#[also working on other replies but they require a lot more detail and work!]

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

What roles does everyone on the team have?

Marcille: Here's the link for convenience!

We're all very excited to share with you all about what we do. Hopefully we'll have found enough data soon to cover the creature we'll be focusing on first. We will all be going into detail about this animal in the context of our respective fields.

Our askbox is open!

[fxrheisenn]

Andrus Laansalu talked about making Disco Elysium at EKA (Estonian Academy of Arts)

"Initially, the church wasn't a focal point. There were certain characters that needed to visit this location, and I asked, "Seriously, what do we have in our church?" The others replied, "Nothing at all. Our church is completely bare—just a wheel, really. It's quite basic."

That's when I decided to unleash my creativity in the design. For example, they chose to install a glass structure at the top of the church to create a reflective surface. It was like placing an optical clock up there. Therefore, one of the most crucial aspects of designing the church was ensuring the lighting was just right to create the desired atmosphere."

"Let me show you an example of Baroque architecture, which is rich in detail. We're also designing the interior of the church based on large cathedrals. However, the foundation you use might not yield the expected results, because the church itself doesn't require such intricate details. Sometimes, it's about simplifying the design."

"I used Articy for the initial scriptwriting of Disco Elysium. The image only represents a tiny fraction of the text and choice variables involved. This system was also the reason I eventually abandoned the project after a year of outlining the script and shifted my focus to becoming a sound designer. My mind struggled to keep up with the dynamic graphic rules, but fortunately, a more talented writer took over afterward."

"In terms of sound design, it's essential to develop different layers to bring out the charm of the church as a cohesive space. Although this represents only a small portion of the overall design, each layer actually requires a significant amount of time to compose the whole....... Whenever there's a shift or a change due to the dialogue itself, you need to adjust the background sounds. Each time you modify the details in the dialogue, I have to refine the background audio, ensuring that these elements build upon each other like an intricate layer of work."

"It's funny how many scenes involve characters getting smacked in the face. My job was to recreate those, so I locked myself in the bathroom with a recorder and hit my forehead until it turned red.

As a sound designer, I really dig those unsettling, drill-like sounds. So, I mixed in creepy lectures, metal scraping, moans, and cries of pain—because I just love that stuff! (laughs)

Players will be moving through all kinds of areas, so it's super important to make the sound transitions feel natural, trying to create a more immersive vibe in certain spaces.

With all the scenes featuring big cranes, you can hear them from far away, and I wanted to capture that eerie ringing in your ears. That's going to be a thing throughout most of the game. I've found ways to really mess with players while they're playing!"

"I've come across a lot of old objects (like phones and radios) that I needed to perfectly replicate the sounds. I started to become a bit of a hoarder, buying up different models of old phones whenever I found one to add to my collection. The sound effects I can simulate from them are really impressive."

"Some of the devices don't actually exist in real life—just a mix of architecture and tech. When I need to create sound effects, I first look for something similar that exists in our world, then I try to simulate what the sound and appearance of that thing might have been like a century ago.

Towards the end of the game, there's a character carrying a fuel canister. We needed the sound of the canister, so we dug one up from our garage—it had been sitting there since it was five! I realized this would make the sound perfect. So, it had been there for 50 years, and after 40 years, it finally found its purpose.

In some places, I needed unique sound waves, and recreating them was a real headache until one day I happened to walk by a swimming pool and stumbled upon an old wartime torpedo. You can rotate the torpedo's probe, and it slowly rises up, like a proud zombie head. The sounds it made were exactly what I needed!"

🙋How did you manage to get funding?

"Well, since we're in Estonia, you just need to know a wealthy person. You don't need five people—just two who can network, hang out together, and convince them to keep investing! (laughs) Back then, we constantly ran out of money and would tell them, 'Oops, looks like we spent it all! Can you invest a bit more?' That's how we made it through!"

🙋How did you all come together to make the game?

"Luck. It usually doesn't happen this way, and that's the key difference. It has to be. If not, you couldn't create a game of this scale - well, I mean in terms of budget. But creatively, Estonia definitely has writers and artists who can pull it off. With such a small population, there are a lot of quirky folks who are good friends. We were really lucky, though - lots of fortunate circumstances came together. It brought the right people together, allowing those talented fools to collaborate with us. They had experience but hadn't tackled projects of this magnitude before. So yeah, luck is pretty important!"

Lecture experience shared by 白兔YIYANG SUN on 小红书, reposted & translated by me with her permission.

[lazycranberrydoodles]

I am now opening custom Ace Attorney sprite commissions!

I have 3 open slots.

Depending on how the initial slots go, I may or may not offer more. DMs also welcome.

>> Commission form! <<

Details

What exactly will you receive for $60?

Two 12fps looping .gif files in an Ace Attorney style, one talking and one idle, of the character of your choice from the waist up. They can be in pretty much any still position, but I get final say on whether something is too difficult or too complex. I will work to make the sprite as accurate as possible while adhering to the style.

What will you receive for $20?

Either a short 12fps animation of your character or another two looping gifs (talking and idling) in a different pose/emotion. An animation can be combined with talking. For example, this Wei Wuxian MDZS would be $80: $60 as a base price (standing still and talking) with $20 added for his hand gesture.

This set of Lan Wangji MDZSs would be $100: $60 (base price, neutral animation) + $20 (happy) + $20 (displeased).

What counts as a "slot"?

Art of one character, no matter how many pieces I was commissioned for.

For more examples of my Ace Attorney-style work, here is the masterpost for my MDZS x Ace Attorney crossover series, which I have been adding to for a while now. Here are Kabru, Miku, and Hela Vitrum (my most recent commission). They are a good example of the base commission -- a looped talking gif and a looped idle/blinking gif.

Policies (read this before filling out the form!)

I am not affiliated with objection.lol. The sprites *can* be used in the program to great success. However, I will not guide you through creating a case in objection.lol. There are a lot of tutorials available. I am selling animated illustrations of your character and nothing else.

I am not affiliated with Capcom or Ace Attorney. My work copies the style of original games. In many cases, I have referenced pre-existing animations or sprites.

Just in case, I'm limiting the max number of pieces for a single character to 3 poses and 1 animation ($120) (so I don't get bored drawing them over and over again). One person can commission me for multiple characters but they will count as different slots (i.e., you may commission the max amount of work for Blorbo Bingus ($120) and also commission two poses for Dworbo Dingus ($80) for a total of $200, counting as two slots).

It is my privilege to take or refuse commissions at my discretion.

Depending on demand, I may adopt a first-come first-served waitlist system, but I really can't know at this point.

Payment depends on the price of the commission, but in general I will not start the piece until I am paid via Paypal. Venmo is a secondary option. My prices are in USD.

Once I get started, I work quickly, so any changes should be requested at the sketch stage. I will work with you to get it right. Once I have started work a piece (once planning is finished) I will not give refunds. Finished piece(s) should be done within a month of finalization (you giving me the go-ahead to start).

Filling out the form does not mean I have accepted the commission, but it does mean that I will contact you in a routine way about it.

These commissions are intended for personal use. The pricing reflects that. Tell me if you wish to use a commission in a monetized way, as that will require renegotiation.

If you wish to communicate with me about commission work without filling out the form, my email is lazycranberrycomm@gmail.com. I am not planning to offer commissions other than Ace Attorney sprites at this time. I will reply within the week.

Communication via tumblr DMs, asks, or comments is welcome!

[johnbrand]

Mists

It had been a lot easier for Miles to get into the groove of the gym than he had anticipated. When he had first entered, the recently-graduated meek college graduate had originally planned only utilizing the treadmills. Miles wanted to stay fit while he applied for new jobs, and nothing more than that.

“Hey shrimp, over here!”

Miles immediately went red, pivoting towards the bellowing voice. A shirtless jock was waving him over to a small booth near the front. Trying his best to stay calm, Miles approached, the hulking figure of the other party looming over his skinny frame as he drew closer.

“I assume you’re new here?” the jock grunted.

“How could you tell?” Miles replied.

“It’s Shirtless Saturday bro!” the jock chuckled. “Mandatory requirement of the gym, should’ve been in your membership details. Helps encourage self-positivity or whatever.”

Miles took a quick scan around the gym to confirm, taking in all the shirtless, muscular, sweaty bodies. To his further embarrassment, he found a certain part of his midsection perking up a bit in response. Miles could not believe there were so many hot guys in one space.

“Uh…ok…” Miles mumbled, slowly removing his top article. The jock snatched it from him once he was finished, placing it in a waste bin behind the booth.

Before Miles could complain, the jock stopped him. “Trust me, most dudes go shirtless every day here. Our gym mists the place every five to ten minutes, like produce at a grocery store. Keeps everyone cool and fresh.”

As if on cue, a spray of mist rained down from the ceilings, trickling onto each one of the shirtless men at the gym. A coating fell onto Miles, absorbing into his hairless, near-translucent skin. Figuring it was time to move on, Miles nodded and left the station. Although instead of finding himself at the treadmill, his feet led him towards a workout bench. He did not even realize his mistake until the soft buzz of another coat of mist fell onto his body.

Rubbing his head with a meatier palm, Miles took in his surroundings, trying to make sense of the situation. Once again he found himself boning up as he took in all the attractive men working out. Believing he had regained a sense of direction, Miles got up from the bench, placing his weights aside before once again moving across the floor. However, his body sat him down at a machine, a leg pump to be specific. Miles did not notice this until another wave of mist rained down. He also did not notice the muscular definition that expanded from his calves, quads, and buttocks.

The pattern continued slowly, all without Miles’ intention or attention. The jock from the booth followed along, bemused as with each spray Miles shifted from one machine to the next, his frame piling on pound after pound of muscle. After a while, the constant misting began to affect more than just Miles’ figure. One coating helped calm the poor boy’s nerves, granting him the confidence to swagger rather than scurry across the gym floor. Another vocalized this transition, literally, with Miles grunting and groaning with each exertion like every other lunk.

The jock could almost predict each wave that followed. The masculinized features, the carpet of hair, the constant rearranging of a larger, yet dormant package. The jock had noticed Miles’ excited pecker right away, knowing his fagginess would eventually be washed away. Yet that conversion was the only wave he could not predict: did it come after the spray of manly conformity or the vapor of fraternal commitment?

In the end, it did not matter. Once a person walked into the building, they became a permanent member of the gym. The jock had been serious when he stated the gym’s mists kept everyone “cool and fresh”. Miles just did not realize that the gym’s definition of “cool” meant a stereotypically masculine, arrogant, heterosexual perspective; and “fresh” reflected a more casual discretion.

A final layer of mist hailed down from above, programming Miles to carry on to the chest press. Unlike the previous coats however, this one stayed on the surface, as no more could be absorbed. It now remained as sweat on the undeniably straight man’s skin, reproducing before dropping back into the floor. From there, it was absorbed and then processed back up into the sprinklers above. A water cycle of pure, heterosexual testosterone. 

But Miles did not know this, nor would he ever. His past self was forgotten history, now nothing more than just another straight bro.

[ijustwannahavefunn]

Yo yo, it's my last somewhat "real summer vacation" so let's do this! Please read the info below before sending an email! Thank you!

If you want to commission me, please email me (ijwhfunncommission@gmail.com) and not DM me here! It's easy to lose track in social media DMs 😵

💀Deadline:

>Around SEP 1st, but it might change!

👽Payment:

>Paypal only!

>Payment will have to be upfront!

>The price is in USD dollars!

😯Details:

>I don't draw Nsfw, but blood and gore are alright, and I'm not the best when drawing animals!

>If your character has A LOT of detailed designs, the price might change depending on the character! (It actually never happened before, but I thought I should mention it.)

>If you have a specific background idea you would like, please also let me know! However, if you want an actual background, such as "at the beach" or "at a cafe," it is also possible, but it will require additional fees. We can talk about it in the email!

🤖Process:

>When it's your turn, I'll reply to your email, so make sure to check your inbox!

>I'll ask for your character's reference pictures. The more clear the pictures are, the better. And if you have any ideas about what you want the drawing to look like (Pose, emotions...) Feel free to mention it to me as well.

>Once I received the payment, I'll start working on the sketch. And once the sketch is ready, I'll send it to you to make sure it's alright to continue.

>If everything worked out alright, I'll send you the finished drawing one last time to make sure there aren't any mistakes I need to fix. In the end, I'll send you a link to download it!

🙋Use:

>The drawing is for personal use only! Please don't sell it in any way (Print it out to sell, sell it online...). For more information, you can reach out to me through email, DM, or leave a comment below.

