#choose my next fic

[ladyknightellen]

Help! I have too many WIPs and I'm not sure what to work on next!!!

Full disclosure, I have more WIPs than I care to count, but I've narrowed it down to three to choose from. These are the three that have the most words so far, and actual chapters and scenes already done and I've posted snippets from all three of these for WIP Wednesday , Seven Sentence Sunday, and in some ask games. I would be equally excited to work on any of them, so I will let the people decide!

I'll give a brief summary of each and link to any snippets I've already posted so you can get an idea of each one and decide which one you're most interested in me working on next.

Note: All three have titles already, but they're not set in stone, because I may decide on something different over the course of writing them.

I Don't Need Wings To Fly: When Alex was eight years old, he had surgery to remove a tumor that left him paralyzed. When he was twelve years old, Alex saw Prince Henry for the first time in the glossy pages of June's teen magazine. When he was sixteen, he saw another magazine and another picture of Prince Henry with a headline that chilled him to his core. When he was eighteen, he met Prince Henry in person for the first time in the accessible seating area at the Rio Olympics.

I've posted snippets of this fic here, here, and here

Anatomy of a Secret Life: For the past ten years, Henry has worked very hard to make sure that no one ever suspects him. He's crafted his life so carefully that the only trace left of Prince Henry is his name, that he could never truly bring himself to let go of, and so far he's gotten away with it. But on the first day of his internship at Seattle-Grace Hospital, when he discovers that his one night stand is none other than FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz, he's afraid his secrets might not stay secret much longer.

Please be advised, I will be playing fast and loose with timelines here and literally anything that's happened in Grey's Anatomy or RWRB is fair game to get thrown into this story wherever I feel like. (Believe me, I'm just as scared as you are)

You can find snippets here, here, and here

Piece by Piece: The day Henry was born, the doctor took one look at the princes' tiny heart, beating just under the surface of his skin exposed and unprotected, and told his parents that he would not survive the night. Twenty-two years later, Henry's heart is still beating under the layers of protection that his family has built around him piece by piece whether he asked for it or not. Maybe it's time to find his own armor.

This is an idea I've had almost since the moment I first read the book and it's been in the back of my mind ever since. I've posted a snippet of it here

[sanguineterrain]

note: i will likely post all of these at some point; this poll is for narrowing my focus so i can work on a single fic instead of WIP hop

please vote :)

[idrawfunkythings]

DCAtober Day 14: Knock

Words 1,700+ Summary: You hang out with some friends, and try your best to make Moon's circuits fry, apparently

Somehow, you’d managed to drag your ass out of bed after a fruitless attempt at sleeping. It was 12:00 am, the moon was out, and you were exhausted. The constant switch between night and day shifts was starting to get to you. Since the layoffs, management had assigned you way more night hours, and you didn’t want to give them an excuse to get rid of you too.

The drive to work had you so zoned out it was a miracle you hadn’t hit anyone. Your walk inside is a daze, and you only register what you’re doing when you’ve been twisting the handle to the security office for so long you realise you haven’t unlocked it.

You grumble as you dump your stuff, pulling the staff lanyard from the hook on the back of the door over your neck and checking the alarm system. Thankfully, your list of tasks was blissfully short for tonight. Clean out Chica’s room, repaint Roxy’s nails (her PAs were all out with some unspecified illness, apparently) and check up on the Staffbots in the lobby and atrium. Since the outage a few weeks ago, there’d been an increase in reports of glitches, and Fazbear wanted to minimise the bad press.

You nod to Vanessa as you leave the office, having seen her enter at the front doors. She smiles back at you, waving enthusiastically. If your memory served you right, she’d been hired about a month ago, and only worked security shifts. She seemed nice enough, but you never had the chance to exchange more than a few words with her.

“Are you on the atrium today?” you call.

“No, I’m in the tunnels tonight. Something about a glitch in the cameras? I don’t know.” She shrugs, fiddling with her badge as she tries to pin it on her shirt. “Moon’s doing the rest.”

“Have fun in the tunnels, then,” you say, and she makes a face. “I’ll be by the main stage if you need me.”

“Thanks,” she says warmly, swearing when she stabs herself. She waves you off when you offer to help, and you oblige, taking the side doors to start the night off with Chica.

When you open the doors to Rockstar Row, you know he’s already waiting. You don’t bother looking up. “Hey, Moon Man. Did you miss me?”

Moon drops down inches away from your face, hanging from the roof upside down like spiderman. The bell on the end of his hat jingles. You jump, even though you expected his arrival.

“Not at all,” he chuckles, taking delight in your momentary terror. You playfully bat at his head, crossing your arms.

“Quit it,” you say in what you hope is a stern voice, but is definitely not. His faceplate does the usual spin, smile remaining in place. “You like scaring me too much. It’s like you feed on terror.”

Moon flips in the air until he’s right side up. He brings his hands up and wiggles his fingers, making his red optics shine brighter for added effect. His voice becomes gravelly, like nails on a chalkboard. “Of course I do, my dear. I’m the boogeyma-”

“Hi!”

Moon freezes, clearly having been caught unaware despite his usual constant surveillance of his surroundings. He turns to the side slowly, looking very much like he wants to leave right now. You’d laugh if you didn’t feel bad.

Chica is standing with Roxy, the chicken waving energetically just in case you’d missed her greeting while the wolf rolls her eyes, inspecting her nails with annoyance. Clearly she wasn’t coping very well with the sudden lack of PAs.

