#dfw would hate me

[wormmurder]

all ive been doing is reading infinite jest for the past 3 weeks. its so good its ruining everything else for me

[floralcyanide]

𝟑𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐭 - 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐧𝐞𝐫

jackson rippner x f!reader

Usually, airports were the bane of your existence due to your career and the constant requirement to travel. But when you stumble upon a handsome man at the airport bar, your disdain for flying seems to change.

warnings: smut, nipple play, fingering, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, semi-public sex, public sex, mile-high shenanigans

word count: 2780

author’s note: not proofread again lulz but when do I ever?? anyway I got a request for this and had to write it right away because I love jackson sm omg. please lmk if you enjoyed and send some feedback <3

main masterlist | cillian murphy masterlist | add yourself to the taglist here

ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴘʏ, ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ, ᴀᴏ3, ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ, ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ɪɴ ᴀɪ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʀᴛɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

You wouldn’t mind it if you didn’t have to step foot inside another airport for the rest of your life.

Unfortunately, your career requires you to travel every month, so your escape from airports will have to wait. You doubt there’s anything that will make your experiences with the liminal spaces any brighter or more profound- you doubt there’s anything that would make them even a smidge exciting. But, who knows, maybe one day you’ll eat your words. So, until then, you’ll fast-walk through airports and terminals with your carry-on with the deepest resting bitch face you can conjure up. And it appears that today will be yet another day that you muster up one.

Deciding to hit the best bar in the DFW airport during your routine TSA spiel, you weave around the other flyers in the corridors in a hurry. Even if your red eye flight has been delayed about two hours, you figure two hours in an airport could be better spent drinking. After scouring the entire airport numerous times on each trip you’ve taken from DFW, you finally settled upon a corner bar near your gate. After passing by it a few times, you decided to give it a chance. Its appearance is initially off-putting- it is dark and moody. Still, it had an oddly comfortable atmosphere and good drinks, obviously. You stroll up to the bar, smiling and nodding to the bartender you’ve come to know here. Going to sit in your usual booth, you discover there’s someone already seated there.

“If this were middle school, I’d tell you this is my spot,” you joke as you approach the man, whose face is covered by his long bangs.

A pair of sharp blue eyes glance up at you from their place on the cocktail menu in his large hands, and a sweet smile graces his lips when he looks you over, “I certainly apologize for stealing your spot. Care to join me? I can buy you a drink to make up for it.”

You give him a questioning look, half-joking with your tone, “What’s in it for me?”

“A free drink and your spot back,” the man says haughtily, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“Deal,” you reach a hand out for him to shake.

“Deal,” the man says, accepting your hand and shaking it firmly.

You slide into the booth, sizing the man up, “What’s your name?”

“Jackson,” the man says, his eyes nearly piercings into yours, “Jackson Rippner.”

“Oh,” you raise your eyebrows, suppressing a giggle, “your parents must hate you.”

Jackson laughs, shrugging, “Yeah, you could say that. But you can’t hate anyone if you’re dead.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry-”

“No need. Finished them off myself,” Jackson says, deadpanning.

You pause before laughing at his joke, “Gotcha.”

“So, what’s your drink of choice?” Jackson asks, changing the subject lightly.

“Hmm, I don’t think I’ll tell you just yet,” you let your eyes roam everywhere but Jackson’s face until you land your gaze back on him.

“You want me to guess, then?” Jackson asks, “I’m good at that, actually.”

“Oh, really? Prove it, then,” you say with a playful edge to your tone.

Jackson puckers his lips, furrowing his eyebrows in thought, “I’m thinking white liquor,” he trails off, “Maybe vodka, something fruity but not too skimpy.”

“You’re close, but not quite,” you bite your lip.

“I think you’re the type to have a classic no one considers.”

“Which is?”

“Dirty Shirley,” Jackson snaps his fingers, pointing at you confidently.

“Nope,” you say, grinning, “Just a vodka and Sprite for me.”

“Ah, but I was close.”

“Yes, you were very close,” you say, having the urge to flirt with this man you don’t even know.

“I’ll go grab that for you,” Jackson says, getting up out of the booth and heading to the bar.

While he’s gone, you rummage through your bag for a perfume roller, quickly rubbing some on your pulse points. Then, you unbutton the first two buttons of your blouse, revealing your cleavage just enough to be subtle. Turning around for a second, you see Jackson heading back to the booth, and you brush yourself off before slipping the perfume back into your bag.

“A vodka and Sprite for the pretty lady,” Jackson places your drink down in front of you before returning to his spot across from you.

“‘Pretty lady,’ huh?” you raise an eyebrow, taking the two black straws into your mouth.

“What can I say?” Jackson raises his hands in defense, “You are a pretty little thing. I’m glad I sat in your spot.”

“Oh,” you say, trying not to let your face heat up at the compliment, “Well, I’m glad too.”

The both of you silently sip your drinks after that, sharing fleeting glances while giggling. You decide to be cheeky, slipping off one of your heels and running your foot underneath Jackson’s pant leg. You nonchalantly look around the bar, chewing on your straw as if you weren’t up to anything. Jackson is staring right at you with a smirk as his eyes stare holes into your off-cast ones. 

“Feeling a little naughty, are we?” Jackson whispers, just loud enough to hear over the music.

You move your eyes toward him, “How do you mean?”

“I see,” Jackson looks down at the remainder of his second drink, “You wanna play like that, huh?”

“Play like what?” you challenge him, pushing your foot farther up his leg, now going over his pants and toward his thigh.

Jackson chuckles, about to say something, but he’s interrupted by the airport intercom. Your flight is a few minutes from boarding.

“Oh, that’s me,” you frown, downing the rest of your second vodka and Sprite before looking at Jackson, “What do I owe you?”

“For the drinks? Nothing,” Jackson licks his lips, “But for the teasing? We’ll have to see about that.”

“Oh really?” you ask, your heart rate now picking up at the obvious flirting.

“Really.”

“And what will you do about it?” you daringly ask.

“Well, we are on the same flight,” Jackson says, “So we’ll have to see.”

The two of you head over to the gate, getting in line to board. You boredly flip through a book your friend suggested for you to read on the flight. Jackson takes notice of this.

“Bookworm? Didn’t pick that up about you,” Jackson asks, rolling back and forth on his heels and toes. 

“Depends on the book,” you say, pursing your lips as you skim over the words, “Don’t think I’m a fan of this one, though.”

“That’s a shame. Any ideas of what you’re gonna do on the flight?” Jackson inquires, a flirty undertone in his question.

“Hmm,” you wonder, “Probably sleep. Unless I find something else to do.”

“Ah,” Jackson nods, “Hopefully, you will.”

“Hopefully,” you chuckle.

You and Jackson get separated during boarding, but you do a double-take when you arrive at your seat.

“Are you in the right seat?” you ask.

A familiar pair of striking eyes look up from a book to meet yours, “Did I steal your spot again?”

“No,” you shake your head, laughing, “I’m seat fifteen B.”

“And I’m fourteen B,” Jackson closes his book.

“Interesting,” you say, “Small world, huh?”

“Small indeed,” Jackson exhales, about to say something, until a lady a few rows down asks for help with her carry-on.

You move to the side, allowing Jackson to scoot by you. As he does, he puts a gentle hand on your waist, sending goosebumps up your spine. You watch as he helps the lady, and you try not to laugh when she tries flirting with him. Jackson returns to the row, moving past you again and plopping into his seat. 

“I know we talked for what, two hours? But I never asked, why are you headed to Miami? Work or play?” Jackson asks, buckling his seatbelt as the flight attendants announce preparation for take-off.

“Work, unfortunately. I take this trip often, red eye and everything,” you say, resting your head on the headrest behind you.

Jackson nods, “I’m here for work too. I hate flying, not going to lie.”

“Me too,” you grumble, “I hate everything about flying, including the airport and everything that comes with it.”

“Everything?” Jackson presses jokingly.

“Well, today was different. I actually had a nice time at the airport, especially since I got to meet you,” you say, keeping your eyes on the flight attendant as she goes over the safety precautions and flotation devices under the seats. 

“Good to know,” Jackson says, placing a hand on your knee.

You look at his hand, feeling very warm all over. The plane begins to speed up and ascend, and you relax in your seat, Jackson’s hand still on your knee. His nose is in his book as you try your best to read your friend’s book suggestion. When the plane finally reaches 30,000 feet, the seatbelt light turns off, and the lights dim. Flight attendants offer pillows and blankets, and you take a blanket, tucking your book away and covering yourself with the blanket. You’re on the verge of sleep when you feel Jackson’s hand slide up your thigh. You pretend you’re asleep, not moving or reacting to his touch. His hand is hidden by the blanket, so no one can see his hand move further up, dangerously close to your core. You’re wearing a dress, so there’s easy access. Not that you were complaining that Jackson was touching you. You were feeling him up earlier at the bar, so now it’s his turn. 

Jackson sneaks his hand back down your thigh and over your dress, slowly making his way over your hip and waist, up to your clothed breast. The blanket‘s hem was tucked behind your shoulders, covering up your entire body, so no one could see Jackson’s hand crawl underneath your dress again. This time, to squeeze at your breast. You try not to move or make a noise as Jackson takes your nipple between his fingers, pinching it lightly. Pretending as if he woke you up, you rouse and sit up straight.

“What are you doing?” you ask, acting as if you were asleep.

“I know you’ve been awake the whole time, sweetheart,” Jackson whispers.

“No, I wasn’t,” you say innocently.

“Don’t lie to me,” Jackson chastises, twisting your nipple harshly.

You bite your lip, muffling a moan. You squeeze your legs together as he continues to tweak the bud. 

“Is this what you want? Hmm? Teasing me earlier with your foot, I figured I’d play with you too.”

Jackson’s hand moves to your other breast, flicking your nipple. His other hand travels under your dress, his fingernails pressing into your skin. You bite your lip to stifle a moan from the sharp sensation on the sensitive skin of your thigh. His fingers ease to your core again, ghosting over your clit as you open your legs.

“Be quiet like a good girl,” Jackson says, eyes darting around to ensure no one is looking despite the lights being off.

You nod as he presses two fingers to your clit, rubbing slow, soft circles. Warmth gradually spreads in your lower belly at the sensation, and you widen your legs further. Jackson pulls his fingers away momentarily to slip them inside your underwear and continue his movements on your bare bundle of nerves. You cover your mouth, exhaling shakily at the stimulation. Jackson slips a finger inside you after playing with you for a while.

“Already so wet?” Jackson teases in your ear, his lips brushing against it.

“Fuck,” you mutter under your breath.

Jackson slowly pumps his finger in and out, eventually adding a second one. You shutter from the delightful stretch. You look around before subtly jerking your hips forward, riding his fingers.

“Fucking yourself on my fingers so good,” Jackson nibbles at your ear lobe, “Can’t imagine how you’d feel around my cock.”

You bite your knuckle to hold in a desperate whine at his words, “Please,” you whimper.

“Please, what?” Jackson asks, his fingers picking up the pace.

“Fuck me,” you whisper, “Take me to the bathroom and fuck me against the wall.”

“What a brazen little one you are,” Jackson grins, pulling his fingers from you and sucking your arousal off them, “It’s gonna take a little more than that, though.”

You groan at the loss of fullness, “Like what?”

“Beg.”

You pull Jackson’s hand back to your soaking slit, “Please touch me, fuck me, do anything you want to me. Please.”

“Keep going,” he pants, circling your clit with his fingers again.

“Jackson,” you sigh, “God, I need you inside of me. So bad,” you hiss.

“Go,” Jackson whispers, “I’ll meet you there.”

