#love that we're not waiting for asks and are just dropping the entire ask game worth of answers on everyone

[mylittleredgirl]

20 questions for fic writers

thanks @annerbhp for the tag! i really enjoyed reading her answers too!

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

215

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

646,705 (average of 3k per fic, which sounds about right)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

stargate atlantis most often, followed by sg-1, various star treks, and the x-files (with other miscellaneous fandoms on demand for exchanges and gifts).

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

No Sooner Met (voyager, janeway/chakotay)

Career Day (sg-1, mini!otp)

Next Chapter (the good place, chidi/eleanor)

First Date (voyager, janeway/chakotay) editor's note: man my title game was weak in my voyager era

Occupational Hazards (the good place, chidi/eleanor)

it's so funny to spend my online time in small or inactive fandoms and look at statistics because i'm like yeah... i'm kind of a big deal... people know me... i have many leather-bound volumes... and not a single one of my fics crack 300 kudos (& very few over 100). the person i reblogged from topped out over 9,000! what's it like to write long fics for popular fandoms? is it cool?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i do now! and it's awesome! for a long time i was intimidated by praise and had a hard time responding, but my brain works now and i really enjoy exchanging comments that turn into long threads of headcanon back-and-forth and sometimes new friends.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oh god PLEASE let me unburden my soul about Twilight (sga, john/elizabeth). it's so uncharacteristically hopeless for me -- far future fic, complicated family dynamics, elizabeth has dementia and john is estranged from their son... really no one is having a good time. i think it's interesting and a cool departure from my usual writing style, but it's also a big sad mess.

i still feel sooooo guilty about these two thousand words of misery that i REGULARLY think about writing a sequel where john and his son fix it with time travel and mend fences. like i lie awake at night worrying about these characters because one time in 2007 i didn't give them a happy ending and suggested john might not break the bad father generational cycle. normal fic writer behavior.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Weaving Loose Ends (sg-1, sam/jack)! i love happy and hopeful endings but i think of all of them, this one is the most resolved and least complicated.

8. Do you get hate on fic?

nope. oh!!!! there was the one time when i caused Big Drama in a corner of the Dancing With The Stars fandom by turning people's headcanons into rpf, which everyone liked until one included porn. people got so heated with each other over this one smut fic (doxing! splinter factions! a fandom schism!) but somehow no one was ever actually mean to me. i didn't even get blocked or banned for my rpf transgressions, i was just standing there at the eye of the storm. so... i guess the answer is still no??

9. Do you write smut?

yes! i should probably write more, though. it has been all slow and gauzy the past few years, somebody should really get railed pretty soon.

10. Do you write crossovers?

nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don't think so. happily toiling in obscurity.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

back in the x-files days i think someone translated some of my doggett/reyes fics for a spanish archive, so those might still be out there.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no i haven't!! i am really not doing well collecting my fic writer girl scout badges here!!

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

john sheppard/elizabeth weir my beloved.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

i have 10k of an sg-1 episode-by-episode soulmate fic that started really strong and i would love to share someday, but i lack staying power so it will surely just go to seed in my dropbox forever!!

16. What are your writing strengths?

hopefully character complexity and dialogue. dialogue is interesting in fanfic, because the dialogue on many TV shows is really different than how real humans speak (it's scripted to be clearer, more concise and direct, uninterrupted, etc), so it's a fun challenge to balance that and get something that sounds both in-character and realistic.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

long fics!

the big related weakness is that i find it incredibly difficult to keep writing on a fic after i show it to anyone (as a sneak peek, or because i want feedback / encouragement / brainstorming help). i lose steam on my own, but posting or inviting other people into the process is like pouring sugar in the gas tank. why is that!! how do i fix this!!!

and i don't know if this is a "writing weakness" or an "egregious personal character flaw" but i sure did finish an exchange fic this year literally forty seconds before reveals, so that's... pretty bad.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

SO SCARY aughhhh my fear of Being Wrong really nukes me here. it doesn't even have to be a real language. it's like the ghost of JRR Tolkein himself is standing over my shoulder telling me that if i don't backwards engineer an entire proto-latinate space language instead of just chucking words into google translate and calling it Ancient i'm committing unpardonable sins.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

star trek! first internet-published fics were x-files, but first limited-print-edition fics were xeroxed hand-bound voyager stories my sister and i would give as "gifts" to family friends (and then stand there staring at them while they read the first few pages and told us how clever and creative we were and promised to "read the rest later").

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

new answer! i have always answered this before with ain't no sunshine (sga, john/elizabeth) or career day (sg-1, mini!otp), but i think i really stuck the landing this year on pieces (sga, john/elizabeth). which, incidentally, is the one i finished forty seconds before reveals so i'm definitely not going to learn anything from that narrow escape.

tagging @ussjellyfish if you haven't already done this one, @coraclavia, @havocthecat, @lonesomehighways, and anyone else who made it through this long post and would like to do it!

[tigertales9]

Hard Reset III

Pairing: Joe Burrow x Reader

Warnings: 18+ / Smut

Description: This fic covers the week 4 loss to the Titans.

Time/Place: Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023 / Cincinnati, Ohio

A/N: This is the third fic in the Hard Reset series. It's also a shameless sex-fest. I promise there will be more actual plot (and sex!) in the next fic.

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

Sunday, 10/1/23 (after the week 4 loss to the Titans)

You check your watch as you pace around the kitchen, your mind grasping at what to say to Joe when he gets home. You roll your shoulders to relieve some tension as you think back to the game.

~ ~ ~

The 27-3 loss to the Titans felt like a huge step back after the Monday Night Football win against the Rams. The entire game was a disappointment to put it mildly. Every single phase -- offense, defense, special teams, play calling -- was lackluster as hell. The only positive was Joe's calf injury didn't seem to get re-tweaked, but you never know how it will react from one day to the next. Joe had once again requested you and his parents not greet him if the Bengals lost, so y'all were already in the car heading for the exit when the clock ticked down to 0:00. You beat the team charter flight back by a couple hours, and Joe's parents decided to head home since they knew he wouldn't want company.

~ ~ ~

The sound of the garage door opening pulls you back to the present, your pulse picking up when Joe walks in and locks eyes with you. "Hey," you greet, quickly walking forward to give him a hug. "Hey," he mutters, dropping his bag before wrapping his arms around you. "Sorry you traveled all that way just to see a shitshow," he continues, giving you a look that's half grin/half grimace when you pull back and look up at his face.

"It wasn't a shit …"

"Yes it was," he interrupts, heaving a tired sigh. "Don't sugar-coat it."

"Yes, sir," you mumble. "How do you feel?"

He runs a hand through his hair before answering. "Physically, not too bad. Mentally, like total shit."

You swallow hard and give a quick nod, a little disconcerted that he seems to be looking right through you; before you can think of something to say he speaks up again.

"Listen, Sam's gonna pick me up in a few minutes. We're having a team meeting at his house tonight."

"The whole team?" you ask.

"No, just the Captains and a few other guys." He picks his bag up and heads for the stairs before continuing. "We've gotta figure some shit out, make sure we're on the same page then put it to bed." He pauses halfway up the stairs and finally makes good eye contact with you. "The entire season is on the line; somebody has to light a fire under our asses and …"

"You're just the man to do it," you interject, giving him what you hope looks like an encouraging smile.

"Exactly," he states, before disappearing upstairs.

He reappears a few minutes later wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, quickly checking his phone when it chimes with a new text. "Sam's here," he says, dropping a kiss on your forehead before heading for the door. "I may be late getting home. Don't wait up."

Your eyebrows head for your hairline as he breezes out the door. "Love you, too," you grumble under your breath after the door closes behind him. You try not to take his abrupt departure personally, but you're feeling a little sorry for yourself when the door slings open and he walks back in. "Did you forget something?" you ask.

"Yeah," he answers, striding up to you. He leans down and gives you a lingering kiss before pulling back. "Love you," he states. "Love you, too," you answer, giving him a big grin as he hurries back out the door. "Telepathic ass," you chuckle once he's gone. "I swear that man can read my mind."

~ ~ ~

A couple hours later you wake up abruptly and sit straight up in bed, your heart pounding for several seconds until you realize the noise that woke you is just Joe in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He eventually walks into the bedroom giving you a sheepish grin when he sees you. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up," he mutters, crawling into bed and basically faceplanting into his pillow.

"It's okay," you soothe, turning onto your side to face him; you run your fingernails up and down his bare back, smiling at his muffled groans. "That feels good," he mumbles into his pillow, a shiver running down his spine when you slide your hand into his hair to lightly scratch his scalp.

"Did y'all figure some things out?" you ask, admiring his tall frame which is clad only in a pair of black boxer briefs.

"Mmm-hmm. Mainly that I sucked today and we won't win shit until I get better."

"The whole team sucked today, not just you."

"Thanks for admitting I sucked."

You roll your eyes and give his ample ass a loud smack before rubbing it.

"Don't get me started," he warns.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I know where this is headed, but I don't feel like having sex tonight."

You withdraw your hand and scoot away from him. "Sorry," you whisper. "I just thought … nevermind."

"Listen," he sighs, flopping over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "I don't want pity sex, and there's no way you're turned on after how awful I played today."

You narrow your eyes at the slight slur in his speech. "Have you been drinking?"

"A little."

"Then I won't tear your ass up about projecting until you sober up."

"What do you mean projecting?"

"You know exactly what I mean." You take a deep breath before continuing. "We've had this conversation before."

"Refresh my memory."

"Should probably wait until tomorrow. I'm in no mood to sugar-coat it tonight."

"Fuck sugar-coating," he snorts, "tell me what you're thinking."

"Fine." You push up into a sitting position and look down at him, the hallway light providing just enough illumination to make out his petulant expression. "When you lose a game you get really down on yourself, and you project that feeling onto me. But -- like I've said several times before -- the way I feel about you is not determined by whether or not you win fucking football games, okay? If you lose every single game for the rest of your NFL career, I'll still want you more than anything. Why is that so hard to understand?"

"I just …"

"I'm not finished," you interrupt. "I'm starting to think you're the one who doesn't want sex after the team loses, which is fine, but you need to quit blaming it on me." You slide out of bed as you finish your mini tirade. "I'm not sleepy anymore," you state as you head for the door. "I'm gonna go get some work done."

You walk down the hallway to your office, shutting the door behind you before dropping into your desk chair with an annoyed sigh; you click your desk lamp on and run a hand through your hair. "Way to overreact, dumbass," you grumble under your breath, immediately feeling guilty. "You know he always needs extra affirmation after a loss and instead you chewed him out. Better go apologize."

You stand up and head for the door, stopping in your tracks when you hear a soft knock. "Come in," you call, biting your lip as he walks into the room. "I'm sorry," you blurt before he can say anything, quickly closing the distance to wrap your arms around him. "I overreacted."

He returns your hug for several heartbeats before leaning back to lock eyes with you. "You don't need to apologize. I need to stop being an insecure brat every time I lose a damn game."

"You don't really think I lose attraction to you after a loss, right? I used to think you were just teasing, but I seriously can't tell anymore."

He shrugs his broad shoulders, the action causing his forehead curls to bounce. "I'm mostly teasing, but I've been feeling pretty bad about myself lately so I guess I've been fishing for compliments more than usual." He gives you a sheepish smile. "And I was def hoping to have sex tonight. I guess I laid the pity party on a little too thick, though."