“I thought you two would be hanging out! Roxy’s been waiting for ages and she’s getting desperate.” Chica looks to Roxy expectantly, and the latter shoves her hand in front of your face for you to inspect.

“They’re chipped from the keytar,” she huffs. “I need them repainted.”

“We got the paint and stuff all ready!” Chica chirps. “It’s in my room. I’ll clean while you do her nails.” she grabs your hand excitedly. “It’ll be like a slumber party.”

Moon is hanging awkwardly in the air, playing with the ribbons around his wrists. In some aspects, he really was like Sun. Chica gasps and looks at him.

“Oh, and you can come too, Moon! I wouldn’t want to separate you two.” She gives you a sly grin as she says this, and you shoot her a glare back. Moon is too anxious to be aware of what she’s saying, and Roxy just doesn’t care, but still.

“I…”

You give him an understanding look. “It’s okay, I’m sure you’ve got a lot to do.”

Chica looks much too upset for her offer to not be steeped in an ulterior motive. “No! We haven’t hung out in ages! Come on.”

“I have patrols to do,” Moon says, clearly grateful for your out. Roxy rolls her eyes.

“If the cheese head doesn’t want to see us, let him miss out.” Moon’s eye flickers black for a moment, and his grin strains. You knew him and Roxy were on… rocky terms, after watching him dump a bucket of water from Gator Golf on her head when she went searching for her bracelets one night, and when she’d flipped the light switch after trapping him in Kids Cove (it had taken you about an hour to get Sun to calm down). “Can we just get on with fixing my nails?”

You give Moon a smile. “I gotta check on the Staffbots after. See you then?”

He nods, before shooting up into the rafters and out of sight. Chica seems very disappointed, but she drags you back to her room to get started with your tasks anyway.

You pull a stool over to the vanity and begin, doing your very best not to get the paint anywhere but where it was supposed to be. It was hard, considering Roxy liked to talk with her hands when she got mad, and Chica had brought up Monty hiding her hairbrush, but you were nothing if not patient. Also, you were terrified of her, so that helped you stay steady.

Chica continues her gossip as she cleans the room, gathering trash into garbage bags and leaving them by the door. Thankfully, the trash was inedible, so she wouldn’t be sticking her beak into it tonight. “Ooh, did you guys hear that Adam got caught cheating on his wife?” Adam was a supervisor for the Staffbot production. Roxy gasps dutifully. You scrunch your eyebrows together as you maneuver the paintbrush over to a particularly tricky spot. “Yeah. She came here to meet him last night! But his wife was visiting with the kids.”

“Oh, that’s vile,” Roxy laughs.

“I know! Anyway, that’s why they closed off the car park. There’s stuff everywhere. She went off, somehow she got to the paint buckets!”

Speaking of paint, you were finally done with the last coat on Roxy’s nails. You slide her hand under the dryer and stretch. “Adam’s a bastard anyway, it’s not like this was the first time.”

“Ooh, do tell,” Chica squawks, pausing from tying up another bag (this one filled with broken crayons and old autographs they can’t legally give out anymore) to look up in excitement.

Unfortunately for her, a knock at the door cuts you off. Then another, and another increasingly annoyed one over the fact the door is not sliding open, and then a thud.

It opens automatically, as it does when there’s security cleared movement on the other side, and the three of you are greeted with Moon’s upside down face. Ah, no wonder the door didn’t register him. It scanned the floor for any movement. “You’re late,” he says shortly.

You check your Fazwatch. He was right - it was 1:30, and your shift ended at 4. You get up apologetically. “Sorry girls, I gotta run. Duty calls.”

“Yeah, whatever. Thanks for my nails,” Roxy says boredly, inspecting her new coats. Chica sighs dramatically, leaning on her trash bag.

“You’ll have to tell us everything another time,” she says seriously. You nod. Of course you would. She eyes Moon and her eyes glint cheekily. “Have you come to take them away?”

“Come to get them to work,” Moon responds curtly. “No overtime allowed.”

You walk outside, waving to the girls. “Thanks for the help, Chicken.”

“Have fun with your prince!” Chica calls, and you move out of the way of the sensor so the door slams shut on her. You turn to Moon.

“We can start-”

He cuts you off. “You look terrible.”

Wow. “Okay, rude.”

“You haven’t slept in days.” His eyes are pixelated, meaning he’s currently scanning your condition. You do your best to act like a person who gets a healthy amount of sleep, but it’s hard, because now that he’s mentioned it, your eyes are drooping. “Tell me that my sensors are wrong, and you have slept more than five hours in the past two days.”

“You’re wrong?” you try, but he’s gripping your shoulders and marching you over to the lobby doors, still suspended in the air. “Hey, I have a job to do.”

“I’ll handle it,” he says through metaphorically gritted teeth.

“Moon-”

“You are going to take a nap.”

Okay, well, you couldn’t exactly argue with that. Mainly because if you did, he’d probably tear your arms off. And a nap really did sound nice about now.

Moon guides you to the red daycare doors, then stands in front of you sternly, hunched over so that you can’t escape his gaze. “You are going to go inside. You are going to get the blankets and pillows from the cupboard. When I return, you will be asleep.”

“No overtime,” you remind him halfheartedly.

“I will clock you out. Go.” He points to the doors.

“You’re bossy,” you try, but now you’re really pushing it because you think if you say anything more he’s actually going to kill you. “Okay, okay. I’m going to bed.”

Your phone dangles in front of your face. That son of a bitch. You reach for it, but it’s tucked away into his chest cavity before you can blink. “You will get this back when you have slept.”

