#very loosely based on b99

[thoughmymindcouldthink]

Compilation and General Update

I've spend the evening reorganizing/archiving a lot of this blog, and I've noticed I talk around a lot of ideas rather than explaining them.

First on the docket, I revamped the organization system to be more streamlined and easier to use (at least for me, hopefully for visitors as well). Secondly, I archived a lotta (most) projects that I'm not really reserving brain space for at the moment. They're all in varying states of archived-ness in my brain, but they're all squished into one folder for blog purposes.

I'll continue to use this blog for resources, inspiration, challenges, and the like, but I have also picked out the Big Projects throughout the years to organize them better.

Current Projects

Handholding through Hell: the translation of a current dnd campaign into more traditional prose storytelling. Five party members wake up in a hell-like demi-plane with no knowledge of how they got there. On their hunt for a way back home, they discover that their pasts have followed them (or brought them?) here.

All or Nothing: Widofjord Uni AU, loosely based on the novel Coffee Cake. Heavy focus on Fjord, who needs to save his slipping grades to keep his athletic scholarship for rowing. Secondary focus on Caleb, who's recovering from some very intense drama in his ridiculously competitive academic program by working at the local cat cafe. Caleb offers to tutor Fjord and they begin to explore a romance. A semi-magic USA university AU in which Mollymauk deals fake IDs, Artagan’s a disillusioned ex-grad student, and Yasha gets to major in gardening.

BeauYasha Kidfic: Inspired by domestic beauyasha in the m9 epilogue, a vague idea of a future fic in which they help fjord overturn the orphanage that harmed him and end up with a half-orc kid of their own. got spooked when a lot of the after talk was quite similar to this idea and put it down.

Archived Original Projects

Vampire Apocalypse: Steampunk Lady Pirates: Hollywood fell to a vampire underground, and one young woman spearheads a resistance of sky pirates, all to get her sister back.

Antonita, the Spanish Contrabandista: A rewrite/update/retelling of an 1850s novella of a female pirate and her adventures with a Texan navy captain and his wife.

Outlander & Urchin: A traditional western fantasy story about two orphans who help each other survive while a magical war wages across the land. Reunited as adults, they realize their lives may be bigger than they thought.

Golden Gay Bridge (aka Gone): technically my undergrad thesis & 2016 nano project. A young woman loses her mother to cancer and goes on a roadtrip to find her elusive biological father and unearth half of herself.

Archived Fanfiction Projects

Rockstar AU: Louis is a rockstar; Harry is the label's new popstar. The two are forced to tour together for publicity. Liam is management, Niall is Harry's bestie, Zayn is Louis's bestie. Harry/Louis enemies to besties main plot, Ziall + Louam subplots.

Playboy AU: Harry runs an escort business; Louis and Niall are bunnies, Zayn and Liam are bartenders (Ziall + Louam)

Uni+ AU: Niall and Zayn fall in love at University, but their futures conspire against them – until they meet again. Essentially a uni!AU + a second chance trope.

Proposal AU: a ziall retelling of The Proposal (2009). That's it. That's the project. ALT: Cutting Edge AU (similar premise).

B99/1D crossover: Requested by bestie in like... 2015. An AU in which the 1d boys are Brooklyn police officers. Will likely not touch this one again.

#BY kidfic #archive: vaslp #antonita #aj chronicles #golden gay bridge #archive: rockstar #archive: playboy #archive: uni plus #ps #updates #pb #uni widofjord #dnd: ffg

[savedbythenotepad]

“you had a fun night last night?” yuuri asks, amused as viktor raises to his head in an attempt to tame his pounding headache. he stumbles for a moment and somehow doesn’t trip over the rug as he makes his way to the kitchen. chris had arrived in town yesterday so the two of them had gone out on the town while yuuri remained at home for a quiet night in. viktor had arrived home at five in the morning, singing bad romance by lady gaga at the top of his lungs. yuuri was more than amused even in his sleepily state and laughed until he cried as viktor tries to do the choreography from the music video. 

“i don’t want to talk about last night,” viktor murmurs hoarsely and keeps his eyes squinted due to the room being a tad too bright for him at the moment. “i can’t even remember what happened.”

yuuri purses his lips, like he’s trying to contain his laughter as he brings up his phone. “oh well this will be a surprise for you,” yuuri tells him and goes through his messages to locate the picture that viktor had sent him last night. “here is a picture of you shirtless and eating a bowl of ramen on a park bench at one in the morning.”

it’s definitely news to viktor as he shuffles over to the couch with a glass of water in hand and tries to look at the picture. yuuri has dimmed the brightness of the phone which viktor is thankful for and it’s true. there viktor is, seated on a park bench with his shirt off and a cup of ramen noodles in his hands. he looks utterly drunk and floating high. 

viktor groans once more as he leans down to rests his head on yuuri’s shoulder but stands back up quickly because that wasn’t a good idea.

yuuri smiles softly at him and reaches out to smooth a hand over viktor’s messed up hair. “i’ll make you some soup.”

viktor smiles gratefully and vows to never go out with chris again.

which he knows will easily be broken.

