dreamdragonfics

[dreamdragonfics]

Hi, remember the little Doors kids too? Yeah, I remembered them the other day and redrew them.

First four are 2019, bottom one is from yesterday (2024).

I... I honestly might start using this account again...

[dreamdragonfics]

Y'all remember Pint-Sized Pink? Yeah... Been looking back at old writing the past few days and OOF I have changed as an author and a person...

[dreamdragonfics]

Glen Ashman was thinking about Monty Chadwick again. Monty was a scared saint with brunette eyes and fragile abs.

Glen walked over to the window and reflected on his wet surroundings. He had always hated cold Los Angeles with its ugliest, united umbrellas. It was a place that encouraged his tendency to feel sad.

Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the a scared figure of Monty Chadwick.

Glen gulped. He glanced at his own reflection. He was a spiteful, violent, brandy drinker with tall eyes and handsome abs. His friends saw him as a brawny, big brute. Once, he had even jumped into a river and saved a real owl.

But not even a spiteful person who had once jumped into a river and saved a real owl, was prepared for what Monty had in store today.

The rain hammered like shouting horses, making Glen unstable. Glen grabbed a ripped piano that had been strewn nearby; he massaged it with his fingers.

As Glen stepped outside and Monty came closer, he could see the fluffy glint in his eye.

Monty gazed with the affection of 7680 thoughtless brawny badgers. He said, in hushed tones, "I love you and I want love."

Glen looked back, even more unstable and still fingering the ripped piano. "Monty, I just don't need you in my life any more," he replied.

They looked at each other with scared feelings, like two pickled, plastic pigeons loving at a very callous beach walk, which had piano music playing in the background and two brutal uncles walking to the beat.

Suddenly, Monty lunged forward and tried to punch Glen in the face. Quickly, Glen grabbed the ripped piano and brought it down on Monty's skull.

Monty's brunette eyes trembled and his fragile abs wobbled. He looked hurt, his emotions raw like a spitezabbling, salty sausage.

Then he let out an agonising groan and collapsed onto the ground. Moments later Monty Chadwick was dead.

Glen Ashman went back inside and made himself a nice glass of brandy.

THE END

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

I’M SOBBING

#monty baby i'm so sorry

[dreamdragonfics]

Backstage Pass

Summary: …i made another self-ship fic, this time based on some roleplay with a friend Word count: 1917 Rating: PG Genre: Fluff/self-ship

“So I know the bass player and the drummer. They’re pretty cool cats,” Gram explained. He held Cory’s hand and led them backstage.

“Why do we even have to do these stupid backstage things?” David bitched.

“To build our character and public personas,” Roger scoffed. “It’s ridiculous. And tonight we got a big list of people, more than usual! We’re at the fucking Nebraska State Fair! Who here would want to see us?”

Chris huffed. “I dunno, man. I just wanna go back.”

Michael watched his friend and sighed. “Yeah, I miss my girlfriend.” Chris made a face and Michael kept pressing. “She’s the sweetest thing in the world.”

Chris growled and stormed out. “Fucking Michael. I really hate him sometimes.” He looked up and sighed at the group of people milling around, waiting to be let back. Chris slipped into the nearby bathroom and lit a cigarette.

Gram kissed Cory’s forehead. “I’ll be right back, Kitten.” He stepped into the bathroom and paused. “Chris?”

Chris looked up. “Gram!” He walked over and hugged Gram. “I haven’t seen you for years!”

Cory waited outside the bathroom patiently. They watched people walking by, talking gleefully about the show. They fiddled with the pass around their neck and sighed. “Gram takes forever in the bathroom...” they mumbled.

“Um, excuse me...” a soft voice spoke. Cory looked up to see a pair of soft dark blue eyes. The person the eyes belonged to fidgeted nervously. “Have you seen a kind of short guy with light brown hair? And a funky looking sweater?”

Cory blinked. “Uh, no. I’m sorry. I haven’t.”

“Oh. That’s fine. I’m looking for my bandmate Chris. He left a few minutes ago and— Chris! There you are!” the man exclaimed.

“Hey, Gene. Remember me talking about Gram Parsons?” Chris queried.

Gene nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”

Chris pointed at Gram. “This is him.”

“Hey, nice to meet you,” Gram said as he held his hand out. Gene shook it gingerly. “This is my partner, Cory.”

Cory waved. “Hi.”

Gene smiled. “Cory and I met. Kind of. I asked if she—”

“They,” Gram cut in. “Cory uses they/them pronouns.”

Cory blushed. “It’s fine, Gram... I don’t really care.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m sorry,” Gene stammered. “I asked them if they had seen Chris anywhere.”

Cory blinked and thought to themself, This guy I just met is better at respecting my pronouns than my partner, what the hell.

Gram and Chris started back to the meet and greet room, chatting happily and catching up. Gene sighed. “Chris always said what a cool guy Gram was but honestly? I don’t see it. No offense, I know you’re dating him.”

Cory laughed. “He’s...nice but not a good match for me. We clash on a lot. Like meeting my parents. That’ll be fun in two days...”

Gene laughed gently. “Don’t think they’ll like him?”

Cory whispered softly to Gene, “He’s kind of a druggie. My parents won’t be thrilled with me, that’s for sure.”

“Ooh, fun,” Gene retorted. He studied Cory’s face for a moment. “So, if you use they and them as your pronouns, are you... I don’t know the word, actually. Hm... I don’t know it.”

“I’m...non-binary,” Cory mumbled.

