#trying to get my groove back so I can finish stuff

[imaginestevetony]

Still thinking about the SHIELD profile for Tony.

Focusing on his languages: English, Spanish, Italian and Dari

I'd like to think Tony speaks fluent Italian because of Maria. And Dari after Afghanistan and Yinsen. Spanish would be really useful when he's at California.

It's not included there but in Iron Man 2 he understands and speaks French (speaking with the police before going to see Vanko).

In comics he can speak Japanese, Russian and some Urdu. I'd like to think mcu tony learned those, too. Japanese for business, Russian from Natasha (later it'll be useful with Bucky) and Urdu from Rhodey.

And additional headcanon, I think Tony can do perfect British accent thanks to Edwin Jarvis.

And if not fully fluent, at least he'd know some Hungarian curse words from Ana Jarvis.

[abysswalkersknight]

Here's a practise paint for Malleus!

my aim was to practise lighting and try to get that nice eerie look. Hope I captured some semblance of it.

Also don't ask about scales I cannot do that for the life of me but I love the tail.

[pepperpixel]

It’s!!! Not 4/13 anymore but it is still april!!! So!!! U are all still legally obligated to look at my fan trolls and not get annoyed about it!!!! Right!? Yeah I think that’s right! So have an art dump!! That I was.. trying rlly fucking hard to get out on 4/13 but couldn’t ghghg- it’s here now tho!! That’s all that matters!

[gh0stsp1d3r]

hii! can u write a smut with dark!luke overstimulating reader and she keeps squirming and shaking and stuff and he holds her down or maybe this a chance to introduce some bondage🧐 idk that’s up to u but he also kisses her tears away when he’s finally done then there’s a fluffy aftercare scene at the end😋

𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁..

a/n: heheh this is so 😋 I’m trying to get back in the groove of writing so this is kinda short. also sorry this took a while !! I’m trying to finish my Luke reqs up. Gif not mine.

Warnings: smut, 18+, edging, p in v, fem!r, dark!luke, silent sex, overstim, bondage w rope, sex w people in the room

“Fuck, stop squirming.” He grunted out, voice as quiet as it could be. His hand was held over your mouth to muffle your noises.

Your siblings were just right next to you, one wrong move and they could hear everything. The bed creaking underneath your bodies and the noises of skin slapping were the only things heard in the cabin.

You couldn’t. It felt too good. The way he hit your cervix and the way that his hips snapped against yours underneath the covers.

His hand was on your clit, fingers moving expertly against your button, your back arched and you moaned out, his hand pressing harder against your mouth. Your nails dug into his back, leaving crescent shaped marks behind.

You let out a whine when his hand pulled away from your clit, his movements stopping inside of you, your orgasm pulled away from you in an instant.

You watched him pull out of you and move to the end of the bed to his bag, rummaging through it until he got out a rope. A rope that was originally meant for a tug of war game.

You furrowed your eyebrows, confused as to what he was doing with it. He grabbed both your arms, pulling them in front of you. You went to protest when he put his finger on your mouth, shaking his head and glancing at your sibling sleeping next to you.

He moved both of your arms to the bed, and began to tie your wrists to the headboard, you huffing. He smirked down at you when he was done, hovering back on top of you.

He was back inside of you quickly, his cock bottoming back into you, you biting your lips to hold back any noise. You wanted nothing more than to move your hands and run them down his back, but every time you tried to move them, they were stuck.

He leaned down, his lips on your neck and his hands gripping your sides, letting out quiet moans in your ear every time he felt your walls clench against his length. He moved to your ear to whisper.

“I told you to stay still, didn’t I?” His breath was hot against the shell of your ear, you letting out a deep exhale at his words, your mouth forming an “o.”

You clenched down on him, he let out shallow breaths. “Luke.” You whispered out.

“Cum ‘f me.” He murmured back, nodding as he looked down at you.

His lips were on yours when you felt him release inside of you, both of you cumming at the same time. He swallowed every noise you made, his hand traveling down to your clit again, rubbing quick circles on it, you whining into his mouth at the feeling, your hips bucking up into his.

“It’s too much. Too much, Luke.” You whispered when he pulled away, moving your hips to try and escape his overstimulating fingers, but it was no use. He had a crooked grin when he looked at you, his fingers still working on your clit.

[sweet-s0rr0w]

Vintage Drarry Fics

Thought I'd put together a list of some of the old Drarry 'classics' of my teenage years, for anyone interested. All posted between 2001-2006, compiled using my (bad) memory, a lot of googling, fanlore.org and numerous different LJ rec accounts (including the incredible @capiturecs). I checked as best I could, but if anyone knows of any fics that their author doesn't want to be shared, please let me know and I will of course remove.

Please also note that these fics are of their era, when attitudes may have been different, and they may not all be grammatically perfect. I haven't reread all, as my own tastes have changed, but most importantly do note that they may not be tagged - don't blame me when, for example, Harry dies tragically on a rooftop at sunrise...

Hogwarts Era (mostly 5th-7th year)

A Thousand Beautiful Things by Duinn Fionn/geoviki (M, 105k)

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend.

All Bets Are Off by Allegra (R, 53k)

I am SICK of Good-little-innocent!Harry...Enter Playboy!Harry and his Overinflated Ego, a challenge, a bet, a couple of Really Cunning Plans - and there you have it, "Forty days and forty nights", Hogwarts style. Mayhem ensues! 

Angels and Devils by beren (E, 52k)

Harry defeated Voldemort and his act of heroism is famous throughout the wizarding world. He's trying to finish his final year at Hogwarts in peace, but, thanks to the method he chose to destroy The Dark Lord, something peculiar is happening to him, something he never would have expected. It's all rather embarrassing and making his life very complicated.

Artful Facade by Sky Sorceress (T, 66k)

Sometimes you fly too close to the sun and lose your wings. With sixth year approaching, the danger Harry seeks can be found only in the form of Draco Malfoy. What follows is a twist in the line between hatred, love, and need.

Beautiful World by Cinnamon/Lissadiane (M, 70k)

Harry finds out he's going to die on his 16th birthday. He embarks on a journey of self-destructive behaviour and drags Draco along for the ride. 

Beneath You by Cinnamon/Lissadiane (M, 113k)

Draco had no idea that the repercussions of stealing Potter's journal and shoving it down the back of his trousers would be so extreme.

Bond by AnnaFugazzi (M, 173k)

It seems 95% of H/D writers feel compelled to write a "Harry And Draco Are Forced To Be Together By Something Beyond Their Control And Then Unlikely Stuff Happens That Leads To Twoo Wuv" story. Count me among the 95% ;)

Checkmate by Naadi Moonfeather (T, 245k)

Draco has the perfect plan to get Harry Potter and challenges him to a game of Dare Chess. But is it love, or betrayal, he has in mind?

The Cicatrix Cycle by Ivy Blossom (NC-17, long!)

Three parts: Origins, Haven, Belong

Draco In Darkness by Plumeria (T, 41k)

Following an accident in his seventh year, Draco loses his eyesight. After Harry elbows his way into Draco's dark world, both boys find themselves in a strange new friendship, and they each learn new ways to see each other … and themselves.

