#we'll see if end up expanding the AU at all but i'm planning to at least finish this scene

[cephalog0d]

Tagged by @outtoshatter for Messy Draft Monday! We had a GIGANTIC lightning storm for over an hour and one of them was really close and something in my router went "zap" and now it's dead so lol writing time I guess.

I got bit by a plot bunny earlier thinking about never-taken-in-by-Bruce Civilian!Dick and early Batgirl!Babs so here's some banter.

“Are you injured?” he asked. “Just my pride,” she said with a sigh. He flashed her a relieved smile. “Ah, not sure I can help with that. We didn’t cover bruised egos in EMT training.” “Clearly the training needs an update,” she said dryly. “I can improvise?” the stranger offered with a laugh, extending a hand to help her up. “Well, I wouldn’t say no to a little bit of an ego boost.” Barbara decided she probably didn’t have too much face to save considering he’d found her lying in a pile of trash and took the offered hand, letting the man help haul her to her feet. “Wow, you’re tall,” he blurted out, without thinking based on the way he winced the second it was out of his mouth. To be fair, the boots added a little bit of height, but only a little bit, and Barbara was still taller than a lot of people without them. She kept her expression carefully neutral. “Gee, thanks, consider my ego fully boosted,” she said flatly. “Uh. I like your hair? Wait, that’s still weird, I should maybe quit while I’m behind.” The stranger shrugged and gave her a sort of lop-sided smile. “Mm, it might have been less painful if I did need stitches,” Barbara agreed with a smirk. “Oh, definitely.” He nodded emphatically, smile widening. “I’m great at stitches. The key is distraction.” “‘Look over there, there’s a gorilla in a tutu’?” Barbara suggested. “I prefer jokes. What do you give a sick lemon?” Judging from the way he was grinning, Barbara was positive she wasn’t going to like the answer. He didn’t bother waiting for her to respond, though, before answering. “Lemon-aid.” Barbara rolled her eyes, moving her head to make sure it came through with the mask. “Oh, I get it, inflict worse pain so the original doesn’t hurt as much.” “They do say laughter is the best medicine.” “Yeah, but that means you actually have to be funny.” “Maybe I should try silly costumes and prat falls?” he suggested, his smile going a bit sharper. “How about you stick to your thing and I’ll stick to mine? I don’t think I can handle that kind of punishment.”

About ten seconds later Dick puts his entire foot in his mouth and Babs tells him exactly what he can do with his unsolicited, condescending advice, it's the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

(Look, 5 out of my 7 hard copy official DC character guides list Babs at 5'11" and I will DIE ON THIS HILL, Tall!Babs 5ever, fight me.)

No-pressure tags for @dangerousdan-dan, @kayrielwrites, @sepia-stained-sunset, @roseandgold137, @bess3714 and anyone else who wants to play!

[hippolotamus]

Hippo New Year

tldr: what a fucking year. best wishes for 2025 and all that. the end ✨

expanded version:

actually, I'm delighted to report that, personally, this year was pretty uneventful. an absolute blessing compared to last year. although i lowkey adored the mini explosion of pygmy hippos 🦛 fandom on the other hand... hoo boy what a shit show. but that's not telling you anything you don't know. it definitely still had its highlights tho! take a speedrun with me, besties (under the cut because apparently i ramble a lot)

@this-is-bwr had a hell of a year, most notably by starting an original work that is nearly finished its first round. i'm so fucking excited and seriously don't think i could be more proud of you (although you will inevitably prove me wrong by doing some other incredible Thing) 🖤

@stereopticons finished and published an incredible, highly anticipated Schitt's Creek fic that's been in their WIPs for 2 years. Love a good exes-to-lovers with a healthy dose of miscommunication and meddling? go read gather up the avenues. you won't regret it, promise. i love you so much and look forward to our next year together. 🦦❤️🦛

learned i'm tumblr married to a witch (affectionate). when @bidisasterevankinard first brought up the idea of Buck and Tommy getting together, i was... (don't hate me) skeptical. definitely more in the 'ok, sure, we'll see' realm. oops. love you the mostest, babe (please don't divorce me) also, she graduates uni this year and has worked so fucking hard and i could not be more proud 😘💙

additionally, @diazsdimples became my tumblr husband! it has been such a fun year with you, James. From collabs we may or may not ever finish to Alfie and BEST to Ballet AU and Teddie... 2025 is shaping up to be a fucking delight. 💞

@dr-shortsighted-owl... YOU OWLFICIALLY BECAME DR OWL THIS YEAR. WHAT?! I know it's been a Journey™️ for you and it was amazing to see this happen for you. Also, I don't go here but if you're into fic for Jojo's bizarre adventure... she's your owl. 🦉❤️🦛

@eddiebabygirldiaz... jesus, what a year in fic for you (one day i'll catch up, i swear). but i really want to highlight that Ryan is making an original work(!!!) that i am legit frothing over. when it comes out, don't ask me what my plans are... i'll be reading that. so excited, dearest bee 💞🐝

speaking of original works, i'd be remiss if i skipped over @rewritetheending, who released margins earlier this year. I was instantly endeared by Alex & Elijah's story. i'm not exaggerating when i say that i think about 'Tell me about more.' every single day. i don't actually think i could coherently articulate the impact that had on me. it cut deep. well 👏 done 👏 and I can't wait for Adrian & Beau's story

psssst! did you know @spotsandsocks surpassed 1m words on ao3???? And she makes the cutest lil dragons 🥰 Spotty, I am eternally captivated by you 💞🐉

@doctorkinney, yes, Nolan, you are in fact my beloved. always 🪿💞🦛

@slightlyobsessedwitheverything i feel like you're (the most) singlehandedly responsible for helping turn me to the deep dark waters of multi-shipping lol I was already getting there but talking BEST, BuddieTommy, BuddieShannon, BuckShannon, etc has been incredibly cathartic and some of the most fun i've had this year. 💞🐝

also in the multi-shipping lane, huge hat tip to @bucksbignaturals for sucking me into the SalTommy void and deeper into Jeddie. what a ride 😅

@filet-o-feelings first of all, you joined the Dark Side and gave us such a sweet BuckTommy fic. Second, giving you so much love and hugs for all that's happened this past year, and all of the crossing all the things Amazing things yet to come

@daffi-990 gave us some truly remarkable Buddie reads this year, most notably stuck now so long, we just got the start wrong aka rival firefighters. so proud of you for finishing this one. it was an instant bookmark for me and everyone should definitely read it ❤️🚒

@steadfastsaturnsrings you are an eternal ray of positivity and i absolutely adore you for that. i love exchanging EddieShannon HC with you and hearing about your fic ideas. 💞 🪐

gonna give a big shout to @theotherbuckley for your amazing BuckTommy art, gifs, vids (that had me wheezing), fics and tweets (Chris calling oblivious Eddie out will always be gold to me) 💜

i feel like i could go on and on and on about every single one of you. in case you haven't guessed by now, cheerleading/providing yells is kinda my jam. while the beginning of the year (and beginning of April for some reason... idk... strange 😅 ) saw some moots disappear, this year also brought brand new friends that i'm having a blast getting to know. Looking at you @swiftiefirefighters, @mmso-notlikethat, @half-oz-eddie, @peppermintquartz, @inell, @herrmannhalsteadproduction, @lavenderleahy…

and ofc my eternal love and devotion to @elvensorceress 🐥💞🦛 @giddyupbuck @midsummersmorn @lemonzestywrites @bi-buckrights @beyourownanchor6 @bucksbiawakening @monsterrae1 @your-catfish-friend (positively feral over what's coming in the pipeline from you) @actuallyitsellie @statueinthestone @thelikesofus @wildlife4life LOML @lizzie-bennetdarcy @rmd-writes @welcometololaland @djdangerlove @wikiangela @thekristen999 @diazheartsbuckley @dangerpronebuddie @tizniz @kitteneddiediaz @a-noble-dragon @freewayshark @theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming @imtheiliad @singlethread and many more i couldn't fit here 🫶 😘

[deantfwinchester]

A New Chapter

Pairing: No-Outbreak!AUJoel x Teacher!Reader (pregnant)

Moving forward in the narrative a bit y'all. Our girl is pregnant now, so we're a couple years into their marriage. The premise of this one's a little goofy, but he looks so pretty in the Gladiator trailer I couldn't help myself.

