#AU_gust

[lizbiz99]

Day 8 of AU_gust is Nomad. So here we see Omega and Fives going on the run and traveling about as Nomads. Fives wants to keep his little sister safe and thinks the best thing to do is keep moving about the galaxy so that the Kaminoans and Palpatine don’t find them.

[tigerlilycorinne-fanfiction]

steering my heart (like the wheel in your hands)

Day 1 of AUgust 2024 Challenge: Canon Divergence

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Kleinsen (Evan Hansen/Jared Kleinsen)

Words: 25k

Summary:

When Evan's plane back home is canceled, Heidi sets him up to join Jared—who Evan hasn't spoken to in two years—on his road trip home instead. The thing she neglects to tell Evan is that it's a camping trip.

Featuring: bonding time, pining time, and my obvious love for camping.

Read on AO3

“Canon Divergence” AU for the AUgust 2024 challenge (@augustwritingchallenge)! The collection is here!

I keep saying "this is my year" but I have in fact finished only five days of AU-gust.

[skyler10fic]

Prodigal Daughter of the Milky Way

Summary: Agent Daisy Johnson is sent to space to find the long-lost Captain Marvel and discovers someone quite different than she had pictured.

Read on Ao3

--------------

Death seemed to follow her. Daisy had outlived her boyfriend, her sister, and many teams lost to the danger of traveling through space. She’d take on a companion or two every once in a while, but they always found what they needed or returned to their families. Though it was heavy with grief, she still visited Earth to see her adoptive father—at least, it was the android version of him, a life-model decoy. Between Daisy’s inhuman lifespan, inherited from her mother, and Phil’s life powered by technology that didn’t decay at the speed of natural organic matter, it was a shared experience, watching everyone they loved die, whether from age or disaster or disease.

Neither was properly immortal, not really, but they had ways of cheating death that their loved ones didn’t.

Now Daisy made a point to get home, from time to time, between using her powers for justice as a Saber agent. The woman in charge of Saber, Monica Rambeau, had a similar lifespan due to her own acquired powers. They both aged, but so slowly, they still looked and felt like they were in their late 30s. Daisy had lost track of the years on Earth, but Monica said they would be in their 90s.

Daisy lived with a lifetime of complex grief, but not like Monica’s. Monica had lost her mother, and she had never known her father, but the one that haunted her was the ambiguous loss of her superhero aunt, Carol Danvers. Daisy had never met the legendary Captain Marvel, but if she ever did, she swore to give her a piece of her mind. Daisy figured she must be the kind of Avenger who thrived on the glory, leaving Monica so many times to enact justice across the universe with not so much as a visit back to Earth, or even the Saber ship in the outer atmosphere. Daisy could just imagine the smirking blonde in the pictures reveling in the applause and idolization of her cosmic-sized incredible powers.

One day, in an officers’ meeting on the Saber ship, Monica said it had been 10 years since she’d seen her aunt. It was time to bring Carol home again. Saber needed her. Carol’s knowledge of the galaxy alone could triple the information Saber had in its databases, and there were missions only she could complete. Daisy could tell the reasons were only the logical part of the story for the official record: Monica needed her aunt too.

Daisy expressed her sympathies to her friend and commander, accepted her assignment folder, and promised to bring good news the next time they saw each other. Daisy would bring Carol back and make her see just how much she was missing while out there alone playing goddess.

—-------------------

Death seemed to follow her. Carol had outlived her closest friend and partner long ago, but since then, the years had taken more and more from her. Not that it mattered. She leaned her head back on the dark wall of her prison cell. Once, she had flown above planets, bringing empires to their knees. Now, the boundaries of her world were a desk, a small bed, three dark walls inhibiting her powers, and a fourth barred with plasma that hummed at a pitch that sapped any remaining hope. Instead of a supersuit, she wore her white ribbed tank top under a navy jumpsuit. She still tied the sleeves around her waist the way she used to with her suit when she was on her ship. All that had been lost too, ages ago when she’d been captured on a planet ruled by a mafia-turned-empire.

She was getting too old for this work anyway. She had lost track of the years stuck in here. Without her powers, she’d resumed aging, noting the fine wrinkles in her reflection. Even if she got out, what would she do if her powers didn’t come back? She would just be an ordinary woman. She’d catch a ride back to Earth, but surely even that old yellow house in Louisiana had been torn down by now. Maybe she’d be turned into some sort of mascot for Shield, or a ghost for Saber to wheel out for new recruits to gawk at as a living history exhibit. No. She loved Monica and Kamala, but they had moved on without her long ago, and her presence would just remind them of all the grief and trauma they had suffered.

Carol realized she still pictured them as they had been the first time their powers had gotten entangled. Kamala was still a teenager back then. Her hope had brought them together. Carol hummed a self-deprecating laugh. Nostalgia was a mind’s trick.

But then they lost Monica for a long time. And she came back as part of another team of superheroes, from another universe, with the help of a woman who wasn’t her mom. Just a parallel version. Who wasn’t Carol’s soulmate. Who had none of the same memories or friendship or love. Just Maria’s same face.

Carol had been called away to help friends on other planets over and over, Kamala had risen within Shield’s ranks, and Monica had inherited her mother’s legacy and Fury had become her surrogate father until he finally passed (for real this time) at an extraordinary age.

None of them were properly immortal, not really. But they realized as the years past that none of them were reaching the outward signs of middle age. The Shield doctors explained that while they could be killed, they were far more resilient to disease and their cells weren’t dying off at the rate an aging woman’s normally would.

