#merelyafigment

[wawamouse]

Oh, and just so you know, I jotted down this bit of the expanded snippet before I read your wonderful fic with Miguel (freaking adorably and very believably) attempting to take care of Chico without pursuing receiving anything in return 😂:

“If you're just trying to get me into bed, sweetheart,” saying it all sly, like the asshole he was, laughter curled behind his tongue. Wasn't really laughing, though, probably because the adrenaline was wearing off, pain was setting in, and those ribs hurt like a bitch.

Miguel cut him off with a deadly dismissive look, complete with condescending tone. (Sure, they'd fucking kissed or whatever, and who the fuck knew what that made them now, but they were still this. Back and forth, humoring each other's stupid shit and cutting it off in turns.) “I'm trying to get you to rest, stupid. You think you'd be any fucking fun right now? Please, your ass can barely bend over.” –shit. That was maybe too fucking far–

Chico snorted, hand lightly landing to brace his side. “Oh, you mean you aren't going to selflessly take care of me this time ‘cause I'm so injured? That hurts, Miguel. Like maybe worse than my papercut.”

Oho? 👀 Snippet right in my inbox? 💖💖 Heh— Sure, they’d fucking kissed .. but they were still this. Absolutely! And that’s one of the fun things about writing them—their bickering :D Incessant, unrelenting back and forth 😵‍💫 Only time it really stops is when something is reaaaally wrong or happening. Obviously, Chico’s paper cut isn’t that (lmao, him downplaying it) :P

ALSO… AHH 👁️👁️ So this is post kiss? Mhm, I see… 🤝🏼 Laughing that we both characterised Miguel as immediately being on board (0 to 60 :D) and muttering about the logistics of fucking. Miguel! And now I realise that was a sort of joking observation but now I’m thinking about how that’s something Miguel and Chico have in common, actually: logistical thinking, that is. At least, I headcanon Chico as being that way. I mean, even that he has his Chico Math moments when he’s impatient and wanting revenge, I have to think that consistently being lieutenant in El Norte means that he’s in charge of planning the details and delegating, etc, for whatever the boss wants to get accomplished (and that generally speaking, he's not bad at it—except when it comes to plannning how to kill Miguel, who has more lives than a cat). That’s also where it’s fun to write Miguel and Chico teaming up for shenanigans post-canon or something like that, when they’re partners. They can plan things together and complement each other’s shortfalls… I’m reminded of your fic, “Following Frustration”, where you fantastically portray and delve into that aspect of their relationship, and how from Miguel’s POV, he finds value in Chico’s push back :)c …also while I’m mentioning that fic, I want to repeat that I LIIIIVE for that scene where Chico’s trying to attack the mouthy new guy and Miguel is bodily holding him back! It scratches a little bit of that itch of wanting to see Chico just absolutely demolish some guy on Miguel’s (baffled) behalf at some point… I think that’s something you also mentioned previously in a post.

Ahem. Anyway! Yeaaah, there’s also something very fascinating about the dynamic of Miguel wanting to do something for Chico without expectations of reciprocation, especially in a moment early into things. Of course it makes sense in the context of both our fics here, because they have an established close friendship, but in set-in-Oz fics, I find there’s that tendency to writing an early relationship approach as being 1 for 1, quid pro quo, often as a safety net for them, because things are shaky, and there’s not only an undesirable implication to only giving and not receiving, but also a potential vulnerability or uncomfortable depth that would be exposed to just wanting to give… So, interesting! I'm intrigued as to what direction your expanded snippet (if you're still working on it 🤞🏼👀) goes in!

[findusinaweek]

Hello! For End of the Year Asks: 1. Song of the year? Or 20. What’s something you learned this year?

https://open.spotify.com/track/1Yk97MXlFwbEGkXhGzeLbE?si=S5WKMFkbTS-Crns7JF1__Q&context=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A37i9dQZF1Fa1IIVtEpGUcU

For 20. I learned a lot this year! I learned how to cook with cardamom. I learned how to make breakfast foods I didn't hate. I learned a lot about how to get help from friends/work/doctors. I learned how to do reduction prints and gelli plate prints. I learned I hate gelli plates.

