#i should have probably combined this with their other wip

[thelikesofus]

Buddie Fic Recs

AKA Talented Mutuals Tuesday

Except I spent so long making this list that the timezones changed over BUT I wanted to show my mutuals some love and now that we are going into the hiatus I thought you might all like a list of quality fics to keep you occupied while there is no new Weewoo show. 

I don't know if anyone will actually want to join in on this but if you do the rules are simple:

SHOW YOUR MUTUALS SOME LOVE! Share your favourite fics, (or gifs, edits, literally anything that your very talented mutuals have made), as many or as few as you like but let's share the love around <3

Apologises in advance for the long post btw

@speaknowdiaz I would literally read anything that April writes and would probably sell a limb for the incredible WIPs I know she's still cooking up but here are a couple of my faves:

pining and anticipation (I don't want you like a best friend)

Buck challenges Eddie to try to hit on him after teasing Eddie for not having any ‘game’. This fic is very funny and very soft.

believe in one thing (i won't go away)

This fic hit me straight in the feels. Buck and Eddie go to couples therapy even though they aren't a couple and they work through some stuff.

◊

@thosetwofirefighters Incredible amazing Nat ily xx

Say It All Out Loud

Eddie comes out to Aunt Pepa after his ‘date’ with Vanessa. I am a little bit biased towards this one because she did write it for me but it's honestly just so good!

How to Cure Boredom: Buckley Edition

The 118 are stuck at the firehouse during a slow shift and Buck entertains them all by mattress-surfing the loft stairs. It’s soft and silly and in the same universe as her other fic Safe in His Arms.

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@loveyourownsmiilee The wonderful amazing Juju not only writes incredible meta and keeps us all fed with Oliver content but Juju also writes wonderful buddie fic. 

When Were You Under Me?

Who doesn’t love a Friends AU. This is Buck and Eddie as Ross and Rachel and it is hilarious and so sweet. 

You should also check out her Buddie Language Meta if you have not read it before <3

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@elvensorceress Jenwyn’s work always astounds me so be sure to check these out:

Color Him Father, Color Him Love

I will scream from the rafters how much I adore this fic and yes it did make me cry (happy tears). It’s a look into Buck’s head after his sperm donor kid is born and he realizes what Christopher (and Eddie) truly mean to him. I know I have recced this before but it deserves all the love. 

Unless You Ask Me To

Eddie dates a man for the first time, and Buck is completely 'Fine'. This is a preemptive rec because it is one chapter away from completion and I have been saving it to binge in one sitting but knowing Jenwyn and her incredible talent I guarantee this will be worth the read. 

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@spotsandsocks If anyone’s work is guaranteed to make me sob like a baby (happy, sad, or tears of laughter) it’s Spotty. 

Everything But (temptation)

This is Spotty’s newest fic and it's just brilliant. Buck is practicing extreme self-control whilst Eddie is being an irresistible menace. 

Could Have, Should Have, Would Have

Buck finally tells Eddie he loves him right before Eddie’s new boyfriend is supposed to meet Christopher. Honestly, all I can say about this fic is that it’s a masterpiece and I screamed many times while reading it. 

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@shortsighted-owl Wonderful amazing Owly (Abbi). I appreciate you so and you make my dash so happy xx

Of foam-moustached kisses, and button combinations

For all your sweet domestic buddie needs this is the fic. Eddie is practicing a video game to get better than Chris and Buck makes fun of his ex-technophobe boyfriend. 

Also THIS EDIT SET to the lyrics of You’re All That I Have by Snow Patrol make me assdffgghjjklkll

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@lilbuddie Okay, this one is just a brag because Minja doesn’t actually have any fics published yet (side eye) but I wanna make sure she is on everyone’s radar for when she does because yall are not ready for the incredible amazing talent that is this girl’s writing!! So go check out the snippets on her Tumblr and badger her until she finishes something plssssss

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@wheelsupin-five Hi! <3

Almost Almost Almost

This adorable of Buck who is always cold and Eddie warms him up I– asfffghhjkklllll

Under Kitchen Light

SO SOFT! Buck wakes up and Eddie isn't there, Buck finds him in the kitchen. 

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@rogerzsteven Simi owns my heart and by that I mean my heart is locked in a cage in Simi’s basement where it is occasionally beaten to a pulp by the most incredibly angsty fics you've ever read.

Cleanse

Buck is extremely nauseous and Eddie takes care of him while I sob over them in a corner.

build me a home underground (free from light and sound)

This fic is so brutal in all the best ways, my heart was in my throat the entire read! Buck gets trapped in a sensory deprivation room while the 118 and Athena race to find him. 

◊

@ashavahishta another incredibly talented mutual of mine

out of ashes

Is it really a Meegs rec list if I don’t rec this fic honestly it's engraved on my soul. This is a criminal minds/greys inspired fic where Buck is kidnapped and tortured until the 118 can find him. This fic is so so well written and means a million things to me I could never explain but pleaseeeee read it!! 

◊

@jobairdxx hello lovely xx

Oh, We Pray to Make it Through the Night

Highly recommend this fic, I do love a near-death experience fic! Buck gets injured on a call and Eddie falls asleep holding vigil at his bedside. 

Jules also writes beautiful poetry on Tumblr so go read some of that too <3

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@monsterrae1 MISS RAE! YOU INCREDIBLE THING! <3

love is on its way

I know we’re all a little bit in mourning over the couch theory but it lives on in our hearts and in this fic which has six moments between Buck and Eddie on the Diaz couch (and she’s a wee bit spicy too).

Buck's café (take my heart, just not my order)

Coffee Shop AU. Buck runs the shop where the 118 order all their drinks on shift. I absolutely adore this fic! 

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@alyxmastershipper RYAN!! INCREDIBLY TALENTED MUTUAL THAT YOU ARE!! 

there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

If “aasdsdfghhjkl” was a person it was me reading this fic. Eddie comes out to Buck, receives a quirky mug, and gets together with the love of his life. In that order.

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@bekkachaos Wonderful, amazing Bekka xxx

lose yourself in the feeling

I am a sucker for ‘accidental kisses’ and this was just wonderful. Buck is so excited about Maddie and Chim getting engaged that he kisses Eddie when he tells him. 

start me up, open my eyes

Okay, the mild sexual content tag is a lie, nothing has ever been closer to smut without actually being smut than this fic, I have never been so wound up reading a fic. Bekka builds the tension so so well. 

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@sibylsleaves honestly I'm still a little in shock that we're mutuals now so please excuse me while I fangirl over your incredible writing!

with a bird at your door

Eddie starts spending all his time with Buck. Which would be fine if it weren't for the fact that Buck is in love with him. This fic is the perfect mixture of pining, angst, and a happy ending. And yes I think about this fic frequently I love it okay. 

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@mysteriouslyyounggalaxy last but certainly not least (for now). hello lovely xx

(tell the gravedigger) better dig two

Missing scenes from while eddie is trapped in the well followed by the most perfect extended reunion scene. We all know I am a sucker for fics based on the well incident, it’s literally how i started writing for buddie but omg this fic!!!! 

◊

Remember to share the love around and happy hiatus to you all.

Love, Meegs xxxx

[batri-jopa]

"Currently"

Since I've already been tagged by both @figuringthengsout and @notasapleasure I should finally do something about it🫡

favorite color: recently it's yellow💛💛💛 Juicy mango type of yellow the most. Often combined with black and white because I enjoy looking like an oriole:

last song: Tina Turner - GoldenEye

last movie: Mask (1994) (and maaan how I never suspected I would look at Stanley Ipkiss as a relateable character when I grow older...😅)

currently reading: Romans na receptę - another one of few books by Monika Szwaja that my mum borrowed in our local library. I like her style and it breaks my heart that she died being only 65🥺 There's always so much hope and friendliness and support in the world that she's depicting. And, fascinating enough, there's usually AroAllo woman representation somewhere and depicted in the positive way! Of course it is not called "aromantic" by a polish writer born in 1949, more likely for the main male character to call that "AroAllo" woman character a "robot" who "uses him as as a sex toy"🤭 - BUT nevertheless even the male protagonist really likes her, appreciates her skills as loyal assistant, treats her as good friend to confess his problems to and genuinely wishes her all the luck!👍 In other books you can expect other queers occasionally too (like a teenage son who turns out to have a boyfriend), but it's always in sympathetic and realistic yet bringing-back-faith-in-humanity kind of way🫠

currently watching: umm... nothing actually (I feel like a weirdo😑 Like maybe I should start watching sth finally just so I could fill in the meme next time around? I do have a lot of series on my "to watch list")

currently craving: MANAGE TO GET SHIT DONE!💪 seriously I need either only 2 working days a week instead of 3 or... better time organisation😩 (so what that I have 4 "free" days a week now when there are emails to answer and books to read, and my pictures to make into album, and family members to visit, and all the new pictures' ideas to draw, and new tumblr posts to create, and those fic-WIPs waiting for so long already, and... I wonder if scheduling everything in precize days and hours would help me to feel more organised somehow?🤔 or only feel more remourse for not being able to follow the schedule?😑)

tea or coffee: Oh, so glad you asked! Tea please, black, strong, no sugar, no milk. Lemon appreciated but not necessarily. Thank you!🫖☕️

Tagging: @zorilleerrant , @chrisoels , @swordoftheseeker , @kaiaprax , @imaginatorofthings , @parttimereptile , @corey-m13 - some of you won't play probably so I'm just saying a friendly "hi"👋

[out-there-tmblr]

Young zaundads wip (22)

The second section is NSFW. Sexy times where they're both still figuring it out.

***

It's surprising how quickly word of their new market spreads. The alcohol sells – the bottles of wine that the mess hall never stocks, the clear spirits that smell like paint remover to Vander – and the gas masks sell so well that Silco's keeping a waiting list for their next two orders.

Clothing is harder. It's too hard to know what size of clothing will sell, what style or colours. The uncut fabric still takes up a lot of space and requires someone able to sew.

"And we'd need somewhere to store it," Silco complains as they look through the captain's stock. He keeps running his fingers over the fabrics, fingertips grazing over anything smooth or shiny.

"Our place?"

"Somewhere I'm happy for other people to come and see the goods," Silco replies. He firmly believes the safest approach is to make sure no one knows where they sleep.

"We should ask Babette." Silco gives him a doubtful look, so Vander explains, "Her workers are probably the only ones who are going to pay just to look good. If we asked what they want, maybe we could get a selection and take it to them?"

"The captain's docked here overnight. We'll go now, check with Babette and come back."

