#non au Nora content!

[deblklesb]

this page has me feral… what if reader and abby were sexting.. at a gathering with their friends aha

this turned out to be a full drabble omg wkdkekdk

[CW: modern!au, established relationship (hidden), mentions of sexual activity, descriptions of explicit photos, name calling, public sexting, exhibitionism kink (mention, not practice), (MDNI)]

Nora was chatting non-stop today, probably because of all the drinks she had. Her girlfriend was clingy and all over her, looking at her like she was the most beautiful person on the whole Earth. Manny, next to you, was chatting too, face blushed under the bear he didn't cut off despite his dad's pleads. And on the opposite side of the table, in front of you, was Abby.

The place was full of people, the music loud enough to be heard above all those voices, filling the restaurant along with the warm lights. It was a cozy ambient with air conditioner making the air estable, but sitting there you felt like burning under piercing blue eyes.

Abby wanted to kill you, you knew that by the way she was clenching her jaw and sipping her beer to disguise her gulping from time to time. Her beautiful features were blushing due to the alcohol or the content of the messages? You couldn't tell, although you would bet on the second one.

Well, she was the one who started it.

Abbs 💗: so... wanna hang out later?

You: aren't we hanging out now?

Abbs 💗: ykwim

You: i don't... could elaborate?

She looked at you briefly, squinting her eyes whilst you smirked under the hem of your drinking cup.

Abbs 💗: i was thinking about something more like just u and me

You: oh... like, fucking on your couch?

Abbs 💗: i didn't said that but sure, if that's what's on your mind

You: it wasn't on your mind too?

Abbs 💗: i also didn't said that

You: hm

You: what was on ur mind exactly?

Abbs 💗: honestly? you.

You: feeling sappy today, anderson?

When you realized, she was chocking with her beer and you were laughing, pretending it was because of the scene and not because of the whole scenario of her being shocked with your messages. She told with some detail about what she was thinking, but you went further. And further.

Abby wasn't the one to push too much by text, preferring to put stuff in action, whisper the words into your ear. She was the type to imply and accomplish. You, on the other hand, were a-okay about put into words all your needs.

You: yesterday i missed you sm, you were very mean leaving me alone :(

You: so i dressed one of your shirts and humpped my pillow and came thinking about your fingers stuffed in my pussy

She breathed deeply reading that, you saw her absolutely bewildered. You could already imagine how she was getting heated, worked up.

The image of you on her clothes humping a pillow was just too much for her. She hid the screen from Nora, not wanting to draw attention to it, trying to hide her body reactions.

Abbs 💗: you been so needy that you had to fucking hump a pillow?

Abbs 💗: couldn't you just used your fingers?

You: my fingers are not as big as yours

Abbs 💗: you're right. i get it, at this point your pussy is so accustomed to my fingers

Abbs 💗: i think we need to give you the fulfilment you deserve

You: here?

You looked up to her, seeing her chuckling alone and hiding behind the cup briefly.

Abbs 💗: i bet you would want that. being fucked in front of all this people

Abbs 💗: being bent on this table, bare, tilted ass exposed for me to smack it. pussy so wet for being watched as i fuck you like you want so bad, right?

Abbs 💗: i can just imagine how you would be dripping on my fingers as i feel you around them, such a good slut

This is probably the first time she gets so descriptive through text. And, Lord, you're enjoying. Crossed legs and warm face, you look at her just to notice one of her eyebrows tilted and a fucking smirk.

You: now this might have become a dream of mine, Abbs

Abbs 💗: now?

Abbs 💗: i bet this is a dream of yours for a long time

You: now that you've mentioned...

You: i have something i did while thinking about it

You: [photo]

Abby almost chocked again when the image loaded on her screen. It was a collage of four pictures of you. In the first one, you were kneeling on the bed, a sweatshirt rolled up above your chest so that you torso was practically bare and your hands were holding your tits. You pussy was exposed too, considering you were missing a pantie.

The second one had you with your back to the camera, a dildo under you, inside your pussy, and your ass was so beautiful Abby wanted to smack it, grab it, kiss it.

The third one had you laying on the bed, the clothing barely covering your ass because you devilishly pulled it up, but due to the position she couldn't see a lot.

Last, but not least, a picture of you seating on the bed, legs open, a hand supporting your torso's weight behind you and the other holding a wand. The sweatshirt now was more on frame... And it was Abby's college sweatshirt.

That sent a chill down her spine, she could feel a heat pooling in her panties.

Abbs 💗: meet me at my place

"Guys, I think I'll go already. Wanna rest a little bit more today", she said right after sending the text.

"Noooo, Abs! Stay more!", Nora cried.

"Another day we will hang out more, promise!", she laughed, accepting your friend's side hug.

After saying her goodbyes she left in a hurry, making you chuckle alone. You waited ten minutes before saying goodbye yourself, trying not to seem too hurried before getting out of the bar.

Abbs 💗: if you make me wait too long I won't let you come anytime soon

You: but I've been wanting to come in your fingers since yesterday, that's not fair

Abbs 💗: then hurry. if you do so, I'll reward my pretty slut with lots of kisses and orgasms

[kitkatopinions]

It's the last day of Nitpick November and I wanna talk about the 'canon compliant' additional content for RWBY.

First of all, it's incredibly annoying to hear that it's 'canon compliant' that Team RWBY worked with fucking Batman in another dimension and that's never once come up somehow in the main series, and it's impossible to hear 'Amity Arena is a game that exists in Remnant-' Like WHAT?!

But on top of that, I think media in general but RWBY especially would benefit from non-canon alternate universe content that experiments with fun concepts without having to worry about canon.

"This series of short animated episodes focuses on every day events and conflicts in a world where the war never happens." That would be great.

"In this manga, we see what would happen if the teams we all know and love never got together. Yang is partnered with Pyrrha, Ruby got saddled with Cardin, Jaune is partners with Blake, Nora is partners with Weiss, Ren is partners with a new character introduced for it that seemingly existed in the backgrounds as one of the shadow people." Awesome, sign me up.

"This special released web cartoon is a coffee shop AU where Ruby and Yang are both working at Ozpin's Coffeehouse in Vale and they keep meeting people from the show and it's all comedy driven and fun and cute and quirky." Sounds like a dream.

"Roleswap AU where the main hero characters are Emerald and Mercury and Ruby and her team are evil followers of Salem who need to get redeemed." YES PLEASE.

"Comic where Team RWBY actually suggested the 'use the staff to create bridges to get to Vacuo' plan when they first realized Salem was on her way, but because Cinder still showed up to try to wreck everything, tons more people fell into the Ever After and now we're going to follow the wacky shenanigans of Ruby attempting to get together all the Atlas people including still good!Ironwood, Whitley, the Happy Huntresses, the Ace Ops, Team FNKI, etcetera and get them all back home." I would definitely read that.

Instead they're like "Do you want to see Team RWBY go on some missions in Atlas set during a montage in season seven while they fight a union leader?" "How would you feel about watching VTuber RWBY talk about making microaggressions against Velvet?" "This arc set in-between V1 and V2 is about Weiss being anti-faunus in a dream where she has to be rescued and it will never come up in the main show.'

Talk about missed opportunities. I may not like additional fan content very much, but I'd like it a whole lot better if it was experimental fun concepts and less 'no see, this actually could've happened off screen.' Enough of Ruby already happened off screen, I don't need to add Batman into that list, thank you.

[rosesonapond]

If Rwby gets picked up or bought… others and I have a few wishes…

In general

I want more developed relationships between characters. Within the teams, within the villains/antagonists, I just want them to be more between themselves or within each other. I feel that the villains are not that in sync as they should be, team RWBY are not as close as they are implied, and if they were the break ups (not particularly romantic, just generally) would hit even harder when they separate or breakdown. I feel the writers and even the fandom are just pretending that RWBY has well developed relationships when it doesn’t. I feel R/enora needs to individualize itself more than just leaving Nora as some joke/one dimensional character. B/umble bee needs more time for it’s platonic arc as well as its romantic and intimate arc, and I feel that it could take a few lessons from earlier Marvel when it comes to writing relationships. RNJR should had a longer arc and development to show how developed the relationships were between the team before or even after team RWBY reunited, maybe even before they separated, could have been more moments in the Beacon and Vital festival arcs, but I’ll get more into that in a moment. I wish there could have been more moments between Rose Lotus so I’m not just fishing for crumbs for my ship, because honestly they had a bunch of potential. Even Wildrose, Strawbana, platonic Rosebull, White Lotus, Ladybug, Freezerburn, White Rose, Black Lotus, Iceberg, Ironwitch, Greek Lotus, Arkos, Valkos, Frostbite, etc. could have been more developed, than just some of them abandoned or not even explored.

More development for characters, as much as I love the wide array of characters, they need to be explored. From Ilia, Velvet and Whitley, etc. they need to be explored. Even the villains/antagonists, temporary or not, need to be developed so they don’t turn out to be really generic and not fleshed out, I feel fleshing out a character makes them better written most of the time, take some notes from Marvel, they don’t need to be turn good, just give an understanding to how they got there or give them some attracting (not saying attractive) traits. Also don’t make a one dimensional villain out of a racial minority in your story, it’s not really giving a good message and may turn the character into a plot device rather than a character. Looking at Marvel’s Kree, there could have been some good or morally grey Kree, but now I feel they are just usually painted as villains.

I hate to say this but more content in the storyline, I feel we need longer episodes and an even longer Beacon arc, we need to get invested in the characters, world, and relationships, before we delve deep into the heart of the plot. I guess we could’ve had a bigger fandom and a well developed story if we made the Beacon Arc 75 eps at the very least, then the Vytal festival arc could have been a little bit more longer, at least 20-30 eps, observe which meant to be one off characters are liked and write them into the story. Maybe have an academy from Menagerie join the festival, they don’t have to be well liked we just need more Faunus characters especially since we don’t have enough of them on the main crew. Make each volume from that point at least 20 eps, and flesh out the story from there. Maybe make it longer to flesh out non-MCs.

But if we’re not doing a reboot, I say just follow my advice above, for future reference have a good peace arc so that the characters are not developing relationships under pressure, develop characters and make longer and more fleshed out seasons starting from volume 10

I’d love to see more AU projects, but I’d also like to watch them, main series, au, just rwby content in general, for free since I’m broke🥲

I want Nora to be independent and maybe have a couple of romances with other characters, maybe Mercury, I’ll write fanfiction for you guys definitely if that happens. Like I just want her to explore what she actually wants if she ever gets back together with Ren which is probably inevitable, I want her to develop as a person, I don’t want her to end up with him with a one sided obsession, look Ren is not equally obsessed with her, I just want her to act normal. I don’t hate her, I just think she has untapped potential to become a greater character, I don’t want her to stay as she is.

I want new writers to be involved with this series, I want them to commit to Monty’s plans for the story, yet change things that NEED to be changed in order to give a better message to the audience.

I want places related to specific characters to reflect on them just as Vale did for RWBY, like Oniyuri reflecting Ren and Nora. I want maybe some Chinese coded families besides Ren’s to live there, maybe some Chinese cultural appreciation molding some aspects in the show, maybe like houses or city decorations. Maybe have some more white and blues in Nora’s design, to represent Nora’s pure emotions for others and honesty she can sense just by understanding other people easily.

If you’re to rewrite R/enora’s relationship, have Ren less dismissive of Nora’s feelings, like show him caring, but you can also still have him not fully intimate with his emotions, like he’s trying not to be so close, to protect both of them

Those are just my main concerns for now, I’ll work on my own projects at my own time, but if there’s any projects I promised to show and forgot about please remind me, I have to many posts to scroll past to remind myself. Thanks for being here. I’m trying to show stuff I’m working on and not just blog because that’s what I do in my spare time.

[firstprince-ao3feed]

Only You Can Let It In

by PeterParkerSimp3000 “Speak of the devil. Devils,” Alex mutters. “Alex. Good to see you,” Henry—Evil Spawn—greets in his usual stilted tone as he walks past him with Satan (AKA Philip, Henry’s stuck-up boss and older brother) at his side. “Likewise, Your Majesty,” Alex sarcastically says with a smile, though it looks much closer to a grimace if we’re being realistic. A futile disguise for his annoyance towards the blond. And no, Alex’s gaze definitely does not linger on Henry’s ass as he walks past. Absolutely not. ~ Lawyer AU, Henry and Alex are lawyers for competing firms. Alex thinks Henry hates him. He hates Henry back and definitely DOESN'T have a secret crush on him—until one day when Henry asks Alex to be his date to Pez's New Year's Party. Alex is a bisexual disaster about it.   ***I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR THIS FIC TO BE REPOSTED ON THIS SITE OR OTHER SITES*** Words: 3831, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue (2023), Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, June Claremont-Diaz, Nora Holleran, Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Rafael Luna, Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Queen Mary (Red White & Royal Blue) (mentioned), David the Beagle (Red White & Royal Blue) Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alex Claremont-Diaz & Rafael Luna, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor & Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Alex Claremont-Diaz & Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor & Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, June Claremont-Diaz/Nora Holleran, Alex Claremont-Diaz & June Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz & Nora Holleran Additional Tags: Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Loves Alex Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz Loves Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Bisexual Disaster Alex Claremont-Diaz, POV Alex Claremont-Diaz, Top Alex Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz Has ADHD, Lawyer Alex Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz is not First Son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz is a Menace, Bottom Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Needs a Hug, Gay Disaster Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Gay Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Pining Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Lawyer Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Nonbinary Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Good Friend Percy "Pez" Okonjo, They/Them Pronouns for Percy "Pez" Okonjo, New Year's Kiss, Wingman Rafael Luna, New Year's Eve, Enemies to Lovers, Coming Out, Non-Explicit Sex, Insecure Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Emotional Hurt, Alex Claremont-Diaz Has a Crush on Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Has Feelings, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Has a Crush on Alex Claremont-Diaz, First Dates, Secret Crush, Unrequited Crush, Requited Unrequited Love, Minor June Claremont-Diaz/Nora Holleran, Good Sibling June Claremont-Diaz, Bisexual June Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz & Nora Holleran Friendship, Chaotic Nora Holleran, Bisexual Nora Holleran via https://ift.tt/XI2Hax3

[ardentaislinn]

Yuletide Letter 2022

Hi! I am also ardentaislinn on AO3. Thank you so much for volunteering to write one of my chosen fandoms! I really can’t wait to see what you come up with. Most importantly, I hope you have fun writing whichever of my fandoms it is. Any suggestions I make here are optional. (I'm also open to receiving treats, in case that needs to be said!)

