#I finished this back in October but I just realized I never posted it

[jasontoddiefor]

every once in a while I think back to a fanfic I read in 2015. in retrospect, it wasn’t all that well written, but it was penned by teenagers in love with their story and the story loved me back.

They main character was trans and a central theme of the story was the length of his hair. I read the first chapter the day it was published, almost certainly searching through the trans character tag. It was October, another two months to the date I would cut my hair - the day before Christmas, I walked out of the hair salon as though I’d already received all the gifts I could possibly want.

I loved my short hair, the buzz at my neck, running my fingers through short strands and have the hair fall from them after lifting them just a few centimeters.

Three years later, I decided to grow my hair out again. For my family, mostly, I think now, as a test, to me and to them.

My aunt said it felt like spite, dangling my hair in front of them, threatening to cut it off again as though to punish them.

I did cut it off again.

I think I failed my own test. I know my family did.

For the first time in nine years my hair has grown past my shoulders, that imaginary line by which I measured someone’s love. My own, probably.

Fourteen years ago I cut my hair for the first time in my life. It used to reach down to my knees, and tangled at every opportunity. I remember being so exhausted, long before I realized what was actually weighing me down.

I miss that little girl sometimes. I hope she forgives me.

But this post is not about her, not yet. Maybe not ever. She’s asleep in her Playmobil castle and princess bed and I don’t know how to wake her yet.

This is about a story posted in 2015. The last time it was updated was 2017, it was never finished.

I don’t ever need it to be finished. All I need is for it to remain there, with its title, the reminder of don’t let your hair past your shoulders, and the comment I wrote in 2015. I hope this story knows I love it still, and that somewhere, sometime, another boy learns that it’s okay. That your hair can grow again. That you do not need to hate it.

The authors of that story have vanished, I can’t find any of them anywhere, but I hope that my last comment, left now nearly a decade later, has reached them. That they know how grateful I was for giving me something to hold on when I need it, for allowing me to be seen when I couldn’t stand looking in the mirror.

That even now, so may years later, looking back at their writing with - perhaps - embarrassment for leaving it unfinished like that, having written the kind of stories only high schoolers would, they will know it means the world to someone.

[fourteenfandomfan]

A witch in love is a dangerous thing

[mouth-dreaming]

So I wrote this story back in October and I didn't finish it until November because I had no motivation. Anyways, this story was inspired by the deranged comments under Ryan's video "how to cause a traffic accident" enjoy this spooky nkotr story :0)

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How to Undo a Traffic Accident

It was a sunny, chill autumn day in Plymouth. The new kids were enjoying their day by setting up Halloween decorations around the rock. Earlier that morning, they had just uploaded their newest video where Ryan explains how to cause a traffic accident. "Boy, I'm sure glad we were able to upload that new educational video!" Ryan said. "Yeah, and all it took was the loss of childhood innocence and a stuffed bear!" Neil replied. As Neil was carving out the top of a pumpkin, he opened it and found a letter inside. Neil pulled out the letter and examined it, pulling away pieces of pumpkin guts from it. "Hey, it must be a letter from the studio!" The new kids looked at eachother in excitement. "Well what does it say?" Kevin asked. Neil unfolded the letter and read. "Dear, New Kids on the Rock - Hey that's us! - We love your newest video..." The new kids looked at eachother confidently. "Well that's great!" Kevin said. "What else does it say?" He asked. Neil turned back to the letter and continued to read. "However, we've saw many interesting comments under the video, so we ask if you review some of them for yourselves, signed Plymouth Rock Studio." Neil paused and looked at his friends in confusion. "Well, it's good that they like our video, but what do they mean about the comments?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, all the comments were positive, I don't see why the studio has a problem with them!" Ryan continued. Neil folded the letter and slid the paper in his pocket, then jolted up in excitement. "Well there's only one way to find out! To the computer!"

The elevator in Plymouth Rock opened. The new kids quickly stepped inside and rushed towards the computer after it lowered. "Ok Neil, you're the tech expert, turn this thing on!" Kevin said. Neil fetched some tools and opened the computer to get to work. After an hour of messing with circuts and wire, the computer still didn't turn on. "Sorry guys, I don't think this thing will turn on-" Neil was interrupted when Ryan pushed a button that said "power" on the computer. It turned on with a click. "Oh, well that works too I guess." Neil said. The new kids huddled up around the computer. Neil and Kevin on the keys, with Ryan on the mouse.

"Ok, time to look at those comments!" Ryan said eagerly.

The new kids started scrolling through the comment section, but nothing seemed unusual at first, until they started reaching the bottom. "Wait, hold on, look at this one!" Ryan pointed at the screen and read one of the comments. "Ryan, you're the...smex?" Ryan looked confused at first, but then a bit of confidence perked up inside him. "Well, I guess I AM the smex! Thank you!" But the farther they scolled, the more deranged they got. One of the comments caught their eyes. Ryan pointed it out and read "HAHA! I recognize that intersection! I know where you live...Ryan..." Ryan turned to his friends in fear. "Don't worry Ryan, there's plenty of intersections in the world! How on earth would they find you just by recognizing some random intersection!" Neil said to Ryan. Kevin nodded and replied. "Yeah, what Neil said! It may not even be the same intersection they think they're talking about!" Ryan looked up at his friends and chuckled in relief. "Yeah, I guess you're right, guys! How could one commenter pose such a threat-" but right before Ryan could finish, he was interrupted by a knock on the rock.

The new kids looked at the security cameras to see who it was. They all let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness, it's only Max! Wait- MAX?!" The new kids headed up the elevator and creeped around the rock. "Shhh...no sudden movement. He's like a t-rex from jurassic park; he has a taste for blood and any sort of quick movement could trigger his primal rage. Follow me, guys, and stay close behind." Ryan and Kevin followed behind Neil. As they almost got out of the woods, a leaf crunched, which caused Max turn around and catch them. "Hey, new skids!" He yelled. The new kids paused in fear and slowly turned to face him. "M-M-Max! How lovely to see you at our r-r-rock!" Ryan said, trembling. "W-What brings you here?" He asked. The new kids looked at eachother in dread, wondering how Max knew about their secret hideout. Max looked up and down at the rock in confusion and then at the new kids. "Why are you guys hanging out by a rock?" He asked. "Is this your secret hideout or something?" Neil looked at him and was stunned but tried to hold back his fear. "Secret hideout? What?! nooooo!" He said. Then Kevin chimed in. "Yeah, there's no secret hideout here, are you crazy?!" He said. "Y-yeah, no secret hideout whatsoever! Haha!" Ryan continued nervously. Max looked at them, more confused than before. "Ok?..." He said. "I guess that makes sense, only LOSERS hang out by rocks! See ya' new..uh...new LOSERS on the rock! Haha!" He laughed and walked away. The new kids let out a sigh of relief. "Wow, I'm sure glad that worked." Ryan said. "See, Ryan, all that crazy stalker stuff is a bunch of bologna!" Kevin said. "Yeah!" Neil chimed. "You've got nothing to worry about!" Ryan smiled and felt more relieved. "Yeah, I guess you're right, but wait, what did Max come here for?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" The new kids heard Max shout from the distance. He walked towards them and introduced a cloaked figure to them. "So this kid, uh.. asked me to bring 'em to you suckers so uh, here ya go LOSERS! HAHA!" He laughed and walked off again, leaving the cloaked figure with them.

Neil stepped forward to the figure. "Hey, so uh...what brings you here?" He asked. The figure chuckled and whispered "I recognized that intersection, Ryan. I finally found where you live!" The new kids jumped back and gasped in shock and fright. The cloaked figure raised their hand and the fall leaves twirled around them like tiny dancers. The figure's eyes glowed as they levitated in the air. "RUN!!" Kevin yelled. They tried to make a run for it, but they were forced at a stop by some kind of magical force. They were turned to face the figure, mumbling some ancient incantation. "I curse you, new kids on the rock!" And just as they spoke those words, the figure disappeared in a flash of light. The new kids fell to the ground and slowly sat back up. "What was that?!" Kevin asked. "I-I don't know...wait- Ryan, what did you do?" Neil asked. "ME?! I have no idea wh-" Suddenly a little wet, unstuffed bear fell from the sky into Ryan's hands. "Ryan...the-the BEAR?!" Neil stammered. The new kids stared at the toy, stunned. "Oh my god...Ryan, did you really steal this little kid's stuffed animal?!" Ryan looked at his friends, who expressed great disappointment in him. "Well..."

The Next Day

Neil was making breakfast at his house, yet he still couldn't shake off the memory of what happened yesterday. "I curse you, new kids on the rock!" Is all that he's been thinking about since last night. What form will these curses come? And most importantly...when?

