#all of these are real bookmarks I've seen

[epersonae]

five fic Friday

so it's been a while, huh? life has been lifin' pretty hard, and I got out of the habit, and I kept saying "yeah I'll queue up some links or something" and then I didn't

and then this fuckin week happened, and I thought, ohhhhhhhh I don't feel good about some of my old recommendations.* maybe it is time to add some new ones that I can feel good about, which:

Of All the Gin Joints (10K, T) by @knifeturtlelives - canon-divergent AU where Ed runs into Stede at Jackie'z circa 2x1 - funny and poignant, frankly I crave more!

Vitamin C (795, T) by @oatmilktruther - MIND THE TAGS, as in, I saw the tags in the notification email and yelled I'M TRUSTING YOU out loud in my empty house; as in, major character death and no, not that guy. and also: an amazing gem of a fic. As a gardener and a widow: yeah, this.

In the cave, we are safe (2046, T) by @spirker - inspired by the djenks holiday special, a bit of wound-tending with a really compelling narrative voice.

Pearls (2232, M) by @temporal-discounting - I also put this in my "Ed tells Stede about Izzy" collection, but it does that in the most interesting way I think I've seen, gets to that topic so gently and sideways, I'm compelled by the whole concept.

You're the fucking man, bro (1416, T) by @petrichorca - listed as a "rarepair", but let's call this what it is: Vincent's unrequited crush on Stede Bonnet, which is goddamn hilarious and sweet, and Stede is a real gentleman about it.

and now that I've done this: yeah, it's a bit time-consuming but also it reminded me why I liked these, and got me to revisit some things I've enjoyed lately. I'm happy I got back to it.

*I have not removed them from my bookmarks, nor am I going back and editing old posts. But I've annotated my bookmarks and added an additional bookmarker's tag; if you know what any of them were plagiarized from PLEASE let me know. (yes, I am following the efforts to create a complete catalog, and when that is available I'll be referencing it)

[saynomorefic]

2024 fandom review

Ty for tagging me @willesredlights @phneltwrites @grounded-parasocial <3

This is going to be a mishmash of formats I've seen, so thanks everyone for giving me ideas

Fics written

I started watching and writing YR this year, so 2024 has really been huge for me in returning to fandom and fic writing. I wrote 27 works (plus tumblr ficlets) and 117k words, by far the most I've written!

First fic posted in 2024: You Kill Me (WIP) 2024-02-06

My love letter to Young Royals. Anyone who has read this, thank you and sorry, it's deeply personal and my raw initial reaction to watching the show.

Last fic posted in 2024: Ghosts of Simons Past 2024-12-23

Silly little christmas fic!

Fav fic I've written: Let's take this overboard (WIP) 2024-06-25

My Mediterranean yacht AU! Ah my beloved. Thank you to everyone for showing this story love. It's still going, I'm just putting the pieces together. How do you pick a direction when you have so many?

It's been a big year of writing :) I haven't written creatively for about 9 years, so it's safe to say Young Royals and this community have ignited a creative spark I didn't know I had in me. When I was a kid my dream was to be a writer. Getting emotional here, but it's hitting me that in a way, that dream has come true in a way! I know fanfic is not technically professional writing, but in a way it's cooler - we don't get to just message our favorite "real" authors whenever we want, nor do bigger authors get to experience being in a club of writers like this! (actually I wouldn't know, but w/3).

Thank you to every single person who has sat down and read my little stories, you guys truly don't know what you have given me and how much it means.

Fics read under the cut <3

Fics read

I can't give a number, but I have bookmarked 117 fics since 2024-02-11, and it's safe to say I've read at least 4x that.. so uh.. it's a lot :''))

This is a list of favs after going through my bookmarks, and definitely not an exhaustive list of all the fics I've read and loved from this past year. Thank you to ALL writers out there for your amazing work <3

First fic I bookmarked/ read: objects in motion by Capiche

Last fic I read: Under the Mistletoe by @vvachillessongvv (so cute!)

Some favorites I've read this year:

Stairway to Heaven by @unfortunate17

the person responsible for finding young royals, and this was one of the very first fics I read! Heartbreaking and wonderful.

Something Real as Pain by @crownedwille

I love how this story directly engages with power differences between Wilhelm and Simon, and I'm so proud of these two <3

be the place you call your home by @phneltwrites

I love them so much. No one does post-canon like you! such a unique writing voice and characterizations to match <3

Faroe Gone by @groenendaelfic

Pining Simon. Pining Wilhelm. Remote island-farm-cottage sex. What more could you want?

We Left Footprints When We Passed By by @in-amor-veritas

One of the first long fics I read, and these two will never leave me.

darling, lost in the darkling woods by Ripki on ao3

honorable mention to Align, but this noir gripped me like no other.

Fright Fest! by @enjoythesilentworld

I adore everything about this, horrorific, whumpy and visceral <33

sleep, dream, you, repeat (live, die next to me) by @espejonight28738

This little gem! The Midsommar AU. So so good, so well written.

bittersweet ecstasy (I pick my poison and it's you) by wthbaby (ao3)

An amazing ABO fic that's more werewolf /fantasy than anything!

The initiation - sorry if we got a bit rough by @silvagrey

A really interesting look at the aftermath of Wilhelm's initiation ritual, and a type of canon divergence I've never seen!

A Glimpse of Us by @simons-purplehoodie

An early love, read this in April and was swept away.

Look at us by @willesredlights

So hot, so sweet, and bonus that it was a gift for me! <33

to color with two by @wildcalendula

I love the way they communicate about sex here. So tender and loving and lovely. Just this whole series!

The Way We Were by queerofthemonth (ao3)

Damaged popstar Simon. Sad Kronprins Wilhelm. Fuck.

Cock by @stretchoutfics

Just so much to say about pining and sexuality crisis Wilhelm. It feels so realistic, and I love their communication here.

One, two, three (Not only you and me) by @skibasyndrome

So much communication, so much trust, so much honesty. And the LAPDANCING? Also, thank you so much for every kinktober contribution, promise we are all very grateful <3

Where We Left Off by @gulliblelemon

So tender, they will literally be in my heart forever. It's time to re-read!

come closer and see into the dark (WIP) by @bigalockwood

I can't decide what's better, unique magical ghosts or juicy slow burn interpersonal relationships at the YR ghost agency. Love <3

losing a friend is the hardest part by psyanky on ao3

God do a love break ups and second chances. And everything psyanky writes.

We're Going to Be Friends (Lilac Grove) by wilmonlibrarian on ao3

I'm so in love. Borrower Simon is adorable, and it blows my mind how this author created this whole world.

I am awaiting you (WIP) by @toffeelemon and thatgayprince (pls help me tag on tumblr!)

I am so in love with Princess Simon and Wille here. Uadhakjsdha

i've got power in my hands (and it's yours for the taking) by @starvalisedham

The library fight from August's POV. There are LAYERS here, and I love how much is up to interpretation reg. his perception of Wilmon.

maybe now maybe here tonight by @dreamyelectronicmusic

I love a getting back together fic, and the writing! I'm in awe.

My Home for All Time by @hergrandplan

Amazing contributions for Wille's month! Every ficlet and morsel.

words written down by @caramelpenguin

Every single one. how do I pick? Thank you for always sharing these beautiful snapshots with us <3

this is the golden age of something good and right and real (Painter AU) series by @alltoowille

I couldn't choose bc the first part was INSANE. and then I read it and realized there was 50k+ after? Think I ascended. Thank you <3

and last but not least obviously by @grapehyasynth

Changed me. Changed how I write, and then changed me again.

Final reflections

I wanted to say I loved helping celebrate Wilmonhits5k on ao3, and big thanks to everyone who participated through fic recs and commenting.

I have to mention the people that keep this fic world turning through fic recs, making gifs, fandom engagement, and more! @simonsapelsin @youngroyals-events @kruemel8 @sillyunicorn @grounded-parasocial @books-books-smolderinglooks @impossibleknots @sillylittleflower and too many more to list. You guys are truly the best <3

If we have never chit chatted, feel free to come say hi! <3 Happy new year to you all, and here's to more YR magic in 2025.

[kcrabb88]

I dunno if this is just me, but I really feel like there's been a shift on whump in fandom at-large? When I was a teen and first in fandom, and long after that, whump was kind of the bread-and-butter of fandom. There were lots of types of fics, but whump took up a big chunk of them. People would write all KINDS of wild, intense whump and readers would eat it up. It's not that whump doesn't get written now--it surely does--but there's a lot more, I guess I'd call it judgment, or rules people kind of have about it? Sure, there's whumptober, but given those are shorter, daily fics, they aren't quite the same as what I mean, which are the long, epic novel-length whump fics where you really, really dig into the meat of the thing. The details of the whump. The recovery from it. The hurt and then the comfort, etc.

These days, though, I feel like a strain of purity culture has gotten into whump land. Authors get criticized for being too graphic or going too hard despite their warnings in the tags (not to be old, and I love tags, but dang, we didn't even used to have them before Ao3!). I've seen this in bookmarks of my own fics, notes that are less a warning to other readers and more of a judgement on what the writer explored and dove into. Whump, for me, has ALWAYS been a place to explore and experience things I would never want to go through in real life. It's a safe place to do that, and I think can lead to some super interesting character journeys when they're forced to be so utterly vulnerable.

Anyway, I dunno. Feel free to go wild with your whump fic! I need that encouragement myself, sometimes. Something something, purity culture has not only gotten into smut fic and shipping but also into whump fic and I'm intrigued as to why that is. Depiction is not an endorsement for real life, this has been a PSA.

