•°•°☆°•°•

Now You Gonna Take Me Beyond The Horizon

[my-precious-treasure]

Main Masterlist~

Disclaimer: I’m slow at updating. Always have been, always will be. Sorry, my dudes. Asks/requests are open: I will not write straight smut.

Ateez

BNHA

Genshin Impact

Miscellaneous Original Works

Twisted Wonderland

Love and Deepspace

[my-precious-treasure]

In Need of a Friend

Sumeru Masterlist

In which you catch Scara TW: Slight story spoilers, mention of dark past/inferiority

Your legs move before you can process what you’re doing. Something in your chest aches as you race closer to the falling body. You loath him, loath what he’s done. . .so why? Why do you feel the need to catch him? Pity? For the display of anger and desperation?

As his body collides with yours and you slide across the cracked floor, you finally understand. You see yourself in him.

You spent your life feeling inferior, constantly left behind because you weren’t good enough; never strong enough, fast enough, smart enough. You weren’t firm enough or kind enough. How were you ever going to succeed in life if you couldn’t even do simple tasks?

Every time you improved or changed, there was always something else wrong with you, you were defective. All the hatred and distrust drove you to struggle towards darkness, lost in the desperation to conquer those around you and prove them all wrong.

Then you met the traveler. They had saved you.

Aether was kind. He never got angry with you. He let you go at your own pace, never pressured you to do or say things you weren’t ready to. He let you travel with him and slowly, you left behind all the negative things in your life, opening a new door of hope and friendship.

That’s what the man cradled in your arms needs. He needs a friend and time to work through the pain of his past. As he sleeps, you stroke his hair and hold him close, whispering softly to him word of comfort and affirmation – something you never had.

A sudden wave of exhaustion washes over you and you let yourself sleep beneath the giant mechanism; enemy held tight against your chest.

[my-precious-treasure]

Spellbound

Sb M. List | Previous | Next

Chapter 6

With your eyes still stunned by the light of teleporting, your ears pick up grunts, thuds, and quiet chanting. But once your eyes adjust, you find yourself standing in is a massive arena-like area. The walls are tall and made of grey, unfinished granite. The ridiculously high celling casts the room in bright light and yet you can’t seem to find any lighting structures – no lamps, bulbs, or wires. It’s as if the celling itself is glowing. You figure it probably is. The stark white floor seems to reflect the light from above, sharply contrasting the gray walls.

You note that most of the walls dividing certain areas appear to be glass so you’re able to see what rooms are occupied. To your left is a lap pool, a room with a few people stretching or holding yoga poses, and what you can assume to be individual practice rooms. Most are empty.

Surrounded by a blue track in the middle of the room is a large enclosed hexagonal space, once again with walls appearing glass-like. Beside the strange space is a set of bleachers facing it. You figure it must be something like a fighting arena.

Directly behind the presumed arena is a gym housing all sorts of equipment and next to it is what appears to be a dojo. Continuing to your right in the far corner is a shooting range. There’s another set of  rooms made of the same granite as the walls, with toilet symbols.

The right corner on the side with the door you came through there appears to be a lounge. Beside it, nearest you is another granite room. The door directly to your right reads “Equipment Room.”

You have the urge to open it and have a peek inside. Perhaps it’s filled with magical tools or something. Maybe it’s merely cleaning supplies.

You’re startled out of your curiosity by a deep voice beside you. “You new? Haven’t seen you before.” The man beside you is built. Awkwardly you nod at him.

“I’m uh. . .I’m looking for Jongho. Do you know where he is?” The man’s eyes widen a fraction before turning and glancing to the right of the room. 

“He’s at the range right now. Come with me.” You nod again and follow him across the gym. “So, what’s your name? Your casting style? I’m Kei, an Earth-caster.”

You blink at him for a moment. “I’m Y/N. As for my casting type, I’m a seeker. . ?” It comes out as more of a question than an actual answer. You’re still pretty new to the idea of even being a spellcaster.

“Oh? A seeker, huh? That’s super cool, totally rare!”

Laughing awkwardly praying that he doesn’t ask anymore questions. Kei side eyes you as you try to keep pace. He clears his throat before speaking again.

“How uh. . .how do you know Jongho?”

You contemplate a moment, wondering how much you should tell the stranger.

“He uh, helped me out the other night. I guess you could say he’s sort of my mentor?”

“I see. Well, good luck. Oi, Jongho, you’ve got a guest.” Kei winks at you before walking away.

“Thanks?”

With knives in hand, Jongho looks mildly irritated at being interrupted. His red hair is damp with sweat, clinging to his forehead. “Oh, Y/N. What are you doing here?” Setting the knives in a holster on the wall, he gives you his full attention.

“Something about controlling my magic. I was having a very complex magical history lesson where I apparently failed to learn anything - according to Seonghwa - when he suddenly decided he needed to talk to Hongjoong and Yeosang and sent me here instead. Seemed like he had a pretty important big-brain-realization moment.”

“Ah. Well, I guess the first thing we’ll need to do is figure out your elemental base. C’mon.” You follow him away from the range and to a corner of the training room where there appears to be a lounge. Inside, you find comfy looking chairs, a few tables, and a kitchenette. You make your way to the far back corner where a single cherry wood table stands alone. Atop sits a dark red velvet bag next to an ornate silver rectangular pillar.

