#omgcp heartbreak fest

[alphacrone]

20 questions game!

thanks for the tag @displayheartcode ~

tagging @eskildit @ghosthorse @injustspring and whomstever else

How many works do you have on AO3?

119! but i also used to have a livejournal and three different ff.net accounts so....there's definitely a lot more floating around out there.............

2. What's your total AO3 words count?

598,242

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently only Lockwood & Co., but I used to write a lot of Check, Please! back in the day.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

lol they're all OMGCP. like a handprint on my heart (2,880 kudos), i'll see you with your laughter lines (2 412 kudos), until your father's at the table (1 702), smaller than dust on this map (1 222), Blue-Eyed Jack (1 051)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes! i want people to know how much I appreciate their feedback, and i enjoy interacting with the community. if i didn't, i wouldn't publish my fic i would just hoard it for myself haha

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmmmmm well i do like to kill main characters for the angst so probably either rage, rage against the dying of the light (lockwood fic written I think right after Whispering Skull came out? god what a cheesy title) or anything for one more hour of light (written for the check please heartbreak 2017 fest)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i tend towards happy endings in fic so that's a lot of them lol. maybe like a handprint on my heart?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i get occassionally rude comments on ao3 itself but never anything really bad. i used to get quite a few nasty anons on here though. some people will REALLY go out of their way to tell you exactly why your writing is cringe.

9. Do you write smut. If so what kind?

i did during my stint in the check, please! fandom but i don't really write it anymore. i would definitely call my past smut messy (in many ways).

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i like to do crossover AUs -- harry potter aus, hunger games aus, etc. -- but I cannot remember the last time I did a proper crossover. it might've been back in my twilight days, if ever.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware of! i honestly haven't even heard of fic stealing since the days of ff.net but i guess it's not surprising it's still rampant

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! at least one in russian, i want to say another in mandarin. i would have to go back and find them, and some might be gone.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

not fully cowritten, but @ghosthorse and i like to plot out stories together. we have a couple original stories half-baked in google docs from when we were living in different states and got REALLY bored at work.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

my ships change with the tides. i'm a pretty big sucker for locklyle, though, and zimbits. i tend towards rare-pairs and non-canon pairings though.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

every WIP i've ever started lol. but i would like to get back to for it's better to burn out than to fade out of sight (fruits basket) though i doubt i will.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I tend to capture the voices of characters decently well. I love writing dialogue and banter.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

EVERYTHING ELSE HAHAHAHAHHA (crying). I've been told my writing is very cringy and I tend to agree. I struggle with plot and pacing, I don't spend enough time on setting or building up to important scenes/moments, I almost never edit before I post, I'm very bad about contradicting myself between chapters or creating plot holes, I overuse adjectives and adverbs and commas and em-dashes and semicolons, I love a run-on sentence, I misuse big words, and I have a tendency to rely too heavily on the same couple of phrases -- e.g. taken aback, testament to, gave them pause, blood ran cold, face grew hot, etc.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I generally don't do it, but if you do, run it by a native speaker first.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First wrote for Harry Potter or Bartimaeus, first published for Twilight. (Okay not QUITE accurate. I technically published HP fic but on my own shitty HTML website. My dad wouldn't let me join any fic site because I was too young, but he saw it as a great chance to get my to learn HTML. It was called "Visions of Red and Gold" and I posted my shitty fanfiction and mine and my friends' fanart.) This was the image on the home page that you had to select to get into the site:

Yikes!

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

oh this is hard. i'm currently very fond of Jessica Lockwood’s Home for Misfit Ghost Hunters, it's been a delight to work on. but my all-time fave is probably until your father's at the table. it was incredibly cathartic to write.

[omgcpheartbreakfest]

Port Out, Starboard Home

Author: @whoacanada

Written for: @kinkshamethegang

Rating: Not Rated

Word Count: 11,639

Pairing(s): Zimbits

Summary: “Is that normal?” Eric clutches his coffee in his lap and fusses with his seatbelt. “Meet and greet at Tim Hortons?” “It’s worse when we’re together. Especially now that Jack’s got a Cup.” To his credit, Bob doesn’t say what the truth probably is: People are used to Bob and Jack. They aren’t used to Jack and Eric. That’s the novelty of the equation. As Bob and Jack argue playfully over who is more famous, chirps flying left and right, Eric feels the sinking again. Eric lifts a hand to his sternum, presses his fingers against his jacket, and breathes to relieve the tension. The tightness doesn’t go away. Not for a good long while. Eric has graduated, Jack has proposed, and their first Christmas in Québec is going to be amazing if Eric can get out of his head long enough to enjoy it. 

[midnightsnackclub]

Saving All Your Feelings for a Saturday Night

Sundance Film Festival takes place in Utah every late January through early February as the largest independent film festival in the US. The local NHL team, the Utah Grizzles, play at least 5 games during this time. One of those is against their neighboring rival, the Las Vegas Aces. Kent, Eric, and Jack meet in the middle, somehow.

My Mini Fic for the @omgcpheartbreakfest !! Gifted to thatsclassicsbaby

[omgficrecsplease]

don’t you look charming (here in the eye of a hurricane)

Author: onawingandaswear (@whoacanada)

Pairing: Bitty/Jack

Rating: T

Setting: Canon AU

Word Count: 8,537

Summary:

In 2009, Jack Zimmermann doesn't just walk away from his future, he packs a bag and runs.

