#and I haven't even set up a shop yet lol...

[torra-and-the-toons]

Ooh... Just shipping some sample stickers to my parents cost me more than I thought it would... Idk if it was the place I went to ship or the fact that they live as far away from me as humanly possible (aka Northern California to Southern Florida) Or the way I want to pack them costing more but either way...

I didn't think this through very well lol

[ccraccz]

HELLOOOO I AM BACK AGAIN, May I request for Heartsteel! (all of em again) x fem! reader how would they treat you on your first date/where would yall be in your first date? (pls do include Alune too if you may!) thank you so much!

Our first date

Characters: Aphelios, Ezreal, Sett, Kayn, K'sante, Yone, Alune x fem!reader

Aphelios

Aphelios is such a gamer boy

He'd probably take you to one of those claw machines shops

You know the ones that just have a bunch of functional claw machines, and you get to try your luck at them

He'd be a total god at them it's unbelievable

He'd get you anything that you lay eyes on for more than 2 seconds

That Badtzmaru plush? It's yours in 7 seconds

That figurine of your favorite character? He's getting it right now

And if you get him anything? He will melt

Aphelios will cherish what you got him more than anything (other than you or alune)

During the date, he'll speak to you softly and, if you want, he'll teach you his ways on the claw machine

He'll stand behind you while you play and would not mind any affection given to him out of excitement

He tries to get you something in secret, and if he succeeds, he would be smiling so hard under his mask

You both exit the claw machine place with your arms filled with prizes, most for you and some for himself

Then he takes you out to eat something, anything

Though he does love his takeout 🙃

When he takes you home, be sure to show him your gratitude by kissing him on the cheek after placing your stuff on your living room

He'll be thinking about what to do for the next date 💙💙

Ezreal

For a first date, he'd probably take you out to karaoke

He'd be able to show off what he likes to do and see your taste in music

And by that, he'll definitely be able to determine things about you

To get you comfortable, he'll sing to you a few times and encourage you to sing either with him or alone

If you sing a duet with him, he'll be very pleased and choose some type love song like "can't help falling in love" or something lol

and if you get the courage to sing a song for him, he'd totally encourage you and sing praises

He'd get shivers down his spine while you sing and if you mess up he wouldn't even laugh

He would just smile at you sweetly and listen as you sing

He's so mesmerized by you that he doesn't notice that you finished the song until you poke him on the cheek

After a while, both of you get tired of singing, throats stomachs hurting from singing and laughing

When he drives you back home, and after some ice cream, he walks you up to your door and opens his arms while asking for a goodbye hug💚💚

He'ssosweetandcuteijustwannakisshimtotomorrowiwishhewadrealoml

Sett

Sett would probably have a mall date with you 🙃

He wants to fet to know you in a more relaxed setting where it's just you and him

He'll get to know your style and what you usually look forward to while shopping

BTW, he learned all this because he asked his mom about it

Anyways, he'd also get to show off his arms and strength by carrying the bags!

Win win situating right?

He'd definitely want to get the photobooth pictures with you and keep them in his wallet

He's so cute oml

If you recommend something to him, like a sleeveless jacket, protein powder/shakes, or pins?

He's getting them and putting them on his person instantly

Especially if it's a plush! He's adding that to the collection that you haven't seen yet

Other than that, he'd be able to ask you questions while walking, and when you get hungry, you both would just go to the food court and get what you guys want!

He's so gentle with you, following you to every store like a pup, a smile on his face as you show him a dress you like or shoes you think would look good with his fit

He's looking at you with the most live striken eyes as you go on about your week and more

if you ask him any question, he'll answer very truthfully

And when he drives you home, he helps bring the bags up to the front door before attempting to leave with a wave and a smile

But you pull him back for a hug and a kiss on the cheek

When he gets inside his car, his face is as pink, and his hair and his ears perked up higher than anyone's used to seeing💜

Kayn

You don't know what you're getting into

Kayn is scared

Before meeting up with you, he had to tall Rhaast some basic rules like, don't be disrespectful and some other ones that he need to keep in mind

Even though Kayn is quite wild, he didn't want to scare you on the first date

So he met up with you at your place on foot and you both went on the bus to the nearest paintball/airsoft park

He showed you the basics of the games, you watched and admired him intently, and played some yourself

You guys didn't go against each other as he spectayed while you played and you spectator while he played

At first, he was slightly romantic, helping you with putting on gear and protection so you wouldn't get hurt

But when the adrenaline started getting to the both of you, he started to get a bit roudy

But you know it's because of the adrenaline

He treats you with utmost care and affection

If you're nervous about the first game, he'll comfort you, though it's kinda difficult because he's not used to it

He makes sure you're not too hurt, and if you get a mark due to a bb

After a few hours, you guys walked to the closest convenience store, and he called one of his friends to pick him and you up in a few minutes

He bought you a few snacks and some drinks to cool off and walked towards a nearby park to sit around and talk to you

When the ride came and you arrived home, you held his hand and sqeezed it lightly before leaving the car with a soft smile

You, sadly, didn't see him cover his face with his hands after you shut the door and walked inside

Yone definitely saw that 🤭

K'sante

K'sante would 100% have a first date at a pottery painting place!!!

He'd suggest painting something for you and you painting something for him!

He designed a Ramen bowl for you while asking about your favorite things, like color, character, music genre, and clothing style

You also asked him some questions, but your creative piece didn't come out as well because you were so distracted with how gentle he was with the details of your bowl and how handsome he was

The plate you were designing looked,,, not as good, and you felt he definitely deserved a better plate

So you kept silent and concentrated

Some questions here and there are to get to know each other better, but most of the time is used on painting.

So, in the end, it was a silent date with him

Very comforting and soft

After you both finished your pieces for each other and washed your hands, you both went out to eat out together!

Two days later, K'sante appeared at your front door with a ramen bowl that was your favorite color with your favorite shape.

The plate you made is something he uses when you're around to make you feel proud of yourself!!

Before he leaves you with your new favorite bowl, you grab him by the hand and pull slightly before hugging him 🧡

Aigh I love himsosomuch its unfair

Yone

He'd totally, 100%, bring you to an all-out dinner.

He'd call beforehand, asking you to wear the fanciest dress you have because later that day, you're both going to a fancy restaurant

Just the two of you

No gang. No annoyance. Nothing

He had told the group that he had something very important to do and does not want any problems

And in the first minute with you in the restaurant, he was called by Sett

He turned off his phone after that call and apologized sincerely

At the start, he was mesmerized with your looks, so when you asked a question, he had to double take on what you said

(The fancy restaurant was a sushi restaurant, I hope you like that)

He answered your questions and you answered his

And when your orders came, it was quite silent

His looks, his hands, his hair!!! He was just so handsome

You couldn't help but stop eating to just,,,

Stare at him for a minute or so

And as if feeling your eyes on him, he looked up to see you looking at him with hearts in your eyes

After your meal, he drives you home and walks you to your door

He was shaky and nervous as you looked at him

And like any cringey romance movie, you kissed his cheek and left a red/pink/gloss mark on it before entering your home and saying thank you and good night

He had to take a minute to himself

He walked back to his car and turned on his phone

Taking a picture of himself with your lips marked on his cheek, he texted you good night and the picture before being spammed by both you and the boys

He put the picture you took of both you and him in front of the restaurant as his background

Now he's gonna be stressed out because of the gang

Let's hope everything goes alright

He'll be thinking about you all night before rubbing off the mark of your lips, guiltily ❤️

He's so freaking pretty

Alune

(WAAA THERE REALLY ISNT ANY GIFS FOR ALUNE AND IM SOBBING ILHSM)

Alune would definitely invite you to her place and have a movie date with you

Both you and her would do your nails and play games before watching movies or series

She had to tell her twing that she was inviting you over and wants some privacy

So he went to hang out with the boys for the day while his sister has her special day

Before anything, she buys some snacks and asks you to bring anything you'd like, plushies, clothes, blankets, anything!!

She does your nails, you do her nails

She does your hair (with some struggle since aphelios is the one that does hair best), you do her hair

She turns every light off and on the couch, you both cuddle and ask questions to each other before watching the movie or series

After that, if there is time, you both play games! Whether board or online, you both enjoy your time

Her voice is very alluring, so every word she says, it takes all of your attention to her

Before you leave her place, she tells you to call her so she knows that you're safe

She knows how people are and wishes nothing bad to happen upon you

GAUSH SHE SO PRTTY I LOVE HER SMMM!!!!

---------------------------

Note!

AAAAH IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG 😭😭😭 I LOVE THIS REQUEST, IT WAS SO SO CUTE!!!

I will say one thing, idk much about kayn, so I really have to do some research on his character. I'm also feeling a bit better, but tomorrow there won't be an update because I have a really long essay I have to write, and I'm very nervous about it 😭😭

Anyways, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REQUEST ITS SO SO CUTE!!! 💙💙💙💙

[chubs-deuce]

Haaard agree on anti-Chaggie post (so sorry Chaggie shippers. We love you)

Alastor is known to steal the attention of people whenever he is on screen. But when he is with Charlie it makes it more interesting! They bounce off of each other in an entertaining way. Even if you don't ship them they are funny. Alastor is getting a kick out of just talking to Charlie. He finds her amusing (probably in a mean way lol). And Charlie while thinks he is an asshole, (cus he is!) she sees he tries to help her even with an obvious hidden ulterior motive.

They don't see eye to eye in their goals but at least they are both real characters with their own motivations and that makes them very dynamic with each other. Also they are both goofs, love 'em

Chaggie has fans within people that just want cute and non-dramatic relationships. Or just a queer couple that is wholesome without any dramatics. Valid!

It's just awkward that Vaggie is all about Charlie. This one thing puts me off. Considering my previous experience with it was in Steven Universe (Rose and Pearl, anyone?). But it's just personal thing. Sometimes things like that are funny like "they are obsessed with this person lololo" or "they are... Uncomfortably obsessed with this person"

[I think it depends on if the other person is on the same level? Charlie seemed somehow dismissive of Vaggie but it can be explained that the plot was just more focused on hotel than them (ugh 8eps. waiting for S2 to have fillers).]

Shipping is all about preferences and that's okay! My friend is a Chaggie shipper and I am a Charlastor shipper. I asked her to explain to me the appeal and she explained it as "a cute couple that has no conflict whatsoever. People like that exist and it's more common than very dramatic or action-driven couples". And I just like a bit fucked up dynamics where I watch someone in that dynamic go through some emotional turmoil (mostly Alastor<3) and also co-workers/housemates dynamic (when I need something cute and simple)

Some people just prefer down to earth things, especially if their life is a rollercoaster. What's important is to respect each other!

Sorry for a lil essay. I just think sometimes it's important to say "these are prefrences. We don't hate you for not liking your thing and the same goes in vice versa"

All fandoms have a group of people that is.... A bit too devoted to something. Respect others even if they don't like the same thing you do. Instead ask them to explain to you why they like it in a non-hostile manner or don't interact at all.

We're all tired of shipping wars, especially when some companies add oil to this fire to monetize more. I just want to get back to old fandom days when you both would be shopping different things and then end up in a make out session /j

Sorry for an essay again. Love your art, especially when you draw unhinged or going insane Alastor because Charlie makes him "feel". Thanks for all the content<3

This!!! So much this!!!

I hardly even need to add anything to this tbh, you already said everything that needs to be said perfectly!

I often like to think of shipping as the more adult version of playing with dolls, and that different people will play with their dolls differently! Some may prefer to follow the instructions on the packaging, playing with the toys exactly as intended, whereas others might find that boring and instead prefer to mix things up and do their own thing!

How I play with my set of dolls should have absolutely no impact on how you play with your own.

Thank you so much for writing out this ask, I'm honestly really glad to see that common sense and critical thinking skills within fandoms haven't completely died out yet lmfao

[partyanimal167]

Stubborn as a Bull- Doflamingo x F!Reader

I have so many ideas for Doffy. It's crazy I haven't really written anything about him in almost a year. (I want to explore my dilfs more this year lol) I also want more chef/restaurant related fics because I have no concept of work-life balance and will indulge in my career-related fantasies. This will be a quickie

cw: modern au(?), fem reader, stubborn reader, rich af Doflamingo, mdni

You had never met a many so annoying yet tempting as the one before you. However, your stubbornness was a strength, so you knew you could play that game.

You had received an array of gifts and praises for your culinary feats. You had awards, interviews, glowing reviews in multiple restaurants. You were sent wines, knives, and books.

You stayed humble as you knew some celebs and politicians on a first-name basis since they were regulars and knew that the attention could bring both good and bad.

You had expected your ego to come and slap you in the face. All people tried to lure you in and trap you. It'd be a normal descent from success.

Instead, after service that you thought was normal, one Doflamingo Donquixote was asking for your number offering a job in the private sector as well as inviting you on a date. You graciously declined. You thought that'd be it.

It was not.

Because even though there was a three month wait list for your restaurant, you went out to a nearly-deserted dining room where only Doflamingo sat glancing at the menu and sipping the priciest wine.

"I thought that work had been your excuse. I can take you somewhere far from this, and you won't have to worry about the finances of your business." He was a mad man. A rich one, your business partner corrected, but you ignored him again.

Doflamingo bought the restaurant out for a week, and when you stopped going to the dining room after day three, he was shocked at where he found you.

You were all smiles and rainbows serving the less-fortunate at a local soup kitchen. You laughed when you saw the filthy rich man decked out in suits and jewelry standing in the less than stellar facilities. When you were done, he asked you why you were there instead of resting at home or something. "I live to feed people." was all you said.

Doflamingo stopped buying out the restaurant, but still floated in and around before and after business hours. You ignored him while you directed your cooks and tested recipes. Doflamingo admired the structure silently and wondered how far you would have ended up if you were in the corporate world. The skills were definitely transferrable.

You nearly lost it when the man bumped into your china--shattering it again--and brushed it off with a check. You knew replacements would be there by morning, but that wasn't the point. "Stop being so wasteful." So to get him out of your space, you let him take you out. You could hold up against fancy meals and shopping sprees.

You were not expecting an intimate setting in one of his homes where he cooked you his mother's favorite meal--the only thing he could make. You knew about the man's harshness, how he ran businesses. And while the food was delicious, you would never admit it.

