Happiness and Starshine For All

i don’t know who you are, nonny, but you got a hell of a prompt fill. here, enjoy a full-blown fic. i couldn’t resist.

@ragwitch, you deserve all the credit for this one. couldn’t have done it without you, bb.

The first time Steve found the amaranth she’d sewn into the lining of his uniform, Darcy almost spit her coffee across the kitchen. He didn’t seem to know what it was; his nose screwed up adorably as he sniffed at it curiously. When he turned to Tony, loudly asking what the plant stuffed in his suit was, she panicked. Her first instinct was to flee the room, but that would be too suspicious, so she stared into her cup of coffee instead.

As she stared into the swirling steam, Darcy’s ears ached with the strain of trying to hear the entire conversation. Their voices rose—Tony was loudly denying that he’d messed with Steve’s suit, saying he would never take a prank so far, would never endanger a teammate—and she closed her eyes in pain. All she’d wanted to do was keep Steve safe out in the field, keep him from getting killed; she’d never wanted to create strife between the two of them.

With an excruciating awareness of the heavy silence now permeating the room, Darcy gulped down her coffee, choking back the scalding liquid. She didn’t dare look up—there was no way she was going to draw attention to herself. Until Steve addressed her directly, and then her eyes rose to his, almost unwillingly. He looked confused, but not suspicious. A little knot eased in her stomach as she realized that her secret was safe.

His eyebrows furrowed, and she realized that he’d been speaking to her. “Sorry, what?” she asked, setting down her coffee cup with a little too much force.

Tony snorted as he passed her on his way to the coffee pot. “You’re worse than I am with the caffeine, Double D.”

Steve ignored him. “I was wondering if you knew what this was,” he said, showing her the grain he had crumbled in his fist. With a pounding heart, Darcy reached out to brush a finger across the amaranth—bulletproof, she reminded herself, the deception was worth it—and tried to ignore the rough warmth of his skin, or the way it felt against hers.

She hummed noncommittally and withdrew her hand. “Maybe Clint would know?” she suggested, throwing the other troublemaker under the bus and trying not to think about all the negative karma she had coming her way. “He has a farm, right?”

Steve’s grin was bright and genuine. “You’re right, Darce. Thanks.” Guilt twisted and churned in her gut, and she poured the coffee out in the sink. Bulletproof, she reminded herself.  

“Yeah, no problem,” she said, heading for the door. “I hope you figure it out! Gotta run, sorry. Jane needs me in the lab.” She walked away as sedately as possible, trying not to flee.

Just before she was out of earshot, she heard Tony say, “That’s weird. Darcy always finishes her coffee before she heads to the lab.”

-:-

In hindsight, making Jane a flower crown to wear around the lab so soon after the amaranth incident probably wasn’t the best of ideas. But in her defense, no one but Tony and Thor ever came to the astrophysics lab. Tony barely noticed anything—and to be honest, flower crowns weren’t even close to the weird shit he kept in his lab—and after many years of impromptu flower crown ceremonies, Jane hardly noticed that she was wearing one. Thor said nothing about them at all, but his knowing eyes settled on Darcy more often than usual, and she wondered if he knew more about her than he let on.

And then Jane went through a period of rotten luck. She was so clumsy, they’d gotten to the point where they’d run completely out of Band-Aids, the first aid kit was permanently left out on Darcy’s desk, and they’d only narrowly escaped dismemberment by lab equipment. Twice.

So, Jane didn’t protest when Darcy came in the next day armed with a crown overflowing with carnations, clover, honeysuckle, lavender, and violets. “Well, at least the lab will smell good now,” was all she said, pushing her new headwear up her forehead so that she could peer at the data more closely. Darcy’s witchy behavior was one of those things they simply didn’t talk about, but her best friend accommodated her more out-of-the-box requests and demands with grace. Most of the time, anyway.