Here you’ll find:

My general likes

My DNWs

And prompts for the following fandoms:

반도 | Peninsula (2020) (aka Train to Busan 2) - Any; Jung Seok, Min Jung, Joon Yi, Yoo Jin

Automatic (1995) - J269, Nora Rochester

Practical Arrangement - Sting (song) - Man, Woman

고요의 바다 | The Silent Sea - Han Yoon Jae, Song Ji An

A quick note on the Korean names - I’m fine with however you choose to transliterate them. Hyphen/no hyphen, slight differences in romanisation, etc. Just do what you are comfortable with and I’ll adjust no problem. No need to add the honourifics, though.

My likes:

I love getting together fics most of all. I love almost every kind of trope (fake dating, slow burn, enemies/rivals-to-lovers, trapped together, there’s only one bed, “unrequited” pining (that is really requited), found families, etc.) I also like casefic, epistolary fic, consent, beta heroes, competence, communication, U/RST, positive endings.

You may notice from the below that my ships mostly involve broken but good-hearted men being secretly head over heels for badass ladies, (and usually not feeling worthy). So that dynamic is strongly encouraged.

Happy endings (or at least hopeful endings) are preferred. Like, super, super preferred. I don’t mind angst at all, but it kinda has to be on the way out of the darkness by the end.

I also like smut, but it certainly isn’t a necessity. For smut, I’m (sadly) fairly vanilla. But I like light bondage, cunnilingus, shower sex, and accidental/consensual voyeurism, (Particularly guys taking matters into their own hands when they think they can’t be with their lady, and the woman stumbling across him mid-act. Writer’s choice whether the woman joins in or gets embarrassed)

Dislikes/DNWs:

Miserable endings. Death of a requested character. Humiliation. Drug use/drug mentions/addiction. Self harm/abuse. Non-con/rape. Heavy kink. Animal harm. Underage sexual content.

Fandom specific prompts:

반도 | Peninsula (2020) (aka Train to Busan 2)

Any; Jung Seok, Min Jung, Joon Yi, Yoo Jin

While maybe objectively not as good a film as the first one, I still enjoyed the hell out of it. Given that it was essentially a cross between Escape From New York and Mad Max, what isn’t to love? I loved the expansion of the world and the clever uses of zombies in the chase scenes. And I really liked the idea that anything can mean happiness when you love and are loved in return - particularly in regards to Joon Yi, but also Jung Seok (and his found family?).

What would interest me the most in this fandom is post-movie fics. But if you wanna do a canon divergent/au thing, I’d be cool with that, too. Some prompts:

Joon Yi struggles a lot more than her sister to readjust to a “normal” life

In order to stay together after being rescued, Jung Seok and Min Jung have to pretend to be married

After four long years of loneliness, Min Jung just wants to be touched

Jung Seok isn’t surprised to find himself in love with Min Jung - and wanting to be a father to her girls - but is he good enough for them? He’s left them behind once - can he forgive himself? Can Min Jung?

The zombie plague escapes from Korea - and Jung Seok, Min Jung, and her girls are the closest thing to experts on how to fight back and contain it that the authorities have. Will their nightmare never be over? Or is this a chance to end it once and for all?

With Min Jung in hospital while her leg heals, Jung Seok suddenly finds himself a surrogate father to two very unruly girls.

Since I requested "any" you can mix and match characters to your heart's desire! No need to include them all in one fic.

Automatic (1995)

J269, Nora Rochester

This movie is pretty obscure and hard to find through legal methods, so here's a link on YouTube!

I love cyborg movies. I love almost-innocent heroes that need to learn how to Person, and the heroines that see them as more human than they are. Despite the obviously low budget of this movie, it’s one of my absolute favourite versions of this trope.

I’m most interested in post-canon fic for this, but I’d really be so thrilled to read anything! I’m fairly certain there’s no fic at all for this movie.

Prompts

What happens after the movie ends? The two are now on the run. How do they survive? What do they learn about the world and each other? Are there other cyborgs out there? Are they being hunted? This is an opportunity to explore further world-building!

How does Nora deal with learning what she did about herself at the end of the movie? (Trying not to spoil it!) She’s probably pretty traumatised and maybe kind of angry about everything that happened.

Did they meet before the movie starts, but one or both had their memories wiped?

What’s their first time like?

J269 learning how to be a person and everything that entails. What kind of mistakes does he make that almost give the game away? What does he like and dislike about being “human”?

J269 dealing with Feelings for the first time and not knowing what to do with them. Nora wants him to make a move but he doesn’t quite Get It.

If they are on the run...bed sharing. Huddling for warmth. U/RST. Trope-y goodness.

Practical Arrangement - Sting (Song)

Man, Woman

I mean…this song just screams marriage of convenience story, right? I love this trope, particularly when it’s two practical people going into the arrangement for logical reasons…only to find feelings somehow got involved. It’s a perfect set up for slow burn, pining, forced proximity, and all that good stuff.

I think in this song in particular the man might be lying to himself from the very beginning about this being a platonic arrangement. I don’t have any headcanons for their names so feel free to call the characters what you want!

Some prompts:

At what point does either character realise they have feelings for the other? How did they get there? With lots of pining and classic tropes? Do they have to play a couple outside of the house, or is this strictly a legal arrangement?

How do they meet? What happens to the woman that either character thinks this is a logical solution? How bad of a situation is she in?

Why is he lonely enough to propose this solution? Or has he secretly loved her for a long time and only wants to help her? How does the intimacy of marriage and a “warm house to return to” change things for him, even if it’s meant to be platonic? Can going through the motions of intimacy and sharing a home lead to real and lasting feelings?

How long does the “separate beds” promise last? Do they decide that for the duration of their marriage that they will satisfy each other in the bedroom as well? Or do they absolutely never touch given their promise of platonicness? 

How does he bond with her son? Do they do things together as a family or mostly lead separate lives?

It sounds like she’s a disaster in the kitchen. Is he a good cook? Does she learn to after all in an act of finding herself? Or does she finally let herself be taken care of for once?

A historical AU? Maybe she’s a titled widow fallen on hard times, and he’s of the rich merchant class and still not considered good enough for her in the eyes of society.

Maybe it’s a Beauty and the Beast scenario? He’s disfigured or magically enchanted but she marries him to save herself and her son. It turns out he’s not as bad as the stories claimed.

If you want to turn this on your head, you can. Maybe the narrator of the song is a creep and/or a stalker and she actually has to get away from him and falls in love with someone else!

고요의 바다 | The Silent Sea

Han Yoon Jae, Song Ji An

It’s a crime that they didn’t kiss in this, honestly. Two of my favourite Korean actors (Bae Doo Na and Gong Yoo) in one show, buckets of chemistry, and nary a romance! Gong Yoo was at his hottest, too, with the neck tattoo and attitude. (Bae Doo Na is, of course, always at her hottest.)

They are both smart and know what’s up. I feel like they’d make a good couple. And the tension between them, particularly in the beginning, just makes it hotter. Most of these prompts presume that Yoon Jae was rescued at the end there with the others, of course.

Some prompts:

I’m envisioning a whole scenario where she marries him to share her status to save his daughter and they fall in love. They need to make it convincing or it’s basically fraud, so they move in together and pretend to be a couple… Maybe this happens after their adventure, or maybe it’s an AU where they never went to space, or they marry before they go and then they go to the moon.

There was a lot of tension between them. And sometimes there’s only one surefire way to ease that tension…in a maintenance closet.

What happens when they get back to earth? Inevitably, paperwork and bureaucracy. But maybe also they need to save the world? Again?

Additional bonding time in space, before or during everything going to hell. They have a lot of trauma they can share/bond over.

How do they work together to protect Earth after everything they've been through? Does it bring them closer together? Does the water crisis get solved or are things worse than ever?

What happens to Luna? Do they become her surrogate parents? She’s not really human, so what kind of difficulties does that present? How do they explain her presence in the rescue craft to their superiors? Once back in the real world, do they have to pretend she’s normal? This could either be very fraught or rather comedic depending how you want to play it.

Ji An and Yoon Jae have to quarantine together for a few weeks after getting off the moon.

Feel free to do some worldbuilding! The scenario is both terrifyingly realistic and completely apocalyptic. How else is it different from our world? How is it the same? What is going on outside of the limited scope we see?

Thanks for writing for me!

[farcry5-obsessions]

OC Interview

Choose an OC, answer the questions as them, and tag 5 people!

Photo by @myworldisbiworld who I am also tagging because all your ocs are 🔥🔥

Tagged by @jacobmybeloved 💕 thank youuu ily

Tagging: @words-and-seeds @fkingpeggies @johnseedsplane @dolphinitley @thesuplexrangerexperience

And anyone else! Idk who has done this already or not, so feel free to ignore this 💕

1. What is your name?

Nora Williams

2. Do you know why are you named that?

Nope.

3. Are you single or taken?

Complicated- I don’t recommend trying anything though, for your own safety.

4. Have any abilities or powers?

Do sniping and sarcasm count? I’m a criminal psychologist, too.

5. Stop being a Mary Sue.

Stop being an asshole 🖕🏻

6. What’s your eye color?

Coppery brown

7. How about your hair color?

Black

8. Have any family members?

Yup. My parents got divorced when I was a teen. So, there’s my mom and her husband, Don. He’s pretty nice, but his daughter, my step sister, is in that monstrous teen phase. My dad didn’t remarry. He’s a retired military general. Suuuper pleasant *sarcasm*

9. Oh? How about pets?

I want a cat!

10. That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like?

I chose my career(s) because I wanted to help people. A big part of that decision was motivated by my hate for manipulators and abusers. I have a real soft spot for victims of abuse, and I definitely believe people can change, but there’s some I just can’t forgive.

11. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?

I do a lot of outdoorsy stuff over the summer. I spend a lot of time training and working out. Other than that, I like reading, video games, and eating.

12. Have you ever hurt anyone in any way before?

So many

13. Ever… killed anyone before?

*smiles* before coming to Hope county I was a sniper for Portland SWAT. Before that, I was in the military. What do you think?

14. What kind of animal are you?

A fox! Cute but ferocious

15. Name your worst habits?

I believe ‘wrath’ has been mentioned a few times

16. Do you look up to anyone at all?

Yea, I guess. I had a professor in undergrad that was the most inspirational for me. She really helped me through a lot of personal things during my studies, and even helped me get a job in Portland!

17. Are you gay, straight or bisexual?

Um, honestly, I haven’t dated a lot- military time, strict parents etc. But I tend to go for guys, but girls are nice too! It just has to be the right person; then, I don’t really care. I’m just not one for hookups without feelings unfortunately

18. Do you go to school?

I have an MA specializing in criminal psychology! That’s how I ended up in this mess with the Seeds- I was just supposed to evaluate Joseph, but here I am stuck in the middle of fuckin’ Montana with a buncha peggies.

19. Ever want to marry and have kids one day?

If I make it out of all this, I’d love to get married. Kids, though? Got my tubes tied. I like the idea of adoption. There’s lots of kids out there that need love... I can’t help but think none of this would’ve happened if the Seeds ended up in a loving home, especially John...

20. Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?

Does John Seed count?

21. What are you most afraid of?

Elevators. I got stuck in one once when I was deployed- they’ve freaked me out since. If I’m being honest, though, probably losing someone that matters to me.

22. What do you usually wear?

Before Hope County, leather jackets, boots, flannels, leggings, anything comfortable that I can still look cool in.  

23. What’s one food that tempts you?

Chocolate. Oh my gosh. The fact the peggies took all the chocolate they could find is probably the most monstrous thing a person could do. *leans in* But I know where John Seed keeps his stash.

24. Am I annoying to you?

Oh, you’d know if you were annoying me.

25. Well, it’s still not over!

Okay?

26. What class are you (low/middle/high)?

What kinda question is that?! None of your fuckin’ business. *has massive student loans debt*

27. How many friends do you have?

A few close friends. I’m not extensively social. I don’t want a big group of people, just a few I can trust. Here, I’m closest with Joh- uh- Jess and Sharky. I like most people from Hope County though, except Hurk Senior. That guy and his wall can get fucked.

28. What are your thoughts on pie?

Love it.

29. Favorite drink?

Coffee or red wine.

30. What’s your favorite place?

There’s this spot in Holland Valley that, when no peggies are around, is perfect to just curl up by the fire and look out over the valley *sighs* It just feels really peaceful there, even if it’s just for a moment, and I know it won’t last forever… (It’s the lookout spot at Seed Ranch.)

31. Are you interested in anyone?

No one I should be interested in. I always have had fucked up taste, though…

32. That was a stupid question…

Is it that obvious??

33. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean?

Not a fan of swimming, but I miss the ocean. It’s too cold to swim on the Oregon coast for most the year, but I miss it so much.

34. What’s your type?

Messed up with a tragic backstory. I like someone I can tease, but they should have a soft side to them. Appearance wise? I like someone that takes care of themselves, nice style, a little dark but pretty... tattoos…

35. Any fetishes?

Wouldn’t you like to know. *smirk*

36. Camping or outdoors?

At this point? Luxury hotel

[joaquinwhorres]

Mobile OC List

Here's a list of my OCs! In order to help mitigate some expectations, I've created a little key to let you know what to expect content-wise for them. 

