#yay for my first looping edit!

[charcubed]

Challengers Throuple – "I Don't Wanna Talk, I Just Wanna Dance"

Twitter | YouTube

[star-shaped-froot-loops]

MY CREATCHER IS HERE

yayayayayay!!!!!!

[kiiirtiiiniii]

Time to properly introduce Sovi!! 🥰

I've got one or two headcanons in here that I think vibe with a decent chunk of the fandom (aside from my silly little shipping) but if you don't agree that's also cool and I love you anyway

Sovi [sah-vee] is a very physical person both socially and intellectually; they like to get right up close and personal with hugs and cuddles instead of saying nice things (or wrestling instead of arguing), and prefer to write things out (if possible) than let a computer store or process data for them (they didn't realize their ship computer was in the loops with them for ages because they didn't use it to record much of anything - not having the info stored at first was a trial and a half). Since they're more inclined to physical communication, they can take a few seconds too long to understand things said to them if they aren't expecting it.

A lot of their childhood was spent following Slate and Hornfels around. They vibe with numbers hard. Math of almost any kind comes naturally, so both S & H found Sovi's help useful as they learned more and eventually got to doing the maths faster than them. Along the way they picked up some engineering skills which helped with the Nomai translator as well as more advanced astrophysics when they got older. If there wasn't a time loop, Sovi probably would've spent a solid chunk of their first trip into space working with Chert on those star charts of theirs (after visiting the others).

Being such a touchy-feely little nerd got them close to two fellow touchy-feely nerds: Riebeck and Gabbro. As besties, their interests and personalities rubbed off a little. Rie-rie got Sovi into Nomai language and history, and Gabbs got them into quantum theory and Relaxing 😌. And of course, because I'm me, once they were a Real Hearthian Adult, those childhood friendships evolved to where they are when the loops start; fully-fledged romantic relationships! Yay :]

That's Sovi!! They'll develop more as I make more art and comics I'm sure, but I figured they were due a funny little reference page and a dedicated poast now that they have a Personality and a lil backstory 🥰

Edit(4-28-2025): Updated the main reference images, plus there's more info about Sovi in the links above and in the tag "#outer wilds sovite" (below).

[kaiserouo]

Im on my bed so its ramble time

So i kinda paired my kullervo with a civvie in 1999 in case you dont know

But it kinda made me wonder what would civvie (not particularly that civvie, just civilians in general)'s life would work in hollvania. Theyre also stuck in the time loop with the hex and tbh that might be a problem...

I think we should make some assumptions first so we would be somewhat on the same page

Anything in the mall (or maybe a small radius around the center of the mall) wont be reverted after new year, anything else will (so infinite scaldras to kill and infinite resources to loot yay. Also a permanent base for everyone across new years)

The time loop only affects hollvania, anything outside has already passed 1999 and time keeps going normally. (Idek if this is canon but its gonna be interesting)

With these two assumptions we can kinda imagine how their life would be

The hex would still be forever busy maintaining the mall and civvie's safety just like in canon, but for the civvies the situation is kinda different - they COULD just live forever in the mall like the hex, but if they are starting to become crazy (trust me they will after like 300 years) they can just choose to not stay at the mall when new year comes. Since they're outside the mall their memory will be wiped and they will be normal again. Maybe they will choose to come back to the mall someday? But anyways there won't be a bunch of insane civvies in the mall in the long run. (Also this works on the dead btw just drag their body out of the mall before the new year. And dont ask further questions about this setting this will become a philosophical debate)

So we have quite a few long term residents in the mall, but there are still a few problems. First of all, residence. The mall act as a short term shelter in its current state but after a few years theyd start to think about renovating the place. Tbh the mall (as what its called) might be more suitable for a gathering place instead of a recidence, so maybe they'll start to live in the rooms in some nearby apartments (thats close enough to the mall so it wont get reset)

Second is daily activities. Yeah sure they only need food to survive and i think they can scavenge enough of that, but they would wanna live their life instead of just survive. Maybe a part of the mall would be a sort of market where they can use their skills to sell some handmade stuff or use their service. We already have hollars so that handles the currency issue in a society.

Third is technology. Maybe they'll live fine with 1999 tech, but if the outside world is normal, then maybe advanced tech of the current year could be smuggled into hollvania? Idk if they can go outside of hollvania physically, or even if any electromagnetic wave can pass through the boundary of hollvania and the outside world, but if they could... That means connection with the outside world. Current outside world. Maybe even 2025 outsidie world... Well thatd be fun. Also i just realizied that we can see the sun so yeah light can go through the boundary. Yup.

Fourth is the mall itself. If the mall didnt revert then after 100 years it will probably collapse due to age. A rather small problem tbh, just rebuild one (literally) or choosoe a different center point to revert so the mall appear again lol

Anyways, i was just wondering what my civvie's job would be in this scenario, and how would kullervo play in his life.

Edit: tbh the only setting i had for him is literally "he likes bikes hehe look at his helmet" and idk, it kinda overlapped with aoi's job? Tbh maybe thats the only way to go, its not like other civvies dont need vehicles to move around too, need more hands on the repair

[misc-obeyme]

Yay thank you!! OMG I am too scared to finish this fic but at the same time I like the concept so uhh- here it goes ;v;

----

‘How daunting would it be to confess your feelings?’ That, Satan wondered.

He grabbed a quill and then dipped it in ink, as a small sigh escaped from the demon’s lips. The parchment was clean and fresh, tinted with a slight brownish shade and drowned in coffee overnight. 

It was by some hellish miracle how the stacks of books didn't dare tumble, even when he sat with a loud ‘thud’ on the plush plum armchair. Centuries worth of knowledge tossed aside to make room for pen work: a modified easel tilted forty-five degrees welcoming the peek of the moonlight from his bedside window. The canvas being traded for an oakwood slab. The ink pot on a smaller, more isolated rounded table right beside it.

Reflected in his emerald eyes was the determination he so wished to express in mere words. ‘Was it possible?’  He’d give it a shot. 

The blonde started off simple. ‘To my dearest human,’

Satan first heard of this idea in the books he's read. The romantic love interest pouring their hearts out in a simple manuscript. There was no time for elaborate edits or grandiose phrases, as the raw emotion conveyed in every sentence entices the Main Protagonist to halt; take in each syllable in cursive, and then finally cue on to return the feelings of said love interest. In most cases, it felt embarrassing, or so as “cheesy” of a romance a few words can get.

Each glide of the quill was guided by rhythmic loops. The mildly pungent smell of the ink mixed with the old decaying aroma of books collecting dust. For a moment, Satan nearly wrote how their smell of lavender-induced coffee hung itself in the wind when—

Scratch that.

It was only the first sentence. Only the first couple words but it’s down reduced to a jumbled mess tossed to the floor. Satan's grip on the quill tightened, his arm tensing up under his sage green turtleneck sleeve. Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath. ‘Focus.’

----

really short as I still have to fix the rest of this story, but here it is!! It's an okay start though I'm not sure about it..

Let me know what you think!! ^^

-🎹

What are you afraid of, 🎹 anon? Why would you be scared to finish this?

It's really good! Not only do I like the concept, but I really like the dark academia vibes it has going on, which are perfect for Satan. I loved the description of the paper and the scent of the lavender coffee and the loops of the writing-

I felt like I was really there with all those images in my mind! And Satan's frustration at what he wrote, his thoughts about romance and cheesiness, really giving us a glimpse into his mind!

I think you should keep going! I know sometimes we think what we're writing isn't good or maybe that we can't do our idea justice. But I promise you that is the inner critic and it always tells lies. You can do it, I believe in you! I can tell just from this that you've got what it takes!

