#Also not... too excited to draw the next WIP part...

[loupy-mongoose]

Well, it's been fun while it lasted, but unfortunately, my production speed is likely going to take a big hit.

I've had the last week off for Thanksgiving that allowed me to work long periods on art and writing, and keep ahead of the game. But now, on top of returning to work and having other things to do... as of tomorrows post, I'm entering strictly comic territory. For which I've drawn nothing. XD

I'll still strive to do it as quick as possible (within healthy and comfortable means, don't worry) as I really want to reach That Certain Point by Christmas.

That is all. Just felt like keeping you updated. :3

[for-a-longlongtime]

WIP on Wednesday Thursday

Well, first of all, my WIP folder is currently looking like this:

But fuck it, we ball right?

I got tagged by @din-cognito and @avastrasposts this week, and @the-blind-assassin-12 and @lotusbxtch last week, so I've got some catching up to do! I've been all over the place working on different docs, so you're getting a few tidbits this week.

I've posted snippets of this before (and lo! a hozier title! I'm gonna have to change that though because the story ended up going differently than planned), and after it having been on hold for months, the pieces are coming together at last.

let me wrap my teeth around the world (working title) | Santiago x Frankie “You think we did the right thing there?” Santiago says, staring at the ceiling as he avoids Frankie's eyes. Unsure he really wants to hear the answer, because of how likely it is that he is the only person who can’t answer that with a decisive yes. Fish was the only one on their team - besides Tom - who'd had a family to take care of, who needed that money probably more than any of them did because of his pilot license being suspended. “I mean... Following his lead with the money.” No answer. The deafening silence lasts for much too long. Santi grimaces as he closes his eyes. Shit. Why did he even ask? He keeps fucking up like this.

Next we've got a WIP that I haven't worked on in a bit (it wanted to go on break, bummerrr) but that I'm hoping to pick up very soon.

Untitled | Reynaldo x Matthew It’s those large hands that draw Matt’s attention first.  That, and the golden chain partially but-not-quite hiding under that checkered golf shirt, glistening every now and then in the bright afternoon sun. It’s almost as bright as the gleam in Sophie’s eyes when she throws back a shot and listens to the older man introduce himself as Reynaldo. Matt is only vaguely aware of the prepared talk that the man launches into, a few words standing out, such as ‘exclusive members only’ and ‘the best golf club in all of Arizona’. Things that everybody wanted to hear, and that gave Sophie all the more opportunity to coo at the man how this was ‘one of the best premium golf clubs’ she’d ever been at. It probably isn’t all that premium though, considering the Scotts and Dale had been able to book this place on a budget. And truth be told, it’s still unclear to Matt why they are here on a ‘vow renewal bachelor staycation’, which seemed a contradiction on its own. Or even why Sophie showed up here, acting like one of the guys, just long enough until she found someone who was willing to give her the attention she was clearly looking for. He’d seen the pattern before, especially with the girls on the Kel-squad. None of that matters though, he tries to remind himself as they make their way up to the golf course. He’s simply glad to get away from Kelsey for a couple of days - not just for some peace and quiet, but also so he doesn’t have to wonder if she’s talking to Domingo every time she smiles at an incoming message on her phone.

Finally, this last one is still in the VERY early stages, but ngl... I'm excited. Thank you to the folks who encouraged me to keep going with it! This is hella out of my comfort zone but what the hell, that's where the fun is, right? This one is going to more filth than I'll probably be able to shove into an one shot... so it may end up becoming two or three parts. We'll see.

for glory (working title) | Harry Castillo Harry is speechless, shock painted over his features, and it takes him a moment to find his voice. "You wouldn't dare to," he finally manages to say, and what had previously been surprise in his eyes has now flipped into unmistakeable rage. "Mmm, is that so, Harry? What - you think I've got morals or something?"

EDIT: WAIT!! I forgot to add one final excerpt! This is from a yet to be decided chapter from Joel and Marcus Moreno' story. I spent way too much time trying to find the right face claim moments for them at different ages, and this is what I settled on for their mid-twenties:

Joel in his mid-twenties (a.k.a. Zach Wellison in Brothers & Sisters)

Marcus Moreno in his late twenties (a.k.a. looking like Comandante Veracruz from the Burn Notice movie).

Yes, I'm as shocked as y'all are about the latter, but I promise it'll make sense. As for the excerpt:

Untitled series | Joel Miller x Marcus Moreno Marcus folds his arms as he leans back against the wall, looking every bit the charismatic guy most people know him to be. But Joel has known him a long time and can see where the varnish has cracked, and the parts he so desperately tries to cover up.  "So you don't like it. How I look. You don't like me anymore," Marcus says after a moment, and there’s something about all that combativeness on display - as well as the bitter irony of those words - that hits Joel much harder than he was prepared for. He doesn’t have the same defense system that Marcus clearly is equipped with; the mask that he can put on and off so easily after years of practice. So he just shakes his head. "Think it's been too long since you've had someone push back against you, M." "The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Joel tries to hide his sigh by drinking from his coffee, but the beverage has gone cold, the stale taste of it now bitter on his tongue in a way that feels oddly specific to this situation. "Don't pick a fight with me because you're unhappy, Marcus," he says softly.

I know a lot of y'all already posted a WIP Wednesday, so I'm just gonna link a couple of folks, no pressure as always (apologies if you've already made your weekly WIP update):

@perotovar @sin-djarin @lotusbxtch @mountainsandmayhem @qveerthe0ry

@letsgobarbs @gothcsz @milla-frenchy @guiltyasdave @oliveksmoked

@magpiepills @arcanefox207 @reallyrallyauthor @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @clubsoft

@romanarose @the-blind-assassin-12

[dragonnan]

Fanfic writer interview

tagged by: @sinvulkt

Thank you so much!!

What fandoms do you write in? Primarily Sherlock, MCU, and Sandman. IF inspiration hits hard enough I may drift into other fandoms but for the last few years those have been my primary genres.

How many words have you published in 2024? 49,696 - though that isn't all fanfic as some applies to fanart as well as sometimes quoting other authors in gift art.

What is your greatest achievement this year? Honestly? Managing to get a job lol! But in fandom - nothing really in writing. However I've produced more fanart in 2024 than I created in the last 5 yearly counts.

What are your top three fics you've written this year? Given how little I wrote these are literally the ONLY fics I published/updated in 2024 lol:

🪽 Sed Diabolus (MCU Avengers): My long running WIP, this is a fix-it that simultaneously repairs the events of Endgame as well as makes things so much worse. The incredibly talented @kitcat992 gave me so many ideas and helped so much with the outline that I have given her author credit.

🪽 Sharing is Caring (Sherlock): A short story including all of my favorite elements - hurt/comfort, humor, caregiving, friendship and banter, etc.

🪽 Choice (Sherlock): I had written this story several years ago. However I hadn't liked the theme so it remained unpublished until I finally dug it out and changed up a bunch of things. The result is a cute backstory of how Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson first met.

What was your biggest pit of despair moment? They kinda all run together tbh. Writing has been next to impossible - despite having lots of ideas. Partly why I made so much fanart. Drawing is always easier than writing.

What have you learned? I learned that it's okay and even desired to return to the same story themes over and over - that if it's something I love there are also going to be readers who love the same thing.

Did you beta any fics? I did several years ago but I haven't had the time nor energy for a very long time.

What three fics have you read this year that you love? THIS IS AN EVIL QUESTION!!

Identity Within by KitCat992 (@kitcat992) 160,514 words

It’s been one year and some change since Tony planned to introduce Spider-Man to the world, and instead put a ring on the finger of the capable, qualified, trustworthy Pepper Potts. One year and some change later, and the invitations have finally gone out. Meanwhile, Peter’s never been more excited for something in his entire young life — and he and Ned once got to spend the day at NASA. Nope, Mr. Stark’s wedding easily topped that. Heck, he may be more excited for the wedding than anyone else, including the bride herself. After the crazy year they all had, it felt good to finally have something good happen. Nothing was going to mess this up, Peter would make sure of it. He just had to handle the rings. Wait, the rings. Crap, the rings! Where’d he put the rings? All he had to do was find the rings, and then everything would go off without a hitch. Absolutely nothing could go wrong with him trying to find the rings, right? This wedding was going to be perfect. (Or: Tony swears the universe is trying to keep him and Pepper from tying the knot while Peter’s having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Seriously, who let Norman Osborn into the church?) Act 1 of 5 completed. Part 3 of Identity Saga

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? by sgam76 (@sgam76) 23,052 words

John's friend is coming to dinner, and bringing a problem along. That's fine. That's what he and Sherlock do. But he didn't expect that "problem" to be an eldritch being. Or for said eldritch being to be sad, and pissy, and a little too much like Sherlock for John's comfort. Or for him to bring news of the potential end of the world. Part 9 of A Sharp, Dressed Man 'verse

at least two miracles by apocryphal (@the-apocrypha) 15,948 words

Hob is a hedgewitch. Dream is fae. And Orpheus is the best of them both. Part 11 of Cottagecore

Shout out to two ASTOUNDING comic creators who've both had me by the throat since early last year!

Wolf & Raven by Dominion_of_Dust1886 (@wolf-and-raven-dreaming)

Fan Comic originally posted on Tumblr and is still ongoing. What if Hob Gadling had saved his Stranger? Well, this is a common trope. Yet a trope so easy to contribute to. However, this fan fiction is presented in comic format and dives right into the story. Mind the tags as you dive in.

Centaur Dreamling/ Horse Girl Hob Gadling by @amielot

In which horse girl hob attempts to earn the trust of a wild and unfriendly Dream (who does not like humans one bit)

What ideas are percolating for 2025? I desperately want to get some solid progress (complete???) Sed Diabolus. I also have a story I've been developing for The Sandman and would love to start publishing fics for that fandom.

Who do you want to thank? @kitcat992 @mamahanu @mrs-n-uzumaki @estelkenobi - my beautiful chat group who I'd NEEEVER survive without!!!! Saying I Love You on repeat is a paltry expression for the absolute adoration and devotion I have for you guys. You are my people!! My feral humans!! My clan I daydream of sharing a home with whatever reality may claim (fuck reality with salad fingers!)

@sgam76 @helloliriels @sevdrag @7-percent @vanillacokefireants @teejaystumbles @totallysilvergirl @tj-dragonblade @amielot @the-apocrypha @theleftpill @ceruleanmindpalace @cuubism @englandsgray @ariaadagio @aelaer @disappearinginq @gabessquishytum @kitten-kin @barachiki @bovivinator @blogstandbygo @medhes @mid0khan @wolf-and-raven-dreaming @softest-punk @im-not-corrupted @embroiderling Some of you I've known for years - others I've recently met. ALL of you have shaped me in some way (not even necessarily for evil!). I am so honored to count many of you as good friends and others as friend-in-progress haha! I really can't wait to see what 2025 brings to the fandoms we love!