Comments: Oh goodness this fic is such a great mix of angst and hope. Seeing both Bitty and Jack in such bad places in their lives made me feel for them, but when they happen to stumble across each other and start to support each other and their relationship evolves... I just :’))))))) The back and forth between Jack in the present and the flashbacks to him leaving and what made him make that choice made for a great read as well. And, honestly, it’s such an interesting take on what could have happened that I could easily read 100k words set in this AU. 

[wrathofthestag]

End of the Year Fic Review

I felt like I really didn't write as much as usually do in a year, but then again, this year (and last) were stressful—so I consider it a win that I was able to write anything at all. No surprise, there was a lot of Zimbits. One surprise, at least for me, I had no idea I would be writing a SamBucky fic. But there you go!

Here's a recap of what I wrote in 2021. Fandoms included: Schitt's Creek, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ted Lasso, and Check, Please.

January

February

With Your Blessing Check, Please/Zimbits

Summary: "Y'all aren't married yet." Did Suzanne know about Jack's plan to propose when he visited Madison for Christmas? She sure did. Jack and Suzanne talk about marriage and the future.

Written for the @scseason7 event and collection.

Alexis Rose's Guide to Finding Yourself in Five Easy Steps Schitt's Creek

Summary: Can Alexis find her New York self? According to a magazine article, she can do it in five easy steps—but does she already have the key to what she’s looking for? A little bit of introspective Alexis.

April

Written for @finishyoureffingwip event.

Paradise Found Check, Please/Zimbits

Summary: When Jack met Bitty at the Paradise Found club, he thought he had found a perfect dance partner—then one misunderstanding caused things to fall apart. A story about what happens when you misjudge someone but eventually open yourself up to friendship and love.

May

July

Glenn Miller and Blood: Or How to Court Someone in the 21st Century The Falcon and the Winter Soldier/SamBucky

Summary: Look, it’s been a while since Bucky actively dated, so forgive him if he still doesn’t quite have a handle on how things work. How does one woo, nowadays, anyway? A story of how Bucky realizes he has feelings for Sam but has no idea what to do next. Someone, help him.

Only four years later, a sequel to Dear Jack.

Between Madison, Samwell, and Nowhere Check, Please/Zimbits

Summary: Three years after Bitty's passing, Jack visits Madison to spend time with Suzanne and thinks some more about his future and the memory of Bitty's love. The sequel to Dear Jack which was initially written for the OMGCP Heartbreak Fest.

September

This is How You Woo Him Check, Please/NurseyDex

Summary: When they drove the three-and-a-half hours to Hadleyville, Dex could tell Derek was instantly charmed by the small, artsy college town.“Chill! You said it was a cool little place, but I wasn’t expecting this. I thought it’d be conservative and uptight.”And when Dex opened the front door of the house, the move to Hadleyville was a foregone conclusion. Will and Dex inherit a house in Vermont. Their relationship told in glimpses. Takes place in the same universe as Finding Your Way Home.

October

For the First Time Check, Please/Zimbits

Summary: It's Fourth of July in Madison, and Jack and Bitty are about to take a big step as a couple, but a confession from Jack gives Bitty some unexpected news.

She's Every-Fucking-Where Ted Lasso/Roy x Keeley

Summary: Who is the woman that Roy Kent keeps bumping into? She's every-fucking-where. Five Encounters between Roy and Keeley.

November

Haus in the Woods Check, Please

Summary: "Gather around, children, as Uncle Holtzy tells you a tale," Holster began. “A tale of how it would totally go down…”Holster retells the Cabin in the Woods to the Samwell gang, staring the Samwell gang. Everyone "dies," but everyone actually lives! The Haus gang plan for a weekend at a cabin on the lake, but things don't always go as planned. Five friends go to a cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. (Currently a WIP, and apparently one that gets updated every Halloween?)

Ready or Not, Brah! Check, Please/Shitty x Lardo

Summary: When Larissa married Monty Knight (of the Knight Gaming Dominion) little did she know exactly what she was getting into. And what's with Monty's weird brother, Byron? A Shitty x Lardo Ready or Not AU. (Currently a WIP. Written for @weneedtotalkaboutfic. I'm gonna finish it soon, I promise!)

December

Zimbits Ficlets, Drabbles, and Other Short Works Check, Please

Summary: A collection of OMGCP ficlets shared on Tumblr and here. Mainly Zimbits but other pairings will be thrown in. Love, slice of life, smoochy times, and more...

Written for @omgcpbigbang2021

Sleepless in Samwell Check, Please/Zimbits

Summary: “Warm. Delicious. Delivered. Sleepless Cookies specializes in delivering freshly-baked, amazing cookies right to your dorm in the wee hours of the night. Sleepless Cookies - We’re There For You When You Need Us Most.”

Midterms at Samwell are always hectic and cause people to lose sleep but when the haus orders cookies at 2:00 a.m. and Jack meets the adorable delivery guy, Eric, it’s not just mid-terms that are keeping him up at night.

Written for the @12daysofficmas

Chinese Food and Star Wars Check, Please/Zimbits

Summary: Chow mein, sesame chicken, and family. Jack recalls eating Chinese food on December 25th as a child.

