#and i still have four more prompts that i'd love to do at some point!

[luimagines]

thinking about human reader and how hylians yk dont like humans, im imagining how id probably react to the chain members who dont rly like humans.(pls pls give how youd react too HELP i need to hear about how others would react too)

like i would be side eyeing (the ones with less than positive opinions) them every time they look in my direction 😭😭 i would be so defensive and would stay AT LEAST 6 feet away from them because i am not about to have that energy around me. i probably wouldnt help with how they view humans ngl

also going with the idea that wild is at least part human, i think thatd itd be fun to bond w him over certain human traits that they both have. like breaking the weapons??? (i probably couldnt even hold them, unless we're going with the idea of humans being stronger than hylians) also i saw something about wild healing by stuffing a shit ton of fruit down his throat being a human trait, and oml imagine being like "hey wild can i have like 20 apples??? i need to heal rq"

okay okay but what if.. human reader AND they were like the guide voice they heard on their journeys(im specifically thinking about isekai reader who played the games and the links could hear their voice while they played the game, but however you wanna view it works too)?? how much would that change their view on humans??

okay sorry about the rant but like i needed to get my thoughts out

Oh goodness, if I was there I would be stressed as hell. DX

I'm a people pleaser by default. The subtle knowledge that I did nothing wrong but am still on their bad side would prompt me to be super nice and extra helpful and overall be and pushover because I need them to not not like me.

I'd still like glue to Wolfie because I love dogs and since Twilight doesn't care, he'd let me be close and I'd project all my anxiety onto this four legged creature. He is now my emotional support dog.

But for guide! reader to also be human. Hmmmm... Talk about a culture shock. The more suspicious/distrusting of the group would likely have an aneurism. A full blown record scratch. Broken brain moment.

It would be a better turning point for them to learn that sort of thing to be more accepting of humans. Not that they'll have a full 180 then and there.

But if the voice they've grown attached to a human, knowing that what they do and have done, are they really that bad?

But there's still the ever present idea of, is this person who they've grown to love and admire from a distance really not all what they thought they appeared to be?

It'll take some time to come to terms, but it's certainly a catalyst.

[double-0h-no]

Doctor's Note

Prompt fill for both 3000 words and medical staff. This is a… very different kind of thing. Not my usual perspective, not my usual style of writing, but hey, this here is to try new things, and I had fun writing this. I hope you enjoy :)

on ao3

What's it like being a Doctor for Medical at MI6? Well, it goes a bit like this…

Hi. You must be the new Doctor working here, right?

I'm Hermine Dalton, pleasure to meet you. I've been with Six for longer than I'd like to admit to, and I'll be showing you the ropes the next few days and weeks. So, if you've got any questions, fire away. Should I at any point not be around, the nurses know more about the way of things than I do. All right, let's not dawdle. And welcome to the team.

***

Right, so we have a couple of divisions that you're not really used to from a normal hospital, and obviously, we're completely lacking others. No paediatrics, no oncology, stuff like that. A lot more forensic medicine and maybe in ways you're not entirely used to. And we have an intersection with Q-branch, if you're interested in that, namely with R&D where we have some guys who work on toxins and antitoxins and some creative biological weapons. That sounds a lot more malicious than it is, the creative part is mostly about how to target it and prevent the agents from accidentally injecting themselves with it or something similar. Should you wind up there at some point I have one advice for you: Trust the Q-branchers there. If they say "we can't do it like that, the agents will totally do this and that with it", no matter how outlandish it sounds, trust them. They know what they're talking about. All safety regulations are written in blood, and all that.

***

So this is where you'll start out. I know it's not the most exciting, but it'll give you a bit of time and peace to ease into things. So, most of this is from some sort of ongoing investigation. We have a colour coding system for prioritising those things, there's a list on the server. Take your time familiarising yourself with everything, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it fast enough. Tomorrow you can join me for my round with the current patients.

***

Good morning, so glad you'll join me. So, we don't have a whole lot of patients at any time, usually not more than five who are supposed to stay here. When I left last night, we had six patients, let's see how it looks this morning.

Why? Oh, let's just say there is a certain type of patient who is less than inclined to stay put.

Stop them? Oh, no, love. We... it's a recent thing, admittedly, one I've managed to painstakingly build up. It's... Let me explain this to you over a cup of tea after. Let's see the patients first, yeah?

***

So, that's them. Only four patients left, admittedly, but I would have made that bet. Let me show you what we do now.

Of course we'll have a coffee over it. What else is there to do? And we'll take a look at this nice little document there. Okay, so the people who were here last night and aren't anymore, that's Agent Booth, and 004. So, Booth wasn't hurt too badly, he was supposed to stay because we suspected he might have a concussion. He has a wife here in Six, she works in accounting, and they have two kids. So him not being here just means that he wants home to go and see them, and I sent his wife an email when he was admitted. She knows about his medical status, I'm not worried about him, so we'll let it go. Prep the paperwork for him to sign as soon as he's back at work, backdating it all, so that the bureaucracy monster working on the fourth floor is fed and satisfied.

Now, 004, that's a different thing. She had a... Sorry. Sometimes the job still gets to me, too. But she had a... fucked up mission. I don't want her to be alone for even a second, and she's in no good condition healthwise, either. What I do now is, I pull up the Double Oh roster, and check where 003 and 007 are. Three is out in the field, so that road's blocked. Seven is in London. Great. Let me just text him real quick.

Okay. That's done. And now we can only hope and pray.

How I know what? Oh, the mission. Yeah, no, we're not supposed to - hm. Hm. See, that's... It's easier to do than you might think. And not all agents take it too seriously. I know you've only been here for two days, and you already picked up on the reputation of Double Ohs, but...

Yes, they are the worst patients you could wish for. Horrible. Rude. Don't keep to any of your orders. But... They're our patients. I care for them. And with most of them, I've managed to build a rapport. They trust me with details of their missions, so I happen to know more than I'm supposed to. Sometimes, you find out things because you treat them. You'll get practised at it eventually, recognise certain types of injuries, all that. And other times, you have to ask, because maybe they've ingested something, or you need to know what happened to be able to judge how deep the injuries might be, how likely a concussion is, questions are important.

What that third column is? It's their handlers. Let's go through the list real quick. You will not be needing it for a good long while. Treating Double Ohs takes a bit of time until you're at a point where you can make decisions for them without them raising hell on you. But I hope the insight will help you a bit. So the first two columns are the agents and their designations. The next two are their usual handlers. They might change in between missions, but those are the two they trust the most.

If an agent comes in and they are in a really bad shape, you contact their handler as soon as they're stable and look human again. Q-branch needs to know that their charge is home safe and sound. If an agent acts up while they have a bed here, just being a little bitch, pardon my French here, you can also call their handler, and they usually get the agents in line. Do it surreptitiously, though. The agents have not yet caught on to me strategically ordering Q up when I need to get them in line, and I'd rather keep it like that for as long as possible.

Next column is significant others or people that the agents themselves have cleared for me divulging medical information and all. It's empty for a lot of them, but that's usually not as much of an issue as it sounds.

Next columns are people to send after them if they pull a runner. That one I know by heart. The trick is finding out who's available. Scarlett's first contact is, and always will be, Tanner from admin upstairs. Don't know why, I don't ask, don't care. But Tanner's busy, and I have the feeling that she would appreciate someone who knows what it's like to come back from... that. So one of the other Double Oh, then you pull up the roster, check whether they're in, and Bob's your uncle.

Okay, I know that was a lot, but you're a quick study. I know you've heard all the horror stories about our most notorious patients but... Well, I'm sure you'll figure them out. Just don't -- Don't listen too much to others.

***

Oi, come over here, I need another pair of hands! Don't just stand there, it's only blood and there will be more if you don't put your hands right here!

Thank you! Fuck! Fuck!

007, get out of the way now, you did your part, we'll take over from here. We've got her, she's safe.

***

Fuck, I need more coffee. Thanks for that. Sorry for just jumping that on you and barking orders but -- Oh. Yeah, thanks. That doesn't usually happen, mind. By the time we take care of the patients, they're usually not in any immediate danger anymore. We do surgeries, but they're stable, not bleeding out anymore. At least when they get a medevac. 007 has a horrible track record of dragging his sorry arse all the way to London by himself, no matter his physical state. But still... This is not a regular occurrence. Hold on --

Bill? Yeah, she's in room two. She's not awake yet but I don't think she should be alone. Yeah, I sent James after -- Oh hush, you know better than that. She badly pulled those stitches of hers and -- Yeah, I think so. I mean she had wet hair and was scarcely dressed, so... Go see her. Can she stay with you, if she doesn't want to hang around? I'll make sure no one's watching. Thanks.

***

Now, how was your first week? Eventful enough? Exactly what you expected from working at Six?

Yeah I bet. Hope we haven't scared you off. Have a nice weekend, and see you on Monday.

***

Oh, hello. Had a nice weekend? What can I help you with?

What was that? Oh, yes, that's... Yes. I see. Of course. Let's... I'll be right with you. What did you say that they did in Q-branch that caused this?

Right. Of course. Just a regular Monday morning, right?

***

I'd like you to assist me this afternoon, if you don't mind. We've got 007 coming in from his latest mission and he's being transported back in with a medevac. It's not too bad, nothing you haven't seen before in clinic.

***

So, how was that for your first foray into Double Oh field medicine?

Oh no, I dare say he was perfectly pleasant, actually. Oh you sweet summer child. No. That was him being kind.

All right, now, what do you know about the mission?

No no, not the things that Bond told us, however begrudgingly. The rest.

Like what? The wound on his shoulder, for example.

Oh no, that's... older. That shoulder is just banged up. If you want a case study in "how is that human body still moving?", I recommend the files of 004, 007, and the previous 006. He retired, so he, too, is still moving around, just not in active service anymore. No, what I mean is the cuts that we tended to. What happened there?

It's all right, there's no shame in not knowing. I've spent years here learning to read between the lines, and you can do your job without ever questioning the pattern of injuries. Now, what I gather from those wounds is an explosion. The way those scratches were scattered, the kind of shrapnel we got out of the wounds, it all looks like an explosion inside of a building.