"So -- to be clear -- when you said you didn't feel like having pity sex …"

"I really meant I wanted you to seduce me. To show me you still want me even though I played like shit."

"Okay, that's good to know. I mean, that's what I normally do when you get in this mood, but it's starting to feel like I might be boundary stomping."

"You're not boundary stomping." He slides his hands down your back and cups your ass before easily lifting you up, smiling when you wrap your legs around his waist. "If I really didn't want sex I'd let you know, but don't count on that happening anytime soon," he states, punctuating his words with a throaty chuckle that sets off a steady throb of arousal in all the right places.

He walks to your desk chair and drops into it with you straddling his lap, his lips immediately on your neck after he pulls your t-shirt off and drops it on the floor. You lean your head to the side to give him better access, moaning at the feel of his mouth on your neck and his hands on your breasts, his agile fingers teasing you with barely-there touches before pinching and tugging your sensitive nipples just hard enough to make you gasp his name. "You like that?" he whispers against your ear, his hot breath causing a gush of wetness in your core. "Yeah," you whimper, grinding your crotch against his obvious erection as he continues to tease you.

He eventually drops a hand down and rubs your clit through your panties before slipping his fingers inside to play with your wet folds, his deep voice in your ear sending shock waves of pleasure down your spine as he slides a long finger inside you, adding a second finger when you beg for more. "So wet for me," he growls, making a feral noise deep in his throat when you start riding his fingers, slow at first then faster, your breathless whimpers leveling up to louder moans when he latches his pretty lips onto a nipple, his cheeks hollowing out as he sucks on the hardened peak.

"Don't stop!" you urge, biting your lip when he pulls off one nipple and moves to the other, giving it a gentle nip with his teeth before sucking it into his hot mouth. "I'm so close," you whine as he grinds his thumb against your clit while pumping his fingers inside you, a steady stream of whimpers spilling from your lips as your climax hits. You bury your face in his fragrant neck and gasp for breath, feeling lightheaded by the intensity of the orgasm, existing in a state of total bliss for several minutes until your dainty desk chair gives an ominous-sounding creak.

"Uh-oh," you pant, leaning back to lock eyes with him. "I think both of us in this chair is too much."

The chair makes another, even louder creak and Joe raises his eyebrows. "Why do you have such a flimsy-ass desk chair?"

"Because it's cute and comfy. Plus it's perfectly fine when it's just me sitting in it."

"You calling me fat?" he asks playfully, sticking his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout.

"No, you goober," you giggle, easing yourself off of his lap to settle on your knees on the floor between his manspread thighs. "You're tall and muscular and big," you state. "Deliciously big," you continue, ghosting your fingers over his impressive erection while licking your lips. "Let's lose these," you whisper, pulling his undies off and tossing them to the side.

You take your time enjoying the view before dropping open-mouthed kisses up the long length of his thick thighs, his soft, blonde leg hair tickling your lips as you work your way up to his crotch; he sucks your essence off of his fingers as he watches you through heavy-lidded eyes, the look on his face making you want to do deliciously naughty things to him.

"You're gorgeous," you whisper, sliding your hands over his abs, smiling when his muscles tighten under your touch. The heat radiating off of his big, hard body makes you more than a little lightheaded, and his scent -- a purely masculine musk -- literally makes your mouth water. You decide to let him know. "You make my mouth water," you groan, continuing to drop kisses near, but not quite on, his hard cock.

"No I don't," he scoffs, color rushing into his cheeks at the compliment.

It always amazes you when he gets shy about his good looks; in his mind he's still a nerdy guy, and he's not quite comfortable with the fact that he grew up to be a total sex god. You give him a sultry grin as you double down.

"You 100 percent make my mouth water. Want me to show you?"

He studies your face for a bit before responding. "Yeah … show me."

"Okay." You take your time gathering the excess saliva on your tongue before opening your mouth, letting the spit drizzle down on his shaft while holding eye contact with him. "So fucking hot," he hisses, his cock twitching as you lean down and flatten your tongue against it, licking base to tip before lapping at the precum on the plump, velvety head. The sensual, uniquely masculine taste has another flood of saliva pouring into your mouth; you lean back and lock eyes with him as you gather the moisture again, this time spitting it in your hand before wrapping your fist around his thick shaft, jacking him with smooth, steady strokes for a minute before dropping your head back down to tease him with your lips and tongue, slowly replacing your hand with your mouth as you take him deep, your gag reflex firing a few times before you hit just the right angle to deep throat him.

He buries his hands in your hair as you pleasure him, the words of praise spilling from his lips interspersed with soft grunts and groans that go straight to your core. Tears roll down your cheeks, and he brushes them away then lifts his fingers to his mouth, licking the salty liquid before hissing in pleasure as you lightly scratch your fingernails over his balls.

"Shit, babe, hold up a sec," he grits out. "I don't wanna cum yet." You pull off of his erection with an audible pop, wiping a hand over the spit and precum coating your chin while panting to catch your breath. "Just let me know what you need," you offer, your pulse picking up at the feral look on his face. He loudly sucks his plump bottom lip into his mouth, the action and noise so suggestive that you feel your core throbbing in unison with your racing heartbeat.

"I need to taste you," he purrs, his voice husky with desire. "Then I need to fuck you."

The throbbing in your core escalates, and you cup a hand over your soaked panties to try and ease the almost-painful ache; his gaze flicks down to your crotch before returning to your face, the carnal promise in his smile making your pleasure points hum with anticipation.

"How sturdy is your desk?" he asks, eyeing it as if sizing it up for a naughty, vigorous romp.

"Not sturdy," you mutter, gasping in surprise when he quickly stands up and reaches down, wrapping his hands around your waist and picking you up before striding for the door; you wrap your legs around him and bury your face in his neck as he walks to the bedroom.

He sits you on the edge of the bed and slides your panties off in one smooth motion, dropping to his knees on the floor between your spread thighs; you lean back on your elbows and watch as he lowers his head and flutters his tongue over your clit before plunging his tongue inside you, the noise you make causing him to lock eyes with you as he repeats the action. "I'm gonna cum in ten seconds if you keep that up," you whimper, biting your lip when he lifts your legs over his broad shoulders. "Then let's slow it down," he purrs against your most sensitive flesh, the vibrations from his deep voice causing a shiver of pleasure to shoot through you. "I'm gonna take my time," he continues, dropping delicate kisses and licks on your aching folds while avoiding your clit.

After what seems like an eternity on the edge, you decide to take matters into your own hands; you slide a hand in his messy curls and give a tug, using the leverage to grind your pussy against his face in a way you know he loves. "You drive me fucking crazy," he growls once you let him come up for air, his eyes dark with lust when he raises his head to look at you. "I'm seriously about to cum," he grits out, his breath catching in his throat when you quickly lift your legs off of his shoulders and slide off the bed, straddling him and reaching a hand down to line his cock up with your slick entrance before taking him balls deep.

He makes a noise that's half groan/half growl and 100% primal when your core clenches his thick length; you dig your fingers into his muscular shoulders and start riding him hard, whimpering on every down stroke at the feel of him bottoming out. He leans you back until your back is pressed against the edge of the bed, the new angle causing him to hit your sweet spot on every stroke. "Just like that!" you pant, moaning when he drops a hand down to tease your clit. "Fuck, baby," he hisses as his climax hits, the hot spurts coating your core as he pinches your clit with just the right amount of pressure to pull your trigger.

The sound of your mutual heavy breathing is the only noise you hear for several minutes; when you finally open your eyes and look at him, you have to smile at how totally fucked out he looks. "I think I passed out for a sec," you pant. "Me too," he chuckles.

~ ~ ~

Thirty minutes later -- after a shared shower where both of you laughingly complained about your shaky legs -- y'all are lying in bed, trading yawns and agreeing to sleep late the next morning.

You're just on the edge of sleep when he speaks up. "Babe? You still awake?"

"Yeah."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

The silence stretches out for a minute before he speaks up again. "It's kind of stupid, I guess. Maybe I'll keep it to myself."

"What is it?" you ask, sitting up so you can look down at him.

He scrunches his perfect nose up. "We have two games left before the bye week."

"Yeah, Cardinals and Seahawks."

"If I play really awful like I did today, and we lose both of those games, will you still secretly marry me during the bye?"

You give a snort of laughter before you realize he's not laughing with you. "Are you serious?"

"A little, yeah."

You take a deep breath before responding. "Remember that convo we had earlier tonight when I said if you lose every single game for the rest of your NFL career, I'll still want you more than anything?"

"Yes, ma'am," he mumbles.

"Well, let me drive that point home a little harder." You brush his curls off of his forehead and give him a smile before continuing. "If you play like total dogshit in both games, throw twenty picks, lose fifty to nothing, and cut a huge fart in the post-game pressers, I'll still want you more than anything. I can't wait to secretly -- and eventually not-so-secretly -- marry you. Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah," he laughs along with you for a minute before quieting down. "Sorry I'm being such a needy baby lately."

"You're being human instead of a robot," you soothe, leaning down to press a kiss on his lips. "It's a nice change," you say cheekily, giggling when he flips you over and lands a loud smack on your ass. "Don't get me started," you echo his words from earlier.

He rolls you back over and pushes up on an elbow, looking down at you in the dim lighting. "Meaning?"

"Meaning I know where this is headed," you purr, licking your lips just before his mouth captures yours.

[shotmrmiller]

✨Toni~✨

I come with an idea. I need more FWB! Simon. I need angst, I need to suffer from this man, I know he would do us so dirty.

Like imagine since the both of him and reader are non exclusive, but reader gets knocked up. She's panicking because she's on birth control, trying to figure out who she slept with last and it's HIM-

And maybe, just maybe the last time they slept together, they had a fight. Because this Mansss decided to leave us after an argument, because he had another 'appointment'.

So yeah know, now we got to tell this dick we're knocked up. And I don't know you can go from there, if you don't like this idea, delete it ignore it.🫠

BUT ANGST.

Thank you for your time, I love you Toni you rock like always! 💓

oh, so dirty.

esp if i use the fwb simon from the (platonic) cbf johnny au i got.

Johnny held your hand as you waited the 5 minutes for the results of the pregnancy test.

"What am I gonna do if it's positive, Johnny? I can't...I'm not ready to be a mum!" you sniffled and took in a shuddered breath. "What are the chances that I'm the 1%?"

His expression was solemn, thin lips set in a firm line. "Ye finally gonna tell me tha' the father is Simon or do ye wish to continue playin' yer little game?" Johnny rasped.

You rest your head on his shoulder and tiredly close your eyes.

"Was hoping I'd never have to tell you. It was supposed to be just a quick knocking of boots and then we both went my merry, his miserable, ways. But as per usual, I'm just dogged by misfortune."

The wait for the timer to ring had your heart slamming against your ribcage. The prospect of birthing a child you never even thought about having had bile rising up to your throat, leaving an acrid taste on your tongue.

You start at the piercing ring of the timer but don't move to get up.

Johnny, forever your hero, is the one who bites the bullet for you.

He gently flips over the stick, stares at it for a second, then drags a hand down his face. He also doesn't look at you as he utters, "So are ye gonna tell 'em?"

You hastily crawl over to the toilet bowl and empty your stomach.

Pregnant.

