#aspec archive week

[aspec-tmbd]

About ☆ FAQ ☆ Rules ☆ Timeline ☆ Announcements ☆ Fanworks

Aromantic Awareness Week is around the corner, and we're excited to announce the return of Aspec Murderbot Diaries!

Back in 2023 we ran a fanworks event for aspec (aromantic-spectrum or asexual spectrum) Murderbot Diaries fanworks. Check out our 2023 AO3 collection here if you're curious. Thanks to an outpouring of enthusiasm from the fandom, we enjoyed a wonderful variety of prompts and fanworks celebrating the aspec vibes of The Murderbot Diaries.

And this year we're back! 🎉 💪

The tag set and prompt nomination for this year's event are now open, so get your prompt suggestions in! Nominations will close March 7th. (That's 3 weeks from now.) You can nominate prompts even if you don't plan to create a fanwork.

To nominate tags, go to this tag set and click the "Nominate" button. (It may take a day or two for your tags to be confirmed to the tag set.)

To nominate prompts, go to this collection and click the "Sign Up" button.

Fanworks submissions to the 2025 AO3 collection will open on March 7th and close on April 30th. You can create fanworks even if you don't nominate any prompts!

Check out our FAQ and Rules on our blog for more details, and follow this blog for updates about the event.

We're looking forward to seeing your prompts and fanworks! ✨

[littlesmartart]

I Need Some Lovin'

CHAPTER 2

by @eleanorfenyxwrites and @little-smartass

Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, M/M

Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Nie Huaisang,Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Aspec Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng gets propositioned and has to speedrun a sexuality crisis, the horrible lonliness of being the one who gets left behind, don't worry JC NHS is gonna fuck that abandoment complex right outta you, if you've read the original comic then you can probably guess what the setup for this is gonna be, Huaisang throwing kinks at the wall (the wall is JC) and seeing what sticks, catching feelings when you didn't think you knew how to do that

Summary

Jiang Cheng sighs. There’s a deep ache in his chest, hooked up under his ribs and squeezing around his heart, that he knows without examining too hard is the familiar feeling of being alone; ridiculous to feel it when surrounded by people, he knows, but… this was supposed to be a family visit, it was supposed to be a week with his sister and brother in their family home, and then Yanli had wanted the kids to be there, which was fair, and wanted Zixuan to be there too which was… fine, and then Wei Wuxian had whined that if the Peacock got to be there, could his beloved Lan Zhan stick around too? And Jiang Cheng had wanted to tell him exactly where his beloved Lan Zhan could bloody well stick it, but that wasn’t really fair, and Wei Wuxian is such a fucking brat nowadays without Lan Wangji glued to his hip that Jiang Cheng had caved. So their family time together that was supposed to be just them and maybe the kids, now included plus-ones, and also, inexplicably, Nie Huaisang.

[steddieunderdogfics]

For the 10,000 - 20,000 words Challenge Monday, I'm submittinga fic with 13,668 words, 'Accidentally Absconding With An Impulsive Idiot: A Tale Told In Thirty Parts' by RurouniHime.

Truly a delight, this one, and I love the author's other works, several of which focus on aspec relationships that are really well-written! This fic a classic road-trip romp though, and it's snappy and funny and you look at it and think 'thirty parts in only 14k words???' and then the writing just blows you away.

Accidentally Absconding With An Impulsive Idiot: A Tale Told In Thirty Parts by RurouniHime

Rating: Explicit

13,668 words, 1/1 chapters

Archive Warning: No Warnings Apply

Tags: Road Trips, Everyone lives, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, though they aren't really enemies, Coming Out, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Musical References, Period-Typical Homophobia, Post-Season/Series 04, Bigotry & Prejudice, Small Towns, Roughing It, Unsafe Sex, Past Drug Use, First Kiss, First Time, the existential horror of being trapped in a vehicle with the same person for weeks, Podfic Welcome, Don't copy to another site

Summary:

Thirty-four minutes in total after hanging up. Ten to stop panicking on his hallway floor. Seven to agonize over a note to Wayne, which ended up being a measly three lines, so that was just stupid. And then seventeen more to grab everything he wanted, shove it into a duffle and take it outside, go back in for another blanket when he saw what was currently lurking in the van’s cargo, go back again for his Dragon Slayer, lock up the trailer, fuck with the road map to find the fastest way out of this hellhole, and get the van started, which, hey, that’s at least thirty seconds on its own usually. All in all, Eddie thought he was doing pretty well. So imagine his surprise to find Steve Harrington on the other side of his passenger side window, hair askew, pounding on the door. ------- Steve bombs Eddie's escape attempt, much to Eddie's displeasure.