“That’s the word!” Gene said with a snap. “I think that’s cool that you’re comfortable with yourself enough to know that. What would I use to call a non-binary person, beautiful or handsome? Both?”

Cory laughed a little. “If you’re talking about me... I prefer handsome.”

Gene smiled. “Well, you’re very handsome, then.” He held his hand out for Cory. They took it lightly and smiled. Gene blinked and thought, Holy shit. They’re so perfect. Is it possible to love someone you just met?

He’s so kind and gentle... Cory thought. And his hands are rough but so warm and soft... Not like Gram’s baby hands. Cory giggled at that thought.

“What’s funny?” Gene asked with a grin.

Cory smiled at him. “Just thinking about Gram’s soft baby hands.”

Gene cracked a huge smile and laughed. Cory felt their heart soar at the sight and sound. This man they just met seemed so perfect to them. Gene squeezed Cory’s hand gently. Cory smiled at him and started walking a little closer.

When they got back to the meet and greet room, there was a large group of people. Cory let go of Gene’s hand and stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Gene asked gently.

“I don’t do well in crowds...” Cory lied. In truth, they had seen Gram chatting with several girls in a far more than friendly way. Gene followed Cory’s gaze and let out an understanding sound.

“I don’t do well in crowds either,” Gene said softly. He held his hand out for Cory. “Let’s go somewhere a little quieter.”

Cory took Gene’s hand and followed him out the back and up to the roof. They looked around when they got up there and gasped. Gene smiled at them.

“It’s neat, isn’t it?”

Cory looked at Gene. The lights of the fair rides cast strange shadows on the roof yet lit Gene’s face up. “It is neat. I’ve lived in Nebraska my whole life but I never... I’ve never done this before.”

Gene smiled. “My apartment that I share with Chris has roof access and I go up there to be alone sometimes.”

“The college I went to had a four story parking garage, and the top floor was open. I had to park there one day and went to move my car around sunset and...” Cory looked over at Gene. “Sorry, I talk a lot sometimes.”

“Please continue,” Gene spoke softly.

Cory blushed. “Oh. Oh, um. Right, it was sunset and that just blew my mind. I wish I had brought my phone. The colors were so...vivid and bright, even though the college was in the heart of the city.”

Gene nodded. “That sounds really nice. If you ever come to California, drop by. We can go camp somewhere where we can see the sky at night.”

Cory smiled. “Gram’s not that...sweet, I guess. He’s very...odd. I love him, but... We don’t work right. We piss each other off and get on each other’s nerves and it’s hell sometimes. But he had been the only person I knew out there.” Cory looked at Gene. “I guess I know you now.”

Gene sat down and patted the area beside him. Cory sat down and cautiously leaned into Gene. He wrapped an arm around them and sighed. “I hate the touring part of making music. And the meet and greets. All the girls and some guys just drool over me and don’t listen to us talk. It’s rough.”

Cory sat up straight. “Am I too close right now?”

Gene shook his head. “No. I liked that. It felt...right.”

Cory studied his face. Fuck, he’s beautiful, they thought. Being the person they were, and not fully thinking things out, Cory said, “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

Gene blushed brightly. “Oh.” He smiled awkwardly. “Thank you. I...” He pulled Cory close again and hid his face in their hair. “So many people have said that to me, but none of them have made me feel like this.”

Cory cuddled closer to him. “This feels so nice. Please don’t let go.”

“I won’t. I won’t,” Gene whispered.

The two sat together, holding each other for some time, listening to the sounds of the fair going on around them. Gene kissed Cory’s temple softly and sighed.

Cory looked at him. “You know, I believe that people are connected in certain ways. That people are drawn to each other for specific reasons and that the way they feel when they meet is important.”

“Oh?” Gene replied.

“When I met you, you seemed so familiar to me. Right now feels like it’s happened so many times,” Cory explained. “I feel like I knew you long ago.”

Gene watched the Ferris wheel. “I feel like that too.” He rested his head on Cory’s shoulder and sighed. “But... This will be the last time I see you for a long time.”

“Then let’s enjoy it as much as we can,” Cory whispered. “Let’s sneak off and go ride the rides. It’s early enough and they won’t close until midnight tonight. It’s only 10:45.”        

Gene smiled. “I’d love that. Come on!” He stood up and took Cory’s hand. They climbed off the roof and ran to the rides. While on the Ferris wheel, Gene held Cory’s hand and talked about his childhood. Cory listened intently and watched his face. He showed every emotion on his face as he spoke, and Cory felt their heart start beating faster. Suddenly they felt a pain and pulled their hand away and scooted away from Gene.

“...Did I do something wrong?” Gene asked quietly.

“No,” Cory whispered. “It’s just hard for me because of Gram. He gets insanely jealous and...”

“Then leave him.” Gene looked hard at Cory. “Don’t stay somewhere you’re unhappy.” He looked away. “I wish I had learned that sooner. I wish Michael would learn it soon too.”

Cory sighed. “I can’t just...leave him. We’re only here so that he can meet my parents. He’s really serious about this relationship. My heart just isn’t there anymore.”

“Don’t lead him on. That’ll break him more...” Gene muttered. “Trust me, I know.”

Cory looked at him and took his hand again. “I’m going to try to fix the relationship. If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll leave. But I want it to work.”

“And I want you to make it work,” Gene replied. The ride stopped and he got off. “Let’s get you back inside, okay?”

Cory nodded and took Gene’s hand and followed him back inside.