When Jane stubbed her toe while wearing the crown, Darcy went hunting through her Book of Shadows. She was poring over all the magic she’d used to protect Jane in the past—ignoring her friend’s mocking comments about her overreacting—and completely failed to notice Steve’s arrival.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, drawing their attention abruptly. Darcy’s head shot up and she slammed her book closed on instinct. His eyes flickered down to it and back up to her face, and she was barely able to keep herself from wincing. Way to keep it cool, Darce. Graciously, he ignored her weird reaction and gestured toward Jane’s floral accessory instead. “Is it a special occasion?” Looking between them, he checked, “I didn’t miss a birthday, did I?”

Jane stared at him uncomprehending for a long moment. Then she laughed and stroked one of the violets. “No, Darcy just brought me a flower crown today.”

His sharp eyes turned on her, and Darcy felt them like a knife to the gut. Shivers raced down her spine, and she couldn’t decide if it was the fear of discovery or the way seemed so…interested. “Is that right?” His voice was quietly curious, and he didn’t break eye contact.

“Mhmm,” Jane confirmed, already distracted by her next task. “She does it to protect me.” Darcy couldn’t help it; she closed her eyes in frustration. Of all the times for Jane to be observant.

When she opened them, Steve was still staring at her. Assessing. She was afraid to find out what his conclusion was, and she hurriedly made an excuse to get him out of the lab.

-:-

Meeting Wanda was terrifying. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. In the beginning, Darcy had been really curious to meet the Scarlet Witch. She’d had all these little fantasies of watching and learning from afar—after months living with the Avengers, she was running out of new ways to protect them—and then Jane casually mentioned that the female Maximoff had the ability to read minds.

In a blind panic, Darcy began to avoid all the common areas. She didn’t make her coffee in the common room kitchen anymore, and got all her and Jane’s food delivered directly to their lab or the apartment. She worked crazy hours, slinking to and from her apartment when she was positive no one would be around. She couldn’t explain her own actions, even when Jane confronted her about it.

All she knew was that she loved it here, loved the crazy superheroes and their insane antics. In all honesty, she didn’t know how she’d handle it if they  cast her out, couldn’t accept her for who she was. And so she kept sneaking around. It wasn’t a long-term solution, and Darcy knew that she’d have to face the Scarlet Witch sooner or later.

Sooner. It was sooner, rather than later. One morning, right at the crack of dawn, Darcy opened her door and froze. Wanda Maximoff was leaning against the wall directly across from her, a cold and suspicious look painted over her face. “Why are you avoiding me?” she asked, cutting straight to the point.

Darcy closed her eyes, waiting for pain or recriminations—or something—but nothing happened. Until there was a cool, gentle touch on her elbow, coaxing her to open her eyes. Wanda’s eyes were warm and sympathetic, a direct contrast to their previous expression. “I see,” she murmured, setting her hand in the crook of Darcy’s elbow and guiding her down the hall. “We have stories to compare, don’t we?”

No one said anything when Wanda began wearing new jewelry—blue stones on a red string—but they were curious to see that she and Darcy became close friends, after all.

-:-

The wonder that was her friendship with Wanda—they sewed protective charms into the team’s uniforms together, wove flower crowns for Jane’s hair, and even made a wreath for Bucky’s door, to help him have peaceful dreams—lulled Darcy into a warm sense of security and safety.

That lovely sensation, the feeling of home, was shattered when she walked into the lab to find Steve idly sorting her paperwork. She had no idea what he was looking for, but she could tell the exact moment he found her Book of Shadows. He only had time to flip the first page before she was there, drawing his attention with an overly excited greeting.

Steve dropped the page and looked up at her, taking her in. Praying that he interpreted her sudden flush to their close proximity, not fear, she chirped, “What brings you to the lab today?”

He stood up, bringing their bodies even closer together. As he opened his mouth to speak, her eyes dropped to his lips. She couldn’t help it; they’d never stood this close, and he smelled so good. The warmth of his body radiated in the space between them, and all she wanted to do was reach out and touch him. The extended silence drew her eyes up to his, and what she saw there had her biting her lip.

