#this pair is my fav across all her books that I’ve read so far
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LOOK AT MY BABIES !!!! I love them so 💞💞
#Sophie + Jerrok#ruby dixon#corsairs#rainbow carinoux#risdaverse#art#digital art#fanart#book fanart#carinoux#aliens#this took me 3 days to draw#MY HANDS HURT#anyways love drawing the lizard cats sm#this pair is my fav across all her books that I’ve read so far#when she belongs
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Star Light, Star Bright
summary: The team goes camping on a long weekend. Turns out, it’s really easy to tell someone how you feel when you’re under a starry night sky.
pairing: spencer reid/reader
category: fluff, start to finish
warnings/includes: mention of food, a mild burn
work count: 4.1k
a/n: this is my fav thing i’ve written in a HOT SECOND. enjoy! pls reblog if you feel inclined, it helps me out a ton!
check it out on ao3
---
You’ve never found chicken pox to be more of a miracle.
In truth, you are a little saddened that Jack’s Boy Scout troop all got sick and their camping trip had to be postponed. This does not change the fact that you’re elated at the opportunity to nab Hotch’s campsite reservation. The team jumped at the chance for a vacation, the promised long weekend only truly promised in places without cell service.
You pick Spencer up early, the first of many people you’ve offered to drive out to the mountains. After tossing a very heavy-sounding duffel bag into your trunk, he clambers into the passenger seat. He strikes you as a little nervous—he won’t quite look at you as you wind your way out of D.C and towards the countryside.
“I’ve never been camping before, actually.” He says it quietly, mid-conversation about Boy Scouts and the safety of camping with children. There’s a 5-mile radius around Quantico where work is the only thing you can really think about. As you turn onto the highway, hands flexing against the wheel, you’re glad to be free of the office.
“Really? Never?”
It makes sense, the longer his sentence sits on your tongue. Vegas isn’t the most hospitable environment to camp in. You make a mental note to thank your parents for raising you on the East Coast, where the forests are frequent and the soil is actually fertile.
“Yeah. I’m not sure, I’m, uh, really suited for it.” You look at him now, the slight sadness in his eyes, and there are a thousand things you’d like to say. Instead, you reach across the center console, squeezing his hand in yours. Before he can say anything, you’ve returned your hand to the wheel, eyes fixed on the horizon.
---
You’ve lived in Virginia for a few years, but somehow you’ve never found it this breathtaking. You have no idea how you got roped into driving, given that Derek and Emily usually take the wheel, but you’re far from complaining. As you wind through the forest, the canopy of leaves casting a filter of sunshine over the ground, you’re left speechless. The trees part in favor of the dirt road, and you find yourself absorbed in the surplus of green and foliage as you drive.
“There’s over 15,000 acres of this. It’s the largest protected land preserve in the tri-state area.”
You turn your head to watch Spencer murmur, still absorbed in a book. For the first time, you notice that he’s wearing a polo shirt and a beanie that Penelope knit him for Christmas. The whole sight is so...un-Spencer like that you’re torn between finding it endearing and concerning. You gulp down everything you want to tell him, swallowing all of the unidentifiable feelings in your throat.
“I’m excited. I love camping. My dad used to take me here all the time.” He perks up at this, and closes his book. You nod, pursing your lips into a smile. You steal a quick glance at the backseat, where Penelope and Derek have fallen asleep.
“Can you keep a secret?”
You have Spencer’s attention now. He nods so vehemently you laugh, tearing your eyes away from his in favor of focusing on the road.
“I wanted to be a park ranger when I was younger.” You’re only a little embarrassed of this; the jump from environmentalist to federal agent is just laughable enough to warm your cheeks. Spencer’s eyes widen.
“Really? How did you—I mean, when did you decide to be a—actually, I take it back. Hugging trees is beneficial for your health, after all.” He smirks, and you reach out to punch him on the arm. He rubs the spot absently, a grin forming on his face as your blush deepens. You try to portray yourself to the team as someone who’s a little tougher than the little girl who cried when she found out that people litter in National Parks. With Spencer, it’s different. Still, you can’t bank on what he will or won’t tell Derek.
“If you tell anyone, I will kick your ass. Forget it.” You get the sense that you are not going to live this down. To your advantage, it’s Spencer who blushes this time, his cheeks warming a delicate pink.
“I can’t forget it, actually. I have an eidetic—ow!”
---
The campsite is glorious.
Or, as Penelope would put it, rustic. It’s the perfect happy medium between the forest and the lake nearby, with a trail leading to the beach just a few feet from the site. The trees filter out just enough sun so that it’s pleasantly warm out. There’s ample space for a few tents, and a bear locker. You’re seated at a picnic bench with the girls, unloading the food and cooking supplies as the boys attempt to put together tents. From what you can see and hear, it sounds like Derek is muscling his way through it, much to Spencer and Hotch’s chagrin.
“You’re glowing. What’s got you in such a good mood?” Emily nudges you in the side, a sly smile on her face as she screws the propane line into the campstove. You flush, and shrug your shoulders.
“I love camping. I’m just excited to be here with you guys.”
Penelope reaches across the table to hug you. She’s dressed perfectly for the occasion: you don’t think you’ve ever seen bedazzled hiking boots before, but there’s a first time for everything.
“You know, I’m surprised Spence came. He normally skips out on these kinds of things.” JJ looks back at you from the bear locker, where she’s stacking cans of soup and Hotch’s cooler. Her gaze lingers on you for a moment, but you look towards Spencer before she can say anything else. He’s managing to put up his tent surprisingly well; he’s only struggling with the final few posts as he stumbles around the uneven ground. You turn back to JJ, shrugging.
“I mean, I think he can appreciate the outdoors. He’s probably read Walden.”
Emily laughs, and you feel as though the conversation has finally let up. JJ has a point, but as soon as you had asked Spencer if he was coming, he had agreed. He doesn’t look particularly out of place, either. Over the course of the past hour, he’s somehow inherited a pair of sunglasses and a red flannel. You look away, pursing your lips.
“Okay, I think we’re done.” Derek calls, waving his arm to catch your attention. There are now five small tents, only a little crinkled and trampled over. Emily nods in approval, nudging one of them with the tip of her boot. It only shakes a little.
“Good job, guys. They look...structurally sound.” Hands on your hips, you bend to inspect the guys’ handiwork. Spencer winces as you tug on a tent’s zipper, and it whines in protest. You shrug, smiling as you straighten.
“We should check out the lake.” Derek gestures to the blue expanse of water in the distance, and Penelope squeals. You hear the sound of metal clinking together, and turn.
It’s Hotch, holding what you assume to be a fishing pole. While this should be very surprising, you can’t come up with anything funny to say. Emily makes a joke about the catch of the day, and Hotch doesn’t laugh.
“Are there canoes involved? I didn’t bring a suit.” JJ asks, arms crossed over her chest. You nod, pointing to the rental shack on the eastern side of the lake.
“You guys ready to get some sun?”
---
“You look cute in hiking boots, princess.” You should not find this as funny as you do. Maybe it’s the fact that Derek definitely had Penelope apply some sort of oil to his biceps while they were in a tent; there’s no way that he just naturally glistens like that. You squint up at him, shrugging your shoulders. While your outfit is a little unorthodox—you remembered to bring a bikini, but forgot water shoes—it’ll work just fine. Spencer enters your peripheral vision, wrinkling his nose in Derek’s direction. You resist the urge to smile at this.
“Spence.”
You get his attention, catching up to him in just a few steps. The beach is pretty, lacking in sand but perfectly cool and sunny. He’s wearing too-big sunglasses and, surprisingly, Bermuda shorts. You trudge along the rocky path, handing him a bottle of sunscreen.
“Come on, I need your help. Sunscreen me.”
He seems shocked, fiddling with the bottle. You turn your back to him, raising your arms as you walk backwards, waiting to hit him before you stop.
“Is sunscreen a verb?” His voice is a little hoarse, and you smirk.
“Would you prefer lotion? Massage?” You tease, and you can practically feel him tense up.
“N-no, I wouldn’t. Hold your hair up.”
You oblige, and it takes everything in you not to sigh as he rubs the cool sunscreen into your back. He has really, really big hands and nimble fingers. Biting your lip, you conjure a mental image of them. You feel a little silly for imagining his hands when he’s right there, but you don’t want him to stop touching you. He coats your skin, movements deft and purposeful. You turn, reaching for the bottle.
“Take off your glasses. Your turn.” You like being a little bossy; he flushes as you reach up to spread the lotion across his cheeks, dabbing gently. He exhales slowly, relaxing into your touch.
“Let’s go. You’re my canoe buddy.”
His mouth falls open in surprise, and an evil part of your brain wonders how it would feel to kiss it. The thought is gone before you can act on it, though, and you wave him towards the shore. He stands still, lingering by the campsite.
“I was going to read on the beach, actually—”
“Nope. Come on! I need a partner.”
—-
The lake is cool, and you make yourself busy by being a very unhelpful canoeing partner. Spencer is rowing surprisingly well, scooping water from below and propelling the boat forward. You, on the other hand, are focused on stretching out in the boat. The sun is deliciously warm on your skin, and the occasional splash of water is heaven to the touch.
“You know, there are two sets of oars. We’d get the most momentum if you rowed, too.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll row. I’m not any good at it, though. That’s why I needed a partner.” You pat him on the shoulder affectionately, reaching for the other oar. The motion tips the canoe forward a little, and panic flashes across Spencer’s face.
“Don’t do that again. I do not want to end up in this lake. Do you know how many bacteria are in most man made lakes? You don’t want to know.”
You are many things, but you are not a quitter. Testing the waters, you lean forward again as you row, a little out of sync with Spencer’s strokes.
