I have a few Dispatch fic ideas bouncing around. Which would you rather see after I finish the AMV I'm working on? No promises but I do wanna gauge what people are interested in
share around pls
Robert has powers (durability and healing)
Robert airs his daddy issues
Robert knows about the player controlling him
Voting ended onFeb 5
Yeah all focused on Robert. What can I say I'm enamored with the depressed bastard
Warning: far more likely to do the middle one since I have the most ideas
a/n: i can't believe the first writing piece i do in forever is SMUT. like, you've gotta be kidding me.
summary: top!liu kang x bottom!kung lao and uhhh idk, comforting kung lao about the burden of being the best of the earthrealm's champions
warnings: nsfw (MDNI), handjobs, slight overstimulation, missionary position
There was something particularly sinful about Liu Kang on his knees before Kung Lao. Perhaps it was because Liu Kang has a perpetual look of innocence on his face, eyes wide and bright, a fire lit behind them. Or perhaps it was because Kung Lao will never be able to forget the scared shivering boy that Lord Raiden had brought to the temple on a rainy day. It didn't matter now, not when Liu Kang's soft lips drag across the length of his cock, pink tongue darting out briefly to taste the pre-cum spilling from the tip.
Kung Lao gripped onto the mala beads that Liu Kang had draped around his wrists. If he truly wanted to, he could remove his hands from behind his back and thread his fingers through Liu Kang's hair to pull him forward and force him to stop teasing. But the both of them knew who had all the power in their relationship.
"A-Kang, please," the monk could barely breathe out the sentence before Liu Kang looked up at him through fluttering eyelashes (always those damn eyes), a small teasing smile on his lips as his calloused hands gently pumped at the base of Kung Lao's cock.
"Lao, don't you know that patience is a virtue?" He stuck his tongue out once more, dipping it into the slit of Kung Lao's tip, and the monk groaned, resisting the urge to thrust his hips forward.
A wordless plea fell from Kung Lao's lips, shoulders shaking with the effort as Liu Kang squeezed the base of his cock, his other hand coming up from below to cup the monk's balls. His junior brother paid no mind to the whimper, simply continuing to tease and fondle without a care in the world, as if the skin underneath his fingers didn't feel as though it were on fire.
Kung Lao's cock twitched underneath Liu Kang's grasp, pre-cum pearling at the tip before dripping down onto the fire wielder's fingers, easing the rough slide of his hand.
"Do you think you deserve it? Bullying Cole Young like that? Beating Kano's pride?" Liu Kang looked almost bored, a little sigh leaving his lips, and Kung Lao gasped as the man swiped his thumb over the sensitive head of his dick, "I have half a mind to leave you like this all night."
"Pl-please, I promise to not do it again." Kung Lao could barely grit out the words, sweat beading at his hairline, fingernails likely tearing holes into the sheets below him. His hips jerked up instinctually in Liu Kang's hands as the monk gives his balls a slight squeeze, a pathetic moan leaving Kung Lao's lips at the feeling.
He didn't answer, just watching another bead of pre-cum run down the throbbing length of Kung Lao's cock, the heat seeming to pulse in his rough hands. In truth, Liu Kang held no anger towards Kung Lao. Although Kung Lao had pushed Cole Young so far that it proved to be useless, the fruits of his senior brother's taunting had rewarded them with the manifestation of an arcana. It was simply unfortunate that it had to be Kano.
The true reason he had sat Kung Lao down onto this bed was because he knew how worried his senior brother had become to resort to the tactless insults he had shot at Kano. He was growing desperate, mind plagued with thoughts of being the reason Earthrealm fell into Outworld's slavery and savagery. Although they both shared that burden, both of them knew that Lord Raiden expected more from Kung Lao, expected him to be the sole savior of Earthrealm. It had slowly driven their relationship into a fractured state. Even if just for a moment, Liu Kang wanted to distract Kung Lao.
Kung Lao would never admit it aloud, but Liu Kang knew that in the privacy of the bedroom was perhaps the only place he could ever truly let himself be himself, simply handing over the weight of expectations to someone else for once. The monk always put on an air of poise, of elegance, of confidence especially, but Liu Kang knew the burden of the tournament weighed heavy on Kung Lao's mind, forever present, forever looming. In the quiet of the night, on the hard mattress of their shared bedroom, with just the two of them, Kung Lao was loud and noisy, desperate and needy, whiny and slightly petulant, all the things he could never be as champion of Earthrealm.
