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zepskies · 1 day ago

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The Honorable Choice - Part 2

Pairing: Dean Winchester x OFC

Summary: June 1872. Captain Dean Winchester of the U.S. Cavalry is tasked with one job: break a wild mustang. He just didn’t expect the woman who infiltrates his camp, intent on freeing her tribe’s horse.

AN: “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…” ⬅️ If you’ve seen The King & I, then you’ll probably be singing that line in your head like I do.

Disclaimer: I’ve done extensive research for this one, both on the American Indian Lakota tribe, and on American history during this time in the late 1800s (AKA: the Old West, during the American Indian Wars and the Sioux Wars). Of course, one of my main goals is to avoid inaccuracies, both historical and cultural.

Jacklesverse Bingo24 Prompt: @jacklesversebingo Western AU

Song Inspo: The Spirit Soundtrack

Word Count: 3.1K

Tags/Warnings: Angst, protective Dean, historical tidbits, fluff

🐎 Series Masterlist || Bingo Masterlist

🎙️ Listen to the podfic version here!

Part 2: Death & Sacrifice

Dean falls out of his saddle with a yell, landing hard in the grass. The impact knocks the air out of his chest and the hat off his head, not to mention the pain that rattles down his back.

“Son of a bitch,” he wheezes, while trying to get back up.

The woman jumps down from the mustang’s back and all but leaps on Dean. Straddling his waist and grabbing a fistful of his collar, she lets out a battle cry and raises a small knife at him. It’s probably no more than two inches long.

Dean may be on the ground with a smarting forehead, but he’s still got the upper hand. He grabs her knife-wielding arm and whips out his pistol from his belt. Her eyes widen, and she stills above him. The gun lies between them, aimed for her chest. They’re both breathing hard.

Dean has a problem.

Looking into her eyes, soulful and brown, the slope of her nose and her full lips, parted with shock…

He just can’t do it.

His finger eases off the trigger of his gun, and he lowers it to the ground beside him.

“I told you,” he says. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Her head tilts as she stares at his gun, then at him. She relaxes somewhat, and she backs off of him, sliding from his lap down to the grass beside him. Her closed fist with the knife comes to rest at her side. She gives him a look of wary bewilderment.

“You are a strange man,” she says.

Dean has to laugh a little, smiling at her afterward.

“I guess so,” he replies.

Her brows furrow. “You killed one of your own…for me?”

He nods, and his smile falls with a weary sigh. The hard part about that is he doesn’t feel much guilt about what he’s done. At the same time, he does, and the conflict churns in his stomach. He knew what kind of man Roman was. He was the kind of soldier that could’ve filled Colonel Sanderson’s shoes one day. A fellow soldier under Dean’s command...

And a sack of shit in human clothes.

Dean leans back on his hands in the grass and slides his legs out long. His stare falls to the earth between his boots. The ground is soft underneath him. Maybe it rained this morning.

“Yeah, that’s gonna make it tough when I go back,” he says. “At best, that’s a court martial. At worst…”

The Lakota woman frowns, her dark brows nearly meeting in the middle as she considers him. He wonders what she sees when she looks at him.

“Tell you what,” Dean said. “Give yourself and your horse a rest tonight. I’ll go back and tell them I lost you in the canyon.”

Her eyes widen further in surprise. He can’t blame her for it. He’s surprising himself every time he opens his mouth.

“Will they kill you?” she asks.

Dean shrugs. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”

She levels him with a firmer look, one that demands the truth.

His nonchalance wanes, and he sighs.

“They might,” he says.

She shakes her head. She seems to deliberate over something, but eventually she comes to a decision. Just when she opens her mouth to speak, a gunshot rings out and hits the ground not far from their feet. A warning.

The sound of hooves thundering on the earth reach them before they look up. Two horses gallop towards them in the distance, their riders wearing blue uniforms.

They both tense up, but Dean is the first one to move. He grabs her arm and helps her stand along with him. They scramble back and lead the horses by their reins further into the trees. They find a denser patch and a raised hill to crouch down and hide behind.

The mustang is too tired to go very far, but Baby is already making anxious sounds, protective of her rider.

“Shhh,” Dean whispers, and runs a soothing hand over her side. He leads her to lay down with her legs tucked underneath her.

The Lakota manages to do the same with the mustang after whispering to him softly in her language. There’s a trust between them, Dean realizes. They have a connection that seems to mirror his own with his horse. He doesn’t know how he didn’t see it before.

“Captain!” Benny calls out.

Dean grimaces, but he stays quiet. He turns to the woman and holds a finger over his lips. She stares back at him in apprehension. He begins to creep slowly around the hill, but she grabs onto his wrist. For a second, she looks just as surprised as him by the reflexive action. Then, she shakes her head at him.

Don’t go out there, her eyes say.

Dean smiles, and he gives her a reassuring wink. He gently removes her hand and gestures at her to stay where she is. He army crawls up the side of the hill. It gives him a vantage point to watch his men, who approach just a few feet down below.

“Captain Winchester!” Cas calls next.

“We don’t want to have to come and get you, Dean. Come on,” Benny says. He does sound reluctant, for his part. His voice grows more somber when he says, “Colonel’s given us orders to bring you and the girl back…dead or alive.”

Dean knows the position he’s put his own men in. He doesn’t blame them for following the Colonel’s orders. He just hopes they can forgive him for what he’s about to do.

He leaps off the edge of the hill with a yell and brings Benny with him to the ground. He sweeps Cas’s legs out from underneath him, then tosses a punch that lands on the corner of Benny’s chin. He kicks Benny’s gun away, and wrestles Cas until his pistol falls from his hand. The three men scrap and trade blows, until Dean is the only one left standing. His men are groaning on the dusty ground, slowly picking themselves up.

Dean’s heaving for breath as well as he leans back against the side of the hill. Despite that momentary victory, he knows what they all know: that this fight isn’t going to end until either they’re dead, or he’s dead.

“Where’s the girl, Dean?” Benny says. He implores him to see sense. “We take her back with us, we can smooth all this over with the Colonel. All of it, even Roman.”

Dean lets out a deep breath, but he shakes his head.

“Can’t do that, Benny,” he says. “I’m sorry.”

There’s a question circling in his friend’s eyes, but after a beat, Benny seems to know the answer to it. He picks up his gun from the ground. Just like Dean once did, the Lieutenant now has a choice to make.

He shares a heavy look with Cas. The two of them nod, before they focus back on Dean.

Benny’s hand falls, and he stows his gun.

“You died today,” Benny says. “We found your body somewhere in the canyon. Your horse too.”

Dean nods, with something of a smile. He supposes faking his death is the only option now. He rips the badge off his uniform jacket and tosses it to Benny.

“There’s your proof,” he says.

Dean shares a grim nod of respect with Cas while Benny examines the torn patch denoting a captain’s rank.

“Take care of each other,” Dean says.

Benny’s head raises, and he meets Dean with a somber gaze.

“Goodbye, brother.”

Dean doesn’t return to her until the men are out of sight through the trees. She’s still hiding along with the resting horses, waiting for him. That alone surprises him. It would bring a small smile to his face, if the weight of that goodbye didn’t feel so heavy on his shoulders.

He reaches out a hand for her. It takes her a moment to consider it, but she accepts his offer.

He helps her to her feet, after which, she quickly pulls her hand back. She’s wary of his touch, her face guarded when she looks up at him. Dean supposes he can’t blame her, even if it does strike a nerve. After what he just did for her…

His face becomes stoic, and he turns away to grab his hat from the dusty ground. “We should probably head out.”

She nods and calls to her horse to encourage him to his feet. Despite himself, Dean can't help but be curious. How did this girl manage to tame that wild beast?

“Does he have a name?” he asks.

“Mato,” she replies.

“Mato,” Dean echoes. “Does that mean something? You know, in your language.”

She eyes him wryly, brushing her hand over Mato’s hide.

“It means angry, like a bear,” she says.

Dean snorts. “Yeah, good name.”

He remembers his bruised side (and ego) from when the mustang threw him off his back.

Dean watches her with another realization as she gracefully mounts the horse. Baby has gotten up to her feet as well, already nudging the back of his arm with her snout. He rubs her nose in affection.

Then he turns to climb up onto her back, settling his feet into the stirrups and loosely grabbing the reins. He follows his companion’s lead farther into the forest, but he guides his horse to fall into step beside hers.

“Will you tell me your name now?” he asks. “Think we’ve been through enough together at this point, don’t you think?”

She considers it with a tilt of her head. She looks over at him with a small smile.

“Kimmímila,” she says. The syllables roll off her tongue effortlessly.

Dean raises his brows. “Kim…Kimmeela.”

She shakes her head at him, her lips pursing.

“Kimmímila.”

Lord help him, but he tries his best. His brows furrow.

“Kim…mila,” he attempts. She guides Mato closer and grabs Dean by his cheeks with one hand.

“Kimmí.”

“Kimmí,” he repeats with his cheeks squished. His face is starting to warm up, and not altogether in embarrassment.

“Mila,” she says with a nod.

“Mila,” Dean says. “Kimmímila.”

He’s treated to her smile, warm and true. She releases him, her gaze flitting over his face. Then she keeps riding. Dean grins to himself.

“Think I’m gonna call you Mila,” he says. Make it easier on myself.

She even laughs, a honeyed sound. “Yes, my father does too.”

“What does it mean? Your name.”

“In your language?” she says, in a tone that teases him back. She becomes thoughtful as she searches for the word. “It means…butterfly.”

“Really?” Dean remarks. She doesn’t strike him as a butterfly.

More like a lioness, he thinks, only somewhat holding back his grin.

She gives him some side-eye, despite her amusement.

“You think it does not suit me,” she observes.

“Well, I didn't say that—”

“I don’t think so either,” she admits. “There are many things that don’t suit me.”

Dean chuckles. He can imagine that.

“But my mother had a dream before I was born,” Mila says. “She saw beautiful wings, and said I would have a free mind. When I grew, and wanted to spend my days with horses more than cooking and sewing things, she didn’t call me free. She called me stubborn.” Her face begins to fall. “Maybe too stubborn.”

Dean offers her a rueful, sympathetic look. “Yeah, I get it. My brother always said I was damn hardheaded,” he says. “…Maybe we’ve got more in common than we thought, huh?”

Mila’s smile returns, however slightly.

“You have a brother?” she asks.

“Oh, yeah. He’s a lawyer, so he’s more needed back home,” Dean replies.

Damn. He really does miss his bookish little brother.

He explains to her about his family, his brother and mother who still live in Lawrence, and how he joined the army, in part to honor his father.

“What happened to him?” she asks.

“He died…in some cornfield near Sharpsburg, Maryland, fighting the Confederacy,” he replies, heaving a breath.

"Con...federacy?" she questions.

"The South," Dean explains. "See, most of our southern states thought they should be their own country, letting slaves plow their fields and mind their kids. I may have lived on a farm, but my father always paid his workers. He fought for the Union."