You hurry to pull down your dress, pulling the blanket off you before quietly walking to the bathroom. You check the vacancy before pulling the door open, leaving it unlocked for Jackson. You sit on the toilet, waiting patiently as your pulse thumps in your ears. A few moments pass, and the door opens slightly, revealing Jackson before he slips inside the bathroom. You stand up, but before you open your mouth to say something, he picks you up and presses you against the wall. You wrap your legs around Jackson’s waist, kissing him with a bruising force. Jackson slides his tongue through your lips and into your mouth, exploring it as his hands grip your ass. You reach a hand down and unzip and unbutton Jackson’s pants, your hand snaking past his underwear band and wrapping around his cock. 

“Fuck,” Jackson seethes, already hard from previous events in your seats earlier.

He pushes up the hem of your dress around your hips, pulling your underwear down far enough for him to slowly enter your throbbing core. Both of you gasp at the feeling, hours of pining hitting the climax. You thought Jackson was attractive the moment you laid eyes on him. You aren’t passing up the opportunity to join the mile-high club with such a gorgeous man. Jackson pushes further into you, and you relax more so he can press his hips into yours. Your fingers grasp at his hair as he pulls almost all the way out before thrusting back in. Your back roughly hits the wall behind you, but it wouldn’t be the last time. You have to hold onto the wall with one hand to not bang into it, your other hand holding onto Jackson’s hair for dear life as he fucks you without mercy. 

“God,” you say, the word drawn out as you and Jackson’s hips slam into each other. 

Jackson covers your mouth as you stare into his blue eyes, now darkened with lust, “Stay quiet.”

You nod, “Mhmm,” you hum from underneath his hand.

Your eyes stay on each other as you move your body forward in time with Jackson, his cock hitting that spot inside you perfectly, sending shockwaves over you. Jackson wraps an arm around your waist, holding you steady as his other hand moves between the two of you to rub tight figure 8’s on your bundle of nerves. You squeal, eyes rolling into the back of your head as Jackson continues to fuck into you like you’re a sex object. You feel yourself clenching around him as your orgasm creeps up. You pull on Jackson’s hair harshly, causing him to moan as his hips stutter. You do it again, and he has to bite your neck in order not to moan out loud. 

“Are you gonna cum?” Jackson grunts into your ear, “Huh?”

“Yes,” you gasp, “Fuck yes, I’m gonna cum.”

“Cum around my cock, pretty thing.”

Your release smacks you in the face, sending your body reeling as it nearly convulses against the lavatory wall. Jackson cums right after you as the feeling of your walls squeezing his cock sends him over the edge. You milk him for all he’s got, rutting your hips through both of your orgasms. You both catch your breath as Jackson lets your legs collapse back to the floor weakly. He holds you up as you regain your posture.

“I suddenly really like flying now,” you push your hair out of your sweaty face.

“Me too,” Jackson says with an expressionless face, which you match.

Suddenly, both of you burst out laughing but cover your mouths quickly before anyone can hear in the plane. After cleaning yourselves up, you both successfully sneak out of the bathroom and back to your seats, covering up with the blanket.

“Ever barhopped in Miami?” you ask Jackson, trying your best to hold your eyes open.

“Nope. You?’

“Nope. Want to?”

“Absolutely.”

taglist:

@baizzhu @aporiasposts @hjmalmed @queenshelby @amanda08319 @naty-1001 @orijanko @raineeace @nela-cutie @cutexlr

[grandhotelabyss]

In spite of myself (cause I have mixed feelings on him too) I always want to defend DFW, because he really has become someone you hate to show that you’re a right thinking person.* Lockwood does get some good ones in though, particularly the bits about chipmunk speed DeLillo and how Wallace is more clearly the end of a tradition than the start of something new: he borrowed the form of Pynchon, DeLillo and Barth without I think really understanding what they were saying with it or why they used it, and that mismatch haunts his work. I agree with the last anon that cleverness seems to annoy you, but on the other hand surely Don DeLillo is clever if anybody is!

* it’s funny that he basically canonized Updike being cast into the fire because I think disavowing Wallace (at least in my experience of having done it) serves a similar purpose. In a “woke” environ one slams DFW to denounce or clear oneself of suspicion of being  a very particular, and very loathed sort of fellow who doesn’t even have the decency of being a real man as he cheats or throws a coffee table at you. (I say woke, but heading that type of man is a pretty bipartisan or nonpartisan activity really)

What's odious to me in Wallace—the same as what's odious to me in Tolstoy—is the combination of public moralism with private abusiveness. As priest of the imagination, the artist should be an improvement on the mere hypocritical priest of the official churches whom the artist has viciously satirized since at least Boccaccio. The even worse crimes of Burroughs and Mailer bother people—bother me—less because they never promised us they were nice guys, just that they intended to live to the hilt (no stabbing pun intended). That's slim consolation to the people they hurt or even killed in their private lives, but it does mean they never betrayed their audience.

I would class DeLillo among the witty rather than the clever; I keep comparing him to Austen and Wilde as another master of stylized comic dialogue, but it doesn't catch on. I think he satirizes the clever, hence Lockwood's apt line about Heinrich. Also a related point against Wallace is his defanging the political critique in Pynchon and DeLillo. Wallace's overt politics were about as interesting as Morning Joe. He really should have leaned into his misogyny—his apocalyptic hatred of "mother," his ferocious resentment of the bottomless need "mother" provoked in him but would or could not satisfy—a bit more, that is, more self-consciously; he'd have come out the other side with stronger insights. (His tragedy might have been that he was a Jamesian who thought he was a Melvillean, to go back to that binary.)

I think if one is going to be against identity politics in the arts, one has to be all the way against them. I'm not going to pretend I admire him more than I do because he's a white man, even if some people only hate him because he's a white man. Similarly, I loathe this turn in indie publishing toward explicitly "men's literature." I'm with Elizabeth Bishop: just as she refused to be published in female-poet anthologies, I don't write men's literature (or—good Lord!—white literature) but literature without qualification. Literature must be hyper-specific—must go much deeper than the mid-range specificity of social identity—but only because that's the royal and indeed sole road to the universal. But the universal is where we're headed, or else what's the point?

[wodnes--coyotl]

It is so beautifully ironic to me that I was writing about my own isolated but beautiful experience of processing so many deaths under a pagan lens, and then the hospice people called me to tell me about an LGBT bereavement thing (yknow, big deal for Texas). but it's weird, bc I'm like... I never asked for that? Who instigated this? I wasn't mad, but it was surprising (I mean, I'm OBVIOUSLY trans, EVERYONE knows even if they kinda 'didn't)... but our chaplain was obviously gay, he had a little nose ring and some side shaves like, come on. But it was like, yknow, not my first rodeo meeting a fellow Texan gay who is older and visibly queer but like, tongue in cheek, yknow. I think he put the word in for that, truthfully. So I thanked them, and I personally thanked him for being a man of faith AND living his truth in an adverse place bc it has direct impacts on the community.

I was worried about being fagbashed and treated weird, but I wasn't. Every single nurse at the hospital, almost* every member of hospice was incredible to us, and like, sure people deadnamed me and misgendered me and shit but they didn't know. The only time I felt unwelcome was like, 1 or 2 times at a restaurant where some good ole boy stared at me funny, but most people I encountered were fine.

And yknow what? dad would've loved that.

he had his homophobic moments, he didn't wanna call me his son, and he wasn't exactly inclusive but... we did talk about HRT, he joked about me joining the marines (lol), said I looked good and would get strong (lol), and like, in his own way, he accepted it. and he always tried to tell me DFW was changing, but of course, he's an old cishet white guy so it's like, ok, that opinion can't really live in his lived experience, but I KNOW things BEEN changing, but to expect anything and everything to happen (cos in 2021, we were profiled, denied service at bars, etc, like, that was before I was transitioning too, we were both just femme rock n rollers), and then to be met with a lot of acceptance and people just not giving a FUCK, it made me happy. and It would've made dad happy. he wouldve been like "SEE I TOLD YOU". and he hated pushy christians, even if he was a christian himself, he was sort of an underdog jailhouse christian in a way.

[trashyinfernomusic]

The Big Texas Post

Y’know what’s funny? Explaining Texas culture to non-Texans.

People from Dallas: Dallasites. People from Houston: Houstonians. People from Austin: Weird.

Texas has two pro baseball teams, three pro basketball teams, two pro football teams, two pro soccer teams, and one pro hockey team (and tried to get a second in the Houston Aeros but that didn’t work out).

Most sports orgs are based in either Dallas or Houston, and the two cities have a rivalry that when left unchecked causes brawls in restaurants and bars (among other chaotic things). The general rule is that Houstonians hate Dallas, Dallasites hate Houston, everyone hates Austin, and San Antonio and El Paso are just the two kids in the corner trying to stay out of the fighting. However, if you’re from out-of-state and you hate on any of them, you’ll be the one on the receiving end of a beat-down because “no one messes with my little brother but me, damnit!”

Meanwhile, you have all the people who self-identify as being from one of the big cities even though they’re really from a suburb that’s about an hour away. Live in Spring, TX? “Oh, I’m from Houston.” Live in Arlington (which is where the Texas Rangers - largely considered a Dallas sports team - are located)? You’re considered from Dallas or the DFW area. We Texans don’t really care about the accuracy. We care more about whether or not you’re from the coast (Houston), the middle (Dallas/San Antonio), the weird (Keep Austin Weird was supposed to be a slogan that would promote mom-and-pop small businesses in the city. The rest of Texas leapt on the opportunity to make fun of it. Sorry, Austin), the border (El Paso, Texarkana), or somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. The state’s too big to get into the nitty gritty.

And don’t even get me started on college rivalries. You’ve got U of H, UT, A&M, SFA, and even more acronyms and mascots and history and - well, let’s just say it can all get out of hand. Actually, A&M and UT refuse to play each other anymore out of stubbornness - they hate each other that much. (Personally, I land on the Aggie side of things. Anyone who goes so far as to genetically engineer maroon bluebonnets to prank another school has earned my affection. Though UT can give as good as they get.)

Some other weird/fun things about Texas include: - Drive through margarita places - Kolaches (which are a Czech sweet pastry that we bastardized into a savory breakfast option) - The Battle for the Boot (I kid you not, two baseball teams compete against each other for a silver cowboy boot every once in a while. It’s the silliest and yet most Texan thing ever.) - Buck-ees - The second largest port in the US (the amount of people who don’t understand that yes, Houston is on the water, and yes, it has a booming transport industry is alarming) - Really good barbecue (ours is tomato based, which makes the sauce thick and sweet) - Strange laws including one where you’re not allowed to have pliers in the back pocket of your jeans (it’s a holdover from when cattle rustlers would use them to cut barbed-wire fences) - There’s a law where in the US, no state capital is allowed to be taller than the US capital. Texas built theirs on a hill - it’s not taller, it just happens to be... higher. - People argue over this one, but Texas DOES have the right to secede from the union. - Six Flags the theme park was named such because it stands for Six Flags Over Texas. Why? Texas has had six different flags flying over it: France, Spain, Republic of Texas, United States, Confederacy, and Mexico. Yes, you read that right: France. No, we were not acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. - Dry counties are a thing. No alcohol is allowed to be consumed or sold! That being said, a trailer park of 200 came together to create the town Mobile, TX so that they could sell and consume liquor in the 90s - In 1963, Janice Joplin was voted “Ugliest Man on Campus” at the University of Texas - The Houston Grand Opera is considered one of the best opera companies in the world!

[animezinglife]

On Writing Jake Seresin

I don’t want to step on any toes but for the love of all that is good in this world, people from Austin, TX are not country. Austin is an overcrowded metropolis. It isn’t respected or well-liked by most of Texas or its surrounding states--frankly, most hate everything it’s become in the last thirty years. 

If you want to headcanon Jake as a country boy (which is also not automatically a cowboy) that’s fine, but it’d be my strong recommendation to make sure he’s not a born and raised Austinite in your fic if you’re going to do that. Maybe he’s actually from somewhere like Florence, Elgin, or Marble Falls, but then moved to Austin when he was a little older. 

