#this fic will follow and flesh out the timeline of the good news fic

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

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1. A) Itmf fics where wwx is actually a servant. B) Or has a specialized skill that is not cultivation related, possibly one he's known for?

1A)

The Myrmidon by Basingstoke (E, 33k, wangxian, NHS/WWX, LXC/JGY, major character death, graphic depictions of violence, underage, WWX raised as a servant, spiritual weapons, gusu summer camp, Flirting, they're young, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Behavior, War, WIP) sadly this is probably never going to be finished, but the WIP is great on the concept of wwx actually being raised as a servant to the jiang household

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2. Itmf any fics that readers of this lovely blog absolutely adore. Their favorite fic, and please tell us why! :D Did it have beautiful writing? A plot you think about even ages later? Introduce a new idea or change ur mind about a rare pair? Was it a tearjerker, or make you laugh till you cried? Did it make you warm and fuzzy to read, or scare the bajeezis out of you? Let us know! :D

The Bunnies and The Roomba: A Love Story by Nikki373 (T, 6k, wangxian, modern, Fluff, Humor, Idiots in Love, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Siblings, Siblings Try and Are Trying, College/University, 1 if by phone; 2 if by text; 3 if by mouth, Kisses, Romance, Falling In Love, LXC is the eternal captain of the good ship Wangxian) I adore The Bunnies and the Roomba by Nikki373. It's a hilarious and sweet story that I believe is hugely under-appreciated.

The Fifth Type of Non-Contact Force by Caixx (Not Rated, 83k, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Fluff and Humor, Actually Somewhat Canon, Mutual Pining, Horny Teenagers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Graphic Smut) this fic has been on my mind a lot lately!!! i love the yearning and exploring the complexities of their relationship in this setting. i also just love the way the author's prose

ruined me with your regard by laallomri (T, 46k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Slice of Life, Introspection, Epistolary, it is not all letters but there are quite a lot of letters, Discussion of Canon Events, Pining) there's so much lyricism and elegance and emotion and I keep going back to it every time I need it.

Keep Holding On by abCEE (M, 316k, JYL & WWX & JC, wangxian, canon divergence, demonic cultivator JYL, YLLZ JYL, yunmeng siblings dynamics, role reversal, ghost general WQ, sunshot campaign, angst w/ happy ending, established relationship, accidental baby acquisation, PTSD) I’ve always LOVED roleswap AUs, and this one is the most in-depth one for mdzs. I’ve always loved reading WWX in JYL’s role just because I have the inner need to see him doted on and loved like she is, and this has all of that. Even past that, everyone in this fic is very fleshed out and all of the arcs still follow the og mdzs timeline, but have just enough divergence so it’s fresh!

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3. Itmf wwx and wicked musical crossovers. Esp anything that uses/has the vibes of the song "no good deed goes unpunished"

it's not *technically* a fic, but I think the asker would enjoy this song parody

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4. pretty sure this answered this before, but i couldnt find it for the life of me. im looking for fics where jiang cheng (usually its him) makes wwx be forgotten or erased from the timeline and things just go downhill from there. if its bashing or at least not friendly to the other characters its preferably

The Way It Wasn’t by KouriArashi (T, 72k, WangXian, XiYao, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It, (eventually haha), Slow Build, Family Feels, Moral Ambiguity, Eventual Happy Ending)

Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

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5. hello and thank you for all that you do. i was hoping you could help me with the itmf post and share some fics of wei wuxian’s core getting restored, perhaps with a focus on dual cultivation being the cause of it? and if none come to mind then what other fics handle the restoration of wei wuxian’s core well and stand out?

🔒 Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 117k, WIP, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

these colours fade for you only by doodlebutt (T, 36k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everybody Lives, Golden Core Transfer, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, …eventually, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, bed sharing, Mutual Pining, like really unreasonable amounts of pining, Slow Burn)

The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence) WWX meditates his core back, not realising he's actually taking his own core back from JC

Golden Core Reveal / Golden Core Fix-It Comp

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6. Hello Mods! 😃 for ITMF I was wondering if there are any fics that

A) have LXC be angry at JGY for everything that happened/he did, or just let LXC be angry at JGY

B) do something with WWX being the Yunmeng jiang head-disciple, like focusing in on that or it being a plot point or something like that

C) show JYL and WWX being close and spending time just with each other, - I can't really find any where get to do that without JC being there and while I like Yunmeng trio I would like to see them have a bond independent of him

thanks! 😃 and have a great day!

6A)

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (M, 290k, WangXian, Humor, Slow Burn, Post-Canon Fix-It, Long-Distance Relationship, Epistolary, Love Letters, Family Feels, a-qing lives, teenage romance, Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Happy Ending, Weddings, Case Fic, Parenthood, Politics) in 12 moons and a fortnight verse, there's this lovely scene (and I belive it also is recurring addressed through the series to various degrees of lxc dealing with how he feels about jgy and what jgy had done) where lxc *spoiler alert* has a rebellious breakdown and starts slashing up the Lan rules with his sword *end spoiler*

There's a fic that I can't find yet, its short (tagged angst) where lxc hurts himself with his sword in guanyin temple as leverage so jgy doesn't hurt wwx. he's either angry or cold toward him iirc

6B)

Check out "First Disciple WWX" under The Untamed fandom here

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (M, 290k, WangXian, Humor, Slow Burn, Post-Canon Fix-It, Long-Distance Relationship, Epistolary, Love Letters, Family Feels, a-qing lives, teenage romance, Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Happy Ending, Weddings, Case Fic, Parenthood, Politics) (Link in 6A) literally the opening premise of 12 moons and a fortnight is based around the training that wwx received as the first disciple. He was always intended to be jc's second in command - who could even lead the sect in his absence or injury etc

🔒 Heart's Courage by RighteousInAdversity (T, 19k, wangxian, WWX & WQ, NMJ & WWX, WWX & Yunmeng Jiang Disciples, WWX & WN, Lotus Pier, Sunshot Campaign, No Golden Core Transfer, Golden Core Destruction | Golden Core Melting, WWX has a Golden Core, Genius WWX, Jiāng Family Critical, not Jiang family friendly, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, BAMF WWX, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canon JC Characteristics, Jiang Family Has A Redemption Arc, WWX Still Leaves Lotus Pier, not YZY friendly, Bad Parent YZY, not JC Friendly, As for JFM and JYL, not Bashing exactly, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia)

6C)

it's a long road but we're not alone by Stratisphyre (M, 62k, wangxian, JYL & WWX, LWJ & LJY, LJY & LSZ & JL & OYZZ, Canon Divergence, Not Everyone Dies, Canon-Typical Violence, Parenthood, Grief/Mourning, Family Feels, Reunions, Golden Core Reveal, Getting Together)

Atlas by Folderol (T, 2k, JYL & WWX, JYL & YZY, JYL & SL, JC & JYL & WWX, Child Neglect, Metaphors for living life with a cultivation disability)

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7. Hi!! for itmf, could i ask for ppl's fave canon dynamics authors? (self-recs very welcome!!) i was advised to avoid untagged E-rated fics but then i feel like i'm missing some great fics, so i'd love some help! thank you!! 🙏🏽💙

hi! i asked for 7, and i didn't wanna over-explain, but since it was asked, maybe you could add this to the itmf to clarify, if it's not a bother? 😅 thank you

i do mean top lwj and bottom wwx (only because sometimes the other dynamic can get a little ooc, which is fine, put the blorbos in situations! but not what i'm looking for currently), but /also/ canon dynamics for me means exploring while keeping their personalities: lwj being mean and bitey and awkward, but respectful when it counts, wwx being bratty but confident and enthusiastic. both dom & helpless waif wwx are interesting headcanons rather than canon to me. (also cnc/breeding kink r nice but not obligatory ofc adskjkfs)

tl;dr basically i've been 4+ years in this lovely fandom, and i feel im still not done appreciating the thoughtful way mxtx writes the characters and their dynamics, literally none of her MCs or MLs can be called 'typical' in BL standards

these authors do mostly tag their works but to be sure: 🔒kizukatana, diamondbruise, and saltyfeathers are some of my faves

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8. i’m in the mood for fic where wwx is a talisman genius! @efavs

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 712k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) This is absolutely *the* fic about WWX being a talisman genius

🔒 Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 117k, WIP, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

💖 Lessons relearned by Iamnotawriter (T, 44k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inventor WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Golden Core Transfer, YZY Bashing) his main invention is an array but talismans too

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9. For itmf, does anyone have any recs where folks treat wwx gently? Thanks!

🔒 Instead by apathyinreverie (T, 27k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, like self-indulgently so, by way of dark(er) gusu lan, manipulative elders, but in a good way, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, of sorts, not Jiang friendly, not really gusu lan friendly either, not particularly friendly towards anyone really, aside from wangxian of course, Cultivation World Critical, Sunshot Campaign, Fluff, Politics, Courting Rituals, possibly implied mpreg, Genius WWX, Talismans, No demonic cultivation, but wwx is still the lynchpin of the war, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ) (link in #11) depending on your definition, instead (in #11) counts for #9 as well?

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10. ITMF fics where jiangs are actually a family. Like not that they're only fam in name and are living together like in canon.

The Late Great Custody Debate by stiltonbasket (G, 9k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, LXC/NMJ, JC & WWX & JYL, modern, Domestic Fluff, baby a-yuan, Single Parent WWX, LWJ is a confused rabbit owner, nielan are married, nhs is: xoxo gossip girl, Custody Arrangements, engagement, Confused WWX, WWX voice: if i'm the one with the kid why are you suing ME for child support?, LWJ kills his own love life in the worst way, Happy Ending)

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11. Hi! For itmf, does anyone know of any fics where JC and LWJ find WWX in Burial Mounds after Wen Chao throws him in there but before WWX learns to conduct resentful energy? Like, they scoop him up and rush him to healers and WWX never goes down the single plank bridge?

🔒 Instead by apathyinreverie (T, 27k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, like self-indulgently so, by way of dark(er) gusu lan, manipulative elders, but in a good way, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, of sorts, not Jiang friendly, not really gusu lan friendly either, not particularly friendly towards anyone really, aside from wangxian of course, Cultivation World Critical, Sunshot Campaign, Fluff, Politics, Courting Rituals, possibly implied mpreg, Genius WWX, Talismans, No demonic cultivation, but wwx is still the lynchpin of the war, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ)

Hope Dangling by a String by KouriArashi (M, 70k, wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it, everyone lives, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, psychic bond, telepathy, communication, emotional/psychological abuse, jiang family feels, lan family feels, canon-typical violence, canon-typical politics, improper use of sacred forehead ribbons, gratuitous hair washing) I'm not sure if this counts or not for 11. Lwj saved wwx just a few days after he's thrown in the burial grounds, but wwx still learns demonic cultivation. He's never alone though, and has support from lwj and his family

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12. Hi!! Is there any fic where Wy is indeed Jfm's illegitimate son?

leading tone by silencemostofall (G, 32k, WangXian, Modern AU, Soulmates, with a lil twist, Eventual Happy Ending, lesbian wq rights, Music, Orchestra, platonic and romantic pining)

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13. For your next itmf I’d like to find fics that focus on wwx’s kindness. It can be any setting except a/b/o. I just want to read stories where we see his kindness and generosity shining through.