CONTENT FLOW: 🟢 - Active  /  🟡 - Slow  /  🔴 - Stopped

MOTION SICKNESS UNIVERSE

🟢 Carolina Alvarez (❤ Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia — FC: Alexxis Demire)

🟢 Dalia Alvarez-Garcia (❤ David Floyd — FC: Isabella Ferriera)

PUSUIT OF HAPPINESS UNIVERSE

🟢 Audrey Herrera (❤ Javy "Coyote" Machado — FC: Melissa Barrera)

🟡 Lauren Kahale (❤ Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw — FC: Lindsay Watson)

SEPARATE UNIVERSES

🟡 Katie "Birdie" Tindall (❤ Jake "Hangman" Seresin — FC: Aimee Teegarden)

AU CHARACTERS

🟢 Rosy Kovecky (❤ Steve Barton — FC: Laia Costa)

🟡 Kristina Taylor (❤ Bucky Barnes — FC: Flavia Santiago)

MCU CHARACTERS

🟢 Murphy  (❤ Joaquin Torres — FC: Ludovica Martino)

🟡 Julia Schroeder  (❤ Shang-Chi — FC: Olivia Liang)

🔴 Bronwen  (❤ Loki — FC: Natasha Liu Bordizzo)

PARTING SHOT UNIVERSE

🟡 Kay Barton (❤ Steve Rogers — FC: Alicia Vikander)

🟡 Nat Barton (❤ None — FC: Taron Egerton)

🟡 Molly McKay (❤ Clint Barton — FC: Rebecca Hall)

🟡 Saoirse Nolan  (❤ Bucky Barnes — FC: Carey Mulligan)

🟡 Grace Owens  (❤ Peter Parker — FC: Zoey Deutch)

🟡 Iris Tate (❤ Pietro Maximoff — FC: Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey)

MIND OVER MATTER UNIVERSE

🟡 Leela Garcia  (❤ Hector Garcia (OC) — FC: Hina Khan)

🟡 Rocio Garcia (❤ Miles Morales — FC: Reem Shaikh)

🟡 Mina Kaminski (❤ Bucky Barnes — FC: Melanie Chandra)

🔴 Sekai Williams  (❤ Sam Wilson — FC: Lex Scott Davis)

NON POWERED CHARACTERS

🟢 Francesca Vives-Soler (❤ Diego Hargreeves — FC: Natalee Linez)

POWERED CHARACTERS

🟡 Maeve Walsh (❤ Ben Hargreeves — FC: Lize Ferryn)

🔴 Skye Williams (❤ Klaus Hargreeves — FC: Matthew Clevane)

🟢 Philippa Van Metre (❤ Stiles Stilinski — FC: Anjelica Bette Fellini)

MARAUDER ERA

🟡 Corinne Berenger (❤ Gideon Prewtt — FC: Hermione Corfield)

🟡 Soraya Hosseini (❤ Remus Lupin — FC: Golshifteh Farahani)

🟡 Florence Saise (❤ Sirius Black — FC: Gabriella Wilde)

GOLDEN TRIO ERA

🟢 Wren Collings (❤ Fred Weasley — FC: Annelise Judge)

🟢 Mattie Crenshaw (❤ George Weasley — FC: Nora Dari)

🟢 Nora Randolph (❤ Lee Jordan — FC: Casimere Jollette)

🔴 Bryony Hewitt  (❤ George Weasley — FC: Taylor Russell)

🔴 Yaren Nacar  (❤ None — FC:)

NEXT GENERATION

AU

THE 100

🟡 Leta Cole (❤ Bellamy Blake — FC: Suki Waterhouse)

BIG TIME RUSH

🟡 Autumn Mayes  (❤ Kendall Knight — FC: Bridget Satterlee)

🟡 Jemima Yeung  (❤ Logan Mitchell — FC: Courtney Eaton)

CHARMED

🟡 Olivia Graham          (❤ Chris Halliwell — FC: Camilla Belle)

THE COVENANT

🟡 Johanna Frye (❤ Reid Garwin — FC: Alexa Davalos)

GAME OF THONES

🔴 Iseld Cassel  (❤ Theon Greyjoy — FC: Jona Walsh)

INCEPTION

🟡 Brigitte Thayer  (❤ Arthur — FC: Gemma Arterton)

🔴 Sandrine Moreau  (❤ Eames — FC: Stana Katic)

LORD OF THE RINGS

🟡 Estwyn (❤ Eomer — FC: ?)

🟡 Sírainel (❤ Haldir — FC: ?)

STAR TREK UNIVERSE

🟡 Priyanka Joshi (❤ Leonard McCoy — FC: Nazneen Contractor)

🔴 Keyona Hale  (FC: Gugu Mbatha Raw)

🔴 Meia Kwan  (FC: Catherine Haena Kim)

🔴 Elizabeth Mackenzie  (❤ Scotty — FC: Jules Wilcox)

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

🔴 Jill Fletcher  (❤ Roger Taylor — FC: Felicity Jones)

🔴 Eleanor Grey  (❤ Brian May — FC: Sophie Skelton)

🔴 Sylvia Tyler  (❤ John Deacon — FC: Margarita Levieva)

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

🔴 Edith Farrington  (FC: Morgan Taylor Campbell)

🔴 Matilda Goode  (FC: Elise Gatien)

🔴 Vanessa Scratch

LOGAN

🔴 Theresa Ramos  (❤ Donald Pierce — FC:Veronica Echeguí)

KNIVES OUT

🔴 Aster Hearst   (❤ Ransom Drysdale — FC: Inbar Lavi)

🔴 Grace Reyes  (❤ Ransom Drysdale)

RIVERDALE

🔴 Bree Reilly  (❤ Sweet Pea — FC: Ella Purnell)

🔴 Roxanne Roy  (❤ Sweet Pea — FC: Holland Roden)

🔴 Sage Saylor  (❤ Reggie Mantle — FC: Malia McMullen)

STRANGER THINGS

🔴 Wendy Buckley  (❤ Steve Harrington — FC: Annie Kreighbaum)

🔴 Kimberly Finch  (❤ Billy Harrington — FC: Matilda Lutz)

🔴 Louisa Mitchell  (❤ Steve Harrington — FC: Maika Monroe)

UNDRAFTED

🔴 Ginny Hickey  (❤ Pat Murray — FC:Anna Chlumsky)

[ask-whitepearl-and-steven]

do you read any fancomics? i feel like there aren't any good ones other than yours so if you like some maybe I'll like them too

There are TONS of good fancomics, but the thing is, everyone has different tastes to everyone’s ideas of what is ‘good’ is going to be different. 

Here’s some fancomics in the SU-sphere that you can check out!

Disclaimer: A few of the comics mentioned below contain heavier themes dealing with things like abandonment, abuse, grief and death. Although I believe these themes should be explored in art, they have the potential to be stressful and I have done my best to put warnings on all of them. Please READ THE WARNINGS. There is not anything wrong with reading about difficult or dark things, but you need to be conscious of how/what you are consuming and how it’s affecting you emotionally. Part of consuming content responsibly is knowing when to stop consuming, take a break, and put your mental health first.

Without further ado!

SU Fancomics 

SU-B-Sides: A Steven Universe AU fancomic that reimagines the Crystal Gems as a different team - Bismuth, Lapis and Peridot take the center stage! This comic is wonderfully expressive with true-to-canon silliness and opens up a fascinating world of possibilities while staying true to the direction of the show! (Read here!)

Twiniverse: A Steven Universe AU fancomic about twin half-gems - Steven and Nora! When Rose discovered that she was pregnant with twins, she was devastated by the prospect that only one of the children would inherit her gem. Pearl fused with her instead and as a result, Nora now has Pearl’s gem! (Read here!)

Bad Prediction AU: This Steven Universe AU follows the timeline where Sapphire’s vision from The Answer came true - the Rebellion stopped 5750 years ago. Pink Diamond was captured and forced to be a puppet government figure, stripped of her power and instead given the Zoo to watch over. She still met Greg and had Steven - who has now grown up as a Diamond. (Read here!)

Tourmaline: A fan comic of Cartoon Network's 'Steven Universe', set in an alternate universe where Peridot never got caught. (Based off of PhantomRose96's story by the same name.) (Read here)

YellowDiamond!Steven AU: An AU that reimagines Steven as the son of Yellow Diamond. (Read here)

Pressure: A fanmade comic of the time Lapis and Jasper spend together as Malachite. Intense amount of action as well as a fascinating look into both characters’ psyche. Warning: This comic deals with a lot of trauma and includes violence and body horror. (Read here)

SU AU Gone Wrong: If you like dark stories - and I do mean DARK, as in ones that address *major character death* - you can venture into this comic. I need to stress that this deals EXPLICITLY with death, loss, grief and etc. WARNING: Death, blood, gore and very realistic depictions of grief and mourning. Do NOT read if you know you are not in a state of mind to consume this kind of content.

. . .

Original Fiction Webcomics:

I actually read very little of original webcomics lately but I feel I should recommend the ones I do know of: 

Stand Still Stay Silent: This is one of my favorite comics and I own two hardback volumes of it. The story is a bit darker - set in a fantastical post-apocalyptic nordic landscape full of creatures the humans no longer have an understanding of. It’s beautifully illustrated and incredibly poignant. 

Warnings: It does feature heavily in death and leans a little bit towards horror. (Read it here!)

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn:  Follow the journey of the world's greatest paranormal investigator - Oscar Zahn. Friend to lost souls, enemy of evil, he may lack a body but that doesn't mean he's missing a heart! This one fits into the slightly-spooky-but-not-quite-horror category. Loved the atmosphere of it when I read it. (Read here!)

Lady of the Shard: This comic is one of those that bread the barriers of the medium it’s in and absolutely grow onto you despite the fact that you’re only reading it on a screen. The story has it all - heart, kindness, beings that seem beyond our understanding but end up being more human than meets the eye... and love. (Read here!)

17776 aka What Football Will Look Like In The Future: I hesitate to call this a comic because it’s more like an immersive web novella. Or rather, it’s more like a time capsule from the future that ends up being silly and moving and sobering and inspirational all at once. If you like satellites developing personalities, if you like humans fighting through the boredom of immortality by inventing and reinventing the game of football into more and more convoluted ways of playing it - this story is for you. 

Warning: The very beginning of the comic contains multiple animations, and starts with a web-page morphing into something else that might be disorienting/startling for some. (Read here!)

Barbarous: I will sheepishly admit that I started Barbarous back when it came out and never caught up - but maybe recommending it will help me restart again! (Read here!)

.

This is, of course, a non-exhaustive list and I’m sure I missed many wonderful comics. Feel free to drop recs in the comments but please tag and warn for non-general themes so people can know what they’re clicking into. 

[norabrice1701]

The Cloverfield Pyramid - Ch. 2

A Schmidt x Fem!Reader Lost Ruins/Archaeology Expedition AU Fic

Chapter Summary: In which your employer signs you up for more than you bargained for.

Link to Chapter 1

Link to Series Master List

Chapter Warnings: Explicit language, moderate sexual content (for now), history & physics collide, descriptions of dangerous of wildlife, re-purposed film quotes

A/N: My heartfelt thanks for all the love on Ch. 1! Each notification about this totally brightens my day! Just to clarify, I'm not an astronomer, physicist, archaeologist, anthropologist, etc. - any oversights herein are born of ignorance not malice (Hanlon's Razor). Additionally, the Reader Character can be either a version of yourself or Tam, mainly because I'd just love to be Tam sharing my work and my bed with Ernst in outer space.

Shout-out to @raniiaaa who continues to put up with me and provide great perspective!

And, all credit to @bruhlsbees and @creme-bruhlee for the Schmidt headcanon that makes an appearance near the end of this chapter! Thank you for letting me play in the sandbox with y'all ☺️

Cheers, Nora

Chapter 2: Days -118 to -12

Day -118:

You awoke to an email from your employer that contained nothing more than vague instructions, the museum address, and a meeting time. Fortunately, early morning traffic cooperated and after a stop at the security booth, the guard escorted you down the dull corridor of curator offices. As soon as you rounded the indicated doorway, your gaze connected with irritatingly familiar amber-chocolate eyes.

Fuck, you should have known your luck wasn’t that good.

Instead of his tux, Ernst now wore dark jeans and a grey button-down shirt with his ID badge hanging from his neck. Mild surprise lit behind his glasses as he nodded at you in greeting across the sterile, cold conference room. There were five other people around the table, and the projector displayed a simple title slide on the screen.

Amazon River Expedition 2028

You stared at it in open confusion. Just what the hell…?

“And you must be the ship captain whose services were graciously volunteered by our generous donor.”

You turned at the strong American accent to regard the tall man now standing next to you. He held himself with a straight, almost rigid bearing – military, no doubt. He held out his hand with a kind smile. “Commander John Kiel, leader of this expedition.”

You took his hand, offering your name in return. “And yes, I am…I guess? My employer just said to meet here at this time, but I don’t know anything about an expedition.”

Kiel’s mouth curved with intrigue. “Then, you’re in for a treat. Today kicks off the expedition preparation phase – we move from paper to making all necessary preparations to set sail on Day 0. Now that we’ve secured the funding –”

“Please, Commander Kiel.” A woman with a lilting British accent dressed in a crisp pencil skirt suit stepped up to your other side. “While I appreciate your fervor, she hasn’t signed the non-disclosure release forms yet. So, if you please – no previews.”

Kiel hardly looked chastised, but he relented all the same. “Thanks for the reminder, Ava. Please take care of those formalities before we begin.” He turned back to you with a nod. “Glad to meet you – welcome aboard.”

You nodded in return. “Thanks – nice to meet you, too.”

You turned back to Ava, making your introduction as she smiled, polite and closed-off, before speaking. “Ava Hamilton, museum public relations. Now, if you’ll sign these forms, we can get started.”

The forms weren't anything too binding or incriminating – basic policies on intellectual property, non-disclosure agreements, release of liability. Though, the last one gave you pause with all the talk of accidental dismemberment and death.

Wasn’t this just a research expedition?

“I’ve spent over 15 years studying South American archaeology.” Volkov couldn’t quite keep the arrogant note from his voice, his thick Russian syllables a stark regional contrast to his area of study. “So believe me when I say that we’ve never seen a lost tribe shrouded in such mystery, in such hushed whispers, in such fragments – as if history itself has tried to forget the existence of this tribe.” He motioned for the next slide.

A collage of photos busied the screen showing a variety of items – an earthenware shard, a stone statuette, a tattered textile – but each item bore the same distinctive marking. A single line ran through the center with two ovals extending to the left of the line, and a similar circle on the right side. At the top of the line sat a large, flat oval that umbrellaed the smaller circles on the stem. To your uneducated eyes, it looked like a weird mushroom or, perhaps, some other kind of plant.

“As for the name of this tribe,” Volkov continued, “no one knows for sure. The closest translation in English that experts agree on is ‘Cloverfield’. But, as you can see, they left their symbol for us to follow.”

The next slide displayed a slab of stone streaked with painted lines that curved and snaked across the image. You supposed it could be a map with roads or paths - even quite possibly a river. At the center of the drawing, but not the focal point of all the lines, sat an eerily familiar shape. You squinted at the image, not quite able to believe it.

Unlike the flat-top pyramids that you associated with Latin American cultures, this pyramid had a steep, pointed exterior that lent an eerie, familiar shape. The outline of a person was drawn in the middle with two dashed, vertical lines that extended out through the pointed top. Hovering just above the top of the pyramid was the same person’s outline, only this time three dashed lines extended from each hand. At the center of the base sat the same Cloverfield marking as the objects on the previous slide.