[felassan]

Game Informer:

"A Deep Dive Into Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Combat, Abilities, Skill Tree, And More by Wesley LeBlanc on Jun 18, 2024 at 02:10 PM If you're at all familiar with the Dragon Age series, you likely already know BioWare has experimented quite a lot with its gameplay. From Dragon Age: Origins' real-time strategy RPG approach to Dragon Age II's mostly-set-within-one-city action experience to Dragon Age: Inquisition's strategy-action mix, BioWare hasn't quite defined the franchise's combat. However, a through-line is apparent from Origins to Inquisition: BioWare seemingly wants this franchise to be action but has attempted to shift to that without abandoning its longtime fans.  With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare has completed its transition from strategy to real-time action, but thanks to an optional tactical pause-and-play combat wheel that harkens back to the series' origins, I feel it's found a great (battle)ground for Dragon Age combat. Of course, it's hard to tell how Veilguard's action will hold up over what is sure to be a dozens-of-hours-long RPG, but if what I've seen so far is any indication, the studio is on to something. A Shift In Strategy"

""I think the first thing to keep in mind is that combat [...] in the franchise has been an evolution," game director Corinne Busche tells me within BioWare's Edmonton office. "Every single entry reimagines what combat is like and I would say our goal was to make sure we had a system that allowed players to feel like they actually were able to step into the world of Thedas. They're not a player observing from afar – they are inside of this world. Being this authentic world that's brought to life, the combat system needs to support that, so you are in control of every single action, every block, every dodge, every swing of your sword." Busche says players complete every swing in real-time, with particular attention paid to animation swing-through and canceling. On the topic of canceling, I watch Busche "bookmark" combos with a quick dash. With this mechanic, players can pause a combo's status with a dash to safety and continue the combo where they left off afterward. Alongside the dash, there's a parry for some classes, the ability to charge moves, and a revamped healing system that allows players to quickly use potions by pressing right on the d-pad.  Busche says each character will play the same in a way, regardless of class, in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way. During my demo at one point, we use a sword-and-shield Warrior Qunari that hip-fires and aims their shield to throw it like Captain America while hammering down big damage with a sword. Pressing the same buttons as a mage might throw out magical ranged attacks instead of a shield. [embedded link to DA:TV gameplay reveal video] Abilities, like a Spartan-like kick from a Warrior or a Mage's firewall that deals continuous damage, add to the player's repertoire of combat options. Warriors can parry incoming attacks, staggering enemies in the process. Rogues have a larger parry window, and Mages can't parry at all but instead throw up a shield that blocks all incoming damage so long as they have the mana to sustain the shield.  "That is just the baseline that allows us to get that level of immersion of, 'I'm actually in this world; I'm a part of it,'" Busche says. "But again, the abilities, the strategy, linking my companions' abilities together to perform devastating combos, that is really where the depth and the complexity comes into play." Abilities And The Skill Tree"

"[caption for image above] Warrior Rook Skill Tree This extends to companions, who, at your choosing, bring three abilities (of their five total) into combat, executed either with quick select buttons or the pause-and-play combat wheel. Every time you rank up a companion's Relationship Level, you unlock a skill point to spend specifically on that companion – this is how you unlock new combat abilities.  Though companion skill trees pale in comparison to Rook's expansive tree, which features passive abilities, combat abilities, and more, as well as paths to three unique class specializations, there's still some customization here.  You can find the skill tree for Rook and companions within Veilguard's start or pause menu. This menu contains pages for Veilguard's map, journal, character sheets, and a library for lore information, too. Here, you can cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and companions, build weapon loadouts, and customize your abilities and builds via the aforementioned skill tree, which looks relatively easy to understand."

"- Large circle: Class - Diamonds: Abilities - Medium circle: Major Passives and Ability Upgrades - Small hexagon: Traits - Small circle: Minor Passives and Stat Boosts You won't find minutiae here, "just real numbers," Busche says. In other words, a new unlocked trait might increase damage by 25% against armor, but that's as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like firewall and spartan kicks to your arsenal. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100% bespoke to each class, you'll work closer to unlocking a specialization (which doesn't take reaching the max level of 50). Every class has three specializations, each with a unique ultimate ability. Busche says BioWare's philosophy with the skill tree is "about changing the way you play, not the statistical minutiae."  Companions In Combat"

"If you completely ignore companions in combat, they will attack targets, use abilities, and defeat enemies all on their own. "[Companions] are their own people, "Busche says. "They have their own behaviors, they have their own autonomy on the battlefield, they'll pick their own targets. As their plots progress, they'll learn how to use their abilities more competently, and it really feels like you're fighting alongside these realized characters in battle." Speaking to companion synergy, Busche adds, "I see all the abilities Harding has, and I see everything that Bellara is capable of. And sometimes, I'm using vulnerabilities synergistically. Maybe I'm pausing or slowing time with Bellara so that I can unleash devastating attacks with Harding, knocking down the enemy, and then me, as Rook, I'm rushing in and capitalizing on this setup they've created for me. It is a game about creating this organic sense of teamwork." Busche says there are more explicit synergies, with intentional combos where specific companions can play off each other, and you can queue up their abilities to do just that. That’s what the pause-and-play combat wheel is for in Veilguard.  In this screen, which pauses the camera and pulls up a flashy combat wheel that highlights you and your companions' skills, you can choose abilities, queue them up, and strategize with synergies and combos the game recognizes, all while targeting specific enemies. Select what you want and release the wheel to watch your selections play out. Putting It All Together"

During a mission within Arlathan Forest after Veilguard's prologue, Busche utilizes Veilguard's dual-loadout mechanic. As Rook, you can create two weapon loadouts for quick switch-ups mid-combat. As a mage Rook, she uses magical attacks to add three stacks of arcane build-up to make an Arcane Bomb on a Sentinel, a mechanical set of armor possessed by a demon. If you hit the Sentinel's Arcane Bomb with a heavy attack, the enemy will take devastating damage. Once the Sentinel has an Arcane Bomb on it, Busche begins charging a heavy attack on her magical staff, then switches to magical daggers in Rook's second loadout, accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick light attacks, then back to the staff to finish charging its attack. She then unleashes the heavy attack, and the Arcane Bomb explodes in a liquidy whirl of green magic.  "I've seen [Veilguard's combat] refined over time [and] I love it," BioWare general manager Gary McKay tells me. "I love that balance of real-time fluid action, but also the ability to have the depth in the RPG, not just in terms of pause-and-play, but the depth in terms of how you bring your companions into the battlefield. What are you going to do with their skill points? What's the loadout you're going to use? Everything is about bringing Rook to the center of the battlefield, and I love it."  Former Dragon Age executive producer and Veilguard consultant Mark Darrah feels Veilguard is the first game where the combat is legitimately fun. "What I see in Veilguard is a game that finally bridges the gap," he says. "Uncharitably, previous Dragon Age games got to the realm of 'combat wasn't too bad.' In this game, the combat's actually fun, but it does keep that thread that's always been there. You have the focus on Rook, on your character, but still have that control and character coming into the combat experience from the other people in your party."  I get the sense from watching Busche play several hours of Veilguard that BioWare has designed a combat system that relies heavily on players extracting what they want out of it. If you want to button mash and use abilities freely when their cooldowns expire, you can probably progress fine (although on the game's easier difficulties). But if you want to strategize your combos, take advantage of elemental vulnerabilities, and min-max companions and Rook loadouts, you can do that, too, and I think you'll find Veilguard rewards that with a more enriching experience.  For more about the game, including exclusive details, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button below."

[source]

[thescarletnargacuga]

Could we get a cute little one shot for Harlequin of Cade being an awesome big brother to Anya (the Jesterdoll kid) for Specter :)

A/N:AAAAAA-YOU'RE SPOILING MEEEEE!!