There are so so many I know I've neglected to tag. If I follow you/you follow me just know you all matter to me so incredibly much and I'm endlessly grateful to you!

tagging: @sgam76 @helloliriels @sevdrag @kitcat992 @gabessquishytum t @the-apocrypha @theleftpill @ceruleanmindpalace @cuubism @englandsgray @ariaadagio @aelaer @disappearinginq @totallysilvergirl @tj-dragonblade @amielot and all others who want to participate!

[nohugzforya]

crk wips💫 i may or may not make ship art next post, who knows...

and for those of you wondering, i will be responding to the art collab requests tomorrow as i am too tired right now! but thank you all for the positive energy & excitement!💗 wasn't expecting so many people to want to collaborate and it makes me happy to know that so many are interested!

a little problem, i won't be able to do an art collab with everyone in the same day, so ill do it with one person & then another once i finish my part. 🫶

now a bit of info on the actual art,

im not a big fan of the pure vanilla drawing, but i didn't wanna post black pearl cookie alone whilst she's not even finished.

im not too keen on doing lineart so now im relieved that it's finally over.

also currently crying i think pure vanilla looks a bit white it was not intentional i used filters or watver they called i might try to fix it but i honestly dont care much about that drawing

i talked like an old man throughout the entire post, hope you enjoyed! goodnight ✌️

[alinartistique]

Progress Report March 2025

And March is practically over~

Third progress update of this year already, again updating on my art/animation/webcomic progress.

So here we go:

My webcomic, Twisted Play:

Chapter 2. 1 part 2 is still in the works. I'm working on the lineart and have finished some more panels, also including character lineart this time instead of just backgrounds. It's still fairly early into the strip so there's no real telling when it'll be finished. But I reckon the lineart should be finished at some point in April...I hope. May at the latest.

I've also touched up on a few panels and dialogue on part 1 that bothered me a bit. But at least now I can say I'm fully content with it now.

Writing-wise, I've done some edits on chapter 2.1's script for part 2 onwards and edited some stuff in the chapter outlines for future chapters that are a long while away from where we are right now. Nothing extreme, but some changes nonetheless.

Also, here's some panels of 2.1.1 in the meantime:

Artworks I made: Warning! Blood/gore/disturbing imagery...you know the drill.

I've created two stand-alone illustrations, this time of Desire and Chouwa, "Toxicity" and "Decidophobia".

I did some Valentine's art last month and upon hearing that one weird thought of "Should I draw Noriaki in a maid outfit?" ring in my head, I did exactly that for White Day. It's okay to admit it: he's rocking that, isn't he?

I've mentioned that I did some side doodles as warm-up last month. It went on until the beginning of March and I've compiled them all in one file. I was severely lacking silly couple art of Chouwa and Chiron, so I decided to doodle these silly drawings of them being the weird villain couple that they are to make up for it:

Finished animations:

See "Miscellaneous" because the one animation I made is just a very small GIF, nothing big, buuuuut-

Animation WIPs:

The only OC I haven't showcased on my Youtube channel yet is Chiron. So it was high time I worked on something. Maybe you remember the "888" animation meme I have as a WIP from my last reports that does feature him, too, but with how much of a "morally grey, obsessive antagonist character" Chiron is in my comic, I decided his YT debut should have more "oomph". Introducing, the "Turn in the dark/Tourner dans le vide" animation meme. Except I make it a backstory animation, unrelated to the actual meme format.

As of right now, it's about 1/3 finished if the amount of keyframes is to be believed. The later parts will feature a lot more character movement than I've animated thus far in this and in past animations overall, but, although it's pretty intimidating, I'm super excited for that! (Plus Chiron best boi. My skrunkly little antag.)

Every other animation WIP hasn't been touched on this month.

Miscellaneous:

On the occasion of drawing Noriaki in a maid outfit, I also made a small GIF animation of him being spun around by Chouwa:

I made a meme drawing for the upcoming birthday of Noriaki. I'm planing to post it with my next illustration in the beginning of April.

And that's it for March.

Remember to check my instagram if you want more frequent updates. If not, see ya in the next progress report in April~

[chouettecrivaine]

yes i paid attention to the poll results this fic is just becoming an absolute UNIT so it took a while. anyway here is the preview for the current wip, as promised!

genshin impact // lyney x reader // gender neutral reader // Capucine is a fic-specific OC think of her as a mentor figure or something to your character milf alert

The audience's cheers suddenly died down, excited whispers taking their place. Everybody seemed to know what was going on, so Lyney didn't bother to explain as he fiddled with the machine for a moment. In the lull, you leaned over to ask Capucine what was going on.

"I think that's a number generator," She answered, sounding thrilled and nervous all at once. "He's going to pick a volunteer!"

Lyney straightened his posture and struck a practiced pose, gesturing to the machine with one hand. He began to rouse the crowd, teasingly dropping a few hints of what might make him inclined to pick a standout individual himself. After a brief moment, Lynette pressed the button without his permission, allowing him to make a good-spirited remark about how straightforward she was. 

The three numbers spun in a blur, eventually rolling to a stop at different times. The first slot stopped first, showing a large zero.

"Oh! A volunteer from the ground floor it is, then!" People up in the balconies groaned in disappointment. Lyney offered comforting words as the last number rolled to a stop, showing a nine. An aisle seat.

By the time Lyney finally looked back at the machine, the entire number was displayed. He laughed and pointed out into the crowd, drawing imaginary swirls in the air before finally resting his hand while pointing right at you.

If he could see your face in the crowd, he didn't appear phased at all that it was you - but he also didn't look like he planned it. You were too busy shrinking under the stares of everybody else to observe him under much scrutiny. A part of you wanted to decline, but the moment you opened your mouth to do so, the entire auditorium burst into cheers, encouraging you to make your way to the stage. If you tried to say no, your voice would be drowned out for sure.

With no other option, you sighed and stood out of your seat. Capucine gave you two encouraging thumbs up when you looked back, which made you feel a little more confident. Squaring your shoulders, you made your way down the carpeted aisle. Lyney beckoned you ever closer, his smiling widening when you reached the stairs leading up to him.

As soon as you were up the final step, Lynette stepped behind you and ushered you to the middle of the stage without truly touching you. Removing his hat, Lyney bowed deeply and grinned playfully at you. He looked like he was about to say something to you, but a sudden movement in your peripheral vision drew your attention from him as a large box was lowered to the stage. The gilded frame held sparkling maroon panels on each side, catching the light as it came lower and lower before finally resting just above the stage.

“With such a lovely volunteer, this next trick should be a piece of cake.” Lynette breezed behind you as Lyney talked, opening the front panel and revealing a cozy interior with stars dangling from the ceiling and metallic paper decorations in the back. You stared at the swaying decorations from over your shoulder, wary, almost like you expected something to jump out at you.

Lynette placed a hand on your shoulder blade, startling you enough to make you jolt. Her lips barely moved as she whispered to you, “Don’t worry, we’ve recently maxed out security on our audience-centered acts.”

From the corner of your eye, you gave her your most pointed yet subtle glare. Was there something you should have been worried about? You supposed Capucine hadn’t been far off when she accused you of living under a rock. Keeping up with the news wasn’t your highest priority, yet you could tell you were missing something. Lynette kept her cool front, though, and gave an imperceptible nod towards the audience, signaling you to look ahead. The stage lights washed out most of the crowd, save for the faded images of the very front row. Their cheers hadn’t relented, the noise so overpowering you could barely focus on the fact that they were all staring straight at you. 

“Now-” Lyney announced, taking a step to flank your other side. You hadn’t realized he was walking around the box and showing the audience that the box was solid on all sides. “Our newest assistant will step into this box and, at your word, disappear!”

A noise of awe brushed over the crowd. Lyney turned a cheeky smile your way, offering a hand and asking, “Shall we?”

Not knowing what else to do, you turned and grabbed his hand, allowing him to lead you to the box and keep it steady while assisting your step up. All the while, he murmured his instructions softly.

“Don’t be surprised if you feel a little jostling. The box will be lifted off the ground - but not by much! I won’t let anything happen to you,” He explained, leaning his top half into the box after you. “The door will open once when you’re in the air. Once you close it, just make sure your whole body is behind the tape line on the ground. Okay?”

Taking a deep, steadying breath, you glanced around the box without moving your head so the crowd wouldn’t get suspicious. The hardest part would be closing the door, but you’d been assured twice that they wouldn’t let you get injured. You could take being lifted a few feet off the ground with ease. 

When you nodded, Lyney grinned widely. “I knew you were a star. Oh, and we’re trusting you to keep our secret. I’m sure you’ll help us out, right?”

He winked and twirled around before you could answer, addressing the crowd once again with a lengthy preamble. While he kept their attention, Lynette closed the door of the box, sealing you into the darkness with a firm click. Immediately, the noise from outside became muffled, blocked by the solid door. The soundproofing alone boosted your trust in the stability of the contraption. A few moments passed and you stood absolutely still, not wanting to shake the box and distract from Lyney’s crowd work. You heard him call something out and the answering roar of the audience, then the box shook for a moment before you began your ascent.

Unsure, you braced yourself with your palms flat against the sides of the box, focusing on your even breathing. While you weren’t panicked yet, you knew how easy it would be for your threads to unravel if anything went wrong. The rising motion of the box was smooth, safe for the initial jostling, and you had a surprising amount of room with which to orient yourself. Though you had been told that you wouldn’t be held too high, the slow progress made the ride feel eternal. Eventually, you were shaken slightly once more when the box halted. You could feel yourself gently swaying above the stage and took a cautious step back, just in case.

Then, as you were warned, the door swung open wide. You lifted an arm to shield yourself from the bright lights, giving yourself a moment to adjust. One step forward proved that the box was more stable than you thought. Gaining a little more confidence, you took two more steps to the edge of the opening, gripped the side of the frame, and reached for the door handle. The audience was clapping politely for your ‘bravery,’ and you swore for a moment that you hear Capucine above everybody else. As you swung the door shut, you paused for a brief second when you locked eyes with Lyney. He gave you a thumbs up, and you nodded back before shutting the door.

Once again in the secluded darkness, you stepped back until you were pressed against the wall. With the dim light filtering in through the cracks of the door, you saw the strip of tape that you were supposed to stand behind. As the crowd began counting down, you were left to wait.

From the top of the box, a thin panel began slowly falling, the lowering controlled by some gears you could barely hear turning in the wall beside you. The walls were double layered, you realized, to hold the mechanisms - that explained how well they filtered out the noise. The panel landed softly on the floor, and you knew then that the same metallic stars were pasted to the other side, blocking you from view…and giving you the illusion that you’d disappeared.

The only indication that the door had opened was the sudden increase in volume from outside, filled with what you imagined were shocked gasps and conspiratorial whispers. The moment simmered for as long as Lyney held it, allowing their disbelief to be cleared and their astonishment to grow. The audience was eating everything he was feeding them - you didn’t even have to see them to tell. You could hear it in their voices, feel it in the air as plainly as you could feel the clothes on your body. When the spotlight was on him, Lyney was in complete control, from the shows to his image to the people watching on.