Just what was it Ernst had said about pyramids between Egypt and South America…?

“Behold the Cloverfield Pyramid – the primary objective of this expedition.” Volkov gestured at the screen. “It wasn’t easy to interpret this map - in fact, the vagueness of it only gives further credence to the theory that the relics of this tribe should remain lost to modern discovery.”

You raised a hand. “Sorry for being the new kid on the block,” you said, fighting back a bashful smile, “but what’s with the image of the person?”

Volkov turned back, gesturing at the image. “It’s likely a representation of man coming closer to the divine - the religions of the indigenous peoples vary from tribe to tribe, but pyramids are largely associated with religious worship.”

You nodded silently, still finding it an unusual image. “Thanks.”

He nodded in return before resuming. “Using this map as our reference point, it took us 694 days of scouring countless maps, satellite imagery, and land surveys – but we have finally correlated this map to our destination region.”

The slides advanced to now show the ancient map side-by-side with a terrain satellite image. Indeed, the snaking lines proved an eerily close match to the showcased section of Amazon River and branch tributaries.

The Irish anthropologist-cum-ethnologist, Mundy, shook his head. “I know it doesn’t look like much – but this is likely the furthest place inland that ancient Egyptian mariners would have been able to travel before succumbing to the hostile environment or illness without assistance from the indigenous peoples.”

It was only after the meeting ended, you learned more about Mundy’s field of study.

“Ethnology has my heart,” Mundy waxed poetically. “Comparing and analyzing characteristics of different peoples and societies. The cultures of the world are so much more interconnected than people realize.”

You nodded, still slightly confused. “So, you study similarities between Ancient Egypt and South American tribalism?”

He nodded with a fond smile. “Following in the footsteps of my idol, Dr. Thor Heyerdahl. He built a papyrus sailing craft modeled after ancient Egyptian sailing vessels, and crossed 4,000 miles of ocean in 57 days to prove his theory that Mediterranean cultures – Egyptians, specifically – sailed to America in ancient times and exchanged ideas with the South American natives.”

“Hence the shared imagery of the pyramid…?”

“Exactly!” He huffed. “See? You understand the connection. Dr. Heyerdahl should be renowned for his theory. Instead, he’s largely unaccepted by mainstream anthropology.”

You arched a brow. “And now, we’re about to undertake an expedition based on an unaccepted theory?”

“Don’t tell Volky.”

----------

Day -91:

Even weeks later, you still couldn’t quite believe it. Of course, it all sounded absolutely ridiculous. Even if you had any close friends, no one would believe you. In fact, you didn't even know if you could admit with a straight face that you were going on a genuine treasure hunt for a lost pyramid.

Since when did your life become Indiana Jones?

“Don't say that again,” Volkov sneered with a scowl, pushing away from the standing work table. "He's a fucking debasement of the profession!"

“Ok, Volkov,” Kiel tempered, “she didn't mean anything by it.”

“No, it's disrespectful.” Volkov paced around the table with stiff movements. “Those movies cheapen the profession by inviting blatant disregard to the preservation of history – just grabbing artifacts and smashing relics. Not even to mention the Nazis running around shooting and blowing things up.”

Mundy rolled his eyes. “Well, I don’t think we need to worry about Nazis.”

"No?" Volkov’s eyes cut to Ernst as he neared the physicist. “Doesn’t mean there aren’t those who would see the sanctity of historical preservation violated.”

Ernst shook his head slowly, not looking up from the table as his mouth pinched tight in frustration. “This is a long speech, Volkov.”

He stepped up to Ernst’s side along the table, glowering down at the shorter man. “History is meant to be protected and respected, not dissected and ramrodded into whatever physics resonance bullshit theories you have. If you comprise any aspect of a historical find, you’ll live to regret it.”

Ernst’s hand balled to a fist on the tabletop, leveling the archaeologist with a hard stare, eyes dark with a startling ferocity under his lowered brows.

“In fact,” Volkov continued, jutting his chin as his nostrils flared. “If this were my expedition, you wouldn’t even be here to fuck things up in the first place.”

Ernst’s face twisted to a dangerous sneer, his hand snapping up from the table and fisting tight in the front of Volkov’s shirt.

“Hey, hey!” Kiel pounded on the table, breaking the men's intense stare. “Cool it, both of you! We haven’t even left for Miami yet, and we have a lot of 'together time' ahead of us. Schmidt – let him go. Volkov – we haven’t even found anything yet, and when we do – direction for anyone to proceed is at my discretion.”

You hadn’t quite looked at Ernst the same way since. Who knew the mild-mannered, bespectacled physicist wasn’t actually so mild-mannered? Perhaps you had misjudged him, first impressions and all that. You didn't know the history between the two men, or if it was just a personality conflict that manifested over time, but you hoped they wouldn't be at each other's throat the whole voyage. That would make things on the expedition ship so fucking awkward.

And that was on top of the frustrated awkwardness you felt in the rare moments you found yourself alone with Ernst – Schmidt. No one else called him by his first name, and you weren’t going to give the game away. But you still clearly remembered the taste of his lips, the heat of his hands – fuck, you should really get laid before leaving for Brazil - and the memory still chafed. He hadn’t wanted you at the gala and he didn’t want you now, so it was best to put the whole thing from your mind. You were a grown woman, after all. It shouldn’t be hard to put one man from your mind.

You had bigger things to think about anyway.

----------

Day -72:

Of course, Mr. Smyth spared no expense when he generously agreed to fund this expedition. So, of course, the expedition ship that greeted the whole team in Miami was first class. Everyone had taken to their cabins with such excited wonder – like kids with a new, shiny toy - and you were no different. You scoured the new ship from stem to stern, opening every compartment and cabinet. If she was yours to command in unfamiliar waters, then you were going to know her like the back of your hand.

“Wait, wait,” you interrupted Commander Kiel, “the SS Shepherd? She’s not a steam ship, and she’s a 'she' – it should be Shepherdess.”

Ava folded the dossier of the official ship records. "It’s the legal name on all registrations and permits. Courtesy of your employer, I believe.”

Of course, you should have known that Mr. Smyth didn’t know the first damn thing about naming a boat. But you didn’t let that stop you from making the SS Shepherd yours.

With the trim tabs now installed, you tried to clean up the wiring. Pushing loose hair out of your face, you bent back over the junction box. You almost had it…this time. Admittedly, you’d been working through trial and error. Wiring wasn’t your strength, but at least you knew enough about isolating circuits to not electrocute yourself.

You secured the last wire cap before standing from the panel, arching your back. Fortunately, the engine room was a bright, clean, brilliantly lit space that afforded you plenty of room to move and work. Stepping over the spread of tools, you walked over to the auxiliary control panel and restored the power. You pushed the button on the control panel, listening for the hydraulic hiss as the tabs activated.

Only silence greeted you.

So, you tried again. And again. And, again, the connection eluded you.

Until, at last – you pushed the button and the tabs hissed as the hydraulic hinge engaged.

You didn’t even try to stop your whoop of victory as a smile lit your face. Little else felt so satisfying. You disengaged the control, restoring the tabs to their former position as footsteps sounded on the metal stair grating.

“Wouldn’t have taken you for a night owl.” Schmidt’s crisp syllables sounded and you couldn’t help but glance over. “You strike me as the early-bird type.”

A lock of hair hung loose over his brow and dark circles lingered beneath his eyes, visible behind his glasses. The sleeves of his shirt were perpetually rolled to his elbows in deference to the Miami heat, exposing solid, distracting forearms that never failed to catch your attention. A closed-mouth, tired smile warmed his face as you blinked back at him, suddenly self-conscious. God only knew how you looked by comparison – tank top clinging to your skin, sweaty from the stale air, your hair no doubt a mess.

You turned back to the control panel. “Sorry…I didn’t realize anyone else was still here.”

“I didn’t, either.” He gestured back towards the door. “But, then I heard a cry and wasn’t sure….”

“Oh,” you hoped your cheeks weren’t flushed as you shook your head quickly. “No, I’m alright. Thanks, though.”

He nodded slowly before his brow furrowed with curiosity. “What’s got you burning the candle at this late hour?”

You sighed, wanting him to leave you alone, but motioning at the panel all the same. “Rewiring the trim tab controls. The electrician routed them through an open port in the navigation terminal instead of the drivetrain terminal.”

“Oh." He nodded again, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "And I take it that’s bad…?”

“Not great. It delays the responsiveness of the tabs, and when we’re trying to conserve fuel in a vessel that will travel over 500 feet in the five seconds it takes my brain synapses to react to changing conditions, each second counts.”

He shook his head in a mock-scold as he moved further into the engine room. “Shouldn’t drive so fast, you know. Coefficients of friction don’t exist for water.”

“And slamming into reverse burns too much fuel to counter that much forward momentum. So,” you gestured to the panel, “solution.”

“Well, in that case, I do hope you won’t run us aground before we reach our destination.”

A deliberate tease colored his words, but you still felt yourself bristle, not helped by your lingering, unresolved sexual frustration. Especially as you glanced up from the control panel to catch his shit-eating grin. You weren’t sure if you wanted to kiss it or smack it off his face.

You closed the distance, standing your ground as you folded your arms against your chest. The faintest traces of his familiar, intoxicating cologne drifted in the air, and shit, it was unfair how good he still smelled at this late hour. You probably smelled like ozone and diesel.

You leveled him with a hard gaze. “Look, Schmidt. You don’t know the first damn thing about my ability to do my job, and I don’t appreciate the tease that you do. It might be your expedition, but it sure as shit is my boat. Got it?”

His eyes brightened with impressed intrigue as he inclined his head. “Aye aye, skipper.”

Ok, so you hadn’t considered that.

You only wanted him to never again question your ability to do your job, not call you ‘Skip’ for the duration of the expedition.

And soon, it wasn’t just him.

Wonderful.

----------

Day -57:

You didn't need any more nightmare fuel. Between the vampire fish, red-bellied piranhas, and bull sharks - fucking sharks that can survive in both salt and fresh water - you squirmed uncomfortably in your seat, dreading the next slide in this horror show of Amazon wildlife.

“Alright,” Kiel said, advancing to show a large snake wrapped around an alligator in shallow water. Only half of the alligator protruded from the snake’s obscenely stretched mouth. “The Green Anaconda snake will squeeze and crush their prey to death, including humans. These guys are agile, stealthy, and love lurking in the river, waiting to strike and overpower anything they can. I know I’ve said this nearly every slide – but if nothing else has made you heed the ‘no swimming’ rule, let this guy be it.”

You tightened your folded arms against your chest, hating the anxiety that crawled along your skin. Fuck, could a snake like that hook onto the stern platform and haul itself onboard?

Kiel clicked to the next slide, revealing a long, thick centipede that made your arm hair stand on end. “The Amazonian Giant Centipede has an average length over 12 inches – or 30 centimetres – with highly toxic venom for small mammals. It’s not lethal to adult humans, but if you see this guy, just leave him alone. If bitten, the bite will trigger pain, swelling, and muscle weakness as the venom spreads – if the bite is close to your head, the venom can even induce a form of hysteria.”

Schmidt arched a brow in disbelief. “A bug bite that can drive people mad?”

Kiel smiled but nothing about it was comforting. “Just wait until you hear about the bullet ants next.”

Something brushed your shoulder and you instinctively swatted at it, jumping in your seat. “Jesus!” You glared down at your arm with wide eyes to see nothing there, well aware that you had now drawn the attention of everyone else in the room.

Mundy’s smirk was unapologetic. “Just wanted to make sure you still remembered how to breathe.”

Your heart raced, thoroughly on edge from all the talk of man-killing animals and insects. God, you especially hated bugs – spiders, creepy-crawlies, ants, winged things – all of them hit some irrational fear that you’d never overcome.

Dr. Monk Acosta leaned around Mundy with kind concern on his Brazilian-accented syllables. “Are you alright, Skip?”

You blew a sigh, adrenaline seeping from your system. “Yeah, it’s just…bugs aren’t my favorite.” Your cheeks flushed, and you knew everyone could see right through you. So, big deal that you feared insects. At least, everyone knew where you stood.

Kiel’s mouth curled with a smile that he wasn’t quick enough to suppress. “Only one more left.” He clicked the slide forward to an image of a black ant crawling over a green leaf. “Don’t let this not-so-little guy fool you – he’s nicknamed the ‘24 ant’. Now, this refers to both the full day of pain that follows being stung by this guy, and the time that it takes to kill a human if left untreated. Its sting is so powerful, the pain is comparable to being shot with a bullet, and we have no options for relief. While the venom itself doesn’t cause madness, that much intense pain over time certainly leaves traumatic scars.”

An audible, shaky exhale sounded from someone, but you didn’t know who.

“To put it into perspective,” Kiel continued, “the bullet ant is the only species ranked as a 4 on the Schmidt sting pain index – and that’s the highest level. The pain’s described as ‘pure, intense, brilliant pain…like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel.’”

Mundy scoffed. “Well, that’s certainly descriptive.”

“Yeah, Schmidt,” Volkov chortled, “it’s your index – do, please tell us more.”

Schmidt pursed his lips. “A different Schmidt, as you well know, of course. You’ve had how many of these safety trainings now, Volkov, as a self-professed ‘expert’ on this region?”

Once the meeting ended, you googled this Schmidt sting pain index. The accompanying photos did nothing to ease your insect heebie-jeebies, but it was an interesting read nonetheless. Perhaps someday you could use it for teasing fodder of your own with the physicist. But only in private, though. You weren’t sure you wanted to risk catching a lash from his sharp tongue in front of the whole team. Mainly because you weren’t sure how you would respond in turn. No matter how you tried, the disappointed frustration still burned from that night when all you wanted was him, but after having a taste, he made a different choice.

That sting of dismissal may not be a four on the Schmidt sting pain index, but surely, it had to at least be a two. Maybe a three, now that you knew him better. Witnessing his more temperamental, acerbic edges that sharply contrasted with the gentle, enthralling man you met at the gala and glimpsed in quiet moments made you wonder. Who was the real Schmidt? The unassuming man with the infectious zeal for discovery? Or the easily riled, short-tempered scientist?

Passion was a double-sided coin, after all.

----------

Day -44:

Acosta smiled warmly. “Just breathe.” He swabbed your arm with an alcohol wipe. “This is no different than the other vaccines you’ve had.”