There’s no use arguing. You give a mocking salute. Moon opens the doors, and you walk through, not looking back until they clang shut behind you.

You yawn instantly. He was right - you needed some sleep.

[myokk]

before it felt like a sin, ch. 3

ch.1, ch.2

pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

word count: 2300

summary: Eloise never wanted to be different.

And yet, her differences are what have defined her life up until this point: growing up as a squib in one of the most prominent wizarding families, being exiled to muggle society, and then attending Hogwarts at the age of sixteen.

She finds herself thrust into the life she should have been prepared for from birth but was denied. As she navigates this new life and her new precarious position in her family, she must come to terms with the fact that maybe what she dreamed of her whole life isn't turning out how she ever expected it would.

a/n: this is how I wish the duel could have gone in the game...😇🙏

I also want to reiterate that this fic is REALLY CANON DIVERGENT!!!!! I will NOT be following the game’s plot at all really with this (it really starts to diverge around chapter 6/7 maybe I don’t remember), and I don’t see Eloise as the game’s MC either.

Eloise was being woken up altogether too soon for her tastes. Something soft was hit her face, and she sat up groggily, pushing it away. She blinked as she looked around, not recognizing her surroundings. It was disorienting not knowing where she was, although, as she rubbed her eyes, it was slowly starting to come back to her…Something happened yesterday, she thought. I…

“Come on, sleepyhead!” exclaimed Imelda, throwing more clothes on top of Eloise. “The house elves left these last night at the foot of your bed while we were sleeping. If you don’t hurry up, there won’t be any more food left for breakfast. And, you know that the first day of classes is the most important…”

As she continued rambling on, Eloise got up and started putting on her school robes. A dark grey tartan skirt with dark green and silver stripes, a cream button-up with puffy sleeves that she tucked into the skirt, a black ribbon to tie around her neck, and her Slytherin robes on top. She didn’t know how to feel about the day that was ahead of her; she felt a strange mixture of elation and apprehension.

“…you’re taking too long. I’ll wait for you in the common room,” Imelda concluded, giving Eloise one last look before striding out of their dormitory. All of the other girls had already gotten ready and left for the morning, which wasn’t really a surprise to Eloise. As soon as her head hit the pillow the second time, she had fallen into a deep sleep and hadn’t heard the bustle of the girls preparing themselves for the day.

She finished lacing up her boots, and after one last glance in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place, headed out to find Imelda.

When Eloise walked into the atrium, she was struck by how different it felt in the morning. It was truly as beautiful now as it had been eerily peaceful the night before. Once again, light piano music playing in the background - Eloise smiled to herself, recognizing the Gymnopédies by Satie. Her piano lessons had been the only bearable classes at the muggle school, and she had excelled at the instrument, often practicing during her free time.

The piano music blended in with the murmurs of students standing or sitting in small groups around various tables filled with breakfast foods and scrolls of parchment. The greens and blues coming through the windows felt refreshing, and the whole room was glimmering under the reflections of the water playing across various surfaces. She could see plants swaying under the water, with schools of fish weaving between them. It felt…magical.

Eloise’s eyes were drawn to Ominis and she started walking to him, standing by the same window where they had been sitting earlier. Instead of being in shadow, however, he was now illuminated by the rays of sun shining through the water. He was smirking to himself as he listened to the two first-years next to him. As she got closer to them, Eloise heard them speculating about the possibility that they would get to see a mermaid.

“Oh! I think I just saw one!” one shouted at his friend, pointing out the window. “Oh, wait…it was just algae.”

Eloise walked up to Ominis, smiling despite herself. 

“Is this your idea of a good time?” she asked him, while he was simultaneously asking her how she had slept. They both paused as soon as they heard the other start talking, and then both started speaking at the same time after an awkward pause.

“Oh…I’m sorry. I…I slept well,” Eloise said, blushing. “And you?”

“As well as I ever do,” he replied. She noticed that the dark circles under his eyes were still very prominent, although they didn’t look eerie in the morning light. He indicated the first-years with a jerk of his head, changing the topic. “I doubt mermaids find us that interesting. I rather think they purposefully avoid our common room so as to not be treated like creatures in an aquarium.”

Eloise laughed at that and tilted her head playfully. “And just where did those two even get the idea that they might see a mermaid?”

“That, my dear, is a mystery. I surely have never seen one before,” Ominis said, standing up straight and taking his wand out. “I have been hearing a lot of chatter about you this morning, you know. It seems like reality has been mixed with fantasy in the tales of your journey here, and nobody knows the full truth.”

“Except for you,” Eloise pointed out, stepping into place next to him as they walked through the common room. She spotted Imelda, supervising some students playing chess and instructing them on the moves they should be doing. Imelda looked up and saw Eloise, and interrupted her own advice mid sentence.

“Eloise!!” Imelda bellowed as she practically ran across the room. Was this girl ever not purposeful in everything she did? The students around them looked up from what they were doing to watch her, and maybe get the chance to hear a first-hand account of what actually happened to Eloise. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were attacked by a dragon last night?”

“Oh, er…” Eloise couldn’t figure out how to respond to the other girl. Imelda didn’t seem worried or scared about what Eloise had gone through the previous day; rather, she seemed indignant that she hadn’t been told about the attack. Beside them, Ominis was laughing.

“It must have been terribly exciting,” Imelda went on, ignoring any response Eloise may have started giving. “A real dragon and all. I wish I was with you guys, I’ve actually prepared for what I would do in that very situation. I would definitely have diverted its attention away from you on my broomstick, and actually the best strategy would have been to…”

“I doubt you really would have been able to do anything,” Eloise interrupted. “It was terribly frightening, but at the same time the whole thing was over so quickly that I haven’t had time to process it yet.”