Written for @omgcpgiftexchange2021

Perfect for Each Other Check, Please/Zimbits

Summary: Lardo and Shitty think their friends, Jack and Bitty, are perfect for each other. If only they’d see it, too. Can they trick Jack and Bitty into going on a blind date, or is there more to the situation than meets the eye?

Who else wants to share one?

[willdexpoindexter]

2020 top 5

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

I was tagged by @bigspicysenpai​ and @insertatitlehere​ specifically on this blog so I’m only going to post my faves from my omgcp writing, for which I wrote 12 (?) fics... most of which were angsty. my b.

such as it ends 11.8k, Rated M, nurseydex, past dex/omc

This has to be my top because I’m very proud of finally finishing it this year! Often referenced as “the divorce fic”, this one was a doozy. Years after Samwell, Dex calls Nursey for a divorce lawyer after ending things with his husband. The two become roommates and friends again and finally get the timing right.

#oh my god they were roommates #friends to lovers #team as family #angst with a happy ending

Things We Lost in the Fire, 10k, Rated M, holsom, tw: major character death, suicidal ideation, PTSD, wingman universe

Okay so I know a lot of people wouldn’t touch this one when it came out, written for Heartbreak Fest, but I’m incredibly proud of this one too. It takes place in the Wingman Universe and continues past the original comic as Justin puts his life together after Adam’s death.

#found family #major character death

Eleven Blocks, 3.5k, Rated T, past nurseydex (not endgame!)

Like I said, I wrote a lot of angst this year. This one I cried throughout writing but still inflicted it on others. Nursey and Dex were together, now they’re not, but Dex can’t stop thinking about him, even dating someone new. Don’t want to spoil it but it is definitely not endgame nurseydex.

#breakup #not over his ex #angst #no happy ending

Like Moomaw Says, 2.3k, Rated T, zimbits

Look I love zimbits but I don’t usually write them since we already had their canon story, but what if... what if Bitty hadn’t been quite to quick to say yes? This is basically, Bitty and Jack get engaged... eventually. I’m really proud of this one because zimbits isn’t my main ship and I don’t write them much but I really like how it turned out!

#proposal #established relationship #adulthood

People Change (Maybe in Ten Years), 2.3k, Rated T pre-jackparse, past zimbits

My first fic of 2020 and yes it’s a song fic. Because people do change and sometimes those who weren’t good for you before can grow and be good for you later. A look at Jack and Kent starting over after a decade.

#chirping as flirting #pre-relationship #getting back together

I think most people have been tagged in this at this point but if you haven’t and would like to, consider yourself tagged!

[flowerfan2]

Hi! Lonesome Road - what inspired you to write the story this way? (and any of the other questions too if you like :-))

Hi!  I love this question, and it’s particularly appropriate for Lonesome Road.  This story was written in response to a prompt in the 2017 OMGCP Heartbreak Fest.  It gave me permission to dig deep into angst, and dig deep I did, as the story includes past overdose, past sexual assault, threatened sexual assault, past non-con, possible dub-con, implied depression, slurs, addiction, homelessness, and homophobia (although of course with a happy ending).  I love to write angst and hurt/comfort, but usually try not to let my stories get too dramatic - often I envision something terribly angsty, and then reel it back in the final draft, aiming for a slightly more subtle approach.  But with this story I just let it go!

(For those who are wondering, Lonesome Road is a 16k zimbits fic, summary as follows:  After rehab, Jack leaves home, unable to face his parents and the legacy he failed to uphold. He gets work as a truck driver and enjoys the relative solitude of it for a few years, until the day he picks up a hitch-hiking runaway from Georgia.)

Thanks so much for asking!

[leahlisabeth]

47) With This Wild Life lyrics “resilience is my promise” as the title?

47)  Here’s a fic title - insert a made up title. What would this story be about?

Ok, so I already know this is going to be hella angsty.  The first thing I thought of was a sequel to my zimbits fic for OMGCP Heartbreak Fest a few years ago, The Way the World Ends, where Jack and Bitty lose their daughter in a car accident.  But it could be any fandom really.  The main thing is that there would be some kind of huge, potentially relationship ending disaster such as the death of a child, serious illness, disability, etc.  And the fic would be how they got through it and grew stronger than before.  So crazy angsty beginning and middle with a hopeful ending.

Also! I had never heard that song before so thanks for introducing me to new music! I’ll have to look up some more of their songs! 

My inbox is still open so ask me more questions from this list! Or send me fic prompts, idk, I’m not picky.

[mysecretcheckpleasesideblog]

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Check Please! (Webcomic) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann Characters: Jack Zimmermann, Suzanne Bittle, Richard "Coach" Bittle, Alicia Zimmermann, Bob Zimmermann, Shitty Knight, Eric "Bitty" Bittle, MooMaw (Check Please!) Additional Tags: Introspective!Jack, life after love, Memories, Personal Growth, Jack after Bitty, a mother's love, Parental Love, Jack at Samwell, No one dies in this, Bitty is already gone Series: Part 2 of Dear Jack Summary:

Three years after Bitty's passing, Jack visits Madison to spend time with Suzanne and thinks some more about his future and the memory of Bitty's love. The sequel to Dear Jack which was initially written for the OMGCP Heartbreak Fest.

[alphacrone]

OMGCP Heartbreak Fest Reveal!

title: anything for one more hour of light TW: major character death; vague mentions of bus crash, violent/traumatic deaths, and afterlife; ambiguous ending pairing: zimbits

On AO3 Here

Bittle was laughing just before the bus crashed.

