#it's a good time :]

[hetagrammy]

Some WIPs I will hopefully finish! The Iremano Borgia AU is my guilty pleasure

[foxish-draws]

Roaring thunder 🌩🌩🌩

[katsukidynam1ght]

discord server invite time!

i don't even know what number we're on now. suffice it to say i've made major updates to the server's rules and channel list! so it's an even better space than it was mere moments ago!

come and see for yourself how absolutely cool and fun we are >:)

(please note we are not actually themed after the backyardigans it's just the best name we could come up with)

[novelconcepts]

not fic related but you and your wife seem so happy! any advice for a couple of newly married queer ladies?

Hey, I love any excuse to talk about being gay and happy! Congrats on being newly married! I dunno, my advice is always really straightforward. Like. Keep prioritizing communication, keep talking to each other about your day, your headspace, the stuff you love, the stuff that freaks you out. Keep that line open no matter how long you're together, because I really do think marriages fall apart when you start just assuming you can read one another's minds. My wife and I are always really careful to be honest with one another; for example, in the event that one of us is having a bad day and the other person's jokes aren't landing, 'cuz we're just sensitive that day, we talk about it. it soothes hurt feelings before they can really take root.

And find ways of making your own fun. Try new foods together, travel if you're into that, remind yourself that intimacy (if that's your bag) is an excuse to just play with one another and learn about the other person. Cherish the comfort of knowing your person is there for you no matter what, make sure you're on equal footing together, make sure you're allowing each other the space to change and grow and learn. And just take as much joy as you can out of being in love. It's not an easy thing, living in the world right now, but love makes it a damn sight more bearable. Queer love is awesome, queer joy is awesome. I wish you all the best, friend.

[thecsquirrel]

Breaking News:

The MCU is not dead. And guess what there's no Comic Book fatigue.

Finished my slow binge of Echo and had a good time. Loved that this show was as much about Maya's origin but also her reconnection with her family and her people.

I, for one, want diverse stories. I want to know about the mythologies and Folklore and legends that aren't centered on whiteness. And why shouldn't we want to see heroes and villains (and everything in between) that are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, Mena, etc. Our stories matter too. And they are just as epic, fun, messy, triumphant, and entertaining as the rest.

Hope Marvel Spotlight continues these stories. Hope others follow suit. Everything doesn't have to revolve around your white fave to make it entertaining. And for the people that say that can't relate to a character who doesn't look like them, well, sounds like you've got a problem with an inability to see someone's humanity. Not to mention, what a sad and joyless life must you live.

Anyway, I enjoyed Echo. Hope she returns. F the haters. These are the shows I want. Give me more Ms. Marvel, Echo, MoonKnight. Bring on Ironheart! Give me back Collen Wing as Iron Fist. And call Misty Knight. Where's White Tiger?! Cassandra Cain. Nubia. Yara-Flor. Green Lantern. America Chavez. This list can keep going.

End rant.

[anderjak]

New Spotlight Game Alert:

Ib

a 2012 cult classic in horror games, Ib is developed by kouri, and, like the best cult classics, we know very little about its creator.

what we DO know is, Playism brought it back for a remake from its RPGMaker 2000 origins while still retaining its visual charm.

let's enter an art gallery where things get increasingly not right

Schedule: Mon/Tues/Thurs/Sat 6pm to 8pm PST twitch.tv/anderjak

[justsleepyrune]

we hide the fact that i didn't give my fallen london oc a name by just having them be Really Bad At Signing Their Name

[teyamsatan]

@sulieykte knows what my fics are all about ;) x

[legolasghosty]

Hello again!!!

4. and 12. (and maybe 13.) for Willex please 👀👀👀

Hello my love!!!!!!! Yes of course!!!

Alex could have sworn he only closed his eyes for a second, but suddenly the movie credits were rolling across the big TV in the Molinas' living room. How long had he been asleep?

The room was dark, but he could just make out Luke curled up on the couch with his head in Julie's lap. He was snoring softly. Flynn and Carrie have vanished, probably over in the kitchen raiding the soda stash or something. Reggie and Bobby were now firmly settled in Ray's giant recliner, twisted together and chatting softly. No one seemed to be moving to turn on the next movie, so Alex figured they were all done for the night. Fine by him, he was happy to just go back to sleep here on the loveseat.

