#I'm happy to do WIP Wednesday posts

[zylphiacrowley]

Got tagged by @ishgard for WIP-whatever day it is now. Would've waited until next Wednesday but I... didn't feel like it.

Also I don't really write and I'm only just barely drawing again so I hope a random doodle I did on my phone at work and an actual WIP that may never see a public post will do.

I have the Erenville brain rot so bad, but that is news to absolutely nobody.

[hidey-writes]

wip wednesday

In the drifting silence of his empty apartment, Shen Wei presses the door shut, turns the lock. And then, like his body was waiting until he was alone, his legs give out. Shen Wei tips/topples against/into the wall, sinks down to sitting on the front mat/in the entryway. He sits there for a long time, curled into himself with his arms around his knees. The whole time, his body braced for the sound of Zhao Yunlan’s door opening, the sound of footsteps crossing the hall. Waiting, again, for Kunlun to return to him.  But no sound comes from outside his door. At last, Shen Wei tips his head back against the wall, lets out a soft, streaming sigh. The sound trembles in the still air. It’s the closest he’s come to crying in years, that he can remember.

from the up draft of the answer fic. im cutting it veryyyyyy close to the deadline this time ahahaha (nervous!) but the writing is going relatively smoothly (knocks on wood) and i think it'll turn out pretty delicious!!

[terrified-spider]

It's WIP Wednesday (:

[mirrortouchedsea]

His eyes caught a new person in the crowd today though. This was a boy, a few years older than Hinata and his brother, but still quite young. His fiery red hair was held back by a headband and his choice of clothing made him stand out among the city crowd. If Hinata had to choose, he’d describe the boy as old fashioned. The boy looks up at Hinata and his striking sky blue eyes seem to be staring straight through Hinata’s soul. 

[hickeygender]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Cody is lost in thought when it happens.

The corpse draws a ragged breath.

Cody flinches before staring at Obi-Wan’s corpse. The corpse that had been motionless for several minutes is now breathing. Cody scrambles forward and feels for a pulse. His hands shake so hard that it’s difficult to make out, but it’s there - weak but steady. Cody freezes up entirely, not trusting his own senses.

Then the corpse's brow wrinkles and its eyes flutter open, meeting Cody’s through his visor.

“Cody?” Obi-Wan asks, and Cody stares. Obi-Wan is pale, but not as pale as he was, and his eyes are searching Cody’s own. Cody snaps out of his trance and goes back to pressing on the wound.

“I’m- I’m here Obi-Wan,” he says, stuttering over his words. Obi-Wan looks past him. He says nothing for close to a minute.

“I… Cody, I died. I became one with the Force, but it… it spit me out,” Obi-Wan says, finally meeting his gaze again. Cody grits his teeth.

“You’re here now. That’s all that matters,” Cody tells him with a confidence that he doesn’t feel.

“But-”

“Just focus on staying alive this time, alright? I’m not losing you again,” he says. Obi-Wan lapses into silence once more.

[toxicanonymity]

WIP Wednesday

hello 🖤 I've been not very social recently, even with those closest to me, but I want y'all to know I love you and think about you even when I don't keep up with things on Tumblr. Also, I haven't posted a WIP weds in a while, but I appreciate the tags @evolnoomym and @sanarsi today, and all from prior weeks 🙏. . .

coming soon in The Raid . . .

I'm gonna stop with the "part n" titles so I'll hopefully feel less (self) pressure to balance things better, etc. This is more about dynamics and relationships anyway. Oh and smut.

Javi returns from the precinct and catches Steve up to speed in the kitchen while you watch TV on the sofa. "Messina's not happy," Javi says. 

"Yeah? What's up her ass?" 

Javi's eyebrows shoot up. "I think it's more about who isn't."

Steve rolls his eyes and braces his hands on the counter, stretching out his long, strong arms. He tongues the inside of his cheek as he looks over at Javi, then asks, "Seriously?"

Javi prods, "Wanna tell me what's going on?"

Steve groans in frustration. "Nothin's goin' on, just ain't felt like it." 

"Well if you don’t give it to her soon, our leash might tighten."

"Why don't you give it to her?" Steve asks.

Javi lowers his voice, but not enough. "She asked about you before I had it back in my pants."

“Ouch,” Steve laughs, then shakes his head and mutters, “Nah, nothin’ but a power move. Knock ya down a peg, remind ya who’s in charge.” 

“Or she just likes that big, gringo cock.”  Javi slaps Steve on the back.

Steve smirks, then his humor fades. He runs a hand down his face and mutters, "Fuck." His gaze falls on you, sitting on the sofa, pretending not to listen. 

Javi interrupts Steve’s thoughts, “We have some surveillance to do. Pronto.” 

“Alright,” Steve agrees, “Shifts? Whos’ first?”

“We need to go together,” Javi explains, “if there’s a bust, we should both be on the scene.” He calls over to you. "Up for a fieldtrip, sweetheart?"

Steve tenses, until he sees your eyes light up. "I'll get her dressed," he offers.

