#Maybe whatever wins gets a wip posted

[rainingskyguy]

Another Poll???? Apparently

So much things have been happening. and I recently finished with my last zine responsibilities.

Disclaimer this doesn't mean it will get POSTED next, because I'm quirky like that

[deuxadeux-if]

WELCOME TO DEUX À DEUX.

Hi all, I’m Ray, and this is the official Tumblr of the WIP interactive fiction game “Deux à Deux."

This post contains:

Socials

Current Demo Status & Patreon Status

Short Synopsis

Long(er) Synopsis

About the Game (ROs and a basic “things to do” summary)

Content Warnings

Demo

***The game is planned to have some mature content, so 18+ only from here on out, please :-) ***

Socials: Pinterest | Spotify | COG Forum | Patreon

Demo & Prologue Status (10/05/2024):

| Public Demo |

Prologue is available. You should also see an ending page which allows you to restart/share game, you should have a stats screen, and you should have 4 save slots.

| Patreon |

Prologue is available. R Burns POV #1 (for prologue scene) is available for free & paid members on Patreon. Erin Pinsky Diary #1 and T Lyons POV #1 are available to Obsession tier on Patreon. Two free drabbles are on Patreon (you can find them here, too, though).

Short Synopsis:

You’re barely scraping by your dead-end job when a couple leaves a note as they leave: “Quit your job—we’ll take care of you.” Calling the number on the note throws you headfirst into a world of luxury, intrigue, power, and lust. Tread lightly.

Long(er) Synopsis:

As a server at a self-proclaimed “upscale” restaurant in New York City, most of your shifts end with exhaustion, total rage, or vague annoyance. When a beautiful couple leaves you a note with their receipt (instructing you to quit your job and let them “take care” of you), along with a $500 tip, you’re intrigued.

You don’t expect much from the note, but it quickly becomes obvious that you’ve caught the Lyonses attention. They’re persistent as they are mysterious, but you soon realize there’s a dark underbelly to their glamorous, luxurious lifestyle. Whether you stay in it or not is up to you.

Will you become part of (or break up) the Lyons couple, or will you find another path with their permanent “house guest”? Maybe you’ll be the fourth piece in their puzzle. You could stay at your crappy serving job and get closer with one of two coworkers, to the horror of the Lyonses—or maybe even your boxing coach.

Whatever happens, it won’t come easy.

About the Game:

-----------------------------ROs---------------------------

T Lyons.

T (Tom/Tess/Tory) Lyons is wealthy, mysterious, and cold. They’re married to N Lyons, and the two of them are the very picture of a New York City “power couple."

T takes an immediate liking to you when they meet you at La Table (the restaurant you work at). Their interest is what sweeps you into the Lyonses life, into their own luxurious, illicit, private world.

Appearance: T Lyons is American and black. They have black hair, sharp lips, and cold brown eyes.

N Lyons.

N (Noah/Natasha/Nico) Lyons is T’s devoted spouse, and is in turns alluring and terrifying. N is apprehensive to have you join their world, despite their immediate interest in you, because the Lyonses only ever have one “house guest” at once.

N Lyons will be a little harder to win over, but they may prove a more loyal ally. You also wonder how much they pull the strings of the Lyonses’ lives behind the scenes. Only time will tell.

Appearance: N Lyons is Mexican-American and brown. They have very dark brown hair, long eyelashes, and calculating black eyes.

M Nguyen.

M (Mason/Molly/Mars) Nguyen is the current house guest of the Lyonses, and you immediately wonder if they find you an unwelcome intrusion or a possible savior.

M is more reserved than either of the Lyonses, but then again, they don’t have much to talk about. They don’t leave the house much, but they want for nothing under the Lyonses care. You just wonder if they’re in a gilded cage, or truly satisfied.

Appearance: M Nguyen is Vietnamese-American and tan. They have black hair, angular cheekbones, and thoughtful black eyes.

R Burns.

R (Ronnie/Roxanne/Rainn) Burns is one of your closest almost-friends in your “real life.” They’re your boxing coach, the best around, and you consider them mostly (or completely) to thank for your combat skills.

You’re always entertained with R, but you’re torn between deciding if there’s real care beneath the easy amusement on the surface. Do you want to get closer to R, or leave them in the dust?

Appearance: R Burns is Punjabi-American and brown. They have black hair, a prominent nose, and dark brown eyes.

Erin Pinsky.

Erin Pinsky (genderlocked) is your almost-almost-codependent coworker. She’s a very talented server, always lighthearted and charming … if you cared more about your job, you might be jealous.

She seems to really like you, too. The question is, is that affection only surface-level, or could there be something more there?

Appearance: Erin Pinsky is American and white. She has poorly bleached hair, always-on black eyeliner, and bright brown eyes.

Theo Ferreira.

Theo Ferreira (genderlocked) is another of your coworkers, but you can’t really tell if he thinks anything about you … like, at all. He doesn’t really give a shit about La Table or his job, so he’s more stern than charming as a server.

For some reason, the customers eat this up. Sometimes he’ll sneak you stolen food from the back and insist you bring it home, but otherwise he’s pretty quiet. Still, he’s very handsome.

Appearance: Theo Ferreira is Brazilian-American and brown. He has buzzed brown hair, expressive eyebrows (though he hates this), and shrewd black eyes.

----------------------THINGS TO DO---------------------

In Deux à Deux, you can romance several people at once (whether there will be consequences or not is anyone’s guess … mwahaha) or devote yourself to one RO. You can also date nobody, I guess, but that will be a lot less fun in this game, sorry!

You can throw yourself wholeheartedly into life with the Lyonses, including going clubbing, eating fine dining, going on impromptu vacations, etc.

You can also reject their frivolous lifestyle entirely, avoiding them when you can (although they’re quite persistent) and spend time boxing, hanging with your coworkers, or trying to get M out of the Lyonses lives.

Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can try to balance both.

This game will have:

Romance (duh)

Stat checks with consequences (there will be 2-3 majorly game-defining stat checks, so choose wisely)

Combat (everyone has a few skeletons in their closets, right?)

A fair bit of drama.

Content Warnings:

These will be updated more as I continue writing and completely solidify things, but this is a start.

Combat: knives, guns, street fighting

Violence: blood, bruising, unconsciousness

Stalking (not by ROs or MC)

Swearing/cursing (your MC can choose not to curse, though!)

Sexually suggestive content

Sexually explicit content (can opt out via ��fade-to-black”)

NOTE: there is no sexual violence or allusions to it, EVER. There is no human/sex trafficking or allusions to it, EVER.

The Demo:

Link: https://dashingdon.com/go/17086 OR click here.

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

Thank you so much for your interest in my game!! So excited to continue sharing this with you all.

XO

Ray

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

All In 7

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, age gap, power imbalance, low self esteem, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: you meet a mysterious man on a night out with your sister. (petite!reader)

based on the winning option for this poll

Characters: casino owner!Bucky Barnes

Note: another week...

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

When Bucky leaves, you feel less than relief. It’s easier to breathe without him around but your heart continues to race. You don’t move until you see him drive away. You steel yourself with the manufactured lie before you go back inside. 

As you do, you’re surprised to find Roxie beside your mom, both of them close to the front window. You sigh. Were they watching? You guess you can be thankful Bucky hadn’t done more than talk. 

Your mom faces you with a sheepish grin, “so... did you get it?” 

You look between her and your sister. Roxie has her phone in hand and an arch in her eyebrow, “I’d die for a boss like that.” 

“I...” you glance the screen before she can hide it. Oh. She had a picture of him pulled up on Google. So, they both know exactly who he is. 

“He must be really hands on if he came all the way down here to offer you a job,” Roxie tilts her head. 

“That’s the sign of a good boss,” your mom insists.  

“Really, I think his eyes were the kicker. So blue.” 

“Rox,” your mom nudges her. “A man like him, he’s got line ups, I’m sure. Besides, she’s too young for him.” 

“Well, I’m older,” Roxie smirks, “maybe she can get me a job too.” 

“Er, uh,” you wring your hands, “I should start dinner.” 

“You didn’t say if you go the job,” Roxie challenges. 

“Yeah,” you utter softly, “I got a job. Just cleaning.” 

“Hey, it’s better than nothing,” you mom assures as she comes to you. She puts her hands on your shoulders, “I’m so proud of you.” 

“Mom,” you try not to look pained as you return her smile, “it’s nothing. Really. A cleaner.” 

“We all gotta start somewhere.” 

“Yeah,” Roxie scoffs, “most of us a lot sooner.” 

“Oh, don’t be such a downer,” your mom lets you go to spin on your sister, “don’t rain on her parade.” 

“Whatever. I’d rather hand out flyers than clean toilets,” she rolls her eyes. 

You purse your lips and shy away. You feel worse that they believe you so easily and why wouldn’t they? No one would think that someone like you would merit such a preposterous offer from a man like Bucky. You still can’t really believe it. 

Maybe it’s just some twisted hallucination. You could wake up tomorrow and be just like you were before. You never thought you would long for that but now, being alone, being the loser, that feels safe. Being noticed, being someone, that’s terrifying. 