Feel free to ask me if you have any other questions! Thank you! ❤

[50shadesofoctarine]

Why you should write that AO3 comment:

Hello! I am an AO3 author and professional fandom dipshit. This is an "essay" on why you should leave that comment on the fanfic you just read.

Table of Contents:

"Commenting is too much effort!"

"I don't know what to write!"

Do you want more fanfic?

Fan creators are human beings, not AI content generators.

You can count it as charity work on your metaphysical taxes.

"Commenting is too much effort!"

Yes, writing a comment takes energy. I'm an introvert, I get that. I have two counter arguments to this point.

AO3 comments are not the SAT:

This is a comment from my latest fic, Quantum Entangled.

Three words and a heart. It requires zero consideration, it isn't specific to the fic, it's something you could copy-paste, even. A comment like this is better than nothing. I'll let my reply from AO3 explain why:

"You know what, I appreciate this way more than you'd probably expect. The temptation to lurk is a strong one, both for social anxiety reasons and internet content-consumption culture reasons. But when people lurk, I can't tell that they've enjoyed the story. The more people that lurk instead of interacting, the more I assume that my work wasn't good enough, irrespective of the reader's actual feelings. So this was a very welcome comment to read. Thank you for indicating your enjoyment. I will endeavour to write more stuff for you to lurk on in the future. :)"

A comment like this, one that is as thoughtless and low effort as possible, is still a comment. Something that denotes a reader's interest. Because, and I can't be clear enough about this, I HAVE NO OTHER WAY OF KNOWING THAT YOU LIKED IT. Kudos and comments are my only window into the reader's experience.

Sure, I'd love more detailed and thorough comments on my work, but, if that expectation is the thing that's going to stop you from commenting at all, I'd prefer the bland copy-paste appreciation.

Onto my second argument.

Do you know what also takes effort? WRITING THE DAMN FIC:

You do not get to complain about being forced to type a congratulatory handful of words after reading that 200k slow-burn fantasy au. Do you know how many hours went into that thing? Do you? Because I can guarantee that it was A LOT. All that writers are asking for is a single emoji. A kudos, at the very least. Consider the effort that went into the creation that you've just experienced and give just a thimble full of it back.

Authors lay out a feast for you to devour. They're only requesting a "thank you".

"I don't know what to write!"

Like in the previous example, an AO3 comment can be as simple as three words saying that you appreciated it. Just an acknowledgement that you were there. It doesn't have to be fancy.

But if you want fancy...?

Here's one of my comments, from Tishae's Better Together.

Let me break it down for you.

"Stunning. This au is so well developed. I love how you managed to maintain tension after the point that they discover that their feelings are requited. This was brilliantly paced, and the action (esp the ending) was so engaging."

The comment opens with appreciation. (Think of it as a sandwich with love as the bread. It starts and ends with my enjoyment.)

There are specific details about what I liked.

"If I may ask, what was the crime that the Metatron committed? Maybe I'm bad at reading between the lines or maybe I missed something, but I'm really curious as to what dirt they have on him. Victimless? Bad enough for imprisonment, but not so morally reprehensible as to make Anathema reveal it? Did he embezzle? That's all I can really think of."

Continues with a specific question about the story and plot.

Shows that I was critically engaged and actively considering the story.

You don't have to have questions about every fic that you read, but don't be afraid to ask them if you do. I love it when people ask me about my work.

"Thank you for the delicious food. I honestly thought that you were going to have Crowley's final look be something in grey (black and white being the theme of the show, metaphorically representing separation/binary, so Aziraphale was uncomfortable with it due to the implications. Grey, symbolising unity/shades of grey as an idiom, would then be the biggest middle finger to the Metatron) but I do really like what you came up with."

Gratitude.

Thoughts about how I read the plot. (This is something I particularly love to read as an author. Please tell me what's going on in that funky lil' brain of yours!!)

"I'm hoping this comment provides plenty of dopamine. If the task activation and instant gratification parts of your brain light up, you might be more likely to write GO content again. Love your work, thanks for sharing it. I hope you gain 3 inches of metaphorical dick length. Please keep writing."

Encouragement to keep writing. (This is the best way to ensure that creators remain in the fandom)

A funny comment to sign off.

Now that you know what to comment, let's start on the real reasons why you should.

Do you want more fanfic?

Fun fact! Fanfictious Authoria are a species that sustain themselves entirely on a diet of brain worms, unfinished WIPs, and kudos. As one of the three fundamental food groups, removing kudos from the fandom ecosystem causes a complete collapse of the natural order. In times of unprecedented scarcity, entire populations of Fanfictious Authoria can die out completely. This means that the production of fanfiction, in that particular region of fandom, stops entirely, often causing major ecological damage, and the subsequent deaths of fan species in the same genus. (Like the Fanfictious Artia, or the Fanfictious Editour, both of which subsist on fanfiction based diets to survive.)

In conservation efforts, experts are imploring readers to donate kudos and comments toward any fandom region that they want to stay alive.

But I digress.

When I want more content, I tell the author. Ask and you shall receive; it's the best way to convince an author/artist to make more.

My comment on @mrghostrat's And They Were Streamers

You liked it? Then COMMENT! Not for the author's sake, but for your own. You want to see the ending of a WIP? Well, it'd be a terrible shame if the author gave up on it because they thought no one was reading... They don't know that you enjoy their work until you TELL THEM. They're not psychic, you have to help them hear you. Commenting on the things you like influences the creators of said things to attribute the act of making content (and, notably, making the type of content that specifically appeals to you) with the dopamine hit of reading your reaction. Treat them like Pavlov's dogs. Ring the kudos-bell.

Fan creators are human beings, not AI content generators.

They have real human feelings and real human egos. The contemporary attitude towards media engagement is skewed towards algorithmic, instant, and uncritical consumption. This is pumping straight gasoline into the beautiful lakes of our fandom ecosystem. Fandom cannot afford to treat its creators like mechanical text generators. We are not an unfeeling assembly line, only there to produce content. We are enthusiasts, engaging in our hobby. No fan creator has to show you anything. They are fully within their rights to keep their works hidden in their computer files, never to see the light of day. Every fanfic on AO3 is only there because someone had the grace to share it with you. You are not entitled to an author's work, just as they are not entitled to your kudos. We have a mutually beneficial arrangement. Do not forget your part in this symbiosis.

It's a problem that extends beyond AO3. Tumblr is a less enthusiastic place than it used to be. Fandom as a whole is drifting towards a consumption mindset. I, for one, am sick of it. Reblog things, like them, share them. Make fanart of fanart. Who gives a shit? Do the cringy thing. You don't have to cultivate your blog aesthetic. Be who you are, like what you like, and have enthusiasm about all of it. Fandom should be an expression of radical self acceptance. Embrace it. Leave essays about fics that you liked. Reblog the essays of other's when you see them. Exist in the mutual joy of seeing and being seen. You are not just an external observer, absorbing content from a distance. You are here too. Wave back at us. Say 'hi.'

You can count it as charity work on your metaphysical taxes.

My final appeal is a moral one.

Commenting on AO3 is just a kind thing to do.

You are your actions. Are you the kind of person who does the kind thing when no one is watching? When no one will care?

Fanfiction is a hobby, and I'm not here to guilt you about how you spend your leisure time. I'm only here to say that there is a kindness you could be giving the world.

If you are one of the people that performs this kindness, I thank you.

[sofasoap]

Little Help

Pairing: Johnny “Soap” MacTavish x F!Reader

Summary: Breaking bones is never a great experience.

Warning : T-M rating, talks of injuries, nothing too serious, any medical talks might be inaccurate. A/N: loosely based on my experience after I was in a car crash last year, my S/O had to help me wash my hair.

Part 5 of Little Bear series Masterlist

You knew you should have bought a new pair of work boots when you were at the shop last week.  

So you wouldn’t have to sit on the couch, drowning in your own misery, with a cast and sling over your arm, trying hard not to think of the pain it’s causing you every time you breathe. 

You were pretty lucky your neighbour was about to head out the door at the same time when they witnessed you slip down the wet stairs of your shared flat with Johnny, and stayed with you until the ambulance came. 

“Sorry Miss. Not only do you manage to break your ulna bone, you somehow manage to fracture your collarbone at the same time.” The doctor looked at you with sympathy. “Good news is, it’s not a complex fracture, no surgical intervention is required. Bad news is, you will have to be in a case for approximately four to six weeks.” Well, should have drank more milk when your parents nagged you every morning when you were young. You groan at the news. This is the worst time to have an injury that renders you semi functional. Johnny is off on deployment, and Johnny’s sister Mini who is usually on duty at this hospital is off on holiday back at their parent’s farm up in Scotland. All your other friends have families and work. You really don’t want to be a bother to them. So back to the present. Leaning against the cushion, on your good side, with tears rolling in your eyes, drifting in and out of sleep, waiting for the analgesic to kick in. 

“... Bonnie bear? What happened to you?” Well, it’s either the drug the doctor prescribed to you has unwanted side effects, you swear  you are hearing your boyfriend’s voice. “Teddy bear, come on, open your eyes, you are scaring me right now.” The voice is laced with concern, getting slightly frantic as he calls out to you again. Slowly opening your eyes with a groan, you were utterly surprised to find Johnny was kneeling by the bedside, his beautiful puppy blue eyes staring with his hand hovering around your body, wanting to touch you but at the same time too scared that he would cause further pain. 

“Johnny?” Blinking a few times, “ I thought, I thought … you not back for another few weeks?” “Mission was aborted. We got sent back early.” No further elaborations as he shuffles towards you a little bit closer, “Which is lucky because.. Why didn’t you tell me you were injured?” “.. I didn’t want to be a bother..” looking down, you replied with a voice that is barely above a whisper. You hate being useless. You hate asking for help, especially from your boyfriend.

“How many times do I have to tell you, you are NEVER ever a bother to me.” Johnny sighed and lightly carrasses your hair. “You are my treasure, I am always here to look after you, as you always do for me. Now, I am not taking no for an answer, I think you need a lot of help here.” And you are glad you said yes. Because you've been itching to have your hair washed. Moving was a huge struggle, let alone trying to raise your arm and scrub your hair, which is getting more and more oily and smelly in this unbearable summer heat. This is also when you notice, your dear boyfriend actually pays more attention to details than you thought. From how to scrub your hair, putting conditioners on, putting on hair oil before blow drying your hair.

“I’m not pulling too hard am I?” Johnny whispered as he gently brushed your hair, taking extra care to brush out the knots at the end. “You are doing a brilliant job. I assume you had plenty of practise?” You muse and take light playful jabs at him doing the same for his partners from previous relationships. “I know what you're thinking,” Kissing you lightly on your head as he finishes brushing, “Mini actually trained me to do her hair when she fell off a tree when she was young. She was double casted for weeks.” he chuckled. “She kept complaining I almost pull her head off her head everytime I try to brush it though, such an ungrateful sister.” he puffed in a joking tone. “Well, aren’t I glad you have learnt your lesson and my scalp and hair is still intact.” You laughed. Letting out a sigh as you enjoyed the lightness of freshly washed and brushed hair. You are already feeling a hundred percent better after a nice shower and the painkiller has finally kicked in. 

Leaning back into his chest, letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, “Thank you Johnny.” you murmured, full with emotion. 

“Anytime. I know you would do the same for me if I was in your situation.” Reaching over to grab the night cream from the dresser table,  “Face cream next?” Looks like you are getting the full spa treatment from your boyfriend tonight.

BONUS: “.... Gaz? Why are you ringing from Johnny’s phone…” “ Well,”  Gaz paused for a sec as he switched to video mode, his face appeared on the screen, looking at you with guilt, “the … what is the word, bampot boyfriend of yours managed fall out of the helicopter,” You gasped as Gaz deliver the news, “ Oh he is fine, don't worry, he had rope on him, but unfortunately he hit a tree while dangling.” Moving the camera towards the background, there you can see Soap, on the infirmary cot, with cast to both of his legs and arm on the right hand side, giving you a weak wave and smile.

“OH my heaven JOHNNY!!!” 

“Hi Bonnie bear…” he chuckled, “ Quite a pair, aren’t we?”

Simon and Mini ended up staying at the flat for a week before you had your cast removed, helping you both out with daily tasks.