HALF SIBLINGS, FULL FAMILY

A HARLEQUIN AU ONESHOT

Harlequin AU credit: @iamespecter @tadc-harlequin-au

MEET ANYA and CADE

WARNING: NONE

~~~

Cade sprinted through the mansion halls and up the stairs to his shared bedroom with Anya. He burst through the door, startling his younger half sister from her book.

"ANYA, ANYA, ANYA!! THE TREEFORT IS DONE! COME ON!" He jumped up and down, pointed back through the door he nearly knocked off the hinges.

"Really?" She put down her book, careful to bookmark her page, and grabbed her teddy.

"YEAH! We have a real fort to play in this time! Come on, come onnnnn!!!" He ran in circles by the door.

Anya smiled and went to follow but Cade impatiently grabbed her hand and ran with her outside.

It was a beautiful day. Spring was in full swing and everything around the manor grounds was vibrantly green and alive with bloom. The treehouse was built on the sturdiest tree on the edge of the small forest on property closest to the mansion, in plain view of any windows.

The miniature two-story structure was built around the trunk of the tree. A wrap-around balcony offered a scenic view from all sides. It had two slides, a straight slide from the first floor and a spiral slide from the second. It had a zipline connected to another distant tree that would take them to the ground. Two swings hanging below. A rock climb as an alternative way to get inside from the ladder.

Cade let go of Anya to climb up the ladder and check out the inside. It was huge! While the inside was plain, it wasn't empty. They had play tables and chairs and toy boxes and drawing boards on the walls and a small swing inside. A short staircase led to even more space on the lofty second floor. The windows were open, letting in light and the breeze, but he saw small lightbulbs on the ceiling and the balcony.

"Woooooow..." Cade quietly exclaimed. This was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

"Eh...urg-" Anya struggled up the ladder with her teddy.

Cade heard her and helped her up. "There you go. Isn't this place cool??"

Anya looked around with a smile. "Yeah! We could have so many tea parties up here." She pictured filling one of the toy boxes with her dollies and bringing books up to read in the swing by the sunshine.

"Heck yeah, we can! And we can race down the slides! And- oh my gosh, a zipline!! I've always wanted one of these!" He ran to the drop point on the balcony and grabbed the rope with a small wooden circle seat to ride down. "Hey, Anya, you wanna go first?"

Anya squeezed her teddy and stepped back. "No, thanks."

Cade shrugged. "Okay. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" The zipline was everything he hoped it would be; fast and fun all the way down. The cord widened to a slow stop before his feet touched the ground. "THAT WAS AWESOME!!" He shouted back at Anya, watching him from the balcony. "YOU SHOULD TRY IT!!"

Anya nervously looked at the long line down. "....no, I'm okay." From her vantage point, she saw a large lumbering figure emerging from the shade of the trees. She gasped. "CADE!! LOOK OUT!!"

Cade spun around to see Kingr coming out of the forest, covered in twigs and loose leaves. "Uncle Kingr!! Look! We have a tree fort now!" He jumped up and down as he excitedly pointed at the new playhouse.

"I see! Good for you to have such a strong fortress at such a young age." Kingr beamed with pride.

Cade's eyes narrowed mischievously. "Bet you can't get us inside!" He sprinted away and scrambled up the ladder, giggling the whole way.

The invitation to play caught Kingr off guard but he gladly accepted. "Oh, can't I?" His four arms snaked out from his back as he encroached in the kids' fort.

"Hide, Anya! He's gonna get us!" Cade rushed inside to go to the second floor.

Anya smiled and playfully screamed as one of Kingr's hands tapped along the edge of the balcony nearest her. She ran along the circling balcony, only to be stopped by another hand crawling at her. She ducked inside and went upstairs with Cade.

They both screamed and squealed and laughed as Kingr's hands playfully followed them around. He eventually got both of them, gently holding one in each hand and reels them down to him. "Gotcha."

"No fair, Uncle Kingr!! Your arms are too long!" Cade struggled against the light grip on him.

"You dared challenge me. Of course I'm going to use all of the assets at my disposal." He chuckled. "Who made this marvelous structure anyway?"

"Z did!" Cade answered. "They said they would do it, and they got it done so fast!"

"Have you thanked them yet?" Kingr arched a brow.

Both children looked sheepish. "No..." Anya said quietly.

"Then that is your next mission. Operation: gratitude." He looked around and spotted Z coming out of their residence. "There they are, go say thank you, but don't get too close. They can't see you if you're underfoot." He released them and Cade immediately bolted towards Z. Anya followed at a walk.

"Z! HEY, Z!" Cade waves his arms to get the massive puppet's attention.

Z stops and looks down at the comparatively tiny child. They weren't going to move an inch until they were sure Cade and Anya were clear of their footpath.

"Thanks for AWESOME TREEFORT!!" Cade fidgeted in place, still having way too much energy to burn.

Anya caught up. "Yeah! We love it!"

Z nodded. "I'm glad you like it." Their heart warmed from the admiration for their work. A constructor's pride that she could never quite deactivate.

"Did somebody say TREEFORT!?" A voice surprised them.

"JAX!!" Cade and Anya cheered at the sight of their favorite playmate. Cade immediately goes in for a tackle, only to be caught and hoisted onto Jax's shoulders. Anya runs in to hug his leg. Jax pats Anya on the head before scooping her up in his arm.

"What kind of trouble are you squirts getting into today?" Jax took long legged strides towards the treefort. Kingr had moved on elsewhere.

"We defended the fort from Uncle Kingr!" Cade raised his arms up in victory.

"Impressive!"

"I wanna go down the slides." Anya said quietly. "Will you go with me?" She gripped the lapels of Jax's coat.

He could never say no to her, especially when she gave him such baby doll eyes. "Of course. Which one do you want to do first?"

"The...the big one that spins around."

"How brave." He encourages her with a smile. "Chompers here can race us down the other one."

"YEAAAAH!!" Cade kicked his legs with excitement.

Jax's flexible body noodles down the slide with ease. Despite the spiraling slide being higher up, they beat Cade to the ground several times. When Anya had the courage to go down the slide alone, Jax waited at the bottom to catch her. "You did so good!" He cheers for her as he lifts her up in the air. She giggles and reaches out to him for a hug. He holds her close and squeezes warmly. Anya gives him a kiss on the nose with her teddy bear. A part of him heals in that moment.

"Oh boy! Snacks!!" Cade suddenly says and runs at Gangle, approaching with a tray of refreshments.

"Hello, young sir Cade." Gangle greeted with a gentle smile. She lowered the tray and let him take his choice of snack and drink. "Are you having fun?"

"THE BEST!!" He tossed the snack in his mouth and monched it loudly.

Anya joins and takes only a drink. "Thank you, aunty Gangle."

"You're very welcome, young miss Anya." She raised the tray back up and offered it to Jax. "Would sir Jax care for a snack?"

"I already do." He winked.

Gangle nearly dropped the tray, her mask flushing with flustered patterns. "Oh, my... Not in front of the children." She whispered.

Both Anya and Cade were completely oblivious to the conversation, enjoying their refreshments.

"I'll take one." Pomni grabbed a finger sandwich from the tray and popped it in her mouth.

"Oh! Of course, Madam Pomni! Have as much as you like."

"You really don't have to call me that." Pomni said through the food in her mouth. "We're friends for fu-" She spots her kids watching and clears her throat. "-for crying out loud."

"I insist!" Gangle asserted her stance. "You are the wife of the Master of the Manor! It's only proper."

Pomni rolled her eyes and popped in another mini sandwich. "Whatever you say."

After Cade finished his snack he wrapped his arms and legs around his mother's leg. "Play with us!" Anya joined him, grabbing Pomni's other leg. "Yeah!! Pleeeeeeease?"

"Fiiiiine, since you asked so nicely." Pomni smiled and tried walking with both kids clamped to her shins. It was slow and awkward but she was making progress to the swings under the treefort.

"Welp, looks like I've been replaced." Jax chuckled and put an arm around Gangle. "How about you and I go see what there is to eat in the pantry."

The tray clattered lightly as Gangle's hands shook. "That- that sounds like a wonderful idea, sir Jax." The patterns on her mask rorschached wildly on her cheeks as she left with him.

Pomni alternates pushing Cade and Anya on their swings. Cade insisted on going higher with every push, Anya was happy with a light swing.

Ragatha and Caine were having tea in the garden, watching Pomni and the children. Ragatha poured him a cup and he sipped it without adding any alcohol. He sighed contently. "I don't know about you, but I feel like we won at life."

Ragatha smiled, looking at Pomni and Anya. "I couldn't agree more."

Bubble hovered nearby. "Congratulations to you both for fucking the Harlequin and winning." He sniggered.

Ragatha spat her tea. "BUBBLE!!"

"I WILL DEACTIVATE YOU IF YOU DON'T LEAVE THIS INSTANT!!" Caine blustered at the moment being ruined by his snarky butler.

[aplaceinthedark]

Chapter One: A World Where You Don’t Have To Hide

Word Count: 3.4k+

CW: violence, a LOOOT of world building, mentions of bigotry and racism

This is RPF, and thus will contain real people, but names and events will be changed. If this bothers you too much, then please leave.

Dividers by meeeeeeeee

ONCE UPON A TIME, the world was ruled by two faeries.

[NAME ILLEGIBLE] was the good twin, though a tyrant in her own way. She embodied the faeries’ hopes and dreams, giving them all the ability to create to their heart's content. For she, too, was an artist of reality. In her wake, Murmur, the rotten twin would turn the world back to its boring mundanity, for she only saw their power wasted on their subjects.

[NAME ILLEGIBLE] wanted to share their power, while Murmur wanted to keep it all for herself. But she knew that collecting all of [NAME ILLEGIBLE]’s power would take centuries, if not millennia. So she waited.

She wasn't idle, though, and created a weapon. She forged this weapon from every selfish and hateful ion in her immortal form until she held a spear in her pitch-black fingers.

Murmur bade her sister welcome to their capital city, into their palace of metal and diamonds.

Where she betrayed [NAME ILLEGIBLE].

It was said that every creature shuddered in horror and fear as the good twin was slain. Murmur smiled in triumph, ready to collect the power she had coveted since they were birthed.

But [NAME ILLEGIBLE] was no fool. Instead of summoning all of her power back to herself, letting Murmur siphon her essence, she extended herself further until she dissipated like morning dew in the afternoon sunlight. And as the rotten twin stomped and screamed, the good twin's heart ascended, passing through space and time–

The sudden jarring of turbulence nearly knocked my head against the inside of the copter. It did, however, knock the book out of my hands and onto the floor. I swore as I bent over to retrieve it.

“You're the only one I've known to be able to read an actual book while mid-flight!” The pilot shouted over the beating of the copter's wings. “Normally agents can barely read a Dossier file without throwing up!”

“I'm not really an agent,” I said, tucking the bookmark I'd clipped behind my ear between the pages of the book. I slipped it into my carry-on. I adjusted my sunglasses.

“We're nearly to the landing spot! There'll be someone there to transport you into the Nexus and take you to Site-6 itself!”

My stomach twisted. It was different, hearing the number change from two to six. I had lived in Site-2B for the last two years, making a home out of the harsh conditions, and all it took was the death of the Director of NExUS to demolish it. But at least now I was a part of something, rather than just a junior researcher forced to clean up files in the Threat Entity Database.

I looked out the windows to see the land below turn from gray to brown. Late February meant that it was still cold around here, but at least it would be warmer than an oil rig in the middle of the English Channel.

“Alright, Ms. Grey! Prepare for landing!”

The “landing pad” was just a clearing in the mountain wilderness, with no sign of civilization anywhere to be seen. The pilot helped me out of the cockpit, letting me pull my one bag of luggage out of the hold. He had been surprised when I had shown up, probably expecting someone with more mementos, but instead he got this girl with hardly anything to her name and sunglasses she refused to take off. My eyes had a tendency to frighten people.

