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manonamora-if · 5 months

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Retrospective 2023 (2)

See Part 1 for the Retrospective Infographic

2023 has been a rollercoaster of stuff, with some very high-highs, and some pretty low-lows. Things have been pretty busy this year, then got busier and weirder. I didn't manage to do things I wanted to do, ending up doing a lot of different things instead. This year was kinda the perfect storm to do all those new stuff and experimentation I've published.

It's been good, it's been bad, it's been ugly, and it's been cool. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Long post ahead - breaking here.

Goals for 2023

Last year, I made big-ass post about what I hoped to achieved during those next 12 months. The main one being: Get things off my desk and shelf it for good! The goal was to finish WIPs and remasters of "completed" projects.

And I... somewhat did that? But also... did whatever. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Taking the list of the "plan":

Goncharov Escapes! was: re-written, re-coded, and translated (to French). The new version also now includes music!

La Petite Mort was: re-written, added content, and translated (to English) for this year's Ectocomp. It just need one more or two things tho

The demo of P-Rix - Space Trucker is now playable on mobile! (and the template based on the game is out too)

The Trials and Tribulations of Edward Harcourt didn't get just one but TWO updates last year!

A bunch of templates! 5 to be exact: 3 focused more on visuals (Sci-Fi, VN, Title), and the other 2 more on code (Setting, Charac Creator).

So... what's extra? Well... a lot. Maybe too much...

A lot of new titles under my name: DOL-OS, The Rye in the Dark City (wip), The Roads not Taken, À la Campagne, Entre-d'oeuf coquilles/An Eggcellent Preparation, Collision, Intersigne, Clarence Street 14, The Dinner, In the Blink of an Eye, Tower of Sleep, and Dévoiement. From bite-size to full large game, that makes TWELVE new thing this year! I... may have gone a bit overboard with this...

Aside from the template, I've also worked on the SugarCube Guide, a guide that covers all markup, macros, functions, methods, and APIs of the SugarCube format. From the basics to the very advanced code ~ Which will receive another update when the 2.37 comes out for real.

After the @seedcomp-if, I continued to organised more IF events: Neo-Twiny Jam, Single Choice Jam, Orifice Jam, Bring Out Your Ghost, Bare-Bones Jam, ShuffleComp... and helped out other events (the IFComp, y'all!).

I've been a tad less active on the Tumblr front lately, mainly because I've hung out more on the Forum or the @neointeractives Discord. But I've been plenty active reviewing games, especially since last May (@manonamora-if-reviews). The count is over 300 now...

I made a zine?????

So yeah... A LOT this year. (and there would have been more had I not gotten sick...)

2023 Achievements and Milestones

There were probably a bunch of itch/analytics milestones this year, but... I've tried to stay away from numbers as much as I could, because I realised it was a source of anxiety. I want to make games for fun, not worry that I haven't achieved a certain play level by a certain date. So I've even edited my itch's dashboard to hide it all. (I'm still updating the analytics sheet once in a while tho) And anyway... nothing will ever be as popular as CRWL, even when I'm trying to push other - and much better imo - games down everyone's throats.

Some other stats on itch:

22 [total] games on itch (incl. the experiments & demos) we're getting closer to my goal of 1 game/birthdays

9 free-to-use prompts

7 free-to-use templates

3 coding guides

1 zine

I also participated in 22 different jams and comps, almost always using one game for multiple jams at once (I'm crazy, but not that crazy). I ranked pretty high on multiple jams, which I am really happy about, and got some amazing reviews and lovely comments. A bunch of my games from 2022 were nominated for the IFDB Awards (and two were mentioned in the Top50 IF too)! (maybe next time I'll get a spot too !)

But the major thing coming out of it all was winning a big competition too, with DOL-OS at the start of the year. Holy shit, did that make my year. I really wasn't expecting it because so many of the games that year were incredible! This was such a confidence booster! I think that's my biggest achievement this year. (I just finished the puzzle I won too, and that was loads of fun) I am so so so proud of that game, especially after releasing the remaster.

Some non-numerical achievements I'm happy about:

I continued experimenting this year, with non-linear stories (DOL-OS), shorter and more kinetic content (Neo-Interactive jam entries), and... well... a thing. The experimentation included trying out other programs to make game too!

Speaking of the thing... I've made a monster of a Twine, creating a bad (oh so bad in convention) parser... which I still haven't finished fixing. I talked at length about here.

I've made an actual proper parser game, following the conventions of the medium... and enjoyed it a lot. From creating puzzles to solving the puzzle that was coding it. It didn't rank super high, but it got some good reactions! Making a parser strangely helped me playing them, and appreciate them more.

Has it been a lot of stuff? Yeah... it feels a bit like a lot...

Some 2023 personal things

Like last year, I've continued to struggle with feeling like I was not doing enough during the year (or the month, before doing the monthly dev logs). Not enough words written or progress made. It was a pervasive thing last year, and I've been working on myself to feel less so, especially with all I've been doing anyway this year. But it's still there.

I think I recently found one of the reasons I've been feeling this way: not working on or finishing the WIPs I started with back in 2021 and in 2022, not making substantial progress that would warrant an update... It's been especially hard when seeing other authors churn out updates left and right and I have little to nothing to show for. Maybe that's why I've been compensating with all the new little projects and jam entries throughout the year (and half-way through 2022). I mean... there hasn't been a month where I didn't publish something new, whether it was an update, or a new game, or a template/guide, or brought out a whole-ass remaster of a game.

And by working on those other little things, I think I found myself in some sort of cycle, where the time spent on those new things is not spent on the WIPs, and I start feeling bad about it. But when I open the file, with all that pressure I put myself, nothing gets written or fixed. So I distract myself with a different thing... and I end up not making any progress on the WIP. It sucks, because I want to see those WIPs done. I want to finish those stories. But it's been hard. Who'd have thunk it??? I'm a stupid human being after all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I know breaking that cycle will happen... when I work on those darn WIPs. I just need to push myself to get there... But I also want to enjoy what I am writing too, because the quality of the writing really sucks when I force it... So silliness has been happening in the meantime.

Will it continue like this? In the near future, most likely. Hopefully not to the extend of the past year and a half. At best, I'd want to have 1-2 updates on a bit WIP, 1-2 new medium-sized games, and a handful small silly experiments, during a year.

Not that I owe anyone an explanation, but anons being nasty about the whole no-progress thing - essentially why @crimsonroseandwhitelily was offline for a whole while, or why I haven't answered many questions lately.

Also gonna take this moment to not address the very personal stuff that happened IRL, even with the very insisting messages I got. I was tempted to go on a whole tangent about what's been going on, but I'm a bit paranoid about my privacy on the internet (and with the anons wilding lately, I've become more careful), and I don't really want IRL to flood this space either (more than it has anyway - considered leaving a few times tbh). I like this specific corner to not be about IRL, to have it as an escape and spend some time just not having to think about it. So yea... you can ask all you want, I'm not going to answer. But it's been a time... I'm coping by being here damnit. Maybe you'll get an(other) autobio game about it one day xD

Here's to a more peaceful state of mind (and inbox) next year...

2023 is OVER officially

And what a fucking year this was. It's made me even more excited to see what 2024 has in store for me.

I want to learn more, for sure. I think I reached a bit of a plateau with SugarCube, where the only thing I feel I haven't tried yet is some sort of RPG adventure/combat system. Or diving further in JavaScript/jQuery (it's inevitable...). Or have less of a spaghetti code... Though it didn't really start as a conscious effort, I'm glad I tried different IF programs and Twine formats this year. It helped me think more about IF game structure and coding. It really pushed me to grow and appreciate the variety there is in IF outside of Tumblr. It did reinforce my love for Twine, especially SugarCube xD

I know I've complained about having done a lot but also not feeling I did enough, but strangely this year has also been pretty fulfilling. Having achieved things I didn't think I could, mess around and create unmentionable bits of code that should not have seen the light of day, learned how to handle new formats, met and talked with a bunch of cool and knowledgeable IF peeps, and just tried to do some good for the community.

I would love to be as fulfilled in this new year too!

I was shocked with all the good things I got in 2022, but I didn't imagine it would be even better this year. How much I got out of this year. How much I got done. How much I learned. How much I grew as a person and a creator. I'm glad I stuck around another year.

I'm really lucky I was able to have the year I had, to be surrounded by such lovely people, to get such positive return on stuff, to be in this community, to have the friends I have, to still be here.

So, thanks for sticking around too, and partake in my silliness :)

#manonamora #retrospective #2023 #year in review #games #indie dev #assets #twine #interactive fiction #interactive games #I can't tag all the projects anymore #because Tumblr has a limit of 20...

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unnuevosoltransformalarealidad · 1 year

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Snowball Attack

Picture from Pinterest | Divider from @firefly-graphics

Summary: You ended up getting attacked in the middle of a snowball fight. Leading up to a cute meet with a not-so-stranger from your regular coffee shop. Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader Prompt: Meet Cute for @holylulusworld‘ Spin The Bottle Challenge Squares filled: Snowball fight for @spnchristmasbingo // Christmas for @supernatural-jackles Tell Me A Story Bingo // Clothes Sharing for @spnfluffbingo // Warnings: Fluff, meet cute, Christmas love, cuddling, first kiss Word Count: 770

A/N: Last day of 2022, last fic of the year. It took me 5 months to start writing again but I hope that 2023 is fill with more inspiration and less writer’s block. Happy New Year!

You woke up in Winter Wonderland. Everything was as white as it ever could be. You were in love.

Christmas morning in Winter Wonderland, your dream came true. Getting up and changing real quick so you could enjoy this before the city woke up and became crazy.

You had crossed the street to avoid some kids that were already playing in the snow, without realizing that there was a snowball fight going on, on the other sidewalk.

You were hit square in the face by not one but several snowballs, the sudden attack made you stumble and fall into a small water pond that was starting to freeze.

“Oh, crap!” someone yelled and came to your rescue

“Shit, shit, shit,” you said, your teeth chattering from the cold

A warm hand grabbed yours and helped you out of the freezing water. When you looked up, you met the most beautiful green eyes you’ve ever seen.

“Are you okay?” this man asked, “Uh yeah, just freezing,” you chuckled but the man didn’t, he just gave you a side smile.

“Here,” he said, removing his jacket and putting it over your shoulders, “I’m Dean,” he added

“Y/N. Thanks” you said smiling. This man, Dean, had the most beautiful eyes you’ve ever seen, the white of the snow making them look even brighter than they already are.

“This is my house, let me give you a change of clothes so you don’t get hypothermia” Dean offered, still holding your hands

“It’s okay, I’ll walk back home,” you told him

“I insist. I don’t want you to get sick” he added, squeezing your hand, you nodded

Dean intertwined his fingers with yours and took the both of you to his house. It was small, warm with a lit fire and it smelled like sandalwood. It really suited him

“This is a nice place” you commented, Dean directed you inside the house towards the living room where the fire was lit and it was the warmest.

"Stay here, I'll bring you some clothes," he told you before leaving.

After changing into his clothes and putting yours to dry, Dean invited you to a cup of coffee.

"I know you missed your morning coffee," he said and you looked at him surprised; it was a creepy comment but it didn't creep you out.

"I know I sounded like a creep, but I know that you drink coffee around this time because I'm at the coffee shop drinking mine before going to work," he explained and you nodded

You did a bit of research into your brain and you remembered him, he was always sitting two tables from yours, you checked him out a few times, but never had the courage to talk to him, you didn't know he lived a few blocks away from you.

"I kinda remember you. You are always sitting two tables away from mine" you mentioned and he chuckled, noticing a slight blush on his cheeks

"Never had the courage to talk to you" he admitted, "me neither"

The air between you two was tense, would you like to kiss him if he makes the move? Would you accept going out if he asks you out? You really wanted both things to happen, you haven't had this kind of connection with anyone ever, and it just felt right.

You hugged the flannel he gave you and leaned closer to him, you were mere inches away from him, he just needed to move his head to avoid the kiss, but instead, he pressed his lips against yours, pressing his body with yours.

All the cold you were feeling banished away and now you were hot, the sparkles inside your body exploding. He broke the kiss and the both of you blushed profusely.

You wanted to feel those sparkles again. You slowly cradled him and cuddled him. What a bold move, thinking he was going to reject you, you tried to move away, but instead, he tightened the embrace, kissing you again, this time slower, it seemed he wanted to enjoy the moment.

Once you broke apart, you grew shy. You haven't been this bald ever. Dean caressed your back, he was impressed by you; you wished he asked you out, you didn't want this to end here.

"I should go" you mumbled but Dean tightened the embrace even more if that was possible.

"Please, stay. It's freezing outside." You didn't answer, you just cuddled him, pressing your cheek into his chest. "You still owe me my coffee"

"I'll give you all the coffee you want sweetheart," he said, kissing your forehead.

Tag List is OPEN (DM or Link in Navigation Post)

EVERYTHING TAG LIST @iguessweallcrazyithinktho @mrspeacem1nusone @thevelvetseries @caplanbuckybarnes @vivalaluciforever @maliburenee @alexxavicry @foxyjwls007 @thoughts-and-funnies

SUPERNATURAL TAG LIST @wonderfulworldofwinchester @nancymcl @leigh70

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#15.555spinthebottle #spnchristmasbingo #Tell me a story bingo #spnfluffbingo2022 #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester x you #dean winchester fanfiction #supernatural christmas #supernatural fanfiction #spn fanfic #spn x reader #supernatural x reader #dean x reader #dean x you

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anniekoh · 1 day

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elsewhere on the internet: AI and advertising

Bubble Trouble (about AIs trained on AI output and the impending model collapse) (Ed Zitron, Mar 2024)

A Wall Street Journal piece from this week has sounded the alarm that some believe AI models will run out of "high-quality text-based data" within the next two years in what an AI researcher called "a frontier research problem." Modern AI models are trained by feeding them "publicly-available" text from the internet, scraped from billions of websites (everything from Wikipedia to Tumblr, to Reddit), which the model then uses to discern patterns and, in turn, answer questions based on the probability of an answer being correct. Theoretically, the more training data that these models receive, the more accurate their responses will be, or at least that's what the major AI companies would have you believe. Yet AI researcher Pablo Villalobos told the Journal that he believes that GPT-5 (OpenAI's next model) will require at least five times the training data of GPT-4. In layman's terms, these machines require tons of information to discern what the "right" answer to a prompt is, and "rightness" can only be derived from seeing lots of examples of what "right" looks like. ... One (very) funny idea posed by the Journal's piece is that AI companies are creating their own "synthetic" data to train their models, a "computer-science version of inbreeding" that Jathan Sadowski calls Habsburg AI. This is, of course, a terrible idea. A research paper from last year found that feeding model-generated data to models creates "model collapse" — a "degenerative learning process where models start forgetting improbable events over time as the model becomes poisoned with its own projection of reality."