"So you fought among yourselves, over land that did not belong to you," Mila points out.

Dean falls silent. After a little while, he concedes her point with an incline of his head.

"Fair enough," he says, glancing over at her. “I think my dad thought the fighting would end with the war, but, uh...it never really ends, does it?”

Her expression of curiosity fades, turning more solemn.

“No,” she agrees. “…I am sorry for your father.”

Dean's a little surprised to hear that from her, but he nods his thanks. They continue to talk as the sun begins to set in the west. When it dips behind the canyon, they stop to make camp for the night, and he helps her catch a rabbit to roast on the fire they build together.

That night over the meal, she slowly opens up to him. He learns that she’s an only child, though she has a sibling-like bond with her older cousin, Šóta. She spends most of her days planting or harvesting their crops, depending on the season, as well as sewing, painting, helping the elders of her tribe with tasks, and helping her mother and aunt cook.

When the rabbit is gone, she unbinds her long, thick hair and untangles it while she speaks. She explains that the Lakota are just one of many tribes. There are six other bands of Sioux who live in this region. Along with the Dakota and the Nakota, they are the “Seven Council Fires” who have made the Great Plains their home for generations.

She tells him about the way her tribe lives, caring for one another, giving the land back as much as they take, and letting it rest. The men hunt and protect the village from the outside, but the women protect the inside, their way of life.

Most of all, Mila tells him, she loves caring for the horses. She goes out and rides whenever she can duck out of her mother’s watchful eye.

Dean enjoys listening to her stories. He likes what he learns about her, but also, he just likes the sound of her voice, smooth and steady, almost calming. He thinks she might like the sound of his too, the way she’s smiled at him, laughed with him, glanced at him when she thinks he’s not looking.

She still picks a spot as far away from him as she can to sleep though. She keeps the fire pit in between them. He even catches sight of her knife, hidden in the hand she tucks underneath her cheek. Evidently, she doesn’t fully trust him just yet.

It annoys him at first, considering how many times he’s saved her already. How much he’s sacrificed just to get them this far…

Until he remembers how they met. He remembers the disdain and anger in her brown eyes, then the mistrust, and the fear hidden underneath. He thinks of every experience she’s likely had so far with the U.S. Military, and anyone else who looks like him.

Dean settles down on the ground and stares up at the innumerable stars in a raven sky. He’s exhausted, but his thoughts don’t let him rest for a while.

At the very least, the way she looks at him now is softer than that first day.

In the morning, Mila watches the strange man wake.

He blinks and rubs his bleary eyes, yawning, groaning at the sun’s brightness like a child. She hides her smile by bowing her head over the apple she’s cutting with her knife. The orchards span wide across the forest, and soon he’ll find two yellow-red apples beside his head.

His brows raise at them, then he looks up at Mila sitting with her legs crossed behind the small fire pit. The wood there is just ash and blackened remains now, but it still carries the smell of burning.

“Morning,” he greets.

She nods back at him and pretends not to watch when he sits up with a groan, stretching and bending his arms high behind his head. He removed his uniform jacket to sleep. It allows her to see every dip of male muscle that his plain white shirt clings to, even in the long sleeves.

Her gaze furtively runs over the broad shoulders, the tapered waist, then back up to his half-bearded face, defined by a strong jaw and dark brows. The sun catches on his brown hair and teases the ends of it golden.

She would never admit it, but he’s not unpleasant to look at.

Last night, she declined his offer to travel with her until she reaches her tribe safely, but he was insistent. Again, strange.

So here she is, with him. Here they are.

Dean turns to see the horses grazing nearby. Mato no longer has the saddle and bridle his men put on him. He looks rested and at ease. He even whinnies at Baby, tossing his head a little. She answers him and flicks her tail. They continue eating together.

Dean smiles, then grabs an apple. He raises it to her in thanks before he takes a large bite. Its juices run down the corner of his mouth, and he wipes at it with the back of his hand. Mila can’t help but be drawn to the sight.

She tears her eyes away when he looks over at her.

“We have a long way to go. Three days, if the weather is good,” she says, continuing to carve pieces of her apple to eat. “We will know we are close when we reach the river.”

Dean nods in understanding. With a grunt, he gets to his feet and takes another bite out of his breakfast. She doesn’t expect the way he approaches her with a hand outstretched. She looks up at it, then at his expectant face.

“Come on. Let’s hit the road then,” he says.

Mila considers his offer for another moment. He seems to be making this a habit. Amused, she wonders if this is just kindness, or if the women of his people aren’t allowed to stand without a man’s help.

She pockets her knife, swipes her braided hair over her shoulder, and slips her hand into his, allowing him to help her to her feet. When she gets there, he’s closer than he should be.

A breath gets trapped in her throat as she once again looks between his warm hand closed over her smaller one, and his face. In the small space between them, there is a different kind of tension than before. Mila can’t tell what the man is thinking when he looks at her like that, but she doesn’t like it.

And at the same time, she does.

She takes back her hand, and she goes to the horses. She firmly ignores how her heart gallops, even as she rubs at her chest like it’s an ache that can be soothed.

She doesn’t hear Dean’s unsteady breath, nor does she see the way his green eyes follow her.

AN: *rubs hands together* Well, here they are! It's all starting to come together. What did you think of Dean's decision?

Coming up next, we have the final part: some action, some fluff, and some potentially perilous situations for Mila and Dean...

Next Time:

“Yeah, about that…I’m thinking your tribe doesn’t take very well to outsiders,” he says. “White men in particular.”

Mila presses her lips together. He can tell she’s been thinking the same thing, but she turns to him with a determined set to her features.

“I will protect you,” she says.

Dean frowns. He doesn’t like the sound of that. On one hand, it warms him that she seems to really mean it. On the other hand, he doesn’t want to know what it’ll take for her to protect him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks.

She turns her face away and doesn’t seem to want to answer at first.

“Mila…”

“The Chief is my uncle,” she says at last. “He will listen to me.”

Dean blinks. Well, that changes things…maybe.

COMING 11/17!

Or read Part 3 on Patreon now!

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Series Tag List + Dean W. (Part 1):

@hobby27 @kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms

@foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @iamsapphine @roseblue373 @this-is-me19

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nosferatini · 10 months ago

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With All Due Respect

My little contribution to the Smut War on @goodomensafterdark

Rated E for Explicit Sexual (but Consensual!) Content.

2k words + Podfic!

Summary:

When Crowley has an erotic dream, the Supreme Archangel of Heaven reaps the benefits! 😇 However, there’s a time and a place for such things, and this is certainly a questionable choice…

***

*Slam!*

“Quickly, Angel, I can’t wait any longer…”

Crowley shoved his mouth onto Aziraphale’s, sliding desk ornaments and paperwork off the antique surface as the angel settled his arse in their place. It would have bothered Aziraphale if it had been his desk at the bookshop. But this wasn’t his desk at the bookshop. And broken things could easily be mended in Heaven…

Read the rest on AO3

LISTEN TO SEXY PODFIC VERSION❣️

Thanks to 77ckk, @secretlywingedphantom from the Writers Guild and Ro_Fell, @the-literal-kj and MisterScruffyPoo from @sohoscribblers for betaing!

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens fanfiction #good omens fanfic #good omens smut #good omens after dark #ineffable smut war #scribblers of soho #writers of after dark #the supreme archangel aziraphale

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princecharmingwinks · 1 year ago

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Sterek Fic Rec - April & May 2023. Sorry team, I know I am late and now combining months. Been busy with other things so while I hope to keep doing rec lists, they may be less monthly overall. But I promise I am still here! :)

Orbit (yours is the only one i'd follow) by whenwordsmakesense (1/1 | 1K | Teen)

Stiles flashes back to the nights and mornings he has spent in Derek’s bed, only because he’d fallen asleep researching the latest trouble in their town and Derek hadn’t felt like waking him up, only to drive sleepily and more than likely end up on his computer again once he got home. And he thinks of this pack, his family, has tied them to each other—all of them—and he thinks of how love has filled them up where the holes of loss have taken place.

Stiles muses on what love is.

The Ink Under My Skin by rainsoakedshoes (1/1 | 10K | Mature)

Derek is looking for an Emissary. What he finds is Stiles Stilinski; resident witch.

Stiles would do whatever it takes to protect the Hale pack and his Alpha.

***

“I want to protect my pack as well as I can,” Derek continued. “Emissaries traditionally keep balance, having someone who wants to tip the odds in our favour may come in handy.”

Figure it Out by Gia279 (1/1 | 5K | Not Rated | Podfic by josilverdragon)

“He isn’t cursed,” Derek said suddenly, “I am.” As he spoke, no less than three lizards tumbled from his mouth. He caught them before they hit the ground, clutching them in folded fingers.

Dream Mate - Real Mate by TheyDraggedMeInNowIAintLeaving (1/1 | 4K | Teen)

Stiles is hired to put magical protection on the Hale house, Derek is incapable of making words in his presence. Somehow they still manage to get a happy ending

Derek Hale--Even in the Wind His Hair Is Perfect by literaryoblivion (1/1 | 2K | Teen)

It’s not the greatest job in the world, but someone’s gotta do it. And Stiles makes the most of it, okay?

Writing captions for the live broadcasts as well as helping run and write the copy for the online news stories can get rather tedious and boring, but Stiles tries his best to keep himself entertained. Slipping in a movie or comic book reference inside a human interest story just to see if someone comments about it, putting up a funny headline to see if someone catches it and puts it up on reddit, you know harmless things that to the casual viewer and reader will go unnoticed but to those that actually pay attention, they might get a kick out of it.

Recently though, he maybe has been… abusing his power.

(There's) no smoke without fire by Ark (1/1 | 6K | Explicit | Podfic by pricklywhicket)

They kiss for entirely too long. If anyone found them in the woods just then they would be like, dudes, this is excessive.

“Stiles, I was talking about the lasagna” by quackquackcey (1/1 | 2K | Teen)

The time Stiles thought his dad could read minds and ended up confessing his inner most thoughts starring Derek—twice.~ 🐺💝

Couldn't find the words by Tails89 (6/6 | 21K | Teen)

*Complete*

John stands, holding out his hand for Melissa. “I never thought I’d be happy to see my son dating Derek Hale."

“They’re good for each other.” Melissa lets John pull her up onto her feet. “I’m happy for them.”

a.k.a

Five times someone thought Stiles and Derek were dating (plus one time they finally used their words and were!)

all my blossoms by WeAreTheLuckyOnes (1/1 | 7K | Mature)

Stiles has to nudge Derek over as he climbs into bed and under the quilt, but Derek goes easily, rolling onto his side and curving around Stiles's body when he settles. He puts his face into Stiles's throat, nose nudging against Stiles's jaw, arm sliding around Stiles's waist. Stiles is asleep in mere moments, comfortable and warm and safe against Derek's body.

Or the one where Stiles and Derek just get to be happy.

