#2025: free write

[kinetic-elaboration]

January 4: Jane, Artists' Block

Jane-centric, background pre-D/J, College AU

~490 words, ~18 minutes

Ah haha ha I haven't written anything on this fic since September or anything I like since July but I would like to pick it up again.

*

Now all of a sudden nothing that she does seems true. That's why she can't create.

Or at least why she can't create anything that doesn't suck.

Jane tries to explain all this from the floor of Ally's dorm room, lying flat on her back with her hoodie bundled up as a pillow behind her and her knees bent and her sock feet on the floor, soaking up all of the cold from it. "It's that everything real is so bright and complex. Nothing I can do will ever come close. It's a complete farce."

No one answers for a long moment, but that's roughly what she was expecting. Ally is at her easel, more often examining than painting. Curtis, on Ally's roommate's bed, has been nodding along like he's listening, but he's probably not.

"Is this because of that girl?" he asks, all of a sudden, as if it were a fascinating revelation to him.

Jane groans and covers her eyes with her arm, and Ally laughs. "What girl? God, Jane, are you finally realizing you're a lesbian?"

"God, Ally, have you still not realized bisexuals exist?" She doesn't move her arm, though, or open her eyes. She is not talking about the girl. "No, it's not about her."

"I heard you're tying up the phone line talking to her," Curtis adds. This information could only have come from Jane's roommate, and Jane is loathe to think that she and Curtis are buddy-buddy now.

"Slander and lies," she answers. More like complete truth.

"Anyway, you're creating all the time," Curtis keeps going. "You’re like the most prolific artist in a whole college of artists. So no big deal."

Jane lets her arms fall back, splayed out on the floor above her head. She thinks about snow angels, about glimmers of sun on new drifts, about Michigan winter and lake effect snow. "But it's not true. That's what I'm saying. She's—"

She's true.

Ally peers around her easel and down, and meets Jane's eye. "She?"

"Stuff it."

She's funny and smart and sharp as hell, and she's going through life with the same attitude and the same derision and the same secret wonder as Jane is, and she's pretty but she doesn't see it in herself yet, which is kind of infuriating, and elicits a type of curious awe. She's the only one Jane wants to be around all the time.

And she has a boyfriend, and the last time someone tried to hit on her, she tore him apart.

And the world is full of the brightest colors and makes the sharpest impressions, and every true feeling in it weasels into her guts in a completely different, strange, and crucial way, and nothing she makes with a canvas and paint, or a camera, or clay, could ever capture or replicate that. Any of it. The futility of it keeps her pinned where she is the floor.

[thebestandworstdayofjune]

clark kent loves quietly

This is a collection of head canons I wrote with David!Clark in mind, but would really work for any Clark iteration. That teaser trailer did something to my brain

He knows that you hate being spooked, and his quiet footfalls have gotten the better of you more times than you would ever admit. When he comes home from a day of work, or finds you tucked into whatever you are working on, he purposefully makes sure that his footfalls are heavy, so that you hear him coming. You jump slightly when he notches his chin in the space between your head and shoulder, but he is quick to squeeze you tight and soothe them away. 

You would think that he tries to fight your battles for you, protection hard wired into his veins. But he’s much the opposite. He knows that you can take care of yourself (super-human threats excluded, of course) and is happy to watch you stand up for yourself. It’s nice to see you love yourself loudly by making your wishes known. 

This man can cook. He spent a lot of time with his mom in the kitchen, who used cooking to cope after his father passed. He absorbed every second of it, intent on making the memories last. Food is one of his love languages now. He will pick up your favorites if he is eating out, but when you are having a particularly hard day, he plops you down on the couch with your beverage of choice in hand, and insists you don’t move. You had assumed that cooking would be frustrating for him, all the super speed in the world can’t make onions caramelize faster, but he finds it so soothing- especially when he knows that you’re going to give him one of your big smiles, the kind saved just for him, at the end of it all. His specialties are casseroles and chilis and his mom’s fluffy biscuits, if you were wondering. 