Steve’s eyes were dilated, and his gaze raked across her face with undisguised hunger. When he caught sight of her lip caught between her teeth, his breath visibly stuttered in his chest and he swayed forward. She met him in the middle, rising to her tiptoes and bringing his face down to hers.

It’s a good distraction, she told herself. That’s all it is. Her reasoning sounded weak even in the silence of her own mind. And then his tongue was sliding against her lower lip, soothing and teasing the spot that had been captured by her teeth, and she didn’t have anymore thoughts. He pulled her closer and she went gladly, with hands in his hair and scraping across his scalp. His arms reached around her, hiking her up his body.

She had no idea how long they stayed that way, curved around each other. It wasn’t long enough, would never be long enough. And then FRIDAY’s voice came over the speakers. “Captain Rogers, my apologies, but there’s a situation that requires your immediate attention.”

They broke apart, staring into each other’s eyes. His hand came up to stroke her cheek, and then he stepped away. “I’ll find you later?” he asked, and she nodded.

As he walked away, her eyes were drawn to the Book of Shadows, making sure it sat undisturbed. She glanced toward the door, and there he was, watching her. His eyes darted to the book, then to her mouth. She watched as his face fell in disappointment, falling into a series of harsh lines. And then he walked away, fading into the darkness of the hallway without a backward glance.

Darcy sank into her chair and tried not to cry.

-:-

She didn’t see Steve for a week. Her insides were all mixed together, writhing in guilt over her deception. And yet she could still feel the faint impression of his lips on hers, and she savored and cherished the memory. Darcy waited every day for him to come confront her—she was sure he’d known exactly what she was doing—but he never showed.

Convincing herself that she needed to get her shit together and move on, she dragged herself down to the lab to work on some paperwork while Jane was sleeping off a science bender. To her dismayed surprise, there were two people waiting outside the lab doors. Without preamble, Wanda shoved Steve in her direction and ordered, “Talk to him, Darcy.”

Then she was gone, and they were alone. Without meeting his eyes, Darcy sighed and asked, “Want to come in?” He didn’t give a verbal answer, but followed her through the open door.

After a moment of tense silence, Steve whispered her name. When she looked up, he seemed caught by surprise. His mouth worked for a second, then he finally said, “So. You’re a—”

Darcy nodded quickly, not wanting to hear him say the word. If it was spoken with disdain or disgust, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to take it. Not from him. She wrung her hands together and began to pace back and forth.

Spotting the fear that ran riot across her expression, Steve reached out to gently untangle her hands. Holding them between his, he said, “Darcy. You don’t need to be afraid.” Her eyes darted up to his, and the sweet expression on his face made her want to cry.

Watching the way her eyes welled with tears, his face softened. “I just want to know more,” he said, stroking his thumb across her knuckles. Reassuring her, telling her something important. “I want to understand you—to know you.”

“Okay.” Her voice broke slightly on the second syllable. It was scary, allowing someone to truly see her. All of her.

His whole body shifted and relaxed, as if he’d been afraid she would say no. “Okay,” he echoed quietly. “Would you like to get some coffee and talk about it?”

“I would love that,” she said, “but maybe we could drink it in the apartment? This conversation isn’t really conducive for—” she waved a hand through the air vaguely, “public spaces?”

“Alright.” His easy grin slid away, the corners of his mouth drawing down to a serious expression. Her breath caught in her throat, and anxiety stirred in her gut. “Darcy?”

“Yeah?”

“The next time you kiss me, don’t do it because you’re trying to distract me. Please.” His words were stern and his face could’ve been carved from granite. She swallowed past a heavy lump in her throat. But then the light shifted across his face, revealing the hurt swimming in his eyes, and her heart beat for a different reason.

