I'll Write My Way Out

I used to write a lot. Then I stopped. Now I'm trying again.| Masterlist

[nightwingdiva]

is your title a hamilton reference? if so i love it!

Yeah it is! I needed something writing related because otherwise I’m not sure you’d know this is a writing blog? And when in doubt go with musicals lol

[nightwingdiva]

I've read your stories for one day and I'm already in love! The way you write... Just beautiful!!! Please continue doing this amazing job *Virtual hugs*

First I want to apologize to never responding to this when I first got it. I don’t even remember how long it’s been in my inbox; I remember reading it and meaning to respond but I kept forgetting.

Second, I want to thank you for such a lovely message during such a long hiatus. It’s messages like this that I didn’t really believe were true about myself but still made me not want to permanently quit. Reading it now makes me smile, so I see that as progress 💕 It is heartening to hear that people like my style of writing because it’s something I battle with

[nightwingdiva]

Yo Lowlands Away is soooooo good!!! Its my current favorite series! I really hope you continue it, but of course, it is completely your call!! U are so incredibly talented! Keep writing, luv! 😚❤

Thank you so much!

I never planned on not finishing it, but a lot of things were happening at once (like a sudden decline in fandom interest/interaction for reader inserts as well as some more personal issues like trying to finish college and get a job, etc.).

In short it seemed like it wasn’t interesting to anyone, and I just lost the motivation to write it. I still love the story (as you can probably tell since I finally freaking updated it).

[nightwingdiva]

The pirate AU? I'm in love

I’m glad you love it! I’m always glad to share my indecent love for pirates and the Golden Age of Piracy. Like I’m not really a huge history buff but I just might have you covered on the that kind of historical fun fact

[nightwingdiva]

Is now also the time to mention I hit 1,000 followers a month or so ago? Because that's a thing that happened

[nightwingdiva]

HOW AM I JUST NOW FINDING YOUR PIRATE AU???? ITS SOOOOO GOOD OH MY GOODNESS! YOURE GOING GREAT BUDDY

That's probably because I haven't updated it in over a year lol

But thank you so much! Y'all are really making my night because I didn't think anybody really liked or read this thing and this is all very encouraging

I'd have posted links to the previous parts on the update but I was on my iPad and the formatting seems to have fucked up enough as it is

[nightwingdiva]

Lowlands Away (Pirates AU Part 6) -  Dick Grayson x Reader

Words: 1721

Late afternoon sunlight warms your face and causes you to freeze immediately after leaving the captain’s quarters as you allow your eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. A warm wind blows the loose skirts of the dress Kori had dressed you in after they’d brought you back to the ship; the borrowed dress is simple, with a casual stays that doesn’t threaten your diaphragm nearly as much as your dress.

The plain skirt leaves you feeling free and loose, and as you ascend the starboard steps to the upper deck you relish the feeling of the warm air blowing through the fabric. In an attempt to further shake off the residual emotions from earlier, you take a deep breath of salty air and listen to the roar of ocean waves. It’s so peaceful at sea—why is it so far fetched to think you’d want to stay here?

A quick glance around the upper deck reveals the Captain at the helm, his fanciful coat flutters behind him as the wind blows. You are careful to make sure your blowing skirts don’t trip you as you approach him.

“So, where are we off to now?” You ask as you take a stance beside holding the railing of the upper deck.

He glances at you briefly but returns his gaze to the horizon. Otherwise his expression never changes. “I’m taking you back home.”

“What?” You whip your head around to face him, and as you do the wind blows your hair into your face. You quickly push it back and stare at him, though he doesn’t make eye contact. “I don’t want to go back! You know that! There’s nothing for me there!”

“There’s a life for you there, Y/N,” he finally breaks his stare with the horizon and looks at you. “There is no life at sea. Especially not for a lady such as yourself.”

“Is this because of what happened earlier? Because if it is, I wasn’t in my right mind. I—I didn’t know where I was or who—”

“But that doesn’t change the response you had.” His words cut a bit, and you close your mouth and look down at the boards of the ship. “It doesn’t change that you assumed the worst out of a lot who were trying to help.”

For several seconds, the only sound between the two of you is the crashing of waves and the singing of crew men working on deck. When you speak again, your voice is low and almost desperate. “I’m sorry I panicked. But to send me back just because of what I said or what I did—”

“It’s not just because of what happened earlier,” Dick snaps a bit, but when he sees you flinch he softens his voice. For the first time you see a man who is worn and tired from years at sea. A man who isn’t happy with the life Fate has given him. “You were right. Pirates are a cruel lot. Almost as cruel as the captains of Royal ships. I’m not taking you home because of what happened in my quarters; we’d already set sail for your home when we brought you back to the ship in Havana. I’ve already put you in enough danger thanks to my brother and that arsehole Commander; I’ll not be responsible for your death.”

