#i don't even know why i typed and published this maybe to just. get it out there for my comfort
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I'm going to turn on anon for this, but the "why fanfiction" part of the commission debate and making money off of it dates back to the earlier days of fandom, 90s and early 2000s. Back then, there was a LOT of fear around cease & desist letters, and people facing legal backlash (ie: X-Files fandom having to deal with Fox breathing down their neck because of sexy Mulder/Scully or Mulder/Skinner fic), Anne Rice being particularly litigious and so on. There was a later resurgence to this in the early aughts in places like LiveJournal where a bunch of published authors kept insisting that fanfic was illegal, including the laughable take from one famous author that it was akin to "white slavery".
During all of this, a majority of fandom felt like their only legal standing was "we don't make any money off this". Keep in mind, this is before the OTW was formed and AO3 launched, so most fans didn't have a legal resource to turn to. And for some reason, I could not tell you why, even back during this 90s/00's era with a fear of legal retribution, I personally don't ever remember any brouhaha around fanart. For some reason, it was always directed at fanfic. I guess because of this perception of somehow stepping on the storytelling toes of the creators in a way fanart doesn't typically do?
Regardless.
Now, you might ask why this feeling persists when it comes to fanfic commissions? Honestly, and this is only my personal opinion, people who were in fandom during that time have a deep-seated, ingrained feeling of panic that wells up the moment anyone mentions making money off of fanfic in any way. At least, I know for myself, it's almost a stress/anxiety type feeling of "they're going to come after us". I, an adult, also recognize that this feeling is not coming from a logical place.
Do I personally hold it against anyone who offers fanfic commissions? No. That'd be stupid. Time marches on, and these old fears/anxieties related to real or perceived legal issues of the past . I just recognize that I personally won't engage with this sort of thing, because it is a deep-seated issue of mine. Unless someone gets really egregious with it (and by this I mean like, publishing on Kindle or selling it to mass market), I doubt you'll incur the legal wrath of anyone by someone giving you a little tip to write them a nice little story. But if you're wondering why it's such a divisive issue... in my opinion... it's kind of a generational divide?
If you were there when the fear of legal repercussions was a real thing, it's really hard to not have a knee-jerk reaction to it. A lot of us will never be comfortable with it, but I also feel like those of us in that camp... also maybe need to recognize where our reactions are coming from, and maybe need to chill out. We don't have to like it, but we should also... not get aggressive about it either.
The explanation is deeply helpful and while I've heard about a lot of this, I myself was not writing fanfic at this time and didn't see it myself. I understand where the fear comes from but it honestly never made sense to me why everyone praises other means of selling fandom stuff and not fic. To be honest, it's so similar to fanart and other things. And I'm sure there are fanartists that have experienced the same things, I'm just... tired of being snapped out for suggesting it when I honestly see this all the time in other fandoms.
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The art director & the Good Omens book cover tier list of doom, part 1
part 1 l part 2
This is going to have to be a multi-part series because there are *checks notes* 64 different covers that I've found so far.
I am your resident Art Director/Good Omens enthusiast,
and welcome to my completely meta-free book cover tier list.
Listen, making a book cover is HARD. I should know. But while we salute these artists for their hard work and time, I think we can all admit that once in a while, the vision is just not on. And on very rare occasions, publishers seemed to have managed to commission the cover art directly from hell...
1. The original UK cover
Ahh, the standard by which all shall be judged. We're starting off with a nice & easy cover, with adorable woodcuts of Aziraphale and Crowley flanking a custom Good Omens font! While I have to take a few points off for the terrible kerning of the word "GoOD", the blockprint vibes and general bitchiness of Aziraphale's teeny weeny wittle face, along with the sick colour palette puts the orignial in my good graces.
Tier: Great
2. The duelling US covers
Progress! Hail to the designer who figured out trying to make "GoOD" and "OMeNs" fit the same width was a fool's errand, and even managed to IMPROVE on the original handmade title by adding a little halo and devil's tale to the design. Aziraphale and Crowley are facing each other, while also managing to serve absolute cunt. Aziraphale is wearing EIGHTIES SNEAKERS. Crowley's little snake boots have HEELS. They've managed to keep the woodcut vibes and colour simplicity, while balancing out the full title of the book. Both authors get to trade off on who's name comes first! Dare I say, this is a work of genius. I could dock some points for Crowley's sad bat wings growing out of his right clavicle, but who am I to question greatness.
Tier: Blessed by God Herself
3. The Halo Master Chief(?) cover
How the mighty have fallen... As a Canadian child, I was subjected to maybe the most horrifying ad in existence by the War Amps warning children about machine safety. This cover is the paper embodiment of that ad. I am confused by the purple haze. I am frightened by the seeming ethereal flatness of Adam and Dog. I am strangely aroused by Aziraphale's eyebrows, and intensely saddened by the terrible outline/drop shadow they had to inflict on the type to fit "Pratchett" in that god awful space.
Tier: WTF
4. Germany, Ein Gutes Omen covers
This cover inexplicably exists in two colour ways: red and teal. I put the audiobook cover here so you could experience the full illustration, and also how fucked up it is that they cropped the book version to include three horse-people of the apocalypse, but cut off DEATH on the regular cover. Points must be given for drawing a pretty slick Bentley, but I think we have to take even more points away for turning Crowley into a Ray Charles/Mike Wazowski hybrid. The ducks are nice.
Tier: Not so Good (Omens)
5. Germany, Ein Gutes Omen covers continued
I don't know if the German designer of this cover *knew* that they were using western yeehaw cowboy woodblock letters when they made this cover, but judging by how they spaced the rest of the text at the bottom, THEY DID NOT CARE. And that seems to be a running theme for this one. We get kind of a duality thing going on with the black and pink background, but it just seems like somebody whispered the general themes of Good Omens into a jar, and threw it down a well, and this poor chap came along and picked it up. The baffling choice to align every piece of text on the cover *except* Neil Gaiman's name which is right aligned and rotated 90 degrees (not even real vertical type) will haunt my dreams, I think.
Tier: Bad
6. US, UK The Traffic Jam cover
For the love of Good Omens, WHY. I can think of so many more interesting symbols to put on the cover of this book than the ODEGRA SIGIL TRAFFIC JAM. Props for keeping the good colours and type, but like, I think this cover was secretly designed by @amtrak-official, or someone who just really, really likes public works.
Tier: Does the Job
7. France, De bons présages cover
Leave it to France to make sure people know that Aziraphale and Crowley fuck severely. While I can't condone leaving out half the title of the book (and thinking a red carpenter's square counts as decoration), I can begrudgingly acknowledge that Ron Pearlman and Benedict Cumberbatch's love child is excellent Crowley casting. I think I give this a solid dark academia/10.
Tier: Good (Omens)
8. France, De bons présages covers continued
Just imagine with me, if you will, the absolutely hilarious reality that this cover posits: Good Omens is exactly the same in every respect, but Crowley drives a pink 1950s convertible. Why do all of the colours on this cover look like they've been pre-digested? Why are the font choices and placement so bafflingly bad. My face is the demon's face holding that car. I feel his pain.
Tier: WTF
9. France, De bons présages covers continued
Minus points for not managing to write the full title of the book once again. I don't know what it is with the French. They seem pretty set on Good Omens being demonic. While I do appreciate a good Bosch-style demon party, the dude in the middle confounds me. All-caps Museo Sans that isn't even *centred* in the frame is just so lazy. I am le tired.
Tier: Bad
10. France, De bons présages covers continued
Uhh. The font. The font is okay.... I think? Yeah. The font and kerning are. Okay. OHHH GOD I LOOKED DOWN BELOW THE TEXT WHYYYY.
Tier: WTF
END of round one. I need a nap.
#good omens 2#good omens fandom#good omens#art director talks good omens#tier list#cover art#aziraphale and crowley#aziraphale x crowley#book cover#go s2#gomens#good omens analysis
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while i find a lot of criticism of booktok and "booktok books" to be valid, a lot of it seems......very reminiscent of the anti-twilight stuff in the early 2010s. like specifically the parts that were like "TWILIGHT IS THE DEATH OF FEMINISM AND LITERACY" and "VAMPIRES AND BOOKS ARE RUINED FOREVER" and "THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO LIKE TWILIGHT ARE DUMB TEENAGE GIRLS WHO ARE DUMB AND DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER" rather than like. actual critiques of the books. and even some of the more valid claims would sort of position themselves as if teenage girls reading twilight can't tell fiction from reality. like i'm not saying you can't or shouldn't criticize popular books (i certainly have), or saying that it's not fun to rag on a book you hate (it sure as hell is). but treating a book you don't like getting popular (esp with teenagers) as the end of literacy and the publishing industry and good writing is just plain absurd.
like i'm not saying all these books are secretly masterpieces, or even that they're all good. i've read some shit booktok books, just like i read some shit YA books back in 2012. but weirdly, the world did not come to an end and good books are still getting published. many of those books provided me with genuine entertainment, solace, and community, even if in hindsight they weren't the best, and i don't think it's fair, kind, or logical to treat people like they're stupid for enjoying books like this. (not to mention, how many people really got into reading because of Generic YA Fantasy #45 or Fun Mindless Romance #207 or Pulply Trashy Sci-Fi #62? maybe they'll branch out into other types of literature, maybe not. but it's still good that they're reading.)
and, frankly, learning to recognize and critique genuinely problematic tropes and elements in these books has made me a better writer and more attentive and educated reader. sometimes being able to articulate why something is bad is important, and sometimes that requires actually reading the damn book. and i would say that goes double for books you enjoy but contain iffy elements - it's a lot easier to completely dismiss a book that's nothing but 500 red flags in a trenchcoat, but if you're in a place of "wow this book really spoke to me in x, y, z way and i really enjoyed it BUT a, b, c were really poorly handled," it gets trickier.
TL;DR: no, barnes and noble having a booktok table is not going to kill literature as we know it, and no, people enjoying a book you find overhyped and cringe doesn't mean they're all mindless sheep who can't enjoy True Literature. calm the fuck down.
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Since you've covered a pretty big bit of the manga so far, can I ask what are your opinions on it? Deeper than just the quick reactions you've shared with us so far.
What are your opinions about the manga's characters? Its pacing? The mystery element? The magic system? What areas do you think it succeeds, and what areas do you think could be better?
I understand if you're reversing judgment until you finish, but you've also read quite a bit of the story so far. Idk, I'm just curious!
Especially seeing as you're a writer yourself, so I imagine you have a different perspective on how the story functions as, well, a story!
Oh, hmmm... that's an interesting question.
As of right now I'm on chapter 35-36 so I'm about a third through the story. The first major arc (find dragon, yoink falin out of its body, etc) has kinda happened, and we're hitting some larger world arcs.
As you mentioned, I DO want to withold judgement but for now... But I will say what I think thus far, with full awareness that my mind might be changed later depending on circumstances.
Comment 1: The manga is finished! Actually, just knowing that makes me feel like it's a more cohesive storyline.
Maybe I'm boring, but I'm not a huge fan of neverending storylines in general. Naruto, Bleach, etc. They have their place in the forever-young-monster-of-the-week genre, and I know why so many manga just keep... on... publishing....... but I feel like there's a lot of merit to being able to just wrap up a story and say 'there, that's how it ends'.
Comment 2: Laios is very well developed, even at this point of the story. Senshi remains a mystery. Marcille... speedran her arc?
I think this is the closest thing I have to a criticism. While I think Laios' character is well-paced in its revelations throughout the series (the slow ramp-up from 'oh this guy is weird' to 'oh, this guy is a freak club card carrying member' to 'oh, this guy is the freak club president' was great!) Marcille is.... a little more of a mystery to me.
Now, perhaps my memory is bad. But I did find her turnaround at the end of the Red Dragon arc a bit... out of the blue?