You Always Make A Bloody Mess by Sweetsyren (1/1 | 5K | Explicit)

Stiles is used to hiding his scars.

princecharmingwinks special mention (the found family vibes are so sweet!)

here is the deepest secret nobody knows by owlpostagain (1/1 | 22K | Teen)

“Derek,” Stiles groans. “You have me. You’ve always had me, you absolute moron, how many physically impossible feats of life-saving heroics do I have to perform before you get it?”

See you next time team! Hopefully not as long before the next list. Remember to send all the love and kudos to our fabulous writers (and podficcers!).

#sterek #sterek fanfiction #fic rec #teen wolf #stiles stilinski #derek hale #princecharminglists

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mania-sama · 4 months ago

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gojo satoru's guide to being a good father: cheating is only tolerable if it happens in monopoly

Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood

➼ information ❧ Jujutsu Kaisen ❧ Pairing: Fushiguro Megumi & Fushiguro Tsumiki & Gojo Satoru, Fushiguro Megumi & Gojo Satoru ❧ Additional Characters: Itadori Yuuji, Kugisaki Nobara ❧ Tags: implied/referenced cheating, no curses au, guardian-ward relationships, gojo satoru adopted the fushiguros, parental! gojo, protective! gojo, vandalism, threats of violence, father-son bonding via car vandalism: the fic ❧ Summary: In which Tsumiki gets cheated on and, really, Gojo has been waiting to destroy a bitch's Maserati. ❧ Word Count: 4,054 ❧ Cross-posted from Archive of Our Own ❧ Original post date: 1 January 2024 ❧ Now available as a podfic!

Gojo receives a text from Tsumiki saying that she’s coming home to visit for a couple of days, and two seconds later the front door slams open. A loud bang echoes in the house when it hits the wall. Oh, good. Megumi’s home.

“I’m going to kill that bastard,” he hears the boy fume, forcing the door shut with even more vigor. That poor abused door. Maybe Gojo should consider a therapist for it. “I’m going to chop his dick off and feed it to him.”

“Good afternoon to you, too,” Gojo greets cheerfully. Looking up from the living room couch, he sees his irate ward stalk to the kitchen and pilfer through the various sharp knives in the steel-colored knife block. Not good. He’s already picking out his murder weapon before taking off his backpack. “What’s going on?”

Megumi spares a side-eye so full of anger that Gojo doesn’t even have it in him to feel disrespected. “He cheated,” he says simply while drawing out the chef knife from the block. The noise it makes is a sharp shing, a telltale sign of crimes yet to come.

“Who cheat— oh.” That would explain the short, out-of-the-blue text message from Tsumiki. Suddenly Megumi’s fury seems a lot less irrational. Gojo has a short, beautiful vision of beating Tsumiki’s boyfriend to the point where even his mother wouldn’t recognize his face.

“Yeah.” Megumi holds the large blade out for a second, giving it a long, examining look. Apparently, it satisfies his criteria because he drops his arm by his side and starts heading for the door. Oh shit. He’s actually going to go chop his dick off.

Not that Gojo doesn’t want to either, it’s just that, well, he’s not supposed to indulge in body mutilation. Besides, if Megumi gets caught with that knife in his hand, he’ll get arrested, and Gojo really doesn’t want that to go on the boy’s permanent record. Satoru, unfortunately, cannot woo police officers out of prison sentences like he has for teachers to throw out Megumi’s detentions.

“Hey, hey, hold on!” Gojo jumps up and vaults over the couch in one swift movement, carefully sidestepping whenever Megumi carelessly turns around. The knife’s tip swipes where Gojo’s stomach had once been. “You cannot go around castrating people!”

Megumi glares at him with the heated fury of a thousand burning suns. His lips are pulled so far down into a scowl that Gojo’s unsure his facial muscles are ever going to let him smile again. “Oh, you’re going to start disciplining me now?”

Okay, wow, Gojo did not ask for commentary on his lack of proper child anger management.“I’ve disciplined you plenty,” Gojo insists, though Megumi looks unconvinced. “Listen. I know he deserves it. But do you even know where he is or how you’re gonna get there without anybody catching you with that knife?”

Satoru holds out his hand expectantly while Megumi stares at him hard, his nose scrunched up and green eyes alight with unrelenting ire. Eventually, he sighs hard and presses the handle of the chef knife into Gojo’s palm.

“You’re not seriously going to let him get away with this, are you?” Megumi asks, his voice marginally calmer and less accusatory than it was before. Deciding to be responsible, Gojo slides the chef knife back into its proper spot and stands firmly in front of the knife block. Just in case his ward makes another attempt at righteous vengeance.

At the question and Megumi’s impatiently crossed arms, Gojo has to think. Obviously, he isn’t going to let this go unpunished. To imagine that any man could think they could hurt his sweet Tsumiki who has never done anything wrong in her entire life — okay, there was that one time that she thought it was okay to spend three thousand dollars on Robux but she didn’t really mean to do that — and run away scot-free sends a violent shiver down Gojo’s spine.

He never told Tsumiki this, but he doesn’t think her boyfriend is all that attractive or intelligent, emotionally or scholarly. What he did tell her was that as long as she was happy, he would be happy. Not before a talk with said boyfriend where he promised he would do much worse things to him if he ever dared make Gojo’s ward cry.

So, what could he do to a twenty-one-year-old university student without mutilating any body parts but still following through with his promise?

Gojo smiles at Megumi, whose eyebrows are raised in anticipation. “Megumi, you have a lot to learn about revenge. What is the one thing a self-absorbed, cheating man loves more than anything in the whole world?”

“His dick,” he responds confidently.

“No!” Satoru laughs and points a finger at Megumi’s nose, watching as he goes momentarily cross-eyed. “Good guess. I’d put that at number two. But Megumi, dear, you must understand. There is nothing he is more prideful of than his car.”

Noticing his ward’s skepticism, he brings his index finger upwards. He uses the rest of his fingers to list off with his words. “One: It’s hard to get away with castration. As much as I hate to admit it, no way you’re going to chop off his dick. Two: Cars are feminine. Men like him love to own anything they can call a she. Three: Cars are expensive and he is a broke college student. I imagine his parents paid for the one he owns now, which is a nice Maserati Ghibli. Four: He will be without a vehicle and have to own up to his parents that his car got destroyed, and the only correlating event that would lead up to such a tragedy would be his cheating. Do you understand now, Megumi?”

Truly, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Megumi comprehend anything so well in his entire seventeen years of life. His ward gives him a short nod.

“Good. Unfortunately, we can’t enact our revenge today. We can’t show up wherever he is and destroy his car. No, we have to first get him to park in a secluded lot, then occupy him for a few hours,” Gojo informs. Megumi listens intently, and, oh, it’s been so long since he’s gotten this boy to actually pay attention to everything he says. It makes Satoru feel all warm inside. “Got any friends that can help us with this?”

Megumi doesn’t hesitate to pull out his phone. “I bet that bastard likes them younger, too. Kugisaki can help.”

“When you’ve come up with a plan, tell me and we’ll review it.”

His ward nods and sends a text on his phone, presumably to Kugisaki Nobara. Gojo waits for Megumi to leave the kitchen to go to his room before he pries himself away from the counter. He chooses to stay in the living room in preparation for the scenario where Megumi decides that he can’t wait any longer and a castration must be performed. He also wants to be the first person to greet his older ward when she gets home.

—

The next three days are spent comforting Tsumiki while carefully planning the glorious demise of her ex-boyfriend’s car. She is too kind, even in mourning of her year-long relationship. She has barely a bad word to speak of that roach of a man. Instead, she cuddles with Gojo as they watch her favorite movies and comedy specials, eat all sorts of unhealthy food and home-cooked meals, and play various board games that Megumi reluctantly joins them in.

It’s the closest they’ve been since Tsumiki left for her second year at university while Megumi works on graduating high school. Gojo works at a different university about a mile away, so he’s nearby at all times. If he cancels a few classes, nobody says a word to him. It comes with being the most highly acclaimed physics professor in all of Japan.

It would be perfect if it weren’t for the weight of a cheating ex-boyfriend dampening the mood at all times. Gojo is happy to be with his kids — wards, technically. Wards — but one of them isn’t, and the other is too involved in a revenge plot to be fully invested in the time they are spending together. Whatever, he consoles himself. It’s the best he’ll get until summer.

In the midst of watching The Human Centipede 2, which, for the record, is a horrifying franchise and he doesn’t understand why Tsumiki likes it so much, he gets a horrid vision of both of his children away in university. Then them in apartments of their own, and they only get together again once or twice a year for holidays. He isn’t able to hold them close on his living room couch on a mundane Tuesday afternoon to watch a deranged scientist attach humans together via mouths to buttholes.

Gojo pulls Tsumiki a little tighter to his side and places a careful arm around Megumi’s shoulders. His son — ward — stiffens for a moment, then leans his cheek on Satoru’s bicep. While both of their eyes are fixated on the screen, he gives a small glance to both of the kids. He feels their steady breaths against his body.

It takes everything in Satoru to smother his smile.

Then the fated day finally arrives.

The plan consists of five participants, four willing (Gojo, Megumi, Nobara, Yuuji) and one unwilling (Tsumiki’s ex-boyfriend). Megumi and his two friends did all of the planning and arrangements while Gojo bought the necessary equipment: two Louisville sluggers, gloves, hats, brass knuckles, a box cutter, and the special edition Tokyo Monopoly. He also rented a sparkling silver BMW because Gojo refuses to be outclassed by a broke college student.

Oh, and they need it so his actual car won’t be recognized. That’s why everything he bought was either new or could hide their appearance, aside from the brass knuckles and board game; if the police catch them, Megumi will never forgive Gojo for not letting him perform a well-deserved castration.

At precisely two thirty in the afternoon, Megumi and Satoru bid Tsumiki a hasty farewell. Gojo doesn’t trust either of them to lie well enough to her, so they don’t give her enough time to ask where they are going. Her shouted question is left as an unanswered echo behind the closed front door.

It takes them thirty minutes to arrive at the designated location, a hole-in-the-wall bar in the rundown part of Ueno. Predictably, there aren’t many people there on a Wednesday before happy hour. Most people had classes or work at this time, and besides, drinking at three in the afternoon without any good football or baseball games to watch is just sad.

Unless, of course, someone had good company with them. A group of friends or a date with a seventeen-year-old girl who insisted that the only time she could get with him was at three on Wednesday! Really! She’s busy the rest of the week and her parents are oh-so restricting…

Since Satoru is a responsible adult, he made sure that the bartenders were paid off in advance to pretend that they are serving alcohol to young Kugisaki. She will simply act like she is getting drunk off of sparkly orange and pink drinks. Then, when the time is right, the ex-boyfriend will lead her to his car to take her to his apartment with only the most pure of intentions. Obviously. But what he will find instead is a pile of mutilated metal and deflated rubber.