Then there's the bruising. It's on the opposite side, so that suggests - exactly, the blast probably flung him into a wall. There were marks on his thighs and arms that suggest close combat. The marks on his neck were the thing prompting me to ask whether wants to get tested.

Why I offer? Most agents are really conscientious about that part. Not 001, but then, I never have to treat him, either. He's sexist like that.

Thanks for your help, by the way. Don't count on Bond hanging around for the night, though. He's mobile enough, he might make a run for it.

***

Oh, hi. Sure I have a moment, what's up?

Whether what--? Oh. Oh!

Right. Sometimes I forget you've not been here for ages with how well you've managed to settle in. No, no, take the compliment.

So Q snuck up here with dinner for Bond yesterday evening? That's kind of him.

Did he? Well, usually I'd say, do with that what you will, but remember one thing, in this very specific case: There is such a thing as plausible deniability. Should two people who work together as closely as an agent and their handler be in a relationship, that might end their working relationship here. There are precautions to be met and everything. Unless that's inconvenient, because they clearly work well together and who would disrupt that. So sometimes, there's nothing where there's something, and everybody knows unless someone comes asking, you see?

Yes, they are. It was the most exciting thing I've seen happen here. They're actually good for each other, if you can believe it. A lid for every pot, as my gran used to say.

004 and Tanner? Oh Lord, no. She's the godmother to his daughters, though. I think they served together. Oh, yes, Tanner's a military man. Doesn't look like it, does he? No, from what I know, they were in some deep shit together and have been inseparable ever since.

Other gossip? I mean, someone probably warned you about the Double Ohs being prone to sexual advances, especially if they think they can wheedle some special treatment out of you. Everything else, I won't tell. I'm sure you've caught plenty on your own.

Now tell me, how's your first month been? Ready to take on your own patients?

***

Hey, could you fetch me a rape kit real quick? I don't want to leave her alone.

She's an agent, she says she's fine, all part of the job, but... She's only human, too, you know?

Thank you.

***

My goodness, I've got to tell you what just happened. So, you know how Nomi's currently here? Well, she just woke up, incredibly high on pain meds, and I went through the usual questions, who are you, do you know where you are, what day is it, and she answered it in absolute Double Oh fashion, and then we got to the current events question and i asked her who the current prime minister is, and she just groaned and mumbled "Don't make me say it'' and I think that counts, too, doesn't it?

Anyway, Miss Moneypenny showed up shortly after, awfully chipper for a Friday afternoon, and spent over an hour in there for the debrief. A bit long for a person who can't string two coherent thoughts together, don't you think?

***

Hey, can you take over Trevelyan's check up for me? My sister's in town and I'd love to meet up with her if you -- Oh thank you so much, you're a lifesaver.

Have you ever had the pleasure? No? Oh, well, it's rather easy, though he might try to get under your skin. Don't let him, he's all bark and no bite. Terry will be here, too -- yeah, PT, that's him, and Camilla from Q-branch -- I know, I know it sounds like a big thing, but it really isn't. Just routine check up, we just all pool together because it's more convenient. Trevelyan is Q-branch's test bunny for their new prosthesis that they're trying to link to his neural pathways and muscle impulses to use a robotic prosthetic that can react to those impulses. Mostly it's Camilla and Trevelyan talking and you and Terry looking pretty until your expertise is called upon.

Yeah, they're actually on to something there. Last time Alec started asking whether they could weaponise the thing, and I'm living in fear ever since.

Oh, right, that was before you. Trevelyan was 006, not too long ago, and he has a propensity for arson and explosions.

Still has, I meant what I said. He occasionally helps out in Q-branch. Those are usually the days when the fire alert goes off somewhere in the building.

I have a note with my standard questions and procedures for this meeting so I don't forget anything, I'll forward that to you. Alec will answer the questions before you can ask them, he knows them by heart.

Thank you so much, I owe you one. No, really. If I can jump in for you at some point, please let me know. All right. Thanks. See you!

***

Yeah, I heard. How... Well, stupid question, but how bad is it?

It's crazy, isn't it? When it's agents, that's no big deal, but Q? I ran into James -- Yeah, probably why he didn't kick up a fuss. You're welcome, but it really only was a coincidence. That man looked murderous, and I would know.

Yeah, he's in there with Q now. And I don't think he'll leave his side. I think M officially assigned him as Q's security detail now. We'll have to take care of the visitors. Not too many and all that. Not a problem we usually seem to have, but there's a first time for everything, huh?

Anything broken?

Cracked ribs are a bitch. I bet he's glad it's not his fingers. God, that's morbid. Okay, I gotta get going. I've got a meeting with the Head of Department.

Don't call him that! You're insulting those old and cranky dragons with that comparison.

Yeah, I also shudder to think what this is about. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done. Take care of the head boffin for me, will you?

***

I know, I can't believe it either! Head of Medical! Look at me, having even less time for my patients from here on out.

No, it's... Wow. Still can't believe it. Then you've got a new old and cranky dragon to complain about.

Thank you so much.

Hey, what would you say to a promotion?

***

I can't anymore. Just shoot me, please. Or let me take a good, deep breath from one of the funny gases we have around. Chloroform, nitrous oxide, I'm not picky.

I mean, I knew that the budget meeting had the potential to be my Waterloo, but this... It's so disgusting to argue for a budget that's supposed to keep people alive. No, we can't cut back on our expenses for the blood bank, we actually need that considering the state of our agents. Goodness.

***

Come on, hon. Go home. You did what you could, and nobody will feel better if you run yourself ragged. You did well. Good night.

[gatheredfates]

Hi all, happy Friday! The Compendium update is happening a little earlier this week; mostly because I'm working on it in between Rabanastre queues (c'mere tomes) and because I can. 🦀 If there's a belated addition, I'll update at the end of this weekend as per normal.

However, as of today (05/24) the following resources have been added to Sea's Community Compendium for XIV Creatives.

LARGE SCALE

Nyanya.studio — Hosted by Nya Nya, this website/community services the gpose and modding community, offering posing, lighting, editing guides, and reshade presets for XIV.

(Thanks to @zylphiacrowley for the suggestion!)

MISC

WOL Prompt a Day — #WOLpromptAday is maintained by members of the “Waltz for the Moon” coalition. @ffxivwaltzforthemoon and offers a daily prompt you can answer for your character(s) in any creative format you like!

CHANGELOG

XIV Daily Question — has been removed due to inactivity.

Want to submit? You can either fill out the google form here, send me an ask with the relevant information contained on the Compendium, or join my Discord at SEAFLOOR (21+ only)!

Is my space suitable for the Compendium? Most of the time, yes! Below the read more is some more information/stipulations. Again, all the below information is accessible on the document! 🐡

Below are the following things I do not accept on the Compendium:

Personal/Single-Character LFC ads.

Content intended for or can be used for bullying, harassment and OOC gossip. E.g. ‘Secrets’ blogs, receipts, callout posts, etc. This does not include in-character tabloid blogs used to generate RP.

Communities that do not have an RP/writing element (large-scale exempt).

Anything I find personally distasteful or goes against the spirit of this project.

Common-sense rule applies.

FAQ.

I want to put my community on the compendium but we have an application process. Is this okay?

Yes! Just note somewhere in your application that's a requirement. The only thing that is mandatory for the Compendium is that you must be open to new members or have a public-facing/accessible facet. There's no point advertising a community if no one can join it in some way!

I want to put my community on the compendium but I only have x number of members —

Also totally okay! People don't start with large communities. Activity is a must but, whether your server has two or two thousand members, if you're looking for new people to join, I'd love to help you find people.

I want to put my community on the compendium but I worry its too niche?

Okay, and? If your Eorzean Fishing Alliance has four members but you roleplay every second weekend, I still want to know about it.

What resources/communities can I add if I'm not the owner of them?

Mutual consent is extremely important to me, so anything that isn't a large-scale community OR a publicly accessible resource must be endorsed by the owner/admin/moderators in order to be added to the compendium. I operate under the assumption that a resource posted to a public space (tumblr, googledocs, youtube, etc) is open to all. A large-scale community is one with a significant member count or openly advertises itself as being accessible to everyone for whatever purpose it serves. If in doubt, please get in touch with me. I'm happy to contact your community owners for you!

How active does a community need to be?

If you find a community has not been active in about two/three months, send me a message and I'll take a look at it. Communities have ebbs and flows, especially event spaces that may take hiatuses depending on member interest/life events. I'm not strict in my implementation provided a space isn't dead. If a link or anything is broken, absolutely contact me about that.

I have [insert a question not stated here]?

No drama! Send me an ask or use the #Compendium channel in my Discord!

[cookierunauprompts]

Is it bad that I kind of want to see more of Golden Butter Cookie..?

worry not, dear anon, because they have become one of my blorbos. So allow me to make a post that is rather in-detail of them. All of it is under the cut because it is LONG.

Golden Butter Cookie, or 'Goldie' as Shadow Milk Cookie calls them sometimes, was the first ever cookie that the witches created. Holding the virtue of Creation within their four point star shaped Soul Jam, their ability is to be able to make almost anything. The main reason she sticks with making sentient dolls and toys is because a fiber from the Witches' robes fell into her dough, giving her control over them.

After her creation, it wasn't too long before the other (not yet) fallen heroes were made. She's about an hour or two older than them.

Their own personal world, the Toy-Box, was in fact created by her and it's entrance(which is, in fact, a small box) resides somewhere in Beast Yeast as a relic. Nobody know it's location except for her and Shadow Milk Cookie.

Over time, Goldie has become much more mellow and reclusive compared to how much she went out back in her old days. Maybe it has something to do with the fact her corrupted attribute is Cowardice.

Slowly but surely, she hid away from the cookie world. All based on the 'fact' that she wasn't needed, for if the cookies themselves could create wondrous things she hadn't even thought of yet, what use was she?

I have two timelines for her, one where she leaves the Toy-Box after Gingerbrave and co come to Beast Yeast and acts as their guide(under a disguise) instead of carameleon cookie. The other is where Gingerbrave and Co stumble upon the toy box while chasing after Shadow Milk cookie, and then proceed to get stuck in it like idiots.

Fun fact, req prompt #17 takes place before the beasts get sealed. So it's the last time Goldie sees Shadow Milk... technically

-----

Golden Butter Cookie's Relationships.