I absolutely love that Southern boys are finally getting the love they deserve, but even Texas in and of itself has completely different cultures of what that looks like within the state. Texans don’t automatically have a clue about things like western wear, guns, or how to ride a horse.

TL/DR: Writing Jake as a cowboy or country boy from Austin’s as believable as writing him as a cowboy or country boy from Los Angeles.

A guy from Austin is likely to be the polar opposite of a guy from a town like Seymour. A guy from Flower Mound is going to be different than a guy from Lubbock even though they’d get along. Texarkana? Totally different than Austin. Never get in the car with a Houstonite if you wouldn’t get in the car with Kyle Busch.

Even geographically, the differences are drastic. West Texas is...dry. 

Austin and DFW  (Dallas/Fort Worth)are giant conglomerations of poorly-defined concrete and cookie-cutter houses and lawns shoved together in the suburbs. Surrounding farm and ranch land has been swallowed up by houses and corporate developers, and it’s deeply depressing to watch those families who’ve been there forever living on their land trying to load cattle while ignorant drivers speed by. These areas of Texas were likely quite beautiful at one time, but now, you can’t even see the land.

Hill Country is beautiful.

East Texas is beautiful (though kind of swampy in some spots).

Rural Texas is where you’re going to get that quintessential “Texas” culture that the more urban areas piggyback off of at a very surface level. To their credit, some do genuinely get it. They’re just overrun by others who don’t.

I grew up in the country. My parents still live in the country. I still don’t consider myself country. I grew up with country boys and cowboys and even went to a cowboy church. I have a lot of family in Texas, and I have family in Austin specifically. They will tell you the same thing about all of the above. 

I’m also not throwing city or suburban Texas boys--including Glen Powell--under the bus. Lord knows a few longtime followers here would laugh me out of the room on that one. 

I don’t write all of this to be rude or crass, but I hope more will take it all into consideration when posting headcanons or writing fics.

[annieintheaair]

I cry a lot, but I am so productive, it's an art. You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart.

Well, I'm pretty delirious at this point and I should probably be in bed, even though it's not even 7pm yet, but of course, I got home and had to pour myself a glass of wine -- I deserve it.

Yesterday I got home from work in the morning and tried to nap but couldn't so I watched a movie. I hate the nail salon I go to in Fort Worth but I had no choice and went last week and of course, they did a pretty crappy job so I had three cracked nails within a few days. I decided to go there to have them fix them, hoping I'd get in and out quickly and then make it to yoga. I ended up missing yoga. It was literally the one thing I had been looking forward to all week.

To make my drive to Fort Worth worth it, I stopped at Costco and then picked up Chick-fil-A on my way home. I felt like I had a million things to do at home but jumped on a call with my therapist and cried my eyes out for the hour. I filled him in on all that had happened since we last spoke and once again, he reminded me that I do need to do what's best for me and move since everything in my life seems to be dependent on it at this point. When I was done with our appointment, I had to take some anxiety meds to calm myself down. I thought for sure that it would put me to sleep but it didn't.

The apartment complex I applied at has been giving me the hardest time, not wanting to accept my income from my second job because I'm technically self-employed and don't have paystubs. I spent nearly the entire afternoon trying to find a solution. It wore me down so bad that I was really wishing I didn't have to go to work last night. It kept me going though knowing that I'd be working with my friend, Nancy.

Everything went pretty smoothly last night and we made it to Oklahoma City just fine. I got up this morning at 4:40am, drank some hotel coffee, and expected to be on the ground in DFW by 7am. After boarding all of the passengers, the rolling delays began. The weather hit Dallas -- badly. Storms rolled in and there was a ground stop. Thankfully, my dog helper, Ashley, was back from her vacation and able to make a few trips over to my house to let the dogs out and feed them today.

After waiting with the passengers on the plane for hours, we allowed them to have the opportunity to deplane to go to the terminal to get food. Eventually, we deplaned everyone and then eventually reboarded, even though we knew we were going to go illegal.

Once we got the door closed, the captain made an announcement that the ground stop that had been lifted was once again in place. We would not be able to leave OKC. We sat on the plane as the rolling delay continued and we were officially illegal, per FAA regulations. The company had actually tricked us into getting the passengers back on the plane because once the door was closed, our legalities basically didn't matter. As I spoke with the passengers about their connections, I helped them to realize that it was in their best interest to try to rebook their trips with connections in any city except for DFW. We had no choice but to open the door to let everyone off.

In all of this, I ended up talking to a grandma named Georgia who was trying to get to Delaware to see her grandchildren since one of them was having her First Communion. I worked with her to figure out which flights she could rebook on to make it home today. Georgia said that she felt like we had become her family and I told her I wanted to adopt her because she felt like our family too. It was honestly so heartwarming to be with some really kind people. However, there were also plenty of passengers who basically told us we looked like shit since we were so tired.

During all of the delays, the planner/coordinator in me booked a rental car. I knew we would need to drive home (we ended up with a Kia Soul and I told everyone I felt like we were like the hamsters in the commercials). The company completely forgot about us and currently thinks we are still in OKC, however, we got the rental car and drove home.

I was so thankful to be with such an amazing crew. All four of us maintained a positive attitude throughout the day, even though we were all completely exhausted. We stopped at Love's and I got two Red Bulls, a little pepperoni pizza, and some spicy pickles. We drove through the rain, jammed out to the new Taylor Swift album, and listened to a few episodes of the Murder with My Husband podcast.

While the other two flight attendants slept in the back, Nancy and I did some catching up. Throughout the whole day, Brady, who I was supposed to go on a date with today, was texting me. I told Nancy that even though he seems like a really great guy, I'm not sure that I'm actually ready to date yet. She reminded me that it's ok and I don't need to if I don't want to and I should feel comfortable being honest with people if going on a date isn't something I want to do right now. I've gotten some matches on the apps but have really tapered off with talking to people. I feel like I already have a lot on my plate right now and dating just isn't what I need to focus on currently.

Back in DFW, we dropped off the rental car, and then all went to the employee lot to get our cars and head home. The ride home was terrible because of all of the flooding but I drove slowly and it took me an hour.

As the rain came down harder and I approached my house, I thought about how all I wanted on this chilly, rainy night, was to go home and put on my pajamas and cuddle up on the couch to watch a movie with my dogs and someone I loved. I just really wanted a hug. I wanted someone to be there with me after this challenging week. I think that's the hardest thing sometimes-- knowing you need a hug but not being able to get one.

I thought again about dating and how I hate the idea of going on dates and starting over. Even though I want that person to be with me on the couch watching movies on a rainy night, I don't want to go through the process again to get to that point. I'm not ready to put myself back out there again and risk my heart hurting again.

At home, my dogs were overjoyed to see me. I took a shower, put on my pajamas, gave them dinner, and poured that glass of wine. I quickly responded to some emails for my other job and then, well, here I am, writing a recap of the last two days.

As much as I miss the weekends that I had since August, there's also something about being able to be home. I was able to drop my trip for tomorrow night so now I have two nights at home and I'm really excited to sleep in my own bed. Of course, I do wish I had someone to cuddle with instead of it just being me and my dogs but I love knowing that I can have this time to myself on the weekend. When I'm flying all week, it's nice to be at home in my own space and have no one forcing me to do anything. I like being able to have this time to recharge after a long week without an actual plan all of the time.

Well, I'm fading fast now that those Red Bulls are wearing off and I think that glass of wine is calling my name. Goodnight friends!

xoxo

Annie

[hiriajuu-suffering]

Waifu Expo, Loyalty, and Kimochiicon

I'm not sure how much more vocal I need to be to earn my spot as a panelist at some of these local conventions. You can be a circuit presenter at events 5x-10x the size of the ones you try to support and they still can't find a place for you.

Running one of the best panels at the first Anime Houston and not being one of your many cancellations during the second: why would that earn you a spot to continue hosting? Even going so far as, at one point, publicly saying they're more deserving of the largest convention in Houston over Anime Matsuri.

Having one of the best rated panels at Anime Dallas didn't earn me any credit with that ownership either, given I wasn't given the opportunity to return there either. One corporate entity of full-of-themselves ownership doesn't surprise me, given A-Kon and Anime Matsuri are the two oldest conventions in Texas.

Not getting an initial spot on the convention I support most in DFW, that stings like hell. Especially since, personally, if I could only pick a single North Texas convention to do, it would've been this one. As a native Houstonian, I already have a pretty heavy disdain for the area so I really have to feel like the convention is doing all the right things for me to make a point to support.

Then, for whatever reason, those conventions have trended to turn their backs on me when I don't feel the need to focus too much on sucking up to convention officials, y'know, because I thought there would be a fair system for it. One that goes beyond we don't want a polyamory/ENM panel at our event or worse we prefer not a cisAMAB on that content. Sure, I have my criticisms of how cons like this and Okashicon push feminine empowerment so much it feels alienating to the majority of con-goers who prefer to have an apolitical experience, but it's never felt as outwardly androphobic as this one does now.

The identity of this convention will always be marked as a protest event to Fandom Events. Fandom Events makes plenty of mistakes, but they don't support me because I'm a guy; far from it, I've gotten plenty of low attendance numbers from my panels at their conventions. At least they continue to see my line of work, believe in me, and don't put me on the back-burner just because I'm not a woman (inherently drawing more eyes if I was).

I don't dislike Kimochiicon at all, far from it, but there's certain lines of professionalism you don't just waive on a subjective principle. All my doubts of their leadership, especially programming, have always stemmed from that derivatively. Me being a straight guy, how can I contribute? The messaging I've got from them is not much at all, really, unless you're a cosplayer or my connections are important enough to the staff they can't ignore me. I don't want to exercise that type of leverage, but maybe that's where we're getting to again in the community given small conventions like this scarcely do any sort of content quality checks. Or what, is the reason I have low clout so blame it on my occupation AND gender.

I've pretty actively been hunting for a reason to return to places I have to put multiple days of time and resources into, and while this probably wasn't the breaking point for North Texas conventions, it will certainly feel like it given the trajectory of my life at the moment.

With any luck, you'll still see me there. But it'll be a bitter pill to swallow being demoted to attendee. I hated it at Anime Matsuri, I hated it at A-Kon, and I hated it at Waifu Fest. Guess I shouldn't've expected anyone to remain all that loyal in this landscape.

All you have left in this community to fall back in is your contributions to the community after your mid-20s. If I'm not wanted to contribute, there's really no reason for me to go. The convention wasn't made with me in mind on multiple levels, I understand that better than anyone else.

[teacherintransition]

BILBO WAS RIGHT!

Swept off to …indeed!

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Bilbo Baggins ~ The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Truer words were never spoken; most who travel know this …the others sit on the couch. When I began the Teacher in Transition in 2020, the intent was to share how to adopt a way of life leaving behind a teaching career of thirty years. Primary among the goals of a successful transition was the ability to travel widely. Covid made obtaining checks on the list a bit difficult; but we’ve managed to go hiking in Arizona, camping in the Llano Estacado, traveling to Chicago, returning to Ireland and Scotland …not bad for two years. A unplanned addendum to this strategy occurred in January of ‘22 when my wife became a TRAVELING nurse. We were gonna hit the road in a bold, new fashion.

Out of the last 93 weeks, we’ve been on the road 62 of those weeks. Not exactly Charles Kurault or Anthony Bourdain but pretty damn adventurous. We have just returned from thirteen weeks living in Columbia, Missouri. It was an incredibly bittersweet departure as we were thoroughly charmed by the area, the mountains, the sites, the people and the city. I could see myself being there much longer. There’s always the guy who says, “you’ve said that about everyplace you’ve gone!” YEAH …WELL … I guess they’re right. What does this mean? I had a friend presume that I sure must hate East Texas. No, not hate; but definitely burned out on it. We avoided past opportunities to move to other places due to our children and to stay close to the old folks. Our boys have grown and now we are the elders and time waits for no one. Little two week vacations can no longer hold back the urge to get out of this place! (a salute to Eric Burdon and The Animals) But as Bilbo warned us …we have no idea where we might be swept off to!