---------

everyone who wants to share, please consider this your tag and feel free to blame or thank me lol. plus, no pressure, and sorry if you already did it - @whateverloomis @iamasaddie @arcanefox207 @justagalwhowrites @romana-after-dark @bonezone44 @dark-scape @gasolinerainbowpuddles @beefrobeefcal @noxturnalnymph @strang3lov3, @umnitsa @quaritchscupquake and @sunshineispunk @aurorawritestoescape @milla-frenchy @clawdee (tyvm for your recent encouragement on this series).

[welcometololaland]

10 things - 2024/2025 edition

happy new year, everyone! 2024 has been a year of change for me in so many different ways, and i've posted very little fic this year, mostly due to writers' block and time constraints. so, instead of doing the writing round up i thought i'd list 10 things i'm grateful for in 2024 (fandom edition) and 10 things i want to do in 2025 (also, fandom edition). please feel free to make your own if you wish! consider this an open tag 🏷️

2024 - things i'm grateful for (in fandom, in no particular order)

1. my ride or die friends who deal with my self doubt and breakdowns and (being 100% real) paranoia about situations that simply don't exist - @rmd-writes @celeritas2997 , the popcorn squad and others. wouldn't be writing without your support!

2. the writers who have trusted me to beta for them - @heartstringsduet @basilsunrise @rmd-writes i think i'm forgetting some (so sorry if so). michelle, being with you through first aid was such an amazing experience, and i feel so lucky to have seen you develop as a writer!

3. the people who have read my fics and encouraged me including the wip wednesday and seven sentence sunday tags! - i literally would not be anywhere without you. you actually give me life.

4. the friendships i've made on discord with people who just wanna know me for me and share little snippets of their lives - @reyesstrand and @heartstringsduet the little squirrel photos y'all send me are soul soothers for real! @st-elle-ar and @clottedcreamfudge and @lightningboltreader and @birdclowns for the cat pics! @howtosingit for your commentary and spoiler services 💜

5. the grace given to me by @carlos-in-glasses and @actual-sleeping-beauty - you two are so kind and encouraging and tell me all about your knitting projects even when i go missing for weeks on end. thank you for being my friends <3 and i don't even think you guys know you are both my yarn obsessed friends but you ARE.

6. everyone who has trusted me enough to collab with them on projects - the legends on never the same twice, @rmd-writes @strandnreyes. i loved working with you and i hope you had a positive experience! looking forward to more collabs in 2025.

7. the document gremlins, betas and sensitivity readers i've collected this year - @rmd-writes @strandnreyes @lightningboltreader @celeritas2997 @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut ty ty ty ty some of those fics were in danger of being lost forever but we revived them!

8. @she-walked-away for making me laugh with your hilarious posts and olympia2997 who apparently doesn't exist on tumblr but leaves the most unhinged comments of all time on my fics.

9. everyone who has translated my fics or made art or gifs this year! inspired by you and in awe of you! @donghaian @whatsintheboxmh @heartstringsduet @guardian-angle22 i know there are more i'm so sorry if i've not listed you here!!!

10. everyone in the various fandoms i'm in who have created brilliant works in 2024! i am inspired by your work more than you know <3

2025 - things i want to do (in fandom, in no particular order)

1. read more, and read more broadly. expand my horizons a bit. read things that are a touch outside my go-to zones just to test the waters. read stuff by new authors!

2. spend time co-writing because that's actually my favourite thing to do. i have some things in the pipeline with a couple of people which i hope work out!

3. finish. the. damn. fic. (eurotrip). IT'S SO FREAKING CLOSE.

4. spend more time with my 2019-2021 beloveds - alex and henry. write more rwrb fic. engage in the fandom a bit more.

5. finish the ring-in 2.0 within 1 month of the LS finale (weep).

6. take one hand off the wheel with fandom relationships - my therapist tells me i need to stop trying to control how everyone feels about me and instead let people show me the kind of friendship they're interested in maintaining. scary because i think i may lose some people along the way but OH WELL WE BALL.

7. worry less about the engagement! god! i need to stop looking so much! *shakes fist at self*

8. write a little more regularly with less word count expectations.

9. learn how to be okay with smaller comments (from myself). sometimes i feel terrible if i don't write a damn essay but sometimes it stops me from reading which is horrible!

10. be a better fandom contributor than i was in 2024 - i think continuous growth is important and i'm always open to feedback (as long as it's constructive and genuine)! my mission is to always make a positive contribution and to make people feel good about themselves, and if i can even do that for one person in 2025, i think i will achieve this goal.

ty for the 2024 wrapped tags @hippolotamus @rmd-writes @reyesstrand @emsprovisions @nancys-braids @carlos-in-glasses @lemonlyman-dotcom @alrightbuckaroo @strandnreyes @thisbuildinghasfeelings @whatsintheboxmh @heartstringsduet @firenati0n @cha-melodius. you are real ones! consider this a tag back if you would like to do a 2024/2025 10 things edition.

[killerlookz]

Can u post a preview of heartbeat pleaseee im so desperate i’ve missed this au so bad

yessss.... i can :3, ahh happy WIP wednesday everyone hehehe

heartbeat! au: part 4 preview under the cut!

rpf warning, do not continue if uncomfortable!