🃏

You take your time making dinner, a brief escape from reality. The distraction keeps you busy enough that your chest stops thrumming, yet your nerves are still spastic. You’re not very hungry once it’s done but you make yourself eat. 

Roxie heads off for work shortly after you gather up the dirty dishes and your mom goes to change into her pajamas. She startles you as you scour the pan you used to bake the chicken. You splash yourself and hiss. 

“Sorry, hon, I was just coming to check on you,” she leans against the counter, “you’re nervous, aren’t you?” 

You shrug, to fraught to answer. 

“You get restless, I can tell. You do everything just to keep from fidgeting,” she says, “it’s going to be okay. You’ll be just fine and you’ll see, it’ll be nice to have your own money.” 

“I know, mom,” you murmur, turning your face down to the sink, “it’s not that I don’t want to work, I just... I guess it’s the change that freaks me out.” 

“Change is good, even if it’s scary,” she says. “You’ll see.” 

“Mm,” you hum and try not to shatter, “I just want to help out.” 

“Hon, you worry about yourself. Please--” 

“No, I owe you.” 

“Owe me? I’m your mother. I just wish I could give you more,” she smiles and squeezes your arm. “If you’re not some busy working girl, we’ll celebrate on my day off.” 

“Sure,” you accept grimly. 

She leaves you and you’re silent as you finish up the dishes. You put them away and wipe the counters. When you finish, you shut off the lights. You say good night from the doorway and retreat into your room. Tomorrow. That’s all he said. That’s the only detail you go before he strolled off. 

You grab your phone and fall back on your bed. All you want is to lose yourself in a fic or a discussion board or even just scrolling mindlessly. You can’t. It’s like he’s taking over everything. There it is, that little icon you rarely see, a new message.  

You pull down the menu and stare at the preview. Two hours ago. You’re surprised he didn’t show up to check why you hadn’t answered. Again. You will at least need to send something before the night is over. 

‘Hey doll. I’ll send a car tomorrow morning at nine. Just bring yourself.’ 

You shudder and stare at the blue bubble around the text. Oof. Nine? That’s early for you. You suppose it’s about time you break that bad habit. 

‘Sorry. I was making dinner. Nine is good. Thank you.’ 

You hit send and put your phone down. You slide your laptop across the bed and open it up. You’ll watch something. That old BBC drama you found on the free streaming service has been pretty interesting, but you think you only have one episode left. That’s good, you can’t be up all night. 

Your phone buzzes. Shoot. Alright. You can do this. You have to get to it. You swipe up your phone again, surprised to find it’s still shaking.

Oh no. He’s calling! 

You panic and nearly hit decline before you manage to drag your thumb the other way. You put the phone to your ear, unable to muster even a squeak. What do you say? 

“Hey, doll,” Bucky’s voice drawls from the speaker, “hope I didn’t interrupt dinner.” 

“No, er, we’re done.” 

“Ah, and are you alone?” 

You frown, “yes?” 

“Good, good. Isn’t that sweet of you, cooking dinner for your family. That’s what I like about you. You take care of those you love.” 

You gulp. You don’t know what to say. 

“What was for dinner?” He asks as you hear a soft rustle. 

“Um, chicken and potatoes,” you answer bluntly. It’s an easy question. 

“You’re not busy or something?” He wonders. 

“Uh uh,” you shake your head even though he can’t see, “I’m just... in bed.” 

“Early night, huh?” He asks. 

“I guess, I was going to watch a show.” 

“Right, right,” he clicks his tongue as something taps followed by other indiscernible movements, “you in your pajamas? Bet those are cute?” 

“Not... yet,” you croak. 

“Mmm,” he purrs, “I just got out of the shower.” 

“You... did?” 

“Getting ready for tomorrow,” he explains, “gotta admit, I’m a bit impatient. You’ll see that about me, doll. When I want something, it’s hard to wait.” 

“Uh, oh...” you stutter out. 

“For you, I can,” he vows, “doll, do me a favour.” 

“A favour?” You echo thinly. 

“Mmm, yeah, I want you to get in your pajamas and send me a picture. Just to tide me over,” he coaxes. 

“A picture?” You open your eyes wide and gape at the wall. 

“Sure, just a taste. I wanna know what I should imagine next to me when I lay down.” 

“What?” You squeak, shocked by his insinuation. Imagining you?! 

“I can’t help myself. It’s lonely here.” 

“I...” you pick at your lower lip, “one sec. I... I gotta...” 

You put the phone on the bed and push yourself off the mattress. You trip on your own feet and hope he can’t hear you stumbling around. Your pajamas are kind of silly. You don’t really have any sexy ones. Maybe if he sees them, he’ll change his mind. 

The only matching pair you have have snoopy on the top and a large check bottom on the pants. You fish them out and change. It’s okay. He can’t see you at that moment. Still, it feels like he is watching you. Just as his presence has lurked around you all day. 

You go back to your phone and fumble around, “sorry, I... just... figuring out the camera.” 

You hear his timbre but can’t make out his words from the small speaker. You open the camera app and flip the camera. You move around, trying to take the pic, and lean the phone on the top of your dress. You angle it and mutter to yourself as you struggle to set the timer. 

You take several pictures before you’re not entirely discontent. You look awkward in all of them. The pants, like all your pants, are too long and gather around your feet. You don’t know how to pose either. Quite frankly, you look frightened in every single one. 

“Alright, I think...” you babble and find your way into the conversation and choose the least egregious frame. You hesitate and close your eyes as you push your thumb down on the arrow. 

You bring the phone back to your ear, “are you still there?” 

“Always, doll,” he assures and once more, the phone shifts around noisily. “Mm, Snoopy? I like it. More of a Woodstock myself but... Mm mm mm, you look good.” He pauses as you wriggle and your cheeks burn hotly. “Sexy.” 

“No,” you burst out without thinking. 

“No? You don’t think I’m telling the truth?” 

“I didn’t... say so, it’s... just pajamas,” you sniff, “sorry, I didn’t mean to argue.” 

“Doll, relax. Thing about you, you don’t even have to try.” 

You don’t reply. You have no idea what to say or even if you should believe him. You saw the picture, you look in the mirror every day, you know what you are. It still feels like some weird game. 

“Here, gimme a sec,” he says from his end. 

More rustling and the noise of a digital shutter. Your phone vibes shortly and you pull it away from your cheek. You squint at the screen as it lights up and an image buffers in the conversation. 

“Huh, uh, it’s not loading. My phone is--” you nearly swallow your tongue and gasp. 

Oh gosh. It’s a picture of him in almost nothing. Just a towel. His long hair is damp and pushed back and his dark beard contrasts his bright blue eyes as he aims the lens of his phone at himself in the mirror. His stomach is ridged with muscle, his chest trimmed with hair that trails down, and the towel hangs low, giving a generous hint of his pelvis. The vee above the fabric feels overly salacious. 

“Doll?” You hear the low tone of his voice and make yourself look away. You raise the phone again to your ear. “Everything okay? You got really quiet.” 

“I...” 

“You like what you see?” He asks coyly. 

You put your hand to your forehead, your flesh is fiery. It’s so much so fast. Just that morning, you’d convinced yourself you would never see or talk to him again. And now he’s sending you pictures like that and... flirting with you? 

“Yes,” you eke out then cover your mouth. He snickers and you clear your throat before you peel your hand away, “sorry, I mean... you’re... you... you must work out.” 

“Doll, you’re too adorable,” he says. 

You don’t say a word. You’re mortified. He knew you saw that. He knows you’ve seen him like that. He sent it! 

It’s all too much. You’re lightheaded. You rub your chin and shiver. 

“I should... sleep.” 

“Mm, me too,” he says, “hopefully I dream of you.” 

You giggle nervously, “really?” 

“Sure, doll. All I can do is dream. Until tomorrow,” he sighs, “and what about you? You gonna dream about me?” 

You squeak and stammer, “I... I... I...” 

He laughs again, “you really are so cute in those pajamas.” 

“Please,” you blurt out, “delete it.” 

“Now, why would I do that?” He challenges. 

“I don’t... know.” 

“I love it,” he insists, “you’re not deleting mine, are you?” 

“N-no, no, I’ll keep it.” 

“Hm, good,” he intones, “it’s all for you so don’t you go showing me off to all your friends.” 

It’s your turn to laugh. “Promise, I won’t.” If only he knew you don’t have any friends to show. 

[kibbles-bits]

any voxval fics you’d recommend?

Ah, yes, voxval fics... The one ship that finally made me cave and read explicit stuff. I am now numb to everything.

Everything.

I'll only be posting completed fics. Warnings, almost all of these are explicit. A couple also have Angel, you know, suffering.

And please mind the tags.

First off is a couple of favs that I always go back for a reread:

Corrupted Love by DoveFactory (Words: 149,495)

In a moment of blind desperation to one-up Alastor, Vox puts himself in a compromising situation that leaves him worse for wear. His state triggers something in Valentino who decides to change the nature of their relationship.

