#well less of a fic and more of a one-shot or short prompt

[petite-phthora]

Can I kiss you?

[DP x DC fic]

[Love at first... murder? - part 1]

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Ao3

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“—so sorry! I swear I didn’t mean to kill him! It was an accident! He just jumped me out of nowhere and I have had bad experiences with clowns in the past so when I saw it was a clown trying to kidnap me I kinda just panicked and punched him! I swear, dude, I didn’t mean to hit him so hard—“

Jason, much too calmly, likely in some form of shock, rises from the crouched-down position he had been in to check the clown corpse’s pulse.

He had seen the poor, still rambling, twink getting grabbed from a distance and was about to step in as Red Hood, not even having been aware it was the Joker who —shouldn’t he have been in Arkham? There has been no announcement of him breaking out yet— had grabbed the guy until he had run close enough to the scene.

Which was after the guy had already been startled so badly by the Joker trying to kidnap him that he sucker punched the Joker into the wall of the alley so hard the clown died.

Said twink then realized what he had done and that he had a witness, that witness being Red Hood himself, and had started his frenzied speech on how it was an accident and to please don’t take him to jail he’s only just started his scholarship at Gotham U. and he can’t have murder on his track record yet.

Breathless, Jason looks at the nervous twink in front of him, who's still trying to plead his case, and who just obliterated the Joker with a punch.

Before his brain can catch up to his mouth, he’s already cutting the distressed monologuing off.

“Can I kiss you?” He blurts out.

Danny, taken off guard, breaks out of his panicked—oh, Ancients, I just killed someone— stupor and lets out a startled laugh.

“Take me out to dinner first” came the automatic joking reply, Danny still largely in shock of what he did.

Jason, either not picking up on the joking tone or ignoring it, nods seriously, already trying to come up with the best place for a dinner date with the cute twink to thank him for his service to the city.

Danny, who has calmed down slightly by now, glances between the red-helmed vigilante and the clown corpse. His gaze lands on Red Hood and he hesitantly speaks up again.

“So, uh, what happens now? Do I need to go to the station to make a statement orrrr?” He pauses awkwardly.

Jason, who’s still trying to figure out whether the Bat Burger would be a good place for a first date or not, doesn’t reply.

“I’ve got school in the morning and I only have like,” he pauses to check his phone for the time, “3 more hours before I have to be up for my first lesson. Soooo, I’m just gonna go. That cool?”

Again, he waits for a reply. But it doesn’t come.

“Right. Cool cool. Uh, see you later? Mr. Red Hood dude sir?” Danny gives a clumsy and awkward salute before turning tail and speed-walking away.

It’s not until 30 minutes later, once Jason has finally decided on the perfect place to take the guy to dinner to, that he realizes the twink is gone.

Fuck, he forgot to ask for the guy’s name.

…

And number.

[brynn-lear]

A Tasteless Cup [Yandere!Joker/Reader]

Prompt: After the destruction of your previous reality, you and Akira Kurusu landed in Teyvat. In an effort to stay afloat, Akira had set up a book café in Mondstadt alongside you. However, is this the true flavor of "Freedom"? [Dedicated to: Riley H. Goodheart, for the Alone Together event]

CW: yandere themes, dubious food, manipulation/controlling behavior, toxic relationship dynamic. P.S: Akira is aged up [20s] in this fic, happens after Persona 5.

To Akira, those he lets into his heart will become an intrinsic part of him. They are more than a trick of a card, more than a mask to mimic and steal for his own, more than a numbers game. Every bit of them is his soul. His relationships are the culmination of his being and, eventually, his raison d'etre. 

And Akira Kurusu had a hard time coping with losing these links. 

To others, relationships are no different from chains. The surrounding people are less a home and more like bars to a cage— a prison. And despite being somewhat of a Mr/Ms. Congeniality, you aren't as affected by the fact that neither of you can return to your respective world.

You are both empty. You have been handed a clean slate, an empty card, and an empty vision.

You are both "fools" again.      

"Bit too early in the morning to start a serious discussion…" Akira tiredly muttered, removing his glasses before rubbing his eyes.

But as long as the sun rises once more, does a rebirth truly matter?

Anyone would be remiss to disregard the sheer jadedness in his eyes and the slight breathlessness of his speech. Akira poured himself a cup. Normally served to others rather than his indulgence, you quietly noticed that his cup lacked sugar. The cafe owner drank and embraced its bitterness, unflinching. 

It's been three months since you both arrived in the world of Teyvat. Getting by as an Outlander proved difficult, and thankfully, Akira is kind towards you and a jack-of-all-trades. One might say he has "maxed out his stats." Charismatic, skilled, and bold, he has the makings for an entrepreneur with a pyro vision to boot. Unsurprisingly, he had become one of old Mond's eligible bachelors in a short time frame. 

So, by just the third week, he managed to persuade Master Ragnvindr with a solid pitch. The cafe you both sit in is a testament to your shared hard work. With his brew proficiency and your hobby of accumulating knowledge through books and art pieces, the cozy place had become a second home for individuals such as the local librarian and the Guild's investigator. 

But you'll always remember his words the night before he was invited into Duke Ragnvindr's study room.

"Akira, are you sure about this?" You muttered, tugging his sleeve. "Once you finalize it, you can't just..."

"Hmm? Why are you hesitating?" He tilted his chin up slightly, confused. "It's a good way to keep our finances afloat, right? Don't you want to keep collecting books and art supplies? I thought you said you wanted to have a small library someday."

"But, for you to work this much for it-"

"You matter to me. You are the only thing left binding me down here in Teyvat." He casually shot you down, but his light tone could not erase the heaviness of his words. "Besides..."

"Don't you like it when I make a hot cup and fresh pastries just for you?" 

That dream materialized into something called Cafe LeBlanc. Though he claims the name wasn't his but a charming, cranky old man's— you doubt anyone else can come up with that. But he sounded genuine enough. His unexplainable "silent" face can sometimes make him a hard read.

… This isn't one of those times. You know what's troubling him quite well. 

"Yeah…" you muttered. "Can't we save this conversation for the end of the day instead?"

Akira laughed. 

"Smart," he hummed humorlessly. 

"You know I get too tired to do anything at night except washing dishes and doing crosswords. It's not happening. We'll have this talk now."

Fair enough. Avoiding one's problems is a mindset you never advocated. You'd be a terrible hypocrite if you start now. "Alright, I'll hear you out."

You shifted from your seat, dragging it closer to the counter. Akira downed his cup on the other side, revealing no liquid gold in its bottom. His eyes were wide awake thanks to the caffeine, yet you couldn't even glance upward. 

"(Y/n), do you remember how I got this pyro vision?"

You blinked, unsure how he'd make the fact relevant. Still, you nodded.

A long time ago, you liked how open Akira was about himself. You can tell he had immense trust issues he had worked on fixing. Akira is a good man. Being wrongfully expelled and imprisoned at a young age must've done damages you can't quite comprehend fully. Sometimes, you wish you had the courage to be just as vulnerable, too.

He traced the outline of a pyro symbol on the table with his slender finger collecting not a single dust nor stain. Despite the warmth his vision may hold, it did not detract from the cold atmosphere you both had to face. With the angle you were viewing him, you can't help but notice his eyelashes. They're prettier than yours, you thought. If only his glare wasn't so pointed.

"When I arrived in this world, I was alone and confused. But you? You weren't. I saw your face— the face of someone who had nothing to lose to begin with."

Akira's gaze softened. He was right. You adapted to this new world so suspiciously well. 

"I couldn't tell whether you saw our situation as a positive or whether you thought this whole transfer to another reality was a cruel joke. But I had a feeling you were as horrified as I was. That you couldn't bear the thought of living alone. I think that you also had friends you cared for, but now, you will never be able to hear their voices again."

He breathed in shakily, his eyes heavy. Akira may seem like a silent person, no different from Duke Ragnvindr, but the time you spent together backs up what your instincts are testifying right this second.

There's one true thought in his mind.

After all his efforts.

After all that he has gone through so that you'll stay by his side.

What was it all for?

"So, when a Lawachurl wounded you in Windrise, I stepped in. I can't help but project myself onto you. I thought about how you must also have friends waiting– family waiting– whether it's a cat or a sister— I knew I just had to. I had to risk everything, even if you were just a stranger to me then." He clenched his fists. "And you were worth it. You were absolutely worth every risk. You were worth everything. I knew I had to survive, if not for myself, but to help you."

"Even without some sort of— card– or whatever— to indicate it, I knew our relationship was progressing. That our understanding of each other has reached such high ranks. I know we had become each other's most trusted confidant, so why? Listen, I value freedom too, but—"

He slammed his cup down— you jolted as you heard it chip slightly. It wasn't his intent to scare. Akira would never wish to frighten you. But he can't stop his emotions and movements from being brash and pointed. 

"... Why did you want to quit working with me?"

There it goes.

"Is it because I haven't spent much time with you lately? You know I've been busy with trying to invest in a better flat—"

The pace of his breathing was starting to quicken.

"Kurusu, it's not that…" You need to rationalize this with him. Fast.

"I-Is it because work has been too much? I told you we could hire someone if you feel too faint for the job. I care about your health— hell— maybe even more than you do—"

"Akira, listen to me—"

His futile attempt to maintain control was like an age-weakened thread. The fibers of his composure whittled away string by string, itching to snap entirely. Akira's jaw clenched. 

The manacle may not be anchoring his feet down as it did in the Velvet Room, but there's no denying that doubt is tugging and clawing at his neck. He knew that if he should continue, only strained words would come from his coffee-bitter lips. 

He rubbed his head against his shoulder. He had to have been wiping a tear away, trying to make it unnoticeable but failing.

"But why are you LEAVING m—"

"Behold, for this fine hour, you are not only graced with the presence of soft rays— you are also blessed by myself: Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"

"Mein Fräulein meant to say good morning to you both, Arsene and Sholmes."

... Akira chuckled a short and strained sound that could easily be missed by a weak ear.

As though a switch had been flipped, Akira's contorted expression turned back to his customer service smile. You trembled slightly. Perhaps it's a skill he mastered during his part-time worker years in high school, but he seemed a little too good at hiding such overwhelming frustrations— almost shape-shifting.

It's… 

Eerie.

He's smiling. It's his usual smile he has that has a calm allure and a hint of cockiness.

As if nothing happened five seconds ago.

"Ah, greetings, Your Highness!"

The guests were none other than some of the regulars, Amy and her bird familiar. This blonde, eye-patched girl is the only person in Little Mond who consistently makes Akira act dramatic. 

He bowed, not missing a beat of young Amy's theatrics. After spending so many years chatting with Yusuke, he's gotten used to bouncing back conversations of this nature. Akira enjoys the young investigator's company. He saw tiny bits of his friend in her.

"What shall we, humble servants, offer you this dawn? Will it be your usual order, or does our dear royal have something else in mind entirely? We will do our best to provide you with maximum entertainment! After all, this is your castle, Mein Fräulein."

You stiffened.

We.

He's not letting you go just yet. You caught a glimpse of his dark pupils, slightly moving to meet yours. Imploring you without words to act out of his best interest.

Akira Kurusu has always been a witty man, but there is no way there's no anger beneath that mask.

"Are you alright, Sholmes?" Oz asked.

For whatever reason, Akira persuaded Amy to call you both Arsene Lupin and Herlock Sholmes. The former was likely a nod to his first persona's name. His explanation for the latter was something along the lines of "you strike me as the type who always wants to search for your truth."

You blinked.

Right. You're his version of Sherlock Holmes.

Ha.

Even here, he gets to dictate everything about you.

"... Yes, Your Highness, to what do I owe the pleasure?" you said. The blonde girl smiled and tilted her head up pompously. 

"What other brew could I possibly order but the darkest taste that leaves any normal mortal to shrivel in imagination?" Amy shrugged, her eyebrow raised as though everyone knew what she babbled on with commendable sass. Her aviator companion thankfully cleared the air— albeit a little too blunt.

"Mein Fräulein desires a cinnamon ginger affogato with more sugar than last time, please. Two spoons for the poor Mein Fräulein."

"O-Oz!?!"

It's easily one of the least bitter cups on the menu. It consists of vanilla gelato, a tablespoon of espresso powder, cinnamon sticks, hazelnut liqueur, and bits of dried sunsettia. I can't say what would make anyone fear such a thing except for those with complications. Someone else shared the same sentiment.

You and Akira laughed in unison.

Your eyes widened in astonishment. That was in sync. You immediately looked away as Akira busied himself with Amy's order. It was awkward knowing that even with your efforts to cut things off, there was still some vague commonality between you two.

"... Say, your Highness?" Akira smiled softly. "Would it be alright for me to probe some of your most revered royal musings?"

...

...

... What is his play this time?

"You have my ears, dear subject."

"Suppose there is a princess who is facing an uphill battle. Furthermore, her valiant knight aspires to rescue her. However, the princess, for unknown reasons, declines his assistance. Is that..." He shut his eyes, laughing that strained chuckle once more. "... equittable?"

"Oh, most grievous indeed! A knight, who is obligated by the code of chivalry, shall always respond to the plea of his princess when she is in peril. His solemn obligation is to protect her honor and safeguard her from any danger!"

Akira looked at you.

His eyes were cold.

"But what if the princess doesn't want to be saved? What if she believes she can handle the situation herself, or maybe she thinks having assistance would make her weak?"

