#while i'm best with writing is such a humbling experience

[eventuallyaugust]

the way my love for matchz is coming face-to-face with my perfectionism, it feels that those both halves of me are having a 1v1 fight and idk how to feel about this one

[httpsserene]

I LOVED daniel ricciardo x max verstappen x reader!! could you write a part 2?

𝖍𝖙𝖙𝖕𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖊'𝖘 2𝕶 𝕾𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖆𝖑 | 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖊𝖑 𝕽𝖎𝖈𝖈𝖎𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖔 𝕰𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞: 𝐊.𝐎. !

summary: Okay, Daniel may have won the first round. He cleared her dry spell with no problem and used Max to do it, too. That’s completely fine, she will never complain about experiencing some of the best orgasms of her life. But, Max (the man unable to not have the last word) coerces her into giving Daniel a taste of his own medicine.  As soon as they can manage to walk on two feet, without a wobble. Mark their fucking words.  pairing: daniel ricciardo x max verstappen x fem!black!reader content warning: 18+ only. mdni. explicit sexual content. author recommends reading part one before this. polyamory. threesome. massages. overstimulation. multiple orgasms. safe, sane, and consensual. bondage. safeword mention. unprotected sex. ruined orgasm. handjob. oral sex (male receiving). edging. crying during sex. praise kink. nipple play. dom/sub ig? joking during sex. dom!max verstappen. switch!daniel ricciardo. sub!reader. vaginal sex. anal sex (male). sex toys (butt plug). frottage. don’t like don’t read. no beta we die like men. edited by the author, though. this is a fictional depiction of real-life people, and this is not an accurate representation of them. word count: 4.3k words

author’s notes: to all the lovely readers who begged for a part two of my f1 kinktober special | overstimulation kink w danny & max. these tags may look crazy...okay, they are but the fic is reasonably crazy i would say. this was humbling to write, you have been warned. my 2k followers special comes to its end with this final installment and there will be no part three of this fic < 3. i may repost this on ao3 in a week or so, for ease of reading as i know long fics on tumblr are kind of annoying :)

(i'm going to take a little pause from writing daniel ricciardo fics but those of you that have requested things for him i will get to them in due time xxx)

prev part 1 2k special join taglist feedback & requests table of contents↻

Your body feels like it’s been wrung out: legs wobbly, thighs bruised, hips aching, back broken, and numb with heat between your legs. You refuse to wear pants as the friction is too paralyzing to take more than a few steps. Loose dresses are your best friend–for the first couple of days, you even went commando around the ranch—thank god neither one of your boyfriends clued into that. 

However, it’s not like you disliked the oversensitivity and aching muscles that came after sex. You loved the feeling even more as it was the first time you’d been properly fucked in a few months. Having that unending thirst for Max and Daniel quenched; it’s heightened how you experience life. You swear that your vision feels sharper, your melanated skin softer, anything you eat tastes better than delicious, the homemade lemonade is sweeter, and most importantly, your desperation has calmed. While you love life on the farm, where living has become succulent under your senses—Max’s attitude has done a complete 180°.

His energy is completely subdued. It’s like Daniel drained the cum and brat out of him. Max is all stuttered words when he makes eye contact with either of you, blushing fully at the lightest tease or brush of skin, voice soft when he speaks, usual bluntness replaced with shyness, and he’s even clingier than normal. If he hasn’t glued himself underneath Daniel’s arm, he’ll be plastered against your back.

You wonder if he’s embarrassed that Daniel changed their “plan” on him at the last minute, or if it’s because Daniel used him as a tool to get you off—but, asking Max would only scare him away or cause the brat to resurface…so you don’t verbalize your theories. You find Max in this state more adorable than usual, and you won’t complain if it means a surplus of Max-cuddles.

Yet, the figurative rug is pulled from beneath your feet when the three of you go Christmas shopping. Daniel had separated from the two of you to go pick up a gift for his nephew, leaving you and Max alone to browse through knickknacks that decorate the shelves. Your eyes were caught by cat ornaments that looked exactly like Jimmy and Sassy but before you could reach out to grab, them Max grabbed you by the hand and pulled you to hide in the next aisle over.

“I want to break Daniel with so many orgasms that he won’t be able to speak by the time we’re done with him,” Max states bluntly. The brat is back.

“Regulate your volume,” you whisper-yell at him, hand moving to cover his mouth as you look around to see if anybody heard your Dutch boyfriend, “We are in public and you decided now is the time to bring this up?!”

He pulls your hand off his face, looking at you with wide eyes, “But, liefje–c’mon! Daniel’s been way too smug recently. Whenever I’m around him he doesn’t miss the chance to mention how he made me cry—made you cry, too!”

“Inside voice, Max,” you bite out, continuing to look at the Christmas decorations in this aisle.

“Fine,” Max whispers, rolling his eyes, “Technically, it’s another Christmas present for him if you think about it.”

“I’m trying not to think about it if you haven’t noticed.”

“Don’t you want to even the board? Imagine it: Daniel underneath the two of us, and we’re overwhelming him with pleasure. Doesn’t that sound like a good time?”

You stop walking abruptly and Max runs into your back. You spin around and stare at him with narrowed eyes and a flared nose.

“You seriously thought the best time to discuss this is in the middle of a family-friendly store, where our boyfriend is picking up a gift for his nephew?”

“Yes.”

“If you stop talking about it for the entire time we’re shopping today, I’ll consider it. We can discuss this when the phantom feeling of his cum on my skin goes away.”

That evening, you and the Dutchman watch Daniel fix a motorbike out in the driveway from the garage. He’s shirtless, sweat dripping down his face and back, you can see every muscle engage and relax as he moves. He’s silhouetted by the Australian sunset and you hear Max choke on his breath when Daniel’s loose jeans slip down his hips, exposing the waistband of his briefs—twin sighs of disappointment leave you both when he catches and drags them back up. With shaky hands, you grab the pitcher of lemonade you prepared to pour a glass for each of you. Ignoring how you missed the glass on your first few attempts, you two bring the drinks to your lips and dry the cups embarrassingly quickly to satiate your desperation—the lemonade doesn’t help. 

Daniel finishes with the bike and wipes his hands on a towel he had tucked into his back pocket, looking your guys’ way. He smiles brightly—shamefully, you wave in response and Max tucks a nonexistent strand of hair behind his ear; the two of you are acting like school girls with a crush. 

The Australian stands and in a few relaxed strides, he comes to a stop in front of you two. 

“Can you pour me a glass, sweetheart?” his request rumbles out velvety.

Stuttering, you scramble to do as he asked and find that Max has reached for the pitcher as well when your hands bump into each other. The two of you freeze and stare at each other with wide eyes; Max’s blush blooms red across his face and yours warms the brown skin of your cheeks. Daniel’s chuckle of amusement snaps you out of it; Max pours the drink, and you hand it off to the Australian, avoiding eye contact. He brings the glass to his lips and drains it dry. You and the Dutchman stare with gaped mouths, watching the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallows, whimpering and pressing your thighs together at his ah in satisfaction when finished. 

He leans down to place the glass back on the tray and smirks at you and Max, “Absolutely delicious. It almost tastes as sweet as either of you is acting right now.”

Both of you stay silent, squirming in your lawn chairs. Daniel takes a second to slowly press both of your mouths closed with a nudge of his fingers before straightening up and clearing his throat.

“Thank you for the drink, sweetheart,” Daniel cocks his head to the side in question, before winking, his smug aura radiating off of him, “Or should I say, ‘sweethearts?’ As both of you seemed so eager to help me quench my thirst.”

Your mouth pops open again and Max audibly whimpers next to you. Daniel laughs and walks to enter the house, “Don’t feel afraid to join me in the shower.”

The plan is set before Daniel’s out of the shower. You’ve changed into a black mini slip dress, curls loosely cascading down your back as you’ve draped yourself on top of the bed sideways, face-down on your tummy, not caring how the back of your dress has ridden up a couple of inches. Max laid himself on his side next to you, dressed in a navy Enchanté shirt and a pair of Daniel’s briefs that hug at his thighs a little too tightly, and plays with the bottom hem of your dress, letting his fingers drift underneath to press at bruises that haven’t healed from that night. 

At the sound of the shower shutting off, the two of you glance at each other; Max checking in with you one last time before you guys follow through with the plan. At your nod, Max presses a soft kiss to your lips and goes back to fiddling with your dress. You rest your head on your folded arms and as your eyes flutter shut, the bathroom door opens.

You hear Daniel humming some country song and he gets about three steps into the room before he stops abruptly.

“Well, if I had known this would be waiting for me out here, I wouldn’t have spent a lifetime in the shower waiting for you guys to take me up on my offer.”

Max makes a noise of confusion, his hand pausing at your hemline, “What are you talking about? We just thought it would be nice to give you a massage—you know, prevent any muscle tightness from when you were hunched over the bike.”

“Is that so, pretty girl?” Daniel questions you, looking past Max. He’s dried off from his shower already, skin gleaming thanks to your cocoa butter lotion he probably stole, hair still damp but not dripping, and a towel wrapped around his waist. You’re sure he’s trying to sniff out any weakness; to see if he can bend you into revealing Max’s agenda for tonight. Little does he know that you’re not an accomplice, you’ve put a good amount of work into this plan too.

In response, you offer a small smile and hold up a bottle of massage oil that was previously tucked into your side. Daniel’s narrowed eyes flit between the two of you, and then he relaxes, shrugging loftily as he motions for the two of you to move so he can lie down. 

“Okay, sure,” Daniel laughs, falling into the bed as soon as the space is available, lying flat on his stomach, face planting into the pillows and his next words are muffled but loud enough to understand, “You don’t have to use ‘giving me a massage’ as an excuse to feel me up, but I’m not going to turn it down if you’re so willing to do so.”

You and Max are kneeling on opposite sides of Daniel’s body on the bed, resting on the heels of your feet, and you muffle a giggle at Max rolling his eyes at your boyfriend’s words. The younger man slaps his hand on Daniel’s back, grinning at the stifled yelp that sounds from near the headboard, and coos sarcastically, “Do you think you can handle that level of pain? Considering this is a deep-tissue massage?”

You drizzle a nice amount of oil on the middle of his back, letting your laughter escape as Daniel pleads, “Woah—hear me out, what about a regular massage? I would like to end this massage without crying from soreness, please.”

Slowly the two of you turn to look at each other, smiles spreading across your lips, and Max murmurs, “Oh. You’ll be crying by the end of this.”

You ignore Daniel begging for mercy underneath you and beginning massaging. For all of the Dutchman’s ribbing, the two of you are gentle. Your hands soothingly rub any tension out of his back; the two of you are only doing this to melt Daniel into the bed. He protests and grumbles through the both of you digging into his shoulders, but quiets as you make your way down his back, practically moaning when you push a knot out from behind his shoulder blade. Max manages to wrangle out a whimper when he presses his thumb into the dimple of his lower back. Neither of you gets close to the towel resting low on his hips; you want to keep him as calm and unaware as possible, but getting close to that towel would do the opposite. When Daniel’s breathing slows and his sounds of relief start to lessen, Max gently coaxes Daniel into rolling on his back with ease.

The brunette’s eyes flutter open, but you tut disapprovingly when his gaze meets yours. With a kiss on his forehead, Daniel closes his eyes at your word, not fighting you for a second. And from that point, you and Max begin conditioning the older man to get used to only having one pair of hands on him at a time. Max massages his chest, you take a break, you massage his chest, Max takes a break; and as Daniel starts to relax at the rhythm, you guys slowly increase the length of your breaks. 

Until the breaks get long enough to slip the ties that you guys fastened to the headboard out.

Daniel was so entranced at the sight of you and Max sprawled on his bed that he forgot to examine his surroundings. They’re silk ties, with pre-made straps for you to tighten as soon as his hands are inside them. The two of you take it to the next step; you each begin to massage his arms (still employing your regular breaks), raising them upwards to “get a better angle.” Daniel doesn’t even shift at the change, he just hums under his breath when either of you soothes across a good spot. And with little effort, you and Max raise both of his arms and smoothly slip his tattooed hands into the ties, tightening the straps in the blink of an eye.

The older man startles, eyes flying open as he tries to yank his wrists free of the binds, “Uhhhh, what the fuck?”

Both of you watch as Daniel tries to free himself without any luck, enjoying the show as the silk ties prove they won’t give out. Chills shudder down your spine as your older boyfriend tries to order the two of you to release him, but he must see the feral glint shine in your eyes because he switches to asking when neither of you moves.

“You know what to say if you really want us to let you go, Daniel,” Max states bluntly, pulling off his Enchanté shirt easily. 