But eventually, Carol hadn’t been so lucky. She’d always traveled through space, and a companion or two would come along, but they always found what they needed or went home to their families.

Even Goose had succumbed to time. Carol had laid her to rest on Earth, at the little yellow house, with a headstone declaring her by far the oldest cat who ever lived. Thinking of the disbelief of the engraver brought a bitter smile to Carol’s lips again.

One day (or night, Carol didn’t really know which was which in here), a parade of officials showed up at her cell door, inky black tentacles flowing behind them like sinister capes.

“Captain Carol Danvers,” a uniformed officer addressed, via a universal translator device. She rose from her prison bed and stood at attention. “Gather your belongings.”

The gaggle of officials left, save for three guards and the large shackles they carried. The guards watched as she pocketed what little she had, and as soon as the plasma barrier was off, they tased her until she fell to her knees in agony.

Bound in handcuffs that inhibited her powers and charged wire around her waist and legs, they marched her down the hall and to the prisoner loading dock. They shoved her into the cargo hold of a dark vehicle, sort of a cross between a hovercar and a sketchy van, from the brief view she’d gotten on the way in. They drove, with no regard for bumping Carol into the walls of the van, and stopped suddenly.

The back doors opened to a blinding light, but her eyes didn’t have time to adjust before she was shoved out of the van onto the ground. Then the beating began. Over and over until a whistle-chirp from the ringleader commanded them back. She spit blood and metallic dirt and struggled to sit up without the use of her hands, but all she saw when she did was the backside of the van as it sped away.

She took stock of her surroundings: She was in a field of red flowers. Poppies, a distant memory told her. Here she was, a prisoner of war, bloodied and abandoned in a gorgeous field of poppies. The people on this planet probably had no idea of the symbolism.

“Here, let me help.” A kind voice came from a woman who ran over and stood above her, a blur haloed in the late afternoon sunlight. She pressed a button on a homemade-looking remote and deactivated the wires. The woman pressed another button and the restraints all fell away.

Carol scrambled away from them and stood on shaky legs. “Thank you.”

Now that she had a better view, the woman was humanoid, stern but gorgeous in her uniform of some sort. Wait.

“Is that..? Are you…?” Carol barely dared to hope as she caught sight of the logo on the woman’s uniform.

“Daisy Johnson,” the woman announced. “Agent of Shield and Saber. You’re coming back to Earth with me. Any trouble and I can put these right back on, but I prefer to work without them.”

Carol watched as Agent Johnson kicked the handcuffs on the ground in emphasis, and the last light on them flickered off. The warmth of Carol’s power flooded back in a rush, making her gasp in surprise, but it burned hotter and hotter until she was levitating, radiant from her extremities to her core to her eyes to her hair.

“Captain, power down. That’s an order,” Daisy commanded.

But Carol couldn’t help it. A decade of restrained power unleashed at once and Carol shot up to the stratosphere of this small planet, a shooting star in her own right.

What Carol didn’t expect was that Agent Johnson would join her.

On the ground, Daisy swore under her breath and sent a mental apology to the flowers as she blasted off with her powers, destroying a good patch of the field. She jumped as high as she could and sent a blast of her quake powers at Carol, intending to knock her back down to a restrainable distance.

“Power down!” Daisy commanded again.

“I’m trying!” Carol shouted back. The quake hit her square on, but what would have taken down a normal powered person was just the shake that Carol needed to get control of her power again. In relief, she called, “Thanks!”

Carol floated back down to Earth, landing with grace, and observed Daisy’s impact as she crushed a deeper hole into the field than when she’d taken off.

“What the hell?!” Daisy shouted.

Carol held up a no-longer-glowing hand in a calming gesture and Daisy misinterpreted it as a combative one and stretched her arm out for more blasts.

“No, no, sorry. I didn’t mean to. You just turned off the inhibitor and all my power from the last decade came back. You’re powered too? You know how that feels?”

Daisy relaxed. “Yeah, I know what that’s like. But you still have to come with me.”

Carol nodded. “Home.”

Daisy shrugged and uncloaked her Saber ship with a swipe to her smartwatch. “We’ll see. There’s a very angry Saber commander who wants a word with you. But it seems like you have a better explanation for your absence than she assumed.”

Carol’s sad smile reappeared as they began walking to the ship. “Monica? So she is okay. She’s still…”

“Director? Yeah. No help from you, though.”

Carol’s voice came out hollow and haunted as she corrected Daisy’s assumption: “Alive. I meant alive. It probably says a lot about my work that I have to ask. The longer I’m out here, death tends to beat me to the punch. But yes. That’s true too. Not much I could do in there to help Saber or anyone else.” She nodded to the city with the prison on the horizon as they boarded the ship.

Daisy settled into the pilot seat, and to her surprise, Carol took the seat of the copilot, seeming just as comfortable joining her in the cockpit as she was soaring through the air on her own power.

When they were in the air, Carol broke the silence. “Thank you. For whatever you did back there to get them to release me.”

Daisy shrugged. “Right place, right time. May have shaken things up a bit at the Hall of Justice.” She winked and returned to piloting them out of the planet’s atmosphere.

Daisy set the autopilot when they were in space and beckoned Carol to the back of the ship to sit on a metal countertop. “Your powers seem to have healed your injuries, but you’ve still got some blood…” She opened a first aid kit and dabbed at Carol’s forehead and cheek.

Carol’s heart skipped at Daisy’s beauty so close to her, drawing her in like a magnet. Daisy’s earlier attitude of hostility and professional formality softened as she washed the dirt and blood away.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened,” Daisy said in a new, quiet, gentle tone. “But if you want to, I’m here. I may have judged you without knowing the whole story earlier. Monica thought you were just too busy for us or that you thought you were too important or something took priority.”