Summary: You and Sarah go Halloween costume hunting and find the perfect family costume, much to Joel's chagrin. He'll do just about anything for his little girl, though. :)

Warnings: fluff as per usual. a teeny bit of angst and emotional h/c, but so so fluffy. a couple of suggestive little innuendos for fun, but very much PG as usual.

A/N: I'll make a little timeline at some point explaining how these all fit into the same universe, but they're definitely the same couple so far! I've got plenty more planned for these two, and I'm excited to keep going, but I've also got a kind of multi-chap AU situation I may try to write? Idk, guess we'll see which bulleted fic I'm inspired to expand next, lol.

Word Count: 3.3k

__________________________________________________________

“You can’t be serious,” Joel looks at you, exasperated. 

“Serious as a heart attack,” you respond, smiling wide. 

“Hell no!” he says, amused at the very idea. 

“What, Sarah’s got that precious little goddess dress from the costume store, and they were right next to it!” you exclaim. 

___________________________

You’ve just presented Joel with a gold and white roman general costume you found while you and Sarah were shopping for Halloween costumes. You took her to the costume shop after picking her up from school and the two of you were over the moon. Halloween is your favorite holiday hands down - you and Sarah have always had that in common. It was one of the first things you bonded over, and Joel was thrilled that the two of you wanted to do that together. You hadn’t been looking forward to finding a maternity costume though - it was still early September, but you knew one that fit well right now would be pretty uncomfy by the end of October.

You and Sarah walk a few aisles in before stopping in your tracks at a beautiful mythology display - long dresses and beautiful accessories with the names of different Greco-Roman goddesses in a row, with a family-costume display showing mannequins of an adult man, adult woman, and a teen girl and young boy. The young boy’s costume had a shield and chest plate of worn-looking plastic, and the teen girl’s costume was a long ombré-colored dress with little gold appliqués printed on the hem.

Sarah was enchanted. And you were enamored with the childlike wonder she felt touching the low-quality polyester and spandex blend. The adult women’s costume mirrored the toga-like shape of the girl’s, but was one-shouldered and of a different shade. Sarah saw them and immediately knew what she wanted to be for Halloween this year - a princess in this goddess dress and you an empress to match. The names on these costumes were inaccurate as hell, but you weren’t here to hold Spirit Halloween to historical accuracy or academic integrity. The look on her face made it clear you couldn’t say no - especially when you saw the Maternity option hanging in a thick plastic bag next to it closed with a plastic snap. At least this costume would hang loosely no matter how much you’re showing by Halloween. Might even drive Joel a little crazy. 

Once you agreed to it, you decided just the two of you couldn’t do it alone - not when there was only one member of your family to be left out. You grab the Adult Men’s costume hanging next to the mannequin - it was different from the boy’s, not some sort of battle armor, but labeled Emperor to match the adult women’s. It’s white and lined in gold leaf appliqués just like the goddess costumes. It's a beautiful costume, with a cape and a little caged skirt thing hanging over the tunic. You’re especially fond of the myriad golden accessories accompanying this costume - wide bangles and a little headband of golden leaves. You’re torn between cackling at how much Joel would undoubtedly protest such an elaborate costume and practically salivating at the image of him wearing it. He’d look ridiculously hot in this costume — you’d just need to convince him. 

Joel isn’t totally averse to costume-wearing, especially for his girls’ favorite holiday. He would put on a little something here and there to appease you or Sarah - maybe a cape or a few accessories. You’d seen pictures from one Halloween a few years before you met them with Sarah in a pretty little pink fairy costume and Joel in a much too small pair of wings and a feathery tiara, holding a matching wand. Seeing it never fails to make you smile.

Joel is a wonderful father to Sarah - he can always tell her No when necessary, whether it has to do with her health and safety, development, or due to financial constraints, but always explains to her why. As much as he’d love to spoil her to pieces, he wants to make sure she grows up with a realistic understanding of the world around her, and understands both her privilege and the difference between Want and Need. The way he communicates with her and makes parenting choices with a focus on the kind of person she is and will become is in large part what drew you to him - to a place where you not only felt comfortable being with him, but having a child with him. You are more than confident he’ll be a wonderful father to your next child as well — he’d made that clear when you’d first found out.

When it wasn’t necessary to tell Sarah No, however - he couldn’t ever look his little girl in the eye and resist. Letting her polish his nails, play with glittery make-up, and wearing little wings to match her own were just a few of the things he’d done to make her smile. If the only reason to say “No” was that he didn’t want to, well it simply wasn’t reason enough.

With this knowledge in mind, you were fairly certain Joel could be convinced to put on this elaborate costume - maybe with some work boots instead of the mannequin’s little sandals, though. And a pair of shorts under the skirty pieces, probably. Once you and Sarah have picked out the shades you want and spent way too much time staring at the wall of accessories for your own costumes, you leaf through the men’s costume bags for Joel’s size and snag one off the rack. Sarah’s eyes go wide when you turn around and raise your eyebrows at her, and a huge grin spreads across her face - she’s laughing excitedly at just the prospect of her dad in this elaborate costume, and shaking her head vigorously while agreeing - it has to come home. 

____________________________________________

“C’mon baby. Y’all’s are beautiful but this?,” says Joel, gesturing to the elaborate white costume you’ve removed from the bag and hung up to present to him in all its gilded glory. “This is insane. Looks more like a damn wedding dress than a Halloween costume.”

“Oh but Joel, it’s so beautiful! I know it’s a little elaborate, but Sarah and I are already gonna be matching. We want you to do it with us! Dress as a family for the party,” you plead, and you can see his resolve beginning to crack. He shakes his head, both hands on his hips, and glowers at you, though it lacks any real contempt.

“Darlin’ I think it’s precious that you and Sarah got these little matching costumes. Hell, nothing could make my heart happier than seeing you two looking so gorgeous together in these pretty dresses she chose. But y’all are my beautiful little stars of the show, let’s be honest,” he finishes, placing his hand heavily on your hip and drawing you closer. “You, Sarah, and her perfect little sister on the way,” he grins, resting his other hand on your belly and locking eyes with you. 

“That’s kinda the thing though, Joel. This is the last Halloween we can do this, just the three of us. Every Halloween after this will be a different kind of special, but it’ll never just be us and Sarah again after this year. You know she’d love it, no matter what the reason,” you say with a slight smirk, knowing you and Sarah both want this, at least in part, to mess with Joel. 

He locks eyes with you,and his are gentle and wistful at the idea. You’re both elated at the mere thought of the future ahead with your growing family, but the change is a big shift for all of you. You worry about Sarah more than anything. You’ve had this conversation a couple of times already — the age gap between Sarah and the baby is so big, you just worry she’ll feel left out when you two get busy, or get hyper focused on the baby those first few months. 

You aren’t afraid to admit that you’re scared — scared you won’t be able to give the baby everything she needs or scared you won’t bond like you should. It’s a big relief to you, a new mom, that this won’t be Joel’s first rodeo. He’s already assuaged your worries on multiple occasions during this pregnancy and preparation period with his existing knowledge in child rearing. There’s not a man in the world better suited to fatherhood, and his quiet confidence and reassurance when your anxieties arise comfort you more than he’d ever understand.

But the fear is still there — fear of not being enough, leaving Joel to feel like he’s alone in this all over again, even with you standing beside him. You’re especially scared you won’t ensure Sarah continues to get all the attention and love she needs. You know fully well that your love can only multiply — it does so a little each year a new set of students arrives at your classroom door — but your attention can unfortunately divide, and sometimes will, despite your best efforts. 

Yes you both want to mess with Joel a little with your request that he wear this elaborate costume that’ll make him a bit bashful; but more than anything, you want him to do it with the two of you for Sarah. To make that choice to remind her that the two of you would do anything for her — as goofy as the request may be — no matter how much your lives change in the coming years. You want to do as many special things for her as possible beforehand — and you need his help for this one. 

“I just — I know it’s silly, but I want her to enjoy this chapter as much as possible before things change. And I know you do too, I’m just…,” you look down at your feet as you say this, unable to find the words to continue. Your eyes mist over as you think about it, and before you know it, you’re in his arms, face pressed tightly against his chest. His hand holds the back of your head, pulling you close, thumb moving gently back and forth over your crown, soothing the concerns he could see encroaching as you spoke. 

“Sweetheart.‘S not silly at all,” he pauses, searching for the words to help you find solace in your unease. “I know you’re worried about that, I do. And do you know how much it means to me that this is on your mind? That you’re busy growing a little person in there, having to think about mothering a baby for the first time, and she’s at the top of your list?” Joel stares at you with a sincerity that aches in your chest before he continues, “And that’s why I want you to remember that she knows. You’re an incredible mother already, baby, and none of that’s gonna change. The fact that you’re concerned about it in the first place is enough. I really believe that, baby. Sarah’ll always know that we’re here.”

