my middle school sins caught up with me

writer of original fiction allergic to shutting the fuck up take it easy, man. but take it!!

[reneesbooks]

a writeblr (re)intro

hello and welcome. i've been around for a while and thought it about time to reintroduce myself

who the hell are you?

mid 20s, she/her

allergic to shutting the fuck up

writer of fantasy and low sci-fi

lover of romance with a special place in my heart for $1 half-price-books-sale-section romance novels

bad at taking things seriously

day job is teaching middle school :(

i have two kitties who i love with my whole heart even when they bite me

i enjoy tag games and ask games <3

what did you say you write?

the raedoran cycle genre: fantasy status: in progress. main wip and main cause of my insomnia. is actually 4.5 wips in a trenchcoat summary: a knight tries to keep his queen from falling into madness. two thieves set their sights on stealing the crown jewels. two dragons escape the massacre of their people by hiding as humans. threading it all together is a witch, blessed by the silver moon, trying to find the answers to a prophecy that has haunted her for her whole life. if you like: found family, magical shenanigans, stories about grief, stories about love--consider asking to be added to the taglist <3 taglist: @k--havok @oh-no-another-idea @space-writes @lyssa-ink

hurts, doesn't it? genre: low sci-fi/dystopian status: shelved :( summary: Will is a florist. and yet he's been pulled into a world of black markets, rebels, and a knife-throwing painter named Kat, who seems determined to make his life as difficult as possible.

sting genre: sci-fi status: shelved :( summary: if she has to go out on the ocean herself to capture one of the aquatic aliens that landed on earth in order to study them, Iris is willing to do it. never mind that she doesn't know how to operate a boat. so when her grant application is rejected and she makes the foolish decision to go out after all, Kiri has to go with her to make sure she doesn't do something stupid and get herself killed, or crash Kiri's boat.

log date persephone genre: sci-fi/horror status: draft 1 finished and shelved :( summary: an astronomer is separated from their crew and stranded on a strange planet, documenting everything through audio logs. as more time passes and the astronomer waits for rescue, more details of their strange and terrifying new reality emerge in their logs.

and that's me! please consider checking out the raedoran cycle :)

[quietwingsinthesky]

like the betrayal’s always going to be worse if they cared about you and it didn’t matter. someone discards you because they didn’t give a shit, then you can be angry about that, you can feel vindicated in that, you can get over it. but if they can look you in the eyes and say “I love you. I would make the same choice again.” You will never sleep peacefully again, is all.

[quietwingsinthesky]

“I thought they cared about me, but they were lying this whole time.” <- tired. boring. removes all the nuance of this relationship to make it easier to move on from.

“I thought they cared about me, and I was right, and every minute they were there for me, every time they said they were proud, every laugh we shared leaning against each other bruised and breathless, all of it was real. and they still left me behind. They could put their love aside. I couldn’t.” <- insane. will never leave you alone. reminds you that even the worst people are still people and can still care about even the ones they hurt the most and that undoes neither the harm nor the love.

[quietwingsinthesky]

okay. something about the way i worded this is making people think this is a vent thing about real relationships. and it’s fine if that’s where it took you. but i feel like i need to be transparent here: this be blorboposting. karlach cliffgate and her terrible awful no good very bad betrayal.

[goldensunset]

‘the protagonist should be endearing and relatable’ the protagonist should make the audience scream and start banging on the one-way glass of the fourth wall. the protagonist should burn their entire life down and make the world’s worst sandcastle from the ashes. if they aren’t the cause of at least 50% of their own problems what are we doing here

[reneesbooks]

find the word tag

from my beloved mutual @memento-morri-writes <3 my words are small, smile, sneak, and snake. digging around in lacuna :)

the raedoran cycle

small

He turns to run and Keelan launches himself to his feet. He catches the thief’s arm, yanking him backwards. His eye snags on the perfectly round scar on the side of the thief’s neck and his grip instantly loosens with shock. “Mallaithe.” The thief twists out of Keelan’s hold and ducks down, driving something small and sharp into the gap in Keelan’s armor on his blind side. He grunts, dropping to one knee. The thief backs away, grinning roguishly, and adjusts his scarf to cover the scar. “Nice to meet you too, gorgeous.”