He shifted a bit to pull the big, fuzzy blanket further over his shoulders, but then someone groaned in protest. Alex suddenly realized that at some point while he'd been asleep, he'd ended up leaning against a dozing Willie's side.

Not that there was a problem with that. It just caught him off guard is all. It wasn't like he sometimes humored little daydreams of curling up against Willie's back to sleep. Or of randomly pulling him into his lap in the lunchroom. Nope, definitely nothing like that was going on.

Alex rolled his eyes. No one was fooled by that. And they were already dating, he was allowed to want physical contact with his partner. It was just... hard to initiate.

Willie was great at initiating it, at catching Alex's hand as they walked through the halls and pulling him into sweet kisses when they were alone.

Alex was trying to get better at it, but that little voice screaming at him whenever he placed an arm around Willie's shoulders refused to leave him alone. Thank goodness Willie was so understanding about the whole thing.

As if the thought had roused them, a low chuckle filled Alex's ears.

"How come you always end up under my blanket?" Willie mumbled, grinning sleepily up at Alex.

Alex glanced down, realizing that they were in fact under the same blanket. It was huge and blue and soft. It was also the one Willie always claimed for movie nights. And this was like the third time in a row that Alex had ended up at least partially under it by the time everyone passed out in Julie's living room.

"Sorry?" he offered. "It wasn't intentional. I can go back to mine if you want."

"Nah, you're too warm for that," Willie decided, cuddling into his side. "Moving is not allowed."

"You just moved," Alex pointed out.

"Not the point, sir," Willie retorted, poking him in the thigh under the blanket.

"You just moved again," Alex chuckled, adjusting his own position to get more comfortable. "If you're allowed to move then I should be too."

Willie let out a dramatic sigh. "Must you be so difficult?" they teased,

"Yes," Alex chuckled.

"So high maintenance," Willie joked. "It really is hard having a boyfriend who's so smart and funny and pretty and talented." Alex could feel his cheeks flushing at Willie's words.

"You know, I really do a lot of hard work here," Willie continued. Then he gave Alex a mischievous glance. "I really do deserve a kiss. As payment. For.... services rendered or whatever the term is."

A laugh escaped Alex's lips before he could stop it. "You do a lot though," he responded. "You sure one kiss is gonna cover my tab?"

Willie hummed thoughtfully. His eyes were still half closed and his smile was wide and easy. Alex wanted to brush the loose strands of hair off their cheek. And maybe let his hand linger there. And maybe use his hand on their jaw to guide them a bit closer...

"You falling asleep on me?" Willie asked, cutting off Alex's train of thought.

"Huh, no, I'm good," Alex said quickly. "You're just..." He trailed off uncertainly, but Willie nodded for him to continue. "You're unbelievably cute when you're tired," Alex confessed.

He could just see Willie's cheeks darken in the dim light from the windows and the TV. "Dang, I feel like I owe you a kiss now," Willie chuckled after a quiet moment.

Alex glanced around the room. All of their friends were either asleep or occupied. And none of them would mind. So maybe...

"Split the bill and call it even?" Alex suggested, his voice barely above a whisper. He hesitantly lifted a hand and brushed those strands of hair back behind Willie's ear.

"Works for me," Willie breathed, leaning into Alex's touch and placing a hand on his shoulder.

They met in the middle, their mouths fitting together easily in a gentle, familiar kiss. Willie's lips were soft and warm and a bit dry against Alex's. They separated after a moment. Alex took in a shaky breath of Willie's coconut shampoo and the soda they'd all been drinking earlier.

He wanted to kiss Willie again. So he did.

Willie met him happily, hands sliding up to catch the back of Alex's neck. Alex wrapped his free arm around Willie's waist to pull him closer. They both shifted a little bit as they kissed, settling into a more comfortable position. It was slow and lazy and sleepy and perfect.

After a minute, they parted again. Alex focused on slowing his breathing to match the even rise and fall of Willie's chest.

"We should probably go to sleep," he sighed.

"Yeah..." Willie agreed reluctantly. "Don't go anywhere though. You're comfy."

Alex chuckled and they laid down across the couch, snuggled tightly together. "Good night, Willie," Alex mumbled, his eyelids already heavy.