You nodded quickly. “I know, but the anticipation is still the worst part.”

He popped the vaccine cap and you refused to look. “I’ll let you in on a secret, if it helps,” he said gently, “I don’t like boats, mainly because I get seasick so easily.”

“Seriously?” The needle broke your skin and you flinched. “Seems like bad planning to have you on this particular expedition, in that case.” You turned as you felt the bandage stick to your skin.

“I don’t think anyone else on this team speaks Portuguese.” His smile fell to an annoyed line. “Though, I’m not sure how much good that will do outside of Manaus. The locals of the rainforest have their own dialects and languages.”

You regarded him with quiet contemplation for a minute. “Have you ever been to the rainforest before?”

“No, I grew up in Rio on the coast and we never traveled that far inland.”

You nodded slowly. “Well, if it’s any consolation – the Shepherd should give us a smooth ride. She’s outfitted with a top-of-the-line gyrostabilizer designed to counteract the wave motion of the water. Especially when we anchor at night, the gyro will reduce the rocking of the ship, in turn reducing the effects of motion sickness.”

“I’ve already been reassured of the ship’s outfitting, but I do appreciate your confirmation.” His smile grew with warm mischief. “I’ll also have a full supply of Dramamine on board, too. Just in case.”

“And so long as you don’t have any more vaccines to distribute onboard, then we’ll get along just fine.”

He chuckled softly. “They’re better than the alternative. At worst for the typhoid vaccine are side-effects of nausea and fever.” He turned away towards the far counter. “As a reward, I have a treat for you.”

Your brows arched in disbelief, an awkward smile tugging at your lips. “I don’t need a treat, Monk. You’ve already stuck me with so many needles and prescribed so many pills.”

His answering smile told you that you’d clearly missed his attempt at a joke. “It’s not a treat really, but at Kiel’s direction, no one gets their expedition watch until after their last vaccine.” He hefted the slim black device from the counter before handing it over.

Calling it an expedition watch didn’t do it justice. It housed everything from communications to biomedical sensors to programmable Shepherd interfaces to, of course, the time. You honestly wouldn’t be surprised if you found a self-destruct button for the SS Shepherd embedded somewhere in your watch.

It struck you as overkill – as did many other aspects of this expedition – but that had always been the nature of the big-hearted Mr. Smyth.

----------

Day -30:

“Your employer has very deep pockets.” Volkov’s thick syllables crept up beside you.

You looked over at the blonde-haired man, his expedition watch gleaming as he lifted a champagne flute to his lips. You arched a brow. “You’re complaining? Looks like it’s helped keep you in a job.”

He shrugged, noncommittally. “I don’t need this expedition to find gainful employment, nor do I want my reputation to suffer from shady associations.”

“Shady associations?” You raised your own champagne flute as the sounds of celebration echoed around you.

“Yes, your employer – all this money,” he shook his head, “all this new ship.” He nodded out at the SS Shepherd, freshly launched and awaiting christening. “It’s all too much, yes?”

“I don’t know.” You couldn’t resist a sardonic smirk. “I’ve never been on an archaeological expedition before.”

Volkov grumbled in Russian, shaking his head. “This is not an archaeological expedition – this is a wild goose chase.”

“You don’t believe we’ll find the Cloverfield Pyramid?”

He eyed you like you couldn’t be more stupid. “I believe there are untold secrets of the Cloverfield tribe awaiting our discovery. However, I refuse to believe that we’ll find some primitive form of generator, energy-wave concentrator.”

“Alright, alright,” you took a sip of champagne, “no need to rip into Schmidt just because he’s out of earshot.”

“And you shouldn’t be so quick to defend your German boyfriend.”

You froze, your brow furrowing as you glared over at him. “Excuse me? My what?”

Volkov flashed an irritating, self-satisfied grin. “You think you have your secrets, Skip, but you hide nothing from me.”

You scoffed, hoping your cheeks weren’t too red. “Please don’t make me throw up. This is fairly decent champagne.”

A brass bell rang, catching everyone’s attention and drawing everyone in. You were happy to shuffle away from Volkov’s side as the crowd condensed, fighting to suppress an annoying, involuntary smile as Schmidt came to a stop beside you.

“Alright, everyone – welcome!” Kiel’s voice rang out. “Everyone has a full glass? Or a mostly full glass?” A low laugh rose from the assembled crowd as he smiled wide. “Thank you all for coming today. I don’t want this to be long – but we want to acknowledge the engineers and craftsmen who have led us here today to the successful launch of the SS Shepherd. May she serve this expedition and all who sail on her with great fortune!”

Applause and a few excited whistles sounded. Of course, you had pushed to be acting captain of the launch, but the contract was clear on the term of your command. Instead, you clapped softly around the stem of your champagne flute, glancing at Schmidt doing the same.

“And now,” Kiel continued, “our own Ava Hamilton will do the ceremonial honors.” He raised a champagne bottle for the crowd to see, another wave of applause rising as Ava stepped forward.

Schmidt huffed, shaking his head. “Such a waste of champagne.”

“Oh, hush,” you lightly scolded, watching Ava step up to the bow. “You do know that the Titanic was never christened, right?”

“Which has absolutely no bearing on the gross human negligence that led to her sinking.” He took a sip of champagne. “You mariners are such a superstitious bunch.”

The bottle broke against the hull in a spray of bubbles and glass, drawing another round of approval from the assembled crowd.

You leaned towards him in a conspiratorial whisper. “Superstitious maybe, but we don’t leave everything to chance. For instance, if the champagne bottle isn't scored with a diamond bit before the christening, the bottle won’t break, and that’s considered even worse luck.”

He turned to you with an arched brow. “So, you make your own luck, instead.”

You shrug. “Why tempt the fates?”

Kiel’s voice cut through the crowd. “Thank you, Ava. Well done! And now, I’ve asked Monk to send us off with a blessing. Dr. Acosta?”

“Oh, Christ,” Schmidt groused, “here we go.”

“Hey, man,” Mundy nudged him with folded hands, his face pinching to a glare. “Show some respect.”

Schmidt rolled his eyes, but otherwise didn’t protest. You dutifully bowed your head as Acosta spoke, having made peace with divinity decades ago but unwilling to risk the accrual of any deity’s ill will. Especially when you were due to leave for Brazil in less than two weeks.

A gentle murmur of ‘amen’ rose from the assembly followed by a round of applause. Kiel relinquished the floor and the crowd dissolved to resume celebrating.

Schmidt raised the flute to his lips, shaking his head. “Is Sunday school over now?”

You rolled your eyes with a sigh. “Just because you don’t share those beliefs is no reason to disparage them. It’s no different than Volkov openly dismissing your theories.”

He fixed you with a disgusted stare and you felt a thrill of victory. Despite your lingering, irksome attraction to the man, it still felt good to take him down a notch.

He blinked slowly as if he still couldn’t believe what you had said. “Did you really just compare belief in the divine to acceptance of scientific theory?”

“Not in so many words.” You held his gaze, not backing down. “I’m merely saying that you don’t share Mundy’s belief, so you openly disparage it. It’s no different than Volkov not sharing your belief on these pyramids, so he openly disparages it.” You took another drink of champagne, delighting in the indignant frustration that handsomely bloomed on his face. “I told Volkov the same thing – don’t rip into you when you’re not around, so don’t you rip into Mundy or his beliefs when he’s not around.”

His lip curled with an insulted snarl. “I am nothing like Volkov.”

You arched a brow. “Are you sure?”

His frustration faded as he found the answer, replaced by something infinitely more wicked and teasing. He moved in, close enough to whisper low in your ear, his breath sweet from the champagne. “Unless you’ve similarly entertained Volkov in darkened museum stairwells, then we both know the answer to that question.”

Heat rushed through you, staining your cheeks and pooling between your legs as you scrambled for words. “Oh...so, we’re talking about that night now, are we?”

“Not talking about it doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten.”

Damn the man.

You hadn’t been able to come up with a smooth reply as you fought every instinct to not grab him by the nape and kiss him senseless. Later, as you tossed in bed that night, vibrator slick from your first orgasm and rapidly hurtling you towards your second - imagining gripping his sturdy shoulders above you, burning under the intensity of his brown eyes, drowning in his rough whispers - you came with his name on your lips.

God, you needed to squash your stubborn infatuation. None of it was going to do you any good on the voyage ahead. There was nothing to be gained by it, and if Volkov could read your attraction to the man, then surely, Schmidt knew, too. Yes, he was intelligent; yes, he was engaging; yes, his presence drew countless involuntary smiles from you. But for what? This expedition would end eventually and you'd each go back to business as usual.

You’d already lost your way with a relationship once, and you weren’t about to risk doing so again.

----------

Day -12:

Exhaustion gnawed at you. It had been another long day overseeing the SS Shepherd as she prepared for loadout to Manaus on the cargo ship that would set sail in less than six hours. That meant you had less than six hours to get some sleep before you needed to report aboard, ready to sail for Brazil. But first, you had a stop to make.

Suppressing a yawn, you left the Miami heat behind for the air conditioned office space that the team had occupied these past months. Of course, Acosta wasn’t here at this ungodly hour, but the packet of pills was waiting for you just as he said it would. Glancing through it, you saw it contained a little of everything from motion sickness pills (despite your objection) to malaria pills (despite your begging to have them earlier). Tucking the packet in your bag, you turned down the darkened hallway and rounded the corner. You didn’t want to glance at your watch – confirmation of the late hour would only add to your exhaustion.

Blinking heavy eyelids, you paused as music reached your ears. Old music. It sounded like 40s, maybe even 50s golden oldies.

You furrowed your brow, moving in the direction of the music. Rounding the far corner, you saw light spilling out from an open office doorway – of course, it was Schmidt’s office doorway. But 40s and 50s music? At this hour?

Sure enough, he stood at the front of his desk with his back to the door. A large printout rested in both hands, his head tilted and face intent as he studied it. He wore an olive-green polo with a shocking orange stripe on the collar - ok, so maybe his fashion sense needed some help - but that’s when your breath caught. His hips started to sway to the rhythm of the song, the movements carrying fluidly down his dark-jean clad legs as he danced in place. It was hypnotic to watch him - and god, you wanted to slide up behind him, wanted to feel him move against you, wanted to run your fingers through his thick hair.

You caught a sigh that threatened to escape and knew you should speak up before he caught you staring. “Now look whose turn it is to burn the midnight oil.”

He turned at the sound of your voice, a closed-mouth smile softening his face, eyes tired behind his lenses. “It wasn’t intentional...guess I got carried away.”

You stepped into his office, the music clearer as you nodded at the paper in his hand. “Looks important.”

“Yes. Well, it’s puzzling, at least.” He hefted the printout for emphasis as he turned back towards it. “I just received it from my colleague in Egypt. She’s measuring the strangest uptick in energy in the Great Pyramid.”

You looked at the printout, noting the horizontal and vertical axis of a chart that showed a spectrum of colors concentrating around a central triangle shape. It looked vaguely like something you saw in one of your particle physics classes at university, but those were your least favorite classes and your brain was currently mush. “Well, it looks pretty at any rate.”

He huffed in amusement. “It’s an electromagnetic wave chart - the red areas denote a higher concentration of energy waves, and the blue areas a lower concentration. As you can see here, there’s a spike of red running right through the middle of the Great Pyramid.”

Sure enough, you saw the coalesced line of red that cut through the middle of the triangle on the page.

“Now,” he lowered the printout to reveal a nearly identical printout on his desk, “this is the same pyramid five months ago when I left.”

You stared down at the image, surprised to not see a single red area. “The middle’s blue - so, a lower energy concentration.” Your gaze narrowed as you looked back at him. “So, what’s driving the higher concentration of energy?”

He shook his head. “That’s the puzzle. I’ve been writing out a list of questions to send back to my colleague - environmental changes, structure modifications - hell, it could even be a poorly calibrated instrument.” He sighed gently, shaking his head again in vexation. “But if a millennia old structure is still so vulnerable to energy fluctuations, then I need to understand how this could impact any find we make in the Amazon. We don’t yet know the purpose of the energy concentration, and if....” He stopped, turning towards you with a sheepish smile. “Sorry - I don’t mean to ramble.”

“No, it’s alright.” Your face warmed with an involuntary smile. “I’m the one who interrupted you.”

“I’m glad you did.” He nodded to the bag over shoulder. “All set for departure tomorrow - err, today?”

“As set as I’m going to be. Hopefully the 10-day journey to Manaus will give you enough time to sort out your riddle of the graphs before your plane departs.”

That pulled a breathy chuckle from him as he nodded. “Thanks.”

A jazzy trumpet sounded in the silence, and you had to ask. “So, what’s with the music? Pretty old stuff.”

Never thought that you would be Standing here so close to me

An endearing smile - one you hadn’t seen since that night of the gala - suffused his face. “Yes, it is - but I like it, it helps me think. Helps with frustration, keeps me focused...you know, it actually sounds silly to say aloud."

“It’s not silly at all. Everyone has ways of minimizing stress.” You could see that he didn't look convinced but you couldn’t say what compelled you to keep speaking. “This way's actually pretty cute, and surprisingly old-fashioned. Does that mean...do you like to dance, then?” You didn’t mention that you watched him dance in place next to his desk. Nor, that he made something that should look silly instead look quite good. More than good, if you were being honest.

Slowly, as if reluctant to admit it, he nodded. “I like to think I’m a rather passable dancer, actually.”

Haven’t felt like this my dear since can’t remember when It’s been a long, long time

He dropped the printout to his desk, passing a hand through his hair to tame the wild curl across his forehead. “In fact, I regret that we didn’t have the opportunity to dance at the gala. I would have liked that.”

You nearly scoffed. "Yeah...sure."

His brow knit, tilting his head. "You don't believe me?"

"Well, we both remember how that night went."

His brow knotted further, staring back at you in mocking disbelief. "And you still don't believe me? Do you honestly not know?"

"I know that you didn't want to fuck me, so why would we have made time to dance?”

You froze as your words echoed in your ears. Shit, you didn’t mean to say that - you really needed to get some sleep. You didn’t want him to know that you were still hung up on that night. Which you weren’t, dammit. You weren’t.

But there was nowhere to hide from his piercing eyes as the music continued to chirp.

So, kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again It’s been a long, long time

He turned his body towards you, a curious, wolfish look darkening his gaze. “Is that what you really think?”