#viktuuri #victuuri #victuri #yuri on ice #yoi #viktor nikiforov #mywriting #this is very loosely based off b99 #where jake sends amy a picture of him drunk and shirtless and eating chinese chicken salad

[sunflowerbecca]

lovers or not ✰ kiara carrera

summary: you’re best friends with kie and while you have feelings for her you never think that a relationship would be possible, but little do you know she feels the same way.

notes: this is very loosely based off ‘high school lover’ by Cayucas!

requested: yes/no

warnings: I don’t think there’s any, let me know if you find any!

Are you going to the party on Saturday?

She asked us if I didn't know

See, ever since I saw you on the back of some guy's bicycle

Well, I've been feeling kinda so-so

“Are you planning on going to the kegger this weekend that’s the guys are throwing?” Kie asks you as she storms into your bedroom, shutting the wooden door behind her.

“Eh, I don’t know. Also what happened to hello?” You roll over from your spot on your bed to face her. She immediately waltzes over to your closet and pulls open the door. The sound of hangers hitting against each other as she sifts through your clothes can be heard within the small room.

“I just don’t want to go and then have the boys ditch me and end up alone with some touron or something, that’s why I want you to come.” Kie announces. Yeah, that’s definitely why I want you to come, the girl thinks, not because I want to hang out with you without the boys.

“I guess I could come… but,” you drag the word out slightly, “I want to go to the Wreck first to get food.” Kie briefly steps out of the closet to look at you on the bed as her face contours to an exaggerated ‘thinking’ face.

“I guess I can meet your demands. Plus my dad wants to see you again, he misses you.”

“Aw I feel so loved. Tell him I miss him too when you go home.”

“Yeah I will.” The girl pauses and turns back to your closet, a lavender coloured tank top catching her eye. She quickly grasps the wooden hanger and pulls it out, holding it in the air as she moves to stand in front of you.

“Now why don’t you ever wear this shirt, you would look so hot!” I just want to see you in it, her thoughts scream out.

So girl, don't act so surprised

Got that look in your light blue eyes, you can stop pretending

Yeah, I been watching the movie all along

Wondering if there was gonna be an ending

To the story, to the story, to the story, I guess I'll never know

The bonfire rages as its surrounded by many intoxicated teenagers. A speaker loudly emits some sort of pop music on the beach, yet it seems quiet compared to the loud voices of the teens. Earlier in the night you decided to wear the purple tank top she was talking about previously, this made her heart start racing. Her chest pounded as you and her sit together on a log with your knees and shoulders touching. Both of you are already drunk but continue to hold solo cups filled to the brim with beer, laughing at each others bad jokes.

"You know what I think?" You ask while laughing slightly.

"What do you think?" Kiara questions.

"I think we should date!"

"What?"

"Yeah! You, me, us, y'know." You enunciate, gently knocking her shoulder with yours. She pauses for a moment before smiling slightly and replying.

"I think I agree."

"Oh I absolutely bet you do Miss Carrera."

"Here," Kie starts, "cheers to us." You both share a laugh before holding up your cups in a mock salute to one another.

Suddenly you hear JJ and John B yelling your name from the other side of the bonfire. The two boys gesture for you to follow them as they point to a touron innocently standing on the outskirts of the party. You stand and turn to look at Kie before blurting out something about a bet with JJ before quickly disappearing into the crowd, your earlier conversation already forgotten.

See, I was running as fast as I could

Saying the things I thought I should, but it was just a little too slow

Oh, Elizabeth, don't keep me guessin'

“Oh shit, she’s hot.”

“Huh?” Kiara questions, turning around from the front of the boat to see where you’re looking.

“See? Right there?” You point towards a girl who’s standing on the edge of the nearby dock. Kie makes a small noise of affirmation before moving back to her previous position.

“Still not as hot as you Kie, don’t worry, i’m still in love with you.” You announce before quickly continuing your thoughts, “Do you want to stop to buy beer before we pick up the guys or after?”

No response comes from the other girl, still thinking about your nonchalant previous declaration of love for the girl. She questions if you’re serious and contemplates asking but ultimately decides against it. You’ve been making remarks similar to this for the past few weeks but she can’t tell your intentions from them. Her thoughts are interrupted by something hitting her shoulder, jolting her out of her own mind.

“What?” She turns to you seeing your arm raised, the result from you throwing your shoe to get her intention.

“I asked if you wanted to get beer before or after we get the guys. I think we should wait because then Pope can’t complain again that we made bad decisions and went without him to the store.”

