#i COULD make one of those multi oneshot fics....

[spinnysocks]

when i make the shocking realisation i can write whatever i want (i already knew this)

[resha04]

rottmnt fic rec

I am currently deep in hyperfixation over these turtles, and one of my ways to channel it is doing fic recs. My fic reading experience isn't as extensive as most of the fandom, but I want to focus on reccing those fics that don't seem to be as popular! (at least by what I see on tumblr)

(98% is Leo-centric, though)

Enjoy~!

PART 2

PART 3

Little Scraps of Wisdom by clandestineClairvoyant (series; Splinter & the boys): Lou Jitsu emerged from the lab explosion unmutated, found help in the form of his old friend and lawyer, and the tots live their lives free in the human world. A lot of wholesomeness and generally just feel-good fics that are very well-written, with wonderful OCs.

The Greatest Thing We've Lost by SupremeCommanderOfPencils (multi-chapter; complete; Leo-centric; Leo & Raph): The farmhouse-arc-we-never-got fic. BUT it is not just that. Leo is coping with chronic pain and the loss of a limb, and there's a growing dread (anxiety) in his mind about Raph, on top of all that. The portrayal of his feelings and reactions to all of those problems feel very real and relatable. Honestly one of the best rottmnt fics I've read.

Script by yellowhollyhock (oneshot; Leo & Donnie): Leo is having a not-so-good day and will not talk, but Donnie might just know how to make it better. One of my favorites; it's heartwarming and I especially love Donnie's characterization.

WWLJD (What Would Lou Jitsu Do?) by word_dissociation (oneshot; Splinter & the kids): Several scenes of the early days of Splinter's mutation, how he adjusts to living in the sewers and being father to four boys. The bath scene is my personal fave.

decompress by Tenka (oneshot; Leo-centric, but all the brothers + Splinter + Casey play an important part): Post-invasion fic where everyone is recovering but Leo is focusing more on everyone else's recovery instead of his own. There is a heart-to-heart talk with Raph that involves mind-melding and is genuinely one of the best I've read. The dose of humor and hurt/comfort is just right, and everything is doused in family feels.

I'll let you hit me twice by story_monger (oneshot; Leo & Donnie): Leo got hit with a truth spell, while Donnie got hit with an obedience one. Unsurprisingly, it leads to an important conversation being had. The twins' dynamic is so good here; I love how they have this... system of keeping the fairness in their interaction.

Excerpt: "It was like when he and Leo roughhoused too hard as kids. Don't cry, don’t cry, I’m sorry, look you can hit me too. Hit me back right now; it’s a freebie. I’ll let you hit me twice, don’t cry."

bad blud by bigdamnher0 (two-shots; Leo & Donnie): The one fic that destroyed me. Leo feels like he is left behind, with his brothers going forward with their lives, having new friends, and spending less and less time home. He feels it most acutely with Donnie, and an attempt to fix it with a pair of mystic bracelets backfired - and that's putting it mildly. Honestly, he's trying!! He tried to move forward too, and he didn't have any malevolent intention with the bracelets!!

An excerpt: "There was an ending to this story that Leo could predict. They were careening towards it; by the doorstep of the kitchen, Leo froze with his armful of plates and listened to his family laugh and laugh like they could hear it coming too: the inevitable crash, the moment when Leo’s family stopped being all his—and where would that leave him?"

when I'm nothing new by alwerakoo (oneshot; Leo-centric): In contrast to the previous fic, in this one Leo takes a big step forward in his life. And the entire family is there to support him, including Draxum. This one feels bittersweet and somewhat fulfilling, seeing Leo gets older and wiser and is finally getting his bearing in life.

Fly Our Kites in the Wind by like_theletter (oneshot; Mikey & Leo): Mikey got Leo a new best friend. He's anxious about whether or not Leo will like it or not, though. Very, very fluffy, and very hurt/comfort-y at the same time.

Champion by rbt_lvr (two-shots; Raph & Leo): What if Raph noticed the implication of what Leo said in the Minotaur Maze, and confronted him about it? This makes my heart hurt in the best way.

On Understanding Caring Hearts by ParvumAutomaton (oneshot; Leo-centric): Leo got severely injured in an incident he can't seem to remember. Fortunately, his brothers are all there to care for him. This fic is filled with moments of Donnie being gentle and gently caring, and I relished in it like plant in sunlight. The mystery and the build-up to the reveal is written so well to keep us curious and keep the suspense.

Fafa by KayGryffin (oneshot; Raph-centric): A turtle tot fic. It's Raph's birthday, but it turned out to be a No Day in the lair, meaning that Dad would stay in his armchair and not move for the entire day. Raph tries to not let it bother him, and he does so well—too well—at putting his brothers' care above his own feelings. All the boys are trying, honestly, in their own ways. Fluffy, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once, and a humane, realistic portrayal of depressed parent - and children (they're not depressed, just their dad)

[seriouslycalamitous]

About CWTT and future stories

I'm so curious about Grian's powers in CWTT and more importantly, its limitations. You've mentioned in the fic that human is his most standard form is his human form, being transformed drains energy and something like a dragon takes a lot out of him, but what dictates those limitations? Is it the size of the creature? Do magic creatures take more energy than "normal ones"? What are the consequences to overusing his power?

You also mentioned that you're working on some new stories, other than CWTT. Could we get any teasers about what is to come in the future?

Exciting I get to talk about all this stuff!!

I’m going to start with teasers for the future, and then move into lore!

There’s a couple fics that are in my WIPs at the moment, and some of them have been stagnant for a little while. Currently, my plan is to pick back up on my Ranchers Deity AU so I can finally get these silly little guys out of my head, but I am so busy that I haven’t had time to just sit down and DO IT y’know?

As for my other possible future stories, here’s a list of my WIPs that are most likely to one day see the light of day:

These would’ve been the options:

- Ranchers Deity AU (MULTI-CHAPTER)

- Ethubs Deity AU (PROBABLY ONESHOT)

- Centaur AU (ONESHOT)

- Childhood Friends to Lovers AU (ONESHOT)

- Superhero Fake-Dating (MULTI-CHAPTER)

- Scar POV of BTDOM (MULTI-CHAPTER)

- Maybe Phasmophobia AU (ONESHOT)

- And then I’m also prone to writing anything Julie @muftiys asks me to write because I’m a pushover and her art is good. So there is a nonzero chance at any point that I will write for her aus or silly ideas they give me.

The list is also ever-changing and not particularly in order of the things i want to write most of all, so take it with a grain of salt!

Alright, on to lore!

So yes, Grian is a shapeshifter with a standard human form as his default. Not every shapeshifter is like this, there are all different kinds of default forms, but human is the most common.

Shapeshifters with human base forms usually can manage their powers better than others, since the amount of energy it takes for a shifter to transform is dependent on the difference in size compared to their base form. It’s easier to become smaller than it is to become large, but not by much. Humans are a solid middle-ground when it comes to size.

Shifting difficulty can also be affected by the magical anatomy of certain creatures, like, for example, dragons! A dragon is big, so that’s already a problem, but they also come pre-installed with an anatomical part of their bodies that can produce flames from their mouth, something very few other creatures have. Quite a large amount of reality magic mixed with shifting powers must go into making it possible for shifter to also possess this.

The most common side effects of shifting without the proper energy are immense strain, migraines, nausea, long-term residual fatigue, magic instability, and in terrible scenarios, a crack in one’s own ability to regain magic within themselves, or even death.

But, if a shifter finds themselves in a life-threatening situation, any of these options are better than the alternative.

Shapeshifters are wary creatures, known for their solitary nature - though no often of their own accord. There are very few of them in the world, and given their ability to transform into anything, hunters find them to be more valuable than anything else.

Oh, you were looking for the voice box of a siren? Well a shapeshifter in the form of a siren is practically indistinguishable! Oh, you thought this species was extinct but this shifter has the ability to change into it? Looks like someone could be making some crazy money today!

Hunters would first, of course, have to find a way to corner the shifter into situations where they feel they need to transform into the wanted creature, which isn’t always possible, but a good way to do that is to force them to shift to accommodate the size of their restraints. Similar to what happened to Grian when he was under threat of changing back while inside a bird cage, it easily drains them of all strength and ability to fight back.

Should a hunter continuously keep them in this state, and only offer relief if they turn into one specific form, then the shifter would likely give in - wanting for any way to make the pain stop.

A phrase passed down between generations of their species is “a shifter without their powers is practically already dead.” Drained and helpless is no better than death to them.

Hopefully that answered your question!! It’s early in the morning for me so i’m not sure if it’s coherent lol! Let me know if you have any other curiosities!

[oopsallturtles]

Double Kudos Alternative for AO3

As much as we all want the ability to add extra kudos to each chapter of our favorite fics on ao3, I do see fair arguments against it (such as it would consequently drown out amazing oneshot fics with multi-chaptered fics that skew the kudos ratio, etc). So, I have two proposed options instead.

1. When you love a fic so much that you double kudos and get that message of “you’ve already left kudos here :)”, I think they should nudge you toward leaving a comment instead. “You’ve already left kudos here :) You must really enjoy this fic! Why not leave a comment and let the author know :D” They don’t have to and they can easily ignore it, but it won’t mess with much of the important stats if they leave a comment to say their extra kudos and would encourage more of the positive engagement between readers and authors that we love.

2. You know how kindle ebooks can tell you which lines have been highlighted the most by the readers? I would love that feature for ao3. It can be toggled on or off and wouldn’t affect any stats at all, but it could be just an extra mini kudos within the story to let them know which lines in particular made you want to hit that kudos. My favorite comments to get on my fics are the ones where they paste in specific lines from the chapter to talk about them--it makes my day! I’m just so curious, I WANNA KNOW! But even if people don’t leave comments because they don’t know what to say, the ability to highlight their favorite parts is a good indication of their enjoyment. Plus, maybe the lines you highlight get collected into a folder in your ao3 account so you can hoard all your favorite collections of words that made you sob at 3am. I love those.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Now back to writing.

[pro-depresanti]

Do you have any Ao3 fic recs with Valentinooo???

Strap in, this will be a long list, I'm going to assume you mean exclusively smutty ones

X Reader:

Silken Chains by Uinu – 200k, multi chapter, ongoing; gn reader, non-con, angst, blood, violence; Valentino finds a new favourite plaything in the eyes of the Reader, there's a tiny bit of good, quite a lot of bad, and a shitton of ugly stuff

Drabble 3 - Piercing by TheWeirdDane – 2.1k, oneshot, completed; fem reader, genital piercings, cunnilingus, body worship, overstimulation; Reader gets her clit pierced, Val finds out about it mid-shooting, gets absolutely batshit horny over it

X Vox:

love looks not with eyes by SadMothNoises – 4.2k, oneshot, completed; angst, soft smut, fluffy; Val loses his eyesight and Vox is there to remind him that they'll get through it together, all packaged within a heartwarming smut scene

Antichrist by Sirens_scales – 5.6k, oneshot, completed; CNC, breeding kink, roleplay, blood, restraints, Valentino is intersex; Val tries to convince Vox to play into his breeding kink, and when it doesn't work, Val sets up a "innocent virgin gets sacrificed to a scary god" scene to get what he wants

savage, lavish by Subedarling – 2.5k words, oneshot, completed – intersex Valentino, Vox has two barbed dicks, breeding kink, daddy kink, discussion of mpreg; Vox practically impales Val on his barbed shark cock (this is a weird one but the way Val was described as struggling not to move was so 🥴🤤🤭🤯😫)

Digital Mania by jupiter_sea - 2.1k, oneshot, completed; voyeurism, vibrators, intersex Valentino, orgasm control, overstimulation; Vox basically leaves Val with just himself and a toy for HOURS, just delicious

X Alastor:

Buck Wild by Charnel_Goat, spappest – 12k words, 2 chapters, completed; rut/heat cycles, beautifully sick writing, mild violence, power struggles; Alastor is in a rut and needs help dealing with it. Except he will just let Valentino sweat on what is and isn't allowed. At the end they're both fine lol

Entirely Guilty By Design by unproblematicfav – 9k, oneshot, completed; fake dating, weird anatomy, trans Alastor, Valentino is intersex, drugged sex (from Val's pheromones), rough, very dubious consent, a shitton of dead dove stuff so just read the tags lol; Vox sets up a date for Val and Alastor, the latter two end up banging it out in the bathroom

