Hi Acacia! 14 and 24 for the writing game pls

Hello hello, friend! I'm always so excited to see you in my inbox, and I hope you are doing wonderfully! 😊

Thank you so much for your ask and for playing the writing excerpt ask game. I'd be happy to answer these for you and will be sure to choose excerpts from my OMORI stories since it's our shared fandom (and I'm really going to try very hard to get creative and not choose any Kelbrey excerpts for you too though there are several that fit both of these categories)! ^^

Everything is under the cut because of MAJOR OMORI spoilers! One snippet has its own set of additional warnings so please be mindful of that as well.

14. An excerpt of my writing that was out of my comfort zone

Do you mean any time I try to write romance ever? Because goodness that makes me so nervous and stressed out! I've been trying to practice a little by writing about ships I feel very passionately about and/or really, really like, but even then, it's a major struggle for me and I feel like it ends up leaning very ambiguous (i.e. it could be romantic or it could be platonic. The readers can choose their own adventure!) or blending into a background of several other plotlines going on. Sitting down to write a purely romance story is just not my thing, and I honestly don't think it's my strong suit. Therefore, for the sake of honesty, I feel compelled to give a major shoutout to "There Is Happiness" (which is about functional post-bad ending Kelbrey, sorry) because it was an entire story outside of my comfort zone but especially the dancing sequence. I still can't believe I wrote that (which I guess fits your other question too lol), but I won't subject you to an excerpt of that, friend! Instead here's some swoony HeroMari from my college, everyone lives AU one shot "Some Things Are Meant To Be":

Mari sighed. The truth was she was glad she had to stop at this point on the tour because she likely would have stopped anyway—too stunned by the swooning, swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach whenever a particular culinary arts student smiled. She had never spoken to him before—had never had the opportunity to properly introduce herself, but she supposed that might be for the best. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d even be able to muddle her way through a coherent introduction if they did have the chance to meet. After all, on the few occasions he had met her eyes through the glass, staring at her with such gentleness that she could have sworn her heart had skipped a beat, her mind had completely emptied and she couldn’t even think of the tour script her roommate often, somewhat playfully, accused her of reciting in her sleep. Knowing herself, she’d probably forget her own name if he so much as said “hello” to her, so they’d both likely graduate before they got to share anything more than a few somewhat shy waves at each other whenever she passed by his class on her tours. Halfway through her little speech about the state of the art kitchen equipment they had available to students, Mari reached the line she both adored and dreaded which prompted the tour group to look through the window to see the future chefs of the world cooking and baking. When Mari turned to glance into the classroom herself, she somehow always managed to find him immediately in the crowd. Today was no different. Just as he was taking what appeared to be a souffle out of the oven, he happened to turn at the exact moment she did. Their eyes met. Time stopped. Mari’s heart raced. He smiled, and her heart ached. All of her thoughts disappeared, except one: Oh… He was beautiful.   That was not in her tour script.

And also, just for you, I'll include this excerpt of Hero admitting he's ready to find love again a decade after the good-ending from the final chapter of "But I Always Thought That I'd See You Again" (which is Aubrey and Hero's platonic friendship centric even though it also includes some background Kelbrey). I'm including it because it was another story out of my comfort zone, especially this particular scene (and I did a ton of research for it) and because I purposely wrote the story in such a way that the identity of Hero's love interest could be anybody you wanted who fit the ambiguous descriptors (I'm really sharing because I hope it'll resolve that "I need Hero and Zoey to realize their feelings" sentiment you mentioned in your comment on "Under the Weather" or maybe just add more Hero/Brandi to the world. It's written in such a way he could be talking about either of them or neither...choose your own adventure!)