Ransom and Holster were in the aisle, wrestling, just moments before. Lardo was perched on Shitty's lap, rolling her eye at their antics. Nursey and Dex were arguing, more playful than malicious, Chowder hanging over his seat to chirp them both. And Jack-

Jack watched it all fondly, heart feeling light despite the loss they were leaving behind. These were his friends and, in this moment, he wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Bittle turned to him then, eyes bright in the neon lights of the highway at dusk, and Jack's heart skipped a beat. Bittle was laughing, warm and joyful and lovely, when somebody screamed and everything went dark.

Jack woke up at the Haus with no memory of how he got there.

Though he came to slowly and groggily, the moment he remembered the crash Jack leapt from his bed, stumbling out into the hall. Without a second thought, he burst into Bittle's room, heart pounding wildly.

Bittle was asleep on top of his covers, wearing the same sweatpants and t-shirt he'd had on before-

"Jack?"

Bittle rubbed at his eyes, sitting up slowly. Jack hurried to crouch next to him, eyes raking down Bittle's body, looking for any sign of injury.

"Did we crash?" Bittle asked, voice hoarse.

"I think so," Jack said, brushing Bittle's hair away from his forehead. There was a faint scar there he'd never noticed before,  but no visible injuries. Bittle' cheeks grew pink and Jack pulled his hand away quickly. "I don't really remember what happened after, though."

"Me neither," Bittle said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Is everyone okay?"

"I don't know," Jack admitted. "Let's go check." He held out his hand and Bittle took it, letting Jack hoist him to his feet. Jack was reluctant to let go, but he did, leading Bittle into the hallway and down the stairs.

To Jack's immense relief, Shitty, Lardo, Ransom, and Holster were all seated at the kitchen table, staring intently at Ransom's phone.

"Oh, heavens to Betsy, I'm glad y'all're alright," Bittle said with a sigh. "I was so worried."

Lardo hopped up to wrap her arms around Bittle's chest, hugging him tightly.

"You two slept so long," Shitty said, standing to do the same to Jack. "We were afraid something might be wrong."

Jack squeezed Shitty tightly. "The frogs-?"

"Haven't heard from 'em," Holster said, gesturing to Ransom's phone. "None of our phones are working."

Bittle pulled away from Lardo, brow knitted together anxiously. "I'm sure they're okay."

"You two don't remember anything after the crash, do you?" Ransom asked, tearing his eyes away from the phone screen.

"No," Jack said. "I was hoping one of you might."

"This isn't standard procedure," Lardo said quietly. "For injured players or potential concussions. They wouldn't just drop us off in our beds."

"Maybe that's what happens when your team manager gets knocked out," Holster said, half joking. "No one's there to enforce procedure."

Shitty chuckled weakly, but Lardo's frown deepened. "Something's off," she said quietly, more to herself than to any of them.

"The weather sure is nasty out there," Bittle said, peering out the kitchen window. "So dark and gray."

"Still not used to real winter, eh, Bittle?" Jack chirped. But when he looked outside, Jack had to agree: the sky was unnaturally dark and gloomy, even for early spring.

"Hello?" Someone called from the entryway. "Anybody here?"

Bittle was out the door and throwing himself at Chowder before Jack could even turn. When the rest of them filed after him, Bittle was hugging Chowder tightly, rambling incoherently.

"Yeah, we're okay, too, Bits," Nursey chirped. "No need to worry about us."

Bittle made an indignant noise and threw his arms around Nursey and Dex, squeezing them with as much might as he could muster.

"Someone left you guys flowers!" Chowder told the rest of them. "I checked the tag but it wasn't addressed to anyone."

"It's probably for Bitty," Ransom teased. "From one of his many admirers."

Jack frowned. He hadn't known Bittle was being courted-

"Oh, shush," Bittle reprimanded. "Stop makin' fun of me, I could be concussed again for all you know."

"Not making fun of you, Bits," Holster said with a grin. "We happen to know several eligible bachelors who think you're a- Ransom, what's the exact phrase?"

"Stud muffin? Sex god? BILF? That's 'Bitty I'd Like to-'"

"I was gonna say cutie-patootie, but I think I like BILF better."

Bittle's face turned a fantastic shade of red and he shook his head. "They're probably from one of Jack's fangirls."

"Nuh-uh," Shitty said. "If it was, the tag would be addressed to the Most Glorious Ass in North America."

"Who cares about flowers?" Lardo snapped, hands on her hips. "Why did we wake up in our beds? Why don't our phones work? What happened to the rest of the team?"

The room fell silent. Finally, Jack couldn't take the uncertainty anymore, so he said, “Alright, let's just head to Faber and talk to the coaches. There has to be a logical explanation for this. Maybe something

happened to the closest cell tower. Maybe the flowers are from one of Bittle’s boyfriends-”

“Hey!” Bittle squawked.

“-but we won't know anything if we just sit around here.”

“Aye aye, captain,” Shitty chirped, gripping both of Lardo’s shoulders and squeezing until she relaxed.

They filed out of the Haus, into the oddly dark morning. Jack took up the rear, only a little happy when Bittle hung back to walk with him. He resisted the urge to take Bittle’s hand, despite the anxiety in Bittle’s eyes.

