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thesleepyfable · 19 days

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~ SWTD: Still Here AU Part 7: ~

The Confession:

And we're back. New story arc I'm calling 'Before the Rescue.' It's a few mini chapters focusing on various characters getting closure with themselves or each other. This one is for Caz.

Part 8:

With a cigarette hanging from his lips, Roper watched the Deck from the catwalk. It was both a relief and strange to see things back to normal, apart from the obvious. All the infected had the blood washed away and their torn uniform removed. The sky had cleared as dusk approached. Fitting.

Trots seemed to be taking it well. He was sweeping up the dust left by The Shape alongside Roy and Dobbie. Nothing seemed to be bothering him, unless staying busy was his way of coping.

On the Deck, Douglas, Innes and Sunil were going backwards and forwards for spare bedding. The empty shipping containers were going to be makeshift beds. Apart from Trots, because he won the lottery out of the group, the infected couldn't fit in their rooms. Addair managed, because The Shape melted his bones, but as soon as he sat on his bunk, it broke, leaving him shocked and embarrassed. He tried his best not to show it and just muttered under his breath in frustration.

No one had seen Rennick since he vanished, and no one went looking for him. If he wanted to get into everyone's good books, then hiding wasn't the way to do it.

Overall, it was peaceful.

Caz approached and stood besides Roper, leaning against the handrailing. He went to accept a cigarette but refused. 'New Year resolution,' he said, causing Roper to chuckle. 'How ye holding up?'

'Better than you. We actually missed everything in Control.' It was true. Somehow The Shape never spread to Marine Control. A blessing.

'Good. This place would be fucked if it did.'

The Shape may be dead and gone, but the damage remained. Large holes in the floors and ceilings weren't hard to miss. One wrong step and you could still fall into the North Sea. The Pontoons and water tanks had flooded, though O'Connor and his team went back to fix the issue. Administration was a total loss thanks to Rennick's episode of rage and Brodie was constantly keeping an eye on the stack. The lifeboats were also a total loss.

Then there was Gregor.

His body was long gone. It was part of the sea now. Roper was pondering on what to tell his family, because they all knew 'Boss Man' Rennick didn't have the balls to do so himself. What's worse was that Gregor isn't the only one. Davros has been missing for hours. No one could find him. All they could guess was he took a lifeboat and fled. If that was the case then he wasn't alone. Out of the skeleton crew on Beria, eight, not including Gregor and Davros, were gone.

Caz twiddled his thumbs. It wasn't over for the crew, but for him, it was. The victory will be short lived. He knew as soon as he steps back onto the mainland, if they aren't arrested by military, the police will ship him off to the nearest station. How long would he be put away for? Clearly waiting for Billy to drop the charges didn't work. Bastard was always stubborn. The Shape was an interesting distraction, but he had to stop running.

'Roper, you need to know something.' And, as if by divine faith, Roy overheard. He knew what Caz was going to say and approached. Trots and Dobbie didn't notice. Roper turned, noticing Roy but not suspecting anything. 'The reason why I'm even 'ere, and why Rennick needed to see me.' No going back now. 'Well, let's just say I was and am, well and truly fucked.' Roper frowned. Roy stayed quiet. 'I beat up a bloke back in July. Came to Beria to avoid the charges. I...I dunno. Just hoped it would all blow over and I could go back in January all willy-nilly and see me girls, but someone spilt the beans and the police know I'm 'ere.'

Roper trilled his lips and had a conflicting look on his face. Out of everything he expected to hear, knowing a criminal was on board was not one of them. 'Can't say I've got experience in that field, mate. Does anyone else know?'

'N-'

'Yes, I did.' Roy stepped forward and raised his hand like he was back in school. 'I helped Caz get here. Someone back home owed me a favour and put in a good word.'

'Ah. The plot thickens then.' Roper turned away to think. He wasn't someone who could hire and fire like Rennick. Tapping the cigarette on the handrail, then putting it out between his gloved fingers, he'd quickly come to the conclusion that this didn't change how he saw the pair. Sadly he only had one answer. 'I think it's best you tell the others in your own time. If you don't want to, then that's up to you Caz.' But the truth will come out in the end. A former semi-professional boxer being arrested will get back to everyone here.

Caz didn't know if he felt better or not with that answer. He narrowed his eyes and glanced to the crew. None of them knew. Was that for the best? To live in ignorance? Would they hate him if he told them what happened back home? Would Rennick reveal his secret to get back at him? He didn't want to toss Roy into the mix either. The big man might have helped, but he had a home to go back to.

'...I'll.' He huffed. 'I'll think about it.'

Fuck.

Roper patted his shoulder to show support. Honestly, he didn't care. The entire time he's been here, Caz has been a good lad. He worked hard and he did keep this place running more than anyone knew. Just because he wasn't down in Engineering or working the drill itself didn't mean he was useless. Now he had to ask. 'Did you win?'

'Oh, aye. He got to experience a broken nose for once. Suited the bastard more.' The trio got a good laugh out of that comment.

So, who to tell first?

Could tell his little boxing fan base. That would include Innes, O'Connor, McLurg and Sunil. Finlay? She knew something was up since this morning and she's smart enough to put two and two together. Addair? No, but he already had an inkling. 'Ah. Fuck it.'

It must be becoming a little ritual for Caz, because, again, he jumped over the handrailing - nearly giving Roper and Roy a mini heart attack - and landed on the shipping container Brodie, Raffs and Finlay were sitting on. Everyone heard and gave him his full attention.

'Er...Right. Shit.' Deep breaths, Caz. Deep breaths. 'I need everyone's attention.'

'Looks like you've already got that.'

'Yes, thank you, Finlay.' A sigh. 'There's something you all need to know about me.' Caz tapped his foot, looked all the men in the eye and continued. He had no idea, but Rennick was listening from the Under Rig. He was too far away for Caz to sense him but his voice bouncing off the metal structure and equipment could be heard all the way on The Isle of Man. The manager clung to what's left of the railing and listened. 'Now, I know a lot of you know of me past, and you should know I retired from that lifestyle over a decade ago. But, it seems the past keeps coming back to me.' He paused. Caz hadn't noticed he was tapping his thigh with his left hand.

'I beat a man up back home. At first, I thought I was doing the right thing. He said some fuckin' terrible things about me wife that I just lost control. Yes, he was trying to get a raise out of me and whilst he got what he wanted, I should have just walked away. But, I came here to hide from the police. They now know that I'm here. It's why Rennick wanted me. So, when we get back to the mainland, don't be surprised that police cars will be there.' He took another long breath. 'I'm sorry I never told any of you sooner.'

Silence lingered. No one said anything. They all just stared. Caz felt tension brewing. He began to turn away in defeat, his head hanging low.

'Were we supposed to care about any of that?' He stopped. It was Brodie's voice. The diver got to his feet and like Roper, placed a hand on Caz's shoulder. 'Caz, look around you. From all the shit we've been through, do you really think this is going to change anything?' A look and feeling of relief washed over the leccy. He felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders. He turned to the crew, then to Roy and the others on the catwalk, before back to Brodie. 'Don't worry. We'll put a good word in for ya.'

Caz smiled. Then cried. Then laughed.