“Shit, that wasn’t…I didn't….” Your cheeks flamed as you stammered inelegantly, your heart suddenly in your throat. You didn’t want him to think you were such a pathetic simp. “Look, just forget it, alright? As Kiel said, we still have lots of ‘together time’ on this expedition, and I don’t want….”

Your words stalled as he took slow, predatory steps forward. Heat stirred in your blood, your breath catching as his eyes locked to yours, raising a hand to slide your bag from your shoulder to the floor. A mischievous smirk curled his lips as his right hand slid to the small of your back while capturing your right hand in his left. “Then, all the better that we should clear the air, don’t you think?”

He started moving to the rhythm as a new song began, his movements confident and steady. It was unfair how fluidly he moved with the tempo, and how easily you fell in step with him despite your exhaustion and not knowing the steps. Irritation rippled up your spine but quickly melted under his strong, graceful moves. Fuck, if you’d known he could dance like this at the gala, maybe you would have stooped to begging.

His breath tickled the shell of your ear. “You have no idea how much I wanted to have you in my bed that night, to fuck you until you could only scream my name. You have no idea how much I thought of you as I took myself in hand for days after.”

Full throttle arousal slammed through you, drowning in his scent, in the strength of his embrace, in the increasingly rough timbre of his voice.

He angled his hips to press in close to yours. “Did you not feel how much I wanted you, how hard I was for you that night? Did you really not know?”

“God, I wanted you, too.” You burned alive to finally confess, suffocating from the thick air as you pressed your nose to his cheek. “Then, why the fuck did you push me away? I would have gone with you anywhere, given you everything.”

“You say that and I don't disagree - fuck, the things I wanted to do to you - but for what? I know it would have been an unforgettable night, and I didn’t want to watch you just sail away the next day like it meant nothing.”

You wanted to dissolve into him. Had he just pushed you away for self-preservation? Had you been so unbelievably blind? You nuzzled against his day’s worth of stubble. "Well, that's what will happen when this expedition ends," you breathed as your heart raced, "but it won't mean nothing."

He hummed low in his throat, a delicious sound that spoke straight to the slick heat growing between your thighs. “Who knows, perhaps - when this is over - maybe I’ll convince you to drop anchor in my harbor for a while.”

You snorted, leaning further into his embrace. “Maybe only if you stop with the cheesy naval metaphors.”

"That’s how you know it comes from an honest place - if I’d known we would have this conversation tonight, it might sound smoother.”

You weren’t going to tell him that he sounded pretty smooth already...mostly.

An easy silence lapsed as he continued to expertly lead you with gentle motions, and you'd never felt more undone by something so simple as a dance. Every part of you yearned for him - for his kiss, his hands, his cock. You wanted everything he’d give you.

He nosed along your cheek, exhaling shakily. “If there’s even a chance...come to bed with me tonight.” His lips dusted faint, maddening kisses down your jaw, your neck. “Even if time’s short, even if we end up just sleeping.”

Your toes curled at the surge of oh fuck, yes that ran through you. You struggled for clarity to think past the brush of his mouth, the heat of his body, the allure of his words as you clung to him. “Not when...not when we have to keep working together in such close quarters. Volkov’s already suspicious and he doesn’t need any more ammunition.”

He pulled away from your neck, far enough to meet your gaze. Sharp concern pierced his desire-glazed eyes. “What did he say to you?”

“Nothing offensive.” You shook your head, wetting your upper lip as embarrassment already warmed your cheeks despite the intimacy of your shared embrace. “He just called you my boyfriend, that’s all.”

He blinked back at you, clearly processing your words with poorly disguised interest. “I’m glad to hear that idea doesn’t offend you.”

But therein was your problem. You couldn’t afford to get attached, to jeopardize your job with a relationship. Iván had made you realize at least that much. And if you let yourself go with Ernst tonight, if you let him so profoundly under your skin...you feared how fucked you would truly be.

His mouth curled to match the wicked promise gleaming in his eyes. “When this ends, Schatz - I won’t let you run away so easily.” His steps slowed as the song ended, and you already felt bereft as he stepped back, his hand falling from your back.

You fixed him with a tired smile, breathing deep to get your body back under control. You knew that you should nip this in the bud right now, that getting both of your hopes up wouldn’t help either of you. But the longer you drank in the genuine, affectionate desire that lit his handsome features, you spoke before you could think better of it. “Keep playing your cards right, and I won’t stop you.”

Link to Ch. 3

Tag List: @apparrio @charistory @somethingthatsaysbubbles @everythingbeginsineternity-blog

[aftgficrec]

First, I LOVE what you are doing, thank you so much.

Second: any that focus on the baby foxes—aside from just Neil punching Jack?

All the older foxes have stories that go more into their character, we can see why they are assholes (and almost excuse them). Any for the baby foxes (particularly Jack) like this?

Alternatively, any where the older foxes are held accountable for their asshole actions? (Andrew forcing Aaron’s withdrawal, the chocking incident, the speedballs, Matt’s attacking Kevin for stuff that isn’t his fault, Nicky’s kissing Neil, Andrew’s drugging of anyone he considers suspicious, etc.)

Ok, so Robin Cross and Jack are future foxes discussed in Nora’s extra content. Robin has some in-depth fics written about her backstory, most notably the true crime podcast AU ‘Red Rabbits: Season 2,’ below. We found a bit of Jack’s past in ‘Lessons In Cartography’ (chapters 19 and 20), and a bit of Robin’s in sequel ‘The Cartographer and the World’ (chapters 8 and 13), find both here.

I’ve also got some accountability fics for you. - A

Robin & Jack:

fics featuring the freshmen here

Jack and Sheena being assholes here

Neil fights with Jack here

‘pick up all the pieces (and what’s left of my pride)’ here

‘Red-Breasted Fox’ here

og foxes held accountable:

Confrontations about demisexuality/Andrew's soullessness here

Foxes feel guilty about Andrew here

New finds for Nicky kissing Neil here; master list here

Andrew apologizes to Kevin here

you may also like:

some with Jean reacting to Kevin’s role at the nest: ‘playing on’ and ‘Staring at the Sun’ (updated) here; ‘give your tears to the tide’ here

‘creature of habit’ here (fix-it fic for Nicky’s character)

Aaron’s ptsd from withdrawal here

in-depth fics for Robin Cross

Teaching a caged bird to fly series by Charcoalll [Rated T/M, Collection with 4 complete works, Last Updated Sept 2021]

Part 1: Sunrise over Home [M (we say T), 7870 Words]

Robin Cross is regretting ever signing with the Foxes more and more every day. But when a disastrous day at court leads to emotions culminating, she has a much needed talk with her coach. Turns out her recrutation wasn't as random as she thought, but why would Andrew Minyard off all people have an interest in her?

No matter what, it all ends on that cursed roof at midnight.

tw: violence, tw: negative self talk, tw: bullying, tw: panic attacks, tw: implied/referenced csa

Part 2: Guilt, Fault and Blame [T, 9093 Words]

Whatever that night at the roof meant, it changed Robin's life rather quickly. On the edge of a life she never thought she could have, she has to make some thought decisions.

What is Andrew's true intentions?

What does he want with her?

And is Steven still in controll of her from his prison cell halfway cross country?

Or; Robin begins driving with the monsters from practice and suddenly everything changes.

tw: anxiety, tw: drugs, tw: alcohol, tw: implied/referenced csa, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced kidnapping, tw: implied/referenced murder of a child

Part 3: Never felt Safer [T, 3465 Words]

Robin finally earned Andrew's attention. Now she's standing in front of the biggest changes her life has seen, but as it seems it's only for the better.

tw: violence

Part 4: Secret Privacy [M (we say T), 15790 Words]

5 times Robin saw the emotions others seemed blind to, and 1 time it was painfully obvious.

Or Andrew and Neil through Robin's eyes.

tw: alcohol, tw: blood, tw: panic attacks, tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: slurs

Red Rabbits: Season 2 by bloodydamnit, jeni182 [Rated E, 282064 words, complete, 2020]

You’re listening to Season Two of Red Rabbits, the Case of the Newark 9. My name is Robin Cross. I’m number 8. And I survived.

Disclaimer: This season is dark. We won't pretend it's not. It's dark and it's not for the faint of heart, but we really tried to make every single action we take justified. Nothing that is tagged under abuse or otherwise is current and it is in no way detailed, whatsoever. We really took every reference seriously and there will be a list of triggers before every single chapter. It's part of the reason why getting this story out took so long. We want you all to know we have been double and triple checking ourselves to make sure every topic in this Season is handled properly. If there are any questions, please message us via the links in the AN of ch 1.

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced csa, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: referenced kidnapping, tw: referenced murder, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: scars, tw: implied violence

accountability

cause and effect by clarodelune [Rated G, 2682 Words, Complete, 2020]

cause-and-effect [ kawz-uh nd-i-fekt, -uh n- ]

adjective

1. the principle of causation.

2. noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others.

or: in which andrew understands actions have consequences and that losing kevin might just be one of them.

tw: implied/referenced violence, tw: implied/referenced non-consensual drug use, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: ptsd

hand over hand series by lackingsoy [Rated T, Collection, 4 complete works, Last Updated August 2020]

Part 1: the deal's done [4091 Words]

"Does it hurt," Allison's voice was bleak.

"What do you think," Kevin replied, somehow managing to sound steady despite his closed throat.

Allison looked at him, eyes remarkably cool for someone who went toe to toe with Seth and other despicable players. "I think," she said, lips popping on the last word: "You, Kevin Day, are heartbroken."

Five fingers, one promise, and the end of a lifeline. Post-hotel scene, the long hours after but before Neil gets picked back up by the Foxes, wherein Kevin stares into the face of his wounds, Allison extends an olive branch, and Renee decides, in the privacy of her own mind, to stop playing mediator.

tw: implied/referenced violence, tw: alcohol abuse, tw: panic attacks, tw: implied/referenced abuse

Part 2: domestic bliss [4251 Words]

It was a vindictive, vicious sort of triumph, Kevin supposed, that made him turn his face to meet Andrew’s gaze. To rear his head just a little, bare his throat. A steady dark line, marred and patented.

Abuse aftermath is seen to seriously by Wymack and Abby; consequences are left in the hands of the Foxes; and a few finally make unprecedented moves. Kevin just wants to die, so maybe nothing's different. (Except it is; has to be.)

tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: implied/referenced violence

Part 3: you asked for this (he didn't; you spat in the face of him) [1326 Words]

“You were supposed to be better,” Renee said. “For him.”

“That was never the deal,” Andrew told her.

Re: the loud crash. What actually happened when Renee sought out the Monster(s).

tw: violence

Part 4: a minor inconvenience, a smaller promise [1022 Words]

Aaron looked like he wanted to die this time. His shoulders shifted side to side, uncertain and uncomfortable. But his eyes were very clearly honed on the discoloring still visible on Kevin's neck, Allison's intensive powdering long washed off, and the darkness that passed over his eyes could've been misinterpreted for anger and maybe stupider still, regret.

tw: implied/referenced violence

Like Damned Guilty Deeds by EmilyScarlett [Rated M, 1679 words, complete, 2017]

The first time Jean and Kevin train together again after the events of the books.

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: anxiety

[xthelastknownsurvivorx]

master list - greatest hits

the best of each fandom, plus links to fandom-specific master lists (link in section title) for more content

rwrb

comprehensive timeline

weekly 100 word challenge: an (in)complete list: of 100 word drabbles

most recent fic: not a day I don't miss (those rude interruptions) [firstprince]

most popular fic: some element of mystery [firstprince]

the passion project: snl | season 45 episode 2 | hrh prince henry & fsotus alex claremont diaz [firstprince]

recommended fic: burn (they're watching us/i hope that they) [firstprince]

underrated fic: the frustrating, intoxicating, complicated sum of him [firstprince]

favorite post: june and nora's life experience [white house trio]

orv

most recent full fic: i told you, i don't usually- [joongdok]

most popular post: lgy and knw: unexpected companions [no ship]

favorite post: yjh's love language [no ship]

interesting meta: i (the realist) must protect him (the optimist) [implied joongdok]

svsss

most recent post: is sy an incel? [implied bingqiu]

favorite meme: sy vs transmigrating [no ship]

interesting meta: sy comp cis vs comp het: which would win? [no ship]

bts

most popular full fic: special instructions [jikook] (bffs vmin, pizza delivery boy!au)

most popular hc: dope au  [jikook] (mutual pining)

favorite video: how to make your bandmates uncomfortable in under 10 seconds [jikook] (+ bts being done w them)

underrated fic: 161204: 화양연화 (161204: the most beautiful moment in life) [no ship] (yoongi character study)

personas au

most recent full fic: all night (stay with me) [seagull x christian]

most popular hc: high school au [tattoo × baby g]

favorite hc: alpha!christian [no endgame specified] (non-trad abo, bffs seagull & christian, park clan, km 6)

featured hc: you should've seen the other guy [mentions of tattoo × baby g, ian × christian] (bros tattoo and christian, kid!seagull)

underrated hc: ian's "coffee" [no ship] (jeon clan antics)

cql

most recent full fic: the quintessential experience [no ship] (juniors trio, potentially romantic subtext if you squint)

hc contribution: mdzs idol au [no ship]

underrated fic: autumn rain, red lanterns, and bygone memories [no ship] (jiang cheng character study)

[leqclerc]

What a year (derogatory.) It’s been long and difficult and frustrating and not what we had in mind when the clock struck midnight a year ago I’m sure. Wishing you all a happier, brighter, less lonely 2021. 🙏🏻✨💕

I’ve been out of this fandom for about two years. When we went into lockdown (the first time around) I didn’t know what to do with myself. On a whim, I got back into Formula 1 (it was always somewhere in the back of my mind but I hadn’t given it my full attention for a while), first by catching up on DTS, and then by tuning into the races around June. Finally, I tentatively re-joined the fandom in early August. At first I felt kind of lost - there were so many new urls, icons, new posts; hell, the fandom had a name now (f1blr) which was new. I didn’t really have any expectations, I just wanted to feel a little less lonely, a little less hopeless. I never could’ve anticipated what would happen in the next five months. 

