#better formatting on AO3

[cryiling]

my 2024 ao3 wrapped is heree! 😽🙌

top works:

jump then fall by @aravenlikeawritingdesk

A Nerd's Guide to Flirting by @saysiwrites

Leftovers by @brichibi

part-time soulmate, full-time problem by @aravenlikeawritingdesk

The Art of Saying You're Sorry by low_commotion

top authors:

nikkiRA (@aravenlikeawritingdesk)

shinealightonme (@toast-the-unknowing)

SaysiWrites (@saysiwrites)

sisi_rambles

Fangirl_on_fire (@fangirl-on-fire3)

thank you to all the amazing fanfic authors who made my year all the more better 🫶

[apomaro-mellow]

Every Baby Needs a Daddy 10

Part 9

EDDIE MUNSON'S NEW HOT PIECE?

The lead guitarist of acclaimed band Corroded Coffin is never far from a pretty face. What's the scoop on the newest one hanging off his arm? While their latest album Darkest Knights is climbing the charts is it possible that he's climbing into the sheets with a mystery man?

Steve scrolled through the article, expecting to find some highly invasive information from a sneaky journalist. But most of the writing was just telling readers who Eddie was and a couple of people he had publicly dated in the past. Probably because it was a mainstream publication and they didn't expect their usual viewers to know anything about a metal band.

The picture they used was of when they got to the venue the night of the concert. Eddie had walked Steve in with an arm around his waist. He went in search for any other information or reactions to this news. He wasn't an idiot. Fans could get pretty possessive over their idols. He was ever thankful that he wasn't very active online. At least not to the point where people could easily find and harass him.

Steve had always cautioned against reading too many comments on things. Online communities could quickly turn negative. But he had to see what they were saying about him and Eddie if he had any chance of defense.

Twitter was full of people giving their two cents either in their own posts or under other articles that were all saying the same thing. #CorrodedCoffin and Eddie Munson were both trending.

Quite a few weren't happy at the idea of Eddie shacking up with someone they had never seen before. Add to that the changed tour schedule and they were extra upset.

ro @ alittleunsteady i can't believe a random omega is taking care of eddie he's probably some money hungry whore

Right out the gate with that one. But Steve supposed it made sense from the outside, what with him being a nobody in the industry. And he was definitely benefitting off Eddie's money.

Star @ estrellamy who’s that wannabe? He even looks like a poser, look at his outfit, no way that’s real.

B @ bipanicroom replied: he's cute and I totally get Eddie wanting him for his rut but he definitely doesn't look the part for a long term omega I mean look at that polo shirt, our metal alpha needs some grunge

Okay, Steve laughed a little at those because, well, he stuck out next to Eddie. He'd mentioned perhaps changing his look to blend in with the crowd and Eddie had immediately vetoed it.

"Those bright ass jeans are like a lighthouse to this weary vessel", he had said. To which, Steve reminded him you're supposed to steer away from lighthouses.

"Whatcha laughin' at?", Eddie asked as he came back into the bedroom, carrying a tray of food.

Steve contemplated telling him about the cat being out of the bag, but it wasn't like they were keeping it a secret. It was just...something they didn't need to announce. He sat up, letting the blanket pool at his hips. They could keep the outside world outside just a little longer.

"Just some memes", then he took a deep breath as Eddie opened the curtain of their den. "Smells good."

Eddie put the tray across Steve's lap. "Pesto grilled cheese. With sun dried tomatoes."

"Fuck, that sounds good." Steve's stomach growled in agreement.

He and Eddie ate in bed, thankfully only getting a minimal amount of crumbs on it and cuddled. Eddie was the big spoon while Steve looked at some more comments. There were a few in a thread trying to figure out who he was and what his deal was. It seemed for as many as there were decrying Steve's fashion sense and how he was probably a gold digger, even twice as many were either in support or neutral.

He went to one of Eddie's fan pages which had a good amount of followers for their thoughts.

stream cc's darkestknights @ yourlove Omg y’all are so dumb, he is a literal rockstar why are you guys asking for explanations? That could be his boyfriend or just some rando, as long as I get good music who cares? Get a life atp really💀

Maple @ maplehazelnusse replied: right??? calm down he wasn't get with you either way

Steve felt Eddie's teeth grazing his skin, not even really sinking in, just squeezing lightly across his shoulders. He put his phone under the pillow, deciding that it all could well and truly wait. Eddie needed his full attention right now, even if he wasn't outright whining for it anymore.

While they spent another day wrapped up in each other, the media was having its usual field day. Eddie's unexpected rut would have made news on its own with it disrupting a tour. But add to it an omega that most of the world had never seen and it was a whole circus.

There were plenty who had actual concern over Eddie because sudden hormonal changes weren't fun. A youtuber posted a video summarizing the events of the past couple of days and under their video was an entire conversation regarding this.

@ thegenericcookie 2 days ago shout out to eddie Munson repping all of us off cycle bitches I had to postpone SUBMITTING MY THESIS because a stupid rut was 10 days early for no goddamn reason😞

@ fastimesatfasttimes 2 days ago OMG same! Its so embarrassing like "yo prof i gotta take of and go fuck myself for a week" >.<

@ grapesofyass 3 days ago is now a gud time to mention some places give rut leave but not heat leave?

Of course, when things of this nature came up, many voiced their opinions of the relationship, simply unable to help themselves. Especially since neither party were at all forthcoming about it. Photos surfacing of the two of them at the club and the sushi restaurant added fuel to the fire.

Sappy @ crazytipper67 eddie munson seen with RaNdoM OmeGA like we havent seen him all over his new bf for nearly a month now 😒 🥱 let not forget Eddie doesnt need to explain shit to us fr

GareBear @ garethsstressball like for real not to be a stalker but anyone whos been payin attention knows these two have been goin out a while

tigger @ corrodedcoughin12 he literally took him on tour i wouldn't be surprised if eddie was like actually courting him old fashioned style hes that type

mya @ amerikanscy Since when has Eddie been one to keep an Omega for this long? I bet as soon as his rut is over he'll just move on to the next like he always does. Who cares if he's been seen with Eddie more than once--if they were really anything to each other then they wouldn't be hiding it.

kas @ neveroncelostbutfound I mean, go off ig 🫤 jeff is not taken tho, right? RIGHT?

helix @ judyjetsuuuun replied: bestie.... image.jpeg

Attached was a very clear photo of Steve dancing with Jeff the night of the club and the resurgence of those pictures sparked all new conversations as Steve was seen dancing with everyone except Eddie.

jill @ jeffsnumbuh1 i just think its funny how when i posted pics of jeff that nite they got a lukewarm response but when the same pics show up with the guy i cropped out (out of respect for his privacy) somehow those got hundreds of shares

Everyone online was having a time. But for some, it was an unfortunate time. As was the case for those that Steve had known back home. Dustin was only a few years younger than Steve. He was pretty much an adult now. But it didn't make it any easier to see a section of the internet thirsting after his old babysitter. Some comments were tame and some were not.

countess @ dollarsandstars omg yay eddie's in love, boo its not me but yay him

estrella @ starsnstripes4never daddy? Sorry. Daddy? Sorry. Daddy? Sorry.

bips @eddiemunsons2ndhusband EDDIE MUNSON IS TAKEN IM SOBBING HIS OMEGA IS SO PRETTY THO

Mark @ marklyblakemore Are we going to get news about a baby Munson soon🫣

fangs @ dusterjacketsarecool can you guys not? the dude literally drove me to middle school and made me go to sleep AT curfew when he watched me

When Dustin left that comment, he had a split second where he wondered if he should delete it. There weren't a ton of pictures of him online but the internet was full of super sleuths who would be able to dig up a lot on Steve if they were able to find a connection and get his name. Dustin hadn't even known he and Eddie were a thing until the tabloids picked it up.

But when replies came, they all shared a similar sentiment. 'Lying for clout is still lying'. Most didn't believe he knew Eddie's new arm candy in real life. And maybe it was better that way. But still, he could talk to the rest of the gang about it because holy shit Steve was dating a celebrity. The texting in their group chat (the one without their older siblings because they didn't want any lectures) had been going crazy since the news broke.

Dustin: How long until we can start posting embarrassing photos of Steve for maximum impact?

Lucas: We gotta wait until they publish his name

Mike: You think Eddie's really gonna announce theyre dating?

Dustin: Only if he's gonna make an honest man out of Steve

Will: But what if it's just a fling? Did Steve tell anyone about this?

Max: Betcha he told robin

El: I'm going to post the one from when he took us to Comic Con.

Lucas: That's not an embarrassing pic

Will: Yeah it was objectively awesome

El: I know. That is why I want to post it :)

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

Eddie could tell when he himself was done with his rut. He wasn't filled with an all consuming need to impregnate Steve. The thought was still attractive, but he could allot some brain power to other things now. Like the madhouse surrounding his love life that was going on. Eddie had never really announced it when he was dating. Then again, the last couple of times it had been with fellow famous people.

Media outlets knew them well and were able to craft their stories easily. He got asked about them during interviews but most of it was public knowledge already. This was the first time since making it big that he'd been seen with someone like Steve. The next time he made an appearance he was going to be asked about him. And there was no way he could just say 'he's my sugar baby, we fuck and then I buy him things'. Even if that was true on paper, it wasn't how Eddie really felt.