Joost scoffs, his presence in the room suddenly overwhelming.

"You're kidding right?" His voice is dry, you can tell he is, at the very least, trying to not be accusatory, instead it just comes across as demeaning.

"What?" You're confused, unsure of what the supposed joke is.

"That you love him. You don't really? You're just saying that."

"Oh," You pause, looking down at your lap, realizing you're still undressed, "Yeah, I guess- no- I don't"

"You guess?"

"Yeah," You shrug, unsure of what he's getting at, "I guess."

"No fucking shit." Accusation becoming richer in his tone, he smiles in pure disbelief, his voice almost a laugh, "You have fucking feelings for him." He shakes his head, seemingly bewildered.

"No- I, no. I didn't say that." You turn towards Joost, stammering, you know how this will end, "No no-no I don't."

"Bullshit." He spits, standing up from where he'd been sitting on the bed, "Do you love him?" He steps to your side of the bed, standing over you, tilting his forehead down, fully interrogating you now.

Joost had never been intimidating to you, not like this, sure, before you had started dating and when you'd had a little crush on him he had made you nervous, but not intimidated.

"No- I-" God you're pathetic, stuttered no's are just about the only thing you can muster out of your mouth. You beg for any other sound to leave your mouth, but it won't, you can't.

"Say it then." His jaw clenches.

"Say what?"

"Say you have absolutely no feelings for him, tell me you don't love him."

"Joost," You start, pulling the comforter up to the chest, sensing an argument approaching, and preferring not to do it naked, "Stop this, what are you trying to prove?"

"Wanting to cut things off, wasn't about being unfair to Michael, it's because you love him." He's got it all wrong, at least, you're pretty sure he does.

"No, no, Joost that's not true I was just sick of the guilt, the sneaking around, I just want to try, I want to try to be a good person." It's all too much, tonight has been far, far too much, the warm tears finally beginning to brim in your waterline, obscuring your vision of Joost hovering above you as you look up at him. You attempt to blink them away, but the fluttering of your lashes just propels the small droplets down your cheek.

"Just, look me in the eyes, and tell me you don't have feelings for him." He's practically begging, the anger in his voice is only surface level, insecurity and anxiety buried deep beneath the demanding words.

"Please, stop, you don't need to be like this." You're fully crying now, unable to take this interrogation, god, why can't you just tell Joost you don't have feelings for Michael, why won't the words come out of your mouth?

"Exactly." Joost's face writhes, throat bobbing as he swallows down what you can assume is a desire to begin to cry, "Get out."

"W-what? Why?" He's never been like this before. Many times has Joost been angry with you, furious even. But kicking you out? That was a new one. You're unsure of what has gotten into you, and you'd be lying if you said it ddidn't frighten you just a little. "Get out?" You repeat, eyebrows furrowing, choked words barely above a whisper.

"No," He sighs, and you hope he's come to his senses. "No- no, whatever. I'm sleeping on the couch. You can leave first thing in the morning. I'll give you what you so clearly want, we'll end things here." He sounds defeated, the anger finally subsiding in his voice, giving way to whatever emotions it had been meant to mask.

[joelsgoldrush]

wip wednesday: "epiphany" (worst!logan x fem!reader)

third time lucky because i posted this twice with different passages and none of them seemed to satisfy the overachieving monster i am 👹 but let's forget that detail.

this fic is making me crazy... in a good way. i'm enjoying the whole process even though imposter syndrome's hitting harder than ever </3

thank you @moonlight-prose for tagging me 🫂💗

also tysm to @lubdubology because she’s an amazing beta (sorry for tagging you again and again 😭 don’t mind me)

He thought that not seeing you for a week would snuff out his feelings. That by next Wednesday, every thought tied to your name, every urge to uncover the last of your secrets, would be extinguished. That's what time usually did: it diminished dangerous desires that couldn't afford to be voiced, and buried those longings that had no place in the light of day. Logan now figures he’s been underestimating the spell you cast on him with just a few glances and the intensity of your eyes. He’s seen you animated, angry—both defiant and vulnerable. Each of your gestures feels like a memory he can’t quite place. The way you laugh, the right corner of your mouth lifting just slightly higher than the left—he swears it isn’t the first time he's seen a smile brighter than the sun. Still, he convinces himself it’s all in his head. He must be the one losing his mind, the years finally catching up to him. It’s the only reasonable explanation for the thoughts that consume his every waking moment. He’s wrong—you’re right. He’s seeing things where there are none—you’re simply too kind. Too kind. Too young. Too damn clever for your own good, with your books and that sharp mind of yours. He wonders how you see yourself. Do you like the reflection in the mirror? Are you content with the way your life has turned out? Do you, too, lie awake at night, the bed stretching endlessly, aching for a touch that never comes? The walls in this place are paper-thin. When darkness falls, and the moon rises, the big, scary Wolverine can’t close his eyes.  Instead, he listens.  You play the same movie on repeat—a romantic comedy that lasts exactly one hundred and twenty minutes. For two hours straight, he’s privy to your laughter, your commentary at the characters on the screen. He hears you cry when the lead couple drifts apart after a terrible argument, but they always find their way back to each other, and you watch every second until the credits roll. None of the other films you pick ever ends in heartbreak, he realizes. They all have happy endings—the kind you wish for yourself.

no pressure tags: @zloshy @princessanglophile @hauntedhowlett @wlwloverwrites + whoever wants to post sth they´ve written

[wolfjackle-creates]

Ghost!Robin Arc 2 Part 1

Happy WIP Wednesday! Ghost!Robin was the clear winner of last week's poll. Check out this week's poll if you want a say in what gets posted next. For any newer followers who aren't aware, the entire dinner scene has been written. I'm still working on getting it cross posted to AO3, though. That's going to be my next focus (once I finish editing the last chapter of The Two Ghost Motel, my EctoImplosion fic).

