#it's my favourite excuse to post a snippet

[utopiastri]

tagged by @wanderingblindly , @1425fivefive and @nyoomfruits to do the last line game (you're all SO wonderful, thank you all for the tags 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕)

"Lando!" Lando finally takes a breath: "Yeah?" "Why...why did you do all of that?" Oscar asks. "Because you wanted me here," Lando says simply.

is this perhaps for an osctober prompt? maybe so.....

no-pressure tagging @ipleadbritney and uhhhhh anyone else who sees this and wants to have a go!

[djarins-cyare]

WIP Weekend

It’s been a while since I’ve made progress on any of my fics, but I’m trying my best to write something for Kate’s Roll-A-Trope Challenge, so I finally have something I can share a snippet of 🥳

Over the last 14 weeks, I’ve been tagged in 19 WIP Wednesday posts / Last Line games / WIP polls (yes, I keep track!), so thank you to the following lovely people for continuing to think of me even though I’ve been suspiciously quiet 💚:

@burntheedges @nerdieforpedro @604to647 @the-mandawhor1an

@kyberblade @almostfoxglove @for-a-longlongtime @djarins-wife

May I offer you some (totally unedited and marginally redacted) pre-spice Din and f!Reader in the trope genre of secret relationship below the cut…

Swallowing, you blink innocently and ask, “Is there anything else you need before I turn in?” You’re not particularly tired, but you should let him get some rest. Slowly, the angle of Mando’s helmet drops a few centimetres, and he releases a vibrant hum. The few seconds of silence that follow feel charged somehow, full of expectation, and just as you realise where he’s relocated his gaze to, he rumbles a reply in the lowest, sexiest register you’ve heard from him this evening. “So far, you’ve known exactly what I’ve needed without me having to ask.” He pauses again as he slowly tilts his helmet, the silence loaded with promise. “So you tell me. What do I need now?” Your eyes inadvertently dart to his crotch again and… shit. You’re pretty sure something’s happening down there. It looks… harder… larger (if that’s even possible). “You, uh….” Your attempt at an answer goes nowhere since you don’t know what to say. You want this, sure, but you shouldn’t. He’s injured, and you promised your uncle you’d keep your distance, not jump into an intimate act with the guy the first chance you get. After a few deep and shuddering breaths, you manage, “You need a good night’s sleep.” “I do,” he agrees. “But your question was whether I need anything else before you go to bed. Sleep comes after you go. What comes before?” Fuck. His words vibrate through you and disintegrate your misgivings. There’s no logical decision to answer in the way that you do; it just happens. “You… if you want.” A pleased hum resonates through the vocoder. “I do,” he agrees again. “The bacta took away the pain, but if you’re offering some pleasure too….” “Y-yes,” you blurt, halfway between eager and anxious. “But… my uncle will kill me if he finds out.” Mando chuckles. “He’d shoot me first. Our secret, then?” Your pussy dampens at the idea, eyes flashing as you nod your acceptance of his clandestine terms. Suddenly, a secret liaison with the apparently dangerous man you’re supposed to be avoiding for your own good sounds like the most desirable thing in the galaxy.

Yeah, you know me… I can’t just write a single scene; I have to write the whole damn relationship!

So, obviously, this is how their secret relationship gets off the ground. You may have gathered that Reader is a certain High Magistrate’s niece and has been given strict instructions to avoid the new resident of the cabin out on the lava flats. You can look forward to plenty of sneaking around, flimsy excuses, near misses, and suspicious confrontations. Oh, and smut 😏

I can’t believe I only have a month left to write all this. What have I signed up for? I’m so fucked…

*Hates self for not being able to write short stories* /jk

I’m clearly over-excited about finally having something for a WIP post, so I’m going wild and tagging a load of writer mutuals and favourites. Feel free to do any form of WIP post you choose, or ignore me entirely if you’re not up for posting snippets right now (either way, you’re all awesome) 💚

@5oh5 @abbonation @always-andromeda @captainredspade @court-jobi

@davnittbraes @din-cognito @dindjarindiaries @djarinmuse @drewharrisonwriter

@dumfanting @eatommo @evolnoomym @fhatbhabiee @fromthedeskoftheraven

@fuckyeahdindjarin @galaxyedging @grogusmum @happy-beeeps @iamsherlocked-1998

@insomniamamma @ishabull @itsjuststardust @joelalorian @jolapeno

@lady-bess @lahooozaherr @larkoneironaut @littlemisspascal @magpiepills

@morallyinept @mothandpidgeon @newpathwrites @oonajaeadira @penvisions

@prolix-yuy @quicksilvermad @saradika @secretelephanttattoo @sixhours

@sp00kymulderr @studioghibelli @syd-djarin @the-blind-assassin-12 @theetherealbloom

@wannab-urs @whocaresstillthelouvre @whxtedreams @wrathkitty @yopossum

[russell-crowe]

If you want an excuse, go off about Rhod and Greg plz 🙏 I'm a Taskmaster girlie and I've seen some of Greg's comedy specials but outside of that I don't know much about him/his friendship with Rhod and I'm curious from all the little snippets you post about them 🥹

hiiiii!!!! i'm sorry i left this sitting in my inbox since thursday evening, but this honestly felt like a “buying flights” kind of big-screen commitment, and i wanted to make sure i had (1) my laptop and (2) the energy to really cook something up in response.

i think taskmaster is such a fun first introduction to rhod and greg, but it becomes even funnier once you know more about how their friendship works and where it comes from. the format of the show makes rhod come off as a bit of a meanie towards greg, but in reality, they both bicker just as much, and half the time it’s greg who goes into full Big Meanie mode first. by now, that kind of verbal jousting is basically second nature for them. :’)

mind you, i know most of this from rhod’s side of things, so i’m definitely missing some of greg’s perspective. (sorry not sorry, i have actual days worth of material to go through just with rhodtent (rhod content))

so. they actually met on a comedy course that rhod’s girlfriend at the time signed him up for. greg has talked about meeting rhod in those early days and thinking he seemed “aloof, maybe a bit rude,” which, honestly, tracks. rhod in Very Shy mode can definitely come off as a bit distant. but from that course, a friendship started to form. they ended up doing edinburgh fringe together (they shared a flat for it, which they reference to in taskmaster), performed comedy together in the uk, and did gigs abroad in places like asia (where this story is from) and australia (this story). greg says they "literally started out together" and that "rhod and I have always enjoyed what seems like a humorous, jousting relationship" ;_;

here's a pic of them and two other comedians (who i shall not drag into this post) in 2003:

one of my favourite things about watching them interact is how obvious it is that they care about each other, even if they’re not great at talking about feelings because they are Men after all (please read that with irony). like in rhod’s shyness documentary, where greg goes “i thought we were going to talk about my shyness” and rhod just stares at him like “your shyness?????” and they both look baffled.

