#there are a lot of fun ideas to be had with this concept i think

[nights-nonsensical-ramblings]

Ahhh thank U hope the day is good!

right back at ya @aphantimes 💖. Got great art, makes me think about paper craft and your concept sketches do so well at conveying emotion and the feel of the scene, you got really goodbrain thoughts and I Love vibing with you. Very cool person.

@charleecat-bat you’re also getting a tag from me cuz you’re so cool. I adore your aus, their art and all the thought put into them. It’s been a lot of fun throwing things back and forth with you. You always give so much care to all the characters

@mama-qwerty you have super good character analysis takes and do really great hit with the angst then heal with the wholesome. And you’ve helped me many times this year so big thank you for that. And I’ve seen you give wonderful kind advice for your anons to.

@quazart you have a super cute and huggable art and you have such creative designs. You do such a good job at scenes with lots of characters and things going on and it’s still so clear and able to pick out so many details.

@mcfanely I’ve had so much fun talking and coming up with ideas with you. You’ve got such a great energy and i wanna thank you for helping to create the server that lead to me meeting and getting to know so many of these amazing people.

@acespeon you’re another person I’m always very happy to seen in my notes. You’ve been really great to interact with and I’ll be happy to chat whenever.

@guardian-of-da-gay yet another really cool writer/artist. (Amazing job on how much you got out during whumptober btw. Really impressive feat.)

@mushroomflood you to are an amazing artist! You make the characters look so sweet and vibrant. (And the same brain moments always give me a smile)

@sayurime I love chatting to you too! I really like so many of the concepts you come up with and chatting about them to.

@rapidhighway i must say I love the stuff you got going with licho and knuckles, super great dynamic there.

@heckinconfusedparade we may not have chatted in a bit but I still think of you with so much fondness

ands there’s plenty of people I see popping up again and again in my notes that make me go “oh hey it’s you :D” i appreciate your presences and makes me smile when I’ve seen you go through and like/reblog a bunch of my posts.

positivity train!

if you see this or are tagged in it, tag a couple of your favorite mutuals/blogs and let them know you appreciate seeing them on your dash!

@h0neysugarfree @blueberrylovv @bequiteanddriveeeeeee @cherri-bomb-bomb @eg0mechan1c @fatrexicisback

[harbingersecho]

sam ortez, excavated

Here's my present for @churchstopsurgeryscars for @redvsbluesecretsanta '24!!! Their prompt about Locus learning how to be a person again was amazing, and this might not be exactly what you were looking for, but I hope you like it anyways <3

[kianamaiart]

Hi Kiana! Been following before the IDWTBAMG work, but I'm a fan of the concept lol. It's been really cool to see it start taking off like it has already! I've been wanting to ask some questions for a while, about how to-- not get a project popular exactly, I believe you've touched on your scenario there-- but how one might go about both getting it going and start getting it seen? I could be more specific if you'd like, but I'd hate to ramble in an ask, lol. Anyway, I would love if you happen to have any advice there, no troubles either way!

Aw thanks for your support!!

For getting going, just make sure it’s something you’re passionate about and want to do! It’s a time sink for sure and it takes a lot of work. That’s been the issue for me in the past. Just not liking the ideas I had previously enough to be consistent. This time around, I had so much fun working on the project at every step and didn’t get burnt out on it.

If you were talking more about on the production side and planning, I think it’s helpful to make general deadlines for yourself and gauge who’d be able to help on your project (and also your budget).

As for getting it seen, I’m not really sureeee. I’m lucky in that I’ve built up this following I have over the past 10+ years. So I have the fortune of having somewhat of a built in audience. But without that, genuinely just posting a lot, watching those analytics and finding optimal posting times on as many platforms as possible is a good way to get eyes. Occasional sneak peeks keeps up interest, getting people who are working on it to post about it too also helps~

Hopefully this is useful info haha

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

My Top 10 Fics Of 2024

So, I have decided that I am gonna do the same thing that I did last year because I had so much fucking fun with this last time and it's a great way to look back and reflect on all the hard work I have done this year. And I am counting these down not based on statistics - not how many likes these posts have or how 'popular' they are, but based on how much I like them, and I get to really reflect on how writing these fics made me feel. And that is truly the most important part of fanfiction - how much fun I am having. So I am really happy and excited to reflect on all the awesome stuff I have written this year.

And I think a really great sign is that I had an incredibly difficult time with this year's ranking. Because I wrote so many amazing fics that I had so much fun with. Even if I had a really (not so fun) incident where I came very close to quitting fanfiction altogether, I had a lot of fun, and I wrote a lot of amazing things that I am so fucking proud of. And I'm only including fics in this ranking that I have posted (which is why I strategically waited until after certain fics were posted to write and make this ranking) - and not even including ones I have written and not yet posted, which are also fics I absolutely fucking love. So even if this year may not have been great for my mental health or my physical health, this year was a year where I felt great and comfortable and happy as an artist.

Anyway, here's the ranking!!

This year I posted 20 different fics consisting of over 250,000 words - and that is not including the fics I have not edited and the unfinished WIPs I have in my drafts.

Also keep in mind, if you randomly see this post in tags and you don't follow me, this is my main blog and not my fanfiction blog. My fanfiction blog is @sundrop-writes - you can follow me there to check out my fics and follow me for all my exciting fanfiction adventures in 2025.

Honorable Mentions:

Meddle About - Sub!Spencer Reid x Dom!Fem!Reader (6,300 words). I was slightly conflicted about if I should put this on the list or not, because currently, this is (in terms of statistics) the most popular fic on my blog right now, and usually when a fic is super popular, I am less inclined to like it. But this list is supposed to be strictly about how I feel about my fics and the experience I had while writing them. And I did really enjoy the experience of writing this fic - it was really fun to write something absolutely kinky and filthy and to write a fic that was so truly stuck in my head. I had a lot of fun with it.