Story Summary: Jazz and Jason have been dating for a while. Long enough that it's time to meet the families. So a dinner at Wayne Manor is set up. Danny took great pains to manage all his Ghost King responsibilities so nothing ghostly would interrupt the meal.

But he wasn't expecting to see the ghost of the dead Robin hanging off Jason's shoulders.

First, Previous

Word Count: 1.4k

-----

Jason stared at the ceiling and counted his breaths. Next to him, Jazz’s breathing evened out as she slipped into sleep. Every time he let his mind wander, he saw the ghost grinning back at him. Signing with Bruce and Dick. Hugging Alfred.

Trying to take back his place in the family.

And of course everyone responded well to him! Bruce always hated the ways he’d changed since his death. And the ghost looked to be everything Jason had once been. Green shaded his vision and he grit his teeth.

A glance at Jazz, her face soft in sleep, made him let out a quiet breath and ease his way out of bed. A light in the living room proved he wasn’t the only one awake and, for a moment, rage burned hot in his chest. Why did Jazz’s brother have to come to Gotham and fuck everything up?

But he pushed that thought away. Danny hadn’t broken anything. Just revealed that Jason was even more broken than they had thought.

He stepped into the light and froze again when he saw the ghost sitting in front of Danny. The two looked over at him, silent.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he grunted.

Danny huffed a laugh. “It’s a lot. Especially if you haven’t grown up around this stuff.”

Jason glanced back at the ghost and felt the pits rumble under his skin once more. They hadn’t been this active in years. Not since well before he’d met Jazz.

But there was a ghost who looked like him, was him if Danny was to believed, and he was trying to take over Jason’s spot in the family.

He let out an angry huff of air.

Only for the ghost to roll his eyes and sign for him to get over himself.

Jason was throwing a punch before he was even aware, only to almost fall on his face when his hand passed right through the figure. Who decided to point and laugh at him.

Jason scowled and made his way to the window. “I’m going out. I’ll be back eventually.”

“That… might not be a good idea.”

He paused, one foot on the window frame, and asked, “Why the fuck not?”

“It’s just… Robin’s tied to you. He can’t be too far from you and with the power I gave him, I don’t think he can turn invisible again yet.”

Jason growled and pulled himself back from the window and slammed it shut. He glared at the ghost. “Why the fuck do you have to come in and ruin my life now, just when things are starting to work out?”

The ghost, of course, glared back and signed that Jason had ruined his existence first by pushing their family away. All the while, he was making angry-sounding chirps and trills that had Jason bristling even more.

Then Danny was between them, holding out his arms. It felt like something was pushing down on his anger, trying to ease the pits away. He tensed, not trusting the feeling even as he couldn’t help but give in.

“Okay,” said Danny. “Clearly there’s more strong feelings going on here than I first expected. So, um, should I start explaining what I suspect now or should we wait for Jazz to wake up?”

Jason sat on the edge of an armchair, still tense, and waved him on. “I want to know what’s going on.”

Danny nodded. “So I’m no doctor. We’ll have to go to the yetis for real answers, but I can start with the basics.”

“Yetis?” Jason couldn’t help but ask.

Danny blushed. It tinted his skin green. He’d blushed red earlier, what did the change mean? “The yetis of the Far Frozen,” said Danny. “They’re the doctors I mentioned earlier. Their leader is named Frostbite and he’s been helping me out since, like, six months or something after I died. They’re the experts in part-dead, part-living biology simply by taking care of me. I don’t even think the fruitloop knows as much as them, no matter how much he likes to pretend.”

Jason closed his eyes and took a breath. Sometimes talking to people not trained in giving reports by Batman was a test of patience. He decided to let the fruitloop comment go. It didn’t sound like it’d be relevant to what he wanted to know—at least not yet. Maybe he could find out more and get a second opinion after meeting these Yetis. “So not only will you be taking me to another dimension, you’ll be taking me to a place called the Far Frozen where I’ll be looked at by yetis.”

Danny shrugged. “Yeah, basically. Jazz mentioned you liked to read. If you like, I could take you to the Ghost Writer’s lair after. He’s got a library that contains every book ever written and many that never got published. I’m not allowed in it after an incident the year I died, but he likes Jazz so I’m sure he’d let you in if you promised not to damage any of his books.”

Now Jason was staring for an entirely different reason. There was a place like that? That he could just go to?

A questioning trill made his attention snap back to the ghost and he tensed again.