and what really gets me is how greg clearly finds rhod’s brain delightful. he’s always laughing at his weird little tangents and poking at him to keep going. as someone with a slightly scrambled brain myself, i find that really comforting. it feels like greg provides this safe and funny space where rhod can just exist as he is without needing to explain himself. or it gives greg material to heckle him about.

they also just get to be really silly together. greg still has that grown-up-but-still-a-silly-man energy that you hear about in stories from his teacher days, and rhod is basically a full-time inner child with a comedy career. i love how they bounce off each other, just grinning like school boys. greg will come up with something oddly specific like “i couldn’t focus because your voice is annoying,” and rhod immediately tries to counter that like a 7-year-old like “well i had to look at your FACE!!” and it’s so dumb but so charming because it’s them?? you feel me??

there’s also this really sweet bit on the stand up to cancer comedy roast where rhod meets up with his two best friends, greg and barry (barry’s the one in my earlier gifset of them climbing kilimanjaro). they’re still joking around, and greg really does not hold back with the darker humour, but under the surface you can feel how relieved and grateful they all are to be there together. it’s very ;__;

and like. ok. if your brain is unhinged like mine and puts on shipping goggles:

the way they’re physically comfortable with each other is fascinating. rhod has kind of a weird relationship with touch. he’s a hugger with friends but also used to cut his own hair because he hated being touched, and he always kind of hovers just out of frame in photos with others. but with greg (and some other guys) he's very touchy and Close and silly and poking at them Quite Literally, so i love the idea of him just quietly growing closer to greg until it’s normal and unspoken and just what they do. but they never address it because of the aforementioned Inability To Talk About Feelings. :)

the old couple bickering dynamic hits different when you imagine them as an actual couple. the banter feels like second nature at this point and honestly if that isn’t love what is (i say, starving for a relationship like this)

i know it’s them being silly but when greg casually goes “strip to the waist, see what happens” or “you’ve kissed me before, i’m sure” or "you can't say rhod and greg davies, people might think we're married" or shaves rhod on camera while laughing like it’s the most normal thing in the world... the shipping part of my brain simply lights up like a christmas tree.

i think they really compliment each other’s insecurities. in my writing (which is still rotting peacefully in my google docs) i keep coming back to this idea of rhod having someone who makes him feel safe and accepted and protected. i love emotionally vulnerable rhod so much and while that is also very much There in his current real life marriage (which i truly, truly adore - they are literally perfect for each other); it's fun to explore a... different type of softness and emotions in a male relationship? but purely in fictional rpf land.

also. grumpy adopted stray and its tired handler. that’s the dynamic. that’s them.

anyway. this spiralled. but i love them so much and i’m so glad you gave me an excuse to yell about them for a while. thank you for coming to my brief ted talk! if you want to get more into them, i recommend listening to the time they were stand-ins on bbc radio 2 together (it's them at their silliest), watching their episode of world's most dangerous roads and watching ask rhod gilbert (it's... an experience). i can hook you up /w those!

[ingydarwp]

since graceland is very successful, would u ever consider writing a prequel thing in the future that sort of goes into gracies backstory, with her and nat

fabulous question, and the answer is maybe!!

i think this would be a very good idea, actually, and i haven't considered it before so thank you for suggesting!! to me, it's important for people to understand that nat and gracie's relationship wasn't always in ruins, and while there is some of that in GT, it's somewhat tainted by the arrival of steve and therefore the building resentment we see in nat.

it takes gracie a long time to properly acknowledge inside herself that the way nat treated her wasn't ok. a long, long time. even though she's hurt and angry currently, she doesn't want to fully believe that nat's in the wrong. when people finally end up asking her about it, post-cw, she doesn't want to admit it. there's always some excuse she comes up with to defend nat, and i want people to see why she's like that.

nat loved gracie. she made her feel special and pretty and important, and for a kid like gracie, that was life-altering. she was somebody's favourite person for the first time ever. she felt like she belonged. i would love to show that side of nat that gracie still sees, not only because i miss writing nice!nat, but because it's crucial for understanding the extreme denial gracie felt surrounding natasha.

i've been meaning to write a fic with pre/post/outside of canon snippets from all of my books forever, so maybe now's the time!!

[drift-wing]

SORRY THIS IS LATE I LOST THE ASK GAME POST

fic writer ask game 17, 20 (any of your fics!!), 23, and 35 (a WIP snippet please please please but no pressure)

17. What is something you recently felt proud of in your writing?

I've recently been getting comments saying I made people laugh and I'm so pleased I've managed that, because I've always imagined it'd just be me chortling to myself in a corner over my ridiculous mental images haha

20. Share your favorite kiss scene from [insert fic]. If there's no kiss scene, share your favorite moment of intimacy (romantic or platonic)

My mind immediately went back to More Than Riches and Muscle for this which I think might be my magnum opus. But it's actually not the kisses that are my favourite, it's the tender not-kisses in between, like

If even this much was unexpected, however, then what truly threw him was the way Gale eventually ceased kissing and instead gently nuzzled his nose with their own, touching their foreheads together while their arms wrapped around him properly. As they embraced for a long few moments, January scrabbled for a coherent thought amongst the shards of his entirely blown mind.

There was nothing particularly seductive about the way Gale carefully cradled the back of his head, carding fingers through his hair. This was not the script of a drunk, celebratory one-night stand, or even the desperate passion of someone who knows their time is quickly approaching its end. This felt like… something else.

JANUARY. THEY'RE IN LOVE WITH YOU.

23. What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

I reeaally love "there was only one bed" fics but I can't come up with a solid enough excuse for Jan & Gale to have no choice but to share a bed. so that one just stays vaguely floating around in my head forever

35. (a WIP snippet please please please but no pressure)

“I know, but you still have to sleep. Drink your hot chocolate and go to bed.”

