#fic so powerful it made me pick up the pen tablet again

[rabbidart]

they're rivals your honor (kinda)

please read you're so vain by @somebodytoundress if you havent already !! great stuff absolute masterpiece 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

[wolfstarlibrarian]

Welcome to the fifth installment of Beyond The Shelves!

This month’s creator spotlight is on the truly unique and amazing @mlim8. Mel has brought new life into fandom with her stunning art and comics that can make you laugh and cry. She's also the artist behind the Padfoot you can pet on the Librarian's home page (desktop) and the Moony gif on the Help Desk page. Now let's get to know this incredible artist!

Name: Mel is fine :D (she/her)

Where can people find your art?/Support you?

I'm only on Tumblr! @mlim8 (I tried getting a Twitter but I got confused so it's an account in limbo~). My Wolfstar/HP Masterlist is here (links only work on mobile)

What's your favorite thing about Remus & Sirius?

I'm a biggggg sucker for the 'childhood friends' trope. As well as pairings that scream mutual pining, but on the other hand, can be pure fluff. I like pairings where the couple can play off each other, can support each other, who might not always see eye-to-eye but have also been with the other for so long now, they know what they’re doing to make sure they still work, because in the end, they LOVE EACH OTHER. Somehow, Remus and Sirius can tick off all these different boxes and I love them for it uwu And then, there’s also just so much mystery about them in the books and therefore, so much freedom to interpret them, given how little we actually have to go on - it’s so cool to see them in an assortment of AUs, tropes, canon, non-canon fics and see them fall in love over and over and over again… So ultimately? I guess my favourite thing is that it’s so damn obvious how in love they are with one another that the Wolfstar fandom is as big as it is :)

What do you think your signature style is?

I think I’m known for fanfic comics, cute fluff, and my chibi style. You will also see a blush on my characters’ cheeks like 98.9% of the time. I can’t help it… it belongs there lol

What inspires you?

Fanfics, usually. I actually came back to drawing on tumblr because of some beautiful fanfics that I couldn’t get out of my head and needed to draw them. Afterward, it would be songs, videos, memes, conversations with friends, posts from friends, etc - it’s not difficult to take something and go “Do it again, but as Wolfstar.”

What advice would you give new artists?

I guess some obvious ones would be to practice, practice, practice. Use references and 3D models, they help so damn much. Video tutorials and other art tutorials are there to help you make things easier, there really is an endless pit of things to learn and techniques to master. Some other things that people might forget: drink water, do stretches for your wrists and neck, get up once in a while to get blood flow in your legs. But most importantly, even if you want to practice a lot, don’t forget to TAKE. BREAKS. Your body and mind will thank you.

You also don’t need anything super fancy to draw: traditional art is just as valid as any digital art (more so because you don’t have a CTRL+Z function and it drives me insane, so power to you!!). Cheaper $50 art tablets can do what you need them to, as long as you know how to use it. With art programs, there are tons of free ones that you can get your feet wet before committing to any expensive programs (I’ve used Paint Tool SAI for years in the past and I know artists that use FireAlpaca and GIMP with amazing results as well :D)

Lastly, and this is gonna be a hard one: Don’t compare yourself (or your progress) to other artists. People take years (decades??) to make art that they love and develop a style/technique that they’re proud of and it’s not worth the stress. You’re only in a competition with yourself and that’s challenging enough already!

What do you use to create your art?

I use a Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch - it was a birthday gift from waaaay back that I’ve had for a decade now :’)

For art programs, I’ve been using Clip Studio Paint for about 8 months now and I use Photoshop for stitching larger GIFs together uwu

What's a favorite piece you made and why?

Oh my God, how to decide… there’s been a ton that I’ve been proud of but my favourite (spelling with a u because I’m Canadian, eh) would be the recent Candy Heart Post I did a couple weeks back now. Just a lot of love and effort went into it, not just the art itself but trimming the song, all the editing and timing of each frame. I wanted so hard to tell a story and I think it came out the way I wanted it to :)

Pick one of your own pieces/AUs and give readers a little note about it. What inspired it? Why is it a favorite?

Okay, so this is probably an obvious one for those that have been on my blog for the last few months - but I have an AU called ‘Rembus and Hunter AU’ that is about an incubus demon, Remus, and a Demon Hunter, Sirius. The demon, affectionately called Rembus, is surprisingly sweet and adorable. In short: HE IS BABY. And when Hunter comes to the Village of Gryffindor to get rid of him, he learns that there’s more to demons than he’s known through the church and his family.

It’s just a really stupidly cute AU, despite the premise, and I’m so excited to share their story with everyone (one day, haha I’m a slow artist -)! Here’s Part 0 (the info card), if anyone is interested :)

It was created when I came upon an outfit ( similar to what Rembus wears) and thought “Okay, but Incubus!Remus.” - and that’s it. That’s usually how my AUs come about. The smallest inspiration and I spiral out of control with a backstory. This AU was fleshed out a lot with the help of Whippy, who was great to bounce all these ridiculous ideas off of lol

Make sure to check back later today for a list of works and recs from Mel herself!

[attackonmyself]

Beat the Heat--NSFW

Inspired by a prompt from @voltage-vixen​‘s Summer of Smut Writing Challenge but took waaaaay too long for me to complete, and I missed the deadline. Anyways, thanks to @voltagesmutter​, @passagesthroughpages, and Lia_Jones (all amazing writers themselves!) for all your help! Dedicated to all Victor stans, and my Discord family!

Please see this amazing artwork that inspired my fic!: https://m.sg.weibo.com/user/2173912080/4472175635540915

And also this Karma owned by MLQC:

Link on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25654276

I sprinted into the LFG lobby, out of breath. I was late. Again. 

Cindy spotted me, and quickly gestured towards the stairs. “He’s been waiting for you, go on up.” I groaned, still out of breath, then crossed the lobby. Great, I thought as I ran up the stairs. Another lecture on punctuality, coming right up. I stopped before the office door, taking a moment to catch my breath before knocking.

“Come in,” came the clipped reply. Even better, it sounded like he was already in a bad mood. This should be fun. I entered, closing the door behind me. Victor was sitting at his desk, skimming something on his computer. He looked up, removing his glasses and placing them next to his desk calendar. “It is 2:33.”

I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

His normal poker face had been replaced with a scowl. “What time did I say to be here?”

“2:30.” It didn’t matter how close we had become, some things never changed. When at work, Victor was always in prime CEO mode, any trace of my shy and sweet boyfriend disappearing the moment he walked in the office doors. 

“It seems your memory is indeed working today, despite all evidence to the contrary. So perhaps you like to explain why that was not the time you entered my office?” Being on the receiving end of a Victor-Li-is-irked glare was never a good experience, but unfortunately, that was often the position I found myself in.

“Our printer jammed at the last second, and wouldn’t print a contract that my 1:30 client needed to sign before they could leave, so I was stuck there calling maintenance and then waiting for them to show up, and then waiting for them to fix it, and then--”

“Stop. I’ve heard enough.” He rubbed his temples, eyes closed. “You do realize this is the modern era, yes? Contracts can be sent over email, and signed digitally. We will need to discuss your company’s disturbing lack of adaptation to current technology at another time; you have wasted enough of it already. Begin your report.” 

“Right.” I pulled out my newly purchased tablet and cleared my throat. “As you can see, we exceeded our predicted revenue this month. Views that we lost last week were not just recovered, but doubled.” I fidgeted a bit under his intense stare. 

“I implemented the ideas we discussed last week, and they were successful  For future consideration, I’d like to bring to your attention--”

The soft whirring of the air conditioning of the building sputtered to a startling halt. I paused, and looked at Victor for direction. He sighed, and picked up the phone on his desk when it began to ring. “Speak.” I heard a hurried voice on the other end, and watched Victor’s frown deepen. “What?” More frantic explanation from the voice, trying to appease him, and then Victor hung up. 

“Something wrong?” I asked, hoping that an urgent matter had come up, so that I could move my report to later when he would hopefully be in a better mood.

“The air conditioning stopped working. It will take a few hours to fix.” I groaned internally. It was the middle of July, peak season for hot days, and Victor’s office was directly in the sun’s path at the moment, the windows offering no protection from its heat. He shed his suit jacket, draping it over the arm of his chair. “Continue,” he commanded.

“Uh,” I scrambled to remember my place. “For future consideration, I’d like to bring to your attention trendlines predicting future revenue on episodes based on current events.” I began to sweat, already missing the almost too cold climate I had complained about in the past, and vowed to never do so again. 

“Our most popular episodes to date have been ones related to current issues in the news. Our recent collaboration with Loveland TV gave us access to topics and resources that we might not have had otherwise. Therefore, I propose that we begin a new series to be aired in conjunction with local news stations beyond just Loveland TV that would cover oddities addressed in daily reports.” 

Ok, the heat had officially become unbearable. I took off my white cardigan, putting in on top of my bag. Victor did a double-take, eyes widening. Uh oh. I forgot how casual my dress was. I tried to distract him with the report. “The series would cover not just super powers, but also delve into the psyche--”

“Stop, stop.” Crap. He was still staring at my dress. “What do you think you’re wearing?!”

“Uh, a sundress?” I responded dumbly. He glared at me. I fumbled for an excuse, though not knowing why I needed one exactly. “It’s the middle of July. I know it’s not formal business attire without the cardigan, but it’s hot in here without the AC. I thought you would understand that and be ok with me not wearing it considering the circumstances.”

He gaped, apparently shocked. “You thought wrong. Do you seriously not realize how alluring that dress is?”

Wait what? “Huh?”

He shook his head. “Dummy, you are astoundingly naive sometimes. Wearing that to any presentation, including this one, leads the audience to focus not on your proposal, but your physical assets.” I blushed, and covered myself a bit with my arms. He continued. “For example, I missed everything you presented after taking off your cardigan. Be thankful this was only a weekly report meeting, and not an official proposal for more funding with the entire board present.” He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk.

I looked down, ashamed. “I really am sorry, Victor. That would have embarrassed both Miracle Company and you; I understand now and I will do better in the future.”

“No, you misunderstand me.” He stood, and strode quickly towards me, crossing the room in a few broad steps. He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look him in the eye. “The only person who should see you in outfits of this nature is me.” It was the hunger in his eyes that made me realize I was no longer talking to the CEO of LFG, but Victor Li, my protective and now aroused boyfriend.  

Desperate lips met mine, taking my breath away. I was always weak for his kisses, this time literally. My knees gave in a bit, and I held onto his arms as he pushed deeper. I eagerly reciprocated, a need for his touch growing rapidly under my navel. We broke apart for only a moment, before he claimed my lips again and ran strong fingers up my neck and into my hair, gently nudging my face closer to his. 