Shadow Milk Cookie

Pre-corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Shadow Milk Cookie : He's rather knowledgeable, but a bit of a dork too... It's kinda cute. I like his shows a lot as well, they're rather creative! (Admiration) Shadow Milk Cookie > Golden Butter Cookie : They're rather good company, though I wish I knew more about them... They're hiding something, but what? (Friendly)

During Corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Shadow Milk Cookie : He's done something to himself, I can sense it. I'm worried about him. (Tension/Worry) Shadow Milk Cookie > Golden Butter Cookie : Why are you hiding away from everyone? Don't you know that they still love you? It's not like you've done anything wrong... unlike me. (Tension/Worry)

Post Corruption, pre sealed. Golden Butter Cookie > Shadow Milk Cookie : I won't get in your way... But I don't want to join you out there. (Tension) Shadow Milk Cookie > Golden Butter Cookie : C'mon Goldie! Don't you want to have some fun like we did back then? I can show you one of my shows! I'd love it if you came for just one! ...please. (Friendly?)

Post Sealed. Golden Butter Cookie > Shadow Milk Cookie : Why would you do that...? Where did you go? I... don't know how to feel about you anymore... (Conflicted) Shadow Milk Cookie > Golden Butter Cookie : Will you still be there when I come back...? I never got the chance to... (Longing)

Eternal Sugar Cookie

Pre-Corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Eternal Sugar Cookie : Let's work together to make the Cookies happy, shall we? (Trust)

Post Corruption. Golden Butter Cookie > Eternal Sugar Cookie : I miss the days where we brought smiles to the world... (remorse)

Mystic Flour Cookie

Pre-Corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Mystic Flour Cookie : I envy you... If only I had a will like yours. (Envy)

Post Corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Mystic Flour Cookie : I see... Even you have lost your will. (Sympathy?)

Burning Spice Cookie

Pre-Corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Burning Spice Cookie : You're a bit too intense for me sometimes... (Tension)

Post Corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Burning Spice Cookie : Well... You've definitely changed. (Tension)

Silent Salt Cookie

Pre-corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Silent Salt Cookie : Even though you don't have much to say, I find myself enjoying all our talks. (Friendly)

Post Corruption Golden Butter Cookie > Silent Salt Cookie : Why don't you talk anymore...? Did something happen? Do you really... want this? (Tension) Silent Salt Cookie > Golden Butter Cookie : ... (Regret)

And, finally, here is her design for both her pre-burnout and post-burnout eras! One of them is a sprite edit because i wanted to try my hand at editing a cookie run sprite and i think it turned out good!

[twelvegrimmyplace]

Nick Grimshaw on kindness, queerness and life lessons as a grown-up.

Gay Times Honours Issue 2023

Friendly media mogul Nick Grimshaw, aka Grimmy, has done it all. He’s introduced his parents to Lady Gaga and, recently, even had tea with Harry Styles. Now, however, the former Radio 1 DJ is getting acquainted with something else – growing up. 

Getting older, no doubt, is terrifying. Carefree late nights with mates at sticky, flooded gigs are suddenly swapped for questions revolving around major milestones: partners, career, and, of course, kids. Close friends are no longer egging you on to ditch work and hangout or checking in to see if you’ve actually drank water. Instead, you’re trying to squeeze in a meetup between deadlines, dates and an ever-growing to-do list of life admin. And Grimmy is no different. Booze-driven afterparties have morphed into nourishing Sunday roast dinners with Mesh, his fiancé. Girl dinner Quaver packets have matured to conversations – on his glitzy new foodie podcast Dish co-hosted by Michelin-star chef Angela Hartnett – with Miriam Margolyes on how she likes her mashed potatoes. 

Having the big four-zero on the radar prompted a new perspective for the presenter. What was once maligned (“I felt like growing older was the end of something or deeply depressing,” Grimshaw admits) has been, mostly, embraced. It’s less coming of age but, rather, coming to age. Still, new digits doesn’t need to mean the fun is over. In fact, just last night, Grimshaw partied late with celebs Jake Shears, Amanda Lepore, Jodie Harsh, and Mutya Buena in Soho. Here in Holborn, however, things are much more mild. Sure, there’s some tasteful framed nude art to our right and Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ crackling over studio speakers but nothing beats a good old-fashioned launch party, or a karaoke b-day bash taking place later this evening in central London. 

Nursing a non-alcoholic beer, Grimshaw scoots across a black leather couch, arriving fresh from a photoshoot, something he describes as his “Naomi Campbell moment”. Comfortably clothed in a light-wash denim shirt and distressed jeans, he kicks off the conversation as if reuniting with an old friend. “I've never taken stock before. I'd never sat down and thought about myself, ever, and I don't think people do,” he says. Since his early twenties, Grimshaw’s image has been inextricably tied to two things: big names and his infamous towering quiff haircut. At some point, he acknowledges, you will have heard his quick-fire Mancunian comedy soundtracking your early mornings. Whether he was making jokes with Taylor Swift or having the early hours crashed by Charli XCX, the presenter became a known face at the Beeb. In his autobiographical book, Soft Lad, Grimshaw reminisces on the pull the small screen had on him as a young child. Armed with a love for glamour and theatrics, the events he saw on the telly called to a younger Grimshaw who dreamed of moving out of Manchester to take on London. 

Onboarding, in 2012, at Radio 1 to cover The Breakfast Show was something the podcaster remembers clearly; “There was a lot of pressure”. His days of spinning songs and connecting with artists over music became more than a vocation, but a specialism. While he does admit, sheepishly, that there were days his hangover ran over into work hours, he’s since taken time to reassess his habits and lifestyle. “When I was 23 I was getting absolutely wasted and doing it like a Geordie Shore night out,” he says. Now, Grimshaw is more conscious of being selectively sober in certain environments. “It can be really hard to go out and connect with people who are drunk and you're not drinking. But, sometimes, you have the best nights ever. I went out last night and went to a really fun party up until 1.30 am and had really good chats with loads of people.” He’s taking stock of the bigger moments around him, particularly ones that bring him closer to friends and family – “It's about learning. It's about growth,” he says earnestly. 

At 39, Grimshaw’s longevity has something to do with his candour and bonhomie. The most common compliment doled out about the presenter is his warmth. As a child, he recalls, the label “soft lad” was stuck to him, presenting his sensitivity as something to be ashamed of. But, years later, it’s become something – like his favourite Maison Margiela knit sweaters – that he wears openly. “At school, I always felt on edge that I was going to get beaten up or laughed at. When you've had that, you learn empathy and you think about how people might feel or what they're going through,” he explains. 

Realisng he was gay, as a child, filled Grimshaw with dread as he feared what it would mean. With limited queer culture references growing up (just Elton John and Lily Savage) his feelings were fully realised, aged 11, when he developed a crush on a poster of England footballer David Beckham pinned up on his bedroom wall. “You know what’s funny, not that I’m doing Miriam Margolyes press, but I saw her yesterday. I'd never met her and I went into her dressing room. Before I could say hello, she pointed and exclaimed: ‘You’re gay!’ and continued with ‘So, my dear, nice to meet you.’ As I got into bed last night, I thought about how that would’ve killed me if I was a teenager, but it was a really lovely bonding moment.” 

Though being a presenter and DJ took up most of Grimshaw’s early adolescent years, his move to writing has allowed him the space to trawl through his past years without expectation. From reassessing his comfort with queerness to realising the strength found in the LGBTQIA+ community outside of his town in Greater Manchester, Grimshaw is grateful for the relationships he’s built with those around him. “I learn constantly from the queer community. It’s that notion of being yourself and leaning into yourself which can be hard to do if you're queer, especially if you've had that knocked out of you when you're a kid,” he says. “The community are essential in helping everyone, and me, support one another.”

Soft Lad and Dish capture different versions of Grimshaw; the quirky characteristics of a presenter that couldn’t surface in a music hotbed. In his new roles, the presenter-meets-podcaster chats to hot-shot talent while unravelling stories centred around food, famous friends and frenzied stories. His book is an homage to his parents (“I realised how important they were shaping me – I love them contractually, but also really love them) and to his English and Irish roots. Bookended between stories of queer curiosity and his loathing for football, tales of community and camaraderie at Radio 1 surface. “I loved it when we had a great guest from the queer community. I had great times with Sam Smith, they would be a riot and would really gossip with us when the records were on and tell us stories that we couldn't have on the radio. Troye Sivan was a great time as well,” he recalls. 

Another memorable moment was his run-in with an early-era Lady Gaga, in Notting Hill, before she became Mother Monster as we now know her. “I did my first interview with Gaga years ago, for the telly, and it was when she was brand new. ‘Just Dance’ had just come out in America and she was making a bra out of gaffer tape on a dressing room floor,” he says, laughing. “I brought mum and dad along because they were in town so they met her right at the beginning of her career. Ever since then, whenever she'd come onto the radio show, she’d ask about my mum and dad.”

Grimshaw’s stories of famous crossovers are, understandably, endless – even if they’re ones he’s told plenty of times before. Up until recently, he’s remained embroiled in an ecosystem of music promoting a “product” but, now, he feels like his new projects allow for authentic conversations about people and their interests. His mantra, nowadays, is this: “Living in the full, truest form of yourself, without fear and judgement.” For a young Grimshaw, this unbridled queer joy took the form of “glamorous” drag shows where he dressed up as Cher for his family. Today, it’s about cooking in a kitchen packed with too many guests (and remembering to drink water). Turning 40, at one point, felt like a frightening due date. Now it’s a milestone Grimshaw is ready to take on.