Thanks for the rec!

Know a fic that deserves extra love? Submit through our asks!

[spottedenchants]

Stay Here Beside Me - Chapter 1: Who Decides

M, M/M, No Archive Warnings Apply, Chapter 1/4

Relationship: Essek ~ Caleb

Chapter Specific Tags: Miscommunication & Communication, Kissing, Awkward Wizards are Awkward, Sex-Ambivalent & Demi Essek, Exploration of Boundaries, Sexual Tension

Chapter Word Count: 7.9k

Chapter Summary:

Caleb is. Very pretty. He could cover up again, maybe should. They have things to do today.

But not for a little while yet.

Essek’s hands are cooling. He knows Caleb to be very warm.

-

AKA the wizards pause one physical study to begin another

Read on AO3

~

It's here it's here at long last! :D

This one is also my last entry for this year's @cr-aspec-fest, just in the nick of time! Here is Week 2: Ace-spec! 🖤🩶🤍💜

[dollopheadsandclotpoles]

Arthur's definitely not SO attached to Merlin that he can't do without him for a few weeks. Right?

Excited to share my contribution for this year's @wipbigbang! Immense thanks to the mods who did such an amazing job organising it.

Mega thanks to my incredible artist @idkmyartwork for the amazing piece of fanart that is embedded in the fic. Thanks also to @smallblueowl @tonkshamsandwich and @imagine-dragonlords for their feedback! I have also written Arthur as aroace so that I could contribute to @aroace-kodama-sakuko's The Aspec Year fanfic writing challenge.

Hope you enjoy! ❤

[flamingspud]

"Thank god," Jimmy exclaimed, "you were starting to get annoying." Joel frowned at him. "Rude-" He grabbed the bread and put some into the toaster- "and here I was thinking you'd be overjoyed to hear of my recovery!"

When Grian gets sick, he is forced to stay at home, and needs to find ways to spend the day.

Fic under the cut:

Aspec Week Day 6: Unconventional - Magic - Sick Day

Seventeen year old Joel walked out of his room with a pep in his step. "I'm officially better!" He announced to the kitchen, which only contained Jimmy as of yet.

"Thank god," Jimmy exclaimed, "you were starting to get annoying."

Joel frowned at him. "Rude-" He grabbed the bread and put some into the toaster- "and here I was thinking you'd be overjoyed to hear of my recovery!"

"Well I'm not."

The two turned to Grian, who's only fourteen, and was standing in the doorway of his room, still in his pyjamas. He was a lot paler than usual, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"You look awful," Joel commented.

Grian sniffed as he sat down next to his nineteen year old brother. "And whose fault is that?"

Joel stuck his tongue out at Grian.

"Well don't come near me, I'm hanging out with Martyn tomorrow!" Jimmy said, scooting his chair away from Grian.

"If I have to deal with Joel's girlfriend's germs your boyfriend can deal with mine," Grian retorted.

"He's not his boyfriend, remember?" Joel replied in a sarcastic voice.

"You did this to me," Grian hissed.

"Ok!- Grian, do you think you're well enough to go to school today?" Jimmy asked, quelling the others' bickering.

Grian considered it for a moment. "No."

"Ok, go back to bed then, I'll let Tango know I can't come in today-"

Grian shook his head. "No, don't throw him off so last minute, I'll be fine."

Jimmy frowned. "Tango won't mind."

"He'll say that but this is your busy season. Just buy me ice cream or something on the way home and I'll be happy."

Jimmy was still on the fence, so Grian added, "besides, then you won't get sick for your date tomorrow~" before running off to his room.

"Grian!" Jimmy called out exasperatedly after him.

