#tags for visibility thank you for voting!

[dragraceprideexchange]

Wanted to gauge interest in a Drag Race fic exchange for June 2025!

PLEASE reblog this so more people can see this and give their input! Thank you for your feedback!

[bg-brainrot]

More than Vampiric Charms (Astarion x Tav)

Featuring: Astarion x Rogue!Tav

Series: Fits into Love at First Knife, AO3 link here

Summary: After some banter between Astarion and Jaheira goes too far, you (Tav) take some time to remind Astarion that he is so much more than a pair of fangs.

Tags: POV Second Person, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Fluff, Comfort, Vampire Spawn Astarion, set in Act 3, Astarion is Bad at Feelings, Blood, Blood Drunk, blood as a coping mechanism

A/N: Thank you to everyone who voted for this banter in my last poll! This was a fun one c:

Word count: ~3.2k

Walking through the streets of Baldur's Gate is always an adventure with your group– a particularly fraught adventure on this day, as Jaheira and Astarion seem hellsbent on trading barbs.

It had started out playfully enough, with a snide remark from Astarion, "Oh that building used to be a delightful little sweets shop about a hundred years ago. Though I suppose the crone would remember that, wouldn’t she?”

Jaheira, used to remarks about her age, often being the one to start them, was ready with a quick quip back, “Was that before or after your hair turned gray? With my old age, I can never remember.”

Astarion visibility bit back a remark about this being his natural hair color when you glared back at both of them. “Could we focus a bit please? You two can reminisce after we’ve seen to this latest bloody basement.”

One trail of blood, a disgusting array of corpses, and a piece of clown later and the two of them were at it again.

“Jaheira,” Astarion had started in a light tone– a clear indicator that he had no intent to focus. “Have you considered taking on the role of Dribbles the clown yourself? The makeup might help cover all those pesky wrinkles.”

The druid had snickered, appreciating the comment, and shot back, “I think you would be better suited to the role, given you are already a fool.”

That time, Karlach had interrupted, “Don’t either of you dare! No one could replace this Baldurian hero.”

“Which is exactly why we’re helping to piece him back together,” you’d confirmed with a nod. “Besides, you’re both cranky enough to make the children weep.”

“Darling!” Astarion had gasped, an offended hand on his chest. “How could you say that about me?”

You’d ignored his question, instead choosing to deposit a quick kiss on his pursed lips. A soft, effective bandaid that left the man with crossed arms and a reluctant smile. 

Moments later, you were ushering the group out of the building and into the city. Insults forgotten, everyone began trudging the familiar path back to the Elfsong to clean up.

Now, along this very path, you hear Jaheira strike up a new conversation with Astarion– one that has your ears perking up, even as you continue to lead the way ahead.

“It seems that you and our leader are closer than ever,” the woman observes, a smile in her voice.

There’s a moment of silence, and you can practically see Astarion’s suspicious expression in your mind’s eye as he assesses the situation. “Yes, you could say that,” he finally replies. “What can I say? I am, after all, quite charming.”

“I am glad it is your non-vampiric charms our friend has fallen for, Astarion.” A short, thoughtful pause follows before she asks, “It is, isn’t it?”

“Of course,” Astarion responds, his voice reaching a comically high pitch– one that almost makes you laugh. You want to hear this conversation more than most though, so not a sound escapes your lips. The vampire scoffs before he continues. "Is it so unbelievable that they would simply like me?"

There’s a clear hesitation as Astarion’s words hang in the air.

You wonder why Jaheira isn’t responding, what her expression must be– but before you can turn around to find out more, Astarion is speaking again.

“If you insist on prying,” he starts, clearing his throat a bit pointedly. “Perhaps you’d care to join us. And see how much we enjoy one another.”

The insinuation in his tone is almost enough to have you spinning around– teasing Karlach or Shadowheart is one thing, but Jaheira? Gods, you can feel the heat rising up your neck– “Why?” Jaheira snaps back. “Do you require some instruction on how the deed is done?”

“I’m sure even I could learn some new tricks from an old veteran such as yourself,” Astarion replies, mirth shining through in his tone.

Wait, is he actually inviting her?

You know you need to stop this conversation before it mortifies you any further. “Stop it, both of you!” you say, turning your head back, trying your best to keep a stern, not-at-all embarrassed expression on your face. “We don’t need the next installment of ‘Love at First Knife’ getting any more convoluted.”

There’s some grumbling from Astarion, an amused smile from Jaheira, and a chortle from Karlach, but otherwise your group makes it back to the Elfsong without tearing each other– or their clothes– apart.

__

That evening, Astarion slips away.

It’s not an unusual occurrence– some days his hunger is harder to ignore than others, on some you hadn’t found nearly enough evil to suck dry. Ultimately, he never wanted to take too much blood from you, so he chooses to forage as he has taken to calling it.

As a result, you think nothing of it at first, settling into bed after dinner with a book propped between your hands. After all, Cazador is dead, and Astarion is more than capable of taking down some of the most fearsome enemies in the city– he should take all the time he needs to himself.

But the hours pass, and Astarion has yet to return. The candles around you begin to dwindle, words begin to swim on a page you haven’t turned in quite some time, and sleep slowly but surely starts to drag your eyelids down.

It has almost claimed you when the door to your shared room at the Elfsong slams shut. You hear groans from around the room as those who were similarly drifting off to bed are shocked awake, everyone expecting yet another unwelcome visitor. You almost don’t have time to react before an armor-clad vampire lands atop of you.

You do react though, instinctively striking at the man with the spine of your book, a loud ‘thwack’ letting you know that your contact was true.

“Oof,” Astarion mutters, now fully splayed across your torso like a stretching cat. “Darling, must you be so violent?”

“Astarion?” you ask, putting down your book, shaking off the beginning throes of sleep as you realize what’s transpired. “Weapons down everyone, it’s Astarion.”

After a few affirmative grumbles from around the room, you turn your attention back to the vampire, “Are you alright? Did you get injured?”

“Mmm,” he murmurs, burying his face in your blanket, and rubbing at the spot where you’d hit him. “Nothing's the matter. Everything is perfectly dandy.”

His words slur though and something seems to be amiss. His movements are fluid, his body weight is completely and utterly relaxed onto you.

Almost as if…

“Are you… drunk?” you haven’t seen him like this since the bear he drank near the grove. When you’d asked him the question then, he’d shrugged it off– but it was certainly the closest to drunk you’d ever seen him.

“Not strictly speaking, no…” he drolls, tilting his head slightly to stare at you with one eye. His cheeks are flushed, a telltale sign of his recent feeding, and his eye is glazed over, its blissful sheen telling you all that you need to know.

“Have a good dinner, did you?” you ask, smiling down at him wearily. You can hardly fault him for indulging, especially after the couple of weeks you’ve had.

He chuckles, his one visible eye crinkling a bit. “Oh yes. A rather large bugbear. Hardly knew what bit him.”

You run a hand through Astarion’s hair, and respond, “Well done, my sweet, bloodthirsty vampire.”

Normally, such sweet words of unabashed ​​flattery would elicit a smile, a laugh, maybe even a kiss– but tonight Astarion freezes under your touch, his eye going wide before he tucks his face back into the bedding.

“Astarion?” you ask, your previous worry about injury now promptly replaced by a worry of a much deeper hurt.

“It’s nothing,” he mutters, voice sounding distant.

You scratch at his scalp, a bit, trying to encourage him back toward you. “Love, you know you’re a terrible liar. What’s wrong?”

He gives a soft, annoyed huff– an endearing, drunken noise were it not for the fact that he seems determined not to look at you. And continue to crush you with the full weight of his body.

“Astarion,” you say again, with a bit more emphasis, shaking his head a little with your next scratch. “If nothing is truly wrong, I will wake up Karlach. You know she would love to see you in this state.” As if to punctuate your point, a snore sounds from a few beds over, where you know the barbarian slumbers.

“Please don’t,” he murmurs, finally turning around to look at you fully.