Thanks for all your help.

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14. Are there any fics in which wangxian are in military? @constellationdks

囍 | a ghost wedding by sweetlolixo (E, 11k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Ghost wedding, Pining LWJ, Ghost Groom LWJ, Corpsefucking in the most romantic way possible, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Explicit Sex, Love at First Sight) probably not quite what OP wants, but LWJ is technically military in this fic

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15. Explicit ITMF! I recently reread the incense burner extra and I would just love to read some more stories where wwx is already soft and open without prep because of their everyday! Thank you lovely mods and reccers (novel dynamics only please!)

To Know, To Be Known series by cqlorphan (E, 38k, wangxian, Cock Warming, Multiple Orgasms, Marathon Sex, Under-negotiated Kink, Porn with Feelings, Aftercare, Dom/sub Undertones, Established Relationship, let LWJ get railed agenda, LWJ Learns Some Things about himself, sex tears, gratuitous use of names, Begging, Kink Discovery, Post-Canon, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Switching, Light Bondage, Blow Jobs, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Let wwx get tied up but also let lwj railed, Repressed LWJ, and his journey to sexual abandon aided by, Inventor WWX, Cock Rings, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Dirty Talk, Rough Sex, Dildos, Rimming, Edging) a treat really this entire series, mentions of u what u asked for AND lwj being soft and open w/o prep as a bonus

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16. hello! are there any fic recs or lists about a Lan Sizhui Sect Heir? thank you! @mexicantransman

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17. Does anyone know of any WangXian Sentinel/Guide aus? Sentinels are kind of like superhumans with heightened physical senses, and Guides are like empaths and/or mind readers. The two usually bond with and balance each other.

Hyperprosexia by malkinmalkout (E, 192k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Sentinels & Guides, Sentinel WWX, Guide LWJ, Empath LWJ, Slow Burn, Rivals to Lovers, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, WWX POV, LWJ POV, Tags Contain Spoilers, Telepathy, Marriage, outsider pov, they have a kid, Telepathic Sex, Rough Sex, public exhibition, breath play, Rimming)

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[bonesandthebees]

hi bee :) semi-new anon here just hoping that you’ve been doing okay <3 i wanted to say that i absolutely adore your writing, and will happily read it, no matter what fandom it is you’re writing for, or if you’re just writing original works /gen!! your writing has always inspired me heavily hehe, it’s wonderful.

also, on the topic of original works, do you have any good novel recommendations? i’ve recently gotten back into reading and have been super into fiction, but i’m down for any sort of recs. one of my favourites at the moment is good omens :)

here’s your daily message to go have some water or tea and take care of yourself !! 🌷

hello hello!! I'm doing pretty alright now, feeling a lot better than I was this past week :) and that's so sweet of you to say, it's so reassuring knowing I have so many of you guys willing to read my silly stories no matter which fandom they're about (or even if they're original)

and yes I do have some recs!

I made a post about two months ago now talking about books I'd read that I really enjoyed so there'll be some crossover here but also some new ones I've read since then

one of my new favorite novels is The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. it's a heavy fantasy story following 4 different intertwining POVs. the fantasy world itself is made up of several different countries all inspired by various real world cultures that's not just limited to western europe which is incredibly refreshing. the world itself is incredibly fleshed out and interesting, the characters are all very diverse and have so much depth, and there's also a very beautiful sapphic romance <3 I'm reading the prequel to priory right now and I'm also loving it so far

another book I really enjoyed is actually a duology—The Radiant Emperor series by Shelley Parker-Chan. the first book in the series is She Who Became the Sun which I really enjoyed, however the sequel book He Who Drowned the World is the one that absolutely blew me away. just letting you know in case you're not comfortable with it, both books contain sex and some graphic violence. the story is set in 14th century China when it was ruled by the Mongols, and it's an incredibly well done queer retelling/fictionalization of the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Emperor who ushered in the Ming dynasty. the text engages with so many themes of the expectations of masculinity and femininity and how they restrict people, and really dives into gender expression and how it can be wielded in different ways. again the first one was really enjoyable, but the second one was on a whole other level and I'm still reeling over how good it was and how much it emotionally hurt me.

ok and then last one for now

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - I know we all heard about this one thanks to the iconic bigolas dickolas wolfwood on twitter but also they were so right about this book. it's gorgeously written. the book itself is mostly written as letters exchanged between two women who are time traveling agents on opposing sides of a war for who controls the timelines. it's a beautiful love story, it's sci fi but with a heavy bend towards spec fic which I personally really like, the world concepts are incredibly fascinating, and it plays around with time travel in a very intriguing way. it's a very short book so it's an easy one to burn through. I checked this one out from my library but I'm highkey tempted to go to a bookstore and actually buy a physical copy for myself just because there were so many gorgeous lines I want to highlight

hope this helps!! my taste in books is usually: sci fi/fantasy/spec fic with sapphic women so hopefully that's something you enjoy as well lmao

[classicequinox]

Fic FAQ: Where your love has always been enough (for me)

Hello, I thought I'd compile the most frequent questions I've been getting for this fic here for easier viewing/in case you have the same question! :) WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND

Do avoid reading if you're not up to date with the current chapter, or if you'd rather wait and see how things go as new chapters are released!

1. How old are all the children? Their ages will of course increase with time since this fic spans so many years, but as of chapter 19 (Shouto's birth):

Touya: 10 Fuyumi: 6 Natsuo: 4 Shouto: 0

Keigo: 9 Emiko: 9 Geten: 6

Hana: 10 Tenko: 5

There are some differences from canon since this fic was planned long before all the children's ages were confirmed in the manga!

2. When is Hawks going to appear ? As of chapter 23: very, very soon...

3. Is Touya/Hawks going to be a thing? Yes, they most definitely are! Don't worry I wouldn't be so evil as to tag them for only that angsty DabiHawks scene set in canon :')

4. When is AFO going to do something/why isn't All Might doing anything about AFO? No, I haven't forgotten that AFO exists (and neither has All Might) but unfortunately, there are only so many plotlines that can be actively followed at once :') Let's just say, AFO is up to his usual scheming behind the scenes and All Might is actively dismantling various of his organised crime units.

(That being said, we should get a little preview of AFO in a couple of chapters from C23!)

5. Is Izuku going to make an appearance? Definitely!

6. Are any of the Todoroki children also from Enji's canon timeline/going to travel back in time from the future? Unfortunately not, for 2 main reasons:

1) It's a little universe breaking since the way the branching timelines work, even if the kids travel back, it'd be this AU timeline's version of them who would travel back rather than their canon versions (who would still be stuck in their sucky canon childhood with canon Endeavour)

2) It'd make for a whole story of its own that wouldn't fit into this already very giant fic :')

BUT on both those notes, I'm very willing to break the universe's space-time rules and explore the delicious feels in a spin off! It's still a long way to go (I'd probably want to complete the main fic first), but I imagine any of the kids (Dabi, anyone?) would have a pretty interesting reaction to being thrown into this AU

Feel free to let me know which characters you'd most like to see in that scenario :)

7) How long will this fic be? Good question :') While my headcanons stretch out across the kids' childhoods and deep into their teenage years and beyond... in the name of good storytelling to avoid bloating this fic too much, this story will likely end pre-canon, albeit with a long canon era epilogue.

Projected total chapter count (subject to change): ~30-35

Before I get a lot of screams and angry yelling: I do still intend to flesh out and post those headcanons I mentioned as stories in the same series. Whether as a single actual slice-of-life sequel or multiple character-focused fics or a mix, I haven't yet decided, but there's that!

--- Feel free to ask if you have questions that aren't listed here! :)

[evilwriter37]

Warning, you reblogged an ask game, and I’m about to go ham.

1, 4, 8, 13, 21, 22, 24, 26, 31, 32, 35, 48, 50, and 71

Do you prefer writing one-shots or multichapter fics?

That's a hard one, because I've written quite a lot of both. One-shots do make up the majority of my fic library though, so I'll go with one-shots.

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Anywhere and everywhere. @ashleybenlove is also super great for inspiration! Prompts are good, rewatching episodes, listening to music, pulling from a personal experience... It's like I never run out!

8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

Hm, usually I want to say the beginning. I'm very good at beginnings and first lines. Middles are fun, but can drag sometimes in the process, and endings are difficult to get just right.

13. What's a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

Change your font when editing. It makes your brain look at the story differently and pick up on mistakes you probably wouldn't have seen with the original font you wrote in.

21. Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

I think so. I've done sort-of-collabs with @mdoodlerfandomart and those were always incredibly fun! But those were the kind where one person writes one half of the story and the other writes the second half. I wonder if I'd be able to collaborate with another writer where we could write on the same document at the same time. Maybe I can do one with you, @lifblogs? Like on a Good Omens one?

22. Are there certain types of writing you won't do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc.)

Mm, there is a lot I will write. It's probably longer than the list of things I won't write. I'll write from virtually anyone's perspective. I don't really write poetry, though I could see how it could be fun in fanfic form! I explore all sorts of genres in fanfic and write things I probably wouldn't write in original fic. Like, when it comes to realistic fiction in original work? Ew, no! Realistic fiction like modern AUs and such in fanfic? That works just fine for me.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

"Cut out sex scenes and filler. They're not necessary to the story or character development."

Okay, sure. Fuck off.

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Infernal Fascination for sure. 3 years, lots of harassment, but also lots of praise and fun. Yeah, that was wild for sure.

31. Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

Hm, I think plot maybe? I develop a plot based around the characters though, so maybe both.

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

@howtowhumpyourhiccup @fictionalnormalcy @lilliths-httyd-blog @ashleybenlove @thedragon-and-hisboy (No, I could not keep it to just 3).

35. What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain?

That villains are human too. You can portray them as a monster, but the monstrous is human. Villains will be much easier to write and more fun and fleshed out when you treat them like human beings. (Unless of course, your villain is an eldritch horror of some kind.)

48. What do you look for in a beta?

I don't use a beta, but I think I would look for someone who is understanding of my writing style and sensitive about my RSD.

50. How long is your longest fic?

Infernal Fascination: 470k words.

71. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, etc.?

I make an outline with notes at the top of the page about times, dates, characters, etc. My outlines are usually just bulleted list of the events that will happen within the story. I try to keep my outlines and notes in one document so that I don't have too many documents and confuse myself.

