#my idea for the next prompt is a doozy

[psykoe100]

day 3: official art

Find something detective…? 🔎

[marigoldenblooms]

Drunken Confessions - Drabble

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff  x Agent!Reader

Prompt: You never called on her for anything, always staying at a distance from  Natasha. She was starting to think you hated her, that your lingering glances and continual avoidance was because you didn’t want to know her. That changes when you call her drunk off your ass at 1 am. 

MINORS DNI - 18+

Tags: Drunkenness, slight drunken confessions, mentions of harassment, Reader calls Natasha “Natty,” Natasha calls reader “Agent,” Natasha has a motorcycle, fluff, hurt/comfort.

A/N: Had this one in my word counter for a while, and thought I’d finish it up! Quick little doozy, wanted a break from all the smut totally wholesome drafts I have going (although none of my work is not 18+ even without smut content! Once again, Minors DNI!) Biker women own my heart (I’d love to do a proper Biker!AU if anyone’s got any ideas!) Asks/requests are open! Director!N x Actor!R x Actor!W is coming soon... >:))

Word Count: 777 - Read Length: 2 minutes, 50 seconds. Pictures aren't mine, credit to their owners!

~~~ 

It had been a while since you’d been out drinking, and even longer since you asked for Natasha’s help. You were acquaintances, perhaps even coworkers, but she thought it stopped there. You always avoided her- you were a beautiful stranger, lost in the night. And even still, when she heard her phone buzz with your ringtone this late, she picked up without a second thought.

“Agent?” She’d question, brow furrowing as she’d sit up, slinging her arm across her knee. She could hear the sound of cars around you, though from your heavy, stumbling footfalls you weren’t in one. You were drunk. 

“Natty..-“ you’d keen and she’d blush, wiping the sleep from her face as Natasha tried to ignore the sweetness in your tone, and the nickname on your lips- never used for her. She wished it came out of your sober mouth. You’d stop walking and she’d hear you huff, stuck in an alleyway you didn’t recognize. “I think I’m..-lost, I’m lost, fuck-“ 

“And I’m awake,” she’d respond, voice gravelly and thick, but focused as she’d pull on clothes, and you heard the rustle. Your voice would drop into a secretive whisper, still too loud to be actually effective, “Natty, Natty- are you…naked-??” 

“No,” Natasha would be grabbing her motorcycle keys and jacket now, slung loose over one shoulder before you heard the sound of her door, and seconds later the ignition of some vehicle. “I’m coming to get you, Agent. Gimme a landmark-“ 

“There’s a Mc…a Burger King, next to me, mm-“ Your mumble about being hungry was lost on her as Natasha’s tires would squeal across the road, its emptiness allowing her to climb speed quickly. Her voice was closer now, spoken through her helmet’s microphone, “Stay put, I’m on my way.” 

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

“He was… was callin’ me ugly-“ you slur, a blush alighting your cheeks. You’d hiccup, earning a chuckle from Natasha’s focused expression on the road. She’d picked you up minutes ago, careful to drive slower with your arms slung sloppily around her waist. You’d been telling her something about a rude man at the bar, disgruntled by your refusal to ‘go home to his smelly apartment,’ as your mocking voice had put it, “On the inside, and- and the…..outside, mhm!”

Natasha would chuckle again, expecting the insult to roll off your drunken facade, but instead your shoulders shook against her back. Slowing to a crawl on the side of the road, she’d look back to see your face looking crumbled- gleaming with tears. You hiccup again and Natasha turned off the bike, trying to soothe you with an awkward hand around you. She’d pull your side against hers, helmet in the crook of her other elbow as she’d whisper to you, “Hey, hey Agent, it’s alright, shhh..” Natasha’s hand would’ve risen to your cheek, prickling goosebumps down your spine as her thumb would wipe your tears away. Your fingers would’ve risen to hers, taking her palm gently before placing a kiss on it. She’d shift her hand away and you’d meet her gaze- her mouth was open, and your eyes darted down to it. “Natty..” your eyebrows would furrow, pouting as she’d escape your touch, “Why won’t you kiss me, Natty?”

“Because you’re drunk,” She’d roll her shoulders and you’d watch with wonder as her muscles moved beneath thin fabric, Natasha’s coat now on you. You’d have to pick your jaw off the road once you were done. Her words would almost startle you, “And you don’t know what you’re doing, Agent. Why did you call me?” 

“I..” You’d begin, yet your words left you as soon as you started them. You could never think when she was around- distance was necessary for professionalism. You hoped liquid confidence would be enough to bridge the gap, and ask the attractive redhead for coffee tomorrow. You overdid it. You forgot what she even asked, “But I want- want you. Don’t you want me?” 

Your declaration made her smile, and you decided then that you wanted her to do that again. Needed her to. Natasha shook her head, and she thanked your drunken stupor for you not noticing the blush on her face. She’d turn around, donning her helmet again- her voice muffled now, “You’re drunk, Agent. Let’s talk about this tomorrow, alright?”

“Mhmm..” You’d settle, pulling yourself against her back. “So warm..” you’d murmur, crooning into her shoulder. You’d hear the woman snicker, before the bike underneath you thrummed to life. Maybe if that conversation went well, your thoughts sluggishly considered- she’d teach you how to ride it. If Natasha’s playful snicker at your words was any indication, your chance was pretty high.

~~~

[captainsophiestark]

Jurisdiction

Jack Thompson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober, and for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Requested by Anon!

Fandom: Marvel

Day Seventeen Prompt: "Strangest thing I ever heard."

Summary: Jack's meeting one of his SO's oldest friends, who just so happens to work for the FBI. Unfortunately for all of them, sometimes the job has to take priority.

Word Count: 1,115

Category: Fluff

A/N: Okay, officially *this* is the closest I've come to missing a Friday lol

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"You're never gonna believe the case I just solved."

I grinned, humoring my long-time friend as he leaned across the table and closer to me.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. So we were trying to track down this group-"

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

My friend, Robert, and I both turned at the sound of someone behind us. I smiled immediately. Chief Jack Thompson of the New York SSR had finally arrived.

Jack and I had worked together for a long time, and now we'd been dating for the better part of a year. We'd been trying to set up times for meeting each other's important friends and family, but it had been incredibly complicated trying to work around our schedules at the SSR, especially since we weren't really supposed to tell anybody about our jobs.

Robert was one of the last people in my circle that Jack hadn't met. We'd grown up together, and while I'd found my way to the SSR, Robert had built up a career with the FBI. He had no idea what I did for a living, but I knew plenty about what he did.

"Glad you could make it," I said, fixing Jack with a smile as he took a seat on the other side of me. He planted a kiss on my temple, then reached out and offered a handshake to Robert.

"Jack Thompson. Nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," said Robert, taking his hand with a grin. "You're just in time to hear about the case my boys and I just finished up. It was a doozy."

"Yeah, I heard you were with the FBI. That's real impressive," said Jack, his voice dripping with sarcasm that only I caught. I gave him a subtle elbow to the side, but he ignored me.

"Thank you," said Robert, nodding solemnly. "Like I was saying, we were trying to track down this group we thought was smuggling weapons into the country through a port in Maine. And we found the guys we were looking for, found their operation just like we'd been expecting. But they weren't smuggling weapons."

Jack and I both raised an eyebrow, leaning forward as Robert did. He lowered his voice for dramatic effect.

"They were smuggling technology."

I raised an eyebrow, and beside me, Jack leaned even further forward.

"It was all kinds of crazy stuff," Robert continued. "I can't tell you guys most of it, since neither of you has clearance, but... it's the kind of thing that would knock your socks off. I'm talking minature engines that can just hover about a foot in the air, some crazy glowing stuff that none of us have been able to identify yet... and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Wow," I said, playing it up a little bit out of politeness. Robert grinned and nodded.

"I know, right? I mean, can you even believe it?"

"Strangest thing I ever heard," Jack agreed, sounding anything but floored. At the SSR, we saw stranger things than that almost every week. "You said stuff that glows? What kind of stuff? What kind of glow?"

"I really shouldn't be telling you guys this, but so far, it seems like some kind of chemical mix just sitting in a little ball, waiting for who knows what to activate. It's been a few days since we caught all this stuff, and the glow hasn't gone down even a little bit."

Jack hummed next to me, leaning even farther forward and dropping his arm from around my shoulders. I could tell he wanted to drill down on exactly what Robert had found, and I didn't blame him. But before he got the chance to ask followup questions, the waiter came over to take our orders.

By the time we'd put in our requests, Robert was apparently ready to move on from his work stories. Jack fidgeted next to me, but still, he let it go. The three of us talked about life, told (non-work) stories, and laughed over lunch and drinks. By the time things were winding down, Robert had a massive smile on his face, and he shook Jack's hand again as we got up to leave.

