#it's on my New Years resolutions to finish all my requests this year

[transx-mogai-cafe]

I wish all who are transx/transid a happy new year that is validating, affirming, and fulfilling!

[sunnyeong]

(req : "hi ! i absolutely love love love your works, you’re truly amazing <3 if you’re not uncomfortable with this, could i request something fluffy with jungwon celebrating new years with his older girlfriend ? thank you and happy belated new year ! i hope 2023 treats you well )

sparks | new year's special w/ jungwon !

note : ahhh !! anon you're so sweet :(( i hope you all get to enjoy 2023 as well ! i accidentally posted this while it wasn't done yet so i had to copy paste most of it huhu ★ pairings : non-idol!jungwon x f!reader (older)

★ genre : fluff

★ warnings : intended lowercase, use of 'noona', includes kissing

"i thought you'll spend new years at my place?"

"noona, i'm on my way.."

you see jungwon's text bubble pop up on your phone, letting out a sigh of relief and turning off your phone. since it was the first time you both would hold a holiday event in your apartment, you had to make sure that the whole place was free from mess the whole time, so you went around for the last time to check everything.

once you finally confirmed that everything looked at least decent enough, you went back to your room and freshened up a little more. since it was little around 10pm, you had to tweak a little of your makeup and hair so it could last at least a little after midnight. since you weren't the most unfamiliar with using your hair iron, you were able to finish quickly.

-

"noona?" you hear from outside your apartment followed by a doorbell, a small smile creeping up on your face as you open the door. "i brought- wah, you're so pretty," jungwon looks at you, flustered while handing you the small box of desserts. "thank you.." you laughed, letting him in your apartment fully while closing the door behind you both.

once you checked your phone and saw 10:30pm on the clock, you both already headed to the kitchen to eat. "i made pasta just in case we get hungry.." you mumble slightly, unsure if your boyfriend would still eat. "but everything you cook tastes good!" jungwon replies with a small frown, hugging you from behind.

-

"come up here!" you say, waiting for jungwon to follow you up. after you guys taunt each other and eat a little, you both went to the balcony since it was high enough to see the fireworks, sitting under the little tent you made that was enough to fit in both of you. "how many minutes left?" he asks, cuddling you already. "around.. 20 minutes?" you mutter softly, looking at your phone. "why?" you add, looking at jungwon while he plays with his fingers.

"will you still love me next year?" "won! i'll love you forever at this point, don't say that.." you hug your boyfriend, holding his hand reassuringly. "fine!" he frowns, looking out the tent.

after you both tease each other about everything-- from resolutions to habits, your alarm goes off in your phone. "11:59!" you shriek, going out of the tent and pulling jungwon beside you as you start counting from 30 seconds and lower.

"three, two, one! happy new y-!" you get cut off by a kiss from jungwon, the first on the lips, to be exact. it wasn't long, but you were still able to catch onto it quickly.

"happy new year, noona.." your boyfriend shyly whispers, burying his face in your shoulder while you watch the fireworks with a flustered face. you still couldn't really believe that he kissed you for the first time on new years-- let alone the fact that he wasn't the most affectionate when it comes to kisses.

for the rest of the night, you both stayed in your room with the curtains open, still looking out for other fireworks. "won, look, there's a heart.." you smile a bit, seeing a firework shoot up into a heart. "jungwon?" you whisper softly, feeling his head drop onto your shoulder. he was asleep. "happy new year.." you mutter, stroking his hair a little.

! yeong's works . please repost / reblog if you enjoyed !

do not copy or use my work without credit or asking.

[buttercupjosh]

Seasons of Love

(Gif credit to @youmustlovehim)

Word count: 2,772

Genres: strangers to lovers to exes, a little bittersweet

Warnings: none

A/N: I’ve had pieces of details of this fic in mind for a while and I started to slowly write it out over the past few months. This title comes from Seasons of Love from the musical RENT, although there’s nothing in the story connects to specific details from that. The story is not based off of anything specific, just a plot that had been simmering in me for some time. It’s not set at a specific moment in time (It’s taking place in a fictional future but you could also say that it’s set this season. However, the season is still ongoing at the moment and anything can happen or change). It’s written with a female reader in mind because I’m a female of color but the reader doesn’t specifically have to be a POC or a woman and there’s little dialogue. As always, I’m open to any and all feedback, comments or questions; just put them in my inbox or dm me. Thank you so much in advance for reading, I appreciate it😌

(P.S. I have other stories (linked here) that I have written for other players as well if you want to check it out)

““How do you measure a year in the life? How about love?” -Seasons of Love from the RENT musical soundtrack

Prologue

“Excuse me, is this a good book to read?” a deep accented voice asks you.

“Dune? For sure, it’s an epic story,” you reply.

“Do you think I could finish it in 4 days?” the voice asks.

“4 days? Unless you’re an Olympian at reading and processing complex storylines, I’d say it might take you close to 4 weeks or even 4 months to read it all,” you respond.

“Oh,” the voice says in defeat, “what do you recommend then?”

You list off some sci-fi recs for the towering cute man and he takes your suggestions into mind before deciding to get a copy of We, a novel written by his fellow countryman Yevgeny Zamyatin.

“I’ve never read that one,” you chimed.

“Should we start a book club then so you can read it?” the voice asks with a chuckle.

“Um, how can I start a book club with someone whose name I don’t even know?”

Slightly embarrassed, the voice introduces himself as Andrei and you introduce yourself to him as you shake hands. His hand in yours felt so comforting for someone you just met under an hour ago. Andrei was impressed that you knew so much about books. One of his New Year’s resolutions was to read more so that’s how he ended up at Barnes and Noble talking to you. You were at the store, just looking around for something new to read, and stumbled into the sci-fi section before checking out with your new copy of Happy Place by Emily Henry.

“So are we starting this book club then, Andrei?” you slyly ask.

Andrei wanted to have someone as a reading buddy to discuss reading with him (the other guys on the team weren’t as into reading as him) and it didn’t hurt that he had someone who knew a lot about literature right in front of him so he agreed to it.

“As long as you read “We” with me, please?” Andrei charmingly requested.

Although sci-fi wasn’t your thing at the moment, you couldn’t quite say no to the man with big brown doe eyes so you grabbed a copy off the shelf. Before going over the parameters of the newly formed book club, Andrei kindly paid for both of your books and you decided to discuss the rules in the cafe located inside of the store.

You and Andrei sat in a semi-secluded booth towards the back of the cafe and began sharing some of your backstories with each other over drinks and muffins. Andrei was again impressed by your educational background of holding an MFA in Creative Writing from NC State and your job as an adjunct English professor at Wake Tech Community College; it definitely explained your love of reading but your dream was to move to New York and become an author one day. You were working on a manuscript for a cute romance novel but still had a lot of things to do before it was ready to be presented to a publisher. The professor job was just a placeholder until you finished up your manuscript and saved up enough money to get a literary agent; you loved writing as much as you loved reading but getting your foot in the door in the writing industry was rough. You listened to Andrei as he told his story about his life and how he ended up in America through his hockey career. You and Andrei were both curious about each other and asked so many questions to each other for such a long time that you didn’t even notice that the store was going to close. Neither of you wanted your time together to end but you both had lives to get to outside of the store. You both laughed when you realized that you and Andrei spent so much time getting to know each other that not once throughout your conversation did you discuss the rules of the book club. Before leaving, you and Andrei exchanged numbers. You both agreed to read the first 50 pages and scheduled to meet up at a different cafe to discuss what you read so far in two weeks.

————————————————————

Winter

Within a year, the book club didn’t last long but it did lead to you and Andrei being in constant contact with each other. Due to both of your schedules, neither of you really had the time to sit down and have deep intellectual discussions about what you read; you both did end up finishing reading We but you finished it at different paces. Being the book lover you are, you completed the book first but Andrei finished reading the book while on the road and he wanted to discuss the ending with you so bad that he surprisingly FaceTime called you. That one FaceTime call with Andrei turned into a long series of texts, phone calls, and more FaceTime calls and eventually spending time together offline. You and Andrei considered each other to be just friends but that friendship eventually turned into you falling for each other.

Andrei was a hot commodity around Raleigh and in Russia with his DMs bursting at the seams but he only had eyes for you. He had never fallen in love with someone the way that he did for you; being with you was different than what he was used to but it worked in the best way. You knew the risks and chaos of being with a busy, famous athlete but Andrei was worth all of it. You blended and adjusted well into the hockey romantic partner lifestyle and Andrei even taught you how to ice skate. Despite the busyness of your lives, you and Andrei still showed up for and made time for each other, even if it was something as small as meeting up at your place for a post-afternoon game milkshake from The Shiny Diner or as big as taking Andrei as your date to your work holiday party. Whenever you had the time, you and Andrei created fun, everlasting memories together. A somewhat sweet memory that Andrei would always remember was when on one cold evening, you wanted to surprise your Russian boyfriend by attempting to make him borscht, a traditional Eastern European soup that was his favorite comfort food. The soup did not come well at all so you and Andrei ended up ordering Panera Bread to warm your bones. Although the soup you made tasted unpleasant, Andrei appreciated the fact that you took the time and effort to learn something from his culture and did that from your heart. The poetic thing about your relationship was that you patiently understood each other, despite the language and culture barrier; your relationship just worked like two puzzle pieces clicking together into place.

————————————————————

Spring

As the flowers bloomed around Raleigh, the school year for you ended on a good note and unsurprisingly, the Canes made playoffs. Deep into your manuscript writing, Andrei surprised you with a trip to New York after the Canes were eliminated from playoffs. You and Andrei were already spending the entire off-season together so this trip wasn’t a necessity but it was a nice thing to do.