Pressing his lips to the base of Kung Lao's cock, Liu Kang moved his hand there to slide up the smooth surface of his love's stomach to then squeeze at his lover's plush chest. He mouthed along the length, listening to the restrained groans and pants of the monk, and Liu Kang suckled on the tip of Kung Lao's dick to draw out another warbled bleat of pleasure from his senior brother.
Releasing his mouth from Kung Lao's cock, Liu Kang stood up so that he could tower over his usually taller counterpart and pressed his hand into Kung Lao's chest to push him down flat onto the bed, "lay down."
Kung Lao listened without a word of protest, shuffling a bit so that his bound hands rested above his head, and he let out an exhale when his cock slapped against his stomach, smearing droplets of pre-cum and spit on his skin.
"Shi di, please…" the monk craned his neck to look at Liu Kang, who had moved to the dresser to pull out a small clay pot of lubricant. The clay pot clinked softly as Liu Kang removed the lid and dipped his fingers into the viscous oil. One hand lifted up Kung Lao's leg onto Liu Kang's shoulder, and Kung Lao bit his lip at the feeling of his lover's thick finger tracing the rim of his asshole.
"Patience." Liu Kang ignored Kung Lao's slight huff and squirm on the bedsheets, opting to focus on slowly massaging the rim, feeling it slowly relax and open up to his ministrations.
"That's it. Good." He murmured it, but Kung Lao reacted with his whole body, stomach tensing and cheeks flushing with the praise. Compliments were hard to come by at the temple, and they had dwindled into nothing as stress and tension ate away at Lord Raiden's mind. But Liu Kang always gave them so freely, so willingly, whispering them into his skin like prayers.
Adjusting his grip on Kung Lao's leg, Liu Kang thrusted his finger in and out of Kung Lao slowly, relishing in how he clenched so tightly around him in anticipation. Perhaps too mch anticipation.
Liu Kang pressed a small kiss to the side of Kung Lao's knee, just enough to distract the monk to slide another finger into him, and a small punched-out moan left the older man, eyes glazed with pleasure. He crooked his fingers, pressing his fingers into Kung Lao's prostate, and he jerked on the bed, a breathy whine filling the air at the sudden course of intense pleasure.
The fire wielder didn't let up, massaging his fingers into the spot as if it was his personal mission to get Kung Lao to turn into nothing but a mess of whines and whimpers and sensation.
The monk's cock twitched on his stomach, aching to be touched, and Kung Lao keened as Liu Kang slowly pushed in a third finger, slowly stretching him, preparing him. Pre-cum dribbled onto his stomach, now dripping off to the side and onto the bedsheets, and Kung Lao let out a cry of frustration as Liu Kang continued to ignore his weeping cock.
"Fuck, Kang, pl-please, I need more-"
A sharp thrust of Liu Kang's fingers forward interrupted Kung Lao's train of thought, mouth hung agape as pleasure bloomed down his spine and muddied his brain. His own breathy moans were his only answer as Liu Kang started truly fucking Kung Lao on his fingers, and all Kung Lao could do was grip onto the mala beads in his grip, the grooves of them indenting into his skin.
"Oh-oh shit-" Kung Lao felt his hips twitch, legs trembling with the effort of closing as Liu Kang bullied his prostrate, but his lover kept a firm grip on Kung Lao's leg, forcing them to stay open and take exactly what was given.
Whines fell from his mouth with reckless abandon, mind too clouded with the overwhelming sensation of Liu Kang's thick fingers stretching him open and pressing insistently against that sweet spot to try and reel in his noisy sounds. Liu Kang hummed, biting his lip to restrain his own noises, greedy to hear all of Kung Lao's, and he kissed once more at the inside of his senior brother's knee, eyes focused on the mess of his cock.
The tip laid flush and dark, twitching with the ache of Kung Lao's heartbeat, and with every thrust of Liu Kang's fingers, the oversensitive cockhead would brush ever so slightly against Kung Lao's tensed stomach.
"That's my good boy, my perfect champion." He watched, enraptured even, as Kung Lao let out a strangled sound at the praise, the flush traveling from his face to his chest, and Liu Kang groaned as Kung Lao came untouched, cock twitching pathetically on his stomach as his release painted the monk's upper stomach.