“Uh yeah, sure. Sounds good.” She replies before handing you back your shoe. God I just don’t know what your play is Kie thinks.

I opened up the door and saw you undressin’

The words came out, one after another

You should have been my high school lover, oh

Kiara turns towards her bedroom door as it is slammed open, you rushing your way inside before closing it behind you. The girl quickly pulls up her shirt to cover her chest as she was in the middle of putting on her bathing suit.

“What are you doing?” Kie exclaims, looking at you in shock. You whip around to look at her before realizing that you walked in on her changing. Your eyes begin to roam as you stare at the girl.

“Uh, hello!”

“Right sorry.” You say before spinning around to face the door.

“God what’s your problem anyway.”

“I just had some good news, I didn’t know you would be changing!”

“Just stay there for a second.” She mumbles as you hear her rustling around in her dresser.

“If it’s any consolation you look hot by the way.”

“Dude!”

You shoulda been my, oh, oh, oh

High school lover

The evening breeze is chilling as it flows through the yard, making the two teens move closer to each other to keep warm. Earlier you brought up the idea of stargazing in the yard of the chateau, laying out on an old blanket together. However your plans changed as now you and Kie are cuddling underneath the blanket due to the unexpected cool weather. Your hands are intertwined as you lean your head against her shoulder.

“Hey Kie?” You start as your gaze stays on the night sky. The girl hums in response as she awaits your question.

“Do you,” You pause as your pulse quickens, “Do you like me?”

“Of course I like you.”

“No, but do you like me like me?” Kiara waits a moment before responding, thinking about her answer.

“I do. Do you like me?”

“Yeah.”

“Should we do something about it?”

“I guess.” You laugh pulling back to look up at her as she turns her head to look at you. Slowly you both move closer, going in for a simple kiss. However you are quickly interrupted by John B, JJ, and Pope standing on the porch.

Mixed yells come from the boys, “Finally!” and “Took you long enough!” ring out in the small yard. You and Kie, embarrassed, pull the blanket over your heads. Both of you begin to laugh as you look at each other. You shake your head before making a move once again, reaching your hand up to move a piece of hair from her forehead. Kiara shifts forward, about to try to kiss you again when a body falls on top of you both.

They pull the blanket from where it sits, revealing your faces to the group. JJ lies smirking across you both, John B and Pope also rush over to join the pile.

“Are you guys serious?”

“Oh my god!” Kie exclaims pushing JJ away from her.

“You guys are so annoying.”

“We’ve been waiting for this for 3 years!” Pope says in reply, “I’m just glad you finally realized that you both like each other.”

“What do you mean 3 years?” Kiara asks, looking towards you in confusion. You look away from her smiling, hearing JJ start talking once again.

“Are you kidding me? They told us they liked you when we were like 12 and I honestly thought-”

“JJ!”

taglist: @samwlscns @jellyfishbeansontoast @kathleenmikaelson @jemimah-b99

(link to join taglist: here)

#kiara outerbanks #kiara obx #kiara carrera x reader #kie x reader #outer banks imagine #obx imagine #outer banks kiara #obx kiara #kie outer banks #outer banks kie #obx kie #kie obx #jj maybank x reader

[jemej3m]

a comprehensive set of rules (part 1)

light and breezy!! (this is not a b99 au)

this is...long.

plot?????? what?????????

*

January:

“So you’re telling me,” Aaron repeated. “You’re pretty sure this guy is into some organised crime shit?”

Andrew made a noise, rolling over on his bed to press the phone between his ear and the pillow. Usually their calls were short and succinct, as was tradition ever since they departed from college - Andrew heading to Baltimore for policing academy and Aaron to Chicago for med-school - with Aaron doing most of the talking and Andrew occasionally humming in response.

Tonight Andrew was riddled with questions. Usually his moral compass was simple and easy to adhere to, but this was - to put it mildly - fucked. He didn’t care about authority, or loyalty to his police oath, but he couldn’t just screw a guy whilst suspecting him of murder. Or whatever Neil had gotten himself into.

You can’t talk, his own brain reminded him, so kindly, so gently. He made a scathing noise and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“A woman tried to kill him and talked shit about his family. You should’ve seen how bone-white he went at his father’s mention.”

“So - you’re just going to excuse him? On the basis of what, an inclination to murder is genetic?”

Sometimes it was genetic. Andrew almost laughed. Aaron heard the irony in his own words, too and grumbled out a low ‘Shut up.’

“He said he couldn’t date a cop, anyway.” Not that Andrew was interested in dating.

It did appear as though he and Neil was very incompatible: Neil didn’t do sex and relationships, was criminally inclined and had yet to text him since their disaster of a second date.