The drive was short, thankfully. It was just in an off-road vehicle that took us into that actual mountain wilderness, called Copper's Rock State Forest. The scenery was actually pleasant to look at, despite the missing leaves due to the time of the year. But eventually, we approached the Nexus barrier.

“This might be uncomfortable,” the driver chuckled. I rolled my eyes at his attempt to be… whatever. I had lived in an Ur-Nexus for the first five years of my known life. The bubble barriers didn't phase me.

What did phase me was the immediate near-stop the vehicle made after we passed through. “Engines don't work here, sweetie.” He chuckled. I glared at him through my sunglasses.

What waited for us was a tram, empty due to being this far out. I took a seat near the front, near where a driver would be if this machine had one. “Have a safe trip!” the driver shouted as the vehicle jerked to life. Pretty soon, he was lost in the fogginess of the barrier limits.

I couldn't read any files on my Tab, due to not being connected to the Nexus’ network, and I didn't want to drag my book out if Cooper's Rock was nearby, so instead I just watched the scenery pass by. It was a welcome change from the constant slate blue of the ocean that had been my life for the past few years. I felt a pang of sadness for a brief second, but it was gone within a few seconds.

I barely had time to mourn the NExUS Director after her funeral when I was ushered to the copter. When I had arrived at my room, two GRAVE agents were at my door, telling me I had fifteen minutes to pack up my belongings as I was now being reassigned. The only information I could pry out of them was my new location and I was changing jobs. No longer a part of the NExUS branch, the UPA's information and security division, I was now assigned to an Assessment Task Force as a PSYCHE Consultant.

This had the Director's fingerprints all over it. She had been worried about what would become of me when she passed away, since she was so sure of who the UPA would name as her successor. And she was right. Before they even held her funeral, a Doctor was promoted to her position, and I was so sure it was only a matter of time before something would happen to me.

The tram slowly rumbled along, the woods transitioning to a more civilized locale. Houses dotted the landscape, growing closer together until I was in a cityscape.

Cooper's Rock, the gem of the eastern mountains.

A voice crackled over an unseen intercom, startling me. "Living District." A couple stops here and there picked up more people.I could see their stares linger on me for only a moment, but they soon slid away. Eventually, I saw why. Cooper's Rock was a Free Port, therefore it was neutral grounds for all races: Humans, Faeries, the Anomalous... You name it. Though I didn't see if Reality Benders were a part of the “Accepted” list.

My stop came a few after the intercom called out “Ruling District." A few other people and I stepped off the tram, and I followed as best as I could without being noticed.

Site-6 was as unremarkable as the other sites I had seen - as few as that was. We only had a few minutes of walking from the first security gate to the next one. Most of the land that belonged to the site was in the back, I heard - or maybe read. What the UPA does with all the acres, I wouldn't know. I hadn't the clearance for that knowledge, and probably never will.

Unfortunately, my first hiccup came up at the second security checkpoint, just inside the front lobby . For now, I had transfer clearance to enter the site, but I had to acquiesce to one thing.

“Sunglasses need to come off, Ma’am,” the security guard said after I handed over my Tab and my carry-on.

I knew it was coming, but that didn't stop my nerves from twisting. I sighed internally and reached up to take them off. Slipping them into my coat pocket, I looked back up into the security guard's face.

Between my years working as a servant for the Cult of Orobos and then working for the UPA, I got really good at reading bodies and faces, down to almost a miniscule scale. I managed to catch the slight falter in his eyes when he saw mine were purple, almost violet. He was pretty quick to reign it in.

“Have a good day, ma’am,” he said, handing me back my Tab.

"Same to you," I said in return, hoping it would put him at ease. I grabbed my carry-on and turned away. As I continued walking, I'm sure I heard him release the breath he had been holding.

That was probably the calmest reaction to my eyes I had ever seen. Sadly, it would probably stay that way going forward.

I hate having to start over.

It didn't take me long to set up my meager belongings. My temporary housing was the size of a small apartment, twice the size of my room at 2B. Eighty percent of my stuff was clothes, all but one piece black thanks to my work wardrobe, and a few books.

It was nearing twelve hours since I had been whisked away with no goodbyes. Dustin had to be wondering where I was. If only I could access my email…

There was a knock at my door. I tore away from the depressive state of my place and opened the door.

A man stood on the other side, clad in the BLACK Ambassador suit. He sported a mustache and goatee, and his dark brown hair was half-up in a bun, leaving the rest down.

“Miss Grey?” he asked with a lilting accent.

“Yes,” I answered.

“I'm Joakim, the Ambassador for STF Eta-777,” he said, holding out a hand. I slowly took it, expecting a handshake but he squeezed my hand once and then let go. “I've come by to take you to our office when you're done acclimating to your place.”

Can you not see that there's nothing for me to acclimate with? I wanted to say, but the words died in my throat. Being as small as I was, I was used to men towering over me. Joakim wasn't as tall as some men I've met, but I still had to crane my neck.

“I'm fine to go now.” I shut my door behind me, locking it with a temporary old-fashioned key. It wasn't like I had anything valuable in there, but a lifetime of living with no possessions to my name, I couldn't bear the thought of someone rifling and taking them.

I kept a half step behind him as we headed to what had to be the other side of the Site. In the time I had been in my quarters, I had studied and memorized the map that was in my welcome packet. There were five floors; two aboveground, and three below. The ground floor which we were on, was for offices and "recreational and living purposes." The floor above us was for research and development, which would most likely be the floor where I would spend most of my time. The three below were more vague due to my clearance, but I knew one of them contained an anomalous library of sorts.

Perhaps one day I would go down there for old times' sake. As long as he wasn't down there.

“So, you're an Ontokineticist, is that right?” Joakim asked.

"Yes." I kept my head straight, but my eyes down to prevent anyone from seeing my eyes as we passed them in the halls.

“Your file had some interesting… gaps in it,” he mused. “I’d like to know more about you before I introduce you to the main team you'll be working with.”

“If you're referring to the redacted gap before my time at UTU–”

“Oh, we know about your time with the Truth of Orobos,” he interrupted me, making me look quizzically up at him. “I was talking more about the time before that.”

The “we” threw me off. “That gap is there because there's nothing to write about. I don't remember anything before my time with that cult," I said cautiously.

That had been a key focal point for some doctors to use as ammunition against me. I didn't know my family, nor could I remember my life from birth to being a teenager. There was one blurry image, and then the crystal clearness of the Grey Library, where I lived for nearly five years. So, for the first approximately twenty years of my life, it was a sore subject.

Curiously, Joakim only nodded as he assessed my words, as if he could sense I was telling the truth. “You never sought out the answer in the Grey?”

“The Grey is infinite. It was a waste of time to try to look for it there.”

Joakim looked down at me, and smiled. “You're a mystery, Mab Grey. I like that," he said. Before I could ask what he meant by that, he halted outside of a door. “We’re here.”

He ushered me inside before I could get a good look at the frosted window and the symbol on it. The thorny circle looked familiar, but it wasn't ringing any bells. It did, however, induce a feeling of fear, but relief. Maybe I saw it in a book, once.

Then I looked over the room.

I had an office.

Well, not quite. I didn't have it all to myself. But there, in a corner close to the door, I had a space. And it was a lot bigger than what I had back at 2B. If you could call a shelf of a desk a space.

But here, I had an actual desk. With shelves. Part of me wanted to scream in joy that I had something to call my own, something I've wanted for the past two years. Speaking of which...

There was a translucent bag sitting neatly on the middle of my desk, containing something black inside. My feet automatically carried me swiftly over to my desk, and I tore into the bag with almost reckless abandon. The object unfolded in one smooth motion as I held it up.

My very own BLACK jacket.

The three main divisions got their own style of BLACK uniforms, which were a sort of working uniform. GRAVE agents got a tactical jacket. AMITY observers got a bomber jacket, and ambassadors got a stylish poncho-like jacket, which Joakim wore.

Members of the PSYCHE division got black, knee-length coats, reminiscent of a lab coat. Which I now had in my hands.

“Women and their clothes, huh?”

My head turned towards the new voice. That's when I saw two other men conversing on the other side of the room, and I had been completely oblivious to them.

“Ignore Nick. He's about as sharp as a battering ram,” Joakim said, waving his hand at the two.

The man that I guess was Nick, if the widening grin in response was anything to go by, said, “Brute force works a lot of the time,” making the other man roll his eyes.

“Mab, this is Nick and Matt, our main Agent and our team's Sponsor.”

“So it really is true," Matt said. "We have an honest-to-god Reality Bender on our team now."

The use of the non-UPA term of what my title was felt oddly... comforting. I tilted my head. “You had your doubts?" I asked.

"People like you aren't exactly common in the workplace,” Nick said, sliding off a desk. He was half a foot taller than me, and his light brown eyes seemed to show his heart on his sleeve. Up close, I could tell he was older than he looked; otherwise he looked like a kid.

I tried not to wince at the truth of his words. “Yeah, I'm aware.”

As Nick went back to talking with Matt, I took the moment to take in the other desks and tables. All of them were decorated with various objects, each telling a little bit of the owner's story. Nick’s desk was a mess, but I could see what looked like a miniature fishing pole perched near a miniature motorcycle. Joakim’s desk was more clean, though he did have various souvenirs from places he obviously have had to visit; a replica of Sweden's flag was more prominent than anything else. Matt’s desk hardly had anything on it except two pictures of dogs.

On the other side of Jolly's desk, there were two desks vacant of their owners. One was decorated with art, which seemed to shift the longer I stared at it. Various pens stuck out of a mug that was decorated with cats. The other desk was covered in paperwork, but what was shocking to me was the katana that was acting as a paperweight.

“Wouldn't touch that if I were you,” a voice said. It must have belonged to Matt.

“Who leaves a weapon out in the open?” I asked, turning to face him.

“Our Team Lead, that's who,” Matt said. He then turned his head to Nick. “Though I'm pretty sure this stupid bitch has left out more guns than I can think of.”

“Hey, they weren't loaded.”

As they bickered some more, I slipped on my jacket. It fit perfectly, though it felt a little heavy and still had its packaging smell. I didn't care.

As I straightened the back of the collar, I looked up to see Joakim watching me. He smiled. “It suits you,” he said. Warmth rose up my neck at the compliment.

“They're late,” Matt bemoaned.

"Relax, man. You know how it is getting into Cooper's Rock when you're flying,” Nick said.

Matt turned towards me. "It sucked, didn't it?”

“I didn't fly directly into the Nexus," I replied.

“Oh, you had to go the long way, didn't you?” Nick asked. “How'd that trip go?”

The small talk nearly threw me off. I was more used to everyone either ignoring me, or giving me a hastily given greeting before they ran off. But for these guys to completely disregard what I was, they must have had some kind of training or other. Who could even have given them a debriefing over Reality Benders?

Soon after I had that thought, Nick asked, "So what can you do, exactly?" He wiggled his fingers at me.

“Ignore him." Matt said, elbowing Nick in his ribs.

“What?! It's a genuine question!”

“It's more like, what can I not do,” I said. When our eyes met, I finally saw a flicker of fear in his eyes, but it was gone almost as quick as it appeared.

"Can you predict the future?" he asked.

“Nick.” Joakim barely raised his voice, but I could detect the meaning behind it. Cut it out, he seemed to say.