[wayfayrr]

I am LIVING for the househusband shenanigans, it gives me so many ideas (super long ask i'm sorry lol)

but i love the idea of the chain ending up in reader's world, more permanently, and after falling hard for reader to boot, so the period of adjustment for everyone is wild and what the fuck is reader supposed to do with 9 (or more, depending who you ask) lovesick heroes in their house fit for 1-2 people?? not to mention none of them have documentation or decent knowledge of modern culture

i can imagine some of the Links (time, legend, four) jumping at the opportunity to learn more about their darling's world, and their likes and dislikes, in order to better understand them and get closer to them (it's the feeling of wanting to know every possible thing about something they're obsessed with, just completely filling their brain with it)

Some (most) Links are going to be straight up hazards to themselves and their environment with their curiosity and lack of understanding for technology. it doesn't matter what precautions you take something is going to get blown up in the microwave.

wild and sage would probably attempt to cook for you, knowing how stressed you are about the whole thing, only to wildly overestimate how long it takes to cook something with a microwave (all you'd told them was that it heated things up like a cooking pot) and also fail to realize that some things cannot be put in the microwave

an alarm clock or something goes off, and one of them smashes it thinking its a threat (time... old man don't know shit about tech and he's too traumatized)

and good luck getting your clothes back because all of the boys are going to participate in the theft of them at some point. doesn't even matter if it's not something they can wear. they just want it because it's yours and it smells like you and it's like a piece of you-

speaking of clothes, if you start to voice concern for lack of clothing (bc someone keeps taking all of them) they are all jumping at the chance to lend you their own

Legend would leave a spare tunic of his for you, not even giving you the chance to decline when you simply find it folded on your bed. And he'd mend or tailor anything for you that you have complaints with, asking you so (uncharacterisitically) nicely to be with him while he does it, because, he's going through the trouble for you, the least you can do is keep him company, right?

He might even intentionally cause problems with your clothes, if he's desperate enough for attention. But how can you blame him? He knows it's not your fault, but your mind just been all over the place with everything going on and with the time you've been spending with the other he just feels left out.

All he wants is your praise, to hear you tell him thank you, and that he did a good job, and maybe run a hand through his hair, yeah? God, he'd just melt against if you did that. It makes everything beyond worth it, for you to stroke his hair and tell him how you don't know what you'd do without him. His angel, it makes him feel so blissful, so special when you give him your attention like that.

A few of them would eventually get the idea to get a job, prompting the rest to act as well. They can't just let their god(dess) take care of everything, can they? That would be asinine.

It would be difficult, considering they don't have...ID's, or anything of the like, but there are still ways for them to earn money

i could go on, but... yeah lol

Don't worry about it being long, I love getting asks like these!! I love talking about the househusband au, all the different ways it could go with the chain and the different members are really fun to explore! And all of your ideas in this one are just 😭💖 I'd always welcome any asks or dm's about the au, because it's just so much fun to hear everyone else's ideas for how it'd work as well!✨✨

The housing is certainly an issue for the chain though SOJNCAN with that many people not used to the modern world in such a small place?? They're basically begging for something bad to happen, like a fire or something breaking even worse if reader's house is being rented to them. Documentation and ID's as well? For some of the chain, they could likely get away with it, but it's really a goal for them to get ID asap because if they do they can get out of a lot of legal issues Wind and the "kids" (Wild and Cal) are the first of the rest to get ID for the sake of school. And there'd likely be a written language barrier as well! If reader wanted to buy some other place to live they better start saving, who knows maybe they could just trade in a few rupees at a time and have a new place in a matter of days?

As for the ones you've mentioned wanting to learn everything possible, it'd get to a point where they're sitting with bloodshot eyes in front of either readers laptop they've borrowed or something they managed to buy steal for themselves having gone down a cursed Wikipedia rabbit hole, Maybe even watching through some playthroughs of their own games? Or if reader was still studying, like at uni or something, suddenly they know more than even the experts in that field.

ALL of the links at some point get dangerously close to breaking something, it's more a matter of if one of the more experienced cough Sage cough or reader steps in time to stop them. I absolutely adore all the different things you've suggested though, the microwave and the alarm clock??? Time's still got trauma to do with clocks and alarms and it's so perfect✨✨

The chain stealing readers clothes is also just 🥹, it's the easier option than even washing their own clothes with their laundry not because readers worn these in the past, no never. May I raise the idea to them stealing things they can't wear to putting the clothes that don't fit for whatever reason onto pillows?? so they can hold a part of their beloved when they sleep.

Legend with fixing their clothes as well as lending them his own I'm sobbing 😭😭😭, since ofc he's one of the more sensible ones he gets left alone far more often so he's so much more desperate for their attention even though he only gets less because they trust him more alone. So for him to get those small moments of praise, even though they're so small because it's only a matter of seconds till readers torn away again by someone else shouting for their help 😭

I think I've mentioned them getting jobs if they were dumped irl, seeing as there are a few they could do without ID you couldn't pry influencer!wars out of my cold dead hands. The moment of realisation they've been using their darling would be such a moment of guilt before they follow legend's/sage's leads and start working or helping reader around the house, those links at school would be getting the top grades in their classes seeing as that's what reader wants them to focus on.

[nox140497]

What the Hell? pt 2

Masterlist

Prompt List

Part 1 part 2 part 3

Y/N P.O.V.

It's been about two months since I met the Titans, and I love them to bits. Well, except Raven, but that goes both ways cause she pretty much hates me.

She's also been trying to break us up. She's not obvious about it, seeing as 3 of the 4 brothers are currently in the tower and have not noticed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ok, this is getting out of hand. I hate that she has powers that she can use to move things. She's been taking my stuff and playing the 'I have no idea what you're talking about' when Dick asks if anyone has seen them, and of course they've known her longer and trust her more and thus they don't take me seriously when I tell them it was her, and it's getting worse 'cause Damian is defending her and it's already caused many fights between us.

I'm at the end of my rope at this point , on the verge of going back to Gothem. All of this is going through my head as I train, alone in the training room.

Once I was done, I went to the kitchen to get some water before hitting the shower. I saw Damian and Raven sitting on the couch next to each other. I mean, everyone else was there, but they were next to each other, and she was cuddling him, and had it been someone like Dick who enjoyed cuddling, I wouldn't have had a problem, you know? I'm not possessive of him at all, but this was Damian 'don't touch me' Wayne, so yea, I was a bit confused.

Anyway, they were having a movie night by the look of it, and obviously, I was not invited, so I was about to walk away when movemwnt out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Raven had leaned up and kissed him. She had KISSED MY BOYFRIEND! The worst, though? He didn't push her away, and no one had moved to do anything.

Without a sound I slipped into my room and packed my stuff slipping out of my window so I wouldn't be seen. Not that they'd care I guess.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It's been 2 weeks since that

night. When I got back to Gothem, I went straight home. Surprisingly, I've actually got a couple of calls and texts from the boys. The only ones I would answer were those from Jay, and even then, my answers were short. None of them knew where I lived, and my knew my history. Bruce knew obviously, but none of the boys did.

That made my hiding from them a bit easier. I was currently lying on my bed, ignoring my ringing phone and cuddling under the blankets.

And then it happened......

A tap at my window.

Danmit, they found me.

I mean, it was gonna happen eventually, I guess, but still.

I looked over to see that all four boys were at my window. Crap.

I sigh as I get up and go over to the window, pushing it up but not letting them in.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"Don't you 'what?' Us where the hell have you been for 2 bloody weeks?" Jason snapped, sounding just as annoyed.

"Sorry Jay, I haven't been feeling too well for the past couple of days, so I figured I'd stay home and not get you sick. Also, the hell are you three doing here? I thought you were in Jump City with the Titans." I said sweetly but ended it coldly.

"We were, but then when Todd said that he hadn't seen you in days and neither had we, we came to check on you. Are you ok, Beloved?" Damian asked as I finally let them into my room. I flinched slightly at the pet name, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"N/N, what's wrong?" Dick asked softly, going to put a hand on my shoulder, but I stepped back. A hurt expression crossed his face as he let his hand fall back to his side.

"Nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong? It's not like my boyfriend cheated on me right in front of me or anything. Oh wait, he did. Not like you would really care anyway so why don't you three just go back to Jump City and I'll stay here in Gothem where I belong and I can't get in your way and you can kiss and make out with Raven all you like!" It had started off calm, but by the end, I was in tears, and all 4 boys looked confused.

"Wait, what?" Jason suddenly growled he pulled me into his chest, and his green eyes seemed to glow a poisonous neon green as he glared at his brothers. They did that when he was really mad.

The 3 boys winced, and all looked guilty.

"Beloved..." Damian said

"Don't. Just get out." I growled, cutting him off

"But N/N," Tim started weakly

Get. out." I snarled at them, gripping Jays shirt, keeping him in place as the other three hesetantly left.

Once they were gone, I sagged against Jays chest and sobbed. Finally , I let everything out and letting him comfort me.

"It's gonna be ok n/n, I promise."Jay wispered softly as he lay us on my bed and pulled me into a protective hug.

[mamawasatesttube]

31+94 for timkon 👀 ? or dealers choice

31. “You haven’t lost me.” 94. “I won’t lose you too.”

How did it come to this?

How did he not—Tim is supposed to be some kind of strategist! He prides himself on his ability to think on the fly, to adapt to any situation, to always come out on top. He strives to think things through, he pats himself on the back for being observant and analytical, he—

How did he not see this betrayal coming?

All around the room are empty chairs, chairs where his friends once sat, unwinding with him, ready to fight by his side, laughing. Now the only one here is Tim.

Tim isn't laughing.

Movement flickers in the doorway, and his head snaps up. But it's just Kon, and his shoulders relax slightly, though he doesn't move from the corner by the window. Not yet.

"Hey." Kon comes over to him instead. "Thought I'd find you in here. Still brooding?"

"I should've expected something like this." Tim folds his arms over his chest, trying not to focus on the bitter tang of defeat. He's going to be tasting it a lot more in the near future. "I can't believe I got fooled into complacency so... thoroughly."

"Still brooding," Kon confirms, more to himself than to Tim. He doesn't seem half as destroyed by this loss as Tim does, though, and a horrible thought strikes him.

He turns to face Kon, reaches for his hands, holds them tight. "What do I need to do to keep you on my side? I won't lose you, too. I won't let them take you."

"Rob." Kon squeezes his hands back with a soft huff of laughter. The sunlight streaming through the window makes him almost glow, a sharp contrast to the shadows surrounding Tim. "Relax, babe. You haven't lost me."

Relief cuts like a knife. Tim's shoulders slump, and he sighs, dropping his forehead to rest against Kon's collarbone. "So it's just you and me, against the world, huh?"