"Ah, but thou dost speak in riddles!" Amy scoffed, unamused. "A princess may exhibit abundant power and courage, yet it is the responsibility of her faithful knight to guarantee her safety, especially when she questions her own necessity. For what good is a knight's valor if not to serve and protect his liege?"

"Would you say her actions essentially strip him of his purpose?"

"Why, of course!" Amy replied with full conviction. "One would not require Oz if he lacks such a necessary trait! It is the basis of our trust– our relationship! A true knight's honor lies not in the glory of battle, but in his unwavering commitment to his princess, even in the face of her refusal."

You sucked in a deep breath.

Akira, you—!

"Speak frankly. Do these inquiries pertain to me?" Amy glared at him. Akira shook his head immediately, umping up his flamboyant voice inflections.

No.

It's about you.

It's always about you when it comes to him.

"Of course not!" Akira feigned worry. "It was for a novel I'm writing— to honor one's love."

… To honor one's "love".

Love? You froze. He calls this relationship love? It hadn't been that for the past few months! Love is meant to be like coming home to a comforting home— not a cold palace with your unfeeling statue at the heart of it all.  

You were hoping that your life would be dictated by what you want it to mean this time around. You hope to create your own purpose, your own identity. You hope to reject his titles—being his partner and his "Sholmes." 

But mostly, you sincerely hoped his words were untrue and did not allude to something as sinister and self-destructive as his love.

Besides, you already have a lover waiting for you to leave this mess behind.

You and he already have everything planned out. A rented flat, food, work— everything is set. The only box to tick off was leaving itself, and then you'll be in your lover's arms.

But you swore.

You swore you just saw him smirk.

"(Y/n), could you please lend me a hand? Can you pass the cinnamon sticks from the cupboard?"

Starting your day by serving Amy leads to serving a hundred more. You can't just stand up and leave whenever someone asks for your service. It's impossible to make the shortest comment about how you no longer work for LeBlanc, even more so when people beg for book recommendations. Being friendly is part of who you are. It can't be helped.

What made matters worse was that people were ordering seconds. Apparently, Akira must've adjusted all the recipes on the menu because whatever was added to those cups made it all the more divine. You knew his skills were perfection, but to think he could even exceed that...

In the end, despite multiple delays, Akira still got you right where he wanted you.

"Thank you. Please come again!" He escorted the final customer outside and flipped the closing sign himself.

Now, it was just the two of you left.

"... You must be tired." You offered, hoping he wouldn't catch on. "It's been a long day, why don't you take a rest—"

"Nice try." 

Well, it was worth a shot.

You stiffly waited for him to say something. Anything. But instead, he took a kettle off the icebox and heated the stove with his vision. 

"Back to my story, do you remember where we left off?"

The wisest thing to have down was biting your tongue or pretending not to know what he was talking about. Unfortunately, your answer was immediate.

"Something about how you got your vision?"

"Ah, yes, that." Akira laughed. "Say, I told you about how I used to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves when I was in High School, right?"

While waiting, Akira tapped his fingers against the table but stopped when he realized you were becoming distracted. Snapping out of it, you cleared your throat.

"You were stealing hearts in the Metaverse, yes, I recall..." You mumbled. Due to the sudden need to speak, you ended up unwittingly playing by his script again. "You manifested a Persona and used that to reform the heart of rotten adults."

You flinched slightly when his tea was starting to release thin smokes. It smelled too much like rust. Maybe he exhausted it too much today. The customers you had were double the amount. You had to commend his willpower for still managing exceed his usual sleep schedule.

"Isn't the kettle burning?"

"Trust me, it's not," he answered nonchalantly. "I remember when I told my story to you, you were mostly understanding of our actions. You didn't judge us. Rather, you told me that humanity is selfish and destructive."

"But back to how I got my vision," he finally turned the stove off. "I genuinely thought my most distinct trait was my appreciation for Freedom."

"Yet you got a pyro vision." You joked lightly.

He didn't laugh. Instead, he nodded.

"Strange, isn't it?" Akira tilted his head to look at you for a bit, before back at the hot cup he was pouring. It's the same liquid he's been adding the entire day. This must be the last of those ten pints. "Here, try it."

You slowly took it. It's still a bit too warm, so you continued talking.

"I thought about it, too. If we go by theories, it will make more sense if Barbatos blessed me instead. But with you here..." Akira laughed. "Pyro is definitely my element. I'm seeing a pattern with vision-wielders like me. Based on what I've seen so far, pyro users are often the most passionate. And passion can put a leash on freedom when need be."

You took a sip.

He put an elbow on the table and propped his chin on his palm.

"How is it?"

"It's... tasteless?" You blinked. 

You thought he must've added something grand to the cups today. Was it all just one big placebo effect?

"Makes it no different than regular water, huh?"

"Well, yeah, I guess?"

"I've actually been disposing of this the entire day, that's why the coffees looked darker. Diluting the original sample is hard work but worth it. Enough as a substitute for normal water in case we run out. Who knew you could empty 10 pints so quickly in a day..." 

"You. In case you run out." You sighed, finally addressing it. "Akira, I'm no longer your partner."

"So is he."

You both paused.

He returned the kettle to the ice box before unmasking its contents.

"You were near-fatally wounded once before. You tasted it in your mouth when I defended you from that Lawachurl-

"You should know by now that blood isn't supposed to be tasteless."

Riley H. Goodheart can now message Akira Kurusu

[starlight-write]

Attention Seeker

A/N: First TADC tk fic! lmk if you have any suggestions/prompts cause my brain is about fried atp.

Summany: Ragatha's ignoring Jax for being a prick. It's only after he brings Pomni into their little spat that she decides to do something about it.

Characters: Ler!Ragatha, Switch!Pomni, Switch!Jax

Word Count: 2004

Warnings: This is a tickle fic! Scroll if that's not your thing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Raaaags! Ragathaaaaa! Rags, talk to meeeeeee!" The rabbit whined pathetically as he flopped face first to the floor to add to his dramatics.

Ragatha crossed her arms and stared blankly in front of her. She'd be damned if she gave into his theatrics after the stunt he pulled yesterday.

Pomni tip-toed her way over to the doll, careful to gauge her mood before speaking up.

"You're- uh- still not talking to Jax, huh?" The jester tried.

To no one's surprise, Jax pulled some underhanded shit during yesterday's game. Thankfully, that game was more tame than the usual as Caine decided to make all of them play a rather distorted version of 'capture the flag', only the playing field was covered in thick black tar-like substance, which made the game slower and over all less fun but Caine did say he was experimenting with ideas.

Long story short, Ragatha had gotten the other team's flag and was about to win before Jax thought it'd be clever to use poor Gangle as a lasso and trip Ragatha by her ankle. Causing her to fall face first into the gooey substance.

So yeah, Ragatha understandably ignored the purple prick for the rest of the day and supposedly the silent treatment carried onto this morning.

Ragatha scoffed at the question. "I have nothing to say to that jerk. Whatever Caine has planned for us to do today, I'm not saying a word to him." She said making direct eye contact with said jerk. Pomni swore she saw his ears go down a bit.

They both knew that wouldn't last. If there's one thing anyone knew about Jax, is that he can't survive without attention. And Lord, was he the biggest attention seeker Pomni's ever seen. Jax would just dedicate the entire day to pushing Ragatha's buttons until she snapped, earning everyone's attention as well as winning whatever sick game he'd imagined in his head.

Caine appeared not two minutes later and the cast proceeded with their little theme song as usual and afterwards, the ringmaster explained the rules of today's little adventure.

Another safe one, thank God. Pomni thought. Perhaps the man was starting to notice how strung out everyone had become and decided to cut them some slack.

Today's game was a timed scavenger hunt throughout the circus, with two separate teams taking turns in the main room to find the mising items as quick as possible while the other team waited in the hallway for their turn. They were split up into two teams. Ragatha instantly grabbed Pomni's hand and not even a split second later, Jax flung himself at the doll and screamed for Caine to team them up together.

Gangle, Kinger, and Zooble's team went first, which meant the other three were poofed into a random hallway away from the action.

Awkward.

Pomni fidgeted due to the tense atmosphere. Jax of course, took his chance to bug the shit out of the other girl. First trying to make conversation, then teasing her, then poking, shaking, singing, yelling, joking, flopping round again, but nothing seemed to break the doll's focus. Ragatha rolled her eyes at his theatrics before shooting them over to Pomni.

"Sheesh, these games have been real tame and non life-threatening lately right, Pomni? Seems like Caine's finally decided to cut us all a break!" She forced a laugh as she nudged the other girl.

Pomni looked rather taken aback by the sudden conversations but decided to play along nonetheless. "O-oh. Right. I-uh, really enjoy not being in danger for once, yknow?" She laughed nervously.

The rabbit shot up as the two continued their bland conversation, annoyed that he was being ignored completely.

Pomni felt rather proud of herself when Ragatha laughed at one of her jokes, her victory was short-lived however, letting out a yelp as she was suddenly yanked in the air by her underarms.

"HEY!-" She panicked and squirmed, having to force down a rather embarrassing noise that threatened to come out of her throat.

"Whatcha two ladies talkin' about?"Jax had that stupid smug grin on he always wore when he thought he was being smart. Ragatha, obviously, was not amused but threw in the towel anyways as it wasn't fair to Pomni to get her any more involved with their little spat any more than she already was.

"Put her down, Jax." The doll demanded.

Pomni tried to grab at the rabbit's gloved hands as she kicked her feet in the air. "Whaaaaaat? We’re just having a little fun is all! Ain’t that right, Pomni?”

The jester grunted and allowed her limbs to go limp, it was obvious she wasn’t gonna get free by herself and didn’t want to risk entertaining the rabbit any further.

“This is not fun for me. Please put me doWN!!!-“

Pomni’s entire body went rigid as soon as that prick started wriggling his fingers under her arms.

She was able to keep her laughter in for all of maybe half a second before exploding in hysterical laughter. The awful sensation causing her to thrash almost twice as hard now.

“Why laugh if you’re not having any fun, Bug Eyes?” Jax laughed along with her, pleased with the strong reaction.

Ragatha was still stone-faced, however, sighing as she moved to release the other girl.

“Jeez you really can’t go five minutes without bullying someone can you?” The doll grunted as she wrestled with the rabbits long ass arms. Jumping in the air a few times when he decided to hold Pomni straight over his head.

Ragatha was getting increasingly annoyed, Pomni was getting more hysterical by the minute, and of course Jax looked like he was having the time of his life.

But you know what? Two can play at that game.

“Gohohod! You two are hilarious. Say Rags, this almost reminds me of the time Caine had you screaming in the air for saying- OOMF!”

The wind knocked out of Jax’s throat as he was full-on tackled to the floor.

Thankfully, this gave Pomni the chance to escape but was still on top of the rabbit’s hands as she tried to compose herself.

“What the &!$@%# Rags?! I was just messing around, there’s no reason to get all pis-“

“Hold his wrists, Pomni.”

That was all the warning they got before the doll’s hands latched onto Jax’s hips and began tickling him mercilessly.

The high pitch scream that tore from his throat probably would’ve made the jester fall into another fit of laughter if she weren’t so taken aback by it herself.

Thankfully she caught up to speed in time to get a hold of the rabbit’s hands that were desperately trying to free themselves.

“WAIT!!- WAIT WAHAHAHAIT!!!- RAGAHAHAHAHAAA-“

Oh my God he’s &!$@%# losing it. Pomni thought as she observed the poor guys reactions.

It was quite a sight to see fucking Jax of all people go berserk over something as simple as tickling. It was a little unnerving to be honest.

What was even scarier was Ragatha’s face hadn’t changed from the ice cold scowl she’s had on since Jax started all this shit.

She looked kinda angry.

“pleheheheAHAHAHA!!-“ Jax wheezed. “You cahAHAHAHAN’T- You cahahahahan’t just- BWAHAHAHAHAAA!!!-“

“Oh so it’s only fair for you to pick on people huh?” Ragatha spat. “Y'know I think everyone here’s had about enough of your &!$@%#, Jax. You wanted attention that bad? Well here you go! Let’s see how you like being bullied for once.”

Her hands migrated down to his upper thighs, the doll now settling her weight on his calves. Giving the rabbit just enough leeway to twist and buck his hips like crazy.

Though he seemed to be breathing a bit easier with the change in spots, didn’t mean he still wasn’t absolutely losing his mind here.

“ahh…ahahaHAHAHAHehe- ohkahahay! Okay! I’m sohohorry! Is that what you guys wanna hear?! I’ll bahahahack ohohoff. Juhuhust- JUST!!-“

“You sure all this is okay? He’s starting to seem a bit lightheaded.” Pomni asked, more than a little concerned at the guy’s state despite what he’d pulled earlier. She knew they didn’t technically need to breathe but that only means this situation must be really messing with him.

Ragatha looked up and stilled her hands before withdrawing them completely.

“Trust me, he’s fine. We’ve put his sorry ass through a lot worse. And he would’ve kept tormenting you until Caine came in to stop him so he deserves everything he gets.” She explained as she got up from her spot on Jax’s legs and made her way over to where Pomni was stationed over their victim’s head.

The brief intermission allowed Jax to gather his bearings and a bit of his audacity too it seemed like.