Eclipse by PhoenixSong/Mijan (T, 287k)

"You're dead, Potter... I'm going to make you pay..." Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius's imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It's the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But, when Draco's world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back. 

Friend Like Me by Lady Vader (M, 11k)

Draco's rendition of the love story that never was.

How Harry Potter Got His Groove Back by Durendal/Eleveninches (R, 12k)

Snape tries to hang himself, Draco enters an alternate reality, and Harry Gets a Clue. Humor, SLASH, naughty language, and other Evil Things. Harry/Draco, Snape/James/Lucius.

Irresistible Poison by Rhysenn (PG-13, 124k)

Under the influence of a love potion, Draco learns that poison doesn't always bring death -- there are other ways to suffer and live. Chemical emotion runs feverish as Harry and Draco discover the intoxication of love.

Lettered by pir8fancier (M, 7.8k)

Harry has a secret penpal, whose identity is as plain as the nose on his face. Except he's not wearing his glasses.

Love Under Will by Aja (R, 116k)

In their 5th year, Harry and Draco choose to be with one another; but the story--and the battle-- is just beginning...

playing the game, living the lie by Abaddon (R, 159k)

Set in Sixth Year, both the wizarding and Muggle worlds are threatened as Voldemort plans a final revenge. Past, present and future collide as all must consider where their loyalties lie; who they are, and who they want to be. Amidst it all, Harry and Draco begin a dangerous journey of understanding. Is it possible to leave everything you thought you were behind?

Resolution by Frances Potter (R, 322k)

When you've spent six years fighting evil, all you really want is a quiet time. But when your name is Harry Potter the chances of that are very slim. A series of vignettes chronicling Harry's final six months at Hogwarts. Exams, friends, lovers, Quidditch, the war and Draco all conspire to make the year end seem a very long way away.

Seamus is Seamus and You are Yourself by Ari Munami (PG-13, 31k)

Harry goes through some er... changes in his Sixth Year and everyone, including Draco Malfoy, sits up and takes notice.

Snakes and Lions by GatewayGirl (M, 139k)

When Ron and Hermione get together, they notice only each other. A nightmare prompts Harry to return alone to the empty Chamber of Secrets, and leads to a new look at an old enemy. Harry enjoys the company, but with Bellatrix Lestrange actively hunting him, how far can he trust a Death Eater's son?

Something Impossible by epicylical/Cassandra Claire (PG, 6.4k)

As punishment for an act of vandalism, Draco is forced to perform three tasks to win Harry's forgiveness - only they don't turn out to be exactly the kind of tasks he'd been expecting. With wet shirtless Draco, paint-covered Harry, and Proust-reading Goyle.

Transformation by amalin (E, 98k)

In Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, he must face the consequences of the attack on the Department of Mysteries and the effects of Voldemort's return. And in doing so, he finds that even your enemies can teach you valuable lessons—about the world, and about yourself.

Walking the Line by SilentAuror (E, 179k)

Sixth year is over and Draco Malfoy is on the run. The war is on and an unwanted assignment is forced upon him by the only people he trusts - and a one-time arch-enemy just may be out to kill him.

Post-Hogwarts

Adagio in G Minor by furiosity (NC-17, 18k)

Seven years after Hogwarts and the war, life continues in the wizarding world. Draco Malfoy is rich, bored, and slightly jaded. Harry Potter is famous, busy, and somewhat disillusioned. They've not seen each other since school ended. What would happen if they were to cross paths again? What if it involved music?

Big Dick, Come Quick [PDF] by Calanthe (NC-17, 204k)

Draco’s got a theory. About sex. And after much searching for the right candidate, it appears that only Harry Potter, his life long enemy, can help him test it out.

Draco's Escort Service by Cheryl Dyson/dysonrules (15, 12k)

Draco's job is to escort travelers through the dangerous, war-torn countryside. Harry Potter is forced to hire him, but his destination isn't quite what Draco expected.

Left My Heart by Emma Grant (E, 85k)

Auror Draco Malfoy has disappeared, and Harry Potter has been sent to San Francisco to find him. 

Malfoy, P.I. by Nancy (R, 60k)

"I'm Draco Malfoy, private investigator. I've seen a lot--I mean a lot, and I'm like sweet seventeen a lot. I thought I'd seen it all, until a pair of green eyes stepped into my office." A noir AU set in L.A. where passion and magic collide. Slashy and sexy.

Queen of Hearts by scoradh (E, 65k)

A spectre is haunting Harry - the responsibility of his destiny. It looms over his future and, more importantly, over the future of his friends. Harry is determined to exorcise this spectre for the greater good, but on the way, he enters into a few unholy alliances.

Tissue of Silver by fearlessdiva (R, 76k)

A love story concerning possessed furniture, black silk pyjamas, courtroom drama, premonitions of doom, assassination attempts, Death Eater yoga, absinthe, bare feet and a sensible werewolf.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by November Snowflake (M, 58k)

When the long-missing Draco Malfoy turns up at a Ministry field hospital with amnesia, bitter Auror Harry Potter must confront the shadows of their shared past to shed light on a potentially deadly mystery.

Transfigurations by Resonant (E, 71k)

Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

[whirlwindimagines]

may i request something where the reader goes to a big fancy bar where there is dancing and stuff for a date but she gets stood up? vash walks by her on his way out but notices her sitting there sadly after she's realized her dating isnt coming so he impulsively asks her to day with him. while they're dancing he's twirling her around and doing what he can to make her smile and at the end of the night he walks her home and it ends in a lil kissy 🥺 👉 👈

Oh, this… this is beautiful. Ugh give me this man ;p; I loved writing this like just once chance Vash please and yes you can have a kiss. I also can’t write dancing scenes to save my life.

‘Can I hold you, real close’

Vash x Reader

You're just early, you don't know how many times you’ve repeated this to yourself. Your friends had convinced you to do this, the guy was nice enough the first time you met him so you didn't understand why this time was different. Feeling like a fool after getting all dressed, and waiting at the bar for over 30 minutes. Tired of the looks of pity you’ve been receiving, you finish your drink and set the glass on the bar, and stand with a sigh. Well looks like you’d be going home and spending the night alone. 

“Sorry, I’m late!” You're grabbed by the arm suddenly and forced back into your seat. The man is still holding your arm, meeting his gaze your eyes widen. He's giving you a sheepish smile, the people around you look away, and you even see the bartender give out a breath of relief. Ugh, why did other people have to be so invested in other people's lives? 

Gaze going back to the blonde, he lets go of your arm and orders two drinks. This man is not your date, he slides the glass towards you which you catch on the bar. Raising a brow at him confused, he looks nervous. “Sorry… I don't mean to bother you it's just you were here when I came in and I was leaving and you're still sitting by yourself.” You scoff as he rambles on and on, his voice trailing off at the sound, so he had noticed you sitting here alone all this time? You noticed he had stopped talking, he was looking at you kindly, but you were still upset. 

“Sorry it's just… thank you but I don't need anyone's pity,” you say with a wave of your hand, your other hand gripping the glass of your drink. You feel embarrassed, and oh god you're going to cry. One sniffle has the man panicking beside you, “Please don't cry! I'm really not pitying you” he looks like he's going to cry himself. What a strange guy, you wipe your eyes. Looking into his eyes he seems very genuine, well you’ve got all dressed up and you're here, you might as well not waste the time. 