“Well, you can tell me about it on the way to breakfast. Maybe once you learn how to ride a broom, we can practice what to do together. You have first-hand experience, after all!” Imelda looped her arm through Eloise’s. She shot a look to Ominis. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking her now. We have a long day ahead of us, lots to do you know. The usual. Anyway, Sebastian’s coming over so it’s not like I’m leaving you completely alone.”

Before Eloise could even react, she was being marched up the spiral staircase that led out of the Slytherin common room and they were off to breakfast.

“Duelists, take your mark,” Professor Hecat said to the two students standing on top of the platform in the middle of the room. The duelists in question looked at each other warily, steadying their wands. Eloise was exhilarated. This was the type of class she had been daydreaming about while she sat wasting her time embroidering landscapes.

Professor Hecat hadn’t wasted any time putting the students to work. Although at first, many of them had scoffed at the thought of Leviosa being a useful spell in combat, Eloise listened attentively and focused on the correct wand movements. Maybe it didn’t actually matter, but she was determined to make sure that nobody would think that she didn’t deserve to be there. She had a lot of catching up to do, but between the books Professor Fig had given her and the knowledge she retained from reading from her family’s library as a child, she already knew a lot. She was quite pleased when the feather levitated as soon as she said the incantation, as there were other students who struggled to get theirs to even twitch in an upward direction.

Now, Eloise gripped her wand tightly in her hand, shifting a bit as she stared Sebastian in the eyes. He had said that she would get ‘a proper Hogwarts welcome’ and she was looking forward to it.

If the rumors she had heard before class were true, Sebastian was the best duelist in their year, and quite possibly at Hogwarts. Although she felt a little apprehensive at the thought of facing him, she hoped that he wouldn’t hold back on her just because she was new. Even if she had fought the guardians yesterday in Gringotts, she wanted to prove to herself that she could keep her wits about her in the heat of battle. 

Maybe her stance was a little too stiff, her movements too by the book. But that could only be changed with experience.

Sebastian smirked slightly to himself, no doubt thinking that this would be an easy victory. In the background, Eloise heard Professor Hecat say they could begin, but she was more focused on her opponent’s face. As soon as she saw him raise his wand and begin to open his mouth, she shouted “Protego!” and the shield blocked the spell he attempted to send shooting her way. His eyebrows raised in surprise - apparently he hadn’t been expecting her fast reflexes.

Quick as a whip, she shouted out “Levioso” and Sebastian was in the air. She hit him with a few more curses before he fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He pushed himself up quickly and went back into position. Wand out, now more wary of her capabilities. He blocked her next attack and went in for one of his own, which hit her shoulder. Eloise hissed in pain and immediately shot out a volley of quick jabs in his direction, a few hitting their mark before he put up a shield.

Sebastian was grinning as they circled each other, looking for an opening. The rest of the class surrounded the platform they were on, cheering them on. Both continued to attack and put up shields, without any clear winner in sight. It was obvious that they were very evenly matched.

“I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said as they were catching their breath between attacks. “I haven’t had a fight this good in a long time.”

Eloise just grinned in response, before shooting off another spell in his direction. It was expertly blocked with a flick of Sebastian’s wrist; in response he volleyed off a jinx towards her.

Eloise crumpled to the ground, yelping as she grabbed her ankle. Sebastian was immediately at her side, crouching down and looking at her with concern.

“Eloise? Are you okay?” He looked down at her ankle and then abruptly looked up and back at her face, a faint pink redness dusting his cheeks. He may have been dueling her, but it was distinctly different to be so close to her like this.

In response, Eloise grinned mischievously and quickly levitated him off the ground, getting to her feet at the same time. With a few quick curses sent his way, soon Sebastian was lying sprawled on the ground outside of the little arena Professor Hecat had erected.

“Not fair,” Sebastian exclaimed, rushing to his feet. He looked at Professor Hecat, who was looking between the two with a pleased smile.

Eloise smirked at him, only responding with, “Slytherin.”

Sebastian laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, making his brown curls even unrulier than they had become in their duel. He held his hand out to her and she shook it formally. “Good duel. You can definitely hold your own and I won’t underestimate you again.”

Professor Hecat clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class. “I hope you all paid attention to these two. Ten points to Slytherin for an excellent demonstration of what we learned today. On Wednesday, we will continue with practical application of the techniques learned during this class. I expect to see flawless wand work and concentration. I demand excellence from my students as I know you are all capable of achieving it. Class dismissed.”

As Eloise was gathering up her things, Sebastian sidled up to her. “Really, that was quite impressive. You seemed stiff at first, but it would seem you have fought before. You definitely give as good as you get.”

Eloise blushed and tucked some strands of hair that had come undone behind her ear. “Well, really, I had only read about the techniques before. Haven’t really had much time to put all of that theory to use yet.” She smiled shyly ad Sebastian, who was looking at her with his jaw open. “You fight really well, too. I had to use all of my focus. It’s kind of exhausting, actually.”

“But exhilarating, right?” Sebastian asked eagerly. The two of them started to head out of the classroom together, dwindling behind the rest of the students. Entirely absorbed by their conversation. “Everything else goes out of focus and the only thing in the world is you and your opponent.”

“Yes! Exactly that,” exclaimed Eloise. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

“Well,” Sebastian said slowly, dragging the word out as he thought. “You know, there might be a way. To continue. I normally would never do this, but…you know…”

“Know what?” Eloise prompted as Sebastian trailed off.

