#{ might as well have a happy-ish thread. }

[merrock]

MID-MONTH PRE-HOLIDAY MOD POST!

As we are officially at the halfway point (ish!) of December, I wanted to post about a few important things to keep in mind through the rest of the month. Please read this post thoroughly and (maybe even consider giving it a like, though it's not a requirement or being monitored), so we know that everyone is paying attention and on the same page! xx

First announcement, the group will be lowly moderated from December 22nd through December 27th. I will return to full mod status on December 28th. We will not be doing acceptances during this period, and although I will log in to handle things like starter notices, unfollows, answering asks, etc. you likely will not see a lot of promo posts or extra stuff -- it's okay, please don't panic!

The activity check schedule will remain as posted about. Unfollows for the current check will be posted on Monday at 11PM. Past that, the schedule is as follows:

December 20th -- any writer that has not had a presence on dash at all since December 13th will be placed on check and face removals on December 23rd if they do not contact main or post.

January 3rd -- any character that has not posted since December 20th (two weeks), will be placed on check and unfollowed on January 6th if they do not post or contact main.

January 10th -- again, a lenient one. we will simply ask that all characters post activity during the week; unfollows will be on January 13th for anyone who does not or hasn't contacted main.

After this, we expect to return to normal, business-as-usual activity by January 17th. I do not expect activity rules to change, but if anything does, you will be informed of that before the check, I promise. Basic rule of thumb: be able to handle two different threads (preferably with two different writers, to avoid bubbling) per week on each character you play, and you're golden.

Some more 'in character' things that need to be addressed or kept in mind moving through the holiday season:

MARKET -- the market is up and running and will be through the 21st. please use the OOC post to generate some fun threads and ideas! reach out to message others as you are commenting, post open starters, just have a good time.

GIFT EXCHANGE -- we will be taking gift submissions through the end of the day on the 18th! everyone is welcome to participate, if you have any questions, please let me know. due to time constraints, I will not accept late submissions.

SEASONAL FUN -- don't forget we have tons of fun seasonal ideas for you to enjoy on our seasonal master list! it's never too late to start things, and some of these ideas can continue into January and beyond, too. if there is interest, I am happy to adjust the post after the holidays, as well.

NYE PARTY & POLAR PLUNGE -- we're not there yet, but we do have New Year's Eve & New Year's Day events happening in town, don't forget! you're more than welcome to start generating ideas there, but please keep threads limited to the event duration.

CHRISTMAS IN GENERAL -- if you want to post gifts for the holiday, please feel free to do so! we just ask that it's done in a way that dash isn't completely spammed out (if you have 10 friends, 1 spouse and 1 sibling, do 1 post including all 10 friends, for example, save the individual posts for the special gifts). I also want to say: gifts are not required, please don't feel pressured, even if you receive some yourself! if you do want to do something, no one is going to be mad at you for posting a pretty photo of red velvet fudge and tagging your friends and saying you baked, either, trust me.

During the holiday season, I just want to remind everyone to be kind. To each other, to us as admins, in character (silly as that sounds), just spread love. Like people's tasks and socials, participate in their opens, reach out when someone asks for plots and threads, make it a warm, happy little community. Some people may only be able to log in once or twice a week right now, others might have extra time on their hands and be around a ton. As long as we are all doing our best to keep our dash a friendly, inclusive place where people want to spend their holidays, that is what matters most. xx

p.s. during this season (and always, really), if you need to talk to me or let me know something as an admin, please do so directly -- message me or send an ask, I cannot guarantee I will see OOC posts or talk tags, but if you talk to me, I will help you out! <3

[tj-dragonblade]

FLUFFBRUARY 2023: Feb 18, 19, 20, 21, & 22

Feb 18 prompts: recovery flight film Feb 19 prompts: mosaic dragon nursery Feb 20 prompts: favorite reveal lounge Feb 21 prompts: marathon young journal Feb 22 prompts: bridge throw dawn

Another multi-day amalgamation. 'Recovery' was the theme that got me started; 'dragon' 'young' and 'throw' popped in as words used and 'reveal' is a theme that threads through the whole thing as well. It's more hurt/comfort than fluff until the last bit, I'm afraid, but uh. It is what it is. Spoilers - this centers on a relationship from later in comics canon but comics knowledge isn't really necessary.

On AO3 - 2900-ish words

~~~***~~~

When Dream first tells Hob he's got a girlfriend ('courting', was actually what he called it, which sounded so much more refined), Hob is surprised. Happy for him, sure, but very surprised.

And maybe a little bit…something else. Can't quite put a name to it, but he'd been getting rather worried at his friend's long absence, not having seen him for several months. Should be a relief to know all's well, that he's just been entertaining a lady-friend in the Dreaming all this time, right?

"Her name is Thessaly," Dream says when asked, his face soft and smiley, and Hob stuffs down the little voice that says Hope she's worth the worry you caused me.

"I'm happy for you," he says instead, and he is. Truly. "Tell me about her?"

~~~***~~~ "I have been neglecting our friendship, alongside my duty," Dream admits, the next time they talk, and Hob is enormously mollified to hear his own sentiments echoed.

"I don't blame you, my friend," is what he says, though. "Young love can be very distracting. Things still going well?"

"Yes," Dream says, and Hob listens politely as he elaborates, steadfastly pushing down his jealousy.

Because yes, he can admit now that that's what it is.

Finding out that his erstwhile stranger is not above romantic entanglements, that the option exists, has forced a thorough examination of his own feelings, things he'd always just steered around and refused to confront. And what he's discovered is that yes, they are indeed what he'd suspected them to be, and they're a little bruised now on top of that. Six hundred years he's known Dream, but he doesn't merit the offer of permanent residence in the Dreaming?

Not that he'd want it, mind; he loves living life. Here. He wouldn't want to give that up even if it meant being with Dream all the time, but it would be flattering to be given the option.

"She has no care for my station," Dream is saying. "It is. Refreshing, to not be regarded with awe and deference."

"Imagine it must be," Hob agrees, but inside he's nursing the nameless wound that's just opened. He has always seen Dream as more or less an equal, has always treated him as 'my friend' above all else, even after being trusted with the truth of who Dream is. Why is it unnoticed and unremarked upon in him, if it's so notable in Thessaly?

But. Dream is happy. That's truly the most important thing.

It is.

~~~***~~~ "I fear Thessaly is growing unhappy," Dream says, some weeks later, and Hob squashes the piece of him that perks up at that, because what kind of friend would he be to take joy in the possibility of relationship troubles?

"What's been going on?"

"In the begininng, I gave her. All, of my time, and attention. But my duty cannot be left neglected in the long term. There are others in my life with whom I would share my time, as well." His eyes flick up to meet Hob's for a second as he says this last, and Hob has to just breathe past the warmth lodged suddenly and sharply in his chest.

"In tending to my duty, in seeking balance, I have given her. Cause, to find fault," Dream continues, and a red flag goes up in Hob's brain.

But no. He'll put that away, for now, and not leap to conclusions just because they might benefit him.

"Talk to her," he advises instead. "Maybe she just needs the reassurance that your feelings haven't changed, even though the time you spend with her has. Honest communication can solve a lot of problems."

~~~***~~~ It's another unusually long stretch before Hob sees Dream again.

"My friend!" he greets, old habit, when Dream finally puts in an appearance at the Inn. "You look…a bit of a wreck, honestly. Are you well?"

Granted, Dream frequently seems just this side of 'mopey and depressed', and today is no different, but. There's something more in his bearing, no matter how put-together his physical presentation—something exhausted, worn down, haggard, and it alarms Hob, just a bit.

"I am. Well enough," is what Dream says, and Hob doesn't quite believe him but also knows better than to expect any sort of direct explanation. He answers Dream's questions, carries on a little while about all the things he's been up to the past couple months, before gently beginning to prod.

"And how's Thessaly?"

Whatever ease Dream had attained during their conversation vanishes instantly; his mouth hardens, his eyes redden, and Hob's heart sinks.

"She. Decided she no longer loves me," Dream says.

And Hob sees red.

He knows, rationally, that there's two sides to the story, that okay yes Dream can be a bit of an arsehole sometimes, and it's not fair to pin the failure of a relationship solely on a single party.

But Hob, he's always been a bit protective of his friends. Of this friend in particular, especially after…everything. He wants to see Dream happy. He's almost possessive, in that regard, hoarding Dream's presence and Dream's smiles and Dream's conversations over their table like a dragon with its treasure; Dream is his treasure. And to see his treasure—his friend—his treasured friend, to see him hurt this way, it makes Hob livid with fury.

He collars it, stuffs it down, turns his thoughts to sympathy instead. "I'm so sorry," he offers.

"It was not your doing." Dream sounds like he's talking about bad weather, no matter that he looks like he's ready to sink into the ground and disappear for a century or two.

"Course not, but I'm still sorry you're going through it. Heartbreak, s'rubbish."

"It will pass. It is. Passing."

"D'you wanna…talk about it? Go upstairs, have a drink, tell me everything?"

"What purpose would be served, by reliving it thus." He sounds so defeated, and Hob's heart aches.

"Closure?" he offers, gently. "Getting it out, sharing the load, leaving it behind 'stead of carrying it festering inside? Talking through your troubles is all the rage, this century. Therapy, they call it."

Dream says nothing, looks extremely unconvinced.

"I know, not exactly your style, is it." Hob gives him a rueful, sympathetic smile. "But the offer stands, if you decide you want to. I'm here for you; my door's always open."

Dream sits with him in silence awhile longer, and leaves without offering anything further.

~~~***~~~ It's three days later that Dream returns, appearing in Hob's flat late on a Friday night. "It is not. Passing," he says, like he's dragging every word kicking and screaming up from the depths within him. "I would. Try—" He stops.

Hob sets aside his marking, motions for Dream to come join him on the sofa. "Talk to me," he says, very gently.

And Dream does.

Haltingly, with long stretches of silence interspersed, the words sometimes as painful to speak as if they were being torn from him physically.

And Hob listens.

He learns a great deal about Dream's latest relationship and entire romantic history.

His opinion of Thessaly does not improve.

~~~***~~~ Dream comes back again on Monday morning, looking very much on the verge of a breakdown.

Hob cancels his classes, makes tea, sits down with Dream.

"Am I incorrect, to center my function as I do?" He sounds weary, stricken.

"No, dove, you're not," Hob says gently, the endearment slipping out almost without his notice; he lets it slide, unremarked. "There's more to you than your duty, certainly, but of course it's going to be what most of your time is devoted to."

Dream's eyes are glossy and red-rimmed and he looks utterly lost; Hob reaches across the space between them to settle his hand on Dream's knee, offering a kind touch. "Anyone who doesn't understand that you can't give one hundred percent of your time to them forever doesn't understand you. And you deserve to be understood."

I understand you, he can't help thinking; it goes unsaid, because none of this is about him.

Dream is looking at him now with his watery eyes; a tear slips free and he turns away, silent and stoic. Hob watches another tear slide down his face.

"There's no shame in crying," he says, softly, coaxing. "Sometimes you just have to let it all out."

Dream looks back to him, lip beginning to tremble, and then a sob escapes him, and Hob's heart aches.

"Oh, love, come here," he says, opening his arms. It's all instinct; had he stopped to think on it, he probably would have talked himself out of offering this degree of physical contact when the occasional hand or shoulder touch is their norm. The reality of Dream suffering here in front of him bypasses that kind of rational caution completely, though, and when Dream moves a second later to collapse into his embrace, openly weeping, Hob can't regret it.

