Pepper Writes

A writing blog for myself! Accountability and a Place to share the Beauty of the Written Word!

[peppersonironiwrites]

July 29th, 2026 Writing Update

Today I wrote 1,085 words for Chapter 2 of Dull Knives [Rewrite]! I Legit planned to sit down and write maybe a hundred, because it is late and was super tired, but then I banged out the rest of this scene? Maaaaajor turning point here, by the way! I'm super please with it! Now we just have about 1.5k left in the chapter, maybe 2k if I stretch out a sequence a bit! That means that I think I'll finish the chapter tomorrow??? Or Friday, since I'm rather busy tomorrow, lol. Then we can get to editing!

A preview from Chapter 2 of Dull Knives [Rewrite]:

When he opened his eyes, the shadows were staring back at him. His body froze and his breath hitched in unison, twin reactions to the darkness across the room that writhed upon itself like a mass of black fleshy bodies crawling over each other. Each and every single one watched him, however – a fact that Loki knew beyond doubt. Because blinking at him from the darkness were hundreds of flickering, emerald eyes. Are you proud of yourself, now? One of the voices asked, breaking free from the low hum of the whispers which filled the room. It was the voice, the same one that always seemed to talk to him above the others.  Loki couldn’t blink. Did it make you feel better, the voice cooed, to know that you can use one tiny spark? Do you enjoy deluding yourself into thinking that it is coming back? Does it make you feel strong to pretend like something as pitiful as that working is an achievement? You used to be a master of seiðr – someone of merit.

[peppersonironiwrites]

July 24th, 2026 Writing Update

1,869 words written today! The bigger news, however? Sibling bonding has begun :)

Seriously, though, I'm really pleased with what I've written -- especially given the health issues I've been dealing with over the past couple of days. We're so close to the end of this chapter, but I'm also loving all these scenes and spending more time on them! Is this mayhaps a tiny bit because I'm still frustrated with my outline for Chapter 3? Because I can't decide if I want to do a POV switch or not? Of course it isn't! Perish the thought!

Anyway, here's a Preview of Dull Knives Rewrite Chapter 2:

Sometimes, Thanos decided not to have Loki fight. The instances had been rare at first, but as time passed became more and more frequent. Sometimes, like now, Loki melted into the shadows alongside the rest of the Black Order, and watched as two of their number were pitted against each other.  Loki wore the darkness like a cloak from where he stood from anyone else. It was a relief to wear that cloak, to not be the object of inspection for the day. It also gave him a vantage to watch more closely the two women currently grappling, and inspect them without worry of being noticed. Nebula was unabashed with every slash of the large sword she repeatedly bore down on Gamora’s head. She fought without any restraint, lacking any care for conservation of energy and filled with intense purpose. Nebula was skilled, of that fact there was no doubt, and all her skill was fueled by rampant conviction.  Gamora was just as loud as Nebula, unafraid to let loose a guttural cry when a blow landed. She grunted in frustration when she had to dodge or her attack was parried. But despite her audible telegraphing, Gamora possessed a precision in all her actions that was not dependent on any emotional changes brought about by the course of the battle. Nebula fought like she had something to prove. Gamora fought to win. There was something eerily familiar about that.

[peppersonironiwrites]

July 22nd, 2026 Writing Update

I have a raging headache and am vaguely nauseous but whatevs -- 665 words written today for the Dull Knives Rewrite, mostly some montage stuff. I'm really vibing with some plans for the end of the chapter (kinda redid my outline for the final portion yesterday and today… but totally worth it! I think it's much better now). That being said, we'll see what I think of my prose tomorrow, lol

Preview from Chapter 2 of the Dull Knives Rewrite:

The first time that Loki sparred with only one of the sisters was during a three-day period while Gamora was gone from Sanctuary on some assignment for Thanos. Nebula had managed to make it three whole hours before she looked like she wanted to remove Ebony’s head from his body solely for the crime of breathing.   Loki had taken one look at the tense standoff at the midday meal before he decided that he’d really rather not get caught up in a brawl until at least the following week. So he tried the most tested preventative measure and pulled Nebula away from the hall. She’d glowered at him the entire time, as if daring him to say something, but Loki only rolled his eyes in response. When Nebula slammed into the floor later that day, he noted that she was no longer crawling out of her own skin. So he felt no guilt when he reversed the hold and punched Nebula across the face.  Her answering bloody grin only confirmed that he’d made the right choice.