"It was a real pleasure meeting you, Jack. I'm glad to know my friend found someone so wonderful to spend time with."

"It was great meeting you, too," Jack said. I noticed his smile was a little more forced, but Robert apparently didn't clock it as he turned to give me a hug.

"Good to see you. I know we're both pretty busy, but let's not go this long without seeing each other again, okay?"

"I completely agree."

We shared a smile, then Robert gave Jack and I one last little wave before hustling off down the street. I turned back to Jack with a sigh and a smile.

"Well, that was fun! And I think Robert really likes you."

"Yeah, but I don't know for how much longer." Jack ran a hand through his hair, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you think Robert would feel if I claimed jurisdiction on his case?"

I gasped, and then grimaced. What Jack was saying made perfect sense—everything Robert had told us sounded right up the alley of the things we dealt with for work.

"Now I know what that face you kept pulling was about," I said. Jack scoffed, and I put my hands on my hips. "I don't think Robert would take it very well, honestly. But... we did say we wanted to see each other more often. And taking over his case would certainly accomplish that."

That got Jack to fully laugh. He put an arm around my shoulders, and the two of us started the stroll back to our office.

"So does that mean you're on board with me talking to the FBI about the SSR getting jurisdiction over all that stuff they found?"

"I mean, yeah. Robert and I will work it out, and it'll be nice to have a reason to tell him what I really do for work. Besides, he's great, but... even in the few minutes we were chatting, it was pretty clear the FBI aren't equipped to handle this."

"No, they're not. Glad we can agree."

"Who knows, maybe this'll even work out in our favor? Robert will see us working so well as a team solving his case that he'll be even happier than when we finished lunch."

Jack laughed again, and after a moment, I couldn't help joining him. Robert was in for quite a shock the next time he saw Jack and I. I might actually have to recruit Peggy or Daniel to take a picture for posterity.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen @misshale21

Marvel Taglist: @valkyriepirate @infinetlyforgotten @sagesmelts @gaychaosgremlin

[stolaz-the-artist]

‼️Nexo week 6/28‼️

Alright this is a big one

I was a bit puzzled for what i would do with the Nexo power prompt, and of course i came up with an idea that really stretches the borders of this

Now, we know that Merlok had Nexo powers (obv) and Monstrux sort of had his nock off version of that. But what about Wanda? What if she had her own nexo powers?

So this is very much like my own personal borders for like a season 5 layout. A layout decently inspired by @jesterrrrr-x 's S5.

It imprinted on my so much i was fully convinced it was confirmed that Fletch followed Clay into the desert and was shocked when i couldn't find any info of it on the WIki. anyways, So basically what happens is that Clay ventures out to find whatever he's looking for (guidance, answers, belonging, who knows) and while he ventures he finds this secret book which belonged to his mother. He wants nothing to do with it, but feels obligated to bring the book just in case. Maybe it could be proven useful.

While venturing he runs into new monsters, but these are different. Nexo powers don't work on them. Like barely at all. They seem to be too weak. So he resorts to trying to escape, but gets cornered. He, against his better judgement, opens the book in hope of finding some help within it. (While also begging that it was made BEFORE she turned evil and trying to avoid any further evil influence.) The spell he finds seems to work VERY well. Killing the monster. When Clay sets up camp for the night, he cant resist scouring through the book, and finding sort of comfort from within its bindings

magic "download idea"

"Ugh, of course it's her stuff. I want absolutely nothing to do with it!" - "However, i refuse to participate in the family tradition of ignoring things until it grows massively out of proportion. Besides, i can't figure out how to close it, and leaving it out for anyone to find is probably a lot more dangerous" (It being the thing that hid the book btw)

"Of course, why would nexo powers work? Im alone, vulnerable and quite fed up. Make it easier, why don't you!" - "Ugh i'm starting to sound like Lance"

"I've been talking too much with myself. I don't care that it's probably because i'm isolated, i'm blaming you.

"It's not the knights code, but it'll have to do." - "So many warning bells are going off in my head right now."

"Please be from before you were evil, please be from before you were evil, please be from before you were evil ..." "Holy shit that's potent"

"A bag? How strangely ... fitting."

Bag, vial storage.

Yeah Fletch does play a bigger role here, but i just didn't put much emphasis on it for the sake of establishing the important stuff. You'll see more of Fletch next week.

Now for something a bit different.

Thats right, IM PUBLISHING A FIC AGAIN AFTER 5 YEARS! And OF COURSE I GO IN FOR ANGST!

AND THERES MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM. It's still in the works thought, BUT MY POINT STANDS! Im just so excited to start publishing fic's again after so long!

Also Clay's hand IS supposed to be golden but i just couldn't get it to look right nor not ugly, i just left it. I hate it anyway. but, if you wanna read it, here is the link!

I really hope ya'll like it! Yet again, as usually, i have to thank @localcryptid3 for answering all my questions and such, You can still join the event, and i would recommend it. Plus, i did make a promise to tag @edgyphaze4everr whenever i was gonna publish this fic, so here ya go! (They also make fic's on there, so if ya have any time, perhaps check out other peoples posts as well!)

Woo this was a doozy. But so much fun and SOO exciting!

[color-craz]

AF MidWeek Round-up!

This is just a simple post compiling all of my attacks so far along with some artists notes! Mostly because I found myself much more active this year than last year (Minus these few couple days due to some appointments). I'll be tagging everyone and linking to other socials so you can see these lovely folks. Of course if you want to attack me, I'm ready to fight! Without further ado, here's all the attacks so far :>

@cosmicdenro @stellarknightz - Weekend Date The name of the game for these first few attacks was to get everyone who I was supposed to last year but ran out of time ^^;;. I decided upon Jesse's Zircon over Jesse the character (one in my bookmarks) b/c it seemed like Turquoise Zircon was less drawn this year but was his icon on AF. So easy pick from me :> (Btw doing Sodalite's stripes and copying Zircon's shape language was really fun!!)

@/clawothy (Twitter) - Chill Cat Another attack from last years bookmarks! It was definitely a soft but enjoyable opening into drawing furries since Claw's so human shaped. It was fun drawing his tail and patterns :>. This is just a nice character design all around.

@twidaisi - Speedy Service Twi was also one from my bookmarks, but also a doorway down an ArtFight rabbit hole. Which will become apparent in the next two pieces. For this one, I had a pretty clear pose in mind so I placed it onto O.R.B.I and went from there!! His design is so neat and he seems so cool! The pose was also pretty fun to do as well, just an overall fun art piece (Also this one got a revenge!!! I still really really love thank you so much!!!!!)

@scratchgeist - Escapism Ho! This was a doozy! Twi had Scratch's profile linked so I ended up hitting him with an attack too. Drawing Scratch's mane turned out to be a pleasant experience despite me originally fearing it. This scene idea also came from a prompt of Scratch going outside. I ended up putting Polish on this because all those scratchy "ink like" lines I actually did manually (take a fuzzy brush and then go over it using a sketchbook eraser). It was nice dipping my toes into BatIM again and trying out more animal feature.

@/stylin.art Instagram @/crypticc0rpse Instagram - Pirates in arms One of those two people were linked on Scratch's profile and the person linked also linked to the other person. But I realized that both Stylin and Crypt had some shared characters. So this ended my little rabbit hole of people by attacking these two lovely fellows at the same time. This little crossing swords idea took me a nice minute to come up with but I liked how it ended up anyway. I really did like drawing James together like this (probably helps that I really like pirates in general). Also yes I know her hand is fucked up I noticed way to late to fix it.

@smoresthehalloweenqueen - Listen to the waves Once I finished up with that I moved onto the next bookmark, which was Smores! Originally I was gonna draw Brutus but then I was like "I like his sona it looks like fun!" So I drew them listening to music because why not :>. I struggled on the arms initially but it came out real clean and nice. Honestly might be my best work so far! (Fun fact, I color picked the waves + background from Seafoam's icon.)

@skittisketch - I got it! Mr. Sascachawean himself! I referenced this pose form the classic Objection point because I thought it would fit his personality. This was also a little bit of a test with a style I had only done in sketches (Basically my human style but omitting a neck which somehow shaves off a lot of time). This was a super fun pose to do with a pretty nice background! (Once again, fucked up hand I know I noticed too late again)

@justpainterrobot - Rare Nightly Sight I had this really really clear picture of what I thought up for this attack and I'm happy that I was able to make it a reality. I put the polish tag on this one because I almost got super super detailed of what the junk was below her (Stuff coming down from Elysium n all that) but due to a lack of references I just went with typical metal and wood. Fun fact, the night sky in the background is based on the one from Deponia itself (The first game's scenes with the professor at night). I think this rewrite of Toni was really cool from what I could find about her. Overall a labor of love type of attack.