...

The AI boom has driven global stock markets to their best first quarter in 5 years, yet I fear that said boom is driven by a terrifyingly specious and unstable hype cycle. The companies benefitting from AI aren't the ones integrating it or even selling it, but those powering the means to use it — and while "demand" is allegedly up for cloud-based AI services, every major cloud provider is building out massive data center efforts to capture further demand for a technology yet to prove its necessity, all while saying that AI isn't actually contributing much revenue at all. Amazon is spending nearly $150 billion in the next 15 years on data centers to, and I quote Bloomberg, "handle an expected explosion in demand for artificial intelligence applications" as it tells its salespeople to temper their expectations of what AI can actually do. I feel like a crazy person every time I read glossy pieces about AI "shaking up" industries only for the substance of the story to be "we use a coding copilot and our HR team uses it to generate emails." I feel like I'm going insane when I read about the billions of dollars being sunk into data centers, or another headline about how AI will change everything that is mostly made up of the reporter guessing what it could do.

They're Looting the Internet (Ed Zitron, Apr 2024)

An investigation from late last year found that a third of advertisements on Facebook Marketplace in the UK were scams, and earlier in the year UK financial services authorities said it had banned more than 10,000 illegal investment ads across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok in 2022 — a 1,500% increase over the previous year. Last week, Meta revealed that Instagram made an astonishing $32.4 billion in advertising revenue in 2021. That figure becomes even more shocking when you consider Google's YouTube made $28.8 billion in the same period . Even the giants haven’t resisted the temptation to screw their users. CNN, one of the most influential news publications in the world, hosts both its own journalism and spammy content from "chum box" companies that make hundreds of millions of dollars driving clicks to everything from scams to outright disinformation. And you'll find them on CNN, NBC and other major news outlets, which by proxy endorse stories like "2 Steps To Tell When A Slot Is Close To Hitting The Jackpot." These “chum box” companies are ubiquitous because they pay well, making them an attractive proposition for cash-strapped media entities that have seen their fortunes decline as print revenues evaporated. But they’re just so incredibly awful. In 2018, the (late, great) podcast Reply All had an episode that centered around a widower whose wife’s death had been hijacked by one of these chum box advertisers to push content that, using stolen family photos, heavily implied she had been unfaithful to him. The title of the episode — An Ad for the Worst Day of your Life — was fitting, and it was only until a massively popular podcast intervened did these networks ban the advert. These networks are harmful to the user experience, and they’re arguably harmful to the news brands that host them. If I was working for a major news company, I’d be humiliated to see my work juxtaposed with specious celebrity bilge, diet scams, and get-rich-quick schemes.

...

While OpenAI, Google and Meta would like to claim that these are "publicly-available" works that they are "training on," the actual word for what they're doing is "stealing." These models are not "learning" or, let's be honest, "training" on this data, because that's not how they work — they're using mathematics to plagiarize it based on the likelihood that somebody else's answer is the correct one. If we did this as a human being — authoritatively quoting somebody else's figures without quoting them — this would be considered plagiarism, especially if we represented the information as our own. Generative AI allows you to generate lots of stuff from a prompt, allowing you to pretend to do the research much like LLMs pretend to know stuff. It's good for cheating at papers, or generating lots of mediocre stuff LLMs also tend to hallucinate, a virtually-unsolvable problem where they authoritatively make incorrect statements that creates horrifying results in generative art and renders them too unreliable for any kind of mission critical work. Like I’ve said previously, this is a feature, not a bug. These models don’t know anything — they’re guessing, based on mathematical calculations, as to the right answer. And that means they’ll present something that feels right, even though it has no basis in reality. LLMs are the poster child for Stephen Colbert’s concept of truthiness.

#ai #chatgpt #youtube ads #instagram ads #facebook ads #scam alert

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kefalion · 4 months

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20 Questions For Writers

I first thought I’d answered these questions, but after reading through more carefully, I saw that this wasn’t the case. @sinvulkt thanks for the tag! Im thrilled to have been one of the people you thought to tag.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

24 of them are 5000 words or longer

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

707,267

Most of it from 2012-2015

I posted my first story in 2012 - on fanfiction.net though, only adding it to ao3 a bit later - and the feedback I got made me write like crazy. Made me decide to study English at university. For me who isn’t from an English speaking country that choice was as much to make my English better as to make my ability to write stories better. How to make any of it fit with a job could come later.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

It used to be Harry Potter. And I owe a lot to the people in that fandom. Now, for reasons many share, I’ve left that behind.

The last couple of years and probably for years to come the answer is Star Wars. I need to get deep into a fandom before the urge to write for it grabs me, so while I’ll enjoy other things too, they’re not likely to become stories.

That’s also the reason I’ve not written much original stuff. I want to know the characters before I write them. When I’m the one who has to create them, I have to write to get to know them and it’s not my favorite thing.

Anyway! Within Star Wars I tend to prefer focusing on the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan. It’s strong and messy and I find it fascinating.

Second to that comes Vader and Luke.

I also adore Cal Kestis from the games about the early years of the Empire.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

These are all going to be Harry Potter fics.

Sigh

We all have history. Gotta accept it.

Oh, they’re all Harry Potter Crossovers! That used to be my thing. Mainly pairing it with the MCU. Most of these are really old and each time new MCU content comes out, new people find them. And for the first one which is a completed Harry Potter/Loki I think it’s reached the top listing in that pairing and it’s snowballing.

1. Waiting | Soulmate mark AU. Crossover Harry Potter and the MCU. Harry/Loki. Complete. 5k words

This is in my opinion a very simple story. It’s set up and a meet cute. But if people like it, I guess that’s good.

Kudos: 3,222

2. From Russia With Love | Crossover between Harry Potter and the MCU. What if Natasha was Lily and Petunia’s long lost sister and she found out how the Dursleys were treating Harry? Complete. 5k words.

I had a series where I accepted prompts. I wouldn’t have written this without that. Which is why it’s not longer. I wrote until I’d filled the prompt. I do t know why this is so popular either.

Kudos: 1,806

3. Four Golden Lines | Another Harry Potter MCU crossover, Soulmate mark AU with Harry/Loki. Incomplete. 24k words

This I put a whole lot of work into and I’m still fairly pleased with it. I just lost momentum and then interest in the fandoms.

Kudos: 1,723

4. Great Minds Think Alike | This time it’s a Harry Potter and BBC’s Sherlock crossover! 🙃 What if the Horcrux suppressed Harry’s mental abilities and with it gone he’s Sherlock 2.0 and the two of them meet? Incomplete. 7,5k words

Writing clever characters isn’t easy. I didn’t know where else to take it.

Kudos: 1,713

5. A Mess with Capital M | Harry Potter and the MCU. What if Clint and Natasha were Harry’s biological parents? He finds out as a teen and arrives during the battle of New York. Complete. 3k words.

This was also written for my prompt series. I wasn’t passionate about the idea and had nothing more to say about it.

Kudos: 1,365

Let’s also give my top three Star Wars stories some space

24. Disasters Tiring | “Through Force nonsense, an Anakin who has just survived the crash of the fallen hand ends up on Tatooine in time to join Luke on his mission to find Artoo. He hasn't slept for seventy hours and is pretty out of it. When Obi-Wan sees him, he feels pretty out of it too.” Complete. 4,5k words

Based on a tumblr post. I took an idea and slashed it out. Funny little story.

Kudos: 382

27. Crashing Slowly into the Sands of Home | “Vader crashes next to the Lars farm on Tatooine, and the unsuspecting family cares for him. Luke takes a special interest.” Complete. 1,5k words

I saw a prompt for this on Discord and couldn’t let go of it until it was written. Short and sweet

Kudos: 273

28. Don’t Discount Your Sith Father when Searching for a Jedi Master | “Darth Vader follows Luke to Lothal where the young rebel has gone to search for answers on how to be a Jedi. When Luke falls through time, Vader continues to pursue. Through different times, places, and encounters with Jedi, they both learn something about what it means to be a Jedi and what they mean to each other.” Complete. 24k words.

This was a labour of love. I proved to myself that I could write something longer than 5k words and complete it. I think it turned out pretty good.

Kudos: 271

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

I used to be better at it. For short comments I don’t feel like there’s much to say. I appreciate them, but they don’t open up a conversation. For longer comments, especially given shortly after I post I make an effort to respond.

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

The time that is given us | Harry Potter/Tom Riddle. Time travel. Time loop. Complete. 2k words

It was written for the following prompt: “Write a story about your OTP that has an UNHAPPY ENDING” and boy was it ever unhappy.

Examples of comments:

“THANKS FOR THE HEART BREAK. IT FELT GREAT. <3”

“Awwwwww, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck”

“YOU FUCKING BTICH HOW DARE YOU”

I still take immense pride in that last one 😆

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

Uhhh. I’m notorious for not completing my multi chapters. The ending is missing most of the time

And I thrive on angst and humour. And humour is just tragedy from a different point of view

Let’s do with a very lighthearted Obikin story

I can do you | “Famous Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi has agreed to consult on the making of a holovid about his life to make sure they do a fair job. During the production, he meets the stunt coordinator, a man named Anakin who shines in the Force and makes Obi-Wan feel out of sorts.” Complete. 5k words

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

It has happened. It’s been a long time though. And it was like one comment at a time not a storm. And it’s been things like “this is so gay.” And I’m like, yes, that was the point.

9. Do you write smut?

I’ve begun to. Mostly I never got to the point of my multi chapter stories where it was relevant. But my first published story is more explicit in hindsight than I realized even though there’s no touching and no one takes off their clothes.

Last year I published my first story where smut what’s the main point. Still plotty though.

Take Care of Yourself, I Wish I Could | “While Obi-Wan and Anakin are alone on a planet during a mission, Anakin goes into a presentation heat. One Obi-Wan will not help him through no matter how much they'd both want it. Not that they know that want is mutual.” Complete. 7k words

10. Do you write crossovers?

As seen in my top 5 kudos list. Yes. I used to. I loved it. It was most of what I read and wrote for many years.

The first Star Wars fics I wrote and trying for are also Harry Potter crossovers. They’re incomplete and gathering electronic dust though.

It is more than likely that I’ll try it again. Just gotta find a story I want to smush together with Star Wars.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Posted to other sites by other people without them asking me: yes. Many times.

Someone claiming to have written my stories: no. Not as far as I’m aware.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I’ve had offers. People saying they want to translate. But as far as I remember no one delivered. Or might have been one case where the first chapter in a story was translated.

I welcome translations and pod fics etc!

I just want to know where they’re posted so I can read any comments.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Not as such. I’ve had some significant collaborations. One which I hope I’ll get to see published soon. But never something where I share the work 50/50 or even 30/70

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

Obikin is the winner because od the fact that compared to other pairings I’ve been obsessed with, it has to most canon content to draw from and that makes the relationship richer and more complex than any of the competitors. Because of their shared history, I think it might keep the throne even should I move on to something else.

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

I’ve not felt much for any of my wips lately. Neither the published stories nor the unpublished ones. So most of them deserve the status abandoned. My mood might change and I might want to return though. My mood is liable to change

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Characterisation!

I study and analyse the characters in untreated in until I know them and can stay two to their core despite putting them in circumstances that are different from where we know them from. I’ve had many compliments about my characterisation through the years. And it’s the most frequent compliment I get.

Humor too. I think I can be funny. The feedback implies it.

I also think I’m good at setting up tension and delivering an emotional experience.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Following through!

I’m struggling with picking stories that aren’t so long my interest in them will be over long before they are complete.

Endings overall I find a struggle. Most of my ideas are an inciting event and what drives me is that I want to see where that leads. Not knowing the destination means I don’t know how to get there, and I get lost along the way and quit.

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

I used to do more of it, but I dunno. I find Swedish to be awkward to put into fics, I think this is a remnant how growing up movies and music in English were seen as a lot cooler, and using languages I don’t know makes the perfectionist and linguist in me cringe.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Long before I knew what fandom or fanfic was. Years before I could write even, I had my mum write down stories for me while I drew the pictures (I was 4-5 years old). The two I remember were “sequels” to Disney films. First out Snow White. Second the Little Mermaid.

First fandom I wrote for as a teen who had discovered the phenomenon on the internet: Dragon Age Origins. It was als the first thing I published. I removed it only weeks later though. I understood that copying the game dialogue word for word and adding only a few things myself was something I didn’t like reading at all after the first couple of times and didn’t want others to read my poor attempt of that type of story.

Oldest published story that remains available is Harry Potter

Second oldest is a Harry Potter and BBC Merlin crossover (which I used for a school project and got a top grade on. Weird times. I think writing that many words in English (foreign language) that didn’t suck was the reason. Also, I printed it and bound it as a book myself. That probably helped.)

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

In a way the Harry Potter Merlin crossover I mentioned above. It’s long (though incomplete). It made me grow so much. I had one commenter who wrote essays to me each chapter and I’m beyond grateful for that. It was the first story I worked with a beta reader on. And it saved me from doing a real school project

Is it the best writing I’ve done? No.

Would I recommend it to you now? Not really no. But yeah. I’m proud of it.

