#write all the things

[crescent-dreams]

The SessKag Festival

What better way to celebrate everything SessKag than a festival dedicated to our favourite couple?

Theme - Surrender

Day 1: Rejuvenate

Day 2: Capitulate

Day 3: Indulge

Day 4: Renew

Day 5: Relinquish

Day 6: Satisfy

Day 7: Pamper

Day 8: Free choice! Catch up on one you missed or come up with something new

Rules:

Runs from September 16-23, 2023

Must feature SessKag as the main ship

All ships, both foreground and background, should only involve characters that are 18+, especially if NSFW themes are involved

Drabbles, one-shots, chapter stories, take your pick! There are no requirements or limitations on word count—anything goes, no matter the length!

Sketches, doodles, fully-coloured artwork, chibis, doujinshi are all accepted!

Prompts can be interpreted any way you like! Fluff, Angst, Smut, do with them what you will

No submission limit, show off SessKag as many times as you want

Be creative and have fun

Posting

Add any fics to the SessKag Festival collection (SKFest2023) on Ao3

Use appropriate tags and trigger warnings

Tag #skfest, #sesskagfest, #sesskagfestival, or @gildedsapphire if you post it on Tumblr

Support fellow participants’ works by commenting and/or sharing

Questions

Send in a gem (ask) or DM one of the mods for clarification

We can't wait to see what creative things you come up with! And a special shout out to @julytheartist and @razdazberry for creating this amazing banner!

[thatesqcrush]

Well if this didn’t get me in my feels.

[christinesficrecs]

I just wanted to say thank you for everything you are doing for the fandom - its my dream to have one of my fics recced by you but i refuse to cheat and send it to you myself! Maybe one day if i keep working at it 😄

Also...

The dream is you'll recommend one of my fics someday... Still have a while to go before I get there though!

You can totally cheat! I won't tell anyone. 😉 Writing is hard!! Hopefully I will fall in love with one of your fics soon. 🩷 I had a rough year and didn't find the time to fall in love with many new writers. Next year will be better! 🤞

[deadbeatbirdmom]

So I've spent far too much of my day on Tumblr already, and there's other things I want to get done.

Like reading and commenting on the second Bumbleby Big Bang fic, as I've already fallen behind with my plan of following it as it posts. Maybe I'd do better with that if I only left one comment, but I know how much it means to get a comment on every chapter.

Ah well, not as if the fics are going anywhere. I still want to get on with it though.

There's also my own current RWBY WIP fic that's demanding I actually write it.

Spending a bit of time on Tumblr won't hurt as a break from either reading/commenting or writing, but I need someone to poke me to keep me from doing too much Tumblr-ing at a time.

[soapoet]

I was just wanted to say I love how you word your tarot readings. They are so poetic and, as a writer myself, they're so beautifully written 😍

Ahh it always makes my day when writers tell me such nice things! Thank you so much ♡

[sylvies-kablooie]

i do unironically think the best artists of our generation are posting to get 20 notes and 3 reblogs btw. that fanfic with like 45 kudos is some of the best stuff ever written. those OCs you carry around have some of the richest backstories and worldbuilding someone has ever seen. please do not think that reaching only a few people when you post means your art isn't worth celebrating.

[lazylittledragon]

made a sticker for anyone to slap onto their work if they need to

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

the fact that shakespeare was a playwright is sometimes so funny to me. just the concept of the "greatest writer of the English language" being a random 450-year-old entertainer, a 16th cent pop cultural sensation (thanks in large part to puns & dirty jokes & verbiage & a long-running appeal to commoners). and his work was made to be watched not read, but in the classroom teachers just hand us his scripts and say "that's literature"

just...imagine it's 2450 A.D. and English Lit students are regularly going into 100k debt writing postdoc theses on The Simpsons screenplays. the original animation hasn't even been preserved, it's literally just scripts and the occasional SDH subtitles.txt. they've been republished more times than the Bible

[rexalogy]

Every Taylor Swift song

[erraticprocrastinator]

A reminder to all my lovely fellow writers: progress is progress, even when it isn't. Writing four thousand words in a session is progress. Writing a hundred words in a session is progress. Removing an entire scene because it doesn't flow well is progress. Rethinking your plan for the plot in order to get unstuck is progress. Development looks different for every writer and every story.

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

[crescent-dreams]

SessKag Festival Master List 2023

Day 1 - Rejuvenate

Transfer and Transform by @mrfeenysmustache/AshMish111

Awash by thetroll

Rejuvenate by @razdazberry/RazzleDazzleBerry

Rejuvenate by @julytheartist/JulytheLily

Surrender [chapter 1] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Commitment [chapter 1] by Mitsje

Step Forward [chapter 1] by thetroll

Steel Rubies [chapter 1] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Day 2 - Capitulate

Capitulate by @mrfeenysmustache

Step Forward [chapter 2] by thetroll

Steel Rubies [art] by @razdazberry/RazzleDazzleBerry

Steel Rubies [fic, chapter 2] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Commitment [chapter 2] by Mitsje

Surrender [chapter 2] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Bad Boy by @wbficaholic/wonderbug

Dictionary-sama by @lucymorningstar257

Day 3 - Indulge

Indulge by @julytheartist/JulyTheLily

Step Forward [chapter 3] by thetroll

Steel Rubies [chapter 3] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Commitment [chapter 3] by Mitsje

Indulge by @mrfeenysmustache

Surrender [chapter 3] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Day 4 - Renew