Carol shook her head and sighed. “Inside every powerful commander is a little girl left alone on Earth. Monica has a good reason for that assumption. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I’ve read your file.” It was a simple statement of fact, no judgment in Daisy’s tone.

Carol hopped off the counter as she continued. “I’ve made some mistakes, and I haven’t really been there for her when she needed me. But this wasn’t one of those times. I would have done anything to be there with her instead of here. Fury always told me that one day there would be a situation I couldn’t punch my way out of. But I couldn’t manipulate or secret agent my way out either. No Shield training or superpowers could have saved me from that hell. It was… I’ve never been scared to die before, not in battle anyway. But that, just losing myself a little more every day…”

Daisy set the cloth aside and soothed her hand down Carol’s shoulder. She brushed a tear off Carol’s cheek that Carol hadn’t even realized was falling. “I’m so sorry. If we would have known, we would have come sooner. When I found out you were there, I was afraid it was too late. It’s no secret that death follows me too. But we won this time. You’re safe now.”

Carol nodded and the emotions she hadn’t been able to let show for a decade spilled out as suddenly as her powers had earlier. Carol wondered if this was part of Daisy’s power when Daisy hugged her and Carol melted into her embrace.

“Sorry, hugger.” Daisy backed away when she realized she was hugging a near-stranger.

“No, no apologies.” Carol loosened her embrace but didn’t let go completely to emphasize her words. “Thank you, that was healing. Is that a superhero thing you do too? The quakes and the hugging?”

Daisy’s lip corner turned up and she pulled away, packing up the first aid kit. “Not officially, but my dad would say so. Oh! You know him! Or well, the old him.”

Carol furrowed her brow.

“Phil Coulson,” Daisy explained. “He’s not really my dad. I mean, he is, but not, like, my birth father. And now he’s an LMD anyway.”

“What’s an LMD? Wait, didn’t Phil Coulson die, like a long time ago with the original Avengers team?”

Daisy laughed for real. “We’ve got to catch you up. Yeah, several times, but the Avengers were only told about the first. That’s a long story, trust me. But he’s still with us, just different. But the same in the ways that count.”

Carol accepted this information. “Okay. Well, I definitely know what it’s like to come back from the dead different than I was before.”

Daisy walked back to the cockpit and Carol followed. They settled in, and when a screen on the console beeped, Daisy brought them out of hyperdrive into ordinary space, revealing a classic breathtaking view. “Never gets old, does it?”

“Wow, there it is,” Carol exhaled at the sight in front of them: a sleek, white space station hovered above the pale blue dot. They approached and Daisy radioed in to announce their arrival and that her mission had been a success. She didn’t say more to the control room, except to let Commander Rambeau know.

“Sooo,” Carol said when Daisy had signed off. “You’re going to help me explain where I was, right?”

Daisy sent her an amused look as she prepared their landing. “You’re still scared of her.”

“I’m not scared of her,” Carol said primly. “I simply want to be clear I wasn’t intentionally away. And it was never because I thought I was too important. It wasn’t like that.”

“Yeah?” Daisy’s soft tone again and open expression left the conversation open.

Carol stared at the green and blue of their home planet out the front window. “I thought for a long time that I had to earn it. Her love. Coming home. I had unfinished business, and even when we reconnected—”

“Literally, from what she told me,” Daisy interjected, referencing their power entanglement.

Carol nodded. “I tried to do the right thing, over and over, but it always came back to haunt me in the end. But I am sorry. And I’m being completely honest when I say I was not in that prison on purpose.”

Daisy laughed with her. “I believe you. And yes, I will help you tell her the real story.”

“Thanks. You know, Agent Johnson…”

“Call me Daisy.”

“Daisy. I think we could work well together. Maybe you could show me around Saber, tell me what everyone’s been up to? Maybe even catch me up on Earth news?”

Daisy flicked a few switches and turned to Carol. “I’ll do better than that. After we check in here, I’ll take you back to Earth myself. It’s been a while since I’ve been home, and Kamala would never forgive me if I didn’t bring you back with me.”

“Understood,” Carol laughed, remembering the teenager who had once covered her room in fanart of her idol, then learned Carol was only an imperfect human and somehow loved her more. Kamala’s family of origin was gone now, too, but they had taught Carol more about love than her own birth family ever had.

Daisy visibly checked out Carol, still in her white tank top, with her navy prison jumpsuit tied around her waist. “Plus, we have to take you shopping.”

Carol grimaced. “I’d appreciate it. And I need pretty much everything.”

“We can handle that.” Daisy initiated the landing sequence and surprised Carol by taking her hand as the space station docking bay welcomed them in automatically. “You’ve been through a lot. But you’ve got me. I mean, all of us. But also, specifically, me. If you want.” Daisy ended her ramble and returned to her final steps of piloting.

They landed with a thunk and Carol caught Daisy’s hand as she was about to stand. “I do. Want you. I mean, your help.”

“Good.” Daisy smiled in satisfaction. “But first, you have a commander to convince.”

—---------------

Monica, of course, was overwhelmed and overjoyed to have Carol home, and even more so when she realized what Carol had been through while she had been away: not being valorized and deified by far-off planets but in prison for helping to free captives and enslaved people. Treason against oppressive galactic powers made Carol’s criminal record practically a book by now. But Monica still insisted that Carol join Saber officially so she could have backup when she needed it and keep a clear comms line open. Carol agreed and was introduced or reintroduced to the other key players of Saber, hearing all about their work to explore space and protect Earth.