Two Destines | “There are ordinary people, people with great destinies and there is Harry who has two. He is Harry Potter the-boy-who-lived. He is also Prince Harry Pendragon of Camelot, younger brother of the future King Arthur. He grows up in Camelot and he has to conceal his strange powers from everyone until a young man with a destiny of his own arrives.” Incomplete. 74k words.

If fic can mean any story, I have a semi original short story (it draws on the sleeping beauty fairytale) that I wrote for a competition to get published in anthology. It almost made the cut, they said, and sometime, I should make an effort to get it published.

Tag someone

No preassure at all, but I’d you want to take the time to answer, I’d love to see what you have to say @intermundia @treescape @ossidae-passeridae

#writing tag #ao3 #fanfiction

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bereft-of-frogs · 5 months

Text

✨ Fic Writing Review 2023 ✨

@aurorawest tagged me in this an age ago but there was always a chance (however slight) that I'd maaayyybe finish something else before the end of the year (I did not) so I held off. But! It's time for the 2023 review.

Words and Fics

103, 870 words posted

Technically only 1 fandom, but then like...3 subfandoms? (Star Wars: Fallen Order, Prequels/JA-era, and A New Dawn/The Last Padawan)

14 fics

1 ongoing WIP, 2 multi-chapter, 10 oneshots, and 2 chapters added onto my OC repository, 2 series

most recent drop: we are made of our longest days

longest: technically the whole of the dark ocean duology at 50,304 but also just part 2: to stand at the edge of the sea (25,752)

shortest: found a tape that was blank (1,392)

Top Fics by Kudos

closure, and the lack thereof (98)

omens and all kinds of signs (72)

with teeth, we've come this far (66)

(dark ocean duology) part 1: the deep sea is a haunted house (63)

(dark ocean duology) part 2: to stand at the edge of the sea (59)

and some love for the bottom 5 because my favorite is among them: 1. a shadow resides by night (13), 2. follow me into the endless night (16) 3. p.s.: wipe the salt off of my skin (30), 4. I feel like I'm borrowing all my time (33), 5. take in a breath, fill your lungs (34)

My fandom fic events in 2023

just the usual whumptober taking up most of my autumn

Upcoming Events and Projects for 2024

for 2024 I think I'm going to try out like a 'leapfrog' method, where I focus on finishing a first draft, then let that percolate while I work on the next first draft on the list, then backtrack for the second and so on...I think this makes sense. I liked focusing on one project at a time last year and I'm hoping that gets me to make progress on the 4-parter that I really, really want to write and keep putting off.

omens and all kinds of signs (chapter 3)

manipulation/hostage thing (?) (part 1)* - I really need a better working title for this, this is not actually describing what's going on

the haunting presence / serial (part 4)**

the haunting presence / serial (part 3)**

manipulation/hostage thing that turns into an undercover thing (part 2)* - god these working titles are just so pithy aren't they

the haunting presence / serial (part 2)**

the haunting presence / serial (part 1)**

omens and all kinds of signs (chapter 4)

We'll see where that brings us in the year....and if I get derailed haha. If I make it through this I have a sick!fic in development and a myriad other bullet points of vague ideas, inspiration lightning might strike on one of them.

Last word: I spent the first third of 2023 so convinced I would never write again and in a not-great place, to clear 100k posting on ao3 was truly a relief and sharing all of this with you all has been a joy. Thanks for being there and I hope everyone has a happy New Year!

Rules & Tags below the cut! ***(ok let's be real, you all know me, I didn't actually tag anyone because I'm a mess of social anxiety and I always feel like I'm bothering people with tags (even though I am NEVER bothered by tags, but I can't apply that to myself for some reason, in my own mind I'm just uniquely annoying, but we don't have time to unpack all that--) but anyway, I put the rules there and the summaries for the two mystery upcoming fics if you want to see those or reference the rules!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

I am too shy to tag anyone but if you're looking for an excuse to post some stats and goals use this as an open tag!

That should probably be one of my '2024 goals' to get less shy. ah well.

*This is a holdover from the 'psychological' whumptober prompt, I started it in October but knew it deserved more time and energy that I could give it on a deadline. The sort of core of the first part is my take on a 'fandom staple': the Haxion Brood finally gets the jump on the crew and they get entangled in a plot that's perhaps unnecessarily complex due to the interference of a...like 'HR consultant' Sorc Tormo hires, who attempts to manipulate them into carrying out their dirty work. Part 2 (it's a duology again folks!) picks up a bit after the end of part 1. Because to get out of the part 1 situation they end up owing someone a favor, and the calling in of that favor sends the crew on an undercover mission to a super-secret Imperial construction project. Clearly still developing some stuff, I don't have a working title or a good way of summarizing events, but I have a lot of dramatic scenes and everything pretty well outlined.

**Ah, my four part serial killer drama that I have been saying I've been saying I was going to work on for months. Years. This is going to be my year, I swear it! 'Why are you writing it in reverse order' it just makes more sense to work backwards, and part 4 I have the most clear plot outline for. Yeah it's fairly straightforward in general, a mysterious serial killer stalks Jedi through 4 generations. Possibly inspired by My Literal Nightmare, aka 'someone is secretly living in your house' (aka phrogging??? I learned there was a term for it while doing research for nanowrimo, I just thought I was being paranoid and sleep deprived during an insomniac period a few years ago lol) (it's a long story haha). But yeah this mysterious murderer who seems to not really exist at all, and vanishes like a ghost for years at a time.

#writing wrap up 2023 #thanks for tagging me! sorry I did not get over my shyness to tag anyone haha #please truly consider this an open tag if you've been waiting for one

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seidenbros · 2 years

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I See Your True Colours Ch. 2

Requests are open | prompt lists for inspiration | Stranger Things Masterlist

Summary:“Is that… my shirt?” Eddie asked, a little confused. With Eddie awake now, everyone is a little more at ease. Still, Steve can't find sleep in his own home, not when he's alone. He still has to make sure that Eddie is alive, that he'd breathing, and so he does what he's done the last couple of weeks, and spends the night in Eddie's room. He's there when Eddie wakes from his first nightmare Who else than Wayne Munson is the one to ask Eddie about what is going on between him and Steve? Pairing: Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington - Steddie Word count: 3213 Warning/Tags: fluff, angst, canon divergence, everybody lives, nightmares,bisexual Steve Harrington, gay Eddie Munson, supportive Wayne Munson, end of and after S4 (let me know if I missed anything) Author’s note: Second chapter in 2 days, but I'll take more time with the others. I just thought this was necessary to get a better glimpse of where this is going - and I love the interaction between Eddie and Wayne Read on AO3 Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

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It's hard to take courage

“You look like shit,” Dustin remarked as soon as they were in Eddie’s room, trying his best to not let the emotions overwhelm him, but they did. And so, Eddie found himself beneath Dustin, who’d all but thrown himself at the older one.

“Easy there, my body is a mess.” Eddie chuckled, but he endured the pain, because having Dustin in his arms, seeing that he was doing alright, made the pain ease a little bit.

“Yeah, they tore you apart, but the doctors say that you’re healing well.” Slowly, Dustin got up again and pulled a chair close so that he could sit down. Steve stood next to him, wearing a shirt that looked way too familiar.

“Is that… my shirt?” Eddie asked, a little confused. It wasn’t Steve’s usual style, and he highly doubted that Harrington was listening to Iron Maiden.

“Yeah Steve needed a shower and a new shirt, so we gave him one of yours.”

“Hope that’s alright…” Steve looked a little sheepish, because he actually enjoyed wearing Eddie’s clothes. They fit well, and they made him feel close to Eddie even when he wasn’t here in the hospital. It was a weird feeling, but a nice one as well.

“Yeah. It looks good on you. A little unusual but good.” There was a moment of silence between them until Eddie cleared his throat, thinking back on what Dustin had just said. “Wait, what are my clothes doing at your house?”

They hadn’t been able to break the news to him so far, and it looked like Wayne hadn’t talked about it as well while Steve had been gone. Dustin and Steve exchanged glances, but then Dustin explained it to him.

“You’re staying with me. Wayne and you. Your trailer… it was torn apart.” He gave Eddie a moment to digest the fact that he’d lost the place he’d been calling his home for the last ten years. While it hadn’t been a traditional home for most people it was the only real home Eddie had known. “Wayne got everything out that was still intact. Your clothes, tapes, some of his mugs.”

“And your guitar,” Steve added, because he knew that it was Eddie’s most prized possession.

“Oh thank God.” Relief washed over Eddie, and he was able to breathe again. Yes, losing his home was bad, but there were just some things that he couldn’t lose that held value for him, and while the guitar wasn’t a cheap one, it meant so much to him, because Wayne had gotten it for him as a present.

“Thank you, Dustin.” For letting them stay with him even though Eddie was still here. But they’d given Wayne a place to live, people to be around, and that meant a lot.

“My Mum agreed straight away. She knows that you protected me, and she actually likes having Wayne around. One more person to fuss over.” Dustin couldn’t help but grin. It was nice to see his Mum this happy, see her get out a bit. She enjoyed making food for more than just the two of them, and Wayne was always so grateful and polite, that Dustin’s mother even got a little flustered here and there.

“Thanks for taking care of him.” Because as much as Wayne Munson was doing fine on his own, always had, it was good for him to have someone around, who would make sure that he ate enough and got enough sleep. He was pretty sure that Mrs Henderson was doing a fine job of that.

Dustin nodded with a smile. He knew that both adults were helping each other, and he wasn’t the only one his mother kept an eye on. Having Wayne around actually gave him a little bit of leeway, and he didn’t have his mother’s eyes on him twenty-four/seven. “How long do you have to stay here?”

“Depends.” Eddie scratched the back of his neck, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. They were taking great care of him, so he couldn’t complain, but he wanted to get out, get some fresh air, wear his own clothes again. Be himself. “They want to do some more tests tomorrow, and when I pass them all, I’ll be able to leave in two days. Just need to get my bandages changed every day until I won’t need them anymore.”

“So you have to come back here for that?” Dustin scrunched up his nose. He’d rather take Eddie home right now, get him out of here, but that seemed to be out of the question.

“I could help with that.” Steve looked at both of them and shrugged his shoulders when they gave him a questioning look. “I’ve got experience with these kinds of injuries.” Injuries that matched Eddie’s but were smaller. He’d taken care of them himself, because he’d acquired the knowledge a long time ago. It wasn’t the first time that he’d had to patch himself up. “Only if you want though.” He didn’t want to impose on Eddie, just offer his help.

“Are you kidding?” Eddie started grinning, even if it strained the healing skin on his jaw. “I’d rather let you do that instead of coming back here every day.” The sooner he could say goodbye to the hospital the better, and he wasn’t keen on coming back. He knew that he’d have to come in for a general check-up, but that would only be due in a week or two, he didn’t know yet.

“Then you can tell them that you’ll have your personal nurse.”

“OH, so you’re gonna wear a nice outfit as well?”

“In your dreams, Munson.”

While they were joking, and it felt good to see Eddie slowly becoming himself again, Steve couldn’t deny that his heart was beating faster again because of the way Eddie looked at him. That glint in his eyes, that mischievous grin… it made Steve smile to himself.

They stayed until Eddie was served his dinner, then they said their goodbyes, because Dustin was supposed to be home for dinner as well - and Steve was invited along with him, so that he got some real food. Wayne had talked to Claudia about him, so they’d made sure to have him around as much as possible, when he wasn’t spending time with Eddie in the hospital.

And that was what he did after dinner. Eating properly hadn’t been easy for him the first days, but ever since Claudia has asked him to stay or come over for breakfast, dinner, whatever, he’d gotten some proper meals, and now that Eddie was awake, Steve had even developed an appetite again. Still, sleeping was the other problem, which was why he’d been driving around town for some time, before he’d driven to the hospital again.

It was close to midnight by now, when he found himself in the parking lot. It was different now that Eddie was awake, and Steve knew that he was doing alright. Still, he needed to make sure that nothing would happen, because he wouldn’t be able to sleep otherwise.

He gave a little wave to the night nurse, who only smiled at him. She knew that Steve wouldn’t cause a racket here in the middle of the night, so she let him through. He’d behaved so well all these weeks, that she really didn’t have to throw him out.

As quietly as possible, Steve opened the door, slipped inside, and closed the door again. The room was only illuminated by the small lights close to the floor that were turned on for safety reasons. Eddie was sleeping in his bed, dark curls framing his face. He was here, he was okay, and he’d be able to go home soon. All that put Steve’s mind at ease, but he still stayed. Because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at home in his own bed anyway. It was too quiet, too dark, too lonely, so that all the memories came flooding back, no matter if he was awake or asleep. Taking care of someone else, watching out for them gave him something to do.

His attention was drawn towards Eddie again, when he heard the bedsheets rustle. Eddie began tossing in his sleep, his face contorted, but Steve couldn’t make out what he was mumbling to himself, so he stepped closer.

“Steve… Dustin… no!” quiet words that came over Eddie’s lips. His hands grabbed the sheet beneath him and it looked like he was in pain. Nightmares, Steve realised, because he went through the same again and again.

He leaned over Eddie, gently put one hand over Eddie’s, placed the other on his forehead. He felt a little hot, but maybe that was just Steve’s imagination. He was hoping that his touch would calm Eddie down a little bit, and it worked for a few seconds, but then he started again, whispering nonono over and over again, and Steve couldn’t bear it.

“Eddie you’re safe,” he said quietly, trying to calm Eddie down. He gently shook the other one’s shoulders, trying to wake him up, because when he couldn’t calm him in his sleep, he needed to stop the nightmare in a different way. “Eddie, wake up! It’s alright. You’re safe here!”

Eddie’s eyes opened with a start, his hand grabbed ahold of Steve’s and for a moment, he simply stared up at him in panic.

“Steve,” he whispered before he sat up and wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, pulling him close. For a moment, Steve remained unmoving, but then he carefully put his own hands on Eddie’s back. “I thought you…” Eddie couldn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to.