"Too much salt." was all you said even after you cleaned your plate. You were stubborn to say things like him, but if he noticed that you stopped by his place to cook and gave him basic lessons, then he never said anything either.

You just ended up with a rich man ready for your call--a partner--but he wouldn't exactly say his feelings either.

Guess he was stubborn too.

~~~

Cheesy, yes but I will indulge! I was thinking about how chef people cook to feed others because we definitely don't get a luxurious paycheck from it. I wondered how Doffy would go about that difficultness.

I will write him more! Thanks for stopping by!

[eardefenders]

Hey maybe you shouldn’t be sharing any form of content that is paywalled for the purpose of generating financial support for smaller creators? It’s almost like they’re not sharing it publicly for a reason? It’s really disrespectful to Joel and the whole team, and if you’re just going to be in the patreon to leak the exclusive content so people don’t join for themselves then you should just leave :/

Fundamentally, I agree with you. Patreon is essentially a marketplace for people to support the artists and creators they love, financially, so they can keep on creating. To generate that support, they will paywall some of that stuff to create incentive for fans who don't yet contribute financially to do so.

However, when you start talking about a company such as Goalhanger then I think you're getting into a much greyer area of the purpose behind the Patreon. I mean, on a basic level, yes, it's for money, but on a podcast like this which is averaging 10s of thousands of downloads a month and contains ads (and household names, not just local mom n pops or sex shops, but like Tide Laundry Detergent), they aren't really propping the show up with Patreon supporters. They aren't indie; they aren't a small creator.

(In fact, I'd be downright shocked if there wasn't upfront payment from Goalhanger to commission the show from Joel and his team, or at the very least an agreed upon payment schedule with set bonuses should subscription/download targets be achieved.)

I'm not so sure I agree with you on the whole disrespectful bit. Downloading the audio from Patreon, stripping it of the DRM and releasing it is disrespectful. Me taking my personal time to listen to the same episode over and over and carefully write out the dialogue as I hear it so I can share it and discuss it with others would seem the opposite of disrespectful, it's the kind of dedicated worship and time giving creators generally think is neat in their fans (if sometimes worrying).

For what it's worth I did ask. If it was truly troubling, I would have received a takedown notice or at the very least, a strongly worded email that suggested I take the transcript(s) down of my own accord. (Which I also told them I would do if they found any issue with my creating transcripts down the line.) For now, they don't see it as an impact to their business. If anything, they likely think it provides a driver for people to sign up because the joy isn't just in reading in John and Sherlock's voices (if that were the case, we wouldn't care about the show and we'd all be blissfully on AO3), it's in hearing them. It's hearing them and making our own interpretations of every little hitch and stutter and breath. We want to hear the words spoken in their inflection and tone.

Lastly, your final line comes across a tiny bit rude and presumptuous. I'm not in the Patreon to simply leak exclusive content and especially not to purposely prevent people from joining. If that were the case I'd simply leak the audio and/or bash the shit out of the show. I also haven't transcribed all of the exclusive content they've posted, only the mailbags.

The reason I'm in the Patreon is because I love their show and the adaption. I think they're doing a wonderful job and that they should be paid for it and I'll happily give them some of my money for it. (I also want the free merch, tickets to a live meetup, and a personal message from John and Sherlock lol.)

Not every person will join the Patreon. A lot of people don't have the money to commit to a Patreon every month and I'm pretty sure the creators know not every single person will join. (Generally, your looking at a conversion rate between 1% and 5%. So, lets say that the 1 million downloads of Sh&Co represents actual unique listeners. That means even with 1 million people actively listening to the show, they're only expecting between 10 and 50,000 patrons on Patreon tops. ((Looking at the discord server which has 234 members currently and lets say that's every subscriber to Patreon that's a listener base of 5k-23k, but we know that it's much more likely that they're listener base is closer to 25k-50k given the numbers on other Goalhanger podcasts and that this is a Sherlock Holmes thing which is near universally a gold ticket project.)))

I'd add tone tags to this whole thing but I'm not actually sure how to/where to. Please consider the tone of this answer ranging from vaguely dispassionate to mildly miffed, but with nothing but respect for you Anon as you aren't the first person to bring this up and it's a, well, not entirely valid, but nonetheless reasonable thing to ask.

[t00thpasteface]

Hiiiii₍⁠₍⁠◞⁠(⁠ ⁠•⁠௰⁠•⁠ ⁠)⁠◟⁠₎⁠₎

Could you explain the hipster Vs fandom war. I've been on here for like four years and I never knew that existed lol and btw I really really love your art and you are one my biggest inspos for how I imagine and draw my Clark.

i'm not sure i can explain it in a way that makes sense, and certainly not in a way that makes you say "i understand why this was such a big deal", but gl'bgolyb knows i can try.

first, let me take you on a sensory experience... picture in your mind the following things... skinny jeans... nerd glasses... a weirdly dapper fashion sense in a time where everything is baggy and neon... boom, you have 2010-2014 online tumblr hipster culture. and also 70s elvis costello, oddly enough.

although admittedly i don't know his stance on pumpkin spice lattes.

anyway. now that that's burned into your brain, consider a significant population of this exact type of person that has already been well-established on this microblogging platform around the turn of the decade. tumblr doesn't really have an app yet because smartphones haven't taken over everyone's life yet, and online fandom culture is still largely dominated by deviantart as the main "fandom hub". most people, myself included, are getting their main meme fixes from facebook (which your parents were not yet on) or the icanhazcheezburger image-aggregator network. THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN THE FANDOM NATION ATTACKED.

somehow, a huge crowd of people who considered their favorite books/movies/games to be core personality traits began to set up shop on this fair slate-blue isle. i number myself among this crowd, having been lured here by google-image-searching for miscellaneous fanart in 2011. the "old guard" largely belongs to, and continuously attracts new bloggers within, a burgeoning subculture that 100% defines itself by bucking popular trends and social expectations... whether or not this is actually accomplished by purchasing beverages from starbucks and putting old film filters on every photo, i cannot say.

you may be seeing an issue already arising: hey, if the hipsters hate everything that's popular and gatekeep all their interests, and the fandom bloggers are obsessed with extremely popular franchises and are hell-bent making them even more popular, isn't that going to cause a little friction?

well, yes. it caused a fuck ton of friction. a division arose early on between "the fandom side of tumblr" and "the hipster side of tumblr." some people, like myself, played both sides. others abstained from the rigid dichotomy and considered themselves to be on another "side," like the science side of tumblr, known for explaining relatively straightforward STEM concepts in large essays that began with something like "listen up fuckers."

ahhh, unfriendable. such a narrow little window in time where cheezburger sites and facebook had equal sway in the online zeitgeist.

interestingly, as someone who trawled a LOT of aesthetic tags, the most popular of which was simply #aesthetic (it was shockingly consistent in there), i never actually saw hipster bloggers complaining about fandom bloggers. it was always the other way around, with fandom bloggers bragging about how much they're freaking out the squares to get cool points with other fandom bloggers, all while never actually engaging with the hipster bloggers because their tags rarely overlapped.

hi, marge! we're freaking out the hipsters!

regardless of whether there was any material reality to it, or if it was simply a Minitrue level of entirely fictional warfare, this concept entrenched itself into the fandom bloggers, likely as a way to still feel "edgy" and unique while, again, obsessing over extremely popular and mainstream things like doctor who, pokemon, avatar the last airbender, the brand-new mcu, and other decidedly non-counterculture media. even with things it felt like no one irl had heard of, like hetalia and homestuck, those were online juggernauts nonetheless, the former of which had dominated deviantart for years and the latter of which prompted hotels and convention centers across the world to implement very strict rules about unsealed body paint. people treated fandoms like they were some sort of exclusive country club with membership fees and a dress code. and dunking on hipsters became an entire genre of Fake Internet Story, which were already pervasive on this website.

what's the point of being in a clique if there's no outgroup to flex on? #swag

this whole phenomenon ran concurrently, even symbiotically, with other tumblrisms like "tumblr university" and those horrendous "not like other girls" memes...

which means, of course, it was absolutely dead in the fucking water once DashCon happened in 2014. i don't need to tell you what happened at DashCon (there's a million essays and videos about it if you're one of today's lucky ten thousand who's never heard of it), but all across the fandom side of tumblr, it felt like finding out your parents lied about santa claus. turns out the fandoms you're in don't actually say anything about who you are as a person, a bunch of tumblrinas can't just will a fully functional micronation into existence just by wearing tacky merchandise in a public venue, and magic probably isn't real.

i wish i had some grand way to end this story, but really the moral is the same as it ever was: online drama is eternal, inescapable, and completely fucking worthless. if you only post to get mad at shit, especially if you're just making up a guy to get mad at, cut that out. touch grass. look at images of cats. i don't remember any of the enemies i made from this era, but i fondly remember all the friends, and i'm richer for making those positive connections. that's all for today's episode of Tumblr History with Toothpaste Face... remember to tip your waitress and stay minty.

[wikiangela]

Weekend WIP Game

tagged by @jesuisici33 <3

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more)

1. WIP List:

alive shannon

sick eddie

buddie coffee shop

new buddie chris' school

roommates

bi eddie

buddie death cast fic

cheating fic

untitled natalia fic

buddie 2x01

5+1 nicknames

coffee buddie

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

alive shannon with 20k words so far

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

alive shannon, since it's kinda a canon rewrite and I still haven't decided to which point it's gonna go, we'll see when it'll feel right to end it haha

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

once again, alive shannon haha - it's just so fun to explore what all those dynamics could've been, and giving Eddie and Shannon some closure, and I love exploring Shannon's character, too, speculating on her thoughts and motivations, and diving into everyone's heads, and I'm so excited to see it all develop!!

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

I think it's either alive shannon or the cheating fic alive shannon bc I've never written s2/s3 buddie and I wanna get their characters semi-right, and I don't remember a lot of details so I need to get on with my rewatch lol - and also writing Shannon's and Eddie's feelings on their relationship and how it all ended is not easy haha and the cheating fic bc it's so not my thing but a song inspired it and it got stuck in my head and it's happening haha and I hope I'll make it make sense haha

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

tbh all of them - some more, some less, but there are moments, especially lately, when veeeery often I'm just like: everything I write sucks wtf

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

@giddyupbuck agreed to beta the alive shannon fic, and I spam them with snippets if I'm in doubt and it's sooo helpful fr ily <3 and I'll need alive shannon beta-read bc it's gonna be so long, and I keep changing my mind about things bc of how many ideas I have, so I just need someone else to look at it and tell me if everything makes sense haha - and Ro's helped me so much with some previous fics so they have my full trust with my baby that is the alive shannon fic haha

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

all of them at some point lol - a few of these are actually on hold bc of that - I will get back to them tho!

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

as of now there's no ocs in any of these, but we'll see haha

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

cheating fic and maaaaybe coffee buddie (if I'll ever get back to this one) - no actual smut in my wips yet atm

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

buddie death cast fic - if you've read 'they both die at the end' you know why lol this is not gonna have a happy ending

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

so far I'm loving everyone in alive shannon so I guess let's go with that haha

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

oh I am so bad this - but maybe let's say buddie coffee shop au bc i think it's the only one where I put even a little bit of focus on the setting lmao

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

alive shannon, been thinking about it and making notes for months before I started writing, and I don't think i've ever been this invested in a fic

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

alive shannon - - like I said, it's my most precious baby, and I'm so excited to not only write it but read it, and I hope it's gonna be as good as it is in my head, and I hope I'll make the story make sense with Shannon there, but also keeping some important buddie moments from canon hah

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

not sure if i've ever dreamt about a wip, but i do get new ideas in my sleep sometimes lol

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

alive shannon will have switching povs which i rarely do, so it's gonna be a challenge to write three distinct voices - and diving into Shannon's head and feelings and motivations will also definitely be hard

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

I think sick eddie - he's so ridiculously stubborn and difficult istg haha or buddie coffee shop with how fucking awkward buck's being

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

yep, once again, alive shannon - it's as much a buddie fic as it is a shannon fic, so it's not exactly outside pov, bc I'm just excited to focus on her equally as much, on how she's settling into their lives, becoming a better mom, being involved in Chris' life - she's gonna have as much focus as buddie sns it's not easy, bc it's alternating povs and once I get stuck in Eddie's head it's hard to leave, but so far it's been fun

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs

uhhh, I think I share like everything lol okay, so maybe: alive shannon will definitely go at least up until s4 and will include Eddie dating Ana 👀 purely bc I want a buddie-shipping Shannon to be like wtf eddie??? also, there will be more than one mcd in the death cast fic and coffee buddie was loosely inspired by a small thing from luke cage lol

no pressure tags: @daffi-990 @fortheloveofbuddie @elvensorceress @gaydiaz @diazass @thebravebitch @silentxxsoul @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @arthursdent @diazblunt @911onabc @eddiediaztho @housewifebuck @lover-of-mine @gayhoediaz @rogerzsteven @watchyourbuck @hoodie-buck @monsterrae1 @ladydorian05 @forthewolves @honestlydarkprincess @wildlife4life @theotherbuckley @weewootruck @thewolvesof1998 @disasterbuckdiaz @loserdiaz @underwater-ninja-13 @giddyupbuck @hippolotamus @eowon @callaplums @spotsandsocks