[riosnecktattoo]

Just wanted to thank you for your little Brio Valentine's Day celebration! I missed out on this fandom when the show was airing, and thus haven't seen your lovely creations before, so it's much appreciated!

Aww my pleasure! 😊 there are many very cursed creations too that are better left in the past haha

[ainulindaelynn]

Hi! For the ask game: 28. do you collect anything?

Ooo! That's a hard one. Nothing comes to mind. I used to keep craft beer caps, one per type, but not so much anymore. Succulents maybe? (I propagate them and go a little overboard with it, especially since living here in the forest where we have no light.) As a kid I had the standard rock collection and considered tumbling my own for a while, but not much beyond that!

Feel free to ask me a question :)

[juuuuunaaaaaooooo]

Brio Fic Week 2024 : Fic Rec

Day 1 : Fake Dating

Worth the Risk - ShadowsFiction

Don't Flinch - merelyafigment

Make You Mine - Ronni_Right

Boyfriend - abi1821

A Night to Remember - MichelleElizabethTanner

They thought it was fake... (for only 10 seconds) - Kaaaaarooooo

Day 2 : Surnatural Au

Let's embrace the point of no return - Ronni_Right

Hunger - abi1821

Bergamot and Amber - MichelleElizabethTanner

Blissful Breeze - abi1821

An Immortal Love - Kaaaaarooooo

Day 3 : Write something based on a song or quote that reminds you of them

I Bite (So Do You) - merelyafigment

Fall in You - Kaaaaarooooo

Skin & Bones - abi1821

Dial Tone - ShadowsFiction

SHOTGUN KISSES - badgyalmimi

Day 4 : Brio and each other kids

Picasso - Littleengine

small moments (Chap 6) - Strawmari

Good Reads and Meet Cutes - ShadowsFiction

The joys of being parents-in-law - Kaaaaarooooo

Day 5 : They wear each other's clothes or accessories

Is That My? - ShadowsFiction

Little Thieves - Kaaaaarooooo

Day 6 : They were Neighbors

A new beginning - Kaaaaarooooo

Day 7 :  Movie Or Book Au And Or Activities as a couple

Bring It On - Kaaaaarooooo

We Just Stopped for Cigarettes - JustAnAnon

Day 8 (Bonus Day) : Post Everything You Want

Accidental Phone Sex - Kaaaaarooooo

Second Chances - ShadowsFiction

[writeouswriter]

Last Lines Tag

Thanks for the tag, @oh-no-another-idea!

Technically the last thing I wrote is for this *cough* undisclosed unfinished fanfic:

"The long commutes to and from the city give him too much time to think, get stuck in his own head, which is a dangerous place to be these days because sometimes he worries he might never get unstuck. A rat in a trap, just like [redacted] always says. Or a cat. in a box. with no way for the outside world to tell whether they're still alive or dead.

Maybe he's been dead the entire time already [...] and this suburban nightmare is his punishment, his purgatory—not that he believes that sort of thing, he's not [redacted 2]—but how would he know.

How would he know."

And tagging some random people if you'd like, no pressure: @karolinarodrigueswrites, @revenantlore, @galax-dragon, @albatris, @writing2sirvive, @aritany, @mapleleaftea, @arrowsablaze, @call-me-frosting-or-not-idc, @aceofspades4, @druidx, @merelyafigment, @raiswanson, @horrorgirlreads, @rockium-z, @bellflower-islandsparkle

[sothischickshe]

~sub rio fic recs

for @merelyafigment re this post on the topic

the Power Struggle series by @janejoens ft switchy brio, orgasm delay/denial etc

Next Time by @nottonyharrison ft bossy Beth, breathplay/choking, bondage

mermaid tits by thefudge ft grumpy fixated simp rio

Maybe you're my fantasy by @janejoens ft switch rio, bossy Beth

A Bit of Reciprocity by @nottonyharrison ft bossy Beth, orgasm delay/denial, choking/breathplay

there's a lonely blackbird by openhearts ft dominant Beth, orgasm delay/denial, Mentions of dean

Happiness in Slavery by @dropkickdisco6 (AU) ft sub rio, sex work, orgasm delay/denial, bondage, spanking, latex, feet etc