Steve was sitting on the couch, gazing intensely on his phone and Eddie was sure it was some discourse about him but when he ventured to look over his shoulder has saw that he was watching a stop motion lego video.

"Interesting entertainment?", he asked, coming around to sit next to him.

"They just make it so smooth, I don't understand", Steve said in awe.

"I was wondering if we could talk about the-", Eddie cleared his throat, "about the, you know, what people are saying."

"Yeah sure", Steve paused the video and put his phone down.

"So, we're gonna move the tour soon", Eddie started. "And at some point, like in the next week, I'll probably be expected to make some kind of statement."

Steve nodded, eyes full of sincerity and understanding and Eddie couldn't take that pointed at him. He shot up and began pacing around.

"Okay, here was the deal. You're my sugar baby, right?"

"Right", Steve answered with another nod.

"But like, and correct me if I'm wrong, we don't really do the things people normally do in this sort of relationship."

"It's not that we don't do them", Steve watched Eddie move back and forth like a caged animal. "We don't-you don't treat me like a sugar baby."

Eddie froze. "Have I been doing this wrong?"

Steve shook his head. "Eddie you've been fine, great even." He stood up and grabbed Eddie's hands. "I couldn't have asked for anyone better. 'Cause like, from what I've seen, a more, let's say experienced sugar daddy would have just assumed I'd assist with a rut. You assumed I wouldn't."

"I couldn't just put that on you. I know what I'm like during a rut", Eddie looked away sheepishly. "But you can't pin this aaaallll on me sweetheart. You haven't been acting very sugar babyish."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Like you're the expert?"

"I've seen a couple! I know that they're very keen on pointing to whatever catches their fancy and saying 'daddy buy me this'. And I know you have good taste in things. You could also stand to drape yourself over me much more in public. I'm frankly appalled that too many of my fans don't see you as someone important."

Steve blushed at all Eddie was describing and tried to hide behind his hands but since Eddie had them, he kept him from doing so.

"That sounds like...a lot. Are you okay with me being a lot?"

"You're asking a musician that?", Eddie raised a brow.

"I mean like, when I get really...involved with someone", Steve was avoiding the word 'dating', "I can get clingy, and like, really hungry for attention."

"Baby, I just spent a week with my face attached to your pussy. Which, for the record, I would have done even I wasn't under hormonal persuasion." Eddie kissed his knuckles and then breathed in deep. Steve still carried so much of him, even after a shower, and would for a while. In about a week, his scent wouldn't cling to him the way it was now, but for a moment, he could imagine Steve was wholly his.

"When I go out in front of cameras, I..." He wanted to tell them Steve was his omega, that he was officially courting and if the fates saw fit, would make him his mate.

"What?"

"What should I tell them?", Eddie asked.

Steve thought about what people already thought was going on. The world already assumed they were fucking. They didn't really announce that. The only real question was how permanent Steve was. Was he a fling or an actual boyfriend?

"What do you want me to be?", Steve asked in return.

Eddie's heart thumped in his chest. The false answer hung from his lips, ready to go. To keep them in this limbo for as long as he could. But that was no guarantee either. Besides, Eddie really wanted to make a proper den for Steve to make a proper nest. He wanted to take Steve back to his actual home. He wanted to meet this enigmatic Robin.

"I want you to be mine. And I wanna tell the world about it." Eddie knew that was the right response from the way Steve lit up.

Corroded Coffin ☑️@corrodedcoffinitsafishyall

The official Twitter of Corroded Coffin. Stream our new album Darkest Knights. And to the owner of the corrodedcoffinofficial handle, come outside we just wanna talk

corrodedcoffinband.com

150 Following 529k Followers

5 minutes ago Changed the password account again bc some knot-heads never heard of PR - Grant

8 minutes ago Btw his name is Steve and he's my sweetheart

10 minutes ago Post-rut clarity call that seein with my third eye

Eddie Munson ☑️ @ edmunsoncc

This is where I go when they kick me off the band account :(

1 minute ago they took my Stevie D:<

2 minutes ago They can take away my account privileges but they cant take away my Stevie

And the world knows his name! And the tour continues! What will happen as they travel down the east coast!? Stay tuned!

Part 11

Tag Team CLOSED

@awkotaco24 @lingeringmirth @littlewildflowerkitten @estrellami-1 @tartarusknight @velocitytimes2 @mrsjellymunson @trashcanniballecter @paintsplatteredandimperfect @a-little-unsteddie  @sllooney  @starman-jpg  @oxidantdreamboat  @xxbottlecapx   @newtstabber @tiny-enthusiast  @desidrarry-wolfstarshipper @y4r3luv @hello-fellow-nerds  @anonymousbandgirl @alyelf @potato-of-the-lord  @beckkthewreck  @croatoan-like-its-hot @pluto-pepsi @abstractnaturaldisaster @ellietheasexylibrarian @eyesofshinigami @dragonmama76 @greatwerewolfbeliever @chaosgremlinmunson @blackpanzy @millseyes-world @batxsignalsx @lilpomelito @goosesister @libraryofgage @aresthelostboy @royjaimie4eva @silenzioperso @she-collects-smut @lost-wondering-souls @eddielives1986 @marklee-blackmore

[death-himself]

i’m not even in the mcyt fandom anymore but sometimes i’m reminded that tommy wrote ship fanfic of himself on wattpad and he who shan’t be named posted an important piece of his lore on ao3 and i regain a bit of my health bar

[xxn00bpwn3rxx]

woaw iz dat a pestkit fanfic ?!?!?

hai . made thiz for 1k twitter followerz celebration :3 waz zuppozed 2 be a comic but i waznt liking it and felt i could better zhow my ideaz and pest/medkit'z emotionz thru writing zo here : ) bware . fluff

Summary; Medkit has a nightmare, and Pest tries to comfort him

⠀⠀Darkness surrounded him. He didn't know where he was or how he ended up here, and he looked around, eyes wide as his eyes adjusted to the light. His hands trembled as he held on to a lantern with a small fire inside of it, illuminating everything around him with a weak yellow glow. He was holding onto the lantern like his life depended on it, he didn't even think he would be able to drop it if he had to. ⠀⠀Flies buzzed quietly around him as he stepped forward. There was a long road in front of him that led into darkness, with an occasional torch dotted here and there that didn't do much to pierce through the pitch black. Sand covered the ground on either side of the road, and he could hear small whispers in the distance. ⠀⠀He walked along the path, stopping when he saw a person. He ran up to it, calling out to them, but nothing came out of his mouth. He stopped in his tracks instantly when they looked at him with firey green eyes and muttered a garbled sentence, though he understood it clearly. "You filthy traitor." ⠀⠀Ice seemed to crawl up his spine suddenly as he looked away and started power-walking down the road again. He could hear the whispers from the darkness clearly now. ⠀⠀"I need healing!" ... "How's your eye?" ... "Do I have to work with a traitor?" ... "Help!" ⠀⠀It made his mind and heart race as he started to run, wanting to get away from the whispers as fast as he could. His feet pounded against the asphalt, sending up pain through his legs from the force of it, but he couldn't stop. He felt like something was following him, and it sent his adrenaline rushing. ⠀⠀Through the darkness and occasional light, he saw it. A house. He could hide in there! He went faster, running up through the steps and through the open door, almost flying into the T.V.s that were scattered in certain places in the room. He stared down at them, the red screens flickering. A single light source came from the roof; everything else was open and empty. There was no place to hide in here. ⠀⠀He could still hear the whispers. They were getting louder. The same thing, over, and over, and over again. And he could hear the shadowy figures walking around, their footsteps soft but audible. Then he heard a sound he hadn't heard before. A buzzing sound that was definitely getting louder. He looked over his shoulder right before a giant green slitted eye flew through the door towards him, and he let out a scream right before he blacked out, the last thing he heard from the eye being "You must kill him, to become him." ...

⠀⠀Medkit sat up straight on the bed with a loud gasp, his heart racing too fast for him to handle, his hands clammy, his mind fuzzy. He was panting heavily, and his mouth felt dry. His hands shook as he gripped the bedsheets, making sure he was still alive and fine, but grounding himself didn't seem to work as his eyes darted around the dark room. He didn't recognize where he was. And that sent more fear through him. ⠀⠀He was starting to hyperventilate, and he could hear nothing but his own heart beating at a scary pace, faster than it should ever be, and he was terrified he was about to have a heart attack. He gripped the pillow next to him, holding it with so much strength that his knuckles had turned white, and he started sobbing. Soft sobs, with a few hiccups in between, but slowly started getting louder as he smothered his face into the pillow.