Your time in New York was amazing and full of love, fun, and plenty of delicious food. While you were in the City, you took the opportunity to meet with some potential literary agents and publishers; although your manuscript was about 90 percent done, it didn’t hurt to check those things out. Andrei was supportive of you and your dreams but he selfishly wished that those dreams didn’t include moving to New York and that you would stay in Raleigh and have a life with him there. He had already known his future was tightly connected to the City of Oaks but you had a desire to create a future somewhere else. You knew these dreams of yours could possibly involve leaving the love of your life; neither of you tried not to dwell too hard on the stress and pressure that those dreams added to your relationship. You also knew the publishing industry was cutthroat and competitive and that there was no guarantee that your book would be picked up by a top publisher but those realities didn’t stop you from at least trying to take the steps towards that dream.

Outside of this pressure, you and Andrei still made the best of your time in NYC. You also loved musical theater so of course, you had to catch a Broadway show. Andrei, being the amazing boyfriend that he is, actually secured tickets for the two of you to see Hamilton at the Richard Rogers Theater. You had watched the live stage production on Disney+ and knew the entire soundtrack; Andrei went into the show blindly, only remembering bits and pieces from the songs that you played around him. Seeing Hamilton live on Broadway was a great experience that you both enjoyed. You and Andrei got to see New York City in a different light; you got to explore more of the city that you longed to call home and Andrei got to see more of the city as a true tourist. This entire trip was something that you both would forever cherish.

————————————————————

Summer

Not long after you left New York, you went to Russia for the first time to meet and spend time with his family and friends and to see the place that made Andrei into the man that you love. You learned more about Russian culture, Andrei’s childhood, and even was a guest at his cousin’s wedding. Andrei’s friends and family approved of you as a person and they liked you with him; they could all tell how truly in love you were with each other. You also spent some time together in Turkey and around Europe for some much-needed relaxation; you got to see the beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Greece, eat authentic handmade pasta in Italy, and kiss your lover in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Traveling around with Andrei made you feel like you were the protagonist of a great summer read. Speaking of reading, Andrei still maintained his goal of reading more books, reading just about anything and everything, and even started to recommend things for you to read. Before you would fall asleep at night, you would share with each other a fact or synopsis of something that you read that day.

While Andrei was occupied with his off-season training during the day, you applied for publishing jobs, presented your finally completed manuscript to several literary agents, and ended up securing one. It was relieving to officially have a literary agent to represent you but the next biggest hurdle was the painstaking editing process and waiting for your work to be picked up by the right publisher.

————————————————————

Fall

After the bliss of the off-season ended, it was time for the hustle and bustle of your teaching job and hockey season to return. About 2 weeks before preseason started, you and Andrei moved in together. It was exciting to get to live with your lover and spend even more time (whenever you could) with him. It was also nice that you got to add your style to the place and make it your own; having a home also meant that you could host your friends, Andrei’s teammates, and sometimes family for holidays and events and create more cherished memories together. Being a hopeless romantic who loved romance novels, you had always wondered who would be the man to sweep you off your feet but you sort of already knew that man was Andrei.

A fun memory that you made together was the Sunday before the season opener, you and Andrei took a trip to a local corn maze with a pumpkin patch to take cute couple photos together and to also check it out. These photos would be added into some of the new picture frames and a scrapbook of memories in your shared home. The photographer did an excellent job, capturing the love that flowed between you in still moments. For the rest of your time, you wandered around the corn maze, hand-in-hand, with your lovely boyfriend. The infamous oak trees in Raleigh began to shed their leaves and the year began inching closer and closer towards the end.

————————————————————

Winter part 2

One snowy morning, you got an email from McGraw Hill, offering you a job as an educational copy editor in their NYC office. You couldn’t believe it, you were on the path of working at a publisher and hopefully, one day getting your book published; all that you had been working so hard for was starting to pay off in tremendous ways. The only issue that was concerning you was breaking the news to Andrei. You knew he would be happy for you but you also knew what the next steps were. You tried to hold in your tears but after practice, Andrei came home to you crying. He immediately dropped his stuff and concerningly asked you what was wrong. You explained to Andrei that you were crying joyfully over the news you received. Words couldn’t describe how proud Andrei was for you so he picked you up and spun you around in happiness.

“I’m so proud of you, my love,” Andrei repeated as he peppered kisses around your face.

He was truly proud of you but the ecstasy of the good news came with the most painful come down. Andrei didn’t want you to move to New York but he had already known for a while that you wanted to leave. He did try to convince you to stay and he hoped for months that you would change your mind but you didn’t so he helped you pack some of your things. Andrei couldn’t help you move up there so he entrusted Nykki, Martin Necas’ girlfriend, to help you settle into your new home and life, more than 500 miles away from the address you once shared.

You and Andrei did try dating long distance but your relationship unfortunately didn’t last very long. Between the responsibilities of your new job, revising over your manuscript, trying to get your book published somewhere, and Andrei’s hectic hockey schedule, you began to drift apart from each other and the physical distance between you didn’t help either. You enjoyed living in New York and you did miss each other from time to time but Andrei knew it would be unfair to ask you to give up on your dreams to come back to Raleigh and be with him. Despite not dating anymore, you and Andrei talked occasionally but not as frequently as it was when you first met and still remained friends. It was okay that the relationship had run its course because it taught you both a lot about love. Andrei came into your life for a season and those seasons you shared together were full of so much undeniable light and love. The love that you shared was different from the romance novels you read but your relationship wrote its own beautiful story.

————————————————————

Epilogue

Before catching his flight to Miami for the NHL All-Star break, Andrei went into the bookstore at Raleigh-Durham International Airport to look for a book to read on his flight. In the book section, he spotted Seasons of Love, written by you with a New York Times Bestseller sticker on the cover. Over the years, Andrei had heard some things about your novel in passing but he purposely avoided reading the book because the breakup was a bit painful for him. After you achieved getting your book published, you wanted to send Andrei a signed copy but decided against it because you weren’t sure if he would actually read the story and didn’t want to come across as pretentious either. He debated back and forth about getting the book before finally asking a store employee about their opinion about it.

“I read that one. It’s a fictional story but I heard it’s loosely based on a true story about the author’s relationship with some cool guy. It’s a super good read if you like romance," said the store employee.

Hearing what the store employee said about your book made Andrei’s heart warm a little and he purchased it as his read for his trip. After returning back to Raleigh, conveniently, there was a book signing by a familiar author at a local Barnes and Noble that Andrei decided to attend. Although Andrei didn’t get his happy ending with you in real life, you sure gave him one with the words that you wrote on the page.

[1ovede1uxe]

02. the sun┊ ┊⋆ beyond the stars

synopsis - you've been sent to join the joestar crew on their mission to defeat dio by... dio? y/n is an undercover stand user who joins the sdc to report back to dio their findings and notes about their stands, up until a few moral dilemmas get in the way of your original mission.

ch. synopsis - a really awkward car ride with three teenagers cramped in the back

quick author note: the episode the sun was just difficult to write, so I kinda danced around it, apologies. this chapter is going to serve to set up the next one :)

You all sat there in the car, almost kind of awkwardly, only almost, as you were the only point of tension. Ever since you woke up from your car nap, that is. Conversation seemed to be flowing and you waking up was a dam in the river. Now awake, what a better way to pass time than to resort to a twitter scroll? You don’t notice it initially, but Jotaro surely does peek over at your screen. He sees your feed of some stan twitter, art, and American news.

There’s absolutely no fucking way.

You stifle a small laugh, but apparently not very well. From what it seems to you, Jotaro flutters his eyes open from the seat next to you. “Can you keep it down? What’s so funny you have to wake me up anyways…” You quickly bookmark a tweet and then send it to someone named Mariah.

Unbeknownst to you, Jotaro takes note of this. “Oh, sorry..” You awkwardly apologize. “I just thought it was funny that Dio has twitter.” Jotaro keeps his unamused look and mutters a trademark “good grief.” He too, begins to scroll, then type.

God, I feel like he doesn’t trust me, which y’know, fair enough, but I don’t want him to dislike me either way, it’s gonna cause problems for them and me.

Having been lost in thought, you didn’t even notice Kakyoin in the seat next you take out his earbuds and peak over your shoulder “Hm, Let me see.” You happily oblige, rotating yourself toward Kakyoin, your thigh pressed against his (the middle seat is a tight fit). You scroll through his account and chuckle at his inability to grasp modern culture, let alone social media.

After a fleeting moment of shared humor, Polnareff groans after waking up from a front seat nap. “Are we thereee yet?” He drags out. “Fifteen minutes, everybody.” Mr Joestar announces from the drivers seat. You side-eye at Kakyoin on his phone, not out of judgement, but just observing.

I’m not going to lie, he honestly is kinda attractive. To be fair, so is Jotaro but there’s something about Kakyoin…

Once he notices, he quickly shuts off his phone.

Odd.

Conveniently, the car pulls to a stop and Mr. Joestar rushes you all out. Next thing you know, you’re hoisted on camel back.

— The Events of the Episode/Chapter “The Sun” take place —

You send a reaction Mariah’s message and put your phone in the night stand. After the incidents of today, your bones ached, and though you were treated to dinner and many glasses of water, there was still that dry tickle at the back of your throat. The clock ticked on the wall and it was all you could focus on in your room at the inn. You were restless. It felt like you were waiting for something to happen. Your mind raced with thoughts of today, your mother, why you were even here, how you got roped into all of this. “I need air.” You spoke, as if to excuse yourself from your own thoughts. You sat yourself at the small table just outside the Inn door, between your room and the room adjacent. The moon shined brightly upon you. What you didn't expect was the room right next to yours to creak open the door and sit across from you.

left it on a cliffhanger because I didn't want the chapter to be too long! I hope all your holidays were wonderful, I'm very excited for the new year to start, prob gonna make it a resolution to finish this fic and also work on my writing skills otherwise lol. Thank you all for the love this fic is recieving As always, taglist is open by request through askbox.