Better Than A Picture Show by Octopussocks – 17k words, 6 chapters, completed; ruts, breeding kink, intersex Valentino, safe words (I KNOW! THOSE ARE A RARE FIND!), cannibalism, belly bulge kink for a like 4 paragraphs; – Alastor is in a rut, Val helps him out. It's oddly wholesome and sweet. Valentino is actually nice in this one

Drinking Buddies by HuntingPeople – 26k, 2 chapters, completed; trans Alastor, drugging (Val's pheromones, and it's mostly consensual), Alastor is a virgin, kink negotiation (ANOTHER VERY SHOCKING TAG), use of safe word, breeding kink; Val loses his glasses and accidentally (not) invites Alastor into his bed. Pretty sweet and very spicy

Other:

Alastor Makes A Porno by Charnel_Goat, spappest – 16.6k, 6 chapters, completed – Alastor and Val tagteam Vox; EXTREMELY dubious consent, Vox has a mechanical pussy, bondage, dark comedy, blood, gore, body horror; Alastor is in a rut, tries to find Val as per their usual, but he's a bit too preoccupied with Vox. Change of plans, they're gonna have a threesome and Vox will never know whether he liked it or not. Valentino is scared for the wellbeing of his bits at least 20 times; AMAZING FIC, COULD NOT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH, BEAUTIFUL WRITING AND MY TYPE OF DARK HUMOR

[miharaikko]

My 2024 writing round up

Thank you for the tags to @firenati0n @0npurpose @sophie1973 @clockwrkpendrxgon @kj-bee

I started writing fic this year in May and managed to put out 21 pieces, 19 oneshots and 2 multi-chapters. I would have never imagined myself as a fic writer, considering I barely knew the concept a year ago, but here we are—brain rot so active and ideas overflowing 🤷‍♀️

I’m so thankful to all the people willing to give my little stories a chance. Thank you for all the kudos, comments and overall yelling on twitter and discord. 

And thank you to my Red Umbrella gang. Since meeting y'all in June my life has significantly improved 💕 Can’t wait to see what 2025 brings us! ✨

My AO3: miharaikko My fandom: Red, White & Royal Blue Number of fics posted: 21 Number of Words posted: 91,717

Breakdown under the cut.

MAY

Pearly Gates (M, 5K)  Alex sees Henry across the dance floor and is mesmerized by his ivory skin and the pearl top he is wearing.

JUNE

Love will abide (take things in stride) (E, 15K)  Henry should be getting married tomorrow. Instead, he's at a pub, considering if he should go back to the hotel of a man he just met.

JULY

waging my wars behind my face and above my throat (M, 3K) Henry is having a bad day and Alex helps him through it (part I)

AUGUST

I was already on my way (GA, 1.1K) Henry is having a bad day and Alex helps him through it (part II)

SEPTEMBER

touch my phone (as if it’s your face) (GA, 5.3K) Alex texts the wrong number. It turns out to be the right one in the end.

just you and I (GA, 1K) Slices of life, inspired by Tom Odell's Grow Old with Me

OCTOBER

In the heart of Wales (Yng nghalon Cymru) (GA, 2.8K) Alex and Henry get lost in the heart of Wales

only thing on my grocery list (is your lips) (GA, 2.2K) Henry keeps visiting his local market and trying out new recipes, all for the sake of a cute vendor

more than a game to play (the truth is on my tongue) (E, 2.5K) Being friends with benefits shouldn't matter. But when Henry gets jealous, it starts to matter.

I was cold as a stone (but I found what I'm lookin' for) (GA, 2.6K) Henry retreats to a cabin in the woods for some peace and quiet, but he also finds something else there.

all eyes on you, my magician (all eyes on us) (GA, 3.8K) - collab with tothemoon_andsaturn Henry is a magician, but he is falling under the spell of Alex.

three words, infinite possibilities (GA, 1.8K) Alex figures out that his feelings for Henry are more than he thought.

a beagle's guide to finding love (GA, 5.7K) When David feels like henry could use a new friend, he takes the matter into his own paws.

pink silk ribbon kinky thingy (E, 7.2K) Alex finds a spool of silk ribbon which makes him feels things. Henry helps him process those feelings.

NOVEMBER

saturday night love (GA, 1.3K) A-list actor Henry decides to come out during an SNL sketch. Alex is the SNL regular who gets to kiss him during it.

DECEMBER

Spotify Wrapped - a Series of Unserious Drabbles (M, 2.7K) writings based on my 2024 Spotify Wrapped

a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight (M, 2.8K) - collab with tothemoon_andsaturn Henry takes Alex to visit Wales. The lack of snow doesn't stop Alex from transforming the day into a winter Wonderland.

but if you’re leaving, I gotta know why (M, 4K) Alex overhears a conversation between Henry and Bea and realizes there's a lot more things that he feels for his roommate.

...for so long (M, 6.2K)â Henry is tasked with baking gingerbread and he gets a helping hand from a friend

both your hands (in the holes of my sweater) (M, 6.4K) Henry and Alex lend each other certain clothes items over the years

s'mores (let me taste you some more) (E, 8.8K) Stuck in a cabin due to a storm, Alex and Henry only have marshmallows, crackers and chocolate as supplies. They make the best of it, while also tending to some old wounds.

WIPs & UPCOMING FICS

I've been yapping about these 3 since the moment they each came to mind, but with the collections I took part in, and other smaller ideas that never let my mind, I haven't been able to finish them. But my goal for 2025 is to bring these 3 babies to the world:

Red Wine and Royal Bleu Cheese - vaguely established plot, where Alex visits a winery where he meets Henry

Clay your love on me - Alex is a TikTok potter and Henry is a fan of his live videos

no title yet, but this will be my multi-chaptered Magnum Opus once I manage to write it, based on the following prompt: Friends with benefits (they share a house to split the rent) with detriments (they used to date but broke up for self-sabotaging reasons) with perks (sometimes they spend the night together. it’s fine) with troubles (one of them is moving away. it feels worse than the breakup)

And I also have an upcoming fic for the Wrap It Up exchange.

[trensu]

do you think you'll put "Stasis in darkness" on AO3 eventually?

see, when the idea first came to me, I hadn't really planned on doing anything with it because I wasn't sure if I could make it work. there's a level of gravitas in the relationship between a god and their devoted servant that I didn't think would translate well to steddie because, let's be real, those boys are goofy dorks. but the idea wouldn't leave me alone so I typed up the original post in an attempt to work it out of my system and move on.

(the post kind of blew up, which I was not expecting at all!! like, not even a little bit! i post all sorts of rough little ideas for my own amusement and I've been able to do that without drawing much attention until that point.)

Anyway, I wouldn't have done much with it but @acowardinmordor left some comments/tags/what have you that helped me nail down the setting in my head which really opened the door for me to explore how the story could progress. (apologies, strife, I'm not sure I ever properly thanked you for that burst of inspiration, so please accept this shoutout as an expression of gratitude). And the amazing @ent-is-indecisive allowed me to rant about it which really helped flesh out the story. Seriously, there are elements and lore coming up that would not have existed if it weren't for ent. (and thank you once again ent for the ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL fanart you made for the reveal scene, I'm still overcome with joy whenever I think about it!).

Once it got to that point, I knew I wanted it to be a self-contained story and I was afraid that if I did a multi-chapter fic I'd lose the thread and never make it to the ending I want the fic to have. (no, the end scene hasn't been written yet but I KNOW what it's going to be and I hope everyone will love it as much as i do). So I promised myself that I was not going to post it on ao3 until the whole thing was written out completely.

However, I occasionally need a confidence/motivation boost so I've been posting consecutive parts of the rough draft here. you have no idea how much the people who reblogged with tags or left comments have helped me fight off the discouragement my brain likes to bog me down with; off the top of my head, @godsweakestboy , @redfreckledwolf, @fuctacles , @spectrum-spectre , and @lawrencebshoggoth have given me lovely, enthusiastic words of encouragement. and they're only the ones I can think of at this moment. there's so many other people who've done this, so if you've ever left me nice tags or comments, please know that I've read every single one of them repeatedly whenever I need to get over a slump. I'm so grateful for all of you!

Anyway, all this is to say yes! It is going to be posted as a oneshot on ao3 once I've finished writing it. <3

[dayseternal-blog]

days!! i have seen you answering some fic asks again. is it okay to ask you some of your recommended omegaverse naruhina fanfics? thank you and have a nice day :’) 🧡

:D Omegaverse 💖

NaruHina Omegaverse

"Hinata (Sweet)" from "Chicken Ramen for the Pervert's Soul" by @wickermayne - Rated E, A/B/O AU, One-shot. I don't explain shit about A/B/O, either you understand or you won't get this at all lol. Also, probably the closest thing I'll write to dubious consent with Naruto as the lead.

“Alpha” from “NaruHina Erotica Oneshots" by Makuro767 - Rated E, A/B/O Canon-Divergent AU, Three-shot. Naruto bit Hinata…that’s not a good thing…or is it?

"Shinobi" from "NaruHina Erotica Oneshots" by Makuro767 - Rated E, A/B/O AU, One-shot. Hyuuga Hinata is a human student of Shinobi History visiting the Shinobi Settlement; Konoha, when she met the Alpha Shinobi Uzumaki Naruto who showed an intense interest into making her his Omega.

“A fate worse than death” by Caelestia - A/B/O Canon-Divergent, One-shot.  Naruto, improperly socialized and traumatized as a child, rejects his inner Alpha, which has devastating consequences on his family and marriage.  “A risky bet” is its fluffier follow-up (One-shot).

“When the Devil Picks Up a Stray” by callmesenorita - Rated E, A/B/O Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. Hinata, an Omega, questions buried feelings when she decides to help a childhood friend who has adopted a new persona under the name Menma. Although their attraction is instant he is no longer the Naruto she once knew, and soon enough Hinata is thrust into a dangerous yakuza conspiracy. DELETED FIC

"Afire" by vortexlove777 - Rated E, A/B/O Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Incomplete. An omega moves next door to a very troubled bachelor alpha. Childhood friends meet again and form an alliance while trying to help their mutual friends out. But when the Hyuugas intend on forcing the heiress into a marriage, Namikaze Naruto finally decides to make his move and put his claim on her.

"lovely" by Mdaughter - Rated E, A/B/O Modern AU, One-shot (?). When his childhood crush reappeared 12 years after she disappeared and asked him to help him. Naruto didn't expect his life to be shook up like that. What the hell is happening to him right now ?

and there's mine:

“Sweet As” from “Needs & Wants” - Alpha/Omega Modern AU, One-shot. Hinata gives Naruto candy on Valentine’s, and he develops a crush early-on.

“Lovesick” - Rated E, Canon-Divergent, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. Hinata’s dealt with the difficulties of her designation. She’s sealed. She’s fought off rowdy Alphas. She’s always prepared for hot days. She wasn’t ready for Naruto to come-of-age. He wasn’t ready, either.

Those are all the ones I could find!! If anyone knows more, please add them!

[deityoftherain]

matchless matchmaker - Flower Court 5+1 Things

Flower Court is the polyam ship name for Scott, Tango, Jimmy, and Martyn :D

Rating: Teen

Relationship: M/M, Multi

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Status: Completed Oneshot

Word Count: 9,382

Summary: Scott had a habit of constantly working hard and sacrificing his own well-being to care for his friends and family. One of those tasks ended up playing up to his skill of matchmaking his friends with other people he knew. Being so busy, he blocked himself from love himself despite how desperately he wants it. This made him blind to the fact that his crushes (Jimmy, Tango, and Martyn) had fallen for him as well...

AKA the five times they (Flower Court) thought about/tried asking each other to date them plus the one time it actually worked :D

Full fanfic underneath the cut! Please reblog, leave kudos on the AO3 fic slash notes/likes here on Tumblr, comment either place, and etc if you enjoy the story :D

-ˋˏ ༻❀ one ❀༺ ˎˊ-

Why is asking someone out so nerve-wracking?

Jimmy stood outside of the door of Scott’s apartment, trying to work up the courage to knock on the apartment’s wooden door. He glanced at his phone again, opening it with his face ID and, navigating back to the text messages he exchanged with Martyn( Scott’s roommate) not too long ago.

Jimmy: hey, do you know if scott’s home

Martyn: yeah he’s home

Martyn: why? something wrong?