“I think you’re a much stronger person than me, Hero. If someone deserves to be broken up about it, it’s you, and you should take as much time as you need. No one would blame you if you just…never moved on.”  Hero took a long, shaky breath then pressed his lips together. “That’s…that’s the thing, Aubrey. I…” His voice was so quiet she could barely hear him. He stared intently at his hands—twisting them together, refusing to look at her. It was almost like he couldn’t. “I had actually been thinking…”—he swallowed hard—“That is I…I actually wondered if maybe…I might be…ready…to...um...”  Aubrey tried her best to stifle a gasp. Of all the things she could’ve expected…she would have never even entertained this as a possibility. Hero had never expressed any interest in pursuing a relationship with anyone after Mari. They all respected it and never pried, just quietly resigned themselves to the fact that Hero might never love again, so to hear that he was actually, seriously considering moving on... She just couldn’t hold back the smile that tugged at her mouth as her eyes started to grow misty. “Really?” Hero blushed, and Aubrey’s breath caught in her throat. The expression on his face was so flustered but so warm, so affectionate—she never thought she’d ever see him make that face again. “Yeah…uh…I was actually…kind of thinking that I might ask someone out.” Aubrey’s jaw fell slack. Here she had been worried that Hero was listening to sad music and still pining after Mari when actually he was thinking about moving on. A flabbergasted but excited chuckle escaped her lips, and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him—center console be damned. “Hero, that’s wonderful! I…you have no idea how excited everyone is going to be to hear that, especially Kel.” “Just…Just for coffee…” he stumbled quickly, awkwardly patting her on the back. “Nothing too big or dramatic or anything…” “This is big, Hero,” said Aubrey pulling away from him with a wide, bright smile. “You…you’ve met someone…” It wasn’t really a question.   His blush deepened. “I think it’s more like I finally saw someone who had been there for a long time.” “So it’s someone you know well?” Aubrey repeated wracking her brain trying to think of Hero’s closest friends and who this could possibly be. She supposed it was really none of her business, but she was curious. Hero nodded and hummed. “For a long time. We became close friends in college and we’re in this wedding together now so we’ve been seeing a lot of each other and…I guess I’ve just been thinking…realizing that…when I’m with her, I—I don’t know, Aubrey—I…feel things that I didn’t know I could feel anymore…” His voice trailed—quiet, distant as if he had forgotten himself, but his cheeks flushed a bright red. Aubrey’s eyes widened, but she could only blink at him in shock. Was Hero…? Was he really… in love? The question felt somewhat silly and juvenile, especially seeing as he had never even been on a date with this woman, but…Aubrey couldn’t help but wonder. There was something so incredibly gentle and sincere in his face—something so warm and wistful, almost pining in his dark eyes as he sighed with a certain love-struck helplessness that Aubrey honestly didn’t think she would ever see from him again. “Honestly,” he shyly admitted. “I…I think I’ve felt this way for a long time but…I just…wasn’t ready to see it.”

24. An excerpt of my writing that makes me go "huh...i wrote that?!"

In a good way or a bad way? 😅😂 If it's in a really good "I can't believe that I was capable of writing this" kind of way, then I think pretty much all of 2AM would fit in that category. I wrote that fic for a request, and it recounts how Hero, Kel, and Aubrey discovered and reacted to the aftermath of Sunny and Basil's fight on the night of One Day Left. It's another story that was completely out of my comfort zone because it was so heavy and dark (definitely not one I would have ever thought to write on my own), but I'm very proud of it so here's a snippet.

(Warnings for Injuries (Non-graphically depicted), Blood, Aftermath of Canon-Typical Violence (Non-graphically depicted). Fear. Emotional Hurt. Heavy and Dark Themes and Subject Matter. Heavy ANGST. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR OMORI)

“Hero, help Sunny!” He managed to catch Polly’s instructions amidst the chaos and dropped to his knees beside Sunny’s crumpled figure. With trembling fingers, he grabbed Sunny’s wrist—limp and clammy—desperately searching for a pulse. His chest ached as he found one—weak but still beating. Hero swallowed hard—watching the blood seep between his fingers as they held Sunny’s wrist. He searched for injuries. Where had Sunny been cut? His hands and arms seemed clear of wounds, so he must have used to them to try to stop the bleeding wherever he had been… Hero stopped abruptly. He finally saw it.  That gash across Sunny’s right eye. Frantically, he wracked his brain for his emergency first aid training. It was empty—useless in an actual crisis. His instructor’s words were garbled in his memories, almost as if she had been speaking underwater. Triage. Assess. Predict. Respond. And… Hero’s head whirled. He couldn’t remember and was too distracted by the sound of something clattering to the floor. Basil had finally dropped the weapon in his hands. He fell to his knees—caught by Polly and Kel. A pair of bloodied pruning sheers skid along the floor leaving streaks of red on the wood grain. Basil screamed again, but Hero’s vision blurred—blinded by the sudden burst of overhead light as Aubrey returned and flipped the switch. but she stopped, frozen in the doorway as she caught sight of Sunny on the ground. Hero blinked rapidly, but as his vision came into focus, bile burned the back of his throat. That slash across Sunny’s eye—deep and bloody in the light. Hero’s head ached. Jumbled memories playing in rapid succession. A diagram in an Anatomy and Physiology textbook. His professor holding up a model of the eye. The distant, garbled words: corneal laceration… Most serious of all eye injuries… High Risk…Permanent loss of vision… Hero’s stomach churned. As a streak of red trickled across Sunny’s cheek, he leaned forward with trembling hands, frantically searching for something to use as a compress to stop the bleeding. But he stopped himself. Hearing the warning as clear as day: Never, ever put pressure on a cut to the eye.