⠀⠀In the other room, there was the soft sound of a water faucet running into the sink with the occasional splash of water. Pest stared at the mirror in front of him, water dripping off of his face. One of his antennae flicked upwards and twitched towards the bathroom door, something felt off. He turned off the faucet and bent over slightly, elbows resting on the counter as he listened. Then he heard it. Crying. ⠀⠀Crying again? He sighed softly, turning his gaze over to the bathroom door as he took the hand towel from besides the sink to wipe his face dry. That's the third time this week. He listened for a small bit more, noticing how it wasn't letting up. He grumbled. ⠀⠀Now, Pest wasn't one to care if somebody was crying around him, he'd ignore it. And he did the first couple times Medkit had cried near him. But three times is one too many, and he was getting annoyed. Though, what he couldn't ignore was the small sliver of empathy he had towards the demon; as much as Pest hated to admit it, he felt bad for Medkit. ⠀⠀And personally to Pest, Medkit wasn't the one to break down like he had been recently. Pest had been around him long enough to know that something had changed within the man, and he didn't know what had caused it. He didn't think too much about it though as he finished drying his face and moved over to open the bathroom door. ⠀⠀He slowly moved it open and peeked out of it, eyes moving around the dark room until his eyes met the form of Medkit huddled on the bed, face covered with one of Pest's pillows. He let out a soft growl, but ignored it as he opened the door more. As he stared over at Medkit, that feeling of empathy grew, and it confused him. He'd never felt it before. Something was telling him to suck it up and go comfort his boyfriend, but he was unsure how. So, he knocked on the bathroom door softly just to let Medkit know he was there. ⠀⠀Medkit stilled, his sobs disappearing as he laid there. He was shaking, his heart still racing. Hearing the knocks made him more scared, as he was unsure of who it was. By staying still he hoped whatever it was would think he wasn't there. Then he felt the bed dip slightly where his legs were and a low creak of the bedsprings. He breathed heavily and got brave enough to look over his pillow slightly, to be greeted with 4 red eyes staring at him. Medkit thought he would have just croaked right then and there finally from a heart attack, but something about the way the eyes were looking at him gave him a sense of safe that he didn't understand. ⠀⠀The other person shifted slightly closer, still looking at him. Medkit couldn't see much from how dark the room was, but he could recognize the shape of Pest from anywhere, and he calmed down a tiny bit as he stared at him. ⠀⠀"Are you okay?" Pest muttered out. Medkit's brain paused for a quick second, and he continued to stare at Pest as he slowly processed what he had just asked. To him, it sounded more like a demand than a question, and it dumbfounded him, especially since he was still mentally out of it from his nightmare that the question was lost on him. And he must still be in his nightmare, because Pest would never ask him that. ⠀⠀Pest watched Medkit for a few more seconds before growling. "Did you hear me?" His voice was harder this time. Oh. It really is Pest. Medkit thought, and he slowly put his pillow down to lay it on his chest. He nodded, opening his mouth to reply, but instead licking his lips to get rid of the chappy dry feeling he still had. After a couple seconds, he replied. "Y-yeah. I did." Medkit's voice was shaky, low and hoarse, and he hoped what he said was intelligible enough for Pest to hear.

⠀⠀"Then answer. Are you okay?" Pest narrowed his eyes at him, and Medkit felt a hand gently being placed on his own. It wasn't much, but that small gesture made Medkit feel warmer than he had a few seconds ago, and he instantly went to intertwine his fingers with Pest's. ⠀⠀"I... I suppose so." Medkit looked away, leaning back against the pillows. Pest moved over and turned the bedside lamp on, turning his head to stare at Medkit's face. He looked tired, which was the norm for Medkit, but somehow he looked even more pathetic like this. His one eye was shot, his hair a complete mess, and the little fluff on his cheeks were stiff with dried tears. Pest chittered, clicking his mandibles together as he took in the sight in front of him. ⠀⠀"That's a lie." Medkit frowned at Pest's response. "You look like you were run over by multiple trucks and possibly an airplane." Medkit knew Pest was attempting to lighten the mood, but it didn't work for him. ⠀⠀"Why... why would you care?" Medkit turned his head to Pest as he asked the question, and he felt guilt as he heard the way it sounded as it exited his mouth. He instantly went to apologize, "I'm-" ⠀⠀He was cut off by Pest suddenly getting up further onto the bed, moving Medkit's legs to crawl towards him like a feral animal, his head lowered, and eyes squinted at him like he was suddenly a piece of prey. "Pest, what are you-" Suddenly, Pest was laying right on top of Medkit, and he couldn't help the blush creeping onto his face as Pest wrapped his top arms around him, bringing them both into an embrace. ⠀⠀Pest stared up at Medkit, his chin on his chest. "Look. I don't care what you think of me. Just stop your crying. It's starting to get on my... nerves." Medkit exhaled softly. The way Pest spoke was harsh, not a lot of comfort, but that wasn't what caught Medkit's attention. The way Pest had hesitated on the last word gave Medkit all he needed to know about Pest's true feelings, he knew it was his own way of saying "I want you to stop crying because it's making me upset," which showed he cared. At least, that's what Medkit was hoping for. ⠀⠀Pest's mandibles tapped Medkit's chest. "Or else." Medkit stiffened a bit, wondering why he was suddenly being threatened to stop his crying, but when he looked down at Pest's eyes he saw a playful glimmer to them. That did not help matters. ⠀⠀He shifted slightly underneath Pest as he stared at him straight on. "Don't." His voice was low, a warning, but Pest did nothing but smile teasingly back at him. ⠀⠀"Don't what?" Pest replied. Medkit's heart dropped when he felt Pest's lower hands trail up underneath his nightshirt, and he blushed harder. A small thumping noise could be heard, and when Pest looked down, he noticed Medkit's deer tail was hitting the bed, and he snickered. "Okay. Now I know this'll work." He looked back up at Medkit right before he used his claws to gently claw at his fur. ⠀⠀The moment Pest's fingers did that, Medkit jolted with a soft yelp. The sensation made a million different thoughts and emotions go through his head at once and it was getting increasingly hard to not get overwhelmed or melt, or both at the same time. Medkit hissed through his teeth, "Pest. Stop it. That tickles." ⠀⠀Pest rolled his eyes and moved upwards more. "That's too bad." He bent down and started planting soft kisses on Medkit's face, bringing his hands up to lay on Medkit's chest as he did so. Pest was getting confused on why he was suddenly getting so touchy with Medkit, but it looked like he needed it so he went with his urges and showered him in affection. Medkit on the other hand, was becoming a flustered mess below him.

⠀⠀Medkit was letting out soft giggles as Pest kissed his face, he was trying desperately to act like it wasn't doing anything just because he felt stubborn, but it was not working out in his favor. Especially with his tail going 50 mph right next to them. Pest cupped his face with his hands and started kissing him more deeply, one on the forehead, another on the cheek, a gentle one on his facial scars. Medkit's ears flicked and he whined, making his lips a thin line as if to stop himself from smiling. ⠀⠀He felt like if Pest continued any longer he was gonna end up melting into a puddle, his heart felt like it was about to burst. Then Pest kissed him on the lips, and his body went completely limp, his eyes closed, and his mind went completely blank from shock. He could feel nothing but Pest's hands and arms wrapped around him, his mandibles caressing his cheeks, his lips on his, and his antennae gently tapping him as if Pest were feeling him with those too. ⠀⠀After a couple seconds of the kiss that felt like it went on for hours, Pest pulled back and looked down at Medkit, hands still cupping his face as he scanned his expression. Medkit fluttered his eyes open, making immediate eye contact with Pest. He breathed quickly through his nose, and he cheeks were a deep blue color as his lips trembled into a weak smile. ⠀⠀Pest adjusted himself so he was laying next to Medkit, and he laid his head against one of his horns as he wrapped all four arms around him fully. "There. You smiled." He grinned smugly at him, and Medkit grumbled softly. Though, he couldn't stop the smile growing on him as he nuzzled his face against Pest's neck, placing a hand on his chest. ⠀⠀"Shut up," he muttered, placing a little kiss against Pest's neck, earning a chitter in response. ⠀⠀He raised one of his hands up to rub gently at Pest's horns, which was in his own way him being affectionate right back at him. His blunted claws scratched and massaged in the little grooves, him being extra careful of the spiky parts. It didn't take long for Pest to entirely lean against Medkit, kicking his leg against the bedsheets like a little dog as Medkit continued, and he started hearing a soft rumble coming from his chest as he used the other hand to massage the other horn. They suddenly twitched, clicking together once, and Medkit had to withdraw his hands quickly to make sure Pest didn't accidentally grab his nightshirt (or hands) and rip it. ⠀⠀His smile grew as he snuggled closer to Pest, looping his arms around his neck, feeling safe in the comfort of him. After a bit, his breathing slowed down, and he found himself finally falling back asleep, his ear right up against Pest's chest as he listened to the steady rhythm of his heart. Pest went and moved his tail to push the blanket closer to him, going slow to make sure Medkit didn't wake up, and went and wrapped the blanket around the both of them as he got more comfortable in his position. ⠀⠀Medkit was already snoring softly, and Pest found his own eyes closing as he let himself finally fall asleep as well. Medkit didn't have a nightmare this time, and Pest finally got some much needed rest.

[dreadfutures]

The Brave Guide, Ch 74 - Echoes of Purpose

Ixchel finds the spirit who has been killing and trapping villagers in frozen time--and she sees something familiar deep inside it.