[disgr-aced]

Yay founders cut time!! To avoid spoilery spam I'm just going to put my thoughts and things I really liked below the cut

Episode 1 spoilers below

1. Giving a whole point over to saying that goddamn I missed this, I missed this so much

2. Ranboo touching the urn at the start and hearing flashback memories to begging to die - it's a loop confirmed?? Holy shit?

3. The sound design in this cut is genuinly excellent loving the sound effects mwah

4. They used the shot where Slime looks directly to camera on entrance this time!

5. The whole cooking segment is really tightly cut and I love the repeated cutaways and the energy of the whole scene, really feel that panicky pace this time

6. Slime backstory cutaway my beloved, I'm so glad they included it after he mentioned it in his bts stream from ages ago

7. The glitch to reveal the fridge contents are indeed gore yes yes

8. COOK? I D K H O W T O C O O K

9. Definitely overthinking this but I love the lighting change when Ranboo plays the first tape, like everything in the cabin goes dark and Hetch is the only light? The symbolism of him being the only light in the dark, and Ranboo being able to see him but not follow him because there is a literal television in the way?? Thematic parallels my ABSOLUTE beloved

10. Ahhhh the echoing please when they look at the model house ahahahha

11. 'Frank and I have been through a lot. There's been a lot of piss.'

12. The glitches and lighting flickers when anything touches Sneegs hat? Ohhhohohho lovely touch

13. Oh this for sure means something, Sneeg only starts getting frustrated with The Hero not knowing ahead of time what they need to bring after the slime touches the hat, and given the control method for Sneeg is in his hat, it definitely looks like the slime fucked with his control enough for him to remember some stuff from the last loop

14. This isn't related but seeing that portrait of Charlie reminded me that he said his mum really wanted that portrait of him and that's very funny to me

15. OK at the start of the fight, the Hero says 'Not if I done you...first...what?' as an opening taunt, and the mask flickers. Idk if that was intentional, but I do enjoy the idea that either a) the hero was programmed to say something else, but his control glitched, and he forgot what that was or b) the hero was programmed to say that line, and it was so weird that he broke himself out of control for a second

16. Oh DAMN it was intentional!! Control was breaking when it wasn't their 'turn'!

17. Okay onto ep2 later, but while I love the live version of ep1 and all the little pauses and extra improv and it's still a source of comfort to watch it, this cut is so clean and precise with the extra editing and effects I love it equally, I can't wait to see the other episodes

[angst-in-space]

january '25 writing progress

words written: 15.9k

most words written in a day: 2,018

least words written in a day: 49

yearly total: 15.9k

projects worked on:

ya sci-fi book edits

bsd regency au

arctic monster wip

finished editing & posted last two chapters of renga practice kissing fic!

planning shiguang fic

fics published/updated:

are we going somewhere (chapters 4 & 5) // sk8 the infinity // renga

january goals:

finish this round of ya sci-fi book edits and send to some people to read for funsies

work on arctic monster wip again

keep working on bsd regency au

work on sylvix time loop fic again?

update one of my multichapter fics

february goals:

continue ya sci-fi book edits

work on arctic monster wip

finish a draft of bsd regency chapter 2

update one of my multichapter fics (altea rising?)

perhaps dust off one of my other fic wips that i haven't touched in a while??

keep planning shiguang fic / start writing it...? (this is extremely tentative haha)

notes:

original writing updates:

i finished another (small) round of edits on ya sci-fi book. (basically was just doing a pass where i wanted to fix a certain plot hole + reduce a certain group of characters down to a smaller group.)

sent ya sci-fi book to a few friends / my mom + sib. up until now i haven't really been letting anyone read it outside of my critique group/betas and my mentor, so it's been kinda surreal (but fun!) just letting some people read it for the enjoyment of it! i'd been feeling really down about it for the last few months of 2024, so getting to see people just be excited about it has made me feel more motivated to keep working on it. :')

worked a tiny bit on arctic monster book after barely touching it for... a year? two years? so YAY!!

fic updates:

i was mostly focused on bsd regency au and wrote about 5k of that... just have one more scene of chapter 2, so hoping to finish that (the chapter, not the fic) in february.

i finally finished editing and posting chapters 4 & 5 of "are we going somewhere" (renga practice kissing fic). i finished writing the first draft of that fic in like... 2021 or '22? i cannot even remember, but it was a long time ago lol. so it's a relief that the whole thing is finally out there in the world! it's been fun reading everyone's (very sweet) comments and it makes me happy that people are enjoying it. 🥰 & it makes me wanna continue my matchablossom wip from ages ago... esp now that sk8 is making a comeback!

i very roughly outlined a shiguang fic because i've been in link click hell... however, it's one of those situations where the beginning and end to it are very vivid to me but the middle is very murky lol. i was waiting til the end of yingdu arc to see if we learned anything more about certain characters which we....did not really... so i suppose that gives me free rein to make shit up 😂 the problem is i'm stupid and have no ideas for how to fix certain plot holes LOL. but i hope to at least keep brainstorming—and if i'm lucky enough to figure out the plot, perhaps at least start writing it. or i might just start writing it anyway since at least the first chunk of it is so clear in my brain and i don't want to lose it. but, we'll see!!

so yeah, quite a few wips going on at once, as always!! i'm hoping to continue working on both original and fic wips this month, and i'm also trying to edit & post a bunch of things from my backlog. so hopefully i'll be posting/updating at least one thing this month! happy february everyone 💖

[indigostars]

Ten people I'd like to get to know better

thanks for the tag! @thewildballyntynesgrow

last song: fur elise // faouzia

favorite color: pale yellow

last book: for fun? lockwood & co, the hollow boy. for school? physical rehabilitation, 8th edition (yay boards!)

last movie: the gray man

last tv show: school spirits (…again)

sweet/savory/spicy: sweet

relationship status: for the first time in my life, i’m answering this as…. taken ❤️

last thing i googled: dysdiadochokinesia… every goddamn time

current obsession: finding new music and making everyone i know listen to it with me.

looking forward to: graduating & (hopefully) passing the board exam so i can be licensed/legally practice the job i’ve been working basically my entire life for. but you know. no pressure or anything

no pressure tags: honestly i’m so out of the loop at this point so if u wanna jump on the internet and overshare without actually oversharing… this is the place for you!

[semperama]

😠💕&🧮 for the ask game! :)

😠 whats your least favorite part of your writing process?

Starting!! The very beginning of anything. I always put so much pressure on myself to get the beginning exactly right, which I KNOW I shouldn't do, because I can always go back and change it, but I can't seem to help it. Sometimes I get stuck in this infinite loop of writing a couple opening paragraphs, deleting them, writing a couple new ones, deleting them, over and over ad nauseum. It's the wooooorst.

Endings are similarly awful for me, but at least by that point I'm usually so ready to be done that I just slap a trite line down and say, "Fuck it, the end."

💕 whats your favorite part of your writing process?

The part 1 to 6 months after I post something when I get to go back and read it with reader eyes instead of writer eyes and go, "Wow, whoever wrote this really knew just what I wanted to read, yay!" Lolol.

But to give a more serious answer, I'm really enjoying editing lately. Getting the words out the first time is always a miserable self-conscious slog, but when I start to reread and find better ways to word certain things and remove repetitive bits, it starts to feel like a fun puzzle.

🧮 what are you working on? describe it in 20 words or less

Another one of my many 'will this ever be finished?' WIPs: Buck wants babies, but Eddie doesn't want more kids, which means they can't act on their feelings (OR DOES IT?)