"Good night, Alex," Willie responded.

Alex was glad they didn't mind sharing their blanket with him.

Hehehehhehe hope you enjoyed it!

(Prompts from this list!)

[talesfromthenorsesmouth]

the combination of hot custard and jam is one that is truly, very fine

[obstinatecondolement]

I am obviously not writing fic for a fifty year old BBC sitcom for the recognition, but I am feeling extremely smug that someone found my fic through filtering tags to look for works with very specific tropes and then commented to say they hope I keep writing for this fandom because they are now obsessed with these guys they didn't know existed before stumbling across my fic.

[of-nyon]

was going through my wips and unearthed the decepticon X AU that fizzled out cause I don't know how to finish it, and...I still don't know how to finish it, lol. So here's what I got.

vvvv CLICK BELOW to see Soundwave having a nice night out, X getting to be just a little bit manipulative (as a treat), and Zero having a bad time.

There had been some terrible mistake.

From Soundwave's briefings and his own research, X had fully expected an invitation to a performance as the Decepticon diplomatic envoy to the Vynhar, a species that above all else loved dramatic performance and passion, and also had been identified as having useful resources that the Decepticon Army was stretched too thin to justify a full-scale invasion to acquire. And also, X tended to dislike that approach, and with Soundwave surprising him by backing him up, Megatron had agreed to send him out here instead.

But, it seemed, the Autobots had the same idea. And the Vynhar were either playing for drama, or had simply decided to lump the Cybertronians together in the audience.

The red-and-yellow mech next to him was ramrod-stiff in his seat, his EM field tightly pulled against his frame. Awkwardly sat between the lone Autobot and the reassuring presence that was Soundwave, it was near-impossible for X to focus on the opera, a well-loved Vynhara tale about forbidden, star-crossed lovers.

Something pinged in his inbox. The Autobot – Zero, or so he called himself during an awkwardly stiff introduction – was requesting to open a comm channel. X checked in with Soundwave first.

:he wants to comm me. Do I accept?:

Soundwave was silent for a moment. Then, a file packet of info was sent over to him, which X opened curiously.

:Autobot Zero: potential recruit,: Soundwave explained as X scrolled through the mech in question's personnel file, some of it plucked straight from Autobot data networks. Soundwave truly lived up to his well-earned reputation. :Recent disagreements with Autobot high command. Unsure why they have sent him, but still an opportunity.:

:I see,: X replied. :thank you: He accepted the request, noting recent disciplinary action in the file. Brig time, extra chores. Not very Autobot-like -

:Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now.:

X blinked.

That was one way to introduce yourself.

:Well, it would cause a scene. Vynhar hate interruptions. They wouldn't look kindly on the Autobots afterwards. And, maybe you could take me. I'm not much of a fighter. But Soundwave is. I suppose that's two reasons.:

Zero didn't reply. On stage, the hero sang out his anguish at the prospect of being separated from his lover, who he'd met about ten minutes ago.

There was two more hours of this.

:My name is X,: he tried, bringing to bear his greatest weapon: the principle of sheer, grit-stubborn politeness that even Starscream wasn't unaffected by when meetings ran long and everyone was tired and grumpy.

The Autobot stared ahead. X didn't expect a reply, but a few moments later, his inbox pinged again.

:You're not a warbuild. You don't even have any visible weapons. You're tiny. You look like an accountant. Why are you a 'con?:

:Well, why are you an Autobot? Seems you get in trouble with them an awful lot.:

The red mech somehow stiffened even further. Finally turning to face X, his Autobot-blue optics shined in the low light with startled accusation.

“How do you know that?” Zero hissed, ducking in closer. His hands gripped the sides of his seat. X just smiled and tipped his head upwards at the not-actually-that-monolithic-once-you-got-to-know-him block that was Soundwave, who was currently doing an amazing job of pretending to be utterly unaware of the miniature drama playing out next to him, appearing totally focused on the stage. Zero cursed under his breath and sat back.

:Can he actually read minds?: Zero's uncertain gaze darted from one Decepticon to the other. X gave a reassuring smile.