Ryan sat down at the table. "Oh boy, pig ribbons!" He said in excitement. But before he could eat, he looked up at Neil and saw that he wasn't doing so well. "Neil, are you alright? You look like you haven't slept a wink." Neil turned to Ryan and let out a tired yawn. "Yeah, I'm ok, Ryan. I just- I've been thinking about yesterday and-" Ryan stood up from the table and put his hand on Neil's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, Neil. We'll figure out someway to break this curse. And besides, the witch cursed me, not any of you two-" Ryan was quickly cut off when he heard Kevin screaming from the other room. "AHHHHHH!!!" Ryan and Neil looked at eachother in horror and rushed to Kevin's aid. "Kevin! Kevin, are you alright?!" They asked. Kevin grabbed Neil and shook him, trying to explain what horror he woke up to. "Woah, woah, Kevin slow down! Tell us what happened!" Kevin paused and lifted his hat. "I'M....I'M.....I'M BALD!!!" Neil and Ryan gasped and screamed in horror.

Suddenly, there was a cold chill in the air. Ryan could sense another curse was coming about, and then...there was a dead silence. The gang looked around for whatever would spring up next, but just then Neil looked at his hands, which were replaced with rat paws. "AHHHH!! WHAT THE HELL?!?!?" POOF! There was a puff of smoke. Kevin and Ryan looked around the room. "Neil? Neil, where are you?!" Suddenly, they heard squeaking coming from below. They looked down, only to find a rat standing at their feet. "EEK! Ryan, get the broom!" Ryan tossed Kevin a broom, which he used to shoo away the rodent. He chased the animal all through the kitchen in a Tom & Jerry style fight, knocking over pots, pans, and kitchen utensils just to get rid of it. "AAAH! GUYS, STOP! IT'S ME!" The rat squeaked. Kevin looked at the creature and gasped, tossing the broom onto the floor. They found that Neil had not dissappeared, but instead, turned into a rat. Just as the fighting stopped, a purple keyboard appeared in front of him. "NEIL, I'M SO SORRY, I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS YOU! ARE YOU OK?!" Kevin asked. Neil looked up at his friends in horror, and then down to the keyboard, where he saw an even more horrific sight: there were 8 keys on the keyboard, and Neil hates the number 8. "NOOOOOOOO!!!" Rat Neil squeaked. "Oh no, this is all my fault!" Ryan said in anguish. "But maybe it's not too late to save the day! Follow me guys!" Kevin picked up rat Neil and marched off with Ryan to the witch's lair.

Later

Ryan led his friends through a dark and spooky forest where the supposed witch's lair is found. "Ryan, how do you know this place?" Kevin asked. Ryan shook his head and chuckled. "Oh, silly, silly, Kevin! This is where my cave is!" He replied. "Cave?" Kevin asked. "Neil looked up at Kevin and squeaked "Yeah, Kevin. Don't you know that every year on Pig Day, Ryan awakens from his cave after his one week hibernation to howl and screech at the moon and prepare for the Pig Day ritual?" Even with Neil's explanation, this only gave Kevin more questions than answers. "Pig Day? How come you guys never tell me about these holidays?" Ryan chuckled once more and shook his finger. "Ah, Kevin, you'll understand once you're older!" He said. "Ryan, I'm in my 30s." Kevin replied.

After journeying through the cold, dark forest, layered with fall leaves, the new kids had finally found themselves at the witch's lair, which was an old, abandoned shack in the middle of the woods, covered with moss and vines. "Wow" said the new kids, who were in awe of the building. "Woah guys, this is a really old building, we need to be careful where we step." Rat Neil squeaked. "Pfft! Don't worry yourself too much, Neil! We know what we're do-" Ryan was interrupted as a leaf that fell on the floodboard caused the wood to collapse in. "Or we can just listen to Neil!" Kevin said. "Great idea!"

Ryan pulled the stuffed bear from his coat and placed it on a table with lit candles, in order to summon the witch. "Oh great wickedness, arise to claim our offering for you!" After a few minutes of silence, Ryan and his friends felt hopless, thinking the witch would never come. Right when they were about to open the door to leave, a strange mist had flooded the halls, and the leaves danced through the air. Suddenly the house shook, the floorboards parted, and the witch had risen, leaving the boards to seal up once more. "New kids on the rock..." the witch spoke. "If you wish to undo this wretched curse, you must complete three dangerous tasks, each more horrid than the last! First you must-" the witch was interrupted by Ryan, who held up the stuffed bear to her. "Oh, well we actually came to give you your toy back." He said. "Oh." The witch picked up the newly stuffed, dry bear. "Ok, well nevermind all that stuff then. Curse is undone." She snapped her fingers and disappeared with her stuffed animal. In a puff of mist, Neil suddenly turned back into a human and Kevin finally got his beautiful hair back.

The new kids thanked the witch as they walked out of the house, heading back to the rock.

Later that night

"Hey guys, I'm really sorry I messed up back there and caused you guys to be forever scarred for life, boy was I sure dumb!" Ryan said. "Don't worry, guys! I promise to never steal from a witch or any other magic bearing entity ever again!" Ryan said, as he finished stitching together another voodoo doll for his collection. "Well atleast you did the right thing, Ryan. And the studio loved the video!" Neil said. "Hey, why don't we go use our paycheck and head down to the local theater!" Kevin said. "Yeah, let's watch Ernest Goes to Hell!" Ryan replied. "Or maybe we could go to the arcade! I heard they've got a brand new game called Polybius!" Neil suggested. "Or we could go to........http://HollywoodEastTv.com!"

The End

[babydollmarauders]

CLUMSY — JACK HUGHES

jack hughes x fem!reader

summary: quinn and luke realize how clumsy y/n is after noticing how often jack unconsciously keeps her from harm

notes: y/n is written sensitive and clumsy! also, i wrote this on saturday to have something to post this week while i’m unable to write <3

i’ve met my boyfriends family on numerous occasions since we started dating in october. mostly through quick trips such as Quinn coming into town for a game against the Devils and whatnot, but this is my first time spending an elongated amount of time with them and i have this irrational fear that they’ll dislike me.

Jack has assured me multiple times since we’ve arrived at the lake house for the summer that i have no reason to worry, but it’s been four days and i still feel like they’re forming their opinions on me. so, i’ve taken it upon myself to do whatever i can in order to get them to like me; including my current task of baking cookies.

“you know they already love you, right?” Jack asks, standing at the counter beside me, observing as i mix the dry ingredients into a bowl. “you don’t need to bake them cookies.”

“are you saying you don’t want my sea salt chocolate chip cookies?” i keep focused on the task at hand, my sight never leaving the measuring cup as i scoop the flour into the bowl.

“now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” a hearty chuckle escapes his lips as he maneuvers himself behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist as he clings himself to me, his cheek resting pressed against my shoulder blade. “i definitely want your cookies. i’m just saying that my brothers don’t need them.”

i giggle as his fingers tickle at the bits of my sides where my shirt has risen, arching my back to try and escape his hands. Jack groans as i break free from his grip, but i assume it’s mostly due to his brothers entering the kitchen.

“ooh, what are you making?” Luke wonders, coming to a stop on the opposite side of the counter.

“cookies!” i grin, finally looking up as i finish the dry ingredients.

“yum.” Quinn chimes in, sidling into the spot beside Luke. he peers into the bowl and his brows furrow slightly. “y/n, that’s just powder?”

i bark out a laugh at the clueless boy.

“Quinny, you have to mix the dry ingredients first. then the wet ingredients such as eggs, butter and vanilla. and then you mix them both together to form the dough.” i explain. i scan the countertop, making sure i have each item needed for the next step. “i need another bowl.”

i bend down, opening the lower cupboard and reaching for the metal mixing bowl inside.

“Trevor texted me this morning.” i hear Jack inform the boys.

“yeah? when’s he coming up?” Quinn asks.

“in two weeks. but Alex is getting here tomorrow.” Jack says. i shut the cupboard door, stretching my legs to rise back up from my position. my head bumps Jack’s hand, wrapped around the lip of the counter above where i was bent.

my left hand rubs the top of the back of my head super quick as i set the mixing bowl on the counter. i glance back up as Luke and Quinn share an amused look and my face scrunches in confusion.

what did i miss?

**

Jack’s left arm rests on my shoulders, my face half buried into his chest as he scrolls on his phone. Quinn and Luke sit in armchairs on opposite sides of the couch as Alex sits on the opposite side of Jack. a movie plays on the tv, but i’m momentarily distracted by Ellen walking past the back of the couch, calling out a goodnight.

“goodnight El!” i call back as she makes her way to the stairs, the boys all muttering their own goodnight’s.

“brunch tomorrow, while the boys golf?” she asks, confirming our plans. i nod and she grins, blowing a kiss towards the group of us as she finally walks up the stairs.