Kung Lao's chest heaved up and down, hands clutching onto the prayer beads like a lifeline as he scrunched his eyes closed, and a small but long whine filled in the room before it fell into silence.
Liu Kang retracted his fingers and gently placed Kung Lao's leg back down onto the bed, shucking his pants off as quickly as he could, and he swiped his clean hand back into the clay pot of oil, making sure to cup a large amount of it into his palm.
The monk on the bed, breath finally coming back to him, looked down at the mess on his stomach and groaned, covering his eyes with his arm. He had just come untouched, like some virgin teenager who had just found a hidden stash of porn in the farthest reaches of the monastery's library.
"Don't hide from me. You don't have to do that here. With me." Liu Kang's hand slid up Kung Lao's stomach, thumb smearing against the excess cum starting to slide down the side of his abs, and Kung Lao raised his arm enough to see his lover staring at him. Observing him, eyesbrows furrowed with worry (always so attentive to his needs and wants), waiting for a sign that he was okay.
Liu Kang always knew him best, always knew when he started posturing to alleviate Lord Raiden's worries or when he tried to hide his worry about the fate of Earthrealm.
"I just," Kung Lao's body still trembled from the aftershocks of his orgasm, his dick softening against his stomach but still sensitive, "…it was a little embarrassing."
"No, it wasn't. It simply means I know your body well." Liu Kang bit back a grunt as he pumped himself to full hardness, making sure to slather his cock in a thick coat of oil. He dripped the rest of it onto Kung Lao, using his previously sullied hand to smear it around the rim.
Kung Lao let out an amused huff, "yeah, I suppose you are right. You always are."
Liu Kang blinked down at him, a red glow at his ears as he slightly blushed, but he shot back a mischievous smile, using his free hand to fondle Kung Lao's dick. A choked whine came out of the monk's throat, stinging pleasure shooting up his spine at the feeling, and Liu Kang's smile only grew wider.
"Don't distract me." He gently rubbed his thumb over the tip, relishing in the small bucks of Kung Lao's hips, and he gripped onto his own cock, guiding himself into Kung Lao. The monk let out a groan, back arching off the bed, hands raising up into the sheets to clutch at them.
Liu Kang relished in the little sounds as he slowly pushed himself in, finally letting out his own breathy moan as he bottomed out, hips pressed firmly into Kung Lao's.
"Kang, please…" Kung Lao looked up at him, eyes slightly squinted as if too overwhelmed, cheeks flushed dark, lips soft and slightly curved into a pout. Liu Kang leaned forward, hiking Kung Lao's legs to wrap around his waist, so that he could kiss his lover.
Kung Lao sighed into the kiss, bringing his arms down to wrap around Liu Kang's neck, prayer beads slightly clacking against each other as he did so. His legs tightened around the fire wielder's waist as Liu Kang started to thrust in and out of him, sounds of pleasure swallowed by each other.
Liu Kang leaned his weight onto one of his elbows, using that hand to cup at the back of Kung Lao's neck while the other squeezed at the monk's sensitive chest, fingers pinching and squeezing at the nipple before cupping the entirety of it with his hand. Kung Lao whined into the kiss with each move, cock caught in between the friction of his stomach and Liu Kang's, and the sensation was driving him insane. He was still soft but also hyper-sensitive now, tip leaking pre-cum in an effort to lubricate the feeling. Pleasure settled into his nerves, the stings of overstimulation muddying up any intelligible thought, and Kung Lao could only shudder with pleasure and let out pitiful little sounds as Liu Kang grew rougher with his strokes.
As if reading his thoughts, Liu Kang brought his hand down in between the two of them to pump Kung Lao's cock at the same pace of his hips, separating from the kiss and bringing himself up to balance on his hand instead of his elbow.
Underneath him, Kung Lao debauched and needy, tears gathering on the waterline but refusing to fall, chest heaving the effort of breathing, Liu Kang could only moan and quicken his thrusts, his own desperation and possessiveness gripping onto him. Earthrealm could have the front that Kung Lao put on, a faithful and loyal warrior, arrogant and cocky and skilled, but only Liu Kang could have this Kung Lao, so full of love and raw with emotion.