Victor was not a man of many flowery words, but he made up for it in his actions. Every kiss we shared was so fervent that you would think it was going to be our last. Even in moments of raw passion, it was obvious how deeply he cared for me, and I fell more in love with him each time our lips united. This kiss was no exception; I sank into his yearning for me, throwing my arms around his neck. 

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around my thighs, and I felt myself being lifted into the air. I scrambled to wind my legs around his waist, holding him tighter. We were intimately closer than before, and I could feel his heart pounding in his chest. It amazed me that I could have such an effect on the seemingly stoic mogul, that I could be the one to break his cool. His lips captured mine once more, then he impatiently moved us towards his desk. 

“Hold tight,” he instructed, using one arm to awkwardly clear off the desktop, sending pens and his mouse flying. He set me atop it, beginning to suck at the pulse point above my collarbone, when reality hit me.

“Wait, stop,” I whispered harshly. He immediately backed away, arms to his side.

“What’s wrong?” Concern overtook ardor, and he scanned my figure. “Did I hurt you?” That thought seemed to shake him a bit.

“No, nothing like that,” I quickly reassured him. “But...should we really be doing this in your office? People might hear, or worse, what if someone came in?”

His confidence immediately returned, desire resuming its place in his eyes as I mentioned others overhearing our stolen moment of passion. He smirked, leaning in close.

“Let them hear.” He continued his attack on my neck, but I wouldn’t be swayed just yet.

“Victor,” I chided. “I’m not comfortable with someone catching us in your office. That wouldn’t look good for either of us.” He stopped, judging my sincerity, then walked away. 

“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, reaching out an arm towards him needily, missing his warmth already. Had I angered him?

“Relax, dummy.” He strode up to the door and turned the lock, its satisfying click signaling his intentions. He turned and smiled devilishly. “No one is going anywhere until we are finished.” 

He hastened back to me, as if I were his prey, strung up and waiting for him on a platter. He kissed me again, and loosened his tie to quell the sweltering heat. I grabbed for his shirt, undoing the first few buttons before he stopped me with a lick to a particularly sensitive area behind my earlobe. He undid his tie the rest of the way and set it down beside me on the desk. I finished unbuttoning his shirt, untucking it roughly. I gulped upon being met with the sight of his broad chest. As if controlled by some unknown force, my hands ran over his torso, brushing his collarbone and hips alike, searching for any point of contact with him. 

He placed feather light kisses all over my face and neck, brushing my cheek; my eyelids; the small v formed by my collarbones. As lovely as his display of affection was--and it truly was; not often did we get a chance to bask in the other’s devotion--it wasn’t quite enough. I needed more. 

I ran my hands down his abdomen, grabbing for his belt buckle, but he caught my hand in his and tsked. 

“Someone needs to learn to be patient.” His hands left me, and I let out a whine. He picked up the flimsy piece of fabric that lay beside me and wrapped it around my face, covering my eyes. 

“Is this okay?” I heard a soft whisper beside my left ear. 

His breath tickled me a bit, paused in anticipation of my answer. I hold absolute control over him at this moment, I realized with a small gasp. The power was a heady feeling; Loveland’s most eligible ‘bachelor’ was all mine, treating me as if I was some queen to be worshipped. Although he was leading most of the action, I held the ropes. And I would be ever so careful not to abuse this gift. What’s more, after years of having to take care of myself on my own, I now could trust him. Completely. 

“Yes.” 

That one word spurred him back into action. He quickly fastened the makeshift blindfold behind my head, careful to avoid knotting my hair with it. I heard a low groan, and then my skirt was pushed up, warm hands rubbing slow circles on my inner thighs. 

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he murmured, his lips brushing mine, sending shivers down my spine. "There is nothing I would not do to keep you safe and happy."

I bucked my hips towards his, searching for any friction to relieve my need. Suddenly, I felt a hand over my underwear, massaging my clit leisurely. I let out a breathy moan. Finally. His steady fingers ran back and forth across the fabric, gentle yet firm in their ministrations. "Faster, please Victor," I gasped, spreading my legs. He obeyed, for once, going faster and faster until all fear of others intruding disappeared. I could only think about him, his touch, and my palpable desire to become one with him. 

I could feel a flush rise in my cheeks, the sounds coming from my mouth garbled and brimming with pleasure. I reached blindly for him, needing to touch him for stability; so that I could hold off my climax a little longer, but was met only with air. I let out a whine. I heard a chuckle from somewhere in front of me. Seconds later, strong hands guided mine to his shoulders; his warm body moved closer, parting my legs further.

I was already beyond wet by this point, and I felt ready for him but knowing Victor, he wouldn't enter me until he was sure I was relaxed and ready for him. "Please, hurry up, I need you, now," I urged.

Surprisingly, he decided to grant my request. I heard the soft clink of a belt buckle being undone followed by a rustling of fabric. I hooked my ankles behind him, wanting, no, needing him in me as soon as humanly possible. A hand ran through my hair, and then my underwear was pushed to the side;  in one fluid motion he had both lifted me into the air and entered me with a soft moan. I gasped, throwing my head back and digging my fingers into the well-defined muscles of his shoulders.

The sensation of him inside me was more intense in the dark. I felt so safe, protected and satisfied in his arms. It was as if all my fears and worries had melted away. I knew that he would shield me from any incoming darkness that dared to threaten me. He pulled back for a moment, then slowly slid inside me once more, giving me time to adjust and savor the feeling of us, united as one. 

We maintained a comfortable rhythm, my hips grinding down to meet his as I panted against his neck. There was no need for words; anything that needed to be said was communicated through movement and small gasps and moans. I realized that I could no longer hear the ticking of the wall clock, its telling absence revealing that time was no longer in motion. 

I drew in a breath to mention it, but he suddenly changed to a different angle, shifting me in his arms, and sparks burst behind my eyelids. “Don’t you dare stop, right--right there!” I practically screamed. He hummed in confirmation, building speed. I let out a series of whines, bouncing down into his thrusts in desperation to add to the surging, rising tide of pleasure that's only just out of reach. I could hear Victor’s pleasure as well in the short, cut off breaths he let out. 

“Are you close,” he ground out, ever the gentleman in refusing to come before me. 

“Very,” I replied, concentrating on my climax, adding a finger to my clit. A few more strokes, and it hit me--hard. I screamed out his name and clenched around him. He gasped, and I felt a warmth inside me as he tightened his grip on me. The waves of pleasure taking hold of me ebbed slowly; suddenly, I could see again, tie dropping to the floor.  

Victor cradled me close and kissed the top of my head. We remained entangled in each other’s embrace for a few moments longer, catching our breath. He slid out of me, but didn’t let me go. I buried my face in his neck, flushing at the whispered “I love you” that came from beside my ear. 

Suddenly, the ticking resumed and the space that was only ours returned to being shared with the rest of the world. I was gently set down on the desk, and I grabbed a tissue to clean myself up. We began to redress and had almost finished when there was a knock at the door. 

“Sir, the mechanics from Four Seasons Heating and Air have arrived,” Goldman’s voice came from behind the solid wood. “Would you like to direct them or should I handle it?”

Victor gestured at my cardigan, “That goes on; tightly,” he said in a low voice, then he grabbed his suit jacket and approached the door. I buttoned it quickly, barely finishing in time before he swung the door open. 

There was an awkward silence as Goldman took in our appearance. He did a quick double take, then stammered an apology. “Sir, I--uh--”

 I flushed brightly; there was no way to conceal what we had been up to. Only Victor stood stoic as always, not caring about our disheveled state or the smudge of my lipstick on the corner of his mouth. “Mark me as booked for the next two hours,” he announced, glancing at his watch. “I expect the air conditioning to be up and running when I return.”

“Next two hours--but sir! You have the meeting with the investors from--” Goldman was cut off with a glare. Typical. I felt sorry for him. 

“Did I ask for any feedback? I said that I am booked for the next two hours. Make any schedule changes necessary in my absence.” He put an arm around my waist and led me out of the room in the direction of the elevator. 

“But sir!” Victor paid him no mind and as the door closed, he pulled me into another kiss. 

“How do you feel about lunch at Souvenir?” 

“Mm, sounds great!” I replied, smoothing down his slightly rumpled shirt. Oh! Pulling back with a smile, I suddenly laughed. “Victor!”

He frowned. “What.”

“You forgot your tie!”

[ckret2]

How to Stalk Your Ex on Social Media When He Doesn’t Even Know What the Internet Is

Sir Pentious-centric post-breakup Radiosnake angst fic.

Set immediately after the pilot episode. Technically a sequel to Cold Day In Hell but if you don’t want to read it all you need to know is that Sir Pent & Alastor were allies/friends/almost-boyfriends half a century ago, until Alastor declared he’d just been screwing around with Sir Pent’s head, destroyed all his airships, and ran.

Written to this prompt for @atomicmuffin:

maybe Pen, after the attack on the hotel, kinda lingering around, hiding, while he regenerates a bit since he's too weak to safely leave without his airship or most of his eggbois, and ends up peeking in through a window watching Al and the others, and kinda delving into his angsty feelings about that? 

I posted the first scene of this last night but now both scenes are done! Yaaay.

###

Sir Pentious could smell Alastor's cooking.

There was a breeze curling around the building near the crater that held Sir Pentious's most recently crushed airship, carrying the scents of meat and spices through the purpling twilight.

Oh, how he hated that. He hated the smell of Alastor's cooking.

He missed Alastor's cooking.

Sir Pentious shifted himself stiffly, muscles aching. He'd been flopped face down halfway out of the pit that had swallowed his latest greatest airship, his long tail noodled up in a fissure along the wall to keep him from slipping back down. His upper chest ached from being pressed to the edge of the pit for so long. He'd been half-unconscious for the past... oh... according to his pocket watch, an hour. He tucked his watch back into an inner jacket pocket, slowly dragged himself back on solid ground, turned, and sat on the edge of the pit, staring down into the darkness.

He supposed that wasn't quite the worst curb-stomping he'd received in the last fifty years, but it was probably going to rank in as the most humiliating. And from Alastor, of all people. Over half a century Sir Pentious had gotten by without getting wrangled into a fight with him! And the one time they crossed paths when Sir Pentious was already on the warpath and would have looked a coward and a fool if he'd turned and slinked away, it had to be when his airship was already damaged!

Would it have turned out any differently if his airship hadn't been damaged?

Maybe if he'd been able to power up his plasma cannon just a couple of seconds faster...

No. No, Alastor melted  into the shadows far too easily for that. Even if Sir Pentious's airship had been fresh out of the shipyard, he would never have landed a blow. He knew that.

If anyone asked, though—if anyone asked, he only lost because the prior damage made his ship malfunction.