“Thanks…your sweet” and you mean it, he smiles at you with a soft blush and it's very cute, you notice he has a bit of a dimple. You introduce yourself to him, extending your hand while you do. You notice his grip is strong but not uncomfortable while he gives you, his name. Vash doesn’t let go of your hand, and you notice his eyes light up as the music changes into a more upbeat song. “Do you want to dance?” 

Feeling shy all of sudden, but then thinking what do you have to lose you nod. Vash pulls you to your feet and you stumble into his chest he catches you easily and you laugh nervously. Once you find your footing, he leads you to the dance floor. 

Letting him lead, you grip his hands in yours nervously as he begins to move. At first, he moves slowly it doesn’t match the tone of the song but you can tell he’s trying to ease you into the dance. Vash pulls you in close and your face flushes at the contact, he really is handsome up close. 

Once the two of you find a comfortable groove, Vash picks up the pace moving faster, you laugh trying to keep up. He spins you Vash pulls you, in your back hitting his chest and you can’t help the laugh that comes out, he’s laughing too.

He twirls you back around so you're facing each other, Vash places his hands on your waist and smiles gently at you. “Place your hands around my neck and hold on.” Confused, you do what he asks, letting out a startled yelp when he lifts you by the waist and spins you. 

Your arms tighten around him, and you laugh loudly you can hear him laughing as well. Your glad you didn’t leave earlier. While you are still embarrassed that your date stood you up, you are having such a good time with Vash.

He puts you down, you don't stick the landing and fall him, he catches you his arms still around your waist as you glance up at him shyly. The two of you are nearly face to face like this, him holding you close and you pressing yourself to him. Your eyes flicker from his eyes to his lips, and you flush when you notice him do the same. You lean in, but before you can connect your lips to him another couple bumps into you breaking the moment.

Pulling back from Vash, heart racing, he gives you a kind smile. He takes you by the arm to lead you back to the bar, where the two of you spend the evening talking and getting to know each other. 

You don't know how much time passes, but it's getting late. “I should probably go.” You say, even though you really don’t want to, you smile when he pouts at you. “Can I walk you home?” He asks, normally you would say no, but with Vash, it’s different you can tell he doesn’t have any Ill intentions. So, you agree and the two of you leave the bar.

He offers you his arm, and well you can’t refuse that sweet face. Taking his arm, the two of you walk side by side making light conversation. Eventually, the two of you make it to your home you stop, turning to Vash. “Thank you, honestly you made my whole night so much better.” He blushes a hand rubbing the back of his neck. 

“No problem such a beautiful person shouldn’t be sitting all alone looking so sad.” He stutters it out, he's not very confident in himself, but you find it endearing. You smile, face and heart feeling warm. He really is sweet; you cup his face and lean in placing a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth. When you pull back you laugh lightly at how red his face is, Vash cups your face, and he stares into your eyes waiting for you to pull away. You don’t, leaning in he meets you halfway.

The kiss is chaste, but it’s perfect. Vash leans back first his thumb brushing the top of your cheek, before letting go of your face. “Can I see you again?” His voice is shy, you grab both of his hands holding them in your own. “I would like nothing more.” And you mean it, your gaze softens as his whole face lights up. The two of you share another gentle kiss, before parting ways. 

You still feel giddy about the whole night, as you change and get ready for bed. You hope you do see Vash again and soon. Sleep comes easy to you, your dreams are light and peaceful, filled with warm laughter and gentle touches.

[lootsofathousandsworld]

Flint x Reader Hurt Oneshot

Good lord I had this short story in my grammery for a long time. X'D

Anyway hope you like this folks. I'm trying to get my groove back on writing these stuff. I miss doing them :')

And as always sorry if you see any grammer errors.

“What the hell happened?!” You’ve gotten used to Flint’s temper after living with him for a while now. This time, however, he was yelling at his crew member after getting hurt from doing something stupid. 

And oh man, this is probably the new record on his wrath that made your heart beat out of fright. 

And also your wound wasn’t too bad. It was only a scratch on your palm. Not too long ago, you wanted to try that dagger trick after you saw someone performing it on the street.

But you accidentally cut yourself after your feet stumbled and grabbed the blades instead of the handle. 

“S-sir we kept an eye on 'er!” One crew protested. "And to be fair cap'n, she wanted to perform this stunt. We didn't make 'er do it!" 

"Is that so?" You saw him look at you coldly which made you bite your lips holding your hand where the wounded were.

He exhales his nostril in irritation and turns his men, mostly at his first mate, Billy. "Take 'em to my ship. I'll be there shortly." 

"Aye, sir!" Billy replied. Then the Captain turns to you and grabs your arm. 

"You and I going have a little talk on yer act," With that, you and he walked away from the crew. When you and he are alone in the dark ally he speaks lowly.

"Let me see yer hand,"  

At first, your instinct tells you not to. Since you are afraid of what he’ll say or do to you. Then you hear your captain repeat in a strict tone.

“Let. Me. See. Yer. Hand.” 

You show your wound nervously and you watch him examine it carefully. After about a few seconds he lets out a frustrated sigh.

“Just what the hell were ye thinkin'?” 

You lowered your head in embarrassment. 

“It’s only a scratch,” You muttered. 

“But that stunt could’ve gotten yourself killed ye know that?!” Flint almost shouts. 

You flinch and manage to reply. “I know it was stupid.” You added while trying not to sound afraid. “I just. I only want to impress your men that’s all.”  

In the corner of your eyes, you watch him shake his head and take a few breaths silently to calm himself. You then feel your chin gently lift and your face is looking at his. 

His face was now a hint of worrying that he never showed this side to his crew. He also was on his knees so you can see his face better. 

“ Lass you don’t need to show your impression on my men. Since you joined my crew ye been improved your strength and agility. That dumb stunt is never the bonus. My men and I were already impressed with your skills lass." He brushes your cheeks with his thumb-bony finger and finishes.

" And what impresses me more is your improvement over a month living on my ship," 

You felt your cheeks almost blush at his compliment on your endurance living on his ship. But then your face made a frown when your Captain said this. 

"And from now on no more handling daggers unless yer supervised. “ 

“Then how am I going to defend myself without one?” You asked. Feeling upset you can’t have one after that stunt.

“That until you be taught how to handle it properly.” As he spoke he took out his ray cloth from his coat pocket and wrapped it around your palm to stop the bleeding.    

“Now promise me you'll follow this order, for yer safe sake.” He looked at you long and you made a silent huff, looking down with disappointment.  

Y/N." He spoke sternly.  

"Okay fine I promise, swear to pirate code," You gave in. Not because of his tone. More of there's no point in arguing with him. You felt it wouldn't change anything the more you tried to argue with him. 

Also, you want to be done with this situation. You were embarrassed enough by that dagger stunt. Instead, you muttered for him to hear. 

"Can we go back now Captain?" You hear him make a slight chuckle and begins to lead you back to his ship. While on the way he spoke lowly. 

"Once ye handle some daggers properly, I can perhaps give ya a few tricks of mine." 

"And how long that'll be until?" You asked, looking up at him. 

"A year." 

"A year?" You almost laugh. "Come on can you give me a month?"  