Andrew was only emotionally ready enough for casual sex, one-night-stands and loveless hookups, and didn’t exactly know whether or not he could ignore Neil’s background, seeing as every day he went in to work and interrogated perps with gang tattoos and blood still drying on their hands.

And yet.

Andrew still wanted to see Neil. See he was alright. Talk to him. Spend time with him. Andrew still wanted to try and set something up, something that’d benefit both of them, maybe a way that Neil could escape from his current life, a way for Andrew to get invaluable knowledge.

Andrew still wanted to try and have something with Neil. Not romantic. Not a relationship, or sex, or even friendship.

Just - something.

“That’s that, then.” Aaron said, unhelpful. “Nicky was all screechy about it on the phone. Said that the guy was cute. I bet he has no clue.”

“No,” Andrew agreed, making a mental note to check out ‘Allison’ and ensure his cousin was safe. “No clue at all.” He sighed, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. “It doesn’t matter. I doubt we’ll ever see each other again.”

*

February:

“Shit,” Andrew muttered as coffee dribbled down his vest. The taser tucked into its pocket made an odd sound, as though it were drowning or something. He fished it out and sighed: Kevin, another fresh-faced detective who seemed to think he had the right to criticise Andrew’s every move, wouldn’t let this go. Andrew seemed to always be needing new equipment, so much so that Kevin had decided to photocopy the request forms and pin them snootily to Andrew’s desk.

Andrew hated Kevin. Renee had forced him to be civil, though, and he trusted his partner enough to listen to her advice.

“Didn’t see you there,” came a familiar voice. Andrew’s head snapped up: canvasing the truly miraculous sight that stood before him. “So sorry.”

Neil’d had his haircut since Andrew had last seen him, but he bore purple shadows under his eyes, his skin pale and sickly. A hood was drawn up, the sweater too large on Neil’s wiry frame. His jeans were loose too. He was far from the well-dressed bad idea Andrew had gone on two dates with, just over two months prior.

“Come into this cafe, officer,” Neil said, voice flat. “There’s a bathroom.”  With that, he spun on his heel and marched back into the coffee-shop that he had no doubt been waiting outside of for Andrew to pass by.

Andrew followed silently, ignoring the lukewarm coffee that was dripping down his chest. There was a tiny bathroom with two cubicles, of which Neil somehow had the key for. He spun around and leant against the door, eyes dark.

“Neil,” Andrew said. “What the fuck?”

“I can’t be seen with you, or talking to you,” he managed, voice slightly raw. “Things are - not great, right now. I’m sorry I vanished.”

“You have to give me context,” Andrew insisted, stepping closer. “What the hell is going on?”

Neil shut his eyes. “If I promise you that I’ll explain everything, afterwards, will you help me?”

“I take my promises seriously,” Andrew warned.

Neil nodded weakly, wringing his fingers. “I know.”

Andrew sighed, taking some paper towel from next to the sink and patting himself dry. “What’s happening?”

Neil swallowed. “My father’s going to court, based on charges of tax evasion and money laundering.”

Andrew gestured for him to continue.

Neil hung his head. “I’m going to usurp him, him and his closest allies. I need a cop I can filter information through to, so that they can be locked up permanently. All five of them.”

“Someone once told me that they’d never be safe unless the threat was dead,” Andrew said, voice low. “You can’t fool me into thinking you just want them in jail.”

Neil had the audacity to look surprised, like maybe he thought Andrew wouldn’t remember. He’d learn to assume Andrew knew everything soon enough. “He has enough enemies that it’ll be taken care of, for me. Honest enough for you, officer?”

Andrew straightened out. “And when he and his crooks are gone? What then?”

Neil’s smile was almost sad. "Then I will take his place.”

“You could dismantle it entirely,” Andrew argued. “You don’t have to follow his footsteps.”

Neil just shook his head. “There are higher powers at work, Andrew. It’s my legacy: I have no choice." He in a shuddering breath. “If I could abandon it all, I would. I don’t want this life. I don’t want his name, or his smile, or his bloodthirst. I don’t.”

“Neil,” Andrew warned.

The man squeezed his eyes shut. “You know I watched him kill my mom? She didn’t want this life either. He was going to kill me too. Maybe he should have.”

“Neil.”

Andrew had the man’s chin pinched between his thumb and forefinger. He opened his eyes.

“I’ll help you,” Andrew said, against better judgement. “Tell me your name and I’ll help you.”

Neil’s swallow was constricted, weighted. He took out a tiny slip of paper and tucked it into Andrew’s pocket. “I'm still Neil.” His inhale was desperate. “I am still Neil.”

Andrew nodded slightly, stepping back and watching as the man unlocked the door and slipped out.

Slowly - carefully - Andrew unfolded the little piece of paper.

It was a business card, the logo embossed into the paper.

Nathan Wesninski and Co. it read, accented with gold.