You hum in agreement, straddling the Australian’s hips and simultaneously tugging your slip dress over your head and tossing it to the side, exposing your bare body before seating yourself on the bulge showing through the towel. Daniel chokes out a curse, his eyes dancing between yours and Max’s bodies being dangled in front of his face without being able to touch.

He tests the binds for any give half-heartedly before sniffing dismissively, jaw tightening as he challenges Max, “Do your worst, baby.”

Max scoffs out a laugh, “That is the plan.”

From there you and Max turn into savages. Both of you bypass kissing Daniel, pressing lips and biting bruises along his neck and torso instead. The man can only cry out as Max terrorizes his nipples with teeth and pinching fingers while you paint marks on his hipbones and navel. The older man isn’t convinced that the night will end without the two of you seriously attempting cannibalism but the thought is pushed away when the towel is tugged off his hips.

Max laughs mockingly and flicks Daniel’s already-hardened length, “Well, this will be even easier than we thought, liefje.”

“I was half-hard from the minute you guys put your hands on me,” Daniel snipes, “Don’t let this go to your head.”

You raise an eyebrow in question, tilting your head to the side innocently which contrasts the strong grasp of your hand around the head of Daniel’s cock, “Isn’t that a compliment, though? Anyways, it clearly went to your head.”

Daniel groans in pleasure as you start to rapidly stroke along his quickly reddening length, “That was a terrible pun–fuck–but, I’m only letting it slide because your hand is on my cock.”

He bucks up into your fist and you release him immediately, smiling as you see him choke down a whimper of disappointment. The older man isn’t left alone for long, as Max drags the tip of his index finger along the slit of Daniel’s cock before flattening his palm across the head and roughly circling it to overwhelm him with an alarming amount of pleasure-coated friction. 

The brunette can’t stifle his cries this time nor can he buck his hips, thanks to the Dutchman pinning him down with his free forearm. Max pulls both of his hands away quickly, delighting in Daniel’s sounds of displeasure, the two of you watching as he attempts to chase a hand that isn’t there anymore. His length is throbbing, pulsing angrily, redder than the blush that stains his tanned chest. You swallow wantingly. Both of you thought that you would be able to get a few more rounds out of a handjob, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Max gets his hand around the base and yours circles the tip. Simultaneously, the two of you start rubbing him off in time, keeping your fists just tight enough and your motions just quick enough to hurtle Daniel to the edge. He throws his head back into the pillows, hips freely bucking as neither one of you attempts to stop him, his hands pulling against the ties all the while,

“You can cum whenever you want, Daniel,” Max states.

The older man lets out several pants of desperation, calling both of your names as he nears his climax. And when you both see the telltale sign of Daniel’s chest rising and falling heavily, you release his cock.

“No! Wait–shit,” he tries to gasp, but it’s too late. His cock starts leaking, jerking pathetically as cum drips down his length in ribbons—his orgasm ruined. Dry sobs escape his lungs as he humps the air, looking for friction that isn’t there, continuing to beg for a hand even as he struggles to breathe as a result of the unsatisfying release.

You let him come down hard, offering support in a quick squeeze of the meat of his thigh over his tattoo. When he catches his breath, his eyes flutter open. Max sees the wetness gathered in the waterlines and moves in the blink of an eye, enveloping Daniel’s still-hard cock in his mouth. 

The Australian’s back arches off the bed, hips racing forward then backward as he cries out, unsure if the feeling of Max’s mouth is good. Both pairs of your hands fly forward to still Daniel, forcing him to feel every crevice of Max’s tongue and throat, trying to bring him to another orgasm as quickly as possible. It works, Daniel stops fighting and starts obeying, rolling upward into Max’s mouth, whimpering out depravedly as he struggles against his binds again. You see his abs start to undulate in waves, a second orgasm trying to form and you slip your hand underneath Max’s chin, lightly squeezing at Daniel’s balls—and the tears fall as his release slams into him like a semi-truck.

The younger man swallows around Daniel, humming as he does it, yet the bobbing motion of his head doesn’t stop—Max is going to try his hardness to prevent Daniel from going soft, even as the older man tries to fight and twist away from the wet grasp of his throat. The Australian’s tears paint his cheek as he sobs messily, and you’re quick to check in with him as Max’s mouth is occupied.

“Daniel, color?” you manage to make your voice sound steady, but your thighs are trembling, your cunt pulsing with wetness and need. 

The man whimpers, eyes unseeingly looking down at you and Max as he cries messily, “Green.”

You moan breathily, finally giving in to your urges and rushing forward to messily kiss Daniel. You let him cry into your mouth, nipping at his lips and tasting his tears before pulling away. Max pulls off Daniel’s cock with a reedy gasp and moves backward quickly so you can slip in between them, seating your cunt atop the half-hard length and beginning to grind along him. The brunette makes a sound as if he’s been punched in the gut, arms pausing in their fight against the ties before they resume with renewed strength. Daniel scrambles to get his feet underneath him, trying to buck off the hot, wet drag of your cunt against his cock. It’s pulsing so violently that he swears he can feel it in his throat. 

Max knocks his feet down, and tugs Daniel’s chin to look at him with a hardened grasp, with his voice rough and croaky he commands, “Can you give us one more, Daniel?”

Daniel's glossy, brown eyes stare at Max without answer, mouth parted as drool slips from the corners of his lips. The Dutchman’s brow tightens with worry and he releases his chin to pull you off. But, before he can stop you, Daniel gasps out desperately.

“M’ green—please, please, Max,” Daniel nods viciously, “Green, green—one more.”

The younger man soothes Daniel with sweet words, praising and comforting him as he leans forward to pepper his lips and neck with kisses and kitten licks, pausing to motion you to continue. 

You line up Daniel’s cock easily and murmur out a ‘thank you’, before sinking down and not stopping until your ass meets his pelvis, uncaring of how he attempts to shake you off. His body is reacting in too much, but Max and you both see and hear how his brain interprets it as too good. 

You keen in pleasure but your noises are deafened by Daniel’s cries and begs for relief. Well aware that you have to get yourself off so Max can have a turn, you find that toe-curling angle with the help of Max directing your hips, holding yourself steady with one hand behind you on the bed and the other drawing rapid circles on your clit. Max moves to let you rest your back along his chest, your frizzed curls a mess as they bounce with your movements. 

The visual stimulation of Daniel in front of you moaning and heaving for more, the frantic twitching of his length inside of you, the sound of your skin slapping against his, and Max’s voice ghosting right by your ear, the ‘good girl’ that left his lips taking a second to process; all of it pushes you into the abyss. You don’t know if it’s you or Daniel that screams, your blood rushing in your ears and your vision flashing white clouds your mind as the explosion of pleasure burns your nerve endings. 

With a choked ‘fuck,’ you slump over, slipping off his twitching cock and slinking down next to Daniel as you shiver and shake through the last dregs of pleasure. Max flutters over both of you, unsure if he should keep pushing the limit, but both you and Daniel yell confirmations of “Green!” that have Max ripping off his briefs, reaching between his legs and whimpering as he carefully tugs out the plug he’s had in for the entire time.

Daniel’s eyes roll in disbelief, his brain exhausted to the point where he can’t string together any words to communicate his confusion.

Max huffs out a hysterical giggle, one hand stroking along his cock as he tosses the plug off the side of the bed. “Fuck–you were in the shower forever, Daniel. I’ve had that in for too long.”

The younger man shakes as he lowers himself on Daniel’s cock, bottoming out with a whimper as he mouths down at Daniel, “Just one more, baby, okay? Make me come, yeah?”

The older man’s moan is curdled with overstimulation, but he finds the will to get his feet underneath him and shakily thrust upwards into Max, hoping somehow that that’s enough. Max lets his head fall back in pleasure, thankful for the moving pressure of Daniel’s cock inside of him rather than the consistent annoyance of the plug holding him open. Coupled with the stretch of his rim and his hand furiously twisting along his length, Max reaches his peak quickly.

Before taking the plunge, he chokes out words of praise at Daniel and you rush to do the same, understanding that Max is attempting to push Daniel over the edge as well. You see tears of frustration build in Daniel’s eyes as he struggles to fully give in, and you fall forward to tug at his nipples with your teeth, reinvigorating Daniel’s attempts at slipping from the silk ties. At the sight, Max shouts, body tightening and then relaxing as he strokes out ribbons of cum. Daniel’s hips stutter when the first drop of cum lands on his skin and you feel his lungs halt as the strongest orgasm—most likely dry, at that—wreaks havoc upon his body.

His body goes limp underneath the two of you, and his hands droop in their binds. You speedily untie Daniel’s arms as Max slowly slips off the man’s rapidly softening length, trying to lessen any unwanted stimulation for the unaware Australian. You catch his arms before they fall against the bed, rubbing your hands against them to coax proper blood flow in them. Spent, Max stumbles to Daniel’s side, taking one arm out of your hands and matching your movements.

“Good job, liefje,” Max breathes out, smiling up at you with an exhausted smile, his hair drenched with sweat and falling in front of his eyes. You blush and kiss him sweetly, “It was your idea!”

Max shakes his head, pausing his hands to reach down and brush Daniel’s curls off his forehead, “No; you made half of the plan. So, it was our idea.”

The Australian groans, eyes fluttering open but they’re still clouded enough that you both know he’s going to need more than enough TLC tonight, “ —idea made me think i w‘sgonna die.”

Max laughs, rubbing circles around the man’s temple, “I guess we forgot to factor in your old age as a variable, didn’t we, liefje?”

Daniel’s face flutters in displeasure at being referred to as “old,” even when he’s not quite come down, “Mean, Maxy.”

You giggle, “That’s what he calls mean out of this entire experience?”

The Dutchman presses kisses to both of your foreheads before he stumbles out of bed, “I’m going to grab some fruit and cream for Daniel’s wrists. Should I grab anything else?” He directs the question to you.

Of course, the Australian jumps in before you have the chance to respond, “Lemonade, please.”

© httpsserene2024

[tcustodisart]

Connecticut Tav | Wood Half-Elf | Beast Master Ranger

So, this is my sheet for @bareee's @tav-dex. Went a little overboard and made a whole ass character sheet (man the last time I made one of those was so long ago). I want to write something about my cringe boy so. Buckle up because it's going to be long and poorly written (I suck at writing).

One edit because I'm a dummy, his alignment is neutral good not true neutral idk why I did that.

He was born and raised in his mom's and step-dad's tavern called Crow's Perch (not as fancy as Elf Song but in a different category as Blushing Mermaid)(the tavern thing is just for the sake of a joke that the most popular drink they serve is called 'Connecticut Water'). He has an older brother, who's a bard. Despite the description for Urchin background ("After surviving a poor and bleak childhood") he had a happy childhood, filled with love and support. The two brothers treated the whole Lower City as their playground: breaking into places just for fun, pick pocketing nobles, climbing Wyrm's Rock Fortress etc.

His love for beasts and creatures of any kind comes from the stories told by his step-dad (both him and Tav's mom are retired adventurers). Step dad was the one who told Tav about Darkmaw the Wicked *wink wink*.

At one point he got tired of the city life and decided he wanted to become a ranger. After successfully fulfilling some contracts he became so confident of his skills he tried to build a trap all by his own. The trap exploded right into his face (he himself has no idea how it didn't kill him or damaged his eyes). After that he was sulking in his hunting hut for a month. The experience humbled the boy. Most of his adventuring prior to the nautiloid could just be boiled down to hanging around one village and talking local boars out of destroying potato fields, and occasionally getting rid of poachers.

Before the abduction he was on his way to Baldur's Gate to see his family (which he hasn't seen in months).

Trivia (because it's easier to write stuff this way):

His hair started to go grey at the start of Act 3 from the weight of responsibility and stress.

In Act 1 he was corresponding with his family thanks to Faust. After entering The Underdark he stopped sending letters (In Underdark because it would be hard, in Act 2 because he didn't want the bird to be killed by Shadow Curse).

Despite being close to his family in Act 3, he didn't visit them or send any messages in fear that Gortash and/or Orin would hurt them.

He carries with him a razor and some fancy oils for his beard.

His brother wrote one ballad about him, soon after that Tav forbid him from writing more (it was very much not accurate).

His step-dad taught him how to fight with a sword, while his mom taught him archery and the art of stealth.

Tav's biological father died when he was very young so he has barely any memory of him.

Tav's a walking Merlin app, he can identify any bird by just listening to it.

He loves climbing trees. Either to rest on a branch or to scout the surroundings.

He loves picking up herbs and making potions.

Despite growing up in a tavern he's not much of a drinker.