“There you are!” Gram exclaimed when he saw Cory. “I wondered where you went.” He went to kiss Cory, but they stopped him.

“You know I don’t like kisses.”

“Oh, come on. Just a little smooch?” Gram stepped closer.

Cory pulled away from Gram. “No. I said no.”

Gram huffed but backed off. “You’re pretty buddy-buddy with Gene there,” he grumbled.

“We just rode some rides instead of being uncomfortable here,” Cory mumbled.

Gram studied them and sighed. “I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, Kitten. I’m trying to work on not doing that, you know.”

Cory nodded and hugged him. “I know. I’m proud of you for that, but you need a lot of work yet.”

Gram kissed their forehead. “Hey, want to meet the rest of the band? All the other people are gone.”

Cory smiled. “Of course! I would love to!” They started to follow Gram to the room.

Gene stood there awkwardly, replaying in his mind what Cory had confided in him. How can you love him when he treats you that way? Can’t you see he doesn’t really love you? Gene thought.

Cory looked back at Gene and smiled. They held their hand out for him and he took it gingerly. “It’ll be nice to meet your bandmates,” Cory whispered to him.

“I think they’ll like you,” Gene whispered back.

Cory smiled at him and thought, But I think there’s a special place in my heart opening up for just you...

Gene gently squeezed their hand and smiled. I wish I had more time with you, just to know you better, Gene thought as he looked at Cory.

Cory looked at Gene and thought, Someday... Someday we can spend more time together. I know it. They smiled at Gene rested their head on his shoulder. Hopefully soon.

[dreamdragonfics]

Museum Date

Summary: ...i made a self-insert short ship fic of a date to an art museum Word count: 325 Rating: PG Genre: Fluff/self-ship

“Oh! That’s a Picasso!” Cory exclaimed as they rushed over to the painting. “Genie, look!” 

Gene walked over and looked at the painting. He didn’t want to tell Cory that it made no sense to him, but it really didn’t make sense to him. “It’s...nice?” he said.

Cory took his hand. “You don’t understand art, do you?” they asked softly.

Gene sighed and looked away. “I really don’t. You should have brought Michael instead. He’s the artist.” 

“But he’s not you.”

Gene looked at his friend. “What do you mean?”

Cory smiled at Gene. “I’m surrounded by all this beautiful art, but the only thing I want to look at forever is you.”

Gene blushed. “Uh...”

“Sorry, that came out weird,” Cory mumbled. They started walking to a different room when Gene took their hand.

“You just caught me off guard. Because...I don’t know anything about art, but I do know when someone is beautiful inside and out.” He smiled at Cory. 

Cory laughed softly. “I’m glad I brought you with. I’ve wanted to tell you how I feel for a while. I’m glad I finally got it out.”

“Me too,” Gene said quietly. He kissed Cory’s forehead like he had done a hundred times before, but this time, this time it was something more.

Cory hugged him tightly. “We, uh... Well, you know I like you now so... Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

“I’d love nothing more,” Gene grinned. 

Cory smiled at him. “Be prepared for cheesy nicknames.”

“Only the best from you,” Gene chuckled. 

Cory brushed a strand of his hair out of his face and smiled at him. “You beautiful, beautiful boy. We can go on a real date later.”

Gene smiled. “I’d like to remember this as our first date.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Cory smiled. “In that case...” They took his hand and held it tightly. Gene smiled and kissed their forehead again. Cory giggled. “I’m on a date!”

#i'm not even gonna tag this

[dreamdragonfics]

I think the best piece of character design advice I ever received was actually from a band leadership camp I attended in june of 2017. 

the speaker there gave lots of advice for leaders—obviously, it was a leadership camp—but his saying about personality flaws struck me as useful for writers too. 

he said to us all “your curses are your blessings and your blessings are your curses” and went on to explain how because he was such a great speaker, it made him a terrible listener. he could give speeches for hours on end and inspire thousands of people, but as soon as someone wanted to talk to him one on one or vent to him, he struggled with it. 

he had us write down our greatest weakness and relate it to our biggest strength (mine being that I am far too emotional, but I’m gentle with others because I can understand their emotions), and the whole time people are sharing theirs, my mind was running wild with all my characters and their flaws.

previously, I had added flaws as an after thought, as in “this character seems too perfect. how can I make them not-like-that?” but that’s not how people or personalities work. for every human alive, their flaws and their strengths are directly related to each other. you can’t have one without the other.

is your character strong-willed? that can easily turn into stubbornness. is your character compassionate? maybe they give too many chances. are they loyal? then they’ll destroy the world for the people they love.

it works the other way around too: maybe your villain only hates the protagonist’s people because they love their own and just have a twisted sense of how to protect them. maybe your antagonist is arrogant, but they’ll be confident in everything they do.

tl;dr “your curses are your blessings, and your blessings are your curses” there is no such thing as a character flaw, just a strength that has been stretched too far.

#writing ref

[dreamdragonfics]

Characteristics to make your OC more original without the classic “red hair, pale skin, different coloured eyes”

Webbed fingers

One toe/finger missing or adding one

Scars! Give them memories

Body mods - even though it sounds pretentious, it’s seldomly used bc of that reason. Give them piercings, gauges, tattoos, implants etc etc

Make them LGBT+. Not to make them “special” but to make them normal. Not everyone is cishet on this planet, make your story a realistic mirror of reality.

A small illness that shows at inconvenient times. Anaemia, a slightly crooked spine, you name it.