@coelpts @swan-swanno - Boss Battle I thought to myself "Hm, I see Coelpts around a lot, lets hit him with an attack." and it turns out Ciel's gay married to Swanno's charater Mikhail, who was the last one in my bookmarks from last year. So another double attack for this one! It was a struggle starting this one mostly because I was debating whether or not to draw Ciel's Lord outfit but I ended up doing so because why not :>. It was a fun experience copying Swanno's more angular style, which is a stark departure from my more rounded shapes (As you can see here). Has a nice venture doing the lighting as well, overall a good experience.

@tailsylennon - Sweet Treats Mitchell showed off Tasily's proflie one day and I saw their sona and was I was like "Lemme draw it!" and did! I ended up following another prompt by her because it was their birthday! (By the time I started on this it was 8 pm and I freaked tf out and got to work). Her sona was really cool and I really loved drawing them. Fun fact, each of the set pieces references the Hallows Souls trio. The chair is decorated after Terra, Markus is the table, and Whistle pallet is used for the tea set :>. It was just a pleasant and cozy attack to make overall.

@ceaseless-enemy - Congratulations!!!! I've actually known about Voila for quite awhile now and thought his design n theaming is quite neat! I actually based the pose off of Ai from Oshi No Ko (I think one of her key arts before the anime released, ifykyk). But I skillfully cut out the legs because I can't draw digitigrade legs... Hooray... Otherwise it was quite nice to work on this attack in particular, especially the eyes and the hair :>.

@killbent - Getting Ready This is another one I had a real clear idea of prior to doing this, specifically because Killbent gave a prompt to give Mr Fairchime pink hair, so i thought a "pre-show" set up would look nice :>. The lighting was another new venture for me, because I usually do cool/night time like lighting but I think it turned out nicely for Fairchime. It was also fun doing the accessories and stuff on the vanity as well. Fun Fact, it's a bit hard to see through the watermark + lighting but the face paint and pallet both have the colors of his make up! Overall a pleasant and warm attack for this year.

And that's all of them so far! I picked up some new bookmarks + I gotta get Twi back for drawing Compact!! So those will probably be compiled by the end of AF so about, early August-ish if I keep up the pace. Anyway, thank you so much for reading and gracing me with the opportunity to draw all of these amazing characters!

Until next time!

-Gappy, Witch of the Stars

[babytarttdoodoo]

hi! I've loved all the fic's you've posted so far! could I please make a request for something where Jamie gets officially diagnosed with ADHD and the team (and Roy and Keeley) are like 'well that makes sense' and are just so supportive through the process?

This was a doozy, anon, and I hope I’ve done it justice. Sorry Keeley didn’t get a lot of screentime - it ended up being a lot more introspective.

Thanks for the prompt!

(Prompt Fill Masterpost)

—

It wasn’t like no one had ever suggested it before.

Jamie, in fact, could clearly recall those cautious, gently probing questions Simon had ventured a few months after they’d first met. He was a teacher - a genuinely brilliant one, at that - and had recognised certain behaviours in the smart-mouthed teenager he was suddenly spending an inordinate amount of time around.

Unfortunately, Jamie had been a stubborn, prideful 16-year-old with little more than vicious dismissals for his mum’s cheery new boyfriend.

Years of school report cards and conversations at parents’ evenings echoed the same things.

If Jamie could just focus…

If he really applied himself…

If he tried a bit harder…

Exasperated teachers, tutors and coaches all leaving Jamie feeling stupid and frustrated with their attempts to guide him towards being better. Towards acting normal.

He had learned to live with the fact that some things were just harder for him than they seemed to be for everyone else. He set multiple alarms and reminders on his phone for everything he could think of. He wore jewellery and clothes that he could tug or twist or pull at without drawing too much attention to himself.

He learned to hold his tongue when he was overwhelmed and irritable for reasons he couldn’t define... and tried his best to apologise when he couldn’t keep the harsh words or knee-jerk reactions under control.

He coped.

It had finally taken a suggestion from Dr Sharon, a woman who had built up such an impressive amount of Jamie’s trust in a startlingly short amount of time that he often felt like she knew him better than he did himself, before he thought about doing anything more than that.

She had referred him to a specialist. Jamie made an appointment and answered the questions as best he could. Now, weeks later, it was official. He had ADHD.

Sitting with that information was strange. Deciding what to do with it was worse.

The first person he told was his mum. Obviously. She was reassuring and supportive, like he knew she would be, and even offered to take the train down that weekend to visit. Jamie declined, but he did have another request.

“Can you tell Simon?” he managed to choke out at the end of the call. “I think he’d like to know.”

The next conversation was a bit more complicated.

In amongst the information he’d received with his letter from the clinic were recommendations for ‘workplace accommodations’ - things that could help make ADHD easier to manage in a professional environment.

Most of it was completely irrelevant. Jamie didn’t need to sit in meetings all day or focus on a computer screen - he just needed to play football and that was the one thing he’d never had any problem with. But the advice (which Dr Sharon endorsed) was to discuss options with a manager.

Problem was, his manager was now technically Roy Fucking Kent.

And Jamie had absolutely no idea how to go about saying ‘hey, apparently my brain works differently’ to him in a way that wouldn’t end in either ridicule or dismissal.

(He was aware that he was perhaps being unfair to the man who was in many ways one of his closest friends these days. But there was a long and colourful history there that shaded every new interaction between them with the potential for chaos.)

Finally, driven half demented by days of overthinking it, he printed out a copy of his letter from the clinic and tossed it more or less directly at Roy’s head while he was filling out paperwork in his office. It mercifully landed on his desk, rather than smacking him in the face.

“Well, fuck you, too.” Roy deadpanned, fixing Jamie with a half-hearted glare and making no move to open the folded paper. “What’s that?”

“You could just fucking read it.” Jamie sulked, shoving his hands deep into the pouch of his hoodie. “‘S a letter, innit? From the doctors’.”

That had Roy frowning, what Jamie recognised as concern bunching up his brow. He picked up the document and unfolded it about as aggressively as one conceivably could. Kind of impressive, actually.

Jamie pinpointed the exact moment the information sank in and averted his gaze, locking in on the one part of the desk that wasn’t covered in files or wires or photo frames.

“Right.” Not bad, as far as reactions went. In his peripherals, Jamie saw Roy nod and readjust his hold. “... thank you. For, um, letting me know.”

“Yeah, well.” Jamie shrugged, plucking at the seams inside his pocket and studiously keeping his eyes trained on the same corner of Roy’s desk. “The leaflets and that they gave me said I should tell my boss. So. Now I have.”

“Right.” Roy repeated, agreeing like that made sense. He cleared his throat. “I know fuck all about it.”

“Join the club.”

That eased some of the weird tension that had been brewing and Roy huffed a laugh.

“Fair enough. Are you alright?”

Jamie gave that due consideration and finally dragged his stare back to Roy’s face before answering. “I think so. It’s weird, being told your brain is all…” He waved a hand around. “But it’s… nice. Knowing it’s not just me.”

Roy narrowed his eyes, assessing the truth of Jamie’s words, and seemed to accept what he said. “Is it alright if I put it in your file? Nate and Beard might have some input. Higgins should know too, probably.”

“Whatever.” Jamie chewed on his lower lip, mulling the implications over. “I don’t want to have to, like, say anything about it. But, yeah, you can tell whoever.” 

“That include the team?”

Jamie sucked in air through his teeth and pursed his mouth. Why that set his teeth on edge, he didn’t know. They were good lads - not always the most sensitive but they all (Jamie included) tried extremely hard to lift each other up when a difficult topic wormed its way into the safe space of their locker room.

This wasn’t Colin coming out or Sam fighting back against racist dickheads, though. It was just Jamie and his weird fucking brain.

“Dunno. I mean. Yeah. If you want.”

If Roy noticed his hesitation, he didn’t mention it.

Not a lot changed over the next few weeks. Jamie was still Jamie, after all. His quirks hadn’t disappeared overnight or become suddenly worse.

He coped. Just a bit differently. 

And so did the people around him.

A few days after his talk with Roy, Jamie was confronted by a smiling Keeley bearing a colourful gift bag: a present of cool rings that had spinning bands and mini gears he could fidget with, for ‘no reason’ other than she’d been thinking of him.

He spotted Sam with a book on the bus after a match, the title confusing him until he looked it up later. And then it cropped up again and again: on the shelf of Isaac’s locker, in the passenger seat of Colin’s car, sticking out of Jan’s bag.

Higgins approached him with a quiet and pleasantly confident assurance that the club’s management would do everything in their power to ensure Jamie was granted approval to use any medications that became necessary to his wellbeing.

The coaching team gave him a (mildly offensive) signal to use when he needed a minute, either to stick in his airpods and tune out, or to shuffle down to the boot room and breathe. More often than not, Dani would be waiting for him afterwards, beaming and ready to provide physical contact or launch into a full discussion on any inane topic he could think of.