You’re surprised to see his eyebrows furrowed, his lips turned down in a truly melancholy frown– always an expressive man, it seems that Astarion’s intoxicated demeanor is twice as exaggerated. Cute, you think. But also concerning. “Love,” you whisper, running a hand along his face. “Talk to me.”

Astarion hesitates, his watery eyes wincing as he debates his next words. Those same red eyes show an unexpected amount of vulnerability– all that bugbear blood is keeping his expression open, his entire face a rosy hue. His mouth opens, closes, his body shifts, and he fumbles with the latches on his armor as he thinks. You simply lay there, playing with his curls until he’s ready.

When he finally speaks, his words take you by surprise.

“You don’t just like me because I’m a vampire… do you?”

“What?” you ask, eyebrows raising in disbelief. Surely, you misheard him.

“You know,” he continues, waving a hand about the air. “My vampiric charms. The fangs. The blood sucking. The mysterious allure?”

“Why in the nine hells would you think that?” You reach a hand out to grab his, tugging on it gently to try to get him to sit up.

Astarion’s eyes drift away from you, but he does sit up, legs draping over your stomach. “Just… because of something Jaheira said.”

Oh. The conversation you’d been eavesdropping on.

“Do you mean what she said earlier? On our way back to the Elfsong?” you ask, narrowing your eyes at him.

“Well, yes,” he mutters, still not looking at you. “Though I can’t help but notice you haven’t answered my question…”

“Astarion,” you start, releasing his hand, only to place it on the slightly flushed skin of his cheek. “No, I do not only like you because you’re a vampire.” Your words are firm, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

His eyes meet yours again, and still you can see so much doubt, so much unmitigated fear. “Are you certain? You truly do seem to enjoy it when I bite you.”

“Well, that’s true,” you admit with a small wince. It does feel rather… good when he bites you, it would be a lie to say otherwise and, besides, you’ve told him as much before. “But that’s not why I like you, you fool.”

Astarion’s bottom lip slips into a small pout and he moves away from your hand. “You’re not very convincing, you know? Especially when you call me a fool.”

You scooch out a bit from under him, leaving your legs under his. With all of the severity in the world, you reply, “If it makes you feel better, I’m a fool too.”

“You are?” he asks, curious despite himself– easily falling for your little trap.

“A fool for you.”

The noise that escapes him is half groan, half chuckle, and his mouth pulls into a lopsided little smile that you’re not certain you would have earned were he not a bit blooddrunk. “Gods, how the hells did I fall for you?”

“Now you’re asking the right questions,” you respond with a smirk on your face. When you place a hand on his knee, the smirk turns into a small smile. “But I’m being genuine– I don’t like you because you’re a vampire. And before you ask, I don’t love you because of your vampirism either.”

He gives a small huff. “Well, Jaheira made it sound as if there wasn’t much else to care for.” An uncharacteristic admittance from him– normally he would brush off such a statement with a proud declaration of how phenomenal he is. But it seems that Jaheira’s words cut deep– and that blood has loosened his lips.

“Jaheira, despite all of her many, many years of experience–” you enjoy the full laugh that elicits. “simply doesn’t have my refined taste. There are so many reasons to like you, love. In fact, vampirism doesn’t even make the list.”

“Oh, you’re keeping track, are you?” he asks, folding his arms and body over his legs and smiling up at you.

“Maybe,” you murmur, leaning forward toward him. “Would you like a sampling of reasons?”

The look he gives you then is hopeful, but more than a little dread slips through in his shining red eyes. When he answers, his voice is barely above a whisper. “Only if you mean them.”

This withdrawn, unsure Astarion isn’t a common sight to you, but, like every other facet of the man before you, he’s no less lovable. So you lean forward, placing a kiss on his pale forehead, and say, “I mean them with my whole heart.”

“Then… I suppose I ought to be lavished with them," he murmurs, and you spot the blush intensifying over his cheeks, now also coloring his ears.

Coupled with his fluid, inebriated state, his heart laid bare before you, you want to scream the reasons from the roof of the Elfsong, if only for him to believe you. But, as it is, the soft snores of your companions keep your voice hushed, your face close to his as you begin.

“Let’s see… should I start with the first thing that stood out to me?”

He hums in agreement, and closes his eyes, as if preparing to listen to the sweetest tune known to the entirety of Faerun.

“Well, it started with your first lie, I think,” you start.

Astarion gives a disapproving groan, but doesn’t open his eyes.

“My dear, you said you said you had a ‘brain thing’ cornered– I hope you know the smile on my face wasn’t from confidence,” you say with a new, fond smile at the memory. “I just knew from that moment on, you didn’t much care for what others thought of you, as long as your goals were met. A kindred spirit. Or so you said that day.”

At that, he reopens his eyes. “That’s not true.”

“We’re not kindred spirits?” you ask, an unexpected tinge of hurt blooming in your chest.

“That’s true,” he says, balming the hurt quickly. “It’s not true that I don’t care what others think of me. I do. Well, maybe not everyone.” His eyes dart toward Gale’s bed and you stifle a snicker. “But I certainly care what you think of me.”

You look into his crimson eyes, a bit clearer now than when you began talking– the blood seems to be working its way through his system. His words come from a place of honesty, not a lack of inhibition.

“Then, let me assure you here and now,” you murmur, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips. “I think–” Another quick peck on his lips. “you’re the funniest–” A kiss to his nose. “the most deft–” A brush of lips against his temple. “creative, endearing, brave–” Each word comes with a kiss along his jaw. “man I’ve ever met.”

Astarion’s eyes look at you, his face still for a moment as he considers your words. When he finally speaks, it’s a quiet, choked up question, “Oh, is that it?”

“Would you like me to keep going?” you ask, lips perched just above his eyebrow, ready for another round.

He shakes his head ever so slightly. “No– no need or you’ll be here all night, surely,” he says, posturing as best as he can while still looking at you with fearful eyes. Almost as if your candid praise is simply too much for him to bear.

It may be too much, and you’re not one to push it.

“Very well,” you say, pulling back. “But I didn’t even get to how good you look covered in blood…”

The man gives a light laugh at that, some of his nerves melting before praise he understands– his appearance is a source of comfort, one that brings him back to himself. “Oooh yes, I do look dashing in red, don’t I?” he purrs, a content smile forming on his face.

“That you do,” you assure, with your own warm look. You wish he would accept all praise this easily, but you suppose this is all you can do for now.

So little of what matters to you is his vampirism, his looks… but for a man like Astarion, for whom a kind word felt like a double-edged blade for two centuries? Well, you’re reminded that regardless of how many times you may tell him, whether now when he’s a bit fuzzy around the edges or when you’re in your cups, he may never truly believe you.

No matter, you suppose. I’ll simply keep finding new ways to show him how much I care for him…

“So Jaheira was kidding, right?” Astarion asks, sitting up and finally beginning to remove his leathers.

You nod, moving to help him remove his greaves. “Naturally. I thought you’d been enjoying the conversation, actually.”

“I had been,” he replies, thoughtfully. “But the more I remembered how sinfully you shiver under my fangs…”

He’s dodging before you can so much as flick his ear. “Excuse you. Is that any way to treat your most reliable source of sustenance?”

Astarion smirks as he leans away from you in the bed. “Oh darling, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. After all, you can’t help it.”

“Astarion–”

“Ehem!” You hear from somewhere behind you. It’s followed shortly by Shadowheart’s annoyed voice, “Would the two of you please keep it down? Some of us are trying to rest.”

If by ‘rest’ she means ‘reach the end of her copper novel’, then you suppose she’s right. Either way, you whisper back, “Sorry, I was defending my dignity.”

“What dignity?” she murmurs back. “And in case you’re wondering, you’re both utter fools.”

Oh great, she’d heard everything.

“Shadowheart, were you eavesdropping?” Astarion asks, crawling over you to glare at her from the edge of your bed. He’s half-dressed and still somewhat out of sorts, so you just lean back against the pillows and accept your fate.