“you guys are going to brunch tomorrow? without us?!” Luke asks, his hand coming up to his chest in mock offense.

“you guys are going golfing tomorrow, without us! it’s only fair.” i laugh and Alex chuckles.

“y/n/n, you don’t even like golf. you said it’s boring and called it ‘watered down hockey’.” Alex points out as i burrow back into Jack’s side.

“shh, i’m watching the movie.” i shush him, making the boys laugh. Jack turns back to his phone and i watch through one peeked open eye as he double taps on his teammate’s most recent instagram post before typing out some nonsense comment that i’ll never understand.

pulling back, i lock my eyes on the remote on the coffee table. sliding forward some, i lean, stretching my fingertips out to try and grab it. finally getting ahold of it, i go to lean back, wobbling forward and accepting my fate. i brace myself to fall before feeling a hand grab onto the back of my shirt. yanking me back, Jack pulls me back into his side, his eyes still glued to his phone. i heave out a small relieved sigh as i press a kiss to his chest before turning the volume up on the tv.

i glance around the living room to the other boys, gauging how interested they are in the movie, but Luke and Quinn are exchanging a look. Luke biting back a smile as Quinn smirks.

what did i miss this time?

**

with the boys friends all finally arriving, the lake house has become much too crowded to hang out inside. so instead we’re all outside, gathered around a fire that was once blazing but now dwindling. my boyfriend jokes around with Cole and Trevor, Luke speaking with his University of Michigan teammates, Ethan and Dylan, and lastly Quinn sits sipping a beer as he chats with Alex and the Tkachuk’s.

making myself scarce in order to not cling to my boyfriends side as he tries to enjoy himself, i text with my own friends from back in New Jersey as i balance on the edge of the brick fire pit, circling it as i type.

“be careful, babe.” Jack warns me, and i grin and throw him a thumbs up. he barely gives me a second glance before Trevor takes up his attention, reciting a story of something that happened to he and his friend Jamie back in California.

i continue pacing around on the elevated bricks, typing a long winded message to Leah, explaining why she shouldn’t call her ex. as i pass by my boyfriend once more, i’m not paying as close attention as i probably should be, my foot getting a little too close to the inner edge as i start to slip.

a hand grips my elbow, pulling me back to a standing position before i can fall into the fire and i look over to see Jack, his attention still on Trevor and his hand wrapped around my arm as he nods his head at his friend while he continues ranting. i give a light pat to Jack’s shoulder to let him know i’m fine and he releases his grip.

slipping my phone into my pocket, i continue my journey around the fire pit again, this time with more of my focus going into keeping upright. passing Luke, i see him looking away from his friends, and i follow his line of sight to his brother, Quinn looking right back at him. both wear an entertained appearance and i look around to see if i can find what they’re smiling about but come up empty-handed.

why do i keep missing these things?

**

with today being one of the hottest days of the summer, we’re all crowded on the boat. most of the group lounges around conversing with one another, Luke currently taking his turn wakesurfing as music blares from Quinn’s bluetooth speaker.

i’m sat in Jack’s lap, rubbing my third layer of sunscreen on my legs and the tops of my feet.

“babe, i think you’ve got enough.” Jack laughs, his hands grip my waist to keep me from falling as i’m leaned forward.

“i just wanna make sure. the UV index is super high today and you know how easily i burn.” i tell him, sitting back upright as i flip the cap of the sunscreen closed once more.

“i know, sugar. but we’ve only been out here for two hours and that’s your third time applying it. i think you’re okay for a while.” he takes the lotion from my hands, handing the bottle over to Cole. “put that in the bag next to you, eh?”

Cole nods, placing the sunscreen into the waterproof zip up bag i brought on the boat.

“y/n/n! c’mere!” Luke shouts, making me untangle myself from Jack. i rise to my feet, shuffling over to the back of the boat and leaning over to get closer in order to hear him better.

“you gonna let her get that close to the edge, Rowdy?” Quinn questions, making the boys laugh.

“what?” Jack asks. “what do you mean?”

“she’s a bit clumsy, is she not? we’ve noticed you all summer, keeping her from hurting herself.” Quinn replies through chuckles. even Alex, who drives the boat barks out a laugh.

“wait, when did i do that?” Jack wonders.

“all the time! you weren’t even paying attention when you did it!” Luke shouts and i stick my tongue out at him before turning to observe the boys.

“there was the first time Luke and i noticed it, when you wrapped your hand over the counter to make sure she didn’t hit her head. and you were right to do so because she bumped it right on your hand.” Quinn explains.

“or when she was reaching off the couch to grab the remote and you caught her by her shirt to keep her from falling. and you didn’t even look up from your phone as you did it!” Luke says as he climbs back on the boat.

“or how about when she was balancing on the fire pit and you caught her by the arm to keep her from falling straight into the fire. while you kept all your attention on Trevor. didn’t even look, you just reached a hand out and grabbed her.” Quinn provides another example. “i can go on.”

“i didn’t even realize i was doing all that.” Jack shrugs, glancing towards me. “i guess it’s just unconscious reaction. i’ve gotten used to it by now.”

“i’m not clumsy.” i pout, crossing my arms over my chest.

“it’s okay, it’s not necessarily a bad thing!” Trevor attempts to comfort me. i give him a side-eye, making my way over to Jack. but before i can sit in his lap, i slip. Jack’s arms wrap around my waist to keep me from dropping to the floor, pulling me down onto his thighs instead.

“you are pretty clumsy, babe.” one of Jack’s arms stays planted across my waist, holding me to him as his index finger pushes my chin up so i’m looking up at him. “but, it’s adorable.”

i bury my face in his chest out of embarrassment. i didn’t think i was clumsy. i mean, i know i’ve always been a bit accident prone; broken glasses, falling a bit more than my friends. but i didn’t think i was clumsy.

“it’s nothing to be ashamed of, y/n.” Quinn tells me. Jack’s hand trails up and down my back as he whispers reassurances in my ear.

“yeah, we didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything.” Luke pipes up once more, his voice seeping with regret.

“that’s why you kept looking at each other all the time.” my words are muffled by Jack’s chest, but by the way that Jack coos as he places a kiss on the top of my head, i know they heard them. “you were laughing at me.”

“we weren’t. i swear we weren’t.” Quinn’s voice is closer now, and i feel another hand touch my back. “we were laughing with you. we just thought it was funny that Jack didn’t even notice when he was doing it.”

“honest?” i question.

“honest. i promise.” my head rises at Luke’s voice, closer now as well. his hand comes up to rest on my knee and i look over to see him squatted down beside Jack and i, Quinn sitting next to us.

“i didn’t realize i was clumsy.” i confess. “i just thought it was normal.”

“i gotta say, you’re definitely the first girlfriend i’ve ever had to pull away from falling into an actual fire.” Jack chuckles, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “but i wouldn’t want you any other way.”

“really?”

“really. i love you. clumsiness and all.” he tells me. his grip gets tighter around me and i crane my neck to crash my lips into his.

“ugh, gross!” Trevor exclaims. Jack pulls back, leaning his forehead against mine.

“shut up, Z.” he grins, pulling me into one more kiss. “now, you ready to learn how to wakesurf?”

“yeah, no. even before i knew i was considered clumsy, i knew i wasn’t going out there. i’ll fall straight on my face, Jacky. i mean seriously, i’m a clutz!”

[charbies]

linktober 31 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I thought for the last day I'd write a little retrospective on what this whole thing was like and what I learned. I'm too tired to draw literally anything else I'm due for a break lol

So this was my second time ever attempting a linktober/october drawing challenge, but my first time managing to complete all the days and prompts. I feel super proud of myself and accomplished for pulling it off.

There were a number of things that were surprising and that were challenging for me that I wasn't expecting this month. If anything, I think this challenge really highlighted my flaws and mental blindspots with how I approach making art.

For one thing, I came away from this not liking everything I made. I think I only like about 9 or 10 of the 30 pieces I put out there. When I don't like my art, I tend to get stuck in this mental stalemate of refusing to finish a piece until I like it, but also refusing to retrace my steps and erase/rework what I have so far for fear of losing progress or not being able to replicate the line/angle/color/etc that I liked.

It was surprisingly hard to accept when I didn't like a piece but had to move on for the sake of time and post it anyway. But once I did it a few times, it got easier. I realized prioritizing my standards over my available energy is not gonna promote progress. If I kept sinking myself into one piece and not moving on until it was optimal, I never would have finished anything-- that was the pitfall that ultimately made me bail out 10 days in last year.

I also realized my sunk cost fallacy/"what if I erase this and can never redraw it good again" stems from some real lack of confidence in my knowledge and techniques with art. I'm self-taught, and I think I tend to believe that everything I make is a dumb happy accident, even though I have mental rules when I draw, use tons of references, and have a process lol. There are a few pieces I started over 2-3 times before I got them right, and that's starting to feel liberating instead of like failing to me now, which I never expected to come out of this experience so that's cool.