He's very self-conscious about his height and chest-to-belly area. He tries his best not to show it.

At one point he was persona non grata at Sharess' Caress.

He enjoys fishing.

Sir Daisy Dewdrop Fluffington is a name of his childhood plush.

He knows how to play lanceboard (he often plays against Gale and tries to teach it to Wyll).

He draws in his journal. He drew all of his companions at least once.

He almost cried when Jaheira called him 'cub' and almost called her 'mom' in response.

He's scared of Lae'zel. But tries his best to understand and help her.

He had countless heart-to-hearts with Karlach.

In his journal he described Astarion as 'his equal on the battlefield'.

[holy-puckslibrary]

━ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠.

main masterlist

pairing(s) — TREVOR ZEGRAS x f!reader (established); JAMIE DRYSDALE x reader; MASON MCTAVISH x reader; trevor x jamie x mason wc — 2.2k synopsis — what better gift on your friends to bestow than the gift that keeps on giving?

note — happy valentine's day, my lovelies!! as my gift to you, i've decided to release whatever the hell this is from the archive <3 i randomly dropped this on patreon post-ficmas '24 because, per usual, i was possessed by the ghost of perpetual horniness! we know it'll happen again, so just know i am totally down to write a follow-up if there's any interest teehee! oh, and to the anons who requested some jd + tz content after the trade (rip), i hope this satisfies the craving!! (and you don't mind masey being thrown in the mix)

and with that... i’ll see myself out 🚶‍♀️

specific content warnings under the cut.

cw — everyone’s a lil bi because why not, trevor is boyfriend of the year, mason and jamie bickering over whose turn it is to munch, tz + reader are switchy and mason + jamie are bratty and subby, oral (f receiving), fingering (f receiving), accidental edging, trevor being a cocky menace and stirring the pot, and a wee bit of a cliff-hanger bc i'm incapable of controlling myself :-) oh, and the current pet name fixation of the week! + trevor calling himself daddy (once) while being condescending to all parties lolz

“—stop getting in my way.”

"or what?"

silence.

then, an exasperated groan.

“i wouldn’t need to be in the way if you were doing it right.”

the long, drawn-out sigh you hear sounds far away, like an echo from somewhere out in the distance, but you know it's coming from behind you—directly behind you.

your boyfriend abandons the soft curves of your chest, which you vehemently protest with a petulant mewl, to massage the tension building between his eyes; if he’d known this would turn into such a headache, he never would’ve suggested this.

“clock’s running, boys. if you wanna waste your very limited time between my girl’s pretty legs bickering with each other, be my guest.”

jamie and mason exchange a glare, united in their distaste for their friend’s tone and attitude in spite of their sudden animosity toward one another.

a pretty girl could do that to a friend group.

only, you haven’t come between the trio in the way one might assume. you might’ve been the catalyst in jamie and mason’s current strife, sure, but that's where your meddling begins and ends. no, you’ve come between them in more of a physical sense, at the behest of your boyfriend and their best friend.

trevor zegras veered toward possessive—territorial, even—most days, but, tonight, he’s feeling strangely generous. it is the season of giving, after all. however, his kindness hardly felt like a gift anymore. the gesture lost its luster soon after the silky ribbon was untied and discarded... and the bitching began. charity work would be a more apt descriptor, in his humble opinion.

he’s expecting an edible arrangement from the ladies of orange county in the near future.

but if anyone deserves some compensation, it's most definitely you, and trevor has just the shiny something in mind. what was originally intended to be the crown jewel of your holiday gifts will now function as a “thank you letting my friends use you as a practice dummy” token of appreciation.

“guess we also need to teach you to share,” you huff, exhausted from the accidental edging and frustrated by trevor's shifted attention.

the worst part is that you don’t think they’re perceptive enough (or have enough experience with a woman’s body, even) to see the agony, the by-product of their inadvertent torture, smeared plainly across your dazed and dewy face. your boyfriend's best friends have unintentionally dragged you to the brink of insanity, and you're reluctantly hanging on by a fragile thread.

said boyfriend's lips caress your temple. “can’t say i blame them. with you freshly unwrapped—just out of the box—and all... i wouldn't know how to share you, either.”

eager is a nice way of putting the boys' behavior thus far, but selfish is a more befitting adjective for their uncoordinated fervor.

two interesting things to note since you were spread wide—presented—to your boyfriend’s closest friends and collegues. the first being that while jamie is enthralled by the way you clench around his lithe fingers, mason favors his mouth; and second, trevor’s harder than a rock from showering his friends with the same domineering aura usually reserved for you in the privacy of your shared bedroom.

(or, the backseat of his car. the abandoned lifeguard tower beside the pier and, on occasion, the recently refurbished dressing room.)

mason also enjoys spitting on your sensitive bits more than he’s comfortable with, the apprehension bright in his eyes. but, watching the run-off of his saliva and your syrupy arousal drip onto jamie’s fingers before both are shoved into your heat is too distracting to pay any mind to the internal chaos of unearthing a new and unforeseen kink.

what jamie lacks in skill and experience, he makes up for in enthusiasm. for all his bashfulness, jamie drysdale is not shy about finger-fucking.

momentarily sat on his haunches, mason watches with feverish intent as his friend curls your toes with the simple curl of his marriage and middle, his pinky and pointer fingers splayed wide to keep his eye on the prize, sight unimpeded by plush, silky distractions.

no bells and whistles, just diligence.

soon, watching ceases to satiate the burly man and mason slips his own thumb into the mix. with his lips or his tongue—or his fingers, it now seems—mason mctavish is obsessed with your clit.

trevor shoots him a knowing wink; that's his favorite part, too. never do you make prettier sounds than when you’re having that special, highly-responsive bundle tended to. fingers, tongue, trevor's thigh... it doesn't matter, you fall apart all the same.

mason nudges jamie to one side and, much to your surprise, he goes without a fight this time, still stroking you closer and closer to the summit.

with his greater access, mason leans down. his nose splits duties with his thumb as he places wet, open-mouth kisses on your inner thighs, mons pubis, and, finally, the coveted pearl throbbing for affection. his mouth wraps around the little bud before pausing. he looks up for approval.

from trevor.

with the dip of his chin and a peck to your balmy cheek, your boyfriend encourages his best friend to suck on his girlfriend's clit.

mason needs no further coaxing. he alternates between suction and kitten-licks; his tongue was beginning to feel left out. all the while, jamie’s devoted fingers keep you pleasantly teetering on the end.

it's amazing the difference time and a little scolding can make.

“i think you’re enjoying this a little too much, bunny.”

“—m’sorry,” you whimper.

his warm, familiar chuckle fills your ear as he strokes your cheek. “i’m only teasing. you know how much i love watching you get all worked up. and, this way, i get to sit back and enjoy the view while they do all the dirty work.”

your eyes roll back, and his amusement grows louder.

“maybe, we’ll do this again? i wonder how fast they could get you off when they already know how the tricks.”

a raw, guttural sound claws past your lips.

trevor growls into your neck between love-bites. “you’d like that, wouldn’t you, greedy girl? is my mouth not enough for you—y’need my friends’ too? such a slutty little bunny i have..."

"no—only want y-you."

it comes out in a few, demure hiccups, the clarity of your protest impeded by those and the frantic shaking of your head.

your boyfriend can't help but twist your mind when you're like this, too weak and preoccupied by pleasure to give him any lip. his brat's gone sweet, fully subdued. and now he can have a little fun.

“—i know, i know. no need to get all worked up over nothing, silly girl. but it wouldn't matter much if you did, though, right?" the hand cradling your chin moves your head in agreement; he knows you're too far gone—too fucked out, to function. "no, it wouldn't because daddy doesn't share his toys. he needs you all to himself."

in this moment, you aren't sure if trevor loves or loathes you.

“lost your voice, bunny? you’re strangely quiet for a slut i know is close. i can hear it, and i know you can too. we all know you're fucking soaked. go on, don't be shy. i think their good behavior has earned them some praise, hm? doin' so good at following my directions—almost as obedient as you are, pretty thing. be sweet, then you can cum all you want."

his words, coupled with the overstimulation between your bent and parted knees, send your brain down a cloudy, all-consuming spiral. too overwhelmed by the boys kneeling at your altar, you can hardly string together cohesive thoughts, let alone speak adequate praise for their efforts.

...as if trevor expected anything out of your mouth other than garbled, pathetic mumbling anyway.

not to mention, jamie found the spot that makes you see stars on the ceiling as his best friend was busy whispering filth into your ear, and he's been bullying it with his deft fingers—three of them now, buried down to the knuckle. he gives it a short, purposeful rub just to show off his treasure.

you shriek and buck your hips into mason's waiting mouth. as his head dips back down to nestle against you, the angle of jamie's fingers changes and your vision blurs just a tad.

trevor's amusement thunders in your ears as he keeps you from shying away from the new sensation, an arm looped around your waist keeping you tight to his bare chest. and good thing, too, seeing as mason's tongue slips in between jamie's fingers not a second later.

they're right and truly pleasuring you now, and you can't wait a second more.

you surrender.

and, as promised, you show them what real moans sound like from a woman—not that fake shit they subject you and trevor to through the walls on a semi-regular basis.

the sounds of you ripping at the seams spur them on, and it's starting to get difficult to discern who's to blame for the puddle beneath you. this are sloppier and more obscene than ever, and you're loving every single second of it, you almost feel like this is your gift and not theirs.

—which is why you nearly write it off as a trick of a pleasure-drunk mind.

you feel it against your sopping, swollen folds before they notice it themselves; in electing to run their tongues up and down the same path at the same time, their mouths mingled along the way—and continue to do so. the delicious, foreign sensation of their mouths tangled in a clandestine dance buys your silence. and easily.

sooner or later, they’d realize and your fun would mostly likely cease—they've never given any indication of feeling either way—and you weren’t about to speed the process along, especially not when you have the pearly gates in sight.

trevor's won't call attention to it either because he's enjoying it as much as you are. maybe more. he's twitching like crazy against the small of your back, and each time jamie and mason convene between your knees, his hips shamelessly rut into you softness like a feral dog.

he nudges you, warm lips against your cheek. "look."

giving your head a downward tilt, his firm hand directs your attention to the object of his—your boyfriend isn't the only one seeking respite by way of aimless grinding.

mason and jamie have their hips flush to your bed, their burning, sweat-stained cheeks glued to your inner thighs, one slightly scratchier than the other—the best of both worlds. their eyes are nearly black with lust. their frantic movements are more pleasure-seeking than precise, driving into the wrinkled sheets with just one thing in mind.

you've never seen anything quite like it before, and your body reacts in kind.

naturally, trevor sees the signs before anyone. he knows your body best, something he takes great pride in. you'd wager he knows more about what makes you tick than even you do. he's put in enough hours, that's for sure.

trevor doesn't bother disgusting the desire weighing on his voice, "beg."

your lips part as if on cue. your boyfriend (selfishly) indulges your pitiful little whines and repetitive pleas—he'll never pass up an opportunity to rub his handiwork in envious faces—but, eventually, he cuts you off before you get too far into the bit.

"—not you, silly bunny. them."

aghast, mason rips his mouth away and you whine at the sudden loss. jamie strokes your walls sympathetically.

"you're joking."

"does it sound like i'm joking, mctavish? you're lucky i'm even letting you see her like this, let alone touch what's mine, and it's a fucking privilege to watch her cum. convince me that you've earned it."

you weren't expecting to find it so erotic, the power trevor wields over them. you're no stranger to his persuasive prowess; his commands alone were enough to get you off some nights. but this is different, and markedly so.

watching him command his best friends—his friends, reducing them to docile creatures eager to eat from the palm of his hand with words alone, is what tips you over the edge.

their persistent chorus of compliance is swallowed entirely by your wanton cunt, but that was by design.

trevor always knows what you need.

when the dam in your abdomen fractures alongside your voice, he holds your wrists tight to his bare thighs, preventing you from grounding yourself in either of his friends' messy mops or finding purchase anywhere on his body. he can't have you distracted. he needs you to enjoy every second of it. your full, undivided attention must be on the pampering you're receiving, and the tender care with which his friends provide it.

it's okay if you're too weak—of mind, body or both—to make that happen for yourself. your boyfriend is more than willing to pin you down as you ride out your first high of the night. happy to, really.

on the come down, jamie rubs light, lazy circles over your sore, swollen clit almost apologetically. mason laps up your release because it'd be a crime to waste a drop—trevor made that abundantly clear earlier in the night. once he's drunk you dry, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

"i think i could, um, use a bit more practice?" he announces bashfully—as if he didn't just make you squirt into his mouth.

jamie perks up at his side, fingers and lips still shiny. he's savoring the fruit of their labors like a precious delicacy, knowing it could be the last time he gets a taste. dark lashes shy and fluttering, his puppy-dog eyes blink up at you. "me too."

a wicked smirk forms on trevor's face; they see it, you hear it.