[imichelle-l-rigby]

Reflections: Cillian Murphy’s Limited Edition

Season 3, episode 10

✨the last one 😢✨

———————————————————————

*I am a music prof (predominantly classical vocalist), and I LOVE listening to Cillian’s music choices! That being said, sometimes I won’t like a song simply because of a vocalist (it’s a professional hazard - sorry!) 👩‍🏫

** The following are my own observations/opinions. We may not agree, and that’s ok! That’s what makes music fun! 😊

*** I wouldn’t say I’m well-versed in Cillian’s music preferences, but I do enjoy them (for the most part). I always wind up adding to my own playlists after listening to Cillian’s recommendations.

———————————————————————

OMG IT’S THE LAST ONE!!!!

🎵Set 1 (Wandering Star - Undenied)

Wandering Star: such an interesting mix of “folksy” with urban sound effects

fun fact, I always accidentally mispronounce “Portishead”. Idk why I can’t learn, but there ya go!

Undenied: again, this is has a blend of soft and harsh sounds, but I like how it’s completely different from the first song. The timbres/qualities are different, so it’s a fun experiment in how far you can go with a musical idea.

🎤Talking Break

Last show 😭😭😭😭

“A total pleash”

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS OF CILLIAN MUSIC?!?!

I love that he’s embraced the word “ain’t”

🎵Set 2 (Someday - When I Go Deaf)

Someday: ok but I’m loving the harmonies in this cover version 🥰

When I Go Deaf: ok, but the premise of going deaf - YES SIR I DO MIND!!! *PSA please take care of your hearing* regardless it’s a beautiful song about growing older and cherishing the moment and all that you have. That being said, I LOVE when the music goes from folk to rock 🤘😎

🎤Talking Break

Yes Cill - go for all the favorites! Love it!

FINALLY some more Bowie.

🎵Set 3 (I Can’t Give Everything Away - Fame)

I Can’t Give Everything Away: this is not the soundscape I think of when I think Bowie. And I like the disjointed melodic line in the title motif.

Fame: what a classic 😎 now even if I’m not the biggest fan of Bowie’s voice, even I listen to this a good deal because it’s just perfect.

🎤Talking Break

The way Cillian goes insane over “Fame” - the only version of fame I think he’ll ever like 😂😅

Yay!!! A John Lennon quote!!!!!!

🎵Set 4 (Perfect Day - I Want You)

Perfect Day: why does the tonality of this song refuse to be stably in a major key? 🤔 I don’t necessarily consider that a “perfect day” association - the way it keeps mixing major/minor refutes the “perfect” quality. I suppose it’s just a “wistful” thing, but still!

I Want You: YES I LOVE EARLY DYLAN!!! This is prob in my top 5 fave Dylan tracks. It’s so heartbreakingly beautiful, simple, and earnest.

Fun fact: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” is my #1 Dylan song

🎤Talking Break:

Final reasonable question!!! 😢

I actually like this one - what song do you listen to on repeat?

Omg, of course he would listen to experimental loop music. 🤦‍♀️😅😂 ok, it’s official, he needs to join my music history class. 😂😂😂

🎵Set 5 (Jesus Going to Clean House - Ida)

Jesus Going to Clean House: ok, but can contemporary praise music be this groovy?? Please????

Let’s Go Swimming - Gulf Stream Dub: this sounds so water sports, and I have no idea why other than the name has convinced me this is music for the beach! 😅😅 the power of suggestion!

Ida: I can’t decide if it’s distorted accordion in the background, or a keytar or some other strange electronic instrument. I’ll have to do some research later!

🎤Talking Break

Exclusive ident - I shall miss you!

A poem!

No, Cillian, please make a dad joke!

Oh dear, I’m over 30. Let’s see how I respond to “forgetfulness”

… yeah. I agree 😬

An exclusive reading!

I really liked his thoughts on listening. Good selection!

🎵Set 6 (Coffee & TV)

Coffee & TV: I’ve said this before, but I find it odd that certain songs are produced in such a way that the vocals are subservient to the instrumental line. I think I hear this more in “alternative” sounding music. Maybe that’s a trend I’ve just never noticed!

🎤Talking Break

“Banal and unverified facts”

The way he says “palm trees” 😂 “pam trees”

🎵Set 7 (Saat Alfarah - Midnight)

Saat Alfarah: again, saxophones! Of course he loves this, and frankly, so do I! Idk what’s going on, but it’s got good vibes and it’s just fun! 😎

Midnight (ft. Raphael Saadiq): not my favorite, but it’s cool sounding, for sure. Also, when wearing my AirPods, the background pop sound almost seems like I can feel it reverberating through my skull. That’s weird.

🎤Talking Break

Irish music! Finally!

🎵Set 8 (Wishing Well - Satisfaction)

Wishing Well: it sounds all wishful/wistful, but the static buzzes definitely fight that.

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction: it’s a little mind-boggling because the vocals do NOT follow the beat established by the backing track. I assume they were recorded separately. I really hoped I would like this cover, but… nope! 🙅‍♀️

🎤Talking Break

“And that’s a cover version!” Indeed, Cillian. Indeed.

Last Yorkshire Man!

Wait… did he just not reveal his identity?! Did I miss something???

🎵Set 9 (Sweet Leaf of the North)

Sweet Leaf of the North: ummm… I must say I’ve never been that impressed about a leaf. 😅 I don’t love his voice, but the vibes are cute.

🎤Talking Break

A favorite band, and his kids agree!

🎵Set 10 (A Cold Freezin’ Night - Blackbox Life Recorder 2f)

A Cold Freezin’ Night: I can appreciate this as a quirky twist on “electronic sounds as music” + experimental music, and I even appreciate the interplay between siblings (as an older sister with a healthy rivalry with her brother 😂), BUT. not my favorite.

I’m glad he explained about the siblings beforehand, otherwise I would’ve been MAJORLY confused and concerned. 😅

Blackbox Life Recorder 21f: still following the “electronic sounds as music” theme, but less experimental 👍

🎤Talking Break

Yay new music!

🎵Set 11 (Lately - Blackpool Late Eighties)

Lately: I like this. Soulful, atmospheric, and groovy. Just a fun combo.

Blackpool Late Eighties: dude, what a build up!! It certainly keeps you wanting more!

🎤Talking Break

NO IT’S ENDING 😭😭😭😭😭

Aww, he “did have a little cry” over Nina’s song!

“Mind yourselves”

🎵Set 12 (Wholy Holy - Stars)

Wholy Holy: YES! YES YES YES YES YES!!! ✨favorite song of the episode✨

Stars: Nina. No, no you did not just GO OFF on the piano at the end there! Dang!! She is just too good! What a great way to end the show!

———————————————————————

YOU HAVE MADE IT TO THE END! CONGRATULATIONS! 🎊🎉

Thank you so much to all y’all who kept reading these - I hope you enjoyed it! It’s been a pleasure (although a significantly larger project than what I expected at first), but I definitely had fun!