[peppersonironiwrites]

July 21st, 2026 Writing Update

Well, well, well. I'm back to posting on Tumblr! Life has been INSANE y'all (you'll get a full explanation in the author's notes of the next chapter lol), but now I'm back to tell you that today I wrote 1,583 words.

I've finally gotten to the early sibling interactions! It is actually a bit harder than I'd expected, 'cause I keep finding myself slipping into later characterization for them specifically in the dialogue. Bad Pepper -- they aren't even friends yet! But I'm really enjoying this, and I'm coming to the end of the chapter! I'm gonna see if I can get the editing for this one done super quickly too, since I really want to share this with y'all! I hope you enjoy it.

In the meantime, have a snippet from Chapter 2 of the Dull Knives Rewrite:

“What do you want, Nebula?” Loki snarled. Nebula visibly gave Loki a once over. “Seeing if you were still alive.” “Clearly, I am.” “Yes, clearly.” They were locked in an unnerving silence once more, each waiting for the other to make a move. To say something. To define the next portion of the interaction. A few seconds later, Loki sharply sighed with annoyance, and withdrew the dagger. He rolled off of Nebula and came to standing a few feet away. After stashing his dagger back in the sheath on his lift rib, Loki crossed his arms and returned to the familiar scowl.  Nebula stood up without missing a beat, though she was wise enough to maintain the small distance between them. Her previously neutral expression took on a vaguely curious twinge that made Loki want to grind his jaw in frustration. The silence returned. Finally, when it seemed that Nebula got whatever information she’d been in search of – either that, or she made whatever decision she had been mulling over, Loki wasn’t sure which was preferable – Nebula cocked her head to the side.  “This is the first time you’ve left your room in a while,” she rasped. Loki narrowed his eyes. “Yes.” Nebula narrowed her eyes right back. “You’ve been cooped up.” “Yes.”  “You’re pissed.”

[peppersonironiwrites]

June 23rd Writing Update

I got 715 words written today, which honestly was mostly just initial brain-dump bullet points into my draft as opposed to proper prose. But today was a simultaneously busy and unproductive day (Lots of time consuming stuff, including re-bleaching my hair, but less necessary tasks like writing, reading, and studying latin), so I'm happy that I got done what I did!

I also worked on my overall outline for the fic, and I tried something new: utilizing some script analysis techniques I learned as a drama major in order to plot out character motivations and major story beats. It worked really well, and I'm pleased to say I have a much more solid grasp of the flow of the overarching character development! Not that I didn't have it before, of course, but life is so much easier when you bring in a touch of Stanislavski, am I right?

Here's a preview of Chapter 2:

Loki bit his tongue, and resisted the images of operating tables and bloody tools that were beginning to creep into his thoughts. The term Enhancements was not an unfamiliar one to Loki, not after his ribs had been altered what felt like a lifetime ago – though he’d managed to avoid anything more significant since then. Now, however, it was clear that his behavior had little to do with anything – not when apparently a whole team of technicians had needed to spend time developing augments for him. “Well? What will you say to that, my child?” Thanos raised an eyebrow and looked at Loki expectantly, which caused a new wave of uneasy sickness to overtake him. The Mad Titan did not want a groveling apology, or any sort of explanation. Neither did he want to hear any form of protestation or desperate supplication. In this situation, there really was only one thing that Thanos wanted to hear.  So Loki swallowed the bitter taste in his throat, and raised his gaze to meet Thanos’ eyes, with as much earnestness as he could manage to muster. “Thank you, Father. I will make you proud.”

[peppersonironiwrites]

June 22nd Writing Update

Well guess who wrote 1,462 words today and thinks she just nailed the ending of a scene? This girl! I honestly wasn't even expecting some of the emotional beats in this ending scene, but I had an idea to extend/layer in some extra context to my bare bones plotted outline, and I think it worked quite well! This is also just getting me suuuuuuper excited to write the next couple of scenes! This is definitely feeling like a chapter that I will need to heavily edit though, lol. Prose might not be quite as good as I'd personally like, even though the bones are there. But we shall see!