“Yeah, Robin,” said Danny. “You, too, of course. Can’t bring Jason somewhere and not you, after all! Especially since you’ll both have to be present for the medical examination.”

Jason grit his teeth and forced himself to not flinch at Danny’s use of the name “Robin.” He refused to take his gaze away from Jazz’s brother and ignored the sounds the ghost was making. “When will we go?” asked Jason.

“Soon as Jazz wakes up, if you want. No reason not to. And there’s a few things I’ll have to do in the Realms anyway. I was expecting to be away a single night, not however long this”—he gestured between Jason and the ghost—“will take.”

“But they can fix me, right?” asked Jason. He needed the answer to be yes. That ghost couldn’t be allowed to ruin the fragile peace he’d established with his family or the life he wanted to start with Jazz.

To his frustration, Danny just shrugged. “I’m not a doctor, Jason. I don’t know what they’ll find when they examine you. But they’ll know more than anyone else in either this dimension or the Realms.”

“But you have suspicions.”

“I do.” Danny took a breath. “Remember the sensor? Actually, let me just pull it up now.” He rummaged through his bag and pulled it out.

Jason made an annoyed grunt at the delay, but didn’t say anything as the seconds dragged on while Danny turned it on.

After what felt like ages but was really less than a minute, Danny moved closer so Jason could see the screen.

“See, here’s me.” Danny pointed to a bright orange blob on the screen. “And that’s you, he pointed to a mostly purple blob, half as bright as Danny. But mixed through the purple were shoots of orange and blue. The three shades turned mostly orange as they extended from his body to a mostly blue shape. But orange and purple twined as inextricably through the ghost as it did through Jason. Danny pointed to the blue. “And that’s Robin. You’re mostly purple which means you’re liminal. And a brighter purple than I’ve ever seen outside of Jazz and my closest friends. Robin is mostly blue which marks him as an unknown ghost. I’ll be updating the system soon so he shows up as a friendly, known ghost. But what’s interesting is this part between you. You’re connected by ectoplasm that most closely mimics halfa ecto. And there’s currently only three known halfas in existence.”

“You think we’re a halfa, like you.”

“Either that or you have the potential to be a halfa. But, really, we’ll need to go to Frostbite to know for sure.”

“I just want him gone.” Jay would argue to a second grave that it wasn’t a whine, but he was glad none of his siblings were here. Or Jazz.

The ghost let out a series of angry trills and signed at him. Which Jason easily ignored by simply closing his eyes and cradling his face in his hands as he worked on forcing back the pits.

“I don’t think it’s going to work that way, I’m afraid,” said Danny, echoing Jason’s worst fears.

-----

Next

Jason is having A Time™️. Will it get better?

I've finally gotten around to making a Subscription Post for this fic, so this will be the last update I do the tag list for. Especially since it's been so long since I've updated, I feel kinda bad tagging all of you! But if you still want update notifications, please check out the subscription post.

Tag List Part 1:

@addie-lover-of-stories @justwannabecat @gin2212 @amercurio @regonold @overtherose @readerzj @sjrose1216 @echoednonny @deeterzz @blu-lilac @number-one-jew @rowanaway-fromthisbs @vythika96 @tired-yet-awaken @themirrorghost @emeraldcorpral @all-mights-asscheeks @darkhinauniverse @blep-23 @phandomhyperfixationblog @larkcoe1 @thegatorsgoose @job-ross-the-second @britcision @lenacraft @bubblemixer @androgynouslordofescapism @purefrickingspite @leftmiraclechaos @lizisipancardo @starlight-sparks @miraculousandmore @gildedphoenix @sometimesthingsfallapart @letmesayfuxk @phoenixcatch7 @skulld3mort-1fan @abaowo @dhampir-princess @idkmrpianoman @sarina-elais @ballzfrog-blog @undead-essence @spookytragedyshark @flyingpansaurus @akintoabitch @marivictal @8-29pm @justreadingthefanfics @happybear135 @kisatamao @spoopyspoony @adorablechaos @sara0055 @screamingtofillthevoid

[thursdayinspace]

Let it Fly

fic: light as clouds

the last of the fic prompts! I have to admit, I got a bit creative with this one. And I wanted to hold it back, because as it turns out, this fits perfectly into a long fic I'm writing, so let's just call this "WIP Wednesday" or a fic teaser or "Thursday feels bad about holding back a prompt fill." I will not put it on AO3 yet because there will be a lot more. The fic that this will be a part of currently has the working title "one word, nine letters" and is a post-cancer fic in which they are in an established relationship. this is part of one chapter probably close to the beginning.

tagging @today-in-fic

--

“Just follow me,” she says, and takes his hand.

“Where are we going?” She’s leading him down a winding path at sunset on a cold late evening and as much as he trusts her, he wants to know that she has a reason.

“To the beach,” she says simply. “You’ll see.”

She has been working hard on getting better, on regaining her strength, but he still worries: that she’s pushing herself too hard, that it’s too much for her, that her eyes will look tired again and her legs won’t be able to carry her. He knows she doesn’t want to hear that. She just wants to forget.

Forgetting is the one thing he can’t do.