That's What You Get For Waking Up In Vegas by @fairhairedkings ft switch brio, bondage, praise kink

you're my favourite kind of night by Goldfish90 ft bondage

The Ways In Which They Meet series by @fanzel12 (AU) ft some bossy Beth

You're no good for me me but, baby, I want you by @mrslackles ft dominant Beth, lingerie

Tight Leash by @nottonyharrison ft bondage, knifeplay, breathplay

the tangerine series by @inyoursheets (AU) ft dom Beth, brat rio, semi-public sex etc

Strike, Dear Mistress, And Cure His Heart by @missmaxime ft switch brio, choking/breathplay etc

fifty-fifty by @blizabrth ft faux submissive Beth, semi-public sex

I'd give in to you over and over by Aniara ft switch brio, roleplay, orgasm delay/denial

the Housewives and Gangbangers series by thingcalledlove ft some bossy Beth, bondage

never say never by @phloxmagpie ft bondage, orgasm delay/denial

Thunderstruck by @delicatelingon ft rimming, biting

[brasideios]

WIP Tag Game

Oh it’s been ages since I did one of these! Thanks for the tag @whereforartthoumisthios ! 🤍

My brain is hopping around from project to project at the moment, really struggling with focus, so the last thing I wrote is part of a new piece I’ve got cooking, rather than the rewrite I should be working on lol

It’s called The House in the Plane Tree Grove, and is basically an excuse to write about Brasidas and Alexios in Sparta.

The last bit I wrote:

An understanding passed between them, but also a certain kind of reserve. This was a step forward, but it wasn’t a race. There would be many more such steps before they’d arrived anywhere. They were near enough that Brasidas could feel the warmth of the thigh so near his own. It was enough for now. Alexios’ presence - here, in his home.

Now I’m looking at it again, I need to get into editing it - a few mistakes to deal with! 😅

I’m tagging with no pressure (if you’re writing atm, of course!) @krankittoeleven @my-soliloquy-chamber @ainulindaelynn @findusinaweek @aeide @ghostlycircaea @shardssystem @asneakyobserver @softest-punk @merelyafigment @myriath 🤍

[michelleelizabethtanner]

Do you have any fic recs? Something current or something old? I don't care at this point. I ran out of things to read ages ago.

I’ll be honest, Anon, I haven’t been reading a whole ton lately. Definitely having trouble keeping up with longer-running works. But I always try to check for new updates or new posted works. So most of these you’ve probably already seen. But in case you haven’t:

I’ve been very much enjoying the individual works of merelyafigment whose blog I for some reason can’t tag and who’s new to GG fic writing but isn’t new to writing in general, which is apparent in their style and proficiency. Their Brio characterization is really spot on and the latest work has some very decadently slow-building, super hot smut.

@joeyjoeylee has a new fic, did you see, Anon??? Is it Your Move or Mine. Where Brio play their usual games while playing an actual game of chess. Again, perfect characterization, as well as very visually accurate descriptions of that unspoken Brio magic where the silences are as loud (or louder) than their words.

Are you already reading @akg40 ‘s Wreck My Plans, That’s My Man? I’m definitely invested in this one. Onlyfans AU that’s funny and sexy and charming with the Brio banter and pining and jealousy. It’s such a lighthearted and enjoyable read. And I like the way it incorporates canonic aspects while keeping true to the original concept.

@faceless-inthecrowd ’s “Taco Bell Series” (how funny is that name) is a series of soft Brio one-shots as inspired by quotes on Taco Bell taco sauce packets. It’s a light read and good for the warm and fuzzies.

Literally anything by @littleengine74 is a joy to read, but I was particularly excited by their newest one-shot Is This Seat Taken. I’m always a fan of clever structures and this fic delivers so well! An unreliable narration that explores the traumas between Brio in a way only they would – hidden in shadow and pretending not to be pretending. 10/10.

@battlfofendorr has a few introspective one-shots from various POVs up on AO3. I like their style of prose, in particular. It’s such an interesting way to explore Brio, and much more beautiful than I could aspire to write. There isn’t plot, but a fantastic practice of character study. If you like being inside Brio’s heads like I do, I recommend you try these.

@abi1821 , can you reblog with more recommendations? Maybe some longer pieces for someone to really sink their teeth into? You know them all. 😁❤️❤️❤️

[discoverywriter]

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern!