Another place I had to learn to let go of control in this was with allowing for style variation. I really wanted each and every piece to be coherent and painterly, like they all came from the same book or something. But then I couldn't decide whether I wanted to do all/no lineart, all/no detailed background, all/no heavy rendering, etc. At the end I settled on just keeping the same canvas dimensions and just prioritizing filling up the space. Glad I ended up doing this, because I really would benefit from continuing to chill out and scale back how much I default to making dramatic, high-render pieces. I gotta break out of my comfort zone and make more sketchy little guys!

Sometimes my attachment to the prompts fluctuated; some prompts I thought I would love and then just wanted to get them over with. Some prompts I thought I would hate and subsequently half-ass, then I ended up redoing them and putting more effort & time into and loved the end result!

It was funny to also see how some pieces that I loved straight up did not get a whole lot of notes or attention. Some pieces I was "meh" about did crazy numbers lol. I'm used to posting maybe 5-6 times a year on here, so I'm usually indifferent to getting notes (by which I mean, I'm super grateful for likes & reblogs and the super sweet & funny messages in y'alls tags, but I'm not butthurt when I don't get notes because whatever happens, happens). Churning out 30 pieces in 30 days made me sometimes get bewildered by what did and didn't get notes, but frankly in the end I think it helps reaffirm that I should continue putting whatever I want out there because it! is! not! graded!!!

So would I do Linktober again? Probably not, sorry! it was a lot of time & effort and took me away from fall festivities more than I would have liked. I kinda only managed to pull this off because I was transitioning between jobs this month and had a week off to just draw. But I also completely see the value in taking on a challenge like this and finishing what I started, I'm super glad I did this, I think my art improved from it. I would definitely do future drawing challenges/prompt things that are quicker or have less prompts!

My advice to prospective future linktoberers: pace yourself and be gentle; this is a great chance to do something exciting and new with your art, but above all it's about you having fun. There are no prizes at the end except for what you've learned and how you feel about it, and that's for the best!!

One thing's for sure, I am zelda'd out lmao so I'll be branching out towards some little projects I have lined up for personal art and other fandoms I'm into right now

So anyway thanks to all of you who read this or who gassed me up this whole month, I appreciate you!!!!!!!! ヾ(＾∇＾)

[darknightsblog]

Dark Nights DLC F.A.Q

1. Will the WHOLE story be changed? Like different arts and all? Will be old art still be there? The whole story will NOT be changed. Both Roya and Chain's route follow the same plotline as the main game. You will view the story from their perspective and discover details never shown before. I did rewrite the prologue, but just changed minor details and order of events. The LIs from the main game will appear again and they have side roles. I changed the art, but the characters have the same personality and background story. Old sprites can be viewed in the main game. Their range of expressions is limited so I prefer not adding them at all. Some of the background art is the same. You'll find a lot of new locations like Roya's room and Chain's basement.

2. Will my save files be reset? 

The DLC is going to be a new game file. I realized it's very complicated to program old and new elements in the same script. To make things easier, see this as a separate game. You have to start over because everything is new. The prologue alone has 5 choice menus.

3. I actually play this game using Joiplay on mobile so wanted to know if that still be possible?

I plan to add the DLC on Steam so people with Steam Deck can play it. Regarding a mobile app, I'm not sure yet. I have to figure out how to add it to the app store and import the files to joiplay. It takes time and I would appreciate any guides on how to do it. This whole project is run by 1 man, so please bear with me.

4. Will there be ways to download old versions of the game?

The old (main) game is forever available to download for free. I won't remove it from any platform. You can enjoy the old stories and art to your heart's desire! Upon many requests, I will add a patch with the new sprite art. In settings you can switch back and forth between old & new sprites. Old CGs won't be updated, so it may look a bit disconnected.

5. When is the release date?

Originally, I planned to release it on October 31st 2024 (Dark Night's anniversary) but it's no longer feasible. I still have to draw 8 background illustrations, 18 CGs, code all sprites & the script. On top of that, I'm working on a 2D animated opening video. In October, I have 2 conventions planned overseas. It's impossible to finish all of this work in merely 2 weeks of free time. On October 31st, I'll post an update of my progress and schedule!

[reveriememory]

⭐️ °. • Thank You Neil • .° ⭐️

I pushed myself to finish this in time, and I did! I met Neil, and gave him a physical copy. Till this day, I just freak out when I remember… I really admire him! I’ll talk about that and this art piece after the Read More if you’d like to hear about that.

This art piece started in October, last year as an Astarion fan piece, but overtime I realized I wanted to do something more meaningful. I’ve known of Neil since DBH, so why not create something for him? So I added in Neil, and then I left it alone for months. Didn’t really think anything of it since usually all my art follows this treatment. I focus on it for a whole two weeks and then it fades into the background. However, I got word that Neil was coming to my area, and that’s when I started freaking out. Like, oh my god, I need to finish this… can I give this to him? I’ve never gone to a convention before… what am I gonna do?

So I kept debating to finish this, because I didn’t know what was allowed, and if I could even finish in time, how would I even print this? I mean, I can just finish it at my own pace and tag him or something. In the end, I decided that it’s more important to me to get it to him in person, that way I can also get my copy signed. I had to plan this all out, and long story short, I rushed it in a week. I pulled two all-nighters, and just REALLY rushed on poor Gavin in the background. Gavin was actually a last minute decision! I would’ve added Kamski, but he’s literally just a face copy of Neil so I decided against that, and Gavin was the close second. The reason I chose DBH was because that’s where I first discovered Neil. I was a fan of this game when it first released. Heisenberg was another option, but I never got to his part of the game so I felt it wasn’t a good pick since I was going under personal limitations. Not to mention, really low on time. However, I added some references on the wall, specifically the ones where it was games that I had played! I could’ve added more, but again- time. I drew them in a motion capture studio, because I envision Neil practicing and performing with the characters he had worked on. I just felt like It was a cute little idea, and I admire Neil for his motion capture the most. It’s something I’m trying to get into, or some form of it at least.

Then. The Day.

AHHHHHH. I was starstruck. I’m just going to sum it up and talk about this specific moment. I’m next in line and I just blurt out, “I’m trying really hard not to get starstruck!” But I’m already shaky and half my memory gone. I was so anxious, trying to get through the moment that I didn’t really get to enjoy the moment, but man, am I still happy. I tell him about the piece and he’s like oh, what have you been working on? The drawing got jammed in its protector, so I was just struggling with it. “OH, sorry, it’s stuck!” And he thankfully found it funny. Gave it to him, got my copy signed and perfect. But AHHHH, I’m anxious right? I ask him if he could sign the back of it, because I was worried I’d cringe at the piece in the future. I normally don’t call my art cringe but why, why was I THAT honest—

He’s so quick to reply, super sweet man, just tells me no, don’t cringe. He also asked me about my focus in motion capture, but that’s another post for another day. I have something in the works for that!

Look, in my defense! I RUSHED the piece, so I knew I’d get a bit irritated in the future seeing my art and knowing I had the time to really do a beautiful job! I just meant that knowing how much potential I had, had I taken advantage of that, it would have turned out so much… not better, but to my liking. I’m content, considering the limitations, but… y’know? Anyways, I still wanted to look at his signature and proudly display that, like aye, I got to meet him!

Considering that I rarely draw real people, I’m definitely proud with how Neil turned out. Just like Neil told me, and many others, can’t be too harsh with myself. When working on this, I was super excited and actually thrived while working on it. Yes, under pressure, but dedicated. I can’t remember the last time I ever fixated on an art piece like this. With that said, I definitely want to try again in the future and get better at drawing semi-realism. And Neil is coming back to my area next year so… ideas.

Anyways, thank you for reading my little journal entry! Back to work I go~

[feelo-fick]

WELCOME TO PHIO'S EXTREMELY SELF INDULGENT AU HOUR!!!

"Oh, FINALLY, another visitor! It's so quiet in here, it's unnerving..."