You’re crying for real now, burying your face in his chest again as he squeezes you tight, resting his head on yours as it lies in the crook of his neck. He closes his eyes and holds you for a bit longer, slightly swaying back and forth to soothe you. He knows the hormones are playing a part in your worry and reaction, but also knows better than to identify them as such. No matter the cause, you’re experiencing these feelings — and no matter how fleeting they are, he’ll make sure you get what you need. 

After a minute or two of holding you in silence, Joel pulls his head back and looks down at you, rubbing your back to rouse you from your trance. You look up at him to see a small smile on his face and enough warmth in his eyes to have you weeping all over again.

“Alright darlin’, let’s go give this ridiculous getup a shot,” he says, gesturing toward the bedroom with his head.

“Really Joel?,” you ask, voice filled with hope and gratitude. 

“Course baby. If I’m gonna wear it, gonna damn well make sure it fits right.”

“Wait’ll you see the accessories!” you say excitedly, wiping your eyes and sniffing back the last of your tears.

“Oh good lord,” he huffs out, rolling his eyes playfully before grabbing your hand and leading you to the bedroom, costume in hand.

______________________________________________________

~ Halloween Night ~

“Have I told you yet how gorgeous you look in this costume?” you ask in Joel’s ear as Sarah runs ahead of the two of you toward the door to Tommy’s. 

“Only about seven times since I first put it on, sweet girl,” he says to you through a smile, chuckling at your insistence. “Better give it a rest, or my head’s gonna be too big to fit through the door by the time we get home.” He smirks at you, squeezing your hand in his as you cross the yard. 

“Ah, I think it’ll fit just fine,” you reply, rubbing a gentle hand against his chest. “Did I tell you how sexy you are tonight yet?,” you whisper closer to his ear now, smiling while you do it, grinning wider as a light blush touches his cheeks before he smiles at you as well.

“Hmm, I’m not sure. Mighta mentioned it once or twice.” His brows furrow as he feigns consideration. “I’d much rather talk about how incredible you look tonight, darlin’,” he whispers into your neck before pressing a kiss to your bare shoulder, all too softly for the hormones rushing through your system. He knows it too, when your eyes go wide and your own cheeks flush, and is far too satisfied with himself for your liking. Years into your relationship and he can still drive you wild with so little — you have plenty of tricks up your sleeve as well, but the second trimester has been giving him an unfair advantage lately. 

Before you can gather your thoughts, you’re behind Sarah at Tommy’s door as he opens it to greet you, cowboy hat on and beer in hand. Otherwise, still dressed in his work flannel and jeans. Damn, Joel’s gotta be jealous right now. 

Tommy hugs Sarah and ushers her inside before looking at the two of you, eyes widening as he takes in Joel’s appearance, pretending to hide the elation growing on his face at seeing his brother in such an elaborate outfit. 

“Well ain’t that a lotta gold? Not sure what I expected when Sarah told me, but this wasn’t it,” he says, biting back a laugh. “Gotta say brother, didn’t think you had it in ya,” he says, clapping Joel on the shoulder, unable to conceal his entertained grin any longer. Joel rolls his eyes in response, and along with Tommy, looks to you.

“Now you look beautiful honey. Though I gotta say, if you’re goin for one of the Vestal Virgins, I think you may be in trouble,” he jokes, looking down at your growing bump and pulling you in for a hug.

“Aren’t you a riot,” you say flatly, rolling your eyes and smiling at his comment before hugging him back, “Hi Tommy. Y’all having fun in here?”

He moves aside so you and Joel can enter the house and Joel follows after Sarah to grab you both a drink. He’ll grab a beer like his brother, while you’re relegated to a soda without caffeine for the time being. 

“Course we are!” He waits until Joel moves further away and leans toward you with a mischievous glint in his eye. “I have to say — Thank you. Thank you so much. For that,” he gestures toward Joel at the little drink bar with Sarah. 

You chuckle a little with him, “You’re welcome. Go easy on him tonight though, alright? I know he’d much rather be wearing what you are right now,” you ask.

“Alright, alright, I promise. But please take pictures. Take so many pictures,” he laughs, and you laugh with him. “Seldom I get to see my brother like this, I’m gonna need a record of it.”

“Oh yeah, that’s kinda the idea. Speaking of which, you really put some effort in on the costume for tonight, huh?,” you ask, unimpressed, but good-natured.  

“Hey, I’m hosting! A little busy gettin’ everything together. Besides, a cowboy hat always suits me,” he gives a winning smile before changing the subject. “Now how are you and my little niece doing tonight?,” he asks, moving a hand down to your belly and bending a bit to greet the little one from outside. You place your hand on top of his and move it over to the side where you’ve been feeling the baby moving around lately.

“Say something to her again,” you instruct, “she’s been wiggling up a storm today.”

Tommy speaks to the baby above your belly again and you feel a little foot move ever so slightly against his hand. The way he lights up warms your heart, and you’re nearly overcome with emotion. He’s so excited to feel her that he hugs you to him once again. 

The two of you talk a bit longer about the newfound quickening, and you’re elated at his enthusiasm. It’s an incredible feeling, knowing just how much this baby will be loved — how surrounded she’ll be with family, and how happy everyone will be to have her there. Before you can think yourself into happy tears, Joel returns, smiling wide overhearing his brother’s excitement. He has a beer in one hand and an odd-looking green drink in the other, adorned with a black bendy draw covered in skulls. Your eyes widen as he hands you the cloudy slime-colored monstrosity. Tommy looks warily at the drink, and excuses himself to go talk to Sarah instead. 

“Oh Joel, what is that?!” you ask amused.

“Go on, try it darlin’” he says, gesturing for you to take a sip.The morning sickness had been rough in the beginning, and though it had tapered a few weeks back, you weren’t exactly looking to reawaken the nausea anytime soon. 

You sip with hesitation. It’s surprisingly tasty, a little fruity and fizzy. When you look down in it to find two gummy eyeballs staring back at you, bobbing around in the green. You laugh aloud at the sight, and Joel smiles so wide his eyes nearly close - he has two favorite sounds, and that’s one of them. Soon enough, he’ll have three. 

“It’s delicious, but what the hell is it?,” you ask through the laughter. 

“Sarah and I thought you might like a little Halloween mocktail to shake things up. I think it’s lemonade, sprite, and some of that blue stuff? Might be some pineapple or orange juice in there too, I think Sarah just started adding stuff. Gummy eyeballs were apparently a necessary garnish - she said they’re ‘on theme’ and that you’d agree.”

“She’s very right. Thank you sweetie, I appreciate it,” you say, taking another sip before kissing his cheek. You got him this time, and he grows a slight bashful blush at the public affection, but it’s never unwelcome. 

“Course. Happy to experiment for you anytime, sweetheart,” he grins back and you lose the battle, jaw dropping open a bit in response, eyes wide at him. 

He laughs again and puts his arm around your waist, pulling you into his side, before kissing you gently, just enough to keep the rise going. The two of you look over to see Tommy and Sarah talking excitedly, mixing some sort of other “punch,” this time in a shade of red. You raise your cup to Joel’s lips, and he takes a sip, looking surprised at the quality of their amateur mixology. You lean your head against his shoulder as you both look on at the party, wistfully watching your daughter enjoy herself. You stay there for a while, doing everything to remember the final Halloween of this beautiful chapter, just before a new one begins.

[shadow-pixelle]

Here's a random DCxDP snippet!

Wrote this on Monday. Was gonna post it yesterday and then kinda... forgot. It's a completely disconnected snippet- that is, I have no context for what's going on here, what kind of AU it is, or much of anything else at all. Also currently have no plans to try and expand it, though I might mess with it in the future when I have time? We'll see.

Honestly 80% of the reason I'm posting this is because I sent it to Kali and absolutely devastated her with the worldbuilding, so shrug.

--

“I need you to understand,” Danny said, gripping the side of the table. Tucker put a hand on his shoulder for support, and he leaned into it slightly, being very careful to keep his focus on any Bat other than Hood. “And I mean really understand, that this isn’t just- a crime. It’s not that simple.”

“Phantom…?” Red Robin sounded confused, and slightly wary.