"I've got you," he murmurs, gently folding Dream against his chest, "It's alright," and "Let it out," rocking him lightly and stroking his back while Dream cries himself out.

It's entirely possible there may have been a helpless kiss pressed to Dream's thistledown hair at some point, but a good friend would not have and Hob is choosing not to think about it.

~~~***~~~ "I do not know, anymore, whether I truly loved her," Dream says the next time they meet. "Perhaps it was. Infatuation, and simple lust."

"…I don't think she was right for you," Hob ventures, carefully. It's mild, but it's the first real criticism he's offered about Thessaly, adamant as he's been to avoid anything that feels like acting on his own interests. But Dream has told him enough to paint a picture of his ex-lover and it's not the picture of someone Hob would want his friend tangled up with.

"And what do you know, of what is right for me," Dream returns, but it's…it's far more considering than condescending, and Hob ventures onward.

"You need someone who understands you," he proposes, "and I don't think she did. From what you've told me, she was not impressed by you at first, already had this pre-conceived notion of who you are, what you should be like, and for all that you dated awhile I don't think she ever really let go of that." Dream is still just looking at him, contemplatively, so he forges ahead. "So once the honeymoon was over, once she wasn't getting spoiled by your constant attention and the newness of your love—the mundane, the everyday, they came creeping back in, and she decided her first impressions were right after all."

Silence settles over them for a few moments, Dream's tea cooling half-drunk in his cup.

Hob touches Dream's hand, gently, and their eyes meet again. "I'm sorry she hurt you," he offers, fiercely sincere. "I'm so sorry that all your past loves have ended in heartache."

Dream manages a wan smile. "I will recover," he says, standing to leave, and Hob watches him go, stepping soundlessly between realms in the blink of an eye.

"I could never hurt you that way," he dares to say to his empty kitchen after Dream has disappeared. "I could be what you need."

He resolutely pushes his bittersweet resignation aside to get ready for bed.

~~~***~~~ "I wish to be. Loved," Dream says, with such sadness in his eyes, and Hob aches.

I could love you, he thinks, desperately. I do love you, I would love you the way you want so badly, the way you deserve—

"You'll find someone," is what he says, softly, with conviction, daring to place a consoling hand on his friend's shoulder. "You will."

"Perhaps," Dream allows, which is more optimism than he's expressed since this whole thing began, and Hob counts that as progress.

~~~***~~~ "You are a good friend, Hob Gadling," Dream declares, a month or so down the road, and Hob's heart swells within him because that is all he has tried to be and to hear it acknowledged makes everything else worth it. "You have given me much to consider, and. Helped me, to settle the turmoil within."

"I'm glad you're doing better," is what Hob says in reply, and it's nothing but the truth.

Dream smiles, reserved and sincere and all for Hob, who is as ever a devoted dragon, and gathers this precious gift into his hoard, kept near his heart with every other such treasure.

"Thessaly was wrong about many things. She was. Wrong, about me as well." Dream sounds confident, certain, and Hob is so so glad to hear the healing in his words. "I am capable of balance. And I am capable of. Love."

"Course you are," Hob agrees, brimming with love himself, but still. Even if he was bold enough to act on it, even if he could be certain that Dream's exclusively-female history didn't preclude his own chances for consideration, now is not the time. He doesn't want to be Dream's rebound. "And the next time you fall in love, they are going to appreciate you for the wonderful person you are. They'll thrive on your initial fire and they'll remain steadfast once it settles. Else they'll have to answer to me." He flashes his cheeky grin, and Dream graces him with another smile, gaze warm and considering all the while.

~~~***~~~ "How goes the search for love?" Hob asks, after several more of their weekly meetings. They're upstairs in his flat, after the Inn has closed for the evening.

"I have not been. Searching," Dream replies, which doesn't actually surprise Hob. Thessaly, after all, was by Dream's own admission the first such dalliance in a very long time.

"Giving up on romance for awhile? Or just letting the wind blow as it will?"

Either way, he's got time to sort out what, if anything, he means to do with his own feelings. If he's pleased not to have to sit by while Dream lavishes his affections on someone else again, well. That's for him to know and keep.

Dream offers a small, secretive smile. "Perhaps." He meets Hob's gaze, holds it, and slowly, the smile eases into something else, solemn and serious. "Or. Perhaps, what I seek, has been before me all the while."

Hob forgets how to breathe, just for a second. "O-oh?"

Dream goes still a moment, focusing inward, and then he's somehow reaching between the realms and producing an enormous, elaborate bouquet in a magnificent crystal vase, which he sets heavily on the coffee table beside them. It's very clearly defying several natural laws, gravity included, and it's absolutely stunning—a frothy shimmering iridescent masterpiece of roses and other blooms that largely don't exist in reality; Hob knows he's gawking but can't really help it.

"From the dreams, of a master florist in Germany," Dream elaborates, as if that explains why he's done it, and then he waits.

"…For me?" Hob asks, when it becomes apparent that a response is expected, and Dream slips into another smile, soft and warm.

"For you," Dream confirms. "A small token, of my affection." He reaches across the empty space between them on the sofa, takes Hob's hand in both of his, and suddenly the dream-bouquet is just. Not that distracting anymore. "You have been. Invaluable to me, during my recent tribulations, and I have. Realized, that. Beyond even this…I care for you, deeply, and—" He's struggling with the words but his gaze is steady, direct and sincere and oh, Hob's poor immortal heart cannot take this. "I wish to court you, Hob Gadling. If you are amenable."

"Yes," he says, barely more than a whisper; then, stronger, "Yes. I am." He's about two seconds from throwing himself into Dream's arms and kissing the daylights out of him; he clasps his free hand over Dream's holding his other to quell the urge. "Please. Court me to your heart's content. I am absolutely amenable."

Dream's face is alight, his smile soft and beautiful, and he's leaning in carefully. "Then, if I may—"

But Hob has reached his limit. Abruptly he is wrenching his hands from Dream's and seizing that beautiful pale angular face and launching himself forward, pushing Dream backward against the arm of the sofa and finding his mouth along the way.

And then Dream's arms are around him, Dream's mouth open and eager underneath his, and he's thought about kissing him so many times but the reality is far, far better.

"I love you," he gasps, when he finally draws back, and Dream looks so beautifully stricken by the words he would say them again and again and again til the end of everything, just to see the wonder blossoming in his face. "Court me all you like, as long as you like, but know this: I'm yours, always, have been for ages, and I love you—"

Dream surges up, kisses him fiercely, and Hob. He.

He doesn't know quite what to do with all the happiness singing inside him, but for now, it is more than enough just to kiss and be kissed, to let himself bask in the joy of feelings revealed and feelings returned, to sink into the satisfaction of finally being right where he most wants to be.

[ryndicate]

The Light of No Moon ⨳ Michael Kaiser

This man has too much favor from the gods, you realize with terror. You should never have come here.

notes: this took me way too long but i do not have to tell you how perfect it is that Michael Kaiser is playing the role of Narcissus??

event: for @dark-mnjiro ‘s Taste of Divine Rush collab. My absolute bad for posting it so late, but aha! Now I get to have a post that says ~happy birthday to you~ now forever on my blog to last through the ages. 

warnings: starts soft and whimsical ends kinda dark and spooky ish. At least for me. Implied noncon, might add to this another time! I never say his name but i describe him! its definitely him~

Blog Rules/DNI

You’d stumbled across the man on accident, really. Some of the elder women had asked you to climb the mountain path to dig up some roots for a meal they were planning for the village. Not one to make those older than you do unnecessary work, you’d found your way to the footpaths, but after straying away in search of the roots you’d gotten lost. 

The sun was beginning to set, and you had been growing more worried; you’d never been out of the village past dark without your brothers or uncle before. The summer was just beginning, and the pack animals were flourishing this year. You were easy prey for young wolves or bears. You had almost lost hope when you saw him, breaking through the trees—and there you see him.

Maybe it’s because you’re already so frightened, but to you, you’ve never seen a man whose presence is more calming than his. Your heart settles immediately. He sits serenely, in pure quiet, gazing into the water. No part of him moves as you approach, nothing to show that he knows you’re there.

“Hello?” you call to him softly, but he gives no sign of hearing you, and with a fresh trickle of worry you wonder if he might be deaf. If you are not safe out here, then neither is he. You consider calling into the woods, because surely a man like him wasn’t left to his own? But after a long clear cry of a wolf in the distance, you decide it unwise.

You circle the man, calling to him once more, but again he doesn’t answer and so you sit by his side, and peer closely at his face as the full moon begins to shine down on you both. Suddenly your breath feels stuck in your throat.

His face is more beautiful than any woman’s in your village, more handsome than any of the hunter’s. His skin is sunkissed and smooth, looking as soft as a flower petal. You lean closer to see thick lashes framing eyes just as blue as the cool water at your feet, brighter than the starlight beginning to spread across the sky. You resist a deep urge to thread your finger through his hair, an odd yet entrancing honey color with berry blue streaks. You’ve seen reds, even herbal green dyes on your spiritual elders, but never a color as this. It’s as if Aphrodite herself had created the lover of her dreams from the sun and the sky, and somehow here he sits in wait for her, in blissful ease of his sole purpose to be admired.

With nothing else to do, and no desire to be once again lost in the woods, you sit with him. But despite his obvious contentment for quietude, you feel unrest, and so you speak to him. All through the night, it’s as if you do not exist. You tell him things you never thought you’d get to say to anyone; you tell him all the things of him you find lovely in the words that you know, knowing full well he’s probably heard more eloquent phrase in both song and epic—but you tell him nonetheless, and he does naught but sit, because you cannot claim to know if he listens.

The stars glitter in full, brighter, expanding, until they begin to dim and then fade and only then do you hear the howls of creatures you don’t fear: the hunting dogs of home. You scramble to your feet and give the handsome stranger one last glance before running through the trees towards the clamoring cries that lead you towards home. 

It’s a long time before you manage to sneak out of the village again. Uncle didn’t mind so much, but your brothers barely let you out of their sight. It wasn’t until the half moon, the night all the men in village retired to their beds early in preparation for a competitive hunt, that you managed to to evade their protective gazes. You were tearing through the woods at once, eager and apprehensive, half-convinced the beautiful man was something you imagined that night lost in the woods. Surely a man like him is couldn’t possibly exist? But as you break through the trees to the familiar little pond, all your musings are left to dust.

It seems as if he hasn’t moved even a breath, just as you left him. You return to his side as if you belong there and regale his wall of silence with every tale of your past fortnight that you can think of. How the women brought you berries and cream the morning you made your way home, ridden with guilt for sending you into the mountains alone. You tell him of the shell bracelet your uncle bought you at the gypsy market, and stories of the ocean that the travelers had told him. You even tell him of the night Meguru put a spider's nest into Yoichi’s bed and the fight that followed—you don’t think you’ve ever seen your brothers so angry with each other. Your favorite dinners, the constellations you were learning, how frustrating the textile patterns are that you’re trying to perfect for the end summer markets; you tell him of every little mundane thing in your small village life, things he’s probably never had to deal with. You talk until there’s nothing left to talk about, and then you stare. You stare until you start to feel cold and realize the sun in beginning to set once more and scramble to your feet. If you don’t make it home before your brothers then who knows when you’ll be able to come back?