—

This AU was meant to be posted on halloween but eh.... Happy Thanksgiving? HAHAHHA

still dont have a name for it, but basically, back in october i was suddenly hit with the need to have a halloween au, so now we have ghost-ified prismo and vampire/witch-ified scarab :D ( although didnt finish the scarab reference spread in time because uh, school and i lost motivation unfortunately )

au synopsis and rambling below the cut!!

the premise of this au is simple : scarab is a real estate agent whos known for his manners ( never barges in, always waits to be invited! though it is a little weird how he keeps asking to be let inside even if they already agreed that he was going to come over... ) and efficiency at his job - that is, convincing people to buy high-end housing for a good price. although his social skills need some... work, his ability to persuade people isnt something to be laughed at.

unfortunately for him, persuading the higher-ups is a completely different story - which he learned the hard way after flunking something big for the company. they dont choose to fire him, no. instead, they put him through a trial, assigning him to sell their most unprofitable property : the mansion in a small town locally known for being haunted by an "evil spirit". if scarab manages to sell it (for good profit) within six months, he is excused and is able to go on with his job. if not... well, best not to think about it, yes? after all, he'll succeed with ease - all he has to do is dispel any worries about some fake "ghost" that only exists as a result of filthy rumors. maybe clean up the place. not too hard, right?

meanwhile, stuck inside said mansion is an extremely bored prismo. hes been hangin around this place for like... how many years now? forty? a hundred? meh, all the same, lately the place has been quieter than usual. i mean- of course people dont just walk into a creepy mansion every day, but there would usually be at least a few bold kids or vloggers coming in now and then for him to entertain but even then they wouldn't stay long ( for obvious reasons ). and now, just some unbound spirits or dumb animals would pass by and thats about it. a guy can only entertain himself for so long, yknow?

that is, until today. when some posh-looking business man entered the premises and started snooping around ( whats the deal with that, by the way?? ). must be prismo's lucky day!! this is the perfect chance to pull out all the stops and play the FUNNIEST prank ever! hah!

... oh. looks like things've gotten a little out of hand.

—

WOOT WOOT WOOTTTTTTTTTTT!!! im so so happy to finish this because ohhhhh my god this has taken ages for no reason other than the fact that ive been really dragging myself to make presentable art JSNDJSJXNSJX.... i realize that i have never worked in real estate ( or at all ) which means i have probably fucked something up but uhh um ill deal with the backlash later :"D im also realizing how many odd unanswered bits and bobs this au is going to have in the future, which... i am ignoring for the most part for now, but there are SOME things that i DO have figured out like ghost lore... but thats for another time, for now i leave you with this >:)

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @thefreakandthehair! With thirty-nine works in the Steve/Eddie and Stranger Things tags on Archive of our Own!

In an underdogfics first, we have TWO nominators!

Our first nominator recommends the following works by @thefreakandthehair:

this is my month, I can feel it. october, baby!

never been afraid of any deviation.

scar-crossed lovers.

the answers are all inside of this.

Our second nominator, @sidekick-hero, recommends the following works by @thefreakandthehair:

over the hills and far away

meeting you was coming home.

make no plans and none can be broken.

rounding third, sliding home.

what's mine is yours (to leave or take)

Lex's brain is full of very creative scenarios, reading her writing is like reading an anthology of short stories but it's with all of your favorite characters! You get to see what they'd do in this AU or that AU, I love the exploration. It's like she's made a stew and it's simmering on the stove and you realize you're so hungry for stew as soon as you see it. <3 -- anonymous

Lex writes characters that come to life on the page while you're reading her stories. It makes it so easy to get invested in them, to feel with them and root for them to get their happy ending. She's one of these authors I would follow anywhere, any trope, any setting and universe, I am here for it. So I think more people should get to find her stories and be treated to the magic. -- @sidekick-hero

Below the cut, @thefreakandthehair answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

How can I possibly give just one reason! These two burrowed themselves into my brain like little gerbils with no hope of ever getting them out. I mean, was I supposed to hear ‘dontcha big boy?’ and be normal about it? But in all seriousness, they’re two sides of the same coin and those oppositions in character are super fun to play with!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

It was tough to choose, but friends to lovers keeps coming up!

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

If I have to choose a particular trope, hurt/comfort would be the closest fit, but in the sense of healing past hurts together as a unit.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

This question sent me into an existential crisis and the best I could do is narrow it down to three, and even that was nearly impossible. In no particular order: We’ll Know For The First Time by KikiZ; carve your name into my chest by hexiewrites; and more recently, Among the Wildflowers by ParadimeShifts.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Rivals to Lovers in my football AU! I’ve been so excited to get moving on that one.

What is your writing process like?

Oh, I wish I had a better one. I start with a skeleton outline, pop on some music, and then pick and choose which part of the outline sparks joy in that moment. I rarely, if ever, write chronologically so I just write what feels good in the moment and then go back with a scalpel to create connective tissue.

Do you have any writing quirks?

Definitely writing out of order, I think! And if there’s one thing about me, it’s that someone is gonna have an introspective moment looking up at the stars. Someone told me it’s like my calling card and they’re not wrong.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I like a bit of both. I like to post on a schedule for multi-chapter fics but only after it’s either completely done or mostly done so that there’s no pressure to it.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Over The Hills And Far Away incorporated some personal bits of my past that were equal parts cathartic and difficult to write at times, so I’d have to say that one! It’s really satisfying to take experiences that you regret or that didn’t end the way you’d hoped and give them a different ending in fiction.

How did you get the idea for never been afraid of any deviation?

The Eddie Month prompt for that day! Me and my co-mod for the event, nostalgicbones, included Bad Reputation by Joan Jett as a prompt and as I was listening to it, it got me thinking about how Eddie is someone who cares for those in less than ideal situations— maybe even to the point of weaponizing his own bad reputation to protect someone. In this case, that was Steve!

When writing the answers are all inside of this, what was something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect it to become multiple chapters! That one is part of my So Much For Stardust series (that I haven’t forgotten about, I’ve just been busy with big bangs) so it was based on The Pink Seashell interlude from the album. I still don’t know exactly how a 1-minute interlude turned into a 15k multi-chapter fic, but it was super fun to let go off the rails!

What inspired scar-crossed lovers?

Also a So Much For Stardust series fic, the first one in the series, actually. I heard Heaven, Iowa for the first time and wrote this based on that song in a day. My brain just kept rotating it around like a rotisserie chicken until I wrote it.

What was your favorite part to write from scar-crossed lovers?

This is ironic because I’m not an angst-writer by nature, but writing about the slow deterioration of Eddie’s van as a symbol for the passage of time was really fun to do. Bittersweet, but it was one of those things that I didn’t realize I was doing until I was in the middle of it and once I realized, I just carried it throughout!

How do/did you feel writing never been afraid of any deviation.?

Excited! It was the first time that I wrote pre-s4 steddie (which is wild that in two years, I just wrote that for the first time last fall?) and it was so fun to do!

What was the most difficult part of writing the answers are all inside of this.?

Probably balancing the kids’ voices in the first chapter while still creating tension between Steve and Eddie.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

It isn’t one of the fics listed here, but in no better version I could pretend to be tonight, I loved writing the line “Something about Steve feels like home, and Eddie is only familiar with houses.” Hurt/comfort, my beloved.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I’m planning on taking a break from big bangs for a bit to focus on some super neglected WIPs, so there are a few upcoming fics I’m excited about! My Football AU, an ASMR Artist!Eddie x Insomniac!Steve AU, and I’m working on a fic called Pickup Note with sidekick-hero and firefly-party that I cannot wait to dive into fully.

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Just thank you so much for all that you do with this blog! The ship truly exploded overnight and there are so many incredible stories that I’ve completely missed just because they’ve fallen through the cracks. I really appreciate what you’re doing here and the undertaking that it’s been!

Thank you to our author, @thefreakandthehair, and our nominators, anonymous and @sidekick-hero! See more of @thefreakandthehair works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[rona-yoo]

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: TASM!Peter Parker x Fem!Reader ���𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 0,510 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Wishing alone won't change anything because there are things you can't influence. It wasn't you, and it never will be you, and that's what hurts the most. He's with you now, but that's just a distraction for himself, and you're only agreeing to it because it's the only way you can feel what you want to be with him. Even if it's just for a moment. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬/𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Friends with benefits, angst, brief description of sex, unrequited feelings. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: I really wanted to participate in the kinktober, but I eventually realized that I just couldn't fit in the time frame. I was sick the whole first week of October, so it was a long shot from the start. But now that I've started, I'm going to post fics at my own com pace. I hope you'll like these works, enjoy reading them! 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐲 (𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐩). 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞. 𝐒𝐨 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰.

The clutter on Peter's desk, including the keyboard, is pushed aside so that you have a place to sit, at least on the edge. Aunt May is in the house, so even though you've closed the door, you two try to be as quiet as possible. You don't look at each other; his face is somewhere in the curve of your neck, trying to avoid eye contact with you. You lean your head back, biting your lips. Peter's hands rest on your bare waist, pulling you closer to him as he pushes into you with measured thrusts. You love the way he's holding you and how gentle he's being with you, but you know that none of this is meant for you. 

Aunt May likes you; Uncle Ben likes you. You've been at their house so often that you've been offered to leave some of your things there so that you don't have to 'carry them with you every time'. You have such a close relationship with them that you think of them as your family, just as they do you. 