Naturally dark undereyes

Crooked/yellow teeth - it’s natural for some people no matter how much they brush em. Also healthcare isn’t affordable everywhere

Flat feet

Instead of a resting bitch face - a resting sad face. Or thinking face. “Wow, what are you thinking about?” “Uh.. that my lucky charms this morning may have already expired last week.”

Knowledge about really weird things! Architecture in the 20th century, the army, submarines, contemporary art

Little habits: chasing pigeons, greeting the news reporter back when he says “good evening” (these are more for younger characters), having to scratch the other side of their face if theyve scratched one side already

Having pets: bunnies, geckos, spiders, snakes, mice, rats, birds, chinchillas, fish, frogs, turtles

Give them a name with a special meaning, maybe even relevant for the story. But for the love of god leave the spelling as it is. Dont make maikayleighah out of mikayla.

Also, names like, skye, skylynn, raine etc do give off a certain :/ vibe

Make them religious!

Make them break gender rules

Note that you can still do whatever you want to and even if your OC is a ginger named ginger then thats totally fine - its your story. These are just preferences of mine

I hope this helped! Feel free to add on

#writing ref

[dreamdragonfics]

ways to describe facial expressions in writing

humans can obviously talk to communicate, but you have to remember that, naturally, we use our face to show expressions as well.

EYES

- widened in surprise/shock, filled with confusion/hurt

- narrowed into a glare

- filled with tears

- looking down at the ground defeatedly

- gleaming with mischief

- shining with hope/determination

- burning with hate

- emotionless stare

EYEBROWS

- raised in surprise

- furrowed in confusion/thought/worry

- one eyebrow perked to show attitude

NOSE

- scrunched in digust

- blushing with embarrassment

- lifted higher = more confidence/bigger ego

- aimed lower = less confident/weak

MOUTH

- in a pout = upset

- gaping with shock/confusion

- lips shaking from trying to hold back tears

- pursed in thought

- pulled into a smirk

- widened into a grin

PUTTING THEM TOGETHER

- Eyes wide and mouth gaping, they felt numb with shock.

- They felt their face begin to burn as they shifted their gaze to the ground.

- They pursed their lips as they concentrated, brow furrowing.

- Their eyes gleamed with mischief as they smirked.

using facial expressions is very useful in writing. simply using dialogue to express your characters’ emotions and thoughts will lose your audience’s attention and interest.

keep these in mind while writing!

#writing ref

[dreamdragonfics]

site that you can type in the definition of a word and get the word

site for when you can only remember part of a word/its definition 

site that gives you words that rhyme with a word

site that gives you synonyms and antonyms

#writing ref

[dreamdragonfics]

There’s a fic on fanfiction(.)net that I’ve kept tabs on for years to see if it’s been updated or not. While I’m no longer even in the fandom it’s written for, it just has one of the greatest storylines I’ve ever read. Last time it was updated was 2011.

The other day, I decided to reread the entire thing and leave a very in-depth review of what I thought of each chapter. I also mentioned how I started reading it when I was 13 and am now 21, but always came back to see if it was ever finished because I loved it so dearly.

Today, said author sent me a private message saying that her analytics showed that the story was still getting views even after all these years, but no one ever bothered to leave reviews other than “update soon!!!”, so she never felt motivated enough to finish it. She said that me reviewing every single chapter with lengthy paragraphs made her cry and meant the world to her. She also mentioned that she felt encouraged to write the two remaining chapters needed to complete the story and that she would send me a message the night before she updates the fic.

I’m literally sobbing. I’m so excited :’)

Please always remember to leave a review when reading fanfiction!!! It means a lot to a writer.

#this is why i stopped writing #people stopped commenting

[dreamdragonfics]

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

#writing ref

[dreamdragonfics]

Summary: In 2016, Monty faced a very difficult time. Word count: 2113 Warnings: Language, death mention, hospitals being poorly portrayed because I literally cannot stand being in them so this reflects that. Side note: I will be putting this on my writing blog as well. Gonna try to use that for writing and not this account again. (writing blog is @dreamdragonfics)

Keep reading

#glen ashman #monty chadwick #peter donovan #ocs

[dreamdragonfics]

Small physical things that give your characters personality

How they smile

What their “tell” is for lying

Posture

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

Nervous tics

How much eye contact do they make

In a group conversation, how close do they stand to others? Are they off to the side just listening and occasionally speaking or are they right next to people?

When standing, what do they do with their hands? Talk with their hands, cross their arms, put hands in pockets, prop up against the wall, etc

The sound of their footsteps

Nonverbal greetings: do they wave, nod, hug, glare, punch, high five, something else?

How do they get others’ attention? Raise hand, clear throat, etc

#writing ref

[dreamdragonfics]

#writing ref

[dreamdragonfics]

I understand that a lot of people enjoy writing shipfics where they transplant characters into a college setting. Since some writers may not be in college, or may have graduated a long time ago, I thought I’d offer a helpful list of realistic college meet not-so-cute scenarios. Forget baristas. This is where it’s at. 

- I’m really passionate about this cause and I will give you this flier if I have to shove it down your throat

- vicious battle over the only left handed desk in the room

- my roommate’s boyfriend is staying over so can I please sleep on your floor

- it’s pouring and my final paper is in my backpack so I guess we’re stuck under this tiny awning together. do you think they’d deliver pizza here

- hey I have to photograph someone for class will you be my model

- hey I have to take someone’s blood pressure for class will you be my victim

- variations of the above

- I know I keep coming to the cookie shop and for some reason it’s always your shift but don’t you dare judge me I need these for my sanity

- all our friends are drunk

- it’s 3 am and I’m still in the library studying for finals and I’m losing my grip on reality and I think I just saw a ghost

- we’re the only two people in this club. what is this club even for

- humans vs zombies (see you can still have your zombie AU, best of both worlds)

- we’re the only people who ever talk in discussions it’s awful

- GROUP PROJECT

#for use later

[dreamdragonfics]

OC questions that helped me with characterization:

On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine?