Nick Fury had once dubbed Carol “the prodigal daughter of the Milky Way,” and it was never more true than the banquet and celebrations at the Saber station that night. The prodigal daughter returned home.

Daisy was right beside her, too. The lone ranger no more. The one who finally found the missing Captain Marvel, but also someone who would be there for the long years to come as well. Not as a niece or a little sister, but as a friend, peer, and fellow enhanced agent.

And, if their exchanged looks of attraction and little touches of desire were anything to go by, much, much more.

[jhdanes]

MINI COMIC UPDATE! || AU-GUST 2024 || SUNDAY, 11. August || 2024

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆ 𖤓 WEBSITE𖤓 SUPPORT𖤓 TIKTOK 𖤓☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆ Day 11. Retail worker AU Lex really needs a boyfriend! @augustwritingchallenge for AU_gust for #AU_gust_2024

[augustwritingchallenge]

We are starting the 4th season of #AU_gust with a tough one! I hope you weren't deterred. I hope you haven't lost sight of your goal…

Bad puns aside, how did You interpret this prompt? 🙈 If you're still struggling, you may perhaps find some inspiration in this ask post. Or browse the #au_gust tag and see what awesome things others have come up with! 😉

[nexttrickanvils]

Something I miss from the livejournal days?

Those writing/art prompt communities that were like "30 Kisses" or "1 Sentence" and stuff like that.

Yeah there's monthly prompt challenges like AU_Gust or Whumptober but it's not really the same. There's also ask memes but they kind of require another person to send you an ask in the first place.

[thesoleilla]

Officially finished planning all of my AU_gust fics! Sorry guys from other fandoms but I'm gonna go spam the Tomodachi game Tag for the entirety of August, managed to get everything ideas for this fandom🤩

On another note, if any cool Tomodachi gale fans are still there, you guys are going to be well-fed

[random-writerings]

Rosa Diaz x fem!Reader - Flower Shop AU

Rosa Diaz is late to a friend's surprise party and she was supposed to bring the flowers. In a moment of panic, she rushes into the first flower shop she sees. Your flower shop.

You calmly ask her what kind of flowers her friend likes and, as you arrange the bouquet, Rosa can't help but notice how beautiful you are. But she's still late and the others might not be able to stall her friend for much longer. She leaves with her flowers and you think that will be the last you see of her.

But she comes back again. She can't help it. She makes up some excuse about needing more flowers for an office party. She does this several more times, just looking for a reason to see you again.

And everyday you hope to hear the roaring of her motorbike as she parks outside. You always love it when she comes into your shop. She makes you laugh when she tells stories about her co-workers at the police department.

But you're both too shy to make a move, until Rosa's co-workers decide to take matters into their own hands ...

[whumpsday]

AUgust Day 3: Countryside

this one is pure fluff

This is an AU of the recovery arc, specifically. Instead of moving out to the middle of the woods to escape being a known whumpee, Jim moves to the countryside. He’s got some chickens that he gets eggs from, and takes EXCELLENT care of them. These chickens want for nothing, the most spoiled birds on the planet. It’s therapeutic, in a way: Jim wants to prove that you can harvest food from a living, feeling being in a kind manner. He also grows his own vegetables. He makes a mean home-grown veggie omelet.

In canon, Jim goes vegan after escaping from Kane. This is still mostly true: the only animal product he’ll eat is the eggs of his own chickens (and sometimes dairy from local farmers if he knows & trusts the source), because he knows the animals were treated well. I can imagine Jim going to a farmer’s market and selling eggs :) I’ve heard that people who keep chickens always have an overabundance of them because chickens just shoot ‘em out so much.

During the recovery arc, after Kane’s eventually stopped being Jim’s (willing) captive and started being Jim’s housemate, he’ll be allowed outside, and he can help out a little. Jim would be very hesitant to let Kane near his birds, and Kane can only go out at night anyway, when they would be sleeping since chickens are diurnal. But Kane could help with the garden :) I think it would be nice.

@augustwritingchallenge

[yaoyoroz-oops]

AU August Day 4: Dinosaurs

[star--joy]

Artist’s Muse - Perc’ahlia

Percy, unsatisfied with Vex's refusal to buy the pair of earrings she wants, makes some himself. Somehow, he lands himself a date in the process.

-

Day two of the AU-gust challenge. Prompt: Artist's Muse.

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: None

Words: 2273

Originally posted: 8/5/22

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40815714

Percy wouldn’t normally consider himself an artist. An inventor, yes, and a brilliant one at that. The word artist, however, holds certain connotations that he doesn’t feel are accurate. Art isn’t meant to be purely functional, which his inventions are. Even his drawings are more meant to document than to perform.

It doesn’t bother him. He’s far more suited to a practical life. Always has been, even as a royal child. So, no, it doesn’t bother him that he's not an artist.

Most of the time, at least.

Vex’ahlia, though, always seems to make him break his own rules. Like right now, as she eyes the pricy piece of jewelry from across the boutique, envy swirling in those mesmerizing hazel eyes. For her credit, the set of earrings are beautiful, dazzling blue gems embedded into glittering gold. They would suit her perfectly.

Of course, she won’t buy them, not with that price tag. Even her bargaining skills wouldn’t be able to bring them down to a reasonable cost. So Vex settles for letting her gaze linger every time she gets a moment.

Percy doesn’t like it, the pucker between her brows as she walks out of the shop. He could, of course, buy it with his own funds as a gift, but Vex might never forgive him for paying such an atrocious price, so he tries to push it out of his mind as he trails behind the rest of the party.

