#asymmetryestablished

[bcbdrums]

Persuasion

A Soul Eater fanfic. Read on: AO3 | FFn

A/N: Monthly OTP prompt fills from this list for Spirit and Stein, because I cannot stop writing about them. I'm happy to hear recommendations each month for which prompt to write next. This month's chosen prompt: 1. First Kiss Shamelessly inspired by the fanfic "Feeling Needed" by NothingSoDivine. (@asymmetryestablished) Wrote this all in one evening while half asleep, straight through, no edits or even proofread (yikes oh well). And placeholder title is...a placeholder, if you have a better one, give it to me! And it was still January in my timezone, this still counts! Enjoy some academy babies.

Persuasion

Persuasion

Stein straightened from his lean against the wall at the corner of the courtyard when he realized he'd been crossing his arms. Spying on his weapon was bad enough without making it too obvious that he disapproved of his activities when the older teen would inevitably wander his way.

Spirit was currently occupied with another weapon from their class, nearer to Stein's age if he was remembering correctly. Her hair was blonde and caught the sun in the way that one couldn't help but look, and Stein had to admit that its radiance even outshone the heartblood red of Spirit's. Her eyelashes were dark like her leather jacket and mini-skirt, and the red of her lips matched the soft, low-cut shirt she wore that was just visible through the open front of the jacket.

Spirit was clearly enthralled by her appearance, but the only thing Stein found truly of note was the cigarette that dangled precariously from the girl's lips as she laughed at whatever Spirit was saying. Stein had watched her skill three times at keeping the small stick in its proper place when she flashed her teeth, and he was starting to wonder if it had anti-gravitational properties.

Spirit abruptly straightened, and Stein unthinkingly did the same, the older teen's posture putting him on alert. Some form of goodbye was about to take place, and then Stein would have his weapon back until the next time a member of the curvier sex caught his eye. Which was more and more frequent as of late.

But then the girl did something that caused Stein to startle forward a step, his eyes widening on the pair. She took a long drag from her cigarette, and then held it away from her as she set her other hand on Spirit's shoulder and rose up on her toes. Spirit's fingers hovered near her waist when her mouth found his, and Stein watched the girl's lips part, surround Spirit's, and his eyes go wide before closing in reaction to whatever appealed about the physicality of the moment.

But it was more than a kiss, as Stein watched the girl finally pull away with a smirk. Spirit blinked, looking surprised, and then slowly blew the smoke out from between his lips, watching it curl upward and away. Stein was also blinking repeatedly, having never conceived of an exchange like that.

He was still processing the mechanics of it when Spirit waved goodbye to his date, the cigarette now between his fingers as she turned to cross the courtyard toward the girls' dormitories. The redhead turned a moment later to head in the path that would lead back to the nicer student apartments. Stein was still too stunned by what he had seen to move to either depart or make greeting, simply watching the weapon approach wearing an expression that was something between dreamy and utterly stunned.

"Oh! Stein!" Spirit exclaimed when he practically bumped into the meister. "What are... Were you watching me?"

"Yes," Stein said simply as he moved to stand at his weapon's side and match his pace.

Spirit sighed shakily. "That's creepy, you know. Most people would be really put off by that."

"I know. So what was this one's name?"

A huff was Spirit's initial response, and then a brightening of his eyes as he frowned down in the meister's direction. Stein's smirk didn't reach his lips, but he knew Spirit could see it in his eyes.

"I know her name! It's..."

Stein did smile then as Spirit floundered, mumbling pieces of words and names to himself as his brow twisted in confusion. Ever since the first time the red-haired weapon had come home and been unable to recall the name of his date, Stein had teased him on the topic.

"Kelly!" Spirit suddenly exclaimed in triumph, and then he brought the gifted cigarette to his lips as he grinned.

"So you smoke now?" Stein asked, noting the slight grimace on the taller teen's face as he experimented with an inhale.

"Trying it out. She gave me the rest of her pack."