--

You told Johnny everything. How it started that one night when he had been over here for drinks, and you had put Johnny to bed because he'd gotten to sloshed, to propositioning him and then the weekly hook ups.

Well, almost everything. He didn't need to know that you gave Simon a sloppy toppy in his kitchen while he snored away that same night you asked him to fuck you.

And then how it finally ended. Simon getting redressed at witching hour because some other tart called him to go over. (your thighs had still been wet from his spend at that time)

So you had called him an unpaid whore; A worthless piece of meat— good for nothing other than cock— and told him that if he leaves, you and he are done.

He had huffed out a laugh, grabbed his motorcycle helmet off your dinner table, and walked out the door without a backward glance.

Johnny hadn't said a word the entire time, but then again, he didn't have to. His countenance said it all.

Disappointment.

He looked so devastatingly disappointed that your eyes welled with tears in seconds and spilled— one fat drop after the other until he pulled you into his arms and held you as you wept, your grief and anguish visceral.

--

"Ye've gotta tell him, bonnie. He has the right to ken."

You let out an aggrieved sigh. Again, with this. "No. He hasn't texted in weeks. Clearly, Simon doesn't give a damn about me. 'Sides, we don't need him when you're around."

A wave of dizzying nausea slams into you, and your world beings to tilt on its axis.

"Don't feel so good, Johnny, I think I need to sit down."

Strong arms catch you as your body crumples and everything goes dark.

--

You rouse from your sleep and find yourself in Johnny's bed with a sharp pounding in your head. Groaning, you turn over to your side and press your fingers into your temples— hoping to alleviate some of the pain when your phone's screen lights up.

Simon's calling.

Goddamnit Johnny. Bloody nosy parker.

You decline it and wait for his text. He's always hated when you ignored his calls on purpose.

And there it is.

Where you ever gonna tell me?

Nothing you need to know about.

No? I thought you were on birth control.

We don't need you.

That mean you're keepin' it?

My baby? Yes, obviously.

Our. Stay at Johnny's, I'm coming over.

No, no. Stay at your girl's house. We'll be just fine without you.

Cute. I'll see you in 10.

(lowkey wondering how he would react if you told him it's johnny's. lol)

[storiesofsvu]

A Dangerous Game Ch 3

Emily Prentiss x reader Warnings: language, usual Criminal Minds canon type conversation, mentions of violence, nothing descriptive though. Minor flirtation, smut maybe eluded to. So. for those of you who loved how long the first chapter was, this may just be the fic for you. I originally wanted this entire "trip" to be one chapter but this one ended up being long enough on its own so I've split it up by days. Downside: you now have to wait for the smut. LOL. sorry not sorry at least that means we're now getting more plot? more time for our girls to actually get to know each other...

It was as if your first case in the field was your official initiation onto the team. Though honestly, it kind of was, being a profiler wasn’t for everyone, especially with the BAU. You had to be quick on your feet, fit in well with the rest of the team, be used to seeing gruesome crime scenes and be ready to leave Quantico at a moment’s notice, not worrying about what you were leaving behind. After the case in Omaha you’d proven yourself on all accounts and found yourself thoroughly enjoying coming into work and the people you spent your days with.

It started out with a coffee left on your desk, a friendly good morning from Penelope along with a warm smile. Monday’s she would linger a little bit longer, asking how your weekend went and when you mentioned most of your free time was still spent making yourself have energy for unpacking and trying to figure out where everything would go in your house she offered up some of her time the next weekend. Considering her office was one of the most positivity oozing rooms at the BAU you figured it’d be nice to have her as a second set of eyes. That weekend you discovered you were both coming from the same direction and usually stopped to grab coffee together on the way into work, giving you a little more gossip time before hitting Quantico.

After your first trip to the range with Derek you found that there was a lot of friendly competition banter going on between the two of you. In spare time between cases or to kick the mid afternoon slump doing paperwork you started running together, which lead to hitting the gym together a couple of times a week. The competition definitely helped both of you push yourselves passed the limits you’d normally go, not to the point of hurting, but you were already seeing results and you weren’t complaining.

One of your weekends you’d been out exploring Alexandria and ended up running into JJ coming out of a cute café. The accidental run in had you being introduced to Will and the boys, joining them in the park for a couple of hours afterwards. The boys loved you, pleading for more playdates, asking if you could come for dinner. You politely had to decline that night but did offer up to Will and JJ that if they ever wanted a date night you were more than willing to babysit free of charge.

Spencer and you often found yourselves talking about books, exchanging some of your favourites to read in downtime or while on the jet. It was another thing that helped you actually get unpacked and get yourself set up, wanting to find specific ones you knew he’d enjoy. He took you to a couple of his favourite old book stores around the area, spending a few hours perusing the shelves for a few hours until you had selected a few.

Even Rossi you found yourself getting along with perfectly, though your conversations were more limited or related to work. He did have a plethora of knowledge on fine wine and whiskey that you weren’t about to turn down, and you ended up having a couple of life chats over the weeks. He’d been with the bureau for long enough to have seen it all and the stories and lessons he could provide were ones you were going to pay strict attention to.

The only one you hadn’t had much one on one time with was Emily. Well… since you’d shown up for your first day of work that is. There were small fleeting moments here and there, ones where you had to drop off paperwork in her office, or when the two of you happened to be filling up coffees at the same time. Caught in the breakroom together with so much sexual tension buzzing between you, you were glad you were alone, it would be a wonder for no one else to pick up on it. It certainly didn’t help that you’d both been busy trying not to think about fucking the other person and with work that you hadn’t exactly had time to find someone else to relieve the urge. Instead your nights were full of remembering just how good Emily made you feel, your hands often wandering, wishing they were hers instead of your own.

Every day you got to work Emily would, once again, think about completely remodelling her office so your desk wasn’t in her direct eyeline when she was sat at hers. Your laughter would drift through the bull pen into her ears like fucking silk and it was killing her, she was more than happy to see you fitting in with everyone else but there was almost a twinge of jealousy. She wondered if the two of you would be able to hang out and just be friends as she watched you chatting with Penelope. She nearly had herself convinced she would be fine until you stood from your desk, leaning over to grab something from Spencer’s and the neck of your blouse gaped low enough she could see the green lace of your bra and swell of your chest underneath it. She let out a groan, dropping her pen to her desk as she shifted her thighs together. She needed to fuck you again.

Absolute need, not want.

*

It had been a relatively relaxing week, if one could even say that about working with the FBI. You all thought you were basically in the clear, waiting for the okay to come through so you could enjoy the weekend ahead. You’d finished a pile of paperwork earlier, dropping it in Emily’s inbox on her desk, thankful for the fact that she was in the conference room for once. Currently, Spencer had pulled up to your desk as the two of you were competing to see who could finish the crossword the fastest. (It wasn’t a competition, you all knew Spence was going to obliterate you, but it was a fun way to kill the time). None of you even noticed Emily exit the conference room as she quickly strode along the raised platform to her office, her authoritative voice breaking into the calm atmosphere of the bull pen.

“Wheels up in ten!”

You glanced up and she’d already disappeared into her office, your brow furrowed as you looked across at JJ, curious about what was different today.

“Means it’s super time sensitive.” The blonde replied, pulling open a drawer of her desk to grab her go bag, “we’ll debrief on the jet.”

*

The jet was on its way to Atlanta, where an unsub had been kidnapping young girls, taunting their families and the local police down to a specific timeline until he killed his victim. The first girl had been kidnapped almost a month ago and her body hadn’t turned up until nearly a week later but with each victim he got, the unsub was escalating, taking less and less time between the hunt and the kill. It had taken two weeks for police to realize things were connected, much less a pattern. Two days ago a young girl had gone missing from her bed in the middle of the night, it was the first kidnapping of its kind, originally not thought to be connected until the taunting started. Police found her body thirty six hours after she was taken. At eleven a.m. today a girl, April, was snatched from the playground at school and you had deduced you had less than twenty four hours to find her alive.

“We’ll be touching down in ten.” Emily’s voice floated through the jet, returning from the cockpit, pulling you out of the trance you’d been in reading over the case file, “Spence, Morgan, you’re going to the local precinct, read what they’ve got, figure out what they’re missing. JJ and Rossi talk to the families, all of them, we’ve got to figure out if there’s a connection between these girls, something that might help us find the unsub. Wilson and I will take the school and work through the other crime scenes.”

There was a small rumble of accepting roles through the jet, nods from all of you as you shifted into the right focus for the rest of the day. Emily hadn’t even really realized she’d paired herself off with you, she’d simply been thinking who was best applied where to find this girl as fast as they could. She dropped down into the seat next to you, her arm brushing against yours on the arm rest and heat surged through your body at what felt like an incredibly inappropriate moment. You cleared your throat to regain your focus, passing her the file you’d been looking through and shifted slightly in your seat so you weren’t touching her.

You could think about her touching you once you were in the privacy of your hotel room tonight, right now you had a job to do.

*

You were thankful for the distraction of work as you and Emily pulled up to the school, briefly talking with the local pd, a couple of teachers and the principal. Despite the police already doing a sweep, it was still ongoing, while Emily busied herself with talking to a few of April’s friends, trying to figure out exactly where she had been playing and if anyone had a description of who she’d gone off with you were retracing steps through the playground. One of the structures was made up to be a ship, cops said they’d found April’s back pack on the lower deck of it so you knew she’d been playing somewhere on it. You noticed a child sized entrance that lead to the below deck area, letting out a groan at the fact that this was clearly made for tiny humans and not adults, but weaseled your way through it anyways. Using your flashlight you searched the area, sand squishing under your shoes as you swept every inch. A bit of graffiti on the wood, an sand pail in the corner to collect the garbage, a note or two pinned to the wall as form of communication between kids who had recess at different times. The beam of your light swept over the corner of the space and a flash of vey bright colour caught your eye, pulling a glove out of your pocket you tugged it on before picking it up.

“Prentiss!” You called out, scrambling back through the entrance.

“Yeah?” Her voice replied from a distance and you found an exit from the ship, jumping back down to the sand. “You get something?”

“This is the same bracelet that they found on Lucy’s body.” You held it up.

“Looks like some kind of friendship bracelet.”

“Can’t be a coincidence.” You tugged your phone out of your pocket, snapping a picture of it before Emily pulled out an evidence bag for you to drop it into.

“Get that picture to JJ to see if any of the other parents remember seeing it on their kid, or who it might’ve been from. Loop in Garcia to see if it’s chain made or not. You mind?” She reached out for the bag and you shook your head, handing it off to her, “I’m gonna talk with a couple of these guys, make sure April was the one wearing it.”

“Yeah.”

You shot off the handful of texts, checking in with what the others had discovered so far, chatting back and fourth a bit before you swept through the rest of the playground. Emily appeared at your side again later and you glanced up,

“Hers?” You gestured to the bracelet and she nodded.

“You’ve got a good eye.” She practically smirked and you laughed softly before following her back to the car.

*

The rest of the afternoon was spent examining previous crime scenes, or doing so through photos and reports, visiting the medical examiner’s office and finally making a pit stop at the local pd’s office. You poured over photos there, looking through the files Morgan and Reid had left for you, along with statements JJ had emailed over. The sun was long gone from the sky by the time you and Emily were finally pulling up to the hotel, parking and grabbing your bags before heading into the lobby. Rossi was waiting for you, tossing a key in Emily’s direction, and old school keychain on it that had the room number embezzled on it.