"gentlemen, how's your stroke game?"

💌 if you liked it, pls lmk! 💌

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[accio-bagel]

Coming in hot with a Natty appreciation post ❤️

Wall of text below the cut

I love Natty. She's my brave, frustrating, badass girl, and while the writing for her storyline lacked somewhat in comparison to the other companions, much of the discourse I see around her is so negative - it has really been disappointing to see the kinds of things people say about her. She doesn't have to be your favorite. I'm not saying you have to love her. But you can actually prefer Sebastian and Poppy without disparaging Natsai. You can also critique her without resorting to making fun of her voice or accent. Give her a chance and consider her dialogue and her actions, and you might gain some more appreciation for her.

She is a peak Gryffindor and here are some reasons why I love her, including her flaws:

Friendly, kind, and empathetic: with her experience being the new student the previous year, she knows how scary it can be and she's quick to offer you a place to sit on your first day of class, then readily shares her book with you when she sees you don't have one. She even gives you advice during Summoners Court when you're playing against her, and isn't upset if you win. She tells you she was actually planning on asking you to Hogsmeade with her if you choose her as your guide. She wants you to feel welcomed right away and wants to get to know you.

Brave, powerful, and reckless: just like Sebastian, she jumps in to help you fight a troll without a second thought on her first day knowing you, and she's a strong duelist both in Crossed Wands and on your missions with her. She is ready and willing to gather evidence on her own while you go save a host of beasts from poachers the second she finds out a Hippogriff that means something to you is in danger. She sticks her nose into business she shouldn’t and doesn’t consider the reality of the dangers she’s getting herself into (a very Harry Potter trait.) But would you really rather have her be without flaw? Sounds boring. Ultimately she doesn’t ever let fear stop her from acting to protect others - don't forget she dives in front of the Cruciatus curse for you! She's a damn good friend to have by your side.

Proud and confident but can still be humble and open to change: she is happy to share some interesting information about Uagadou if you choose to ask her and she has pride in both her magical abilities and where she came from. She's confident in Summoner's Court but acknowledges afterward that it took her a while to gain that skill. She also admits she likes the drama of using a wand and she's grown to appreciate Hogwarts and Scotland (except in winter, which who can blame her? it's cold!)

Talented: to name just a few examples, she can cast wandless magic, Weasley calls her out as one of the best students in school, and let's not forget she's an animagus by age 15 - we know from the Harry Potter books that is no small feat and very few people actually achieve the ability.

Strong morals and ideals, stubbornly so: she is a pure heart and wants to take down the bad guys so nobody has to suffer the same way she did as a young girl. Can you really begrudge her youthful idealism? While her motivations are a bit muddy because she has no solid personal connection to Harlow or Rookwood, she is ultimately looking at the bigger picture and striving to make the world a better, safer place. Like Sebastian and Poppy, she won't let anyone talk her out of her ideals and remains undeterred in her belief that what she's doing is right, regardless of the dangers involved. While it shouldn't be up to two teenagers to clear out a criminal organization, in the end, she and you actually do get Harlow arrested finally, no thanks to the utterly useless Officer Singer, so Natty kinda had a point.

Loving and emotional: she is emotionally open with you and isn't afraid to ask for support from a friend while she's suffering from grief and guilt about her father. She isn’t embarrassed to tell you that you’ve inspired her to stand up to power, or how much your friendship means to her. Despite her frustrations, she loves her mother deeply, and she misses her father with all her heart.

Rebellious and independent: similar to Garreth, she has a guardian whom she feels is suffocating her. She wants to roam freely in her animagus form and explore her new home on her own, but her mother is worried about her safety (fair) and the closer Professor Onai clings, the more it pushes Natty to act out. She wants to challenge the system which is allowing Rookwood to strut around Hogsmeade like he owns the place when he should be in prison, and takes matters into her own hands when the authorities fail to act. Nothing more punk and badass than fighting the man and getting shit done.

Pretty, cute, tall: really, seriously look at her! Big Brown EyesTM and lashes for days. Freckles! Need I go on? (I will anyway.) Her profile. That cute little curl in the front of her hair, and from the back her hairstyle looks like a flower. I also recently noticed she is slightly taller than the female MC (tall girls need more love in media) and I can imagine them and Poppy being a cute witch trio of different heights. I also think her awkward smiles are endearing.

Lovely, soothing voice: I find her voice to be very soft and personally, I could listen to her talk all day. Her VA, Jessica Hayles, put so much emotion into her lines, and did you know she also voices three other characters: Nellie Oggspire, Charlotte Morrison, and Hyacinth Olivier? I have huge respect for a VA who can do multiple accents and change their voice to be so distinct for each character that I would've had no idea if I hadn't looked it up.

If anyone actually read all of this just know that I appreciate you deeply

[thebiggerbear]

i won't let you go

Summary: When Jen breaks CJ's heart, though you hadn't planned on it, her loss quickly becomes your gain and so much more.

Pairing: CJ Braxton x Female!Reader

A/N: Did a free writing session recently and this happened. Not sure why but anytime I get to spend with this cute boy, I'm taking it. The Lovelines episode always bothered me. I completely understood why Jen did what she did but that whole episode was just brutal and then her apology/explanation in the end was very Jen, yes, but also kind of dismissive imho on just how heartbreaking it was and how horrifically she had treated him in that auditorium to try to avoid having to explain. I get it, CJ wasn't a main character, Jen was, but damn. So I guess this is kind of my response to that.

All unbeta'd.

Songs listened to while writing: More Than Words - Extreme; Style - Taylor Swift

Warnings: angst; implied sex; smut-lite; a smidgen of fluff

Word Count: 4300

Taglist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187; @rieleatiel

CJ Braxton Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch; @birdiellie; @heartlessdelusions; @illicithallways; @nancymcl; @muhahaha303; @solacedthistest; @deansimpala; @foxyjwls007; @onlyangel-444

Jensen Taglist: @samanddeaninatrenchcoat; @deansbbyx

When Jen publicly rebuffed him again, CJ’s jaw dropped and his eyes caught yours. You didn’t know what to do, what to think. And you could see he was feeling the same along with some humiliation and hurt. He quickly glanced away and moved off to the side, waiting to bring the mic to someone who might interrupt whatever this circus was with a question. Your heart went out to him. 

Why was Jen doing this? First, she had dropped him unceremoniously earlier, without any semblance of a warning or even an explanation. Then he had tried to talk to her before the show and she had avoided him, still not giving any sort of reason for why she called things off so suddenly. This couldn’t possibly be stress alone from hosting this event. If that was the case, how would she handle finals this year? Or when she and CJ argued? Or any other stressful event that might occur in her life?

CJ was at a loss and now he had tried to publicly corner her (possibly not the best strategy to be fair but you knew he was desperate) and she had brutally shut him down. It was humiliating, tough to watch, and beyond dismissive. So yeah, your heart broke for him.

The truth was, you had feelings for your friend and had for some time now. But when the two of you met at one of the frat parties on campus in the beginning of the year, CJ made it very clear to you and anyone who would listen, that he was not dating nor was he interested in hooking up with anyone. That had disappointed you more than you would ever be willing to admit, but you respected the very personal decision, one he had made before he ever met you. 

Then Jen appeared out of nowhere and he still hadn’t been interested despite the obvious liking she had taken to him. You couldn’t blame her since you were stuck in your own unrequited crush. Then her friend, Audrey, had happened and suddenly, CJ was ready to date again. He liked the chaotic blonde and wanted to pursue things, only to find out she had a boyfriend she didn’t tell him about and oh, by the way, she wasn’t interested in knowing anything more about him than she already did. Humbled from the experience as well as the fight he got into with said boyfriend, CJ stayed to himself and kept his head down afterwards. Then he started training Jen at The Stand and before anyone knew it, they were a couple. Something you found out from him the day after he had kissed her. It was like a sucker punch to the gut. His night with Audrey and his feelings after it had hurt enough. Now he was dating Jen Lindley? The girl he had turned down the first time he tried to kiss her the same night he hooked up with Audrey? It broke your heart, but you put a smile on your face and told him how happy you were for him. You were a supportive friend, right? So you did what you had to do, noticing the happy grin on his face in response to your congratulations, right before you made your excuses and left. 

And now, here you were, watching as he got his heart broken by the very girl that had somehow gotten him to consider serious dating (and drinking though you didn’t think that was a great idea) again. No, she wasn’t just breaking it; she was full on stomping on it, ripping it into pieces, and setting fire to it — all in front of a voracious audience. You were pretty sure the Colosseum in Rome had stopped being used over a thousand years ago, but people were still the same animal. The devastation you could see playing out in CJ’s expression when he looked over at you more than confirmed just how torn up he was inside, how embarrassed and hurt he really was. 

You saw him watching the scene on stage with rapt attention but then you panicked when you noticed him suddenly lifting the mic and getting ready to speak again once he was able to get a word in edgewise. Your body reacted before your mind could even make the decision. You jumped to your feet, quickly excused your way out of the row you were in, and hurried over to him. You pushed his arm down before he could utter a single word. He turned wide eyes on you and you shook your head, taking the mic from him and shutting it off. Thankfully, the crowd and everyone on stage were more invested in Joey and Eddie’s unfolding drama. “CJ, please don’t,” you begged.

“She’s got to tell me why.”

“I know.” You laid a reassuring hand on his upper arm. “But not right now. Later, when you two can talk privately.”

“But she won’t talk to me.”

“She will,” you assured him, though you had no way of knowing if that was true. “Just give her some time. And preferably not have that conversation in front of half the school,” you attempted to joke to take the sting out of the situation and soften your advice.

CJ glanced around before his eyes came to a stop on the stage again and he noticed Jen wasn’t even looking in his direction. His face fell and you moved your hand to his, taking it.

“Let’s get out of here,” you impulsively suggested. Anything to get that look of pain off of his face.

“I can’t. I’m supposed to stay until it’s over.”

You scanned the vicinity and found a young girl, possibly a freshman, standing a few feet away, watching the drama with everyone else. You tightened your grip on CJ’s hand and marched over to her. “Hey, do you think you could take over?” You asked. “It’s real simple. Anyone raises their hand, you just bring over the mic so they can ask their question.” 

“Uh, s-sure.” She actually seemed unsure but you didn’t care; your priority was your friend. You turned the mic back on and handed it to her before turning and getting CJ out of there, making sure he didn’t look back. 

You checked your reflection in the mirror one last time before giving yourself a nod of approval and exiting the bathroom. You found CJ still in bed, sitting up against the headboard and channel surfing. His eyes suddenly snapped to you and a slow smile spread across his face. He gave you an appreciative whistle which made you roll your eyes as you pulled back the covers and got into bed next to him. “Stop that,” you playfully chided.

He immediately turned the TV off and tossed the remote somewhere, making you laugh. He dug his teeth into his bottom lip as he lifted the blanket and sheets to move closer to you and his gaze roamed over the silk negligee you were wearing. “You didn’t have to get all dressed up for me but wow, you are beautiful.”

“Uh huh,” you teased. “I know you just want to take this off as soon as possible.”

“True,” he admitted, kissing your bare shoulder. “But I also want to take my time taking it off.” He then placed a kiss on your jawline. 

“Well, you’ve got all weekend. Though we should probably include sustenance and a shower or two in there somewhere.” He snickered as he kissed your cheek. You really did have all weekend. You had booked the room for the next two days, not having to check out until Monday morning when you would need to make the drive back up to Boston. 

After the whole Loveline fundraiser fiasco, you had taken CJ to get some much needed coffee and let him vent out his frustration and his hurt over the pain Jen was causing him. 

“It just doesn’t make any sense. We were fine up until today. I don’t get what I did wrong.”

You had covered his hand with yours and brushed your thumb over his skin in reassuring strokes. “I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I was completely up front with her. About everything.” He licked his lips, lost in thought, before shame washed over his expression. “Maybe she’s still mad about the Audrey thing. Though I feel like she would have said something by now if that were the case. She seemed like she got past it. Or maybe it’s my past that’s the problem. I did tell her I bought some champagne for later tonight. Maybe she heard that and thought she was better off...” He gave a half-hearted shrug and stared down into his coffee. “This is exactly why I don’t do the dating thing,” he mumbled, his expression now even more troubled as he tiredly rubbed at his forehead. You knew he must be thinking back to the catalyst of him making that choice alongside the decision to immediately quit drinking.