What was Alastor cooking? Sir Pentious could smell onions and garlic. That did nothing to narrow it down. He'd probably been cooking since he'd dragged Sir Pentious's airship in the ground, hadn't he. One of those Cajun things that took half a day to cook. He didn't have any better ways to fill his time, Sir Pentious was sure.

The ground trembled slightly as Alastor's abyss began to close from the bottom up. Sir Pentious scooted back from the edge. So much for recycling the remains of his airship. He wondered if he could trick Alastor into giving him access to whatever dimension he'd sealed the wreck away in? Come challenge him again with a throwaway ship, have another one hiding nearby, wait until Alastor had trashed the junker and then use the reserve ship to tow away the remains of the first two... No, no. Too risky. Too labor-intensive. He'd just have to call this ship a loss. Alas, and it was the one with his new pipe organ.

If he didn't know better, he would almost suspect Alastor had something against organs.

The abyss sealed, leaving behind nothing but a jagged crack in the golden cobblestone road.

Okay. Time to take stock. What did he have. He had himself. He had his hat—good, he'd rather cut off his tail than lose his hat. He had a mess of Egg Bois in various states of disarray, from "visibly cracked" to "gently frying on the sidewalk." Only a single Egg Boi was conscious and up, toddling about checking on the other eggs—"Any other ssurvivors?" "Not looking good, Mr. Bossman." He'd lost his best airship, but he'd only lost one this time. Right after an extermination—good—anyone who might want to take advantage of his current setback would be distracted recouping their own losses. And he was... where was he.

He turned and gave the building he'd been threatening a proper once over for the first time since he'd approached it. Ten stories tall and its architecture included a train, an ocean liner, a carousel, and more bas-relief apples than actual windows. That was Luciferian architecture if Sir Pentious had ever seen it. And a hotel, no less? Had Alastor at last gotten sick of crashing on his friends' couches? Had he finally burned his last few bridges?

How long had he been staying here?

And why hadn't Sir Pentious heard about it before?

Frowning to himself, he pulled his pocket watch back out.

Sir Pentious liked to think he was a man of many sins but few vices. The only addictive poison he permitted himself was jealously stalking his exes. (And tea.) Alastor, despised though he was, was no exception. If anything, it was all the more essential for Sir Pentious to keep close tabs on the actions of the Radio Demon, chief among the threats to his eventual rise to power. His haunts, his habits, his friends, his foes—Sir Pentious knew every significant move Alastor had made in the last fifty years.

He didn't know a thing about this hotel.

He tapped on his pocket watch to unlock the screen, glided his fingertip around the edge until he highlighted the map application, and zoomed in on the spot in front of him. There was a little black box outlining the footprint of the building, but no identifying name attached. Either someone had been paid and/or threatened handsomely to conceal this location, or it was too new to show up on the map.

Sir Pentious squinted up at the building. It was an obvious Magne property with massive neon signs and arrows. It had dead trees, dusty windows, rust-eaten smokestacks, and missing shingles. It was neither covert nor new. What was going on, here?

For a moment, Sir Pentious was tempted to slither in the broken front door, find someone, and ask. What was the worst Alastor could do, crush a few more vertebrae? Big deal, they'd grow back. Sir Pentious had seen other people with Alastor, Sir Pentious could ask them about this place. Not the tall pink one. But one of the others.

But then, did Sir Pentious want Alastor to know he was so keen to find out about Alastor's latest distraction?

Sir Pentious clicked the crown of his pocket watch to return to the list of applications, scrolled around to the camera, and held the watch carefully by the edges of the case so he didn't cover the pink mechanical eye on the back as it focused on the mysterious building. A tap to the screen snapped a picture.

As he switched applications, he hesitated over one for a moment, considering calling for a ride share to his nearest safe house. Then he scrolled on. No. It would cost less to buy a plain black tea at the nearest coffee shop so he could wait for an Egg Boi to bring a car. Besides, too many ride share chauffeurs these days were depraved scoundrels who demanded fellatio in exchange for their services, and Sir Pentious was on the verge of being banned from using the service completely if he set one more car on fire.

He switched to one of his social media accounts, uploaded the picture of the mysterious hotel, and fished his stylus out of his watch pocket. He wove along the cobbled road toward the nearest drag of restaurants as he started scribbling out a query in the picture caption, asking for more information about the mysterious hotel. "If you're looting corpses, hurry up and grab what you want," he said distractedly. "We're leaving."

He was halfway down the hill before he escaped the scent of Alastor's cooking.

###

Sir Pentious was contemplating what was probably the worst cup of Earl Grey he'd ever had—it had cost more than a ride share, and he was still debating whether it tasted worse than a blowjob—when the Egg Boi said, "Wow, Boss! Look at this!" He held out a tablet.

Oh, where did he pick that up? Off one of the corpses, no doubt. Egg #23 knew he wasn't allowed to have Internet access, he was even more of a nuisance when he had steady access to those laser snuff films he was into. Sir Pentious snatched the tablet from him. "Give me that. You'd better not have dug up some pornographic filth—"

He fell silent as he saw his own photo of the mysterious hotel at the top of the screen—with a mind-boggling forty-one likes and nine comments. Was this his break into the social media big leagues?! He skimmed the likes to see if anyone important had noticed the post—his hopes jumped when he saw Vox's icon, before he realized it was just Vox's bot account that liked every post it could find—then read through the comments, looking for a way to take advantage of this new potential source of online infamy.

His ambition faded as he read through the comments, and had completely vanished by the time he clicked a link to a news article and watched the video.

So. The princess's pet project, was it? All the better that he hadn't destroyed it, he supposed. He didn't put too much stock in the Magne family—they were royalty, sure, and he'd grant them the due respect such a rank demanded, but they weren't his royalty, and he was angling to overthrow them—but on the other hand, he certainly didn't want to start a fight with them before he was ready to. He wasn't sure how Princess Charlotte's dear daddy would react if someone crushed her halfway house for repentant reprobates, and he wasn't eager to find out.

So much for the hotel itself. More intriguing to him was the fact that he'd found Alastor there.

Why?

Had he checked himself in some time after the princess's proclamation aired? Finally gotten sick of the pitiful little life he was living down here and decided to grovel in front of the Pearly Gates for absolution? Ha! Oh, Sir Pentious wouldn't be surprised if he was that bored.

He was always so pathetically bored.

But no—Sir Pentious was willing to bet that this was another one of his little phases. He did that, go through phrases—latch on to someone else's project for a few years in the desperate hope that it would amuse him, tie himself up in it so tightly it would come unraveled if he weren't there, and then either cut the strings and run or else tie up the person who had originally been running the project.

He held the leashes of quite a few little unwilling minions because he'd shown up to help them out, talked them into a deal they shouldn't have taken, and now he owned their very souls. (Sometimes Sir Pentious suspected that the main reason Alastor had backstabbed him so much more dramatically than his other former allies was because he'd never shook on a deal that would let Alastor control him.)

And yet, for all the minions Alastor was at liberty to command, didn't know what to do with any of them.

He never knew what he was doing.

That was just how he worked—although the word "worked" implied a basic level of functionality that Alastor lacked.

Project after project, distraction after distraction. Around the turn of the millennium, he'd spent all his time puttering between various nightclubs run by proprietors who weren't willing to admit the Roaring 20s were over. In the eighties, it had been that dotty little cannibal commune he'd tried to settle down in—hah—Alastor, trying to live a domestic life, he must have felt the ennui crawling across his flesh like roaches. Sir Pentious was pretty sure Alastor had spent most of the seventies trying to drown his boredom with bourbon. And in the sixties, his number one distraction had been... Sir Pentious. Sir Pentious and his "pet project" to take over Hell.

Just another one of Alastor's passing hobbies. Another toy to play with until it ceased to amuse him and he broke it.

And now his latest adopted project was Princess Charlotte's hotel, was it. How unfortunate for the princess. Alastor was as likely to try to enslave her as he was to simply pack up and leave in the middle of the night.

Sir Pentious had warned Alastor, hadn't he—that eternity was just going to drag on and on if he didn't start planning his future. Of course he hadn't listened. He'd probably never heeded a word Sir Pentious said, had he? What could a Victorian era has-been who's too weak to conquer Hell possibly know that was worth listening to. Hss.

Well, which one of them was throwing himself at every demon with an interesting idea that was willing to let him latch on, hm? Like a musician that hadn't produced a fresh album in decades but was still desperate to find a hot new artist who was willing to give him a "(feat. the Radio Demon)" credit on one track.

He wondered how long this distraction would last.

He rewatched the princess's proclamation, then started scrolling through the comments. He supposed it was admirable that someone was trying to do something about the annual exterminations, although he would have picked "find a way to kill the angels" as a higher priority than handholding a bunch of sinners through cleaning up their behavior. But then, she was the daughter of a fallen angel; maybe she had some sort of inborn instinct for things like redemption.

He didn't know. He'd never really fussed himself with all the theological figures wandering around Hell—sure, he could name them all, list off their ranks, their families and domains, their enemies and friends and allies and enemies and lovers and enemies, their political positions and tensions and ambitions—but their supernatural traits? Their celestial or infernal aspects? He'd never seen the point.

Most people he'd known who made a fuss over theology did so out of fear that they wouldn't meet the restrictive criteria to get into Heaven. Sir Pentious had never expected nor wanted to be anything but damned—and no matter which set of criteria you were going by, he'd been pretty much guaranteed his spot in Hell the first time he committed a murder and decided he didn't feel bad about it. There was that life goal sorted. So he'd had no good reason to obsess over the metaphysical side of the hierarchies of angels and demons. They were part of the local politics, that was all.

He wondered if a half-fallen angel could grant redemption to the already-dead damned. If so, he'd have to be careful to steer away from the princess and her hotel in the future. But he didn't know.

He wondered if Alastor knew. He might.

Sir Pentious's stomach twisted in a pained knot. He'd missed supper. Had he remembered lunch? He sipped his tea to try to stave off the hunger and wished he hadn't.

He reached the bottom of the comments, scrolled back up to reply to someone speculating on whether a porn star prostitute could really reform (Sir Pentious's opinion: some could, but he didn't think that one), and then started scribbling out a new comment mentioning that he was in possession of exclusive eyewitness evidence that the hotel's second guest apparently seeking a shortcut to heaven was no less a figure than the Radio Demon himself. Oh, he'd love to see what kind of attention that information drew.

A honk outside drew his attention. He glanced up, saw an Egg Boi waving through a limousine window, and said, "That's our ride." He posted the comment and passed Egg #23 back his tablet. "No pornography or I'm confiscating that again."

Egg #23 sighed. "Whatever you say, Mr. Bossman."