"Something like that," Kon starts to say, amusement clear in his voice—

"Conner! Did you find him?" Bart hollers from somewhere down the hall. "'Cuz I'm gonna eat your share of the donuts if you're not back in five! Four! Three—"

"I don't have a share of donuts!" Kon hollers back. "I didn't take the bribe, remember? I'm not gonna be in the weird Monopoly commune!"

"Boo!" Anita appears in the doorway, a half-eaten donut in her hand and a wicked grin on her face. Tim glowers, but she just points at him and laughs, salting the wound. "Down with the bourgeoisie! Can you believe Conner's a class traitor?! Just because he gets capitalist dick!"

"Listen," Kon says. "I'm loyal. A sugar baby can't just betray his daddy like that. Besides, it's not just capitalist dick! I get capitalist love."

This is, without exaggeration, the literal worst day of Tim's entire life.

He hides his face in Kon's shirt and groans. "I'm never agreeing to board games with any of you people again."

"Sure you won't," Anita teases. "Well, we'll be setting up in the den, so come on when you're done brooding!"

She saunters away as Tim groans again. A brush of TTK pats the top of his head sympathetically.

Man, his friends are the worst.

♥ angst/fluff prompts ♥

[betweenthings2]

Ahh i would love gatty with 10, 15 or 23 from prompts that has me lying on a highway. Love your writing so much ❤️‍🩹

Thank you and thank you so much for the ask!! I am so very sorry it took me so long to get to this. I have no good excuse.

Here's 15. "I'll come over there and make you shut up, then." "You can try," 23. Curled up on the bed together, face buried in their chest, and 10. "Tell me what you want, baby."

10 came out smutty, so I've put it last.

15. "I'll come over there and make you shut up, then." "You can try." 

Matty has been talking for the past twenty-seven minutes. About what, George has no idea, but he does know what Matty has been talking and it's all he can do at this point to not tell Matty to just shut up. He's done that a time or two and Matty always looks horribly hurt and guilty. No, doing his best to simply let Matty's rambling fade into the background and put his headphones on.

George wraps up with what he's working on about twenty minutes later, and when he slides his headphones off, Matty is still talking. He's probably changed topics about four times in that space and he probably hasn't even noticed that George hasn't been listening. No, he's just wandering around the space, now with a just-lit joint, talking.

"Matty," George interrupts.

Matty stops, and turns around. "Yeah?"

"Have you been talking this whole time?"

Matty nods. "Yeah. Have you been listening?"

"I had headphones on, love."

"Rude," Matty says. "What if I said something brilliant?"

"Did you?"

"Do I look like I remember what I was talking about?"

George can't help but laugh.

"I mean, really," Matty continues, pausing only for a drag from his joint, "aren't we supposed to be partners? I thought-"

"Matty you were talking for like forty-five minutes," George interrupts again. "Forty-five minutes is a long time."

"Yeah, but what if I said something brilliant? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I say great things when I'm rambling, like, half of our album names have been things I've just said." 

"Matty," George says, exasperated, "I love you, but please, five minutes of quiet."

Matty sighs, dramatic, but agrees, "Fine," and sprawls out in an armchair. He takes a purposeful, deep drag from his joint and blows smoke toward the ceiling, like he's making a point to not offer the joint to George. Not more than two minutes have passed when he says, "Has it been five minutes yet?"

"No."

Matty groans. "I have things to say, ya'know, George. We can't all be quiet and stoic. Have you ever thought about stoicism? I think-"

"I'll come over there and make you shut up," George warns.

Matty makes a kind of disbelieving face and says, "You can try."

So George gets up and crowds into Matty's space, one knee on the edge of his seat. The first thing he does is pluck the joint from between Matty's fingers and take a drag, earning some indignation from Matty.

"That was mine," Matty starts. "I even-"

"Not anymore," George cuts in. He leans in for a kiss, a little bit rough, but Matty reciprocates eagerly, letting George do as he likes.

Matty stays quiet for a just a moment when they separate, then starts talking again with, "In terms of strategies to shut me up, I'd give that, like, a six out of ten. Not the worst, but could be better, ya'know? You could-"

George cuts him off with another kiss, tangling his free hand in Matty's hair. He keeps his hand in Matty's hair when they separate, tugging a bit to say, "You gonna be quiet now?"

"Six and a half out of ten," Matty decides, half daring George to do something.

George stubs out the joint in the ashtray on the side table and says, "You're awful. I love you."

Matty smiles and leans in for another kiss, this one a little bit softer, then says, "I love you, too."

----

23. Curled up on the bed together, face buried in their chest.

George's fingers trail up and down Matty's back, gentle through the thin cotton of his t-shirt. George's own t-shirt is damp where Matty's face is pressed against his chest. He's been crying. That's not really saying very much--Matty cries a lot--but today he clearly needs some comfort. George isn't really even sure why, Matty had just come back from the interview he'd been roped into, changed his clothes, and tugged George into bed, hiding his face against George's chest. The tears had been slow to come, but come they did in quiet sniffles and shaky breath. George doesn't say anything. He doesn't really need to. All he needs if for Matty to know he's there.

Eventually, Matty mumbles, "Thanks."

"'course," George murmurs. "Wanna talk about it?"

Matty stays quiet for a few moments, then he admits, "Not sure there's anything to talk about. Just needed a cry, ya'know?"

"Can I ask why?" George pushes, still rubbing Matty's back.

Matty gives a half shrug, then stays quiet for a while. His breath is warm against George's chest and they fit together just right, like they were made to. George wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

After a few minutes, Matty moves so he can glance up at George, then looks away and admits, "Dunno why," and tucks his face back against George's chest.

George cards his fingers through Matty's wayward curls and opens his mouth like he's about to say something profound, but all he says is, "I'm here if you do wanna talk about it."

Matty nods, but he stays quiet. He kind of knows why he needed to cry, the words just aren't quite there. It had been A Day, even though it's barely midday. The interviewer had been full of pressing questions that hit just a little bit too close to home for Matty to feel comfortable answering, so all his answers had been awkward and full of stuttering and lots of words that made it sound like he had a lot to say but amounted to nothing. The real answers, the ones that were too honest and personal for a magazine were still there, and Matty still had to contend with them, no matter what he told the interviewer.

All the real answers are still there, words still lodged in back of Matty's throat. All the answers about all the bad things Matty has done in his life, all the poor choices he's made and the ones had no doubt are coming done the line because he knows he won't be able to help himself. And somehow, he's here, in a hotel room with a man he loves who loves him on a tour because people care about the art he's making. Matty has everything he's ever wanted and he can't shake the feeling that he's going to lose it.

"George?" Matty asks after a while, words muffled slightly by George's chest.

"Yeah, love?"

"I, erm, I'm sorry. I think."

"What're ya sorry for?"

Matty pauses for a moment, then, "I don't know. I just am."

"Did you do something you need to be sorry for?"

Matty shakes his head. "I don't think so. I just, I don't think I'm a very good person. I know I love you. I know I care about the fans. I know I care about what I think we're trying to do. I just don't think that I'm a very good person. Fundamentally."

"That's not true, Matty. It's not. No one but you thinks it is. I don't even think you think it is most of the time."

Matty sighs. "Interviewer this morning kept asking questions I couldn't really answer. It was all too honest." He pauses. "Dunno. Maybe I'm just feelin' sorry for myself. I'll feel better in a bit."

George presses a kiss into Matty's curls and says, "Well, I'm here. I'm always here and I always love you."

"Thanks," Matty murmurs. "Really. Thank you."

----

*This is adult content, proceed accordingly*

10. "Tell me what you want, baby."

Matty has been in a mood all day, snappish and short and argumentative with everyone. Well, everyone but George. With George he's been almost sickly sweet, like he's trying to ask for something without coming out and saying it. George knows exactly what that something is, of course, but he's also not going to let Matty get off that easily. He'll have to ask for what he wants. They have the time and the space. All Matty has to do is ask.

Matty urges George toward the bed when they get back to the hotel room, never mind that they're still in their street clothes, practically draping himself over George when they lay down. It makes him feel small. George has been taller than him, broader than him, bigger than him, since they were teenagers, but he's filled out and gained some muscle in the past few years, both of which have helped him look less small next to George. Still, he can't change the fact that he's simply shorter and less broad than George, and despite his complaints and instance that he's not short, sometimes Matty likes that George makes him feel small.

George lets quiet settle over the room for a bit, listening to Matty's even breathing. After a while, Matty trails his hand up George's shirt, and presses a collection of kisses to the underside of his jaw, asking without the words.

"Matty," George warns.

"What?" Matty asks, feigning innocence.

"Tell me what you want, baby," George murmurs, low and dangerous in Matty's ear.

"You," is Matty's automatic response. "I want you."

"You've got me," George responds, pushing.

"You know what I mean," Matty tries. "Don't make me ask. I hate asking."

George smiles softly, pressing a kiss to Matty's forehead. He know Matty hates actually asking, be it for a hug or some cuddling, or to be tied up and fucked until he can't think. "I know," he says quietly "But you know the rules, Matthew. I can't read your mind. You have to tell me what you want."

"I want you to fuck me. I want you to fuck me like you don't like me."  

George runs his hand up Matty's spine, and takes a fistful of hair at the back of his head. "Like I don't like you?" he asks.

Matty nods as much as he can, and says, "Yeah. I want you to be rough, treat me like my pleasure is secondary."

George tugs a little bit on Matty's hair, then lets go, and says, "Why don't you go get the lube and get yourself ready for me?"

Matty nods and scrambles to his feet. He digs through their luggage for a few moments, then strips out of his clothes before retuning to the bed. He pauses for a just a moment, then, in a small voice, like he's expecting a negative answer, asks, "Can I suck you off? Please?"

George sits up and cups Matty's jaw, thumb coming to rest on his lower lip, and says, "You wanna suck me off?"

Matty nods. He looks half desperate.

"Alright," George agrees. "Get on your knees."

Matty tosses the lube on the bed and drops to his knees as soon as George tells him to with a dull thud from knees hitting the carpet.

George stands, unbuckling his belt and undoing his jeans, then stroking himself to full hardness, and says, "Eager little thing, aren't you?"