What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way?

What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost?

What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation?

Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at thier own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to?  A Dog?  A Houseplant? A rock with a  smiley face painted on?

If your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do?  both emotionally and academically.

What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens?

What song is 100% garunteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and emabarrasingly, either in public or the shower?

What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies thier neighbors?

Under what circumstances would your OC appear naked in public?

What thing did your OC’s parents do that your OC wishes they had a better explanation for?

How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?

How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened becuase of thier Impulsivity or inability to be so?

How does your OC sabotage themselves? 

What’s the trashiest item in your OC’s wardrobe, when was the last time they wore it and why do they still have it?

How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this?

What’s your OC smell like?  no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically.  Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was thier last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent?

#heaven knows i should do this haah

[dreamdragonfics]

Of the Lake

Summary: Greg Lake is a water spirit that happens to become fascinated with Carl Palmer and Keith Emerson. Word count: 4118 (how dare i write this much on a fic and not on my homework) Rating: PG  Warnings: Uh... Drowning mention, someone does shoot a gun...

The man came down to the lake and sat on the edge. He cast his line into the water and sat back. The fish swam lazily around his hook and didn’t bite. That didn’t matter, it was just a lazy day to him.

A little ways away, an off-road vehicle roared over a hill. The young man riding it laughed as the vehicle slammed back down to the ground. He drove it over to the lake and shut it off.

“Hey, Keith. Fishing, I see.” 

The fisher turned around and smiled. “Hi, Carl. You probably scared all the fish off with that thing.” He turned back to the lake. “Wait, did you see that?”

“Yeah, looked like some sort of...fishman,” Carl muttered. He looked at Keith. “Hey, let’s go, okay? Let’s go get something to eat since you obviously aren’t catching anything.” 

Keith nodded and turned away from the lake. “Sounds good...”

In the lake, a human-like head peered out of the water. The eyes sparkled curiously at the two retreating humans. The head melded back into the water.

Three days later, the two people came back. The creature in the water again watched the two interact. It moved closer and heard them talking. Their words were warped and garbled through the water, but the creature refused to raise its head.

Suddenly, something hit the water and rippled toward the creature. It swam back and disappeared further into the water. The middle of the lake had a small island. The creature swam up and crawled up on the island. It stretched out and yawned. 

Keith looked up from his fishing pole and caught sight of the creature. It looked so human-like from where he was. “Damn,” he muttered. “Carl, that thing’s back.”

Carl walked over and joined Keith. “It’s like a water spirit or something. That’d be the only explanation.”

Keith laughed and shoved him. “Bullshit! You know there’s no such thing as water spirits.”

“Right, right... I forgot,” Carl scoffed. He picked up a smooth pebble and skipped it across the surface of the lake. It reached the island and landed with a soft sound in front of the spirit.

It looked at the rock and blinked. The spirit picked it up and skipped it back. Carl and Keith jumped up in shock. The movement startled the spirit and it dove back into the water.

“Did it just-- It just threw the rock back. It threw it back!” Keith gasped.

“And then disappeared. C’mon, Keith, let’s get outta here!” Carl hissed. He grabbed Keith’s sleeve and pulled him to his feet. The two took off. 

The spirit peered out over the now still water and let out something like a sigh. If it hadn’t frightened and swam away, the humans would still be there. 

After a week, one of the humans came back. He sat down and cast his fishing line. “Hey, water spirit. Carl’s not here today. It’s just me,” Keith said, more to himself than to anyone or anything.

The spirit swam up closer than it ever had before and raised its head out of the water. Keith jumped and the spirit dipped back down. Keith shook slightly and tried to stay still. Again, the spirit looked back out of the water.

Keith froze. The creature’s eyes were bright and curious as it watched him. Keith’s attention was jerked back to his fishing pole when it went taught. He reeled it in and the spirit watched. Keith pulled out a rather large fish and the spirit snarled.

Keith tensed and looked at it. The spirit wasn’t hissing at him, though. “What, don’t like this fish?” Keith asked. The spirit looked at him intently and swam closer. “You’re pretty brave today, huh?” Keith held onto the fish and took the hook out. 

The fish flailed and smacked Keith across the face in the process. He dropped it with a shout and it swam away. The spirit charged after it and disappeared. Keith rubbed his jaw and grumbled to himself. He went to cast his line again when the spirit swam back with the fish clamped tightly in its mouth.

Keith blinked and then laughed. The creature frowned and cocked its head. “You look like a dog!” He leaned forward and took the fish from the spirit. “Thank you,” he chuckled. The spirit grinned and butted its head into Keith’s hand.

Keith froze again and gently patted the head. He laughed slightly and ran his hand through the wet hair. The spirit sighed and rest its head on Keith’s knee. 

“You know,” Keith muttered, “this is nice...” He stretched out and lay down. “It’s a beautiful day. The weather is perfect.” He looked at the spirit. “Why don’t you join me?”

The spirit twitched its nose and cautiously crawled out of the water. It lay down on its stomach and looked at Keith. It poked his cheek and smiled. Keith smiled and laughed.