I got back into editing and giffing and interacting in fandom and everything that comes with that. I met so many wonderful, talented, kind people, a lot of whom I consider genuine friends. I’ve been welcomed back with open arms. I got to be a part of something bigger than myself, experience the epic highs and lows of Sebchal as teammates, and feel a real sense of purpose and community for the first time in this cursed year. I know it sounds stupid, but every note on a gifset, every @ mention, every tag under my edits, every time someone hits like under one of my long drawn-out essays, every anonymous (and non-anon) ask in my inbox...It all means so much to me. My follower count shot up from 600-something to an astonishing 983. I still can’t really believe it, but I’m grateful for each and every one of you. You inspire me and motivate me and bring me so much joy. Thank you💕 

First, I want to collectively thank the @dailyf1 crew and the soup chat (y’all know who you are) for being wonderful. 🥰 Thank you to all the content creators and artists and fic writers that have shared their creations throughout the year. I also want to give a shoutout to some of the people on here that have made an impact on me; those who’ve helped make this dark year a little bit brighter. Also full disclosure my memory is awful, so if I miss anyone, that’s on me and my forgetfulness! I’m sorry! 

@j-button formerly known as jnny-g: Oh, Fir. You’re my everything and more: the Seb to my Charles, the soup to my bread. It’s crazy to think that it all started with that one innocuous ask about football AU...And now here we are, months later, and you’ve become one of my closest, dearest friends. Thank you for indulging me almost every single day from 10am to 5am; thank you for all the ideas we’re shared, ranging from reasonable to self-indulgently unhinged; thank you for all the fics you’ve written and all the love and care you’ve poured into everything you’ve created; thank you for all the laughs and the endless encouragement. Most of all, thank you for being you, and thank you for being there. There’s a lot more I could say but I think you already know everything. I love you. 💕

@helmetswap: Give me your helmet and I’ll give you mine. ✨💕🙏🏻✌🏻 Lynn! Thank you for letting me yell at you about Sebchal and for yelling back. Thank you for all the worms we shared. Thank you for indulging Nora AU and making it the special little thing it’s blossomed into. You’re one of the sweetest, funniest, kindest, loveliest people I’ve met in this fandom and I’m lucky to call you a friend.

@totovolff: J, you’re one of the coolest people on this goddamn hellsite. An icon. You’re one of the first people I actually spoke to via DMs and I’ll never forget that. Thank you for your presence, your tireless defense of Val, and all of the amazing fics you’ve produced - especially Formula Student fic, your Sebchal portrayal lives in my head rent free and will continue to do so for many months to come. 

@scharletred: I know we haven’t spoken much but your presence is always felt on my dash. You’re one of the nicest, kindest, most positive people on here. You’re always ready to help out with a link or an opinion or a translation. Thank you for everything <3 

@formulabarbi: Again, one of the loveliest, most talented people I’ve had the pleasure to interact with! I love all your content, your tags, your enthusiasm. Thank you again for being so willing to help me out and make me a header, I love it 🥺🙏🏻

@redbulllracing: Elise, your talent and kindness is always felt on the dash! Thank you for welcoming me into DailyF1 and always being so willing to help out in any way. You’re a treasure and a huge inspiration <3 

@redpaint: I know we haven’t spoken much but Nat of redpaint fame, you’re an icon, a legend, one of the most important people in the unhinged little Sebchal community. Your fics and posts served as a Sebchal crash course for me when I got back into the fandom, and conflict resolution and see you falling live rent free in my mind. Thank you for writing the language of another world, easily one of my fave fics that I’ve read this year. Stay iconic <3

@pinsaroulettes: Fuck, Olivia, you’re in a league of your own with all your Charles edits. Your brain, your talent. Keep doing the lord’s work and spread that sweet, sweet Charles Leclerc propaganda. Always a delight to see your content on my dash. The fiercest of us all ✌🏻

@4mulaone @4xmulti21champion @alexanderalbon @callumilott @enemy-crush @f-uno @georgerussellls @goalkepa @hakkinens @jensons @marcusarmstrongs  @mclarenrenaissance @mclarenp3 @mhakkinen @mushroomseb @oscar-piastri @pitcrew @sebchal @sebestianvettel @sunshine-ricciardo @reynobody @ricciardos @verstappen

[firstprince-ao3feed]

Foreign Affairs

by CharlieMarr This is simply a copy of the inspired work with only the characters/fandom and certain countries being changed. The original is amazing and would definitely recommend reading it (like I have a hundred times).   Or Alex is a spy on a mission to steal important documents and requires the insight of a particular prostitute. Words: 11496, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston, Red White & Royal Blue (2023) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Zahra Bankston, Ellen Claremont, Nora Holleran, Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Original Characters Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alex Claremont-Diaz & June Claremont-Diaz, Zahra Bankston & Alex Claremont-Diaz, Zahra Bankston & Ellen Claremont, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor/Original Male Character(s), Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor & Percy "Pez" Okonjo Additional Tags: spy AU, Prostitution, Explicit Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con via https://ift.tt/PYsOIji

[ardentaislinn]

Yuletide Letter 2021

Hi! I am also ardentaislinn on AO3. Thank you so much for volunteering to write one of my chosen fandoms! I really can’t wait to see what you come up with. Most importantly, I hope you have fun writing whichever of my fandoms it is. Any suggestions I make here are optional.

Here you’ll find:

My general likes

My DNWs

And prompts for the following fandoms:

반도 | Peninsula (2020) (aka Train to Busan 2) - Jung Seok, Min Jung, Joon Yi, Yoo Jin

Free Guy (2021) - Millie Rusk, Walter “Keys” McKeys

Automatic (1995) - J269, Nora Rochester

Zombie Detective | 좀비탐정 - Kim Moo Young/Kang Min Ho, Gong Sun Ji

You Can't Sit With Us - Sunmi (Music Video) - Any (Girl Gang Leader, Girl Gang Member with Slicked Back Hair, Girl Gang Member with Pink Machine Gun, Worldbuilding)

My Likes:

I like getting together fics most of all. I love almost every kind of romance trope (fake dating, slow burn, enemies/rivals-to-lovers, “unrequited” pining (that is really requited), marriage of convenience/arranged marriage, bed sharing, trapped together, etc.) Also, casefic, epistolary fic, consent, forbidden pleasures, beta heroes, found families, masquerades, military kink, physical imperfections, ladies being badass and female relationships (whether romantic or friendship), relationships that build tension before exploding, first kisses, equal relationships, competence, communication, U/RST, positive endings.

You may notice from the below that my ships mostly involve sweet and occasionally broken men being secretly head over heels for badass ladies, (and usually not feeling worthy). So that dynamic is strongly encouraged.

I also like smut, but it certainly isn’t a necessity. For smut, I’m (sadly) fairly vanilla. But I like light bondage, cunnilingus, shower sex, and accidental/consensual voyeurism, (Particularly guys taking matters into their own hands when they think they can’t be with their lady, and the woman stumbling across him mid-act. Possibly my favourite kink ever? Writer’s choice whether the woman joins in or gets embarrassed)

Happy endings (or at least hopeful endings) are preferred. Like, super, super preferred. I don’t mind angst at all, but it kinda has to be on the way out of the darkness by the end.

I have noticed that this year I've requested fics with interesting crossover potential - particularly with regards to Korean zombie canons. It was a total accident - I'm usually neither here nor there on crossovers - but I'm totally down this year if it inspires you!

Dislikes/DNWs:

Miserable endings. Death of requested characters. Baby/Pregnancy fic. Humiliation. Drug use/drug mentions/addiction. Self harm/abuse. Non-con/rape. Heavy kink. A/B/O. M-Preg. Incest. Bestiality, animal harm etc. Underage sexual content. 1st person POV (unless for epistolary). Not big on high school AUs or Rock band AUs. Unbalanced power dynamics in ships without acknowledging/exploring that.

A quick note on the Korean names - I’m fine with however you choose to transliterate them. Hyphen/no hyphen, slight differences in romanisation, etc. Just do what you are comfortable with and I’ll adjust no problem. No need to add the honourifics, though

I think that’s it?

And so, to the fandoms, in no particular order:

반도 | Peninsula (2020) (aka Train to Busan 2)

Jung Seok, Min Jung, Joon Yi, Yoo Jin

While maybe objectively not as good a film as the first one, I still enjoyed the hell out of it. Given that it was essentially a cross between Escape From New York and Mad Max, what isn’t to love? I loved the expansion of the world and the clever uses of zombies in the chase scenes. And I loved that the message was that being logical and self-sacrificing isn’t always the right choice - sometimes you should be driven by heart and empathy. And I really liked the idea that anything can mean happiness when you love and are loved in return - particularly in regards to Joon Yi, but also Jung Seok (and his found family?).

I would love if Jung Seok and Min Jung got together. I do think it would be a bit emotionally messy - they both have baggage (and likely PTSD), but that could be interesting to explore.

What would interest me the most in this fandom is post-movie fics. But if you wanna do a canon divergent/au thing, I’d be cool with that, too.

Some prompts:

Joon Yi struggles a lot more than her sister to readjust to a “normal” life

In order to stay together after being rescued, Jung Seok and Min Jung have to pretend to be married

After four long years of loneliness, Min Jung just wants to be touched

Jung Seok isn’t surprised to find himself in love with Min Jung - and wanting to be a father to her girls - but is he good enough for them? He’s left them behind once - can he forgive himself? Can Min Jung?

The zombie plague escapes from Korea - and Jung Seok, Min Jung, and her girls are the closest thing to experts on how to fight back and contain it that the authorities have. Will their nightmare never be over? Or is this a chance to end it once and for all?

With Min Jung in hospital while her leg heals, Jung Seok suddenly finds himself a surrogate father to two very unruly girls.

Jung Seok and Min Jung end up writing letters to each other - maybe after Jung Seok is drafted into the zombie-fighting army. (Or maybe Min Jung is the one who is drafted and he looks after the girls?) I imagine it might be awkward at first but both of them could grow to love it.

A bit of Worldbuilding? We've seen a bit of what the world is like outside of Korea, but maybe an expansion of that elsewhere through the eyes of one of these characters.

Their first X together as a family? (Christmas, Chuseok, etc) Is it melancholy or filled with relief? Or both?

The family team up with the characters from Zombie Detective or You Can't Sit With Us and aren't quite sure what to make of them.

I'm happy if you want to write a story featuring/focusing on just the adults or just the kids!

Free Guy (2021)

Millie Rusk, Walter “Keys” McKeys

This movie was so much fun! I thought I'd enjoy it before going into it, but I liked it even more than expected. I liked that it tried to have a message about treating people (even fictional ones) better. And that your fate isn't written. But it didn't take itself too seriously. I was highly entertained.

Given that I'm trash for stories where men pine for women who (they think) are too good for them, I clearly shipped Millie and Keys together. I was really surprised but happy with how they resolved things between her and Guy. Ultimately, I'd love more of the getting together part of this ship but also post- and pre-canon would be good, too!

Prompts:

What happens during/after the kiss? Do they go straight to bed or do they have some lingering things to clear up first?

What kind of adventures do they get up to together inside the game? Or a different game they didn't create?

Does the memory of Millie kissing Guy (twice!) cause some lingering jealousy for Keys?

How does Millie feel about Keys' porno cop look IRL?

What did their first meeting look like? And how were the early days of their friendship?

Millie and Keys must use their software development/gaming skills to save the (real?) world.

What happens if some of the AIs from the game somehow get downloaded into the real world like coma patients or experimental robots? What kind of chaos ensues? If Antwan finds out he'll try to use it to his advantage, so how do they stop him?

An AU in which Millie didn't watch the video or didn't figure out what it meant?

Millie and Keys try to play wingman for Guy.

Given that a lot of this canon happens online - feel free to use chat logs or other formats to tell a story!

Automatic (1995)

J269, Nora Rochester

This movie is pretty obscure and hard to find, so here's a link on YouTube!

I love cyborg movies. I love almost-innocent heroes that need to learn how to Person, and the heroines that see them as more human than they are. Despite the obviously low budget of this movie, it’s one of my absolute favourite versions of this trope.

I’m most interested in post-canon fic for this, but I’d really be so thrilled to read anything! I’m fairly certain there’s no fic at all for this movie.

Prompts:

What happens after the movie ends? The two are now on the run. How do they survive? What do they learn about the world and each other? Are there other cyborgs out there? Are they being hunted? This is an opportunity to explore further world-building, too!

How does Nora deal with learning what she did about herself at the end of the movie? (Trying not to spoil it!) She’s probably pretty traumatised and maybe kind of angry about everything that happened.

Did they meet before the movie starts, but one or both had their memories wiped?

What’s their first time like?

J269 learning how to be a person and everything that entails. What kind of mistakes does he make that almost give the game away? What does he like and dislike about being “human”?

J269 dealing with Feelings for the first time and not knowing what to do with them. Nora wants him to make a move but he doesn’t quite Get It.

If they are on the run...bed sharing. Huddling for warmth. U/RST. Fake-relationship. Trope-y goodness.

Zombie Detective | 좀비탐정

Kim Moo Young | Kang Min Ho, Gong Sun Ji

Admittedly I wasn't sure what to make of this show at first. It's a horror comedy, and those two elements don't always mesh perfectly. But I ended up really liking it! It's silly at times but that's part of the fun.

The thing I liked most was actually the clever way they explained how he could be a zombie but also a functional person. Basically someone with special powers but also kinda dead? Amazing. If you want to do a bit of world building around this element I'd be cool with that, too. But also, around how being a zombie and being in a relationship works.

I like that he's a mixture of confidence and feeling unworthy. I feel like his line at the end "How can anyone date a zombie?" is something that he kinda believes and kinda doesn't. I like that! And I like that she's spunky and brave and has her own strengths to match his.

Prompts:

What happens when Moo Young meets another zombie like him? Is it evil? Is it a pretty girl? Is it an evil, pretty girl? Is Sun Ji jealous?

There are zombies in this world, so are there vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? Gumihos? Do Moo Young and Sun Ji fight with them or team up with them? Or does Sun Ji become a supernatural creature herself?

Casefic! Maybe the murder at the end is more complicated than it first appears? Or maybe one of their friends goes missing?

Fake relationship? Bed sharing? Other tropey goodness?

What happens right after they meet again at the Halloween party? How do they get together from there?

Can Moo Young even get it up? Being dead and all. Does he have to find other ways to please Sun Ji?

I know I said no pregnancy/baby fic and usually that's true...but in this case I'm weirdly fascinated by the idea of Sun Ji getting pregnant by a zombie and whatever half-dead superpowered baby might result. Consider it world building? And whatever emotional consequences it might have for the characters. Happiness? Certainly. Nerves? Probably. Horror? Potentially…

I assume that they make at least some of their money by finding missing people (dead or alive) with Moo Young's special sense of smell. This could be funny or poignant, depending, but maybe they also get in trouble with the law? How do they explain...everything?