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[otomiyaa]

Masterpost 2.0

Fics written 'post-retirement' cuz I'm a clown

* = explicit | red = Only AO3

Note: Reblogs of fics and various reuploads from my old blog are not included.

However these can be found in the #otomiya!writes tag.

❥ Update: 26.2.2024

Boku no Hero Academia

All I Want For Christmas: D&D | Lees!KiriBaku x Ler!Deku

Dungeon Meshi

Tickle Fight | Lee!Kabru x Ler!Laios

Ticklish For You | Switches!Marcille x Falin

Free!

Sweet Revenge (collab, reupload) | Lees!Reigisa & Lers!Sourin

Gakuen Babysitters

Second Declaration of Love (collab, reupload) | Switches!Hayaryuu

Genshin Impact:

From 🐺 To 🐶 | Switches!Wrioney

Lyney's Trick | Lee!Gaming & Ler!Lyney

Quality Time | Switches!Wrioney

Terms & Conditions | Lee!Kaveh x Ler!Alhaitham

TGI Tournament | Various Lees & Lers

Traveler's Training | Lee!Sethos & Ler!Aether

Given

Last Christmas: A Festive Breakfast | Lee!Uenoyama x Ler!Mafuyu

Haikyuu

Better Setter! (Reupload) | Lees!Kenma, Akaashi x Lers!Bokuto, Kuroo

Jingle Bell Rock: Secret Snack | Lee!Tsukki x Ler!Yama

Snowed In (Reupload) | Lee!Akaashi x Lers!Bokuto, Kuroo, Kenma

Honkai Star Rail

The Foreigner | Lee!Sampo & Lers!JingRen

The Kiss | Lee!Aventurine x Ler!Ratio

Sharing is Caring | Lee!Caelus x Ler!Dan Heng

Small Spoon | Lee!Aventurine x Ler!Ratio

Kaiju No. 8

Kaiju Experiment | Lee!Kafka & Ler!Reno

Love and Deepspace

A Date Worth Remembering (collab) | Switches!Zayne x Reader

Ebb and Flow | Lee!Rafayel x MC

Exclusive Tutorial | Lee!Zayne x MC

Midnight Moment | Lee!Xavier x MC

Nu: Carnival

Wreck The Sun Lord Party | Lee!Dante x Ler!Eiden

Obey Me

Not a Competition | Lee!Reader & Lers!Lucifer, Satan

Super Mario Bros

Luigi Wins (By Doing Absolutely Nothing) | Lee!Luigi x Ler!Bowser

Wind Breaker

Nirei's Discovery | Lee!Sakura & Multiple Lers

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

Love is Hard for a Broke Otaku | Lee!Narumi x Ler!Hirotaka

Yuri On Ice

New Year's Resolutions (collab) | Switches!Victuuri

Remissio (collab, reupload) | Switches!Victuuri

Tickle headcanons can be found here:

Link to my MDZS/TGCF tickle masterpost:

Tickletober 2023:

X Reader Tickle Drabbles:

[prianya]

request time!

so i was thinking last life! reader staying friends with n protecting Mumbo while he's on red even tho they're not, maybe paired with them trying to convince mumbo to let them give him a life

i've not seen mumbo's pov yet but from what i saw of him in others' vids he deserved so much better the poor man

-🪷

Golden Glow

Mumbo x Reader • Romantic

Word Count • 1022 words

Summary • As an argument reaches a silent crescendo, there's a resolution. While silent, it is still beautiful.

Note • God, the new year is already difficult, and it hasn't even been two weeks. Also, I'm sorry for the gaps in posting, I've been so busy with school and it feels like I can't do anything these days. Enjoy!

The field of wheat rolls out in front of you, golden stalks swaying in the wind. You had been hard at work for hours, hand-harvesting the crops with your sickle. Still, the amount of crop surpasses the sunlight you have left, the sun already starting to meet the horizon. You drop the sickle, wiping your face and looking back at the house. Mumbo sits on the porch, a bag of mixed vegetables next to him. He had come by your farm to help you, at your insistence. He had made his own conditions, however, and limited himself to pulling vegetables as to not give himself any type of weapon. You had scoffed at the words, almost offended as he gave you the reason for it. To not put himself in a position to hurt you, he said.

“To not hurt me. Void, I could laugh,” you say, crossing your arms as you scowled at him. He just withers under the look, trying idly to displace your annoyance. You finally just roll your eyes, throwing the sickle at his feet.

“Pick it up,” is all you say, and Mumbo just gapes at it.

“I. I can’t.” he finally says, standing as if to run from the tool. You pick it up, taking steady steps towards his retreating form. You catch him at the door, taking one of his hands and forcing it open. The sickle’s leather handle fits into his palm easily, having been molded over weeks of use.

“Wait-,” is all he managed to say, his hand falling to his side as you let go and step back.

“See? It’s fine. It wouldn’t even be a problem if you would just let me give you a life. You’re so stubborn,” you say, watching as his face goes from panic, to shock, and then to relief. 

“Oh my void. Never do that again,” he sighs out roughly, the relief heavy on his face. He ignores the last statement, favoring the action of walking inside.

You just frown, watching as he haphazardly drops the tool – weapon – on the porch. You follow shortly after, picking up the bag of vegetables he left on the porch in his panic. You both stop inside the kitchen and settle into your routine of washing and preparing the vegetables. He stationed himself at the sink, scrubbing the vegetables of dirt and off of their surfaces. You take the vegetables, setting aside the ones you plan to use for dinner. You begin chopping potatoes, quartering them neatly and pouring them in the pot on the stove. Neither of you pause in your actions as you talk, a well-oiled machine through years of camaraderie. 

“I saw a frog by your crops today,” Mumbo says, moving himself from the sink to the chopping boar opposite of yours on the kitchen island.

“Oh really? I haven’t seen any in a while. It’s getting close to the start of the winter and the biome closest to here is pretty cold.” you say, placing down your knife and carrying the pot of mixed vegetables to the stove. You add water, mixing spices throughout as you let it boil. Mumbo finishes cutting the last of the vegetables, pouring a mix of potatoes and carrots into the pot. Dinner comes quickly, and the two of you share the hot meal. You’re slumped at the table, the energy of the day wearing off as the fatigue of fieldwork sets in. Mumbo watches you slump, and sighs.

“Hey, go lay down. It’s late and you’re half asleep. Your stew will still be here in the morning,” he says gently, helping you out of your chair and placing both yours and his bowl on the counter. Leading you to bed, you both lay down. Your head hits the covers, and instead of sleeping, you observe Mumbo. He seems to be waiting for you to fall asleep, yet you just watch.

You stare at him as he faces the ceiling, your hands pinned under your face as you look. He’s stoic, almost unmoving as he thinks to space. The setting sun hits the window, painting his and your own face in beautiful golden-orange lighting. You almost miss his eyes darting towards the side, his eyes catching yours in the evening light. The room grows darker through your silence, and glowing reds and greens fill the space.

“Why?” Mumbo asks, his eyes finding yours in the dark. You just stare, his eyes almost maroon from the glow of his tattoo.

“Why what?” you finally say, humming quietly as he debates his answer.

“Why do you stay,” he starts, “when you would be safer anywhere else? You endanger yourself every time you step in this room, let alone get close to me. Why chance it?” He ends in a whisper, almost as if he were afraid his words would make you realize. Your face softens, and you give a small sigh.

“I stay for you, Mumbo. You’re the love of my life. I couldn’t leave you if I tried, it would hurt too much.” He just stares at the ceiling again, and you lay your head down once again. You grab his hand, and you meet no resistance like usual. You hum to fill the tense silence, and watch as green fades to yellow, until the only light you can see is that pale gold.

“Thank you,” you whisper, your eyelids drooping as you keep hold of his hand. He smiles gently at you, taking your hand and kissing the pads of your fingers. He lays your hand on his heart, and the turn of his head reveals the newly yellow tattoo.

“I should be the one thanking you,” he whispers, his eyes hazel in the light. You just sigh gently at the words, shaking your head from where it rests on your arm.

“Just go to sleep,” you whisper, and you hum as he turns on his side and wraps an arm around you. You rest gently, the faint light in the room soothing as you finally rest for what seems to have been the first time since the season’s beginning.

• Enjoy your stay! • Come again soon! •

[toomanybandstocare]

hello!!! congratulations on the anniversary of your blog and happy birthday!! <3 may i please request polaroid album + sneaking around for my boy Wolffe? i am thinking a cute fluffy established relationship where reader is a baker!! tysm 💗

.𖥔 ݁ ˖☾𖤓.𖥔 ݁ ˖ - Sneaking Around

Drabble for character x reader. @wolffegirlsunite requested a sweet bakery with commander grump. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for celebrating with me! <3

Pairing: Commander Wolffe x Baker, GN! Reader

Genre: Fluff

Length: 1391w

Warnings: Mild suggestive comments, Wolffe gets a lil nervvy talking to reader bc I love seeing character's opposite sides to their personalities hehe, Love struck fools, Petnames (Cyar'ika, Cya're, Sunshine)

Counselor Notes: I have been DYING to write something like this. I think about gumpy Wolffe learning to ease up when ever he chats with barista Reader after night patrols, so I was so excited to write this.

Accompanying Polaroid Album.

