Demographic stats & such:
In case you guys are interested this is at about 5.8k reads.
Age:
13-18 (27%)
18-25 (37%)
25-35 (14%)
35-45 (3%)
Over 45 (2%)
Private (18%)
Gender:
Female (70%)
Male (9%)
Private (21%)
Countries
United States: 49.558%
United Kingdom: 9.735%
Canada: 5.31%
India, Namibia, Nigeria, Portugal: 2.655%
Australia, Philippines: 3.54%
France, Germany, Malaysia, South Africa: 1.77%
Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, 0.885%
Writer's note:
So wow, the story is done. It turned out a lot longer than I expected. But, I'm glad it's over. I really ended up liking Xander and Achilles, writing a black character with kinky hair was also super cool. I'll probably do it again.
I've spent so long writing this story some of the details are foggy to me, and I hope that the details come across more consistently when you guys are reading.
It seems like a few dozen people read every chapter and to be honest I remember the first time I posted a chapter for this story and I got up to ten reads on the first chapter and I was so happy. I actually deleted the first chapter when it got two reads after a couple days cause I was embarrassed, lol.
But, I approach this story like all my stories (on wattpad or not). At the end of the day I'm not a perfect writer, but through practice I can get better. And, I hope this story was good enough for you guys.
Also, I know you're probably thinking, "RegularMisanthrope, no story is perfect on the first try, just edit and revise until you get where you want to be! Simple!" Well, I have a confession; I'm lazy. The likelihood of me revising and editing this probably 70k+ word story is low.
For now I'd rather spend my time trying to pump out more content for you guys, rather than intensely editing what I have. It's not the best response but it's the truth.
That being said I think editing and revision is part of the writing process so I'm a bad example for a writer, don't look up to me, lol.
Final questions for you guys:
Who was your favourite character?
What was your favourite moment in the story?
Something you wish you saw more of?
Something that could have been improved upon?
I am quite on the fence about sm*t. I know that this genre usually has a lot of s*x scenes ( censoring cause I don't want my story to get deleted or something) which for the most part do add a lot to the story but I like the idea of this story being rated for all. If I add an explicit scene I'll have to rate it M for mature. Based on my guesses that could cut a about third of this readership out because you guys would be under 18. Should I make the sequel mature? Is that where this is all headed?
Writer's thoughts on the story:
My biggest self critique would be I feel like Xander and Achilles' characters changed throughout the story. Xander became a bit less proper, and Achilles became a bit more thoughtful and introspective. This was all by accident but it bothered me when I reread a few early chapters. Their characterizations felt a bit inconsistent to me.
Xander is emotional, but did he come across as whiny? Achilles was more gruff and 'typically' masculine in the beginning but he lost some of that by accident. These things bothered me.
Another thing that annoyed me was the way I mentioned vampire-shifter history but didn't further elaborate on it in future moments. I could have pushed tensions between the species better. In my original vision, things between them were always bit more tense because they have longer memories than I gave them credit for.
Also, I kept mentioning things like marriage, surrogacy and babies but I haven't shown you guys any of that. I realized that all those moments didn't belong in this story so I had to flesh out a sequel because I did promise you guys those moments.
Also, for people who know me for D&M, I'm sorry for being a clown 𤡠and failing to deliver the sequel like I promised. I will try my best to write these sequels concurrently. Like D&M on Monday's and X&A on Wednesday's kinda thing. We will see how that goes? Will probably start posting this week or next.
Sequel premise for Leap:
The story will skip across the various milestones that will come up in building a life with someone. It'll focus on engagement, marriage, children and hiccups that come throughout and along the way. I want to say it'll mainly be fluff and sweet moments but there will probably be a bit of angst.
Xander and Achilles have been going strong for over a year now and they want to take the next steps of their lives together. The story will probably start off with the sequel excerpt I've included below (~1k words).
Also, here's the sequel cover, I made it on canva. Idk? Should I change anything?
Sequel excerpt:
~Achilles~
"Sir, if you need any help, just let me know." The perky worker reminded me for the fifth time. The jewelry store had seemed the least intimidating from the outside but as soon as I walked in a worker in a sleek black dress had bee lined for me asking me if I needed anything. I had literally just walked in, I didn't need anything yet, fuck.
I threaded my hands through my hair, trying not to to sigh too agitatedly. "Yep, will do." I said, giving her a forced smile. The store was small, each and every one of my movements in view from across the counter. There were display cases set up throughout the store and I hovered around the engagement ring display case. There were so many rings there, the men's selection a lot smaller than the women's, and a lot more subtle. Silver and gold bands that all kind of blurred the longer I looked at them.
I really wanted to surprise Xander with a nice ring but jewelry wasn't exactly my forte. Not to mention, he never really wore much jewelry apart from the necklace I'd given him for our three months which was now nearly a year and a half ago.