Finally, the box was lowered once again and the panel lifted itself up. You stepped into the middle of the box, right where you were before the trick truly started. When the door opened again, the world was flooded in a prickling white light while the crowd shrieked and applauded. The noise washed over you like a wave, all at once before fading into the background. You had preemptively covered your eyes to shield them from the light until a shadow blocked most of it for you. Blinking, you lowered your arm when realized it was Lyney standing in the doorway, haloed in the golden spotlight and holding his hand out to you.

“See? Told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” He said, smiling softly. You felt something lurch in your chest and wished you could blame it on the box settling. Hesitantly, you placed your hand in his, certain that the careful way he curled his fingers around yours was deliberate and soft. Magic and excitement may not have been your usual scene, but you let Lyney pull you into the spotlight anyway for all the theater to see.

[celestie0]

Hii! This is my first time messaging any fanfic author (I'm an extremely anxious person and tend to be more of a lurker LOL) I'm so sorry but this might be a long one lmfao

First of all, the way you write in general? Absolutely phenomenal!! The way you characterise and describe scenes is honestly so incredibly immersing. I've always had a relatively easy time imagining scenes in my head when reading, even with relatively little detail, but the way you word everything puts the scene straight into my head and it's such a wonderful experience!

Your characterisation of Gojo (in all your works!!) is probably my absolute favourite out of any fanfics I've read of him (trust me I've read an embarrassing amount :sob:). The way you actually capture what he feels like in canon, without making him feel super mean or cold, but still retaining that side of being emotionally repressed is absolutely chefs kiss!!

I also really love y/n in both kickoff and ihm so much. I relate to both of them in different ways, but probably more so ihm reader personality wise (might also be because I'm around the same age as her lmao). As someone who is very emotionally repressed due to trauma (especially of loved ones leaving you), the way you've portrayed those sides of reader in ihm is VERY spot on!! And I would like to add that I, for one, LOVE slow burn, so I don't mind the pace ihm is going at right now personally!

Chapter 12 of Kickoff?!?!? Holy shit I was literally sat there blushing, kicking my feet and giggling. It was absolutely hilarious and super cliché in the absolutely best way possible (I absolutely love clichés if they're well used!)

I could honestly wait years for anything you write. Never feel any pressure to churn out your writing and take it at your own pace!! My genuine first thought after finishing the latest chapter of Kickoff was that it was sooo worth the wait haha.

Personally I have an extremely hard time writing anything but angst, because I like making myself sad I guess who knows LOL But I'm sooo excited about your next work!! I absolutely love the song you're basing it off of <3

AND did I also see some talk about a potential Spider-man Gojo fic in the future??? Cos I would honestly probably scream (in a good way lol) if you ever did that, he's my alltime favourite superhero!!

Okok this is getting really long, but I found this photo of four football players a bit ago and thought I absolutely HAD to draw them as Gojo, Geto, Choso and Nanami from Kickoff (adding the art at the bottom)! But I haven't gotten around to colouring it yet (or cleaning it up considering it's just a sketch lmaoo) cos I'm stuck on how to do the jerseys. So I have two questions! I know you've explained the colours of their jerseys, but do you have any particular idea in mind of what the design on the jersey itself looks like? As in where the colours are placed specifically etc? And we know Gojo's signature jersey number, but do you have numbers for the rest of them too? (I may or may not also have a wip of a drawing of just Gojo from Kickoff too!)

I'm sorry there's A LOT of different plot points in my message??? The most important part was just to convey, hey, I love the way you write and you should definitely give yourself some more credit cos you are genuinely a really good writer!! <3 (Though I know us artists tend to be our own worst critics LOL)

hi love i’m so sorry this took me a sec to respond to!! first off thanks you so much for sending me such a sweet ask :’’’) i literally gaspeddd when i saw it

aaa i’m so happy the scenes feel immersive!! and that you enjoy my characterization of gojo aaa i’m so happy to hear that. and yes i totally relate to ihm reader’s suppression of her emotions due to trauma and lack of trust so it’s been very…cathartic yet challenging to write for her, but i wouldn’t have it any other way hahah

i’m so glad you enjoyed kickoff ch12!! i totally agree that chapter was so cliche, honestly it made me cringe while i was writing it because i typically hate cliches esp when they’re corny rather than on-the-nose, but i posted it anyways bc i figured maybe i just hate it bc i’m the author xd but it seems my readers enjoyed it so :’’0 perhaps i made the right choice

oh you are too kind. i really appreciate you looking out for me <3 tbh i’ve been feeling really overwhelmed lately, and it’s been really hard to deal with the emotions, but coming on here and seeing sweet works n ppl interacting w my stories brings me lots of happiness n i can’t thank you enough :’’) yes i will definitely take my time bahahha that i can assure you LOL and i’m so happy to know you’re looking forward to more of my works!! you’re so right about artists/authors being our own worst critics. i swear no one has been as mean to my writing as i have LMFAOOO but alas i think i’ve gotten better in trusting my direction n kinda choosing what i think is best soooo. progress i suppose? hahah

ok. now. i can talk about. THE ART?!?!?!?!? HELLO!!!!!!! OH MY GODD?!?!!?!?! ok i KNOWWW that’s it’s just a sketch so far but tell me whERE MY PANTIES HAVE GONE?!?!?!? WHERE MY CLOTHES ARE AT?!?!??!

the expression on kickoff gojo’s face has me reeling he looks so focused n sexy and THE HEADBAND PUSHING HIS HAIR UP OUT OF HIS FACE YES YES YES 100% THAT’S HOW I PICTURE IT WHEN I WRITE AAA and kickoff geto’s expression too pls i could cum (sorry i hope this isn’t weird to say lmfaooo i am also very respectfully looking at your artwork as well aaa) nanami’s hair looks so nice too

as for the uniforms hmm i know i said like gold and blue colors, i believe actual real-life UTOKYO has more of a yellowish color but i actually like gold better hence why i chose gold. but…i can imagine the whole jersey being blue and then with gold accents then white numbering?

here are some options!! like w the first one, probs sky blue fabric with the white stripes as gold instead, and then the numbers/brand sponsors or whatever are in white? they would probs have like “UTOKYO” in large print somewhere too, maybe underneath their numbers or sumn. tbh i think the middle one is the nicest, i can picture the stripes of blue and gold, and then accents in white. but the third one also works too!!

as for numbers hmm. ok yes gojo is #10, geto is #7, choso is #4 and nanami is #24 :0 that sounds…about right! LOL i hope i don’t have it somewhere in the other chapters that they are different numbers although i don’t think i’ve assigned the other boys numbers before

BUT I HOPE THIS HELPS AND THANKS SOSOSOSOSOSO MUCH FOR DRAWING FANART INSPIRED BY MY FIC!!!! I AM SO HUMBLED BY YOU AND I’M SOOOO EXCITED TO SEE THE FINAL DRAWING BUT ALSO NO PRESSURE AAAAAAAA

so much loveee <333

[viktoriaashleyyx]

Thank you for the tag @yaralulu !! Its nice to feel included ♥

Describe your writing process from idea to posting/publishing?

I get the best ideas while driving or showering and then struggle to remember them later.

Its a mess, it truly is, i have thrown away everything my hs teachers taught me. I have 35 WIPs that as soon as I think of a scene, ill spit it out and then move onto the next. I am writing CH 15 of my fic while CH11 remains bare and empty.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I have no idea what a pantser is tbh, I just started writing 2 mos ago. Still catching up with the lingo and all the different sites I need to learn.

I generally have an idea of a plot, and at the top of every CH or Word doc I will write a brief synopsis of what I want to happen, but for the most part i am possessed by the characters and I am just as shocked as yall are about what came out of my fingertips.

What do you listen to when you are writing?

Studio Ghibli Study music. I draw a lot of inspiration from BVB, MIW, Heather Dale and Misbehavin Maidens, but while I am actually writing I cannot listen to lyrics because my ADHD paired with my dyslexia will have me out here just writing the lyrics down.

There might be a Tarquin Bonus Chapter coming that is based off The Maiden and the selkie by Heather dale but shhh!.

What’s your drink of choice(while writing)?

It depends on Time of Day but I am the stereotypical 3 drinks at once person: 1 for hydration (water), 1 for caffeine (tea or coffee, I have a terrible addiction to both), and 1 for fun (hot cocoa, dr. pepper, or kool aid)

Promote yourself! What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?

I do really like my main fic A Court Reborn, it is a self indulgent fun story to write and a few people seem to love it, which I am floored by. I honestly did not think it was going to do well being my first multi chap fic and all. It often has me crying over my keyboard going "Lucien will be happy if it kills me." While it is a Pro Tamlin, Tam x OC, It also focuses on building and encouraging Lucien and Nestas healing to set them up for Elucien and Neris respectively.

But I also love the accessibility of my one shots/ drabbles, reader fics. Not everyone has the time to invest into reading a full fic so a quick chap to make you feel better before you continue scrolling is great.

Share a fic of yours that you think is underrated/deserves more love.

I did kinda hope for Lucien and Eris Make Up to do better than it did, but I am a new writer, not everything is going to stick and do phenomenal. I like it, and thats what matters ♥

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Comparison is the thief of joy, but also, it is understandable that you would like some feedback for your writing, I feel the same way!

I miss a lot on here, if you are one of my moots and you feel your fic did not get enough love, tag me! Send it to me! I will hype you up!! I follow you for a reason, and that reason is that I think you are great and anything you post, even if we have never had a conversation before, I want to read it!!

What is a writing style/technique that others do really well that you'd like to get better at?

Slowing down, fleshing out the scene. I get too excited when I write and rely heavily on Cannons depictions of the places themselves. I feel I am getting better at it though and reading back through my fic I can see in real time my writing improve and I think that is pretty cool.

Is there a character you were surprised you enjoyed writing as much as you did?

Lucien. I am enjoying babying him. "Yes you are a powerful Heir to Day Court, but you also deserve head scratches and forehead kisses." No my OC is not going to end up with Lucien romantically, my goal is to convey a loving older sister figure to him. Yes there will be a part where she clashes with Eris over him "hes not YOUR little brother"/ "he is now"

On the flip side, Tarquin is proving more difficult. In my head he is so calm, cool and collected, but I myself am chaotic. I am trying so hard to do his character the justice he deserves.

I am tagging: @farintonorth @1800naveen @matrixsss @positivelyruined @merwgue @bxriles @sad-scarred-sassy

And anyone else!!

[amaiguri]

The WIP Questionaire

Thanks so so much from @verba-writing for the tag! I had such a fun time reading your answers too and I'm very excited for paranormal romance 😍

I feel like I wanna flag that a lot of my answers are very anime/gaming-sphere oriented and I hope I'm not totally alienating my mutuals by revealing just HOW MUCH I'm not a book person lololol But this is with what we're working:

The Questions are:

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

The very first thing I made was the high premise: It was synthesized from the Overly Sarcastic Productions question "What if all the Kings Under the Mountain came back...?" and then I added the context "...in a Nuclear Crisis to discuss piece?" And in my head, it was this HBO-style modern fantasy Game of Thrones meets West Wing type deal. But then... I didn't want to write the modern piece. (The modern piece should be written by people in countries from all over Europe about what it means to be a hero in various cultures.)