Babette's working on the riverside this week, in a small fisherman's cottage with the tents set up behind it. They end up sitting in the front room, surrounded by scantily dressed women, waiting for Babette to be free. Vander's trying not to stare at cleavage and high cut skirts, but Silco's actually chatting away to a couple of girls in the corner, nodding and taking down notes.

He's relieved when Babette returns and leads them to a tiny kitchen out the back, with a small but serviceable table. Babette uses a small step to climb onto the chair.

"Vander," Babette says warmly, "and who's your friend?"

"Silco," Vander says, ten futures to face Silco's unimpressed expression. "I grew up on the riverside. Babette's been here as long as the bridge has."

"Longer, dear." Babette ashes her cigarette into a glass bowl. "I came here when they were building that. I remember you running wild in the streets, ten years old and trying to pretend you were grown, pouting when Callie wouldn't let you in the front door."

Honestly, Vander didn't think anyone would remember that but him.

Leaning an elbow on the table, Silco looks at him. Silco doesn't smile but there's amusement in his voice. "You tried to sneak into a brothel at ten?"

"Only to pickpocket my clients. Really, if you're not good enough to lift a wallet on the street, you shouldn't be dabbling in petty theft." Thankfully, she doesn't go into any further details. Vander has no desire to let Silco know about the time he had to run from a potential mark and hide in a barrel of chum for twenty minutes. He stank of fish for days. "Now, how can I help you boys? You didn't seem too interested in another companion."

Now, Silco smiles. "We have a business opportunity for you."

They make a list and go back to the ship. They find what they can and pay for it, and then return with their pile to Babette's back door. There are lots of flimsy fabrics, things that shine and sparkle in the candlelight. Lots of strong, bold colours.

They spread the rolls of fabric over the table and haggle good-naturedly over the price.

***

Vander's grown used to sleeping in beds that are only just wide enough for his shoulders. He's used to turning in bed very carefully, so he doesn't roll out of it by accident. The new bed that Silco buys them is double the width of the company bunks. With a thick wooden baseboard and headboard, with curves etched into the wood. It reminds Vander of the Piltover bridge, the combination of square lines and curves, a mix of practicality and beauty.

"Are you going to keep running your hands over that or are you going to get into bed?"

Vander looks over his shoulder. Despite the sharp words, Silco doesn't look annoyed. He's been sharper than usual tonight, but Vander mostly put that down to the frustration of taking the bed apart to fit it through the fissure entrance and then getting it to fit back together.

It's good and sturdy now. Vander gives the frame a little shake and it doesn't budge. "Nothing wrong with admiring a job well done."

Silco rolls his eyes and starts unbuckling his jacket. They've made the bed with a piece of cotton as a sheet and a few blankets. One pillow each, purchased from the company store. Vander wants to jump straight into it but it's probably better to strip his clothes off first. It'll be smudged with coal dust soon enough.

"You said," Silco says calmly, hanging up his clothes for tomorrow, "you wanted to fuck me when we got a bed."

Vander jerks in surprise, and then hears his shirt seam tear.

"Damn it. Remind me to fix that in the morning," he says reflexively. "And, yeah, I remember saying that. Why?"

"We now have a bed." Silco sounds fine about it but his knuckles are white as he unbuttons his pants. He slides them down and then shakes them out, hooking them on a loose nail in the wall. "So we might as well."

Vander grins to himself. It's such a practical way to approach sex – he doesn't know what else he expected from Silco.

Vander leaves his own clothes folded messily in the corner. "Have you done this before?"

"Have you?" Silco counters.

"There were a couple of girls on riverside. More fumbling than anything else." Vander shrugs. "But I haven't done… exactly this."

Silco fetches a small glass bottle from his jacket pocket. It's orange in a tall pyramid shape. "Babette suggested oil."

"You talked to Babette about this?"

Silco folds his arms across His scrawny chest. "She seemed the most reliable source of information."

Vander wants to tease him but Silco might take it personally and call the whole thing off. "Okay. Did she suggest anything else?"

"That it might be easier to relax lying on my stomach. Remember to use the oil. That the first time was bound to be uncomfortable," Silco admits, watching the bottle in his hand rather than meeting Vander's eyes, "but it would feel good by the end."

Silco presses a perfunctory kiss to Vander's mouth and pushes the bottle into his hands. Then he walks over to the bed, pulls back the blankets and then lies face down. He pulls a pillow under his cheek, and then sides his knees apart. "Are you going to stand there watching?"

"It's a very pretty sight," Vander says earnestly and Silco snorts. Vander isn't any kind of artist, he couldn't explain it if he tried. But there is something breathtaking about The warm lantern light on Silco's white skin, the shadows caused by the curve of his spine. It's something about the vulnerable backs of his knees, the long stretch of thigh, the curve of his ass. Silco likes to sleep with his hair pulled into a messy bun, but there are dark strands escaping, curling around the nape of his neck.

"You really are beautiful," Vanser says, crawling onto the bed and kneeling between Silco's legs.

Silco glares over his shoulder. "Hurry up, Vander."

The stopper is a little tricky to get free. It takes Vander an extra moment to work it out of the bottle and he has to ignore Silco's very judgemental, "Do you need assistance?"

It doesn't smell like engine oil, like diesel and machinery. It's thin and pale, and barely has a smell at all. Out of curiosity, Vander licks his finger but it doesn't taste like much either. Silco is still watching him over his shoulder, but at least he doesn't say anything.

Vander slicks up his cock first, a stroke or two to take the edge off, and then he smoothes the oil over Silco's hole, feeling it tense and relax under his fingers. He pushes two fingers inside to spread the oil, Surprised at the resistance, and Silco hisses into the pillow.

"Okay?" Vander asks, and Silco makes a muffled uh-huh noise, face still pressed into the pillow. Vander adds some more oil, hypnotised by Silco's hole stretched around his fingers. He pushes deeper and his knuckles disappear inside Silco.

Silco gasps, shoulder blades tensing as he holds tight to the pillow. Vander pushes in deeper, and he feels Silco clench around him, how hot and smooth Silco feels around his fingers.

Vander pulls his fingers out and lines up his cock. Silco is hot and smooth around him and tight. So tight. It's like fucking into a vise. "Relax, will you?"

"I'm trying," Silco snarls back at him. "Give me a minute."

Vander tries to stay still, to stop his hips from hitching forward. He presses his palms against the mattress, to either side of Silco's waist and tries to think of anything but how hot and tight Silco is around him. How he can feel Silco clench around him and then relax. How desperately he wants to bury his cock in deep.

"Silco," and it's a whine because Vander's going out of his mind. "Can I–"

"Yes," Silco says and Vander thrusts the rest of the way in. He takes a breath, tries to give Silco a moment to adjust and then he has his hands on Silco's hips, holding him steady as Vander pulls back.

He thrusts back in, fireworks skating up his spine and Silco's moan ringing in his ears. When he pulls back, Silco whines into the pillow. It's obscenely loud, the slap of skin against skin, the grunts that Vander can't stop making, the gasping whines ripped out of Silco. It drives Vander on, makes him thrust harder and hold on tighter, fingers digging into Silco's hips.

It catches him by surprise how close he is, has Vander scrambling to reach under Silco and get a hand around his cock, to jerk him off as Vander chases ecstasy with every thrust. He's desperate and clumsy but Silco is sobbing for breath, dragging in deep, wet gasps.

Then Silco freezes, clenching beneath him and around him. He comes with one last, low groan and Vander's only a few thrusts behind him. He comes deep inside Silco and then collapses onto his elbows, breathing open mouthed against Silco's back.

He can feel Silco's shuddering breaths. Can feel Silco's shoulders hitching as he forces his breathing under control again.

Vander pulls out and rolls off him, and Silco is out of bed, straight over to the flask of water and rag they use for cleaning up. He keeps his back to Vander as he washes his face first. He wipes himself down, front and back, but the whole time he's silent and keeps his back to Vander.

Silco dislikes going to sleep dirty – for any reason – but he usually has no modesty when washing and spends the time complaining that they don't have hot water.

"You okay?" Vander asks, sitting up. He stays in bed because he knows Silco doesn't react well to being cornered.

"Fine," Silco says quietly, facing the wall. He wipes down his chest again, and then fiddles with the rag, wringing it out and then laying it over the flask. "It's fine."

Silco turns the lantern down to a low glow and then comes back to bed.

Vander frowns, worried he might have got carried away. He's usually careful around people, has always had to be, but he forget around Silco. Silco would laugh at him for holding himself back and it's easy to forget the reasons Vander should. "You'd tell me if I hurt you, right?"

"It's not that," Silco says quickly, which proves it is something.

"Did you not like it?" That doesn't feel true, not with the noises Silco was making, but he's to ask.

"It's not–" Silco gives a frustrated sigh. "It was fine. It was good, it just…"

Vander rolls to his side, curves a arm around Silco's waist. He can make out Silco's familiar profile in the almost dark. "Tell me."

"I don't like the way it made me feel. Flayed open. Overwhelmed." In the dark, Silco takes a deep breath. "I don't want to do that again."

"Okay."

"Don't placate me! This was something that you wanted and now I'm saying no. You should at least be honest with me if–"

Shutting Silco up with a kiss feels like a good solution, especially when he kisses back. "I want you. However I get to have you."

"You mean, you like me on my knees sucking you off," Silco clarifies, confident enough to tease.

"I really do."

***

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for @definitelynotaminion; Clark panic-adopts his teenage clones. Yes, including the supervillain one. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“I know. But you didn’t meet them because I introduced you to them,” Superman says, sounding–strange, somehow. Bothered, almost. Match has gone so far past not understanding this man that he might just give up on the idea entirely, and frankly the fact he hasn’t yet is beginning to look like a waste of mental resources. 

Thirteen just keeps looking uncomfortable, either way. Upset, maybe, but not in the way Match is used to seeing him upset. Normally Thirteen’s angry, when Match sees him. Normally Match is making Thirteen angry when he sees him. The expression the other’s wearing right now reminds him more of the first time they’d met than that, though. The first time they’d met, and the things that Thirteen had said to him, and the things Thirteen had said to Spence and the directors because of him. 

( or–FOR him, maybe. )

Those things had all been absolutely clueless and incredibly stupid and straight-up naive and a total waste of everyone in the conversation’s time on top of that, and Match never thinks about a single one of them. 

He knows better. 