*

March:

“How the fuck...” Dan said, flicking through the file. She, Wymack and Renee all sat opposite Andrew, peering over his work with trepidation.

Under a strictly Need-To-Know policy, Kevin was excluded for his previous ties to Riko Moriyama, who was the son of a yakuza boss (though that was not widely known). Matt was excluded on the basis of too many mouths to control, though Dan would probably fill him in. Seth was excluded because he sucked and Andrew hated him. That left his partner, his captain and his sergeant, all of whom were mildly shocked that Andrew had picked up such a large and intricate case independently.

“How did you find all this?” Dan demanded, recoiling from the contents of his file. Beside the many photographs laid a dried chunk of flesh in a sealed bag, of which DNA tests would confirm to be Mary Wesninski’s, who vanished over 14 years ago.  Neil said he’d cut it from the branching aorta of his mother’s heart, of which his father kept in a small container, alongside her tongue and eyes, seeing as his father would miss a whole organ, but not a chunk of the underside. He didn’t get his name the Butcher for nothing.

“Unless we have a weapon, or something with prints that connects Wesninski to that-” Wymack pointed to the piece of Mary’s heart. “It’s still circumstantial without your CI coming forward as a witness.”

“They will die,” Andrew said calmly. “I’ll keep working for a connection, but nothing about my CI gets published. Nothing.”

“Okay,” Renee agreed, smiling warmly as she rounded the table. She waited for his nod to drop a hand on his shoulder, rubbing small circles of warmth. “We’ll figure something out, Andrew.”

“I can’t believe we have a chance against Wesninski,” Wymack muttered, rubbing his temples.

“Not yet, we don’t.” Dan reminded him.

Not yet, Andrew agreed.

*

April:

Neil walked a slow circle around Andrew’s apartment, eyeing the windows and doors, the fire escape, the kettle, probably even the fucking toilet paper. Andrew watched as he toed off his shoes, pulled his sweater sleeves over his hands and finally joined Andrew in the living room.

“Got bored of figuring out the best point of exit?”

Neil scowled, settling on the couch beside him. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“Well, yours wasn’t exactly an option, was it?” 

Neil just drew his knees up to his chin, curling into a small ball on the couch. “The trial’s been set for late September.”

“I know,” Andrew agreed. 

“You haven’t brought any evidence to the prosecutor yet.”

“I haven’t.”

“Was what I gave not good enough?”

“No,” Andrew grimaced. “A chunk of Mary’s heart tells us she’s dead. Without prints, or a weapon, or DNA evidence surrounding her body, there’s no way to connect Nathan to her death.”

Neil winced, teeth biting into his lip. The minute rocking back and forth was beginning to get on Andrew’s nerves. “I can’t...I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Andrew insisted. “We solve crimes for a living. There’s always an answer.”

Neil scoffed, body still shaking. “You’re probably aware of 20% of what goes on in this city.”

“So tell me the other 80.”

Neil stared. 

Andrew gestured vaguely. “The different gangs, the territory lines, shoot outs and brandings and who’s having an affair with who. I don’t care. Just talk.”

“What good is gossip?” Neil wondered aloud. 

“You’d be surprised,” Andrew said lightly, like this wasn’t completely for Neil’s benefit. He needed to get Neil out of his head. It looked like the man hadn’t sleep in weeks, his nails bitten down to the quick and body stiff with bandages. The fact that Andrew couldn’t help him much more than this - at least not now - was putting him through the wringer.  

“Fine,” Andrew huffed when Neil wasn’t forthcoming, getting off the couch. From under the TV he grasped a random DVD and shoved it into the player that Nicky had bought for him a few years ago. 

“What’s this?” Neil blinked, owlishly. 

Andrew just dropped back down onto the couch. “Do you trust me?”

Neil looked at him, eyes narrowed. 

Andrew reached out to push the long fringe away from Neil’s eyes. “Neil, do you trust me?”

“I...” he looked down to his hands. They slowly curled into fists. “I want to.”

Andrew tilted his chin up with the tip of his finger. For a moment there was nothing else, just blue and gold and fate and future. “Then believe me when I say I will find a way.”

Slowly, Neil nodded. 

*

May: 

“Dimaccio, Plank, and the Romero siblings,” Andrew leant on the table with his fists, the fies splayed out around them. “We lock them up, one by one. Nathan loses his circle, loses his security. He’ll put out the wrong foot without anyone else to fall back on.”

“Who should we start with, then?” Wymack inquired, letting Andrew steer this investigation down to the very last report signature. 

Andrew arched an eyebrow, momentarily recalling the jagged scars on the inside of Neil’s elbows. 

“She’d wanted to cut my tendons, once,” he said, before yanking down the sleeves again. 

“Ladies first,” he told Wymack, picking up the photo of Lola Malcom and pinning it right into the centre of their case-board.