The title and summary of this is so misleading I thought it was going to be a dark fic but nope. The Vees are a bunch of goobers and Valentino always wins. I would scream about this every time it updated. I love the characterizations and their banter it almost made me forget there's sex in like every chapter. Honestly I wish there was more tags referencing the character/story stuff.

Virtual Reality by passthevoxcord (Words: 7,634)

Vox gets tired of his cybernetic biology being a barrier to his sex life, so he starts a new project to fuck Valentino in VR. Val will try anything once, but he has something else in mind.

This one ends up being so sweet I want to die. passthevoxcord's other fic, Only a Shadow, drives me nuts but its a WIP and hasn't actually gotten to the voxval yet.

choke behind a smile by gloriousmonsters (Words: 19,881)

"I'm not scared by extreme, although I doubt I'll find it interesting. What is it?" Valentino's eyes narrow slyly over his smile. "If you aren't scared, why do you need a warning?" Vox has everything under control in his new business partnership with benefits. His emotions, his unfortunate desires, the little mind games they play. Even Valentino himself. When Val offers an invitation to a special show he's performing, Vox knows it's a dare, and knows he has to take it, show Val that he can't be scared or destabilized. He has no idea of how deep under his skin the show will get.

Everyone's so normal. I love this Valentino. There's another Valvel fic that has the same Valentino I also recommend called bad girls go backstage.

Great Expectations by MarenRose (Words: 11,280)

“It’s his goal. Those three simple words. If he could get to hear them once, could let the reality of their meaning and spoken existence occupy his mind for only a few indiscernible moments, then maybe, Vox could learn to see the appeal of this god forsaken holiday. He might even learn to ‘love’ it too.” Or: Vox hates Valentine’s Days. His prick of a ‘wife’ is just too damn hard to please.

This miiiight have been the fic that made me Lock In on voxval? I'm not sure. It's sweet. Alastor is hilarious.

biting keeps your words at bay by Subedarling (Words: 1,511)

“You can’t hit me,” Valentino says. He’s practically vibrating with rage. “You’re not allowed to—you can’t hit me!” Vox sneers, cruel and mocking and hopefully masking the way his heart is breaking apart inside his chest. “Baby, I can do whatever the hell I want.” A decade into their partnership, Vox and Valentino have their first and last physical fight.

This might be the only non-explicit fic in this list. I am all for Val being the worst just because he's Like That. But I will not say no to an implied tragic backstory. I read this one a lot and want to die. Can I draw this. I want to draw this. Oh my god I have free time I can totally draw this...

And my other recs:

Just For The Record by PeppermintWalrus (Words: 13,795)

Vox is thrilled about his new film enterprise with his business partner, ready to build a lucrative empire for the denizens of hell to experience true cinema, in the only genre their depraved minds desire. There’s just one problem that he finds out too late; Valentino has never filmed porn before. Vox decides that some... hands-on teaching, is necessary to save their production.

Yeah you read that right.

a putrid feeling that i've addressed by spoondrifts (Words: 5,162)

They weren’t a couple because Valentino was pathologically noncommittal and Vox simply knew better. He tried the whole romance thing with a certain radio demon a few decades back, and he’d learned his damn lesson. Hell just wasn’t the place for that sort of cutesy bullshit. Also, he was pretty sure that Valentino was straight up incapable of love, which was both par for the course for Vox’s friendships and amazingly convenient—things couldn’t get complicated if there was nothing to complicate in the first place. Or: Full Moon, Vox/Val edition.

Haha I love pain. I lied, this is the second non-explicit fic.

Little Miss Hellion by DoveFactory (Words: 10,657)

Hell’s worst married couple spends a day of family bonding at a beauty pageant doing whatever it takes to make sure their daughter takes home the crown, because failure is never an option for the Vees. Pilot AU where Vox and Valentino are married and Velvette is their adopted daughter.

It's more Vees than voxval but they're married so.

The Art of Pimping by MarenRose (Words: 9,161)

Desperate to close a deal with one of the most lucrative investors in Pride, Vox does the unthinkable and pimps out Valentino for a one-time date. What could go wrong?

Val's attitude in this one is funny and Vox. Yeah. Vox made a mistake.

You Found Me by passthevoxcord (Words: 4,338)

Long before Velvette came along, it was just them. Vox and Valentino. Valentino and Vox.

Sobbing.

Something Less Than Dishonest by daphnerunning, Galiko (Words: 33,931)

He isn’t expecting the way Valentino walks, for some reason. Maybe it’s the extra limbs. Maybe it’s the wings. Maybe it’s the heels. Vox had skipped briefly through a few of the slut’s movies, for research, and isn’t expecting the way Valentino moves in person to feel so… Different. “…You must be my four o’clock,” he says, standing and offering a hand. Oh, shit, he’s huge. Valentino towers over him, easily would without the stripper heels. Vox is not afraid of heights.

Vox is so offensive in this it loops back around to hilarious.

Red Skies and Valentino by alternatedoom (Words: 86,050)

"Vox and I are special friends, doll. Go give him a kiss," Val says to the boy.

Angel does not have a good time. But the Voxval is nice.

before you go by xoTsundoku (Words: 4,426)

Before Alastor came into their lives, Vox and Valentino were happy. Maybe they still can be.

A Farewell to Ghosts by Accidental_Ducky (Words: 37,149)

"What do you think that is," Vox demands, pointing at the new guy. Valentino turns, eyes raking greedily over the man's body. He's gorgeous, skinny in a heroin chic way with big blue eyes and blond hair that falls just so across his eyes. "Hot." "Don't fucking call the ghost hot!"

The only human AU I've liked so far. Love the character interactions. Vox and Val are hilarious.

God I hope I didn't miss any. There's definitely some good WIP ones out there.

[froizetta]

WIP Wednesday: more superbatlantern because why not

I went slightly insane and wrote over 15k for this, so here's another excerpt lol. This one's more or less the direct continuation of this scene I already posted, so this'll probably make more sense if you read that first. But it's pretty much just Hal spying on superbat while using the ring to turn himself invisible in the hopes of catching them making out, which is a totally fine and normal thing to do to your colleagues. Nice one, Hal!

He drifted cautiously closer. The light from the sun glinted off the windows harshly at this angle, turning them opaque, but just a little further and…

There, that was it. Fuck yeah, the blinds weren’t even drawn so he had a clear view: that was definitely them alright, alone in the room, sitting really fucking close for two “platonic” best friends. Supes didn't seem to have noticed him yet, so clearly Hal had been right about him being too distracted to listen out for eavesdroppers. He was really on a roll today, huh? Ha, Hal was totally winning this bet—

Oh.

Oh, shit. That was…that was not what he’d expected to see.

Hal had definitely been right this whole time: they were fucking on the reg. But there was nothing sexual about what they were doing now. They’d pulled a couple of the meeting room chairs together. Bats was sitting on the right, more relaxed than Hal had ever seen him, cowl off, in a comfortable slouch rather than his usual ramrod-straight posture, eyes flickering lazily over a datapad. Supes was on his left, curled around him as best he could with two armrests in the way, an arm flung around Bats’ waist and his head pressed to his chest, eyes closed. Listening to his heartbeat it looked like, even though he could probably hear that shit from across a city.

It couldn’t have been all that comfortable, sitting like that, but on them it looked…easy. Familiar. Domestic. Like they’d done this, or something like it, a thousand times. Hal watched Supes’ lips move, murmuring something too quiet for Hal to hear. Whatever it was, it was apparently the joke of the century, because Bats let out an honest to god chuckle then moved his free hand up to Superman’s hair to rub gentle circles into his scalp. Big Blue practically melted against him, more overgrown puppy than godlike superpowered alien, and Bats finally looked up from his screen, and—man, even though Hal was hardly an expert on the series of mildly constipated expressions Bats normally used to emote, even he could tell that look on his face was—

Hal’s heart sank. Crap. They weren’t just fucking. They were in love.

Hovering outside the window watching a clearly happy couple act romantic with each other, Hal suddenly felt like absolute shit. It almost felt unfair, even. Batman was a crazy asshole, sure, but he was also crazy rich, crazy smart, crazy gorgeous, and mostly had his shit together. Meanwhile Superman was…well, pretty much perfect in every way, honestly. A real stand-up guy, on top of being the kind of walking wet dream you could actually take home to your parents. And on top of all that they already had going for them on their own, they also had each other?

When was the last time someone had looked at Hal like that? It was probably Carol, wasn’t it, before the last time they’d broken up. That was— Shit, that was years ago now.

This was no fucking fun at all.

With a sudden, all-encompassing intensity, Hal really, really didn’t want to be seeing this anymore. They hadn’t noticed him yet. Maybe he could just…drift away, get blackout drunk and pretend he never saw that? Yeah. Yeah, that sounded like a great plan.

Unfortunately for him, whatever that feeling was apparently audible to Kryptonians. Because just then, Superman’s head snapped up. And then he was staring right at Hal.

Shit.

“Hey, so. My bad, big guy,” Hal whispered. “Uh. Fuck. I’ll just—”

“Hal.”

“Jesus fuck!”

The voice came from directly behind him. When he whirled around, heart slamming into his ribcage—yup, that was Supes alright. Arms folded forbiddingly across his broad chest, looking stern and disappointed and faintly furious.