If it's in a "Why the hell did I write this?" kind of way literally anything from Safety Net (No, I'm not linking it. I didn't even put it on Tumblr because I have nothing to say for myself...) If it's more in a "I can't believe I wrote this, but I think it's okay(?)" kind of way, there is this incredibly mushy excerpt from my HeroMari fic "More Than Words":

Mari was his best friend, but even that title wasn’t enough for everything she meant to him. She was someone he could always rely on—someone he could talk to for hours until he completely lost track of the time. Someone he could share anything with—who he wanted to share everything with. She knew him better than anyone else—knew he wasn’t as perfect as everyone seemed to think and knew how hard he tried to be, but she still believed in him—saw something in him that he couldn’t even see in himself. She was the kindest person he had ever known and so beautiful that his soul ached whenever he looked at her. He cared for her more than he had the words in his young and inexperienced fifteen-year-old mind to express or really to even fully understand. All he knew was that he had never been happier than when she smiled at him—so bright and warm that he would have sworn the sun shined brighter. He couldn’t imagine a world without her in it, and he would give her the world in an instant if he could—would give anything to make her happy, to protect her, to care for her, and to in some small way repay her for being part of his life. But all she ever asked for was his friendship which he readily offered with as much loyalty and devotion as he could manage. Somehow even after all this time, she had never asked for his heart. Hero sometimes wondered if it was because they were still so young and she knew she had all the time in the world to ask for it. Perhaps she was waiting for the day he would be older and wouldn’t get so sheepish or tongue-tied whenever he tried to express his feelings. If Hero was being honest, he was looking forward to that day too…but he supposed it was more likely that Mari had never asked him for his heart because she knew she didn’t need to ask. It had always belonged to her. He knew Mari knew that. She had to know that. What he couldn’t say in words he practically screamed with offers to help with her chores or errands, with late night study sessions for the exams she stressed over or with hours spent cooking her favorite foods for her and carefully packing them into a basket for a picnic that, Hero was sorry to say, had just gotten rained out.

That was a lot of ramblings... Sorry about that. Thanks again for the ask. I hope you'll enjoy these snippets! Cheers! 💕

with writer ask games i'm usually just trying to coyly share snippets, so allow me to introduce a new one:

send me a number and i'll share an excerpt of my writing...

that makes me smile

that makes me laugh

that encompasses my style

with dialogue i'm proud of

with description i'm proud of

that i struggled with, but triumphed over

that i nursed in a daydream before finally writing

that hurt my own feelings to write

with characters i love

with characters i struggle with

with characters i want to write more in the future

that has a particularly good bit of characterization

that helped me understand a character better

that was out of my comfort zone

from an old piece that i like

from a recent piece i want to brag about

from an unpublished WIP

from that one WIP everyone has that has no plot, just vibes

from that project that was SUPPOSED to be short but then i kept writing and now it is very long

from a scrapped project

that i liked, but had to cut

that is so blissfully self-indulgent

that was inspired by a work from another medium (music, visual art, dance, etc.)

that makes me go "huh...i wrote that?!"

that i consider a favorite

please feel free to rb <3

🧠 Brain Ask Game

Because I am a NERD who has taken multiple neuroanatomy classes and love brains!

Send me a part of the brain 🧠 and an OC (or I'll pick) to find out...

I have their (over)simplified functions listed, for your Education.

Frontal lobe (executive function) - What is their defining personality trait? What is the trait that, if lost, this OC would become unrecognizable?

Parietal Lobe (physical sensation) - Are there any physical sensations (e.g. temperatures, textures, etc) that your character extra loves and can't get enough of?

Temporal Lobe (auditory, emotion, memory) - What is their most emotionally poignant childhood memory? (good or bad)

Occipital Lobe (vision) - What do they consider the most beautiful thing to look at? (e.g. colors, scenery, a person)

Cerebellum (motor coordination) - Has there been a time where they were just an utter clutz? Please tell us.

Hippocampus (memory) - Are they the kind of person who can remember things easily, or do they have to write everything down?

Basal Ganglia (lots of shit, including learning & motor movements) - How quickly does your character learn a new skill, and what kind of help/teaching style do they benefit from the most?