“Yohohou…*huff*… You two are going to regret this. D-Dohohohon’t think for a second that you won anything. After all there’s plenty of centipedes for me to-AAAAA!!!!”

That ungodly shriek was almost worse than the first one. The jerk didn’t even get to finish his little vow for revenge before Ragatha dropped back down to scribble, squeeze, and prob rapidly over her victim’s belly.

“I know you can’t fathom the feeling, Jax, but I was going to be nice and call it quits there. But you just don’t know when to. Shut. Your. TRAP!!”

Pomni couldn’t help herself from laughing this time. With nothing pinning the poor guy’s legs down, they were flying through the air in every direction while he screamed like a little girl.

Seriously, Pomni doubted even she could reach that kind of pitch.

The whole things was just ridiculous to watch. She was sure her ears were bleeding by now but she couldn’t help the full on belly laughter that forced its way out of her.

Ragatha looked over at her friend as she doubled over in laughter. It was at that point, Ragatha truly realized how ridiculous this entire situation was and that scowl she had permanently plastered on her face finally bloomed into a smile as she too began to laugh.

Another ear-piercing screech and they were both done.

The two of them simultaneously lost their hold on their victim as they fell to the floor, rolling and clutching their stomachs as bouts of laughter poured out of them.

Jax layed there for a while, absolutely mortified at this entire ordeal. He began plotting his revenge almost immediately, if only to keep himself sane while hearing those two &!$@%# laugh at him.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t fond of all the attention he received.

Just as the girl’s laughter was starting to die down, a voice boomed through the hallway.

“Terribly sorry for the wait, friends! It appears that there’s been a rather embarrassing oversight on my part! You see, I told the others that I’ve hidden five items but instead only hid four! The fifth one was in my POCKET!-“

Caine explained as he pulled a rubber duck out of his pocket. Stopping himself abruptly seeing the state his other three guests were in.

Was it that funny? The ringmaster asked himself at hearing the two girl’s laughter finally dying down. That was before he saw Jax, still sprawled out on the floor and decided he didn’t really want to know.

“Does this mean we forfeit?” Jax slurred lazily.

“Nonsense!” Caine announced, deciding to ignore the his guest’s disappointed groans. “This just means we have to start a new game! You all seemed to LOVE playing ‘Capture the Flag’ yesterday! So I thought, why not give it another GO-“

Ragatha threw her shoe at the ringmaster before he even finished his statement. Of course, this prompted another bout of laughter from both Pomni and Jax this time.

Unfortunately, Caine took all of that as enthusiasm and prepared their little field from yesterday.

Pomni wasn’t certain if those two were gonna bring their bad energy back on the field, not to mention Jax was no doubt itching for payback right about now.

One thing was for certain, though. Pomni was staying the &!$@%# out of it this time.

[icey--stars]

We'll Keep You Safe

Azriel impulsively offered a home to a young, orphaned Illyrian girl in Windhaven and it was the best decision of all time. (prequel to "After Everything, You're Still Mine" from AzrisWeek2023.

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

Day 4 of @azrisweek (Free Day)

a/n: The "slice of life" prompt made me think of the last fic I did for last year’s AzrisWeek: After Everything, You’re Still Mine, but the fic fit more in the "free day" category. In short, I decided to write about Azriel meeting dear Evera, Azriel's and Eris's adopted Illyrian daughter and how she quickly became a part of the family. Also, a little reminder!! Evera is an English name meaning “Brave One” and later gets a nickname of “Evie” pronounced “ehv-ee.”

Also, I almost cried as I wrote this. Take that as you will. (def not my best work, but I love it regardless)

WARNINGS: Illyria’s horribleness, misogyny, mentions of wing clipping, maybe a little child abuse if you squint???

Read below or on ao3 here!

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

Azriel was checking on Illyria for Rhys despite wanting to be back at home with Eris, caring and loving their first daughter: Aurora. She was such a wonder that even the tiniest bit away from her felt like she’d grown an inch and Azriel had missed it all. He didn’t want to be like his own father- he wanted to see his little girl grow up more loved than anybody in the entire world.

For now, however, he was sentenced to this hellscape. Illyria always set his nerves on fire and made his skin itch. Maybe it was his memories of the place, but it always felt wrong. An itch under his skin. Right now, he was walking around Windhaven andAzriel truly wished it wasn’t Devlon heading straight for him with a determined look.

“Shadowsinger!” The lord called. Azriel sighed but held his wings high and kept his shadows swirling intimidatingly.

“Yes?” He answered simply, folding his arms over his chest.

“You were supposed to be here an hour ago!” Devlon accused.

Azriel hummed and tilted his head in a fake thought. “Oh, was I? Too bad. What did you need, Devlon?”

“What I need is some damn respect around here!”

Azriel’s facial expression hardened but he remained silent, waiting for Devlon to realize his own mistake. The lord stared at him for a long time, lips curled back like he was a beast of some sort. Even his wings were puffed out a bit. The lord truly was pissed for some odd reason.

Finally, the lord relented against Azriel’s unwavering patience. Eris’s annoying days before they’d declared their love and mate bond prepared him for far worse. “I need the General’s help to manage the females entering the army. We have no damn clue where to put them.”

Azriel’s brows raised a bit. Interesting. “I’ll speak with him,” Azriel stated plainly. “You’ll get an answer soon enough. For now, treat them as you would any soldier. As you should have done in the beginning. Is there anything else?”

Devlon huffed at him for a moment. “The High Lord requested someone to watch one of the training sessions including females. Had you been here an hour ago, you’d have seen it.”

“They train for less than an hour?” Azriel asked incredulously.

“No. They left to work in the mountains. None of the group were clipped, so we sent them to work in the mines for a bit.”

Azriel repressed a shudder. That was the worst bit of training. Worked wonders for his arms and swinging blows with a sword, however. Swinging the pickaxes in the mines helped your balance and swing, especially with the trainers right behind you waiting for you to fuck it up.

“Right,” Azriel said. “Well, I am aware of that location. Don’t worry your head about it, Devlon. Rhys will hear what he needs to.”

Devlon huffed. “Very well, shadowsinger. I expected you to be more punctual, however.”

“I no longer work purely for the Night Court,” Azriel reminded him with a sour tone.

“And what a traitor you are for that,” Devlon accused.

Azriel’s shadows shot forward, forming a gag in the male’s mouth while Azriel used a grin he’d picked up from being around Eris for too long. “I’m no traitor if both High Lords are in agreement, Devlon. Now be on your way before I decide to use the swings I learned from the mines on you.”

The lord glared at him for a moment longer after the shadows retreated, but eventually walked away. Azriel winnowed to the location of the mines, already hearing the sounds of the pickaxes against the salt and coal that was down in the caves. He took a deep breath of fresh air and told himself to make this trip quick.

Once he’d made it far enough, he could see females and males lining the walls with trainers watching them carefully. Each swing was practiced and those cursed to carry the ores and salt they mined looked worse for wear. However, it was likely almost time to switch them out for someone else.

“Shadowsinger,” A trainer acknowledged him.

He didn’t bother to acknowledge him back, simply walking further into the mines. One female tripped and he gently moved forward to correct her stance. Her eyes were terrified.

He gritted his teeth and tried to hide his shadows and pull his wings in tighter. “Stand with your feet further apart,” he stated. “Your swing will be stronger and more balanced. A little more than shoulder width for the weight of the pickaxe.”

She nodded wordlessly and corrected her mistake. Azriel nodded in approvement when she glanced over and continued his journey. 

It was when he saw a punishment being ruled out did he intervene. A female mining salt was being forced to kneel on scraped knees while a trainer issued a punishment: cut into the upper arms and shove salt in. Nothing deep, but it didn’t have to be deep for it to burn. Tears were in her eyes while she held back sobs. Azriel had never seen a male get such a severe punishment. Going by how many cuts were on her arms… this was excessive.

“Stop,” he commanded the trainer.

The quiet command was enough to pull the trainer back and demand, “What?”

“What did she do?” Azriel asked simply, staring at the female kneeling on the ground.

“She tripped,” The trainer answered, carelessly waving around a dagger. “Shoulda stayed on her feet, the bitch.”

Azriel swiped the dagger from the trainer and glared at him. “Would you have given a male the same treatment?” He asked with a lethal tone. Rage pooled in his heart and he could feel a light tug from Eris in question. He tugged back once to assure his mate.

The trainer’s face went pale and Azriel smirked a little, handing back the knife. “Seeing as you’re incapable of handing out correct treatment, what is your name?”

“You don’t-”

“If you don’t tell me your goddamn name, I will pull it from your screams,” Azriel threatened, stepping closer to whisper it in his ear.

“Aaron, sir,” the trainer answered obediently.

“Great. Rhysand and Devlon will hear of your disobedience. In the meantime, I will take her to see a healer for your stupid act,” Azriel said, reaching a hand down to the female. She took it, wings weak as they almost dragged behind her.

Azriel glanced further down the passage and then back at the female, leading them just a little further to talk to her. “I will make sure you see a healer for that. It was completely unneeded. I still have things to check, but if you’d like, you can take one of my shadows and wait for me at the entrance to the cave system.”

She nodded, wiping her tears. Azriel grimaced. “Head up,” he said softly. He whispered for a couple shadows to follow her up and make sure nobody dared question that she was under the protection of anybody but the shadowsinger of the Night Court and Autumn Court.

At the bottom of the cave, however, was a sight that made his heart clench even more than before. The youngest female he’d seen here yet– just a little girl with small wings hanging off of her while she attempted to get enough coordination to swing a pickaxe into some coal.

The trainer wasn’t even bothering with her now, but Azriel could see scars on her arms. Evidence of previous punishments.

He went forward, heart clenching in pity and concern. He saw himself, if anyone. The girl turned to him fearfully, wings spreading behind her. Only the youngest still had that sort of reaction.

“Where are your parents?” He asked, leaning down and putting a hand on the floor, melting his shadows away to try and seem more friendly.

Tears filled her eyes instantly and Azriel could feel Eris yanking on the bond more forcefully. 

“Where do you live?” Azriel breathed.

“No… nowhere,” she answered hesitantly. Azriel could surely see himself now. No parents, no home… forced to work to survive in an effort to become a warrior- anything respected. When you were weak, you either appeased the adults by working for something or became something more. But she was so young.

Azriel gritted his teeth and then impulsively, he said, “Do you want a home?”

She perked up a little, the pickaxe dropping to the floor beside her with a thump. “Yes,” she admitted, her head drooping down.

Azriel smiled a little. “Do you want to come with me, then?”

She nodded and came a bit closer. Azriel stood, offering her a hand. They slowly made their way up the caves. He had to walk a lot slower on account of the little girl’s smaller footsteps, but they made it up eventually. The other female was waiting patiently, trying to get some of the salt out of her wounds.

“Let’s get you both to a healer,” Azriel murmured, offering his other hand to the first female.

She grabbed it and he winnowed them back to Windhaven, in front of the only healer they had. He barged into the building with little care, seeing the healer, a female as well, sitting beside a variety of elixirs and potions.

She jumped and turned to them with her eyes wide and a potion bottle still in her hand. However, the healer quickly turned to set it back down.

Azriel winced a bit at the fear in her eyes. He never tried to be intimidating to the innocents, but he was inherently. His reputation had become too good over the years he’d been alive. “We need a healer,” he stated.

“Of course,” the healer mumbled, patting the bed beside her.

The first female walked over, explaining the salt in her wounds while the little girl stayed with Azriel nervously still holding onto his hands that he refused to let go of until she did.

“What’s your name?” He asked gently, realizing he’d forgotten to ask that one simple question.

“Evera,” she answered.

“Evera…” he said, testing the name on his tongue. “You’re going to like your new home, I promise. I’m Azriel, okay?”

She nodded, tears filling her eyes again. Azriel leaned down gently and scraped away one on her cheek. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m not ever going to make you go down there again. Not for food, water, or anything. You’re free.”

Eris, He whispered down the bond.

Oh, so now you care enough to answer, The snarky mate on the other end of the bond replied.

I’m bringing someone home with me today.

Who?

A little Illyrian girl named Evera. I… I offered her a home.

Eris was silent for a long time and he could feel conflicting emotions on the other side of the bond. Somewhere between guilt, sadness and exhaustion.

I’ll get a room ready, his mate finally responded. Is she alright?

I’m going to have the healer check her out. The females at Windhaven weren’t doing the best.

Evera moved a little once Azriel had stood again, hiding in the cover of his wing and holding onto his hand still while staying close to his leg. Her dark brown hair was messy, but he had a feeling it would be soft once washed. Her face was smudged with coal, but she’d survive. However, her bright green eyes were beautiful.

“Alright, that should hold. Please come back tomorrow so I can make sure,” the healer said to the first female.

Azriel snapped out of his daze. He’d been staring down at Evera while she seemed to wobble a bit beside him.

“You next,” the healer called, looking at Evera.

“I don’t wanna,” Evera mumbled, hiding her face in Azriel’s pant leg. “Don’t make me.”

Azriel’s brows furrowed as he looked down at the cowering little girl. “Evera, she just wants to make sure you’re alright. I do too. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No,” Evera mumbled. “No healers. Too much work.”

“Evera, you don’t have to work for it this time. I promise,” Azriel said, leaning down again. “You’re coming home with me, remember? I don’t… I don’t live here.”