With every thrust, Liu Kang's cock rubbed up against Kung Lao's prostate, each thrust resulting in a smattering of stars behind his eyelids, and Kung Lao tilted his head back, neck flush with heat and sweat, "please, please-"
He wasn't sure what he was begging for. Liu Kang would never deny him what he wanted, maybe as champion, but never as Kung Lao.
"I know. Almost there. My Lao. Yours." Liu Kang's voice came out scattered, as if his thoughts could not stick themselves together, more animalistic than human at this point. Kung Lao's vision whited out as Liu Kang pressed his thumb into the slit of Kung Lao's cock, punctuating it with a rough rut of his hips forward, and he let out a cry, spurts of his cum dripping out into Liu Kang's rough hands.
Liu Kang leaned back down, elbows trapping Kung Lao's head between them as he fucked Kung Lao through his orgasm, and he let out what sonuded like a growl as he bit into the soft flesh of the monk's neck. His hips drove forward, stuttering in their pace as warm heat flowed through Kung Lao, almost burning, leaving him feeling too full.
Neither of them moved much in the afterglow. Liu Kang bucked his hips forward, keeping himself buried inside of the monk, and he mouthed at Kung Lao's neck, lips sucking feverish hickeys into the skin. He slowly lowered his weight down, a hand burying itself into his senior brother's hair, fingers playing with the red ribbon they both shared.
After a few more moments of quiet breathing, Liu Kang finally moved and slowly pulled out of Kung Lao, eyes focusing on the slow drip of cum gathering onto the sheets. He frowned at the sight, gathering one of the pillows on the bed before easily lifting up the bottom half of Kung Lao's weight to prop the monk's hips up onto a pillow.
"Hey, what was that for?" Kung Lao tilted his head forward to look at his junior brother, and Liu Kang only shrugged, turning his back to hide the flush of his ears as he gathered the prepared clay cups of water on the dresser.
"…don't want to make more of a mess on our bed." He answered, flinging a towel over his shoulder, before walking over with the carefully balanced tray of water and crackers. He sat on the bed, laying the towel down before removing the pillow, and Kung Lao sat up, accepting the water cup.
Kung Lao flit his eyes towards Liu Kang, looking away when he realized the fire wielder stared back with an intensity only he could ever muster. His lifted the cup to his mouth, taking in greedy gulps of water, and he lowered it down back into his lap, tracing the rim of the cup as Liu Kang took his own drink.
"You will win. I know you will succeed." Liu Kang spoke, voice quiet but full of conviction. "And I will be with you."
His hand moved to rest so that his fingers upwards toward Kung Lao, and Kung Lao moved his hand in reciprocation so that their fingers would intertwine with each other.
chrysopoeia (noun): from Ancient Greek χρυσοποιία (khrusopoiía) the transmutation of base materials into gold
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"You changed the past, Kakashi,” Minato says. “And that changed the future. Now we just have to live it.”
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sequel to malleable
Words: 97,637
Chapters: 14/14
Language: English
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito
Additional Tags: AU - Time Travel Fic-It Fic, past Obito/Rin
Sneak peek ideas for my vamp!Bruce fic that I'm NOT supposed to be working on right now
(I'll be writing this as I read Dracula, so it will have lots of inspo from there :))
A few plot-related details:
Clark, as a kind of hazing almost due to his newness to The Planet, is selected to travel to Gotham and interview Bruce Wayne, a man surrounded by terrifying mystery and myth. Wayne is offering an interview to try and get the people of Metropolis warmed up to the idea of him before he buys an estate there.
Clark isn't human either, but what he is remains to be a surprise(all you need to know is that it allows him to keep up ;))
Despite the rumors, people don't actually know for certain that Bruce is a vampire. Clark happens to find out during his stay at the manor, leading him to become equal parts house-guest and prisoner. (but does he really want to leave?)
More FUN details:
Clark is a virgin(for now), but by god, he is anything but vanilla. That man is going to be desperately horny and absolutely a freak about it.
They are both getting fucked. We're gonna get messy, writhing bottom Clark. We're also gonna get whiny, bratty bottom Bruce.
Clark wants Bruce to drink from him and he wants it in the horniest way possible. Bruce has some strict rules about drinking, but Situations will ensue...
Clark is Big. Both in height and endowment, which Bruce greatly enjoys and makes use of like the size queen he is. That man just wants to be stuffed full.