Hal dropped the invisibility; there didn’t seem much point to it now. “Man, did you have to sneak up on me like that? You nearly gave me a damn heart attack.”

Superman looked unmoved. “Bruce and I would like a word with you inside. Now.”

He sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. Let’s go.” There went his plans of quietly moving on with his life. But hey, he could admit he’d sort of made his bed in this case. He could man up and lie in it.

And besides, depending on how this went down, he could probably still do the whole drink-to-forget thing later.

[disasterbuck]

FanFic Ask Game

So I saw this post (linked above) and decided to answer all the questions instead of just reblogging and waiting for asks. Enjoy getting to know a bit more about me as a writer!

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

I love how fluffy it generally is and how my fics always have a happy ending 🥰

😐 What embarrasses you most about your own writing?

I don't think I'm embarrassed about my writing? Maybe sometimes I'll write a kiss that feels a bit cringe?

👻 What is one WIP you think you may never pick back up?

'the heist wip'. Inspired by the episode Ocean's 9-1-1, I wanted to explore what situation could make them ACTUALLY turn to crime. I had a vague idea of a woman's dog being kidnapped by her abusive ex, and Buck gets all obsessed over it and eventually asks the rest of the team to help him break the dog out or something. idk. I don't have a solid enough idea and I feel like it would end up being a long fic which I just can't commit to atm. (If anyone reading this is inspired by this idea, feel free to write it!! But please tag me if you do! I would love to read it!)

👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?

... I don't think so?

Yeah I've just had a skim through and can't find anything that I would never share if I managed to finish it.

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

Ooohhh, I love getting comments on ALL my fics but I guess if I had to choose I'd probably go with Friends Don't (8.5k) because it has a special place in my heart.

✏️ Do you write every day?

Not strictly, but most days yes.

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP.

"Back to my point," Chimney said once Hen's laughter died down. "You two are codependent. I bet you couldn't even go a day without having to touch each other."

Buck's face flushed a darker shade of red.

"Yes we could," Eddie argued, suddenly stubborn and confrontational. "We could go a week."

"You wanna bet, Diaz?" Chimney asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

After a quick glance to communicate with Buck, Eddie nodded and said, "You're on. What are the terms?"

don't say his name wip

🏅 What is something you recently felt proud of in regard to your writing (finished a fic, actually planned for once, etc).

I wrote 4 drabbles exactly 100 words each!! It took quite a bit of editing and revising but I'm really happy with how they turned out! You can read them here if you're interested: buddie month | four drabbles

😈 Is there anything you enjoy doing that you think your readers hate?

fhdskjfhs I HOPE NOT 😅

🌙  What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

I don't really have a preferred time of day?

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

Yes. And no. lol

📊 Current number of WIPs

............................ 104 🙈

👨‍👧‍👧 Do you tell people in real life that you write fic? 

Depends ENTIRELY on the person. But generally yes. This does not equal letting them read my fics though lol.

🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

Hm, good question. Maybe Athena?

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

Uhhh I don't know. I feel like I'm constantly learning about writing and just generally trying to improve in all areas.

📚 Do you read your own fic?

YES ALL THE TIME. I looooove reading over my fics. Makes me so happy!!

🤔 What is the hardest part of writing fic?

Writing kisses. Or endings. Both. Every time Buddie are about to kiss I tend to abandon the fic for a while lmaoooo and then whenever I have to wrap it up it takes me 3-5 business days.

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet?

Up for anything. All I've got for it so far is this:

Buck: No, I mean it. I'm up for anything. If you can come up with something I won't do you win. But I'm telling you right now I never back down from a dare.

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

fhjskfh I hate research. My deepest dive is whatever happens in the show. I'll rewatch or maybe read wikis to make sure I get show details accurate but anything else? I'm making that shit up bestie 😅

✨ Choose three adjectives to complement your own writing.

🙈 sweet, emotional, aaaaaand heartwarming? idk

💭 What is a headcanon you have about your own work?

I don't have headcanons about my own work! Everything is canon! They're my works! My reality! YOU can have headcanons about my works lol.

🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave).

Of my own or someone elses?

Of my own fics, I love you (4k) is my fave.

Someone else's, the first that comes to mind is The Best Lie is a Truth (My Best Mask is My Face) (43k) by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels uggghhh it is chef's kiss!! Fake dating my beloved! 💕

👩‍🏭 If one of your fics was going to get you arrested, which one and why?

Lazy Mornings (1k) for being so freaking adorable 🥰

⏰ Do you spend more time reading fic, writing fic, or do you do both equally?

I think it's fairly equal? But maybe a bit more time writing, because a lot of the reading I do is of physical books rather than fic.

-

taglist because there's a sneaky snippet hidden above:

@dluoser @taketheplanspinitsideways @loudenthusiastic @wallywise @mxrcjqckspnchqsc

@therosesaredying @stillfuckingtired @classtrialguru @smolfunpenguin

@awesome-igi @natnuszsstuff @olliesrants @crazyfangirlallert @delirium1995

@brah3280 @meanceclosetohell @anythingeverythingallofthetime @sunflower-eddiediaz

@darkrose6578 @veronae-buddie @steadfastsaturnsrings @loveyouanyway @inell

@spicyrottingbrains @gnoeltop @idealuk @donationwayne @lemotmo

@smilingbuckley @realpersonwithrealfeelings @superlock-in-the-tardis @mjthe14thdoctor @strxwbereee

@idontknowwhatimdoing777 @ashleigh2658 @mari-lwyd-fannibal-blog @mineyneedsmoney

@spotsandsocks @unlifeira @pirrusstuff @buddiedaydreamer911

@littlevampireprincessuniverse @misshiss727 @i-put-the-star-in-bastard @hermioneindisguise @dangerpronebuddie

@specialbrownieeater @blue-winged-boy @bucks-daddy-issues @lightningmcqueer8

Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed 💕

p.s. I'm updating my taglist, check out the info on this post

[little-peril-stories]

Blood Garnet - WIP Intro

it's a working title leave me alone

Aka: WIP Wednesday / Vaguely Summarized WIP / I'm Desperately Trying to Get This Dumb Story Out of My System

DISCLAIMER: this stupid story is a silly, self-indulgent mess that would require a lot of hard work to make it, um, fit for human consumption. It was my little brain break between finishing The Queen of Lies and restarting The Court of Rogues. It may not ever get finished. 🤷‍♀️ So, uh, you're forewarned. 😇

OPEN TAG for WIP Wednesday, Vaguely Summarized Plot, or both 😊- there's a lot of nonsense in here so I feel bad subjecting even more people to it 😂

Let's use this cheeky lil post for some recent WIP Wednesday tags: Thank you @kaylinalexanderbooks and @sleepywriter00 for the tags! Posts here and here (same post chain).

Rules: Pick a WIP. Post something about it. On a Wednesday. Or whenever! It can be literally anything! 😊 (It does NOT need to be extra as this😅.)

Mood Board

don't anyone say anything about how there isn't a single gemstone on this mood board

What's It About?

Take a drink every time you see an element Kate's used before in other stories. 😅

Evyn, a schoolteacher, impulsively embarks on a journey in an effort to escape the chokehold of her small village, overbearing uncle, and inevitable (and unwanted) fate as someone’s happy little wife. It’s risky, of course: wild animals roam the woods, and she still doesn’t know the source of the mysterious lights that gleam through the darkness at night. However, she gets more than she bargained for—the forest is not what it seems, nor are those mystical yellow lights.

The Fae, creatures of legend, are real.

And they’re coming for her.

Vaguely Summarized Plot

Also using up another tag here! Thank you @mysticstarlightduck for this one! Posts here and here. The tag is kind of perfect for this seeing as I don't know much of the plot myself, so I have no choice but to be vague. :)

Rules: Summarize your WIP in 15 2-5 word bullet points (as if you were trying to summarize it in 15 seconds). (I didn't stick to the limit at all.)

✨ “So the forest's been kind of glowing lately? And no one but me seems to have noticed? Ok. Coolcoolcool.”

✨ “Get married? Me? Never!” Evyn Edition: Simply Not Interested But I Must Be Lying Because All Women Want to Get Married, Amirite?

✨ “Get married? Me? Never!” Jonathan Edition: Very Not Straight But Try Telling That To My Religious Zealot of a Father

✨ Jealous twin will NOT let his sister win control of their clan like she wins everything else, damn it (footnote 1)

✨ Emo loner who can’t go home (on pain of death) just wants these weird dreams about some random-ass human to please STOP (footnote 2)

✨ “I’m going to pursue independence! In another town! On a time crunch! By walking through the woods! At night! I’m a schoolteacher with no survival experience! This Is A Good Idea!”

✨ Grumpy grandma re: pesky human: What is her deal?

✨ “Hello yes hi I’m the emo loner. I’m unrealistically attractive. I saved you for reasons I won’t explain. But also I don’t talk to humans. Or Fae, really. Or. Like. Anyone. Not often anyway. What’s talking again?”