Get to Know Your Fic Writer

[hamofjustice]

Pokemon S/V Fanfic is coming

(edit: don't count on these to still be what i'm working on but the title is still true)

for the people who follow me because i yell about pokemon scarlet and violet in general or nemona arven or penny in particular, or who just see me in the tags a lot: i have (at least) two decent length nemona-centric stories in progress right now that i might start episodically posting after we've played the indigo disk DLC for a while. there isn't any in this post but i did want to talk a bit about it (under a read more so i can pin it without being too annoying lmao)

while i was tempted to dump the start of both right now, i should probably wait until i'm more prepared and everyone's finished the DLC and gotten their hunger for SV content back. plus there might be some key characterization or worldbuilding stuff in there

that's right, getting blueballed by the end of basegame acting like we'd live happily ever after and hang out and adventure together more once the credits rolled, followed by a year of that not happening and trailers pretending none of it mattered and nemona and friends don't need us and aren't the main characters of the story (deep breath) did in fact turn me into the joker a fanfic writer like i thought it might

After The Rain and Biri Biri officially showing a glimpse of how I see the story - and implying that maybe it's more canon than i had cynically resigned myself to believe - has only rekindled the flames hotter

i've been working on extensive character personality and subtextual implications studies and RP practice in preparation for this. for fun. help me

anyway, if everything pans out and i don't can or rethink either of these fics, they'll both be canon-typical age-rating adventures (but still more intense in other ways) that i think so far have a good mix of drama, action, fluff, and humor if i do say so myself:

one, about an established juliana x nemona dynamic in the postgame as they meet brand-new characters and challenges together with their friends, that fleshes out juliana more as a character in her own right (or at least one possible take on her)

and the other, an alternate timeline of the main story where a different kid moves in next door and everything else goes off-script from there, because the only way juliana/florian isn't the most important person on earth to nemona is if they never met

and that's all i'll say for now. look forward to these Eventually(tm) along with anything else i feel like making a whole thing or at least a oneshot

[rdng1230]

Fic talk

tagged by @desert--moonchild

How many wips do you have currently? 8 ish? but I haven't worked on any of them since I started Ain't That a Kick in the Head. Most of them are one sentence ideas in a google doc but others are a little more fleshed out. One I would loooooooove to write is one where Buddie runs into the original Buddie aka Gage and Desoto from Emergency!, but I really need to be able to watch old episodes to get their voices down and the show isn't available anywhere except live tv reruns. I also have lots of Tommy + Deluca family shenanigans for the strings of fate series. There's some angstier stuff as well I hope to dive into.

Which one are you finding the hardest to finish? Why do you think that is? lol you can't struggle to finish something you haven't really started can you? tbh I'm putting everything on the back burner till the epilogues done and then we'll see how everything else goes :)

What does it usually look like when inspiration strikes for you? I'm not often far away from my laptop these days so usually I just plop down and type it straight into docs. If I'm out and about I'll jot it down in my notes app, maybe also text it to a friend if the idea was something I'd been whining to them about.

Do you curate playlists for each fic or is your process different? You know it's funny I love a good playlist and I love making them but because I can't really read or write when music is playing besides like instrumental stuff or lofi, I don't make playlists to set the vibe. However, I am meticulous about the music actually in the story, so I will make playlists to keep track of what music is referenced and also to give my readers an opportunity to know what the characters are listening to in those moments. I will agonize over what a character might listen to and under what circumstance. Sal's picks come to me almost immediately, he follows his heart and likes big earnest 80's gated reverb atmospheric kinda stuff. Tommy is more difficult, he's moodier, a lot more mercurial about what he listens to based on what he's feeling, he can be a tough nut to crack. The hardest part is when there's a song that is PERFECT for their situation but I know they wouldn't listen to/know about, see: A Home by the Chicks for Tommy chapter 5.

Do you go balls to the wall and write as you go or are you more organised? It is soooooo situation specific. Sometimes I sit down and just crank out a whole thing right then and there like my Young Royals Fic from a few months ago. I'm still really new to this whole thing tbh, I'm still trying to figure out what works for me. But for the longer stuff I usually know what I want out of each chapter and then when I get closer to it I write out a scene list for how that happens, sometimes what I want requires breaking things up into two chapters. chapter 6 was fun because it actually had entire conversations written before the scene list so I had a page of dialogue and had to backpedal and structure the chapter scenes around that conversation. the epilogue is literally fully written scenes followed by 5 word placeholders for next scenes, and dry templated out set up scenes, and then random lines of dialogue from the final scene, idk man its the Wild West out here. For my strings of fate series I'm keeping things vague on purpose in terms of timelines and certain details to allow for this universe to account for future ideas I may have.

np tags, I'm sure many of you have done these already and if you have just tag me I'd love to read 'em: @racerchix21 @ohlookitsthearkhamknight @cliophilyra and whoever else wants to!

[ottertooferswriting]

BG3 NPC-Oc's

Something I haven't seen much of (if any) yet in the BG3 fandom is Oc's that aren't Tav's. There's so much love for some of the NPC's that we all wish we could romance, (I'm looking at you, Zevlor, Rolan, Dammon ect) and such a wide variety of side quests and little interactions you can do with the existing NPC's that it feels like almost every playthrough you discover one you didn't realize you Could do something with.

The sheer breadth of the game leaves plenty of wiggle room to just...add your own. Romanceable, potential new companion, a flesh out to an area you wished you could have done more with in one particular area of the map?

So....my question is what kind of NPC Oc would you all make?

Disclaimer: There's a healthy dose of indulgent creative liberty with my NPC's quest triggers\backstory think of it as a What If for the game not something meant to fully mesh 100%.

Here's mine:

Name: Micarbryn (Mica to friends\lovers) She\Her pronouns.

Seldarine Lolth Drow: Notable Features: Unusual eye color for Drow, Scarring across left side of face, partial left ear, artificer mobility aid covering left elbow down to fingertips disguised as a gauntlet. Age:300

Class: Artificer: Alchemist\Fighter: Psi Warrior Cross Class.

Romanceable\Companion addition: Yes: Poly Options with Halsin, Astarion, Shadowheart

(more details under cut now with added character pictures!)

Location in game: Underdark

Quest triggers: Freeing suspiciously intelligent runt phase spider from trap who offers to take you to "The Crafter" for a reward.

Stumbling on cache of coded paperwork in locked chest (pass an INT or WIS check to decode) that gives location of a safehouse "The Den".

Siding with the group of masked\disguised raiders that attack a Drow settlement to free a group of slaves.

Stage 2 (addition to camp) quest trigger: Coming back to the Den to trade only to find it raided, speaking with a survivor (or dead body) informs you that Mica was taken to Moonrise.

Freeing\Finding her along with the tiefling's and other captives at Moonrise offers a quest line depending on what kind of run your doing:

"Good" Run: Waking to find that she's snuck off in the middle of the night while still near to critically injured and Halsin has followed her.

Durge Run: Waking to find her hovering over you with her chains wrapped around your neck, (succeed on a STR or CHA check to convince her not to kill you)

Approval actions: Persuasion: using your charms to better your situation, Intimidation: dealing with upstarts or enemies, Deception: protecting your companions\allies, and Kindness choices, Ie: Helping the Mycanoids, Tieflings, Barcus Wroot, the deep Gnomes ect (you can ask for compensation but following through is key)

Disapproval actions: Unnecessary cruelty in dialog or actions, making promises you wont keep, choices that allow others to be exploited or their secrets outed.

Discoverable backstory:

Her family was secretly not affiliated with Lolth, their right of passage for its daughters on their coming of age birthday (100th) they have to find a good act to do to better the life of someone other Drow would deem lesser. Mica was on a trip with her mother to another city and saw a captive Halsin, turned to her mother and answered 'I know what I want for my birthday'. It then became her sole responsibility to make sure he was freed without it tracing back to her family as a test of her skills. 

Family’s fall from grace and her subsequent journey to becoming a sort of Robin Hood meets Powerloader (my hero) meets Captain Amelia (treasure planet) happens roughly fifty years after she freed him (In "Good Run" Durge style run is a different timeline with other...options >:3) next time she sees Halsin is in Moonrise.

Did a quick creation of an approximation of her current age of 300 and what she looked like when she would have first met Halsin at 100. And also have a spotify playlist

That's it for now, I may do some fic snippets of her, maybe look for some art....

[juuls]

Juulna’s 2021 Multi-Fandom Fanfiction Rec List - Part Two

(Yes, I realize this is a year late, but this year's been a bit nuts. I still hope you enjoy these fics anyway!)

Based only on what I’ve read with my own eyes this year!

Follow me on my journey into what, at times, was…

…actually rather calming! Perhaps you can find some comfort and entertainment, fluff and angst and romance and friendship, smut and a distinct lack of it, space adventures and fantasy and modern adventures, serial killers and good guys, redemption and reconciliation and learning to become someone completely different — there is so much here I read that stuck with me over the past year, and the 2021 Fanfic Reading Challenge ( @fanfic-reading-challenge ) allowed me a new way to keep track of all of my favourites. So props to that event! Definitely participating again (considering I run the event, yeah, that's probably a given lol, but full disclosure).

Without further ado, here were my 2021 fic favourites!

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six

Fandom: Marvel (Comics & MCU)

Stony, Polyvengers:

you great unfinished symphony (you sent for me) by @ketchupcrisp

The last thing Steve Rogers ever expected to see on a Wednesday afternoon was his (their) dead submissive tumbling out of a portal and practically into Phil’s lap, very much alive and frantic about Soul Stones and timelines and some other version of the team.

Avengers Family:

Of Spectrums and Spoons by @calloftherunningtide

Natasha had been taught to pretend – to act and respond just like she was supposed to act and respond - from an early age.

Things You Learn In the Kitchen at Night by @buzzcat

When Darcy went into the kitchen that night, she didn't expect to meet her platonic soul mate or Tony Stark, let alone have them be one and the same person.

Iron Family (typically very Civil War Team Iron Man):

Second Chances by @izazov

Tony Stark is in love with Steve Rogers. Also, he is dying. There is no direct correlation between those two facts. But there is also the matter of Steve Rogers having no idea about Tony’s feelings.

And all that's best of dark and bright by @kaaterinapetrova

When Steve Rogers leaves her to die in Siberia, Toni Stark hacks her soulmark apart, tears the flesh and veins until she is blinded with pain, and waits to die. Up above, somewhere in the universe, something fractures.

Trigger warning for cutting, suicidal thoughts, breakdown.

Siren by @tsuki-chibi

When the exvengers were granted pardons, they return to the Compound. Steve was prepared to fight an uphill battle, but not for the biggest change of all:a clone of Peggy Carter, who is already at the Compound and acting as the newest Avenger. Determined to see everything go back to the way it was, Steve, Wanda and Clint become obsessed with figuring out a way to upstage the New Avengers and prove that the Accords are unnecessary.

Spoiler: their plan doesn't work.