“Is it really eavesdropping if I can hear it all clearly?” the cleric says, and you hear her book snap shut. “Besides, Astarion, if you really needed someone to reassure you, you should have asked me.”

“You?” he asks, incredulously. “And why should I ask you?”

“Because,” she starts, and you can hear her wicked smile in her tone. “I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that there’s no such thing as ‘vampiric charm.’ I’ve never felt less charmed in my entire life.”

You can sense Astarion is just about ready to light Shadowheart’s hair on fire, so you tug him back down from the divide. “Thank you for that clarification, Shadowheart,” you call, biting back a laugh. “And I’m starting to realize none of us really have private conversations, do we?”

“No, we do not,” you hear Gale reply from a few beds away.

With that, Astarion gives an exasperated sigh and the two of you finish removing his armor in silence.  When you’re both finally ready for bed and you whisper to him, “Goodnight.” Shadowheart, Gale, and Wyll all respond, “Goodnight!”

[nimona-week]

Nimona Week 2025 FAQ

What is this?

Nimona Week is a celebration of our favorite shapeshifting sidekick, in both her movie and comic incarnations. We're hoping to encourage new fanworks of all kinds. This year, Nimona Week will be both here on Tumblr and on Bluesky.

When is it?

Nimona Week will take place from Sunday, March 30 to Saturday, April 5, 2025. Those dates were chosen because March 31st is Trans Day of Visibility.

However, it's never "too late" to be inspired or post fanworks. We'll try to reblog tagged posts during actual Nimona Week, so keep that in mind if you decide to post early or late.

Are there prompts?

There will be! Please feel free to share some suggestions here by December 21st. After prompt submissions close, you'll have the opportunity to vote for your favorites. We'll share final prompts by the end of January to allow writers and artists time to create.

What can I make?

You can make or write basically anything featuring Nimona-the-character: haikus, limericks, 100 word drabbles, ficlets, long fics, traditional art, digital art, gifsets, cosplay, embroidery, etc.

What if I'm not interpreting a prompt correctly?

We are not policing people's interpretations of the prompts. If a prompt inspires you to create, that's fantastic!

What about Goldenheart/Blackloin?

This event is Nimona-centric, but @goldenheart-week will return this summer. Fanworks for Nimona Week can absolutely include Ballister and Ambrosius (or other characters!) in addition to Nimona, but we want to keep her in the spotlight.

If you are interested in organizing @goldenheart-week 2025, please reach out to @zyrafowe-sny. :)

Are there any other Nimona fandom events?

That's up to the fandom! Another @nimonabigbang, a Reverse Big Bang, or a fic exchange can only happen if there are enough people willing to moderate and/or participate; fanweeks like this one and @goldenheart-week are a little easier to organize.

To provide feedback on possible future fandom events, you're invited to fill out this anonymous survey (even if you didn't participate in the 2024 Nimona Big Bang).

Are there any other multi-fandom events coming up where Nimona fanworks would be welcome?

We strongly recommend keeping an eye out for Fandom Trumps Hate in early 2025 — it's a multi-fandom online fanworks auction that's designed to raise money for progressive non-profits. You can sign up to write fanfic, make fanart, beta read, or perform other fan labor, and people can bid on your fanwork. If they win the auction, they donate directly to the non-profit(s) and submit proof of their donation. This is not a commission or selling fanwork; the fanwork you create is a thank you gift for the donation. Bidding often starts at $5.

There are also multi-fandom Big Bangs, monthly and weekly prompt lists, bingos, etc. We will often reblog those to help signal boost.

Where can I find information about Nimona Week 2024?

Here are some links from last year:

2024 FAQ | 2024 Prompts | 2024 Reblogs

What about...?

Feel free to send an ask if you have additional questions. We will also be updating the FAQ as needed.

[thecoffeelorian]

Fandom Friday, 12/20: Fan Art!

Hello again, everyone…and welcome to another installment of Fandom Friday, the two-post series where I go off to find new and interesting fanworks that might need a bit more visibility.

Before we get started, I think I have a few quick things to say to you all, so here goes--first; I'd like to thank everyone who voted in this poll, and who also helped me decide on a slightly more solid direction for this project.

Second, as that same poll decided not too long ago, I will be switching the showcase content from one week to the next...so, while this week will show off fanart, the next week will show off fanfiction, and so on.

And third, as it's a bit close to Christmas in my part of the world, there might be a few choices in winter clothes and/or Santa costumes as a result.

Anyways, before I get too distracted or lost...here, now, are my picks of the week.

THE CLONE WARS

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @carrion-art:

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @gingermaybel:

THE BAD BATCH

The Bad Batch Fanart--By @moonkrab99:

SKELETON CREW

Skeleton Crew Fanart--By @unlaww:

Skeleton Crew Fanart--By @ars-de-elysium:

THE MANDALORIAN

The Mandalorian Fanart--By @samscarr1985:

The Mandalorian Fanart--By @faivsz:

AHSOKA

Ahsoka Fanart--By @timetodiverge:

THE SEQUELS

The Sequels Fanart--By @reylosaurus:

The Sequels Fanart--By @artbyjasonleung:

In conclusion, as part of my mission to poke around the Star Wars fandom and highlight those artists who might otherwise go unnoticed…I hope you will check out the links I have included for yourselves and like, comment on, and reblog them, as well as also giving the artists a few more followers to their Tumblr pages.

Please also like and reblog this latest installment so that these links can be spread around to as many other fans as possible, just in case not all of them can tune in at the same time.

An additional thank you goes to @djarrex for making the divider I used earlier in this post, but still want to give credit for.

And finally, so that I do not forget…thank you, stay safe, and I’ll see you in the next post!

No Pressure Tags: @melymigo @algo-o-nada @the-osborn-way @everybirdfellsilent @skellymom

@leos-multifandom-corner @maggie-dylan @leenathegreengirl @gun-roswell @tazmbc1

@bluedeedeedoop @its-time-to-rise-above @tlmtwelve @apocalyp-tech-a and anybody else who might be on the lookout for new SW fanart.

[mlmshipbracket]

FOURTH MLM SHIP BRACKET - ROUND 1 POLLS!

After weeks of waiting, planning, and organizing The Fourth MLM Ship Bracket is finally here! This is one of the biggest brackets I have ever (and will ever) organize. I want to thank everyone who submitted ships and propaganda. I also wish to extend my deepest and sincerest gratitude to @theshipwars for helping with advice on creating a graphic for this tournament bracket.

OFFICIAL POLLS BEGIN on Saturday, March 2nd and will last until Saturday, March 8th. Polls will be posted in three waves. At 12:00 AM (PST), 6:00 AM (PST), and 12:00 PM (PST) in order to not overwhelm. Happy voting!

Find the polls [HERE]

Tagging for visibility! No pressure to reblog. Let me know if you would like to be untagged.

@tournament-announcer @tournamentdirectory @theshipwars @badass-queer-couples-battle @age-gap-ship-tournament @smashorpassgilf @immortal-x-mortal-tourney @guess-that-ship

INFO:

REMINDER: All match-ups were randomly generated using a randomizer to ensure a higher likelihood of randomness as ships were pitted against one another.

Polls will include submitted propaganda (with edits). Feel free to include your own propaganda in the reblogs or submitted via 'ask'. Feel free to add text, art, or videos to your propaganda as well! If you do add propaganda please make sure to tag it as such so I can reblog, I do my best to keep an eye on reblogs/tags and asks.

I will link propaganda to ongoing polls so keep an eye out for those as we progress week by week.

I have done my best to make sure non-official content submitted was linked and/or credited. Please let me know if there are any mistakes or incorrect information when it comes to links, credits, propaganda, names, tags, etc. as 56 polls are a lot to look over.

You might notice I added 4 more ships, this was done to make things a little more even.

Remember to get those votes in. Reblog, comment, tag. Get as many others to vote and get your favorite ships to Round Two!

[happiness-of-the-pursuit]

WIP Wednesday

Today is a very special WIP Wednesday, because as some of you may know, as of a few hours ago...