“You won’t be responsible for my death here. Not if it’s my choice,” you plead. You open your arms to gesture to the entire ship and the turquoise waters stretching to the horizon. “Don’t you understand? I have lived more in the short days I’ve been with you on The Nightwing than I have my entire life!”

“And is it worth it should you lose that life tomorrow, or even today?” The Captain sounds frustrated now, but he tries—and fails—to maintain a logical tone. “You could have died in Havana. Hell, you very nearly did die in Havana! You aren’t cut out for this, lass.”

“You say that as if I’m not willing to learn!” An incredulous laugh escapes you as your own frustration grows. You point out the swords at his sides and the sails on the mast. “You could teach me! Teach me how to fight! How to sail!”

The Captain lets loose a short whistle, and a relatively young crewman runs to Dick’s side. He mutters something to the young man, who responds with a “Yes, Captain!” The sailor then takes the wheel as Dick walks toward you.

“No, lass,” Dick doesn’t even look at you ask he walks by. “You’re going home and that’s that.”

“Well, what about your ransom?” You hurry after him and grab his shirt sleeve. Even you can hear the desperation in your voice as you grasp at straws, trying to find some reason for him to allow you to stay for even a short while longer.

He turns his head toward you but gazes beyond the ship. A few seconds pass before he speaks again.“I’ll get the money some other way,” he says softly. Then he looks at you and his voice hardens. “So long as I am Captain of this ship, you shall not join my crew. Not if you’ll be safer and happier somewhere else.”

“Am I that detestable? That useless?” He shakes his head a bit and you see the tension in his jaw increase. “Or are you truly as heartless as everyone I’ve ever known has told me pirates are?” Ordinarily you wouldn’t be this forward or provoking, and you aren’t sure where the bravery has come from to continue doing so. “Who are you to determine my own happiness?”

Dick finally looks at you, then. “I’m only looking out for you, Y/N. I promise this isn’t the life for you.”

He starts walking away as though the conversation is over. Well. He may be finished, but you’re nowhere close.

He’s made it to the stairs of the upper deck by the time you catch up to him.

“So you’re content with giving me a taste of this fresh, new life and then ripping it away?” You ask, refusing to back down. Truly, this entire conversation has been an example of everything you were taught not to do, but you can’t bring yourself to care about manners right now.

“Don’t you understand that you get a second chance?” This time the Captain turns on his heel to face you, finally having had enough of your stubbornness. His posture shifts to a stance of power, and his voice is harsh. You cower a bit as you remember you’ve been taunting an actual pirate captain; he’d made himself so approachable that you’d nearly forgotten what that meant. “You have the chance to marry a man of status. Have children. Have a family. Not another soul on this ship ever got the second chance I’m giving you right now.”

It’s then that you realize you’ve created quite a scene on the upper deck. Each haggard sailor jumps a bit as your gaze reaches theirs, and they return to work. You wonder how they ended up as pirates. How would it be to work ropes and sails every day? How would it be to work the even dirtier jobs below deck?

Dick allows you to have your moments of contemplation. When he speaks again, his voice is level once more, though you detect a trace of severity. “You’d be dead if I hadn’t found you when I did. Take this opportunity to appreciate what you have before it’s gone.”

When you don’t say anything more, he turns and continues down the steps to the main deck. It isn’t until he’s over half way down that you find your voice again.

“Perhaps you should have left me be, then!” You yell at him, and despite your best efforts, the burning of tears starts to sting your eyes. He doesn’t look at you. “You may not be sending me to the death of my body but it’s certainly the death of my soul!”

Wanting nothing but distance between you and the Captain, you run across the upper deck until you reach the edge of the ship. You grip the smooth wood as you stare at the waters below as well as you can through tears. Though your vision is blurry, you notice that the distance to the waters below is greater than you thought it would be.

A hand grasps your shoulder and pulls you back. You turn around to face the person, fully prepared to tell Captain Grayson that he can kindly go shove a pistol up his arse. But the vibrant green eyes and fiery hair of Kori greet you, not Dick.

Her eyes are soft and sympathetic as she pulls you into a comforting hug, which leads to you sobbing into her shirt. She pats your hair and pulls you close in a motherly, almost protective embrace.

“Come along, Y/N. Let’s go stand at the bow where the wind can dry those tears,” Kori says. You nod and raise your head from her chest. When you wipe your tears away and readjust to the sunlight, you notice her glaring at something off to the side.