smile

Keelan glances at Maura, who only smirks, and sighs, jogging down the path after Birdie. She shrieks when she realizes he’s actually chasing her and runs faster, silver hair flying out behind her. He can hear Maura laughing behind him and feels a smile grow on his face. If Rosaleen is the Summer Queen, her daughters are all spring, bouncing and bright. Birdie rounds the corner around the edge of the hedge maze and disappears between its tall walls. Keelan pauses at the entrance to catch his breath, hearing Birdie’s laughter echo out from the depths.

sneak (jarthur interlude bc i couldn't find it in lacuna)

Maia actually laughs. Arthur recoils. "You want to sneak into the castle? Where the queen and her mad dog live? You have death wishes, then."

snake

“Tonight,” Proteus says, his voice trembling with rare emotion, “my baby daughter should have celebrated her eighth birthday.” Maura’s fingers curl into fists in her lap. Keelan keeps his expression as blank as possible even as he feels eyes on him. “Instead, we are still in mourning for her and her mother, my beloved wife, your queen. They were murdered, brutally and without mercy, by a snake. A servant of the devil.” Proteus’s knuckles are white on the arms of his throne. “A witch. Magic may have once had a place here, but now I see that it will only bring more death and destruction. It is in my daughter’s memory that I act now.”

passing along tags to @akindofmagictoo @oh-no-another-idea @dragon-swords-prophecies and anyone else who sees this to find sharp, round, laugh, and blank <3

[reneesbooks]

six sentences tag

from the lovely @willtheweaver thank you <3 these are notoriously hard for me since i can't shut the fuck up but i think i've found a good one this time. pulling from lacuna chapter four, the witch trials :)

the raedoran cycle

Proteus grabs Maura’s arm. “Not here,” he hisses. “Not in front of the court.” Maura shakes him off as Keelan descends the stairs. “You yourself taught me the value of a public punishment. The message should be clear to those watching as well.”

passing along gentle tags to @oh-no-another-idea @memento-morri-writes @zmwrites @space-writes and anyone else who sees this <3

[reneesbooks]

find the word tag

from my beloved mutual @memento-morri-writes <3 my words are small, smile, sneak, and snake. digging around in lacuna :)

the raedoran cycle

small

He turns to run and Keelan launches himself to his feet. He catches the thief’s arm, yanking him backwards. His eye snags on the perfectly round scar on the side of the thief’s neck and his grip instantly loosens with shock. “Mallaithe.” The thief twists out of Keelan’s hold and ducks down, driving something small and sharp into the gap in Keelan’s armor on his blind side. He grunts, dropping to one knee. The thief backs away, grinning roguishly, and adjusts his scarf to cover the scar. “Nice to meet you too, gorgeous.”

smile

Keelan glances at Maura, who only smirks, and sighs, jogging down the path after Birdie. She shrieks when she realizes he’s actually chasing her and runs faster, silver hair flying out behind her. He can hear Maura laughing behind him and feels a smile grow on his face. If Rosaleen is the Summer Queen, her daughters are all spring, bouncing and bright. Birdie rounds the corner around the edge of the hedge maze and disappears between its tall walls. Keelan pauses at the entrance to catch his breath, hearing Birdie’s laughter echo out from the depths.

sneak (jarthur interlude bc i couldn't find it in lacuna)

Maia actually laughs. Arthur recoils. "You want to sneak into the castle? Where the queen and her mad dog live? You have death wishes, then."

snake

“Tonight,” Proteus says, his voice trembling with rare emotion, “my baby daughter should have celebrated her eighth birthday.” Maura’s fingers curl into fists in her lap. Keelan keeps his expression as blank as possible even as he feels eyes on him. “Instead, we are still in mourning for her and her mother, my beloved wife, your queen. They were murdered, brutally and without mercy, by a snake. A servant of the devil.” Proteus’s knuckles are white on the arms of his throne. “A witch. Magic may have once had a place here, but now I see that it will only bring more death and destruction. It is in my daughter’s memory that I act now.”