Grian then slid under the covers of his bed to get some more sleep in.

~~~

Grian was bored. 

Before he'd gone to sleep for another hour, Jimmy had stuck his head in the door to double check that Grian didn't want him to tell Tango he couldn't go in.

"It's not like I'm dying," he'd assured him.

After his sleep, he padded out to the living room with his duvet wrapped around him to catch up on some of his shows, though eventually he ran out. He went on his phone for a bit, but that died, leaving him without much to do, other than put a few weird things onto Joel's recently watched on Netflix as revenge for getting him sick.

He sighed, and checked the clock. Twenty five past three. Great, Joel would be home soon and he'd be able to torment him.

Right on cue, he heard a knock on the door. It was a little weird, but Grian just figured Joel forgot his keys. When he opened the door, however, it wasn't Joel who was standing there.

"Oh! Mumbo, hey!" He greeted, a little frazzled.

"Hi, I wanted to come see how you're doing," his friend explained. "If you want I can come back another time-"

"Oh no, it's fine!" Grian insisted, though he was suddenly aware of how awful he probably looked, not to mention how the pjs he was wearing were pretty ratty. "You should've sent a text or something, I would've made myself a bit more presentable."

"You look fine," Mumbo assured him, "besides, I did text you, but you didn't answer."

Just then Grian's phone reached one percent, and the screen glowed to reveal Mumbo's message on the lock screen. "Ah."

Grian brought Mumbo over to the couch, and wrapped his duvet back around himself, making room for Mumbo next to him.

"Oh, by the way I got your homework for you-" Mumbo informed him, taking some pages from his schoolbag and handing them to his friend.

"Aw, thanks!" Grian said sincerely, however he immediately threw them over his shoulder.

"Oh, ok-"

"Is it ok if we just watch a movie or something? I'm kinda tired," Grian asked.

Mumbo nodded vigorously. "Of course! Whatever you want!" He then grabbed the remote, and started to scroll through the options. "What kind of movie are you feeling?"

Grian shrugged. "Whatever looks good."

Mumbo's phone then beeped. "It's Pearl- she and BigB want to know how you are?" He explained without Grian asking.

Grian gave him a thumbs up. "They can come and join us if they want," he added as Mumbo began texting them, "doubt it'll be particularly exciting though."

"They'll be here in five."

"Cool." Grian made himself comfortable, burrowing into the duvet cocoon he'd made for himself.

Mumbo turned on some animated film, and it wasn't long until Pearl and BigB showed up. "We brought cookies!" The latter announced, passing them around.

The others thanked them, and they all settled down to watch the movie, which they were quickly learning was of questionable quality, to say the least.

~~~

The movie was almost over when Joel finally walked into the apartment. "Hey Grian, I got stuff for dinner and- oh, hi Grian's friends." 

"Hi Joel," the three teenagers chirped in unison as Joel closed the door behind him with his foot. Grian was fast asleep, having slowly stretched his feet over  Mumbo's knees during the length of the movie.

"What are you all doing here?" Joel asked, putting the shopping down on the kitchen counter.

"We wanted to make sure Grian was ok," Pearl explained, taking another jelly from the bag she and BigB had found when they went foraging in the kitchen.

Mumbo nodded. "And now we're invested in this movie."

"What movie is it anyway?-" Joel questioned, walking in front of the TV to get a better look. BigB shoved him out of the way.

"I swear, it's not as bad as it looks," Pearl hastily defended as a judgemental look came across Joel's features.

"Uh-huh," was his sceptical response, as he wandered back to the kitchen. "So, how long do you lot plan on staying?"

Mumbo shrugged. "Haven't thought that far ahead."

The other two agreed.

"Well, I only have enough for three, so unless you guys want to watch us eat like we're in some kind of zoo I'd say you can stay for another hour," he decided.

The three of them all gave variations of "cool" and "alright," so Joel did a thumbs up before heading to his own room.

When the movie ended, they decided to put on a few episodes of some comedy show before getting up to leave. 

Mumbo gently moved Grian's legs so he could get off of the couch, and grabbed his schoolbag. "Thanks for having us," he told Joel.

"Don't thank me, all I did was kick you guys out," was his response.