“I don’t get one.” You half joked and Rossi laughed.

“You two were the last here, you’re bunking up.” He shrugged, clapping Emily on the shoulder, “can’t pull that chief card every trip.” She rolled her eyes, swatting her hand in his direction as he made his way out the front door.

“C’mon.” She nudged at your elbow, nodding in the direction of your room number, wandering through the halls until you found it. She let out a breath when the door swung open to reveal two beds, thankful she wouldn’t have to be that up in your space tonight. “I need a shower.” She grumbled, dumping her bag on the bed farthest from the door.

“Go for it.” You sighed in return, flashing her a small smile before kicking off your shoes, dropping yourself onto the other bed letting out a groan.

Emily grabbed a couple of things from her bag before slipping into the bathroom, making sure the door was locked behind her. She had to admit, so far things seemed to be going good, there wasn’t any awkwardness lingering in the air, despite the back of her brain wanting to invite you into the shower with her, you’d both managed to keep what happened between you from coming up again. She flicked the water on, giving it time to adjust to her preferred temperature while she stripped down and stepped into it.  She took the time to relax, to try and turn off the profiler part of her brain for at least a couple of hours before going to bed. She had almost forgotten where she was, her mind drifting to that first night spent with you, her hand slipping lower on her body when she heard the television spring to life in the other room and her eyes snapped open.

“Fuck…” she muttered, shaking her head, “get yourself together Prentiss.”

*

On the other side of the door your head tilted up at what you thought was Emily talking, wondering if this was one of those hotels who stored their towels outside the bathroom or something. But after a moment of silence you figured you must’ve heard something from the hallway instead. Dropping back onto the bed you did your best to distract yourself, scrolling through your phone, it was purely out of instinct you’d left the tv on the late night news channel, you almost always had it going to see what they were reporting on versus what you were working on.

Your eyes drifted toward the bathroom again, listening to the sound of the water running, wondering how long Emily usually showered for. Your only hope of relief after spending all fucking day with her was once you’d gotten to the hotel; however this was far less private than you’d been hoping for. You thought about it for all of two more seconds before you realized that it was a terrible idea, if you were going to you should at least wait until you were the one behind the locked door.

*

Emily turned off the water, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around her as she used a smaller one to somewhat dry her hair. She’d washed her face in the shower, smoothing on overnight cream and drying herself off. Since you were in the room she figured she’d get dressed in the bathroom, tossing the used towel over one of the racks before finally opening the door and wandering back into the hotel room. Her eyes moved between the tv playing the news and you sitting on your bed with your iPad on your lap, she knew by the way your lip was tugged into your mouth that you were still working. At the very least you’d changed into comfier clothes, a cute pair of glasses on your face as you worked.

“Didn’t realize you wore glasses.” She greeted and you glanced up at her.

“Hmm?” You replied before you’d properly digested what she’d said, “oh! Pen suggested them, they’re for the blue light, supposed to help with eye tiredness and headaches and shit.”

“You get a lot of those?” She asked, picking through amenities on the coffee table.

“They can get pretty bad from time to time.” You let out a soft sigh, “especially with the constant travelling. I’m still pretty used to Florida so anywhere particularly dry or cold makes it worse. Part of why I liked Florida so much, cold aggravates the ribs, never really heal properly those things.”

“Don’t I know it.” She chuckled softly, her fingers moving from the caddy of coffee pods over to the basket of snacks. “Injury in the field?”

“Cheer camp.” You admitted and she turned to you with a laugh, a wide smile on her face.

“What?” She laughed, the smile wide enough her eyes crinkled in an incredibly adorable way, “you were a cheerleader?”

“Scholarship covered university.” You simply shrugged in response, smile on your cheeks.  

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” She teased with a grin as you laughed, turning back to your iPad. She let out a small sigh, chucking a pack of peanuts down onto the table, “I’m gonna go grab some food, you wanna come?”

“Nah.” You mumbled, not glancing up from the screen as she pulled on a jacket, picking up her wallet.

“You better not be overworking yourself.” She warned and you rolled your eyes.

“You know when you’ve got two dots and you just can’t seem to connect them but you just know that they’re related.”

“Okay, okay.” She held up a hand in defeat, “we’ve all been there. Can I at least get you something?”

“Where’re you going?”

“Dunno.” She shrugged, “saw a diner up the road that was still open, figured it’s twenty four hours.”

“Yeah.” You let out a small sigh, leaning over on the bed to grab some cash out of your wallet, “just like a sandwich or something, I’m not picky.”

“You sure?” She asked, tucking the cash into her pocket.

“Oh!” Your face nearly lit up, “don’t ask me why but I have had the worst hankering for mozzarella sticks.” You grabbed your wallet again, digging out some more cash to hand to her while she laughed.

“What are you, eighty?”

“What?” You laughed back while she took the cash and shook her head,

“Hankering? I’d expect that from Rossi but not you.”

“Now you’re just being mean.” You feigned offence and she chuckled softly, moving toward the door as you returned your attention to your work. The news on the tv took a turn, covering the open case you were working and it caught Emily’s attention for a moment as she stalled right by the door.

“Hey…” she began softly, “how did you know to even check under that ship thing?”

“Park by my house has the same structure.” You muttered in response.

“You spend a lot of time at the playground or are you hiding some secret kids on us?” She raised a brow and it was your turn to bark a laugh.

“Em… you’ve been to my house.”

“I wasn’t exactly given the grand tour.” She nearly smirked back and you felt your cheeks heat.

“You’re telling me an FBI profiler isn’t at least tempted to snoop a bit on their way out?” You grinned across at her, “and no, I babysat for JJ, the boys loved that ship. I had a fucking heart attack when I thought I’d lost them but they were just underneath the ship, called it their own private fort.”

“Hmm…” She nodded with a small smile, a blooming within her at the thought of you out with the team outside of the office, partaking in non work activities. She was glad, it was important to form those kind of relationships, to have those bonds so you weren’t constantly buried in work and lost in the darkness that was the world of unsubs. The thought crossed her mind and she glanced back up at you, “hey…” that caught your attention and you looked up, “if you’re going to keep working would you at least turn on something a little bit more lighthearted?” She gestured to the television and you held back an eye roll, “that’s an order from your superior, you know that right?”

She smirked as you bit back a grin, reaching for the remote and flicking through a few channels until you found some late night South Park, glancing back to her with a raised brow in the way that you were asking if that was substantial. She nodded with a soft smile before slipping through the door, making sure it was closed behind her before making her way to the car.

You felt an overwhelming sensation of warmth and comfortability as you settled against the headboard. Perhaps attempting to avoid each other was the wrong move, after all, you hadn’t exactly spent much time talking the night you’d met, maybe this was the route you were meant to go after all.  

_____________

@ssa-sapphic @mickey-gomez @clarawatson @yesterdaysgone @momlifebehard @alexusonfire @melindawarnersgf @itisdoctortoyousir @emilyprentiss4life @softgamerking @httpjupiterbby @somethingimaginative177 @temilyrights @alexxavicry  @mysticfalls01 @anya-casablanca @daddy-heather-dunbar @evilregal2002 @aliensaurusrex @alcabots @7thavenger @ladysc @rustyzebra @ilovemycrayons @mandy-asimp @thegrantwater @leftoverenvy @kades95 @disneyfan624 @dextur @m00nkn1ghts @gamma-ray-bursts @augustvandyne @supercriminalbean @bookpillows @daffodil-heart @msvenablesbitch @its-soph-xx  @going-gray @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @hopelesslyfallenninlove @peanutbutterprincess  @kdaghay @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @bluetodie @awolfcsworld @zizzlekwum

[separatist-apologist]

What are some of your favorite fanfics? You can only include up to 2 LB fics

I was going to wait to answer this in the morning because it's so daunting an ask. But I have to be in office tomorrow and I know I won't have the time, and then I'll forget about this. It's been a long time since anyone asked me my personal favorites.

I put some of them in yesterday's list of elucien recs, so definitely start here. I have to cross post a little, though. None of these are in order, this is actually not a ranking but the opposite of a ranking in which every one is incredible, and written by very wonderful people worth following.

playgirl, by @damedechance. I love this fic. Lucien has an only fans, Elain moderates his chat. She was the first gwynriel writer I ever read. You know I'm weird about Azriel- I don't really enjoy him, but in bookclub, her fic was being recommended CONSTANTLY and I gave it a shot thinking I'd hate it, and she made me insane. The gwynriel fic is Things You Can't Have, and I suggest reading it, too.

Latch, My Fate is Yours; Latch, My Very Soul is Yours by @labellefleur-sauvage. Elucien mummy au and so beautifully done. The author is also an VERY funny person and I recommend anything she writes (such as her 1920's Neris fic And All That Jazz) on vibes alone.

Our Bodies, Possessed By Light @iftheshoef1tz. Azris at its FINEST. If you like Azriel and Eris as a pairing, and you want something that is both achingly beautiful and well-plotted, this is it. This is the fic. Honestly, even if you don't want that, you should read it anyway. It's sexy, it's funny, it's emotional and it's poetic. I think about this fic (the cabin specifically because I'm slutty) all the time.

Crimson Clover, by @thesistersarcheron. Baby's first elriel fic, I heard the sentence "Elain covered in blood" and dropped everything I was doing to learn more. Elain is, in fact, covered in blood and Azriel is pretty insane about it. This author also has a fic bookclub is obsessed with, Viciousness & Intelligence which is Nesta x Cassian x Azriel in a poly bond and another of my personal favorites, Bejeweled in which Feyre is Night Court fae made entirely of jewels and Rhys is...well...down bad as he always is.

Embers, by @ultadverb is my favorite Morlain fic in the fandom. It's so richly written and such a good exploration of Elain and her feelings. She really does Elain such justice. I have it on VERY good authority she's also working on a little monster elucien, and right after I typed that I saw she's actually posted the first chapter, Seven Tears for the Sea, which is selkie Lucien, coastal Elain, I believe. I will be reading that for sure, just as soon as I finish this list, but everyone else should too!

I Believe the Word You're Looking for is "Friends" by @kingofsummer93. Truly Elucien 101 required reading. It's actually on the made-up syllabus I just created in my mind. If you're wanting to settle into a long fic, canon-compliant, adventure fic, THIS is it. Also, people are always asking for BOE smut, well she has so GRACIOUSLY provided it with The Intimacy of Being Understood

Remember, We're Madly In Love by @velidewrites. Have you ever seen one of those really gorgeous mood boards floating around and asked yourself, is that person also an incredibly sexy writer, too? Well I'm here to answer that question with a resounding YES. This is hunger games Feysand and if you've been thinking about reading it, stop thinking and start doing. I don't know when I became a sales person during this sharing of faves, but here we are I guess.

Vanserra Wildlife Rescue by @headcanonheadcase. In the haze that was elucien week, where everyone was creating and I was trying so hard to see all of it (and failing miserably), this fic was a gem. It's meet cute Elucien- he's a wildlife vet, she finds an injured fox. They're both on their way to a blind date (I wonder who they're meeting), and instead cancel to take care of the fox.

Can't Help It by @moodymelanist. This fic was literally why I decided to answer this anon. Nesta and Cassian are in a very toxic relationship but can't keep away from each other. I LOVE this fic, I love their dynamic and without spoiling it, there is a threesome I am still so deeply unwell about, even to this day.