Don't get me wrong. I think it's entirely believable. But I wish there had been more hints - or rather, more visible progress of her studies of ancient magic. I know it's been mentioned, and there WAS that chapter of her and Falin during their school years... but watching episode 2 of the show on netflix when she goes 'I feel useless, my magic doesn't help anyone :(' and then reading the manga and seeing her straight up go from 0 to 100 as she decides "we're gonna rearrange falin's bones and then I'mma raise her using this ancient technique I've been studying all along that I didn't tell you about because it was sus" is... a little bit of a turn?
Maybe it's on purpose! Maybe, when I read further about her personal journey, the pieces will fall into place more neatly. But compared to the rest of the characters, which seem relatively steady in their reveals (Laios, Chillchuck, Senshi) Marcille took a bit of a turn.
Which, again, isn't bad! It just seems contrasted to the rest of the team.
Comment 3: The magic system is more like a magic ecology.
Actually, in the beginning, I found the magic system Marcille used very vague. It was just a 'do what needs to be done' type of power with very few apparent limits or power balances aside from 'sometimes you run out of mana'. But I think at this point, I'm beginning to assume that the details of the magic are closer to the functions of an ecosystem or an organism, and therefore WHAT the magic does is kind of moot point. Marcille is just a little bacteria inside of the great intestine labyrinth of the dungeon, and she is using its energy to survive, like a sort of microfauna.
Comment 4: Man, the worldbuilding is cool. It's so cool.
I don't think I've seen another story that goes so deeply into dungeon ecosystems before this one. Not only are the people who live there fleshed out in terms of individual cultures and traditions and norms, there are also monsters that serve as a natural fauna that inhabits the halls of what OUGHT to be a mindless 'turn left and fall into a trap' setting!
There's sticking monsters into your world, and then there's 'digging out a trench 1 meter deep, pre-soaking the soil, inserting monster's roots lovingly into the spot, and then covering it with fertilizer and spritzing the leaves'. I don't doubt that there ARE other works that go into this level of detail, but the dedication and the ideas Kui-san has for this very much makes the dungeon a living part of this entire tale. :)
I'll probably have more to say later but for now.. that's about it!
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Hi! Do you have some ideas in regards to facial differences and fun/cool make-up?
I'm planning to re-design a character, and was planning to give her a port wine stain during the redesign; she's also the type of character who'd really enjoy fun/cool make-up, like stuff that incorporates rhinestones or wild eyeliner shapes. I feel like she might enjoy incorporating her port wine stain into the make-up, but I'm drawing a blank as to how she might do that, and all google gives me is how to cover them, which is the exact opposite of what I and the character want. Are there any resources you could point me to? Or am I missing something that'd make it distasteful to put so much attention on her FD, even positive attention, since I don't have one? (I'll definitely try to have some more characters with FDs who are just, like, neutral about them/don't draw attention to them through make-up like that, but the character in question is one of the main characters so I want her design done before focusing on the more minor characters)
Hi!
I will preface this by saying that I'm a guy with close to zero experience or knowledge about make-up, if I misuse any basic terms or am ignorant about it, I apologize!
The idea of a character incorporating their birthmark into make-up is really fun! I definitely don't think it would be distasteful. I can easily imagine an influencer with a facial difference deciding to do something like this!
Some of the cool things she could do;
She could make it stand out more, rather than less - maybe make the color pop; make it more brightly red (or purple, or any other color hers is)?
Coordinate colors! Matching the color of her birthmark with her lipstick, or eyeshadow, or anything else. Or fun palettes; maybe a sunset gradient that incorporates the port wine stain's color?
Make fun shapes with it! If she has PWS spots, she could maybe turn them into stars, or if the whole thing is visible enough, maybe she could make it into a heart?
Adding rhinestones actually sounds awesome! It probably depends on where on her face it is, but maybe she could frame the stones to go around it, or point towards it?
She can of course wear regular make-up that doesn't put any additional attention to her PWS, there's no issue with that. Just don't make her cover it (but you know that!).
Personally, the rhinestone idea sounds the most exciting to me! There's something high fashion, or maybe even royal-esque about it that characters with facial differences don't really normally get. I would love to see that.
I think that, assuming your character has internet access, the lack of resources is an issue you could bring up in the story. A "why do I have to do everything myself, there's only so many ideas I can think of!" or "no, Unspecified Search Engine, not how to hide it- oh my god, why is it so useless" kind of scenario when she can't find anything new to do when she's out of ideas or hitting the artblock. I've been there when trying to find tutorials on drawing people with facial differences. This is how being a disabled artist kinda is.
all google gives me is how to cover them, which is the exact opposite of what I [...] want
And well, sounds like you got a lick of that facial difference experience ;-) (winky face). Now, imagine if incorporating FDs into art was popular and this wasn't an issue- okay, I probably made this point in too many posts now, but if your body of work ever gets published/popular, it could have an effect on things like this! I love seeing facial differences shown as something to be proud of and not to hide. I also enjoy that you mentioned additional side characters with FD. Thank you!
mod Sasza
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Do you have any opinions on Scholomance?
I do! I like it a lot. I really enjoyed all three books, blitzed through them easily and was much more excited to see how the plots unfolded than I'm used to these days, as a jaded adult, and I also really appreciated them as works of craft.
Especially the first one, I spent the whole time being all 'wow!' at how simple it was. So easy to read, but no waste. You really need to know what you're doing, to get that kind of pared-down elegance of form to work and still fit so much content in.
Like these are dense, there's a fantastic stylistic minimalism that allows El's character all the space it needs to breathe by making absolutely every other thing and person in the whole novel also do character work for her, which is exactly where the first person voice shines.
Also great use of character perspective to make the pacing feel really natural, so the fact that the first book takes three weeks, the second book takes one year, and the third book is like. Five or so incredibly stressful days spread out over the course of a few weeks? Doesn't feel imbalanced.
I actually got distracted from the story a few times by noticing the strength of Novik's technique. 😂 This is a me problem, in itself it's the opposite of distracting. Very low-profile.
I think the Scholomance is a great example of how far you can go in specfic when you aren't cringing from the label 'derivative,' because the Scholomance books feel very fresh ad clean specifically because nothing in them is concerned with standing out as 'original,' whatever that's supposed to mean, only with being well-executed and suitable to its task.
Hm, maybe that's where Liesel was born, the intersection of the efficient narrative style and the vast proportion of the story that concerns the maximization of utility and the instrumentalization of persons by themselves and others, and the forces that incentivize these behaviors. Or maybe she's just the narrative counterweight to Orion 'Head Empty' Lake lmao. How's that for a principle of balance, Galadriel?
I really did enjoy how beautifully it was laid out, over and over, in dozens of shades of humanity, how no matter where you go in an exploitative system almost everyone is being driven by the same survival instincts.
Because I don't think I've ever seen made so cleanly clear why you just can't expect any person or small group of people, no matter their level of goodwill or status, to unmake one of these systems from the inside; how it's not a matter of people being bad but of every single person being very...small.
And then not retreating into the idea of a person who is Big coming and breaking the cruel system from the outside as some kind of panacea, because 1) that is terrible, even if it's necessary and done in the best way possible and 2) that's not a sustainable answer to anything. Getting a balance between the protagonist being able to effect change and not subscribing to the great man theory of history can be really tricky!
Also did I mention, I love El, and I love most of the cast, even the dreadful ones. How am I going around with this many feelings about Li Shanfeng who doesn't appear until the actual climax?
The romance murdered me a bit, but it took up no more space than it absolutely needed to do its job, and I respect that. Also I appreciated Orion as a love interest; Novik has a slight record at this point of a version of that style of male love interest who's like a caricature of Mr. Darcy but old, which was shaping up to be my least favorite thing about her body of work.
...Orion is kind of like if you took the human king from Spinning Silver and gave him an alignment flip come to think of it, so he's not coming out of nowhere. Lmao.
Which reminds me (re: romance character typing) I've heard Novik didn't want it to be known she was astolat, which this series has renewed my sympathies if so. Because if I were a published novelist I wouldn't want people going 'you know, that resolution was really emotionally satisfying! reminds me of that fic she wrote where optimus prime and megatron get stuck in a hole underground and hatefuck about it.'
I don't even like Transformers. That fic almost made me cry. Actually I suspect it reads better if you don't like Transformers because I'm sure it does not give a shit about canon.
Anyway, whoever pointed out that one of the things El has going on is she's Enoby (and we're going to sit down and explore what the true reason to put your middle finger up at preps is, and what are some constructive ways to channel that socioeconomic wrath, and what it means that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism) was right and I'm not entirely over that either.
Fucking love El's mom as a character. Spectacular level of parent relevance and usefulness. A+.
Aadhya and Liu are also characters who fucking delivered.
Re: minimalism though, I laughed at the start of The Golden Enclaves when I realized that none of the enclaver characters who'd gotten development in the the first two books were from London, the enclave El was theoretically shooting for when we met her.
#ask#hoc est meum#Anonymous#scholomance#my sister's biphobia made an appearance when i was reading the second book and tried to tell her about this thing i was enjoying#still mad at her about it#anyway though#good!#wish i could ask novik what she was thinking by making a single-cell abortion work as human sacrifice#like is it just because magic works on intent so if you think the newly fertilized egg#that you couldn't know about without magic#is 'your baby which you are killing'#then it is?#for purposes of hole in reality making?#or does this story have a spot where its politics sharply reverse and human life begins at conception#spoilers#scholomance spoilers#especially in the reblog#lakjfaldkfs seanan mcguire has granted this rambled Circulation oh dear
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You inspire me…. Any advice for writing books ?
!! I'm honored u get a little inspiration from me! That's very sweet of you.
I struggle with advice because I've only written about 5 books and published... two-ish. (An old fanfic and ABM, which as you know is basically fanfic). But I think I have some specific advice since I'm revising right now and have a lot of thoughts... Here is what works for me (!):
Outline. I know it sucks but... please try it. (Or you'll end up like GRRM).
Draft without going back to read what you wrote, or at least don't read your unfinished manuscript in full. You will want to edit it. Don't edit it. Yes it sounds bad; yes you used the same word 8 times in a paragraph by accident; yes you can see a major plot hole. Don't fix it yet, maybe write it down somewhere so you don't forget to fix it later. You need to avoid editing while drafting or you will never finish the draft. This is the biggest advice I can give anyone, especially if you haven't written your first book yet.
Give each character a strong backstory, even if it never shows up in the plot. Sounds obvious but sometimes I have to remind myself of this.
Give your characters friendships, not just romantic relationships. Include tender scenes with friends.
A lot of writing is tedious and boring. Drafting is hard, editing is hard. You have to be disciplined. But finding motivation is also hard. Don't motivate yourself using the dream of a fanbase or the dream of becoming famous. You're setting yourself up to be hurt. (Not because any of that is impossible but because achieving it in the way that you dream is virtually impossible.) Motivate yourself using something more personal, if you can.
Re-do your outline after you draft. Why? Because you probably changed things while you drafted, you probably made some stuff up on the spot, character dynamics changed, etc. A new outline is good because you can see the story you actually wrote, which is helpful for editing for plot cohesion, moving scenes, adding and removing stuff.
Your draft is going to be bad. Don't freak out. Drafts are always bad. You're going to want to analyze the hell out of it though. What did you plan, what did you write, what worked, what didnt work, what themes are on the page, what themes should you remove, what themes should you amplify.
When editing a scene isn't working, rewrite it entirely. Yes it's more work. You'll be much happier though, I promise.
The first to second revisions should be for plot and characters and pacing; these should take the longest and be the most difficult. The last third to fourth revision should be about prose. Don't focus on prose when you're trying to fix the plot.
Let characters fuck up unforgivably.
Consider your audience heavily when you edit, but don't consider them when you draft.
I've given this advice before but when it comes to plot devices/objects, you want to give each device a moment of introduction, a moment where it's recalled, and a moment of use. (Ex. A knife is introduced in chapter 1, its mentioned again casually in chapter 7, then it's used to kill someone in chapter 14.) This is mostly to give each object its own arc that feels satisfactory but ur the boss about what works best.
Kill all your characters, but not physically (unless you want to). Make them change so much that, by the end, they would barely recognize who they were at the start.