[nelvana]

A couple months ago now I was fortunate enough to buy a used switch lite from my friend, and even luckier to obtain a copy of Pokemon Scarlet at the local pawn shop at a very reduced price (plus a couple other things but that's not the point rn). So, we go right from the earliest generation of pokemon to the newest back to back, with possibly just as many bugs and glitches, to my gen 9 team!

Team stats and general gameplay info under the cut:

"Nila", Meowscarada, ♀, U-Turn - Play Rough - Flower Trick - Night Slash

"Quaord", Clodsire, ♂, Poison Jab - Earthquake - Liquidation - Megahorn

"Guache", Grafaiai, ♂, Slash - Knock Off - Poison Jab - U-Turn

"Stella", Luxray☆, ♀, Volt Switch - Spark - Crunch - Ice Fang

"Étoile", Pyroar☆, ♀, Flamethrower - Hyper Voice - Swift - Crunch

"Pharle", Farigiraf, ♂, Crunch - Shadow Ball - Twin Beam - Tera Blast

General Playthrough Notes:

Okay look I need to level with you all right off the bat, I don't like the vast majority of the pokemon introduced in gen 9. They feel like such first drafts to me. I normally go into these games with a team plan but this time I literally had two slots missing going in, I just could not think of what to put in there. And I already planned on using two poison-types and two normal-types! Normally I avoid doubling up on types as much as possible! After a bit I used the codes to get a bug-tera mew and a cetitan and was just thinking "I guess they'll be mainstays??"... then I immediately ran into a shiny shinx. Then a shiny litleo. They happened to slot right into the team and I've never been fortunate enough to use shinies in a playthrough (except my soulsilver randomized apocalocke but shhhhh we aren't there yet), so I put them on. But if they hadn't shown up and essentially saved my ass I would have been hard pressed to fill up a team of six (look I literally just used a mew I'm not in a hurry to use it again, at least it's been a couple years since I used luxray in a playthrough).

Anyways, despite all that, I had fun! I knew going in it wouldn't be too difficult and would have its lion's share of glitches, so I was just along for the ride. I like the friend group you form in this game! I like vibing with koraidon as an honorary team member! It's just a pleasant time.

Back to shinies for a moment, overworld shinies without any sound effects to indicate them is evil. I spent so much time staring at groups of pokemon trying to tell if one of them was off-palette. Thankfully, I never ran into any shinies other than the ones I caught.

The raids are neat, though since I don't have Nintendo Online and no frequent enough local players it isn't super interesting with just the npcs. Caught a few neat fellas though, including a steel-tera breloom and a fighting-tera azumarill.

Speaking of, when I first started playing those mewtwo raids were going on and I wanted to participate in them so bad. I barely missed my window, though from what I've heard I wouldn't have stood much of a chance anyway, haha.

I wish there was more post-game other than the raids. I've redone the tournament like half a dozen times now; I wish there was a battle frontier or something. To be fair, I haven't caught all those ruin legends yet; though the one I have caught I managed to get in the first ball, lol.

Do I have the dlc yet? No! I can't just throw around that kind of money willy-nilly. Maybe someday though.

Picnics are really cute though I wish I could pet my pokemon instead of just wash them. Also why can't I sit down on the chairs that are set up around the picnic table??? Still don't really get the sandwich hype, I might mess around with it a bit though, I want to give it a fair shot.

"Hey Nel, why haven't you talked about the Elite Four? You usually start these notes with them?" The E4 is very unremarkable, sorry. I won't bore you by being the billionth person to rag on how Geeta is objectively the worst champion. Also when I rematched all the gym leaders I didn't have to terastilize or heal my pokemon. They were a bit more impressive the first time around tbh. The gym puzzles were neat though!! Except for Tulip's. Fuck her.

Oh yeah, terastilizing is a thing. Mega evolution is still better.

I wanna hang out with my friiiieeeennnds more, both my irl friends and Nemona, Penny, and Arven. It would be so fun to do raids with them or something like that.

Cold take but the uniforms suck I wanna customize my outfit like Nemona, Penny, Arven and Team Star do

(Normally this is where I'd show a screenshot of me finishing the game, but I'm one of the few weirdos who can't use captchas and haven't found another way to transfer files from my switch to other devices. Have a picture of my cat instead; his name is Prince.)

[cherrygorilla]

Ice Pop 🍃

Aaaah, Happy Birthday, Danelle! I hope you're having a wonderful day! I honestly didn't think I'd be able to get anything done to celebrate this year with how busy I've been, and I felt terrible, but luckily being at home for the last week has given me some time on a night to whip a little something up. It's not the best, or the most exciting, but hopefully it can somewhat make up for my months of radiosilence, and bring you a little joy today. 🥰

Now, this can pretty much be considered a standalone AU one-shot, but it was supposed to be a section in the third part of ASDO - yes, I know I haven't even finished the second part yet, I'm working on it lol - however, due to changes in timelines and things, it's not going to be able to work like this anymore. Still, I wanted my idea for two certain characters meeting for the first time to have some sort of a home, even if it is no longer canon. And who knows? Maybe it'll help for their appearances in other stories haha. But yeah, if you're wondering about the context of the rehearsal it's centred around - that's what it's for 😂

Anyway, enough of my rambling! I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you have a great day however you end up celebrating! You're the best internet friend a girl could ask for, so you deserve it! Happy birthday, Danelle!! 🥳

"Ugh, she just gets prettier every time I see her."

As rubber sneaker soles met blistering asphalt, Vivien couldn't help but giggle. Swinging the door of the sky blue convertible shut, she turned to face Carrie, affectionately rolling her eyes as she saw where her gaze, and flattery was aimed. Proudly plastered across the side of Sound Stage 4 was a colossal banner advertising the newest season of Find Your Voice, decorated with the gigantic heads of eight of its core cast members. And off to the left hand side, beaming down the camera lens over the top of an advanced geometry textbook, was the very same blonde as the one standing there admiring it.

"And Miles wonders why he can't get Royce to stop calling you vain," Vivien sarcastically teased.

Reluctantly tearing her gaze from the studio's prime position billboard, Carrie settled the younger brunette with a contented smirk. "I don't care; it's true," she said, holding back a giggle of her own as she swung her car door shut. "And besides, a little self-love's healthy."

"A little?" Vivien snorted with a raised eyebrow.

Carrie didn't have a comeback for that one, instead just laughing along with the teenager as she locked up her Mustang and rounded the car to join her. Bidding the oversized version of herself a final goodbye with a proud grin and a mock salute, as a way of thanking her for her contributions to their show's ever-growing ratings, Carrie began leading Vivien out of the studio parking lot. 

Jogging a few paces to match the blonde's brisk walking pace, Vivien soon returned to scanning her surroundings like she'd just set foot in Munchkinland after a tornado. By now she had thought she was somewhat familiar with the movie world her extended family lived in, or at least the portion by the beach where they all resided. But exploring the downtown area brought that same giddy novelty of her first visit flooding back to her. It was like the whole city had a filter over it, turning up the saturation of the colours in the brickwork or shop signs, and bringing out their warmth to match the sunrays kissing the freckles up and down her arms.

Once she'd finally regained control of her childlike wonder, and had stopped gawping at the buildings lining the street they were strolling down as though they were exhibits at a science museum, her attention returned to the same question that had been plaguing her since Carrie had ushered her into the passenger seat of her car. "You know, you still haven't actually told me where we're going."

"I'm taking you to the venue."

Despite her nonchalant tone, Carrie's revelation made Vivien's breath catch in her throat. "Already?"

"Well yeah," Carrie replied, seemingly confused by the panicked squeak in the girl's voice. "I thought you'd want to get some practice in first."

Melting into a smile with a relieved sigh, Vivien let her shoulders relax and her feet be guided by the clunky, patterned platform boots parading her down Sycamore Close. Acting as a rather effective tour guide, Carrie gave her a walking tour of her and Miles' weekday stomping ground - she pointed out the mechanic shop where he worked, where their favourite sandwich shop was, which place did the best coffee, which place did the worst coffee - she even pointed out the laundrette Miles almost flooded after an unfortunate lunch-break run-in with a meatball sub, and threw in the anecdote that went along with it for good measure. There was the florist shop, the record store, the pharmacy - the whole street looked like it could have been plucked straight out of a movie set. And, in a way, Vivien supposed it had been. But as they rounded another corner, the pastel awnings and inviting smells disappeared. 

It was far from a dump; palm trees still sporadically lined the road, and storefronts held haphazard displays of their products to entice the sparse crowds of customers. But the trashbags sitting at the curbside, and the uneven sidewalk slabs, made this part of town feel a little less polished than the rest. Just as Vivien finished reading the intricate chalkboard sign hanging outside a local bookstore though, and she turned back to follow Carrie's lead, a cloud of smoke obscured her view of the path ahead.

Thankfully, the haze had dispersed by the time the girls approached, but the stench of weed that replaced it made Vivien's nostrils itch. Scrunching up her nose, she slightly quickened her pace, hoping to get to a bakery down the street that could drown out the smell before her eyes started watering. But in the seconds that followed, she didn't know what surprised her more: the fact that Carrie was acknowledged by the stoner responsible for the smoke show, or the fact that she actually stopped to talk to him.

"Heyyyy, Carrie-oke! What the hell are you doing here so early?"

 "We're down a drummer, so we need an emergency rehearsal with our stand-in," Carrie replied, a hint of amusement colouring her tone - whether that was due to the circumstances, or the fact that she sensed Vivien's utter confusion was a mystery to the brunette though.

"You lost another one? What happened? She didn't-"

"Yeah, Amber dumped him… Again."

"Fucking hell," the guy snorted, taking a quick drag on his joint and blowing the smoke out of the corner of his mouth, away from the girls, which Vivien appreciated. There was something about his entertained grin that drew her interest - or maybe it was that mischievous twinkle she spotted in his dark, albeit bleary chocolate brown eyes as he lifted his round sunglasses onto the top of his head. Either way, her intrigue towards the young man was making the weed smell more and more tolerable with each passing second. "Two drummers in four months? Is she trying to set a record or something?" he cheekily continued.

"I don't know," Carrie sighed with an eyeroll at her friend's expense. "But she definitely made the right call with that last guy; he was a total deadweight."

"Was that the coupon guy?" he checked. And once Carrie nodded her confirmation: "Oh yeah, he was a fucking moron. She can do so much better."

"Exactly," Carrie replied, throwing her head back with a hearty laugh at the brunet's earnest response. "But, yet again, her commendable level of self-respect has left us without a drummer less than eight hours before doors open. Hence the emergency rehearsal."

The deeply pensive expression, pulling the guy's eyebrows together, had Vivien biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from giggling, especially when he revealed what he'd been thinking so hard about.

"Hence…" he mumbled, through a mouthful of the BLT sandwich he'd picked up from the plate balancing precariously on the windowsill beside him. "Gnarly adverb... Respect."

Carrie just shook her head with another amused grin. "That stuff's hittin' good this morning, huh?"

"Oh yeah," he chuckled with a contented nod of approval. "You want a hit?"

Whilst the offer itself wasn't too much of a surprise to Vivien, the length of time Carrie appeared to consider it for certainly was. For a moment, she even thought she saw the blonde's arm twitch, as though instinctively moving to accept, before she caught herself and shook her head. "No, I can't-"

"Oh come on, just a little one."

Again, Carrie almost appeared convinced, before her better judgement won out. "No, I- Look, maybe later," she eventually compromised, taking a step towards the propped open, painted brown door beside them to prevent any attempts at further complaints from the stoner. "I already told you, I'm not here to just hang out. We've got to rehearse."

"We? What are you talking about? Who's-?" But as Vivien followed Carrie's lead, inching towards the doorway, she looked up to find that set of bleary brown eyes fixed on her for the first time that conversation - any traces of an end to his question completely falling out of his head the second he spotted her.

Now that she'd actually been acknowledged by the guy, Vivien took the opportunity to fully take in his appearance: fascinated by the fact that such a creature even knew Carrie, let alone spoke to her like a friend. His dark, taupe hair fell in half-hearted curls by his shoulders - more in limp waves than anything, which were pushed away from his face by the arms of the scratched, round sunglasses balanced atop his head. His scrawny frame was hidden by a baggy denim jacket that looked as though it was about four sizes too big for him, with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and a shirt beneath patterned so intensely she couldn't look at it for long without seeing spots in her vision. Old, flared, brown trousers; scuffed, but clearly well-loved, maroon boots; and a jumbled collection of leather bracelets, fabric wristbands, and peace sign pendants completed the look - a look she could only think to dub: dishevelled bohemian. If he'd have been on the cover of a history book about the hippie movement she wouldn't have batted an eyelid. And yet here he was, standing right in front of her, looking at her as though she'd just been beamed down from a spaceship.

Apparently her very existence was all it took to stun him into silence; his brain clearly needed all the energy it could get to process what he was seeing. She could practically hear its cogs spinning on overdrive as he searched her face for some recognisable quality. And just when they were starting to sound like her old laptop loading up The Sims, he tore his gaze from her and fixed it back on Carrie.

"…Who the fuck is that?"

The genuine confusion riddling his expression amused Vivien to no end, having to catch herself before a giggle escaped her lips as Carrie, evidently more familiar with his antics, simply replied: "It's Viv."

But the explanation made absolutely no difference in that empty, freckled head. The guy still looked as lost as ever.

"It's Vivien," Carrie tried again. But when she was met with a further, if not slightly more irritated, blank stare, she let out a frustrated scoff and turned so that she was fully facing the airheaded brunet again. "Vivien O'Brian-"

"You say that like you expect me to know who she is," he cut in with an incredulous scoff of his own.

"You do know."

"Then who the fuck is it?" 

"Vivien," Carrie fired back with great exasperation - the kind that could only come from years of friendly, pent-up frustration. "She ice skates. She reads books. Miles talks about her like once a fucking week!"

Ethan's eyes lit up like a Roman candle. "Yoooo, where is Miles?" he asked, all inquiries about the brunette forgotten in an instant at the very mention of that all-important name.

But his eager grin was met with a look of disapproving disbelief. "I don't know," Carrie snapped, left floundering for an answer thanks to the stoner's inability to hold a properly structured conversation. "At work, I assume."