Yes, new developments have occurred. There is a joy to returning to Nacogdoches for the interim six weeks between travel gigs, but with each adventure it seems less satisfying. It feels almost as if we no more than return home and get unpacked then I’m ready to get back to traveling. My wife is a bit more settled, but I see the adjustment struggle in her as well. It’s a positive struggle, because we know in a few weeks, we will be in completely new environs! It’s a mindset I never thought would develop, but …here ‘tis. It’s as if there is not anything to hold us here. I have wonderful friends at out cigar lounge, but truth be told our fondest Nacogdoches bonds all seem to be in the past. Our families all live in the Houston area or DFW or San Antonio or in the Blue Ridge. The only family members left in East Texas are …well, Kim, my almost ninety year old aunt and me. My Quadrumvirate all live away and we have numerous new friends from all over that we’ve met from our adventures. I …we didn’t fully anticipate this; but we’re not scared of it.

Traveling the world was always a “someday” state of mind; it’s someday and the clock is ticking. We’ve seen many other sides to the fence and in many cases the grass IS greener with mountains, new vistas, amazing cities, exotic tastes, mesmerizing art, new cultures, unique conversations, charming small towns, inspiring histories, and open minded folks. It’s a real scene man. It’s in Tuscany, in Missouri, in Mexico, in Canada, in Louisiana, in Edinburgh, in Austin, in Kentucky and on and on. These places we’ve been and will be soon. I love Nacogdoches and it was a sublime place to raise a family; but chapters come to a close as will the entire book one day. We have to see more. One day, Kim and I will find a quiet place to live out our lives, but in the interim …let’s see what’s over the hill.

[line-of-fire]

Just… little random ass character notes and shit I don’t feel like making their own posts just yet.

Pixie:

- it doesn’t usually show in art and picrews I post of her, but she has heterochromia, with her left eye being light hazel and her right eye green. It’s something she used to be really insecure over as a kid, but nowadays isn’t bothered by. Just aggravated by anyone rude enough to give her a hard time about it/not believe it’s real

- Has freckles for days, and they were actually even more visible/apparent when she was younger

- has an energy drink/caffeine problem. Do not ask how many she’s had at any particular time, the number will scare you after 10am

- Has her mothers gift for picking up accents + languages. In certain AUs she takes advantage of this to either make it easier for others to be understood; or conceal where she’s actually from.

- Watched anime in high school/college. Specifically fma03 was one of her favorites, but in the DFW timeline it’s not something she can watch because a lot of themes/episodes hit too close to home for her

- touch starved.

- absolutely fucked sense of humor regarding her prosthetic arm. Do not ask her for a hand with something. If she’s comfortable with you, you’re getting the prosthetic before she goes to help you.

Alkka/Wolf-

- has tattoos! They were all a combination of gender affirmation/‘fuck you dad you’re dead and I can do what I want’

- Has a very unorthodox/dry sense of humor

- hates the water. There’s reasons for that. Reasons she will not discuss.

- Very high pain tolerance

- listens to Nightwish and Kaizers Orchestra

- that one meme with the guy pulling weapons out of unceasingly improbably places? That’s her.

- has a pet cat (will elaborate on that) named Tikru

- identifies loosely as Finnish pagan. It’s complicated, and something she’s private about, but still very much a thing

Voitto-

- picked Alkka’s middle name for her (it means ‘sister’ in Finnish)

- Actually goes to therapy (has symptoms of, and canonically has, anxiety and c-ptsd, but he’s yet to be formally diagnosed) of his own accord. Genuinely thinks it helps, and it’s really helped him heal from his upbringing. Really wishes Alkka would at least try it out

- Grew his hair out after joining the Shadows, keeps it braided back when he isn’t home at the barracks.

- Actually really good with kids.

- has a horrible tendency of slouching, makes him look half an inch taller than he is

- he’s the younger twin; but him and Alkka have an ongoing joke between them where they’ll give whoever asks that question a different answer each time.

- his middle name means ‘mercy’. That’s intentional on my part.

- hates having dirty hands, especially if it’s some sort of liquid like blood

- Hasn’t come to the realization that not feeling physical/sexual attraction isn’t normal. Blame the echo chamber him and Alkka have with that sort of thing. Don’t bother making suggestive comments to him, he won’t understand.

- isn’t sex-repulsed though. Just has the ‘well good for you but it ain’t for me’ mentality

- awful lot of Catholic Guilt for someone that ain’t even religious

[anderhearn]

Passing Doves - Chapter 7 - Go

"She's going to be busted down to patrol if this stunt of hers doesn't yield results," Says Chief Waller, and not only that, you'll be reprimanded for not controlling your goddamn subordinates. Have a goodnight, Captain.

"Yes, sir." says Captain Edmons as he closes the iPad.

----Moore sits in her car looking at the comment section of the DFW CBS 11 YouTube video; praise, admiration, disdain, and hatred scrolled down her iPhone 14.

"Let that bastard come into my house, I'll kill him!"

"How in the world could someone even think to do something like this? It's awesome!"

"I don't blame him, he probably got tired of all the BS"

"I am the KILLer"

"UR next."

"What a complete psychopath."

"DPD couldn't catch COVID"

"Fuck the police!"

"Real life purge"

"Jesus loves you."

Cruz leans over and looks at her phone,

"Let me guess; a bunch of useless crap in the comments?"

"Yeah," Moore locks her phone, "people actually like this guy."

"If there is a guy." says Cruz.

"You know, Audy really screwed us on this. She might as well have made a callout to all the weirdos and wannabes out there."

"Nah," says Cruz as takes a drink of coffee, "she's a good cop. Just doing what she thinks is right."

"Yeah, except for consulting me about it. I take one day off for wedding planning and major decisions are made without even asking. Please tell me you tried to stop her, Rico."

Cruz nods his head, "Yep, I said it would be a shitstorm."

"So she's going rogue then. Doing shit like this is what can get a case thrown out on some technicality. I am upset she isn't being more strategic about this." Moore says looking out the car window.

"So you really think this guy exists?" Cruz asks as he finishes his coffee.

"I think she is right about this, yes." Moore says as the engine rumbles to life.

Simon had been back for three days and was spending a good amount of time reading through 4Chan forums, the CBS 11 YouTube video comment section, and Reddit trying to find any mention of him or his doves. Nothing except for the praise and admiration he was getting in the YouTube comment section, which was plentiful.

Simon laughs as he reads the comments yet again, "How can anyone think to do something like this? It's awesome!" 

That was his favorite one. He enjoyed all the praise but hated one comment in particular, 

"I am the KILLer." Angry at the fact that someone would have the fucking gall to even pretend to be able to do what he has done. 

"You aren't anything like me." types Simon in the reply box. Simon starts to laugh wildly as he takes off his motorcycle helmet, letting the air cool his face. "DPD would love that comment!" Simon discards the reply and takes a deep breath, sucking in his earthly playground. 

A few minutes later the S1000 is roaring down Loop 12 in search of the missing dove. 

"Shit." says Simon as he passes Jonathan's house yet again. Three days and everything is the same; seemingly abandoned with overgrown grass and several days of newspapers on the front lawn. 

Simon shakes his head in disappointment at the idea of having to continually search for Jonathan, knowing he wouldn't be able to enjoy any more hunts until he was butchered. 

Butchered. 

It had to be bloody, dirty, and more importantly..."I am the KILLer" the comment flashes in his head.

Unacceptable.

Bloody, dirty, and with a calling card so that no keyboard coward could even dare to claim the dark deed.  

Driving around DFW in search of a dove was akin to walking along an endless hedgerow; tiring. 

Flush him out.

A few hours later Simon loads a few stinking trash bags into the trunk of the Civic. He opens one, tosses in an Apple AirTag, and closes the trunk. 

Jonathan's sleepy street sits in intermittent darkness as the street lamps flicker. Simon eases onto the street, pulls next to the curb and tosses the trash bags onto his front yard.

"Good morning, Dallas Code Compliance. How can I help you?"

"Hi, good morning. I need to make a complaint about my neighbor at 2403 Cambridge Drive."

"What is the problem, sir?"

"Well," Simon says, feeling like a complete Karen, 

"their grass is very tall. It is well over a foot. I hate to complain, but my kids are scared about getting bitten by snakes."

"Oh, I understand sir. 12 inches is the maximum height."

"Not only that, now there are garbage bags all over his lawn. It is a real eyesore and I'm trying to sell my house. If anyone sees that, I might lose them as a potential buyer. Can you please have someone just put a note on his door and remind him to clean up?"

"I once had the same problem when I tried to sell my home. Sure thing, sir. I will dispatch code enforcement to the location right now."

"Thanks, you're a real life saver."

A day later his iPhone lights up with a ding.

Simon picks up his phone in sweet anticipation. The AirTag was moving.

Within a few seconds Simon is off the couch and on the S1000. The BMW screams down the road as he dodges cars and threads his way through traffic.

"I am the killer!" shouts Simon as he hits 150mph, tearing through Loop 12. Five minutes later Simon pulls onto Cambridge Drive, heart pounding, and his head swirling with new and inventive ways on how to pull the fluttering wings off this dove. 

There he was, finally.

Jonathan lifts the lawnmower and pushes it into the bed of his truck as the smell of fresh cut grass lingers in the air. Simon slow rolls by the house staring at Jonathan with a devilish grin, feeling the hair on his arms stand on end. 

"Let me get a Gin and Tonic." says Jonathan as he wipes a few blades of grass off of his pants. 

Simon walks into the bar and sits right next to him, "Hey, buddy! Nice to see you! Did you ever get your RAM turbocharged?"

Jonathan turns around and looks at him, "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, no apologies needed. I met you and your wife at K&H a while back."

Wife. How he enjoyed saying that to him.

"Oh, yeah. I remember you," Jonathan finishes his drink in one gulp, "Sorry, I'm not too good with names. What was your name?"

"Simon." 

Why not?

"Oh, that's right. Simon." 

Simon smiles and signals the bartender, "I never caught your name that day." 

"Jonathan."

"Excuse me a second, Jon. Barkeep, let me get two Jack and cokes. Simon laughs to himself, "What about you, Jon? What are you drinking? My treat."

"Shit. If you're paying, how about 3 Gin and Tonics. Just kidding." 

"Three it is. Two Jack and cokes, 3 Gin and Tonics, and a shot for you."

"Thanks for the shot," the bartender says, "and your drinks are on the way. You wanna start a tab?"

Simon turns to Jonathan, "You got time?" 

"Thanks. Yeah, I got all day. I haven't been doing much these days."

"Hey, man," Simon says, "What kind of phones do you and the wife got? My shit stopped working the other day. I need to buy a new one."

Simon barely stops himself from bursting out laughing. He didn't give a damn what kind of phone that dead bird or what kind the soon to be dead dove had as long as it wasn't an iPhone to alert him of the AirTag hidden on his truck.

7 Gin and Tonics later Jonathan was weaving quite the story,

"Yeah, that motherfucker is lucky! I chased that dumb son of bitch out of my house. He ran out of there like a whipped dog, I'll tell you what. Try to rob me and my wife? Hell no! I'll tell you what, Simon," he orders another Gin and Tonic, "I kicked him right in his gut and he dropped like a fly! Yeah and after I chased him out of my house, me and my wife fucked liked teenagers! I bet you that little cocksucker won't come at me again!"

"Damn. That is crazy." says Simon as he shakes his head in disbelief. "How did he g..."

Jonathan cuts him off, "Yeah, shit, man. You know, I, I, will kill him next time he comes to my house. I'm gonna let my wife have a Texas sized piece of his ass, too! He is lucky I was a nice guy and let him live. You know, me, I always carry a gun, even in my house! Hell, I even fuck with the safety off!"

"Bullshit." says Simon as he puts his drink down.

"Bullshit?" Jonathan drunkenly asks.