Basic Rules by @striving-artist

It said something about Toni’s life that she had an established system in case of kidnapping and torture, and while there had been tweaks, it was still basically the same as from when she was a kid.

1. Let them underestimate you. 2. Don’t fight back until you have an exit. 3. Lie from the start. 4. Protect what matters. 5. Assume no one is coming to help.

you want a war? (you don't know what you're asking for) by @dyke-yoonji

“And now? Now you’ve all betrayed,”  Steve flinched at the choice of words, “Stark, and Potts and Rhodes are not going to sit and take it.”

Natasha frowned at the phone. “What does this mean for us?”

Fury laughed - an ugly laugh with no myrth in it. “It means that Potts or Rhodes are the ones who sent me this phone because they wanted me to contact you. They wanted me - and you - to know that they are with Stark, that they are the line of defence between him and us.”   “It means that they just declared war. God have mercy on your souls.”

Tony Stark is Not a Supervillain (But his Poker Group All Are) by DaughteroftheSilverMoon

A superhero walks into a room full of villains- and they play poker and give him a drink. After all, it's the polite thing to do. Only then they get to liking him, and all of a sudden they're slaying dragons for the good guys. It's very disconcerting, but kind of nice.

The Worst Job by @thealextheshipper

Jessica is assigned as the Rogue Avengers Accords delegate upon their return to the US, on the plus side she befriends Tony Stark, on the down side she has to deal with PR nightmare Steve Rogers, and his best friend PR nightmare Clint Barton.

DomesticIronHawk: (Laura/Clint/Tony)

Set On Fire by @allthemarvelousrage

She's not sure if she forgot to take her suppressants, or if something Wanda did screwed with her meds, but her world is on fire for the first time in years, and there's no one to help her through it... until there is.

IronMarvel:

Keep Me in Your Orbit by @moonlitmidnight-1

A post Civil War AU in which Toni knew Carol during the events of Captain Marvel, and was the person she gave the pager to.

IronStrange:

ARC I: An Infinity In The Wings by @bad-days-and-beautiful-nights

Stephen and Toni met just before she's kidnapped. They spent the night together and when she returns, they strike up an easy friendship. Soon enough, Stephen falls in love with her, but by the time he realizes, it's too late. Hoping she never finds out, he gracefully steps back, trusting Captain America to be the right man for his best friend. But when Steve surprises everyone and Toni ends up at death's door for the fourth time, Stephen has to re-evaluate his life's choices.

IronTaser:

Disinformed by Del_Rion

It’s time to come clean about Phil Coulson’s death. Out of all the Avengers, Tony’s reaction is the most surprising, and Phil must investigate it further.

Maria Hill/Sif:

Diplomatic Relations and Intelligence Failures by @scifigrl47

Maria Hill would like a night off, and maybe a date. She's not likely to get either one of them, so she's pretty resigned to long nights of protecting the world from behind the scenes. It's very satisfying, but not quite in the way she's hoping for.

Most people who know Maria are far too intimidated to make a pass. Luckily, the Lady Sif doesn't have that problem.

Phlint:

SHIELD Has Paperwork for Everything by @scifigrl47

Clint Barton knows where his loyalties lie, and they have more to do with his handler than his employer. Phil Coulson takes his responsibilities seriously, and a big part of his job is protecting the agent in his care from any threat to his well-being.

At this rate, neither of them is going to get a date. Natasha Romanov has other ideas, and the only side she's on is her own.

Stucky:

Reputation by @cpt-winniethepooh

Captain America is a hero to the nation, but an uncomfortable cage for Steve Rogers. He is confined by his reputation as the boring Avenger, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes, and has long given up on hope to change his public image.

Then he meets James Barnes, the infamous assassin also known as the Winter Soldier, who recently switched sides and is now working for the US instead of Russia. Barnes is tall, dark and handsome with his man-bun and eyeliner, and everything Steve shouldn’t want but does.

But just as there is more to Steve than Cap, there is more to Barnes than the Soldier - but will they be able to see that and find happiness?

An albumfic about finding love through the noise, set to the tune and narrative of Taylor Swift’s Reputation.

Steve Rogers at 100: Celebrating Captain America on Film by @hellotailor, @alwaysalreadyangry, eleveninches, febricant, @morgan-leigh

“Heil Hydra,” the enemy agent shouts. 

“Heil this, motherfucker,” says Captain America, shooting off a rocket.

Steve and Bucky find out Hollywood has been busy since they went away. A historical survey, including but not limited to: one set of exploded genitals, a brief interlude in France, Mel Gibson and other masterworks of casting, eight Academy awards, several dinosaurs, and something Tony Stark has ominously dubbed “the masterpiece.” Art included.

Steve Rogers and the minefields of social media by @cpt-winniethepooh

Steve gets a Twitter account, then an Instagram one, then he gets Bucky back, too.

ThunderIron:

King Of Hearts, Queen Of . . . Nothing by ThatDamnKennedyKid

He was sure that she didn't remember, not with the way she had cried herself into drunken slumber in his arms. That did not mean he forgot. Not anything - not the painful slurs from her father that lingered in her mind, the barely visible scars across her arms and thighs from jumping into adulthood alone before she was no longer a child, how she had blubbered the name Yinsen over and over again like a regret.

I don't Want the World to See Me by @outercorner

Tony has a secret, one that is harder and harder to keep from observant teammates.

WinterIron:

Lines by @treesramblings

“If you want—and feel free to say no, everyone and their mothers know that I’m the queen of offering too much where I’m not wanted—but, if you want…” Toni hesitates, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment, and then continues, “well, that’s the longest period of uninterrupted sleep I’ve had since last week, which was also with you, and—twice is a coincidence, but maybe we could test to see, uh, see if it’s a pattern? Only if you want; I’m not trying to guilt you into it. In fact, forget I said anything. This is a horrible idea. I’m just going to leave—”

She’s stopped by his fingers slipping into her palm as he's suddenly standing in front of her. “Okay,” he whispers.

The tension that had built up in her body releases all at once and she looks up into his eyes, the ever present churn of emotion swirling enchantingly, tenderly.

“Okay,” she responds, and his hand glides from hers as he turns away. She aches with the missing weight.

Watercolour Scars by ThatDamnKennedy

Despite fighting against Iron Man, Bucky didn't actually know Tony. Even then, he didn't know how he was the only one starstruck. He couldn't imagine the kind of miracles she must have pulled off before for the team to not even thank her.

Our Shattered Past by Elenduen

Bucky survives the snap, survives to see two-thirds of the universe die, half turning to ash, the others killed because those others turned to ash. He follows Steve back to America and the Avengers compound struggling to try and make sense of everything that has happened. Then Tony Stark returns to earth, broken, sick, desolate. Bucky feels he owes Tony for what he did to his parents, he wants to find a way to make amends and the only way he think to do that is to act as protection for Tony while he slowly recovers from his time in space.

Tony couldn't care less what happens to him now. He failed, Peter is gone, two-thirds of the Universe is gone, why should he care if he lives or dies now? he is determined to help others while he can though and if that means Barnes is following him around then he can help too.

What neither expect is a relationship to blossom between them or the family that blooms out of the ashes of their shattered pasts.

721 Fifth Avenue by Skarla

Tony Stark is a man of many faces; stressed, a little manic, overly fond of smoothies and kinder than anyone Bucky has ever met, although he hides it well. He's not quite sure why no one else is providing the support and companionship that the man is quietly desperate for, but it's no hardship to step up to the plate. He's always had a thing for scrappy underdogs after all.

The Evidence by @striving-artist

Didn’t notice. Right. Sure. Two brilliant minds, two super spies, and a god didn’t notice when the chattiest man they knew stopped making sound. They just seemed happier than before. Brighter and more cheerful than before. They just seemed like they were more comfortable with him around when he was stone silent.

Fuck it.

He knew they noticed.

And he knew they liked him better this way.

ShieldShock:

MARRY, FUCK, KILL by @sevensneakyfoxes

"Actually, you know, I get it. Rogers would be an excellent MARRY choice. You know that he'd never leave the toilet seat up, would never drink the last of the milk, and would clean the rain gutters without prompting," Darcy says. She's never really considered Steve as anything other than Captain America who is impossibly unapproachable; weirdly enough, the things she finds intimidating about him as a person oddly work for her in a domestic setting. "Ugh, plus you just KNOW Barton would be the type of fucker that would eat the last oreo and then shove the empty box back into the cupboard."

"So what's your list then, Darcy?" Jane asks, turning back to look at the mold, which has done exactly fuck all in the last half-hour.

"Don't rush me! I need to make an informed, calculated choice."

Darcy looks down at her pad, then back up at Natasha. She purses her lips in thought. "You've fucked Barnes, right? How dexterous is that metal hand?"

--

The ladies of SHIELD play a mass game of MARRY FUCK KILL, Avengers edition.

Wherein everyone marries Steve, kills Tony, Jane betrays science and Darcy hypothetically turns Thor into a llama.

WinterShock:

Black Holes and Revelations by @amidtheflowers

The Winter Soldier doesn’t like her much. It doesn’t help when they get thrown in a black hole together.

WinterShieldShock:

Upon A Hill, Across a Blue Lake by @i-mushi

Fluffy ABO - Darcy has a few run-ins with the police and a couple Alpha Avengers show up to help. She /really/ should have specified to Jane not to send her crushes when she called for help. Steve/Darcy/Bucky Alpha!Steve, Alpha!Bucky, Omega!Darcy

WinterWidowIronShield:

my body is not their bed by @deathsweetqueen

In 1995, the Engineer and the Winter Soldier escape HYDRA and end up, bleeding, on Peggy Carter's doorstep.

This is their journey after. This is the story of their victory march.

[adiduck]

33? For kisses?

You got it, Anon! This is... a follow-on for a couple of @oathkeeperoxas's fics in the timeline. I highly recommend you read their MI3 rewrite believe in you and its sequel thunder only happens when it's raining for context as to the particular events Simon's referencing here, though I am fairly certain you can figure it out from context regardless. ;) They're really, really good though, so I promise it won't be a hardship!

Send me a kiss for SaintSpy May!

-

33. Hungry kiss

Being sexually exclusive with Ethan is both easier and more difficult than he thought it would be.

He told Ethan, during that month in Virginia, after they—miracle of miracles—managed to behave like adults and actually talk about what happened to lead to their two year break, that he spent their time apart wishing it was Ethan in his bed, rather than whoever it actually was. That’s true, and he’s pleased to note that it remains so over the month and a half after Virginia, when Ethan’s immediately chucked straight into a deep undercover mission and—for all their careful planning—completely unreachable for his own safety.

(He has his theories about that—the IMF making Ethan pay for his two years out of the field, and the month they couldn’t get their pound of flesh from him at all. It’s an uncharitable thought, and he knows it.