I wrote 50,144 words in January.

I realized a few days ago that I was at 44K, and I'm not sure I'll ever have the downtime to do this again, so I figured I had to seize the moment. I'm super excited, so as a treat, I'm going to share not one, but two snippets from Seahorse Dad Henry (reminder that means trans & pregnant) with y'all. One above the cut, one under, for NSFW reasons.

First:

After spending about five minutes with Alex and Nora, he thinks he gets it. He can see how the two of them—sharp tongues, biting wip, a competitive give-and-take that’s endless and enigmatic and alluring and terrifying all at the same time—would have explosive sex. He can also understand how that would translate better into a lifelong friendship rather than a more permanent partnership, how they’re not quite complementary when it comes to matters of the heart. Henry observes as Nora eggs Alex on until he’s attempting to disassemble his bed in less than ten minutes, he watches as she takes him down a peg when he comes in preening about being voted “Hottest Intern” by some of the junior associates. He also catches the moment when she’s too buried in her own project to notice that Alex comes home, looking grim in his white dress shirt covered in ink, notices when her joke about Alex being oblivious makes him grit his teeth. Henry remembers each one, tattooing them into the part of his mind that’s quickly become dedicated to the project of Caring for Alex; no jabs at attentiveness fits right alongside cinnamon in his coffee and the closest store that sells Tide To Go Pens.

Second (NSFW):

Henry feels a surge of pride as Alex comes less than a minute later, not even minding that Alex gets his come all over Henry’s stomach. It doesn’t hurt that Alex’s eyes go wide at the sight; there’s more than lust there, though. Something like amazement, maybe. Alex reaches out a hand, stopping an inch away from Henry’s stomach.  “Can I?” he asks, turning his head to look Henry in the eye. “I know you don’t really…” They’ve talked about the whole pregnancy belly, how amazing Alex thinks it is, how muddled Henry’s own feelings are towards his own body right now. But in this moment, the water’s clear. “Yes,” Henry nods. Alex dips his fingers into his come, smearing it across the curve of Henry’s stomach like a child discovering fingerpaint for the first time. Awe and delight dance across his face, along with other emotions that Henry’s still learning to identify, passing by too quickly for him to put a name on them. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Alex’s cock twitch. So, arousal, too, maybe. They stay like that, peaceful, as the come starts to dry in the paths that Alex’s fingers traveled across his skin, the history of Alex’s touch on Henry’s body visible for them both. While it’s objectively a bit disgusting, Henry’s not sure he’s ever felt so beautiful. For once, his eyes can’t leave the curve of his stomach.

Thanks for the tags @14carrotghoul @leaves-of-laurelin @zwiazdziarka @firenati0n @anincompletelist @littlemisskittentoes @nocoastposts @gay-flyboys @kiwiana-writes @hgejfmw-hgejhsf!!!

Tagging @affectionatelyrs @anchoredarchangel @cactusdragon517 @cultofsappho @firenati0n @futureseaempress @getmehighonmagic @gayrootvegetable @inexplicablymine @leojfitz @daisymae-12 @read-and-write- @rockyroadkylers @suseagull04 @user-anakin @wordsofhoneydew @welcometololaland @xthelastknownsurvivorx sorry if I missed someone, brain is tired please consider this an open tag!!

[jeffament]

tagged by @eddiestardust thank u🐇

put your music library on shuffle, then list the first five songs that come up in a poll to let people vote for which one they like the most

i tag @clanofxymox @h0lygh0sts @poneystoney @synthwife @kmpshitposter @poopoopeepeetour @visible-disappointment :))

[kaarijazineofficial]

Fanzine Theme Poll #1

Hey there, Kääryleet!

We all know that the zine will be about Käärijä (obviously), but like we've mentioned before, there are still a lot of avenues to go down within this fandom when it comes to its creativity.

So, to make sure we're all on the same page (hehe) when it comes to submissions, applications, and even the title, we're going to do a couple of polls to figure out what everyone would like the theme to be.

Without further ado, here's the first round poll:

Interestingly enough, this whole idea started with an offhanded suggestion to start a zine revolving around Jere wearing an assortment of hats! Naturally, we had to include it as an option, since it got the ball rolling on this whole project in the first place.

What we call the "Extended Käärijä Universe" refers to the other people that are involved in the craziness/partiness that is Käärijä. This includes (but isn't limited to): Häärijä, Allu, Jukka, Jaako, the Dancers, etc.

The final option of the poll is open to anyone who might have an interesting suggestion regarding the theme. In the second round, we will look through any and all suggestions and nominate a few for consideration in the vote.

We'll let this marinate for a week so that we can maximize visibility, as well as collect as many suggestions as you can provide. A post will be made with the results, as well as some glimpses into some of the suggestions we receive.

Thanks for being great!

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4: Official Laundry List (October 8th, 2024)

There is a new list of upcoming bug fixes and improvements coming to The Sims 4 via game update.

The release date for the next patch has not been confirmed, but it will probably happen on October 29th, to prepare the game for the release of the next expansion pack, Life & Death, which comes out October 31st.

You can read the full Laundry List below.

Sul Sul Simmers!

Welcome to The Sims 4 Laundry List, where we share the top community concerns we’re currently investigating and aim to resolve in an upcoming patch later this month.

In our commitment to resolving technical challenges, our team focuses on community-voted fixes with each update. This is the fourth release in this series, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue to improve the experience for our players.

The list below highlights issues most frequently reported by the community through AnswersHQ. While some issues may not be listed, they may still be in the process of being addressed. Some topics can require an extended investigation on our end, so even though these fixes may be in active review, it’s not a guarantee that we’ll have an immediate fix for it in the upcoming patch.

As with each new patch, please remember to remove any external game mods and custom content if you are experiencing issues as the first step in troubleshooting, as they may conflict with the updates. Thank you for your reports and happy Simming!

Here’s the list of community concerns we’re investigating for the upcoming game update:

Console

[AHQ] Cottage Living – Images for crafted Cross-Stitch objects on the PS4 are no longer in grayscale.

[AHQ] Growing Together – Puzzles are no longer in black and white on Playstation.

Base Game:

[AHQ] Sims will not eat spoiled food autonomously.

[AHQ] Interactions will no longer jam and prevent progression through the interaction queue when caused by stuck chickens on the lot.

[AHQ] Sims will fully close their eyes fully when they are supposed to (like when sleeping).

[AHQ] Parent Sims will no longer get stuck standing idly in front of the crib when trying to interact with their sleeping baby.

[AHQ] NPC Sims no longer enter the lot without knocking on the door.

[AHQ] Skill books are now available at all libraries; not just the Willow Creek Library.

[AHQ] Plants that have enough water will stop dying.

[AHQ] Most recently interacted with Sim will appear at the beginning of the Relationship panel.

[AHQ] Pizza delivery Sim can now be tipped and interacted with after delivering Pizza.

[AHQ] Invisible Nannies have had their superpower removed and will now remain visible.

[AHQ] Sims will no longer incorrectly age up when adjusting game age options.

[AHQ] Stopped issues where a held baby tries to perform an interaction that requires an adult to put them down, but the adult can’t so it just spins in a loop.

[AHQ] Textures will now apply on one tile one-Tile gable roofs.

[AHQ] Curved Fences will now cast shadows.

[AHQ] Small black shadows on lots manage worlds map can be removed by loading into the affected lot and exit to regenerate the thumbnail.

[AHQ] Blue squares no longer observed in lieu of empty lot traits when saving the lot in build mode.

[AHQ] Modify career outfit cheat now works for part time careers.

[AHQ] Male tank tops are no longer observed after selecting Feminine fashion choice for previous SDX assets.

[AHQ] Mourning buff will not appear when a stranger Sim dies in front of the active Sim. The buff is only displayed if they are at least acquaintances.

[AHQ] Previous SDX Ponytail’s texture will no longer distort around pulled out ear shapes.

Non-binary Sim now properly referred to as “Birthday Sim“ during the birthday party event.