“Please don’t capsize,”
Hotch calls out from the shore, and Spencer shoots you a look as if to say listen. You shrug, continuing to row and occasionally shifting your weight. The look on his face is worth it.
“You know how to swim, right?”
You ask, voice low and as inconspicuous as you can manage. This backfires—Spencer turns around to shake his head, unbalancing the boat. He lets go of his oar, tightening the strap on his life vest. You cling to the sides, laughing as you try to steady the canoe.
“Not funny. You know, boating related accidents are incredibly common.”
His voice drifts off as Derek and Emily’s boat passes by. Their sportsmanship is admirable; they’re working as a perfect unit, quickly propelling their canoe forward with quick rowing and a lot of effort.
Spencer is scolding you half-heartedly when you get caught in their wake. You couldn’t have steadied the boat if you tried; and before you can react the canoe is upside down and you’re cast into the cool blue.
“I’m going to contract a brain-eating amoeba.”
Spencer coughs, bobbing to the surface. You emerge a few moments later, laughing, and reach for him.
“Worth it. You have plenty of brains to be eaten, genius.”
You watch him try to contain his smile the entire way to the shore.
---
You’re drying off as the sun sets, splashes of pink and purple coating the sky. It’s incredible; over the lake you can see the entire expanse of fields and forest, laid out like a painting.
“You guys brought food, right?”
Emily calls out from the picnic bench. She’s toweling off, sunglasses in her hair as she jokes with Morgan. You nod, turning back to Spencer.
He’s thoroughly drenched. You feel a little guilty for tipping the boat over; he’s spent a decent amount of time wringing out his clothes, and as night falls a chill builds in the air. After pulling a jacket on, you toss him a towel.
“That was fun.”
Your eyes widen a little, genuine surprise lodging itself in your throat. He takes in the look on your face, smiling lightly.
“Better than reading on the beach?” You offer, but this is too good to be true.
“Marginally.”
You frown, suppressing a smirk as you catch the scent of propane drifting through the air. You both head in the direction of the camp stove, where Hotch is fiddling with the gas tank.
“That looks...unsafe.” Spencer mutters, brow furrowed.
Hotch shoots him a look, and you both back off in favor of finding Morgan and Garcia, who are attempting to start a bonfire.
You don’t expect this to happen.
Spencer is arguably your best friend. He’s been there for you through thick and thin. For better or for worse, you’ve had each other. This trip was supposed to be unifying, and a small part of you had even hoped that maybe, just maybe, it’d give you the bravery to say what you’ve been thinking for a while.
“I cannot believe you intentionally burn your marshmallows.”
Spencer is looking at you like you’ve committed a crime; you are very familiar with this expression, but being on the receiving end of it is new. Thankfully, you’re ready to defend your stance to near-death. A somewhat maniacal grin on your face, you stab another marshmallow onto a skewer and shove it directly into the fire.
“I’m with Pretty Boy on this one. That’s just cruel. It doesn’t even heat it all the way through.” You scowl in Derek’s direction, turning back to your now on-fire marshmallow. You pull it out of the flame, watching it sear as the group murmurs in distaste. It only took three hours to start a fire, and by that time Emily had managed to heat a can of soup on the campstove. Spirits were relatively high, all things considered.
You watch in wonder as the marshmallow curves, melting just how you like it. Before you can stop it, it falls straight down onto your leg.
“Shit. That’s like, on fire.”
You say, your voice rising in pitch and volume as it becomes increasingly clear that not only is the marshmallow very, very hot but it is not coming off. The group springs into unsure action, voices loud and panicked as you push away from both your chair and the fire. The physics of melting sugar be damned, Derek manages to scrape it off with his skewer, and you’re left with a very attractive hole in your pants and a patch of tender skin.
“How do you love camping?” JJ asks, eyes wide as she watches you brush yourself off. Stabbing another marshmallow onto your skewer, you shrug.
“It’s all part of the fun.”
This time, you don’t set your marshmallow on fire. You mimic Spencer, who is carefully rotating his marshmallow. There has to be a system for what he’s doing; he’s laser-focused on the fire, his entire face lit up by the flickering red and orange light. You lean in, and before long you fall into a rhythm of roasting a marshmallow to golden-brown perfection, then pressing it into a graham cracker. Emily is incredible at assembling s’mores, and by time the fire is just a few crackling embers everyone has a little chocolate smeared over their faces.
“I’m really glad we did this.” JJ’s voice is just above a whisper. She’s leaning against Emily, the two of them sharing a blanket as the fire slowly fades. Hotch nods sagely, a rare smile on his face.
“It’s nice. A break. Some fresh air. Trees.” You gesture to the forest around you, unable to contain a sheepish grin. When you look to your right, Spencer’s smiling too. Penelope squeezes your hand. As you watch the last log burn into ash, you wonder how you got so lucky.
---
Later, everyone is too tired to stargaze.
This fact wounds you deeply. Stargazing is your favorite part of camping; there is absolutely nothing that parallels the experience of driving away from the city and looking up into the constellations. To your dismay, everyone is in their tents by the time it’s dark enough to see the winks of light overhead.
You begrudgingly get ready for bed; stepping around the campsite, it’s clear to see that everyone has mostly turned in for the night. Derek and Penelope’s tent is dark. Emily, Hotch, and JJ are all snoring at varying volumes. Spencer’s light is on; you can see his shadow, leaning over to peer at a book. You brush your teeth, swatting bugs away as you stumble towards your tent.
You manage to spend thirty minutes in your tent before you lose your patience. This entire camping trip has been a dream; no work, no cell service, and the people you care about. You’ll be damned if you let it pass you by without checking absolutely everything off your list. You step, a little wobbly, towards the front of your tent. You tug the zipper open, trying to stay as quiet as possible.
On shaking legs, you tug your hiking boots on, the evening cold nipping at your ankles. Despite your attempts to lessen the noise, you watch Spencer’s shadow waver.
“Spence!” You stage-whisper, praying to every deity you can think of that he’s awake and the rest of the team isn’t. To your immediate relief, you watch him tug the zipper of his tent down and emerge, swatting at a few lingering mosquitoes. He looks a little cold; his cheeks are pink and he’s rubbing at his arms. The sight of him in a hoodie and flannel pajama pants is more endearing than you’d expect, and you exhale to clear your head.
“What’s going on?”
He rubs the sleep out of his eyes, and you point to the sky. He takes a cursory glance up, and you watch his jaw fall slack as he takes in the starry skies.
“Come on. We can see better from over there.”
You wave him towards the beach. You know exactly where you’re headed; while you’ve never camped in this specific spot, you know how to reach your favorite place to stargaze. Spencer looks at you with something between curiosity and admiration as you lead the way with a flashlight. The forest is still awake and responsive at this hour, crickets chirping and leaves rustling as you step through the greenery.
You find it quickly; the boardwalk is unmistakable. It’s a field, like the ones you’ve been surrounded by all day. Spencer identifies the leaves as rhubarb plants as you step onto the wooden pathway. While any field would work, this one is ideal; the sky opens up as far as the eye can see, the trees parting to admire the world above.
“Here.” You turn off your flashlight, allowing your eyes to adjust to the low, blue moonlight. Spencer follows you as you crouch, laying with your back to the boardwalk. This is what you came for.
“Oh my God.” Your face splits into a grin once you hear Spencer’s voice, low and gravelly against your ear. The sky above is endless; all you can see is the expanse of the stratosphere, stars bright and darkness vast over your heads. You tear up a little; you always do. It feels like the universe is leaning down to meet you in the middle, pressing its face to yours.
“Tell me what you see. I know that you know what we’re looking at.”
You scoot a little closer, trying to absorb a little of his warmth. Eyes still fixed on the sky, Spencer begins.
“There’s so little light pollution. I...I’ve never seen this many stars at once.” His eyes narrow a little, and you watch as he absorbs the world above him.
“That’s Orion.” He points to a collection of stars to your left, a few brighter than the others.
“Those three in a row, that’s his belt. You might be able to see his bow, too, to the right.
The brightest one is six hundred and forty light years away. Betelgeuse.” His voice has dropped to a whisper, and you follow his every word. You can see the warrior above you, the stars winking at you as Spencer describes them.
You fall quiet after a few minutes, and the only sound is that of your slow, synced breaths. You feel as though Spencer has peeled the sky open and revealed it to you; with him, you can see another world entirely.
“We’re looking into the past right now.”
You turn to look at him, a laugh ready to bubble past your lips. You look back up at the sky, where he’s pointed to the Big Dipper.
“That’s Dubhe. We’re seeing light from before we were born.”
You nod, a tear sliding down your cheek and cooling before it reaches your nose. There is so much you would like to tell him before you are both light, visible in this moment from somewhere far away.
As you stare up into the starscape, you gasp. There’s a shooting star, dragging across the Pleiades and heading towards the western skies.
“Make a wish,” You breathe. Before you lose your nerve, you reach out to Spencer, lacing your fingers together. Turning your head, you watch as he grins up at the sky. His features are softer when drenched in moonlight; the slope of his nose, the arch of his cheekbones, the line of his jaw all bathed in a dreamy quality.
After the shooting star winks out, trailing across the dark and blinking into nothing, the silence feels heavier.
“What did you wish for?”
You’re sure that he can hear your heartbeat. The steady thrum of your heart against your ribcage is a drum, urging you forward. You watch his brow knit in consideration, before his gaze finally meets yours. His eyes are more hazel than you’ve ever noticed, each fleck of gold striking you as a star.
“If I tell you, it won’t come true.”
His voice is soft, laced with something solemn beneath the surface. You nod, stealing a glance at the sky before you swallow your fear.
"I wished for you." You say quietly.