Tag list:

@iammrsrogers @deliciousnutcomputer @mariamoonie @brownskinsugarplum76 @look-at-the-soul @kj-davis @neverroad @teapothollow @thepurplearmyposts @possessedmarshmallow

[intrepidacious]

time after time: reread edition [3]

series summary: After what starts out as a fairly normal mission, you find yourself stuck in a time loop. Which would already be bad enough in itself if it didn’t also mean having to watch Bucky die over and over again.

pairing: bucky barnes x f!reader

word count: 10.1k 💀

chapter warnings: one last reminder to internalize the premise of the fic, i will just assume you know what’s up from this point on; canon-typical violence; mention of alcohol; some more permanent damage; even more banter. please note that my blog is rated 18+. minors dni. ageless/empty blogs will be blocked without warning.

read the full chapter here | series masterlist | reread masterlist

after an unexptected second week off (i got sick after going on vacation, yay summer!) we return for the third part of the reread event!! as always, if you're new, this is a reread commentary on already published chapters—an extended a/n, if you will. by clicking on the read more you're going to see spoilers up to and including chapter three 💚

every day's a holiday – tl;dr:

in the flashbacks, the reader officially meets sam and bucky for the first time. after hearing rumors about ULTIMATUM, a newly formed group taking after the flag smashers, sam wants reinforcements to find out more. he knows about twelve's time powers from steve, and cashes in an old favor she owes to steve to get her help. bucky, not knowing anything about her yet, is sceptical.

in the loop, twelve is getting nervous about being unable to stop the loop from repeating. experimenting with the timing of the mission doesn't help; neither does entering the downstairs labs through the tunnels as bucky investigates on his own and lands in an explosion. after more than a week on her own, twelve tells sam about her time loop situation. he insists that bucky be told as well. while going to get coffee, bucky writes a note to himself on twelve's arm and asks her to tell only him about the loop during its next iteration. she does, and they attempt to figure it out together—to no avail, as bucky gets shot through twelve and her wounds stay through the next loop. she decides that they're both going to involve sam again and that she will try to contact strange for help.

behind the loop

i'm not gonna lie to y'all, these chapters are getting harder and harder to summarize. there's a lot going on and i have work tomorrow, so let's just crack on.

believe it or not, when i started writing this fic, no way home wasn’t even out yet and i was absolutely convinced that my whole thing with the tower would be canonically impossible. and then we just never found out who bought avengers tower. so that was that.

Like a pesky little voice of conscience. And on your day off, no less.

the chapters i’ve recently been writing have been more serious as the loop continues, and i kind of miss this really fun narrative side remarks that tell so much about twelve as a character. i really love writing her and her concerning habits.

this flashback is the closest i come in the actual fic in tying the whole thing into canon chronologically, i think. the mcu timeline is an absolute mess, but since tfatws takes place in early 2024-ish and the time loop happens in 2025, that gives us about a year or so that the characters have known each other by the time the main plot starts. that is, in normal human time. at least that’s my headcanon.

“Ah-ah-ah.” You wrangled the mug out of his hands before he had the chance to move, barely resisting the urge to kick his shin for good measure.

even though they’re happening in consecutive chapters, a bit of time passed between me writing the nat flashback and this one. i thought it was very funny that my instinct clearly was that everyone would just start trying to break stuff around her to see if her powers were legit. and isn’t that poetic in a way? (there were no deeper thoughts behind this but wouldn’t it be fun if there were?)

despite me sending all of my characters to therapy in this fic (because let’s face it, they all need it desperately), they’re all so bad at expressing their emotions, honestly. then again, what kind of therapist would actually be able to really help you if you’re a super-powered person who loves going into emotional shut-down and guarding themselves with sarcasm? whoever they are, they’re not getting paid enough.

An entire conversation seemed to pass between the two of them without either saying a single word. Sam held up three fingers with a sly smirk; Bucky ended up rolling his eyes.

i loved that little subtle reference to the big three. i was so proud of that one. also continuing to develop sam and bucky’s friendship partnership next to the actual plot is always fun.

He ignored the question, but the way he looked at you and then crossed his arms made you decide to put salt in his coffee.

yay, another little callback to chapter one!! all these months later and sam still won’t let that one go.

“I’d like to see you try.” […] You’re trying. You really are.

this parallel i actually got complimented on in the past and that made me very happy. i’m always trying to make the shift from the flashback to the main plot the least jarring it can possibly be, and this transition just worked so well. also, bucky’s "oddly bright blue" eyes are a little nod to a wrinkle in time, so there’s another little chapter one parallel for you.

this is the first chapter where the first communication blocks are really starting to kick in. the fact that twelve won’t talk to anyone about what’s actually going on with her despite being stuck in a literal nightmare is so integral to her character. not to get to deep but that whole refusing to get help when you should theoretically be able to do something on your own is something we have in common <3 i’m also sending her through the rest of the stages of grief in this chapter, which was very much on purpose. unsurprisingly, anger was the most fun to write.

It’s not like you can google something like “time loop problem” and come up with a list of practical steps to follow. You know this because you did google, and if you have to read the name Phil Connors one more time you are going to scream.

the different approaches to trying to get bucky through the mission alive were also really interesting to come up with. i made a really bad drawing of how i imagine the setup of the whole facility, but i won’t show that to you because it’s embarrassing. anything you can come up with in your heads probably looks better anyway.

this is also the part where twelve officially gets her nickname!! finally!! why only now, you ask? well, on the one hand, bucky really does only use it in specific situations. on the other hand, i literally only came up with it by the time the first two chapters were already posted and i didn’t want to go back. i remember col was posting in the embers at the time and i loved her reader having a nickname so much i wanted to give mine a special little nickname too. i also had to text two friends to confirm it wasn’t stupid as hell. me? insecure? never.

you know when you’re doing a group project and you’re feeling really good about the work you put in and the direction it’s all going and then someone comes in and completely derails the whole thing? that’s bucky in this loop. i love him, but jfc.

"What the hell did you do, rob an ambulance and take a bath?" […] "I don’t know what your problem with them is, and I don’t need to know. But is it worth more than Bucky’s life?"

i love sam. i love him not taking things seriously until he realizes that they’re serious as hell, and then switching to compassionate and level-headed. i know this is a bucky fic but sam deserves all the appreciation and i truly hope i’m able to show that.

i also like the contrast between his reaction and bucky’s to twelve telling them about the loop. we don’t see the first time bucky gets told, but her incoherent rambling at him while he’s just trying to take it in means so much to me. but we’re not there yet. we’re getting coffee first.

holy shit, i just had to double check but i’m pretty positive that this is our first lucy scene. she was never supposed to be in the fic much, but i’m not gonna lie, she grew on me. she’s based on several of my favourite former colleagues of mine, and this is not the only fic of mine she’s infiltrated. we are all but living in the lucy cinematic universe. on a side note, she got her name because i like the name and also because i’m relatively sure there’s no super relevant lucy in a marvel … thing. i often like to include characters from different marvel properties in my fics (like ULTIMATUM themselves), but i just wanted someone without any obvious ties to anything.

“What do you want?” you turn to Bucky. “Coffee.” “What kind?” “Just … coffee.”

any ordinary days fans in the house tonight?

the coffee quest was another side plot i didn’t expect when setting out to write this fic, but it’s served me so well in establishing their dynamic a little bit more. also, the writing thing!! i’m so fond of twelve not being able to decipher bucky’s handwriting at first. and i like that he just comes up with something so practical on day one of the whole thing.

“Crazy?” His expression hardens somewhat, and an irritated flush appears on his cheeks. “Why is it crazy?”

is it just me or do these two seem to be having two entirely different conversations? :)

You don’t think, moving purely out of instinct.

ah, i do enjoy upping the stakes near the end of the chapter. as if twelve’s whole situation hadn’t sucked enough already. but don’t we all love a good 'patching each other up' scene? i’d say it was worth it but then again i know how it ends. also shout-out to sam once again for being a great friend and a good brother. sarah i love you i hope you’re having a great, calm july 4th. sadly, we have a wizard to seek out.

