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better oblivions

@better--oblivions / better--oblivions.tumblr.com

sometimes there's fic. sometimes there's not.  21 +.

the better--oblivions better masterlist

*** all fics are 18+ ***

The 1975

This Is A Low (in progress) - read it on AO3. a collab with @red---moon

“Witty,” her glass is empty, a useless prop in this exchange. She imagines throwing it against the wall so it shatters right by his head, just to watch him jump.

“I’ve heard.”

“Arrogant, too.”

Their eyes meet.

“Confidence, actually.”

“Semantics.”

He observes her coolly. Her heart pounds in her chest. She wonders where he’ll go in this verbal sparring match, if he’ll push back even further. She’s struck by the sickening thrill of their barbed words, eager to see what he’ll do.

“Nice to meet you,” he says finally, turning on his heel and leaving her in silence. Matty can’t stand Ray, he knows that much. But he admires her. And he finds her devastatingly attractive. And she surprises him at every turn. And he feels an inexplicable urge to catch her when she falls. And, in his moments of weakness, she even brings out a side of Matty that he hasn’t seen before - but it’s one that he really doesn’t like. So, to be clear: he can’t stand her.

Stranger Things

You’ve been friends with Eddie for a while now, and you’ve made your mind up to do something about it. You were willing to play nice, too, but then Eddie leaves you hanging too long after a Hellfire session. You have no choice but to make your displeasure known - and your pleasure felt.

18+ only, porn with exceedingly minimal plot, sub!Eddie MunsonxReader, 4.5k words(ish)

White Gannets (ongoing) - read on AO3

You didn’t love Steve Harrington, at first. But he changes, and so do you, and you consign yourself to being in love on your own. Because Steve has loved Nancy, he always has. Except for one evening in late summer, when your wishes come true and leave you wondering if there’s a name for this pain.

18+, porn with plot, Steve HarringtonXReader, angsty smut with mutual presumed-unrequited pining.

I love it when the unreliable narrator begins to trip and reveal the flaws in their story and themself. I cannot explain how much I adore them. The moment you realize that "wait, something is not right" and start to rethink the whole book is the absolute best thing to happen to you while reading. You just know the reread will be even better.

like, the most compelling ships for me always stem out of one thing: the characters have a profound, ongoing effect on each other’s senses of selves. when they are apart, the characters’ actions are still affected by each other. the way they approach the world changes because of the other. 

which is this deeply Austenian view of ideal romantic relationships as mechanisms by which we come to know ourselves better and become better versions of ourselves. good romance, for me, is always tied in with a sense of self-actualization, and the way in which a beloved partner allows a person to know themselves better.

Anonymous asked:

i just started reading TIAL this past week so imagine my surprise to see the new chapter! i was so prepared for the fic to end halfway. glad you're back at updating!! loved how you wrote ari as actually a really earnest and decent guy - shows that you don't really need 'enemies' for a good story

aww bless you! thank you so much for messaging - i really appreciate getting feedback and hearing everyone's interpretations and opinions.

and thank you for mentioning that about ari! i'm a massive fan of stories with complexity, especially in character-driven arcs like romance. writing with realism is a challenge, and part of that is digging into relationships that are more complicated and nuanced than just 'enemies' or 'lovers' or 'siblings' etc.

final note on updates - i know i take some time between updates, and i totally empathise with readers waiting out the gaps. but, as i said in this post even if i'm not posting, i'm writing, or researching, or talking to people, or reading. doing all the things that help make a story feel good and real and worthwhile! and i'm not abandoning this fic - i have it planned through to the end, and it will be worth it for the wait. promise!

hi guys, new chapter of 'this is a low' out today. i know it's been a long wait; thank you for being patient and leaving me and @red---moon such encouraging comments.

one thing i've been doing in the break between chapters is reading. i moved to a new area, got a library card, and started reading more. and it's good. it helps my writing. i see new ways of delivering plot points, things i want to emulate and things i realise i don't want to emulate. one of my favourite writers said something to the effect of: the best writing happens when you're not writing. and it's true!

so, for anyone out there struggling with writers block or confidence - get a library card. get reading. you will pick things up. and you'll always be able to improve.

This Is A Low.

Ch 17: Fickle Is As Fickle Does

As always, written by (mostly) @better--oblivions and a bit from me.

By all metrics, it’s a shit day to be on a dog walk. The wind blows in unpredictable gales, bending trees back and rippling through the too-long damp grass. The sky, too, is a canvas-grey with huddles of storm clouds drifting ever closer. They walk shoulder to shoulder, bumping into each other as they navigate hidden stones and rabbit holes, peering across the landscape for the blurry dot of Mayhem, launching himself in leaps and chasing huge arcs back and forth between them and the treeline. But somehow, it seems as though they’re setting the world to rights. With the wind snatching away the sound of their voices, they bend closer together to discuss art; work; Blaise’s dad being a cunt; Matty’s mother’s television show; Ray’s mother’s physiotherapy. It doesn’t occur to Ray to mention Ari, and Matty doesn’t ask. 

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