Thalamus (signal relay, attention, consciousness) - How is their attention? Can they multitask well? Do they have ADHD?

Broca's Area (language expression) - Do they express themselves well? Do they communicate better in writing or speaking?

Wernicke's Area (language comprehension) - Do they prefer to listen or read? Are they speed readers or very slow?

Meninges (support, protection) - Tell us about a time when this OC protected someone or something they care about.

Midbrain (pain signals) - What is the most physically painful thing they have ever experienced?

Pons (cranial nerves for eyes, face, & hearing) - Do they have an hearing or visual deficits? Do they wear glasses or need any supports?

Medulla Oblongata (heart, breathing, unconscious functions) - Who or what is their lifeline?

Word excerpt ask game

Send a random word to my asks and I'll post a line/passage containing that word from a released or unreleased fic!

Thanks for tagging me @toxik-angel 💙

Tagging (no pressure): @artsyunderstudy, @vukovich, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @facewithoutheart, @martsonmars, @hushed-chorus, @cassiaratheslytherpuff and anyone who fancies taking part (feel free to say that I tagged you).

for wips thing!

finals have me in the trenches so tell me more about your post-qatar fic 🙏🏼

I’m right there with you, dude. Post-Qatar was just a little loscar recovery fic immediately following the events of the Qatar Grand Prix. I’ll put an excerpt under the cut. Good luck on your finals 💕

On the way back from the media pen, Logan was caught around the middle and pulled tight into someone’s chest. He would have complained about being too hot except it was Oscar who was hugging him and a little heat was worth that. Logan let his body assume it’s natural boiled noodle quality once again.

“I think I get why people are afraid of hell now,” Oscar mumbles against Logan’s cheek. Nonintelligable mumbling is all Logan can provide as a reply.

The two of them stay leaning against each other until someone pointedly clears their throat. Logan doesn’t want to look, he wants to continue his path to unconsciousness on Oscar’s shoulder, but that isn’t really an option. When he checks, it’s his press manager standing awkwardly a foot away from them. That’s when he realizes they are still in the shot of cameras and this moment has gone way past the point of friendly pals.

Logan pulls back much to Oscar’s silent complaints. The younger man had put on a good show but it was clear how exhausted he was now. With the adrenaline wearing off and resting for the first time since the cool down room, Oscar had turned into the grumbly version of himself Logan remembers from childhood sleep overs.

“Come on,” Logan urges quietly, guiding Oscar further into the Williams’ hospitality. He would love to just go straight to the hotel but he still needed to grab his stuff and Oscar tended to forget to tell people he was going places when he was tired. So he moves them to his driver room but they somehow end up tangled together on the floor instead of on the massage table like Logan had been aiming for.

“I’m so proud of you,” Logan tells him after a while of sitting with Oscar half in his lap. “You’re unbelievable, Oscar.”

“I think I might be dying,” Oscar whines into his neck after a short pause. Logan rubs his back and stretches out until he can grab the water bottle he was drinking out of earlier. He manages to twist Oscar’s face out of the pocket between his shoulder and neck and brings the straw up to his lips. His boyfriend only manages a few weak sips before he tucks himself back into Logan’s side. Logan tries his best not to worry; Oscar would hate it if he tried to call a medic right now.

“We’re gonna go back to the hotel, shower, turn the AC down to 20, and sleep until Austin. That sound good, baby?”

Oscar gives a shallow nod which Logan rewards with a kiss on his forehead.

OOOh more about She's in the Wind, please!

Thank you for asking about that one. This headcanon has been living in my head rent-free since a long time... can´t even remember, but always felt it better to keep it locked up safely, than sharing. But here we are and I can´t forget about it... 💜

Modern hospital au, coma au

Kristoff (age not decided yet) is married to Gale, a lively and very sportive woman who loves to surf. But because of a tragic accident she´s brought to a special clinic that is focused on coma patients.

Anna is a nurse there (age not decided either). She is taking care of Gale a lot, and seems to feel the woman silently connecting with her.

Certain things will take their time... but if I manage, this will be a heartbreaking slow burn...

This is a little bit from a first drabble... (here, Anna finds Kristoff in the cafeteria during her coffee break and they start talking)

“How did Gale come to her name?” Anna asked quietly, still intrigued. Kristoff leaned back in his chair and gazed out of the window into the parc. “She was like a whirlwind, ever. Her mother has said that when she felt first moves of the baby in her womb, it felt like a tiny tornado flipping her belly.” He chuckled upon the memory of Mrs. McQueen telling the lovable incidents of that pregnancy. Not that he could feel it himself, but the imagination of Gale giving her mother sleepless nights was just too realistic still up to that day. “So, she told her husband that that baby would be called Gale in case it was a girl. If it was a boy, he´d be called Twister.” Anna suppressed a laugh because it was inappropriate doing so in their situation. But she could not restrain a bright smile and glinting eyes following Kristoff´s gaze into the sunlit gardens.