Sir Pentious uncoiled from around the legs of his chair, made direct eye contact with the barista, poured the remains of his cup on the ground—"Your tea sssuckss."—and slithered out the door.

He slid into the backseat, pulled the door handle shut with the tip of his tail, and tugged out his pocket watch again to send a message to the account that zealously posted location-flagged Radio Demon sightings (for the benefit of over ten thousand followers who were, by and large, eager to avoid him), alerting the account's anonymous manager of his latest discovery. Sir Pentious's claim wouldn't be posted without photographic evidence—that was their policy—but perhaps the tip-off would prompt them to send out someone to collect proof. The account hadn't been updated since late afternoon. It was obvious they'd lost Alastor's trail. Sir Pentious was keen to see them find it again.

With that business taken care of, he flopped his head back, pulled his hat down over his eyes, and sighed. He was tired and hungry. He only had until he got home to rest, though. As soon as he was in his safe house, he had to take inventory of his meager manpower and material resources, reorganize to shore up any new holes in his defenses, and make plans to start rebuilding.

Again.

###

If you enjoy the fic, a reblog or a comment would be deeply appreciated! Fic crossposted to AO3 here. If you’d like to drop me a tip, link’s in my description!

[gumnut-logic]

Dirt (Part Eight)

From here.

For @ak47stylegirl - I promise I will return to Alan soon - I kinda knocked him out, so he isn’t very chatty at the moment. Also this chapter talks about Virgil, but since he is as unconscious as Alan, um, he doesn’t say much either.  ::pines for the lack of the Virg::

As always, many thanks to @vegetacide and @scribbles97 for their help with this fic...you know that couple hundred words I scribbled down in ten minutes before work just so I could write something...yeah, that fic which is now approaching 11,000 words in length ::headdesk:: I’m still writing V.T. Green, I promise!

Warnings: a little bit of language, and Pen and Ink in this bit :D

-o-o-o-

All of London startled and looked up as multiple Thunderbirds streaked through the clouds above the city. The legendary ships roared in concert at speeds enough to blink and miss.

John played his instruments like the genius he was. Eos had Shadow and One while he concentrated on Two, his brothers’ lives in his hands. Above him, the holographic system let their vitals dance. Alan’s were the poorest, but Virgil’s were dipping lower. Gordon’s had the potential to follow.

“Thunderbird Five, you have clearance at Northolt and permission to land in the parking lot at Hillingdon Hospital.” Colonel Casey paused a moment before switching to the Aunt who loved them. “God’s speed, John.”

He murmured a thank you, but his concentration was total as he manoeuvred Two in for a clean landing beside Accident and Emergency at the London Hospital. Sensors sketched out Eos doing similar at the military base with One and Shadow.

FAB1 streaked in behind Two and landed smoothly beside her huge sister.

“Eos, you have control. I’m going down.” His daughter’s acknowledgement was lost amongst his thoughts.

-o-o-o-

“Gordon, time to go.”

He blinked and found himself leaning on Penelope’s shoulder. What?

A hand reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. His helmet lay on the floor of the car and the odd thought that Grandma would disapprove wandered through his head.

He had the distinct impression that moving was going to hurt, and as he levered himself upright, he found he was too right for his own good. Worse, a groan forced itself out between his teeth.

So much for the stoic hero.

“Stay still.” Her hand ghosted over his arm and she disappeared from his side, only to reappear through the open door on his other side. Her hand touched his cheek and he found himself staring into her beautiful blue eyes.

He could have sat and stared all day.

“Well, my dearest, you don’t have all day. Though I will take the compliment as it was intended.” The smile on her face sparkled.

A blink and he shook himself, trying to focus. His head was foggy. Not a good sign with a bleeding injury. A glance down at himself and he found his shoulder padded and wrapped in bandages. When had that happened? Despite the proficiency of its application, the gauze was stained red and the red was spreading.

Penelope was urging him out of the car.

Damn, he had bled all over the upholstery. “Sorry.”

“Not to worry about that now, Gordon. It is time to go. We don’t want to worry Scott, now do we.”

No, Scott was grey enough already. Though not as grey as the time Gordon had powdered his brother’s hair in his sleep. Now that had been the perfect prank. Spring-loaded pillow launcher and all.

“Well, no wonder he has grey hairs.” She was pulling gently on his uninjured arm. “Out you come.”

“I can carry him, if you like, m’Lady.”

That snapped him out of it. Gordon threw himself out of the car and almost landed on his face as his equilibrium redefined his centre of gravity as being somewhere closer to the south pole.

“Oh dear.” Two sets of hands caught him; one pair gentler than the other.

“Are you quite all right, Mister Gordon?”

“Fine, Parker.” To prove it, he took a step forward...and yes, the ground again attempted to connect with his forehead.

“I think, sir, that you should lie down.” Parker’s hands were firm on his arm as the world continued to wobble.

Now that just wouldn’t do. “No, no, I can walk.” He straightened and tried not to groan.

“Are you sure, sir?”

No. “I’ll be fine.”

“Gordon, you have a bullet hole in your shoulder. Please do not risk your health on my account.” And before he could protest, Penny had slipped herself under his good arm and wrapped hers around his waist.

Despite everything, he found it several kinds of wonderful to be held by her.

Her perfume was all flowery.

Under her power, they made it slowly but surely in the direction of accident and emergency. At one point a huddle of nurses and doctors dashed past. Not long after he was confronted by his eldest brother, worry in the blue of his eyes.

“Hey, Scott.” A blink and two important factors shot to the forefront of his brain. “Alan? Virgil?” There had been dirt. So much dirt.

Those eyes turned in askance to Penelope and their brow crinkled before darting back to him. “C’mon, Gordon, time for you to lie down.”

Scott took him gently from Penelope. “Hey, I wanna stay with Penny.”

“I’m not leaving you, Gordon. Please lie down and relax.” She reached out and touched his cheek again.

That was nice.

Her gentle smile was even nicer.

“Okay, loverboy, rest time for you.” And Scott was manhandling him onto a hover stretcher. A nurse appeared from nowhere and he was being dragged into the concrete maze of the major hospital.

Penny held his hand.

And he held on tight.

-o-o-o-

John hit atmosphere and the elevator’s thrusters kicked in with a roar.

Data streamed into his tablet. Further information on the man who had captured his brothers and the implications of the events that followed.

The man was dead. GDF forces had swooped in and picked survivors out of the rubble, forced to do the job of IR while fifty percent of their operatives were being hospitalised. International Rescue was down for the count.

Eos was juggling incoming calls. John had calls of his own to make.

Grandma was beside herself with worry and Kayo was on her way to collect the Tracy matriarch.

John was on his way to collect Scott. Or at least the pieces of him that were likely all over the waiting room floor.

Scott never managed well when a brother was injured and this time there were three. One critically and two not far from joining him. While John worried about Alan, Virgil and Gordon, Scott was a concern of another kind.

And he wasn’t answering his comms.

It was a long eight minutes to London.

Gravity was its usual annoyance, as were the odd and gawking stares in his direction as he landed in the parking lot. With TB2 having made her entrance and exit shortly before, the press had been alerted and he found himself subject to a lot of unwanted media attention.

“John Tracy! Can you tell us what happened?”

“How many members of International Rescue have died?”

“Who shot the extremist?”

“Is Alan Tracy dead?”

“Who inherits International Rescue?”

What the f-? There were flashing lights all around him, holocams hovering about like bees.

John hated crowds, especially those involving the press. Scott went out of his way to make sure he wasn’t exposed to them, but his brother wasn’t available right now.

Head down, no eye contact. “No comment.”

“No comment.”

They crowded in on him and he grit his teeth.

A sharp crack and a yelp. A squawk and the clattering of plastic on concrete. A scream and a flash of light. John looked up to find holocams falling like rain. One close to him simply stopped and dropped. Another sparked, spun and dove at the nearest reporter. She screamed and ran.

The holocam chased her.

Oh.

The crowd began to disperse in erratic squeals and yelps of fear. John took advantage and dashed through to the doors of the hospital. Behind him, the elevator fired its thrusters, adding to the confusion, and launched towards orbit.

“Eos, you are dangerous.”

“Yes, John, and don’t you forget it.” The amusement in her voice had him smiling.

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

A glance at the fast disappearing elevator, he turned and hurried inside.

-o-o-o-

Scott was stuck in the waiting room.

He hated waiting rooms. He hated waiting.

But more than anything he hated hospital waiting rooms. Stark and miserable they were turning points between pain and relief.

And the chairs always sucked.

His head was pounding.

Brains and Moffie had left to find them all some food, Moffie dragging Brains behind her. Penny sat not far from him, prim and neat as always, Parker beside her, ever vigilant. She smiled gently at him if he looked in her direction.

He didn’t look in her direction.

She had handed Gordon over to him, concern in her eyes as his little brother played the manly card before passing out completely almost as soon as Scott had managed to get him onto the stretcher. Same reason as his other two brothers were in this god forsaken place - blood loss.

Too much Tracy blood had been spilt today.

And why? Who was that asshole? His eyes still stared at him over that gun barrel. Two still loomed behind him. Virgil still lay limp on the ground, pain in every breath.

The grapple gun and that godawful crunch of bone.

No expression, no sound. Just gone.

Cable trailing.

The backwash of its passing had been like a sudden breeze.

The sound of Virgil in pain.

So much pain.

“Scott?” The voice was soft, and unmarred by space static. He looked up to find John standing in front of him, still in his uniform, solid, dependable and there.

Pushing himself to his feet, he met his younger brother eye to eye. A beat and Scott wrapped his arms around him and tugged John close. A breath against the smooth material of John’s spacesuit and his brother returned the embrace.

“How are they?”

Scott bit his lip. “It was close.” God, so close. “But you know that.”

“I do.”

John was no doubt frustrated that he no longer had access to his brothers’ vital stats now their uniforms had been removed. Scott squeezed him just a touch tighter. “You gonna hack the hospital?”

“Give me five.”

And with that they separated, John taking a seat beside him. Sure enough, less than five minutes later, John was holding up his tablet with three columns of stats scrolling across it.

All three were stable. Alan was still low and in surgery, as was Virgil. Gordon was being prepped. John flicked a finger and they had video.

“Still with us.”

Scott swallowed and looked down at his hands. “Who was he?”

“A thug. Money, power, the usual.” John’s turquoise gaze narrowed a little at him. “He’s dead.”

“I know.”

“So do the press.”

Scott’s head shot up. “What?”

“One of the questions they threw at me on the way in. ‘Who shot the extremist?’”

“Aw, hell.”

“That is one descriptor.” Scott knew what was coming next. “They are going to want to know the answer to that question.”