You don’t know who moves first, only that there’s a brief shuffle before you’re holding each other. He reaches to cradle your face in his hands, pressing a kiss to your forehead, then your nose, before finally reaching your lips. Your hands ghost over his jaw, trailing down his neck as he laces his fingers into your hair. You can’t quite breathe, nor think, only repeat a simple refrain over and over, a prayer passing over your lips and into the dark.
Spencer.
---
The sun rises lazily, pink and orange brushstrokes against a blue sky. You’re awake early—to put it lightly, Spencer’s tent is cramped—and it feels good to breathe in the morning air. The team is still asleep, a few yards away as you stretch and take in the cool dawn.
You think maybe, this is all a dream. You’re not sure how else this would exist, so perfectly and wholly true. The universe is a benevolent thing, after all. There is no other explanation for Spencer Reid, the man the world got right.
“You have pancake batter in your hair,” You say, a little mournfully but still laughing. Still layered in jackets and hats, you feel as though you’re being warmed from the inside out. Spencer’s eyes widen, and he reaches up with a batter-covered hand to feel his hair. You laugh again, a little too loudly this time, and he shushes you between chuckles.
The campstove is quiet, the gas running blue as Spencer flips a pancake over. You neglected to tell him that folding the pancake mix in slowly would prevent...explosions. If you had warned him, you wouldn’t have the chance to kiss the flour off of his face, smiling against his cheeks. With a mittened hand, you brush the powder off of his eyelashes.
“Chocolate chips, right?”
You smile, nodding. He remembers how you like your pancakes. Turning away from him, you rifle through a storage bin for something you packed.
“Are you looking for syrup? It’s over here.” He calls, his voice soft against the hushed sounds of morning. The birds have begun to chirp, calling to each other in alternating duets. You shake your head, and present him with a contraption.
His eyes light up, and he looks at you with something a little wild and entirely resembling devotion. You reveal with your other hand a bag of coffee grounds from the coffee shop near your house, grinning up at him.
“I can’t believe you brought me a French press.”
You grin, turning your face as your cheeks burn. Maybe you had hoped this would happen, in slightly different words. After you both tuck into your pancakes, leaning over a plate on the same side of a picnic bench, you watch the sunrise. A bundle of puffy jackets and intertwined hands, you press your back into Spencer’s embrace.
As you watch the moon recede into the horizon, you hope that your past is standing hand and hand, gazing at you fondly.
#spencer reid fic#spencer reid#criminal minds#criminal minds fic#disco writes#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid oneshot#fic writing#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid x you#spencer reid x y/n#dr spencer reid#spencer reid fanfiction#criminal minds self insert
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Current WIPs and Fic Concepts
I promised I would do this yesterday, and then I forgot!!! (I was very sleep deprived). Anyways, here are a bunch of the WIP premises that I have in my 'unfinished drafts' folder. Most have at least a few pages written for them, but I love them all! ☺️💕
- A Santa Clarita Diet AU (Jonsa) Takes place in sunny southern California, where a shitty dinner at a mediocre restaurant turns into a huge problem for Jon and Sansa when Sansa's heart stops beating. Although she seems fine, Jon is flabbergasted several days later as he watches his wife- who alphabetizes their pantry and refuses to let anyone wear shoes in the house- rip the throat out of one of the sleazy new partners at their law firm, eating half of him before anyone processes what's going on. Hilarity ensues as Sansa's inhibitions and filter disappear, Arya ropes an extremely confused Gendry into helping figure out what the hell is going on just because he moderates the zombie forum on reddit, and Jon tries to deal with the fact that the woman he loves more than anything is now a humanitarian. He really could use a drink. (This one is actually mostly complete, but i need to refine a few things- i really love it. It's as gory and irreverent as the show, so viewer discretion advised, but it's a BLAST to write).
- A Thor/MCU AU (Jonsa, Steve Rogers/Sansa)- Asgardian prince Aegon is banished to Midgard after one too many arrogant decisions, and is promptly hit by a van containing Dr. Sansa Stark, Dr. Barristan Selmy, and Margaery Tyrell- two astrophysicists studying wormholes and Sansa's best friend and pseudo-intern. Marg yells at him, he yells back, Sansa tases him, and Barristan didn't sign up for the kind of heavy lifting that getting a 200+ pound slab of muscle into the back of a van takes. And then Aegon's younger brother, Jon, shows up, in the middle of an identity crisis because, apparently, he's adopted. He wasn't intending to stay, but he's rather drawn to Dr. Stark and her brilliance, and against her better judgement, she starts to trust him, and maybe even like him. This story is in about three parts so far- the first is based on 'Thor' and the second on 'The Avengers' and are fully Jonsa, and the third started as a family bonding story between the Stark kids and Tony (Ned and Tony are second cousins, and Ned was really supportive of Tony in rehab without expecting anything in return), and accidentally turned into a Steve Rogers/Sansa Stark story, which is a pairing i am HERE for. A lot of this one is written, but it needs some fill in before publishing, although it's one of my favorites that i've written to go back and actually read.
- A Star Wars AU (Jonsa) where Sansa and Arya are Alderaanian princesses who are off planet when Alderaan is destroyed- Sansa as a senator and Arya as a pilot, both working for the rebellion, and jon is a smuggler who does not know how all of these people got on his ship and why two princesses are sassing him. His copilot, Tormund (yes he's a wookie), thinks it is hilarious. I started this one just the other day, and it's already thirty pages long, most of them involving Sansa and Arya sassing people. Dany is a leader in the rebellion, Roose Bolton is the emperor, and Barbrey Dustin is a disgruntled former jedi trying to live in peace on a remote planet until another Stark crashes into her life and harangues her into teaching again.
- A witches/magic AU (Jonsa) where the Starks run an apothecary and spellcasting supplies shop. Jon had been completely in the dark about magic before his mother confessed to being born into a family of witches. He finds himself traveling to her hometown, trying to understand her world more clearly, and what it means for him. On the way, he develops something of a crush on the red-headed shop clerk who brews the best headache potions in town. Featuring lots of magical shenanigans, this is one of my favorites in the folder :)
- A 24 hour diner AU (Jonsa) where Jon is a local mob boss, and Sansa works the late shift at Seaworth's diner to buy textbooks for the PhD she's working on in botany. Sansa's running from memories, and Jon has a soft spot for the red-headed waitress who always remembers how he likes his coffee.
- An East of the Sun, West of the Moon AU!!! (Jonsa) This is one of my fav fairy tales, and of course i couldn't resist Jon as a direwolf striking a deal with the starks!
- A Roomates AU (Jonsa)- Arya, Jon, Tormund, and Sam have been renting the same house together off Winterfell's campus for years- but when Sam moves in with his girlfriend, they need one more person on the lease. Sansa, about to relocate to Winterfell for grad school, finds out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her and that her housing plans have fallen through, all on the same day. Needless to say, she's a bit upset when she calls Arya to relay the news. There's a simple solution here, if Arya and Tormund can stop teasing Jon about his crush for five minutes. (any excuse to write tormund and arya roasting jon, tbh).
- A Fae AU (Jonsa)- When Sansa, a baker living in the city, washes her face in an enchanted spring on a camping trip, she gains the sight as a result. Suddenly able to see the fae underworld all around her is disorienting and terrifying. Sansa tries to conceal it- afraid of what might happen if the fae around her know that she can see them- but slips up, and catches the attention of Jon Snow- one of the lords of the unseelie court.
- A nuclear winter wasteland AU (Jonsa)- (?? I don't even know how to describe this premise, haha) where the Starks are living and running the Free Winterfell settlement in Siberia after a worldwide nuclear meltdown. Before the fallout, Sansa was one of the world's preeminent researchers in plant genetics and pathology, and works at the settlement to create newer, disease and radiation resistant crops to distribute for free to other settlements, aiming to break up the monopoly that Lannister Corp has on the market. Jon is a scavenger, searching throughout Siberia for his sister Rhae who disappeared several years previously. When he runs across Arya Starkovna, helping her fight off another band of radiation ravaged scavengers is just instinct- he doesn't think twice about it. In thanks, she brings him to the Winterfell settlement, where her brother Robb offers Jon sanctuary and resources, in exchange for serving as a bodyguard for Sansa when she travels to other settlements. Sansa is not particularly thrilled by this arrangement, but given that multiple parties seem to want her dead, she doesn't have much of a choice but to accept his company.
- A reincarnation AU (Jonsa)- of sorts. Robb is an archaeologist who finds a strange set of runes at a site up north, and immediately calls in Jon Snow- a historian and expert in said ancient language, as well as an old university friend of Robb's. When he arrives though, Robb shows him their most valuable finds- two mysterious ice blocks, with what appear to be perfectly preserved bodies from over a thousand years ago. No one could ever have imagined that either of them were still alive, but when the ice melts, revealing two very alive girls, the entire crew is instantly buried in NDAs, and given an assignment from the Westerosi government to figure out what the hell was going on. Sansa and Arya wake up, extremely confused about the world they live in, trying to adapt and mourning all that they've lost, even as the people around them wear familiar faces.