Stein was curious too, but less about the cigarettes than what he had witnessed in farewell between the two hormone-driven weapons. His heart pounded as his mind raced ahead to the potential conclusion of what he suddenly realized he wanted, but had absolutely no agency to achieve.

"That looked complicated," he ventured as they walked.

"Hmm?"

Stein watched as Spirit blew the smoke out slowly, his brow pinching slightly as he assessed the experience.

"The way she gave you all that smoke."

"Oh," Spirit said, his cheeks flushing slightly as he stared straight ahead. "Yeah."

"How did you know to open your mouth? Did she blow the smoke in?"

"Uh, well...kinda... You're supposed to open your mouth a bit when kissing," Spirit answered, beginning to look uncomfortable. His stride lengthened and Stein kept pace, having already anticipated his partner's nerves.

"I don't understand how any of it could be pleasurable."

Spirit was looking a bit more perplexed as their steps took them toward their apartment. The sun had begun to set, and its rays shining off of Spirit's hair gave the red locks a vibrant, golden hue. Stein felt an urgency about what he was after as he watched the cigarette burn down below halfway, but he knew he was just as likely to frustrate and anger the weapon by his persistent questioning. But as he didn't think he would ever have it within him to voice the words 'kiss me,' his chosen method would have to suffice.

"Doesn't it trigger the gag reflex to have something put in your mouth?"

Spirit's brow furrowed. They had just reached the entry of the apartment complex, and the weapon had pushed through the first set of double-doors into the security vestibule.

"And doesn't the smoke burn?" Stein continued, trying to keep any cynicism out of his tone. He knew that as soon as the weapon had an escape into his bedroom, he'd have lost his chance. But it was probably a futile effort to begin with. There wasn't any type of psychology Stein could use to make his weapon understand his desire without giving away too much, and he was certain beyond a doubt that Spirit Albarn had never entertained the idea of kissing a boy.

The weapon had been repeatedly silent in response, and Stein's mind was racing for another leading question so anxiously that he hadn't noticed Spirit had stopped walking until the redhead turned to face him. Stein's thoughts slowed at the look on his weapon's face, regarding him with nervous resignation.

"You want to try it, don't you."

Stein processed Spirit's tone before the actual words, his voice low and the words breathy as he seemed to sigh them out. Stein hadn't anticipated success, and blood was suddenly hammering in his ears as the teal of the weapon's eyes remained fixed on his, awaiting a response.

A curt nod was the most Stein could manage as he attempted to swallow the lump that was suddenly in his throat. Spirit's brow rose in curiosity, and Stein hoped that whatever was written on his face was less than the panic that had suddenly swept his entire being.

Spirit sighed again. "I'd say find someone else for your experiments, but...I know how that would turn out."

Spirit glanced from left to right through the glass doors, and then lifted the cigarette to his lips and inhaled long and slow.

Stein suddenly realized that this was no longer a barely-formed idea in his mind, but it was actually happening. Protests and questions rushed across his brain half-formed, none able to be spoken as the words wouldn't come together. He wanted to tell Spirit to wait, to ask how to begin. But every thought fled when the weapon's fingers rested feather-light on his cheek, his pinky finger under Stein's jaw and pulling slightly to tilt his face upward.

Spirit took a step closer, and then leaned down. Stein was certain his eyes were wide with the fright he suddenly felt as they darted between Spirit's half-lidded teal ones and the approach of lips. But the weapon had committed to the action, and in the moment Stein resolved he couldn't back down, Spirit's mouth met his.

The touch was hot like fire, and soft like nothing Stein had ever felt. He wanted to pull away, yet he wanted to fall into the warmth that radiated off his partner and seemed to be welcoming him into safety. His skin was tingling all over as if it was more than his lips Spirit was touching, and a peace he'd never known began to fall over him, slowly offering relief like shelter from a storm.