:I can ask him not to! We're having a private conversation, after all. So why all the brig time? Don't you agree with them?:

Zero said nothing, turning to once more watch the stage. Well, that was fine. No need to push this early. X decided to give him some ground:

:Well, if you must know, you were close. I was a clerk. But…two of my older siblings were created as domestic helpers. Disposable-class.: Even if their creator had never intended it that way, there had been no escaping the chokehold of Cybertron under Functionism, not until Megatron had stood up and said enough.

Even then, X had still had to smuggle them out, Blues dropping in with a rare reappearance and an ultimatum to get them to safety. The fees had been exorbitant, and, discovering the perceived betrayal, X's good graces with their creator finally ran out. He wasn't the all-powerful outlier he'd been intended as – just a normal mech. A clerk.

:…I don't know much about that stuff,: Zero admitted. :I was made for the war.:

So, the Autobots weren't teaching their history, then, at least not the parts that didn't suit them. X and his siblings had technically been illegal, their creator thinking that his genius put him above something as mundane as the law. No doubt Optimus Prime, then known as Orion Pax, an Enforcer, would have without question upheld the law had he ever become aware of -

:I think Prime thinks he's doing the right thing,: Zero continued, interrupting X's internal pity-party. :He's either being deliberately kept in the dark about how bad it is, or he does know and just doesn't care. I don't know which option's worse.:

:How so?: X asked curiously. He would have thought that worshipping the ground Optimus Prime walked on came standard with being an Autobot, especially one being spoonfed a carefully abridged history of Cybertron, but he was always ready to learn new things.

:…the MTO factories. I have some fancy ability that means I get to be a real person. The rest of my batch got sent out to die before they were an hour old.:

X's face paled. Of course, something had to sustain planet-wide battlefields and uncountable atrocities. The Decepticons used up every scrap they had, up to and including prisoners. The Autobots simply created their own warm bodies – Made-To-Order mechs, stripped-down versions of Cybertronians who had guns put into their hands and were pointed towards the enemy sooner rather than later.

X tried his best. Sometimes Megatron could be swayed; sometimes he couldn't. But surely it was the better option than the Autobots, defenders of the old regime.

It was there in Zero's file: the facility was hidden away in the middle of an asteroid belt, but when he cross-checked it with current data, it had in fact been targeted and destroyed two centuries ago.

He wondered if Zero knew. He wondered if anyone had bothered to tell him.

:So you didn't get a choice?: X asked, seeing an angle. :You were just made an Autobot, that's that?:

They were both distracted when the heroine on stage screamed, forced unwillingly to strike down her beloved. There was dramatic, booming music, and the curtains closed to polite applause from the audience. The first of three intermissions – the true appreciation was expected to be saved for the curtain-call finale.

:That…happened fast,: Zero said. Avoiding the question, perhaps, but it opened up another opportunity: the reveal that he'd been paying attention.

:X: requires refreshments?: Soundwave pinged, standing up.

:Oh, I'm fine, thanks.: He smiled and nodded his appreciation. Out loud, he said: “Zero, do you want anything?”

“Huh?”

“Soundwave's offering.” He was not, but the idea of trying to recruit Zero had been his, so X figured he wouldn't mind.

“O-oh.” Zero's optics darted once more between them. In the better lighting, with X able to get a proper look at him, he didn't look half-bad, especially for a cold-constructed MTO. Maybe the Autobots had given him a frame upgrade? His outlier ability was listed as classified, so they had at least some backend security that Soundwave couldn't pass through with barely a thought.“No. No, I'm good.”

“Acknowledged.” Soundwave turned to leave. :Request: please contact me immediately if you require assistance.:

:Acknowledged,: X teased lightly back. :Go and let your little terrors out. I bet they're bored out of their processors.:

:Rumble and Frenzy: unappreciative of finer arts,: Soundwave agreed with a sigh, then began to stump his way down the aisle to the stairs. “He's not that bad once you get to know him,” X said. “A bit of a softspark, honestly.”

“That's Soundwave,” Zero said disbelievingly.

“He's a carrier model. He has five cassetticons that depend on him,” X replied. “He's-”

“Ah, gentlemechs, I believe the term is, how are you enjoying the play?” The Vynhara representative that had met X and Soundwave when they first disembarked approached them, taking the empty seat next to Zero.

“It's a very interesting production!” X said brightly. “The lighting in particular, it's very cleverly done!”