July 5 - “Why are you looking at me like that?” Pepper/Claire Temple/Helen Cho for @probablyunnecessary

Okay, so this kind of ended up more pre-slash than anything, so I’m sorry about that :S, but I hope you enjoy anyway!  <3 <3

Written by @cinnaatheart

She applies for the job on a whim.

ON-CALL NURSE. LUCRATIVE PAY, EXCELLENT BENEFITS. MUST HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING IN HIGH STRESS SITUATIONS.

She doesn’t really know what to expect out of it, truth be told. The ad seems skeezy, really. Just a blip on the endless scroll of employment pages; the kind that doesn’t bother specifying the actual kind of pay involved, nor the hours or hell, even the employer. At best, the advertiser isn’t interested in actually finding someone. At worst, it’s a scam.

Still… money is money, and it’s not as though Claire’s lacking in the experience department. God knows she’s experienced enough high stress situations to last a damn lifetime.

glass shards, darcy/bucky (T)

okay, so. I feel like you were hoping for something light and fluffy and funny, but considering Bucky’s backstory this definitely took on a hurt/comfort tone. 

that being said, the ending is so sugary sweet you’ll probably get a toothache. ;) hope you like it!

(also, you won the prompt lottery. this thing is hella long.)

On the fiftieth trial of theTerrible Trio’s experiment, something actually happened.

Darcy was neck deep in thepile of paperwork the scientists insisted on ignoring—Tony straight up refusedto fill it out, Jane’s handwriting was illegible to anyone but Darcy on thebest of days, and Bruce claimed that bureaucratic inanities tried the Big Guy’spatience. She didn’t believe that last one, but Bruce was by far herbest-behaved scientist so Darcy let him get away with the excuse.

For once, the scientistsseemed to have things well in hand science-wise. They hadn’t even reached hourforty of their bender, so Darcy felt justified in leaving them unsupervised fora couple of hours while she dug into the bureaucratic bullshit of StarkIndustries. In hindsight, that decision was a total mistake.

Darcy was so absorbed in herpaperwork that she missed it when Tony distracted Bruce with some off-colorquip. The scientist’s measurement was off by a millimeter as a result, and noone noticed.

Chewing on a pen—trying todecide whether form 2187-A or 2187-B was most appropriate—Darcy also missed itwhen Jane tripped over a machine cord in her haste to mark down Trial #49’sdisappointing results. The plug didn’t come all the way out of the wall, andJane continued obliviously on her way.

She didn’t notice the smokecreeping across the floor at first, but jumped at the subsequent explosion ofsound.

The scientists shouted at herin unison, but it was already too late.

-:-

There was a click, followedby a flood of light. Bucky blinked several times at the sudden change, knifealready drawn and poised to throw.

It was Sam.

His hand faltered, thendropped back to his side. After all the years and all the horror, Bucky neededthe dark and the quiet to find some semblance of peace. He retreated to asoundproofed room off the gym several times a week, and it was rare—unheard of,actually—for anyone to interrupt Bucky’s meditation unless there was a call toassemble.

He was already headed inSam’s direction, mouth open to ask for a sit rep, when Sam held up a hand.Bucky stopped and cocked his head in question.

“There’s no call to assemble,Barnes. But there’s been an…incident…in the tower.”

Retrieving his knife, Buckyflipped it lightly with his fingers. It was mostly reflex, and gave hisrestless muscles something to do. “What kind of incident, Wilson?”

“Stark, Banner, and Fosterwere working on an experiment. It went wrong, and Foster’s assistant got caughtin the crossfire.”

“Darcy?” Bucky’s heartthudded hard in his chest. He liked the woman. She was brash and mouthy with abold smile and curves that went on for days. They didn’t know each other well,but it was impossible not to be aware of her. She was a force of nature—thekind of gusty wind that wore away at his hard edges and general resistance tothe 21st century.

Within seconds, Bucky wasonly steps away from the door and the other man. His body moved on instinct ashis mind whirled with possible scenarios and extraction plans. Sam’s eyes litwith recognition, and he muttered a soft “Fuck.”