"No," 

"Please?" You did your best giving a puppy pleading, thanks to B.E.N. showing you how to do it. You watch him avoiding your gaze and he clinches his teeth in frustration.  

Soon he rolled all his eyes, "Remind me to punish B.E.N. on teaching ye how to beg when we get back. 

"So is that a yes?" You grinned. 

 He snorted. "Maybe." That made your hope up, knowing he'll change his mind once you and him are on his ship...or as he puts it. Maybe. 

[drpeppertummy]

ik conrads on top of the old man poll rn but im attacking my latest pal artie first bc i already had a plan

[very mild stuffing, mostly a whole lot of just Doin Stuff with little scraps of tummy in between]

"Alright, kid. You ever shuck a clam before?"

Celeste shook her head.

"It's not so hard. Look here," said Artie, taking a clam in one hand and the knife in the other. "You just stick it in that little groove..." Celeste watched nervously as he held the clam up to his face, carefully aligning the little knife in the miniscule notch between the lips of the shell. She wasn't entirely confident that he wasn't going to slice his finger off. She'd come to realize over the months that while he wasn't completely blind, he often put on that he could see a lot better than he really could. Still, he wedged the knife into the groove and, with a soft grunt, popped the shell open.

"Ta-da," he said, plucking away the top of the shell and setting it aside. "It takes a little elbow grease, but you'll get the hang of it. Anybody in your family any good at shucking clams?"

"I don't think so."

"Mine either. That's why it's important to learn. Every family's gotta have a clam shucker. Puts you high on the food chain. Here, give it a shot." He passed her the knife. She hesitantly picked up a clam, looked at it for a moment, and carefully lined up the knife.

Celeste managed to open one clam--hey, good girl, Artie had exclaimed with a firm pat on the back--before injuring herself, and then she was sent to chopping duty. She didn't have much in the way of culinary skills, but dicing the bacon and peppers was a far less daunting task than wrestling with the little mollusks. Artie, nerve-wracking though he was, blew through the rest of the bag with ease, opening up a couple dozen littlenecks in the same amount of time it took Celeste to chop up a pepper and a few pieces of bacon. Still, he praised her efforts--hey, choppin' ain't easy, especially with your hand all taped up--and they went on assembling the clams.

Artie had insisted on going all out for Celeste's birthday, and she'd driven him out to a little shack down the road to pick up some seafood. Following a good lesson on cooking, the two sat down for a mouthwatering dinner of pasta with seared scallops and lump crab meat in a garlicky wine sauce, accompanied by what Artie boasted as the best clams casino she'd ever try.

"Damn fine job you did on these," remarked Artie, holding up a clam. "You get the shucking down, you're set. You got your go-to party dish. I tell ya, this recipe has never done me wrong. You'll never wanna get 'em anywhere else."

Celeste wasn't the clam connoisseur that Artie seemed to be, but she couldn't deny that the clams were delicious, and the two ate enough of them to fill up even without the pasta. The pasta was, of course, not neglected either. The sauce was light and savory, and it mingled beautifully with the sweet crab and the buttery scallops. She could hardly believe she'd had anything to do with it. Nobody had ever bothered to teach her to cook, and her kitchen endeavors rarely got more complicated than stirring a frozen dinner between microwave sessions.

The pasta went down easy, and it was hard to stop eating, but it wasn't long before the bulkiness of it had both of them feeling full and sleepy. Still, Celeste went on picking at it. Artie, however, set his fork down and leaned back in his seat.

"Whoof, I'm stuffed," he sighed, resting a hand on his belly. "I don't think I can finish."

Truthfully, Celeste was surprised he ate as much as he did. Artie was small, and fairly slim for his age, which he chalked up to not having much of an appetite some days and not even being able to get out of bed on others. Tonight, though, he'd put away a good percentage of the big serving of pasta, along with about a dozen of the clams, and even under the compression of his back brace, she could tell his belly was full. Smiling fondly, she stood up and began to clear away their plates.

"Whoa, hey, it's your birthday, ain't it? Let me do it," said Artie, taking her arm as she reached for his plate.

"Oh, come on. You did all the work," she insisted, and he scoffed.

"I most certainly did not! Which of us was out there on the battlefield, chopping stuff up and boiling pasta? Wasn't me."

"Yeah, but you did the hard parts," she exclaimed, laughing. Artie pushed himself out of the chair with a groan.

"Difficulty is relative," he said with an impish smile, shaking a finger at her. "You did your part, now take a seat, missy, and that's final!"

Celeste rolled her eyes and sat down. There was no arguing with Artie; he was stubborn as a mule, and if he wanted to clean, there was no stopping him. She supposed he had a point, anyway--what was simple for a kitchen whiz like him took a lot more time and effort for a novice like her. Still, she stood again a moment later and joined him in cleaning up, and this time, he let her.

Artie relented and let Celeste take over washing the dishes--better eyes, he said--while he got the rest of the kitchen straightened up. Between the two of them, it didn't take long. While Celeste wasn't much of a cook, she was quick when it came to cleaning, although this skill didn't extend far beyond the kitchen sink. Feeling stuffed and eager to rest, they retreated to the living room, Celeste taking a seat on the couch while Artie dropped himself into the armchair across from her.

"Sheesh, I think I'm gonna have to adjust myself," he said, leaning back and untucking his shirt to loosen the brace wrapped around his middle. Celeste caught a glimpse of his full tummy pushing out snug against his undershirt, and she was thankful he couldn't see well enough to catch her blushing. Artie was only a friend, of course; he was nearly thrice her age, but there was little more tantalizing than a peek of tummy. He let his shirt fall back down with a sigh, looking far more comfortable, and Celeste was amused to see how much rounder his belly looked now that he'd given it some slack.

"You look stuffed," she giggled.

"Oh yeah?" Artie rested both hands on his belly, giving it a little pat for emphasis. "And what about you?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty full," she agreed, settling back into the couch cushion.

"Good, you better be. You did a great job cooking tonight."

"You think so?"

"I know so! You're gettin' good at this stuff, Celeste."

[blakbonnet]

Artist of the Week!

So last weekend, I announced that I'd like to feature an artist every weekend for both new fandom joinees who might not have seen some of this art and older fans who like the nostalgia. This week's artist is Ash @aha-my-villainous-thoughts 💖 who also, wonderful that they are, agreed to answer a few questions for me!

Which App Do You Use To Draw When I’m at my big set up I use Clip Studio Paint, I love it so much. It’s very straight forward to dip straight in, has all of the bells and whistles you need from an elite drawing program, and the community elements where you can see assets and brushes is a lot of fun - although I still to this day have no idea how to earn coins to buy assets?! I use a XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro Graphics Tablet to draw into the program, although my best tip with graphics tablets is to get a screen protector, mine got covered in marks before I noticed. Recently I also got an iPad 10.9 to use as a digital sketchbook I can carry around, and while I am enjoying Procreate, I think CSP is a better art program overall.

Fave Brushes? On iPad I stick to the technical pen, studio pen and the soft airbrush, along with the textures and the light pen. I don’t think Procreate has great ‘painting’ brushes, whereas on CSP I would marry the Gouache brushes, I love how they blend and texture as you work.