So I set it in 1800s fantasy world instead!

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

The first arc would be Dance in the Game by Zaq

The second arc would be Lacrimosa by Kalafina

The Gods' Arc would be Paper Boquet by Mili

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

Is it to cliché to be like "my current self-insert protagonist is my favorite character I've ever made"? Her and my antagonist are just THE BEST and I love them.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

Mmm, I think Untitled Yssaia Game's story would appeal to queer Game of Thrones fans who could FEEL the straightness in GoT, especially if they also like anime. I would hope I could get general anime fans as well as Arcane and Genshin Impact fans, but I feel like those are too mainstream and Yssaia is not. Realistically, I think I'm gonna get the Wadanohara people and the Ib people and, if I get really lucky, the To the Moon people.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Marketing lol -- explaining what it is to people in a way that they realize they want it.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Fuafua 🥺🥺🥺

Look at her! She is a six-legged, six-eyed slug cat called a Maret. Marets fill the same role as ocelots in Yssaia, except they're more semi-aquatic like otters and their skin has a stressball-like texture.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

They walk or ride Rumateurs (which are alpaca-like beings with ossicones) or take ships or airships or trains. I don't like writing about travel that much though so it is a background element.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

I am pre-editing the first arc for my alpha readers and the third arc has another 50k to 100k words to draft. We're at like 250k words total right now and it is so unwieldy 😭😭😭

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

Oh, I have a convenient graphic for this. Hang on...

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I was just diatribing about this earlier but the DREAM is to turn it into an RPGmaker adventure game and have it go viral and make a million bucks off it. I'd love to be the next Undertale but it'll never happen because I am not positioned to be the next Undertale, you know?

So yeah, that's what's what! Thanks again for the ask! This was so fun! I'm gonna pass this to @maiemorrae, @moonfeatherblue, @zebee-nyx, @winterandwords, @modernwritercraft, @words-after-midnight, @spideronthesun, @theprissythumbelina, @thepanplate, @thetruearchmagos, @maskedemerald, @moondust-bard, @pluttskutt and @emelkae 😍😍😍 I actually internalized Verba's WIP so well from this tag and I wanna make sure I'm updated on what all you cool people are working on! Open tag to any of my other moots too! 🥳

IMPORTANTTTTT⚠️

I will edit this to have a blank easily copy-and-pasteable question section when I get back to my computer. If I forget, @ me!

[mrghostrat]

Howdy! I am really considering starting a fic of my own and I've already got so much stuff written out for it, as well as a decent plan of action, but I always lose motivation right when I think I'm about to get it started. I'm always this way with big projects and I feel like small oneshots have been too little to sustain my brainrot, Do you have any tips on writing to share with a newbie?

i do!! i've been there a thousand times, with all kinds of projects (fan and original). know that it's a skill that you can hone, and the more you write the better you'll get at sustaining longer works 🙏

it's one of those things that's part luck at first, but hopefully this can help:

don't share WIPs or snippets, especially when you really really want to. maybe find one friend who will hype you up and get ferally excited in DMs about it, so you've got an outside force that's encouraging you to get to the later plot points. but in general, resist the urge

because you know that lil burst of dopamine you get when you share a sketch or wip or something online, and people are interacting with it or maybe congratulating you on your progress, and you feel really accomplished for a bit? yeah, that can be detrimental to long form projects. because brain says why bother finishing the thing or doing any more; you've already gotten the dopamine out of it, you already feel accomplished, let's rest! brain bad.

write the whole thing before you post it.

getting audience feedback is exquisite, and it can be a real driving force to make you want to continue. but it can also be a burden if you're in this early stage of honing your longform skills. you might get too swept up in the pressure to update if it's been a while since you wrote, and that can sour your whole association of the project. when it becomes a have to instead of a want to.

alternatively, some people work better under this kind of pressure. it's very subjective.

reread your work before diving back in

i sometimes reread too much and make myself really bored of it, so be careful not to hack and pick at it like i do. but if you go a week without writing, reread your last chapter/scene before starting the next. it can draw you in, trigger flow, and if you're me and you're obsessed w your own stories, will get you impatient to read what happens next which FORCES you to write the damn thing

baby step into it

i get that "one shots aren't enough" 100%. but it can def be daunting to suddenly commit yourself to a 50k multichapter when you're not used to it. plan something that has one or two pivotal plot beats and set yourself up for a 10k thing with a couple of chapters. ease yourself into it. set yourself up for success ✨

[nonsensefromtheabyss]

W.I.P Wednesday 1: The List

I don’t really know how big of a deal WIP Wednesday is on here, but it’s when my writing club used to be so I’ve decided I might as well start again! Maybe not every Wednesday, but I think it might be nice to share my thoughts instead of cannibalising them quietly. This week, I am doing that project list I mentioned before: Behold! Here are all the works I have on the schedule/drawing board at the moment. 

HAZBIN HOTEL. 

A Broken Record On Repeat In A Crowded Bar: a story about a brutally injured Alastor refusing to rely on his friends and toying with the boundaries of his deal. It also looks at everyone else’s perspectives post-extermination and features a lot of Charlie struggling with where she and her dreams stand in the new status quo. Quite dark, mostly character driven, will be 13 chapters long when done.

Still working on Chapter 5. Have been working on Chapter 5 for longer than I ever thought possible. Unfortunately my hours at work have increased which, along with a few changes in my personal life, means I’ve had less project time recently. It is hovering somewhere around 2/3s completed and I’m still hopeful to get it out this month. Overall, the whole project is sitting at around 60,000 words if I tally up all the chapter documents—not bad for an idea that started as a fucking oneshot!

I’ve also finally got a table that I can paint at, so I’m doing a painting of the Final Confrontation. No idea why; I sneezed and the sketch appeared. I have absolutely no faith that it’ll be finished by the time I upload that chapter, but sometimes we do these things for the journey. And the joy of painting. I’ve not had anywhere to paint for a year.

PROFESSOR LAYTON. 

When The Dust Settles and Professor Layton And The Master’s Last Painting: post Unwound Future Sycamore and Layton team up to solve a case where the people have vanished from a bunch of paintings. At the same time, Layton is trying to uncover what his estranged brother has been doing for the past three years. Mystery elements, psychological elements, a complete disregard for reality; slightly darker than the game series, but only in the sense that I describe the violence. The prologue and first part of what’s planned to be a trilogy. 

I actually don’t know if anyone here knows about these works; I wasn’t on tumblr when I started them. And I’ve been gone for… quite some time…

Basically, I got halfway through Chapter 15 and got really, really stuck—partly due to other things happening in my life at the time, and partly because it… wasn’t feeling right. To try and refresh myself with how we’d gotten to that point in the story, I read back through all my published Layton work and… was not inspired. I actually realised how much I disliked my early writing; I wasn’t using scenes or characters effectively, the threads for the mystery as a whole were either too obscure or flat out not there—I was displeased. Particularly because this is a project I get really excited about when I think about my plans for the series; all my work deserves my best effort, but this one in particular has a lot of potential to me that I don’t feel like I captured in my initial writings. Time to start fresh! Take another swing at it! I have a different method of working now, and I feel certain that this time I can capture my vision.

So, I finished my dissertation and cleared my first ever Big Project, and I had already started on the big rewrite… and then I fell down a hole into Hazbin Hotel. I cannot stress enough that Broken Record was supposed to be a oneshot. Finishing these two works is next on my list, this time I swear it. I already have the story divided up into chapter documents, and some have been fully reworked, It Is Happening. You still probably won’t see anything for a while yet, but if you’re one of my readers from before or on the off chance you’re curious now, feel free to pop up to chat about it!

RIDDLE SCHOOL. 

Unnamed Project. I’m so fucking back. Some very lovely people said they’d be interested in seeing more from me in my Riddle V.I.Z.ion universe, and I accidentally fell in love with these characters all over again while completing that project. Yall convinced me and I am so very happy about that!

The work will be a collection of moments from the aliens’ lives, jumping around in time between past and present within the timeline and history I’ve given them. More detail into how they work together, what their home planet is like, what they actually got up to as V.I.Z.ion members, stuff like that! Basically an excuse for me to write more for them. At the minute, I have their timelines (collective and individual) plotted out in a document, and have selected sections of history I think would be interesting to explore, so I would say a rough plot is hesitantly in place! 

Because it’s not going to be precisely linear (given that we already know where they end up, I don’t think there’s anything to be gained from sticking to the laws of time!) I’m thinking I can be a bit more flexible with myself in how I work on it. Which means I might try and fit it in around other projects as a little treat to refresh myself. If I think of it like Short Stories In A Shared Universe instead of Another Book, it feels manageable that I might add to it without disrupting my workflow, which means it hopefully won’t take another seven years (always a good thing!)

I’m also doing more art for Riddle V.I.Z.ion as well, fuck it. I had a vision (hah!) I saw the shipyard and the miserable campfire. I’ve never painted space before, but this seems a good enough reason to try. (I’ve painted the woods many, Many times.)

So, if you’re interested in this project while it’s still in the early stages, or you’ve read Riddle V.I.Z.ion and were interested in more, feel free to drop by and chat! Currently I’m stuck on a name; Puzzle Pieces has a certain appeal, but I think that would also be nice as a series title, and I think I’d like to keep the ‘Riddle’ naming theme for the main instalments. Riddle Classified? Riddle Planet? Riddle Logbook? Unauthorised Access feels nice in my head, but again with the lack of ‘Riddle’ continuity. Hm. I’ll keep at it. It’s the annoying moment where I realise that ‘Riddle V.I.Z.ion’ itself would have been the perfect title for this too!

DON’T HUG ME I’M SCARED. 

Three Friends, Three Foes, Three Names They’ll Never Know: a series of drabbles about terrible things happening to the Three Guys. Very graphic and violent. Horror elements with a lot of gore.

Believe it or not, I actually have three more chapters I always meant to add to that story that just got pushed around in favour of other things. Always meant to get back around and finish them; as you can see, they’re on The List!

So, in short order, we have ‘The Yellow Guy Chapter (a nightmare about stairs)’, ‘The Bigger Boys Chapter (bestie you forgot about The Cycle)’, and the ‘Lore Chapter (contains nothing of use to anyone, is Not A Theory.)’ They’re all about 1/3 done; i dip into them whenever I feel like rewatching the series or writing psychological and physical horror without any embellishments. Not much to declare on this front but they will be done at some point.

RESIDENT EVIL: VILLAGE. 

The Monsters You Told Your Children About: all the characters except for Mother Miranda are brought back to life by The Duke. Rose is declared a bio weapon by the BSAA and is taken into their custody. Thus begins a road trip where Ethan, with encouragement from The Duke, convinces the four most dangerous monsters he knows to help him rescue his baby.  This story is basically fucked up found family with the mold acting as a Get Along shirt for everyone involved and The Duke eating popcorn.

Contrary to popular belief, this story isn’t dead! Much like Ethan himself, it is merely in a perpetual state of rotting, and that hasn’t kept it from coming back to kick me in the ass whenever I feel inspired to look at it again. Original projection length was stupidly optimistic—this thing needs to be more than 8 chapters long or it’s just going to be nonsense. It needs some structural revision in its planning department, which is why it went cold in the first place; few things more demoralising than realising you’ve lost inspiration and your basic building-blocks suck.