“I forgot you knew her,Barnes, sorry. She’s not injured.” Sam hesitated, mouth working as he tried tothink of the right thing to say.

Bucky’s hand clenched aroundthe knife; it was no longer spinning in his hand. “Spit it out, Wilson.” Hisweight shifted forward, ready to explode into motion.

Sam held out his hand againin a steadying motion. “Give me a second, man. This shit is weird to explain,alright?” He sighed. “You know how they work on crazy shit in the labs?”

Bucky did know; he avoidedthe lab floor at all costs as a result. At his terse nod, Sam continued, “Idon’t even know how to say this, man. They were working on something—I can’ttell you what they were trying to do, it all goes over my head—and somethingwent terribly wrong. And it—” he rubbed a tired hand over his face, “—it didsomething to Darcy. Changed her.”

Shifting his weight, confusedas to why Sam sought him out when immediate intervention wasn’t required, Buckyquestioned, “Changed her how, Sam?”

With a helpless shrug, Samelaborated, “It changed her body. Like, completely.”

Utterly baffled, Bucky staredat him in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

With a huff, Sam spit out,“Man, she woke up with a different body. Like a male version of herself.”

Choking on his own spit,Bucky sputtered, “What?”

“Yeah, man. I told you it wasfucking weird.” After a slight hesitation, Sam added, “She’s having a hardtime, Barnes. A really hard time. Won’t come out of her room, or talk toanyone. Jane and the other two are working on a cure as fast as they can, and Ithought—”

“You thought I could help,somehow,” Bucky finished skeptically.

With a significant glance atBucky’s prosthetic arm, Sam agreed, “Yeah, I did. You know a thing or two aboutbody horror. And being uncomfortable in your own skin.”

As always, the reminder ofwhat he’d lost stung. But that, Bucky supposed, was the point. He did know athing or two. And if he could spare Darcy some discomfort, it would be worthfacing his own.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Talk to her, for one. Lether know she isn’t alone.”

-:-

“Miss Lewis, Sergeant Barnesrequests entrance to your apartment.” From under Darcy’s mountain of blankets,FRIDAY’s voice sounded gentle. Like the AI was talking to a wounded animal.Which, she figured, might be a fair assessment. She was definitely hurting, anddidn’t feel at all like herself.

Without moving an inch—she’dfinally found a spot that didn’t send her muscles into spasms, as long as shestayed as still as a statue—Darcy asked, “Bucky? What does he want?”

There was a tiny pause, thenFRIDAY answered, “To help, Miss Lewis.”

Bitterly, she scoffed, “Wellunless he’s been hiding a scientific genius that can outsmart Jane, Tony, and Bruce,I don’t see what good he can do.”

Bucky’s voice floated fromthe doorway. “I have a little bit of experience with pain, doll. And withfeeling like a stranger in my own body.”

At the sound of his voice,Darcy flinched. Her back and arm muscles immediately cramped, and she sobbedsoundlessly into the mattress. She couldn’t answer, consumed with pain anddespair.

“Will you let me help you,Darcy? You don’t have to do this alone.” His voice was closer now, and Darcyflinched involuntarily at the thought of him pulling the covers back andlooking at her. Other than the scientists and Dr. Cho, no one had seen Darcysince the incident. She couldn’thandle it, couldn’t even look at herself.

Instead, she had sequesteredherself in her bedroom, turned off all the lights, and hidden herself under apile of blankets so thick she couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face.No, not her hand. Her hand didn’tlook or feel anything like that. But it seemed to be attached all the same.

Bucky patiently reminded herof his presence. “Will you let me help, Darcy?” he coaxed gently. His voicedrifted over the covers, level with her head. She had an image of him kneelingat her bedside, that gentle look in his eyes he got sometimes when he looked atSteve and still saw the sick little boy from Brooklyn.

She choked on a sob at thatthought, not silent this time. “It hurts, Bucky.” It was a desperate wail, aliteral cry for help.