Anyway, here's a little preview for y'all:

In less than a minute, they all withdrew from the space, and Loki was left facing the lone figure who deigned to remain. “You didn’t die. Congrats.” Nebula crossed her arms and glared at him.  He felt her eyes scan over him, probably taking advantage of the clearer view of his battered form. Strangely, however, Loki didn’t mind the acerbic words or tense scrutiny all that much – they didn’t feel quite so dangerous or as unpredictable as the others’ had. She didn’t have to stay, he thought, and privately wondered why, in that case, she had. Nebula’s eyes caught on the dagger in Loki’s hand, pausing for the briefest moment in recognition. She did not, however, look even the slightest bit surprised to find Loki in possession of one of her own knives – one which she certainly had not given him. Loki tensed slightly in anticipation – either of attack or a request for it to be returned, he was uncertain. But there was no way in Hel that Nebula was going to do nothing in the face of such – albeit unintentional – disrespect. 

[peppersonironiwrites]

June 21st Writing Update

Okay, I got through everything in my life, and am back to posting updates about my writing! Today I wrote 1,267 words (heh, ikr?), and finished up a solid battle sequence near the beginning of chapter 2! I'm going to be finishing up this chapter by the end of the month it seems like, so stay tuned!

Here's a preview for you:

It was only then, when Proxima was mere inches from him, that Loki smiled.  Proxima, in such a vulnerable position, had no time to react as Loki gripped the spear with his right hand to steady himself and gain the leverage needed in order to shove a dark blue dagger into her chest.  He had pulled the blade from where it had been stashed in his boot from before the fight, high enough that it could not stop the ankle slashes from earlier. High enough, also, that Loki’s injured left arm, tucked into his side, was able to pull it from the twisted position brought about by the spear’s blow. Proxima stumbled back in shock and ended up tripping on her own feet. She came crashing down onto her back, and as she did so Loki managed to find the strength to pull himself up the metal post of the spear and off the end. He left it slick with his blood and he took a few unsteady steps forward and towards the gasping and prone woman before him. The dagger in her chest was not enough to kill her, at least Loki didn’t think so – she had armor on, which absorbed a decent amount of the force and stopped the blade to a degree, and he knew he’d avoided her heart and major arteries. He thought that perhaps a pierced lung was the worst of the damage. Even though Loki had gotten the sense that Proxima was not as capable of withstanding multiple serious injuries simultaneously as Loki was, and he knew she was, generally speaking, down, the fight was not yet over. No, not a single person watching made an indication that Loki could stand down. No one had called the battle. It would end, he surmised, when one of them was truly incapable of combat. So Loki stepped forward a bit more. With the last of the extra strength he could summon, he shifted his weight to one leg, and kicked Proxima’s head with his boot, knocking her out cold. 

[peppersonironiwrites]

May 27th Writing Update

Well, it sure has been a while. But things got… honestly 'hellish' is one of the best ways to describe my semester's end. I had a lot of stress, and a bunch more major projects (including my thesis for one of my majors). But I got it done! And now, after a bit of a recovery period, I'm back to writing!

644 words written today, returning to Chapter 2! I have some fun plans for this particular chapter (fun for me, not Loki). It felt great to finally start writing again, though I do suspect that the initial part of this chapter will end up needing to be heavily edited due to a touch of rustiness, lol.

Here's a little preview!

Loki was unsure of when he first noticed the gazes, because a part of him had always been aware that he was being watched. He had no concept of solitude, of privacy – either his phantoms haunted him or the guards did. But there was something different about the shadows in the halls and around the edges of the large sparring room, these shadows were sharper in their observation. They bore down on Loki like broken pieces of glass being jabbed into his skin, and were accompanied by the distinct feeling of presence. Sometimes, when Loki was being watched, he could almost tell that it was by ghosts – there was a difference between an entity with a corporeal form, and one which lacked it. Loki could never be certain, however, as he’d been proven wrong enough times to doubt the niggling in the back of his mind.  Still, at times like these – when he was being tested – Loki was fairly sure that at least some of the stares were from those black shadows that crowded around Thanos and his throne. They – that is, Thanos’ children – seemed to prefer hiding in the shadows when tests were going on. They became one with the darkness around the hall, melding into the cold nothingness until the only thing that remained was the feeling of scrutiny like that of all the gloom on the ship.