“What do you say, Barnes? Think you can trust me?”

and isn’t that the whole thesis of the story, really?

how it's going

well. not gonna lie but things are not going according to plan!! after my holiday (which was great by the way, thanks for asking) i went back to work for the two days i was scheduled that week, went home and immediately got sick for eight days. i've only been feeling significantly better yesterday, and so writing hasn't exactly been a priority. regrettably.

but fear not, because today i'm pretty sure i had a breakthrough with the thing i've been struggling with in chapter seven. i'm optimistic i'll be able to write the rest of it over the course of the weekend and then finally move on to chapter eight. which is hopefully gonna be a little shorter for a change. oh, i also wrote a bit of an unexpected bonus chapter today so look forward to that at some point.

i'm still not sure if i want to move my schedule backwards or if i'll try to squeeze in another reread chapter next week. i guess we'll all find out together.

until then, take care of yourselves and i'm always here if you're lonely and stuck in a time loop and just need someone to listen 💚

[sukirichi]

good girl (m.)

You’re such a good wife to Naoya that he rewards you for your obedience.

request. naoya coming home to his beloved little housewife and feels like giving her a treat for being such a good girl.,,.,, read: man’s gonna re-arrange your guts and have some soft moments with you after (not that he would ever admit that shsghshsj)

cw. explicit smut, riding, dirty talk WITH praising bcos why not, dom! husband naoya, sexism, overstimulation, creampie, lots of kissing, titty sucking, you might end up liking naoya and that’s a warning

note. LISTEN. this is purely self indulgent even if this is a request. my bestie requested this to me anyway so ik she won’t mind i pictured myself as the reader :) so if you don’t like how the reader and naoya was portrayed, that’s a you problem :) EDITED BECAUSE IT’S NAOYA YAY, also got inspired by @caizen​ ‘s ask about naoya wanting his wife to not bow too deep because he wants to see her face :)

[part of the trophy wife collection]

Being Naoya Zen’in’s trophy wife required a lot of things. You had to be immaculate, précised, refined and full of dignity in everything you did. He already did the work all by himself just to keep the house running, his hard work the only reason you were able to live such a comfortable, luxurious life. On top of that, you had an extremely powerful man trusting you to welcome him every night, and who were you to not fulfill your duty as his wife well?

The moment the black limousine parked on the driveway, the guards lined on duty opening the doors of him and the rest of the house staff greeting him, you were already in front of everyone.

Keep your head down, but don’t look too hard at your feet. Naoya-sama wants to see your face – his lovely wife’s face – upon his arrival.

He would never say it out loud, but five years and counting of marriage with him meant you knew him better than anyone. Through his confident and arrogant self, Naoya worried about a lot of things, you included. There were times he’d wake up in the middle of a nightmare in which he lost you, his arms scrambling to find your body to press it against his for reassurance. You were there, you would always be there, but the confirmation never hurt.

You bowed down to him, skin cleared, cheeks flushed, and lips glossy – all telltales of a happy, nurtured wife who was well taken care of – present before him. And you were beautiful too; the most gorgeous woman he’d ever laid his eyes on.

“Welcome home, Naoya-sama.”

Naoya’s shoulders immediately relaxed at the sight of you dressed in your yukata, hair done perfectly and hands clasped politely in your lap. He tried not to let it show too much though, even though his staff had watched him grow up, he needed to keep his pride as the clan leader. Not even his precious wife could make him tear down his walls in public, though you did not need to worry about his brash attitude, following him inside three steps behind as he’d instructed.

He loosened his tie and dismissed the other servants, locking the door of your shared room. “Is my tea prepared?”

“Yes, Naoya-sama, mixed with jasmine just as you like.”

Naoya’s hands stilled on his tie. His gaze fluttered over yours, eyes still ducked down to the floor with a small smile playing on your lips, one that said welcome home in more ways than one.

The sight of you – so compliant and meek as ever – stirred something deep within his heart. His whole life, he believed women were useless, creatures that were below him. Until now, he held firm in that, but fuck, you were always so open and willing to do everything he asked that he could feel himself hardening in his pants. Women may be useless, but once they followed his orders and praised him so heavenly the way you did?

He fucking loved it.

Naoya’s tie went flying the other room, his cock swelling in his pants as he tugged you by your wrist. You landed on the mattress behind you, watching with a heaving chest as your husband crawled above you. His gaze felt predatory, dark eyes hooded with lust while he planted his knees beside your waist, his fingers looped with yours.

You smiled sweetly up at him, so temptingly sweet his resolve broke for a split second. He captured your lips to taste you on him, the sounds of your husband’s satisfied hum making your chest puff out with pride.

Everyone may look down on you for marrying such a ‘horrible’ man like him, calling you stupid and immoral, even going as far as claiming you were nothing but a dumb cock-hungry slut, but Naoya – even you – knew better. You were not foolish; in fact, no one could handle Naoya’s attitude better than you did, and you were smart enough to keep buying that strawberry flavored lip balm he loved so much, causing your husband to squeeze your palms.

“Good girl,” he mumbled absentmindedly, the praises shooting heat flush to your core. “You’re so good for me, you know that?” he peppered kisses all over your skin, a gesture so rare that you were panting underneath him, resisting the urge to rub your legs together.

Naoya was extremely skillful in bed, his virility as a man not to be looked down on for his ability to render you immobile to walk, throat sore and voiceless for a few days truly impressive. But he was different today; his usual tight grip the same but laced with a want that went beyond than lust. You could never say it out loud, especially not around him, but it was clear – Naoya treated you with affection and care.

“I’m very lucky to have found such a submissive woman like you, but that’s not true is it? Women like you aren’t found, you’re trained,” he harshly tugged the first layers of your yukata to the side, exposing the sensitive flesh of your collarbone that was free for him to mark. “Have I trained you well, my wife?”

“Yes, Naoya-sama, trained me so good,” you rasped out, bringing your legs forward, only for it to bump against the sides of his waist.

Naoya sucked on your skin until he was sure he’d completely marked his territory, the grazing sensation of his teeth so erotic and passionate along with his clothed cock rubbing into your folds. His hand trailed down your waist, yanking the ties of your clothes apart. You gasped as he teasingly rubbed your clit, even going as far as to roll it between his strong fingers. “For you, ah, I’d do anything for you, Naoya-sama.”

“It’s my love when we’re in the sheets,” he corrected you, “When a woman knows her place and obeys me so well, a good girl like you deserves to be rewarded,” hearing your small whines at his words, Naoya chuckled at your skin. “Do you want that? Want me to make you feel good?”

“Yes, p-please, I need you,” you moaned wantonly, gathering the courage to lift your hips up and grind it against his erection. He surprised you by not pushing you away, so you kept going, slathering your wetness all over the front of his pants. “Fuck me, my love, please.”

“Since you asked so nicely,” Naoya smirked, standing up to rid himself of his pants and belt. You whined at the loss of contact and sat up on your elbows, legs spread wide open as you feasted on the delectable way he discarded his clothing one by one. His fat cock, red and flushed with pre-cum, slapped against his toned upper body.

You would’ve groaned at his bare beauty, but he’d already crawled on top of you once more, completely ridding you of the multiple layers of modest clothing you wore, revealing a redolent set of white lace.

Naoya narrowed his eyes at the nearly transparent thong, his hands cupping your seeping cunt with a low hum. “Is this for me? Did my pretty baby get dressed up for me?” you nodded eagerly, pathetically reaching upwards to wrap your arms around him. You were growing needy, soft yet desperate as your stuttered gasps hovered on his ear. “Were you thinking of me the whole time I was away for work?”

“I always think of you, my love,” you breathed out, “Your smile, your voice, your lips, your hands,” legs twitching, you dared run your knee to brush his forearm, the teasing and confident movement earning you a seductive, warning glare from your dominant husband. But oh – you were just starting to have your fun. “Your cock inside me.”