After the Julia incident, and a man Ethan trusted using his face to torture Ethan to confirm he’d done what was asked of him, he finds he is uninterested in being particularly charitable towards this organization as a whole. If Ethan left tomorrow, he already knows how he’d slot him into his own one-man business model, and he’d be happy to fucking have him.)

So, the sex isn’t something he misses—not per se. That part is easy. He didn’t want anyone but Ethan in all the time they were apart, and he still doesn’t. A relief—he knows himself, and had wondered in his heart of hearts if maybe it was the not-having that had caused the problem, if he’d have to train himself to be patient now that Ethan was back. Not the case. Excellent.

What he misses is the physical contact.

The thing about his life, he knows, is that really, day-to-day and hour-to-hour, there really aren’t many people in it. Oh, he’s surrounded by people, of course. He’s always thrived in a crowd, people-watching and brushing shoulders with strangers, all the interesting conversations he could have. Thank god, frankly, if he’d been an introvert he probably wouldn’t have survived. But, see, he doesn’t touch those people. Not without a reason—a job, or a night out. He’s taken both those options off the table now, and about two weeks into his new normal, he starts to notice lack.

He handles it. Brushes off some of his more… gregarious names, goes out to clubs and bars and lets the press of bodies be a bit of a bandaid on the problem, though of course he doesn’t go home with any of them. He takes himself in hand in the bathroom of his hotel room instead, and misses Ethan like a limb.

It works, to some extent, and work itself is another distraction—he’s always working. Even with that, though, he finds himself in the IMF system every day for the last couple weeks of Ethan’s mission—checking reports, checking running missions, reading Ethan’s check-ins like a starving man trying to figure out when he’ll be out and it’ll be safe, again, to go to him—

Ethan’s call for extraction comes during the seventh week after he goes under.

He has a plane ticket back to the States in the next twenty minutes.

-

“Anthony,” Ethan greets, blinking in surprise to find his partner sitting on his desk, the very first afternoon he’s back, long legs crossed and hair piled high and careless on the top of his head.

Anthony smiles at him like the sun coming out, dark eyes scanning him head to toe. “Hello,” he says, voice drawling in an easy Italian-American accent. “I wasn’t sure if you’d remember this one.”

Ethan laughs. “Well,” he says, and crosses to his desk. “The context of the meeting was memorable.” He frowns as something occurs to him. “You making a point about being heard again? I’m sorry the mission was so long—”

“Not this time,” Anthony interrupts, and unfolds his legs to spread them enough to draw Ethan forward as he reaches him, bracketing Ethan’s hips with his long, long legs and drawing him down, immediately, into a deep, hungry kiss, right there in the middle of IMF headquarters. Ethan startles a bit, and then gets with the program, leaning in and kissing back with everything he’s got. He wonders if Anthony can taste the stress of being back in such a high stakes mission immediately, the long nights missing their bed in Virginia, wondering how he was doing and where he was doing and it and whether he regretted any of those so-easy promises alone in a house in the suburbs—

Well, he needn’t have worried, Ethan thinks dizzily, as Anthony finally lets him up for air, finding his hands in Anthony’s hair and Anthony’s own hands fisted in his shirt, the two of them flush together in the IMF office shit—

Ethan pulls back, glancing around at the—thankfully—empty floor. He was here late—jetlagged and too pent up to go home alone to his newly assigned apartment, and hoping he could use some of it to power through all the reports he was going to need to write up even after the very, very thorough debrief he just endured. “Maybe we should—”

“Yes,” Anthony says. Ethan looks back at him, finds his eyes endlessly dark and very much focused on Ethan, still holding him tight. “I think we’ve been missing each other more than long enough.”

-

[dragonydreams]

Costume Change - Buddie - 1/1

Title: Costume Change Fandom: 9-1-1 Rating: Teen and Up Pairings/Characters: Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley Tags: 6x13 spec fic, Established Relationship Summary: Eddie wasn't originally wearing a turtleneck when he got dressed for a night of poker. Timeline: 6x13 Word Count: 712 Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Reamworks, Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Television, and 20th Century Fox Television. Betas: Thank you to @medieshanachie for looking this over for me. Author's Note: I hardly ever write spec fic, but this little headcanon demanded to be written out after seeing the sneak peak for 6x13. I hope you enjoy.

Read on AO3

Eddie was wearing a button down shirt, top button open, under his navy blue suit coat when Buck came to pick him up. With Buck's newfound ability to do math, Eddie wanted to test him out at the secret poker game he'd heard about from Rosie on B shift. 

Granted, he hadn't told Buck where they were going. All he'd told him was to dress up.

Eddie opened the door and drank in the sight of Buck wearing a wine red velvet suit coat over a black button down shirt and black pants and felt his mouth go dry. He was tempted to take advantage of Chris being at a sleepover and peeling Buck out of that suit coat now, but he also wanted to show him off. 

Besides, it would be bad form to stand-up the fire chief. 

Apparently, Buck was having much the same reaction to seeing Eddie dressed up as Eddie was to seeing Buck because the next thing he knew, Eddie was pressed against the front door with Buck's mouth sealed to his. He allowed himself to enjoy the enthusiasm of Buck's kiss, kissing him back with equal fervor, until he felt Buck move his kisses down to his exposed collarbone. 

"Buck, babe, as much as I love where your head's at, we're gonna be late," Eddie said, panting.

"Don't care," Buck said, going back to sucking what was sure to be a magnificent bruise into his flesh. 

Normally, Eddie loved when Buck marked him with love bites, but this was not the night for that. Especially not with this shirt. 

"You will once you see who's gonna be there," Eddie managed to say. 

"Who's gonna be there?" Buck asked, suddenly worried as he pulled back. "Why won't you tell me where we're going looking like this?"

"I told you, it's a surprise," Eddie said, running his hands over the lapels of Buck's coat. 

Buck shifted the hand that had been on Eddie's shoulder closer to the skin bared beneath his disheveled shirt and absentmindedly ran over the mark that was now clearly visible. 

"Oh, shit," Buck whispered, suddenly looking guilty.

"What?" Eddie asked, his hand coming up to grasp the wrist of the hand Buck had on his shoulder.

"You, um, might want to change shirts," Buck suggested. 

"What? Why?" Eddie demanded, slipping out from under Buck to find a mirror. 

"How did you even have time to get it so dark?" Eddie asked in astonishment at the dark bruise. 

"Enthusiasm?" Buck brokenly suggested. "What can I say? I was inspired by passion."

"I don't have time to iron this," Eddie said, slipping the suit coat off and beginning to unbutton the shirt on this way to his bedroom. 

"Now we're talking," Buck said, following Eddie.

Eddie shoved his suit coat into Buck's reaching hands. "I just need to grab a new shirt."

"But I liked that one," Buck pouted. 

"And because of how you showed that, it now isn't fit for the company we're keeping tonight."

Eddie skimmed through his closet, but nothing else that would match was ready to just be worn. He suddenly remembered the turtleneck in his dresser and quickly pulled that on and tucked it into his pants.

Buck burst out laughing as Eddie slid back into his suit coat. "What is this, high school?"

Pointing at Buck, he said, "This is your fault." He glanced at himself in the bedroom mirror and nodded as he noted that the turtleneck actually looked really good with the suit coat. 

"And you're still sexy as hell," Buck said, trying to pull Eddie back in for a kiss.

"As are you, but we've gotta go," Eddie insisted. 

"Will you tell me where we're going?" Buck whined.

"It's not far; you'll see soon enough," Eddie said. He checked his pockets for his wallet, phone, and keys and then held the front door open for Buck. 

"I'm still driving though, right?" Buck asked, heading towards his car.

"Of course, I've already got the address entered for directions," Eddie said, holding up his phone. 

They got into Buck's Jeep and Buck followed the GPS to their mystery location. 

Eddie could feel the press of the seatbelt against his hickey and smiled to himself. 

Definitely worth it.

The End

[maruyaaya]

GOOD NEWS TO THE DC FANS FOLLOWING ME WAITING FOR CH5 OF THE JASON GENDER FIC: IM FINALLY WRITING AGAIN. got back into dc by reading a bunch of wonder woman comics (everyone say thank you to ms donna troy the loml <3) and now im committed to finally writing this goddamn chapter

more below the cut (bc i love to yap) + spoilers for ch5 of always an angel (never a god)

this chapter has been one of the hardest ones to write bc i’m tackling death in the family in this chapter meaning there’s a lot from canon that i have to write in this chapter. there’s not a lot of room for me to write silly little in-between scenes bc everything needs to progress very linearly in this chapter for it to make sense.

in the other chapters, i’ve been able to pull scenes from canon and write them from my perspective + with the pov of a genderfluid jason todd while also being able to write my own unique scenes to add more flesh and detail to the story. with this chapter, there’s a lot that i have to take from canon to properly write that buildup to the actual warehouse scene and it can be really tedious for me to decide what lines i want to pull straight from the comics and what i want to expand upon and make my own.

i’m being very ambitious for this chapter and aiming for a fairly massive word count so i don’t really know when i’m actually going to finish it, but i’m getting over my writers block and i can confirm that i am writing so hopefully it’s not a horrific amount of time.

i really like talking abt my process for this fic bc i don’t often write completely canon compliant fics like this one is (ofc, with this fic having the big difference of being mostly focused on jason’s gender which canon is not focused on). i spend a lot of time rereading comics and writing down timelines and specific lines + scenes i want to include. i have pretty detailed timelines for this fic that lay out canon scenes with my own scenes so i can make sure i get the timeline of ages & events correct and that is the worst for me bc i am NOT a planner.

when i’m writing fics, i just sit down and crank something out in one sitting and pray it makes sense. i don’t write drafts. i sit down at my laptop, bleed, and then publish the first draft i write (i do the same for school which is probably not a good habit but hey, it’s worked for me thus far!) this is the first fic i’ve written where i actually put time into planning. it helps that i really enjoy writing this fic and i’m very proud of it.

okay that’s probably enough blabber on that. my bad guys i just love infodumping. i love talking and tumblr is like a void and i am screaming into it, but it almost feels like the void is listening.

anyways! on a slightly related note, who wants to ask me about donna troy and hear my thoughts on her bc boy, do i have thoughts!!! such an underrated character she doesn’t get the love she deserves bc she’s actually so complex and interesting. donna troy my beloved <3

[pleckthaniel]

Follower for a while, don’t know anything about warrior cats.

So instead of me asking what it is or is about how about instead:

Why do you love warrior cats? :)

OMG, this is such a fantastic question! You'll forgive me taking forever and a day to answer it, I hope, because while honestly Warriors is terribly written and objectively despicable... I still can't help but love a lot of aspects of it, so I had a lot to say :3

I LOVE melodrama, I love tragedy, I love super high-stakes family drama, I love stories that deal with prophecy and fate, and Warriors has all of these things in droves. At some point, the drama is honestly a little addictive - like a soap opera! Because, ultimately, that's what Warriors is. And I mean that in a complimentary way - I love soaps, people trash on them far too much.