'Ah you pricks. You're gonna make me cry.' But he did and accepted Brodie's embrace. Then Finlay joined in. Then Raffs. Then Gibbo. Caz had no idea where he came from, but a simple hug was quickly becoming a mosh pit. 'Gah! Okay. You can all stop now.' It didn't, because Muir lifted Caz up he'd just won the Premier league trophy. 'Muir, for fucks sake!'

Rennick didn't come out of hiding. He heard the laughter from the crew. He would be lying if he didn't feel both sad and jealous. It brought back memories when he was Caz's age, maybe even younger, during the war. That feeling of a team effort. The brotherly love. How he missed those days, even if it was a dark time in human history. It brought people together. What happened to him? How did he stray so far from his younger self? Rennick couldn't absorb his head into his body like Gibbo, but how he wished he could. The old man just wanted to hide from the world. For now, he watched the calm waves and longed to return to the past.

#Still Wakes the Deep #Still Wakes the Deep: Still Here AU #My Writing

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thinkingjasico · 4 months

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Ok so I don't have other mutuals into PJO but I must confess I've been thinking about a scenario. Gender bend Jasico with Nico as the scary goth girl and Jason/Julia being the local prom queen and they maybe are roommates and fall in love. Have I watched the wicked trailer 200 times? Mayhaps. But I just think it kinda fits them, and I love to make my faves lesbians so. Yeah.

I love this! It also makes me think of an coffee shop AU!

Nico is a barista at this very charming café on campus. She's always very quiet; studying or reading on the other side of the counter when the café is not very busy. Julia always has a million things to do during the day, so she lives off coffee and has been a regular custumer there since her first year in college, until now, in Julia's second year, Nico starts working there and Julia not only becomes terrifyingly fascinated by her, but also obsessed with the playlists Nico puts on during her shift. Julia seems very confident to others, but in reality she's not at all confident about these things; which means that for the entire first semester that year all she said to Nico was: “good afternoon”, “an espresso, please” and “thank you” . She ventured to comment on the rain once, but Nico didn't hear with the noise of the coffee machine, so Julia didn't venture to say anything more.

But when the winter break arrives, Julia's roommate tells her that from January she won't be able to live with her anymore because she's moving in with her girlfriend (Piper and Annabeth? Who knows…).

The problem is: Julia has to share the rent. The person who helps her with the bills, since she has a full scholarship to college, is her older sister Thalia--- who never went to college but has her own business, and neither of the girls has any relationship with their parents. Also, Julia hates the college dorms because she had a horrible experience living there in her first month of college. Her roommate was always taking boys there and ignored her requests to stop doing that, so Thalia said she could pay half of a cheap rent for her, so she could concentrate on her studies (I don't even need to say that for Thalia, Julia is the most perfect creature ever to walk the earth and she would kill and die for her sister to have a good life and not have to go through the things she went through).

Anyway, she's desperate and put up notices all over the college buildings, because if she doesn't find someone to share her apartment, she'll have to move out at the beginning of January. But the campus is practically empty, it's unbearably cold and she should have gone to California to spend the end of the year with her sister already. She goes to the café, upset and anxious, and for the first time she doesn't think about Nico as soon as she walks through the door. Instead of going straight to the counter, she sits down at a table in the corner of the empty café, takes off her wet coat and beanie and leaves her flyers on the table. She's reaching for her cell phone to text Thalia and tell her she won't be able to travel until she's sorted this out; when a cup is placed on the table. She looks up and sees that it's an espresso. She looks up more and sees that Nico is standing there, with her long, black, wavy, voluminous hair tucked behind her pierced ears, and her painted black lips with a piercing in the middle say: “I saw this flyer in the English building today.”

It was just those words.

The flyer had many ways of contacting Julia, with all her social media accounts there so you could see the image of perfection that everyone had of her. Maybe all the problems that would ruin her end of the year and her next semester would be solved now, but all Julia could think was: She knows my order?!

Julia nods, “Yes, I'm looking for someone to share my apartment with. It's right near the campus entrance. The building is pretty old, and I live on the sixth floor, with no elevator, but the apartment is nice, I promise. I'm not noisy or messy and I don't have any pets.” She could have shut up after explaining the location of the building, which was already in the flyer, instead of saying it all in one breath like that, but anyway… “Do you know anyone who would be interested?” Please be you, please be you…

Nico glances to the counter, “I lived in the dorms at first, but my roomate was the most shitty person I've ever met. So I moved into the second floor of the café; not exactly with Luke's permission at first, but when he found me there he let me stay until New Year's.” She turns back to Julia and says nothing more, so Julia assumes that the person interested in the place is Nico herself.

There was a possibility that Julia would fall in love and spend the rest of her college years suffering in silence for that girl, but even if she only got to be friends with Nico, that would be enough for her.

Julia smiles and holds out her hand to Nico to close the deal. "It seems we were fated for each other then." And that was precisely why usually Julia only said the same things to Nico. "I-I mean, destined to be roommates, you know? And solve our housing problems."

But, thank God, the girl didn't seem to pay much attention to what Julia said, because she seemed to be thinking about something, and didn't take Julia's hand. “Hm, I kind of adopted a stray cat that kept eating the café's garbage.”

Julia smiles more broadly; her hand still held out. “Great! Take the cat with you.” And then Nico gives what Julia would later learn is the beginning of a smile, and takes her hand. Julia is actually allergic to cats, but at the moment she couldn't even see it as a problem.

#jasico #thunderworld #asks and replies #jasico wlw

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mlbigbang · 2 years

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2022 General Fic Rec List

It's the end of the year which means it's finally time for the ML Big Bang's yearly fic rec lists! We're really excited to bring you our contributors' favourite fics started this year to supply you with plenty of reading material while you're waiting for the Big Bang fics' publication in January.

deliverin' by @fragileizy 5,750 words, General, 2/2 chapters

“Is everything okay?” “Yeah. Yes, of course it is, I just”—she swallows ash and ice—“it was just the Book I was reading. It, uh… their family separates after a bit, and it’s all a misunderstanding, and—” she can’t finish. She’s not allowed to. “Do you need a hug, Jules?” I need you to stay, she wants to cry. You’re my only brother. And I’ll miss you so terribly when you’re gone. Every day, I’ll be alone without you, because Mom will try to visit as often as you always visit me, but she’ll keep feeling guilty for the rest of our time together because she knows how upset I am. And she’ll be upset, too. I’ll never be able to watch her cry, but I’ll hear her. And I don’t think I’m strong enough to deal with that. “I do,” she says instead, wings closing up around her like a ball. “Please. Just for a little while.”

"Cute!!!"

Telling the bees by @feather-dancer 5,768 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Chloé and Zoé have a routine where at least once a week they meet up somewhere for a chat which is an excuse to get away from their shared mother and to vent as much as anything. Folklore says it is very important to keep the bees up to date with the coming and goings of their keepers, these two are no different. Part of Haven of Strays.

"Canon has denied us any real Zoe&Chloe sisterly content. It's up to the fanfic community ot make up the difference. This author does all that and more in a weighty interaction between two sisters who are not friends, but are sisters."

Chaotic Company by ADeadmansBliss 5,450 words, Mature, 1/1 chapter

It's been nearly a week since Adrien's acquisition of a new pet and unfortunately traumatic injury is not something that can be recovered from quickly. Bored with only an unconscious former hero for company he decides to sneak out to find some entertainment which goes fine until Hawkmoth decides to ruins it.