Matty would protest being called 'little,' but he can't really find it in himself to be upset about it, not now. He just nods.

"Go on, then," George urges.

So Matty takes George into his mouth, eager and full of want. George gives him a bit to adjust, then takes a fistful of Matty's hair and uses it to take a little bit more control. Matty lets him, lets him take, lets him have. When George finally uses his grip to guide Matty's mouth off his cock, Matty is flushed and teary and completely desperate. George helps him to his feet and pulls him in for a kiss that's almost too gentle, then guides Matty to the bed.

Matty looks up like he's looking for some kind of affection or gentleness, but "Get yourself ready," is all George says.

"But-"

"You do what I tell you," George interrupts. "Now get yourself ready."

Matty sniffs and nods, stilly teary, and does as he's told, slicking his fingers and reaching behind himself. It takes only takes a few minutes for Matty to try again, saying, "George, please. Please help. I can't, I can't reach, please?"

George's voice is full of mocking sympathy when he says, "Aw, poor thing. Can't do anything yourself, can you?"

Matty shakes his head and repeats, "Please?"

"Get on your hands and knees, then," George decides, shedding the rest if his clothes. He kneels behind Matty on the bed and sinks two fingers into his hole, avoiding his prostate. Matty whimpers when George adds a third finger, but he chokes on his little noises when George angles several firm strokes into his prostate and shifts so he can press his face into a pillow to muffle his whimpers. Before Matty can get too used to it, George removes his fingers and leans down to press a gentle kiss to Matty's shoulder and ask, "Ready, love?"

Matty nods. "Yeah, 'm ready. Fuck me, please."

"So polite," George murmurs, squeezing Matty's hip. "So sweet, so good for me, aren't you?"

Matty nods. "'m good," he promises.

Matty chokes on a sob when George sinks inside, but he's quick to urge George to keep moving. George fucks him slow at first, then gets a little faster and little rougher as Matty adjusts. When Matty reaches for his own cock, hard and neglected,  George wraps an arm around him and urges him to sit up so his back is against George's chest.

"You're gonna let me make you cum or you're not gonna cum," George says, tugging Matty's hand away.

Matty lets out another sob, but he nods, clinging to George's arm still wrapped around him and lets his head fall back against George's shoulder. He whines every time George hits his prostate and before long, he's begging George to touch him. George ignores Matty until he's properly crying and begging, desperately on the edge.

"Please," Matty chokes out. "Please touch me, George, please, please, please. I need it, please. Please."

"You poor thing," George murmurs in Matty's ear. "You're gonna cum just like this."

Matty doesn't respond, but he begins trying to follow George's thrusts with his own hips, and finally, with a particularly well placed thrust, he cums, crying out a little too loud for a hotel room. He slumps fully against George after that, exhausted, letting himself be used, until George cums, too.

George is gentle when he pulls out and helps Matty lay down, pressing another kiss to his shoulder and promising to be back soon before he goes to the bathroom for a towel to clean up. Matty protests when George leaves, and protests a bit more when George urges him to move a bit to clean up.

"You did so well," George murmurs when he lays back down with Matty, holding him close. "You were so good for me. How do you feel?"

"Like you love me," Matty responds quietly, the inverse of what he'd asked George for in the beginning.

"I do," George responds, smiling. "I really do."

[troutfur]

For your request for prompts! I tried to think of a couple short scenes that I always wanted to see in canon. Also while I’m proposing these in a canon context, definitely frame them within one of your AUs if you want!

Goldenflower and Tigerstar have a tense conversation at some point after his treachery is revealed. The exact timing of this conversation is up to you, but for some suggestions to get the ideas flowing: it could be immediately after Tigerclaw is exiled from ThunderClan and Goldenflower’s emotional wounds are freshest. It could be after Tawnypaw runs away to join Tigerstar in ShadowClan. It could be just after Tigerstar is killed and Goldenflower is monologuing to his corpse/ghost, the BloodClan battle looming on the horizon. Or, even after Tigerstar’s death, either in a dream, them meeting on the border of StarClan and the Dark Forest, or even during the Dark Forest battle in The Last Hope. Whatever the timing, I’d just like for Goldenflower to finally get some catharsis by confronting him and grappling with her complicated feelings of loving/having loved a murderer and a traitor.

Hollyleaf and Squirrelflight tearfully reconciling after she returns from the tunnels. Bonus points for Hollyleaf calling Squirrelflight “mom” :) (Alternatively or additionally you could do Hollyleaf and Leafpool reconciling in which they finally address the deathberry incident.)

Some more goldie today! Tearful reunions like that are so my jam and usually I'd jump at a chance to do something with the Po3 cast. But this one in conjunction with the last one seemed to be a natural fit. Also fitting to mark our day when we reach the 2/3rds mark in this challenge.

(Want to get in something for the last 10 days? Check out my guidelines and get submitting!)

“How could you?” Goldenflower shrieked as she heard the revelations tumble out of Fireheart’s mouth one by one. Her blood had begun to boil from the first one but it hadn’t burst out quite so indignantly until the ginger tom revealed his part in ShadowClan’s raid and the death of her brother. “We welcomed you into our nest, we gave you companionship when we could very well have left you by your lonesome your whole life, I even let you sire children with me!”

She paused to catch her breath. She had sunk her claws deep into the ground and her muscles still attempted to extend them further without her even realizing. The blaze in her chest that animated her to continue ranting was only fanned with every moment of reflection she gave and she let it build up as she anticipated.

She wanted to see him squirm from under Firestar’s grasp at that moment. She wanted him to at least attempt to rise to his paws and... Beg forgiveness? Attack her so she would have a justification to shred him? Yell in return? Monologue to her about how he’d had to take a hard choice for the sake of his Clan? Something! Anything! React in some way! But all throughout Tigerstar wore a detached, neutral expression.

Eventually the kindling ran out. Pulling back her claws she looked solemnly down at the captive warrior. “...He really did like you, you know?” she said. “It wasn’t just for me that he let you in. He wanted your company. He admired your best qualities. He thought you’d be a good pipfurr to the kits he’d sire. If you’d let him he would’ve loved you the same way I did. The same way Frostfur did.”

She paused, seeking among the crowd the pelts of their children. Brightpaw, Thornpaw, Brackenpaw, and Cinderpaw were scattered among the multitude. But their faces of shock and horror were clear for all to see. “And yet you didn’t stop to consider those same kits. You didn’t stop to consider how you’d leave them with one less pipfurr then, and now that you’ve been revealed they’re down two!”

“He was not even a sire to my kits!” Frostfur shouted, indignant! “Much less pipfurr! These four are Lionheart and I’s alone!”

That got a response, but Goldenflower was too focused turning her head around in surprise to really notice how much her and Tigerclaw’s expressions were the same.

“You can go rot in the undergrowth for all I care!” Frostfur continued. “My children would have lost nothing of value. I only regret the fact I ever thought of you as anything more than a vile cuckoo.”

It took a while for Goldenflower to really process the harshness of those words. With a sire confirmed rather than only denied that was not only a public rejection of him as pipfurr but of her as well. A harsh measure, but certainly more than necessary. The thought immediately swirled why Frostfur was rejecting her as well. Did she blame her for encouraging the cat that was more her love? Did she see in her a nature similar to what Tigerclaw had demonstrated? She paused to think about what she’d just said. Was it retaliation for how she had confirmed siring, and of him of all cats?

As the questions swept up Goldenflower’s mind the proceedings went on. Accusations proceeded from Fireheart’s mouth, to shame TigerClaw for everyh single despicable act, to lay bare everything. And in the midst of this she barely had time to notice when the time came to have him be exiled.

[anditvanisheslikemist]

Hi!! I'd love to see any combo/one of these for Josh or Ian 😊 38, 50, 67

These are the prompts in case you haven't seen them

Thanks for the prompts! 💙💚

38. “Just let me take care of you why are you so stubborn.” 50. “You sneezed ten times today.” “Thanks for counting.” 67. Having to be dragged back to bed.

I'm taking the dialogue prompts in particular as inspiration rather than exact quotes!

For anyone who doesn't know, my OCs Josh and Ian are best friends and 2/5 of the band The World Above. Their story starts with Sympathy, but you don't need to read that first (it's pretty long). As of this little fic, they're halfway across the country from each other, Josh in Chicago and Ian in L.A.

Also on AO3.

- - - - -

"Why are you even awake? It's so early there."

Ian turns a full circle as he's looking for something, the video blurring enough to make Josh dizzy. "Because! Shit to do." He blinks, and his nose scrunches, and he leans out of frame with a quick heh-SHHHoo!

"At—" he glances at the microwave clock and subtracts two hours— "8:46 a.m.?"

"That's not early." He sniffs and rubs the back of his hand under his nose, still distracted.

"Not to the rest of the world, no." He scratches Finley between the ears and leans back into the sofa. "What are you looking for?"

"Hmm." It doesn't quite come out right, like his nose is too blocked to let the sound through. "I… heh!-ngt-TCHiu!"

"Bless you. You don't remember, do you?"

Ian's slower to recover this time. "I remember." He coughs and wipes his nose on his sleeve. "Or. I will remember." He thinks for another moment. "Eventually."

One of Ian's many roommates walks through the back of the video. …Jayson. Yes. It's a big house with a lot of turnover, all musicians and artists working server jobs and the like to make ends meet in L.A., but he's been around long enough that he was there when Josh went out to visit last fall.

Ian's coughing again, and this time when he fumbles around for something out of frame he comes up with a handful of tissues, and sets the phone down to blow his nose, which just makes him sneeze again. Twice.

"That doesn't sound good," Josh says when Ian picks the phone back up.

Ian shakes his head dismissively. "I'm fine."

"Dude," Jayson says from the background. "You've sneezed like ten times already, and I only got up fifteen minutes ago."

Ian flips him off. Jayson shrugs and goes back to his coffee and his book.

Back to Josh: "Don't look at me like that."

Josh sighs. "You know what I'm going to say."

"That I've got shit to do and the start of a cold is not enough to stop me?"

At least he admits it. "That it's a Sunday morning with no obligations and you should go back to bed."

"Do you want to see my to-do list?" His voice is starting to sound strained.

"I wouldn't be able to read it." Ian had, at some point, figured out a system that worked for him. And only him.