“Speaking of elemental base, what’s yours? And do you have a uh. . .specialty. . ?”

“Hmm? Why don’t you guess?” You blink at him.

“Uh, well. . .maybe earth? You kind of remind me of a rock.” He cocks an eyebrow at you. “I-I mean you’re very solid. Wait no, um, you’re uh. . .ha. . .I’ll stop before I make it worse.” His snort lets you know that he’s not upset by your odd comment.

“And my specialization?”

“. . .Attack?” He stares at you. “Because you use knives?”

He smiles, “Your guesses are right, but your reasonings are. . .less right. Can you tell me what my general type is since you’ve specified I’m an attack specialist?”

“I think you’re an Orbital. Orbitals fall into either the defense or attack category. And I that also means you have a grasp of all four elements despite being an earth affinity. Or at least I think that’s what Seonghwa said.”

“See, you are learning.” There’s a warmth that comes from him, seemingly proud. “Now then as for guessing my elemental base, you can actually feel it within you. Even if you don’t actively realize it, your subconscious knows.” You look at him quizzically.

“I’m sure Hongjoong or Seonghwa explained it, but when we bonded together, we essential swapped magic, right?” You nod. “Well, each type of magic and each person has their own sort of. . .let’s say ‘wavelength.’ If you focus on one, and study it, you will be able to tell which person you’re sensing as well as their primary element.” He must be able to tell you’re trying to figure out how to do that since he laughs and explains that you’ll get to that later in the training. “First things first: we’ve got to figure out what your primary element is.” Turning to the table, he picks up the velvet bag. “You’re going to stick your hand in here and a stone will manifest in your hand. The stone drawn corresponds to your element. Make sense?”

“Sure, I guess. But how come you can’t sense what my element is since we’re bonded?”

“Well, your magic, for lack of a better descriptor, is a mess. It’s too unrefined for us to decipher yet, which is why you’re here with me. Magic tools don’t lie and are inherently more sensitive to magic in general when interacted with. Ready?” He holds the bag out and open for you.

As you slide your hand into it, you find that it really is empty and oddly cold. After a moment of nothing happening you look up at Jongho. “I think it’s broken.”

“Give it a minute, I doubt this has been used for a long time.” Just then your hand goes hot, though not painfully so, and you can feel a solid mass against your palm. Closing your fist around it, you pull your hand out and open it.

“Yep, definitely broken.” In your palm sit four different colored stones. “I thought I was only supposed to get one.”

“Strange. Drop the stones in the bag and try again.” And so you do; with the same result.

“Soooo. . .what does four different stones mean?”

“That you have an affinity for all the elements. It exceedingly rare, but not unheard of.”

“. . .What stone corresponds to what element?”

“Ah, good question. Malachite is an earth affinity, moonstone is water, Sunstone is fire, and Labradorite is an air affinity.”

You stare at the multicolored rocks in your hand. “What should I do with them? Should I drop them back in the bag again?”

“No, you can keep them. If you want, Joong can turn them into jewelry for you to wear.” He turns and set the bag back on the table. “While it is exceedingly unlikely that this tool has become defective, it’s not impossible. There is one more method we can try if you want to be absolutely sure.”

“I don’t see why not.”

He picks up the silver rectangular box. It kind of reminds you of a much larger Korean name stamp and as he brings it closer to you, you can clearly make out its design. While it no longer holds a mirror finish, the engravings depict the four elements: one on each of the long sides. The metal dips and curves in elegant swirls. On the top part, rests an onyx stone.

“This box is one of six in existence and is considered one of the most advanced magic tools to have been created. Similarly to the bag, once you put your hand in it, it reads your magical makeup and tells you what your base element is. . .by burning it into your wrist, like a magical tattoo. It’s permanent and final, unlike using the stones which can be done repeatedly.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Presumably that’s why the bag method was invented.”

“I take it this method is not used anymore?”

“Yup.”

“Then why is it here?”

“I have no idea. I suppose for the rare case such as yourself?”

“Why isn’t it in a more secure location if it’s so special?”

“Again, no clue, but this room has a barrier so you can’t actually remove it without explicit permission.”

“Alright, then, let’s do this.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Not at all.” You say while stick your arm out to him. Jongho presses the onyx and you hear a click from within. He carefully pulls open the top and tilts the opening towards you. Taking a deep breath, you insert your hand. The box reaches about halfway up your forearm. It feels as though something cold is gripping you.

Without warning, there’s a searing pain on the under part of your wrist. It’s somehow far worse than when you accidentally touch a hot skillet. You yell out, trying to pull away but you find yourself stuck. Tears threaten to spill from your eyes. Then just as soon as it started, it burning is gone and you yank your arm from the box.

Jongho looks at you, concerned as you cradle your wrist. Four small black triangle outlines form a line across it in a pattern of upright, inverted, upright, inverted. The two in the middle are also bisected horizontally towards the points, reminding you vaguely of the pyramid and eye depicted on the back of a dollar bill.

“Four signs, four elements. . .”

“I guess that confirms it then. I’m sorry that it hurt so much.”

You shake your head, “No, I needed to know for sure.” He sighs, closing the lid and setting the box on the table once more. “So, what do we do now?” you ask.

“Now, I train you. Today, I will teach you about earth since it’s my base element. I recommend you ask the other members for help as well when I’m not available. They’ll be eager to share their knowledge with you as well.” He motions for you to follow as he wanders back through the lounge and into the main room.