"It's unlike anything I've read before and it's so super fantastic!!!"

Stranger Acquaintance by @bugchat 1,885 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Marinette just wants to live her Special Agent life as quietly as possible. Put bad guys behind bars, maybe make friends with three people at work, and eat pizza once they close a case. What makes its way into her life is a mop of blond hair with a stunning smile and too much of a back-talking mouth to be healthy for her.

"It's an good AU concept with fun dynamics, and it's a short, easy read! Detective Marinette and her team of four being Alya, Nino and Kagami. There's so much room for sequels if the author chooses to!"

maybe shake a tambourine by noirshitsuji 1,703 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Written for a Miraculous Writer's Guild blog request: Start a story with "I need a place to stay." Felix looks at his cousin, sometimes. Looks and wonders. The silver ring he’d taken to wearing a couple of years ago is gone. But the Adrien he’s known since childhood isn’t there either, and, much as Felix would like to attribute the tapping he’s noticed his fingers do every time Adrien doesn’t answer one of his questions to annoyance, he knows it’s truly because he feels unnerved by it all.

"It's a lovely exploration in Felix's character and his feelings toward Adrien while absolutely teasing a glorious plot about Adrien, Marinette, and Gabriel"

(may we write it all down) in cursive light by @sunfoxfic 3,503 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Since retiring as a journalist, Alya hasn't been involved in an interview in several years. But now that her identity is out, that's about to change.

"An amazingly written future!fic that beautifully explores a time long after Hawkmoth's defeat and "our" heroes' retirement."

Off the Mark by @buggachat 4,632 words, General, 1/1 chapter

Ever since Nino's (frankly embarrassing) akumatization into Rocketear, Chat Noir's behavior had taken a strange and sudden turn in the presence of Carapace, and Nino could only think of one possible explanation: Chat Noir hated him. Somehow, Adrien didn't seem to agree.

"Any fic that focuses on Nino and Adrien being bffs is important. After Rocketear, Nino may have rambled a bit to Adrien about how weird it's been being around Chat Noir. Adrien is weirdly invested in this problem. A lot of misunderstanding leads to heightened emotions and eventual revelations. Just a really good examination of the difficulties of secret identities and being best friends."

Infestations and Maladies by @sunfoxfic 100 words, General, 1/1 chapter

Bunnix called Chat Noir to go to a mysterious version of the timeline and fix… something.

"A well-written drabble exploring a reverse Chat Blanc. A very clever concept written in a very clever way!"

In Memory Of by @graaythekwami 3,012 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Gabriel Agreste was never good with kids, but his granddaughter needed him.

"A very interesting story with a dark backstory, but it's very sweet and well-written."

I Am Your Ghost by @emmalylis 1,559 words, General, 1/1 chapter

Adrien attends one of Gabriel’s galas in his mother’s old dress.

"Adrien in a dress. Need I say more?"

goodbye, goodbye, goodbye (you were bigger than the whole sky) by @hanaasbananas 865 words, General, 1/1 chapter

Distantly, he hears the music still blaring behind him, the song mocking in its cheerfulness, imprinting itself into his memory as the soundtrack to his devastation. For a moment–the longest of his life–everything stands still, the universe holding its breath and then Sabine shrieks and it shatters like glass beneath his feet.

"This is short but its just so damn sad😭 hit me right in the feels"

Moon mission by @ultrakart 2,789 words, General, 1/1 chapter

For Fei, escaping her past is as difficult as trying to escape the Earth’s orbit.

"Kart is the king of the Shanghai special and this is such a sweet short fic that showcases just how great his writing over it is."

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #fic recs #ml fic recs #general fic #ml big bang #ml big bang 2022 #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #nino lahiffe #alya cesaire #gabriel agreste #chloé bourgeois

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thelocalmuffin · 9 months

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Hello everyone! I wanted to share my accomplishments in 2023 before the year ends with a little bit of self reflection notes. You can enjoy everything in the read below.

Some fandoms highlighted include DGS, nintendo, and pokemon.

First off, this year has been hard for me. It's been a lot of self reflection and figuring my goals out after some became unattainable.

With that being said, I did accomplish a lot this year. I published my first recipe in a zine, finishing my first zine, improved my writing a lot, and picked up drawing once again. I also was able to get some actual help with some issues I have struggled with for years.

I want thank you all for your support. It means a lot that you enjoyed my artworks, writing, and ambition. Now here are my highlights for each month.

January: Foxtrot - An Asoryuu kitsune AU. One of the stories I took in when I was at my lowest last year and sparked a lot of my interest to keep writing. Plus Kitsune Kazuma.

February: Encore - A hassius story about motivation and being patient about the creation process. Though this was more or less my thoughts on this topic in general, this story literally inspired me to take my own advice and pick up drawing again.

March: The Memories that Lie - This was one I actually finished, but am glad I did. It's an asoryuu vampire story I was actually planning on scrapping, but ended up finishing anyway out of sheer stubbornness. To finish it, it took me completely restarting five chapters, but it came out a lot better than the original draft had mapped out.

April: This is when I took my hiatus and started to draw again in my free time. I was worn out, stressed, and collapsing under the pressure. This was my first piece that I posted.

May: Was a huge month for me. I launched the @blossominglovezine that you can enjoy here and published my first recipe in The Grand Adventure to Make the Perfect Cake for the @tgaacspringzine

June: I made my first icon! I was really busy this month planning for the trip of my dreams and doing some irl side work that ended up being permanent employment.

July: So I went to Las Vegas for a foodie tour. When I had a moment, I decided to draw the lovely Unicorn Goddess outfit.

August: This is when I did the Timmverse art study. This month was more of finishing up some logistics of zine work and getting a story out in the wild.

September: Goes to the Princess Peach Showtime piece I did! This piece really cemented my current style. And yes, I keep calling it Princess Peach Spotlight. Also wanted to mention I helped successfully launch the @dgscrimezine

October: Goes to my OC piece. CW for blood, but this piece was made for Halloween and the shading was really on point. I love this design for this OC.

November: I'm going with the fact I completed a ship week, asoryuu week. I got everything done at a reasonable time and was able to create so many fun pieces. 1 2 3 4 5 7. I had to skip day 6 because I ended up having an emergency. I also started pre-orders for my first for purchase zine, @desire-asoryuu-zine. This is still in pre-orders, so I wasn't sure if I was going to add it, but this is a big accomplishment for me.

December: I actually haven't been able to do much this month due to the holidays and getting distracted by Pokemon DLC, but I did draw this super cute Yuma!

Other highlights do include being accepted to multiple zine projects as a mod and contributor, which has been very exciting for me. You can check out that list here.

This upcoming year, I'll be helping with more projects and the @aawlwminibang events! I really want to do a personal project that I've been building up my skills for before pursuing, but now I think I'll be able to handle it. I won't announce it yet since it's still very much in development, but I hope I can in 2024.

Thank you all for your support this year. It has meant a ton.

#muffin speaks #asoryuu #hassius #oc #zines #2023 summary #muffin does art #muffin writes

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scottysketches · 8 months

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wip wednesday

been a month since I posted any form of wip progress. I don't really have anything new - this time of year is always really bad for me, my motivation and desire to do anything creative tanks thanks seasonal depression you're a real one - not to mention that xmas eve was also the ten year anniversary of my nan's passing. It's just been a really weird month.