Evera looked up at him with tears in her eyes and his heart cleaved into two. “Alright, how about we go home then,” he suggested, relenting because the tears she had on her cheeks. “There’s a better healer there anyway.”

He glanced up at the Illyrian female healer. “Thank you,” he said simply before leading Evera out of the building.

“We’re going to winnow again, alright?” He warned, holding onto Evera tightly. “It’s going to be really colorful when we land. I live in the Autumn Court with my mate. He’s really nice. I promise.”

Evera nodded, holding tightly to his pant leg now. “I don’t wanna be hurt.”

Azriel nodded, tears flooding to his own eyes. “I won’t let you,” he promised and winnowed them to the front of the Autumn Court manor.

Eris was waiting there, holding Aurora on his hip. His mate looked down at Evera while she shrank away, but his expression softened and he leaned down. “We’ll keep you safe,” he said simply, glancing at Azriel with a look that said if anything happens to this girl, I’m committing a lot of violence.

Evera nodded, tears running down her face.

“Are you hungry, Evera?” Azriel asked.

She nodded. Aurora also perked up and said, “I’m hungry! I’m hungry daddy!”

Eris grinned. “It’s lunchtime anyway, let’s get inside and get you both some food.”

It wasn’t long before Evera was sitting happily at a table, drawn away from his pant leg only by the delicious scent of Autumn Court syrup and pancakes.

“What happened?” Eris asked as they watched Aurora and Evera eat.

“She was at the bottom of the mines,” Azriel said. “The youngest I’ve ever seen down there. No more than 7 or 8. I was much older when I went in. I couldn’t… I couldn’t let her suffer there. Her parents are dead and that sort of living…” Azriel didn’t finish, only trailing off leaving Eris to imagine the rest of the details.

“Aurora is so…” Eris hesitated. “Chaotic,” he settled on. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I hope so,” Azriel said. “Because there’s no way I’m leaving her back there.”

Eris nodded in agreement. “Okay,” his mate agreed. “You know I won’t ever say no.”

Azriel chuckled. “I know,” he agreed. “This one needs our help,” he said simply.

Eris smiled and leaned into Azriel’s shoulder, offering a little kiss.

After, Azriel would inform Rhys of the asshole of the trainer named Aaron, but he tried to make Evera as comfortable as possible first. He helped her work the bath to get clean and made sure a water bottle was on the nightstand as well as extra sets of pillows and blankets to help her be more comfortable in the new environment. He even offered a stuffed bear he’d bought for Aurora who’d ended up not liking it. Apparently, its eyes were ugly. But Evera loved it.

He’d never seen someone hold on so tightly to something like that. Once she was clean and comfortable, he sat in the armchair on the other end of the room and picked out a story once Eris came in with Aurora.

All three of them were out within minutes. He’d chuckled a bit and tucked Evera in gently, and took Aurora from Eris’s arms and putting her in her bed before coming back for his mate. He was successful in not waking up anybody besides Eris when he set his mate on their own mattress.

And for the next few weeks, he did the same. He took care of Evera. Even when she ended up moving to the floor to sleep because the bed was ‘too soft’ or hid away in the bathroom, terrified after accidentally spilling her water glass.

It was hard, he had to admit, but he refused to let Evera suffer as he once had. Azriel had grown to love her as he did Aurora and Eris. They were a family and would continue to be one.

Evera asked one day to learn to read and man, did Eris jump at that opportunity. Apparently, his mate was not as unaffected by the girl as Azriel had seen. Seeing his mate and new daughter bond, however, melted his heart. And when the younger Aurora also joined in to help Evera learn… they’d be sisters forever, he decided. (Evera eventually developed a love of reading because of this.)

When he visited his family, he held Evera in his arms despite her being quite big and gently introduced her to his brothers, the Archerons, and even Amren. Nyx seemed very happy to have another cousin, especially because she was winged.

However, it also occurred to him that day that Evera didn’t know how to fly. Nyx had tried to coax her into the air, but she had refused. Azriel knew about not knowing how to fly. He’d been locked in a dungeon for so long… he knew that feeling.

So, the following day, he stole Cassian and Nesta for the day (also causing them to fall in love with Evera even more) and took Evera to the same lake he taught Feyre to fly. Evera was a fast learner, but the feeling of taking her up into the sky in his arms, telling her to spread her wings was unparalleled. She didn’t fly that day on her own, as she needed wing strength, but Azriel could feel the joy radiating off of her. She must’ve had someone fly her to the mines that day… but she was safe now.

Evera also took to calling Cassian and Nesta Uncle and Auntie which probably broke Azriel the most. Eris had to almost pinch his wing to make him snap out of his daze.

In short, Azriel had decided that adopting Evera had been one of the best ideas he’d ever had.

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

TAGLIST HERE! - see post for specifics <3

Tagged in all ACOTAR Stories: @bunnymallowo, @officiallyunofficialperson, @margssstuff, @rebloggiest-reblogger, @inpraizeof, @graciereads, @eos-princess, @bubybubsters, @fieldofdaisiies, @skyesayshi

Tagged in all Azriel Stories: @ladylokilaufeyson5, @marina468,

[thewhumpcaretaker]

♟

⚜ 𝓐𝓼𝓴 𝓖𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓽: 𝒫𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓊𝓅 𝒶 𝒲𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 ⚜

Aaaa okay so there's two pawn symbols and I initially mistook your ask for the white pawn because it was really small on mobile. So I already wrote the "sharing a bed" prompt and it's here if you want to see it! But then I realized my mistake and wrote this one too, for "patching up a wound." I guess you get a bonus fic, haha! :')

This is an alternate POV from the first chapter of Beyond Judgement! What was it like for Vincent to willingly let his worst enemy touch him to treat his gunshot wound?

TW: hurt/no comfort (kind of - John is trying to do everything he can, but Vincent doesn't see it yet), gunshot wound, dissociation, shock

The first scream whited out his vision. It wasn't just pain, it was the feeling of cold tweezers pressed against something internal that was never supposed to feel pressure. It was the hard, slick metal of the bullet dragging against his insides on the way out. It felt wrong. He did bite down on the tie in spite of himself, his eyes squeezed shut and his fists clenched into the fabric of the couch cushions almost hard enough to tear them. When he came back to himself a moment later, he was gasping.

No anesthetic in the house, insufferable. Fuck you, Wick. You show-off. Barely even human. "This is gonna sting." His outrage gave him just enough fuel to scream, muffled, through the splash of antiseptic into the bullet wound, burning like hellfire inside him. It was worse than the tweezers by a long shot. He really yowled, like some wild cat. He had to stop making so much noise. Stop giving this asshole the satisfaction. When his eyes had finished rolling back in their sockets, he tilted his head up to scrutinize the face of the man he hated. He had to be enjoying this. Had to be gloating over every sound Vincent made.

But his face was impassible as he dabbed at the edges of the bullet hole. No sign of pleasure. Yeah, well...he was probably just a mindless brute anyway. Somehow that was even more embarrassing. Vincent wasn't even enduring torture, just being prodded by some nobody who didn't care one way or the other if he lived or died. And yet he was making a scene over it.

As if this couldn't get any worse, John picked up a needle. "Stitches."

Why bother with the warning, asshole? It doesn't make it hurt any less. But he needed all his focus to hold his breathing steady. He felt faint. Don't scream again. He locked his jaw in place and his eyes onto John's face, refusing to look away from him this time. He was going to glare at him through this entire process.

The needle began to rise and plunge and he held his breath in the effort not to cry out. Narrowly, he succeeded in shoving everything down. The pain seemed to settle into his bones instead, a deep tension freezing him slowly in place. What was happening to his body? He was getting so cold. Tighten up even more, don't shake. Mercifully, the center of his chest was starting to go numb. Everything was a little numb, in fact. Maybe he had simply short circuited and couldn't feel anything more. Well, good enough...but he hated the way it made him want to lie down, to go to sleep, to be in something resembling an embrace. In the wake of rage, a despair sunk into him.

John's face suddenly seemed very abstract, very far away. He could look at it for what it was - a heavy, soft thing, bristling with stubble, soulful and dark beneath brows knit together. He looked almost...concerned. What could he possibly be thinking? Pitying me, probably. He was too humiliated to even hate him for it. He just let his eyes go dead and rode out the deep wave of shame that rocked through him.

It was then that his phone went off. It was a welcome distraction - anything to get him out of this woozy trance. If one more thing went wrong, he felt ready to break entirely...

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday and WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @g0dspeeed @josephseedismyfather @socially-awkward-skeleton @inafieldofdaisies @direwombat @cassietrn and @adelaidedrubman

Tagging @shallow-gravy @strangefable @chazz-anova @josephslittledeputy @jillvalentinesday @wrathfulrook @poisonedtruth @voidika @strafethesesinners and @minilev

Got a snippet of The Years In Hope County (my almost slice-of-life September prompt collection fic that I'm still working on). You get to meet Silva's younger sister, Elsa Omar, and a special addition of Persephone. And a song for Elsa as well!

Additionally the chapter's almost done and might upload it either this week or next... so yay!

WIP below:

Sylvester’s brows creased at the word. She took a glance over to a group of men sitting at a table, one in a three-piece suit, a professional choice that matched his stoic disposition, while the other man, one she could only see the back of, was wearing a blue shirt and vest. Blue-shirt’s two companions had clothes that were shaggy, plain and they seemed less well-kempt.

She didn’t know many of the words they were saying, so she chose to move on. She listened to more conversations, writing down as much words as she could, until she heard the familiar call of her precious hermana and hija.

She looked up from her notebook and saw Elsa at the front counter of the diner, making idle and practised conversation with the clerk, her blonde hair locked into a course style that laid at her left shoulder, though there were still bangs that unavoidably stuck to Elsa’s forehead. Sylvester noticed she was wearing a regular blue checkered blouse with a plain green skirt, which wasn’t consistent to the eye-catching wardrobe Sylvester knew her young hermana had at her lodge. Even her leggings and flats were tame in comparison to Elsa’s usual… promiscuous tastes.

A blessing from Jannah, she supposed, considering Persephone was clutching at the hem of her tía’s skirt. Her hija's green eyes surveyed around the diner with intrigue, the three-year-old searching for source of the smells of hot food and warm beverages that tickled her small nose.

Once Persephone spotted Sylvester, the toddler's head perked up, then giggled as she ran over to her madre with a bright smile creased across her face, red curls bouncing. Sylvester got out of her seat to kneel down and catch her hija in a hug, nuzzling her little girl.

She saw Elsa cut her conversation with the clerk short, and made her way from the counter over to Sylvester and Persephone.

And here's a catchy song for Elsa that I believe somewhat describes her well enough:

""I fell in love with you 'cause you made me feel" "I fell in love with you 'cause you kept it real" "Man, you done changed up on me, you changed your flow" "Now I been hating on you everywhere I go", um, hold up

No, "I ain't too flawless" and, no, "I ain't the best" And no, "I don't say sorry" and, no, "I ain't perfect" But I am the man (DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO) I am the man (DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO) Shots fired!

(La di da di da di da da da! La di da di da di da da da da! La di da di da di da da da! La di da di da di da da da da!)

...

I am the man, no, I ain't aim for no crown (Woh! Woh!) But when you mention them, no, don't leave me out (Whoooooaaa!)

No, "I ain't too flawless" and, no, "I ain't the best" And no, "I don't say sorry" and, no, "I ain't perfect" But I am the man (DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO) I am the man (DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO) Shots fired!"

[nurseysbeanie]

Madison & More Bingo 🏖🏕🏝

Here are some of my fave (so far) fics and art from the @madisonandmore summer prompt challenge!

Well, the start of September makes it feel like summer is fading. But don't worry, fearless reader! These summery fanfics will make you feel the sun on your face, the sand under your feet, and the scent of fresh-cut grass on the breeze!

Unnameable Truth (M) @thefiveboxingwizards | vacation, less than 5000 words, one-shot

I liked that this was a less sunny/happy/vacation-y story about repression and self-discovery. The summer's not happy and carefree for everyone. But there is hope at the end of this one.

Wasteland Baby (M) @checkdeezpucks | AU, one-shot

This surprised me! Despite the premise sounding a bit incongruous with Check Please, this was a great read. Mad Max Tater/Parse was a longshot for me but you proved me wrong, op. Would definitely not be mad if we got another chapter or two of this 👀

Hot-lanta (G) @justlookfrightened | Zimbits, vacation, one-shot

I keep thinking about this one, and Bitty/Jack's meet-cute and Bitty rollerblading. And quiches. And Tater being wingman!

suddenly this summer it's clear (T) @dessertwaffles | favourite ship, a work that made me laugh, one-shot

I actually snorted out loud while reading this standing out on the sidewalk in a crowd of people while waiting for the streetcar. I have no shame. It's funny and cute, read it!

like an ice cream cone (T) @wrathofthestag | SHITTY KNIGHT!!, food or baking, one-shot

Shitty's backstory is important to me (!!!) and this was great. Discussion question: Is the origin of Shitty's porn-stache tied to the memory of a moustachioed ice cream vendor he idolizes from his youth? You tell me. It was hard to see tiny Shitty going through family problems but his au pair seems like the coolest!

amphibious creatures (T) HowOldAreWe | fave ship, mermaids, frogs 🐸 , multi-chapter

I don't generally go for mermaid AUs but this was juuuust lovely! The frogs are wonderful here, and I really liked the setup and follow-through. And I'm not going to say any more than that Chowder makes a great appearance here :)

Making My Head Spin (E) @justlookfrightened | summer camp, zimbits, multi-chapter

Turns out I like fics where Bitty makes a go of it for the NHL! Loved seeing Jack and Bitty letting down their guard and risking being hurt in this one. Super sweet and a little spicy at the end :) Nothing better than that.