Does his best to mind his business (keeping his super hearing off the speed of your heart) as long as you promise to let him know what is bothering you as soon as you’re comfortable. He hates to see you hurting, but also respects that sometimes you need to process on your own. It’s unspoken between the two of you, you’ll curl up with him when you’re ready and spill your guts, and he will have a super powered ear at the ready. 

Any of your accomplishments are office gossip for weeks, because he is telling everyone. A picture of you with the degree you finished several months into dating is framed on his desk, when you accept his proposal he finds ways to slip it into most conversations. You always blush, which fills him with pride. He insists it isn’t gossiping if it’s talking about yourself. You smile and resist the urge to point out that it is often more so about you. He views you as a singular unit in all things, and you can’t find it in yourself to complain.

Clark was simultaneously terrified when you figured out that he was the one flying around the city fighting super humans (and rescuing the occasional cat stuck in a tree), and not the least bit surprised. He has long considered you one of the smartest people that he has ever known. He chides himself for not preparing for it better. He stood speechless for several moments, before tripping over his words, a muddled confusion of explanation and apology. He calmed when you smiled shyly at him, approaching him like he might spook at any minute. He stilled, allowing you to take control of the situation and gently slip your hand into his. You squeezed, he squeezed back, and the rest was history.

[billionbrilliantstars]

Project 2025 makes it very possible that we could lose AO3. It features same sex relationships and smut and could be something that the new administration sees as an enemy. It’s possible that it would simply be banned in the US and other countries can still use it, but since I’m pretty sure it’s an American website the whole thing might just be destroyed instead. So everyone might lose it.

Here’s what we should all do just in case.

1. Download your favorite works as a PDF and back them up on multiple devices so you don’t lose them.

2. If you are a writer, try to publish your works on multiple different platforms like fanfiction.net and wattpad. I’m a Doctor Who writer so I know about whofic, but do research on your fandom to see if there’s fandom specific sites available.

Edit: I want to be extra clear that readers should download works that aren’t about same sex love or don’t have smut too. I think it goes without saying but I want to be very clear that the Trump administration is more likely to ban or delete the whole archive than it is to sort through what content it deems “appropriate”.

[femslash-february]

Welcome to Raptor’s Femslash February Bingo 2025! Round 2: Electric Boogaloo

This year with four different prompt bingo cards—light prompts, dark prompts, spicy prompts, a combined one with all prompts—to celebrate Femslash February 2025. All fandoms, content and warnings welcome! Enjoy! ❤️

Rules and prompts in text form under the Read More!

Rules:

When: all of February

What: focus of your work should be a wlw / femslash / f/f ship, i.e. a ship with two or more female presenting characters, gender bending welcome

How: it’s totally chill, just do a single prompt or aim for bingo(s), whatever you want! You can get your bingos with one fic, with multiple fics, whatever you like. Choose one of the bingo cards and mark what prompts you're using. Interpret the prompts however you'd like.

Any fandoms, any characters, any ships, any content though please tag appropriately, any type of fanwork—fics (no minimum or maximum wordcount!), art, poetry, moodboards... go wild!

Tag #femslash feb bingo when posting it here on Tumblr and mention this blog so we see your posts and can reblog

AI-generated works are NOT allowed

Crossposting with other events allowed

Most of all: have fun!

Prompts in text form

Light prompts: Wilderness Accidental baby acquisition “Tell me again.” Meet ugly Body swap First kiss Mirror History Once in a lifetime “Who else but you?” Wrong number Opposites Token Curse Festival “I’ve been waiting a long time.”

Dark prompts:

“You could have died.” Last kiss Chains Before the fall Attic wife By a thousand cuts “Do you regret it?” Demon Fatal flaw Spite Poisoned Bad neighbors Hunting “And you thought I loved you.” Forbidden Mind control

Spicy prompts:

Begging Rope bondage Shower sex “Does that feel good?” Sex pollen Marking Blindfold Size Difference Breathplay “Stop distracting me.” Power Exchange Dirty Talk “Behave.” Orgasm Denial Praise kink Suspension

[dorian-wilde-writings]

Worried about losing access to important literature now that you have some dipshit running things?

Fear not! The Free Book access server is purely for that and that only! We’re working to collect as many free pdf copies as possible for anyone who may have limited resources to literature

Knowledge should never be a finite resource.