When Bruce does drink from Clark, all other blood is ruined for him. There is something about his, the sweetness, the current of something stronger than human life, that makes going back impossible. Clark loves it too, though. It doesn't hurt, but is rather its own form of ecstasy.
(I haven't done teaser/summary/headcanon posts like this before so I hope this satisfies. I didn't want to just outline the whole plot I've got laid out, there is fun in surprises! That being said, my inbox is always open for asks 🙂↕️)
(based on the idea that the Metkayina have 2 wieners like a shark)
Eywa he feels even bigger than he looked, it’s like he’s forcing the air out of your lungs with every inch of him you take, deeper and deeper. Finally reaching his base, you try to get control of your breathing, closing your eyes as you feel his cock throb and twitch inside you. You jolt slightly, unable to muffle the startled moan that came out of you when you felt Lo’ak’s hand press against your belly, opening your eyes to meet the Metkayina man’s sultry gaze. “Fuuuck Yawne, you are squeezing me so tightly already, and we’ve only just started. We’re gonna have to do this more often if you’re ever going to take both of me.” You feel something clench hearing that, watching as his thighs quiver with restraint as you tighten up around him at his words. “Mmm what do you think my love, does our sweet little forest friend here wants us to help fuck them loose, give them an even bigger bump in their belly?.” He says, leaning in to teasingly bite at your ear, petting the already sizable bulge his cock had made in your abdomen, pressing hotly against your cervix. Tsireya curls the arm not holding onto Lo’ak’s shoulder for stability around you, pulling you closer and resting one of her legs overtop yours, her warm slick folds pressing deliciously against yours, punching the from your lungs at the contact. “I think they would like that very much Ma Yawntu, they’re so wet~.” She begins grinding herself against you from her respective spot speared on his other cock, your soaked and sensitive parts slicking together, the motion causing Lo’ak’s dick to rub up against your sweet spot in such a way that made your brain empty of any thought other than purely how GOOD the Metkayina couple was making you feel. “Can you feel how hard he is for us Yawne? For you? See how good he is being, waiting for you to adjust even though he wants to fuck you senseless? We should reward him no?”
Rules: In a new post use the words below (or choose your own) to find where they appear in your WIP/s and share those parts.
My words are: sigh away upset
I was nominated my @physalian Thanks for giving me an excuse to finally share some of my writing!
This is all from my untitled Zelink long fic wip set between BOTW and TOTK. This is one of the first times I've ever shared my writing. Be nice to me, I'm a beginner.
Sigh:
Impa took a sip of her tea. "So, do you still feel the same way about him?"
Zelda looked at her hands, then nodded. "I thought, back then, we might have been growing closer. He was starting to open up more." She smiled wanly, then shook her head. "I was probably mistaken, and now he doesn't even remember me."
"Have you asked him how much he remembers?" Impa raised an eyebrow at her. Zelda didn't answer. "Ask him. I bet he remembers more than you think he does."
"What does it matter if he has a dozen more memories of me? You were married before, right? You know love is often in the little things. He doesn't have the complete picture anymore. All the conversations we had, the trust we built... He's different now. You see how much more unburdened and open he is than before."
"-and that's a bad thing?" Impa asked in surprise.
"No, it's not." Zelda stammered. She took a deep breath. "Whatever relationship we had before is gone now, and that hurts."
Impa sat looking thoughtful before continuing. "It's true that you can't go back to how things were before. He may never recover all his memories, but you two have also fallen into a friendly dynamic far faster than two strangers should. The future isn't written yet. Just because the past didn't work out the way you wanted, doesn't mean there's no hope for the future."
Zelda shook her head. "I'm not getting my hopes up. I've had enough disappointment to last me a lifetime."
Impa put her small wrinkled hand on top of Zelda's. "I won't argue with you on that."
"Hey, Zelda!" a shout came from below. Zelda stood and walked to the porch railing. Link was standing near the cooking pot holding a basket of eggs. "Are you ready to ruin your second omelet?" She smiled back at him, and held up a finger to say she'd be down in a minute.
Impa poked Zelda's ankle with her walking stick. "You love him." she teased in a sing-song voice.
Zelda sighed and closed her eyes. "Yeah, I do. I love him." She thought for a moment. "I don't think I've ever said it out loud before. And you keep it to yourself." she added with a warning finger. "Awe, I'm sorry. I didn't even drink my tea."