[AHQ] Guerdon Goods Nano Can 2.0 is now tagged as off-the-grid.

[AHQ] Fixed an issue that could occur during the “Adopt a child“ flow while off lot.

Affecting Multiple Packs

[AHQ] Cleared situations where BB objects and houses placed with ‘moveobjects on’ would appear in the sky.

Bust the Dust

[AHQ] ‘Clean house’ Inspired buff now has a proper timer to prevent overriding other buffs and blocking related Interactions.

City Living

[AHQ] “Game failed to load“ error no longer triggers when to visit apartments with placed pools (Error Code 132:dad724e4:16f19fc6).

[AHQ] City Living Festivals and other festivals now always appear properly in the calendar.

[AHQ] NPC Sims in San Myshuno will no longer experience sudden unexpected weight gain. NPC Sims’ bodies should only be susceptible to change if they are inside an active residential lot.

Crystal Creations

[AHQ] The Crystal Tree will not become Invisible or Transparent and the crystals will be collectable.

Eco Lifestyle

[AHQ] Vertical gardens now count towards the Freelance Botanist Aspiration.

For Rent

[AHQ] Property Owner will not be charged along with Eviction settlement after Tenant breaks lease.

[AHQ] Event Failed TNS no longer triggers after completing the Tenant Revolt event by performing “Promise Better Conditions“.

[AHQ] Lot Challenges and Lot Traits of a lot downloaded from gallery reflect correctly in-game.

[AHQ] When a tenant Sim bulldozes a unit in an off-lot Residential Rental, the rent for other hidden units won’t reset to zero.

Growing Together

[AHQ] Reduced clipping issues when Child Sims Practice Riding Bike.

[AHQ] The asset “yfBody_EPLongTunicPants_darkpink“ pairs properly with all the Nail Assets.

High School Years

[AHQ] Packed lunch boxes from inventory are eaten by teen Sims during lunch hours.

[AHQ] Rocks will respawn a few hours after digging in ‘Water Tower Way’ in Copperdale world.

Horse Ranch

[AHQ] ‘Bad Ranch Product’ moodlet no longer observed upon Harvesting Excellent/Magnificent/Perfect Quality Plants.

Island Living

[AHQ] Mermaids now have their own tombstone.

[AHQ] MyWedding Stories: Island Living canoe no longer gets water inside of it when navigating in Tartosa world.

Lovestruck

[AHQ] Removed duplicate toe swatch for asset “yfAcc_PediContrast_ContrastOrange“.

Paranormal Investigator

[AHQ] Lights no longer revert to auto mode in Haunted Houses.

Realm of Magic

Spellcaster animation will run less frequently in CAS.

Seasons

[AHQ] Flower arrangements will look the same when placed from the Library or the Gallery.

Vampires

[AHQ] Infants will no longer teleport to outside of the Crib when Resuming Game right as the baby transitions to sleep.

Vintage Glamor

[AHQ] Globe bar drink platter now fits on accent/end/coffee tables.

Werewolves

[AHQ] Werewolf Sims howl less frequently in CAS.

[AHQ] Turned Werewolves will no longer occasionally lack color on their nose.

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

Damage Gets Done - SAS Rogue Heroes x OC - Chapter 8

Masterlist | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 |-| Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

Summary: Tension runs high as the SAS carries out a potentially disastrous raid on Benghazi

Relationships: L Detachment x Platonic!OC, eventual Reg Seekings x OC

Warnings: Language, descriptions of graphic violence, implied death, Randolph Churchill

Word Count: 4.3k

Tags: @20th-centu-fairy-girl @trenchenjoyer @dcyllom @footprintsinthesxnd

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Diana crouched down to eye level with the jeep's side mirror, squinting against the sun that reflected in the glass behind her as she did her best to tuck every last curl safely away beneath the headscarf she had shrouded herself in. Their raid on Benghazi was fast approaching, and it had been decided amongst the group that the easiest way to smuggle her into the city would be to dress her like a regular civilian, rather than attempt to explain away her military garb.

Once she had finished the task, pinning back one last curl that simply would not stay put on its own, she had moved to stand, but the sight of her own reflection gave her pause. It was rare that Diana remembered much of anything of her mother, but some days she looked so remarkably like her that it seemed to draw long-buried memories back to the surface. She had those same dark eyes, the same curve of the lips and point of the nose. She could almost half-remember sitting in her mother's lap as she put on her hijab each morning, the calming tones of her singing keeping the child from getting in the way. When she was herself, the similarities were hardly noticeable. But now that she dressed like her mother too, those brief, hard years were becoming visible again in the back of her mind, as if watching on through a veil.

"Hey," Jim Almond's voice rang out behind her. Springing upwards to resume her regular posture, she glanced at him with a welcoming smile. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Diana nodded assuringly. "Yeah, I just... I look like my mother." She grinned at the confession, and he couldn't help but return the smile. Jim squeezed her shoulder affectionately, and their heads both turned as Stirling's voice came from over by the well where he stood with Randolph Churchill. Since the Prime Minister's son had arrived, she had managed to avoid speaking to the man, but it appeared Stirling was not going to make it easy on her.

"You've been summoned, milady," Almonds teased, and she slugged him gently in the shoulder, kicking up sand as she marched over.

"Oi," Diana greeted, tipping an imaginary hat to Stirling as she rested a hip against the side of the well.

"Diana, it seems you haven't yet been introduced to Mr Randolph Churchill, here," David spoke. His tone was jovial, friendly, but she could tell he was teasing her, and sent him a sideways look as Churchill reached for her hand, pressing dry lips against the back of her palm. She did not attempt to disguise her grimace, especially as she heard Pat and Johnny chuckling at her discomfort from back by the truck.

"A pleasure," He greeted, maintaining his attempt at a charming smile even as he noticed her wiping the back of her hand against her trousers.

"Winston's boy, eh?"

"... The Prime Minister. Yes."

She shrugged. "Not my Prime Minister."

Randolph let out something between a huff and a laugh. "Oh, you didn't vote Labour, did you?"

Diana's brow raised as she lit one of the cigarettes in her pocket. "I'm Egyptian, Randy."

"Right, yes... Of course... You're a rather striking young lady, you know."

Stirling almost choked on the dirty water he had pulled from the well as he tried not to laugh, and she stomped hard on his foot, digging in her heel. "Yes. I do know. Is that all?" When neither of the men spoke, she nodded firmly, patting Stirling on the shoulder. "Wonderful exercise, thanks David."

Pat was still laughing at her as she returned to the others, his enjoyment only enhanced as she flipped him off, propping herself against the back of the lorry with her elbows.

"He liked you," Cooper teased, a boyish grin overtaking his expression as he jammed a fresh cartridge of bullets into his gun. Beside him, Reg didn't say a word, his brow furrowed, expression thunderous, the only sound coming from him the occasional indecipherable grumble.

"Fuck off," She sang, holding her cigarette between her teeth as she sifted through the bullets they had brought to fill the small pistol she had been given to conceal on her person. To go with her civilian costume, Sadler had acquired her own car - a creaky, unassuming thing with a bad paint job, but an almost brand-new engine that could get her out of a tight spot should the need arise. It was risky, to enter Benghazi alone, to separate herself from the rest of the group, but once inside the walls she would find them again, and finally receive a gun that was worth a damn.

Seekings had scarcely looked away from his weapons since the moment of her approach, checking and re-checking every gun and knife he had on his person as a permanent scowl etched his face. His hat was resting in the truck bed beside Diana, and she noticed, seizing it by the visor and planting it firmly onto his head, forcefully capturing his attention. A smile curled the corner of her lips, and he couldn't help but do the same, finally able to take in her new appearance up close. He missed her hair - the only part of her wild enough to reflect the spirit inside. She looked wrong without it, every inch hidden from the world.

"Chin up, soldier," She teased. Reg hated this plan. He hated it more than he'd ever hated any of Stirling's batshit insane ideas before.