- Soulmates AU (Jonsa)- (Yes, another one, I love this dumb trope) Trauma surgeon and medical resident Sansa Stark is having a very bad day, and ends up meeting her soulmate during what she thinks is a mugging gone wrong. Fortunately, he’s not the one mugging her, just an intervening bystander, but she ends up slightly shot nonetheless. Sansa’s fretting about bleeding on the upholstery in his car, but Jon is a bit more worried about her injuries than the blood stains. He’s a bit confused when she threatens him if he takes her to a specific hospital, nearly has a nervous breakdown when she insists on doing her own triage, and is very charmed when she insists on ice cream after taking pain meds at the hospital. On Sansa’s part, she’s a little less concerned about being shot, and a bit more concerned about whatever weird first impression she’s making to her soulmate while high as a kite on pain pills. (this one just needs some tweaking to be postable- I'm not sure if it's going to be a oneshot or a series, but i love what I have already)
- A Demon/Archivist AU (Jonsa)- where Sansa works in the university's historical archives in Oldtown, and is learning to restore old texts with her fellow student and friend, Alleras (Trans Sarella is an amazing concept). When Joffrey Baratheon shows up with a pile of old books from his family's library to donate, Sansa is eager to get away from his sleaze, and accidentally takes one of the books home with her in her rush to leave. Unbeknownst to her, it's more than it appears, and when she leaves it open overnight, she accidentally summons forth Jon- an ancient, powerful, and extremely annoyed demon who is under a curse, and now hers to command. As Jon and Sansa try to get used to this new normal, the Lannisters (unaware that Joffrey had donated the tome) try desperately to find the book and it's owner, wanting Jon's power for themselves, and putting Sansa in considerable danger unless she can figure out how to break Jon's curse. Fortunately, she's a pretty good researcher, even if Jon is initially a bit of a grump. (This is based on a total wish-fulfillment mary-sue type premise for something I wrote when I was thirteen, and I revisited it and wanted to see what it would look like if i took it very seriously, and i am really enjoying it so far. It's a love letter to the terrible, heartfelt writing i was doing in middle school that created the foundations for my writing today, and so much fun).
The one that I am MOST excited about though:
- A Pacific Rim AU!!!! (Ned/Cat, Gendrya, Braime, Sansa/Jon Umber)-Twins Sansa and Robb Stark have always been completely in tune with each other, and when your parents are Jaeger pilots and your mother invented the neural handshake, what option is there but the Jaeger academy? Sansa studies to be an engineer, but ends up copiloting the Jaeger 'Winter Wolf' with her twin brother, after they lose Ned Stark to cancer. When Robb is ripped out of the conn-pod and killed by a kaiju while he's still connected to Sansa, she barely manages to kill the creature before stumbling back to shore, traumatized, grieving, and swearing that she'll never pilot again.
Unfortunately, the Kaiju don't stop just because Sansa does, and when the end of the world is imminent, Marshall Catelyn Stark orders both her daughter and former pilot Jaime Lannister (who lost his twin and copilot, Cersei, several years previously) back to Hong Kong for one final stand. Forced to face both her demons and an irate Arya, furious that Sansa had abandoned the rest of them after Robb's death, Sansa and Arya have to figure out how to pilot Winter Wolf together before the apocalypse comes for them all.
Featuring Marshall Catelyn Stark (commander of the Hong Kong Shatterdome, inventor of the neural handshake, former Jaeger pilot, and BAMF), Sansa x Jon Umber (Yes i know it's a rare pair but i've always kind of loved the idea of them, even though we know so little about him), Kaiju parts dealer and smuggler Petyr Baelish, bickering kaiju biologist Dany and theoretical mathematician Jon Snow, LOCCENT officer Theon, lots of snark, lots of angst and heartfelt conversations, and a weird friendship between snarky-grieving-asshole Jaime Lannister and kind-quiet-grieving Sansa Stark, who are the only two people in the world who know what it's like to lose a copilot and a twin in the drift.
Thanks for reading guys!! There are more, but some of them I just don't know how to explain quite yet, haha. I'd love to hear what you guys think about these!
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What in the Seven Hells is a Junabee? | GIBP III
Pairing: Fey!Loki x fem!reader
Chapter Summary: You and Loki take a trip to the seamstress.
Warnings: fluff!
Word Count: 5.3k
A/N: OKay so I love this chapter for a whole bunch of reasons I won’t get into, but I also know it’s a set up for all the fake dating (and other events) you’ll get in the next chapter (and the rest of the fic) so don’t worry, my fav trope ever is coming!! I hope you enjoy, and as always, it makes my day to hear what your thoughts! <3
The seamstress was in a beautiful house, which overlooked the river down below. It reminded you of the type of houses in the book of fairy tales you and Nat used to have; tall and spindly, and reminiscent of a pine tree. It was the same luscious green as the surrounding flora and had over a dozen tiny stained-glass windows that glowed like emeralds in the sun. You’d never seen anything like and it, and you couldn’t help but stare a little too long.
Loki knocked on the door and took a step back, hands clasped behind him as you waited. The black, double doors were much bigger than the one at the restaurant, and you were pretty sure that meant a Dwarf wouldn’t be greeting you this time. You couldn’t help but feel a little curious, a lot of dread and somewhat excited to see who would greet you.
A strong, broad shouldered Fey woman opened the door, a cat-like grin spreading across her face as she took in the king. Her chestnut hair was braided back and out of her face, but the rest was loose around her shoulders in tight curls. She was dressed in black from head to toe, pants tucked into knee high boots, paired with an intricate top that looked more like armour. Had you passed this woman on the street you would have assumed she was a warrior and not a seamstress. Even standing before her now, you weren’t sure you were at the right place.
Loki took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to the back of it, an equally wicked smirk on his lips.
“Valkyrie, I’m so glad you could make room for us on such short notice,” he practically purred, “we appreciate it.”
“You were just lucky someone canceled at the last minute,” she said with a wink, “I don’t make exceptions for anyone, least of all you, Loki.”
He let a breathy little laugh, the two of them obviously good friends, if not something more. If there was, it wasn’t like you didn’t get it. She was beautiful. Honestly, they both were.
Her gaze slid toward me and her grin morphed into something a little less playful and much softer, “and you must be the mysterious future queen I’ve heard about,” she dipped her head, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” you said through a tight smile.
This was the first time someone other than Loki had mentioned the actual consequences to this deal and you weren’t sure you liked it. Queen… You weren’t meant to be queen. Ever. How in Cerdwen’s were you supposed to be queen? You shoved the thought to the back of your mind. There was no point thinking about it and freaking yourself out more. You just needed to keep pretending like you could actually do this.
Anyways, she was a seamstress, not a council member whose opinion could change everything. You had to assume that Loki must have brought you into the city to practice your act around people who’s opinions didn’t affect your fates, but even if he hadn’t, you were glad for the excuse to learn how to play the role.
“I’ve heard so many great things about your talent, Miss Valkryie,” you lied, settling into the part as best you could, “I can’t imagine having gone to anyone else. It’s just so nice to have finally met you.”
“You’re too kind,” she waved away the compliment, but her eyes narrowed slightly. You held your breath, afraid she could see right through you until she motioned for you to follow her in, “but I do have some pieces I’m sure you’ll like.”
The walls on one side of the hallway were painted navy while the other side was painted a dark green, all trimmed with gold mouldings and decorated with paintings of men and women in extravagant clothes. There were rooms branching off to either sides. The layout of the house was far bigger than you’d assumed from the outside. You couldn’t help but wonder who this woman was exactly. The riches of this home were beyond ordinary…weren’t they? You clenched your jaw in an attempt to hide your anger. If these people had homes like these then they had the means to help any one of the other realms who were still rebuilding. Yet they hid on their island like the rest of us didn’t matter. Odin was a monster, stroking the embers of hatred that sizzled in his realm, mounting them to a burning fire that destroy the seven others. But these people — the Fey — they could do something about it. Instead, they just sat in their riches and their magic, doing nothing. You were thankful neither of them could see your face.
You entered a room that might not have seemed small if it hadn’t been stacked with books from floor to wall on every side except for the one you’d entered through. There was large wooden desk in the corner, cluttered with papers and scraps of fabrics and in the centre, a pedestal with two small poof seats in the opposite corner.
“Remind me again what you’re looking for, Loki,” she motioned for the two of you to take a seat.
You stayed standing keeping an eye on her and door. Loki shrugged and gracefully eased onto the cushion, legs sprawled out in front of his as if he was in his own home. You glanced between the two of them, trying to figure out what exactly their relationship was, but both of their faces were impossible to read. The only thing you knew for sure was that these two had known each other for hundreds of years.
“Other than a few formal gowns, I would suggest you ask Ms. YLN,” his gaze slid over to you, eyes lit up with mischief, “the choice is hers.”
You barely restrained from scoffing. Like you had any choices in the deal.
Valkyrie turned to face you, surprising you with a genuine looking smile on her face, “Come then. I think I’ve got ideas you might like. Do you want your future king to join us?”
Valkyrie probably had no idea that she’d just asked the best question possible. Or maybe, judging by the sly grin on her face, she had. You didn’t know if that immediately made you want to trust her or the exact opposite.
“Actually, I was hoping it could be a surprise,” you chirped, “he really doesn’t need to stay.”
Loki let his head loll back, looking at you through hooded eyes with a slight, knowing grin on his lips, “of course. Enjoy yourselves. I’ll be back soon, sweetheart.”
He stood with efficiency and speed unmatched by most of the other races. When his back was to Valkyrie, he shot you a pointed look. You narrowed your eyes but quickly made sure to smooth out your features before Valkyrie could get wind of what was going on.
When he was out of sight and the door had closed behind him, you felt a shimmer of magic and wondered if Valkyrie felt it too. If she did, she didn’t say anything. You had a feeling that whatever it was, it was a precaution to make sure you wouldn’t sneak off again.
“I see you like to dress to move around,” was the first thing she said.
You couldn’t help but look down at the plain black pants and dirt brown sweater as if you’d forgotten you’d been wearing borrowed clothes all morning.
“I need to be able to move,” you answered gruffly.
She nodded, “I get it. This world hasn’t been easy, especially to humans.”
“And what would you know about the world being unkind?” you snapped, the riches of her home mocking you.
“This realm was at war like every other hundreds of years ago,” her voice was barely louder than a whisper, but there was nothing soft in her voice, “just because we haven’t had it the hardest doesn’t mean we don’t know hardship.”