Jimmy: no i just want to talk to him about something and he’s a hard man to get ahold of

Martyn: ha well that much is true

Martyn: he’s home now but idk how long he will be

Jimmy: omw

Martyn: [thumbs up emoji]

He sighed deeply, tucking his phone back into his pocket. It was now or never, he supposed. Jimmy raised his fist to knock against the door when the door swung open, revealing the very man he had shown up to see.

“Jimmy?” Scott questioned, blinking rapidly in surprise at him. “What are you doing here?” “Uh,” Jimmy responded dumbly. He hadn’t expected Scott to open the door before he even had a chance to knock! “I wanted to talk to you.”

Scott furrowed his eyebrows and glanced down at his phone to check the time. “Can you make it quick? I promised Cleo I would help them move into their girlfriend’s place and I’m supposed to be there soon.” Considering that Cleo was Lizzie’s partner and that Lizzie was one of Jimmy’s siblings, Jimmy already knew about those plans. He simply hadn’t realized that today was the day they chose to do it. It was poor timing on his part to do this now, but almost every other time had the same probability of being a poor choice. Scott tended to help out everyone that he possibly could so, while most people would try to get out of helping someone move, Scott was the first to say “yes”. 

Jimmy admired Scott’s desire to help, but between him constantly helping other people, working his two jobs, and trying to still make time for his friends, it was hard to get one-on-one time with him. As previously acknowledged, now may not be the best time, considering Scott was itching to get on the road, but Jimmy wasn’t sure when he would build up the nerve to ask him out again. It had to be now!

“I would like a date,” Jimmy blurted out in an attempt to ask Scott on a date. Unfortunately, it didn’t come off that way. He tried to tack on a “with you” to the end of his sentence once he realized he hadn’t said enough- it was a fumbling attempt, but he did try! By the time he caught it, it was too late.

Scott’s frosty blue eyes (that still looked warm despite the frost coloring) widened as a grin grew on his lips. “Jimmy Solidarity, are you wanting me to matchmake you?”

“No!” Jimmy panicked, not sure how he got himself here. He got mildly distracted by how excited Scott got, but he forced himself to focus. “I mean, not exactly-”

“Come on, Jimmy.” The way Scott said his name was strangely addicting. Honestly, Jimmy would be willing to listen to him talk even if all he said were passages from the world’s most boring textbook. “You’re a good guy, great smile, easy on the eyes, I’m sure I could find you someone easily.” Scott had gained the reputation of being a matchmaker of sorts in the giant web of social connections he was a part of. The giant web may be better understood as an extended friend group or social circle, but the effect was the same. Scott’s matchmaking skills have had a fairly impressive success rate so far. “I mean, I helped your sisters!” Scott continued to speak while Jimmy was still on the fact that Scott had basically called him handsome. “Last I heard, Lizzie and Pearl are both in happy, healthy relationships. Grian would be too if he would actually let me try to help him with Scar- everyone and their mother knows about Grian’s crush yet he won’t admit it- but he’s so frustratingly stubborn and won’t accept my help. Anyway, I’ve helped your sisters and I know I can help you too! Hell, I’m helping Lizzie’s partner move in with her! Which I should be going to do soon, but wait, let me think…” 

“Well, that’s true, but,” Jimmy started, wanting to nip the idea of matchmaking him with someone else in the bud. How did he fuck this up so badly this quickly? This wasn’t the goal!

“Let’s see, who would be good for you…” Scott tapped his chin as he started to mutter to himself, debating between various people. “Oh! I know this guy named Tango that I think you would like. Martyn and I had some repairs that needed to be done a bit ago, he overheard us and offered his services. He’s, like, stupidly smart and thinks it’s no big deal, but it’s super impressive. Anyway, being as broke as we were, we offered him food and friendship in exchange, and we’ve kept in touch. He’s pretty talkative and high-energy, so I think you two will mesh well. Don’t you think so?” 

Jimmy ducked his head, averting his eyes as a light pink flushed his cheeks. This was embarrassing. “Well, yeah, he seems cool-”

“Perfect! I’ll talk to him and see if he’s also interested, but I really have to go Jimmy.” Scott gave him an apologetic expression. “Text you later?”

“Yeah, yeah, talk to you later,” Jimmy sighed as he moved out of the way for Scott to speed walk down the hall.

What just happened? He had gone to ask Scott out and he (somehow) ended up getting set up on a blind date! How did he manage to fail at asking someone out that poorly? 

(Later that week, Jimmy did end up meeting Tango. They found out that they were both in similar situations; they both were crushing on someone, but Scott somehow got them on a date- and they instantly hit it off. The more they talked, the more Jimmy could feel himself starting to fall for Tango too… even as his crush for Tango grew, his affections for Scott never wavered.)

-ˋˏ ༻❀ two ❀༺ ˎˊ-

“Come on, Martyn, drive faster,” Scott urged, patting the top of the dashboard of Martyn’s car. “We’re going to be late.” “Yeah, and who’s fault is that?” Martyn huffed with a slight shake of his head, but Scott knew him well enough to tell he wasn’t that annoyed. “And we’re not even that late! The GPS says we’ll be there in a few minutes. I can see the sign for the neighborhood just up ahead! What’s the rush?” “I’m just excited to see everyone!” Scott defended himself, practically bouncing at the prospect of the group get-together. “I’ve been busy so I haven’t seen most of them in a bit. Plus, Lizzie’s party-hosting skills are so good. I always have fun and you do too. Besides, Ren will be there with his boyfriend. You two always get along really well and act like you haven’t seen each other in years, even if it’s only been a few days, so I don’t want to hear it.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever makes you feel better,” Martyn dismissed, knowing full well that Scott was right. “Just lay off my car! I don’t need a Scott’s hand-sized dent in my dashboard.”

Ren and Martyn had always been a dynamic duo, making a rather big presence wherever they were. If Ren was going to be at an event, Scott knew that he wouldn’t have Martyn by his side, but he didn’t mind. Scott was plenty social on his own, so he had his own list of people to check in on.

It didn’t take much longer for them to reach the correct street and park on the side of the road outside of Lizzie’s house. Well, they parked further down the street from her house, but it was close enough. The sheer amount of cars parked on the side of the road made it clear that someone nearby was having a bunch of people over.

Scott and Martyn made it to Lizzie’s front door in no time (there is some truth to the saying “gays walk fast”), and Scott knocked on the door. It was a common courtesy to not enter someone’s house without permission, after all.

The door swung open, revealing someone wearing green overalls, a black shirt, and moon hair clips. Those items stuck out to Scott before he even had time to register her face, knowing who it was based on outfit recognition. “Pearl!” “Scott! Long time no see, my friend!” Pearl greeted as they both stepped closer to give the other a quick hug. Once they parted, Pearl peered around Scott to give Martyn a wave. “Hi Martyn. Nice to see you too.” 

“S’up.” Martyn gave her a little salute, but he was otherwise rocking on his heels. It was clear that he wanted to get inside, but Scott got distracted before he made the move to let him in.

Still standing in the doorway, Scott asked, “So how are things going with Gem? Still in the honeymoon phase?” 

“Honeymoon phase?” Pearl snorted, amused. “We’re coming up on our four-year anniversary soon. If our ‘honeymoon phase’ has lasted this long, I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. Still crazy about her, ya know? I’m thinking about doing something special special if you know what I mean, but don’t tell her I said that.” Scott gasped, pleased that it was working out so well between his friends. He knew they would be a good match when he paired them together. If his guess was correct, Pearl was planning to propose! Scott would have to make sure to check in on that later and see if he can help record the proposal or something else. He clapped his hands in delight before zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key. “I won’t tell a soul.” 

“You better not because I know where you sleep,” Pearl lightheartedly threatened before catching something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her body to the object of her attention and yelled, “Fwhip, I see you! Stop eavesdropping on me!” “I heard nothing!” Fwhip claimed loudly, giving his drink a sip before speed-walking away.

“You better not have!” Pearl called after him before rolling her eyes. A small smirk grew on her lips as she shook her head to affectionately complain, “Brothers, honestly! I already have two brothers- Grian and Jimmy are a pain enough- but Fwhip has basically become my third.”

“He’s just getting you ready for when he’s your brother-in-law.” Scott poked Pearl’s side. “Now let us in before we freeze out here.” “Oh, right!” Pearl stepped aside to let them inside. “That’s why Martyn’s been trying to kill me with his eyes.”

“If looks could kill, you would have been brutally murdered,” Martyn huffed, but Scott appreciated that he didn’t interrupt their conversation. Those little signs of consideration were nice to see from his roommate and childhood best friend, even if he would huff and puff about it after the fact.

From there, the three of them separated to mingle. Scott fluttered around like the social butterfly he was at this sort of thing, making conversation and trying the various alcoholic drinks available at the bar.

He didn’t drink very much on his own, but he had the habit of being a social drinker when it was available to him. Sometimes the most interesting thing to do was go to the local bar and make easy conversations with people. That was how he made some of his friends, like Sausage and Doc.

The problem with his social drinking is that he tended to overdo it. It was much like being a kid with unrestricted access to a candy store after being on a strict diet of fruits and vegetables. Scott could blame his mum for modeling his habit, but he enjoyed indulging in it too much to only blame her. Besides, she had enough going on with taking care of his kid siblings (he had been the result of a teen pregnancy, so he was much older than they were), especially since one of them has been in and out of the hospital for a few years now…

Scott shook his head to clear his brain. It wasn’t time to be anxious and worried about that. He had come here to have fun, after all! With the stress he had to carry on his shoulders, Scott enjoyed being able to loosen up enough to properly enjoy his free time and forget everything he had waiting for him to do. I need another drink.

He downed what was already in his cup, got another one, and wandered to the living room where a bunch of people had circled around to chat. He was thoroughly buzzed, his usually high energy that came out around people dialing down a few clicks.

“Hey, Scott! Wow, it was like on cue, wasn’t it Joel?” Bdubs commented on Scott’s entrance with a grin almost as large as his eyes seemed to be. He turned to Joel, who was sitting next to him. “See, it’s fate! You should talk to him. He’s the local matchmaker, after all.”

“I don’t need a matchmaker!” Joel exclaimed, face annoyed-red as he crossed his arms. “Just ‘cause I’m not dating doesn’t mean I’m lonely.”

“But he could pair you with someone special!” Bdubs tried to convince Joel, continuing to talk about Scott as if he wasn’t there. Scott wasn’t there enough to fully care, settling down where there was room on one of the offered seatings. “He paired me and Etho together, and we’ve been happy ever since.”

“He can’t be that good of a matchmaker if he’s single himself.” Joel gestured to Scott, voice razor sharp as if it were an accusation. He then hiccuped a bit before taking another swig of whatever was in his cup.

“I could date if I wanted to,” Scott chimed in, feeling the need to defend himself. His eyes darted to Tango and Jimmy, who were sitting nearby. Scott’s chest tightened at the sight so he forced his gaze away from them to look back at Joel and Bdubs. “I’m just busy.” “Sure,” Joel muttered dismissively. “I don’t care either way, but I don’t need you managing my love life.

“I never even offered!” Scott furrowed his eyebrows before deciding to ignore him. He didn’t need to deal with grumpy drunk Joel. He had come here to have fun and to relax.

Scott’s cup was halfway full, meaning it was still a significant amount. Still, he shot it back and chugged it until the liquid was gone. He closed his eyes and focused on the alcohol doing its job. The spacey-er he got, the further away his problems seemed and the less he cared about everything.

If he were to be honest, he didn’t remember much after that. Scott knew he talked to more people and that he likely drank a bit more, but his memories were all fuzzy. It was like he blinked and suddenly teleported to another location within the house, leaning against a wall. A cup he hadn’t been aware of fell out of his hand as someone crouched down in front of him.

Scott blinked before squinting his eyes, trying to focus on the person’s face… the person who was looking at him with such care and concern. He wanted to reach out and touch them… hug them… mmm… Scott’s always been a cuddly drunk. He tried to mutter Tango’s name once he placed who it was, but his words were slurred.

Tango was here… Tango with his pale blonde hair and his red sunglasses only there for aesthetics and his stupidly handsome face and his kissable lips… maybe Scott was drunker than he thought he was. Tango was Jimmy’s boyfriend now! He shouldn’t think that way about him anymore… Scott had paired them together on purpose, hoping to banish his affections (those of which went beyond simple friendship) for them both from his mind. He was too busy… always too busy…

“I think he drank too much,” Tango glanced at the person standing beside him. Jimmy! “He seems fine otherwise.”