But! I've started sleeping better, I'm going to start going back to the gym (want to shed a load of weight before my cousin's wedding in August), and actually taking some time off from writing Don't Dream It's Over has helped me with blocking out the remaining chapters.

There have also been some developments with regards to how my Satine Lives AU will continue once DDIO is completed:

I've worked a little more on talk me down, my Korkie/Amis side story

I've started writing notes and drafting ideas for a Korkie-centric story, set between the end of DDIO and A New Hope (so will actually cover the nineteen-odd years that the Kryze-Kenobi clan are in hiding after the downfall of the Republic)

I completed Jedi: Survivor! And I loved every second of it! The combat is incredible, the maps are beautiful, the ability to customise Cal's appearance is very well done! I've actually got a story in the works where Cal, Merrin and Greez run into Korkie on Ryloth (no working title as of yet, it's saved on my computer under the name 'twin sons' - yes, playing on the idea that Cal also looks like he could be Obi-Wan's kid lol)

In case folks were unaware, after I published the first chapter of DDIO I ended up creating a series for it on AO3 because I knew I was going to end up writing loads more set within this AU. It's titled (rather appropriately) The One Where Obi-Wan Gets a Happy(ish) Ending. For now, DDIO is the only story in it, but the other stories that are in the series description are meet you there, talk me down, tear me to pieces and afterglow:

meet you there: Ahsoka Tano & Korkie Kryze, in progress - set immediately after Ahsoka leaves the Jedi at the end of S5 Ep20, "The Wrong Jedi" [excerpt here]

talk me down: Korkie Kryze/Amis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, in progress - follows Amis from the age of ten to the Night of a Thousand Tears as he comes to terms with his sexuality, meeting Korkie and falling for his best friend [excerpt here]

tear me to pieces: Korkie Kryze/Amis, in progress - set in the immediate aftermath of the Night of a Thousand Tears

afterglow: Ahsoka Tano & Korkie Kryze, Korkie Kryze/Amis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze (mentioned), in progress - set during the galaxy-wide celebrations after the downfall of the Empire. Ahsoka is reunited with an old friend and his family on Naboo

---

Aside from all this Star Wars stuff, I've also gotten into some new stuff - I'm really enjoying the Percy Jackson show, criticisms about some changes from the source material aside; I've been playing The Sims 4 again after not touching it from around the time the latest expansion pack, For Rent, was released; and I've spent the last few weeks binging the few seasons of Chicago Med, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire that are available on Now TV here in the UK.

Anyway, now that my seasonal depression seems to hopefully be settling down to hibernate until the end of November, I'm going to try and set some time aside to work on DDIO and try to get chapter 4 out before the end of January.

Cheers, folks, Scotty :)

#wip wednesday #wip #wip updates #star wars #star wars the clone wars #sw tcw #sw tcw fanfic #scotty's rambles

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helenarasmussen87 · 6 months

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-We had to work on a Sunday and we all were basically like so over it, so I spent my time reading Kagubarachi. It's GOOD. I read the 27 chapters that are out and I really enjoyed them and the characters. They're pretty and yes, I am looking at Chihiro and his dad's friend as well as the little mafia guy. LOL. The lore behind the swords is good and yeah, there's a little kid, but she's not annoying like Anya levels. (I TRIED SpyxFamily. I actually read three volumes and I couldn't hack her dude. I liked Yor and Lloid, but not her)

-I am honestly super picky about who I let into the circle of trust and I ended up basically not replying to someone who was texting me at the wrong times. I admit that I do work a LOT. I came back from holidays and was just working and working. It's only been recently that I've had a bit of a breather. I just don't have the time and that's why I never sent a message. And I don't intend to if I'm being contacted for a fuck or because someone is bored. I feel kind of bad for the not replying, but it's also the tolls didn't get paid and I'm not here as an option for you to pass the time. I've been there and done that with too many people in the past. I'm too old for that bullshit.

-Probably doesn't help matters that I tend to turn tail and flee when someone is *too* aggressive cause of the autism and bad experiences with people like that in the past. I also have a fear of aggressive men due to past situations. It's like I'll meet you, but you have to be vetted by trustworthy sources, kind of a situation.

-BnHA-That last chapter was SO not what I expected to happen. Yeah I know a lot of people were like "Oh I knew" and I was like "I didn't think he had the BALLS!" JJK: I don't even know dude. I'm more into the fandom side of it tbh. Yuuji is finally getting his due, but I'm wary and just waiting and watching. Especially since there's a break this week.

-I thought I was done with a series of fics I had written, but a reader asked a few questions and yeah...I'm fucking back in that AU again. They asked cause they had scenarios and ideas. And re-read the stories twice. That's honestly one of the best compliments I could get as a writer.

-I tore a really bad hangnail around my pointer finger and forgot that it's a recent one. I was cooking today and just forgot. Cue me screeching whenever I squeezed lemons or used hot water to wash up and disinfect my cooking area. And then I just kept going. In my defence, I was starving and I had to do a ton of prep to get a giant fruit salad done for the rest of the week. The salsa and the chicken noodle soup came out great, so it was worth it.

-My birthday is coming up and I'm just mellow about it. I used to make a big deal back in the day. I mean, I got myself presents. Most are practical like shelves for my action figures, ingredients for cooking, and cleaning products. I did get myself a few figures as always, but yeah. I've got tacos planned for dinner cause I work late and "The Boy and the Heron" to watch. Quiet, but honestly just how I want it.

-Yeah, that's it. And no one knows John Donne's actual b-day. He was born between January and June in 1572. HAHAHA! Go off, my recusant and later on Anglican rector of St. Paul's!

#musings #ramblings #bnha #jjk

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spnfanficpond · 2 years

Text

January 2023 Angel Fish Awards

(Angel Fish design by @slytherkins!!)

WELCOME TO THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words.

The monthly Angel Fish Awards are peer-nominated, meaning ANYONE (you don’t have to be a member) CAN NOMINATE ANY POND MEMBER’S FIC. Everyone in this community deserves to be showered with love and feedback, and we hope that this fun, thoughtful award will do just that.

Be sure to read through this whole post as people who were nominated more than once only had one tag activated for Tumblr tagging purposes!

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE ARE THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

Nominated by @rauko-is-a-free-elf

To Love And To Hold by @glygriffe

This whole thing is just so cute. I think my favorite part is how ye great and powerful eldritch angel of the lord Cas is so cute and adorable that both brothers are hopeless against it. Sam moves quickly from "we can't keep it" to "well maybe if we can't find an owner," and Dean goes almost immediately from "hell no I'm allergic" to "dammit Sam pick up some Allegra I guess." 😆💚

~*~*~

Nominated by @glygriffe

Hate or Love by @rauko-creates

I love the poetry of this piece. It's poignant and have a depth that I can't quite grasp, but it's beautiful none the less.

Not Alone by @mrswhozeewhatsis

A sweet little fic set during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring Sam x Reader. It's full of fluff and I like the type of narration, the author's voice in this fic. It makes me feel... grounded in the story, immerse in the universe.

~*~*~

Nominated by @mariekoukie6661

Under The Mistletoe by @katbratsupernaturalwhore

This was very cute!!!