“I’m right here. Nothing happened to me.” Steve ran his hands over the back of Eddie’s head, through his hair, down his back, repeated that movement, until he felt Eddie relax in his arms.

Slowly, he pulled back a little bit, but reached for Eddie’s hands so that he could hold them, show him that he was still there and not a figment of Eddie’s imagination. Steve had needed that as well, when he’d woken up here. Then he’d walked up to the bed and touched his fingertips to Eddie’s hand, making sure that he was really lying there.

“I’m… sorry, I just…” Eddie tried to explain, but shook his head, not finding the right words.

“Nightmares,” Steve provided, nodding his head. So far, Eddie hadn’t had to deal with this, but now that he’d woken up, all these pictures were there. Maybe, he hadn’t been bothered by them because he’d been in the world of Tolkien, because Steve had read to him.

“I have them as well.” Steve swallowed hard, looked down at their joined hands. Eddie gave him a gentle squeeze.

“I didn’t have them when I was…” Eddie let go of one of Steve’s hands and made a gesture, not even wanting to finish that sentence, because all of it felt so surreal. “I was in the Shire… Because you read to me. You guided me in my dreams.”

Eddie felt his own heart pick up its pace at that moment. Steve had really done so much for him without even knowing it. Something in the air shifted when Steve’s lips curled up into a smile, and Eddie found himself staring at them. Steve had been on his mind even before he’d woken up again, had left quite the impression, but now even more so, and it made his skin start to tingle from where their hands were touching.

“Yeah, they told us that you might hear us, and since I wanted to read the books anyway, I thought I could read them to you. Dustin said they’re your favourite books and I thought maybe they’d help.”

“They did. More than you know.” A soft smile was playing on Eddie’s lips when Steve looked back at him. For a moment, there was silence between them, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. No, they both rather enjoyed it. Eddie couldn’t keep his hands still though, and started rubbing circles with his thumb into the back of Steve’s hand, who didn’t pull away. It was a nice feeling, he had to admit, but he wasn’t here to hold hands with Eddie Munson, was he?

“You need some sleep, Eddie.” he eventually said, still not breaking away from Eddie, from the bed. Instead, he kept his hand interlaced with Eddie’s and reached for the book with the other hand. “I’ll read you some more, as long as you promise not to laugh.”

“Promise!” As if Eddie would ever laugh at Steve in a situation like this. Maybe he’d mock Harrington a little once they were out of the hospital, but all in good fun. Right now, he was rather happy that Steve was staying here, reading to him. Because with Steve by his side, he felt a lot more at ease and was able to fall asleep in no time, Steve’s voice in his ear, still holding his hand. He felt safe, loved.

—

When Wayne Munson went to the hospital the next morning to have breakfast with his nephew before he could hopefully take him home, he found Steve Harrington there again. Not in a chair across the room this time, but right next to Eddie’s bed. Their hands were intertwined and Steve’s head was lying on Eddie’s thigh, the book right next to him. He must have fallen asleep reading to Eddie again.

“Hey…” Eddie whispered quietly, when he realised that he wasn’t alone with Steve anymore. He’d been awake for half an hour maybe, but he’d stayed as quiet as possible because he didn’t want to wake Steve. He looked so peaceful, just a little uncomfortable maybe.

“I see he read to you again.” Wayne couldn’t help but smile at the picture before him. He’d had a lot of time to talk to Steve, and he was glad to see him here. He was always welcome at the Henderson house, and if he was here, that meant that he was at least not alone. Wayne didn’t know Steve’s parents, and he hoped that he’d never meet them. They were probably not bad people, but they’d screwed up their relationship with their son and continued to do so.

“Yeah… helped me fall asleep.”

“He’s a good one.”

“He really is,” Eddie admitted. He’d said it before to Steve, when he’d hardly believed it himself, because Steve always seemed like he had it all, so of course, he had to be a douche. But he wasn’t. In the time they’d spent together - even if it had been really eventful and full of hiding Eddie from everyone else - he’d come to realise just what a good person Steve was. He was always there for his friends, put their well-being first, made sure nothing happened to them as best as he could. As much as he complained about being some kind of babysitter, he filled his role perfectly and took such great care of everyone around him, but didn’t really have anyone to look out for him. Eddie admired him for that, for the love and compassion he showed to the kids especially, but Steve also made him want to wrap him in a blanket and take care of him for a change.

“Let’s give him a few more minutes.”

And while Eddie wanted to grant him that, Steve woke up, slowly raised his head, and needed a moment to realise where he was. While he sat up straight, he let go of Eddie’s hand, rubbed both of his hands across his face.

“Mornin’,” he croaked, looking from Eddie up to Wayne. “Sorry… Must’ve fallen asleep.”

“No need to apologise, son.” Wayne patted his shoulder. “You know you’re always welcome.”

Eddie's heart warmed at seeing the interaction, the soft smile that appeared on Steve’s lips because of Wayne’s words.

“I should probably get going anyway.” Steve got up from his chair, but left it right there to offer it to Wayne.

“But you’ll come over for dinner, right? Claudia insists.” She’d reminded Wayne before he’d left for the hospital.

“Of course. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” His eyes landed on Eddie again, a chaste smile on his lips. “See you later, Munson.” After all, he was sure that Eddie would get out today, which was all the more reason not to miss out on dinner with them.

“Yeah… see you,” Eddie called after him, but the door was already closed. He let out a sigh, reached for the book and closed it, put it aside to the other two Steve had already read to him.

“So…” Wayne said, sitting down next to Eddie’s bed. “What’s that between you two?”

For a moment, Eddie was at a loss for words. Wayne knew him too well, to not have picked up on the way Eddie had looked at Steve. Then again, Wayne was the one person Eddie had always talked to, so it was probably only natural that he’d realised how Eddie felt.

Years ago, Eddie had been so confused, so scared to talk about how he felt, whom he felt drawn to, but in the end, he’d opened up to Wayne. He was the only real father figure, he knew, and he hadn’t wanted to lose him, hadn’t wanted Wayne to kick him out if he knew, because that was what his real parents would’ve done. Not Wayne Munson, though, no, he’d always supported Eddie, and when he’d told Wayne that he liked guys, he’d simply opened his arms for Eddie and had told him that it was okay. There would always be people out there, who didn’t understand him, who didn’t even try to do so, who’d hate him for whom he loved, but Wayne wasn’t one of them. It’s okay, son, he’d said to Eddie and he’d immediately believed his uncle.

After opening up to Wayne, it had been easier. Some people knew, like his bandmates or Dustin, but not everyone. When someone asked him, he gave an honest answer, because by now, he wasn’t afraid anymore, but he doubted that Steve knew.

“Honestly… I don’t know,” Eddie answered with a sigh. “I have no idea what he feels or thinks, just…” He shrugged his shoulders, a little confused right now. There had been moments between them. Looks that lingered a little too long, the hand holding last night, gentle touches here and there… But maybe, that was just his imagination.

“What about you?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Eddie quirked an eyebrow at his uncle which was followed by a long, drawn-out sigh. Opening his heart for someone had never been easy for Eddie. Wayne was the first person who’d shown him love without wanting anything in return. In his life, he’d had one short-lived relationship, but apart from that, nothing serious. He was longing for it, to love and be loved in return, but letting that guard down was hard. Steve had managed to tear his walls down in a matter of days - leaving out the three weeks he hadn’t been conscious. It scared him on the one hand, but on the other, he simply enjoyed being in Steve’s presence.

Let me know if you want to be tagged for the Promises-series, Eddie x Reader stuff in general or Steddie-fics 💚

#steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie imagine #steddie fanfic #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfic #staffi writes #steveddie #eddie x steve #steve x eddie

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deadlydelicious · 6 months

Note

book ask time babe! 3, 6, 13, 20 <3

Right, here we go. I'll preface this by saying i've read 24 books this year, but it wasn't nearly as good of a reading year as 2022. I had a lot of meh 3 star reads this year, but still, for your perusal my dear.

if anyone is curious about the book asks, find them here, and feel free to drop your own ask.

3. What were your top five books of the year?

Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand

Hands down my favorite book of the year, and one of my new favorite books of all time. Its actually prompted me to start looking into reading more horror. This story is told through a series of interviews with a band about the events surrounding the recording of their world famous album decades ago, sort of like Daisy Jones. The hook question here though is 'what happened to the lead singer' as we come to understand that at some point during this whirlwind recording summer while they're all shacking up in this creepy old mansion, the lead singer Julian disappeared from his locked bedroom and was never seen again. Its very short, and I listened to it as a audiobook and they went the extra mile of having different voice actors for each band member which added to the immersion. Highly recommend for those who want a spooky book that won't leave you traumatized.

2. In Memorium by Alice Winn

Possibly the most devastating book i've ever read, this book tackles an MLM romance on the highly realistic backdrop of WW1. The romance between the two leads- childhood friends who went to the same exclusive boarding school- is secondary to the brutality of the trenches and the harrowing emotional and mental toll it takes. You need a strong stomach to read this as Winn pulls no punches describing the filth and gore of trench-warfare. There were numerous times in this book where I was gut-punched by sudden character deaths, or off-hand references to upcoming battles which I knew turned out to be massacres. I recommend it, but know that it is a highly emotional reading experience. It will completely grip you by the heart, and you'll likely need to unwind with a fluffy rom-com after (like i did)

3. Innate Magic by Shannon Fey

This was an odd book, a sort of quirky story set in a 40s/50s world were practicing certain types of artificer magic are part of the economy, but having innate magic is highly illegal. The main character Paul is a bisexual magical tailor with an innate magic blessing/curse on him that makes him instantly likeable, but incapable of committing violence- which is a problem as he is a major shit-stirrer. I'll admit, most of the book feels like its juggling 3 completely separate plots before finally managing to weave them together, but what makes this book so good is how real Paul is as a character, and the relationship between him and his chosen-brother Thomas. Its very pulpy, pretty tropey, and definitely not going to win any awards, but I couldn't help but love it. Massive content warning for the conclusion though, out of nowhere we get an INTENSELY gory scene of someone being skinned alive which honestly turned my stomach to read. Read at your own discretion

4. The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

The weirdest book I have ever read, this tells the story of two warriors trying to escort the captured moon goddess to safety while her monstrous demigod sons pursue her. I can tell you that's the plot, but it does not encapsulate the expirience of reading this book, which is told to you in the format of a man experiencing this story as a myth from his childhood that he is now watching as a theater production in his dreams. The vibes in this book are unlike anything I have ever read, and I recommend it if only because it made me feel like I was rediscovering the way in which books and stories could be constructed.

5. If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

This is a bit cheeky because I actually read it late last year, but it has sat in my brain like a lingering smoke since then, far more than some other things I read in 2023. I love a dark academia when its used as a genre, not an aesthetic (more on that in q13), and this book nails that gut clench of desperation, pressure, an hedonistic opportunity that hits in university, and the added layer of it being an arts program made it really hit home for me because you have all these people wringing themselves dry for their art, aware that their best friends are also potentially their professional competition, a mood that I'm very familiar with have graduated from an art school with a similar high intensity environment.

BONUS Picture Book Pick (because I'm me) - The Comet by Joe Todd-Staton - A very sweet story about the struggle for a parent and child to connect in a busy world with some truly gorgeous illustrations from Joe Todd-Stanton

6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

Godly Heathens by H. E. Edgmon

This only recently released so I've not got my hands on it yet, but it sounds like it has all the ingredients to be one of my favorites- nonbinary main character written by a queer author, Goddess of Death as the villain, the main romance between reincarnated godly lovers who maybe used to be evil? This one is top of my TBR

Lavender House by Lev Ac Rosen

Good old gumshoe detective story where the mystery takes place in a house that acts as a safe haven for queer people in the homophobic 1950's. The second one in the series came to my attention earlier this year, so I had to add book 1 to my TBR

Absynthe by Brendan P. Bellecourt

Everyone knows i'm a sucker for decopunk, and a story set in an alternate history version of the 1920's where Absynthe sometimes has the strange side effect of giving you magic powers leading to a hi-stakes political intrigue plot? Sign me up. I received this one for christmas, and its been patiently waiting on my shelf for a full year.

13. What were your least favorite books of the year?

Catherine House by Elizabeth Thomas- This book made me legitimately angry about how bad it was. A meandering waste of text that claimed to be dark academia, but really it was just using it a university campus as set dressing for a story about...something? It could ever seem to decide if it was about unethical medical experiments on students, cult indoctrination, or (as it turned out in the end) a modern retelling of Bluebeard. either way it just felt like the author was throwing a bunch of wet spaghetti at the wall, hoping something would stick and congeal into a 'dark academia story' without spending a minute thinking through how to get there. Also highly egregious- I've seen literal rocks with more personality and drive than the main character. If i wasn't such a stubborn bastard I would have DNF'd it. Do Not Recommend

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

I have to admit I don't tend to keep track of upcoming releases unless its an author or series i'm actively following. I took a long break from reading in my early - mid 20s, so i'm enjoying playing catchup and reading books that I may have missed when they first hit shelves. I will say this year I finally read House in the Cerulean Sea, which I found a bit disappointingly lackluster, but that coming up for next year though I am really looking forward to The Mars House from Natasha Pulley

#book asks #stardustandash

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chickgreys · 2 years

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Hyperdock album art

#HYPERDOCK ALBUM ART HOW TO#

#HYPERDOCK ALBUM ART MAC OS#

#HYPERDOCK ALBUM ART LICENSE#

#HYPERDOCK ALBUM ART FREE#

The fee is included in the price you see in the Lease to Own dialog. Long term service fee is a fee percentage added when you pick a period longer than 1 year. You won’t receive the ownership of the domain and the domain will be returned to the original seller. In the early 1960s, he had a prosperous film career with films including The Young Ones and Summer Holiday. His 1958 hit single 'Move It' is often described as Britain's first authentic rock and roll song. When you opt to cancel a transaction, the received installments will be kept by the seller. With his backing group, the Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s to early 1960s. Sellers can’t cancel the contract, as long as you do not miss any final monthly payment deadline(s). You can cancel an installment transaction whenever you want. When the final installment is paid for, we will assist you with transferring the domain to a registrar of your choice and changing the ownership records of the domain.