They were putting Diana in danger. More danger than they ever had before. She would take her own car into Benghazi, alone, with nothing but a tiny pistol to protect herself and a cache of explosives hidden under her seat. They were relying on nothing but her pretty face and Arabic tongue to get her into a building none of the others would dare try to breach for fear of a bullet to the skull. And worst of all, she didn't seem to care.

"You're good on the plan?" He prodded.

Diana let out a chuckle at his uncharacteristic concern. "All good."

There was no certainty they'd all see each other again after tonight. And one question plagued Reg - one question he ached to know the answer to yet could never bring himself to ask. Did she remember that night in Stirling's flat? The night she had spent sitting on the hardwood floor in that wonderful dress, the night she had kissed his bruised knuckles and smiled at him and made him feel all kinds of confusing things. If only she cared as much for herself as he did.

In order to avoid any suspicion, Diana was ordered to pass the checkpoint into the port city an hour before the others - a measure taken to dispel any possible assumption that they may be arriving together, but an altogether risky move. If the others were intercepted at the border, she would be in Benghazi alone, forced to carry out her objective and escape without any backup whatsoever. In the Great War, General Hannigan had made his reputation through acts of reckless daring, and it seemed he had passed this lack of regard for self-preservation onto his daughter. A quiet fell over the small group as the time came for her departure, a duffel bag of explosives hidden in a compartment Sadler had hollowed out beneath her seat. Diana seemed unphased, quickly affirming their rendezvous point with Stirling, but the others watched on in grim silence, hesitant to even wish her good luck for fear of jinxing their fortunes. They all knew there was a chance that this could be the last time they were all together. It wasn't an impossibility. They'd lost Eoin. They'd lost Jock.

Tonight had the opportunity to ruin everything.

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The desert road unfurled itself before her, the wheels of the car kicking up sand as Diana streaked across the landscape, radio tuned to a local station as she sang off-key to an Arabic cover of a Billie Holiday song, occasionally interrupted by static from the terrible reception all the way out here.

It was not until the checkpoint came into view that she realised she was driving altogether much too fast, and the breaks let out a terrible shriek as Diana attempted to slow down, jostling the wooden barrier with the bonnet as she rolled to a clumsy stop. Now she remembered why Stirling had initially appeared so horrified at the prospect of letting her drive herself.

One of the soldiers marched up to her window, knocking harshly on the glass until she rolled it down to let him speak. He scolded her in a flurry of Italian that she only partially understood, and Diana attempted to thrust her forged papers at him, matching the man's irritated tone in her own rambling Arabic, spouting meaningless nonsense whenever she ran out of things to say once she as confident he didn't understand a word.

The soldier examined her papers, occasionally asking her questions as he peered closely at the writing. Diana could only decipher a few words here and there - certainly not enough to gauge the soldier's meaning - and so she continued her meaningless tirade in the hopes of moving things on.

"I really like this song!" She declared, brow furrowed, tone angered as she pointed sharply at the radio, the soldier's expression growing more confused by the minute as he attempted to decipher what the frustrated woman was yelling at him. "It's very good! But I'd like to get moving, I'm very hungry!"

"Cosa?" The soldier asked, still clutching her papers.

Diana resisted the urge to roll her eyes, reaching out and tearing the document from his grip. "Is this really the best your lot could do? Fucking embarrassing really." His mouth hung open, gaping as he found himself helpless to decipher a word of her ranting. With a pointed gesture towards the barrier, she finally seemed to get through to the man, who hurriedly ordered for her to be let through.

Nodding to the soldier in mock appreciation, Diana cranked the radio back up to full volume as she passed, resuming her sing-along as she trundled towards Benghazi, taking extra care to regulate her usually reckless driving as she entered the pedestrian-littered streets. It wasn't entirely unheard of to see a woman like her driving alone here, but just unusual enough to ensure that, whenever she slowed down or stopped for traffic, she would hear a wolf whistle or jeer from some passer-by. It was nothing Diana hadn't heard before, but still, her grip on the steering wheel tightened with agitation each time.

Benghazi was littered with administrative buildings and headquarters for the Nazi and Italian forces, with guards at every entrance. This was not a problem. Diana didn't need an entrance. One of the key Italian admin buildings had a side wall facing a nearby alleyway, used almost exclusively by street vendors and tourists, when there were any. But there was not a guard in sight, for the wall had no doorways or windows that could be used for infiltration. Engine rumbling to a stop, she yanked the gearstick, pulling in to park along the side of the alleyway. Rummaging below her seat, Diana retrieved the explosives she had been given, concealing them in a small compartment she had sewn into the bottom of her handbag, hidden beneath all manner of day-to-day belongings.

The only explosive she left behind was a primed Lewes bomb, prying open a loose seam in the driver's seat cushion with her fingernails and burrowing it deep inside among the stuffing. Worst case scenario, the car would be removed by guards hoping to keep the perimeter clear, and provide a helpful distraction come nightfall.

Best case scenario, this explosion would rip a hole straight through the building, killing dozens.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The moment their truck pulled to a stop, Reg was on the lookout, his gaze scouring their surroundings for any sign of Diana among the sparse, moving crowds of civilians.

"Hey," Almonds hushed voice reached out to him as they clambered out of the truck bed. "She's not coming. Stirling told her not to be seen with us until it's time to go." Reg almost questioned this - questioned why, of all things, Jim knew he was searching for Diana. But it struck him as best not to ask, best not to come face to face with his own weakness that apparently everyone could see. This wasn't the time for it.

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Diana had spent her afternoon in a nearby cafe, sipping on herbal tea to calm the beating of her nervous heart as she waited for nightfall, pretending to read a book as she watched the soldiers walking around in her peripherals. Anyone who had paid enough attention would have noticed that she hadn't turned the page in almost half an hour, but there were hundreds of women in Benghazi who looked just like her. She was utterly unremarkable, utterly unworthy of notice. The disguise was working wonders.

But darkness was falling. And the longer she stayed, the more suspicious her presence would become. Ensuring her headscarf was still on properly, Diana departed, shoving her book back in her bag as it covered the concealed explosives within. She prayed the carefulness with which she handled the bag had not been too obvious as she made her departure, slipping away down a nearby side street.

The car was still there. She made a mental note as she passed, tossing a crumbled paper bag containing a Lewes bomb into a nearby trashcan, one of many lining the back wall of another administrative building. Laying individual charges was never going to do a significant amount of damage, but it would certainly provide ample distraction. If the guards were too busy chasing after exploding bins and cars, they would miss the real targets.

She wanted a cigarette, but frankly, the idea of smoking one so close to a bag full of bombs made her nervous. Diana was just about to throw out her matchbook as a precaution when a lone guard turned the corner towards her, rifle slung lazily over his shoulder, gaze pinned on her from the moment he entered the space.

"What are you doing?" He called, eyeing the matches in her hand with suspicion. His Italian accent was heavy, but his English wasn't half bad. He thought she was a local - that was good, he was searching for some in-between dialect to bridge the language barrier between himself and the Libyans.

"Smoke break," Diana replied simply, trying to maintain the accent of her mother tongue even as she spoke her second language. It was difficult - she had been taught Arabic by Egyptians and English by the Brits, it was not a line she was used to blurring.

The guard flicked his wrist, beckoning her closer as he reached into his breast pocket for a proper lighter. As she plucked a cigarette from the battered box in her bag, he held the flame up to her, just far away enough that she had to lean in towards his chest, dipping her chin to meet it. She could feel his eyes on her, tracing every inch of her face and quickly travelling downwards. His hand reached up, knuckle brushing lightly against her cheek. Diana felt the urge to recoil, nausea dredging up the pitifully sparse contents of her stomach. Instead, she pulled herself back up to full height, a pleasant smile curling her lips as she took a puff of smoke.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be out here alone," The guard tutted, a glint of lust in his eye that made her want to vomit straight onto his boots. "Anything could happen."

She let out an easy laugh, shaking her head slightly. "Well, then it's a good thing I have your gun, isn't it?"

He paused for a moment, head tilting to the side as he squinted in confusion. "...What?"