“He should probably stay here tonight. I think he got here with Martyn, but I don’t know where he ended up. He’s not answering his texts and he was drinking a decent amount too last I saw him. I don’t think Lizzie would mind having a few guests crash on her couch. Honestly, I think she expected it…” Jimmy hummed softly, beckoning Tango to move to the side some. He crouched down next to Scott and moved his arm over his shoulders. “Get his other side. We’ll move him to the living room.”

Scott could feel his heart beat quickly at the close proximity to the two men. He hoped that his blushing would be covered by his already red flushed cheeks, thanks to the alcohol. They helped him to the couch before setting him down there. Scott clung to them, despite his best judgment, and asked, “Stay with me?” Tango and Jimmy exchanged a glance, expressions on their faces that Scott couldn’t quite read. He hated that. He hated when he couldn’t pick up body language and nonverbal cues from other people.

“Okay,” Tango agreed in a low tone, sitting down next to Scott. “Only so we can keep an eye on you.”

Jimmy, familiar with the house, found some throw blankets that had been hidden away somewhere and brought them out. He laid them out over Tango and Scott, and he pushed the ottoman closer to make them an impromptu “bed” of sorts before settling down on Scott’s other side.

Being this close to them as they laid down to sleep had his brain going all sorts of places. Scott knew he was being selfish and he knew they would push him away if they knew what was going on in his brain, but he kept his lips sealed shut. He wanted their closeness more often and much more beyond that.

What if I was selfish for once? 

Scott thought, knowing asking them to stay was already selfish. This was him being selfish, but he knew what he wanted, what his heart wished for so desperately. They were so close, yet just out of reach. Maybe, in another life, he could have them, but he couldn’t now. He had too much to do… he had his jobs, his mum, his siblings, his friends… but maybe he could pretend for a night. There was no harm in pretending, was there?

-ˋˏ ༻❀ three ❀༺ ˎˊ-

“Scott and Tango!” Grian announced, holding up the two pieces of paper up for the crowd to see. Martyn was standing next to the whiteboard and, when their team was announced, it was written down for everyone.

Grian had gathered a bunch of their friends to do a field day full of obstacle courses and various challenges. Tango had participated in several others before and they’ve always been a lot of fun so, when Grian asked him, he accepted.

Tango hadn’t expected to be paired with Jimmy’s crush though, but he should have not been that surprised that it was a possibility. Scott wasn’t only Jimmy’s crush, he was a friend, however distant, as well, but it was something that stuck in his brain.

Jimmy had admitted what had happened to get them matched on their first date and Tango was relieved at his openness. He had been (still was) in a similar boat, for he also had a crush on someone else, but struggled to say no to Scott. He was a force of power that was difficult to stop once he put his mind to something! Tango hadn’t wanted to give Scott the real reason why he wanted to say no (his crush was Martyn and Martyn was Scott’s roommate), so his excuses fell flat and Scott somehow managed to rope him into it.

They had a good laugh about their situation and decided to try out the whole date-hangout thing anyway. Worse comes the worst, they simply don’t talk to each other again. Tango didn’t think either of them expected to have such a good time or to hit it off so well. The end result was them dating and, not too long later, the topic of polyamory was brought up. The acknowledgment of their previous crushes opened that conversation to them, making it easier and less nerve-wracking.

After many long discussions, they’ve agreed to stay exclusive with the exception of if something happened with either Scott or Martyn. If someone else came into their lives that they wanted to pursue, they would just have another conversation. Open communication and transparency were necessary for any relationship, but especially important for polyamorous ones.

Tango’s feelings towards Scott were casual and friendly with some aesthetic attraction (he wasn’t a stranger to admiring one’s beauty) thrown in there. Tango knew that last part for certain (at least from his end) when he found himself staring at his assigned teammate as Grian continued to announce the rest of the teams. Scott was wearing simple, black shorts, which showed off his long, lean legs, and a sleeveless crop top, which showed off his belly button piercing. 

The crop top was designed to be for workouts based on the elastic band built into the bottom of it which would prevent it from moving much, even if Scott randomly started doing cartwheels. It was pale yellow with some sort of design on the front. Tango didn’t pay much attention to it; he was too busy looking below it.

The belly button piercing showed off a five-petal flower made up of red crystals. Tango may have stared at it too long, partly because he was just put off by it. When did Scott get a belly button piercing? He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would get one, but Tango supposed there was still a lot he didn’t know about Scott.

“My eyes are up here, Tango,” Scott teased as he approached, a slight smirk on his lips. Grian must have announced all the teams and told them to find their teammates, but Tango hadn’t been listening. “I know I’m cute, but you’re a taken man.”

“When did you get your belly button pierced?” Tango blurted out his question, ever curious. His curiosity often got the best of him, but, this time, his curiosity luckily saved him. He didn’t want to confront his embarrassment about being caught staring by the very man he was staring at. “I didn’t know you had one.”

Scott looked down at the jewelry in his navel for a moment before looking back up and shrugging. “I got it a while ago out of spite. I don’t think I would have gotten it otherwise. It’s not really something I would normally go after- I prefer regular earrings- but since I have it, I might as well use it.”

“Out of spite?” Tango parroted, amused. “It sounds like there may be a bigger story to uncover here. What happened?”

Scott laughed (a rather joyous sound) before closing one eye and placing a finger against his lips. “It’s a secret.”

“Oh, come on!” Tango protested with no real fire behind his words. “We’re friends, aren’t we? Wait, I could just ask Martyn. I’m sure he’ll know- hey, Martyn!”

Scott grabbed Tango’s wrist to prevent him from walking any further to go and bother Martyn about it. “How about this: I’ll tell you if we win?”

Tango pursed his lips, considering Scott’s offer. After a few seconds of “considering” (his mind had already been made up, but he played it up for the bit), Tango nodded in agreement. “Deal.”

From there, they worked as a team to complete various obstacles and challenges Grian had put together. Tango hadn’t teamed with Scott before, so he was surprised at how well they meshed together. They were friends before this, sure, but events like this were always a toss-up on how well one would mesh with others. Tango supposed he shouldn’t be too surprised, considering Scott’s reputation of being extremely good at this sort of thing. He’s even won a few and gotten close in others!

Currently, all the teams were wiping rags against their foreheads, drinking water like there was no tomorrow, and waiting in anticipation for BigB (he had agreed to be the non-biased record keeper and referee this time around) to count up the results.

“Everyone shut up!” Joel ordered in a loud enough scream to be heard over everyone chatting. As he intended, everyone closed their mouths and turned to where Joel was standing. He cleared his throat and nodded his head towards BigB. “BigB’s been trying to get your attention for the past three minutes. I don’t know about you blummin’ idiots, but I want to hear the results.” “Thank you, Joel,” BigB flashed him a partially nervous smile before addressing the crowd. “I have tallied everything up and will be announcing the winners now!”

BigB paused for a moment as cheer and applause broke out among the gathered crowd. Once it quieted down, he announced each team that got into the top three, pausing in between each team to allow time for congratulations and clapping. “In third place, we have Pearl and Scar! In second place, we have Scott and Tango!”

“Not bad! Second place!” Scott grinned widely, looking proud of the both of them. He glanced at Tango. “We make a good team, you and I.”

“We do, don’t we?” Tango returned the grin, a soft yet fierce warmness burning within him. Is this what Jimmy felt when he was with Scott? Is this what he saw in him? “Last but not least, the ones in first place and the team that gets to take home the trophy are Gem and Cleo!” BigB finished the list. “Congratulations everyone!” 

Once everything started to die down from the cheering, Tango turned to his teammate. “Hey, Scott, do you think you want to go out sometime? You know, to celebrate our almost-win?”

Scott opened his mouth to respond when someone else grabbed his attention. After a brief conversation with them, he turned back to Tango. “I would love to, but maybe another time. I have a lot on my plate and- yeah just a second! Sorry, Tango.” With the apology, Scott hurried off to go tend to whatever it was this time. Tango scrunched his nose as a sinking feeling grew in his stomach. He didn’t like the feeling. Instead of focusing on it, he took a deep breath and went to find Jimmy. Maybe they could go get something to eat (he’s sure Jimmy would be okay with him tagging along if he was planning to go out with his teammate) and talk about the day they’ve had.

-ˋˏ ༻❀ four ❀༺ ˎˊ-

“You should not go out and stay in tonight.” Martyn sat on Scott’s bed as Scott rummaged through his closet. “You’ve barely been at the apartment all week. You’re going to run yourself into the ground.”

While that was true, that wasn’t the only reason Martyn wanted Scott to stay around. Truth was, Martyn simply enjoyed Scott’s company and wanted more of it. He became roommates with Scott, specifically, for a reason. They were childhood friends, yes, but Martyn knew he loved him beyond a platonic or even familial bond. Thank the stars they have never had the whole “you’re basically my brother” sentiment passed between them, or Martyn may just have to walk across an intersection without looking both ways first.

“I’ll be fine,” Scott dismissed as he turned around to face Martyn, holding up two hangers along with their sweaters. “Which one do you like better? I like the black starry one, but the red stands out more since it’s not as dark.”

Martyn pursed his lips for a moment before commenting, “Wear the black one. The red makes you look like a bitch.”

Scott hummed in consideration, studying the two sweaters for a moment. “You’re probably right. Bitchy isn’t the vibe for tonight. I don’t want to be perceived that way when trying to celebrate Cleo’s accomplishments.”

“You know that you can go visit Cleo’s exhibit on another night, right?” Martyn pointed out. “They’re probably going to be distracted anyway. Plus, Lizzie’s going to be there so she’ll be there for Cleo. You’re not even getting paid! This is unpaid labor.”

“I know that, but I want to be there for them. Think of it as me getting in some volunteer hours.” Scott pulled off his shirt to change into the black starry sweater. Martyn averted his gaze, feeling like it was disrespectful to do so despite the fact he’s seen his best friend shirtless many times before. It just felt wrong, knowing the extent of his feelings and attraction toward him. “Besides, I showed up to Cub and Pix’s big first exhibits when they had those. It would only be fair to Cleo that I do the same for her. They’re also expecting me to show up to help them double check everything before the opening.”

“I just feel like you’re running yourself ragged,” Martyn further expressed his concern, but he knew it was a losing battle. “Especially with Lizzie and Cleo, between their move a bit ago and this. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked you to ordain and cater their wedding.”

“Well, I did get a license to ordain people for a reason.” Scott shrugged, unbothered. “I’ve done it before. I married my cousin to their husband. Remember that one weekend I traveled back to Scotland to visit my extended family?”

“You’re impossible,” Martyn scoffed, deciding to give up. Scott was determined to go and it didn’t matter what Martyn wanted. The thought was unfair, but he couldn’t help but feel upset by it. Was it so wrong to just have a nice night with his (crush) best friend?

“What did you expect from me?” Scott laughed as he stood in front of his room’s mirror. He held up two different earring options to his ears, debating between the various options. Scott set down one pair and put in the other, a bluish-tinted silver gem shaped like a star. “If people are going to call me a matchmaker, then I might as well live up to the title!” 

“Mhm, sure,” Martyn grumbled, leaning back on Scott’s bed. He wasn’t interested in the conversation any longer.

“What? Sad you don’t have someone?” Scott teased Martyn lightheartedly. He tilted his head in consideration. “I could match you up if you’d let me. Hm, let me guess who may be a good match for you. You would want an animal lover, I bet. You’ve wanted a dog for forever, but our apartment complex doesn’t allow that. Maybe a theater nerd as well, so you two have something in common to gush about. I love a good play, but you are obsessive to another level! It’s rather endearing. Someone smarter than you would be nice, but that shouldn’t be hard to do-” 

“Hey!” Martyn shot back up with an offended gasp. He grabbed one of Scott’s pillows and tossed it at him. “I am very smart, thank you!”

Scott dodged out of the way with a gleeful giggle, the pillow missing him entirely. Before he could make a quip back in response, his phone’s alarm went off. “Oh, I need to get going. That was my ‘gotta go’ alarm.”