[histhoughtslately]

Happy New Year, friends! Such an exciting year this will be. In my opinion, this year will be about community, social circles, letting go, the toppling of old belief systems, boldness of statements, creativity, love, strength and power and so much more!

Those who are aware of such energy will be in the potency of this vibe. On the other hand, for some it will be a huge shock and possibly hard to fathom such change of reality. What we all thought we knew and what we only had researched and talk amongst a small likeminded group of people, will not seem as taboo. It’s beginning to be accepted on such a grander scale these days.

I’m looking forward to connecting even more people than before. Taking more risks in all areas of my life including love. The moment is now for all of us to actually state what we want and to focus with determination and discipline. Yes, that’s the secret; discipline.

I’m wishing all who come across this post much love and light, abundance, wealth, closure, clarity, strength, power, health, joy, happiness - the whole package! You are so loved and deserving of everything you desire.

Hi, I’m Brandon 👋🏽

[fandom-free-bingo]

Fandom-Free Bingo: Tolkien Edition

Note: From the end of January, we will no longer be reblogging fills from Valentine Edition Cards. The AO3 collection will remain open indefinitely, however, and any Tumblr post that fills Valentine prompts and any prompt from a later edition will still be reblogged on those grounds. This means that posts covering exclusively Frosty, Flight and/or Valentine Edition prompts will no longer be reblogged <3 Now, on to January!

- Turnaround time is hopefully no longer than a week. If you've been waiting longer than this, please feel free to reach out! - Feel free to interpret the prompts however you wish - the world is your oyster! <3 Note: Terms with a stereotypically applied gender (e.g 'Princess', 'king') are not gender-restricted! Some things are just hard to make gender-neutral, especially in limited space. Gimmie those boy princesses and nb kings to your hearts content. <3   - No restriction to one prompt per fic/chapter.   - You can merge this event with others, so long as the other event permits this.   - Please mark rating clearly, and use CW where applicable. Posts not adequately marked will not be reblogged. We love you folks, and all the work you produce, but we get a lot of reblogs and have lives outside the event - we don't always have the time to be chasing down ratings or fandoms ;-; - Use the tags #FandomFreeBingo and #Fandom Free Bingo: Tolkien Edition, and tag @fandom-free-bingo on tumblr for a reblog - don't forget to also add in the pairing/characters, rating, the fandom and the warnings in the tags please <3   - The twelfth event (Tolkien Edition) sign ups will run until January 31st, 2025. Feel free to post after this date, however - works will be reblogged until December 31st, 2025, and the Ao3 collection will be open indefinitely.   - A maximum of FOUR cards per participant.  - This season we are offering BOTH 5x5 and 3x3 cards - please let us know which you would like!     - All media forms, fandoms and original works are welcome!   - You can request square changes twice (of any number), for up to a week after the card is issued.   - Be respectful to other participants. - Be kind to us!   - Ao3 collection can be found here!

We also have a Discord!

Sign up here!

@thebigbangblogproject

[d35tfbr]

Hello everyone, sorry for not posting. I've been busy with life in general and a big sorry to Eman and her family as well.

As always, I want to tell you about her, a Palestinian woman Gofundme that was made for her family. Their Gofundme is at 78% as of recently, which is great. However, I do know that it could be alot more. They need this money for their every day to day life, such as food, water, and necessities that can keep them going.

I know many people can not give $5 as it's too much to them however, what you can't do is visit their Gofundme and read their story and share it to as many people as possible, the more eyes on the it the better. It's especially important for people who do have to the money to donate so it you can, whether $5 or $10 or more, it would be greatly appreciated.

⬇️ Link to the fundraiser

Thank you for reading, and I do hope you have a good day :)

[twolovelyberries]

getting ready (girl yagami comic i wrote and drew in a haze)

[sesamestreep]

Given that you are theeeee premier AU consultant around these parts, I would like to request recs for AU fics that you’ve particularly enjoyed/found inventive or cool!

oooooh baby okay!!