They passed Jimmy on their way out. Jimmy shot Joel a confused look.

Joel shrugged as he started putting food on plates. "I think Grian was throwing himself a little pity party."

Jimmy grabbed himself a drink, and took one of the plates of food, before nodding towards Grian. "Should we wake him up?"

Joel shook his head. "He can reheat his food later if he wants."

Jimmy gave him a thumbs up.

"So how was your day?" Joel asked.

~~~

When they were done eating, Jimmy said he'd do the cleaning up. 

"Nah, I've got it," Joel jumped in, grabbing their plates.

"Why're you being so helpful...?" Jimmy asked suspiciously.

"What? Can't a younger brother help an older brother out from time to time? Besides, someone needs to carry sicky over there to bed."

Jimmy gave Joel an unimpressed look. "Really?"

Joel put his hands up defensively before grabbing the sponge. "Hey, I served my time," was his excuse.

Jimmy sighed, before pushing himself from his chair and walking over to Grian, who was still fast asleep on the couch. He scooped his arms under Grian's knees and back, and with a little effort managed to pick him up from the couch.

Grian let out a quiet groan. "It wasn't me," he muttered in his sleep, "it was the man in the chicken costume!"

Jimmy wondered what he could possibly be dreaming about as he placed him in his bed. "Get well soon," he said softly, before leaving the room and carefully closing the door behind him.

[jaydick-week]

Gay's the Word by @redbirdandbluebird23

This is the fic that probably means the most to me and was inspired by one of my favourite bookshops that shares the name with this fic! I figured out I was asexual after a visit to the shop early last year, so when I learned DC-ASPEC-WEEK was a thing I immediately knew I wanted to try and write a fic that explored asexuality and figuring that out. I'm proud of this one because of all the people who have commented or told me that it struck a chord with them too, and am just really happy to have put some ace representation out there! ❤️💙

Thanks for submitting! Go show Cass some love, and maybe submit this fic for a Jaydick Award!

[somesortofitalianroast]

Oh, is that all?

Title: Oh, is that all? Link: AO3 Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types Participant: SomeSortofItalianRoast Square filled: DC Aspec Week Archive warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Rating: Teen and Up Pairing: Clark Kent//Bruce Wayne Tags: Asexual Bruce Wayne, Asexuality Spectrum, Coming Out, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Clark Kent is Superman, Clark Kent Loves Bruce Wayne, Cuddling & Snuggling Word Count: 2,520 Summary: During a Justice League meeting, Bruce Wayne learns something important about himself.

@dc-aspec-week

[ao3feed-jaydick]

Gay's Still the Word

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/59959069 by redbirdandbluebird23 Jason couldn’t quite stop the hitch in his breath as Dick buried a hand in his hair and used the grip to tip his head back so he could deepen the kiss. Jason reacted in kind and slipped the hand that had been on the back of Dick’s neck up into his hair as he tightened the arm he had around the other man’s back. Dick shifted some of his weight onto his other forearm, so he wasn’t completely crushing Jason into the bed, without breaking the kiss. But Jason couldn’t help but tense up as Dick ground his hips against Jason’s thigh. Dick pulled back, breathing slightly faster than normal through his swollen lips. “Not tonight?” “Not tonight.” Jason echoed. “Sorry.” Dick just smiled softly as he readjusted how he was lying over Jason so his hips weren’t touching him anymore. “I thought I’d already told you to stop apologising, Jay.” *** A year on from his sexuality crisis, Jason's still figuring a few things out. Words: 2147, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 2 of Pride Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Mentioned Donna Troy - Character, Mentioned Roy Harper - Character, mentioned Koriand'r Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd Additional Tags: Jason Todd-centric, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Asexual Jason Todd, Demisexual Dick Grayson, Sex Positive Asexual Jason Todd, Fluff, Comfort No Hurt, Boys In Love, DC Aspec Week read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/59959069

[denzartriste]

:)

(tumblr you just adore to eat quality dont you :( )

For mcyt aspec week day 3 and 4, with the prompt self deiscovery and aroallo :D!

Fanart for @yridk's fic All they feedin' you is beautiful lies

[yridk]

@mcyt-aspec-week day 4, aroallo

Here’s The comic that’s a continuation of yesterday’s fic