"Oh, these drinks are getting weak. I need some stronger stuff!" Simon says, covering his involuntary slip up.

"Oh, yeah?" Jonathan looks down in shame, "Bullshit."

Jonathan climbs into this truck and starts the engine,

"You sure you're good to drive, Jon?"

 Jonathan nods his head, 

"I don't give a fuck anymore. My life is fucked up. My wife is de...yeah, I am good, buddy boy! I'm just gonna go to my house and sleep it off. No problem. I've been doing this every night since she...Alright, Simon, thanks for the drinks. See you around."

The RAM pulls out the parking lot and Simon pulls out this iPhone and tracks the AirTag. 

He wasn't heading back to his house. Simon jumps on his bike and trails him. 

15 minutes later Jonathan pulls into a driveway where an elderly woman meets him at the front door.

[podrickpaynest]

there is an insane irony in currently reading "infinite jest" and, the very same month, getting obsessed about a movie so badly i actually use it to control my serotonine production

[dramioneasks]

HP FESTS: DramioneFanfictionWriters (Part 4)

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Famous Shakespeare Lines, February 2021:

Short Life For A Daffodil by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Hermione and Draco have a wild daughter who likes to pull up daffodils and frustrate her parents, but the duo wouldn't be without their children.

Friends Dont by Lostinthenightrain - T, one-shot - "You don’t choose who you fall for!” “No, because I sure as hell wouldn’t be standing here now would I?” Hermione mourns the loss of a relationship.

The Malfoy Mistress by ThebeMoon - M, one-shot - Unable to bear the sight of Bellatrix carving into Hermione Granger at Malfoy Manor, Draco Malfoy whisks his hated former schoolmate to safety. He should have known better.

Rules of Engagement by Art3misiA - T, one-shot - Lucius just had to be difficult about the idea of Draco and Hermione getting married. Will Draco and Hermione allow him to throw his weight around, or will they bring him to heel?

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Popular 90's TV Shows, March 2021:

The Death of Theo Nott by Lostinthenightrain - T, one-shot - “Hermione.” Her head whipped up to see the broken expression in Draco’s eyes. “He wouldn’t kill himself.”

The Night of the Rats by rennaissance_woman - not rated, one-shot - What happens when a prank war goes too far?

Perfect Harmony by Talonwillow (TalonWillow) - T, one-shot -Professor Slughorn's star Potions pupil Hermione was tired of being the ugly duckling, so she created a potion that would transform her into a beautiful swan. Everyone seemed to like the shiny new version of her... Well, except for herself and maybe one other. Would Draco Malfoy convince her that what everyone else was seeing was what he saw every day, and would Hermione finally be able to live in Perfect Harmony?

Dramione Go Star Trekking by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Riker has made a pass at Hermione and she doesn't quite know how to deal with it.

Bloody Colonials by Maira - T, one-shot - Hermione Granger has had a long week, and the last thing she wants to do is leave the comfort of her home. But when her best friend asks for her help in dealing with a possible cursed object, what can she do but help? Brownies, Potion-making robe etiquette, and a cursed Nigerian mask all add up to a typical night at Hogwarts. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal challenge.

The Latest Teenage Drama by Art3misiA - T, one-shot - Teenagers. Gotta love em. Teenage dramas? Not so much. Draco and Hermione navigate the perils of unwanted teenage behaviour - 90s family sitcom style.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Around the World, April 2021:

The Assignment by Art3misiA - G, one-shot - Hermione and Draco, Aurors, have been sent to Cape Town on a top secret assignment - to track down a former Death Eater.

Finding Them by KrysKrossZee - T, WIP - After not finding her parents in Austrailia, Hermione enlists Draco's help and the two make their way to Vancouver when they have a new lead.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: The Language of Flowers, May 2021:

Spilled Ink by Maira - M, one-shot - It's nearly Christmas, and things aren't great. Draco Malfoy is still on house arrest due to the Wizengamot being a bag of dicks. Hermione Granger is out of the country on a job, which means he won't see her for a few weeks. And to top it all off, Hermione has sent Draco a plant. A green, spiky plant, for no reason that he can fathom. Oh, and a spelled journal that he's now supposed to write in. Because nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan. Written for the DFW Deal or No Deal Challenge!

Forever by Art3misiA - M, one-shot - Though they may be gone, our memories of them remain forever.

The Little Things by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - When Hermione buys Draco a cup of coffee and leaves it on his desk, it throws Draco through a loop and he wonders what he should get her in exchange.

The Climbing Vine by rennaissance_woman - not rated, one-shot - After receiving some startling news, Draco runs out of the house. He receives some advice from a surprising source.

Changing of the Seasons by Lostinthenightrain - M, one-shot - Hermione & Draco find a local park and two unlikely faces to greet them.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Draco's Birthday Soundtrack, June 2021:

Straight to the Heart by AdAsttra - T, one-shot - Draco's ready to tell Hermione how he feels, but Cupid has other ideas.

Stick Around by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Hermione doesn't know why Draco is the only one who makes her feel safe, but she is glad that she is able to get some reprieve from her brain.

Wild and Wired by Maira - M, one-shot - Need your lovin' here beside me, Need it close enough to guide me, I've been hopin' you would find me, You're the biggest part of me. - Hermione was expecting a fun night out with her boyfriend and her friends. She was not expecting ice cubes, sick ponies, and a serenade beautiful enough to melt her heart. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal challenge.

Let's Get Serious (Please, for the Love of Merlin!) by Art3misiA - G, one-shot - Draco wants to get serious, but Hermione isn't so sure. Will their opposing views make or break them?

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Magical Monsters, July 2021:

There's A Zouwu In My Basement by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - When a creature has broken into the Malfoy Manor dungeon, Draco has to call for help.

Miseria by crochetaway - T, one-shot - Hermione tames a Dementor.

Aegis by Maira - M, one-shot - Their world is in ruins, and their only protection against creatures wanting to kill them is about to fall. They make a plan to trek across the country to Hogwarts, where others have gathered to make a new home within the castle. There, they will be safe. One problem - before they go, there's a queen to kill. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal Challenge.

Fear & Desire by myladymay - T, one-shot - Draco Malfoy wants to change his life. He returns to Hogwarts for Eighth Year and finds himself confronted with both his biggest fear and greatest desire, all wrapped up in a Gryffindor tie.

Innocent Monsters by itscometothis - T, 12 chapters - Draco Malfoy thought he had reasonable expectations for his mandatory Eighth Year at Hogwarts, where he would be confined to the grounds as part of his probation. Isolation, hatred, and passing his NEWTs were really all he had in mind. What he wasn't anticipating: 1) Having a small firstie latch onto him like a bloody koala 2) Said firstie adopting an erkling as if they didn’t feed on children. To protect his little nuisance, he’ll have to seek help from uncomfortable places, including the Swottiest Witch of Her Age. Joy of all joys.

Transformed by Art3misiA - T, one-shot - Draco and Charlie have a dragon to catch, and time is running out. Meanwhile, Hermione is missing, adding to Draco's woes.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Legendary Duos, August 2021:

Three's a crowd, four's trouble by AnnaRitaLi - M, WIP - p>My sister is right. My life did change that evening. I just don't think Rosalind meant for me to steal her boyfriend, or I don't think I stole him, Draco, not precisely. You cannot steal something that doesn't want to be whisked away. That's my experience, at least, and I've stolen quite a few things over the years. So I can say this with confidence. You can't lose something you never had. But you’ll have to read it in the book, dear. While the Crown doesn’t wish for me to speak out in public, I have been silent for too long. You see, There were three of us in this marriage. And people, the press, have assumed many things over the years about Draco and me. So this book, as you’ll see, it’s my attempt to set the record straight. Yes, there were three of us in this marriage, but there were also much more going on than that. -- This is the story the Crown never wanted to get out. In other words, I bring you the x-rated version of the book ‘Diana - her true story - in her own words’.’ It’s the Dramione as Charles & Diana AU you didn't know you needed.

The Marquess and the Kitchen Girl by Art3misiA - E, 8 chapters - Draco Malfoy is the son of the most powerful Duke in Wiltshire. One day, he will be the ruler of a large duchy. Hermione Granger lives happily with her parents - that is, until tragedy strikes. Two children will become friends, and gradually discover a forbidden love that seems as if it might one day defy the odds. Alas, this is a tale of doomed lovers.

In Her Arms by KrysKrossZee - M, one-shot - Draco's worked his way up through Voldemort's ranks but it would seem that all of his work has been for nothing when Dolohov captures a new prisoner.

The Happiness I Seek by Maira - M, one-shot - To those without a soulmate, the world is devoid of colour. They say that if you are lucky enough to meet your soulmate, everything changes. The world is brighter, food is richer, and you find a love you never knew you needed. Draco Malfoy has never been lucky. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal challenge.

darling! by itscometothis - M, one-shot - When Draco and Hermione are invited to help demonstrate a path forward for Wizarding Britain and its reconciliation, neither really feel like they can refuse - Hermione for moral reasons and Draco for practical ones (read: Azkaban sounds bad). But they have very different ideas on how to play up this fake relationship. Written for DFW's Deal or No Deal: Legendary Duos - Kermit and Ms. Piggy. It's as ridiculous as you expect.

A Thousand Ships by floorcoaster - M, WIP - Draco Malfoy knows what he wants, and he's not afraid to reach out and take it.

Quiet My Demons by Lostinthenightrain - M, one-shot - “Unhappy, darling?” He murmured, his cigar placed on its resting dish, dashed out - a little puff of smoke rising into the air between them before disappearing. “Yes, completely.”

I Love Draco by crochetaway - G, one-shot - A few slice of life scenes with Hermione, Draco, and Scorpius ala I Love Lucy style!

DFW's Deal or No Deal: The Final Word, September 2021:

Crime & Punishment by itscometothis - T, 12 chapters - TRIAL TRANSCRIPT OF DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY IS FORMALLY CHARGED WITH THE FOLLOWING: CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER AIDING AND ABETTING A MURDER USE OF UNFORGIVABLE CURSES: IMPERIUS (2 COUNTS) USE OF UNFORGIVABLE CURSES: CRUCIATUS (47 COUNTS) PARTICIPATING IN A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION -- I don’t regret hoping. I thought I might, at the beginning, do you remember? But I don’t. I regret nothing about you, my love. Eternally yours, Draco -- A story of hope, punishment, and the nature of justice told in trial transcripts, visits in an interrogation room, and letters.

Boats Against the Current by AlannaTCooper - T, one-shot - Draco Malfoy is trying to escape his past by running as far away as he can. But the past - and his nightmares - keep pulling him backwards.

By His Side by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Hermione is lonely but there's at least one person who can break through her loneliness.

Trying To Live by IzzieStellar - T, one-shot - After her husband dies, Hermione can’t seem to remember how to live and her friends vow to help her.

In the Dead of Night by AdAsttra - G, one-shot - Hermione and Draco are some of the last people to leave Hogwarts under the veil of a cold, dark night.

This fest is ongoing.

[sol-rising]

— dramione fanfic recommendations bc i don’t have a life;

[CHERRY] No one asked for this but I don’t have a life and I read a lot so.... why not? Majority of these are either on AO3 or FFN. 

— ONESHOTS; 

Best Shot by AccioMjolnir [Mature, 24k words]

Summary: It's eighth year and Hermione is trying to navigate her post-war friendship with Draco Malfoy and a relationship with Ron Weasley when she gets an unexpected visit from someone who knows her better than anyone: herself. Thrown back from the future, an older Hermione drops a bombshell on her: she has only three days to set things right, or Draco dies.

Amateur Cartography by worksofstone [Teen & Up Audiences, 21k words]

Summary: That one-night stand with Draco Malfoy was a mistake. Hermione doesn't make mistakes, or at least she isn't supposed to. She's working hard at her Ministry career, however frustrating and pointless her job may be, and she's also got to live up to everyone's expectations as Hogwarts's most famous Muggle-born and a top-tier War Hero. So, why is she still sleeping with Draco Malfoy, ex-Death Eater and infamous pureblood? And why isn't she certain that she wants to stop?