Your favourite piece you’ve drawn? I’m a super self indulgent artist, I try to draw the kind of stuff I like to look at, so it’s a lot of colour, a lot of fabric and details. My fave piece for detail is the one I did for the OFMD RBB last year - Crescente Devotione, there’s a blushing sentient stool in it! For colour I’m in love with this sleepy time Ed in a lil negligee and a Holly Golightly eyemask, he's my lock screen because I'm trash.

Who harder to draw: Ed or Stede? Oh for sure Stede. I love Rhys Darby, but the man has like no lips. I stand by this meltdown.

One essential tip for beginner artists? Comparison is the thief of joy, don’t measure yourself against others - particularly when you’re finding your groove. Be self indulgent af. Also get a screen protector for whatever digital screen you draw on, and BACK. THINGS. UP. Whether in an online account, or on an external harddrive - or both?! BACK THAT SHIT UP.

Why OFMD? I’ve been in a few fandoms in the past, always as a pretty passive enjoyer, little fanart here or there, little fanfic sprinkled around, but there’s just something about the way this fandom feels? It feels like a group of friends who’ve got their own lives and their goals, but they still exist in each other's orbit, it’s like this feeling of returning home to somewhere you’re always welcome. There’s so many good moments in the show for both comedy and some gut wrenching pathos. Sign up for the hot guy in leather and get got by this beautiful delicate little love story. It’s something about queer joy of thriving, not just surviving. Something about finding love and romance no matter your age or what’s past before. Something about found family, and unlikely friendships, and community and silliness. I was already a goner when Taika put on the wig, but then when he teared up in a blanket fort while trying not to die? Excuse me sir, I did not need feelings that powerful. It was literally waking me up at night thinking about his last shot weeping in the nook - like are you kidding me?! I’m supposed to finish watching and be normal after that??

[whackacole3]

do you have any tips for new writers? you write fast and your fics are pretty damn good so i thought it would be good to ask you!

omg yeah, i can try! here’s a few things that come to mind. this stuff is mainly for writing fanfictions, but i guess it can apply to books as well?

reminder this is just what i suggest, if you think differently that’s okay! every writer is different.

and if anyone has any more suggestions, feel free to either comment and/or reblog with your suggestions.

(also idk what speed has to do with anything but that just comes with practice and motivation 😭)

1.) stop caring and stop worrying. i know this might sound counterintuitive but it's really not when you look deep into it. once you sit down and decide to just have fun is when your best work comes out, at least for me. writing is supposed to be fun, you’re supposed to enjoy it. if you find yourself stressed and dreading writing you’re doing it wrong. remember to take breaks if you need it to refresh yourself. writing is extremely hard, but i believe in you. just try to have fun!

2.) find more ways to come up with ideas. i think most people would agree that prompts are hard and many people don’t know how to come up with them. personally, i use quotes. if you know anything about me, quote fics are my fucking life, man! you can use lyrics from songs, a funny moment that happened in your life, a saying your parent always told you while growing up, literally anything! go wild.

3.) find your unique style. when it comes to writing, everyone has a style just like when it comes to any other art form. i write in a more casual, organic style because that’s what comes naturally to me. don’t try to mimic other’s styles because you think yours isn’t “good enough” or something of the sort. you can take inspiration, but don’t forget to be true to yourself and your own style.

4.) write how you want. piggy backing off the last one, don’t let anyone tell you something is “improper” or whatever. if you think adding a million commas best suits your story, then so be it! i use dashes, ellipses, and semi-colons like my life depends on it. it’s an important part of how i write and that’s that’s okay.

5.) make sure to commit to it. while it is important to not push yourself too hard and to take breaks if you need it, don’t forget to commit to it. try and write everyday. whether it be only a paragraph or the entire story in one go, every little bit helps. it gets you into the groove, basically! i’ve heard some people say that 250 words should be your daily minimum, but personally mine is 100. so it’s whatever works for you.

6.) don’t expect it to be easy. writing is hard, that’s just the case. you are making up your own stories (with already set in characters or not) and coming up with things is hard! it’s going to get confusing at points, it’s going to get frustrating, it’s going to make you want quit sometimes. this will happen especially if you write longer form content.

7.) don’t give up and always believe in yourself. feeding off of the last one, no matter how hard it is, don’t ever give up. take breaks for however long you need, but never give up. you can do this. and if no one else believes in you, believe in yourself. you are what matters.

8.) don’t forget to edit and revise. you don’t exactly need to go over your work once you finish, but it’s a very good practice. if look through it at least once or twice: you’ll find mistakes that you maybe didn’t notice; you’ll notice scenes/sections that you can elongate to better serve the purpose/narrative; you could find things don’t matter and can be removed; and so much more. you don’t need to go crazy over it, but it’s definitely something you should do.

9.) don’t forget/be scared to ask for help. everyone needs help from time to time, even the best authors/writers need guidance from others. ask your friends to help with a scene/part or two if you need it, if they’re willing ask them to edit/beta for you, and so forth. you’ll never get anywhere without the help of others, you can’t do this on your own and that’s okay. you might want to be independent and get there by yourself, but that will be ten times harder than if you just ask for a little bit of help.

10.) write for you and nobody else. i would say this is probably the most important one. don’t worry about what others think, story telling is for you! yes, you might share it with others (directly or by posting it online) but at the end of the day, it’s for your enjoyment and no one else’s. if you want to write an OC and canon character, do it! doesn’t matter if no one cares about your OC other than you. YOU ARE WHAT IS IMPORTANT!!!

[venelona-turtle-den]

A bit of a side thing, but, yeah. Me tired. Feel free to disregard this post, I'm just letting some feelings out so my brain stops torturing me.

Honestly, tired is not quite the right word. Its more like I've been too caught up in work and my brain denies me relaxation? Like... ever since I got an idea for the Ghost Future Leo, I've been working on him every day. And by the nature of how I do things, I don't start a new drawing until I finish the last, so, he was all I've worked on. And it comes with the anxiety that 'I haven't posted anything in so long, that's bad, you're not productive'.

And then I finished Ghost Leo to the point where I could post him, and, it, uh... Got complicated? Because, no doubt, it's a BIG project, I worked A TON on him, but it wasn't really, like... a comic. Or a drawing. So I took a break, I promise I did, but then I wanted to get back to posting proper art and all.

Exceeeept I also wanted to keep working on Ghost Leo. Partly because I like working on him, truly, but also... I feel like I owe it to people? Like... I live with the fear that there's not enough to him, that people will get bored in like three days and that will be that, and I owe folks who enjoy spending time with him to expand the features. I want to respond to people posting and talking about him because that's everything I've wanted, to see people's reactions, and I feel like I can't leave anyone hanging, because that was what I asked for in the first place... All those posts and nice asks bring me so much joy, and I want people to know it.

As well as all the asks from people who need help - as a creator, I owe it to them to help them through everything, to fix mistakes and bugs, to answer questions...

And because of that, I feel bad when I try to take a break for more than a day - I have things to answer, and I don't want to answer them inadequately, because I want people to know that I care about every ask.

So, in short... despite me doing art I still feel like I'm not doing enough, despite the recent updates my brain still tells me I need to do more, and I'm afraid of starting on something like a comic because it feels I have too much of other stuff to do and I can't let myself focus my attention on something else for a week or two...