“Uh, since you’re not free tonight, would you like to go out, together, another day?” Martyn asked quickly, getting in the words before Scott had the chance to leave the room. If he was shot down or rejected, at least he would have the apartment to himself for a bit. “Maybe tomorrow or this weekend? It’s been a bit since we’ve hung out one-on-one”

“That sounds awfully romantic, Martyn,” Scott commented with a mild teasing tone, shoving his phone in his pocket. There was more to his voice than just teasing, but Martyn couldn’t quite pinpoint it. He hoped it was Scott liking him back, but that felt too hopeful for him to realistically believe.

“It could be!” Martyn felt like kicking himself. “We could go all classy with dinner, or maybe even a picnic in the park or a day at the pool. Something chill and low stress. I mean, what's a better first date than that?” 

“I wonder how many first dates we’ve had at this point.” Scott skipped over the part of the conversation that would clarify that they’ve done those sorts of things with each other many times before. They had been friends since they were kids, after all, so they both knew that information.

“Many, but as long as they’re with you, they’re all perfect,” Martyn leaned into the flirting and flattery, maintaining an outwardly collected composure.

“You’re such a flatterer, aren’t you Martyn? You really know what to say to a guy.” Scott’s face flushed pink, but he seemed to try and play it off like it was nothing. It wasn’t too unusual for Martyn and Scott to have “flirt-offs” from time to time, but it’s been a bit since they’ve engaged in that sort of competition. “I’ll have to take a rain check though. I’m working this weekend, remember? Anyway, I’ll be back late tonight so don’t wait up. I’ll lock up when I get home. Bye! Love you.” “Love you too. See ya later,” Martyn waved him off, not taking his eyes off of him until he was out of sight. He couldn’t help but be disappointed, but what did he expect? Scott has an eye for romance, attraction, and affection for literally everyone else but himself. Martyn loved him (so much that it was becoming a problem), but, stars, he was dense as hell sometimes.

-ˋˏ ༻❀ five ❀༺ ˎˊ-

“What’s worrying you?” Martyn asked, snapping Scott out of his thoughts.

Scott and Martyn were sitting down together at their little dining table, eating dinner together. They tried to make a point to do so semi-regularly, sometimes cooking the meal together or one treating the other by cooking them a meal.

What’s not worrying me, is the better question…

Scott contemplated confiding in Martyn for a moment, but it didn’t last long. Martyn was his best friend and he cared deeply about him. If he couldn’t confide in him, who could he confide in? 

“I don’t know if I can keep up with rent payments,” Scott admitted. “You may have to find a new roommate.” 

“A new roommate?” Martyn echoed, eyebrows furrowing and mouth gawking open. “No, Scott, I don’t want a new roommate, I- Why not? You work so often and… you know I can cover you for a bit, yeah?” 

“I know you can, I just…” Scott trailed off, avoiding Martyn’s piercing blue eyes. He didn’t want to leave Martyn, but there was only so much he could do. He took a deep breath before starting to ramble off his reasonings. “My car has needed repairs, and one of my siblings has been really sick lately, so I’ve been sending more money than usual home for my mum so she can pay the bills and still take care of my younger siblings and it’s just a lot. I might have to move back home to save on rent-”

“We could get roommates!” Martyn offered, placing a hand on the table and straightening his posture. “That way our collective rent is less.”

“In this small place?” Scott raised an eyebrow. They had their own bedrooms now, yes, but they were cramped. Living with another person- especially a stranger- in that small of a living quarters was not something he cared to do. “This is a good place for two people, maybe a couple and their kids, but not for more roommates.” 

“We could get a different apartment!” Martyn brought up another alternative to solve their possible “no longer being roommates and Scott moving back in with his mum” problem. “Our lease for this one is almost up anyway, and I know Jimmy and Tango are looking for a new place. Maybe we can all move in together.” 

Scott considered it for a moment. He liked Jimmy and Tango (a lot), but he wasn’t sure he could be close to them *that* often, knowing that they were happy together without him. He hated that he was jealous of them… not that they were happy together, but that they were content without him. Scott wanted to be important to them in a more significant way, but that couldn’t possibly happen. They deserve a better boyfriend than me anyway…

Mentally dismissing those thoughts, Scott turned to a practical question, “What apartment around here has four bedrooms?” 

“We could share,” Martyn stated, simple as that. It was the obvious situation, after all. “We could find bigger bedrooms than the ones here. Tango and Jimmy would probably want to share a room and… and we can relive our university dorms experience. Or we can see if we can afford a house together with four incomes. We’re all friends, and you and I’ve been rooming for years now, so it shouldn’t be too hard to adjust. I think I would love living with the three of you too.” 

What Martyn was saying was making sense, but Scott was curious as to “Why do you care so much? It's not like you’ll never see me just because we’re not rooming together anymore. You’re still my best friend.” 

“I just don’t want to see you have to move back to our small hometown when you worked so hard to come out here.” A light blush graced Martyn’s cheeks as he shrugged and glanced off to the side. “Besides, I like having you around. If you leave, who will be my roommate? Some stranger?” 

Scott pursed his lips for a moment before nodding slowly. “Okay, I’ll make a group chat and see if we can work it out.” 

Martyn’s eyes lit up, looking extremely pleased (maybe too pleased) as Scott grabbed his phone to do as he said. He picked up Scott’s cleared-off plate and set it on top of his. “Here, I'll clean up dinner and you go pick out a movie for us to watch.” 

“Martyn, you don’t have to do that. I can help clean up.” Scott picked up his cup and went to grab Martyn’s as well. “We both made dinner, so we both should clean up the mess.” 

“No, no, you’re clearly stressed out about everything and this is my way of helping.” Martyn prevented Scott from grabbing his cup and gestured for Scott to give him the other one. Scott obliged him with a weary smile. “Go sit your ass down on the couch and I'll come over to play with your hair when I’m done.” 

“You’re using my weaknesses against me,” Scott whined, but wouldn’t object. He loved when other people ran their fingers through his hair and Martyn always knew how to make it feel really nice. 

“I know, I know, I’m so awful,” Martyn rolled his eyes affectionately as he walked over to the sink with all their dishes. “Now go.” 

“Okay, okay!” Scott had started to move to sit down, but he spotted the broom leaned against the wall and couldn’t help himself. “Here, I’ll sweep first.”

“Scott, no.” Martyn moved swiftly to dry his hands on the rag by the sink before standing in front of Scott. He placed his hands on his shoulders and looked him directly in the eye. “You do so much to help everyone else, arguably too much at times. You need to learn to let other people take care of you sometimes.”

“But I like helping other people,” Scott scrunched his nose, but allowed Martyn to prohibit him from the broom.

“I know it’s how you are, but that doesn’t mean I have to stand for it when I can help it.” Martyn smiled at him so lovingly that Scott wished he could cup his face and trace his thumb along his lips and- stop! You’re just friends! Don’t think like that…

Scott ducked his head, hoping to hide how red his face burned. He turned around to beeline toward the couch like Martyn wanted him to. “You’re the best, Martyn.”

Martyn snorted at that comment, but there was a bit of a laugh to it. “Yeah, I know.”

-ˋˏ ༻❀ plus one ❀༺ ˎˊ-

So, as Martyn suggested, they ended up buying a small house not too far away from where they lived before, with Jimmy and Tango now included. Scott knew Jimmy and Tango saw him and Martyn as friends, but he hadn’t expected them to jump on the idea so ecstatically. It worked out for the better though, with Tango and Jimmy sharing the master bedroom, and Scott and Martyn taking the smaller rooms. 

Scott got the bigger of the two rooms, mostly because he had more things, but also because Martyn claimed the smallest bedroom when they were deciding who went where. Martyn explained that he liked the simplicity of the smaller space (though Scott guessed that he liked that there was an easy exit route from that bedroom’s window to the outside) and he brought up the fact that he would probably spend a decent amount of time in the common areas over his bedroom anyway. From there, it made the bedroom choices obvious.  

Things have been good- really good. Great, even! They settled into a routine rather quickly and it’s been smooth sailing. They had chore lists, a group calendar, and all those typically helpful things to have in place when living together with other people. What was great was the time in between the chores and their jobs. The time Scott had enjoyed the most was the sweetly domestic moments the four of them shared.

It wasn’t an unusual sight to see the four of them cuddled on a couch to watch a movie or baking together with some tunes on in the kitchen. They would play board games, go on almost date-like activities on their days off, and wander around on duo adventures in every combination possible… it all felt so natural and so wonderful.

Yet Scott still wanted more. Selfishly wanted more.

That wasn’t to say he wasn’t content because, for the most part, he was! It was just those moments of intimacy he was craving more. Scott was grateful none of them were closed off to cuddling together with him, hugging him, or running their fingers through his hair (Tango and Jimmy had picked up on his love of it from Martyn doing it), but there were nights where he craved more. There were nights when he didn’t want to sleep alone in his bed. There were times when he wanted to feel their lips. There were moments he wished he could call them his. Each and every single one of them.

He forbade himself from getting a boyfriend at all because he was too busy and now he found himself desiring three! How selfish was he?

If Scott were to give himself grace, his chaotic schedule had been getting better. His kid sibling was currently in recovery, so he didn’t have to send as much money home, and the house payment split four ways was a lot easier to come up with the funding for.

Maybe I can afford to be a little selfish…

Scott stood in the doorway of his bedroom, biting his lower inner lip as he stared at the back of Martyn’s head. He was in a house full of blondes, yes, (maybe he had a type) but Scott had perfected the skill of telling who was who from the back on first glance. Jimmy, Martyn, and Tango’s hair were all different shades of blonde and styled with different haircuts. Besides, Martyn often wore a headband and had for a good chunk of the time Scott’s known him. He didn’t expect Martyn to give up the headband anytime soon.

Martyn was watching some show on the television, and Scott wasn’t sure where Jimmy and Tango were off to. The house was quiet, aside from their quiet breathing and the sound coming from the speakers.

Scott stepped forward softly, creeping his way around the couch to sit down next to Martyn. When Scott got there, he leaned into Martyn, and the action was accepted without any fuss. Scott cuddled against his childhood best friend, who wrapped his arm snuggly around him as he idly scratched his fingernails against Scott’s side. Scott breathed out, content with the comfort and closeness.

This was pleasant, nice, wonderful, perfect, and all those other positive terms. Did he really need the label on it to be happy? Scott knew he should just learn to be content with what he had. He didn’t want to scare them off! Besides, Scott didn’t even know if they would be open to polyamory; he’s never asked.

Scott’s phone started ringing, pulling both Martyn and himself out of their peaceful moment. He wrinkled his nose as he tried to blink himself into awareness. Scott fished his phone out of his pocket, squinted at the caller ID, read that it was Jimmy, and answered the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, Scott, are you and Martyn home or busy at the moment?” Jimmy’s voice spoke louder than Scott had anticipated so he pulled his phone away from his ear, clicking down the volume button.

“Does Jimmy need us?” Martyn asked, overhearing Jimmy’s question considering the louder volume the phone was set at. “Put it on speaker.”

Scott did as he was told before replying to Jimmy, “Yeah, we’re both home. We’re just watching one of Martyn’s shows. Why?” “We’ve been talking a lot and there’s something we want to talk about with you two.” Tango’s voice came through, meaning they were together and also on speaker. Based on the background feedback, Scott guessed they were driving. Tango’s next comment proved that guess correct, “We’re almost home and we just wanted to make sure you two were free to have a conversation.”

“What about?” Martyn asked, taking the words right out of Scott’s mouth.

There was silence on the other end for several heartbeats before Jimmy spoke up again. “It’s a conversation that’s best to happen in person. It’s nothing bad and, no matter what the conclusion is, nothing has to change.” “Okay, we’ll be home soon, bye!” Tango spoke quickly with his voice pitched in the way that happened when he was nervous. 

The call disconnected and Scott turned to Martyn. “Do you know what that was about?”

“No,” Martyn suddenly looked mildly flustered and Scott wasn’t sure why, “but I have a few suspicions.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” Scott raised an eyebrow at him. “I thought everything was going well between the four of us.” “Everything is going well,” Martyn assured Scott with a half smile. “I- I think it is something you will like if what I think they’re talking about is correct.”

“How do you know what they’re going on about and I don’t?” Scott huffed, crossing his arms. He didn’t enjoy being the only one in the dark.

“I’m just really good at listening,” Martyn gave the excuse as if it was an acceptable explanation.

Before Scott could say anything in response, the front door opened to reveal Tango and Jimmy. Scott started to stand to join them, but Jimmy instructed him against that. “No, stay sitting. We’ll come to you. This conversation is probably better sitting down, anyway.”