“Are you feeling okay?” Jack asked as they walked, keeping his hands shoved firmly in his pockets. Ahead, Ransom was giving Holster shit for not changing out of his bathrobe before going out in public. Behind them, Lardo just shrugged at Shitty, who wore raggedy sweatpants and nothing else.

“Yeah,” Bittle said after a moment. “I mean, I feel okay. But...things just seem off, don't they? I mean, did you see the number of flowers on our door? It's weird.”

Jack nudged Bittle with his elbow. “It's weird how many admirers you have?”

Bittle rolled his eyes, holding back a smile. “ Stop, oh my gosh, let me live, Jack Zimmermann.”

They bickered across campus, though Jack was unnerved by how few students he saw. It was a Saturday morning, but they'd seen only a couple souls at a distance, and one girl who passed them on the bridge without looking up from her notes.

They ran into no one from the team as they walked, and Jack didn't even bother pulling out his phone. They would get to the rink, talk to the coaches or use their landline or something .

When they approached, Bittle stopped dead outside Faber, eyes wide and face deathly pale.

There, on the western wall, a memorial had been erected. Bouquets of flowers were piled around the candles and pucks and the dozens of photographs that had been left there. Jack’s blood ran cold when he saw his own face among the frames. The others were there as well and...and no one else. Just the nine of them, the nine who'd woken in their own beds with no memory of the aftermath of the crash.

This was their memorial. They were-

“Dead,” Bittle whispered, shaking violently. Jack wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in close. “Jack...I think we’re dead.”

“Oh,” Lardo whispered from Jack’s other side. “That...that explains…”

They all stood there in silence for a long, tense moment.

“Is this some weird joke?” Holster asked loudly. “Are we being punk’d?”

“It's not funny,” Chowder said, wrapping his arms around himself. “This isn't funny-”

“I don't think anyone’s laughing, C,” Nursey said softly. “I think this is legit.”

“I can't be dead!” Dex shouted, hands gripping at his hair. “I haven't paid off my student loans!”

“I think that's a moot point, Poindexter,” Lardo said sharply.

“Well...fuck,” Holster said, shoulders deflating like an old balloon. Ransom leaned against him, eyes wide and panicked.

No one else spoke as they stood there, staring. They didn’t move for a long time,

They gathered in the kitchen after they returned to the Haus, everyone clutching at someone else.

“I can't believe we’re dead,” Chowder whispered. “Cait- she must be-”

“Dead,” Nursey repeated. “Just...dead?”

“So you've finally figured it out.”

They all turned, startled to see two girls standing -- no, floating -- in the doorway. They both wore odd clothes, like things Jack remembered from his early childhood. They were both very pretty and wearing quite a bit of makeup and were so young...

“The sorority ghosts,” Holster said, mouth agape.

“You have to be shitting me,” Ransom hissed. “Ghosts aren't real!”

“Um.” Lardo gestured to everyone in the room. “Rans. Buddy.”

“Go towards the light,” the blonde one said.

“Excuse me?” Bitty asked.

“The light,” the brunette said. “When it comes to you, go towards it. If you don't, you'll be stuck here like us.”

“We’re not sure it'll ever come for us again,” the blonde added sadly, leaning against her friend. “Take the chance when you have it.”

“Where does it lead?” Ransom asked tentatively.

Both girls shrugged. “But it has to be better than living in a frat house for eternity,” the brunette said. “Right?”

No one dared answer, and eventually the girls left them alone in their silence.

Their parents came to the Haus in a flood. The Birkholtzes and the Oluransis -- who'd never met in person before -- spent hours in the attic, crying and telling stories about their boys. Ms. Dupre (Shitty’s mother had retaken her maiden name after the divorce) came by alone and quietly packed up Shitty’s things, not seeming to notice the weed stash or condom wrappers. She didn't speak to anyone, and left quickly, as if she could feel Shitty’s presence there.

The Bittles were all smiles, forced and polite, until they were shut up in Bitty’s room. Then Suzanne crumpled to the ground, and Coach couldn't do anything but stare at Señor Bun, perched on the beside table. They said nothing to each other as they worked, not even looking up from their hands. 

Bittle cried the entire time his parents were there, and long after they left, face pressed into Jack’s arm.

And then the Zimmermanns arrived. Jack stood in his room and watched as his parents wiped at tears and touched his stupid books like they were him .

Jack couldn't bear to see his parents cry. He was right there! Why couldn't they see him? Why couldn't they sense him?

Screaming in frustration, Jack snatched the coffee mug from his desk and chucked it at the wall. It flew across the room and shattered; his mother screamed, and his father nearly fell over in shock.

“That mug…” his mother whispered, grasping at his father’s shirt. “Honey...Jack?”

“I'm here!” Jack shouted, trying to grab her by the shoulders. His hands slipped through her, though, of course they did. She shuddered, lifting a hand to ghost over the places he'd been.

“Sweetheart, are you there?” She asked, voice small, broken.

“Alicia,” Bob murmured. “It was just a cup.”

“Right,” his mother whispered. “Of course.”

They packed Jack’s belongings in silence, though every few seconds Alicia’s eyes would dart to the broken mug on the ground.

Neither of them cleaned the shards before they left, and Jack sat next to them for a long, long time after.

“Chowder tried to talk to Farmer this afternoon,” Bittle said as he joined Jack out on the reading room. “It didn't work, obviously, but he did learn that they're holding a memorial service for us tomorrow.”