[peppersonironiwrites]

March 30th Writing Update

I now have a complete outline for Chapter 2, and have begun the drafting process! Super excited to get working on this one, it is continuing themes of the last chapter, introducing new ones, as well as setting up some things I think will be really cool!

[peppersonironiwrites]

March 28th Writing Update

Technically, I didn't get any actual writing done today. That being said, I reviewed my outline for Chapter 2 and finessed some ideas/fleshed out a couple things. Also, I spent basically all day listening to music to get in the right mood and had some really great thoughts!

That last part is awesome -- I'm eternally grateful that I am still having new ideas for Dull Knives that get me really, really excited! I had like 3-4 scene ideas, and a couple dialogue snippets I'm very excited for y'all to read! Also a serious revelation about Loki & Nebula's dynamic, heheheh.

Also spent some time replying to comments and I'll finish those up tomorrow!

[peppersonironiwrites]

March 23rd Writing Update

I finished the Initial Round of Edits for Dull Knives Chapter 1! I have two sections I need to expand/rework, so once that's done it'll be ready to post!

[peppersonironiwrites]

March 21st Writing Update

I have finished Chapter 1 of Dull Knives {Rewrite}!!! I'm so excited, you guys. I'll be editing it tomorrow, and hopefully getting a bit of feedback from some folks, then it will be posted!

Here's a little preview:

The dagger in her right hand flashed dangerously, and he suddenly remembered why he found her so familiar. He winced as the pain in his ribs flared up at the memory – phantom pain, that was all. There was nothing wrong with his ribs. Nothing had happened to them. Nothing at all. He was fine. He was alright. “You look like shit.” He scowled at the remark, and straightened his spine. He was ready for the inevitable attack, his feet as steady as they could be and fingers twitching. “Oh, get over yourself,” the woman scoffed. “You may be the new son, father’s latest interest, but it shouldn’t go to your head.”  Son. Father. “I know you understand me, there’s no point in playing coy.” The woman began to stalk forward, sheathing her knives as she did so. What? Why would she- but her weapons- He needed to get some blades, something to hold onto for himself. His hands felt bare and worthless – and if he really paid attention, if he really focused, he was almost able to forget the dried blood and viscera underneath his broken nails.  After a glance at the woman once more to ensure she did not seem prepared to attack, his gaze began to dart around the room once more. He willed the shadows to stop wavering, to no avail.

[peppersonironiwrites]

March 20th Writing Update

Spring Break go brrrrrrrrrr! I finally have time to write more than a couple sentences a way, muahahahahaha.

Preview of the final scene in Chapter One, up this week! ;-)

The ringing didn’t subside, and the headache was growing worse underneath the harsh fluorescent lights of the ship's passages. His skull felt like it was about to mutiny, to crack open at any time and leave him convulsing on the floor. Unfortunately, it seemed to be taking the leisurely route – every second dragging on into eons with no concern for whatever new development he was about to face. He hadn’t thought about where he was being led, having passively assumed it to be no different than the other trials and places he'd been a part of, until he was distracted from the ringing noise by them suddenly halting at the end of a long, unfamiliar hallway. An inconspicuous doorway lay before them, which slid open a moment later. A moment after that, he’d been shoved through the threshold before the door closed behind him.  The room was dark, shadows draping the walls like curtains. They billowed and moved at the edges, despite no obvious light source shifting at all. The room was also quiet, so quiet that he hadn’t realized how loud the rest of the ship had been until that moment. The lack of noise in the room was profound – no creaking of walls, no shifting of weight, no murmurs and whispers – that he breathed a sigh of relief slowly out through his nose (it certainly felt like his first breath of the day). The ringing in his ears was fading to a mere dull drumming. It had only been moments, but it was enough. Time returned to its normal tempo, a steady rhythm he marked along with the pulse of his heart. “Are you just going to stand there all morning?” A harsh, raspy voice cut through the silence.

[peppersonironiwrites]

March 4th Writing Update

Well, at least I never promised to update daily! I did want to let y'all know that the first chapter is basically finished in terms of writing, though I'm currently working with my Beta to edit and go over major story plots (we are both in college, currently working on our Theses, so things are a bit slow going!)