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with that or your past,” you murmured. “Like you said, she already knew about everything before you two started dating. I’m sure it’s not that.”

His eyes met yours then. “How do you know? You barely know her, Y/N. How would you know what she’s thinking? I don’t even know what she’s thinking and she’s my girlfriend. Or was until this afternoon, anyway.”

You winced and glanced away, choosing to focus on the group of friends laughing loudly in the corner of the coffee shop you were seated in. You slowly pulled your hand away, grateful and disappointed at the same time that he didn’t seem to really care or notice. You wanted to be a good friend to him, you really did, but that hurt a little. You knew he was hurting as well and he wasn’t really mad at you. But you needed a second to gain your bearings. It wasn’t easy hearing the guy you had feelings for pine over someone else, someone who seemed intent on tossing him to the side for some odd reason and pushing him away.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean that. I’m just…”

You turned to find him dropping his head into his arms on the table. He bumped his head against them a few times before sitting back up. “I just don’t understand why this happened. I thought what she and I had was good, solid. That we had gotten to a really good point. Guess I was wrong.”

You pressed your lips together, hating yourself for what you were about to do but knowing it was the right thing. “If this were me or someone calling into The Stand right now, what would you tell them?”

He glanced over at you, his brows furrowing as he thought it over. “To talk to them, find out what was really going on.” You gave him a look. “But I tried that. Twice.”

You tightened your grip on your coffee mug. “Once in a very public setting. Once before a big event that she was stressing about hosting. And didn’t you tell me that this is her first sort of real relationship in a long time or something like that?” You could see the realization dawning on his cute face while you worked to keep the sadness off of yours. “So maybe something happened, something that you have no idea about or something that doesn’t have anything to do with you. You said it yourself, you two were doing well, becoming solid. She wanted the same thing you wanted. Feelings don’t just change overnight.” You dropped your gaze to your coffee. “Trust me,” you finished quietly, hoping you managed to keep the bitterness from your tone. 

“Y/N.”

You looked up to find him watching you intently, concerned. Here he was, spiraling due to what happened to him and going through his own pain, but now he had immediately switched gears and was studying you with complete empathy for whatever you might be going through. It was just one of the many things you loved about him. Loved. That word had your eyes widening and you immediately straightened up and got to your feet. 

CJ’s brows furrowed, his concern increasing. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course. I just remembered I have this thing I need to… Yeah.” You slipped your jacket on and didn’t meet his eyes. “Look, talk to Jen. Not tonight, though. Sleep on it and then try again tomorrow. She might be more receptive to talking then. Okay?” You slipped two buttons into their corresponding holes and left the rest, anxious to get out of there. “I’ll be back at my dorm later. Call if you need anything.”

“Y/N, hold up a second. I just want to make sure you’re—”

“Gotta run,” you cut him off, stopping to kiss the top of his head…something you had never done before and you weren’t even sure why you were doing it now. Oh God, you had to get out of there. “Um, bye,” you called and hurried out of the shop. 

You didn’t make it far though before you were whipped around, coming face to face with a very confused yet pensive looking CJ. His eyes roamed over your face and he seemed to be considering something. You were about to ask him what he needed when realization suddenly dawned on his features followed by something that appeared to be determination. He gently cupped your cheeks and leaned in, brushing his lips against yours. 

You felt the kiss everywhere, like a shock of electricity that traveled through your body to light up every single inch of you from the top of your head to your fingertips and then right down to your toes. You were surprised you hadn’t collapsed to the ground; your knees literally felt weak. The flip feeling in your stomach that you usually got when he was near, when he laid an arm across your shoulders when you two would talk and laugh over whatever horror movie he had you watching next, it was back in full force. Your heart skipped a beat and giddiness had your lips forming into the beginning of a smile against his. You never wanted this to end.

But it did. CJ broke away and pulled back, staring into your eyes.

“Whoa,” you breathed, not even really meaning to say anything. You weren’t even sure how you were forming words at this point. Because if you had been able to think right then, that certainly wouldn’t have been your first choice of things to say in reaction to what just happened.

“Yeah,” he whispered, sounding just as awestruck as you did.  

“What do we do?” Why was your brain not cooperating and stopping any words that wanted to tumble out?

He grasped your chin between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes flicking back and forth between your mouth and you, before he leaned in again.

This time, you placed a hand on his chest, effectively stopping his progress. “I’m not going to be a rebound or something to pass the time with. You’re not going to use me to make Jen jealous or to make yourself feel better until you get over her.” It was official; your brain and mouth were in cahoots to betray you and completely embarrass you while they were at it. He had only kissed you once for crying out loud.

CJ nodded, staring into your eyes and his lips ghosting over yours, still frozen in the place you had stopped him. “Got it,” he murmured.

Your brain switched off then and you threaded your fingers in his hair before you lifted up on your toes and bridged the gap, kissing him as deeply as you dared. His arms encircled your waist and pulled you closer against his body, causing you to let out a tiny squeak against his mouth. A chuckle rumbled in his chest before he slotted his lips against yours more insistently, one of his hands also sneaking up into your hair and coming to rest behind your neck as he gently pushed you to meet him more fervently. 

You? You had died and gone to heaven. CJ, your longtime crush, the friend you had feelings for, was kissing you and that was all you needed to know right then. Everything else fell away and ceased to matter in the face of that fact. 

You had stayed true to your word; you didn’t allow yourself to become a rebound despite what followed that night. CJ had eventually talked to Jen and found out why she had broken up with him in the manner she had. Her grandmother had cancer, something she had found out the previous night, and she had a “freakout”. That was what CJ had called it when he told you. Jen had felt overwhelmed and scared and unable to handle anything that wasn’t related to her Grams. So she’d purposely pushed CJ away, something she now deeply regretted and apologized for. He more than understood why she did what she did and truthfully, so did you. 

You had bitten your lip to keep the tears at bay that you could feel trying to form. While you felt compassion for Jen and her grandmother, not even being able to imagine what they must be going through, you could feel your heart breaking even further in your chest. That night had been rough for him but it turned out to be an absolute magical one for you in the end. You should have known it would be short-lived. You knew he still had feelings for Jen, cared about her, they had dated for months — that wasn’t something that just switched off because of whatever had popped up between the two of you in the last few days.

CJ had covered your hand with his and squeezed, urging you to meet his eyes. When you did, he reached over and tenderly placed a strand of wayward hair behind your ear, giving you some semblance of a reassuring smile. “I told her I’d be there for her, whatever she needed. As a friend.”

Your brows furrowed in confusion. “But I thought…”

“You thought wrong,” he teased in a murmur before kissing you.

CJ had taken what you’d said to him seriously and though you two didn’t seem able to keep your hands off of each other, he let some time pass before he officially asked you out on a date. 

“Aren’t we doing this a little backwards?” You’d laughed, gasping into his mouth as his hand on the small of your back pushed your hips to meet his more fully. You had met in between classes at his dorm and he’d managed to convince you to be a little late to your next one, though he was completely in favor of you skipping it altogether. 

“Not yet. That’s next,” he panted, giving you a suggestive smirk. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at his ridiculously bad (yet endearing) joke. He repeated the action from before and your teeth dug into your lip as your grip on his hair tightened. “I really want to do this right.”

“Mmm, you’re more than doing it right,” you moaned, closing your eyes and arching your neck when he pushed you down onto him a third time, making you feel everything.

“Look at me,” he urged you breathlessly. You forced your eyes open, immediately settling on his and seeing the earnestness there. “I want to make this official, if it’s also what you want.” You could see a little worry in his green gaze, a little wariness, as if he was waiting for you to drop the bomb that he wasn’t what you wanted after all. That now would be when you chose to turn and run in the other direction. Silly boy.

“After all of this time, these past few months of us sleeping together and spending time together, you still don’t know?”

You saw the worry grow and you felt him tensing underneath you, almost as if bracing for impact, literally. You silently resolved then that you would do everything you could to take away that whisper of fear and doubt of his own self-worth that you saw still existed, after Jen, after his past. You gave him a reassuring smile and placed your forehead onto his. “I love you, you silly boy,” you whispered.    

You watched as shock played out on his face before his eyes softened slightly and a hint of a shy smile formed on his lips. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed, tenderly kissing his nose. 

His smile grew. “What a strange coincidence because I was just thinking I kind of love you, too.”

You pulled back, arching a brow. “Kind of? Oh, I get it, it’s because we haven’t gotten to the backwards part yet, right? Should’ve known,” you teased. 

“Shut up,” he laughed, reaching up to frame your face with his hands and kissing you. “I do, okay? I love you, too.”

You beamed down at him. “Okay.”

He was the one arching a brow this time. “Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll go out on that date with you.”

“One I love you is all it took to get you to say yes?”

You shrugged. 

“Wow, we really are doing this backwards,” he chuckled. 

“Told you.” You shot him a cocky grin.

“And I believe I told you.” He mirrored your smirk and lifted you off of him, carefully tossing you back onto the bed. You broke into a fit of giggles as you bounced and he chuckled once more as his body covered yours, cutting off your laughter by kissing you deeply. It wasn’t too long after that that he kept his word, on both counts. 

Things were going well and you were both happy to have moved your friendship that had turned into something more into something great. CJ transferring to New York to continue his education had been difficult but it was a plan you had known about long before he ever kissed you that first time. 

While you would miss him and secretly worry that this might be the kiss of death in your relationship (everyone knew long distance relationships didn’t have the best track record), you were determined to support him and meet him halfway in this, sometimes literally. There had been a few romantic weekends spent in Connecticut and of course, he came to Boston to visit when he could and you traveled to Manhattan when you could. You made it work, as much as any couple was able to. It helped that you were on the same coast and within driving distance of each other.

So here you were, on one such visit to the boy you loved with all of your heart. You cupped his cheek and brought him in for a kiss. “Hi,” you whispered.

“Hi,” he murmured against your lips, a dopey smile settling onto his cute face. “I’ve missed you.” 

“Are you sure about that? You haven’t been seeing any girls from New York on the side, have you?” You couldn’t resist teasing him once more.

“No.” He pecked your lips. “They’ve got nothing on Boston girls.” 

“Damn straight,” you muttered as he kissed you again.

“Especially one girl from Boston in particular.”

“And who might that be?” You smiled when he placed a kiss to the corner of your mouth.

“Just some girl.” He gently urged you down onto your back and hovered over you, grinning. “You probably don’t know her.” You playfully swatted at his bare chest and he snickered, lowering down to brush his lips against your jawline. “You’re not dating any guys from Boston, are you?”

You gave it right back to him. “Nope, just one. You probably don’t know him, though. He’s incredibly good looking, smart, funny, very caring and empathetic, a real firecracker in the sack, brave…oh, and did I mention he’s super good looking?” You gave him a half-hearted shrug. “Eh, you probably don’t know him.”

He glared down at you playfully as you laughed and he pulled you closer, yanking you roughly underneath him and eliciting a tiny squeal from you. He lowered himself down, resting on his arms to keep from crushing you with his weight, and your legs automatically parted for him, coming up to cradle his hips. “A real firecracker in the sack, huh?”

“Mmm.” You dug your teeth into your bottom lip, smiling as you looked up at him. “Yeah,” you whispered.

His grin softened slightly and his hands tenderly brushed your hair out of your eyes. “I really have missed you,” he murmured. You could see he had; it was all right there in his gaze, in his expression. This long distance thing wasn’t easy for either of you, by any means, but he was more than worth it. He always had been and you made sure to let him know that in every way possible.

You reached up and affectionately ran your fingers through his hair. “I really missed you, too.”

CJ’s smile overtook his face and he leaned down, pressing his lips to yours. You drank of him deeply as you both began to make up for lost time, this boy who held your heart in the palm of his hand and had it pretty much from the moment you met. The same boy whose own heart had been entrusted to you, warily being handed to you in its cracked and fragile state which you then held together with your fingers until those fractures healed as best they could. You loved him and he loved you; you couldn’t ask for anything more.

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[gazs-blue-hat]

*ahem!* may I offer a humble prompt for Gaz as tribute?🙋🏻‍♀️

something along the lines of everyone around you and Gaz always saying that you're dating or asking you "are you sure you're not dating?" and you/him always denying it. but at the back of your mind, it leaves a lingering thought of what it would be like to date him and looking over at Gaz and catch him looking at you👀 with the same thought running through his mind.

but you can't really blame everybody else because you're always seen together and you act like a couple so WHAT TF DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT DATING?