~*~*~

Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis

...And Then There Were Three (series) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

It's been a heck of a long time since I've really read smut without just skimming through it for the vital details. This series? I read every word. So freaking hot!! Both brothers? YES, PLEASE!!!!

Just Like Heaven by @redmyeyes

On the Destiel to Wincest spectrum, I definitely lean towards Destiel, but I do love an occasional Wincest fic, if it's got the right feel to it. This fic right here? It's got it. The angst. The brotherly way of communicating without talking. The brotherly way of doing something gross as a way of saying, "I love you." (It's so gross. But so brotherly.) This right here is the Goldilocks of Wincest fics for me!

Smoking Spirits on the Roof by @stusbunker

And now I'm off to the other end of the spectrum with a Destiel rec! This is a sweet (and smutty) college AU that explores a little bit of the paradox of being queer and having religious faith and an uber-religious family. It doesn't go too deep, so it's not a slog, it's just right for some light reading!

~*~*~

Nominated by @princessmisery666

Rainy Days and Mondays by @kellyn1604

OMG 😱 those last three sentence’s literally made me teary eyed 😢 a smidge of angst but all the fluffiness and it was beautiful 🤩

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE AWESOME WORK AND GREAT FEEDBACK!

These are not actual awards, as in, there is no competition! This system is set up so everyone has a chance to share the love and promote a fic/author in the Pond that has grabbed your attention. The more people that participate, the better this will be :D

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

#angel fish awards #angel fish awards masterlist #spnfanficpond #fan fiction #fanfiction #fan fic #fanfic #spn fan fiction #spn fanfiction #spn fan fic #spn fanfic #supernatural fan fiction #supernatural fan fic #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fanfic #fic rec #spn fic rec #supernatural fic rec

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ct-hardcase · 9 months

Text

2023 art summary, coming in fashionably late. Director's commentary under the cut:

January: I feel proud of this one, but also feel kind of sad that over the course of a whole year, that January is the artistic highlight. I had a few free days at the beginning of the year where I was alone, and got this wild drive to draw something that I very rarely, if ever, get anymore, especially for a piece that includes a background. Pessimism aside though, I'm really happy with how this came out, barring some aspects of Kanan's facial anatomy I could improve on and Ahsoka's hand (I gave up here, don't look too closely). I've had the scene in my mind for a while, and I'm glad I could finally take it on artistically.

February: Yes, technically this was published in March. As far as I can find, this is possibly the only thing I drew in February, sketches included. I published it on twitter and tumblr in Feburary, fully intending to leave it at the flats, but decided to render a bit on 03/01. On account of my literally having nothing else for the month, I let it slide. I'm also happy to have finished a piece for Seventh/Fifth, and it received pretty decent reception considering it's a bit of a rarepair.

March: I didn't do much, but I did draw Trilla, Eighth, and Reva; and the dynamic has been shamelessly influenced by To Gain The Harbor on Ao3, which has occupied my head rent-free this year.

April: I actually drew two things this month, but I chose Voe, since I always have to have my annual Voe in these, and I'm really happy with how I drew her, here. It's also unpictured due to the formatting constraints, but this one also contained one of my best Kylos.

May: Work started getting very busy here (and never really stopped), so this is where ~sketch season~ starts. I noticed that I sketched a lot of sitting and kneeling this year, which is a bit of a flex, since I've historically had trouble with that (and am still not perfect, but getting there).

June: Credits to Senshistock for the pose here, but I decided to focus back in on anatomy, which was honestly driven by my beginning to consistently exercise for the first time since college—I got a lot more in tune with the practical aspects of how my own and other bodies could move, and though a lot of my poses are static, I find that it's a pretty big influence on my art this year.

July: It's at this time that my love for Reva also turned a corner—I objectively loved her as a character from the beginning, but around this time or June is when she rocketed herself to my third-favorite (hehe) inquisitor. She really grips me as a character, and she featured pretty prominently in my art this year.

August: Was busy touching grass this month, so didn't do a ton of drawing, but did a quick sketch of a village babushka.

September: I decided to color a drawing of Samantha Trapp and Kilner from We Fix Space Junk, which has carried me through many a hard day, and while the drawing feels just a little off, I think I at least somewhat maintained my ability to color something in.

October: I decided to treat myself and buy some fancy pens, and decided on the Sarasa pens on a whim. While they haven't been the cure-all to my art block, they are so much fun to draw in, and about half my sketches from October-present have been with these. Also, Rey!

November: Reva brainrot feat. The Grand Inquisitor. A friend and I were talking over an AU where the Grand Inquisitor (as a Jedi) takes Reva on as his Padawan, and I had to draw it.

December: I sketched a fair bit this month, but decided to go with Eighth.

#CTartcase

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czargasm · 4 months

Note

Hi :) I actually have more rambling things to say about Every mountain tells a story, I hope it's okay to leave them here First of all, I was listening to Heart by Sleeping at Last and it made me think of your Dream and George. Maybe just because the lyrics contain the word 'altitude' but it's a DNF song now, I don't make the rules ;D

Second of all, I really wanna read more fics now where the dteam and co. do extreme sports? I don't know if this is just me but reading your fic made me think about how well Dream, his drive, his planning and training, manhunts and MCC map onto those settings. I might have been thinking about crazy and ridiculous places he could propose at, that aren't the top of mountains, too and came up with the mariana trench. So let's all ignore how clumsy real Dream is and someone write that, okay? XD

I do recognize that writing something like this takes a whole lot of research and work. I for one know nothing about scuba diving or caving or parkouring. All of this to say, thank you for writing this fic and I can't wait for the last two chapters :D

YES, it is absolutely okay to leave your rambling thoughts here. I love when people send me asks about my stories, because I love talking about them. Especially this one, since it's definitely my favorite right now.

It's funny, you are not the first person to send me music that reminds you of this story specifically. I love the weird things that makes something a DNF song to each of us. Kind of like how the song 'Heyday' by Mic Christopher was 100% my ANF song that I played over and over again while I was writing "Our Own Terrible Way" (which is named after that song), just because it has the line "we fool around now and again, we're looking good--but just as friends."

You make a great point about how Dream's drive and determination translates well to extreme sports type situations. I don't think I have anything else quite like that on the horizon, but I do have several weird AUs. I think weird AUs are just my brand now between Every Mountain and the time travel story. I just love seeing how the different aspects of Dream and George's personality and all their soulmate-isms translate over into different universes. They do take a ton of research, though. I don't think I ever would have written Every Mountain if I didn't already have a decade of reading about mountaineering behind me. For one of the AUs I'm working on right now (I have two I'm actively writing), I've been researching off and on since January. I've read two books, watched multiple interviews and documentaries, searched through legislation and US government websites, and played two entire video games just to get a feel for the vibes. And it's a one shot. Luckily I like research a lot.

#czargasm yaps

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mochalottie · 1 year

Note

Hi to start off I love your story- sorry for not commenting on it much I’m just lazy and just press the link as soon as I see it and forget to log into my account- so to sum up any possible comment I would’ve made: this is my favorite avatar fic (not one of them - it just is my favorite) and you write everything so well.