This is book advice for the type of books that I've written. Things are very different if you're writing, say, contemporary romance, but I think this list is pretty general !! I hope it helps. Good luck!!
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INTERLUDE | are we still friends?
'it's nice to have a friend' fic masterlist + playlist | previous chapter
PAIRING: jamie tartt x fem!reader
WORD COUNT: 3.2k
SUMMARY: after months of ghosting, reader finally gets to talk to jamie again at the end of her second year.
WARNINGS: language
A/N: so we're going back in time to when reader's in uni and early in jamie's man city career :) hope u all enjoy! (also i know frats aren't a thing in the uk but i didn't find that out till after i published the prologue rip) i'd also suggest listening to 'are we still friends?' by tyler the creator for this chapter too just for the vibes — also!! thank you so much for 200 followers it's insane so many of you enjoy my fics :))
Age 19
"And that's it for this semester! Congrats everyone!" Your professor greets the room as the last person finishes their presentation. The room cheers, — albeit weakly given that most of the students there were coming down from their finals week caffeine addiction, — and everyone soon starts filing out.
You pass by your professor on the way out with Liv and hand her the trinket that the two of you planned on giving out to all of the professors you've had this semester. Some out of gratitude, some to make them feel guilty for the low marks they've given. This certain professor, a lady in her mid-40s who has been in the STEM area of research for years, had designated the two of you her favorites.
"Thank you so much, ladies. It was such a pleasure having the two of you in my class." You both give her a warm smile before heading into the hall.
When you make it outside of the building, Liv lets out a cathartic scream of relief. "It's finally done!" You laugh at your friend's reaction. You were glad too, but not enough to yell in public.
As you headed back to your student hall, you pulled out your phone. It had become routine to message Jamie every time you were heading back to Manchester, which you were the next week when your parents picked you up.
Hey Jamie! How've you been? How's Man City? Saw the match with Cardiff, you did great.
You press send before adding on, If you're still here, maybe you want to meet up before you go back? I'm heading back to Manchester next week too if you want to meet up then instead.
You send that too and type out I miss you, but after glancing at the rest of your unread messages, you delete it and sigh in defeat.
You don't even know why you're still trying. You haven't spoken to Jamie in months. No, it's almost been a year. The last time you did was when you went home for the summer holiday after your first year of uni, but even then, Jamie seemed distant and cold. He left the lunch early too after he got a call from his manager, much to your dismay. Even before that, his messages to you were getting less and less frequent till he finally stopped replying a few months into your second year.
Maybe it stung more knowing it was around the time you left that you realized how really felt about him. It wasn't just platonic love anymore; you might've actually been in love with your best friend then. But those feelings have since disappeared, at the same rate that Jamie disappeared from your life.
So now you were in a pub, supposedly celebrating the end of your second year in uni, but you couldn't stop staring at your phone, waiting for a reply. You've been re-reading your message to him and staring at that delivered in the corner until you finally broke out of the trance thanks to one of your friends calling out to you.
"Oi! You're not even tipsy. Are you playing or not?" Tina asks and you shut your phone before shifting your focus to the conversation. Right, you're playing Never Have I Ever.
"Shit, sorry," you apologize before lifting your hand. "I am now. What's the last one?"
"It was never have I ever slept with a footballer," Liv explains quickly, but the entire group had this knowing look on their faces that told you everything they thought of you.
Maybe it was fueled by the anger directed at said footballer or the fact that you knew they all thought you were a prude for not having hooked up with anyone the whole time in uni, — as far as they knew, — but you give them a knowing look that caused everyone's expressions to shift.
"No fucking way, you have?" Sam asks and you take a shot as confirmation.
"Technically yes," you explain but decide to hide which player it was. Because if they knew it was one of the up-and-comings of the Premier League, you'd never hear the end of it. Plus, one of them was bound to snitch to a newspaper for sure. "Back when I was 17 and before I left for uni, I slept with someone who ended up getting scouted." You neglect to mention that someone was your best friend, who agreed to be your first time because you were sure you'd make a bad decision the moment you stepped foot in a uni.
If they knew where you were from, they would've figured it out instantly. But you didn't have a Mancunian accent and none of them had ever bothered to ask where you were from over these two years — except Liv, who was no longer paying attention to the whole game and just scrolling on her phone, — so you were basically in the clear.
They moved on from your grand revelation quickly and continued with the game. At the end of it, you were probably the most sober out of all of them, so you ordered a Cosmopolitan. Maybe alcohol led to bad decisions, but at least it kept you off your phone.
You continued to talk with your friends till Tina gasped. You all turn to her to ask what happened when she exclaims, pretty loudly, "Looks like all of us have a chance at checking 'hooking up with a footballer' off our lists tonight." She giggles before leaning back into her seat.
You join the rest of them to look at what Tina had just seen and realize that not one, but two teams' worth of players had just walked into the pub. From Cardiff City and... Man City.
You already feel your heartbeat quickening and your eyes instantly start looking for Jamie in the crowd. The thoughts of 'he has to be here,' and 'he can't be here,' battle it out in your head, but when your eyes finally land on your former best friend, you don't know if the butterflies in your stomach are a good thing or not.
"Well, fuck it." You hear one of the girls you're with say as she downs another shot and gets up from the table. Some of the others join her in the group, but you're still frozen from nerves. Best way to heat up? More cocktails.
You watch with the other girls from a distance as the braver ones take their chances with the footballers on the other side of the bar. But for most of it, you can't take your eyes off Jamie.
He looks really different, like bad different. He's loud and boisterous, but not in the way he was before. You watch how he talks to his teammates and you can almost see how his overconfidence masks the level of insecurity he has with much older players. Or maybe you're overthinking it. You haven't seen him in a while.
When your friends get back to the table along with some new drinks and stories, you try and listen intently. But you really couldn't stop looking behind them.
You don't think Jamie's felt your eyes on him, so you weren't worried he'd turn and see you staring. But if he did, you wondered how he'd react. Would he go wide-eyed and stare back or just look away as if he didn't just spot his best friend of a decade at a pub? You were about to find out.
After downing one of the drinks in front of you, — you weren't even sure if you were the one who ordered that one, to be honest — you excuse yourself from the table. When they saw where you were walking over to, they decided to start cheering. It did help your nerves, even though you were approaching them for different reasons.
"Jamie!" You get his attention and the moment his eyes land on yours, shock fills his face. You almost scoff at that. He goes to the place where you're studying and assumes that he wouldn't run into you?
You didn't even plan out what you were going to say, so instead you sarcastically greet, "Nice to see you here. In Cardiff. Where I go to uni."
Jamie doesn't say anything and just continues to stare at you. His cocky facade almost slips too, till one of the other Man City players rests his arms on Jamie's shoulders and he suddenly tenses. You've seen him before, probably in one of those tabloid articles, judging from his overall demeanor. He seemed like the type to get into those scandals.
"Ah fuck, I thought we got rid of you lot already. Don't you have enough drinks from your friends over there?" George, you finally remembered his name, states and you're taken aback. He must've seen you coming from that direction.
"No, I'm not here for that." You answer bluntly before turning back to Jamie, starting to get annoyed. "Are you seriously not going to say anything?"
The Jamie you knew would be the first to defend you, even if it was just over someone knocking into you in the halls or stealing your pens. But it wasn't that you were after, honestly. You just wanted him to say something, anything at all.
"You know her, Tartt?" George scoffs and looks at Jamie. When Jamie continues to stay silent and just looks down at his feet, he chuckles and nudges the younger footballer. "A past hook-up, huh? Judging by your reaction. No need to be embarrassed, Jamie," he glances back at you and tries to whisper, "She's quite fit. Well, by your standards."
You roll your eyes, the anger starting to bubble. Now, Jamie had to say something right? But seeing no reaction, you correct him yourself. "Look, I'm not one of his bitter exes. I'm his..." You actually don't how to end that sentence.
George takes advantage of your pause and by now, some of the footballers around them had turned their attention to the scene. "Look woman, I don't care who you are to him, but take. the. fucking. hint."
You still don't remove your eyes from him. "Jamie," you whisper, almost pleading at that point.
Jamie looks up and seeing the multiple eyes on him at the moment, he finally speaks up, "You want an autograph or something? We're trying to enjoy our night, so I'll sign a napkin for you and you can be on your way."
The coldness in his response causes you to stumble and you take a step back. What did he just say to you? You try and search his face for any sign of remorse or guilt. Something that says, 'Please don't hate me, I didn’t mean it.' Nothing.
The sounds of the other footballers laughing don’t help either; it only contributes to the rising feeling of heat and embarrassment in you. You can feel the tears starting to form. There's no reason for you to break down in front of all of them, so you answer quickly, "Right. No need. Sorry for disturbing your night."
You turn around quickly, but not without hearing George ask Jamie who you were. For a second, you almost thought he'd give him the truth.
"Dunno, probably some fan I met before." That breaks the dam and the first few tears drop to your cheeks. A crying girl isn't an irregular sight at a bar, but you really didn't feel like staying in the same place as Jamie anymore.
You approach the table to grab your things when you notice that most of your friends had already scattered across the pub. The only one left there was Liv, — who was the designated driver for tonight despite your university being a 5-minute walk away — who notices your tear-stained face and is quick to rush over to you. "What's wrong? What happened?"
You shake your head. "Don't worry. I just want to head back." Liv hadn't even known you for two years, but she knew that you weren't one to talk about your feelings. Instead, she nodded and offered to help you out of the pub, but you shook your head once again. You had a relatively high limit and partner it with what just happened with Jamie, you were practically sober. You grabbed your clutch and coat before rushing out of the place, furiously wiping the teams from your face.
Fuck Jamie Tartt. Fuck those Man City losers. Fuck everyone involved in turning your best friend into whoever that was. The boy you once knew was gone. Fully and completely gone. You had to accept that.
But even then, you thought you'd hear the door open behind you. You thought it would be Jamie. You thought he'd chase after you. You thought he'd pull you into a hug. You thought he'd apologize for what he did and for everything. You thought he'd cradle your face as he did so. You thought he'd plant a tender kiss on your lips as an apology too. You thought he'd re-enter your life as if nothing had changed.
But he did none of that.
And you went home alone.
—
"(Y/N)? It's Liv, again!" You hear from the other side of your door, but make no attempt to move from your position in your bed. It was just too comfortable, perfect for wallowing in when you've officially ended the longest friendship you've ever had. Liv continues, "I'm heading home soon, but I asked Donna if she could keep bringing food for you to your door till you head home."
You were touched by the gesture but knew you weren't going to touch any of those bags till late at night when the hall was completely deserted. Till then, you'd be sleeping. Your parents had delayed picking you up till the last day and you've never been more glad about that.
"See you next semester! Love you!" were Liv's parting words and once you heard her footsteps recede, you fell back to sleep.
In all honestly, you've lost track of time at that point. Yeah, it was pathetic sitting in your room as if you were mourning the death of a loved one, but it's not like anyone cared. Well, Liv did, which is why she started bringing you food when she realized you weren't leaving your room, but she was heading home to London. Your parents had no idea what happened and you intended to keep it that way. The rest of your friends were off with their own lives, not even giving you a second thought. Jamie sure as hell didn't care what happened to you. He made that clear.
So for the rest of your time left in the hall, you just stayed in your room. Like a hermit. Jamie would've found it funny, you thought once, till it caused you to burst into tears once again. The more you tried to forget Jamie, the more you thought of him, which was the worst loop you could be in.
He's even in your dreams. One of them felt so real because you were in your exact position in reality when your phone rang. You saw his name as the caller, but 'dream you' just pressed decline. Even deleted the missed call notification. Good for her.
Then, you wake up to a missed call and a text from your mom. On route to Cardiff! Can't wait to see you, sweetie.
Ah, fuck. Had that much time really passed? You jumped out of your bed and start fixing up. Technically, you had 3 and a half hours to do so, but counting showering, cleaning up your suitcases from your dusty closet, and shoving almost a years worth of items into said suitcases, then you were in a bind and never prayed for traffic more in your life.