You follow her gaze to see Captain Dick Grayson in only his pants and undershirt only a few feet away. The trail of clothing behind him confuses you; his coat is at the top of the stairs on the starboard side, followed by his collection of belts and weapons. Even his boots are scattered across the deck as if he got one off and forgot he was wearing the other one until ten paces later.

Then the realization hits you.

He thought you were going to jump.

And he was prepared to dive in after you.

“Y/N—” He starts to speak but Kori cuts him off.

“Not another word, Richard,” she says. Her tone is cold compared to how she’d just spoken to you. “You’ve upset her enough as it is.”

She leads you down the port side stairs.

“Like I said, Y/N,” he calls after you once you and Kori reach the bottom of the steps. “I’ll not see you die.”

Once you are out of earshot he speaks to you again, more to himself than to you.

“Not on my watch.”

[nightwingdiva]

Do you ever find yourself in kind of a selfie taking mood but you know you'll never post them because nobody asked for it so you end up with selfies on your phone that'll never see the light of day

[nightwingdiva]

Does anybody else ever want to celebrate Valentine's Day but you don't actually really want to date anybody? It's very conflicting

[nightwingdiva]

How is everyone on this fine Thursday evening?

[nightwingdiva]

When you want the creative thoughts to flow forth from your pen but you low-key feel like shit

[nightwingdiva]

@theskytraveler I'm (slowly) working on it! I'm just trying to get my thoughts organized by handwriting general summaries of what I want to happen; that story pitch actually came out of my notebook (that I totally didn't write at work because I'm a good worker what are you talking about)

I would have worked on it more this weekend but I've been exhausted from a concert Friday night and preoccupied by reinking a bunch of dice sets (I think I gave five sets a makeover lol)

[nightwingdiva]

Okay so here is the story concept of the newest AU, which takes place in the Edwardian period

The Reader is an English socialite, and Richard Grayson is the son of an American businessman. Whispers of disapproval of Dick stem from Bruce’s “hands on” business approach, the fact that the Waynes are considered “new money,” and Dick’s background before Bruce adopted him.

Out of social politeness, the Waynes had been to proper Galas and dinners, which is how Dick and the Reader first met. They were young when the Waynes were on a visit to England for business when the Reader’s mother suggested the Waynes stay at their estate for a while. Dick was newly adopted at the time and still haunted by the death of his parents; the Reader was gentle and patient, and the two of them bonded quickly and were virtually inseparable, running around the estate gardens and the home itself. For a month laughter and joy filled the estate.

The Waynes visited England once every year or so after that, always staying with the Reader’s family at her mother’s request. The Reader watched as Dick’s family grew as much as her feelings for him, but she never said a word about how she felt, instead content with spending what time she could with him.

One year Bruce arrived with a proposal to open a branch of Wayne Enterprises in London that emphasized the employment of convicted criminals at a respectable wage. The idea was to provide a chance for these people to turn their lives around with an almost clean slate. The Reader’s father, who had been a business partner with Bruce for several years, didn’t want to risk losing family money on such a risky endeavor. He doesn’t trust the men to be reliable workers, and he was afraid of what such an association might do to the family name.

The reader’s father spoke of how he should have known something like this would happen as soon as he’d learned Bruce had been adopting urchins off the street. Those from new money, especially Americans, didn’t know how to manage a legacy to last for centuries, and Bruce was being far too much of an idealist.

The Waynes were never invited back to the Estate again, and the Reader’s father backed out of his partnership with Bruce Wayne.

The story that follows takes place five years after this falling out, and the close friendship that had finally developed into a mutual but unspoken crush between the Reader and Dick blossoms into something more, pushing the boundaries of tradition in favor of following one’s heart.

[nightwingdiva]

Welcome back! It’s perfectly fine that you took a break; you are the biggest and most important priority!

Ah shit I forgot to answer this last night. I'm always hesitant to say I'm back lol

Honestly I think I just gave up the thought of doing anything for a while there. Being an adult is freaking hard and with a puppy I almost feel like a mother lol

[nightwingdiva]

Would anybody be interested in reading the backstory/story pitch I wrote for the new Idea?

[nightwingdiva]

You aren't shitty at all! Its great to see you on the dash again, hope you are doing well! <3

I’m doing well! Or at least better than I have been in a while. I hope everyone else is doing well and thriving and living their best life lol

[nightwingdiva]

@irairaptero Thank you! You’re so sweet! 💕💕 Honestly it’s been nice to not actually pressure myself to keep up with things on here lol. I’m excited about the idea and hope everybody else likes the idea, too (I also hope that I continue to like the idea lol)