(I may not may not be speaking from experience😂)

I FIGURED OUT ASKS EVERYBODY! I'm so so sorry @groguspicklejar for the insane about of time it took me to figure the ask system out. Without further procrastination, here is the story!

Paperwork Shmaperwork

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick X Reader (gn)

WC: 1,265

TW: Miscommunication (In a funny way I swear), Mutual pining, Canon typical language (LMK if I missed any)

Everybody knows you and Kyle are a 'thing'. It's so abundantly clear to everybody who looks at the two of you any time you are together. Kyle and you are practically attached at the hip.

And it pisses Simon Riley the hell off.

He's all for his buddy getting some affection and care but every single time he mentions things to Kyle, he gets a flabbergasted look and a chuckled 'they're just my friend!'.

He's absolutely had it. He knows there's a connection between you two, hell he was it in Tommy and Beth before they got married! In true Riley fashion, he decided to take things into his own hands.

That's how you and Kyle ended up in a swivel chair in Simon's office with a file placed before him. The file in question had his name on it followed by a series of angry scribbles.

"Tell me again what this is about?" He raised his eyebrow, looking at his LT. You nod your head, sitting next to Kyle with your hands in your lap.

"Since you two so 'clearly' are "just friends" I've decided to compile evidence that proves otherwise." Simon leans back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. Kyle scoffs while you make a confused expression. Kyle opened the folder, shifting it so you could read it too, and began glancing over the tactical writing on the pages.

"Johnny put you up to this?" You have to ask, it's so out of character for Simon to stick his nose in people's business.

"No, I don't need him to tell me what right before of my eyes." The response is cold, but Simon's at his limit.

Kyle rolled his eyes at the first entry. It was dated a few months back and a description of the incident was written down.

-----five months previous----

"Hey, Gaz! Wait up!" You were jogging across the tarmac, a blue cap in your hand. Kyle had been so worked up about this next mission that he had forgotten it at the breakfast table. You were lucky enough to have caught him before the helo took off. 

Kyle turned, smiling at your form rushing him with his hat. He had felt that something was missing but he couldn't tell what it had been. He checked his whole kit about seven times before you arrived with his token headpiece.

"Oh thank you love! Almost forgot it!" He reached out to grab the article of clothing but you simply hopped into the helo and placed it on his head, making sure it was straight.

"Can't have you going off without this! How else would Price be able to identify you out in the field?" 

He chuckled at your statement, patting you on the shoulder and ushering you out of the chopper before Price had another episode about 'authorization' and 'keeping things tactical. 

You stood on the tarmac as the helo took off, waving fondly as your best friend was carried through the air to some unknown destination for some unknown amount of time.

-------

"That doesn't count! Johnny did the same fuckin' thing to him last week!" You sat back in your chair, a blush starting to creep up your neck. The way Simon had worded the report made it seem so clear that you and Kyle were in a relationship.

What you had said was true. Johnny had rushed to give Kyle his hat back but that was after he had stolen it and Kyle was on a war path to retrieve it. When Johnny had gotten the hat back to Kyle, it was a slam on his head and a cackling sprint instead of a soft handover and a pat on the shoulder.

Fuckin' MacTavish...

Simon grunted and just pointed at the next entry, a smug smile on his face under the mask.

---Three months ago---

"And then I said-" The man next to you continued chatting away even after you had told him no less than five times that you were not interested. One person can only say "That's crazy" so many times before they themselves go crazy.

"Pardon me, sir, I need to steal my friend here for a moment." You felt a warm hand at the small of your back, palm just barely touching your shirt.

Kyle

Kyle gently led you back to the part of the bar where he was sitting, along with a few of his old buddies from the CTSFO team he had been working with before he met Price.

"Oh my God, thank you so much, Kyle. You're a literal lifesaver. If I had to listen to one more story about some random topic, I was going to go insane." Kyle laughed softly, the sound buzzing pleasantly in your mind. 

"Don't worry about it. I could practically smell the boredom from here. Can't say we will be much better conversation but at least we won't pester you for your phone number or anything!" Kyle's remark got laughs from everybody at the booth, including you.

His hand never left your back.

--------

"Any good friend would have done the same! It is not okay to leave someone stranded in a situation like that!" Kyle was starting to blush as well. He had never romantically thought of you but he couldn't deny the feelings that were bubbling in his mind now.

You were in a similar situation with your own feelings. Having everything written out like this before you made things so much clearer. You had been tossing the idea of Kyle around in your mind for a few months now. He made you laugh and smile. He made you feel safe in a way that nobody else ever had before.

Perhaps Simon was onto something...

Simon grabbed the folder from Kyle and shook his head, pulling two more files out from the drawer of his desk.

"I already got the paperwork for you two. The documents are all in there so there's no need to go bother Price about it. The deadline for those documents is in three days so I suggest you both get your shit sorted out quick." Simon folded his arms and started working on a different piece of paperwork, leaving you and Kyle gaping at him like fish. 

Simon looked up at you both, rolling his eyes and making a dismissal gesture with his hand. Neither of you had to be told twice as you stood and exited the room, closing the door behind yourselves. 

You both stood outside of the office for a long while, not knowing what to say or how to act. Kyle opened his mouth to say something at the same time you did.

"Do you thi-"

"Want to g-" 

You snickered and gestured for him to go first. He smiled and rubbed the folder between his fingers.

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to talk about this...paperwork over a pint?" he was blushing a bit and he couldn't quite meet your eyes.

You nodded, smiling as you looked down at the documents in your own folder.

"Only if you bring that good pen that everybody is always trying to steal." You couldn't help but gently nudge him with your elbow

"It's a date then. Say 6:00?" He was already pulling his phone out to mark the time in his calendar.

"How about now?" You turned your head and smiled. Kyle did the same, placing his hand on your lower back to lead you to his quarters on base.

"I like that plan."

He never removed his hand from your back.

[thedomesticanthropologist]

Neil Newbon is doing an incredible job at reminding people to not get swept up in the hype. He always makes a point of crediting everyone who was involved in the development of not only the character that he worked on but the entire game. He talks about how there were 248 people involved in acting and various other things and he said that so many times I have it memorized.

He is humble, kind, and most of all

Just some guy

I'm going to say that really loudly and really clearly because this is a human being not an idol. This is an intelligent, kind, witty, friendly person who is doing everything in his power to be exactly the very best representation of an actor who has been thrust into the spotlight.

It's very obvious that he wasn't expecting this he's even said that he wasn't expecting this level of response to him in particular. Please be aware that he is not your personal therapist, even though he understands therapy and he is very intelligent and has taken a lot of time to sort of coach a lot of his fans.

Please remember that although you find him attractive, him brushing off these comments towards him or emphasizing that people are attracted to the character and not him, are not him being shy or being unaware of how attractive he is. He is aware of how people feel about him. I can say this with full confidence because this man can read. And a lot of people have been writing to him.

He is a person. He is just some guy. And I'm not trying to undermine him he is incredibly talented, intelligent, kind I could repeat myself a million times but the point is he does not belong to. He is not yours. He's not a character. He is a literal human being who is trying to do his job and is doing an amazing job at it. But he has also specifically stated that he is expecting to become extremely burned out by this experience.

Listening to an interview with him on Spotify today, I got to hear about how he is quite sure that when all of this sort of calms down as one might say, he's going to need a break. No I don't know if that was the interviewer mentioning it or him himself but he has had to navigate an extreme amount of popularity being dumped in his lap very quickly and while he is doing it with a lot of Grace and dignity I think that maybe as a fandom the bg3 community could give him a bit of a break by sticking to questions that are easy-

If you're going to hire him on cameo then please don't be insane or weird about it or ask him complex questions relating to sexual trauma or trauma dump on him.

Please if you are going to compliment him don't be weird about it.

And honestly if you really want to support him because you really like him and you think that he in particular is amazing, the best thing that you can do is start to hype up the rest of the actors and writers and developers and people who have worked on this game because he has been trying throughout every interview every acceptance speech and every moment that he has been on camera or on the microphone from what I can see trying his very best to make sure that other people get to share the spotlight with him.

Help him do that, and try to be chill.

[infinitebrians]

Favorite Games of 2023 Part 4: Pseudoregalia

I knew Pseudoregalia was going to be good the minute I started the game and did the input for the Mario 64 side flip jump and the game’s main character Sybil did her own version of that satisfying jump. One of my all time favorite things to do in a Mario game (or any game) is that side flip, a jump that is as practical as it is just simply satisfying to do. Sybil being able to do that jump without needing any of the power ups found in the game told me that the developers of this game knew the importance to making character feel good jumping around in a 3D world. Her movement only gets better from there with a bunch of new platforming abilities that makes her capable of getting what feels like anywhere in that game world if desired. The pure control you have over Sybil's platforming capabilities gave me so many great moments of pure curiosity to experiment with what could work. What's better is watching friends and others play the game and figure out their own solutions to the game's open ended platforming design. There are no wrong answers in the world of Pseudoregalia, just results.

This game was a complete surprise in just about every way, just the best feeling platformer I’ve played in a long while in this small, cleaned up former game jam game. I’ve followed the main dev rittzler on twitter for a few years because the gameplay clips of their work have all looked fun and impressive and they always shared other really cool indie dev work as well. So, I was excited to finally play Pseudoregalia when it was announced to be released. It's super low price (6 dollars USD) and being something I was able to finish in the span of one day alone was a huge breath of fresh air in this current gaming environment. It’s something I’ve been personally thinking a lot about recently is the appeal of a simpler, lower priced game. It’s appeal to me coming from playing something that never needs to be some sort of omnipresent, super game. Instead, Pseudoregalia presents itself in a humble statement of, ‘here, enjoy a few hours jumping around this wacky maze like castle as a goat bunny lady!’.

I'm not a person who typically ever has a desire to replay a game right after finishing it, I usually prefer to immediately move on to another game that I've been wishing to play for for a while. Pseudoregalia is a game I've played four or so times now from start to finish, I even started another playthrough in preparation for this drawing/writing and found myself wanting to play it all the way through again. Its the first time I found myself actually physically seeing the appeal of speedrunning, a hobby I always just enjoyed as a spectator. Pseudoregalia just lends itself so neatly to that part of me that loves routing out a path for stuff. How quickly can you find all the vital movement abilities for Sybil? What's unnecessary, what can be improved, what can be gathered while on the path of gathering something else. From at least my perspective of not actually investigating the proper speedrunner's routing, the options feel immense. From these handful of times replaying the game I've gotten a good handle of finding my way around the map and a good idea of how to get a lot of the really important movement abilities almost immediately. It also made the game feel quite different from how it felt to me with my first playthrough, what was once mysterious and labyrinthine was now a familiar playground.

That is one thing I will miss when doing those repeat playthroughs is that sense of discovery that occurred with that initial run. Soon before Pseudoregalia came out, I watched a lot of Videochess and spaghoner's exploration and documentation of the incredible Mario 64 hack, B3313 ( https://youtu.be/pLKB0SG0i8c ). I found that hack incredible at creating a sense of uneasiness and wonder from simply keeping you constantly guessing what was next behind each door something even those two expressed while streaming. During my first playthrough of Pseudoregalia, I was completely lost in that castle and was constantly finding paths that led to new zones or ones circled me back to old ones from hours ago. It was a pretty incredible feeling of discovery that only wore out it's welcome at the end when I just needed one more big key necessary for progression. What helped make exploration in both of these games engaging the whole time is that aspect of having a really fun character to move around as while being lost. It was okay with being completely lost because I could still just keep doing these long jumps into wall kicks that just make Sybil go fuckin' fast in an immensely satisfying way.

I think in the time it's taken me to think about this game again, and briefly revisit it in preparation for this art/writing I've come to decide that this is probably my favorite new game of 2023. In a year full of fantastic platformers to pick from, this one was just a class above in terms of movement design and movement application.

[lale-txt]

❈ 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐰/ 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢 & 𝐠𝐧!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

@nakunakunomi asked: Oh Lale, I am humbly and nervously shuffling into your askbox. Your writings are a true delight and never fail to make me smile, and with your multifandom box opening I just had to dig into my brainstorms and pick something out. Can I ask for something (any format that works best for you) with Itachi and a super clumsy /and chaotic reader? Reader can be fem or genderneutral. They try and organize / prep dates and surprises, but end up hurting themselves (never too bad), spoiling their own surprises, accidentally setting something on fire... just shenanigans all over the place, but all with the best intentions. Thank you so much already for your consideration! If you have any additional questions, or you need to bonk me over the head cause i forgot something, you know where to find me. I hope you have a lovely time writing!

a/n: Hazel! i'm gonna melt into a puddle from your sweet words, thank you so much! you don't understand how excited i was when i read your request, it was right up my alley, hehe. writing this made me fall a bit for Itachi (Uchiha harem when), and i hope i did your request justice! i always get a little nervous when writing a char i've never written before.

word count: 831

“Does it hurt?”