I know its all baloney, and that I deserve to rest, that I can freaking sit down and play Star Rail for three days and people won't hate me for it, but... that's not what my brain thinks and signals to my body. Silly me.

Thank you for reading this to those who did, I wrote this thing to just say... I hope my brain is actively lying to me, and people won't riot if I take a bit of time getting to answer the asks or posting more art. I promise I read everything, I just need to get back into a groove of things, especially since May and June are months that get busy with the school work on top of everything. I hope that's understandable 💖

[whoishotteranimepolls]

Major Update

The request will be opening soon because I'm down to like the most obscure requests that I'm actually struggling to find photos for. So in preparation of this I have to get a lot of announcements out of the way so this post might make a lot of people angry. Might make some of you happy But I need to get this out of the way before I open up the request again.

Let's start with the things that I know are going to piss people off as of right now. No. Webcomics no. Webtoons. Yes, I do know several webtoons/webcomics have been turned into anime. Those will be allowed but that's because they're anime now. Also no mechs. However, this is just for now. Remember I've only been doing this blog for maybe 3 months. So let me get more into the groove of things before we add on all of those things. So maybe when I've been doing this for 6 months to a year we can start allowing that Web comics, webtoons and mechs but I'm already struggling with keeping up with requests and keeping enough stuff in the queue as is. So I don't want to complicate things even further and make things as easy as I can on myself. Now there is a reason for this because I may be changing jobs soon and I don't want to have to put the blog on temporary hiatus during that transition.

Now on to the next thing and this is probably going to make a lot of people happy but people please do not make me regret this decision. But, after hearing the many lamentations from mostly the Naruto fandom, much personal debate and seeing how a similar blog handles things. I have decided to lower the minimum age for the polls to 16. Now that means minors can and probably will be matched up against each other and against 18+ characters. Please don't come at me about that choice, these characters are fictional. You can't hurt them, and a blog like this isn't going to normalize preying on minors. YES it's wrong in real life, but anime teenagers are not normal teenagers. I literally just finished an anime about a assassin trying to get back to his wife. He was 16 and had a wife I swore he was at least 20 sometimes anime ages don't make sense. Please don't start anything or I will start blocking. But for those of you who don't want to participate in those polls, I will make a special tag so you can block all polls that have confirmed 16 and 17-year-old characters So you can block the tag so you don't have to see it and participate You will be able to find it when I update the rules post in the next day or two when I have everything finalized. Now this is subject to change if people do not behave. So do not start attacking me because I allow this or I will bump that age back up to 18. Do not make me regret this

Now when it comes to requests you have 10 characters and can request up to Four-way matchups. I don't care how you break that down so you can do two four-way polls and a two-way poll or request five two-way polls don't care. Figure it out. I'm pretty sure everyone can do math but the max is 10 characters However, you want to break it down with two-way, three-way and four-way polls.

I'm also setting a limit on how many times you can request a day. Please only do it twice. That's up to 20 characters. So everyone gets a chance to request polls

Remember Six-Way polls are not something you can request directly. They are something I make as a special thing, when the queue leans too much into one character or fandom. However, you can suggest a theme. I have done fire and ice powers. You all seem to like the goth girl and the anime men in suits. You get the idea. You can always put some theme ideas at the bottom of your request. So I can add them to my list of themes that I have saved when I need to make a six-way poll

I think that is all the major announcements So now with these updates everyone can start thinking of the new matchup request because they will be opening up soon and that request box fills up fast

[frostedpuffs]

I'm not an artist (more of a writer) so feel free to ignore any and all suggestions

If you are frustrated with your skills then I have seen some art challenges that might refresh or push you - things like sketchtober (doesn't need to be a finished perfect piece but you just have to Do Something each day) or I saw an art challenge referred to as Improvement Hell (blog is pencilcat) - it's from a while back but still might help get you back into the groove

If it is about inspiration - are you trying to draw ML stuff? Then maybe switch it to different characters, especially ones you haven't drawn in a while. Or do some not character stuff, fruit or animals or landscapes, or make up your own characters. Like do the exercises I've seen where you put random watercolor (or even coffee splotches) on the page and then draw something to fit the various shapes (not sure how to do it digitally if that's your medium)

I get how frustrating it can be (I haven't written anything For Fun in quite a while and not sure how to start again at the moment especially with all the other writing I need to do) to be stuck and frustrated but I know coming at the problem (your art block/frustration) from a different direction can be helpful, like changing the what, how, or even why can be.. recentering (I am not sure that's a word and probably not the right one if it is)

Anyway I don't want you to give up on something you enjoy (not even bc I like your art a lot) but also totally disregard if this isn't helpful or it's bad advice for the problem and/or you just wanted to yell into the void and don't want any advice

i forgot to respond to this, forgive me, but this is all solid advice and i appreciate it! i tried to sort of force myself into doodling tonight and it helped a bit. i feel like I've forgotten how to draw and my attention span isn't the best so it's been frustrating trying to get back into art. but i don't ever wanna give up on it!! im hoping this is just a temporary thing (could just be burn out.) maybe soon i'll start drawing regularly again

thanks for the message and the advice!

[gingersnappish]

Hi!

I’m Ginger: artist-nerd, citizen-scientist, make-garden-not-lawn enthusiast, and avid baker-of-cinnamon-rolls-from-scratch! I very much enjoy fandom! What is my weekly fanfic consumption like? High. Very High. Some of my current favs include: Star Wars (especially Kylux), The Witcher (here meaning I saw about an episode and a half of TWN, found the fandom, and wandered happily off towards Lambert and Aiden), LotR, sometimes StarTrek…..assorted others! I am passionate about creating things, too! Often, that means drawing fan art and/or comics. Actually, I’ve found myself stalling intermittently in that department over the past year or so. I’ve been almost exclusively drawing Kylux things using only Procreate, for a while now. Which I love doing! But I suspect doing just that one type of art for going on 4 years now is starting to have an effect of the breadth and depth of my creative well. So I’ve decided to change up how I create for a while! A good friend gifted me a sketchbook IRL and I want to fill it with traditional media drawings. I want to try drawing from more fandoms, try out new digital techniques and styles that maybe I hadn’t allowed myself before. I want to invest some time into art forms besides drawing, even - I’ve always enjoyed fiber arts and I’ve got a jack loom I’ve meant to finish repairing for a while. Once that is working, I want to learn to weave. And I want to share some of these things here! On that note, I suspect more than a few people who follow me on Tumblr are here because I have drawn a lot of kylux. Especially the long-form fan comic ‘Dying Is Easy Young Man, Living Is Harder’. WRT The Comic: Kraken and I are still fully intending to see it to it’s conclusion! Honestly, though, it’s been on unofficial hiatus for a while now and it’s likely to remain that way for a bit longer. Kraken is super busy with retraining and job related demands IRL, and I am also pretty swamped and trying to get back in a more sustainable groove artistically. The whole sitch doesn’t leave us a lot of room to create a big project like DIEYMLIH together, right now. I know firsthand how hard it can be to wait a long time for a story you enjoy to get finished - so I want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone being very patient with us! We will get there eventually! If you want to check if there has been an update or just re-read the kylux comic to-date, the best place to go is the DIEYMLIH Site

If you want more kylux themed stuff in the meantime, I’m still putting my Kylo Amidala and other AU stuff for them on my Patreon

If you want the whole complete collection of my art (kylux or other)…. I'm working on that. I’ve historically been really inconsistent with tags. I'm trying to be better about that and also go back and fix all my personal art so it is consistently tagged. It’s gonna take a while. Eventually!