Inside was a familiar sloped courtyard leading to a square labyrinth of stonework tile. The air hummed with magic, much like Briala’s Hall of Uthenera. But instead of an altar at the center there was a small grove where a tree had taken root long ago. Its branches were bare of leaves, but even at a distance it was clear small buds were sprouting from the dark, shiny wood. Below its canopy was a small pool of sparkling water—and the slumped form of a sleeping man, bound in vines.

Ixchel felt a difference in the air here, despite the supernatural stillness that permeated the space. It felt more deeply preserved, like it lay at the bottom of an ocean or at the center of the earth. They had found the anchor of the spell, but whether it was the man, the tree, or the pool, it was impossible to say.

It was hard to discern much about the man, except that he was old and skeletally thin. His cheeks were shadowed and gaunt, and his hair was thin and white, scalp speckled with age. Any further observation—whether he was human or elf, living or dead—would require a closer look.

“This looks like Briala’s eluvian hub,” Vivienne said. “Barring the intrusion of nature and the body. Garish inclusion.”

[big-urchin-energy]

Dealbreaker

bucktommy, 1.3k words, read it on Ao3

summary:

He’d always always been derisive of people who got married without ever having that conversation, only finding out too late that they want different things, but with Evan… he can kind of see what might drive a person to that. He won’t be that person, though. It isn’t fair. He doesn’t want to hurt Evan any more than he has to.

tags: Break Up, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Unreliable Narrator, POV Tommy Kinard, Tommy Kinard Friendly, ish, (like i am making him suffer but it's out of love)

[riacte]

hi! i love reading your fics but i specifically love the social media shenanigans in dearly beloathed. i was wondering how you would feel if i took some inspiration from that for a fic of mine because i would love to write something that's very similarly formatted but i wanted to make sure you were fine with that (cause i'm assuming it took some time and effort to come up with) before i did. anyways your writing is awesome and i love reading it

Yes sure of course! I took inspiration from ao3 fics (F1 fandom in particular is stunning at formatting, I have so much respect for their dedication), such as this one (I basically took the formatting from this) and this Twitch streamer AU. If you're posting on ao3, there's the option of playing with HTML/CSS for a more "realistic" socmed interface, for example this one for Twitter which is magic to me. This one is an extremely impressive Discord mockup. An Unauthorised Fandom Treatise is a nice look into mid 2010s Superwholock era fandom whereas F1 rpf and indeed mcyt / streamer stuff is more "modern". Anyways yeah there's a lot of potential in this genre of fics and loads of stuff to check out on ao3 if you wish :) I love scrolling through the Unconventional Format tag because people are just so creative. Good luck with your writing!

[princess-of-purple-prose]

In which Wei Wuxian turns an ambush against him into an opportunity to get some brother (and brother-in-law) bonding time in, and Jiang Cheng suffers, as usual.

My first posted MDZS fic!! Check it out if you enjoy silly jc pov, wwx being annoying, and lwj and jc only ever being able to agree on the facts that wwx 1) must be protected at all costs and 2) is an idiot

[s0fter-sin]

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Call of Duty (Video Games) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: John "Soap" MacTavish/Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Soap" MacTavish & Simon "Ghost" Riley, Rodolfo Parra/Alejandro Vargas, Rodolfo Parra & Alejandro Vargas, Valeria Garza & Rodolfo Parra, Valeria Garza/Rodolfo Parra/Alejandro Vargas Characters: John "Soap" MacTavish, Simon "Ghost" Riley, Rodolfo Parra, Alejandro Vargas, Valeria Garza Additional Tags: Meta, Analysis, Character Analysis, Character Study, Canon Compliant, Mission: Alone (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)), Body Language, Past Relationship(s) Series: Part 1 of soft’s meta Summary:

various call of duty character and story meta analysis

[ollieofthebeholder]

And If Thou Wilt, Forget: a TMA fanfic

Read from the beginning on Tumblr || AO3 || My Website

Chapter 28: Hope dead lives nevermore

[CLICK]

[EVERYTHING IS VAGUELY MUFFLED]

[CAR ENGINE RUMBLING, SLOWING DOWN, AND THEN SHUTTING OFF WITH A CLUNK]

GERRY

What the fuck…?

…Oh, God, no.

[CAR DOOR CREAKS OPEN, THEN SLAMS SHUT]

[VARIOUS CROWD SOUNDS, PUNCTUATED BY THE OCCASIONAL RADIO SQUEAK]

[FOOTSTEPS CRUNCHING ON GRAVEL]

GERRY

Excuse me! Hey, excuse me!

FEMALE VOICE

You need to back off. This is a restricted area right now.

GERRY

No, wait, look, I—I got a phone call, I’m—someone called Roy DeSoto called me? To…pick up my…partner…what the fuck is going on here?

FEMALE VOICE

Oh, yeah, he’s with the medics. Across the street over there. One of those two tents.

Should be good to go if they were calling you. Just don’t go in. And don’t get any closer.

GERRY

…Yeah. Sure.

Thanks, Officer…Hussein.

[FOOTSTEPS GO FROM GRAVEL TO PAVEMENT TO DRY GRASS, GETTING FASTER AS THEY GO]

MALE VOICE

Whoa, hey, sir—sir, you can’t be here—

GERRY

DeSoto—are you Roy DeSoto?

DESOTO

That’s me. Oh—wait, are you, uh, Delano? Jareth Delano? Tim Stoker’s point of contact?

GERRY

Yeah. He—h-how is he? What happened?

DESOTO

He’ll be fine. He’s doing good. Damn sight better than the other guy. (Grumbles) At least he’s not being too difficult.

He’s probably going to be sore for a while. Bandages need to stay on for at least the next twenty-four hours before changing them. We’ve called in a scrip for an antibiotic cream, but he might need help with that. We gave him some painkillers, too, and there’s a scrip in for that as well. Probably want to check in with his regular doctor to see how things are healing up.

Oh, and make sure he gets as much fresh air as possible for the next few days, too. Drinks a lot of water. And if you want to get some of those ice lollies for him to suck on, that might not be a bad thing, because he’s probably going to have a sore throat for a bit.

But he’s good to go. We don’t really have a reason to keep him anymore, and he says he doesn’t want to go to hospital, so you can take him home.

GERRY

…Thanks. Where is he?

DESOTO

Right in there. I—

DISTANT VOICE

Roy!

DESOTO

Coming!

Yeah, right in there, go ahead.

GERRY

Thanks.

[RUNNING FOOTSTEPS]

[SLIGHTLY MORE MEASURED FOOTSTEPS]

[DEEP BREATH]

[RATTLE OF PLASTIC]

TIM

(Tiredly) Hi, babe.

GERRY

(Horrified) Oh, Tim.

[FABRIC RUSTLES]

[STIFLED GROAN FROM TIM]

GERRY

Sorry, sorry!

Jesus. What happened?

Also, if you ever call me like that out of the clear blue sky again—

TIM

I know. I’m sorry.

Look, let’s…let’s get out of here. I can tell you everything when we get home.

GERRY

Okay, but one question before we leave.

TIM

Sure.

GERRY

Why is your belt around your head?

[CLICK]

———

[CLICK]

JON

Just have a seat, Tim, I—

Oh. Elias?

ELIAS

Yes. Tim has…left us, I’m afraid.

[CHAIR SCRAPES AND CLATTERS TO THE GROUND]

JON

What?!

ELIAS

I hadn’t seen him before I came down here. Not since he was taken into quarantine. But when you asked for him, of course, I went to find him, and when I couldn’t, I spoke to the paramedics.

They confirmed he was gone.

JON

(Voice tight) What happened?

ELIAS

Apparently they called his partner to come and get him. Once he was released from quarantine, there was no reason to keep him on the premises, and the police didn’t feel the need to speak to him. I believe they said he left an hour…ninety minutes ago.

[JON EXHALES HEAVILY, AND THERE IS A SOFT THUMP, LIKE HE’S SUDDENLY BRACING HIMSELF AGAINST A DESK]

Jon, are you all right?

JON

So he’s gone…home.

ELIAS

Yes, I—ah. I apologize, I didn’t think about how I was phrasing that.

Yes, Tim is alive and…about as well as you are, I suppose. Perhaps not. He did have to be in quarantine a fair bit longer than you were—I’m not certain as to why—but he’s been released.

JON

And he just left?

ELIAS

I’m sure he didn’t know you needed to speak with him. Why would he have run if he had?

[A FEW BEATS OF SILENCE]

JON

Does he know?

ELIAS

That Martin found…? I doubt it.

You can talk to him later, Jon. Not tonight. He’s likely as tired and sore as you are.

JON

I’m fine. And I don’t want this to wait.

ELIAS

Well, I suppose your choices are to call him—

JON

I need it on record.

ELIAS

—or to go and speak with him personally.

I gave you a copy of his CV, did I not? I believe it has his address at the top.

JON

(Unconvincingly) Yes. Yes, of—of course.

I’ll, I’ll do that. Thank you.

ELIAS

Right. In that case, are we done here?

JON

No. I still need to talk to the others.

Send Sasha in, then.

ELIAS

…Of course.

[CLICK]

———

[CLICK]

TIM

Yeah, looks like it’s got something in it, all right.

GERRY

I don’t remember grabbing it. I don’t even remember having it.