Can Moo Young ever really be human again? What if Sun Ji decides she doesn't want him to be?

You Can't Sit With Us - Sunmi (Music Video)

Any (Girl Gang Leader, Girl Gang Member with Slicked Back Hair, Girl Gang Member with Pink Machine Gun, Worldbuilding)

Link to the music video!

This music video is extremely up my alley. Mostly the part when cute girls in cute clothes start killing the crap out of zombies! It's very my jam.

So I'd love an expansion on that idea! I'm undecided on whether the zombie outbreak has been happening for a while and the women were just shocked to find them invading a safe oasis, or whether the zombies are a new threat. Either way is fine for me!

While I'm not really married to a romance in this canon, if it inspires you I'd prefer f/f or f/f/f, but background m/f is fine too if you want to keep the girls as friends! I don’t have any headcanons on names for these characters, but if possible please don’t name them after the actresses (eg Sunmi).

Prompts:

Origin story! How did the girls meet? How did they get their skills and weapon cache? Were they a gang of assassins before the zombie outbreak or did they learn after the fact? Were they enemies or friends first?

What happens after the video? It looks like the leader and her zombie boyfriend are about to get arrested. How do her friends get her out of that mess? (Both the arrest and the boyfriend?)

What kind of adventures do they have together in the apocalypse? How do they keep their clothes looking cute and their hair perfect? (This can be a little tongue in cheek if you’d like!) Are they the Cher Horowitzs of the apocalypse?

Crossover with one of my other zombie requests! Do the family from Peninsula meet the girls on their travels? Do the girls try to kill Moo Young from Zombie Detective and then bond with Sun Ji? You can even make the girls villains or antagonists if you like!

This definitely had a mix of retro vibes - flip phones and video stores, etc, with the song itself and the apartment more 80s - was this set in an alternate universe? A simulation? A video game? Or did they create this world themselves as a nostalgic refuge?

The girls have a rival gang that's a bit T-birds to their pink ladies. Maybe also an all-girl gang? Do they compete for kills? Reluctantly help each other? Kiss each other? Try to kill each other? All of the above?

There's a From Dusk Til Dawn reference in there. Are there also vampires around? Does one of the girls become a vampire or a zombie and her friends have to help her?

An arranged marriage situation? Idk, it's the apocalypse, go wild!

What do celebrations look like in this world? Holidays, weddings, etc?

How did the world get to where we see it in the video? I’d be down for an unusual format for this one - letters/reports/diaries/other in-universe documents.

Thank you so much! I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you write but I hope this letter holds some useful inspiration for you!

[palmett-hoes]

this was originally meant to be a response/follow-up to @i-did 's post about race in the aftg fandom (that you should read). i ran it by him first and asked permission to add, but then we decided it was too long so i should make it its own post

---

i want to talk about fandom's take on the twins' race because it's rather glaring in the fandom that andrew (and then aaron by necessity) are often portrayed as the only white characters on the team and i have to question why?

there's nothing in the backstories that would mean writing them as POC would fling them headlong into offensive stereotypes that the fandom hasn't bypassed over to make another fox a POC.

they have a history of addiction? but it's okay for matt and seth to be addicts and be brown.

they're violent? but it's okay for renee to be non-white and a former gang member.

they're blond and 'pale'¹? but allison can be a WOC and bleach her hair without saying it explicitly? renee can have white rainbow hair no matter the AU? neil can be a blue-eyed redhead and still be drawn darker skinned half the time?

'pale' in and of itself is a very vague word that's only brought up in the context of comparison to notably dark skinned nicky. it's completely relative, and multi-racial families where people look wildly different from each other exist (pretty commonly). or if you're prescriptivist how about the multiple ways a POC can still be a natural blond including but not limited to pigmentation conditions or being mixed race? similarly, i think less than a quarter of the FCs i've seen for andrew over the years have been natural blonds themselves.

so if our holdups aren't about racial stereotyping and they aren't about the incredibly vague character descriptions, then why are the twins always white when it's approached as a good thing that no one else is? when i've seen multiple different posts lauding the fandom for adding diversity where nora didn't write it, except for here?

.

to be completely, bluntly honest, it's because we as a majority-white fandom are uncomfortable when we are not the central characters. or maybe we are uncomfortable when people of color ARE the central characters. i don't think there's much of a difference.

we are comfortable writing and drawing nicky, the upperclassmen, then kevin (in that order) as poc because, simply, we use them as background characters. they are rarely the main characters of fics, or have their own storylines in them; it all revolves around andreil.

.

additionally, while i've used neil up to now as an example of the fandom being OKAY with writing POC, let's also admit that it's an,, imperfect representation, as he will often be racially ambiguous with no explicit ethnicity, he will be the lightest skinned of the foxes of color, and he will still have eurocentric features. also it's genuinely a toss up as to whether he's drawn brown or not, there are still plenty of white neils, much more than there are white dans and matts and renees (not an attack on anyone who draws white neils, simply a statement) and FCs and edits of him still tend to be white people.

he's a bit of a schrödinger's person of color, not really any one thing or another, very few people being willing to take a hard stance on him and do the work of taking that decision under consideration when writing and drawing him.

(quick shout-out here to @hi-raethia for making content about an explicitly chinese interpretation of neil).

(additionally, to be as clear about my intended message as possible, this isn't a statement on the politics of passing or undermining the ethnicities of lightskinned poc, this is about a lack of detail being put into making a character a character of color in any thoughtful, meaningful, or significant way)

.

so when i talk about the centralization of white people in fandom, neil gets to be included, perhaps with a footnote indicating that this is somewhat of a more complicated statement than it is with lily-white andrew minyard.

nevertheless, i feel comfortable saying that 75% of fandom content revolves around andrew and neil, major exceptions only being jerejean which are often stand-alone from the foxes, and the rising branch of kevaaron shippers. however both of those ships are actually subject to this exact same criticism, as ships between a a flat-out white character and a dubiously "non-white" character who can also be white sometimes. it varies.

conspicuously, content about the UPPERCLASSMEN tends to revolve around andrew and neil.

fics where the upperclassmen are the pov character are often outside-perspective fics on andreil.

HC posts about the upperclassmen, especially matt, will devote major portions to his time spent helping, hanging with, and thinking about andrew and/or neil.

secondary ships like danmatt or renison tend to be just that, secondary ships moving in the background of andreil-focused works. they get more of a,,, scenic shout-out than a storyline

it is only comfortable for us to write these characters as characters of color if they revolve entirely around white characters

.

.

.

so after all that? what should we do, as a white-majority fandom? what should YOU, specifically, as a white person, do?

i hate to talk about a problem without also talking about solutions, and i try not to carp on something i don't want to be an active part of fixing. public criticism without an action plan only leads to hurt feelings and guilt, and that's never my intention when bringing this up. my goal is to address a general problem, not anyone specific's personal failings.

in all honesty leaning completely into all of the foxes being people of color, though i think neat and i certainly support, is not the best solution, and would be more of a hollow action than anything else without addressing the underlying problems that lead to the development of this dynamic.

i think the best thing to do would be to 1. do some research on writing poc, usually by following some writing-specific blogs like @writingwithcolor or @pocinmymedia . look up the 'black best friend' trope and really spend some time tjinking about it. spend an hour seeking out a random assortment of blogs that interest you that are also run by people of color. checking through tags like drawingwhileblack or blacktober may be good kickoff points.

tumblr is great because with an hour of active work to find these blogs, you can then go months passively seeing content from them. try not to interact, actually, simply watch and listen and become familiar with general trends and concerns in different communities. remember that every blog is run by an individual person, not an elected representative of their race, and always keep this in mind.

you are teaching YOURSELF that people of color are individuals, they have interests and inner lives that don't revolve around whiteness, that don't revolve around YOU

at the same time, 2. challenge yourself as a creator to make more content about the upperclassmen, specifically. make art about them doing stuff as a group separate from neil and andrew's group. find a compilation of 'draw the squad' memes and draw/tag the upperclassmen only. make jokes where they talk to each other. write some meta about their character motivations. write a fic where andreil isn't even mentioned, it can be super short, you can even use a prompt generator.

as a reader, reread their backstories in the extra content. reread son nefes. use ao3's filtering system to read some fics about JUST the upperclassmen, few and far apart though they may be.

if we've decided that the upperclassmen are people of color then lean into that, and learn to CARE about them on their own merit, because they are the most underutilized characters in the fandom. we need to make content centralized around them to combat the fact that fandom centralizes whiteness

[writerfae]

Okay I'm talking about modern AU Taiden non-stop and I could for all eternity but also let me share some canonverse Taiden hcs with you this time:

assuming that they end up together sometime after the events of The Knights of the Alder

whenever Aiden visits the Willow Court Talon is assigned as his personal guard

Henry insists on a guard because he wants to make sure his brother is save and he thinks Aiden would feel more comfortable when it would be someone he knew

you know the two weren't really fond of each other when they first met but they became friends over time so though Talon is annoyed about having to "babysit" Aiden at first both get used to it with time and got even closer that way

Talon becomes quite protective of Aiden, not that he would ever admit it, but he's very determined to keep his friend save

I think at some point both start crushing on each other but never act on it (mutual pining at its finest)

okay but I actually have a headcanon about their first kiss

they're on a feast, right, and Talon has to look after Aiden, but he somehow manages to lose Aiden in the crowd, he's already starting to get a bit worried (both about Aiden and losing his job) when he finally finds him

he's with some other random fae who's shamelessly flirting with Aiden and Aiden is kinda getting along with it cause he's pretty much drunk because the fae gave him a sip of their fae wine and that's nothing you should give a mortal ever because it makes them kinda high (but since in this case it was just a sip it's not that bad, don't worry)

that of course rings Talon's alarm and after yelling and cursing at the fae he pulls Aiden away from them and takes him outside the ballroom for him to come to senses again and also for Talon himself to calm down because he's furious

Aiden complains of course and they bicker and at one point Aiden says something along the lines of "just because you don't want (to kiss?) me, doesn't mean that no one does" and makes some witty comments and Talon just wants him to stop talking so he kisses him. twice.

after that incident things are a bit distant between them because Talon doesn't think Aiden remembers (even though he does), also he has a bad conscience because he feels like he took advantage of Aiden being drunk and Aiden on the other hand doesn't bring it up cause he thinks Talon doesn't talk about the kiss because it didn't matter to him and oh well you can see where this is going

eventually they talk about it tho and sort things out and finally end up together

"I'm sorry that I kissed you back then." "I am not."

Aiden doesn't live in faerie all the time but he often visits and he visits even more when he starts dating Talon

Talon on the other hand would sometimes visit Aiden in the human world and Aiden teaches him a lot about humans

I imagine they would like to travel together a lot, showing each other their worlds and exploring new things

for example, I could imagine that they visit some wild fae clans. both are curious about those and Aiden, being part of the Wild Hunt, has already made some wild fae acquaintances that invited him, also it would be good for diplomatic purposes (to strengthen the bond of the wild fae to the fae of the Willow court and understand each other better)

during their stay at one of the fae clan villages they get tattoos together (yes wild fae do tattoos - or something pretty similar to that)

Aiden gifts Talon his necklace with the crow pendant at some point, with Talon giving him a brooch with his family crest in return, so that they have something of the other when they are separated

they write each other letters (love letters, yay)

I don't know yet if Aiden would eventually move to the faerie realm completely, but at least till the death of his father he'll totally stay in the human world (apart from his visits I mean)

speaking of fathers, Talon's father wasn't all too pleased with his son's choice, but Talon wasn't having any of it

I'm not gonna talk about problems they may have to face and I'm totally not gonna talk about Aiden's mortality because I want to cheer myself up with this not make it worse. positive content only.

the two still practice swordfigting together, sword fight sessions often turn into make-out sessions tho xD

Talon is very attentive, always making sure that Aiden is comfortable and content

I have this hc that when Aiden grows older Talon makes himself look a bit older too (with glamour), so Aiden doesn't feel odd

they like to go stargazing together

Talon always kept his hair short and straight, but Aiden likes how it gets the tiniest bit curly around the edges when it's just a bit longer, so Talon let's his hair grow out a bit more then usual

he is also kinda insecure about how tall and lanky he is? but Aiden makes him feel better about it

Aiden's brown eyes are plain compared to the fae's gem stone eyes, but for Talon that's what makes them especially beautiful. they're so dark and deep and some days he feels like he could drown in them

Talon often kisses Aiden's hand(s) and forehead and Aiden always giggles when he does it and it's adorable

when they share a bed, Aiden always hugs Talon close and Talon likes it because it makes him feel save, also he likes to listen to Aiden's heartbeat

no one would've expected the two to work out and last so long, but they did, till the very end

they've never been as lovey-dovey and open about it as Callan and Henry, but they really love each other

there's still banter and teasing in their relationship and sometimes they quarrel but they always made up somehow

even in canon Talon is always the one who's feeling cold and Aiden is the one to keep him warm

Aiden loves it when Talon plays the violin so he often asks Talon to play for him. and he does.

I could go on but this is too long already ahaha, I'll stop now. Anyway, I love these two. They may not be canon in the main story, but they still have a great future ahead of them 😌

wip intro / masterlist

tag list: @shattered-starrs @soupopoireau @a-ray-of-moonshine @quill-of-doom @heyabella @vibinwiththehomies @elisabethrosewrites @charleeyy @iced-ginger-tea @hell-yeah-fantasy @violetcancerian @that-one-potato-blep @annoyingwritingtrash @stardustspiral @shipdest @writingqueensworld @imintheunderworld @thewalkingnerdx @abalonetea @andifthestarsweretodie @fictional-semantics @cordaks @kpmccolgan @deekshablogs @myhusbandsasemni @magsiswritingnow @a-box-without-hinges @meiyanaalexia @contes-de-rheio @rhikasa @phantasticdomains @thegirlwithnonickname @marewriteblr @kimblewrites @daisylincs @treesandwords @writingbyjillian @write-for-your-life2 @deadlycupid @yejidoesthings @nora-theteawriter @ladywithalamp @the-writing-avocado (if you want to be added or removed from the tag list let me know!)

also tagging @writing-is-a-martial-art because you seemed interested in this too 🙈