Your curiosity about the equipment room is satisfied as Jongho opens the door, a light automatically lighting up the once dark room. Stepping in behind him, you find shelves stacked with boxes, uniforms, various books and strange object you can only assume to be magic tools of sorts. Squatting down, Jongho pulls two pots with soil already in them from a bottom shelf. As he stands, he pulls a small leather bag off a hook before motioning for you two leave the room.

As the door begins to close, you catch the light flickering off. Looking at the pots stacked in his arms, you send him a questioning look. He merely shrugs you off while walking in the direction of the individual practice rooms. A few are occupied in the far back corner, but a majority of them stood empty. Turning into the first hallway, Jongho leads you to a middle room before opening the door, allowing you to enter first. The first thing you notice is how quiet it is inside and you realize that the room is soundproofed both ways.

With a soft grunt, Jongho seats himself on the ground in the center of the room, patting the space across from him.

“Come sit. I’ll explain what we’ll be doing.” He set one pot in front of himself and the other in front of where you plop down. Crossing your legs, you watch as he opens the small bag and dumps out a small pile of tiny brown shapes.

“Seeds?”

“Mulberry.” He pokes a finger into the soil in both puts before dropping a few seeds into each hole. Carefully, he moves the soil around, gently burying them. “Your job is to make the seeds sprout.”

“How?”

“Magic.”

“Gee, thanks.” He smiles slightly at your sarcasm.

“Reach out with your mind and feel the flow of magic in the air. Magic imbued with earth will feel like the grass and soil beneath your feet; the sensation of a smooth stone in your hand. You should be able to feel the smell of a forest or an open field.”

“How do you feel a smell?” You squint at him judgingly.

“You’ll understand once you experience it. When you can feel the magic around you, you then need to relax and feel it flow through you – remember we are all connected to the world through magic, but only a select few can use it. Focus on the seeds in the pot, visualize a spout and channel the magic into the soil. Will your thoughts into existence.”

“Oh, yeah, super easy. No worries, teach. Care to demonstrate?”

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. The air feels staticky in the enclosed space and for a moment you swear you see the air around Jongho glimmer before you turn your attention down to the pot in front of him. Small green sprouts poke their way through the dark soil before stopping as seedlings.  

“Wow. . .that’s cool. My turn?” He nods in response.

Taking a deep breath like he did you close your eyes and try to feel something, anything. You focus on the sound of your breathing, the faint scent of earth coming from the pots. You feel tingly and imagine what you just saw, willing the same to happen in your pot. As you open your eyes, you see that nothing changed.

“Did you feel the magic in the air and flowing through you?”

“Well, I felt tingly. Is that magic?”

“It’s a good start.”

“So, no.”

“Yeah, not quite. You were able to sense it, but not truly feel it. Remember, you should feel like you are nature.” You huff out a sigh before stretching a bit.

“Ok, let’s try this again.”

Closing your eyes once more, you focus on your breathing, taking your time to feel your surroundings. The air is cool and slightly staticky, and you turn your attention to the tingly sensation. Slowly, your body temperature rises, and you begin to feel hot. It’s the same heat you feel when you lose your temper; you’re anything but angry now, though. You imagine the heat within you is the heat of the sun, that the cool air in the room is actually an autumn breeze. You think of your time as a child, running barefoot through the grass and suddenly, you’re standing in vast field.

Wildflowers span across the green, all different shades and hues forming a fragrant rainbow, waving you farther into the expanse. A single tree stands tall in front of you, its pale blossoms gently falling around you in the breeze. You carefully lay a hand on its sturdy trunk looking up into its many branches, the sun filtering through to grace your face with a soft warmth. A wave of calm rushes over you and close your eyes, simply listening – the breeze rustling the leaves and carrying petals and blossoms away, the babbling of a river somewhere out of sight, birds singing as the flitter around, the hum of bees pollinating the thousands of flowers. You find yourself imagining the mulberry seeds in the pot becoming strong and full of berries, like this tree in the field is with blossoms.

Your eyes fly open as a series of cracks echo in your ears. You blink at the scene before you trying to process it. You’re back in the training room with Jongho on his back and a massive mulberry tree made of several bushes twisted together is squashed against the ceiling and walls. Berries and leaves fall to the floor where shards of pottery strewn. Roots circle around you and along the floor.

You point at the mess before you, “Did I do that?”

“What happened to sprouts? You grew me a tree.”

“Um. . .I don’t know. At first, I was here and then I wasn’t and when I came back, this.” You gesture wildly around the room.

“Wait, what do you mean you ‘weren’t here’?”

“I was focusing really hard on that tingly sensation I told you about earlier and started thinking about, I don’t know, nature stuff and then I suddenly I was in a field of flowers with a tree, and I could sense everything. While I was there, I started to think about the seeds again and how they would grow to be strong and fruitful like that flowering tree. What brought me back here was the crashing of the mulberry plants against the walls. . .” You trail off, unsure of what to say. Thinking about it, you must sound crazy, but then again, so was the concept of magic being real.

“Holy shit. . .you actually went to an alternate plane of existence. An alternate plane in an alternate plane, incredible. On top of that, you must have gone to the earth element’s plane! That’s such a rare phenomenon, I’ve only read stories about it.” You blink at him.

“I’m sorry, what?