“No one else died in the crash, right?” Jack asked, leaning back against the roof shingles. “Just us?”

“Yeah,” Bittle said softly. “Nursey’s been pretty torn up about it. Dex, of all people, is with him right now. Chowder told me he needed to be alone, especially after seeing his parents, but I think he's gone to try and communicate with Caitlin again.”

Jack thought back to the mug shards on his bedroom floor and could relate with Chowder's plight.

“Ransom and Holster are in the attic doing Lord knows what. I think Lardo is grilling those sorority girls for answers, specifics and, well...Shitty goes where she goes.”

“You're good at keeping track of people,” Jack said, wishing he could feel heat coming from Bittle’s body as he sat close. But they grew colder the longer they were ghosts; Bittle hadn't blushed once today, despite Jack’s teases. “You should've been a manager. Or captain.”

“Right,” Bittle scoffed. “Like I'd be a good captain. The captain who couldn't take a check.”

“It's not about skill,” Jack said firmly. “It's about heart. You try your damndest at every practice, every game. You've come so far. You love this team and these guys. I'd vote for you.”

Bittle looked up at him sadly. “Thanks, Jack. Guess it doesn't really matter, though. Never gonna happen anyway.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Maybe it was something about this weird, limbo world they were in, or maybe it was because he'd never really looked until now, but the stars were so beautiful here, far more visible than when in the city proper.

“I’ll never play in the NHL,” Jack eventually said, voice soft. “After everything…I guess I’ve been living on borrowed time, anyway…I guess I was never meant to be anything more than this.”

“More than what?” Bitty asked, a bit petulantly. “More than a successful NCAA captain? More than a big, strong, handsome son who made his parents proud? Who excelled at the sport his father loved?”

“Bittle,” Jack said softly. “Your parents were proud of you.”

“No they weren’t,” Bitty murmured. “They loved me, but they weren’t proud of me.”

“Bittle-”

“Jack,” Bittle said sharply. “You were so much in life. You worked so hard, you accomplished so much. Be proud of yourself. Just for a moment.”

“I am,” Jack mumbled. “And you should be proud of yourself, too,” he added petulantly.

They fell into silence again. The stars seemed brighter, bigger, closer.

“I’ll never have to come out to them,” Bitty said eventually, voice trembling and watery. Jack didn't have to ask whom he meant. “Even if they find my vlog, at least I never had a boyfriend to disappoint them with.”

“Bittle,” Jack started, but he didn't know what else to say.

“I’ll never kiss anyone,” Bitty said, staring down at his lap, his voice cracked and small. “God, I died a closeted virgin. How sad it that?”

“It's not,” Jack murmured. They'd drawn closer to each other, faces only inches apart.

“Will you...will you kiss me?” Bitty asked, eyes rimmed red and puffy. “Please, I don’t want to leave without ever being kissed.”

And, well, Jack couldn't say no to that.

He leaned over slowly, watching as Bittle’s eyes grew wide, then fluttered closed. They’d never really been this close before, close enough that Jack could count the faint freckles on Bittle’s nose. He pressed their lips together chastely, for a brief moment, and pulled back as something clicked in his mind.

They surged together again like waves on a stormy sea, crashing until they mingled together like salt and foam. Bittle wrapped himself around Jack, and Jack could feel the ways in which they were no longer living: no warmth under Bittle’s skin, no heartbeat fluttering against his chest. But Jack savored this moment, this last moment together, and pretended he could smell the vanilla and cinnamon on Bittle’s clothes, could taste the sugared fruit on his tongue. They were nothing but winter air and memories, but Jack held on tight and forced regret from his mind.

“You fool,” Bittle whispered as Jack kissed down the column of his throat. “We could’ve- could’ve had time .”

“I know,” Jack murmured, bringing a hand to Bittle’s face. “But we have now. This.”

“I think I’m in love with you,” Bittle said sadly. Jack kissed him again tenderly.

“Thank you,” was all he could think to say in response. Bittle nodded, half-smiling, and Jack hoped he understood.

The stars above grew brighter and brighter until the dawn came. He and Bittle were there to greet the sunrise Jack knew would be their last.

They stood towards the front of the crowd at Faber for the memorial service. For once, the larger guys didn't have to worry about blocking someone’s view.

The rest of the team sat in the few rows of chairs before the standing crowd. Ollie wore a neck brace and Wicks had a cast on his arm. A few of the other guys sported obvious injuries, and the few missing ones Jack suspected were still in the hospital.

Next to the team sat the families and a few friends. Farmer, March, and April sat in a huddle, the older two stroking Farmer’s hair as she held back tears. Only Coach Hall stood at the podium, and Jack wondered vaguely where Murray could be. Had he been injured? Was he with the injured boys? Did he blame himself for the freak accident?

Coach Hall cleared his throat and said a few words, wavering and thick. He quickly departed the podium and, to everyone's surprise, John Johnson stepped up to take his place. After a moment, he began to speak.

"I didn't see this coming," Johnson said softly, shaking his head. "None of us could have predicted that these nine lives would be cut down so early, before any of them could fulfill their character arcs-"

His voice broke, and Jack stared in horror as John Johnson let out a small sob. He'd gotten along with Johnson, and John has really taken a shine to Bittle last year, but no one had been particularly close to him. Who knew he'd cared that much about any of them?