“Fuck.” It was little more than breath, but it came from his gut. No. Please, no.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“He did it to save me.”

“He did it to save all of you.”

Scott let his head drop into his hands. “He may not even remember.”

“It’s on record. Two’s cameras.”

Of course, he knew that. “I know that.” His head throbbed the obvious at him.

John was frowning at him. “Have you seen a doctor? That is quite a shiner you’ve got on the boil there.”

“Too busy with Gordon.” Scott waved off his brother’s concern.

John caught his hand. “Do I need to pull up your stats to convince you? You took a few nasty hits today.”

“Had to, he was going to kill Virgil.”

John’s eyes flickered at that. “It doesn’t change the fact you need attention and probably a bed at the very least.”

“I need to wait for news on Alan, Gordon and Virgil.”

John waved the tablet at him. “Here is your news. I can let you know if anything changes.” Just to piss him off, John stood up, and, pulling him along behind, approached the desk. A few efficient words and Scott was suddenly being escorted to a cubicle.

John followed. No doubt to make sure he got there and stayed.

Any other time he would have stood up to his little brother, dug his heels in and refused. But there had been so much pain today, so much everything, he found he had nothing left.

He just wanted his little brothers to be safe.

It was his job to look after them.

“Scott, take a breath, rest a moment, give yourself a chance to recover.” As Scott sat on the edge of the bed and the nurse darted off to get equipment, John stood directly in front of him and caught his eyes. “We will get through this, I promise. We will find a way.”

A half-hearted smirk. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

John’s lips curled into a soft smile. “I borrowed it from the best.”

-o-o-o-

Part Nine

[killervibe]

Puzzles

A really really REALLY fluffy Cisco/Caitlin fic! <3 

~.~ 

There’s a fluttering in her stomach. It’s not morning sickness, and it can’t be her minuscule baby. It’s nerves, excited jittering, little butterflies flapping their wings inside of her. The back of Caitlin’s chair dips as she leans back against it, pensive.

 It has to be perfect. It needs to be. 

 She thinks about Cisco’s smile, imagining the way he’ll beam. How his eyes crinkle in the corners, and his face will light up like the sun. She smoothes the paper in front of her, a thousand scenarios running through her mind. 

 How will she tell him? That he’s going to be a dad. That he’ll have a tiny baby to hold in his arms in a few months time. A child who will be the perfect mix of him and herself. An infant she already knows their father will love until they both grow old and more. 

 She thinks about her own father, long gone now, in every way she ever knew him. But it’s the memory that lingers. The early years. She thought about hop scotch and bicycle rides. Birthdays and crossword puzzles. The science they learned. She thought about the games they played. 

 Tapping her pen against her desk, she brightened. The plan crystallized in her mind. That’s exactly how she’ll do it.

 ~.~ 

 The sun was beginning to set through the windows of the Speed Lab as Barry raced around the track for the gazillionth time. Caitlin stepped in with a folder tucked neatly under her elbow, her heels clicking down the friction resistant flooring installed in the room as she made her way to Cisco. He sat over the edge of the sideline area, his arms looped around the lower railing as he bit his lip with deep concentration. 

 Cisco never really bothered watching Barry run anymore unless there was some logistical component he was interested in analyzing. There wasn’t any rush or emergency this week which would warrant such a thing, which could only mean— Caitlin smiled, sidling up to him. “Another suit, really?” 

 Cisco was crunching some numbers on his tablet, rolling his eyes at her teasing. “There is never an excuse not to be current with the fashion trends. Thought you of all people would understand that.” 

 Caitlin scooted forward, climbing under the railing to sit with him. He stopped to help smooth out her dress skirt when it got rucked up. His hand glided over her covered thigh affectionately. Caitlin covered his hand there with her own so she could hold it, lacing their fingers together. Cisco adjusted easily, tracking Barry’s speed now by poking at the numbers on the screen with his other hand. 

 “I understand fashion,” she argued, “but this is his twelfth suit.” 

 He scoffed. “It’s not the twelfth! I only have eight models saved in my draft history.” 

 Caitlin huffed. He turned to cock an eyebrow at her. “Why? You want an update too?” 

 She thought about it. No, she was very happy with her Frost suit. And then, would Caitlin even need a new one any time soon? It may very well be that her crime fighting days were temporarily over. She was about to tell Cisco that when she remembered he wouldn’t get it. Not yet, anyway. This was why she had come to find him here in the first place. 

 “I’m good,” she promised him, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “Can you open a breach? I’m heading home. How long will you be out here?”

 He opened a breach with the careless ease of a flicked finger off his touch screen. “Not long.” 

 Caitlin crossed her arms, unconvinced. He seemed much too absorbed in what they were doing for that to be true. He sensed her gaze and glanced at her sideways. “Not long,” he promised again. “I’ll have a beautiful girlfriend at home waiting for me.” 

 Their eyes locked as he gave her one of his lopsided, heart-wrenching grins. The one that made her weak at the knees. So stuffed full with his transparent love for her that Caitlin wasn’t exactly convinced it wouldn’t knock her up if she weren’t pregnant already. 

 Caitlin reflected his look right back at him, softening like butter. He trailed his eyes down her figure, now that she was stood up in front of him.

  He finally noticed the brown office folder in her grasp. “Hey, what’s that?”

She let him take it out of her hands, trying to school her face into a neutral expression. It was hard, she was already fighting off her excited grin. “Oh, this?” She watched him tilt his head at the graph paper and pen scribbles. 

 “It’s a coded equation. I’ve been trying to crack it for the last hour but I’m tired. I’ll try it again in the morning.” She tried to pull it back, but he held on, falling for her bait like a fish on a hook. 

 “I can do it,” he offered. She knew he would.

 “—Oh, Cisco, no, I wouldn’t ask you—” 

 “It’s not hard! I love these things. Where did it come from?”

Caitlin shrugged vaguely, neither confirming or denying his theories of where this came from. He already thought its a meta from another dimension. Caitlin turned to stifle a giggle into the palm of her hand. Barry was completely forgotten, as Cisco drew his knees up to place the papers against them like an easel, leaning forward to squint at her fake attempts to ‘crack’ the code. Cisco’s breach was still swirling patiently behind them. He realized she hadn’t left yet, and shooed his hand at her to go into the breach, promising to meet up with her for dinner.

 Caitlin gave him a kiss goodbye, then did as she was told, the blue swirling vortex closed behind her as she made it to their bedroom. After brushing her hair and changing out of her stockings to put on something more comfortable, she stood in front of her mirror. 

 Slowly, her left hand trailed down her neck, past the slope of her shoulders and curve of her breast to land gently on her flat stomach. She slid her hand under her cozy sweater, tapping her skin there, deep in thought. In the mirror, she didn’t look any different. But she felt so. 

 “Only Iris knows about you,” Caitlin found herself saying to her itty bitty child. “That’ll change soon.” She glanced at the clock. “Shouldn’t be long now.”

 Caitlin’s smile in her reflection was unlike any she’d ever seen in any pictures of herself before. 

It took a while after the initial shock in the Star Labs basement bathroom to really process that she was going to have a baby with Cisco. Caitlin was in denial for most of the day, locking herself in her Med Bay to keep from seeing Cisco. 

 She knew Cisco wanted kids. Caitlin wasn’t as sure. She thought there was a feeling she was supposed to get. This gut instinctual one where she wakes up one morning with a green neon sign in her brain blinking on and off that sings You’re Ready! Today You Want to Become A Mom! 

 Iris laughed when Caitlin described it, and now she understood she didn’t need to have woken up to that neon green mental signal to feel confident that this was a really good idea. 

 The sense of Good Idea-Ness  only intensified as the day grew longer, and Caitlin was fidgeting, trying to keep the news to herself as she planned the surprise. Now she couldn’t wait. 

 Just as she picked up her cell phone to order in dinner, a breach emerged out of nowhere. Cisco flailed out of it, calling her name as he waved the solved puzzle around the air. With crazed eyes and a frantic bumbling kind of awkwardness, he spun around in a full circle, shouting unintelligibly. He was so out of sorts it took him a few seconds to realize she was standing with a hand on her hip right in front of him. When he did, his eyes widened. He thrusted the solved periodic table of elements sequence at her, as if he wanted her to see for herself. 

“Is this true?! Caitlin, is this for real?” 

 She nodded, light in her eyes as he let out a giddy laugh, pulling her into his arms immediately.

 “For real? You’re pregnant?” 

 "Yes!" Caitlin giggled into the crook of his neck as he spun her around, then pulled herself from there to step back and memorize his reaction. 

 Tears were dripping down his cheeks. Caitlin’s finger swiped against his face gently, brushing the moisture away. She nodded once again. 

 He studied her with tenderness, leaning into her touch. “And you’re ready for this? You want to have a baby with me?”

 “I want everything with you, Cisco.”

 Cisco looked so dumbfounded, like he couldn’t believe his luck. He glanced down at her sweater, his hands jumping in the space between their bodies, hovering over her abdomen.  

 “Can I…?” 

 “There’s nothing to see,” she warned him, but lifted the sweater up anyways. His warm hands pressed lightly against her skin on her stomach. 

 “Wow,” he breathed in awe. “A baby Caitlin.” 

 Caitlin quirked an eyebrow. “Declaring genders already, are we?” 

 He grinned up at her sheepishly after crouching down to place a soft wet kiss over her bellybutton. “Baby Snow,” he corrected himself. He carefully tucked her sweater back in place, and rose to kiss Caitlin’s lips happily once, then twice. 

 “Baby Snow,” she repeated to herself. She wrinkled her nose. “Really?” 

 “What?” he murmured hot against her cheek.  

 Caitlin wrapped her arms around his waist, Cisco’s solved puzzle still in hand as they stood in the middle of the kitchen. “I was thinking baby Ramon.” 

 “Snow-Ramon?” he tried. 

 “Ramon-Snow sounds better,” she shot back. 

 Cisco pulled a face. “I don’t know about that.” 

 Caitlin laughed at their ridiculousness. “Let’s just call it our baby.” 

 Screw her medical degree; Cisco gazed into her eyes with an intensity she’s certain this time had the power to impregnate. She tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear lovingly. “We have time.” 

 “I can do that,” he said and kissed her again. 