“You know about the concept of alternate planes of existence, yes?” You nod. “Well, we exist on the physical plane – the planet, our cities, humans and other creatures of true flesh and blood. Then there’s the astral plane, also referred to as the plane of spirits. Ley lines connect the physical plane to the astral plane and we casters can tap into the power of the ley lines to access existing spaces or create new spaces within the astral plane as well as link permanent doorways to these said spaces; this training room in one of them. Somehow–”

“Pause! What are ley lines?”

“Ah, they’re condensed streams of magic that run through the physical plane. Experienced casters are able to identify locations in the physical plane with more condensed flows and often build their bases and doorways there, like our café.”  

“Thanks, please continue.”

“Right, so you managed to tap into another ley line while being in the astral plane. Even if it was an accident, that’s impressive. Ley lines blend together in this plane, it’s near impossible to differentiate them let alone enter a secondary astral plane.’

“So, what I’m hearing is that I’m awesome?”

Jongho snorts, “Sure, if having zero control counts as ‘awesome.’ But I will admit, you must have an immense amount of power to reach the earth element’s astral plane from inside the astral plane.”

“Is it rare to reach the elemental planes?”

“Yup. It takes a lot of power and focus to pull it off. You also have to have a deep connection to the element whose plane you’re trying to reach. Even Hongjoong and I struggle to do so. And you did it by accident.”

“Wow. I am awesome.” You smirk at his poorly concealed eye roll.

“Hmm. We should get this cleaned up.” With a quick wave of his hand, the tree-bush begins to un-grow and revert back into saplings that fall into the pile of soil strewn across the floor.

Carefully you begin to pick up the shattered pottery and attempt to sweep the fallen leaves and berries into a pile with the spilled soil with your hands. It’s a shame you just got here and are already breaking stuff, but at least it was only a pot and not the glass. . .or a person. It’s probably a good thing that you started with trying to grow a plant instead of attempting to conjure fireballs or something. You sigh as your thoughts continue to wander all while sweeping and crawling around on the floor.

Noticing your drop in attitude, Jongho gently places a hand on your shoulder, crouching in front of you.

“What’s up? You were just praising yourself and now you look like you dropped your ice cream into the dirt.”

“Nothing really. I guess I just was thinking about what you said.” He cocks an eyebrow waiting for you to elaborate. “Both you and Hongjoong said that I have a lot of power. . .but you clearly pointed out that I have zero control over what I’m doing. Today was just an overgrown plant but what if. . .what if it’s a fire and I burn everyone to a crisp or a flood and I drown people? What if I accidentally suck all the oxygen out of the air and suffocate someone?! I-“

Before you can send yourself into hysterics over hypotheticals, Jongho sets a hand you your head, rubbing gently in an attempt to calm you.

“That’s why we’re training you, so something like that doesn’t happen. We’re professionals, a simple ball of fire or a rainstorm won’t kill us. And removing all the oxygen from the air is extremely difficult.””

You sniff, “You said that about going to the element’s plane. . .”

He laughs loudly at your comment, “Touché. But if you do manage that somehow, we’ll just hold our breath.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” You glance at his outstretched pinky before gently entwining it with yours. “Now then, how about we finish cleaning up and head home?”

Home. . .Wonderland Café.

“That sounds nice. But only if a get a chai latte on the house.”

[my-precious-treasure]

Mondstadt

Genshin Masterlist 🔥 Implied Smut | 💕 Fluff | ☔ Angst

Venti

Into the Wind 💕

[my-precious-treasure]

Liyue

Genshin Masterlist 🔥 Implied Smut | 💕 Fluff | ☔ Angst

Xiao

Into the Night  ☔

Zongli

One Summer’s Day 💕

Cigarettes ft. Childe🔥

[my-precious-treasure]

Inazuma

Genshin Masterlist 🔥 Implied Smut | 💕 Fluff | ☔ Angst

[my-precious-treasure]

Sumeru

Genshin Masterlist 🔥 Implied Smut | 💕 Fluff | ☔ Angst

Scaramouche

In Need Of A Friend ☔💕

Tighnari

[my-precious-treasure]

Snezhnaya

Genshin Masterlist 🔥 Implied Smut | 💕 Fluff | ☔ Angst

Childe/Tartalia

Water Boi 💕

Cigarettes ft. Zhongli 🔥

Il Dottore

Cure For Me 🔥? ☔

[my-precious-treasure]

Cure For Me

Genshin Masterlist | Snezhnaya Masterlist

TW: Unhealthy relationship, insanity, blood, Kinktober(?)

Everyone knows that not a single Harbinger is even remotely sane, so what made you think that he would be different? How naïve.

“YOU’RE CRAZY!”

“I never said I wasn’t. That was a miscalculation on your part, a shame really. I was actually quite fond of you.”

“You need help! You’re sick in the head.”

The wall behind you serves as a cold reminder that you’re trapped here now. A hand slams next to your head and his breath fans across your face. His kiss is full of teeth and you taste blood when he pulls away.

“There’s no cure for me and I don’t need one.”

Tag List @sociallyawkwardcorgi @breadforhowl

[my-precious-treasure]

Cigarettes

Genshin Masterlist | Liyue Masterlist | Snezhnaya Masterlist

Inspired by Blow - Jackson Wang TW: Heavily implied smut, booze, smoking, Kinktober(?) No beta, we die like Teppei.

Twinkle twinkle, where's the star? Passed out in the back of my car Blacked out from the night before How'd we let it get this far?