I am lucky enough never had to break a bone ( touch wood. jinxed too many stuff this year ) but S/O mentioned once him and his brother broken an arm and collar bone each a week apart, and their friend laughing their head off at both of them looking very miserable with slings on ( inspiration to the bonus scene.) Tag list:

@a-small-writer-in-a-big-world

@kaplerrr

@homicidal-slvt

@floral-force @okayyadriana @deadbranch @cumikering @siilvan

@random-thot-generator

@random0lover @devcica @jynxmirage @nrdmssgs

[be-compromised]

Secret Santa 2024 Sign Ups Explained

Hi All and welcome to Secret Santa 2024! 

This is a Clint Barton and/or Natasha Romanoff end of year fic exchange where matching is based on prompts and everything is anonymous until the author reveals at the end. You don't need to be a member of the be_compromised community to take part, however almost all of the exchange will be taking place on AO3, so you will need an AO3 account; if you don't have one and would like an invite code please contact a mod. Prompt Choices is the one element that will be done on dreamwidth.

Whilst this is labelled a 'Secret Santa' as it takes place in the run up to Christmas, fics do NOT have to be related to Christmas, New Year, winter etc. We welcome celebrations of other holidays and no theme at all. However we understand if you would rather not take part due to the labelling. We wish you all a happy holiday season <3

TIMELINE

SIGN UP: from now until 16:00 GMT Monday 14 October. CHOICES POST: will go up as soon as possible and be available until 16:00 GMT Sunday 20 October. ASSIGNMENTS SENT OUT: we aim to have these to you within the following few days. (If all participants make their choices earlier, then we'll aim to get assignments out earlier!) SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 16:00 GMT Monday 9 December. (This is to allow time for pinch hitting if/where needed.) GIFT POSTING/REVEALS: Dependent on if participants submit on time / any pinch hit requirements, we aim to reveal gifts somewhere between 16 to 19 December. AUTHOR REVEALS: We aim to reveal authors 22 to 24 December, giving readers some time to read gifts before we do this.

Read on for information on how to take part, or go to AO3.

HOW TO TAKE PART IN THE EXCHANGE:

1) SIGN UP HERE AT AO3.

In the REQUEST section in 'Details/Description' you must include: at least 4 prompts and no more than 6. These can be anything! From a one word prompt like 'kisses' to a specific AU idea. Past Secret Santa prompts (such as 2023 here) or promptathon prompts (2024 here) may be helpful if you get stuck. If you really don't mind what gift you receive then please feel free to say so, but you MUST leave at least 4 prompts for your giftee to have something to work with.

You are also welcome to include in the 'Details/Description' section: - a Yes Please note: a brief list of things you like that aren't as specific as a prompt, such as a preference for the comics or film, sexy times, female friendships, hurt/comfort etc. Your gift giver isn’t obliged to use them, but it can help give them some ideas. - a No Thank You note: anything that you really do not want, such as character death, angst, fluff, anything that might be triggering for you etc. Feel free to specify if some things are just a rather not and some are no-way, not-ever.

Matching will be based on the information from the 'Details/Description' section ONLY. Optional: you can use 'Ratings', 'Archive Warnings' and 'Categories' to list all those that you would be comfortable receiving. You can use 'Characters', 'Relationships', and 'Tags' to select things that you like (from all canonical AO3 tags). As above, your gift giver is not obliged to consider or use these, but it may help them with ideas.

In the OFFER section the only thing you need to complete is the 'Details/Description' with: - I'd Rather Not: things that you don’t really like to create or feel uncomfortable with, anything you don’t feel confident in writing or a genre that isn’t your strength. As we have also been running this exchange for a while, also if there are any people you've written for a lot of times before that you'd rather not write for again this year. - Absolutely Not: Things that are an absolute no for you, such as anything triggering, character death, things that you will not do.

2) The prompts and any additional notes you included in the 'Details/Description' section for your REQUEST will be anonymised and posted to the community dreamwidth. You MUST reply in a comment to that Choices Post (comments will only be visible to the mods) with your top three picks of which requests you’d like to create for. You don't need a dreamwidth account to do this; you can comment using OpenID or anonymously, however please remember to include your AO3 handle in your comment so we know who you are! (More information will be available in the Choices Post.) This will be available as soon as possible following the closing of sign ups until 16:00 GMT Sunday 20 October. (If all participants comment earlier we will try to get matching and assignments out faster.)

3) Your prompt choices will be used by the mods to do manually match participants in the exchange. We can't guarantee that you’ll get your choices, but we’ll do our best keep to your choices as much as possible! Where there are any issues with matching or where participants have not commented to the prompt choices post as in (2) we will use your OFFER notes to help with matching and avoid your 'Absolutely Nots'. (In rare cases you may get a request that has something it in from your ‘rather not’ section that you can ignore, because the request has other prompts in it or because it’s not a deal breaker for the requester, but these are things that we will make sure you don’t get in your assignment if we can absolutely help it.)

4) Assignments will be sent out and you'll have until 16:00 GMT Monday 9 Decemberto submit your gifts (which aims to cover our usual 'midnight on the Sunday whatever your timezone).

5) We will reveal gifts in the week leading up to Christmas (aiming for 16 to 19 December; exact dates to be confirmed depending on any pinch hit requirements) and authors will be revealed the weekend before Christmas (aiming for 22 to 24 December).

You can also sign up as a pinch hitter for this event as well as or instead of taking part in the main exchange on dreamwidth here.

And/or you can volunteer to be a beta reader in the community discord Writing Help channel, create clintasha graphics and art to inspire and keep us going, and cheerlead - what would fandom be without cheerleaders?! We LOVE comments and encouragement and all the great stuff that makes this comm the place it is <3

RULES:

1) We're a community for fans of Clint Barton aka Hawkeye and Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, individually as well as paired together as friends, partners, lovers, spouses, or any combination. We welcome all things Marvel, including other characters and pairings (and threesomes or moresomes). For this exchange, at least ONE of your prompts MUST focus on Clint/Natasha or Clint & Natasha, OR be a generic prompt to enable everyone who takes part to have a prompt they know that they can fill. All gifts should include Clint and/or Natasha in some capacity.

2) Fics must be a MINIMUM of 1,000 words and should be no more than 10,000 words.

3) Please treat everyone with respect. This includes no character bashing or ship wars. (Saying what you like: yes. Disparaging what other people like: no.) Bigotry will not be tolerated. Our community is a positive fandom space.

4) No plagarism. For the purposes of this exchange, we also ask that you do not use AI or chatbots to create fics. We are interested in what YOU create, and in what YOU put your time and effort into.

5) As we're a community primarily focussed on fictional characters, we ask you please not to post any Real Person Fanfiction.

6) All fics must include a rating and either appropriate AO3 warnings OR choose not to warn if/as applicable.

7) This is an anonymous exchange, so don’t reveal who your giftee is until after the reveals! Please feel free to let people know that you're taking part, however please don't link to a gift letter, share your prompts, post your gift elsewhere, identify yourself in an author note, or otherwise reveal yourself until the author reveals at the end of the exchange. For people who have taken part in our annual exchange before, a reminder to please make sure your request/prompts are different to in previous years to keep things anonymous!

ANY QUESTIONS?

We will maintain an FAQ on AO3 for this exchange. If you would like to ask any questions we've not already thought of or to contact a mod you have a few options:

1) For anonymous queries: reply to this post. All comments will be screened to keep you and your question anonymous. Mods will not be able to reply to your comment without unscreening it, so please include how you would prefer us to reply and the relevant contact information. This could be as a dreamwidth private message, a message on discord, or an email address. We will keep an eye on comments to this post throughout the exchange.

2) For general queries that wouldn't reveal your offer/request information and that you're comfortable sharing: reply to the general Questions/Comments/Chat thread at the top of the comments in this post. All comments in this thread will be unscreened. (This needs to be done manually by the mods, so bear with us.)

3) To contact a mod directly: the best place to find a mod for Secret Santa is in a reply to this post or to @ or private message one of us on the community discord. You can also message the be_compromised tumblr account or message one of us on any platform that you spot us, although that may take a little longer for us to see. Your mods are @inkvoices @cloud--atlas (aka franztastsich on dreamwidth) and @quidnunc-life (aka gsparkle on dreamwidth and discord).

Happy writing!

[adolin]

fic writer questions

tagged by @liamlawsonlesbian MWAH ily <3333 I was tagged over at my rpf sideblog but I started doing this and realised how pan-fandom my account is :D

how many works do you have on AO3?

158 fics on my profile, stats page tells me it's 195 including anoned fics. sounds about right

what's your total ao3 word count?

slightly over 1 mil (1.030 mil apparently)

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

older ones in big fandoms. I killed a clown. AMA! & no sense of living without aim (IT Movies); some new beginning & good old-fashioned lover boy (Good Omens); Once More, with Feeling (Ted Lasso) <- ok this one is from last year and the fandom isn't that huge, I just got lucky with post timing.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I DO I love comments!! I think people taking some time to let you know they liked something is amazing. I want to reply to that and also feed more comments

what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Considering I have written character death a few times... I think my angstiest fic is probably my Ted Lasso big bang entry, one more time around, not so much because of the ending but because of the emotional beats. It's an Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind AU with all that entails (memory loss) & there's an open ending that could be read as hopeful!!! but I still think the flashback scenes are #angst

what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

OHHHH. Good question. I'm not a pure fluff person but I like happy endings. Probably my some of my "fix it" stuff, like well I rose, and I rose (Captive Prince, Theomedes lives); and (I think) the kids are in trouble (IT movies)

do you write crossovers?

Not often, I feel like it requires a lot of skill to make work. I've written two short crossovers I really like: The Art of Survival (ASOIAF & The Inheritance Cycle) and my body on the waves (The Old Guard & Pirates of the Caribbean)

have you ever received hate on a fic?

Throwback to the time I got twitter cancelled for writing age difference selfcest and someone left me this fuckass essay after they attacked me somewhere more public (cringe) and I said I would respond to concrit if they had it. I will always think with pride about the line "Another positive is to recognize that you are indeed a good writer. That's partly a negative because without that I probably would not have read on. Morbid curiosity can only take you so far and it's easier to dismiss something that's been poorly written." <- thank u hater <3

do you write smut? if so, what kind?

I write lots of emotionally horny smut that often doubles as character study (not only bc I have literary ambitions in my smut just because I think it's hot). I only rate a fic E when the smut is detailed enough that I think "somebody could potentially get off reading this". Otherwise it's M.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope! Many of my fics were written as exchange gifts to somebody else so I hope it never happens.

have you ever had a fic translated?

yessssss <3 I have a blanket permission to translate / remix / podfic so knock yourself out

have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not YET but I workshop so many fic ideas with friends. One day maybe.

what's your all-time favorite ship?

Honestly, probably Vegeta/Bulma from DBZ. My het ship blueprint.

what's a wip that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Some of my old Captive Prince drafts, probably. And no sense of living without aim, my IT Eddie/Richie fic... I got so much fandom drama that year that I could never finish the last chapter. But my heart didn't want to put it on this list so maybe there's hope yet.

what are your writing strengths?

I think I'm very good at setting up emotional beats and making character voices feel distinct, both dialogue and POV

what are your writing weaknesses?

Action :/

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think it's cool if it's used in a way where it enriches the story. The reader should be able to understand what it means from context, without needing an in-text translation, and if you're using a limited POV the character should be able to understand at least some words in the language <- those are pet peeves of mine

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

First fic I ever wrote was Eragon (Paolini) when I was in middle school to show to my friend. First fic I ever posted was also Eragon on FFN. First fic I posted on AO3 I believe was ASOIAF or maybe the Vampire Diaries.

what's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

As I was tagged on this from Roman Holiday Chalex AU Jo Liamlawsonlesbian on the RPF sideblog. Chalex. In terms of fandom probably.... well.... BTVS / spuffy. Also this one time an anon on FFA named me among the authors they'd have liked to see writing Oasis RPF. I've been thinking about it

what's your favourite fic you've written?

It depends! I have SO many children. Some faves in my most recent fandoms: my voice in your head (F1 RPF rule 63 femslash); as lost as lost can be (Ted Lasso, Roy & Isaac); After Me, the Flood & at the last trumpet (Locked Tomb, Ianthe/Augustine /& John fic & Reverend Parents doing child assassination fic)

no-pressure tags: @antspaul @theriverbeyond @saiditallbefore @vegasgrandprix @sionisjaune

[sgt-scottymoreau]

Lay low and learn

Summary: Trying to pick up the pieces left behind after what happened 3 months ago, Scotty and Task Forces 141 found themselves in a dire situation that requires them to stay low and hidden for a while. But where to go in a country where you don't know who to trust anymore? Well Scotty might have a solution, but... can she reveals her secret to them? Can she trust them?