“No, I can't. And I'm sure you have a few reality regulators around the Site, so I couldn't demonstrate my abilities even if I wanted to,” I said. If I had anything real to demonstrate.

Luckily, the sound of the office door's security being disarmed interrupted the awkward silence, and the door opened. Another man came through, and I went still.

I recognized him.

His dark brown hair was tied up neatly in a bun near the top of his head, and he wore an AMITY Observer jacket. And even though we were quite a ways apart, I knew he had light-colored eyes.

There was no way I could be seeing Nicholas after all this time. But if he was here, then that meant–

When Nicholas saw me, he tilted his head. “Hey, I know y–”

“Man, don't fly from China on a last-minute red-eye. Especially if you plan on going to the Site directly after that,” a very familiar voice interrupted him.

No no no there's no way. Statistically, what were the chances of me being assigned to the same team as him? Out of the three located in this Site? Out of the hundreds of the organization?

Another man stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He was taller than Joakim, and dressed in a GRAVE Agent jacket… No, his was different. His jacket was a little bit longer and nicer looking, meaning he was the Team Leader–

Oh, stars, no.

He was almost unrecognizable compared to the last time I'd seen him, with his dark hair cut just above his ears. But I'd recognize those black eyes anywhere, especially when they crinkled as he smiled at me. Joakim didn't have to introduce me to him.

“Long time no see, Mab,” Noah said.

The man who'd saved me from the Truth of Orobos…

…and who in turn made my life a living nightmare.

tysm for reading! If you enjoyed this, please reblog. Next chapter coming soon.

Featured Creatures

@ladyveronikawrites @lilhobgobbler @deathblacksmoke @cookiesupplier @thatchickwiththecamera

@roley-poley-foley @hedonists @philomenie @shilohrosechicken @comforting-madness

@sitkowski @screamsinsilver @darksigns-exe @nojoyontheburn @baddestomens

@poisongirl616

[dcmainlybillythoughts]

What are your favorite billy boy fics (im desperate okay, I've combed so throughly through the billy tag I somehow ended up in sonic the hedgehog and Tails fics)

Honestly, they should really warn people about the Billy Batson to Sonic pipeline.

I'm actually honored you're asking me so let me compile this list together real fast. Links were deciding to fight me so apologies for not having links.

Marvelous by Gage39

If what you're looking for is some team bonding with a couple hints of angsty misunderstandings, this is your story. I don't remember a whole lot of details since it's been a while, but all and all great fic that I'm probably gonna reread after I post this.

No Sense by IAmStoryTeller

An excellent team bonding fic between Billy and Damian who are forced to get along in an unknown world to ensure their survival. I don't have as much to say about this fic but I still love it nonetheless.

No One is Going to Believe You and Statute of Limitations by Oka_Hills1232

These two can be read together or separate. They're just silly fics of Billy using his age to mess with everyone around him but I still really enjoy them.

Frozen Peas by RoseGauymede95

This fic hits you with the feels as it goes into the dynamics formed between the two movies. It shows how much a family can care for one another, especially when they all have trauma.

pyrrhic victory by Zannolin

My all time favorite Fury of the Gods fic. The last scene of that movie tore me apart and this fic did it even more beautifully. Can you tell I'm a sucker for angst yet?

Is Captain Marvel a Cat? by AHudde (orphan account)

Another funny fic that explores Billy's character and how he presents as Captain Marvel. Nothing much to say other than I enjoyed it.

we have nothing to fear but ourselves by suzukiblu

New fic that's currently going but so far it's hit all my bases for a Dad Marvel fic. Honestly there aren't enough Dad Marvel fics. Again, not much for me to say due to how new it is and the fact it only has one chapter so far.

These are just some fics from my bookmarks. I hope some of these are ones you haven't read before. I honestly love fics by @wolfsbanesparks but I didn't list any because I feel like if you're asking me on Tumblr about Billy Batson, you've probably seen a lot of their stuff through their posts. And if you haven't then there's their at.

[cowpokeomens]

nicholas finger fucking you in front of the rest of the guys :(((( n theyre all degrading you for being such a slut that likes when her bf’s friends watch Oh my lord

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!! This started out as a headcanon then turned into 2.5k words. I'm not sorry, but I thought you should know.

It starts with a discussion. 

Nicholas, sweet boy that he is, always wants to make sure all parties are enthusiastically consenting before getting into anything. You’re the one who brings it up first- the thought of being watched, the thought of being watched by those closest to him. You had been hesitant to admit how much it turned you on. But Nicholas is nothing if not a devoted boyfriend who will do whatever it takes to make you come, so he gets to work.

Noah is the first to agree. You, he reasons, are objectively hot. He is, objectively, horny 73% of the time. It works out well, he thinks. The nice thing about Noah is that he helps set boundaries with Nicholas. Nicholas quickly realizes that he’s fine with them watching you, fine with them talking to you. But touching you? Out of the question. The mere thought of it gets Nicholas feeling feisty so he decides to save that for another time, after he sees how this goes.

He also realizes belatedly that he's not sure he wants all his bros to see his fully erect dick yet, so that part gets shelved for another time, too. There's lots of ways to make you come without fucking you, though, so he's not even sweating it.

Next up is Nick- who would be the most surprised at the offer, I think. Like, again, hell yeah, you're hot; But also woah Nicholas is sharing? Inch resting. Asks lots of questions about what he can and can't do, makes Nicholas realize that maybe...... Nick has thought about this before. He bookmarks that thought, Nick helps plot how they're gonna do it. 

Now Jolly. Jolly likes to watch and I'll die on this hill. I've seen this man on a stage, you’ve seen this man on stage, he has a commanding presence, okay? He very much enjoys the idea of watching a display, doesn't get too hung up on it being one of his best friends and said friend's partner, he's just down to clown.

So with the Avengers assembled, Nicholas gets to plotting. It starts with a cozy night in; There's wine, there's a movie, there's dinner. You're feeling loose as a goose, relaxing on the couch with your back against Nicholas' chest when he pipes up. “Remember what we talked about, about the guys watching?"

Um?? Fuck YEAH you remember!!!!

"Mhm" is your demure reply.

"Wanna try that tonight?" His voice is against your ear, kissing you softly there. You give it some real thought, wanting your answer to be honest, not clouded by worry or anxiety. Finally you realized that, yeah, you were ready, so you tell him so.

You could feel his grin. You didn't see it, but he sent off a quick text to the guys with your affirmative. "Color system sound good?" 

"Yep. I'm green. Obviously." 

He’d snort, hands coming around to tug at your nipple. It was just supposed to be a night in, so you were absolutely wearing the largest shirt in Nicholas' closet and a pair of shorts.

You’d arch into his hand as he rolled the bud around between his fingers, as his other hand would start tugging at the hem of your shorts, trying to get them off. Lifting up so he could pull them off, his hand immediately cupping your mound. You'd whimper slightly, grinding up into his hand as your eyes slip closed

"Good girl." He'd say sweetly.

"Good girl?" A snide voice repeats.

Your eyes fly open, landing on Noah's imposing figure standing in the kitchen.

"What kind of 'good girl' let's herself be finger fucked on the couch of a shared living room?" He questions as he fills a glass with water from the fridge. He's looking at you expectantly, waiting for an answer you don't have. You feel a rush of wetness at his gaze.

Finally he speaks again. "Folio, come check out the show."

Your cheeks turn crimson at his words, but soon Nick comes into view, freezing when he sees you. A smirk makes its way across his face. "Well, what do we have here?"

Your legs come together instinctively, trying to hide yourself from their hungry stares.

"Nope, open them up" Nick barks. "Noah got to see, now it's my turn."

Slowly, you open your legs back up for them, blushing profusely at the vulnerability. You could feel Nicholas' fingers back on you, stroking your folds softly. He went just a little deeper and you shivered, body arching into him.

"She's so fucking wet, dude." Nick said to Noah.

The way they talked about you- like you weren't even there- sent sparks up your spine.

"Of course she's wet." Noah said flatly. "Little slut likes being watched."

That made you gasp, grinding into Nicholas' hand again.

"Where's Jolly at? He'd get a kick out of this" Noah asked, still looking at you. 

"I'm here." came a lightly accented voice in the doorway opposite them. You jumped again at his presence.

"Take a look." Nick gestured with a nod in your direction. Jolly finally looked your way, cocking his head to the side.

"Not much of a surprise, is it? I mean, we all knew she was a greedy little whore." Nick shrugged.

Jolly nods. He's the first to speak to Nicholas. "How many times can she come?"

Your mouth goes dry. You can feel Nicholas looking down at you, then he speaks.

"As many times as I feel like."

You gulp loudly, Jolly giving you an evil grin. "Bit late to be nervous, pretty girl. We can all see how wet your slutty little hole is."

Your mouth is open, panting. "Oh, she likes that." Noah is smiling too, the kind of smile you see in horror films. "Likes knowing all her boyfriend's friends know what a dirty girl she is. How bad do you wanna come?"

Your chest is heaving, you can't even think of words. Nicholas slaps your pussy once, to get your attention, making you moan at the contact. 

"Stop being rude. They asked you a question." He pushes.

"I-" You stammer "I wanna come."

Noah rolls his eyes, Nick outright laughs at you.

"You can do better than that." Jolly finally says.

"Please" Your voice is barely above a whisper. "I wanna come so bad, please."

"The little slut does know how to beg, isn't that nice?" Nick croons at you.

They're all slowly moving closer to you, and you finally snap.

"Please, please, I'll be so good, please I wanna come-"

"That's better." Noah praised. "Now take off your panties. They look soaked anyways."

You were scrambling to yank off the garment before he had even finished his sentence. Before you could lay back down, Jolly spoke up. "Shirt too."

You felt your blush deepen, but did as he said, laying back against Nicholas again. "Color?" You heard him whisper.

"Green" you breathed, wriggling around, trying to get comfortable.

"Good girl." Jolly said before Nicholas could. 

You didn't have time to linger on that before Nicholas was stuffing two fingers deep inside you. Your back arched off his chest, a wanton moan escaping you.

"Christ, didn't ease her into it, did ya?" Nick muttered.

"She likes it." Nicholas said flatly, pulling his fingers out to thrust them back in.

"Oh yeah? Do you like that, slutty girl?" Noah asked you, sitting down on the edge of the couch.

You nodded profusely, canting your hips into Nicholas' fingers.

"Look at her go, she'd probably just fuck herself if you let her." Noah sneered.

"Let's try it." Nicholas said, halting his movement, fingers still inside you

You understood immediately what they expected of you, shame coloring your cheeks as you began fucking yourself on your boyfriend's fingers in earnest.

You couldn't fight back the moan that you made, hands coming up to cover your face in shame. 

“Hands by your sides.” Jolly commanded immediately. 

Your hands came down instinctively, fingers digging into your thighs as you looked at them all helplessly. 

“Think she could come like that?” Nick wondered aloud.

You could feel Nicholas’ smirk behind you. “Wanna see?”

He curled his fingers up inside you, aiming them just barely left, and- oh fuck.

“Fuck-” was your only warning before you were shuddering through your orgasm, walls clenching around Nicholas’ fingers. Your legs shifted as the waves passed over your body, toes curling. You were still panting when Jolly spoke.

“Again.”

You gasped, head swiveling around to look at each of them. Even Nick was grinning now, obviously pleased with the direction the evening took. Nicholas slapped your pussy once, again, directing your attention back to him. 

“Ask to come again.” He demanded. 

“What-” You were cut off by another slap, making your whole body shake with the stimulation. 

“Color?” He asked quickly.

“Green.” Was your immediate response. He kissed your temple once, then slapped your pussy a third time.

“Ask to come again.” He repeated. 