✨ “So, like, you're kind of hot … but you’re, uh, my enemy?? But I haven't figured that out yet?? And also, do we, like, have weird sexual tension, haha, or is it just me? Hahahaha! … But seriously, do we?”

✨ "Hey I know you have breathing issues or whatever, so you don’t like dusty or dirty or humid places, but … wanna take a shortcut through this super duper cool underground cave system?”

✨ “Haha, what? No?! There’s no reason I’m avoiding this area of the forest! Nope! No reason at all!”

✨ YOU get a betrayal! And YOU get a betrayal! And YOU get a—

✨ “Who is the monster and who is the man?” (footnote 3)

✨ This asylum makes the one in TQOL look like a vacation! (footnote 4)

✨ Sexy villainess gets to emotionally torture one MC and then physically torture another. AND psychologically torture them both! Hell, maybe she’ll even kill one of ’em too! Fun for the whole family!

Footnotes

(1) IT’S NOTHING LIKE ZUKO AND AZULA SHUT UP

(2) IT’S NOTHING LIKE RHYSAND AND FEYRE SHUT UP

(3) IT’S NOTHING LIKE QUASIMODO AND FROLLO SHUT—oh who am I kidding 🎶

(4) Technically the whole asylum thing happened in this story first, like, 2 or 3 years ago. That version just lives in a purple notebook that will never be seen by any eyes but mine. So, really, TQOL stole the asylum setting from BG, not the other way around.

Character Vibes

Evyn, human, orphaned as a child and raised by her aunt and uncle. Now a schoolteacher who sees yellow lights no one else can see.

“My heart cannot be captured. I intend to die an old maid, surrounded by papers and books. Good afternoon!”

Jonathan, human. Evyn's cousin, a clerk. Just truckin' on through a life he finds endlessly tedious and unsatisfying.

“Cecil’s a soggy piece of tree bark in a hat,” he said before he could stop himself.

Ah, Jonathan Garnet. A man who gained a single speck of favour with his impossible-to-please father…and promptly hurled it into the wind.

Dharan, Fae. Exiled from his clan years ago for murdering another Fae.

The Fae leapt up, standing straight and bending his knees as if to run—or perhaps pounce. One hand hovered over the stolen knife on his belt; the other, he extended to her.

He looked away from his foe to meet her gaze, uttering a single word:

“Run.”

Rennith, Fae. Heir to his clan but competing for the title against his twin sister.

He was a man, it seemed, but those eyes bespoke something much more ancient—of man, but not man himself. Silver hair, an impossible shade, framed a face sculpted into sharp angles, as cold and pale as if it were made of ice.

A Fae creature forged in primordial fire, carved from gold, silver, and mother-of-pearl.

For the Whump People Here:

Whumpy Things I've Managed to Squeeze into the First 13,000 words

Humiliation/embarrassment (minor)

Hyperventilation, dyspnea

Angst (minor)

Grabbed in the dark

Abducted

Restrained (but make it magic)

Magically forced to obey commands

Chin grab

Whumpy Things I've Got Planned But Haven't Written

Angst (major)

Stabbed

Various fight-related injuries I won't know till I write them

Betrayed by someone you trust

Drugged/knocked out

Humiliation/embarrassment (major)

Imprisoned

Taunted by the antagonist

More magic restraints (but turn it up to eleven)

Tortured (but make it magic)

Desperation, hitting rock bottom

A death fakeout or two or three

If you made it this far, you deserve a medal. 🥇

[idontknowreallywhy]

A little WIP piece for our favourite Musician’s birthday.

I really really really meant to have completed the ceiling paint mystery one for today but it’s messing with me and I can’t get the ending right, so I’m compensating by starting yet another fic (with my usual music-nerd theme) promoted by my chats with the well of inspiration that is @astranite - thanks for letting me mess around with this one.

Blitzed out in my lunch break and entirely unproof-read… but if I don’t post now I’ll keep prodding it instead of actually doing my job so…

THE SOUND

“I know what the post-flight readouts say, Brains!”

He breathed in for an adagio 4 then out for the same, allowing the white hot knot of tension between his brows to ease a little. The gap it left behind it was immediately filled with the hollowness of guilt that he’d let himself snap at his old friend. He dug his fingernails into his palms and summoned the overly-calm baritone that was most effective when cajoling his elder brother into something resembling a reasonable response to whatever the latest apparently world-ending catastrophe was.

“I trust your creations and your protocols, I do, but I need you to trust me too. I know her and I know she sounded… off.”

“Off” was an understatement. Two had been shrieking at him all the way home. Oh, her habitual E-pitch purr was there, and the usual harmonics from ploughing through pockets of turbulence. Even the faint echo that told him her fuel tank was nearing empty… that was all a familiar part of the symphony. It was the extra note that made his teeth sting. That sharp wavering whine which defied his attempts to fix a pitch and filled his vision with flashing daggers of sickly neon green instead of his girl’s usual rich rainforest blanket.

Scott’s eyes flicked over to Gordon with an unspoken question. His wingman’s shoulders were a picture of awkwardness and he appeared to be trying to dig through the floor of the hangar with the toe of his boot.

“I couldn’t hear it guys… but you know me, I’ve got the musical subtlety of a rock. I shouldn’t get a say. Maybe we shouldn’t take her up again until Virg has had a look?”

Virgil caught his eye and focussed so hard on trying to convey his overwhelming gratitude that he moo-ed slightly. Coughing loudly to cover his own throat’s betrayal, he straightened and turned to his Commander whose exasperation was already tangible:

“I recommend that Two be grounded until Brains and I can complete a full systems check.”

Scott raised an eyebrow then his expression softened and he delivered a #7 variant of the Scott Tracy “Fine”. Virgil knew from the mid-range pitch combined with the slight increase in airflow towards the end of the word that this specific “Fine” meant “I should really be grumpier about this but I’m too tired and I know you’ll win me over anyway because you’re adorable”.

His long-suffering elder brother spun on his heel and tapped his comm as he walked away:

“John, Two is offline for 24 hours, please reroute anything One and Shadow can’t handle to the GDF.”

Virgil’s gaze had already narrowed on his beloved green behemoth as he pondered the most likely source of the disturbance when he sensed movement on the ground behind him. Gordon was knelt down on one knee, head bowed and the largest wrench in the workshop balanced on his upturned palms.

“Your battle sword, my liege.”

[Nerd note: Adagio is generally accepted to be between 55-65 beats per minute. So it’s a 4 second breath in.]

[Lore note: there are actually 16 Scott Tracy “Fines” and only Virgil can distinguish them all]

[mamashenanigans]

Official AFO Bad Ending Event Announcement

It’s the end of January and thus the Bad Ending Event is upon us! Read after the gif for all the information and share, share, share!!!

From now until the end of February, writers and artists are invited to take part in the All for One Bad Ending Event hosted by me(MamaShenanigans) and @possiblycringe !!!

Bad endings are fun, but can sometimes be a challenge for writers and hard to depict for artists. This event is meant to be a great exercise in creating a work where the Big Bad(All for One) wins, nobody wins, or a story that takes place AFTER the bad ending(but still is bad). That’s a lot of ‘bad’!

I LOVE bad endings, or rather, when the villain wins! It’s pretty much ALL I write…not counting my still WIP of real world Yoichi being a real world cat lady….we whisper about that in secretive circles.

Types of ‘Endings’

The Big Bad wins: All for One ends up having his cake and eating it too! Doesn’t matter how it gets there, but the self-described Demon Lord HAS to come out on top by the end of the story. In context, it’s bad for everyone else but him.

Nobody Wins: Despite whatever conflict happens, neither side wins. It’s just terrible for everyone including Mr. Comic Nerd in a Suit. So sad, too bad.

After the Bad Ending: This is a fun one! Your story can take place after All for One has eaten his cake, but the platter is still full! This can be a slice of life sort of story or even something wicked where it seems the good guys are finally going to fix that bad ending….except they don’t.

The biggest thing to take away from this is that: there is NO good ending. Even if you write an aftermath(#3), nothing good can come of it. However! You can definitely play around with all three of these. Maybe it’s an aftermath(#3) where nobody wins(#2)…but then AFO wins(#1)? Maybe you continue on past the Big Bad wins(#1) and just continue right on into #3. Or, you can write or draw for each type! Doesn’t matter! Only that it’s bad.

Requirements

Writers

Minimum story length of 1k words

Fits one or more of the above types of endings

Can include any other characters or relationships such as Yoichi(hurray!) and DFO(Dad for One), and any setting such as canon, fantasy au, real world/no quirks au. Etc and so on. All alternate universes are welcome if you want to write one!

Horror and gore are perfectly fine. NSFW is not permitted in this event.

You can submit as many entries as you want!

Artists

Has to depict a bad ending in whatever way you think that would look. All for One must be featured.

Horror and gore are fine. Just no NSFW

Can submit as many entries as you want!

Prizes

Please note that the prizes have changed since the last post was made.

To keep things fair, @possiblycringe and I will be creating prizes based on a “first come, first serve” basis. This way, neither of us will be making more prizes than the other. That would be exhausting for one of us! How that works is, for example, the two 1st prize winners are announced. One for art, the other for writing. The first winner to contact me with what they want(art or fic) gets that pick and the other winner will have to take whichever the first one doesn’t.