Warning: None.

Words: 5.9k // AO3 // Masterlist

A/N: Back to the main timeline with a fic that I have been work on ever since I created Scotty. An idea that I had back then, but I struggled so bad to feel in the gap between some scene, then wrote more fic that I could connect to it and eventually spend so long on the ending. Technically this is like a 2.0 version of it, I rewrote the whole thing after like a year(?) and honestly I'm just glad it's done! Italized text mean that they are speaking French here. For the sake of being used a lot and not wanting to have a character translate everything or such, I just did so.

It started like any other operation. The intel was good, their luck was running high and honestly nothing that made it feel like it would turn sour in a matter of hours. A cover mission to help the BSF after what happened 3 months prior with their ex commander. He apparently had more connection then they thought and even if he had by now been court martial, his allies were still roaming around. So, when the intel came in, they trusted it. They followed it till they realized that a very important detail was missing and now they were on the verge of a diplomatic incident with the French authority. For now the 141 had to cut themselves from everything, lay low till they could figure out a way to fix all of this. This is how they found themselves in the middle of nowhere in the countryside, in the darkest time of the night. 

"That ain't the worst that could happen to us." Soap tried to light up the mood.

"Sure, it's not like Laswell isn't coming for our asses after that." Gaz replied with a hint of sarcasm. "But being alive has its advantages."

"Very funny you two." Price groaned. "Well for now we should probably camp for the night. There’s nowhere to go until we figure out some plan." They all agreed. Despite the risk, they still lit a small fire so they could see what they were doing. After a quick meal from their rations, they made bed with whatever could be comfortable; their bag and some leaves. Wouldn't be the first time the night would be spent like this. Of course no sleeping under stars would be complete without taking shifts. The night started with Ghost on first watch, Gaz second, Price third. 

Price looked at the time on his watch. Three in the morning. It was time to wake Scotty up. He stretched his sore muscles and got up. He softly shook her shoulder. "Rise and shine, lass." He whispered. Scotty mumbled something but eventually woke up. "Everything is calm so far, hopefully it stays that way. At 6 you wake up Soap, understand?"

"Yes sir." She said, rubbing her eyes. Scotty took the spot next to the fire where everyone had been keeping an eye on the surroundings. It was eerily silent. She didn't mind it, but it also made her feel uneasy. Even the bugs weren't making a noise. Which was a little strange. She remembered all those summer nights where some cicadas would be annoying almost till early morning. Maybe the forest was different. At least the captain was right when he said all was calm.

She threw some small branches in the fire to keep some warmth, for a night in June, it was chilling. Her mind drifted for a moment, eyes lost in the dancing flames thinking about everything that happened. There was no real point in trying to understand why, but maybe it could give a foundation to their next step. She wondered if they could even attempt to contact the French authority and make them understand the reason. They were usually reasonable from what she remembered from her days in the BSF. However this time it was different. The team was not supposed to operate in the country without their knowledge and… it is precisely what they did. It would be hard to explain themselves. A rustle startled her. Her eyes scanned the surrounding, hand already on her gun. It was only Soap moving in his sleep. She let out a sigh of relief. However her body tensed up again when this time, it was a shadow she saw in the distance. It moved fast. The sergeant jumped on her feet, grabbing her pistol. As if her worriedness vibrated through the ground, the rest of the task force emerged from their sleep. She advanced toward the last position of the hostile. "Come out!" She ordered. "I know you are there and I won't hesitate to shoot!" 

A man came out, hand raised, and stood there. "I mean no harm." He explained in French. A civilian? No, not by his clothes. He looked different. "I'm with the AGIGN!" What in the world would they do here at night? Her gut feelings made her reach for her upper arm and rip the flag off her uniform before shoving it in her pocket. 

"What is going on here?" Price asked her once he was by her side. 

"GIGN, captain. Technically a sub branch of it." She replied, her eyes and gun never let go of the man. 

"Hey Thierry what is going on?" Another French voice came out. Five other men joined the one named Thierry, also surprised to see the 141. 

"Oh, on peut vous aider?" The probable captain of the group asked. 

"We don't speak French." Scotty said. Price looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his expression remaining calm despite her statement. He could see the frown and her concern. He understood that he should just play along. 

"My captain asked if we could help you." Thierry translated. He lowered his arms. 

"You are special forces? We could use some help to get in contact with our base. We need extraction." Price explained before the Frenchman translated. 

Scotty put back her pistol where it belonged, keeping an ear to what was being said. Thierry and his captain said that it wouldn't be a problem. They had their headquarters not far away, they were welcome there. The 141 grabbed their belongings and followed the men to their cars. Without much more, they climbed in, Soap and Ghost in one, Gaz, Scotty and Price in another. For this one time, Price wanted to keep her nearby. Especially that she was acting odd. 

"I thought you spoke French?" Gaz whispered to her once the engine was on and the vehicle drove off. 

"Let's just say it's better that way." She replied. Price gestured to Gaz that if Scotty thought so, it was better to follow. 

They drove them for an hour before stopping again. This looked like an old village, almost abandoned. The kind of village only locals would know of. "We have arrived at the HQ." Thierry said, getting out. The 141 did the same. 

"What base?" Soap inquired, not seeing anything as usual. Even if it was a makeshift one, he couldn't figure out anything that resembled it. 

"C'est un peu plus au nord, dans la montagne." The driver of their car said, not even caring about them understanding. Him pointing up the mountain gave them the idea that the base was maybe there. Some more walking to do. 

Soap, who was also wondering the same as Gaz approached Scotty as they walked back into the forest. "Why don't you talk with them?" 

"Because something is not right." She whispered. "I could be wrong, but I know the GIGN and I know that none of their branches are in this area." This small information was enough for them to be on high alert. They followed in silence. One thing Price couldn’t shake off since they were found by the AGIGN was how no one questioned what four British SAS officers and one unknown military personnel were doing in France, lost in the forest. He trusted and believed Scotty when she said something wasn't right. Because anyone with the slightest common sense would have been concerned.

While the Frenchmen chatted like they had nothing to worry about. Scotty tried her best to not reveal her secret, but Soap and Gaz wanting to know what was going on made it hard. She shortened the whole conversation to they were making fun of them because they are Brits, making comments on Ghost being scary and other small talk. 

"How long we still have to go?" Price asked. He was getting irritated that they had been walking for a long time without even a sign of being close to any building. 

"I'll ask." Thierry said. He looked nervous himself. "Captain, we should hurry, they are getting impatient." 

"Thierry, tell them we are almost there and everything is alright. Once we are in the clearing, a bullet for each one of them. They won’t even know what’s happening." 

Scotty, who was watching her footing, snapped her head back up and she stopped in her tracks hearing this. Every part of her body tensed up. Her arm flung in front of her captain to stop him, surprising everyone. "Fils de pute!" She yelled. Son of a bitch. All the Frenchmen moved a step back finally realizing what was going on. She took her gun and pointed at the French captain. "Captain, they plan to kill us! There never was a base!" 

"Son of bitches!" Soap cursed, raising his own weapon. It was only a matter of seconds now. The first to pull the trigger would save their team. The 141 reacted fast taking advantage of the Frenchs being shocked that someone had been listening all along. Their bodies dropped dead quickly. A better look at their uniforms confirmed Scotty's suspicions. They had a logo resembling AGIGN, but it was botched. Good enough to trick anyone from afar. After more look around, they connected these men to the terrorist they had tried to take down. If these men could find them in the middle of nowhere, the 141 definitely had to lay low for sure. Disappear. They walked back to the village, finding the cars still there. At least they could now travel easier.  

"Let's get out of here." Price ordered. "Gaz, you drive."

"Captain, with all your respect, I should be the one driving." Scotty interjected. "I probably know the region more than him." He agreed and took the passenger seat while the other three men squeezed in the back.

*****

She had been driving for an hour now. The dark sky was slowly lighting up on the horizon, a sign that the sun was making its breakthrough. Her eyes looked in the rear mirror, to see the three men still sleeping, even Price was softly snoring. The road signs began to look slightly blurry, reading the town and exit’s names was difficult. Tiredness was on the edge of her brain and she knew she had to stop soon. Scotty had two options. Stop and let Soap drive or keep driving till they are safe. There was a reason she decided to take the wheel. Well at first it was mostly a wild guess and hoping she was right. Once they hit the big road, Scotty did figure out they were in an area she knew well indeed. They weren’t too far now, if her brain could let her stay awake just a little longer. She finally took an exit, went through the center of town which was completely deserted at this time of the day, maybe the local bakers were already working, and took an old dirt road. 

His head hit the window after a small bump that made him emerge from his slumber. Price fully woke up when the engine came to a complete stop. Before he could comprehend what was going on, he saw Scotty walk out of the car to the house in the distance. He watched as she knocked at the door, waiting restlessly and when the door opened it looked like she was talking with the owner. Glancing at the radio’s clock, it was already five in the morning. A shifting from the back caught Price by surprise. Gaz moved up between the front seats. “What's going on?”

“We will see.” He pointed at Scotty who was jogging back to the car. 

“I asked these kind folks if we could stay for the rest of the ‘night’ and they said yes.” She explained.

“How did you convince them?” The captain wondered.

“Hmm… You know a simple little lie!” There was a hint of nervousness in her tone that he dismissed. If this place was safe enough, they might as well take the chance for now. The captain ordered everyone out, grabbed their bags and walked to the door.

A woman and her husband welcomed them in. They looked like they just had been awakened from their sleep and weren't exactly sure what was going on. "Bonsoir, we have some bedrooms for you, messieurs. Et madame." The woman said shyly. 

"Thank you ma'am. We won't be staying too long." Price reassured. The husband brought everyone upstairs and showed them the room. With a heavy accent he explained that the kids weren't home at the moment and they could use their room. Apologized for the mess the little ones might have left behind. Once everyone was tucked back in, Scotty made her way back to the kitchen on her tiptoes. Awakened by a second wind, she didn’t feel like sleeping at the moment. The woman was there making tea, and her husband grabbed three mugs. Scotty leaned on the counter as the woman put down the kettle. Her eyes glared at the sergeant.

"I haven't seen you in months, not even a phone call and you just show up at my door in the middle of the night!" The woman berated her.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle!" Scotty apologized. "We were in the area and we need somewhere to lay low for a while and then we will be out."

"Cam, I have no problem with having you here, but I don't have enough to feed all of them. Have you seen their size! Even Nathan looks small next to them!" The husband raised an eyebrow unsure whether to take this as an insult or not. Camille assured her that it wouldn’t be a problem, she could also help with any extra groceries. Gabrielle sipped on her drink with a snort. “So much for wanting to keep your family out of your job. Who are these guys anyway?” 

Camille realized she had a lot to catch up with her sister. She was sure she had mentioned something about her new career path, but then again so much had happened she might have only mentioned being transferred to another country and didn’t mention the task force. A quick recap of all that happened since the beginning of this year was enough to bring Gabrielle up to speed. Sometimes, she wondered how sister could handle such a life. After their cup was done, Camille finally felt tiredness coming back and decided to give in. 

Later in the same morning, Scotty woke up feeling like last night was a terrible nightmare and wished that it was the case. But reality hit back when she woke up on the floor of a room decorated with stickers, posters of a football team and toys all over the carpet. Her body was stiff from the hard floor, the only spot she found to sleep on when she sneaked in the room. She pushed herself up holding down a groan of pain. Soap was still snoring in the very small bed. Ghost was sleeping on a mattress that was on the floor facing away from her. She caught herself staring at his shoulders that were slowly rising up and down. She approached to check if… Yes he still had the mask on. She smiled, that was crazy to her. Silently, she made her way out, at the same time Gaz came out of the other room. "Mornin'." He greeted her. 

"Morning, slept well?" 

"Oh, not so bad. Better than in the woods. Are Soa-" He was interrupted by her grabbing something from behind him. Gaz was quite surprised by this strange reaction, even more by the forced smile she put up. Was she hiding something? He was curious, however with the lack of really want to know what was going on, he simply let it go. "Are they still snoring?"

"Oh yes, sleeping like babies." The smell of eggs and fresh pastries reached their nose. Their stomachs growled. With a laugh they headed to the kitchen for some grub. Price was already there trying to help to set up the table. If he had to be a guest here, he would at least be a good one. The two others helped around till the last two finally woke up. After a good late breakfast, it was time to take it easy for a lack of knowing what to do. Eventually they discussed how long they should remain low. The consensus was at least a good week or two. Give time to whomever to clear them out of trouble. Hopefully Laswell or the BSF could help. The captain admitted that squatting here was an option, but also felt abusing the kindness of these people.