-> Celebration Announcement Post <- -> Celebration Masterlist <- -> Camp Resolute Masterlist <-

Blistering heat washes through the pourstone shop as Tatooine’s suns shine down on Mos Espa’s residents. Everyone bustles around the port city’s streets, and speeders whiz by while merchants call out their windows to attract customers. The city is alive and well since the twin sun’s have been blocked by the previous day’s sandstorm haze.

Even with every seller shouting at new arrivals, you merely hum to the radio’s music as you place the morning’s bread loaves in their baskets. Your feet gracefully dance across the tile floor as you finish up prepping for the shop’s opening. From the counter where neatly stacked pastries sit on clay dishware to the shelving system on the side wall, you let yourself enjoy the excitement buzzing through you. Sunbeams stream through the open air windows along the shop’s front, and you spin on your foot to look around the room to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Pride swells in your chest as you take in your accomplishment. You’ve only owned and operated the bakery for a year now, but you’ve made it a must visit for travelers to the spaceport.

Looking at the chronometer by the register, you walk away from the queue area to head back into the kitchen to move the next set of baked goods into the oven. Until a bird’s whistle chimes outside. The melodious tune makes you spin back around and rush to the corner window. A growing smile spreads across your face as you lean over the ledge, but it melts into a confused expression when your eyes scan the crowd. That had to have been him. There are no Convorees on Tatooine. Unless, of course, someone brought them to sell to the wealthy elite. Beginning to lean away from the ledge, you scan the streets one more time. The small rush of hope fizzles inside you, and your previous excitement mellows as your heart yearns for your lover.

Before you can slip back into your routine, a gloved hand reaches from the side street and grasps your hand. Your heart pounds against your chest, and when you go to say something an all too familiar laughter rings in your ear. It sounds like a warm summer’s thunderstorm and brings comfort to you. Wolffe steps out from the side street and leans against the window’s ledge with an amused smirk.

“Careful, cyar’ika,” Wolffe quietly teases, “You never know what’s hiding in the shadows”.

You lightly roll your eyes and reach up to cup his jaw. Guiding him to meet you halfway, you lean out of the window slightly more to softly kiss him. His hand trails down your arm and steadies your waist as he kisses you back. Slowly deepening it, the two of you lose yourselves to each other. He tastes like Corellian whiskey while you taste like jogan fruit. Pulling away with a chuckle, Wolffe looks down at you with a relaxed expression as he balances his helmet on the ledge. 

“Welcome home,” you hum and step back onto the floor. You feel lightheaded as you meet Wolffe’s gentle look of admiration. “How long are you here for?”

“Fourteen rotations,” Wolffe responds with a subtle tone of relief. His shoulders ease as he takes in your shining expression at the news. Even though he is known as the fierce commander of the 104th, who never suffers fools, there’s only one person in the galaxy who could make him a fool in love. “Just a training camp for some of the shinies to get used to extreme terrain,” he explains.

His words trail off as if he was going to continue, and you arch your brow. “Well, this is probably one of the best places to get some experience in that. Where’re you boys staying?” you casually ask. You bite down on the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from smiling as Wolffe suddenly looks away.

“Small base on the outskirts of the city,” he curtly informs you. After a moment, Wolffe looks at you out of the corner of his eye, and his heart skips a beat. Sunlight kisses your face bringing out the freckles and light flush that blooms across your cheeks. His gaze snaps back to the busy market place. “Since it’s only training though, it’s…a less strict routine. We have to wait for the weather to settle, and by the looks of it, it’ll be a few days at least until we can head out”.

One of your hands comes up to lazily trail up his chest plate and across his shoulder. “Oh really? Would I be able to bribe Comet to keep an eye on the boys if you were to…step away for the evenings,” you softly tease. Wolffe stiffens under your touch, and you feel him take deep breaths as your hand runs up his neck to cup his cheek to make him look at you again. Wolffe gazes at you with a knowing look of curiosity, but his eyes betray him. They’re soft and warm just like caramel, and he makes you melt as he holds only adoration in his eyes for you.

“We wouldn’t hear the end of it, if Comet was the only one who received some of your pastries,” Wolffe points out. Amusement eases into his tone as he still holds up his facade of dutiful commanding officer.

“I never said it would just be for him,” you push back.

“That would wipe out almost half your baked goods, cyar’ika. Wouldn’t that be bad for business if you were handing them out to troopers for free?” he challenges. Leaning in close to your face, Wolffe smirks lightly as the blush on your cheeks darkens.

“It would be well worth it, if it meant I could keep you all to myself while I can,” you reply. Your voice light and airy from the spiraling close distance between you and Wolffe. “What do you think, Commander?”

Wolffe looks at you with an amused expression before he places a careful kiss to the corner of your mouth. Pride swells in his chest as he feels your breath hitch. Pulling away, he moves his mouth to the shell of your ear with a small smile. “Those horned melon cakes will probably win him over with little challenge. I won’t be so easy to please, however,” Wolffe shares. His voice drops to a low whisper so none of the nosey merchants or travelers can overhear.

His words cause a shiver to shoot down your spine, and you run your tongue across your lip. “One second,” you breathe out in reply. Rushing away from the window, you leave Wolffe chuckling as he watches you dart across the room for a box then over to the shelf. You place all the cakes neatly, as best you can with shaky hands, into the box and move over to the counter to secure it with twine. In only a few moments, you rush back to Wolffe and excitedly offer him the box of treats and smile triumphantly at him. “Your order is all set, Commander”.

“No wonder you’re the best baker in the city. Amazing customer service and sweets that leave everyone wanting another taste,” Wolffe hums. Carefully balancing the box in one hand, he bends down to pick something up. “Can’t leave you empty handed though,” he grunts and pulls up his GAR duffel. Handing it over the window ledge, his hand lingers until he knows you comfortably can hold it. “Don’t open it until I get back from negotiations,” Wolffe tells you. 

His hands rests under your chin and tilts your head up. Butterflies tickle your stomach as you meet his gaze. “Had this planned didn’t you? Why would I open your duffel?” you breathe out. As Wolffe's lips pull back into a knowing smirk, your heart races.

“Because there’s a gift for you that both of us will enjoy,” he explains and pointedly ignores your teasing question. Rubbing your chin gently, he drops it and grabs his helmet as he turns away. “I'll be home early tonight, cya’re,” he calls over his shoulder. 

Finally feeling like you can breathe again, you drop the duffel to your feet and hang over the window ledge. Resting your chin on your palm, you watch Wolffe disappear into the crows with a love struck expression.

[itsjustmyfantasyroom]

Two beards

Its been a long long minute. Life has not been kind to me, but although this is a little late, this is for @beccabarba birthday. This is just the start that I needed to get out, more to come when the writing fairy sprinkles me with some writing dust to help me get out of this funk.  

WC: 732

Warnings: None really, setting the story line, sorry if the one Spanish word is wrong, I goggled it.

Enjoy x

As you sat across the table looking between the two bearded men, you were not surprised that they had ended up in conflict resolution. You had 20 separate complaints from multiple judges, court staff and past jury duty citizens all voicing how both these well-educated men ended up going toe to toe either during or after a case in front of way too many people, court security being called in one too many times. Most judges didn’t want to go into a court room if they knew both were lawyers on the case and it was getting around the jury room about them, requests coming in that they be moved to different trails. You were the last stop before final steps would be taken so that they would be banned from representing clients that belonged to the same case.  

You sat back in your chair, looking down at your watch before crossing your arms over your body and rolling your eyes seeing the meeting that had only started 10 minutes ago and they were already at each other’s throat, throwing insults at each other. For two men that were so educated and handsome, you really wondered how they had this much hate for each other.

You let them get it out of their system and watched on as they went tit for tat bringing up past cases saying if they said this the other would have lost or if the other hadn’t of slept with the judge in college the other would have won. You started to tune out flicking through the pile of complaints when you noticed the English they had been talking in switched to Spanish and you tuned back in to what they were saying. Your ex-partner being Latin and you understood every word. Your eyes shot between them like you were watching a ping pong game, and the soon career based insults turned very personal, they insulting each other about their mothers and you saw red,

“Para” you roared through the room and slammed your hands down on your desk “Do you hear yourselves?”

Both men froze mid-sentence, taking their gaze from each other and setting their eyes on you. For a moment heat swept through you when you seen the intense look on both their faces and you quickly pushed the feelings away, your rage at their behaviour pushing back through you again.

“Both of you get out of my office, now” you spat.

You frowned your brows and watched as both of the bearded men stood up off their chairs and walked out, your door being shut behind them. You threw yourself back in your chair and sighed shaking your head, in your 15 year career and your 5 years in this office, not once had you come across two lawyers being this bad. You had heard rumours about Bryan, seeing firsthand what he was capable of in and out of the court room, but Racehorse was new to the court rooms in town and as far as you knew he hadn’t snuck his claws into anything just yet. You spent the rest of the day doing your research and coming up with a plan of action, also getting your personal assistant to send emails to both of theirs informing them when they needed to appear in your office again.

The sun had started to set and you were the last one left in your office, everyone else gone home. You where finishing off some paper work from another conflict resolution case when there was a knock on your door, you yelled out come in thinking it was your uber eats,

“Just sit it on the corner of the desk. Thanks” not even looking up from your screen and you kept typing. You continued to look at your screen till you heard a clearing of the throat and you looked up over your screen and raised an eye brow “Don’t you think you two have cause enough issues for one day. I’m off the clock” you sat back in your chair with a huff.