You sprint through the trees, the path towards home becoming more familiar as your wistfulness to go back grows. Each day that passes is filled with apprehension that one day he’ll be gone before you can look at him one last time. But each day you manage to go see him assauges that fear, now drifting further and further from your mind as the village settles and everyone and your brothers seem to forget the night you went missing. It gets easier slipping from your home both day and night to disappear into the woods.

Tonight you bring a lantern with you, no moon to light your way and the stars covered by cloud. The forest seems colder and every cracked twig makes you want to jump, in fear that an animal is tracking your step. But the festering, obsessive desire to see his face again consumes you and drives you forward, until you break through the trees—and you stop dead.

There’s no one sitting by the pool of water.

You nearly drop the lantern in upset and dash forward, looking back and forth frantically as a thick bubble of panic swells up in your chest. He’s gone? Will you ever get to see that beautiful face again? Something akin to grief breaks through you like a flood that you can’t even begin to scold yourself for. It truly feels as if you’ve lost something precious. Your beautiful little secret in the woods. For the past moon, your every thought has revolved around him and now he’s suddenly torn from your grasp. How are you supposed to just…go back to the way things were.

“Is that you?”

Your whole body lurches away from the sound as a voice trills up behind you. You can’t explain why you drop the lantern and run, you can’t explain why you hide among the trees any more than you could explain why you don’t just go home. Your pulse thunders in your ears, scratchy bark against your arms as you try you settle your heart and listen. Maybe you imagined the voice? Even now the memory of it is already fading, you can’t recall if it had come from a man or a woman, you simply had fled. 

It rings out again, and you inhale sharply. Man, it’s definitely man.

“I can hear you, I know you’ve been watching me. I understand, little one—now won’t you come out? I must repay you for your company.”

You would think for a man who spends his existence staring silently into a pool of water would have a voice as terrifying as he is lovely, and in many ways you’re right, but it’s not quite as you thought. He shouldn’t sound so beautiful. His voice should be ragged and hoarse, not kitten soft; it should be rasping and choked, not warm and syrupy. But for all its sweetness, something unsavory makes you want to run and run and never stop.

But he’s so very close. He’s right behind the tree you hidden yourself behind. He’s already found you and yet he waits. Calm. Sure of himself.

This man has too much favor from the gods, you realize with terror. You should never have come here. 

Swallowing back a whimper, you peek around the tree to see his darkened silhouette. You’ve spent so long watching him that you don’t need light to recognize him. You can barely see the glint in his eyes, but it feels as if you’re a bunny caught in the eyes of a fox. 

“Oh, so this is the little thing who comes to see me?” He smiles, eyeing you up and down and you don’t know what to make of the critical gaze he sets on you.

But you manage to find your voice. “I didn’t know you’d heard me. I thought you didn’t… you never—”

“There is nothing more interesting than myself, I’m sure you would agree,” he says, his voice softer than silk. “But on a night like this, the one thing I care about is taken from me. I usually spend the night wandering in darkness but you’re here. My little admirer. How fortunate am I? I was just thinking how unfair it is to be left here like this, that I deserved something in return for what was taken from me.”

“I don’t- I should be getting home,” you whisper, rooted to the spot as he takes another step forward.

“But what if you stayed with me awhile, don’t you usually?” He coos invitingly, sending a shiver up your spine.

You nod, helpless as he draws a finger under your chin, raising it. You jump as his other hand splays across your covered breast, too dark to have expected his touch. You see a hint of blue in the darkness this time, his eyes so close to yours; a muted flash of white as he grins, apparently pleased with the way you wilt at his touch, now pressing you harshly into the very tree that had been your haven just a few moments ago.

Despite the way he closes around you the way thorns choke a rose, your thoughts still rise to the heavens in apology and pray that nothing you do upsets him, for fear that any of his patrons would take their anger out for displeasing one of their favored creations.

reblogs & comments appreciated!~

[indndwnshead]

Amalgamation: Part VI - When you meet... Jungkook

Pairing: Min Yoongi x (f) Reader

Chapter tags: developing relationship, meeting the baby bro

Series summary:

Now that you are a permanent fixture in Min Yoongi's life, it's inevitable that you meet the rest of BTS.

Each encounter with the rest of the group becomes a unique thread in the tapestry of life, gradually integrating disparate elements into a harmonious whole and seamlessly weaving into the fabric of your joined world.

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIN YOONGI!!! Ending my creative stump with this last official part of the story. It's relatively short but do not worry, Kookie steals the center stage in the next chapter too (bonus!!!). PS: this is set in 2026/27-ish.

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Masterlist. Previous Chapter. Bonus Chapter.

Also read on: AO3

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You found yourself at a party you'd rather not be attending, hosted by your new co-star, a former idol who was now making his mark in the acting world. Your agent had encouraged you to maintain a good public relationship with him, so you reluctantly put on your best smile and mingled with the unfamiliar faces.

As you made pleasantries with other guests, your eyes met a pair of familiar ones. The surprise was evident on your face. It was Jeon Jungkook, the only member of BTS that you hadn't met in person yet.

Your boyfriend first introduced you to Jungkookwhen the younger man suddenly video-called him when you were hanging out with Yoongi. Since then, Jungkook always popped in to say hi to you whenever you called Yoongi when the guys were together. You’ve followed each other on several social media too, including your Instagram private account.

You offered a polite smile, thinking that he might not recognize you in person or he might not want to engage with you in public, but his face lit up at the sight of you.

With a cheerful grin, Jungkook made his way over, weaving through the crowd until he stood in front of you. "Minseo-noona," he said warmly, referring to you by the character you played in your drama that Yoongi had a cameo in. His enthusiasm was infectious.

"Hi, Jungkook." You smiled warmly at the younger man.

"We finally meet!" Jungkook exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Yeah, it's great to meet you in person, Jungkook! Are you on your own tonight?" you inquired, eyes darting around to try to spot other BTS members.

Jungkook nodded, "Yeah, a friend invited me here. Had I known you'd be here, I'd have asked the others to join." His eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Let's take a picture! I'll send it to the group chat."

You agreed, and Jungkook quickly opened his phone's camera. Both of you had matching grins, making the photo infectious with your positivity. He chuckled as the replies began to flood in the group text and turned the phone to show you.

Jungkook: Look who I met at the party. Jungkook sent a picture. Taehyung: Cherie! Seokjin: Oh! _____-ah Hoseok: Hahaha, bet you wished you had come, Yoongi-hyung. Namjoon: Hey, that's awesome! So good to see you, _____. Jimin: Cherie, it's been forever! We should catch up soon. Yoongi: Yeah, I'm not surprised she met Jungkook. He's everywhere.

You couldn't help but laugh at the responses, feeling a mix of affection and amusement. It was nice to see that you were so warmly welcomed by all of them, even in a virtual chat.

Your own phone beeped with a new message from Yoongi.

Yoongi: You look beautiful, my sherry :)

Jungkook grinned, reading the messages on his phone. "Seems like they all miss you."

You chuckled. "Well, I miss them too. We should all hang out together soon."

Jungkook's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "That would be amazing! I'll make sure to arrange it."

As the night went on, you and Jungkook continued to chat, and you found that you got along quite well. Jungkook was curious about your relationship, especially the details of how you met and started the relationship, whining that his hyung was too shy to share. So you shared some funny and sweet stories about Yoongi, promising that you’d share more details when you meet in a more private setting.

Jungkook was all too happy to share his own stories about his arguably favorite hyung and the rest of BTS too. You’re especially delighted to hear about the earlier days of their career from the youngest member’s perspective. You both had a good laugh as you exchanged tales about Yoongi's quirks and endearing habits.

Jungkook was also intrigued by your choice of drink, so you decided to embark on a mini cocktail adventure together. You don’t normally indulge in alcohol, especially not in public settings, but Jungkook’s enthusiasm was infectious. It might have something to do with those big, sparkly, doe eyes. You’ve heard Yoongi playfully complain that he could never say no to Jungkook, and that night you find out just why.

You both tried out various cocktails, sharing your thoughts and preferences. It turned out to be a fun and memorable evening, and you were pleasantly surprised by how much you enjoyed Jungkook's company. The party that you had initially been reluctant to attend had turned into a delightful and unexpected bonding experience with the youngest member of BTS.

As the night wore on and the cocktails flowed, it was no surprise that both you and Jungkook were more than a little tipsy by the end of the party. Giggles and laughter accompanied your somewhat unsteady journey through the private parking lot. Jungkook kindly offered to drop you off in his company car, and you readily agreed, grateful for the gesture.

However, what you both didn't expect was to find Min Yoongi waiting in his car instead. He sat in the driver seat, a playful expression on his face as he looked at the two of you in mock disappointment. He was clearly amused by the situation, trying hard to hide the hint of a smile on his lips as he said, "Aigoo, my two youngest are turning into drunkards."

The surprise encounter left you and Jungkook in fits of giggles, and you couldn't help but feel a warm, happy buzz not only from the alcohol but also from the presence of the two wonderful men.

As you settled into the car, Jungkook couldn't contain his amusement. "Hyuuuunngggg," he exclaimed with a teasing grin, "You're so cute."

Yoongi frowned, clearly not getting Jungkook's sudden accusation of his character. You, on the other hand, giggled in response, clearly sharing an inside joke with the younger BTS member.

"Aishh," Yoongi groaned in mock exasperation, "Sherry, what did you tell him?"

"Only the truth!" you exclaimed, the alcohol was making you even giddier than usual.

The drive to Jungkook's apartment was filled with your and Jungkook's laughter, and Yoongi couldn't help but be amused by your antics. Jungkook made you promise to have a playdate between Bam and Bagel, citing that it wasn’t fair that you’ve only done so with Yeontan and Taehyung before. Yoongi ushered him to get off at the private lobby, swearing that he wouldn’t share your contact info if the maknae didn’t get out of the car anytime soon. You giggled the pretend pout on the youngest’s lips. He eventually got out of the car and waved as Yoongi drove the two of you away. 

After getting out of Jungkook’s building, you snuggled up to Yoongi's side, as much as the middle panel would allow you to, and hummed in appreciation.

"You smell good, jagiya," you murmured, the alcohol making you more affectionate than usual.

Yoongi raised an eyebrow at the new nickname. You and Yoongi had been calling each other by just your names, although he occasionally called you Sherry – after mistaking it from ‘Cherie’, the name that had stuck with you since your modeling days.

That night, Yoongi discovered a delightful and affectionate side of you that he hadn't seen before. The alcohol had a way of loosening your inhibitions and bringing out a playfulness and warmth that was both endearing and heartwarming. 

You shared your stories with Yoongi, your voice animated and your eyes sparkling with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning. Your happiness of suddenly meeting Jungkook and your account of the alcohol adventure had him grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't resist breaking into laughter at your vivid descriptions, especially when you confirm that no one could ever say no to the golden maknae.

"Jagiya," Yoongi teased, "I never knew you were such a fun drunk. You should consider having a glass or two more often."

You leaned in closer, resting your head on his shoulder and looking up at him with a dreamy smile. "I think it's just you that brings out this side of me, Yoongi."

He glanced down at you with a playful smirk, "Well, aren’t I the best boyfriend ever?"

You giggled and poked his cheek, "You really are. I'm so lucky to have you."

The car ride was filled with these precious moments, and as you both basked in the warmth of your affection and the lightness of the night, Yoongi couldn't help but feel like the luckiest man in the world. He cherished the newfound side of you that the alcohol had revealed, and he couldn't wait to explore more layers of your character as your relationship continued to blossom. The atmosphere in the car was filled with love, and Yoongi was falling for you all over again, if that was even possible.