But Scotty told him it was fine, she talked with the owners and they were happy to have them around. He raised an eyebrow. She already did so? Without him knowing a single word of it until now? It sounded a little odd that some random French civilians would be so inclined to accept English military personnel in their house, but if they didn’t mind then so be it. Ghost didn’t touch much of his breakfast till Gabrielle and Nathan left the table to clean the dishes. Something Gabrielle commented in a whisper to Camille. The sergeant excused her lieutenant saying he usually never shows his face to anyone. If it could make Grabielle feel better she herself hadn’t seen his face yet either.

Later in the day, the couple said they would head to town for some extra groceries. Left alone in the house, it feels like a relief for Scotty. No more reason to play translator. Gabrielle and Nathan’s house was far from the town, maybe forty five minutes drive, surrounded by large terrain and trees. Not a destination anyone would go to by accident… You had to know exactly where they lived. A question Soap was too eager to ask, which she deflected by saying that she was simply looking for some place to stop for the night quickly and it was not unusual to have a house like this when she saw the off road path. The perfect spot to disappear.  

With not much to do, the boys helped around; chopping woods, cleaning the terrain, sparring with each other. Taking advantage that the owners were away to clean their guns and do an inventory check on their remaining gears. Scotty and Soap finished their last lap around the premises a little before the sun had completely set. Ghost was watching them arms crossed. “Takin’ vacation, sergeants?” He smiled behind his mask.

“If running half a marathon is considered vacation, sure.” Soap joked.

“You wish we ran one third of one.” Scotty rolled her eyes. Ghost leaned on the fence and looked at them. For a split second she swore her eyes met his and her gaze darted away quickly. Recently, Scotty didn’t know how to interact with him outside of mission. She tried hard to convince herself that it had nothing to do with the crush she was developing on him. It wasn’t high school anymore, who had crushes in their late 20s! But it was very obvious this was the reason. Scotty swore it all happened since that ops a few weeks ago, but it only became worse in the recent days. She knew the implication and problem that dating would cause, if he even returned the feeling and so she did all she could to keep it secret. Hoping it would one day fade away and it was indeed a small crush, nothing more. At least when the others were around, she was capable of keeping it together and not making a fool of herself.

On the fourth day, Scotty was on the porch watching the surroundings with Gabrielle next to her, enjoying a lemonade. It was rather warm today but that didn’t stop Ghost from still wearing his mask while chopping wood. “At this rate, Nathan won’t have to do anything until winter next year.” Gabrielle snorted. 

“I’m sure he will appreciate the time off. More time with the kids, unless he enjoys all the hard work.” She teased. Taking a sip of her drink, Camille gaze lingering on Ghost from afar. Only with a t-shirt on, his muscles tensing and being defined at each movement, his tattoo out in the open, the fabric tight on his chest as sweat made it stick to his skin. It was a sight for sore eyes. She couldn’t take her eyes off him even if the more she watched the hotter the weather was. Or it was her. A little detail Gabrielle noticed and was too happy to point out.

“Someone is in love.” She teased, nudging her. Camille turned fast to her with a glare and red cheeks.

“I’m not!” 

“Oh please, you have this look you always had when you were looking at your crushes. You can’t fool me. What are you finally settling down after all these years? It’s about time.”

Camille took another sip of her drink to cool off a little.“I’m not like I used to be in the army. I calmed down a while ago, you should know. But even then Gab. It’s not like I could do anything about it for a various number of reasons. There’s rules! Anyway, it might pass.”

Gabrielle nodded, not believing her entirely on the idea that it would pass.. “But seriously from all these men, you go for the one with that creepy mask, who barely talks and feels he could kill you in your sleep. You are weirdo.” Camille laughed at her insult and nudged her. She missed their casual teasing.

After a week, everyone was rather itching to go back into action. Vacations were always welcome, but most of the days were the same because no one could go out to town for a change of scenery. It was getting boring. Till the woman of the house took Scotty aside. Nathan had left earlier this morning without saying why. While the men were talking about something, Gabrielle spoke up about a little detail that was worrying her. “Camille, listen, we might have a problem.” 

“If it’s money, I can help. Just tell me and I can pay for it.” Camille did agree that all five of them did eat their fair share of food with not so small portions. She did feel bad for her sister, however also teased her that this was only a trial to show her how it will be when the kids will be teens. 

“No not that, although I wouldn’t refuse that. But that’s not it! If you wanted to keep us a secret, it might be complicated. Nathan’s parents called. The twins were at their place for two weeks and there was a problem in their house. The boys have to come back home.” The information hit Camille like a rock to the face. Gabrielle and her husband understood the importance of playing along but her nephews? Not a chance they keep it down. She let out a swear loud enough that even without understanding the language, the 141 turned their heads. She gestured that it was nothing. Her sister confessed that Nathan should be back in an hour or less by now. Scotty’s heart sank down her feet. She had barely time to make a choice. Either tell her teammates about her family and trust them or say nothing and hope to catch the kids before they come in. However Gabrielle wasn’t too keen on allowing her children to lie when she always told them it was bad. But was it so bad if it meant to protect them? Gabrielle apologized for putting her in such a situation on short notice, but they themselves learned about it only last night, hence why Nathan left so early in the morning. 

Scotty took a deep breath and joined in the conversation of the boys. However it was easy to see her uneasiness. Price’s mind raced to try to figure out what could cause this. Would they need to leave this place? Wouldn’t be surprising. Did things turn sour and they will have to remain hidden longer? No, he would be the first one to know. “Everything is alright Scotty?” 

“Well, I don’t know how to explain this.” She started. “You know we all have our secrets right… Things we don’t want others to know, like Ghost and his face.” It made them laugh, except for Ghost who crossed his arms.

“Just spit it out, sergeant.” He said, rolling his eyes. Scotty opened her mouth to explain. The door flung open with a man shouting in the back and two small humans bursted in. 

“Auntie Camcam!” They both shouted jumping on her, completely ignoring the four men sitting on the couches. All of them looked at her surprised and she timidly smiled. The kids started to ask her plenty of questions till one of them noticed the 141 and they went silent quickly. The twins watched each man carefully. They looked like giants! One of the boys grabbed at Camille's jeans half hiding behind her, while his brother looked much more enthusiastic. 

"La tête de mort il est trop cool!" He said pointing at the masked man. Ghost tilted his head to look at the boy. It was his usual look, nothing out of the ordinary. But the twin hiding being Scotty started to sob. She quickly kneeled to his level to reassure him.

"Je veux pas que la mort t'emmène!" He started to cry. She hushed him, promising that this was not Death but just a man with a mask.

"Tout va bien Mathéo. Il ne te fera rien." Camille said, kissing him on the forehead. Mathéo stuck his tongue out at him, still upset and ran to his mom. The 141 looked at her eager to know what just happened. Even if they had a little idea. 

"Nicolas found Ghost cool while Mathéo thought you were Death coming to take me. I had to reassure him that that was not the case." Soap didn't hold his chuckles as she translated. Neither did Gaz and even Price had an amused smile on his face. 

"Maybe Lt should take off his mask or the lad won't come out ever again." Soap teased. Ghost shook his head and firmly reiterated that the mask stayed on. Gabrielle hushed the boys to their room, leaving the task force alone. Scotty felt very uneasy at the moment. The silence was heavy.

‘’I took a risk by bring you here, but this was the only safe place I could think of back then.’’ She let out after a while. “I really wanted to keep it a secret.”

‘’Everyone wants to keep their family safe, especially with our job.’’ Price reassured her. ‘’That would explain why they have been so kind to keep us for so long.’’  

Scotty chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. It indeed explained a lot. Even if she knew that they had no issue with that, Scotty was torn between everything. She never planned on revealing the location of her family. It was a calculated risk that she thought of with a very tired mind when it all happened and yes when her sister admitted that the twins weren’t home, it did sound like it would all work out for the best. The sergeant just wanted everyone to be safe on all sides. She barely knew the 141, only for a few months and she knew she could trust them in a way, but Scotty still had this feeling that she did something wrong. Even her old colleagues only knew she had family somewhere and that was it. They never saw a picture, even less met them in person. But what was done was done, she can’t change anything she might as well live with it and hope for the best.

Later that night, they were all around the table for dinner. Scotty didn’t have a second for herself. Flanked, surrounded, ambushed with the twins who kept asking questions about her work and babbling about what they learned at school recently and what they were doing at their grandparents. Gabrielle had to intervene so they would let her eat in peace. The sergeant said that nothing could surpass the children's interrogation which made everyone laugh.

Scotty went to grab a plate that was slightly further from her. Ghost, noticing that she was obviously struggling to get it, kindly helped by handing it. For a second, their fingers touched each other. Scotty thanked him, her cheeks already coloring with a soft pink. A reaction that didn’t go unnoticed by her sister, nor nephews. Mathéo tugged on her sleeve so she could lean and he whispered in her ear. Whatever the little one asked, it was enough to make her face turn red and straighten up quickly. 

“What did he say?” Soap asked amused. 

“N-nothing! Nothing important. No Matt I-I don’t.”

“But you are all red just like when mom gets a compliment from dad!” That remark made his parents chuckle as well. Camille suddenly really wished this dinner could be over already and was oh so glad none of her teammates knew French. At least the rest went without an itch. After dessert, Nicolas tried his best to interrogate the rest of the task force. Mathéo on his side simply stayed in his aunt’s arm in silence, listening. Soap and Gaz answered to the best they could, having some fun along the way. Making their stories more unbelievable sometimes as well as much more kid friendly. Price shook his head with a smile. To Scotty this moment reminded her when her dad would be telling her stories of his deployments. These were the days, the innocence of a child. Eventually, the twins crashed from their busy day. Their energy completely drained and they passed out quickly. The parents picked up their children and brought them upstairs. 

After an eventful day, Scotty needed a break. She headed outside, walked a few meters away from the house and lay down on the grassy ground. It wasn’t comfortable but the view made it all worth it. Being far from any town, Gabrielle’s house offered a clear view of the stars. Left alone with her thoughts a lot of turmoil resurfaced. On one hand she felt like a hypocrite to be demanding to protect her family when she was the one who took the decision, on the other she knew it would all be fine. Did she regret bringing the task force here? A little perhaps. But at the time, it was the only safe place she knew of and they needed it. Would she do it again if a situation demanded it? Most likely. The safety of her teammate was as important as her family. Deep down, Scotty was aware that this need to keep her family secret came from make up scenarios, horror stories she heard again and again in the past years. There was no need to be so mysterious about her loved ones. Most of her work was done in the shadows rarely engaging with any enemies who would make retribution 

But. 

What if? The lingering question that made her so worried. She let out a deep sigh as the turmoil cleared out of her mind leaving her alone with the stars. The sound of the crunching peebles and gentle rustle of the grass caught her attention, but she remained in her position. Whoever it was, it was friendly. The smell of cigar gave away who stopped next to her. Scotty started to push herself to sit, but Price gestured to stay still. With a groan, he saw on the grass, arms resting on his knees. “It’s a nice view.” He simply said. 

“The first time my sister invited me to her house after they bought it, I spent all night outside.” She smiled. They remained silent for a little while. 

“I understand it might have been a hard call to make, but I’m glad you did so. Scotty, you know we won’t betray your family.” Price said casually blowing off the smoke. “No matter what.”

She pushed herself in a sitting position. “Thanks Cap. … Can I speak freely sir?” The captain nodded. “If anything happens to them, you are the first ones I’ll go after, no friendship will change that.”

“A little dark side of yours?” He had a playful grin on his face. She returned the playfulness, but Price knew she meant what she said. “I promise it will never come up to this, lass. No worries.”

As they watched the sky they saw it. A shooting star flew in the dark blue. Jokingly Scotty told the captain they should make a wish. Price scoffed. They stargazed a little longer, till maybe five minutes later, his phone buzzed. The brightness of the device illuminated his face, he had to squint a little the time his eyes adjusted to the light. A heavy frown lowered on his eyebrows. An unknown number had sent him something. You and your team are cleared and can return home. Laswell sends her regards. Tell Kabouter hello, she will understand.

Price read the message out loud to the sergeant who couldn't help herself but chuckle at his pronunciation of kabouter. “Who is that?”