There were only two glaring holes in the plan when Megumi originally proposed it to him, which they patched up by including Yuuji. The first: Gojo knows Nobara can bench twice her weight and take down a man with a hairpin, but he needs to be one hundred percent sure she will be entirely safe. There’s no telling what an enraged pedophile may be able to achieve. Additionally, she needs a quick getaway. The second: A video of the man’s reaction is required, and nobody involved will be in a position to record.

So, Megumi kindly asked Itadori Yuuji to hang out in the parking lot in his car, inherited from his dearly departed grandfather, and be at the ready with both his phone and brass knuckles should the situation escalate so far. Gojo hopes it doesn’t because that would make for a terrible reaction video.

The parking lot is situated at the back of the bar, which has no windows for an unsuspecting cheater to look out of and witness a crime being committed on his prized possession. Gojo parks a couple of spots to the right of the pearly white Maserati, spotting Yuuji’s old red Nissan on the left. The windows are barely tinted, allowing them to make eye contact with each other. Or rather, Itadori looks at Gojo’s shades for a split second before waving enthusiastically to Megumi. His ward returns the gesture with a small wave of his own.

Before Gojo can say something that will undoubtedly embarrass Megumi and spoil the mood, he swings his orange-and-blue slugger over his shoulder and adjusts his black cap with a gloved hand. “I’m feeling generous,” he declares. “You take the first swing.”

Megumi looks up at him, gives him a malicious grin, and steps close to the right wing mirror. Instead of swinging it, he slams the butt of the bat into the glass. It takes one more shove to send the wing mirror crashing to the ground. Glass shatters on the asphalt. Luckily, Gojo made Megumi wear a jacket and a pair of designer shades that would protect him from spray shards.

Laughing at the broken display of vandalism, Gojo pats Megumi on the shoulder. “Hit a home run into his headlights! I’ll work on getting in the car.”

“Destroying the inside?” Megumi asks, already stepping around to the front of the car. He gets into a proper batting stance, just like how Gojo taught him when the boy was playing the sport in middle school. The sun reflects brightly on the black-and-yellow Louisville slugger.

“Can’t leave a job half-finished, can we?” Satoru grins. His ward knocks a clean hole into one headlight at the same time Gojo leaves a spiderweb of cracks in the driver’s window. When the glass shatters inwards, he’s able to reach into the car and press the unlock button. The Maserati Ghibli has a slight off-white leather interior. Gojo takes a second to run his hand over the seat, savoring the beauty he’s about to destroy.

It’s a morbid pleasure to slide open his box cutter and carve jagged lines into the clean interior. White scars are left behind when he pulls the blade from the leather. He takes special care to draw little broken hearts and a cat with a pair of sunglasses on. When he’s done with the front and back seats, he finds that Megumi has already made a full round with the car. Thin streaks were keyed into the car doors, and every inch of the once pristine Maserati is filled with deep dents.

Megumi admires the view with Gojo, his breath coming out in small pants. “Well?”

“It can be better. Go again,” he answers, even though the car is so beautifully destroyed that it makes his heart swell. The teacher who said his kid was destined for failure was sorely mistaken; this is a sign of great things to come.

Megumi nods and lifts his slugger to smash another dent into the back window. It was already shattered, but now the only indication glass was ever there in the first place are the shards lying scattered in the trunk.

Gojo could cry with how proud he is of his son. His ward. Son.

Pushing out the blade of the box cutter again, Gojo crouches and slashes a hole into the first of four tires. He watches in satisfaction as air rushes out to rejoin the natural atmosphere. It has the same impact as releasing a caged, rehabilitated animal back into the wild. Probably. Satoru hasn’t done that before but he figures this is pretty much the same thing.

He moves on to the next tire after golfing the fenders three times with his bat. Megumi meets back up with him on the last tire, and this time there’s sweat dripping from his face. It’s a decently hot day, Gojo can admit. A few straggling wisps of clouds drift lazily across the sky, leaving the sun to bake the creatures on Earth. His own neck is uncomfortably wet and sticky.

“Here,” he hands over the box cutter, a shade duller than it was before. “I’ll leave the final honor to you.”

Megumi holds the box cutter in his hand like it’s the Holy Grail. When he rips into the tire, Gojo hopes he’s imagining a dick being sliced off instead like Gojo is. It’s the closest they’re going to get until one brave woman decides that enough is enough.

They step back to admire their work. It should be displayed in a museum next to Winged Victory of Samothrace or Perseus with the Head of Medusa. The whole world should lay their eyes on the perfect mound of metal and rubber they have molded. It’s barely even recognizable. The dark inside machinery of the car is visible from the parts Megumi tore off with his hands or batted away with the slugger. It sits closer to the ground than before thanks to the tire deflation. Several holes fall open in the cracked windows.

Gojo wraps an arm around Megumi’s shoulder, tugging him to stand closer to his side. His ward doesn’t put up a fight against his guardian and even rests his head against Gojo’s collarbone.

No language has an accurate word to describe the feeling that courses through his body. It’s a concoction of every good and bad thing Gojo has done in his life; every misstep he’s taken in raising the Fushiguro kids, and every moment he’s experienced overwhelming pride, fear, and joy for them. It’s twelve years all at once, tucked away under his arm.

“Your sister is going to kill me when she finds out about this,” he says. Megumi snorts.

“It’ll be worth it.”

Megumi’s voice is low with fondness, the only kind that can be produced after a long rush of adrenaline.

A great amount of strength allows him to open his mouth. “We need to leave before they get out here,” he mutters. Slowly, as if reluctant, Megumi detaches himself from Gojo’s arm. The warmth of his son’s body is lost immediately, replaced by the distant uncaring sun.

They wave Yuuji farewell and hop into the car, blasting the air conditioner and the playlist containing both the perfect, glorious, angel choir songs Gojo likes and the obnoxiously emo songs Megumi listens to. About halfway through the drive, Satoru asks if Megumi’s hungry.

Megumi looks up at him from his phone, his eyes squinted with something mischievous. “Can we have—”

“We are not having KFC,” Gojo says firmly.

Instead of frowning, Megumi’s lips contort into a half-smile of some kind. Like he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s enjoying being in the car with Gojo. And Gojo — Gojo can’t help himself. This is his son. The prickly five-year-old he met in an alley is now seventeen years old, looking down at his lap with his face scrunched up in a failed attempt at keeping his composure. He’s not laughing only to maintain his image. Megumi is happy.

It’s not enough to get Gojo to go through a KFC drive-thru because some wounds will simply never heal, but he does pull into the parking lot of the next best thing: Subway.

“So, I was thinking tonight we’d play Monopoly,” he suggests as they gorge themselves on two foot-long sandwiches and a large bag of Doritos. Megumi tries to scowl, but his full cheeks make him look more like a chipmunk.

“No. You always cheat at Monopoly,” Megumi says after swallowing his food.

“I don’t! I play fair and square.”

“You always have to be a banker so you can steal money and give us incorrect payments,” he deadpans.

Gojo ignores him. It’s not his fault they won’t play by the objectively correct rules of Monopoly. “But it’s Tokyo Monopoly! You can own Shibuya Crossing!”

Megumi’s gaze is unimpressed, but he doesn’t retaliate anymore. Gojo doesn’t bother to hide his shit-eating grin. Another day, another victory for one Gojo Satoru.

—

Tsumiki is waiting for them when they get home. She’s leaning against the wall of the foyer, her gaze stupidly hard for someone who’s supposed to be grieving the end of a relationship. It takes them exactly two point three nanoseconds to see that she has them figured out.

“Where were you two?” She asks them as if she doesn’t know. The air cracks with tension.

Gojo smiles and shoves Megumi forward. “You know, Megumi has been dying to tell you!”

His son glares at him in disgust before fully facing his sister. “We, uh,” he clears his throat. “We vandalized your ex’s car.”

The house is silent for five whole seconds. Megumi stares at his sister with bated breath, waiting for his soul to be wiped out of the mortal plane in the form of an hour-long lecture. But Gojo knows better. He knows because this is his daughter.

She sags forward, a smile ghosting her lips. Her eyes carry heavy eyebags, but they shine with expectation. “Do you at least have a video?”

Of course, she wants to chop his dick off, too. And of course, she recognizes that the next best option is destroying his pearly white Maserati Ghibli. She was raised by Gojo Satoru, after all.

Before Gojo orders her DoorDash Subway, they watch the video Yuuji sent to Megumi’s phone — the contact photo for the young Itadori is hilariously cute in comparison to Nobara’s, making Satoru give his son a knowing shoulder bump — on the big screen.

His reaction is priceless, what with the screams and caressing of the broken angles of the car. He moves to furiously grab Nobara’s shoulders, but she digs her heel straight into his balls before he can lay a finger on her.

Yuuji lowers his phone as she gets in, kicking his car into reverse so they can peel out of there before he gets up off the ground. The video ends with the kids’ glorious laughter and Nobara shouting, “It worked! Go, Itadori! Go!” Tsumiki’s giggle gives Gojo more joy than the actual process of destroying the car.

Well. Okay. Her giggle is almost better than destroying a Maserati Ghibli. What can he say? It was the most fun he’s had since he decided to stop breaking the law to set a good example for his kids.

Later, when they sit down to play Tokyo Monopoly, he may or may not tone down his strict following of the rules. Perhaps he embezzles a little less, and perhaps he switches out Tsumiki’s house for a hotel when his kids aren’t paying attention. He still wins after five hours of playing but that’s beside the point.

The day ends with a hug from Tsumiki. He doesn’t fully hug his kids often. Even when they were young and missing both parental figures who should’ve been giving them hugs three times a day, Gojo didn’t let himself get close enough to them. Realistically, he knows it’d been a product of his own young age and inexperience. Growing up in a cold family didn’t help matters; his only model of parents were his own unfeeling ones and what he’d observed of other families from afar.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt when he hesitates to hold his children, unsure if they would want to be touched by their legal guardian. It’s worse to see them withdraw from touching him, too, like they’re worried he’ll pull away in disgust.

So, this is nice, the hug from his daughter before she goes to bed. She smiles at him from the top of the staircase. She is happy.

Yeah, it’s certainly better than destroying a Maserati Ghibli.

… Well. Maybe not. Maybe nothing will be better than that. But he swears that Tsumiki’s happiness is a very, very close second.