Something about the haunted look on her face made you feel stupid about your outburst and you cursed yourself again for not being able to keep your emotions in check. Valkyrie barely looked older than you did, but she spoke like she’d lived through the war — seven hells, judging by the way she wore her clothes like armour, she might have even fought in it. You wanted to ask her about it, but doubted you could get through even an inkling of the conversation with your emotions in check. You weren’t about to expose yourself by asking questions to which you already knew the outcome. Still, it didn’t mean she deserved your judgement.
“I’m sorry,” you maintained eye contact as you spoke, hoping she knew that you meant the words, “you’re right.”
She ignored the apology with a wave of her hand, and you sighed, glad she didn’t seem to think anything was amiss.
“I see why he likes you. That fight in you…it’ll remind him of his,” she continued, almost to herself, “he’s been going through the motions for far too long now.”
You paused, wondering why she was so open, sharing about her king like that until you remembered, that as his future queen, this wouldn’t be inappropriate, especially that she was complimenting you. Still, it was hard to ignore the fact that she thought Loki was only going through the motions. They Fey you’d met looked nothing like that.
“I’m flattered you think so,” you said with a smile, hoping you could rely on pleasantries to get by, “you’ve certainly known him longer than I have.”
“We’ve been,” she paused with a huff and a little shake of her head, “it feels like we’ve known each other for an eternity. I’m glad he’s finally found someone who makes him happy.”
“Well, he makes me happy,” you almost gagged on the words, but the way her smile grew made you think that you’d said the right thing.
Valkyrie lifted her hand and a book high on the shelf flew off and into her hand. You pretended to inspect your nails, trying not to show how much her little display of magic amazed you. It seemed so simple and you couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it was something you’d be able to do if someone took the time to show you.
“I was thinking we’d start with something like this for formalwear,” she pointed to a gown that looked equally gorgeous and terrifying, “and then we move on depending on what you like or don’t like. Yeah?”
You shot her what you hoped was an enthusiastic smile, the moment bittersweet. Nat would have loved sitting here with you, thoughtfully pouring over all the designs and teasing you into trying something outside of your comfort zone. But she wasn’t here. Your hand fluttered to place on your chest where the pendant lay under your shirt. She was being held hostage and you were here. It didn’t matter than you were now in similar situations, yours was so much easier and you couldn’t help but feel guilty about being here. This whole thing seemed frivolous and pointless. The Hand was the only thing keeping you from walking out.
Valkyrie cocked her head to get a better look at you, “you sure?”
“Absolutely,” you picked up the design she’d just shown you, thankful your hands weren’t trembling, “ready as if my life depended on it.”
Loki had reappeared as you were nearing the end of Valkyrie’s many suggestions and had taken a seat in the far corning, looking on in calculated silence. It was hard to focus with him back in the room and you weren’t sure if you should change the way you were behaving around Valkyrie. She’d been so carefree and thoughtful about the dishes she’d had to offer that you’d almost forgotten what you were doing here. She wasn’t the council so you knew you didn’t have to impress her but a part of you still felt like you should remind her that the two of you were in love. Or at least maybe act a little differently?
After glancing over at Loki for what felt like the millionth time, he raised a brow. You glared at him. For someone who was so worried about the two of you being seen together this morning, he wasn’t doing a spectacular job at faking it right now. He shrugged lazily as if to say what do you want me to do and stayed silent.
“I’m glad you told him to go because you clearly can’t take your eyes off of him,” Valkyrie remarked, her eyes fixed on the design she was altering based off of your comments.
You quickly turned back around, thankful that she had read your confusion as romance and impressed that she was so aware of her surroundings. Maybe if people expected to see love, they wouldn’t look so hard to think it wasn’t there. You mentally rolled your eyes. Kidding yourself was a waste of time.
You weren’t sure what to say to her comment, so you stayed silent, pasting on an awkward little smile and hoping it was the right thing to do. She lifted up the modified design and you could only nod, speechless, your smile becoming genuine this time.
“So that covers your daily garments. I do have dresses for…” the words fell from her mouth and she pursed her lips, eyes flickering to the ground before she came back up with a smile. You looked between her and Loki to try and see what you missed, but Loki’s face looked nothing other than bored. She continued quickly before you could get a better read on the situation, “dresses for every day use if you want. Clothes are like armour. Whatever you need, I can get it done.”
There was a seriousness to her voice that made you think that she didn’t just mean that figuratively, but the ominous tone stopped you from asking outright what she meant by it. There was something they weren’t telling you, but you doubted either of them would tell you what it was if you asked.
You jumped at the movement by your side, not having heard Loki get up.
Loki took her hand in his, “thank you, Valkyrie. Truly.”
Her brows furrowed but she smoothed it over quickly with a laugh, “you are paying me, remember?”
“True,” he murmured, shooting her a look you couldn’t decipher.
“Go,” she shooed him away with a laugh, “I’m tired of seeing your face.”
He put a hand on his heart in mock offence, the playful king back as quickly as he’d vanished, “you barely saw me today.”
“And bring you future queen around more often,” she continued as if he didn’t have a point, “I like her.”
He grinned mischievously, “as do I.”
And in that moment, he looked so convincing that you could see why she believed him. Loki didn’t appear to be a stranger to lying, even to someone who he’d apparently known forever. Although it meant that your chances of convincing the council were better off because of it, you didn’t like what that meant for your end of the deal.
“You know, Valkyrie,” he began.
“Don’t bother,” she cut him off with a stern half smile, “I’m good where I am.”
He dipped his head low, “I know…not unless the realms are sinking into the seven hells. I remember.”
She nodded curtly but shot you a wink as if you knew what in Ceridwen’s name they were talking about. You smiled back, your brain already going through the possible things a king could have repeatedly asked a seamstress for. Nothing that made any sense came up and Loki was already waiting in the doorframe, ready to go, so you added it to the ever-growing list of things you didn’t understand but somehow knew were important.
After your goodbyes, you left the house the way you came, heading back up the mountain to the palace.
“The meeting with the council is in a few hours,” he said, that casual joking tone he’d used with Valkyrie gone from his voice, “I suggest you wear something nice.”
“A gown,” you clarified.
He shrugged, “as long as it’s nice.”
“So you wouldn’t mind if I wore pants?” you demanded incredulously. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d seen Nat in anything other than the constricting gowns Odin trapped her in.
“I thought you were gorgeous wearing the tattered clothes you broke into the palace with,” he strolled on without looking at you, “if we didn’t need the council’s approval I wouldn’t have said a thing.”
Stunned, you grabbed his arm and spun him to a stop, wondering what in the seven hells was going on. His lips curled into a wicked grin and he stepped closer, dipping his head so your eyes were practically at level with his glowing ones, “don’t worry, sweatheart,” he crooned, “I’m simply getting a little practice in.”
You grunted and pushed past him, muttering asshole under your breath even though you knew his Fey hearing would catch it. You had a good idea where you were headed so you stomped forward, letting him stroll a few paces behind you. It didn’t matter that he could easily catch up to you if he wanted. The false sense of privacy made you feel better. It gave me the space to breathe.
You took in your surroundings enjoying the streets of Natalos. You stopped your stomping, taking your time getting back, not sure if you’d be stuck in the palace or allowed to roam wherever you wanted. You were hoping the latter, not only because you hated the confines of the palace but because there was a chance the Hand was in the city and you didn’t need the extra obstacle of trying to sneak out.
You weren’t sure if you would be stuck in the palace or if you’d be allowed to wander wherever you wanted. You hoped it was the latter not only because you hated being stuck in the palace but because there was a chance the Hand was in the city and you didn’t need the extra obstacle of trying to sneak out of the palace.
The sun had gotten much stronger, hanging overhead now. The kiss of the heat on your skin felt like it was finally melting away the cold of Niflheim. You sighed, closing your eyes for a fraction of a second as you walked, basking in the feel. You and Nat would feel the sun again. You would escape. You had to.
“Watch out for the fruit,” Loki interrupted your thoughts, much closer than he was before.
“What out for the what?” you echoed, stumbling to the side in surprise and trying to figure out what he was talking about.
His eyes widened and he reached out for you. You backed out of his grasp instinctively, grabbing onto the nearest tree to keep from tripping over. Then something cracked down on your head and it started pouring rain. Your whole body straightened in shock as the water poured down your face and neck, and down your spine. And then the stench hit you. You gagged. Wiping the liquid from your eyes, you noticed it had a slightly pink hue and was more like goo. Loki was completely dry. It couldn’t be rain. So what was it? He motioned for you to come closer, his lips tight as he tried to suppress a smile.
“What in the seven hells was that?” you practically shouted.
He pointed above, still not saying a word as he tried to keep himself together. The tree was massive and dark blue, sprawling across half the street with its thick branches and fan-like leaves. Hundreds of pink fruit about the size of your head hung precariously, swaying gently in the breeze.
“That’s not an explanation,” you growled, wiping more of the foul goo off you.
He swallowed and pointed to a sign that read, Beware, falling Junabees. This time, you actually looked around. If you hadn’t been so distracted, you probably would have noticed the pink-stained cobblestones littered with Junabee carcasses — that and the blatant warning. You took another step back toward the other side of the street just to be safe and glared at him.
“I wouldn’t walk too close to the edge next time,” he chuckled, though the wide grin on his face told you that he was enjoying this far more than you were.
“Why in Ceridwen’s name would you people keep this here?” you demanded, “it’s disgusting.”
He paused at your reference to the old gods and shrugged, motioning for you to come a little closer. You took a wary step forward, only following his request because you weren’t sure the Junabees were done with their attack. Tentatively, he raised a hand. You flinched back and he paused waiting for your nod. He brushed some of the goo off your cheek with his thumb, the motion slow and gentle. You stood still as a statue, not sure how to react. His eyes were bright and focused, the corner of his mouth quirked upward in the ghost of a smile. All you could do was stare at him, barely breathing.