Iron composure finally creaking into a gentle tilt, Gale rubs a hand over their eyes. “I can’t. Not yet. I have to do this.”

“We’ll get Solly to make room on the Schedule tomorrow. Right now, the Schedule says bedtime.”

“Let me just—”

“Okay, fine, but I’m taking this away.” He leans down and scoops the mug back up. “I’m fully prepared to drink it myself if my efforts are going to be ignored. In fact, I’m already starting to look forward to it—”

He gets only one step away before Gale says, “Wait.” January pauses, looking back to find them twisted in their seat, gaze imploring. “It—it has tiny marshmallows on it.”

[oldestfriend-invisibly]

losing my mind over lil baby pril and her bat onesies with flappy wing sleeves

Sleeved with wings are a MUST for any Baby Bat!!!! Imagining Pril sliding around the house in her fluffy socks, and flapping her little wings to pretend she’s flying!! She’s the fastest bat ever!!!!

(+ Not specifically a bat onesie, but your ask gives me an excuse to post one of my favourite snippets so far from the fic I’m writing.)

[casualgay-mer]

Keymaster appreciation post

There's something to be said about his initial design and I will say this something. We are taking the original game as an example, but will touch on the remaster too.

The design

How the fuck did Poki do it? How can you make a character that looks like an absolute dork AND kinda intimidating at the same time? I tell you how, but before that - let's examine these two faces.

Unfortunately, Poki clearly had a trouble with the Keymaster staying on model, I call the first version "squarey" (you can see this version of his face during the first dialogue and during KM wait in the truck) and the second's "long-ey" (you can see this one everywhere else) but I will say that I generally prefer the second version - the long face one.

Why? The look is a bit more human and not "I don't have no fucking eyelids", the eyebrows are so much prominent, which adds to the look, and the bang is a bit longer.

So what's so cool and actually funny about his design?

He combines two archetypes: a general creep (sick (not in a cool way) eye and skin colors (dude may wanna check his liver tho), an indication of sunken eyes, the stache) and a coolass emoboy (this fucking haircut, smug talk, drama). Like these two guys fused together:

Like dude what the fuck

Also his skin color is fucking sickening you know why? Ever tried to rub your skin along - say - shoulder? Ever got these partricles of dead skin? Have you ever saw what color does it get, when you accumulate it enough in your hand?

That's right! They are morbidly greay-ishly green. Exact hue of his skin. THE DUDE HAS SO MUCH DEAD SKIN - ppls kinda shed - ON HIS BOD IT MIGHT AS WELL BE 20% of his body weight.

The voice/s

Original VA for Keymaster goes for a top notch mix of freako and smug. He sounds both flirtatious and a biiit unstable, like a person who tries their best to hit you up but clearly haven't slept for like 3 days - the tone and mannerisms are all over the place, the voice itself is the perfect balance of semi-deep and whispery. I love this performance - it confuses you into whether or not can you trust the guy . An original performance and the one to be respected.

(sorry for the little snippet of another voice at the end - this let's player doesn't know how to shut up and I am too lazy to record it again from a different source)

Russian VA for Keymaster - who based his performance off the original one - DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THAT HARD?? Dat voice is deep as FUCK, thicc even, you can't call the voice "thicc" but this one just IS. The whispery part is gone absolutely, KM sounds kinda normal even, but holy shit did the VA turned it up to 100. This one is a favourite of mine, absolutely. I don't even give a shit about what he says, this is some ASMR shit. Absolute 0 wonder why he tricked most of russian let's players into actually trusting him. The only criticism I may ha

English VA went to the opposite direction of the spectrum, he went all fancy kind of dracula over the top performance, kinda like, WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY and while he does sound unhinged, there is no doubt he's a sicko actually. That, or just a theater kid. But no shame on this actor tho, just bc I don't really like this particular performance, doesn't mean it's TERRIBLE ok?

Basicly I made a chart:

Go with your preference of choice, my dudes.

The personality and motives

Holy fucking shit so hear me out.

I don't like him around the fact that he's a flity pretty possible serial killer.

I like him for the fact of being RESENTFUL about it, possibly hating it about himself.

When he killed the pastor it clearly was made on impulse, and he hated it so much that he locked himself - and therefore Edna - up. Despite the smarts he's clearly impulsive in nature - like getting off to drive a Dr's car ABSOLUTELY NOT KNOWING HOW TO and ONLY THINKING AFTER THE FACT, there is like nothing going on in this head.

I am not excusing the guy's actions, but there is a big chance he just went a full on Sam Gordon just with no curse involved.

...

HOLY SHIT IS KEY MASTER A BLACK MIRROR REFERENCE

THE FIVE KEYS SAM HAS TO FIND, THE SURROUNDINGS, THE "OOPS FUCK I DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL PPL I HAVE ISSUES I HATE MYSELF *commits a sewer side*" AND THE LOOKS?

Okay I am just overthinking it at this point. BUUUT THIS GAME WAS MADE IN GOOD OLD 2003 AND PRETTY BELOVED IN GERMANY AND WE HAVE WALKING REFERENCES LIKE PROFESSOR NOK SOOOOOOOO

...

So anyways.

The conculsion

Key Master is great not because he's your stereotypical mass murderer POS. There is a lot of unpack and a lot of empathy to be felt if you try to think on how come he ended up the way he did.

He actively hates himself and doesn't enjoy the way he is which is - unfortunately - preeeetty much deserved.

I will write more abt the dude later - especially on my fav theory that says he's not real

[diamondmeadow]

Mid-week Snippet

Tagged by the lovliest @lovelymasks for this. Twice. While I was waiting for the actual mid-week, another tag has come <3 Tagging forward - @ohyou-pretty-things, @euripidestrousers, @tealeavesandtrash. No pressure though.

But this clearly must be a sign. Considering my current state of mind.

So what follows is the start of the third chapter of my oldest HP multichapter WIP, that I haven't updated for almost a year. Here's to hoping this makes me accountable enough to finish this asap and post before the actual year passes.