Let's do another one for the excerpt game:

Child

Ohh this is a great suggestion! There are so many I could’ve gone with hahaha but here’s a snippet from my upcoming James lives AU!!!

“Listen,” James began, and his voice was much quieter when he leaned closer to Peter, propping his elbows on his knees. “I know you’re frustrated. I get it. This hasn’t been what…any of us were expecting but…we’ll find more for you to do, yeah? Something that suits you…”

“Something that suits me,” Peter repeated, and he couldn’t hold back the bitterness that crept into his voice then. “More paperwork you mean? Sit here like a child, twiddling my thumbs, while the rest of you lot are out fighting battles?”

“Pete…” James shifted in his chair, one hand raking through his hair. “I think you’re brilliant, you know that, but…I mean…” He shrugged. “Combat just isn’t your strength, mate…”

Last Line Tag

Thanks for the tag @chauceryfairytales!

Rules: post the last line of your WIP! Then tag some others to play!

From The Secret Portal, Part Two:

She just stood and waited for the computer to finish its analysis.

Bum bum bum

This was more dramatic with the context lol

Softly tagging: @gracehosborn @isabellebissonrouthier @theelfauthor @ohnomybreadsticks @mysterysim0 @thepeculiarbird @buffythevampirelover @annetilney or anyone else who would like to play!!

🐝 And The Sun Will Rise (for the fake title meme)?

the fake fic ask game

🐝 send me a fake fic title, and I’ll make up a summary for it!

Okay, going with mdzs, 'sun' has specific textual associations, so this needs to involve the Wen.

"Go." Wen Qing let her breath hiss through her teeth. "Wei Wuxian." "Go!" His eyes were wild, reddened. If she had not cut the sword cultivation out of his belly years ago he would be in qi deviation; she did not relish the prospect of seeing what equivalent state his present methods would send him into. "Piss off! All of you!" A-Yuan shrank back against A-Ning's legs. Wei Wuxian ignored his whimper. Wen Qing's lips thinned. "Do you think we can survive on the road?" If there were anywhere else they had any hope, they would have gone there already. "You can't survive here." His lips curled back in a snarl. "They'll be coming." An hour ago he had been weeping with frustration and regret for having ruined this sanctuary he'd bought them with all he had. Now he was all tooth and steel. "What do you plan to do?" "I'm going to dress some of the corpses up in your clothes and tell the cultivation world you're already dead. They won't be looking for you. Scatter. Disappear." He did not say, that's all I can do for you now, but he meant it. Grandmother said, "A-Qing. At least you should go." She bent to gather A-Yuan away from A-Ning's legs, as though to hand him to her and say, the rest of us are already dead.

for the excerpt game: 4, 9, 13

4. with dialogue i'm proud of

“I would love to study the way your mind works. You seem like a fascinating man.” Shuuji grimaces. “I hardly think that term is an appropriate descriptor. And if I grant you permission to study me, I would expect the same in return.” “What would an appropriate descriptor be?” They falter. “I must admit, I’ve never felt much connection with humanity as a whole. I am but a mimicry. Fyodor-kun, tell me, how would you refer to your reflection? Is it more man or object?”

from my fyozai wip.. i could add more but i don't want to give away too much

9. with characters i love

Higuchi comes up behind Gin and Tachihara, placing one hand on either of their shoulders before she harshly pulls them in close to her. She digs her fingers into Gin’s arm, and they can only assume she’s doing the same to Tachihara on the other side. “Never do this again,” she hisses, “or I will put you on bathroom cleaning duty for an entire month.” “But—” Tachihara starts. “No,” Higuchi interrupts. She clicks her tongue. “No special treatment because I’m dating Gin or because we share a partner. Complain, and I’ll make it two months.” Gin and Tachihara both nod solemnly.