He isn’t one to be narcissistic, but there was something about the screaming crowds that gets to him. The shouts of adoration and declarations of love towards him and his members, he loves it. In the blinding light, he catches Zhongli’s eye, a knowing look sparkling in them. As they send their well wishes the lights go out and they finally walk off stage.

~ ~ ~

The car door slams shut behind him as he half falls on top of the dark-haired man. He feels hot, the alcohol making the world seem surreal. As he situates himself on Zhongli’s lap, he steals the cigarette, slating it between his own lips.

“Childe.”

“What?” He blows a puff of smoke into the older man’s face leaning in for a kiss. Locking lips, their kiss quickly becomes more desperate. Zhongli’s hands find Childe’s as he holds him firm against him. A moan is coaxed from Child at the new pressure against his groin.

“You shouldn’t be smoking, it’s bad for your voice.”

“I could say the same to you, Zhongli. Don’t be a hypocrite.”

Zhongli merely chuckles before pulling Childe back down. Carefully he removes the cigarette from between the ginger’s fingers and extinguishes it on the ashtray in the door.

Clothes are shifted and the windows fog as mellifluous moans and whines fill the vehicle.

~ ~ ~

Zhongli brushes off his shirt as he walks back into the venue. The heavy bass sends vibrations through his bones.

Kaeya hands him a glass of something, “Where’s Childe?”

“The alcohol made him realize how tired he was, so he’s napping in the backseat of the car.”

“Wooooow lame. I’m sure you didn’t help his exhaustions any, though.” Kaeya sends him a wink before walking away. Zhongli simply smirks in response before sipping his mystery drink.

Tag List @sociallyawkwardcorgi @breadforhowl

[my-precious-treasure]

Better Than A Dream

Original Works Mlist

Inspired by Sleep -Johnny Orlando

She stares out the window, her hair dancing around her face in the cool breeze and arm outstretched through the car window. The streetlamps whiz by, illuminating her face in 3 second intervals. The stars twinkle playfully beside the moon and the cloud coverage is minimal.

She inhales deeply, closing her eyes for a moment before casting her gaze upon him. The man beside her could only be described as beautiful; ethereal, almost. His already messy hair was pushed back by the wind, sharp eyes focused on the road ahead. A small smile graces his lips. With one hand on the wheel and the other arm resting on the car door, he could only be described as relaxed.

There was something about summer nights, but this one was different. She’s hit with a wave of nostalgia as realization washes over her. This is their last drive together. Graduation is tomorrow, and the day after, they fly to opposite sides of the continent.

Her vision blurs as she stares at him. This stupid, annoying, wonderful man was the bane of her existence and love of her life. But did he love her enough to do long-distance or was this their end? Do the sweet nothings he whispered to her in the darkness truly mean nothing?

Pushing the thoughts aside, she looks out the window once more, listening to the soft music coming from the radio and breathing in the fresh scent of the woods surrounding them. These were thoughts for another day. For now, she should enjoy this moment of peace with him.

As the car comes to a slow, crossing the yellow line and into a small lot overlooking a cliff, she finally looks at him again. He sees the question in her eyes but merely tells her to get out and follow him.

As they approach the railing, she sucks in a breath. It’s beautiful – the city in the distance, the lights shining like stars fallen upon the Earth.

“I thought you might like this.” He watches her lean against the rail, imprinting the view into her memory. “I wanted to take you somewhere special before our big day. Four years at that damn university; I would have dropped out long ago if it weren’t for you.” She finally looks at him, a small smile forming on her lips.

“You should give yourself more credit. I didn’t do anything.”

“You supported and helped me as my manager. You were my best friend, always brightening my day. But most of all, you love me. You saw me in my worst, but you stayed. You dragged me out to strange new places and gave me the best memories of my life. After everything we’ve been through,” he gently takes her hand in his, “you at least deserve a thank you.”

She turns to face him fully, the view long forgotten. Tears begin forming in her eyes again, “Why does this sound like a goodbye? I-I’m not ready to let go yet. . .”

“Neither am I.” He pulls her close, kissing her forehead, cheek, nose, and finally her lips. He’s warm.

All too soon he pulls away, putting his hand in his pocket. Carefully, he pulls out a small box, opening it. The ring inside draws a gasp.

“I know it will be hard at first, with the long-distance stuff, but we can make it work. I want to make it work because I love you so much. All the scenarios I see of my future, you’re there. I can’t imagine a life without you in it. So, I. . .uh. . .please don’t cry! Was it something I said? If you don’t want to, I can return it!” She shakes her head as his hand comes up to cradle her face, thumb whipping at her tears.

“I’m not dreaming, am I?” Hope fills her eyes as he shakes his head.

“We’re wide away.” He slips the ring on her finger, softly kissing her hand.

“Good.” She grabs his face, slamming her lips into his once more. “I love you so much more than you realize. This – you – are so much better than a dream.”

~ ~ ~

Tag List

@raekwon88 @breadforhowl

[my-precious-treasure]

I have writer's block on fricking EVERYTHING - stories, poems, hecking school papers. Send help.

Also, chaper 6 of Spellbound is half done, I'm just having issues (as noted above) T_T

[my-precious-treasure]

Can someone explain to me why I'm such a Childe simp??? Like, he's not even my favorite character. What is this?