It isn’t until a week after their midnight conversation when Sirius starts earnestly considering purchasing that leash Remus requested. He’s reminded when he finds himself in a pet shop where James drags him with an excuse of needing help with buying and hauling some cat food into his car. The shop has a clearance sale of his and his wife Lily’s orange tabby’s favourite food, and it seems James is planning on buying out the shop. “Christ, can you be any cheaper, Prongs?” Sirius snorts as James explains and points towards a pyramid of stacked cans and dry food underneath. Pouting, James shakes his head and swats his arm. “Pet food is bloody expensive these days, Sirius,” he tuts playfully and makes his way towards the shopping assistant to talk discounts. Sirius only rolls his eyes in amusement and finally looks around. Without a specific target in his mind, his eyes easily wander to a display wall with collars and leashes. A tingling sensation at the back of his neck forces him to scratch at it, a little too forcefully. The tingles stay nevertheless. The truth is Sirius has been thinking about Remus and their banter every day since they met for the first time last Monday. But in an attempt to stall a permanent hard-on, Sirius hasn’t dared venture further than the memory of their mutual handjob (as if that was any better). His thoughts have definitely not gone as far as the leash and collar, and what Remus might want to do with them when they see each other in the next 5 days, 7 hours—Sirius glances at his wrist watch—21 minutes and 17 seconds. Fuck. Who is he trying to lie to? It’s not that Sirius has succeeded in preventing that one particular talk they had from swirling inside his head, it’s not like that at all. As a matter of fact, that conversation has been all that was trying to make its way to the forefront of his mind these past few days. It doesn’t help that it is permanently logged on that bloody app either. The only thing Sirius is able to do to deal with it is intense wanking sessions and more mindless scrolling through the app where he encountered Remus (very fruitless when your mind is set on one thing and one thing only, well, one man). But it has only made that itch to message Remus again more intolerable within him. Still, there is something stopping him from doing exactly that, perhaps his not so irrational fear of Remus getting annoyed with him. Perhaps his own very rational realisation that he has been acting slightly more obsessive than it’s acceptable in this situation. Besides, Sirius doesn't get it either. He’s no stranger to hook-up culture. He’s the cool one. Level-headed. Reasonable. He is. Usually. This is just casual. Nothing but that. Lily’s words resound in his head then. A sport jacket is casual, Sirius, fucking someone is not. She would still probably laugh at him. Well, if only he could help himself. But victorious deeds keep you hopeful and eager, and what were his last texts with Remus if not a little victory? Sirius runs his hand over his face to remind himself to get it together and with a careful step, avoiding more piles of pet food, he approaches the leather collars.

[heartfeltletters-written]

✨share something you are working on that makes you happy or you’re proud of✨

Thank you so much for tagging me @infinitelymint <3 I debated so much on which of my wips to post here, because I have so many ongoing at the moment. Most of them I'm too scared to post tho I think yall are not strong enough to read them lmao

So here's a snippet of the last wip I worked on and have already posted something about.

Brennan was carrying a bouquet of white daffodils — their mother’s favourite. When he reached their place, he gently placed them inside the casket, making sure they fitted inside their father’s front pocket.  When he turned, his eyes were defeated and they looked soft as he gazed at their mother. Violet almost forgot that she hadn’t seen Brennan often for the past five years — it was as if barely any time had passed. He leaned in to kiss their mother’s cheek, “I’m sorry for your loss mother,”  “I wasn’t sure you’d show up,” his mother whispered, closing her eyes at the care of her oldest son.  Brennan focused on her face, “and leave you alone?” he held one of her mother’s hands between his own, “you know me better than that. I always put the family first.” Lilith Sorrengail opened her eyes, “which one?” A shadow came across Brennan’s eyes, and Violet felt she was intruding in whatever dispute was happening between her brother and mother. “You wound me mother, you know I have always loved you the most.”

I'll tag @softodettes and @widebrimmedhatsblog although I know you posted snippets not that long ago so you might not want to post another so soon. But I'll tag u guys in case you do want an excuse to share more lmao <3 no pressure as always besties

[nikialexx]

Hi! I recently went back to reread Affairs on AO3 and I absolutely love it, are you still planning on continueing the series? No rush at all honestly I just wanna know what to expect bc it has indeed been a year and a half since you updated👀 I've been going back and forth on weather to ask you or not cause I don't want to come off as mean, but the last couple of days all I've been doing is thinking about this au so I just gotta know. I've read a few of your fics and I'm absolutely in love with your writing, I just wanted you to know that i appreciate you as an author and am silently hoping for more sugar baby Remus.

Hope you have a good day♥️♥️

hi! don't worry, you didn't come across as mean at all and considering i did indeed promise not to make y'all wait another year and a half just to end up doing exactly that, this is a well deserved call out 😅. because you asked so nicely i will include a little snippet at the end of this post, from what i've written so far :)

i really don't have much of an excuse for not having it posted by now though. i did spend most of last year working on another fic (darling, so it goes) and then i told myself i'd take a little break before getting back into Affairs, and then somehow 6 months went by and, well...

if i'm being honest? i really just wasn't in the mood. i've opened the document and written a not-insignificant portion of it, but it's nothing that's ready to be published yet, and i lacked the motivation to continue. it's not that I've fallen out of love with Affairs, because i haven't. all my other wip's have been getting the same treatment these past 6 months.

i will still keep to my personal rule of not promising a date for the next update, because i'll feel even worse if something happens and i don't make it. but i will promise to get myself up off my ass and actively start writing Affairs again.

and, as promised, as an apology for breaking my last promise not to keep you guys waiting so long, here is the snippet of part 3 under the cut:

***

He cuts himself off, embarrassed at his own ridiculous ineloquence, and tries again, ignoring the way his cheeks feel hotter at the sound of each word passing through his lips. “I really want to kiss you.”

Sirius doesn’t seem startled by the words at all. If anything, he seems quietly pleased. He looks at Remus, considering, and then he smiles, slow and indulgent.

“So kiss me, then,” he says, and Remus blinks at him. 

He almost hesitates again… but it has been three weeks since he last saw Sirius, three weeks since he was last pulled into Sirius’ embrace and felt the taste of Sirius’ lips against his own, and his desire to remedy this fact supersedes all other thoughts in his mind. He leans forward, and Sirius doesn’t mimic the action but rather stays so still that he might as well be a statue, and Remus knows that he’s going to have to work for this kiss. They’ve played this game before, of Sirius refusing to initiate, trying to pull Remus out of his shell and get him to be more open about his own wants. It’s one of Sirius’ favourite games to play with him.