“What’s your name, by the way?” The spirit cocked its head again. “Don’t talk much, do ya?” Keith asked. “I’m Keith. And I think I’m going to call you--”

“What is that?!” someone screamed. He sat up and looked back. The spirit panicked and dove into the water. 

“Wait!” Keith shouted. He stood up and looked out over the water. The spirit was gone. He turned around again and looked at the person who had screamed. “What’d you do that for?!”

The woman pulled her child closer. “What was that?! It was a demon, wasn’t it?! This lake is dangerous! It’ll be drained this time next week!” She dragged her child back to the car and drove off.

Keith stood there and bit his lip. He looked out over the water. The spirit was nowhere to be found. He sat down and sighed. “It’s just one woman’s opinion. I’m sure that your lake won’t be drained,” he muttered to the water. 

He waited the rest of the day, but his new friend did not come back.

For the next week, Keith went to the lake and waited for the spirit to come back. Carl came with him a few times and talked the whole time. Keith became irritated with Carl and told him about the woman and the threat of draining the lake. Carl did not talk the rest of the day.

A week came and went, and the lake was still there. Keith still waited but the spirit never came back.

Two months later, the weather started getting cooler and the leaves began changing color. Keith and Carl went down to the lake. Keith held a bag to his chest and sighed.

“I don’t think this’ll work,” Carl muttered as Keith set the bag down.

“It’s worth a try,” he replied quietly. He looked at Carl. “I’m doing it.” He looked at the water and took a deep breath in before sticking his head in the water. A second later, Carl did the same thing.

The two came back out of the water. “Told ya,” Carl huffed. Keith shoved him and stuck his head underwater again. He opened his eyes slightly and then jumped back.

Keith laughed in shock and went back to the water. “Come back!” he shouted.

“Wait, did that actually work?!” Carl exclaimed. Keith nodded and they both stuck their heads underwater again.

As Keith lifted his head out of the water, the spirit followed him, nose to nose. Keith laughed and threw his arms around the spirit. “God, I missed you!”

The spirit hesitantly put its arms around Keith. Then it smiled and pulled him closer. Carl scooted closer and nervously patted the spirit’s back. It recoiled and growled softly.

“No, no, it’s okay. He’s a friend. I promise you, he’s a friend,” Keith whispered. The spirit relaxed slightly and leaned closer to Carl.

“Uh... Hey...?” Carl stammered. The spirit moved closer and its hand brushed the bag.

“Oh, I forgot! We brought these for you,” Keith said as he picked the bag up. “It’s clothes.” He held the bag out and the spirit pawed through it. It pulled out a floral-printed shirt and put it on its head.

Carl laughed. “No, you put it on like this.” He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. The spirit did the same. Carl showed it how to put on the shirt and it copied him.

“It looks nice,” Keith said. The spirit looked at him and smiled. “Here, put these on your legs.” The spirit awkwardly put the pants on and then promptly sat down in the water.

“That’s not what you’re supposed to do,” Carl chuckled. He reached out and took one of the spirit’s hands and Keith took the other. They pulled their friend out of the water.

The spirit looked at its feet. It blinked and walked in a circle before pointing excitedly at the feet. It smiled broadly and jumped around before tackling Keith.

“Whoa, hey there, buddy!” Keith laughed. The spirit jumped up and tried to tackle Carl, but the man was too sturdy. Instead, it frowned and sat down again.

“Oh, what? You want me to sit too?” Carl asked. The spirit patted the ground beside it and smiled at Carl. Carl rolled his eyes. “You’re more ridiculous than Keith.”

The three of them sat at the lake’s edge for a few hours before it started getting colder. Keith shivered and the spirit studied him curiously.  

“He’s cold,” Carl quipped. “I’m getting cold too. We have to go home.” He stood up and helped Keith up. The spirit jumped up confused and grabbed at Keith’s sleeve.

“I’m sorry. We have to go.” Keith pulled his arm free and sighed. “We’ll come back tomorrow. I promise.”

The spirit sighed and nodded. It smiled sadly and waved.

“Can we take him home?” Carl whispered to Keith.

“No, I don’t think we can.” He looked at the spirit. “Do you want to come with us?” he asked.

The spirit stiffened and its face turned into a grimace. It walked back to the water and disappeared, leaving the clothes floating on the surface.

“Guess not,” Carl scoffed. “Want me to grab those?” Keith nodded slightly and went to the vehicle.

As Carl went to grab the clothes, the spirit came back and snatched them up first. It snarled again and disappeared, dragging the clothes behind it.

“Well, fine. I didn’t want them back anyway!” Carl shouted. He stormed over to the vehicle and started it up. “Let’s go get warmed up,” he grumbled to Keith. They drove off.

The next day, the spirit waited on the shore for Keith and Carl. It waited the whole day and they never came back. It was the same the next day and the day after that. After a week, the spirit gave up and stopped waiting.

The lake froze over the next day as the temperatures fell all around and snow came with it.

Keith sat up in bed and sighed heavily. “I hate winter,” he mumbled. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and jumped down. He looked at the bottom bunk and snorted. “Carl, wake up.”

“No!” Carl grumbled in his sleep. He swatted at the voice and rolled over.

“Alright, fine. I’ll see you later,” Keith sighed. He got dressed and left the house. He walked into town and to the store.

The clerk looked up when Keith walked in. “Goin’ ice fishing?” he asked.

Keith laughed. “No, that’s not for me.”