Everyone was careful not to get outwardly annoyed when he asked them to repeat themselves or if he lost track of time. They let him talk when he went on a tangent. They were quick to forgive when he interrupted them or spoke without thinking.

They were… brilliant. It was brilliant.

Jamie carried on his therapy and worked hard to manage his symptoms and learn new behaviours. Despite Higgins’ promises, he decided against trying any of the medications offered to him, too concerned about weight loss and what (to his mind) felt like an unfair advantage on the pitch.

Diet and exercise became about more than just his job, they were further tools he could use to keep in control. He felt calmer most days and when he didn’t, Roy was there with extra workouts and an open door if he just needed a safe space.

It wasn’t perfect, of course it wasn't. Jamie still fixated on it when he fucked up and acted impulsively, screwing over his team or friends. He still let people down sometimes and struggled to understand how or why. He still needed to be held accountable. Shame at not being better still occasionally reared its head.

But that was okay.

Jamie was coping. And he wasn’t alone.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Now, I'm definitely leaning towards Erik being readers parent, I like the prompt of him and Charles each losing their kids, in such a horrible way, and that's the collective breaking point for everyone, it doesn't matter if they have the same morals, or if they got along in the past, none of that matters anymore, a line has been crossed that never should have been, so something needs to change.

But I'm absolutely gonna explore some of the others as readers parent, my next ask I most likely about Charles ;)

Lamb Anon

Woo! That would be a doozy! I want to explore each possible parent option before I make a decision though. I'll be honest; I'm inclined to the three feral dads. But there is a certain appeal to having Erik or Charles as a dad... Not to mention weather goddess Storm and shapeshifter extraordinare Mystique as a mom...

And also (this might help decide as well) Reader's mutation will be shape-shifting into different animals! They can turn completely into an animal, or have a were-animal form. Maybe they can only turn into certain kinds, such as only cats or bears or snakes... Maybe they can turn into every kind. Either way, Reader is able to turn into different creatures and able to take on their attributes, in full form or in half-form...

(I can't wait to hear from you again! Talking about each adult as a possible parent for Reader is pretty fun; I hope to explore all of them, and then decide😊 Thank you for sharing your input, and for giving me ideas!)

[discordantwritings]

👉👈

Tell me about your One Piece OCs, Discordant. I want to know about all of them.

Prompting Questions:

1. Name, and what they like to be referred to as

2. Personality, Appearance & Alignment

3. Love Language

4. Character Ship (platonic, romantic)

5. Powers: haki, DF, race ability, weapons (Fishman, giant, etc)

6. Crew & Role

7. Favorite wind-down activity

8. Hobbies

9. Origins: History

10. Favorites: food, drink, color, friends

Oh noooo I guess I have to talk about at least one of my OCs moreeeeeee oh noooooooooooooo twist my armmmmmm

Thank you for asking so many questions! Let’s learn more about Cecilia!

Name: Cecilia

Personality + Alignment: Lawful Good

Cecilia is uptight and by the rules through and through. Operating most of the time at a low level of anxiety (that she claims is totally fine, this is just how she functions) she gets things done. The ship is clean and orderly mostly thanks to her. She can be overly formal but most of the time that is masking less than stellar social skills. She has a low tolerance for mistakes- in others and herself.

Appearance:

Love Language: Acts of Service. Catch her dead verbally expressing affection.

Ship: She does NOT have a homosexual rivalry with Teume. There is NOT underlying sexual tension. HOW DAREEEEE YOU-

She also, of course, does not have any confusion about her feelings for her Captain. It’s the normal amount of loyalty and dedication a first mate has. Its FINE

Powers: ok so this one is a doozy lock in for me making up One Piece lore.

Cecilia is the current holder of the Sword of Destruction- one third of an ancient weapon of mass destruction broken apart and spread across the world to never be brought together again. Soul bound to the weapon it is always with her- half of her soul sacrificed for the connection.

The Sword of Destruction isn’t just a sword but does take the form of one at rest. The Sword can transform into any weapon, intuitively changing forms to best suit the combat situation. This in itself is a double edged sword- it’s always the best weapon but Cecilia does not control when or what weapon it transforms into. She has to rely on her knowledge, intuition, and experience to be on top of its changes. Because of this though Cecilia is a master of practically all weapons and she constantly is training to keep her skills honed.

Due to losing half her soul in the sword binding process Cecilia is unable to use any form of Haki.

Crew and Role: First Mate and Master of the Chore Chart.

Loyal to a fault to her Captain Cecilia takes her job very seriously. While she has no idea how a normal ship functions she does her best to keep everyone on a schedule and all the chores and basics done. At first everyone hated it- but everyone’s come to realize that yeah, the chore chart helps.

Favorite Wind-Down Activity: what’s winding down? Cecilia isn’t familiar with the concept. She needs to be ready to fight at all times… but meditation is nice.

Hobbies: Training. More training. Sparring. And, occasionally, listening to her Captain read her stories.

Origins:

Cecilia was taken recruited at a young age to become the next holder of the Sword of Destruction. Given the nature of the sword’s powers it’s important to train the holder from a young age in every weapon under the sun. Cecilia trained day in and out for years and loved it. This was her purpose, her sacred duty, and she would fulfill it to the best of her abilities.

When she turned 18 it was time to bind herself to the Sword of Destruction- a brutal and painful ritual that had her kill the previous owner before giving up half of her soul, ripping from her body to bind itself to the weapon. But once that was done it was time for her to live her life as the protector and wielder of the Sword of Destruction- a honorable and noble task.

Right?

Cecilia quickly realized that this honorable and noble task involved her sitting alone on a remote island in the Grand Line until someone who somehow got knowledge of her comes and tries to kill her, after which she will continue to sit alone while bodies pile up around her. Everyone she saw for years was an enemy- everyone tried to kill her on sight. The bodies slowly decay around her.

Until one day a crew of two stumble upon her island- no idea of where they are and with no intent to kill her- not even after she tells them who and what she is. This Captain- if you could even call Katarina that at this point- even promises not to write down her story or her location.

Kindness was never something Cecilia had been given before.

Caught in a spiral of emotions she comes to the crushing realization that she doesn’t want to be alone- and she rushes at the chance to join this small crew.

Technically she isn’t abandoning her duties. She has the sword and isn’t going to die anytime soon so it’s fine. She totally doesn’t lay awake at night terrified that the person who trained her is going to find her and drag her back to that island and replace her. Nope. No fear.

Favorites: She will never admit it but Cecilia loves anything sweet- overly sugary coffee, cake, cookies- you name it she loves it. She can pretend she drinks coffee black all she wants but everyone on the crew knows better.

It’s obvious her favorite crew mate is Katarina- but she likes everyone else more than she will admit. Teume is great to spar with and Altair does push her to talk.

Also her favorite color is blue!

[ewebie]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged in this by @once-in-a-blue-moon-rising (whom it appears tumblr had unfollowed for me? thanks tumblr, that feature was neat).

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

93

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

853,773 -- I want to break a million in 2024!!!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Sherlock... One with a QueerEye cross over, one with a Bluestone42 cross over, one with a Spooks cross over.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Invocation of Saint Margaret - (15k words) a remix of Kipli's A Second Chance:

When Sherlock Holmes opens the matchbox from The Sign of Three and John finds himself years in the past, back to that first dinner at Angelo's with a much younger Sherlock Holmes. Is he dreaming?

Forces of Nature - (18k words) This is the hammock sex one...

Ok. I started this about 6 months ago, because Nicole asked for it (it is, in a way, a tumblr prompt, but it is way too long to be a short). I finally decided to finish it. So... I hope you enjoy it. Meanwhile, how is Sherlock so smoll? Sherlock watched as the man pushed himself out of the water and onto the floating dock constantly anchored in the middle of the lake. Oh. He was… He was quite tanned. Broad shoulders sloped into a narrow, muscular waist and tapered hips that disappeared into the navy swim trunks. Somehow the breadth of the shoulders made the thighs and legs that appeared out of the bottom of the trunks look delicate. Tanned in their own right and powerful, but oddly proportionate to the shorter stature the man seemed to possess. Sherlock watched the water run off of him, down his back, tracing a path along his spine and through the pleasing fossae lumbales laterales and lumbar lordosis into the waistband of the trunks. Sherlock swallowed. Shit.