TIM

It’s mine. I thought I brought it to work with me today, but…well, guess I was a bit distracted this morning. I must’ve dropped it in your coat pocket by mistake.

Good thing, too. With everything that happened, I’d probably have lost it.

GERRY

Let me go walk the dog while you relax and then you can tell me all about it.

TIM

When’s the last time he went out?

GERRY

Just before the paramedic called me. I couldn’t get hold of you and I was having trouble concentrating.

Figured going for a bit of a walk might keep me distracted enough that I didn’t storm the Institute looking for you.

TIM

Then he should be fine for a bit before he needs to go out again.

I know he’s back in the bedroom. I also know you’re worried about him jumping on the holes, but, honestly, I’m so doped up right now I wouldn’t feel it if you jabbed a sword into my chest.

GERRY

You mean like this?

[TIM GIVES OUT A YELL OF PAIN]

[BARKING FROM DOWN THE HALL]

TIM

(A bit breathlessly) Okay, I might have slightly overestimated the efficacy of medical-grade narcotics, but…

GERRY

Sorry.

[SOFT KISS]

I’ll let him out. He’ll probably be gentle with you. Then we can…talk.

TIM

Sounds good. Thanks, babe.

[FOOTSTEPS DOWN THE HALL]

[TIM SIGHS HEAVILY]

[TOENAILS CLICKING ON HARDWOOD GETTING GRADUALLY LOUDER, JINGLING OF TAGS]

[SQUEAK OF SOFA SPRINGS]

[ENTHUSIASTIC LICKING]

TIM

Hey, yeah, good to see you, too. Yeah, I’m okay, I’m okay. Ow—ow—easy there, boy—(laughing) Okay, okay, enough. Enough.

Rowlf, down.

[LICKING STOPS]

[SOFA SPRINGS SQUEAK AGAIN]

GERRY

Hey, budge over, mutt, I want to sit down, too.

Actually, don’t bother. Sit up, Tim.

[SOUNDS OF SHIFTING, MORE SOFA SPRINGS SQUEAKING]

[TWIN SIGHS]

GERRY

This okay?

TIM

Yeah. Yeah, this is good.

GERRY

What happened? You called me in the middle of the workday, yelled that you loved me, and immediately hung up. Tried calling you back and went from not getting an answer to the connection not even going through, and the next thing I hear is six hours later from a blocked number saying you’re fine, but they don’t trust you to leave on your own. And then I get to the Institute and…

I saw the EDC truck. I’m not stupid. The Corruption attacked, didn’t it?

TIM

Long story short, yeah.

GERRY

And…short story long?

TIM

Anything by Ernest Hemingway.

[GERRY GIVES A LONG, DRAWN OUT, EXASPERATED GROAN]

GERRY

I’m serious. If ‘the Corruption attacked’ is the—what’s it called? The Cliff’s Notes version—at least give me the Readers Digest Condensed Version.

TIM

…I think the Web pushed the Corruption to attack.

GERRY

…

…Okay, you’re going to have to give me the full novel here, Stoker.

TIM

(A bit teasingly) You want my statement?

GERRY

Do I look Eye-aligned to you?

TIM

Yes.

GERRY

(Brief chuckle) Fair enough.

TIM

(Seriously) It was around lunchtime. Sasha and Martin were both out, and I was just packing up to go myself. Lou—you remember Lou, my old boss from Velvet and Crow?

GERRY

The one you said went to school with Gertrude?

TIM

Yeah. She—fuck, I’m going to have to reach out to her, she probably thinks I blew her off. Today’s her birthday, so she asked if I’d meet her for lunch. I was just getting ready to tell Jon I was going when I heard this…thumping noise from the Archivist’s office. I went in, and there was Jon, standing by the wreckage of the shelves. He said he’d been trying to kill a spider and the whole thing just…collapsed.

GERRY

And that’s why you think the Web was involved? Hate to break it to you, Tim, but spiders do occasionally turn up for innocuous reasons. Maybe it was just lost.

TIM

Believe me, I thought the same thing. But he described it as a “nasty, bulbous thing”—and, okay, Jon super hates spiders, which makes sense since he’s definitely been marked pretty deeply by the Web—

GERRY

How do you know that?

TIM

Please. After almost three years, if I can’t pick out a mark that obvious, you and Gertrude did a shitty job of training me.

But yeah, I guess there was the possibility Jon was exaggerating, either because his fear made it seem bigger and nastier than it was or because he needed it to be big and nasty so I wouldn’t get mad at him for killing a harmless little lint speck. You know how it goes. Except when I got closer and looked, I realized the shelves had made a hole in the wall. And I could smell it—that dry, musty, earthy smell I last smelled, or at least last smelled that strongly, when I went to Martin’s place.

I’m sure I’ve been smelling it around the Institute, too, but it just faded into the background after a while. This was intense.

GERRY

Are you telling me there were worms in the walls? I thought the building was solid stone.

TIM

It was. It is.

We thought the wall he went through was an exterior wall. Nope. It was just plasterboard, and…behind it was a space. Not just a gap of a few inches to allow for wiring or whatever, but actual tunnels. Deep ones. I realized later it was probably the remains of the old Millbank Prison.

GERRY

(Surprised) There actually are tunnels under the Institute? Fuck me. I thought the old bat was joking.

TIM

What? When?

GERRY

Not long after she told me about the rituals, right around the time I thought I found Leitner. She caught me snooping through her papers—

TIM

Seems to be a habit with you.

GERRY

Shut up. She asked if I’d found anything interesting, and I said I was looking for her nefarious plans…she said she wouldn’t keep those with her papers, and I made a joke about hidden underground tunnels, and she said that oh, yes, there was a whole network of tunnels under the Institute that she’d conveniently forgotten to mention. Her tone of voice sounded like she was joking, but…

TIM

(Slowly) At the time, maybe she was. I think you maybe got her curious, and that’s how she found them.

She definitely knew about them. I’m sure of it. It’s why those shelves were where they were. That was where the plasterboard was thinnest, she must have known if anything broke in it would be there. Wanted an early detection system, I guess.

GERRY

So what happened after you smelled the Corruption in the tunnels? Please tell me you didn’t go down looking for it.

TIM

No, it came up looking for us. Jon poked at the hole and made it a bit bigger, and the next thing I knew the office was teeming with worms.

Martin was back by then. I managed to get him and Jon back into that secure Document Storage room, the climate-controlled one, you know? Not easily, mind you. Jon was insistent on bringing the recorders along, I’m still not sure what that was about. Not like the tape would have survived if he hadn’t. We made it, but he got bitten on the way, so I had to get that out…Sasha was still out there, though, and, well, I was worried about the worms. So I went out to fight them off. Got Sasha out of the Archives, told her to get help, and I wound up in the Archivist’s office.

I, uh…they were close. Really close. The worms, I mean. I wound up falling into some case boxes that turned out to have fire extinguishers in them, so I was attacking the worms, but…

GERRY

These would be the extinguishers that are useless for the kind of fire you expect at the Institute? The ones filled with carbon dioxide?

TIM

Yeah. They do work on the worms, though.

GERRY

Most things die when you suck the oxygen out of their lungs.

Speaking of, do you want some water or something? Medic said you’ll probably have a sore throat for a while, I assume because you were breathing carbon dioxide.

TIM

I’m okay for now, but…yeah. That’s what was going on. Got a little lightheaded, too. But I did realize I needed to get out of there somehow.

That’s when I called you.

GERRY

Oh, good. I’m so glad that was on your list of priorities.

TIM

Making sure you got to hear my voice one last time, just in case I didn’t make it out of there alive? Yeah, that was pretty much top of my list.

GERRY

Okay, now I have to kill you.

[TIM LAUGHS]

I’m not joking, Stoker. Do you have any idea what it would have done to me if that had been the last communication I ever had with you?

You didn’t even give me a chance to say it back.

TIM

…I know. I’m sorry.

I guess it was a little selfish. I was going to do something I knew was dangerous, and I wanted to hear your voice one last time, just in case I never heard another one.

Plus, you know, oxygen deprivation. Wasn’t exactly thinking the clearest.

GERRY

I’ll give you that one.

TIM

Anyway, I went down. God, it was like a maze down there. Down was up, up was down, left and right meant just about nothing…and I know what you’re thinking. I couldn’t sense the Spiral. Or the Buried, for that matter, so that was good. It was just…confusing.

If it’s the remains of Millbank Prison, that makes sense, really. Smirke designed it, and he obviously knew about the Fourteen, so he might have drawn on elements of the Spiral without actually…invoking it. Probably not to draw it. Probably just to make it confusing for any prisoners who managed to get out of their cells. The guards would have had maps and directions and all that sort of thing, but a convict making a break for freedom? They could wander for ages and not find the way out.

There weren’t as many worms down there, though. Not at first. Most of them must’ve been up in the Archives, which was not comforting, but I figured I’d worry about getting out and then I could worry about destroying Jane Prentiss and her filth. And then…I found a room full of them.

GERRY

(Quietly) Alive or dead?

TIM

Alive. Alive and building.

They were…Ger, I think I’m right, I think that was a Corruption ritual. Or at least it was meant to be one. The worms were stacking themselves together, kind of twisting around one another, and…it looked like they were making a doorway. I can only assume it was for the Creeping Rot to enter our world.