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redfurrycat · 1 year ago

Text

🤠🐓5+1 Hangster Fic Recs🐓🤠

(* also includes any other similar x + 1 fics)

Check the Top Gun Masterlist post for the latest updated version. 💕

Ao3 Authors: 47cityordinances, Alecjbi, AnadoraBlack, Anonymous, Attolians, B_blh, Boobooblue, Bottledyarn, Charlie_mou, Coconutcordiale, Conny_the_destroyer, Contech00, Cryinginthebronco, Dalearden, Davidbyrne, Discosleaze, Dracculaura, Drh0rrible, Earthangel_44, Elwenyere, Emilyandthecat, Emseebeans, FabuMazX, Flyingfightingfishy, Gentlehours, Ginnydear, Glitterfayy, Greatea, Grimjobs, Hangmanbradshaw, Icezansky, Ilarina, Imafriendlyalek, Indybob, JPB_128, K0ralik, Lawsarethreats, Lawrussoauto, Lemqnie, Levivi, Liadan14, Lovelybattle, LoveMadeThemDoIt, Luciferinasundaysuit, MadeItUp, Magdarko, MayWilder, Miraculousmultifan, Nickies_Nonsense, Nightfuryy, Nighttimedawn, Nightwrite24, Ofguttersandstars, Perishablealex, Playingwiththeboysisagayanthem, ProtectingH_ngm_n, Pocketsizedsatan, Quietconversation, Ravens_Words, ReformedTsundere, Resacon1990, Rorschachs, SaintClaire, Saturn, Slyther_ing, SunMonTue, Susiecarter, Tearsricochets, Tellxmebby, Umbrella_enthusiast, Violation_of_faith_and_devotion, WaffleToaster, Xo_em.

(5+1 Icemav)

The mandatory 5+1 fic by AnadoraBlack {M}

5 times Rooster thinks there might be something between him and Hangman; and 1 time he knows for sure. (+ Podfic by ReformedTsunderePodfics)

playing for keeps by ginnydear {_}

“He’s uh,” he starts, trying to pull himself together. Phoenix has wandered over now, mouth open as she looks at the scene in front of her. “He’s cuddly, when he’s sleepy.” “Javy,” Hangman hisses, though it’s not nearly as biting as it could be. “To the grave, dude.”

watching from afar by quietconversation {T}

“I am good, Rooster. I am very good.” The cocky grin on his face doesn’t faze the aforementioned Lieutenant, who nods at Bob and rolls his eyes at Hangman, who continues after a pause. “In fact, I am too good to be true.” “Shut up, Seresin. No one wants to listen to your whining on a Friday night. It’s just stressing everyone out more.” — The 5 times everyone thought Hangman and Rooster might have something going on, and the one time their suspicions were confirmed

ring the alarm by levivi {T}

Hangman’s grinning at Rooster with a toothpick between his teeth, white against the tan of his skin. Rooster leans back against the counter, tilting his head back with a barely-there smirk. “Not always,” he says lowly. Phoenix frowns. “Well, you know me,” Hangman purrs. “I like making you work for it.” Or four times no one realized hangman and rooster were dating and one time they did

feels like the first time by ginnydear {E}

“Like what you see?” Jake teases, ignoring the part of his brain that needs Bradley to say yes. Desperately wants to know that Bradley is as into this as he is. When Bradley looks up at him, hand sliding up Jake's chest, across his collarbone to cup his jaw, Jake nearly whines. working title - four firsts for bradley and one first for jake.

more than just a friend by dracculaura {T}

Everyone knows that Bradley and Jake are dating. Except a very oblivious Maverick.

i'm just gonna call you mine by ginnydear {T}

“Oh, you better watch it there, sugar, because I feel an unnecessary roughness penalty in my future,” Rooster replies, watching as Hangman’s dimples appear. He salutes Rooster. “You’re on, sweetcheeks.” it starts with a sarcastic sweetcheeks. (or, five moments from within canon and one from shortly thereafter)

T-shirt by violation_of_faith_and_devotion {E}

He inadvertently takes a breath and before he realizes what’s happened, Jake is already away, making his way towards the bar. He’d like to blame it on the alcohol, but he’d need to lie to himself. * Or, three times when Rooster smelled Hangman. And kinda liked it.

Mav? by nightfuryy {_}

Five times Bradley got to be part of a loving family and one time he got to show someone else what that was like.

softest hands to hold you by ginnydear {M}

“You aren’t the first person to think I’m pathetic and weak, something to be used and not loved.” or - jake's had some bad past boyfriends.

I Hate The Way I Sleep Better With You by FabuMazX {T}

5 Times Rooster and Hangman help each other through nightmares +1 time they help somebody else.

An Obligatory 5+1 Fic by tellxmebby {T}

Or, 5 times Jake Seresin "mother henned" (nagged) Bradley Bradshaw, and one time Bradley mother hens him back.

Too Good To Be True by drh0rrible {M}

5 Times Someone Finds Out Rooster and Hangman are Together + 1 Time Jake Needs Reminding

5 Times Hangman Took Care of His Team + 1 Time Someone Took Care Of Him by dalearden {T}

The Daggers and the rest of the Team stay together for the long leave post mission. That includes Hangman although he is still treated a bit as an outsider. They get into all kind of crazy shit and Rooster starts to notice things. That Jake is the one who starts cleaning after drunk Payback threw up all over the bathroom and knows exactly what cleaning products will do the trick. That when Fritz is arrested for disturbance, he knows how to talk to the cops to get him released. That he can patch Fanboy like a professional medic after the guy got into a fight. That he can cook a meal from nothing, mend clothes and knows everything about meds. Turns out Jake had to take care for his family as the only responsible person since he was 5 years old. First his alcoholic parents and then his dying grandmother. Jake won’t let anyone in, but he will take care of them as much as he can. Rooster wants to change it.

big brother duties by ginnydear {G}

“But what I’m trying to say,” Bradley says after a moment, handing Jake a clip and touching Amelia’s shoulder, “is that… well, you have me now.” “Ew, are you offering to be my brother?” five times jake helps bradley with amelia and the one time amelia helps bradley with jake.

all of these games we play (i can't even keep 'em all straight) by tearsricochets {T}

He knows, theoretically, Jake wants some kind of reaction out of him. He’d seen it in the look he’d given Bradley right before accepting the man's invitation, but he also knows that he’s sick of the one having to make all the big emotional moves. He opens his mouth to tell Tasha as much, but stops when he sees a girl at the bar looking at him. She’s a curvy blonde, someone who looks like she was in a sorority in college. Her hair is perfectly curled, and her lips are a dark red color. She’s giving him a very long once-over, and when she meets his eyes again she smiles coyly. (Look, you don’t need to tell him it’s a bad plan, okay? He knows.) (Natasha does not care.) Because she knows the second she follows his eyeline what he’s going to do, and immediately opens her mouth to protest. “Do not do what I think you are about to Bradshaw.” He turns to look at her, the new gaze burning his skin. “Why not? He can play games but I can’t? Please, Tasha, give me a reason not to and I’ll leave it alone. Jesus, tell me what we are doing, at this point that would be just as great.” OR: the one in which they play many games, and then the one time they don’t.

my picture in your pocket by ginnydear {G}

Staring back at him from Rooster's phone is Hangman, eyes bugged out of his head and tongue sticking out. It’s obviously a selfie and Bob thinks it’s gotta be one Hangman took himself, based on the angle. It looks like Hangman isn’t wearing a shirt either, which only adds to Bob’s confusion. five times someone picked up roosters phone and saw a selfie of hangman.

everyone knows something I don't by greatea {E}

Rooster interrupts him, and damn it, that smirk is back from the bar. "Ah, so you paid attention to who was in the same year as me, Hangman? My my my darlin', I didn't know I left that much of an impression on you." With a scowl, Jake just shrugs his shoulders. "Gotta pay attention to the competition, right? Not that you turned out to be much competition after all, a bit too slow for me." "Ah, well, that might be true for my flying, but it certainly doesn't carry over into other aspects of my life, darlin' ," Rooster says, smirk almost painted onto his face, looking him up and down. - or the 5+1 fic where Jake doesn't realize Bradley is flirting with him, and the one time he does.

on the other side by bottledyarn {T}

only just getting started

Five times the dagger squad thought they knew what the deal was with hangman and rooster + the one time they got answers

wanting

Six times Jake Seresin assumes Bradley Bradshaw is something he can want but can't have, and how he learns the truth. -- Jake Seresin is very good at a few things. Flying, obviously. Pissing people off. Wanting things he can't have. But he's never been very good at dealing with Bradley Bradshaw. During the mission, Jake is just trying his best to be better.

Oblivious by umbrella_enthusiast {T}

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and Tom “Iceman” Kazansky have been around Bradley Bradshaw for long enough that they know how he interacts with his friends. Hell, they practically raised the kid. But the one thing that Mav and Ice can’t wrap their heads around is Hangman.

I Want You All To Myself by perishablealex {E}

Five times Jake plays with Bradley's come. And the one time Bradley tries something new.

I hate (the way i don't hate) you by susiecarter {T}

Five times Rooster and Hangman hated each other over something stupid, plus the time it turned out that wasn't ever what it had really been about. (+ Podfic by Silverkat1620)

you got me wishing we're more than friends by nighttimedawn {T}

or five times that Jake gets back with his ex, and the one time that he doesn't

This is Getting Ridiculous by lovelybattle {E}

The first time it happened Rooster had tugged Hangman into a closet, kissing him until they were both breathless and red in the face. This was new, they hadn’t done this before, but they didn’t talk about it. Just another step in this long dance they’ve been doing. Or: 5 times Rooster and Hangman get caught and 1 time they don't.

you know that i'm falling and i don't know what to say by alecjbi, attolians, boobooblue, Earthangel_44, ginnydear, miraculousmultifan, perishablealex, ReformedTsundere, xo_em {E}

Jake, I…” He stops, his eyebrows pinched as he shakes his head. Jake’s eyes snap open, his gaze caressing Bradley’s face. “Yeah?” Smoothing out the tension between Bradley’s eyebrows, Jake cups his face in his hands. “I’m listening.” Averting his eyes, Bradley whispers, “I’m really glad it was you.” or - the eight times they almost say I love you during sex, and the one time they do.

I come from where the rivers meet the sea by luciferinasundaysuit {T}

Phoenix pinches the bridge of her nose. “One night. One night without whatever all this is. My kingdom for one night.” “There’s no all this!” Rooster protests. Like a liar. Hangman takes his arm back, slides off his chair and goes back to the dart board. Rooster tries not to feel cold. “Of course not, Rooster,” Hangman says, just short of condescendingly. “I could never bring a yankee home, and I respect you too much to hit it and quit it.” Or 5 times Rooster didn’t tell Hangman where he was from + 1 time he did

why don't you speak by lawrussoauto {T}

He wants to ask Rooster what’s wrong, why he looks so tired. Why he’s barely said a word to anyone since he got here an hour and a half ago. Does he even want to be here? - Or, 5 times Jake inwardly worries and 1 time he voices them.

no stressing, just obsessing (with sealing the deal) by Resacon1990 {T}

“Too much love drives a man insane!” “Tell me about it,” Jake mutters under his breath, and Penny raises an eyebrow where she’s wiping the bar in front of him. Or, five times Jake tries to tell Bradley he's in love with him, and the one time he actually does.

(is it too soon to do this yet?) 'cause i know that it's delicate by cryinginthebronco {E}

5 times Bradley helps Jake fall asleep + 1 time he gets to wake him up

5 Times Bradley Calls Jake Sweetheart + 1 Time Jake Returns the Endearment by dalearden {M}

But there’s one thing above all Jake has really latched onto, that makes him literally swoon inside in such a way that he momentarily becomes a stranger to himself. It’s just a word and would mean nothing coming from anyone else but there’s something about the way Bradley says it, how it makes Jake feel to hear it coming from the older pilot. It makes Jake wish he could show his feelings so easily in return, makes him hate himself a little bit that he can’t.