“You’re a really good duelist. Intuitive. There’s a certain exclusive club of sorts, one that may or may not be unsanctioned, where you can continue to hone your dueling abilities.”

“Exclusive and unsanctioned?” Eloise asked with a smirk. “You can count me in.”

“Excellent,” Sebastian replied, smiling broadly. “Sometimes, to make the most out of your experience at Hogwarts, you need to bend certain rules. They’re more like guidelines, anyway.”

“Merlin, Sebastian,” said Imelda, walking up to them and crossing her arms. “Don’t let yourself fall into any of his schemes. That boy is in detention practically every other day.”

“Or maybe,” Eloise said, “he’s just not good enough at avoiding getting caught. I, on the other hand… Come on, Imelda. Let’s go to lunch.”

She laughed as they walked away, leaving behind a dumbstruck Sebastian. He shook his head in disbelief and headed off to his next class.

next chapter

[lescarbille]

Je t'aime l'été | Landoscar | Summer love AU

Lando needs a break. Lando needs a break from the heavy chaos of light and fame his life has become. His friend Charles suggests that he come on vacation to the Leclerc old country house in the south of France; there is no network or anyone likely to recognize him. Only them, George, Alex, his little brother Arthur and his friends. Lando thought it would just be two weeks of peace between wheat fields, in the shade of olive trees. He doesn't expect to fall in love, again, with a boy who only avoids him.

release on ao3 sunday

[snakebites-and-ink]

Whumper-Turned-Caretaker CYOA 10

CW for the series | Masterlist

You chose to chat some more.

You’re gonna try to hopefully get to know them better. For someone you’ve been around so much, you know little about them. You didn’t exactly keep them around to talk with.

What do you want to learn? Hobbies are a good place to start, right? Not overly personal, and maybe something you could use to make them a bit happier. "So, Whumpee, what do you like to do for fun?"

They hesitate, most likely cautious about having their answer used against them.

"There's no trick, I'd just like to know," you reassure.

“I, um, like to read, I guess sir,” they answer timidly.

“Alright, cool. What kinds of things do you like to read?”

"Anything, really, but especially sci-fi."

You make a mental note. Maybe you'll make a library trip later. 

You avoid the deep stuff for now; you don’t want to undermine whatever hesitant trust you’ve managed to build up with them by making them relive their capture or reminding them of the things they’ve missed most because of you. You tell them your favorite color and find out theirs is green, and you get a bit of a better idea what kinds of foods they like.

You stifle a yawn. Probably means it's time to figure out Whumpee's sleeping arrangements.

There’s a spare room they could stay in, but it doesn’t have a proper bed currently. You do have an air mattress you could get out and inflate. You’d really rather not give up your own bed, though maybe you wouldn’t mind sharing.

Taglist: @kabie-whump, @whumpanthems, @whumpsoda, @3-2-whump, @generic-whumperz,

@taterswhump, @alivenova, @whumped-by-glitter, @expressionless-fr, @whumpycries,

@whumpsday, @moons-cozy-corner, @echo-goes-aaa, @whumplr-reader, @starfields08000,

@whump-blog, @ivymyers, @currentlyinthesprial, @lumpofsand, @coffin-hopping,

@sunglasses-in-the-bentley, @catnykit

*Note: This may not be the final version of this chapter. I'm feeling sick right now so I'm doubting my current writing abilities/brainpower and I might come back and revise this once I'm feeling better. The general idea will at least be the same. But I'm putting it out as-is for now so the poll duration constraints don't shift the whole updating schedule to be late because of one bad day*

[viperwhispered]

If you're still thinking of making a playlist, feel free to add "Be Mine" by Ofenbach and "Kick up Your Heels" by Jessica Mauboy ft.Pitbull.

Context: During the early 20th century, alcohol was prohibited in the United States. This lead to uncontrolled secret distribution of alcohol and secret bars everywhere (fun fact: it was alcohol dealing that made Al Capone so powerful). The most iconic of these bars were speakeasies: secret illegal clubs that sold good alcohol while playing jazz (fun fact: these bars went a long way to pushing gender and racial equality by having everyone being able to dance & drink together).

Which brings me to this scenario: Jamil sneaking out of weekends to dance the night away and enjoy precious moments of freedom without Kalim. During these escapades, he meets the reader and the two get closer of months of several encounters. At some point they meet outside of the bar, but they pretend to be aquaintances at most. They get so into each other that they start subtly flirting even outside the bar.

Eventually we get to the moment that ecompases the songs (Be Mine is Jamil's perspective and Kick up Your Heels is the reader's). After weeks of subtle flirting, the two are finally tipsy enough to flirt more openly. Jamil goes in first and the reader playfully flirts back. They dance the night away and end up leaving together back to reader's apartment (don't worry Jamil has the weekend off and Najma owes him so she'll cover for him).

Cue adorable morning after with kisses, cuddles, Jamil making breakfeat, and the reader wearing his clothes.

(Boy if the music video for the Ofenbach song doesn’t look like it was made for total wish fulfillment for the artists, lol. Song's a total banger, tho (after listening to it a lot while working on this).)

I’m also gonna add Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon to the list because the vibes totally fit (and I’ve definitely thought of it in regards to Jamil before).

I do love the idea of reader meeting Jamil in an environment where he can be more free. Just, how different of an experience is it, when the dance floor is your first impression of him, rather than the Jamil at NRC or the Asim estate? When he’s actually letting go, being himself and just having a good time.