-this good omens AU (that kind of turns into a good omens crossover) for daredevil written by @returnsandreturns is one of my favorite things in the whole world. It’s funny and romantic and sweet and historical and it provides me with lots of gender euphoria and regular euphoria when I first read it and every time I’ve re-read it since! Also, everything Chelsea’s ever written is perfect, she’s the ultimate mattfoggy writer in my opinion!

-I was originally not going to include Canon Divergence AUs on this list because that feels like a whole separate category (not exactly canon, not really an AU, but a secret third thing) but then I remembered this timeloop fic for the terror and I consider a timeloop enough of an AU to satisfy my own arbitrary definitions for this list. Everybody loves a timeloop we know, but this one is so well executed and thoughtful and heartbreaking and satisfying, everyone who wants to write a timeloop fic should take note.

-the terror fandom is quite frankly lousy with genius AUs (shocker) so two others worth mentioning are this series (you will always get me by taking a story set on a boat and putting it in space. Also I love stories about astronauts so this really has everything) and this fic (trading out Victorian naval expedition for an almost modern mountaineering setting works eerily well, and the details and characterizations are spot on along with great art!)

-I’ll read basically anything @ponyregrets decides to write at this point, but her pacific rim AU is what actually made me finally watch TOS, which feels like the best endorsement I can give any fic (and thank you to everyone for your patience as I’ve subsequently made Star Trek into a large part of my personality) I’ve now read this AU a dozen times and it truly hits every single time. It manages to perfectly integrate Pacific Rim canon into the Star Trek universe and it’s so sweet and compelling. Highly recommend!

okay I could go on forever like this because most of the fics I love are AUs in some shape or form tbh (@philtstone ’s camp counselors au for lotr and of course your own dungeons and dragons au and f1 au for the falcon and the winter soldier are also among my faves) but I’m losing steam and More Joy Day is drawing to a close, so I’ll leave it there. Happy reading! ♥️📖

[electric-plants]

IT’S DONE!!

if any of you wanted nearly 14k words about alhaitham sleeping and cyno falling in love then god do i have JUST the thing for you

[kinetic-elaboration]

January 17: Daria/Jane, Marry Christmas

Idk what this is, but I thought about it for way too long before writing

D/J, 470 words, 17 minutes

*

The town is so picturesque that Daria assume Jane's art school friends settled here ironically: the houses on their street have actual white picket fences; the downtown with its bright, narrow storefronts, weaves gently downhill, lights in all the windows, bright banners on the lamp posts; occasional ornate benches line the sidewalk, now piled high with snow. She and Jane are two of only a few pedestrians actually outside today. But the harshness of the wind and the bitter sharpness of the cold and in particular the light flurries of snow skating across the surfaces of crunchy, frozen drifts all remind her of Boston,  of Raft, of all the time she spent in the city with Jane. So she's a bit nostalgic, even as she digs her hands deeper into her pockets, raises her shoulders and burrows her chin down into her scarf.

One of the stores they pass has a chalk sandwich-board sign out front, with the message in curled white script: Marry Christmas. Daria narrows her eyes at it as they approach.

"Marry Christmas," she repeats. "Do you think that's a typo, or a wedding announcement?"

"Or a command," Jane suggests. "You will enter into a binding life partnership agreement with the concept of Christmas."

"Ominous."

Jane glances at the sign one more time, as another flutter of snow sifts down around them from the slanted roofs above.  "It's the next item on the gay agenda," she says.

"Oh, is that what I missed at the meeting?"

"Yeah, we're looking ahead down the slippery slope. First, we can marry each other. Then, we can marry the personifications of holidays."

Personifications of holidays almost rings some sort of distant bell. "Didn't we meet--"

"I think that was a shared hallucination," Jane says. Which does seem more likely, so Daria shakes the thought from her head.

"Well, they shouldn't give it away," she says. "The future agenda item."

"Mmm, no. Our main advantages are stealth and the element of surprise."

At the bottom of the incline, they find the restaurant Jane's friend recommended, a tiny place with a huge brunch menu, paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. They loosen their various layers, take off their hats and gloves and unfurl their scarves, and sit down across from each other, at a table for two against the wall.

Jane reaches across and takes Daria's hand. "Someday we will for real," she says.