Itachi holds your hands in his, his kind eyes studying the cuts and blisters on your fingers before he carefully wraps them in band-aids and gauze. Thanks to the soothing balm he applied (and his gentle touch), you aren’t really in pain anymore, but the guilt of almost burning down the kitchen still weighs heavy on your chest. Once you’re all patched up, Itachi helps you down from the kitchen counter you were sitting on and wraps his arms around you, his face nuzzled in the crook of your neck. Both of you let out a long sigh.

“I’m sorry for worrying you”, you mumble and close your eyes for a moment, inhaling his familiar scent while he embraces you. Your fingers run lightly over his back, as if to reassure him that everything’s alright. Itachi laughs quietly and shakes his head. 

“Maybe no kitchen experiments that involve open fire before you had coffee in the morning, hm?”, he teases and places a small kiss on your forehead. Itachi knows you were planning a sweet surprise for him before he had to leave the house; and he’s not mad, he just can’t help but worry because of your clumsiness. He saw you trip over your own feet more often than when he taught his baby brother how to walk, and your talent to set things on fire made him wonder if you had some Uchiha blood running through your veins, because surely this wasn’t just some Katon no Jutsu?

“I wanted to prepare you a bento for today’s mission so you’ll think of me”, you pout slightly and hide your face against his chest. This way you also don’t have to face the pile of dirty dishes in the sink and the half-burnt bento box that you left too close to the stove while you went out in the garden to grab some fresh herbs. Luckily Itachi, light sleeper that he is, had woken up prior from the sound of plates clattering downstairs (and your hushed curses when you cut yourself again) and was quick to put out the small fire when it got suspiciously quiet again in the kitchen.

“Oh, darling”, Itachi sighs. “Look at me.”

With a finger under your chin he slowly lifts your head up, making you look him in the eyes. His gaze was warm and gentle, and you could see all the love Itachi held for you in his heart. It’s as if your name was written all over his heart walls, leaving no room for doubt that you were the only one for him. If only he could carry you with him in the safety of his heart, then maybe you wouldn’t end up clumsily hurting yourself over and over again–his heart was already ablaze for you, anyway.

“I’m never not thinking about you”, he mumbles before pressing a small kiss on your lips, leaving you yearning for more. His voice is low and husky and one hand is still holding your chin up, while his other pulls you closer against him by your hip; no room left between you. “Whether it’s about that sweet smile of yours”–another kiss–”or all the ways you call out my name”–one more kiss, this time deeper–”or when I get to kiss you again because I’m missing your lips on mine always.”

Itachi kisses down from your jaw to the side of your neck, making you melt under his touch and affection. He’s so tender with you; as if you’re the most delicate thing in the world. Sure, you might have tendencies to cause havoc with every step you take, but still–you’re the safest place for his whole heart. It’s you, always you. And if he’s gonna wrap you up in gauze and band-aids for the rest of his life, Itachi will happily do so, because it means you’re by his side and he can hold out a gentle hand to catch you, knowing you’ll always take it.

“Kiss me again, will you?”

And with kisses this sweet, no pain will linger for too long…

[yostresswritinggirl]

Pagtingin

"I'll just wait for the wind to sweep away my words."

Scaramouche/Wanderer x Fem!Reader.

Fluff; keeping your feelings secret; glimpses of Wanderer before he got his memories back; classic Scaramouche behavior; feel good story.

Heeey, @monicahar, guess I'm your secret santa uwu you know how much I love angst so know how I tried my very best to make this as fluff and kinda crack as you wished! I have FOUR retakes of this because I'm writing for the Scaramouche master writer (first one got rejected cuz it's quite angsty but I hope you liked it!)

"Mr. Sandman, sand me a saaand," you take a sighing pause, breathing in, and starting again. "Dendro archon, send me a siiiign -"

"What the hell are you singing about?"

"Wanderer!" And there he was in all his glory, arms crossed and stare full of judgment yet stuck to you as you stumbled across the room to reach the windowsill, opening the window to see that - yep, he's floating in mid-air.

The high rising moon behind him framed his ethereal form so beautifully, as if he was a messenger of Celestia ready to take you to the skies above.

You cough to your hand.

His squint lightens, descending to sit on the windowsill so you wouldn't have to crane your neck awkwardly to maintain eye contact.

"There's that Wanderer I know."

The sweet lost foreigner that first stepped foot into Sumeru City with eyes filled with innocent wonder. As a proud citizen and a strange sense of responsibility, you approached the then stranger for an impromptu tour around the humble place, something that he seemed to have needed desperately.

You still remember when he asked about where the sunsettias and harra fruits could be found, in case his employer needed to restock his stall. Of all the beauty that no other nation could compare, he wanted to know where the fruits are.

Safe to say your sudden guffaw had him spooked for a bit, but are you really to blame for how adorable he is for being so new to the world like he is?

It was a nice surprise too when you stumbled upon his fabled stall in the Grand Bazaar one day while he was tending to customers, flustered from the rush hour and his lack of training. Despite not needing it, you willed yourself to buy a watermelon just to talk to him again and give him a better customer service experience.

"Thank you for your purchase - ah, and come again sometime!"

You had to eat watermelon slices for a week because of that impulse buy, but his shy smile was worth the diet change.

But then his overall demeanor changed when you found an anemo vision hanging near his chest, at the same day that he left his merchant work with a blonde traveler. The Wanderer you knew didn't glare like that, talk like that, act like that. It was so quiet between you two, and it felt like he was sizing you up, unsure what to do with you.

"Hey!" His indigo eyes watched you place your hands on your hips with an annoyed huff. "You can't act like this just cuz you got a vision now, getting one doesn't mean you have to change up on me. We're friends still!"

And while his huff and eye roll are baffling to see on your sweet Wanderer, you can't deny his smirk suits him perfectly.

"Look who's the lonely one now." He clicks his tongue, mockingly, yet there were no apparent venom in his words. Back when he asked why you were hanging around him, you told him that he looked lonely too.

("Why are you doing all this? For me? Someone who's -" his Adam's apple bobbed so harshly as he gulped. "A stranger." The way he said those words sounded strangely strained.

"I just thought you looked quite lonely," you settled with no double meanings or deep words those scholars in the Akademiya tend to use. There's no need to beat around the bush with him. Leaning over your stall, you dipped your head under his hat to level his gaze more clearly. "Lonely and a lil confused, like you needed a friend.")

"Yeah, I missed you." He's always seemed like the type of person who wants the blatant truth.

"I -" And his actions had always been honest with you. What with the way he paused and avoided your stare, how he turns his head away and tilt his hat down to hide the expressions he's making. Perhaps your honesty doesn't just come from his preferences. "I suppose that's expected what with you being locked up here for - what? Eight days?"

"Almost nine." Heaving another sigh, your arms hang over the platform as you slump on the spot next to him.

Stuck in your dormitory room because of a flu you caught while out collecting data. While it's not life-threatening for anyone whatsoever, it's still contagious enough for the Akademiya to force you to self isolation until you got better. You haven't had contact with others in days, at least, that's what the Akademiya knows.

Wanderer stares at you with a look that screams out 'why the hell are you looking at me like that?' as you feel a smile force its way to your face, unable to hide it even from him. How could you when the man in front of you, no matter how many times you warned not to get close because of your flu, would only scoff about how ironic it was that you're the one saying those words.

You're thankful that he's confident of his immune system to keep visiting you like this.

He didn't have to visit every day the hour before your assigned bed time, but he's always here on the dot.

Despite the sudden change, Wanderer is still just as easy to read no matter how hard he tries not to be.

"Right, I almost forgot." You watch as he pulled out something wrapped in a beautiful blue furoshiki, the sweet smell already betraying the surprise before he unwraps the baklava for you. "You asked for some yesterday and I didn't want you to whine again."

"Pastries! Oh I love you so much!"

He can remember it so clearly that he could recreate every frame of the scene: The overwhelming feeling in his chest with the tightness in his throat, him opening his mouth before pressing his lips together before the first word could even come out.

Wanderer felt physical pain from the battle in his mind while you happily indulge in the pastry, blissfully unaware of the things you do to him.

Why was he here again after he got his memories back? Why does he keep coming back to this student that showed him around the city when he first arrived?

Lesser Lord Kusanali proposed to keep this connection instead of wallowing in self pity now that the world has forgotten him (that was his own doing), yet it was something that locked him in ball and chain despite having the conscious mind to get away.

Yet the way you immediately turn to him with an amused smile, "Something on your mind?" Easily defeated the clashing virtues debating in his mind. "You want a baklava?"

There was a pained expression on his face as he clutched his hand over his chest, he knows you've seen it no matter how he tried not to look like it. The Wanderer had always been so honest with you that's true, because it was so easy to just be him with you.

But that's not really him, is it?

Puppets like him don't need to breathe.

Yet at that time, perhaps Nahida was right that there really wasn't any difference between a human and a puppet.

"Do you think I deserve a second chance?" He let slip in front of the archon one day when his thoughts raged like the fires of a faraway furnace, too slow to bite his tongue and too frustrated to cover up with a 'forget it.'

Nahida, in contrast, takes time to think things through and watch his body language. From the way he avoids her stare and how his crossed arms looked more defensive of a different insecurity. The god of wisdom doesn't need to read minds to know this is an entirely different case.

"Let's put it this way, what's stopping you from thinking you don't deserve it?" Deserve her, more like.

And his old self would have said nothing, that he deserves everything he desires for all the efforts he had done to get to where he is now. But he's better than that now, no, he's better than that because of you.

Why must he be awkward around you?

Why must he be so hang up on every detail about him and you?

Why must he be so insecure of who he is and who you are?

"Because I'm not human," yet he uttered those words as if he was baffled by his own answer, eyes wide with confusion as he clutched his head. "Yet these days I feel like I'm one."

He practically all but shoved the poor pastry into his mouth, biting down with just a little too much force than intended. Fuck, he hates sweet things!

And so the puppet known as a human does his best to ignore your snickers with how his face contorts into irritation and disgust as the layers melt stickily in his mouth. Oh, he hates you, hates how much he loves you.

He hopes you don't blame him, it's hard to take a gamble with the only chance he's ever getting.

"How's your research going?"

"My proposal is ready, when I'm out of here, I wanna try and get funding to go conduct research in the desert."

"Mhm."

"Then I'll take you with me and tour you there too, I promise the views are worth it!"

"Alright, I'll hold you to it."

So for now, he will keep his peace until he's ready. He only hopes that when he confess his secrets, your opinion of him won't change.

He only hopes... when he reveals his feelings, your opinion of him won't change.

Maybe tomorrow, you'll be his. He can only hope.

This is loosely based on a song called Pagtingin, with English translations here! That's the vibe I'm going for where the singer is hesitating to confess his feelings because he's afraid that the person he loves would treat/see him differently if they don't share the same feelings.

Tagging: @maehemthemisfit @ireallylikehamsters @chuusposts

[crazylittlejester]

I am literally bombarding your asks recently and I apologize profusely I am just a bored little guy and I need some way to just scream out the things I want to and, you are the best candidate so...

this is a question this time around because I've wondering how people think about this (and because I might need feedback for a fic I'm thinking about writing..)