tachihigugin crumbs 🫶🫶🫶 from an outsider pov kunichuu wip

13. that helped me understand a character better

“It sounds terrible,” Nikolai decides. “It sounds like a cage with no key. If I had a sibling, I think I would have to kill them.” “It can be terrible,” Nathaniel agrees, because anything that can push you to defy the will of the Lord is a temptation best kept out of your life. And Nathaniel would rather forsake God than Phoebe. “But I would never wish to have lived a life without my sister. There are some weaknesses that will always be worth it.” Nikolai sighs. “You would believe that. You gladly live out your days in golden cages. I cannot understand what appeal you see in such a life.” “I don’t see it as a cage. And even if it is…is it not safer to be locked inside than to be locked out?” “I’m not interested in safety.” Nikolai drops his hand, finally, though he doesn’t move his head from Nathaniel’s lap. “I don’t know that I believe such a thing exists. All throughout my life, I have been the only person I can rely on to protect me.”

from entertain my faith - despite being a nathaniel-centric fic, writing this really helped me understand nikolai's character too and it probably the only reason i've managed to write fics in his pov since

Hi!! Me again. Can I ask 15, 16 and 25 for the excerpt game? Thanks a lot! 😁

Hi there, friend! Thank you so much for the ask! 🥰 I'd be happy to answer these questions from the writing excerpt ask game for you.

15. An excerpt from an old piece that I like

Here's an excerpt from "I'll Be Waiting" which was a Finral and Finesse piece (and my third Black Clover fanfiction ever) ^^

“Finral?” The sound of his name made him stop in his tracks, and the portal flickered though it didn’t disappear. Lady Finesse paused for a moment before asking quietly, “Is there anything that could bring you back?” A breathy laugh escaped from his mouth before he could stop it, but he shrugged. “My family finally acknowledging me…me beating Langris…becoming the Head of House Vaude…so…a miracle?” He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “But that’s never going to—” “I’ll be waiting then.” Finral gasped at her gentle interruption. He blinked and whipped around in confusion on impulse. “For…for what?” he asked, and her kind eyes met his as she smiled at him with what he could have sworn was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. “For you to come home.”

16. An excerpt from a recent piece I want to brag about

Thank you so much for asking this dear! I feel bad because I haven't written anything Black Clover in a long time, so this will have to be an excerpt from a fic for another fandom. I've chosen an excerpt from "Tell Me Where It Hurts" which is a brotherly hurt/comfort (and eventually heavy angst) story that I wrote in January of this year. I'm really proud of this OMORI fic and how it turned out. This snippet isn't from my favorite part of the fanfic, but I chose from a portion that doesn't have any spoilers for the game. ^^ That said, I’m really happy with and proud of the descriptions in the last paragraph, so I thought it fit the "I want to brag about" prompt. Also, yes, my intense love of brothers getting along and supporting and loving each other extends to other fandoms as well... 😁 (I am so normal I swear...)

Kel shrugged him off, squirming away from him. “Hero,” he began to protest again, but he sniffled—wiping his hand across his nose then his eyes and leaving a streak of dirt on his cheek. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” Hero gently interrupted, rubbing his hand comfortingly across his brother’s back. “My bike—” “It’s okay. I’ve got it.” With a reassuring nod, Hero grabbed the orange handlebars and set the bike upright again. It was in much better shape than Kel who had been flung off of it when he had hit that uneven spot in the sidewalk outside their house. Despite Hero’s gentle warnings that Kel should slow down and look out for that infamous crack in the pavement, Kel had slammed into it at rapid speed, losing his balance and skidding across the sidewalk into the dirt with a painful scraping sound. Hero could only imagine how much that had had hurt. The thought made something twist in his chest. He couldn’t stand to see the tears caught in Kel’s long eyelashes, to watch his bottom lip trembling as he tried not to cry. He wished it had been him who had crashed the bicycle rather than his brother. It probably would have hurt less.

25. An excerpt that I consider a favorite

I had to pick from "Wine Therapy" for this! It might be my favorite of all the Black Clover fanfictions that I've written, and it's is definitely one of my favorite stories I've ever written for any fandom. This is kind of long for a snippet, but the whole sequence was just so much fun to write...