So Remus kisses him. 

He is hesitant at first, awkward and fumbling in the confines of the backseat, limited by the way he needs to twist his torso into a slightly uncomfortable position. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands so he leaves them resting, uncertain, on his lap instead, and he feels a sudden flare of panic that the three weeks apart have somehow broken them, that whatever easy, natural intimacy they’d shared in the months prior has left and been replaced with this. 

He starts to pull away, and is stopped by Sirius’ hand beneath his chin, the lightest touch, but enough that it instantly grounds him. “Don’t,” Sirius murmurs, their lips still close enough that they brush together, Sirius' breath meeting with his. He trails an equally faint finger along Remus’ jaw, down the line of his neck and over his collarbone. Remus feels like he’s being burnt from the inside, and he feels the stirrings of arousal flaring through him. Sirius bites down on Remus’ bottom lip and uses his hand to encircle Remus’ neck, squeezing, still with the barest amount of pressure, just enough to tease, just enough to have Remus wishing he'd do more. And then he kisses him. Remus gasps, his lips parting, and Sirius takes immediate advantage of it, darting his tongue into the open space to flicker over Remus’. He deepens the kiss, his hold on Remus’ neck never wavering, and Remus leans into it, leans into him, intoxicated by the heady feeling it brings on. His pulse is racing, and he knows that he’s hard, can feel his cock pressing against the fabric of his sweats and the almost painful tension in the pit of his stomach, but he doesn’t dare touch himself or do anything to alleviate it. He focuses, instead, on every point of contact Sirius’ body is making with his own. The air in the car is almost too hot. He feels like an idiot for having considered that the intensity of their attraction to each other could ever waver. How could he have forgotten the way that kissing Sirius feels like being pulled beneath a tidal wave? How could he have doubted it would always feel that way? 

When they resurface, both of them breathing hard, they are turning onto Sirius’ street.

Sirius doesn’t release him. 

“How tired are you?” he murmurs, and there is something to the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes, that is all too familiar.

Sirius’ grip on his throat tightens when Remus doesn't answer quickly enough, just barely, but enough that Remus’ breath catches. He looks down, and then raises his eyes to look up at Sirius through his eyelashes.

“Not at all, Sir.”

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

WIP title ask meme replies! Bit late on this and on literally everything else because someone who loves/hates me got me the Elden Ring DLC for my birthday. Welp.

@boom-squirrel replied to your post:

"I'm having something very strong indeed"... I know... I AM KNOWING! Haha! ;P But jokes aside, "Wizard Tower AU | Aylin & Rolan stuff" sounds intriguing! ^^

An anon also asked for "I'm having something very strong indeed". This one arose out of a prompt that got sent in the latest batch. It's (funnily enough, considering your joke reference) about Isobel trying to get wasted at the immediate post-brain-defeat party just like she planned, and being very frustrated at her apparent inability to accomplish this due to some undead-ish weirdly resurrected physiology stuff. It is mostly an Isobel and Jaheira buddy ficlet with some death-touched Isobel content because I'm a sucker for that.

Snippet:

There is no air to breathe, suddenly, in the crowded room. Isobel excuses herself to whoever might be close enough to hear, and rushes out. The inn has a little terrace, overlooking a narrow, dingy side-alley - not much of a view, considering, but Isobel is grateful for the escape all the same. She leans on the rickety, only slightly singed balustrade and reflects, idly, how much of her life she has spent brooding on balconies. Tries to pretend, for a while, she hasn't noticed how ridiculously little she has been eating. How, even when she did partake, it was so easy to blame the food not tasting like much of anything on it being scrounged-up or trail rations - no offence to Gale's culinary skills, of course. Or the noble efforts of the acolytes at the Selûnite enclave, cut off from their normal supply lines and beset by the vanguard of an army. Or the cook in the Elfsong, where that particular excuse well and truly fell apart. Isobel sighs and rubs at her face with hands that have been cold for too long, grimacing at the grime and ash and smudged makeup that comes away, coats her fingers. Very pointedly does not think about the black residue that sometimes smears away from her lips and nose. It's Jaheira who finds her. Isobel supposes, of all the many people it could have been, this is the least of all evils. 

This one also includes banter about one of my favourite silly ways the timeline works out:

"We're about the same age, Jaheira, don't forget," Isobel snarks, poking at a wound herself, trying to turn the sting of it into amusement. "You just had a busier century than I did, that's all."

Next, "Wizard Tower AU | Aylin & Rolan stuff" is pretty rough and early days still but it's one where Aylin gets betrayed and captured in Ramazith's tower, while Rolan gets to have some of his Act 3 arc anyway. Inspired in part by the letter you can get from Lorroakan in the epilogue. Bit of a dual-POV going on in this one, and honestly could be considered a bit of a fix-it, if nothing else then in how it will (probably) include Isobel. 

Snippet:

Miklaur falls in the terrifying skirmish against celestial foes.  It is a tragic - if, honestly, rather increasingly inevitable - turn of events. It is also one that means Rolan, still reeling from the one smite-imbued strike the aasimar landed on him, is the one who has to dispose of elemental ashes, feathers and… other material. The sheer radiance that filled the room still burns and dances behind his eyelids when he closes his eyes. "I should have known, should have seen from the start," the Nightsong rants and raves, mostly to herself, and paces the dozen or so steps her little circle allows her, over and over and over. It is a miserable sight. Rolan is fairly sure she does not take much notice of his presence, and feels incredibly thankful for it. "When the wretch let the foul necromancer take me because it suited their plans. To play along with damned Ketheric Thorm and his lackeys--"  She spits on the floor to punctuate her derision and Rolan cringes, almost immediately moving to find a mop. Then he remembers himself - or some slight, miserable part of himself - and casts a quick cantrip instead.