So! I’m keeping the same concept and ideas and just… reworking the elements to flow better as a narrative instead of just being a collection of things I immediately wanted coming out of the game. Of course, this should have been step one all those years ago, but I rather got ahead of myself.

CUPHEAD. 

Untitled project. This was a curve ball to me. Divine inspiration to work out the perfect plot… for something I had wanted to write about in 2017. The devil works in mysterious ways and apparently She wants me to write more fic.

Following the Devil’s retreat, all the souls on the Inkwell Isles are released, and the Casino collapses into dust and rubble. The Casino, which I remind you, belongs once again to its original owner, the newly freed and magicless King Dice, who is not able to counter that degree of property damage. Mostly because even lawyers hate him.

Left with nothing to his name but his soul, King Dice, followed by his loyal court, embarks on a solemn quest: to punch his old boss in the fucking face.

(Featuring: bullying Saltbaker into opening a portal to Hell, Cagney running the woodland mafia, Spirited Away soul trains, and potion brewing with Elder Kettle (he’s being held at gun point.) Not show compliant, I have never watched it.)

I’m not thinking about this one too hard. I’m hoping if I stop looking at it, it’ll go away (it won’t.)

[micalpixel]

May Flowers Game - September 2024 Progress Report

Another month comes and goes, so here's another update on my May game.

Lore and Plot

So... I don't have anything visual to display this month, sadly. I kinda spent an entire month working on lore and plot. :D I keep looking at the layers the game has so far. Characters, sidequests, themes... And little by little, I keep finding new ways to connect them. May's afraid of heights. But why? Well, there's now a reason. And it links to something else that until now, was completely unrelated. Plot holes get filled in, rough edges are ironed out. I'm happy with how things are progressing. I feel as though all of the biggest, most important pieces, are now in place.

One reason this has been taking a while is... well...

When I worked on the puzzle mechanics, I cut out a lot of ideas. Because it was too much for a first game. I wanted an upper limit on the insanity. So, some neat ideas were shelved. Even though they very closely complemented the ideas I WAS going to use.

And when working on the plot, there were also some ideas which, in my opinion, are really cool. But completely clash with what I'm doing for this game.

But I still kept thinking about those things. And kept having new ideas for them, and developing them. Writing down ideas as they game. Seeing ways they connected to the ones I WAS going to use.

Long story short, I realized two months ago that there's enough ideas here for three sequential games involving May. And I've been working with that target in mind. Three games that each tell very different stories, but are still connected, each with very different goals, and each telling a larger story about May and the people she meets.

It's kinda embarrassing, and reeks of arrogance. Planning three games before I've even finished one game. But I'm just too excited to do otherwise. The idea's been planted. And in fact, it won't require very many changes to the first game at all, other than leaving a few (seemingly unimportant) loose ends to resolve later. (No cliffhangers, I swear!) So I figure, why not?

And actually, the beginning and ends of all three are already set in stone. I know how each one will start, what each one's tutorial "level" will be, and how each one will end. The most important parts of the plot are, well, done. And now it's just the filler that remains. The minor characters, the sidequests, etc. Everything after the first hour of each game and before the last hour. Which, by comparison, should be a lot more flexible since they're not as important to the overall plot. I feel like this is very doable. My main focus will 100% be on the first game though. I will not be doing ANY work on the next two other than lore and plot, since those could impact the first game in small ways.

Graphics

I've been mulling over the game's graphics style. Although I love the very-limited-color palette look, I also wonder if the game would be more enjoyable and colorful if I let myself use a bit more color. Keep the same character sizes, but try to make the colors pop. I've seen some games use an art style like that, and I do wonder if it would be better to go that route.

I had intended to participate in Drawtober 2024, to experiment with different pixel art styles, every day, trying out different things, using my own 31 prompts.

But work has been much more stressful than usual this month. I feel very tired. I'd wanted to get other drawings done before October, and wasn't able to do that. So, I don't know. I really do want to experiment with that though. Maybe once these other WIP art pieces are done, I'll get to that. A late Drawtober, maybe. We'll see....

Closing

Thanks for reading! Sorry it's not a very exciting update. I do still work on this game a little very day. After four months, my excitement for this game has only increased, and I'm very happy about that.

[amandaoftherosemire]

Second Sight -- Part Nineteen

Fandom: Marvel Avengers AU/MCU AU

Pairing: Loki Odinson X fem!Reader

Characters: Loki Odinson, OMC Odof, Unnamed Guard

Author: @amandaoftherosemire

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 6,276

Format: Series WIP

Warnings: TW: assault, TW: sexual assault, TW: violence, TW: murder, TW: very minor character death, smut, NSFW, 18+ only, sexual intercourse, sex in public (kinda), language.

Summary: Loki takes you on a long overdue honeymoon on a pleasure planet. You can’t take your eyes off the spectacle while Loki can’t take his eyes off you. When you inadvertently draw the attention of the casino guard, Loki takes you on a wild escape through the alien city, and the excitement overwhelms you both.

A/N: Regarding the trigger warnings, the assault is not described in detail and is over very quickly. It does involve unwanted sexual contact, however, a grope, if you will, so please engage with caution if this subject matter is upsetting to you.

I guess I am constitutionally incapable of not telling this story until it is done. So I’ll keep posting it until Tumblr dies or the story is finished, whichever comes first. I’m also posting it on AO3 so I think I have to finish it no matter what happens. The taglist is still open. 😊

I’m not quite sure what to say about this chapter. I guess I thought everything was going too well and Loki needed a chance to be himself for a minute. Maybe I know what has to happen next and, well… 😬

<<Part Eighteen here

Second Sight Part Nineteen

Loki sat at a table in a corner, his back to the wall, a glass of Kree wine on the table in front of him. The zealots were aggravating, but they could craft truly spectacular spirits. He was enjoying the wine almost as much as he was enjoying watching you enjoy yourself.

You were across the room, playing a form of darts with a trio of Ravagers. Loki didn't know how you managed to do it, but you kept finding the most dangerous and violent creatures in any given room. He’d worry more about it if you weren’t so adept at charming each and every one of them. Taking you into the wider universe made him feel better about his own inability to resist your allure. If there was a rogue in the galaxy you couldn't wrap around your finger, you'd yet to find him. Loki had simply been the first to fall, not the only. To his never-ending relief.

The bar was an unimposing establishment in the part of town that started leaning toward rough but didn’t quite reach dangerous. It wasn’t a bar in the Midgardian sense, as there was no long counter between the person who served the drinks and the clientele. But the tentacled creature in the corner served the same purpose as a bartender, a table in front of them and an array of ingredients from which to make beverages surrounding them, a sympathetic ear for anyone who chose to confide in them.

The room wasn’t big, but the tables weren’t packed tightly together. Loki had snagged a small table in the corner, black native wood, covered in scars and dings from the years of use, but clean, as the bartender prided themself such things. He sat there, his back against a bright green wall, and watched you learn how to communicate with a bartender who mostly communicated in gesture. You seemed to be having the time of your life.

You were laughing and joking with your new friends, effervescent in your confidence. Loki swirled the shimmering golden liquid in his glass and smiled at you, at himself, at the softness he could feel inside. He'd once disdained such feelings, seen them as weaknesses. He hadn't known that a partner in mischief only made it more exciting, that concern for that partner would make him so much more dangerous. He would destroy worlds for you, bathe in blood to keep you safe. Soft he may be, for you, but that softness only made him sharper and more vicious to all others.

That sharpness had his hackles rising at the sight of the casino guard who'd just come through the door, clearly looking for someone. Loki didn't know how or why, but something told him he knew what the man was looking for. When his eyes latched onto you as you called out to the bartender for another round, Loki knew he was about to prove that you'd made him more than he had been. Loki glanced around to make sure no one was watching before shimmering into invisibility.

Grateful for once that his magic didn't work on you, he gestured to get your attention and beckoned you over once he caught your eye. You practically danced over, the euphoria from the unfamiliar liquor adding to the delights of the evening and making you feel light as air. You dropped into the seat next to him, a huffing laugh of joy bubbling up.

"What's up, love?" By the time you were done with the question, your demeanor had changed, serious and watchful in response to the dark aura that surrounded Loki. You could see on his face that something had gone wrong. The tightness of his jaw, the white knuckles around his wineglass told you he was preparing to do violence if the situation warranted it. You sat back a little, but prepared to move if he gave the signal.

"There's a guard from the casino about to sit next to you." Loki breathed out the words in a rush, not wanting to be overheard and needing you to understand the danger before the guard reached you. "He can't see me."

You raised your eyebrows and sat back casually, though you were braced to run at the slightest sign from Loki. You watched him as he watched the guard approach you, his eyes glittering with menace, but the other man didn't see Loki and couldn't be intimidated. He was another giant, over seven feet tall and built like a barbarian. The guard sauntered up with confidence; as far as he knew, he could pick you up and carry you out with one hand if it became necessary.

The man was hoping it wouldn't be necessary. He was the sort you preferred barter to violence and thought you pretty enough to offer something he wanted. He didn’t see any reason to drag you back to the casino for questioning if you proved sufficiently entertaining. "Hello, miss," he rumbled behind you. "A word?"

You looked up at yet another giant, but this one didn't look friendly, didn't give you the good vibes of your friend earlier. You stared him down a moment, taking his measure, before you warily answered, "And if I say no?"

Loki was too busy watching the guard to grin at you as he wanted to. You were magnificent, as haughty and cruel as a queen as you verbally dismissed the other man as though he wasn’t worth your notice, let alone your fear. However large he may be, and despite his intentions, you made it clear he held no terror for you. A dull flush climbed the pale skin of his face, and his eyes went hard with banked rage.

"No reason to not be polite, miss," he gritted out as he took the chair next to yours, leaning in to explicitly threaten with his size. "We don’t have to talk. I could drag you out of here to join your friend in our holding cell if you’d rather."

Your nose wrinkled at the smell of his breath wafting across your face and disgust dripped from your words in response. "And why would you want to do such a thing in the first place?" You straightened in your seat and turned your head to avoid the foul stench coming off of the man. He had a handsome face, but the nasty leer twisting it combined with the smell of him to make your stomach turn.

"I get paid a pretty penny to make sure people don't cheat the casino, miss." The guard reached out and closed his hand around the back of your chair, closing you in with his body in an attempt to block your escape route. You were careful not to look directly at Loki, but you watched him in your periphery, waiting for his signal. Since he was still watching the other man with glittering eyes, motionless as he waited for the right moment to act, you stayed put and focused on the threat.

"I didn't cheat!" You answered the accusation in ringing indignation. "How dare you? I got lucky and walked away before my luck ran out." Your mind was racing, trying to figure out what kind of casino went to such lengths for only two wins. There had to be more to it than that, which explained why Loki hadn't moved, but you weren't certain it was worth investigating when you could just make a break for it.