He looked about as satisfied with Carrie's answer as she had with his question though, tipping his head up to the sky and letting out a frustrated groan that would have given a sulking six-year-old a run for his money. "You seriously didn't bring him with you?" he checked, quirking an eyebrow at her out of the corner of his vision - clearly hoping this was just some dorky prank set-up.

"No, I don't think he gets off 'til 5," Carrie flatly fired back.

"Ughhhhh." There went that stroppy groan of frustration again. "That's fucking forever away. What am I supposed to do 'til then?"

"You could help us set up for our rehearsal," Carrie suggested with a smirk. "You know, like any respectable entertainment coordinator would."

He just rolled his eyes. "It's gonna be so boring without him though," he whined, scuffing his boot along the sidewalk as he dejectedly kicked a pebble against the side of the building.

Now it was Carrie's turn to roll her eyes as she let out an incredulous scoff. "Need I remind you, we were friends way before Miles came into the picture?" 

The stoner levelled her gaze for a beat before a knowing smile tugged his lips into that same mischievous grin from before. "Yeah, but from that point on, nothing else really mattered, did it? Let's be real," he chuckled. Despite the ribbing, and obvious penchant for a certain mechanic, there was a glint in his blood-shot eyes that revealed his fondness for the blonde after all though.

And the feeling was clearly mutual since she was still willing to continue the conversation - she couldn't even successfully stifle her smile back as she shook her head and muttered a quick: "You're such an idiot."

The brunet made no attempt to argue - in fact he let out an amused snort of agreement as he reached for the rest of his half-eaten BLT.

Seizing the opportunity to take control of the conversation again, Carrie attempted to steer it back on track with an exaggerated, "Anyway." Tugging her guest closer, and dramatically gesturing to her, she continued, "That Vivien we talk about all the time: this is her."

The guy nodded thoughtfully. "Vivien…" he mumbled through a mouthful of bread - still playing that oh-so challenging game of connect-the-dots.

"Yes, Vivien," Carrie confirmed, as though encouraging a kindergartener. "She stayed with Miles and his brothers last April."

"Mmm," he nodded, finally showing some evidence of understanding. "She's dating that other mechanic guy - the one Miles lived with for-"

"No," Carrie cut in sharply over Vivien's incredulous laughter. "That's Mick and Butchy."

"Well how the fuck am I supposed to-?"

"Viv's dating Royce," Carrie explained, cutting off his complaint before he could derail the conversation any further.

"She's dating Royce?" he questioned, half-mumbling to himself as he fought through the disbelief the new information carried. His eyebrows scrunched in incredulity, his lips curled into a sort of confused grimace- 

But then it finally clicked - the force almost popping his eyes out of his head in the process.

If the sudden change in the stoner's expression hadn't already set Vivien off to laugh harder, the sharp gasp that followed, and sent what remained of his mouthful of sandwich flying into the back of his throat, certainly did.

"Holy shit!" he eventually managed to choke out between the hacking coughs to help dislodge the piece of bread. "That was actually real?" he went on to ask once he'd caught his breath again, staring at Carrie with tear-stained eyes and a look of utter stupefaction. But she just nodded and chuckled as she handed him a bottle of water from her purse. "I thought Miles just made that up so I'd stop thinking his brother was a lame-ass," he continued, pausing to gulp down the offered water and rid himself of any remaining evidence of his mini choking fit. Holding the water bottle out to its original owner with a heavy, contemplative sigh, he levelled her gaze and lowered his voice to ask a dubious: "You're definitely sure it's real then?"

"You do know you can talk to her yourself, right?" Carrie checked, raising her eyebrow as she took back the bottle and gestured to Vivien yet again.

The guy paused, mouth slightly agape, as the realisation steadily dawned on him. Shifting his gaze to the brunette, he instead posed the question to her. "...You're actually dating Miles' brother?"

"I am indeed," she replied, smirking through poorly stifled giggles at the caricature of a guy's reactions.

"And they're definitely not paying you to say this?"

"I wish I was getting paid," Vivien snorted. "Easiest buck I'd ever make."

A thoughtful nod followed, as though impressed by the girl's honesty. And then came another bite of that BLT as he mulled over the revelation a little more. "Well, shit," he eventually settled on, with an amused smirk of his own. "Good for him… And you, I guess," he added, with a vague nod in Vivien's direction.

And then there was silence. It seemed as though he felt his role in the conversation was over now if the way he engrossed himself in inspecting the limp piece of lettuce sticking out the side of his sandwich was anything to go by. But Carrie had other ideas.

"Is that it?"

"Is what it?"

"That's all you have to say?" she raised an eyebrow and pressed.

"Well what else do you want me to do?"

But Carrie's disgruntled eye roll told Vivien she wasn't about to spell it out for him. "You have the social skills of a fucking garden snail," she muttered, before turning to the younger brunette with an almost apologetic shake of her head. "Well, since he's not gonna introduce himself - Viv, this Ethan. I had other, cooler friends I wanted you to meet first but, unfortunately fate had other plans."

Ethan still frowned despite her teasing tone. "I know you don't mean that, Cole," he protested, to which Carrie just smirked and rolled her eyes again.

Vivien felt like she was constantly on the brink of laughter watching the pair interact, caught between genuine amusement and utter disbelief. "So you two are like legitimately friends then?" she asked, feeling the need to check since her brain still didn't feel ready to process what her eyes were telling her.

Matching mischievous grins graced their faces as Ethan nodded and Carrie stifled another chuckle. "Don't look so surprised," she added after clocking the girl's reaction.

"No, I just-" Vivien floundered, struggling to articulate everything her brain was trying to process into a proper sentence. But after several failed attempts, she let her straight-to-the-point inner voice take over talking duties, with a spluttered laugh to join it. "How the hell did it happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I just- I thought I had an idea of what your friends would be like…" Vivien trailed off, again at a loss for words.

"And this isn't it?" Carrie asked with mock-surprise as she jerked her thumb in Ethan's direction, just as he took another hit of his joint. 

"...Well, we call you Barbie for a reason," Vivien teased. "I just didn't expect Little Miss Perfect to hang out with…"

"Someone who looks like they crawled out of Fraggle Rock?" Carrie offered with a smirk that quickly set the girl off to laugh.

Luckily, Ethan started laughing along with them - but not for the same reasons. "Yooo, they call you Barbie?"

"That's what you took from that?" Carrie checked in disgruntled disbelief.

"That's so fucking good," he mumbled as another amused grin settled on his lips.

But Carrie just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Vivien. "I swear you kids think I'm some sort of saint," she chuckled before teasingly adding, "You're not the only one who can have cool, weird friends, you know?"

"I never said I was," Vivien argued through a laugh. "I just don't know where you two could have ever crossed paths. Where did you guys meet?"

"He works on the sound for Find Your Voice and a couple of other shows on the lot. So I've known him ever since I booked the part," Carrie explained whilst Ethan worked on finishing what was left of his BLT. "He was just another part of the crew at first, but, because I talk to anyone and everyone all the time-"

"'Cause she loves the sound of her own voice," Ethan cut in through a mouthful of bacon, cheekily licking mayo off his thumb.

Carrie silenced him with a withering stare - but his lingering smirk told Vivien that he wasn't phased in the slightest. Still, Carrie was able to finish the rest of her explanation uninterrupted. "-I started to talk to him between takes, you know, since he was always there with the boom mic. And then one thing led to another, and before I knew it, he was sacking off lunch with the other tech guys to come and raid my dressing room for cookies."

"Oh come on," Ethan frowned at the light ribbing. "Don't pretend you wouldn't do the same for your mom's snickerdoodles."

"You ate crumbs out of a trash can."

"And I'd do it again," Ethan shot back with an earnestness that just made his and Carrie's sibling-like bickering even more entertaining. "You can't talk anyway; you ate that piece of pizza Miles spat out into a napkin the other week."

Ethan's accusatory frown, paired with Vivien's grimace just made Carrie's attempts at a justification even harder to come by. "Listen, I was not…" she began, eyes darting to the brunette on her left as she tried to phrase this in a way that wouldn't tarnish her reputation any further. "...of sound mind that evening. Plus, he's my boyfriend - I've tasted worse than saliva."

As if the first part of the confession hadn't shocked her enough, Vivien jerked her head back in reaction to that last line. "Eww, Carrie!"

Ethan's loud bark of laughter was a completely different response though. "Hey, I never said there was anything wrong with it," he eventually chuckled. "I'd have probably eaten it if you didn't."

"And I bet you'd have loved it too, you freak," Carrie fired back with a smirk despite her nose wrinkling in disgust.

Ethan's proud grin was all the evidence she needed to know she was right. 

Once Vivien had recovered from her future sister-in-law's nausea-inducing revelation, she was able to continue with her inquiries about the scruffy stoner she'd become so fascinated with. "Wait so you know Miles too?"

"Know him?!" Ethan squawked.

His reaction sent Carrie's eyes to the heavens as she tipped her head back in despair. "Don't get him started, Viv," she wearily warned.

But Ethan didn't even give the brunette the chance to question any further, seizing the opportunity to talk about the mechanic with both hands, and a lovestruck smile. "Miles is my soulmate; my cosmic chaperone - we're spiritually bound by the very threads of our existence."

The edges of Vivien's smirk twitched, dying to let the guffaws it was holding back free as she raised an eyebrow. "That close, huh?"

Ethan gave the girl a solemn nod. "He's the ketchup to my mustard."

"Well shit," Vivien deadpanned, matching the guy's energy perfectly. "You can't get closer than that."

Shaking her head at the pair, and the situation in general, Carrie went on to explain: "The second I brought Miles on set it was game over. He asked Ethan some dumb question about a song on the radio and he's been following him around like a bad smell ever since." 

Both physically and metaphorically.

"It was Money by the Rolling Stones, and we still say it's our song to this day, thank you very much," Ethan cagily retorted, as protective as ever over his friendship with Miles, before adding a slightly more in character: "That guitar line is gnarly."

"'Our song'?" Vivien questioned with a snort. "Are you guys gonna use it for your wedding or something?"

But the teasing remark bounced off Ethan like a rubber bullet as he mulled over the proposal with a mellow grin. "I could dig it."

Again Carrie just fondly shook her head, at both Ethan's response and Vivien's reaction. "Believe me, Viv," she went on to say. "They'd need no encouragement. I mean, you'll see it for yourself later, but they're inseparable when you get them together. Like, think of the biggest bromance you know, then times it by four…and you might be getting close."

"They're really that close?" Vivien chuckled in disbelief.

Carrie nodded intently. "They're like fucking limpets."

"I can't believe Miles has been hiding the fact he's got a best friend from me for all these years," Vivien said with cheeky incredulity. "I'm never letting him live this down. I didn't think losers like him were capable of having best friends."

"Well believe it, because he's not going anywhere," Carrie snorted. "Believe me; I've tried."

"Protest all you want, 'oke. You and I both know you'd be lost without me," Ethan said, slinging his now free arm around Carrie's shoulder and pulling her towards him, before affectionately squidging her cheeks together in a way that immediately had her trying to squirm out of his grip. 

"I'd have one hell of a mopey boyfriend, that's for sure," Carrie compromised with an affectionate roll of her eyes as she finally somewhat relaxed into the awkward embrace. "And a pretty boring social life."

"Exactly!" Ethan said, that same mischievous grin from earlier making its fateful return. "Who else would you have to go and play midnight mini golf with? And who'd you get to play ice tag with you on set?"

"Isn't it called 'freeze' tag?" Vivien teasingly questioned. "And why are you adults playing freeze tag at work?"

"Uh, we're 22, we're not dinosaurs," Carrie retorted. "And it's not 'freeze tag', it's 'ice tag': a Carrie and Ethan original."

"Well if it's not freeze tag then what is it?" Vivien laughed.

"Duuude, it's so fun!" Ethan enthused. "You've gotta sneak to one of the craft services ice buckets, grab a couple cubes, then pick your victims. If you get one down the back of their shirt - or pants - without them noticing 'til it's already down there, and without it melting, you get a point - and they then have to be the next one to go get the ice."

"The camera guys hate it," Carrie laughed. "But it makes long filming days so much more fun. We've got like half the cast and crew playing now."

"Yeah, the scoreboard in her dressing room's insane," Ethan added.

"So you've built an entire friendship around a game about ice cubes?" Vivien questioned with an amused quirk of her eyebrow.

"Pfft, no, we hang out all the time!" Ethan said.

"Yeah, believe it or not, Miles and I do voluntarily hang out with him when we're not running around after you guys," Carrie chuckled.

"To do what?" Vivien snorted.

"All sorts. We've had a few good movie nights lately 'cause we found out Ethan's got like the weirdest taste in movies ever; he's seen shit like 'Attack of the Crab Monsters', but not The Wizard of Oz."

"Well I have now, but it was fucking weird, man," came Ethan's review. "The scarecrow guy's face looked like it was melting off." Directing his next point at Vivien in particular, he departed his first bout of wisdom on her. "Not one to watch high, dudette, trust me."

"Noted," Vivien acknowledged.

"So yeah, we've had a couple of rogue movie nights if Ethan's been in charge of securing the projector reels," Carrie continued. "But other than that it's just like general, everyday stuff. At least for us, anyway. We don't really get much chance to properly plan stuff out - it kind of just happens. Like the other day, after work, Amber started trying to teach us all how to do one of her crazy yoga routines - we'd never have suggested that until we did it, but it was some of the most fun I've had in weeks."

"Yooo, I was so fucking good at it. I might get her to show me some more stuff next week; I really felt like I was tapping into something powerful with it."

"Oh it was powerful alright," Carrie acknowledged with a giggle. "Miles couldn't believe it - I haven't seen him laugh that hard since he watched you take 20 minutes to make that packet ramen."

"Look, I just have other skill sets to most people," Ethan retorted with a resigned sigh. But a fleeting memory soon had his confidence racing back. "You've gotta admit I was a key player in helping you wreck Eric's car though."

Vivien's jaw dropped to her purple sneakers. "I'm sorry, you did what now?"

The guilt was written all over Carrie's pretty little face. Knowing she had no leg to stand on if she attempted to deny it, thanks to Ethan's unending honesty, she caved with a sigh. "Ok, yeah, so we may have totaled Eric's sports car-"

"Fuck, it was so fun!" Ethan exclaimed. "Me, Amber, and Carrie went to town on that thing. And Julie-"

"Anyway," Carried quickly cut in, trying to change the topic of conversation.

But the disbelief glittering in Vivien's emerald eyes wasn't about to let her get off the hook so easily. "Oh no, I'm not going anywhere until I hear this story," she grinned eagerly.