passing along tags to @akindofmagictoo @oh-no-another-idea @dragon-swords-prophecies and anyone else who sees this to find sharp, round, laugh, and blank <3

[reneesbooks]

six sentences tag

from the lovely @willtheweaver thank you <3 these are notoriously hard for me since i can't shut the fuck up but i think i've found a good one this time. pulling from lacuna chapter four, the witch trials :)

the raedoran cycle

Proteus grabs Maura’s arm. “Not here,” he hisses. “Not in front of the court.” Maura shakes him off as Keelan descends the stairs. “You yourself taught me the value of a public punishment. The message should be clear to those watching as well.”

passing along gentle tags to @oh-no-another-idea @memento-morri-writes @zmwrites @space-writes and anyone else who sees this <3

[reneesbooks]

find the word tag

from @avrablake thank you <3 i just finished chapter 4 after weeks of banging my head against my desk so i'm filling out some tags to celebrate. my words are enjoy, excuse, effect, and excess. let's dig in lacuna and never forget i'm allergic to shutting the fuck up :)

enjoy

His heart is galloping under his shirt, his palms sweating again. He lifts his gaze to the chandeliers, counting candles until he can hear past the rushing blood in his ears. “Enjoying the ball?” He smiles and looks down at where Maura is standing at his side, nibbling on a pastry. “As much as I am able. My father always used to say that Morbhard was a world away from Leyne. The longer I am here, the more I understand what he meant.” Maura hums, finishing her pastry and licking her fingers absentmindedly. “Take a walk with me in the gardens?”

excuse

“My father said something to me often,” Maura interrupts, her eyes narrowing. “The law is the law. None are exempt.” She tosses a disdainful look at the duchess. “Those who have no respect for the law will always have excuses for breaking it.” She crouches down and tips the duchess’s chin up with one finger. Keelan’s fingers tighten around his sword. Maura tilts her head to the side. “Your Grace,” she says. “You asked for mercy. You shall have it.” The duchess sobs. “Thank you, Your Majesty—” “Do not thank me, wretch.” Maura’s lip curls. “Your mercy is the mercy allotted by law. Tell me. Which foot do you value more?” The duchess’s lip trembles. “I beg you, mercy, Your Majesty, mercy—” “You shall have it.” Maura’s eyes are unforgiving. “Which foot?”

effect

“No, no,” the interrogator says, and a sharp smell under his nose has him gasping into full agonizing alertness. “You have to be awake to confess, or it doesn’t count.” Keelan inhales and exhales sharply, trying to focus through the blinding pain. “Is that supposed to be a joke?” “I am not one for jokes.” Keelan barks out a harsh laugh, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling again. “I am not surprised.” The pain fades a bit, the effects of whatever the interrogator used to wake him wearing off. He lowers his gaze to where the interrogator is inspecting his shelf of tools, wondering what kind of Guildin alchemy that had been. Maura would be interested in it, at least to know how it works. Though he’s not sure giving her a way to stay awake when she shouldn’t is a good idea. Perhaps he’ll keep it to himself.

excess not found :(

passing along tags to anyone who sees this and also @memento-morri-writes @oh-no-another-idea @akindofmagictoo to find sweat, crouch, tilt, and lower <3

[reneesbooks]

finding words

another one this time from beloved @space-writes thank you <3 my words are why, now, want, and out. more lacuna :)

why

He scowls at the hay, stabbing into it more viciously. It is bad enough that he survived when so many didn’t; he hates that now all everyone wants to do is talk about why. What mystical power or gift from the gods had been bestowed upon him to allow him to survive and kill twelve men?