Heard The Mermaids Singing (M) @checkdeezpucks | rarepair, mermaids, one-shot

This was another work that wasn't sun-drenched and happy. I loved to see the gritty, almost gothic setting; loved to see some CP femmeslash. Loved to see the teeth and the texture here. Short and... piquant.

The Way Way North (T) by @mcbangle | zimbits, SHITTY KNIGHT!!, vacation, the beach, work that made me smile, frogs, multi-chapter

I keep thinking about this one. Listen, Shitty Knight is... essential. He is the GLUE that holds together CP Year One for me, okay? I know that this fic is primarily about Bitty and his parents' relationship, and his crush on Jack, and that is all done deftly and wonderfully. But Shitty is the standout for me here. (Also I now need to see the movie this is based on.)

Eelgrass (T) by @perhapsajacket | fave ship, the beach, vacation, multi-chapter (pending)

Just a nice AU where Dex is ho-humming through his vacation until he chances upon the cute local bookshop owner (enter Nursey) who has fallen into a tidepool and needs a hand. What could be more adorable than that? I liked seeing some of Dex's family and backstory here. And I would live to see more 👀

Cowabunga (G) @zimbits-my-love | art, surfing, the beach

This is super cute art and I loved the colour scheme. I can so imagine Bitty and Jack surfing together on vacation!

This was a fun summer challenge, thanks to all the organizers! I will be updating my own work, Summer Gothic, soon with a new chapter. (Sorry, I write slow. 🐌)

[polizwrites]

PoliZ's WIP Update - 25 Sep 2024

Fell a little short of my weekly writing goal.   I touched four  fics (2 new & 2 WIPs)  for a total  of  1825  words,  about half of which were on a single fic.   

On Ao3, I posted: 

 Carrying Things Forward - a sequel to A Little Bit Carried Away  - a WinterIron No Powers omegaverse fic

 Tony Stark Bingo Mark VIII - August Round Robin - ScienceBros (Tony & Bruce) one shot 

Keep a Steady Hand - platonic WinterHawk (Clint & Bucky) one shot. 

On Tumblr I posted: 

  Melting Down - Canon-compatible post-IM3 Pepperony one-shot.  

I’m juggling  20+  active/semi-active WIPs with my current  deadline being the new WinterIron Gets It Done server bingo event  which runs til the end of September.  

See  below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc.  As always, feel free to send me   prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding  any of these projects  or any other WIPs I’ve got out there.   Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

WinterIron Gets It Done Bingo [WIGID] (Ends 30 Sep 2024)

This new WinterIron Discord server event runs through the month of September and is a flash bingo where you choose one or more  five-square bingo strips to complete.  I’m targeting to get at least two strips done for a blackout - with a stretch goal of three - I’ve currently got 11  fills across three strips. 

* Classic_5 - Favorite Song -  combined this with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF270 Lights and Sirens] for  Duty Calls, an established WinterIron ficlet where a date gets interrupted.  It came in at 203 words and will probably get posted to Ao3 by the end of the month.  

Build-A-Bucky Bingo [BaBB_R1] (Ends 31 Oct 2024)

Another fun year-long  event from the folks at  @buckybarnesevents!  Each month there’s a list of prompts and you choose (at least) one  each month for your card!  At thirty-four  fills and one month to go, I think I’ve gone a bit overboard …. 😁

* May:  Bucky’s Trigger Words -  combined this with a previous  Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF251 Out There] for Just To Live One Day Out There - a Winter Soldier self-reflective ficlet. It came in at 312 words and will get posted to Ao3 Real Soon. 

* September: First Meeting - filling this with the upcoming Chapter Nine of  A Sugar-Coated Pill  where Bucky gets to meet Obadiah Stane.  Needless to say, he doesn’t get along with the older alpha.  It’s crossing over with my  TSB:  Aug Adoptable: Resolve –   it’s coming in at 1732 words and will post on Friday. Stay tuned for a final chapter in October! 

* September: Feelings Denial -  Posted Carrying Things Forward  on Friday - it’s a sequel to A Little Bit Carried Away - looking at Bucky and Tony living together and where their relationship is starting to lead.  It crosses over with my  WIB  N4 - A/B/O: Mates and pJBB - C2_A1 - "There's nothing wrong with you."  squares and is currently listed as chapter 1 of 2, but I’m using some of the ideas I had for the second chapter on  A Sugar Coated Pill,  so may re-tag it as a one shot, with potentially more in the series.  

Flufftober 2024  [FlfT_24] (Runs 1-31 Oct)

This writing challenge hosted by @flufftober  runs for the month of October, but the prompt list has already been published, so you can get a jump start!  My goal is to write one fic a week that incorporates these prompts - here’s some possible crossovers - if there’s one that sounds really good - let me know! 

* 1. Lost Pet Meet Cute - crossover with  BBB C2 - Bonded animal?

* 5. Acorn, Chestnut, Pine Cone - Decided to combine this with R3 - AU: adventurers/explorers  for some Tony  & Morgan fluff.  Up, Down, North, South, East and West is coming in at 347 words and will post on October 5th. 

* 10. Bet, Game, Contest - crossover with BBB U5 - Secret Admirer?

* 11. Ingredients & Spells - crossover with TSB S3 - KINK: Aphrodisiacs? 

* 18. Bewitched - crossover with BBB B1 - Magic? 

* 22 - Heirloom - Using this, combined with my WIB G2 - Edwin Jarvis &  TSB T2 - Wedding -  for Chapter 10 of A Sugar-Coated Pill.  It’s jumping forward in time and has Tony gifting a tie bar to Bucky as his ‘something old’ for their wedding.  It’s sitting at  966 words and will post on the 22nd.   

Whumptober 2024 [WmpT_24] (Runs 1-31 Oct)

This writing challenge hosted by @whumptober  runs for the month of October, but the prompt list has already been published, so you can get a jump start!  My goal is to write two fics (whump isn’t normally my bag)   that incorporates these prompts - need to  explore more potential crossovers. 

* No. 2: TRUST ISSUES - Amusement Park | Role Reversal | “You got away with the crime while the knife’s in my back.”  – crossover with WIB  N5 - "I'm here for you."  and possibly pJBB - C2_B2 - Being there for someone after a traumatic event

Fictober 2024 [FicT_24] (Runs 1-31 Oct)

Another October writing challenge with daily prompts - all of which are dialogue. Go check out @fictober-event  for details!  I’ve grabbed the  list but haven’t had time to dig in to see what might be good cross fills.  Targeting two to four fics that incorporate these prompts.  

WinterIron Bingo 2  [WIB_R2] (Ends 16 Dec 2024)

Signups are still open for pre-made cards for Round Two of this super-fun bingo event! I have nineteen  fills and zero WIPs at the moment - setting this aside for the moment, as I have other time-sensitive events going.  

* Iron Soldier (One Bingo, One Fill) - looking at combining my Column B prompts: Matchmaker, Bucky Riding Tony, Stark Gala, Inside Joke and Threesome.  Still working on a plot - if you have any suggestions/want-to-sees - let me know! 

* I3 - Car Sex -  Have a fun ficlet in mind for this - some of the dialogue & such already worked out in my head.  

* N4 - A/B/O: Mates -  see BaBB September:  Feelings Denial above. 

* N5 - "I'm here for you."  - Possibly the next chapter of  Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion ?  

Bucky Barnes Bingo - Round Six [BBB - R6]  (Ends 31 Mar)

This amazing bingo event from the folks over at @buckybarnesbingo is back!  I have fifteen  fills with one WIPs at the moment, but a couple  more crossovers planned. 

* U3 - Yelena Belova  - Magica and I are circling back around to Peresmešnik, (aka Three Avengers and a Baby) - with the next chapter featuring Tony’s interactions with Mirriam, and a revelation about her parentage. The chapter is sitting at about 475 words, and needs more fleshing out before we’ll be ready to post … maybe next month?   

*  K2 - IMAGE: Bucky and Steve in Siberian silo hallway (CA:CW)  - Combined this with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt  [#FFF269 Living Weapon]  for  Reconstruction - a fix-it/canon divergent ficlet where Steve, Bucky and Tony team up instead of fighting.   It came in at 268 words and will get posted  to Ao3 before the event is over.   

Tony Stark Bingo - Mark VIII [TSB_R8]  (Ends 31 May)

This amazing bingo event from the folks over at @tonystarkbingo is back! Late signups will start next month if you want to join in on the fun!  I have  seven  squares filled and four  WIPs - I need to plan out more crossovers! 

* T1 - Watching Helplessly -  Posted Stranded Among the Stars  to Tumblr as a crossover with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF265 Galaxies Away]. It’s a Nebula & Tony ficlet set on the ship - it came in at 345 words and will get posted to Ao3 before the event ends. 

* A5 - excessive -  Posted Tony Stark Bingo Mark VIII - August Round Robin earlier this week - Tony throws Bruce a birthday party and shenanigans ensure.  

* R2 - I love you 3000  - came up with an Endgame-compliant drabble for this prompt:  A Difficult Decision is a look into Tony’s thought processes right after tucking Morgan into bed.  Will post sometime soonish. 

Hawkeyes Bingo [HB_R2] (Ends TBD) 

Working on this  Tumblr event - got a 3x3 card and am looking forward to creating more  Clint-centric content and trying my hand at a bit of  Kate Bishop fic as well!    

* A3 - Awkward Flirting – this might be a good entry into my first femslash fic with Kate/Yelena?    

* C1 - Magic -  Posted Keep a Steady Hand to Ao3 this morning.   Clint notices Bucky getting frustrated with a task and offers to help.  It came in at 625 words and crosses over with  a previous Flash Fiction Friday prompt  [#FFF259 House of Cards]. 

Post July Break Bingo 2024  [pJBB_24] (Ends 30 Jun 2025)

I requested two 2x3 cards for this  Discord-server only event from @julybreakbingo  – so if you want to join in the fun, let me know and I’ll try to get you an invite!  I have two fics posted & two WIPS  and need to figure out some more crossovers.

* C2_A1 - "There's nothing wrong with you." - see BaBB: September: Feelings Denial above. 

* C2_B1 - Courting/courted in a different way than they're familiar with -  posted A Symbol of Devotion on Tumblr as a crossover with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF267 Gifted Violets] - a bit of Stony fluff with Tony  buying Steve little things for his apartment.   It came in at 374 words and will get posted to Ao3 before this event is over. 

Warm and Fluffy   Bingo  [WFB]   (no end date)

Eight fills on my card, courtesy of   @warmandfluffybingocards  - need to try for another crossover or two!

* I2 - Vulnerable Drunk - matched this up with a previous Flash Fiction Friday prompt of [#FFF258 Milky Way Dreams]  for Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines -  a MIT-era Tony & Rhodey ficlet, where a drunk Tony shares a childhood dream with his best friend.  It came in at 318 words and will get posted to Ao3 at some point.   

————

On  other creative fronts:  I am working on a Dracula figure for an upcoming con along with gearing up for Marvel Trumps Hate 2024 - see my Marvel masterpost if you’re interested.  

If  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations, check  out Stuffed With Character    over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 150!).   These soft stuffed figures are  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design   requests  for any fandom!

[tavyliasin]

The Meaning of Pain - One Shot SFW (Mature Themes, No Sex)

2,601 Words

Wyll had not understood the appeal when his companion had willingly, enthusiastically, offered their body up to Abdirak to receive what should amount to torture...but the look they had after, and the way that the priest spoke of pain had stuck in the back of his mind. Along with a few hundred questions.

---

This was a prompt to write a character examination piece, to explain what it is that people see in Abdirak without going into anything overtly sexual, and cover a little more Loviatar lore. Wyll felt like the perfect character to explore this with, as he is gentler but open to understanding, and there's potential for common ground between them too. I hope you enjoy a little more of a look into the emotions I see in these two~

Pairing: Abdirak and Wyll - Platonic/Strangers, No Romance or Sex SPICE Rating: 1/5 Content Warnings: Mentions of pain, mentions of injury and scarring, mentions of blood, discussion of BDSM and Sado-Masochism from a non-sexual viewpoint

Spoilers Act 1, Abdirak Canon Compliance: Close to canon, though it is unknown where Abdirak goes after leaving the Goblin camp. Other Notes: I'm marking this one as Mature but no sex. 18+ still, honestly, given the discussion of BDSM and kink, but you won't find anything remotely sexual or romantic here beyond the reasons why some of us feel a draw towards Loviatar's priest~

Mood/Song Bob by The Dodos "I take it hard because I tried To get you out To have a stroll, to have a talk About your world, about the laws That keep you stuck, that keep you locked I know it's hard for you to change Before we part our separate ways You need to know I understand you."