The clerk raised an eyebrow at Keith. “Ye sure? If I were you, I’d get down there pretty quick. Supposed to be filled in come thaw.”

“The lake?”

“Yeah. Supposed be filled in on account of ye and yer friend. People ain’t likin’ you so-called gay hippies tarnishin’ that land.” The clerk turned away from Keith and put something back on the shelf. “Come t’ think, stay in town this winter. They’ll kill ye if yer down there.”

Keith frowned. “Why? It’s public land. I can be there.” He set his groceries on the counter. “People really have that big a problem, eh?”

“Plus th’ rumors of a fishman,” the clerk said as he bagged Keith’s groceries. “You wouldn’ know anythin’ about that?”

Keith waved him off. “Put this on my tab, I’ll pay it next week.” He picked up his groceries and left the store. As he was walking back, he was suddenly very aware of people glaring at him and scoffing as he walked by.

“Carl!” Keith shouted when he got into the house.

Carl stepped into the room, rubbing his eyes. “Why’re you yelling?”

“The town is supposedly going to fill in our lake when things thaw,” Keith huffed.

“They can’t do that! Can they do that?” Carl asked incredulously. “Keith. Our friend lives there. He’s in danger.”

Keith glared at Carl. “Is it really our friend? You saw how it reacted to us. It’s not our friend.”

“So, you don’t care? Is that what you’re telling me?” Carl shook his head. “Listen, I don’t care that you don’t care. But I am going—”

“I do care! I just don’t think that we should interfere,” Keith muttered.

“Why?”

Keith stared at the counter before taking a shaky breath in. “The people in town...don’t like us. I don’t want to see you get hurt if something happens.”

“Ah, fuck it, man! I know you care more about him than me! I can see it in you. You love that fishman, don’t you?” Carl asked as he worked his way in front of Keith.

Keith shoved Carl away. “Don’t fill your head with lies, Carl.”

Carl scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not lying to myself. I know you, Keith. I know when you get attached to people and things.” He paused for a moment and thought. “Oh, you thought I mean you were romantically in love with the fishman.” Keith glanced at him. “I meant more like how you feel toward me.”

Keith straightened up and turned around. “Protective?”

Carl nodded. “I couldn’t think of the word.”

Keith rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom. He locked the door and sat down on the floor before sighing. He ran a brush lazily through his hair. Keith leaned back against the sink and sighed again. He pulled his hair back and stood up.

“Carl. Come on,” he said.

Carl looked up. “Where are we going? And why is your hair up?”

“We’re going to the lake.”

Carl jumped up and ran to get his coat. “You’re crazy, you know?” he shouted to Keith.

“Let me be crazy. It’s kept us both alive for how long now?” Keith shouted back. He put his coat on and went to the door. Carl ran up.

“Okay, crazy man. Let’s go.”

They drove to the lake on Carl’s off-road vehicle. A crowd was already there ice fishing. Carl and Keith drove a little closer and worked their way toward the island side of the lake.

“I’ve never been on this side of the lake,” Carl muttered to Keith. “It always felt really...”

“Haunted,” Keith finished. Carl shrugged and commented that he wasn’t going to say that, but it worked. The two got off the vehicle and walked on the bridge to the island.

“Wait, what is that?” Carl asked. He walked closer and cleared some dead vines off of an old sign. “Lake Gregory?” he questioned. Keith looked at the sign. The paint was chipped, but the words were burned into it.

“That must be the lake’s name,” Keith whispered. “I’ve never heard that before, though.” He shivered. “C’mon, Carl. I feel like something’s watching us, let’s go.” They left the island and went back toward the main shore. Some of the ice fishers were coming back in.

“We shoulda filled this lake in years ago,” one of the men grumbled.

“Yeah, when that li’l boy fell in,” another one added.

“What little boy?” Keith asked.

The fishers glared at Keith and Carl and mumbled about the gay hippies ruining everything. Carl tensed up and went to go give the men a piece of his mind when a woman walked over.

“There was a little boy that fell into the lake and drowned about a hundred years or so ago. His body was never found,” she explained.

“How old was this kid?” Carl inquired.

“No one is really sure, but he was supposedly around four years old.”

Keith looked out over the lake. “What was his name?”

The woman tilted her head slightly. “Oh, don’t you know? The lake is named after him. Gregory.”

Keith turned to her. “Lake Gregory.” She nodded. “How do you know this?”

The woman smiled. “It’s just town rumors, passed on over the past hundred years. He was a cute boy. His picture used to be on the sign. But the sign was removed and his face was lost.” She turned slightly. “Except for those times when people say they see someone walking on the shore. A small child with white eyes.”

“A ghost?” Carl asked skeptically.

“Supposedly.” The woman pulled a notebook and pencil out of her bag and sketched the boy’s face. “I’ve seen him a few times. He’s mostly around in winter.” She showed the sketch to Keith and Carl.

They both inhaled sharply.

“That...” Keith shook his head.

“You’ve seen him?” the woman asked.

“But he’s older,” Carl cut in. “He doesn’t look like that.”

“I know, but it’s the same face,” Keith hissed. He looked at the woman again. “We’ve seen someone that looks like this, but a little older.”

“About twenty-four or so?” the woman asked. Carl and Keith stiffened and nodded slightly. She smiled. “The spirit of the lake. Some say it takes on the forms of those who have drowned.” The two men shared a look. When they went to ask more about the spirit, the woman was gone.

“You don’t think she was the spirit too, do you?” Keith asked Carl.