“Take off your shoes and socks.” Langris practically leapt backwards in surprise. “What?” “I would roll up your pant legs too. They’ll get stained,” she added with a tilt of her head. Langris blinked at her but his mind was so muddled he couldn’t seem to find his question. Vanessa continued, “Like I already told you, if you’re going to buy this wine, you need to replace it. You can’t supply the ingredients or age it with your magic, but you can stomp the grapes.” A teasing grin spread between her cheeks. “So get to it!” “You...want me…to get into that basin and stomp these grapes with my feet?” Langris repeated in bewilderment. Vanessa nodded. “Yep. That’s exactly it. Once we have enough juice for another bottle to replace this one”—she held it up for him to see—“you are free to buy it.” Langris looked from the basin full of grapes to the bottle. “That’s disgusting. You can’t actually expect me to…” “You said you’d pay ‘any price’ for the best wine we had. This, plus 1200 Yul, is the price,” shrugged Vanessa. “Is that going to be a problem?” “I meant monetary price,” muttered Langris bitterly. “This is…this is ridiculous…and gross.” “Oh, are your feet gross?” she bantered. “Definitely wash them off beforehand, then.” She motioned to a small washtub, soap, and water nearby. “You’re making me pay in manual labor?” protested Langris. “Can’t you just raise the price? I’ll pay double what you’re asking me.” “No,” answered Vanessa with a smile. “Consider this the ‘price of perfection’ Langris.” She paused and glanced over at a nearby clock on the wall. “I’d get started if I were you, otherwise we’re going to be here all night,” she teased with a wink. Langris shook his head and gritted his teeth. What a cruel woman—he knew she was enjoying this. He sighed. But what choice did he have? He needed that wine, that perfect wine, no matter the cost—which was apparently his dignity.

another sentence prompt!

If David Webster were to find himself attracted to a woman, in the exact same way he finds himself attracted to men, he reckons that woman would be Esther Samsa.

Every time he had met her, since that first time at the window, he had felt something pulling him towards her like a tiny spool of thread, as if the universe was pointing her out over and over again.

Here, here is someone you need to know, here is someone important, here's a piece of the puzzle.

She proved it right every time.

Her flat palm on his chest turned into a light rap of knuckles against his sternum, a double tap Web had seen her do on Arthur every time she was reminding him to buck up. He had assigned many meanings to it, and any one of them offered to him made his throat tighten.

A glass was held out in his periphery with an awkward cough, and both of them turned to look at Arthur.

"I can leave if you two want a minute," he said, somewhere between sardonic and sincere.

going truly and fully up the walls about the 70s au I am OBSESSED

thank you friend!!!!! I must ban myself from posting excerpts or I'm just gonna share the whole damn thing here that was a lie, here's a bit of them passing each other in a crowd:

He’d called out to him anyways, slowing down, and Dream looked at him, the grin still caught on his face. Then his glance scuppered away, raked over Petey instead, next to him. Dream looked back, smiled small at Hob, not near the happiness that had been lighting him up before. And then the flow of the crowd bore him away. As soon as they’d passed, he heard the guy next to Dream loudly say, “Shit man, was that him?” but if Dream answered, it was quieter, and lost to the noise of the street.

For a stupid moment, Hob’s heart clenched in his chest, before he thought of the way Dream’s stare had anchored on Petey. His mood had faltered. Then Petey sensed it, and in his wonderful light way, just pulled Hob tighter, made some joke, and Hob had thought, No, Petey’s alright, and believed it whole-heartedly, and thought, I’d be alright if it was him, and tried to believe that too.

He’d told Petey later, that he had it bad, didn’t even say who for, when they were all at Toad Hall, feeling confessional and maudlin about it, and Petey had just laughed and said “No shit, man.” He’d been confused, asked if he was really that obvious, and Petey had just raised his eyebrows, then turned away and called to Marco, picking up their drinks at the bar, “Hey, Marco, is Robert in love?” and Marco had rolled his eyes and asked, “Is the sky blue? Is Nixon a fucking crook?” and sat down and finished, “Is Hob in love?”

And he’d buried his head in his hands, laughing, embarrassed, and hiding a strange wash of joy that made his eyes prick with tears. Maybe he couldn't have Dream, but he could talk about wanting him here, could stand on a damn chair and announce it to the whole packed bar, and people would boo him, and laugh, and understand.

If the ask game is still running - chapter 13 beta please?

sure, the game is still running!

Chapter 13 Beta is the next chapter of IYGABAB. That's how I always title the chapters in gdocs, mostly because it makes it easy to remember which version of the chapter is the most recent. (I have at least four versions of ch 13 floating around so it's easier to change old version to Ch 13 OLD or ch 13 PREV because I have a bad but sometimes useful habit of not deleting anything)

The working title of this chapter is You've been hit by--you've been struck by--a smooth liminal! but it's a bit long, so I might change it to something else, we'll see. Mostly, the titles are for my own amusement.

If I remember the rules of the game correctly, I can post a little snippet if I so choose, and since it's almost finished...I'll post a snippet ^w^

(under the cut for those who don't want to see anything until it's finished)

“I distinctly remember you saying you tried this already and it didn't work,” Bruce noted.