*

June: 

Dimaccio snarled as he was lead away in shackles, hair shaved close to his skull. He was probably double Andrew’s height and width and had three police escorts shoving him into the back of a wagon. Across the back of his hand had been the characteristic X, the one Neil bore, the one Lola had worn too. 

Two down, three to go, Andrew thought, something like pride grinning wolfishly within his chest. These were only the bail hearings: proper convictions wouldn’t be till the new year. It didn’t matter: so long as they were locked up, Andrew could move forward. Wymack stood beside him, thumbs hooked into his belt loops. 

“Nice work, kiddo,” the chief acknowledged, shaking out a cigarette and gesturing to the exit. Andrew followed. 

Leaning against the courthouse’s sandstone exterior, Andrew stared up into the cloudless sky with an accusatory squint, till Wymack nudged him.

“Your phone’s ringing,” he muttered, cigarette drooping with ever syllable. 

Andrew fished out the burner that he always kept tucked into his back pocket. He flicked it open immediately: there was only one person who had this number. 

“Andrew,” Neil panted. “Thank god. Okay. Hi.”

“N -” Andrew glanced at Wymack before turning away. “What’s going on?”

“The chances of me being able to contact you from now on will be slim to none: with two of them gone, I have to step in.”

“Christ,” Andrew muttered, stubbing out his cigarette. “Where are you now?”

“Bathroom,” Neil muttered. “Some stupid event thing for his business front. I’m not who matters right now. Do you have family that’s traceable to you? A next of kin?”

“You’ve met Nicky and Erik,” Andrew said, suddenly cold all over. “My twin and his wife live in Chicago.”

“They should be alright,” Neil murmured. “But Nicky and Erik have to go. Can they win a flight overseas? I’ll wire you through money if you need it -” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll sort it out.”

“You need to be careful,” Neil insisted. “He’s going to come after you. That’s twice your name’s been on the front of the arrest records. I’ve sorted something out, okay?”

“Forgive me if that sounds less that appealing.”

Neil laughed weakly. “It’s not a pretty solution, but it’ll work. You have to keep working, and if I can’t keep interacting with you without blowing this whole thing over, then our only choice is...” 

“Allison,” Andrew muttered. “Jesus Christ.”

Neil hummed in agreement. “She’ll pick you up from yours in an hour. Be ready.”

“How does she know where I live?”

“Like she doesn’t track my every move, Minyard. She’s my accomplice. Gotta go, now. He’ll get suspicious.” 

Something twisted in Andrew’s throat. “Stay safe.”

Neil paused, then mumbled “You too,” and disconnected the call. 

Wymack was watching him with an arched brow. 

Andrew shrugged. “My CI’s quick.”

“Unpredictable asshole,” his boss muttered, shooing him off with a derisive flick of his fingers. Andrew saluted him as he departed, before twisting on his heel and jogging back to his car. 

*

“Guest room, guest bathroom, living room, kitchen, blah, blah.” Allison waved her hand around emphatically, her manicured nails glittering with rhinestones and pearls. They were probably real, if her apartment was anything to go by. 

Everything was white, grey or pink, aside from the dark-oak parquetry on her floors. The marble countertops were polished to sparkle, every device in her kitchen practically unused. It was Nicky’s dream penthouse. 

“It pays to murder, doesn’t it?” Andrew wondered when he’d inherited Neil’s loose tongue. 

The look Allison gave him was withering. “I don’t murder. I clean up.”

“Because complacency is so much better than participation.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe Nicky didn’t tell me you were a fucking cop. Would’ve never set you up on a date if I knew.”

“I’m going to have his father in max security by the end of the year,” Andrew reminded her. “Don’t make me abandon the case.”

She grinned. “You wouldn’t. He’s got you wrapped around his finger.” At Andrew’s glare, she waved him off. “Don’t worry: he’s just like that. I never said that I ain’t wrapped around his finger too. It’s impossible to not want to shield him away, wrap him in copious amounts of blankets, kiss his forehead and tell him it’ll be okay. I tried it once,” she grimaced. “It didn’t work.”

Andrew didn’t picture Neil, a mobster’s son, wrapped in blankets on Andrew’s couch, smiling (genuinely) as Andrew pressed a kiss to the corner of his eye. He did not picture that. He did not. 

“For what it’s worth,” Allison said, in a voice softer than Andrew thought she was capable of as she looked out the enormous windows that overlooked Baltimore’s busiest district. “I’m glad he trusts you. And I’m glad you’re helping us.”

“Don’t get sappy on me, Reynolds,” he pointed at her in warning. “I’ll lock you up too, if you give me a reason to.”

Her laugh was pearlescent, her grin cat-like. “Neil would scalp you before you could even say my full name. Don’t forget, Minyard,” she winked. “I’ve got him wrapped around my finger, too.”