The Colour Of An Avocado by SaintClaire {M}

Four times Jake got jealous and one time Bradley did. --- The thing about Tim is that he’s probably a decent guy. Jake would know this if he was willing to spend more than twenty seconds talking to him, but alas, he’s not. He’s Bradley’s ex, and that’s three strikes out and a fourth for good measure, as far as Jake’s concerned.

been you all along by Ravens_Words {T}

Somehow, in a truly horrifying twist of fate, Bradley's mortal enemy became his daughter's favorite person. Or Five times Jake was his daughter's favorite person, and the one time he was Bradley's too.

I'm a star and I'm burnin' through you by glitterfayy {M}

Jake isn’t stupid, if he cares to profess, he knows it's more than a crush. It’s been several years now and he hasn’t been able to shake Rooster off his tail since they first met. Or Five times they thought it might be love, and one time they knew.

Happy Birthday, dear Jake by Conny_the_destroyer {T}

Five times Jake sings Happy Birthday to someone and one time others sing for him.

holding patterns by gentlehours {M}

Always thinking, a mocking voice that sounds eerily like Hangman tells him, never doing. Always waiting, for that perfect moment that never comes. That always was his problem, and it’s never easier to see than when he’s with Hangman. — Five times Bradley waits for a moment that never comes, and one time he takes a chance.

ignition by charlie_mou {_}

In a reality where Mav had an adult, honest conversation with his kid instead of going behind his back, said kid didn’t run off and cut contact -- no, he decided to figure out if there was something he wanted to do aside from being a naval aviator. And thus, Fire Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw has been working at San Diego Fire Department for close to fourteen years when the Dagger Squad is assembled for a special detachment. Or, 5 times Jake crossed paths with Fire Lieutenant Bradshaw and 1 time he met Maverick's son

You make me think of olive oil (4+1) by b_blh {G}

The 4 times Jake used olive oil and the 1 time Bradley and Jake used it together.

a window breaks down a long dark street by MayWilder {M}

“I’m gonna go inside,” Jake murmurs against his lips, despite how they’re flush against one another and he isn’t pulling away. “I am.” He bites at Bradley’s lower lip, prompting the other man to tighten his grip on his hips. “Remind me again why?” “Cause we’re taking it slow and proper,” Jake reminds him. He lets his hands fall down the slope of Bradley’s shoulders and squeezes his biceps. “Dates. Holding hands. Maybe even a date where we hold hands.” Bradley chuckles and ducks his face down into Jake’s neck. “Right. Romance.” *** alternatively titled: Four Times Jake Romances Bradley + 1 Time Bradley Romances Him Back

If No One Else Sees (We Can Pretend It Isn't Real) by Contech00 {T}

In the lead up, and aftermath, of the mission Rooster and Hangman find comfort in one another as they steal private moments of each other's company. Rooster tries to work through his personal struggles as seen through Hangman's point of view. or, 5 times where Bradley and Jake open up to one another thinking they're alone. And one time they're not.

5 Times Rooster Fell Asleep On His Teammates And 1 Time He Did It To Maverick by Nickies_Nonsense {G}

When Bradley was kid he was all over people. You couldn’t get the boy to leave you alone if he wanted to be near you whether it was holding Mav’s hand as they walked, being picked up, or nuzzling into his shoulder in the evenings he simply insisted on being held. - Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw has a habit of cuddling up to people when he’s sleepy which the daggers discover during training before the suicide mission.

Extra Credit by ReformedTsundere {T}

"I'm going to kill him," Bradley seethes, stomping into the teacher's lounge and briskly cutting across the room to get to the fridge where his lunch is waiting. Or 5 times Jake and Bradley's teaching forces them together, and 1 time there's no force at all

get it right (for you, honey) by liadan14 {T}

“Wait, there was an actual proposal?” Javy asks. “Wow, I didn’t think…” Bradley glares at him. “Seriously? Did you people imagine we just tripped and fell through the wrong door in city hall?” “I thought maybe you went to Vegas,” Fritz pipes up. “I’m still not convinced it’s not a tax scam,” Bob adds. “Now that you bring it up,” Jake says thoughtfully, “he did mention the tax breaks when he proposed.” Or, X times someone else observed Jake and Bradley as a married couple and tried to understand how exactly that happened.

I always fall (a little short in front of you) by rorschachs {E}

Rooster loses quite a few bets. He arguably wins even more.

Flying Conditions by elwenyere

Holding Pattern {E}

The thing about having a dead father everybody liked is that everybody’s got a bigger piece of him than Bradley does. ----- 5 times Bradley wasn't ready + 1 time he was

Punching Out {M}

Jake’s always been sharp and soft, but not in the right configuration. ----- Or, 5 times Jake can't always get what he wants + 1 time he gets what he needs

When the Time Comes by elwenyere {T}

Bradley remembers it the way his fingers remember a chord: by ear, like he’s an echo of someone else’s sound. ----- Or, 5 times someone held Bradley + 1 time he held someone else

august sipped away (like a bottle of wine) by k0ralik {E}

Jake isn’t sure when he and Bradley started seeing eye to eye. Maybe it was when Rooster was chosen to fly the mission instead of him and he had to step down, following orders, forced to give up competitiveness. Maybe it was the countless games of poker and many, many bottles of beer later. or: 5 times Jake and Bradley go for it in not-so-private places + 1 time they actually find a bed

Some Unspoken Thing by indybob {M}

With paths that have crossed for the better part of a decade, Jake and Bradley have a history unlike any other. A history that sees their relationship develop from best friends, to bitter rivals, to eventual lovers. The five times that Jake felt there was some unspoken thing between himself and Bradley, and the one time he decided to do something about it.

here is that rainbow by magdarko {M}

Five times Jake did something Bradley didn't expect and one time Bradley returned the favor.

5 times Rooster lost a bet to Hangman + 1 time they both won. by Pocketsizedsatan {_}

5 times Rooster lost a bet to Hangman + 1 time they both won. Fraternity AU

In the mood for love by WaffleToaster {_}

A light-hearted 5+1'ish story of the many interrupted attempts of two knuckleheads written from their friends' prespectives. Also known as: 5 times Jake and Bradley try to get it on, emphasis on try here, and one time they might have had a chance.

Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds by Contech00 {T}

He has to say something. “Did you know that after the USS Forestal was decommissioned it was turned into razorblades?” He says squeezing his eyes shut. “What?” Bradley says in a serious tone, an eyebrow quirked in confusion. -or- Jake accidentally woos Bradley with poetry.

so it's your birthday by 47cityordinances {T}

It takes two months for Bradley’s resolve to break. Two months without Jake. Two months of no calls, no texts, no emails. Two months of knowing Jake is out there somewhere, yet so far out of reach. His absence is everywhere, suffocating. --- 5 birthdays with distance between bradley and jake and 1 birthday together

miles to go before I sleep by lemqnie {E}

Five cold winters between Jake and Bradley and one warm Christmas. or Jake and Bradley's relationship through the years.

caught me by surprise by emseebeans {M}

Bradley and Jake hook-up after the mission. It's a one-time, casual thing. Until it's not. (or, five times Jake says Bradley isn’t his boyfriend, and the one time he realizes that might not be true.)

you next to me by coconutcordiale {T}

“We can play for it,” Bradley offers, twisting to reach across Jake and pull a deck of cards he’s tucked into the rack supporting Jake’s mattress. “Loser has to trek across the ship and sleep with Zing.” “He’s not my type,” Jake says, mischief glinting in his eyes when he peers up at Bradley. “Too skinny.” + aka three times there was only one bed and one time there were too many

let's make christmas merry, baby by davidbyrne {T}

Bradley stares at it for so long that the man in front of the counter clears his throat in annoyance. He blinks back to himself, looking up at the man dressed in business casual and sporting an annoyed look. “Sorry, you want me to wrap this?” “Yes,” the man says, exasperated. “That’s why I’m at the gift-wrapping station.” Or 4 times jake brings something ridiculous for bradley to wrap and one time he brings himself

love thorns all over this rose by hangmanbradshaw {_}

Bradley's friends watch him lose himself, find himself, and then find something even better. Or Bradley doesn’t really do dating, until he does. Aka Bradley pre-IWTBY, and a little during, according to Reuben, Callie, and Jonathan.

Oh, but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for by nightwrite24 {G}

Five times Bradley and Jake encountered each other under decidedly unusual circumstances, and the one time one of them decided to finally do something about it.

what's it take to get your number? what's it take to bring you home? (you can take me hot to go) by davidbyrne {M}

Dr. Bradshaw scans Jake’s file, no doubt seeing the long list of previous visits, ranging from a fishing hook in his hand (an unfortunate accident) to when he collapsed from dehydration (he had an undiagnosed bout of bronchitis). He glances back at Jake, keeping his face tilted down. The whole thing shows Jake just how long the doctor’s eyelashes are. “Yes, I can see you have more tenure here than I do. Rest assured, Mr. Seresin. You’re in good hands.” Or 5 times jake asks his hot er doc out and 1 time he says yes

sit down next to me by MadeItUp {M}

Five times Jake and Bradley are forced to sit together for an event, plus one where they choose to do so. “I assume you were saving this for someone special.” The man flashes a smile designed to dazzle, an aviator’s arrogance amplified by the self-confidence of someone who’s never been anything less than the best looking guy in the room. As he sits, Bradley eyes dip down to check his patches: Hangman.

What You Need to Know About Cupids by icezansky {G}

According to the Fates, one “Jake Seresin” and one “Bradley Bradshaw” are destined to love one another. They just need a little intervention in the form of a Cupid to seal the bond.

can't you see (all I really want to be) by Anonymous {E}

Five times Rooster and Hangman got each other off, plus the time Hangman finally admitted that wasn't all it was.

Five Times a Dagger Learns About Hangman & Rooster (And One Time Maverick Does) by LoveMadeThemDoIt {G}

can't you see (all i really want to be) by susiecarter {E}

Five times Rooster and Hangman got each other off, plus the time Hangman finally admitted that wasn't all it was.

honey I'm still free (take a chance on me) by davidbyrne {E}

“This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.” “Training?” “Sure, but I meant more this. Us.” Or 5 times jake decides it's too difficult and one time he wants to try

Requesting clearance (to fall in love) by ProtectingH_ngm_n {G}

The first time was an accident. The second time was a coincidence. The third time was luck and the fourth time was planned. A fic with Captain Bradley Bradshaw and First Officer Jake Seresin

anticipation has the habit to set you up by discosleaze, Emilyandthecat, flyingfightingfishy, imafriendlydalek, JPB_128, Saturn {E}

the 5 times Jake and Bradley's more public exploits were interrupted, and the 1 time they managed. a fightertown shared writing project.