[borntobelime]

Shidge Galra/Altean Au  Version 4

Ok  before this starts a huge thank you to @cyancascabel for helping me out with a dialogue honest this story was going to be more raw than that its not a fic but its a plot that need it a few more words in it so a dialogue with @cyancascabel​  was a great help to see the problem that i had with dialogue sure i am not a writed but @olkarianprincess​  is a very good example of that i should also post  even my raw plots ... a thank you also to @ninja-librarian​ @dragonetgirl​ who checked out the plot when i started it  Katie grew up in the colony with Alteans along with her family  but as the time went by Prince Lotor started gathering Alteans for a new colony Katie was 15 when  and her family  were chosen . When they arrived the nightmare started all the horrors in one place  from draining there quintessences experiments on the surgery tables injecting serums hard labor and etc ….everyday she saw someone die …...if someone tries to resist or speak or cry or even stop for a break  they would die .The worst thing of all was that the separation from her family first it was her mother after a year and a half  she was feeling sick then it was her father he was working more and more hours he passed away a few months later 4 years now  passed Katie is now 19  it was only her Brother and Matt left  to who she was separated from last they saw on both of them that there quintessences was special Matt volunteered  to be the one to experiment on a few days later and they came for her too as they brought her to the lab and there she saw ...her brother ...dead and bloody she  fainted she couldn’t handle anymore of all this.

 As they were preparing to start the experiment as she woke up  she tried to yell to let her go  but no sound came out ……. but then an explosion happened  to one of there nearby labs and the scientist left her strapped on the table to go and check then a another explosion followed and soon figure run across  the figure stopped and turn back to the door looked around and entered the room  the figure  was also wearing a hood and a mask a very tall and muscular and scary  he brought his sword down and destroyed her bindings he helps her down and gets her towards the door she was about to speak but they heard from his communicator WE NEED BACK UP oked over her and they need me  i can’t take you to the escape pods go that hallway and on the 4th tunel turn right its the hangar of the pods stay low  hide if anyone comes ….good luck …..

She she nods and  runs looking back to see him heading to the other direction  runs towards the hangar and successfully finds a pod and launches it unfortunately some galra fight crafts follow her and shoot her down she is forced to land on a frozen nearby planet she gets out of the ship before they get her she wonders on the frozen terrain for a few hours  and she tries to find shelter once she does  the moment she thinks she is safe 3 galra appear she recognizes them from the facility  they came to drag her back to that and she can’t even scream suddenly one of the 3  falls to the ground with a blade on his back …...the other 2 turn to face the the masked alien who freed her from the lab they let her go  try to attack him  together thinking the have more chance now that he is a weaponless  but  they thought wrong his right arm starts to glow  he deflects there blasts and when he gets close it forms an energy blade slashing them after he deactivated  his arm he goes back to his first victim remove the sword and turns it back to a  knife .

He turns back to Katie and says “Its alright you are safe “” he removes his hood and deactivates his mask Katie looks at him very afraid’’’ ….Another Galra  …..He says Its ok i am not gonna hurt you ...she flinches …..are you hurt ? Do you understand me ? she nods a yes no point in trying to speak…..he looks at her worriedly …..Of course you do otherwise you wouldn’t have followed my directions to the escape pod ….Can you speak ? he asks ...she is about to open her mouth but  she couldn’t make a sound she quickly closes it…….Look i may be a Galra but I am not serving the Empire in fact I fight against the Empire with the Blade Of Marmora ….She still looks afraid …...

He asks ...Do you have a home i can take you to ?.......She nods a yes but then after a realization she nods a no still not looking at him in the eye he takes a big breath ….listen….You didn’t deserve anything that happened to you in that facility …...If you don’t have a place to go i can’t leave you here to freeze to death or drop you off on the next planet we land …..whatever they did to you if they find you they will do it again that what the Empire does …….If you want to i will let you on planet with civilization …...But you are an Altean and alteans have long disappeared from the universe as far as everyone knows  and as you see they went after you the moment you escaped  …….If you however come with me to the Blade Headquarters you’ll be hidden and safe from the Empire’s reach you have my word on this ….she still doesn’t look she only shakes ready to cry ….Please look at me (she thinks since when do galra say please she cowardly looks up to meet his eyes which for some reason the usually cold yellow she was seeing the past few hellish years are now kind and warm)..he says…..Come with me …...please….I promise i’ll do everything i can to keep you safe ……he puts his hand out she flinches but then she look at him…. .he is a galra and yet that expression is so different from  from the galra who held her all these years so different from that smile Prince Lotor have of the day of the choosing …...with a trembling hand she reaches out for his hand he smiles and he helps her up on her first few steps she stables but catches her quickly and picks her up holding her close and protectively she could almost fall asleep they soon reach his craft but  the craft is for one person so she awkwardly  sits on his lap he smiles saying good thing you are tiny she pouts a bit he smiles and lifts off…...as they are about to pass through the planet the facility she was held in he says let me show you something  he flyes closer closer to the ground not landing just ………...they pass through very close to the building  her prison used to be an impermeable fortress  now its all ashes ...

He says ….you are free now from them see ? and she starts crying even without a voice her mouth was open if she could make a sound he knows the feeling …...he sets a new course to the Blade headquarters …...She wakes up  a few minutes before arriving he says welcome to the blade HQ…….On there arrival Shiro and Katie were welcomed by Kolivan  Ulaz Krolia and Keith and many more blade members  ….Katie immediately hid herself  behind Shiro …..Shiro simply patting her head (well he couldn’t blame her from one place full of galra she went to another she needed time to unjust probably lots of it  ) after he finished with his greetings he asks Ulaz to check on her …Katie immediately waved her head as no and Shiro said ….Its alright just a simply check up to see if you are ok …you were not born mute right ?  She nods yes ….Shiro says trust me its only to see if there is something wrong in your vocal cords I found you on that lab who knows what the druids did on you while you were there unconscious (she gives a look of you are right )  ...shiro says it must be done  so that we find a way for you to  speak again ….Katie had such a bad experience with labs she Shiro had be next to her holding her hand while Ulaz checked her  throat then scanned it …...Ulaz looked again at his scans and so he came to a result …..He turned to shiro Shiro asks ‘’’’’what is it ?’’’’ Ulaz ‘’’’’There is no damage in her vocal cords’’’’’ Not even a sore throat ‘’’ Nothing …...Shiro looks at Katie and back to Ulaz and asks…..Then what is ……..Ulaz says ‘’’’’Trauma ‘’’’’’’ The girl probably went through a lot  she probably witnessed something so shocking it made her go mute’’’’ I’ve seen it before on prisoners 

‘’’’Will she be alright  ?’’’’ Ulaz says this really depends on her ‘’’’Some recovered after sometime...Others …..well others never were able too only time will tell’’’’ For now we can only help her unjust to it’’’...Shiro says ‘’’’’Is there another way to help ?’’’’’’’Ulaz says ‘’’’’’’Even if she does seem to recover from her haunting years as a slave there is no guarantee if her voice returns…..a trauma can do a big damage …..from what i see best case scenario for her  is if she relives a more powerful shock to get her voice working again  ‘’’’’’’’’’’ Katie looks at Ulaz and then to Shiro ….’’’’’and she huffs a disappointingly’’’’’’Shiro says…. ‘’’’We’ll figure something out ’’’’ She smiles at him ‘’’’’Ulaz says Kolivan already told me he made arrangements for a room  you should probably get her something to eat and show her the room…...Again Katie preferred a quiet place to finally enjoy a good meal Shiro left her alone for a few minutes coming back with a device ….’’’’Its not much but i guess it will have to do for now’’’’ he gives it to her and he tells her to activate the device expands and turns into a  holotablet pidge is just wow out of  a side a pen for it comes out he says….’’’’’’I think this is the best way to communicate for now come on write something ‘’’’’’’’’’ She immediately does (the tablet also has a projector setting to show what she wrote without  moving it to show ...so when she writes it  a light screen is projected next to her…….it says ……...Katie ……..Shiro smiles …..Nice to me you ...she writes again …..Thank you Shiro…..Later Shiro takes her to her new room and goes to sleep in his …...a few hours later he wakes up in the sound of knocking he opens the Its Katie she writes I can’t sleep ... and he says come on in …..She does shiro looks around his stuff and he says Ulaz just left for a mission and it seems i run out of medicine for sleep as well …..he suggests if you want you can sleep her for tonight so you won’t be alone….

And so she did although Shiro stayed awake most of it because she was crying in her sleep probably reliving memories of that place ..Shiro eventually lets her move in his room ever since fearing that if she is alone she would might cause herself some harm……..Kolivan was ok with it as long shiro will not ignore his duties… a few days later Shiro goes to leave a report for the mission and notices his dagger missing from his sheath  comes back to now there room and sees Katie at the bathroom holding it before he is about to speak he notices that her once long her is now short she turn to look at him ..she writes ...I am starting a new life i thought maybe i should do something to show it. ..but i guess i should have looked for scissors ..Shiro says ‘’’Just let me know next time..here let me help you out..He takes his knife from her and helps her  trim it a bit more to ….. As time started to move forward  t Katie started to be more comfortable with the blades she wanted be part of their cause as well in a someway Kolivan found her a way to help She became Slav’s assistant which even though the guy could be  impossible to tolerate  she managed to work with him just fine   her a  she even started to learn Sign Language which was very common among everyone in the Blades to have knowledge of that skill  because it was useful on their missions ..

.Katie finally even took the courage to write about her time there she even mentioned the colony even though the blades tried to find it to save the rest of alteans it was too late the colony  was destroyed information was found that Lotor gave up on his project and so he destroyed everything related to it  ….She and Shiro were starting to grow closer  so much that  Shiro sometimes  didn’t needed her tablet or sign language  just one look at her expressions and he could understand what she wants to say Keith is always like How do you do that and Shiro is like do what ? Kolivan transfers Shiro and Katie to a base for a few months  (like the one Ulaz used to be in) for a look out duty  keeping track on galra fleets and so for agents to drop info on the base so the can transfer it to the HQ a bit boring mission but its good for both to grow even closer by working together on there spare time Shiro teaches the basics to self defense or relax by watching space novelas  (ok i am kidding for that part or do I) One night ..shiro wakes up to get some water probably pidge working out late but as he reaches the kitchen some music comes from the training room he goes over to see He sees Katie Dancing by herself and seeing her moving her lips to much the song’s words like she is the one singing ...he just looks at her in awe  its been 5 years now since he freed her and seeing her like this is the most beautiful thing in the universe so he decides he should do something to her the next day Pidge finishes up early on her work and she hears  from the speaker shiro to join him on the training deck  ( This is the beginning with @cyancascabel RP Collaboration dialogue I did Shiro she did PIdge once again thank you for the great help ) 

Shiro through the speaker  : Katie  please  come over to the training deck  Katie looks up at the sound of his voice and nods. She puts her project down for now and goes to the training deck.  Shiro  before she comes......thinking this is it he hears the door opening  Katie walks in, looking around and then she stops when she sees Shiro and smiles at him.

Katie : ‘What do you need?’ She asks, signing with her hands.