There was a rustling sound,and faint pressure from him smoothing the covers next to her head. He didn’ttouch her at all, which she was grateful for. At the same time, all her musclestensed and focused in his direction, wanting him to soothe their hurt.

“What hurts, Darcy?”

She laughed, sharp andbitter, around a throat clogged with tears. “Everything, Bucky. Everythinghurts.”

The sound of shifting fabricreached her ears. Still calm, still gentle, Bucky responded, “Alright, doll.Let’s take this one step at a time.”

-:-

They talked for what feltlike hours. Other than softly probing questions, Bucky just sat and listened.She told him about the pain, about the discomfort. He listened as she describedher inability to walk on legs that were too long and weirdly shaped. How herhands were too big to button a shirt or grip a glass of water properly.

Most of all, he understoodwhen she told him about the spasms and the pain. “Ah,” he said, when she spokeof the nerves that set themselves on fire with every little movement.

Overwhelmed, Darcy stopped.Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she tried to keep her breathing even.Without commenting on her emotional state, Bucky smoothed a hand against thetopmost blanket and prompted, “Do you trust me, Darcy?”

She thought hard about heranswer. It was true that she’d always liked him—he was genuine and funny andhad never given her a reason not to—but trust was another matter altogether.Then again, she’d let him in, figuratively and literally. “Yes,” she whispered.

(read more link here)

June 21 - Darcy/Natasha “Is there a mirror in your pocket? Because I look great- wait, I said that wrong.” for @sarbear1610

Written by @cinnaatheart (On AO3)“Oh my God.”

Darcy starts, glancing over at her friend with wide eyes. “What?”

Jane’s glare is potent even over the speckled rim of her bright blue cocktail. “Would you please just go over there and say hi? There is only so much of the whole heart eyes thing you’ve got going on that I can handle in one night.”

“Hey!” Darcy says, pointing at Jane sternly. Her hand is unsteady, and belatedly, she realises that she may have had a touch too much to drink. “I resent that comment, little miss I-didn’t-stop-giving-Thor-moon-eyes-for-two-straight-years.”

Jane doesn’t even have grace to look mildly sheepish. “And you made plenty of fun at my expense, if I remember correctly.”

Shuri, princess of Wakanda and all-around badass.

aHoly McWow. Okay …

1/ You & Me (We Gotta Whole Lotta History)

Because it’s my big fic and it’s still rattling around in my head and I haven’t forgotten it ! I love history and I love the time travel element so it just is the fic I’d like to read for myself as much as anything else.

2/ Justice is Blonde

I’m still just amazed by the reaction to this one. I had a period of two weeks or so where I could barely use my phone because of the re-blogs, comments and AO3 comments blowing it up - it amazed me then and the thought of it amazes me now. Every so often it goes through a period of activity again and it’s just incredible to me the scale of the reaction.

3/ These Endless Days (Are Finally Ending in a Blaze)

Now this - this is my magnum opus. I know it’s barely started on AO3 but I’ve got around 10k or so of chapter synopses and notes on this already just as it is. It literally pulls in pretty much every character in the MCU, plus the Buffyverse; ties all the MCU films together with stuff from the Buffyverse plus an original plot, flips across different centuries and multiple locations … I am so excited for this to come together. Truly.

4/ 0800-DRCY-LWS

I’m still amazed at how much people loved this fic! I had such encouragement and great feedback from this one, and though I enjoyed writing it and I liked the story, what lingers is the feeling of what fantastic cheerleading I had from people which meant so much.

5/ Back in Black

A collaboration with @latessitrice and, a little like the above, although I fully love the story and love writing it, a huge amount of affection I have for the fic is the friendship it’s brought me. From a funny little back and forth about an Austrialian soap about a year ago, I have a wicked friendship with someone I would never have met otherwise, and I’m so grateful for that.

Fic Recs !

(this is hard. super hard).