Carl shook his head. “No. She’s just trying to trick us.”

By this time, the fishers had walked over to Carl and Keith. “If I were ya two,” one snapped. “Ah’d clear out.”

“We were just leaving,” Carl muttered. The two drove off, confused by everything that had just happened.

When they got back to the house, Keith looked more confused than before. “What if the spirit we saw was that little boy?”

Carl looked up. “Don’t be ridiculous. You heard that woman. The spirit changes its appearance to match the people who have drowned.”

“But that boy had the same face, Carl!” Keith persisted. “It was the same person!”

“You’re just tired. Forget it, man,” Carl grumbled. He sat down on the couch and looked out the window. “Then again...”

The two stayed at home the rest of the winter. Finally, when the snow and ice began to melt, they made their way back to the lake. A crowd had gathered at the shore, shouting about filling in the lake.

Keith and Carl integrated into the crowd. Several pieces of heavy machinery were already set up around the lake, preparing to fill it in.

Out on the island, the spirit was staring at the sign Keith and Carl uncovered. It ran its hand over the burned in letters and the chipping paint. It began to remember.

“What good does this lake do?” someone shouted. The spirit looked over at the main shore. It slipped into the water and swam closer.

“It’s a fishing spot,” Keith protested. “I know most of you fish here. Why do you want to fill it in?”

“People drown and see things here!” someone else snapped.

“People drown in the ocean. Do you want to fill in the ocean?” Carl snapped back.

Then someone pulled a gun. “If ya two gay freaks won’t move, I’ll shoot ya.”

The spirit stiffened. It disappeared again. The gun was pointed at Keith. He was rooted to the spot. Carl froze too.

“Don’t shoot,” Keith whispered. “Please, please don’t shoot me.”

The gun fired.

And the bullet fell to the ground with a thump.

The crowd gasped. A man had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He had his hand out and he stood in front of Keith. He lowered his hand and straightened his shoulders.

“Out of the way!” the person with the gun shouted.

The gun fired again and again the bullet dropped at the man’s hand.

“I would stop that if I were you,” he said coolly.

The person with the gun stepped back. “What are ye?”

The man stared at him. “Leave. You’re not wanted here.”

“You can’t tell us what to do!” one of the crowd members shouted.

“This is my lake! I drowned here as a child! I make the calls!” the man screamed. “And I say leave!”

Keith stepped back a little. He looked at Carl. “That’s the kid,” Keith breathed.

Carl nodded. “Gregory.”

The crowd started to run away. A few hung around and threatened Keith and Carl before the man snapped at them. When all of the people were gone, except Keith and Carl, the man collapsed.

Keith ran toward him and knelt down. Carl followed. Keith carefully lifted the man’s head up.

“What’s going on?” Keith asked him softly. The man’s eyes flickered. “No, please don’t die.”

Carl looked out at the lake and gasped. “Keith, look!”

Keith turned. A ghostly figure came out of the water. “I thought he was the spirit...” Keith whispered.

The ghostly person drifted over and gently touched the man’s head. “Our dear Gregory. It’s time you returned to life.” As the figure pulled its hand away, a gossamer thread pulled away from the man. The ghost looked at Keith and Carl.

“What are you?” Carl asked.

It smiled. “I am the true spirit of the lake. I had been keeping this boy in a state that prevented death, preserved him, and allowed for his aging to occur. I had been waiting for someone who could love and care for him for a century.”

Carl shot a look at Keith. “I told you you loved him.”

Keith frowned and lifted the man’s head up a little more. “But why us?” He looked at the spirit. “Why not someone else?”

The spirit smiled again. “Because dear Gregory chose you both. You were both willing to endanger yourselves for his sake. And he merely returned the favor and broke his own spell.” The spirit floated toward the lake. “Take care of him, Keith Noel Emerson and Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer. The life of Gregory Stuart Lake is in your hands.” The spirit disappeared with a flash of light.

Keith bit his tongue. “Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer.”

Carl laughed. “Shut up, man!” He shoved Keith lightly. “Let’s get him home, okay?”

Keith nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

Greg rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly. The room was dark. He blinked and tried to make sense of his surroundings. He could hear someone talking quietly. He winced and rubbed his temples before lying down again.

Keith stepped into the room and walked over to the couch. He sat down on the floor and rested his head on the couch cushion. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Greg looked at him and gingerly brushed Keith’s hair out of his face. Greg sighed and closed his eyes again, leaving his hand on Keith’s head.

Carl sighed from the doorway before walking over himself. He scooted close to Keith and also rested his head on the couch. He watched Greg for a moment before yawning and closing his eyes as well.

In the middle of the night, Greg woke up again. Keith was holding his hand and still sleeping while Carl had moved Greg’s feet and was sleeping on the arm of the couch. Greg smiled and gently kicked Carl awake.

Carl jolted up. “Wha?! Huh?!” He looked at Greg. “Was tha—Was that you?”

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Greg whispered. He barely made out Carl smiling. “I was just going to let you know I wouldn’t mind if you fell asleep on me. Keith did.”

Carl laughed. “He does that.” He stifled a yawn and crawled up on the back of the couch.

“What are you doing?” Greg asked.

“Goin’ t’ sleep,” Carl murmured before yawning. His hand slipped down and brushed Greg’s head.

“Good night,” Greg whispered. He smiled to himself and drifted to sleep. The house once again fell silent as the warmth of three friends filled it.

#elp #why did i write this? #because of 'take a pebble'