Short fic below the cut! ----- -----

The Meaning of Pain

Wyll shifted nervously as he approached the small encampment. He knew that the priest had been spotted, making his own journey in the same direction away from the goblin camp, yet still he hesitated. The fire was warm and inviting, but he worried that his presence would be less welcome. It wasn’t like the two had anything in common, did they? Abdirak was sat on a flat rock near the fire, not worrying to stand or to reach for a weapon as the warlock approached. “What brings you out here, so far from your companions?” “A question.” Wyll responded, summoning a little courage to step closer to the soft heat of the fire. “Well, several questions - if you are not opposed to answering them, that is.” 

“I see no reason why not.” The priest gestured to a rock a little further around the fire, watching Wyll calmly as he took a seat upon the stone. 

He took another look around the camp. There was no tent, barely a few thin blankets upon the ground near the fire, a pillow that had seen better days, and a backpack that looked as if it had travelled further than the man who carried it. There were a few cooking supplies, food, and a little wine, so it was clear the man took care of himself in some way. But that was adding to the questions…

“You are not here to seek the aid I usually offer, dear one, despite the many burdens you carry.” Abdirak had a way of seeing right through people that was putting Wyll on edge, spurring the first proper query. “That’s what I do not understand - you hurt people, physically, viscerally, you wound their bodies and call it healing?” His gaze drifted across the myriad of scars that covered the priest’s body. There were old bruises, dark and fading to the green-tinted purple of the body returning back to its usual pallid hue, silvered scars that had been carried for many years. Alongside those were fresher wounds, angry red marks, some swollen at the edges or dark with near-black bruising, and the jagged edges of deeper and still vivid scars marking where flesh had torn asunder. “You even harm yourself, and what’s stranger is that you seem to enjoy it all.” 

“I do.” Abdirak said simply, clear grey-blue eyes softening, a wide and open gesture with his hands inviting Wyll to look more closely. “Each and every mark is one I wear with pride, it is proof of my love to the goddess Loviatar, Maiden of Pain. It is through my pain, and that of others, that I show my devotion. In return, she offers her blessings, as she did for your friend when they called out their exquisite agony in her name.” The priest smiled at the memory, gazing upwards for a moment as if to the heavens themselves, to her approval. 

Wyll remembered standing there in the cold room, watching his friend face a blood soaked wall, screaming with each fresh wound that painted their flesh with their own sanguine design. “But it is still pain, surely there is no joy that can come from that? I would think you a pure sadist, were your words not so kind.” 

Abdirak laughed for a moment, the warm sound unexpected from the man whose body was a map of torture. “I shall take that as a compliment, dear one, that you understand at least some part of what I am. Who I am.” The priest pressed upon a fresher looking bruise, as not a wince but a smile crossed his featured from the sensation. “Pain has purpose.”

“I can agree to that much. Pain tells you when you have burned your hand so you do not keep it upon the stove.” Wyll raised an eyebrow. “Although, knowing who I’m speaking with, perhaps that is not the best comparison to draw.” 

“That is one form of pain, true. But have you never felt the satisfaction of your muscles aching after exercise? The relief of a splinter removed from your finger?” Abdirak’s hands came together in front of him, fingers steepled almost akin to a prayer but not quite. “Pain opens up pathways to something deeper, enables a release that cannot be found any other way.” “You cannot seriously be comparing exercise to whipping yourself raw!” He was astonished, really, that such a thing could even be suggested. Of course the burn of a run or training with the sword could feel good after even if it hurt, but that was the satisfaction of making progress in something productive…wasn’t it? “Pain is a sensation, dear one, the visceral experience of vivid agony that proves we are alive. Do not mistake it for suffering.” Abdirak continued to gesture, wide hands holding invisible examples of the very concepts themselves. “Suffering can be the effect, the end result of pain, but it can also be alleviated by the very same. When you spar with your sword, and your arms and legs are filled with the ache of exertion, that is pain. It only becomes suffering if you feel it as such. Some may not enjoy the experience, choosing not to train so hard, whilst others will push themselves to their very limits just to experience the rush and satisfaction it can bring; a pain that eases deeper suffering.” Wyll sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees and in turn his chin in his hands. The fire continued to crackle quietly, the low scent of smoke in the air reminding him a little uncomfortably of his own deeper suffering. “That cannot be all there is to it.” He stated, rather than asked.

“Of course, the heart of the matter is far beyond the surface, but that is the beginning. I give purpose to pain, and ensure it is delivered with a loving hand.” The smile that reached storm-coloured eyes was genuine, there was no room for doubt there. 

“You said that before.” Wyll’s mind turned back to seeing his companion, bloodied and bruised, shivering with anticipation before the next strike came down upon their back. “The loving part. Is that Loviatar? Or you?” 

“Both, naturally.” Abdirak’s hands came together, then opened like a book, as if the answers lay in the pages of his palms. “I ensure that I do not give more than my penitents can bear, and Loviatar receives their cries as hymns of devotion, songs that she repays with her own divine love.” He recalled again how the priest’s fingers had woven through the air, crimson curls of magic like blood in the air itself forming the sign of the divine spell, a renewed strength and vigour filling his companion’s complexion. “The blessing…” “Quite so, but it is more than that. When I feel the pain, when I deliver the penance of those who seek to unburden their suffering under my hand, it is as if I can feel the Maiden’s arms around me. Her love…” Abdirak sighed deeply, gazing into the flames before him. “It is much the same as fire. Warm and beautiful, yet equally as dangerous if one is not careful.” “That does not sound so appealing to me. I have been burned too many times already.” Wyll shivered, the feeling of the nine hells crawling across his skin, reshaping his entire being… “You are still looking at the suffering, dear one. The wrong kinds of pain will harm you, but the right kinds can free you of your burdens, if you so wish.” Thin lips curved into a smile, the devotion to the priest’s passions were never in doubt. “Not that I shall offer to you that which you do not request. Nor would I judge you for declining the offer, either. It is enough that you are willing to understand, a noble trait befitting the self-made hero.” 

“Then what of emotional pain?” He recalled something he had read long ago, about worshippers of Loviatar using tricks and manipulation to bring other forms of wounds. “Sharp tongues hurt as much as sharp swords, and a broken heart takes longer to heal than a broken bone.” “That,” a different look crossed the priest’s face for a moment, brows furrowing. “That is where I differ from my kin. Where they see every pain as an offering, I see the suffering that taints such acts. This is why I travel, dear one, despite my rank and expertise. I will not stand to see a waste of pain. There is no purpose to a broken heart, there is no love in twisting another’s mind. No. I give only what is asked, I satisfy the maiden’s wish with the blissful agony, the beauty of exquisite penance that unburdens a heart of guilt it does not deserve.” 

“You make it sound almost peaceful, yet your methods are so…brutal.” He was at least a little relieved that the man had no intention of causing any lasting harm to his companions.

“It is as it must be, dear one.” Abdirak idly ran his fingers over some older scars on his arm. “The sharp experience of pain can lead to a stillness of mind. How acute it must be will vary, but the result is the same. The suffering is stripped away, the guilt peeled back, until all that is left is the physical. Every sting and ache of the body soothes the soul, leaving a soft floating, the pleasant relief of every burden undone. Even other pains might melt away under the fresh sting of a hurt that was wanted, asked for.” 

“Is that…all?” Wyll found his mouth felt dry. The words made sense, but it was still difficult to imagine how anyone could subject themselves to torture so willingly. Abdirak smiled again, the hint of something else in his expression. “There are some who find the adrenaline of the experience to be…pleasurable. Pain subsiding can give way to the rise of the body’s own self-soothing, a rush and sensitivity to further sensation. Or some simply find it enjoyable to not have to be in control, to hand their responsibility and safety to another.” The priest’s arms spread wide once more, an open gesture. “There are many ways one might find Loviatar’s love to be freeing, an exquisite indulgence in the forbidden. They are all deeply satisfying, in their own way.” 

Wyll felt Abdirak’s gaze settling on him now, tracing across his own scars, the many ways he had been marked by suffering. It culminated in the piercing look meeting his own infernal eye that burned as bright as the fire that reflected in it. “This is still not something I am looking for, if that’s all the same to you.” 

“Dear one, that is not the thought that came to mind. You see, there are some who simply find comfort in knowing that our scars do not have to be a source of shame. A few even see beauty in the lingering memories of agony in my flesh.” Abdirak’s fingers once again traced over the lines of old wounds, this time with purpose. “Many of these are a mark of my devotion to Loviatar. Some are those I chose to keep to remember a precious encounter with a penitent soul or kindred spirit.” His voice grew softer, the hint of deeper pain flickering behind his eyes. “Yet some are simply a reminder that their cause was not my end.” 

Wyll felt all at once completely exposed and yet wrapped in the warmth of empathy. His hand moved unbidden, wincing as he touched the base of his horns, still unused to the deep grooves and ridges across his face and the rest of his body, too. “There’s nothing good about this. A mark of failure, not of valour, and a reminder that no matter how far I go I will carry my shame where all can see.” 

“If you had failed, warlock, your friends would be leaving flowers upon your grave. You survived that which would have destroyed a lesser man, and you still keep your sword, your values, your heart. Is that not why you sought me out?” Abdirak reached out, fingers gesturing a caress across his horns, above where scars marked his body. There was no touch, but the ghost of where it might be from a few inches away. “You are not here to admonish me, nor are you seeking my penance. You wanted to understand how one who is so marked can embrace pain and begin to own it. There is little to be earned from bemoaning your fate, when instead you can take every scar and make it your strength. You are changed, yes, but who escapes life without it reshaping them in one way or another?” “I suppose that is one way to see it…” Wyll considered his words, still unsure if he could come to see scars as beautiful, but there was certainly more to think about. 

“Make it mean what you want it to mean, dear one.” Abdirak withdrew his hands, but kept eye contact, driving each word deep into Wyll’s heart. “Every part of you belongs to you, and you alone are the one who is permitted to define that for yourself. Perhaps endurance, or simple survival. You could see it as spite, to love every mark that you were told you should hate, to embrace the changes fully as who you are despite what the world tried to make of you. Offering your pain to Loviatar might not be something you wish, but you may still give it purpose beyond suffering.” 

Wyll sat quietly for a while. Abdirak made no move to pressure him to speak, nor did he try to fill the silence with words. Instead, they both remained in the stillness of night, the crackling of the fire a soft comfort along with the glow and warmth it provided. Eventually, the sound of footsteps approaching broke the silence. “So, this is where you were. We were beginning to worry.” Their voice was light, as was the sparkle in their eyes. “I see you found Abdirak, a pleasure to meet again so soon. I was hoping our paths might cross.” 

“Perhaps I should head back to camp.” Wyll realised his companion might be looking for a little relief from their recent burdens, in a manner that neither he nor the others in the camp might provide. The small smile from Loviatar’s priest spoke similar volumes of the hope for some time on their own. “Be careful not to overdo it.” He cautioned, knowing there was little need. He was beginning to see the deeper meaning in the evening’s discussion, there was certainly much to think on. “It has been a distinct pleasure to enjoy your company, Wyll.” Abdirak’s use of his name gave him pause in his steps. “I do hope it will not be for the last time. Perhaps we might share a drink in the future, speak more of Loviatar’s customs and of your own experiences, should you so wish.” 

“That…” Wyll paused to consider it. “Yes. I would like that. Thank you, Abdirak, for a serendipitous evening.” 

Somehow, Wyll’s steps were lighter as he made his way back to their own camp where the rest of his friends waited. The sounds of their usual talk, laughter, and arguments bubbled through the still air, but did little to break the thoughts that still settled deeper into his mind. 

Perhaps the priest knew even more of suffering, and how to ease it, than simply through his pious and painful devotions…

--- --- END NOTES --- ---

As a side note, I usually capitalise Dear One, but I kept it lowercase here. It's a subtle cue to a less familiar relationship, a way that Abdirak's still addressing people as he often would but not quite with the same level he speaks with someone who is partaking in a session.

A lot of this has a strong basis in reality - pain in kink is often not about being hurt, it is about a sensation, and then the adrenaline and endorphins that come with it. There are even those who indulge in BDSM for the headspace, something often referred to as "subspace", rather than anything directly sexual. It's a release of suffering, in a very direct and almost visceral manner, but the effect for some can be more relaxing than any long spa day.

If you're interested in learning more about the NSFT or the non-sexual side of pain kink, please do feel free to get in touch with me and I can direct you to some resources or just talk over more in detail about the themes here if you wish~ I feel that often having an understanding for things that we aren't directly engaged in or even interested in can help broaden our perspectives in a whole range of ways.