The guard's leer turned lecherous. "Say I believe you, miss." The hand not blocking your escape closed around your thigh and moved shockingly fast up under your skirt. "What's in it for me to let you go?" The next moment his hand went lax and fell away from you. You'd been about to scream the rafters down, but the guard's eyes fell closed, and he slumped onto the table in a heap. At your feet was a quickly spreading pool of blood pouring from the inside of his thigh.

You lifted eyes shocked and horrified to Loki's viciously cold expression and whisper-screamed, "DID YOU JUST KILL HIM?" The situation had turned so suddenly and unexpectedly violent that you had whiplash.

"He put his hands on you." The next moment, Loki was standing and tossing a bag of money on the table. He grabbed your hand in a vise grip and hauled you to your feet, pulling you quickly behind him toward the back of the bar. You stared back at the body of the man that had assaulted you, only to reap the consequences of that choice immediately.

"Okay, yes, he did." You were on the verge of babbling, too shocked by the sudden turn of events and the sight of your first dead body. "And no, I didn’t like it, but I didn’t expect you to kill him!" You were barely paying attention to anything but keeping up with Loki. You could hear the beginning of an uproar in the room you'd left as he dragged you through the back room of the bar where they kept their inventory and out the back door into an alleyway. "How did you even do that?"

Loki took a quick glance in each direction before taking a left to zigzag through the back streets of the city. If he'd been alone, he'd have simply slipped between the shadows and been off this planet already, but of course he couldn't take you with him when he shadowwalked outside the Nine Realms. He'd have to take you out the long way, but the city guards would be looking for the two of you now, and their relationship with the casino guards would make them determined to find you. Loki wasn't worried about his ability to protect you but was still determined to get you off the planet before he had to spill any more blood on your shoes.

"My knives are very sharp." His voice was cold, and he was sick that this trip could be so ruined by violence. At the same time, no one could be allowed to put his hands on you like that. The man had signed his own death warrant the moment he'd touched you. "He probably didn’t even notice he was bleeding out."

Loki glanced at you, searching your face for signs of disgust or horror. All he found was pale-faced confusion. He'd never seen you look like this and didn't know what it meant, let alone how to handle it. He was furious with himself that he hadn't acted before the guard had a chance to hurt you. Fury and guilt roiled his stomach and made him feel ill. He fell into old habits and hid the sick feeling behind callous cruelty. "Unfortunate he couldn’t know why he was dying, but it seemed best not to draw attention." Loki wanted to keep his eyes on you, concerned by both your demeanor and your silence, but he needed to keep an eye out for the guards he could hear amassing in the main street. "Which is why we left before anyone noticed that something was amiss."

At the sight of a clump of men coming down the alley, Loki ducked into an alcove, pulling you in with him and counting on the spells he'd placed around you to keep you invisible to them as they passed by. He placed a finger to his lips to indicate he wanted silence as making you inaudible had been much more difficult than making you invisible.

You glared at him but didn't say anything. You were still gobsmacked by the sudden death of the man in the bar. You had never experienced anything like it, been talking to someone one moment and watching the life fade from their eyes the next. You knew Loki to be dangerous, had personal experience of it, but this was the first time you'd been confronted with concrete evidence that he was capable of dealing death, the cold and calculated kind.

If you weren't also vaguely sickened by the memory of how it had felt to have the man assault you so brazenly, so suddenly, perhaps you would have felt more remorse at his death. As the remnants of his foul touch were still burning your skin, you were more concerned with getting out of this situation alive than you were with scolding Loki for murdering someone practically in your lap.

"I’m not going to argue," you said in a soundless whisper, "but we’re going to discuss this further."

Loki didn't speak until the clot of guards had made their way past your alcove, not seeing either of you as they passed by. Once they were far enough down the alley, Loki pulled you from the niche in the wall and again began making his way out of the city and back to the beach where the portal home still waited. "I cannot wait," he retorted, his voice only a whisper of sound, but the affection was back.

The two of you dodged the teams of searchers, weaving in and out of the side streets to avoid the men looking for you. If you hadn't been invisible, they'd have found you easily; there were too many to avoid without the added advantage. As it was, there were a lot of moments where all you could do was duck into a corner or an alcove and wait for the guards to pass you by.

Near the edge of the city, a large contingent of the guards had congregated, setting up what looked like a roadblock. Loki came to a halt so quickly, you ran into his back. With a swift, low curse, he glanced around, looking for a place to take a moment and consider his options. To his frustration, he spotted exactly what he needed, an empty building, across the main street. He was going to have to take you across the way in full view of the crowd of guards.

Loki turned to look at you, to gauge how you were holding up through the nerve-wracking escape. To his astonishment, you looked annoyed more than anything. Whatever you were thinking or feeling, he could see that you were holding up fine under the pressure, that you were as bold and fearless as he thought you to be.

As a matter of fact, you were far more than annoyed. The pressure was getting to you, but you also knew that falling apart would only make a bad situation worse. So far, Loki and his spells had shielded you and you had faith that they would continue to do so. If they didn’t, Loki had made it abundantly clear that he would kill for you. Knowing it to be true, and having real life experience of it, however, were two very different things. The stew of feelings inside you was too complicated to understand. You needed time to assimilate the new data and untangle how you felt about it.

When Loki let go of your hand to slip his arm around your shoulder, you snuggled into his body, seeking comfort. Between the violence of the guard's assault and the vengeance Loki had taken on your behalf, you were feeling a little shaky and jittery. He had protected you, at every turn. You gladly accepted the safety of his embrace.

Loki swiftly guided you across the street to a door next to dark windows. You didn't know if the business was closed or abandoned, but it was clear it was empty either way. Loki only left your side long enough to slip through the door and unlock it from the inside. You slipped through the crack in the door as quickly as possible, not wanting to draw attention.

Once you were inside, Loki locked the door behind you and threw a spell at it that would keep all adversaries outside, at least unless and until the wall gave in. He then moved to the window to stare out at the crowd of guards blocking your route to the beach. He counted quickly, did quick mental math to decide whether he could get you through unscathed. If it had only been himself, he would have taken the chance of detection and fought his way through if necessary, but he wasn't sure he was willing to risk those odds with you. He'd teased you so relentlessly for being afraid to gamble and here he was dithering because he was too afraid for you. He hated this weakness.

"Thank you," you murmured as you slid your arms around him from behind, snugging yourself against his back with a sigh of relief. "I needed a moment to catch my breath." The room seemed to be an office of some sort, a lot of desks and paperwork. It looked like a haven compared to the wild chase that awaited you outside.

Loki whirled in your arms, turning away from the window to close his arms around you like bands of steel. He held you so tight, you felt him squeezing your breath from your lungs, but you didn't complain, just held him as close as you could in return. Your heart was still pounding and pounding from the mad dash through the streets and you could feel his race in his chest in time with yours.

You lifted your head to look into his face, wondering at that racing heart and wanting to gauge his mood. The moment you were face to face with him, however, you realized you'd made a mistake. His eyes were burning emeralds, hot with desire and something sharper, darker, something you'd only seen when he was most affected, most moved.

Loki dipped his head and closed his mouth over yours, desperate for the taste of you. He was holding you too tight and he knew it, but the peril had gone to his head and spiked his libido, while your unwavering faith in him left him feeling soft and weak for you. He'd already been on edge for hours and the sudden violence and the tension of the escape left him desperate to touch you, to remind himself that you were safe and still his, despite everything.

You didn't resist, the passion in his kiss the catalyst in an alchemical reaction inside you that changed fear to desire in the blink of an eye. You met his passion with matching fire, nipping at his lips and meeting the surge of his tongue with your own. He tasted wilder than ever before and you adored it, wanted more of it. If you hadn't been hiding from a mob bent on revenge, you wouldn't think twice about indulging your desire. As it was, you loosened your arms around him and tried to push yourself out of his hard embrace.

Loki lifted his head but didn't allow you to move. This is madness, he thought, his heart pounding even harder at the sight of your bottomless eyes, soft and dreamy with desire, with love. He hadn't realized how much of the fear of his escape had been about how you'd feel about him once you were safe.

He'd killed someone right in front of you. For you, yes, but he'd also shown you how cold, how vicious he could truly be. He hadn't known how deep the terror that you couldn't accept all of him had dug into him.

Knowing that he could have blood literally on his hands and you'd still come into his arms with not only desire, but love, and trust, and faith, cut him deeper than anything ever had. A new fear crystallized, that he didn't just desire you, adore you, but needed you. The feeling rose up to choke him and had lust's claws digging into his spine. “Am I hurting you?” He gritted out the words, hating his own loss of control.

Gulping in surprise, you stared up into searing emerald and saw that he spoke the unvarnished truth. Searching yourself for any denial, any lingering pain or fear from what had happened to you, you found only an answering need to be touched on your own terms. You shook your head and slid your hands from his shoulders back into his hair. The invitation was clear and, with a growl, he took your mouth with his own.

Loki devoured you.

You'd experienced this desperate passion before, the kind that made you feel like he'd consume you if he could, burn you alive in the fires of his lust. There were times you'd felt like there'd be nothing left when he was done with you, that you'd be ashes and shadows when the fire burned out.

But it had never been like this.

Loki's arms were no longer around you because his hands seemed to be everywhere, molding your body to his with squeezing presses. He seemed to be drawing your breath into him, leaving you panting and dizzy. Somehow, when he'd been kissing you breathless, you'd ended up with your back against the wall next to the window and his body was almost smothering you in heat and need.

Your mind cleared a very little bit when he tore his mouth from yours to close his teeth around the skin of your neck in sucking kisses designed to drive you crazy. "What are you doing?" You gasped it out, certain you knew the answer, but needing verification because of how suddenly the fire had blazed. Loki was daring, but he'd never lost control like this before.

"You." Loki's hands closed around your thighs and lifted to wrap your legs around his hips, pressing his erection against your core. His mouth never left your skin, moving over your neck and collarbones like he needed the taste of your flesh on his lips. Your head tilted to make it easier, seduced by both the urgency in his touch and the need in his voice.

"Here?" You'd never heard yourself sound so breathless, like he'd overwhelmed you, overcome you with the force of his need for you. Your hands buried themselves in his hair to hold on, needing to cling to him in the face of his desire. "Now?"

Loki pulled away from the wall, turning with you still in his arms to the rest of the room. "Here." The word dropped with a finality that sounded almost like a threat. He glanced around for a couch, a rug, whatever would serve as a surface to lose himself in you. "Now."

He found what he was looking for in the desk-like table in the middle of the room, the surface flat and about the right height. He took a couple long steps and set you down in front of it. As soon as your feet were under you, he spun you around and filled his hands with your breasts, his mouth returning to your shoulders to kiss and suck and bite. The way he curved around your body overbalanced you and had you bracing yourself on the desk in front of you.

"You’re out of your mind!" You gasped it out but had to acknowledge it lacked authority as you were pressing yourself into his hands, his body. You instinctively tilted your body to press your breast into the hand that hadn't gone wandering down your body to hike up your skirt. The movement also pressed your ass into the steel rod behind you and you rubbed against it provocatively, your body wanting to encourage this wild lovemaking, in the middle of danger, whatever your good sense had to say on the subject.