"It's already real."

"Legal and real."

Daria hesitates. "You're optimistic about that?"

Jane shrugs one shoulder, tries to minimize the honesty seeping through in her voice. "Sometimes." Then she smiles. "And a few years after that, I'll divorce you and marry Guy Fawkes Day."

"Very funny," Daria answers, and squeezes her hand tight. "Hey, do you think for dinner, we can find somewhere in this town that serves Chinese?"

[wastelandbfs]

💫2025 Fanfic Writing Goals💫

General Goals

✨Write 5+ Fics

✨Write 50k+ Words

✨Try writing a different genre

✨Try writing a new pairing (Suggestions Welcome)

Finish Writing the following:

🌟Mistaken Identities (Nora/Maxson)

🌟Serendipity (Nora/Nick)

🌟Scorched Earth (Nora/Hancock)

Start Writing the following :

⭐ 'Reasonable Doubt' (Nora/Hancock) (Pre-War AU)

⭐ Secret project with @lilacretrograde

⭐ Secret project with @oraeliaa

⭐ 'Happy Birthday, Nora' (Nora/Hancock) inspired by a prompt from @ghoulspirits

⭐ 'Punishment' (Nora/Hancock)(PWP)

[the-alice-of-hearts]

Robin’s Spice Week 2025 February 9th - 15th 

Welcome to the Spicy Zone™! I want to see more spicy fics from my favorite people so I am making a prompt week. This should be super accessible for any level of spice writer, from soft and sweet all the way to hardcore kink. 

The Rules: Any fictional ship will be accepted for this! No bashing on other people’s fics. If it’s not your cup of tea then go to the next offering. No RPF will be accepted into the collection. 

The Challenge: write any number of fics using the prompts for each day. 

The Collection can be found here! It's unrevealed right now, but I will reveal on the 9th of February

More info: There are 4 levels of Spice: Soft, Mild, Hot, Hardcore. Feel free to use any level in your fic or mix and match! 

Written prompts under the cut!

Sunday: Roommates, Hate Sex, Breathplay, Master/Slave

Monday: Feathers, Leather/Latex, Bondage, Loli/Shotacon

Tuesday: Kisses, Waxplay, CNC, Non-Con

Wednesday: Shibari, Spanking, Omegaverse, Bloodplay

Thursday: Panties/Lingerie, Size Difference, Tentacles, S&M

Friday: Body Swap, Public, Sex Toys, Fucking Machine

Saturday: Cuddles, Edging, Aftercare, Sub/Top Drop

[thunderstomm]

Joyride - HWLR Future AU

Word Count: 2701

Summary: “After the success of the pet shelter day, Cruise and Coop bust into Professor Rearview’s lab to pay the monsters a visit”

“Where are we going, anyways? We’ve been walking for ages!”

The sound of footsteps echoed through the far tunnels of Hot Wheels City, and his voice projected loud. It was far from his first venture into any of the city’s underground labyrinths, but it was one of his first times doing so on foot. The navigation seemed slower, but more careful, and there was not much choice but to follow along.

The tunnels all looked the same when you took them in slowly. They were narrow and winding, something that made him feel uneasy. He hated slow, and he hated small spaces. And yet here he was, traveling through them at the whims of a former enemy. He focused his attention on her, as she dragged a hand along the side of the tunnels, as if to search for something.

“You remember visiting the animal shelter?” Cruise asked him.

“How could I forget?” Coop exclaimed.

The two of them had taken turns, bringing one another to activities or pastimes they enjoyed. She had taken him to the city’s animal shelter, where he’d ended up taking home a kitten, and he had taken her to that year’s classic car show… mostly for the free ice cream.

“Exhaust misses you, by the way.” He added. “But what does that have to do with us walking though the far tunnels?”

Cruise came to a halt, stopping suddenly as her fingertips brushed something. Coop failed to pick up on the movement quickly enough, bumping into her. He took a step back quickly afterwards, feeling both embarrassed and further perplexed.

“You’d say you liked spending time with the animals?” Cruise asked him, as she pressed what looked to be a hidden button on the tunnel’s side. “I thought today… we could visit a few more.”