GERRY

You stopped it, though, right?

TIM

Oh, yeah. I pumped two and a half canisters of CO2 into that room. Nothing was getting out of there alive.

I wandered a bit after that and eventually came to a wall that looked different from the rest, like it was thinner. And I could hear voices on the other side—

GERRY

Voices?

TIM

—that I recognized as Jon and Martin’s. So I broke through the wall, and yeah, there was Document Storage. It’s on the same wall as the Archivist’s office.

The worms were getting pretty bad up there, so I figured my first priority was to get them out of there and somewhere safe. I reckoned if all the worms were in the Archives, they’d be all right in the tunnels. Jon was hurt, though, and his leg was slowing him down, and…there were enough worms in the tunnels. A wave of them came at us, and we lost—lost track of Martin.

I, I don’t know if he—I don’t know if he got out, Gerry. I don’t know if he found his way to the surface, or if he’s still trapped down there, or if something else got him or—

GERRY

Easy, babe. Easy.

[ROWLF WHINES SOFTLY]

TIM

Sorry. I’m good. I’m good.

[DEEP BREATH]

Anyway, we, um, turns out breaking through the walls isn’t the only way into the Archives from those tunnels. There’s a trapdoor. A big one. Jon and I found it and…I should have made him stay in the tunnels. I tried to make him stay in the tunnels, but Jesus Christ, we thought Gertrude was stubborn? Jon makes the Alps look easy to shift. So we went up together.

And Jane Prentiss was waiting for us.

GERRY

Shit. How’d you fight her off?

TIM

I didn’t. The fire suppressant system finally kicked in. Last thing I remember before I blacked out was the screaming.

GERRY

Jon?

TIM

The worms. I guess. Or maybe it was the dying scream of the ritual fizzling out, I dunno.

Just…that’s going to be haunting my dreams for a while, I think. Thousands of tiny things without mouths, screaming for a god that isn’t listening.

GERRY

And now that’s going to haunt my dreams, thanks.

TIM

You can’t imagine it unless you were there. Trust me. Whatever you’re thinking…it was a million times worse.

GERRY

I can imagine quite a lot.

TIM

I know.

[SEVERAL LONG MOMENTS OF SILENCE]

GERRY

You stopped her, Tim. Even if you’re not the one who kicked off the overhead system, you slowed her down enough that it could work, and you put Sasha in the position that she could do that.

You did good.

TIM

Yeah.

I’m just…I’m worried. About Martin. About Jon.

GERRY

Jon’s fine. Or at least fine enough to be a problem. When I picked you up, the paramedic was grumbling about “the other guy” being difficult, and I assume that was Jon.

TIM

That’s…good. I tried to take the brunt of it for him, but there’s only so much surface area to my body, you know?

GERRY

I am, in fact, quite aware of the surface area of your body.

[TIM LAUGHS]

You’re not worried about Sasha?

TIM

No. She got out. She’s probably fine.

And she’s short enough that the worms probably looked right over her.

[GERRY LAUGHS]

I mean, I am worried about her, but…less than the others.

GERRY

Gertrude’s going to be proud of you.

TIM

I hope so.

And I fucking hope she gets back soon, because if she doesn’t, I’m going to have to make a call myself.

GERRY

On whether to tell the others about…everything?

TIM

Yup.

I don’t think knowing would have kept them safe. Sure as fuck didn’t do jack shit for me. But going forward…God. Are they going to make smarter decisions if they know that stuff is literally trying to kill them?

GERRY/TIM (SIMULTANEOUSLY)

No.

[THEY BOTH LAUGH THIS TIME]

TIM

Really, I think…I think if I’m going to tell anyone, it would need to be Jon. I just…don’t know if I should.

GERRY

Why Jon? Why not Martin or Sasha?

TIM

Jon is…until Gertrude gets back, he’s the acting Archivist. I haven’t been calling him that, and I don’t think he’s noticed or really thought about it. But he’s still…

He’s at least nominally in charge. He’s the one calling the shots, or at least he should be. And I can’t help but wonder if he’d make different decisions if he knew everything.

GERRY

…I mean…

On the one hand, probably? If he knows about the Fourteen, if he knows Jane Prentiss wasn’t just an isolated thing, if he knows what’s going on behind everything, he might make different decisions. About research, about how to run the Archives, about what he should be doing. It’s highly likely.

On the other hand, I think the question you should actually be asking is if he’d make better decisions if he knew everything.

TIM

Yeah, that’s a good point.

He’s…curious. Too curious for his own damn good. And I know he makes bad decisions. He wouldn’t have got hurt today if he hadn’t gone back for the tape recorder—it slowed him getting out of the office, and then he dropped it on his way to Document Storage and that’s why he got bit. And he…focuses too much on the immediate problem and not long-term solutions.

Like the carbon dioxide system. I don’t know how he talked Elias into that. It doesn’t actually work on the kind of fires we’re likely to get in the Archives. I mean, it comes—came—out cold, and sinks to the bottom of the room, so that’s not the issue, but it doesn’t go deep enough to put out fires on, say, paper. And if it dissipates, but the actual source of the ignition isn’t removed, the fire’s quite likely to flare up again.

All of which he would have known if he’d done just a little bit of research, or put any thought into it. Collect the extinguishers, sure, but replacing the whole system? That was stupid. Now we’re safe from the Corruption—or specifically from the worms, which aren’t going to be a problem anymore—but we’re at risk from the Desolation.

GERRY

And if he’d known about both? Would he have done that? Got the extinguishers and not pushed about the overall system?

TIM

…No. No, I don’t think he would have. I think he’d have said to get the CO2 system and supplement with the ABC extinguishers rather than the other way around.

I’ll grant you that we probably wouldn’t have survived if he had done it the other way around, but…

GERRY

But Gertrude wouldn’t have.

TIM

Gertrude wouldn’t have involved Elias at all if she could help it. Also, I know she was trying to get the ABC system installed, because that’s what I gave her the recommendation for.

GERRY

Yeah, true.

So. What are you going to do about Jon?

TIM

Not sure yet. Luckily, I think I’ve got time to work that out.

GERRY

Did the paramedics tell you how long it’s going to be before you can go back to work?

TIM

Not their call. I’m going to have to go to a regular doc and get checked out. Probably tomorrow, but…fuck it, I might wait until Thursday or Friday and rest tomorrow.

I’m thinking probably a few weeks. Some of these holes are deep.

(Groans) Aaaaand the painkillers are starting to wear off.

GERRY

Hang on. I’ll go make tea and get the bottle out.

TIM

Thanks, Ger.

[FOOTSTEPS FADING INTO THE DISTANCE]

[FAINT SOUND OF RUNNING WATER]

[TIM SIGHS HEAVILY]

[SUDDEN JANGLE OF TAGS]

TIM

What? What is it, boy?

[KNOCKING AT THE DOOR]

[ROWLF BARKS EXCITEDLY]

[TOENAILS CLATTER ON FLOOR, TAGS JINGLING]

TIM

Ow! Christ—

GERRY

(From the other room) Tim, you stay right there. I’ll get it.

TIM

I’m—

GERRY

Don’t say you’re fine.

[FOOTSTEPS ALONG THE HALLWAY]

GERRY (DISTANTLY)

Get back, you menace. Rowlf, heel.

[DOOR CREAKS]

Can I help you? This is a private residence.

[FAINT, INDISTINCT VOICE]

Who’s asking?

[FAINT VOICE EVIDENTLY REPLIES]

Oh—yeah, yeah, come on in. Don’t mind the dog. Rowlf!

MARTIN (DISTANTLY)

It’s okay. I like dogs. And we’ve met before.

TIM

(Surprised) Martin?

GERRY

Timothy Rodolfo Anthony Stoker, you keep your ass on that sofa.

TIM

(Groans) Yes, Dad.

GERRY

Have a seat. I’m making tea.

MARTIN

No, no, it’s okay, it’s—I-I’m not staying long. I just…

I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Jon was, um, he said you left before he could get your statement.

TIM

He was—never mind.

I’m okay. Bit sore, but I’ll live, you know? Partner’s just a bit overprotective.

MARTIN

Right, right, yeah, that’s—you know, I don’t think you’ve, um, you haven’t mentioned his name before?

GERRY (CALLING FROM THE OTHER ROOM)

It’s Gerry.

MARTIN

Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah.

S-sorry, I—I shouldn’t have—I, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.

And…well, to say I was sorry. I—I didn’t mean to leave you behind, I—

TIM

What? No. No, no, no. Martin, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you.

I should be the one apologizing. I—fuck it.

[SOFA SPRINGS SQUEAK OVER MILD SOUNDS OF PROTEST FROM MARTIN]

[FABRIC RUSTLES]

I’m sorry, kiddo. I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight. I was trying to get you both out safely, but…

MARTIN

You did, though. You—we’d both be dead if it weren’t for you.

Thank you. I, I don’t think I said that while we were in the tunnels, but…thank you. For looking out for us.

TIM

Hey, that’s what I’m here for.

You did good, too, Marto. You found your way out. You didn’t get bit, did you?