I’m not rly sure how I feel about the dialogue but atleast it’s pretty

[littlesmartart]

I Need Some Lovin'

CHAPTER 1

by @eleanorfenyxwrites and @little-smartass

Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, M/M

Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Nie Huaisang, Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Aspec Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng gets propositioned and has to speedrun a sexuality crisis, the horrible lonliness of being the one who gets left behind, don't worry JC NHS is gonna fuck that abandoment complex right outta you, if you've read the original comic then you can probably guess what the setup for this is gonna be, Huaisang throwing kinks at the wall (the wall is JC) and seeing what sticks, catching feelings when you didn't think you knew how to do that

Summary

Jiang Cheng sighs. There’s a deep ache in his chest, hooked up under his ribs and squeezing around his heart, that he knows without examining too hard is the familiar feeling of being alone; ridiculous to feel it when surrounded by people, he knows, but… this was supposed to be a family visit, it was supposed to be a week with his sister and brother in their family home, and then Yanli had wanted the kids to be there, which was fair, and wanted Zixuan to be there too which was… fine, and then Wei Wuxian had whined that if the Peacock got to be there, could his beloved Lan Zhan stick around too? And Jiang Cheng had wanted to tell him exactly where his beloved Lan Zhan could bloody well stick it, but that wasn’t really fair, and Wei Wuxian is such a fucking brat nowadays without Lan Wangji glued to his hip that Jiang Cheng had caved. So their family time together that was supposed to be just them and maybe the kids, now included plus-ones, and also, inexplicably, Nie Huaisang.

[argentkosmos]

Texting, protective brothers and methods of persuasion

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Trafalgar D. Water Law/Monkey D. Luffy, Sabo (One Piece), Portgas D. Ace

Tags: Rated Teen And Up Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Texting, Attempt at Humor, Getting Together, First Kiss, Protective Siblings, they're cool though, No Angst, Aspec Trafalgar D. Water Law, Aspec Monkey D. Luffy, Mentioned Portgas D. Ace/Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco

Summary: As he blew warm air between his gloved hands, Trafalgar Law thought he was very stupid for feeling like that. He was twenty-six years old and there he stood in front of a gym, in the late evening and in the middle of the week, shivering in November’s cold weather when he could’ve been studying at home, and only because a teenager tricked him into coming to watch his kick-boxing matches.

Length: 9,929 | 1/1 Chapters

[spottedenchants]

Relationship: Jester & Essek

Additional Tags: POV Essek, Demiromantic Essek, Touch-Starved & Touch-Averse Essek, Post-C2, Rumblecusp, Walks On The Beach, Jester-Typical Sexual Comments, Intimacy, Slice of Life, they're being silly :3, also cw jellyfish, (technically siphonophores but they look like jellies so xD)

Collections:

Critical Role Aspec Fest - February 2025

Words: 2,552

Summary:

Farther down the shore, Jester plays the giggling part of a sandpiper, racing to and fro alongside the shifting waterline as she searches for seashells, she’d said, because hermit crabs have such boring homes sometimes and they could use a little painting for pizzazz, Essek, obviously.

Obviously, yes, why not. A little grin tilts his lips.

Jester asked for his company, so here Essek is, following each of her whims; she is skilled at keeping boredom at bay.

-

AKA Essek and Jester hang out at the seaside and play a little game while they're there

Read on AO3

-

Tada! My first entry for @cr-aspec-fest! Week 1's prompt is aro-spec, so here is TS!Essek in all his demiromantic-ness 💚🤍🩶🖤

[podcastjam]

Project Spotlight #1: SPACE SPECKS

Over the coming weeks, we'll be highlighting a Jam project and the team behind it. Today, we're talking with Quills of SPACE SPECKS, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi project with an exclusively aspec cast, both characters and crew!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your teammates!

I'm Quills, @quillsandpaper, and part of the writing, editing and voice acting for the project. I love anything supernatural, sci-fi or YA, especially if it includes fey lore or space. One of my favourite podcasts are Bridgewater and In Strange Woods.

@rawlyx: Hi, I’m Rawlyx, and I’m the main artist and one of the voice actors on this wonderful project! I got into podcasts after a friend suggested listening to them while I study and draw. My all-time favorites are The Magnus Archives and Just Roll With It, and I’m currently listening to Red Valley :]