And from the sheer fear of your parents giving you a sermon in front of the entire building, you almost forgot about your former state of wallowing in self-pity. Then you were faced with taking down the decorations on your wall.
There was a mix of everything from school banners, even flyers, and pictures you'd taken with your friends and parents. You started with those first until the only ones left were the ones related to Jamie. You had pictures with him from multiple stages of your life. There was one from the first football match of his you ever attended and one from your graduation, too.
You had kept the note he made you when you were 16 and you joined your first individual debate tournament. ‘Fucking smash it!’ was scrawled in his handwriting on a post-it note, which you've hung on your wall since your first year of uni.
Even the rings he used to buy you for your birthday till his mom told him to find something new. You slowly pulled them from your desk drawer and realized there were only four. One missing. They were old anyway. You end up shrugging it off and placing them into your suitcase.
When you started inserting the rest of the items into an envelope, you continue to look at that picture with Jamie from when you were seven. Suddenly overcome by an emotion — rage, pity, nostalgia, you're not really sure, — you crumple it with your two hands and hold it like that for a few seconds.
You finally let go and see the two distorted faces, you're suddenly overcome by feelings of guilt. 7-year-old Jamie didn't do anything wrong; what was the point of taking your frustrations on a picture of him? Maybe you can throw darts at a printed photo of the current Jamie when you get home instead.
You flatten the picture as best you can before putting it back into the pile in the envelope. You finish packing your desk and place all the items into one of your suitcases. You look around the room, satisfied. Sure, your sheets weren't made yet, but you were going to leave the place anyway and you needed to shower. It was 40 minutes till your parents would knock on your door, — as seen in the picture they sent of the GPS — so it was more than enough for you to get ready.
Time passed by quickly and soon, your dad was helping bring your bags down to the car while your mom talked about how much weight you've lost while you were away, like they always did.
"Oh! Jamie, he had a game against Cardiff last week, right?" Your dad remembers as he starts the car. You almost freeze at the name, but turn to look out the window to avoid your parents catching whatever expression you had on your face. You were too tired to mask it properly.
"Yes, he was amazing!" Your mom exclaimed before asking. "Georgie said she told him to meet up with you here. Did he?"
"No," you answered quickly. You never lied to your parents, which is probably why they accepted your response so easily. You don't look back at them and continue to look at the passing trees. "Must've been busy."
A/N: yeah... and there you go! here's what happened that night in the pub and hopefully it makes me much more clear why reader still holds something against jamie! we're going back to the present day timeline for the next one so stay tuned!
TAGLIST: @moonflowersandsparkles @faith-alons26 @rexorangecouny @aiyaiy @thegirlthatwantedtowrite @giggling-sewer-ginger @katdahlali @higherthanheroes @guccilongboard @alipap3 @rockchickrebel @ellietartt @shineforever19 @skewedcherries @jamietarttdodo @meg-ro @deepdarkvelvet @taytaylala12 @scaramou @rae4725 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo (couldn't tag you for some reason?)
#jamie tartt#jamie tartt x reader#jamie tartt reader#ted lasso#jamie tartt fanfiction#jamie tartt imagine#jamie tartt fic#ted lasso fanfic#jamie tartt fanfic#jamie tartt angst#jamie tartt x f!reader#jamie tartt x female reader#it's nice to have a friend series
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alhaitham — academic rivals ☆彡
summary — the relationship between you two are merely rivals in the akademiya or so you probably thought.
pairing — alhaitham/gender-neutral reader
tags — fluff (kinda), the trope enemies to lovers but academic rivals instead; headcanons
word count — 902
a/n — i haven't wrote for him after a long time (that long time was 3 days ago)
being a renowned scholar of the akademiya and being on par to the famous scribe really does bring a lot of things in your life. both negative and positive events to your everyday occurrence.
"are you reading?"
"it's amazing how you have eyes but never see the use of them."
you don't know which one's personality is at fault here but one thing is for sure, if alhaitham wasn't as frank and rational—to the point that some of his actions and words are simply just unacceptable to your moral concepts— as he is, you would be getting along with him just fine.
you also don't know if it's due to your clashing beliefs and ideas that you two just couldn't get along. or is it really just that or he just refuses to do so? eitherways, he still irks you off in multiple ways. even when it's just the sound of his breathing.
the two of you compete against each other in terms of being the best among you, as such your relationship is treated as something simply born and made by a competition, an unnatural way to form a connection with another but that's just how it is.
''are you now starting to realize that you like me after all?"
"i've learnt to endure and bear with your presence."
sarcasms, creative remarks as comebacks to one another's argument, teasing and joking words that leads to banters and bickering, and many more. you'll probably only get along with him only when the world ends. it was obvious even from a stranger's perspective that you were not on good terms with him.
but despite that, there was never a time that you two have touched on a sensitive subject while arguing or have you two said anything personal and mean that it crossed the line. it's just some useless and close-to-nothing banters that always occur—to which it has become part of your daily routine.
however, the fact that you two work really well when it comes to projects and research is something that can't be denied. even when there are countless arguments being shared because of differences in opinion, you two still end up getting the work done flawlessly.
although you could still recall vividly as clear skies the memory of when a student once said how you're only able to attain such a high academic standing and image due to you often being paired by a great scholar like alhaitham—also the man you refuse to be near to, and that all credits for the projects and research papers you have published all goes to him. if you were even given the chance, you would have chosen someone else as your pair but you don't.
this is probably part of the reason why you have a certain yet unexplained dislikeness for him. his existence basically shadows over yours.
it feels horrible having all of your hard work and effort being disregarded but hearing such words are just something common and expected so you ought to ignore it not until you hear a familiar voice speak up.
"are people like you really bound to judge and speak about things you have no knowledge of? shouldn't you focus on finishing your research papers instead of gossiping and talking about other people's lives?"
"you don't know (name) or anything that they do. i have seen how they work so hard to attain their goal and put everything that they can just to do so. witnessing you bad-mouth them while you're at that state doesn't make you look better but rather a fool."
you could immediately tell that it was him, the said man who, from the other students' perspective, deserves all the credit for every project.
he wasn't as bad as you thought and maybe for once, just this moment, you're thankful and grateful to him. but this raises the question, why would he even care to do that? he's most likely the type of person to just walk pass and just let them fools talk bad about others before reporting their conduct to the office.
honestly, this isn't the first time he has done such a thing. in moments more than one, he would often show that he cares for you as a partner (academic) and as something that is more than strangers but less than friends, occasionally speaking up for you when you can't, being cautious and keeping you safe, knowing the foods you can't eat and avoiding from ordering it when he would take you out for a meal just to discuss about your progress in the part of the project/research, and many more.
you suppose it's only an act of courtesy and him being a gentleman though isn't it too much? you just refuse to overthink it and not put any meaning behind his actions. simply just reasoning it that alhaitham is a human that have a heart behind that demeanor of his.
"why do you even care? i don't understand you sometimes. you act like you don't like me then the next you do those things that keeps me up at night."
"when have i ever said that i don't like you? you have a great mind, (name), think."
the only thing you know the two of you share is the relationship of being rivals and probably only just that.
— navigation | masterlist
#azul.writes#genshin impact#genshin impact x reader#genshin x reader#genshin impact headcanons#genshin headcanons#genshin imagines#genshin fluff#genshin impact fanfics#genshin#alhaitham headcanons#alhaitham genshin#alhaitham#alhaitham x reader#al haitham#alhaitham fluff#genshin x you
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Surprising Facts
IkeVamp suitors with an s/o who randomly says interesting facts
Characters: Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Arthur Conan Doyle, Le Comte de Saint-Germain, Johann Georg Faust
Warnings: maybe ooc since I don't know their personalities well, bad English (?), some facts may be a little disturbing (Isaac's part), gn!reader/fem!reader.
Notes: hello~! It's great to write again! I hope you're all taking care. This is the first time I write anything that has to do with the Ikemen series, so I hope you like it (╥﹏╥). Also, this is a tiny bit too much inspired by things I say to my friends and family so enjoy this little random facts I know, te-hee~.
Leonardo Da Vinci
"Did you know that Samuel Morse, the creator of the telegraph and Morse code ran for mayor of New York, but was against Catholics and immigrants?"
"I beg your pardon?"
It's really fun to have them around, though he sometimes doesn't understand some of the facts they throw at him and asks them to explain.
He learns more about future events through their random facts than asking the other residents.
He gets caught off guard by some of the facts his s/o throws at him though.
"Nutmeg is a hallucinogen."
Sometimes tries to ask them things that he thinks may be difficult for them to know, but he always fails.
"Actually, Sudan has more pyramids than any other country in the world."
His s/o never fails to impress him and he loves that.
They’re just cute darlings full of knowledge! They’re pretty and smart!
Secretly wishes to surprise his s/o with something they don't know.
Perhaps his unconditional love for them.
"And did you know, tesoro, that I love you dearly?"
I'm sure they didn't know that one, did they?
Isaac Newton
"Did you know the human stomach can dissolve razor blades?"
"Y/N, please, PLEASE stop with the creepy information."
Look, he's glad they’re drenched in information, but WHY do they choose to tell him the creepy ones?
He knows some of the facts his s/o tells him, others are more modern so he asks them information about it.
But when it comes to the creepy ones...
"Acids can dissolve a body more completely than lye, liquefying even the bones and teeth."
"And why do you need this information?!"
Let's face it, it's a bit weird that they know that, but they’re full of information!
Although they always have one or two that make him smile.
"Did you know the world's longest marriage lasted 86 years?"
Isaac looked up at his s/o with intrigue.
"Why don't we break the record?" they smiled at him and laughed when they noticed his cheeks blush.
Arthur Conan Doyle
"There are four law books bound in human skin at the Harvard University Library."
"Bound in what?!"
It feels like a competition.
He wants to outsmart them in saying something they don't know, but never finds anything.
"Video cameras were invented in 1891."
"Mmm that was the movie camera called Kinetograph, but in 1888 Louis Le Prince invented a single-lens camera that created the first and oldest motion video in existence."
"Bloody hell, Y/N!"
Don't worry, there is one thing he can do that leaves them with no answer.
And that is at flirting.
"You may be a little know-it-all, but you're still my cute dove, aren't you?" he chuckles. "Oh yes, I always win in the game of seduction."
Always uses the little random facts they give him on books.
Like that one time when his s/o told him that hydrogen peroxide dissolves blood!
Comte de Saint-Germain
Let's be clear, this man knows quite a lot thanks to his time travels.
But that doesn't stop his s/o from saying a thing or two.
"It's interesting how people often paint you as a time traveler and an immortal being without knowing they're right. Isn't it ironic?"
Asks more about future events like wars that are soon to come or any type of information that calls his attention.
"In your time, which is the most famous book?"
"Currently the Bible. It's the most recognizable and famous book that has ever been published."
He always has this soft smile whenever they tell him anything out of the blue, either because of amusement or because he loves how they smile whenever they tell him any random fact.
It's adorable to say the least, and he will make sure to always make them feel proud of their knowledge.
"Ma chèrie is very smart and knowledgeable. I sure am a lucky man, aren't I?"
Johann Georg Faust
Let's be for real, he's a smart ass.
He knows quite a lot about alchemy and other stuff.
But what about modern stuff?
"You know, I wanted to watch the play that goes by your name. I read it though! Very tragic indeed."
"What are you talking about?"
Yeah, yeah, he’s smart and stuff.
Really cool.
But his face when they tell him something he doesn’t know?!
Priceless.
Even if he does know, he’s more surprised on the fact that his s/o knows that type of stuff.
For example:
“Did you know that injecting 35% hydrogen peroxide can cause inflammation of the blood vessels at the injection site? The oxygen bubbles that block flood flow and lead to gas embolisms, leading to the destruction of red blood cells.”
“May I know why you know this information?”
Secretly likes it. I mean after all, his s/o isn’t just some pretty face.
Doesn’t stop him from teasing you though.