Both men started to make their way towards the other side of your desk, both sitting in the same seats they sat in earlier that day. Bryan sitting a bottle of whiskey on the table, a smirk pulled to his face and grin pulling to Racehorse’s,

“Hope you have glasses”

Tags: @beccabarba @ben-c-group-therapy @alwaysachorusgirl

[moonjxsung]

okay okay we're leaving annoying shit in the past year so i wanna start the new year by asking you *drum roll* what were your favorite fics you wrote last year? you can make a top 5 if you wish, pretend you're in top 5 breakdown by watcher (this reference will not make sense to most ppl probably but i had to make it)

also maybe some of your favorites or The™️ favorite quote you wrote? (maybe this one is impossible to answer bc you wrote like 500k words last year sorry)

can't believe my first ask when you're back is me being like fuckin oprah w you

so happy you're back bestie let's alllll have a good 2024 even if it's only in our silly blogs online

-🐟

Oh my goodness I love this QUESTIONNNN you had me scrolling through my own masterlist and reading my work again for this 🥹🫶

Okay my TOP 5 FAVORITE FICS……. This was simultaneously a hard and an easy question at the same time but:

1. When the Rain Stops

2. Where the Storm Looms

3. Seasons

4. Biker!Minho drabble

5. VOYIS + B&B

I know most people are going to wonder where Lost in Translation is and I LOVE that fic, but weirdly it took me a very short amount of time to write so it never quite stuck with me like the others did! WTRS/WTSL series was my favorite series by far, it was just supposed to be porn with a plot and I literally spun a wheel with some options to determine where the characters would have sex, AND to pick which member it was going to involve 🤫 I was so reluctant when I got Minho bc I really wasn’t familiar with writing him but I think it created a completely new version of him in my mind and the character and world building just wouldn’t stop once I started it. It was also my most highly requested fic for a part 2 considering part 1 had a severe lack of resolution and I just fell in love with the characters (I think I was extremely Minho biased for weeks after finishing it lmao). Seasons was a challenge for me but I always love writing about Felix and I think putting myself in the headspace of that little town was super healing and I was SO sad when I reached the end of it. Biker Minho smut was probably my most self-fulfilling one regarding ✨spiciness✨ and maybe my most requested drabble for a part 2 (highly considering it if you guys want it? 👀) he’s just so FINE….. and last but certainly not least was VOYIS, I actually researched a lot of art techniques and I listened to a lot of classical music while writing this one so it was just an experience! I was immediately intrigued at the request itself, which is why it’s tied with Begged and Borrowed as they were the two I was so interested in I wrote them at the same time, literally switching back and forth between documents 😅

And a few favorite quotes (in no particular order):

1. “How could a higher power accept the felicitations of the same man who’s been fucking you behind the groom’s back? Within the four walls of which transforms hate to love, and sin to virtue? What a waste, Minho concludes again. What a waste to have loved this deeply, and to pacify your fears only for another man to reap the benefits. Try as Jung might, he’ll never know you the way Minho does. And the vast trench that separates you from Jung, one which paints a clear divide of friendship and his superficial love for you- that will remain permanent, too.”

- Begged and Borrowed

2. “And if you were to climb out of your body and paint this exact moment, all you would see are an indistinguishable, amorphous set of limbs that seem to dissolve into each other like hues of paint on a palette. Two colors swirling around to make one, the two of you like primary colors that create endless possibilities when mixed together like this, offspring of a hundred different shades, painting the darkened studio around you with your yearning for one another.”

- Visions of You in Solitude

3. “Except maybe simple wasn’t the solution all along- for once, he’s determined to bask in all your complexities, even if it means sacrificing everything he left the city to pursue.”

- When the Rain Stops

4. “But he feels it- he feels you, in this city, at every corner he turns. He sees traces of you in the people who smile at him when he passes them by. He sees you in the people who hold doors open for him, the baristas who make foam hearts in his lattes every morning, even the businessmen when they catch themselves admiring the beauty of the buildings on a smoke break. He sees you in all things good, when he’s reminded momentarily that the world has more to offer than boxing him in the confines of a dark bar out in the suburbs. And while he’s not completely in love with life all over again, it’s a start.”

- Where the Storm Looms

5. “The phenomenon begs the question- had the fire ever really stopped? Were you ever in the process of mending if not wailing like this, your vulnerability on display for the world to see as your walls are finally let down? Is this what it means to feel?”

- Seasons

Thank you for these questions, it’s good to be back 🫶💫 I love you! Let’s have an amazing 2024 🫶🩷💓

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - August 6th

I have a request, friends! I’m going on a trip soon--8/17--and I’d love some recs for the flight. Send me an ask if you have anything. As a reminder, I only read finished fics. 

Ok, now moving on to this week’s fic recs. 

~*~ 

a myth to many by nanasekei 

“What I’m about to ask you has no relation to our alliance,” Rogers continues, his voice a lot steadier now. “I come here only in behalf of myself, and what I’m about to ask, I ask as a man, not as a soldier.”

Howard feels as if he can see the anticipation growing in the room, almost as a cloud forming over them. The guards don’t bother hiding the shock in their expressions, and even Jarvis can’t fully disguise the curiosity, his eyebrows quirked.

Rogers takes one short breath before locking his eyes with Howard’s. His blue gaze is almost peaceful in its resoluteness, as if there’s an element of inevitability in what he’s about to say.

“I’m here to ask for your son’s hand.”

In All the World by wallhaditcoming (uvcatastrophe)

In a world where Sentinels, people with five heightened senses, bond mentally and spiritually with Guides, people gifted with empathetic powers, Tony Stark has spent thirty-three years overwhelmed by the emotions of those around him and running from his own. Sentinel Steve Rogers wakes up sixty years out of his own time and struggles to deal with the massive amount of new sensory input while trying to find his footing in a New York very different from the one he knew. When they finally find each other, how will their bond change them?

Electric Touch by iam93percentstardust 

All I know is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life

Got a feelin' your electric touch could fill this ghost town up with life

And I want you now, wanna need you forever

In the heat of your electric touch

~

But with Tony…

He looks at him, and he wonders if Tony can bring him back to life. Every lingering touch, every smoldering glance, every knowing smirk makes Steve feel like he’s been lit up inside and they’ve haven’t even kissed. And he’s still scared, but he’s hoping—he’s hoping—that this story has a happy ending.

Bugfuck Crazy (In Love With You) by Sadisticsparkle (sadisticsparkle)

It's the Avengers' first mission in a long time. Everything is familiar but awkward, but Steve is sure they'll find their groove.

And then Tony is turned into a giant bug.

Things get a little out of hand after that.

Down to Zero by Sineala

After a battle against the Controller goes awry, Steve is bewildered and guilt-ridden when Tony begins to treat him exactly the same as he treats everyone else.

In Every Way That Matters by Sineala

There are bright things about the future, and Steve's friendship with Iron Man is one of the brightest. So what if he doesn't know who the man under the mask is? That's not going to stop Steve from wanting his friendship, or even from wanting something more.

"death by coffee" and other search queries by goodmorningbeloved (3799steps)

In which Steve's feelings are hopelessly obvious through his Google searches. JARVIS decides to step in.

Hiding all of our sins from the daylight by Anonymous

Two incredibly attractive people met in a bar, they had a good night, made decent plans to see eachother again, yet things dont turn out how expected.

Crash Landing (The Mile High Club Remix) by wynnesome

Steve wants to join the mile high club, so he and Tony take Tony's new jet prototype for a private test flight. An alien craft crashes their private party. Steve goes down -- and not in the sexy way.

Tony smiles, the grin that lets him feel lazy and but also razor-edged at the same time.

"Official test flight's tomorrow, but what if I said I'm in the mood for a joyride today?"

Surprise colors Steve's face a deepening sunset pink. He licks his lips, shining them up. "You mean..."

Some time back, he'd confided in Tony that the idea of "the mile high club" was probably silly, but still sounded sexy. "We will absolutely make that happen," Tony had told him, rock-solid certain. "Right time and place. That is a promise."

"Unless you're not in the mood?" Tony's just toying. He knows the answer.

Steve's posture hasn't changed, but it's telling in the way Steve's almost visibly thrumming now, and those sky-soft jeans are showing it in stretch lines that frame the hard truth happening behind Steve's button fly.

"Yeah," Steve says. "I'm in the mood."

Under Pressure by KandiSheek

In order to make Steve's pain threshold as high as it is the serum reduced his sensitivity in all other areas. Because of that Steve has to be very creative in order to make himself come, use so much pressure that it has scared every partner he's had right off.

He's terrified that the same will happen with Tony, but luckily Tony is always up for a challenge.

Bugfuck Crazy (In Love With You) by Sadisticsparkle (sadisticsparkle)

It's the Avengers' first mission in a long time. Everything is familiar but awkward, but Steve is sure they'll find their groove.

And then Tony is turned into a giant bug.

Things get a little out of hand after that.

I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world by Missy_dee811 

Cooking, he learned, was an art, and he was an artist.

Alternatively, Steve and Tony have no idea they're dating.

Somebody's Darling by laireshi 

Steve wasn't always a sheriff, and Tony didn't always spend his days halfway down a bottle. They met long before Timely.

Captain America, Undone by laireshi for faite, navaan 

Steve thinks he can seduce Tony before Tony seduces him.

He's very, very wrong.

If At First You Don't Succeed by cchristie32

Steve's lost his mind. Really, because everyone knows you can't marry Tony Stark.

Muscle Memory by valtyr

Steve has forgotten everything since Project Rebirth.

Love Me (Not) by navaan

Steve and Tony fall into a friends with benefits relationship and Tony is completely okay with that. Right?

Lessons in Loving (And Being Loved in Return) by itsallAvengers

Being an Avenger means facing danger almost every day. Luckily for Tony, his husband is something of a superhuman. It gets him out of a lot of trouble.