​​Min Yoongi hadn’t expected another delightful surprise that night.

In an instant, as the door of your apartment closed behind you, a different side of your tipsy self emerged. With a look of desire in your eyes, you pinned Yoongi to the door, your heated gaze devouring him. The sight of him standing there ignited a passionate spark within you, and you couldn't resist the urge to show him just how much you appreciated his care and company that night.

With an intoxicating hunger, you closed the gap between you, capturing his lips in a fervent, longing kiss. It was as if you couldn't contain the affection and desire that had swelled up in your heart throughout the evening. The startled exclamation of your name from Yoongi was quickly silenced by the intensity of your kiss, as you poured your feelings into this single, powerful gesture of love and gratitude.

That night, as the two of you shared a passionate night, Yoongi made two mental notes. First, he realized that seeing you in your affectionate, tipsy state was something he cherished, and he'd have to find more opportunities to get you to drink. Second, he resolved to always be there to take care of you whenever you indulge in alcohol, ensuring that he was by your side to enjoy these endearing moments together.

[multitrackdrifting]

Well I didn't write my thoughts on the last ep cause I was playing FF16 but I'll explain why I didn't like the ending (despite loving a lot of the episode) under the cut

There's a lot of ways you can end a political sci-fi story (which Mobile Suit Gundam tends to be) and some of the worst ways it can end is a bleak "and nothing got better" and that often is the resolution for a lot of them, but it's not that bad when it's clear that the isolated conflict would just be covered up and whatever amidst the conclusion of that story. The very grounded and "realistic" stories in UC might fall into this kind of area.

I am of the opinion that more often than not it's bad practice to criticise what isn't there, that is unless you have a legitimate reason to feel that way. In this case, I feel that they brought up the earth subplots and kind of just used to thrust the story forward without actually having anything meaningful to say about Earthian emancipation or even validate that the companies in the story made that place a fucking hell hole in any meaningful fashion. You hear about a lot of the going-ons from people from Earth for sure, but you barely have it in your periphery for the majority of the season except for about 3-ish episodes.

My greatest fear as I've expressed to many friends and other people I talk to about G-Witch is that they would hand-wave all the problems away with a time skip and sadly we got literally this exact thing.

The spectacle and wonder of the family conflict tying up nicely & the canon lesbian relationship is pretty heavily overshadowed for me by the complete dismissal of the very subplot threads they opened in order to describe just how bonkers the Benerit group is/was.

OF course, I am labouring under the assumption that there is no season 3, and IBO didn't even announce theirs till like 4 months after Season 1 ended on a massive cliffhanger but this story did not end on one.

There's no seething and spiteful earth orphan in the epilogue, or any inclination that the story will in-fact continue and that leaves me feeling all the way wrong about how they handled this especially since I have to wait half a year potentially to find out if they plan to make more (which I imagine they will if not specifically to sell more Gunpla).

Of course, you might say that "oh this is a more personal Gundam story" and I don't even really feel like that's a good explanation of why the ending almost feels antithetical to the story itself like, yeah Benerit got dissolved and all was well and eveyrone became friends which is acceptable in your average shounen story but this pretty much felt like an ass-pull in some ways especially when you take in that they neglected to do anything with Earth except => guel gets kidnapped and goes to earth and briefly helps orphans and guerillas => miorine accidentally helps stage a false flag attack and pretty much nothing else?

Like that kind of irks me in the same way that playing FF14 Stormblood and there being almost nothing about Ala Mhigo irks me.

Of course, I am happy that SuleMio is a happy family not just with Prospera, but all of her daughers including Eri.

It's just... way too neat? I seldom call something an ass-pull but hand-waving that Earth is still in strife and barely any consequences were faced by the broader corporations outside of the dissolution of Benerit would be a compelling point if, like Hathaway, it had something to stand on top of (which is that in UC, fucking nothing ever changes, Unicorn happens and Hathaway's Mafty Uprising still happens in spite of Banagher's wager on possibility lmao)

I dunno, I feel happy that they're happy but really upset that they really just dumpstered everything to do with Earth and it just swept so many of the real questions that the very story we watched each week implied it would even try to answer.

I'm really hard to annoy, I love meathead shounen, I love serious and nuanced political writing in anime (e.g. MSG UC & Eighty-Six) but it's not the space magic that annoys me, I'd be a hypocrite to love Gundam Unicorn and hate it here - it's how they just time-skipped everything to a neat and tidy conclusion.

Of course, maybe a S3 announcement (which I have firmly held is probably coming) would change my mind, but yeah this was a great episode but a terrible finale.

Honestly, I even felt irked by the fact that Suletta accepts her mothers choice so plainly and I get it - the parental bonds thing is somehting I don't take for granted, anyone who has had complicated feelings about their own parents understands how a person can come to be like "you've hurt me and the people around me, and yet I still care for you" - I get it! But I really do not like how inconsistent it feels to be cleaning up the bodies of her classmates one episode and kinda shrugging everything she did off in a time-skip but this critique specifically is down to the jarring pacing that others had been complaining to this point - I suppose I am guilty of getting caught up in the spectacle but I almost snapped my neck at how hard this ending veered off

Of course, the natural commentary for this will be "selling off Benerit's assets and aiding Earth is a functional and practical way to help Earth" except that it almost feels like it comes out of nowhere due to the lightspeed pacing of this finale.

They really fumbled writing Earth in this story - yeah, there are nice subtleties in the ending but it still feels way too rushed and jarring for me to like actually find it enjoyable. Bodies don't make a good gundam ending (see: Gundam Unicorn), and space magic doesn't make it bad either (also Gundam UC lol), they just brushed off way too much.

The "incremental change" argument holds decent weight if there was any explicit inclination to continue the story from the time-skip (which I would like to see, preferrably with an Earthian protagonist at the centre of their emancipation struggles).

It was indeed nice to see the Earth girls integrated into Miorine's company, and Sabina does comment that they're not sure if it will amount to what they want - and Mio, far more mature than her younger self, steps towards that future bravely and that's cool.

I like the characterisation of the ending - but yeah, how they kinda just blitz the Earth stuff does not sit right with me.

I did like seeing all the kids being friends & being together after all they've been through, and that is a nice way to tie-up the story, but the way they kinda just use that to justify why they barely explain the rest is wild.

Course, I know I'm probably in the minority here - but pacing doomposters were right - this was a pretty abysmal ending because of how little time they had to work with.

I loved every single episode of this season, except the ending. Loved the first half of the episode, but the latter half is just way too neat and that's not because it needs bodies or something - it really does just feel like "and then it got marginally better".

I know the ending itself explicitly acknowledges that nothing may change, but as I said previously, that only works if you have something to lean on which this story does not since it's unclear if it's even going to get another season.

Systemic change, in reality, is quite incrimental and often feels infinitismally small - and that notion might be more compelling in this bittersweet epilogue if the story had taken more pains to actually explore the earthian-spacian conflict.

Yes, they discuss conflict-sharing/war-partitioning on the different segments of Earth, but they do nothing with it at all other than laud it around as a talking point without making the viewer ever face it except when Prospera attacks Earth. I feel like so much of the Earth-side of the story is left in the abstract, and do not argue to me that it's in the subtleties of Earth house and the things that they say.

I felt like the fella in Plato's cave hearing about something and the only time I actually felt the human side of that story from the people that live on Earth was when Guel was a prisoner of war for an episode and when Miorine has to face the disappointed people who realise they're being attacked.

I had faith the ending would not go "and then it got better", and I know many people will hate that I choose to take that interpretation, but that is pretty much the summation of my feelings about how rapidly they pushed this aside. I love this series, I ahve been gassing this series every single week since like episode 3 - but this ending was unsatisfying - it's not enough to make me hate the series but yeah, I wish we had something more substantive to look toward with future stories or more time spent stressing the "other side" of this conflict.

Yeah, the Benerit group at large is on trial on TV, and there's signs that the world will change & we see future generations of kids on Earth, but I don't think it hit quite right for me. It's not a lack of grit, it's just like, you're enjoying the payoff without the adequate build-up and I feel like I'm possibly not alone in thinking this.

Earth was just a bargaining chip and an elusive idea in this season, and I really do not like that so much was left in the abstract. You can "subtext" anything into existence, but no amount of referential dialogue is going to make up for the lack of a grounded and meaningful representation of their struggle since Sophie and Norea got axed (I did not mind this at the time), and they portrayed every other Earth character outside of Gund-arm as a villain.

I really feel like this aspect of how the story was structured was ultimately quite disappointing and thus, I am annoyed at the resulting payoff.

The romance side of things was cute, and I thoroughly enjoy how thing were tied up with them - especially that Suletta loved her family despite everything (this does not boggle my mind).

But yeah my gripes with the lack of idk time to talk about Earth actually boggles my mind beyond belief.

It's incredibly difficult to feel the actual weight of "yeah Benerit was dissolved and assets redistributed lol" while being presented with next to zero context for what that means and what it could mean. Way too much is left to the imagination and while that's fine in certain kinds of stories, in one wherey ou barely even grapple with the Earth context that you've described to this point it's kind of bonkers.

Yes, I get a lot of people will feel catharsis with this ending because what they're watching for and what I am watching for may be different - that's perfectly okay, but I'm not gonna act like ti didn't disappoint me that we got the most explicit form of a hand-wave (a time skip) to end out an otherwise fantastically written series.

I do not like that one bit and I do not apologise for believing that either.

Here's another scorching take: the next season should focus on Earth, not how the Samayas heal as a family - there might be room for both, but with how neglected Earth felt maybe it's time for a POV change in this world bc they really did FA with that.

In conclusion, I sitll like the show, but this ending was really unfulfilling. I know that winning a battle is not winning the war, but the story took pretty much no pains to eloquently depict the struggles of Earth properly this season despite me thinking that the vast majority of episodes were absolutely fantastic in spite of that.

I think Suletta, Mio and Guel were quite well-written and most of the supporting cast too, but this flaw in the narrative structure is insanely glaring for me and call that pretentious if you want but I genuinely believe what I said here

Edit: I guess, the ending just doesn't say anything super daring that that's pretty disappointing.

Edit 2: I completely forgot to go on a rant but, that the use of a WMD (space laser) was not even a point of intrigue for a future conflict is also wild.

[tearitar]

2024 WRITING REVIEW

tagged by @rolameny tagging @smaller-comfort, and anyone else that wants to.

number of stories posted to ao3: 20 this year! (223 in total… over a 15 year period, it was my ao3 acct’s 15th bday on dec 20!!)

word counted posted for last year: 90k-ish :P

fandoms i wrote for: destiny, team fortress 2, top gun

pairings: andal/cayde-6, spy/sniper (A LOT OF THAT), granby/kennedy 

stories with the most kudos, bookmarks and comment threads: Most kudos and bookmarks were for thrifty, which I think is flattering! It's got a....high private bookmark count, lol. Happy Hour had the most comment threads, and that was a multi-chaptered fic so it makes sense. Happy Hour had some of my favorite thoughtful comments as well, lol.

work i’m most proud of (and why): I've talked enough about ARMSTOPPER so I'm going to say Off the Starboard Bow this time. I liked what past me started all those years ago and so it was really easy for 2024!me to swoop in and finish off the quick pwp part, lol. Rereading it, I love the tone and the banter, how easy it all the characters mesh together. There's not much worldbuilding involved but I like the sense of Laurence just... knowing people outside his usual circle. And that Granby sort of sees that.. oh. Most of the Navy isn't super stuck up, it's just Laurence that is so severe about it, LOL.