[snip]

"Gods, we were stuck in that awful place… and Cal and Lia were…" The apprentice trails off, audibly choking on his words, even as he tries to square his shoulders and present a strong facade looking up at Aylin. "Don't you understand? I have nothing else. I sometimes wish I'd never set foot inside that damn cleric's moonlit bubble. At least then, perhaps, I wouldn't have wasted so much time on foolish hope." Aylin feels a surge of pity almost in spite of herself. But there is a precious nugget in his words that she cannot help but latch onto. "Tell me about her," she interrupts his spiralling musings, then lets her lips form the dearest name they've ever known, will ever know. "Isobel." "The cleric?" He seems confused even when Aylin confirms with a curt nod. "I never… that is, I talked to her the once, briefly. She mostly kept to herself, as did I. I don't really-- are you saying she will be sent to rescue you?" Aylin frowns and sucks in a breath at the reminder of that horrible possibility, as rattled by it as the apprentice seems to be. The thought of being forever stuck in this cage is nothing compared to the agony of the thought of Isobel getting hurt, or worse. Surely. Surely Mother will send someone else, will guide Isobel to safety, far from this den of vipers. She meets the tiefling's puzzled gaze - ah, wizards and their obsession with solving every single riddle they come across. "I love her," Aylin replies simply. "She is everything to me. I cherish her more than I do mine own life and so wish to never see her come here."

Seems inevitable that she will though, right? Well, moving on...

@jeejyboard replied to your post:

adolescence of rose quartz????!!!!!??? all of these are delightful

Ahah, good eye, spotting that silly "Utena AU" immediately! This one I've been poking at for a while, because it's one of those very specific self-indulgent noodlings. Basically, it's set on Homeworld and the main premise is Rose (this is just old enough originally for her to not be PD) winning Pearl in a duel, with the twist that Pearl had a hand in orchestrating the whole thing (and did some Cool Hacking in the process) in order to get away. Even includes a Prasiolite there to be insufferable, "a green quartz", and a blatant Saionji reference.

Snippet:

“Or- oh, is that envy?” Prasiolite laughed unpleasantly, then yanked the pearl closer to her, grabbing her as she stumbled. “Are pretty things like this a bit above your grade?” “I’m issuing a formal challenge,” Rose retorted curtly, forcing herself into restraint, and biting her own anger and irritation back. “The White Arena is close enough - we can settle this right now.” “Rose Quartz, what are you doing?” Larimar whispered in a squeak behind her, so different from the chirpy little assistant she'd been so far, rushing after the two quartzes and the blank-faced pearl. “That’s the head of White Diamond’s personal guard, are you- Rose--” But Larimar’s cries went unheeded all the way up the stairs leading to the arena’s entrance, where she went for one last appeal. “Rose, you don’t even have a weapon!” Prasiolite sneered. “I keep spares around. Pearl.” A shove in Rose’s general direction, and the pearl obliged, demurely, but catching Rose’s eye in a way she’d never seen a pearl - all of them, in her experience, nothing but muttered acknowledgements of orders and respectfully averted glances - do before. “A sword for you to use, My Quartz,” she mumbled, head bowed just a moment too late. Then, the unthinkable. She cast a brief look over her shoulder, back at Prasiolite, then pointedly turned away and towards Rose. “Good luck.”

[snip]

Finally, finally, Prasiolite lost her balance, and her pretty sword flew out of her hand, skittering across the stone tiles of the arena. She huffed as she climbed back to her feet and dusted herself off, pointedly not looking in Rose's direction at all. “Pearl! Bring my sword back. We’re leaving. This farce has gone on long enough.” The pearl stood at her post, unmoving for the longest time. Then, just as the silence had stretched dangerously taut, she spoke, quietly but firmly. “No.” “What?” Prasiolite was a vivid green, and looked fit to burst. “You disobedient, defective little--” “You lost,” the pearl interrupted and calmly spoke over her, to gasps from both Larimar and Prasiolite, and a frown from Rose. “Your ownership rights are forfeit. It’s the rules.” It was the most Rose had ever heard a pearl speak. “What are you talking about? You there, Larimar. What is she talking about?” “I, I don’t know, I--” “Well, check the legal database immediately!”

Hm, I wonder what the database is going to show... I'm sure nobody's tampered with it.

Anyway, I'll leave it at that for now. Hope you all enjoyed the little previews! All of them are super rough and subject to endless change, of course, but such is the writing life.

[mytragedyperson]

Hi! You're the first person that I found that have Number24 as one of their fav anime, so excited! Yes, I love Natsusa, too. See, I never ship anyone poly before (like for me, each character have their own otp) but with Natsusa, I ship him with both Ibuki & Seeichirou (2 ships different flavour).

Also, yes LawLight (my all time fav ship ever). Can I ask, do you ship Mello/Near, too?

For Karma and Kagami, I ship them a bit differently (sorry), Karma/Nagisa and Kagami/Kuro are my otps.

But, I'm so excited to see other shipper with different ships! Do you mind if you have free time, I asked of your fav ships?

Yes, Dazai/Akutagawa is not common but so interesting. Like, I also ship Dazai with Atsushi.

I ship soukoku & shin soukoku, but other ships are also interesting....

For Dazai, I think he is an amazing characters who we love and can ship with mostly anyone, right?

Hi! Thank you so much for your ask. First, please excuse any misspellings or anything, I'm writing this on my phone and, even if I wasn't I low-key suck at typing. Also ran out of tag space so there is that.

Also yes, I love Number24. I love the animation style, I love Natsusa, I love Ibuki and Seiichirou, honestly I love all the characters. But I will say, as much as I love Ibuki x Natsusa (one of my favourite ships) Ibuki and Ethan are basically canonically married in the English dub. Seiichirpu, on the other hand, seems to love Natsusa only. Love both ships. Honestly I probably should've had them both in the same spot on my ship list. But on the day Ibuki was more appealing. I ship both about equally.

I don't really ship Mello/Near but that's more because I don't know them. When u watched Death Note, it was when it was on Netfliz and they took it off before I could finish it, but I do have Crunchyroll now, so I will probably finish it and that answer may change. But, even if I don't like it, I doubt I'd be like 'ew, no.' There's very few ships I'm against. As long as its fiction, we're cool.