Diana's hand shot out at his face, not even pausing to drop the cigarette, its burning butt scorching the flesh of the soldier's cheek as her fingernails met his eyes, scratching painfully at his corneas. Before the man could scream, her free hand, balled into a tight fist, punched him sharply in the windpipe, and the guard choked for breath, staggering backwards as blood began to run down his face from where her nails had taken chunks out of his eyelids.

Blinded and winded, he groped for his rifle, but Diana seized it in an instant, a kick to the stomach sending him toppling backwards onto the ground. If she had shot him, she would've drawn half the guards in the port. Besides, this was more fun.

"Fascist fuck," She muttered, tearing off her headscarf, curls erupting outwards like a lion's mane as she balled up the fabric, stuffing it down into the guard's mouth so he couldn't speak. With the pocket knife tucked in her boot, she sliced off one of the straps on her bag, using the long strip of fabric to bind the man's hands behind his back. The guard whimpered helplessly, sounds muffled by the fabric that he found himself unable to spit out as his feet lashed out, kicking wildly but never landing a blow, his vision still blurred and useless in the dark.

Diana manoeuvred the thrashing, whining man into a nearby alcove, propping him up against the backdoor of a local restaurant. Delivering a swift, sharp blow to the head, the guard fell unconscious, and she was free to leave his limp body for someone else to find once she was long gone.

But now there was a problem. Her disguise was ruined - her headscarf gone, bag noticeably torn, blood staining her fingernails. A wad of spit was enough to clean most of the visible dirt from her hands, and she realised she had little choice but to get rid of her bag. Carefully retracing her steps back towards the car she had abandoned, Diana tossed the entire cache of explosives into the trunk and made a run for it. Perhaps multiple distractions were off the table for tonight, but this distraction was certainly about to be a big one.

Tousling her hair and undoing the top few buttons of her shirt, exposing a sideways view of her cleavage, she felt satisfied with her new disguise. If she couldn't pass as someone's dutiful housewife, she could at least do her best to blend in with the local prostitutes.

God this was humiliating.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Reg and the others were waiting impatiently behind a nearby car, anxiously watching Stirling and Churchill approach as soldiers swarmed their truck, which had - until now - been their only means of escape. David approached the group, strolling casually so as not to betray his agitation, although his brow began to furrow as he surveyed the group.

"Where's Diana?" He whispered, leaning in close. Reg thought he might vomit.

"She's supposed to be here?" Riley hissed. One by one, their expressions began to fall with concern.

"I told her to meet us at the rendezvous, she's supposed to-" Stirling had gone from a state of panic to one of confusion, trailing off as his gaze locked itself upon something behind the others. Reg turned to follow his eye, brow raising as he spotted Diana across the street, purposely avoiding meeting their gaze as she strolled through the crowded space. But something had changed since that morning - she looked different. She looked good.

There was no time to express relief, no time to calm the thumping of his heart as Stirling ushered the group out from their rendezvous spot, marching across the street. They were making it up as they went along now - the most dangerous way to be. But she didn't follow, simply stood in a nearby doorway, leant casually against the wall.

"Seekings, go over and pretend to chat her up," Stirling ordered under his breath. Reg suddenly realised what was going on. "Get her over here with us, now."

Seekings slipped away from the group, taking extra care to look at ease, confident, not like he was following orders. His eyes met Diana's, and he stepped up onto the doorstep beside her, the pair standing close. "...You look different," He pointed out.

"It's been an... eventful afternoon," She explained. As she spoke, she maintained an easy, flirtatious smile, ensuring that anyone passing by would still believe she was a prostitute trying to chat up a client, despite the words being exchanged. Reg felt the blood rushing to his cheeks, turning his face redder by the second.

"We've gotta go," He said, and she nodded, following alongside him as they moved to rejoin the others. He felt her gently nudge his side, and slug his arm casually over her shoulder. They would have to keep up this pretence until the very last minute, until they were somewhere free from any prying eyes. But Reg couldn't even pretend to dislike the position he now found himself in, her body slotted against his in a way that just felt right, her shoulder somehow comfortable as it dug into his side. Her hair blew gently with each exhale he took, and he was almost too distracted to pay attention to the others, watching her instead of the guards Johnny was attempting to negotiate their way past. Reg couldn't even understand Italian - in his mind, this was a much better use of his time.

It seemed Diana had realised this distraction, for a sharp poke to the ribs alerted Reg that they were moving again, sauntering past the men after whatever ruse Cooper had concocted had worked. "Start paying attention," She muttered, beginning to smirk.

But there had been no time to formulate a retort before an earth-shattering explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet, a great ball of fire turning the sky red as a building burst into flames a few streets over. It was bigger than the blast from any single Lewes bomb, and Reg raised a brow, looking down at Diana who had begun to cringe slightly. Stirling turned to stare pointedly at her.

"I had to improvise," She shrugged, and Reg almost laughed before his own charges exploded somewhere behind them, and the group broke out into a sprint, making a wild dash for the nearest side road that could potentially promise a means of escape.

The first explosion had been so huge that almost every guard in the port had began running towards it, and once the other bombs went off as well, the place was plunged into chaos, no one sure of which crises they should tend to first.

"Where's your gun?" Stirling hissed as she ran alongside him.

"Like I said, change of plan," Diana huffed, catching a pistol as he tossed it over to her, the group crouching around the corner of a nearby building to evade the scattered guard force.

"Well, y'know," Almonds shrugged. "At least the bombs worked."

She let out a breathless laugh, but no sooner had she stopped running was she compelled to start again, dashing towards a jeep Reg had managed to commandeer.

"You got it?" Diana asked, a grin spreading across her face as he touched two wires together and the engine burst to life, rumbling steadily as they dogpiled hurriedly inside. They trundled away at a regular pace, so as not to draw attention, but it may as well have been a hundred miles an hour for how quickly her heart beat inside her ribcage, chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath, feeling as if it were the first full breath she had taken since the moment she had first arrived in Benghazi.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Stirling's car ahead had burst through the checkpoint they had passed that morning in a flurry of bullets, picking up speed, the jeeps going faster and faster by the second until they were streaking across the desert. Johnny had been standing atop the back of David's jeep, mowing down the nazis with his machine gun as they passed. As they passed back into safe territory, he turned back to face the second car, grinning elatedly, and Diana replied with a whoop, laughing at their success. She had not quite realised how scared she had been to die tonight until the relief of surviving had settled in, and now she was euphoric, the desert wind whipping her hair wildly in all directions.

Reg had the wheel, unable to tear his eyes from the road for how fast they were travelling, but he began to grin as Riley started singing a raucous drinking song, Diana and Jim joining along by the second verse. Almonds had taken off his hat, jokingly attempting to plant it on her head, but she let out a yelp as the wind caught its brim, tearing it clean off as the hat vanished into the night. They laughed at this too, everything suddenly hilarious as they were consumed by the joy of victory. The jeep's side mirror had been jostled in their hurried attempt to climb in, and rather than reflecting the road behind, Reg could see her - smile visible even in the darkness, both hands trying in vain to hold down her hair against the desert wind.

It may have been the greatest night of his life.

[john-bracket]

Okay a more serious post, my blog’s visibility issues have been fixed, and so now we can run the final Jack Off prelims! Thanks so much to everyone for your patience.

To make sure everyone is aware, the prelim match-ups will be listed below the cut, and their fandoms tagged. I plan to run ~half the prelims on Wednesday, May 10 and the other half on Friday, May 12.

So instead of combining these Jacks like I did with the Johns, I thought it would be more fun to have some similar Jacks and the multiple Jacks from the same media fight to see who will be the representing champion!