“Naughty little girl,” he snickered, grabbing your hand and shoving it deep inside your panties. That evoked a high-pitched moan from you as your nails grazed against your shaved pussy, Naoya’s smirk present the harder he pressed your palm on yourself. “Did you touch yourself? Pleasure yourself like this?” He was testing you, reminding you of his power and authority, trying to see if you would break his rules that he’d been so firm into fucking deep into your skull.

Naughty as you might be sometimes, you never forgot your place. You were daring, but never in your wildest dreams would you dare go against him. Not because you were plain weak and submissive, but simply because the thought of pleasing him more and feeding his ego was far more satisfying.

You shook your head, pitiable tears already shining through. “N-no, I would never. Only you can make me feel good, just you, mmh.”

Naoya groaned deep in his throat, satisfied at your answer. “You’re always so sweet for me,” he says, leaning over to knee your legs open wider. He situated himself between your body, slow and sensual in removing your bra and panties, the lacy material disappearing somewhere on the black marbled floors. You laid there, vulnerable and wanting, clutching at his biceps as he grinded his cock on your puffy folds. “Have I ever told you’re the perfect little wife? So fucking needy for me always, fuck. This pussy was made for me.”

“This pussy is yours,” you acquiesced, breathing hard when Naoya pulled away to peer at your body. He liked his wife to be healthy, strong and ready to carry his child whenever he wanted, and his hands squeezed your hips appreciatively.

“I exist purely to serve you, my love,” you vowed, “I have no other purpose than to make you feel good and love you. You’re my everything, the world and more.”

He’d looked at you with lust before, the desire pooling in his eyes always making you feel wanted, but this was different. Naoya would never let those cursed three words fall from his mouth, but it shone clearly in his eyes anyway. He gazed at your curves and dips so lovingly that your arousal peaked, slick coating his cock from where he was slowly teasing your cunt with his tip.

Unable to hold back any longer, Naoya flipped you over. Your breath knocked out from your chest at the sudden movement, his hands tugging at your wrist to pull you close to him. He leant back on the bed, kissing you feverishly all the while keeping you shaking on his thigh. Due to your wetness gushing, you slid down his muscular thigh, and you moaned at the contact. “As I should be,” Naoya nibbled at your lips, his harsh words contrasting the tenderness of his hold on you. “You’re nothing to me if you can’t even do something as simple as that.”

You nodded with no hesitation, fully accepting that you were purely his now – and you would honestly not have it otherwise.

Naoya helped you lift your hips up, shushing you with a slap on your ass when you stared at him nervously.

Every time Naoya fucked you, he was direct and simple. He preferred to have you on all fours where he could focus on his own pleasure, or sometimes he would rather cum upon seeing your fucked-out face, the image of your tongue lolled out while he fucked you on oblivion enough to make him nut right away.

But now he was guiding your arms around his neck, kissing the sides of your lips as if to answer your silent questions. “Sit on my cock, baby, I’ll reward you for your obedience tonight,” he said, his cock twitching as he directed your entrance right above his cock. Naoya slid you down, allowing you to feel inch by inch, thick vein upon one another – sliding inside you and stretching you out so good. You closed your eyes and pressed your forehead on his, teeth locked on your bottom lip as he bottomed out.

Fuck, you’d never felt so full.

However, Naoya wasn’t pleased. He clenched his jaw and tapped your bottom lip, scolding you with his mean glare. “Don’t hold back when you scream my name, you understand? Cherish this moment – I won’t always care about your pleasure. You should thank me for this.”

“I-I will!”

Torturous. That was how you would describe it. You had never been this close to him before; not in this position and angle. Each lift of your hips caused your hardened nipples to brush over his muscular chest, his attention sorely focused on the way you bounced on his cock.

Something about holding him this close felt so intimate, breaths tangled and moans shared, along with the pleasure delivered into your bodies with the way you were rolling your hips along his length.

“Still so fucking tight for me,” he said through gritted teeth, “I love this pussy so much, fuck, you’re mine. Just mine, all mine,” Naoya eventually lost it, hooking his arms under your armpits and feet flat on the bed. You kept screaming his name like a prayer, the worship falling from your lips like a broken record driving him to fuck into you faster. He’d had enough of your pace; he’d been good enough that now it was his turn to fuck you, and you were glad he did because his fast, brutal pace was so mind-numbing.

Naoya hitched you up higher until your chin rested above his hair, your breasts right at his mouth. He sucked and bit at the soft flesh angrily, grip so tight on your hips you were hissing from the pain. At the same time, it felt so fucking good unlike everything you’ve ever felt.

“My perfect fucking wife—a quiet, compliant wife is worth more than gold, baby. You’re my fucking treasure.”

Naoya thrusted hard and deep until the bed was creaking, mattress dipped from both your weight. The room felt so foggy with your lovemaking and you tightened around him, crying as he kept hitting that sensitive spot that had you seeing stars. “I’m c-coming!” you whined helplessly, hugging your husband deep to your chest while your fingers tugging at his hair. “Naoya, please!”

“Then come for me,” he nibbled at your ear, delivering another hard slap at your ass. “I’m allowing you to. Come. Make a mess around me.”

“Oh my gosh, ugh, fuck,” you came around him hard, your orgasm making you shake. He still wasn’t done, but his breathless murmurs of close, I’m so close had you holding him tighter, whispering dirty words in his ear to assist your husband into reaching his high. The oversensitivity of him plowing into you even after you came was too much, but you took it all like the good wife you were. Biting the protests down at your tongue, you rode him to meet his hips thrust by thrust, his balls snapping at your ass. “Mmmh, I love you, I love you. I-I love you.”

“As you should, baby. You’re supposed to love me,” Naoya devoured your mindless babbling by sliding his tongue inside your mouth, his hips stilling inside for a moment. Fingers clutching desperately to him, you shut your eyes tight, cunt dripping as Naoya spilled his seed deep inside you.

You kissed him one last time in refusal to let go, but Naoya wasn’t having any of it. He was very iffy every after sex that you had no choice but to pull away from him, wincing as he pulled out.

He stumbled into the bathroom afterwards while you laid there on the soiled sheets, weakly fisting the pillow beneath you. You were so fucked out, tired after a long day of managing everything he wanted you to take care of. To be fucked good by your husband…there was truly no better way of life.

Just as you were drifting off, you felt something damp sliding over your inner thighs. You blinked sleepily at a silent Naoya, sending him a small smile as he wiped both your cum away. He left the towel inside the bathroom before he came back, sliding his white shirt over your frame and tugging a fresh pair of his boxers to your legs. Aftercare with Naoya…while it wasn’t impossible, it also wasn’t a daily occurrence. Your heart kept fluttering inside your chest, that feeling blooming harder when he slid under the sheets beside you, his strong arms pulling you taut in his chest.

His skin remained mark free. You knew Naoya hated being marked; reminding you all the time he wanted to be flawless. You respected that and pressed a deep kiss on the spot above his heart instead, madly and hopelessly in love as you traced circles on his bare chest.

You could stay like this forever, in the warmth and safety of your husband’s arms, but you still had wifely duties to fulfill. Naoya had already done his, prompting you to lean up to trace kisses at his sharp jaw, sweet and docile as ever as you asked, “Naoya…how was work today?”

“Same as usual.”

That meant he didn’t want to talk about it, so you didn’t pry further.

“You need to rest and regain your strength so you can work hard again tomorrow,” you mumbled sleepily, “I’ve already planned your meals for the next week. We’re going plant-based for a while, you need it.”