She grinned- it was the kind of mischievous smile she gave when she had a grand plan, or won a race. Coop’s eyes went from her to the wall, as a small keypad was revealed in the wall.

“Wait, are we breaking into something?!” He asked her, raising a brow in concern.

“Is it breaking and entering if you know the code?” She quipped, swiftly typing ‘2-5-0-4’ into the keypad.

“Uh… yes!” He exclaimed. It wasn’t like he’d never committed a crime in his life. After all, his first day at the Ultimate Garage Camp had resulted in a LOT of property damage. There was definitely more to be said, but most of it had been in the name of saving Hot Wheels City! This, on the other hand… was not.

Before he could argue his case more, the tunnel began to shake. A hidden door slowly opened, revealing a passageway big enough for a person, but certainly too small for a car, to enter. Dimly lit, but short enough that he could see it led to a large, open room with who knows what inside of it.

“Don’t look so worried!” Cruise grinned, grabbing him by the wrist, and dragging him through the passage. The door slammed shut behind them, with a loud thud. “I come here all the time. Or… as much as I can. Once a month? Point is, I haven’t been caught.”

“What is this place, anyways?” Coop asked her, as they neared the room. “How do you know the codes? And why did you bring up the-“

They reached the room, and his last question was answered before he could even finish.

The two of them stood before a massive, dimly lit room, which contained five habitats, each of which contained one of Professor Rearview’s giant monsters. Five sets of bright eyes all now staring at the two of them with great intent, as if they were debating if they start attacking.

“This is…” Coop began, trying to wrap his head around everything. Cruise let go of him, running towards a glass tank filled with dark water. She excitedly pressed a hand against the glass, and the giant shark on the other side bunted its nose against the glass in turn.

“This is where my Dad keeps the monsters. You know, when he’s not busy destroying the city, or doing his experiments.” Cruise finished for him, her eyes still fixed on the shark.

“We’re in one of his labs?!” Coop exclaimed, clutching his head in one of his hands. “What if he catches us? You’re just as much his enemy now as I am, we’re practically doomed!”

“Quiet!” Cruise whipped around, covering his mouth gently with one of her hands. “The monsters are very, and I mean VERY sensitive to sound. Got it, Cooper?”

Using one of his own hands, Coop moved her hand away from his face. “Loud and clear. But seriously, why would you bring me here? Liking a few kittens is very different to being face to face with five killer monsters!”

Cruise sighed. “They’re like my pets too! In a sense. And I might be the only person other than my Dad who this bunch will listen to. You and your friends are always stuck cleaning up his messes, I thought that maybe seeing the monsters like this could… help you out with that.” She looked over to the first tank again, the shark still waiting at the glass. “They’re monsters, but they’re not… horrible? They’re just following orders. Like I was. And if, by some miracle, my Dad ever gets stopped for good, I want someone else to be able to attest to them finding a new home, instead of just being locked up or forgotten.”

Coop exhaled, looking down at Cruise. His face relaxed slightly, understanding the situation better.

“You want them to have… a second chance?”

“They deserve it. More than I did, anyways. At least they don’t know any better.” She admitted, looking back up at him.

“Didn’t know you cared so much.” He laughed, raising an eyebrow. “You going soft on me, Rearview?”

“Don’t call me that!” She laughed, the quip reinvigorating her energy. “It sounds like you’re addressing my dad!”

“Fine.” He laughed, too. “Now, introduce me to your ‘pets’, I’m sure they’re just dying to meet me.”

Cruise nodded, turning her attention back to the first tank, where the shark remained. She placed a hand to the glass, and the monster tapped its snout against the glass again.

“Sharky-Poo here is real into anything that shines. Treasure, jewels… cars.” Cruise explained to him, rolling her eyes at the list. “It’s like bulls and the colour red- you show them something that glitters and things get out of control.”

Coop nodded, looking at the shark. He took a nervous step forward, the movement catching the beast’s attention. He braced for any sort of reaction- after all, this thing had already swallowed him whole once- but was surprised to only be met by a brief stare, before it swam away entirely. Anticlimactic, to say the least.