The Restricted Section - Dom!Hermione Granger x Sub!Fem!Reader x (Secret Voyeur) Harry Potter (4,400 words). This is one of my absolute favourite fics that I have written this year, and it just didn't make the top ten because other fics were more my favourite. I loved writing this because it was such a fun PWP and it was one of those instances where I had the idea and then the fic was posted like a day later. It's a lot of fun.

Tongue Twister - Sub!Gar Logan x Dom!GN!Reader (2,000 words). This is one that I actually forgot that I wrote this year - it feels like so long ago lmao. But I really loved it when I wrote it, I love it now. I will always love Gar so much, and I love writing slutty fics about him.

Eager Little Puppy - Sub!Isaac Lahey x Dom!GN!Reader (2,700 words). This is by far one of my favourite things I have written this year - Isaac is one of my new favourite characters, and I have absolutely loved writing about him (and I look forward to writing more about him in the future). This is just a representation of how much I love him.

One Moment Per Episode With Dick Grayson - Dick Grayson x Fem!Reader (8,300 words). This is another one that I forgot was from this year because it feels like so long ago. I really fucking love the concept and I really, really want to continue it further in 2025 (feel free to send me messages if you are excited about it and want to see more, because I would like to set aside some specific time to work on it). Anyway - I really love the start of it and I really love what I have planned for this fic in the future.

Now, onto The Top Ten:

10. Precious Time Alone (aka The Knot Fic) - Gar Logan x Fem!Reader (11,800 words)

Even with the ability to see the future, you never would have guessed that your life would lead you to falling in love with the perfect man - someone sweet, caring, funny, cute. Someone with the passion and fire to protect the ones that he loves no matter what. A precious guy with green hair who had the ability to transform into a tiger at will. And when you finally made love to him for the first time, you never could have guessed how that unique ability affected his sex life. You weren’t exactly complaining, but you wished you had seen this coming. At the end of the day, it was just another thing about him to love. Or - Neither you nor Gar knew that he has the ability to knot, and you both find out for the first time when you have sex together. Gar Logan x Fem!Powered!Reader. Established Relationship. Smut/PWP. Set during Season 2, Episode 9.

It's such an interesting coincidence that both this year and last year, the number ten slot contains a Gar fic that is a re-make/re-post. I have a lot of fics that are only on AO3 and not on Tumblr, and I highly recommend that you check out my AO3 for that reason, but if I am transferring a fic from AO3 to Tumblr, I love to go through and do some edits on it and see how I can improve it before I post it again.

I absolutely loved this fic when I first posted it, and I love it even more with the edits - including the new scene that I added. It is such a fun idea that could be considered Crack Fic (so often, I write Crack Fic concepts but I treat them seriously) - the idea that Gar has a Knot because he is 'an animal' (or because he has animal DNA). It's such a funny idea, but it was fun and hot to write porn about it.

I love this fic, and if it is your thing and you would enjoy reading it, I hope that you enjoy it too.

9. The Way You Miss Me - Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader (18,500 words)

Fred broke up with you. He made it clear that he was going to have a new life when he opened his shop, and he didn’t need you to be a part of it. You being stuck on him was just another joke in a long line of pranks that he pulled. And life kept on laughing at you when your fear of heights was triggered by a potentially life ending mission the Order put together that had you dangling hundreds of feet over London, held up only by Fred’s strength and determination. So what does it mean when the two of you land, and he’s the only thing that can stop your shaking panic? What does it mean when he’s looking at you with nothing but love in his eyes, holding you tight like a lover would? Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader. Exes to Lovers. Emotional Angst and Smut. Set during Deathly Hallows.

This fic is one of the reasons that the ranking was so difficult. This one got moved around a lot because I had so much fun writing it and working on it. I am also super proud of this fic because originally, the idea was going to be part of a much longer fic, and I am so glad that I was able to pull off the emotions and the tone that I wanted in a much shorter word count that took me a lot less time. It makes me incredibly proud of myself - that I don't feel like I have to spend months and months on an idea in order to truly pull it off.

I fucking love this fic and I am so happy with how it turned out.

8. Why Am I The One? - Isaac Lahey x Fem!Reader (15,200 words)

Isaac loves you. He loves you more than anything else in the world - which is exactly why he has stayed away from you for so long. But when Derek kicks him out onto the street in the pouring rain with absolutely no warning and no reasoning as to why, Isaac has nowhere else to go. He could claim that he sought you out because you’re close by, because he knows that you won’t turn him away in his time of need - but deep down, it’s because he misses you. And staying away from you for so long is the hardest, stupidest thing he has ever done. Isaac Lahey x Fem!Reader. Exes to Lovers. Smut and Emotional Angst. Set during Season 3, Episode 4.

Again, this is one that made the ranking very hard. I enjoyed the process of writing this so fucking much. I was immediately inspired when I saw the episode, and as soon as I saw it, I started working on this fic - the imagery of Isaac so slutty in his white shirt sparks the temptation to write smut, but I love the emotional depth of him being a literal kicked puppy (after being kicked out by Derek) and being emotionally vulnerable and needing some place to go and someone to turn to. It is literally a perfect recipe for the kind of smut I write - super hot sex with emotional depth because one of the characters is feeling vulnerable. It's perfect.

This fic is exactly what I wanted it to be when I set out to write it, and I especially loved exploring Isaac's grief for Erica (which is by far not explored enough in the show) and I might do a continuation of it in the future, I'm not sure. Either way, I think it's fantastic, and it definitely deserves a spot on this list.