“I mean, I know that? Like, obviously I know that. But I don’t get what it’s got to do with all this shit, man,” Thirteen says, gesturing expansively but directionlessly around them and looking increasingly frustrated. Match isn’t sure why the idiot’s still this close to him, if not actually outright behind him anymore. At this point it’s more like he’s just next to him. He supposes that makes it easier for Superman to give them their orders simultaneously, though he has a hard time believing Thirteen would’ve thought to do something even remotely practical. 

. . . though Superman doesn’t give Thirteen orders, really. At least, he never did when he was talking to Match and didn’t know the difference. He didn’t talk to him all that much, though, so it’s not like Match can really say it’s a particularly large sample size he’s basing that observation off. 

Though probably percentage-wise it is, considering. 

“Because you should have,” Superman says. “I should have brought you here a long time ago, in fact.” 

“Superboy hasn’t even existed for ‘a long time’,” Match says in exasperation, which is probably stupid to say, but–it’s irritating. That’s all. Superman just keeps saying total fucking nonsense combinations of words in vague approximations of logical statements and expecting them to understand what he means, and it’s not–if it’s a test, it’s not one with clear parameters or useful metrics. It’s not objective. 

Match hates the tests that aren’t objective. 

“I mean, he’s got a point,” Thirteen mutters under his breath, glancing away uncomfortably and folding his arms. Match is almost more annoyed that the idiot is agreeing with him than anything else, or would be if Superman wasn’t just constantly saying such absolute bullshit that the man’s just fucking up the curve beyond all reason. 

And he does, in fact, have a point. 

“I . . . that’s–true, yes,” Superman says slowly. “But has it felt like a long time to you?”

[hanleiacelebration]

Han/Leia Appreciation Week 2024

WE'RE BACK, BABY! "Wait, what's happening, wasn't this in August??" you might wonder. Based on your feedback, we decided to host this and (probably) future editions of Han/Leia Appreciation Week earlier in the year. July seemed like the better choice, given that it's a vacation period in both hemispheres!

This year we're also giving you the prompts over a month in advance, so you have plenty of time to plan and create!

Han/Leia Appreciation Week was an event originally hosted at @han-leia-solo between 2016-2019, but for the past three years, we've taken up the mantle here at @hanleiacelebration 😊

💖 How does Han/Leia Appreciation Week work?

The event will run from July 14th to July 20th, and there will be two different prompts each day that creators can fulfill with: fanfic, fanart, gifsets, graphics, fanvids, headcanons, crafts, playlists, rec lists. You’re encouraged to tag your posts with #hanleiaweek2024 so we can reblog them! After the week is over, we’ll share a masterlist with links to the works.

You can show your appreciation in many ways; however, please keep in mind that it has to be a creation of yours of some sort, e.g. don’t repost other people’s fanart, gifs, or unedited pictures. Rec lists should include a link to the original source both for fanfic and fanart (more on this after the cut).

🎆 The prompts

Sunday 7/14: Tradition / Ceremony

Monday 7/15: Braids & Bloodstripes (hair or clothing) / Home planet

Tuesday 7/16: AU / Canon divergence

Wednesday 7/17: Force / Belief

Thursday 7/18: Favorite scene / Favorite quote

Friday 7/19: Meeting / Escape

Saturday 7/20: Free day!

You can use only one of the daily prompts, combine both, reinterpret them, or skip the day if you can’t think of anything. If you’re not able to post on the same day for a prompt, you’re still encouraged to share it through the week—just don’t post works for a certain prompt before the day corresponding to that prompt.

💠 💠 💠

FAQs and Rules under the cut - please read!

💕 Can I post my work to another site and share the link on Tumblr?

Yes! This is a good option for people who might want to create explicit art that could be taken down on Tumblr, write a long fic or multichapter, or make videos or playlists.

💕 Does it have to be a new creation? Can I finish and post a WIP?

It has to be something that has never been posted anywhere else before, so finishing and sharing a WIP is okay! If it doesn’t fit any of the prompts, you can share it on Free Day.

💕 Is this event open to all ratings?

Yes! Just remember to use a “Read more” cut if you’re posting the whole work on Tumblr, and to add a note at the top if your work is rated Mature or Explicit, as well as if it has any major trigger warnings, so all folks can safely browse through the entries.

💕 Are there any length or quality requirements?

There’s no min. or max. length for fanfic or quality level for art, but please note that AI-generated works won’t be accepted. For gifsets, there’s a minimum of two gifs (that must be made by you!). For playlists, there’s a minimum of five songs. For rec lists of fic or fanart, there’s also a minimum of five recs. Some more questions you might have about rec lists:

- How do I share someone else’s art without posting a picture? You might post a thumbnail that crops a preview of the piece; if the piece has a title, you might use that; you might describe it; or you might say something like “this piece by [artist]”, and link to the source.

- What if I found a fanart on Google? Try to find the original source using reverse search image.

- What if I can’t still find it, can I just say “credit to the artist”? In that case, please just don’t share the piece.

- What if I know the artist but don’t have a link to the original source? Naming the artist and linking back to where you found it is okay, in that case.

💕 Can I write for canon/Legends and include other pairings?

All canons, time periods, headcanons and AUs are welcome, and you’re allowed to include side pairings, except for R*eylo. However, keep in mind that this is a Han/Leia appreciation week - at the risk of sounding repetitive, works should focus on appreciating Han and Leia’s relationship!

💕 What’s the time zone for the event?

Please don’t worry too much about time zones: when we say “day”, we always mean “whenever that day is for you in your part of the world”. IE: if it’s Monday for you, you can post your work for the Monday prompt.

💠 💠 💠

Do you have any other questions? Don’t hesitate to send us an ask or to message one of the mods: @lajulie24 @hanorganaas and @otterandterrier

We can’t wait to see what you all create!

[skyrim-forever]

WIP Wednesday

Hello everyone, it's another Wednesday where I am and you know the drill, no pressure but if you have a wip you want to share gimme! Tagged by the wonderful @umbracirrus @lillxart <3

Tagging: @theoneandonlysemla @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @dirty-bosmer @changelingsandothernonsense

@firefly-factory @lucien-lachance @hircines-hunter @captain-of-silvenar @snowy-weather @scholarlyhermit @moriche

I have been fighting for my life with two Theomar wips and I think I need a little break because both have ended up complicated, more so then they need to be. So after this post and a fun chat with @pocket-vvardvark I was inspired to pick up my Aicantar and Vevora barbies and smash them together <3 He's showing her his projects in the lab, including something he can't identify... Under the cut for horny and dwemer sex toys :P

“Are these other artifacts you’re studying?” Gesturing to the variety of metal objects on the table, he is wide-eyed at her interest. 

“They are!” Excitedly, he points at them. “Most of this stuff is fairly standard, parts of a Dwarven sphere, outer plating of a centurion but this is currently unidentified.” Aicantar holds the mysterious object in his hands and now seeing it isolated from the others, Vevora can’t help but snicker at what it looks like. The metal object was about six inches in length and a decent circumference around. Girth would probably be the more apt word, as the tip of it was quite frankly shaped like exactly that, a tip. There’s a large button glowing the faint blue light seen on Dwemer mechanisms on the base. 

“May I?” She asks. Taking it in her hands now she can see it’s a decent weight. Hallowed but a sturdy metal, she can also see signs of wear increasingly prevalent up to the head. It cannot be any else she thinks, good to know even the Dwemer sought pleasure. They really were just like us. Grinning to herself as she proposes her own idea to Aicantar, anticipating the presence of that dearly loved flush of his once she enlightens him. “I think I know what this is, pretty boy.” Tinge of it now at the nickname. He was such a pretty boy. 

“You do? What is it? I’ve been wracking my head like crazy, no sources have described something like this.” Of course they didn’t. 

“It’s a masturbation device. Metal is not something I’ve seen but we know how the Dwemer were, can’t say I’m surprised.” The lovely hue colours his face at this, the familiar stammer leaving his lips. 

“M-m-masturbation device?” 

“Does it not look very phallic to you?” She laughs. “It’s nearly the same colour as you too, though a bit smaller.” He averts his eyes lower but the grin on his face does not avoid her gaze. Unlike many mer she knew, he could use more confidence in these matters, should feel good about himself as well. 

“I suppose it does… but how does it um, work exactly?” 

“Well, based on my own experience, one would insert it in your preferred area for pleasure and thrust it in and out like the actual act itself.” Turning her attention to the button now, Vevora wonders what it does. “Does the button do anything or is that a mystery too?”

“I was able to get it working but, well, now I’m more confused.” He said. Taking that as her cue, and very curious herself, she presses it. The genius of the long gone mer is even more pronounced as the shaft vibrates in her hand.

“Oh that is something.”

She must have been staring at it for too long. The low hum of this very intriguing machine combined with the sensation on her skin has the Dunmer woman desperately wondering what it would feel like when her lover speaks. 

“Are you sure? I just mean that, well I‘ve never seen, um not that there’s-” Cutting him off by holding his cheeks between her thumb and index finger, she lightly strokes down to his lower jawline.  

“I guess we can’t know for certain, but would like to see me test the hypothesis?” Gently guiding his body via face, she flips so that she is now the one leaning against the laboratory table. 

“You want to…” 

“Yes.” Pulling him into a kiss, the grip on his mage robes firm as she has quite the distance to bring him. “And I’ll need an expert to observe, think you can do that?”

“Yes, Vevora, yes. I can, I would, I would,” Eager as ever, it takes him a bit to express it. “I would very much like to see you do that.” That was something she hoped would never change, his flustered behaviour even though they had done a number of activities together, Aicantar was still tripping over his words and becoming a blushing mess when she was forward with him. He greatly enjoyed direction and she liked giving it, in all ways he was an exceptional student. A welcomed change from the mer she spent two decades attempting to have, finding herself in a haze until dawning on her was the realization she never had and never would possess him.  Yes, the Altmer was a very welcomed upgrade and maybe that is why she found herself so sweet on the Dwemer scholar.  Maybe it was because he was new to the world of romance, still nervous but yearning, aching for her. He actually wanted her but never expecting anything physical; that turned her on even more, knowing he was content just to spend time with her, chatting away about their respective vocations. Smirking now, she answers. 

“I know you would.”

[lavellenchanted]

Hi and happy new year! About the touches ask game, if you're ever inspired to do "12. possessive hand-holding" or "43. raising the other’s hand to their lips to kiss it softly" with Japril, I'll be seated. Good luck with the writing and the WIPs! :)

HIIII thank you very much for sending this and for being patient🩷But can I interest you in a combination of BOTH because WHY NOT.