“Someone we can trust, captain. An old friend of mine at the BSF.” Scotty stood up and dusted herself off. “I suppose it’s time to go home.”

“I know some lads who will be happy to.” Price stood up a few of his joints cracking. Years of hard work.

****

When the news was brought to the others about their probable departure, the rest of the task force was rather glad that their unprompted vacation came to an end after only a week! Laswell eventually contacted the captain with more information and where safe areas they could reach to return to England. They would need to find a way to reach any of them which was a little logistic problem but they can figure something out. Gabrielle, although sad to say goodbye to her sister, was also happy to see them leave. There were a lot of people in the house for far too long. The only two who were devastated by the news were the twins. They barely had the chance to see their aunt long enough and they just met these four awesome men! It took a little time to make them understand why they had to leave. 

They finally embarked on a plane in a military base nearby who could provide them transportation back home. In a little more than an hour, everything will be done. The five of them allowed themselves to completely let the pressure down, relaxing at the thought of home. 

“So who wants to join in for a drink?” Gaz proposed as they barely stepped a foot on the tarmac.

“Didn’t we spend enough time together?” Scotty chuckled and threw her bag over her shoulder.

“Aye! Count me in.” Soap replied. “Come on Scotty, one drink and then you can go home.”

She lifted her finger to emphasis on the only one drink. The captain excused himself, rather liking to get on with some paperworks. They shouldn’t forget about it. Ghost was on the same page as Price. Ghost passed behind her and stopped for a second. “You have a nice family.” was all he said in a monotone tone. 

Scotty was a little taken aback by this comment. What did he mean? Why? Nonetheless. “Uh thanks sir.”

Her eyes lingered a little longer on him as he walked away, discreetly biting her lower lip till Soap pulled her out of whatever thoughts that were forming in her mind. Right, drinking with friends now, thinking about her crush, later.

[seonghwacore]

hello! I saw we are talking about kq and their rushed schedule for ateez and well if that isn't something I always want to rant (a bit) about. I have to admit though I've never been much into the lore. My first cb with them was fever pt 2, so I can't comment on things before then, but somehow it felt to me like they were putting quality over quantity then? ESPECIALLY compared to the work/golden hour 1 cb. I'm sorry but that was so rushed and kinda generic, the concept pics had nothing to do with the mv, the mv was fun but extremely random after the vibe the concept pics set, the outfits were generic, the background even more so, and why were there 27 pic per member. Fireworks had 1 pic per member per version (minus diary), and I'm biased bc it was my first cb and arguably the best hwa concept pic ever to be released, but that had IMPACT. It felt like they had a vision and then that was more than "hot men in suits/slutty clothes". and then the promo shows, I don't think they recycled an outfit even once, and overall it just seemed like everything had a bit more time to breathe? Pretty sure salary lupin was on at the time, but not 5000 other things all ot once. Sure covid was still a thing then, but why do they need a tour, a Korean cb, a Japanese cb, some random collab, and god knows what other things all at the same time? that's too much for them, but also for us as fans. Sorry I really disliked the work comeback because of everything that wasn't the music or ateez themselves and I really fucking hope that was a one off thing, and didn't set the standard for future cbs

HI FIO! forgive me for the super late reply 😭 i actually read briefly your msg and decided that this topic required more attention bcs i did have a super serious, lengthy talk with an atiny bff abt atz's creative direction lately and we shared the same idea. i just dont want to respond to your rant halfheartedly, thus.

And with the sneak peek of the next cb, I HIGHKEY THINK your little rant, just, hits too close to home 😔

OKAY, WHEW this gon be long. personally, what you felt about work cb (and the chilling, ominous vision of the future cbs' direction) is super valid. i feel the same thing too, except you're also very detail abt their outfits and concepts. sometimes i question myself if im being... too annoying about their music, esp work cb.

there's a reason i stop commenting [on their music] and it's bcs i don't want to appear... know-it-all, annoying, or other adjectives associated with these words. i got into the fandom just last year, i cant really say much, knowing im also not a certified music critic. but also i've been listening to them "blindly" since answer til halazia until i officially jumped in so, do i or do i not have the capacity to throw my opinion like this 😂

and even without looking at their visuals, to me, their music quality was already proven undoubtedly top notch, unique, quite ahead of their, well, competitors. had a little difficulty digesting the batshit futuristic instruments going behind their vocals at first (and the freaking remixes asksjkf) but overall, their songs always sound like they're crafted with heart and passion for the lore. for the journey. and im glad that they're not a headless worm going just anywhere with their music. or even worse, to achieve tiktok success. just like.... most artists... in the industry all over the world.

i think because i found them at the time i lost myself the most and their lore and storytelling have a certain goal to achieve. even if it's breaking the norms, even if you have to believe in yourself. i think i become so attached with the kids bcs of their bold music and even bolder message. you know,,, the psychological connection in this paragraph.

so, when they keep insisting that working during holidays are their choice, i just, sigh. knowing that a lot of fans would still defend them (esp twttiny bcs they always seem excited for the boys which is good but girlypops u dont have to gaslight urself if ur not liking it now). i dont even want to sugarcoat this anymore im worried that this is not a matter of "being genius creative tanks" but the need to be able to stay afloat in the trend, in the industry, cus theyre coming fr a relatively small company. and im really not sure how to feel abt that crying laughing rn. im worried theyre exhausted, not physically but their inspiration well.

i really wish they could engage in some other activity, or at least, brought wanteez back as the easy days. they dont have to be an all rounder really. just have fun in more original contents ig. not gonna touch the fashion weeks thingy cus im the least fashionable person in the clerb 😂

on the other side, foolish me to believe strongly and tell myself that kq would follow the lore, put the lore as the backbone of their creative direction for their music and expand from there. anything. music, short movies, random clips, visual diary, whatev. i didnt realize, they have the authority to bend the lore itself. like... what happened to, not sure, thunder, or halateez, in the latest diary log. if u felt that work was rushed, i agree. i am still confused til now tho i accepted that cb p well aljdlasjda

but yeah, i think i will stop expecting from now on and just listen. im too tired to analyze the lore, too tired to criticize and/or sugarcoat my opinion. if i like it, then i like it, if i don't then i don't. im open to discussion but i will definitely refrain from commenting. don't wanna spoil other people's fun ofc ofc. but this one we share fio, yeah i think i need to let out a little 😂 sorry this is getting a bit out of control fio. But like you said, hope that this is a one off thing too.

last but most importantly, i hope that you're doing great now, with whatever that's going on in your life. tis getting colder these days so take care, bestie 💚💚💚

[anamoon63]

Your TS3 gameplay really does inspire me to give that game another shot. Are there specific mods you use to make sure the game runs smoothly/is stable? What mods/cc are the best to use so the sims look good?

Hi, Marci! 😊

First of all, thank you very much for your ask. Knowing that my sims and/or my gameplay can inspire other simmers to play means a lot to me cause The Sims 3 is my favorite game in the whole Sims series. Plus, I love my sims, so this makes me twice as happy. 🤗💖

That said, it is my duty to warn you that The Sims 3 is not an easy game to maintain, it requires a lot of care and patience, even from the moment of its installation. You ask me what it takes to make it run smoothly and make it stable, well I'm no expert, but what helped me with that is all contained in this Steam post. I believe these tips you can follow even if you don't have your game on Steam. I followed all these steps when I reinstalled my game back in 2017-18, and I have never had a problem like lag or crashes since then.

It's thanks to the amazing person who wrote that post and to talented modders like @lazyduchess and Twallan (Nraas Mods), whose mods I consider indispensable, that I have been able to play The Sims 3 without problems for years now. I may have had a couple of crashes due to some wrong or corrupt cc, but that's on me because I download a lot of stuff. In those cases, it's a matter of locating the bad cc, taking it out, and that's it. The game runs great, even with a ton of mods installed. (I have a 9 GB mods folder, and I've had more than that at times, lol, but I try to keep in less than 10 GB always).

As for what mods and cc's to use to make the sims look good, well, that would depend on your taste, or as they say now, on the aesthetics of your game or your sims.

For what it's worth, I have always used Ephemera's E-WEAK skin as default. I also use some other Ephemera's like E-Skin Natural MIX, Asia and Fresh. I use some by Kurasoberina too.

I think Ephemera's site doesn't exist anymore, but the E-WEAK skins I use can be downloaded on MTS here. Kurasoberina TS3 skins you can find them here along with more of their fabulous content.

I'm sure there are other skins much newer, and super nice too, but these are the ones I use, cause they give my sims the look they are known for. 😊

Also I use Tifa N38 default eyes, as well as Buhudain's You Are Real body and face maps replacements to give some realism to my sims' skins/bodies. Neither Tifa's nor Buhudain's sites exist anymore, unfortunately, but you can still find Buhudain's archives on this SFS page. And those of Tifa in this other one in Mega. (I hope I am not doing wrong by sharing them, otherwise I will remove them).

There's also this stunning version of Buhudain's You are Real by @nectar-cellar named You are Hyperreal. :)

As for the rest, if I start listing all the other content I use such as hair, clothes and makeup I would never finish, I'd gladly share my whole mods folder, but I don't want to piss off the creators, or blow-up other players' computers, lol. I'm WCIF friendly, though, so feel free to ask for any specific content, of any type, CAS or Buy/Build, I got my custom content well documented, so I'll provide you with links to any of them.

For the time being, here is this link to my custom Content List on my Blogger. I have kept this list for many years, and I still use most of that content; it may be a little outdated of course, cause I have a lot of new stuff now, so my intention is to update the page soon when/if I have the time. Also, some of the links may not work anymore, if so just let me know and I'll fix them for you if I'm able.

I hope this answer has helped you. Sorry for taking so long to reply, but I wanted to make this post as detailed as possible. If you have any other questions about The Sims 3, I'll be here whenever you need me. Good luck and happy simming! 😉💗

[wetcatspellcaster]

1, 2, 8, 12, and 16!

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multichaptered fics?

I mean, my ao3 speaks for myself :') I guess my history of multichap is less of a preference, and more of a complete inability to keep anything fucking brief

even the gale/durge fic was supposed to be a one-shot. smh.

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

It's a mixture of both. My last three fics have followed this pattern -

Write the first few chapters just chilling, seeing where things go. Hit the first point that feels like a 'turning point' (in pieces this was infamous chapter 7). then I outline and plan, once I know the fic is going to happen for real.

Typically, I plan what happens in a chapter, but not necessarily every step in the process. It depends how writing the chapter is going - outlines get more detailed, the more I'm struggling. atm, I'm stuck on the modern AU, so I am writing bullet points whenever i have energy so I have something to help me. sometimes I'll work off a one sentence notice, and the action will be vivid enough in my mind for that to work.

8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

depends on how reliant the story is on romance. if it's a romance-heavy fic, the middle for certain, bc the tension between two people getting together is my favourite part, and established relationships are comforting to read but they're sometimes difficult to progress as a writer.

i also like endings though! often because the ending of a thing will have become more and more vivid to me in time, so it's nice to finally put that final set of images down on paper. particularly if I stick the landing :'))

12. How does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

aghhhh, a dangerous question

I'm a very pessimistic (and currently very depressed) person. I require a hell of a lot of positive reinforcement, for a dumb bitch who's chosen to be in academia. I'm not sure I would still be writing, if people hadn't commented and read my early fics, in my dragon age era. I'm not sure I'd value the work I put into the world, if people hadn't shouted at me and told me it was valued.

this kind of changed with pieces 'blowing up' (i don't like that phrase). receiving that amount of feedback was amazing, but it was also overwhelming. it felt weird, to become 'known' - this is my introvert hobby, i like not being perceived. Now that it's passed, I also firmly believe no fic I write will ever be that popular, ever again. which isn't that no fic will be as good or better, but pieces was a perfect storm of a fandom i'd already written for, tropes people liked, and the height of bg3's popularity. my writing wasn't magically better in pieces, than in other fics. I will never get that amount of attention again, unless I start deliberately chasing trends or popular fandoms, which I don't want to do.

...and that's totally ok. Since pieces, I've consciously tried to just write ideas for myself, and not for feedback. feedback is the nice added bonus. but it also proved to me how much fandom/fic popularity is not about quality, and more about timing. your audience is determining a lot more than your writing necessarily is :')

so, to answer your question, to receive feedback or not to receive feedback impacts me a lot. receiving it will always make me feel like a better writer, because I'm very harsh on myself and I see none of the good things in my work that other people see. Someone saying 'oh this was good' has me replying 'oh fuck, really?' not shouting into a void is always fabulous.

but not receiving feedback is also an utter relief. I loved writing so much of the modern AU just for myself and one other person. it's nice to have a fun, medium sized audience of people I recognise, and people I'm writing for. bc i'd rather have just my own enjoyment, or a smaller group of core people who i know like my writing, than have a flash in the pan of like "WOW THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER" who never stick around

woof. long answer.