“Can I come again?” You whined.

A fourth slap. You could feel your own wetness leaking out of your hole, sliding down your thighs. 

“You can do better than that. Put on a show for our friends.” His words were directly in your ear, breath hot on your neck.

“Please, can I come again, please- I need it so bad, please-” You were a stuttering mess, wriggling around in his lap. 

“That’s a good girl.” Nick said approvingly, sounding smug. You didn’t have time to relish in your victory before Nicholas was rubbing at your clit, the slide of his fingers having virtually no drag amongst the wetness of your pussy. 

“The little whore is gonna ruin the couch.” Noah stated flatly, as if you weren’t about to lose your mind in front of him.

Jolly snorted. “Like you won’t be in here trying to wring out the cushions into your morning coffee tomorrow.”

“Fuck off.” Was Noah’s quick-witted response. 

You could barely hear them over the sensation of your clit being played with, the overstimulation pushing you so close to the edge. 

“She wants it so bad.” Nick said with a soft chuckle. 

“Tell Nick how bad you want it.” Nicholas’ voice was in your ear again. 

“So bad.” Came your hoarse response. “I want it so bad, please let me come again, please, I’ll be good.”

“Such an obedient girl.” Jolly praised. “Do you always do what you’re told?”

A shiver went up your spine. “Um-”

“No, she doesn’t.” Nicholas answered for you. “I had to practically fuck her through the mattress the other day because she didn’t get her way.” 

Your eyes glazed over at the memory. You’d been extra bratty that day, but putting you in your place was something you knew Nicholas enjoyed thoroughly. 

Jolly tsked at you. “Maybe not so obedient. Maybe you shouldn’t get to come again, if you can’t be good.”

“I’ll be good for you.” Was your automatic reply. Nicholas’ ministrations slowed momentarily, then he plunged three fingers into your waiting cunt. 

You came with a sound so carnal that it left your throat sore. You were shaking, whimpering, clawing at the couch beneath you as you all but convulsed in Nicholas’ lap. 

“Look at how her pussy is clenching.” Nick sounded amused.

There were tears in your eyes now from the constant stimulation. Nicholas was kissing your head, petting down your hair. “Color?”

“Green.” You whined softly. 

“Think you can ride my thigh?” Nicholas questioned, rubbing circles on your hip with his thumb.

“Yeah.” You responded, sounding pitiful even to yourself. 

“Three?” Noah asked, looking surprised.

You could hear the smirk in Nicholas’ voice. “She’s had worse.” He shifted you so that his thigh was nestled between your folds, the friction already causing your legs to quake. “Whenever you’re ready, baby.” 

You ground down experimentally, eliciting a moan from yourself that surprised even you. The glide was delicious, smoother and gentler than Nicholas’ calloused fingers. You knew you wouldn’t last long.

Still, you continued to ride his thigh, body on full display for the other three men in the room, who were watching you with rapt attention. 

“Feel good, slutty girl?” Nick questioned, sounding like he already knew the answer.

You nodded, unable to form a cohesive sentence. 

“You have a pretty mouth.” Noah said suddenly. “Shame to see it so empty.”

You shivered at his words, an idea coming into your head. Slowly, deliberately, you brought your hand up to your mouth, popping three fingers in and sucking deeply. 

“Poor slut needs all her needy little holes filled, huh?” Jolly goaded, eyes dark. You realized belatedly that all of them were sporting obvious bulges, pants tenting over their cocks. Nick was outright palming himself. 

While sucking on your own fingers gave you something to focus on besides the feeling of being set on fire, it wasn’t enough to fight off the tears of overstimulation as you grew closer and closer to your third orgasm. They rolled down your cheeks as you ground yourself further and further onto your boyfriend’s thigh. 

“C’mon pretty girl, give us one more.” Nick encouraged, sensing how close you were. 

Nicholas’ hands came up to your waist to help slide you back and forth on his thigh, fingertips digging into your flesh. Your free hand came up to rest atop his, as you popped your fingers out of your mouth. 

“Nicky, I’m so close, I’m-” You all but sobbed to your boyfriend. 

“Shh, I know sweet girl, it’s okay, let go.” He said soothingly.

“No, Nicky I- I-” You stammered.

Realization dawned on him. “That’s okay, baby, you can do it.”

That was all the confirmation you needed as you came with a sob, your slick squirting onto his leg in rivulets. You shook violently as you came, only staying upright due to his hands on your waist. Someone said “Holy shit.” but you couldn’t place the voice, overcome with pleasure as you trembled through it. 

You were still shaking as Nicholas pulled you down into his chest, rubbing arcs onto your back. “Good girl, you did so good baby, good job.” He was whispering in your ear softly. A split second later, Noah was there with a glass of water for you. You took it and gulped it down gratefully, giving him a small, “Thank you.”

Jolly was next, laying a blanket over the both of you, hands careful not to brush against you. You hadn’t realized you were shivering, and you were about to thank him when Nick handed you a sleeve of Ritz crackers, making you giggle at the gesture. 

“Thanks guys.” You gave them a small smile, tearing open the package and nibbling on a cracker. 

“Thank you.” Nick said with a bow, making you laugh again. 

“Seriously, I’m gonna go have some ‘me’ time and burn the last 2 hours into my brain so I can recall it when needed.” Noah said with a grin. 

“I was thinking of having a frame by frame storyboard tattooed on my back.” Jolly added helpfully. 

You snorted. “Guys, please no brain burning or tattoos. There’s always next time.”

They all froze, then spoke in unison. 

“Next time?”

[stablersolivia]

Thoughts on Caryl/MMB/TWDCaryl

First things first, I'm super new to the fandom stuff involving anything The Walking Dead... but I've been through this before.

So--- I began The Walking Dead in 2018, which is around when Season 8 was about to premiere I believe (correct me if I'm wrong). Nevermind the fact I watched the premiere episode all the way back in 2010 and for some reason, never watched again, lol. All I remember is binge watching the first 7 seasons and waiting for the new season to air. But something came up, and I somehow lost track of the new episodes. Fast forward 6ish years and I decided to rewatch from the beginning ...on election night .... to distract from the chaos. I ended up watching the entire series (plus two seasons of #TWDCaryl) in 3 weeks.

Similar to many other fans, I loved the whole cast, but something drew me to Carol and Daryl the most. I remember loving them the first time, but I never really "delved" into it. I liked the idea of them, but I wasn't super... shippy if that makes sense. But---and this is important--- I was already fully immersed in a long-term ship already in EO. Yeah, that EO. The 25 year long slow burn ship from Law and Order SVU. I guess you can say I didn't have the brain function to obsess over two different ships... at least not back 6ish years ago, which is still about 2 years before news broke Chris Meloni/Elliot was coming back to the franchise after 10 YEARS away. SO--- if you're familiar at all with that and/or EO and the drama with the ship itself, the other ships within the show, and the fans --then we're on the same page.

Which brings me back to Caryl/TWD spinoff. I can't say I'm super surprised at the drama surrounding the new spinoff ---which I was insanely excited about years ago when it was first announced even though I hadn't watched the show in a couple of years. Plus, I was a Caryl fan from the beginning too. But then the news broke that Melissa wasn't going to be on the spinoff after all and I remember thinking --- I'm kind of glad I didn't get as invested in them as I have EO (which is ridiculously invested ---17 years worth of fanfic, fanart, twitter, tumblr friends, etc). But after rewatching the series in its entirety this past November-- I've lost that battle. While I didn't hardcore ship Caryl the first time around (even though I really liked the idea) ---I'm down bad now. Especially after watching seasons 9/10/11 and now the spinoff. My twitter bookmarks, tumblr queue and tags are a Caryl mess right now and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I absolutely adore Melissa and Norman, and their friendship mirrors Chris and Mariska's on SVU's as well (Elliot and Olivia) in a lot of ways -- but that's for another time. (Also-- if you haven't watched Norman's ep of SVU -- highly recommend -- it's in Season 7). I truly think the friendships behind these characters truly drive the effectiveness of duos and ships. If the actors don't get along and/or truly love each other in real life-- it's just not the same. The love truly bleeds onto the screen when it's organic. It really makes everything "earned' like Mariska and Norman have both said about the relationships.

So--- it's disheartening to see that even though Melissa is back in the TWD world after all, and appeared at the end of S1 of the spinoff and all of Season 2, that she's -- from what I've seen tweeted/posted on tumblr --- not getting the respect she deserves, or so it seems. Being a part of a duo comes with all kinds of peaks and valleys. So, one half not getting what they deserve is something I hope sincerely isn't the case. She is literally my favorite female character on this show. I truly think MMB, is a gifted actress who is light years ahead in talent. And again, I love pretty much every character.

With MMB being a woman of a certain age leading a long running show--- I can't help go back to SVU with Mariska. Being leading women on high profile tv shows in your late 50's, early 60's is something to celebrate and be super careful with to be quite frank. MH has been lead/Co-lead on her show for 26 seasons now and an executive producer. If she's getting the respect over at nbc, then Melissa certainly should be getting the same over at amc. (Don't get me wrong, there is still BS behind the scenes on SVU too, but in different ways). Especially if she's also now an EP on TWD. ESPECIALLY by being a part of this for 15 years which is nothing to sneer at. Carol has got to be amongst the longest running female characters on television right now.

I certainly don't know much about what is going on behind the scenes in this case, and I don't really want to knowing what I've known and heard with SVU over the years. Sometimes it's better to NOT know. That's totally ignoring what the showrunner is saying in interviews and what not. I've definitely heard about him. Ugh. With that being said, hopefully things are not what they seem and that there's a lot to be excited and surprised about when Season 3 comes out I'm assuming later this year. There's a thin line between toxic positivity and just having been around the block a few times with previous shows and trying to wait it out. This means taking into consideration what is being filmed elsewhere and indoors.

I'm rooting for Caryl (big time) and for good writing for them. In regards to MMB not being seen on set much, hopefully it's purely her decision for it being that way, or because they're doing what SVU/OC have been doing and trying to keep storylines under wraps so they aren't spoiled --since the whole S2 got released prematurely for the Caryl Spinoff. Maybe it's wishful thinking. Maybe it's seen through rose-colored lenses because I'm not used to this type of fandom discourse like I am with SVU.

It's 2025, and I'm just rooting for my ships to finally receive the writing/canon they deserve. I must be a glutton for punishment because why in the frick do I ship these two??? LOL.

Anyways, I just wanted to get this off my chest because I hate seeing the downside to something I love so much and I'm sure that's true for everyone who comes across this.

I'll certainly be over on twitter expressing my love for Melissa/Carol and Caryl. (I do love Norman as well -- but wanted to focus this on what's important and that's giving Melissa her flowers.) Give that woman an EMMY. Anyways.

Thanks for reading my thoughts even as discombobulated as they may be. Caryl is endgame! BOOM.

[allastoredeer]

I'm with you there on preferring bottom!Alastor and getting squicked out by top!Alastor. The squick is worse for me when searching radioapple than radiostatic stuff, and I think it has more to do with the egregious amount of uke-fication of Lucifer that I've seen. Vox and Al get it sometimes too, let's be real that's gonna happen in any mlm ship. But I feel like it happens SO often to Lucifer, mostly cause he's small and cute, that people completely forget he's the oldest and most powerful entity in hell.

He would NOT be genuinely scared or intimidated by Al or any other sinner for that matter and Al would NOT be able to physically overpower or threaten Luci. It just feels so wildly out of character for me that any of the appeal of the ship/characters is gone at that point.