BUT ANYWHO my question is, how do you think the LU links would interact with HW Link? (NOT Warriors) it's been an idea I've had on my mind for literal months and I've struggled with ways to execute it because I'm so clueless on how all the characters would interact 😭

I appreciate your feedback!!!

nah man don’t apologize!! I love to hear from ya :)

i wanna start off by saying im sorry it took me so long to answer this. i was thinkin about it at work all day and kept jottin’ stuff down and then i thought i posted it but accidentally just saved it to drafts alskdkddl 😭

ok so you said HW Link, not Wars, and I’m interpreting that as biblically accurate, as god intended, no headcanons applied to him Hyrule Warriors Link, who is like 17 and doesn’t speak. I think right off the bat, a MAJOR difference would be biblically accurate HW Link NEEDING Proxi there with him so he could communicate with the others. Also if you’d be throwing him in there as a 17 yo, I think his role in the group would be very different. He may be a captain used to leading, but the way he’d look to his allies for support (especially after he got HUMBLED) leads me to believe he would look to Time more so as a leader like the others do and recognize him as someone who’s older and has more life experience (not WAR experience, LIFE experience), instead of how I think Warriors looks at Time as someone equal to himself. Like I think HW Link would respect him in a different way, from a different perspective (THIS IS ALL ASSUMING WE’RE NOT COUNTING MASK AS CANON- If we ARE, well then that’s still his shit little brother, but I think it would be VERY weird for biblically accurate 17 yo HW Link to see Mask being in his 30s)

HW Link in his game really comes off as someone who’s very quiet, just because of how he’s kinda just 🧍‍♂️in the back sometimes while the girls are arguing, (fighting for my life to not throw any of my headcanons on him rn) and because of that energy he brings to the table, I think he’d be closest with Four. Four, who is equally as dramatic, but also on the quieter side. And both of them greatly value their alone time. I think they’d be very similar

I also think he’d like Twilight and Sky still, but where I can see Warriors as the instigator of the chaos in the trio, i think HW Link would be more subtly insane. Like he’d still go crazy with them, but not in such a bold way and HE certainly wouldn’t be the one starting it. Twilight and Sky wouldn’t look up to him the same way either, because he’d be younger than them

my brain is slowly melting its so hard to separate biblically accurate HW Link from the special little blorbo he’s become to me, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS IS COHERENT AND HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS!!!

@hyruledwarriorr

[yuff7e]

Hello again!! I'm the anon that requested the demon slayer x low self esteem reader headcanons! And let me tell you i was not disappointed!! You truly are an amazing writer, that being said and I really hope you don't mind but I want to request more demon slayer x reader headcanons 😭 this time I would like if you could write for zenitsu, tanjirou and obanai? (separately ofc, if you dont write for obanai thats totally fine and you can just do zenitsu and tanjiro!) With (preferably fem) reader that loves complimenting them and showing them how much they appreciate being in a relationship with them? Giving them gifts, baking for them, making them handmade presents and love letters, etc. Just like total wifey material lol. I really don't want to overwork you or anything like that so seriously take as much time as you need with this request!!

-🫀 Anon

✨ 𝐙𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔, 𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐈𝐑𝐎, & 𝐎𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐈 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒/𝐎 ✨

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

hi there again!! aww your last request was very fun to write!! thanks so much for requesting :) i hope you enjoy these headcanons as much as i do!! (it’s a bit short bc i’m sleepy oops) ఌ︎

♬♪ -> lıllılı.ıllı.ılılıı my urls aren’t working idk why :,(

zenitsu agatsuma

— zenitsu is easily flustered by your constant compliments. he loves hearing how amazing he is, though he might blush and stutter in response. every compliment boosts his confidence and makes him more determined to be a better partner.

— he adores any kind of gift you give him. whether it’s a small trinket or something meaningful, zenitsu treasures it dearly. he’s always excited and a bit surprised when you hand him something, often making a big deal out of it.

— zenitsu enjoys baking with you, though he might need some guidance since he’s not the best cook. he loves eating the treats you make and will often try to help by taste-testing or offering to clean up.

— he’s deeply touched by handmade presents, often keeping them close. zenitsu sees them as symbols of your love and effort, and he might even show them off to friends, proudly declaring them as gifts from his amazing partner.

— receiving love letters from you is something zenitsu cherishes. he reads them over and over, keeping them in a special box or notebook. he might even carry a small note from you as a good luck charm.

tanjiro kamado

— tanjiro is moved by your compliments and genuine appreciation. he’s humble, so your words are a great boost to his spirit. he often reciprocates with heartfelt words of his own, praising your kindness and support.

— tanjiro values the thought behind the gifts you give him. whether it’s a new piece of clothing or a personal keepsake, he sees it as a reflection of your deep care and consideration.

— baking with you is a joyful experience for tanjiro. he loves the process of making treats together and sharing them. he also appreciates your baking skills and often praises your talent in the kitchen.

— tanjiro is deeply appreciative of any handmade presents. he sees them as a tangible reminder of your affection and is likely to keep them in a special place, showing them to anyone who asks about them.

— your love letters are cherished by tanjiro. he reads them with a gentle smile, taking comfort in your words. he might even write letters of his own in response, expressing his feelings and gratitude.

obanai iguro

— obanai is a bit reserved with his emotions, but your compliments make him feel deeply appreciated. while he might not always show it, he values your kind words and takes them to heart.

— he has a strong appreciation for well-thought-out gifts. if you give him something that reflects his interests or needs, he will be grateful and keep it close. he might also be a bit shy in expressing his gratitude.

— obanai is more likely to prefer observing or assisting rather than actively participating in baking. however, he does appreciate the effort and enjoys the results of your baking.

— handmade gifts are significant to obanai. he sees them as a symbol of your commitment and effort, and he is likely to keep them in a special place, even if he doesn’t always openly express his feelings.

— obanai values the thoughtfulness behind love letters, even if he doesn’t show it outwardly. he might keep them in a private place and read them in moments of solitude, finding comfort in your words.

requests : open

[press-f1-to-grieve]

the trophies for the 2024 dutch gp are funny looking, but now that i could make out the words on them, the more i read, the more my heart sank.

it applies to all of them, to varying degrees, sure, but still.

so many sacrifices were made, are being made, for their dream to become reality, to be the best of the best, to rise above all. i have so much respect and admiration for that, but also so saddened by it, thinking of all the things they lost and had to overcome. things i could never have done, had failed in trying, and wouldn't ask of anyone, yet they went through it all. they all paid the cost.

---

update: i'm back and i thought about it some more while i was gone. if i don't write it all down, it will nag at me in the back of my mind. i thought about whether i wanna reblog or update this post and i'm feeling an update so here goes

there's something about seeing the drivers holding a trophy with these words written on them.

like, these are all concepts we are aware of, that they themselves are aware of. once again, it's the cost of making their dream a reality. they know what they are getting into, we know what they are getting into. yet… for them to be laid out like this, as a tangible object in these drivers' arm…

when i look at max, charles and lando holding the trophy high above their head, sun shining upon them radiantly as a sea of people cheer together in celebration of their achievement, i see it as the three of them triumphantly screaming "look at what i have overcame!".

when they cradle it in their arm, i see it as them nursing invisible wounds. physical, mental, and emotional wounds that they have collected over the years, some they got from when they were still so young, tiny little kids barely reaching their adult selves' waist, yet still ache til this day, because those wounds never truly healed, because it never really got a chance to, because it's an ongoing battle.

there's also the reality of knowing they are raising those trophies high today in victory, but comes morning, and the process repeats.

like i said previously, it applies to all of them, not just max, charles, and lando. anybody else on the grid could be on that podium today holding the trophy, and these thoughts would probably still gonna enter my head. it's inspiring and humbling. it was a sobering experience.

[quirrrky]

hello, besties ✨️

♡ I have returned to tumblr this week with very little explanation but I wish to express my regrets and gratitude before I unfold a new beginning here

♡ thank you to all my followers and friends who stayed with me during my long and unannounced hiatus. I think I wasn't able to show how much this community has become a significant part of me until I was away for so long

♡ irl, these past few months I was away, I was drained and deeply hurt after caring for a friend who ended up betraying/turning his back on me in the end. my phone also got broken at the same time and I ended up losing all of my stored memory and passwords. I took it as a sign to end things here and not to return anymore. I don't want to make tumblr an escape to avoid the emotions I should process and deal with. I refrained from installing the app and opening my email linked to this account because of the guilt of not being able to get back without saying anything

♡ as I have shared, I was losing sleep this last week of august as I kept remembering all the good and fulfilling moments I spent here on tumblr. all of my interactions with you, all the friendships I made, all the ask games I played and all the things I created in my last 4 years haunted me at night because those years were my happiest thus far. I was scared to come back again until a moot dropped me an ask, asking me how I've been and that was the push that encouraged me to return

♡ the experiences I have encountered while I was away has led me to realize that the realest I have ever become was in this platform and I got to be in the company of the people who genuinely resonated with me through the thing I'm most passionate about, writing

♡ unlike last year, I'll take baby steps this time around. I'll savor the moment until it lasts. I'll choose what brings out the best in me and I'll live doing the things I love the most

♡ please bear with me as I start over again. I know I disappeared like a ghost without a word and that may have affected some of my friendships but know that all of you has a special place in my heart and memory. the whole experience is honestly very humbling for me

♡ letting all this out here, stays here, marking a new chapter of my life. grateful for all the continued love and support. excited to making new memories and meeting new wonderful people here

from the heart,

🩷 rei

[cha-melodius]

Weekend WIP Game

You say WIP game and I say "you son of a bitch, I'm in!" Thanks for dreaming this up, @welcometololaland!

1. WIP List: listing only WIPs that actually have text written and are not abandoned lol. I have a lot of to-be-written prompts, but I'm not including them here.

False Dichotomy (firstprince, aka the You've Got Mail AU)

Noir PI AU (firstprince)

Kissed Out (firstprince, pro billiards AU)

Modern magic AU (firstprince)

The Thief Who Stole My Heart (napollya, art thief/gallery owner)

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

False Dichotomy at 18k written so far (4 of ~11 chapters?)

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

Also False Dichotomy, which I'm guessing will be >50k but honestly that's a very rough number.

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

Probably False Dichotomy, though it's almost by default because I don't tend to jump around between WIPs too much. But I love the story I've set up and it has a lot of great scenes.

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

Probably the noir AU, because I feel like it needs to have a particular noir vibe that will be tough to capture.

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

Right now? Surprisingly the modern magic AU. Idk I'm in a bit of a funk and not super happy with anything I'm writing, and particularly this fic. But I have 3k written so I might as well finish it and yeet it out.

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

These days I get @celeritas2997 and @cricketnationrise to read through most of my rwrb fics. It's especially good for longer fics like False Dichotomy, and that one will have the most tricky moments in it too.

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

Not exactly? I've just set a few of them aside while I focus on others.

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

LMAO well False Dichotomy includes Kyle, who is an OC I made up originally for a missing moment in Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood (he's not even in the actual fic), but now he gets to be a real character in this one. He's a queer kid who lives at the Okonjo shelter and works at Alex's bookstore (and occasionally Coney Island lol).

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Definitely Kissed Out, which is based on an enemies/rivals AND lovers premise and is earmarked to include lots of scorching smut.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

False Dichotomy will probably have the most sustained angst. I think Kissed Out will have possibly the most intense angst, and the noir AU will have the most peril-based angst.

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

ALL OF THEM. 😂 Oh so humble, I know. But seriously, I hope they all will be.

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

I think it's going to be the noir AU, can't wait to really dig into the scenery of that one. It will have a really different vibe that I hope will be unique and exciting.

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Thus far, False Dichotomy I've put the most work into.

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

Broken record here, but False Dichotomy. Sometimes I feel like they're too high. People seem very excited. I feel a not insignificant amount of pressure.

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Can't say that I have lol.

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

Not really! Most of my wips right now are pretty straightforward, in the end.

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

The modern magic AU, probably. Definitely the silliest and crackiest of the lot.

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

No different POVs here. False Dichotomy is going to have a little interesting side exploration of Raf and Alex's relationship that isn't something I've really gotten into before.

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

HMMMMM. If you're a You've Got Mail movie fan, I think you will be quite surprised at some of the turns in the AU. No, I'm not going to tell more than that yet lol.

Ok, I'm trying to tag people not tagged in the first post, and spreading to new fandoms. Questions for artists below! @petrodobreva, @sherryvalli, @liminalmemories21, @myheartalivewrites, @leaves-of-laurelin, @celaestis1, @historicallysam, @14carrotghoul, @xthelastknownsurvivorx, @treluna4, @adreamareads, @cheesecurdsgravyandfries, @ikeepwatchinghelicopters, @nicijones, @thetamehistorian, @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @dewdropreader, @hummingbee-o0o, @wolfpup026, @natendo-art, @dreamycloud, @heytheredeann, @mirilyawrites, @jettestar, @sweatersinthesummer, AND anyone who wants to jump in!

A list of questions for Artists!

1. WIP List:

2. Which WIP is your most complex?

3. Do any of your WIPs involve you using a technique/style that you haven't used before? What inspired you to try it?

4. Which WIP do you expect will take you the longest?

5. Which WIP are you finding the most enjoyable to create?

6. Do you have a favourite character to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

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

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

9. Do any of your WIPs contain characters outside the main ship? How are you finding creating those?

10. What emotions are you hoping to convey through your WIPs?

11. Are there any features/details you are finding challenging in your WIPs?

12. Which WIP has the most complex shading/colouring?

13. Which WIP has the most complex background?

14. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for?

15. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

16. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other art doesn't?

17. Are any of your WIPs commissions?

18. Do you have a character that is more difficult to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

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