But… yeah! Sorry for not updating in February, but I HAVE been working on Dull Knives. I didn't just stop writing and abandon y'all, I just stopped going on Tumblr and scheduling editing is a bit of a pain (but I think it is very important that I get someone else's opinion, especially 'cause she's a close friend and an English Major, lol)

I'll try to post some snippets in the next few days to keeps things interesting while you wait :)

[peppersonironiwrites]

February 1 Writing Update

I took a couple days off from writing for a personal issue, but I came back to it tonight (after listening to a lot of angsty music, lol) and I finished the penultimate scene from Chapter 1! It is a bit of a fight scene, so that means I'm definitely going to be going through with heavy editing, but I'll give you a snippet anyway. This means I just have one final scene left in Chapter 1, and I've already started it! I'll be going over it all with my Beta, then it shall be posted.

Here is a Preview:

She was fast, as evidenced by her sudden rush towards him, and strong, as made clear by the way she’d kicked him square in the back that sent him flying towards the ground. He managed to roll to the side just in time to narrowly escape the pair of knives that came flying through the air towards him. He quickly jumped to his feet and ducked once more as the woman changed course in the fraction of a section to come raging towards him once more. The fight had been difficult before, that much was absolutely certain. He would not have claimed that his previous opponents had not been strong or fast or technically advanced. But this woman made him scared. A blade whizzed past his face, actually slicing his cheek – albeit shallowly. In the time that it took for a portion of his hair which had been severed to fall to the floor, he’d been struck thrice more with blows from reinforced boots. The Luphomoid kept pressing forward, just as wild as he and twice as more precise. Every parry or dodge made him tire, and he knew he had limited time left. The decided moment had finished before he even realized it had happened.

[peppersonironiwrites]

Jan 27th, 2026 Writing Update

School was cancelled today, so I stayed in my apartment all day and got work done. Including writing 721 words of Chapter One of the Dull Knives {Rewrite}.

Here's a little preview for y'all:

Whatever righteous fury that coursed through his veins had to wait its turn while he scratched and kicked and shoved each approaching enemy until their numbers wheedled down one by one to only a pair. He didn’t kill any of them – the only bit of restraint left anywhere in his consciousness was devoted to following the orders of the master – but that didn’t mean he was all that discerning when it came to their well-being. The crunches the cries and cackles – his own? – sang of his success like a long-forgotten hymn. There were only two more before him, the male was limping and was at the forefront of his vision to the point where he almost missed the female if not for the random flicking of his eyes around the room. The male came closer, but he was able to make quick work of the foe with a wild thrashing and battering. A groaning heap on the floor was all that was left a half-second later.  He stood over the body and gasped in breaths to keep his legs from collapsing under him. He just wanted to fall down atop the sea of bodies littering the floor – a sight which he only now began to notice. They were all around him, their weapons at their sides having done them no good. Across the room the Titan sat upon his seat, his apparent aid – a female Zen-Whoberi standing to his right. The Titan did nothing, which just caused him to feel the anxiety from before begin to seep back in. Why wouldn’t he – but wasn’t it over? He’d done it, he’d fought them all off, he’d succeeded, he’d done well, hadn’t he?  He shivered and straightened up, taking a long deep breath to steady himself before he walked forward – that seemed the best course of action, didn’t it? It certainly seemed that way… until the air was once again knocked from his lungs. He’d forgotten about the woman behind him.

[peppersonironiwrites]

Fic Summary:

Loki swallowed, and Gamora wondered if she had ever seen him so vulnerable. Not for a long time, she thought, not since he had first come to Sanctuary – when he’d been broken. Broken, just as she and Nebula had been.

“I have nowhere else.”

Gamora looked at him, and took account of every inch of the man before her. Gamora looked at him, and saw how he fidgeted. How he held his breath. How he hoped. Gamora looked at him, and recalled her conversation with Drax that morning.

“It is worth protecting, you know.”

“What is?”

“Family.”

Family.

She wanted hers whole.

Gamora looked at him – looked at her brother – and smiled.

“Welcome aboard, Loki.”

*****

What if Loki had never been sent to Earth by Thanos? What if he stayed on Sanctuary for years, a member of the Black Order alongside Nebula and Gamora until 2014, when he was sent with the sisters to aid Ronan's search for the Power Stone? What if, soon after, Loki joined the Guardians of the Galaxy?

{This is a Rewrite of my 2022 Fic, which can be found here}