That proves to be a challenge. He can’t stop thinking about how beautiful she would look in them, in large part due to the smile she’d no doubt wear. It makes his fingers itch.

“I’ll be right back,” he announces to the party, taking a sharp right at the next turn. “I have a few errands to run.”

“Oh,” Vex says, looking at him curiously. She’s too good at picking up on subtleties. “Anything interesting?”

Percy shakes his head. “Unfortunately not. I need to get a few parts for my Pepperbox.”

Keen eyes stare into his soul, definitely aware that the gunslinger is lying through his teeth. Vex doesn’t push, though, and he thanks the gods for it. “Have fun, Darling,” she simply says, throwing in a sly wink.

A red hot blush rises in Percy’s face, but he walks away before Vex can catch sight of it.

His errands don’t take long, and he arrives at Greyskull keep before the rest of his party is done with their shopping. Good, that allows him to slip into his workshop without interruption. Pulling out the items he’d purchased, Percy gets to work.

It’s harder than he expected, crafting jewelry from scratch. Perhaps Percy should have done some prior research. After his sixth or so failed attempt, he’s almost ready to throw in the towel, suck it up and just buy Vex the goddamn earrings. Surely she won’t mind that much if he uses his own funds?

Percy rubs his chin thoughtfully, feeling the growing stubble under his calloused fingers. This is all foolish. Vex has probably already forgotten about the damn earrings.

But, fuck, Percy wants to make her smile.

“Percy, Darling, are you alright? You’ve been down there all day,” Vex herself calls from outside the door to his workshop, startling him so much his knee jerks up and hits his work table. “Won’t you come get some food?”

“In a minute, Vex,” he responds, grabbing some more supply. Surely one more attempt won’t hurt.

But Vex isn’t done, apparently. “For someone who prides himself on being polite, you don’t tell the truth very often.”

He snorts. “Being polite is the opposite of telling the truth.”

“Seriously, dear, you can’t hole yourself up forever.” Curse her and her persistence. “If you’re not up in ten minutes, I’m coming back down,” she announces, followed by the sound of her retreating footsteps.

Ten minutes. Percy can get a lot done in ten minutes. Surely he won’t lose track of time.

Except it only feels like it’s been seconds of crafting the earrings when the door to his workshop slams open, Vex not even bothering to knock. “You’re so stubborn, Percy. It’s really quite a flaw.”

Trying to hide his current project by hunching over his workbench, Percy scoffs. “You’re not exactly one to talk, Vex.”

“Hush,” the archer demands, stepping around his workbench and wiping away a spot for her to sit on the opposite side. Two plates are set down. “Now, because you’re such a loner and refuse to eat with the group, I have to make sure that you actually do get enough nutrients to keep yourself alive. Eat up.” One plate full of steaming food is passed in his direction.

Percy blinks. It’s such a small thing, one that he might have found offensive if anyone else did it. He does not need a babysitter. With Vex, though, he feels flattered that she cares enough to make sure he’s taking care of himself. “Well, thank you.”

She softens, eyes crinkling around the edges with her smile. “Of course, Darling.” Leaning back in her chair, she throws her legs up onto his workbench and begins eating.

“Did everything go smoothly today? I do apologize for not being there to try and tame the lot, somewhat,” Percy says in between bites of food.

Vex laughs. “Percy, you are a man of many skills, but I do not believe even you can tame them. On the bright side, we only got kicked out of one pub.”

“That’s certainly an improvement.” Their last outing without Percy had resulted in three bar fights and one permanent ban from the nearest tavern. Perhaps next time, they'll manage to get through the whole night without issue.

Probably not, but Percy can dream.

“You know, you provide much better dinner company than Grog. Or Scanlan,” Vex says.

“I’d imagine so, yes,” Percy says through a chuckle. “You’re not half bad, yourself.” A pause hangs heavy in the air, making his throat dry up. Was that the wrong thing to say?

When he finds the courage to glance at Vex for a better gauge of her reaction, she’s observing him with a considering look, eyes trained on him in a way that makes him feel like her prey. He wants to ask if everything’s alright, if he had offended her in some way, but all the letters and words jumble around in his brain.

“Perhaps,” Vex murmurs, finally looking away and letting Percy breathe again, “we could make a habit of it, then.”

Oh.

Percy’s smile is nearly boyish. “Yes, I think that would be lovely.” The soft and saccharine tone he uses is a rare thing, the novelty of it causing a light blush to brighten Vex’s face.

“Alright then. Tomorrow, six o’clock. Meet me at The Oaken Tavern,” she demands, stretching her sore muscles before standing. “Don’t be late.”

“I’ll be right on time,” Percy assures her, collecting their plates. His back is turned towards the half elf, so he doesn’t see her approach behind him, but he does feel her lips, soft and plush, brush against his cheek in a barely-there kiss.

Every muscle in his body goes taunt, eyes growing to the size of the plates in his hand. Vex chuckles behind him. “Have a good night, Percy,” she hums, turning and walking up towards the main room as if she hadn’t just rendered him useless and flustered.

It takes almost a minute for Percy to remember how to use his body, and another after that to actually follow through and sit back down at his work bench.

The broken earrings stare up at him, glittering in the dim lighting.

He sets his face in determination and gets back to work.

Four hours and several cups of coffee later, Percy surveys his work. He’d had to go out and get more supplies, after ruining all his own, and he’s pretty sure that he’s now spent more on materials than the original earrings cost. At last, though, he has a set that looks good. Not perfect, not identical to the ones in the store. But passable.