Paranoia - (3k words) Based on a party game that I had never heard of

Based on the prompt: This is literally the best party game ever ok so here’s what you do: Everyone sits in a circle. Whoever goes first whispers a question to the person on their right. The person on the right must answer the question out loud. The trick is, no one else in the circle knows the question. Next, someone flips a flip-flop up in the air. If it lands face up: the asker must say the question out loud to the whole group. If the flip flop lands face down: the asker doesn’t say anything, and everyone in the group is left to wonder what in the world the question was. And you go around the circle like that. The best questions have the answers as people. We like to limit it just to people in the circle, too. It just makes it more fun. Here are some examples of good questions: * You have to cover someone in the circle completely in peanut butter and lick it all off. Who? * You and one other person must be surgically bound together for the rest of your life. Who is the other person? * You and someone in the circle go in a dark room for 1 hour and do unspeakable things. Who? ... the creepy sexual ones are the best, and it’s really fun when you limit it to people in the circle. have fun

That Is Rather Unlikely - (3k words) The one where Mycroft is high (and my FIRST Mystrade)...

So. Jam asked for this... And you all need to keep that in mind. Then again, the idea was so cute, and a bit cracky, and I couldn't resist... So consider this celebration for then end of a gorgeous Mystrade fic that I've been reading (go read Memoranda of Understanding - yes all 3 parts - by Mydwynter) “Funny story,” John bit out with a humorless laugh. “Isn’t it always.” He braced himself. This was going to be a doozy if John didn’t think it was funny. “But the punchline is: Not Sherlock.” Greg furrowed his brow. “What do you mean, ‘Not Sherlock’?” “Yeah, no. It’s the other one.” The grin on John’s face was carrying through the phone. “Other what?” Greg asked flatly. “Holmes.” “Goddammit,” Greg hissed. “What’s he done?”

On Favors and Keeping Score - (7k words) sickfic!

I love the idea of John taking care of Sherlock when he's sick. But John's a doctor and it walks such a fine line between work and actual affection. Plus, I'm a sucker for John whump. And (from experience) doctors are terrible patients. Then again... Who else thinks that Sherlock has that tiny bit of patience for the right patient? John woke up to the horribly unpleasant sound of his clock alarm. Which meant he’d slept through his phone’s alarm. And for a moment he glared blearily at the noisemaker before smacking at it with his palm. Ugh, he felt like rubbish. The back of his throat was burning with the irritation that heralded a proper dose, his nose was threatening to drip every few seconds, and he had the uncomfortable flush that normally suggested a fever. Nothing high, just uncomfortable. Nothing deadly, just irritating. Nothing worth calling in sick with, just a full day of discomfort in the face of other people’s discomfort. It was going to be a day where he was forced to bite his tongue from telling people off. “You’re not as sick as I am, so off you pop.”

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do! When I'm on a posting schedule for a multi-chapter fic, I tend to reply to the previous chapter comments just after I post the new chapter. When I finish something big, I tend to have to just sit in my feels before replying to the comments on a final chapter. Then I need to make myself go back and respond. Otherwise, I try to get to comments once a week or so.

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

Angstiest ENDING has to be Bait and Switch, which was written for Mystrade is Crime and I put big ol' pylons around it with caution tape as a NOT HEA. It's not the angstiest fic I've written, but definitely harshest ending.

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

Happiest is tricky to call, because I love a tasteful fade to black and rewarding and soft end for EARNING it. But soppiest is probably Fairytale of New Scotland Yard, in which I tried to fit as many Christmas tropes as humanly possible.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have... Nothing epic or meltdown worthy, and I have a great community of authors to whom I can turn. And I have to thank @atlinmerrick for giving me framework to think about them. I've had a few rude things in public bookmarks that I've chosen to ignore. But if someone is a dick in comments, they get deleted. Bye bye assholes.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do... Kind? um... M/M? Is that the question? I am a slut for tasteful fade to black... I don't tend to be very graphic when I do write the smutty parts?

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I do, I have, there are a few in my trello as well... Craziest one is probably the nonsense RPF/Sherlock crossover that involved a handful of IRL tumblr friends, the BBC3 intern (who was a cat), Kevin the intern (who existed in deep tumblr lore), and Sherlock characters in which it was a show but also not... The third one in the series was absolutely unhinged and crossed with another set of crackfics from another author and had sentient magenta ooze. So... yeah. It was wild. The series is The Glitter Gang Shenanigans. I'd say just read the 3rd one, but... it would make less sense if you haven't read the first two.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah... Stolen and posted in Russia... Huge headache. I think I got it taken down.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, but I don't really allow it anymore.

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

Yep. And 3 of them are on AO3 (one of which is the first in the Glitter Gang series) - those 3 are all with Jamlockk

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

To write, it's Mystrade. I loved writing Johnlock stuff, but I feel like I... outgrew the drama? There's something so lovely and rewarding about two flawed characters with history and baggage and in their middle age coming together.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There's a WIP I've referred to as "The Big Ebil" and it's really good... and really intense... but I was working on it when I was in a very specific state of mind, and I'm not sure I want to go back to that place... I add to it every now and then and it's all framed, but...

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like to make them EARN it. I like using a character's flaws lead to a logical conclusion that fucks up their plans. I have a very focused sense of flow with my sentences (and drives @paialovespie crazy some times) but I do think I have rhythm in what I do.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I think it's my obsession with final-draft before moving on. I can't zero draft to save my life. Even in a sprint, I'm backtracking to edit. It makes things slow going and sometimes over-wrought.

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

I have done. And I just finished an epic that has a metric crap tonne of French in it. It was almost foundational to the story, and I actually had 2 betas for the fic (one for the usual SPAG and one specifically to look at the French -- thank you Sky). Because there was so much French, I did hover-text translations rather than just having the translations in the end notes. I've had a few other fics with the odd one or two lines of non-English, but I use that infrequently.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

On AO3... Sherlock. On paper... X-Files.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Right now, I'm still super proud of finishing The Hayloft. It's very emotional, very soft, AU Mystrade. It was a true labour of love.

I think from a formatting and story design perspective, I See London; I See France, because it reads like an episode of QueerEye -- intersplicing commentary segments with action chapters -- and makes use of a dozen different character POVs/voices.

But all time favourite fic is an oft neglected fic from very early on in my AO3 writing. It's called All These Things That I've Done. (yes... back when I was using song lyrics for titles). It's 55k words. It is Angsty as all fuck. But it's pre-slash for Johnlock, Sherlock is only in the last chapter. It's functions as a backstory for John Watson that ends with S1E1 of Sherlock... so since it's not really a Johnlock fic, it doesn't show up in searches as often. I had originally started it as a response to a desperately underwhelming "John Watson" display done for Sherlocked Con (it was truly poor). And I love it. I reread it about once a year or when I need a good cry. The playlist for it (all the chapter titles are songs) is also just... angst. I had someone read it while listening to the appropriate songs and the live-blogging was basically sobbing. I really love how it turned out. So... if you love John Watson, read it.

Open tag... anyone who wants to do this, please do! (tag me back!)

[hotchfiles]

wait would you list your hotch fic ideas?? (I also have a couple but I'm waiting for an important event to pass in case the fic writer curse strikes and I get hit by a bus or something)

oh this is a doozy

theres the next chapters to my series, so choiceless, darling and in nomine

i have some rivals to lovers ideas to my law school hotch universe

i also have some long fics planned but those are for after in nomine ends bc they are case fics kind of as well

i have a fat!liaison!reader porn with plot mutual body worship as well (bc of his scars)

and a very family angsty one about haley's death anniversary and hotch's hard time connecting with jack

this is just at the top of my head, theres some smaller blurbs from requests i want to work on bc they are good prompts andddd i want to bring hotch x gideon reader to paper as well

so yeah, its a lot, and i do have soooo much inspo for him, to write him, to put him in situations, but its too much im feeling like im drowning every time i open my docs lol

[thegoldencontracts]

Oh my God thank you for indulging mee (promise I'll try to make it worth your while)

So I have a bunch of WIPs from the Azul request post, if I go back and count, it's 7 (not counting the five prompts I got) and now I have an idea of my own for a cracky but cute fic, sooo keeping myself fedd

Also the one you requested with Azul being reverted into his true form was so cute agjffj MY HEART I'm actually gonna work on that one next <3

Andd then on AO3 I'm also working on ch 7 of Part Of Your World, my Yuufic that's also not my Yuufic (it's a doozy to explain), which is going to be so fun because there's this one scene I've been really looking forward to with Azul and I'm also planning to respond to comments! I hope they don't think I'm trying to ignore them or I'm ungrateful :(

I'm also planning to get back into art, so I'll kinda post a few short Azul memes and animatics while I try to improve my posting, anatomy, and just skills In general <3 Of course, if it doesn't go well, I'll just improve in private and then try posting stuff when it serms like I'm considerably better

And I just finished Hazbin Hotel, so I really really wanna write and open up rqs for that! Bro Vox and Valentino are meant to be evil WHY are they so cute together 😭😭😭

I want to interact with people but I suck ratfhhfnene the Tumblr twst fandom is a high school and I'm the one new kid with no social skills who is sometimes seen furiously scribbling at a notebook...