Danny couldn’t blame him, given the situation. Ancients, Danny had just had to give up his secret identity just to make sure he didn’t try and kidnap a Bat. Nothing about this situation was normal or reasonable.

“The Infinite Realms has a lot of beings in it.” Tucker said carefully, and Danny could kiss him for being willing to lead the conversation. “Like, a lot. And they’re all ghosts in some form. But the thing about ghosts is that they can’t be killed. They’re already dead, or- like, similar to dead? The only thing you can do to stop them is imprison them or End them.”

“And Ending someone is serious.” Sam took over, stepping forward to lean into Danny’s side. “Ending someone… nothing comes back for that. When we say Ended, we mean it. There is nothing left.”

“The previous Ghost King was a being called Pariah Dark.” Danny began, fixing his eyes on Batman for someone to focus on. “He was insane, a tyrant and a conqueror. Violent. Unwilling to compromise. Anyone who stood in his way was dealt with, one way or another. He wanted to claim everything.”

“No-one tried to stop him?”

Danny’s eyes flicked to Nightwing as Tucker laughed, raw and exhausted. “He was the Ghost King. He ruled the entire Infinite Realms. He carried the sort of power that gods dream of.”

“The Ghost King can force his word, his Rule, on pretty much every being in the Realms. As close to absolute power as you can get, in the end. Everything in the Realms is made from ectoplasm, and the Ghost King can manipulate that at levels most people can’t even start to believe. There’s only two types of beings that can even try to resist that.”

“One’s the Ancients. They’re old ghosts, the oldest you can get. Incarnations of gods, concepts, things like that. But the problem with that is that they’re also limited, kinda. They can disobey the Crown, no matter what sort of Rules it puts out, but fighting back? They can stop him, sure, that’s how Pariah Dark got sealed away the first time, but they can’t stop him being King. They can’t take the Crown, even if they win. They’re bound too much to the things they incarnate, the gods they were and are. They can’t be the Ghost King. Those ties stop them being as firmly Ruled over, but it means they can’t take the Crown away. All they can do is delay it.”

“The second,” Danny took over again from his friends, grateful for their support, as the various Bats around the room looked horrified. Afraid. And for good reason, really.

It was only going to get worse.

“The second were beings called Halfas.”

A breath.

“Halfas are the only beings in the entire Infinite Realms that aren’t entirely ecto. Not alone. They’re… well. Half.”

“Half beings.”

“Half living, half dead.”

“And because of that, they’re the Balance.” Danny leaned into Sam, letting Tucker step closer again. “Equally alive and dead. Equally bound to their ecto and not. Halfas were the Balance because they cannot be Ruled.”

“From what we understand, Halfas were created by the Realms itself.” Sam said quietly. “They existed to be the Balance. Slipping from living to dead to living whenever they wanted, all the powers of a ghost and all the benefits of a living being mixed into one.”

“They were rare, because they couldn’t be killed. Kill the human side, and the ghost half keeps them alive until they recover. You can’t kill a ghost, and anything that could contain a ghost, the human side walks right out of. They were there as Balance, between the living and the dead. Advisors to the Ghost King, helping to keep things smooth between the living and the dead whenever they had to interact. Balance. Beings that couldn’t be Ruled by the Ghost King because they were as much alive as ecto.”

“They were there to stop tyrants.”

Tucker nodded at Robin’s quiet voice, and paused. It was an offer to Danny, he knew, to take this part as well. He and Sam knew everything about this. Danny didn’t need to be the one to explain.

He spoke up. “From what records say, there were around six thousand Halfas at the start of Pariah Dark’s reign.” He told them. “They were the Balance. They saw what Pariah Dark was doing and had a duty to stop it. Up until ten years ago, there were no Halfas in existence.”

The group seemed to pale.

“Halfas can’t be killed, but anything can be Ended.” He said quietly. “Pariah Dark went around every single Halfa that came to stop him, and he destroyed them so utterly that they cannot exist any more. Not as ambient ectoplasm in the Realms, not as shades or smaller spirits, not as a being in the reincarnation cycle waiting to live and die. Every single one of those Halfas no longer exists, because he destroyed everything that made them them and then destroyed all the remaining pieces as well.

“Dark Pariah was a tyrant. And he was the reason that I learned everything about my entire species from second or third hand knowledge. Everything that I know about myself? I either figured it out myself, found it in some of the few books that still exist about Halfas, or heard it from the Ancients. And those last two didn’t know much at all, in the end. Halfas were so rare that the only thing most beings got were rumours, and the Ancients weren’t an exception to that, and not many Halfas ever bothered to write things down about themselves and their powers. They couldn’t die, after all.”

Danny shivered, a little. Sam and Tucker leaned in more on either side, keeping him upright as much as the table was. None of the Bats were moving.

“I’m telling you this because I need you to understand,” he said again. “Pariah Dark was a tyrant. A nightmare. The worst thing to happen to the Realms ever. He committed so many genocides that there aren’t records of it any more, and the only silver lining,” he spat the words, mocking, because there is no silver lining in senseless slaughter, “Is that all but one of these were against the living. They were allowed to exist as ghosts. Pariah Dark was a monster.”

Danny wrenched his eyes away from Batman and looked directly at Red Hood. He pushed down the impulse to take him away, to hide him, to get him to Frostbite for help and maul and destroy anyone who got in his way, who tried to threaten him-

He pushed down his shudder, and looked Red Hood directly in the eyes.

“Pariah Dark was a monster, and even he would consider what was done to you unforgivable.”

Hood jolted. So did the rest of the Bats, looking for all the world like they’d just restarted breathing again, no longer frozen in time.

“We can’t explain to you what we’re seeing.” Sam said from his side, and she sounded almost apologetic. “It’s- literally, there are no words in any living language to explain what it looks like. And we’re only Liminal, a little bit dead. We don’t see as clearly as beings like Phantom do. But it’s-”

Words seemed to fail her, and Tucker reached around Danny’s back to squeeze her shoulder in comfort.

Danny tried, pulling his eyes away from Hood again so he could think past the urge to steal him away and hide him somewhere safe. “It’s like I’m looking at a baby.” He tried to explain. “Or- I don’t know. A puppy? Whatever cute little thing you want to go with. Something small and delicate and needing to be looked after. Something that shouldn’t be on it’s own, because it’s too young to survive. Like someone took a premature puppy, and then just.” He paused. Gestured. “Just mutilated it. Whatever horrible things you can think of, the most evil things you can imagine at all, just. All of that. And then left it crying in the trash to rot and die, except it can’t die.”

None of the Bats that he could see out of the corner of his eye look well. Hood was-

His core, the half-mangled thing that was barely there, barely able to exist and yet still trying desperately to survive, was shrieking in horror.

“Phantom’s a Protection spirit.” Sam murmured, into the silence of that. “He’s a guardian, every instinct he has is aimed at keeping people safe.”

“I can’t look at you right now.” Danny confessed to that tiny lost child. “If I look at you too long, I just- Every instinct I have is telling me to get you away, to take you back to the Realms and hide you somewhere safe while I get a doctor or twelve, and that if anyone else gets even close to you they need to be mauled. I transformed because those instincts were even worse in ghost form, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone who wasn’t responsible for this.”

“I want to wrap them up in vines and strangle them.”

“I’d kinda like to suffocate all of them in sand and then mount them on a wall or something.”

“And they’re Liminal.” Danny added. “They’re not even fully dead, barely even dead at all. Any being of the Realms that sees you is going to want to help, or at least get vengeance, because it’s-

“It’s not even something Pariah Dark would do, and he committed a genocide of an entire people just because he didn’t want to be held accountable and couldn’t stand having people he couldn’t control in the Realms.”

For a long, long moment, no-one spoke. None of them even seemed to be breathing.

Danny flickered his eyes across Hood one more time, then focused on Batman again.

“So,” he said, as firmly as he could. “I’d quite like to know who did that to him. Because my next step is going to be to call the Council, get war declared on them, and then erase them.”

[7thchevronlocked]

Fic Author Self Rec

Thank you so much @alexagirlie for the tag!!

When you get this, reply with your favourite 5 fics you've written, then pass it on to at least 5 other writers.

I'm not sure if I even have five fandom fics posted 😂 So we'll see how this goes! In no particular order..

1 All of our Book's Pages Dog Eared (Equestrian!Jace x Farrier!Cregan, House of the Dragon)

Inspired by a friend's incredible fic that got me into Jacegan as a ship, a british take on hotd horsefic. My longest multi-chapter for a fandom, I'm so proud of it. Farrier!Cregan takes a temp job at the Red Keep working for world famous dressage rider Rhaenyra Targaryen. Gets more than he bargained for in the form of her eldest son...