Step Forward [chapter 4] by thetroll

Steel Rubies [chapter 4] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Commitment [chapter 4] by Mitsje

Renew by @mrfeenysmustache

Surrender by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Day 5 - Relinquish

Commitment [chapter 5] by Mitsje

Steel Rubies [chapter 5] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Step Forward [chapter 5] by thetroll

Relinquish by @mrfeenysmustache

Surrender [chapter 5] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Bone to Pick by thetroll

Day 6 - Satisfy

Satisfy by @julytheartist/JulytheLily

Commitment [chapter 6] by Mitsje

Steel Rubies [chapter 6] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Ruby by @razdazberry (technically done prior, but goes with chapter 6 of Steel Rubies)

Step Forward [chapter 6] by thetroll

Surrender [chapter 6] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Day 7 - Pamper

Commitment [chapter 7] by Mitsje

Steel Rubies [chapter 7] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Step Forward [chapter 7] by thetroll

Pamper by @mrfeenysmustache

Surrender [chapter 7] by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Balance by thetroll

Day 8 - Free Choice

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder by @elevenharbor

Commitment [chapter 8] by Mitsje

Sapphire by @razdazberry

Step Forward [chapter 8] by thetroll

Day 8 by @julytheartist

Me and you, were meant to be in love by @harumatsuu/Matsu_Haru

Lost & Found by @sereia1313/Sereia13

Twirling in the Twilight, Dancing in the Dawn by @mrfeenysmustache/AshMish111

[dumplingsjinson]

List of “sweet and intimate actions which make me go feral and have me folding like a folding chair” prompts 

Character B carding their fingers through Character A’s hair and playing with the strands.

Character B peeling back the neck of Character A’s turtle neck sweater to trail gentle kisses down their neck. (This!! It is so hot, and it's everything I didn't know I needed until now, and I cannot stop thinking about it wlkfnlkwe)

Character B placing their arm around Character A’s waist while in public, resting their chin on Character A’s shoulder. “Hello,” they say in a teasing tone as Character A tries to grab ahold of their hand to keep it there but fails a few times before successfully doing so. 

Leaning against each other while in public.

Spooning and back hugs.

Character B letting Character A rest their head on their chest; lets them listen to their heart beat. 

Character B whispering sweet nothings into Character A’s ear.

Character B checking in on Character A to make sure they’re comfortable and okay with the way things are going; to make sure they’re not being too much. “You’re not,” Character A would reassure, repositioning themselves to get closer to Character B.

Just cuddles and snuggles in general.

Neck kisses.

Kisses littered all over the face. (!!! It's one thing to read about it and one thing to experience it wlejbfewljn)

Character B tucking Character A’s head under their chin while they’re cuddling.

Character B nuzzling their neck and breathing in Character A’s scent/fragrance, and commenting on how nice they smell.

Character B making sure Character A gets home safe by driving them home.

Character A telling Character B to message them when they get back home safe, and once Character B gets home, they follow through by sending a message to let Character A know they’ve gotten back home safe.

Taking naps together, from day till night, waking up every now and then to get more snuggles in. 

That soft exhalation of adoring laughter leaving Character B’s mouth after kissing Character A (this shit had me folding so fucking hard it’s not even funny. I Am Weak). 

That soft exhalation of laughter once again just because Character B is so content with having Character A in their presence, and Character A just basking in how cute that sound is and how happy it makes them. 

Character B entangling their legs with Character A’s, pressing their bodies flush against each other’s, leaving little to no space between them. (It’s almost like they can’t get enough of Character A.) 

Kissing so many times, to the point where they lose track of how many times they’ve kissed already. 

Holding hands and lacing their fingers together while they’re cuddling.

Comparing hand sizes and giggling about it together.

Character B stroking Character A’s hair while they’re asleep. (Or uh, pretends to be asleep DJSKKSKDSK but it’s so FUCKING CUTE WHEN HE DID THAT IM GONNA SCREAM, me thinking moments like these only happen in Korean dramas or some shit anfkakfksk-)

The sweet little banters in between; Character B being all cheesy and Character A playfully deflecting their comments only for Character B to playfully push back with an “Is something wrong with that?” or “But I’m not lying.”

Falling asleep in each other’s arms, both not wanting to leave the bed for the entire day and wanting to stay comfortably snuggled up against each other instead.

Character B placing their hands on Character A’s shoulders, and Character A, with a grin on their face, gently grabs Character B’s hands and wraps their arms around their neck while leaning back into them. Character B reciprocates by hugging them closer to them.

The soft noises of content Character A makes when they snuggle closer to Character B, or when they want Character B to hold them closer to them, with Character B happily obliging. 

Character B rubbing their cheek against Character A’s.

Character B trying to not wake Character A up because they look so comfortable when sleeping. (His words, not mine.) 

Soft, repeated pecks on the lips, causing Character A to laugh/smile against Character B’s lips. 

[writeouswriter]

[ID: A “This Barbie is” generated movie poster with a photo of a hand pointing directly toward you and the caption edited to read “This Barbie is not working on their WIPs.” End ID]

[stoopidstapler]

SO IVE BEEN GOIN INSANE SINCE THIS TRAILER DROPPED. JUST. SIMON. SIMON. SIMON.

[astearisms]

fionna and cake drawings before and after watching the episodes so far. it’s nostalgic and somehow cathartic and poignant and relatable and—it just started