7. She Keeps Me Up - Dom!MILF!Jennifer Jareau x Sub!Fem!Reader (3,100 words)

JJ is protective of you. When you offer yourself up as ‘bait’ to lure in an UnSub who is killing women of your type, she protests endlessly about it - but ultimately she can’t stop you. She can, however, possessively lay her claim on you when you get back from the ordeal with nothing more than a tiny scratch. Dom!Jennifer Jareau x Sub!Fem!Reader. Established Dom/Sub Relationship. Smut/PWP.

Like I said, this list is all about reflecting, and I was considering wiping all Criminal Minds fics off this list because of the experience that I had - but that wouldn't be fair to my past self or fair to my art. Especially because this is one of my favourite fics I have ever written and whenever I listen to the song that I titled it for, I still have incredibly fond memories of writing this fic.

I think that MILF!JJ is my favourite version of JJ, even though - ironically - I haven't seen a lot of the later seasons. But way too many people obsess over Professor Reid and Grey Haired Prentiss (who I also love, don't get me wrong) - but I think there is not enough love for MILF!JJ. Not by far. I want to be her controversially younger girlfriend.

I actually have something in my drafts that is MILF!JJ centric, and if I finished it, it would be the only thing that could get me to stray back into the Criminal Minds fandom. I am so down bad for JJ, it's not even funny. (So - if you wanna see more of her, feel free to come in my inbox and let me know.)

6. Blood In The Water - Void!Stiles Stilinski x Fem!Reader (11,700 words)

Being Stiles’s best friend, you are incredibly worried about him when you figure out that he is quite literally not himself - and that the thing currently occupying his body could be destroying it in the process. When you approach him to show this concern, Void takes a particular interest in you. He’s not capable of love, or even fondness, but he likes you. And he likes the way your fear spikes when you talk about Stiles. So he makes you a deal - he’ll agree to take care of this fleshy, mortal host, in exchange for something more precious, more rare, and more delicious than the meal you have brought for Stiles. He wants your pain. He wants your tears. Void!Stiles Stilinski x Fem!Reader. Pining Best Friends. Extreme Emotional Angst, Hurt No Comfort. Set during Season 3 (with flashbacks to Season 1, Episode 11).

Another one that made the ranking so hard. This fic was so much fun to write, because as I said in the A/N for it - I fucking love writing villains. I love writing characters who are absolutely unambiguously evil. I do think it's a big of a shame that the recent cultural shift is to write villains as morally ambiguous or to take characters who are evil (or morally grey shifting more towards 'bad' in the canon) and soften them up so much in fanfiction to make it seem like they did nothing wrong.

A lot of people write Void as one of those "he is bad but he won't hurt me because he loves me uwu" characters and I really don't like that - because I want to write him as a character who is absolutely fucking incapable of love. He does not know love, he doesn't know what it is, and he has absolutely no softness or fondness for any person.

I really want to write a sequel to this fic - I have one drafted out that I think would be so fucking good - and I think I want to make it one of my goals for 2025 to complete and post the sequel. Anyway, just this fic as it is, I fucking love it, and I had such a fantastic time writing it.

5. Downhill - Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (20,100 words)

Draco knows his place in the world. He is a Malfoy, he is Pureblood. He is supposed to marry, carry on the Pureblood line. He is supposed to do everything that his parents would - including killing, if it’s what his Dark Lord wishes. Draco Malfoy is not supposed to hesitate. He is not supposed to feel fear. He is not supposed to have room in his heart for fondness, or even love. Not even when it comes to his bartered and bought fellow Pureblood fiancee. Love is nothing but a weakness. And Malfoys are not weak. Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader. Arranged Marriage/Hesitant Lovers. Emotional Angst and Smut. Set during Half-Blood Prince.

This is one of the fics that caused me to strategically wait to make and post this whole list lmao. And I am glad that I actually got this fic posted when I wanted to, and I'm glad that I waited. I have had this fic brewing in my drafts for a long time, and I have had the general idea for it in my head for a lot longer. I've actually had the idea in my head for longer than the original fic existed (the fic that this is a prequel to) and when I figured out that I could utilise my idea here, I was so excited.

I love writing about the real consequences of Draco being a Death Eater and I fucking love writing the Arranged Marriage trope, and this was all my favourite things to write about rolled up into one. And I also loved writing the inclusion of Harry having a very shallow one-sided crush on the reader when she is too busy actually falling in love with Draco to notice. This was incredibly fun for me to write and I absolutely love how it turned out - so it is by far one of my favourite fics I have written this year.

4. Figure It Out - A Criminal Minds Casefic (18,000 words)

Since you joined the BAU, you have been keeping a terrible secret from the team. When the team takes a case in your hometown - your festering secret comes to be known with a vengeance. Fem!Reader x Gen!BAU Team (Platonic). General Casefic, modelled after a Criminal Minds episode. Angst, Mystery, Hurt and Comfort. Set during Criminal Minds Season 3.

I feel like this list would be incomplete if I did not include the fic I obsessed over as my first fic of the year. This fic really did a lot for me as an artist - for so long I have been wanting to write something with a similar concept to the music video for Figure It Out by Royal Blood (something where the story essentially goes in reverse and more details are revealed along the way, constantly changing who you believe is the villain vs who is the victim). The first time I saw that music video, it changed me and I have been so radically inspired by it ever since.

And because this idea has been sitting in my head for literal years, I am so fucking proud that I managed to do it justice. And I do think that Criminal Minds is the perfect backdrop to do this kind of idea with, and I think that this is actually a kind of radical artistic episode that they might actually do.

I would also love to use this format for other fandoms (I think it would work so well for The Walking Dead especially, and you guys know that I want to apply everything I do to Titans) - so I am so glad that I wrote this fic and gained confidence in writing something with an usual format and that I just got to have fun with it.