Thanks @entwinedloop for tagging me. I don’t usually do these, but you have to start somewhere, right? Here goes!

1. Enemy of My Enemy

Rio frowned and took another look around the empty space.

2. Deck The Halls

“Elizabeth!” Rio snapped, stepping down off the short ladder, his nerves fraying as Beth directed him - for the third time in as many minutes - on how to adjust the end of the garland to even it out.

3. Is This Seat Taken

“Is this seat taken?”

4. You’ve Been Served

“Hey, man, I’ll have whatever she’s havin.”

5. What Would Elizabeth Do?

Beth pushed open the door of the cafe and made a beeline for the counter to get an extra-large of her usual.

6. Muse

Beth sat back against the bar stool and took another sip of her drink.

7. Olive Branches and Birthday Cakes

Beth was running late for her next meeting, walking through the parking lot behind City Hall juggling her purse, laptop bag and coffee, when she heard her phone ring.

8. Smarter Than Your Average Gang Friend

It was late.

9. Better Than Chocolate

Elizabeth - I need to cancel tonight.

10. Siren Song

Between fighting with Dean about his reluctance to take the kids for the entire week like he was supposed to, and all the extra hours she’d been working to get Rio’s latest printing order finished on time, it felt like she hadn’t had any time just for herself in months.

Patterns? The first lines don’t always give it away, but my fics are all Brio, all the time, so there’s no mixing of the ships in this selection. I do seem to have them eating or drinking an awful lot, but other than that I’m not sure if I see any real patterns. Some first sentences are longer/more detailed than others, some are… not (numbers 3 and 8, I’m looking at you, you slackers! 🤣).

Tagging: @michelleelizabethtanner @abi1821 @merelyafigment @faceless-inthecrowd @moveslikeagazelle @sillywoman01 (sorry if you’ve already been tagged!)

[wawamouse]

Personally, for some reason I think it'd be fairly amusing if the person who noticed Chico was Like That with Miguel was Mukada.

Maybe after McManus realizes Chico has been involved with a lot of Miguel's troubles and forces them to make up in hopes that it'll help Miguel (and the patting hug), he mentions the whole Chico being connected to some of Miguel's problems thing to Mukada. So, Mukada observes them out of concern. And. Well. (I don't think McManus noticed anything beyond Chico's beef with Miguel making Miguel's life difficult.)

(Tho this may be because I also think Mukada is a little like that with Miguel, though he wouldn't have to be when exploring that. I still think he'd be weird about it, regardless.)

That would definitely be the safer option (safer than the possible outsider POVs I was thinking 🤣)

(Side note: I just made myself laugh with the realization that McManus probably thought he was being smart, making that connection, but actually no: Chico just happens to be the only member of El Norte (in Emerald City) who’s been there the whole time and is still alive …)

(Side note 2: I started writing out this answer with the intention of bringing something to the table, but having finished babbling, I’ve looked back and realised that I was basically stream-of-conscious brainstorming a potential fic 😅 So this may read like a dude pacing the floors… It’s essentially just that, me trying to work out the premise of a fic that may or may not actually come into full fruition)

Mukada as the outsider POV definitely works because he is more invested in Miguel’s well being and blah blah. 🤨 Hm hm hm (stares out window) What would Mukada be thinking?

Alarm, I think: he must know Chico is part of El Norte and surely has at least a passing familiarity with him, since we do see Chico at mass at least once in the show. It’s possible that Mukada is already vaguely aware of Chico’s beef with Miguel… though the gym stabbing and Velez’s death are never officially tied back to Chico nor is he ever acknowledged as a suspect, maybe Mukada somehow put two and two together and has his own suspicions. (Idk, maybe he’s seen Chico staring down the bench before from up at the pulpit or something )

Some suspicion, perhaps mixed with hesitant optimism, I would guess: if McManus tacked on something about maybe Guerra accepting the terms of the truce and seeming willing to make up after some initial reluctance, then Mukada might keep that in mind while observing them. Where would he have the opportunity to observe them? First thought is mass, assuming they both still go at least some of the time. In the past, they sat apart during mass; after they make up in the show, they pretty much immediately (per the episodes) start sitting together to watch TV, so maybe Miguel also tags along and sits in the same row as Chico, which Mukada takes as a sign that McManus was right…?