*

this will continue in p.2 with july-december!! after that we’ll go back to our regularly scheduled softness and humour. i’ve already got another one-shot planned around kevin and neil.... :D

#andreil #mobster/cop au #pre-slash #plot!!!!!! what?????? #neil josten #andrew minyard #butcher!neil #cop!andrew #p.1 #allison reynolds #david wymack #cop!foxes #this was getting too long i had to cut it half way #all for the game #aftg #im so gay for allison can u tell #jem writes

[recurring-polynya]

I was reading your response to that anon about renji's character - very nice response by the way! - and saw your tag about "infinite jest." I own that book and i'm curious on your thoughts on it? i find it a bit daunting (my paperback is in size 9 font, single space [!!!]) and i have plans to read it this summer. How did you feel about the story? Would you reread it? Did you take notes? (I read a review where someone had a notebook on the book so they could keep track of the story). If you answer, thank you for doing so!

WOW I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for someone to ask me for my Infinite Jest wisdom! I feel so honored!

So, I read Infinite Jest twice, about 7 years ago. I am constantly threatening to read it again. The first time took me six months, I do not remember how long the second time took. I did not do this for a class or anything, I just did it because I am insufferable.

My first tip to reading Infinite Jest is to think of it as a project, not like reading a book. Reading Infinite Jest is not very much at all like reading a book. It is not a story. It is the negative space where a story should be. It is weird and boring and confusing and insufferable, and reading it changed my entire perspective on what stories are and formed a new lens through which I perceive all media. I habitually read before bed, and there were some nights I was not able to make it through an entire page. This is not to say I read it and gave up--the text is very rich and chewy and sometimes I was just “full” after just a few paragraphs.

I am not sure if taking notes would help. The problem with Infinite Jest is that it presents you with a fantastic volume of information, most of which is only tangential related to the “story”. I feel like trying to keep track of what’s happening might make things harder. A lot of the information is arranged in appendixes at the end for easy reference. I think I read The Filmography of J. O. Incandenza about eleventy-thousand times, and the very serious descriptions of made up movies featuring an anthology-style cast has stuck with me more than an other aspect of the book (Blood Sister: One Tough Nun and Medusa vs. the Odalisque in particular). I feel like color sticky tabs might be more helpful, if you’re looking for an organizational scheme? I had two book marks, one to mark my regular place and one to mark my place in the appendixes.

You should probably be passingly familiar with Hamlet before you read it. For some reason, the entire first time I read it, it never occurred to me that it was a retelling of Hamlet, but it is, in fact, a weird, tennis and drug-themed re-telling of Hamlet. That’s why it’s called Infinite Jest, you see. I am a moron.

I did not take notes. I just let it wash over me. The first thing I did when I finished reading it, was to pick up my phone and google “what happened at the end of Infinite Jest”. I read a few blog posts and learned some things. I also felt reassured that no one really knows what happened at the end of Infinite Jest. The second read was much, much more satisfying, now that I knew what the hell was happening.

If you are not enjoying your Infinite Jest experience, you should stop. It was a very rewarding project for me, but it was also a lot of work. There is a certain kind of person who will tell you “everyone should read Infinite Jest!” and I heartily disagree. It is definitely Not for Everyone and there is no shame in giving it a shot and then giving up or taking a pass entirely.

It takes place in the not-so-distant future. Half of the book is extremely prescient, and half of it misses the mark in a hilarious way. DFW completely predicted Netflix streaming and Zoom backgrounds, but he also thought that people would get obsessed with live events and would go to see ice melt on a duck pond. A significant portion of the novel details an amateur documentary made with puppets detailing an idiot president coming to power, taking over Mexico and Canada, and turning Vermont into a nuclear waste dump and I am honestly afraid to reread the book because of how it’s just going to be an extremely accurate depiction of the Trump presidency.

I do want to point out that DFW was both a problematic and deeply troubled man. He is not very good at writing anyone who is not a cis white man. I think he meant well, but we all know what that’s worth. When I read the book, I was not as discerning about these things as I am now, but I definitely recall some cringing, and I suspect I would be cringing even harder if I re-read it now. To me, DFW was an incredibly interesting writer. His descriptions of depression are unparalleled. He thought very deeply about what it means to be human, as is evident in his This is Water speech (a friend of mine happened to graduate from Kenyon when he gave that speech and said it was amazing in person). I often wonder what sort of person he would be if he had lived, what his opinion would be on things like the Black Lives Matter movement. I am not a DFW scholar, I cannot say. He is not with us anymore, though, and my philosophy is take his writings with the grain of salt that he was who he was. Infinite Jest is not a happy book about well-adjusted people.