now

Most of the guards avoid him now and have since the trials began. Word of his reputation is spreading amongst the people as well, with more whispers of a mad dog at the princess’s side. He certainly hadn’t helped the whispers when he cut out the tongue of a guard he’d heard make an inappropriate joke about Maura. The rumors began quickly that he would remove the tongue of anyone he caught using the princess’s name. He’s allowed this rumor to spread without any objection.

want

It feels like he’s been standing there for days when the door finally opens and Maura steps out. There is a smattering of blood on her hem. Keelan looks past her to where the prisoner is slumped on the floor, nose still gushing blood. “That will be all,” Maura says, calm and collected. “Please return the prisoner to his cell.” Keelan almost wants to refuse, to demand that she tell him what the hell is going on, but instead he retrieves the blubbering man and tosses him back into the cell with the other witches. When he turns again, Maura is doing a spell of some kind to clean the blood from her dress. “And now, my princess?” he asks. She looks up, her gaze cold and calculating. “Bring me another.”

out

She summons cushions and sheets and they lounge on the floor, drinking the wine straight from the bottle when they are too tipsy to not drop their glasses. Maura’s cheeks flush a pretty shade of pink and she loses her balance, leaning on Keelan more and more. They finish off the bottle and Maura dares him to open another. He complies and brushes her hair out of her face, tracing her jaw with his fingertips. She collapses with a huff into the pillows, insisting that the room needs to stop spinning. “Perhaps we drank too much wine,” Keelan says, trying to blink away his own swimming vision. “Impossible,” Maura replies. “I am the princess. I declare it impossible.” Keelan smiles, laying down next to her. “Yes, my princess.” She hiccups. “I wish for…I wish for a kiss.” Keelan laughs, rolling onto his side so he can reach out and cup her face. “That is your wish for the midwinter feast?” She nods, curling her fingers into his shirt. “It is all I want that I can have.”

tagging @zmwrites @dragon-swords-prophecies @oh-no-another-idea and anyone else who would like to join in to find scowl, whisper, calm, and curl <3

[reneesbooks]

finding words

another one this time from beloved @space-writes thank you <3 my words are why, now, want, and out. more lacuna :)

why

He scowls at the hay, stabbing into it more viciously. It is bad enough that he survived when so many didn’t; he hates that now all everyone wants to do is talk about why. What mystical power or gift from the gods had been bestowed upon him to allow him to survive and kill twelve men?

now

Most of the guards avoid him now and have since the trials began. Word of his reputation is spreading amongst the people as well, with more whispers of a mad dog at the princess’s side. He certainly hadn’t helped the whispers when he cut out the tongue of a guard he’d heard make an inappropriate joke about Maura. The rumors began quickly that he would remove the tongue of anyone he caught using the princess’s name. He’s allowed this rumor to spread without any objection.

want

It feels like he’s been standing there for days when the door finally opens and Maura steps out. There is a smattering of blood on her hem. Keelan looks past her to where the prisoner is slumped on the floor, nose still gushing blood. “That will be all,” Maura says, calm and collected. “Please return the prisoner to his cell.” Keelan almost wants to refuse, to demand that she tell him what the hell is going on, but instead he retrieves the blubbering man and tosses him back into the cell with the other witches. When he turns again, Maura is doing a spell of some kind to clean the blood from her dress. “And now, my princess?” he asks. She looks up, her gaze cold and calculating. “Bring me another.”

out

She summons cushions and sheets and they lounge on the floor, drinking the wine straight from the bottle when they are too tipsy to not drop their glasses. Maura’s cheeks flush a pretty shade of pink and she loses her balance, leaning on Keelan more and more. They finish off the bottle and Maura dares him to open another. He complies and brushes her hair out of her face, tracing her jaw with his fingertips. She collapses with a huff into the pillows, insisting that the room needs to stop spinning. “Perhaps we drank too much wine,” Keelan says, trying to blink away his own swimming vision. “Impossible,” Maura replies. “I am the princess. I declare it impossible.” Keelan smiles, laying down next to her. “Yes, my princess.” She hiccups. “I wish for…I wish for a kiss.” Keelan laughs, rolling onto his side so he can reach out and cup her face. “That is your wish for the midwinter feast?” She nods, curling her fingers into his shirt. “It is all I want that I can have.”