Naoya remained silent. You would’ve assumed he’d fallen asleep if it wasn’t for his hand caressing your back in a manner so gentle that seemed so alien with him, the strangeness of it all intensified when you looked up at his face, only to see that he had already been studying your features a long time before. There was an unsettled frown on his face, one that you tried to smoothen away with the pads of your fingertips. “What’s wrong, my love?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’ve already forgotten about all my worries. They don’t matter anymore,” he whispered, his voice way too soft. It fit the atmosphere, however, whatnot with the newfound intimacy that you basked in. Suddenly, Naoya cupped your cheek, utterly serious as he croaked out, “Baby.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you love me?”

You didn’t have to think twice about it. The answer would be – “Always and forever.”

However, Naoya wasn’t satisfied. He needed more, wanted to understand more, craved to find a logical reason behind your devotion to him.

“Why?” he demanded, “What is it about me you love so much?”

“Everything,” you confessed, the love so clear in your eyes that even for a small moment, Naoya felt like he understood now. “You’re perfect to me, Naoya. I’m glad you’re the one I’m spending my life with. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

“But why?”

“Because,” you giggled, “You’re handsome, you’re caring even if you don’t show it that much, you’re smart, ambitious, hardworking and the best husband I could ask for,” Naoya opened his lips, probably to ask a stupid why again, until you cut him off, silencing your odd husband with a kiss. Thankfully, Naoya gave in, relaxing at your touches. “Loving you is second nature to me. It’s not living if it’s not loving you.”

Although he didn’t – and would never say I love you – he had his own way of expressing it. He let you know that he shared the same stance at you, staring deep into your eyes while he cupped your cheek, surprisingly somber as he proudly said, “I made the right decision of marrying you.”

“I’m glad you don’t regret it.”

“I could never regret it,” he whispered back, but you had already fallen asleep. That night, you dreamt no more. There was no need to when everything you’ve ever wanted was already right there at your reach, and Naoya joined you long after, the faint linger of a loving kiss a husband only ever gave to his wife the last thing you felt before you faded off into dreamland.

[samsseptember]

Samtember2022!

Hi Sam Wilson nation, this is a bit last minute but, a few of us decided to get together and make samtember2022 happen. YAY!!! 🎉

This fan event will be running from Thursday, September 1st to Friday, September 30th and it is meant to celebrate Sam Wilson’s birthday✨

This page is for the creators in the Sam Wilson fandom to share their works, and there will be prompts set for each day:

September 1 - Free choice 

September 2 - Boat | Fishing  

September 3 - Running | Workout

Captain America Week:

September 4 - Uniform | Cap suit 

September 5 - On a mission | Undercover

September 6 - Redwing | Technology

September 7 - Shield | Legacy 

September 8 - Foreign language | International

September 9 - Cap Quartet | New Team 

September 10 - Meet and Greet | Meeting fans 

Angst/ AU Week:

September 11 -  Forgotten | Memory

September 12 - Secrets | Unspoken

September 13 - Dreams | Nightmares

September 14 - Wings | Angel

September 15 - Birds | Telepathic powers 

September 16 - Variant | Multiverse

September  17 - Time Travel | Time loop

Fun / Party Week:

September  18 - Carnival | King of Mardi Gras  

September  19 - Unexpected | Twist 

September  20 - Leather Jacket | Clothing 

September  21 - Weekend getaway | Trip 

September  22 - Party | Night out

September  23 - Cake cake cake 🎂🧁

September  24 - Drunk | Hungover

Fluff / Family Week:

September  25 - Family Recipe | Cooking

September  26 - Rainy day | Cozy

September  27 -  Renovation | House chores

September  28 - Family | Uncle Sam

September  29 - Siblings | Sarah & Gideon Wilson 

September  30 - Home | Louisiana  alt. prompt Goodbyes. 

We have opened a collection on AO3 that can be found here, or by searching  samtember2022. You can also tag any works you post with #samtember2022 or tag this blog @samtember2022​ - works will be reblogged every day throughout the month. 

Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with! 

FAQs are listed under the cut:

What works count for this fan event?

The following works count:

fanfic

podfic

fanart

gifsets

photosets / mood boards

graphics

Haikus

videos / edits

playlists

Whichever way you want to celebrate Sam Wilson, it’s up to you! 

Q&A after the cut.

Q. Are there any length, sizing, etc. requirements for works in this event?

A. No.

Q. Do I have to sign up?

A. No.

Q. Do I have to make something for each prompt / day of the month?

A. You can make as many or as few works for the prompts as you wish; you do not have to make a work for every day or prompt.

Q. Are NSFW postings allowed?

A. Yes, NSFW postings are welcome, just make sure to tag them appropriately.

Q. Can I come up with my own prompt?

A. Yes, but please stick to posting these under Day 1: Free Choice. Other works posted must follow the prompt(s) of the specific posting day.  

Q. Do I have to wait to post on certain dates?

A. Since each date corresponds with a specific theme and prompt(s), we do ask that you wait to post on the day designated for each theme / prompt(s).

Q. Can I use more than one prompt per work?

A. Yes! Though the prompts were intended to create variety, you are more than welcome to combine prompts within a certain theme, i.e. for family week you can do Family recipe + Siblings for Day 29. You can even implement ALL of the prompts of the week in the same work if you feel up to the challenge!

Q. What if I create a work that incorporates two prompts from different posting days?

A.This is allowed, so your posting date would be up to your discretion. For example, if you wrote a fic that was both about Family and Party, you could post your work on either Day 22 or Day 28.

Q. Can I use this event to re-promote something I’ve already created?

A. No; this event is only for new, original works. This means that the fic, fanart, video, gifset, etc. that you’ve created must have been first posted during this event.

Q. Can I post a multi-chaptered fic if it isn’t completed?

A. You can post a multi-chaptered fic and it does not have to be completed as long as you post at least the first chapter on the designated posting date for your prompt.

Q. Can I include other characters/ships in my works?

A. Side characters and side ships are fine, but this is a Sam Wilson event, the main focus of your works must be on Sam.

Have any other questions?

Please feel free to submit any other questions in the ask box, or reach out to either @samwilsonsb4be or @sammy-souffle.

[annarts05]

Ways to Be Less Insecure About Your Writing When It Feels Unoriginal or Inadequate :)))

I’m bored, I’m tired, and I just updated my playlist. So you know what time it is. Time for me to rant about insecurity and writing!!! Yay. Let’s go. 

Second-guessing your plot? Feel like your story is unoriginal? Think your prose sucks and sounds ugly? Constantly compare yourself to other writers that you love? Your characters not feeling quite as cool as other characters created by other, super talented writers?

Sound familiar?

I wish I could make everyone like their writing, but obviously I can’t do that. Feeling badly about writing is not pleasant. I personally get really stressed when I feel insecure about my creative arts. And that sucks. A lot. Makes me really miserable if I’m being honest. In addition, my creative juices suffer and I don’t let the ideas flow nearly as smoothly since they’re “not good enough.”

Embrace that it’s your writing. 

Accept that your writing is yours. You’ll never write exactly like your idol because you write like you. That’s what makes it special and why readers love specific authors. When a writer truly embraces their style and preferred stories, that’s when things really kick into gear. 

Why would you want to change the best thing about your writing? Embrace the things that make it special and the things that make it you. And roll with it. 

Accept that sometimes it’ll suck, and you’ll need to edit. 

If I said that all of your writing sessions are going to be fruitful and result in glorious prose with perfect character exchanges on the first try just because you’ve embraced your own writing style and preferred tropes...I would be lying. 