A Muggle-born Magic by Musyc [Mature, 50k words]

Summary: Regency-era AU. Physician's daughter Hermione Granger finds herself in need of a way to pay off her father's debts after his death. Draco Malfoy, retired from the politics of the Isolationists, a group of pure-bloods bent on separating 'true' magic from lesser folk, finds himself in need of a tutor for his son, Scorpius, who appears to be incapable of magic and must learn to survive in a world without it. Draco also needs a wife and mother for Scorpius, to satisfy a promise to his unwell father. After she saves his son from an attack by Isolationists, Draco hires the Muggle-born Miss Granger for the former, and after a riot in Vauxhall Gardens and a scandalous discovery made by his mother, weds that selfsame Muggle-born for the latter. While making the best of her marriage of (in)convenience, Hermione discovers that Scorpius' history of wild imaginings and dreams is more than just imagination. As she attempts to teach him about magical abilities no one expected he would ever have, she and Draco work together to raise Scorpius and learn to trust each other.

Ice by senlinyu [Teen & Up Audiences, 5.1k words]

Summary: Hermione works in Gringotts’ Records Department when Draco Malfoy comes on staff as a curse-breaker. His icy presence drags up memories she’s desperate to move on from and forget. She tries to ignore him, but every time she sees him, she feels chilled to the bone. DHr Advent 2018.

Fallin' (Adrenaline) by LeilahMoon [Teen & Up Audiences, 4.5k words]

Summary: When Professor McGonagall encourages all Hogwarts students to participate in a mentor scheme designed to promote inter-House unity, Hermione Granger is thrilled; she can’t wait to embrace the opportunity for further education. Unfortunately, she's not able to choose who she is allocated to and, when her mentor turns out to be Draco Malfoy, she’s certain she won’t learn anything at all.  

The Two Sided Triangle by Canttouchthis [Teen & Up Audiences, 5.2k words] 

Summary: In which Daily Prophet reporter Hermione Granger inadvertently becomes a superhero and her partner, the intrepid Draco Malfoy finds himself smitten. In other words, a Dramione inspired by Superman and Lois Lane.

Now Is A Gift by senlinyu [Teen & Up Audiences, 5k words]

Summary: Hermione is determined to give meaningful Christmas gifts to everyone in her Ministry department.

Everyone.

Even that anti-social arse Malfoy.

DHr Advent 2019.

riddle me this by megamegaturtle [General Audiences, 8k words]

Summary: Their fingers touch when Draco hands her the paper and Hermione's heart almost jumps out of her chest.

The note reads: How do you spell ‘cute boy’ with only two letters? -Riddle Me This

Hermione finds herself grinning. “Cutie. Q-T. That’s the answer to the riddle. You’re a cutie, Malfoy.”

[the one where someone leaves Draco Malfoy riddles to solve from the local coffee shop's community board and he enlists Hermione Granger for help.]

(Written for 2020 DFW Trope Fest: Double Trouble)

Library Rendezvous by WickedlyAwesomeMe [Fiction T, 2.9k words]

Summary: Hermes Granger just wanted to finish his homework in peace but of course, she always had to ruin his plans. Male!Hermione Granger/Female!Draco Malfoy. Genderbender

Relentless (Hogwarts Era Series) by realjane (Series of Connected Oneshots)

Height by senlinyu [Explicit, 8.7k words]

Summary: “Tall? That’s what you think I should notice about Malfoy? His height?”

Ginny quirked an eyebrow and licked the tip of her quill suggestively. ”Well, isn’t that your thing? Lockhart. Krum. McLaggen. Ron. The only thing they have in common is being tall enough to give me a neck ache.

”Hermione felt her ears grow hot, and she gripped her book tighter. “I don’t have a thing for tall men. Their height is—completely coincidental.”

Dramione Height Differences Minifest 2020.

Diamond Heart by artemisgirl [Fiction T, 8k words]

Summary: When Hermione approaches Draco Malfoy proposing a fake relationship between the two of them as part of a scheme, he's eager enough to participate - the potential benefits outweigh any costs on his time. But as it all progresses, Draco finds himself wondering what it would be like if what was 'fake' was real.

The Spring’s Chosen by artemisgirl [Fiction T, 5.5k words]

Summary: A golden unicorn appearing on the Malfoy grounds sends the Manor into a flurry of activity, to the confusion of one Draco Malfoy. It's just a unicorn that happens to be gold - isn't it? DMHG  

Courting Customs Most Sacred by HeyJude19 [Twoshot, Mature, 15k words]

Summary: Published in 1862 by Lady Apollonia Nott, Courting Customs Most Sacred is the comprehensive text for any pureblood family seeking to arrange suitable matches for their children. It’s also patently ridiculous and not at all appropriate for the modern era of dating. It is certainly not how one should woo Hermione Granger, at any rate.

— ON-GOING/WIPs;

Come Let Us Adore Him by thiscitychickk [Not Rated]

Summary: Hermione Granger scoured the subreddits, perused the checklists, and read virtually everything possible on how to be an all star Congressional intern and staffer. She had her job responsibilities well in hand, but instructions on how to handle the attention of an upstart Congressman Draco Malfoy were nowhere to be found. US politics AU: Congressional staffer Hermione, Congressman Draco

and with you, i fall by passionesque [Mature]

Summary: With Narcissa Malfoy striking a deal for her family — protection for information, the last thing anyone wants is Draco Malfoy seeking refuge within the heart of the Order. 

It would’ve been easy, Hermione thinks. So easy for her to hex him back to Voldemort’s clutches for all that he’s said and done, but being the bleeding soft-hearted Gryffindor she is, she doesn't.

* * * * *

“You should hate me,” he murmurs, flicking his gaze to her from beneath his lashes. 

She should, Hermione knows this. She really ought to hate him, but the memory of the haunted look in his eyes and the hoarse screams of his nightmares echoes through her mind and eases the storm in her heart.

She doesn’t. She can’t.

“You’re right,” Hermione says soberly. “I should. But I don’t.”

Post HBP. Canon-Divergent. HG/DM.

Love In A Time Of the Zombie Apocalypse by andgladly [Mature]

Summary: After Voldemort, there was this. The clock is ticking to create a cure to the unimaginable horror that currently grips the world. Hermione finds herself unwillingly allied with the most hated man in Wizarding Britain.

The Alkahest by Shadukiam [Mature]

Summary: The Marriage Law, once enacted, has the power to destroy Hermione's perfectly normal life. Luckily, she and Ron are already planning to obey the horrific law together as a team... Until a Malfoy-shaped wrench gets thrown into the works. Dramione.

In the Arms of Her Dragon by Wolf Blossom [Mature]

Summary: A random act of kindness (the life-or-death kind) draws together Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger in a way that nobody saw coming. The duo, in fact, did not want anybody learn the secret of their relationship, but their hope was in vain. All of Hogwarts, nay, England suddenly knew about their union. "Nobody said this would be easy, bookworm." Malfoy drawled. "Shut. Up. Malfoy."

Time Twisters by themirrorminder.372259 [Fiction T]

Summary: Narcissa ignores the sharp smile her little brother wears after Bella's funeral, in the same way that Lily ignores the ravenous gaze her little sister aims towards Knockturn Alley. However, Albus Dumbledore cannot ignore the ominous friendship between Draco Black and Hermione Evans, not when he hears blood dripping from their joined hands. {TimeTravel} {DRAMIONE} {Marauder's Era}

Beautiful Incongruence by charlie_weasleys_gf [Teen & Up Audiences]

Summary: “You are not an easy person to talk to, Granger.”

“Well, you haven’t made the prospect of talking to you sound very exciting."

Hermione Granger was ready for her third year at Hogwarts-that was, until it was interrupted by time turners and apologising assholes.

In which Draco Malfoy apologises (a lot).

How to Move On by longdistance [Mature] 

Summary: It's been nearly a decade since the war. A long time since she locked herself away. A long time since he faced his mistakes. She's what he wants. He's what she needs. It's time for both of them to figure out how to move on.

Through the eyes of blind love by Mixilip1 [Mature]

Summary: Torn between the heart and love of two souls thou shall find theeself. Post-war.

Following the war, Hermione finds herself not-so-happily dating Ron, but it seems she can't keep herself away from a certain blonde Slytherin who's determined to finally make her his witch. After hearing a prophecy about her future, she thinks her life might change for good, but what she doesn't know is that the prophecy also included a veela in it.

"Granger, don't be nervous. Just look at me and let go." He said, grabbing her chin, and her brown eyes met his.This is a story about love triangles and veelas. Veela AU

flesh and blood by forbiddenquill [Teen & Up Audiences]

Summary: Scorpius breaks his father’s Time-Turner and ends up getting transported into the year 1998, when the Second Wizarding World War has already ended and where Draco Malfoy is still trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered world.

With Scorpius’ arrival comes shocking revelations, burning questions, and a son’s image of a father Draco is sure he’ll never be able to live up to.

More importantly, it’s Scorpius’s bright brown eyes, so unlike his own, that bug Draco the most.

[alternatively, a multi-chapter fic where eight-year-old Scorpius follows Draco around the castle and tries to discover the secret identity of his mother]

The Other Side by sweetsolitude [Teen & Up Audiences]

Summary: A slow-burn Dramione version of 6th year, The Half-Blood Prince, told from the perspectives of Draco, Hermione, and Theo. No smut, no character bashing. Attempted to stay TTC and the general plot progression of HBP. Primary ship is Draco/Hermione. This fic is already completed at around 150k, will post chapters regularly.

The Hidden Duchess by Moxified [Fiction K]

Summary:  She had always been given everything she wanted ever since she was a child, spoiled to the very bone. Her life consisted of a strict regimen built for a princess that was followed to a tee - even after she came to Hogwarts. Leading two lives is stressful for anyone, especially a young lady with an equally young man curious enough to discover what secrets she was hiding.

An Unexpected Malfoy by RiverWriter [Mature]

Summary: Once upon a time Hermione Granger literally ran into Draco Malfoy in a bookshop. His mother sees a connection between her son and the muggleborn that she can't ignore and determines to get to know the girl. An imagining of how things could have gone if Hermione had been taken under the wing of the Malfoy family.

In Another Life by marana1 [Fiction M]

Summary: She walked over to the huge, full-length mirror. Staring back was her eleven-year-old self but with long, beautiful, silky platinum blonde hair and pale skin. Hermione ran her fingers through her hair, the reality of the situation sinking in. The fairy hadn't just made them switch places for a day... she sent them back in time and switched their lives. DM X HG. EWE. Slow burn.

Hermione's pianist by softblakegriffin, va_lentina [Mature]

Summary: Draco Malfoy was destined to play music since birth. A small prodigy in a family of long-standing musicians, he’s well on his way to become the best pianist of his generation. A month in Rome with his friends is the perfect way to leave the pressure and social obligations behind and relax, immersed in the eternal beauty and soul-stirring art.

Hermione Granger’s road to music wasn’t straightforward. She didn’t attend the Conservatory, everything she knows is the result of sacrifices, and she’s still searching for the perfect opportunity to make music her job. It’s her dream and she thinks Rome, with its breathtaking views and magical atmosphere, is the place where she wants to try and fulfill it.

He’s in Rome to enjoy a short reprieve from London, before going back home.

She escaped London and is in Rome to stay.

Will music and the treacherous city disrupt their plans?

Crimes of Passion by All3Unforgivables [Mature]

Summary: Draco Malfoy lost his family, his dignity, and his humanity during the Dark Lord's rise to power. The only thing he couldn't stand to lose was something that was never his to take. With no one left to mourn him, his disappearance goes unexplored. But angels like Hermione Granger do not go missing without notice. D/H OOC, AU. Very mature themes.