Cruise sighed, leading Coop to the second tank, which seemed to contain the only other aquatic beast present. She tapped the glass, and soon after, the Octopus emerged from the shadows. It placed one tentacle to the glass, and seemed to be attempting to reach another out of the tank, as if to grab something… or perhaps, one of them.

Before he could react, Cruise’s voice sounded. “No! Don’t try to grab me again! I don’t have a change of clothes and am not going home soaked again!” The beast looked to Coop briefly, changing its target before she spoke up again. “Not him either. As funny as it would be, I can’t let him get drenched too.”

The octopus looked dejected, as it retracted back into the tank, eyes still fixed upon the racers before it. Cruise rolled her eyes at the beast, hands placed firmly on her hips.

“Eightacles is… playful, to say the least. Likes to pick things up and get a good look. He doesn’t mean bad by it, but has a bit of an attitude when told no.” There was an emphasis on the last word, as she stared at the beast, who was trying to reach out again.

Coop chuckled to himself, trying his best to hide his amusement. It was so odd to see the beasts under a more casual lens.

“I know that there’s not a lot of good history regarding monsters, and car washes, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have the big guy work in one. He could pick up the cars and drop them in the tanks… after a few more years of training to ensure none of them get destroyed.”

“You think so?” Cruise asked him.

“Anything’s possible.” He shrugged in turn. “What’s next?”

He felt a tug at his sleeve again, as they charged for the next enclosure. Like the others, a glass door separated them from the beast, but there was no water this time. In the middle of the enclosure hung the giant bat, sleeping soundly.

“Screech is never awake when I come. Nocturnal and all.” Cruise shrugged. “Try not to wake them!”

Coop nodded, making sure to follow her as quickly as possible to the fourth enclosure. Another glass wall, separating them from the giant snake which lived within it. The monster eagerly came as close to the glass as possible, as if it expected something.

“This is Noodle. Always hungry. Does the best tricks… for the best treats.” Cruise waved up at the giant cobra. “Don’t have any today, sorry!”

The cobra seemed upset, if only for a moment, before turning its attention to Coop. He remembered his first meet-in with the monster vividly- the day he and his friends had delivered five-hundred pizzas to another one of Rearview’s bases. Perhaps now-defunct, considering the one he was in currently. The cobra looked at him expectantly, perhaps remembering the day too, and thinking he had another stack of pizzas to feed it.

He shook his head, showing his empty hands to the monster. “I don’t have anything for you either! I swear!”

‘Noodle’, as Cruise had dubbed them, seemed uninterested in the statement, and continued to eagerly await some sort of food. Cruise shook her head to the beast again, urging Coop to do the same. Both kept up the action, as they backed away from the cobra, and towards the final and largest of the five enclosures.

“You know, they’re not that bad. A little eccentric, but… not as scary as they are when they’re destroying the city.” Coop quipped, as they finally were out of the cobra’s line of sight. “All that’s left is…”

“Firepants!” Cruise exclaimed, pointing out the scaly beast behind the glass. Standing much taller than the rest was the majestic red dragon, which exhaled a soft smoke from its nose. “You ever seen a dragon dance?”

“Actually… yes.” Coop concluded, looking up at the beast which stood before them.

“And he’s been practicing, too…” Cruise mumbled. She placed a hand to the glass, watching as the dragon bent its head down to her level, pressing its nose against the glass, causing it to fog up.

Coop stepped closer towards the dragon, looking at the beast. Scaly, sweeping tail, a wingspan double the size of its body, and atop its head, it had equipped the white and grey “ride pad” which he had seen the Professor use to travel atop the beasts with.

“Anything else interesting about this one?” He asked, watching as the dragon wagged its tail at the attention, much like an excited puppy.

“Let’s see…” Cruise hummed. “Firepants can fly faster than most of the cars in Hot Wheels City can drive.”

He scoffed at the prospect. It was a bold claim, but not one he’d dare to believe. “Yeah, right. The giant lizard is faster than the best racing cars in the best racing city?”

“Faster than both your best cars.” Cruise insisted to him.

“Prove it!” Coop doubled down. “Then I’ll believe you.”