) Domain transfer after the final installment is paid.

Once the transfer is done (this can vary per domain since some registrars approve transfers only after 5 days) you can manage the DNS of the domain via your Buyer Control Panel. details, add album artwork, remove duplicate songs.find the matching. It adds purpose and meaning to my life, and it helps me live out my values with energy and strength. HyperDock is a simple Mac utility that sits in your System Preferences panel and. I have made exercise an enjoyable part of my lifestyle and the lifestyle of my family.

#HYPERDOCK ALBUM ART HOW TO#

No joy until I reset the Accessibility settings too.After the first payment, our system automatically transfers the domain to our own holding registrar to keep it safe and available for you. After a decade of higher education and a PhD in exercise psychology, I learned how to fuel my exercise motivation tank. for the skeptical, I restarted my computer (cold boot) between uninstall and re-install, then again after re-install. So, I tried the accessibility setting again. So, following this thread's suggestion, I uninstalled and re-installed HyperDock. I tried step two first, because I found it in another thread. Cutting Dies Metal Stencil Template Mould DIY Metal Embossing Stencil For Album Scrapbooking Paper Art Craft Decor (Cross Board) USD 8.99. ruined because the CD player in the classroom would NOT play the tracks she meticulously downloaded from the itunes.

When prompted, allow the dialog to return you to Accessbility settings and replace the check next to Hyperdock.

Use back-arrow for preferences frame to save settings.

Go to preferences > Security & Privacy > Accessibility.

Clicking on the play, forward and backward button on the Hyperdock panel.

Still no joy, until I performed the Accessibility Reset. Spotify control does not work (no volume control by scrolling, no album art).

One more re-boot, because it is good practice.

I downloaded and installed a fresh copy of HyperDock from MacUpdate.

Don't know that it helped, but it has always been a best-practice.

Navigate to your "About" tab and click the "Uninstall" button.

Find HyperDock in your System Preferences.

#HYPERDOCK ALBUM ART MAC OS#

HyperDock adds Windows 7 like features and more to Mac OS X.Select.

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Listen to free music, beautiful album covers, and much more, its the last. TunesArt offers new features for iTunes : display cover art and track information on.

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Be sure you have your license document (attachment that came with your purchase email) before proceeding HyperDock (Productivity) Window Previews : Ever wondered how to activate a.Uninstall, then re-install HyperDock: (as suggested in the opening item).

#Hyperdock album art

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cactuarkitty · 3 years

Photo

Announcing the 5th annual Mass Effect Relationships week aka MERweek from September 20th - 26th 🌟

This is a chance for us to show some love to all the different relationships within the original Mass Effect trilogy AND Mass Effect Andromeda. This can include any relationship; such as romantic, families, friendship, the bond with your pets, acquaintances, enemies, friends to lovers, etc 🦄

Rules:

Everyone is free to contribute.

You can post whatever you want. Such as fanart, gif sets, edits, fanfics, head canons, general discussions, etc.

No ship wars or racist/incestuous/sexist/lgbtq-phobic content.

Please tag mature content with nsfw, and any possible triggers with the relevant tags.

Use the tag: #merweek2021

Please put this tag as your first tag so I don’t miss it. You can also tag/mention me in your posts if you’re worried I won’t see them.

Any questions, feel free to send me an ask or reply to this post. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone's contributions. It’s going to be awesome! 😊

PROMPTS

The MERweek character colour combo palette 🎨

MERweek 2021 Fanfic and Fanart Prompts (made by @cactuarkitty)

Note: These are suggestions to get you started. You can write or draw whatever your heart desires, as long as it stays within the rules. Also you can use these for edits and gifs too if you would like.

Day 1: fun(?) in the sun.

Describe or draw a fun (or not so fun) day out at the seaside. It could be an earthly type beach, or a tropical planet. Is this a new experience for them? Does the day out go as planned? Who knows what could happen after all...

Day 2: long time no see.

Describe or draw a reunion between two or more people. Had they anticipated the reunion in a positive or negative way? Had they thought about them often, or not at all? How much time has passed and are they happy to see each other?

Day 3: missed opportunities.

Describe or draw a relationship that could have been. What kept them apart? Do they regret it or are they happy the way things turned out?

Day 4: mass effect + andromeda AU.

Describe or draw a moment the two universes collide. Shepard and the Ryder twins could be half siblings or cousins. Characters from both could be related somehow or friends. Maybe even The Illusive Man and Alec Ryder used to be friends and now hate each other. The sky’s the limit!

Day 5: we are family

Describe or draw a familiar moment. Are they close, or estranged? Are they blood relatives, or family found with friends?

Day 6: pet day!

Describe or draw a special moment with your beloved pet/s. Could be special time spent together or shared time with friends/family. Let's have fun with our furry (or not so furry) friends :)

Day 7: it's christmas time!

Describe or draw the celebration of Christmas. What are some of their traditions with presents, decorations, outfits, food etc? Is this their first time ever hearing about or celebrating the holiday? Bring out the ugly xmas sweaters! (Note: you can exchange christmas out for other holidays if you wish.)

#merweek2021 #merweek #mass effect relationships week #mass effect #mass effect andromeda #this years prompts i made 5 new ones and added two from last year

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ilici · 3 years

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the bet.

Summary: The reader decides to come up with a bet. Whoever touches the other first loses, as Karl’s love language is physical touch.

Warnings: NSFW Minors DNI.

Cockwarming, choking, edging, oral fixation.

(Reader is female)

Word Count: 1634

Y/N was laying on Karl’s bed as he was streaming Jackbox with Sapnap, George, Dream, Quackity, Badboyhalo, Punz, and Corpse. Their relationship was known to public eye, but yet somehow their relationship wasn’t public. The hardly interacted on social media, never posted about one another. The only time they would see Y/N is when she would be in the background of his streams, or when she brings him food. His fans were all fond other their relationship, and how well they kept it under wraps for 2 years. Karl wasn’t known until last year when he became part of the Mr. Beast crew, so he started to grow some fame. “If there was one thing you could touch for the rest of your life, what would it be?” Karl read the prompt aloud, and giggled loudly when he saw the answer ‘Wattpad for DNF content’ and the other made Karl’s cheeks heat up ‘My s/o.’ Everyone instantly starting assuming it was Karl as he was the only one out of them who had a significant other.

As the fans voted, and the others quickly voted, Karl’s won as it was about DNF and he easily quiplashed Bad. “Bad that was so cheesy.” Sapnap said, and Karl laughed agreeing. “Karl!” Bad said offensively, “If you wasn’t going up against me you totally would’ve voted for that.” Bad said, and Karl scoffed speaking up as everyone agreed with Bad, “I am not that touchy, I can go a long time without touching Y/N.” He said confidently which easily caught the attention of Y/N herself. “Is that so Karl?” She asked him, and Karl froze as he forgot that she was in the room with him. “Why don’t we test that? The first person to touch the other, loses.” She said, and everyone chimed in already starting bets that Karl would lose. “You’re on.” He said, his face visibly red, to Y/N and chat. “Once this stream is over, that’s when it starts.” She said kissing his cheek and walked back to the bed getting comfortable on it. “Oh you are so going to lose dude.” Sapnap said, already laughing at the look of regret on the boys face when he tuned into his stream. “Hey. He might win this.” Corpse said, defending his friend.

Karl smiled thankfully, “Thanks Corpse.” He said, and Corpse just chuckled, “You’re welcome Karl Jacobs.” Now was when Punz spoke up, “You guys are definitely going to end up fucking.” He said and Karl’s now normal face went right back to bright red, “Punz! You can’t say that he’s live!” George quickly said, as Bad spoke up with a ‘Language!’ Dream was trying to catch his breath, “I imagine Karl just being so touch deprived he calls one of us for advice.” He said, in between laughs. Quackity’s laugh ripped through Karl’s headset and Karl looked around confused, “What’s so funny?” He asked, which only made Quackity laugh even harder, “Your love language-” He stopped himself from laughing loudly, “Is physical touch.” He finished, and Karl frowned at this, “You guys have no faith in me.” He whined, and Bad spoke up, “I believe you can do it!” He said sweetly, “Only you and Corpse do.” He mumbled sadly, looking at the camera with a frown. Looking over his eyes widened, “Who made that poll?”

Karl was now embarrassed beyond belief, one of his mods made a poll to see who would win the bet. From what he could tell, he definitely wasn’t winning the poll. “You guys suck.” He mumbled, before everyone soon left the discussion and focused on their game of jackbox. After a long 5 hour stream, Karl sighed and wanted nothing to just lay in Y/N’s arms. Sadly, he couldn’t and it was already killing him. Y/N on the other hand was perfectly fine, mainly because she was asleep on his bed. Shaking his head, running his fingers through his hair he sighed, “This is going to be harder than I thought.” He whined to himself, going to the living room to occupy himself with a movie. Hours had passed and Y/N and Karl were basically edging one another. Y/N took it upon herself to wear his favorite outfit: oversized red sweater, with matching knee high socks. Of course she had stuff on underneath, or so Karl thought. The moment she walked into the living room, his eyes wandered over to her. He instantly gulped, and shifted around uncomfortably as he wanted to grab her thighs.

“You okay Karl?” She asked, and Karl nodded stuttering out an answer, “Y-yeah!” He said too quickly for his liking. Humming, she sat beside Karl, planning to make this entire thing a living hell for him. Karl could not take it anymore, he ran upstairs and into his bedroom quickly calling his friends on discord. “Guys I can not do this. She is teasing me purposely to make so much harder.” He ranted to them, and they all laughed at how easily he would crack. “I know what you can do.” Quackity spoke up, his voice laced with mischief. “What is it?” Karl asked, and Quackity slowly explained, “Make her come to you, and when she finally falls into your trap, punish her.” He said, and the others silently agreed. “How would I do that?” He asked curiously, and now Punz was the one to speak, “Edge her, shit do anything to have her begging for forgiveness.” He said, and Karl thought about it. “Yeah, alright I will.” He said, and the others gave him wishes of good luck.

It was now nearing midnight, and the two still hadn’t interacted with one another physically. It was slowly driving Y/N mad, she didn’t think Karl would last this long, she herself was starting to become touch deprived. Karl was near breaking, but he had to hold himself back, he had to act like it wasn’t bothering him. Both were now sitting, watching Blades of Glory on Karl’s bed. Y/N was still in her little outfit, and Karl kept his attention on the movie and not her. Whining, Y/N looked over at him and pouted, “Fuck you..” she mumbled, as she made her way over to Karl. Karl bit back a smirk as she was crumbling in front of him, she was going to lose. Finally making it to him, she reached over and grabbed his chin, automatically losing once their skins touched. “You lose.” Karl said, and quickly grabbed her hips pulling her onto his lap. “You’ve been teasing me all day. What a bad girl you are.” He said looking down, and he quickly took notice of her lack of undergarments.

Biting his bottom lip, he unbuckled his belt, quickly pulling his pants and underwear down in a blink of an eye. Turning Y/N around, he hoisted her up, aligning his tip to her entrance before he slowly slid her down onto him. Y/N let out a moan at the feeling, and she attempted to rock her hips, but was stopped from his hands. “No baby. You can’t move, you are not allowed to move until I say so, got it?” He said, and Y/N only whimpered in response. Karl didn’t know where this sudden dominate side came from, but he was not complaining. Feeling how tight she was around him, he, himself, had to hold back from thrusting up into her. “Y/N..” He said warningly, when he saw her trying to subtly move her hips. Y/N whined, and bit her bottom lip, “Please Karl..” She whined out, and Karl groaned before he snapped his hips up. A moan erupted from Y/N at the new found pleasure, and she quickly started rocking her hips, as his snapped up to her. “You’re so tight baby.” He whispered sweet nothings into her ear, as he snuck a hand around her as his hand slowly wrapped around her neck. Y/N leaned her head back at this and let out a strangled moan when he added pressure, “I’m so- close.” She said in between moans. Karl suddenly stopped his movements once he heard this, earning a choked sob from Y/N.

“Please, Karl. Please let me cum!” She whined, and Karl hummed as he moved the hand that was wrapped around her neck up to her mouth. Inserting his index and ring finger into her mouth, she quickly sucked on them enjoying it. His other hand snaked around her waist and started toying with her clit. Muffling the moan with his fingers, he started thrusting up into her again. Moving his fingers back more, now causing her to choke, he rubbed her sensitive clit faster as he thighs began to shake. Knowing she was getting close, he stopped once more, and she let out a pitiful choked whine. He pulled his fingers out, and she coughed a bit tears falling down her face. “I’m sorry! Please let me cum Karl!” She begged, and Karl smirked against her neck and put his fingers back into her mouth rubbing at her clit furiously. Snapping his hips up into her at a fast pace, she felt an overwhelming wave of pleasure hit her. Moaning into his fingers, she shook letting her body fall back onto him for support. His thrusts never stopped, helping her ride through her high before he himself came inside her. Slowly pulling out, he placed her down beside him, letting her lay down. Getting up and walking to the bathroom he came back with a wet washrag and cleaned her up, along with himself. She finally came back from her high, and she heard Karl’s voice. “I won guys, just thought I’d let you know.”

#mcyt #mcyt fanfiction #mcyt x reader #mcyt smut #karl jacobs #karl #karl jacobs smut #dreamsmp

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merakiaes · 3 years

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Hate You, Hate You Not - Armitage Hux

Pairing: General Armitage Hux x reader

Requested: By anon.

Prompts: #1 & #58 from the fluff-list.