2 Shield that Guards the Realms of Men (Gen - for now. Harwin Lives, House of the Dragon)

This was wholly inspired by the hotd season 2 trailer seeing jace and cregan at the wall, and ended up making me expand a little personal drabble about Harwin being sent to the wall rather than dying at Harrenhal. When Jace visits the wall with Lord Cregan Stark to gain favour for his mother's war, there's a familiar face waiting for him in the Lord Commander. (Planning a Chapter 2 with some Jacegan but i've not managed to get around to it yet)

3 The Princess, The Queen and the Prince Consort (Canon Divergent!Harwin x Rhaenyra, House of the Dragon, Episode rewrite)

A rewrite of that scene in 1x06, where Harwin gets to punch Crispy. Rewritten based off of a roleplay over on @scripturient-roleplay. What if Harwin and Rhaenyra had been able to marry, and he survived into the dance?

4 To The Sea We Shall Return (Canon Divergent!Harwin x Rhaenyra, House of the Dragon, Episode rewrite)

Another episode rewrite, this time 1x07, the funeral on driftmark and Aemond losing an eye. We see things go down from Harwin's POV. I had a lot of fun with this one! Again, based off of a roleplay over on @scripturient-roleplay. Rhaewin living their best lives.

I don't have anything else published, but honourable mention to the Rhaewin F1!AU that I posted here just for fun that's since become over 100 pages of google docs rambling.

As for people to tag... Idk if I know 5 writers here 😂

@cordeliacordate @archaiccotton @heliophytes @rentekren

Apologies if I've double tagged anyone! I could only think of four but I only tagged four fics 😂 ofc participation is totally optional, and if you see this and wanna do it but I've not tagged you, go for it! Just tag me, I wanna see everyone's stuff!

[bluegekk0]

in the vein of fighting pk how would fighting WL be like

This is definitely something I might change a bit or expand upon with my planned WL redesign, but I think this ask could be a nice opportunity to talk about some ideas I had.

I definitely think she would utilize her roots for fighting. My vision for her is that she's kind of like a parasitic plant, the kind that wraps around other plants to steal their nutrients. Soul is present within living organisms (though it's not necessarily their life force; in my AU they can survive without it, but if the soul was to suddenly be drained from their bodies, it would have some side effects; plus in most cases killing the organism is the easiest way to do it, as seen in the Soul Sanctum) and she sustains herself with it, so perhaps by wrapping her roots around another being she could drain the soul from it, leaving them weakened. I do also think that some soul is present within plant life, which is why she resides in the gardens - I quite like the idea of her actually keeping the plants alive and tending to them, allowing soul to gather within them, which she can then use as sustenance.

But to get back on topic. Her roots can wrap around the opponent to drain them from soul or to strangle them with little effort, but there is another idea I'm considering for her. Part of my inspiration for her AU design was various types of parasitic fungi, specifically those which control insects. Perhaps she would have a similar ability, either full control or some kind of hypnosis which would disorient or even let her control her opponent during a fight. How would that work? Maybe through spores of some kind, which would also open the possibility of her abusing that ability to subtly influence those around her, which would certainly be useful with establishing a court and ruling, something she returns to even after Hallownest's fall (through her mansion in the gardens). I think it's a very interesting concept that matches my vision of her in the AU.

On the topic of her roots, she uses them to move around (since she doesn't have distinguishable legs), and forms them into the shape of arms and hands. I imagine she has a lot of control over them, which would allow her to extend roots and vines from anywhere on her body. I also quite like the idea of her arming those roots with thorns as self defense, which would make them dangerous even without her abilities.

Considering she's a being of soul, she could also effortlessly utilize all kinds of soul weapons that Vyrm could manifest before his hibernation, and more. Soul magic is natural to her, and while she hasn't studied its possibilties to the same extent as Vyrm did, she's noticeably more powerful as she doesn't have to worry about "recharging". So if they were to fight with soul magic, she would almost definitely beat him by just exhausting him. Against Grimm, she could use the same tactic, as he also experiences similar exhaustion, and even though some of his fire-based magic could pose a threat, she would ultimately end up winning.

All that said, she's most certainly a formidable opponent. Again, I might get more ideas as I work on her new design, for example I'm planning to make the roots that grow from her head even more antler like, so that could open more possibilities for interesting abilities or physical traits. So we'll see once that happens.

[nobodysdaydreams]

20 Questions for Writers

@myfairkatiecat Thanks for the tag, sorry this took so long. (@sophieswundergarten thanks for the reminder 💕)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

8 so far. It's not a lot, but I make up for it in length.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

417,645 💀

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Exclusively tmbs so far, but I plan on doing some Wolf359 fics when I (finally) finish the podcast. Sadly all my ideas are long. I'm sorry.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Since I have so few fics I'll just give the list:

S.O.S., by a lot. I'd like to thank the show's cancellation for my unexpected success.

The Oldest Siblings , mainly due to it's association with SOS (it's the prequel in the series)

Treat Them With(out) Mercy

Who You Were Meant To Be

A Joy To Obey and It Should Have Been Us are tied

The Boys Who Waited

Sirens of the Sea and Sky: dead last with 3 modest kudos. This fic is the equivalent of having a kid in a school recital who screams the whole time and knocks down the set. He might be a disaster, but he's my kid and I'm proud. This fic is ridiculous, but it makes me laugh anyway. I don't know how burnt out finals Bods came up with this, but by golly...she did.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Of course! I think I've responded to every comment I've ever gotten (if not I'm so sorry please let me know). I appreciate every one of them, and I love talking about the ideas in my idea and the fics I write, so please know that every comment you leave totally brightens my day! 🥰

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hm. Right now "The Boys Who Waited" probably has the angstiest and most ominous ending, but we'll see what happens.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably "A Joy To Obey" since it's my main fluff fic with a nice ending. A great read if you like lighter stuff.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Not yet. If I did, I'm not even sure what I'd do. Depends on the hate. I might cry. I might laugh, honestly. I don't think I'm nearly important, good, or noticeable enough for that so I might be a little flattered ngl (unless it was something vulgar or hateful towards a certain group of people then I'd delete and block the person). I'm sure people have read my writing and not liked it, but I think they just click away.

9. Do you write smut?

No, that's not for me. Especially because I'm writing for a children's fandom, I just don't think that's appropriate.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, but I've done some AU's on tumblr.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. Also this is a small fandom so if a fic of mine DID get stolen, it would be pretty awkward and obvious. Don't plagiarize kids.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I'd be honored if anyone wanted to do that!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No, but that could be fun!

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Why the MV Shortcut, of course! /jk

I don't really have a lot of ships I get super invested in, I prefer platonic relationships. If I think of one I'll let you guys know.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

You'll find out. (Don't worry about SOS. I promised I'd finish it and I intend to keep my word).

16. What are your writing strengths?

According to my readers, dialogue, characterization, themes, weaving multiple storylines together, and plot twists.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I can't write a short fic to save my life, and I can't edit to save my life. I also just publish my first drafts because I have no impulse control (sorry).

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Funny enough I’ve done this, but only canon MBS dialogue where I've translated it directly from the show's subtitles. If I made an error, please let me know.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Mbs, and so far just mbs. Hoping to expand someday when I magically have more time (and finish Wolf359).

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

SOS, just because of what a fun journey it's been.

Tags: @phtalogreenpoison @oflightningandstars @mvshortcut @sqenthusiast @itsgoghtime @amphibious-entity @mysteriouseggsbenedict and anyone who hasn't been tagged yet but wants to do it (sorry if I accidently double tagged)

[copperbadge]

Hello! I finished reading Fete about 12 hours ago and I wanted to ask if there is any chance you would consider at some point writing genuine fanfic for the Shivadhverse, once you finish the stories you have planned? By which I mean things that don't belong in the actual novel because they don't necessarily serve the plot, and aren't long enough to be their own thing within your planned series of books, but that we fannish types would enjoy because they're sweet or funny (or steamy, if you'd consider higher rated stuff). I did read the first short story in the original AO3 post and the Duke of the Orange bit, and that's essentially what I mean -- just wondering if there is any more of that to come. I think the book as you wrote it told the story exactly as "completely" as a piece of fiction should, but in true fandom style I'm also not quite ready to be done with Eddie and Gregory's romance (I'm sure I will feel the same about Jes and Michaelis but I'm not that far yet). I just desperately want more fluff and shenanigans about those two being in love 💕

I'm so glad you enjoyed Fete! I hope you have fun with Infinite Jes and LATT, too :)

It's an interesting question to answer because there's two aspects to consider. The first is simply "Are there going to be more short stories" -- things that fit into the universe but aren't either supporting the storyline of a novel directly or novels in themselves. There are a handful more of those that you'll reach as you keep reading, and I do plan to put out a book of short stories when I have enough. Beyond the idea of more short stories, if you just want News Of Gregory And Eddie, that does definitely exist in the second and third books -- we see them developing their relationship and figuring out their life together. While I'm conceptually designing the second set of three books around non-royals (Caleb the musician, Georgie the bodyguard, Simon the chef) they're all royal-adjacent, so we'll still be following along with the lives of the royals.