"I am out of my mind," Loki snarled in your ear, one hand plucking your nipple with clever fingers and sending bolts of sensation to your center. You clenched at the vicious darkness of his tone, the sound of his resentment oddly arousing. "You have driven me from it, and I cannot think for wanting you." His other hand had found the snaps at your hip and yanked them open in a swift, fierce movement. As soon as he had you bared to his touch his fingers were sliding into you from the front, over your clit, and spreading the wetness he discovered there. You were already soaking wet, brought to this point by his mouth at your shoulders and his other hand everywhere else.

"Every sense has become saturated in you," his breath was a whisper at your ear sending shivers over your skin, "and every moment without is an insult, an injury." Somehow, he'd arranged you with his hands and body until you were in the perfect position to slide inside you. You moaned long and low at the exquisite friction, surrounded by Loki's body, drenched in sensation, leaning forward a little, your head tilting forward at the exquisite sensation. "I want you tied up and at my mercy so I can take my time with you, make you beg for me."

Loki's hand hadn't left your clit even as he dug into you with short, maddening thrusts and you felt a climax already climbing. "Do you have mercy?" You asked the question fretfully, trying to get Loki to stop teasing you. You writhed in his arms in every way you'd learned he liked, pushing him to the edge. You fell forward enough to brace yourself on your elbows, trying to get more leverage to shove yourself onto him, needing him deeper.

Loki grinned at the feeling of you tempting him, taunting him. He loved bringing you to this point, where you gave in and showed him that the desire, the need he felt wasn't one-sided. You were binary stars, trapped in each other's orbit. You were his equal, and he yours, whether either of you wanted it or not. At this moment, buried inside you, only moments from feeling you come around him, he didn't care about anything but you.

"Perhaps," he replied as he lifted up and away from you, his hands leaving your clit and your breast to grip tightly at your hips. As soon as he had his hands around your waist, he used his strength to shove deep, to pull you onto him hard and fast, your groan of aching relief music to his ears. He smiled at the sound. "The only way to find out for certain is to start pleading for it."

There were more words from there, but they only came in singles and pairs, in the vein of, "right there," or "god, yes," or "harder," "faster," "more." Loki's fingers dug into the flesh of your hips as he pounded into you. The sight of his cock sliding in and out of you, the cheeks of your ass bouncing with every thrust, had him shuddering in possessive excitement. You were moaning in pleasure, the faster and harder he fucked you the closer you came to a life-changing orgasm.

Loki loved this, loved driving you into mindless pleasure, especially in such a moment, death waiting for you both just outside the door. That he could, that you'd give yourself to him so completely despite the danger made him feel both tender and feral. He carefully paced himself, not wanting to give in too soon, no matter what you did to entice him. And entice him you did.

You looked back at him, and he would swear your eyes were glowing with your desire, with your need. "Please," you whimpered, trying to push back in his tight grip, desperate for more. You were so close, the coil in your center tightening to the point of pain and he had the power to release all that tension. You just needed him to, "Fuck me, Loki."

Loki opened his mouth to retort, but you cut him off with another, "Please," this one so soft and needy, he lost control. With a curse, he was using that bruising grip at your hips as leverage to pull you onto his cock hard and fast. Within three thrusts you were coming apart, the shivers of pleasure starting where you were clenched around him, rippling in ecstasy, and spreading through the rest of your body in shimmering waves of pleasure.

To your dizzy shock, Loki didn't slow down, simply growled in triumph when he felt you coming apart around him. He snarled, "More," and fucked you faster. You moaned, could swear he'd gotten harder inside you, though you didn't know how that was possible. You rested your forehead on the table in front of you and whimpered, your climax not fully subsiding as Loki's cock pounded into you, pushing you up and over again and again.

"I can't," you moaned fretfully, oversensitized and not sure you could take much more. You were close, but climbing even that little bit to your peak seemed like more than your body could manage. The feeling of him surging in and out of you was outstanding, but it had gotten to the point where it was almost too good, too much, and you simply hung in his grip, absorbing what he gave you.

You fell forward a little when one of Loki's hands released your hip, but he was leaning forward to follow you. His hand slid around your front to slip between your legs, his long fingers circling your clit, strumming, rubbing. His breath hot on your neck, he chuckled darkly when your hips started to move again; of their own volition, of course. You had no power over your body anymore. "You will." He stated it confidently, then pinched your clit carefully, with just the right amount of force, learned from years of loving you, to send you into orbit.

Your body, already on edge from the multiple adrenaline rushes of the evening, wrecked by the fucking of your life, oversensitive and overstimulated, erupted into a toe-curling, earth-shaking, life-altering orgasm. You'd never come this hard in your life, your vision going gray and stars exploding behind your eyes. You convulsed in pleasure, waves of ecstasy nearly rendering you unconscious.

You were too far gone to notice that you screamed Loki's name, but he noticed, and the sound had him coming in a flurry of stuttering hips and with a roar of triumph. Once his mind cleared from the intense pleasure of emptying himself into you as you came around him, he considered the problems he'd had with making you inaudible and wondered if there was any way the rings had managed to cover the sounds you’d made.

Bent over you, panting from both the exertion and the pleasure, he started laughing at the thought that the two of you might be caught because he couldn't keep his hands off you. The idea struck him as both ridiculously funny and ridiculously stupid.

When your ears stopped ringing, you became aware of Loki, chuckling in your ear, his hands moving tenderly to separate your bodies, leaning you gently on the desk when your knees went soft. His own knees weaker than he’d like to admit, he used his magic to put himself back together but pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the evidence of his passion from you. When he was finished, he vanished the cloth and helped redress you in the little shorts that he'd tossed to the floor.

Once that was done, he helped you stand up, shaking your skirt down around your thighs as he did so. To his smug satisfaction, you slid your arms around his neck to snuggle close, both in warm post-coital affection and to hold on to something solid. Your knees were still rubber, your body still vibrating from the echoes of pleasure. Loki slid his arms around you, beguiled by the softness of your embrace.

"We’re out of our minds," you murmured, your lips against the skin of his throat where you'd buried your face. "I can’t believe we just did that. I can’t believe I let you do that." You were awed at what you'd just done, what you'd invited, practically begged Loki to do to you. You were shocked, but there was no room for regret around the satisfaction. Despite your surprise at your daring, you couldn't deny a measure of smug was overshadowing any shame that wanted to rear its head.

Loki stooped to slide his arm behind your knees, lifting you up to carry you bridal style. He could tell by the way you clung to his neck that you'd need a little while to recover before you could dodge or run. He saw no reason to wait to take you home when he could just as easily carry you. Still too shaky to move quickly, you relaxed in his arms and didn't argue. It felt nice to be carried around like you weighed nothing.

Loki moved through the office until he was at the back door, using his magic to unlock and open it as well as closing and locking it behind him. Once in the alleyway, he walked quickly through the back streets, weaving with feline grace around the guards still searching for you. The spells that surrounded you continued to do their work, the only stress the sheer number he had to avoid. Invisible didn't mean someone wouldn't notice a touch and the people who sought you were looking for magic.

After a couple of near misses that sent your heart rate climbing and had you pressing close to Loki, tucking yourself in as much as possible, you were close to the beach, and escape. You'd whispered an offer to walk again when the two of you had been a little isolated for a moment, but he'd refused with a silent shake of his head and you hadn't spoken again. Once you were on the path back to the orange sandy beach, Loki's arms lost their tension, though he made no move to set you on your feet.

When you were alone once more, the danger behind you as your pursuers kept their eyes on the city where they believed they had you trapped, Loki bent his head to yours, taking your mouth in a kiss both tender and sweet. "I was afraid he would make you shy away from a touch," he murmured against your mouth, his eyes liquid on yours, "even mine. When you came into my arms as you always do, I had to have you." He smiled, a little sheepish, and your heart sighed. "I cannot explain it."

You tilted your head to rest it against his shoulder, looking up at him with your heart in your eyes, adoration naked on your face and making his heart pound. "Sometimes, I can’t refuse you. Even when we're in mortal danger." You smiled back, equally sheepish, but clearly more comfortable with the vulnerability. No matter how much time you'd spent together, how much you'd done together, how much you'd done to be together, Loki could not seem to make his peace with it. You shrugged, acceptance something you'd found along the way. "I can’t explain it either."

"I am grateful," Loki replied with a resigned laugh and a smirk. "If I must have a weakness, I insist that it be mutual." The two of you fell into an easy silence as you reached the top of the cliffs you'd traveled through to get to this planet. Loki took another path down and around, mulling over the events of the evening. Though he hadn't been able to show you everything he'd intended here, the last part had been about making love to you, about making you scream in pleasure.

Though it hadn't been how he had intended, in the luxury suite of one of the hotels, with warm wine to muddy your mind and warm oil massaged into your skin to dazzle your senses, he'd still made you scream his name. The memory gave him that ever so rare sensation of satisfaction and Loki was trying to sear it into his mind so he'd never forget what you sounded like at that moment. A wide, smug smile spread over his face as he considered the fact that he had warm wine and oil back in his personal dimensional palace.

"What are you grinning about?"

The question was soft and amused, rich with love, and hit Loki's ear like honey. He gave in to the emotion and let it shine out of him. "I'm amazed that we didn't get caught. When you screamed my name, I thought they had us."

You tilted your head back to look at his face and burst out laughing at the self-satisfied arrogance all over him. You couldn’t properly poke at him for being proud of himself, too happy by far. You had to admit, you'd never screamed like that before. You tightened your arms to pull yourself close enough to nuzzle his neck with affection as he reached the cliff with the portal.

"I’d tell you to wipe that smug look off your face," you said with a little shake of your head, unsurprised when Loki didn't set you down even now, "but I suppose you have a right to it for once."

Loki grinned wolfishly as he waved his hand at the sigils only you could see, and a portal home opened with a whoosh of sound and a flash of light. "I wonder," he purred, his eyes firing with desire, "do you have to be in mortal danger to climb to such heights?" You gaped at him, your mind racing with the possibilities he was hinting at. "Let's find out."

With that, he moved through the portal to take you to bed. He had new experiments to run.

Part Twenty here>>

Taglist:

@lumar014ad @old-enough-to-know-better73 @felicityofbakerstreet @browneyedgirl22 @fashionworld12 @moonknight-s-cumdump @thedistractedagglomeration

[zarvasace]

PROGRESS POST

(10/4/23)

This is partly for accountability and partly just to get all this out of my head! This last month or two have felt so hectic, getting used to a new work and sleep schedule and all. I'm still not quite there.

If you're curious about what I've been working on and what my plans are in terms of writing and art for the rest of the year, read on. :)

I will say, though, that if you want more of a specific AU or story, the way to get it is by asking questions and leaving comments! Asks and comments remind me about things I'm doing and get me excited about them again! I have these plans, but I also am very good at chasing inspiration to unknown (and sometimes unimportant) corners!

By Fandom

Linked Universe Projects

I've been feeling less motivated to work on LU stuff, but I still plan on at least finishing what I have open, so you can look forward to some of that!

