her fellow-in-law about her subpar singing abilities.

❆ Speaking of singing, there have been rumors going around that — other than dancing — Kiara's actually a wonderful singer! She's never actually confirmed this publicly, however.

❅ She's very supportive of her brother being married to Yona! Sure, it can get a little weird with how easily lovey-dovey the two of them are with one another, but Kiara's supporting them regardless and that's what matters!

❆ Kiara's basically been the surrogate older sibling for most of Mercury's life. It's why he trusts her so much.

❅ After hearing about what happened between Victoria and Pomefiore's previous housewarden, it's been getting hard for Kiara not to picture what could've been.

❆ Given how stubborn Kiara can be from time to time, it shouldn't be surprising that she's not gonna back down and holding herself back from someone underestimating her abilities as both a swordsman and a mage.

❅ She carries her fan with her at all times. With how uncontrollable Whirlwind Frost can get, it isn't all that surprising. It basically acts like a spelldrive for her!

❆ …. Can someone explain the tension surrounding Victoria and Malleus Draconia, Kiara's getting the impression that this sort of tension shouldn't be there-

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Appearance

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Kiara's tags

#kiara rhys • #『 kiara ❄️ 』

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

#twistedwonderland #twisted wonderland #disney twst #twst #ツイステ #ツイステッドワンダーランド #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #twst ocs #friends' ocs #mutuals oc #kiara rhys #『 kiara ❄️ 』#pomefiore #pomefiore oc

11 notes · View notes