Questions:

1. Gotta start with the one everyone’s dying to know- is neteyam gonna die? Or will there be any major character deaths?

2. What inspired you to write this

3. Are you gonna write any more fics in the future? If so what are some ideas you have

4. What are some other fandoms you’re into and possibly wanna write for?

5. What are some hobbies you enjoy?

Hiya babes~ that is completely fine about commenting, I know I get the same way sometimes but I'm glad to know you're loving it. And it's your favourite?!?! Even over greats like Half-Alive???? I'm honoured and touched and sending a massive squdge (hug) to you thank you!!!! <333333

Questions are answered under the line~

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I'm guessing a lot of people want to know about this. Em, I'm going to go ahead and say there will be major character deaths, but not the ones you expect. In my cranium, there's going to be two big bits of confrontation; the ship (which we all knew was going to happen) and the final big battle (debating whether to write this properly, or to pan over it and hit the aftermath). So there will be loads of intense things that will lead to some major character injury too but, fear not, I'm not cruel enough to axe off extremely important characters (looking at you Cameron) but I can't say any more because of spoilers!

2. Well that's an easy question because bestie and all around amazing idea creator @be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie came up with the idea of the humans leaving Pandora and never coming back, and then mentioned Eywa blessed Spider and my brain went 'huh good idea mine now'. And I was already looking for something more to write about Spider because the inspiration muse has had me by the throat since January and isn't letting go.

3. Good question!! I will always write fanfiction, even when I've published my original ideas because it's an amazing creative outlet and a great way to practice new ideas. Bestie @be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie came up with an ikran racing au because of an ask I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) and again my brain just went yes so that might be in the works after ftnadol. But at the moment there isn't anything concrete, but when something comes I'm sure it'll whack me upside the head XD

4. Oooooo other fandoms. Well Stranger Things is a big love of mine (I actually have a Steve x Male OC fic which has been gathering dust which incorporated Irish Mythology that I need to resurrect), as is Star Wars, and Umbrella Academy, and Marvel, gosh there's loads to count up. In terms of what I'd like to write for, maybe dipping my toes into Percy Jackson? Because of the TV show? OR! Spider verse because Miles is my boy. I'm not entirely sure though because I never quite know until an idea does suddenly pop into my brain. Haikyuu might be something to try, but who knows! Certainly not me~

5. Ooooo interesting well! If you didn't know I play two instruments; harp and violin, so music is a massive part of my life. I teach swimming some evenings, and absolutely love to do it recreationally. I game, and am very excited for Spider-Man 2. I'm also self teaching myself korean, which is very fun and interesting because I'll be able to understand half the music I listen to XD of course, this is also whilst writing up a storm every week!

Thank you bestie for your questions!! <333

#lottie writes fanfic #lottie answers asks #lottie does a q & a

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minkkumaz · 1 year

Note

AHHHH OMII TT

it feels like its been awhile,, (its only been a week.) since i interacted ^^;

how have u been?! i hope all of yungyus insta posts have been making you jump up and down with happiness LOL

a little confession, i always delete tumblr off my device when i go to school. I worry someone will recognize the app and find out im an avid fic reader.. but i forgot to redownload it for a while..

had to backtrack on what happened w/ the bonedo series u were working with; ill be excited when november rolls around!! an extra month to prepare for all of that angst.. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IM SO EXCITED FOR THE HALLOWEEN IDEAS U HAVE COMING UP!! whatever u write will exceed all of our expectations (as they normally do!!)

hopefully you were able to recover from ur sickness!! stay healthy omi, dont force yourself to write <33

-🍉

HI MELON!!

i've been good, and yes all the yungyu photos he's been posting have had me jumping for joy :,3 i literally have changed my pfp on discord multiple times hes just such a cutie.

AND ME TOO ! i used to have notifications on all the time but i turned them off and have gotten so secretive over my phone ever since i started my little tumblr career. i used to be super into fanfiction over quarantine with my other interests, but i only got back into it out of curiosity when i started liking kpop! then it only spiraled from there. my first story ever was a coffee shop au for seungmin hehe. i had such a crazy seungmin phase, and i have so many old stories for him that i haven't published!

and yes i feel so bad for putting them on hiatus but all of them will probably be around 6k words, and it has intimidated me so bad i haven't wanted to work on them! so i might just gradually release them for awhile, just know at least ONE of them will be released in january. so sorry abt that btw i know you were looking forward to them :( but i do have an idea up my sleeve for october so atleast one thing will be spooky themed aha.

i've recovered well from my sickness just a little cough :) i'm gonna focus on school for a bit, as i hate forcing myself to write! writing is something that is supposed to be a fun hobby to make me happy, and if i force myself to get stuff out i won't have fun anymore. but trust me, ill get back in my groove eventually, just waiting for thanksgiving and winter break LOL

#∞ ₒ ˚ omi's chats #༊*·˚ anonymous peoples #🍉 anon ·˚ ༘ ✎

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sylphidine · 1 year

Text

[Fic] Call Signs, Chapter 29

Fandom: Deltarune

‘Verse: Human AU

Pairing: Swatch/Spamton [Swatchton]

Characters: Spamton Addison, Swatch Paletta, Mike Cowley [flashback], Cossimo Pitchiner [flashback], assorted OCs [flashback], Ballew Addison [flashback], Eos Addison [flashback], Sienna Addison [flashback], Saffron Timothy [flashback]

Rating: Mature

Chapter title: Exact Time To Failure, Part Three

Chapter summary: Spamton's rise to fame under Mike's guidance has a heavy price. Who needs friends and family when you're a Big Shot?

Author notes:

Spamton's first person past tense POV continues straight from the end of the previous chapter as he's trying to explain the last few years to Swatch. Take it as read that Spamton is stuttering away like mad, but he's getting his points across to Swatch while reliving these horrible memories. [Yes, the author's cheating a bit and using a weird narrative device.]

Trigger and content warnings for emotional manipulation and gaslighting, classism and entitlement, alcohol overindulgence, power imbalance, dubious consent, and boundary-blurring.

The angst is mighty thick here.

You have been warned.

I embarrass myself with the mess I make almost instantly after Mike’s hands find their way under my clothing. My eyes are shut and I stammer out an apology, but I am also riding this sensation, not wanting it to end.

I feel more than hear a warm breathy chuckle in my ear. He tells me he’s very flattered by how responsive I am. He holds me close to him, for a few more minutes, my back to his chest, his thin arms strong and somehow comforting, and then he moves away, leaving me standing there half-bent over my desk.

This time I can actually hear his footsteps as he exits the room.

My eyes stay squeezed shut. I'm still shaking, still not sure what to feel.

I want this.

I'm terrified of this.

Now that I've done this, what do I do next?

I run a shaking hand through my hair, creep off to my bathroom and take a long, hot shower.

Then I hide for the next few hours in my locked bedroom. At some point I sleep, and when I wake up a sheet of paper covered in Mike's peculiar handwriting has been slid under the door.

I'm afraid he's going to cancel our deal, because I'm the one who crossed a line and asked for too much.

But as it turns out, once I work up the courage to read the letter, Mike's first sentence is to apologize to ME.

His note goes on to say that his admiration over time for my intelligence and for my hard work has been evolving into a deeper appreciation for me as a complete person, and that what happened today was his poor attempt to express that.

The note concludes that he's sure I want some space to think things over, and suggests I do so while he’s gone.

Wait.

WHILE HE'S GONE?!

Great. Mike’s no different than Ballew or Eos. Everything else in their life is more important than I am, and I’m always the one who gets left behind.