[hxzy-sunrise]

ok so this was less of a fic/hc and more just a little scenario that I thought up after a dream. little sort've silly goofy one shot I suppose.. idk I'm so uncreative i need requests or something.. or just a random prompt or hc generator.. yeah something like that. and maybe grammerly, grammerly would help too. I also sort've rushed this randomly rather than taking the time to be descriptive and really work in depth.. so maybe I'll rewrite it sometime

also I have like.. no clue how to use Tumblr.. I'm learning.. slowly but surely. next if I don't have any requests I'll probably do either a list of hcs/replies to hc templates, or maybe work on a nsfw alphabet.. something of the sorts.

after a long, long day of training it was finally dark, which meant you finally got to go to bed. the sheets felt softer than any silk, and it was like a cloud to finally collapse down into bed. it was like a dream come true- the rest you'd desperately been craving suddenly handed to you. safe to say within seconds you were out, slipping into a dreamless yet peaceful sleep. finally the worries and burdens of the day had been carried off, and your body and mind had time to recover.

you didn't know how long it had been since you last opened your eyes, all you knew was that there was something incredibly heavy crushing you. after squirming and struggling you hear your bedmate eren grumble something, and you feel the weight slightly shift. at this point you've started coming to your senses- looking up at the bottom of the bunk on top of yours. you were in the sleeping quarters, and eren had rolled half on top of you. not only was he heavy- but also insufferably hot. now see- normally you were fairly matched in strength, close in height, and overall size. but his dead weight body and your weakened half asleep state seemed to turn the tides and leave you horrendously out matched. " eren..! " you whispered quietly, elbowing him awkwardly from the angle you were at. waking up the other cadets because you were stuck under him would be embarrassing. in fact- you would never live it down. so you had to figure this out on your own. in the middle of your dilemma you felt eren start to move. it was a blessing from ymir! the relief you felt was short lived, as he seemed to just pull himself closer. he buried his nose into the crook of your neck- leaving your cheeks dusted a light pink color. now.. the temptation to stay and just try and go back to sleep was strong.. after all.. this was.. well no- this would have been nice if he wasn't crushing and cooking you alive. after a moment of debate you accepted that you can't sleep like this, and slowly moved your hand to aggressively poke him in the cheek. he grumbled, trying to tuck his face further into you and away from the prodding assault you had begun. eventually a mix of your squirming, whispering his name, and stabbing him in the cheek had awoken him. confused teal eyes slowly met you e/c ones, blinking slowly. his brows furrowed, and he seemed like he was about to go back to sleep. " don't you dare fall back asleep, jaeger. " you warned, seeming to catch his attention. " y/n? " he asked, looking to the other boy in confusion. " what's up? " he asked, yawning and stretching his limbs. " you're kinda heavy. and on top of me. " you reply, now freed from his grasp as he moved away. you kick the blanket off with glee and feel the cool air rushing around your body. " I'm not heavy.. " you hear eren whisper, rubbing his eyes. even half asleep and delirious he was still as stubborn as ever. it seemed he didn't even know what he was defending against. but you didn't mind all that much right now. after cooling off for a moment, you lifted up the blanket, sliding back under it. as he shut his eyes you took a moment to admire his face. he wasn't textbook perfect in anyway- messy hair, half drooling. but to you? he was everything you could've asked for. and right now, he seemed at peace. and that? that was all you could ask for. after a moment, eren slowly opened his eyes. before he could say anything you quickly interrupted. " don't say anything. " you mused, realizing eren knew. you slowly rolled over away from him, and looked at the wall. eren however just slowly inched his way closer to you- tucking his nose into the back of your shirt and wrapping one of his arms over your side. he sighed peacefully, slowly drifting back off to sleep. as he felt you slightly shifting he dragged himself back into reality. " is this.. alright? " he double checked, about to pull away. " yeah.. just don't crush me again or uh.. I'll do.. something. " you replied, slowly moving to catch his hand with yours. " yeah? " he began with a small grin. " I'd like to see you try.. " he whispered in reply, a challenging tone. " maybe I will.. in the morning.. " you mused, trailing off with a small yawn. eren mirrored it with one of his own, nodding and shutting his eyes. at last comfortable once more- you slowly trailed back off to sleep.

[toointojoelmiller]

look for the light: a last of us fic

chapter 2

BTHB prompt inspired - "electrical outage" Jackson loses power, Joel can't find Ellie, and panic ensues (for @bearrycool). cross posted to ao3 here ch 1 | ch 2 | ch 3 | ch 4

Apart from the occasional periods of time where she didn’t seem to sleep at all - Joel wouldn’t get much then either, judging by the way his lights stayed on through the night - Ellie liked to sleep in when she had the chance. The group leaving for the supply run was heading out at dawn, with the sun still hidden and only just starting to lighten the sky. It was the earliest Tommy had seen her up.

Her short and slight ponytailed shape was easily recognizable, standing next to Joel and a buckskin horse. Joel was crouched slightly, adjusting the cinch of the saddle. Ellie looked a sullen, running a flat hand up and down the horse’s muzzle and raking her fingers through it’s forelock.

The trip to the pharmaceutical warehouse in Idaho had been planned for months, with the list of supplies that were running perilously short at the clinic growing every week, but there had been serious discussions about whether or not to postpone. A group of raiders tried to take the dam just as winter was thawing out and the world had started to bloom green again. The men on guard at the time had held the line through the onslaught, but the attack was more organized and better equipped than any they’d seen before, leaving everyone in Jackson rattled.

There were casualties - one of their own was killed, a decent young man in his late twenties who took a bullet to the neck, and two of their better patrolmen were injured enough to be off duty for a long while.

The treatment of the men who’d been injured in the fight had been difficult due to the dwindling stock of medication and supplies, making the need for the trip undeniable - and urgent.

Fearing the group would return, they'd bumped up the number of people stationed at the dam, but it meant less people available for the supply run. When it became clear that either Tommy or Joel would probably need to go for the run to stand any chance of being successful, Joel had volunteered - “You’re not goin’ - you got a goddamn baby to worry about,” he’d said firmly.

Joel had established himself as the most experienced and capable on the roster not long after joining the patrols - sending him made an otherwise small group feel significantly less risky. It made sense, even if none of them liked it.

As the group’s planned departure date approached Ellie seemed to get more irritated, snapping at Joel and storming off after a heated exchange of words on more than one occasion. Tommy assumed that she was worried for Joel, and not wanting to spend a week away from him. Maybe that was a piece of it - but Joel had pinched his nose and exhaled heavily as he filled Tommy in on the real reason for her frustration. “She won’t quit tryin’ to convince me to let her come - swear to god, her turnin’ sixteen is gonna be the death of me.”

Tommy wondered if she’d given up yet, or if she was going to try to badger Joel into letting her go with him until he was out the gate.

“You got a good one,” Tommy called out while he walked over, nodding at Maria as she left his side to check in on the others who were preparing to leave. “Flint’s a nice ride - you taken him out before?”

Joel shook his head. “Nah - this’ll be the first. Ellie picked him out for me, said the same.” He glanced at Ellie as he said it, and when she didn’t react he shot a look at Tommy.

“Well, she’d know,” Tommy said, smiling in Ellie’s direction and receiving the same lack of response. He shifted Charlie in his arms, moving her to his other side as she half-snoozed against his chest. “You and Dina’ve been a big help at the stables.”

She flicked her eyes briefly to Tommy, nodding once, and then turned back to face the horse. Joel sighed and shook his head slightly, meeting Tommy’s gaze again with worried eyes, the stress plain on his face.

“Charlie’s lookin’ forward to havin’ you around for the week,” Tommy tried again, hoping for the sake of Joel’s nerves that she would give them something.

It was a dumb joke they all had fun with - newly turned one, his girl wasn’t really talking yet, although she did pretty good at getting her point across with her squawking and babbling and pointing. It worked - Ellie looked over, her eyes landing on Charlie’s sleepy face with a flicker of a smile.

“Oh yeah? She tell you that?”

Tommy grinned, and some of the tension seemed to leave Joel’s face. “Won’t shut up about it, actually.”

“I can’t blame her,” Ellie said. “Spending all day with you - she must be dying to have someone cool to hang out with for a change.”

Tommy laughed, saying, “I reckon you oughta be a bit nicer to me, seein’ as I’m in charge of you until the old man gets back.”

Ellie snorted. “In charge of me? I agreed to sleep in your spare room, man - that’s it.”

“Hang onto him for me,” Joel said, handing the horse’s reins to Ellie as he stepped away. “Gotta talk to Maria for a second.” He tilted his head, gesturing for Tommy to come with him.

Joel lowered his voice as they walked towards Maria. “Don't feel right, leavin’ her like this.”

“Ellie’ll be fine, Joel. Ain’t like she’s gonna be by herself.”

Joel nodded as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a square of paper and passing it over carefully, like he wanted it to stay hidden from Ellie’s view. Tommy glanced back at her and confirmed that she wasn’t looking as he flipped it open. She was still loving on the horse, feeding it a palmful of oatmeal she must have dug out from the saddlebags.

Joel had lectured Tommy and Maria both on and off over the past week about things he wanted them to know while he was gone. Apparently he had no faith that they would remember any of it, because as Tommy ran his eyes over the two pages of paper, covered (both sides) in Joel’s handwriting, he realized he had been handed an Ellie instruction manual. What to feed her so she’ll eat enough - things to try if she stops eating. The addresses of her friends - Dina, Jesse, Cat - their parents names, and a star hastily scribbled beside a note about keeping a close eye if Ellie and Jesse were hanging out on their own. Nearly a whole page about how to help if she has a nightmare and what to do when she can’t sleep. A long list of what she likes talking about and an entirely unnecessary companion list of things not to bring up.

It was sweet, and it was insane.

“You know I’ve met her before, right?” Tommy couldn’t help but taunt. 

“Go ahead,” Joel said, waving a hand. “I just - don’t want somethin’ to come up that you - she’s a great kid, I know you know that - but - there’s a lot -”

Tommy folded the paper and shoved it into his back pocket before putting a hand on Joel’s shoulder. “Joel. I know. Ellie will be fine. We’ve got her. Nowhere safer for her to be than Jackson, and you know that’s the truth. Start fuckin’ worryin’ about yourself and gettin’ back here in one piece, alright?”

Whatever lingering moodiness Ellie might have been feeling towards Joel for not letting her go with him, it didn’t stop her from crumpling a bit as the group eventually started to leave, tucking herself into his chest as he squeezed his arms around her for one completely vulnerable second. He started saying something to her quietly, and Tommy turned around to give them space to say goodbye. He scanned around for Maria for a few seconds, finding her already making her way back to them. 

By the time he turned back around, Joel had mounted Flint and Ellie was wiping her face roughly with her sleeve.

“Don’t terrorize Tommy too much,” Joel said.

“Don’t fucking die,” she muttered back, crossing her arms.

He gave her a pained look, and then nodded. “Do what I told you, alright?”

In a rare show of outright obedience, Ellie nodded solemnly.

Maria looked at him, an eyebrow partially raised. Tommy decided he didn't really want to know what exactly Joel and Ellie were purposefully not discussing in front of them. He had an idea, anyway - neither of them knew that he knew about the handgun Joel had snuck in that seemed to hang out in different spots of Ellie's room. He wondered if Joel’d told her to keep it on her while he was gone. It wasn’t something he wanted Maria finding out, anyway - nothing good would come of that.

When Joel was out of sight through the gates, Maria suggested they have an early breakfast together, since they were all up and dressed already. Ellie shrugged and tagged along with them, offering to hold Charlie on her lap while they ate.

Ellie was quiet at the table, picking at her food and spending more time feeding Charlie sliced strawberries than actually eating herself. It made sense for her to be feeling down with Joel officially gone, so it didn’t set off any alarm bells at first. But when she cleared her throat and put her fork down, cautiously saying, “So, I’ve been thinking…” Tommy and Maria exchanged glances immediately.

“About?” Maria prompted in her all business tone.

Ellie sighed, sitting back in her chair as she met Maria’s gaze. Tommy suddenly felt a bit nervous.

“I know Joel wants me to stay with you guys while he’s gone,” Ellie started.

Maria nodded curtly. “Which you’re doing - the spare room is ready for you.”

Tommy expected Ellie to deflate, but she raised her chin and set her shoulders instead. He thought briefly that he might be about to find out the answer to that ‘unstoppable force', ‘immoveable object’ nonsense.

“I’ll sleep better in my own bed,” Ellie said confidently.

Maria shrugged. “Maybe, but that’s not what we all agreed to.”

Tommy felt like he was watching a ping pong game, looking back and forth from one stubbornly set expression to another.

“I sleep in my place on my own every night. What difference does it make?”

“Joel thinks you’re staying with us, Ellie, so you’re going to be,” Maria said simply. “I know you don’t want to have to tell him that you lied to him when he gets back.”

Ellie’s eyes narrowed for a second as she scoffed. “I didn’t lie -”

Maria nodded curtly as she cut in. “That’s right. You didn’t, because you said you’d be sleeping at our house, and that’s what you’re going to do.”

“You don’t want me there,” Ellie said, trying out a different tactic. “Charlie’s asleep so early - I’ll just wake her up. I’m playing around on my guitar a lot lately -”

“Ellie, come on -”

“And Dina was going to sleepover later this week so we can watch all of the Alien movies back to back -”

“Jackson has all of the Alien movies?” Tommy asked - he really was curious, but also hoping to derail what we looking more and more like a bubbling argument.

Both of them ignored him.

“I’m sixteen, not six,” Ellie said.

“You’re fifteen,” Maria countered, earning another exasperated eye roll.

“For what, like, a month and a half!” Ellie’s voice raised a bit in the middle of her sentence before she dialled herself back down. “You don’t - I’ve spent basically my whole life looking after myself. Just because Joel is...” she trailed off, looking down.

Maria watched her for a minute before she responded. She leaned in as she did, resting her arms on the table, and giving that piercing stare that always made Tommy feel like she was looking right through him. “You know what? You’re right. You are almost sixteen. And when you are, you’ll be able to start training for patrol, which means people are going to need to be able to count on you. Part of being reliable is keeping your word. It doesn’t mean a thing if you break it. So - it’s up to you. If you’ll follow through on what you promised Joel or not.”

She wasn’t happy about doing it, but Ellie caved. 