Michael Schur, one of the creators of Parks and Rec, B99, and The Good Place is a huge Infinite Jest fan and wrote his thesis on it and owns the film rights to the book. Parks and Rec contains a number of Infinite Jest references, but they are mostly just names, they aren’t anything very clever. The Good Place is full of rich Infinite Jest vibes. Schur also directed the music video for the Decemberist’s Calamity Song, which is a scene from the book where the tennis kids play a weird game about nuclear brinksmanship. I did not know this the first time I saw the music video and I wish there was footage of me watching it and losing my shit in real time as it slowly dawned on me what was happening. If you have read my fanfic Call Me Back When the War is Over, the scene where they watch the Brawl is loosely based on this scene.

I wish you luck in your quest! One thing that may happen to you is that you may feel the need to talk about Infinite Jest, and if so I am here, please feel free to message me if you need.

#infinite jest #this blog contains multitudes

[santiagoswagger]

you'll always be my only guiding light

For week 19 of b99 hiatus creations. 

Prompt from anonymous: Amy picking up Jake at the airport based on the line in she said in DFW 5x17 ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ "I love watching a "TBD" turn into a gate num."

Amy picks Jake up at the airport on Christmas Eve. 

Amy stood in the middle of the chaos that is a New York City airport on Christmas Eve and sighed dreamily. For most, standing among a sea of suitcases and germ-filled travelers for an extended period of time on a busy holiday would be the nightmare to end all nightmares. But for Amy, the airport was an organizational dream come true.

The strategy required to ensure that each piece of luggage – out of thousands – was reunited with its rightful owner was astounding, and so was the down-to-the-minute schedule for take-offs and landings, so elegantly displayed on screens thoughtfully placed throughout the terminal. Sure, planes didn’t always arrive on time and problems arose, but that was true of any organizational challenge. It’s what made the airport one of her favorite puzzles to try and crack.

She watched on the screen as the last flight from Dallas to NYC flipped from TBD to a gate number and smiled to herself: Jake was finally home.

He had been in Dallas for the past week visiting his half-sister and helping her move into a new apartment, and he had been so excited to finally do something brotherly for her. Watching him with his expanding family made Amy’s heart glow with warmth and affection for the man she loved, even if that family was one glass-themed scheme away from sending her to a mental hospital.

It wasn’t until she had been shoved by a very angry ten-year-old with a shockingly runny nose that Amy decided to abandon the arrival and departure screens and take a seat on a nearby bench to wait for her husband.

As she sat, she felt her body begin to stir with restlessness knowing that Jake was somewhere in the building. This was the longest they had been apart since he had gone to stay with Kevin in the safe house for two months, and it was harder than she would ever admit out loud to him. After all, it had only been a week. She just hated losing any more time with him after so many forced separations, especially now that they were so happily married.

She was busying herself with a loose thread on her sweater and trying to keep her mind off of the passing time when she saw a pair of sneakers approach her out of the corner of her eye. Jake’s plane had only just landed, so she couldn’t believe it would be him, and the shoes were coming too close for her comfort. Warning sirens began to sound in Amy’s brain, sharpened by her many years of self-defense training.

Before she could reach for the pepper spray tucked into the front pocket of her purse, a voice from above said, “Stop reaching for the pepper spray, Ames. It’s just me.”

She looked up, dumbfounded, to see her husband smirking down at her. She immediately jumped up and threw her arms around him, burying her head in the crook of his neck and finally breathing him in after a long week apart. He smelled like leather and refined sugar, and it was like coming up for air.

She felt the vibrations of his chuckle run through her body. “Did you miss me or something?”

She squeezed him tighter. “No, my boyfriend kept me company.”

He gasped in mock shock. “I knew it!”

She laughed brightly and pulled back to look him in the eye, still keeping her arms wrapped snugly around him. “I only married you for your body. I hope that’s okay with you.”

The corners of his mouth began to pull into a soft grin. “That’s more than okay.” He bent down to kiss her, which she gladly reciprocated. She didn’t even care that the airport was loud and crowded, or that she didn’t get to greet him romantic comedy style since he’d snuck up on her. All she could focus on was the feel of his lips moving gently against hers.

They pulled apart and Amy beamed with satisfaction when she saw that his eyes were still closed. “Did you miss me or something, Peralta?”

He opened his eyes and they were glinting with mischief. “How could I miss someone who can’t even recognize her own husband by his shoes?”

Amy took genuine offense to that. “Jake, you have so many sneakers!”

And although he had told her why he needed each and every pair in the past, and it never helped her to understand his obsession, he proceeded to list his reasons all the way out of the airport. Amy listened to him rant passionately about footwear as they wheeled his suitcase along to the parking garage, smiling widely the whole time.

It was good to have him home.

#b99 #brooklyn nine nine #jake x amy #peraltiago #b99 fic #peraltiago fic #i'm not sure what this is but here you go!