[my-precious-treasure]

The History and Evolution of Fanfiction

No one asked, but here's an essay I wrote about fanfiction (bibliography not included) for one of my summer courses. Enjoy~ Or don't, up to you lol

In the Beginning

Fanfiction is a concept that has been around for centuries. It is the fictional works created by fans based on works of fiction that already exist, entailing that the work was not created by a professional. The term “fan fiction” - also written as “fanfiction” or, in short, “fanfic,” - was first recorded as being used in print in the year 1939; however the concept has been recorded as early as the 1600s and was more commonly referred to as “pastiche.” Since fanfiction seems to be a concept anywhere literary or theatrical works exist, one might posit that the roots of fanfic reach back even as far back as ancient Mesopotamia where the earliest known writing, cuneiform script, was invented around 3400 B.C. The world’s first work of fiction is documented as the Epic of Gilgamesh, dated as being written somewhere between 2150-1400 B.C. by an author whom historians believe to be Shin-Leqi-Unninni. 

Somewhere between 1200-1101 B.C. a story written by an unknown poet entitled Emuna Elish describes the creation of Babylon. An interesting thing to note is that the only major difference between this writing and Epic of Gilgamesh, besides the names of characters, is how the hero in the story dies. 

A mere thousand years later, between 500-480 B.C. appear The Iliad and The Odyssey written by Greek Poet Homer, both of which have notes of Gilgamesh in them. In Iliad, Achilles, like Gilgamesh, is a demigod whose main purpose is essentially war. However, in the Odyssey, it is the general plot progression that shares similarities. Some event occurs that sends the hero on a journey where he then receives help or favor from a god and in the end returns home.

Beowulf is another literary classic written somewhere between 975 and 1025 A.D. by an anonymous author simply known as the "Beowulf poet" which holds similarities to the Epic of Gilgamesh. The main characters in both stories possess inhuman strength and battle monsters a normal man would not be able to defeat. However, they hold opposite personalities where Gilgamesh is selfish and Beowolf is selfless. 

Early Development

Moving forward several centuries to the 1500s before the concept of copyright existed, it was quite a common occurrence for authors to copy other writers’ characters, if not entire plots. It has been suggested by scholars that William Shakespeare actually drew inspiration for several of his plays heavily from another author’s manuscript, A Brief Discourse of Rebellion and Rebels, written in the late 1500s by George North. Among the ideas Shakespeare borrowed are the concept that “ugly people should strive for inner beauty” as well as his use of the same synonyms for dogs, most notably “trundle-tail.” Additionally, it has been noted that Shakespeare took many old plays and rewrote them as well as translated numerous works from Old English and Latin into modern English so that the general populace could enjoy them as plays or oral stories. 

Stemming from Shakspeare’s greatest works are a whole slew of new stories throughout the centuries borrowing his plot lines. The most common remakes or retellings include rewrites of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. Today one can find numerous works that borrow from Shakespeare’s work such as West Side Story, Shakespeare in Love, My Fair Lady, and 10 Things I Hate About You, just to name a few.

Another entertaining anecdote about fanfiction originates from the 1600s and involves the unauthorized sequel to Don Quixote, a novel originally written by Miguel de Cervantes. Cervantes published the first volume of Don Quixote in 1605 and the second volume in 1615. Unfortunately for Cervantes, another author by the name of Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda published his own volume two, Second Book of the Ingenious Knight Don Quixote of La Mancha, in 1614, a year before Cervantes was able to finish and publish his own second volume. As an answer to Avellaneda’s book, Cervantes then put some of the concepts and characters from the fanfiction in his own second volume as a form of mockery. This, whether the result is considered good or bad, meant that Avellaneda’s version of volume two will forever remain a part of history. 

During the 19th century, there are more examples of fanfiction being written. Most notable are the unauthorized stories based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series, such as The Adventure of the Two Collaborators by J. M. Barrie in 1893, which is more of a spoof than a serious work. Another example of fanfiction from the 1800s includes The Space Machine by Christopher Priest which takes place before the Martian invasion of Earth from H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. Yet another is K. W. Jeter’s Morlock Night in which the Morlocks from H. G. Wells' book The Time Machine travel back in time. 

A Modern Day Concept

Fanfiction as the modern concept we are more familiar with finally begins to evolve in the 1960s following the release of the television series, Star Trek. The Star Trek fandom wrote numerous stories involving the various cast members and would publish their works in “fanzines,” a shortened term for fan magazine. The term “fanzine” actually originated in 1940; however, the concept dates back to the 1800s when amateur press associations were formed in order to publish collections of amateur fiction as well as poetry and commentary. They were especially popular among the science fiction genre. Spockanalia was the first Star Trek fanzine published in 1967. 

In addition, the demographics of those writing what was now officially called “fanfiction” began to change in the 1960s. Women began to dominate the scene of fanfiction writing. By 1973 90% of Star Trek fanfiction authors were female. Archive of Our Own (AO3) did an analysis of their users who write or have written Harry Potter fanfiction in 2020, and found that 50.4% are female, 13.4% are male, 11% transgender, 21% are nonbinary, genderfluid, and/or genderqueer, and a remaining 3.9% indicating that they are agender or genderless. This is consistent with the idea that women dominate the field of writing fanfiction. The reason behind this is the theory that women are attempting to find or create pleasures for themselves in media that is made primarily for men to enjoy. Additionally, in the 20th century, fanfiction was not only gratifying as entertainment, but also an alternate source of status for many women and a way to make new friends. 