Shiro holds his hand up a small remote and activates the simulator ..... The room turns into swirling galaxies around them and Katie looks around in surprise. Then she turns to Shiro and smiles softly at him, her face is filled with happiness. Shiro clicks the remote again and music starts to playHe smiles seeing Katie realizing the song choice ......He  walks towards her .....

Katie looks at Shiro and then starts walking towards him too, and she’s smiling. Katie : ‘The song...this is the one I was dancing to.’ She signs at him. Shiro:  (smiles).'''I know..'''' holds his hand out '''''May I  ?''''' Katie smiles at him and nods and gently puts her hand into his. Holds her hand gently and then puts his hand around  her waist  Katie steps closer to Shiro and then looks up at him Shiro starts taking the first step Katie follows his lead Shiro starts taking a few steps slow pace smiling to see katie following his .....and so they reach a rythm .......and slow dance across the simulator Katie smiles and closes her eyes, enjoying the dance  Shiro decides to break the silence ... slows the pace a bit more ......Shiro :Katie....she looks up at him  takes it as his  cue ....Are you Happy ? ....Katie looks up at him and nods. Glad you do Its been 5 years ...you've come a long way since that day ....... i wanted to do something special to celebrate  Katie nods and looks down, remembering what she was like 5 years ago, and what happened to her. Then she sighs and looks back up at Shiro and smiles at him. Shiro : I am really proud of you Katie ...... Katie is happy at his compliment and she nods at him  in thanks

(in his head shiro is worried smooth shiro very smooth what if you triggered something and now it will be all awkward notices Katie stoping to dance and she starts moving her hands)

Katie slowly stops dancing and starts signing at Shiro Katie : ‘thank you...for everything. I can never repay you...’ Shiro:  You don't have to seeing you smile is enough ..... Katie :  ( sighs and looks down) ‘I still feel bad though, I can’t even begin to try and make it up to you...’ 

Shiro:  Make it up to me  ?!

Katie :  ‘you saved my life, you helped me escape...you gave me a new life here...and I can’t...I can’t do anything like that for you...’Shiro: Katie.....seeing you happy is all i need ......

Katie :  ( she sighs)  ‘...really?’ Shiro:  ......yes really making you happy is all i want...... Katie :  ( looks into his face and nods slowly) ‘okay...then I’ll try my best to make you happy too...” .......hugs her and holds her close....Shiro: you already do ...... (in his thoughts )  ...She is happy ....I am happy  ......i can't  take a risk   .....if i ruin this  by my own selfish reason.....who knows what will happen......She is better now ...... Everyone told me she will always be afraid of the galra...although she shows she is  not afraid of me or others anymore  this will not change the possibility  of triggering her fear Katie pulls away and is thinking about the 5 years ago again.  Katie:   ( signing ‘it’s weird) ...I just realized that I would be dead right now...No one would know who I am, or what happened to me, what happened to my family...I would be dead...’ Shiro grabs...her hands ..to stop  her  signing.... Shiro : .Never say (sign ?)  that ....again .....( in his thought : i really am an idiot  i just had to go ahead and remind her  the nightmare ).... Shiro : Please ..brings her hands close to him and lets them go ...i already regret getting there ...to late could have... saved your family , your friends ..... all this time I could have saved you earlier from all that pain ...... Katie  is surprised at his outburst and she nods at him but she still looks sad  Katie :  (sign) ‘no...it’s my fault...I wasn’t strong enough...I couldn’t do anything...I couldn’t save them...’ Shiro : Katie look at me ....from what you've told me in the past no one  from your family or colony could have know what lotor's plan was......he tricked you .................the blades were trying to uncover the base for years  .......I should have been there to save you  all of you  before all this happen.   She shakes her head at looks at him and signs Katie :  ‘you might have been too late to save my family, but you saved me...you saved me.’‘We can’t go back and change the past, even if we really want to...but I don’t blame you for not being there in time...there was nothing you could do about it...but you saved me. You gave me my life back.’

 Shiro : No one took your life so i could give it to you back ...you took your life on your own hands surviving the facility is proof enough ... Katie :  ‘But I felt like it was taken from me, I was stuck there, I was being forced to do what they wanted and I couldn’t do anything about it, I thought that was how the rest of my life would go....  Shiro : I  think you are wrong........you kept living on ......what kept you fighting ?  Katie : ‘I couldn’t let them win...they had already taken so much from me...I wouldn’t let them break me too...’

(Shiro pats Katies head )  Shiro : you truly are the bravest person i ever met. Katie  smiles and looks at him Katie :  ‘and you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met...you’ve taught me everything I know...you’ve showed me the life of the blades...and you won’t quit, you refuse to let the empire win...’  Shiro :  you really believe all that ? Katie :  ‘Yes...I do...’

Shiro kneels on one knee to have her on the same height Shiro :  Even though i am a  Galra? Katie : ( nods her head)  ‘yes...even though you are Galra...when I first met you I could see that you were different, you didn’t want to hurt me...you were there to set me free...’ Shiro :  Finding you there was a true blessing  Katie :  ‘I’m glad you found me...’

Shiro comes closer stops simply kisses her forehead Katie  closes her eyes and sighs softly and smiles

....(in his head i wish i was brave enough but i really don't think she will ever see me that way)  Shiro : ...Katie...i (come on say it ) ...Katie i have another gift for you (i am an idiot arent i ?) ........he reaches in his pocket ....... She opens her eyes and looks at him, curious

Shiro : i picked it up on my last mission on during a walk on the black market .....turns out it was a old altean antic ...a old child game the altean used to charge it with quintessence to make it glow or change it color.

Katie smiles and take it in her hands, turning it over and looking at itShe closes her eye and uses her quintessence and it glows some more a beautiful necklace  with one single crystal Shiro : when you get the hang of it you can project images like holograms or so I've been  told Katie smiles and hugs him tightly Katie :  ‘thank you so much this is beautiful’ Shiro : You are beautiful 

Katie pulls back and looks at him, a little confused at his words but blushing a little.

she gives him that  adorable curious look......but he tries to continue .... Shiro : You really are both inside and out ......

She can tell he’s unsure so she grabs his hands and holds them, giving silent support and she nods her head at him to continue  Shiro :  And i ..and i (in his head no i am not gonna ruin this) .......and i care about a lot ......(I can't do it .... ) (the life in the blades taught him how hard it is for chance of having a mate ) ...........so you see ...I ....(take a big breath i won't do it )  I will  always  be there for you if you ever need anything ..........He stands up  and he feels  a strong grab on his wrist .......

Katie grabs his wrist tightly and she shakes her head start signing Katie :  ‘No! Don’t go, I don’t want you to leave...because...I...’

She can tell Shiro wanted to say something else so she finishes for him. Katie hopes that they’re thinking the same thing...starts signing her hands again  Katie : ’You’re important to me...over the years I’ve realized that...I don’t want to keep pretending that I don’t...Shiro...I....’ he bents down and crushes his lips against hers Katie’s frozen for a split second in surprise but then she closes her eyes and kisses him back

his stops for both to breathe Shiro : I love you .....

She looks up at him, silent for a moment, just studying his face. Her lips start to move, and she’s trying to form the words. There’s silence and just the sound of her desperate breaths as she tries to talk. She wants to tell him but she can’t speak, her voice is gone...Tears fill her eyes and spill over down her cheeks and she starts trembling a little, she wants to tell him so much. She lets go of Shiro and lifts up her hands to sign it.

Shiro sees her hand shaking so much she can't even sign it ......he  takes her hand  slowly on his tangles his fingers to  help her fingers to sign it  lets go of her hand and kisses her forehead  sees her repeatedly repeating the sign and  grabs her hand again to kiss it and then her he kisses her lips again and says  Shiro : you don't need signs or voice to  tell me you love me back   i can feel  it  deep down  the moment  you kissed me back She nods over and over and grips his hands tightly like she’s going to fall if she doesn’t hold on. She tries to stop crying but now she doesn’t know if she’s sad or happy or maybe both...she shakes her head and smiles a little and then she stands on her tiptoes and kisses him again, putting all of her emotions and unsaid confessions into it......(end of dialogue 

 the rest continues raw ) 

Ever since Katie and Shiro confessed to  each other  they were both inseparable when they returned back to the blade HQ she agreed to become his mate some time passed and shiro had to leave for a mission as days started to pass more than  the actual mission was suppose to last  Katie was growing more and more worried until one day she saw his ship finally arrived as she run towards the hangar she but he was not there..she hears a lot of noise  coming from the infirmary and lots of people gathering she manages to go into the room as well and so the moment she looks at the bed ....her hurt stops shiro bloody on the infirmary bed heavenly wounded  the machines going crazy Ulaz ordering to bring him his tools  thus when the  heart monitor started to go crazy and then suddenly  stopped

fell on her knees and everyone went silent until they all heard a voice across the  room  yelling ...TAKASHI ....It was Katie she stood up and  run towards shiro no one  tried to stop her all  too shocked to here her voice

TAKASHI PLEASE WAKE UP PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME ....Then as if it was a miracle Shiro’s lungs filled up again with air and started coughing  weakling looking over at her  in a broken voice saying ...K- Katie.....(as if she was the one who called him back from the dead ) .Katie crying I love you .....After he was finally stabilized  I love you too ...I am here i am not going anywhere 

[bygosscarmine]

W: Worlds Apart - Volume 2: Worlds Away

Kang Chul X Oh Yeon Joo - Fix-It Fic (T)

Chapter 43 - The Tension of Creation  (599 words)

Chul had spent hours reading about the world he found himself in, mainly to establish a baseline for what was different from his reality, if he could. He read news about celebrities as well as politicians; about recent weather events and economics. He was engrossed in a blog about airplane crash reports for no reason other than that he had never actually known much about airplane crash diagnostics before when he heard the door open outside. He froze, though he doubted any slight movement would be audible through a door and down a hall. But it was hours before Yeon Joo’s mother was meant to be home, according to Yeon Joo.

There were two voices speaking softly. Then steps came toward the door, and he heard Yeon Joo said in a low voice, “Chul, it’s me and Soo Bong. I mean, my dad’s assistant. We’re here to work on the comic.”

He got up and opened the door. She glanced toward the kitchen and said, “I didn’t tell him you’re here. I don’t think he wants to know.”

Chul nodded. When she turned away, he closed the door again.

For a moment, he took in the isolated feeling of being shut up in a room while others went about their lives outside it. Then he remembered she had got him a cellphone he had no real reason to use, unless he used it to talk to her. He picked it up, and started texting the only number in his contacts.

Do you think he wants to *not* know badly enough to let me go to the bathroom without noticing, or will I have to hold it?

After a few moments, he got the response, Sorry, do you need to go?

No. I’m just giving you a hard time.