Warnings/notes: (SHOULD I MAKE A PART 2 WITH MORE ROMANCE IN IT?) This ended up being much longer than I planned so it's most likely very boring and dull😭 Might be a bit, if not a lot, out of character since this is kinda my test-run for Hux and Star Wars in general. Getting the characters mannerisms in might take some practice. Not proofread so I apologize in advance for any mistakes. This is the first time ever that I write for Star Wars and the first time in like 5-6 months that I’m writing in general so I’m a bit rusty. Please reblog and leave comments to keep my motivation going and let me know if you’d like to be added to a Star Wars taglist <3

Wordcount: 5632

Summary: One of Kylo Ren’s many tantrums results in your room being inhabitable for a night, which in turn results in you having to share a room - and bed - with the person you hate the most.

Everyone who had ever, at some point in their lives, worked alongside Kylo Ren in his quest to bring the Order to power, knew how much of a hassle and inconvenience his temper, or lack thereof, could be.

Not much was needed for him to lose his cool and it happened on a much too frequent basis than what was considered normal for a man in his early 30s, at least according to you.

Of course, however, you couldn’t actually tell him that, nor could you think it, with the risk of him probing your mind.

So every time he came back from a failed mission and completely obliterated your hard work, you could do nothing but bite your tongue, clear your head and repair the damages like you’d done oh, so many times before.

That’s what you got for being one of the highest-ranked engineers of the Order, you supposed.

But on this day you would’ve, for the first time in your life, very much preferred to repair the damages left behind by your tantrum-prone leader like you always did. Because if that punishment had to be compared to the one you were now facing, you would’ve chosen the former without even a shadow of a doubt.

But, unfortunately, that was not an option this time around, as the room that had fallen victim to the sizzling beam of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber was your bedroom.

Well, not originally, of course, but sparks had flown from the totaled control panels and a piece of supposedly fireproof metal scrap had caught on fire before you and the other engineers reached the room for a damage-control, starting of as a small flame and then proceeding to spread like wildfire as fire did, in ways completely unbeknownst to you as, like already mentioned, the place was supposed to be safe from fires.

The licking flames had managed to melt through several walls before you got to the scene, and one of those walls was the wall to your bedroom.

It was late when it happened, only fifteen minutes before you were supposed to end your shift, and as you were on the verge of having a mental fucking breakdown, you personally requested an audience with Kylo and were granted permission by him after a very carefully-worded explanation to start early in the morning.

But that only took care of one of your problems, and only temporarily at that. Now you were left with the issue of finding other sleeping accommodations since your room was currently not habitable. You had no choice but to ask for another room and, of course, Hux thought that to be the perfect time to crack a sarcastic joke about throwing you into one of the prisoner cells.

You had never, in all your years of being alive, glared so fiercely at another human being as you did then. And in your moment of anger, you accidentally let your walls down and let your thoughts run freely through your head – your annoyance directed at the General, but also at Kylo Ren, being exposed.

You felt it before you saw it – that little prickle in your head, that little sting of your mind being probed – and only a second later, Kylo Ren turned his masked head in your direction, walked up to you with patronizingly slow steps and spoke:

“I think you’ll find that General Hux’s quarters will suffice for the night, until repairs can be done to your own. He has more than enough space for both of you.”

He turned his head to look at the baffled man standing behind him, all of the attitude he had previously been harboring against you now completely melted away.

“Isn’t that right, General?” Kylo continued asking, giving him the time he needed to regain his composure.

The general in question had never been very good at holding his tongue, not even when receiving orders from superiors, and was quick to protest.

As anyone would’ve been able to guess, that didn’t go very well, and you weren't even gonna try hiding the satisfaction you got from seeing Hux be force-choked against a wall for speaking out of turn.

No matter how good both of you were at hiding your spiteful thoughts toward him, Kylo knew how much the two of you hated him. And more than anything, he knew how much you hated each other.

Kylo had become very predictable to you during the time you had been there and you knew his ways good enough to know that he wouldn’t have wasted petty energy in putting the two most hateful people he knew in the same room if he hadn’t been pushed to do so.

You knew that you weren’t the reason in this scenario, despite the fact that he had probably felt your spite directed towards him, which only left one option; and that option was the bitter, infuriatingly stubborn ginger currently walking by your side.

You glanced at him from the corner of your eye and glared, clenching and unclenching your fists at your sides in the same manner you had been doing ever since Kylo had ruled his decision final and dismissed you for the night.

His eyes remained trained on the metallic corridor that seemed to be stretched out for miles in front of you and your blood boiled at the sight.

You would’ve lost your shit if he’d had the nerve to even consider looking at you after putting you in this situation, but at the same time, you were also on the verge of losing your shit about him having the audacity to ignore you.

You wanted to scream at him like you’d never screamed at anyone before, but you knew that doing that would only fuel the petty grudge Kylo had against the two of you and give him more ways to cause you torment. The only thing you and the general would ever have in common was not wanting that.

But still, what harm could a tiny bit of friendly banter do?

“You just couldn’t help yourself, could you, Armitage?” The question you’d been sucking on for the past few minutes finally slipped out into the air, making your anger known.

“Don’t call me that.”

“My apologies.” You sarcastically shot back with a dry laugh. “You just couldn’t help yourself, could you, general?”

“No, it was awfully tempting.” Was all that he replied, his eyes not once flickering and neither his stone-cold scowl nor fast-paced stride faltering.

Well, you might have absolutely despised each other but in the very least, you never bothered lying to each other. That had to count for something, right? Not that either of you cared.

No more words were exchanged, and that was probably for the best. Engineers and stormtroopers all moved out of your way as the two of you marched through the corridors, side by side, knowing better at this point than to get on your bad sides when you were together and this obviously angry both with each other and in general.

Soon enough, you finally reached the corridor in which Hux’s sleeping quarters were located and once the mechanic doors slid open, you pushed yourself past him into the room before he even got the chance to react.

He fumed behind you as he watched you make yourself at home, dropping your dirty jacket on his perfectly made bed.

“You’ll take the floor, then?” You asked as you turned around, crossing your arms over your chest and shooting him a forced smile.

“Hardly.” He spat, eyes narrowing, and you scoffed, rolling your eyes in return.

“You must be a real hit with the ladies with those manners.”

At that, he stepped further into his room, allowing the sensory-triggered door to shut behind him, successfully shutting the two of you in together.

“I don’t have time for fooling around with women.” He spat out the last word with such malice that you automatically raised an eyebrow.

“Well, that explains it.” You mused, the corner of your lip tugging upwards ever so slightly.

“Explains what, exactly?” His eyes narrowed further, and this time it was his turn to cross his arms.

“That stick you have up your ass.” You wasted no time in shooting back, and before he got a chance to reply, you continued. “I know this might be news to you seeing as you’re, well, you, but gentlemen are supposed to sacrifice their comfort and offer themselves to take the floor when a lady, due to unfortunate circumstances, is forced to stay in their room.”

You sarcastically smiled at him and sank down his bed, something that he, judging by the snarl overtaking his face, didn’t appreciate.

“You, a lady? That will be the day.” He scoffed. “Even calling you a woman is a stretch with your mannerisms.”

You could only roll your eyes.

“Well, I’m not sharing a bed with you.” The glare that had temporarily been exchanged for a teasing smirk returned to your face. “I’d rather share a bed with Millicent.”

As you said that, you picked up a single strand of cat hair from his bed, held it up for further inspection and raised your lip in disgust.

He stared at you dead serious, hands clasped behind his back and eyes burning holes into the side of your face.

“You’re allergic to cats.” He pointed out, making your head whip back around to face him with a glare equally as fierce as the one you were met with.

“Yes, that’s my point.” You deadpanned. “But it would seem that said point just went right over your thick-skulled head.”

“Do you think I am any happier about this than you are?” He scowled, and you stood up, slowly approaching him and coming to a stop right in front of him.

He took a small step back, a move that made your lip tug upward ever so slightly. The fact that he was so obviously not as tough as he wanted people to believe gave you a special kind of satisfaction and he knew it, judging by the way he only turned stiffer after that.

“You should be.” You smiled sweetly at him, keeping your eyes connected to his. “Because you’re sure as hell lucky I haven’t choked the life out of you yet for getting us into this situation in the first place.”

He glared and you glared right back, challenging, no, daring him to fight back. You knew that he wanted to, you could see that he wanted to, but in the end, not even he was that stupid.

So he said nothing, and once you realized you had finally managed to successfully back him into a corner, you backed away from him again and plastered on another forced, overly sweet smile.

“Now, I need to take a shower. I reek of burnt plastic.” You stated flatly and pushed past him, making a beeline for the one extra door in the room that you could only assume was his bathroom.

You heard the squeak of his shoes rubbing against the floor as he quickly turned around behind you, and then came the determined steps and the proximity of his body closing in on you. However, before he got the chance to object or reach you, you entered his bathroom and slammed the door shut in his face, smiling contently to yourself as you listened to the muffled string of curses that followed.

You didn’t spend any more time thinking about it, though, not wasting any time before doing what you came in there to do.

You got out of your horrid-smelling clothes, released your equally as nasty-smelling hait from its ponytail and stepped into the shower.

If there was one thing you appreciated a little extra about living at the Starkiller Base, it was that everyone used the same scented soap. Because that meant that you wouldn’t have to go around smelling specifically like Hux, but rather just like you always smelled.

Once you finished washing your hair and body, you had to stop and think for a bit.

Your clothes obviously still reeked and needed a proper wash before they could be worn again, and you obviously couldn’t go naked.

After much thought back and forth, you finally settled with your own leggings as they were the one piece of clothing from your previous attire that smelled the least of smoke, and a plain black, long-sleeved undershirt that you found in a pile of Hux’s clean laundry.

Once you vad gotten dressed, braided your hair and re-entered the bedroom accompanied by a stream of steam, you found it to be empty, Hux nowhere in sight.

You couldn’t deny that you wondered where he’d gone off to, but you shook your head free of his face pretty quickly, settling with believing that he just went to take his frustration out on some poor stormtrooper or low-rank intern like he so often did when things didn’t go his way, much like Kylo Ren beat the shit out of any control panel he could get his hands on.

While you awaited his return, you occupied yourself with going around the room and lighting the small night-lamps like you normally did in your own room before going to bed.

That obviously didn’t take long, however, so you were soon enough once again left alone with your boredom and started walking around the room, inspecting all of Hux’s belongings.

You realized pretty quickly that he was not a person to whom inanimate things had much sentimental value, as he definitely didn’t have much to his name aside from the basic interior that all of the sleeping quarters on the base had.

He had a ring on his drawer, a few books in one of his two bookshelves while the other stood empty, a small bed in a corner for his cat, clothes in his wardrobe, and that was pretty much it. He had no pictures of family, no real personal belongings that could signify any kind of emotional value.

But then again, who did in these parts?

“Is that my shirt?”

You jumped when you heard the sudden voice behind you, quickly turning around where you stood twirling the ring you had found in the light of the lamp standing beside you.

Your eyes found his form immediately, shocked meeting stern.

“Why are you wearing my shirt?” He almost instantly repeated himself when not getting a reply the first time, slowly beginning to walk in your direction with his hands clasped behind his back.

You quickly put the ring back down on the dresser and turned towards him, regaining your composure.

“Well, if you hadn’t noticed, my room and everything in it was burnt to a crisp. The smokey smell on my clothes was giving me a headache and kind of would have ruined the purpose of taking a shower so when I just so conveniently noticed a pile of clean clothes, I helped myself.” You shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, and to you, it wasn’t.

Hux, however, didn’t seem amused in the slightest.

“Yes, you seem to have a habit of thinking you’re entitled to everything you want.” He spat back at you, coming to a stop while there was still a good amount of distance between the two of you.

Any chill you had previously had melted right off and your annoyance quickly returned at the sound of his words.

“Oh, do excuse me. I just thought one headache would be enough.” You retorted and rolled your eyes, before sighing and crossing your arms over your chest. “So, how are we doing this? It’s late and I need to be up early to see to the repairs.”

“I thought that I made myself clear.” Hux was quick to scoff, his glare not faltering for as much as a second. “I’m not giving you my bed.”

Once again, all you could do was roll your eyes. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to suck it up then.” You stated flatly and sat down on the bed, wasting no time in starting to divide the pillows into two piles rather than one.

You took a few seconds to adjust the pillows to suit your needs before looking back up, eyebrow raised at the fact that he had yet to say or do anything.

Your eyes once again met his and you almost laughed out loud at the sight you were faced with, but thankfully managed to control yourself and avoid making the situation even harder than it already was.

Long story short, Hux had never looked more horrified than he did in that moment.

He basically looked at you like you had killed his cat, and that was putting it lightly.

You took a few seconds to just enjoy watching him squirm and silently scramble to make sense of the situation, but even you knew when enough was enough and raised a questioning eyebrow at him in an attempt to get him moving.

“Well? What’s it going to be?” You asked. “It’s either this or the floor, just like it was for me.”

Hux opened his mouth, hesitated, and then closed it again. He obviously hadn’t been expecting you to actually agree on sharing his bed with him and now that you had, he was left at loss for words as he clearly hadn’t been preparing for anything other than you sleeping on the floor.

But after a good moment of just standing there and looking like an idiot, he finally picked himself back up, squared his shoulders and walked around the bed to the other side with frustrated strides and a snarling lip.

The feigned confidence melted right off, however, when he reached his destination and awkwardly shuffled into bed while simultaneously avoiding your amused and mocking stare, silently grabbing the extra blanket that was folded upon his bedside table.

Both of you laid down on your backs and a heavy silence fell like a thick blanket over the room. The only sound you could hear for a few moments were each other’s breaths and your own heartbeats. For a moment, only for a microscopical moment, you were actually on your way to admit to yourself that it was kind of nice.

But that thought went flying out the window just as quickly as it had knocked on the door of your mind when Hux broke the silence by beginning to adjust himself to get ready to sleep, and in the process of doing so made the active choice to tug the pillows from right under your head.

The back of your head hit the mattress with a soft thump and you closed your eyes, your lips pulling into a straight, tight line and one, sharp breath being released through your nose as you attempted to keep your cool.