Then maybe he has continued concerned because Miguel’s been doing so well lately and it would be tragic if making up with and associating with Guerra (and El Norte) then led him astray, intentionally or not… and I think Mukada could still be weird about it here because honestly, if he’s to observe Miguel and Chico, he has to go out of his way to enter the same space as them. Outside of a situation/fic where Mukada’s observations span a long long time*, honestly, I struggle to think of a scenario where their paths are crossing that often organically. Still, it’s not like Mukada isn’t nosy, so I think if he’s decided to go into Miguel Monitoring Mode for a period, because he hasn’t really followed up since the Velez incident (was in the hospital and all for a while) he’d have to be like, hanging around places more than usual… hm, idk, do you think he’d bring it up to Miguel directly? Catch up and ask if any inmates are giving him trouble? Guerra, for instance? Do you think he would try to lecture Chico not to bother Miguel? 😂 (Chico's like wtf, I already got this form McManus...)

*Then again, it would be interesting if he observed Miguel and Chico pre-evacuation and then post-return to Oz, perhaps noting a marked change, not just in Miguel’s states (if he’s still floating), but in Chico’s (if he’s become protective). I feel like this would also be a good place to set a fic, Mukada putting a pin in it after McManus’s remarks and deciding to check in on Miguel some more but ultimately not having too much time to do so outside of his talks with Miguel at Morales’s coffin being shipped away. He sees then that Miguel still seems to be in good spirits and doesn’t delve too much more into it, since I think that was around when he had Hoyt to focus on, too…

— A scene that came to mind:

(Note idrk how to write Mukada lol) (Also this snippet goes nowhere)

—

He heard it rise about the rest of the noise as the inmates stood and began filing out: Laughter.

It wasn’t that uncommon to hear within the walls of Oswald. The men were under tough, often stressful conditions, but there were still moments of amusement to be found, Ray knew, although many of those moments often came at the expense of others, too. That afternoon, the throaty cackle that Ray heard didn’t seem to be a schadenfreude based reaction to another event. It was joyful—a burst of genuine mirth that drew Ray’s attention as he closed the notes of his sermon. He glanced up, reactively searching for the source of the noise and finding his gaze dragging over familiar faces.

He saw Miguel with the lines of laughter still etched on his face. Head tilted toward another inmate standing on the other side of him, he had that rose-tattooed hand half-raised as if to catch the trailing snickers still making his shoulders shake.

Ray blinked, struck by the thought that it’d been a long time since he saw Miguel wearing such open ease in his expression. His years at Oswald had been up and down—more up in recent times, but still not without his moments of stumbling. Praying for Miguel to feel God’s love and take strength from it had long become a daily habit for Ray. There was so much potential for rehabilitation there, if only Miguel could hang onto his faith, see that, and follow the path that Ray was so sure was there for him.

The inmates continued shuffling through the exit of the cafeteria, and over the next couple of seconds, Ray observed Miguel’s laughter fade into a quiet smirk, a light still in his eyes, after everything.

That was good, he thought, followed by a twinge of guilt. It had been a while since he had checked in on Miguel one-on-one. The days of long sessions of spiritual counsel were in the past, left behind after Miguel’s months long escape from Oswald several years ago. So much had happened since then—to the both of them—and while it was always a pleasure to see Miguel’s face in Mass, as it meant he was no longer locked away in Solitary, Ray wondered if he had been neglecting Miguel personally by keeping him mainly in his thoughts.

Gathering his Bible and papers, Ray turned to exit the stage, supposing that it was his old pride talking again, impairing his vision of his congregants. Belief that he held a special key in guiding their souls to safety was pure arrogance. Miguel had still come to seek his advice over the years, which was what mattered—that he knew Ray was there to help him if he asked, a sign he knew he was not alone as he had often claimed…

He had not neglected Miguel spiritually, Ray concluded as he returned to the familiar walls of his cluttered office. Though, thinking about that laughter in the cafeteria, he could admit that he was feeling a personal curiosity. Parole was coming up again for Miguel, too, and Ray knew that that beacon of hope always brought with it a potential for devastation for the inmates at Oz. For Miguel, the downs always seemed to hit harder…

Yes. He’d schedule a short session with Miguel in the coming weeks, Ray decided. If Miguel was in good spirits these days, then it wouldn’t hurt to check in on him and see what he could do to help keep it that way.