Scott obeyed, sitting back down beside Martyn as Jimmy and Tango took a seat (Jimmy on another chair and Tango criss crossed on the floor) in the living room as well. An awkward silence hung in the air as they all stared at each other, no one daring to say the first word.

“So, have either of you considered polyamoring?” Tango blurted out, suddenly breaking the growing tension. His face was red, but so were the other three’s so no one commented on it. 

They exchanged looks for a moment before Martyn hummed, “...it’s definitely been on my mind recently.”

“Tango and I’ve talked about it before, and we’ve discovered we’re polyamorous.” Jimmy gave them a rundown of the reasoning behind Tango’s question before diving into more detail. “We were both crushing on other people- still are- when Scott introduced us. We hit it off and started dating, as you know, but those crushes never went away. If anything, they’ve gotten stronger and we may or may not have developed feelings for the other’s crush as well.”

“And those crushes are me and Scott, aren’t they.” Martyn’s words were set up like they formed a question, but he said them like they were a statement. Both Tango and Jimmy nodded to confirm the suspicion. 

“What?” Scott’s eyes widened, feeling like he was being tricked (not that this was bad news) somehow for some reason. He didn’t think that they were the kind of people to do that sort of prank about something like this, but surely they wouldn’t feel the same way towards him? Was he really that blind? How had he never picked their affections up if it’s actually been that long? Thinking back, there were so many signs, but Scott had dismissed them all as affectionate actions between friends.

“For a matchmaker, you’re pretty oblivious when it comes to your own love life,” Martyn huffed, half teasingly, half simply stating the obvious. He took a breath, averting his eyes away from them before braving it and looking back at them. “Since we’re being honest and open right now, I’ve liked you, Scott, for several years now. I just didn’t know how to tell you and you always said you were too busy for that sort of thing.”

“Really?” Scott squeaked, hating the sound that built in his throat. So he had been that blind! Stars, how oblivious could he be? Here he was, priding himself on picking up on body language and nonverbal cues while these things had gone undetected on his radar.

“Yes, you dumbass.” Martyn’s insult didn’t have any bite to it. His focus moved from Scott to Jimmy and Tango. “After all our time building up our friendships, and now, after living together, I can see myself falling for both of you too.”

Scott buried his head in his hands, his face hot enough that he could feel the heat against his face. This must be a dream, right? He’s had them before. He’s daydreamed about what it would be like to date each of them so many times now…

“You don’t have to agree to date us, any of us,” Jimmy promised, moving closer and placing a hand on Scott’s thigh. His tone was gentle and caring, which only made Scott’s heartbeat quicken. “We still care about you and, as we said, nothing has to change.” “We won’t thirdwheelificate you,” Tango chimed in. He was clearly nervous if only based on the word “thirdwheelificate.” Tango only used words like that when he was nervous, forgot a word, or was showing off some big accomplishment. “Or, rather, fourthwheelify you-”

“No, no, that’s not,” Scott choked on his words, surprised to feel wet tears against his hands. He rubbed his palms against his eyes before removing them and beaming brightly at them. “I would love to date you all, I just… I thought it wasn’t an option, especially with everything I had going on, I wouldn’t be a very great one…”

“Bullshit,” Martyn scoffed in dismissal, wrapping his arm around Scott again. “You would be a great boyfriend. You’re already a fantastic friend. You broke through my angry shell when I was a kid and my life is significantly better off because of it. For someone typically so confident in yourself, you sure have a lot of self-doubt.” “Well, you didn’t have to call me out like that,” Scott stuttered a laugh. A weight he hadn’t fully realized was still there lifted from his shoulders. He felt happy. Happy in a way he hadn’t thought he would a year ago. Life seemed to like him once more, everything turning up in his favor. Scott’s stressors weren’t as numerous as they once were and now he was being offered what he assumed would only be dreams.

“I would be a bad friend if I didn’t.” Martyn paused for a moment with a slight tilt of his head. “Bad boyfriend?” “I think you’ll find the answer to that question if you kiss me,” Scott couldn’t help but slip a sly, little flirt in. 

A brief look of surprise flashed on Martyn’s face before morphing into a smirk. He pulled Scott onto his lap. “C’mere, then.”

Scott giggled, wrapping his arms around Martyn’s neck as they leaned in for a kiss. This wasn’t the first time they have kissed before, but it had been a while since they kissed last. Scott and Martyn were two of those kids who kissed each other “for practice” and discovered they enjoyed it much more with another boy than with a girl. Honestly, Scott was surprised at how their parents didn’t pick it up sooner growing up.

When they broke, they were both looking very satisfied. Scott stayed on Martyn’s lap, but he twisted his body to face Tango and Jimmy. “Can I kiss you two as well?”

He wasn’t met with words, but they both nodded. Since Tango was closer, Scott climbed off of Martyn and moved to where Tango was sitting on the floor. He got to his knees to meet Tango’s lips, but they didn’t stay upright. They moved their kiss to a horizontal position, and he could hear Martyn and Jimmy entertaining themselves with each other as Scott eagerly explored Tango, experimenting to see how each other responded to various things.

When they finally came up for air, they were panting to try and catch their breath. Observing the details of Tango’s face as he laid under him with a huge grin on his lips and his face flushed a bright red was such a beautiful sight to commit to memory.

“We’ll have to talk more in detail later,” Jimmy started, though he looked thoroughly dazed from his kisses with Tango and Marytn.

“We can work out everything later, but that’s too much to think about right now,” Scott interrupted him as he approached Jimmy to claim his lips in a kiss. He had wanted it long enough that he didn’t want to talk about boundaries and everything else more in-depth until later. Scott wanted to claim his Jimmy kiss before then, at least. “I would prefer it if you just kissed me-” Scott was going to say more, adding more flirt and maybe some extra touches, when Jimmy shut him up with a kiss. It was wonderful, so Scott certainly wouldn’t complain. When they broke, Scott knew he had a stupid grin on his face. He felt warm and fuzzy with a sufficiently content buzz humming in his chest. “If that’s how you’re going to shut me up from now on, feel free to do it anytime.”

“Is that offer open to us too?” Martyn chimed in. “Because that would be oh so very useful.” Scott rolled his eyes and flipped Martyn off, who promptly cackled with delight. Despite what may typically be perceived as annoyance, it was anything but. Scott felt pure bliss as he came to terms with the situation and it continued to stay with him. He didn’t know exactly how their relationship was going to go, how it would develop, or where they would end up, but those questions didn’t matter right now. They would figure it out together, one day at a time, and Scott couldn’t wait to see what was in store for them next.

If you made it this far, please reblog this post, and maybe leave a like/kudos slash comment here or on AO3, thank you <333

[silivrenmiriel]

WIP word game

Thanks to @bottan-blobbington for the tag! I'm very much a one-thing-at-a-time kind of person (that, and Konungsskapari is such a big project I have no brain space for anything else) buuuut since it's kind of like a hybrid between a multi-chapter fic and a collection of oneshots, it still counts, right? 😄 let's see if I can get one for every remaining chapter...

The game: you will be given a word. Then you share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that starts with each letter of your word.

My word is: ANTICS

__________________

A

As for its occupant, Thor had never seen one of the Jötnar up close before. Angrboða's sapphire skin was covered in swirling scars. She was clad from the waist down in a skirt made of furred hide, leaving her chest bare but for the bandages around her left shoulder. Her long dark hair was braided with amber in a snake that fell almost to her ankles, her horns long and curved, scarlet eyes glowing with hidden fire. Her features were like those of no man or woman Thor had ever met, and yet somehow resembled both at the same time. Thor could not decide if he found her beautiful or monstrous.

(Jötunheimr)

N

"Norns, you should see your face! Forgive me, Silvertongue. It is an old joke amongst the dead." He clapped a hand on Loki’s shoulder and they started to walk once more. "I do not know how to describe it. It is as if someone has placed a hook beneath my ribs and is slowly reeling me in. I cannot escape the feeling."

Loki chewed at his lip. He knew that feeling all too well. It had kept him trailing after Thor for their entire lives.

(Niflheimr)

T

They passed a cluster of stinking orange rocks, each one several feet in length. Thor kicked at one idly, recoiling when his boot sank into its spongy flank. Loki let out a barking laugh.

"What?" Thor growled. He poked the rock with Mjölnir's haft, and the stench was enough to make his eyes water. "What do you think this is? We've passed quite a many clusters like this."

Loki laughed again, fighting back a cough. "That would be its scat." When Thor shot him a puzzled look, Loki stiffled a giggle. "Shit, Thor. You're desecrating your hammer with the shit of a thousand-foot-long fire dragon."

(Muspelheimr)

I

"It seems the pickled herrings are calling me, brother," he said, turning to face the palace. "Please, lead the way."

Loki's expression switched to something wicked, the kind that Thor knew and loved so well. The kind that always meant trouble. "I'm not kissing you if your breath stinks of rotting fish," he said tartly. "Besides, you have more important matters to attend to than herrings, I think."

(Epilogue)

C

Cool fingers brushed over Thor’s wrist, startling him from his thoughts. Thor looked over sharply to see Loki, a knife already concealed in one hand, his eyes shining with fierce determination. Gold glittered in his dark hair. Thor set his jaw.

(Asgard II)

S

"Stop!" Thor interrupted, circling his fingers around his brother’s wrist. He'd wanted his hair cut, yes, but this was another matter entirely. "Wait, I'm not sure I want that-"

"You can't just have this hanging here from your temple like some kind of worm," Loki derided, waggling the braid between his fingers. "That would be a surefire way to ruin anyone’s perception of Asgardian fashion for the next thousand years."

(Svartálfheimr)

______________

I see my writing moots are mostly already tagged, but maybe @nachttraum has something to share? (No pressure ofc!) Or if this happens to pop up on someone's dash: the word is FROST 😄

[umbracirrus]

Umbracirrus Writing Masterlist

Originally, some of my writing masterlist was contained within my pinned post, though it hadn't been updated since April, and the post in question felt horribly long. So, I decided to make this list separate to my pinned post and to have it link to this instead.

It is split into multi-chapter fanfictions and oneshots, with the oneshots all at the bottom. It only includes things which I have posted at least one chapter of (or posted all of, in the case of oneshots)! And I happen to have.... Well, a lot of other things in progress not even mentioned here.

Masterlist last updated: 27th October 2024

Multi-Chapter fics

The Perfect Storm (On AO3) - In Progress

Skyrim fanfiction

Balgruuf the Greater/Dragonborn (Elyse Verne - OC); background Irileth/Hrongar

Rated E on AO3

Slow burn, Romance, Skyrim's chaotic politics, Skyrim Civil War, eventual sexual content

Summary:

“What do you think will burn better? Another ballad of Mikael’s about Whiterun’s ‘assets’, or yet another letter from Ulfric Stormcloak asking for me to join him?" When the Dragonborn is facing pressure to choose a side in the brewing war, she sticks with the side which holds a special place in her heart. She picks Whiterun.

Seeking the Sun (On AO3) - In Progress, precursor to The Perfect Storm

Skyrim fanfiction

Dragonborn (Elyse Verne - OC)

Rated M on AO3

Adventure, Angst, Skyrim main quest, minor canon divergence

She was free to go wherever she wished, drift around and allow her whims to guide her feet. But she had a plan… and that plan was Skyrim. Yes, it was a land full of strife, but it was still a place of great significance to her. It was her mother's homeland. When Elyse finds her life in Cyrodiil too painful to bare, she makes the decision to travel north, to Skyrim - unaware that she was Dragonborn, and that her decision would soon determine not just her own fate, but the fate of Skyrim... and potentially that of the world itself.

Tenacity (On Tumblr) - In Progress, prequel to both Seeking the Sun and The Perfect Storm

Skyrim fanfiction (based in 4E 172/173 - approximately 28/29 years pre-game)

Edwyn Verne (OC)/Ingja Frosthand (OC)

Chapters - {1} (currently only posted on Tumblr, not AO3)

Enemies to lovers, Forbidden romance, tragedy with a happy ending

"Stay away from those mages and their college. They are nothing but bad news." That message had been instilled in Ingja since she was but a child. So after a chance encounter leads to her getting to know Edwyn, an aspirational student of conjuration in the College, she realises that perhaps... mages simply aren't as bad as their reputation would say.