Cruise laughed, taking the statement as a joke. “Good one..” she snorted. She looked at him, waiting for him to laugh too, but he never did. “Wait… you can’t be serious.”

“I mean… is it stealing or borrowing if we take the dragon for a test flight? After all, we’re already here, and you know all the codes…” Coop feigned a look of innocence, echoing the same sentiment she had when they arrived. It wasn’t exactly wise to let arrogance get the best of him, but the need for speed, plus the golden opportunity seemed too good.

“Uh… yes!” Cruise responded, before realizing the predicament. “I see what you’re doing. I’m not falling for it! That’s a one way ticket to getting caught and in trouble!”

“I suppose you’re right.” Coop sighed. “Unless… we call it a ‘rescue and rehabilitation test’ and not stealing? But I don’t blame you for not wanting to do it. Figures you’re scared I’ll be right.”

“You’re good at this.” Cruise admitted to him. It was too easy to get her competitive side, and need to prove her point, going. She headed to the end of the wall, where another keypad was located. Hastily, she typed in another code, and the glass cage door slowly lowered, and a hatch which led out of the tunnel opened, revealing a launch-pad of sorts.

“You want a joyride? I’ll give you a joyride. But if we get caught, you’re shouldering the blame.”

“Do I at least get to fly the dragon myself?” Coop asked her.

“Do you know how to fly a dragon?” Cruise retaliated, walking back towards him.

Returning to the dragon, she held out her arms, hugging Firepants to the best of her ability.

“Firepants! I missed you!” She cooed. “Now, are you ready to fly faster than you’ve ever gone before?”

Firepants gave what appeared to be a nod, and lowered their head further, allowing Cruise to climb on. She steadied herself on the white ride pad, gesturing for Coop to join her. Cautiously, he approached the beast, being careful not to step anywhere Cruise hadn’t, not wanting to aggravate it, or set off any secret alarms. Cruise helped him onto the ride pad, before clicking a button with her heel, revealing a set of handlebars.

“There’s only one set, so I’d recommend you hold onto whatever you can find. Don’t want you falling off!” Cruise told him, as she reached into her pocket, hand brushing across the small charm which allowed for the city’s helmet-summoning technology to work outside of their cars.

Coop brushed his own hand against the white button on his jacket, summoning his own helmet. With not even a seatbelt or airbag available on a giant dragon, it was the least he could do if the worst was to happen. Cruise’s words echoed through his head- there really wasn’t much to hold onto to stop him from flying off, and while the traction of his shoes were good, they weren’t built for this. He could try holding on to one of the dragon’s horns, but that would also mean having to step off of the ride pad. Seeing no other solution, Coop grabbed hold of Cruise.

“That works too…” she mumbled, before grabbing hold of the handlebars. She tapped her foot gently on the ride pad again, gaining the attention of the dragon. “Firepants! Let’s fly!”

Firepants did not miss a beat. The dragon stood its ground slowly, spreading its wingspan as far as the room allowed. Claws hit the ground in short and sharp bounds, before the beast leaped from the open hatch, opening its wings fully as the wind hit its body. The duo of racers braced for the rush, before being met by the streaming light of the sun, and the sight of Hot Wheels City, growing smaller below them with each flap of the dragon’s wings.

“Woah.” He exclaimed breathlessly, eyes taking in the city below him. The wind beat in his face, the only clear sound becoming the flapping of wings, the heavy breathing of the beast, and his own voice. “Now… you said the dragon is faster than most cars in the city?”

“Prepare to have your mind blown. Firepants- show him what you’ve got!”

[regards-nym]

This is Pen & Paper Diaries

Welcome to my corner of the internet, scribbles.

Anything can be written in a diary and the end result will be a journey. Here will be my journey, recording my life as I work through these last two years of high school and work on improving myself.

I started this blog as a form of taking accountability as I cannot preach what I do not practice. In a way, I’m manipulating myself to preform better for the sake of results.

Each post is a letter for scribbles to read, something new every week. I find brain dumping and writing an escape from the impending doom of expectations, exposing my self to my self.

Enjoy your time here, scribbles. I hope to see you a lot.

regards,

nym