As for Karma and Kagami, absolutely. I do like those ships too, they're just not my favourite. But in the case of the Kagami bit I kinda see Kagami/Kuroko/Aomine/possibly Kise as a polycule. (Possibly Kise because I also ship him with Kasamatsu.) But yeah, totally get where you're coming from. I honestly think it depends if you prefer friends to lovers or rivals to lovers and for me I do lean more towards rivals to lovers. Also no need to apologise. Ship whatever you want. We don't have to agree. As long as you're having fun with it, that's what matters. Fandom is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.

Absolutely agree with Dazai being shippable with so many people. Chuuya, kunikida, Sigma, Fyodor I've seen, Atsushi, Aktugawa. I recently saw someone mention Oda/Dazai. He really is just the character you ship with everyone because he can barely go a scene without flirting with someone. I'm sorry, you're dying and are against the clock and you're going to take the time to dance with a stranger you just met? What a power move honestly. Good for him.

Regarding favourite ships, do you mean ones I didn't mention? Or for specific shows? Happy to answer, just without clarification I will probably just repeat what I said before in a slightly different way.

Thank you again for the ask. If you want to send me asks for headcanons, snippets, drabbles or just questions like this, please feel free to ask. Hell I'm bored, ask me whatever as long as its fandom related or fiction related. To see what fandoms I write for, check my pinned post. I will probably add to it in the future as I think of things I liked and would be happy to write for. But it is for practice purposes.

[landwriter]

WIP Title Ask Game

Tagged by the inimitable @xx-vergil-xx <3

RULES: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Listen, we've been here before, but for those who missed or repressed it, all my finished and unfinished fic lives in a single FocusWriter document named Untitled 1 that's about 277,000 words, with an index last updated sometime in late 2022 or early 2023, arranged in a loosely reverse chronological order, with exception for related WIPs and also the Seventies San Francisco AU, Lighthouses, which is between chapters 4 and 5 of Oaths. No, I don't know why I'm this way either.

But I am delighted!! for a chance to shamelessly use this as an excuse to tag people and catch up on what you beautiful souls are writing! (or not writing, as the case may be)

And my own, for asks please send asks:

WIPs I remained acutely aware of who lured me back:

Lighthouses

An Eternity of This

WIPs I absolutely forgot at mental daycare pickup but totally DO want to write and get out there now that I've seen them again:

Professional Fuckers

Skin - 05.14.23

Just Like Love followup that began its life innocently as 'Hob POV missing scenes', caught some more Corinthian scenes due to this very meme on Tumblr, and then like weeds in April exploded beyond all hope into an unhinged noir/dark comedy/tragedy play-it-all-the-way-out Corinthian/Hob/Dream cerberus-monster-of-a-sequel that would be longer than Oaths if I ever wrote it and annoyingly is probably my favourite thing on this list despite the fact I will almost certainly never have the time to actually write it, or maybe because of that :)

You’ve Got Mail AU

Come getcha hot fresh snippets!!!

Tagging with puppydog eyes: @moorishflower @softest-punk @teejaystumbles @wordsinhaled @that-banhus @chubsthehamster

[fiannans]

For the New Years Ask Meme! (Only if you want!)

👾 Do you have any "bad" writing habits you want to break?

🦷 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're dreading to write (but is necessary to your plot)? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

🛏 Is there a new trope you'd like to write this year?

👾 Do you have any "bad" writing habits you want to break?

Probably making excuses about waiting for the "right" writing conditions or inspiration to strike, rather than putting in the effort to establish a regular writing habit. In 2025, I'd like to make writing a priority again. Also not finishing what I've started! 2021/2022 showed me I still have the ability to finish things when I put my mind to it, I just need to work on my discipline!

🦷 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're dreading to write (but is necessary to your plot)? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

Oooh good question...probably anything longer than a one-shot, because it's been years (decades, even!) since I attempted to tackle anything longer than a single scene or that required more than one chapter. I do have ideas for a bunch of longer, multi-chapter fics that I really want to bring to life though, even though the additional planning and time commitment involved feels intimidating (sometimes TOO intimidating). Things like my "Nihlus lives" Garrus/Shepard/Nihlus AU, my "What Comes After" post-ME3 Shakarian epilogue, and my ME OC couple Caius and Kate's story, which takes place around roughly the same time as the trilogy.

All I have is a bunch of random, disconnected snippets from each so far, but here's two short snippets from early in Kate and Caius's story.

“What’s your name?” “Caius,” he said, dazedly. He was starting to feel light-headed. Probably from the blood loss. Or maybe from the shock. “Nice to meet you, Caius. I’m Kate.” She smiled at him. “You’re going to be alright, Caius. I just need you to keep talking to me, okay?” “Okay,” he said. “I think I’m just going to rest my eyes for a bit.” He closed his eyes, shutting out Kate’s concerned face and the bright blue false sky of the Presidium behind her. His consciousness felt light, untethered. Maybe he’d just nap until the paramedics arrived.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed yet,” she scolded him. “I’m starting to realise that.” He swayed on his feet, reaching for the wall. She caught his arm and pulled it over her shoulders, letting him lean on her. “Turians are the worst patients.” She sighed. “Come on, let’s get you back to your room.” She was much smaller than him and from this angle he could only see the top of her head. Beneath the strong antiseptic smell of the hospital, he caught a whiff of some kind of pleasant floral scent from her hair. He couldn’t put a name to it, but it reminded him of the flowers that grew near the Human Embassy on the Presidium.

💥 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

I'm really looking forward to jumping into writing for Veilguard and specifically Lucanis/Rook. My favourite kind of stories to write are those "missing moments" in between what we see in canon and I think Veilguard (and especially Lucanis' romance) has a lot of potential in that regard. I have a bunch of ideas already, but here's a snippet from a WIP involving

Caution!!! Veilguard spoilers!!!

Caterina's reaction to Lucanis' romance with my Crow Rook!

“My grandmother asked to meet with you.” “Mmm.” Rook closed her eyes and tilted her head, smiling, as Lucanis pressed a kiss to her neck in greeting, his lips lingering over her skin. “Sorry, what?” “Caterina. She wishes to talk to you. About us.” Rook’s eyes snapped open and she turned to stare at him in shock. “You told your grandmother about us? Are you crazy?” He held his hands up in denial, shaking his head. “Not me. It was probably Teia, she and Caterina are close.” Rook groaned. “I had no idea Teia wanted me dead.” Lucanis chuckled and stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “My grandmother isn’t going to kill you, Rook. She just wants to talk. She wishes to ‘meet with the woman who thinks she’s good enough for her grandson’.” “You don’t know that,” Rook countered. “She probably has a contract out on me already.”