[whispereons]

So I sit here thinking about Ayato, right? Like.. i see him as the silent but pretty kinky guy. He has tried some dangerous stuff, not some much that his reputation is tarnished. No, this guy would have calculated something to that the situation would have been safe to do something really kinky. So, this guy would have things placed under his suit, you know? maybe, it's just me, but i can see one being a butt plug and he would be sitting through a meet with a straight face.

Yet, he meets you, the apprentice. Of course, he knows he is meet someone from overseas but that won't stop him from trying to excite the meeting. In the beginning, he is just mainly talking to your boss and you would glance at him, though out of boredom you look around with elemental sight and decided to play around with your anemo vision. You though no one would notice after all the window was open, and you weren't strong enough to do a storm, just barely be able to control the winds so the wind would feel like a light touch.

It was just silly things at first playing with your bosses hair and than you decided to see if Ayato had weapons on him, and prove the rumors wrong. There was no way this guy, with so much power at his hands, not walking around with a secret weapons somewhere. Only to find something else. Immediately, you stopped and focused on the meeting before you, but you couldn't help it. Your eyes glanced to see Ayato only to panic as he was already facing you with a closed eyed smile.

Anyways, that is just me. I just here with my brain rotting. some bits were far stretched, i know, but it is my fantasy and i wanna share. we both can be writing cringy and weird stuff together, don't worry-

_ Kaeya Anon _

A bit ironic that the Kaeya anon's first ask is about Ayato but it's the silly type. I hope you don't mind that I made it yandere, it would be almost weird of me to not make it yandere. This wasn't a fully NSFW ask so I didn't go all the way either. But seeing as you're my first ask about writing, I wanted to give it proper attention! But at the same time, this was very much not proof read.

The marks and grooves of the meeting table suddenly seem very interesting as your boss rambles on about one thing or another. A bad habit of his that really seemed to bite you in the ass this time.

Ayato shifts in his seat and you want to die now fully aware why he's moving. Was this some strange justice served to you for being too nosy? Maybe Ayato will send the Shuumatsuban after you for discovering his little secret. You can never trust that naturally curved smile on his face after all.

"-but we're getting off track at this point. I only need to show you the last trade route for the months supply and then we can end this meeting. I'm sure I've taken more then enough of your time!"

Your chest is a thousand times lighter at your master's words. The thought of finishing up and sailing back to your home nation gives you the energy needed to get through this meeting.

Your boss goes to grab the last file out of his bag but frowns before properly looking into it. "I must have left it with my stuff in the guest room. I'll leave for a few minutes to fetch it."

Trying to hide your desperation you grab your bosses sleeve with a wobbly smile. "Don't worry, I'll just go and get it for you. You can continue speaking to Sir Kamisato in the meantime."

Getting up in a flash, you rush to open the door and escape the room. But the sounds of metallic armor shifting follows you as you open the door and look behind to see a smiling face.

"I'll accompany you there as my office is right next door." Ayato's voice gives no indicator of his less than professional activity. "My sister is going to a restaurant with many of the Kamisato clan's partners. Why don't you go along and let your apprentice finish up the meeting for you?"

Internally screaming, you resist the urge to take back your offer of getting the files. Happily your boss stands up and smiles widely, the old man would never give up the chance of a free drink. With slumped shoulders you walk silently with the two men as they converse ambically.

Ayato cleanly passes your boss on to Ayaka, who gives you a sympathetic smile at your visible awkwardness. There's no doubt she's aware of your uncomfortableness around Ayato, it's just not for the reason she thinks.

That's probably why your face scrunches up when he pats your shoulder with a coy smile once everyone else left.

"Should we get going now Y/N? We should do our best to wrap the meeting up." Stiffly nodding you follow him through the halls.

The walk is silent which could be either good or bad. But there's still no sign of punishment or silencing as you enter your boss's room and grab the pesky file. When you exit, Ayato stands there with that same relaxed smile and professionalism.

His gloved hand gently presses against the middle of your shoulder blades pushing you to keep up with his long strides. It's... uncomfortable but not bad enough to cause a fuss. Even still you pat your thigh where your anemo vision is safely secured for good measure.

Violet eyes traces your hand movements and twinkle at the way you gulp back your nerves.

His office really wasn't that far to your boss's room, at least you couldn't dub him a liar. He holds out the door for you with a kind smile that you return awkwardly.

Stepping inside you notice how dim the light is, it makes it hard to see the interior. Not wanting to be rude by searching for a candle, you walk deeper inside until you see a large beautifully designed divider.

Momentarily you stumble on a small cushion on the floor and barely avoid falling. Bare hands slide up your body starting from your waist up to your chest making you shudder. Turning around in shock, your body feels both heavier and lighter.

Ayato waves your anemo vision by its strap tauntingly. His narrow eyes seem much more predatory in this light and those upturned lips are now sinister.

"Now, what's that look for Y/N? You'll get your vision back, I just can't promise when."

"Sir Kamisato, I'm not sure if this is some Inazuman culture I'm unaware of but I'm feeling extremely uncomfortable. You can look over the file yourself and I'll be going. Just send someone to return my vision tonight."

Dropping the file on the table without concern you step around Ayato. Leaving your vision behind was a small sacrifice, your stubborn boss will make it nearly impossible for Ayato to keep it. The scolding you'll receive from your boss would be worth it.

Ayato watches you from his spot as you move past him. Grasping the door handle, you tug and are met with resistance. Your stomach drops simultaneously with your expression before you tug harder.

As a catalyst user, you didn't have a weapon to break the door with. Your vision was the only option, and you had no chance in beating the skilled hydro swordsman in combat.

A sword glints in candlelight as it presses against your neck. Strong arms wrap around your upper body and pull you closer to Ayato. Leaning to speak into your ear, hot air fans your earlobe making you shiver.

"You've seen something quite embarrassing of me. Surely you won't mind showing me something embarrassing in return."

Your body is frozen as the sound of clothes shuffling can be heard and even felt behind you. Wrists easily maneuvered from your side to your back are wrapped with something. A braided gold-colored rope ending with a tassel binds your upper arms to your chest.

"I'll return both you and your vision in time for your departure. Although, I can't say that I'll follow through with that."

[mrowmrowmrow9]

@themoonfortress you probably don't even remember this, but a million years ago I asked for AU ideas and you mentioned a karamel witness protection AU where they have to pretend to be a couple. Surprise, I actually wrote like 1500 words and a rough outline for it, but somewhere along the way the inspiration petered out and I never ended up finishing it. While I'm sharing unfinished stuff, I thought you might like to see what I had <3 Sorry it never got to the publishing stage!

Reading it back I'm disappointed that I lost the groove, this was a lot of fun to imagine! The rest of the plot will remain a secret, just in case ;)

Title: Survivors

The apartment was tiny. Incredibly tiny.

And Mon-El didn’t just think that because he grew up spoiled rotten in a mansion—the space was literally smaller than his living room. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out how two people were supposed to live here together. If they had virtually no concept of personal space, maybe. But that’s not typical for a couple of perfect strangers.