Letting out a defeated huff, Carrie compromised. "Alright, fine, I'll tell you later. But not a word of it gets back to Miles, ok? Because he has no idea we were the ones responsible for that - and we need to keep it that way."

"Oh come on, why can't I hear it now?" Vivien asked, sticking Carrie with her classic puppy dog eyes for extra, black-mail-y effect.

But unlike her other half, Carrie wasn't so easily won over by the pleading. "Because we need to go practice," she fired back. "We've wasted enough time talking to this bozo already."

"It's not been a waste," Ethan indignantly replied. "I've had a great time."

"So have I," Vivien agreed with a chuckle. 

"And I'm very pleased for you both, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to rehearse. So hurry up and unlock the function room for us, tech boy," Carrie bossily snapped back despite her affectionate eye roll. 

"You see how she speaks to me?" Ethan snarkily muttered to Vivien as though behind the blonde's back. 

"I thought he was the sound guy for your TV show, what does that have to do with us rehearsing here?" Vivien asked, scanning the outside of the building for some sort of clue as to what the place even was.

"He is, but he's also the entertainment co-ordinator here, which means he's in charge of all the live music equipment, and the emcee for the night," Carrie explained as he stamped out the end of his joint with the toe of his boot. "So we're stuck with him all day, I'm afraid."

"I'm also your number one competition, so you'd better be fucking good," he retorted with another mischievous grin. "'Cause you've yet to beat us once."

"You've got a band too?" Vivien asked.

"Yeah - me, Miles, Donny, Rizzo and Desky. Don't let Carrie brainwash you about her bogus trio though, 'cause she can talk all she wants, but she knows she only put it together 'cause she was jealous of ours."

"You're so full of shit," Carrie retorted.

"Oh yeah? Then how come you've lost the crowd favourite vote to us every single time?" he cockily shot back. And when, for once, she didn't have a snapback at the ready: "That's what I thought. Fucking. Poser."

"Brag all you want, but we're gonna make you eat those words tonight now that we've got Viv on our side," Carrie coolly replied, sparing the brunette a smug smile.

"Oh shit, yeah," Ethan said, his competitiveness vanishing once he remembered the reason for his new friend's visit. "You're filling in as their drummer, right?"

"Yeah," Vivien confirmed, trying to hide the fact that her stomach did a backflip at the very thought. "At least that's the plan."

"Gnarly," he acknowledged with an impressed nod. "Where'd you learn to play?"

"My brother Riven taught me back when we were kids."

"Nice, you ever done any shows before or-?"

"Hello? What part of, 'we need to go practice', do you not understand?" Carrie cut in with a pointed glare in the stoner's direction.

"Uh, we're having a conversation here," Ethan countered, totally oblivious to her frustration.

"We actually have a band of our own with two of our friends that we've played a couple of shows for, yeah," Vivien carried on with a giggle at Carrie's expense.

"Oh really? No way!" Ethan exclaimed, seeming genuinely excited by the prospect.

"Yeah, and we write all our own songs."

"Seriously? That's so-"

"Guys!" Carrie tried again - one more stall away from stamping her platform go-go boot on the ground and throwing a toddler-style fit. "Come onnnn."

But yet again, Ethan wasn't bothered in the slightest by her rising irritation. In fact, he was rather irritated himself by her impatience. "Carrie - can't you see I'm talking to my new friend here? She has great knowledge to bestow, and I have much to learn - so quit interrupting; we're having bonding time. You're being rude."

"You can't pull the 'friend' card on me with Viv; she's like my little sister-" Carrie tried, but her indignant protests were drowned out by more of Ethan's senseless rambles.

"So, we'll circle back to the band thing later; I need to do some mental collage-work first, 'cause your canvas is feelin' a little blank, dudette," he began, leaning back against the brick wall and closing his eyes, as though to better visualise the 'memory version' of the brunette before him. Pressing a couple of fingers to his forehead, in an attempt to strengthen their cerebral connection, he continued, "We'll lay down some basics first. Quick-fire: name, birthday, last bone you broke."

Vivien had to bite back a laugh before responding: "Vivien O'Brian, August 22nd, and it was my wrist when I was 10."

Ethan's eyes peeled open, shining with intrigue. "No way, you've actually broken a bone?"

"Why are you so surprised? You asked," Vivien chuckled.

"'Cause most of these losers I ask don't do anything exciting enough to risk bodily harm," he snorted back, with a smug glance in Carrie's direction, relishing the steam that was practically rising from the top of her head. "How'd you break it then?"

"My skating partner dropped me," Vivien said, luckily able to look back on the memory with a more optimistic view than the other participant.

"'Skating partner'?" Ethan mused.

"Yeah, we're figure skaters - my friend Riven and I; the one who taught me to how to play the drums," she explained, catching on quickly that the more context clues she offered, the sooner they'd get to the point.

"What, like roller skating?" 

"No, ice skating," Vivien clarified with a giggle.

Ethan's eyes glazed over in understanding. "Ohhh, right. Like ice hockey."

"No, not like ice hockey," Carrie cut in with an exasperated sigh, trying to break it down as simply as she could. "Figure skating. It's like ice dancing. Think the winter olympics - lots of twirling - little dresses-"

"Ohhh, no way! You do all those crazy jumps and shit?" Ethan exclaimed - finally catching on.

"Yeah," Vivien acknowledged. "At least three times a week, usually."

"At the olympics?" he asked, genuine amazement coating every word.

"No, we're not at olympic level," she chuckled, deciding to forgo the explanation that the olympics, at most, happen 3 times a decade. "Not yet, anyway. Our coach is working us towards it though, so who knows? Maybe one day."

"Holy fuck, we're talking to a future olympian, Carrie," Ethan enthused, bumping the blonde's arm in an attempt to share the excitement with her. But when she just rolled her eyes, yet failed to hold back her smile, he continued. "Do you do other competitions and stuff though? Or do you just like practising and doing it for fun?"

"No, we compete. I've got like a whole shelf of trophies in my room," Vivien said, poorly stifling a laugh as Ethan's eyes grew wider still. "We're the reigning national champs for our age bracket."

"Woahhhh, far out, man," he breathed. "That's awesome!" Thumping Carrie's arm again, this time a touch harder to coincide with his growing excitement, he gave her another aside, "Yo, Carrie, we're talking to like a legit celebrity here." 

Vivien didn't know what she ended up laughing harder at, Ethan's genuine awe at her achievements, or Carrie's deadpan look of resignation. Those blue eyes of hers looked like they could have melted steel.

Snorting out a laugh of his own at the blonde's expression, he turned back to Vivien with a smirk. "That never gets old," he grinned, evidently well-versed in teasing Carrie about her level of fame. "Anyway, enough about her; she gets more than enough attention. What other cool, hidden talents are you hiding under those glasses?"

"I don't know, I don't think anything else really counts as a talent," Vivien downplayed. "I've taken a few archery lessons, I like going and exploring abandoned buildings-"

"Woah, woah, woah, 'abandoned buildings'?" Ethan questioned - bloodshot eyes once again sparking to life. "What the hell? You're so cool. She's so cool," he said, turning to see if Carrie was sharing in his bewilderment too. "How the fuck did you end up dating Miles' lame-ass little brother? No offence, but like-"

"Ethan," Carrie scolded.

"No, come on, not in like a mean way; he sounds great - I'd protect him with my life - but like, all I ever hear from Miles is that he fucking reads nerdy library books," he attempted to justify.

"Well I like reading too, you know," Vivien countered with a teasing smirk. 

"Yeah, but you still seem to have a life," Ethan retorted, with all the social graces of an ox. The hearty laugh Vivien let out in response soon had him back to grinning like an idiot though. "Yo, why's Miles kept us apart for so long? You're awesome - we've got such a good energy going here," he chuckled.

"Yeah, why has Miles kept us apart?" Vivien agreed, looking to Carrie for some sort of explanation.

Begrudgingly rejoining the conversation, she explained with a teasing smirk at the stoner's expense. "Because you're a terrible influence - I speak from experience. He's gonna kill me when he finds out I've introduced you two without his supervision." But then she turned her attention to the younger brunette. "And because the second you see them both together, his cover as the somewhat responsible adult looking after you kids is gonna be blown out the water."

"Oh come on, how bad can he be?" Vivien laughed.

"It's not bad, necessarily - it's just that when they're together, and you're not around, all responsibilities go out the window, and the 22 years of pent-up stupidity are unleashed," Carrie explained with a laugh of her own.

Grinning mischievously, Vivien said, "In that case, I can't wait for his shift to end."

"Yeah, which is gonna be soon if we don't hurry up and get our asses inside," Carrie said, shooting Ethan with another pointed look.

"Huh? D'you hear something, Viv?" Ethan asked his new protege, intentionally blanking the steadily seething blonde.

"Ethan, come onnnn, please," Carrie pleaded, bouncing on the balls of her feet like an impatient child. "You can continue this while we're setting up."

"Weather's pretty nice this morning, huh? Not too humid, not-"

"Fine, I'll just have to kick the door down," Carrie resigned, hiding her smirk behind his back. "I hope no one's left their guitar lying around where it could get damaged if-"

Whirling around with a look of pure horror, Ethan muttered a sombre, almost warning, "Don't even joke about that; you know she's my baby."

"You play the guitar?" Vivien questioned.

"'Play's putting it lightly; I think I can noddle away on that thing better than I can talk," Ethan snorted.

"Like that's hard," Carrie teasingly retorted before continuing. "As much stick as I've given him this morning, he is really good on that guitar," she went on to acknowledge with a genuine smile. "Riven, Miles, and Butchy can talk all they want, but they're not a patch on this guy - I think if he wasn't so mentally stunted he'd be considered some sort of prodigy or something."

"You know, you can just give me a genuine compliment," he said, frowning slightly at her friendly jab. 

"I know… I'll start when you start," she retorted with a smirk he soon reciprocated, before shaking his head and letting out another snort of laughter.

"Ok, we'll stick with this; we've got a nice thing going here, why ruin it?"

Grinning at the pair of old friends, and the way Carrie squeezed him into a hug from the side, Vivien's ever-active brain started formulating a new idea - one that would hopefully get her in the good books of both cartoon-cliches come-to-life. "Well, if you're this good on the guitar I've obviously gotta hear it for myself," she prompted, drawing the brunet's attention back to her.

"Shoot, of course, I'd love to play something with you - you know any-?" Ethan began to gush, shoving Carrie away from his side in favour of chattering away to the brunette again.

"Don't we need to get into the function room first though?" she asked, sparing a quick glance at a suddenly very excited Carrie.

"Oh shit, yeah. You shoulda just said, Viv. I'll go unlock it for us," Ethan chuckled as though the concept was entirely new - sending Carrie's eyes to the heavens again. 

But the blonde's groan of frustration was drowned out by Vivien's optimistic giggle, as she teasingly mumbled under her breath, "See? That wasn't so hard."

"You two are really gonna make me regret introducing you both, huh?" she said with a weary chuckle of her own as Ethan disappeared into the building.

"On the contrary; I think we're gonna have more fun than ever," Vivien laughed back. "I need to see more of this 'wild' side he brings out of you. First I find out you're bi. Now I find out you smoke weed and could go down for criminal damages to your ex's car with that…thing. I feel like I barely even knew you before."

Carrie just chuckled to herself at the teenager's amazement. "I did try to tell you I was more than just Miles' girlfriend."

"What else are you hiding now? Surely there can't be more," Vivien demanded. "Are you gonna introduce me to your secret three-year-old or something?"

"Eww, no," she laughed. "Just be patient, you'll find out when you're ready," she smirked with a confident mystique Vivien could only have dreamed of. "I've gotta keep at least some of the mystery alive."

Before Vivien could press the older girl for any further clues though, a bedraggled head of shoulder-length brown hair appeared in the dark doorway. "Come on, Ice Pop. It's all unlocked."

Vivien looked from Ethan to Carrie and back again, perplexed. "Ice Pop?"

"Yeah, Ice Pop," Ethan simply confirmed, with a dopey grin.

"Nicknames are kind of his thing," Carrie explained, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned in to inform the brunette. "It's just how his little pea-brain works. And once he's settled on one for you, you're kind of stuck with it - unfortunately," she added, thinking back to the months of convincing it took to get him to stop calling her 'Coleslaw'.

"Why 'Ice Pop'?" Vivien questioned - as amused, and fascinated, by the guy's thought process as ever.

"'Cause you ice skate," he explained as though it was obvious. "And you're wearing purple - you've actually just got like a purple vibe."

"What does purple have to do with ice pops though?" she asked.

"Well the purple ones are my favourite, and you're my favourite ice skater, so…" he replied, miming the fusion of ideas with his hands for added effect. "Ice Pop."

Poorly holding back her flattered, yet still slightly amused grin, Vivien tried to protest. "You've never even seen me skate."

"Minor details," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You're the only one I know by name though - so, you don't have a lot of competition. But that still makes you my favourite."

All the skating talk was lost on Carrie, but there was something about the conversation that caught her attention: "The purple one's are your favourite? They taste like ass."

"Probably why they're my favourite," he snorted as Carrie just wrinkled her nose. Not wanting to delay the imminent jam session any longer, he quickly turned back to Vivien though, managing to catch her attention between her hearty laughs. "What do you say then? You like it?"

"Yeah, I like it," she grinned, warmth spreading throughout her chest as she watched the stoner's eyes glow with appreciation.

"Sweet," he breathed, holding her gaze for a beat before beckoning her towards the wooden archway in the brickwork. "Come on then, Ice Pop. Welcome to The Grapefruit."

Following a nod of approval from Carrie, who promptly trailed behind her, Vivien let Ethan lead her through a bead curtain and into a dimly lit, oak-panelled hallway. The floor almost immediately dropped into a stairwell, lined with black and white photos of musicians, and prints of various fruits in the same assorted shades of orange, yellow, and green from the beads at the entrance.

As they descended, Vivien, as talkative as ever, especially now that she was more at ease around the guy, decided to start probing Ethan for more details. "So if I'm Ice Pop, and Carrie's Carrie-oke - does Miles have a nickname?"

"Nah, you can't improve upon perfection," Ethan sighed, grabbing the railings of the staircase and launching himself down the last four steps. "I do have a 'government name' I call him though when he needs me to talk some sense into him," he continued after landing with a thud in front of a two-way corridor.

"Which is?" Vivien prompted as they turned to the left and reached another door.

"Miles per Gallon, Miles per Hour, Miles from Anywhere - there's a couple variations," he replied as he pulled a bunch of keys from his back pocket and started working on the lock. "Just depends on my mood."

"Oh my god, I can't wait for him to get here," Vivien giggled. She didn't know what she was laughing harder at: Ethan's nicknames for her honorary big brother, or what she imagined his face would look like when he realised she now knew about them. 