---

"Hey, sorry I'm late -"

The words fade on Jackson's tongue as he hurries down the steps to the Foundation's foyer, because April hasn't even noticed him. She's chatting with someone near the door - a man, who has his back turned towards Jackson, so it's difficult to say whether or not he knows him, but he's tall, dark-haired and broad shoulders, and as April laughs something clenches and twists in Jackson's gut because all he can see is Matthew.

It's not him, Jackson tells himself sternly. For one thing Matthew's several states away, and for another he and April have hardly spoken since their divorce was finalised so even if he was here April would be chatting or freely or easily.

But still for a moment Jackson is thrown back to Grey-Sloan, to watching April fall for a handsome paramedic who was everything she's been wanting since she was thirteen years old, to feeling jealousy dig its jagged, burning claws into him and to the slow, terrible realisation that he might lose the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Of course, he'd managed to lose her anyway and his world has felt so hollow since. Until these last few months, together in Boston. Thinking maybe they were getting a fresh start.

Which is perhaps why he doesn't stop to think before striding over to join April and whoever she's talking to.

"Hey, there you are." He slides his hand into hers deliberately, not looking at her companion, and laces their fingers together. "Sorry, I'm late - got pulled into a surgery earlier, so I had to push a meeting back."

April looks faintly bemused, glancing down at their hands and then back at him, but smiles anyway. "That's okay, I wasn't waiting long. Jackson, this is Martin Bennett."

Finally, Jackson looks at the man she's talking to.

Not Matthew - something in him eases just fractionally to know it - but somehow still similar enough to him that the clawing feeling in Jackson's gut remains. A few years older than them, if he hand to guess; there are some lines around his eyes, and some grey in his hair this close, but still handsome.

"Oh, hey. It's nice to meet you. I'm Jackson Avery." Since he's still holding April's hand with his right, he offers his left for a shake instead. His smile is maybe a little strained, but he keeps his voice light.

Martin, to his credit, doesn't react, but reaches out his own left hand and shakes Jackson's firmly. In a strong Boston accent he replied, "Good to meet you - I've heard a lot about you."

"You have?"

"Martin goes to the church I was telling you about," April explained. "I just told him a bit about how we came to Boston."

"Yeah," Martin nods. "She told me you guys were doctors, but I didn't realised you work here or that you're, you know, an Avery - I was so surprised when I saw her just now."

Jackson glances between them. "You work here, too?"

"In the IT department. Probably why we've not bumped into each other before."

He smiles. Jackson tries to offer one in return, but his insides are sinking. If he's in their IT department then he'll be around all the time, even more than Matthew was as a paramedic. He'll be running in April, maybe purposefully seeking her out . . .

Jackson's grip on April's hand tightens.

"Oh yeah?" he manages to say to Martin, and realises his voice must sound a little off when April flicks him a glance. "Then I guess I should thank you for keeping things running round here."

"Ah, I'm hardly the the only guy in the department. But if you wanted to give me a raise, I wouldn't object."

Jackson chuckles, but his heart isn't in it. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Well anyway, I ought to go."

He tries not to look too pleased. "Oh, sure, I didn't meant to keep you."

"No, no, you didn't," Martin shakes his head. "But, I said I'd pick my wife up from work so I should really get a move on."

His wife?

"Of course, don't keep Nicole waiting," April says, smiling brightly and throwing Jackson another sidelong glance that can only be described as amused. "Tell her I said hi, and I'll give her a call about arranging a playdate for the girls."

The girls?

"Sounds great. See you at church on Sunday - and nice to meet you, Jackson."

Martin lifts a hand in a wave and starts heading out of the building before Jackson can bring his own up in response.

For a moment, he and April stand in silence and he can feel her looking at him. Knows she's wearing that unimpressed, exasperated, but also quietly amused expression, that says without her having to say anything that she thinks he's done something stupid.

Which, in fairness, it's starting to feel like he has.

Slowly, he turns to look at her and she quirks an eyebrow up.

"Did you not remember me mentioning them? Martin and Nicole? Their daughter Poppy's the same age as Harriet?"

"Now that you say it, I think I do remember something about that."

"Mm-hmmmm." April swings their still joined hands up. "So what was this about?"

"I . . . "

He trails off, wondering what he can possibly say that doesn't make him sound terrible. Finally he sighs, his shoulders slumping, and lifts his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose before admitting, "When I came down the stairs, I thought for a moment you were talking to Matthew."

"Matthew?"

"He kinda looks like him from behind. And then I just . . ."

April's expression softens into a more sympathetic one. "You felt jealous?"

"Jealous. Annoyed. Worried. I know, I know, it's stupid." He shakes his head, frustrated with himself now that his head's a little clearer.

"It's not stupid. Well, maybe a little, but it's also not," April says gently. "We've been through so much, and hurt each other so many times, I think we're bound to be . . . sensitive. We're still figuring out being a couple again. But we have to trust each other. I promise you, I'm in this for good, Jackson. I love you."

Her words wash over him, warm and soothing, a balm that finally settles the churning in his stomach and makes his heart fill with so much tenderness he feels like he's overflowing with it.

Bringing her hand up against his brushes his lips against her fingers, a thank you and an apology and a promise all at once.

"I know. And so am I. I love you, too."

She squeezes his hand. "I'm glad you told me the truth. As long as we keep talking to each other, we'll make it through."

That had always been their worst failing, and he nods in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, you're right."

"Okay, then. Come on, let's go home."

They start towards the door, still hand in hand.

"So . . . do you think I made the absolute worst impression on Martin right now?"

"Not the absolute worst," April says, then adds with a grin, "But it probably wouldn't hurt to give him that raise."

[levemetal]

Can I ask about the dvawtk au wqw/mqf/sj title from the WIP tag game? That one looks so intriguing👀

Omg I am SO happy you asked!!

It's a dvawtk au in the sense that characters obtain parts of pidw or svsss and are tasked to improve the plot- this time with more the very loose way it is in dvawtk rather than the more restrictive actually present system in svsss. It is also probaaaably a crack AU.

Basically one day disciple Wqw wakes up to the massive book that is pidw on his lap with the ominous message to fix the plot. So, since he is good friends with disciple Mqf here, naturally he goes straight to him. Mqf received svsss with the same task. So, together they pour over the two volumes as best as they can and decide that:

A) SJ gets replaced by a stranger in Svsss during a qi deviation when they are already peak lords for a while

B) Binghe is a nuclear bomb

C) They must somehow keep SJ from abusing his disciples or improve his situation in general

With this in mind, they enter shenanigans in order to get closer to SJ, whom the both of them were quite neutral to up until now. They enbark on quite the adventure to get Yqy & Sj to reconcile for example. A lot of their attempts backfire before they eventually, somehow, endear themselves to SJ. Sj is confused but eventually allows it and grows fond of the two idiots trying REALLY hard to improve his life now matter how much the universe seems to be against it.

Years later, while SJ and Lqg bicker about Binghe, Wqw swoops in and nabs Binghe. (Knowing how to recognize a cursed sword would do him some good, Mqf and him figured)

The Binghe here however is actually Bingge, who had reset his own timeline, and he is actually kinda pissed because he wanted to get to SQQ's peak, thank you very much!! How is he supposed to make his shizun proud now??? So cue Bingge running away to Qjp on a regular basis trying to get SJ to be proud of him and SJ at this point is more exasperated than angry. It has become a weekly occurrence that he has to kick this brat back to Wan Jian, what the hell has his life come to. And then there's his two shidis checking in every few days! Honestly.

SJ technically remembers the last timeline, although only as horrible nightmares he can never seem to remember. This plus combined with the fact he is now getting no sleep or rest maaaaybe makes him a tad suicidal. No matter, just means his two friends will get clingier.

None of the 3 is sure when exactly they became a romantic polycule but here they are now. It probably started the day SJ snapped back at other peak lords slandering Wqw and Mqf tbh. It ends up being very beneficial for the 3 of them in the long run. (Even if they have to talk out a lot of things with SJ first and give him time due to well. Sj typical trauma) SJ now has two warm weighted blankets. Mqf is overworking himself less. Wqw is being more careful in the forge lest his boyfriends slaughter him metaphorically. Yes the disciples all knew this was happening before these idiots.

SJ has been probably starting to roll off the Bingge stuff onto Ming Fan too. So congrats Ming Fan on your future half demon husband. Ning Yingying is laughing at you as we speak.

Bingge probably still takes a tumble to the abyss, not because he was pushed, but because he lost his footing and stumbled in or got tossed in by whoever was attacking the IAC.

Bonus: Mbj got a copy of svsss about the chapters concerning him and his spy which makes him drop all his plans and instead debark on a dating sim experience as he should <3 OG!Sqh will be so confused but less oblivious than Airplane was. They can stay out of the insanity, as a treat :3

Bonus bonus: Some rough sketches of the dreadful polycule :3

[idiotdriftinginspace]

WIP MERMAY

(if I'll ever finish this, it'll most likely be next may, ops ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

this is updated version, i hope

Well, this is what happens when my brain just combines the two things i like into one... I mean, you can't blame me, 'cuz it's TRANSFORMERS AND SUBNAUTICA! How could I NOT combine these two things?!

So behold: Unicron And Earth as merformers? is that a word? term? I just for whatever reason decided to Play with their designs with alien fish. Anyway- these two belong to @lets-try-some-writing

and some rambling under cut, good luck, you'll need it

Uhhh spoilers for Subnautica ig

So the moment i let my mind wander, I get hit with this kind of ideas. Why Subnautica of all things? BECAUSE I LOVE THAT GAME AND THE REAPER LEVIATHAN AND SEE EMPEROR FIT PERFECTLY-

Ok, so the idea of a beastformers that turn into Subnautica fauna (and i guess flora as well, thank you Botanica from Beast Mashines for existing), was spinning around inside my head for quite some time now - JUST YOU WAIT, I WILL DRAW THEM, so many OCs to make, hopefuly this summer break.

UNICRON- my initial thought was just Reaper Leviathan: the mandibles on his back instead of wings, something similar to Tarantulas, mmm yes. Both he and Earth have four eyes only because both reaper and see empress four of them. All of them are aliens and have natural glowing body parts, so why not, my brain just said let's go crazy and didn't wait for an answers besides WE NEED MORE TRANSFORMERS WITH 4 EYES.