Plus the character concepts in Warriors are great, even if the character writing is generally abysmal. There's a blorbo for everyone in those books. And if you don't like any of the mainstream blorbos, don't worry, there are over 2000 named characters most of whom have little to no personality or screentime, making them perfect to flesh out into a custom blorbo ;D

Which is another fun thing about Warriors: the truly massive quantity of characters and lore really activates the Autism Collection Brain. I can name several hundred of those 2000+ off the top of my head, which is... something to be proud of, I suppose? XD

But most of all, it's honestly just really fun to play with. Like, as a world and a setting, it has some really good bones that make it easy to mix in your own ideas and create something entirely new (hence the relative popularity of OC stories in this fandom as opposed to many others). Or if you don't want to come up with OCs, the story has a fuckton of holes and blank spaces that make it perfect for writing fic. On the other hand, there's also plenty of material to sift through and analyze if that's your preference. And I've spent hours and hours of my life trying to meticulously sew up the timeline and patch over continuity errors, mostly just... cause it's fun. From a fandom perspective, Warriors is like a really big and interesting puzzle. And since it's such a huge, sprawling story, if you get bored with one thing you can always move over to focus on something else. It's like the gift that keeps on giving.

And this fertile ground means that the fandom itself is incredibly creative. Like, I complain about it a lot - and there's a lot to be complained about - but the reason I keep coming back is that Warriors fans are truly some of the most dedicated people on the planet. There's the Youtube MAP community, which is kind of famous at this point for its skill and ambition, but also a lot of truly phenomenal fiction, art, games, and music out there being actively created by fans - and 20 years' worth or fanworks before that. It's a pretty extraordinary community.

Plus? Kitties!

[beileil]

🌈 and 👖 for the ask game? ^_^

Tysm for the ask! 💜 (The post is here for anyone who wants to ask or be asked.)

🌈 What inspired you to write [Hero Detective Agency]?

I saw you messaged to specify HDA for the first question, which is unfortunate, because it's the hardest one to answer for. :P (Answers for my other fics boil down to: I'm creating content for my rarepairs because no one else is, it was part of a challenge, or in the case of Demon Cyborg Picture Show, because I thought it would be funny.)

Caveat: It's been 3 years since I started writing Hero Detective Agency, so I honestly don't remember if this was the true inspiration for it or not.

Okay, so, I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, but I'm not sure what it's called so I'm going to dub this phenomenon "fandom creep". Basically, whatever my main fandom is (which has been One Punch Man for the last few years) starts to "creep" into my unrelated interests, experiences, and lesser-fandoms. I have a new favorite song? Coincidentally, my Blorbo also loves the song. I'm at an amusement park? I'm imagining how my OTP would behave at the amusement park.

(Detour here. Stay with me.) One of my other interests is video games. And one of my favorite game series is Fallout. If you've never played a Fallout game, the vibes of it are retrofuturistic. The games take place in the 2200s, and the world of Fallout follows the exact same history of ours up until the early 1960s, and then they branch out into their own timeline, leading to a nuclear apocalypse in 2077. BUT! Even though it's hundreds of years into the future, the music, fashion, and general culture vibes remain from the 1940s/1950s. The Fallout soundtracks include a lot of like...Ella Fitzgerald, Rat Pack, Cole Porter, Bing Crosby, and so on. One of my favorite memories from playing is headshotting a raider to Billie Holiday.

I guess I sort of clung onto that whole aesthetic a little hard for a while. Listening to WWII era music, watching noir movies... And then the obsession with One Punch Man happened. And the SaiGenos shipping happened. And reading through nearly every OPM fic on Ao3 happened. And I realized that for the first time in 15 years, I actually wanted to post my own fanfiction. And no one seemed to have dibs on a 40s detective noir fic yet...so I created my own, along with a Fallout-esque soundtrack. (I promised I'd bring us back on track!)

I sometimes think I bit off far more than I can chew with Hero Detective Agency, because good god is it challenging coming up with mysteries, clues, solutions, and really just overall general plot, all while working in a setting 40+ years before I was even born. I think about it a lot when things happen like year-long breaks between updates, or when chapters end up 11,000 words longer than anticipated because there's so much world-building and exposition I have to do. And I would be lying if I said I won't be thrilled to be done with it. But it's my first baby that I'm really proud of, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

👖 Are you a planner, plantser, or pantser? Is it consistent?

All three, and not consistent at all. It depends on how plot-heavy the story is, how much of the idea is already in my head, whether I'm at work or home, how much I've had to drink, if I have detailed prompts to go off of or not...

On the "seat of my pants" side of the scale, you've got: Gray, a short, fluffy one-shot; and The Divorce, which was basically fully fleshed out as a headcanon and just needed to be put on paper. These were straight brain-to-keyboard, no notes.

On the other extreme, you've got Hero Detective Agency, where by nature of what the story is (each chapter being nearly its own contained mystery), I have to plan everything out in excruciating detail. Every single action is written, by hand, in bullet point. I list out what the case is, the clues, the solution, the settings, the characters, each suspect's motivations, and if they're a red herring why they DIDN'T do it. This is my only fic I have a beta reader for, because I'm paranoid something will not make sense logistically.

But mostly I fall somewhere around a plantser, where I write out basic plot points that need to happen and then let the scenes write themselves, leaving placeholders if there's something I need to come back to later.

[branmuffins22]

Yeah, yeah, okay, okay. (◔◡◔)

File Names (they're all The Owl House fanfics):

Masha and the Very Normal Nocedas; a post-finale (but pre-epilogue) Veesha longfic, featuring Masha trying their damnedest to figure out what the Nocedas' whole Deal™ is, while Luz, Vee, and Hunter try as hard as possible to be Normal and Inconspicuous. Neither party is doing a very good job. It's a light-hearted mess.

Something Like a Bible; a test document of sorts for my canon rewrite, tentatively either the "Artificer AU" or "Overthinker AU", going over the broad-strokes plot and its divergences from canon. The characters and motivations remain largely unchanged, but I'm changing up the timeline some to explore new plots and leave more space for supplemental adventures in the season 2 equivalent, as well as doing perhaps a bit too much worldbuilding, headcanon dumping, and so on. The body of this document is currently blank, but I've already written what I hope to be the Ao3 summary.

Intermission: In the Making; a scene from the aforementioned AU, in which Luz brews a special potion based on some notes left by Eda and Lilith. To be frank, I'm only writing the notes themselves for now, and I may send progress of a different fic instead to prevent spoilers.

Thanks to Them Ending Ragefic Redux; a scene from the aforementioned AU, in which the events of Thanks to Them end just a little differently. I've already written pretty much the whole changed part, so all you'd get is canon-retreading if I send progress from this one, so I'll probably do something else.

Small Town Paranormal Investigations; a scene (or really more like vague notes about an episode) from the aforementioned AU, in which the Hexsquad and Cabin 7 team up to, as the name suggests, investigate some paranormal activity in the small town of Gravesfield. May or may not include Vee coming out to her friends from camp, will definitely include a ghost hunt.

The following snippet is from a poem I wrote within the first few minutes of waking up this morning this evening today, which I've tentatively placed in Small Town Paranormal Investigations, but which might get split across a few other parts of the wider story:

Something lurking, something wile, something churns my ghostly bile. Something sickly, something sweet, trap i know, but what a treat!

Something rotten, yet not dead, black and blue and green instead. Stolen flesh and stolen bone, best left well enough alone.

Something left and something gone, something should have long moved on. Something sought and someone found, something dangerous abounds.

Something lives a dozen lives, haunted by more blood-wet knives. Something chanting, raising shiv, "suffer not a witch to live."

WIP Wednesday Game

It’s WIP Wednesday, time for a little accountability, sharing your work, and getting a kick in the pants.

Here’s how it works:

In a reblog of this post (so people can find you in the notes) or new thread (w/ rules attached) if you want to play on your own, post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to play!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event or gift fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. I’ll be searching the reblogs to find people to send asks to!

If you’re reading this, you’re invited!

If you see someone posting a WIP Wednesday Game snippet, send them an ask! Make them write.

Requested/Friend event mentions under the cut! If you'd like to be pinged next week, let me know!

Friends @fiore-della-valle @redbirdblogs @greenbergsays @idkfandomwhatever @luckyspike

@obaewankenope @mad-madam-m @anonymousdandelion @geometricfractal @prettybirdy979

@eriquin | Requests @aparticularbandit @madnessfromthemountains @makeroftherunes @1attheedge

@whimsicalmeerkat @kidsomeday @lizhly-writes @skyderman @adhdavinci

@owlbearwrites @anachronismstellar @anyctibius @rilannon @lazinesswrites

@zyrafowe-sny @dreaminghour @blue-eyedbeta @candyskiez @dreamerking27

@kalira @virgulesmith @i-want-delfeur @selkies-world @exceedinglygayotter

[thirstyandbeautiful]

YES PLEASE HOE FAIRY!! EXPAND THE SUGAR BABY AU!!! PLS PLS PLS

Alright my lovelies, we have made it to the SugarBaby!AU, inspired by the good news list fic sugar baby

SugaBaby: SugarDaddy!Lance AU Part One: The Swarovski Studded Start

“Fuck me, it’s like impossible, I swear.” You rolled your eyes and dropped your cheek into your hand, looking at your friend across from you. “You should’ve heard him: you should marry me, we should get married.” You growled after making the soft imitation, lifting the crystal champagne flute to your mouth to sip on your mimosa.

“I don’t know how you do it.” Your friend laughed. “What is this like the third one?”

“The second!” You shushed your friend. “Don’t you put that evil on me.”

“I’m just saying out of all of our friends, I’ve never heard of a woman getting not one, but two sugar daddies in a row, to fall head over heels for their sugar baby.” 

“It’s fucking ridiculous.” You mumbled, trying to keep your voice down in the crowded open room. “You really think it’s cause I keep going for these old men?” 

“I told you, I told you!” Your friend laughed, lowering her voice as she caught the looks of other diners. “I told you both of them were too old. You need someone closer to our age, maybe a little younger. Someone who isn’t sneaky or trying to trap you into some weird marriage.” You friend tilted her head and paused for a moment. “Or someone who you could end up married to.”

“Don’t start.” You scrunched your nose at her. “Love isn’t my focus right now, paying off these bills is. Living comfortably is.” 

You pushed away the part of you that shivered at the word. Love. What a joke. You didn’t have time for love. You were focused on growing your brand, not being conned into marrying someone three times your age. You wanted a paycheck, maybe some companionship if you were being honest with yourself, but nothing more. Unless he were cute.