“Your knowledge won’t help you get away from me now will it? Hm, thought so. Now come here before I make you regret it.”
Will make a quiz full of questions regarding history out of spite.
They pass flawlessly. (Yeah, just with random facts from the internet. Leave me alone, I did that once.)
“You are proficient with your little data. Well, I can't expect less from my partner.”
#headcanons#cybird ikemen#cybird otome#ikemen series#ikemen vampire#otome game#ikevamp#ikemen vampire headcanons#ikevamp leonardo#ikevamp le comte#ikevamp isaac#ikevamp arthur#ikevamp faust#ikevamp headcanons#ikevamp hcs#cybird#ikevamp x reader#ikemen vampire scenario#ikemen vampire x reader#is this worth it?#is it too much?
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i'll warm your body, you'll warm my heart
ship: natsu dragneel x lucy heartfilia
summary: It's almost a given that Natsu and the cold don't get along, but there's at least one thing that comes with nights like these that lets him learn to appreciate the bitter chill of winter.
ao3
an ode to the first ever nalu fic i wrote, published march 26, 2015. 8 years later and still kickin
Perhaps it’s unsurprising that Natsu and the cold are two things that struggle to co-exist. He’s not quite Lucy bad—her teeth chatter and her body starts to shiver at even the slightest hint of the beginning of fall.
The cold doesn’t affect him in quite the same way, but neither is he too fond of it. Lucy once compared him to a reptile, always wanting to bask in the heat, and that isn’t something that he can argue with. Though his body regulates warmth just fine, winter brings with it a bite that he doesn’t quite appreciate.
The air in front of him fogs up with each breath, barely visible in the dark streets before him. He’d been cooped up in the guild hall all evening, forced to patch up holes and reassemble chairs that he swore up and down were not his fault. Whether or not it was the result of his reckless behaviour, he and Gray had been tasked with the natural consequences of their repeated actions.
With the sun long gone, there’s no shield from the bitter chill that comes with this time of year. Though it’s nothing he can’t combat, the discomfort it brings isn’t something he’s eager to tolerate for much longer. His back already ached from hours of reassembling broken furniture and arguing with Gray, whom he’s resentfully certain is revelling in this type of weather.
The trek back home isn’t sounding as appealing as it might have any other night. Though he loves his spot out in the woods and the solace it provides him, living so far out of the way is less appealing on nights like these.
He lets out a foggy and heavy sigh as he weighs his options.
Though his place is out of the way, Lucy lives a mere five minutes from the guild—something she loves to brag about on those days they had to meet at the guild in earlier morning hours.
She would be asleep by now, he’s sure. Lucy was one for a strict schedule, and she had a bedtime that she liked to stick to. She’d most certainly kick him out in the morning, but Natsu knows it would be worth saving himself the long, cold walk, with the bonus of being able to rest in the comfort of his best friend.
His decision comes quick and easy, his feet moving before he even mentally comes to his conclusion, almost as if his body knows what he wants before his brain does.
And why wouldn’t it?
The route to Lucy’s place was branded into his brain—he could walk it with his eyes closed, a skill that might come in handy considering the dark evening hour.
He likes his house, but he likes Lucy’s better. He can’t ever quite put his finger on why. Maybe it’s the proximity to the guild; maybe it’s the cosy environment that Lucy has created within it.
Maybe it’s the person who resides there, her scent permeating the apartment, her love and warmth radiating from every inch of it.
Yeah, it could probably be that last part.
The smell hits him the moment he lets himself in (courtesy of the key Mira “lent” to him), and he immediately feels himself at home.
The lights are unsurprisingly flicked off when he arrives, and he keeps them off out of courtesy, so as not to wake Lucy. He doesn’t need them—he knows the space better than he knows the walk here. He can navigate it without thinking; he knows where to step to avoid the couch on the way to her bed; he knows to step over the part of the rug that is never quite laid flat and somehow trips Lucy up every time. In recent years, he’s spent more time here than at his own home, a fact that Lucy pretends to resent, but he knows better.
When he makes it over to her bed, he sees that the cold night has affected Lucy much harder than him. The heating in her apartment has never worked quite right, and it’s never been more evident than now as she lays in a lump of seemingly every blanket she’s ever owned. The sight makes him want to laugh, but he holds back in fear of waking her.
He pulls his scarf off to prepare for bed, but as he does so, he notices the way that Lucy stirs. His ears tune into her breaths, and he notices the rhythm of each inhale and exhale doesn’t quite match up the way it does when she’s asleep, and his suspicions are quickly confirmed.
She rolls over to face him, and her eyes are open, her lips stuck in a pout.
He’s ready to be scolded, to be told to leave, go to his own home, and stop breaking into hers, but it doesn’t come.
“I’m cold,” she says instead.
He doesn’t reply, but he does regard her with a smile.
He knows what that means because he’s heard it a thousand times. Lucy likes to go on and on about words, about what they mean, about how certain word usage conveys certain things, about how sometimes it’s not what’s said but what’s omitted that’s important. She’s only telling him she’s cold, but he knows that it’s a silent request that he’s more than willing to fulfil.
“Your dirty day clothes aren’t allowed in my bed,” she mumbles as he pulls up the sheet to try and join her.
He rolls his eyes but obliges nonetheless. He sheds his shirt and kicks off his pants before she opens up her makeshift blanket fort for him, and he crawls inside.
She rolls back over to face the wall, and he takes that as his cue to pull her close to his chest. She tucks perfectly in his arms, the back of his knees slotting into hers comfortably.
There’s a brief moment where she’s still shivering, but it quickly dies down as his body heat emanates. It’s nice just holding Lucy like this, but it makes him feel good knowing that he can protect her from the cold the way he wants to protect her from everything else.
He warms her body, and she warms his heart.
Her hands are cold when they clutch against his own, but he doesn’t mind. The brief moment of discomfort it provides is simply his payment for her letting him in without argument.
It’s usually not this easy; it usually takes a moment of bickering if she even lets him share the bed with her at all. She’ll probably kick him out in the morning, the same way she always does.
Right now, he doesn’t mind.
He’ll take this moment for all it’s worth.
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I think the most fun part to me with writing Hannibal fanfics is seeing how far I can run with the dialogue I make Will and Hannibal use. Because I feel like there's a scale of how to write them that also very much falls in line with how they are in the show.
There's Hannibal-esque writers. They know seem to know a lot about music, art, food, and/or mythology from lots of different places and communities. They're cultured and well-informed or at the very least, they've done a lot of research into these things.
And then there's Will-esque writers. Those that aren't necessarily well-educated on all those subjects, but they're smart enough and cognizant enough of the various subjects to be able to snap back with some metaphor of their own.
And these are both good types of Hannibal fic writers don't get me wrong, but I do very much enjoy being a Will Writer. I don't know a lot about music or dancing or art, and by God I try to avoid describing whatever meals Hannibal might be making at risk of sounding like an idiot, but I'm a history major and published poet. I can work with that.
I can be pretentious and flowery and philosophical with my words, and hey, maybe throw in some metaphor about:
Well, Hannibal is so headstrong because he's following his namesake. Hannibals are supposed to be leaders, like Hannibal, the Carthaginian general of the Second Punic War, or Hannibal Hamlin, the fifteenth vice president of the United States (and a revolutionary one at that as the first Republican vice president).
But then have a clap back of, well, General Hannibal of Carthage may have been one of the greatest military tacticians in known history, but he did lose the Second Punic War (like Hannibal Lecter lost Will to justice in the Second season), was exiled many times over (except Hannibal Lecter ran to Italy rather than being pushed from it and its surrounding territories), and then ended up killing himself after being betrayed (much like Hannibal Lecter gave up his life (hyperbolically) to the BSHCI after Will betrayed him and his feelings).
And of course Hannibal Hamlin wasn't all that bad either, until Abraham Lincoln decided he needed to appeal more to those that opposed him, and he dropped Hamlin and picked up Andrew Johnson because that seemed like the best thing to do (kind of like how Will dropped Hannibal Lecter in Digestivo only to pick up a shiny little family for himself, because it was what he was supposed to want and do).
And in the end I'll spin it all with "Is that all your namesake is, Hannibal? A crutch of greatness keeping you from falling directly into abandonment's gaping maw? One could wonder why you try to avoid your sorrows when the legacy of your name scrambles the letters until all they spell is rejection."
But uh yeah that explanation really got out of hand and I just meant to say that I love writing Hannibal dialogue even if I don't have all the culture knowledge that Hannibal characters seem to have. It's fun.
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I've just read an article (in Gazeta Wyborcza) about a very popular series of books among young teens in my country, Poland, called "Rodzina Monet" (Family Monet). The author gained popularity while publishing on Wattpad lol. The article basically said that it's problematic because these books are read by young girls, even 10 years old, and it glorifies violence. Plus it just isn't well written - there were some fragments in the article and yeah it's not well written lmao. A woman in the comments said that her daughter is reading this book and asked if she should forbid it. Since no one answered her, I replied that I don't think forbidding the book is a good solution and suggested talking to her daughter about it, showing her the article and asking what she thinks about it. But I don't know anything more about that situation, for example how old the daughter is. I don't think I'd worry if my child were to read this book, I read trashy stuff too. But I started wondering if maybe there should be some control in such a case? The thing with the books from what I gathered (I haven't read them) is that they are about a 14yo girl, who suddenly lost her mother and grandmother, is sent away to US from Britain where she starts living with her 28yo (handsome) stepbrother and his 3 (also handsome) brothers. She lives in a beautiful villa since the stepbrother is super rich. He's also cold and distant and doesn't understand that she has issues with food (she has some kind of eating disorder). Some of the things he and his 3 brothers do can be described as domestic violence but they apologize, buy her expensive stuff and are all adult handsome men. Yeah it's a young adult fiction. The thing is that it's just not well written so none of the bad behaviours is commented upon.
--
Sounds like typical godawful id trash that people eat up. Making a rule against it will just make it more tantalizing.
It would be far more valuable to kick any worthless partners out of one's life and demonstrate not putting up with shit to a tween girl than to ban her from reading trashy books.
One could always try buying her something better, but IME, people who try that always do it wrong: they buy books that are better written, yes, but the vocabulary and sentence structure are a thousand times harder, there's zero iddy wish fulfillment, and the plot is something fucking depressing and supposedly edifying.
Readers can smell a tryhard "your taste is bad" gift a mile away.
I think it's also important when trying to find replacement trash to understand what the kink actually is. Why is it age gap? Well, have you seen 14-year-olds? They're awkward and covered in zits. Of course the protagonist is young like the readers and the hotties are older.
More importantly, why is it abusive? Absolute idiots will be like "Because society taught girls wah wah wah wah wah", but the actual reason is obvious if you've read trash romance for adults:
It's so the love interest(s) can be in the wrong.
The self inserty protagonist of this type of story has very little power. Not only is she usually younger, but she's poorer, a fish out of water in a new situation, etc. The way she gets power is by the love interest doing something absolutely horrible, realizing they have erred, and then groveling forever. Their guilt is an effective way to manipulate them. And yes, retail therapy is usually the next step from this particular trash classic all the way back to The Flame and the Flower.
You can try giving a teen girl a book about a teen girl action hero who is awesome and whose love interest likes her because of that... But if the reader doesn't feel awesome, she's still going to prefer a book about a loser with a destined, fated love or a misunderstood woobie whom other characters have to grovel to after not initially realizing she was special.
You can't fix self esteem by handing someone a book they don't identify with and telling them their id is wrong. And if self esteem does improve, that doesn't mean the lizard brain is going to switch trash fiction tastes anyway.
One can try leaving other fun books around, but that's about the most that could be helpful.
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Game: match the character with the trope & give a little explanation why you paired them/how you would go about writing that type of fic 🩷
Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Ransom Drysdale, Ari Levinson & Nick Fowler
Forced proximity, forbidden love, fake dating, hidden identity & arranged marriage
Okay, this was fun, Em! And at least this time I didn't get TOO carried away...