Sometimes, the words won’t come nicely. You won’t end up with the best chapter ever on your first, second, or even third go. You can always edit. 

Sometimes you just need to get the words down, no matter how ugly it might feel. You can’t edit words that don’t exist. 

"The practice is not the means to the output; the practice is the output, because the practice is all we can control.” - Seth Godin. 

Bam.

Whenever you write, it’s not just practice for some bigger eventual goal, to write like X or to one day write a story as great as Y. What you can write now is all you have control of, and you can just sit there happy in the knowledge that if you’re trying, you’re doing the best you can. 

You’ll improve over time. Just keep going and enjoy the now. 

Do fun stuff for a positivity boost.

Like mood boards or playlists. Doodle characters. Make up headcanons for your characters (that can become canon if you want ehehe, it’s your story). 

Do some fun, less stressful and less work-heavy stuff if you just want to reignite some passion for your project or take a more fun-oriented approach to the whole writing gig. 

It might be just what you need to feel a little more content with your writing, you never know.

Don’t compare yourself to other writers. 

Yeah, yeah, heard this one before. But it’s true, okay?

And it loops directly back around to the whole “embrace your own style.” 

You’re you. They’re them. Simple as that.

If you want to write in a similar style to another author, or you want to write a book that’s kind of like your favorite, go ahead. In fact, please do if that’s what you want to write. Write what makes you happy, but not because you feel like you need to be like X. 

Don’t get worried that your characters and plot aren’t original.

The basic 7 plots are there for a reason, and almost all stories fall into at least one of them. Aka...all stories are, at the core, kind of unoriginal. It’s the layers on top of the bare bone structure that make the stories unique. So don’t go, “This isn’t original, so I have to keep thinking of new plots.” No, no, no. If you keep trying to think of new plots or new characters that aren’t like those other ones you saw on that TV show, you’ll never get anywhere because you’ll never make it past the bare bone structure. You need to take a concept that is, at its core, technically unoriginal, and dig deeper. 

Dig deeper. Flesh out motivations, plot details, cool facts about your world. Embrace the bare bone structure, and go with it. 

And find more inside it. Go where your heart and head go. 

That’s how you make something unique. 

Write all the stuff you love. 

Favorite tropes, character hair colors, cool names that you’ve always liked. 

Whatever you want. If you write the stuff that makes you happy and that you’re passionate about, you’re more likely to keep up with it and actually finish a project. If you like a good uncle-nephew dynamic (ahhh, one of my favorites....There’s a reason I used that as an example), write it. Please. I beg of you. Trust me, readers out there who love the same thing will be eternally grateful. 

Especially for those obscure tropes? I don’t see uncle-nephew dynamics very often, and if someone gave me more of it...oh ho ho. 

Remember that readers and writers see things completely differently. 

Where writers think, “This is unoriginal,” or “This is boring,” or whatever the issue may be, readers think of it as, “Oh, wow! I get two stories that are both special in their own ways, but they have very similar themes, tropes, plots, whatever!” They want to read what they love. So why worry about it being “unoriginal” or if the readers simply want more of that?

They want more of it. So write it if you want. 

Readers will read stories about two very similar characters with different names falling in love in hundreds of different ways...and they want to read it again.

So. You can do things that have been done before. Okay?

Write it. I dare you. 

[junco-baby]

SPOTIFY WRAPPED IS HEREEEE

okay let's see how I did with my guesses

First two are correct!! Unsurprising.

Foxes at 4 instead of 3, pretty close.

One of my honorable mention guesses at 3 (after posting this the more I thought about it the more likely I thought Everything Everything would be in there).

Empress of was a huge dark horse to me though! Like actually thinking about it, I definitely did listen to her a lot but somehow I just didn't realize it was as much as/more than some other artists!

Also, I am so MAD (/light-hearted) about my top song being a fucking Chainsmokers song!! Ughhh lmao. I'm gonna blame Elio on this, I like her and she was the feature (and hence how I found the song in the first place I suspect). Plus that song was really short, so it got played more when looped than other longer looped songs. But I can't even lie, something about that song just really scratched my brain good. So I knew this was a possibility.

I'm super surprised a Remi song didn't make it in my top five because I thought I looped a couple of hers a lot!! Same with Hana vu (edit: one of hana's was number 6, so close!!). But Hana is my second top artist and I did love the entirety of her album this year so I guess that checks out.

EDIT: Looking at my top songs playlist, there is a lot of Remi and Aly & AJ, so I stand by those guesses lol.

Enough ranting! I just love Spotify wrapped an unhealthy amount! Yay music!

Now that we're in November, that means the most exciting time of the year is fast approaching: Spotify wrapped!

Last year on twt I predicted my top 5 artists (and got pretty close!) so I thought it'd be fun to do again! And I'm on tumblr more often now so figured I'd do it here instead lol.

So, my guess for my top five artists is:

Charli xcx

Hana vu

Foxes

Remi wolf

Aly & AJ

I'm pretty confident in the top 3, but the fourth I'm a little iffy on, and the fifth I'm very iffy on lol, so some honorable mentions/other artists I think could possibly squeeze in there instead (in order of likelihood) are: Foster the People, flor, Everything Everything, Chappell Roan, Dua Lipa

Anyway, feel free to reblog with guesses for your top artists! Or make your own post and tag me. I looove seeing people's Spotify wrapped!

[anonsally]

birds

A few more bird updates! Campanile falcons, birdwatching this morning, and a reply about a previous birdwatching outing.

The Campanile peregrine falcons fledged today! The female, named Lindsay [after the wildlife rehabilitation facility that treated Grinnell when he was injured in the autumn], went first, which is unusual, but I suspect she was the one who hatched first. She hopped down to the “fledge ledge” a little before 6am, and took her first flight before any of the Fledge Watch volunteers had arrived. When they got there, they spotted her on top of one of the campus libraries. Yay! And then this evening her little brother Grinnell Jr. jumped out and flew a little loop back to the nest level at the Campanile, and then a minute later he took a longer flight and landed in a tree. 

This morning, I went birdwatching with a friend, but we didn’t make it to the salt marsh. Instead, we went to some mudflats when the tide was starting to come in after a very low tide. We saw lots of birds, including some I hadn’t really managed to identify before and also several “high-quality” birds:

 4 American avocets

at least one whimbrel

lots and lots of marbled godwits (I reported 60), though some were far away and could have been whimbrels or curlews or dowitchers or something else. 

at least 60 brown pelicans, some juvenile or immature [@lies, is there a technical difference between juvenile and immature? I feel like there probably is.]--they are ridiculous creatures. 

2 great blue herons being tall and dorky

1 great egret, flying

at least 30 snowy egrets

3 black-crowned night herons! which is more than I usually see in one outing

a barn swallow

a bunch of (20?) cliff swallows

at least 3 northern rough-winged swallows, we think based on Merlin’s sound ID and the fact that some of the swallows didn’t have the coloration of the cliff swallow. 

I was especially pleased about the swallows, which I normally struggle to identify--having someone else with me who is more familiar with swallows helped, and also there were enough of them swooping pretty nearby that we were able to get a good look. The cliff swallows and northern rough-winged swallows were new to my eBird life list. 

A reply about a previous birdwatching outing:

lies said: I’ve usually seen “peep sp.” used to lump together Calidris shorebirds like western sandpiper and least sandpiper. From your report a fledgling black-necked stilt sounds like a good guess. Did it look like the young bird in this beautiful photo by Dorian Anderson? macaulaylibrary.org/ass…

What a great photo! Yes, that does look like what I saw, as far as I remember. Very cute! Should I edit the list to say it was a black-necked stilt baby?