"It says I have three sponsored posts to do and half a dozen venues to contact." Ian's been able to parlay his low-level fame into social media deals and solo shows and appearances with other people's bands, and there's a little bit of streaming revenue coming in from their World Above stuff. But only a little bit.

"Four," Jayson says without looking up from his book. "Sponsored posts."

"Oh, shit, you're right." Ian scrubs at his forehead. He's still in go-go-go mode, but he's fading, about to crash, his tan skin washing out before Josh's eyes except for where his nose is starting to be rubbed raw.

"And that all has to happen today?" God, he hopes not.

"Well, no. h'TCHIU!" He sniffs and reaches for more tissues. "Not technically."

"Bless you. So it can wait a couple of days?"

Ian shrugs, not meeting his eyes, which in this case is a yes.

"So you should go back to bed."

Ian grumbles unintelligibly. Finley noses his way toward the phone to see what's going on, and Josh has to stop him from licking the screen.

"I don't think your sponsors want someone clearly sick doing their ad reads," he tries.

"Fuck you, I always look good."

Josh rolls his eyes. "You can post reels or whatever from your sickbed. Get plenty of sympathy likes."

"Hey, some people think that's hot." Because Jayson is fully a part of this conversation now, apparently.

Ian's resolve is starting to waver, but he shakes his head firmly. "I can do it."

God, this would be so much easier if he was there. "Ian, I say this with love, stop being so fucking stubborn and just go the fuck back to bed. You need it."

Ian tries to protest some more but just starts coughing instead, and by the time that's over all of his fight is gone. Jayson had gotten up at some point and filled a glass with water, and he hands it to Ian and steers him by the shoulders back toward the stairs.

"I got it, I got it," Ian mumbles, shaking off his hands, and starts slowly climbing the stairs.

"Thanks, Jayson," Josh says, relieved. He gets a salute in return, and then they're alone.

Ian's breathing heavily by time he gets to the top of the stairs, and his nose is running, and it almost looks like he's starting to shiver. He shuts his door behind him and curls up under the covers, eyes barely open.

"Josh?" A little shaky.

"Yeah."

"I don't feel good."

Gentle: "I know. I'm sorry. Do you want to take anything, or just go to sleep?"

Ian nods, which Josh takes to mean the second option, but doesn't close his eyes.

"Here. Hang out with Finn for a while." He turns the phone around so Ian can see Finley lapping up water across the room, and then back to himself when Finn spots the invitation and pushes his way past the coffee table to nestle between Josh's legs, wagging his tail even though there's not really enough room and licking the screen before Josh can stop him.

"Puppy kisses," Ian says, hoarse and vague.

"Puppy kisses," Josh agrees, wiping the slobber from the screen. "Everything else can wait, okay?"

"Okay," Ian whispers.

Josh scratches Finn behind the ears and nods. "Everything else can wait."

[wolfsbane-if]

Discussing some Thoughts regarding Wolfsbane and the future of the game below

So, as many of you know, Chapter Four's reception was somewhat mixed.

While no one is wrong for having a negative reaction to the chapter and sharing their feedback regarding it, it was also very much not an enjoyable experience for me and not one I care to repeat going forward. I write for fun, and fielding the update's reception was anything but: it made engaging with my own work afterwards very difficult, and there were many times where I wondered if I had messed up, if I wasn't cut out to write a more serious story and if I should abandon the project altogether. I'd only ever intended to write and share the prologue initially anyway, so it was already a far greater accomplishment than I'd ever anticipated I would achieve.

But I still love this story, and I don't think I want to abandon it. I do think I need to change how I do things to make the experience more manageable for myself, though. For a while I brainstormed a few different options, and ultimately settled on this: I think it would be best to no longer update Wolfsbane on a chapter-by-chapter basis. While the fact that the ending of Chapter Four left a lot up in the air was probably exciting for some, I also think that sense of displacement and not knowing what to expect prompted others to assume the worst and react in unfavourable ways.

I'd like for my work to speak for itself, and so I think I would benefit from sharing my writing publicly when it's at points where there are fewer loose ends to address. While there will definitely still be people who simply don't like the direction the writing takes - and that's totally fine - I hope that having some closure at the end of a given update will help to mitigate some of the potential stress that comes from reading an unfinished story and being left hanging, especially after more dramatic events. I don't know for sure that it will help anything, but I figure it's worth a shot.

With all that being said, don't expect the next update anytime soon. Between working on other projects and not really wanting to look at Wolfsbane for the last little while, it's seen very little progress, and I don't know when the next public update will be in a shareable state with this new policy in place. Thank you all very much for understanding.

-

Additionally, there's the matter of Garamond and romance in the game. I'm still getting messages complaining about the situation and, honestly, I'm just so exhausted and worn down by the whole topic at this point. I like romance in IFs a lot, but from day one I've kind of gotten this impression that it's the only thing a lot of people care about, or that a relationship without romance is viewed as lesser or not worth someone's time. One of the first asks I received was wondering "who are the romance options", rather than if there were any, and I've gotten several more like it since. That romance is treated as a given in the larger IF community - and often the focus, from what I've seen, even in non-romance games - saddens and frustrates me, as I believe there's so much value to be had in strong friendships that's often overlooked by adult-oriented media.

I've said from the start that romance isn't the focus of Wolfsbane, that I cherish the found family the characters have formed and want to highlight that before anything else, and at this point I feel that including what aspects of romance I have within Wolfsbane may have been to its detriment. Perhaps it's my fault for communicating it poorly, but to say from the start that romance isn't the focus and to receive a vast number of messages asking about it anyway has always felt... disheartening.

I do still believe that exploring the various kinds of love that people can experience - and the complications that arise from two individuals having very different desires/expectations in a relationship - can be very interesting and worth writing about in interactive fiction. It's a very real, very human experience, and was something I was eager to juxtapose against the idea of "monsters". But I also feel the need to reevaluate whether or not it ultimately has a place in this story, if its inclusion detracts from the overall message, or if I should change how it's approached.

These thoughts are very much incomplete and I don't know yet what, if anything, I'll alter or remove regarding romance in Wolfsbane, or how the trajectory of the story going forward might change. For now, just ignore what I said about a childhood friends Garamond having had feelings for the MC growing up; I don't know if it's an element worth keeping.

-

And I think that's everything; thank you to everyone who took the time to read this and to those of you who continue to enjoy my writing <3

[ingravinoveritas]

u know michael has spoken out against people bashing/speculating about his relationship and anna multiple times right? even blocking some “fans” for doing so

Hello, Anon. I'm guessing this is in response to this Anon, which I answered recently.

I'd first like to clarify one point, which is that I don't consider what I wrote to be "bashing" Michael's relationship. I've noticed that people seem to characterize any commentary that isn't enthusiastic, over-the-top praise as "bashing," which in turn leaves no room for nuanced conversation, which is what I was trying to do with that post, by responding to a question that I felt I could answer.

Second, there are only two instances I am aware of involving Michael speaking out about or blocking people for talking about his relationship with AL. One occurred four years ago and sounds as if he was under tremendous pressure/had no other choice. The other took place three years ago, and what I think often gets overlooked is that this was during lockdown, when Michael was already not in the best frame of mind. It was a time I seem to keep seeing folks on Twitter refer to as "feral Michael" (such as the incident where he had an interaction with a fan over the bees in his house), but that I think is more accurately described as "unhinged."

The distinction between the two is that "feral Michael" is the Michael who was on the GO press tour making cheeky comments about Aziraphale and Crowley and brazenly flirting with David and basically being the world's biggest Ineffable Husbands shipper. "Unhinged" Michael was the side of him we saw during the pandemic, and the very difficult time we were all having. He was clearly, visibly depressed and struggling (it was especially noticeable during the second season of Staged), and it was frustrating to see everyone ignore that, and seemingly still ignoring it three years later.

That being said, aside from the above mentioned incidents, I'm having a difficult time recalling Michael ever speaking about his relationship with Anna, let alone defending it. He's talked about her during paid interviews, where the interviewer prompts him to do so (such as in the PR pieces that were published in the Australian media ahead of him appearing in Amadeus a few months ago, and this interview promoting LTTC at the end of 2021), but he has not and does not bring her up unprompted. (Again, in sharp contrast to how he constantly brings up David in multiple interviews without the interviewer even saying a word.)

There were also multiple opportunities for Michael to talk about AL publicly on social media over the past few years, and yet he's seemingly chosen not to do that. He didn't promote LTTC with her (and in fact if you look at their tweets promoting the film side-by-side, there is a stark difference). He didn't mention her or their appearance together in that one episode of Sandman, and he didn't at all promote Staged 3, which was released with almost no advanced notice in November of last year and has barely been talked about since.

I have to admit something, Anon: I am disappointed. You could have come in here and said you disagreed with me, and that would've been absolutely fine. I'm always open to hearing other opinions and people who don't agree with me, and we could have had a discussion and shared opinions in a constructive way. But when you come in here without any receipts and make comments that sound a lot like barely veiled threats, I know that your aim is to intimidate and shut me down, because you want me to stop talking.

I believe that Michael is welcome to cultivate his online space, and so are we all. My intention is to keep a respectful dialogue going because I don't believe shutting people down is the answer. I'd love for you to be a part of that, Anon...but if you don't happen to like what I am writing, it costs nothing at all just to block me and move on.

[dangerously-human]

The biggest question I've been asking myself in writing these next two sections of Living With the Ghost of You has been, why did Lockwood think Lucy left? What would he have been thinking in those four months, and how did he get from there to the decision to use Lucy's Listening skills to convince her to reconsider? Obviously everyone kind of blamed Lucy's departure on her tension with Holly, but at the same time, Lockwood at least knew there was more to it. And being Lockwood, he surely blamed himself in some capacity - not entirely inaccurately, as it turns out - but I've still been struggling to wrap my head around where things really left off between Lockwood and Lucy, because we only ever get her perspective, and his only secondhand, through Lucy's notoriously unreliable interpretation.