New girl has no social skills but maybe her scribbles are cool guys

This is me u should totally ask me what’s in the notebook it’s probably super cool guys no I’m not biased what do you mean-

[lazybakerart]

Harringrove prompt: Billy teasing Steve on the daily but who gets super protective if anyone else gives Steve shit. That's HIS boyfriend. The only person who gets to make fun of him is BILLY.

(omg I love your writing and art btw fr😍)

(askjsdfsdf!!! thank you!! T___T!!!)))

Tater Tot Wednesday and Steve’s barely keeping it together. 

One more tardy to add to his file. A failed calculus pop quiz in a long line of failed pop quizes. Nancy gave him the stiff cold shoulder in the hall before lunch and left their date for tonight up in the air.

Maybe he’ll pick her up at five and sneak her home by midnight. 

Maybe he’ll be cozying up with his right hand—his left if he’s in the mood for something different. Only if he hasn’t suffocated himself with his pillow first.

And Billy Hargrove is on his tail. Teeth bared. Bullheaded and blowing smoke.

Zeroed in on Steve since second period and hasn’t left him alone since. Any chance he gets, Billy’s on Steve like fake-tanner is on Carol in December.

Tater tots were meant to be the saving grace of today. The one highlight in this dark, awful world filled with pissy-girlfriends and academic probation.

Billy shoves Tommy and Carol over to make room, straddles himself on the laminated bench to give Steve every moment under the Hargrove-specific spotlight. Knee knocking into Steve's. Personal space pillaged and razed.

First, he steals Steve’s apple.

Then, he steals three tater tots off Steve’s plate.

“Excuse me?” Steve finally says when ignoring the idiot breathing on him five inches away doesn’t get the very clearmessage across.

He can feel the heat from Billy’s crotch.

Outside of being reamed on the court, he’s not sure what to do with that kind of intimacy.

“I gotta say, Harrington. Your mom’s a damn sweetheart.” Billy says. He pulls out a knife from his boot and starts carving chunks out of the apple. 

He's trying to look cool and it doesn’t work on only Steve.

Carol starts twirling her hair around her pink painted nail and Tommy shuffles her around to switch spots with him so he’s the one closest to sniffing those blond barbie curls.

Steve can hear a wave of girls marinating in their panties at the sight of California and a big sharp knife.

Steve pops his coke and takes a sip before diving into whatever this is going to be.

“And how is my mom a sweetheart, Hargrove?”

Billy chews with his mouth open. He spears another tater tot from Steve and eats it straight from the blade’s tip, eyes on Steve, punchline in sight, winding up for a doozy. Steve's not holding his breath.

“Because she sucked my dick so good last night, pretty boy. Duh."

Steve twists around, leans his elbow on the table to give Billy what he wants—attention.

“She did? Wow, that is so nice of her.”

“Ain’t it? She didn’t even forget the balls or nothing.”

“I hate when that happens.”

“The worst.”

“Something is definitely the worst here.”

Across the table, Tall Chris barks out a laugh. Hit six feet by fourth grade and kept growing. He’s the only one on their team who can dunk just by walking up to the hoop and get sunburnt from being outside for two minutes.

He has the locker next to Billy's and Steve watched the two of them talking hush-hush after practice plenty of times to think they're friends. As close as anyone can be friends with Billy.

His laugh echoes and pinches at Steve’s ears, but he’s not the only one holding their stomach.

But he is the only one to think it’s a good idea to jump into the line of fire.

Tall Chris says, “Yeah, she sucked mine too. Your mama's got a tight—“

Billy takes Tall Chris’ cafeteria tray and shoves it to the floor. The sound of plastic clatters loud over the sudden hush at their table.

Steve watches wide-eyed as Billy jabs his finger at Tall Chris. Jaw clenched tight and read to jump—fifty pounds on him and Billy’s still got the upper hand just with that look on his face. 

“Be respectful, cocklicker. Don’t talk about his mother like that.”

Tall Christ seems to shrink half a foot. 

“But you just—“

Billy clicks his tongue, shaking his head.

“Uh-uh.” He wags his finger then points over Tall Chris’ shoulder to the floor where his food has splattered. “Eat your food and don’t say another goddamn word unless I tell ya.”

Only when Tall Chris finds the smarts to look away does Billy flip some switch inside him and smiles, grins like the sun is shining behind his blue eyes to make his Hollywood face sparkle.

Behind him, Tommy’s inching closer to catching a whiff and Carols giving herself a perm.

Billy turns to Steve and it feels like Indiana in July under that Hargrove-spotlight.

“You got the same lips as her, you know that?” Billy laps at his own flushed-red lips like he’s trying to make Steve feel that too, his knife in hand, growing colder by the minute tater tot stabbed through on its tip. 

Steve hadn’t even noticed him slipping another one out from under Steve's nose. Too busy thinking what the hell is the matter with this guy and well and this is something.

Billy says, leaning a little closer, “Ain’t that a funny coinkydink, Harrington?”

Steve plucks the tater tot off Billy's knife and pops it into his mouth. Licks the salt off his thumb and watches Billy finally crack that little bit.

Maybe there's still some hope for today yet.

(also up on ao3)

[duckymcdoorknob]

hello!! i just found ur page and holy cow i’m so in love of ur still taking requests for the event i would like to participate! can i please order a box decorated with Wrapping paper! with dark chocolate(Bokuto), square and round shaped with strawberry jam, walnuts, and cream! i’m not super sure of this makes any sense but i just feel like that would be super interesting to see what you come up with!! and if ur not taking orders anymore, no biggie just disregard this but STILL i lowkey stalked ur page and u are so amazing so keep up the good work!! much appreciation for u and ur writing thank u :)

I gotta admit I had a doozy coming up with a prompt!!

HOWEVER I am not one to back down from a challenge!

And as I was staring at my wall, waiting for genshin to be out of maintenance, the idea HIT!

SO BEHOLD!!! MY BRAINROT DURING GENSHIN MAINTENANCE!!!

CW BELOW THE CUT: None!!

From the first day you entered your literature class, you had no idea that you would be partners-in-crime with Kotaro Bokuto. It wasn’t your choice, honestly. He sort of saw you when he walked in, and sat down next to you in an attempt to make a new friend.

Ever since that day, you two became inseparable. When you shared your passions, he shared his. After a few weeks, Bokuto introduced you to the volleyball team, his friends, and his best friend Akaashi.

Although you swore that you didn’t behave any differently, Bokuto insisted that, by your body language, you had a crush on his best friend.

However, he was the one that you had a crush on.

The ace swore that he would get you and his best friend together. Even if it cost him his dignity, he knew in his heart that the two of you were meant for each other.

“Bokuto I-“ you said for the nth time, trying to explain your disinterest.

“No! I swear to you! When you were talking to him, you crossed one of your ankles behind the other, and were smiling!” The white-haired male argued.

“Because I’m a friendly and awkward person! I have to keep still or else I shift my weight!” You attempted to rebut.

“I have the perfect plan for you! Let me tell you ab-“

“Bokuto, No!” You said with a sigh, “I am telling you that I do not like Akaashi like that.”

“(Y/N)-“

Before he could try and argue, the bell rang. Bokuto smiled. He knew in his heart that you were playing hard to get, and he would make sure you ended up with Akaashi.

You didn’t have Bokuto in your math class, however you did have Akaashi. After days of reviewing the situation, you opted for the best option: seeking help.

“Akaashi, I gotta ask you for a favor.” You say in exasperation, walking out of the classroom next to him.

“Oh I’m all ears!” The setter chimed, turning his attention to you.

“So, you have to keep this a secret from Bokuto. Promise you won’t tell?”

Akaashi stuck out his pinkie, “My lips are sealed.”

You chuckled and interlocked your own pinkie with his. “Alright.” After exhaling, you began to explain. “When we first met, apparently I did something with my body language that convinced Bokuto that I have a crush on you.”

The dark-haired male nodded, listening intently.

“Even though you’re a total catch, I don’t have a crush on you. But he’s so adamant on getting us together, and won’t understand when I tell him I don’t like you in that way. In all reality, I-“

“Have a crush on Bokuto.” Akaashi finished for you, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

You closed your mouth and hung your head low, “Unfortunately.” You teased in a serious tone. “And I don’t know how to tell him! I’m worried he’s going to get a partner before I can do anything!”

“If I’ve known Bokuto for this long, he isn’t the sharpest tack. But, he is very good at picking things up that he reads.” Akaashi noted, “So maybe you should just write him a letter?”

“I think that could work.” You reply, sighing. “What if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

“All you can do is try.” Akaashi chirped in reply.

Suddenly, the dark-haired male gasped and pushed you into an empty classroom, “Quick, hide!”