But then i rememberd that there's a bigger fish- THE SEA DRAGON. He dose have these matching spikes on his body, and the back appendages? tentacles? Are similar to Sea Emperors and is living in the deepest parts on the map. However, Sea Empress os the biggest alive creature in game (for aby fellow Subnautica nerds, o know that Gargantuan Leviathan i WAAAY bigger, but his design is eh, probably not the best here, maybe the colar thiengies could be like a cape?). But then i hit me- UNICRON CAN BE A REAPER AND SEA DRAGON HYBRID! It basicly gives me the ability to put all the parts of both fishes that match Unicrons og body the best and a "logical" explenation as to why he would be always bigger than Earth. With hybrids, sometimes they are bigger than parental species, so as hybrid he could be unnaturaly bigger, and with Sea Dragon parts he can live in the deepest game bioms.

EARTH- the Sea Emperor because yes. Also In game it's te Sea Empress babies that produce enzyme 42, the only thing that managed to destroy the deadly bacteria (GREEN BACTERIA, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS GREEN? TOX-EN) and save/give life to the entire planet again, and she is a curious, young, litle thing like the hatchlings; i'm guessing that's why she's so small in authors drawing. She's a baby

(huh now that i'm thinking about it, maybe Primus should be Sea Emperor, Unicron just a Reaper and Earth a Sea Dragon, after all wild fires are a recurring events...version 2 ig?)

I really wanted to have it done by the end of may, but uhh i'm working on some other thing, that was suposed to be just a sketch, and instead it just grew bigger, and my brain is just demanding full render XD And it will now take even more time despite it being almost finished, because the moment i discovered tha faster and easier method for shading and lightning throu clipping masks, i knew I'd use it there, so XD But hey at least i know it'll look better now ( ≖‿ ≖ )

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Sentences For WIPs Game

I was tagged by @ulchabhangorm (thanks lovely! 🩷) to participate in this little game where the idea is to make a 24-hour poll including every WIP you want to work on, and have people vote for one of those WIPs. Then once voting has concluded, you write one sentence for every vote of the WIP that received the most votes.

Thing is: I have so many WIPs that I hope to write within the year (if I can!!) that I'm going to offer as many as the poll will allow, AND, I'll "cheat" a tiny bit and write a sentence for ALL of the WIPs that get a vote. ;)

No Pressure Tags: @eclec-tech @dystopicjumpsuit @clonethirstingisreal @returnofthepineapple @dragonrider9905 + @lonewolflupe @the-bad-batch-baroness @523rdrebel @wings-and-beskar @eternal-transcience

I'll put what's cooking under the cut so anyone who's interested can get a taste of what's to come, only if you're so inclined~ Those marked as request fics will have the details purposely sparse or vague to keep a bit of the surprise alive.

Lost on Life Day: *Request fic. Combination of bad weather and a "small" natural disaster leads to a bit of Huddling Together For Survival between a certain cobalt blue captain and the trusted friend he's harboring feelings for. Because he's put her in danger, Rex thinks it might be best to let a certain loth-cat out of the bag... (Oh, and he should probably mention that it happens to be Life Day, too.)

Cyber Crush: *Request fic. While doing a bit of the ol' “slightly questionable research”, Wrecker and the reader “meet” each other over the galaxy-wide-web, where Wrecker answers a few… concerning questions. Worried he’s accidentally helped a Seppie, he asks Tech to run a thorough background check and finds out that the reader isn’t a Seppie at all. She’s just a writer!

Stuck in the Stacks: *Request fic. Modern AU, where the reader and Wolffe live in the same, small mountain town that is no stranger to the odd bout of bad weather. They've been passively flirting for so long, but never seem to make much progress... When a truly bad storm rolls in the first time Wolffe comes to pay her a visit at her job—hoping to check out a few books for a "little project" he's working on [C'mon, it's Carol's request fic, of course I'll give this reader a fitting job!]—it forces them to stay after-hours. Alone. ;)

No Foxes In This Hole: Longform story I started 10/10 of last year, series link here. Reader's new to Coruscant after seeking a big life change, and boy is she gonna find one. The crimson commander will too, for that matter!

Seaglass in the Surf: Hiding out on a remote, backwater planet, Din Djarin makes the acquaintance of a woman who frequently makes trips to the shoreline just to scour through the sand for something. He offers to help, thinking she's looking for something she lost. Turns out she's looking for things that others have lost, for a rather different reason than the one Din initially suspects.

Your Body Remembers: Experimental fic without a single line of dialogue where you as a local living in hardship on an Imperial-controlled planet find a little more than just hope in the man who, at first, will tell you nothing more than he's a Mandalorian is the only person who has answered your desperate plea for help.

Yellow Blankets, Yellow Blades: Reader makes their favorite Jedi fugitive something rather special to keep in the room he's always been offered whenever he needs a place to lay low from the Empire. While the item brings up many memories that are perhaps a little too bittersweet, Cal, who hasn't seen a lot of genuine kindness like yours since the start of the Purge, can't believe how lucky he is that you went through all that trouble, just for him.

Like Family: Star Wars AU. Feral asked you a very important question recently, and he's been riding on Cloud 9 ever since! Trouble is... he's having difficulties finding the right time to tell his brothers the happy news. The way you and him go about letting the loth-cat out of the bag together isn't exactly what you had planned, but hey; you're still warmly welcomed once they know you're officially going to be part of the family!

Hunting the Nexu: An absolute mess in the outline stages right now, HtN is a TBB AU that covers events from both season 2 and 3 between Crosshair and a mysterious hired gun that agreed to help his brothers and sister with rescuing him from Mount Tantiss and the Empire.

Glory In Gold: Hired to teach Cody Mando'a under false pretenses for an Imperial mission, it isn't long before it's revealed to you the real reason you're here once, sometimes twice a week, on the Empire's dime, is personal. But it's not long after that that the reason changes again. To something more... intimate.

Loving A Lazarus Species: You've been mourning Tech's death for close to a year. Maybe more. The denial that this death is real runs deep; chasing down the ghosts of ghosts when it comes to rumors your love still lives. Lucky for you, the brown-eyed, bespectacled man proves you have no need for the morally murky research you've turned to in your desperation: proving he's harder to kill than initially believed... [We're doing a Tech Lives AU!!]

Dressed to the Ninety-Nines: You and the bandana-wearing sergeant have to feign being on a date for a "special assignment". Hunter effectively proves that he sure cleans up well and behaves like a perfect gentleman, the whole nine. But is there really a "special assignment", or is this all part of some elaborate bet?

[biddy-babowo]

I'm back on my nonsense..

I'm watching Sonic Boom okay? Rewatched/finally finished Sonic Prime and uhhh,,, made an OC.. something I never cared to do before. He/she pronouns for my OC. He's a lab thing, technically you can think of him as a Sonadow shipchild thing if you want IDC.. OC info under the image

He was originally going to be a Sonic Prime OC but he doesn't fit anywhere .. He's a Sonic Movie OC. He's kinda set in the in-between of movie 3 and (fictional for now) movie 4. If that makes sense? Story is a WIP as I'll probably change it depending on how I feel after seeing the next movie,, whenever it comes out lol. He's basically Eggmans attempt at copying the whole "ultimate lifeform" of Shadow so he's a lab experiment to try and mimic / copy Shadow's genetics. He's made from any DNA Eggman could find as well as combining his enemies DNA to create a perfect subject that couldn't be beaten by Sonic or (a now enemy) Shadow. Do what you want with that btw. This was for fun and I've never made a Sonic OC or wished too, this was purely something that I liked the concept of. So here he is!! yippiiee!!!

Just to be clear.. He doesn't have a name besides being called puptainzer. Which is unrelated, I'm not explaining my thought process (there was none)., He's not a pure hedgehog, he's a hybrid of uhhh something I'll mention some other time. Let me know if I should do more art of himm,,, :33

[fartasticdurge]

2024 Writing Year in Review

Fine, I'll pull a @alwaysmauria and say that when enough people tag you, you finally give in to one of them, albeit begrudgingly.

Words posted (on AO3): ~370k, excluding those I share with @strixamans and @vakariansyndrome, so probably ~330k

Fandoms: BG3 & DAtV

Skipping past stats. No one but those who sort by hits or kudos should care about this. And if you do, that's fine.

Fic I spent the most time on: Fated, my first baby. It's a gruesome 162,186 words-filled monster, but I love her for all she taught me.

Fic I spent the least time on: The Lord, the Thief, their Mistress & Fart's Lover, only because @vakariansyndrome did most of the heavy lifting after the words spewed out of us.

Favourite thing I wrote: Does Emmrich still know how to do dishes. It started off poorly, I couldn't get Emmrich's voice to sound less like Sherlock Holmes and House MD combined, but this story made me reflect on the process of writing more than anything had before. And it's probably no coincidence that it's currently ranked my most-read one-shot.

Favourite fics I read this year: I saw you guys doing 4+1 here, but fuck that. #tageveryone

Resonance by @tthisonebites and, honestly, anything you ever write. But that one was viscerally good and stuck with me. One of my favorite authors.

Midwinter's Rest by Professor_Rye. And not just because this was a gift from them, but they truly hit me in the feels with anything they write.

Waiting, Jealous Little Thing, Reckless Little Love, Drizzt, darling? Really? by @vakariansyndrome - you are a writing machine, woman. You edge me (in writing) like no other. And yes, that Halsin fic will forever be on my mind.

Not an exotic pet by Cesela. You made me love bats and I love your butt(inside joke).

Strange Highways by @nocryptographer and your poetry. Still have not finished it, I am afraid I will no longer hate Cazador. You are too powerful and someone must stop you before you ascend.

The Accountant’s Guide to Taking Down an Evil Vampire Lord (and maybe bagging Astarion while you are at it) by Cinnamontails - I have never inhaled a long fic like this one before.

Hunting Creatures by @strixamans and The Vampire's Verses to top it off. Thank you for tolerating me.

Apples by @alwaysmauria, also another writing machine. try and see if you can delete this message, Mauria (inside joke).

Catch Me If You Can and poems by @dramaticchimpmunk. seeing writing through your eyes has inspired me and reminded me why I write.

Walking on Eggshells (Ascended Astarion & Tav ), Painting Problems (Ascended Astarion and Tav One-Shot)  by JacksonCrowe. Jackie, my first writing mentor. Thank you for existing. Best first, loving AA fic I read.

I'm pretty sure I forgot people and that's on me, sorry.

Writing goals for 2025: Oh boy, do I have plans. Whether or not I act on them is another matter. My goal for this year is quality over quantity and I started taking steps towards that. Stay tuned.

New works for 2025: I will continue working on the short fics in the Bellara Lutare serials, which is currently the thing that brings me most joy to write about. And probably many short stories. I can't or don't want to commit to any long fics right now. I have too many wips that stare at me and I hope I might one day return to them, but likely not right now.