The light is sunset-soft under a wide expanse of gray-blue sky. It’s beautiful out here, quiet except for the rushing of the waves and the heavy wind, the crisp sea air erasing lingering traces of hospital smell and despair from their minds. A long weekend away was a good idea, he thinks – they both need to stay still for a while, remember how to breathe.

There is a smile on her face as she sighs deeply and looks off into the distance. He looks at her. There is color in her cheeks again, and not just from the cold.

“So, what are we doing here?” he asks. Because somehow he doesn’t think they just came down here for the view.

“Melissa and I used to do this thing,” she says, her eyes still fixed on the horizon. “When things were difficult, when her boyfriend dumped her, or when I was freaking out about telling our parents about joining the FBI. It was her idea. I don’t even know when it started.” Her smile is wistful, her eyes sad, and he loves her so much he can’t stand it sometimes. “We’d climb up onto the roof, or find a hill, or go to the beach, depending on where we were at the time. We took leaves, or feathers, or whatever we had, told them our deepest worries, and let the wind blow them away.”

“That sounds nice,” he says. “Did it work?”

“It was a nice ritual,” she answers. “It eased the pain for the moment.”

“Is that why you wanted to go out this late? Because you need to let go of something?”

Her eyes are so serious as they meet his. “No, Mulder,” she says. “We’re here because you do.”

He swallows. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” Her hand squeezes his fingers, her gaze holding his. “You’ve been so sad lately. And -” She shrugs. “I know it’s childish. But I thought maybe – you know. At least acknowledging it – whatever it is – maybe it would help.”

There is one thing, he thinks. Among many. One thing sitting on his chest heavier than all the water in the sea, and it would take a hurricane to wash him onto shore along with the driftwood. But she wants to share something with him and they came so close to losing it all. He’ll take anything she offers. He’s so happy to still have the chance. “What do I have to do?”

She lets go of his hand to pull a feather from her pocket, a single white feather. “I found this earlier. That’s what gave me the idea.”

He takes it and examines it carefully. Such a tiny thing. It will never be able to hold the weight of the ocean. But she’s asking him to believe that it can. “Do I have to say it out loud?”

“No,” she says. “Just think it. Really hard. And then let it go.”

For a short moment, he makes himself believe that it will work. That he can go back to before, to a time where he didn’t know what it feels like to watch the love of your life dying right before your eyes. “Okay,” he says, closes his fist around the tiny feather and squeezes his eyes shut. It hurts. It will always hurt. But it’s the pain of a memory. They will make new memories now.

He opens his eyes, then opens his fist, holds out his hand into the wind. Watches as the feather is caught by a gust, upwards and away, floating on invisible currents.

Next to him, Scully is solid and real, alive, looking at him like she loves him. “What did you tell it?” she asks, and then adds, “You don’t have to tell me.”

He can’t say it. Not right now. He gave the words to the wind, to the sky, to the open air under rugged clouds that are starting to turn red with the beginning of sunset. Maybe they can come down here tomorrow morning, to watch the sun climb its way back up over the edge of the world. Now that they no longer have to worry about every sunrise being her last.

So he doesn’t speak, instead lifts a hand and gently touches his fingers to the back of her neck, to where he can feel the raised skin of her scar, the evidence of the small miracle that let her survive, that gave her back to him.

“Mulder,” she whispers, and he lets the sound of his name from her lips wash over him; no one else has ever said his name like this. He doesn’t want to hear it this way from anyone else.

He brushes her hair away from her face and answers her smile with one of his own, and as he leans down for a kiss, her breath is warm, so warm against his lips.

[wikiangela]

tease tidbit tuesday/wip wednesday

tagged by @thewolvesof1998 @theotherbuckley @tizniz @diazsdimples @dangerpronebuddie @spotsandsocks @exhuastedpigeon @underwaterninja13 - tagging y'all back for wip wednesday 💖💖

doing two in one bc it's technically wednesday already idc lol - started a new wip I mentioned before (inspired by this video lol) and rn I'm rewriting what I wrote yesterday bc the past two days words were not wording and I hated everything I wrote, but I think I'm happy with it now haha I hope I'll manage to write it like I want to bc it's sooo good in my head istg haha

(wasn't gonna post until i have more but i need validation before i drive myself crazy over this lol)

___

It started as a random idea, more like a throwaway thought, really. Tommy was just checking the weather for the next few days – his hot pilot boyfriend always likes to be prepared – while they were hanging out, and he casually mentioned that “it’s gonna be nice on Saturday, perfect barbecue weather,” which got Buck to mention how they often have family barbecues at Bobby and Athena’s. Somehow, the conversation spiraled, and Buck’s not sure who threw out a more concrete idea, but here they are now, standing side by side in Tommy’s kitchen, preparing food – Buck’s currently slicing veggies for a salad, while Tommy takes care of the meat – for the barbecue where they invited way too many people than Tommy’s backyard can probably fit. It really is nice weather, the sliding door leading from the kitchen to the backyard open and letting in warm sunshine and a soft breeze that makes the air feel cooler. They work in pleasant silence, the only sound is quiet music playing from the speaker, and Buck can’t help a fond smile when he hears his boyfriend hum along, so off-key Buck’s not sure he even knows the song, but it’s still adorable.