Tempest (on AO3) - In Progress

Skyrim fanfiction (based in the same version of Skyrim as The Perfect Storm, but is a standalone fic)

Thorne (OC)/Vilkas, past Thorne/Brynjolf

Rated M on AO3

Enemies to lovers, Found family, Secrets, Mental health issues, Companions questline, past Thieves Guild questline

The Thieves Guild were like the family which Thorne never had, though she never felt as though she truly fit in, even after reaching position of guildmaster. After a heart-to-heart with Brynjolf, she finds herself planning to amicably part ways with the guild and find somewhere that she could belong. Somewhere that she could feel happy. That somewhere ends up being Jorrvaskr much to the chagrin of Vilkas, who feels that she is hiding more than she is letting on.

With light comes shadow (On AO3) - In Progress

Oblivion fanfiction (featuring two heroes of Kvatch)

Martin Septim/Hero of Kvatch (Florian Livius - OC); uncertain if my other HoK, Drissa Arys (OC), will have a relationship established or not.

Rated M on AO3

Character Redemption/Condemnation, Oblivion Main Quest, Oblivion Dark Brotherhood, canon character death, Found family

At a pivotal time for the Empire, in the wake of the Emperor’s death, two so-called heroes emerge from the ashes of Kvatch - an incompetent thief and a disgraced arena fighter. One takes the chance at redemption. The other seeks their own ruin.

Oneshots

A Moment in the Sunset (On here and AO3)

Skyrim fanfiction

Balgruuf the Greater (Elyse Verne - OC)

Rated M on AO3

As the sun sets across Skyrim, the Dragonborn and Jarl of Whiterun spend a peaceful few moments on the porch of Dragonsreach.

"Do you surrender?" (On AO3)

Skyrim fanfiction

Balgruuf the Greater/Dragonborn (Elyse Verne - OC)

Rated E on AO3 (sexual content)

When business in Whiterun grows far too tedious for Balgruuf's liking, he takes a break to find his wife in order let off some steam. What starts out as a sparring session with Elyse on the Dragonsreach porch takes a heated turn.

Kiss (On here)

Skyrim fanfiction

Balgruuf the Greater/Dragonborn (Elyse Verne - OC)

To be part of a bigger oneshot in the future (or maybe added in to The Perfect Storm eventually :3)

Elyse and Balgruuf sneak out of Dragonsreach for a night in the Bannered Mare without telling anyone, not even their housecarls, and end up sharing a dessert. A very messy dessert.

Purity (On here and AO3)

Skyrim fanfiction

Vilkas/Dragonborn (Thea - OC)

Rated T on AO3

An odd, prickly feeling went down Vilkas' spine as he watched Thea navigate towards a wall, which upon further inspection, looked to have an indent about the size of a door. The sensation made him shiver, and he had to stretch his fingers with anticipation. Sweat was also pouring down the back of his neck, a looming sense of… not quite terror, but more along the lines that something was going to go awfully wrong if he were to go any further.

Starlit (On here)

Skyrim fanfiction

Miraak

Miraak looks up at the night sky after his long-awaited freedom from Apocrypha.

[ilikelookingatthings]

I NEED TO SCREAM INTO THE VOID.

I am in a pickle of my own making! I have over 1000 tabs open on my computer because I kept opening new windows and forgetting the previous windows. Most of these tabs are fanfiction. My computer is slow as all get out because of all the tabs so I can't bounce between them to get to all the oneshots. There are so many that the windows don't show as pictures and the only way to scroll to tabs is to have all the tabs on the side instead of at the top.

So I've been meticulously going through each tab to try to finish a window to then start again in the next window.

But not ONLY are a majority of the tabs fanfictions...many are multi-chapter.

But my ONLY hobby right now(aside from making earrings out if beads so I can get rid of my beads) is writing comments on fanfictions....so my pace is slowed down EVEN MORE because I am SHIT at summarizing my thoughts in a short ans sweet manner!

I write my comments to process and get out every thought I can on the fanfiction currently in my sights so I won't be lingering on it for months mentally. The good, the bad, the 'this part doesn't make sense logically with what you set up but COULD WORK if you adjust this part a smidge so we can enjoy your brilliant lines over here', the ooooh my God I'm terrified I'm having so much fun reading this, amd of my God this is infuriating and I hate it but I live it write more!

My computer bounces between being able to spell properly and skipping letters and the spell check takes so long to do because I write so much!!! And then I need to check tone of my comment because what if I wrote out all my thoughts and didn't realize my love and appreciation didn't get through where people might take it as critique or hurtful because I didn't get my feeling across properly.

So I need to double check! Because I don't want to accidentally discourage someone who's fic I cared enough about to read through! I'll want more fanfics after all!!!

But I also need to get through the fanfics as quickly as possible and I write alot quickly and I need to get my thoughts out of my head as soon as possible so I can go to the next fanfiction!

But then I have such good taste and the writers are so great I get sucked in again! And if I'm not careful I'll write a comment for every chapter!!!

I spent TWO DAYS going through a 20 chapter fanfic! Just to delete ONE TAB! I can't even sort the tabs by oneshots! I have to go tab by tab in this window to get through the window or risk the computer rebooting and reopening or opening copys of windows!!!! And I can't pin point all the copy windows cuz some windows have fanfics from the other windows!

And then I thought! Hey no one really CARES if I comment right? I can just skip one or two! But not only does my brain say no! that fanfic didn't have any comments!!! which was a travesty because the fic was so good and needs to be appreciated! So I needed to write one! And THEN apparently people recognized that I commented on almost every fanfiction I've read and noticed I'm BACK because I took hiatus for so long due to lent! I don't eve have any writing of my own and somehow people noticed?

AND WRITERS apparently appreciate them so I get all warm and fuzzy! Whoch gives me energy to comment more!

But I still have a ridiculous amount of tabs and I made a deal with myself I can't scroll on tumblr or YouTube for too long on my phone until I get through ALL of them! Because that risks me making MORE comments because it's not just fanfictions I process that way!!!

There are tabs from at least 3 years ago!!!! And that's not even adressing when I AM done I plan on getting through my bookmarks because they are separate!!!! And how when I read a fic from one Fandom I get the erge to look for MORE!

I've got myself opening up new tabs at least 3 times! Luckily stopping myself from diving further in. Commenting on those fanfictions and closing the tabs quickly. But still!!!!

And that's not even adressing tge fanfic purges that happen so what if one of the five I was reading got taken down so I'll never know the ending? Or when my tabs refresh so the comment I spent 15 minutes writing disappeared!!!! I can type very quickly and my reading comprehension are high. I wrote past the archive comment limit within 2 minutes once so I thought this would be faster!

Am I my own worst enemy?! I can't just give up now! But there are so many!!!! And something tells me most won't be one shots! But even just the one shots can be worth multiple comments!

Its how I process! My sister can only take so much of ne talking at her about characters and Fandom she isn't in!!! And my prize at the end are more fanfictions I'm not letting myself read til I finish all of these!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Why do I DO this to myself!!!!!

[jesterboystrick]

Tagged by @ghost-maya to answer 20 questions for fic writers.

I was honestly tagged in this way too long ago, started answering a few questions, then forgot about it in my drafts forever until Maya just tagged me in ANOTHER fic tag game. So, now I have to post this one so THAT one can waste away in my drafts for a while instead, obviously.

Y'all get ready, I'm about to ramble more than necessary on some of these because I love to talk. May not seem like it from how little I post here, but oh boy I'm a talker.

how many works do you have on ao3?

41, which is too fucking many considering I only started in august 😂

what's your total ao3 word count?

113,710

what are your top five fics by kudos?

1. With Hearts in His Eyes (in progress ZoSan multi-chap) 2. Dressed Down (ZoSan) 3. What Happens in the Timeskip, Stays in the Timeskip (ZoSan) 4. A Different Sensation (ZoSanZo) 5. Incentive (SanZo) What's really interesting to me is that my top by hits look the same, except A Different Sensation is replaced with Melt. Melt being in my top 5 hits has baffled me since it made it up there a while ago. I mean, I love that, but I'm shocked that a rarer pair beat out 14 zsz fics for the 4th spot. Shouts out to the CrocSan enjoyers I guess! Glad y'all enjoy it.

what fandoms do you write for?

One Piece. I write whatever I get ideas for, so I technically have some wips for other things, but I don't intend to post any of those and haven't worked on anything non-One Piece since I started posting... except a oneshot I just started recently... you might see that one day if I finish it, but maybe not. Don't worry about it.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

Yup! No real "why." Sometimes a handful of them build up in my inbox before I get around to answering them, but I just like saying at least a thank you for every comment.

what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Was the All Blue Ever Real? probably. I feel like a lot of my other dark or angsty fics have something that brings the angst up a little by the end, like All That's Left and Scum, since they end with a bit of comfort, and ones like Raw Deal DO end decidedly bad for at least one involved party, but I think of those as way more whump than angst, if that distinction matters here. You Stifle Me, I Suffocate might be up there, but it doesn't quite have a real ending. Since all of it is just Sanji remembering something from his childhood, the ending is just "and then One Piece happens". More... sour tasting ending than clear cut angst. So, all that said, quantifying the angstiEST fic ending is a bit weird, but I'll go with Was the All Blue Ever Real? since it's just kinda bleak all the way around, haha. It's also a more... mundane angst, if that makes sense? No one's getting devil fruit tortured or anything, shit just sucks. Is Scum angstier though, despite the bit of comfort at the end? 🤷‍♂️ Idk, you tell me.

what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

😂😂😂 I don't really set out to write happy endings, at least not intentionally. Sometimes they do happen to me, but my plot based stuff usually isn't overwhelmingly happy, so the happiest ending so far is probably by default just something that's more smut focused. I guess... What Happens in the Timeskip, Stays in the Timeskip.

do you get hate on fics?

Not yet! The worst I've gotten is one or two comments that were just... a little hard to decipher. They could be, or could not be, lol 🤷‍♂️. There's one in particular that comes to mind that I genuinely can't tell if it was meant to be positive or negative, so in my mind, it's just neutral. 🤣

do you write smut?

Hahaha. Yeah.

do you write crossovers?

Nope. I'll never say never to just about anything, because who knows what I'll feel like writing in the future, but crossovers have never appealed to me much as a reader or writer. Technically, there's been a few times I've started just a little bit of one, but not seriously, more as just a fun little exercise to entertain myself for a single quick writing session, then immediately forget about.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, and I sure hope not.

have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Not yet, but I'm not opposed to it! Never done any cowritting, so I don't know how well I do in that sort of situation, but there's a few fic writer friends I could picture myself trying it out with some day if we ever felt drawn to the right idea for it together.

what's your all time favorite ship?

I really don't know. There is no one favorite ship for me. I could tell you what ships I think about the most at any given time, but that changes so frequently that the answer would be different if you asked me again in a week. Easy cop-out way to answer this: If I check my fic reading spreadsheet that I started at the beginning of January, DofCora is the ship I've read the most of so far this year. Make of that what you will 🤣

what's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Considering I have probably around 300 things in my One Piece wip folder (not an exaggeration, I don't have an exact count rn, but it's for sure around there at this point in time), there's plenty of answers to this, but to pick something specific, any of my super long aus. I have several au ideas/wips that are basically "rewriting all of One Piece" type aus, and realistically I'm never posting ANY OF THEM. I know that. I only even let myself delusionally pretend i might ever get around to finishing ONE. A few of my faves are a strawhat role swap au, an au that changes all the strawhat's backstories pretty drastically, and the pro wrestling au. I wish all three of those could be epic length masterworks that retell all of One Piece, because that's how I initially envisioned them, but it's just never going to happen. There's a few of those big fic ideas that I might cut up into the more manageable or best parts and post isolated scenes of some day, but I know none of them will ever get written in their entirety and that's a bummer. The pro wrestling au is the one out of the aus I mentioned that I most want to make work, somehow, some way, some day, but we'll see if it ever shakes out.

what are your writing strengths?

Starting things. I have ideas constantly and I start new wips multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day.

what are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things. I have ideas constantly and I'm always starting new wips. I can't finish them all.

I know these last two questions probably mean more the writing itself, not the process of writing, but I honestly don't really know. It feels a bit lame and too broad to say that I feel like I'm good a dialogue and not as good at anything that comes between, but I don't even know if that's true of my writing on it's own, or just an indication of where my priorities lie and what I'm most focused on and interested in when doing the writing. I've gotten a few comments on how I write characters, saying that they feel in character or very "human," and that certain scenarios or the way characters react to them (particularly on darker fics) are very real or realistic, and I think about those comments a lot. I really appreciate and treasure them. So if you believe those comments, I suppose that might be my strength, which isn't at odds with my feeling that dialogue is something that comes more naturally to me. I imagine they're probably connected.