If he weren’t worried about sleeping through his date (holy shit his date) then he might stay up and try until he’s created better. As it is, he wants to be well rested and completely attentive tomorrow, so he quickly flops down into his bed, not even bothering to change out of his daytime attire.

*LINEBREAK*

Percy checks his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. He’s still got a bit to go, but it was better to be early than late, he’d decided. Vex’s earrings are in a small golden box that he can’t help fiddling with relentlessly.

Maybe he shouldn’t have made them. Too late now, though. Besides, she’ll surely like them more than a bouquet of flowers, which was his other idea.

Perhaps a bouquet of enchanted arrows would work best. Unfortunately, Percy doesn’t have time to procure those at this point. The earrings will have to do.

“Hello, Percy,” Vex greets from behind him. He doesn’t jump, but it’s a close thing as she takes his hand in hers. Turning to look at his date, Percy’s remark dies on his tongue. Oh, dear Gods, she’s going to kill him .

Her dress clings to the curves of her body, the navy material accentuating every little dip. Golden gemstones sparkle in the lamp light of the street, creating the illusion of a starry galaxy, contained in her dress. Red-painted lips smile sharply at him.

Percy, for all his training and refinement, lets out an undignified choking noise. “Vex, you look-- stunning,” he breathes, suddenly feeling very inadequate, despite the effort he’d put into dressing up. How can his plain suit compare to the beauty that stands before him? It clearly can’t.

Vex smiles, all too pleased with herself, and does a little twirl. The golden gemstones shimmer and flicker with the movement . “You like it?”

“It’s beautiful.” He wants, so badly, to reach out and grab her hips, pull her in close and press their lips together. A proper kiss. If he did that, though, Percy wouldn’t be able to make it through the date, and would surely try and drag her back to the keep for an early night in, one spent deliciously alone together.

“Percival? You’re staring, dear. Is everything alright?” Vex asks, all faux innocence and concern as she steps closer and cups his face in one hand. Her calloused fingers stroke comforting circles into his skin.

“Everything is fine, darling,” he assures her, but when he tries to focus on taking deep, calming breaths, all he can do is smell her spicy perfume and that just makes everything worse.

Vex grins, slowly letting her hand drop from his face and gripping his arm, instead. “Well then, shall we eat?” It’s almost comical, how she has to almost drag him into the restaurant as he tries to remember how his muscles work.

Somehow, they end up sitting at a table in the corner, ordering off a menu. Percy comes back to himself just as the waiter asks, “And your order, Sir?”

Swallowing, he forces himself to look at the menu and rattles off the first appealing dish; a shrimp and garlic pasta. All throughout, Vex is just grinning deviously, especially when he catches her eye and blushes deeper.

When the waiter finally leaves, Vex leans across the table so she’s closer to Percy. “You seem a little distracted, Darling. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

He laughs, looking at the ceiling. “This is going straight to your head, isn’t it?”

“I can’t say I don’t enjoy it,” she admits in turn, hand reaching out to take his, which, he notices, is still clutching the golden box. “What’s this?”

Percy forces himself to stay calm. “Ah, that would be a gift. Something to celebrate our first date.”

Curiously, she takes the small box, inspecting it closely. “First of many, I would hope.”

“That is-- yes, I hope so, too.” Gods, where did his charisma go? He’d grown up as royalty, learning how to speak to others with dignity and grace and charm, yet here he is, nervous and stuttering like a lovestruck teenager.

Vex seems pleased at her effect on him, though, so he can’t be too upset.

Carefully, she begins to open the gift. The cocky, suave smile is wiped off her face when she sees what’s inside, but before Percy has time to worry about her reaction, she’s looking back at him with awe. “Percy, did you make these?”

He adjusts his glasses. “Well, yes. I do hope you like them?”

She doesn’t break out into a grin, or thank him profusely, or overdo her reaction. Instead, Vex just stares at him with a gratitude that makes his chest flutter. “Thank you, Percy. They’re very beautiful,” she murmurs, taking one out of the packaging to further inspect it.

“Ah, it was nothing.”

“Don’t be modest, you dick. They’re a great gift. Own it,” she demands, unhooking her current golden studs to put in the new pair. Percy thanks his lucky stars that they match her dress so well.

Looking down to hide his proud grin, Percy says, “You deserve it, Vex. I’ll have to make you more, sometime.”

She smiles again, but it’s nothing like the sharp, seductive grins she’d sported just earlier this evening. This one is soft and gentle and Percy wants to look at it forever. “That would be lovely.”

And with her as a beautiful source of inspiration, Percy has no doubt that he will follow through on that.

[tigerlilycorinne-fanfiction]

honey, you're familiar

Day 5 of AUgust 2024 Challenge: Chess Players

Rating: Teen and Up

Pairing: Barrissoka (Barriss Offee/Ahsoka Tano)

Words: 9.5k

Summary:

“So,” Tanora says, “who is she?” “Who?” Barriss asks, playing dumb. Of course, her mind goes immediately to Ahsoka—to her bright eyes focused on the board before her, to her wide grin and crow of victory. Tanora, it seems, isn’t fooled. She simply raises an eyebrow. “Who do you think? The one you can’t take your eyes off of.”

Or: When Barriss and Ahsoka end up sheltering in the same inn while a weeks-long storm rages, they eventually have to talk it out, over—of all things—a game of holochess.

Read on AO3

“Chess Players” AU for the AUgust 2024 challenge (@augustwritingchallenge)! The collection is here!

I thought I posted this at 2 AM last night only to realize I had "saved it as draft." Oops. Please pretend I did this on time.