The silence is disrupted by the doorbell ringing, and before Tommy can even move, Buck is dropping the knife on the cutting board, wiping his hands, and sprinting towards the door, shouting an “I got it!” over his shoulder. He’s followed by an echo of Tommy’s fondly amused chuckles. So he’s a little excited, sue him – they haven’t had a family day like this in a while, and there was only one he brought Tommy to, all of their schedules not so easy to align. And today his whole family will be here, including their spouses and children, and Tommy invited a couple of his friends and their families, too, and it’ll be just a big, loud, chaotic get-together that he’s hosting with his boyfriend. Buck never hosted one of these before, and he’s really enjoying it so far, and he just wants everyone to have fun.

___

no pressure tags: @elvensorceress @thebravebitch @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @watchyourbuck

@eowon @loserdiaz @evanbegins @ladydorian05 @wildlife4life

@diazpatcher @lover-of-mine @monsterrae1 @weewootruck @loveyouanyway

@spagheddiediaz @rainbow-nerdss @epicbuddieficrecs @pirrusstuff @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove

@nmcggg @rogerzsteven @hippolotamus @bidisasterevankinard @giddyupbuck

@sunshinediaz @honestlydarkprincess @911-on-abc @jesuisici33 @steadfastsaturnsrings

@buddieswhvre @fortheloveofbuddie @your-catfish-friend

@daffi-990 @hoodie-buck @aroeddiediaz

[emeryhall]

Thank you @bookish-bogwitch for the tag! I'm imitating you because I too have time to post today, but not tomorrow. I am so excited for more BPD. Happy solstice, y'all!

And thank you to everyone who's tagged me in WIP Wednesdays and Six Sentence Sundays recently. I've been writing but haven't wanted to share since it's in RWRB. Apparently I'm in sad Henry POV mode. Chapters 2 and 3 of my CORB collab are written though, so once the art is ready, we should post soon!

In the meantime, for anyone who's interested in a RWRB spy thriller, here are way more than six sentences from the future chapter 6. ❤️💙🩵

“Morning, sweetheart,” Alex says. As if they do this every morning. As if Henry has the right to come up behind him, wrap his arms around his waist, and press his lips into his hair. As if Alex has the right to make Henry feel that way.

Maybe it’s the glasses. Maybe it’s the Pavlovian response that causes humans to view anything with big eyes as innocent. Maybe it’s the prescription bottles confirming that Alexander Claremont-Diaz is indeed Alexander Claremont-Diaz. Maybe it was lying in bed with a fellow insomniac while the light shifted from black to grey. Maybe it was the multiple orgasms, or the way Alex knew what Henry wanted and gave it to him.

Maybe it’s Alex here, now, barefoot in a white t-shirt and boxer-briefs, looking soft and sleep-rumpled and pushing a plate of homemade eggs towards Henry that makes Henry say, “I’ll show you my notebooks.”

“What?” Alex pauses mid-push.

Henry pulls the plate the rest of the way, picks up a fork, and takes a bite of eggs.

@artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @cutestkilla @raenestee @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

@larkral @rimeswithpurple @shrekgogurt @orange-peony @alexalexinii

@facewithoutheart @noblecorgi @monbons @hushed-chorus @mooncello

@iamamythologicalcreature @skeedelvee @prettygoododds @rbkzz @roomwithanopenfire

@messofthejess @fiend-for-culture @run-for-chamo-miles @rainbow-0bsidian @youarenevertooold

And anyone I forgot! I still have no organized way of tagging.

[nausikaaa]

Six Sentence Sunday

happy solstice, last day of saturnalia, and not-quite-almost christmas! i hope you're all having a nice holiday season. i'm at work pretty much every day until January, because pubs do well at christmas, which is why i've fallen so behind on reading other people's wip shares.

plus i've been keeping a close eye on my goats, since the girls, Juno, Lucy and Mina, are in with the billy, Hadrian. so far he has gotten lucky plenty, but the girls have come back round in season all the same. i know he can do the job because he did it last year, so it's just bad luck and i've got to keep my fingers crossed it will hold the second or third time.

anyhoo. thanks for the tags today and on wednesday @forabeatofadrum @that-disabled-princess @bookish-bogwitch and @artsyunderstudy!

today i have some more of my post-trojan war wip, with a preamble:

so basically, part of my story follows Briseis, Achilles' war bride, after the events of the Iliad, but there are no sources as far as i can find that say what happens to her. so, i had to plot out what reasonably could have happened, and i eventually figured that if she was legally considered his wife (which is complicated in and of itself- Achilles was already married, but bigamy was sometimes practised by Greek kings, and Patroclus promises Briseis in the Iliad to make Achilles marry her. my Briseis is pregnant, which makes these things simultaneously more and less complicated) she would travel with Neoptolemus, Achilles' son by that aforementioned other wife, and Phoenix, Achilles' old mentor, either of whom would likely have become her male guardian upon his death, to Phthia, Achilles' homeland, where she would become a ward of Peleus, Achilles' father and the patriarch of the child(ren) she is carrying.