Plus like, presumably in the Scalding Sands Jamil’s job is not so 24/7 anyway, since there’s other servants around too to look after Kalim. So yay for actual free time.

And because I totally vibe with this & have thought of something similar before, I wanted to turn this into a bit of fic.

Post-NRC, Jamil x reader, written with a fem reader in mind, nsfw

The club, 22:30

You surveyed the club, your eyes insisting on looking for one person in particular, but to no avail.

No matter. Whether or not your favorite dance partner - or your acquaintance, or your crush, or whatever the hell he was to you - would turn up tonight, you could still have fun.

So, when a good song came on, you slid to the dancefloor, determined to dance the night away one way or another. You still had the whole night ahead of you, after all.

Not that you would have minded the company.

The club, 23:12

While you were queueing up for a drink, Jamil was the one who found you.

“I was wondering if you’d turn up,” you said with a grin, leaning closer to be heard over the music.

“And miss you? No way.”

You laughed and shook your head. It really was unfortunate how attractive that cocky grin was on Jamil.

“Wouldn’t have been the first night I’ve had to make do without you,” you said lightly.

“Well, tonight I can be all yours,” Jamil replied, his hand ghosting at the small of your back.

You grinned - you had to admit, you quite liked the sound of that.

The club, 23:27

Over the past few months there had been times when you caught Jamil looking at you as if he was evaluating you, measuring you. Yet, whenever he actually got close to you, that was all gone, replaced by pleasantries and barely concealed playfulness.

Today, however, there was a particular determination to him, one that had him shamelessly inching closer to you as you were talking over your drinks - as much as one could have a meaningful conversation talking over the thudding music.

“You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” you said, looking at Jamil from under your lashes while you sipped your drink.

“Well… I’ve been thinking that I wouldn’t mind sharing more than a dance with you,” Jamil said, his own drink nearly forgotten in his hands.

“Oh? What are you thinking?” you asked, stirring the remains of your drink with your straw, trying to affect a casual air despite your curiosity.

Jamil got close enough that you thought you could feel his breath on your skin.

“That I want to get to know you much better,” Jamil replied, an unmistakable sultry undercurrent to his tone. His hand had found its way to your arm, tracing light patterns on your skin.

Your eyes widened, a surprised laugh bubbling to your lips. My, what had gotten Jamil so bold tonight?

“Oh, and here I was just looking forward to some dancing,” you said with a playful grin.

Jamil might have gotten your heart to flutter, an unmistakable heat rising to your cheeks, but that didn’t mean you’d be that easily charmed.

“Just be prepared that once I get hold of you, I might not let go,” he said, lightly squeezing your arm.

“Dance with me, and then we’ll see,” you said with an amused shake of your head.

“Let’s start the show, then.”

With a laugh you grabbed Jamil’s hand, dragging him to the dancefloor, the beating of your heart rivaling the thud of the music.

There was such confidence to him, like Jamil had already ensured he’d get what he wanted and was just biding his time.

And you had to admit, you kinda liked it.

The club, 23:51

The song was one of your favorites and you couldn’t help singing along, moving your body to the beat. People were trickling in, but there was still space for both you and Jamil to let loose.

It was its own kind of delight, seeing how well you two could synchronize your movements. Stepping back and forth, circling each other, claiming a part of the dance floor all to yourselves. You grinned, watching the way Jamil leaned to the side, shrugging his shoulder, and you copied the move to the other direction, adding your own flourish with the snap of your hips.

After a few repeats there was a stutter in the music and you leaned forward, Jamil coming in to meet you, chest to chest. You lingered there for the briefest moment, your eye meeting, noses nearly brushing, before you pulled back and threw your hands up in the air for the chorus. You sang out the lyrics, let your body move as it wished, full-heartedly just enjoying yourself - and your company.

Sure, there was a part of you curious to find out just what Jamil could offer. But you’d come out here to have fun, and have fun you would.

Whatever would come later, would come later.

The club, 01:25

You were sweaty, your feet sore, your hair undoubtedly a mess at this point. Yet, you couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop relishing your time with Jamil.

Jamil’s hands were on your hips, following your movements, his chest flush to your back.

You had to admit, you loved the feeling of his body against yours, the way you swayed together. 

You also delighted in teasing him like this, feeling the hardness of his arousal when you ground your ass on him.

“I want you to be mine,” Jamil mouthed the lyrics of the song, his breath hot by your ear.

He brushed his lips by your skin, something akin to a kiss, and you could feel the warmth of it shoot straight to your core.

Idly, you wondered if Jamil would be able to hear your soft groan over the music as you leaned back, your hand fumbling in his hair to pull him even closer. That seemed to be all the encouragement he needed, his mouth now more insistent on the corner of your jaw.

At this point, it was getting harder and harder to remember all the other people around you, your decency slipping from your hands.

Oh, you had a good enough idea of how Jamil’s body fit against you, how it felt under your hands.

But it was not enough.

You wanted to see Jamil, every bit that was hidden under those clothes, wanted to pull his hair loose - or just pull it in general. Wanted to see how he’d look beneath you, above you, between your legs…

Just the thought of Jamil unraveling with you had warmth pooling in the pit of your stomach.

And the thought of his touch on you, unobstructed…

He really was such a temptation, one that you might not even want to resist at this point.

Your apartment, 01:44

You were not prepared for the hungry way Jamil devoured your lips, how firmly his hands pulled you flush against him.

Or the way he groaned into your mouth, the sound shooting straight to your core.

Oh, you needed more of that. Much more of that.