“Wh- Akaashi!” You yelped.

The setter peeked outside the window to the classroom, heart breaking at the sight before him.

“Do you wanna tell me what the hell’s going on?” You asked impatiently.

“No. The threat has passed. Now we can go.” He held out his arm, you grabbed onto it with an eye roll and a smile.

During a quiet period in your history class, you hastily scribbled out a letter. Sure it was messy, but it conveyed all that you wanted to say. You snuck a glance at a very focused Bokuto, smiling sheepishly.

When the bell rang, you walked with Bokuto in the hallway and met with Akaashi at your lockers. The dark-haired male shot you a look, resulting in you sighing and turning to your best friend.

“H-Hey, Bokuto I-“

“Ooh are you blushing?” The ace teased, “Is that for Akaashi?? He’ll love it!”

“No, Bokuto-“

“You can do this! You two are meant for each other!”

“Kotaro! It’s for you!”

The Ace’s eyes refocused as he jumped back slightly. “M-Me?”

“Yes, I really had a hard time with this. This was the best way to convey what-“

“(Y/N)… I-I’m really sorry but, I’ve been with my partner for about two months now. I’m not going to break up with them so I can go out with one of my friends.” The white-haired male said sheepishly, offering a sympathetic smile.

In that moment, Akaashi swore he saw your soul leave your body. He stood behind you, secretly taking your hand to show you he was there for you.

“N-No don’t worry about it! You can just- here give me that.” Within a second, your beautifully heartfelt letter was ripped into three pieces. You sighed as you looked upon them, tears welling in your eyes. Finally, you turned to Akaashi and your head fell onto his shoulder.

“I really am sorry-“

“Bokuto, we’ll talk at practice. You should probably head over now.” Akaashi said sternly.

The ace nodded and walked away. He couldn’t help but feel dejected, but he couldn’t abandon his partner for someone he barely knew.

“Are you okay, starshine?” Akaashi whispered, arms moving to wrap around you in comfort.

“No. H-How did we not know he was taken?”

“That’s why I pulled you into the classroom,” the dark-haired male said gently, “I saw him walking with them. I figured it was nothing, but I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea. I guess I was right.”

You let out a watery chuckle. “God. The world is such a weird place.” Sighing, you nuzzle into Akashi, “I’ll be fine. I just need a minute to be hugged.

“I can help you in that department.” The setter replied, holding you tighter, “And I’ve got a proposal for you.”

“Oh?” You looked up at him.

“If I do recall…” he smiled, “Someone in your life is a total catch, is he not?”

A new world opened up to you in that moment. After all, the world did work in weird ways.

You chuckled and hid your face in his shoulder. “I accept your proposal.”

❣︎𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒’𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡❣︎

—————♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎—————

[redinthefaceandcheeks]

Author Notes on The Rubber Factory

The Author Notes series is a long running segment on my Patreon that covers my personal thoughts on my published stories, including writing tricks I used for certain scenes as well as how and why I set up my stories in a certain way.

Going forward I will be publishing Author notes that are at least one year old to the public.

I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes format of this post while I continue to work on the next story. *** 

Link to the story in question 

Oh boy, this was a doozy of a story. This one was a gift for someone and the story prompt I was given for the story was Rubber, control, and transformation. With that I decided to revisit the Living Doll story setting, but add a bit more context and twists this time.

Initially I had the sub not ‘get’ the appeal of rubber and latex on principle but I felt that was a bit lazy and forced. I hit up one of my gear head resources to come up with realistic reasons why someone would be hesitant or reluctant to put on rubber all the time. The answer given was; the effort for upkeep and the lube and prep getting into it. With that I also wrote the backstory that Craig was more gun-ho on the idea of rubber than the sub, which also caused a bit of friction between them.

I was given the ok to go full 180 on a character with the sub turning from a brat to a happy little drone at the end. I did this with the ‘show don't tell’ approach with the sub constantly dragging his feet on everything and being moody about everything about this appointment.

The bratty behaviors of the sub I borrowed from every moody teenage character from every family movie and T.V show; petty displays of actions and sulking. On top of that I wrote in a few reasons to be reluctant with the appointment; the early wake up and long ride across the city.

As for the creep factor: this is once again in the Author notes where I mention the horror aspect of my writing. It was my choice to put the rubber store in a warehouse to begin seeding the creep factor. It was also practical realism,  if I had a nickel for every popup company in a warehouse I would be a rich man.

This time I used a LOT of build up to the eventual twist . The same build up in Slasher films that had the slow build up to the suspense by sprinkling in the scenery before the big reveal. The sign, the layout and interior of the shop, the posters of the other drones, the assistant's conversation, and of course the ‘attitude adjustment’ line by Giovanni.

Giovanni was supposed to just be a no description and no-name character like ‘The Handler’ in my other stories, but as the story developed more and more in the drafts his involvement warranted a name and description.

The measuring was drawn upon my time I had to get measured for a tuxedo ...a long while ago as well as the hairdressers, where people work around you and on you without engaging with you. I mean there's always idle chats at those locations but the staff are always more focused on their tasks at hand.

I actually had to look up youtube videos on how cat suits are measured and made to write the authentic experience and workstation with scissors, zippers and glue. Before I did the research I had the work station include needle, thread and a sewing machine, which was totally off. Bottom line: Always do your research fellas, it’ll prevent you from looking like a fool.

I wrote about that to lull the sub into a sense of comfort until the prick of the nanobots. Like horror and street magic I had Giovanni swoop in and reaffirm that it was all ok and necessary to the process to distract the sub with something else. Like horror movies I had an opportunity for the sub to walk away and leave in a huff but the thought process that he was already there and between the implied price and being halfway done he decided to stay which sealed his fate. Sunk Cost fallacy, look it up!

Soon the suit was done and of course it was a perfect fit. To get the sub to humor Giovanni with the suit there was the line about the custom made lube that acts as a moisturizer. I don't know if water based lube does any harm to one’s skin care over all nor do I know if there is a moisturizing lube out there that has vitamins and aloe in it.

With the suit on, the sub was able to leave when a sleepy and dizzy spell overcame him and again it was attributed to the other aspects of the day as Giovanni again swooped in and offered his couch to nap on.

The nap was a segue to a dream sequence, I left it vague but I meant it to be about the sub looking at the inside of his own skill, with the white domed walls and the changes in your gut was supposed to be the physical reorganization done by the nanobots. A English lit major could also claim that the feeling of movement in his dream body was the change of the self, the change in his own Persona ….4 Golden on Steam for 19.99 USD. Go play it right now!

After that dream the sub faded back to conscience with people talking around him but without context the sub couldn’t make out what it’s about until he came through and this is where the big reveal took place and where the fun began.

I started with Craig issuing the demand to get up, which was answered by a bratty and lazy response by the sub. He tried it again and that solicited a response with a fire lit under him, my best attempt to convey the idea how someone’s subconscious could be reprogrammed to be complied to follow.

From there Giovanni ran down the list of cool features like a car dealer on the phone app because everything's on an app these days. From there it led to body modification, which I am not happy to admit is verbatim from the living doll story even with the same beats.

It went from the tone and achievable body, then big and impressive bodybuilder to the small and petite. It was there I went on the other request this person requested to include, Boobs.

To introduce it I gave it the good ole ballooning scene, as the pecs kept growing before the support gave out and they fell with a satisfying jiggle. Another paragraph about feeling them and getting the touch sensation on both sides and the truth sets in.

The sub tried to protest in any way possible which set off a notification on the phone, which lead to Giovanni to highlight the biggest feature and something that this whole story was leading up to

It was why I gave the dom and name and why the sub never addressed him with an honorific title. Why I had the sub have so many bratty behaviors and why he was so reluctant to participate

Because it all got wiped away at the touch of a button and to signify that I had the narration switched with it. Now it was ‘Master Craig’ and ‘Head Designer Giovanni’. The sub was now grateful for the change and thanks Giovanni with a handshake. With the total remodeling of his character there was no problem with the sub patiently waiting on Craig as he took his time shopping and browsing the inventory. Along with holding Craig’s bags and now the sub to be the one opening the door on the way out onto a bright and sunny new day.

This was one of my more ambitious stories and like Mall Trip: the Movie, there were times in both that I wanted to create a break to make it a two-parter but I pushed through and I think both posts were better because of it.

Between this and Mall Trip; The movie I actually got mental burned out on writing fiction stories which is why there was a break in content for two weeks, which I used to write author notes and relaxed instead.

Burnout is real even for things you enjoy doing.

*** 

If you have any more questions about anything about this post that I missed, send me a message or leave a comment. I’ll gladly clarify or talk more about anything from this story.

Once again, thank you for the support.

*** 

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[facewithoutheart]

from the prompt list, should it tickle your fancy:

29: “i really want to have my heart broken so i can scream this song properly.”

Tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating but it turns into real dating and uh oh it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. To set the scene: Interior, Baz's Jaguar. Baz, dramatic, says this line when a certain song comes on the radio/aux (author's choice). Simon, foolish, decides they're fake dating so he can fake break Baz's heart so he can do the thing. I think you can see where I'm going with this.

Oof. This was a doozy. I’m not sure this is exactly what you were looking for but I’m pleased with how this turned out.

One elbow out the driver’s side door, one hand loosely gripping the steering wheel. Baz’s headscarf whips in the wind and I can barely see his face for how much is covered by a giant pair of sunglasses.

If ever I loved a man…

“I’d give my all,” he sings, “to have just one more night with you. I’d risk my life to feel,” he jerks the wheel just enough to send my heart down to my stomach, smirking, “your body next to mine. ‘Cause I can’t go on!”

By this point in our road trip he’s listened to this song so many times I know the lyrics by heart but I can’t imagine joining in, disrupting his performance.

“Living in the memory of our song. I’d give my all,” his voice dips impossibly lower, the deep sound reverberating through my whole chest despite the competing road noise from his open window, “for your love tonight.”

He repeats the last line, drawing out, “tonight,” for so long I’m half-tempted to check whether air’s still escaping his lips. Even so, he manages to follow up his melisma with a deep sigh.

“Can you imagine?” He rests his head against his propped up hand, copper skin a perfect contrast against blue silk. “Loving someone so much losing them feels like that?”

“Imagine?” I raise both eyebrows. “No. Bet on it? You know I do.”

He grins back at me; pearly whites nearly blinding. It’s what brought us together, that fateful semester we were charged as roommates: heartbreak, but never ours.

“You know I envy them,” he says, his eyes nonexistent behind dark lenses.

“Our clients?”

He nods. “I feel like I’m off pitch when I sing this song. Like I’m missing something.”

He sounded perfect to me. “Missing what?”

Yellow lights blink from the side of the road, indicating an upcoming town. Baz takes the car off cruise control and coasts as the speed limit lowers. “Love.”

I hum noncommittally, thinking that’s all Baz has to say on the matter. But when we’re stopped at the intersection of this one light town, he sends his gaze upward, the back of his skull falling against his headrest. “I really want to have my heart broken so I can sing this song properly.”

“So dramatic.” I roll my eyes, though a few neglected wheels in my head start turning.

What if…

When Baz doesn’t immediately huff and pout like he usually does when I call out his theatrical nature, I ask, “Do you really want that?”

He drums his fingers on the steering wheel. The light turns green. “Maybe.” He presses down on the accelerator a little too hard, jolting the car forward.

“Maybe,” I repeat, just to feel the word in my mouth. Savor the idea. “Maybe I can help.”

Baz bursts out laughing as he brings the car back to top speed. The world blurs away in the background, streaks of red and gold and green and blue all melting together. The joy on his face remains in sharp contrast. “You?”

There’s a knot under Baz’s chin that holds his headscarf in place. It stretches and loosens as Baz continues to laugh, and laugh.

I place one hand on Baz’s cheek then drag my fingers along his jaw to rest just under his chin. He’s not laughing anymore.

He places both hands on the wheel, knuckles white where they grip the leather.

I tighten the knot of his scarf. I let one finger trace his swallow. “I could try.”

“To break my heart?” His scoff comes out more like a whine. “But you don’t like men. That’s not,” again, he swallows, “that’s not what we do. You take the women, I take the men. That’s what we’ve always done. That’s our job. That’s what makes us work.”

Sometimes things change, but Baz doesn’t need to know this. He doesn’t need to know the way I’ve started watching him across the crowded rooms where we operate: feral, rabid. A deep well of jealousy growing in the pit of my stomach every time I watch him draw another stranger into his web.

There’s no one in this world better at breaking hearts than Baz.

Except me.

“I could do it,” I whisper, one hand on his thigh, the other slowly squeezing the back of his neck. “That’s why I could do it. I could make you fall in love with me even though you know I’d never feel the same. Even though you know I’ll never love you.”

This game of deceit starts with ourselves.

“Could you?” Baz whispers, and from this close I can see his eyelids fluttering behind his sunglasses, struggling to keep his eyes on the road.

“Yeah,” I release a hot breath as I drag my lips down his neck like he’s glass I want to fog with my wanting, my own milesma, “I’d give my all.”

From this prompt post

[azikarue]

2022 Fic Recap

At the beginning of 2022 I told myself I wanted to write more and publish less. This was to allot myself time to work on longer projects I had sitting on the back burner.

Fast forward to the end of the year, and I definitely feel proud of what I've accomplished. If I had my way entirely, I would have made more progress on ongoing fics and WIPs, but you can't have everything. I'm super happy to have participated in MayBlade - it makes up about 99% of my content for 2022. 😅 I look forward to working it (and the baby bout of burnout that follows) into my writing plans for next year.

Before I get into that though, here's a super quick recap of fics I updated or published in 2022.

❖

Bliss

Summary: Life isn't always easy, but there's a certain bliss in tackling it together that makes everything worthwhile. Pairing: Max/Mariam Chapters: 5/15 Words: 28,911 (so far) Rated: T

Chapter 5 (Undecided) is the one addition to Bliss I managed to make this year. I remember spending January and February agonizing over it, only to still need most of March to finish it. Considering it's about 12k words and not the original idea I had for this chapter, I don't feel so silly. I hope to update more this year. 🤞🏻

As a reminder to anyone following it: Bliss is a little jaunt through Max and Mariam's relationship as adults, including plenty of cute domestic moments to make my heart happy and some big conversations/milestones for them to navigate. (Latest chapter is a doozy of a conversation.)

Since starting it, I have mentally had it separated into three loose sections: 1) Boyfriend and Girlfriend, 2) Engaged/Newlyweds, 3) Expanding the Family/Married with Kids. I plan on still following that for the most part, but the sections may not be equal in length. That's mostly because I doubt, in my limited audience, many people have an interest in their children or life past a certain point? Just feel like everyone's headcanons are probably so different for things like that. We'll see how we go lol. This is a very self-indulgent fic, so I'll weigh any feedback I get against that knowledge.

❖

Just A Moment

Summary: A collection for MayBlade 2022 (and beyond). Pairing: Multiple Chapters: 31/31 Words: 48,864 Rated: Varies (everything from K to M)

This fic is the one that took up all my mental capacity for the year. I loved working out the prompts for this and challenging myself to write without overthinking as much. I'm sure there are some prompts that I could have executed better if I took all the time in the world on them, but when I reread them I don't hate how any of them turned out.

I did struggle to keep up with the intense write, edit, update cycle on a daily basis. I found that if I had anything planned on a weekend, then I didn't get as much writing done as I would have liked and it set me behind. I don't know if that means I need to give myself a SUPER strict word count restraint (I tried, but some prompts got longer than I intended), or if I just need to start earlier next year. One thing I don't want to do is restrict my character usage. I wrote about a lot of characters I've never utilized before in this fic and I enjoyed testing myself, even if it's one of the things that made the event more time consuming for me.

The last five chapters of this took me forever to finish and upload. I feel like I lost so much steam pushing myself so hard throughout the month of May, that I needed time to recoup. I took more time than I strictly needed, and I want to find some way to combat that if MayBlade happens in 2023. Tbh, I also felt some discouragement after the event was over, knowing the last few chapters weren't going to get as much feedback after everyone else was done with MayBlade. But I always knew I was going to finish for myself, and that's what I did and I'm SO HAPPY!

This is also a fic I love to look at the stats for. Different chapters did better on FFN versus tumblr, and I enjoy comparing notes and reviews and seeing what people had to say. I get imposter syndrome really bad, where I think I suck at writing and should quit, but this fic gives me some proof that it depends on what I write about and who happens to see it. It's nice to be seen and have a little validation sometimes.

On another note: I plan on posting an index of sorts for Just A Moment, since each chapter is so different. If anyone is hunting it down in the future (i.e. me) it will be linked HERE when it's finished, as well as on my tags page. ♥

❖

And that's 2022! This year went by in the blink of an eye! I know they say time goes faster as you get older, but I thought I had at least a few years left before it would go this fast.

All things considered, I'm proud of what I accomplished this year. It may be a little list of two fics, but there's 32 updates between them, so I won't complain.

For 2023, I want to update Bliss (at least once or twice), participate in MayBlade 2023 (without disappearing off the face of the earth for months afterwards), and work on/complete some WIPs (especially a multichaptered one I've had in the works for a while now).

It sounds like a tall order, but I'll do my best to push myself. If 2023 is anything like the last couple years, I'll make myself proud one way or another. I'm excited to see where next year takes me, and forever grateful to have anybody reading this or following my stories along for the ride. ♥