3. When Doves Cry - Jason Todd x Gar Logan (11,100 words)

At Dick’s insistence, Jason comes back to Wayne Manor to help the Titans end Crane’s deadly plan. Jason doesn’t want redemption or forgiveness - he’s done believing that he’s worthy of those. Once Crane is back at Arkham where he belongs, Jason plans to disappear, never to be heard from again. But Gar - someone who never stopped loving Jason and never stopped believing in his goodness - has other plans. Jason Todd x Gar Logan. Friends to Lovers/Lovers Reunited. Smut and Emotional Angst. Set during Season 3, Episode 13.

This fic is absolutely so fucking special to me. This is actually one of my only fics that has a dedication, even though most of my romance based fics should be dedicated to @nctzenkane - because he is the love of my life and he inspires most of my romance based fics in one way or another.

I wrote this fic at a time when I was really struggling as an artist. If you have been following me all year, then you will likely know about an incident where I spent months writing a longer fic, and that fic garnered some complaints and hate comments, and when I spoke up with my distaste for those comments - I was basically told to shut up, and I was told that fanfic readers have a right to be rude and treat fic authors like shit the second that we post our work to the 'public'.

And it really demotivated me and the whole incident really made me thoroughly consider quitting writing altogether, especially considering the fact that my chronic illness is getting worse each year and every single time I successfully post a fic, more and more work has gone into that fic behind the scenes (past my illness) in order to make that fic 'visible to the public'.

All of this to say that I was feeling down, disappointed and lost, and I asked Jaycen what to do - what I should write to truly make myself feel confident and good in my art again. I asked him to request something because I needed some inspiration and some artistic direction. And he requested this fic - because he usually only enjoys romances between canon character pairings (and he loves JayGar because I majorly fed him the juice on that) and he knows that Titans is my strong suit.

The fic is also incredibly special to me because the song is also incredibly special - even though I fucking love 80s music, I didn't really listen to Prince until Jaycen encouraged me to, and when I listened to this song for the first time, it really wormed its way in as one of my all time favourite songs. And it suits these characters and their dynamic so well in addition to being such a beautifully personal song to me.

So yeah - this fic is gonna go down in history as one of my top five favourite fics of all time, not just from this year. And it definitely made the ranking a lot harder.

2. Heaven's Gate - Daryl Dixon x GN!Reader (24,200 words)

Hope. Not the fragile, delicate thing that everyone mistakes it to be. Hope is stubborn, and grows inside of you long before you ever realize its purpose there. Hope can’t be crushed by a thousand pound tank or torn apart as easily as concrete walls can. Hope is balanced on the backs of songbirds, it whistles quietly in the wind, and it brings you right where you need to be (even if you don’t know it). Daryl Dixon x GN!Reader. Strangers to Lovers/Lovers Reunited. Emotional Angst, Hurt and Comfort, Fluff. Set during Seasons 1-5.

This is another fic that is so fucking special to me, and that's why it's so close to the top of the ranking. I have had this idea in mind for years probably - I fucking love the concept of any fic that involves reunions when it comes to The Walking Dead (and I could write 10,000 more fics based on this concept) because every single moment of reunion in the show just fucking gets me. Even though I don't really like Rick and Lori's relationship (and I love Lori, don't mistake me as a Lori hater - never), the moment where Rick gets out of the cube van and reunites with Carl and Lori for the first time in the first season - it gives me goosebumps every single time without fail.

So I simply aim to recreate that feeling with my fics.

Also - the bird symbolism. When I lived at my old place, I had a bird feeder right outside my window, and I used to do a lot of bird watching. And I became familiar with certain bird species and the rarity of certain types of birds, and there is just something hopeful that ignites within you when you see a particularly rare bird - and it is a myth I have heard that cardinals represent good luck (likely because of their rarity) when you see them.

And I love how the whole fic evolved to represent hope, which I think is something we all need more of in our lives. During this year of existential dread and sadness, it felt really good to write something that was purely about happiness and hope.

1. The Jaws of Life - Jason Todd x GN!Reader (19,900 words)

You and Jason don’t really hate each other - at least not anymore. Your feelings for each other are more than complicated, and before you have time to figure it all out, you have to part ways. Jason goes back to Gotham at Bruce’s behest, and you’re off to visit a long lost relative that you didn’t even know cared about you. Unfortunately, while you’re apart, the Joker makes things even more complicated with a phone call and a gun. And your world comes crashing down before you can even put names to all the stars in your sky. Jason Todd x GN!Powered!Reader. Friends With Benefits to Lovers/Lovers Reunited. Smut, Extreme Emotional Angst, Hurt and Comfort. Set during Season 3. 

Here is the big number one! I am giving this one the top spot even though it's incomplete (and I am kind of biased because in my head, I am including how amazing stuff from the second part is) - and maybe it's just an excuse to include such an amazing fic in two different 'Top 10 Fics of The Year' posts lmao. Because when I post the second part in January, technically it will count for next year too.

But anyway - I love this fic so fucking much. This fic has been so long in the making, and I love every single aspect of it - the emotions, the metaphors, the length. This is one of those fics that is perfect to me because it came out exactly how I wanted it to be in my head. I am so utterly proud of this fic, and I am so glad that people are getting to read it now, even if it is just the first part.

Anyway - that's all for this year, and I am sooo looking forward to seeing what I can come up with next year.

[daughterofapollo-official]

Christmas special

So I usually make a holiday special about camp half blood.

But Christmas isn’t a big deal. It’s not a country or cultural holiday, it’s a religious holiday, a religion most campers won’t identify with.

Percy however ……celebrates Christmas.

Him and his mom bake cookies every year, and they do all the traditions.

Because I think Percy Jackson was raised Christian. At least until he was 12 when he turned 12 and he learned about the Greek gods and their existence and became atheist. But he still enjoys tradition and culture.

