Hi! I've just finished reading your story 'Cursive' for the second time, and I just wanted to say that I love it. It's really good! Though, I do have a question; Are Asugi and Nina a thing? Because their interactions in the story have made me ship them, and on my next revelations run I'm pairing them up because of it. Thanks again for your beautiful story!
Hello anon, thank you for your message Iâm glad youâve enjoyed the story ^.^Â
HmmâŚI like to leave the rest of the charactersâ relationships completely up to the interpretation of the readers. No matter what, follow your gut and your heart and ship whatever you please. Isnât writing to inspire the feelings and imaginations of others the best part of creating a story?Â
This was written months ago but when I finished Ch.4, I had to cut it out mostly due to length. Iâm sorry this took so long, I had little free time because of school. Thank you for all the support on Cursive! See the bonus scene below the cut ^.^
ao3: Â read from chapter one
Shiro couldnât sleep. His eyes had long since adjusted to the light and he could make out, quite clearly the sleeping forms of those beside him. He flipped onto his back, restless. A hand behind his head as he looked to the ceiling, the other on his stomach under the blanket. The room was filled with the steady breaths of the sleeping children. He closed his eyes, listening for Siegbertâs and found that even his breathing was gentle.
He thought back to a couple days ago when he and Asugi were at the canteen buying lunch. It rained that day, as it had been for the last two, a downpour in the mornings that turned into a drizzle by late afternoon. Shiroâs usual lunch consisted of a meat bun, curry bun, and red bean for dessert. Asugi favoured the sweet ones, rotating daily between red bean, custard, and chocolate. That day, Siegbert had a student council meeting so they ate by the window near their favourite vending machine instead of on the rooftop. Territorial, Nina had accused them of once. Shiro was staring out the window, watching the rain drench the field, hoping it would end before practice. He did not mind the mud and the dirt but every time he went to see Siegbert at the cafe the boss would turn up his nose like he was a giant dog.
He sighed and glanced at Asugi, casually thumbing over articles on his phone with a sucker in his mouth. He sighed again.
âCan I do something for you, Shiro?â Asugi did not look at him but his eyes lifted like he had rolled them.
âItâs raining,â he said, monotonously.
âSo? I canât do anything about that.â He rotated his phone to the side and a video began to play.
Shiro groaned. He turned and slid down to the floor, kicking his feet out in front of him.
âItâll clear up soon,â said Asugi, his eyes never leaving the screen. âThen after practice, youâll visit Siegbert and you can tell him all about how I put up with your complaining during lunch when he wasnât around.â His words slurred with the sucker still in his mouth.
He made a small sound of amusement, keeping his eyes on the floor.
From the end of the hall, he heard the sound of a group of students walking by and instinctively looked up. They were younger than them, second years from the blue trim on the skirts of their uniform. He turned back to the window uninterested but noticed Asugi had been watching them as they passed. The sound of the rain filled their silence and Shiro bit slowly into the curry bun, watching as rain droplets hit the window, picking two and racing them across the pane.
âWhatâs it like,â Asugi spoke after some time had passed. âWith a guy, I mean.â
He found he could not look his friend in the eye. âWhy?â
He shrugged. âThought Iâd ask.â
Shiro stood awkwardly and rested his elbow against the window ledge, burying his chin into the knitted sleeve of his cardigan. He could feel his ears turn red. âYou donât just ask these things,â he murmured into his sleeve.
âReally, I canât imagine the appeal.â He brought a hand to the sucker and twisted the stick. It was a nervous habit Asugi had never really been able to get rid of.
He understood, not long ago he never would have thought about it himself. Now, all that consumed him was the half mast eyes, a deep brown gazing back at him with flushed cheeks and the long lashes that curled around them, tickling his cheek when he went to nibble his ear. He wanted to feel the rapid beating of Siegbertâs heart beneath the slender muscles of his chest and reach below his stomach, between his legs to find fine golden hair.
Shiro opened his eyes, taking him back to the darkness of the theatre room in Kiragiâs house. He realized with a flush that his hand had moved underneath his shorts. It was hopeless. Shiro got up from the futon as quietly as he could and headed for the bathroom.
Floors creaked quietly as he walked by the kitchen barefooted to the guest bathroom. Though he was already quite a distance away from the sleeping trio, he acted as silently as he could, lifting up the sliding door of the bathroom a fraction of an inch to slide it open and slipping himself inside, locking the door behind him.
The bathroom was small and meticulously designed just like the rest of the house. A low stool sat in front of a shower head and a large window overlooked the open forest when one were to sit in the rectangular bathtub. The entire room was covered in a dark tile. In the corner, a small green plant was placed on top of a table with a basket of hand towels. Shiro slumped down onto the cold tile resting his back against the bathtub, pushing his hair back with his hand, squinting at the bright ceiling light as he tilted his head back, taking himself back to his conversation with Asugi.
âI didnât really either," he had answered finally. "But if you want to know what itâs like, I canât help you there. We havenât done anything."
Asugi fixed him with a look. âYou havenât--,â
â--no.â
âWhat about--,â
â--nope.â
He arched a brow. âEven--,â
âNo.â He blushed furiously.