Like, for real, no shade to anyone that likes that, go on and get your food. But my extreme dislike of it has me now avoiding bottom!Lucifer radioapple like the plague just so I don't risk being subjected to it.

I think...I think you just described why I feel so squicked out by bottom!Lucifer and top!Alastor 😦 Like, I couldn't figure out what exactly about it was throwing me off, but you just said it perfectly!!

That's literally it! It's the uke-fication of Lucifer. That's it. Lucifer would never feel threatened by Alastor. He would never be overpowered by Alastor. So when I see depictions of Alastor successfully intimidating Lucifer, or overpowering him at all, it just throws me out of the story.

Lucifer's been alive longer than Hell. Alastor's measely 100+ years of being alive is nothing compared to his millennia+ lifespan. And yeah, Lucifer is the strongest person in Hell, he could beat Alastor in any fight, no question. He has no reason to be scared or threatened by him.

And look, there are ways to get Lucifer to a point of being afraid. There are always a way to make characters act in a way you wouldn't typically see. In fact, Lucifer, the biggest, baddest person in Hell, being threatened by something would be a huge thing for his character and for the story. That could totally work!

But when it comes from Alastor just going into his demon form, or looming over Lucifer, I just 🥲 it takes me out of the story. I can't. Alastor may be a big bad Overlord, and he's dangerous for sure, but like...power-wise he is just not on Lucifer's level and Lucifer knows that--Alastor knows that--and this is what makes their dynamic so, SO interesting, especially if they're in a relationship or slowly building into a relationship. That's what makes it so spicy and flavorful. The push and pull. The insecurity and emotion. The complex dynamic between them.

I think you're right about it making bottom!Lucifer and top!Alastor lose its appeal. I went back through my Twitter bookmarks yesterday and found a few top!Alastor's & bottom!Lucifer's that I've saved, but I've come to dislike that generalized characterization of it so much that I avoid it it like the plague too.

And like you said, there's no hate to those who enjoy it. This is fandom and people are allowed to write, draw, and do what they want. It's all fiction and it's not hurting anyone.

I just don't like the top!Alastor & bottom!Lucifer dynamic in most fan-arts, and I don't click onto fics with it cause I just don't want to subject myself to an unenjoyable time 😂 I'm here to have fun too, afterall.

[anghraine]

In the course of an unrelated search, I found a fun meme and decided to share it!

rules: give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the fewest words.

Most hits: Season of Courtship — this is my Darcy/Elizabeth canon-compliant engagement fic that I originally finished posting in 2006 and heavily revised a few years later, which in the last 5 or so years leapt ahead of all my other fics without explanation. No surprise here (it has 92k hits, over 40k more than the runner-up).

2nd most kudos: But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul In Hell — a ROTJ AU where Luke does succeed in persuading Vader before the confrontation with Palpatine (simultaneously not surprising me because I've seen it crawl up the list over the years, but also always surprising me that an 800-word fic written for a livejournal meme in 2012 ever got this high).

3rd most comments: tolerably well acquainted — another canon-compliant Darcy/Elizabeth P&P fic, this one about the evolution throughout the Pemberley scenes and afterwards of Elizabeth's feelings and her uhhhh totally dispassionate interest in Darcy (very much surprising and gratifying me that it has so many, since it's one of my favorites of my own work despite the eternal WIP status).

4th most bookmarks: same as #3! Still gratified!

5th most words: I genuinely had no idea Revenge of the Jedi was so high up the list, length-wise — it's an AU of ROTJ posted (and written) in 2011 that comes up with a scenario integrating the earlier plans for ROTJ (Luke's sister is someone else, Vader has a longer redemption arc, Leia as queen of the remaining Alderaanians, etc) with elements of the prequels (e.g. Padmé still exists and remains Leia's mother).

Fewest words: Real Mothers, at 48 words — I wrote so many short one-shots that I had no idea which this one would be (it's a brief one-shot about Leia's relationship with her mothers).

It's not shocking, but mildly interesting, that every fic here is either for P&P or SW.

Tagging some people if they want to do it: @ladytharen, @venndaai, @veliseraptor, @brynnmclean, @child-of-hurin, @heckofabecca, @irresistible-revolution, @incognitajones, @steinbecks

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Special Interest 1

Warnings: non/dubcon, age gap, creep behaviour, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: Cole Turner, short!reader

Part of the Bookstore AU

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

The smooth jazz fills the aisle of the bookstore, a cozy warmth blowing from the vents above as you unwrap your scarf and let it hang loose from your neck. You unbutton the top of your coat, fanning yourself as the nip of winter fades. You tuck your gloves away and hike up your bag, stepping close to see the titles on the spines. The fog's finally gone from your lenses.

You have that one, oh and you already know how to crochet potholders, no you're looking for a challenge. Something different. You need new techniques if you want to keep your Etsy shop alive. You're not struggling... yet.

You pull out a book on how to crochet replicas of different plants; like a cactus or a daisy. You could do little faces on them or do a rainbow of colours. Your mind runs crazy with all sorts of alterations. You open it and flip through the pages, hiding behind the cover as you turn and lean on the shelf.

"Cute," a voice draws the book down an inch and you look down the aisle at the man facing the opposite shelf. He taps the shelf beneath the 'Gardening' sign as he smiles at you, "you know, they got a whole bunch of books about real plants down here."

You bring your brows together and furrow your nose. Who is this strange man judging you? The gall. I mean, look at him. He's a bit too old to be commenting on your interests.

"Uh, thanks, but I don't like to get dirty," you say without thinking. You're not the type to be rude but something about his tone really irks you.

You shift back to face the shelf and close the book. You slide out the other with sweater patterns. Those take so long, you haven't added those to your catalogue. You put it back and adjust your glasses as you pause and tap the book in your hand. Oh, great idea and you don't even need a pattern. You could do book covers and little bookmarks!

"You knit?" The man startles you again as he approaches.

You glance at him from the corner of your eyes, "crochet, but I can knit too."

"Huh, my mom does too. Tried to teach me but I'm all thumbs. I'm better with plants," he says.

You shake your head and focus on the shelf. You don't get why this guy is bugging you. On first glance, he's got at least ten years on you, maybe more. And why the heck is he bringing up his mom? You don't know her.

"Look, I hope I didn't come off rude, I was just... curious. I've never seen anyone knit a cactus before," he puts his hand on the top shelf.

"Crochet," you correct him again, keeping your chin set ahead of you.

"Yeah, crochet," he chuckles, "sorry, I'm a bit ignorant.”

You bite your tongue. You've heard of older men being a bit much but have lucked out in not being bothered by them. Until that moment.

“Cole,” he offers as he pulls his hand off the shelf, holding it out.

You don't even look. You're too nervous and honestly, annoyed. You want him to go away.

You count your losses. You don't need to splurge on a pile of books. One is fine, you can see if there's anything new on Pinterest.

You turn on your heel and head down the aisle, away from him. You hear him huff as you turn down the next, tempted to stop and look at the Tarot but wanting to get far away. You could probably hide out in the non-fiction section until he evacuates.

As you get to the end of that aisle, you find the book crushed against your front. You bounce off another person and stumble back. You look up at the stranger, Cole. He puts his hands up defenseless and grins.

“Oops, sorry, we keep running into each other.”

“Uh, alright,” you try to sidestep him but he does the same. You both move in the same pattern, back and forth, getting in each other's way, “okay, okay, just stay still.”

He stops and stares with wide eyes. You slowly sidle by, watching him to make sure he doesn't try anything. This is getting too weird for your liking.

You twirl and swiftly march away, hugging the book tight as you try not to trip in your hurry. You're too exposed at the checkout line so you surpass it and flee towards the comic book section. If that doesn't work, the bathrooms are right behind that.

You finally look back again as you get to the graphic novels. You can only see shelves. You're alone in the aisle, grumbling to yourself in agitation. “Creep.”

You take your time wandering, thinking maybe you might be able to get into Batman as you admire the art on each cover. Your adrenaline cools and you feel a bit less addled.

You sneak around the perimeter of the store and find your way back to the craft section. He's gone. Hopefully he went back home to his sad plants.

It's difficult to shake your unease. You pick out some of the needles they have hung with other small accessories and head to the till.

You join the line, your mind already trying to decide what you want to order at the cafe. As you step up, just about to get your turn at the counter, you feel a nudge, a silty voice rolling into you.

“Uh, excuse me,” the timbre is all too familiar.

“Really, dude,” you snap around, “take a hint.”

“You dropped your gloves.”

He holds up your wadded gloves and you cringe. You force a smile and snatch them away. “Thanks,” you grit out.

“Yeah, just being a nice guy,” he shrugs, “trust me, I got the hint.”

He steps back on his heel and turns his attention to the table of pens and other stationary that separate the tills from the rest of the store. You sniff and roll your eyes, quickly flitting up to checkout. The sooner you're gone, the better.

[fattummyt]

AO3 / FanFiction.net / Artist Scammer:

Hey. I'm an AO3 writer and long time artist whose never received any sort of spam or scam comments on Archive of Our Own... until today.

For those who don't feel like reading all these images I've included alt text as well as relevant text replies below each screenshot. ヾ(•ω•`)o

Today I received a comment from a user named ObsidianVerse on AO3. (link to their profile here.) (Screenshot includes alt text)

Note: Registered AO3 users not having an icon/bookmarks/works is not uncommon, so this did not come off as a red flag to me.

Anywho, ObsidianVerse left some very genuine, very kind comments on a recent fanfic of mine that indicated to me they were a real person who actually read my fanfic! (Screenshots includes alt text)

this was such a cozy, lowkey gut punch in the best way?? like just two people being soft and real with each other in the middle of all the noise, and somehow that hits harder than a dramatic confession or battle scene. the quiet care, the little touches (literally and emotionally), the soup?? ugh. it’s tender and awkward and beautiful. thank you for giving us this moment, it felt like breathing room in the middle of chaos. loved every second of it.

I responded: "I--- [image alt text: black and white drawing of the autism creature standing with it's legs spread wide in a defensive stance, shaking, as tears drop down it's face while standing in a pool of it's own tears. It's surrounded by pink, red, white, and swirling pink heart emojis.] This comment is honestly so. [image alt text: transparent drawing of a person calmly resting in a hospital bed with their eyes closed and hooked up to an IV. Art by @/IRASUTOYA.] Wow?? Like?! Thank you so, so much for such a sweet and generous compliment. The quiet care AND the soup??? Tender awkward and beautiful. 😭 The breathing room in the middle of chaos really gagged me because damn it really kinda is that huh? Wasn't even my intention either. It really goes to show that everybody interpretation is unique, there's always something positive to be found that I didn't consider. Can I be honest? I was kinda just shitting on this fic in comparison to my others. But this makes me want to reread this fic (which I've reread at least 5 times before posting) with a bit more care and love in my heart for this story. I want to seek out all the favored parts you saw and hold them lovingly. There's so much value to be seen in a simple short story and your comment is a humbling reminder. I really appreciate you. (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠❤" ObsidianVerse responded: STOP you’re gonna make me cry in the soup 😭😭😭 the IRASUTOYA visual has me wheezing and also like. Holding your story in my hands like a precious little wildflower. I’m so glad my comment could help you see it with fresh eyes it genuinely hit me so hard in the best way, like two people whispering honesty to each other while the world screams. Just… chef kiss. Also, okay, I hope this isn’t too weird to say, but like. Reading this actually gave me so many visuals and little ideas, and I couldn’t stop thinking how cool it’d be to do some artwork based on this story?? Or even work together on something if you’d be up for it. No pressure at all!! But if that’s something that sounds good to you, I’d love to talk more about it Discord or email, whatever you prefer! Just putting it out there because this story really stuck with me in that quiet, lingering way. 🥹❤️