You played with the idea of a younger sugar daddy, thought of quitting older men. Older men were a bit easier, which is what drew you to them. They had been around long enough to know the game. They were dismissive, never asking too much from you, and until you really trapped them they kept a strict handle on what the relationship was. Most of them kept out of the sexual realm of things, instead settling for risque pictures or just having you on their arm at galas or other important events. Things for older men were about appearances.

Younger men were different. They wanted sex, and a lot of it. A sugar baby for a younger man, while you’d never experienced it yourself, you thought equated to high class escorting.You were a play thing they got to dress up and fuck. You had no intention of spreading your legs for men who were less than worthy when there were older men eager to cut a check just so they could grab your ass here and there. 

Was it misogynistic? A little. 

You pushed away the voice in your head that told you your mother was rolling in her grave at the thought of her little girl living such a lavish life at the expense of her young adulthood and refusal of true love. Whatever that was. 

“Hey, are you okay?” You nodded to your friend and trained your face to be impassive as she tilted her head. “You thinking of your mom?” 

“I’m thinking of how you’re wearing a new bracelet and didn’t even bother showing me it yet.” You reached across the table and took her hand in yours, pulling it across the table. “Is that Cartier?”

You gently turned her wrist back and forth so the crystal chandelier that hung above your table caught the gold wristlet just right, accenting the tiny carvings into it. 

“It’s a love bracelet, Nicky put it on me.” You looked up at your friend, she was beaming, all smiles as she looked down at her wrist. “It comes with a tool to clip it on, and he keeps it.”

“You got a collar but in bracelet form.” 

Your friend slapped your hand, pulling her wrist away. “Don’t say it like that, some of us have found love in our arrangements.” 

You motioned to the waiter for another drink. You loved coming to this place for brunch. The large, white walls were stunning and glowed from the light that the chandeliers let off and reflected off their crystals. It was also an unspoken rule for everyone entering the restaurant to wear white, and really, seeing everything in all white was not only fancy, but really sleek. 

“Nicky is so great, honestly. He’s so thoughtful and sweet, I never ever thought this would happen. I never expected to find the love of my life this way.” She sighed dreamily down at her wrist. “His mother tells me a ring is definitely on the way, and I know she’s not lying cause that woman cannot hold a secret. I-”

You tuned your friend out, not entirely listening to what she was saying but just taking in her energy. She was happier than you’ve ever seen her. She had started her arrangement with Nick a year ago, and a few months in had the arrangement morphing into dating and now the two were practically inseparable. 

You were happy for her, you just couldn’t believe that your friend seemed to luck out the way she did. I mean finding a man who had the funds, attention, class, and all the other essentials to be a sugar daddy, to be a funder, to support another in such a relationship was hard enough. But to find that man in someone around your own age? Your friend might as well have caught a unicorn. 

“I’m happy for you.” You blurted out, cutting off her dreamy monologue. 

She laughed. “Thank you. You know, you’re the only one I feel like is my real friend. You know, amongst all the other girls.”

You thought of the other girls, the other sugar babies you’d met and been stuck in the same social circles with, most of them you either tried to ignore or forget. “Cause we were always the two most honest ones.”

“We were.” Your friend nodded. “Nicky says it all the time, how you’re just as honest as me.”

You knew what she was trying to convey. It was no secret that sugar babies got a bad reputation. You were seen as gold diggers, whores, etc. But aside from all the ugly names, you did really offer companionship, and more often than not, a lot of girls ended up as wives, extremely successful, independent business women, or becoming sugar mamas to younger, hotter men that were their male counterparts. 

“He has a friend.” Your friend gave you a sly smile as you sighed. “He’s super sweet. I’ve met him. He works in fashion, he’s been brought up in a super high class family, but he’s just a little reserved.”

“He’s a lonely rich kid with zero social skills?”

“He’s lacking companionship and could use a good woman like yourself.”

You laughed. “Is this an arrangement proposition or a blind date?”

“Maybe both?” She laughed. “You should meet him, he’s never had a sugar baby before, he’s fresh.” She emphasized the word fresh to tease you.

“So I can make him do my bidding.” You rubbed your palms together in a mockingly sinister way before you both started laughing. “I’ll see. I’ll think about.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Your conversation with your friend moved on to other topics, your friend abandoning the topic of your next prospect for the time being. Before you knew it, your glasses and plates were empty, and the waiter was bringing you the bill. 

After paying, you agreed to a ride home. You hadn’t seen your friend in a while, and seeing her so excited just to spend some more time with you, even if it was in a car, made you happy too. She was your family, regardless of how annoying she could get about love and all that other shit.

“Come on, Nicky will be here soon.” 

You followed out of the restaurant and into the beautiful garden that encompassed the front of the venue. 

“It’s such a beautiful day.” You closed your eyes and lifted your face towards the sun, enjoying the warmth against your skin.

“It is.” Your friend agreed. You felt her hand on your arm, “that’s us.” 

You opened your eyes and turned on your heels, seeing the dark blue range rover in front of you. You had to admire the car, and counted your friend lucky that she was with a man with taste. A tinge of jealousy simmered inside you, but you quickly pushed it down and let the happiness you felt for her smother the more negative feeling. You wanted to be happy for your friend for finding it all, but you were only human. 

“Beautiful car.” You murmured, climbing into the seat behind the driver after your friend climbed in. 

“Thanks!” the driver replied, you looked forward as Nicky turned in his seat to fact you, politely greeting you. 

Your eyes darted to the passenger seat that was occupied and you felt yourself reach out slowly to stab your friends thigh with your nail. You knew who it most likely was.

“This is my friend, Lance.” Nicky politely gestured between you and Lance, being polite enough to introduce you. 

You looked down at first, not wanting to appear the least bit eager considering this was most definitely an ambush. You looked at your friend and her smug smile as she leaned her elbow on her door, trying to cover her giggles with her hand. When you heard Lance say your name for the first time, you instinctually looked at him. 

Which was a mistake. 

Lance was pretty. Very, very pretty. He reminded you briefly of another companion who you had gotten that same impression of at first, but that thought left your mind quickly as you made eye contact with the man. He had tanned skin, with a red undertone that let you know that his complexion wasn’t fake or paid for, it was actually his own. His brown eyes were big and soft, and you couldn’t help but hold eye contact with him as he explained how Nicky had mentioned you to him. He had longish hair, and the bit you could see curling out from under his hat looked thick and soft. You wanted to find out how soft it really was.

When Lance looked away, shyly, you noted, to tease Nicky about something, your eyes darted to his mouth. You felt your head tilt as you took in the thickness of his lips, the plush quality of them made you want to kiss the pretty boy so badly. He had a cute smile too. You watched a blush stain his cheeks as he caught you still looking at him. 

You almost jumped out of your skin when you felt your friend poke your own thigh with her nails. When you looked at her, she winked at you. 

“Fuck off.” You mumbled to her. 

“Hey there, do we need to separate you two?” Nicky teased, you rolled your eyes and huffed a laugh before looking out the window as the car pulled away from the curb. 

“Oh, you know how she is, baby, such a brat.” Your friend teased.

You looked up at the rearview mirror as Lance looked in it and couldn’t help but wink at him. The way his eyes shot back down to the road made you smile, a bubble of excitement growing in you as the effortless teasing got him. 

“If I’m a brat it’s your fault.” You replied. “You just bring it out of me.”

“Me?” Your friend asked.

“Yeah, you.”

You and your friend bickered back and forth, teasing each other. Nicky cut in here and there, sometimes to back you up playfully against his lady, other times to calm you two down when you started getting too sharp with each other. It was all in good fun, and the little amused looks you got from Lance made it all the more fun. 

“You’re awfully quiet.” You leaned forward and rested your cheek against the side of the driver’s seat, gently wrapped your fingers around Lance’s elbow where it rested on the center console.

He didn’t look at you as he cheekily replied. “Not like you give a lot of space to speak.”

You gasped in dramatic shock. “Here I was thinking you were on my side. Aren’t you afraid of making a bad impression?”

“Aren’t you?” He looked at you for a split second, laughing when you couldn’t reply instantly and sassily like you had been the whole ride. “That one got her.” Lance laughed. 

“What do you think?” You asked.

“About what?” Lance hummed. 

“Am I making a bad impression on you?”

“I think you could.” He teased, before turning his head to look at you. “But no, not now.” 

The softness in the way that you said it had you flirtingly drag your finger along the brim of his cap before leaning back in your seat, the car settled in silence. You ignored the feeling of your friend’s eyes on you for the rest of the ride. 

-

When Nicky dropped you off at home, you all but pushed Lance from your mind. It was a car ride, that was it. Nothing worth pining over. You ignored the few texts you had gotten from your friend, no doubt already teasing you for your blatant flirting in the car, and pulled out a yoga mat. 

You spent the afternoon doing some light yoga to relax before you pulled a bottle of wine from your wine rack. When you settled on your couch with a glass, the doorbell rang. 

You groaned and dragged yourself to your feet, heading towards your door. 

To your complete shock, there was a messenger waiting with a large box. Once you signed, he let you take it from him. It wasn’t overly heavy, but it wasn’t weightless. You wondered who could’ve sent you something, your most recent arrangement had gone to shit, unless this was him trying to convince you to accept the marriage proposal. It wouldn’t be the first time. You rolled your eyes and considered kicking out your front door, but you weren’t about to waste a gift. 

You opened the box and the strategically placed styrofoam until you saw what was obviously a bouquet. You carefully lifted the fine glass vase with all the flowers out of its box. When you ripped open the wrapping around the flowers and you got a look at them, you gasped.

“Wow. Half a conversation for this? This might be worth it.” You joked to yourself.

The baby pink roses were stunning. They were small, like a bouquet of miniature roses making up the very large arrangement. They baby pink color looked soft and dainty, like cotton candy. But that wasn’t what had you by surprise. You leaned in and let your finger touch the hard edges of the petals. The rose petal edges were dipped in gold. 

“This is what I’m talking about.” You smiled at the beautiful bouquet and leaned in to smell them. 

You looked back into the box and pulled out the envelope taped to the inside. When you opened it, you felt your smile grow wider.

To good first impressions - Lance

You didn’t want to squeal, but the excitement that bubbled under your skin did make you giggle. The man clearly knew what he was doing, and it didn’t really surprise you that he already knew you were looking into an arrangement. Your friend was relentless, and you laughed when you realized how fast she worked. You pulled your phone off the counter and sent a text to her, asking her for his number. 

Your phone started ringing mere minutes after sending the text. 

“Hello?” You answered.

“Why do you want his number?”

“Just give me the number.” You laughed into the phone. 

“What did he send you?” She pushed. 

“Some roses, I just want to thank him.”

“Thank him how?”

“I want to say thank you! Just send me the number.” 

You ended up talking to your friend for 15 minutes, trying to get her to give up Lance’s phone number so you could call him. You didn’t wanna talk about him quite yet, cause honestly, aside from the golden roses on your counter, there was nothing to gossip to her about. Plus, you really didn’t know the Canadian yet. 