You took a moment to calm down, before you turned your head to his side of the bed where he now laid with his back to you and tugged the pillows back – maybe with a little too much force than necessary.

Hux had quickly rolled over to his other side to take them back and in anger and an eagerness to get to sleep, you exclaimed: “Stop stealing the pillows!”

He met you with a stare cold enough to have anyone else shaking in their boots and spat back. “They’re my pillows.”

You grumbled under your breath and let go of one of the two pillows, letting him pull it back to his side while you held on to the last one.

You stared at each other for a moment, both of you eventually coming to a silent, mutual agreement that you were too tired to fight and therefore he'd let you keep the pillow you were holding on to as if your life depended on it.

He, once again, laid down and turned his back to you, his hands holding on to the pillows under his head while you struggled to get comfortable again, this time with only one pillow.

“Why is your bed so damn hard?” You muttered under your breath as you angrily shoved your elbow into the mattress in an attempt to make it more comfortable – as if that was ever going to help.

“Stop complaining.” He only snapped back.

“How could I when I’m stuck in a bed with you?”

“You could’ve asked for other accommodations when you had the chance.”

“And what, be the next victim of Ren’s lightsaber?” You scoffed. “I’m the one in charge of the repairs that are needed every time he throws a wobbly. I’ve seen the kind of damage that thing can do and I’m not in any hurry to find myself at the receiving end of it.”

You muttered the last part under your breath as you finally managed to get relatively comfortable, plopping back down on your back and folding your hands over your stomach.

“How did you know I’m allergic to cats, anyway?” The question spilled out before you could stop yourself, and before you could even register that it was on the way.

Where did that even come from? Cats weren’t even close to being the subject at hand.

Hux didn’t seem to care much about the random change of subject, however, simply muttering back a reply. “You start sniffling and scratching your arms every time you’re in the same room as me for more than five minutes.”

He was clearly tired. Tired in general or just tired of you, you didn’t really know, but you guessed that it was a mixture of both since that was the case for you.

“Maybe I’m just allergic to you.” You muttered back with a shrug, even though he couldn’t see you, and he scoffed at that.

“Had that been the case I’m fairly certain it would go both ways and, unlike you, I don’t go around oozing snot everywhere I go.”

“I don’t go oozing snot everywhere.” You calmly protested, throwing the back of his head a disapproving glare before turning to lay on your side so that your back was now turned to his.

He didn’t say anything else and neither did you, sleep coming in and catching you completely by surprise and having you knocked out within the next two minutes.

When you woke up early that next morning, Hux was unsurprisingly already gone, Millicent instead laying in his place and looking right at you.

With a disgusted snarl and hesitant movements, you reached over to the other side of the bed and awkwardly patted her head twice, probably very much in the incorrect manner as you had no experience whatsoever with animals.

You got out of bed after that, put on your jacket and shoes, and wasted no time in getting to work once you’d gotten some food into your system, your team joining you in the damage-inflicted area to start on repairs like you’d done so many times before.

Everything was going fine and dandy, just a light-reckon day that started off like any other – if you didn’t count waking up in Hux’s bed with his cat – but a few hours into your workday, the unmistakable sound of Kylo Ren’s heavy steps could be heard echoing through the entire corridor you found yourself working in.

A big share of the Order’s pilots had been either killed or badly hurt a few days prior in an ambush. No one had expected any pilots to be needed for at least a few days but Kylo had gotten a sudden lead on the map that would take him to Luke Skywalker and was now walking around the base recruiting anyone capable of helping him get what he wanted.

Unfortunately for you, you were not only a highly-ranked engineer, but also a pretty decent pilot, and couldn’t say anything in protest when you were whisked away to a ship.

As anyone who wasn’t driven by an unhealthy obsession would have been able to guess, the lead was just too good to be true with a way too simple access.

Just like the last lead, this one fell through when it was revealed to be another ambush. You weren’t completely sure what happened, but over the comms, you had heard something about Leia Organa and some scavenger.

You didn’t have time to think about retired war heroes though, no matter how much you’d love to pry and the get in on the gossip, as you had to shoot yourself through a big fleet of Resistance starfighter corps, barely getting through with your ship intact.

Your fellow pilots were shot down one by one, only a small amount of you managing to get out of there. And even then, you were met by more starfighter corps just as quickly as you’d gotten away from the last line.

Everything was just a mess after that. You weren’t able to get through to anyone over the comms, only barely being able to make out a “pull back!” before your comm system was blown to pieces along with one of your main engines.

Along with several other ships, you were forced to crash-land on a small planet filled with thick woods and when your ship collided with the ground, your head slammed into the controls, rendering you unconscious for who knows how long.

By the time you came back to it, you were hanging upside down, the only thing preventing you from falling down being the seatbelt keeping you strapped in.

You struggled to get out of there but you managed, and had to take a moment to get your surroundings to stop spinning before moving forward to look for survivors as well as a ship that wasn’t completely beyond salvation.

You weren’t sure who you’d find, but the person you’d shared a bed with the previous night was definitely the last person you’d expect to have crashed in the same place as you.

And still, you recognized his ship immediately. After all, you were the one who had personalized it to fit his liking.

Lucky for you, his ship seemed to have gotten a pretty soft landing. As you circled around it, you were able to determine that no major engines had been blown out. Damaged? Definitely. But they looked intact enough to at least be able to put some more distance between you and the Resistance pilots and get you to a safer place. Hopefully, the inside would be as untouched as the outside.

The ramp was lowered to the ground but didn’t look broken, so you wasted no time in jogging inside.

The lights were out completely in the entrance area, and just flickering in the ceiling when you came further in.

The first thing you noticed when you entered the piloting pit was that the pilot was not breathing. How could you tell from that far a distance? Well, let’s just say that something that was not supposed to be stuck in his eye, was stuck in his eye.

Upon further inspection, you noticed another body on the floor. However, this one was very much alive.

You would’ve expected to be met by a desperate “help me”, maybe even some begging and pleading or in the very least a “please”, but instead, even when in the process of bleeding out on the floor, Hux narrowed his eyes at you as you approached him and asked you with ragged breaths:

“Is that my shirt?”

You panted as you dropped to your knees at his side, still pretty shaken up from your own crash. “What? No.” You replied in a breath, and you wasted no time in starting to inspect his injuries.

“Yes, it is.”

“Why would I be wearing your shirt?” You asked simply, struggling to see in the dark as the flickering lights weren’t providing much assistance by means of light.

“That’s my shirt.” He kept insisting, and flinched when your hand made contact with his lower abdomen.

Only then did your eyes register the glimmering piece of metal through your blurred and disoriented vision, sticking out of his side.

You flinched at the sight, not needing any more light than you had to know that it was really bad.

Your heart suddenly picked up in speed in your chest, and your hands began shaking as they became covered in his blood.

You had never been in the middle of the action before now, you’d always just been surrounded by metal and electricity. The most exciting thing you’d ever experienced was when a new engineer circuited a control panel the wrong way, resulting in it blowing up right by your workplace.

But it wasn’t the action in itself that had your heart about ready to burst through your chest, nor was it the blood in general, but rather the fact that it was his blood covering your hands.

His life was completely dependent on you at this moment and you had absolutely no idea how to behave accordingly.

But if there was something you knew, it was that the last thing you were supposed to do was to show a dying man your panic, so you took a deep breath and tried your hardest to steady your racing heart, going back to the conversation at hand.

“How could you tell the difference, really?” You asked. “All of our shirts look the same. All black, all equally as sufficient when used to stop blood flows.”

As you said that last part, you released another breath and ripped off a big chunk of the lower part of the shirt you were wearing.

A shirt that was, in fact, Hux's.

The man in question let his head fall back against the wall that he was propped against and his eyes squeezed shut when feeling your hands return to his side.

“Do you always wear shirts several sizes too big?” He managed to get out through clenched teeth and you replied without missing a beat.

“There was a mix-up in the laundry room.”

“So it isn’t your shirt?” He continued to be persistent and despite the seriousness of the situation, you couldn’t help but to let a small smile slip.

“Do you want to keep fighting about whether or not this shirt is mine or would you rather maybe, oh, I don’t know, focus on getting the hell out of here?” You asked him lightly and at that, he raised his head to meet your eyes with a distrusting glare.

“Why are you helping me?”

You raised your eyebrow at him, sparing just a second to meet his eyes. “You have a piece of metal stuck in your side, why the hell would I not help you?” You asked and as quickly as you had looked up, you looked back down at your hands to see what you were doing.

“You hate me, and I hate you.” He deadpanned, and you couldn’t deny you felt your heart tug in your chest.

“Who told you I hated you?” You asked, and listened as he let out a dry, struggling laugh.

“You did. On countless occasions.”

He hissed when you accidentally bumped your hand against the piece of metal. You quietly apologized but didn’t stop, knowing you didn’t have much time before the enemy would catch up with you.

“Thinking that I’m entitled to everything I want isn’t the only bad habit I have. I also have a tendency to overexaggerate.” You joked with a smile. “I do find you insufferably infuriating, though.”

Another chuckle left his lips. “Likewise.” He said and dropped his head back against the wall.

You said nothing more, ripping another two pieces off of the shirt, tying them together and wrapping it around his waist like you had the first piece. You tightened this knot significantly more than the first one, though, right above the piece of metal, and just as quickly as he had relaxed, he jerked back forward with a yell.

“I need to stop the bleeding, you need to keep still.” You hurriedly scolded and sternly pushed him back down by his chest.

He muttered bitterly in return, but didn’t protest.

“I bet you’re enjoying this.” He seethed, and you raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on your lips.

“Whenever I’m feeling down, I just think back to the multiple times I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing you being force-thrown across a room by Ren. Puts a smile on my face every time. But that doesn’t automatically mean I want you to die. So stop wallowing in your internalized self-hatred and put your hand over mine.” You told him, trying your hardest to keep a lighthearted attitude, more so for your own sake than his at this point as you were literally about to pass out.

But he did as told, contributing with the strength he had left when you got to your feet and started pulling him up and into one of the seats that were still intact.

He put a trembling hand over yours and in turn, you put your other one over his and pushed down. He hissed and you gave him a moment to adjust, and when you were sure he was pressing hard enough with his own hand, you slowly removed both of yours and fastened his seatbelt.

“Keep pressure and hold on tight. This is most likely going to be a rough ride.” You warned him, and he slowly looked up at you through a mess of ginger hair.

“It can’t be any worse than the ride here.” He retorted and you nodded, taking that as a “go ahead”.

You wasted no time in getting into the pilot’s seat after pulling the previous pilot out, as well as the thick tree branch on which his head had been impaled, and started up the controls. It took a few tries to get out of the hole the ship hade gotten stuck in when crashing, but soon enough you were up in the sky.

With a bit of dumb luck, you eventually reached your destination and got brought back in to the base by your team of fellow engineers, all ready to repair the wrecked ship.

Hux was immediately taken to the medical bay while you stayed behind to help with the ships, and from two ends of the base, the two of you silently and separately came to realize that maybe, just maybe, you didn’t hate each other as much as you thought, after all.

#hux x reader #hux imagine #hux #armitage hux #armitage hux x reader #armitage hux imagine #general hux #general hux imagine #general hux x reader #domnhall gleeson #star wars #star wars imagine #star wars x reader #kylo ren #knights of ren #the first order

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bringbackthebastard · 3 years

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Bring Back the Bastard Daily Prompts

Hello, folks! I'm posting these two weeks before we begin our fest, on September 1st, to give folks some inspiration on what to write each day as we celebrate Severus Snape's pettiest, most dastardly moments. I specifically picked out moments Snaters always harp on, that Snapedom personally enjoys--from any moment with Trevor to bitching at Lupin at Sirius, to the moments that Lily turns away and Dumbledore's face flashes with disgust--sure, he's a bastard, but he's our bastard, and that's what we like about him. You don't want him? Good. We'll keep him. Here are 30 scene prompts for 30 days--it's a long list, pulled chronologically from all seven books, but I found that it reminded me of everything I love about this character. The moments where he's called deranged, the moments where he slips into all-caps, the ugliest moments of the soul. Hope yall enjoy. Excited to kick off the fest starting September 1st, and absolutely excited to see what Snapedom will do. Let's Bring Back the Bastard! The prompts are below the readmore.

Day 1: The Scar Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacheer with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes--and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. "Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head. "What is it?" asked Percy. "N-nothing." The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look--a felling that he didn't like Harry at all. "Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy. "Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to--everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Day 2: Bad Impressions Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name. "Ah, yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter. Our new--celebrity."

Day 3: Potions Class "Potter!" said Snape suddenly "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand shot into the air. "I don't know, sir," said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut--fame clearly isn't everything."

Day 4: A Horrible Sight Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. "Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but-- "POTTER!" Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped. "I just wondered if I could have my book back." "GET OUT! OUT!"

Day 5: Maybe He's Ill "Hang on..." Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table...Where's Snape?" Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher. Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student. Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own House (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions. "Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully. "Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again!" "Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him--" "Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."

Day 6: Slytherin Takes the Field "But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "But I booked it!" "Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'"

Day 7: No Quidditch For You! "I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest." "Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong." Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly. Snape looked furious.

Day 8: Expelliarmus! "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry--you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" "Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear. Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at *him* like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them. "As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our fist spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." "I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth. "One--two--three--" Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.

Day 9: Only Bite Him A Little Bit, Please "Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it..."

Day 10: Poisoning Trevor The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron. "Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned." The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small op, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm. The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown. "Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

Day 11: Insufferable Know-It-All Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air. "Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between--" "We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on--" "Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..." "Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf--" "That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Fire more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Day 12: Your Saintly Father "I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter," he said, a terrible grin twisting his face. "Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you--your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn't gotten cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts." Snape's uneven, yellowish teeth were bared.

Day 13: Don't Talk About What You Don't Understand "KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end o his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent. "Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..." "The joke's on you again, Severus," Black snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle" --he jerked his head at Ron-- "I'll come quietly...." "Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black...pleased enough to give you a little Kiss, I daresay...."