1/ Kiss Kiss Fall in Love by @cinnaatheart

Love this, it’s Shakespearean in it’s construction. Lovers, mistaken identities, crossed wires, uniforms … Read it.

2/ Black Holes & Revelations by @amidtheflowers

Space slugs. I mean, it’s not entirely about space slugs, but anything else is just an awesome addition.

3/ Rule Number One by @leftennant

Okay, so I typically don’t read as many AU fics as I might do, because I just love the universe they’re in anyway but (and I love all Lefty’s fic, let’s be real); this is effing amazing. Funny, sweet, tugs at the heartstrings, there’s a little mystery running through it - it has everything

4/ Snowkissed by @latessitrice

I love this; it has all the right things for a snuggly winter fic that warms you up from the inside out with just the right amount of snark and sass amidst the love.

5/ Making a Point by @becisvolatile

treasures untold, mermaid!Darcy/Clint (T)

Okay, so I was totally stumped with this one, not gonna lie.

But then @paranoidwino reminded me that it’s MerMay and the plot bunnies took over (I thought this one was going to be short, and the muse just laughed and laughed). I hope you like it :D

tw: very, very brief threat of sexual assault

Now on AO3! It would mean a lot if you could leave a comment.

It was Clint’sfirst job in collections. At least,that’s what the mob boss had called it. He’d laughed uproariously at his ownjoke, and everyone else had laughed too, even though no one thought it wasfunny. Clint didn’t understand why people did that, but he went along with it.He was smart enough to know that he had to keep these people happy if he wantedto get paid. And he was so very hungry.

So he kept hishead down and didn’t ask questions. They were headed to the docks, to awarehouse owned by some weird collector guy. Clint didn’t know why they weregoing there or what they were gonna steal—his job was just to provide backup.He double, triple, and quadruple-checked his bow and arrows, just to make surethey were all there and accounted for. No one made fun of him for his weaponanymore. Not after he put an arrow through the last guy’s hand who tried to hithim.

Once they got to thewarehouse, Clint decided that he really should have asked more questions. Itwas full of the most beautiful, strange, and terrifying creatures he had everseen. And they were all alive.

The other guys spread outquickly, searching for whatever it was that their boss wanted. Clint tried hardto keep lookout and not get distracted by all the weirder animals, but some ofit was just insane. Then he heard ashout of excitement, and couldn’t help but turn and look.

It was one of the thugs, aparticularly mean one, who was leering at what appeared to be a—mermaid? Clint rubbed his eyes, surethat he must have been hallucinating. But no, when he looked again she wasstill there. The mermaid was trapped in some kind of aquarium, just big enoughto contain her contorted limbs. She looked young, around his age, and had longbrown hair. Her tail was a mixture of shimmery blues and greens, and seemed toshift colors in the light. She was…terrified. She was utterly terrified, andwithout thinking Clint moved closer.

“—that’s a pretty mouth yougot there, you little freak. I wonder, would you like to know how a mantastes?” the thug asked, pulling at his belt buckle.

Clint’s hand tightened on hisbow, and in a flash he’d knocked an arrow and pointed it at the asshole. “Leaveher alone,” he ordered, grateful that his voice didn’t shake. He definitelywouldn’t be getting paid after this. Looking at the terrified woman, hecouldn’t bring himself to regret it. She was staring at him, too, and placed apalm flat against the glass between them.

The man laughed, pullingClint’s attention back to him. “What are you gonna do about it, you littlepunk?”

“You really shouldn’t havesaid that,” Clint mocked, and released his arrow. Then, all hell broke loose.

Tomorrow

by ChrissiHR

Summary: She’s been warned of the dangers, even had a near-miss in the past that cost Darcy’s brother dearly. But she was a youngling, then. She’s so much older now, wiser, braver, stronger.

Adventurous.

And she’s just itching to know what lies above the surface.

It’s been eating me alive to have that angel au gift hanging out there, incomplete. I just really wanted to be able to hit all your wishlist notes one time and nail it.