Then yes you have to hold it. Can’t manhwa characters hold it forever?

He grinned, but replied, As a doctor you aren’t weirded out by urine, right? I can just use a vase in here.

She sent him a disgusted emoji, and he chuckled.

This teasing exchange made him feel more like a living being than anything else since he had emerged from the water.

He continued reading about airplane crashes, with an ear out toward the living room.

Yeon Joo watched as Soo Bong set up the scuffed and slightly cracked tablet with its computer tower at the kitchen table, and powered it all on. After their initial exultation when it successfully came online, she and Soo Bong looked at each other.

“Okay, who is going to do this?” Soo Bong asked.

“You think I should start?” she said, astonished.

“Think about it–you’re the one who got into W because you helped create Chul. We assume. So your hand has to be in it, right?”

“I guess we can start with that assumption.”

They spent at least a half hour getting her oriented to the software and working with the tablet.

“I remember Master Oh saying that you had a budding talent for manhwa once,” said Soo Bong, more to comfort her than from any such evidence in front of them.

“In my day we had crayons and pencils,” she said with a grimace, shaking out the hand that was cramping from clenching the unfamiliar tablet pen.

“You’ll get the hang of it. I believe in you. After all, compared to surgery, what is drawing?”

“You mean, what is trying to draw exactly like my father so that I can try and send someone back into his world?”

He grimaced.

They moved on to text for a little break.

[resbang-bookclub]

AMA Transcript: Awoken

This past week, @professor-maka​ and @sahdah​ stopped in to chat about their work on their 2016 Resbang, Awoken! Here’s some of what went down:

Q: How did your fic change/evolve over time? Any deleted scenes/headcanons you couldn't fit into the fic?

ProMa: Sort of? In that I wasn't exactly sure how far I wanted to take the plot at first, and at one point considered a Medusa appearance but decided I liked flipping the villain expectation too much to fuss with it.

Q: How the frick did you write the songs and stuff?? It was so good and hilarious.

ProMa: Ahhhh I can't music which is why the songs are either poems (only the first, and it's intentionally bad) or I took actual songs and just--modified lyrics in the same meter.

Q: You wrote your own lyrics tho?

ProMa: I did. I carefully plotted to the meter of the original. Or in the case of Ox's first song, just kept a really trite meter.

Q: Gotta ask the obvious question: What made you want to do an Enchanted AU!!

ProMa: It's a really fun movie, and I just felt I could do something fun with it. Though I'll admit there's a heavy Enchanted Forest Chronicles in there, too.

Q: What was the hardest scene to write?

ProMa: Hardest to write was hmmmm... Maka waking up the second time. I got stuck in that section forever.

Q: And which scene did you write first?? Loved the song summons btw. It made me laugh so hard.

ProMa: I wrote it pretty much in order except in a few places where I wrote the song before the scene, so the taxi scene came first. The song summons was so fun to write. I wanted to take that scene from Enchanted and completely flip it on its head.

Q: Proma, I love the running gag with the disembodied music, was that from the AU's or your own detail?

ProMa: Disembodied music was just drawing from the brand of humor in Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Patrick Dempsey's reactions in Enchanted, and the reality of musicals. So basically my take on it, lol.

Q: How early in the process did you figure out that Ox was gonna be the prince? Were you always sure it would be him or did you have to narrow it down?

ProMa: Ox was my prince pretty much from the get go. He just fit what I wanted to do. I was going for the more noble version of Hans from Frozen.

Q: Was there anything weird that you didn't expect to make it into the final cut?

ProMa: The potty humor I definitely wasn't sure I would keep. But I am 14 at heart and kept it.

Q: Alternately, anything you wanted to keep but had to cut?

ProMa: I kind of wanted a Black Star appearance but time and plot arc did not allow. Also Wes was not in the original plan but he happened anyway.

Q: Tell us about the art collab! How did it work for you?

ProMa: They were really enthusiastic and supportive and started throwing ideas out from the get go! 

sahdah: Read voraciously, threw my ideas at Proma. 

ProMa: The poster image sahdah did was so great she worked on it forever! sahdah: Proma was super chill and awesome about things, I'd ask for direction and she gave like dress ideas. It was so much fun! 

ProMa: And rogha's painting was lovely.

Q: What was the hardest thing about that poster image?

sahdah: Ahhh the coloring. I did pen drawing and scanned but I'd just gotten a tablet for digital so working the layers was interesting. I had lots of support from Proma and Aer!

Q: How many drafts did you do before you decided on a final image for the art?

sahdah: Um, it started off with just Maka, and then Ox got added. And then I think Kim was next - this is all on the same page - and I knew Soul in a beanie had to be there. So it just grew. 

ProMa: It grew in the most glorious way possible. Sahdah kept sending me updates and I just [said] YES YES GOOD YES.

Q: I am jealous of how well-behaved this fic was for not having any deleted scenes.

ProMa: AHAHA I'm a weird writer. I delete sometimes, but not often.

Q: SEQUEL?

ProMa: Noooooooo no no no no no. Epilogue is my limit.

Q: What was your favorite scene to write?

ProMa: Either the vermin scene or Maka laying the smackdown on Ox. Both were fun. Maka as badass is always my jam.

Q: Is this a genre you'd want to do again?

ProMa: It was fun, I'd definitely do it again!

Q: Please tell me what inspired the "friendly neighbourhood broctologist" line because I literally laughed at it for 30 straight seconds.

ProMa: B* works in mysterious ways. He always gets my best lines. What inspired it? B* being B*.

[discussion of the rats/roaches scene]

ProMa: That scene is one of the more direct lifts from the film. It's really nasty. Vermin squick me so hard, but vermin summoning is one of the most hilarious things in the film. I HAD to. 

sahdah: Giriko running in fear when he next sees them, lol. 

ProMa: Poor Giriko, he only wanted some loot.

[discussion of how numerous people have not seen Enchanted]

ProMa: It's cute and funny and I did something completely different with the premise because Maka is no Gisselle.

Q: Real question time: Why George Michael?

ProMa: Omg. It was my server name because it was a play on the kiss thing and then I just--had to. Because Wham is awesome and cheesy and it fit.

Q: I'm kinda mad with how it was not awkward or cheesy. How do you put Wham in a story and make it charming?

sahdah: Promagic. 

ProMa: I have no idea. I love Wham, they were my first album. Call it a labor of pure love.

Q: Did you listen/watch anything (besides the obvious) for inspiration?

ProMa: I had a playlist I've been meaning to post: http://8tracks.com/professor-maka/awoken. I'll have to make it not unlisted later lol.

Q: Is it possible for Mr. Proma to do a cover the fic songs?

ProMa: It'd be hilarious but he'd side eye me hard. Very not his genre. Well, maybe the Foo Fighters. :') I would laugh so hard to hear them performed though. Maybe someday someone will perform one and make my life. 

sahdah: Soul singing Pearl Jam in the shower <3 

ProMa: Mr.Proma sent me that song when we were dating, it was a nod to self. 

sahdah: Awwwh, such a good husbando! 

ProMa: Such good husbando. Well, boyfriendu then.

Q: If you had to do it over, would there be anything you'd change?

ProMa: Hmmmmm man I just reread it. I wish I'd edited another round, because I missed some dumb reppy shit and just dumb shit. Also, the ending could be drawn out a bit. So I would do that if I had it to do again. But I was in serious time crunch mode.

Q: I am so impressed with how much fic you can crank out, Proma.

sahdah: Proma cranked out the last bit of the fic in... what was it, like 2 days? 

ProMa: Yeah, the last third was very fast. 

sahdah: I'm like WAIT!!! SO MUCH I NEED TO ART. 

ProMa: Sahdah did her second two pieces in like two days so MASS APPLAUSE. 

sahdah: /head scratch like there was so much good content! 

ProMa: And those pieces are great too.

Q: How does one do that, pull out quality in such a short time?

sahdah: Copious amounts of caffeine and manic cackling with Resbang partners. <3 

ProMa: I write fast under pressure. It's a skill I picked up in school that weirdly translates into creative things. Thank you, undergrad all nighters.

Q: Proma, [in the] epilogue, how does Ox fare with Kim?

ProMa: Omg Ox does not fare with Kim. She is all about dat Jackie. But I mean, he has his kingdom. Even if Spirit gives him constant shit for the rest of his days.

Q: How does Spirit react to maka moving?

ProMa: Spirit is so dejected. I haven't worked it out, but he would definitely seek Maka out. Might even just hand the kingdom to Ox eventually, and go [to the] whole other world. He will visit, that's not even arguable. That omake I will heavily consider. 

Q: Proma, one thing that I was interested to see and that I think I'm glad about is that you didn't do the whole Aesop where Maka has to go back and learn how to break the curse, find happiness in her own world. While I can appreciate that message and I think it has its place, I also think that if people could really do that... there are probably people who would find a place and feel better somewhere other than their "home world." I mean, you could translate the "world" metaphor to people choosing to leave a toxic family of origin, which would be a good thing.

ProMa: Oh yeah, I was never going to go there. This was about Maka shaping her own life on her terms. I was not going for archetypes at alllll. Blair was always my choice for the fairy godmother role. It's so canon anyway. You can do some good things with that trope, it just wasn't the goal. Maka staying in her new life definitely came from the source -- even if a lot of the source is altered beyond recognition. 

sahdah: I also love Maka working to improve herself on her terms. Like the details with the soufflé. 

ProMa: I definitely borrowed some flavor from Wrede.

[more discussion of the vermin scene]

ProMa: That's one of the biggest actual pulls from the movie though -- I flipped it completely. Giselle summons vermin to clean the messy house. Yeah, that is not Maka. Maka just wants her crap back and she's not into the singing thing. 

sahdah: Giriko! The real vermin, lol.

Q: Maka asking animals via Disney princess song to wreck Giriko's shit was one of my favorite things. 

ProMa: It's Maka, she's not gonna sing to clean Soul's house, he can get off his own ass! 

sahdah: Let's be real, he probably has a cleaning service, because of Mother. 

ProMa: His house is spotless, there are maids. (Why a high powered lawyer in Enchanted couldn't hire a maid is beyond me.) 

sahdah: Mc-Procrastinator, not Dreamy. 

ProMa: Mc-raises kid in nasty house. I actually have a soft spot for pet rats, we had them in 3rd grade but an actual in my house rat would make me into a quivering pile of NOPE.

Q: Is it Mc-over? [ implied :( ]

[insert giant chorus of thanks] 

ProMa: You guys asked great questions thank you! It was so much fun, I'm glad others thought so too! 

sahdah: It was my pleasure, I love musicals! 

ProMa: And thanks to my betas here too. Yulie and Sand saved my liiiife.