But there is a second aspect, which is the idea of writing a story that not only doesn't fit into the canon neatly but might be divergent from it, like an AU or something that would mess up later canon if inserted. I'm less likely to do that simply because I enjoy expanding on what I've already done, and if I want something to exist within the narrative I simply make it canon. I think of Neil Gaiman being asked if he writes fanfic of his work, and him replying "Well, if I write it, I can just publish it." So I'm more likely to write something that could be considered fanfic but which ends up being labeled and printed as a short story, because it's my world and I can say what does and doesn't get published as canon.

Even if I were to write something on the porny side, it's not like erotica never gets published. Initially I had considered adding in some porn to Fete and publishing two versions, one with and one without, but I find writing sex scenes kind of exhausting these days, so I decided as long as I was doing this mainly to entertain myself, I wouldn't do anything that felt like work. :D I definitely do think about the kinds of sex the various people in the universe have, like for example I know that Gregory enjoys the fact that Eddie can significantly manhandle him. But the actual written prose version of those ideas is less likely to ever exist than simply stories about their lives.

But yeah -- I'm definitely not abandoning the storylines of the initial characters just because I'm writing other stories. There is a certain level of mirroring; the Eurovision story is also about Michaelis and Jes's developing relationship, the California story is also about Gregory and Eddie becoming dads, and Simon's story will have a strong underplot about Jerry and Alanna's marital misadventures. (This is all predicated on them getting written but between my love of this universe and my new medication it's looking pretty likely!)

[elminx]

A Year in Review: Kitchen Witch Version

My year started out strong with me sharing and creating in the kitchen and then petered out some during the late Summer/Fall as I was struggling to adjust to the new medication that I have been on. This is interesting because my partner has been in school all Fall so I cooked a lot more than normal (we normally share 50/50 of the cooking and I was doing most of it); I just didn't share it.

I made some really good eatings this year.

Early in the year, my partner and I made some Fire Cider which we turned into some incredibly yummy Fire Cider Bloody Marys. I also had a great time celebrating Fat Tuesday with some friends and I finally perfected making a Hurricane by using Fassionola, a very traditional tiki syrup that has gone out of fashion.

I also tried my hand at making Duck L'orange though I didn't get good photos of that (I think that my friends and I may plan an orange-themed dinner sometime soon, so we'll see if we get it written up for next year). We also continued our experiments with Eastern White Pine flavored vodka.

Spring arrived fast as it always seems to and I got back to my flower experiments. It turns out the Forsythia jelly is to die for and I continued my Violet Experiments - this time with Violet jelly as well as the violet simple syrup that I make every year which we turned into the most amazing Violet Birds of Paradise cocktails while we were on vacation at the beach. I also tried my hand at more cooking with flowers. For May Day, we made dandelion gnocchi as well as a fresh cheese ball made from chevre and tulips. I also made a spectacular Chive Vinegar from the first chive harvest from my garden.

Summer starts with the first pickups of our CSA farm share and my household becomes overflowing with fresh produce. I used the early cilantro and garlic scapes to make a lovely Cilantro Pesto and then got into canning and preserving for the season. For Midsummer, I made a lovely Strawberry Jam with a bonus Black Pepper Cocktail and I tried my hand at making canned Blueberry Pie Filling. I also tried my hand at canning sour cherry jam and making fresh cherry syrup. The end of the summer saw us canning all of the tomatoes and experimenting with more fun cocktails.

As mentioned above, I've done a lot of cooking this Autumn, I just never got around to recording/sharing most of it. I've been experimenting with apples (always) and I have been working on my soup skills (also, always). My favorite meal of the season was the French Onion Soup that I made with the Aus Jus from some braised Short ribs. I also made orange bitters which I did record, so stay tuned for more on that soon!

All in all, it was a lovely year in the kitchen. Did I get everything done that I wanted to? Absolutely not. I always have so many plans and then they inevitably get away from me. There is only so much time to play around in the kitchen (unfortunately!) As we head into the new year, I am contemplating kitchen witch goals for 2023. It is time to make more Eastern White Pine Vodka and Fire Cider, for sure - we ran out of both last weekend. I really want to make it back to the Cape to pick both Rosa Rugosa hips and Beach Plums so that I can finally find out what the differences between them both really are. I'd also like to make jelly with all of the spring flowers - last year I missed lilac, so that is high on my list for next year. Additionally, after a very poor gardening year (we were in a stage 4 drought), I'm more hopeful about my goals of expanding my tea garden in the year ahead.

[peninkwrites]

Any headcanons for mafia!Tubbo that you haven't mentioned or included? Is the mafia au going to focus mainly on the characters it already has been focusing on, or are characters who are more in the background rn going to become bigger characters? I'm loving the mafia au, so really anything you have to share would be cool :D

Ohh I have Several mafia!Tubbo headcanons to share.

This one isn't happy (of course) but well, Tubbo first decided he was going to kill Schlatt when offhandedly he mentioned that Tubbo could never move out or go away to college or in general get out alive because he "knew too much" about the family business. So whatever plans Tubbo had of being estranged and just moving on with his life ended then and there. He was probably like 15. He waited with that conviction 3 more years before he finally did it.

Also, the closet in his bedroom he's used as a safe-haven for years. Big fancy old house, so there's a little window in there overlooking the street. He could wedge the door shut with some rope around the doorknob and the hanging rod. It didn't really make him safer, but it made him feel better. He'd dragged a chair in there, some books from when he was younger, and he'd just look out at the street from there, people-watching, fascinated and maybe too longing for the normalcy he thought he saw in them.

And in that same vein, Tubbo liked to think that Schlatt wasn't really his dad. I mean, the last name is all wrong, he doesn't know why and it's not like Schlatt was open to questions, so maybe out there somewhere his actual dad is a scientist or something, working for NASA he'd like to think. Or maybe a beekeeper. Something ordinary. Something without guns. (this is in part bc I normally don't like dad!Schlatt so. I'm making myself feel better lol)

And as for our main cast of characters: the rest of this arc will continue to focus on Quackity and Tubbo (I didn't expect the two of them to end up taking up so much screen time, but I'm not complaining, I love these guys!) as well as some more resolution for Ponk's story. As for the next fic, I do have subplots planned for Wilbur and Tommy, Sapnap will start to get more involved in Quackity's storyline. The Badlands are major to the plot, but I still am unsure of writing Bad and Ant, so idk how much we'll see of them! I want to write some more of Niki and Jack, eventually some more from Ranboo and Karl, a bit more of Sam, I don't think there's anyone who is going to become major to the plot that hasn't been shown to have a pov/story already! Most of our major arcs have started in one way or another by now :D (I mean, I am open minded, if I can find a spot to fit in more of them I will. Find an excuse to expand on Hannah's story, Tina was mentioned but doesn't exist really, Fundy is literally just an accountant but if there's room I will write him gladly. and Eryn I have SO much backstory for and nowhere to put it lol)

Actually, I know I've posted a few prequel fics, but the main prequel Plot (why did the Empire fall? What happened between Wilbur and his father? why did Puffy leave the police force and join the Badlands?) more major things like that I'll put together in a more plot-heavy multi-pov prequel fic, it will probably be a shorter arc focused on Phil and Techno, Puffy, Sapnap and Bad, Wilbur and Quackity, that type deal!

I'm so glad you're liking the Mafia AU!!! :D I could talk about it for ages, and these questions were really fun to think about! Thank you!!