Here's to more writing in the new year and thank you all for being amazing human beings and writers who inspire! 🖤🥂

Astarion & Emmrich gifs for the long post as payment.

[flowersdiceandlove]

Answering the ask about the tgcf rairepair wip ask here because I put it in my drafts and now it's nowhere to be found:

To whoever asked this: THANK YOU! Seriously, thank you so much. This was the first ask I saw and I was immediately inspired to go work on it. At the time the ask came in, the doc was ~16-17k words. It is now at *checks word count* 44,408 words. And, I'm not even done with it yet. I think I might have already reached the halfway point, but honestly 🤷‍♀️

Now, for what it's about! It is Xie Lian x Pei Ming. It starts out about 10-20 years after Xie Lian leaves Banyue. While trekking through the dessert and rocky terrain further North, Xie Lian's bad luck rears it's head and he stubbles into a sex-swap array. In order to return back to a male body, he needs a lot of spiritual energy to break through the effect of the array. Which he, of course, does not have access to.

Xie Lian makes for a very pretty young woman, and in combination with his cursed shackle making his luck truly horrible, he ends up gaining the attention of kidnappers and smugglers wanting to traffic him (this isn't super prominent, but more of a background happening that Xie Lian is having to deal with). About 20-ish years pass of this, and while Xie Lian is having tea in a teashop in the North, a young man joins him, flirting and pouring him tea and ordering snacks for them both. Xie Lian soon needs to leave the teashop because he notices some bounty hunters or whatever that the kidnappers/smugglers keep sending after him for messing with their smuggling rings. The man, however, follows, saying it's dangerous and he'd hate if anything bad happened to Xie Lian (still thinking XL's just a pretty, young maiden who can't defend herself). Before Xie Lian can send him away, they start getting shot at with arrows, and run down the city's alleys dodging the pursuers. Once they escape the fight, Xie Lian removes the bandage around his neck to bandage a small wound on himself which reveals the cursed shackle there. It's then that the young man reveals himself as Pei Ming and Xie Lian says who he really is too.

The fight had piqued their interest in each other's martial abilities, so Pei Ming arranges a spar to test each other out. Pei Ming loses, by a lot, but insists on continuing to spar against Xie Lian so he can improve his skills. Xie Lian, not having had good company and an even better sparring partner in a long time, agrees to keep meeting with Pei Ming and they strike up an unexpected friendship. Throughout this time, Xie Lian remains stuck as female because, even if they are friends and Pei Ming has the necessary amount of spiritual energy, trying to transfer that amount of spiritual energy into Xie Lian in the traditional sense is likely to have negative side effects for both of them. Pei Ming, however, thought up a solution to their problem: dual cultivation, the process of which is to build up a great deal of spiritual energy between people slowly through the act of sex. Xie Lian, naturally, declines. Firmly. Repeatedly, when Pei Ming says that his offer stands if Xie Lian changes his mind. You see, Pei Ming likes pretty women, and right now, Xie Lian looks like a very pretty young woman with gentle smiles, which Pei Ming also likes.

(This is the part that I worry about with this fic (not enough to make me not want to write it, but wonder if I should even share it in case someone is hurt by my words and themes in it). Out of all my writing, this one is probably the most "problematic." I wanted to keep Pei Ming as in-character at the start of this as I could, and then slowly have him go through some character development. Because of this, he's sexist in his views of women and this is evident in his conversations with Xie Lian and his pov when I go into it. There is also Xie Lian's gender versus his sex since he was born male and identifies as a man, but through the effects of an array was unconsentingly turned female. He uses he/him pronouns throughout it all and Pei Ming also uses those pronouns for him, but Pei Ming also teases Xie Lian sometimes, calling him a "princess" or "beautiful young lady" and flirts with him as if he's actually a young maiden which Xie Lian always replies, reminding Pei Ming that he's a man. Pei Ming hasn't forgotten this and does respect Xie Lian as a man and his martial skills as a fellow man, thinking that it is unfortunate that Xie Lian's found himself in such an unlucky circumstance, but he does still flirt and tease Xie Lian a bit about his maidenly appearance. He's also attracted to Xie Lian "because he's such a pretty young woman right now." I haven't researched how ancient China was about gender and stuff because in the novels, it's already kinda established how people differing from the gender norm are viewed (Xie Lian saying “…No, Miss, please don’t misunderstand, this isn’t a hobby of mine” when Xiao-Ying saw him in the bridal outfit during the first arc and then other instances of similar things) so I've been trying to go off of that. Also, since it seems that there aren't the same modern terms for things such as "trans" or "gay" in the novel setting, I'm instead trying to explain things without using those terms and that is a bit difficult to do when the characters wouldn't know those labels exist, the characters and setting is at least a little sexist, and the people inhabiting the world view queer things as odd and need to be explained away. I'm also a cis woman (and a lesbian) so my views of things and what I find triggering are limited to my own experiences. Mostly I just don't want people to get hurt by my writing if I explain something or depict something in an insensitive way. If I do ever post this work or share more about it, I'd put trigger warnings on it, just so people know what's in it and can avoid it to take care of themself if needed.)

Now, back to the actual plot: Xie Lian and Pei Ming continue to keep meeting, sparing, and spending time together as friends (that Pei Ming keeps flirting with Xie Lian throughout) over a number of decades and Xie Lian starts falling for Pei Ming, cherishing him as a friend and becoming interested in more. Xie Lian knows, though, that Pei Ming is only interested in his female body and will never want Xie Lian beyond male friendship or het sex. He has some angst about it, but decides that he's just happy being Pei Ming's friend and will just have to figure out how to be content with that. Pei Ming, though, virgin-killer that he is, clocks Xie Lian's desire for him even before Xie Lian realized it and has been dialing up the flirtations and trying to seduce Xie Lian.

Eventually, after about 50 years, Xie Lian snaps and hauls Pei Ming in for a kiss which Pei Ming is very happy about, his seduction plan working. They start a little affair, Pei Ming taking it slow, as he has, and letting Xie Lian take the lead on the limit of their physical intimacy as Xie Lian slowly starts being open to more. Throughout their affair, Xie Lian is insistent that they remain friends. He makes Pei Ming continue to talk to him and treat him as a male friend and not just another lover on his long list because he knows the affair will eventually end and he wants to be able to still be friends with Pei Ming when it does.

Finally, Xie Lian feels comfortable enough with his desires for Pei Ming and worked through enough of his training that forbid it, and decides that he wants to have sex with Pei Ming. Xie Lian tells Pei Ming and Pei Ming sets it all up. So, they dual cultivate, Xie Lian gets his male body back--which he is very happy about--and Xie Lian thinks that's the end of their little affair. After that, Xie Lian slides back into his role as Pei Ming's friend, not overstepping into lover territory thinking Pei Ming would be uncomfortable with it since he expressed that he's only attracted to Xie Lian's female body, not men, in the past. Pei Ming, however, is struggling with the fact that he's still attracted to Xie Lian even now that he's male again. In fact, he's seeing how much more at ease Xie Lian is now that he has his preferred body back and thinks that it makes him even more attractive (being comfortable and confident in your own skin is attractive after all). He's having a bit of a gay/bi panic, but knows he's attracted to Xie Lian even if he doesn't understand why and so he keeps flirting with him like he has. Xie Lian just thinks Pei Ming is naturally flirtatious and that that's why he's continuing to flirt with him, not that he's actually still interested. Since Xie Lian still has feelings for Pei Ming, but thinks that Pei Ming would be uncomfortable if Xie Lian acted on those feelings, he diverts the conversation whenever Pei Ming starts coming onto him.

Pei Ming eventually makes it clear that he desires Xie Lian as a man even if he doesn't understand it himself or what it means, but wants to continue their affair. Xie Lian agrees to continue it as well, surprised by it, but happy to still be able to be with Pei Ming in this way. He still thinks it's inevitable that the affair will end eventually, but is happy to keep being with Pei Ming for as long as he wants him.

And, this is where I've written up to. I have a vague idea of where this will go, but not super concrete and I don't know exactly how to end it or what to do with Hua Cheng because I love Hua Cheng and I want him to be happy but how can I do that if Xie Lian is with Pei Ming? 😭😭😭 I've been playing around with the idea of polyamory, but am not sure if that would contradict some other elements I've included. I'll figure it out eventually as I keep writing, though. The answer will come in time. Just gotta have faith in that.

As for the idea of where I want it to go: Pei Ming and Xie Lian are going to continue being lovers and maintaining their friendship. Pei Ming is going to start messing around with other men, trying to figure his whole "attraction to Xie Lian" thing out. Xie Lian will be vaguely aware of this since, as part of being friends, Pei Ming tells Xie Lian about some of his sexscapades. Xie Lian just listens with a fixed smile, humming and nodding when Pei Ming expects repeating in his head you asked for this. you asked for this. you asked for this. because he did ask for it since this is what Pei Ming talks to his friends about and he wants to stay as "friends who can talk about personal things" in Pei Ming's eyes and not seen as "lover who will be jealous about other affairs so don't talk about them to lover."

After a bit of time, Pei Ming decides that if he's going to sleep with a man, he should just sleep with Xie Lian since he's a better choice than the other no-name men that Pei Ming was fooling around with. Xie Lian is much more handsome and beautiful and kind and overall just more attractive, is Pei Ming's objective opinion. And stupidly sexy. Pei Ming thinks Xie Lian is ridiculous levels of sexy for someone who's been a virgin with no experience in any matters of the heart and flesh for centuries. So, Pei Ming goes to Xie Lian more and more to hang out as friends, spar, and have sex.

Slowly, over the course of a few decades (and, wow, Pei Ming keeping the same lover for decades!? It's longer than Xie Lian expected, but he's not going to question it. Maybe it's different because they're both immortal??) Pei Ming stops telling Xie Lian about as many of his other lovers he's had, the number of stories about new ones dwindling. Xie Lian is torn between bringing it up like he did when they first started their affair and he basically said "Pei Ming, stop hiding this from me. We're friends, so talk to me even if you think I won't like it" and just letting Pei Ming stop telling him about his other affairs since he really doesn't like hearing about them. He decides to keep his mouth shut for now, but maybe bring it up in the future.

Pei Ming, however, has not realized his stories about new lovers has lessened because he has not realized that his number of new lovers has lessened. Or his desire to get more new lovers. He still has casual flings, but no where near the amount he had, more and more of his wants being fulfilled by Xie Lian. After so many centuries of the same casual flings and numerous lovers, why would he think it would suddenly change just because he started sleeping with Xie Lian? He doesn't, so he doesn't notice it.