And that's when Jack knew it was all real. He was dead. He would never grow old. He would never play hockey again.

He would never wake up to Bittle's smile.

"They were too young," Johnson continued, wiping at his eyes. "I know this is a fan-derived universe-" Johnson paused, looking around at the crowd. "In another world, they will all grow older. They'll find themselves, graduate, start careers. They'll fall in love." Johnson looked straight at Jack, just for a second, then looked away. "But in this world, we can only hope they'll find some peace and strive to keep their memories alive.

"And if they're here, if they're still with us, I just want to say...I'm sorry." Johnson looked straight at them, gaze unwavering and sure. "I'm so, so sorry."

Someone in the audience wailed. Given the tears in Bittle's eyes, Jack wagered it was his mother. He wrapped an arm around Bittle's shoulder and kissed his head.

"Be at peace," Johnson said with finality, voice thick with tears. "Thank you for the stories you've left us, the memories."

As he finished speaking, a light shone through the windows of Faber, growing brighter and brighter and brighter-

“That’s it,” Ransom said softly, gripping Holster’s hand. “That’s the light.”

“It’s now or never,” Nursey said, his voice too calm to be real. “I think we have to follow it.”

“Where?” Dex asked, sounding small and young. Jack realized with a jolt that the frogs were all just 18, barely adults.

“Beyond,” Holster said with a shrug. “Eternity. Nothingness. Whatever you believe in, I guess, or...maybe nothing like what any of us believe.”

“So we just...go?” Chowder asked, face crumpled in anguish. Bitty reached out and took his hand.

“We’ll do this the way we  do anything else,” Lardo said sharply, taking Chowder’s other hand. “As a team .”

That sparked something in them all, linking hands until they stood in a long chain. Jack took a deep, shaky breath, holding Ransom’s hand on one side, Bitty’s on the other.

Noticing the anxiety, the fear on Bitty’s face, Jack nudged his arm and gave him a small smile. “Don’t be afraid, Bits,” he said softly. “I got your back.”

Bittle chuckled, soft and broken, and stood on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Jack’s lips. “I wish we could’ve had more time,” he whispered hoarsely. “I wish- I wish we-”

“I know,” Jack said, his heart breaking a little. “But we have now. We have this moment.”

“I wish I was alone, here,” Bitty said, shaking as the light in front of them grew brighter. “I wish I was the only one facing this, the only one who died. But I am so, so glad to have you all by my side.”

“Here, at the end of all things?” Holster asked, a goofy grin on his face.

“Shut up,” Ransom murmured, but he was smiling fondly. “You’re not allowed to quote movies when we’re about to cross over into God-knows-where.”

“We might as well get it over with,” Lardo said, though Jack could see her shaking as hard as any of them, face drawn and determined. “Whatever happens, just know I love you idiots a whole lot. A stupid amount.”

Shitty kissed her softly. Next to him, Nursey pressed his forehead to Dex’s, whispering something Jack couldn’t hear. Bitty leaned against Chowder’s arm, tucking his face against the bright teal of his Sharks sweatshirt for a moment to hide his tears. Chowder cried freely, his eyes not on the light but on Farmer, who sat with her arms wrapped around herself.

“Alright, team,” Jack said, squeezing Bitty’s hand tightly. “Let’s do this.”

Shitty laughed softly. “Aye-aye, Captain.”

Following Jack, the rest of them walked forward, towards the light. Jack turned, just moments before, and met Bitty’s gaze, piercing and sad and full of love, before everything turned white.

[omgcpheartbreakfest]

Fanart drawn by @karin848

Made for @midnightsnackclub

After a career-ending injury leaves Jack indefinitely suspended from the Falcs and sent back home to recover at his parents’ place in Montreal, the main thing that keeps Jack going are the numerous texts and letters he receives from Bitty.

[In a canon-divergent scenario where Jack chickens out of taking his shot with Bitty at graduation, he plays a few years with the Falcs until one bad check puts that lifelong dream on the back burner.

Facing the media’s gloating and his own self doubt that he really wasn’t going to live up to his father’s legacy, Jack learns that there might possibly be hope for meaning in his life beyond hockey. It just took a few internationally-mailed batches of cookies, scones, and tarts to make him see that]

[garden-of-succulents]

Two fandom thoughts: 1. I am CONTINUALLY MAD that there are so many talented people out there I don't have time to read regularly. I am spending Max Hours on Tumblr these days and still having to cut down the blogs I follow. And I am pretty close (*knocks wood*) to getting a full-time job, which will reduce my Tumblr time even MORE, and AAAHHHHH. 2. The OMGCP Heartbreak Fest sounded so fun and exciting when it started and now the fic is coming out and AUUUGH WHY IS IT ALL SO SAD AND WHY ARE PEOPLE SO TALENTED. I'm having emotional issues.

[megsamforever]

I’m excited to finally be able to post about my fic for the OMGCP Heartbreak Fest, I had a lot of fun writing it and if anyone’s interested in author’s notes at some point that may be a thing that’s already partially written.

Unfinished Selves by sebfish

Jack Zimmermann looks guilty from his spot on the couch. His knee is in a brace, leg propped up, and he looks rather the worse for wear since the last time Kent saw him.

Kent hates the fact that he feels better than he has in months, seeing him, the tug in his chest flaring warm with contentment.

He feels tired, suddenly, because he knows how this is going to go, because this is how it always goes: they’ll make nice for a little bit because they’re adults, and then Jack will remember that he hates Kent.