ARI LEVINSON - FORCED PROXIMITY - I don't know... maybe this 2500-imagine-ish pitch that spilled out of my fingers this weekend? Hahaha
BUCKY BARNES - HIDDEN IDENTITY - I think this could happen over many different period of Bucky's life, but I'm especially interested in Bucky on the run after Winter Soldier and before Civil War. I love reading fics that take place during this time, and I've got a fic that I started and need to go back to (and maybe rewrite so I can complete it) that would be him hiding for short periods of time in cabins/rentals/vacation homes as he makes his way out of the DC Metro area those first months after CA:WS and while he's crashed at one particular place, Reader shows up, and they spend a few days or maybe a week together before moving on to the next place (and the next and the next until he eventually ends up in Romania).
RANSOM DRYSDALE - FAKE DATING - When a petition citing some extenuating circumstances/technicalities/the manner in which his confession was coerced/etc, a judge is willing to review it due to Ransom's good behavior (read: MONEY) while he's been serving time, and he gets him out of jail. You are immediately hired to be his Cinderella-image of a girlfriend so he can become the public's wronged and misunderstood Prince Charming because Linda won't have any more bad press - it's affecting all of the family businesses. Why are you willing to take the deal? You came up in an initial pool of suitable eligible females in the local area and it just so happens that one of the editor's at Harlan's publishing house (still overseen by Walt) has been considering one of your novels for publication, and this presents an opportunity for them to sweeten a proposal for this PR relationship by offering you a six-novel publishing deal as long as you maintain the relationship with Ransom for at least 18 months.
NICK FOWLER - FORBIDDEN LOVE - You're a detective working for Interpol. You know the trouble he's caused. Even though he was able to cover up his deeds initially with the CIA, once the Chinese/MSS took him into custody, it all came out. But he's managed to escape. He's managed to find his way to Romania, which is where you just so happen to be stationed now. You worked a case closely with him six years ago in Portugal, and...though you both kept it professional, his charm was undeniable. He had no idea you were in Romania, but he's not mad about that in the slightest now that he's spotted you. He could have some fun with this. Are you ready to play with fire?
STEVE ROGERS - ARRANGED MARRIAGE - In a Steve Stays scenario, if he's going to refuse to be Cap, he's being lobbied to still use his influence and power to help bring some order to this post-Blip society. He went tried to retreat and fade into the background, but things are escalating, and Pepper - who had also tried to stay in the background - is concerned that there are things happening maybe because of their inaction. She's got an idea. She wants to get Steve into political office, and she's going to appeal to his sense of duty (which she can do because it's the guilt she's also feeling). He'll agree because he trusts her judgement. For the best image, he's going to need a wife - this is a harder sell, but - again - he trusts Pepper Potts, he doesn't even need to vet the candidates, because if he's all in on this idea, he'll be all in, and he knows Pepper will pick someone who will fit the bill as his suitable trophy wife. You.
would... well would anyone be interested in any of these if I thought about actually writing them?
#steve rogers imagine#nick fowler imagine#bucky barnes imagine#ransom drysdale imagine#ari levinson imagine#aspen's extended anniversary sleepover#sleepover dare#em/writing for marvel
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INSUFFERABLE | General Hux x Reader | pt. 6
INSUFFERABLE | General Hux x Reader Smut. 18+. MINORS DNI. This is a direct continuation. I’m back, girlies and I wrote this somewhere in between the preparations for my real book to be published very soon. There will be more parts, of course, I'm still deciding if I want to destroy the Starkiller or not break his heart this time.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Word count: 6.48K
Content warning: fem!reader x Hux; Force Awakens plot but everything happens much slower; soft Hux with feelings appears but he is also a bastard; a few curse words; smut: fingering, oral (f receiving), face sitting, this part is sponsored by Hux being the giver basically
"Come with me. I have something you'd like in my bedroom."
Bloody Hux. He knew exactly what to say to keep her going and all riled up, even after absolutely ravishing her just minutes earlier.
"A surprise? Another one? You sure know how to keep me on my toes."
Hux smiled smugly, then beckoned her to follow him to his bedroom. There, she immediately noticed a new piece of black and red furniture standing opposite the bed.
"A holotable?" she asked in surprise. It was one of the largest types she knew the First Order used, new and polished.
"Precisely." Hux entered, and the door closed behind him. "I had it installed today. Now we can... Watch things, should you wish."
A warm smile spread on Y/N's face at the mere thought. "It would be lovely to watch something with you and just relax..."
"Then we'll do just that."
She held his gaze for a moment, allowing warmth to fill her up completely. She walked up to him and cupped his face, then left a soft, affectionate kiss on his lips.
"You've been really spoiling me lately... But I can't say that I complain."
He let out a sigh, then offered her a soft smile, again experiencing some feelings he had never felt before. "Maybe I like doing it."
"I'll go take a shower before this then... Unless you want to join me?"
As much as he enjoyed the offer, he already had a plan.
"Go, I'll order dinner for us in the meantime."
"Always efficient planning." She nodded in admiration, then smirked. "I can see why they made you a general."
He shook his head, but allowed himself a smile. "You like walking on thin ice, don't you?"
She grinned at him. "Because we're on an ice planet, General."
Before he could reply, she grabbed something from the wardrobe and disappeared behind the bathroom's door. He couldn't stop smiling; she was a little bastard at times, and he had punished people for much less before. Yet, when she teased him like this, it was so enjoyable, it made his heart light, it made the stress from his body evaporate... He couldn't get enough of it.
Twenty minutes later Y/N came back to the bedroom in an outfit that made Hux raise an eyebrow.
"Is that my shirt?" he asked, adjusting his position on the bed, where he was sitting with the remote in hand.
She just smiled, adjusting the large, black shirt that covered her butt just barely, acting as a very comfortable nightgown.
"Maybe."
"You have your own wardrobe here and you're still stealing my clothes?" he asked as if he did not enjoy the view. Her legs were exposed completely, and it would be a lie to say she didn't look attractive in the unusual attire.
"But this is large, comfy, it smells like you and... Oh, tell me you don't like how I look," she argued, then settled herself on the bed, right next to him, her warm legs enjoying the cool feeling of his luxurious sheets.
"If you need new clothes, I can order them for you," he said to tease her, but at the same time, his offer was serious.
"Very funny."
"I was serious, though." He looked at her. "Is there anything you need?"
She cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. Clothes, cosmetics, anything else of that sort? I told you I can order these for you."
"You... Would do that?"
"Y/N. You had probably noticed by now how much I'd do for you."
Her mouth fell agape. Of course, he had given her gifts before, but hearing such words was a completely different experience. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her heart.
"I don't want you to think I'm with you for all these perks."
"I never thought that," he replied immediately. "And I am offering. Who else am I going to give gifts to? Ren, maybe?"
Y/N couldn't help but let out a short chuckle. "Oh, I think he'd appreciate a gift just from you."
"Don't even make me imagine that." Hux visibly shuddered at the thought. "Y/N... Love," he began, making her feel even more excited, "I do not know much about all of this, but I know I want to care for you. And you know I have the resources to do so. And don't worry, I told you I have a trusted vendor."
Her heart melted as she gazed into his eyes, taking in the words that made her fall for him even more.
"You're wonderful, you know that?"
He chuckled quietly. "Say that to your dear friend Kylo."
Having said that, he passed her his datapad, smiling softly all the time. Hux took great pride in knowing that he made her this happy; it made him almost as satisfied as using the Starkiller weapon, and he was fascinated to discover these new feelings he had never had for anyone before.
"Choose something for yourself," he said, having opened the app through which she could make orders. While she started browsing, he turned on his new holo table, searching for something for them to watch.
"Oh, I know!" she said after a moment of scrolling through everything. "I'll order sheet masks."
Hux raised an eyebrow, taking a glance at the datapad's screen. "Sheet... What?"
"It's a skincare product. We'll use them together. They'll help you relax, promise. How about one with a porg on?"
He gave her a look of disbelief. "The General of the First Order with a porg mask on?"
She grinned mischievously, his response only making her want it more. "I can't wait to see that."
He shook his head, yet did nothing to stop her when she started choosing the masks. As long as he could have them delivered as something classified, there was nothing to be worried about.
Classified porg sheet masks.
"Oh, there came some message for you," she said, seeing a notification pop up on the screen. Hux didn't even glance at it, his eyes focused on the holo. He trusted her completely, hence allowed her to read the message, not very concerned about whether it was something classified or not.
"What is it?"
"It's Mitaka," she replied, having opened the message. "It's a severe snowstorm again... Should I send them an order?"
Hux rolled his eyes. "They can handle that themselves, idiots."
"So I will just tell him to fuck off..." She smiled, ready to type the message. "Officially, of course," she added quickly, having received a stern look from Armitage.
"Feisty, aren't you?"
"Learning from you."
"I do not swear on duty."
"And am I on duty now, General?"
He let out a sigh, but a smile was dancing at the corners of his mouth as he looked at her with genuine affection. "What would I do without you and these snarky comments of yours?"
She shrugged. "Bore yourself to death."
After that, she moved even closer to him, then placed a long, passionate kiss on his lips, one that left them both feeling a bit intoxicated. It was an unspoken confirmation that all this banter was there because of how much they cared for one another.
"It felt like you needed that," she whispered, barely parting from his lips, and he nodded.
"I did," he replied before repaying her with a kiss full of even more emotions than before.
She turned back to the datapad, sent the message to Mitaka and then finished choosing the products she wanted.
"That would be all." She passed him the datapad again. "If it's too many, I can remove them..."
"Too many?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at the screen. "You chose less than ten products."
"Because I don't want to take it all for granted..."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Seems like I need to add some myself."
He clicked a few buttons swiftly, then left the datapad on the night stand. "Ordered. Everything should be here tomorrow."
"Thank you, Armitage," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. Then she leaned her head against his shoulder to watch whatever he had chosen.
For a while, they watched the holo in silence, until Armitage's hand began to wander. At first, he just rested it on her thigh, then began massaging it, glancing at her just barely as if to ask for permission. She only smiled in response, doing nothing to stop him, so he allowed himself to keep going.
She had a feeling just touching her thigh may not be enough for him. He had been teasing her all day, and it seemed like he was nowhere near the end.
Hux's hand soon wandered underneath the shirt she was wearing, and he very quickly noticed it was... Just the shirt.
He shot her a stern look. "No underwear again."
She smiled at him, trying to look innocent, but he could see it all in her eyes. "It's healthy to sleep that way..."
"Surely," he replied before quickly placing his hand in between her legs, making her let out a small gasp.
And there he was, using his hands just like she wanted him to. His fingers were putting pressure in all the right places, circling her clit and folds carefully, pulling out the quietest whimpers from her. With every precise move of his finger, she became more and more excited, and he could feel the wetness growing rapidly.
"Quick today, hm?" He chuckled, finding his fingers already glistening with her arousal.
"You had me sensitive all day..."
"Oh, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Means I get to do this..."
He easily slipped his finger inside her, earning a moan that satisfied him greatly. It somehow turned him on, him pumping his finger in and out of her while they were both pretending to still watch whatever he put on. But did he even care for the show? The sighs, the moans and the slightly wet sounds of his finger moving against her soaked folds was all he needed to keep himself entertained.
"The food is taking long today, isn't it?" he asked, knowing very well she wouldn't be able to give
him a coherent answered as her moans grew louder, her chest raising and falling faster and faster as she quivered with arousal.
"Right there," she breathed out, throwing her head back against the headboard. "Please, keep rubbing right there..."
"There?" he asked with a mischievous smile on his face as he glanced over at her. Two of his fingers were going in and out of her at a rapid pace as his other hand kept on rubbing against her clit, just in the right places, as if he had a scanner to check which spots would bring her most pleasure. When he noticed even more wetness, he ignored her pleading him not to stop and took his hands away. She let out a shaky breath.
"No, no, Armitage, I beg you, let me..."
"I will, Y/N," he smirked, seeing the desparation in her eyes. "But I want to clean you up this time."
Before she could ask what he meant exactly, he adjusted his position on the bed to lay flat and indicated the spot above his face.