Even Japan has its own type of fanfiction - doujinshi were first published in the Meiji Period (1868-1912). They are self-published magazines, manga, and novels. The most common form of doujinshi today is manga. Many of the doujinshi manga found online today are actually works of fanfiction portraying existing characters in relationships that are either not canon or are canon but expanded on. There have actually been several cases of doujinshi creators who have gotten hired by production teams to create all new original works. One such artist is Natsuki Kizu. They are the writer and illustrator of Given but originally created BL shipping content for Haikyu!! before officially publishing under the Japanese publishing company Shinshokan. 

Another concept to consider is that movie adaptations are only true adaptations if the original creator is part of the production team, the same goes for the novelization of films or games. If the original creator merely gives a production team the rights to their work, then the creation of the movie is through someone else’s eyes. It’s their vision that comes to life rather than the original creator’s and therefore a work of fanfiction. 

Three examples of true movie adaptations are the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, and Fifty Shades of Gray. For all of these films, the original authors were part of the production team, meaning the producers and directors (theoretically) had the input of the authors. Unfortunately, the Twilight Saga movies were arguably some of the worst movie adaptations and have even turned people away from reading the books, which have in and of themselves received less than stellar reviews from some critics. 

  Contrary to true adaptations, a famous movie series that would actually be considered fanfiction is The Lord of the Rings (LotR) series. By the time the movies were slated for production, J. R. R. Tolkien had already passed nearly 30 years prior. While the movies are recognized as being classics, they are missing or have changed several key details from the original books. For that reason, rather than using the term “adaptation” one might argue that the series is an original work based on the LotR, fitting the definition of fanfiction. 

What is Fanfiction Today?

Fanfiction has always been a way for a fan to express their love for a series, franchise, or individual work created for entertainment purposes. Writers are able to explore alternative endings or storylines of the fictional worlds and characters that they love. The concept has evolved to include not only already existing fictional works, but real people as well. Fanfiction has become a window for fans to create fictional scenarios with idols or actors they adore. Additionally, the concept has grown immensely with the creation of the internet as people were able to post their writing and access other’s more easily. In 1998, the not-for-profit site FanFiction.Net was created and allowed its users to upload content from any fandom. Following closely behind were Tumblr, Wattpad, and AO3 which have all become popular websites for users to post content (typically writings) about whatever fandom(s) they are in. 

Fanfiction has grown from simple retellings or imagining continuations to having an entire list of its own genres and subgenres. These include alternate universe (AU), soulmate AU, songfic, the omegaverse (A/B/O), and many more. All of these different genres and subgenres allow the writers the freedom to use their imaginations and create fun and interesting content for other members of a fandom to enjoy. Fanfiction also allows both the reader and the writer a sense of escapism, more so with the implementation of self-inserts (written in the first-person narrative) and reader-inserts (written in the second-person narrative).  Modern fanfiction has also given rise to a new concept called “fanon,” which is fanfiction that has been generally accepted by the fandom and sometimes even the original content creator as canon, although generated by fans, because it addresses events that fit well with the timeline and which have neither been denied nor confirmed by the original creators. One such example can be found among the fandom of Avatar: The Last Airbender in which Ty Lee, though a Fire Nation national, is believed to be of Air Nomad descent not only because of her physical characteristics, but also her playful nature and combat style.

The Negatives

While fanfiction is arguably a wonderful concept, it can also get people in trouble. In 2018, a small development studio, Aeon Dream Studios, created a video game using BTS’s likeness as fans of the group. The studio sent BigHit (BTS’s label company, now known as HYBE) an email inquiring about the use of the seven members’ appearances, never received a reply, and proceeded to make the game. Though it was a nonprofit game, the studio accumulated over $50,000 in donations to assist with the production and had a premium version available for sale which included bonus in-game content. BigHit, after learning about the situation, sent them a cease and desist and is demanding the financial data relating to their game. As a result production was paused as the developers recreated the characters. 

Another issue lies in the sexualization of K-pop idols. RPS (real person slash) is a subgenre of fanfiction that is frequently highly erotic and often problomatic. These graphic writings are considered by many in Korea to be sex crimes. Unfortunately, not much can be done against RPS publishers other than to file a lawsuit against the creators for defamation or contempt since there is not yet legal precedent established for these, and the situation may differ case by case. Often, the real-life individuals who are depicted in this genre of fanfiction are intensely uncomfortable with, or even feel threatened by the stories that are based on their identities. This is particularly concerning since even “normal” fandom activities can be quite aggressive in their pursuit of their favored celebrities. 

There is also an ongoing debate as to what is permitted under copyright law when it comes to producing fanfiction. Many people argue that fanfiction does not fall under fair use, as it is derivative work. However, to avoid this issue, many fanfiction writers will put disclaimers on their works such as, “I don’t own the characters, just the plot line” or “I’m using this idea from so-and-so with permission.” 

Conclusion

As history has proven, humanity can’t resist a good story, and more is never enough.  As entertainment continues to evolve and technology continues to develop and progress, so will fanfiction. We can already see the line between fanfiction and original content beginning to blur. This will only continue as more publications, movies, and games come out. After all, there are only so many original plot lines, messages and lessons that can be taught through media. 