I am mainly taking this from the whole scene where Percy says “God like Jesus” in the show.

There’s also a few nuggets of Christianity from Percy’s point of view that aren’t really reflected in anyone else’s point of view throughout all of the novels. So basically I think he went to church sometimes, celebrated Easter and celebrated Christmas with his mom when he was like a little kid, up until he was 12 when he out about the gods and then he started hating the Greek gods and his trust in, the Christian God became very little and the only connection he really had to religion when he was a little kid was the tradition and the fun of those traditions anyway, he was never religious person. So….

The point is mercy is not Christian nor is he religious and general, but he celebrates major Christian holidays. Every year on Christmas, Percy makes cookies with his mom. He has a big dinner with his mom and his stepdad. They do all the traditions, they decorate the Christmas tree together with blue ornaments. It’s a very nice time of year for him. His mom fills up his stalking with candy every year. And they have blue candy canes.

Leo Valdez also celebrates Christmas. Or at least did. His mother Esperanza wasn’t really that religious after meeting Hephaestus she was semi aware of the fact that he was a God.. and I think that kind of made her question Christianity a bit more. But knowing that Hispanic families are usually Catholic or Christian and they’re very strong on that especially when being immigrants.

I think Esperanza didn’t really went to church that often. I think she’d say ‘God’ and care a little bit about the Bible on a day-to-day basis, but she wasn’t really that connected with her religion by the time she had Leo. However, in Hispanic culture families are very tight. And close.

So I think in the early years of Leo’s childhood, I mean when he was eight and under. They have a big Christmas celebration together as a family with cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmas, everyone. And they did all of the Mexican traditions for Christmas.

Leo did also did end up celebrating Christmas a lot of times with foster families, although it always felt more like a charity event than a family event and a holiday.

And I think that by the time Leo was 13 he had zero faith in the Christian God. And I think when he learned about the concept of multiple gods, he was even more flabbergasted as a Latino boy growing up with the idea of a single god, then going to multiple gods and then one of the gods being his father scrambled his brain and then he just doesn’t care for celebrating Christmas. In fact when September comes and he walks into a store and sees Christmas decorations- he is pissed.

He might go back to celebrating it when he’s older I mean, like 29 and married with kids, that’s only if his kids ask about Santa and they want to celebrate Santa and shit like that.

But I don’t think this delinquent gives a single fuck about religion at this point. To many Bad memories. he doesn’t want to celebrate Christmas unless it’s with his mom and he can never have Christmas with his mom again so what’s the fucking point?

[midnight-mourning]

Winter's Chill

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 15❄️❄️

Never written a mer fic before, it was a lot of fun! I see why people enjoy the concept so much ^_^ anywho, hope you enjoy!

Prompt: How exciting! I think it would be fun to have mer snuggles to stave off the cold. Maybe yn is a handler in a aquarium and the dca's favorite human, or maybe yn's a mer, or maybe yn lives by the seaside and yn's they're favorite human. Maybe yn and dca can exchange cold weather traditions/favorite things to do. Being coiled in either of their tails just sounds very warm and snuggly : D

Word Count: 1881

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

The breeze blows heavily around you, cutting against the skin of your cheeks with the salt it holds. The sand is cold between your toes as you walk across the shore. It's not cold enough for the water to freeze, but it does send a shiver down your spine as it tickles your toes. It wets the bottom of your pants, but you're too distracted to care right this moment, you'll worry about it after you go back inside. 

Staring out into the surf, you don't see any sign of them, but you don't let that worry you. You imagine with the cold weather they're probably holed up in their caves, staying warm. Like you should be doing yourself, but given the sudden turn in the temps you'd thought you'd at least get eyes on them yourself. 

Additionally, you'd been talking excitedly the past few weeks about each other's cultures and traditions when it came to the winter months. 

The very idea of mers was new to you, but that didn't make them any less fascinating to you. Rather, you were incredibly curious both of the two that had stumbled into your life all those months and of their culture. Much like how they were intrigued by you and the human world. 

Recently you'd been comparing how mers celebrated the change in the seasons versus humans. While you gave gifts and spent time with others, mers apparently had large feasts and parties, followed by periods of long hibernation all together. Waking up every so often to do it all over again. 

The idea of not seeing either of the pair for weeks at a time did disappoint you, despite their assurances that they wouldn't be participating like they usually did this year. You weren't going to keep them from their traditions, just like how they wouldn't ask that of you. 

Still, you'd been hoping to see them at least one more time before they're first hibernation. You shift the gifts in your hands, and adjust the basket on your arm as you scan the horizon one last time. Nothing but brown-grey sea and sky stares back at you. 

With a sigh, you turn around and head back to shore, the wood of your dock damp and cold under your feet. 

About halfway back, you hear a whistle off to your right. 

Twisting, you see a yellow, finned head poking out of the water, around where the shore turns. It peeks out further, revealing a grin of sharp teeth. You return the smile in earnest

Sun chirps, waving at you quickly. 

You shift your presents to one hand and raise your now free one to wave back. 

He makes a beckoning motion and you send back a thumbs up, understanding. He tilts his head a moment, then does the same. 

Doing your best to not slip, you hurry back down the dock and across the beach, rounding the edge where the cliffs start to grow large and rocky. A bit more traveling and you make it down to the stretch where the cave your mer friends call home is. And after a bit more maneuvering and the likes, you head inside. 

When you get there, you see Moon lazily resting on a rock that's partly in the water. He waves a clawed hand to you before resting it back on his stomach, eyes closing. Soon enough, Sun bursts up in the middle of the water, sending waves throughout the pool and disturbing the other mer. 

"Hello friend!" Sun exclaims swimming over to the edge where you stand. "It's so good to see you!"

"You too, Sunny. I was worried I missed you guys."