Anyway, for fic writing purposes, I've been bouncing around The Creeping Shadow, and I skipped ahead in my THB reread a bit, and oh. OH! I can't believe I didn't put this together until now, but: Lockwood tells Lucy, shortly after the "you know I'd die for you" declaration, that he avoided her after the Wintergarden case because he was afraid of what would happen in an operative situation, if her Talent put her in danger. He was afraid of how she was using it, to connect with ghosts on a personal level (rather than as mere objects to be destroyed), but also afraid of what that could do to her, and of making the wrong call re: defending her. Later, pulling her back in via a specialty Listener job tells her that he trusts her to use her Talent well, which she desperately needs to hear (after all, that's why she left, she's doubting herself and her judgement again, that's her trauma, she could hurt someone if her judgment lapses). It also says that he's no longer afraid of how he might react (though that part I don't think Lucy really gets). I'll have to see if I still think this after I finish this reread of The Hollow Boy, but I think Lockwood knows at this point (as in, early on in THB, if not before) that he loves Lucy. (I originally thought her leaving was the tipping point for him, but he's the more self-aware of the two by far, I really need to give him more credit.) He knows that he's going to try to defend her in ways she doesn't want him to, and maybe part of his fear is what he'll reveal through his reaction to Lucy being vulnerable that way. It's going to reopen old wounds about Jessica, yes, but it's also going to open up some pretty big feelings about Lucy herself. And Lockwood's trying to say, underneath Aickmere's, that he's willing to try anyway, but now Lucy has had that confrontation with the hollow boy, and she's aware of being Lockwood's weakness without realizing that she's his strength, too. And in fairness, Lockwood hasn't really put in the work yet to figure out how to live for his love of Lucy, he's only just coming to realize that's something beyond his willingness to die for love of her - so they both do have a lot to work out in themselves first. Which is why the "I'm leaving to protect you from yourself" trope actually works here.

Ooh, I'm yelling!! This is the best part of writing fanfiction, when it prompts you to really dig deep in your understanding of canon. Doesn't always make the words flow any easier, but at least now I know what I'm aiming for, because I know the endpoints I'm trying to connect. Big aha moment for me tonight.

Oh, no, and now my heart is breaking all over again about Lockwood's efforts to convince Lucy not to leave. No wonder he got angry by the end. He's just displayed an incredible level of vulnerability with her - about his past, and also getting as close as he can (yet) to admitting that he loves her - and she turns around and leaves him, without really explaining why. Well, dang, that stings. I mean, I had all of that already pieced together, but the extra factor of her seemingly running away from his feelings for her - ah. Ouch.

[hideyseek]

/BARGES IN/ HELLO BUDDY REVERSE UNO CARD FANFIC ASK MEME 🥺, 🤡 , 🛒, ⌛

HIIIIIIIIIII ENNJI <3 I LOVE 2 BE UNO REVERSE CARDED!! also haha sorry these got ... quite long (i can talk about how long it takes me to write a thing for SO LONG buddy) so i'm putting the whole thing under a cut.

from these fanfic writer emoji asks

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

mmmmmmm.... had to think about this one for a bit because the types of interactions i tend to write for kakehai aren't actually the ones that put me in MY feels, haha. but i think moments of very small and mundane domesticity are moments i really like -- there's an almost off-hand kind of intimacy in that kind of sharing space that i'm really compelled by. that idea of like, oh this person is so familiar to me that things like reaching around them or being passed something by them is all happening somewhat subconsciously.

🤡 What’s a line, scene, or exchange you’ve written that made you laugh?

ohoho. i do think that i've gotten a lot less funny over the years, both as a person in how i interact with the world and also in the kind of writing i'm doing. part of this i think is just the particular bits of haiji/kazetsuyo that i latched onto (in particular contrast to the lighthearted, laugh-at-the-narrator, very romantic type of fic i primarily wrote for inception).

anyway, that to say i actually couldn't think of anything when i was answering this so then i went down a rabbit hole of google docs bc surely i'd written something i thought was funny in the last year and genuinely all i could find (though admittedly i didn't search very hard) was this snippet from a kunikidazai pwp ficlet i started for bcsdp when kunikida's been lost in thought for a while:

“Ku-ni-ki-da-kun,” Dazai prompts. “What’s happening upstairs?” “Nothing,” Kunikida snaps, and wishes he’d said none of your business as soon as Dazai smirks.

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

ok well i was going to say "i don't know but i skimmed through all my posted fic on ao3 and i had two whole fics that involved the pov character being a forger of some kind and a core romance-related theme being 'what is real vs what is valuable' which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice".

but then i remembered that i have like, three or four wips across a couple fandoms that are all basically "what happens to my blorbo guy after a big, life-changing experience ends and then he's left adrift and has to figure out how to be a person?" so i'll say that! i'm really compelled by the idea of having a like, identity-defining project and then having that like -- end abruptly and having a character still have to be themselves without it.

⌛ How long does it take you to write a fic, or a chapter?

SO LONG. ohh my god SO SO LONG. well okay that's not true, it really depends. one of my big "writing goals" (incredibly abstract goal, i would not say i'm working toward it) is to write faster.

i've gotten to a point where i can, more or less, rough out an outline of a 2-4k fic focusing on 1-2 character relationships with a single reasonably straightforward plot and no particular thematic intention in an afternoon, and probably draft it in a week (and revise in another week) if i'm not doing much else or the idea is really compelling and i don't get overthinky. a year or two ago, that would have taken me maybe a month or two of very like, focused and intense writing. but also there's like ... something about the 4k threshold that i just never can really cross with a fic like this.

but in terms of drafting and going from the start of an idea to an actual fic i am incredibly, incredibly slow. most fics that i'm writing now are more than 4k (even the mini version of heist!au is shaping up to be 5k ish) and are probably ... 3-5 drafts? for narrative!fic i've spent maybe 2-3 years now putting snippets in a evernote doc and drafted the first 1/4 to 1/3 of the story literally 4 times in the last year -- i'm like a chapter and a half into draft 4 now and that's taken already 2-3 weeks (and this was genuinely a fluke from the recent holiday weekend) and in my mind this is still a "first draft".

ok wow this was possibly more than you desire to know about how long it takes me to write things however haha i'm still not done! the thing that has been keeping me moderately sane about all this is this FANTASTIC BOOK called the art of slow writing by louise desalvo which i have also been reading incredibly slowly (i am about 60% of the way through and it has been since like, february of this year) but the book is this really wonderful (to me) collection of both desalvo's process and perspective of writing a novel, and a ton of referencing other writers and how goddamn long it took them to write things (with lots of gentle and loving mockery of writing as a practice, which i really enjoy). anyway! i recommend it -- whenever i get frustrated about how long a fic is taking i'll go read a chapter of this (they are all very short) and calm down about it.

[scratchandplaster]

FEBUWHUMP 2023 WRAP-UP

Now that I finished Febuwhump 2023, I thought about doing a summary of my work. I never wrote anything before, let alone posted it online, so this was all pretty exciting (if sometimes a little stressful) for me 🤫 Thanks to @febuwhump for hosting this event!

Spoilers ahead!

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

🏆 My Favorites

The most fun writing I had with DAY 12. The slow change of Henshaw's mental stability was really interesting to explore, especially because of his first-person perspective. The thought of cave diving itself is horrifying to me, but doing that while also being stalked by an eldritch horror seemed too good to miss out on. Even I still don't know what's down there...

Also, I love the dynamic between the protagonists from DAY 6. My sweet boy just wanted to be free and meet new people 😔 At some points I wrote him to be a little too self-loathing, kinda giving him incel vibes... He's not like that, I swear, just very frustrated with himself.

Lastly, DAY 15 was one of the first ideas I had for Febuwhump. Pet whump/BBU is something I avoided for some time, and it took a while to warm up to it, but the basic concept is not that different from any other whump storyline, I guess. I just hope Daniel got his ass handed to him afterward 👀

🏆 Your Favorites

🥇 DAY 15 - Semi-conscious

🥈 DAY 11 - Fever

🥉 DAY 1 - Touchstarved

All very angsty, I love it! My favorite tropes splayed out like that: regretful Whumper, obsessive behavior, Carewhumper, drugging... Especially DAY 1, because that's the first thing I ever wrote ❤ Thanks again for reading, you guys made my month!

🏆 The ones that took the longest

Everything regarding Elliot and Morris (beginning with DAY 8) but especially DAY 20. I sat a whole weekend on that thing, meaning that the other prompts got pushed back and were stuck in my mind during the weekdays. But in the end, it all worked out. I had to take the time, because it is the most important piece to show Elliot's and Morris´ relationship. The writing still takes up the lion's share of the work, but I used to underestimate translating and editing the whole text, whoops.

Also, DAY 6 again. I had to google a lot of cocktails and cities for that one 🥃 Cheers!

🏆 The ones that took the shortest

DAY 15, surprisingly, wrote itself in one sitting. I guess yandere Whumper is my natural modus operandi.

Day 28 was also very quick, just took like four hours with editing. I searched through my bathroom to figure out what Whumpee would use in their daily routine 😬

Last but not least, my lovely shitpost on DAY 5, the woodburning one. I still stand by it, that shit hurts and makes a great torture device. Downside: you'll probably need an extension cord.

🏆 Best Whumper

This one goes to Morris, my little drug-trafficking trash man. He's so dumb it hurts; a real clown suffering through a heartbreak. He and Amber were both abusive to each other, they really do make the perfect couple.

🏆 Best Whumpee

The valet pet, again, I aspire to be as petty as them. Saving an innocent life, getting back at their captor and escaping at the same time (sadly), completely unplanned. It's kind of selfish too, I just have a lot of conflicting feelings when it comes to their situation and choice to handle it. The more I think about them, the better I can grasp what went into this decision 😧

🏆 Category is...

Gore Galore: DAY 1, DAY 4, DAY 21

Fluff and Softness: DAY 2, DAY 11, DAY 28

🏆 Songs I listened to while writing/editing

ミラクルミュージカル - Dream Sweet in Sea Major

Alec Holowca - Astral Coal Town

alt-J - Bane

The Four Winds by The Oh Hellos (Notos, Eurus, Boreas, Zephyrus)

Classical Music Compilations (because I can't focus when people are talking)

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Feel free to do a wrap-up too, I'd love to see it!

[Febuwhump 2023 Masterlist] [Stack The Deck Masterlist]