[diana-prince-s]

Hey, first of all I wanna thank u for recommending ALOTO bc as soon as I checked it out, I was obsessed. Have u read any good ALOTO fics you’d recommend?? Additionally, I love your rosenali writing and was wondering if you’d write/were planning to write for the ALOTO fandom (or hell, even an ALOTO au) ?? If u were or weren’t planning to, which ship(s) would u wanna write?? -from user nickysjaida ✨

hey friend!!

(wow look at that fancy formatting Tumblr just did for me)

This is like one of two fics I've read and the only one I've finished, mostly because I've got a lot going on so I haven't gone through the burgeoning tag yet. It's a very cute one and just a little spicy!!

Here's my thing about fic -- and I'm going to be really honest here -- I struggle to write canon ships. I used to write a few canon ships back in the day (Sanvers, JR+Petra, Fitzwells), but it was either that they were barely part of the show so I needed more content with them, or I'd only write a few fics and move on. And it's mostly just because I'm happy with what's in canon! we'll see what happens in the off-season, because I might be craving more content of theirs, but right now I don't feel that there's anything else I can add that could make the ships even better. The writers did such a great job.

And as someone who's been in this kind of fandom before (i.e. Harlots, where it's a period piece with a queer main character in a canon queer relationship) what always happens is, like, everyone writes fics that expand upon what happened in canon, deep dives into the characters or retell the plot moment for moment with descriptions of how the characters are feeling internally, and to be honest I'm not the biggest fan of this type of fic. I may have even written one or two back in the day but now I just get frustrated re-reading those fics. Then we're probably going to move on to AU fics with these characters, and I can't see putting them in like a high school or college AU lol. so long story short, I'm probably not going to be writing anything and I'm gonna wait for season two

I would love to do a Rosenali/drag race ALOTO AU and I even considered it the other day, but I just... want to finish my other Rosenali fics before I would even do that. and that's probably not going to happen soon sadly

As for pairings -- of course I'd write Greta and Carson, and if I were going to write a Max fic I'd write a Max and Clance besties fic because Clance is my favorite character and I love her relationship with Max, and of course Esther would be in it. I'm also kinda obsessed with Jo getting with that Flo girl -- but again, I literally have nothing to add to canon. It would just end up being like an essay written in a weird character study creative format

[wattpadscapcons]

Youtuber Au (Part 2)

Utsuro was encouraged to start his channel back when he was still in high school, but didn't start it until 2 years after his graduation. He was too busy studying and hanging out with friends to be playing video games all day.

Once he started though, he was having a lot more fun then he though he would. He hit 20,000 subscribers within a years on the platform. Akane is in most of his earlier videos, as she's the one searching up a lot of the games he made his earliest series on.

He does often get comments about how he looks similar to FourLeaf's Yuki Meada, and had to tell people to stop saying it.

"I know I look a lot like Yuki, but this is just getting annoying. It was funny at first, but now it's just getting on my nerves. I'm fine with the memes but stop commenting it on every one of my videos."

He did actually do a meet up with the FourLeaf's crew (Yuki, Yoruko, Shinji, Sora) at VidCon, Akane and Makoto tagged along with him for the trip. He took a picture of the two groups together and posted it to social media, which quickly blew up. Yuki did the same, and over all they got along well enough to plan to collaborate with each other in the near future. =

- Utsuro first started out playing small indie horror games, and expanded outwards with different simulator games and whatever cute games Akane suggested at the time

- Makes remarks that unintentionally end up being small spoilers

"I bet that this guy is going to die next."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, I made the choice not to give him a weapon."

"Hmm... We'll see."

=

"Called it."

"That's sad, I kinda liked him."

"He tried to kill Clementine."

(Yes, yes he did play the Walking Dead Games.)

=

- He only does vlogs when he's traveling to events that have to do with his job, or if he's traveling with friends, otherwise he's just playing games in his hotel rooms

- He does have to take a break every once in a while, as his fandom can get to be a little too demanding and he isn't about to take commands from anyone else other than himself

- His fans made fangames for him, all of which he's played on his channel, he always seems happy when people make games about him and his friends

- Unboxing videos and "Try not to laugh/Get anxious/ Say wow" challenges happen in between episodes, sometimes does it in a group with Tsurugi and Yamoto. Intentionally makes bad jokes during the challenge to try to get them to laugh before him

- Akane has her own line up of tiktoks she's made for specially crafted "Try not to laugh" challenges. She knows his taste in humor way too well and he usually barely keeps it together if he doesn't break halfway through the video

- When playing games that tell him not to do something like "Please Don't Touch Anything", "There Is No Game", and "Dude Stop", he immediately does what he's told not to

- Vibes with the "Untitled Goose Game" at an almost spiritual level

"You get to be cute and steal things at the same time-"

"I'm sold. Let me steal shit and be a terror to the neighborhood."

=

"How am I supposed to break the broom in half?"

"Have you tried fighting her for it?"

"Not yet...."

=

"Utsuro, that's mean."

"What? It's on the checklist! I have to steal from this kid."

"The fact that he has to buy it back is the saddest part."

"No, the saddest part is the fact that the owner didn't realize she had sold him that plane just hours before."

[sometimesiwrite]

Just a Scratch

B I N G O ! 

Prompt: It’s Just a Scratch

Pairing: Lambert/Aiden; Eskel & Lambden; Implied Geralt/Eskel 

Rating: Teen 

Summary: Lambert and Aiden are moving to start the next leg of their adventure together. Eskel sees them off.

Warnings: Modern AU; bittersweet; friends leaving; implied COVID distancing A/N: For Ben & Jemma

@witcher-rarepair-summer-bingo @continentcakeshop @morethangeraskier​

Read it on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33145900

“All set?” Eskel asked, squishing in one final duffel bag into the footwell and backing himself out of the rear door of Aiden’s VW Golf. Anya, Lambert and Aiden's husky mix, dozed sleepily in the back seat despite the excitement, having been rudely awoken at 6:30am to confusedly do her business.

“That’s it,” Aiden shrugged, letting the trunk close with a dull, satisfying thud. He opened his arms questioningly, and Eskel wasted no time pulling him into an affectionate squeeze, touching his hand to the back of Aiden’s head before pulling away. 

“You take care of yourself. Let me know when you make your first stop, alright? Anything goes wrong, just let me know.” 

“We’ll call you from the hotel,” Aiden reassured as he flipped the car keys over his finger.

“I still say we can make it to Port Hope by the end of the day if we push it.�� Lambert was tucked under the hood, giving the car one final check for fluid levels (tyre pressure had already been meticulously checked earlier that morning).

Aiden tilted his head, “That’s if you drive and unfortunately the highway patrol doesn’t care about fuel efficiency if you’re going ten over the speed limit.” He ambled his way over behind Lambert to get a cheeky eye-full of his favourite view, “Besides, I need you to put that sexy brain of yours to work for navigation.”

“Oi! Gerroff!” Lambert protested and Aiden backed away, but not before getting in a perfectly resonant smack. “If you had it your way, you horny old bastard, we’d be stopping every two hours to—”

 Eskel pointedly cleared his throat, scratching his head as he met Aiden’s eyes with a mixture of amused pride and endearing awkwardness that Aiden had so quickly grown to love. He would miss Eskel. They'd gotten close over the last five years, close enough that they had become friends of their own—each keeping the other company when Lambert or Geralt was out of town, planning surprises... 

Aiden's proposal had gone perfectly, their crowning achievement of mutual scheming. Lambert didn't even try to deny the fact that he'd cried like a baby—candles, dusk, his favourite hiking trail, champaign. Even Anya had behaved herself. That is, until she decided her owners had been embracing for too long and not paying nearly enough attention to her. Eskel had offered to edit that part out of the video, but Lambert insisted on keeping it in—"What's a special moment without our favourite dingus. Isn't that right, Anya? Are you a dingus? Yes! Yes you are!" 

“Not gonna miss us at all, are ya, big guy?” The hood latched heavily as Lambert wiped his hands and stowed the oil rag in the passenger's side door next to the Stanadyne.

"You kiddin'? I'm gonna miss you like hell. C'mere." Eskel wrapped Lambert in a bear bug that nearly crushed his goddamn ribs. 

"Easy, Eskel, Jesus I gotta breathe!" 

"Sorry," Eskel eased off, but he didn't let go. There hadn't been enough hugs in the last year. The last few months had barely made up for it, and now there would be far fewer. More dinners over Skype, more sporadic phone calls, occasional texts... watching his and Aiden's life unfold over Instagram and Facebook. But at least they would be happy, Eskel told himself. At least they were starting the next stage of their lives together with an adventure they'd remember forever. This was important for them. And yet the chill, damp fog of isolation was already creeping in around Eskel. Even as he held Lambert close to him and swallowed tears he'd save for later. 