Moon tsks. "We told you we won't be hibernating this year. Just,"—he yawns—"'Sleeping in' later, as you call it."

"And I told you, that you don't need to change your routine for me. Which is why we're going to have some fun now, and then you’re free to sleep contently for as long as you like." You start setting things down on a rock, scanning for a good location to set up. 

They both watch you intently, seeming incredibly curious as to what you're up to. 

Sun catches on quick. "Oh! Is this that holiday you told us about? Chr-Chrislist?"

"I think it's pronounced 'Christmouse'." Moon quips. 

You laugh, pulling out your picnic blanket and setting it down on the relatively decently sized flat spot near the backside of the cave but still on the water's edge. "Christmas, guys. And yes, that's exactly what we're doing."

Among the things in your basket is a large thermos of hot chocolate, several large raw fish, a few sandwiches and a bag of chips for you—though if they get their hands on it they may fight over it—and a multitude of blankets. 

While again, you knew worrying about them was unnecessary, you figured that any extra help they could have would be good.

Once you're all set up, you turn around, clapping your hands excitedly. "Alright, let's get started—hey!"

Both mers look up from picking at their presents. Then, before you can protest, break out in feral grins hands slinking forward to snatch the gifts up entirely. 

"Don't you dare." You warn. "We're eating, then we'll open presents."

The two share a look, and before you know it, your feet are flying across the smooth rock to try and stop them. Right as they snatch up the gifts and swim back is when you reach the water's edge. But, you'd miscalculated the distance and realize you're running straight into the water. You try to course correct and stop, but it's too late. You slip and fall into the water. 

It's not as cold as the ocean outside. In fact, it's significantly warmer. But still, it's quite a shock to you. You're pulled to the surface by two pairs of strong arms. You gasp when you do, taking a few deep breaths. Taking a moment you realize the air is filled with worried chirps and clips and you have to fight a moment to get them to let you go and strop fretting. 

"I'm okay, I'm okay. It just shocked me is all." You say, laughing slightly. 

They're both pouting as you shoo them away, taking a moment to bob in the water and collect your thoughts. 

After another moment or so, you move back to the shore, pulling yourself out and sitting on the edge, feet still in the water. 

You shake your head, water going everywhere. With a sigh, you start wringing out your clothes. At least they were excited about their presents. 

"We're sorry, Sunshine..." Sun's head is hung low, fiddling with his hands as he just barely peeks out of the water. 

Moon's gone over to his corner to sulk himself. They're downturned attitudes make you chuckle, which perks them up slightly. 

Water pours from your jacket as you twist it tight. "It's okay. Not your fault I'm a klutz. Completely on me."

You're lucky you didn't have anything valuable in your pockets, this would be much worse if that was the case. You make the call to remove your shirt, not able to stand the half damp feeling more than you have to. 

You don't notice the wide eyed stares they both have as you stand up and walk over to fling your clothes over a rock, hoping they'll dry quick but doubtful of such. You remove your pants as well and turn back around again. 

"Well, you guys can go ahead and open them I guess..." You trail off, noticing how they're both just staring at you. "What—oh come on! It's the same as a swimsuit, don't make this weird for me." You skin burns and now you're avoiding direct eye contact. 

You go over and snatch up one of your blankets wrapping it around you. 

"There! Is that better?" You shiver then, the cold finally starting to seep in after the initial surprise and embarrassment have worn off. 

At this, they go high alert. You sit down on the blanket, grabbing one of your sandwiches and taking a bite. "Unbelievable, acting like I'm a Victorian woman showing ankle, nothing you haven't seen before."

There's a splash and you look up, seeing them both hovering above you now. Sometimes you forget how big they are since you're usually looking down at them, instead. 

"Go on, I caught that fresh yesterday morning." You nod to the pile of fish. 

They don't move, and you frown, slowly taking another bite of your sandwich. Another chill runs through you and you use your free hand to bring the blanket closer to your body. 

"You're cold." Moon states. 

You reach for your chips. "A little, I'll live."

Sun's hand wraps around your wrist. "You're freezing, Starlight. You land folk have terrible heat regulation." A cheeky smile appears on his face, eyes narrow. "And that simply won't do."

You make a grabby hand for your chips. You open your mouth to say something, but you're suddenly picked up in a flurry of blue and yellow. 

The first thing you notice is that you go from feeling mildly cold too much, much warmer. The second you notice is a, slightly intense, feeling of being squeezed. 

"Too tight." You managed to get out. 

There's a slight shift and you can breathe again. You find that both Sun and Moon have wrapped themselves around you, resulting in essentially a cuddle puddle of their tails and arms around you. And you will admit, it's actually quite cozy.

The parts of your skin not covered by your blanket or underwear are met with smooth scales that generate a rather large amount of heat. And if you weren't still very hungry, you'd probably have fallen asleep. 

"This is lovely, but can I have use of my arms please?" You ask after a minute or two. 

Sun's shakes his head against your neck, where it's buried. For good measure, he kisses the spot once, twice and snuggles closer. 

Moon's words vibrate against the top of your head, where his chin rests. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait."

"But I'm hungry." You whine. "Arguably, I'm more hungry than I am cold. Besides, there's a big herring in that pile of fish that'll surely go to waste if you don’t—"

"Mine!" Sun hisses, quickly shifting to snatch it up. 

You laugh as Moon growls at his actions, starting to argue over it with the sunny mer. You take the opportunity to reach back and grab your abandoned food, sitting contently as they fight over their food. You think that's fair pay back after your little mishap earlier. 

No matter what though, they keep their tails tangled around you, keeping you cozy and warm as they dig in to their own meals. Almost like a fishy weighted blanket. An odd concept, but a welcome one.

This certainly wasn't how you were expecting this day to go, but you'll have no complaints if this is how you stay for the next several hours. 