Writing

Disability AU—one small mobility trio fic in the works. A few vague ideas for doing backstory fics.

Council (1931 vampire AU)—this is still the "backburner to backburner" fic, but I do have some fun ideas. I just have been distracted with other things! I think this AU is a lot of fun and I'd love to do more with it. We'll have to see.

The Marvelous Misadventures of Wind and His Merry Band of Maybe-Human Misfits—chapter 7 (out of 9 or so) is in progress. I have it all outlined out, and it's fun to work on, but I have (again) been distracted! This is, I hope, going to be my main December project. It'd be nice to finish before it turns 2 years old next summer. Oops.

I have several other WIPs that aren't very exciting and probably won't see daylight, but they're there if I feel like them

Art

Coloring book—I'm part of the coloring book project! :) I have already finished 1/2 drawings, and they went so well, I'm considering doing more.

Shatterproof manga page—still on my radar! I'm doing the end scene from dazzling diamond danger, and my ambition keeps outgrowing my time.

Four Swords Projects

Writing

Fairytale AU—man I've started this Vidow BatB fic literally five times. I have an almost-complete draft sitting at like... 20k?? iirc, but I kind of hate a lot of it. I also like a lot of it. It's a bit difficult for me to work on rewriting something in that situation. Anyway. Another December thing probably.

Fright Fight—I have ideas for every week, but am currently unsure if I want to draw or write for them. Most of my October will be focused on filling these prompts!

Vampire Lords AU—I have strange as severe is this my fate open right now, with a fair amount of material... it just needs to be edited a bit. I do want to keep working on that, I've just... well. Distraction. A common theme. XD I might be feeling another little bite fic coming on, too.

Art

Fright Fight—see above

Fright Fight part 2—I have a few side things to do for this, like making graphics that I haven't quite finished yet. They shouldn't take long, I just gotta do em!

Non-Fandom

Stickers—I am in the process of drawing some stickers! Yay! These are for my work, but also just for me. I want some Halloween stickers. This is a backburner project.

Nanowrimo project—I need to spend some time figuring out a few things to really get going on my princess-verse. I'm going to be doing Nanolympics this year, so hopefully some of their preptober stuff will help!

Hearts Linked Together—my super-cool Linkverse. XD I love my dumb timeline, and all the characters, they're just filler drawings that I haven't had time to continue.

Secret Zelda project—I really really need to do this! I can't say much right now, but it involves a fair amount of work, both writing and art. I think I haven't gotten very far on it yet because I'm intimidated. Stop that.

Zine edits—I worked really really hard on an art piece for a LoZ zine coming up! This week is critique, and I anticipate a few edits later.

By Month

Facebook posts—a lady I know wants to commission pretty quote images to post on her Facebook. I need to reply to her text. And do them.

September

I primarily worked on the fic Blood-Sucker's Guide to High School. I also worked on and submitted one fic and one piece of art to two different zines, which I hope you'll see soon.

October

If you care, you may have noticed I'm not doing Whumptober this year! Part of this is because I'm a bit burned out from the above, and part of it is that the prompts just didn't seem very inspiring to me this year. Maybe that's just my mindset. I haven't been in a very whumpy mood.

I'm planning on filling weekly prompts for @fsfrightfight this month and maybe chipping away at some other fics, in addition to one more zine contribution. I'm also going to be planning for November and doing some scattered art work here and there.

November

NaNoWriMo! I considered skipping this... but I'm feeling really inspired and motivated to do it, especially with October as a break. I'm going to write some original work, and that will be the focus of my November. I'll likely get some other art done, too.

December

I hope to dedicate this month to finishing things up from this year! That means working on "backburner" projects.

[picnokinesis]

WIP ask game: 5, 9 & 10 for the ziptie or anterograde aus?

Also, I binged your zombie au a few days, and much like w/ the campervan au I was so impressed about how you incorporated the show’s dialogue, especially in regards to the climactic meeting between Theo and Koschei. Also also, I was so excited when Jericho showed up - what a tenseful way to introduce him to the reader, too. If you’re comfortable w/ answering: 1 and 2 for this au?

Ahh hello! :D Thanks for the ask - and ahhh I'm so glad that you enjoyed zombie au!! It's one that I'm actually pretty proud of, I have a massive soft spot for it. One of my favourite things to do with aus is take lines/ideas from the original content and weave them into the new story - I mean, you've seen that in campervan au, but for me one of the most interesting things about writing zombie au was taking lines that I'd also used in campervan and putting them in a new context and shedding a different light on them, but also taking lines and ideas that I haven't even touched in campervan and exploring them here instead! And augh, man, I'm still SO proud of that part where Theo finds Koschei in the corridor during the attack - everything just came together, and I could just see it in my brain but I feel like I actually managed to get what I could see onto the paper in a way that really captured it. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it!!

But hmmmmm let me see...I'm gonna put this under the cut because it's long, but:

5 - What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Oooh this is kind of tricky. I think one of the biggest problems with both of anterograde and ziptie is that they're so interlinked with the main au - I can't really write them or post them until I've finished the entirety of campervan. Anterograde is also quite large and nebulous - it spans over several years after the initial train crash, and so I'd really have to figure out how to structure it if I wanted to do it properly. It's much more 'slice of life' than the other ones, which are much more plot driven. The other problem with both of them is just sitting down and writing them, yknow? They're both BIG stories! Ziptie in particular also has a lot of logistics going on that I'd need to actual sit down and figure out if I wanted to write it properly, but at the moment the main draw is thoschei being feral

9 - What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

With anterograde au - I feel like it's the slower, domestic version of the main au, but with bucketloads of angst to make up for the general softness. I think it's also just the premise of it too? Like memory and identity are SUCH interesting themes to me (see: I write about them all the time), but I think holding up campervan and anterograde next to each other is what makes them both so fascinating because in one you've got the Doctor with retrograde amnesia, cut off from her past but still ending up defined by it; with anterograde, the ONLY THING SHE HAS is her past, and everything else is thrown into confusion and uncertainty. And then, you've got Koschei, who is suddenly having to deal with a very different situation to the one he was originally envisioning for himself (and for the Doctor) and it's just......really cool to see how the same characters, with the same backstory, end up in completely different places (emotionally and literally) because of the Doctor's brain injury being different depending on the verse. Also just the inherent....trust that comes with them living together and Koschei fundamentally ending up as the Doctor's carer. And not just the trust between the pair of them, but also with other people too (like Graham and Grace, Jack, etc.). I think anterograde reaaaally makes it clear that Koschei is, at heart, still the terrified 15yo that he was in 1999, and that he's never had anyone to actually help him. Anterograde kind of gives Kosch this chance to actually have a support network and help himself, which does allow him to heal (to some degree) from a lot of his stuff. The inherent tragedy here is that the Doctor, on the other hand, has suddenly lost her sense of time and so can't tangibly heal in the same way, because she can't remember it. However, there is a lot of healing going on under the surface - which is takes a while for both of them to notice and understand, but it is definitely there.

With ziptie - I think the premise of 'spydoc ziptied together' is the main draw HAHAHAHA but serious answer, ziptie spydoc are just...so painfully co-dependent in the worst way ever. And they hate it! Because they get thrown into this working AGAINST each other, and then are suddenly in a truly awful situation for weeks where they're suddenly the only person that the other can trust. And then by the time they get out of that, everything is worse and they're also messing with each other's heads in a very literal way (because in ziptie, they both have the kasaavin on their necks and can't get them off) and it causes a lot of interesting issues.

10 - What are your hopes for your wip?

This is interesting, because I have thought a lot about this - because, truth be told, I'm almost certain that anterograde and ziptie and the other aus will never be written in full. However, when (and it IS a when, I am determined) campervan is finished and fully posted, there's a reasonable chance that I'll post some excerpts from the other aus, if people are interested! It might also be fun to like, write an explanation or summary of the au? Or maybe make a video or something explaining everything? That would probably take ages to make but I feel like that would be the best format. I would definitely like to share them somehow, someday, because they offer such an interesting insight into each other.

And then - for zombie au!!

1 - What was the first part of your wip that you created?

I'm genuinely not sure with this one!! I'm pretty sure I just opened a document and started writing haha! I feel like that's right - the opening of zombie is very much just me going 'uhhhhhhHHHH LET'S JUST START IN A RANDOM PLACE' ahahaha, you can kind of tell that I just threw Theo into the set and told her to improvise. Which, to be clear, is something I do WAY too much. Even when I plan fics, I have no idea what's going on, so I have a tendency to just coast on vibes and see what happens as the story unfolds. Especially when I'm starting a story. Usually by a few chapters in, I've started to get a sense of things.

2 - If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Hahah well the fic title is take from a song off the album Future Dust by The Amazons, so no one is surprised that I would probably pick a song by that band. Either In My Mind or Mother. As a fun sidenote though, the theme song for Theo and Koschei before Gallex gets released is Junk Food Forever.

THANKS FOR THE ASK!! <3

[kimium]

for the fanfic ask: 3, 5, 8, and 11!!

(From this ask HERE)

Thanks for this ask, friend!!! I'm super excited to answer it! I love talking about my fics!

3. Do you anticipate writing for a new fandom this year? Which one?

Not certain. It's always a gamble for me when it comes to writing for new fandoms. While I do not have a shortage of series to draw from, just because I enjoy a series or game doesn't equal writing a fic. I guess we'll see if I write for a new fandom!

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

I'm 100% going to finish Just a Normal Citizen (Not a Dimension Traveler). As for a snippet, I don't have a lot written for the next part, but here you go:

“I am not an on-call cook for whenever you require assistance,” Jamil groused yet he swiftly walked into the kitchen, elbowing Sebek out of the way. Upon seeing the flour on the floor he grimaced, lips twisting into a full scowl. “Though there is no denying you need all the help you can get. You’re lucky Kalim and I are free today.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Jamil!” Kalim bounced in, carrying several large reuseable shopping bags. “We stopped on the way to purchase all of these groceries.”

Jamil shot a glare at Kalim. “You’re the one who insisted on buying the groceries, not me.”

8. Is there a story idea in your mental vault that you've never been brave enough to try writing? Is this the year? Can you tell us about it?

Yes, I have few story ideas. Let's run through the ideas!

-I've mentioned it before, but I have a crack crossover with JJK and SK8 the Infinity that I've actually written a little for. Maybe this is the year I finish my silly little idea?

-I want to write an Outsider fic for KHR and Twisted Wonderland. These are very possible and I might end up doing it soon.

-Speaking of KHR I have a good timeline fic (shocking) where Shouichi has forgotten he hasn't come out to his family and jumps to just introducing Byakuran to his family.

-Also, some day I will write another post SDR2 fic with everyone healing...

11. Would you like to try any new fanfic genres or tropes this year?

I'm not too sure. I don't usually think in genres or tropes but rather series. Like for example, I don't really like romantic/comedy but I have a few KHR and BSD (Soukoku) ideas that fall under that umbrella. I'd also like to write another off the wall crossover but what else that would entail is unknown. I guess we'll see what else this year holds in my fanfic writing soon.