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I wouldn't do it. I'm not opposed to the idea of it, but I wouldn't do it myself because I'm only fluent in English and have no way of ensuring that I'd be writing something accurately or comprehensibly on my own. If I ever felt a fic absolutely needed it for some reason, I would ask someone fluent in that language to help or I just wouldn't do it at all.

first fandom you wrote for?

Something related to DC Comics, for sure.

favorite fic you've ever written?

Similarly to my answer on favorite ships, I really don't have just one favorite fic. It changes too often to say, and I tend to have a recency bias for newly posted fics or ones I've reread recently. I'd say that since the start of this year, my fave posted fic of mine has cycled most often between Every Time You Kiss Me, I Could Cry, Scum, and Raw Deal, but a good 1/2 to 2/3rds of my posted fics have been my favorite at one point or another, if only for a few days in some cases.

tagging

As always, I don't really know who to tag, so if you see this and want to do it, consider yourself tagged.

[porchtart]

one summer, when i was about seventeen, there was this ship that i encountered that had exactly two people writing for it, and a handful of pieces of fanart and collages. i had for a couple of years mostly been into ships where there were proper archives being run for them - hundreds and thousands of stories at my fingertips, such an abundance that no matter what kind of story you wanted to read, there was almost certainly at least several oneshots and a couple of multi-chapter fics with upwards of fifty chapters. i was spoiled for choice, largely because the ships i was reading had a lot of source material to work with, even they none of them were canonically romantic/sexual.

that summer when i was seventeen, trawling through fanfiction.net, i was fascinated by the longer story that i found by that one person in this canoe of a fandom, exploring a scenario that i had not considered with the primary ship being between two people that had not spoken to each other, but knew of each other. the way that the relationship blossomed in their fic really grabbed me, and i have a lot of memories of laying on the couch in the living room at my parents' house, reading and rereading this story on my ipod touch. i've always really liked reading about dynamics that are underexplored in the source material, but i think that might have been the first time that i was really gripped by a pairing that wasn't explored at all beyond a handful of people who saw more.

what has always been appealing to me about fanworks is the transformative nature of it - letting your imagination run wild, and yes, thinking about what could be, but also loving something deeply, seeing something deeply. diving into the psyche of characters that are left underutilized, or thinking about how as people we have a profound effect on one another, how loving someone (in all sorts of different ways, not just romantically) can change the way you see the world. for me, my relationship with fiction has always been about trying to understand my relationship with people, trying to learn how to interface with the world outside when all of it felt so alien. there is much to be said about seeing the potential in characters and their relationships, and considering more deeply what you yourself want and need - holding up a mirror to yourself and to your desires through a safe conduit, imagining what could be.

i think since then, i've grown very fond of those sorts of ships, and telling those kinds of stories in fanworks. as i've been writing stuff for terretory, i find myself thinking of that little fandom a lot, how seeing a small and dedicated fanbase moved me. there are other folks writing for terretory (yay!!) and i desperately hope that there will continue to be more, but as far as my contributions to this fandom, i really want to make stories and art that look at the pair of them and what they could be a little differently - which i think will include putting them in a lot of different scenarios to highlight the potential for both characters, and what their dynamic could look like across different circumstances and genres.

open arms is without a doubt my most sentimental work in general and even though it's a very weird story for me to write and i think it has a lot of flaws, i am very proud of it - i hope that other people like it too. it's the longest fanfic i've written (so far) and has been a huge undertaking for me during a very emotionally fraught time this winter, and i think that is a big part of why it is what it is. my life has changed dramatically over the last year and a half, and for the first time in my life, i feel like i can breathe. for the first time in my life, i am healing from wounds that have been slowly draining me for decades. if i were not where i'm at right now, perhaps terry and tory would have been appealing to me, yes - but maybe not in the same way that they are right now. i love their dark parts, the sharper points of their dynamic, the juicy betrayal and terror - but what really appeals to me is seeing these two people who have so much darkness within them and so many horrors and triumphs in common learn to love and appreciate each other on a deeper level. the appeal is what could be.

the way i see it, open arms is my little love letter both to a softer version of two characters with a lot of hard edges that i fully believe they could bring out in one another, and to someone who means the world to me, who has been my primary creative partner for a the last few years, and who has been my dear friend for almost a decade now - someone who i see a lot of both tory and terry in. i hope that someone picks up my weird little story years from now, and that the love and affection that i feel both for axon and for these characters shines through, and that maybe their perspective on art and fanworks shifts just a little bit.

that's all i have to say about it right now, i guess. there's not much of a point to this post, other than to say that to love and to be loved is to be changed.

[two-reflections]

how you feel about your current WIP

Which one, hahahahaaa...

Thanks for asking, it's always good to do a WIP audit. Let's do it as a numbered list. Only going for the multi-chapter stories here. I also have a lot of oneshots in varying states of completion.

Non Warhammer 40k stories are under the Read More.

Carrion's Heir - Technically not a WIP, but not fully uploaded yet. It would have been a better story if I hadn't had to follow a set of prompts, but that was how the challenge I wrote it for worked. Still, I love the main character and his story arc. May come back to it in the future.

Of Steel and Flesh - Started off as a quick series of campaign-inspired drabbles, but became its own thing. I kind of love it and kind of hate it sometimes. Maybe I should have just left it as a bunch of tiny vignettes. I am committed to finishing it, though. Again, I care a lot about the main characters, and I REALLY like the Dark Mechanicum sect in it.

Even in Death - MY BELOVED. MY DARLING. MY SWEET, SELF-INDULGENT DREADNOUGHT-BASED BABY. Putting this one off to finish other projects hurts so bad. I want to write the rest of this ASAP.

[Unnamed Techmarine Story] - This is about my character Bai'keti's 30 years on Mars. It's less about his training and more about what being so far from his brothers and culture is like, the difficulty of adopting a new culture, and his intense friendship with another techmarine in training from the Dragonspears chapter. I'll probably never upload this one because I'm not too familiar with what Mars in 40k is like beyond "Admech and the Void Dragon live here." Plus, it's based on my own time as an International student at a particularly weird British University. It makes me feel nostalgic for the rare good times, and also SO freaking glad I survived my time and am not there any more. Hated my Uni so much. This WIP is also on the back burner at like 12k words, will probably pick it back up in the autumn.

[Unnamed Salamander Story] - The story of Val'ten's first year in the Salamanders' 6th company. Includes a romance between him and his brander priest, but it's mostly about various missions and adventures, how he settles to life as a Salamander brother, and his attempt to grow a little garden in his downtime. This one is my most long-term wh40k project since I came up with Val'ten in 2017 for a completely different (and much worse) fic. His story has been stuck at around 60k words for months because it's on the back burner while I finish other things, but this is the story I think about in the shower, when I'm waiting in a queue, when I'm on the train. It's so important to me.

Other fandoms and Original Work

The Name Within - A leftover from my Kingdom Hearts Days. It's about Isa straightening out his head after everything that happened in KH3, and coming to terms with perhaps never functioning like a normal human after experiencing literal dehumanization at a pivotal age. I've linked it because it's on Ao3, but I wouldn't bother checking it out, it's probably not worth reading unless you really like this one particular dude. It's been missing around two paragraphs to finish for years. I should just bash those out and finish it, but it's hard to find the keen for it now.

Big Name on Campus/The Dream He Was Given - Temporary names for two fanfics based on a very old Sci-Fi manga. One is a weird fix-it-fic, the other is based on the University career of my favourite character, the chronically ill director of a medical center. I know, another university story, but I swear this one's not primarily based on my experience; rather, on watching my parents' students over the years. Decent chance I will never finish these two, there's no English-speaking audience for this comic so they're only for me. I love BNOC, though. The other, I could take or leave.

Twisted Links - Original story. After a series of international incidents and corporate takeovers, HR Agent Marley from the Pan-Martian Corporation ends up as temporary site director for a radio telescope in the Caribbean with secret instructions to ensure the Corp's permanent control of the site. Unbeknownst to Marley, local engineer and anti-colonialism activist Victor is struggling to hide a rogue Pan-Martian AI which caused a major international incident several decades before. Will Victor be able to keep the AI secret, or will Marley find out that there's a second being living inside Victor's head? Whose vision for the future of the telescope will become reality, or will the whole place shut down? The first 20k words of this story secured me a first-class Master's degree, but just as I was gearing up to write the rest, the catastrophic demise of the telescope where I grew up happened. I miss this story and want to go back to it but... Trauma...

[schofielded]

Ooh 2, 6, and 13 for Now and Then for the fanfic asks?

Heyyyy thank you so much for asking, my friend!! And since I've gotten a surprising amount of new 1917 followers recently, I'm going to link the fic this is referring to. It's the second part of a series. The first part is a one-shot that explores the immediate aftermath of the movie; the second part that this ask is talking about is a multi-chapter WIP fic called Now and Then that explores William Schofield returning home from the war after the events of the movie, down a hand due to infection.

2. What scene did you put down first?

I can't exactly remember if I wrote the letter Will writes to Tom's mom first, or if I wrote his return home/reunion with his wife first. I tend to write chronologically, unless there's a scene I can't get out of my head that I need to write first, or I've got writer's block and figure the best thing to do would be to skip ahead. But if I remember correctly, I started this chronologically. I just can't remember if I initially planned it with the epistolary elements at the beginning and end of each chapter, or if that was something I thought of doing later. I think it was earlier on in the process, though.

6. What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

This ended up being a lot of backstory before I finally got to the answer-- bear with me here. Before this fic, I'd mostly written fics for the Clone Wars. That fandom really burnt me out and it got toxic after a while (however, all my lovely, wonderful TCW mutuals rock). I was a little unmoored, fandom-wise, for quite a while, until I remembered how amazing the 1917 fandom was back in 2020. Everyone then was just so kind and friendly, so I got back into the fandom because it had always made me happy. However, I'd been too afraid to try my own hand at writing a 1917 fic, except for a short little one-shot that isn't really my best work, because I'd read all this absolutely incredible stuff from people in that fandom and I never thought I could measure up.

I'd taken about a year and a half off from writing fics in general, and then I wrote the one-shot that ended up being the prequel to Now and Then-- that first one is called Everything's Still. My original goal for it was just a oneshot that talked about Scho being buried alive because I think that's addressed in far too few 1917 fics. But then it turned into something else, and then I kept getting ideas that would require more fics, and then I also just in general gained slightly more self-confidence. I realized, why can't I explore my ideas? Who cares if I measure up to this arbitrary limit I had in my head, as long as I'm having fun? So here we are, with me writing a multi-chapter 1917 fic where basically everyone except for Will is an oc and it's so fun. Plus, I'd quite literally never written anything with romance in it, so that was another challenge for me, because Will's relationship with his wife (and his mostly-unexamined feelings for Tom Blake) are important parts of the narrative.

13. What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

I typically just turn on one of my random chill/folk music playlists (or sometimes my WWI playlist) when I'm writing, but the title of the fic does come from the Beatles song "Now and Then," which was their most recent (and last) song released in 2023. The lyrics in it relate to the version of William Schofield that lives in my head, who is aching and missing Tom Blake and his old life terribly, but cannot properly process those feelings because he simply doesn't know how to do so. You could also imagine that the lyrics were his wife Louisa's thoughts while Will was away at the war:

"And now and then If we must start again Well, we will know for sure That I will love you

Now and then I miss you Oh, now and then I want you to be there for me Always to return to me"

Also, the first fic in the series gets its title from the song "The View Between Villages" by Noah Kahan. And in general, I feel like "I Know the End" by Phoebe Bridgers fits the vibe. Basically, any song that's about yearning for a home you can never properly return to-- whether that home is a house, idea, person, etc.-- is a good song to listen to while reading this fic. Will's come back home from the war, but he's come back changed-- nothing will ever be the same again, and there is an ache inside of him that he can't quite articulate because of this. (Edit for more songs that came to my mind after posting: “Francesca” by Hozier, “Drops in the Lake” by Lord Huron, “12/17/12” by the Decemberists, “Colder Heavens” by Blanco White)