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

All of my fic ideas are published or publishing! :)

but I'm fighting off a dragon age rook concept (an orlesian mage who fled from the circles after the college system was introduced and then became a prodigious 'assassin', killing people with magic) with my bare fucking hands.

get to know your writer

[naturagardens]

hi, my name is anne aka hinawa !! i'm nineteen years old and currently looking for roleplay partners. nobody under the age of eighteen, though! this is just a simple little post i'm putting out to - hopefully - find more rp partners, and friends! so it won't be aesthetic by any means, but it should cover most bases.

i live in florida, usa, so i'm on the est timezone. i've been roleplaying for around eight to nine years, and in various different forms. my preferred style is descriptive, as i enjoy writing a lot about whatever character i'm portraying at the moment.

i typically do fandom and fandomless, though lately i've been doing the latter a lot more. i just love making ocs! i typically roleplay fem characters, as it is preferred, but i am flexible !! i do have an endless amount of plot ideas, however any ideas of yours are also welcome. i love plot heavy roleplays, as it does give me more to write about, but also because it gives me a chance to fully get into the character that i'm roleplaying. i consider myself pretty flexible when it comes to plotting and figuring out specific details for the roleplay, as i always enjoy hearing other peoples ideas and seeing how we can combine them.

i do require that your responses at least match my length of responses! my minimum is typically three to four paragraphs. i will either ask you to write more, or not respond, as i can't work off of little to no information.

communication is one thing that i stress. whether it be that one of us can't respond right away, or we have something to talk about in regards to the rp. either way, it's communication is always appreciated. i do work full time, so my replies usually come in before work and after work, though sometimes i can get one out during my lunch break! if i can't get a reply out, i typically try to let you know.

i will only block without warning if i believe that you are being pushy, making me uncomfortable, or trying to disrespect my boundaries. i do typically try to discuss these with whoever i am plotting with.

i don't get on tumblr too much, so i typically prefer doing my roleplays on discord. if any of this interests you, please send me a friend req. or a message! my disc is naturagardens. xoxo 💕

[sillyfanatic]

Snowstorms and card games

Merry christmas and happy holidays! Here's my little festive present to all of you! (Because what's more festive than gay hedgehogs and snow <333) Click here to read it on ao3 :D

CW for detailed mentions of food!

p.s: Thank you to everyone who responded to my post about Shadow's teleportation, it helped a lot with this fic!!

(wc; 4142)

-

The whistle of the wind and the rattling of the window had pulled them out of their conversation. Sonic stood then, walking to tug the curtains to the side, wanting to discover what lay on the other side. It was late now, and yet there was a brightness to the evening, heavy snowfall batting against the window with force.

Shadow didn’t mean to be here this long, there was barely a snowflake in the air when he’d first come here, and now… well, now, it looked like a blizzard was brewing on the other side of the wall.

“Oh, shit, how long have we been talking?” Sonic shook his head and pushed the curtain back, as if hiding the outdoors would change the weather. A quick glance at his watch indicated 10:43PM. “Hm.” A quiet disappointed huff, perhaps the start of a realization.

They both knew Shadow lived far. While Sonic had opted for a home in the countryside, the agent’s career required him to live in the heart of the city. They also knew that his bike, which had been conveniently parked by the front steps, was now stuck underneath a thick blanket of snow.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stay this long.” It’s all Shadow could muster as the situation fell upon them: an apology for something that was outside of his control.

“It’s fine.” Sonic reassured, as he always did, but his eyes betrayed him. There was a glimmer of unease in them, a worry in the way his brows furrowed pointedly. Was his presence really that bothersome? Did the thought of them being stuck together annoy him?

He was already worrying, reading into things.

The agent felt a familiar heaviness in the air, the awkward silence he and Sonic often struggled to fill. Except when they were talking about work, which they had been, for… three hours, it seemed.

Why had he let himself get carried away?

“I should go.” He stood then, but moved no further, standing still as he eyed the other.

“Are you insane?” Was the immediate reply on Sonic’s behalf. The blue hedgehog drew the curtain back again, a dramatic show of their current situation. “Shadow, your bike’s at least six feet under by now.”

The thought of his beloved motorcycle being left to rust out there was almost enough to make him wince.

But it’s not what he’d meant. There was a better, easier, way to get out of here.

“No, idiot, I’m just going to-“ he started, feeling himself becoming more and more irritable. The situation wasn’t great, he wasn’t happy to know he’d wasted three hours here, that his bike would need some repair after this, and Sonic’s oddly placed nerves didn’t help either.

Frustrated, he reached into his quills seeking out…

It wasn’t there.

“Were you about to say that you’re gonna chaos control?” Sonic’s arms were crossed now, and there was a smug smile on his face. It wasn’t helping Shadow’s souring mood, not by a landslide.

“Fuck you.” He spat out, surely an aggressive reflex born from his past, not by the person he was trying to be.

“Fuck me? You’re the one who came here asking about a chaos emerald in the first place!” He pointed out, very annoyingly.

“Let me think.” Shadow mumbled, pacing around the room as a heavy silence settled between them once more.

There had to be something he could do, some way he could get out of this house. He’d just come here about the emeralds, and yes, although the three hours they’d spent discussing them wasn’t entirely unpleasant, it did not mean he wished to elongate his stay.

But every answer seemed to fall short. His bike was not usable, and even if it was, the roads were probably undistinguishable. So, vehicles were a no, and sonic didn’t own a plane (tails did, but he stored his plane in his garage, which seemed inconvenient now.)

And he couldn’t teleport out of here because he lacked a chaos emerald.

“Your pacing is stressing me out.” Sonic was still standing by the window, leaning against it now. He looked so nonchalant, how the fuck did he seem so calm now? Had he accepted the situation that easily? Was change, unexpectedness, not frightening? It certainly froze up Shadow.

“Helps me think.” He slowed down, still, feeling himself get a bit too worked up.

“Think about what? There’s no way out of here dude, you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”

“I could walk?” He knew it wasn’t an option, he’d even spoken it as though it was a question, not a suggestion.

“Sure, that would be a super cool way to die.” His voice was thick with sarcasm. “‘Tried to take a walk in a blizzard’ is what I’ll have them write on your gravestone.” Sonic chuckled at his own joke, making the other stop his pacing entirely just to glare at him.

“Aren’t you trying to think of anything? You certainly don’t want me here all night, do you?”

“Mm, wouldn’t be the worse company I’ve ever had.” The hero shrugged his shoulders, ignoring half of the questions asked to him.

Fuck. This was going to be a long night.

-

The way the windows rattled against the storm was concerning to say the least. A couple of hours later and the house had not yet fallen, despite the cracks and the creaks occasionally heard throughout the home.

It wasn’t the worst place he could be stuck in. This wasn’t G.U.N headquarters, or knuckle’s house (that, he’d risk a walk in the snow to escape.)

In fact, it was kind of cozy. He’d only ever seen the kitchen / dining / living room area, but Shadow felt fond of the decor here, the messy mish mash of vintage 80s furniture and sentimental items that did little to match the ongoing “theme”.

It was comfortable, not too gaudy, and it didn’t appear to follow any set rule or rhythm. Kind of like Sonic.

Sonic, who had been noisily rummaging in the kitchen for the past few minutes as Shadow lay on his back on the couch, begging the minutes to go by faster. The agent had run through every possible escape plan, most of which landed him in the hospital. He was resilient, sure, but he wasn’t stupid; no mobian could face such low temperatures and harsh weather conditions with barely any protection. So, he’d reluctantly concluded that he’d have to stay here for a while, until a solution came up, or until the storm vanished. Both of which felt like they were years away.

The noise Sonic made was bothersome, yes, but not nearly interesting enough to warrant his attention. And so, Shadow ignored it.

That was, until a smell started to tickle his nose: something warm and spiced, a savoury aroma filling the air around them.

It managed to make him move. Propping his elbow underneath him, Shadow threw a peek into the kitchen. As expected, there Sonic was, fussing over a large pot, the metallic edges surrounded by vapor. There were cutting boards and utensils strewn across the area, ingredients and their unusable portions littering the counters.

It was intriguing, he supposed. Or at least, it was something to do, something to watch.

And so, Shadow pushed himself up, heading towards the small kitchen to bother the other hedgehog.

Sonic barely glanced at him as he made a trip to the fridge, taking out some carrots to cut and peel.

“It’s stew, nothing fancy.” He spoke as he chopped, the crisp sound of cutting carrots repeating itself gently.

“Mm.” Shadow huffed, but his curiosity was peeked. Looking into the pot he could observe a rich broth, laden with vegetables and some sort of meat, a labour of care. And although he couldn’t see them, there were spices, a nice mix of seasonings that almost made his mouth water.

Sonic slid the carrots into the mix, snapping the agent out of his daze. “It’ll be ready when the carrots get softer, maybe fifteen minutes, I’d say?” He stirred the mixture slowly, the broth changing colours and shimmering as he did so.

“Where did you learn to cook like that?” It was the closest thing to a compliment.

Sonic put the ladle aside, shaking his shoulders.

“Don’t know. I’ve always loved cooking. I think I wanted to be a chef when I was young.” There was a small huff, something akin to laughter on his lips. There was some humour in a retrospective like that, to think of what you dreamt, knowing what had become of you after all those years. “I guess I also learnt for survival, yaknow? Cooking basic things with what I had, making sure tails and I were always fed.”

It was hard to imagine Sonic as anything else than what he was now. A chef? The idea seemed ridiculous. Perhaps in another lifetime, in a different universe somewhere, Sonic the hedgehog was known as a chef.

It made Shadow wonder; did he have dreams and aspirations too, an ideal career he never fulfilled? If there was, he struggled to remember it now.

“Plus, I just wanted to cook the last of what was in the fridge, in case we lose power.” He noted, moving to stir the mixture once again.

It made sense, it was smart. Shadow kept these remarks to himself, opting to stay quiet instead.

-

When the food was eaten and stored away, they faced boredom once more.

Shadow found himself on the couch again, laying on his stomach this time, hoping to fall asleep out of annoyance.

Sonic was somewhere around him, fidgeting or fussing with a Rubik’s cube from a nearby shelf.

As bored as he may be, the agent would not fall asleep. He barely slept in his own bed, for Chaos’ sake, it would be impossible to pass out here, on a coworker’s couch.

Lifting his head, he turned his gaze to the other. Sonic had given up the Rubik’s cube and was now fighting with a rather pilled cushion, attempting to remove lint off its surface. If only his admirers were here to see him lose a battle with lint. The thought made Shadow huff.

“Rouge used to force me to play board games when we were snowed in.” He spoke, sharing a memory – there were few he cherished, and this one was a part of those few.

“Oh yeah?” It brought a slight smile to the hero’s face, distracting him from his never-ending battle with the old pillow. “Seems on-brand for you two.”

“Mm. It was nice.” He cracked a small smile too, feeling the other’s joy affect him. He added; “if you tell her I said that, I’ll kill you.” His tone wasn’t serious enough, the premise of the threat too ridiculous to be taken seriously.

Sonic burst into laughter then, eyes crinkling with joy as he tilted his head backwards. It was contagious, endearing in a way the dark hedgehog could not describe. When his laughter faded, he replied; “I think I’ll have to risk it, it would be fucking hilarious to let her know you actually enjoy her company.”

“It would be cruel.” Shadow couldn’t wipe the smile off his face if he tried.

“’The perfect prank’, is what I think we should call it.” Shadow rolled his eyes at this, but he could not feel any annoyance at the words. “Alas, I’m not as smart as Rouge, I don’t have any board games.” Sonic sighed dramatically, swinging his feet in boredom.

“It’s fine.” Shadow replied nonchalantly, though he’d hoped there was something for them to do.

Sonic didn’t reply, gaze fading somewhere out into the distance. He bit his lip as if in thought, and Shadow could not find it in himself to look away. It was more entertaining than keeping his eyes closed, that’s for sure. Sonic’s legs went still then, his eyebrows furrowing. “Wait, hold on.” He snapped out of his thoughts, standing rapidly. “I think I have something.”

“A secret copy of monopoly? We both know you’d go bankrupt immediately.”