“If you want something to hear about, I have to actually talk to him.” 

“Okay, okay.” Your friend sighed, before letting out an excitedly loud noise. “Just send me a pic of the roses he sent you! I heard him talking to Nicky before and he sounded excited, oh, this must be why. Okay, okay, Sending the number!”

Your friend hung up on you and you laughed as you looked down at your phone. She was way too excited when nothing had happened yet, and while your head kept screaming ‘yet’ you didn’t want to get your hopes up. 

You clicked on the contact she shared with you, reading Lance’s full name a few times while hovering your thumb over the number listed. You took a deep breath and pressed your thumb down, pressing the speaker button so you could lay your phone on the counter. 

It rang twice before he answered.

“Hello?” His voice was soft even over the phone.

“Hi Lance, how are you?”

“Who is this?” 

“Ah just the woman you sent some really gorgeous roses to.” You replied. 

You heard him chuckle. “I’m glad you like them.”

“Do you send every woman you meet gold roses?”

“No, I don’t.” He replied honestly. 

Your eyebrows shot up at his response and you paused for a moment to see if he’d say more, when he didn’t, you realized you’d have to pull it out of him.

“I’d love to know what made me so special.” 

The line was silent for a second, and you tapped your screen to make sure you were still connected.

“Nick told me, and your friend too, that you were...” He trailed off for a moment. “They told me how they got together and they told me about, uh, you.” You nodded your head even though he couldn’t see you. “So, I thought-” he paused again before you heard him sigh. “I thought we could have something like that.” He said in a voice so low, you might’ve missed him if not for the complete silence in your home.

“You want to meet up and talk about maybe make an arrangement?” You helped.

“Yes, yes, please.” He replied. “If you want that.”

“You definitely have my attention.”

-

You followed the assistant that answered the door to the manor you were at. Your soft blue pumps clacked on the tile floors, the sound echoing up to the vaulted ceiling.  You looked down momentarily at your pointed shoes, the thin straps keeping them on your feet. They were tall, and you hoped Lance was as tall as he looked in pictures with Nicky, or this could be awkward.

“He’s been expecting you.” The assistant who’s name hadn’t been offered told you over her shoulder. “He was very much looking forward to this meeting.”

“As have I.” You replied politely. 

You ran through some of the minor details your friend had provided you as you followed through an endless amount of hallways. Lance was younger than you, surprisingly, and he was as rich if not more than Nicky and his family. He wasn’t flashy, kept to himself. You almost laughed at the idea of him being so low key when you were pretty sure you could get lost in his home. Your steps slowed as you finally entered into a stunning parlor. You looked around the beautiful pale blue room and thought of how it almost matched your outfit. 

“Miss, right this way please.” You twisted back around and looked at the beautiful french doors the assistant was holding open. 

You followed her out and tried to keep your face relaxed as you took in the breathtaking property over the terrace you were on. There were hills, so many of them, and many trails that weaved their way as far as you could see. A large fountain sat in the center, with twin fountains on each side. It was scenic, like a botanical garden. You thought briefly that if it were breathtaking in the Spring, it must be gorgeous in the winter with the snow.

“Hey, how are you?” Lance’s voice filled your ears before his hands were on you, pulling you into an eager hug. 

When you pulled away you took two steps back, putting space between your bodies before you gestured to the large lawn. “Your property is beautiful.” 

Lance must have picked up on your business tone, and nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you.” 

You were both pulled from the silence that dragged between you by another groundskeeper calling you both over to the side of the terrace. Lance walked alongside you, and as you came around the side, you let yourself smile at the obvious effort that was exerted. 

There was a beautifully decorated table that looked almost like a small, tasteful tea party. Fine china lined the table that was set for two. The curved table gave you a respectable distance from each other, even though you were technically sitting on the same side. The same mini roses that you had been sent were laid on the table in a flat bouquet, this time without gold. 

You let Lance hold your chair for you as you settled in. 

“So, this arrangement.” You led the conversation straight to the point. 

While you talked and explained a bit about your past experiences, your preferences, your expectations and rules, you let yourself take in the man sitting across from you. He looked at you curiously, nodding his head while staying engaged in everything you were saying. After a while, he began asking his own questions, opening up as the conversation continued on. 

You were pleasantly surprised that Lance didn’t look as young as you had come to find out he actually was, and he was sweet, almost goofy in a way, but not at all in an annoying any way. He had a kind of easy going sweetness, and after leading the conversation for an hour, you realized just how easy going he was. You were pretty sure this young man would follow you off a cliff you batted your eyelashes at him.

The idea of having a younger, richer man to mold into the sugar daddy you wanted and needed became more of a reality as the time between you dragged on and it made you excited in every way. He could be perfect, the potential was endless.

You took in his shy demeanor when talking personally, his disposition showing you that he definitely had the curiosity that told you he hadn’t ever been in a relationship like this and it did make you wonder how experienced you were compared to him- in every way. You weren’t old yourself, and you were barely older than him. 

When he switched to the strictly business side of your arrangement, you watched as he fell into what you could only guess was his professional side. He suddenly knew the answers for everything and could clearly convey his thoughts with confidence. You found yourself smiling while he explained how he would finance you happily, besides the obvious, it was really hot to listen to how he far ahead he had planned. He had really thought of everything and had organized it as a business deal. Just like you liked. 

He was halfway through explaining an NDA he would have you sign when he suddenly came to a pause. He grinned as one of his assistants stepped outside with a box in hand. You sat up a little straighter, letting a smirk pull at your lips. You knew what a gift box looked like.

“After Nicky told me about you, and I met you that day in the car, I saw this and thought of you.” He blushed as he passed the box to you. How cute.

You opened the box and squeezed your thighs together, biting your lip. “Oh, it’s gorgeous. I love it.” You smiled at his grinning face.

You lifted the gorgeous caged choker out of the box. It sparkled in the light, its gorgeous baby pink gems catching in the sun as it shone down on the courtyard garden. The rose gold plating layered and made it look like the gems criss crossed over your neck to form a beautiful pink, girly choker. The clarity of the gems boasted the value of such fine jewelry.

“Here, let me.”

Lance stood from his chair, his long fingers gently brushing your hair back and carefully lifting your hair off your neck so you could slip the choker around it. When it was in place, he dropped your hair and you turned towards him so you could look up at him. He looked down at you, looking mesmerized as you looked up at him from under your eyelashes.

“How do I look?” You asked.

“Most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.” and with the way he looked at you, you believed him.

read part two

[salvador-daley]

I wish you would write a fic where... Klaus either begins mourning Umbrella Ben and the silence he's left behind, or Klaus thinking about and comparing the two Bens? I love angst and gallows humor lol

Sucker punch

A Klaus Hargreeves minific

A/N: This was a lot of fun to write. Really got the, ahem, juices flowing. Angst in abundance here. Thanks so much for the request @hucklebunny, you’re a star. ❤️❤️

Warnings: None

Words: ~600

He orders a vodka but when Chet places his drink on the bar, it’s accompanied by a makeshift cold compress - a handful of ice wrapped in a restaurant napkin.

“For your face,” Chet says, gesturing at Klaus’ fat lip, which feels like it’s becoming fatter by the minute.

Klaus’ fingers seek out the flesh; swollen and slightly more tenderised than before. Not the first time Ben has socked him in the mouth, but certainly the hardest. When did that asshole learn how to throw a punch?

“Thanks. Put it on my tab will you, Chet, my good man?”

Klaus tips the brim of his hat at the old fart who seems to serve every function in this hotel: bartender, receptionist, bellboy. Marriage counsellor. Keeper of secrets. Turner of blind eyes.

Chet treats Klaus to a half-eyeroll and then slinks away to tend to his lobsters in their tank behind the bar.

Future Klaus will have to worry about closing that tab. Present Klaus will press this ice pack against his maxilla and attempt to drown his sorrows until that time comes.

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt so much if it had come from someone else. The big guy maybe, or the one with the birds. But it was Ben who had hit him. His Ben. A new, grumpier Ben with a chip on his shoulder and a cool facial scar.

But it was still Ben.

Wasn’t it?

Okay, so maybe Klaus had been a little over-excited to see him. But can anyone blame him? Klaus thought he was dead.

Well, he was dead, previously. But really dead this time - dead and gone. Poof. Into the ether, never to be seen again.

How was Klaus supposed to know his own brother wouldn’t remember him? Him, Klaus - the one whose every waking moment Ben has spent the last 16 years haunting?

Maybe you’re not as memorable as you think you are.

That’s what he would say, if he were here. Or, if not that, some other jibe or sarcastic aside.

God, how Klaus misses that miserable little bastard.

Klaus can barely remember a time when Ben wasn’t just there; following him around, providing unwelcome commentary on everything he did.

Klaus, don’t do that. Klaus, don’t sneak ketamine into rehab. Klaus, don’t set the church on fire. Klaus, don’t drive a golf cart through a Walmart window.

A fat lot of good any of that did. Klaus did all those things and more with Ben looking on with that trademark shake of his judgemental little head.

God, how Klaus misses that shaking head.

That sanctimonious flick of his eyes.

That huffy sound he used to make when he was really frustrated.

Klaus takes a sip of his drink and winces at the sharp pain in his face.

No. That was not his Ben back there. That was someone else. Some imposter or apparition. A freaky funhouse mirror version of Ben with a pissy attitude and a bad haircut.

And that was not his father proffering Dutch butter cookies in a blue tin, either. Reginald Hargreeves’ tins contained only knuckle dusters and pliers for removing teeth. And he never shared shit with anyone, not even the answers to the most fundamental of questions.

And if Dad is not Dad and Ben is not Ben, then what else is different? Who else is reflected in those wavy mirrors? What other possibilities does this new timeline hold?

His mind wanders. A semi-formed thought drips from his ear and snakes across the bar. It makes a trail to the floor and extends a long, pointed finger under Klaus’ barstool. And with it, it taps him - tap-tap-tap - on the heel of his boot.

“Time to stop moping, cowboy,” says Diego, landing a heavy palm on Klaus’ shoulder. “Luther got Chinese, do you want some?”

“Moo shu pork?” Klaus asks, hopeful.

Diego nods. “Yeah, we got you moo shu.”

Klaus raises his fists in a “Yay!” and jumps down from the bar.

The boot can wait. For now.

All these time travel shenanigans have given him quite the appetite.

Tagging your asses, now you’re it: @badsext @seanfalco @softforklave @neist @purblzart @maerenee930 @firstpersonnarrator @allisoooon @cemeteryklaus @super-unpredictable98 @courtneytarynofficial @mokolataddict @pickledbeefwastaken @love-is-dirty-baby @rina-cydonia @inspiremeandsetmefree @jender123 @vonkimmeren @sylvertyger @hucklebunny @rob-private @pietro-t1me @not-oscar-wilde @squishitude