Stein was about to close his eyes and surrender to the sensations that were beginning to overwhelm him, but then unfocused in front of him, Spirit's eyes opened. In a rush, he remembered the purpose of badgering his weapon into intimacy, and then cautiously let the tension he'd unknowingly put into his jaw fall slack. Spirit's fingers became more firm against his cheek, and then his lips were sealing gently over the slight parting of Stein's. The pressure of Spirit's lips against his own sent a fresh rush of heat across his senses, and then the smoke poured hot into his mouth, pooled across his tongue and hit high in the back of his throat.

It wasn't an immediate pleasure, and he pinched his eyes closed as he fought against the instinct to gag. But then he felt a different type of rush as the drug entered his system, bringing an artificial lightness that he couldn't decide in the moment if he cared for or not. Especially not when there were far more interesting sensations, like Spirit's lips beginning to close and pull softly upon his own.

When he felt the weapon pulling away, Stein's fingers found Spirit's elbow in blind pursuit of an anchor, and to his dismay a soft sound like a whimper escaped his throat. He opened his eyes again as Spirit's lips finally left his, a feeling of cold abandonment taking the place of the fire. The redhead's brow twisted in confusion, and Stein just barely had the presence of mind to close his lips to prevent the smoke's escape even as his lungs felt near to bursting from lack of oxygen.

The latter need took over, and Stein felt the sensitive membranes of his nasal passages burn as he blew most of the smoke out through his nose and then let the rest escape his mouth without grace, a few uncontrolled coughs following. His grip on Spirit's elbow tightened, and the redhead gave a single hum of a laugh as he smiled and let his hand fall to rest on Stein's shoulder.

"What do you think?" Spirit asked quietly.

Stein's head was reeling, and beyond the fixed point of Spirit's bright eyes and hair it felt like the room was sat upon a roiling ocean. He stared up at Spirit as he willed his senses back to calm, as he tried to catch his breath and bring his heart rate back to human norms. He blinked against reflexive tears as the smoke somehow stung his eyes, and another cough was the only response he was able to manage.

Spirit made another humming sound like a laugh, and his gaze softened even more.

"You'll probably need more experience before you know if you like it or not."

Whether the implication was deliberate or accidental, Stein knew the obvious interpretation had reached his eyes for the way Spirit's own widened and stared back at him, his skin suddenly flushing pink. Stein was sure his own pale cheeks were, for once, equally awash with color.

"Uh... I mean..." Spirit said stumbling, his breaths quickening.

"So..." a deep voice sounded from the doorway.

The sound of the new presence intruding upon the world Stein was still spinning within wasn't quite startling enough to bring his senses back to earth, but it caused Spirit to jump and back away from Stein as if he'd been struck by lightning. And for the heat still prickling soft over his lips, Stein wasn't so sure he hadn't been.

"Sid!" Spirit cried, voice high with panic. "What, uh...uh... D-Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"So..." the younger teen repeated, "if anybody asks me, you two weren't just—"

"No!" Spirit fairly shrieked, his voice going high.

"And you're not smoking on Academy property."

Stein suddenly found the smoldering butt of the cigarette pushed between his fingers as Spirit sputtered something else in protest that Stein didn't bother listening to. He was focused on the flush over Spirit's cheeks and the peace that seemed to have wrapped itself around him like a blanket—a feeling he was determined to hold on to for as long as it would stay.

Sid walked past them and into the building and Spirit followed, babbling his frustrations all the while. Stein trailed just a step behind, watching the red of Spirit's hair as they continued the journey to their apartment.

He brought the cigarette up and took a tentative inhale, leaving his fingers against his lips. If anyone asked, he wasn't trying to hold that tingling sensation as long as possible. He wasn't trying to memorize the way Spirit's mouth had shaped itself to his.

And he definitely wasn't planning on further experiments.