Until someone points it out.

I think that it would probably be Ling Wen or Shi Wudu when the three of them are hanging out in the Mortal Realm and an attractive young woman that has definitely been Pei Ming's preferred type walks by, and might even flirt with Pei Ming a bit, before going. Ling Wen and Shi Wudu exchange a look, completely expecting for Pei Ming to now ditch them to chase after the pretty lady and used to it, but then, Pei Ming...doesn't. He turns back to the two of them to return to their conversation, continuing with the topic they were talking about before the woman walked by, and doesn't spare her a second glance. He doesn't even make a comment on her beauty one way or another. It's like he doesn't even care. (and he doesn't. In his mind, Xie Lian has become the epitome sexy and all things desirable, and that woman is not Xie Lian.)

So, Ling Wen or Shi Wudu (or it could even be Shi Qingxuan, idk yet) make a comment about it since it's so out of character for Pei Ming to not chase a pretty lady. prbly goes smth like:

"Aren't you going to go after her?" "After who?" "That girl. She was clearly interested in you" "She was?" "Didn't you think she was pretty? She's your type, isn't she?" Pei Ming turns around in his seat, to look at the lady, thoughtfully. "...Yes. I guess she is quite pretty. ...Definitely what I usually find attractive..." It's then that it starts donning on him, and he looks back at his two friends. "WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I SLEPT WITH A WOMAN!?" Ling Wen: "Am I supposed to keep track of all your affairs? I'd never get any work done if I tried to do that."

Pei Ming, suddenly having a deep crisis trying to remember the last time he had sex with someone who wasn't Xie Lian, stands and says he has to go, leaving in a hurry. Ling Wen and Shi Wudu let him go without fuss, used to being ditched by him in favor of sex and think that's what he's going to go do--have sex with some woman. Pei Ming, however, is in no mood to have sex and realizes he really can't remember the last time he had sex with someone other than Xie Lian, and that it's been at least decades since then.

Without really thinking anything through, Pei Ming goes to find/confront Xie Lian still panicked about this sudden paradigm shift. Xie Lian is completely confused as to why Pei Ming showed up, looking outraged and was calling him a seductionist (if anyone has any other names that PM could call him, let me know, bc I'm having a hard time thinking them up. all the ones I can think of are targeted towards women, which, wtf?? why are all the seduction insults about women??) and asking "What have you done to me!?!?" Pei Ming basically ends up spilling out how he's only slept with Xie Lian as of last few decades and he's okay with that and wants to keep sleeping with Xie Lian and is okay if he only sleeps with Xie Lian, and that he thinks he's in love with Xie Lian. Xie Lian's smile is growing bigger and bigger the longer Pei Ming is essentially ranting about the fact that he's in love with Xie Lian, giddiness bubbling up in his chest.

Finally, when Pei Ming pauses, Xie Lian calls out gently, "Pei Ming, I love you too."

idk how the rest of that conversation goes, but they get together more officially. I don't think Xie Lian would want Pei Ming to promise to be monogamous and not have any other affairs bc a part of him doesn't believe that Pei Ming would be able to keep that promise. Instead I think he'd make Pei Ming promise that, even if they are essentially in a monogamous relationship, to tell him if he sleeps with someone else or has a dalliance with someone else because he'd prefer to know than have Pei Ming hide it from him and go behind his back. He fell in love with Pei Ming thinking the other man would always be having affairs and other lovers, after all.

From here, things are really not clear in how I want this to go because I've thought about it so much and have multiple ways that I like. I think the more I right this au out, the clearer it will be, but, anyway. Either they just become serious lovers, or they could even get married. I kinda like the married version, but there are some problems with that. I'm wanting things to continue with canon up until at least a little after Xie Lian's third ascension, so people--especially Ling Wen and subsequently Jun Wu--not knowing that Pei Ming and Xie Lian got married is unlikely. I might be able to make it work, but it'll probably take some mental gymnastics. Another version has Pei Ming's revelation after Xie Lian ascends, right after the Mount Yujun mission. I do like Pei Ming and Xie Lian being together for a while before his ascension bc when people in the heavens find out (*cough*Feng Xin and Mu Qing*cough*) they would be like "Your Highness, you can't be in love with Pei Ming, he'd never be able to commit to someone. That's a horrible choice" and then Xie Lian could be like "Well actually we've been together/married for like 50 years now, so..." and everyone just being floored that Pei Ming could commit for so long and Pei Ming just shrugging and saying "It's true." I think that'd be fun. idk, we'll see where this fic takes me.

One thing I do know is how Xie Lian's third ascension and the Mount Yujun case goes. Ascension: Pei Ming is super busy with a lot of things in the north and so he isn't in the Heavenly Capital when Xie Lian ascends, nor will he be able to return for, like, a week or so. He does hear about it though, and dials up Xie Lian's private communication array like "Hi, babe! Congratulations on the ascension! Sorry I'm so busy right now, I'll make sure to be back up as soon as I can so we can celebrate in private *wink wink*" Xie Lian, also doesn't want to rely on Pei Ming to fulfill his debt, so he doesn't ask or tell Pei Ming about it.

Mount Yujun Mission: When Ling Wen tells Xie Lian about the mission in the north, he thinks that Pei Ming arranged it, and that this is his way of helping Xie Lian with his debt since he knows Xie Lian wouldn't like it if he just paid the whole thing off. Or, that the Heavenly Emperor gave him this mission bc he's Pei Ming's spouse and so it's kinda technically in his jurisdiction? Either way, he's fine with it. He's helped Pei Ming with missions before, so this will just be the first time it would be counted under his name. (reminder: the heavens have no idea that Xie Lian and Pei Ming are together or that they even know each other) Since Xie Lian knows that Pei Ming and his junior officials are all super busy right now, he doesn't ask them for help, and figures he shouldn't drag others into a "family matter." Fu Yao and Nan Feng still show up bc Ling Wen still insisted on asking. The mission goes about the same, but when he realizes that the ghost causing the trouble is one of Pei Ming's old lovers, he does feel a bit awkward about it. He also calls up Pei Ming first when he's fighting the dead brides asking about his past lovers, but Pei Ming is also in the middle of a fight and tells him to ask Ling Wen.

Anyway, things wrap up pretty close to canon. idk yet what happens with Little Pei and "General Hua" since Xie Lian and Pei Ming are together, so... 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ I'll figure it out when I figure it out.

When they're all in the communication array talking about the mission, Pei Ming will actually show up to the conversation and politely ask Xie Lian how the mission went, wondering how much damage control he needs to do to make it up to Xie Lian for dealing with his crazy ex. But Xie Lian is "The mission is complete. What else is there to say? :)" "...Are you sure you don't have anything you want to say to me?" "There is nothing to say :)" Pei Ming is still feeling nervous but, lets it go. When the topic of Hua Cheng is brought up, Pei Ming says "Of course, Your Highness ran into Crimson Rain..." feeling exasperated once he's sure Xie Lian isn't hurt having long been dealing with Xie Lian's luck and strange circumstances happening because of it.

I did want canon to continue to about the Mid-Autumn Festival before things get revealed. Also, I think Pei Ming and Xie Lian's back and forth about Pei Xiu after the Banyue Arc would be way funnier if they were a couple. Xie Lian would be all "Babe, I love you, but little Pei messed up and needs to punished" and Pei Ming would Know He's Right, but still not like it and so the meeting in the Palace of Divine Might still happened, but Pei Ming and Xie Lian are basically an old married couple arguing their family affairs in front of the entire Heavenly Court without explicitly saying it's their family business. They'd be professional about it, and so it'd go much the same as canon. Which leads me into one of my favorite parts: How Xie Lian and Pei Ming flirt. When they're flirting, they always use each other's proper titles and formal language. Very formal language. The spout proverbs and simpering compliments and thinly veiled innuendos coated in flowery language that keeps escalating until one of them snaps and jumps the other. It's a game, really--a competition to see if they can get the other to break first. Which would just make their interactions in canon even funnier because they would have to use formal language and titles with each other in order to be professional. But, it's like a pavlovian response at this point. When one of them starts using overly formal language, the flowery and suggestive language just falls from their lips. They would have a really hard time reigning themselves back in and not just running back to Pei Ming's heavenly palace to fuck after the meeting because Jun Wu told Xie Lian to stay back and they thought they'd be free after this. They definitely meet eyes that say "later" in mutual understanding. I also want to see Pei Ming freaking out over Hua Cheng kidnapping Xie Lian from the Heavenly Capital. Especially since Pei Ming was in charge of security at the time.

Another idea I've been playing around with for this recently is Xie Lian being demisexual and Pei Ming being demiromantic. I haven't looked into those terms much so I'm not sure how accurate they'd be for this version of the two, but from what little I do know about those terms I think they might fit. Obviously, since I'm not using actual terms in the fic body itself, I wouldn't put them there, but I do think it'd be worth looking into to see if I should add those elements in.

Ahhh....So many ideas... I don't know which ones will make the cut. This became so long! And, yes, if you ask me about my other wips, they will also be long, rambley messes. I'm writing these like I'm talking to yall, spewing my ideas for your brains to read. If you want to know how I even came up with this idea, just ask, and I'll go into it, but idk if anyone would be interested and this is already so. long. If you have any other questions about this au, feel free to ask them as well 😊

And, yes, asks are still open about my wips and anything else as well, really.. There's not really a time limit on this particular ask game since I'm just wanting to get them finished. So, I guess it's only over once they're complete. If you want to look at the wip list, it is here.

[thana-topsy]

WIP Wednesday - Baldur's Gate Edition

I haven't shared a wip in god knows how long, and even though I've been working on my other fics in the background, I was bitten with the Bloodweave Bug and have been indulging myself a little bit here and there. So if it's your thing, have some... well. Have whatever this is shaping into:

[Context - Gale and Astarion attempt to get frisky after relentlessly flirting for two acts. NSFW warning: sexy and not-so-sexy postulating, but nothing too graphic. CW: descriptions of dissociation.]

--

“You really are a gorgeous creature,” Gale said, running his hand back down Astarion’s chest, across his stomach. “But I’m sure you already know that.” 

“Never hurts to hear it again. And again.” He arched into Gale’s touch. “So, do go on.” 

Gale finally tugged the shirt up and over Astarion’s head, tossing it to the floor before bending low to speak into his ear. “You’re gorgeous.”