Choices for Prizes

Written Prizes

Contact me with a prompt

1st Place: 2k word fic

2nd Place: 1.5 word fic

3rd Place: 1k word fic

Art Prizes

Contact @possiblycringe with your prompt

1st Place: Full body color with cell shading

2nd Place: Half body color

3rd Place: Half body lineart

Timeframe & Submitting

Starting now (January 27th) until the night of Sunday February 26th(I have the next two days off after) by 11:59PM. Please note that there is leeway due to time zones!

Submissions can be made at ANY time, so you don’t need to sit on your work until the 26th! I’d prefer you didn’t!

To submit, post on tumblr, AO3, fanfiction.net, or whatever works for you! Tag me if you are able on the platform, otherwise, tag me in a discord we’re both in or DM me on Discord or here with a link to your work! My discord is MamaShenanigans#9608

AO3 Tag/Collection & Inspiration

For writers that want to keep their bad ending a secret from readers, you can tag your work with AFOBEE2023! I will create a public collection once submissions start coming in!

For inspiration, here are three of my works that hit every type of bad ending!

COLD—example of a nobody wins bad ending. Horror

Alternatives chapters 2-3 & chapter 5 epilogue featuring the bad ending of a Mafia AU

Alternatives chapters 3-4 & chapter 5 epilogue featuring the aftermath of a bad ending where fat!AFO has already become Emperor of the world.

@possiblycringe and I are so excited to see what you all come up with! Have fun and do bad!!!

[kittkatattacks]

Wip Wednesday 7/31/24

These are hella late but here are my sentences for 7/31 :)

Perfect season 20-22 for:

@happinessisntfun @owlbearwrites @1attheedge @eriquin

“I need you to get some information to the little lord.”

“Ah, I see. And what exactly would I be telling him?”

“Riko is getting out of control. He sent some of the freshman Ravens over to Palmetto to kill one of our players.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes. the player who was attacked saw who it was and I’m sure there’s a paper trail that leads back to the side branch if not to Riko himself.”

“Alright, I’ll check it out and relay your message. Is there anything else?”

“Thank you, and no, there’s nothing else right now.”

“Very well then, I’ll let you go.”

“Bye,” Neil says, and hangs up the phone, handing it back to Andrew.

He pockets the phone, leans back on his elbows and stares out at the parking lot. Neil doesn’t feel like going back inside so he sits with Andrew and stares at him, admiring how the sun lights up his hair and makes his eyes glow gold.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

AFTG space au for:

@enigma-the-mysterious @scifikimmi @auburnlaughter @adhdavinci

Neil finishes signing his email, heart pounding in his ears and sends it off before he can think about it too much. He quickly closes his laptop and leans back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head and then takes a few calming breaths.

In, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Out, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

In, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Out, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

He does this until he feels his heart slow and gets up to get ready for the day. 

Neil barely makes it through his first class; the professor monotonically goes over the syllabus and then keeps them there for another half hour talking about himself and how he ended up in ‘such a fine establishment’. He resorts to alternating between drawing on the handout given to them at the start of class and stabbing himself in the thigh with a pen.

He meets up with Jean for a late lunch and they both talk about how their classes are going so far.

“I’m just saying, that class is shit. I don’t understand why we need to take it.” Neil says, referring to his undergraduate studies class.

“We have to take it because someone,” Jean replies, stabbing a piece of broccoli with his fork, and then pointing it at Neil, “wanted to explore Europe instead of going to college when we graduated.”

“Whatever,” Neil says, swatting the broccoli away. “It's not like I made you come with me.”

“True, but irrelevant. Besides, if you had gone on your own, who would have been there to take care of you after all of the times you got into fights and needed patching up.”

“I could have done it myself or gone to a clinic,” Neil says, already knowing he’s going to lose this argument.

“Bullshit. I’ve never met someone who hates hospitals more than you do. Also I’ve seen you try to patch yourself up, you’re pretty shit at it.”

“Alright, Alright,” Neil says, putting his hands up in surrender, “you win.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

YLPWBOYF for:

@somefishycat @wizisbored

Lola wastes no time getting into his space, knife in hand, crowding him even more into the car door. 

“So, Junior,” Lola says, like she’s gossiping with a friend, “I’ve just got to know, where’d Mary run off to?” She presses the tip of the knife into his cheek when he doesn’t immediately answer, just enough to draw a drop of blood. 

Nathaniel doesn’t flinch despite the pain he feels and replies, “Like I’d ever tell you that.”

“Maybe,” Lola says, “but I have a feeling you’ll tell me sooner or later.”

Nathaniel wants to question how she plans to do that, but keeps his smart mouth shut, his mind already coming up with multiple ways that she could.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

DMRA for:

@zyrafowe-sny @whimsicalmeerkat @aparticularbandit @post-and-out

Aaron can tell he’s struck a nerve, the bulging veins on either side of Hill’s forehead giving away just how much he has. 

Halsey steps between them, redirecting Hill’s attention to him and Aaron takes the chance to give Kevin a once over.

Aaron hadn’t thought much of him when he first walked in, having been more focused on Hill. However, now that he’s really looking, he notices how muscular Kevin’s arms are, his jade-green eyes and how he towers over most of the people in the room, including himself.

Aaron turns his attention back to Hill and Halsey, “I look forward to seeing you in class,” Hill says, but Aaron can tell he is still pissed from earlier despite the smile he wears.

He glares at Hill until he’s gone and turns his attention back to Halsey who checks his watch, “I’ve got to go, there’s a call I need to make. Kevin, could you please show Mr.Minyard the Emergency room.”

“Of course, I was on my way over there anyway,” Kevin says.

Aaron gives Kevin his full attention now that Halsey is gone, “You sure know what to say to impress important people huh?”

“I assume you mean Hill.”

Yeah, he’s a pain in the ass but he’s got a lot of influence here. Let me guess, you’re taking Dr.Hill’s class?”

“Yep.”

“Well, if I were you, I’d tone down the animosity. Getting an F in his class is like a bad review from the New York Times; it’ll ruin your career before it even begins.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

[oldsargasso]

YOUR WIP SNIPPET I’M GONNA FALL DOWN!!!

Kenta sitting there and waiting with Kim is so cute to me, Kim’s “are you fucking kidding me” look is HILARIOUS, and oh my god Kenta just tell him you want him to grab you by the collar.

That’s a really good point, especially when it comes to their relationship with Kim. It’s easier to accept someone’s flaws when it’s not you they’ve hurt, and when they didn’t target you specifically. Like how long does it take Kim to process what he went through? Does he have dreams about Winner standing over his body? There’s a level of physical trust that has to be built up from below zero. Winner went out of his way to beat on Kim when he was down (and maybe part of him was bitter that Kim hadn’t embraced him as a teammate, and angry that the person who always turned him into a kicked puppy was so easily reduced to nothing, like “You’re supposed to be better than this. Get up,” kind of complicated, misplaced, nasty feelings). 

Another thing I’ve been thinking about in regards to guilt and penance is Kenta and Dean’s relationship, and the way Kenta pushed Dean down the wrong path? I don’t think Dean would particularly blame him—it was his own choice (unless it turns out that Kenta knew Charlie’s death was gonna be faked and let Dean take the fall for it. In which case there would be a lot of anger, since Dean was already upset about being blamed for something he didn’t do).

But I think Kenta would probably blame himself (when does he not), since Dean would never have done anything if Kenta hadn’t suggested it, if Kenta hadn’t seen him as a set of dominoes ready to topple over. I think it’s something they’d probably fight about and would tie into Dean’s issues with wanting Kenta’s respect.

Oh yes Winner you are such a martyr it is sooo terrible to have to sit there and watch all of that glorious action; whatever would they do without you? 😆

Oh Dean. He’s never not gonna make me hurt. I am NOT ready to talk about him and Alan again ahdjfjfja it is so tragic!!!

How DO they all get together SHFJFJF THAT’S SUCH A GOOD POINT. It’s honestly probably very messy and convoluted, given all of their histories and Winner’s resistance to even caring about anyone. I think things would happen between some of them more easily than others. I will think some thoughts on this. 

I am. Not Optimistic about all four of them surviving. LOL. 😬😬😬 But I am prepared to fully ignore some things that happen and and live in canon divergent land ahdjfkfj. I had the SAME thought about Dean, like oh at least he’s safe behind bars! (The episode may have aired by the time this gets posted so I may already be in “lalala ignoring this” land”)

(WINNERDEAN FIC!!!! 🥺🥺🥺)

WAY HAS A CAR DEALERSHIP AS A SIDE HUSTLE 😭😭😭 Winner at least podiums during the races, so maybe he gets a modest amount of winnings? Idk how racing works BUT I do think he has family money. Like he absolutely has those entitled vibes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes from a racing family as well. 