It was a bit of a relief when his companion’s eyes widened comically, mirroring his as she took in the room. “It’s…so…small.”

“Yup,” Mon-El breathed out. 

“I mean, it’s about the same size as my apartment,” Kara continued and he cringed. “But for two people…”

Perfectly in sync, their eyes moved over to the single bed in the corner…the one that couldn’t possibly, by any stretch of the imagination, be meant for two people. 

“I’m sleeping on the couch,” he decided. 

Her head jerked over to him. “What? No, I’ll take the couch.”

He blinked, surprised by the sudden resistance. “It’s fine, I really don’t mind.”

“Well, I do. That thing’s barely bigger than the chair! You’re taller, so you take the bed.” 

Mon-El resisted the urge to groan out loud. He just wanted to sleep, preferably without feeling guilty about taking the more comfortable option. But of course she had to be stubborn about it. “Fine. Whatever, suit yourself.”

They dropped their bags on the table and Kara pointedly turned her back to rummage through her bag as he undressed. Kind of. They weren’t given any pajamas (or much of anything, really) but he settled for taking off his jacket and jeans and slipping into the bed in his t-shirt. 

It was even stiffer than it looked, the mattress paper-thin. Mon-El closed his eyes. He heard the sound of fabric rustling, and the creak of the couch spring as Kara laid down on it, followed by more creaking over the next several minutes as she attempted to get comfortable. He sighed and buried his face into the pillow.

After a while he heard a disgruntled huff, and then there were footsteps and the mattress dipped with the weight of another body.

“Look, can you, uh…”

Mon-El shifted enough for her to crawl in behind him, against the wall. She’d followed his lead and stripped down to a t-shirt and socks, her bare legs brushing his as they jostled together, trying to get comfortable. The bed really wasn’t meant for two people. Finally they settled with him on his back, taking up most of the space (it was only fair, he reasoned somewhat grumpily, he had been there first) and her curled on her side with her back to the wall. Try as they might, the bed wasn’t quite big enough to avoid touching and her knee pressed into his thigh, her arm grazing his shoulder. 

“Sweet dreams,” Mon-El muttered, and hoped sleep would come for him quickly. 

***

It did. But not without a price. 

He dreamt of the day it all started, the day his life came crashing down around him. And coincidentally…the day he met her.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Gand.”

“Please, it’s just Mon-El. Mr. Gand is what everyone calls my father.”

Kara awkwardly chuckled along with him and withdrew her hand, nervously wringing it with the other. “Um, would you by chance know where her office—”

“Right, yeah, of course. Follow me.” Mon-El led her down the hallway, glancing back every now and then to make sure she was following him. Despite his words, he was already dreading taking her to meet his mother. Someone like her—young, earnest, eager to make a good impression—was exactly the kind of person Rhea relished in tearing apart, shattering their spirit with nothing but her words. She might’ve been chosen as their new maid out of countless others, but he doubted she’d last a week.

Perhaps it was better that way. One less person dragged into the dark, twisted life his family led.

He’d shown her to Rhea’s office, and found the door ajar. He should’ve run then, should’ve known better than to walk into that room, least of all with an innocent girl by his side, but that was exactly what he’d done. And they were both paying the price for it.

“Father?” he whispered hoarsely, unable to look anywhere but the body lying limp on the floor, surrounded by a pool of red. The body that had once been his father.

Rhea slowly rose to her feet, adjusting her grip on the blood-streaked knife as she trained her eyes on Mon-El and Kara like a predator gazing upon its prey. No, not like a predator. She was one. 

“Go,” he whispered.

“W-What?”

“Don’t think, Kara, just GO!” Mon-El grabbed her arm and pulled her with him as they sprinted from the room. He clomped down the stairs, deliberately making a racket and sure enough, the other servants started to fill the hallway, wondering what was causing the disturbance.

He knew exactly what was going through his mother’s mind; she had just committed a crime and he and Kara were the only witnesses. If they talked, her reputation would be ruined and if there was one thing Rhea cared about, it was the family’s image.

That alone ensured she wouldn’t kill him and Kara in front of the entire house, but it wouldn’t guarantee safety for long. They had to get out of there.

And never look back.

The best idea the police department could come up with was a witness protection program, and a flimsy fake identity that would never be enough to keep his mother from finding him. Nothing ever was. He remembered being a little boy, hiding in closets or underneath mahogany desks, his heart pounding, while Rhea’s footsteps thundered through their mansion as she yelled that he’d better come out right now, you stupid little boy, or so help me Rao I’m going to— 

It didn’t matter. That was in the past. The point was clear: she always found him. And she would again.

Kara smiled at him, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she followed him up the stairs.

He just hoped he didn’t take her down with him.

***

In contrast to the way she fell asleep, Kara woke up warm and comfortable. She sighed and shifted closer to the source of that pleasant heat, squinting her eyes against the sunlight. Wait a minute. She opened them just a sliver, and discovered that her entire field of vision was obscured by black fabric. Also, the pillow she was holding onto felt unusually…muscular? 

Well, that was embarrassing. As memories from the last twenty-four hours came flooding back, Kara realized that the “pillow” was indeed a person. Somehow during the night they’d moved even closer together and now her hand was curled around Mon-El’s bicep, her head nestled against his shoulder. 

Delicately she attempted to remove herself from his personal space, letting go of him and scooting away until her back hit the wall—which lasted about two inches. Double bed, her ass. At least he was warm. Whatever heating system the apartment had had was clearly out of service judging by the frosty temperature. Kara drew up the covers to her chin, still feeling embarrassment at how she’d subconsciously clung to him during the night, despite barely knowing the man. She supposed it was probably a habit left over from her years in the foster system, when a loose grip on your pillow or phone or book or whatever meant a strong chance an older kid would steal it. She’d never quite managed to let go of that feeling of being on edge, always on the lookout for danger. The little scars dotting her arm twinged in remembrance.

Mon-El suddenly shifted and yawned, thankfully stretching his neck at the same time so Kara was spared from a stranger’s morning breath in her face. He squeezed his eyes shut almost immediately, understandable given the lack of blinds in their stupid apartment, and then scooted forward and…wrapped an arm around her waist?

“Um,” Kara said.

He mumbled something incoherent, and then seemed to wake abruptly, jerking away from her as his eyes snapped open. “Uh…hi.”

“Hi.”

They stared at each other for a moment, the awkwardness thick in the air, and then Mon-El sighed and threw the covers back. “I need some fucking coffee.”

***

The only caffeine to be found in the apartment was some crappy instant coffee like what Kara usually bought (it was the cheapest she could find). She’d grown accustomed to the taste and didn’t really mind it, but she guessed Mon-El didn’t feel the same, judging by the way he grudgingly accepted it from her and badly disguised a grimace after the first sip. He was probably used to something more expensive, exported from a faraway country where children did the labor for pennies before the product was ready to be shipped off to National City’s wealthiest. She imagined he got the darkest, most bitter kind and drank it black, with no milk or sugar. Like a sociopath.

(It was possible Kara needed to rein in her imagination when it came to judging her rich employers—ex-employer now, she supposed. Although she was usually right, so.)