MARTIN

No, no, no. No, I—I didn’t see many worms. Actually, (nervous laugh) that worried me a bit, you know? Like if there weren’t any worms, I’d gone too far from the Institute. That’s what I told Jon.

I was just trying to find my way back, a-and then I heard the screams. And then I started finding all the withered worms in the tunnels, and that’s how I knew she—that Jane Prentiss was dead.

TIM

That’s…good to know, actually.

MARTIN

You didn’t know she was dead?

TIM

No, I did. She was looming right over me, and I sort of figured that was part of the screaming. I just didn’t think about the worms being…connected to her. Or part of her or whatever.

Anyway, I’m just glad you’re okay. What did you do, follow the worms out?

MARTIN

(Brief pause) Why didn’t I think of that? Stupid. Stupid. That would have been so much easier.

TIM

(Firmly) You’re not stupid.

MARTIN

Yeah, but I didn’t think to follow the obvious clue! I just, I just wandered, looking for a way out. I thought I found one—a-a door—but it turned out to just be a room.

TIM

Filled with dessicated worm corpses, right?

MARTIN

No. No, the worms didn’t…

Did, um—w-when did you leave?

TIM

Pretty much right after I got out of quarantine. I joked about itching a little with the paramedics and they kept me longer. Why?

MARTIN

Then you didn’t talk to anyone? Elias, maybe?

TIM

…About what?

MARTIN

O-oh. Um, um, you…you maybe want to sit down or—

TIM

Martin! Just say it, all right? What was in the room?

MARTIN

It—I-I found Gertrude Robinson.

TIM

(Exhales) So she was down there. I wondered…

MARTIN

Yeah. Sat on a wooden chair in the middle of the room. No worms. No cobwebs. Just…the dust and the cardboard boxes full of cassette tapes.

And an old corpse.

TIM

What?

MARTIN

I mean…it’s been more than a year, Tim. If it wasn’t so dry and dusty down there, I wouldn’t have recognized her, I don’t—

Tim? Tim, are you okay?

TIM

(Quietly) What happened to her?

MARTIN

…She was shot. Three times that I could see. In the chest.

TIM

…Jesus.

…

Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?

MARTIN

Yeah, I’m—I’m going back to my place.

I don’t know how long I’m going to stay there, honestly, but at least I know it’s safe now. And, um, Elias said we can take the rest of the week off.

I probably have to go back in tomorrow, though. The, the police want me to try and show them where her body is. I-I’m not sure I can find it again, but…

TIM

You’ve got my number. Call if you want company, okay?

MARTIN

I mean, I don’t think you’re in any fit state to go anywhere, but—sure, yeah, okay.

You’re sure you’re okay?

TIM

(Unconvincingly) Fit as a fiddle.

Go home and get some rest, okay, Marto? And…you did good today. Real good.

MARTIN

Thanks, Tim. You, too.

Bye, Rowlf.

[FOOTSTEPS ACROSS THE FLOOR, DOOR OPENING AND SHUTTING]

[SEVERAL SECONDS OF SILENCE]

GERRY

Tim?

TIM

“My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.”

GERRY

What? Jon or Sasha?

TIM

…You didn’t hear any of that, did you?

GERRY

Just you asking Martin if—Tim. Tim, what’s wrong, what is it?

What happened?

TIM

…

…Gertrude’s dead.

GERRY

What?! Dead? Since when?

TIM

From what Martin said…Elias was right. She’s been dead this whole time. Someone shot her and left her in the tunnels under the Institute.

Along with—(Sudden realization) the tapes. Martin said she was surrounded by cardboard boxes full of tapes.

GERRY

(Softly) Oh, God.

[FABRIC RUSTLES]

[SQUEAK OF SOFA SPRINGS]

You are not going down there looking for them. Not in the shape you’re in. We’ll have to…we’ll figure out how to get them later.

TIM

They’re probably going to be in a police evidence locker for a while. Assuming they find her.

GERRY

Won’t be the first time I’ve broken into a police station. Probably won’t be the last.

[SEVERAL LONG MOMENTS OF SILENCE]

What are you thinking?

TIM

I’m thinking that answers the question of whether or not to say anything to Jon.

GERRY

…Okay, you’re going to have to run that one by me. How?

TIM

He must know more than he’s letting on. He’s got to have some idea about all this already.

Or maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he’s just a power hungry idiot. I dunno. Doesn’t matter. I’m still not going to talk to him about all this, not yet.

GERRY

Why not?

TIM

Because right now, the best conclusion I can come to is that Jonathan Sims is the one who murdered Gertrude Robinson.

[CLICK]

[looseleafteeaves]

Spine of Steel

Khaji Da cannot remember what exactly happened while they bonded to a host. Jaime is the 43rd to host them, and they still have no clue what EXACTLY happens. 

They know that the changes depend on the makeup of the biology of the being they inhabit. 

They know that they increase muscle elasticity and bone density and muscle density and the inherent durability of the host. 

They increase the capabilities of the optical organs, of the cutaneous, auditory, and olfactory senses. 

They optimize the production of chemicals, the dispersion of hormones throughout the body.

They twist the prey drive to fight. To fellow predator. To defend and attack and resist and take out the threat.

But they have no clue, outside of the programming, what exactly they are doing. What pain they are possibly causing, or nightmares that will linger. 

Khaji Da has never fit within a host quite like they do inside of Jaime Reyes. They feel and breath and think and twine all throughout Jaime’s body, in time with him. 

(They don’t like to think about what will happen when Jaime is gone. Jaime is not allowed to die. They fit far too perfectly to ever leave.)

Khaji Da has never regretted the changes they caused to a host. 

Khaji Da regrets the results that still affect Jaime from the event.

~~~

Jaime’s family has been pretty cool with Khaji Da, and the new effects they have on the family dynamic. They think that Khaji Da has gifted Jaime the confidence to stand up, tall, proud, ready to make his presence known.

They see Jaime’s straightened spine, and think “Ah. Jaime is growing up. Jaime is ready to be the man of the family.”

They do not see Jaime’s shoulders attempting to curl downwards, but being unable to shift his spine. 

They do not see how his eyes flash whenever something startles him. They don’t see how his curled fists flex with the need to defend.

They notice but force themselves to forfeit. Jaime is normal. He is. He’s just more confident now.

Jaime sees his family, and can read the approval of his straight spine, and his strengthened presence. 

He doesn’t have the heart to say that he feels less confident, if anything. He feels scared, jumping at shadows, paranoid of the people who stare at him and follow him through school. 

He can’t tell them that his spine doesn’t really bend unless his adrenaline is pumping and he is doing superhero work. 

He can’t mention how he feels as if his spine is lined with a rod of steel.

~~~

He is thrashing, as 7 burning points drill into his back. It feels as if someone is screwing something into his nerves, and liquid fire races along every part of him. He becomes hyper aware of every piece of skin and muscle and bone- every part of his body, whether he always could or not. 

He can feel something inject itself from the burning points, and suddenly the heat grows. He feels as if a supernova is trapped in his skin, in his blood, in his muscles, in his bones and organs and cells. 

He feels as if the heart of the stars have been compressed into him.

The burning begins to cool. It hardens, wiry and stiff. Feeling as though there is chainmail inside him. 

Then his skin feels like it begins to burn.  Something hard forms on the top layer, turning his clothing to ash. He screams, adrenaline racing as he becomes something exorcist-esque. His body flings towards the ceiling. He can-

He flings himself forwards, falling from his position on the ceiling, landing on his bed. 

Jaime Reyes, why are you reacting this way?

Jaime remains curled as tightly as he could, breathing through the fear and phantom pain that haunted his thoughts. However, as Khaji Da was forcefully making his adrenaline levels drop his spine was slowly pulling out of the fetal position without his consent.

His breathing began to pick up again as the phantom panic haunted his thoughts, growing more intense from the lack of control over part of his body.

Jaime Reyes, everything is fine. There is no danger. You are safe in your room in Palmera City. Scanners are clear.

Jaime, finally breathing more steadily, pressed against the wall, tugging his knees against his chest.

“Khaji Da?”

Yes, Jaime?

“What did you change in my body?”

… I can check the files for you and share the specifics if you want, Jaime.

“You don’t just know?”

… No, Jaime. I am dormant until the Scarab has performed base optimization of the host. I am programmed to have the records but I do not consciously choose.

“How can I believe you?”

You can’t. All I have is my words. And the proof that you still control your own body.

“Truly, that doesn’t really help. Share the files please?”

Yes, Jaime.

Immediately, lines of alien script scroll across his vision. He can tell that it has been translated into recognizable symbols, but knows nothing else.