THE SAME GYM, THE SAME LOCKER ROOM, AND THE SAME BAR. Like I know the city is not that small, why are they always up each other’s asses hmmm (homo reasons)

I just keep imagining all the ways it would go down. it's so dependant for me on how well Kim and Kenta knew each other BEFORE. did they meet that singular time Tony came to watch a race? or was Kenta doing like, personal assistant type stuff and helping Kim get settled in? I can't get past the look they share as Kim is taken away it's SO charged and speaks to a bit of an established relationship (of any sort). but yes Kim should grab Kenta by the collar. both of his shirt and the one Kim's gonna give him.

oof I feel like we haven't discussed Kim's trauma from being held captive and beaten up at all, how have we missed this!! it's definitely the way Winner went about it, bitter and vindictive exactly as you say. like when we first meet Winner and Kim in the gym they're aligned together but very quickly Kim is like "um no" - we see him very much against Winner employing dirty tricks but he's also aggressively not on team Winner before that even. if only we had gotten a handful more scenes of Red Racing before everything kicked off! the guys in the garage Winner's drinking with seem to support him, so he's not the worst all the time. but yes to everything you said! there is a huge gulf between where they have to come from to where we most often place them all together. I guess that's the more difficult part of their story and not half as fun to discuss as them all navigating an actual relationship lol.

wasn't it Kenta who sabotaged Babe's car the other time? he got caught on the cameras but literally only by Kim, who's locked up at the time Charlie's car gets sabotaged. couldn't he just. do it again?and also HOW did Kenta know to go to Dean for that? (my headcanon is Winner introducing Dean to Tony as a like, here's a guy who could be on our team kinda thing. like someone had to know to exploit Dean.) anyway YES. Kenta would blame himself and him taking all the blame of it is taking away Dean's agency. because he DID make that choice - he didn't think it was going to kill Charlie but it was always a risk, car racing is not the safest sport at the best of times. it would tie in very well with the age-related respect issues; Kenta reducing Dean's role in it all is akin to treating him like a child, like he doesn't know enough to know what he did was bad. so far Dean's the only one who's faced actual consequences for his actions!

honestly I can see it starting with any permutation of the four of them lol. I often default to it happening WinnerDean + KimKenta -> all four (after various mixing of three of them) - probably the only way I can't see it happening first is WinnerKenta lol. although that would be the most toxic way to kick of this toxic polycule.

Winner is the one I'm most nervous about since he's a true villain in the piece but I'm Very Concerned about a Kenta self-sacrifice play. but yeah I will be joining you in canon-divergent land if anything actually happens to these four. BEYOND what already has lmao we gotta get Dean out of jail.

(SOMEONE has to write winnerdean fic we are starving. I gotta stop using all my words and energy on these asks lmao but I'm having so much fun)

we have now discussed rich kid Winner in our third simultaneously occurring pit babe-related conversation on this website lmao. at some point in the near future I am gonna go through and collect all the exchanges we have had and put them all together.

FOR REALLL though, x hunter seems to despise Winner yet at no point was anyone like "should we go somewhere he won't be?" of course not. surely I am not the only one who believes one of the reasons Winner hates Babe is because he got rejected by him.

[livingmeatloaf]

WIP Wednesday snippet

"washed up nobody worms his way into local governmental leader's heart" was in the lead when i last checked the Out of Context Wip poll.

Taxes fried my brain on Wednesday, so you get it now! What is time anyway!!

The summary refers to "A Serpent Among the Lotus", my double-post-canon crossover with endgame Jiang Cheng/Zhuzhi-Lang. Zhuzhi-Lang is stuck in a form closer to his birth form right now, mostly monstrous.

"I am dangerousss."

"Yeah? So am I. And so is the sect leader. If he's not worried, I'm not." Jiang Cheng shrugged. It had gotten easier to shed the awkwardness of referring to himself like that with each day. Now, Jiang Wanyin sat separate from Sect Leader Jiang, held at a distance if only for the hours they spoke together.

Zhuzhi-Lang considered him, propping his head up on his folded arms. "Tell thiss one about your ssect leader? He musst be different from thosse I've met before."

Jiang Cheng sighed. "What's there to tell? He's loud and short tempered and yells a lot {lists his negative qualities as he sees them or has heard}."

"Jiang-gongzi does not like his sect leader."

"What? That's not true!" Jiang Cheng huffed at Zhuzhi-Lang's disbelieving look. "He's powerful," he said slowly. "He has a very strong core." That little fact comes with a bewildering stab of guilt and grief that he shoves back down. "He looks out for everyone in his sect. He makes sure no kids are running around begging on the street with no home. He does his best to be fair in dealings." He was quickly running out of nice things to say about himself. "Um, he looks fine, I guess? People used to say he was the fifth most handsome bachelor of his generation."

"Only fifth then? What doessss he rank now?"

Jiang Cheng stopped. Lan Huan was still technically a bachelor, secluded though he was. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were married. He did not dwell on them. Jin Zixuan...

"Second, I guess, of those who were originally ranked."

"Handssome man."

"I guess."

"Oh? Jiang-gongzi preferss women?"

"Maybe?" He scratched his head, then shook it. "Who has time to consider romance or attractiveness or anything? We're still reestablishing our sect."

Zhuzhi-Lang hummed. Songs of insects filled in the long stretch of silence. Jiang Cheng fidgeted.

"Do uh... Do you prefer lady demons or guy demons?" Zhuzhi-Lang looked at him and Jiang Cheng puffed up defensively. "Fair's fair, you asked first!"

"Thiss one hass only found a human man attractive." Zhuzhi-Lang tipped his head, long hair sliding over his arm to pool against his chest in a dark waterfall. "Where does Wanyin-gongzi rank on the list?"

Jiang Cheng choked on the sip of water he had just taken. He sputtered some incoherent response about not ranking at all.

They turned to safer topics, Jiang Cheng complaining about the water ghouls that cropped up around this time of year and how annoying they were to hunt down. It was nice to complain casually. As sect leader, he didn't really have anyone he could talk this candidly with. They compared water ghouls to some demons and similar resentful dead further west.

The notes Jiang Cheng has taken from his conversations with Zhuzhi-Lang far outstrip the few scrolls they have on demons. He sets some of the scholarly disciples who work in the library to organize and transpose his notes into useful scrolls. After all, if one demon has floated down the river, what would stop more from following?

Whatever choice wins the poll will get a snippet post like this! Go vote, or send me an ask with a summary and I'll be happy to talk about any of these! :D

[guiltyasdave]

WIP wednesday!

thank you for the tags @dancingtotuyo @beskarandblasters 🤍

1. post snippets or summaries of each of your WIPs.

2. create a poll with each WIP. whatever total votes you get, work on the winning fic for that many minutes.

3. send me an ask about any WIP that caught your interest if you want to :)

…i’ll be honest, i haven’t written much the last week except for a spicy little fmf dave oneshot that might be posted tomorrow and that, for legal reasons (it’s a gift), i can’t say much about 😌 so nothing much has changed since the last WIP wednesday, but here we go :)

wildest dreams (dave york x f!reader)

the dbf!dave story (teaser here) that @joelscurls and i are pretending to be working on. it has a hidden relationship, it has our usual kinky dom dave, corruption, angst, it’s gonna be great! we just really need to write it lmao

this is going to hurt (max phillips x f!reader)

this is living rent free in my head these days tbh. it’s gonna be about the three times max almost bit you and the one time he did. it starts out as colleagues with benefits who are catching feelings (my favorite trope apparently) and turns into smutty, angsty, and maybe a little fluffy chaos 😈

safe and sound (joel miller x f!reader)

joel and ellie stumble into reader’s safe house, where she once lived with her family, but now it’s just her. they’re both injured and she eventually decides to help them, even though they all struggle with trusting each other. as time passes, they slowly become friends and maybe even something closer to family.

no pressure tags: @joelscurls @joelsgreys @luxurychristmaspudding @amanitacowboy @swiftispunk @sweetenerobert @mrsmando @undercoverpena @ozarkthedog @thetriumphantpanda @corazondebeskar-reads @cavillscurls

[avastrasposts]

WIP Wednesday (Thursday)

Thank you for the tag @frenchiereading !

1. post snippets or summaries of each of your WIPs.

2. create a poll with each WIP. whatever total votes you get, work on the winning fic for that many minutes.

3. send me an ask about any WIP that caught your interest if you want to.

I've got two actual WIPs that I've written things for so read more below the cut if you're curious!

Ezra returns to the bakery

“Ezra…” you say, your voice a warning, as you bend to pick up the crutch, holding out of his reach. It’s a dirty trick but he won’t get far without it.  “I assure you, sweet girl, I really need to go, it would not be advantageous for you, or your business, to be seen around town with myself, or this disagreeable man. I can’t bring such misfortune down on you after you’ve treated me with such kindness,” Ezra tilts his head, looking up at you through his dark eyelashes, the ringmaster at work, using his words to bend the audience to follow his ques, to believe his illusion.