I’m so mad that I almost don’t read the next line, but when I do, my anger melts away.

Mike suggests that I work on refining the commercial and get it ready for broadcast, all on my own.

He believes in me.

He believes. In ME.

____________________

Ten days later, the new commercial is ready and on the air.

A week after that, I get a call from Ballew that I can’t just brush off, unlike the other messages he's left since January.

He starts off by telling me that I seem to have forgotten our eldest brother's birthday the previous week. Yeah, maybe 37 doesn't seem like a milestone year, but I really should have at least phoned Eos or sent a card.

Then Ballew drops his bombshell.

Apparently it's been noticed that I’m never on campus anymore, and apparently there's a letter that's been forwarded to the Purchase house, since I haven’t picked up my NDU mail.

Ballew reads the letter out loud over the phone; it states in no uncertain terms that I need to address my residency situation, even if I’m doing an independent study off campus.

Ballew asks me point blank what the hell I think I'm doing with my life.

I don’t quite catch on what he’s driving at, and I flare up about having TRIED to tell everyone about Professor Cowley's research multiple times, but Ballew and Eos are always too busy and Sienna's always got her girlfriend underfoot.

Ballew apologizes halfheartedly and damns me with faint praise by saying he's glad I've found some direction.

But.

He clarifies that, by announcing myself as “Stanton Addison” in the GASTER commercial, it sounds like GASTER is a product that’s been tested by the research and development team at Addison Cybernetics.

I haven’t thought of it that way before. Of course THAT'S what Ballew's worried about… my possibly disgracing the family legacy. He can't be happy for me that I've found something I'm good at, oh no.

I try to make a joke out of needing to reinvent myself, which I can tell doesn’t really fly, but Ballew just sighs and asks if I want him to come with me to talk to the administration office at North Dale. I thank him, but tell him I’ll straighten it out, it’s probably no big deal.

________________________________

It turns out to be a VERY big deal.

Apparently Professor Michael Cowley’s independent study program was only weighted for six credits, not the minimum twelve credits I needed to be considered a full-time student. Thus I was no longer considered to be eligible for campus housing.

I do better with this panic attack than I did back in September. When my first phone call to Pitch goes straight to voicemail, I call Coz, who I haven’t seen in what feels like ages. I suggest we go for drinks at The Ravens Gastropub.

I’m so tunnel-visioned by my own problems that I don’t really pick up on his hesitancy at first, until he points out that [a] it’s not even noon, [b] The Ravens is WAAAAY out of his price range, and [c] he’s in training for the Spring lacrosse season and on a strict low-cal, low-booze diet.

I backpedal and laugh it off and ask for a rain check with him and Pitch some time. His distance and lack of enthusiasm about hanging out with me makes my stomach churn.

In between packing the clothes and books in my dorm room and making arrangements to have them sent to Purchase, I try to reach a few more NDU friends whose contacts are still in my phone.

Vazzana out-and-out laughs shrilly and bitterly in my ear and hangs up.

Winkelsas is a little kinder, using his always-sick little sister as an excuse not to see me, but he sounds nervous, as though he'll be contaminated by talking to me.

Gazlay has my number blocked.

What's happened in the last couple of months to everyone I know to make them treat me like a pariah?

By the time I get on the train back to the Big Apple, I've decided I'm going to drop out of NDU. I'm not going to need those clothes and books anymore.

By the time the train roars into Grand Central, I've decided I'm not going to need old friends any more either, not in the direction I'm going.

Not in my new life as a Big Shot. Not in my new life with Mike.

But it feels as though if I look back over my shoulder, I'll see a whole string of bridges burning.

________________________________

I send a certified letter addressed to Eos and Ballew, informing them of my decision to leave North Dale University. It's not like they can stop me; I became a legal adult at eighteen, and I'm going to be twenty in less than a month. Even if I can't touch my trust fund until I turn twenty-five, I'm not worried.

Okay, my brothers don't want me using the Addison name? So be it. It makes no sense to me to be a member of a family that runs a Fortune 500 company and NOT flaunt it a bit. But I'll go with it; from hereon in I'll use the name "Spamton G. Spamton" in my business life.

The "G" standing for "GASTER", of course.

Mike returns from whatever void he periodically disappears into, and we have a long talk. He presents me with a fait accompli … a legally binding contract that hires me as full-time sales manager for his newly-established company.

With that in hand, I send a second certified letter to NDU - a formal withdrawal as a matriculated student.

The salary I'm being paid is astronomical. I report once a month to The Dreemurr Group, our biggest investors.

Once a week I buy rounds of drinks for the regulars at The Cathode Ray. More than once some video of me ends up on YouTube or on TikTok. If you don't look too closely, I look like I'm having fun.

I've never worked harder in my life.

I have my phone turned off on the 3rd of May. I don't want to be disappointed by my siblings, either by their disapproval or their silence.

Instead, I'm enjoying myself at my birthday party being held in the huge central room in Mike's and my apartment. The party is catered by a company whose dual mottoes are "Let us warm your day" and "Don't be blue, we're here for you."

Handsome buff waiters in corsets and bowties flex and wink at me every chance they get. The champagne flows and everyone seems to glitter as I wink back at them.

Mike is out of town.

There's more than one way to fight off loneliness.

________________________________

Time starts moving faster and flying by. I almost don't notice seasons passing, since I now live in a completely climate-controlled world of offices, car services, broadcast studios, restaurants and bars.

But not bedrooms.

Mike's tastes seem to run to using every room except a bedroom and every surface except a mattress to enjoy me.

And as time goes by and my sales numbers grow and name brand recognition for GASTER gets stronger and stronger, it's easy to ignore how much Mike enjoys me and how he has gradually slowed down his efforts to pleasure me.

I do set myself a reminder not to forget to call Sienna on HER birthday in October. Our talk starts out to be almost like old times, when she used to listen to me moaning over my schoolboy crushes. She wrings a gushing testimonial out of me about how generous Mike is and how happy I am in my career. I don't give her a chance to reciprocate when she tries to talk about Saffron. We end the call on an awkward note.

After that, I bury myself in end-of-fiscal-cycle numbers and organize a thank-you-gift list to sponsors and clients. October melts into November, and November into December. It takes a joking comment from the bartender at The Cathode Ray to make me realize this is the first time I haven't been home for Thanksgiving in my entire life.

I bury my guilt and buy holiday presents for my siblings, and I wonder what, if anything, I should give to Mike.

I find myself more and more unwilling to define what we are to each other.

Ballew runs into me in midtown, completely unplanned or so it seems. We have an actually pleasant lunch at Larmen Dosanko and I reassure him I'll be on a train to Purchase the day before Christmas Eve.

And I am.

But I end up not staying for long. I leave on Christmas Eve afternoon.

______________________________

Instead of a family gathering, it turns out that this is an intervention.

It doesn't seem like one at first, but the sucker punch comes after lunch. Again, Saffron is here for the holiday, looking like she fits in the family more than I do. She and Sienna are wearing matching rings with twisted bands of copper. They might as well both have banners over their heads shouting, "we're engaged".

I'm expecting some kind of announcement when Eos asks everyone to come to the music room. True to form, when everyone's there, Eos sits down at the baby grand and plays the first few chords of "The Wedding March".

We all hug and kiss the happy couple, and then sit back down. There's still something in the air, though that doesn't feel right as everyone chatters away.