One final squeeze and a pat on the back, and Lambert turned to get in the car, tossing a treat to Anya as he settled in. Aiden gave Eskel a final peck on the cheek, "Take care of yourself, alright? Don't be a stranger. Call, text, whatever. We're always happy to hear from you. Promise?"

Eskel nodded soberly, "I will. Thanks, Aiden." 

"We'll skype when we get to the new place. I want you to see it before it gets cluttered with boxes. We could even do dinner or—"

Eskel waved a hand, "We'll figure something out. Just get there in one piece, and send pictures. I'm not worried." 

Aiden smiled warmly, "Good. Good." A heavy exhale, "Alright, well..." 

"I hate to interrupt the bleeding hearts moment, but we've got commuter traffic piling up on the 606 as we speak! Get your gorgeous butt in the car, we gotta move!"

Aiden took a beat, "Yes dear!" 

"Okay, Anya! You be good!" Eskel gave the chocolate-and-caramel pup one last scritch behind the ears and closed the rear door just in time for the stereo to start playing Journey.

The car rolled down the driveway and Eskel watched until it disappeared over the hill past the stop sign. When the gravelly diesel purr was finally drowned out by late summer cicadas, Eskel sat heavily on the front steps with his coffee. He couldn't bring himself to open the door and go back inside. Something about the stark emptiness of a home previously occupied with guests made the aimless silence too loud. Besides, robins and cardinals were better than daytime tv for company. Finally, Eskel rested his forehead against his thumbs and let the wave of emotion breach the dam.

Shedding tears was something Eskel usually associated with significant pain—rage, grief, remorse, indignation—an open wound that took time and tending to heal. This wasn't like that, though. This was a scratch. Simple, uncomplicated pain: he was sad. Eskel couldn't remember the last time he'd cried because he was just... sad. Decades ago, he imagined, though he couldn't pinpoint a specific moment. It was something children did before emotions became more complicated. But here he was, sitting on his front steps, crying because he was sad. Eyes streaming, hot and wet down his cheeks because his friends were leaving. Just a scratch.

He felt silly, crying over something so inconsequential— and a man as touch-needy as Eskel, bearlike as he was, was left with the sinking feeling that, aside from Geralt, he might not touch another person for a rather long time.

It's not that they didn't have friends, of course, and he would talk to them later that night. He was helping to plan their wedding for chrissake, it's not like they would never speak again. But proximity to other people was something that had grown increasingly scarce, and Eskel—bearlike as he was—had the sinking feeling that, aside from Geralt, he might not touch another person for a while. 

Lambert and Aiden had an uncomplicated relationship with affection that always freed Eskel from the burden of second-guessing the odd touch to a shoulder or elbow. So many others had different personal spaces, many of which had expanded recently. Eskel was happy to respect, and accommodate, but Eskel always felt most himself when he could be affectionate with the people he cared about, and with those two gone, it suddenly felt as though a part of his identity was being forced back into shadow and shyness.

Eskel felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he sniffed loudly before answering. "Yup? Geralt, hi. Yeah, they just-just left. I'm ok-I'm okay. You know. Goodbyes are never easy. How's the conference? Heh. Good, good. Tell him I send my regards... Listen, I should get to work. No, I’m okay, I'll call you later... Will do. I l— I love you, too, hon. Buh-bye.” 

Eskel hung up the phone and stared quietly at the bird feeder for a few more minutes before going back inside, feeling as though something in the cosmos had shifted. 

[margridarnauds]

For the fandom ask, 1, 6, and 15?

1. What fandom(s) did you join this year?

I really, really surprised myself with how much I fell in love with Resident Evil: Village. If you'd told me this time last year that I'd end up having too many feelings over the Vampire MILF's brother, Garbage Magneto, I'd have laughed. (Actually, that's a lie -- I KNOW my taste is shit and I own it.)

Likewise with AC: Valhalla -- I'd started playing AC when the pandemic started, as a way of de-stressing (The duality of man: Stardew Valley and Assassin's Creed), but because of how expensive Valhalla was, I wasn't able to justify it until I got it as a birthday present, and then promptly proceeded to spend the entire summer fixated on it.

La Revolution was really unexpected because that one is such an obscure musical; I had no idea that there was something out there that was so perfectly tailored to my interests.

6. Did you have any new ships this year?

Heisenwinters/Wintersberg (RE); Alcina/Maiden (RE); Harald/Eivor (Valhalla); Eivor/Basim (Valhalla); Richard/Emma (I Am From Austria -- I think? I know I WROTE that one this year); the Disaster OT3 from Crimson Peak; the Disaster OT3 from La Revolution...there are probably many, many others, it's just been a long year and my memory's absolutely shot.

15. What are you looking forward to coming out in 2022?

In a fandom context, there are a LOT of fics that I've started bookmarking and subscribing to, I'm really excited to see what developments they'll end up getting.

As far as my stuff...I really want to wrap up Pour la Peine. I know I keep saying this, but after this next chapter or so, I'll have it pretty much entirely written out, which will be a massive, massive moment for me because I started writing it in the last year of my undergrad and now I'm a PhD student. It and I have been through a lot together, we've grown and developed, and I want to give it a fitting send-off. (I'm literally preparing some sparkling juice so that I can fully send it off in style.)

I really want to finish Door #2 -- This fic's meant a lot to me, the RE fandom, for the most part, have been absolutely lovely, and I want to end with a bang so I can start working on my other RE 8/Wintersberg content ( I have multiple AU ideas I'm putting on the burner so I don't distract from Door #2, especially since several of them are set in the same universe.)

A few Valhalla ideas I want to see out there, when I have the time to put in the research. 

A few 1789 ideas -- The Fairytale AU had some good progress this year; I don't think we'll make my goal of finishing by the New Year, but I think that sometime in 2022, possibly early 2022, we'll see movement.

I want to do some more work with my series on the Fourth Branch -- Thus far, we've gotten one piece from Gwydion's perspective, one piece from Lleu's, but I want to really expand to as many characters from the Fourth Branch as possible -- I especially want Aranrhod and Blodeuedd to get their piece. I might have a piece for Gilfaethwy planned out that...well. It's in keeping with me. And it's in keeping with the Mabinogi, God knows if I'll ever be brave enough to publish it.

I also want to start a separate series on the First Branch/Third Branch, with the first piece to be about Rhiannon during her penance, another piece after the events of the Fourth Branch. In general, I kind of want to do a thing with the Mabinogi where each of these one-shots added up ends up telling the whole story of the Four Branches, with all of them interlocking at different times, I think it'd be really fun and a really wonderful way to pay tribute to a tradition that's come to mean so much to me. (If I do this, the Second Branch is coming last because that one's too mentally exhausting for me.)

[sweetertangerine]

To anyone who's sent asks

Let's address a bunch of questions at once because I have a moment.

Spoilers for MM under the cut

No, it wasn't originally intended to be the prologue. I realized it would be a great one simply because it let you know the dumbasses you'll be dealing with, plus prologues are shorter than the actual story and let you know the lore. I've now set up the lore, characters, setting, motivations, strengths, and flaws. I could go anywhere from here. Which is absolutely amazing.

Fern isn't being controlled at the end, I've shown you how they look while in a trance. They're baby raging, and they're exhausted because they haven't been getting a lot of sleep. It's not like they're gonna get revenge for the revenge or anything.

PVRAI and possibly a few other things will come before I even start on MM's actual chapters, but yes you will see more of them. Even if just in cameos. Right now, I'm considering making Motive Flip an ask blog sorta thing. It might end up as a fanfic though. Either that or the pirate au. We'll see.

No, Capital M wasn't gonna kill Fern. Belladonna and M crafted the plan the way they did for many reasons. It's funny. It's strategical. And it's beneficial for all parties, one way or another, simultaneously ticking all the boxes for a Proper Revenge while subverting expectations.

There's more in-depth reasons as to why, and benefits for every character. But uh. You can piece those reasons together with what I gave you.

I told you they'd get a good ending. Death does not a good ending make. If anyone gets killed off, it'll be later. You need to get more attached and they have more arcs to experience.

Any other MM questions I've gotten can also be pieced together through context clues, like why each character had a specific council member that talked to them or why Vinyl seems to see Vinnie and Cartwright as two different people. It's all there. And if it isn't? Well. Maybe I plan to expand on it more in the future.