Nightcrawlers by malf0y101 [Explicit]

Summary: Returning to Hogwarts for her eighth year, Hermione Granger is depressed, resentful, and suicidal. That is, until Draco Malfoy presents an enticing offer to keep her alive. Soon after, the two embark on a torture spree of students, professors, and acquaintances while simultaneously engaging in a clandestine and dirty relationship. How long can they keep their game up?

What crawls in the night stays in the night.

Poet. by OneEqualTemper [Mature]

Summary: “Uh...Malfoy? Did you knock your pretty head into a wall this morning?” Ginny questions and slides into her spot next to Hermione.

Hermione gives her a quick glare, her eyes begging her to just leave it alone. Ginny ignores Hermione’s look and waits for Malfoy to answer. Malfoy does his best to ignore the red-headed Witch.

“Hello? Anyone in there?” Ginny questions and waves her hand in front of him.

Hermione grabs the Witch’s hand and pulls it down to the table, “He can sit here if he wants.”

Ginny scoffs but keeps her hand down on the table, “What’s wrong with his own table?”

“Ginny, stop,” Hermione hisses at her friend. “We’re friends. He can come and sit here anytime he wants.”

— COMPLETED;

Hindsight by floorcoaster [Teen & Up Audiences, 12 Chapters, 170k]

Summary: It's a New Year and Hermione decides it's time to make some changes.

Between the Devil and Draco Malfoy by QueenOfSmokeAndMirrors [Mature, 13 Chapters, 34k]

Summary: Seventeen is a dangerous age. Hermione Granger, arrogant and precocious and bored of her mundane life, thinks she can handle a deal with the devil. But Draco Malfoy - the devil's own son - plans on dragging her down to Hell with him. Dramione AU with demons.

Good Luck Kisses by Musyc [Teen & Up Audiences, 8 Chapters, 8.4k]

Summary: A good luck kiss for a Quidditch captain - it's ridiculous. It can't actually work.

But it does.

Every time.

Traditions by raven_maiden [Explicit, 14 Chapters, 69k]

Summary: She straddled him slowly, still biting her lip, her hands on his shoulders. He held her hips tightly as he stared up at her.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, and she flushed prettily, like she always did from his compliments. “You never need to hide from me.”

**

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy fell in love during the war. One year later, they're heading home for the holidays so he can finally meet her parents. There's just one teeny little problem: her parents think they're both Muggles.

Fortuitous by MrsRen [Mature, 13 Chapters, 93k]

Summary: Recently divorced Draco doesn't believe in the ideology of having one true love. He certainly doesn't expect to meet his match in a Halloween themed coffee shop, but fate has a peculiar way of giving you just what you need.

Manacled by senlinyu [Explicit, 77 Chapters, 370k]

Summary: Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Hermione Granger has an Order secret, lost but hidden in her mind, so she is sent as an enslaved surrogate to the High Reeve until her mind can be cracked.

Wait and Hope by mightbewriting [Mature, 12 Chapters, 95k]

Summary: “Harry,” Hermione began, voice very controlled, but she could feel the blade of panic slicing at her vocal cords. “Why was Draco Malfoy just screaming bloody murder about his,” and the word almost strangled her as she said it, “wife?”

Harry's green eyes blew wide. Healer Lucas pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly displeased with the recent series of events.

“He was referring to you, my dear,” she said. “That was the other question you got wrong. Your name is Hermione Jean Granger-Malfoy.”

Hermione had to be sedated again.

Beginning and End by mightbewriting [Explicit, 48 Chapters, 242k]

Summary: Years. Broken into months into weeks into days—into hours, minutes, seconds—into moments. Simple at one end, complex at the other. In Draco’s experience, moments, even when simple, had a habit of becoming irretrievable. Moments grew, stretched, multiplied into ages and eras that defined whole stretches of measurable time. Draco regretted several moments in his life, some within his control, some without: all of them irretrievable in nature. At a certain point, wedged between ‘what-ifs’ of his own devising, he’d stopped trying to keep track of those regrettable moments: now and then, pushing and pulling, coming and going, beginning and end. Moments were only moments for just as long. After that, he had no control.

A Draco POV prequel to Wait and Hope.

Through the Years by WickedlyAwesomeMe [Fiction T, 11 Chapters, 93k]

Summary: Hermes Granger fervently believed that Malfoy's sole purpose in life was to make his life a living hell. Genderswap Dramione! Male!Hermione Granger/Female!Draco Malfoy. Companion piece to "Library Rendezvous".

Apple Pies and Other Amends by ToEatAPeach [Mature, 29 Chapters, 77k]

Summary: It’s not until she’s brought a basil and strawberry sponge cake to Neville Longbottom and his new girlfriend, Hannah Abbott, a dozen rhubarb hand-pies to Luna and Xenophilius Lovegood, and another basket of ganache-covered muffins to Dean and Seamus, that Hermione admits to herself what she’s actually doing: she’s making a thing of this. It’s a veritable PTSD tour. With pastries. And hand-skimmed clotted cream. And she has no idea why she’s doing it, but it’s becoming very apparent that she is.

Sometimes you're sad. Sometimes you need dessert. And sometimes, it's a little of both.

Arrogance and Ignorance by AnneM.Oliver [Fiction T, 38 Chapters, 140k]

Summary: A romance set in the era of Jane Austen novels, this is the story of a woman and a man. The man thinks he is better than all others, & the woman knows she is smarter. Their differences aside, they have one thing in common, both are smitten with the other.

The Babysitter by WickedlyAwesomeMe [Teen & Up Audiences, 29 Chapters, 145k]

Summary: It was a dark and stormy Sunday night when Hermione Granger unexpectedly visited his house and entrusted him with her daughter, Rose. Disaster ensues.

Slow burn Dramione with a sprinkle of cute, cute Rose!

The Best of Me by MrsRen [Mature, 21 Chapters, 82k]

Summary: Officially, Hermione Granger was killed in action during the Battle of Hogwarts. Unofficially, Draco Malfoy has never stopped searching for her. Years after the war during a mission in France, his salvation comes in the form of a little blond boy and a familiar half-Kneazle.

Chronos Historia by In_Dreams [Mature, 27 Chapters, 98k]

Summary: Hermione and Draco stumble upon a mysterious portal and find themselves hurtled back through time a thousand years. Forced to team up to find a way home, they quickly realize that much of the history they believed to be fact, wasn't true after all. A founders era, time travel Dramione.

Presque Toujours Pur by ShayaLonnie [Fiction M, 38 Chapters, 174k]

Summary: Bellatrix's torture of Hermione uncovers a long-kept secret. The young witch learns her true origins in a story that shows the beginning and end of the Wizarding wars as Hermione learns about her biological father and the blood magic he dabbled in that will control her future.

omnia vincit amor by SyrenGrey [Explicit, 40 Chapters, 187k]

Summary: Dark days are here at Hogwarts, and the darkest cloud of all is hanging over Draco Malfoy's head. Already burdened with the impossible task of murdering the Headmaster, life becomes more complex when an elusive prophecy entangles him with a bushy-haired enemy, and a steamy forbidden romance unfolds. Sixth Year. Rated E for sexual content and violence.

Rose by longdistance [Mature, 5 Chapters, 20k]

Summary: A short tale of what happens after Hermione and Draco wake up with each other after a drunken night together. Alcohol often has consequences which they soon learn.

[hypnofur1]

Out For Delivery in Dallas

By Hypnofur

Mid February 2021

The irony was, none of the three beings in this tale had lived in Dallas for more than a month. Brittany and Timothy Cosgrove had just purchased their expensive condo on the North side of Dallas in January. Carlos Torres had been living in El Paso Texas for a very long time, and had just recently come to the Dallas area.

None of them, actually no one in all of Texas, expected the winter blast they got in mid February. The entire state was a disaster. Texans just didn’t know how to handle winter weather. Brittany and Timothy had just moved here from Indianapolis, so to them, this wasn’t even that bad a winter storm. However, agreeing to the purchase of matching his and her’s Corvettes was part of the Brittany’s compromise to get her husband to agree to move to Dallas. Brittany had just gotten a job with one of the DFW area’s top hospitals as their chief nutritionist. More importantly, she had struck a deal with the ABC affiliate to be their on air Nutrition expert. Brittany’s ultimate goal was to parlay her beauty, and nutrition expertise, into a gig on the national scene. Good Morning America or something.

Timothy knew this, and he loved Brittany very much. He would have moved to Dallas without the Corvette deal, as he knew it was a much bigger media market than Indy. However, he was an attorney, and it was in his DNA to negotiate. Thus, the two corvettes. He of course didn’t know it was going to snow here in Texas, thus, he didn’t really care much that his luxury condo was on one of the few hills in Dallas. Corvettes did not go up hill in the snow very well.

It was about 6:00 when Brittany forced Timothy to watch the #freebrittany documentary with her on FX. She was always fascinated with Brittany Spears, due to them having the same name and being about the same age. Timothy agreed to watch it, as he had been hogging the TV with sports for a few days now. By the time the show was over, it was like 7:30, and both were starving.

Each of the young urban professionals scanned their phones for some place that would deliver. But between the weather and power outages all around, there were no good restaurants that were options. The only place open was a McDonalds two blocks away.

“No way!” Brittany laughed. “Tim, I haven’t been to a McDonalds in like 11 years. I’m not starting tonight. I’ll starve first thanks.”

“OK, but I don’t want to. Come with me, you can at least get a salad. They have those.” Tim negotiated.

“Do you know what is in those???” Brittany said, then stopped herself. She had learned a while ago that people didn’t like when she annoyingly listed all of the bad ingredients in food. “Argh, ok. I’ll take a walk with you there.” She relented with a smile.

Once there, she remembered how much she loved Orange Soda. Tim smiled, but didn’t tease her about it. She appreciated that. She actually hated being teased. She snuggled up to him as they walked out of the McDonalds and headed back to their condo through the snowy mess.

Carlos was also very hungry on this winter night. He was miserable, he absolutely hated the cold. Born in Mexico, and then spending a tremendous amount of time in El Paso, he had never had to deal with cold and snow like this. He wished he was back in Mexico this evening. Carlos’ move to Dallas wasn’t based on career advancement though, it was based on Covid-19 vaccinations. More specifically, the blood of humans who had been vaccinated.

This past year had been the worst of Carlos’ 209 on this earth. The last 150 in El Paso had been wonderful. Feeding on the blood of Mexican immigrants who crossed the border with little identification. Knowing that the secretive nature of the illegal immigrant community would stop any real deep inquisitions into mysterious deaths. It was also nice and warm. It was the perfect place for the vampire.

However, Covid-19 changed all that. Feasting on the blood of a human with Covid made him incredibly sick, for weeks at a time. Over and over everytime he bit someone with the disease. He eventually learned how to smell Covid, but only in humans that had it bad. He, like everyone else, couldn’t detect it in the asymptomatic. Therefore, also like everyone else, he was very pleased when the vaccines started coming out. Much to his pleasure, he could smell the chemicals in vaccinated humans’ blood. He could detect who was vaccinated, and who was not.

That’s why he migrated up to Dallas. People in El Paso were getting the vaccine, but it was largely the elderly. Elderly blood didn’t taste nearly as good as the blood of those in their prime. The large medical community in Dallas meant lots of people in their 20’s and 30’s who had gotten the vaccine as part of the “first responder” roll out.

Brittany and Timothy had both received their shots (both doses) in Indianapolis. Brittany got it because she worked for a hospital, and she was able to get Timothy in because of her connections. As he approached the young urban couple, Carlos could smell the Moderna in them. He had quickly come to love that scent. His mood, which had been quite dour due to the snow and ice and cold, was quickly improving. He thought he’d have a very hard time finding food tonight, but here it was being delivered right to him.

Brittany and Timothy saw the short, somewhat rotund Mexican man approaching them as they were still laughing about McDonalds. Brittany had actually gotten a refill of Orange Soda before they left. They laughed as they joked about cameras seeing them and her soda getting reported to ABC. Carlos was really caught off guard by this weather, and was wearing what would be considered “summer clothes”.