"Well, in the meantime, make yourself comfy. 'Cause it sounds like you're gonna be here a while," Ethan chuckled as he pushed the door open and stepped aside to let her enter first. "Behold: your performance space for the evening."

As Vivien stepped into the room, that same surreal feeling she got the first time she set foot in the Wet Side Story world flooded through her - it felt like a dream, like everything would disappear in a puff of smoke if she touched it. But as her sneakers met scuffed, wooden floorboards, she stayed very much in one piece - as did everything else around her. The wood-panelled walls continued into what she now understood was an underground bar - but, despite the lack of sunlight, it was far from dingy. The overhead lights bathed everything in a soft, golden light, which complimented the room's colour scheme perfectly. The same shades of rust orange, mustard yellow, and olive green from the beaded curtain at the entrance clung to the upholstery and decorations - and yet brighter pops of colour, in line with the bar's citrussy namesake, made the whole room come to life. The earthy tones, mismatched furniture and clashing patterns made it feel so quintessentially 60s, but that just made Vivien love it even more - even if it did smell vaguely like stale beer. 

"Hold up, how old is she? D'you think I'm allowed to have let her in here if she's not 21?" Ethan asked Carrie as the pair followed Vivien into the function room. 

"It's not like you're gonna serve her any alcohol, she's just here to perform," Carrie said, brushing off his concern with ease. "And besides, if she wants anything she can just sneak some of mine," she added with a mischievous grin the stoner quickly shared.

"Yeah, what am I even saying? Since when did I start giving a shit about following the rules?" he snorted, pocketing his keys and crashing onto the nearest, faded leather couch.

"Alright then, Viv," Carrie continued, stepping up behind the teenager, who was still gazing around the room in wonder. And yet it wasn't until the blonde put her hands on her shoulders and steered her towards the centre of the room that she even noticed the sprawling stage - complete with mic stands, a dusty piano, several guitar amps and that all-important drum-kit. "You ready to take her for a spin?"

Vivien's first instinct told her 'absolutely not', but there was something about the warmth in Carrie's hopeful smile, and Ethan's earnest encouragements, still fresh in her mind, that gave her pause. Maybe she could do this after all; they certainly seemed to think she could. And she wasn't going to get over this stage fright without trying, so she might as well give it a go with a supportive audience - a rather unconventional, supportive audience; but one that, given her newfound fondness of the pair, and their apparent abundance of love for her in return, one that she wouldn't have traded for anything.

[diaperdino77]

If you want, answer or try to answer to the following questions, please.

1) Is there anyone who knows that you wear/ like/buy diapers?

2) Has anyone accidentally ever seen you wearing diapers (with nothing else covering them) in a locker rooom, in a public toilet, airport check-in, during a medical visit or anywhere else? If yes, how did he react to this?

3) Has anyone accidentally ever been able to notice you wearing your diapers under your clothes? If yes, what has the reaction been?

4) What are your favourite diapers?

5) Ever worn diapers 24/7?

6) Do you like straitjackets, gags, and adult diapers together?

7) Have you ever been seen while buying adult diapers in a shop? If yes what has been the reaction? Furthermore, how has the cashier reacted?

8) Have you ever bought diapers using internet?

9) Has there ever been anyone who has joked about you wearing diapers? Has there ever been anyone who has made fun of you because you wear diapers?

10) Have you ever been humiliated for you wearing/liking/buying diapers?

11) Have you ever tried reusable/cloth adult diapers? If yes, how are they?

12) When did you wear your first adult diaper? What did you feel?

13) How has being ABDL influenced your social and love relations?

14) How many diaper lovers/ABDL do you know, both online and where you live?

15)Are you more AB or DL?

16) Why do you like/love diapers?

17) Have you ever seen anyone wearing diapers, in a public space (with nothing else covering them)?

18) Have you ever been able to notice anyone wearing diapers under clothes?

19) Have you ever seen anyone while buying adult diapers in a shop?

20) Have you ever worn diapers at job?

1: yes, 3 people know I like diapers. My current girlfriend, my ex girlfriend, and my therapist lol. Couples sex therapist to be specific. Other than that, I have one ABDL friend, my baby bestie @daddysbaby4eva, who knows who I am. And then anyone that my ex may have told I guess lol.

2: no, I haven't worked up the courage to leave the home diapered yet

3: I did wear a pullup once under my clothes in college just to step outside of my dorm room to go to the drinking fountain. I could hear people nearby but I didn't actually see anyone so no one saw me. But it was exhilarating. I also have worn a full diaper under clothes just outside of my house to refill the the bird and squirrel food and a beautiful college girl walked by and looked at me. I don't know if she noticed any bulk or anything though, but I like to think she maybe did

4: My favorite diapers are TryAgains by PretendAgain. I made a post when I first tried them. They make me feel so baby and the color reminds me of pampers. I swear they even have a baby diaper smell like no other abdl diaper has before. My next favorites are Comfy Cubz, Little Kings, and Animooz!! I love cloth backed hehe.

5: I have not gone 24/7 but I do like to wear for a day or two straight when I am home alone and off for the weekend. Usually go through 3 or 4 nappies. I don't do #2 in diapers though so I kinda cheat there. Never tried and don't really think I want to. Just too icky.

6: I've never tried straightjackets, but I like ball gags and diapers sometimes. And I think posts with girls in straight jackets, diapers and gagged are hot :) Love to try it all someday

7: I now order my diapers in the mail but when I used to buy pull ups at stores such as goodnites it was always a rush. I mostly used self checkout and hid the diapers in lots of bags and under stuff but I always felt people were looking and thinking I wear diapers. One younger lady cashier gave me a wierd and almost grinning look once but didn't say anything.

8: lol yes all the time

9: no

10: no, but in a sexual setting or with a dominatrix/mommy I wouldn't mind trying ;)

11: No. It sounds kinda gross honestly. I'd maybe be down to trying it once but I'm not too eager rn. I've played around with a white bath towel before I had actual diapers and kinda wrapped it around me like a nappy but never used it or anything. Just playing around.

12: It was a few years ago when I moved out of my college dorm and into an apartment with some roommates. I don't remember specifically which one was my first but i bought a rearz sample pack. My girlfriend was willing to try it with me then and she actually diapered me while I lay on the bed. It was the best feeling ever when she brought the front down onto me to tape up. UUUGGGHHHH

13: ABDL hasn't influenced my social relations at all because I keep it private so none of my real life friends nor my family know I'm into it. But its greatly influenced my love life. My ex girlfriend took to it quite well and we had many great times playing and exploring abdl back in high school. Just with Goodnites. We both wore together, she was mommy sometimes or we were both baby but mainly we just both wore diapers and were just happy and played and were sexually active in them. My current girlfriend, however, was willing to try it and we had some great times together both in pull ups and abdl diapers, but she decided it ultimately made her uncomfortable and I now keep my abdl life separate from her. She is aware and even suggested I look online for abdl companionship, but she doesn't want anything to do with it. That being said, we do have a ddlg relationship that has aspects of abdl and littlespace for her and we are exploring and developing that.

14: I only know one abdl/diaper lover on a personal level and that's my baby bestie @daddysbaby4eva. There's a few others I've chatted with on fetlife or here on tumblr but the conversations always fizzled out. There's also one person I met on fetlife who lives 30 min from me that likes diapers and being little sometimes, but we also don't talk too often.

15: I would say I am primarily a diaper lover as I just LOVE diapers and wearing them as well as seeing them on people I'm attracted to. Huge turn on. That being said, I very much enjoy littlespace, sexually and also not, and I have been exploring that more in the last few years.

16: I have always loved diapers as long as I can remember. I never wanted to potty train and was in diapers until I was 4. I remember in kindergarten, someone wheeled in a cart of different supplies for some reason and there were diapers on the cart and I felt something in my gut and just craved and wanted them so badly but didn't know why or what it meant. Then as I found the internet and sex I googled "girls in diapers" one day and I've been obsessed ever since. Found the abdl community, found my fetish/kink, and been exploring ever since. I think I love diapers because they are taboo, they are comforting, they are cute and safe and cuddly, and they just bring me pure joy.

17: I have never seen someone wearing just diapers in a public space. I've only ever seen two adults in person wear diapers and they are my ex girlfriend and current girlfriend. I'd love to go to abdl conventions and stores at some point though, such as CapCon and Tykables. I also might try professional dominatrix such as Chicago Illusions.

18: I have not noticed anyone

19: I have not

20: I have not and would not as I keep my personal and professional lives separate from my kink life. But hey, nothing wrong with having a fantasy or two ;)

This was really fun to answer these questions. Please keep em coming!! Thankies!!!

[velvetcloxds]

if you're too shy- send me a character and a scenario and I'll write a little baby blurb for it

sam wilson + fake dating bc reader's parents really just won't leave her alone or the reader really needs a plus one at her cousin's wedding and also bc the reader doesn't want to be teased about how she "can't get some"

WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR | S.W.

word count: 0.6k

warnings: two oblivious idiots, pretend sam isn't outside in the gif lol

"I'm sure they didn't mean it like that," you're pacing, missing the sympathetic smile on your best friend's lips as he watches you from your couch, cold beer in hand as he waits for a reply, knowing you're not even truly listening to him.

"Like why would they assume that I'm coming alone? Is it really that unbelievable that I could find a plus one?" you paused, eyeing Sam for his reaction, pouting at him, silently begging him to set your mind at ease. "I could, couldn't I?" his eyes were soft as he nodded at you, beer abandoned on the coffee table, hand gently taking hold of your wrist to pull you towards him.

"Of course, you could, baby," he was convincing, the friendly nickname aiding in his plea as he guided you to sit down on the table in front of him, thumb brushing over your pulse point in an attempt to keep you settled long enough to actually hear what he's saying. "Look at me," he insisted with a little scoff, waiting ever patiently for you to stop being stubborn and meet his gaze and it took a second, a minute, but you finally looked up from your knees, pout very present still as you did. "Don't let this get to you so much, you could get any guy you want if you tried."

"Oh, I'm sure."

"Well, I am," he wasn't pleased with your objection, finding it very much offensive that you'd question his word when he considered himself a very honest and straightforward man, very rarely wrong but he'd never tell you that. "You want me to go with you? Haven't been to a wedding in forever, plus the world should get the chance to appreciate my dancing."

"I don't want a pitty date, Sammy," you sighed, carelessly taking his hand into your lap, fiddling with his fingers, tracing the lines on his palm, something you would've questioned in its casualty if you weren't so comfortable with him. "I want someone to want to go on a date with me because they like me, maybe cause they find me pretty."

"I like you," he argued with a scoff. "And I think you're way past pretty," he added and you were the one to scoff, narrowing your eyes at him, demanding some contradiction to his statement and receiving none as he shrugged. "Come on, you know I like seeing you all dolled up and looking fine, it'll do my ego good being seen with a stunner like you," his tone was teasing yet the way his eyes roamed your features made it clear that he was sincere. After all, you were his girl in every way but the way he wanted, his best friend, his human, the only person he'd be caught being so soft with, and even though he always thought there was more there, he wasn't going to force it, not until you showed any sign of wanting the same.

"You know my mom already thinks we're secretly hooking up," you mentioned and he shrugged again, smiling as you looked down shyly, heat rising up your neck at how casual he was being about this. "The rest of them would eat their hearts out at the sight of someone as good-looking as you walking in with me," you were starting to cave, seeing the pros to this little ruse and selfishly, you always enjoyed the way Sam pulled you just a little too close while dancing with you.

"So, you going to let me take you then? I'll buy you a corsage and everything," he offered and you laughed, not fighting against the grip that pulled you onto his lap, booping your nose as you giggled.

"That's for prom, Sammy, not for a wedding," you smiled, content as his arms wrapped around you in a platonic embrace, a comfortable position as you reached over to bring his beer back to him. "Will you go dress shopping with me too?" you quipped, watching with curious eyes as he took a slow sip, following his adam's apple as he swallowed, cursing the way it made your stomach flutter.

"Course, I will, you could give me a little fashion show while you fit them."

"Then yes, you can definitely be my date."

[nellie-elizabeth]

Some whining about fan responses to GO2 below the cut. I'm just being a jerk mostly lol.

Not gonna tag or link the posts because I'm not trying to stir shit but I see some people doing the thing for Good Omens season 2 that people did for Sherlock or Supernatural where, they didn't really like some aspects of season 2, and instead of saying "oh, that part didn't really gel with me" they think "Oh, it's actually all part of a long con that Neil Gaiman is playing on us! The stuff that I thought was bad? It was bad on purpose!" (Remember, the secret final episode of Sherlock, or the fact that the penultimate Supernatural episode was "bad on purpose" so the finale would fix it all?)

And it's so frustrating because I think these people are setting themselves up for further disappointment when season three comes. I personally loved season two of good omens! It really hit the spot for me, I thought it was funny and charming and clever and perfectly heartbreaking. If you didn't like it, that's okay, you don't have to construct a whole conspiracy theory around "why it was bad".

I want to be clear i don't mean just having theories about potential mysteries/clues leading to season 3. What are the Metatron's real motivations? Will we get to know who Crowley was as an angel before the fall? That sort of stuff is fun to speculate about, and we certainly don't have all the answers!

What I'm talking about things like... I saw someone say that the Eccles Cakes were a secret clue: why bring them up and put such emphasis on them only for them not to get eaten, hmmm? That couldn't have been just a simple oversight... it must be a grander point about the secret undercurrent plot that's been hiding right in front of our eyes this whole time.

And... no, it's not a simple oversight. It's not a grand clue to a big mystery (imo) either. It's pretty basic storytelling. Aziraphale asks Nina for something that calms people down, he procures the Eccles cakes on her recommendation, and then hands them off to Crowley as they enter the shop. There's a pointed shot of the uneaten cookies as Crowley storms off because, guess what, nobody ate them, and nobody's calming down! I think that's it, y'all. No grand mystery to parse here.

Or one thing I saw that really had me scratching my head was "why did we spend so long in the '40s minisode seeing Aziraphale pick out magic tricks in the shop, do the whole fake-out with the bullets, etc.? What was the point of showing us all that?"