Given how wet your clothes were, and how intent your two mers are at keeping you close, you think it'll be at least that long before you go anywhere. 

And that's just fine.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Thank you for the lovely request @rosescarletful!! This was super fun to write and I agree, it DOES sound super warm and snuggly, hope I captured the feeling properly :)

Masterpost link

Tag list (if you would like added, see this post for more info):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8

@luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @amarynthian-chronicles

@robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva

@juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml

[lorelune]

o4o: extended author's note

🎀 masterlist 🎀

WOW!! i genuinely... genuinely cannot believe i finished this piece 😭 like truly. around a year ago, i was cooking up the idea for an a/b/o collab and to think... almost a year later i have finished my piece :3c

o4o was originally just supposed to be a one shot featuring beloved omega jing yuan and his heat, but the idea expanded into much more fleshed out world, reader and dynamic. i truly never intended to go explicit with the mommy kink but you Know. sometimes things simply occur and you gotta go with the flow!!

omegaverse is so interesting to me in so many ways... the social workings of secondary gender, biology, and the relationships characters can have based on secondary gender too. i've had this very clear vision of scent gland anatomy in my minds eye for literally two years and it felt sooo nice to get it down in part iii for folks to like see. the vision. in o4o there is also this element of queerness that like... cannot exist in the real world! which is very fun and fascinating to me as an author to explore. both reader and jing yuan are omegas and the dynamic they with one and other is inherently informed by their secondary gender, but they express that secondary gender in very different, complimentary ways.

when i was cooking up o4o, i wanted to try and lean away from the reading of a/b/o which boils down to "alpha = stereotypical man" and "omega = stereotypical woman". femininity and masculinity are socially-informed concepts, and thereby change by concept and time, and i really wanted to (and attempted to) keep some amount of like... liminality to their expression. though jing yuan is perceived an alpha by the xianzhou alliance at large (because he is large, strong, and has a commanding presence), this is like... mostly coincidence and fabrication on his part. he cannot help that he is large (a great deal of which is soft omega pudge anyways!! and a slow metabolism adds to it), he's strong due to his lifetime of hard training, and his 'presence' is something he's like... constructed and honed because it is convenient and serves him well.

reader is more genuinely stereotypically in their world (at least what we see of them!!). they're a bit of a weakling, a lot of a crybaby, and very easy to coddle!! more like an omega kit than a grown one to be so real (see why jing yuan takes a liking to you LOL). but there's like embers of reader that distinctly aren't this stereotypical omega. they traveled to the Luofu alone, and settled without a pack or family unit. in part iii, we get a peak into reader's family, and you get a glimpse of reader's family, which is very non-traditional as well. they want to claim bite jing yuan. there's like!! in general lots of playing with perceptions in this piece. it's been very fun. playing with the expected bounds and outside of as well!!!

i DO have a sequel planned, a fun little spanking fic from reader's pov that truly i have been dying to write hehe. getting to do a deep dive on kink like o4o is very fun and like... rewarding. playing the long game on a kink to set up the Brain reasons why the characters involve enjoy it is like... long and hard. but very!!! gratifying. i'm excited to revisit these two, as both crybaby reader and milfy jy have altered my brain chemistry in unknoweable ways <3

finishing this piece would truly. TRULY. not have been possible without the cheering and support of multiple beta readers over each part. my pal honey helped out on parts i and ii and sadly doesn't have a tumblr anymore, but their jy thirsting and thoughts were VITAL!! @harmonydove was such huge help combing through part iii for clarity and cielo (@aimfor-theheart) did a much-needed final read through despite not going to hsr. and. AND!! truly truly TRULY this fic could not survived, lived and thrived with the continued, in-dms support of beloved mermie (@ofmermaidstories). she read this fic as i wrote and listened to my many questions and anxieties as this piece grew and grew. forever grateful. to all of these lovely folks!!!

thank YOU reader. for immersing yourself in this story and its world, and enjoying. truly there is nothing more that i desire as i writer. enjoy this piece this holiday season and be well 💗 🎀 💦

— lore 🩷

[thefivekins]

Another interest check!

Hi! Putting out some tentative feelers for a ga’hoole/warriors/wings of fire-inspired bird rp over on discord.

The past few days Ive been tossing around ideas for an original worldbuilding xenofic setting again. I still have ways to go on the development side of things but I wanted to see if I could garner some initial interest first. With that being said, here are some goals:

- start out small(er) and expand (unless this concept really takes off and I get a lot of applicants). I will want mod and development teams no matter what. Applications will be presented for both and presented for general players later on.

- partial-sandbox setting. I plan to make a lot of lore, different kingdoms, history, etc. Some of which I would gladly accept collaborative work on by players and development team alike!

- ttrpg elements in the form of classes and skills. I don’t want anything convoluted, just basic features that will help distinguish and fortify your characters in certain events. Might be fun to do gamemaster-led sessions as well.

- keep it engaging! Have activities for character development outside of rp, do events, make fun chats, etc.

- overall creating an rp environment with the help of others in the community with hopes of lasting! I will frequently look for input and suggestions. I think a major issue Ive had with past projects Ive tried to run is that I didnt leave enough room for constructive collaboration when it came to story, so, Id like to change that. I want people to go off and do whatever they want with their characters in the world!

I have a lot of thoughts swimming around regarding this that I can’t put into words yet so hopefully the above is enough to pique some interest! Please like/comment/share/ask if you would be up for joining. :-)

If this gets enough interest I will turn this blog into one for the bird rp!

[king-dra]

scifi stories with human-adjacent robots generally tend to gloss over the issues of power reserves but theres something intriguing to me about the idea of an android having to lug around external battery packs because their internal power source isnt strong enough to keep them going for long on its own

[hauntingjasper]

We need candy Marshall and vampire Gumball!!!