Your hands shot up, gripping onto him tightly, just as unwilling to let him go. You sought out that hair tie that had been taunting you all evening, your tongue sloppily meeting Jamil’s as you pressed yourself as close to him as you possibly could.

There were so many places you wanted to touch, so many spots you wanted to unveil, your hands racing all over Jamil in a desperate attempt to fulfill all your desires at once.

Jamil’s lips were so wonderfully kiss-swollen, his hair hanging loose and his shirt halfway off him. If you hadn’t been so eager for more, you would’ve stopped to admire the sight and commit it to memory.

Instead, your greedy hands slipped under his top, relishing in the skin to skin contact while Jamil was busy with getting you to a similar state of undress, his eyes burning as his lips descended upon you again, stealing your breath away.

Your apartment, 2:20

You rolled your hips, slowly, your palms resting on Jamil’s chest. He did indeed look absolutely ravishing beneath you, his tongue slightly sticking out through his parted lips, his gorgeous hair spilled over your pillows. Jamil’s hands on your ass were helping you move, urging you to take his cock even deeper.

You’d yield to him soon enough, but first you wanted to savor this. The hungry look Jamil bestowed upon you, the needy way his hands kept on mapping your body, the way his hips bucked beneath you.

At this point, simply calling Jamil your favorite dance partner certainly didn’t do him justice.

No, you’d love to have so much more of him, wanted to find out just how far you two could go.

You leaned down, your lips meeting once again. You braced your arms against the bed as you began to move in earnest. Your efforts were rewarded by Jamil’s needy groan, the way his grip tightened on you. He seemed to be just as drunk on you as you were on him, and just that fact was enough to make your head spin.

Your apartment, 9:40

It was a slow realization, remembering that you had company over, only to find the other side of your bed empty. However, as your senses slowly roused, you soon caught the sounds and smells coming from the kitchen.

Of course he had to be perfect enough to even cook for you, you mused with some amusement.

With a stretch you willed yourself to leave the comfort of your bed, freshening yourself up quickly before padding your way to the kitchen.

You kind of hoped you’d been the one to wake up first. At least you could’ve cleared some of the mess.

It was such a domestic sight, Jamil busying himself at your stove, and you unexpectedly felt your throat tighten with the impact of it.

“I’m amazed you found something to work with,” you said, your words somewhere between apologetic and joking.

“It’s not how I’d keep my own kitchen, but it’s workable,” Jamil said matter-of-factly.

You couldn’t help a snort. What a way to sugarcoat your messy counters and sparse cupboards.

“Well. I’m glad it didn’t drive you off, at least,” you said with dry amusement.

You walked past Jamil to the sink, letting your fingers trace along his back and upper arm as you passed him by, conscious of not bothering his work.

Jamil, however, grabbed you by the waist and pulled you close, making you yelp in surprise.

“Good morning,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to your temple.

All you could do was melt against him.

Bonus scene which didn’t really seem to fit the flow but I had to do something with these lyrics, too. A flashback to another night, maybe?

Jamil certainly knew how to move. Yet, there was still something carefully controlled about him.

You’d seen him, sometimes, when the night was late, how he really could let go and get swept up in the music.

Then again, you supposed you still hadn’t quite warmed up yourself, hadn’t forgotten about the way his eyes were on you.

Would another drink be a terrible idea?

Still, seeing the way Jamil was looking around, checking the crowds, made you frown. You tugged on his hand, turning his attention back on you.

"Oh, don't you dare look back. Just keep your eyes on me."

“You’re holding back, yourself,” Jamil said with a knowing look.

“Shut up and dance with me,” you said, smiling even as you rolled your eyes. 

Ngl, I’ve not done much song fics and it was fun weaving in bits of the lyrics and vibes in here - even if I chose to be a silly goose and use 3 songs at once.

Tag list: @colliope @crystallizsch @diodellet @jamilsimpno69 @jamilvapologist

@perilous-pasta @twstgo

Do let me know if you'd like to be tagged for my future works!

[eddiemunsonsmum]

Well guys, it's been fun. Hubs surprised me this morning with a copy of BG3 so I guess it's finally time for me to go fall in love with the vampire guy and forget Eddie exists. 🫡

[lynne-monstr]

seimei: it's not like we'll ever see each other again bye seimei: lmao can't believe you showed up after what you said

[brightlybound]

Photos below! And remember, kids, there are no wrong answers! 😉

*trait descriptions from the AKC

[acerathia]

i know i said i wouldnt do anything for october,,,, but a ddlc-style make-your-own-story fic .... would anyone be interested?

[billy-royalton]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @russolaw (thank you friend!)

Tagging @darthdisco @karatehusbandos @backinblack-80 and anyone else who wants to share!

[thevoidstaredback]

It's dark outside, just after dusk when the lamps are still lighting themselves, and the world can't yet decide if it's dark or light.

There's very few people out, some walking dogs that you get to pet, others driving cars that splash in puddles leftover from an earlier rain. None of this bothers you, it never has. The city's always like this; quiet, serine, dull and bright all at once.

You pass by an alleyway, the rhythmic tap-tap-tap of your footsteps sound loud in the space between buildings, echoed from the darkness. You pause

"Pst!" I call out, the dim light from a nearby lamppost glaring off my glasses. I step closer to you, only by a half step. You take a full step away, though you don't run.

I watch the street cautiously, not fully leaving the confines of the alley between skyscrapers. I beckon you over. When you don't come closer, I allow myself another step closer. You don't move.

I open my overcoat, the lavender seeming much darker in the setting. I lock eyes with you. "You wanna know the ending to story I've only told you about once before?"