@lumoakes: I'm Lumi Oakes. I'm a writer and Voice Actor on this podcast. I'm also the producer of Wanderer's Journal (@wanderersjournalpod). I got into fiction podcasts through The Bright Sessions a few years back, and I've recently really enjoyed Ethics Town.

@adragoncat: Hello, my name is Cat and I am one of the VA’s for Space Specks! I got into podcasts via The Magnus Archives and love JRWI, WTNV and I Am In Eskew.

@smallsies: Howdy, I'm Finch, and I'll be a VA and musician, along with co-writing and -editing the pilot! My introduction to audio drama was a few episodes of Welcome to Night Vale several years ago, and my current favorite is WOE.BEGONE.

What's your podcast about?

Our project is set on another planet in space after the second apocalypse has struck our characters. They're barely getting by as they're recovering from this disaster but a determined crew sets out to re-enter the dangerous zones in order to find a friend they’re hoping has survived. It’s really no surprise that they all have their own demons to battle alongside the looming danger of whatever is out there, and… well... death. A special element of our project is that all of our characters are some flavour of aspec, and our entire team is somewhere on the spectrum too!

What are you most excited about in this event?

I am having a lot of fun with the world- and character building that we are doing as a team. And putting the actual script writing aside, which I am also excited for, I'm really looking forward to recording and seeing the story elements and character dynamics flesh out and unfold in audio as well as hearing what the other teams have come up with! Additionally I'm honestly also so excited to see the art our talented artists on the team come up with.

Any advice for other participants, or those on the fence about joining?

It is my first time doing something in this shape and form so what I can say is: there's no level of skill set you necessarily need to have to participate because a lot of us are new to all of this. So don't hesitate because you're second-guessing yourself! Come join the event, let your creativity flow and don't forget to have fun!

This team is not accepting new members at this time, but if you're interested in learning more about the Podcast Jam event, check out this post for more information.

[flamingspud]

All Gem ever wanted since she was a little girl was to win the dragon races. So why did her teammates have to be obsessed with the competition?

When a frustratingly attractive competitor knocks her teammates off their games, the pressure lands on Gem’s shoulders to snatch the win

Fic under the cut:

Aspec Week Day 5: Pride Flags/Colours - Dragons - Stargazing/Sunsets

All Gem ever wanted since she was a little girl was to win the dragon races.

So why did her teammates have to be obsessed with the competition?

"Guys can we please focus?" She pleaded as she saddled up her dragon, its pink scales sparkling in the sunlight. 

"I am focusing! I can focus on more than one thing y'know," Lizzie responded, leaning on the gate of the pen.

"When the races begin we'll be all business," Etho assured her.

Gem brought her hand down the side of her face in frustration, a groan escaping her lips.

Across the stables were the team they were going up against, tending to their own dragons. Pearl, who she had spoken to earlier, was tending to her dragon, Tilly. Tilly was a white dragon that sparkled different colours in the sunlight. Her teammate, Grian, was walking along the wall between his and Pearl's stables like a tightrope, because he either was done prepping his dragon for the race or because he felt he didn't need to.

Their third member, however, was who Gem was worried about. Joel. He was a fairly decent rider, Gem would give him that, however that wasn't why she was worried. It was because for some reason only god knew Etho and Lizzie were infatuated with him. He was currently making sure his dragon's saddle was on correctly.

He turned his head in their direction, and Gem quickly turned away, not wanting to be accused of staring. In her peripheral vision she noticed him wave towards her teammates, much to her annoyance.

"You guys need to get to the platform," Xisuma informed them, walking into the stables.

"On our way," Etho responded, double checking the condition of his dragon's wings, something he should've done five minutes ago. The others shared similar sentiments, and Xisuma nodded and walked off.

"You guys better get your heads on straight," Gem told her teammates as she hitched herself up onto her steed.

"Of course," Lizzie assured her.