"Just go." Impa said with an exhasperated grin.
Zelda left her cold tea and ran down to him. As predicted, she did ruin her second omelet. They had so many eggs, Link encouraged her to keep trying, so she made a third and forth as well. On the fifth try, she finally got the perfect flip. The smile he gave her made her more happy than her success did.
Away:
Link sat down, removed his boots, and began rolling his pants up. "There should be a few fish in that marsh. Would you like to wade out with me?"
"I could, but I don't think I'll be much help."
"That's okay. You can stay here if you'd rather." Link said as he dipped his feet in the water.
Zelda sat in the grass near the edge of the water. It was twilight now. The strongest light came from the soft green glow of the fireflies that bobbed over the water. All she could see was Link's dark silhouette as he wandered through the shallow water some distance away. She wondered how he could see anything in this low light. She heard an unexpected sound, and leaned forward. Was he whistling? Zelda didn't know much about fishing, but she thought you had to be quiet so as not to scare the fish away.
Link's silhouette slowly wandered towards her, occasionally stopping to whistle. When he was just a few paces from her, he blew the loudest whistle yet. Suddenly, nearly a dozen small fish swam right up onto the dirt in front of her. Zelda was so shocked, she just sat there with her mouth hanging open.
"Quick!" Link shouted. "Grab them before they find their way back in the water."
Zelda wasn't sure what he expected her to do, but she jumped to her feet, and picked up the first fish she came to. It was cold and writhing and she wanted to throw it. Not knowing what else to do with it, she held her long skirt out in front of her like a basket, and dropped the slippery fish into it... and then another, and another... Soon, her dress was heavy with wriggling fish. She could feel them flopping against her legs. She ran towards the fire pit, shrieking her discomfort all the way. She let her skirt drop, and all the fish fell into the dirt, still flopping wildly. She shivered violently.
"Are you okay?" Link had finally caught up with her.
Zelda turned to look at him, a large wet stain on the front of her dress. Link started to laugh, and she eventually joined him. "What did you expect me to do?" she asked incredulously.
Link took a couple of breaths before responding. "I don't know, but it wasn't that. I never knew fancy dresses were so useful."
"When I was a kid, I watched the maids use their aprons to carry things from room to room. I got the idea to use my skirt to steal berries from the gardens. I always got caught though, as they often left red stains on the front of my nicest gowns. I guess I still have an instinct to use my dress to carry things." Zelda gestured towards to water. "What were you doing out there? How did you get all the fish to jump out of the water like that?"
"Since I couldn't see very well, I decided to try scaring the fish towards shore by making noise." he explained. "I wasn't even sure how many I'd rounded up. It looks like we'll have plenty for dinner though."
Upset:
When they'd finished lunch, they resumed pitting the cherries. Although it went much faster with two people, it still took some time. They worked together in silence for a while, until Zelda broke it by bursting into giggles. "What?" Link questioned, welcoming a distraction from the monotony in front of him.
"Nothing." she said. She pinched her lips together, pretending it hadn't happened.
"Hmm... because it sounds like something." he pushed. "Are you still laughing about what happened at the dye shop?"
She gave him an apologetic look. "It's not like my memory has faded much in the last hour." she said defensively. "I'm still grateful to you, by the way."
"For what? Sacrificing my own dignity to spare yours?"
She covered her face with her hands as she burst out laughing again. She peeked one eye out from between her fingers. "I am sorry for laughing. I can't help it."
Link felt his face soften. "Don't worry, I'm not actually that upset about it. I've never dyed a dress before, so that last drop was bit of a surprise for me too." Despite himself, he started to giggle along with her. What was there to do about it now but laugh?
I'm nominate: @tr33fr0gg3r @mistresslrigtar @hurricane105 (Sorry if I missed any of my other writer friends. Feel free to nominate yourself.)
Your words are: eye glow door (Or you can pick your own words if you don't like these ones.)
“show don’t tell” is fine advice and all, but y’all do know that you need to tell some stuff at some point, right?
a story that is 100% show and 0% tell is completely unreadable. you’re giving your readers no context and no hard and fast knowledge. it’s about finding a balance that works for you, your style, and your story. what it isn’t about is going too far to one direction or the other.