âBut youâre both guys, you should know how to--,â
âStop.â He laughed, shaking his head from side to side. Â
Asugi seemed to be holding his tongue. He stared at Shiro, chewing his bottom lip until he said, âwhy not?â
Shiro pressed his palms into his forehead. âHasnât been the right time I guess.â This was all so incredibly awkward, he thought. âItâs fine,â he said a little too sharply and flinched when he saw thin lips press together in a smirk, bracing himself as he balanced on the blade of Asugiâs silver tongue.
âScared you wonât like what you find?â
He frowned now as he did then. Already half hard, he had slid his boxers and shorts off beside him. Shiro breathed out, long and slow as he spread his legs slightly apart and felt the pulsing thickness between his legs. He thought of the soft inner thighs hiding lean muscle and how when he squeezed them, they would flex against his hand with a shudder. Siegbert had arched his back into his chest, exposing his throat and grabbed a fistful of Shiro's hair, causing a current to run through him. His heart beat quickly and he squeezed his eyes shut. It did not take long and Shiro found himself slightly flushed, his cheeks warm, breathing laboured, and his hand sticky.
âI donât think thatâs the case,â he said to himself.
After cleaning himself off, he dressed quickly and stood to glance at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was tousled and his eyes much too bright, matching the lingering redness of his flushed face.
In the darkness, he used his hand to guide himself back to the theatre room. The task was not a difficult one, he had known this house for years, as well as his own. From the bathroom he knew if he reached a hand out he would find the dent where Kiragi accidentally threw a baseball through the wall on Childrenâs Day. His uncle had spent the rest of the afternoon patching up the hole.
Back in the theatre room, filled with sounds of even breaths and the hum of the heater, he stopped to gaze at Siegbertâs sleeping form. The blanket lay listlessly underneath his arm, he slept on his side, feet tucked underneath him. He had a wide forehead, handsome and regal but his face was angelic with the sort of delicacy that tugged at Shiro's heart and there lay a sweetness from the transparency of all the emotions that painted across from it. His exposed hand curled so that his thumb and index fingers touched and with a muffled chuckle, Shiro thought he looked like he was holding a pencil.
He titled his head and his brows furrowed slightly. Not a pencil, Shiro thought, lips quivering into a grin. Maybe a brush.
He lingered only a little longer. Shiro passed by the sleeping forms of Forrest and Kiragi and slipped inside the futon, carefully lifting the blanket so as to not disturb Kiragi and his mess of sprawled out limbs. Tiredness overcame him and he slept.
I just want to say that I love Cursive and it is my favorite fanfic of Shiro and Siegbert, I'm really looking forward for the next chapter!
Hello thank you! Iâm not sure why this didnât show up in my inbox but I really do appreciate such a kind comment! Iâm very busy in my last semester with school so I havenât been writing much but I can share this with you for being so kind - thank you so much again! Hereâs a small bit of the Cursive bonus chapterâŚthis is first draft material so probably less than 30% of this will make it into the final draft. Itâs not much, I donât even know if youâll see this but if you do I hope you know that I still love these two and want to finish their story.Â
âŚÂ
 âWhatâs it like,â Asugi spoke softly. âWhatâs it like with a guy?âÂ
 It caught him by surprise. Asugi had put the phone away. âWhy? Curious?âÂ
 He shrugged. âThought Iâd ask.âÂ
 Shiro smiled, teeth white and gleaming. âYou donât just ask these things.â
 âReally, I canât imagine the appeal.â He struggled with the words, Shiro notes. He understood. What felt like a flood rushing him, the half mast eyes, a deep brown, gazing back at him with flushed cheeks, and parted lips. Beneath the slender muscles of Siegbertâs chest, he thought of the rapid beating of his heart and how they matched with his own.Â
 âI didnât really either. But if you want to know what itâs like, I canât help you there. We havenât done anything,â he answered finally.Â
He tilted his head. âYou havenâtâ,â
ââno.âÂ
âWhat aboutâ,âÂ
âânope.âÂ
âEvenâ,âÂ
âNo.âÂ
âBut youâre both guys, you should know how toâ,âÂ
âStop.â He laughed.
âWhy not though?âÂ
Shiro pressed his palms into his forehead. âHasnât been the right time I guess.â Then when Asugi gave him a look. âItâs fine,â he said it reflexively and flinched when he saw thin lips press together in a smirk, bracing himself as he balanced on the blade of Asugiâs silver tongue.Â
âScared you wonât like what you find?âÂ
âÂ
He frowned now as he did then. He stood and dressed himself. The bathroom mirror showed his reflection when he stood to wash his hands. He looked like a mess, a residual redness on his cheeks, eyes too wide and bright.Â
âI donât think thatâs the case,â he said to himself.
Dialogue is fun. Characters interacting with each other is fun. Dialogue is a great way to move the story along. Personally, I find it gets boring reading a book that continuously tells you what is happening so I shouldnât expect readers of my fics to enjoy it either. With dialogue, you learn as the characters learn, making it more exciting - more alive. It sounds weird, but I like to talk to myself as the characters. Itâs the best way to understand them and when you take the time to write purposeful dialogue, you get the best flow in your story.