Hold me closer, tiny dancer by Ilarina {E}

Bradley loved Jake, and it had been such a quick and ordinary process that he didn’t even feel the panic that perhaps he should have felt at that realization. It was insane how the boundaries between them had been torn down, how what was once thought to be hate or aversion was simply a safe way to be close to each other without putting themselves on the line all the way – insane for two pilots who risked their lives in the sky every day. In the following six weeks since the Mission, Bradley had learned to accept the love he had never thought he deserved in his life. And the source of this solid love was the man who at that moment was arranging pots and dishes in his kitchen. His boyfriend. [five times Bradley wants Jake to live with him and one time he finally manages to ask him]

but what a thrill by dracculaura {T}

jake breaks his leg, the daggers try to figure out how it happened

Fraternization Rules by imafriendlydalek {M}

“Y’all should be a bit more careful,” Doe says between bites, like it’s absolutely nothing. “They won’t let you be on the same squadron if they know that y’all’re dating.” “What?” Jake musters the ability to ask, overwhelmed by the absurdity of the statement. There’s no fucking way— Sure, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed not very long ago so he could actually be in a relationship with a dude and tell people these days, but— With Rooster? No fucking way. “They don’t let couples serve together,” Joker chimes in. “Fraternization, I guess.” *** Or: five times Jake and Bradley pretended to be in a relationship so they wouldn't be assigned together, and one time they pulled their heads out of their asses and stopped pretending.

when it's done, I can smile (it's on someone else's plate for a while) by playingwiththeboysisagayanthem {T}

"So fun fact about Bradley Bradshaw. Most people wouldn’t guess it looking at him, he presents as a stereotype of the hyper-masculine men of the 1980s. But when he’s stressed beyond belief, he bakes. It’s a coping mechanism that he picked up from his mother as a child, something that started as a way to bond with her and then when she got sick, turned into a way for him to find something he could control. And having something to put a smile on her face, even through the worst of her treatments, at the end of it was definitely worth all of the effort. So for as long as most of the people in his life have known him, Bradley Bradshaw has turned to a hot oven and a mixing bowl when nothing in life quite makes sense. And, well…that leads to quite a few things. " -------------- aka, Bradley stress-bakes. Here are five times that was cause for alarm for someone in his life plus the one time it shouldn't have been.

Five Times Jake and Bradley Celebrated Their Anniversary on the Wrong Day, and the One Time They Didn't by lawsarethreats {T}

Due to circumstances far beyond their control, Bradley and Jake are unable to celebrate their first five wedding anniversaries on their actual anniversary.

hell’s comin’ with me by ofguttersandstars {M}

“You don’t want kids?” Jake repeats, a broken record at this point, as he sags down further in his seat. It’s a slight motion really, but he does it; he can't help it. In the same way he can't help the burn of rejection in the back of his throat. They're done. They have nowhere else to go from here, and the thing is — Bradshaw doesn't even know it. (Or, five times Jake put his kids before himself and one time he didn't have to).

Peer reviewed by SunMonTue {M}

Secretly married Hangster in an academic environment.

all your great loves by slyther_ing {T}

Contrary to popular belief, Jake Seresin loves hard and he loves easy. There are a handful of exes who he’s on amicable terms with, who speak nothing but praise even with the realities of the Navy. His friends – non-military for the most part – are constant in his stories, and his leaves are filled with catching up from state to state. Amongst all of that, Bradley learns, there are five distinct people who take up the significant pieces of Jake’s heart.

Please Don't Engage by slyther_ing {T}

“I’m trying out a new tactic: if I don’t see it, I can pretend it’s not happening.” Natasha demonstrates by closing her eyes as the two men wander off, shoulders bumping while they bicker about where to go for lunch. Bob’s pretty sure that’s what ostriches do but when Rooster’s hand skims too low to be friendly, he tries it out himself. –– Everyone who has eyes and ears has been on the unfortunate end of Hangman and Rooster's incessant innuendos.

all you're giving me is friction by grimjobs {E}

Come on, daddy long legs, move your feet so I can sit down,” Hangman said, it was innocuous enough, but Bradley felt his blood heat all the same; he was grateful for the sun beating down on his skin, hoping that it hid the flush he could feel blooming across his neck and chest. or, 5 times Jake called Bradley 'daddy', and one time, he called Bradley 'daddy'.

#5+1 Hangster Recs List #hangster #sereshaw #hangaroo #bradley rooster bradshaw x jake hangman seresin #bradley rooster bradshaw #jake hangman seresin #🐈red🐈furry🐈cat🐈tag🐈

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steddieunderdogfics · 7 months ago

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rounding third, sliding home. by througheden

@thefreakandthehair

Rating: Explicit

68,869 words, 12/12 chapters

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Alternate Universe - Baseball, Baseball Player Steve Harrington, Massage Therapist Eddie Munson, POV Alternating, Sports-Typical Injuries, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Bisexual Eddie Munson, Lesbian Robin Buckley, Lesbian Chrissy Cunningham, mall fire, (steve has a lot of scars from the aforementioned mall fire), Getting Together, sort of a slow burn but not really?, Mutual Pining, Casual Recreational Marijuana and Alcohol Use, Idiots in Love, SMUT TAGS:, Blowjobs, Face-Fucking, (it's light), Dry Humping, Sex on a Roof, holding hands during sex, Anal Sex, (more to be added as needed), Steddie Big Bang 2023 (Stranger Things), Podfic Welcome, art included, Demisexual Steve Harrington, (if you squint), Happy ending guaranteed!, Good Friend Tommy Hagan

Summary:

“Well, they can still win, right? There’s a lot of time left. I think?” “That’s rule number one, Ed,” Steve nods and stares at the screen, focused and distant— the kind of stare that tells Eddie he’s not talking about just the game. “Always assume the game you’re planning can be won. If you go into it thinking that losing is a possibility, then you’re gonna lose. Even if you’ve gotta rewrite the rules of the game yourself, you gotta convince yourself you can win.” The commentator seems to respond to Steve directly. “And that’s three strikes for Tommy Hagan for the fourth at-bat in a row. If this Dodgers team has a prayer of making the playoffs, it rests solely on Steve Harrington making it back in time.” Eddie feels Steve squeeze his hand tighter. Or, Professional Baseball Shortstop Steve Harrington injures his UCL and returns home to Indiana for treatment. Cue massage therapist Eddie Munson whose tender, practiced touch heals much more than Steve's elbow.

Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @thefreakandthehair. Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!

You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!

#writer's spotlight #steddie #steddie fic recs #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #stranger things #Sports AU #no upside down #Mutual Pining

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thelaithlyworm · 1 month ago

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Actually I thought I'd talk about my podfic covers, just a little bit. Because I can't draw for shit -- what I do is digital collage, sliding resources around on the screen until they look good -- but they're not un-adjacent to art either and I liked how some recent design choices worked out.

Sometimes it really is easy. I find a nice shot on Pixabay or some other digital commons, slap a title on it, and go. Sometimes I just need to trim a little, or run something through a funky filter:

[ID Cover of "Precious Jade", featuring Xiaoge's head and torso but in black and white, and reversed, so he looks like crystal against a black background. End ID]

Or fill in some blank space because the pic doesn't match the frame of an album cover:

[ID Cover of "I Have Seen Troy", featuring the painting “Hélène sur les remparts de Troie” by Gustave Moreau. A paler column on the left, where the title runs vertically, was made from an enlarged detail of the painting. End ID]

Sometimes I'm trying to turn This

into This:

[ID Two photos, one of the actor Bai Yu in a blue jacket next to a screenshot of him playing a long-haired Zhao Yunlan, followed by the cover of "Likeness", with a 'painting' of the god Kunlun, his turquoise robes and long hair tumbling about him. End ID]

Sometimes it's... kinda both?

For "Ghost at the Threshold" I got so super lucky with Pixabay searching. The fic involves two people in a kind of protective dreamscape of camping while trapped behind the heavy Bronze Doors of canon. I lucked into a camping scene -- with a guy in a black hoodie, no less! -- and a stock image of a gate with the centre helpfully cleaned in about five minutes.

[ID Two images, one of the ornamental arch of a stone door with a blank in the centre, the other a photo of two people under a tent-awning, chatting comfortably as smoke from a campfire rises between them. End ID]

“People Camping Tent” by 철민 박 – https://pixabay.com/photos/people-camping-tent-lifestyle-4817872/ (Pixabay Licence) “Doorway Palace Architecture” – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/doorway-palace-architecture-gate-1420437/ (Pixabay Licence)

A bit of tinkering and sliding around, and I got a lovely shot of that brightly coloured scene shining out from its dark frame:

[ID The camping scene shown above, slightly stylised, bright in the frame of the stone arch. End ID]

Only problem is, I needed to put a title on that and every time I tried I lost that gorgeous inky black and distracted from that vibrant wilderness scene. The wilderness was supposed to be the focus!!

So I experimented a bit with repeating the gate element to make a corridor to draw the eye up to the upper right quadrant even in a busier image. And since I was doing that anyway, an option presented itself for dealing with the text:

[ID Similar image to above, but the door element now looks like a corridor and the title "Ghost at the Threshold" trails from upper right to lower left, following the line of corridor. End ID]

I still get a lot of that inky black and I got the text to marry with the corridor, suggesting steps going downward.

Design was perpetrated.

I'm feeling very proud.

#podfic #podfic covers

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drarry-reccage · 1 month ago

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Shattered by @femmequixotic (8k, E)

Tags: Artist!Draco, Angst, Clumsiness

Harry touches the glass, lightly, his bent fingers sliding down the straight, smooth column. The paint swirls at his touch, drags beneath his fingertips. Harry can almost feel it, vital and slick beneath his skin. His heart thuds; he curls his palms around the vase. His fingers shake a little, but when he flattens them against the glass, they still. A man stands at the tower parapets. His beard flutters in the wind, soft, faint wisps of white paint against the dark. And then he's falling, falling, falling until the black swirls wrap around him, consuming him, leaving only the stars shining above. The paint washes over the sides of the vase, swirling and coiling beneath the glass until it's a solid black, hot and angry against Harry's fingers. The kettle whistles behind him; he barely notices. When Harry finally pulls his hands away, he lifts them to his face, pressing his palms against his skin, breathing slowly. It's only then he realises his cheeks are damp. "Fuck you, Malfoy," he whispers, and he buries his face in his hands, crying for the first time in years.

(Rec by @cailynwrites)

🎧 Listen to TWO podfic versions, as recorded by takola or fire_juggler 🎧

#drarry #drarry fanfic #drarry fic #drarry fic recs #hpdm #draco x harry #femmequixotic #2010 #drarry podfic #drarry podfic rec #rec by cailynwrites

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skyasimaru · 10 months ago

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I need this for a thing. Standby...