God, everything passed so quickly with Xander but we'd really been dating for a year and a half. The months had passed like weeks and the weeks had passed like days as we spent more and more time together. I wasn't officially part of Xander's family yet and he wasn't officially a part of mine but things were awfully close. The monthly dinner tradition that Xander and his mom had started became something where both members of our family could meet and get to know one another. It was becoming one of our favourite things to do.
And I'd gotten better with the whole being out thing. Now, I shuddered at the thought of how I'd restrained and hidden who I was when it never truly made me happy. It made me realize part of the reason I had fewer friends than I wanted was because I was afraid for people to know me. But, Xander helped me with that, too. Most of my new friends now were queer, wolves but usually both, and, I'd never felt so comfortable around friends before.
My life was so incredibly good right now and I felt like I was ready to take my life with Xander to the next level. We'd talked extensively about our futures at this point, where we saw ourselves in the next few years and I wanted to give him everything he wanted. But, it was about a week ago when Xander started asking me what kind of ring I wanted after he'd had maybe too much wine. He had pulled up his laptop looking about a dozen tabs, taking notes of which ones I didn't dislike. But, I could tell he was getting impatient and he expected me to propose, not the other way around.
I cleared my throat. "UhâMa'am?" I said sheepishly, knowing the worker could hear me. "I could actually use some assistance."
"Yes," She said with a bright smile and scurrying over. "That's what I'm here for. What's the occasion?"
"Proposal." I said gesturing at the engagement ring sign.
She looked down at the men's labelling. "Choosing a ring for yourself?"
"My boyfriend."
To her credit, she didn't do much more than widen her eyes slightly, and give me a softer smile. "Well then let's choose a great ring for your boyfriend."
#
Xander and I still didn't officially live together but I spent half my week with him. When I'd suggested I may as well move in, Xander looked scandalized. Something about how he wouldn't live with someone he wasn't married to. He'd said it kind of as a joke but also kind of not.
When I got to Xander's place he had just come out of his practice room with Sunny. The past year hadn't changed Xander too much. His hair was a bit bigger and he'd gone from some brown highlights to accentuate his curls. It looked natural and complimented his light brown skin, green eyes and those freckles over the bridge of his nose.
Sunny had actually gone and cut her hair. Without the chemical processing she used to do her hair was thick waves and curls that didn't go very far past her jaw. Her hair made her look more ethnically ambiguous. She was too brown to be only Asian but her facial features were all Filipino.
Xander greeted me with a kiss, his lips a bit wet and swollen from playing his instrument. We tried to keep it Pg-13 around Sunny even though she was seventeen now.
"Hey," I said after kissing Xander. I always felt a little lighter after seeing him, he always managed to do that for me.
Sunny clapped me on the back. "Did you get bubble tea?"
"Gee, Sunny." I said dryly. "Hello to you, too." I raised the bag I was holding, taking out the kale avocado shade Xander had asked for, the coconut taro bubble tea smoothie Sunny wanted and brown sugar bubble tea for myself.
Sunny came over twice a week for music lessons from Xander. She'd be going into her senior year in the fall and she planned on pursuing music. Xander had offered to tutor her at no cost because he liked her but privately, I knew it was because Sunny's parents weren't interested in paying for a music tutor because they didn't support her wanting to pursue classical music. Anyone who was serious about getting into Huntington U, where Xander taught, and that had the best music program in the country, needed a tutor to guide them.
But, on nights like tonight, the three of us just tried to relax. I would grill up some steaks for Sunny and I and a Beyond Meat burger for Xander and we'd watch something together. In a small little corner of my mind I liked to think this is what it would feel like to have a family.
Sunny took an Uber home after the movie and then it was just me and Xander. He gave a me a proper kiss then, that wasn't quite so PG-13. Xander pushed me up against a wall, his thigh splitting my legs apart. One hand was threaded in my hair and the other was under my shirt, sliding across my skin and playing with my waistband.
Xander wasn't always like this, but fuck did it do something else to me when he was. My ears had always been sensitive and when Xander started nibbling on my earlobe and tugging, I let out a low guttural moan.
"Oh my fucking God, Xander." I said a lot less coherently.
He blew in my ear. "Yeah?"
"Let's go to the bedroom." I said breathlessly, as Xander began to suck on my neck. "Please."
Xander gave me a second to breathe, one hand still stroking my chest, distractedly. "Did you buy me a ring?"
"Xander you know I can't think when you kiss me." I said in an exasperated voice. "It's not fair when you ask me stuff when I'm like this."
Xander's hand moved from my waist and to my pocket. "What's this? I know you're happy to see me but not that happy." I took out a wadded up wrapper, and Xander frowned. "Oh."
I gripped his chin, kissing him. "C'mon Xander, no poking and prodding. I'll take of it when the time is right. But, for right now let me take care of you."
And then finally, we made our way to the bedroom.
#
Any other questions you guys know my messages are open.
âRM