Tomorrow

by ChrissiHR

Summary: She’s been warned of the dangers, even had a near-miss in the past that cost Darcy’s brother dearly. But she was a youngling, then. She’s so much older now, wiser, braver, stronger.

Adventurous.

And she’s just itching to know what lies above the surface.

When Describing a Character DO:

provide enough detail to give the reader a sense of the character’s physical appearance 

highlight details that serve as clues to who the character is and perhaps what their life is like

describe clothing to establish character or when relevant to scene

DON’T:

go overboard with too many details or take up too much of the reader’s time describing one character

repetitively describe features or fixate on certain characteristics

describe clothing every time the character shows up unless its somehow relevant to the scene. 

describe minor characters’ clothing in-depth unless it’s relevant

Choose a Focal Point When describing a character’s appearance, choose a focal point and work up or down from there. For example, you may describe them from head to toe, or from toe to head. Try not to skip around. If you’re describing their face, start with their hair and work your way down to their mouth, or start at the mouth and work your way up to their hair. Describing Race and Ethnicity There is a lot of debate about the right and wrong way to describe a person’s race. If you want, you can state that a person is Black, white, Hispanic, Native American, First Nations, Latino, Middle-Eastern, Asian, Pacific Islander, etc. Just remember that races are made up of different ethnic groups. Someone of Asian descent could be Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. If you’re describing a character whose ethnicity is unknown or not important to the plot, you could just say that they were Asian or Black, for example. But, the rest of the time you need to be clear about whether they are Chinese, Chinese American, Korean, etc. Also, remember that not all Black people are African-American, such as someone born in England or Haiti, for example. You may instead choose to describe a character’s race through the color of their hair, eyes, and skin. It’s up to you which you feel most comfortable with and is most appropriate for your story. Just remember, if you describe one character’s skin color or otherwise make an issue of their race, you should describe every character’s skin color or race. Describing Clothing Just like with physical appearance, when describing clothing you want to choose a focal point and work up or down. Think about things like the garments they’re wearing (pants, shirt, coat) and accessories (hat, jewelry, shoes). Be sure to choose clothing which are both relevant to your character and to the time and place where your story is set. You can find out about appropriate clothing by Googling the time and place your story is set plus the word clothing: “Clothing in Victorian England” “Clothing in 1960s New York” “9th century Viking clothing” Be sure to look for web sites that aren’t providing cheap Halloween costumes. Shops providing clothes for historical reenactors are often very accurate. Looking for Inspiration There are many resources online for both historical and modern clothing. For historical clothing, you can look for web sites about the period, web sites for or about historical reenactors, or web pages for historical enthusiasts or museums. For modern clothing, you can simply pull up the web site of your favorite department store or clothing designer. Choose an outfit that works for your character, then learn how to describe the relevant parts. Resources for Describing Clothing:

Describing Clothing Describing Clothes Writing Tips on Describing Clothes Describing Clothes and Appearance (If You Should at All) Resources for Garments and Accessories: Shirts Trousers  Dress Types of Dress Shorts Briefs Panties Lingerie Bra Swimsuit Pajamas Shoes Coats and Jackets Sweaters Hats Jewelry Sunglasses Sleeves, Necklines, Collars, and Dress Types Scarves for Men Scarf Buying Guide The Ultimate Scarf Tying Guide

Historical Clothing Resources: OMG That Dress! Period Fabric Amazon Dry Goods Reconstructing History Historic Threads Historical Costume Inspiration History of Costume: European Fashion Through the Ages Women’s Fashion Through the Years Clothing in the Ancient World Clothing in Ancient Rome Clothing in Biblical Times Vintage Fashion Guild Reproduction Fabrics Fabrics and Trims Vintage Fabric Fur and Skins Fashion Timeline 1800-1990 18th Century Clothing Tips Clothing Reference Book List Costume Gallery Legit’s Historical Fashion Master Post