#incoming #podfic #skyasimaru #vitreous_humor #the cultivation of new growth #snake slides #good omens

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omgtheywereawooomates · 2 months ago

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crossover fic recc + mood board:

reccer's notes:

This fic is part of a much larger series that I've not yet finished, so I'm specifically reccing pt 1, just to be safe. As always, read the tags, cultivate your own experience, etc.

Bucky Barnes x Stiles Stilinski | ch 1/1 | 2,120 | T

Living Dangerously by Inell

part of the In The Shadow series

check out the excellent podfic of pt 1 by roseszain

Summary:

Stiles is sitting at IHOP across the street from the hospital where he works as a resident in the Emergency Department when a good-looking guy slides into the seat across from him, asking for a little help hiding from someone.

#teen wolf crossover #teen wolf fic rec #stiles stilinski #bucky barnes #bucky x stiles #fic by Inell #podfic by roseszain #my moodboards

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rambleoncas · 5 months ago

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Hello friends! I am introducing commissions so I can make my car payment and buy groceries,

Hi everyone! I'm a queer/trans/latine writer and artist looking for freelance work so that I can make my car payment on June 8th. I have a bachelor's in creative writing so I can write pretty much anything for you. I also spent 2 undergrad years studying Studio Art and have been a self-taught digital and traditional artist for my entire life.

Commission me to draw you/your pet(s)/your blorbos!! These can be digital or traditional portraits/illustrations. Sliding scale, starting as low as $20. Examples:

Commission me to write you a poem, song, fic, article, essay, etc. this is my ao3. Sliding scale depending on what you'd like, starting as low as $25. If you've been imagining your blorbos in scenarios™️, I can make that a reality for you!!

I am also open to making podfics/voice overs, playlists, or amvs, so if you're interested please send me an ask for more info! I'm a really creative person and I have so many passions so, chances are I could make that specific thing you've been wanting (:

Still want to support, but can't/don't want to commission me for any reason? Here is my ko-fi if you'd like to leave me a tip instead! This is the pay-what-you-can option since I know times are hard right now for a lot of people. Anyone generous enough to tip me can send me a simple prompt for their favorite character and I'll draw you a quick doodle as thanks!!

Anything helps, even spreading this post!! Thank you for sticking 'til the end, and have a wonderful day!!

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS COMMISSION FORM TO ORDER A COMMISSION FROM ME

#artists on tumblr #commission info #artwork #im not sure what else to tag this with!#destiel #bbc merlin #merthur #star trek #spirk #oc art #oc

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thefreakandthehair · 11 months ago

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✨ Fic Writing Review 2023 ✨

thanks for the tag, @mojowitchcraft! my goal for 2024 is to actually keep track of these kinda stats for my own motivation, so this was a great reminder.

Words and Fics

190,943 words posted on ao3, plus another 35kish for rounding third, sliding home that haven't been posted yet. and some words for my wips and a bunch of tumblr drabbles that I haven't kept track of.

5 WIPs worked on that haven't been published yet.

44 fics published (including Eddie Month oneshots!)

1 multi-chapter fics finished (over the hills and far away)

2 multi-chapter fics published and in-progress (rounding third, sliding home & and icarus' life, it has only just begun)

3 podfics completed

Top 10 Fics by Kudos

what you feel is what you are (and what you are is beautiful)

the answers are all inside of this.

it’s a battle cry, it’s a symphony.

meeting you was coming home.

no better version I could pretend to be tonight.

one ring to rule them all.

make no plans and none can be broken.

you filling my cup, the sun coming up.

and I'd drive all night just to get back home

scar-crossed lovers

My fandom fic events in 2023

@strangerthingsbigbang

@seidenbros follower celebration

A Very Fruity (and Spicy) Valentines Exchange

Lex's Spicy Six Fanworks Challenges (spring, summer, and winter which will post this month!)

@steddiemicrofic

@steddiemas (ongoing!)

@eddiemonth

@steddiebang (posting now!)

a Discord Server gift exchange that I can't talk about yet because it's a secret until it posts <33

Upcoming Events and Projects for 2023

@strangerthingsreversebigbang (writing two for this one!)

Pickup Note with @firefly-party and @sidekick-hero!

Football AU

Coffee Shop AU

Lover's Rage

More works for the So Much (For) Stardust series!

ASMR!Eddie x Insomniac!Steve

Rules & Tags below the cut!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

Tags: @withacapitalp @stevethehairington @spinmewriteround @kkpwnall @penny00dreadful @cuips-not-cute @cuoredimuschio @3minsover @sharpbutsoft @legitcookie @fragilecapric0rnn @ghosttotheparty @gothbat99 @oh-stars @paradimeshifts7 @thisapplepielife @eriquin @wormdebut @steddieasitgoes @steddieas-shegoes

+ anyone else who wants to jump in! as always, if you see this and want to do it, consider this your tag!

#tag game #myfic #steddie #steddie fic

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unleashed-fest · 1 year ago

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UNLEASHED! FEST: REVEALS!!!

Reveals are here! *screams* Unleashed! brought us 20(!!!) incredible works and we want to send the biggest thank you to everyone involved: our fantastic creators, who put their entire hearts into their works, their betas and cheerreaders, who worked their magic as always, and all the wonderful readers, who left comments and kudos. You all made working on this fest an absolute joy! Now go have a look at who made what, so we can all scream about it together!

🐾

🐾 ART

Feathered and Fabulous (Draco/Harry, digital art, T) by @getawayfox Draco runs a successful Instagram account for his pet peacock. Harry takes every opportunity to flirt.

how the hell... (Draco/Harry, digital art, G) by @the-houseryn Harry has no idea how a white highland cow got inside 12 Grimmauld Place, nor why it seems to have a strange affinity for the fancy French chocolates one of his admirers keeps sending him...

Quiet as a mouse (Ron/Viktor, digital art, G) by @pato-roldnart Based on this prompt: Hogwarts Fourth Year: While Ron is grateful for Pigwidgeon, he sometimes finds himself wistfully remembering the times he spent with 'Scabbers' -- before the reveal in Third Year, anyway. One such night, he's startled and wary to find a rat scampering around, until Viktor appears, looking for his escaped pet. They eventually bond over pets, grief, comfort, Quidditch, and many other things as they start to develop feelings for each other.

🐾 PODFIC

Because Cats by ICMezzo (Draco/Harry, 1.5-2hours, T) by Cailynwrites Harry has a cat, and Draco doesn’t. Then Draco has a cat, and Harry doesn’t. Then Harry has a cat again, but Draco doesn’t. Then Draco has a cat, but Harry—OMG HOW WILL IT END.

🐾 FIC & ART

Trevor the Escape Artist (Neville/Pansy, 2.9, G) by DrPansyParkinson, Ecologycreature Trevor the Master of Escape feels his reputation being ruined because a certain someone keeps successfully locating him and bringing him back to his owner. Trevor is often found in bathrooms because he likes humidity.

With Love in Her Luminous Eyes (Draco/Harry, 30k, T) by @starquestingfordrarry The Demiguise lived in Grimmauld Place, and she lived all alone.

🐾 FIC

Birds Behaving Badly (Draco/Harry, 10.5k, E) by @peachpety For eight years, Draco has been content living a quiet life of anonymity in Brighton, dodging pesky seagulls and enjoying the ephemeral boys of summer. And if these summer blokes just happen to resemble Harry Potter, it’s a mere coincidence—despite what his friends say. But when a repeat one-night stand challenges him to face his desires, Draco thinks he’s finally over his years-long crush. A seagull named Kevin thinks otherwise.

Charlie (Draco/Harry, 1.7k, T) by @kittycargo Harry's trying not to be jealous that Charlie's moved in with Draco.

Harry Potter And The Dubious Rescue Of His Ferrety Boyfriend (Draco/Harry, 8.8, T) by Animamundi Draco Malfoy always ends up getting bullied by other animals while in his Animagus form. Harry must rescue him again. Or must he?

It's Me or the Peacock (Draco/Harry, 4.5, T) by harrows They’ve been together for two years when Draco finally moves into Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Only, Harry didn’t know he’d be bringing a pet with him.

misty morning comes again (Draco/Ron, 4.5k, M) by @the-houseryn Every morning without snow on the ground or rain that turned the land into a slip and slide of mud and wet grass, Ron ran the property with his misfit herd of barnyard animals close behind him. The thrilling tease of watching Ron's solid, sweat-glistening body do its lap around the misty morning pond was just about the only thing that could get Draco willingly out of bed so soon after the summer sun rose. Barn chores and animal butts certainly weren't going to do it.

No capacity for feelings (Draco/Harry, 2.9k, T) by fast_brother Draco's Basilisk might or might not be depressed. Whatever the case, he would never ask Harry Potter for help.

Of Magical Beings Being - Magical (Draco/Harry, 30k, E) by @rockingrobin69Out of the blue, Potter's letter says: I need your help. And Draco, ever a fool, goes. Cue magical houses, fluffy Beings with a sweet tooth, mutual pining level: infinity, and truly outrageous amounts of tea.

Peacocks of the Bride(groom) (Draco/Harry, 7k, T) by apricitydays, TempestuousBlue The Big Day is here! Draco and Harry are finally getting hitched. Will the wedding be a smashing success or will peacock-induced chaos ensue? (It’s the latter, for sure)

Slithering up the garden path (Draco/Harry, 1.4k, G) by flightinflame Draco just wants to read in the garden. He's not sure why there are so many snakes around.

Sun Shower (Draco/Harry, 5.9k, T) by @moonmanatee Each afternoon, Harry and his cat lounge in their sitting room, make an elaborate snack, and then head out for a walk. When they run into a certain tall, pale-haired man and his scruffy dog, they find their routine shifting.

the strays (Draco/Harry, 13.8k, T) by @owl-of-fandom Draco befriends stray animals in his back garden, unknowing that one of them is actually an animagus.

Two cute foxes, one embarrassing rant (Harry/Fred/George, 1k, G) by HadrianPeverellBlack Fred and George needed a role of their own, even considering how they were Fred & George and not Fred and George. And, if no one had made the effort to recognize them, to distinguish them, they would have managed to be seen and noticed. At least that was his due to them. This didn't mean they wouldn't want to be appreciated for who they were.

Waiting for the Moon to Rise (Draco/Harry, 8.9, E) by @wolfpants When Harry and Draco move into Grimmauld Place straight out of Hogwarts, the last person they expect to find taking up residence is Bill ‘divorced, dishevelled, and dangerous’ Weasley. But what if their new, furry little problem is the help they need to finally bring them closer? Stranger things have happened, Draco supposes.

Wings and Slings (Draco/Harry, 24k, T) by @steampunkserpent27 After the war, Draco Malfoy decides to turn over a new leaf and in doing so, opens an animal sanctuary for sick and homeless magical creatures. Everything is going well, until he is given a feral herd of hippogriffs and has to ask for outside help to be able to get anywhere near them. Only, it's the very last person he would have asked for help from.

#unleashed! fest 2023 #reveals #masterlist #drarry #rare pair #ron/viktor #neville/pansy #draco/ron #harry/fred/george

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