Given the significant foothold that fanfic now holds in literature, film, and even real-life characters’ portrayals, it is important that both copyright law and privacy law evolve as well to protect the original content fanfic is based upon, as well as its creators, and those real-life individuals portrayed in fictional works. While the beauty and gratification of being able to immerse oneself in, and share one’s favorite stories and fantasies in a uniquely personal way through fanfiction is surely a testament to the loyalty and creativity of today’s fandoms. It is critical that the source materials and individuals such fictions are based upon are equally protected so that we do not injure or lose the joy of the original works and real-life celebrities that today’s fans so admire.

Foot Notes ∙Spockanalia - The name of a famous Star Trek fanzine; it ran for three years and had five issues ∙Canon - The original story ∙BL - Boy love or yaoi, a genre of manga/anime  ∙Shipping - Fans pairing two characters together in a romantic relationship ∙Fandom - A group of people who share a common love/interest in a character or story (includes games, music, shows, books, etc.) ∙Songfic - A fanfic interspersed with the lyrics of a relevant song ∙A/B/O - A subgenre of speculative erotic fiction wherein humans are divided into a dominance hierarchy (alpha, beta, and omega)  ∙Escapism - Seeking distraction and relief from reality, especially through entertainment and engaging in fantasy ∙RPS - Any form of content that fantasizes a romantic relationship between real people, regardless of their actual partners or sexuality ∙Derivative work - A work that includes large amounts of copyrighted material but is too different to be considered a copy

[my-precious-treasure]

Can anyone find a fanfic for me???

It was a Denki x reader angst fic where they were both pro heroes and Denki dies at a festival or something at UA while the reader is sick.

I think the title is something like One Last Kiss but I can't quite remeber. I still think about it sometimes and wanna reread it but I can't find it T_T

If anyone can find it, you will be my favorite person.

[my-precious-treasure]

I HAVE ANOTHER CHILDE STORY THAT I WANT TO WRITE I JUST HAVE TO FINISH 3 ESSAYS IN 3 DAYS

AJKDSBFDKASHBF send help

Also, I was able to finally sign for an apartment since my uni couldn't give me dorm I'M SO HAPPY TwT I cannot begin to describe how stressful trying to find one remotely was AND in the middle of doing summer classes (also remote).

[my-precious-treasure]

A Cat’s Nap

Savanaclaw Masterlist

In which you find Leona napping. Written for @sociallyawkwardcorgi on behalf of Leona’s b-day.

The ground is hard beneath you and you groan as you roll over. Slowly opening your eyes, you’re met with the soft light of the setting sun. The foliage around you casts strange shadows across the walls and floor of the greenhouse. You stretch while sitting up and pop things back into place.

“Hmm. . .did I really sleep all afternoon?” Blinking lazily, you watch the world outside the insulated glass walls for a moment. The clouds drift slowly and the trees sway gently in the breeze. Part of you wishes you could stay there forever, but you know you have work to be done.

Begrudgingly, you rise from the floor and meander towards the exit. Before you can reach it though, you notice another figure on the floor a little way off the path. Curiosity gets the better of you and you find yourself wandering over to them. As you get closer you finally realize it’s Housewarden Leona.

Being part of Ramshackle Dorm, you don’t interact with him much and when you do, he’s always been rather. . .unsociable. You can’t deny that he’s a little rough around the edges; he’s caused his share of problems for you and Yuu. But somehow, you still get the feeling that he doesn’t have a bad heart. Maybe he just needs a little shove. Or maybe you just give him too much credit. That isn’t really your problem, though.

As you crouch down beside him, you can’t help but stare. He really is beautiful. His dark ash-brown hair always looks so shiny and frankly, it’s not fair how long his lashes are. Without thinking, you find yourself reaching out to touch him. As you brush a few stands from his face you note that his hair rally is soft.

You aren’t entirely sure what possesses you to pet him, but as you do, his ears start to twitch slightly. Gently you place your hand behind one and scratch lightly. To your surprise, Leona begins chuffing quietly while still in slumber. You stifle a laugh at how cute and unassuming he is.

Without warning, his hand reaches up and catches yours. He slowly cracks his eyes open to look at you and you almost get lost in their emerald gleam.

“What do you think you’re doing, herbivore?”

“Ah. . .sorry. I just thought you looked so pretty while sleeping.” You can see a faint blush spread across his tanned skin. He huffs and glares at you.

“Who gave you permission to touch me?”

“I suppose I gave myself permission. Sorry, it was a bit rude.” You can see amusement hidden in his eyes as he watches you.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. But touch me again without permission and I will end you.” You blink at him before bursting into laughter. You just can’t take him seriously after seeing him sleep so peacefully until a moment ago. He growls at your response.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. But the offer stands if you choose to ask.” Shifting your weight, you smile down at him and stand to take your leave.

“Where are you going? You disrupted my sleep. You owe me.”

“Hmm?” You cock an eyebrow at him and his blush seems to grow.

“. . .Stay.” You snort slightly at his soft demand and instead of leaving, you find your self situated against a tree with his head in your lap. Your hands run through his hair once more as you lull him back to sleep.

The ground doesn’t seem as hard as it did earlier and the warmth of the twilight on your face is just too relaxing. The weight of Leona’s head like a blanket. Your hands begin to slow as his soft snores become your lullaby. You think that one more nap won’t hurt anyone as you close your own eyes once more.

Tag List: @breadforhowl @raekwon88 @kkat808