Dialogue should always have a purpose. Whether itâs to convey a characterâs feelings, opinions, or introducing something new, etc. But it should always flow smoothly. Donât rush to get your point across, let it happen organically. A lot of this has to do with writing in character, but Iâll end this here for now since this is mostly a little self reminder to be patient with dialogue =]
tl;dr: never half-ass dialogue. Always full-ass it =P
Thank you for 100+ kudos on Cursive! To celebrate, I drew Shiro & Siegbert in their uniforms! Siegbertâs definitely the type to wear his uniform properly but Shiro probably doesnât like how stiff the blazer is so he wears the cardigan instead ^.^
Chapters: 3/8
Fandom: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem Series
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shinonome | Shiro/Siegbert
Summary:
Siegbert started work at the local cafe under his boss Jakob to help with his shyness. Shiro, the rugby team captain, needs a tutor.
Modern coffee shop AU.
In his presence, the world felt raw in your hands, ripe as summer fruit, and bursting with sweetness. There was nothing deliberate in his actions, nothing that hinted at a desperation for acceptance. Only an unself-consciousness that other popular people never carried with them making him infinitely more captivating. It would be impossibly cruel to hide him away from the world.
I began planning an original BL visual novel series two years ago to this day and I still donât feel completely ready to create it. But looking back at chapter drafts, plot ideas, and character designs and I can honestly say I still love the story.
I think thatâs when you know that you have to write a story - when it demands to be told.
His eyes had caught the light of Siegbertâs hair in the sun; the shade had turned lucid, almost white, while the rest had remained golden. He thought of how much he would have liked to feel it between his fingers.
Siegbert started work at the local cafe under his boss Jakob to help with his shyness. Shiro, the rugby team captain, needs a tutor. Modern coffee shop AU.
â...I'm just not really into politics.â Shiro pressed his cheek onto the wooden table. His bangs fell into his eyes and Siegbert couldnât help but think that this was what he looked like when waking. He forced his gaze away, pulling a textbook closer to himself.
âStart by reading the question and understand what theyâre asking you. Then skim the passage looking for the same keywords to help you answer your question. Instead of remembering everything as singular facts, think of them like an interconnected story to make it more interesting. Those keywords should help jog your memory when reading them so it would be wise for you to be aware of them. Itâll be a good way to save time...in case you fall asleep during your test tomorrow⌠er..today.â He said with a smile.
âFunny. But tempting.â Shiroâs lips quirked up at the corner. âWhat time is it anyways?â
âA little past 2 in the morning. Donât you dare give up now, youâre not even close to ready.â
âIâm not, Iâm not. There are just a million other things Iâd rather be doing right now. Notably sleeping. Eating is another. But thanks for staying with me, Siegbert. Isnât it late for you getting home now? I could walk you home if youâd like.â
Siegbert raised an eyebrow. âDo I look like I need you to escort me?â
âNah, thatâs not what I meant.â Another smirk and Siegbertâs heart skipped.Â
A snippet of Chapter Four in (The Song of Achilles) told from Achillesâ POV
Amphidamas greeted me as I came through the door, I greeted my father first then him and they continued on with a conversation that had begun prior to my arrival. I seated myself opposite of my father, helping myself to the warm bread and soft cheese in front of me. My mind wandered to the song already forming as I ate, my hand drummed softly on my thigh mimicking the soft plucking of fingers on the lyre. I ate swiftly hoping to get the day started. My father often said I ate quickly but I did not agree, I would one day be immortal and had no reason to rush. I watched him from across the table and matched the movements of my jaw to his as he chewed his bread and cheese. He did not notice me and I grew bored of this quickly, his attention was elsewhere; to the master telling him of a boy who had been skipping morning drills.
This boy I remembered. He watched me often during dinner when I was with the other boys. He was slow, never quick enough to avert his gaze before I caught him staring - eyes wider than mine and coloured a deep brown with lashes that feathered around them as if protecting a jewel. Maybe he was ill, I thought. He was not big, not strong, and they told me he did not have the competitive nature of the other boys that lived here with us. He was weak and perhaps would fall ill often. My fatherâs conversation with the master continued on about the boy, they had moved on to discussing punishment for when he was found. He would not have run, the master had said and my father agreed. They said that he was an exile.
I excused myself after eating, heading towards the door that led to the center of the palace. There were guards and slaves and servants going about their daily work and duties in every corner. One of them must have seen where he had run off to. They had. A servant told me of a boy sneaking his way to the storeroom earlier this morning. I thanked her before heading there, my feet carrying me quickly. During dinners, just the quickest glance from me had his eyes darting away. I would not let him get away this time.
The MWPSB are called in to follow a string of gruesome murders that have been occurring in the city. While the crimes escalate in violence, the case seems to hit too close to home for one member of the team. Guided by Makishima Shogo, 17 year old Ryouta, embraces his unhealthy love for his best friend, Kentarou. Rated M for language, violence, and sexual content. Contains BL.
Read Chapter One [ here ]