Wonderland by @c-e-d-dreamer. The premise is SO GOOD. Nesta rejects the mating bond and Cassian rejects society. They reconnect later on, and the angst is SO DELICIOUS.

This list is getting really long- I could do this all day, actually. As for my top two @the-lonelybarricade favorites, which is cruel just fyi.

I'm gonna go with

You Look Like Bad News- Elain's neighbor has an annoying habit of fucking REALLY loudly next door.

And of course,

They Are The Hunters, We Are The Foxes, which is the best thing ever produced in the history of ever. Wonderland WHO? This is the shifter elucien romance we deserved, actually.

[imagine-knb]

I'd love to be a part of the match-ups, they're so much fun! Sorry if this comes out as very long, and happy valentine's day! 💕

I'm an INFP. When in a group of strangers, I tend to act more extroverted to hide how nervous I really am and it works because when I tell them the truth later they're always shocked that I was nervous! I'm actually very introverted and the type of person who once you give me time to come out of my shell, I will be my true self, which is much more talkative, bubbly mixed with some sarcasm, and (if the person I'm with is fine with it) touchy as I LOVE giving and receiving hugs. I'm quiet but not timid just fyi as I've been known to be pretty brave when needed (ex: I have no problem telling someone I have a crush on them despite my face being red lol) I don't hold grudges, loyal af, and I'm an open book, if you ask me something, no matter how random, I'll answer it. People can talk to me about anything, nothing is too personal with me! My friends tell me they admire my honesty, empathy, and how caring I am to those around me but balance things out by not letting people push me around.

Likes: naps, dark chocolate, music

Dislikes: High heights, thunder/lightning storms, being ignored on purpose

Hobbies: playing video games, going on night walks, and drawing

I adore the GOM, Uncrowned Kings, and Captains

For the match up I just submitted, I forgot to add that aside from the guys I mentioned I also adore kagami and himuro as well! So I also realized I forgot to add my nickname, gender, and pronouns... It's Moon, female she/her.

Type of Romance

Friends to Lovers

How You Two Met

The two of you had met through mutual friends and an easy friendship, in his opinion, was born right away. You were easy to talk to, always responded to him in kind, and didn't write him off as too hyperactive to interact with. Hayama had always been so high energy and upon first meeting him, you matched that well.

He was a bit of a show off the first day you met him, showing you tricks on his skateboard and wanting you to watch every one of them. If we're being honest, perhaps Hayama had a crush on you from the moment he met you, because he always seemed to be vying for your attention.

By the end of the day, he was declaring you a best friend.

"Moon, hold on!" Hayama ran up to you before you could leave the park. In his hand, he held his cellphone, waving it around for you to see. "Let's exchange numbers! I want to hang out with you again."

By the time he reached your side, Hayama was practically shoving his cellphone into your hands, asking you to input your contact details, your social media, anything that would allow him to meet up with you once more. There was a bright smile on his face, sharp toothed and innocent. It dropped momentarily when he made a realization.

"Wait, no, it's more appropriate for me to give you my number, isn't it?" The dropped smile didn't last long on his face as he began grinning once more, asking, "Gimme your phone so I can give you my number?"

How He Fell For You

He had fallen for you more outgoing and extroverted personality at first, thinking that it was the real you. He was definitely thrown for a loop when you confessed that you had been a nervous wreck the entire time, but that didn't stop Hayama from falling for you further.

He admired your bravery to put yourself out there despite your true feelings on social situations. It may have instilled a little bit of a protective nature in him around you, wanting to keep you from getting too overwhelmed.

This protection actually extended to even himself, and he worried at first that confessing to you wouldn't be the right move. It's a good thing you had other plans.

He was staring at you, wide eyed and shocked. The slight tan of his skin was beginning to turn a darker shade, a little redder, with his surprise. For once, Hayama had not much to say as his mouth fell agape at your words. When a full minute had passed, and you began to look worried, he finally choked out, "Can you say that again?"

"I like you, Hayama," you repeated, hoping your confession would reach him the second time around.

But his brows furrowed. "Are you sure? I'm not too... too much?" But at your insistence and the reassuring smile on your face, Hayama's own expression broke out into his usual grin. He almost looked relieved. "I like you a lot, too, Moon."

What a Relationship with Him is Like

Hayama's the type of boyfriend to take your willingness to talk about anything and everything seriously. He loves asking you questions, picking your brain and random subjects, and ranting to you about conspiracy theories. Often, the two of you will be up until the late hours of the night discussing the same topic for hours. It definitely helps that he loves hearing the way you talk.

Hayama loves that you're a rather touchy partner because he is as well, often coming up behind you to wrap his arms around your shoulders or hold you close by the waist. There's almost never a time where he isn't touching you, always wanting to feel close.

And on those days where his energy just seems to be lower than normal, when he needs a quiet get away and a bit of a recharge, he knows he can count on you to be there for him.

With his head on your lap and your hands threading through his hair, Hayama gave off a long, tired groan. He had been working extra hard at practice, spending long hours on the court that left his body exhausted.

"Can we stay like this forever?" he asked, reaching up to stretch his arms around whatever part of you he could reach. It had you laughing, telling him that eventually he'd have to get up and go home, for daylight would only last so long and the night would be there soon.

"Naw, I have a better idea," Hayama said, grinning up at you. "Hey Moon, tell me again about that band you like," he requested, knowing once he got you going, the two of you would be laying together talking for hours.

Match Up Requests are Closed

[l-tothe-og]

(sapphic lucemond 🥺?) them announcing that they're getting married but the entire family was still hoping their 13 year relationship was just a silly little joke and a phase so now they're all shocked and appalled

There isn't so much a question asked, proposed, if you will, as much as there is a conversation had. Several conversations. Aemma starts it one day, with her hand on Luce's and their foreheads pressed together. Luce ends it. She lays her head against Aemma's heart.

"Let's do it." She says.

It's been long enough, ups and downs, blades and butting heads. Aemma and Luce know how they want the rest of their lives to go.

The only problem with deciding is pissing off the people in their lives who have already decided against them. The waiting game was once a game of threats and bribes and pleads. Once their families realized Aemma and Luce were two things above all, stubborn and decidedly in love, they decided to wait it out.

The waiting period has been going on for almost a decade, while Luce and Aemma went from girlfriends to partners to soulmates to... fiancées.

"We're putting an end to this." Aemma says at the next family dinner. She and Luce take opposite sides of the table, hoping to divide and conquer when everything blows up. The ring in her pocket is both weightless and dense as she puts her palms down.

Luce looks at her. She bites her lip and Aemma gives her one last out. They've been giving each other "one last out" just as long as they've been giving each other "one last kiss" a dozens times as they part for the day.

The ring she bought Luce hangs on a chain around her neck. Luce pulls it out from where it's tucked in her shirt. She nods. One last go ahead.

"Luce and I..." Aemma says, realizing she's caught everyone's attention and held it hostage for a long pause. She swallows. The easiest decisions she's ever made and yet it is the hardest to give away.

It does not feel like a confession, but a submission. They are giving this up, their last secret love.

Aemma shakes her head. She's never wanted anything about her and Luce to be a secret.

"Oh, finally." Her mother breathes. Aemma looks at Alicent. Her response is so surprising Aemma doesn't have the words to respond.

"What?"

"Finally." She repeats, then smiles. "You know, we thought this day would never come. All of us, and I really do mean all of us, support you two fully."

"Since when?" Luce asks pointedly. Well known fact, no one has ever supported them in anything but breaking up.

"It was taking so long," Rhaenyra shakes her head, eyes welling up with tears as she smiles too, "I really didn't think you would come to your senses and just do it."

This doesn't make any sense.

"Who brought it up first?" Aegon leans back in his seat and laughs.

Aemma locks eyes with Luce. She's blushing, all wide eyes and too happy smile. Aemma would burn the world for that smile. She's going to marry that smile, and, confusingly, their family finally supports them in that.

"I guess you did." Luke says softly. Aemma will take all the credit that's due to her for this.

"Really?" Jace says, a bit deflated.

"You wanted it to be me?" Luce laughs at her older brother.

"Well, yeah. Aemma breaking up with you definitely kills the good mood you put us all in." Daemon says, then shrugs.

"Break up?" Luce and Aemma say together.

"Wait... is that what you all think?" Aemma looks around the table. Everyone nods. Fuck.

Luce's face drops. Her sad brown eyes welling up with tears are painful to look at. Aemma is going to marry that face too.

"We're not breaking up, you idiots!" They should have known. Luce's sadness falls and gives way to her anger. Fire and fury burst from her fingertips as the undoes the chain from her neck.

She shoves the ring on her finger and looks at Aemma. She smiles that beautiful smile again.

"We're getting married."

"No." Again, it's Aemma's mother who gets the first word in. All the color has drained from her face. The rest of the table turns a similar pallor.

"Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick." Joffrey shakes his head at his sister. Aemma should give the kid a knocking around if he wants to be a prick.

"I think it goes without saying that we all withdraw our support." Rhaena folds her hands over her chest.

"We gave it in ignorance." Aegon agrees. "I thought you'd finally wrapped up the fucking joke."

"Nothing is funny about this." Luce pouts.

"You're right. Nothing is funny. It's ridiculous. You're both being irresponsible. Think of the family. Think of how wrong you are for each other. Think of anyone but yourselves-" Aemma loves her mother more than life. She does not, however terrifying it is, love her more than Luce.

She turns away from the lecture and turns to her fiancée. Luce raises her eyebrows. One last out.

"I love you." Aemma whispers across the table. Luce's smile gets even wider and she nods.

"The cats out of the bag, Love," she turns her hand around and wiggles her fingers at Aemma, "you might as well put yours on too."

Everyone in their family is still yelling at them when Aemma takes the ring out of her pocket, puts in on, and locks them in. This is forever, and anyone who disagrees can yell all they want. The only person Aemma cares to listen to is her soon-to-be wife.

[honyakuninakunaru]

Together At The Carnival Of The Flowers // Mithra SSR Card Story

CHAPTER 1

(Courtyard)

Akira: "Hmm, where could Mithra be... He wasn't in his room..."

Mitile: "Master Sage!"

Rutile: "We found him! He's up there!"

Akira: "On the... rooftop? Ah! You're right!"

Shifting my gaze upwards, I saw Mithra’s sprawled figure.

Akira: “HELーLOOO!”

Rutile and Mitile: “MISTER MIーTHRAー!”

Mithra: “...Hm?”

Akira: “MIーTHRA! SHALL WE GO TO THE CARNIVAL OF THE FLOWERS FOR YOUR BIRTHDAーY?”

Mithra: “.....”

Rutile: “Ah! He's waving at us!”

Akira: “At least he's listening...!”

I raised the invitation I'd brought and waved it high up for Mithra to see.

Akira: “One of Shylock’s old acquaintances signed over this magic playground to him! I had lots of fun when I went with Shylock, so I’d love to bring you there for your birthday!!”

Mithra: “What on earth are you three doing?”

Akira, Rutile and Mitile: “Whaー!”

Akira: “Mithra! Weren't you up on the...”

Mithra: “Didn't you need me for something?”

Akira: “Yes, and I was just explaining it to you...”

Mithra: “Explaining what?”