“Look at this poor guy” Timothy said to his wife. While he was a very aggressive, very greedy corporate attorney, he was also very kind and generous. That is one of the reasons Brittany loved him with her whole heart and soul.

“Are you ok my friend?” Timothy asked the man as he and his wife slowly came to a stop on the icy hill to greet the stranger who was coming up it.

“Actually, I’m very hungry and I hate the cold.” the man answered back. Neither Brittany or Timothy immediately noticed that unlike them, when he spoke, there was no steam coming from his mouth on this frigid evening.

“Here, why don’t you take my scarf and some money. There is a McDonalds two blocks North. They are open, we just came from there.” Timothy said, handing the man both his expensive scarf, and $50. Brittany had never loved him more. As she watched with love and admiration as her tall, athletic, handsome husband committed a random act of kindness for a hungry, short, poor, sexy Mexican man.

Wait, why do I find that little guy sexy? Brittany suddenly asked herself. What was it about him? She studied him a little more, and as she did, she felt her pussy actually tingle a bit. God, he was hot. She had never been attracted to Hispanic guys before, especially little short fat ones. What the hell was going on? Why was he so fucking sexy? Brittany was suddenly very glad she had put a cute outfit on and decided to look good going to McDonalds.

“Do you live around here?” Carlos asked Timothy.

“Y-yes” Timothy answered, also oddly affected by the stranger as well.

“Do you own your home?” Carlos asked.

“yes” Timothy confirmed again.

Now Carlos’ mood really improved. Humans knew a lot about Vampire lore, but there were some things that they didn’t truly understand. This was very true surrounding some of the rules of being invited into a home. It could only be done by the true owner of the home. Therefore, renters could not invite a vampire in. Also, another little known fact was that a vampire could hypnotically compel his victim to invite him into their home, but only if the victim was not currently in the home. So, that meant while he couldn’t just knock on a door and get someone to invite him in, these two humans that were “out for delivery” fit the bill just perfect.

“Soy tu Maestra” Carlos said to Timothy, who understood perfectly as he stared back deep into the vampire’s eyes. “Invitame a tu casa”

“Please, won’t you come inside?” Timothy asked.

This was enough to wake Brittany from the light sexual trance she was in. She suddenly felt the coolness of her now damp panties. Wait, Tim shouldn’t invite a stranger into their home… “Tim, hold on…” she said.

“Mirame a los ojos” Carlos said to the Irish Scotish Italian American beauty who took French in high school and did not speak a lick of Spanish. Yet, her eyes immediately darted to his. She could almost feel her thoughts being unavoidably pushed aside. Even her concern over this odd situation was fading away, replaced by a growing sexual attraction, and a need to submit… to obey as he said to her, “Soy tu Maestra”

“Lead the way” Carlos directed Timothy. The husband took his wife’s hand and lead the stranger the rest of the way down the snow covered street back to their condo. Brittany continued to look back at Carlos, she couldn’t help it. He was so fascinating, so sexual. She tried to stop herself. She knew she was married, and she had truly never wanted anyone other than Timothy since they met a decade ago. But Carlos, the short, pudgy little Mexican man, was absolutely irresistible.

Carlos asked Timothy to formally invite him in once more as they reached the condo. He of course obliged. Carlos looked around as he stepped inside. First of all, it felt nice to be warm again. He was also glad he had found these two out and about in a neighborhood that actually had power. So much of Texas was in the dark. The condo was very tastefully decorated, and Carlos could quickly tell that the couple had money.

He politely asked Brittany to lock all the doors and close all the blinds, which she did immediately. She was so turned on by him that she didn’t even wonder why he was doing that. When the last of the drapes were pulled closed, he thanked her. They locked eyes. She felt her heart jump and her nipples harden. Her pussy was already soaked. She seductively walked over to him as he embraced her in a long sensual kiss. Carlos was all that mattered to her. Timothy had been forgotten.

However, Timothy had not forgotten her. The sight of his beautiful, beloved wife passionately making out with another man was enough to snap him out of his trance.

“Brittany, stop! Something is fucked up here!” Timothy shouted.

Carlos stopped kissing and glared over at Timothy. Brittany however was still kissing his face as he looked away, lovingly stroking his hair, completely in his thrall. Timothy felt a cold chill as Carlos cast his eyes upon him.

The vampire gently took Brittany’s arms and placed them down by her side as she continued to stare down Timothy, to stare down his prey. Timothy knew his life was in danger. Fight or flight kicked in, but with his wife also in trouble, he couldn’t escape. He had no choice but to fight. He lunged at the much smaller Carlos.

With supernatural quickness and strength, Carlos caught the pouncing Timothy by the neck with his hand. He then lifted him up with one arm, rising his shoes about two feet off the ground. Timothy’s eyes widened at shock as he realized the might of this beast. Carlos angrily threw Timothy over the granite kitchen island, causing him to smash the stools on the other side. With equal quickness, Carlos leapt over the island and feasted on Timothy’s neck. Quickly and efficiently, he drained the attorney of blood and life force. The vampire felt his own strength grow with each ounce.

Brittany’s kiss with Carlos had exchanged some bodily fluids between them. Even some of Carlos’ saliva in her mouth was enough to keep her much deeper under his spell than Timothy had been. However, this was her beloved husband on the ground, being attacked by this stranger. She slowly moved over to the counter and peered over to see what was happening.

“Timothy?” she said quietly, causing Carlos to stop feeding and turn his attention to her.

His mouth showing only trickles of blood (he had spent years learning how to eat cleanly), he rose from his victim. Brittany’s eyes were stuck on her lifeless husband on the kitchen floor. Carlos looked at her as he moved slowly to her. He heard her breathing get quicker as he got closer. She had a look on her, like she was asking him to fuck her right now but did not have the courage to say anything. He had seen that look many times. Slowly, Carlos circled her, getting behind her, grinding his hard cock in his pants along her ass. "He was your husband, but he wasn’t your Master, was he?"

"No." Brittany said softly and immediately Carlos dropped his pants. Brittany was in heat and followed, pulling her skirt down along her knees. Instantly, she was bent over the counter and getting rammed by his vampiric cock in her tight pussy.

"Harder! Fuck me Harder!" Brittany begged him, speaking in a way she never had. "Oh! My! God!" she repeated with every thrust he pushed. Her hands knocking over things on the counter as he thrusted.

"Yesss my slave!" Carlos said, fucking her with all his might, grunting like a wild animal,. Brittany wrapped her arms around his waist encouraging him go even harder.

Carlos turned the married nutritionist around and she quickly stepped out her skirt. He picked her up like she was a feather, Brittany let out a loud yelp, and sat her on his rigid cock as he really started fucking her. Brittany was bouncing on his cock up and down, her shirt pulled up to reveal her tits. Their chests sliding along each other as she rose and fell on his cock.

Brittany looked him dead in the eyes and move in for a passionate sloppy kiss, not noticing or caring about the bits of Timothy’s blood. Carlos kept his fast fucking motion as he returned her kiss. They tongues were dancing and exploring each other's mouths.

Brittany pulled away and kept screaming, "Yassss!! Give it to me! FUCK ME MASTER!"

Carlos pulled her into his cock as he thrusted in, as he lets out some powerful grunts, BAM! Brittany let out whimper and moan as she bounced off his hips, before she could escape the full length of his cock, Carlos pulled her back in again and with even more force. BAM! BAM! BAM

Brittany was beyond her limits, she was dead weight barely able to keep herself on him as she flopped around, obsessively thanking and begging creature who had just killed her husband.

Finally Carlos lifted her off his cock and set her down on her knees. Then aggressively grabbed her head and plunged his cock into her mouth. Brittany had never sucked a cock before, but she quickly got up to speed as she was getting used to her new Master’s cock. It began to slide inside her mouth easily as she began gulping it in with each thrust. Saliva was running down chin and onto her chest.

"Yes my pet!" Carlos screamed, as pulled his glistening cock out her mouth. He held his cock by the base slapping Brittany side to side until...

"Uhhhhnnnggg!" Carlos's wailed, as he shot several thick stream of creamy white cum onto Brittany's face.

Carlos brought Brittany's face back in and immediately, she knew what to do. Her succulent lips instantly wrapped around his cock’s head and began sucking the remaining juices out and around his cock. Carlos knew full well that his essence was going to give him full and utter control of this beautiful woman.

When she was finally finished, he looked down at her. “What do you do for work?” he asked. He noticed his English was much better after consuming Timothy’s blood. Little things like that always intrigued him, even after 150 or more years of being a vampire.

“I’m a nutritionist” she answered him as she lovingly caressed his leg, still on her knees.

Carlos laughed, as he briefly wondered what the nutritional value of a vampire’s cum was. “Where do you work?”

“Baylor Specialty Hospital, here in North Dallas” she answered. Her heart jumped as her Master nodded approvingly.

“Can you get me to the coroner?” he asked, as he began the plan to dispose of Timothy without alerting the authorities. The coroner would become his human slave, just as Brittany would. There was some work ahead of him, but for what began as a cold hungry night, this unexpected delivery had drastically improved Carlos’ outlook here in North Dallas.

[onewomancitadel]

The smash fic was amazing and I’m sure everyone else who read it enjoyed it as well! I’m a bit worried that I might swamp you with prompts though, especially with you having to balance uni and The Distance Which Fools the Skimming Eye. If it’s too much trouble, lmk and I’ll limit it to an amount thats fine by you. Honestly, this prompt I think is a little difficult to write but the prompt is Jaune finds out about Cinder’s past and confronts her about it. Thank you for writing all the prompts btw

T_______T okay well I really enjoyed writing it especially as it wasn't quite 'take your fandom to work day' and more 'take your fandom to your bizarre hobby whom you have nobody to talk about with because you're a fucking geek day'*. XDDDD Also yay! Identity shenanigans! Thank you for your lovely message as always I really appreciate it (:

No worries about being swamped with prompts at all, I'm a groan up and if I fail to balance uni/my fandom interests that's all on me, and to be honest this is my warm-up and also 'thing I do when I'm taking a break writing'. If you want to know what my day routine looks like it's:

wake up, have chat with boyfriend over coffee, morning routine. *Patrick Bateman voice* I cleanse my face gently with organic rose water and then apply La Roche-Posay AP+ moisturiser, massage it in with intention to make sure it really seeps into my skin. Once I've done that, I retrieve emu oil from my skincare tray in the fridge, and I warm it up in my hands applying it as a second occlusive. Then I finally feel like the approximation of a person. Okay but nah lol

and then I sit here on the computer working up the energy to do work, and I do this every day, and I switch between thinking about work, doing work and being on Tumblr, and then I keep doing that until I lift weights and then shower, and then I sit here at the computer until bed. Madame Rona has thoroughly erroded my routine of anything which isn't uni.

Sometimes I call my best mate or my family. So actually the fanfic is extremely freeing.

And to answer your prompt: I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait until The Distance Which Fools the Skimming Eye gets here, but also there's an extra bonus to Cinder's backstory we'll get to, so yay? If you have another prompt at the moment I'd also be happy to write it. Sorry, I really want to save this drama for my main fic XDDD I thought something like this might happen, like with the One Known by Many Names, but that one at least has its own separate tragedy and drama. It was also great practice for what I want to do with the future of the fic!!

If you think of something else send it through though, not trying to be dismissive, I just know this is something we're working towards as a major character point in my longfic... at least you get that anticipation (:

* = edited to add, that David Foster Wallace essay about the kinesthetic beauty of Roger Federer is like exactly the energy I feel about Melee, but nobody would ever read my potentially pretentious musings on the competitive scene about a 20+ year old video game. Also most people I know from uni fucking hate DFW. Also also I don’t think Melee is exactly at the superhuman athletic calibre of tennis, but it’s just the feeling I mean.