There should be more Hornblower and Temeraire crossovers! I think the double Williams and Archie/John Granby angle is SO CUTE and fun to do. The thought of Laurence having more buddies from the Navy (that are Bush and Hornblower) is pretty funny. You think aviators are weird? Buddy, he's been surrounded by weird people since day 1.

work i’m least proud of (and why): nah. I'm gonna riff off pell's answer and say that I'm quite happy to have posted anything at all. I don't think I've had a perfect execution on most of them but that's just something to think on for my next fics.

share or describe a favorite review you received: lol, i save a bunch of comments in my inbox so that I can go back to reread them whenever I'm feeling low about my writing, but there's a comment I specifically treasure--from a minific for the sniperspy collar fic. Like, it was one of the least expected comments since... idk. The ficlet was so short and silly, but the commenter really had an eagle eye and sense for what I was really trying to explore; implied kink discussion/negotiation, disguised as silly banter and jokes.

You know, I hope everyone gets to experience these golden comments where it has everything; the reader's favorite part in quotes, an opinion, a specific read/analysis that nails what was in your head, and then more points where you didn't consciously consider. (That makes you go "DID I WRITE THAT ON PURPOSE?") I think about their comment a lot and kick up my little feetsies every dang time.

a time when writing was really, really hard: on an 18 hour flight where I couldnt adjust the font size on my tablet so I think maybe some people behind me saw me writing fic. my bad.

more seriously, at the beginning of the year I was really struggling with some Top Gun, Bad Batch, and Master of the Air WIPs. My heart wasn't in it and I was forcing myself until April where I just sorta gave up and went into "I will write my Star Wars OCs" and even then I wasn't very happy.

Then! I read a couple of novels to get back into the groove of reading published works and it was refreshing.

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: Aside from getting back into tf2 in general, not really? I guess I'll hand it off to just might come crashing. It's very................romantic. As romantic as I like sniperspy without setting myself on fire from sheer embarrassment. My idea of fluff for them is... just this.

a favourite excerpt of your writing: 

“I'll stay if you'll have me,” Sniper says, undressing in the bathroom. He pokes his head out. “Daft fuck. I know what you're doing. You assumed I’d go out by my lonesome for two entire weeks. No people. No civilization. No showers.” “Yes.” Spy raises an eyebrow. “Since you were raised by wolves in a cave.” “Oi, show some respect for my parents,” Sniper says. “I'll have you know me mum’s a very lovely ‘roo. Raised me proper. In a pouch and everything.” “That does certainly explain many things,” Spy replies. Sniper steps out of the bathroom, naked but still sadly unshowered. He strides over to the bed and takes Spy by the chin, his hold firm. “I'm gonna spend the night with you ‘cause I wanna, alright?” Sniper says, leaning over him. His sharp-eyed look is back, the one Spy finds both dangerous and endearing. “You really thought I was gonna fuck off in the woods the whole time?” Spy doesn’t answer that particular question, at least not directly. Still, he feels as if he’s admitting something incriminating when he returns Sniper’s look. “I wouldn't be upset if you did.” The corner of Sniper’s mouth tics upwards. “You miserable shit,” Sniper says fondly. He drops his hand to turn back to the shower.

bruh... this part makes me blush. it's a confession without the explicit confession... I like it a lot. it's mostly dialogue but... there's a lot of teasing affection. being comfortable. i wrote an entire fic just to have context for this scene.

how did you grow as a writer last year: did you know.. did you know if you write 2-3k words consistently every week you can keep this up for 4 months because you kept in practice? wow. new concept alert. no one has ever thought of this i bet.

how do you hope to grow this year: get more deranged. stop being afraid of people younger than 24. they mean well when they say sigma.

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): as always.............. spite. im so sorry to be so evil coded, but it's spite. I write when I'm not getting the themes and pwps I want so I write out of spite and anger, especially when I don't have my usual group of friends in the same fandom. This is why I struggled with MotA and Top Gun fics. I was eating so good there wasn't any need to cook for myself. u__u

On a more positive note!!!! I got back into sniperspy because of a fanart I saw for barter. :')

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year:

I’m always taking inspiration from real life but usually in an indirect or vague sense. Not a specific event. There are a few parts from ARMSTOPPER that I draw from irl knowledge that occasionally comes in handy when writing violence. TF2 lends itself to gory humor which is absolutely fine and dandy, and I like to play into it in a slapstick kind of way. I don’t often go beyond that. I’m definitely not writing medical/surgical jargon for free (and tbh it’s not entertaining writing if you do find yourself going into that much detail), nor do I feel compelled to write a story that has to do with work. 

For instance, I would not write a surgery/hospital AU. I would not write about various insane items getting stuck up people's butts. Not an aux cord up someone's penis. Never about a penile fracture caused by someone riding cowgirl. You ever been called to work at 3am for this? It would not be fun. I would hate every second, and I actually enjoy my job, aside from the getting-called-at-3am part. :P

That being said, there’s a part in ARMSTOPPER where Spy describes amputating Engineer’s arm in a kind of romantic way—the physical description on how it feels is true to my own experience but obviously not the romance of it, LMAO. Then later when he sees the Gunslinger as a particularly gruesome weapon, those descriptions are meant to be off-putting. Those are real details that I've personally seen before. So that, I suppose, is my real life job bleeding (hehe) into my fics. I have helped cut off a lot of limbs in my career………………………. (dead stare)

I didn’t mean to get super into this question, but I pretty opinionated on this, lol.

any projects you’re looking to starting (or finishing) this year: god, the follow up to hindsight is kicking my ass. i've set it aside for now but I would to finish it in 2025, and not.. say.... in 2040. but who knows.

other current wips, for those curious:

psychological horror spycest

various stupid pwp fics (ie sniper in a maid outfit)

spy being mature(?!) about deescalating a coworker-with-benefits relationship, sniper about to throw up from having normal emotions about it

I have a feeling sas:rh s2 will kill me dead so I want to finish this fucked up Augustine/Paddy->Eoin(dead) situationship fic I've been noodling at for the better part of the past 8 months.

the fuckingnk... the fucking top gun... top gun mindbond fic. u__u

[rrachnid]

" with great power comes gr - f ⭒ ck !! i'm late for rent again . . . "

( ji hansol , for rejects hq . ) what's up, silver ?! ji hansol , jake , geomi . twenty three on the verge of turning twenty four . expert at staying up late to work on my latest ( and brightest ! ) idea . most definitely the guy in the friend group you'd host an intervention for ( my mom totally agrees that it's part of my charm , by the way . )

⭒ DOSSIER ⭒ ABILITIES ⭒ BACKSTORY ⭒ PLOTS ⭒ TAGLIST ⭒ REJECTS ⭒

you ever brain rot on a muse so hard you feel like your excited might just force you to implode ?! yeah . . . same here !!!! i'm tenzen, and i'm so eager to shove hansol down everyone's dash!!! ^0^ i am been WAITING and dreaming to write a spider mark and i hope that you all can truly forgive my unoriginality with this one but what was i supposed to do? simply ignore this blessing???? aaaanyways... here's the intro, which also serves as a tldr because i yapped a LOT in my backstory !! additionally, please like this post if you would like me to reach out for plotting !! if you'd like to add me on discord since it's easier to plot there, please let me know!

THE BASICS !! ⭒ born in vancouver, canada, on one of the hottest summer days ever - which is ironic, truly, considering how bad he hates the weather. ⭒ mostly known as jake, though he always secretly preferred to be called hansol. ⭒ though he knew of the gene, he still happened to be a late bloomer: got it in the middle of math class, spurted silky web threads all over the hair of his crush and became a social reject after that! ⭒ his ability is arachnid physiology, by the way. ⭒ which, as you can imagine, didn't do well with people considering that spiders are apparently enemy number one of the state! ⭒ regardless, he somehow got through high school: the lack of party invites forced him to focus more on his studies, which ultimately made him graduate with honours. ⭒ and there was the scholarship too - thank god for it, considering how broke his parents were. ⭒ ( real nice folks, by the way. ) ⭒ so went to college in software engineering and his parents moved back to south korea. it was fine, totally. got amazing grades until he started to slip ( which coincidentally happened when he began to play superhero with his friends at night. ⭒ and instead of studying, naturally, he thought it would be a good idea to hack into his grade portals to turn his d's into a's. ⭒ like, honestly, it worked for a month or two. until someone noticed, until he got expelled. ⭒ though truthfully, he honestly didn't care much for school anyways. his only ever felt real drive when perched over his desk at night, working on engineering his own suit: he would get scraps he'd find in mechanical engineering labs, he would spend nights dissecting little gadgets and incorporating them in his suits. he would spend a lot of time with spiders, too - though he hated them at first, he grew to love them. they were like him in more ways than one. so he would study them until he could fully and truly become them.

⭒ he spent the next year or so in vancouver doing just that: engineering his suit, swinging around buildings, and fighting petty ( and not so petty ! ) crimes behind his mask. ⭒ he also conveniently forgot to tell his parents about the whole college thing. ( they always sounded so proud and happy on the phone: did he HAVE to disappoint them ?! )

THE PRESENT . . . ISH !!

⭒ he rushes to south korea upon hearing that his mother is sick : they tell him that it isn't bad over the phone, but when he first visits her, he can see how much she has wilted in the cold hospital bed. ⭒ he doesn't hate seoul because it sucks - he hates it because he can feel it reject him. it doesn't feel like vancouver : he doesn't know each and every corner of the city, he doesn't understand the intricacies of it. ⭒ his parents are still under the impression that he attends school in software engineering, that he has a stable job, that he isn't late on rent every . single . month . ⭒ it takes him a hot minute to adjust, but soon enough he finds himself swinging between the tall buildings of the city. people begin to recognize him here and there, and while most of them talk about him like he is a nuisance (considering the damage he often causes when fighting crime), he still does some good. ⭒ maybe it isn't so bad, after all. maybe with time, it will get better. he has always preferred to be called hansol, anyways.

[ginneke]

already too late (if we arrive at all) - #1

It's Revalink Week! You probably want cute things! But because it's me, there's knives. 🔪

Was struggling for a long while to decide what to do for the prompts, so I'm taking them as loose background vibes for each section of an overall ficlet. I'm writing this more or less as we go, so let's hope we get to a satisfying....ish ending! Will port to Ao3 at the end of the week.

(hey @coconi this is what you were happily waiting for. .....or one of those things anyway.)

--

Pairing: Revalink Rating: T

(A soulmate AU, sort of.)

-- Prompt #1: what are you waiting for? --

Revali is… many things.

He carries himself with a level of confidence that borders on arrogance; he doesn't hesitate to share his thoughts when things displease him (often), and rarely has anything positive to say about anyone — or anything.

In short, he's the kind of person that Link's instincts say he should have nothing to do with. If he's not sniping at Link’s failure (inability) to respond to his challenge, he's opining - at length - on the supposed flaws of Link’s so-called character, and if he’s not sharing said opinions with all and sundry, he’s pretending to ignore Link's general existence.

Would Revali speak with less vitriol, if he knew? Or would disappointment sharpen his tongue, and resentment make him even more vicious?

Link doesn't know. He fears finding out. He guards his secrets closely. Indeed, it's entirely possible that they would never have had anything to do with each other, hailing as they do from opposite corners of the country, if not for this cruel trick of fate.