🛏 Is there a new trope you'd like to write this year?

Do threesomes count? Haha. I have a bunch of poly ships/OT3s, but I've never actually written a threesome. I really want to write some Davrin/Lucanis/Rook though because I think the chemistry between the three of them is amazing!

Send me asks from this writer goal asks list if you want!

[mairaiscarrierofthepaperclips]

WIP Tag Game

Hoo, boy, this could be fun. 😅

Tagged by @firefighterevandiaz.

RULES: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

WIPs!

Oblivious!Buck

rip stomp rip stomp

excuse to use a line from Star Trek

IYKYK kiss scene

Gravedigger

Eddie Diaz, my beloved, I'm so sorry

Am I working on these, or am I rereading my favourites because Life™️ is the worst. You decide.

No pressure tagging @thewolvesof1998, @inell, @elgascreamslikehell, @elvensorceress, @idealuk

[sesshy380]

Five Lines Tag

Thank you @late-to-the-fandom for the tag! Using this as an excuse to go back through longfic from the start in hopes that the passion I once had for writing it will re-ignite. I love my story, but I just haven't had the motivation to work on it like I used to.

Rules: Find five lines based on the prompts you are given, then change one of the prompts at the end.

A line about a building

A sad line

A line about the weather

A line about a drink

A line of your favourite dialogue

I'm gonna be a rule breaker and post more than a line. More like snippets from throughout that apply instead. Putting below a cut since this is gonna be a bit long bc of it. Also, not tagging anyone, but all are welcome to steal and do whatever with.

cw: vampirism implied for the drink portion

A line about a building

It took him a long second to recognize the remains of the ancient architecture. The last time he had seen the Colosseum, it was fully intact, covered in floral arrangements with a brightly colored velarium angled down around the outer edge to keep the sun off the spectators below. Now it looked like any other ancient landmark in this era, the obvious effects of time showing. The wooden floor had long since rotted away, exposing the network of tunnels that ran below. Scaffolding and railings had been put in place for the safety of the vast number of visitors the landmark received daily. When Bakura and Kat had spoken repeatedly of visiting Rome, Atem had pictured something else entirely. He had pictured flowing chiffon and bright colors, along with the heavy scent of flowers and perfumes in the air. Where were all the gold decorations? Floral arrangements hanging everywhere? Where were all the people that scurried about preparing for the day’s events? Right now none of that was present. Right now, he was being forcefully reminded that the world had changed in his absence.

A sad line

She tried to squirm and break free from the ghostly visions that were dragging her deeper and deeper, reaching her hands for the surface. She wasn’t afraid to die. She was afraid to be stuck in a never ending cycle of dying without a true death. To continuously live while knowing that another agonizing moment was just around the corner. An endless loop of suffering. The surface faded from her view, the figures having long since vanished. Salt from the tears she shed mixed with the sea of nothingness. No one was coming to her rescue. She would spend eternity alone in the void, only the ghosts in her memories to keep her company.

A line about the weather

Marik wasn’t certain how long he’d been walking, and he honestly didn’t care. He wasn’t even certain what part of Domino he was in. He stopped and looked around. Nothing looked familiar. He didn’t want to head back, but he wasn’t certain where to go either. He thought for a long moment, debating on finding his way to the Kame Game shop, but didn’t really want to have to deal with Imhotep. He could only imagine the teen would be thrilled to learn that his mom had practically thrown herself at his dad. While he stood there contemplating, rain began pouring from the sky. “Oh, c’mon! Are you fucking serious?!” he shouted at the sky. Now not only was he in a foul mood, but he was also soaking wet. He began stomping his way down the sidewalk, looking for somewhere he could stand out of the rain. He began to internally shiver as his soaked body tried its best to keep warm in the cold downpour. He gave up on his search, reluctantly turning around and heading back the way he had come from. Thunder rumbled in the distance. “I swear to whatever fucking god is in charge of the weather in these parts, you had better think twice before adding lightning to the mix! I may not be a god or an immortal, but that won’t stop me from trying to kick your ass!” he shouted loudly to the sky.

A line about a drink

cw: vampirism implied

She reluctantly pulled herself away from the source of sweet nectar. When she opened her eyes she found the world distant and out of focus. Her ears were filled with a pulsing that was growing faint. She felt herself being pulled back and away from the nectar source, and she reached out begging to keep hold of it. Something gold and red flashed before her, leaning over and reciting something by where she sensed her nectar was. “I think he’ll be okay now, but he’ll need rest. What the hell were you thinking?!” Kat continued to try to bring the world into focus, but the song was displeased with having its sweet meal taken from it. It cried out, throwing a tantrum. Give it back! GIVE IT BACK! It is OURS!

A line of your favorite dialogue

“Hey, Pharaoh…can you fly?” Atem barely registered his body hitting the wall that shattered around him, shards of glass momentarily hung suspended in midair as his mind tried to catch up with what had happened. He watched as the glass retracted back to its origin, the window reforming almost immediately as his body began to rapidly descend away from it. Panicked voices and screams from below filled his ears. He felt a cool gust of breeze that somehow moved differently from the air around his falling form. The screams and voices vanished, and he found himself upright. He was no longer falling. Instead he hung suspended in the air by the collar of his shirt, a pale hand the only thing keeping him there. Atem looked down, the building he’d been thrown from appearing far below him. Looking back over at the one holding him in place, he could see Bakura’s hair and clothing moving as though a gentle breeze were playfully toying with them. The elemental floated effortlessly among the clouds, appearing almost angelic in the golden rays of the sun. If it weren’t for the fact that he could obviously see Domino far beneath his feet, Atem might have thought he'd finally arrived in Aaru. “Why didn’t you just let me hit the ground?” Atem asked in annoyance. Bakura’s face was emotionless as his eyes moved over Atem, studying him. “Did you honestly think I would make your end that quick? You should know by now that I enjoy playing with my things long after they’ve broken…and you aren’t even remotely broken…yet.” “I don’t belong to you,” Atem scowled. Bakura brought Atem in close, grinning devilishly as he licked along the side of Atem’s face. “You do now.”