{~<Command Sequence> [activate with contact]

~<Scan biosignature of life form>~

~<Determine Compatibility:

~<Life form compatible: [yes/no]>~

~[No]~

~<Remain dormant>~

<Repeat Command Sequence>

~[Yes]~

~Commence [Unification Protocol]

~[Scan] Biology

~[Locate] neural pathway central

~[Determine Optimal Positioning]

~[Execute Command] ^Begin Unification^

~[Execute Command] ^Bond With Neural Pathways^

~[Execute Command] ^Inject SC4R48 Nanites^

~[Execute Command] ^Determine Needed Improvements^

~[Execute Command] ^Determine Need For Cellular Production

Optimization Needed: [yes/no]

~[No]~

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

.~

~[Yes}~

~[Execute Command] ^Bond (Novaellum) with host cells^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell production^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell functions^

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

.~

~Bone Structure Improvement Needed: [yes/no]

~[No]~

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

.~

~[Yes}~

~[Execute Command] ^Bond (Novaellum) with host cells^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell production^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell functions^

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

.~

~Cartilage Structure Improvement Needed: [yes/no]

~[No]~

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

.~

~[Yes}~

~[Execute Command] ^Bond (Novaellum) with host cells^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell production^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell functions^

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

.~

~Muscle Structure Improvement Needed: [yes/no]

~[No]~

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in [Command

Sequence]^

.~

~[Yes}~

~[Execute Command] ^Bond (Novaellum) with host cells^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell production^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell functions^

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in [Command Sequence]^

.~

~[Detect] Organ Systems:[yes/no]~

~[No]

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

~[Yes] Organic Systems Detected

~Collect Organic Systems Data~

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in

[Command Sequence]^

~Optimize All Organic Systems: [yes/no]

~[No]~

~[Execute Command] ^[Execute Command] in [Command

Sequence]^

.~

~[Yes}~

~[Execute Command] ^Bond (Novaellum) with [all] organic system 

cells^

~[Execute Command] ^Optimize cell production^

~[Execute Command] ^[sequenced command] in [Command

Sequence]^

.~

~[Execute Command] ^Khaji Protocol^

~Command File Corrupted~

~[Delete] Khaji Protocol

.~

}.

~[Execute Command] ^Armor Optimiza-

“Wait, Khaji Da, stop please. I’m getting overwhelmed. Are the rest of the commands similar?”

Yes Jaime. The rest of the protocols that affected your body are similar. 

“Are there any other protocols that I need to know immediately?”

No Jaime. All the other protocols are offshoots of either ^Host Optimization^ or ^Armor Optimization^. None will interfere with your daily life barring the Reach gaining access to our communication system.

“Okay. Thank you Khaji Da.”

You are welcome, Jaime Reyes.

After around 30 minutes, Jaime is debating the need of asking Khaji Da to increase his melatonin levels, when he remembers a protocol that was listed as corrupted.

“Hey, Khaji Da?”

Yes Jaime?

“What is the ^Khaji Protocol^?”

…That is the infiltrator protocol. It is meant to place my interface, commands, and computing system in the ^Driver’s Seat^ as you put it. 

“It’s meant to be, what mind control?”

Jaime waits patiently, tasting the usual flavor of mint that crosses his senses when Khaji Da is researching on the internet. 

Yes, Jaime. It is a ^Mind Control^ protocol.

Jaime shudders and pushes the sensation he gets from Khaji Da increasing his melatonin levels towards the ever present sensation of the Scarab in his mind. Khaji Da wordlessly complies, helping Jaime slip into a dreamless sleep.

~~~

The next morning, as Jaime struggles to sit up in bed, having never returned to the ceiling last night. His back refusing to bend, Khaji Da wordlessly forms four insectoid legs that push Jaime straight and allow him to continue with his day. 

He tries not to dwell on how he is now intimately aware of just how much his body has changed, and how much he is still mostly unaware of. 

After all, ignorance is bliss.

Right up until it isn’t.

[nowis-scales]

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

General Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Fandoms: Fire Emblem Fates

Relationships: Felicia & Flora

Additional Tags: Revelation Route, Light Angst, Childhood Memories, Sibling Rivalries, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Friendship, Devotion, The Ice Tribe is loosely based on the Sámi peoples of Norway in this fic, The story is told in a list format

Story Word Count: 5,837 words

Story Summary: How does one become a retainer with devotion as strong as Felicia's?

The answer, she finds, is contained with one-hundred steps. One-hundred steps from ages seven to twenty-one, guiding her forward to claim her place alongside the friend she came to love like another sister.

[Read it on AO3.]

(Note: Due to potential threat of AI-scraping from Tumblr, I have opted to publish the actual text content of this fic only on AO3. Thank you for your understanding.)

[solardee]

Dawn of a New Dream - Chapter 1

Long ago, two races ruled over the earth; HUMANS and MONSTERS.

They did not always get along. Presumptions, concerns, stereotypes caused endless friction amongst the various creatures of the earth, even if they happened not to abide by those two strict categories.

And indeed, there were those caught up in the strife that did not abide.

Deep in the core of the forest Heorte were two such creatures. The woods dense with gnarled tree roots, pulsing steadily with life and magic in every leaf. Sunlight trickled in from the canopy above in a lazy pattern that begged one to take a rest under the branches. 

It was idyllic. It was perfect.

A sneeze rings out amongst the plant life, startling several small creatures from their resting places as a tiny skeleton monster sits up from the roots and scrubs at his nasal ridge. Clad in pink and yellow, a golden crown like a sunrise sitting haphazardly on his skull, the babybones rubbed his sockets a bit to shake off the residual sleepiness in his limbs.

“Huh? Did I fall asleep?” he asked seemingly to no one, small voice echoing in the forest clearing in front of him.

“Well, you weren’t awake,” drifted a softer voice from above. Another skeleton was there, dressed in soft lavender and blue with a silver crown that honored the setting sun. He was leaning against the trunk calmly as he sat on the branch, legs dangling beneath him with a slight sway as if he'd been kicking them out before the other below him had woken.

“Hmf! Well maaaaaybe I just had my eyes closed, Dusk!” the pink skeleton replied, crossing his arms in front of his puffed out chest. Canary yellow eyelights peered up into the apple laden branches, failing to appear as grumpy as the babybones clearly wanted them to be.

Dusk above snorted, lavender eyelights glittering with mirth as he looked down, “Uhuh, so do you snore with your sockets closed for fun now Dawn?”

“I don’t snore!” Dawn shouted back with righteous indignity.

“Yeah you do, you just did!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Did not!”

“Did too, times infinity!” 

Dawn gasped, scrambling to his feet as he glared up at his brother in the tree canopy, “That’s not fair, you can’t use ALL the numbers!”

“Can too~” Dusk grinned, wiggling lightly in place and clearly pleased with himself, “it’s not my fault you can’t count that high.”

Dawn made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a raspberry being blown, and Dusk stuck his tongue out at the other in kind.

“Alright that’s it! I’m coming up there right now!” the pink skeleton huffed, stomping his foot before clambering over to the tree and taking hold.

“Nuh-uh, it’s my turn up here now, the tree agrees with me!” Dusk argued back as he pressed his magic into the branch he was seated upon. The vines dangling from the canopy gently came to life, wrapping around Dawn like a weighted wisteria colored blanket to drag him back to gnarled roots.

“Hey-! That’s-! Cheating!!”

“See? I win, baby brother~”

Dawn struggled against the vines as they pressed him against the mossy forest floor, squirming like the misbehaving toddler he was (even if he was 6 now, far too big to be a toddler in his opinion no matter what Dusk said). With as much determination as his bones could muster Dawn freed his hand from the tangled mess of fauna and smacked it into the base of the tree. Soft yellow magic bloomed upwards, trailing yellow trumpet flowers in its wake on the trunk until it reached the branch his brother sat upon, and then-

“Eeeeek!”

Dusk’s squeal of surprise rang sharply through the forest as he tumbled to the ground below, Dawn’s magic having shaken the branch to knock him off. He collapsed into a soft pile of yellow flora beside the wisteria wrangled mess of his brother. Startled lavender eyelights stared up at the forest ceiling before Dusk twisted his head to lock eyes with his brother, giving him the angriest pout glare he could muster. Dawn responded in kind.

The glaring contest only lasted thirty seconds before peals of laughter echoed through the trees, golden and royal purple apples shimmered in the dappled sunlight from above.

[anxiousgaypanicking]

the autistic urge to reformat every single one of my fics on tumblr

[firstprincehornyramblings]

Helping Hand

Taylor and Nick are working on RW&RB together. One night, Taylor makes his way to his costar's room, and walks in on Nick doing the last thing he would expect to see.

Tags: Top Taylor x Bottom Nick, Smut, Eventual Fluff, Aftercare, Oral Sex, Rough Oral Sex, Double Penetration, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Anal, Fingerfucking, Face-Fucking, Caught, Masturbation

[supernovaa-remnant]

that one time he said he plays dnd with friends and described the world he created and the depth of the environment like !! and those sad ghostbur updates remember those? and his songwriting of course. i just know his notes app is insane

shzhxjgzjagzjss the ghostbur updates 😭 I do remember.. 💔

he should use ao3 as his notes app

ever since I first heard him talking abt dnd I’ve wanted to just.. have the experience of being able to play one session with him as the dm. like, never gonna happen obviously, but I’m so curious to know what his dm style is like. dnd (and other ttrpgs) are so versatile and the atmosphere can change drastically depending on the players and especially depending on the dm, I think.

but anyway, yes, he’s an incredibly talented writer like you’ve said, and I agree his notes app must be like a gold mine. I’d love to see him write original fiction (which he should post on ao3. to be clear. it’d be really silly I think)