…Revali is, undeniably, the Rito's greatest archer in generations, and a true master of flight, as graceful in the air as Mipha is in water. Even if his personality is lacking, his skills would be more than enough to make up the shortfall, under any normal circumstances.

And yet…

Link cannot speak of this to anyone; they wouldn't believe him if he did — but there's a secret too delicate to name, too fragile to share, too tenuous to trust.

A side of Revali that he would never want Link to know about.

This is the final thing about Revali. The most upsetting thing about Revali. The thing that makes Link wish he was someone, anyone else, and then makes him loathe himself for that thought.

Revali is Link's soulmate.

And time is already running out.

—

Link is twelve years and eleven months of age, the first time he feels the tug on his wrist.

The legends say this should be a joyful thing. It's nothing of the sort. If Link hadn't learned, eleven months ago, hopes crushed before they had a chance to bloom, that his soulmark was far from a happy one — if he hadn't had the lesson reinforced, over and over, through harsh glances and cutting whispers from the moment he drew that sword from the pedestal out in the forest — he might have let himself…

Curled into a ball in the corner of the barracks, on his low mattress tucked well out of the way of the older boys — young men, really, and all of them much older than him — Link holds his left wrist out, far away from his body as if distance might be enough to remove the temptation to answer.

Your soulmate, it's said, can feel strong emotions from you, if you're holding your end of the string.

Link does his best not to have those. It only makes things worse.

But Link's soulmate, whoever they are, won't stop tugging on the thread that connects their souls without their will or their consent.

Curiosity. That's the only Link feels reverberating along the string, and if he hadn't already known that his soulmate was - in all likelihood - younger than him, this basically guarantees it. Naive enough to be innocent; innocent enough to be curious. Curious enough to keep tugging on that binding thread despite the lack of reply, long past the point where Link thought they would give up. It should be their first assumption. If nobody replies, then they don’t have their matching mark yet. That’s how the legend goes: it’s only when you’re old enough to understand what the mark means that it’ll appear on you.

Well, that’s how Link understands it. Other people say it differently. But other people don’t have that awareness of how an unspooling thread can mark you—beyond the obvious. How eyes can follow you with suspicion, and fear, and resentment, when you’ve done nothing but bear the touch of a gift so rare as to have become a legend.

When it’s clear that what should be a blessing is closer to a curse.

When they forget so easily, and chide you for remembering.

It's only when the moon is high overhead that Link's unlucky soulmate finally starts to relent in their investigation of the thread, their curiosity fogged over by fatigue, the tension finally growing slack, but the faint thrum of contact still there, as if — still enthralled by its newness — they’d gone to sleep still clutching the string, unwilling to let go.

And it softens something in him: though he wants to be angry, wants to hate the mark and everything it stands for… instead Link draws his outstretched wrist back towards him, and though he doesn’t dare touch the strand hanging loosely from his wrist — the thread only he, and not even his so-called soulmate, can see — he curls his other hand near to it, so close that he could touch it, if only he was brave enough.

It’s bad luck, to be Link’s soulmate.

Whoever they are, Link wants to protect them.

No matter how impossible it is.

Links to be added as the week goes on:

Part 2: here Part 3: here Part 4: Part 5: Part 6: Part 7:

(Part 8?)

[billpottsismygf]

The Church on Ruby Road (spoilers)

Oh my god! I absolutely loved that! Ncuti Gatwa is phenomenal. He's got so much presence right from the start, and there were some lovely little Doctor-ish quirks that he got across very nicely. I particularly liked his disdain for the Goblins' supposed time travel, him loving the name Lulubelle and the way he rattled off his police interview answers (though the bit about the proposal was perhaps a little too Sherlock). On a sadder note, his 'maybe I'm the bad luck' line was also delivered really well.

Ruby Sunday is pretty cool too, though I'm not quite as sold on her yet. Millie Gibson's performance felt just a trifle stilted to me, but I hope that goes away as she relaxes into the role. I loved her family, especially her gran. It's so nice to have a wider companion family like this again. We got it a bit with Yaz (and sort of Ryan and Graham), but I hope we get to see a bit more of this lot!

I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the Goblins, but I really like the alternative physics time travel thing they have going on with the language of luck. The Doctor's line about learning the vocabulary of rope was great; some real 'resonating concrete' vibes. But yes, the Goblins were fun and interesting. I don't know if they'll become anything particularly iconic, but not every villain needs to be.

The musical number was enormous fun. Obviously the first part was released ahead of time, but the Doctor and Ruby launching into a second part was unexpected and fantastic. Ncuti has a damn good voice. There have been questions about whether a musical episode of the show could work before, and I'm definitely here for it if there's ever a plan to give us more than just one song! Ruby's own ability to sing (improvisationally!) was also quite nicely set up with her being in a band.

Perhaps the best part of the episode was when Ruby was taken out of time. Her mum being a far more jaded and unhappy person, with even the lighting getting dimmer, was incredibly effective. Her declaring she was happy alone with tears in her eyes, the Doctor also crying, really got me. Ncuti's performance throughout that as well gave me a lot of faith in what's to come (not that I needed any, given what I've seen of him in Sex Education). (That 'then why are you crying' also had more than a hint of Amy crying for Rory.)

I have to mention the timeless child stuff. As with what he did with the flux in Wild Blue Yonder, I'm over the moon that RTD is taking things from the last era and actually doing stuff with it. I know there will be people angry about it because they expected him to retcon the whole thing, but I far prefer this approach. Granted, I never minded the timeless child stuff that much (unlike the flux), but it was really effective having the Doctor actually bring up the fact that he doesn't know where he's from. I wonder if RTD is planning to do anything more with it, or if it will just be used as character and relationship building material.

Smaller stuff:

We got another mavity mention, so is this just here to stay or is it part of a longer arc?

The way the gloves work didn't make sense to me. The way the Doctor explained them was as if the weight just shifted to the glove (which makes sense for making balancing and gripping easier), but if that's the case where does the extra weight come from when pulling the rope down? Oh well, I'll just imagine they're magic weight deletion/creation devices and move on with my life.

That spike through the Goblin King at the end was brutal! I'm surprised they were allowed to show it. No blood or anything, I suppose, but still!

Ruby's mother (we presume) was somehow still walking away after the Doctor's whole escapade with the Goblins. Bad directing (I might have bought it if she were much further away on a long road) or an indication of more at play? Either way, presumably this isn't the last of that plot thread!

What the hell is going on with Mrs Flood? When she was watching the Doctor towards the end, I thought it was pretty strange, and then in the mid-credits sequence I started to wonder if she was something more than she seemed. Then came the look to camera and her line about TARDISes… Technically, this could be a weird little moment a la Feast of Steven, but it seems more likely something else is at play. The Toymaker could bend the rules of reality, so perhaps she could be part of the legions he mentioned, able to break the fourth wall at will. We shall see, I suppose!

[lost-girl-2021]

The Walking Dead

Okay, so I have (yet another) new obsession and I can't deal with it. Guys, I am so scared of zombies and scary stuff, but I love this show. And you want to know why I started watching it? I saw an edit of a fanfic. Is it over 200,000 words? Yes. Have I read all of it? Yes. I quite literally refresh my Ao3 page to check for updates every day (said fanfic is Future Ghosts by dieasthedevil on Ao3).

(Now, I promise I will finish Days Into Decades, I just also need to rnat about this new fic idea)

So, I usually don't do OC fics anymore, because I feel like they aren't as popular on Ao3 as they are on Wattpad and I prefer Ao3 (and feel like more people 14+ use Ao3 instead of Wattpad). And I legit skip half the zombie scenes because I only care about the plot (I'm being 100% rn). I also started at season 9, because I wanted to see Daryl and Negan on the same(ish) side and see the kids grown up (ish). (I promise I'm gonna watch it from 1-11 next, but I was too hyped to watch what I've already read in fanfic lol).

Anyways, despite my best efforts not to, I've started writing a new fic for TWD with an original character. And, I personally think it's not half bad. Idk where I'm going with it, but I do know it'd be set in season 9ish (also, nothing romantic between the oc and any of the characters, but maybe something between the oc and another oc, though I'd honestly prob kill him off eventually). So, for anyone still with me, here's some of what I've written so far.

— (snippet 1) —

“Are you tanning during the apocalypse?” A curious voice called out, startling her from her daydream. Jerking herself up, she had one hand on her knife and she turned to face the intruder.

He was kind of cute. If it wasn’t for the sweaty, blood-stained clothes and the eyebags. He could probably do with a shower too, judging by the state of his hair. She smiled over at him anyways, relaxing her grip on the blade.

“Might as well have some fun, right?” she asked, propping herself up on her elbows. “Can’t all be doom and gloom.”

“It’s— it’s dangerous to be out here.” He insisted, taking a step closer.

“Do you see any freaks?” She glanced around, nothing and nobody in sight.

“Not yet. But— but, it’s still dangerous. You shouldn’t let your guard down.”

“Who says I have?”

The man (barely, he was probably only a little older than her) looked lost, opening and closing his mouth like he couldn’t quite figure out what to say.

— (Snippet 2) —

“I should’ve locked you out.” She snapped. “Or, I should’ve let you in and then set the place on fire. I never should’ve trusted you, never should've helped you.”

“When have you ever trusted anyone, Skipper?” Carol asked, voice soft despite the accusation.

Her eyes darted to Daryl, thinking about quiet mornings spent hunting and the shared thread of orphaned siblings. She shook her head anyways, pushing back good memories of the cabin and the short time when she was actually happy in the end of the world. Who was she to think about any of these people as hers?

“I’m leaving at dawn.” She said in lieu of an answer, looking away from the both of them. “Will you keep an eye on P.J. for me?”

“You don’t need to leave— “

“I should, though.”

[hiddenwashington]

time goes by quickly, & before you know it, april is here. the snow has given way to the spring warmth, the birds already singing outside windows & the squirrels already scurrying across the trees. the days beckon dc’s citizens to venture outside of their cozy, winter-proof homes, inviting to even some of the most unimpressed of people after a long, cold season. things have seemed almost ... perfect, for most, these past couple weeks. however, the first of the month also brings the notorious april fools, & the city must think it’s about time to play its tricks. so when morning comes, it’s not the the beautiful, spring sunrise that brings people to consciousness, but instead, it’s the loud, vibrating stomps of dinosaurs roaming the streets. huh.

OOC INFORMATION

hello, hi, welcome friends !! happy april fools !! some of you have been begging for dinosaurs, & despite the stubbornness from a few of us ( myself included ), we are good admins, so we are here to deliver! this isn’t a very plot-heavy event in the slightest, but it’s meant to be a quick fun thing to celebrate a particularly silly little day. so just ride with the flow, go wild, & do with this as you will! ♥

DATES :

APRIL 1 - APRIL 3

unlike our other events, there is no plotting period – this event starts IMMEDIATELY.

this event will last for 12 hours in character, 2 days out of character!

THE DINO-SHAPED FRIENDS :

the magic has brought dinosaurs to the streets of washington dc! however, even the most aggressive types are content to mind their own business unless provoked, a rare treat from the city. most would still snap if people were to get a little too close, but as long as one were to keep their distance, it wouldn’t be unexpected for the dinosaurs & humans to live together in harmony, for just this one day.

then again, humans aren’t exactly known for their common sense & self control. so.

any dinosaurs you can think of ( + your pterosaurs because they might as well be dinosaurs ) can be found in dc for this day of fun! this might include, but is certainly not limited to the :

t-rex, pterodactyl, spinosaurus, brontosaurus, diplodocus, triceratops, chicken, velocoraptor, stegosaurus, & brachiosaurus!