[theunseeliemperoress]

AU August Day 5: Teachers

(TA Lityeres and English teacher Apollo with a little smut thrown in anyone? this is my first attempt at writing anything explicit.)

This fic is 18+

Lityerses took a deep breath as he stepped through the school gates. The building a strange mix of old brick he’d once been familiar with and new glass and steel that had been added after he’d graduated. Never thought I’d be back here, he thought as he looked around. Besides the new extension it hadn’t changed much. Walking through the doors he found the inside was also more or less the same. New photos had been added to the trophy cabinet, Lit couldn’t help but pause to find his old hockey team photo, and it seemed someone had finally fixed that damn light a few tiles down. Good, the incessant flickering had always gotten on his nerves. He was just about to pull himself from the cabinet when he heard a voice from behind him.

‘Can I help you?’ he turned around to see a man not much older than himself standing behind him. He was a tall man, though not lanky. With blonde hair, well gold might have been more accurate, that was long enough to just touch the top of his shoulders. He was smiling at Lityerses but in a way that made it clear he wanted to be somewhere else. Judging by the stack of papers and folders in his arms that somewhere else was a classroom.

‘Oh right sorry. Um I’m the new TA.’ The man nodded.

‘Oh for the biology class right? I heard you’d be coming. You’ll be heading for the principals office I can show you the way if you like.’ Lityerses shook his head.

‘No it’s okay. I actually went to school here so I know where it is. That’s if it’s still in the old building.’ The man nodded.

‘Well I’m going to walk with you anyway, since my classroom is down that way as well.’ The two men began walking down the left side hallway.

‘So what was your name again?’ the man asked.

‘Lityerses Green.’ He answered. The man let out a laugh at this.

‘Mr Green the biology teacher. Well weren’t you made for this job.’

‘I’m only a TA.’

‘Still you never know. Anyway my names Apollo. Say Lit you wouldn’t happen to know the teacher you’ll be working with? Ms Green.’

‘She’s my mother.’ Lityerses admitted shifting a little. He hoped Apollo wouldn’t ask why he had his mothers last name. Truth was he’d changed it after a particularly bad falling out with his father, which had ended in him being disowned and fired from the family company. To prideful to ask for help from his mother or any of his friends he’d found a job as security for a man his father often did business with. Or at least that’s what they called it on his contract. Truth was something had never felt right about that job from the first pay cheque, or should that be first wad of cash, but by the time he’d realised what exactly he’d gotten himself in for it was too late to bail out. Not without his boss securing his silence. He’d only gotten out because the police got involved, and the only reason he wasn’t in jail was because his mother had threatened his father until he agreed to let Lit use his lawyer. The lawyer had hammed up his naivety to the whole situation, playing the sheltered little rich kid angle to its full potential. He would have cracked up at this if he hadn’t been so scared. He’d spent most of his highschool and all of his college years street fighting, as well as selling a few bags from his, secret, garden.

‘So you got this job through nepotism. Same here though mine goes all the way to the top.’ Lityerses stared at him.

‘So you’re dad’s the…’

‘The principal that’s right.’

‘So I’m guessing you also went to school here?’ Apollo shook his head.

‘Nope I was sent to boarding school along with my sister. You’ll see her around, she’s a gym teacher as well as the coach for several of the girls sports teams.’ With that he stopped outside a door and turned to face Lityerses.

‘Well this is my classroom so this is where we part ways.’ He began to push the door open before turning around again. ‘Oh I just remembered I’m going to get drinks with a few of our co workers after work on friday, would you like to come? It’ll be a great way for you to get to know everyone. Well everyone who wouldn’t have taught you that is.’ Lityerses blinked at him but then smiled.

‘Yeah I’d like that. If you have room for one more.’ Apollo nodded, his smile somehow managing to brighten, and disappeared into the room that from what Lityerses could see was an English classroom.

***

As he approached the front door Lityerses could here the clanging sounds that could have only come from his youngest sisters attempts to play the piano. Either that or someone had gotten sick of her attempts to play the piano and had pushed it down a flight of stairs. Deciding there was no way the door bell would be heard over that racket he raised his fist and pounded on the door instead. It was soon opened by a haggard looking young woman who was casually tugging on her dreadlocks.

‘Hey Persephone.’ He said giving his sister a quick one armed hug.

‘Hey yourself.’ She replied giving his arm a squeeze in return. She was wearing a lacy top which showed most of her back and midriff, Lit couldn’t help but to think she’d done so to annoy their mother, and there was a fairly new tattoo on her arm of a skull sitting in a bed of flowers.

‘Do you like it? Hades paid for it as a wedding anniversary gift.’ Lityerses smiled and said he did, though he was also dreading the fifty times their mother would bring it up to complain. He was about to mention this when he heard a familiar voice coming from the living room.

‘Lit? How nice to see you.’ He turned to find Apollo standing there grinning from ear to ear. Lityerses stared at him mouth agape. He’d never seen him in his casual clothes before and it certainly wasn’t what he’d been expecting. He wore skinny jeans and a t-shirt that was even skinnier that showed a faint outline of his muscles every time he breathed in. His hair was tied back in a messy bun and draped over his arm was a bomber jacket as well as a hoodie that was too small to be his. Lityerses suddenly became very aware of the small stain on the sleeve of his hoodie, and had to fight back the urge to fix his hair.

‘Uh yeah you to. Um what are you doing here?’ he asked. Shit why did he have to say it like that? Apollo however seemed unfazed.

‘I was giving little Meg her piano lessons.’

‘You teach piano?’