Waow okay anon imma give you a lil concept, sorry for making you wait too long 🥹

My current takes on Candy Prince Marshall Lee and Vampire King Gumball

[katabay]

original thief series basso & garrett :)

ngl, it's about quality over quantity for me. an npc can have a total of three minutes of screen time, but if they have a cool name, they can live rent free in my head and I'll spend several hours trying to decipher drawable features from a blurry screenshot of pixels

there is a vague hint of a story here, and that's because every time I try to play thi4f, I get incredibly frustrated with how Not Fun the game play is. like, is the story good? well. but it has a PLAGUE. that should've given it instant 'I'll replay this once a year' status in my heart, but the game play sucks so bad that I've never finished it. I can't believe Not Fun gameplay beat out my obsession with narrative plagues.

anyway, the idea is basically if the original era had a game with a plague centric narrative and some other stuff I liked out of thi4f thrown into a narrative blender, with a heavy dash of horror thrown in because some parts of the thief games were scarier to me than entire dedicated horror genre games.

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app

[aropride]

gender microlabels are really cool to me bc a lot of the time they're like, metaphors almost, for how someone experiences their gender. like constellunyx, which is a gender connected to the moon, stars, & the connection between the moon & stars. or mechuatic, which is a gender related to mechanical sharks or fish. or lunaboy and solgirl, which are a gender related to the moon + femininity while being a boy, & the sun + masculinity while being a girl, respectively. or genderfunky, which is when ur gender is funky and goofy, and has a really fun flag. like i genuinely think it's so cool!! i love it & i wish microlabels weren't so looked down on both within and outside of the queer community bc it rules!!!

[sysig]

A lot of early concept stuff was expression/pose brainstorming - there’s the classic six Webkinz emotions (which, I learned have been largely pared down to just four after a point! Since they got rid of Dr. Quack’s role, there’s no more “sick” expression and most ‘Kinz’ tired and sad expressions are the same! >:0 What’s the point of having an easily editable puppet with the spaghetti code intact that you have to put an image there AnyWay and not make a slightly different expression!! H’f) as well as the main Sakura poses - so if I’m already making up expressions, why no go a little further! :D

One of the expressions I definitely needed up top was Mischievous - working with a cat, that’s the only logical conclusion really. I think it’s funny that she swerves the compliment only to pay it right back as well lol

The ticklish expression is one I’m still going back and forth on! I’m half tempted to have it be somewhere between happy and angry - maybe a mood gradient, starting out just positive and slowly moving into “Hey stop! >:0″ if it’s too many times in a row? It’s a thought haha

Similarly so, messing with her ears - bothering your pets is a very important element of socialization (lol)

As seen above, I’d reallyyy like to figure a way to have a dual-visual mood system - both the ‘Kinz body language/expression/emotion and a more exact stat bar. I’m still chewing on this idea a bit, no pun intended lol. That and click-and-drag with an actual image you can drag around your screen, hm and hm! Much to think about. Her face here turned out cute and funny haha, helped me push the expression more comedic

Much better :) Webkinz already has some well-known food dialogue, my favourite is probably “Mmm to the mmmax!” haha

Each low-mood would have their own emotion tied to it, but what about somewhere in the middle? I like the idea of the ‘Kinz getting bored if they’re left alone for too long! And little paw taps, showing off her embroidered paw pad haha ♪

[ship-garbage-pile]

A young wannabe Blitzball ace. Jecht at 17 years old was still as much of a braggart as he is later in life but it took a while for him to reach the height of stardom, i imagine he has a lot of Tidus mannerisms.

[razzledazzletrassh]

no major fic updates just yet guys TAKE MY WOY OC I MADE LIKE. April of last year IM PLUGGING SOME INFO ABOUT THIS GUY IN THE TAGS.

I may also redesign her soon or something. Make her more bug-like with some stuff. I can cook guys let me cook !!!

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

I'm starting Mission to Zyxx Season 5 now, and I have feelings about that.

First, it generally scares me when people hype anything up at all because there is no guarantee that anyone values the exact same thing I do to the same degree. Even if I trust the creators of a thing to value something and try to do right by it, that doesn't always necessarily mean it will be successful, especially if that involves doing something wildly different than what made it good in the first place (I have been burned this way before). I guess I'm just hoping they continue the format of goofy improv shenanigans for the majority of it with something more planned and emotional in the finale if they want, like they've been doing all along. I'd think they would, and I've heard nothing bad about the ending, but I guess it still makes me nervous because I'm so close to the end and I want it so badly to stick the landing. I'm setting my expectations on the floor so I can be surprised instead of disappointed, but honestly, I don't need it to be better, I just need it to be on par with the rest.

Second, and more briefly, I'm happy it's (hopefully) ending before it has a chance to decline. I am so on board with that philosophy. But on the other hand, finishing a thing that I really, really like and knowing there's not another one out there gives me a special kind of heartache. Like, I know there will be other good media, and stuff that's good and unique in other ways, but I know for a fact that there are no other podcasts out there that have the same mix of a balance of off-the-wall improv and structured narrative, quality comedy, fantastical sci-fi setting and loveable characters, and high quality production. There are other things out there with many of those qualities, but nothing that checks every one of those boxes. It's a lightning-in-a-bottle thing that very much feels like the right people had to be in the right place at the right time to do it. Attempts to do it again would feel hollow because it had to be born out of necessity and passion and the talents of the people involved, so if you switch out the people it loses the reasons it's great, and if the same people tried to do it again it'd feel tired. That makes me so, so grateful it exists, but also so, so sad that it doesn't, and I'm 80% of the way done. When it's over, it's over.

Anyway. Now that that's all out there, I'm just gonna finish listening and have fun. Wish me luck.