QUICK HOUSEKEEPING :

please be sure to TAG ALL MINIEVENT THREADS as something similar to ‘hwminievent5′, ‘hw dinopocolypse’, ‘mini event’, ‘my dinosaur adventure’, something that makes it clear that these threads are taking place during the event!

please, please, please tag all triggers. if a thread feels like it is getting too intense, remember to use a read more. we will be monitoring threads and messaging about triggers. A REFRESHER FOR THOSE IS RIGHT HERE

this is supposed to be a fairly chill event, so if you plan on using this event to kill off or majorly injure your character, please DO message the main first as per our usual rules!!

we will be offering ONE FREE STARTER FOR EACH WRITER, not each character, just as we always do!! that is only for saturday the 1st!

unlike our full events, you DO NOT have to put other threads on hold! this is another minievent so it is not mandatory for anyone to participate in, so you’re more than welcome to continue on as normal!

again, just have fun & go wild! please feel welcome to get creative with this & and we hope this means you stop askin– i mean, that your characters like this once-in-a-lifetime chance to live with friendly-ish dinosaurs! we can’t wait to see what you all do with this! please do not hesitate to ask any questions that may arise & let us know if you need help! with that all said, as always, PLEASE LIKE THIS WHEN YOU HAVE READ IT ALL! ♥

[foggyxrayspecs]

Love your series!!! Do Yelena’s friends have pets or like the other widows? I know Natasha and Pubby, of course!

FORCED TO FIGHT

Thank you for the prompt, anon! Some do, but not all. Oksana is that one friend with a lot of pets that will only rest when all her friends have pets.

Warnings: dark-ish, sub-themes of human trafficking, heavy pet play

Word Count: ~2100

A/N 1: Check this out for a list of all the characters (and their pets) in @scarlettwlw's Widow AU. A/N 2: This blurb takes place nine days after the 10-part series. A/N 3: I'm taking next week off from writing, but I’ll still be around for shenanigans. <3!

Excerpt: Displaying a surprising burst of self-discipline, you let the pup have the rest of the treats. ... You walk to your owner and sit next to her, letting your body lean back on Yelena's quiet strength. Your eyes drift half-closed as she threads her hands into your hair from behind, gently scratching your scalp and rubbing your ears.

FORCED TO FIGHT

Yelena was laughing at something snide Sonya had just said when her phone buzzed. Her second-in-command has a wit almost as deadly as her knife throws.

"Oksana. Good to hear from you. You are on speaker with Sonya," Yelena bites back a grin. "And she's being shady." 

"Yelena. Shady Sonya. Thank you for picking up. Would you be open to making a visit to the Center? We've got a special case that Bear might be able to help with."

Yelena looks down at you, finds your eyes, and lifts one eyebrow. She looks up at Sonya with a question, who nods easily.

"Of course. We are thirty minutes out."

####

Oksana meets you, Yelena, and Sonya at the gate of ​​The Center for HK9 Rescue and Rehabilitation. Her smile was just as warm as you remembered as she hugged the widows. Oksana drops down on her haunches with your owner's permission and lets you sniff her hand. You politely take what's offered and nudge her fingers with your nose. She gives you gentle scritches under your chin.

"Thank you for coming so quickly. Some of the 18 animals we rescued on the Reznikov property were very, very under-socialized. Unfortunately, there's one that is not responding. I am wondering if Bear could help us get through to them. They won't let any of the others near."

"Are they dangerous?" Yelena furrows her eyebrows.

"No," says Oksana. "Quite the opposite. We think she was in the beginning stages of becoming a 'bait dog.'"

"That sounds like she's had… a very tough time," murmurs Yelena. 

Oksana looks up at her and sighs, shifting back up to stand. You frown at the loss of scritches. "Yes, unfortunately. A bait dog is one of the sacrificial lambs that assist the other HK-9s in learning to fight by building confidence and giving live reactions to reward their aggression. Typically, they are not trained or flunked out of training at an earlier stage. They have enough defiance to be forced to fight. But, to ensure that the future fighting dog wins and the bait dog loses, they are often starved and dehydrated."

“Christ,” Sonya breathes. 

Oksana hums in agreement. "Talia and I have had no real luck bringing the little one out of their shell. Usually, animals follow a 3-3-3 rule when getting acclimated here. Three days of feeling overwhelmed and nervous, three weeks of settling in, and three months of building trust and bonding. It's been nine days, and she still won't eat or stand up in front of us. She's one of the most shut-down that I've ever met. It does not bode well."

Yelena slips her hand on Oksana's shoulder and squeezes, "You do such strong work here. We are happy to do what we can to help." 

Oksana takes a ragged breath and nods, "you have my thanks. Let's wash up, and then I can show her to you."

####

After a thorough paw-washing and a few sprays of disinfectant, Oksana leads your group to the observation room in the HK-9 private quarters. The chamber looks into three adjoining suites. Oksana nods to the minder monitoring all of the pups through the two-way mirror glass. Two of the suites have multiple HK-9 in various stages of activities, mostly eating, playing with toys, and napping. The areas were quartered into sections, each with a pillowed bed, chair, and small cabinet. Oksana motions to a seemingly empty room. "This is the one. They called her Squirt., and she’s a few months younger than Bear."

Yelena and Sonya move closer to peer inside, not finding hide nor hair of the pup.

"You two are welcome to stay here while I take Bear inside," Oksana offers. Yelena frowns. 

"I'll stay," Sonya smirks. "I don't think this one will let their cub out of sight." Yelena sniffs a response.

"Of course," Oksana smiles knowingly. "Ready?"

####

The room was clean and bright. With bay windows facing the fields outside, the wide ledge would be an excellent place to nap in the sun. 

You breathe in lavender, meant to calm, but an underlying scent of fear and sadness permeates the room. You look up at Yelena, and she unclips your leash and signs. Make friends? She watches you intently, taking the measure of any hesitation. Feeling only curiosity, you walk further inside.

You follow the sounds of light breathing in the far section to find the HK-9 huddled in the darkest shadow of the room between a bed and the cabinet.

You quietly approach, sniffing here and there to show her that you are no threat. The HK-9 is curled into a protective ball. You couldn't tell much about her in this position, except she was little and had deep scarring from what looked to be a dozen bites and cuts. You sit beside her. She curls tighter. She has messy but clean hair and is thin enough to make out some of her bones under her skin. This one was definitely a baiter. Your anger starts to stir at those who had abused this pup. She was so tiny.

You watch the pup for several minutes as she ignores you. You glance to where Yelena and Oksana have found their way to chairs. Yelena is sitting forward, ready to pull you out anytime. You look back down at the pup. 

You wait a few more minutes, occasionally making small noises to let her know you are there. You yawn to release some tension. Well, this is going to get you nowhere.

Your mind flips through different ideas on how to make friends. Usually, a cuddle puddle was your preferred method of friend-bonding since Yelena rescued you, but you don't think surprising tackling the pup would serve in the long run. You had to get her up. Working with a scared dog could go a few different ways — one could be gentle or firm. Maybe you try a combination. 

You look at Yelena and raise your hand to rest over your heart, not knowing yet the sign for 'trust me.' Yelena slowly nods. You hope she does understand. You turn back to the little pup. Keeping yourself between her and Yelena, you bark loudly three times, shattering the room's silence. The little pup starts and jumps up, turning and baring her teeth in a high-pitched growl. 

You grin widely, pleased that your trick gets them up and standing. 

Stepping back to give her some space, you size her up. Since the little one is half your size, you aren't too worried about retribution. However, you don't want to intimidate her. The pup stares, and you tilt your head. They try to shrink back, using the cabinet as a shield. You huff and watch them with a hopeful smile. Friends?

The pup's face twists from suspicion to disgust, and they walk to the opposite corner to lie down with their face to the wall. You wait a moment, then get up to follow them. You sidle up beside them again. After a minute, you bark twice, which kicks up their fright reaction. Similarly, they shoot up and try to shrink back. You flash her a genuine smile. Friends?

Eyebrows relaxing into a scowl, the little pup huffs and walks back to their bed, this time getting in and laying down with her back to you. Unfazed, you follow her. You bark once. Wise to your game, she glances up at you with narrowed eyes, then looks away at the wall. You lay on the floor and put your head on the edge of the bed. You whine softly. Friends? She tightens around herself, but it seems to be out of annoyance instead of fear. Progress, you think.

You pull yourself up, walk around the bed and lie down, facing her. You smile and close your eyes. You feel her squirm, then settle. After a few minutes, you hear her sniffing lightly; you feel a soft lick on your cheek. You make a noise of approval, which makes her pause. You open one eye to look up at her. Then you look to the other side turning your head, offering peace. After a moment, you feel another soft lick on your other cheek. 

You grin to yourself, finding a hole in their defenses. Now, to make it wider. You slowly turn to lay on your belly and crawl forward just a little to begin nuzzling with your champion cuddle puddle technique. She gives a disgruntled exhale, but she keeps still. Eventually, you pull back a little, and they follow you, giving the smallest nuzzles of their own. 

You peek up at Yelena, who is looking on with a bemused smile. There is a click at the door, and Sonya slips in. The pup looks at Sonya and freezes for a long minute.

Oksana breaks the moment by leaning to the side and pulling out a baggie full of high-value treats from her pocket. You scramble up and begin wiggling in place. You look to the side at the mussed little pup; you lower your head to nudge her. She stays put with a soft grumble. You look up, and your eyes follow as Oksana hands the baggie to Sonya. Yessssss! Sonya is reserved but generous and often gives two or three treats at a time.

Sonya reaches her hand in the bag, pulls out a large slice of hard salami, and moves to you in a crouch. She offers it with her palm convex. You lick it off her hand, then chomp it down happily. Sonya prepares another for the pup and reaches out to give it to her. The pup blinks and doesn't move. Sonya, switching tactics, tosses it right in front of the bed. You move quickly. You hear a gentle disapproving hum from Yelena, so you pull back. You weren't going to eat it, you swear. You were going to give it to the pup; if some of it fell off into your mouth, that's just compensation for labor. 

You look at Sonya, whose attention is focused on the pup with obvious concern. You look back at the pup and frown. You circle the bed and duck your head to nudge her forward. Once she finally gets up to her hands and knees. You stand next to her and jerk your head to Sonya, who is waiting with a handful of treats. 

The pup looks at Sonya and then down at the salami on the floor. She lowers her head to sniff at the treat, then looks up. Then she ducks her head back down to pick it up and chews. She glances at you, and you waggle your eyebrows, knowing that she's got to love the taste. You intentionally walk to her side and look at Sonya, hoping the pup takes your cue. Two sets of puppy eyes might be quite advantageous in this situation.

####

"She's so gentle when she takes the treats from my hand," Sonya murmurs. "Are they always like that?"

Oksana chuckles lightly, "no, not always, but she seems very tender."

Displaying a surprising burst of self-discipline, you let the pup have the rest of the treats. You don't like how her ribs are poking out so prominently. You walk to your owner and sit next to her, letting your body lean back on Yelena's quiet strength. Your eyes drift half-closed as she threads her hands into your hair from behind, gently scratching your scalp and rubbing your ears.

As soothing background music begins to play in the suite, you slide down slowly and fall asleep at Yelena's feet. 

####

You awake when Yelena nudges you softly. You look at her with a sleepy smile, and she nods to the right to direct your attention. Sonya was in the dog bed, her boots off and leaning back against the wall, meditatively petting the pup from her head down over her back again and again. 