Gem then flew towards the course, glaring at Joel as she did so. She was not going to lose.

***

The two teams were all saddled up, positioned in a line on the platform and ready for the race. Now that it was so close, Gem was getting excited, and thankfully her teammates seemed to be focusing now that they were on the platform.

The course was straightforward, a simple ring in which each rider would fly around it thrice before the next member can continue on, until the last member finishes their final lap. Gem felt confident that they could do this.

"On your marks," Xisuma began, standing between Grian and Etho's dragons. Gem held her breath.

"Get set..." Etho glanced back in Gem's direction. 

Joel winked at him, and Etho's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Go!" 

"Oh snappers!-"

Grian's dragon shot away from the platform, while Etho took a second to turn his attention back once he realised it began, giving Grian an early lead.

"And they're off!" The announcer narrates from the stands, "Etho's off to a rough start, but it is early yet! Will he make up for his mistake, or is he truly washed up?"

Gem turned on Joel. "You did that on purpose!!!"

"Did what on purpose?" Joel asked innocently.

"You winked at him!"

"Oh, I had something in my eye."

Gem was fuming, but it wasn't like she could do anything.

Grian finished his laps without a hitch, and Pearl began speeding around the course. Etho then reached Lizzie, who made good work at making up for lost time.

"It seems Lizzie is speeding up; will it be enough to snatch the lead back from Pearl?"

Pearl swivelled her head back to where Gem and Joel were getting ready. "Joel!" She exclaimed, her eyes going wide with worry. 

Lizzie swerved, shooting a look in their direction only to see that Joel was completely fine.

"Oh, rookie mistake from Lizzie," the announcer pointed out, "The entire team seems to be off their game today."

Etho looked sheepish, Grian was giggling hysterically, Joel was smug, and Gem wanted to jump off the platform. Please say this was some kind of nightmare.

Pearl lapped Lizzie, and tagged Joel in. Grian bounded over to congratulate her as Gem gripped the reins. She would not let this get to her, she would redeem her team.

Lizzie finally finished her lap and Gem's dragon flew as fast as it could. She would not give Joel the satisfaction of winning.

"Would you look at that- Gem is gaining on Joel and fast! But will it be enough to capture victory after her teammates' abysmal performance earlier?"

Gem wished that damn announcer would shut up already. On her third lap she was right behind Joel.

"Come on, come on, come on!-" Gem willed under her breath. "Just a little faster...!"

As she gained on him, she realised she wasn't going to pass him out before the finish line. So, she carefully got up out of the saddle, and crawled across her dragon's back towards its neck. 

Joel turned to look at her, keeping a careful eye on where he was going. "If you wanted my attention so badly, you should've just said so!" he called.

"Oh shut up!" She called back.

She reached her dragon's long neck, and clung on. "Sorry girl, just keep going, you're doing great," she muttered. The crowd then gasped as she precariously hung off of the dragon's neck, her legs wrapping around it and her hands clinging on for dear life.

"And it looks like Gem is hanging dangerously from her dragon, though for what purpose I cannot yet tell," the announcer narrated, clearly baffled by the red-head's actions.

As the two approached the finish line, they were neck and neck. Right before they reached the end, Gem squeezed her eyes shut and let go with one of her hands so she could stick it out in front of her.

Screams and cheers could be heard from the crowd as the race ended. "I can't believe it! Gem crossed the finish line mere moments before Joel, thanks to her daring stunt! What a thrilling race!"

Joel's jaw dropped as he realised what had happened.

Gem's dragon flew back over to the platform and gingerly lowered her onto solid ground, much to her relief.

"You did it!" Etho exclaimed.

"That was insane!" Lizzie added.

"What can I say," Gem said, tucking some hair behind her ear, "someone needed to pick up the slack."

The men looked sheepish, which brought Gem some satisfaction.

As they were awarded their medals and spot in the next race, Gem couldn't help but send a smug smile Joel's way. He quickly looked away as she did so.

"If you wanted our attention so much, you could've just asked!" She shouted pettily, and she felt delight in the other team's sour reactions.

All Gem ever wanted since she was a little girl was to win the dragon races. And now she was one step closer to achieving that dream.