“Oh, our Chief Technician will be pleased to hear that,” the Vynhara trilled. “I will be sure to pass on your compliments.”

“I liked the fi- the choreography,” Zero offered. “The. Main actor? He does some good stuff.”

“Ooh! Glint will be thrilled! A Cybertronian, complementing him!” Their feathers ruffled in glee. The Vynhar were an avian race, of about a height with X and Zero – not minibot sized, but smaller than the average mech. X's creator had handcrafted him as a personal project and only had so much material to work with; Zero was taller only by a head.

“Save it till the end, though, yes?” X said – it was a traditional Vynhara saying, meaning to wait until a story was finished in its telling to fully judge it. The representative dipped their head in understanding, crest-feathers falling about their face.

“Of course, of course! I do hope you continue to enjoy it! I will pass on your complements to the relevant parties~” with an extravagant bow, they left.

“They will want to know your thoughts, so you might want to start putting your review together ahead of time,” X advised. Zero looked at him, then sighed and shook his head.

“I'm not the kind of guy you want doing something like this. I feel like I'm being set up to fail. Prime called it a vacation.” Zero grimaced. “He was smiling, too. He's not taking it seriously.”

“He takes the battlemask off?” X asked, surprised at the notion.

“No, but – you can tell. The derma under his optics kind of crinkles. I think Prowl might have put him up to it to get me out from under his feet for a few cycles.”

“Oh, him.” X instinctively tensed, his plating pressing closer to his frame at hearing the name of the Autobot Second-in-Command.

Zero raised an optic ridge in question, but X didn't feel like elaborating, not with memories of the interrogation threatening to claw in at the edges of his mind. He was grateful Soundwave had come back for him, and that was that.

Speaking of, the large mech chose that moment to return, Laserbeak – usually the best-behaved of the cassettes in situations like this – perched on his shoulder. She warbled a greeting at X, fluttering her wings lightly at him. He smiled in return, nodding to his superior officer as he sat down once more.

:Progress?: Soundwave queried as Zero looked away.

:It's going well! He only threatened me once, at the beginning. He's been talkative since then. He thinks Prime and – and Prowl have set him up. That they don't think he'll succeed.:

:Noted.: Music began to play, signalling the second act. As the lights dimmed, Soundwave's red gaze looked past X to size Zero up. :Continue if you wish.:

:Noted,: X mimicked back, reaching out to pet Laserbeak, who leaned into his touch happily.

:Is he your boss? Why are you both here?: Zero questioned as the play resumed, starting with an energetic dance number meant to tonally clash with the drama of the close of the previous act.

:Oh, he insisted,: X replied, turning his focus to the less-than-perfect Autobot. :I proposed diplomacy instead of invasion. Soundwave backed me up.:

:…must be nice,: Zero said. :I think Prowl would eat his own arm before he agreed with me on anything.: He gave an audible sigh. :I'm telling you too much. No-one's actually sat down and had a conversation with me, you know? Prime tried, but it didn't really work. It was after I got picked up from the facility and had a proper badge given to me instead of just paint. I'd only just found out my batchmates all died.:

X made a noise of sympathy, catching Laserbeak's attention. She trilled quietly, moving over to his shoulder to butt her head against him in her own way of showing solidarity.

“Oh, no, I'm all right,” he murmured quietly, using a finger to stroke her head in a way he knew she liked.

In the play, the hero, thought dead, made a dramatic return, the effects and lighting technicians truly going all out. With all the booming distraction, X reached out, daringly, to take Zero's hand.

:We're all just mechs in the end,: he said.

Zero said nothing, but he didn't pull away, either.

[morayofsunshine]

so much for stardust is (apart from a few accidentals in the first part of the prechorus and the flute part) in f major, a pretty common, standard, familiar key, especially (in the band world) for marches. showing how we’re trying to hold on to the familiar things we based our ideas about the world and plans for the future on, but even they’re falling apart.

[delphina2k]

5 things you might find in a story of mine:

Weird magic and glowies

Beautiful ladies that can murder you

Themes of bridging the seemingly irreconcilable

Joy in the absurd and everyday

The worst (best?) puns

[voidwhump]

the dreams are getting good again, I just got like three whole ideas out of that guy

[six-of-ravens]

Final wordcount tonight: 14,422!! Under 600 words behind now!!