I mean... because it was funny and charming and good character development? I don't know that it was leading to any grand secret behind the scenes. The setup and the pay-off is all right there in the 1940's flashbacks. Aziraphale is bad at stage magic, and then real miracles are blocked, and in the moment of truth he's able to use trickery correctly, for once in his life. Crowley and Aziraphale both manage to keep each other safe in the human way, even when their miracles are blocked. It's all right there, it doesn't have to be a clue leading to some big switcharoo later down the road.

Or one last thing I saw was people saying "where were the Zombies? Why have a plot about digging up corpses, and another story about Zombies, what does it all mean?"

And like... I don't know, maybe it means some Secret Extra Thing that i just haven't seen yet, but isn't it also possible that it means... thematic foreshadowing of season three's external plot? You've got Job's children being "reborn", you've got corpses being dug up, you've got zombies roaming London. The third season is about the Second Coming, y'all. I don't want to say "it's not that deep" because it is that deep, it's not just... extra made up layers of obfuscation that give it unnecessary confusing deepness. If that makes sense.

Bottom line, if this season didn't gel with you, I'm sorry! But I promise you, you're setting yourself up for disappointment if you spend the next couple years divining all the secret codes Gaiman put into the work for you. He didn't write a "bad on purpose" season of television. He wrote a good season of television! I'm sure there are mysteries to unravel, and fun clues to go back and find later on when we see how it all ends up. But he didn't write an entire season of TV to be a big giant misdirect in and of itself. I really don't think that's how this works.

End of soap box.

[rachelsfav-queer]

Oh here’s an idea: Auntie Bianca and Wednesday go out together so Wednesday can buy mommy and daddy their Christmas presents 💖

Christmas Shopping With a Little Wednesday

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long😭😭😭 I took a few creative liberties with this one lol so sorry if this isn't what you wanted

Christmas was fast approaching and Mommy and Daddy had already bought all their presents for each other and for their little raven. Wednesday herself had already bought most of their presents as well, but there was still one present left that she would need help getting. It was convenient that Auntie Bianca had also yet to go present shopping for anyone but Wednesday so the seer saw the perfect opportunity and decided to take it.

When Auntie Bianca arrived to pick her up, Wednesday was beyond excited. She rushed to the front door to greet her, shouting "AUNTIE BIANCA!!" and if the siren wasn't already used to the raven's excitable nature, she would've been thrown to the ground by the force Wednesday had jumped at her with.

Bianca laughed joyfully at the girl in her arms, "Hey there, Tiny Terror! How are you doing?"

"I'm so excited, Auntie Bianca! I can't wait to shopping wif you!" Wednesday exclaimed, letting herself down from the siren's arms. Bianca chats idly with Enid and Yoko for a few minutes, Wednesday waiting impatiently, bouncing in place and eager to get out so she can get her idea started soon.

Eventually, the three taller women finish their conversation and Bianca finally leads Wednesday out to her car, buckling the seer into the passenger seat before walking around and sitting herself in the driver's. As she starts the car, Bianca looks over to the girl next to her and asks, "So Wends, you said you had another present you wanted to get for your Mommy and Daddy. Where are we going then?"

Wednesday hummed happily as she dug inside her backpack, pulling out a piece of paper with an address on it, "I wrote it down, Auntie Bianca!"

Bianca memorizes the address and sets the paper down. Shifting the car to drive, Bianca says, "Alrighty then, off we go!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a 10 minute drive, the girls arrive at their destination. Bianca looks out her window at the sizable house they're parked by. It's not exactly a mansion per se, but it's certainly outside of even Bianca's budget. Slightly confused, the siren exits the car and lets Wednesday out as well. "So, what are we here for exactly?"

Wednesday simply responds with "Family friend. He help me!"

The siren nods, knowing that's probably the best she's going to get from the seer and instead chooses to remain on guard. If whoever owns this house is a friend of the Addams then there's bound to be something strange or even dangerous about him.

Wednesday continues toward the front door and reaches up for the knocker, swinging it against the wooden door. Waiting a few moments, the two women soon hear loud, rapid footsteps approaching the door before it's practically torn open suddenly, scaring Bianca half to death. Behind the door is a large dark-haired man with a full beard smiling brightly with teeth. He's almost twice even Bianca's height and just as much wide. Upon looking down at Wednesday, the man shouts in clear joy, "Lil' Addams! It's been years and you still haven't grown an inch!" The man's voice carries a heavy Scottish accent that surprises Bianca once again. She thought she'd been used to this being around Wednesday for so long but clearly the seer still has quite a lot of shocks up her sleeves.

"Uncle Coinín! It's so good to see you," Wednesday speaks the man's name with a well-practiced Scottish lilt and the tone of her voice, still light but clearly more adult-like turns Bianca's attention to her and it's clear that she's moved out of little space, probably not ready to show that side of herself around this family friend.

"So," Coinín speaks, "What brings an Addams lassie around these parts? Ay, you looking for a good tussle partner, cause I say I'd be mighty fine for the job!"

"As enticing as that sounds, no. I'm actually here to see Phesis. I need his help with something."

At the mention of his name, another man, not nearly as tall as the Scotsman, appears behind him. Phesis speaks with a subtle Greek accent, "Ah, dearest Wednesday! Come in, come in! Your friend here too!"

The four enter the home and Phesis leads them all to a sitting room, "You're both in luck! I just finished preparing tea when you arrived, here have some," Phesis offers the girls a cup each before sitting down in an armchair and gestures to an expensive looking couch across from him. Coinín sits himself in another armchair beside the shorter man. Phesis speaks again, "So Wednesday, are you going to introduce us to your friend?"

The seer gasps softly in realization, so caught up in the warm presence of the men she entirely forgot about introductions, "Ah right! Bianca, this is Phesis and Coinín. They're also Outcasts, Coinín a werewolf and Phesis is a gorgon. Phesis, Coinín, this is a close friend of mine, Bianca Barclay. She's a siren."

Coinín laughs heartily, "Bianca! It is an honor to meet a close friend of lil' Addams!"

"It's nice to meet you too," the siren speaks nervously, "So, how do you two know each other?"

"Ah, we met when we were young and grew closer every day. We've been married for centuries," Phesis responds.

"Oh! Sorry, I just didn't know werewolves had extended lifetimes."

"Ach! We don't! Mine is a special case and a very long story that's best for another time!"

"So, dear Wednesday, what do you need my help with?"

"I need your painting skills, if you don't mind. I want to commission a present for my girlfriends for the upcoming holiday. Though there's a small issue which is why I'm seeking your skills specifically," Wednesday pauses for a moment, considering her next words, "I wish to have a painting done of myself with them, but one of them is a vampire and so I do not have many references photos and none of all three of us together."

Phesis sits thoughtfully for a moment, humming, "Ah yes. These gifts are always a bit tricky when it comes to vampires. I should be able to work something out though, if you can give me as many photos you do have of her. Yes! I think it should be doable!"

Wednesday gives her phone to the gorgon, allowing him to swipe through the small album of photos of her, Yoko, and Enid. The man smiles at an image of Enid with her claws out, "Ah, a vampire and a werewolf, my dear? I wouldn't expect an Addams to choose any less."

After a little more scrolling, Phesis hands the phone back to Wednesday, "Alright, that should definitely be more than enough for me to work with! Send me those and I'll get to work as soon as possible! You said this is a gift for the holiday so I assume you'll want it before then?" Wednesday nods in response and the gorgon confirms that it'll be done on time.

After that, the girls stay for a while longer before leaving to do some actual shopping, Bianca pleasantly surprised by Wednesday's idea and makes sure to praise the raven which in turn ushers the girl back into little space.

End <3

I knowwww. I ended on a cliffhanger but this was already so long and I have so much more I want to write for this so pleaseeee be patient!! Thank you!

[affectionatelyrs]

Weekend WIP Game

My goodness I've been tagged so many times LET'S DO THIS Y'ALL

Thank you very much to @inexplicablymine @rockyroadkylers @gay-flyboys @happiness-of-the-pursuit @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @daisymae-12 and @kiwiana-writes for the tags I loved reading all of y'alls answers this is so much fun to see - thank you to @welcometololaland also for creating the game! :)

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

WIP List (Bolded ones have an outline/words/some ideas, others are mostly just floating around in the dome for now) (none of these actually have legit titles kind of sort of whatever)

Walk and Talk (irl epistolary)

Soulmates (Music System)

3+1 companion fic to All of This Silence and Patience (prequel from Alex's POV)

Henry is a Painting

Phone-Sex Worker/Coffee Shop

5+1 love confession through non-verbal cues

S.M.U.T

Threesgiving

Secret Santa

Beach at Night

There is probably more but this is already getting long LOL

2. Which of your WIP’s is currently the longest?

I haven't "officially" started writing any because I tend to write one at a time and I just finished my halloween huh fic, but as of now it's either Walk and Talk or Soulmates - Walk and Talk has a ton of random scenes/snippets written and Soulmates has a 9 page (and still in progress) outline

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Soulmates or Henry is a Painting. They are both legitimate multichaps (my debut into them scary). I'm predicting that they will both be around 30-40K but I have a...tendancy...to go way over my predictions because I've like never been succinct in my life

4. Which WIP is your favorite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

I've been having SO much fun with Walk and Talk - the idea is so special to me and it's just like pure fun and silliness and I think the formatting of it is very interesting too (this fic is my pride and joy if you can't tell yet)

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

I think, as of now, Soulmates and Henry is a Painting. Soulmates is going to be my first real multichap so that in itself has me shaking in my boots nerves and excitement) - it also has a good amount of world building in it. I have the system figured out but now it's about how I'm going to incorporate it throughout the story. Henry is a Painting is also magical realism but it takes place in one setting and is essentialy a lot of conversations, so I'm a bit trapped in what I can do, but I think I can pull it off? I just have to put a lot of thought into it ha ha

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

Maybe Henry is a Painting? The idea is very special to me but because of what I said in #5 I have to ensure it doesn't get tiring. A lot of introspection and mental health discussion and important conversations are mixed in to this one, but it's also mysterious and fun

7. Which of your WIP’s will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

All of them. Maybe even two. I will never not have any of my fics beta'd because I want to ensure that they're the best that they can be I have too much anxiety and need for praise to not have them

8. Have any of your WIP’s been struck by the curse of writers block?

Not really? If anything, I'm just very indecisive and it takes me a long time to figure out where I want to go with certain aspects of a fic. I try to make sure that I start on fics that I feel a lot of excitement for when I choose what I want to do next

9. Which WIP has your favorite OC? Tell us about them?

Threesgiving with @happiness-of-the-pursuit is the only one as of now. His name is Collin. That's basically all we've got ish for now

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Threesgiving and Phone-Sex Worker/Coffee shop for sure. The latter is essentially... a lot of sexting... if that wasn't obvious - but also it's a double plotline (think love triangle but there's only two people quote unquote double identity but no one knows it vibes LOL). S.M.U.T withe @inexplicablymine will be too because it'll explore a lot of fic tropes but it's also very silly funny

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Henry is a Painting for the reasons I mentioned. Soulmates too because it deals a lot with unrequited love in a way that parallels canon but with much higher stakes

12. Which WIP has the best characterization (in your humble opinion)?

I would hope all of them but maybe Walk and Talk. It's from Henry's POV but I really love how I'm writing Alex - he's very open and effervescent and full of light vibes

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

I'll answer this in a slightly different way and say Soulmates because it's my foray into world building and I have an entire soulmate system (and the magical realism elements) planned out that I'm very proud of because I don't think the exact thing that I'm doing has been done before

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Walk and Talk has extensive scenes planned and a full outline - there's still some wiggly room in the middle/figuring out the order of things though but I'll figure it out. Soulmates too because, y'know, the outline is nine pages long and isn't even done yet

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I'm such a broken record wow. Walk and Talk is my BABY - it has a very fun formatting because it is essentially and irl epistolary and i've been sitting on it for over a month now waiting to get started. Soulmates is an idea I'm insanely proud of and I can't wait to see it come to the page. Henry is a Painting has the potential to be... dare I say it... kind of beautiful and introspective? Idk when I'll start it because it scares me I need to handle it carefully and when I'm truly ready

16. Do you dream about any of your WIP’s?

Not that I can remember. Though, it will be like 2 a.m. and I'll roll over to tell siri to write stuff down and hope it's legible in the morning

17. Do any of your WIP’s have any particular complexities that your other fics don’t?

Walk and Talk has an interesting formatting to separate scenes. Soulmates has a... soulmate system (duh) and magical realism elements. Also any of these that are a multichap or a 3/5+1 because I've only ever written one shots

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humor?

Walk and Talk, Phone-Sex Worker/Coffee Shop, and Secret Santa I would say

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

Sadly no but I'd like to do so one day

20. Tell us one thing we don’t know about one or more of your WIPs.

I could ramble forever (maybe I should do an ask game... hmmmm)

The idea for Walk and Talk came from my real life. Essentially, it's when you make a pal in class, they wait for you when it's over, and walk down the hall with you to carry on conversing until y'all have to part ways. And then it happens the next day. And the day after that. And the one after that too. You get the vibe. Now make it FirstPrince

I told myself that All of This Silence and Patience would never get a sequel until I got one (one.) comment asking for Alex's POV and then my mind starting buzzing and now y'all get a prequel instead

Uhhhh I've been tagged a lot so idk if I can tag as many people as WIPs but I would love to see anything from @anincompletelist @whimsymanaged @read-and-write- @tintagel-or-cockleshells @littlemisskittentoes @cricketnationrise @myheartalivewrites (no pressure) and anyone else who is seeing this! :)

[moonylilies]

2023 Art Summary!!