[naiad-r]

Queerplatonic MiRona

Sketch page commission for @asymmetryestablished ❤️

[corrie-guard-things]

me rn and at all times every single day every single hour

(the template was made by @asymmetryestablished)

[thegreathomestuckreread]

@buggyeyes tagged me to do this picrew and post the last song i listened to and omg i just realized we used the same hairstyle lol

fr tho this is the first picrew i've ever done that actually has my hair like i always end up having to cobble something together that's sort of it but not really (too much hair in the back) but this is it!!!!! this is just it. right down to my very badly faded green dye job lmao

i was listening to the hiveswap soundtrack today lol i haven't listened to it in AGES but for some reason i had ticket to ride rusty stuck in my head a couple days ago so i started listening to it again. last track i listened to was ticket to ride other half

i taaaaag @cloudheaded @asymmetryestablished and i will leave it at that for now but if any of y'all wanna try do it and tag meeee

[joetihoni]

Between silence and survival — my family is holding on 💔 A share or donation could be our lifeline 🕊️

@lemon-snake @ladydanger420 @2dou @asymmetryestablished @blueweekend @chthonickore @cryingjeanne @inplodinggofer616 @transientmelody @mizi-exclaimed

A child in Gaza holds his cat among the rubble. No home. No safety. No food. Yet he still protects someone more vulnerable than himself. In a place where everything is under attack, mercy survives..Support those who kept their humanity.

[bcbdrums]

11, 27, 28?

11. What fic was the most difficult to write?

Oh, easily Saudade. Writing another person's headcanons, especially when they're AU and I don't personally relate them to the characters, was a huge challenge. But in the end I was very satisfied with the product and extremely proud of myself. I enjoy getting to see that yes, I actually can do these sorts of things. Makes me feel better about myself as a writer overall.

27. How many events did you take part in? (bangs, exchanges, ship weeks, zines, prompt memes, they all count!)

Ohhhh boy... Technically ahh... Including the unfinished one (sorry, Teeth; still working on it and I love it) I thiiiink it was eight? I think eight. There are some unfinished prompt ones too but those were mostly for me, not for a bigger event. The biggest was the Soul Eater Reverb event, and I guess arguably that uhhh... Rare Kink event (forgot what it's called) was a bigger one but when things are done wholly anonymously and so huge, it feels small somehow, and then I also did Ficwip's Hey, Sweetheart event for two fandoms... Yeah. I love events and I love prompts. Wish life hadn't gotten in the way of letting me do more (as it always does, lol).

28. If this were an awards show, who would you thank?

Heh. A lot of people. Man I could go on and on... Ironically this is less about writing and more about just...people who were there for me. Thank you... @legendary-guest I've told you already, but our conversations have shaped and re-shaped a lot of my perspectives on a lot of things, both online and off. I think about your words constantly. @blackbloodteeth for being a role model. I look up to you a lot both as a creator and for how you conduct yourself in fandom. You're always unapologetically you, and you've no idea how often I think about you and use your example to help drive me. @asymmetryestablished for being there and being what I needed, when I needed it. You just knew and still do. You got me through one of the roughest patches of this year/arguably my life and I know you'll always be there. It means more than I can express. @midnightcaptions 24/7 you're the other half of me, no matter what that looks like. There aren't words. @cannibal-nightmares My friend, there....there really aren't words. You're my heart.

thanks for the ask! :)

[naiad-r]

I want to knowwwwwww one (1) of your favourite mongol idioms. and what it means, both literally and figuratively. (and also how to spell it using the mongolian cyrillic alphabet)

if you can’t think of one then you can pick an idiom you like from a different language! but you know me I’m always gonna ask you abt mongolian language things

I’ll give you two 😆

Хаврын тэнгэр шиг - Like the sky of spring.

Meaning fickle and moody.

Нохойн дуу ойртох - The barking of a dog coming closer.

Meaning being close to reaching your destination or goal.

[thegreathomestuckreread]

tagged by @ratgf !! thank u ^^

favourite colour: deep reds like maroon and crimson

currently reading: mdzs book 2 and shonen note book 1

last song i listened to: vape nation by mom jeans lol

last movie: the matrix 4

last series: mob psycho 100

currently craving: ice. crunch

currently working on: almost finished crocheting my first blanket >:)

tea or coffee: tea, specifically lemon ginger with honey

tagging @cloudheaded @buggyeyes @emily-adomestic @asymmetryestablished !!