Peter exhales into your neck, squeezing your waist tighter. You want to move the hand you're holding on to the edge of the table a little, but in the process you hit the keyboard. This causes the computer screen to light up, and you open your eyes to look at the desktop. On the wallpaper where the picture of you, Peter, Uncle Ben, and Aunt May used to be, now a beautiful blond girl. 

You thought Peter liked you, too. But it seems that you just wanted to believe he was, and you've been delusional about it for too long. And you still do, because just thinking about it hurts so much. 

A notification pops up on Peter's phone. He stops immediately and quickly looks at the screen. In the same second, he pulls out of you and starts to put his pants back on. It's not the first time this has happened, so you swallow the 'what's wrong?' question, just as 'is that her?' and remain silent, because you know the answers to them. 

Peter still doesn't look at you. You don't even get a brief glance. Even so, when he's about to walk out the door, you speak to him.

"Just be careful, okay?"

He freezes for a moment, but it doesn't stop him. You hear Aunt May on the first floor asking where he's going and why he's leaving you alone to finish the project you're supposed to be doing together. 

But that's not the only thing that hurts. You're sure she knows. She knows who Peter is and what he does, and she knows it because he told her. You found out by accident, but you didn't show any sign, expecting him to explain it to you when the time came. After all, you're the closest people to each other. But he hasn't done it until now, and you don't know if he will.

It seems that you were really delusional. And you still are. 

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: none.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫/𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

© 𝐚𝐲𝐲𝐤𝐨-𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚-𝐲𝐨𝐨 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧/𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝.

[jtargaryen18]

Hounds of Hell MC 4: Ryder ~ Available today!

I’m not the settling type, but she’s in my heart. I’ll protect her from the Mafia or die trying…

Margot -- I've loved Ryder since we were kids, but he's never been the type to stick with anyone for long. Being a deputy sheriff means I see the world differently--by the law. He’s the opposite. The Mafia took my father from me. When they return to threaten everything I care about, including Ryder, I realize the line between right and wrong isn’t so clear. If we’re going to survive this, I’ll need Ryder’s strength. Maybe this time, we’ll face danger together.

Ryder -- Margot’s been right in front of me for years, but I’m the guy who never sticks around. Commitment? Not for me. Now she’s all I see. When the Mafia comes after the Hounds, everything is at stake. Margot’s not just a deputy sheriff -- she’s the woman I’ve always needed. The woman I love. I’ll die before I let anything happen to her.

Buy it @ Changeling Press

You'll also find pre-order links for Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords & Vivlio where it will be available on 10/31!

Enter my October Giveaway! (If you select 'fanfics' you'll get a newsletter with all my published titles but you'll also get updates on my fanfics and you'll get the chapters before they post here or anywhere else. Also, planning to do some extras like deleted scenes, extra scenes, and more!)

Excerpt

With the efficiency of a SWAT team, she ordered lunch, paid for it, and had them tucked away at a small table in the corner, enjoying burgers and fries.

“What’s that?” Ryder pointed at the tall, covered cup.

“Strawberry shake. They’ve always had the best shakes here. You want one?”

“Nah,” Ryder said. “Just a little concerned, is all. You’re starting with milkshakes. Milkshakes lead to donuts. Next thing you know, you’re going to lose your girlish figure and you’ll be stuck running radar out by the interstate.”

Margot laughed, a high, lovely sound. “Don’t worry about my girlish figure.”

“I like your girlish figure,” Ryder said, grinning.

“Since when?” A little of the humor faded from her expression at that. “I’m probably the only non-relative female you haven’t slept with in a hundred-mile radius.”

“More like a 50-mile radius,” Ryder said.

But he hadn’t been lying when he said he liked her figure. Margot was just about perfect. Nice rack. Great ass. A killer smile made all the more adorable for her dark eyes and the freckles across the bridge of her nose.

Margot had a good head on her shoulders, too. He enjoyed talking to her, their playful banter. He couldn’t imagine a world where he couldn’t have these light-hearted conversations with Mercy’s newest deputy sheriff.

“It doesn’t bother you to be having lunch with a biker?” He couldn’t resist asking.

“It doesn’t bother you that you’re having lunch with a cop?” Margo eyed him. “How did you get to town?”

“Rode my bike,” Ryder said. “Might not have been my best idea. I mean, I was okay getting here. Not sure how getting back is going to go.”

“How long are you going to stay?” Margot’s dark-eyed gaze stayed on him.

Shrugging a shoulder, Ryder finished off a French fry. “I’d like to finish the day out,” he admitted. “But now that I’m sitting here, I’m feeling pretty fucking tired.”

It was the truth and he’d never been good at keeping that from her. His friend’s gaze was knowing.

“Why don’t we take you home after lunch? I’d be glad to drive you back.”

Ryder knew she would. But he would disappoint himself if he left after lunch to go home and climb back into bed in that lonely, quiet house. Shaking his head, he ate another fry, thought it over.

“I’m tired. Just not sure I’m tired enough to go back to the house and hang out by myself.”

More concern bled into her expression. “At least take a nap in the lounge or something. No one’s going to give you shit for it. You almost died.”

He had. Axel and Hero both cut him worried looks the entire time he’d been there, working on that engine. Margot had a point.

“Well, with me getting back on my feet, let me know if you need help with anything at the house.” He meant it. “Clyde was as bad as you about never wanting to bother anyone. If you need help with anything, I’m right here.”

Margot nodded, eating her burger. After a moment, her gaze met his. Her dark eyes were glossy.

“I still can’t believe he’s gone, Ryder,” she said quietly. “No warning. Just gone.”

Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his. Some emotion flashed in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

“He loved you more than anything,” he said. “Clyde was so proud of you.”

A tear spilled down her cheek at the words. “I know he was. It’s just… I worked so hard to find a job back over here in Mercy so I could be with him, help him as he got older. And now he’s gone. Shot by some mafia asshole like he was nothing.”

Swiping at her tears with her free hand, Margot tried to regain her composure.

“Clyde didn’t deserve that. And I wish my brother had been able to take that asshole out. Slow. But Sawyer was there and now the bastard’s in jail.”

That stopped her cold. Carefully, she moved her hand out from under his, shaking her head. “Don’t say that. He’ll pay for what he did in the system. Spend a long time in jail. He’ll think about what he did.”

“Will he?” Ryder asked. “He’s part of a criminal organization, Margot. They have a lot of resources. Maybe he’ll go to jail, but he won’t think a second about your father. He won’t be sitting up in some jail cell regretting his crimes either.”

He didn’t like the way her confidence waned, but he had to say it. “He’ll be trying to find a way out of there. And when he does, he’ll be looking for some payback and he’ll have his entire crime family at his back.”

Margot’s spine straightened where she sat, meeting his gaze squarely. “I have faith in the system. That man will pay for what he’s done.”

Ryder wasn’t so sure about that. He didn’t give a shit about the system. “He will pay,” Ryder said, hoping that he’d be the one to mete out that retribution. What he wouldn’t give to have a shot at the sons-of-bitches who killed Clyde Donner and Morgan Davis. Who tried to kill him.

He had faith in Margot. She’d been through the training, worked in the next county over. Margot knew what she was doing. But she was new enough that she still thought the criminal justice system infallible. Had she ever had dealings with big crime families? Did she understand what she was getting into?

Worse, he worried that the loss of her father would cause her to make a decision that would put her in harm’s way.

“Okay,” she said, her dark-eyed gaze on him. “If you won’t let me drive you back home and you insist on trying to stay at the garage, I’ll make you an offer. If you’re too tired to ride back to the country, you can crash at the house. I don’t have a spare key on me. But I have one. I’ll leave it under that old stone squirrel my dad loved.”

Always looking after him. What would he have done all those long weeks after he’d gotten out of the hospital without her? Axel had been the one to help him change his bandages, got him in the shower. Margot took care of most everything else from changing his bedding and keeping up the house, to bringing him groceries and leaving him meals he could warm up and eat. She’d taken care of him, her daily visits something he looked forward to.

What he’d done to deserve her, he didn’t know. Maybe she needed to stay busy to deal with her own loss.

“Sounds good,” Ryder said after a moment. “In case I haven’t told you, thank you. For everything. I’m not sure why you took it upon yourself to take care of my dumb ass but I’m grateful.”

Soft pink darkened her face. “You’re welcome.”

Something occurred to him. “Wait. You’re working the day shift,” he pointed out. “Where are you going to be later that you need to leave me a key?”

“Tonight’s my first class,” Margot reminded him.

“That’s right,” he said. “Your self-defense class.” She’d been so excited about it, telling him about what she had planned over the last few weeks. “I think Sadie signed up for it.”