"I don't think she seems like a Squirt," Sonya whispers. "I think we can find something better."

The air is clear of fear and sadness, replaced by the calm of the lavender and the beginning notes of contentedness.

"If I didn't know better, I would think this whole thing was a trap," Yelena whispers to Oksana, accusing playfully.

Oksana straightens up and reaches over to pet you, "Never. Did we need help? Yes. Did I think your cub could make a difference? Absolutely. Do I think two-pet households work? Without question."

"Clever widow." Yelena chuckles and nods at Sonya, who is still quietly stroking the little pup, "Well, I think you caught one in your web."

Oksana grins, satisfied. Sonya rolls her eyes, her first visible smile of the day curling her lips.

[dustedmagazine]

Edsel Axle — Variable Happiness (Worried Songs)

Photo by Asia Harman

Variable Happiness by Edsel Axle

We’ve come to know the Philadelphia indie artist Rosali through her clarion Americana-tinged songwriting and the thumping primitivism of her punk trio the Long Hots. We have not, up to now, considered her closely as a guitar player, which is perhaps short-sighted since she does that in both bands. Here she brings the electric guitar up to the front, taking up a glove laid down by Bill Orcutt, Bardo Pond, Loren Connors and others. Over six tracks as Edsel Axle, she improvises jagged rock riffs and electrified acid folk, just her and a guitar and a four-track, but definitely plugged in.

Rosali’s band has a couple of other worthy guitar players in David Nance and James Schroeder, so one faulty assumption might be that the Neil Young-ish flavor on 2021’s No Medium came from them (Nance’s solo and band work leans that way as well). But here, by herself, and not burdened by the need to sing, Ms. Middleton demonstrates that she, herself, has a bit of the Crazy Horse fixation. These songs sound like the instrumental freakery between verses on Ragged Glory or Sleeps with Angels. The guitar carves out giant, resonating figures in the opener “Some Answer,” letting the long notes ring out, then splintering them into buzzing, disintegrating feedback hum. This opening salvo is the most rock and least folk leaning of the six, with a keening wail vibrating under lapping layers of distorted melody. You can hear bits of Loren Connors in the way rage and beauty coincide here, a roar in even the most tranquil, pensive moments. 

The title track runs a little cooler, building contemplative space out of steady picked patterns and resonating threads of melody. This one has the quiet assurance of certain Steve Gunn instrumentals, eschewing pyrotechnics for a clear, unobstructed line of sight. It’s also manifestly a solo piece, without looped or overdubbed embellishment. By contrast, “Come Down from the Tree” is denser and more dizzying, punctuated with loud, echoing chords and letting flurries of quicker notes linger in insect hives of buzzing overtones. It reminds me a bit of Bright, a band I hadn’t thought about in years, for its sun-dappled balance of clarity and mystery. If you look past the lack of voice and flute, you might also hear a little Bardo Pond here, the howl of feedback like an undertow beneath long-toned serenity.

These tracks are all relatively lengthy, all built around repeated motifs and without conventional song structure, yet they are consistently engrossing. There’s an abstract, chaotic beauty in these evolving compositions, the fire that you normally find between Rosali verses let loose on its own terms.

Jennifer Kelly

[theinsanecrayonbox]

X-Force #47

I’d honestly almost forgot this came out today, despite having checked it this morning. Haha whoops. But we here, we doing this

We open following Sir I Barely Appear In This Because I Have My Own Book running from Orchis post Gala

Aw Sage no, if you save Logan we’l just take over and inner monologue over everything

Cut to a few weeks later and the team is looking for a place in the Arctic to plant a new hone base. The best part; Arkady got a coat

That might sound like a stupid thing to be excited about (and it is) but he so rarely gets alternate outfits, not to mention the last time he was in this environment he didn’t get a coat. Plus it’s kinda cute. Also Laura looks very Gabby-ish

So they set up the Greenhouse. Logan yells at Quinten to man up; Quinten passes out after getting a psychic flash of his girlfriend. Sage and Tom are still setting stuff up. Laura and Domino go to intercept intruders but…

It’s Daken! As well as Northstar and Aurora, but mainly sibling reunion! So nice to see.

Anyways, later Quinten wakes up after another psychic flash and ditches the team to go find his girlfriend on the remnants of the island, putting them all in jeopardy. But before that we cut outside to Arkady

He pokes so happy being by himself with that fire. Then he’s reporting in properly. And his eyes are weird…this is just kinda a nice page…and really his main spotlight time since we’ve checked in on everyone else but him in setting this place up.

Dom talks to Piotr who’s suffering from some PTSD and guilt. Logan and Daken have a “gad you’re not dead” talk as they start taking in refugees

It’s nice Laura is hanging out with Arkady despite her dad and brother being around. Shame it won’t last.

Piotr comes out to talk to Logan…

About Victor. Now at first I was confused because he wouldn’t know about the inter dimensional zombie clone army because that was Orchis. But then I realized he was probably going to tell him he broke out of the Pit, since he was part of the council of dumb at that point in time.

Dunno though since Quinten interrupts that by crashing in front of them with his girlfriend. The Howletts all circle up around him as we cut away to Beast with a sniper rifle about to shoot them.

So overall, it wasn’t that bad. We’re getting a slight breather as we setup for the next arc and wrap up the previous, as well as potentially sewing the seeds for Sabretooth War. It’s still a shame that everyone got some form of checkin with their characters except Arkady. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next I guess. New year is bringing us new plot threads…mostly Logan centric but still new threads…hopefully

[starlytenight]

Hi, I want to share a little hc with you today that I have with Meta and Galaxia.

So I hc that Meta likes to maintain his weapons/swords as best as possible and finds rather claming to do so. And likes it enough he would even helps his friends maintain their weapons too when asked. Which happened more often when said friends where either unable or was stuck in medic to recover.

Porblem is that Galaxia is most likely the first magical sword Meta's ever had in he's perament possession as far as we know. And who knows if a magical snetient-ish sword even needs to be maintained like normal swords do?

So here come what the knight feels is an awkward 20 question game to make sure that he is not threading on a landmine or needs to get some special supplies if the sword needs a bit of maintenance every now and again.

Either way, I recon that Galaxia would not say no to a bit of maintenance now and then. Might feel like a bit of a massage for all we know and with how long Galaxia was around that demonbeast that guarded it and stuck in stone, she might find a bit of relife in Meta taking some time taking care of it.

Interesting headcanon there! And sorry for the long delay, arm issues and all and also I was thinking about how to answer this. I'm not used to people throwing me their headcanons! xD I think it's a cute idea, though I like to imagine it was super awkward at the start, haha. Poor guy's probably never had a weapon TALK to him, unless we suddenly learn the Master Sword was also sentient, lol

My own version of Galaxia is interesting and would be "happy" at being taken care of though it probably wouldn't exactly be joyous in the sense we understand it. It would read it as "Ah, my master deems me worthy of maintaining and using. Excellent. This is good."

To toss in a bit more of my own shenanigans, my Meta kind of resented Galaxia at first so it was a bit of a build up before he trusted it. (See the readmore for some scribbles)

But yeah, this is a cute idea. I recall in my original fic there was a time Meta was cleaning Galaxia to try and relax and it seems like something he'd do to chillax in general.

Kinda hard to get friendly with something that basically deep-fried your bestie in front of your eyes and weakened her enough to get mauled to death.

My Galaxia tried to be as apologetic as it could be since it sensed his pain but... Yeah. It had to be very gentle with the local grieving borb in order for him to favor using it over his more sentimental sword. It could sense how... pained he was in general both blaming himself and after hearing about how it can't entirely control its enchantment, it wasn't its fault.

On a less heavy note, Galaxia and its predecessor actually do love being tempered and tweaked by their maker.

Probably is like getting a hug from your mother/favored parental figure. Her fire feels the best to them above all others. Galaxia funnily enough doesn't know how to process how it feels about that, haha. Cypha would also rip those boys a new one if they didn't take care of their weapons and armor well so yeah. xD She's very happy Meta takes extremely good care of his swords, even if he doesn't use his Master Sword as much these days.

[ussjellyfish]

Hello! For the Qs, can I ask 👖 and 📝? Thanks!!! You rock!

👖 Are you a planner, plantser, or pantser? Is it consistent?

I am a very vague plotter (so probably a plantser). I have an idea of what's happening, and I focus much more on what's happening for the characters than the overall plot.

In a short thing, like this time-travel kiss fic I just posted the arc was "Laira does not know what's going on and is out of her element -> Laira is exhausted and doing her best -> Laira is at the end of her ability to cope and Michael is the sun through the clouds -> happy ending." Build, release, rejoice for that one.

For longer things I have an overall arc (in Quantum Variations of a Love Theme it's they grow a baby). Babyfics are great because you have a clock. Some things have to happen.

Within that there are mini arcs -

Michael and Laira figure it out and what they're going to do. (chapters 1-4)

Michael and Laira figure out how to live together and tell their families. (chapters 5-8)

Michael and Laira go on a mission together and Michael hates not being a captain. How do they get that back? (Also what is it like for Laira to 'live' on the ship? (chapters 9-12)

They get married (13)

They solve a problem while apart. (14-17)

Laira helps Michael (18 - this took set up from earlier chapters, and I'm really proud of that. I started planting seeds in chapter 10, and they paid off here).

Politics and Laira's family, Michael and her mom, dealing with Laira's ex) (18-22).

Some arcs needed to go in order. They come to turns with the baby, then they meet (and like) each other's families, then they work together, then they decide they really want to be together (even if part of them is rushed for politics). Can they handle being apart (yes), are they thrilled to get back together, yes.

I wanted to wrap up the threads with their families before I do the next arc, which is "the galaxy dangerous and some people are a threat)." That's probably going to take about 4 chapters, and can start seeing the big threat for the climax.

I also want a blizzard in space, so that's the next arc.

The rough plan is - Small villain arc to set up villain and up the stakes a little. (probably chapters 23-25 ish)

Space blizzard arc. (probably 26-29)

Politics and family are back and complicated. (30-31).

Return of villain.

Return of helpful friends.

Space blizzard part 2? I'm not sure how it ends. Is the problem villain or spatial anomalies or the villain does what she thinks is right and it intersects with space blizzard to be a big problem?

There's also nasty virus, which should probably infect someone we care about so Keyla can save them.

It has to build up to something stressful, which is happening about the time Laira's so pregnant that she's just done with it, so having the baby is a release. I did this really well in Firefly, I think (by my standards) because there was all chaos, and then they had a baby and it was okay.

Babyfics have the fun part of a built in climax (the birth) but there needs to be (by my own weird standards) another climax that happens before, so they make it through that...and then baby.

I'm writing for fun, and usually the release of emotional tension. (I do not have wonderful supportive family and friends all the time, I do not get to be vulnerable in my life. There's no space for it right now. It's so calming to get to write about it).

📝 What is one growth area you have for your writing?

Plot! I'm not very good at it. I would like to work more on the plot of a thing, and how that builds on itself. I might enjoy it but I haven't tried yet. So it seeems fun to work on.

Though most of my motivations are emotional, soo there's probably a way to plot around that, but it's different than what so writing resources would talk about. Writing resources want to help you write a book/screenplay, etc. I just want to roll around in feelings and enjoy it. I'm not entirely sure what that looks like yet, and I'd like to understand it better.

fanfic ask game

Thank you so much for asking! this was fun to work out.