“They’re surprisingly difficult to grow and the berries can be quite delicious when prepared properly,” he murmured, taking more of the goo out of your hair, “so we let them grow wherever they chose to pop up. No one’s allowed to cut them down.”
The thought of eating one made you gag, “and how do you prepare them?”
His lips pulled into a sly grin, “wine.”
You scoffed and pushed past him, trying to clean out the goo out of your ear on the way. You were tempted to grab a Junabee and throw it at him, but you were too worried that it would burst in your hand if you tried. That wasn’t a risk you were willing to take, even to put him in the same situation as you.
He caught up quickly and kept stealing glances at you that were impossible to ignore.
“What?” you snapped.
“When we walk into the council room, you might want to wipe the murderous look from your face,” he mentioned with a grin, enjoying this far more than he should.
You looked around, trying to find something to take your mind off the fact that you wanted to punch him, “give me what I want, and you won’t have to worry about me meeting your council,” you said through clenched teeth.
A slight chuckle was all you got in response and he led you down a street you didn’t recognize. You couldn’t tell if he was showing you more of the city or making sure that you couldn’t find your way around it. You sighed. This was going to be impossible.
You were dragging your feet when you walked into the palace later that evening, your thighs burning from climbing the steep streets. You couldn’t help but think that all of this would have been easier if you weren’t human. There was nothing you could do about it now, but it didn’t change the fact that you hated it. Though now that you were stuck, all you wanted was a nice dinner and a warm bath, both of which were things you could actually get here and not in Niflheim — that was if you could get through this stupid council meeting or party or whatever it was.
“Valkyrie has already sent over a few options for you,” he said when you came to a stop in front of your door, “I would recommend you wash up before you meet the council. I can’t have them thinking you live in the pig sty.”
Although your heart soared at the idea of warm water, you were far too grumpy to be thankful, “and so what if I showed up like this?”
You tried your hardest not to wince as the pathetic retort came out. You were fed up and sore and not your best on an empty stomach. It probably would have been better to ignore him, but the words were out now.
He smirked, “take a bath or don’t. If you repel the council with your stench, I can’t say that I’ll be disappointed.”
“You know,” you huffed, “the only reason I smell this bad is because you didn’t warn me about the stupid Junabees in the first place.”
“I told you to be careful,” he countered, leaning lazily on the doorframe.
You nodded like he actually had a good point before snorting, “sure. I doubt you could have been any more vague about it if you tried.
He grinned and pulled a little more goo out of your hair.
“Ugh,” you stormed past his still grinning face and into you room.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” he called before you slammed the door in his face.
“We’ll have to make this quick,” Loki said, walking into the kitchen, “I left YN alone to wash up and get changed before the council meeting and told her I’d be back in an hour.”
“So we’ve got forty-five then,” Bucky said with a smirk, propping his feet up on the table.
Loki shook his head, “let’s make it thirty.”
That only made his grin spread even wider, “I see you’ve got your hands full with our future queen.”
“That may be so, but at least she’s not boring,” at Bucky’s raised brow he said, “she discovered the Junabees today.”
“So a solid thirty minutes then,” he chuckled, both of them fully aware of how hard it was to to wash that goo out of hair.
“Let’s get back to business,” Nebula snapped from the head of the table, cutting them off before they could say anything else.
Loki nodded, knowing he’d been putting it off. With his assassin back so soon, it could only mean that there was nothing good to report. He didn’t want to ruin his surprisingly good mood with the same answers Bucky had been coming to him with for the past two moons, but he had to get it done and over with.
“Right. Bucky. You found…” Loki drifted off, unable to ask the question he already knew the answer to.
Bucky shook his head, “nothing. If Hella’s working with someone else, then she’s hiding it extremely well.”
“There someone else,” Nebula affirmed, shooting Bucky a fierce look, “I’m sure of it.”
Bucky turned and gave her his full attention. They said nothing, but Loki knew that the Angel and Dark Elf could practically read each other’s minds. They had only ever told him bits and pieces of what had happened all those years ago before they had found him, but he knew they wouldn’t be sitting in his kitchen if they hadn’t found each other first.
Bucky nodded, “okay. I’ll find whoever it is.”
“And what about that future queen of yours?” Nebula snapped, whirling around to him. From her place at the counter, Wanda looked over her shoulder, but didn’t say anything. Nebula drove on, all business, “who’s she working for? You said she wants the Hand but I don’t believe for a second that a human who knows nothing about magic wants the Hand for herself.”
Loki shrugged, “herself, someone else, it doesn’t matter. Either way, she’s not getting it. The Hand stays locked up, right now more than ever. If anyone else gets their hands on it…”
They shuddered, still haunted from the last time the book had fallen into the wrong hands.
“What did Gamora have to say about it?” Bucky asked, offering Nebula half of his bread roll. She looked at it with hatred, but Bucky shoved it her way until she took it.
“She hasn’t spoken to me since YN’s arrival,” Loki looked over at Wanda, “any luck on that end?”
“I think so,” Wanda slid the potatoes she’d been chopping into the large pot and came their way, “Gamora says that she can’t remember who cursed her but I believe that’s the key to breaking it.”
Loki stared at Wanda, intrigued and a little impressed Wanda could get Gamora to divulge anything personal about herself, “go on.”
“Right, so we haven’t gotten anywhere because we haven’t been able to identify the magic that was used to curse her, correct?”
“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen” Bucky said, leaning back in his chair to look over at Nebula who shook her head.
Despite all of his training, Loki also had to agree, “it’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen. And the Witches are still being silent, but I doubt that even if they agreed to help, they’d know what it was any more than we did.”
“Right,” Wanda went back to the pot and stirred a few times, thinking, “which is why I doubt any of us can figure out what it is. I think Gamora is the only person who could identify the magic, so what if we knew who cursed her?”
Bucky grinned, “then she would know what kind of magic was used to bind the curse.”
“We don’t actually have that information,” Nebula pointed out gruffly.
“Then we’d need a remembering spell,” Loki suggested, knowing that just because they now had a new theory didn’t mean they were any closer to breaking Gamora’s curse.
Wanda winced and tilted her head from side to side. He sighed. There was no doubt in his mind that he wasn’t going to like what she was about to say next.
“Or we’d need someone to get in her head.”
“No,” Loki answered immediately, “no. She’ll never let me in and trying might kill me. Her power might only be a tenth of what it used to be but that’s still more than I’m willing to bargain with. If I managed to unlock the memory and I’m still in there…”
“Then we’ve fried the king,” Bucky added helpfully.
Loki shot him a looked that earned him a cheeky grin in return.
“Wanda’s option might be the only one,” Nebula countered, glaring at Bucky, “memory spells are hard to come by and even harder to execute effectively — even for Loki.”
“It’ll be her decision,” Wanda affirmed though her voice was no louder than a whisper. They all snapped to attention knowing she was right, “if she thinks it’s safe, then it’s her decision whether to go through with it or not.”
Loki nodded solemnly, “agreed.”
Wanda walked back over to her pot, stirring and humming softly as if they hadn’t been discussing Gamora’s fate, “I’ll keep looking for a spell, but you should talk to Gamora.”
“You don’t want to do it?” Loki asked with a smirk.
She offered him a small smile, “I know you’re going to see her later. The honour is yours.”
“How kind,” he said with a laugh before heading back out to get ready for his meeting with YN and the council.
#loki#Loki Laufeyson#loki fanfic#loki fanfiction#loki x you#loki x reader#loki x female reader#loki x y/n#fan fiction#fanfic#fake dating#marvel#marvel au
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A Court of Hushed Shadowsongs
Story Summary: A few weeks after the ending of A Court of Silver Flames, the Night Court's newest warriors find themselves amongst familiar friends as they continue training to excel in their Valkyrie skills. But as a dark future calls to threaten the new sense of safety that Gwyn has found with her new found sisters and friends, she finds herself fighting even harder to become the person that will be able to save her friends- and herself.
Warnings: May have mental health triggers, especially towards self loathing and worthlessness.
Word Count: 1330
Part 1
Gwyn glared at Nesta, the gleam of sweat dripping down her face shining as brightly as her eyes as the girls sat down on the steps. “Remind me why I decided to join you in doing this?” Gwyn asked her as Nesta grabbed at one of the two glasses of water that had appeared their courtesy of her friendship with the House of Wind.
Gwyn had decided a few days ago that she was going to challenge herself in attempting the 10,000 from the House of Wind to Velaris. While she had wanted to get out of the Library for more than just training for a long time now, she still wasn’t ready to face the city yet. Giving herself the opportunity to join Nesta on the stairs would get her acclimated to seeing and hearing the city and decide when, if ever, she would be ready to see others once again. When she had asked Nesta to accompany her after working in the library today, Nesta had seemed shocked and delighted to join Gwyn on her endeavor- even if it meant telling her mate that he would be eating dinner alone that night (and based on how flushed Nesta seemed when she returned to meet Gwyn at the top of the steps, Gwyn figured that there was a promise made about what would be happening later because of it).
Handing her one of the glasses of water, Nesta let out a rasp of a laugh between her breaths, slightly quieter than Gwyn’s own as she had been doing this escapade a lot longer. “To be fair, you’re the one that asked to join- I just gladly accepted the company.” Gwyn gulped down the glass of water, setting it back down on the step as she watched it disappear within the next few seconds. Glancing over at Nesta as she leaned back on the steps she asked, “so you’re telling me we just walked down five hundred steps only to walk back up five hundred steps? Isn’t going up harder?!” Nesta smiled as she set down her own glass and watched it disappear.