You shake your head, and keep walking. I slink back into the shadows.

You hesitate for a moment before ultimately agreeing. This time, when I motion you closer, you come.

With another look around, I reach into the inner pocket of my coat. Quickly, I pull out a single piece of folded paper and shove it into your hands. Before you can say anything, I disappear back into the shadows. You look after me, but I am no longer there.

You hold the folded paper in both hands and away from your body, staring at it for a long moment. The edges are burned, and it's crinkled like it's been crumbled into a ball.

Opening the note, you find the ink is completely unmarred, though the handwriting is a bit messy. It reads:

Marco watched the wooden box get lowered into the hole in the ground. Gently, he held the same thing that had brought him and the others back the first time in his fist. As he turned to leave the grieving pirates, he thought about the consequences of his actions. Every time someone goes back, at least one thing is different then it was in the first timeline. A thought struck him. What if he could choose the differences? What if the fate of the brothers played to his plan? Like a game of poker, he could deal the cards. If he played his cards right, then he'd place the winning hand in the end. He could save Ace. He could save Luffy. He could save everyone! He just had to deal the cards. Marco flew off in his phoenix form to a secluded part of the island and recited the same words Luffy had not so long ago. ‘This time,’ he resolved himself as he was engulfed in a bright light, ‘I’ll do it right.’ And then he was gone. End Book One

The paper starts to smolder as you read, turning itself to ashes in your hands by the time you finish. Like sand being scooped by a fork, the ash falls from your hands and is carried off by the winds.

You look for street signs or landmarks, trying to commit this alley to memory. Perhaps, you think, I may be around again to give you more stories, more things to occupy your mind with; to pull you from reality. And, who knows? Maybe I will be

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Proof that I'm a forever ride-or-die MCU Stephen Strange Stan ~

My first thought when learning of the return of RDJ to the MCU was: WHAT ABOUT DOCTOR STRANGE??? Isn't he closely tied to Doom as adversaries in the comics? Why wasn't he mentioned in connection to Avengers: Doomsday? Has Feige/et al, decided Stephen has no further value to the MCU?

Second thought? FU Feige/Waldron/et al.

[j-eryewrites]

What's Next?

Currently in the heat of finals season! hehe... Anyway, now that Arbitrary Lives and A Sinner's Redemption are about to wrap up, I have been thinking about what series-length fics I should write next. I already have some ideas, but I am also willing and would love to take suggestions.

Disclosure: Arbitrary Lives will get another few parts, so it's not quite over yet

[nyoomfruits]

yes mate directors commentary please for the baby au - have you watched three men and a baby yet lol

(and possibly your thoughts on the magic helmet au?)

i haven't yet actually!!! it's still on The List though so maybe soon!!

also since you didn't specify a scene i thought it might be fun to do some scenes from the cutting room floor so here are all the max pov scenes i wrote pre writing this fic:

“I think she’s just tired,” Seb says, as Julie continues to wail loudly, beating her little fists against his chest. “Or she might just need her daddy.” Seb glances at Charles, who’s talking to Pierre a few feet away from them.

Max, who’d also been staring at Charles for completely different reasons, glances back at Seb. “Hm?” He says, and then when he notices Julie’s displeasures, reaches forward. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry. Here, let me take her.” 

“I don’t think that will wo-“ Seb starts, but then Julie spots Max, and she immediately starts making grabby hands for him, and Seb hands her over with an astonished look on his face. When she’s comfortably settled in Max’s arms, Julie seems to calm considerably, burying her face in his neck and letting out pitiful little hiccups instead. “Or maybe it does,” Seb says, raising an eyebrow. He glances at Charles, who’s still talking to Pierre and then back at Max, cocking his head to the side. “You know what. It makes sense, actually.” He says, rather cryptically.

Max, who’d been cooing gently at Julie and bouncing her up and down to get her to calm down, glances at Seb. “What?”

“Nothing,” Seb says, a knowing grin on his face. “Don’t worry about it. Hey, I’m going to head off. Say hi to Charles from me, yeah?” And then he’s gone, leaving Max to stare after him with a confused look on his face, Julie now contently asleep in his arms.

--

Charles gets rushed into an emergency meeting on Friday, just as they’re making their rounds through the paddock, leaving Max standing in front of the Ferrari motorhome next to that awful Ferrari themed stroller, Julie gurgling happily in her seat.

“All right,” Max says, looking around a little unsure. “Might as well go for a walk, I guess?” Julie mumbles something unintelligible and hits the lion plushie she’s holding against the side of the stroller. Max takes that as a yes, and starts pushing the stroller in the direction of the garages.

He doesn’t realize his mistake until he’s passing the Red Bull motorhome, and Christian steps out. There’s an almost comical pause as Max freezes and Christian takes in him, Julie, and then the stroller. He raises an eyebrow.

Max squints at him. “Don’t you even start.”

Christian holds up his hands in surrender, “I’m not saying anything,” he says. “Just let me know if this,” he gestures at Max and Julie and then in the general direction of the Ferrari motorhome, “thing you have going on ever gets more serious. I’ll get you a Red Bull branded one.”

He disappears before Max can say anything, and Max curses under his breath. He really has to start trying to convince Charles to get a different stroller. Seriously, what’s wrong with a classic black one? Hell, he’ll take a bubble gum pink one over this horrible red monstrosity.

“Bah,” Julie loudly announces, and throws her plushie on the floor. Max can’t help but agree with her, and then goes to pick the plushie back up again.