"Get over here."
Her mouth dropped as she realised what he wanted to do, but she had absolutely nothing against it.
"Gladly..." She slowly crawled towards him. "But you might just drive me crazy from everything that happened today."
"Maybe that's what I want," he replied without an ounce of hesitation, making her smirk as she put her knees on both sides of his head, then held onto the headboard to keep her pussy right above his mouth.
She could feel his hot breath against her sensitive skin as he chuckled, seemingly content with her position.
"Now that is quite the view."
Even just these words were enough to give her goosebumps. She could feel each of his breaths against her, and it made it harder to keep herself steady in that position. Before she could recover, his breaths were replaced by his tongue, making her whimper.
He was licking her all over, tasting, savouring both her and the moment, making sure not to miss a spot. The helpless moves of her hips, a clear indication of begging for more between the moans and the whispers, made him want to give her even greater pleasure. He knew how sensitive she was after everything that happened earlier in the day, and oh well, he wanted to exhaust her with pleasure.
He slid his tongue inside her, grabbing her hips at the same time and allowing her to ride it. She had never tried something like that before, but stars, this was one of the most pleasurable experiences her body was blessed to have. She kept on rocking her hips against his mouth, her nails digging into the headboard as she felt the inevitable building up, faster than ever before.
A loud, electronical buzz seared through the air, muting their heavy breathing just for a moment.
"It must be the food..." she uttered between the gasps as Hux's licks send a shiver after shiver through her body.
"I don't fucking care," he rasped against her, his hot breath making the sensations almost unbearably pleasurable.
"Hux!" she cried out without thinking, overwhelmed by the feeling of his tongue coming into contact with her overstimulated clit again.
And then it all stopped. She felt him back down as his grip on her hips tightened to the white of his knuckles.
"What did you just call me?"
His tone was almost sinister, sending a shiver down her spine. There was no Armitage that she knew anymore, it was General Hux of the First Order, speaking as if her life depended on his mercy. And at first, she got scared, her mind still clouded by pleasure... But then she remembered she had nothing to be afraid of, and smirked.
"Hux," she repeated proudly, holding onto the headboard and feeling his breathing against her wetness. "Is it high treason?"
"Yes."
"What is the punishment?"
He didn't reply—instead, he gripped her as tightly as he could and forgot about licking. He was devouring her at this point, sucking and grazing her folds and clit with his teeth, pulling a moan after moan of both pleasure and pain out of her throat. Her hair was sticking to her forehead, sweat dripping down as it took more and more of her power to keep herself above him and not just smash his face with her thighs. At this point, it only took a few more licks, a few more rubs of his fingers and she let go, crying out his name again. It shook her body to the core, emptying her mind of any thoughts; there was nothing but that incredible pleasure running through her veins.
She could not see it, but she could almost sense the smirk Hux had on his face after all of this. She fell onto the mattress next to him, helpless, exhausted and wet all over, her thighs burning along with her overstimulated pussy, her mind not allowing her any coherent thought.
Hux wiped his mouth, then watched her chest raise and fall quickly with satisfaction. Then, as if nothing happened, he left the room to finally receive their food.
When he came back, he stopped in the door to adore the sight he had created. Y/N was still on the bed trying to catch her breath, both her hair and the sheets a complete mess. Her skin was glistening with sweat, just like her folds which were still soaked.
"Look at you." He smirked triumphantly. "A little mess, aren't you?"
She raised her head slightly and looked at him in disbelief. "It's your fault."
"I'm not particularly sorry for what I did." He looked clearly amused as he set the tray with food on his night stand. "You enjoyed every second."
She just rolled her eyes, knowing he was right. Although exhausted, she sat up slowly and watched him walk to the bathroom. He came out of it quickly with a black towel. He then began wiping her skin, gently and tenderly, as if he didn't almost bruise her hips mere minutes earlier.
"Thank you," she said quietly when he finished, giving him a peck on the cheek. He smiled softly and walked back to the bathroom to get rid of the towel and wash his own face.
Soon they were eating on the bed, again, finally actually watching what Hux had put on. Both of them were happy, intoxicated with each other, exchanging pointed looks every few seconds. That day was a hell of a rollercoaster, full of pleasure, but also some pure feelings... Of something strong swirling between them.
They were just about to finish their food when Armitage's datapad buzzed. He looked at it, and Y/N watched a smirk form on his face.
"Oh, look at them. Seems like they managed to tackle the snowstorm without me." He rolled his eyes and put the datapad away as she giggled.
She loved that man.
For the next week, Y/N was not allowed the luxury of seeing or talking to Hux at all. He was busier than ever, with Starkiller preparing for a next attack and Kylo walking around, huffing and puffing because the scavenger girl he apparently needed so much was nowhere to be found, just like the droid.
Never before had she missed him this much. She could do with anything, just a look, a smile, she didn't even dare wish for a touch. He yearned for her just as much if not more, but was overwhelmed with duties, briefings, reports, and everything else. She got to speak to Kylo more than to her lover, and Ren was not in a particularly good mood, as his search was still failing.
It was a standard, cold evening on Starkiller when Y/N threw herself onto her bed still in her uniform, exhausted after her shift. Changing clothes seemed like too much of a task then, so she just stayed there and picked up her datapad. Oh, laying in Armitage's bed, especially in his arms, would be the perfect cure for this day...
She didn't normally approach him, usually he initiated their meetings because of safety reasons. However... She could send him a message, right? Even if he were busy, he could respond whenever he had the time...
Y/N didn't think about it much. She opened the private channel and sent him one simple message that conveyed everything she was feeling.
I miss you.
She sighed as she saw the message got marked as delivered. What now? He could not respond for hours, if at all. She was already trying to gather some will to go to the bathroom, when suddenly, her datapad buzzed.
He replied.
Then why don't you come and show me how much you miss me?
Her heart began racing immediately as she sat up on the bed. Energy began flowing through her at once, the tiredness long gone. She typed a reply as quickly as possible.
Where are you?
His reply came just as quickly.
In the briefing room.
She bit her lip. They have never met there before.
Alone?
Again, an immediate reply to her hopeful message.
Alone.
That was all Y/N needed to spring up and start fixing her uniform quickly.
I'll be there.
Since she wasn't on duty anymore, she untied her hair, put on some perfume and generally freshened herself up before leaving her quarters. She kept her uniform on so as not to be too suspicious, very aware of the security cameras that were in the briefing room.
Hux was standing by the long, shiny table of the room with three datapads before him. It seemed like he was watching all of them at the same time, focused, but the moment he heard the door open, he looked up immediately. A smirk formed on his barely lit face as he watched her approach him with a smile of her own.
"What is this non-statutory hairstyle, Lieutenant?" he asked, earning just a chuckle for her. He enjoyed it and she knew that.
"Long day?" she asked, keeping her hands to herself, even though she would love to just throw herself onto him as soon as possible.
He sighed, the dark circles under his eyes clear even in the dimly lit room.
"Too long." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Too long of a week."
"And you're still busy tonight?"
He sighed again, pointing to the datapads. "As you can see. I wasn't avoiding you, just so you know. All the things you ordered came to my quarters as well. It is just I barely had time to..."
"You know you don't have to explain that to me," she cut him off, smiling at him sweetly which he did not expect. "I don't blame you. I know how much you work... Can I help you in any way?"
His heart began beating faster. Even though it's been a while since their relationship started, it was still difficult for him to understand
He lifted just a corner of his mouth, leaning in slowly. "A kiss would be a good start."
"But the cameras?" she leaned back before he could touch her, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, Y/N." He gave her a smouldering look, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her towards himself. "Are you forgetting who I am? Maybe I need to give you a little reminder."
"What?"
Hux smiled triumphantly, seemingly satisfied with her reaction, then pressed a button underneath the table that locked the door.
"The cameras are long off. I do know how to prepare for you, love."
Shivers went down her spine as he said that. Oh, how she missed that feeling of his hands on her, and when he caressed her lower back with his gloved hands, it quickly gave her that pleasurable sensation she had been missing.
He placed a kiss on her lips, a sweet one, one that made them both crave for more the moment they parted. Who knew one kiss could work such wonders?
"I missed you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "You and your insufferableness. If it weren't for Ren's tantrums, I would have more time."
Y/N chuckled, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Aw, my poor little thing... You're like a parent with a rebellious teenager, hm?"
"What did you just call me?" he replied huskily, and she could see something switch in his eyes. "Oh, you're really asking for a reminder, Lieutenant."
Something about the way he said it made her knees weaker. She felt him slowly push onto her until her back hit the table, and then he kissed her passionately. His large hand began roaming
over her chest almost as if he wanted to rip her uniform apart.
"Is my uniform non-statutory, General?" she asked while she watched him look her up and down hungrily. She was happy to know his desire for her never died down, and he could read all of his intentions just from these moves.
He looked into her eyes, allowing all the yearning he had during the week to turn into lust.
"I will check. Thoroughly," he replied in such a tone that her skin got covered in goosebumps. "And punish you accordingly."
He unbuckled the belt on her waist, put it aside, then unbuttoned her shirt as quickly as possible and proceeded to put the material parts aside as if opening a curtain in a theatre. He revealed a black bra, one that lifted itself a little, uncovering a bit of her underboob, and it drove him crazy.
He lowered his head to place a kiss on the delicate skin between her breasts.
"For an insufferable lieutenant... You're exceptionally beautiful," he whispered, causing warmth to spread through her entire body. He knew just the right words to say.
"Thank you..."
"Thank you, General," he corrected her. "You need a good reminder of who I am."
He sent her one last short look before taking a step back to grab her hips and pull her pants down. Then, he kneeled down on the floor as his hand landed between her legs, pulling a loud sigh out of her. He began rubbing her through the thin material of her panties, kissing her inner thigh in the meantime.
She almost wasn't able to think at that moment; she missed that so much she almost forgot how strong were the emotions he could make her experience with the slightest touch. With every move and kiss, she felt like the yearning, the exhaustion, the stress of her duties disappear.
"Now, we can't be making any mess here... So you'd better hold still."
She swallowed, then let out a gasp as his movements became more rapid along with her breathing. Her body was reacting more and more intensely to his actions, and the fact that they were in the briefing room only added to the thrill. She knew the door was locked and no one would dare interrupt the General, yet had the unexplainable fear that someone may barge in and see her spread out on the table at any moment.
Hux noticed the wetness on his glove, and a smirk found its way to his face.
"Let's see... How long you can last without making a mess?" he whispered, then used one of his fingers to pull the material of her panties aside.
She saw his face for a split second before his mouth met with her hot skin. Her moan echoed against the walls so loudly that for a moment she worried someone might have heard her. However, the table and chairs of the briefing room were the only witnesses of Hux's mouth and tongue made her unable to think about anything else.
She saw him throw one of his gloves to the floor, then grabbed the rim of the table as he slid one finger inside her. He didn't give her much time before adding a second one, his mouth not leaving her clit for a second.
Her breathing got shallow. Her hand found his hair and tugged on it, pulling his face even closer as she buckled her hips to help herself. Seeing how much she enjoyed it, Hux added a third finger, sending her over the edge immediately. At that moment, she was not sure whether she was about to experience an orgasm or a heart attack.
But it was the former that washed over her, so intense she needed a moment to catch her breath again. Hux picked up his glove, then stood up quickly, rubbing his lip as he watched the picture before him with satisfaction.
"Now," he put his hand under her chin and made her look at him, "who made you feel this good?"
"You," she panted in response, but he was not happy with it.
"My rank."
"General."
He raised his eyebrows, as if prompting her to continue.
"General Armitage Hux of the First Order."
"Good girl." He smiled, then glanced at the table. "And look at you, you didn't even stain the tabletop."
"And here I thought," she said between pants, jumping off the table to put her pants back on, "you were tired."
"I'm never too tired for this," he replied quickly, putting his glove back on swiftly.
"I'm guessing you're expecting me to pay you back?" She began buttoning up her shirt again, as he looked back at his datapads like nothing out of the ordinary just happened.