Shaking his head, Sonic extended a hand forward, urging the other to stand with him. The agent found himself just interested enough to take the offer, placing his hand in the other’s, letting himself be guided to another part of the small home.

-

Sonic’s room was surprisingly nice.

Shadow was sat on a fluffy white rug as Sonic shuffled through some drawers for something.

The bed was not made, the green sheets tossed about in an endearing way. The furniture was of a nice white oak, a matching set that felt unlike Sonic – it was a touch too coordinated to feel quite like his doing.

The walls were covered in pictures, cards, tickets, memories of all kinds taped to the white surface. There were bookshelves laden with books and trinkets, an old television with even older video game consoles surrounding it, their yellowed controllers strewn about.

Like the rest of the home, it was disorganized yet personalized, an insight into Sonic, one Shadow could not dislike.

“There it is!” He beamed triumphantly, hurrying to sit down in front of the black hedgehog. In his hands was a relatively small cardboard box, a rectangular one.

“It’s the only board game I have.” He explained as he took off the top, revealing a set of nicely stacked cards. There must’ve been about 50, all a nice red colour with white text peeking out. “Amy gave it to me a few years ago, never had the chance to use it.”

Shadow picked a card from the pack, reading the text printed on its surface “Your favourite vacation spot.” he mumbled under his breath, brows furrowing in confusion.

“Yeah, it’s like a ‘get to know the other person’ kind of game, I think.” The hero spoke as he handled a small instructions packet, flipping through its glossy pages at a worrying speed.

“I see.” He turned the card around in his hand – the other side was simply decorated by a white heart in its center. He felt himself grow warm, his cheeks surely becoming pink - it was hopefully concealed within the low light of the room.

“We don’t have to play if you don’t want to, I just thought it would be nice.” The black hedgehog lifted his gaze to look at the other; Sonic had a warm smile lining his lips, his features speaking of ease and nonchalance, a casualness Shadow envied in this moment.

“Don’t be ridiculous, we’ll play.” He wasn’t afraid of a few plastic cards, surely. Fidgeting with the one in his hand, he eyed the other. “But it’d help if we had… incentive.”

“Hm?” The blue hedgehog began, lifting his gaze from the booklet he seemingly barely read. It soon dawned on him what his friend had meant, and by the way this evening was headed, he was sure it wouldn’t hurt to indulge, just for once. It wasn’t like they could leave the house anyways, so being in a proper state of being was really unnecessary, if you thought about it. “Mmm, gotcha.” He nodded. “I don’t have much, I don’t know what you like, but I hope some cheap wine from a few years ago will do.” He smiled in a way that he hoped was apologetic. Here he was, offering low-end alcohol to Shadow, who probably owned some of the finest bottles in town (though that would be more because of Rouge than because of him).

“It will do.” He replied, that familiar passiveness returning on his features.

“Good, because I think Amy gave it to me as well, and I need to drink it soon before she realizes I haven’t touched it.”

Without another word (he spoke too much, always) he left the room, fetching the bottle from the back of some cupboard, as well as the only two wine glasses he owned.

Returning, he settled the glasses on the wood floor, besides the carpet. The bottle was quickly opened, its contents carefully tossed into the two glasses.

Shadow took a sip, and to the other’s relief, he did not recoil. (The thought of it mortified Sonic). His lips curved into a slight smile as he remarked; “I think the most surprising thing about tonight is that you own proper wine glasses.”

“I’m full of surprises.” Sonic spoke as he sipped his drink, the odd bitter taste coating his throat. It wasn’t entirely repulsive; he’ll give it that much. And it was all they had, so it would do well.

-

The wine flowed more easily after a few sips. An unfamiliar warmth held him loosely, a fuzziness in his limbs that made the hero smile brighter, laugh easier.

He could see the wine starting to loosen the other, though Shadow’s tolerance surely outshined his own. Still, the agent seemed calmer than he had all night, his usually unpleasant demeanor switching towards something more easy, friendly.

Sonic would be lying if he said he didn’t want to see more of that person, a peek behind the curtain of a closed off hedgehog.

“Right, I have ‘favourite colour’.” Shadow huffed at the card, rolling his eyes.

“What’s so bad about that?” Sonic pouted, eager to know the other’s favourite colour. Small as it may be, it intrigued him to peer into his friend’s mind.

“Please, I’m sure you know my favourite colour.” He shook his head as if this was an obvious thing – nothing about him had ever been ‘obvious’, not even his favourite colour.

“Couldn’t tell you if it would save my life.”

“Really?” The agent tilted his head to the side as his gaze poured into Sonic’s, making the hero take a larger sip of his wine than intended.

“Mhm.” He nodded as he tried not to choke on the wine. “You’re pretty secretive.” His fingers fidget with his glass, unable to stay still. “But you seem interesting. It’s why I thought this game would be nice.” He shrugged his shoulders at the confession, hoping the nonchalant motion undercut the hidden message and the oddly heavy emotion behind it.

I want to know you. I want to be your friend, and I want to spend time with you. I don’t know why.

“It’s green, I like green.” Shadow’s smile was soft, inviting.

“I like red.” Sonic blurted after, feeling the alcohol’s effect on his tongue, loosening his thoughts and easily spilling his words.

“Good choice.” The dark hedgehog practically purred, finishing the last swig of his glass. It was hastily topped off.

Sonic ran his fingers over the deck, choosing a card from the middle, or where he thought the middle was.

Pulling out a card, he read its prompt out loud; “Name the most attractive feature about your partner”. As soon as the words were spoken, Sonic felt himself flush red, embarrassment mixing with the alcohol to form a soft panic in his head. “Chaos, sorry, I didn’t know this kind of question would be in there”.

“I mean, a red deck of cards, decorated with white hearts?” Shadow remarked, seemingly unbothered. Pointing out the obvious only deepened Sonic’s embarrassment, the hedgehog finding solace in sipping wine – it was the only thing hiding his face. “Most importantly, I think the fact that Amy got this for you is enough to categorize it as something rather ‘romantic’.”

Shadow’s voice was like velvet in his ears.

The hero had defeated gods, and yet this felt like his death, more than any other wound he’d received.

The tips of his ears burnt, stomach twisting in his flustered state. “Ha, yeah, she’s got a bit of a thing for me, doesn’t she?” he hoped it deflected from their current situation.

“You’d be a fool not to notice it.” He spoke, swirling around the red liquid in his now half-empty glass. “I can’t blame her, you know, you have a really charming smile.”

The compliment was like a brick to the face, it was sudden, unexpected – if Sonic had been drinking, he would’ve surely spat it all out.

A compliment was one thing, yes, but a compliment from Shadow, of all people? He didn’t think it possible.

“Thank you.” He mumbled as he downed the rest of his bitter drink, hoping the last few swigs would offer him the courage to flirt back, to say something. “For what it’s worth, you have a really nice smile too. I don’t think I’ve had the chance to see it, like, properly.” He was speaking a bit too fast, words slurring ever-so-slightly. “Yaknow, till today.” He placed his glass down. “So, yeah… thanks for that.”

It was messy, embarrassing, unlike him, and yet, Shadow did not flea (it wasn’t as though he could). Instead, he started laughing. A warm and rich sound, a pure one – if Sonic wasn’t there to witness it, he’d deny its existence. But, no, it was really happening. Shadow was throwing his head back in laughter, mirth tickling the air around him.

And the hero forgot what they’d just been discussing, unable to do anything but watch the scene unfolding before him.

It felt forbidden, private.

“So, I take it that’s my best feature then?” He spoke when his laughter died down, an uncharacteristic grin plastered on his face. His teeth were sharper than Sonic’s, and he had fangs, sticking out ever-so-slightly. It was almost as intoxicating as the wine.

“One hundred percent.” Sonic affirmed, feeling a mix of giddiness and carelessness brought by the blending of wine and pleasantries (some could say he was even developing a crush here; if asked, he’d deny it).

“Thank you.” It was sincere.

“And you’d say my best feature iiiissss?” He held his hand out to Shadow, silently urging him to finish the sentence.

“Well, you’ve already given me smile, I suppose it’d be cheap for me to say the same.” He took a big sip – there wasn’t much wine left. “I guess I’d have to say… your eyes.”

“My eyes?” He tilted his head in question.

“They are my favourite colour after all.” He noted, calling back to their earlier conversation.

And if Sonic hadn’t been blushing before, he certainly was now. With no wine glass to hide his embarrassment, he pretended to look elsewhere, feeling that newly familiar burn tickle every inch of his body.

There was silence for a few moments, but for the first time, it did not feel awkward. It was still heavy, yes, but it was somehow comfortable, and perhaps it could even be described as pleasant?

The next thing Sonic felt was a hand upon his chin, pulling him back towards the other. He felt his ears pinning back, unable to hide his flushed state any longer.

Shadow held his chin firmly in between his gloved fingers, gently coercing him to gaze at him, and only him.

The air was hot, their heavy breaths stained with the cheap alcohol they’d hastily consumed.

Before they knew it, they’d leaned into each other – stained lips pressed gently to one another, in a softness that spoke of firsts.

Sonic had felt fear, excitement, elation, and yet, none of those emotions had elevated his heartbeat this much. He’d run faster than the wind, and still, his heart did not pump so fast.

In this moment, however, the hero could feel it thrum inside its cage harder than ever before, his blood rushing everywhere, to anywhere except is head.

Shadow’s grip was unwavering as he led them down a path of no return, deepening their kiss into something more sinful.

Sonic had barely known the existence of Shadow’s fangs, and yet here they were, nipping at his skin, gently scratching him in a way that made his head spin.

It was sloppy, unpracticed, yet so so delightful – they felt no remorse indulging each other in something so sweet, something seemingly forbidden.

It was only when the air wore thin that they split apart, foreheads connected as they caught their fleeting breaths. Hearts beating out of their cages, they kept at it, losing themselves in their new-found passion, drinking the other in, sharing the same air again and again until they were too tired to do so.

-

Laying on the carpet, their head spun with the low-quality wine and their sudden thirst for each other. As their eyelids began to feel heavier, they drifted towards a dreamless sleep, their hands interlaced, their shoulders touching.

The bottle of wine now sat empty; their dirtied glasses discarded along with the card game. It was a miracle they hadn’t stained the carpet.

And when morning came, when a white sun and a snow covered land greeted them, and a small headache clawed at the back of their heads, they could not find it in themselves to regret their actions.

-

A/N

>so happy i could get this fic out on time omg. as always, any interaction is appreciated, and i'd love to hear yer thoughts!! (think of it as a present for me <3)

>have a lovely end of your year, and an even better start of a new one!

[pinemountridges]

Hi! Omg I’m so happy I came across your tumblr. Your save file is looking so cool and really inspiring me to make my own as well. I have so many questions if you don’t mind? How did you go about removing everything from the worlds? Blowtorch? If so, does it remove everything from every world in every save file?

Also wondering if your save file will be up for download to the public when it’s done? And my last question is how did you get these houses here? Are these buildable lots or did you make deco houses to place w the tool mod? (Pic)

Sorry for all the questions lol so fascinated by your work! It looks awesome!

Hi theeeere! It took me some time to finally get to replying to your ask, sorry for that ❤️

First of all thank you so much for your words, I can’t even express how happy I am that my work is appreciated and somebody likes it 🥹

Now getting to your questions! And ofc I don’t mind, ask all the ones you have, will be happy to help 🙏🏻

1. I used Blowtorch, but it doesn’t remove everything from the area (like some rocks, hills and trees are still there), so I still went to game files on my own and removed everything else.

2. Yes, as Blowtorch is basically changing the game files, if you use it or if you delete the backdrops from the area on your own, this area will be empty across the whole game, in each and every save you play. If suggest e.g. when you play in a regular save use the original game files (or if you use the lighting mod - use those files), while for the saves like mine or any other which rebuilds the whole world together with the background - the game files from the particular save. It requires moving files around, but at least in this case nothing would be corrupted.

3. I wouldn’t say I thought about sharing the save for download properly, but I think yes, why not? If it turns out good, not too heavy and others like it, I’m all up to share it publicly! Just would need to keep track of the mods so that it would be convenient for others))

4. Aaand regarding the pic and houses, those are regular deco houses 😌 I’m placing them on the lot, decorate them to my liking, adding fences, flowers and stuff (trying not to overcomplicate, but I like those details to much to abandon them 🫠)

Thank you once again for your appreciation ❤️ Don’t hesitate to ping me if you have some more questions!