Everyone except me. I feel like I'm outside my body watching someone else as I open my mouth and put my foot right into the trap.

I jokingly say something along the lines that Sienna had better get a strong prenup, in case Saffron had ideas about being a kept woman.

My joke goes down like a lead balloon. All three of my siblings look horrified and Sienna has tears in her eyes. Before I can fumble out an apology, Saffron snaps back that she supposes I would know all about that, considering my living situation.

That stuns me. I gape at her like a fish, which gives Eos a chance to interject that he'd hoped this topic wouldn't come up, but since it had, everyone had better lay their cards on the table, so to speak, and as the eldest, he'd better begin.

I have a feeling I'm not going to like what I'm about to hear.

Eos looks at Ballew, and Ballew nods. My eldest brother's whole body language changes from indolence to passion as he outlines how, in pure engineering terms, GASTER can't possibly do what Mike says it does. Not without the implementation of a LOT of technology and design that is proprietary material belonging to clients who contract with Addison Cybernetics.

It sounds to me like Eos is accusing me of being an industrial spy, and I say so. Ballew answers me that's not what any of them think, exactly. But he is worried about my judgment, letting myself be perceived as some kind of boytoy. He shows me a months-old newspaper photo clipped from Page Six of the faceoff between me and Werewolf Guy. I’m in full view, but all anyone can see of Mike is those huge bony hands possessively gripping my shoulders. Even I can see it looks a little too much like a PDA, and I actually consider confessing that what Mike and I have now has moved on from the original mentor/protege relationship.

And then Eos puts the nail in the coffin of me trying to explain my current life when he says that he thinks Mike is using me because I’m an Addison.

That enrages me, and I shoot to my feet, yelling that I got this job on my own, with no need to lean on the family name, and that I'm damn good at what I do, that I won’t let anyone turn me into a puppet the way Ballew has made Eos just a figurehead in the family business, that I'm sick of being an Addison, and that if a gold digger like Saffron wants the name so much, she’s welcome to it.

Sienna gets to her feet too when she hears that last bit. She crosses the room, and she does what I never ever expect in a million years from my gentle sister. She slaps me across the face, and then covers her own face with her hands. Between sobs, she gasps out that she never regretted having a baby brother until now. She turns and leaves the room.

Saffron gives me a parting shot, hissing that she hopes I rot in Hell, before she hurries out after Sienna.

Part of me wants to run after them both and beg for their forgiveness. Some more blinkered part decides to stay stubborn and silent, while Eos looks like he’s turned to stone and Ballew looks like he’d like to murder me.

There’s nothing I can do or say to make this any better.

I go upstairs to my old room and throw things back into my mostly-still-packed suitcase.

I call a cab to take me to the White Plains train station.

I leave the bag full of presents next to my bed.

I head downstairs and out the front door without a word.

I don’t cry in the cab. I don’t cry on the train.

I don’t cry when Mike opens the door of the apartment.

I don’t cry until I’m in his bed with him. Then I cry myself to sleep. As I’m drifting off, I half-think I hear him say that now our real work can begin.

Mike's arms around me feel like shackles.

____________________

Swatch is trying so hard not to show any reaction, to just sit still, to just listen.

But I can see it.

I can see the instant that Swatch’s feelings about my past change from pity to disgust.

And I can’t blame them in the slightest. Present me is pretty damn disgusted with past me’s willful blindness.

I might as well have jumped into a lake of acid instead of listening to Mike Cowley.

And stupid me, idiot me, impossibly naive me never thought to question anything back then, even as his lies got to be thinner than tissue paper.

The memories keep streaming in front of my inner eye. The words keep pouring out of me now. I’ve got to get rid of this poison in my brain, in my gut, in my heart.

#swatchton #swatcton au #deltarune fanfiction #sylph writes #fic: call signs

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lovelywingsart · 9 months

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Plans for after 'Dear Mother' (kinda long plan update shite!)

So y'all have probably noticed that I'm going ham on 'Dear Mother' - Thats because I gave myself the goal of finishing it before years end. And, good news, its almost done!!! So really, im just here to say my plans afterwards since I really haven't been updating much at all;

> Immediately after Dear Mother is finished, I'll be going on a partial hiatus to finish Baldurs Gate 3 and give myself time to relax and just... give myself a fucking break. The only times I'll be on the computer are the 2 days a week my fiance uses the PS5 to play with friends, so those are the only time I'll be doing any kind of art, be it personal or commission work. So if you happen to get a commission, please do not expect it right away. The general TAT for small things is 2 weeks, and with this hiatus and minimal energy, it might be longer. But I'll be giving myself a very... VERY much needed break to finish BG3 and have more shenanigans afterwards.

> When hiatus is over, be it immediately after the game or giving some time to work on other things, I'll be starting a new comic, and will try to pace myself a little bit because its going to be... huge. There will also be one more Survival AU written story before it starts- because this comic will be the fight against Miranda, involving the Lords, Emelia and Ethan. It is going to be huge, and its going to be difficult. There will be no other primary written stories until after its done unless there's a drabble or something someone asks me to make. I'll be finishing up and perfecting a few stories for after that's done, though I will primarily be working on the Survival AU with art, as well.

> Now, when the Survival AU comic is done, I may take another break, because there's yet another comic I'm going to start, which will be Emelias arrival to the factory. The start of this comic will also kickstart primary work focusing on the first few years of Emelias arrival. I am going to say now that while yes, they may have their moments, there will be quite a bit of mildly uncomfortable subjects, as the first few years involved some heavy mutual abuse from both. You'll get to see how she got there and how they managed the first few years as well as quite a bit with her having... well, two eyes 😂 I'll give another warning when I get there but yknow. I've said before how genuinely dysfunctional they are with a few written examples, but I feel like it'll be a different story with proper visual...

And while I'm working on that fun little bit, I'll also be introducing a new written series that I've been secretly chipping away at- While I work on Emelias background and arrival, I'll also be working on Karls.

I will be working on/posting a small(?) mini(???) series of Karls own backstory. It will include his own 'arrival' to the village, interactions with Miranda and occasionally the Lords, and even smaller things such as the loss of his leg and how he got the scars across his nose and throat, all up until Emelia is dropped off. I don't plan on there being VERY many stories, though I will absolutely be more than open to writing for him if anyone has other ideas! 💙

And... thats it for now! Noting that the next two comics are going to take quite a while, ESPECIALLY the Survival AU one... I've no idea how long everything will take exactly, and all this is going off of if life decides to give me a fucking break. There's still alot going on, and I'm struggling alot... but I still have plans. Dear Mother will be finished before the new year (if not nearly exactly ON new years depending on our plans for the next two weeks and me not getting burnt out) and I'll have January to attempt to recuperate. Will I take the entire month? I'm not sure. But given shit doesn't go wrong like it did this year, we might be ok.

But... yeah! Thats about it. Right now I'm focusing on Dear Mother and trying my best. Comms ARE still open but will just take a lil bit more time than usual, so if you're fine waiting, hit me up 👍

#update #i got big plans for Metalworks #im very excited and i hope you guys are too!!!#ive already nearly made a few people cry with the first bit of Karls backstory that i shared so im VERY excited 😎#get ready to bawl your fuckin eyes out my dudes youre in for a bumpy horrible ride with a whole ass load of ANGST

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