"I will gladly be paid back, but not now. Not today, even. I still have much to do," he explained, indicating the datapads. That was not the answer she expected, and she felt a knot form in her stomach. When he was back in the light of the screens, his dark circles became evident again.
"Did you even eat anything today?" she asked worriedly, although a small smile sneaked onto her face for a second. "Except for me, that is."
"Today? No."
She gave him a stern stare, putting her hands on her hips like a disappointed mother. "Armitage."
He looked up to see her stance and let out a sigh. "Y/N, I don't have time for this."
"You had a good amount of time to eat me out just now, you have time for food, too."
"That's different."
"Stars, you're unbelievable." She put her hand on her forehead. "I'm starting to understand Kylo, you know?"
Hux gave her a glare, but didn't say anything. He knew she was partially right, and her care for him was still something that surprised him greatly.
Never before had anyone cared for his well-being.
"Listen," she said sternly, "you can be the damn emperor, Armitage, I don't care. I will stuff that food into you if I have to."
He sighed. Arguing with her was pointless, because he knew she would not give up, but he didn't want to let her win, either—even if his stomach had been rumbling for a few hours now.
"Listen, I am going to your quarters and ordering food. You'd better get your ass there in an hour."
He found it hard to hide the smile that her words caused and tried his best to remain cold. "Bold words to your superior."
She crossed her arms, unbothered. "Oh, and what are you going to do? Discharge me?"
"For disrespecting my rank, breaking into my quarters... Yes, I could do that."
"Breaking?" she laughed loudly. "I know the password, General." She put his hand on his forehead, fixing his ever-so-perfect hair affectionately.
Even Hux couldn't help a chuckle this time. He brought her closer and held her just for a moment, taking deep breaths. Having her this close, with her nuzzling his neck, was better of a cure to his stress and troubles than any food or sleep might have provided. That warmth, her witty comebacks and just the fact she really cared... He had never felt like this, and stars, he didn't want that feeling to disappear.
"Thank you," he whispered eventually, placing an affectionate kiss on her head. "I've told you that a lot, but remember, you really are my cure."
She just kept her head on his shoulder, moving to him as close as possible with a sincere smile on her face. She knew she would never grow tired of hearing this.
He kissed her forehead. "I'll try to join you soon... But do be careful when you enter my quarters. Your packages are in your wardrobe."
"Understood, sir," she said quickly and gave him a little salute.
He shook his head, but the corner of his mouth twitched a little as he tried to hide yet another smile. "Hand salutes are not performed if a soldier is not wearing a headdress."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I believe eating a soldier out on a table doesn't fit the rules, either, yet here we are, General."
He did smile this time.
"Go before I change my mind," he said quietly, clicking a button to unlock the door.
She decided to give him one last quick—and risky—kiss, then walked towards the door as if treading on clouds.
"Love you," she said with a soft smile, turning to him one last time before the door slid open and she quickly disappeared behind a turn of the corridor.
Hux stared at the spot where she disappeared for a long moment, unable to ignore that warm, pleasant feeling in his heart she had caused with just these two words.
"So do I," he whispered, for the first time admitting it out loud even to himself.
As much as Hux wanted to find himself back in his quarters, his duties were still haunting him. He went there much later than he expected, still not having finished everything he wanted.
Y/N must have been waiting for him for too long. He did feel bad about it, but at the same time hoped she understood some things just couldn't be changed, no matter how much he cared for her.
The door to his bedroom slid open, and his heart broke just a little at the view.
The room was dark, just barely lit by the blueish glow coming from the holotable. Something was playing on it, but the remote was all forgotten next to the bed. The packages he ordered for Y/N had been taken out of the wardrobe, but remained unopened. On his bedside table, there was a tray with food—and Tarine tea.
Finally, Y/N herself was fast asleep in his bed. The sheets next to her were moved aside, as if waiting for him to slide in. She prepared all of this. She waited.
And he didn't come.
Hux let out a sigh. It was new to him, the fear of disappointing someone. Most of his life, he was his own most strict judge. But now he had Y/N—someone he didn't want to disappoint, someone whose opinion really mattered to him, and he was still learning how to tackle all of this.
He grabbed the remote and turned the holotable off, then went straight to the bathroom. He didn't plan on waking her up; he was exhausted, and she deserved sleep, too.
Hux was too tired to even try eating. He took a sip of the already cold tea, then slowly settled himself in the bed so as not to wake her. Once he covered himself with the sheets, he let out a long sigh, as if trying to breathe out all of his stress and exhaustion. He placed a small, innocent kiss on Y/N's head to tell her the 'good night' she didn't get, and before he knew it, fell asleep with one of his arms around her.
Hux was not expecting to be woken up by a kiss on his forehead, but that was exactly what made him open his eyes. For a moment, he wasn't sure whether Y/N's smiling face before him was real or still a dream.
"Good morning, very scary general..." she whispered, running her hand through his hair affectionately and giggling. At that moment, he was harmless, with his sleepy eyes, messy hair and a soft smile he didn't even try to hide this time. Still half asleep, for a moment he forgot the load of work awaiting him that day...
"A good morning indeed," he replied huskily, then brought her closer in a tight embrace and placed a kiss on her head. "Judging by your smile, you're not mad at me."
She backed away from the hug a little to see his face, then watched him in confusion. "Why would I be?"
"Because you prepared everything last night and I came la..."
"Armitage, it's not my first day here," she cut him off and cupped his face to make him look at her. "I know how busy you are. It's all fine, I promise. I'm glad you got any sleep at all, but I was
worried you may oversleep."
He sighed as he turned his head towards his bedside table. He was grateful she woke him up; even if his body was desperately calling for more rest, it was just the time for him to get up. Then he turned back towards her and his expression softened, still feeling an ounce of guilt because of the last evening.
"Do you want to be off duty today?"
"Only if you are."
He shook his head. "I can't. I have so much to take care of I don't even know where to start."
"Then I don't want to. At least time will pass quickly while I'll be working. But speaking of working, you," "are overworking yourself, Armitage."
"I'm the General, it's my duty and..."
"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes, "you can sell the military bullshit to Kylo or Snoke, not me. You know what I mean. I worry about you. I wish you took more breaks, or at least remembered to eat... You being exhausted won't make you any more efficient and you know that."
Hux watched her all this time with sincere shock on his face. The fact that she was so understanding and so caring, doing something no one in his life had ever been able to show him, was making him feel like he didn't deserve even an ounce of her kindness.
"I still find it hard to believe you care for me this much," he said quietly, and she just sighed in response before hugging him tightly once more. That embrace expressed more than words could ever tell him. They stayed like this for a moment, bathing in pure bliss, before Hux moved to look at her face again.
"Why didn't you open your packages?"
"I wanted to open them with you."
"I am sorry," he replied with yet another sigh. "See, that's why I didn't invite you this week. I wouldn't have found the time to..."
"Hey, I told you it's fine. Just sleeping with you is enough for me," she cut him off again.
These words made him smirk immediately.
"Sleeping with me, hm?"
She groaned in response.
"Sleeping. As in closing one's eyes and snoring, you rascal." She smacked his arm lightly, making him chuckle.
"And here I thought you liked more than that."
Hux earned himself another smack on the arm for that response. He chuckled again, and soon, Y/N was not even pretending to be mad anymore.
She snuggled into his chest, knowing the last calm moments of that morning were about to pass by.
"I'll come tonight too, okay?"
He looked at her apologetically. "I don't know when I'll finish."
"It's okay. We'll open the packages together and..."
A loud buzz from Hux's datapad pierced the air, making both of them sigh in frustration.
"There we go," he said with evident irritation, but still reached for his datapad quickly and answered the call. "What is it?"
"General, an informator of ours had just spotted the droid we had been looking for on Takodana."
"Send our squads there immediately and inform Ren. We can't allow a failure this time. And keep on updating me."
"Understood, sir."
He finished the call, and Y/N let out a giggle she had been stifling.
"Inform Ren? It's almost like you're developing a soft spot for him." She poked him in the chest playfully, getting a glare in response.
Finally, Hux got up from the bed and stretched his arms, as if physically preparing himself for the task ahead.
"Well, then. Do any insufferable lieutenants happen to want to assist me during this very important operation?"
Y/N grinned.
#hux#general hux#first order#general hux x reader#armitage hux x reader#armitage#armitage hux#armitage hux smut#general hux smut#star wars#star wars x reader#star wars sequels#star wars fanfiction#fanfiction#smut#star wars smut#kylo ren
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hey!! i was wondering if you could do sitting on itzy’s lap headcanons? kinda like your recent skz one ^ thank u <3
LITERALLY A YEAR AFTER i'm soo so sorry, maybe u don't even use your acc anymore, maybe you're not even a midzy who knows ?! I just stopped writing for a year, but when i came back to it, your request was still inspiring. I hope you like this, lovely anon <3 (it's acc worse than a year, it's 14 months lol)
Other verions: Yeji - Lia - Ryujin - Chaer - Yuna
sitting on itzy's lap out of habit.
Yeji - 422 words - fluff
Each member will be published separately (over the course of few days, i just need to finish writing one girl) because the post would be too long otherwise
For a little twist it won't be exactly like skz, I'll make it "sitting on their lap as it is a habit of yours". Hope u like it and i hadn't forgotten u <3 lots of love
Yeji: would play along with it, hugging you from behind, until she'll realize what she's actually doing. Then she'd have a sudden moment of realization, and ask what you're doing here. Seeing how relaxed you are, she'd go back to her activities, accepting her fate, maybe even enjoying it.
"Neeext". The monotonous voice of the make-up artist resonated in the busy waiting room, and despite all the noise and movement, the seat previously occupied by Lia found a new model. As everyone got swift and active, preparing for the showcase, you were the only calm one. Maybe, obviously actually, it was because you weren't involved in it, so the stress couldn't get to you. Itzy were the ones getting ready. Each member was immersed in something, and the professional staff too. Make-up, hairdos, outfits checks. The room was as busy as an anthill. Apart from you, only one girl was now calm: Yeji. She was peacefully scrolling through her phone, one remaining hair clip in her hair. She barely paid attention to her surroundings. She had been the first to get readied up, so she was enjoying left over time to destress and get her mind on something else.
๑
"Sooorry? Sorry !" Yeah... Obviously when in a busy room, people like you, just standing in the middle, get in the way of others. If you were gonna stay here with your friends and be useless, at least don't be bothersome. So while excusing yourself, you walked towards the couchy bench Yeji was sitting on. As she was the only one done, the whole bench was empty. But without even thinking about it, you walked up to her, laying your hands on her shoulders, and sat on her lap. She looked up startled. This had forced her to lift her eyes from her phone. And as she realized what just happened, a pinkish color started filling up her cheeks.
"Uhmm-h-hey what's up? What are you doing?"
"Uhm, sitting ?" You answered naturally, unbothered, not even realizing how awkward Yeji had gotten. "What are you even doing on your phone ? Sending bubbles to MIDZY? I swear you're always thinking about them~" you continued, clueless. Your body was perpendicular to her's. And while you still latched on to her shoulders, looking down to her phone screen, she stared at you right in the eyes for a couple seconds, while you remained unfazed. "Yes I do love them" she finally replied, lifting her phone up again and getting back to typing. "You wouldn't need to get jealous though”.
A\N is this good ? I really liked this request, which was my second ever request i got so i was over the moon, but for some reason i had stopped writing. I think it was because i was very busy in April of 2022. I had exams etc, and i never came back to it ! Until i had an awakening again, this April of 2023. Idk why. Who knows, maybe in a month i'll get bored of writing again (i wish not). But the idea of starting to write again came to me in late December. So basically this project is all over the place, but it's fun ~
( i was writing the headcanons in a lodge in Hwange hahahah). Will my BLLK followers mind me posting this ? K-pop stans and animes fans are cousins anyways <3
#itzy headcanons#itzy fluff#itzy x reader#itzy imagine#itzy#yeji x reader#yeji#hwang yeji#hwang yeji x reader
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