so with that sorted: it's mentioned in some sources that after the war, Neoptolemus walked his army from Troy back to Greece, which was honestly a good call because the moment the Greeks set sail, they hit a storm, which sank Ajax's ship and killed him as punishment for him raping Cassandra in a temple, blew Helen and Menelaus off course to Egypt, and blew Odysseus off course too, and we all know that didn't go well for him. we know Phoenix took this journey too because it's noted he died and was buried along the way.

so, walking an entire army from Turkey to Greece. it's doable, it won't even take you that long, but you'll need to stop for supplies such as food. and that got me wondering, what the hell would an army have to buy food with? sure, they would probably be willing to part with some stolen booty, but it was a status symbol, they would want to hold onto the best stuff.

the answer is obvious, but unfortunate.

To some it was a relief to reach a town, but those of us who knew how the world worked were not so sure.

If the people were amenable, there would be trade for food and wine. And what did the Achaeans have in surplus to offer in exchange for such things?

If they were not so welcoming, the soldiers would simply attack, taking what they wanted, and the numbers of their one export would grow.

Women, always women, trading hands, pulled this way and that. Even the war that started it all was over a woman; who could own her, who could bed her.

tags/hellos/holiday well wishes: @cutestkilla @run-for-chamo-miles @roomwithanopenfire @prettygoododds @ic3-que3n @blackberrysummerblog @j-nipper-95 @youarenevertooold @larkral @orange-peony @aristocratic-otter @thewholelemon @alexalexinii @confused-bi-queer @shrekgogurt @comesitintheclover @raenestee @hushed-chorus @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @noblecorgi @shemakesmeforget @ileadacharmedlife @supercutedinosaurs @otherpeoplesheartachept-2 @ninemagicks @otherworldsivelivedin @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists @carryonmylovelies and @meanjeansjeans!

and for reading all this, here's Olive in her christmas outfit and the dogs in theirs!

[potato-jem]

wip wednesday

i'm aware it is not wednesday for most of you just yet, but i have started working on something else, even though i haven't actually finished my fic yet (cue boos and tomatoes from the audience)

i just wanted general thoughts - i'm not sure if i'm going ahead with it because it will be a LONG fic

that being said, here's the snippet

Henry has read enough novels, articles, literature reviews, textbooks, backs of cereal boxes, to realistically know that this isn’t the stupidest thing to ever happen in mankind. In fact, it’s probably not even the top ten stupidest things a member of the British royal family has ever done, but it certainly feels like it is.  He’s certainly old enough to know better, but young enough to justify it. 

Getting close to Alex Claremont-Diaz, even just for the sake of good publicity, was like toying with fire, and Henry was already close enough to feel the hairs on his arms begin to singe. Not even the biting cold first minutes of January in Washington D.C. could put the flames out. If anything, it was just making Henry regret coming here even more.  He attempts to wrap his arms tighter around his chest, his eyes in the stars. It’s not quite clear enough to see the stars perfectly.  ‘Come on, Dad. Please.’ 

leaving the tag open because i genuinely do not know who to tag in these (i definitely will not be posting enough to justify having a tag list, but if you would like to be tagged in these, i'm more than happy to oblige)

[affectionatelyrs]

WIP Wednesday

Happy Wednesday y'all! :) I'm... so tired. Very tired. So I'm not lingering on here too much today, but thank you so much to @gayrootvegetable @itsmaybitheway @cha-melodius @bigassbowlingballhead @ships-to-sail @wordsofhoneydew @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @magicandarchery and @kiwiana-writes for the tags

This is the final snippet that I'll be sharing from the truth or dare fic because I'm posting it TOMORROW so get excited friends

“Truth or dare, H?” “We’re still playing?” Henry says a bit incredulously. “Answer the question. Please.” Alex’s voice cracks on the last word, and something in Henry’s expression does, too. And then— “Dare.” Yes. “I dare you,” Alex whispers, leaning forward to press his palm to Henry’s cheek, letting the other one fall to his shoulder. Henry’s breath hitches, and he slightly leans into Alex’s touch, eyes going wide before fluttering shut for a moment. “To let me kiss you.” Henry’s eyes open, but only halfway. They flit between the hand on his shoulder and Alex’s face, which he’s certain has gone all syrupy and soft around the edges. Alex hopes that Henry can see the earnestness etched across it. Hopes that Henry can tell that this is real to him and not just a part of some dumb game. And then, Henry jokes, “That seems like cheating, love. Usually, the dare is something that the recipient is meant to do, not the other way around,” and Alex knows that they’re going to be just fine. More than fine, even.

Open tag because I'm posting late in the day, but I'm tagging a few people below the cut too

@anchoredarchangel @anincompletelist @sherryvalli @dumbpeachjuice @daisymae-12 @firenati0n @leojfitz @leaves-of-laurelin @littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @welcometololaland @whimsymanaged @everwitch-magiks @read-and-write- @rmd-writes @inexplicablymine @indomitable-love @orchidscript @cultofsappho @cricketnationrise @nocoastposts @myheartalivewrites and @matherines