Red Flag: Notice the mention of the artist of the second image @/irasutoya's name in all caps? That's how I included their name in the alt text of the art. Hence why they referenced it.

I responded: "Art?! [image alt text: black and white drawing of a character sitting on their knees crying as they stare down at their smart phone] Are you one of my people?? Hell yeah, I'd love to see some art or work on some collaborative art! I'll give you my email, since it's public anyway: theartoftianaconyers @ gmail.com" ObsidianVerse responded: "Just sent you a mail"

Red Flag: The wording of the last reply was certainly a red flag for me.

All things considered, they referenced details in the fic and replied like a real person, so when their comments eventually panned toward wanting to make art for my fic/collaborating on a piece, I didn't think anything of it. Even offering my email so they could reach out to me.

It became clear after they emailed me from their email address evelynaddison919@gmail.com that something was up. Their message felt weirdly robotic and their email address was way too generic feeling. Especially given how informal and casual they were in their comments. (Screenshot includes alt text)

Hey there,How are you doing? This is ObsidianVerse from AO3

I did a cursory search of this email address and found nothing. Eventually I stumbled upon their ArtStation profile (link to it here) where they have the same icon art as their gmail (for whatever reason it doesn't show in app)... But a different email address.

On ArtStation they use: evelynaddison92@gmail.com which, after Googling, ding ding ding, allowed me to find this Tumblr thread naming Evelynaddison92 as well as many others.

Evelyaddison92 matches the AO3 username (who's account is still up, I might add! Link to their profile here.), and the same Tumblr user that has been mentioned by folks in this thread. They also use the Discord handle: evelynaddison92 (link to it here)

I guess people wised up to their scam so they switched email addresses and AO3 users.

To answer a question I had myself...

Is this really a scam? The answer is yes.

Did they scam me out of money? No. Did they ask me to commission them? No. (Likely because I didn't allow it to get that far.) Too be frank, all they did was leave some nice comments and offer art (which I have done for others in the past on Tumblr!)

But this kind of scammer doesn't need our money. They thrive by being legitimized by real users and writers.

In searching their email I found a BlueSky profile (link to it here) including many of the artworks posted onto the ArtStation profile in addition to random reposts like any regular person would do. Unfortunately, on their profile there are writers posting about how they'd happily received art, commissioned them, and tagging them as well.

They don't need money from us to benefit from scamming us. The more they can use our names, platforms, and writing to legitimize themselves as "real people", the more they benefit to be able to scam others out of money.

Overall, I'm coming away from this disappointed. I'll still take the comments I received to heart, but at the end of the day, users like this and the others mentioned above only do harm to fanfic writers by targeting people often sharing in search of genuine community and love.

Take it from me, a seasoned artist well versed in common art scams. If I can fall for it, so can anyone.

I'd appreciate it folks who see this made sure to block and report (if able) both of this user's accounts.

I also implore you to read this post linked here by other Tumblr users naming additional AO3 art scammers including Obsidian/Evelyn.

Update: ObsidianVerse deleted all their comments on my fic once they saw I froze the thread/didn't reply to their email.

[disastrousrecs]

what the water gave me

by ohmygodwhy on ao3 | @gaycinema

asoiaf | theon greyjoy/robb stark | ghosts/haunting au | rated m | 24k

**

Theon’s journey to Pyke is delayed. Balon rebels early. Robb does his duty. Afterwards, Theon cannot seem to leave him in peace.

(This is a ghost story.)

**

**

one of my all-time favourite asoiaf fics!! which is saying a LOT because i've read many, and have only bookmarked three (this being one of them!!) what the water gave me was sent to me by my friend @krakerjaksstuff in the autumn of last year, and it's one of the most incredible things i've ever read. a real 10/10, gut-punch of a fic, every emotional beat hits, all of the character voices are INCREDIBLE, it's a memorable heart-breaking journey from start to finish

favourite excerpt:

Robb wished so badly to separate his best friend from the body below him, but Theon would not let him—Robb had felt these hands upon him in countless ways, he had seen Theon’s hair fan out in the hot springs like this as he dipped his head below the water. Every moment was an excruciating reminder of who he was killing and how. 

**

have you read this fic? if yes, leave kudos, leave comments, give it a bookmark. if you haven't, go read it! interact!! show the author just how amazing their writing is!!

[menlove]

any McLennon fic recs ?

CRACKS FINGERS

immediate rec is your lucky break by @forthlin bc millies writing makes me throw up and scream and cry and this is the fic that got us talking so!! also, young paul and dilf john and I eat it UP. also literally any of their fics are so so good. the latest one is our fic together so I won't rec it but... their writing in the john pov they wrote is soooo good so. I'll rec their half!

✨ = all time fave

just pulling from my bookmarks.......

grow old with me

Paul breaks his arm, and John panics

explicit. fix-it.

and when the broken bodies are washed to shore (who am I to ask for more)

“Jesus, took you long enough,” John says, adjusting the duffle over his shoulder. “Thought I might be out here til morning at this rate.”

For a second he wonders if he’s drunker than he thought, but no. As far as he can tell, it is still 1980, and he hasn’t seen or so much as spoken to John in ten years

mature. fix-it.

John My Beloved ✨

They've always loved each other, in their own way...

explicit. major character death. literally fucking killed me I sat there at 7am after staying up all night and teared up. I cry like. once a year.

i was a younger man then (now) (post hoc) ✨

John’s twelve when a bloke appears from a flaming pie and says, “From this day forward you are Beatles with an ‘a.’” The bloke is Paul.

Or: paul and john meet at all ages and eras and john is the time-traveler’s wife the way only john lennon can be

mature. fix-it. time traveler's wife au that lives forever in my mind rent free.

Stop all the clocks (by @javelinbk)

‘1967. After Brian dies, Paul decides not to go ahead with MMT, and takes John up to Scotland for a month instead.’

mature

Like Love, The Archers Are Blind

He wants to push Stuart out of the way, not even with a violent yank of his collar like he sometimes imagines. Just to melt into his place like butter sliding in a pan. Have it be an effortless breath of fresh air when John looks up at him and sees it all reflected back in his eyes. It’s you.

Hamburg, 1960

explicit

Boy, You've Been A Naughty Girl ✨

John makes Paul a bet. Paul takes him up on it. Crossdressing shenanigans and angst ensue, and ~feelings come out in the wash. 1961.

OR: boys in knickers, lots and lots (and lots) of sex, angst, homophobic slurs, schmoop. The Pineapple Club is fictitious. Originally posted on LJ in 2012

explicit. what can I say but whshwjjajjakak

I Still Miss Someone (series)

It's 1976 and Paul keeps showing up on John's doorstep with a guitar. Eventually John turns him away and Paul goes off to sulk in his hotel room the night before his flight from New York. Based on real events

explicit. not a fix-it.... real to me though

christmas lights (keep shinin' on)

"I'd have you," Paul said, eventually, and John felt the air being knocked out of him. "If it was different. If we were different."

mature.

two of us (burning matches)

It won't stop raining. Paul doesn't know what his feelings are doing. John's practising his right swing. Somewhere along the way, they fuse together

explicit. honestly literally everything by obstinatrix is 💖💖💖

one and one and one is three ✨ by @pauls1967moustache

Even with how badly he wants this, John wouldn't want it if he didn't think it would make Paul feel good. That's the point. It can be good, the three of them. It can work, if Paul lets it.

explicit. failed yoko/john/paul. also literally everything this author writes...... shout outs: a great threat (female paul/yoko w delicious mclennon in the bg) baby it's all relative verse (don't talk to me. the one time I've ever Ever in my life read foot kink and it???? it works??? they'd do this. I don't want them to. but this is real. entered my "psyche of john lennon" file. )

PROBABLY MORE....... but these are the ones that I keep thinking about and ruminating on.

[jakowskis]

torchwood resources

just some stuff i've accumulated during this fixation :) hope it proves handy :D

ianto's-desktop (livejournal) - archived most of the things found on the torchwood website during season 1 and season 2; the only thing missing is the videos. / note: click the headers of the posts to see the full thing, or some stuff with appear incomplete. took me a sec to figure out, lol

speaking of the website...

season 1 website (archive.org)

season 2 website (archive.org) - unlike the s1 website, the bulk of the s2 site's content is pretty inaccessible through the wayback machine (at least for me; maybe i'm doing something wrong), so thank g-d for ianto's desktop

there's also a good amount of rebloggable site content in this person's tumblr tag.

season 1 declassified (youtube)

season 2 declassified (youtube)

season 1 commentaries (mega.nz)

torchwood books (google drive) - gonna be honest, i haven't tried to download any of these myself

border princes audiobook (read by eve) + all of the radio plays (archive.org)

torchwood magazines (beta.reddit) - download links for all of them! p fuckin kewl

torchwood official yearbook (archive.org)

herecomesthedrums (youtube) - account that started posting before the show came out and is chock full of promos, trailers, interviews... some real fun goodies in there

torchwood: up close (youtube) - handful of bts videos with the cast + crew

season 1 unreleased tracks (soundcloud) - the end of days ones hrhghgh

out of time unreleased tracks (soundcloud) - i absolutely adore the music in this ep so i was so happy when i found these

the torchwood fanpop - this has sooooooo much content like i scrolled for a loooooong time and never reached the bottom. lotta stuff i hadn't seen before, too. there's fun hd promo pics, pics of the cast, and a lot of extremely early 2010s edits, graphics, and fanvids. / note: i also had this page bookmarked + it's got different content than the main page so i'll link it

aaand under the cut i'm gonna dump some silly stuff i've collected of the cast. but yeah, there ya go :-)

gally 2015: zip files of someone's pictures of eve, naoko, and burn (livejournal)

gally 2015: someone's account of the torchwood panels + meeting the cast (everyone was there but gareth!) - naoko & burn's solo panels / autograph table chats + barrowman photo-op + the naoko&burn&eve group panel / barrowman solo panel + burn&eve joint panel

dragon con 2013 (flickr) - i found two albums: this one, and this one, which has torchwood cast images on the first and second pages.

burn at chicago tardis 2012 (flickr) - ehehe 2012-2013 burn gorman w his classy little outfits my beloved. this is just hq pictures of that event. burn's in a bunch at the top and some at the end of the second page

the hub 2009 (flickr) - some kind of torchwood event. gareth, burn, eve, kai, and tom are all there. i dunno

hvff 2018: 'insights from the whole cast'

hvff 2018: video of everybody goofing off (twitter)

gareth endorsing owandy teehee (twitter) - this is getting dumped here bc im gay

sigh. (blogspot) - pics from that one fuckin 08 panel where gareth & john made out like 5 times + gareth took his jeans off for some reason. i don't even go here but i feel like this is unfortunately historically relevant. also the fujoshis in the comments are really funny

incomplete but sizable lists of cons gareth's been to and john's been to, in case anyone wants to dig around for photos/footage of any of these. the other cast members (excluding burn, for some reason) all have pages on this site as well, but theirs are super incomplete so i won't bother linking