Day 14: A Great Disappointment "He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have let somebody in the room with him. When this gets out--" "HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE *OR* DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS--HAS--SOMETHING--TO--DO--WITH--POTTER!" "Severus--be reasonable--Harry has been locked up--" BAM. The door of the hospital wing burst open. Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself. "OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" "Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!" "See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw--" "THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth. "Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!" "YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT--" "That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the war ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?" "Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!" "Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further." Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward. "Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore." "Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

Day 15: Haven't You Heard? "Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er--Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'....Thought everyone'd know by now...Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night...He's packin' now, o' course."

Day 16: I See No Difference "And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice. Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain." "Potter attacked me, sir--" "We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted. "--and he hit Goyle--look--" Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi. "Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly. "Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!" He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth--she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back. Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."

Day 17: The Dark Mark Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He struck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled. "There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eater to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Day 18: If You Are Ready...If You Are Prepared... "Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...if you are prepared..." "I am," said Snape. He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely. "Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.

Day 19: Obviously "Now...how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard. "Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable. His eyes on Snape, Harry added a few drops to his potion; it hissed menacingly and turned from turquoise to orange. "You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape. "Yes," said Snape quietly. "But you were unsuccessful?" Snape's lip curled. "Obviously." Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. "And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?" "Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry. "Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge. "I suggest you ask him," said Snape jerkily. "Oh I shall," said Professor Umbridge with a sweet smile. "I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed. "Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers'--er--backgrounds...." She turned away, walked over to Pansy Parkinson, and began questioning her about the lessons. Snape looked around at Harry and their eyes met for a second. Harry hastily dropped his gaze to his potion, which was now congealing foully and giving off a strong smell of burned rubber. "No marks again, then, Potter," said Snape maliciously, emptying Harry's cauldron with a wave of his wand. "You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?"

Day 20: Very Like His Father "How touching," Snape sneered. "But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?" Yes, I have," said Sirius proudly. "Well then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him," Snape said sleekly. Sirius pushed his chair roughly aside and strode around the table toward Snape, pulling out his wand as he went; Snape whipped out his own. They were squaring up to each other, Sirius looking livid, Snape calculating, his eyes darting from Sirius' wand-tip to his face. "Sirius!" said Harry loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear him. "I've warned you, Snivellus," said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape's, "I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better." "Oh, but why don't you tell him so?" whispered Snape. "Or are you afraid he might not take the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months very seriously?" "Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?" "Speaking of dogs," said Snape softly, "did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognized you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform...gave you a cast-iron excuse not to leave your hidey-hole in future, didn't it?" Sirius raised his wand. "NO!" Harry yelled, vaulting over the table and trying to get in between them, "Sirius, don't--" "Are you calling me a coward?" roared Sirius, trying to push Harry out of the way, but Harry would not budge. "Why, yes, I suppose I am," said Snape.

Day 21: Wormtail's Whine "We...we are alone, aren't we?" Narcissa asked quietly. "Yes, of course. Well, Wormtail's here, but we're not counting vermin, are we?" He pointed his wand at the wall of books behind him and with a bang, a hidden door flew open, revealing a narrow staircase upon which a small man stood frozen. "As you have clearly realized, Wormtail, we have guests," said Snape lazily. The man crept, hunchbacked, down the last few steps and moved into the room. He had small, watery eyes, a pointed nose, and wore an unpleasant simper. His left hand was caressing his right, which looked as though it was encased in a bright silver glove. "Narcissa!" he said, in a squeaky voice. "And Bellatrix! How charming--" "Wormtail will get us drinks, if you'd like them," said Snape. "And then he will return to his bedroom." Wormtail winced as though Snape had thrown something at him. "I am not your servant!" he squeaked, avoiding Snape's eyes. "Really? I was under the impression that the Dark Lord placed you here to assist me." "To assist, yes--but not to make you drinks and--clean your house!" "I had no idea, Wormtail, that you were craving more dangerous assignments," said Snape silkily. "This can be easily arranged: I shall speak to the Dark Lord--" "I can speak to him if I want to!" "Of course you can," said Snape, sneering. "But in the meantime, bring us drinks. Some of the elf-made wine will do."

Day 22: A Loving Caress Snape set off around the edge of the room, speaking now in a lower voice; the class craned their necks to keep him in view. "The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible." Harry stared at Snape. It was surely one thing to respect the Dark Arts as a dangerous enemy, another to speak of them, as Snape was doing, with a loving caress in his voice? "Your defenses," said Snape, a little louder, "must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. These pictures" --he indicated a few of them as he swept past-- "give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse" --he waved a hand toward a witch who was clearly shrieking in agony-- "feel the Dementor's Kiss" --a wizard lying huddled and blank-eyed, slumped against a wall-- "or provoke the aggression of the Inferius" --a bloody mass upon the ground.

Day 23: Better People "What does it matter?" said Malfoy. "Defense Against the Dark Arts--it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like an of us need protecting against the Dark Arts--" "It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle--" "They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!" "Then why not confide in me, and I can--" "I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!" There was another pause, then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but--"

Day 24: Revulsion and Hatred Etched on His Face "Severus..." The sound frightened Harry beyond anything he had experienced all evening. For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading. Snape said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed. Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face. "Severus...please..." Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore. "Avada Kedavra!"

Day 25: Don't Call Me Coward Mustering all his powers of concentration, Harry thought, Levi-- "No, Potter!" screamed Snape. There was a loud BANG and Harry was soaring backward, hitting the ground hard again, and this time his wand flew out of his hand. He could hear Hagrid yelling and Fang howling as Snape closed in and looked down on him where he lay, wandless and defenseless as Dumbledore had been. Snape's pale face, illuminated by the flaming cabin, was suffused with hatred just as it had been before he had cursed Dumbledore. "You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them--I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you'd turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, woudl you? I don't think so...no!" Harry had dived for his wand; Snape shot a hex at it and it flew feet away into the darkness and out of sight. "Kill me then," panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt. "Kill me like you killed him, you coward--" "DON'T--" screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly deranged, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them-- "CALL ME COWARD!"

Day 26: The Guest Voldemort raised Lucius Malfoy's wand, pointed it directly at the slowing revolving figure suspended over the table, and gave it a tiny flick. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against invisible bonds. "Do you recognize our guest, Severus?" asked Voldemort. Snape raised his eyes to the upside-down face. All of the Death Eaters were looking up at the captive now, as thought they had been given permission to show curiosity. As she revolved to face the firelight, the woman said in a cracked and terrified voice, "Severus! Help me!" "Ah, yes," said Snape as the prisoner turned slowly away again.

Day 27: I Regret It "All this long night, when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here," said Voldemort, his voice barely louder than a whisper, "wondering, wondering why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner...and I think I have the answer." Snape did not speak. "Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen." "My Lord--" "The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine." "My Lord!" Snape protested, raising his wand. "It cannot be any other way," said Voldemort. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last." And Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand. It did nothing to Snape, who for a split second seemed to think he had been reprieved: But then Voldemort's intention became clear. The snake's cage was rolling through the air, and before Snape could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and Voldemort spoke in Parseltongue. "Kill." There was a terrible scream. Harry saw Snape's face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake's fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor. "I regret it," said Voldemort coldly.

Day 28: You Hurt Her! "Tuney!" said Lily, surprise and welcome in her voice, but Snape had jumped to his feet. "Who's spying now?" he shouted. "What d'you want?" Petunia was breathless, alarmed at being caught. Harry could see her struggling for something hurtful to say. "What is that you're wearing, anyway?" she said, pointing at Snape's chest. "Your mum's blouse?" There was a *crack*. A branch over Petunia's head had fallen. Lily screamed: The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears. "Tuney!" But Petunia was running away. Lily rounded on Snape. "Did you make it happen?" "No." He looked both defiant and scared. "You did!" She was backing away from him. "You *did*! You hurt her!" "No--no I didn't!" But the lie did not convince Lily: After one last burning look, she ran from the little thicket, off after her sister, and Snape looked miserable and confused....

Day 29: Save Your Breath "I'm sorry." "I'm not interested." "I'm sorry!" "Save your breath." It was nighttime. Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. "I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here." "I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just--" "Slipped out?" There was no pity in Lily's voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends--you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?" He opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking. "I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine." "No--listen, I didn't mean--" "--to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I any different?" He struggled on the verge of speech, but with a contemptuous look she turned and climbed back through the portrait hole....

Day 30: Anything "If she means so much to you," said Dumbledore, "surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for the mother, in exchange for the son?" "I have--I have asked him--" "You disgust me," said Dumbledore, and Harry had never heard so much contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to drink a little. "You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?" Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore. "Hide them all, then," he croaked. "Keep her--them--safe. Please." "And what will you give me in return, Severus?" "In--in return?" Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Harry expected him to protest, but after a long moment he said, "Anything."

#severus snape #snape fest #bring back the bastard fest 2021 #bring back the bastard fest #bring back the bastard #bring back the bastard prompts #harry potter fandom fest #hp fandom #snapedom #pro-snape #snapelove #prompts #daily prompts #snape prompts

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nelson-et-murdock · 3 years

Text

Late Nights - Matt Simmons

Not my gif

Pairing: Matt Simmons x female!reader

Summary: Reader works an office job and a large amount of paperwork needs to be done. Thinking Matt wouldn’t be home for another day at least, reader agrees to stay late at the office and returns home much later than usual and is taken off guard by Matt being home.

Warnings: Mention of stress, implied intruder worries, mention of a gun.

Other info: Matt and reader are married, might be some mistakes and there wasn’t much proofreading done.

Request Status: In masterlist

DM to be added to a taglist

Word Count: 1k

Staying late at work wasn’t an unusual occurrence for you, especially when you knew you’d be returning home to an empty house. However, this time you ended up staying exceptionally late compared to when you would usually be leaving the office at 5. As you finished the paperwork that your boss had asked you to stay after and finish, you took note of the green numbers on the digital clock you kept on your desk. 7:42 flashed across the display as you stood up from your desk. You said your goodbyes to the few others who remained at the office before heading out to the parking garage and to your car.

The ride back to your place was spent in a relaxing quiet. Due to the time spent at the office, there was considerably less traffic than your normal commute home. As you pulled into your driveway and turned the car off, you could tell that something was different in your window. Having talked to Garcia earlier in the day, you figured Matt wasn’t home yet and approached the door with extreme caution.

Quietly testing the door, you found that it was unlocked and your heart began to race. There was no sign of Matt in the immediate entryway, so you assumed an intruder must have somehow entered the house. You quietly grabbed the hand-gun that Matt insisted you kept hidden by the door, in case something was to happen when he was away. He didn’t doubt your ability to handle yourself in most situations, but after a string of break-ins involving female victims who were single or otherwise lived alone, he didn’t want to risk a case taking him away and something happening to you. Switching the safety off, you slowly and quietly started inspecting the different rooms, gun in hand in case anyone was still in the house. When you finally made your way to Matt’s office, you could hear noise coming from the other side of the door. You slowly cracked the door open.

Matt sat at his desk, hair slightly disheveled from running his hands through it as he did paperwork, and turned upon hearing the door open. You switched the safety back on and placed the gun on the bookshelf closest to the door, “You’re home early,” was all you said as you took a step closer to him.

“You’re home late,” he responded as he stood up wrapping his arms around you. “I was about 5 minutes from contacting the team,” he said looking down at you before placing a kiss on your forehead.

“Sorry,” you said in response as you snaked your arms around his neck, “I was asked to stay late tonight to help out with some additional paperwork and Penelope told me this morning that there wasn’t any sign of you guys returning today so I figured it would be fine if I stayed an extra hour and next thing I knew it was almost 8.”

Matt just smiled as you started to ramble on, something he had watched you do quite often when you had too much on your plate. After a bit of him not saying anything you abruptly stopped your rambling, “What?” you asked him.

“Nothing, I’ve just missed your rambling,” he responded as he pulled you tighter against him. He could tell you were stressed from work, regardless of if you were going to tell him. “Do you want to talk about work?” Matt asked, placing a kiss next to your ear. In the years the two of you had been together, he knew it was best to prompt you to talk about your feelings, without being too pushy.

After thinking for a second you slowly nodded, “Yes, but only if you talk about the case,” you responded. You could tell by his appearance that he had been through a lot in the past week. The details of his work were usually something that Matt tried to shield you from, as he felt that you already dealt with enough being a paralegal. Throwing his head back in defeat, Matt reluctantly agreed to the request.

For the next few hours, the two of you confided in each other about everything that had happened in the time that Matt was away. The lawyer you worked for had taken on an additional case last minute, and you were the main paralegal assisting on the case, in addition to the cases you were already assisting on prior to him taking it on. As you confided in Matt when it came to the additional stress and feelings of being so busy you felt that you weren’t making a dent in everything that needed to be done, he pulled you into his lap.

“I just feel like I’m not making an impact because every time I complete one task, there are 10 more new ones to finish and I haven’t been keeping up with housework as much I should be either and I feel bad because you’re working and away far more than I am and I’m sorry,” you rambled on, barely above a whisper.

“Baby no, you have nothing to apologize for,” he assured you as he kissed your temple. “I am proud of you, you are working your ass off and doing amazing. I couldn’t be happier to be able to call you my wife.”

“I love you,” you said, placing a soft kiss on Matt’s jaw, “how did I get so lucky?”

“I love you too,” Matt responded, gently turning your face with his thumb and looking you in the eye, “but I am definitely the lucky one,” he stated before kissing you sweetly.

Shortly after the conversation the two of you had, you decided it was best to take the day off from your respective jobs tomorrow. Emily approved of Matt staying home, so long as he was able to come in if the team got an actual case, and your boss had a similar outlook and trusted that you could finish anything you hadn’t done already after the weekend was over.

Knowing that the two of you had nowhere to be in the morning now, you decided to spend time just enjoying each other's company until sleep overcame both of you in the late hours of the night.

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