And, y’know - being a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist has a few perks too. Especially when Steve starts having problems at work.

Going Steady by itsallAvengers

Steve has a soft spot for the sound of Tony's heart

[Podfic] All of Your Lonely Sieges by Cathalinareads (Cathalinaheart)

Steve and Tony are stranded in the wilderness. Things go downhill from there.

The story of thirty-six hours.

[Podfic] Isolated System by seleneaurora

Podfic of "Isolated System " by isozyme

Summary:

Here’s the basics: Tony’s bleeding internally, going into shock, and there’s an improvised explosive device fastened to the ceiling of the subway above his head.

[Podfic] Confessions by Cathalinareads (Cathalinaheart)

Tony knows he doesn’t want to have the memory of what going through this felt like, but memories aren’t as conveniently organized as data on a flash drive, not even with Extremis.

[horrorhot-line]

Pls take all the time you need. The only request I got is that you post one banger of a saiki fic sometime this year. It will cure all my ailments and make the world a much better place (at least for me).

I am currently on a coca cola withdrawl because of a new year resolution, and your fanfics are💥the best💥 mood cures. I hope your life is well.

i will definitely make a saiki fanfic sometime next month. for now i've discovered a new fixation and i have to write it out to get over it so i hope you don't mind the wait.

i have a few saiki fics that are nearly finished just need heavy editing. i can share them with you if you want. message me privately, don't be shy i won't bite <333

that new year resolution is amazing btw, go you! you can do it! coca cola ruins your teeth its not worth the dentist bills anyway!!!

i hope you're taking care of yourself, remember to drink water and get enough sleep if you can <333333333

[melanie-ohara]

Hollow Yourself in the Mercy of Man

Whumpuary2024, Day 09 - prompt: Can't Move

Safety Investigator Kassa January is called to an industrial accident and finds tragedy in the rubble

An original story at last! It's been a while since I did something original and my god it was hard

AO3 Here

Central-1 grew larger on the monitor as the ship approached, and January tapped a code into the comms panel to request docking authorisation.

"Welcome to Central-1," an artificially cheerful voice chimed. "Please state your name, ship ID, and the reason for your visit."

"Inspector Kassa January, 2171-SD, maintenance tunnel collapse on aft deck 3-Heron."

"Please hold," the voice said and Kass sighed, "you are being transferred to an operator." 

Kass brought her ship into a holding pattern around the 3-Heron dockyard and pulled up her scopes while she waited, zooming in on the collapsed section. It was small, a thin scar less than ten metres across. Something had slipped through Central-1's grid and impacted on the side of the station in a million-to-one, unforeseeable accident. According to the report, all four of the workers the station had in there at the time were killed instantly.

"2171-SD, come in please." This was a new voice - human, not synthesised, officious and, based on his decision to use her shuttle code and not her name, busy and rude. 

"Go for 2171-SD," she replied, after an unnecessarily long pause. 

"We weren't expecting you so soon," he said. 

"Safin-Daniels ensures immediate response to high-priority clients like the Central Network," January rattled off, quoting verbatim from the pamphlet Central Network's upper management would have been given thirty years ago when they took out their insurance. It was a very reliable pamphlet.

"Well, yes but… It's just that we haven't cleared the site yet," he said, starting to sound a bit apologetic. "Search and Rescue only finished an hour ago and there are still dead bodies down there." He whispered the words like he was afraid of them, and January wondered where it was on the station he lived that he hadn't seen a corpse before.

"The fresher the better," January muttered before hitting the comms switch again. "That's not a problem, Central-1. If you could clear me for a berth and have someone direct me, that would be great."

There was a pause before the amber light on her HUD turned green and she could guide the ship out of the holding pattern and into the docking hub, letting the autopilot take over for the tricky landing manouevre while she buttoned up her jumpsuit and checked her hair in the dull reflective surface of the metal wall. 

The man who met her at the last junction before the sealed off maintenance section looked exactly how she expected after hearing his voice on the radio: short and sweaty in an expensive suit and uncomfortable expression. His name was Salder, and he was anxious for her to finish as soon as possible. Apart from the pop-up pressure seal that divided the wrecked portion of the room, Supply and Utility Maintenance access hatch 73 looked just like any other - a functional, bare metal structure welded to the next functional, bare metal structure in a long chain that allowed entrance to the warren of tunnels that riddled the station. They looked exactly like the SUM hatches on Central-5, where January had been last month, and Luna-7, where she had found explosives residue that exposed the Cassarn Syndicate's insurance fraud. The first thing she noticed were the three body bags.

"Where's the fourth?" she asked. "The report said four men died, I only see three."

Salder pointed to the unzipped empty body bag. "Perhaps you'd better take a look."

January frowned, but did what he said and lifted the flap of the black bag. "Ah," she said, about the severed leg sitting there. 

"That's all they managed to find," Salder said. He was resolutely looking the other way, and January thought about kicking him with the severed leg for a second. She put the thought, however tempting, out of her mind and looked at the sealed section. It was a pretty open-and-shut case. As much as she'd like to ruin more of Salder's day, it was a textbook act-of-God meteor incident. She was getting back to her feet when she heard a soft crackling sound. She paused, and it stopped for a moment, and then came back.

"If you'd care to - "

" Shush ," January hissed, waving a hand at Salder until he closed his mouth. 

There it was again: crackle, silence, crackle, silence.

"You hear that?" she asked.

"No?" Salder said, looking at her dumbly. January shushed him again and followed the sound, stepping as softly as she could on the rubberised floor so she didn't drown it out.

"There!" 

The sound was spilling from an almost-closed zip on one of the body bags, and January knelt to open it properly. The man inside was, of course, stone dead, but his radio wasn't. She grabbed it from the hook on his belt and clicked down the push-to-talk.

"Hello?" 

The crackle changed in intensity, and if she listened carefully she could make out what could be a voice. The radio was damaged, probably by the crushing force of the metal walls slamming together that had killed its owner, but maybe one of the others still worked. The first body she checked had lost his radio along with most of his right side, but the second one was intact. It had been switched off, presumably by the SAR crew, but as soon as she turned it on she heard him: the missing three quarters of the man who was supposed to be dead.

"Do you copy?" he asked. January could tell his voice was hoarse even through the tinny radio speaker.

"I read you," she said. "Where are you?"

"Not really sure," he said. "Last I remember I was near the airlock, but I think the crash threw me around a bit and I was unconscious for… I guess a while."

January checked her watch. He had been trapped for seven hours, which was more than enough time for him to bleed to death from his injuries, but other than his scratchy voice he didn't even sound hurt.

"Are you… injured?" she asked, looking over at his severed leg. 

"My leg hurts."

"The left one?" January asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Call it intuition," January said. There must be something pressing up against the remains of his leg, stemming the bleeding enough for him to stay alive. Salder looked a little green. "My name's Kass," she said.

"Bennett," he said. That was Bennett Anto, the maintenance co-ordinator. "Did any of my guys make it out? I've been trying to contact them since I woke up, but you answered so I guess…"

"Sorry," January offered. Bennett didn't reply for a moment.

"I can't move, Kass." His voice sounded different now. Choked. Afraid.

"That's alright, Bennett," she said, as reassuringly as she could. "We'll send someone in to cut you out. 

"I don't think you will," he said. "There's something I haven't told you."

"What's that?" 

"There's a support strut that sheared in the crash. Every couple of seconds it shifts a few centimetres. I probably only have about a minute and a half left before it hits me."

"Shit," January breathed. She knew the specifications: each support strut weighed half a ton and was made of galvanised steel. 

"Yeah."

"You can't move?"

"No. The best I've got is deciding which side of my head it goes through."

There was no time to send a crew in, especially when they didn't know where he was. Likewise, there was no way to stop the strut. If they could place a shaped charge in the right place, they might be able to redirect it - except they didn't have the time. There was nothing they could do except stand there and wait. Salder turned to leave, but January grabbed his arm.

"Don't you dare," she said. He swallowed. All the colour drained out of his face, but he nodded.

"I'm sorry, Bennett," January said. "I don't think there's anything we can do."

"I know," he said. "I've known since I saw it start moving. 'I will see my fate, and I will greet it, and I will not be afraid.'"

January paused and frowned. "What is that?" she asked Salder. "Is that scripture?"

He nodded. "Neo-Latin Revivalist," he said. "There's a whole mess of them down a couple levels."

January clicked the push-to-talk button again. "I respect that," she said, a little weakly. Religion and the faithful always made her a little uneasy. In her world, a life was forfeit so easily: an acetylene torch left on, a loose wire, industrial sabotage, a locked door left open, poor pressure seal maintenance… the list of sad and empty ways to die was endless. To find meaning in any of it felt so forced and unnatural to her.

"Just one problem," Bennett said. "I'm still shit-scared."

"Easier said than done, right?"

"I guess," he said. "I thought I could accept this in silence, you know? Be a stoic." His voice was getting strained, and he was speaking faster. January guessed the steel strut had moved again and gritted her teeth. "I only picked up the radio to say goodbye to my guys, but… well, you know. I think I'd be a screaming wreck right now if I was still alone."

January didn't know what to say to that. She glanced over at Salder, sweating uselessly next to her. She thought about handing the radio over to him but the idea of hearing someone from the executive class telling a doomed man he was thankful for his service made her feel a bit sick. 

"I'm sorry they couldn't save you," she said, in the end.

"That's alright. Just one of those things." 

There was a long pause. Salder wiped the sweat from his brow with a monogrammed handkerchief. January tried desperately to think of something reassuring to say in the last few seconds of a fellow human being's life and came up empty.