—

Thought: another way to make it sorta weird (not really, I guess) is Mukada not really noticing Chico that much… Sure, Guerra’s presence is noted in the back of his mind, but I think it could be shaped in a way where he is more concerned with Miguel’s state of mind/being, that How Is Miguel Doing is his original main concern and the observation of Guerra being the source of any changes in Miguel registers on a delay, the whole of what it looks like coming all at once and with a note of curiosity and surprise. Surprise, maybe because Mukada doesn’t know Guerra that well but can observe his body language and recognise that Guerra seems, like him, focused on Miguel. Not so much like him, though (in this fic anyway) (and I’m not a Mukada/Alvarez shipper either, so I don’t read it that way generally lol), is how Guerra’s eyes linger on Miguel, a hint of something beyond platonic interest there. Maybe Mukada recognises the look, having observed the other inmates, straight and gay alike, and as soon as he has that suspicion as an outsider, he’s just bamboozled by the obviousness of it, and begins wondering if there was some hot gossip he missed about Miguel (impossible!).

I think it would be fun to see Mukada subtly poking around, getting thoughts from other staffers, especially Sister Pete who might have a better understanding of Chico, at least, him being in at least one of the groups she runs. Inquiring after updates from McManus, I imagine Mukada would just get a shrug of “yeah, looks like their truce has held”. And then he’s just walking around like ‘Am I crazy? Am I imagining things??’ lmao. Cue going out of his way to do more observing… and in more observing, only becoming more and more convinced that something is going on between Miguel and Chico 🧐 Buuut, I think Mukada’s quiet conclusion would be that if it isn’t harming Miguel, hey, it must be a good thing. Sure it’s a sin, but Miguel needs all the love he can get. Much like with Keller and Beecher, Mukada can ignore the sin part under the circumstances. Also he doesn’t thiiiink Guerra is going to pull any Keller moves and fuck Miguel’s shit up. Hard to say. But given their tumultuous history, perhaps Mukada will being keeping an eyes on Guerra, lol.

[findusinaweek]

Hi! For the writing asks: 9. Thoughts on cliffhangers. and/or 23. Dialogue or description? Why is the other one so hard?

Hi! Oof! Cliffhangers. Cliffhangers are fun to read, but that's because I like to cry. I don't like writing them, it makes me anxious. The reader has stuck through however long my fic is (not very long), so I want them to be satisfied. I think how I end fics could be considered a cliffhanger, but mostly I just like being vague. I vastly enjoy writing description over dialogue. I want to know the sights, the smells, the sensations happening to a character. I don't value their words nearly as much. It shows. Since I only write for fun, dialogue only needs to pass a "good enough" threshold. I do think I'm getting better at it though! Thanks for asking!

[miguelryan]

for @merelyafigment

[locksnek]

Tagged by @scientistservant!

Top five songs of mine rn: Nonesuch by Wolgemut

You Belong to Me by Those Poor Bastards

Lamento Eroico by Rhapsody

With Flowers in the Garden of Fires by Current 93

The Ones by Aesthetic Perfection

---

Tagging @papabirdurskeks @ben-the-hyena @merelyafigment @drapopia if y'all haven't gotten this meme yet and feel like doing it!

[picketlinepitchin]

[Image description: a digital bust drawing of Delirium from the Sandman comics. She is glancing to the left with a wide grin on her face. The Picket Line Pitch-In logo is in a corner. End description.]

Thanks to @merelyafigment for the donation, who requested Delirium from the Sandman Comics with expression B3 from the Emotion Challenge! Drawn by Tim

Thank you so much for your support for the writers and actors on strike!

[imposterzoe]

5 boring/random facts about me

Tagged by @andthatisnotfake and it looks fun!

I own two cats, an orange old man and a crackhead calico

I light a candle when I do my homework (and almost set my notebook on fire today)

In middle school, I read 127 books in the span of 8 months

Sketchers are my favorite shoe brand

I own almost exclusively black clothing and only realized this in the past month

No pressure tags! - @pilot-nobody @wawamouse @merelyafigment @myhusbandharryhamilton @mearpsdyke