Mitile: “Erm...”

Rutile: “Did you perhaps not hear us well?”

Mithra: “No.”

Akira: “(So he wasn't listening at all, huh...) I-I’ll explain it once more then. Since your birthday is coming up soon..."

CHAPTER 2

(Mithra's room)

Several days after that, I paid Mithra a visit.

Akira: "Thank you for making the time for this! I'm glad I get to plan your birthday party!"

Mithra: "Rutile and Mitile wouldn't stop pestering me about it, so... In exchange, you must absolutely put me to sleep tonight."

Akira: "Ahaha... I'll do my best... Here. Write your name and chant your spell, please. That will open the gates to the playground."

I placed said gates - as tall as a picture frame, with ivies and flowers coiling around them - on the table.

(Scribbling)

Mithra: "<Arthim>"

(Creaking)

The moment Mithra chanted his spell, light enveloped the invitation and the playground's doors began to flicker. Then, little by little, fog engulfed the entire room.

(Casino)

When the fog lifted, we found ourselves in a lavish casino. Everything around us was blindingly dazzling.

Mithra: "...You know, I'm not a fan of having my clothes randomly changed. You've got quite the nerve doing that."

Akira: "T-This is a sort of welcome! Everybody who's been invited has their outfit changed. Yours looks great on you!"

Suddenly, a tin puppet with arms full of tokens came to us.

Akira: "Oh, they've brought us chips to play with. Shall we play a game? If we need a dealer, we can always ask the puppet."

Mithra: "Well, I suppose we could go for a round since we're already here anyway."

He took a chip from the puppet and brought forward his hands in fists.

Mithra: "Here, try and guess."

Akira: "Uhmm... (Does he want me to guess in which hand the chip is?)"

Mithra: "Choose wisely. If you guess right, I'll do anything you ask. But if you guess wrong... I'll have your arm."

Akira: "M-My...arm?!"

Mithra's crystal green eyes gaze coldly at me. Face unchanging, he continued.

Mithra: "... I think that's only fair. I have to comply with every little thing you say just to get you to put me to sleep every single time. It would be much faster if I could simply snatch that hand of yours. This is the best birthday gift I could ever receive, no?"

There was nothing unusual in the way he said this - neither his tone nor his expression. Shivers ran down my spine at the realisation that Mithra might not be joking.

Akira: "(I should tell him that won't do, but...)"

Mithra: "Come on, choose. It's all up to you."

Akira: "...Alright then..."

CHAPTER 3

With a trembling finger, I pointed at Mithra's right hand.

Akira: "Uhm..."

When I did, Mithra opened both fists, dropping the chip from his left hand.

Akira: "Ah...!"

Mithra: "You lost. Then, if you'll excuse me."

Akira: "Mithra, waitー!"

Mithra gripped my right arm and squeezed so hard it hurt.

Mithra: "....."

Just as I was about to cry out, he suddenly let go.

Akira: "...Eh?"

I slumped down on the floor. Breathing hard, I felt the pounding of my heart resonate within my entire body. Looking down at me, Mithra spoke.

Mithra: "<Arthim>"

(Amusement park)

Akira: "Whoa...!"

In a flash, the scenery around us changed. We were now in an amusement park one would expect to see children play.

Mithra: "If you're going to chaperone me, I'd rather it be a place like this. It's a bit too early for a casino."

Akira: "S-So this is what you meant when you said you'd have my arm?!"

Mithra: "I was kidding earlier. Come on, you can stop shaking in your boots now, you're ruining the mood."

Mithra grabbed my arm once more and helped me back to my feet. This time, he was much gentler, as if he was trying to cheer up a child.

Akira: "(He gave me quite a scare just now... Turns out he was worried... In his own, Mithra way.)"

Though my heart was yet to calm down, I wanted to spend Mithra's birthday having fun.

Akira: "...Then, shall we ride on that flying merry-go-round?"

Mithra: "Sure, if that's what you deem fun. You said you'd escort me, right? Let's go."

Akira: "Yep, leave it to me!"

—————

(After a while...)

Akira: "Huff...Huff... I-I thought it was going to be a... fun ride, but..."

Mithra: "You were letting out quite the screams earlier. You almost sounded like a dying bird."

Akira: "I-I didn't know there was a ruse that would snap the cord of the swing! ....Ah."

(Petals fluttering)

Mithra: "...What is this?"

Akira: "(It's our return call...)"

The exit doors will open once the person invited to the Carnival of the Flowers has enjoyed themselves to their heart's content. When that time comes, flower petals will come fluttering down to send them back.

—————

(Mithra's room)

Soon, the mist that had enveloped us at first brought us back to Mithra's room.

Mithra: "Well that wasn't too grand."

Akira: "(...These kinds of things aren't good for my heart...) Well, Mithra, did you enjoyー"

Mithra: "Yes. Here."

Without allowing me to finish my question, Mithra extended his hand to me. Smiling wryly, I took his hand in mine.

Akira: "Mhm, I'll do my best to help you sleep."

Mithra: "....."

Akira: "...What's wrong?"

Mithra looked at my hand for a while before muttering to himself.

Mithra: "A warm hand is better than a cold one, I suppose."

Akira: "Eh...? (This isn't another of his jokess is it...)"

(Door opening)

Rutile and Mitile: "Good evening!"

Akira: "What's up, you two?"

Mithra: "...What brings you here so late?"

Rutile: "I see you've returned from the playground! We're almost done with the party arrangements, so we came to check on you!"

Mitile: "We've prepared lots and lots of food! Hope you'll like it! Of course, you should come too, Master Sage!"

Rutile: "We'll be waiting for you!"

(Door closing)

Akira: "Ahaha, seems like you'll have to be awake for a little longer."

Mithra: "Oh, woe is me..."

Despite the big sigh he heaved, Mithra didn't look the least displeased.

Akira: "Thank you for everything you've done today, Mithra. Happy birthday."

A Fun And Peaceful Party? // Card Training Episode

(Courtyard)

Akira: "Are you taking an afternoon nap in the courtyard today, Mithra?"

Mithra: "I was trying to, but this spot is an absolute no-go. First, the twins came up and tried to talk to me, and then that Central knight invited me to spar. It's simply too noisy."

Akira: "A lot of people pass through here, so it is lively. It was the same on your birthday, though, wasn't it? Everybody was coming up to talk to you and congratulate you."

Mithra: "Congratulate me...?"

Akira: "Yeah...? Do you remember the birthday party everybody threw you?"

Mithra: "Oh, right, there was something like that. I reckon the southern brothers were noisier and pushier than usual. I understand why they'd want to thank me. They do cause me a lot of trouble."

Akira: "They prepared your favourite meals and invited everyone as well. Even Owen and Bradley showed up! Though, Snow and White did tie them to a chair so they wouldn't run away..."

Mithra: "And here I thought they were into something weird. They were mumbling about killing those twins later and such... The looks on their faces were absolutely priceless."

Akira: "Ahaha... (The aftermath of that was quite the scene though...) Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself! That's all that matters."

———

Big thanks to @sleepyena for providing the raws for this story!

[heliza24]

I'm rewatching A Court of Fey and Flowers with @bluedalahorse and it's so fun to be picking up on all the details I didn't the first time, since the season was the first actual play I watched, and I now understand the format and the game much better. It's also really fun to introduce Blue to the world of D20. She really likes it which makes me so happy. We're both having a really great time!

I know everyone loves Rue/Hobb (how could you not) but I love Andhera/Binx even more. From the very beginning, even when she's disguised as Gwen, Andhera and Binx vibrate on the same frequency. They're both of the darkness, their magic matches, they're both clearly neurodivergent in a way that compliments each other, and the way they bring much needed recognition and compassion into each other's lives... I just love it. We just finished watching the Hedge Maze ep, and the moment when Andhera recognizes Binx's eyes in their true form for the first time and their hands touch...Magic. (Also I deserve a medal for not spoiling this pairing to Blue before this episode, I wanted to talk about them SO BADLY). I also appreciated the layers that Omar and Surena put into their characters even more this time. Omar plays with the social suaveness of Andhera in such an interesting way. Sometimes he leans into Andhera as simply bumbling, but sometimes he uses it in a meta way to reveal real feelings, and sometimes he uses it as a character weapon, like when he fools Suntar in the maze. And Surena creates all these little physical differences in the way she plays Binx and Gwen, dropping her voice and changing her mannerisms.

Blue and I are of agreement that most fantasy things don't get the fae right; they're more capricious and funny and scary than most things makes them seem. (And more than simply sexy, which is how most modern things seem to portray them). But ACOFAF gets it. Chirp and Squawk are so funny (and I'm enjoying them even more now that I know Lou and Emily as players better) and I cannot wait for Blue to see Chirp's big reveal (another thing I have not spoiled please clap!) And I just love the way that Aabria creates a magical atmosphere, and hones in on emotions and pushes them to the forefront of a scene. Like simply asking if Binx and Andhera's hands touch when he passes her the heart; the entire second half of the season is shaped by the connection that is forged in that moment. I love the way she uses the rule of cool to help pull emotions and interesting scene flavor forward, which works because I have absolute confidence she knows the rules and is breaking them with careful intention.

This is a disorganized rant more than it is an analysis but I just needed to say **chef's kiss** about all of it, I love it so much. and I'm so excited to bring @bluedalahorse into the magic with me.

[exoticalmonde]

So me and my bestest friend @notanegrill began playing a game about making stories. It's called Storybook, and as the title suggests we're coming together to create the most legendary story of them all.

V: *Opens first page*

Me, normal voice: "At the end of this book lies a crown-"

V: "NO! STORYTELLER VOICE!"

Me, using that one voice from the Theatre scene in 'We Were Here': "It is bestowed only to the finest storytellers of the realm."

V: "Hehe, way better."

Spoilers Ahead:

So we start the world as any world begins, with a tale as old as time - Adam and Eve. Which is... Me! Me and V because I will pick his ribs clean if he doesn't 100% the achievements (he enjoys it, ok)

And we were both excited for 0.7 seconds before V hits me with the important questions of:

V: "Who is Adam, Eve?"

Me: "It's you, silly goose!"

V: "Oh, okay." c:

And like with every story that has Eve in it:

:)

It's adorable to see Bernard getting some love though!

This game just flies by so fast when it's the two of us thinking, taking turns on what gets to be where so we push the other forward where our own ideas fail us. Playing games like this with a buddy truly beats playing it alone.

It's tagged LGBTQ+ because you can put two guys or two girls in love in some of the frames and it's adorable. They interact well.

Me: "Oh look! It's the tiers of regret whenever I decide to open up."

Can't believe this whole story is about how Edgar dies and forgets he's dead while being dead so he ends up shocked that he's dead when he sees himself in the mirror.

It's such a good plot for a fanfic not gonna lie... It's Genshin related and not meant to be here, but /I/ am the one who is writing this 'review' and I am the rat that makes all of the rules.

V: "These... Two pixels, why are they so hot...?"

Me: ".... Yeah."

V: "I know you want her dress."

Me: "Oh I want to BE her."

Us two: *GASP*

V: "Are you ready?"

Me: "VAMPIRE TIME."

V: *Accidentally does this because he randomly drops characters on the map after figuring out what to do.*

V: "My brain (is so big)... I'm singing up in Harvard."