“She did,” Margot said, smiling. “I think it will be good for her after everything she’d been through. And I was surprised. The day we got you back into the hospital, she came with Axel. We had a minute in the hall, and she was just… apologizing to me for my dad. She was blaming herself because it was her ex that killed him. But it wasn’t her fault.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Ryder said. “I think your class will help her.”

Something about the smile she cut him had his heart skipping a beat. Margot was a pretty woman. He’d always thought so. Unlike most of the girls he went around with, Margot didn’t do a lot to emphasize her natural beauty. Her nails were unpainted and short, and she wore only a hint of makeup most days. Her hair was put up in a precise bun, glossy and neat. Her uniform always pressed.

Yeah, sure. He’d seen Margot many times in her street clothes. She always favored jeans and simple tops. Her hair was usually pulled back into a ponytail and those days she didn’t wear any makeup. Not that she needed it. She was clearly comfortable in her own skin without all the paint and other enhancements women used to boost their femininity.

Her confidence was sexy as hell. Funny, considering Margot didn’t see herself that way. She didn’t realize she had the cutest ass, and her confident stride showed it off. What would Margot look like in a bikini, stretched out on a towel on the beach?

Shaking his head to clear it, he grinned. “Thanks for the offer of a place to stay,” he said. “Might take you up on it.”

Margot smiled. “Please do.”

The flirty little way she said that had him thinking thoughts he had no business thinking about his best friend.

[sundrop-writes]

Update for Sept. 25th, 2024*:

I do try to update the 'coming soon' section of my pinned regularly, but in case you haven't checked that out -

I have been working to finish The Way You Miss Me (titled after a song by All Time Low) - a Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader Exes to Lovers fic where Fred and Reader break up when Fred leaves with George to open the shop in Diagon Alley, and then Reader is called to help with the Seven Potters mission - but she has a terrible fear of heights, to flying on the back of Fred's broom make things terrifying and complicated for her.

I am 8,600 words into a fic I thought would be 10k overall, but I think it's gonna end up being 15k? And my goal for today is to get the fic to at least 10k before quitting for the day. So I am like - a little bit more than halfway done with the first draft.

I think I should have it first draft finished by Sunday or Monday of this upcoming week, writing 1k or 2k a day and not pushing myself to work too hard. And then I'll probably run a poll to decide between some other Harry Potter related ideas and edit it while that poll is running! So I think this fic could be posted right at the beginning of October (this September has felt scarily short omg).

If you want to be notified when this fic is posted, you can sign up for my Harry Potter taglist here, just make sure that you read my taglist rules first!! And if you are new to my blog and want something to read in the meantime, then check out my Harry Potter Masterlist

*Decided I should put the date on these things because a lot of people don't have the dashboard timestamps turned on, and I don't want somebody to randomly discover a post from months ago or years ago and think that it is still relevant to what I'm working on now if it's a lost WIP or even something I already finished - if it is something I already finished, and somebody randomly goes back to like the post, I will try to go back and add a link to the finished fic. But let us all have common sense, and if the post is dated from a long ass time ago, and the fic with this description is not on my masterlist already, either send me a kind message about it asking if I posted it or realize that it just never got done and never got posted, thank you.

[bettyfrommars]

hi loves

a wee announcement/bit of reflection below the cut

nothing heavy, just some thoughts & updates

First of all, I want to say I love this fandom so much. Truly I do. It has carried me though possibly the hardest, loneliest year of my life (and this ol' girl has been though some dark times). I've made friendships here that I hope to cherish for the rest of my life.

I came into fanfiction in October of last year, after not writing anything substantial for almost a decade. My dear friend at the time said she was looking for a specific Eddie Munson story, so I wrote it for her. I wrote it in first person because I didn't even understand how "reader perspective" was a thing, that's how wet behind the ears I was to this world. My friend, on the other hand, is a well-versed fic reader, and I distinctly remember messaging her like, "okay, what the hell is a Y/N??"

I spent that entire dark, cold winter writing and passing it to her in parts like notes in a classroom. The rush of getting back to something I loved so deeply after so much time away turned me into a monster. I lived and breathed that story. We sent endless messages back and forth every day about what each character would do next, imagining ourselves in that world, with Eddie. We made playlists, we cried. We screamed and giggled and kicked our feet when they finally kissed. We mourned the loss when it ended and moped around a bit before going back to read it all over again. Some 40k words and four months later I realized, holy shit, I think I write fanfiction now?

In a way, fanfiction saved my life. It brought me back to a part of myself I had buried, a part of me that worried it might never see the light of day again. It came crawling out of the ground, gasping for air like, "you better stretch your fingers bitch because I have a lot to say."

In April, I started posting here when the fandom was notably beginning to wane, but I was happy to see there were so many still going hard for our man. I kinda creeped in, like a little scuttling crab, and was grateful to find that a handful of you embraced me.

Long story short, I am NOT leaving, not at all. I know the tone is there, but that is not what this is, lmao. I will hopefully keep this blog for as long as you will have me. I plan to finish writing I'm on Fire and Death Becomes Us, as well as maybe another bit for gargoyle!Eddie, and nightmare!Eddie, but the other series I've started (or planned to start) will stay on hiatus for a while, possibly forever. I will continue to post blurbs and hc's and whatnot, but I won't be committing to any new series or long fics.

My masterlists will remain intact for the time being for those who want to enjoy what is there. That being said, The Nightmare Factory and Stop the World and Melt with You, might be taken down in the future only because I plan to re-work them into original stories. I have a second non-fandom blog in the works that is dedicated to monsters, nightmares, and magic realism, and I will let those who are interested know about it when the time comes.

Mostly, I wanted to let you know that, even if you notice some changes, I will continue to persist with "My 2 Joe's" delulu era, possibly until the earth swallows me up. I am no longer taking requests, but my asks will always be open for thots, blurbs, obsessions, etc. You know how much I love hearing from you.

That's all really. Perhaps this is simply one of those "end of year" thought dumps, but I also wanted to say a heartfelt Thank You to those who continue to support me, enjoy my work, and share it. My Ride or Die monsterfuckers and biker Eddie enthusiasts. My nightmare Eddie dreamers, my Twilight Zone Eddie pineapple heads. My gargoyle Eddie romantics who cheer on our Stone Boy, and my Hybrid Steve lovers who leave their windows open at night. My True Blood friends who appreciate a vampire Eddie who is nothing like Bill Compton. My darlings, my fellow rebel rousers and misfits, my friends.

This is a very symbiotic relationship, and I could not/would not do this without you ❤️

[bordysbae]

This is kinda a request but can you do a Luke Hughes reader where he cheats on his gf with the leader because he found out he loves the reader but while him and the reader are doing the naughty his gf comes in and catches them

“wrong”

luke hughes x f!reader

warnings: cheating with reader, profanity, sex (sorta)

i tried to be more angsty than usual so i hope u guys like this

you knew from day one it was wrong. the way you looked at him, you knew it wasn’t right. the jittery feeling you felt in your stomach whenever he was around, it wasn’t the feeling that you were supposed to be feeling, it was supposed to be hers.

before you even realized it, your life became consumed. you were obsessed to say the least. always checking her instagram for new posts with him, or checking if the ‘<3’ highlight was still up on her page. the very first story on that highlight being dated all the way back to 25 weeks ago, the day you met him at the beginning of the semester at a party. you and luke grew close over first semester, so close you developed feelings for him, but he wasn’t yours. you stupidly set him up with a girl on your floor around october, and now they’re dating.

but the day you really messed up, was when you got so intoxicated that you somehow ended up in lukes bed, and that was last week. and that’s exactly where you are right now.

as luke’s lips melt into yours, he begins to unclip you bra from underneath your shirt. he pulls it out from under the tight fitting shirt hugging your skin perfectly, tossing it onto the floor behind him. your hands find their way up and under his shirt, tugging on part of it letting him know to remove it. he parts his lips from yours as he removes his top, while you do the same.

luke pauses unbuckling his belt to admire your body, making you blush and giggle nervously.

“you’re so pretty baby, you know that?”

“oh stop luke, you’re making me nervous,” you chuckle. luke smiles and leans back in to continue kissing you before breaking to finish taking his belt off. once all the clothing is removed, luke readjusts you both so that he’s above you while you’re laying flat on the bed. he leaves a trail of kisses down your neck, and leaves a few hickeys on your breasts. as he’s rolling the condom on, the door knob twists open and a shriek fills the small space.

“what the fuck luke!” she exclaims as she storms out of the door room. luke bolts out of his bed and puts as much clothing on as he can in a short amount of time, before running down the hallway chasing after his girlfriend. still in shock, you redress yourself in the now quiet and empty dorm room. the small polaroid of him and his girlfriend sitting on his desk reminds you that this is for the better, and that you guys should have never been in the position you were just in a few minutes ago.

as you slip quietly out of his dorm room, you see a distressed luke leaning against the wall. you attempt to slip past him unnoticed, but a hand grabs yours, spinning you around. you look up at luke and sigh. you know that you shouldn’t feel the way you do, but it’s like the whole world stops spinning when he looks at you.