"Okay," Bennett said, his voice tight with fear. "Next time it moves, I'm gone. So, I guess I'll sign off now."

"No," January said quickly. He needed someone with him, she was sure of that. "Leave it transmitting. I'll be here for… for the end."

There was silence for a moment, and then the radio crackled as Bennett held down the push-to-talk. 

"Thanks," he murmurred. 

January said nothing, and waited. 

It took four seconds. There was a brief scrape of metal on metal, and then silence as Bennett's lifeless finger slipped from the button. It was over. 

Slowly, Kass January lowered the radio, and blinked tears from her eyes.

[f1version]

NEW YEAR, NEW ME ★ tag game

rules. share your new year’s resolutions/goals

tagged by @lorarri @vinvantae @monzabee @goldsainz tagging: @sainzcaleruega @thatsdemko @cartierre @rose-tinted-juls @smartstupyd @softtdaisy + anyone that wants to do it <3

note. happy new year everyone, its already 2024 so i want to share some of my personal AND tumblr/writing goals!!

personal:

— GRADUATE!!!

— wrap up my internship + start working there!

— run 15km

— learn a new language + practice my portuguese

— visit 2 new countries

— attend 8 races (or more if life is beautiful)

— read 50 books

— meet new people <3

tumblr:

— CHANGE MY LAYOUT (the fics / posts one)

— finish all my requests

— finish the ‘drive the night’ series + the other ones

— do more written fics

— read more fics

— make more friends!

[thisismysecondrodeo]

Can i request a Ted × Reader angsty fic where Ted and reader both have had an awful few days and they misdirect their anger towards each other, they both say a few things to each other which they really don't mean and one of them just storms out and then the other sort of spends the whole night finding them unsuccessfully....

AN: This is such good angst practice for me because I feel like I tend to go for fluff…I couldn’t end this one without a liiiiitle fluffy resolution at the end though, I hope you don’t mind. :)

Rating: General

Tags: Mae Reference, gender neutral!reader, One Shot, Moving In Together, Light Angst, Angst with a Happy Endings

Fic masterlist

-

You had been looking forward to living with Ted since the first night the two of you had spent together. Waking up next to him made you never want to wake up without him again, but the two of you agreed to take it slow—both for the sake of Henry, who would be spending more time in Richmond since Ted and Michelle had worked out a custody arrangement, and for the sake of both of your bruised and battered hearts. After a year together you both felt like it was time. 

Despite looking forward to it, moving in together was currently not going well. It was your fault that you had misread your lease and it actually ended a week before you thought it did, so you had to cram all of your things into Ted’s tiny flat while Ted was also trying to pack his things to move to your new shared home. But it was Ted’s fault that he insisted on replacing the oven in the new place himself and accidentally caused a gas leak that delayed the move by an extra day to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. And it was no one’s fault that on the day you actually were able to move all your belongings in, it was pouring rain. 

You dropped another soggy box in the entryway and sighed, pulling out a kitchen chair to rest for a moment. Ted came in behind you whistling a tune, a large box in his hands, and his ever-present tendril of hair falling into his face. He sat his box down and looked over at you. 

“Well, now, lounging on the job, huh,” Ted smiled at you but you couldn’t smile back. You knew he was playing around but, God, you were tired and damp and generally annoyed with how your week had gone. 

“I’m not the one who took a break to make biscuits for their boss,” you responded. You meant it to be playful but Ted’s face fell. 

“Well, I suggested you take a break too, I don’t see how—”

“No, no, it's okay,” you cut him off because you knew you were being ridiculous, but your voice still sounded tense and short. “There’s only a few more boxes, let's just finish up.” 

You stood again and went to move past where Ted was standing in the doorway, but he gently stopped you with a tug on your wrist. “If it’s all the same to you, I think we should talk about it now. You know my mama always said not to go to bed angry and I really believe that.”

“Yeah well, we won’t be going to bed at all if we don’t move those boxes in,” you retorted without meeting Ted’s eyes. You knew you were being hurtful but you also didn’t know why he couldn’t just let it go. 

Ted released your wrist but he stroked your arm up and down. “Darlin’ if there’s something goin’ on—”

“What? You’re going to Oklahoma me?” 

It was a low blow and you regretted the words as soon as they left your mouth, but when your eyes shot to Ted’s expecting to see sadness, you saw his jaw clenched with anger. Ted has never been angry at you before, the two of you had never been angry at each other, and you were scared. Not of him—NEVER of him—but that maybe anger was something the two of you actually couldn’t come back from. Maybe moving in together had been a mistake. 

“Y/N…what is your problem today? Sorry, I can’t control the weather. Sorry, I made biscuits ahead of time so I could spend the evening unpacking with you. Sorry, I wanted you to talk to me instead of pretending that you were totally fine. What else should I apologize for, hm?” 

Ted’s voice was steady, he wasn’t yelling, and he had stepped away from you so he wasn’t overbearing, but every word he said hit at your heart all the same. But it was too hard to apologize, you’d pushed too far and you didn’t know how to back down now, didn’t know how to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

“All you care about is making me happy, huh? No little wants or desires of your own? Do you even want to be here, Ted?”

“You know what,” Ted shoved his hands deep in his track pants, “right now no. No, I do not.” 

Ted walked out of the door, brushing past you without looking into your eyes and you let him go. Clearly, you both needed to cool off. You gave yourself time to sit at the kitchen table and mope and fume, but after you calmed down you just wanted Ted back. You’d said things you never would have if moving in together hadn’t just been a series of unfortunate events, one after another. 

Ted didn’t come back after 30 minutes of your moping. You finished bringing boxes in, yours and Ted’s, and you started unpacking. The rain had stopped and the sun had set and Ted still wasn’t back. Your anger had long been replaced by worry that he had crossed the street looking the wrong way, or worse, decided he actually never wanted to come back. That he did regret the decision to move in together. 

You threw on a jacket and left, firing off a few texts as you did. Beard and Roy hadn’t heard from him, and neither had Rebecca or Keeley. You walked 20 minutes to the Richmond Green to see if he was on his favorite “thinkin’ bench” as he called it. You thought about hailing a cab, but you were sure Ted wouldn’t have. Instead, you walked to the Crown & Anchor. Mae waved as you walked in.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you and Ted here without each other since you’ve started dating,” Mae chuckled, wiping down the bar. 

“Ted was here,” you asked, betraying your desperation.

“Uh, yeah, yes. Over an hour ago now. Just had a pint. And he was soaked from the rain, no jacket,” Mae looked at you curiously. “Should I be worried about him? Is he missing?”

“No, no. Well. Kinda,” you sighed, dropping your face in your hands. “I don’t think it's cause for concern. We just got in a little spat.” 

“Ah, lovers quarrel,” Mae nodded. “Well if you do need help, I’ll round the boys up to help find him.” Mae gestured to the pub boys watching another episode of Bake Off and you smiled your thanks and headed back out into the night.

You walked everywhere you could think of. To Beard’s, to Rebecca’s, to the stadium. Your fingers were chilly and numb, and your feet ached to high heaven, but it was your fault Ted left. You basically told him too. You didn’t want to stop looking. 

It was late—like after the pubs closing late, long after you should have been curled up against Ted surrounded by takeout containers and boxes watching a rom-com late—when the rain started to fall again. As much as you didn’t want to, you had to go home. As you trudged through the rain you made a list of calls you should make: Beard, Rebecca, hospitals, 999, Michelle…maybe not in that order.

You were so engrossed in figuring out your next step you didn’t even notice a soggy, downtrodden Ted sitting on the bottom step of the home across the street from yours until you tripped over his foot and nearly landed in his lap. 

“TED. Oh my god, Ted,” you fell to your knees, which you’d regret in the morning, and pulled Ted’s face into your neck rocking him gently. Ted clung to you just as tightly, his hands fisting your jacket and his tears hot against your shoulders. 

“Where have you been,” you both asked in unison and looked at each other confused. 

“I was looking for you,” you responded at the same time that Ted said, "Waiting for you." Ted chuckled.

“Okay, okay, you first please darlin’,” Ted wiped tears from your face, and you couldn’t begin to describe how much it warmed you to hear him use a pet name, to have him touch you with such affection when you thought you had ruined things. 

“I’m so sorry. Ted, I’m so sorry. I love you so much and this week was just hard. And that’s no excuse for the way I talked to you, I should have just told you I was overwhelmed, which was not your fault. When you left I unpacked and I waited for you to come back, but when you didn’t…I walked for hours trying to find you. To apologize and beg you to come back.” 

“You…unpacked? So you were inside?”

“That’s the only thing you heard, huh? For about an hour, yeah, until I went to look for you,” you laughed. 

“Well yeah, because I was only gone for an hour. I walked down to the Crown & Anchor, had a pint, and then came back. I love you so much darlin’ and I wanted to blow off some steam before we both said things we couldn’t take back. You didn’t need to beg me to come back, because I had already come back. But I realized I forgot my key and my phone was inside. I knocked for ages and I was about to give up and just sleep at Beard’s and tell you how sorry I was in the morning. How much I love you and I want nothing more than to live with you. But then it started rainin’ again so I sat on the stoop to wait it out. I don’t know how we would have missed each other if we were BOTH outside.”

You looked at Ted with a confused face and then you started to giggle. And then that giggle turned into a laugh. Ted was smiling but you could tell he didn’t understand. 

“Ted,” you said slowly, trying to catch your breath between laughs. “You knocked at this door? And sat on this stoop to wait?”

“Well…yeah, I thought you were inside furious at me.” 

“Ted, sweetheart, this isn’t our house.”