Rating: T

Wordcount:  8436

Ship: Pimms (Kent Parson/Jack Zimmermann)

Additional tags: soulmates, career-ending injury, past Zimbits

[wrathofthestag]

Fan Fic Writer Asks

I was tagged by @edgarallanrose​ and only just saw the tag.  Sorry, cutie!

Author Name:  WrathoftheStag (Mwuahna)

Fandoms You Write For:  Primarily Check, Please! with the occasional Good Omens and Schitt’s Creek thrown in.  I used to be prolific in the Hannibal fandom but haven’t been for a few years.

Where You Post:  AO3 with a cross-post on Tumblr.

Most Popular Oneshot:  Hmm... okay, going by AO3 stats it’s Gauge Your Interest from the Hannibal fandom.  

Summary:  Will secretly learns to knit so he can make Hannibal a scarf. Somehow doofy Hanners thinks Will is having an affair. Domestic fluff ensues*.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story:  Weekender from the Check, Please! fandom. 

Summary:  Jack hates conventions -- the crowds, the noise, the forced socialization, but it's a work thing that must be done. Enter Samwell Hockey Player, Eric Bittle, who attends the convention with a group of friends. Suddenly things begin to look up. Jack and Bitty meet at Falcs Fest. Flirting, shenanigans, and love ensue*.

Favorite Story You Wrote:  Ooo, this is like asking me to choose my favorite child.  I think it might be the Check, Please! fic Bus Stop.  It’s very short but I felt proud of how much story I packed into 1,612 words.  Jack is a total dweeb and such a sweetheart.

Summary:  Jack bumps into the same beautiful stranger at the bus stop every day. Will he gather the courage to speak to him?

Story You Were Nervous to Post:  Probably Dear, Jack (OMGCP) and Between Iron and Silver (Hannibal).  

Dear, Jack killed me to write because there is a major character death but I feel I handled it very carefully and with a lot of love.  It was part of the OMGCP Heartbreak Fest.

Summary:  Just after his overdose, Jack Zimmermann meets patient Eric Bittle at New York–Presbyterian Hospital and the two make an immediate connection. When Bitty leaves the hospital and Jack begins rehab in Montreal, they start a correspondence that will forever change their lives, and hearts.

I knew Between Iron and Silver wasn’t going to get a lot of hits because it was about Chiyoh and Jack Crawford, but I put a lot of love into that fic.  LOL!  I was right.  It didn’t get a lot of hits...

Summary:  Three years after the Wrath of the Lamb, Chiyoh and Jack bump into each other in Mexico City. The resulting days are filled with burgeoning friendship and self-discovery.

How Do You Pick Your Titles:  90% of the time, my titles end up coming from a line within the fic.  5% of the time it might be a song lyric or line of poetry, and the 5% I might have the title before I even have the fic.

Do You Outline:  No. That’s too neat and organized.  I’m kind of a chaotic neutral when it comes to writing. I tend to write as a type and make it up as I go along.  Once in a while, I might do a bullet point list and go from there.  Usually, I just have the idea and sit and type or write.

How Many of Your Stories are Complete:  Well, according to AO3, I have 175 fics and 630,516 words posted but I have years of stuff written that haven’t been posted anywhere.

In-Progress:  Oh, gawd.  At the very least twenty.  Some are total hot messes, some are just ideas jotted down, some are half-way done.

Coming Soon:  My Big Bang fic.  I’ll be posting in less than two weeks.  It’s a Roman Holiday AU.  I’m very excited!  Also, I have about two more in the works but with finals coming up quickly, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get to them.  But I’m sure I’ll also post quick one-shots, that I have no idea are coming, here and there.  I posted State & Liberty, Señor Bunny, and Steps after thinking about them for a day and just pounding them out in an afternoon or evening.  I’m often a spontaneous writer--which means I often write a lot of nonsense.

Do You Accept Prompts:  Yes, but usually if I ask for them.  Sometimes though, I’ll get a really good prompt out of nowhere that I end up writing.  That’s what happened with the stars look very different today.

Upcoming Story You’re the Most Excited For:  I’m dying to finally dive into Line, Please!  Will probably start it during winter break.

Tag Five Fanfic Authors to Answer These Questions.  No pressure! Inviting:  @devereauxsdisease, @mamashitty, @airplanesandcookies, @fragile-teacup, and @zacharybosch to play.  Totally optional! <3

*LOL!  Lots of “ensuing” going on!

[checkplease-fanfic]

Author: lyrithim Rating: teen Status: Complete Length: 4K

Will is forced to drop out of Samwell. In the end, Derek has to find out from Coach Hall, of all people.

(Written for OMGCP Heartbreak Fest 2017.)

[samwellstudentunion]

Events in the Check, Please! Fandom July 30-August 5, 2017

PB&J Epifest Prompting open

Date: Until August 6 AO3 prompt site: here Tumblr: @pbj-epifest​

Second Author Check in for OMGCP Big Bang

Date: August 1 Info: @omgcpbigbang​

Jack Zimmermann’s Birthday

Date: August 3

OMG Heartbreak Fest Works Due

Date: August 5 AO3 Collection: here Tumblr: @omgcpheartbreakfest

That’s it for this week. Check out the full Calendar here and be sure to let us know about any Check, Please! events you hear about!