“i’m sorry. i should’ve broken up with her ages ago,” he says lowly, clearly disappointed with himself.

“it’s not me you should be apologizing to luke,” you state.

“yes it is, i never even cared about her. i always wanted you, i just realized that way too late. you think it’s a coincidence that i see you everyday on my way to class while you come back from the gym? or that we just so happen to shop at the same bagel place? hell y/n, you make me so crazy that i just couldn’t deal with the chase any longer, so i kept mia around. which i regret, knowing now that it wasn’t just a one sided thing with you”

“luke, this isn’t right. i’m disgusted with myself, i knew what i was doing. we can’t be together, it’s wrong. at least not this soon, we have to think about mia,” you sigh.

“okay, then i’ll wait. i’ll wait for you, because i love you y/n. i know you think i’m crazy for saying that, but it’s true. seeing the way you care about everyone more than yourself, or how you’re not afraid to be the loudest one cheering in the stands, or even how you dance under the club lights, it makes me fall even more in love with you,” luke says, grabbing your free hand and intertwining it with his.

although your heart is swelling at his words, a sharp pain is stinging throughout your heart at the same time.

“luke, you don’t mean tha-“ you begin to say, but he cuts you off. “i do y/n, i do mean it. please just let me wait for you, i’ll do it anyways even if you tell me not to. i don’t care if we’re ‘wrong,’ it’s you that i want, and i know that.”

a tear slips down your cheek, knowing that you so desperately want to pull him in for a kiss and call him yours, but you know you can’t. “luke, we’re wrong. just give me time, and that doesn’t mean i’ll one hundred percent come back to you, but there’s a chance, okay?”

luke’s pursed lips turn into a sorrow grin, and he nods his head quickly. “okay, anything. anything you want, you have it.”

—

and luke really did mean those words, he meant every single one.

as you’re resting your head on his chest, feeling his breaths slow as he begins to fall into a calm rest, you say something that you’ve been dying to say for awhile now, “i love you too, luke.”

“what? i didn’t say i love you, i mean i do but-“

“i know. it’s from last year, the words i left unsaid. i’m saying them now, because i love you too,” you say softly, still feeling luke’s breathing pattern against your cheek. his lips brush against the top of your head, making you smile.

“well, in that case, i love you more.”

[euniexenoblade]

It's that time of the year again! The happiest, the jolliest time of the year! Fall! October! Halloween! So, as normal, here's Mordred's Annual October Watchlist for 2024!!

Halloween Rewatch Marathon: back in 2016, or something like that, I watched every Halloween movie. But it was before I had a letterboxd account and there are newer ones I've only seen once in theaters. It seems perfectly thematic for me to make the big thing I do this Halloween season be the titular series.

Higurashi: Last year I set my sites on a lot of things, included with that was trying to watch all of Higurashi. I somewhat failed, I didn't get through the final season until it was too late. I hope to finish it this season and post my reviews from last year and this one together!

Suicide Club: Since realizing I'm a huge fan of Sion Sono's work, I've been slowly going through all his movies. Having watched Noriko's Dinner Table, I want to rewatch Suicide Club and see if my opinion changes.

The Forest of Love: Another Sion Sono movie, this one about a horrific killer. Should be pretty fucked up.

Tokyo Vampire Hotel: A TV series Sion Sono did with Amazon apparently. Has a lot of bad reviews but that kinda makes me more curious about it.

Another: Anime series. One of my favorite horrors. I rewatch it every year.

Shiki: Anime series. One of my favorite horrors. I rewatch it every year.

Perfect Blue: Famous anime horror movie. I intend to show it to my husband this year :)

Nightmare Before Christmas: Sometimes shit is just fun. I wanna have fun. Let's have fun.

Reread Another, the original novel by Yukito Ayatsuji. One of my all time favorite horror novels, in my top ten favorite books of all time. If there's enough time and I dont adhd out, I'll finally try to read that new sequel.

Reread Goth by Otsuichi. My favorite horror novel and one of my top five favorite books.

Replay Malcatras' Maiden, which if you don't know is a free horror adjacent trans puppy maid visual novel. If you don't know about it, google it and play it. :)

Ambitious as always, but this is my list for things I want to watch this Halloween season! I know I'm starting my "October Watchlist" in September, but hey, it's never too early to be spooky 💖

[deancasbigbang]

Title: Baby's Driver

Author: entropic_saudade

Artist: Sketcheun

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Endgame Dean/Cas, Sam/Eileen, mentioned past Sam/Jessica, past John/Mary, mentioned background Belphegor/Ardat, past Kelly/Lucifer, past Bobby/Karen, implied past Dean/Lee Webb, mentioned past Dean/others, mentioned past Cas/others, Garth/Bess, past Bobby/Crowley, Chuck/Becky, past Chuck/multiple unnamed women

Length: 140000

Warnings: Major Archive Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence Other warnings: ableism, graphic depictions of illness and injury, graphic depictions of medical treatment, childhood cancer and associated diseases, canon-typical violence, canon-typical child neglect, canon-typical childhood trauma, trauma, sexual harassment, minor character death, mentioned sexual assault, kidnapping, alcohol use, mentioned alcoholism, guns.

Tags: Alternate Universe, getaway driving, heists, music, selectively mute Dean, neurodivergent characters, mutual crushes, found family, happy ending, pop culture references.

Posting Date: October 23, 2023

Summary: Dean has been working as a getaway driver for Crowley for the last fourteen years, and has survived by developing a few simple rules: always pick the right music, keep an eye on the time, never give out his real name, and most importantly, make no personal connections with anyone on the job.  Making no personal connections with anyone new is easy when he has difficulty talking in his own words.  Enter Cas, who, in order to pay for his nephew Jack’s life-saving medical treatment, decides to break bad by joining Crowley’s operations. Unlike most of his brothers, he’s new to the world of crime, but Gabriel’s list of survival tips, and their driver’s skills and quiet demeanor have a way of reassuring him.  Throughout the course of several months, their rules fall to the wayside as they fall for each other, each unable to say the words ‘I love you’ for differing reasons.  Cas’ past family life complicates things when Lucifer comes around, wanting to know how Cas is getting the money to pay for Jack’s treatment. Everything comes to a head, and they realize just how connected their world is when Dean is kidnapped.  A Baby Driver-inspired AU.

Excerpt: With little over four minutes counted on his internal clock, a trilling alarm pierced the air as three figures ran out, each with stuffed bags in tow.  Right on time.  While the other two piled in the back, one of the masked figures frantically pounded on the passenger side window with the butt of his shotgun. “Open the door!” he yelled, voice muffled.  Dean rolled his eyes, popping the handle, showing that it was already unlocked. Dean pressed play, not waiting for him to finish closing the door behind him before tearing off.   His tires burned rubber on the pavement.  One street, two streets, three streets whizzed by as Dean narrowly avoided red lights, ignoring honks and angry yells from other drivers, racing to get onto the next access road.  “Get your motor runnin’, head out on the highway!” Dean weaved between the beats of the music and the cars around him, riding the gas a little harder to try to put as much distance between their car and the bank as he could.  The goon in the backseat and Bela, who had played fake hostage, looked behind them and swore. Dean glanced up at the rearview mirror to see that civilian cars had started to part like the Red Sea for a squealing squadron. The sirens chased them down, joining in and almost drowning out the lyrics– “Yeah, darlin’, gonna make it happen”– so Dean cranked it up in response, lowering the rear windows so that they could put their firepower to use.  Whether it was intentional or coincidence, if it was set to some kismet choreography by the Powers That Be, or if it happened because Dean had a preternatural sense about timing things like this, Bela and Backseat shot their guns in sync to “Fire all of your guns at once,” popping the tires of two of the closest police cars. The cars skidded sideways and to a halt, causing a pile-up behind them.  Dean smoothly ducked under an overpass only to be greeted by a row of road spikes being laid up ahead when he emerged. With a glance to the side, he noticed that some construction workers had graciously left behind a gift for him, and decided to take advantage. Dean made a sharp turn, avoiding the teeth of the spikes.  The tempo of the drums picked up pace as Dean picked up speed. Bela put her seatbelt on and held on tight to the grab handle above her, while the guys in the backseat and next to him started begging when they realized what he was doing. “No, no, wait–!”  “What are you–?” “We can climb so high, I never wanna die…” Dean went hard on the throttle up the construction ramp, gathering enough momentum so they could soar over a concrete divider. In the few seconds that they were up off the ground, the bags in the backseat lifted off the laps of his accomplices, suspended for a moment — “Born to be wi-ild…”

DCBB 2023 Posting Schedule