“Yes, but to be fair when I started this, feeling the pain of the burn in my legs and lungs was easier than dealing with the pain up here.” Nesta tapped her temple, signifying a feeling that Gwyn knew all too well. Gwyn glanced away to avoid Nesta’s eyes as her own filled with a grief that few understood, looking now to the still far away rooftops of the city of Velaris, gleaming brightly under the moonlight and stars. A steady silence filled with only their labored breathing settled around the two sisters, thought not uncomfortable.
“You’ll get there you know.” Nesta comments quietly after enough time had past for them to catch their breaths. Gwyn swallowed, stifling the nervousness of even broaching the topic of being somewhere that people could see her- judge her- for what she has done, for who she is, for what happened. Sure, everyone said that the City of Starlight was a home for those who had experienced the hard things as she had, but there was something about being under scrutiny of people other than those who knew her that had her standing up and deciding not to answer Nesta, but instead slowly start the climb back up the five hundred steps. After about ten steps, she realized Nesta was still sitting down, looking over Velaris-her home.
“You coming?” Gwyn asked softly, pausing long enough to hear Nesta sigh and respond
“I’m actually going to keep going. It’s been a while since I’ve been out here, I figure I should try to catch up with my old pace.” Gwyn nodded, wishing Nesta a good night as she started the ascent back up to the training ring at the top of the House of Wind.
~
Five hundred steps later, Gwyn decided that maybe joining Nesta on the steps hadn’t been her greatest idea in the world. Sure, training had become second nature (though her body at times still protested the movements and weapon wielding), but the stamina that she needed to get through the stairs was something that Gwyn wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to have. For cauldron’s sake, she had to be carried like a sack up Ramiel, and didn’t even earn the ability to say that she worked for her new found rank of warrior.
Collapsing at the top of the steps and breathing heavily, Gwyn flipped onto her back as her eyes focused on the specks of starlight above her, faded from the faelight coming off of the house of wind. She took a deep breath in through her nose. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. And released it through her mouth. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Again, a second time. Then a third time, her wandering mind and sporadic heart rate slowing with each Mind Stilling breath that was taken.
Closing her eyes, Gwyn kept breathing. Thoughts within her head quieted as her pointed ears sharpened their hearing to her surroundings instead of the pain of the past experiences and the pain within her legs. A soft wind swirled through the training ring, rattling a few of the posts on the outside of it just enough for the whisper to catch Gwyn’s attention. A spark or two every couple of second from the faelight that was burning above the entrance to the house sounded through the whisper of the wind, a pulsing melody that seemed to beckon Gwyn closer to the beat of the House that Nesta had once tried to explain to her.
Gwyn focused on that music and pulled herself back into her own mind, beginning to assess her pain and her thoughts, acknowledge them, and then imagined herself pulling each twinge of pain, each thought of being lesser than, each moment of not being enough… she imagined herself pulling each of those strands out of herself and out onto the melodic strings of the world that surrounded her. And as she imagined that, she took another breath and allowed her mind to focus itself on whatever it needed to drift to tonight.
Seconds, minutes, maybe even hours had passed before Gwyn’s mind focused on a new sound that had appeared as suddenly as silence that followed the end of a symphony. Deciding to pull herself back in before something disrupted her mind stilling, Gwyn folded her fingers into her hands and then released, grasping the ground underneath her as she marked herself back down into her thoughts and herself. Taking one final breath, Gwyn opened her eyes and found herself staring at darkness. Startled, she tried to figure out if she had fallen asleep while Mind Stilling (as had happened many times before) and if the faelight sparking she had heard earlier had been the light going out. But as she reached out in front of her and the darkness scattered away to show the still shining starlight, she realized as she sat up that shadows had gathered around her.
Gwyn giggled through a gentle breath, scooting up into a kneeling position as the shadows scurried a bit further away and swirled as if watching her. Smiling softly, she gave a slight wave at the shadows before they darted up into the sky, leaving only one small shadow behind as if it were waiting for something.
No, not waiting for something, waiting for someone, Gwyn realized as the sound of wings filled the air around her shortly after the shadows had disappeared. The last remaining shadow moved towards her, curling around one of the lose strands of coppery hair that had fallen out of the braid she had worn to descend the steps in. Gwyn looked down at the shadow before then looking up, just in time to see an Illyrian warrior with blue siphons attached at the backs of his hands land in the training ring across the opening from her.
Part 2 coming soon!
A/N: Hey guys! My name is Jen, and I'm a college student who's a little bit obsessed with Gwyn and Azriel as a pairing right now. I (as a fellow ginger) loved Gwyn's character and her story, and have loved Az since I read ACOMAF in 2016. Honestly, I don't know about you guys, but I just can't sit still waiting for SJM to write another book and release it three years from now without hearing about Gywnriel, so please enjoy my attempt at continuing their story past ACOSF. Of course, I can't just throw Elain outta the plot so she'll be in here too, which means a fair dose of angst amongst our favs. I don't know how long this is going to get- but I hope you'll be here with me to see it through and hold me accountable to the story. Hope you all enjoy!
#acosf#azrielxgywn#gywnriel#acosf spoilers#azriel#gwyn#gwyn berdara#nesta#acourtofsilverflames#acotarfic#acosf fanfiction
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Frame x Book 2
Second episode has finally been subbed (thank gawd). I can honestly say I most surely watch for Book and Frame's relationship. It's developing in such a beautiful way, it's by far my favorite of all the couples. I can understand why some people are complaining that Tee x Fuse have become boring while wishing that Framebook had more screen time. While issues from the first season has followed both pairings into season two the type of issue has made the latter more interesting. Because Teefuse already had an outside source for their issues (the ex creating awkwardness, jealousies, and angst) to have her follow into season two just feel annoying more than anything else because it feels like the character's relationship ain't changed much even though they're in a relationship. While with Frame and book their issues (fear, insecurities, trust) stem from things other people they've cared about has done to them. So instead of being annoyed the audience is able to experience with them. Frame and Book def have that kind of relationship where it's a - you make me better - kind of theme but done correctly. Neither character is actually changing personalities...who they're becoming was always a part of them. Frame was a caretaker before they started dating...it was his caring nature that made Book fall so deep. But he def radiates within this relationship because it allows him to fully be that person. There wasn't a moment he wasn't taking care of Book - from making sure he had eaten to pulling him into sharing his opinion with the friends. Book is open himself more, like I mentioned previously if you watch season 1 he never really hangs out with anyone. He never seems to have friends, and he doesn't seem at all close to his family. He was friendly enough but he was always shown as alone unless Frame was brushing onto the scene to tease him. In this season it's different, he's chatting more, his with the group. It's not that Book ever wanted to be alone, but I think being a recluse made him feel safer. My favorite thing about the group scene though was the fact that they intentionally highlighted how personality wise these characters are still who they are and while they're no problem with meshing and developing one another past their issues maintaining the parts that make them them is what makes it real - you still see Book being ever the studious one as he reads while everyone else is playing games on their phones. They just look so damn good together. It's hard not to cheese when they're on screen because it just feels so nice. They look so right and comfy and easy together. It's probably do to Toey's and Ohm's easy nature with one another, but no matter how small they pulled off their moments of intimacy. Even just standing in the stairwell talking to the guys with his arm wrapped around his shoulder...or his head in his lap - they felt like a couple just hanging with the group. And can I say that Peak does a great job coming across with his 'I know they're secretly dating' looks that he has to do in character. It makes me laugh every time. I really don't know whose capability for their character I love more out of Toey and Ohm though. They both do such a good job. Toey has Book's nerdy awkward shy sweetness down to such a nice blend...and then you see Toey out of character and he's not much like Book. His manner is def more confident, more sure and developed. While Ohm seems to be more like one side of his character. He's created a fusion of two types with Frame - one one hand Frame is a excitable, loud, happy popular puppy who wouldn't seem bother by much but then on the other hand he's focused, observant, driven, more friendly and less attention seeking than you would think. He has this maturity that so surprising with the other side of his personality but Ohm is able to mesh both sides very nicely making Frame seem deep and real. I was very pleased with them both so far because they got less screen time but they radiate in those moments. I don't just prefer the characters, the actors are both my fav from the cast too. I've just felt this career was more seriously on their radar. From the work they put in the show and out. They get the biz and their chemistry is just a bonus because it makes things flow better when they work together. It's easy to forget that Toey is like four years older than Ohm. I loved this episode for them. I know the angst is coming and I kinda don't want it to cause grin like a fool with these two and I already hate Tern and he ain't even got here yet....
#make it right the series#make it right the series 2#ohm x toey#toey sittiwat#ohm pawat#book and frame#framebook#frame x book
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Alternate Harry Potter Kids?
Hi there, so I love Harry Potter fanfiction. I love the original HP books. When I first finished the epilogoue, I loved Rowling’s next gen kids and immediately sought out both info and fics. I’ve read some truly brilliant fics about Albus, Scorpius, Rose, Lily and all the others, with varying degrees of faithfulness to later Pottermore reveals. I even have my own headcanon.
But as compelling as Fabula Post Bellum https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4294521/Maverick-Heart , Ignite https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8255131/1/Ignite and the rest are, I find myself growing a bit tired of never being able to find something more wholey original. With authors giving their own take on what a future and kids could be like. I’ve searched google several times, and come up empty. But I know that they exist, and I’m hoping there are even new ones being written.
So I thought I’d get the ball rolling, by reccing some of the few I’ve come across and hoping that others will join in. :)
There’s only one rule. (It’s kinda important tho) NO BASHING! The pairings can be any kind, but if they come at the cost of the established canon friendships, then I don’t want to see them here.
That said, let’s go! :D
Broken Fate by Qwi Xux https://fictionalley.ikeran.org/authors/qwi_xux/BF.html
“ In a future world ruled by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, the next generation travels back in time in an attempt to change fate. “
With their parents long dead, Jamie Potter, Will Weasley, and Shay Longbottom travel back in time from a world in ruins. But changing things for the better while keeping their secrets and caring for small, traumatised child is easier said than done.