“I know,” Astarion replied with a sigh as Gale placed kiss after kiss along his jawline before capturing his lips once more. 

Their pants remained on and were becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. Gale licked his way between Astarion’s lips, sucking and nipping. For all his enthusiasm and verve, it was, unfortunately, a rather predictable escalation. Gale groaned into his mouth and Astarion felt himself begin to detach, eyes half-open, gaze drifting unfocused to the upper left hand side of the ceiling.  

He wondered what kind of fuck Gale preferred. He seemed like the type to want to get Astarion off first before fucking him raw—the type to pride himself on getting his lover to cum before using their spent body for his own pleasure. Astarion knew the type. And there was something so incredibly wretched about having to pantomime pleasure for an unwanted orgasm–

“You still with me, ‘starion?” 

“Hmm?” Astarion jerked his gaze from the ceiling to focus on Gale’s face. He couldn’t actually recall when they’d stopped kissing. “Sorry, I was just…” He paused, momentarily at a loss, then affected his best flirtatious smile, brow furrowing coyly. “I was just thinking of all the filthy things I want you to do to me.” 

Gale sat back on his heels from where he knelt between Astarion’s legs, brow drawn. “Right… Listen, if you’d rather not–” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, darling.” Astarion reached down and curled his fingers around the hem of Gale’s trousers. “Of course I want…” His gaze went unfocused once more, staring past the cut of Gale’s hip at the shimmer of the arcane lock on the door. “I want…” Whatever he’d intended to say, the words refused to surface, and his resolve was withering on the vine.  

Gale slid his hands beneath Astarion’s, gently uncurling his fingers. “As I said, I consider myself to be an agreeable lover, which means recognizing when I’m not wanted.” 

“But I want–” Astarion’s throat seized as the panic set in. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. “I want you,” he finally managed to squeeze out. “I just don’t… I don’t want…” As his desire, his true desire, solidified, it felt so ridiculous that he wasn’t sure if he could utter it aloud. 

“What don’t you want?” 

“I don’t want to be touched. Like… that.” He covered his face with his hands and groaned. “Hells below. I’ve had sex more times than probably half of Baldur’s Gate combined. You’d think I’d be a little more articulate on the matter.” He sighed, letting his hands fall to rest against Gale’s knees. “But rarely did I want it, and even more rarely did I enjoy it. Now that I’m—well, now that I’m not compelled, I just…” He let out another heaving sigh, eyes trained on the ceiling, on the far corner, the window, the crack in the wall. Anywhere but on Gale. “I don’t know if I remember how it should be. How to… enjoy it.”

Gale made a noise of understanding, shifting to extricate himself from between Astarion’s legs. “Well,” he said, grunting with exertion as he lay down next to him on the bed. “It would be neither the first nor the last time I’ve had these kinds of activities halted abruptly. And, to be clear, I’d rather they be halted than to have you carry on as if I’m some…” He made a swirling gesture at the ceiling, as though attempting to conjure the word, but left the silence unfilled.

“It’s pathetic,” Astarion said. Hatred and misery roiled in his gut. “He ruined me.”

“He didn’t,” Gale assured, as if it were that simple a claim to dismiss. “Give it time.” He reached down between his own legs and palmed himself through his pants with a groan. “Besides, I’ve more than enough practice with my own hand to find satisfaction if I need it.”

Astarion felt something stir in his loins, something that overrode the simmering bitterness. He turned onto his side, propping his head against one palm. “What if… What if I watched you?”

Gale looked at him with a raised brow, still cupping himself. “Watched me have a wank?” 

“I was thinking of it more in terms of ‘pleasuring yourself’, but sure. Be crude. Have a wank.”

“A titillating proposition,” Gale said with a breathy laugh, tipping his head back with a hiss as he squeezed himself. “Why not?”

[kaiowut99]

Johan Speaks! 🗣🔊💎 | Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V TFSP Re-Translation Project (WIP)

(Project announcement video/post)

Good news, everyone! 🧓🏽

So, thanks to chrisfand and I doing some digging over on a Tag Force modding Discord over the past 1.5-2 weeks (chrisfand's been around doing various TF-related mods, and after I saw some discussion about doing this, I got curious and swallowed a bit by a rabbit hole), we've figured out how to add spoken in-duel dialogue back to those who weren't given any! Likely one of the more disappointing things about how TFSP cut corners compared to the earlier games (while still fun of course), only the 25 characters with story events across each series's world gets spoken in-duel dialogue out of the box--and in digging through the file that boots the game/runs a bunch of code/has a bunch of text like the character names (the EBOOT file), we found that, rather than some deeper code setting a flag for enabling the others from Yugi and Shou in DM and GX all the way to Yuto and Shun in ARC-V and the TF/WDC-exclusives to have voices, there are hex pointer bytes for each character pointing to where the game should find their respective voice folder path on the disc to store in memory and then load the audio files from, and they were simply set to some empty space for everyone who's not the primary 25 (with folder paths for them not included). Finding some space in the Eboot to write in the folder paths for everyone, and starting with Johan as a test, I updated Johan's pointer accordingly and the game properly loads the voice pack I set up for him!

[More on that below, but tl;dr current plan is still getting the base game re-translated as-is while also setting up for a "deluxe" version with all this added in after that along the way]

For Johan's voicelines here, I pulled audio mostly from Tag Force 3 and tried to stick as close to his Japanese in-duel lines here as doable, but some lines are different vs TF3, so I pulled from Duel Links or Duel Terminal voicelines as needed (for example, Johan's duel-starting line about wanting to see his opponents' best [said to Judai in GX 106] here doesn't include the bit about "using up our skills/that's the kind of dueling I go for!" and instead his text is just the first part and then "Let me see the power you've got in ya!", but being the closest to what that is, I used that line. I also added his attack line with Rainbow Dragon near the end, figuring out how his line parameter file works and grabbing audio from Duel Terminal for it (how did he not already have an "Over the Rainbow!!" line), and while not shown here, there's his loss line, "People like you being out there's why I can't stop dueling!", which I grabbed from two Duel Links lines and edited to combine them into one file. There'll likely be similar editing involved for compiling voice packs for everyone else (and grabbing WDC and even maybe Wheelie Breakers audio, as apparently a handful of people like Himuro in 5D's were non-duelable in earlier TF games--for everything else, I'll probably scrape the anime, which I did here because, fun fact, Johan has in-duel lines for a "hehehehe" [heard in the video's cold open] and "hahahahah!" but he doesn't have audio in TF3 saying them; these being callbacks to his and Judai's duel vs Fujiwara, I grabbed the lines in question from GX 175 and ran them through Ultimate Vocal Remover to solid results). Leveling the volume some wil likely also be needed since, while I did my best with Johan's lines here, they are a bit quieter in spots than they probably should be. We also want to look at adding the newly-voiced characters to the Voice Test list so that comes up in the Database for them, but that'll be a later thing.

SO. All that being said, currently the plan's still to go on with getting the base game re-translated as-is, while setting things up for a later "deluxe" version. Along with voices/all there, I'll likely also want to add in lines for the different summon methods that GX-ZEXAL characters don't have (those get stock "I Special-Summon a Monster!" lines) and edit their voice packs accordingly with them. But some neat progress here (even briefly picked up assembly language thinking it might be needed lol). Stay tuned!

[crystaltoa]

My take on the Turaga Nui, from Shauni's (@legend-as-old-as-time) WIP fic set in Rags' (@magicalgirlmascot ) KNPS AU. Snippets of the fic here and here.

In which the Turaga form a fusion in order to defeat the Rahi Nui, but their past experience with the Hordika venom results in the Turaga Nui taking on a somewhat ...unexpected form. After the battle, the Toa Mata catch up with them. Pictured here is Lewa having the appropriate reaction to finding out his six mentors have turned into some kind of weird dragon-chimera-kaiju thing.

Some design notes under the cut:

The Turaga Nui's form combines traits from the forms the Metru had as Toa Hordika, known in this universe as the Kini Nui werebeasts. So, this was my take on them individually here:

(The Metru's human forms can be seen here) I hope it's fairly self explanatory which features come from which werebeast, but a few other fun design notes...

So, in KNPS, the Toa Kaita look a lot like the Steven Universe fusions, with extra eyes and limbs. The Turaga Nui follows a similar logic but on a more bestial body layout.

The top two arms are the most humanoid, as TN signs in ASL as well as speaking aloud whenever it is practical to do so (i.e. when there is not a Toa of Air attached to their neck). The next two pairs of limbs can function either as arms or forelegs, so the digits are more paw-like.

The wings are obviously based on a snowy owl and come from Nuju's werebeast form. Male snowy owls typically have lighter coloured plumage while females have prominent black bars on their feathers. Nuju in particular would probably have been almost completely white as a werebeast given he's an ice Toa and has white hair in human form. The Turaga Nui, however, is composed of five men and one woman, so I gave them a small amount of barring on the tips of one wing while the other is plain white. (The bars also help tie it back to the badger stripes on their face from a design standpoint)

The Kaita have metallic gold or silver skin, I suggested black and white patterns for TN's colour scheme to make them visibly nonhuman but also distinct from the Kaita.

Shauni felt that there should be more accents of each element's colours, however, so we decided on the "black" scales actually having an iridescent sheen to them.

I'd already been planning to give TN spots similar to that of a newt, but didn't realise until I started doing it that white spots on black combined with the iridescent colours gives the impression of a night sky/galaxy pattern.

I had previously suggested the name "Tien" to Shauni (Turaga Nui = T.N. Said aloud it phonetically sounds like "Tien"). Turns out Shauni had the exact same thought. Furthermore, it's a name in several cultures, various meanings include "heavenly being", "celestial" and "sky" (An etymologically related name is the Chinese "Tianlong", which means "Celestial Dragon")

So, accidentally coming up with a name that means "celestial" and then accidentally making them look like a living galaxy was a fun coincidence.

Also, apparently one of Rags' favourite DBZ characters was named Tien, so that was a plus for her!

The tail has owl feathers but is structurally more similar to the tail of an aquatic newt.

The eyes are based on the Turaga's animal forms but the colours come from their eye-glow. The three eyes visible in the image are Vakama's (green), Matau's (red), and Onewa's (blue)

As previous;y mentioned, photographs of jumping ferrets helped in drawing the dragon's limbs . I also ended up referencing hairless cats to get a handle on what the paws would look like with no fur.

I did do a version that shows the full body pose, which I quite liked, but felt that the cropped composition above was better to show the character details given tumblr's scrolling format