Bout A: Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood) vs Original Jack Harkness (Torchwood)

Bout B: Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) vs Jack the Monkey (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Bout C: Our Boy Jack/Mad Jack Spratt (The Mechanisms) vs One-Eyed Jack (The Mechanisms)

Bout D: Jack Rackham (Black Sails) vs Calico Jack (Our Flag Means Death)

Bout E: Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas) vs Jack Pumpkinhead (Return to Oz)

Bout F: Jack Frost (Rise of the Guardians) vs Jack Frost (Jack Frost 1998)

“But op, how will you fill the remaining slots?” Well, patient name enjoyers, I’ve selected ten Jacks who had good but not good enough votes in their prelims to come and fight one on one for the remaining slots (There are only five slots here because the 1998 Jack Frost didn’t win his prelim but I really wanna see them duke it out, it’s gonna be so funny.)

The ten lucky contenders are as follows:

Bout G: Jack Starbright (Alex Rider) vs Lavender Jack (Lavender Jack)

Bout H: Spring-Heeled Jack (Folklore) vs Jack Howl (Twisted Wonderland)

Bout I: Jack Larson (Malevolent) vs Jack Bauer (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

Bout J: Jack/Narrator (Fight Club) vs Jack (Mass Effect)

Bout K: Jack Hodgins (Bones) vs Jack Carter (Eureka)

[dangerous-disposition]

WIP Wednesday/Weekend: Choose What I Write

I was tagged by @judasofsuburbia @heartscoops and @eriquin so thank youuuuu!!!

Okay so I'm currently working on a Secret Fic for Secret Reasons, but I'll have that finished by Friday so I'm enlisting y'all to help me choose what I work on when I'm done!

As always, you can send me what you voted for and I will tag you in the snippet I post of the winner.

Gonna tag ppl mostly for visibility but if y'all wanna do your own WIP Wednesday/Weekend thing, have at it ;p

@scarcrossdlvrs @patchworkgargoyle @inairbinad @stobinesque @sidekick-hero @thefreakandthehair @yournowheregirl @outpastthebrakers @xenon-demon @lets-try-to-be-normal-otakus @matchingbatbites @vecnuthy

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

SET ONE OUT SOON!

ALRIGHT FOLKS! expect the set one polls to come out within the next couple of minutes!

but first, some information!

like we mentioned earlier, set one has some sensitive art in there that does involve sexual assault. we ask you you be respectful in the tags and in your propaganda. like always, uplift your piece don't put the other one down!

another important piece of info is that we've set up the polls in a way that all the meta info and commentary is BELOW THE CUT. the only thing visible at first is that art and the actual polls. we ask that you click the read more in order to learn a bit about the piece before you vote!

set one has EIGHT MATCHES, and the next couple of sets will be rolling out as soon as the mods can finish up writing bios and adding in your commentary. thank you all for the patience!

and now... who's ready?!

[astriiformes]

Just found your blog and i just wanted to ask a few questions from your pinned post. They're a bit of a mixed bag, but thank you for extending the offer and for taking the time to read this

Is Minnesota a relatively strong union state? Are the winters/summers more dry or humid? And finally, do you generally feel safe in your day to day including going to the doctors office?

As far as I know, Minnesota is a fairly strong union state! Like most states in the country now, there's been a significant uptick in union activity here in the last several years, and I know that in the last legislative session there were a few pretty significant pro-worker laws that were passed, including one that bars employers from holding anti-union captive audience meetings.

My queerplatonic partner was actually involved in helping her workplace unionize back in 2021, and the votes at her store (as well as several other Twin Cities locations) were near-unanimous in favor for establishing a union. Many of the local museums and the University of Minnesota's graduate students have all unionized in the past year or two as well. It's definitely something we're seeing a lot of here, which I've found encouraging.

As far as the weather here, the summers are definitely pretty humid. That's one of the big things I had to adjust to, since I'm not a fan of the humid summer heat, but it's bearable considering it also doesn't get as hot here as it does in some of the other more humid parts of the country. (And if you ever want to indulge in one of the favorite local ways to beat the summer heat, I know at least one Twin Cities-area trans organization that does a yearly lakeside picnic, so people can feel safer swimming together.) The winters, however are very, very dry. It's a bit of both extremes.

I feel like there are enough variables when it comes to safety that I should specify I am a white, relatively non-passing, transmasculine person, although I do have other trans friends all over the spectrum of identities who I could talk to about other experiences. I, personally feel pretty safe in my day-to-day life, even as someone pretty visibly trans, but I know there are some areas where I'm more privileged. Also, I've actually had shockingly good experiences with doctors in my time here, though I know some people who have had more mixed ones. As it stands, I'd say it's definitely possible to find good providers here, even if some of the same pitfalls as anywhere apply.

If I can clarify anything further, or if you think of other questions, please let me know! And feel free to check out my Minnesota tag on my blog where I've answered some other people's questions, too

[stobinesque]

Make Me Write More!

I'm throwing together a whole bunch of different WIP challenges together to try to land on something that helps me maintain some forward momentum with all my various projects but with a little more uniformity than the "write three lines" set up of the standard WIP Wed/Weekend post.

"Rules" (should others want to do this)

Set a Word Count Goal for the week

Mine is: 6,000

Create a 24-hour poll with all the projects you would like to work on for the week

People can send asks or messages about things they'd like to see snippets of

[I will probably answer these by tagging people in one snippet post per-project, rather than answering individual asks]

Once the poll closes, divvy the word count based on the percentage of votes each option got! Start tracking your word count from when the poll closes.

Optional: By the end of your 7-day period writing period, post a snippet for each option. Match the snippet length to the sentence or word count length to the number of votes that option received.

Tagging both for visibility/in case anyone else wants to join in! @eriquin (also thank you for the wip wednesday tag ☺️), @steventhusiast, @spicysix, @xenon-demon, @scarcrossdlvrs, @starryeyedjanai, @steves-strapcollection, @bifuriouswaterbender, @inairbinad, @thefreakandthehair

As ever if you want to participate please do and tag me in your post!

[unknownspecies]

‎ㅤㅤㅤINTRODUCING

THE ULTIMATE THROWDOWN

‎‎‎‎‎‎WHO IS THE FASTEST?

ㅤㅤㅤSTRONGEST?

‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤBEST FIGHTER IN TOWN?

‎TO BE DETERMINED, IN

3...‎

‎‎ㅤㅤ2...

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ1...

𝘿𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘿𝙄𝙉𝙂

HELLO EVERYONE!

You have officially been invited to a mutual wide tournament throwdown, where you'll be stacked against multiple opponents in the ring. Who'll come out the victor? That's up to the people to decide! Now let's get down to the rules, shall we?

Before I even talk about how this will work, there are going to be some participation rules. Not everyone will be able to participate...

You must be 18+ to fight! Many people here are uncomfortable interacting with minors so it wouldn't be fair for anyone to spar with people they don't want interacting with in the first place. So, age on bio or anywhere visible please and thank you! No ageless, minors, or blank blogs allowed.

This is all for fun! In no way shall this actually invoke anything hostile. Keep it fun and lighthearted! Any ounce of actual and genuine hostile words will be cause for automatic disqualification.

You do not have to be mutuals with me in order to participate! Even though I will be joining in as well, I will be more than happy to have everyone join no matter who you are.

You guys are more than welcome to reblog your fighting poll and encourage others too as well. Don't think the post is limited to my and your respective blogs only! The more people joining and voting, the more fun this will be.

ALRIGHT! Now that we've got that done. Let's get down to how this will actually work.

The tags for this will be "fighting fun" on my blog. You guys can tag this however on yours, I don't mind it either way. This is just a way to identify this event for me.

Applications will be via Google Forms! I will be accepting applications until the end of September, and fights will start on the first Sunday of October!

KNOW THAT IN THE GOOGLE FORMS YOU CAN REQUEST WHO YOU WANT TO FIGHT. That will be for the first round! Anything after the first set of rounds will be requested via DMs! I suggest you all talk to the person you want to fight with if there are special requests first so there's no confusion or anything.

Fights will be conducted via polls and will be held for a week. It will be held tournament style, so there will be the first set, going all the way to quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Only two people are allowed to fight at a time!

So reblog and shout on the rooftops for people to vote for you! Enjoy!

Any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

APPLICATION FORM (Google Forms)

𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙁𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