tagging @zmwrites @dragon-swords-prophecies @oh-no-another-idea and anyone else who would like to join in to find scowl, whisper, calm, and curl <3

[reneesbooks]

find the word tag

from @avrablake thank you <3 i just finished chapter 4 after weeks of banging my head against my desk so i'm filling out some tags to celebrate. my words are enjoy, excuse, effect, and excess. let's dig in lacuna and never forget i'm allergic to shutting the fuck up :)

enjoy

His heart is galloping under his shirt, his palms sweating again. He lifts his gaze to the chandeliers, counting candles until he can hear past the rushing blood in his ears. “Enjoying the ball?” He smiles and looks down at where Maura is standing at his side, nibbling on a pastry. “As much as I am able. My father always used to say that Morbhard was a world away from Leyne. The longer I am here, the more I understand what he meant.” Maura hums, finishing her pastry and licking her fingers absentmindedly. “Take a walk with me in the gardens?”

excuse

“My father said something to me often,” Maura interrupts, her eyes narrowing. “The law is the law. None are exempt.” She tosses a disdainful look at the duchess. “Those who have no respect for the law will always have excuses for breaking it.” She crouches down and tips the duchess’s chin up with one finger. Keelan’s fingers tighten around his sword. Maura tilts her head to the side. “Your Grace,” she says. “You asked for mercy. You shall have it.” The duchess sobs. “Thank you, Your Majesty—” “Do not thank me, wretch.” Maura’s lip curls. “Your mercy is the mercy allotted by law. Tell me. Which foot do you value more?” The duchess’s lip trembles. “I beg you, mercy, Your Majesty, mercy—” “You shall have it.” Maura’s eyes are unforgiving. “Which foot?”

effect

“No, no,” the interrogator says, and a sharp smell under his nose has him gasping into full agonizing alertness. “You have to be awake to confess, or it doesn’t count.” Keelan inhales and exhales sharply, trying to focus through the blinding pain. “Is that supposed to be a joke?” “I am not one for jokes.” Keelan barks out a harsh laugh, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling again. “I am not surprised.” The pain fades a bit, the effects of whatever the interrogator used to wake him wearing off. He lowers his gaze to where the interrogator is inspecting his shelf of tools, wondering what kind of Guildin alchemy that had been. Maura would be interested in it, at least to know how it works. Though he’s not sure giving her a way to stay awake when she shouldn’t is a good idea. Perhaps he’ll keep it to himself.

excess not found :(

passing along tags to anyone who sees this and also @memento-morri-writes @oh-no-another-idea @akindofmagictoo to find sweat, crouch, tilt, and lower <3

[oh-no-another-idea]

WIP Acrostic tag

Thanks for this one, many moons ago, @winterandwords! I was on an airplane yesterday, and got so much writing done, which was a lovely achievement! My word today is DAMAGE.

D. “Don’t,” Quintus warns, but Nikolaos pays him no heed. He grabs Quintus and holds him tight, tight enough that Quintus’s boots leave the ground. Quintus’s breathing is hot against Nikolaos’s chainmailed shoulder.

A. Already Quintus can feel his muscles slackening, his limbs growing heavy. He pulls his shirt over his head; it clings to him halfheartedly, and once he’s freed, the sweat on his chest cools slightly.

M. “Mankind’s greatest malady,” Miriam says. “Have you no cure for it then?”

A. Animals seem to be able to smell something about him – Quintus doesn’t flatter himself that it’s some death that’s rubbed off over the years – perhaps they can merely sense his indifference to them. Animals are tools, food, and things that need care. They are predators and prey and mostly get left alone as far as he’s concerned.

G. “Guards –” one official sputters. Over at the door, one of the guards slides to the floor, his own sword sticking through his chest. Nikolaos has the other on his knees.

E. Experimentally, Quintus reaches out internally for the body. The newly dead are unwieldy – always bargaining, clumsy, still too attached to their brains.