[bcbdrums]

@nyckie @asymmetryestablished @cannibal-nightmares

[papanorth]

I LOVE U POPS have some questions: 2, 11, 15

I LOVE YOU TOO AE

2. If your life was a movie, what kind of soundtrack would it have?

Either some kinda electro-beat glitchy instrumentals (Shawn Wasabi style, also maybe Ratatat), or just some nice acoustic kind. I’d link to the songs I’m thinking of but Youtube stopped working for me 2 days ago and I cannot figure out wtf is wrong.

11. If you could be any mythological creature, what would you be?

According to those quizzes and zodiac aligned things, I’d be a pixie, which is probably accurate (mischievous but fairly harmless, also, I have a pixie cut and am small and very petite).

15. If you could sit down and talk with any fictional character, who would it be? What would you talk about?

Ooooooh man. I kinda wanna say Mike Chilton so he can make me feel valid and loved as a person but he like so many cartoon characters is a teenager so like. Weird. Uuuuh I don’t really know....I don’t get as IRL invested in fiction as a lot of people do. Sorry that’s a lame answer lol

[wifegideonnav]

thank u @asymmetryestablished for the excellent meme format

[themetalhiro]

I feel like the way that you draw your characters is exactly how I like them in the show, do you have any fanfiction that you recommend? Particularly with Sanji ? 

Thank you so much!! Man that means a lot to me!! I try and make sure everyone is characterized accurately so this is great to hear :D

generally, I dont read fanfic, unless its heavily vouched by the community, ( so if any of you wanna rec for *both of us* in the replies 👁…) and also I was lucky enough to avoid all major spoilers for the series so I thought that would be pushing my luck until I caught up!!

BUT I did read this SUPER cute super short lil piece by @asymmetryestablished about an interaction between Zoro and Sanji (not zosan) called Identical Sets ! Absolutely adorable, I love it- def give it a read!

[thegreathomestuckreread]

tagged by @cursmudgeon thank u!!

last music i listened to was the whole album best buds by mom jeans so i guess that means vape nation is the last song i listened to. i saw them live in march with a friend and it fuckin' slapped they were great

any time before like two days ago tho it would have been splatoon music that's all i've been listening to for weeks since grandfest happened

i did this picrew a few months ago but this is my first time doing a picrew since chopping all my hair off o.o so i have updated it! i'm growing my hair back out all the same length and this looks so much cuter than my actual awkward in-between cut right now lol

tagging @cloudheaded @asymmetryestablished @buggyeyes @sneakcatt and anyone reading this who wants to try

i found a cool tag game on twitter and i really wanna import it (o^ ^o)

this picrew + the last song you listened to :]

no pressure tags: @blood-loving-leech @overtaken-boredom @lesbianthatyaps @kameonerd566 @hexedvampire @laczki @anonymous-shxtposter @fleurafae @flovqy + anyone who wants to do it <3

[asymmetryestablished]

asymmetryestablished does not give a fuck about her homework

film at 11

[bcbdrums]

So, October through early-June were the worst mental health months of my life. Especially February through May (and May was nearly the death of me).

To everyone who may feel I abandoned them in the past year, especially @gothicthundra @sharperthewriter @flowery-laser-blasts and @legendary-guest I’m so sorry I just didn’t have many spoons, and most went to survival.

Endless thanks to @asymmetryestablished @cannibal-nightmares and @midnightcaptions who each held me up in your own unique ways. There are some days/nights I don’t know what I'd have done without you.

Recovery is a slow but steady process, but I'm on the way. And just want to say if you’re out there and wondered what became of me, I haven’t forgotten you and I miss you.

[superiorjello]

@asymmetryestablished oh, do I!

Spotting the username of one of my readers in the kudos list of an unrelated fandom fic 👀