Written shortly after book five was released, this is majorly au, and yet it still has RonxHermione and HarryxGinny as the main pairings. The way they got together is much more satisfying than canon though, in both timelines. IMO.
Very good i highly rec it, and it’s complete! :D Enjoyable and well written characters.
Trigger Warning: A small child was tortured. While this was not shown, the fic does portray the aftermath and consequences. While not a dark fic per say, the distopia they came from was not a happy place. Nothing graphic though.
As Thick as Blood by: Lisse https://www.fanfiction.net/s/334233/1/As-Thick-as-Blood
“Two decades after the defeat of Voldemort, Rory Malfoy and Jim ChangPotter begin to uncover a past their parents want buried forever and learn that sometimes friendship is stronger than blood.”
Sadly a dead fic, but what we got was compelling non the less. Written before OotP came out, Cho Chang is very different. Not a perfect fic, but some very compelling ideas and quite an engaging story. (One of my fav authors, she has a lot of excellent one shots. Especially her ATLA au.)
Aurelian by: BittyBlueEyes
“Two years after the war, a young stranger pays a visit to the burrow. His arrival alone is baffling, but the news he brings of an upcoming war turns the world upside down. Hermione's quiet, post-war life will never be the same.” Complete
Another time travel fic. With her dying breath Hermione Malfoy sends her toddler son into the past, with nothing but a phial of her memories, a newspaper clipping, and her wedding ring. - Very compelling, the focus is actually mostly on the adults figuring out how to stop the next dark lord from rising, but we get plenty of glimpses into the first timeline and the children in it, and Aurey is adorable. Not quite a next gen fic per say, but it does have alternate children (although Teddy does exist) and excellent character development and portrayls for everyone. The trio are still great friends even if Ron and Hermioen never got together. Also Hermione very much still hates Malfoy at in the beginning, but seeing how they fell in love in the first timeline is quite compelling, and it seems to be an interresting ride in the new one too. Plenty of mystery, intrigue, and auror investigations.
I confess I’ve only read a few chapters, but I like it so far.
So yeah, those are all I can think of at the moment. A small list I know, and as you can see from the last entry the focus doesn’t even have to be fully on the kids.
Anyway I hope something comes of this. But either way, at least I got to make some fic recs. :)
#harry potter#harry potter fanfiction#hp fanfic#alternate epilogue#alternate kids#time travel#fic recs#HP#hp fic#fic#fanfiction#AU#next gen au#hp kids
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Interview with author Liz Czukas (aka Ellie Cahill)
I absolutely loved I Temporarily Do by Ellie Cahill (the not-so-secret pen name of author Liz Czukas). It all starts with a marriage of convenience between two wonderfully written and believable characters who don't mean to fall in love. They really don't! And I'm not giving away anything here--this is a romance novel after all. Of course, they fall in love. But what happens next is what makes the story so delicious. I just love a story that makes me laugh out loud. I was so glad to learn there that this is the first book in Cahill's Cordially Invited duo. Can't wait for the next installment.
About the book: A little white lie. A little white wedding. A pair of roommates in over their heads.
Days before she's set to move across the country and start a prestigious graduate program, a con artist leaves Emmy with no where to live and less than zero dollars in her bank account. But her day doesn't seem quite so bad compared to Beckett's--his fiancée called off their wedding just days before they tie the knot. Now he's single and ineligible for his place in married student housing.
So what are a girl without a home and a guy without a wife supposed to do? A quickie wedding in Vegas will solve both their problems. It's a business arrangement, and no one even needs to know. They'll just get an annulment in a few months. What could go wrong? Only Beckett forgot to mention his new apartment is a one-bedroom. And neither of them counted on their new friends at Middlesex University thinking they're a great couple. The platonic newlywed game might be harder to play than Emmy thought. Especially when it starts to feel less than platonic.
To Purchase: Kindle Paperback
I'm so glad Liz agreed to let me pepper her with questions here today, because she's really busy writinggreat stories for us!
Can you tell us about the different jobs you’ve had other than writing? I always like to ask authors this, mainly because authors always seem to have had so many different careers and often an interesting job history.
Before I was published, I was a Labor & Delivery nurse for 9 years! I have a master's degree in Nurse-Midwifery as well, although I never practiced as a midwife. But I only went to nursing school after I realized that my undergrad degree in History and Anthropology wasn't exactly a hot commodity on the job market! Writing is by far my favorite job.
How long have you been writing and how long ago did you publish your first book?
I've been writing as long as I can remember. Terrible stories as a kid, novels, short stories, non-fiction for a health information website, fan fiction...you name it. I wrote it. My first book didn't come out until 2014, but it definitely wasn't the first book I wrote!
If there’s anything that you could go back and tell your ‘unpublished’ self, what would that be?
Patience is a virtue. It can feel very "do or die" in publishing, but the truth is, humans have been making and reading books since we figured out how to communicate. Stories aren't going anywhere, so it's okay to take your time, and it's okay if publishers don't like your first offering.
Is there anyone/anything you would consider the most inspirational or influential in your success as a writer and why?
My senior year English teacher told me that I was a good writer. In fact, he told me he'd give me my money back if I didn't get a 5 on the AP English test. I got the 5 so he got to keep his money. But the things he taught me about reading and writing stuck with me. I dedicated to my first book to him (and my other high school English teachers, actually, because they all had an influence on me in one way or another.)
As you can see from my review above, that I loved “I Temporarily Do”, which you wrote as Ellie Cahill. I know that you also write books under your real name—Liz Czukas. Can you tell us a little bit about how your pen name came to be and how the books you author as Liz Czukas differ from each other?
First of all, thank you so much! I'm glad you loved it. I was first published as Liz Czukas. All my books under that name are YA, intended for teen readers. When I got an offer on my first adult-oriented book "When Joss Met Matt", my publisher wanted me to have a separate identity so readers would know what they were getting. Thus, Ellie Cahill was born. It's handy having a name like Elizabeth, because there are so many good nicknames to use for author personas. And as for Cahill, I wanted something people could actually pronounce!! (Incidentally, Czukas is pronounced CHEW-kiss, or two fun things to do with your mouth.) Although I have a lot of cross-over readers, there are definitely people who prefer one type of book over the other. If you are someone who reads multiple genres, I think it's safe to say that if you like one of my books, you'll like the rest. I'm all about the fun, romantic-comedy feeling in both YA and adult.
Can you please explain the difference between the Young Adult (YA) and New Adult (NA) genres? (I still find people who don’t know that the new adult genre exists.)
New Adult is basically a fancy title for books about people who aren't teenagers, but aren't living the responsible lives of "grown-ups" yet. It can be about college students, or people in the military, or athletes...anyone who is still kind of figuring out who they want to be as adults.
Can you tell us a little bit about how your ideas develop as a writer? Do you have a clear vision of the main characters from the beginning? Do you outline?
Every project is a little different for me. Sometimes the idea for a character comes first. Sometimes just the spark of an idea. Some ideas start as sparks, but can't go anywhere until I combine them with other ideas or characters. I'm not a full outliner. I am a planner, though. I write out a 1-3 page synopsis that gives me a rough plan for where I want to go with my story.
As a writer of middle-grade/young-adult stories, I often get asked why I write stories for this age group. What appeals to you about writing for the young adult and new adult age groups.
I like writing for these age groups because the characters still have so much to learn. They haven't become set in their ways, or bogged down by the drudgery of adulting, like paying mortgages and grocery shopping. Instead, they still have the chance to learn about new things, and who they want to be. They're open to new ideas and possibility. Plus, the intensity of relationships is so strong at these ages. First love, first kisses, first heartbreaks. So much more juicy than later in life.
Of all the books you’ve written (and there have been quite a few) do you have a favorite or is that rather like asking a parent which child is their favorite?
Ha! Definitely like asking my favorite child. I like them all for different reasons. Some, like Ask Again Later, were so much fun to write because of the structure. Others have characters that I practically feel like old friends, like "When Joss Met Matt". Some have favorite scenes or lines of dialogue. That's the joy of writing a lot--there's always something new and unique.
I am always curious about other author’s writing environments . . . so where do bring all your wonderful characters to life?
Nowhere special! I don't have an office at my house. So I'm usually working on my couch on kitchen table. I also meet up with other local writer friends and do some writing at coffee shops, or libraries. If I'm lucky, I get to go on multi-day writing retreats with other fabulous writers and get to immerse myself in nothing but making the words appear on the screen for days and days.
Can we look forward to another book from you soon?
Yes! I have another romantic comedy coming out as Ellie Cahill in November. It's called "The Designated +1", and it features a character who made a very brief appearance in "I Temporarily Do". Don't worry though, it's a complete stand-alone. You can read it without reading any of my other books. It's up for preorder at Amazon, Kobo, and iBooks.
Before we move on to the Fast Five list, is there anything else you want to tell readers about yourself or your books?
Just that I can almost guarantee you a laugh if you read my books. When you need a pick-me-up read, keep me in mind!
Fast Five:
Fav Pizza Topping – mushrooms
Book You’re Reading Now – Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
Coffee, Tea, or Both – both, but especially latte
Fav TV Show as a Child – Tiny Toon Adventures
Best Place You’ve Vacationed – Rome
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: http://lizczukas.com
Facebook: Liz Czukas OR Ellie Cahill
Twitter: @LizCzukas OR @Ellie_Cahill
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizczukas/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lizczukas/
Amazon Author Page: Liz-Czukas OR Ellie-Cahill
Goodreads: Liz_Czukas OR Ellie_Cahill
Thanks, Liz, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me today!
#ellie cahill#liz czukas#romantic comedy#new adult#young adult lit#new adult lit#new book release#book review#mustread
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