V: *Struggles with the simpler map later*

Me: "I think we have to sign you off Harvard now."

AND THE ENDING IS SOOO CUTE IT'S SO SUBTLE I BARELY NOTICED BUT IT MADE US SO HAPPY TO GET TO THE ENDING.

Like giving two kids a paper crown and calling them 'champ'.

Someone in STEAM was asking how to solve the Maid and the Knight story and someone commented under it with 'God bless you'. Seriously, we managed on our own and it's all because it was 50/51 and we HAD to finish it to get to the ending.

During our reviews:

Me: "I think the graphics are beautiful. For a game that has a simple idea of making stories via characters and places being put together, everything is very well animated, interactive and apparently, given the achievements, it also has MULTIPLE options to work with."

V: "I agree. Also, there is an update in September."

Me: "Overall, it's a game I'd get if it's on sale. It's 20$ and in comparison to a visual novel with 40K words, a couple scenes, art etc. If that was 20$... I'd still think twice, but the point is - for what it is and it's original, a game I have never seen before, I think it's pretty good. It also doesn't have any background music, it could probably set the mood for some chapters. But the sound was totally good. No sounds overlap no matter how quickly you click around so it doesn't create a caccophony."

V: "Yeah, the music, or the lack of thereof is still fixable."

Me: "Well, there's the update. Might as well wait and see."

V: "Overall ranting?"

Me: "Hmmm..."

V: "On the count of three?"

Me: "Ok."

V: "Ugh I'm stuck between two... Ok, one... Two... Three!"

Me and him at the same time: "Seven."

V: "Why am I not surprised."

And that's it! It was truly a wonderful experience. Big thank you to developpers and the entire team that came up with the game. Can't wait to see what the updates may be and thank you, V, for sponsoring our gameplay.

Hope we get to play much more in the future.

[daechwitatamic]

When did you become ARMY? and has Tae always been your bias?

AH, hello! You'd like my villain origin story, hm?

I guess I'll use a read more because I'm cursed by the inability to EVER shut up.

So back in 2020-2021 someone that I've been friends with for over 10 years and follow on tumblr became army. She was posting tons and tons of giftsets and vids every day as she began to work her way through the content. I didn't pay much attention at first but as the moths passed I somehow eventually started playing a little game with myself called "Is Jungkook in this/Can you find Jungkook" because that was her bias at the time and I only knew his name.

Somehow this expanded to one or two other members (I wanna say Jimin and Joon?) and it was just my private little game with myself when she would post.

I can tell you the exact moment I actually paid attention - she posted gifs of this moment:

I remember DISTINCTLY sitting up like wait, they're actually good/talented???

We got to the point where Dynamite was out and I'll be honest, I didn't really like it and I still don't. But after this moment I thought okay maybe I'm missing something.

So the summer of 2021 I dm'ed her and said, "Hey, want to rec me some BTS songs? My playlist feels stale."

She sent me Mic Drop (steve's version lol), Fake Love, and Truth Untold and I loved all three (they still remain among my top faves!). I asked for a few more. So on it went until I'd listened to the whole discography lol. Eventually she sent me like a list of their discography and I would watch the lyric video that lights up who's singing so I could 1) know what the lyrics were about and 2) kind of learn their voices. If I liked a song when I listened to the lyric video, I threw it in a giant playlist on Spotify. I ended up with uhhhhhhhh a lot of songs lol.

I also watched Run BTS from episode one all the way through during that summer. I watched Bon Voyage 1, 3, and 4 and watched 2 together with her later in the fall.

We went together to PTD LA (I flew from the east coast lol someone save jo) that December and saw Coldtan :')

The following March I started reading and writing ff and made this account :')

Anyway, was Taehyung my first bias - yes!! The first moment I was like "oh THAT ONE" was she had sent me a compilation of Taehyung saying insane shit with a straight face and I got to "that's the eyeliner" and had to pause to collect myself because him!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I also saw a gif from this moment (hi maggie lol) and I remember being like WAIT HOLLUP WHO IS THAT? ONE OF THE MEMBERS LOOKS LIKE THAT? WHO IS IT? and it was cemented. I alsoooooo remember DISTINCTLY losing my shit the first time I listened to Singularity because HIS VOICE!!!!! HIS VOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO DROWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyway ahem we're all normal here.

However it was MAYBE only two weeks after Taehyung claimed me that I dm'ed her again like, "Why does my brain suddenly love Suga?" and she was like "I was waiting for that" and for the majority of my army time I have really considered myself a double-bias, at times feeling like maybe I was a Yoongi-ult but these days the taehyung chokehold is stronger, I'm afraid. At PTD LA Yoongi came to our corner of the stage in a leather jacket during soundcheck and I'm telling u I ascended I was not on this planet anymore i did not breathe air until he was gone again afjheaiufqiughijg

THEN of course Mr. Kim Namjoon had to absolute wreck my shit in the Indigo era and took over my entire existence SIGH.

So, idk. These days I feel like a Tae-ult with Yoongi wrecker and Joon wrecker-wrecker? But ot7 are soooo special and wonderful and amazing, like truly the universe aligned to take these seven more extraordinary humans and put them together!! Like?! they're so special, i love them a lot fr :')

ANYWAY did you learn to never ask me anything because I will talk until I die?! love you anon have a wonderful fridayyyyyyyy <3

[greyeyedmonster-18]

I don't know if this is something you would want because of you being such a busy creature but I had a dribble idea that I thought would be funny and I'm actually not funny enough to write myself but I think you would be...

Might be a good one for Sirius and Harry (+Remus) Saturday?

The idea is that Remus and Harry take Sirius bowling for the first time and ultimately stitch Sirius up:

Letting him use two first fingers not two middle ones, waiting to see how long it takes him to notice

Putting the barriers up and down with magic

Or! Putting invisible barriers up for Remus and Harry and Sirius can't work out how their balls avoid the gutter

'helping' him and then stepping over the line with the sensors so his go is invalid

Forcing him to use the baby Ramo when he is rubbish

Not telling him about the ridiculous slippy shoes

Anyway... I've done this in an ask but PLEASE don't feel like you have to answer it or do anything with it or whatever but I thought ... You might.. like it? 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈

🧡🧡🧡

my lovely friend, this has been here for so long and i deeply apologize, i just wanted to make sure i did it justice. because this is a great prompt. (im going to leave all your bulleted options alone because they're brilliant, but uh...here's what i came up with)

--

There were still giggles from the back seat on the drive home, both Teddy and Harry giddy from junk food and an exciting afternoon at a muggle-bowling alley. Remus turned over in his seat to look at his boys, Teddy's face red from trying to muffle his laughter as Harry mimed something out, stopping when he noticed Remus's gaze.

"Did you two have fun today?" Remus asked innocently.

"Yes! We should go every week, Da!" Teddy exclaimed instantly feet kicking as he smiled. mouth full of holes where teeth used to be.

"My favorite part was when Dad--"

"No," Sirius said quickly, cutting Harry off, and the giggles started yet again. Remus turned back around to look at Sirius, who was white-knuckling the steering wheel, eyes looking determinedly at the road, "We're not going back there, and you're all having early bedtimes tonight."

"No, we're not," Teddy said instantly, and Remus snorted, "'Cause you already promised we could have pudding tonight before we left and that means we stay up. No take-backs!"

"Yeah, no take-backs," Remus confirmed, reaching over to put his hand on the back of Sirius's neck, fingers carding through stray curls that had fallen out of the knot on top of his head, "They probably won't even remember, baby. So many people go there, and it's so busy, they'll forget about it by next week."

"Babe. How often do you think full-grown men go down the lane with the ball stuck to their fingers daily?" Sirius asked, and the laughter exploded from the back seat again, their two boys not even bothering to contain their joy at seeing their father sliding down a bowling alley lane attached to his ball. Remus had to fight against his own laughter, letting it escape in tiny coughs at the memory of his husband sprawled in the middle of the lane, only feeling a little bad that the whole incident had happened because Remus and the boys had spent the entire afternoon preying on Sirius's naivety in a muggle establishment.

No, the holes are supposed to be tight, so you don't drop it, Dad. Harry had said, exchanging a mischievous glance with Remus as Sirius squeezed his fingers into too-small holes.

Yeah, just like that, its your first two fingers.

"I mean, I'm sure it's happened....at least once before," Remus offered, biting down on his lip, "It's just a game, baby, it's just fun--"

"Mhmm."

"You got 42 points!" Harry started, between his giggles, "So you only lost to Teddy by a little! And that's only..." Harry thought for a moment, "only like 10 away from 50!"

Remus could see Sirius roll his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"Need to do some more maths, I see..." Sirius mumbled low enough so Harry couldn't hear before exhaling, "Thanks, my love. I think I'll leave the bowling to all of you for now."

"At least they let you get a strike out of it," Remus shrugged, and by the way, Sirius's jaw moved, Remus could tell he was holding back a dozen swear words and smart quips he wanted to tell Remus.

"You're grounded." Sirius muttered, "No pudding, ever again."

"Sure baby. Whatever you say."

[awanderingdeal]

Hey Lucy! Could you please write some goalie love? Maybe some hurt-comfort with Leo going to Kasey for advice or something like that? 💛

Edited: 20th Feb 23 - Nothing major, just rewriting some stuff with (what I hope) are much improved skills.

Hey, 💛 Here's some Kasey giving Leo advice after his first game loss.

Rating: G

CW: None that I can think of, but do drop me a message if I have missed anything.

Character credit belongs to @lumosinlove

Leo had lost games before. Of course he had. Nobody got through a high school hockey career without experiencing that low. Still, he hadn't been prepared for the guilt curling in his stomach, pulling at his insides until he felt bitter bile at his throat.

Swallowing, Leo slumped back in his stall trying to silence the jeers of their opponent's fans ringing in his ears. A few feet away, James and Thomas cooed over photos of Thomas' new nephew, whilst Nado and Timmy made similar noises over potential tattoo designs. The rest of the team seemed to have put the defeat behind them already, but even the itch of sweat drying beneath his pads wasn't enough to get Leo moving.

"Hey," Kasey said, slapping his hand against Leo's shoulder before taking a seat in the next stall. "You okay?"

Leo pressed his tounge against the back of his teeth, thinking about shrugging off the question. Kasey watched him patiently; the only sign he was waiting for an answer was in the slight tilt of his head. It reminded him of something his Mama had told him once. People think more than they talk sometimes. You've gotta be comfortable with the silences. He hadn't really understood it back then.

"How'd you do it?" Leo asked eventually

Kasey cocked his head further. "I'm going to need a bit more than that."

Sometimes you have to push just a little.

"Knowing that the loss was your fault," Leo said.

Kasey blinked and cocked his head even further. Was he a fucking cat?

But for the most part, people will talk if you let them.

"Okay," Leo sighed, tangling his fingers together. "I get we're a team, but I should've saved that second goal and if I had we'd have won."

"And if Sirius hadn't lost the puck in the first place?"

"Sirius' job is to score goals meaning there's always a risk of him losing the puck. My entire job is to save goals. It's the only reason I'm here."

Kasey laughed, smoothing his hair out of his face, "Sorry, it's just funny. Rookies, I mean. They never change." He sat more upright, smile dropping into something softer, more reassuring. "Look, Leo. Sometimes you just make a mistake. You've just got to shrug it off, do better next time. Besides, for the pick to end up in front of you, then somebody else messed up too and if you don't blame them then you don't get to blame yourself either. Win together. Lose together."