‘I teach a few instruments. As well as archery. Teaching in a school doesn’t pay as much as you’d like and I have five mouths to feed. Talking of which, Lee hurry up.’ He yelled this last part into the living room. There was a sound of the old armchair creaking and shuffling footsteps. Lityerses stared as a boy around ten appeared in the doorway. He stared up at Lityerses with round blue eyes that seemed almost too big for his small face.

‘What happened to you?’ he asked pointing at Lityerses. Without really thinking about it he reached up and touched the scars that ran along his entire face.

‘Lee that’s rude.’ Apollo scolded. ‘I’m sorry about him, he’s a good kid but he has no filter when it comes to his curiosity.’

‘You can say that again.’ Lityerses turned to see his mother walking out of the kitchen. ‘Though I’m more than happy to let you bring him again.’ She added as she handed Apollo his money for the days lesson.

‘Thank you. But hopefully after this test we won’t have anymore hospital visits.’ He gave Lee’s shoulder a quick squeeze. ‘Well we’d better go or we’ll be late.’

‘Aren’t you going to give your auntie Persephone a hug?’ Lit’s sister teased. Laughing Apollo gave her a quick squeeze and Persephone bent down to let Lee give her a kiss on the cheek. Lityerses watched the two leave until his sister closed the door, before turning to look at her.

‘Auntie Persephone?’ he asked.

‘I’m married to his uncle, which makes me his aunt.’

‘And the kids great aunt.’

‘Oh shut it.’ She snapped giving him a light shove.

***

He wasn’t sure what made him approach Apollo’s classroom but for some reason Lityerses found himself standing in the doorway watching as he looked over the papers on his desk.

‘I swear they’re so stupid.’ Apollo muttered to himself. ‘I mean who describes as persons face as being “Like a drawing but in 3D?’ Lityerses couldn’t help but let out a snort at that. Startled Apollo spun round his face breaking out into a smile when he saw who was standing there.

‘Lit. Please come in.’ He pushed the papers to one side and stood up. Lit closed the door behind him and approached the desk his heart pounding. This is ridiculous he thought, I shouldn’t be doing this, not here.  

‘Is there anything I can help you with?’ Apollo asked his smile faltering as a look of concern crossed his eyes. Lit swallowed and took a deep breath.

‘Would you like to go for dinner with me? Tomorrow night that is? Just the two of us…’ shit he felt like he was going as red as his Corn Huskers sweater. Apollo blinked at him.

‘Oh uh well I’d have to see if I can get a babysitter for the kids.’ Lit felt his heart sink. ‘But if not I can do Saturday. My moms having them all round for tea anyway.’ Feeling his face split into a smile Lit nodded.

‘Saturday’s good.’

‘So it’s a date.’ Apollo nodded.

‘Yeah a date. That is I mean if you want it to be. I don’t mind if we just…’ he stopped when he realised Apollo had one hand resting on his hip and the other cupping his chin.

‘Oh but I do want it to be a date.’ He said as he lowered his face so that his lips were touching Lityerses’s. For a second Lit was surprised, but this quickly wore off and he was soon kissing him back. Not really thinking about what he was doing he found one hand reaching for the back of Apollo’s head and the other for the small of his back. For a moment he wondered of this would make him pull away but instead he found himself being lifted on to the desk as Apollo moved his lips away from his own and down to his neck. As he did so his hand made its way up Lit’s shirt making him shudder in pleasure. He wanted more so much more. And he told Apollo as much whispering the words into his ear. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the other man’s eyes light up as he took Lit’s hand and lead it to his belt. Realising what he wanted him to do he began to fumble with the buckle as Apollo eased his own pants down.

‘So do you want to go first or shall I?’ he asked.

‘You’d better go first. Since I’m already sat down.’ Lityerses replied. Apollo gave a chuckle at that and kissed his lips again, then his neck, his chest and his stomach before kissing his inner thigh. Taking a deep breath Lit leaned back and closed his eyes as he felt the other man’s fingers stroke along his cock. The anticipation was enough to make him cry out but he didn’t have to wait for long. A feeling of extasy ripped through him and a smile plastered itself upon his face as he grasped at the back of Apollo’s head. When he was finished Apollo gave his thigh one last kiss before standing up.

‘So what did you think. Not bad huh?’ Lit grinned at him.

‘I think coming back to school was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.’

[jhdanes]

Day 12–> bookstore: hanzo enjoys his quiet moments in the bookstore he owns, but he enjoys his biker boyfriend kisses more :) @augustwritingchallenge for #AU_gust_2023 my contribution for day 12! #AU_gust

[lizbiz99]

Day 1 is here! Hope you all enjoy!!!!

The 5th season AU-gust starts with the most open-to-interpretation prompt yet!

On day 1, something is different. It is a familiar story, but there is a small change. A small change can lead to enormous consequences, or it can have no effect at all.

[linaxart]

AU-gust - Day 1: Ancient Gods - @augustwritingchallenge

Andromache the goddess bc ofc. Bloody version under the cut

don't repost. click to enlarge. reblogs apreciated 💕

[ID: A digital fanart of Andromache the Scythian from The Old Guard. She's sitting in a throne in a cave looking at the viewer. Her arms rest on the armrests and there's simple carved drawing around her. Her hair is long and she's wearing her signature leather vambraces along with bone ornaments including a crown. She has a fur covering her shoulder and breast, a fabric skirt and a pelt thrown over her unshaved legs. The style is textured in beige and grey-green tones with simple lines. End ID.]

[ID: The same fanart except Andromache has blood on her palms, her visible thigh and her lips. End ID.]