“Well. Last time, I didn’t have this.” He pulled out the shard of ice Bruce was regretting giving him more and more by the hour, placing it at the apex of the sigil legs. “Also, last time, I didn’t have a name to use for the ritual.”

Experience had taught Bruce how important a name was. Even in mundane matters.

“Why does the ice shard make a difference?”

“Look, before, I was just thinking of it as a piece of ghost-essence. But then I saw Red Hood’s ice duck—I don't suppose you managed to borrow that, by any chance?"

Bruce had, in fact, asked.

Jason's response had been a rude emoji, followed by the directive to 'go duck yourself'. 

Bruce still wasn't sure whether that was a pun or an autocorrect mishap.

howdy!!!! for the WIP excerpt ask game: 🗣 Share your favorite dialogue exchange. & 👤 Share a line that shows a character’s personality. <3 - @liv-is

hi, Liv!

i'm apparently incapable of sharing just a line or two today, so i'll leave the answers under the cut. they're both from The Art of Empty Space:

🗣 (i've definitely posted this bit before, but i love it so here it is again):

Lienzo scooped his bag from the floor and brushed past the beast, carving a path down the rightmost hallway. "Well, since that's settled, why don't we see about supper? I, for one, am famished; you do eat, I assume?" His last meal had been the half-stale chunk of bread he'd eaten an hour before reaching Iskin Forest the evening before; even if the dracolisks didn't catch him, he surely would have collapsed from hunger somewhere on the road to Minadore. "I... erm..." The beast, after a moment of shuffling in place, fell into step beside Lienzo. "...Yes?" "Oh, come now, I know you can do better than 'yes.' I know you've plenty of food in that kitchen — what do you like? Do you hunt?" Gods knew the beast was no trapper. "I... don't hunt? I don't eat meat." "You don't—?" Lienzo stopped short and squinted up at the beast. "With those teeth?" An odd, scoffing snort escaped it. "You're one to talk about teeth." It flinched and froze in place. Shoulders hunched, it looked away and bowed its head, as though it wished to pull its cloak up and disappear. It was all Lienzo could do not to burst out laughing. A monster, cowed as though it'd just mouthed off to its parent? "You're damn right, I am." He smiled, didn't bother trying to hide his teeth. "Uniquely qualified, you might say." The beast uncurled and, after a moment, offered an uncertain smile in return.

👤 :

Lienzo breathed, forced himself to hold it, and let it out again. Aaro wanted to help. She did. Just because she didn't understand why handouts weren't helpful— "If you want to help me," he said, his voice shaking with forced calm, "you will buy the last things I have of any value." His tongue flicked out, wet his lips. Don't say it. Don't say it. Whatever he did, he couldn't— "We're family. Right?"

Aaro's shoulders slumped. She dragged her hand over her face. When she looked at him again, her eyes were older than the gnarled wood of her countertop.

Lienzo had won.

Bile rose in his throat, burned the backs of his eyes. He'd won, and he was the foulest piece of shit to ever walk the planet.

Thanks for the ask! 💜

Treat for your choice of wip 🖤🧡🖤

thank you!! (from trick or treat tag)

i tried to find a scene that i like that i hadn't shared before. this is from my wip ysbwm

Steve spent time by himself while this media whirlwind was happening. He smoked Bucky’s cigarettes, even though he rarely smoked. He laid quietly in his cot, drawing in his sketchbook or just staring up at the leather canopy with distant eyes. When it was time for him to be dispatched on another mission or on another war committee, he always snuck into the crowd of people at the last possible moment.  He never talked with the others around him like he used to and there was this look of raw pain if you looked carefully into his eyes. Black smears underneath his eyes were prominent in these months, even with the serum’s enhancements. There was only so much it could do in the face of Steve's grief. Others around him eyed him with a look of empathy. They all lost someone close to them in the war. Someone they ate with, laughed with, smoked with, hell, even shit with sometimes. They understood. And they helped him eat and go through the motions. Sometimes on one of the worse days, one of the Howling Commandos would stop by and play a game of cards or bring a beer, or just sit with Steve, watching the tree line.  The Howling Commandos never saw him go through Bucky’s bag, except to grab the last cigarette packet out of the front. He’d been alternating between chain-smoking them and boxing a tree on the worst days when they were stationed out on the line. But that was the limit of Steve going through Bucky’s bag. They didn’t even touch Bucky’s stuff and took what they needed, like they usually did. All the rounds of ammo, the knives, even the rations and blankets were left just how Bucky left them. By the time Steve steeled himself enough to look through it, his time was filled with the mission to take down HYDRA.  And then the plane crashed into the ice.