Everything Kasey was saying made sense, yet Leo found himself trying to twist the words into something that would fit his own narrative. Tugging at a lose piece of skin at the corner of his nail, Leo opened his mouth and then closed it again.

"Stop being stupid," Kasey said as he stood. "Not an insult. Like I said, rookies are all the same. It's normal. You're going to have to get over that self-depriciating shit real quick though, if you want to keep any semblance of mental health in this game."

Leo huffed a breath feeling the air flare his nostrils. He wanted to stomp his feet and tell Kasey he was wrong. Instead, he leaned forwards and began to peel off his pads.

Kasey nodded knowingly. "I can't promise the losses hurt less with time, but you will get used to them. Grab a shower. We're getting burgers. Dinner's on Cap."

Sirius jerked his head up from the tablet he was engrossed with. "Excuse me?"

"The rookie needs cheering up. You're Captain."

"Burgers! Yes!" James whooped, "Thanks Pads. Can Lily come?"

Leo glanced between Kasey and Sirius. He didn't think he'd ever be confident enough to tell Sirius what to do. Despite clear attempts to to be as welcoming as possible he was still Sirius Black, captain of the Gryffindor Lions and impressive as fuck. That was just intimidating.

"OK, D'accord," Sirius threw his hands up in surrender, laughter bubbling on his lips. He shook his head muttering something in French that Leo couldn't quite catch. "For Leo. Just this once."

"Love you, Cap!" Finn called, starting a round of declarations that only got increasingly more ridiculous.

"Words can't express my gratitude."

"What did we do to deserve such a kind and generous leader?"

"I'm blowing you a kiss. Catch it."

"Thanks, Sirius," Leo said quietly, as the team quickly moved on to helping Evgeni choose the perfect shade of blue to repaint his bedroom. "Appreciate it."

Sirius just nodded at him, returning to his tablet briefly before looking back up at Leo. "You're doing great. Keep it up." His face twisted into something conflicted then settled on a smile.

"Everybody is doing great," Kasey agreed, only the slightest hint of sarcasm dripping into the comment. "What a fantastic team we are. Now hurry up, I'm starving."

With each item of clothing Leo removed and the warmth of the water on his skin, the familiar tightness across his chest began to disapate. It was going to be okay. Better than okay, maybe. The Lions were a pretty great bunch of people.

[rad-roche]

Just curious, have you ever played Cyberpunk 2077? I was thinking ab the characters and thought you’d appreciate how they interact with each other, etc etc. Specifically the way that Johnny tries to change for the better but his old friends don’t really forgive him entirely. and your MC can help him mend those bridges somewhat but it isn’t like. Fixing it for him. Basically your character has no place to forgive any of what he’s done to the other ppl in his life and the narrative makes it clear.

Sorry if this ask was rambling/completely off the mark btw! I love your art!

i haven't, but that does sound very up my alley! i love those sorts of settings, if my constant posting about the fucked up man robot is anything to go by. i really loved the body scout, for example, and i love those sorts of complicated interpersonal dynamics too, i think you're on the money as far as my tastes go. back when it first came out, as in the hour of its release, a friend of mine streamed it through discord and it was. a bit of a mess. things not working, clipping through stuff, not really functioning. i thought 'i'll wait however many years until it's patched', and it seems we're there! we also seem to be in some kind of video game golden age where everything good is dropping at once. my to-play list is very very long (disco elysium, starfield, whatever the new obsidian wizard game is, outer worlds but for real this time, baldur's gate, gloomwood, shadows of doubt when it's done, hades 2...) but cyberpunk is absolutely, 100% on my to play list. i've been keeping an eye on it for a bit

[kotlc-deleted-scenes]

Keeper Summer Week #2

Deleted Scene from Exile

This scene used to be part of the aurenflare sequence and was a moment I created to show that something might be wrong with Sophie's abilities. But I realized after I wrote it that it didn't really sell the idea that she was “malfunctioning." If anything, it made her seem even stronger, so I cut it out. And I'd considered including the skill in a later Keeper book, but I decided it was too confusing trying to differentiate it from other things Telepaths could and couldn't do. So I dropped the idea from the series entirely. 

—Shannon

Biana yelped and jumped out of her seat. "Don't do that!" she screamed, flinging a cookie at Fitz's head. 

"Did I miss something?" Sophie asked. 

"Yeah, Biana's afraid of the dark,” Fitz told her. 

"More like my brother loves torturing me with his evil mind games," Biana corrected. 

"Actually, it's a highly developed skill," Fitz explained with a smug grin. "I bet even Sophie can't do it." 

His eyes narrowed and Biana screamed again. Even Keefe jumped though he tried to cover it with a cough. 

Sophie frowned. "I don't get it." 

"You didn't see the giant shadow wolf that just attacked us?" 

Biana asked before screaming again. "There-right there. You really don't see that?" 

She pointed to the fire, but all Sophie saw were the dancing rainbow-colored flames. 

"Okay, you guys are starting to freak me out," Sophie admitted. "What's going on?" 

"He's impelling," Alden explained as he joined them by the fire. "That's what we call it when a Telepath pushes a shadow of a thought into someone else's mind to make them see something that isn't there. It's mostly a novelty—and a bit of a gray area when it comes to the rules of telepathy. But it appears your unique blocking protects you." 

"But that doesn't make any sense," Fitz argued, narrowing his eyes yet again and making everyone except Sophie flinch. "I can transmit to her now-shouldn't I be able to impel?" 

"Impelling reaches a different part of the brain," Alden reminded him. "And your connection to Sophie is limited. You can't even read her thoughts-only make her hear yours." 

Keefe laughed. "Foster loves keeping her sense of mystery." 

Fitz frowned and Biana screamed again, clinging to Alden's arm. 

"Dad-tell him to knock it off!" 

"I think that's enough impelling for one night, son. Though, I wonder..." Alden turned to Sophie. "Would you like to give it a try? 

All you have to do is concentrate on a thought and push it toward us—without opening your mind to ours." 

“I guess," Sophie mumbled, not loving the way everyone was staring at her. 

She felt too frazzled to come up with anything original, so she copied Fitz's idea and imagined a shadow wolf with hackles raised and fangs bared. When she could picture every strand of its bristled fur, she narrowed her eyes and shoved the thought toward her friends. 

"What the—" Keefe shouted, covering his ears as Alden ducked and Biana and Fitz screamed. Sophie cleared the image from her head, and everyone slowly straightened, blinking at her with wide, haunted eyes. 

"Did you open your minds to ours?" Alden asked. 

Sophie shook her head. "Why?" 

"That was no shadow," Keefe mumbled, looking paler than she'd ever seen him. "That was a full-color, twenty-foot monster. I swear I could even smell the dog breath.” 

"Me too," Fitz said quietly. "And I could hear it snarling." 

"It was so real," Biana whispered, hugging her dad and glancing around like she expected the wolf to emerge from the shadows any second. 

"I'm sorry—I didn't mean…" Sophie fumbled for her home crystal. 

"Wait," Alden said as she held her pendant in the firelight. "You don't have to leave-you didn't do anything wrong." 

"I nearly gave you guys a panic attack!" 

"Yeah, you did,” Fitz said, trying to smile but not pulling it off. 

"I almost peed my pants," Keefe added. 

Humiliation burned Sophie's eyes. 

Why did she always mess everything up? 

"Your mind is stronger than we're used to. That's all," Alden assured her. 

"Well, that's still a problem," Sophie replied. 

She didn't know her own strength. 

And if she couldn't understand herself—who could? 

"It's really okay, Sophie," Alden insisted. "Please stay." 

She tried to stand a little taller as she shook her head. "Honestly, I…have a headache now. And I'm sure Edaline's waiting for me. Thank you so much for dinner and the aurenflare. I'll see you guys at the Opening Ceremonies, right?" she asked Fitz, Keefe, and Biana. 

They nodded, and everyone tried to smile as Sophie let the warm light whisk her away. 

But Sophie would never forget the look on their pale faces. Fear. 

Maybe even terror. 

Like she was the monster. 

And Sophie had a horrible feeling that they might be right. 

[narancias-headband]

YOURE SO KIND FOR FEEDING CHEESE NATION!!!! u write so well chief

Thank youuu!! I'm happy to provide. I'm always a simp for Formaggio. Always. 🧀🧎‍♀️

also wait being called chief makes me so soft for some reason?? tysm 🥺

You know what? I'm gonna do it again. Take some more cheese content.

Your First Kiss with Formaggio

(Expanding on an idea I originally put here)

"Yes, yes, yes! Come on!" Formaggio cheered on the players on his favorite soccer team. His yelling mixed with the loud noise of the crowd through the TV speakers made it seem like you two weren't the only ones in the room. It really shouldn't be possible for it to be so loud, but here you were. You were the only one who ever agreed to watch soccer with Formaggio anymore. Maybe that was why...

You didn't mind much, though. You could put up with the noise and watching something that wasn't really your style for Formaggio. He'd quickly become your best friend after joining La Squadra. He was just never awkward with you, just warm and friendly and playful, quickly winning your friendship. Before you knew it, his playful nature and bright smile had won your heart as well.

That's probably why you always jumped at the chance to watch soccer with him. You loved to see him so excited, and the promise of being alone with him was the cherry on top.

The night had been fun, per the usual of time spent with Formaggio. He'd come running to find you as soon as the opening ceremonies started, not wanting you to miss any of the game. You'd plopped down on the couch, sitting right next to him with a smile. You two cracked open a few beers and started watching the game. Well, he started watching the game. You weren't too interested in it and spent most of your time watching him instead.

Time had escaped you, and it was now nearing the end of the game. You could tell by how much more excited he became with every passing second. He seemed so much more excited than usual, so you decided to actually tune in for once.

It was the last few minutes of the game. Formaggio's team, and yours by extension, was behind, but they had the ball. Formaggio cheered excitedly when they scored a goal.

He grabbed your shoulder tightly. "It's tied up. We're so close!" Your attention on the game wavered due to him touching you. The action seemed to fill your head and stomach with butterflies.

Formaggio began to get louder and louder in his cheering, and you glanced back at the TV just in time to see the winning goal, the ball going into the net at the very last second.

Formaggio jumped to his feet, entirely overjoyed that his team had made such a play. In his excitement, he grabbed onto your face and planted a huge kiss right on your lips. He stood back up straight and continued celebrating, while you're left stunned. You brought a hand to your lips, touching them as if making sure you were real, and blushed.

"Come on, [Y/N]! Why aren't you celebrating? You saw that comeback!"

"I did but I... Y-you... We..." You were unable to form a sentence.

"What was that, sugar?" he asked, finally dropping his volume back to his regular speaking voice.

"You," you swallowed hard trying to get the words out, "You kissed me."

His eyes went wide as he replayed the past few minutes and realized what he had done. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, suddenly quiet. "That was kind of uncalled for and totally out of the blue. I just got too excited and... Well. At least you know how I feel." He laughed gently, but watched you expectantly for your answer.

"It's alright, Formaggio. I, uh, I liked it." Your cheeks were on fire as you admitted this to him.

"Oh?" He quirked his eyebrows up at you and moved his face closer to yours once again. "Maybe I should make it up to you with an apology kiss then."