Passing on tags to @reneesbooks @writingrosesonneptune @thegreatobsesso @space-writes @viscerawrites @eccaiia @memento-morri-writes and anyone else who'd like to play with the word AFTER!

[possessable]

it's good enrichment for The Character(s) when one of their friends gets possessed and they have to find some way to bring them back. great friendgroup bonding activity. especially if they have to do some exorcism bullshit and it's traumatizing for everyone involved and there's collapsing and sobbing afterward. great thing for The Character(s) to do. highly recommend.

[paradoxspaceheater]

THE devotionshipping trope is "are they loyal to me or to my title" and the answer HAS to be that they genuinely don't differentiate between the two and are confused and slightly alarmed by the question

[memento-morri-writes]

wip wednesday (It's still Wednesday SOMEWHERE.)

I decided to play around with re-writing my little Rest vignette from Rook's POV! Here's the current opening.

Rook was beginning to regret his decision to eat with the crew. Dinner was served at the change between day and night shifts, which meant that the mess hall was always packed. The long tables were packed with sailors, and the flurry of noise and activity was causing his head to ache. Maybe it would have been better to go eat up on deck — or better yet, eat in the infirmary with Jay. But Jay had said she would be taking inventory all day, and while winter had begun to fade into spring, the air still carried a bitter chill. The fact that he’d spent the end of his shift helping to repair one of the foresails hadn’t helped. By the time the bell had rung for dinner, Rook had been practically trembling with cold. So he’d made his way down to the mess hall, hoping that a warm meal would help melt the ice in his bones. It had worked, mostly. By the time he’d gotten his food and begun to eat, the chill had melted away into a dull ache. Wrangling a sail was no easy task, and his body was registering its complaints. The noise wasn’t helping either. They hadn’t gotten a score in nearly two weeks, and the crew was getting restless. All around him, sailors were talking loudly. Across the room, a game of dice had turned into an argument, with multiple players having risen to their feet. He set down his spoon with a sigh. As first mate, it was his job to keep the crew in line. It was probably best to head this off before it turned into a full-fledged brawl. Reluctantly, he got to his feet, ignoring the protests of his aching muscles.

[hiveswap]

big fan of when you peel back all layers of a character and at the bottom of it there's love

[hiveswap]

why are they doing this? because they loved someone so much it caused the plot to happen. Grief counts btw

[hiveswap]

ESPECIALLY a big fan of when this isn't enough to make them a good person

[memento-morri-writes]

Rook having a very normal time in this fic

As he headed up to the main deck, he began to wonder why Zara wanted to talk to him. Was he in trouble? Had he done something wrong? Or did she have a very important task she needed help with? Maybe it was something she could only trust her first mate with. Hopefully whatever it was didn’t involve more noise, or more time in the rigging. Despite leaving the crowded mess hall behind, the pain in his head hadn’t faded. Luckily Zara’s cabin was always quiet. Maybe she just wanted to talk, and he could sit down for a bit. He shook his head. That would be unprofessional. He needed to be alert, not comfortable.

+

“I’m fine, captain.” Ignoring him, she stepped closer. She reached out a hand. He tried to brush it away, but she was faster. The back of her fingers brushed his forehead, quickly switching to a cupped palm. Her skin was cool, delightfully so. Despite himself, Rook found himself leaning into it slightly. She gasped softly. “You’re feverish!” With great effort, he pulled away from her hand. Shaking his head, he said, “No, no. I’m alright. I can do whatever you need me to.” Zara shook her head vigorously. “Right now what I need you to do is lie down.”

+

But he couldn’t rest. Zara needed him! He struggled to sit up. “But this is important!” Gentle hands guided him back down, placing a pillow under his head. “It’s nothing that can’t wait until you’re feeling better. For now, I want you to get some sleep.” He frowned. That didn’t sound right. But she was the captain. She knew what she was doing. “Okay… if you’re sure…” He lay back, letting his body melt into the cushion. Despite his best efforts, his eyes slid closed.