so here's a single piece from each month i did!! i really wish i did more art this year, so hopefully (and most likely) next year i will!!

below under the cut are links to the ones i managed to post along with my art goals and some thoughts for the next year

thank you so much for those who have been following me this year and i hope we can continue to grow doing what we desire in the next year :3

yall can skip reading this if you just wanna go see the links; most of you probably know i went back to college in january, which unfortunately caused me to gain major art block (ew) when my depression creeped up. i also had like no time this semester with the large ammt of courses i took (i took 6 classes and it killed me with the course load since most of them were online. never again i will be making that mistake). when i go back to classes in january, i hopefully will not be as dying as i was this semester since i am taking a majority art course load. im even taking a printmaking class which means yall will be gettin some goodies posted hopefully

my art goal for next year besides getting more commissions lol (which if you are interested can see about here) is to be able to draw full bodies - i still can't and ive been drawing humans as my main thing for at least 6 years now. i will def be practicing next year by doing many figure studies lol. i also hope i can manage to figure out how to do backgrounds besides the basic ones i tend to do i also hope that with my shop i can break some of my records like getting new states i haven't shipped to yet so that my state ammt goes up from 8 to maybe 10, having my total ammt going up to around 50 sales from 35, getting more fans for my art who love the stickers and prints i am making, ect ect i wasn't able to this year. while i am on winter break, i am trying to set up a shop update for before classes start again which i will be updating on here about when i remember to do so (honestly the hardest thing for me while having an art acct to promote my art and shop is making content besides just posting my art online and hoping people like it)

links for art + what the ones that don't have links are lol: january: lunar new year rabbits feburary: ft ferris bueller's day off au (this one is the one i am the most proud of) march: lucy redesign april: team shadowgear hehehe (this one's my favourite i did this year) may: yuki got hit by a car june: sketch of my oc alyss july: levy for part of my colour wheel challenge that is still a wip (tiktok one two ; reels one two) august: wally ice cream (aka a future sticker) september: art of my oc adora october: the sun tarot card feat sting eucliffe (wip portion is linked) november: bisca icon december: ramen sticker (a sticker soon to drop in my shop once i do a shop update soon)

[andthebubbles]

(from smooth-boob) 🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share? I couldn't resist!

i can't believe i'm doing this

here's almost the entire first chapter of a/b fic (there's meant to be a flashback at the end of 2 y/o anthony running away and meeting his fake parents, but i haven't written it yet 😇)

for passersby who don't know what this is about: this is the fic where anthony runs away when he's 2 years old, accidentally boards a ship that leaves england, gets adopted by nice parents, eventually forgets that he's a bridgerton, doesn't come back to live in england until he's 13; meets benedict at oxford in 1806 and they start a relationship. if this bothers you, do not read below the cut (it contains smut), just move on, don't send me hate, i am a real person

(i should start copypasting the summary and disclaimer lol)

-

Benedict meets the love of his life one ordinary autumn evening in an Oxford pub. 

He's not a big believer of love up till this point. Thus far he’s found it entirely consigned to the great epics of the ancients, the tragic tales of Shakespeare, even King Char and King George, loving in their madness, loving despite no rhyme nor reason, loving when they should have no right. But then, surrounded by his peers who he does not care very much for, a Lord Fife and a Lord Cho and the second son of a baron and the third son of an earl whose names he does not care to remember, he looks up over his glass of beer and finds a finely dressed gentleman making his way over to them. 

And his heart skips a beat.

“I hear you’re the best coxswain and crew out of all the undergraduates,” the gentleman says, loudly enough to halt their conversation, with no introduction of himself whatsoever. He has dark eyes and dark hair, lush with a hint of wave, curling over his forehead and pushed to one side. 

Benedict hurriedly sips his drink.

“What of it, Mr.…?” Lord Fife eyeballs him.

“I'd like to place a wager on your winning the next race,” the gentleman rests a casual, black-gloved hand on their table. “On one condition.”

Fife raises his eyebrows. “What’s that, then?”

“I’m the coxswain for the crew.”

Silence. Then the table laughs uproariously, Benedict excluded. 

The gentleman has a glint in his eyes, a tilt of his head befitting a lord. Arrogant. Attractive. His nose is straight, aristocratic, and his lips—

Smirking. Thin and pink, but full.

“My good man,” Fife finally says around chortles. “We don’t even know your name.”

“Nor have we seen you around, have we, lads?” Cho looks about pompously. “Are you a first year?”

“You’ve got me,” the mystery man straightens, tipping his top hat, impeccably smug. “A first year, looking for a crew befitting my talents. The best crew. Third years. Well-seasoned. You.”

“And… your name?” Fife drawls. 

“Bailey. Anthony Bailey.” The gentleman holds his hand out.

Fife glances around at them all rather than taking it. “Hmm, Bailey, do we know a Bailey?”

A chorus of shaking heads. 

Fife’s gaze sharpens. “What’s your father’s name? Where are your estates?”

At this, Bailey tilts his chin up. “My father is a merchant. And our estate is a shop in Bloomsbury. Which I’m sure you wouldn’t know of, since all you lords seem to learn is which of your first cousins has the biggest dowry so you can fuck them till you sire an heir—”

Fife punches him in the stomach, and the others set upon him like dogs, and Benedict yells and grabs the closest man to him, the second—or was it third?—son of a baron, whoever he is—

But heroic tales where justice is served are consigned to the epics, are the stuff of fairytales, have no place in reality. So the merchant is tossed out onto the cobblestone street, and the door slammed shut against the sudden autumn rains. 

-

Benedict slips out the back door under the pretence of taking a piss outside.

The merchant is in a nearby alleyway taking shelter under the arch of a doorway. He has a cut on his cheekbone that he dabs at with a handkerchief; he puts it away with a mostly concealed wince when Benedict approaches. 

They stare each other down like two fighters forced into the ring. Benedict’s heart aches; the merchant looks so tired.

“If you must punch me,” he says at last, looking away, “I would be grateful if it wasn’t in the same place twice. So, the stomach is off-limits. As is my eye. And my nose, though it hasn’t been punched, but I have plans with a special someone tonight, and I’d rather it not look bloody or broken.” He pauses. “Come to think of it, you should probably stay away from my face altogether.”

Benedict’s mouth twitches. “I’m not going to punch you.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.” It’s very droll. “You lot seem to have trouble doing anything but.”

“You… seem to know our prejudices well? The upper class?”

“Well, you rather like buying the things we make. You just don’t like it as much when we dare to step out of line or try to better ourselves or forget our lot in life.”

Benedict approaches him, cautious, like he would with a wild animal. Or a wounded one. “We were once like you, generations ago. Mere landowners. Until the crown granted us a title.”

“And how many generations ago was that, my lord?” The man’s voice drips with disdain.

Benedict winces. “Nine. I’m… I’m the ninth. In my family.”

The merchant looks sidelong at him in the lantern light, up and down, Benedict suddenly conscious of his finery, and the merchant’s coarser fabrics and simple brocade waistcoat indiscernible in the dimness of the pub earlier. 

“So…” The merchant’s eyes drift back up to his face. “You’re an… earl?”

“Viscount.”

“So your father is an earl?”

Benedict swallows. “My father is dead.”

Rain pitter-patters on the cobblestones. Benedict’s fingers, lungs suddenly itch for a smoke.

“I’m sorry.”

Benedict almost smiles. “I’m surprised you have any sympathy left for us.”

“I’m not completely heartless. I know that death doesn’t care how rich or poor you are, how titled or how bottom-of-the-barrel you are. Once gone, the dead are all the same. Sorely, terribly missed.”

“Quite right.” Benedict’s mouth has gone dry. After a moment he holds his hand out. “I realise I haven’t introduced myself. Benedict Bridgerton.”

The merchant raises his eyebrows, a smirk playing on his lips. “The Right Honourable The Viscount Bridgerton?”

“Or just Benedict,” he grins. “I’m not fond of the title.”

“Then call me just Anthony.” He firmly shakes his hand, leather against warm skin. His eyes up close under the shadow of the doorway are near black, bottomless and blown wide.

Their gazes hold like puzzle pieces interlocked, clicking forever into place.

Benedict clears his throat, titillatingly unable to let go of his hand. “Do you have somewhere to be? You uh… mentioned having plans with a special someone?”

Anthony moves closer, impossibly so. “I noticed your staring in the pub.”

Benedict laughs, slightly desperately and high-pitched. “So you’re not the best coxswain in Oxford after all? You just… wanted me?”

“Why can’t it be both?” Anthony’s voice is intoxication against his lips. “I’m the best coxswain, and you’re my special someone?”

“Even when you thought I was going to punch you?”

“Well, I fervently hoped you would not.”

Anthony slides a hand under his jacket to rest against his hip; Benedict sucks in a breath like he’s starved of air. “Do you have some place we could go?”

-

Anthony cages him up against the door to his room and uses their combined weight to slam it shut. “Sorry about the mess.” He locks it and lights a taper on the nearby table, then licks a stripe up Benedict’s neck. 

Hand fisting in Anthony’s hair against the sensation (and Anthony moaning into his mouth), Benedict has the barest second to look over his shoulder. Anthony’s room is organised clutter: books and papers on the desk by the window, spare candles on the shelf, more papers scattered on the badly-made bed. 

“It’s not so bad,” Benedict says. “In fact I’m quite sure I’ve seen worse—”

Anthony kisses his words away like he’s ravenous, like they’re both running out of time. He drags Benedict by his shirt front over to his bed and Benedict falls onto it willingly, Anthony climbing atop him, caging him once more.

“You’ve seen worse?” Anthony grins, punctuates it with more kisses to the underside of his jaw. “Dare I ask where?”

“Well, when you have siblings…” 

“I don’t. I have a mother and father, six freeloading stray cats, and about double that for the number of people I’ve had at some point or another in my bed.”

“People? Not men, specifically?”

“Men, women, and everything in between. And now, you.” It should sound callous; instead Anthony sounds almost reverent. He pulls his lips away from Benedict’s earlobe and extraordinarily gently unties and pulls off his cravat. Breath caught in his throat, Benedict reaches up and does the same for him. 

Anthony’s cravat, unlike the duller colours of his waistcoat and jacket, is dyed a rich indigo blue.

“Mmf.” He impatiently pushes up Benedict’s waistcoat and shirt to get to the skin beneath, laying his hands everywhere, simultaneously trying to help Benedict with shucking off his own clothes. His jacket and waistcoat and boots are discarded on the floor; Benedict grabs his wrist when he gets to his leather gloves.

“Keep them on,” he says, hoarse.

Anthony’s gaze darkens, unfathomable pools of black. “What have you in mind?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer, his other hand sliding down and unbuttoning Benedict’s trousers, Benedict gladly lifting his hips to help Anthony push them down to his knees. “Your fingers,” Benedict says breathlessly, “in my arse—”

“Fingers?” Anthony smirks. “Rather confident of you.” He puts his index finger in his mouth, sucking and coating it with spit.

Benedict takes his hand from his mouth and guides it to his own, lapping around two fingers, tasting warm slick leather, Anthony trembling in his hold. 

“Fuck.” With his free hand he takes Benedict and strokes him to full hardness, Benedict groaning at the sensation of leather on his cock, the back of his head hitting the mattress and Anthony’s fingers sliding out.

He pushes Benedict’s legs up, finally rids him of his trousers and boots and tosses them to the floor. “This all right?” He circles his entrance and Benedict bites his lip, settling his heels on Anthony’s back. 

“Yes—”

Anthony pushes in.

Benedict’s eyes nearly roll back in his head. “Fuck.”

“And you wanted fingers,” Anthony teases.

“Hush—”

Anthony crooks his finger and hits his prostate, and Benedict cries out. 

“Shh.” Anthony leans over him, keeps fingerfucking him, kisses away his whimpering, Benedict pulling him closer and roughly tangling his fingers in his hair.

“Fuck.” Now Anthony’s breaths turn ragged; he pulls back a fraction, panting against Benedict’s mouth. Glances down at Benedict’s cock between them, and the corner of his mouth lifts. “You’re going to come without me touching you?”

Benedict groans, cupping Anthony through his trousers, heat pooling in his stomach and groin, “I’m not that green,” he says between gritted teeth. 

Anthony grunts and eases a second finger in, scissors, fucks him, curls them just so, and Benedict chokes, pants, and comes undone just like that, almost incognisant of it, gasping in bliss and relief and mild embarrassment, Anthony kissing him open-mouthed and lazily and his hand working him through till he’s spent. 

Then he mouths his way down till he’s at his stomach, and cleans his come-splattered skin with his tongue.

Heat radiates raw and anew between Benedict’s legs.

“Can I suck you off?” 

It comes out rough, awed; Anthony looks up at him startled. “You… you want to?”

Benedict nods. 

He sits up after a moment, all of him shaky, turning Anthony so that his back rests against the wall. Anthony is still staring at him, loose-limbed and wide-eyed; Benedict tugs his trousers down and pushes apart his thighs. 

“You… you don’t have to,” Anthony stutters.

Benedict looks up at him, one hand on his length. “Do you want me to?”

Anthony bites his lip and nods.

The first taste is salty, Anthony’s cock already tipped with pre-cum. Then it’s just sheer musk; Benedict adjusts so that the flat of his tongue is on the underside and gets up on his hands to swallow him whole. 

“Oh—” Anthony’s fingers, toes curl; he quickly sets the gentlest hand in Benedict’s hair. “Oh, fuck…”

Benedict starts fucking him, fondling his balls gently, pressing down hard on Anthony’s hips when he involuntarily jerks. “Fuck, sorry—”

Benedict sucks him hard and Anthony keens, sliding further down the wall, fingertips fluttering at the nape of Benedict’s neck. 

Benedict swipes his tongue over the head, bobs up and down, finds Anthony’s other hand fisting the sheets and slides his own underneath to hold it tightly in his. “Fuck, I’m—I’m going to—” Anthony gasps, tugging at his hair, warning him off; Benedict holds fast.

Anthony’s come hits the back of his throat, salty and bitter and hot. Benedict swallows it all, nips the insides of his trembling thighs when he’s done; Anthony curves over him and drags his lips against his temple and pulls him up, kissing him like a man starved, kissing him like Benedict hung the moon and the sun and the stars.

Benedict pulls them both down to the bed when he starts to catch his breath, lying side by side, face to face; he caresses Anthony’s cheek, removes his gloves, slides his hand down past his sweat-damp open collar and feels his pounding heart. “You all right?” he murmurs. 

Anthony lifts his eyes to his, still breathing hard, brushing his nose against his. “Yes. Are you?”

Benedict grins. “More than.”

Anthony closes his eyes and contentedly hums.

After a moment he opens them again, something small and hopeful and anxious now threading through him like a childhood fear of the dark. “Will you stay awhile?” he whispers. 

Benedict blinks. Quickly eases into a smile. “Of course.”

He settles beside him; Anthony pulls him towards his chest with an arm over his shoulders, rests his head atop his. 

Outside, the pitter-patter of rain continues to fall.