Big Sky Country - Frankie x OFC

A wall of warm air hits Frankie as he pulls open the door to the bar, chatter spilling out onto the street. His shoulders pull up to his ears, the environment uncomfortable to him and he stops just inside the door, scanning the room for something familiar apart from the smell of stale beer in the air. This bar was the first one he saw that looked like it would maybe serve someone like him, a Texas boy, fresh off the bus from Montana. He’s pretty sure he still has horse dung stuck to the bottom of his cowboy boots, his old army duffel bag slung over his shoulder.  The door behind him opens again, cold air hitting the nape of his neck under his ball cap.  “You growing roots, old man?”  The line is followed by a man snorting and a hand on Frankie’s arm, pushing him to the side. He would snap, bite back with a threatening remark, or at the very least fix the man with his most intimidating soldier scowl. But he just takes two steps to the side, his shoulders creeping closer to his ears as he tugs at his cap, the movement unintentional, a nervous habit. He knows he’s out of place here, a stranger.  The young man, a yellow backpack slung over his shoulder and long hair pulled into a bun, shoves his way past Frankie, catching the eye of the woman behind the bar.  “Hey, dick wad! Behave yourself or I’ll have you barred,” she barks, her eyebrows furrowed as she jabs her finger at the man and he raises his hands in a weak gesture of apology as he saunters towards the bar.  “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he snarks, heading towards a loud crowd further in, walking away and ignoring the frown from the woman. She turns her attention to Frankie instead and looks him up and down, an appraising look, before meeting his eyes.  “You coming or going, cowboy?” “Uuh..coming,” he manages to press out, picking up his feet and walking to the bar.

If you're curious about the WIPs, or have any questions about my writing, please send an ask or a dm! I love chatting about my writing!

[btsgotjams27]

wip tag game

rules: post 3 snippets from published work, and 3 from your wips

thanks @colormepurplex2 for tagging me <3 | (for fun and don't feel obligated - i'm tagging @yoon-kooks @archivedkookie @alphabetboyluvr )

published works:

(1) the back-up plan | jjk

It’s early. Too early for Jungkook’s taste.

He’s been tossing and turning all night. Wishing he could redo the last two years. Wishing he could’ve been honest from the beginning. Wishing you didn’t hate him right now.

Picking up his phone, he grumbles after seeing the time—six in the morning. There’s no way you’re up, he thinks. And there’s no way you’ll pick up his call either.

He assumes you’ve blocked him—wants nothing to do with him and doesn’t blame you.

The expression on your face is ingrained in his memory, and the lies he told are on a continuous loop. How would he win you back—if you’d let him, that is.

It’s that point in the romantic movie where the love interest finds the courage to go for it. Jungkook has nothing else to lose at this point. It’s now or never.

(2) things you don't know | jjk

Jungkook called out to you, and you didn't look back, storming away from him. You passed by Lana, telling her you were leaving and that you'd talk to her later.

You ran out the front door, stopping at the sidewalk's edge, remembering that Lana drove. "Fuck," you grumbled, pulling out your phone to grab an Uber.

You were stupid to think Jeon Jungkook wouldn't affect you after all these years. Maybe it's because you haven't dealt with feeling abandoned by him. Maybe you wished you had done more for your friendship. Whatever the reason, you knew moving back wasn't a good idea because you’d have to deal with this.

"Hey!" Jungkook called out. You looked over your shoulder and continued walking. He ran in front of you to grab your attention. "Can you talk to me?" he asked, stuffing his hands in the pocket of his hoodie.

"Why don't you fucking write me a letter? Since you're so good at that," you mocked as you shuffled around him. He was a shitty writer who could barely pass Creative Writing without your help.

"That's not fair."

(3) my plus one | ksj

“Kim motherfucking Seokjin!” You cried when he opened the door to the room the two of you would be staying in. Holy shit–you were not expecting a luxurious room and the view? You weren’t sure if you could ever go back to a regular ol’ room with no view, but to be honest, this would probably just be a one-time deal. “I can’t believe you really got us this room!”

You gleefully dropped your luggage and ran to jump onto the bed, all sprawled out, your limbs hardly reaching the edges of the bed. It was big enough to fit five or six grown adults. There is no good reason as to why a bed should be this big.

"I call dibs on the bed,” Jin shouted, running after you, plopping himself on the bed. “Ha-ha sucker!"

You turned to face him. “Nuh-uh. No way. This bed is big enough for the both of us.”

“I don’t want your crummy hands near me!”

You scoffed, taking a look at your hands, “My crummy hands?!” Propping yourself up, you reach for a pillow, taking a swing at Jin, striking him on the stomach, then aiming for his head. No one gets away with teasing you.

“Yah–yah–yah!” He shrieked, trying to protect himself from your antics. “You’re gonna get it!” Jin finally escaped your sudden outburst and grabbed a pillow for payback against you, taking a good smack right to your face, which made you gasp.

Jin wheezed when he realized how firmly he had struck you in the face, and when you didn’t make a sound or move after the hit, it began to worry him since you rolled over on your side. Oh shit, he thought to himself.

wips:

(1) my pretty boys | jjk x reader; knj x reader (romance, smut)

Jungkook walked towards your door, creaking the door open to find you sitting up, looking outside the window. He often found you in the same position back home in your apartment. You were missing Namjoon, and gazing at the moon helped you somehow.

He quietly crawled onto the bed next to you. There was no need to say anything. His presence was enough to let you know he knew what you were thinking and feeling. The two of you being best friends for so many years would do that.

He brought his knees up to his chest and held them there, and you leaned on his shoulder, continuing to cry quietly.

"Kook..." you whispered.

He hummed.

You peered up at him. "Do you think he's looking at the same moon as we are?"

Unsure how to answer you, he didn't say anything, and you weren't really expecting an answer from him either. You were just glad he was there like he's always been. You didn't deserve him. He'd been so wonderful to you these last few weeks.

You repeated his name again, and he hummed as he did just a moment ago, but he peered your way this time, and you shifted your gaze towards his big brown eyes - close enough to feel his breath on you. He could see tears beginning to well up in your eyes, so he brought his thumb to wipe them away before they could fall. Your heart fluttered for a moment when he stroked your cheek, and a gentle smile swept across your face, closing your eyes, inviting his touch. Jungkook continued studying your face, watching the sadness that wouldn't go away. He'd do anything to see you happy and smiling again.

(2) don't push your luck | knj (rivals!au, co-workers!au, one bed trope)

You’re 29. No man should have you gritting your teeth, ready to claw at him. Then again, he’s no ordinary man–more like the devil incarnate. He makes your skin crawl. His presence makes you want to jump out of a window. Because he is suffocating, and the air in your lungs does not exist.

Okay–maybe you’re exaggerating. But right now, you want to accidentally spill your glass of red wine just so he’ll have a stained shirt.

Your mouth twists as you nudge the giggly goonhead. He takes off his noise-canceling headphones. “What?”

“Can you zip it? I can’t concentrate,” you say, repositioning in your seat.

Namjoon snickers. “Aw baby, you weren’t able to concentrate before I even started the movie. What makes you think me turning it off will help now?”

[mayullla]

I’m so glad you liked what I sent in again for the Three Wishes part 2 (genie yandere)! I really like that I was able to help you cause your writing talent is way too good. (And as a fellow artist…I get what it’s like to be in a roadblock and the frustration that comes with it).

I actually really love reading more unusual or less well known fairy tales and mythology, so I could always send some more your way so you don’t have to do any research. (You can be lazy! Yay!) Though if you’re up for that, I think it’d be easier if I just messaged you privately instead of going back and forth with anon asks (if that’s comfortable with you of course).

I also like Reader’s “suffering” too in yandere stories. I always like stereotypical HEA, but my version of “suffering” is more so that the yandere wins (and Reader doesn’t die either or is heavily abused to the point where death is the better option. I hate where there is no heavy “dere” in yanderes, cause if it’s just “yan,” it’s just an abusive piece of shit).

That’s absolutely understandably about not wanting to focus on the Prince, I was just throwing it out there in case you wanted to make him a new important OC. And changing the Prince into a different profession also is perfectly fine. (Heck in the original story, pretty much the main reason the Prince was out and about was because he was scholarly-like. Having a deep and wide fascination with all the world had to offer. The dude really just wanted to go on an adventure and learn more).

And I’m glad 6.e. made your heart explode with delight! (I also have a guilty pleasure of thinking about all the fucked up things yanderes can do to their lover/others).

🩷🩷🩷

Do whatever you feel comfortable ask if you wanna stay anon or dms~ If you are thinking about spam this blog doesn't get many to to be fair. But yeah it is probably more comfortable in dms.

But just a heads up I personally don't know when I would actually start posting here again just yet. While I am slowly getting back to writing rn but I am taking the chance to write some longer stuff or more personal (deranged really) without pressuring myself to post like one or two fics every week. (also started another hobby of journalling soo) If you don't mind just exchanging ideas and stories then yeah~ ^^

Another reason why I dont want to deal with tags, hashtags and proofreading

But yeahhh hmm I deff placed a few readers in a "better death than this" while also adding to it that the reader in my head still has a fear of death but no real bad abuse???? I THINK- lmao Ehh I guess it is more so I love the idea of yanderes having control over where the reader is I guess, so controlling the area where they are, or maybe the controlling the mind or movements, or arranged marriages :p All my wips that i am working on currently is just that right now. Either one or a mix of them.