Ted tilted his head and looked over his shoulder at the door and then back at you. You pointed to your actual house across the street, “See? 609? I was so worried when I went to look for you and I was texting Beard and Rebecca, I must not have noticed you across the street.” 

At that Ted joined you in laughter, both of you near hysterics on your neighbor’s front porch. “Well gosh,” Ted said, standing up and taking your hand, “I really hope they’re on vacation. And don’t have one of those video doorbells. Let’s go home, sweetpea.” 

“Let’s go home, love.” 

[not-krys]

85. Spiral (Simeon & Miri)

Happy New Year! I'm gonna try and keep going with my resolution from last year and continue with my 100 Themes Challenge. Only one OC was sparking ideas with this theme, but that's okay! It's progress!

Raw, unedited writing below. Takes place around the beginning of Season 3 of OG Obey Me. Forewarning that there is going to be some talk of suicidal ideation.

-----

The little bell above the door jingled a small tune, catching Simeon's attention.

"Ah, sorry, we're-"

He then sees Miri's pink curly hair bouncing behind her as she closes the door.

"Well, there's a familiar face." He smiles as he wipes his hands on a small towel. "Welcome to the shop, Miri."

"Ah, thank you. I was worried when I saw the closed sign."

"Just taking a break to clean up after the lunch rush. And I sent Luke on an errand, so we'll be back open again in no time."

"That's good."

"Do you want anything? It's on the house."

"N-No, I'm okay."

"If you're sure? There's some apricot cake that's just about ready to serve for the rush hour crowd though, and I think you'll really like it."

He could see the conflict on her face, weighing in the options and he grinned. The Miriam he knew would never say no to sweets.

"Well… maybe just a small piece… please?"

Simeon laughed gently.

"Personally, I would have given you the entire cake if you'd ask me."

"I couldn't eat an entire cake by myself!"

"We do have to-go boxes, Miri."

"No, no, just a small piece! That's enough for me."

"Very well, then."

Simeon slipped into the back of the little cafe, the smell of baked cake and apricots filled the kitchen and drifted into the main eating area. Just as promised, he cut a small piece of the still warm cake, plating it smartly with some sides of other small fruit pieces. The tea he had started preparing was also finishing up, so he poured his guest a fresh cup, the floral scent tickling his nose.

When he returned to the dining area, he saw Miri staring at her left hand, twisting the ring on her finger.

"One small slice of apricot cake, just as requested." He said after a pause.

Miri's eyes lit up briefly, taking in the sight of the delicate sponge.

"Thank you, Simeon. It looks so good!"

"Well, I hope it tastes as good as it looks!" Simeon laughed as he sat across from her, setting down her cake and tea cup.

"It is good! Sweet but not too sugary sweet. "

"I'm glad you like it!"

The two sat in silence as Miri enjoyed her little treat. Simeon smiled warmly, happily seeing her enjoying herself. It wasn't that long ago he had to pull her away from Lucifer, both having the Night Dagger between them. His heart still races thinking back to that moment, two people that were precious to him were so bent on destroying themselves for the greater good, both in a spiraling depression. It didn't sit well with him any more than it did back then.

When Miri finished her cake, Simeon looked at the ring on her finger again. Though magic had shrunk it down to fit her, it still was quite the statement, large and ornate, and in an older style not quite known in the human world.

"How have you been doing, Miri?" Simeon asked. "Since you've come back to the Human Realm?"

"Good," she replied, "I'm surprised Diavolo allowed for Lucifer and the others to have a vacation here."

"I'm sure they begged him relentlessly for it." Simeon laughed, imagining the look on the Devil Prince's face when he was sure six begging puppy eyes and an exasperated seventh set asking to see their beloved human again.

"I think… they might've still be worried about me… after what happened after exams."

"You did give all of us the scare of our immortal lives."

He still remembers the way Luke cried when he thought his best human friend was dead, the way Miri was passed out for days after receiving the Ring of Light, the ring gracing her hand now.

"I was scared too. Really… really scared."

Simeon placed his hand on top of hers.

"It was a scary time. If you want to talk about it, I'm more than happy to listen."

"You were there, though."

"I wasn't in your head, so I couldn't know what you were thinking then."

She paused, looking down at her hand again.

"My head hurt… so did my heart. Everything was hurting…"

She took a breath.

"Holding the Night Dagger… Lucifer looking at me like that… I just… I couldn't do it."

Simeon nodded, tightening his hand on hers.

"Then, I had a thought… If it was me causing all of this… that if it was me that was going to destroy all the worlds…. then maybe I should be the one…. who should… who should…"

"Take your time, Miri. I'm right here."

"I knew I wasn't going to kill Lucifer… I couldn't… but… maybe… if it was me that… that disappeared… then… then things could go back to normal again."

Miri bit her lip, closing her eyes.

"I was ready to help the Devildom in any way I could… Everyone… Lucifer and everyone… Diavolo… And you and Luke too… if I could save all of you… then…"

She shuddered.

"But…" her lip quivered, "I am glad that… that you stopped me, Simeon."

His thumb rubbed the back of her hand.

"Lucifer wanted to stop me too, but… he would have stabbed himself if I'd let go of that … that stupid knife! He… he wanted my pain to stop, that's all it was… he wanted to stop my pain, even if it meant sacrificing himself…"

"Lucifer cares a lot about you."

"I-I know he does. We care a lot about each other. But… e-even using the Stay command… I- I couldn't stop him, not completely. I couldn't concentrate and… he's so much stronger me… I was so scared then, Simeon."

"Why were you scared?"

"I… Is it bad to say… that I was more scared of losing him than of all the realms getting destroyed?"

Simeon shook his head.

"Not at all. You love Lucifer. You care for each other, like I said. It wouldn't have been selfish for you to think that, especially in a moment like that."

"I hated myself then… that I was thinking more of not wanting to kill Lucifer rather than the greater good of the three realms. It was selfish of me."

"Not especially," said Simeon.

"Still, if you hadn't had come when you did…" Miri wiped at her eyes with her other hand.

"I'm glad that I could have helped both of you. I don't regret saving both of you."

"Again… thank you, Simeon. For helping us."

"I'd do it a hundred times if it was asked of me."

"And I'll thank you as many times as you do save us."

Simeon smiled, reaching out to brush aside her remaining tears.

"You're both special to me, Miri. If I can find a way to help you, I will."

"And, I'd do the same for you too!"

"Just be sure to not get into any more world-shattering trouble. Once was enough for all of us, I think."

Miri giggled softly.

"I'll try not to. I'm still getting used to having magic at all, so I don't know what that's going to entail for the future."

"Well, you have plenty of support behind you on your life's journey. We're here for you if you need us, all you have to do is reach out your hand and ask."

"Thank you, again, Simeon."

"My pleasure."

Miri smiled again, putting her hand on top of Simeon's.

"And, if you need it, I want you to reach out to me too. I've still got a lot to learn, but I hope that I can be someone you can rely on too."

"You already are." he said gently, "Even if you don't know it, you do help me in ways that both warm my heart and set my mind at ease."

Miri nodded and pulled her hands back, taking the delicate tea cup in her palms.

"It's cooled a little bit."

"I can make some more if you want."

"No, that's okay. You'll need to get back to work soon, right?"

"As soon as Luke gets back, so I've got plenty of time."

"What kind of errand did you send him on?"

"Supply order. We some more things for the cafe and I think he wanted the excuse to go outside."

"It is a beautiful day outside."

"Do you have any plans with the brothers this afternoon?"

"…No, not really."

"You can stay here, if you want to. I'm sure Luke would like to see you too."

[mercuryartes]

Art and Consent

Since the beginning of this year I have been debating how to proceed with my art online. Some may have noticed I have not posted art since January 1st despite completing a new batch of commissions and doing numerous art streams.

In the past, my art has been reposted on Facebook AND Instagram, and those are just the ones I know about.

Once upon a time I had a dedicated art page on Facebook. When my work was reposted, I asked the reposter Facebook group to simply share the same piece from my actual art Facebook page, in order to simultaneously get proper credit and also direct traffic generated from their larger group to my page. My requests went unanswered and ignored. As a result, I deleted my Facebook art page because there simply was no point. My page didn't get any views outside of immediate friends and the larger Facebook groups notoriously repost content even to this day.

For the Instagram incident, I reported the repost which did get taken down per my request to Instagram itself, and let me tell you it's exhausting. It's not exhausting in the sense that I had to jump through an arduous amount of hoops, but it's so emotionally draining and discouraging to have something you spent hours/days/weeks/etc of your life on just taken.

Now my art can be scraped, fed into generative AI, and regurgitated on a massive scale. Not just my art but my writing, too. I've made my works on AO3 private to try and lessen AI scraping, but I'm sure there's workarounds. Long past are the days where I could finish an art piece and post it online immediately. In order to protect my own work I have extra steps before I can share anything online. Nightshade it. Glaze it. Reduce the resolution. Cover it in watermarks.

Sabotage my own art so I can share it with others.

AI itself is not malicious, but it is being used maliciously, and the matter comes down to consent. Seeing a piece of art online DOES NOT MAKE IT YOURS TO DO WITH AS YOU PLEASE. Take any onboarding training for any company and I'm sure there will be a training course that is some flavor of "[insert company name] cannot use images/music/etc without rights to said image/music/etc" even if it is free, with exceptions for work that is free use.

Yet we have social media sites, the main source for independent and freelance artists to advertise and receive their work, ignoring the consent of artists and forcing opt-in models for their userbase. Independent and freelance artists cannot afford to NOT be online in this day and age.

So what do I do? Take the numerous extra steps to sabotage my art in order to share? Delete my art from social media, including some 18 years of art posts? Put all of my work behind a paywall?

It's so tiring and discouraging, y'all.