[s-c-g-s-c-g]

Friday Fic Recs

Fic Recs! This week I have some one shots! All of them are 1k-5k words and focus on prequel-era Jedi characters! I've put them more or less in order of when they would occur in the timeline.

And I Trace the Night by CombatBootsandDreams - Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi.

A post-Melida-Daan Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fic that has Obi-Wan sharing some of his Stewjoni culture with Qui-Gon. This one shot has some really fun and unique non-human Stewjoni and Jedi worldbuilding. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are both trying to build their relationship after the strain of Melida-Daan and I really enjoyed the effort and care both of them but especially Qui-Gon show as they reach out. This is part 1 of a series!

It matters that the words hold on by blackkat - Agen Kolar & Tan Yuster & Rex

Tan lives! This is a short and sweet AU where Agen Kolar's padawan Tan survived Geonosis and they both wind up assigned to the 501st. I really enjoyed Agen and Tan's relationship in this one. I love AUs with slightly kinder endings and Tan living is one I haven't seen often. He's such a sweet presence here. This is part of a series of Agen Kolar prompts!

clutch by CallToMuster - Obi-Wan Kenobi & Reva Sevander

Reva was one of my favorite parts of the Kenobi show, her story is so compelling and I will probably never get sick of running into slightly happier endings for her. This one sees her found by Obi-Wan and Yoda after the slaughter at the Temple. The emotions! Reva's anger and fear in the aftermath is well done here. Obi-Wan's attempts at connection coupled with his horror and disbelief is heartbreaking. This is listed as part of a series but so far is the only part!

[random-mailbox]

Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 29 - Prompt: Mug

Fanfiction writers used prompt “mug” for some lighthearted one-shots that are all equally adorable. They all leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling, so I thought I would share them with you all as well. The header image is my attempt at visual representation of the mugs mentioned in stories below 😘

(@iamcharlotte88- if you need inspiration, there is no Dr Chiba with a pink mug image that I could find)

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

Miscellaneous Works: Short Stories That Tumbled From Tumblr: Chapter 4: His Bunny Mug - @floraone

This one-shot is written from outside-looking in perspective of someone else working with Mamoru, observing him and his relationship with Usagi.

In Your Orbit - UsaMamo Shorts: Chapter 1: Mug - @daikon1

Mamoru sneaks a mug out of Usagi's apartment to help him have a tangible reminder of her while doing grueling shifts at the hospital. Except that there was very little actual "sneaking" involved.

In Your Orbit - UsaMamo Shorts: Chapter 2: Mug Take 2 - @daikon1

In this version, mug serves as a meet-cute for our duo, with Mamoru picking it up at a thrift store. Fate does work in mysterious ways with these two.

These Games We Play: Chapter 9: Caught in the Act - @allyunabridged

Usagi is super excited to finally spend a little bit of quality time with Mamoru over lunch, with how busy their lives are. That fades quickly into annoyance when she realizes what he is holding.

My Own Little Stage: A Collection of Prompts: Chapter 6: Prompt: Coffee date - @tinacentury

This one is slightly less "mug" prompt, and more mug is a plot device to get Mamoru and Usagi to address what happened during the break-up arc of R-season of the anime.

Well, and since we were talking about Mugs, I decided to use a bunny mug for my photography class homework. So here are a couple of my favorite shots:

---

That's it for this week! Next week we start on April posts:

April 3 - Flowers

April 10 - Traditions

April 17 - Dreams

April 24 - Friends

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

Week 20 - Coffee shop AU

Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth

Week 22 - Friends to Lovers

Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️

Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)

Week 25 - Soulmate AU

Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)

Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀

Week 28 - Fix it Fics

[tippenfunkaport]

WIPs Status Update

I am fairly confident no one cares what I am up to, but I haven't done one of these in ages so I figured I should.

In Progress Fanfic

Outlaws of the Whispering Woods

This fic is on temporary hiatus because I'm working on finishing it as part of the @wipbigbang. Participation in that event means I can't update that fic again until the posting period starts on September 8th BUT that once that posting period begins, I should have both art for the new chapter as well as regular updates through November until the fic is done which should be exciting. 

That said, there is still like 60k ish to go in that story so if it looks like I'm not going to be able to get it all done in time, I might swap it out for the Chipped Glimmer fic which has also been languishing in WIP hell because it's shorter and easier for me to get done on time. I'd prefer to use the event as a kick in the pants to finish OotWW, though, so we'll see.

Prince Glowyn the Fourth

This fic is 100% complete at last, I just have one chapter left to post and will be doing that sometime within the next week.

Going There

Just about four years after I started it, Going There is finally done as well! (Literally just finished it today!) "Done" in this case means I finally rewrote the back end and filled in the missing connecty bits I never wrote the first time so everything's written, it's just going to take me an unknown quantity of time to edit and post each of the chapters. But less time than rewriting it all took so I expect those last few updates to come fairly regularly once I get them started.

Coming Home

I have always said that I wanted to wait to continue this fic until Going There was done so now that I have finally finished it, the sequel can get my attention more regularly again. That said, with everything going on with the WIP Bang, posting the rest of Going There, running the Big Bang and posting my own Bang fic (plus, like, all the other IRL stuff i have to do this summer), I really don't anticipate getting it updated anytime before the fall at the earliest and even then who knows.

Also, because this is my last in-progress canon fic I'm not in a huge rush to get it out there, I'd rather take my time with it, so I'm fine with that timeline. It'll get updated when it gets updated.

Area First Ones

In my head, this is episodic and while i have five chapters written, I have some things I want to add in between so it's not as simple as just cleaning and posting those. So basically, this one will be one of those fics I update when I update here and there with no set timeline other than my whims.

Coming Soon!

My Big Bang fic is called Horse Girl Everyone and it's the long awaited Riding School AU! 

That one is going to be longgggg and basically never-ending and episodic (seriously, we're over 50k words and while Catradora have been circling each other for chapters Glimmer and Bow literally only just met and you KNOW how I feel about Glimbow). I was hoping to write enough in advance that I could do some kind of regular update schedule at the start but because I'm also running the Bang and having some annoying medical stuff going on, I think that's not happening.

I've written a ton in advance, don't get me wrong, I just don't see myself having time to revise it all and post weekly with everything else going on. But we'll see!

Anything else?

Well, yeah, lots of stuff but it's not fandom related so I can't tell you about it. ;-) Though maaaaybe I might have the chance for some of you to help me beta some of my original stuff in the near future if you're willing so keep an eye out for that.

I'm trying to have less things in progress at once so, though I have other fanfic projects in various states of completion, I'm purposely not going to even think about posting any other multi-chaps until GT and OotWW are done. 

One shots and shorts? Yeah, I'll be throwing those up randomly as the mood strikes, you know how I roll. I'm eyeing up the Domaystic 2024 prompts to see which ones call to me right now.

So I have other stuff planned for later but I'm not even going to tease it because we'll see how everything shakes out.

This year has actually been absolutely horrible health wise but weirdly productive writing wise so it's been a mixed bag but at least nice to get some stuff done!

[amuseoffyre]

Fyre’s OFMD fic masterlist - Anniversary edition :)

Well, it’s been a year and the pirates still have my whole heart and brain. 560+k later and still going strong.

SERIES/COLLECTIONS

Immersion ® - 13k A series of short soft scenes of Stede and Ed being soft, featuring the clothing swap, Ed’s introduction to the lavender soap, some shaving and bath time

Toxic (E) - 7.3k Izzy has an urge and Calico Jack knows just how to scratch it, whether Izzy likes it or not. (Please heed all warnings and tags if you venture into this series)

Penetrative Gays (E) - 13k A silly series following every post-e3 stabbing incident in the smuttiest possible way :)

Turning Tides ® - 81k My novel-length speculative season 2, picking up immediately after the end of S1, featuring everyone, multiple POVs, drama, shenanigans and fuckeries galore.

Storm Surge ® - 62k My second novel-length series and my speculative S3, following on directly from Turning Tides. Even more POVs and far, far, far more fuckeries than you can shake a stick at.

Our Flag Means Death - JanAUry (Mixed) - 17k A series of 1k one-shots based on the Jan-AU-ry prompts list

Write It Through As a Crew (Various) - 12k A collection of 1k prompts/one-shots/missing scenes from Turning Tides and Storm Surge

ONE SHOTS

The Biblical Sense (E)  - 2.6k The first time for the lads, written before David Jenkins dropped 9 & 10 and irreversibly hurled me into pirate hell.

Ties that Bind ® - 3.3k Stede has an extensive ribbon collection and Ed realises it’s a way for him to feel vulnerable. Shibari-with-ribbons.

Bit of a Clothes Horse (E) - 9k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - the missing scene where Stede helps Ed get ready for the fancy party boat. And all that comes after ;)

Type ® - 2.3k Mary Allamby Bonnet gets a bit of a fright when she finds a scary-looking man with a sword in her front room.

Magnolia (E) - 5k When Ed - no, the Kraken - catches Stede Bonnet, he wants to use him and ruin him, but it… doesn’t quite go to plan.

Fancy (E) - 7k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - After a successful raid, Stede and Ed find some unexpected enjoyment in some interesting items of clothing.

Co-Captain Duties (E) - 3.5k After the treasure hunt, Ed tries to use bath time as a way to drop a less than subtle hint that he wants to… push forward their relationship.

Maketh the Man (E) - 6.6k When Blackbeard is captured by Hornigold, Izzy Hands is forced to turn to the only person who might be mad enough to be able to save him. Naturally, Stede rises to the occasion.

Sweet/Tart (E) - 4k When Stede returns to the Revenge, he brings a little sweet treat to try and win Ed over

A Beginning (M) - 2k Sometimes, you meet a nice girl and you get along and you start to think maybe yeah, this one might be something special.And then she murders your boss’s favourite husband.

In Slumber (E) - 15k When Stede admits he might find Ed attractive, even asleep, Ed encourages him to pursue that train of thought with his full and enthusiastic consent.

Regulations (PG) 1.2k “It had to go”

Accord (R) - 2.6k Crossover with Black Sails - James Flint comes seeking an alliance with Blackbeard

Adrift (R) - 7k Canon-divergence AU where Chauncey catches Ed instead of Stede at the academy

Bits (R) - 4k Ed Teach’s not-good very-bad week after he hears about Stede Bonnet’s demise   

  NON-SERIES LONG FIC

Thunders of the Upper Deep ® - 4.4k - WIP Started as part of mermay. Only this is were-mermay and Ed is the kraken :D

Renaissance (E) - 26k What if Ed heard that gunshot in the woods that night?

Bark and Bite ® - 75k Vampire & werewolf AU - take s1 and sprinkle in a generous dose of supernatural nonsense and that’s this fic.

A Good Impression (R) - 17k WIP What if Stede had accepted Izzy’s invitation to the Queen Anne’s Revenge?

Lady Trouble (R) - 23.5k WIP The runaway wife of a wealthy landowner, Stede Bonnet Allamby set out to find adventure and freedom on the high seas. Things did not go as planned…

Don't Tell Mama (E) - 93k WIP Drag/Burlesque Social Media AU - Stede Bonnet runs off to be a cabaret Emcee and crosses paths with the bone-weary Drag Impresario Lady Blackbeard

Wonder of Infamy (R) - 3.3k WIP My anniversary fic :) It’s already 20k written and rising rapidly.

[substituted-shinigami]

Drabble Notes

Well folks, (@unloquita and @recurring-polynya), it's been a week, so how are we doing?! 😁

First of all, I would like to hugely thank you both for participating in my first open drabble request! ☺️ I've had this account for less than a year and have been posting fanfiction for only two months, so to get any requests at all was amazing! I've got a long way to go, and I'm greatly humbled by the support you all have shown me. 🥰 With that, let’s talk about the writing of the fics!

Let me start by saying I've had a blast writing y'all's fics! 😁 I got to write some characters and scenarios that I would not have otherwise. That said, I think in hindsight, it was way too early for me to make such a request, and especially to give myself such a short timeline. Why oh why did I give myself only a week to write two fics?! 😅 Once again, I had fun, a ton of fun, but there was zero reason to give myself that level of stress! That said, all things considered, I think they turned out pretty well. Like they need some more time in the oven for sure, but that’s okay, because I would love to turn both your prompts into full fledged one-shots! Unfortunately, those versions won’t be ready for months though, especially since I still need to finish my other fics as well, so I will be posting them in their current form on Tumblr today, just without tags. Sorry about this, I’ll let you know when the full version comes out too! And hey, if you want to leave notes on them for the future full versions, go right ahead! Especially if a part of a piece is confusing or feels like it doesn’t connect, I would love to know! I want to make these pieces the best I can! 👍👍👍

In …uh… related news, it turns out I had 0% of an idea what a drabble is.😅 I had seen people do them on tumblr before, and I assumed that they were a writer’s version of a rough but nice sketch, i.e. something you complete first, before you get into the niddy griddy month long editing phase. Basically I thought it was somewhere between a first draft and a final one. That apparently is not a drabble. A drabble is a written piece that is 100 words or less. Some people extend this to be 1,000 words or less. The pieces I wrote for you are not that and therefore are not drabbles. They are long enough to be considered one-shots. I apologize for the confusion!!!

Well, despite all the ups and downs, I really had a good time! Thank you all again for your requests, they meant the world to me! 🥰 I hope these silly little fics bring you joy! ☺️